The Top Ten Games We need to see on the Wii

Shigeru Miyamoto has already said he's looking into the possibility of remaking certain Gamecube titles in order to take advantage of the Wii's unique controller. What exactly he has in mind, only he knows. But I thought I'd give my two cents on games that would port over perfectly to the Wii and not just from the Gamecube library (this list is in no particular order, so these aren't ranked).







I'll start with the most recent and obvious. Okami is simply a brilliant title, and as I've stated in previous blog entries, the celestial brush is a perfect fit for the Wii remote. (and as good as the controls for the brush are with the duel analog, it just would feel a bit more natural if you were actually making the motions of painting, which is exactly what you could do with the Wii remote). This is so obvious it screams out at everybody who plays it. Capcom has a really good history of supporting the Wii, so odds are good we'll either see Okami or it's eventual sequel on the Wii sometime in the future.



Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam is already a launch title, and Jet Grind Radio (also known as Jet Set Radio on the Xbox) is a much better basic example of this genre, with awesome graffiti spraying added in, which much likes Okami, makes it prime for Wii development.



Probably the one title that truly screams for a Wii remake above any other. I still have this for my Saturn and it exemplifies everything the Wii is supposed to be about-Simple, fun, a huge sense of freedom and being gorgeous yet not relying on some super-powerful graphics to be gorgeous. Sega is clearly strongly behind Nintendo with several planned Wii titles and giving the virtual console their full support, so this seems like a ridiculously obvious idea that needs to happen.



The Wii remote has the potential to revolutionize the way console FPS games are played, and new gameplay mechanics like that can be used to give brilliant but criminally ignored titles a well-deserved second shot. Metal Arms is most definitely one of those titles. It's an extremely funny and well designed shooter that the public simply seemed to ignore, even though it's really almost right up there with the likes of Halo in multi-player thanks to excellent weapon & map designs (and definitely has a better single-player campaign than either Halo game can lay claim to). Putting it on the Wii would give it a good chance to find an audience it truly deserves.



And if the Wii is potentially a revolution for FPS, the same holds true for on-rails shooters. Panzer Dragoon is arguably the pinnacle of this genre, and either a remake or a totally new entry could really capitalize on that potential, and easily put impressive looking PS3 titles where you fly around on dragons to shame since the Wii remote would give a much more fun experience.



Probably the last good Sega Saturn title made, Burning Rangers mix of futuristic firefighters with jet packs would be a really good and natural transition over to the Wii's unique interface.



Ever since Nintendo unveiled the Wii remote and it's motion-sensing capabilities, Star Wars fanboys have been drooling at the thought of the ability to have virtual lightsaber duels. With a little tweaking, Star Wars Trilogy could easily fit that bill. It features great dogfights and intense lightsaber battles that would easily work with the Wii remote. And in online multi-player and you'd automatically have a strong contender for the best Star Wars game ever.







Paperboy is pretty likely to make an appearance on the virtual console, but it's simple but fun gameplay could easily be made to fit the Wii. It'd be pretty fun flicking your wrist trying to correctly deliver those newspapers.


Simply put, Point Blank is just as good if not better than the classic Duck Hunt, which is already getting a Wii remake & a virtual console release. It's got more variety and humor and just plain wackiness, and would be a great complement to that zapper we saw at E3.



Samba De Amigo is the ultimate party game, and it's original Maraca controllers were pretty much a less sophisticated version of what the Wii remote is, so it would be an easy transition. It would also be a really good counter to games like Dance Dance Revolution, which obviously would not transfer well to the Wii without and expensive dance pad.

All right, that's it for now, but I'll be back tonight since it's technically Monday with another post.

FREE GAME OF THE WEEK: Bloody Blades

How do you kill that which has no life?

South Park 1008 Make Love NOT WARCRAFT
Uploaded by abbott1

In case you missed on of the best episodes of any TV show EVER last night, here is the FULL episode of South Park's "Make Love, Not Warcraft", which hilariously lampoons the pure absurdity of the game. Sadly, it actually makes me sort of miss playing WOW, which I haven't touched in about 9 months (though I seriously have to clear my seemingly ever-growing backlog of games before I seriously consider a return).

