Saturday morning robots

2009-02-05T15:37:00.002-06:00

Saturday morning robots is moving to the greener pastures of: http://saturdaymorningrobots.lithiumstate.nl/

Expect to see the same unflinching insight and enthusiasm only presented in a much prettier package.

Thank you to all those who have made SMR what it is today!

COMIC REVIEW: Watchmen

2009-01-19T16:08:00.016-06:00

Well gee, what do you know... everyone was right... It is the best comic ever.

Here I am someone who really loves comics, yet I'm 23 years late to the party on what is without a doubt one of... the best, if not the best graphic novel ever made.

Back in the 80s when Watchmen came out I was a devout Marvel guy. DC stuff was for kids, full of tired old Superfriends. Yet in 1986 Alan Moore and Dave Gibbins produced something really Remarkable over there that puts everything I was reading at the time to Shame. I have to wonder though if my teenage self could have really appreciated it.

Watchmen takes place in an alternate history version of 1985 where Richard Nixon is still president, and Superheroes have been outlawed except for two who work for the government. I cannot give even a little more information because I feel this is a book that must be experienced with as few spoilers as possible. The setting certainly brought me back to the rampant fear and paranoia of the time.

Watchmen is a very dark book with so many layers in both the writing and the artwork that it is staggering. On one level it is about the history of comics, on another a very personal story about what life does to people. On another it may be one of the best treatise on the thought process of God. It never ceased to be entertaining and I burned through the last 6 issues in one evening despite the fact that it is a very dense read with 9 panels per page, and a lot of text.

Alan Moore originally planned to tell the story of The Watchmen with existing characters from Charlton comics which DC had recently acquired such as The Question, Blue Beetle, and The Atom But given the extreme nature of the story, Higher ups at DC put an end to this Idea so he had to create new characters, though It's pretty easy to see where the inspirations lie for those familiar with those characters.

I feel a bit hamstrung trying to talk about the book without being specific, so I will just say this. Believe the hype Watchmen is really that good.

I think from what I have seen that the upcoming Watchmen movie will be entertaining, and more faithful than most comic adaptations, but I feel Watchmen is probably the pinnacle of really using the medium of comics to tell a story in a unique way, and a movie no matter how cool, won't ever be able to touch that.

ESSENTIAL

ANIME FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Rideback

2009-01-15T09:52:00.004-06:00

Wow! I haven't been this excited about the potential of a new anime in years. The first episode of Rideback blew me away.

Rideback is a new anime TV series produced by Madhouse. As one would expect from that studio the animation is fantastic, what really impressed me though was the content of the story. It all felt very fresh and original.

Rideback is a "Real robots" genre show that definitely delivers in abundance to mecha fetishists (like myself). The machines called Ridebacks are very original looking Transforming motorcycles with 3 distinct modes. All the ridebacks are rendered in very competent 3d, the look of which reminds me of the 3d work in Heat guy J.

The characters so far seem interesting and likable, and don't generally fall into the blatantly standard types designed to appeal to Otaku. The character designs are gorgeous having a feeling that somehow takes the best of older and newer styles.

This show has the feel of 80s/early 90s shows Like Patlabor, BGC, Megazone 23 and Venus wars in that it makes me feel exhilarated and wanting more rather than just disgusted with the studio going through the motions, as so many modern animes do.

I am really looking forward to the next episode!

COMIC REVIEW: Gantz volumes 1-2

2009-01-14T12:38:00.006-06:00

It's been a long time since Dark horse announced their aquisition of the rights to Gantz, the ultra violent, ultra sexual, ultra dark manga by Hiroya Oku Works.

Gantz is by no means an intellectual Masterpiece, quite the opposite in fact. To be blunt Gantz is very dumb. The entire premise seems to have been stolen from the manual to Quake 3 arena: People who are at the moment of death are snatched away and forced to compete in some kind of mysterious life and death combat game. That being said Gantz is totally awesome.

The book is extremely dark and paints an ugly (and I feel accurate) Portrayal of human nature, however unlike something of the same vein like say Battle Royale, Gantz is very easy to read because it is so damned stupid. It is obvious that it is strictly for entertainment, no brains needed, enjoy. That isn't to say that Gantz is ever boring, it is well paced and the characters are believable. Much like The walking dead there are many "Oh my god I can't believe that just happened" moments.

The artwork in these 2 volumes is fantastic, utilizing some pretty inovative use of 3d as background references in comic art. Sexual excess and gore are both lavishly presented.

Dark Horse's release is very faithful in presentation to the original Japanese though I did notice some irregularities in the localization, specifically where referrences to Characters owned by Viz (Kenshiro and Goku) where omitted.

At $12.99. I think Gantz is a must buy for people who like extreme material in their manga, and beautiful artwork. Those who are squeamish about blood or think pretending they don't like looking at tits will impress the girls around them need not apply.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

The end of an era

2009-01-14T10:16:00.007-06:00

Electronic Gaming Monthly, one of the oldest, and most respected video games magazines in North America is dead.

My feelings on this one are mixed. It really had to go. Review focused magazines such as EGM are dinosaurs in the age of instant access to information. I am not one of those people who says that print is dead, but the future of the enthusiast gaming press is editorially focused publications such as the UK's EDGE. Even so I've read EGM off and on since the early 90s. and have a lot of fond memories.

It is a shame that due to the suddenness of the magazine's closure they were unable to give such a historical publication a proper sendoff.

1up ours

2009-01-14T09:42:00.010-06:00

It's been obvious to anyone paying attention that publishing company Ziff Davis has been in dire financial trouble for years. It's also been no secret that they have been trying to offload the 1up network for quite some time.

Even so Ziff's gutting and subsequent sale, of 1up hurts like hell. I really fail to see the point of UGO buying it if they aren't going to hire the large number of Fired Ziff employee's that made 1up stand out from the crowd of online gaming news sites as a source of trustworthy information and entertainment. Sure, there are still good people there like Sam Kennedy and Scott Sharkey, but it was the crazy mix of Talents that made 1up so great.

It was the people that have made me a religious listener to Podcasts such as 1up yours, 1up FM, Retronaunts, CGW/GFW/LAN party, and viewer of The 1Up show.

According to Joystiq the following people were laid off:

Adrian Frieg

Amy Mishra

Amy Moran

Andrea Garcia

Andrew Fitch

Andrew "Skip" Pfister

Anthony Gallegos

Cesar Quintero

Christina Rosa

CoyLou Steel

Derek Chinn

Doug Parsons

Eric Ellis

Giancarlo Varanini

Greg Ford

James "Milkman" Mielke

Jason Bertrand

Jason Wilson

Jervilyn Jaramillo

Justin Frechette (J Fresh)

Leslie Gelfand

Marci Yamaguchi

Matt Chandronait

May Tong

Meredith Stowe

Michael Donahoe

Monique Convertito

Ndubuisi Madu

Nick Suttner

Norris Boothe

Philip Kollar

Rey Serrano

Robert Bowen

Rosemary Pinkham

Ryan O'Donnell

Ryan Scott

Shane Bettenhausen

Simon Cox

Tammy Ross

Tipler Ubbelohde

In a gut wrenchingly sad blog entry, one of the few "survivors" Sam Kennedy says that we shouldn't be angry at UGO, or even Ziff. I suppose so. there is plenty of blame to go around, from both inside and outside. Believe it or not it could have been worse.

I hope that if the podcasts return and manage to capture the same qualities, that they adopt an inexpensive subscription model. I personally would have gladly paid a monthly fee to keep 1up Yours and the 1 up show around.

To all those who lost their jobs, I wish you the best of luck. To those who have been such a big part of my week these past 2 years, you will be missed.

COMIC REVIEW: Phantom

2009-01-07T11:47:00.009-06:00

Phantom is a 5 volume korean comic (Manwha) published by Tokyopop. My experience with Korean animation and comics has lead me to assume certain stereotypes. They often look very nice (Most of the anime in Japan and western cartoons are animated there these days) But the stories are often a nonsensical mess. The most shining example of this is the movie Wonderful days (AKA: Sky Blue). The writing in that movie makes a typical episode of Captain Planet and the Planeteers seem totally logical in comparison.

So why go on about that? Because Phantom really surprised me, not only wasn't the story stupid, it was really enjoyable!

Phantom's main character, K, is a Giant robot piloting police officer in the post apocalyptic cyberpunk future. Tasked with fighting so called terrorists, however K soon gets in way over his head and finds out that theorderly world in which he lives is just an illusion, and Maybe his enemies aren't who he should be fighting.

The first half of volume one feels like the most generic thing ever. I really didn't like K, he is a total punk, but something happens in the middle of the volume that changes everything, and by the end I was totally hooked. The remaining 4 volumes never let up. It's probably the most enjoyable depiction of a real robots genre story that I have ever read in manga.

Phantom is like Patlabor, Gundam and some ludicrous Old skool Hong Kong action flick put together in one book. You wouldn't think that the pieces would fit together but they do and the end result is a lot of fun to read.

It has it's odd asides, and sometimes the dialog is less than brilliant, and the localization is... well it's Tokyopop... nuff said.

The art can be a bit rough when it comes to the characters, but the way the action is expressed and the way the mecha are drawn is excellent. If you are someone who likes Giant Robots (Chicks dig giant robots) Then you should enjoy phantom, just make sure you read all of the first volume before passing judgement.

RECOMMENDED

ANIME REVIEW: Shikabane Hime:aka

2009-01-06T17:20:00.005-06:00

I have to admit, that the task for reviewing or mentioning things regardingthe undead is one reserved for Brett. However this time around he`s missed some animated zombie action by playing one too many games, so it`s with great pleasure that I introduce to you a review of Gainax`s latest animation: Shikabane hime:Aka (Corpse princess: Red) based on the manga by the same name that`s written and illustrated by Yoshiichi Akahito since 2005. Since this show is relativly new with season 1 (13 episode run) just having been ended in Japan I wont include spoilers, so its safe to read on.

When somebody dies, yet remains to hold an incredible attachment to the world, he or she`ll walk the earth as a living corpse that`ll before long lose what shreds of humanity it had left to consume the living as vengefull beings. The show puts on a nice twist on the tried concept about zombies and the undead in general, they`re still around yes, less plentyfull but all the more powerfull and are apperantly a well kept secret from the human race as modern people refuse to believe such nonsense. Working in the shadows is a cult who`s priests battle these corpses by utilising their own; forming contracts with other corpses with the promise of allowing passage to heaven when a 108 corpses have been slain. Whether or not these priests actually allow their slave warriors dubbed; shikabane hime to pass on to heaven is an interesting question, seeing as the cult think of their tools as nothing more
but an ugly, unwanted existance as low as the corpses they themselves are forced to fight. The writers use this fact to create several interesting sidestories to fleshen out the characters and it isn`t uncommon to see a priest loathing the fact that he lusts for a vile existance such as his own hime.

The storyline itself is centered around not the priests of the kougon cult but a boy named Ori. Ori is adopted into a family of priests after having been found homeless on the streets, but is offcourse kept out of the loop of what goes around untill one night a rather bizarre talking cat out of all things, beckons him to the shrine where he finds the body of a dead girl. Before panic sets in, he hears people approaching and rushes to find shelter behind a Buddha statue before a pair of priests including his brother enter the shrine and what appears to be reviving the dead girl. The story slowly unfolds from that point on as Ori is encouraged to follow the living dead girl, getting in way above his head. Carnage and great action sequences ensue in what appears to be one of the most surprising anime for me this year around (2008 that is) Yet the more you watch the show, the more you realise that it`s not about Ori it`s the questions being raised about the Shikabane hime that is the focus. They are for all intents and purposes humans, granted with super-human strengths and regeneration but there`s only so much shit they can put up for having a human mind; is it just the promise of heaven that drives them and what compells them to hunt what is essentially their brethren ?

