Friday, June 24, 2005

Attack of the Outside Scoop

Found totally at random after I did a Google search for "ninja" -- no, really -- a surprisingly awesome online multiplayer Flash game made in support of the not surprisingly bad movie, Elektra. Take solace in this, Elektra: at least you were better than Daredevil. (Prettier, too!)

Well, I guess I'll have to check out the Fantastic Four movie game as well!

Damn you, Richards!!!

Tetris for Dummies

Can you handle...EXTREME TETRIS?!?

Read This

Nice Gamasutra interview with Blake Lewin about GameTap. Please read.

LOL-Aid



Cinema Geek Time

I watched "House of Flying Daggers" last night and, I must admit, I found it totally disappointing. Let me first proclaim my cinemaphile street cred by stating that I saw two of Zhang Yimou's earlier films -- "The Story of Qiu Ju" and "Shanghai Triad" -- in the theater. I loved both of these movies, but "Shanghai Triad" in particular is notable for being one of the coolest gangster movies ever. Earlier this year I watched "Hero" on DVD and loved it (one cannot go to the cinema much when one has a young child). So, needless to say, I had very high hopes for "House of Flying Daggers" -- especially after all the glowing reviews it received. Sure, it was a movie better than most, but when you compare it to the films mentioned above, it was a downer. The movie starts out great, especially the "blind drum" scene in the brothel. But the questionable allegiances of the characters gets confusing, and the constant revelations and switcheroos grow tiresome. My biggest gripe is the introduction of the love triangle late in the game, which feels forced and unearned. And for the first time, Zhang Yimou's beautiful color palette choices seem gimmicky instead of clever. A pooper.

But the fight scene in the bamboo forest is pretty darn cool.

Wednesday, June 22, 2005

I <3 Internet

Sorry to disappoint you, but I just bought that E.T. Atari Game Video Store Display Mobile that you saw on eBay. Maybe next time, sucka!

Sunday, June 19, 2005

Batman Beguiles

For Father's Day, I went to see Batman Begins with my wife. I was blown away. The movie does what no comic book film has done before: grounds the story in a fantasy world that still feels remarkably plausible, while staying completely true to the source material (even enhancing it at times). Spider-Man, which I adored, had a "gee-whiz" aspect to it, something that felt right for the world of Peter Parker but would have been totally out of place here. Batman Begins is a dark film (quite literally) and a lot more "real". That is, Bruce Wayne's motivations are established in such a way that I related to him more than I ever had in the Tim Burton Batman movies. The psychology of the character, while pretty straightforward, is not built in broad-stroke comic book fashion, but rather in a very cinematic way. I guess I would attribute this to the director, Chris Nolan, who obviously had to fight the urge to get goofy with it. Although I love the 60s Adam West Batman TV show, it has unfortunately sparked the assumption that the Dark Knight must always be relegated to the world of the absurd. Even the stupid New Yorker critic wondered where all the "humor" went. Sorry, pal, but Batman was never about humor. He's a dark and humorless character, in the best sense of the word, and this is the first piece of cinema to really do him justice. I can't wait to see it again!


Tuesday, June 14, 2005

Armageddon It

I don't know how I missed it all these years, but the Worms franchise totally rocks! I recently started playing Worms 2, and I can't stop!!! You know, I probably wasn't interested because it's always been marketed as a "strategy" game, a genre I've never cared for. Though strategy plays a crucial role, Worms is mostly all about the action and blowing crap up. The weapons and distinctly English humor are also a big plus. I picked up Worms Armageddon for PS1, which is essentially an upgrade of Worms 2. Worms get!!!

Monday, June 13, 2005

Fuck Yeah!

You really owe it to yourself to see "Team America: World Police" on DVD. It's the best marionette-based comedy that I've ever seen.

Thursday, June 09, 2005

So Can I Have Innovation's CD Collection?

According to Shigeru Miyamoto, innovation in videogames is on life support. Read this article from CNN Money for more from the man himself.

Vixens with All the Fixin's

So I just watched G4's "Videogame Vixens" special -- the first of four episodes devoted to digital T&A. Not surprising that it was terrible, since it's very hard to make videogames "sexy" (especially when Japanese developers are involved) or "politically correct". Some of the jokes were actually pretty funny (on paper), but on the whole it was the perfect example of pandering at its most embarrassing. Feel bad for Seanbaby. Feel bad for Hal Sparks. Don't feel bad for the guy DJing for no reason and the chick who was dancing in a thong throughout the proceedings -- they were just stupid. Add another log to the "why women and parents hate videogames" fire. Let it burn.

Friday, June 03, 2005

Best in Show (Dogs Optional)

The site Cheap Ass Gamer gave GameTap much props when it nominated it for "Best in Show" at E3 2005. Nice! Those interested in Beta testing the service can sign up at GameTap's official site and click on the link in the bottom-right corner of the screen.

GameTap also received kudos from Gamerz-Edge and Digital Entertainment News.

Thursday, June 02, 2005

Rage Against the Media

I am pleased to report that the new Audioslave record ("Out of Exile") is as good as I had hoped it would be, which is a rock 'n' roll blessing. The promise of the "Your Time Has Come" single is definitely realized across the board. Granted, I bought the darn CD yesterday so I need to give it a few more listens, but if you liked the debut you're sure to like the new one. Surprisingly, "Out of Exile" has some really upbeat and (dare I say) sunny moments, especially on "Be Yourself" -- a catchy number with cornball lyrics that is sure to become a summer staple on rock radio. This positive turn is a little bit unexpected, but honestly, how long can one seriously Rage Against the Machine?

(I am reminded of a funny sitcom idea I had, in which Zach De La Rocha is forced to room with The Machine. In the pilot episode, Zach gets angry at The Machine for leaving his dirty dishes lying around and for putting a glass on the coffee table without using a coaster.)

I will continue to argue that Audioslave is better than the sum of its parts, even though I have always liked Soundgarden and, to a lesser extent, Rage. Chris Cornell is, IMHO, one of the best rock frontmen ever, and he's a total powerhouse with Tom Morello and gang backing him up. Audioslave will be criticized by snobs for being a 90s throwback or simply boring, which makes me mad as a hatter.

Which brings me to the reviews. The ones I've seen in the mainstream media have been little more than lukewarm, which surprises me. Entertainment Weekly, a stupid magazine that practically ejactulated on the first album, gives "Out of Exile" a C+. Rolling Stone, which I haven't read in years but generally votes every album a classic, doesn't do much better. What is this all about? Am I just getting old?

Entertainment Weekly...now there's a topic for a rant.

Wednesday, June 01, 2005

Blade Sucks

Just got finished watching the glorious nonsense that is Blade: Trinity. Unlike so-bad-they're-bad movies like Underworld, Van Helsing and that putrid Resident Evil sequel, Blade: Trinity is quite entertaining in its awfulness. The dialogue is stupid, the acting is all over the place, and Wesley Snipes spends the entire movie looking like he just smelled a fart. But the fight scenes! They sure are carefully orchestrated! (I was half expecting Blade to go fix himself a bowl of cereal in slo-mo.) Not to mention the embarrassing appearances by Parker Posey, Natasha Lyonne and Not Jason Lee. Worth a gander if you like the other Blade movies, hip soundtracks or slo-mo.