So, even though Gamestop isn't reportedly offering any preorders on Wii, you still may have no trouble getting one, as Nintendo will supposedly has anywhere between 9 and 11 million units ready to ship by the end of the calender year. To put that number in perspective, MS is hoping the 360 will hit 10 million owners total by the end of this year, so if these reports are true, The Wii may be the easiest item to get ever that's still a ridiculously hot seller.

You know, one thing that would really, really tempt me to get an Xbox 360 in the near future would be a free game for it. But it would have to be a current game that I'm actually excited about, not something lame like Kameo or Perfect Dark Zero. Amazon may have just tempt me enough with their deal going on this October: Buy a 360 and get either GEARS OF WAR or VIVA PINATA FREE. I have checked Amazon, and haven't seen the deal, so maybe it will happen later this month (it's still early), but 1up is pretty reputable, so I expect I'll be heavily tempted as soon as it's official.

On to this weekend's movies-Really the only one even worth checking out is Martin Scorsese's The Departed, which is a remake of an excellent Japanese film called Infernal Affairs. You really can't wrong with the seemingly endless talented cast (Dicaprio, Affleck, Wahlberg, Baldwin, Nicholson,etc.) and Scorsese pretty much always delivers.

Then you have those films that shouldn't even have conceived. Wasn't the remake of Texas Chainsaw massacre horrible enough? Do we need a prequel of the origin of this lame-ass serial killer & his family of fat inbred southern hicks? Apparently someone feels we do, because Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning has been unleashed in theatres, and unfortunately, it has been repeatedly proven that people are dumb enough to think these kind of movies are not only scary, but good. I'm sure this'll make 25 mil easy opening weekend, even though it doesn't deserve to make 10 dollars.

And finally, we have Employee of the Month. You know, somehow in the course of a year Dane Cook went from the biggest comedian on Earth to one of the most annoying guys ever, and his first major film doesn't seem to be doing anything to fix that (it could be because he hasn't changed the same recycled material he originally stole from far funnier guys). But I'm sure Jessica Simpson will lure in the horny teenagers.

That's really all I have to talk about for today, but I'll leave you with another brilliant Weird Al video, courtesy of the show, Robot Chicken: WEASEL STOMPING DAY!

Play with your Mii

Although the Wii won't actually be out until next month, you can get an idea of what the "Mii channel" feature will be like with this handy little flash version.I have to admit, it's quite a bit of fun, hopefully the full version will have even more options or at least some more downloadable ones in the future.

Are you a complete fucking pussy who is willing to pay to earn gamerscore points? Then check out Level my 360-A site where you pay professionals to raise your gamerscore. This crap should be illegal.

So, thought you'd miss all that launch day waiting-in-line nonsense by pre-ordering your Wii or PS3? Well Gamestop won't be any help there, as they reportedly aren't offering pre-orders for either. I'll probably try to get something online, but if that doesn't happen, I'll probably just try and get a Wii when I can get my hands on one, I've never been one for waiting hours in line for launch day.

SCRUBS CLIP OF THE WEEK:

Ken Kuturagi says the darndest things

On competition: "We don't care."

On PS3 Progress: "Right now ... we can't manufacture enough blue laser diodes for our PlayStation 3s. But we will resolve that,"

Really? How, exactly? I mean christ man, to say you don't care about your competition, then grudgingly admit you're having trouble getting the basic parts for an already botched launch is just about as ass backwards as it can get.

But ultimately, what is the PS3's biggest obstacle? It might be the PS2 itself, as this editorial outlines. And it's absolutely right. The PS2 is cheap, available, has a huge library of great titles with quite a few more down the line (FFXII, God of War 2, Tales of the Abyss, just to name a few). I can't imagine any solid reason you could give anyone to get a PS3 over a PS2 at this point.

Don't throw out those gamecube controllers/wavebirds! Nintendo has confirmed that not only can they be used with all the GC titles on the Wii, but certain other games may make use of them as well (quite possibly virtual console titles, but upcoming Wii games like Smash Dojo have also been previously mentioned).

Even more good news on the Wii front: While the friend code system is still going to be used, it should only be one code per console, as opposed to per title like it is on the DS. This should make the system much smoother.

And I did finally catch Fearless today, and it was pretty damn good. The action was amazing, and it had actually had a pretty good story, even if the acting was pretty stiff (but hey, you don't go see Jet Li movies for good acting). Again, I highly doubt this is the last martial arts movie he'll do, but if it is, it's a very fine note to end it on.