Being a Gainax production, the animation of the show is a step up from typical anime, but really shines during the plentiful combat sequences with Shikabane hime`s unloading their weapon of choice into the undead in a stylish, yet not overly over the top way. I really dig the OP and ED song, both done by Angela who you may know from shows like Soukyuu no Fafner and Heroic Age, the rest of the soundtrack doesn`t really excell to pieces of music that I`d listen to on my MP3 player, but it`s fitting and non-intrusive.

A second 13 episode season Shikabane Hime:Kuro , is sheduled to air this January in Japan, and Funimation has already licensed Aka, and are now in the process of digitally distrubuting it for free, or as a high quality download for a slight fee so by
all means, go watch it and do support Funimation if you enjoy this show, cause it`s innovations that they make that`ll make anime more feasable to the Western fan.

For doing something different with the zombie-theme, having some great character interaction going hand to hand with top-notch action scenes makes this a recommended show to watch !

RECOMMENDED
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Gwenster

GAME REVIEW: Darius gaiden

2009-01-06T17:14:00.004-06:00

The Darius series of SHMUPS made by Taito never really gathered much attention aside from the first impressional "woah`s" the original two arcade games got having not one, but three screens to produce the largest horizontal scrolling shooting plane ever.Despite that gimmick, the games were mediocre at best.They say that the third time around is best and Taito certainly proved this with Darius Gaiden.

Shortly after the events of the original Darius, while fleeing from the wrath of the Belser Army, the Darian refugees led by Proco and Tiat set up a temporary base on Vadis to act as a main base before a true refugee planet could be settled upon. However, Belser once again arose, this time from Darius's oceans, thwarting the escape of the remaining Darians and even sending fleets against Vadis itself. A fleet of iconic Silver Hawks were sent to keep Belser from reaching Vadis, but their strength was too great even for them.Once again, Proco and Tiat are chosen to save the day, this time by putting an end to Belser's attempt to imprison the Darius stragglers.

To achieve this feat we need guns and lots of them, offcourse that`s what a SHMUP is all about. The weapon system in Gaiden`s predecessors was quite annoying and there weren`t any smartbombs so Taito was smart enough to incorporate upgradable weapons via powerups and adding powerful defensive shields to help your silverhawk survive tough scenario`s.When the shit hits the fan players can opt to use the ample supply of blackhole bombs the Silverhawk carries.What`s so great about these is they litarly involve the entire level.Not only do all the bullets get pulled in but also parts of the level and stationary enemies like turrets and the likes get ripped off from their spots, enemy fighters and warships hurl uncontrollably into the void and even the giant enemy boss battleships have to exert all their energy not to get smashed into a million bits by a giant blackhole, too bad for any survivors which almost always are exclusively the bosses themselves that after the black hole dissipates a satisfying surge of lightning reels trough the screen leaving destruction in it`s path.It`s just so very satisfying to use the black hole bomb and see the pure carnage it can unleash upon the screen !

Besides upgradable forward/rear firing guns and missiles in their standard array of weaponry the player can opt to try and capture mid-level minibosses and add their firepower to his own.Each miniboss, has a small globe on their head, blast it hard enough and it`ll fall off, capture it and the miniboss will fight alongside you, but since he is regarded as an actual object he can and will take enemy fire and eventually get destroyed.Aside from their added firepower, their the perfect living shields to stick behind to when your fresh out of shields.This process is a precursor to the capture ball as seen in the final Darius installment: G-Darius on the PSX where players can deploy capture balls at will from their Silverhawks to capture any type of enemy they encounter in the level, with the added ability to sacrifice their life for a destructive laser weapon.

Darius Gaiden plays just like an oldskool SHMUP, hello ? that`s exactly what it is.Lovers of SHMUPS should find everything they want in this, difficulty, non-stop bullet hells and relentless waves of enemies and did I mention impressive end of level bosses with equally impressive names ?At the end of each level you can chose which route to take, as such there is a great amount of replay value with the 30 or so levels available with the added challenge of compiling the hardest routes will keep you coming for more.

The best part of Darius Gaiden in my opinion is it`s soundtrack, Zuntata; Taito`s own in-house band has done a memorable job !Starting out in level 1 with creepy female vocals muttering " eyes .. head .. eyes ?? head ! Close your .. eyes .. close your .. head "When the level picks up it`s pace guitar riffs fill the space between gunfire and explosions and that`s when your just sucked in the game.The music is also very dynamic and follows what your doing and what`s going onscreen and it`s done in such a clever manner that it would seem a live DJ is mixing up the various tracks the soundtrack is composed off as you play, cause listening to the actual soundtrack itself in your music player in sequential nature is nowhere near as awesome as what the game does with it.I know games like Zone of the Enders have a dynamic soundtrack but man, we`re talking about a game released in 1994 here it`s pure genius.

For a SHMUP coming all the way back from 1994, the graphics hold up really well.The game is based on relatively large hand-drawn sprites that still look sharp even when the Saturn is plugged into a HDTV.Special effects like large explosions, vortexes and blackholes are rendered in 3D, yet manage not to look out of place in between the wealth of sprites moving on screen mostly without a single hitch.

There`s nothing more words allow me to say about this fantastic classic SHMUP which is why I`ve compiled a gameplay movie just for you guys.All the music played is from the game`s soundtrack, if you love it just search for "Zuntata" on Youtube and you`ll find lots of their music there.

In conclusion, Darius Gaiden should be on your list of essential SHMUPS, it should be available for a really cheap price on a wide range of systems and is not just limited to the Saturn version which I`ve reviewed here with ports to the PC, PSX , PS2 as part of the Taito legends 2 compilation and also it`s found on the Taito memories compilation.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
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Gwenster

ANIME REVIEW: Space pirate Captain Harlock (1978)

2009-01-05T17:02:00.008-06:00

I recently had the opportunity of finishing the original Captain Harlock TV series, which first aired back in 1978. I was already familiar with Leiji Matsumoto`s work, the most famous character to have spawned from his creative mind indubitably being Captain Harlock, so it was only a matter of time before I came around to watching this classic in it`s entirety. 1978 is a long way back, especially with how fast animation techniques are updated and more money being put in a single production, so how does this show stand the test of time? The short awnser: incredibly well!

The story around Captain Harlock takes us into the far future. The human race has conquered the stars, and due to many advances in science and technology everyone lives a peaceful life of comfort and luxury. The people of earth have become collectively lazy, as everyday tasks are handled by robots and machines leaving the
humans with nothing but leisure time. One day, a large black sphere lands in Tokyo, with it came the warning that the earth originally belonged to the Mazone, an ancient race that will finally return to reclaim their rightful planet. The threat from the Mazone had been foreseen by Professor Daiba, who tries to warn the Earth`s government but nobody believes him stating that aliens do not exist and
is ridiculed. His words are heard by renegade Captain Harlock who leads his outlaw crew aboard the Arcadia as pirates through the galaxy. It`s all too late, with the Mazone infiltrating from the shadows, and their massive fleets underway to take Earth when the time is ripe. Despite already being exiled from Earth, Harlock continues to sail with a banner of skull and crossbones to vanquish the
Mazone in a lone and long war to protect the Earth and in his own words "Fights for no one`s sake, only for something deep in his heart"

The show was aired in 1978, and like most anime of the period, it is riddled with tragedy, violence and opression. The cruelties and tragedy`s of two civilisations at war have been played out very well and even a man with solid dedication like Harlock can fret about his existence with a seemingly never ending bloody war on his hands.Unlike most shows nowadays, careful attention is giving to each character despite the large and colorful cast. Who could forget Mime ? the alcoholic alien woman who`s dedicated her life to Harlock,or the equally alcoholic ship doctor that uses his cat in order to steal bottles of sake and the vengeful Daiba who takes all the effort he can in exterminating the Mazone. You`ll even feel for that extra character that you just know`ll die in the next episode or two.

The animation is well, what you would expect from a show from 1978. You can compare it to Uchuu senkaan Yamato, though Harlock is better animated in my opinion.Truly tough, the late 70`s animation didn`t distract at all watching Leiji matsumoto`s masterpiece. More often than not, I am annoyed by cheap animation shortcuts or weird CG placements in modern anime than be hindered by old animation in general.

Soundtrack wise, it`s all very epic and mostly symphonic and vocal in nature like the pirate songs that echo trough the darkness of space as the Arcadia sails by is a very nice touch.

Something of note, there are actually many variations made on Captain Harlock by his creator Leiji Matsumoto. They all are different, and don`t follow the same universe or timeline, but they all feature the same characters in slightly
different settings which all entail Harlock stoically fighting against totalitarian regimes be it alien or earthborn in origin. I have seem a few of these " other " Harlock shows, despite being manly none of them have managed to capture my heart in such a way that the original 70`s show does and this show comes from
me as an anime essential classic ! Go see it the moment you get the chance, and you won`t be disappointed.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED (for sheer manliness)
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Gwenster

Gwenster`s Top 5 Downloadable Games of 2008

2008-12-31T04:36:00.007-06:00

It`s quite funny how I never expected to actually pay for Xbox Live Arcade games when Microsoft first pitched for this, it probably has more to do with the games that were available then as opposed to the wide array of amazing titles now more than anything else. As of now, I own a total of 39 Xbox360 games, 16 of which are Xbox live arcade games ! On avarage, I play more short sittings on a daily basis of an XBLA game, as opposed to a full triple A retail title ! That`s just saying something about the quality of these downloadable games these days who`s roots are deeply in the oldskool.

Just like the Xbox 360 before it, the Playstation 3 also has had a slow start with downloadable games on their playstation network service.
However 2008 saw an increase in great and innovative exclusive titles for the big black monolith as well such as Everyday shooter, Pixeljunk Eden and WipeoutHD amongst titles. Slowly but steadily, my PSN list of downloadable games is also expanding and I don`t see the trend stopping for either console in 2009.

Since I have *WAY* more downloadable games than Brett, I`ll actually make a proper top 5.

#5. Bionic commando: Re-armed, Available on PS3,X360 and PC

Capcom`s re-imagining of their classic NES game is brilliant.
The gameplay is still very hardcore oldksool and as such the high difficulty may keep avarage players at bay, but regardless this is one top-quality production and an excellent action platformer, one of the best !

#4. Braid, available on X360,PS3,PC

Brilliant puzzle platforming game, which seems simple and boring in the first levels or so but ends up becomming a trip of mental self exploration.
It`s hard to describe Braid, you will just need to find out for yourself by playing the demo.

#3. Geometry Wars 2, Available on X360 (Exclusive)

Over the top geometric violence in your face ! THE remake of the classic, re-invited again with six wildely different gameplay modes to conquor and 4 player multiplayer fun finish the package.

#2. Street Fighter 2 Turbo: HD Remix, Available on X360, PS3

This oldskool 2D fighter returns with a flick of new paint, slick re-drawn HD sprites and a killer fan-made soundtrack ! Don`t worry if your flatmates think your uncool playing this 15 year old re-made classic as you can take the fight online, lagfree and complete with tournament modes out of the box. This highly competitive fighting game will keep you coming for more pain.

#1. Wipeout HD, Available on PS3 (Exclusive)

Fast,faster, fastest, too bloody fast ! Wipeout is back, and how. Taking the aestitics from the later installments found exclusivly on the PSP (Pulse and Pure) this new Wipeout features 16 tracks, a lot of cars for each style of player and best of all the best graphics in a downloadable game seen to date. Pulse pounding soundtrack, brutal online gameplay and new ways to manouver your craft. This is *THE* definitive Wipeout game out there.

Games of high note

#Ikaruga - Didnt include my top 5 cause its a straight port of an old ( BUT AWESOME) game so it oesnt really count for a new 2008 game

#Rez HD - Altough beautifully remastered and well worth the money, it`s still not included in my top 5 for the same reason as Ikaruga

#Castle crashers - 4 player co-op violent yet funny side-scrolling oldskool brawling action ! KAPROW !

