Gotta catch 'em all yet again?

You know a game is important when it's release date is a Sunday. The first DS iteration of the Pokemon series, Diamond & Pearl, hits stores tomorrow. And while those like me who have mostly stayed away from the series (I've only played the original "Red" and a couple of pathetic console spin-offs), may think the series has faded as the movies have disappeared and the TV show and merchandise are no longer invading the nation as they once were, the game series is more popular than ever, with Pearl/Diamond already receiving over 500,000 pre-orders. I have nothing against Pokemon in and of itself, but like many series that pump seemingly endless iterations, I wait quite awhile before picking a new one up so the upgrades actually seem major. And this one has some major upgrades. You can play online, it supports voice chat, and when Pokemon Battle Revolution hits, you'll be able to take your battle-hardened Pokemon from your DS to the Wii's online arena, very sweet. I'm not completely sold, but assuming I can find it with little trouble, I may be catching them all over again as soon as tomorrow.

Really the only other thing I have to say today is that I saw Hot Fuzz, and anyone who appreciated the brilliance of Shaun of the Dead will like this just as much. It's an absolutely brilliant send-up of the action genre that still manages to pay great homage to it as well. This was not made by guys who hate cheesy action films, which is why it works so incredibly well. This will easily be one of the most fun times you'll have at the theater this year, go see it.