FREE GAME OF THE WEEK: Hustler

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Billy Bob Thorton and Jon Heder team up in the somewhat promising comedy School for Scoundrels, which looks like the best bet this weekend, with ti being from the same director who gave us Old School, Road Trip, & Starsky & Hutch, all of which I found pretty entertaining. Unfortunately, the early reviews are mostly lukewarm, but I'll probably check it out along with finally catching Fearless either Saturday or Sunday.

Also this weekend, Ashton Kutcher faces off against.. Ashton Kutcher! No, it's not some horribly awful-twin movie, just a fairly mediocre-looking animated film & an even more mediocre-looking drama. Whose bright idea was it to put Kevin Costner & Ashton Kutcher in a movie? The Guardian will just be another example for both actors to show their complete lack of dramatic ability. Furthermore, whose bright idea was it to put Kutcher & Martin Lawrence together? In a family animated film? Lawrence isn't that funny to begin with, and when limited with a PG-rating, he's absolutely atrocious. As for Kutcher's comedic abilities? Sure, he was amusing on That 70s Show, but he has yet to make one entertaining film. I'm sure kids will eat up Open Season regardless.

Animation overload! Every single episode of Simpsons, Family Guy, Futurama, Family Guy & American Dad all in one convenient spot-This probably won't last long, so enjoy it while you can!

Finally, yet another game I'm going to have to put off getting until I beat one of the several I'm working on came out this week: Valkyrie Profile 2. I really enjoyed the original, and the reviews for this new entry are all really solid, unfortunately, I may not really get around to it til the new year with me very slowly progressing through Okami & Disgaea 2, and after those I still have to get back to Shadow Hearts: FTNW, and somewhere in between all that Final Fantasy XII will be out. Why I am even planning on picking up a Wii at this point again?

Halo gets real

Microsoft had their big XNA '06 conference today, and the really huge news was that Halo is going back to its original roots as an RTS. Sure, the first Halo ended up being an FPS as the final product, but the original plan was for it to be a full-blown real time strategy. Here's the trailer:



Other not so noteworthy highlights:

-Doom is now available on Xbox live and has online deathmatch! Whoopdee-fucking-do! Seriously, no disrespect to the game that really kick-started the FPS genre, but it just simply hasn't aged well in the nearly 15 years since it's been out. It'll be fun for a little nostalgia, then you'll quickly go back to Halo 2 & Counter-Strike.

-The Xbox 360 HD-DVD player will launch in North America in mid-November, will cost $199.99, and will include in the box an HD-DVD copy of Peter Jackson's King Kong. I'm sure king Kong will look amazing in in HD on HD, but this officially makes the 360 a lot more pricey than the PS3 if you want to watch a high-def movie on it.

-A Marvel MMORPG is on the way. So it's City of Heroes with a license? Big yawn.

-Banjo Kazooie is returning. Great, another well-remembered franchise that Rare can flush down the drain. They have had 3 releases to date since they joined Team MS, and they've all vastly underwhelmed at best, I don't see this finally fixing their recent track record.

So really mostly a somewhat underwhelming conference, especially considering that all they've really got for the near future is Gears of War to combat the launch of the PS3 & The Wii.

There was one big bit of news for the 4 PS3 fans still left-Elder Scrolls: Oblivion is going to be a launch title. Congrats on having a game us PC & 360 players have been playing for months already! If it actually runs much smoother and looks significantly better, great, but my bet is it won't...

But with potentially good news comes potentially horrid news (for PS3 fans anyways): Square is spreading the wealth this time around, saying they aren't really committed to any one system. Final Fantasy is still going to remain mainly a PS franchise, but others may end up elsewhere, namely Kingdom Hearts. Oddly enough, I've always said when the next Kingdom Hearts game is announced is when I'll probably break down and buy a PS3. Now that may not ever happen...

The Sony style store has "officially" listed Sony PS3 titles at a 59.99, same as most 360 titles. But the Sony store is just some little offshoot, I'll believe it more when I hear an official statement from Sony Corporate.

Unfortunately, I've been a little too tired from work to really make the effort to go see Fearless yet, but I'm pretty open most of Saturday & Sunday, so I'll be sure to check it out this weekend.