#Galaga legions - Wonderfull re-imagination, just fell a bit short with the super awesomeness in my top5, would have made my top10 tough !

Brett's top 3 Downloadable games of 2008

2008-12-29T09:11:00.005-06:00

I don't buy as many download games as retail, so I will only do a top 3. nevertheless 2008 was a good year.

#3: Super Street fighter 2 Turbo HD remix (Xbox 360)

I used to work at a place that had an Original SF II Machine, and played it all the time. My wife and I put in many hours on the SNES version. SF II is deeply engrained in my heart, even though I am not a hardcore player. This is the best version to date.

#2: Bionic Commando Rearmed (Playstation 3)

What an amazing remake. It takes everything great about the NES game and polishes it to perfection. Co-op is great.

#1: Galaga Legions (Xbox 360)

This re-imagining took me completely by surprise. I have never been a big fan of Galaga, Gorf, or any similar archaic pattern shooters, but something about Galaga legions just crawls inside my brain and puts me in my happy place. The presentation is gorgeous, and the game play is varied and easy to get into.

Gwenster`s Top 5 games of 2008

2008-12-29T07:36:00.011-06:00

I can`t say that I am already fondly looking back at all the great games that have been released in 2008 simply because I will still be playing the abundance of games that have been released in 2008 well into 2009. With titles such as Fallout3, Mirrors edge, Dead space, Rockband 2 , Far Cry 2 and many more still waiting patiently on my shelf to be played and finished !

Yes, 2008 has been a great year for gaming that saw a dizzying amount of quality
game releases troughout, most notably alot of them concentrated in the November timeframe. Aside from the AAA titles, that everybody knows about years in advance, we`ve also seem quite some surprising entries and new franchises that swooped in from under the radar to deliver a crushing blow to your wallet for having to purchase them. The most notable pair of these kind of titles is arguably Valkyria chronicles on the PS3 and Sins of a solar empire on the PC.

What follows is my own personal top 5 spread across all platforms, and as a disclaimer like Brett`s statement, my list is also purely subjective to my own gaming pleasure and personal taste so by all means dont take this as a definitive.

#5. Dead Space Available on PC,X360,PS3

Dead Space is one of the two major new franchises that EA started this year.
This is a third-person horror/adventure game with the oceasional puzzle elements thrown in, very simular in a way to Resident evil albeit with far superior combat and a creepy atmosphere that can be very tense and haunting at the same time.

Actually now that I think of it, you can best describe this as a very mature Metroid game as it borrows elements from that with the learn new abilities, get new weapons thing and track back for the unlockables you couldnt earlier. The new approach to engrossing you into the world by completly removing any "out of game" HUD`s, indicators and making everything refer to the character your playing is a great idea and adds to the atmosphere even more, fidgetting with your map or what not could actually get you killed for example. All in all, just go play this, with the lights off, and the (surround) sound on !

#4. Saints row 2 Available on X360,PS3

I bought GTA4 when it came out, I played it intensivly for 2 weeks, then dropped it. Why ? it just wasn`t fun anymore as no matter how good the sandbox world around you was constructed the gameplay mechanics were still very archiac. The same annoyances I had in GTA3, I now have 3 installments later (Vice city and San andreas in between offcourse) in GTA4. Namely -no mid mission saves- it can be very bothersome if you happen to die on a silly little whim to start over again at your apartment afterwards. With all your spent ammo gone meaning you have to spend minutes in preperation before going at it again, over and over if it`s a tough mission.

Saints row 2 shows you that the focus on your game shouldn`t be to cram as much things in a city, that work around you. ( who cares about watching TV with your in-game character ?) and focus on fun, sheer fun and lots of ways to have fun.
Sure, Saints Row 2`s activities may not be the most serious of all the things in gameland with spraying shit out of a truck on houses, riding around on fire lighting other things up ?? But it`s just fun, it works and the main storyline is really good.
Not to mention, the in-game co-op, expansive customisation ?
Volition put the fun back in sandbox cities.

#3. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the patriots, available on: PS3 (exclusive)

The fourth installment in the "Solid" series of Metal gear games which is also according to producer Hideo Kojima, the last in which he will directly has his hand involved and the last in which the character Solid Snake will be in. Since obviously, Konami wouldn`t be quick to hang up this cash cow just yet I assume more metal gear titles will submerge to expand the universe, albeit with different characters.
I probably don`t need to go into the gameplay details here as everybody who reads this blog should be aware of what Metal Gear is about and how it plays.

Metal Gear Solid 4 is a great experience if you like cinematic types of games, something that Hideo Kojima knows how to do very well. As such, the typical complaints from most avarage, or hardcore (action) gamers have been that the cutscenes were way too long and etc. etc. Didn`t bother me at all.

It is too bad that Metal Gear Online aspect of the game is too tacked on, I had high hopes for it but in the end the levels were too small, with too many players in them meaning that you ended up being killed by somebody as you spawn ! If the levels were bigger, and the player caps kept realistic it would have been such a better experience. Nevermind the 1 hour signup process for MGO, having to create not one, but 3 seperate new accounts alongside your PSN account is just ridiculous !

Still, this is the best in the series and damn; now I`ve got to show my metal gear to my girlfriend, cause it is very solid.

#2. Sins of a Solar Empire, Available on PC (Exclusive)

Space opera RTS strikes back ! From the small indie creators of Galactic Civilisation (galciv) comes this true gem of strategy gaming. Sins of a Solar Empire boldly goes where no RTS game has gone before, deftly combining the empire-building of 4X strategy games (explore, exploit, expand, exterminate) with the tactical precision of real-time strategy. Despite not being a triple A, well hyped title this game surprisingly was one of the best sold games of 2008 on the PC and got so many awards it`s insane. Just shows you that if you truly have insight as a developer into what makes great gameplay that no matter the genre of your game, it`d appeal to the masses.

#1. Valkyria Chronicles, Available on PS3 (exclusive)

Allright this was a total surprise to me as well. For the Western gamer this game came out of nowhere as this is a Japanese strategy RPG and we all know how those can be. Valkyria Chronicles does it all right from storyline,gameplay to graphics.
It`s single player only, but it shouldn`t hamper you down since the single player game has alot going for it. If the storyline and gameplay alone weren`t enough crack for you to keep on playing, the developers have also put into place that you gradually get new skills, weapons,items and ways to adopt various new strategies or abilities with each new mission, shifting and shaping the style you play with every session is very addictive indeed as it keeps you thinking. I love it !

Noteworthy mentions that didnt make it

Left 4 Dead

+ Great multiplayer experience
+ Very original concept, well tought out.
- Graphics could`ve been way better ..
- Ally AI is so bad that Single player is just not a viable option
- Could have been "more" to it

Gears of War 2

+ Bigger, better, faster,stronger
- More of the same, except it`s bigger,better, faster, stronger I.E should have tried to innovate more.

Mirrors Edge

+ Parkcore baby ! Very innovative new type of platforming gameplay
+ Very cool graphical style
+ Timetrial mode
+ Great soundtrack
- *WAY* too short . .
- Storyline and writing pretty much absent !

Brett's Top 5 games of 2008

2008-12-28T22:49:00.011-06:00

This has been one of the most amazing years ever for video games. The sheer amount of great games coming out just in this quarter is staggering. It is impossible for any normal person to be able to play them all. Here are my personal picks for the best games of 2008 based on what I have played. This list is totally subjective and based strictly on what I enjoyed the most.

#5: Resistance 2 (Playstation 3)

Having enjoyed the original Resistance Fall of Man I expected to enjoy Resistance 2, what I never would have guessed in a million years was that I enjoyed it more than Gears of War 2 which it pushed right out of my top 5! R2 is a gorgeous game, which features an enjoyable single player campaign as well as a very robust selection of online modes. In a lot of ways it feels like a Sci-fi version of COD 4 which means I see myself playing R2 online for months to come.

#4: Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (Playstation 3)

I had only dabbled in previous MGS games. I liked the atmosphere and story, but the actual game mechanics always made me eventually quit. With the latest installment Konami westernized the control scheme getting rid of the clunky 32 bit legacy. I beat MGS 4 and loved every minute of it. The extremely long cut scenes, bizarre Japanese sense of humor and melodrama, aren't everybody's cup of tea, but for my money this game is a Masterpiece.

#3: Saints Row 2 (Xbox 360)

I really liked the original Saints Row, it was a bit rough around the edges, but could definitely hang with GTA San Andreas, actually being the first Open world game to have enjoyable combat. Saints Row 2 however totally blew me away. It just took everything that was good about the original and turned the volume up to 11. In my opinion SR 2 is a better game than GTA 4 for the simple reason that it has far better Game play than GTA 4. GTA 4 was a high concept looking for a game, and the thing that got sacrificed in the process was FUN... and one thing that Saints Row 2 definitely is is fun.

#2: Fallout 3 (Xbox 360)

My Review of this game pretty much says it all. 70 hours of gaming pleasure with plenty of stuff left to see when I replay it (which I will quite soon) Not to mention substantial Downloadable content just over the Horizon. Fallout 3 is a must buy.

#1: Valkyria Chronicles (Playstation 3)

If someone had told me a year ago that my game of the year would be a Japanese RPG I'd have told them they were insane. I quit playing that genre seriously with the Sega Saturn. The simple fact is that Valkyria chronicles is the single most pure gaming experience that I have had in years. It just does everything right, from the story, to the presentation, to the delicious gameplay. I cannot Overstate what a joy this game is to play, and what a breath of fresh air it is in the most stale genre of console game that there is. Anyone who has a PS3 should get this game.

HONORABLE MENTION:

Gears of War 2 (Xbox 360)

Bigger and badder with some nice refinements but still fundamentally the same game. Shitty vehicle parts really annoyed me. Horde mode is awesome!

Left 4 Dead: (Xbox 360)

A total blast to play with friends, just wish the graphics were better.

Farcry 2 (Xbox 360)

Great visuals, extremely immersive. Innovative mix of FPS and open world. Having Malaria sucks. Not far enough in to judge much more than that.

The mystery behind Valkyria Chronicles

2008-12-26T18:42:00.006-06:00

Originally having been brought to the blog`s attention by Brett in THIS mini-review it has since been two or three weeks since we`ve both gotten our hands on the game.

I`m writing this after reading something rather disturbing about what is one of my top three games of 2008, namely:

" Sega revealed that only 33,000 copies of Valkyria Chronicles for PS3 were sold in North America during the month of November, it seems the game has been largely ignored by American gamers. "

Now that`s just sad, I`m now two weeks into "VC" and really enjoying this game. I even picked up Resistance 2 and Little Big planet and Wipeout HD during the time I`ve had "VC" and all I`m doing on my PS3 is playing "VC"

Not only does the game get deeper as you progress so does the bonds between the characters in your squad. There was one particular bit where I downright turned angry at an event which made me realize just how much the story writing will make you care for your squad members. Probably halfway in the game, I`m still getting new types of weapons, strategies and items or gameplay elements that keep on changing the game every mission you progress. It`s very addictive, the creators have nailed it.

I know that console gamers generally arent big buffs as far as any sort of strategic game is concerned. With Sins of a Solar empire being the biggest selling RTS this year,but on the PC Platform. On the other hand turn-based strategy games such as Final Fantasy:Tactics, Advance wars sell like mad on handheld devices, which indicates that Western people do like these sort of games, so why not "VC" ? Is it cause it`s on the PS3 and people are automatically biased about it since if it`s on the PS3 it`s inherantly bad or worse than a game on the Wii or Xbox 360 ? Or is the crowd for home consoles just different to the crowd that has handhelds ?

One can`t say for sure, since these days most gamers do own multiple consoles be it handheld or home.

All I can really say in the end, is that alot of people are missing out a great game, and it doesn`t seem likely that publishers will take more risks bringing these types of games over from the land of the rising sun; a shame for the future of gamers who do enjoy these sorts of games .

GAME REVIEW: Street Fighter 2 Turbo : HD Remix

2008-12-24T08:54:00.014-06:00

For those that know me, I have been saying this over and over for the past 1 1/2 year that Capcom is doing extremely good business in the next-gen market. Releasing excellent sequels to their existing franchises, but also being just about the only developer out there that can take their decade old franchises, and completly restart them by bringing out a remake or shake a new megaman game out of their pockets. The latest offering from Capcom in their line of online distributed games is Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo: HD Remix (SF2THD)

Regardless if your a hardocre gamer or not, you will have heard of Capcom`s Street Fighter series, being hailed as one of the best fighter series known to man where you would either spend a large amount of your allowance on the arcade cabinets or if you were rich and lucky enough, owned the cartridge on the Super Nintendo back in the day.With SF2THD, Capcom aims to bring back those old days. The game remains based on 2D sprites as the original, but now the sprites have beencompletly redrawn so they wont look bad on modern HDTV`s and let me tell you it looks absolutly beautiful.

I wont go into depth into the gameplay, as it`s Street Fighter come on what else do I need to tell you about the gameplay ? What I will tell you about tough, is just how great this game runs in multiplayer.Got a bunch of friends and you want to see who`s best ? Not a problem with the built in tournament mode! Players who wait for their match can talk amongst themselves and observe the match. What`s even more miraculous is that the online gameplay is completly lag-free! If your not up for a full-blown tourney, than that`s o.k since you can just play versus another friend, or if your not a social gamer with nobody in your friends list you can always just simply take the fight online against a random opponent trough matchmaking, ranked and un-ranked !

Should you feel particularly nostalgic, there is always the option to play the game using it`s original sprites and hitboxes. All in all, for fans of the series, or people that just love old-skool fighting games be sure to grab this for either Xbox 360 or Playstation 3, for sale on their respective networks for around 15$ or 1200 MS points which for a game this polished, is a complete steal.

If there is one thing I have to complain about, it`s got to be the Xbox 360 D-PAD or lack thereoff. Originally I was hellbent on getting this game on the Playstation 3 due to it`s superior D-PAD however the PS3 version hasn`t hit PSN in Europe yet due to some strange localisation process Sony is blaming it on. Due to peer pressure however, and realising that I had 10 times as many friends to play with on the X360 ver as compared to the PS3, I went with the Xbox 360 version. And there we go, I can barely pull off a dragonpunch when I want to on the 360`s pad. It`s realy horrible, as it`s not even an actual D-PAD, I mean look at it ! It`s a circle that serves as a pedestal for a D-PAD that looks "mashed in" It may be bearable for DOA since most the attack combinations just feature pressing either direction, but for something as precise as Street Fighter it just doesnt cut it.

Fortunatly, Hori makes some great affordable arcade sticks for the Xbox 360. Capcom will be releasing their own SF4 arcade perfect arcade sticks as soon as SF4 ships on the next-gen consoles and personally I am waiting for these SF4 sticks - having already had the privilage to play on an actual SF4 arcade cabinet in Japan They really do feel great and have a better action button layout compared to the HORI`s.

In closing, I personally wouldn`t care if all Capcom would do now is make game re-makes, or re-imaginations or hell even sequels of old games like Megaman cause they are just so damn good at doing it.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

COMIC REVIEW: Legion of Super-Heroes vol 1

2008-12-22T15:24:00.006-06:00

Wow. I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked this up at the library. I was familiar with the original Legion of super-heroes from their appearances in 50s Superman comics, but have not read either of the subsequent reboots. Lately I have been becoming more and more a fan of DC comics from this decade. In those books, I find myself more drawn to second and third tier characters than "The big 3" of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, because writers have to work harder to make interesting stories with them. 2005's Legion of Super Heroes: Teenage Revolution is no exception, in fact, it's one of the best books I've read in quite some time.

I've always been a sucker for subversive tales of idealistic youth standing up against a repressive society. This book evokes the same kind of atmosphere as JK Rowling's Harry Potter series does in that respect. One could certainly hear the legion's motto of "Eat it Granpa!" coming out of one of her characters mouths. The revamped legionaires are nicely fleshed out and made modern, while still retaining a charming degree of innocence. The art work looks great with plenty of eye candy to go around.

The interpersonal dynamics feel more like a classic Marvel book, like Clairmont era X-men than a DC book, though thankfully without a large amount of classic Marvel angst. I think anyone who likes Super hero teams and subversive themes should check this out.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

In memory of Kevin

2008-12-21T16:07:00.012-06:00

Gallian Shock trooper Kevin Abbot fell on the field of battle at 3:25 PM today. He was brutally murdered by an Imperial shock trooper as he lie wounded near the enemy's base. He fought valiantly as a part of Gallian Militia Squad 7 in many battles, and gave his life to protect his fellow troopers Rosie and Jane. He was swiftly avenged by Lt. Gunther, who enraged at Kevin's death, rammed his way through numerous obstacles to shoot down the murderer with his tank's machine gun. Kevin will be missed.

All kidding aside. Valkyria chronicles continues to amaze me. I really am saddened by the fact that I lost kevin. He wasn't a main character or anything, just another foot soldier. SEGA injected enough personality into every character, no matter how minor that I actually care when they die. I applaud them for making death a permanent thing. It gives you pause without taking away from the fun of the game. I have played a lot of turn based strategy games over the years. I've always been ruthless about using my troops as cannon fodder, but I simply can't do that in Valkyria chronicles! If you have a PS3, you have got to play this game.

Vacancy single up on iTunes!!!

2008-12-16T10:21:00.003-06:00

Vacancy by Kylee, the Ending single for studio BONES' awesome anime series Bounen no Xam'd is now available on US iTunes!

I've wanted this song since I first heard it. I had Gwenster looking for the single in Japan but it just now came out.

Kylee is an artist I've been unable to find anything at all about. The 3 songs of hers I have heard are all in english and she has a perfect North American accent which leads me to believe she is originally from The US or Canada. Give the song a listen and if you like it please support her.

The Opening theme: Shut up and explode by the Boom boom satellites is also available, along with their entire album Exposed.

GAME REVIEW: Resistance 2

2008-12-14T10:21:00.007-06:00

I already shared many of my feelings about Resistance 2 for Playstation 3 in my first impression post which can be found here . I took an extended break from playing the game because of Fallout 3 addiction, but have now finished it. Surprisingly my enthusiasm for the game has only grown.

Resistance 2's campaign has been getting a lot of mediocre reviews. The word "Competent" keeps popping up. I honestly cannot understand this. Is it the pressure of reviewing the massive onslaught of good games this holiday season that has made reviewers beyond Jaded? Is it anti Playstation 3 sentiment? In some cases I'd say yes, but that doesn't explain the reactions of some resistance 1 fans who said they had high hopes and were disappointed, probably the most prominent example of that is Mr erratic from 1up.com himself, Garnett glug glug Lee. Another Criticism I have heard is that while the set pieces are huge they feel too much in the background. I'd argue that the huge unapproachable nature of these alien structures makes them all the more menacing.

The Graphics in Resistance 2 are beautiful. it has probably the best use of color that I've ever seen in a game. It's a stark contrast to Resistance Fall of Man's washed out Saving private Ryan inspired Aesthetic, rather like going from Black and white film to technicolor.

The gameplay, like the original is very linear, in the vein of the Half-Life, and Call of Duty series. The check points are well placed, making you feel challenged without ever being unfair.

The action can be frantic at times, such as in the beginning of the Chicago mission where a massive horde of Grims (think bigger badder Left 4 Dead zombies) charges you. By the end the bodies were ankle deep all the way up the street, it was an awesome display of carnage.

Most of the levels feature some kind of environmental hazard and increasingly large and impressive bosses. In fact Resistance 2 may have the largest boss ever in an FPS. The sequence in question felt like a reenactment of Cloverfield. I hate bosses in games as a general rule, but none of these were too hard, nor too easy, I actually enjoyed most of them due to the spectacle.

Resistance: Fall of Man's story and characters never really captured my imagination, though I did enjoy the oldskool gameplay. In contrast I found myself attached to my team in resistance 2 and even starting to identify a bit with the still rather wooden Nathan Hale, who makes Marcus Fenix seem deep by comparison.

I love the Halo games, as well as the universe they reside in, but I have at times just sleepwalked my way through them. I found the single player in Resistance 2 to be tighter and more enjoyable than that of Halo 3, and definitely more visceral.

I haven't played Gears of War 2 yet (gotta save something for X-mas) so I can't say for certain, but as of right now Resistance 2 is my shooter of the year.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Valkyria Chronicles

2008-12-14T08:56:00.003-06:00

Having just finished 2 amazing games: Fallout 3, and Resistance 2, I was eager to continue my unparalleled streak of good luck with games, and try the really interesting looking Valkyria chronicles for Playstation 3. So far it seems my luck is holding out, and then some!

Valkyria Chronicles is a Japanese Tactical RPG in the vein of the Disgaea, and Final Fantasy Tactics series. I have never played any of those games before, though I used to be into both JRPGs and Turn based strategy games way back in the 16 bit era, though I have completely lost interest in the former in recent years.

Valkyria Chronicle's presentation, novel setting (an alternate world fantasy take on WW 2) and the fact that the main character isn't a whiny kid, where enough to make me want this game.

So after pawning off GTA 4 and Bioshock I picked up the game. So far I am extremely impressed the battle system is fun and innovative. The mixing of real time movement with turn based strategy works perfectly. Facing an enemy tank on foot is truly fearsome. There is a real sense of tension on the battlefield.

The presentation, and story are both so far very good. The English voice track is very good, though the original Japanese is available as well if you want. (Gotta love that extra Blu-ray storage).

This is truly the greatest time to be a gamer. I have never seen so many stellar games come out in such a short time. I will write a full review of Valkyria Chronicles once I beat it.

Playstation Home

2008-12-12T09:07:00.009-06:00

Playstation 3's social networking/virtual game lobby application, Home is now online in the form of a free public beta.

My first impressions of home are a very pretty, but much more locked down and small scale version of Second Life, crossed with the lobbies from Phantasy Star Online. Those familiar with second life will probably feel a bit frustrated at just how restrictive the world of Home is. you won't be jumping over the rail of your balcony and exploring the marina any time soon.

The graphics are quite beautiful. The avatars are very customizable and well made, though the editor is much less useful than the one in Saints Row 2. Of the few places currently available to go, I like the bowling alley best. It is a good place to socialize, play pool, and bowl. The Movie Theater is also pretty cool, but it reeks of marketing, and sitting watching trailers of crappy vampire romance movies aimed at tweens is not very thrilling.

The Mall is pretty empty at the moment which is too bad because I want to get a TV and some furniture that doesn't suck for my apartment. The real potential for Home is a meeting place for things like virtual anime/sci-fi clubs, who can hang out and watch the latest episode of Soul Eater, or Torchwood off of one of the member's Hard drive on the virtual TV.

I already met my first Griefer, and most of the people around were acting like idiots, but I still see that home has some potential. Sony really needs to get content in there fast though.

MOVIE REVIEW: Justice League: The new frontier

2008-12-11T10:06:00.015-06:00

Justice League: The new frontier is the second in DC's new line original animated movies. I received this as a birthday present in March, and it was one of the first Blu-rays I owned.

Based on Darwyn Cooke's 6 part mini series, TNF, explores the formation of the justice league in the cold war paranoia of the 1950s. It does a great job of evoking the period with the retro character designs and setting. The pacing is fast and the movie is entertaining from beginning to end.

The artwork is clean and simple, but well done. The color work is fantastic and looks amazing on Blu-ray. The actual animation is a mixed bag. The characters look great in motion, but some of the 3d work while cel shaded seamlessly, is animated a little stiff. Explosions and other effects all look great as I have come to expect from DC TV shows in the past.

The story itself is pretty mature, with references to suicide, murder, rape, and a fairly graphic depiction of Hal Jordan killing a man in self defense during the Korean war. I really like the tone of the movie it is adult, but subtle enough that I would let my (mature for his age) 9 year old watch it.

The voice cast is all new which means no Kevin Connroy as Batman. Despite that sad fact, Jeremy Sisto does an admirable job of making the Dark Knight suitably mysterious, cold and calculating. I particularly like the way he delivered this line to the martian manhunter: "I have a $70, 000 sliver of radioactive meteor to stop the one from Metropolis. With you, all I need is a penny for a book of matches."

I am no fan of casting famous actors in animated films, simply because they are famous, but the casting in this movie is pretty brilliant. Neil Patrick Harris as the flash? Lucy Lawless as Wonder Woman? It doesn't get too much better in terms of casting. I was surprised to discover that Kyle Mcglaughlin played superman. He did a really great job of capturing the character as well. The only real weak point was the guy they got to play Hal Jordan. In my opinion he sounded too young.

I consider Justice League: the new frontier to be a must buy for fans of super hero comics, or super hero movies.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

GAME REVIEW: Fallout 3

2008-12-09T22:49:00.013-06:00

Fallout 3, more than any other game I have ever played lives and dies by the axiom "It's not the destination, it's the journey".

Fallout 3 is a first person action role playing game by Bethesda Softworks, and based on Fallout 1 and 2 by Black Isle Studios in the 1990s. I played the Xbox 360 version.

The world of Fallout 3 is a bleak post apocalypse set some 200 years after a nuclear war. Humanity has clung to survival by it's fingernails and is starting to make a comeback in the strange new world, but as the game's tag line says "War never changes".

You start the game as an infant where you choose your appearance and sex, then go through a number of scenes depicting your childhood in an underground bomb shelter known as Vault 101. Gradually you learn how to control the game and select your character's attributes. Once your character becomes an adult, your Father leaves the vault without permission throwing your life into chaos. The game begins in earnest as you venture out into the irradiated wasteland that was once the Washington DC area in search of him.

Once loose in the capital wasteland the world is your Oyster. You can be whatever you want to be. a hero, a villain, or anything in between. I chose to be a right bastard. By the end I was known as "The scourge of humanity." and I loved every vile depraved minute of it.

Those familiar with Bethesda's other RPG series : The Elder Scrolls, will feel right at home because Fallout 3 plays very similarly to Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion. I enjoyed Oblivion, but have never finished it. I am the type of person that rarely finishes long games, and the fantasy setting of Oblivion couldn't hold my attention. In contrast the gritty post apocalyptic setting of Fallout 3 sucked me in immediately and never let me go. Fallout 3 Makes some definite improvements over Oblivion. Lock picking is a lot more fun as is combat thanks to the VATS targeting system.

I've heard more than one game journalist on various podcasts bemoaning the extreme (sometimes just plain silly) level of violence in the game. To them I say: Grow a pair! This is not some very serious (Read: pretentious like GTA 4) game. The entire fallout series has always dripped with black humor. The Old ultraviolence fits very well with 80s pulp like Mad Max and Fist of the north star that the fallout universe springs from.

During your journey through the wastes you meet many interesting characters. Some of them can join you in your travels though you can only have one other person in your party (aside from mission specific people). The main story arc in Fallout 3 is good but nowhere near as engaging as that of Last year's Mass effect. It also ends abruptly and in a rather anticlimactic way. The ending is made up of snippets pieced together differently depending on what you did, and how good or bad you were. I felt the ending was abrupt and unsatisfying (though the sequence leading up to it was EPIC). Most of the fun I had in the game I had in side quests and just plain exploring. I was constantly blown away with just how much there was to do and see. After just under 70 hours I still feel there was a lot left to do that I didn't find. I will be replaying this game and very soon. I may play as a goody-goody hero, but most likely my inner dickhead will once again shine through.

Fallout 3 is a game that needs to be savored. If you rush through it and play only the main quest you will be disappointed and will be cheating yourself. Enjoy the journey, because Fallout 3's game play is it's own reward.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

BSOD for Windom XP?

2008-12-05T08:59:00.005-06:00

My enthusiasm for Boot Fighter Windom is somewhat curbed after Gwenster and I attempted some online play. Unfortunately with Gwen having a ping of 133 the game played in slow motion... literally. It was more like playing Chromehounds than Gundam VS Zeta Gundam. I'll reserve total judgement until I can play someone in the same hemisphere though.

Even worse the Blitz tactics mode seems completely broken, turning into a slide show as soon as a mass of enemies gets on screen. Our computers are ludicrously high spec for a game like this so that isn't the problem.

The game is still VERY much worth downloading though. The survival mode is extremely addictive and fun.

Memories of Axis

2008-12-01T22:49:00.012-06:00

After reading Gwenster's article on Bootfighter Windom, I checked it out. I agree 100% with his review the game is a ton of fun and very reminiscent of the Versus series of games, maybe even better in some ways.

Seeing such a fun and exciting, yet totally free game really brought me back to when I was heavily into PC gaming and especially the mod scene in the late 90s. Those where heady times with many free mods coming out that often had far more innovative gameplay than the commercial products they were based on.

It also reminded me of a very special time in my gaming life. The time I met my bud Gwenster. Back around the end of 2000 or early 2001 I somehow stumbled on a forum devoted to an obscure Korean Mecha game called Axis. I was, and still am a fanatic for Japanese style giant robots. I had cut my teeth on the Armored Core series on PSX, but at that time was heavily into playing online PC shooters like Quake 2-3, Half-Life, and UT. Axis was a Hybrid of those two types of games.

Axis was a frantic and fast paced First person game that controlled like an FPS, but your robot also had thrusters and could fly around in space. The Mecha was highly customizable like in Armored Core, albeit with fewer parts. An entire community sprung up around playing the demo on the Axis forum at The Junkyard. That's where I met Gwenster. Back then he was known as Biohazard. And I was known as The Pacifier (This was years before that shitty Vin Diesel movie) At first I thought he was just a cocky little loudmouth but I soon saw that he had the skills to back it up. Eventually we became friends.

Back then I still only had a 56k modem so I regularly got my head handed to me, but I still have a lot of fond memories of epic battles in the starfield map which always reminded me of Gundam 0083.

A few of us went so far as to import the full game from Korea. It came with a really cool full color manual which I treasure to this day. Eventually the game even got a limited release in the US through Gamespy's, way ahead of it's time, and sadly half baked, Arcade service.

Eventually the Axis fandom began to cool off. Gwenster and I moved on to other games. Jamie systems, the company that made Axis had plans to make another mecha game but that never came to pass.

Like Windom, Axis was an easily mod-able game with it's assets unprotected and accessible. At one time I had an anime sound pack up for download that made the game feel more authentic. I intend to do the same for Windom when I have time.

Bootfighter Windom - Go ! Gundam VS Clone !

2008-11-29T10:47:00.019-06:00

Satisfying beam-saber combat

In preperation of writing a Gundam article to follow-up on the Crossfire review I was searching for some appropriate footage on Youtube. Coincidentally, I stumbled across a free game, made for the PC titled " Bootfighter Windom " which is essentially a " Gundam VS " game clone, to be more specific " Gundam Seed Destiny : Federation VS Zaft II Plus " since all the mobile-suits in the game are modelled after those from Gundam SEED destiny.

Since I absolutly love the gameplay style of the "Gundam VS" type of games, I didn`t hesitate to download this after looking at it`s description which promises giant robots, One-on-one beam saber action. Macross Missile Massacre (tm). For those of you unfamilier with "Gundam VS" games, this plays simular to "Virtual-on"

The installation was simple and straightforward; starting the game brings you to a configuration screen which it seems to do everytime, but at least it retains it`s settings so it`s not annoying. You can configure a controller should you have one (recommended) and your graphical settings before entering the game.

Lacking any sort of intro-movie, the game slams you directly into it`s main menu allowing you to chose from a plethora of various game modes which are as follows:

Survival Mode: Fight until you drop (you actually have 3 lives)
Practice Mode: Go ahead, bully the defenseless computer!
Team Battle Mode: Ever wonder what it was like to pit one army of mecha against another?
Blitz Tactics Mode: One army versus another, but with giant warships too.
Online Contest Mode: Because destroying your friends is always more satisfying.
Custom Pilot Creation: We all love the default cat pilots, but the game also includes the option of using your own avatar pic and different voiced effects, even your own!

You can chose between around 10 or so mecha which includes some bizare Virtual-on esque looking units between the Gundam clones. Interestingly enough, all mecha are named after computer operating systems the best unit being a clone of Strike Freedom Gundam, being named Windows Vista.

Shields can be used to parry most attacks

The game is fast-paced, and action packed. It plays exactly like a "Gundam VS" game right down to the control mechanics and as such I was instantly at home in this.
Battles can get pretty intense in Blitz tactics or team battle modes, having armies of 16+ mecha on each side at any given time zig-zagging between laser beams, giant battleships, parrying missile attacks all the while your computer is getting a heart-attack just trying to render all those fin-funnels going crazy around the place !

Funnel death !

That being said, this isn`t a button masher game. Just like the original games, if you just try to mash your opponent to death with your beam saber all you end up doing is creating an opening for somebody to unload a face-full of lasery death upon you.
Fortunatly, the controls take little time to get used to. A jump button, which serves as a boost button when double-tapped or simply tap any direction twice in rapid succesion for a quick evasion in said direction. Then there`s 4 attack trigger buttons since each unit has up to four weapons and last but not least the target selection button. It couldn`t be any simpler !

The graphics are mostly untextured, and consist simply out of polygon effects, and HDR lighting. LOTS of HDR lighting, which I will most likely turn off since everything looks so damn shiny and reflective ! urgh !

unfriendly skies

Turning HDR off, I`m sure the game`ll run smooth on even old computers.
Oh, if you get fed up off playing against the AI ? Why not take the grudge online !?
The game comes with a server that you can enable to have other friends connect to you. Fortunatly it`s a direct-IP game, meaning you setup a server, somebody joins
and you play or vice-versa without the need for a centralised gaming server that may go down when the developer doesn`t feel like maintaining it.

However that also inmeadetly brings out the downside of this technique. Without a centralised gaming server you need to know when a game is going down, at which IP address in order to play since you cant search for a game. However the trade-off is well worth it, often great games which gameplay lasts years have gone down simply cause they weren`t supported online anymore. Having said that, please check this out and indulge in this frantic mecha action-game. I can wholeheartedly recommend this as a great free game to pass some time Available for download at:

Wave Rider !

Bootfighter Windom is Available for download at: http://mirrormoon.org/projects/windom

GAME REVIEW: MS Gundam Crossfire

2008-11-24T23:35:00.006-06:00

Every review you have ever read about this game is both right and wrong. First let me just get this out of the way. The only people who will enjoy this game are hard core UC Gundam fans. We are the only ones who could put up with this game's many flaws long enough to get to it's surprisingly satisfying gameplay.

Mobile Suit Gundam: crossfire was a launch title for the US PlayStation 3. It is clear as glass that this game was released in an unfinished state. It lacks the typical polish of most of the PS2 Gundam games... That isn't to say (as many mainstream reviewers did) that this game looks like a PS2 game. The mobile suit models are actually quite nice, while the levels themselves are a mixed bag ranging from detailed to pretty weak. The frame rate is at times attrocious, and the success of lockons seem to be at the whim of the gods.

It may sound like I hate this game, and in fact when I started it, I did. I was starting to feel buyers remorse even though I only paid $20 for it in pristine condition. However after coming to grips with the somewhat clunky boost mechanic, and compensating for the flakey lockon, I found that the gameplay is far more rewarding than in any other Gundam game I have played, with the possible exception of Gundam Sidestory on the Dreamcast.

What's so good about it you ask? For one location based damage. This isn't the first Gundam game to offer location based damage (that would be Zeta Gundam for the Playstation 1), but this is the best implementation of it. You can lose your MS's head and arms very easily, which can ruin your day mighty quick, especially considering my second major plus, weapon damage. This is the first Gundam game to have weapon damage that feels very authentic to the anime. The merest glancing brush of a beam saber blade will send limbs flying. and a 100 mm Machine gun burst to an MS's cockpit will destroy it pretty fast. It's very visceral to charge up on an enemy pumping him full of rounds from your head vulcans as you draw your beam saber for the kill. You can just blunder your way through most Gundam games without even thinking, not so in Crossfire. Because the weapons of your enemies can kill you so easily, you must approach each mission tactically.

Another nice touch is that between missions you must repair and upgrade your mobile suits and assign them pilots, as well as requisitioning new ones. This is handled by using points gained in missions and taking turns as if in a strategy game. As you progress you unlock new missions, as well as new MSes to use in both single player and offline.

Like the Versus series on PS2 you can play as either the Earth Federation or the Principality of Zeon. Playing each side is rewarding in it's own way.

Mobile Suit Gundam is my second favorite anime series after Armored Trooper Votoms. I have played a lot of crummy Gundam games over the years, but have a lot less patience than I used to. I recommend this game to only the hard core Gundam fans like myself, and those who like methodical giant robot games like Mech Warrior. Anyone else won't see anything but a mess. Oh and one more thing. Make sure to change the spoken language to Japanese, the acting in the English version is truly horrible, unlike the really solid job they did on the PS2 localizations.

WORTH $20

MOVIE REVIEW: Bolt

2008-11-24T16:16:00.003-06:00

Bolt is the latest, and likely last effort by Disney's in house 3d animation studio, which has become redundant now that they have come to terms with Pixar. It is by far their best film, though still not as entertaining or polished as what comes out of Dreamworks and Pixar.

The animation in Bolt is very good, and there are a lot of really funny bits most of which involve a hyperactive fanboy hamster named Rhino. The titular character can be summed up this way, what if Buzz Lightyear in toy story 1 was a dog voiced by John Travolta. The story is predictable and shmultzy as is to be expected from Disney, but a million times better than the terrible Chicken Little.

I didn't get to see the movie in 3d, but didn't feel I was missing out on anything, in fact only one shot in the movie jumped out at me as having been designed for 3d viewing.

I recommend this movie to anyone with kids, or who is a big fan of 3d animation. It's a very solid picture. Everyone else just wait for the DVD.

PRETTY GOOD

MOVIE REVIEW: Quantum of Solace

2008-11-24T15:50:00.004-06:00

Daniel Craig's second outing as James Bond does not disappoint. The first third of the movie feels more like Bourne 4 than a bond film due to typical Hollywood MTV style editing in the action scenes, but then settles into the feel established in Casino Royale.

As in the previous film Craig plays Bond as cold and barbarous, yet still charming. He brings a charisma to the role that has been missing since Connery. The action is brutal... when you can see what is going on. I really disliked the first action sequence because of all the shaky cam and rapid fire cuts.

As a direct sequel to Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace gives satisfying closure to the story begun in that film and offers tantalizing possibilities for the next with the introduction of a mysterious secret organization known as Quantum.

It will be interesting to see how bond's character will evolve in the next film now that he has put his past behind him.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

New Xbox Experience

2008-11-23T21:25:00.008-06:00

When did I become such a lazy gamer that I require a snazzy new UI to actually get me interested in Xbox live arcade again? It's sad I used to be a hardcore PC gamer back in the 90s. Most of what I played were mods that required extensive fiddling with .cfg files just to play, and I liked it... yet for the last 2 years I have barely even looked in the Xbox dashboard because I felt it was a chore.

Well that is a problem no more. With the so called "New Xbox experience" MS has in my opinion surpassed sony's elegant Cross media bar for usability and style. NXE is an almost embarrassingly apple like UI looking a hell of a lot like the cover flow on my ipod. In short Between the INCREDIBLE crop of AAA games we have this year, and NXE's flash, the long cold coals of my inner hardcore gamer have been reignited.

Aside from the improvements to the store, the inclusion of streaming video for previews that works flawlessly, and the new ability to do Netflix on demand I am finally starting to get on the "One box for all your entertainment needs" bandwagon.

I am not a system partisan, I have owned many different game consoles from many manufacturers over the years, but when My 360 red ringed MS lost a lot of my good will, and I fell in love with my PS3 (The same thing with Sony happened when my PS2 failed). But after buying a few multiplatform games such as Soul calibur 4 and Armored Ciore For Answer for PS3, I have to say the usability of Microsoft's platform and online infrastructure makes it the better choice for gaming.

If you are still sitting on the fence about which system to buy I think NXE is definitely one more point in the 360s favor.

CIVIL WAR... or Tony Stark is an asshole

2008-11-23T16:04:00.009-06:00

My public library finally got in the Trade paperback for last year's big Marvel comics crossover event: Civil War. I don't buy super hero comics anymore, partly because they cost $3-$4 a floppy these days, partly because I generally lost interest in the genre in the early 90s. However since getting a library card I've been enjoying catching up.

When I heard about this controversial and timely crossover I was immediately interested. Civil war is the story of an upheaval in the marvel universe after some reckless superheroes accidentally get a bunch of civilians killed. In the wake of the disaster, public outcry leads to a Hero registration law. The leaders of this new order are Tony Stark, and Reed Richards who go to ruthless lengths to fulfill their Utopian vision.

On the other side are the Secret Avengers lead by Captain America. While I felt the most sympathy for this group they too are forced to make some truly damning compromises during the course of the book. In the end everything is left changed (though from what I hear the followup after the event has been fairly weak).

I really enjoyed this book. I had some really great dramatic moments and made me remember why I used to be such a Marvel fan.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Resistance 2: First impressions

2008-11-08T21:49:00.005-06:00

Sorry for the delay in posting. I got addicted to Saints Row 2. and then got sick, and am just now feeling like posting again. Also Gwenster is currently in the motherland, glorious Nippon, god how I hate and loath him!

We just got this game tonight and DAMN am I impressed. I was looking forward to it, but I am totally addicted to Fallout 3 at the moment and could easily have waited for X-mas. It was actually my wife and kid that wanted to get it now because they played co-op in the first Resistance A LOT.

I liked the first resistance. I wasn't really invested in the story, but I enjoyed the fast frenetic gameplay which reminded me a lot of 90s PC shooters like Quake 3 Arena and Star Trek Voyager Elite Forces. Resistance 2 grabbed my attention instantly with it's mostly gorgeous graphics and INTENSELY cinematic presentation. The game is still very linear in the vein of the Call of Duty series but for once I didn't care. The scripted stuff going on around me sold me on the fact that I am there! The boss fights so far are pretty damn sweet, and I HATE boss fights.

The new Co-op is REALLY REALLY good. It requires serious teamwork. If you do your own thing and don't co-ordinate you DIE. It's one of the most hard core tactical experiences I've seen on a console. So far just played it a bit offline with my wife. I cannot wait to try it online with a larger squad.

The graphics immediately impressed me. the lighting and use of color is a HUGE leap forward. The only quibble I have with the graphics is that the interiors seem almost ugly after playing so much Fallout 3 this past week. Another factor that makes the game's presentation so engrossing is that Insomniac started making massive use of Mocap. the whole game feels more up to date and frankly now plays like a more cinematic version of Halo, though some enemies still charge at you like serious Sam preserving the old skool PC charm of the first game.

Saints Row 2 Customization

2008-10-23T20:30:00.007-05:00

I'm now about half way through Saints Row 2. I probably could have beaten it by now if there just wasn't so many ridiculously entertaining things to do.

I've been spending a lot of time with vehicle customization, just as I did in Saints Row 1. This is a feature I can't believe Rockstar dropped from GTA 4, after introducing the concept in San Andreas. A lot of other things are customizable in Saints Row 2 in addition to vehicles.

Like in the original you determine the appearance of your character, but now you can also customize your houses and gang as well!

You'll have to forgive my crappy screenshots I took them off my TV with a digital camera. In the original Saints Row I made my character look EXACTLY like me in RL. The character tools are the best I have ever seen in a game, and are still just as good. This time I decided to make my character a BBW, punk, lesbian, biker. (As far from a bald space Marine as you can get eh?) This ability to create a character that you want too can make you more invested in the game, as you are playing who you want to, not someone elses idea of what would be cool. I felt the same way about Mass effect.

Your hideouts are wretched trash filled hovels at first but with enough money you can fix up even your starter crib pretty nice, with features like big screen TVs and stripper poles. Eventually your gang's headquarters even becomes a den of luxury. You may want to start dressing better to match your surroundings

As you complete more missions you will get more options for customizing your gang. Gang sign, tag, clothing, and vehicles can all be customized. As you can see here My gang is made up of unemployed members of Cobra from the GI Joe Cartoon.

Next: I'll talk about the activities and diversions.

Saints Row 2

2008-10-19T09:44:00.009-05:00

This site may be a bit slow for the next week, as Both myself and Gwenster are completely addicted to Saints Row 2 for the Xbox 360.

It's getting a lot of mediocre reviews mostly due to the graphics which are about the same as those of the first game, but trust me, this is really special. Tobin, of the Noob toob podcast who had to be bribed to beat Bioshock, Marathoned this game to completion! You can get info and see video previews here. They only show you a glimpse of what's in the game though.

I wish THQ had more money for Marketting, because this game is 10x more fun than GTA 4! I will write a full article about it very soon. But for now, Ignore any negative reviews and BUY IT!

Macross history 1982-1998

2008-10-16T08:33:00.028-05:00

In preparation for a Massive review I am writing of Macross Frontier I decided it would be a good idea to post a little history of the Macross Franchise. Macross came at just the right time to have a big cultural impact. The beginning of the 80s was a prosperous time in Japan, and an "anime boom" was just starting to pick up steam.

Originally planned as a parody of shows like Mobile suit Gundam and Space cruiser Yamato, Macross evolved into something more serious during it's preproduction. Some of the offbeat ideas from it's original concept persisted though. The mildly lecherous captain surrounded by an all female bridge crew. The Chinese Restaurant waitress who becomes an idol singer. The alien spies who infiltrate the enemy ship only to be won over by pretty girls and pop music.

In 1999 a Massive alien space ship crashed into earth. Bringing advances in technology and causing the unification of the earth's governments. Mankind went about rebuilding the ship as their own in secret. It was christened SDF-1 Macross. 10 years later, as preparations are made for the launch of Macross, Giant humanoid aliens known as the Zentradi attack The island. In an attempt to outflank the invaders The captain of Macross orders a Hyperspace fold jump in the atmosphere. This backfires tragically as the entire island is dragged along with the ship into deep space.

Fortunately they are able to rescue many of the civillians who had been in underground shelters. and eventually the city is rebuilt inside the massive ship which was orginally crewed by the giant Zentradi.

At it's core every Macross incarnation has 3 things. Fighter planes that transform into giant robots, a love triangle, and an emphasis on music. Personally I wish they wouldn't follow this formula so slavishly. A side story focusing on just the military action would be greatly appreciated.

The original series Super Dimension Fortress Macross (Choujikuu yousai Makurosu) aired in Japan in 1982, then in the US in 1985 in edited and rewritten form as part of Robotech. Robotech played an important role in expanding anime fandom in the US in the 1980s, and laid the groundwork that later growth spurts where built upon.

In 1984 Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do you remember love (Choujikuu Yousai Makurosu: Ai oboete imasuka) a groundbreaking animated film was made that re imagined the original series. To many fans of a certain age (Myself included) This movie is the very essence of what makes anime special as an art form. In 1987 an OVA called Macross 2012 was released containing music videos and a small amount of new footage which added to the Macross universe. Some of the footage was later edited back in to the ending credits of The Macross movie in the Perfect edition releases.

In 1992 a direct sequel to DYRL The OVA series Macross II: Lovers again was made without the original creators, and has since been removed from Canon. In the mid 90s Macross was revived in a big way. The 4 episode OVA series Macross Plus fully washed the bad taste of Macross II away. The animation was beautiful as was the music. This series made Yohko Kanno a household name in anime circles. More importantly, though this show had an idol singer, and a love triangle it did not just feel like a rehash of the original series or the movie.

At the same time a new TV series was aired called Macross 7. Macross 7 focused more on the quirky side of the Macross tradition. Even though the show was strange to the extreme and horribly lacking in giant robot action, it's great music and likable characters make it overall a good show. Macross 7 spun off several OVAs including the "we've taken this a bit too far" Dynamight 7 (which is the only Macross series I have never watched.)

During this time the canon for the Macross universe was played with a bit. the Original Macross conflict was given the name "Space war 1" and The Movie was declared a dramatization of the actual events that was created within the Macross universe. At the same time certain elements from the movie (The appearance of the Zentradi as well as their language, DYRL uniforms, and other minor things) were folded into the official canon.

That is all for the 80s and 90s. I will make a second post covering Macross in this century. Dark times are ahead indeed.

Soul Eater

2008-10-13T05:33:00.018-05:00

It has always been a habit of mine to stay clear of Shonen anime in general seeing as they all follow the same repetitive formula for (supposed) success which additionally almost always seems to include a large amount of fillers to try and milk these shows to the public as much as possible.

However to every rule there is an exception, and in the case of Shonen anime it`s without a doubt Soul Eater which to my pleasant surprise was produced by Studio BONES which were responsible for giving you gems such as Full Metal Alchemist, Eureka 7 , Wolfs Rain and more recently: Bounen no Xamd. Soul Eeater`s main storyline revolves around individuals called "Weapon Meisters" that attend a Shinigami school for the purpose of learning how to fight and more accurately to train their living weapons who may have the appearance of humans to ultimativly become a Deathsythe. Deathsythes are weapons powerfull enough that are capable of being wielded by the grim reaper himself in order to vanquish the evil and madness that plagues the world. In order for a weapon to become a Deathsythe it needs to be trained and devour 99 evil souls and last but not least the soul of a witch.

Thus, the story will at it`s core sound very familier to every other Shonen setting out there, where young teenagers find themselves in search for power in order to protect or defend what they firmly believe in. Yet, that`s also the only thing with which you can compare Soul Eater to other Shonen anime. The visual style is highly refreshing, twisted and often wacky Tim Burton-esque elements are combined with a more familier medieval/steam punk setting. The action is incredibly stylised and fluid, with extreme camera angles , fish eye views and completly over the top action-choreography as never seen before. The bulk of the story which has it`s fair share of brilliant plot-twists is told trough the perspective of three weapon meisters and their accompanying weapon partners.

Starting off we have the talented Maka, a long-haired, down to earth girl who is partnered with Soul Eater, a rather sarcastic and often rebellious young man who relishes in eating souls. His weapon form transforms him into a long handled scythe which Maka is very adapt at wielding Next up is Black Star, the sole surviving member of the Star clan who would be an excellent ninja if only he could keep his loud mouth shut. Best compared with the great (and late) Kamina from Gurren Lagann His weapon Tsubaki, a complete polar opposite to Black Star is a soft-spoken girl who's weapon form encompasses different traditional ninja weapons. Last but not least is Death the Kidd, the son of the Shinigami (grimm reaper) , and is best characterized as being extremely OCD; if something is not symmetrical, he has a nervous breakdown and is only able to pull himself together with the help of his weapons, a sister pair named Patty and Liz, who transform into a pair of Thompson side-arms.

The Soul Eater anime is based off the manga by Atsushi Okubo, a fresh artist who's found success with this work, as it is currently eleven volumes long and still running.

Soul Eater is an essential watch for Shonen fans, but it is also highly recommended to those who like a show that mixes fantasy,comedy and some extreme action.

MOVIE REVIEW: Doomsday

2008-10-12T22:38:00.016-05:00

I had never even heard of this movie before today. I owe a great debt of Gratitude to Paul Chapman, and Daryl Surat for talking about it on the Greatest Movie Ever podcast. After listening to the episode I immediately went out and rented it. I agree with Their assertion that Doomsday is essentially an 80s action movie made today. In a nutshell it is the Unholy lovechild of Mad Max, Escape from New York, Army of Darkness and an infection movie such as 28 days later, or Outbreak. In the wrong hands this could have been the worst crap ever. Instead it's one hour and 53 minutes of pure awesome.

The movie starts out with a horrible plague called the Reaper virus (basically super Ebola, but not as bad as the explosive Ebola from Cloverfield) breaking out in Scotland. To halt the spread of the plague, Scotland is quarantined. A huge wall is erected permanently separating Scotland from the rest of the UK. Behind the wall the infected are left for dead.

Many years later the reaper Virus has appeared in London and all hell is about to break loose. It turns out that the government has know that there are still people alive behind the wall, but kept it secret for the last 3 years. Now they want to send a team in to look for a cure.

None of that really matters. What does is that this is a movie made in 2008 that has cannibalistic thugs with day glow Mohawks riding motorcycles, and firing Crossbows. It is not doing this to be ironic. It shuns the set in stone, Michael Bay formula for Success. It is just jam packed full of all kinds of crazy cool stuff, for the hell of it!

One of the most refreshing things about the movie is that the main character, a female soldier played by Rohna Mitra, is actually plausibly tough. Coming off like a cross between Mad Max and Deunan Knute from Appleseed. None of the cheesy Wire fu Grrrl power shenanigans of your typical Hollywood waste of film here.

"R" MATEY

Yes that is a gimp chained to the front of that motorcycle. In a day and age when most action movies go for a PG-13 rating this movie goes for a bone crunching, blood splattering, limb severing R. This movie is pretty Gory, but it's the 80s "Good old Ultraviolence" fun kind of gore. Not the "We know you are a sicko, enjoy your torture porn" Kind of R seen in Modern horror movies such as SAW, and Hostel. It is so freakin great to see someone just go all out in that kid doodling in a notebook sort of way in a day and age where movie success has been reduced to a formula. Unfortunately it seems that most people really do prefer the same old reheated garbage. Doomsday did very poorly at the box office, which only confirms my suspicion that the vast majority of people wouldn't know an entertaining movie if it bit them on the dick.

The Bottom line is, Unless you hate fun you should see this movie right now.

RECCOMENDED

Cobra the animation: The Psychogun vol 1

2008-10-10T08:36:00.009-05:00

Realizing that nobody is ever going to fansub it, I broke down and watched the recent Cobra OVA in raw Japanese. I found it very enjoyable. All of Cobra's trademark James Bond gadgets and scantily clad ladies are present. Terasawa's unashamed 70s style chauvinism, as well as his eye for the absurd are well represented. My favorite things in the OVA are: Cyborg attack dog girls, and Superdimensional Pirate guild space submarines surfacing from subspace under an office building's bathroom.

Xam'd of the lost memories

2008-10-09T08:56:00.011-05:00

In my recent article about how otaku culture was ruining the anime industry in Japan, I mentioned that things weren't all bad and that I'd soon be talking about some of the good. Xam'd of the Lost memories (Bounen no Zamudo) Is very good. Studio BONES has rarely if ever disappointed me and this show is them at the very top of their game.

Xam'd is set in a Fantasy world with an anachronistic mix of technologies, Very much in the vein of shows like Orguss 02 and Full metal Alchemist. The overall feeling of the show is similar to the latter though perhaps a bit less bleak.

The main character of the series is Akiyuki a laid-back high school boy living on a small and peaceful island. Unlike nearly all anime protagonists these days Akiyuki is quite likable. Unfortunately his easygoing attitude sets events in motion that change his life forever when he unwittingly helps a white haired immigrant girl sneak onto a bus.

Xam'd is a very character driven show with a great ensemble cast. The animation quality is fantastic. The action scenes are often breathtaking. This show has all the good qualities of BONES' previous show Eureka 7 without any of the annoying filler. It is rare in this day and age to be able to recommend a show from Japan without any caveats or reservations but this one I can.

My favorite character in Xam'd is Nakiami. If I were to describe Nakiami in 2 words it would be these "She's Nausicaa" She flies around on a powered glider that is very reminiscent of Nausicaa's gull. She is strong, determined and absolutely pure of heart. You might think that would be cheesy, but Just like Miyazaki's heroine, Nakiami is utterly charming. This is illustrated artistically in the beautiful closing credit sequence where every character is depicted in nighttime stills except Nakiami who suddenly appears flying in the clouds at daybreak. It's really breathtaking and makes me feel the sense of wonder I used to feel when I watched anime.

The only downside to Xam'd is the release strategy. The show was produced for Sony's Playstation network where they honestly expect you to spend $3.99 for a timed rental of a single episode. This is yet another sign that the Japanese have NO IDEA what they are doing over here. I will buy this show, but only when and if it comes out domestically on physical media. Watch Xam'd but don't give Sony the idea that this idiotic rental strategy is good. DO buy the show when and if it hits DVD though.

COMIC QUICKIE: World War Hulk

2008-10-07T08:41:00.004-05:00

I quit reading Marvel superhero comics in the early 90s. At that point they were totally creatively bankrupt. Every issue was a super awesome collectors Item, and they kept pulling gimmicks out of their butt to sell issues, like killing professor X or completely ruining Wolverine. I quit reading super hero comics in general for a long time, but recently have been reading a lot of DC from the library and loving it.

Now that I have run out of Batman, Superman, and Nightwing books to read I thought I'd pick up the trade paperback of a recent crossover, involving an exiled Hulk returning to earth to get revenge and well Smash stuff.

Sadly not a lot has changed in terms of Marvel. Too much Angst, too many Gimmicks, and too much faux depth. I never read the Civil War crossover, or any other marvel superhero books in 14 or so years, but apparently it involves Tony Stark and Reed Richards turning into total dicks. It might have been Cathartic to watch Hulk beat the snot out of them if I cared. Oh and since when can Tony stark HACK THINGS WITH HIS MIND!?

The artwork is quite good, and Hulk looks pretty damn cool. I love Conan the Barbarian and was hoping for something in that vein, but Hulk's irrational single mindedness (He's smart again if ya didn't know) got old fast, and the inevitable plot twist just wasn't handled well.

I can't help but feel it's the same old crap, in a new wrapper. I loved Marvel superhero comics in the 70s and 80s, but I guess there is just no going home for me.

MEDIOCRE

COMIC REVIEW: Anita Blake Vampire Hunter: guilty pleasures

2008-10-04T18:08:00.011-05:00

I am a voracious comic reader armed with a library card. That at times can be a dangerous combination. I quickly burn through the stuff I know I will like and I end up trying new things.

I do not particularly like vampires, especially not the overly romanticized Anne Rice variety. Then again I am not really the target audience so that isn't surprising. Even so I liked the cover on the first Trade paperback of Anita Blake Vampire Hunter enough that I decided to checked it out.

As I dug into the first few pages I found my suspicions that this would be a Romantic beefcake-fest verified but kept reading. As I got deeper I found I like the character of Anita very much. I wasn't as enamoured of the world she lives in, an Alternative version of my own home town of St Louis, where vampires, zombies and Lycanthropes not only exist, but everyone knows about them.

Anita is what is know in her world as an animator. She raises the dead as zombies for pay. Though out the story they address various practical reasons why someone would need a zombie raised so it's not as silly as it sounds. This is pretty mundane however compared to her sideline. Vampires have recently acquired civil rights, and go about their business side by side with the living. When a Vampire commits a crime in St Louis, the Authorities call on Anita to eliminate them, earning her the name "The Executioner" in vampire circles.

The story centers on Anita being blackmailed by the Head Vampire of St Louis into investigating a string of Vampire killings. Anita is tough, and very capable, but also full of insecurities and fear. The ebb and flow of these elements of her personality when faced with an increasingly dire situation kept me interested all the way through the first volume.

The Artwork is mostly gorgeous. I particularly like Anita's character design, as it gets across all of the facets of her personality very well. This is definitely a story aimed at women as the primary audience. There is an awful lot of pretty boy beefcake prancing around. I don't feel this in any way detracted in my enjoyment of the story though. It helps that Anita is easy on the eyes, horrendous scars and all.

This is a book I never would have picked up in a book store, but it was a good read. I may just purchase the second volume, but only if I can get it at a steep discount. I can only recommend this book to either those who like the Romantic goth/Vampire trappings, or those who can tolerate them.

Based on the first in a long running series of novels By Laurell K. Hamilton, Anita Blake vampire hunter: Guilty pleasures volume one is published by Marvel comics.

NOT BAD

Star Wars the Clone Wars TV series

2008-10-03T21:29:00.020-05:00

The first 2 episodes of the new Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated TV series just aired on Cartoon network. As one of the seemingly few people who really enjoyed the theatrical movie (In my opinion, It's better than two of the three prequels), I am very satisfied with the first 2 episodes of SWtCW.

The animation quality isn't as good as the movie, but that is to be expected on a TV budget. It still looks very good. The action is exciting and the stories have the fun feel of the original Star Wars trilogy and Genndy Tartakovsky's Clone Wars shorts, from which this series borrows it's cartoony design aesthetic.

The first episode follows the story of Yoda travelling with 3 clone troopers behind enemy lines. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the characterization of Yoda was much more like the eccentric little creature he was in Empire Strikes Back than the uptight master of the prequels. The comedy with the droids can occasionally be slightly groan inducing, but this is a kid's show, and it's all in good fun. Nothing as bad as an Ewok or Jar Jar at least.

The second episode was just as good. featuring the Republic forces searching for a new secret weapon being developed by the separatists (one that Star Wars fans will recognize as being used by the rebellion in Empire strikes back!)

I really like this show and can't wait till next Friday.

Welcome Gwenster

2008-10-03T14:48:00.003-05:00

My good friend Gwenster is going to contribute to the site. Welcome!

"I hate otaku"

2008-10-03T09:02:00.010-05:00

That ironic line spoken by the Otaking himself, in the prologue to Studio Gainax's classic anime Otaku no video 1982: Graffiti of otaku generation, sums up my feelings as of late very well. Otaku, in particular anime otaku culture in Japan has become too influential lately, and it's destroying the very medium that spawned it.

I have been a fan of Japanese animation since I first saw Battle of the planets (Kagaku Ninjatai Gatchaman) in 1979 on US TV, but it wasn't till 1991 that I really got introduced to "fandom". I started going to conventions and immersed myself in it. When I saw Otaku no video, I, like many eager young fans saw it as a celebration of the excitement and youthful enthusiasm we had for Japanese cartoons and comics. I adopted the title of otaku, blissfully ignorant to the negative connotation of the word in Japan.

Japanese Otaku are often pathologically obsessed with whatever their interest is (The word can apply to any hobby that is taken to an extreme). Being a geek is not a crime, loving something so much that people around you don't understand it isn't either. Things only become bad when groups of people begin getting together and start reinforcing bad habits and patting one another on the back. a sense of entitlement and justification rises up. when enough of this happens they begin to have influence. That is where we are at now in Japan.

Most shows that are created today lack the creative spark of shows produced in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. It's gotten to the point where Anime studios in Japan are manufacturing series from the ground up to appeal to different vocal otaku subsets. Sometimes these "Manufactured" shows are good like Code Geass, sometimes they suffer badly for it, as with Macross Frontier.

DIE RANKA LEE, DIE AND BURN IN HELL

Which brings me to the Moe' problem, and the wide acceptance of Lolicon (Lolita Complex). Ranka Lee is supposed to be 16, the same age as Lynn Minmay in the original Cho jiku yousai Macross series. While Minmay looked like a young woman, Ranka looks 12 at the oldest. This is very intentional. It is to appeal to pedophiles pure and simple.

She is also an example of a Moe' character (at least through most of the series) That is basically a helpless usually VERY young female character that the audience of hopeless dorks will want to protect. This love of little girls exemplified in the Moe ideal is supposed to be non sexual, but I have known far too many fans who where almost exclusively into this crap... and what's on their hard drives... to buy that.

If I sound angry it's because I am. I take this and other characters such as the Zentradi character Klan very personally as a long time Macross fan.

ONE OF THESE THINGS IS NOT LIKE THE OTHER

Klan looks like a Lolita when Miclonized, and has Huge breasts when at her full Zentradi height, something that makes NO SENSE AT ALL in the Macross universe.Neither character design fits with the universe well, and only serve as wank material for 2 very different subsets of otaku culture. The thing is I kind of like the character of the mature Klan, she is pretty kick butt. I am not uptight about female characters being sexy (I love the Dirty Pair.) But This is just so blatant and unappealing, it turned me off what otherwise might have been a decent character.

So many other things about Macross Frontier where very good, but these cynical and shameless pandering elements almost completely ruined the show for me. I will write a full article on Macross Frontier in the near future. Hopefully it will be balanced, now that I have gotten out some of this vitriol.

The news isn't all bad. There are still really good shows being made, but it is a very small percentage of the huge amount of mediocre to terrible shows being produced in Japan. I will talk about some of the good stuff soon.

MOVIE REVIEW: Renaissance

2008-09-30T16:18:00.012-05:00

I have a fondness for experimental animation techniques being paired with traditional storytelling genres. One example of this was the 2003 Korean train wreck Wonderful Days. a movie that combined 2d and 3d animation, with motion control camera photographed miniatures. While that movie was beautiful to look at, from a storytelling standpoint it was a mess. Renaissance on the other hand manages to not only break new ground visually, but also present a damn compelling movie.

Renaissance is a dark dystopian thriller in the vein of (wait for it) Blade Runner. I know everyone says that about every dark SF film but in this case it is true, but not in a way that is derivative. The film was produced as a Co production between France and the UK, and released in 2006. I never even heard of it until 2 days ago when I stumbled on it in Blockbuster's anime section.

Renaissance makes extensive use of motion capture, a technique I don't generally like in fully animated features, but the quality of the mo cap and camera work is so good that I have no choice but to see it as a positive. I believe part of the success of the mo cap in this movie has to do with what makes it experimental, the unique shading technique applied to the 3d models. Rather than being textured as in a typical Pixar, or Dreamworks animation, the models in this movie have a special shader applied that only allows absolute black and white to be displayed. This means the very shape of things is made up entirely of impressions created by light and shadow. It's a similar aesthetic to Frank Miller's art style in Sin City. This takes the idea of noir to it's most extreme. Thankfully they don't treat the Pure black and white rule as set in stone and very sparingly use other colors for special effects.

Set in Paris in the year 2054, the movie follows hard boiled detective Barthélémy Karas in an investigation to find a missing research scientist who works for the monolithic Avalon corporation. His job becomes complicated by conspiracies, and an affair with the missing woman's sister.

The visuals are striking. The pacing is tight and I never lost interest. As a movie with or without the visual gimmick Renaissance works very well.

The US DVD comes with both the french and English audio tracks (with subtitles for the former.) and both are very well acted. Normally I am a stickler for watching films in their original language, but being as this was an international production with very close release dates it's hard to say that one or the other is definitive. For my money the English language track is the more enjoyable of the 2 with an excellent principal cast, with Karas being played by 007 himself, Daniel Craig.

The Musical score is also of note. It was excellent and created a real sense of drama to match the often stunning visuals.

Renaissance is a movie that almost slipped completely under my radar. I rented it but now I am going to buy it. Even science fiction fans that don't normally watch animation should check this out. It does far more justice to the genre than anything Hollywood has created in years.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Comic recommendation: The Walking Dead

2008-09-25T13:11:00.017-05:00

The Walking Dead written by Robert Kirkman, and drawn by Charlie Adlard is probably the most effecting comic that I have ever read. I only discovered the series recently after Shawn Elliot mentioned it on the GFW radio podcast. It's the rare comic that can really make me feel tension... make me care about what will happen to the characters. The walking dead is one of them.

Published as a monthly by Image comics, so far 8 trade paperback volumes have been collected. There are also deluxe Hardcover editions coming out.

The Walking Dead is the story of policeman Rick Grimes who wakes up from a coma after having been shot to find that the world has fallen victim to some kind of zombie apocalypse. Confused, alone, and surrounded by the living dead, Rick sets out to find his family and try to make sense of what has happened.

The Walking dead is not a story about zombies. At it's core it's about human beings, and how we cope with extreme situations. It shows us As we are, with the Veneer of civilization stripped away. Sometimes it's terrible, sometimes beautiful. The Walking Dead is dark, and at times disturbing, but I cannot put it down. I give it my highest possible recommendation. Pick up the first volume immediately and read it. You won't be disappointed.

Heroes season 3 first impression

2008-09-25T12:12:00.010-05:00

The second season of Heroes was divisive. Like many series it was impacted by the writers strike, and felt abbreviated. A lot of fans didn't like it. Overall I thought it was good, though lacking the greatness of the first season.

I think NBC was wise to air the first 2 episodes of this new season in a row, because at the end of the first episode I was left feeling underwhelmed. Evil future Claire was totally unconvincing. Semi-evil future Peter was bland. The usually amusing Hiro and Ando seemed to simply be going through the motions, Sylar isn't even scary anymore, and I am not at all sold on Mohinder's reenactment of The Fly. By the end of the second episode I was engaged though.

I think this season has potential, but they really need to pull out some new tricks.

Krauser II revoltech figure!

2008-09-25T08:43:00.005-05:00

I don't collect action figures anymore. Having a back room full of all manner of anime and video game related toys, eventually taught me that I could never have "enough." However I HAVE to have this guy:

Johannes Krauser II, front man of the Death metal band Detroit Metal City, getting released as one of the highly posable Revoltech action figures!

For those who don't know DMC, is a comedic manga, anime, and soon to be live action movie in Japan about a corporate Heavy metal band (Think KISS crossed with Slayer). I plan to do an article on the anime very soon as it is one of the best shows airing right now in Japan.

Iron Man VS. The Dark Knight

2008-09-24T11:51:00.010-05:00

Having finally procured a babysitter, I got to see The Dark Knight this weekend.

Many people have said that this is the greatest super hero movie of all time. While I think it's a really good movie with several outstanding performances, especially from the supporting cast, I still feel that Iron Man holds that distinction.

I am not going to bother reviewing either film, since by now everyone has probably seen them, and made up their own mind. I will say that both are excellent and make up for utter garbage like Spider man 3, Fantastic Four 2, and X-men 3.

When it comes right down to it, the reason I prefer Iron Man is entertainment value. When I pick up my blu-ray of Iron Man next week I am certain that I will be viewing it several times. It's just that kind of movie. It taps into the whole power fantasy that drives the heart of the super hero genre very well.

While I want to watch The Dark Knight again I am not at all certain that I will be buying it. I just don't see myself wanting to watch it over and over, unlike the previous Batman Begins, that is a tighter more entertaining experience and does hold up well to multiple viewings.

What's funny is that I have never really cared for Iron man as a comic character, preferring Batman every time.

What kind of name is that?

2008-09-23T15:03:00.003-05:00

OK, I am terrible at naming things. When I decided that I wanted to make a visual media blog, I struggled to come up with a name.

I got the idea to call it Saturday morning robots When I recently rediscovered the 1984, made for the US market Super robot show, Mighty Orbots on Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLcJXR7twoQ
I'd nearly forgotten the show existed. It made me nostalgic for the days when I'd wait all week for Saturday morning, to watch the cartoons, an experience that kids today just don't have.

I hope the title: Saturday morning robots captures some of that nostalgic feeling.