SCRUBS CLIP OF THE WEEK:

Gaming has gone to the dogs

But in a completely awesome way. I did pick up Okami this week, and unfortunately have only had a few scant hours to really play around with it, but it's easily one of the PS2's best titles in it's distinguished history. The creative use of nearly psychedelic colors and the look of old Japanese brush-style art rival anything seen on the flashy next-gen scene. The combat is a somewhat simple affair, with just one basic attack button, but as you learn new defensive techniques & powers for your "celestial brush", your combat options become ever more complex (my personal favorite so far is making trees form out of nowhere, it's a fun way to finish off enemies). It's a near perfect title, really my only complaint is that the characters all speak in a really annoying mumble, and many talk at length, which gets in the way of mostly creative and funny dialogue. And I reiterate my point that this would be an even more spectacular title on the Wii, so hopefully a port is at least being considered.

Part of the reason I got Okami was a desperate need to rid myself of the bane that is Lego Star Wars II for the DS. It's a slight change from my sort of recommendation last week, since I was unaware of the bugs that plague this particular version. I thought some fans & reviewers had simply gotten bad copies, as the first several levels I played were fine, but sure enough, a few levels later, they really made their presence known, as various levels were simply not even finishable. This is one of the shoddiest ports I've played in years, and I hope Amaze Entertainment gets tarred & feathered for it, it's completely inexcusable.

So, the Tokyo Game Show is going on at this moment, and some very interesting stuff is coming out from Sony's side. First, they dropped the price of their $500 PS3 to $430. That only applies to Japan, but that may hint at what may happen here as well. Furthermore, rumors about multiple tiers of pricing have been surfacing, but that may mean REALLY expensive games in order to offset the lower sale price of the system
(like in the $70-85 range). In my opinion, this move is far more suicidal than having a high-priced console. I mean, really, who's going to pay $10-25 more than you would for a game on any of the competition? Again, so far, this is all rumors and innuendo that so far only applies in Japan, but TGS is usually a precursor to here as it's the last really big show before the holiday season.

The DS avalanche of slick titles continues this week, as Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis is out, and it promises some very fun & creative gameplay, assuming you have any money or time left for it, and there are at least 4 other titles coming out for the system in the next few weeks that look extremely promising (namely Children of Mana & FFCC: Ring of Fates
). This is starting to really make the DS look like the most versatile system out right now.

Unfortunately, work wore me out a little too much this weekend to really check out any movies, but I fully plan of seeing Fearless in the next couple of days, and I'll give my impressions in my next post.

FREE GAME OF THE WEEK: wpnFire

The Wii Calculator

So just how much are you going to spend on Nov. 19th? The Wii calculator should give you a pretty good idea. Assuming I get 3 sets of all the controllers for me & my friends and family, and I'm only planning on buying two games at launch (Zelda & Rayman), and the cost rings out to: $681.46. Good thing I work at Best Buy, I'll be taking generous advantage of that employee discount.

Episode IV of Super Mario Bros. Z is finally up, this is easily the best flash series ever.

On to this week's movies. Pretty much the only one I'm interested in seeing is Fearless, Jet Li's "final" martial arts film (yeah, and the Rolling Stones only had one farewell tour...). Regardless, it looks incredible, and I am extremely pumped for it. I mean really, what else is there? Johnny Knoxville nearly killing himself again in Jackass 2? Sean Penn in another pretentious and sure to be overrated performance in All the King's Men? Or Flyboys, which features James Franco yet has barely been advertised? Sounds like a martial arts epic is the only realistic option this weekend anyways...

Universal tells Sony to WALK THE PLANK!!!

The title will pretty much be my one and only reference to Talk Like a Pirate Day. But getting serious, Sony has been dealt a huge blow in the next gen format wars, which may ultimately affect the PS3 as well. Universal has decided they aren't making ANY Blu-ray titles for Sony, essentially cutting out a huge potential library, and this is the first big studio to initially side with Sony and then leave them stranded for all intents and purposes, and others may follow suit soon after. Sony's determination to have the major proprietary format for games & movies may ultimately be what really does them in at this point.

We all know Nintendo is making a giant mistake by not having any actual online play when the Wii launches, but what is arguably worse is having an unfinished and broken system because you feel you have to have something to go with when you launch, and that's exactly what Sony may be doing. Now, I fully expect the first year of Sony's universal online system to be a somewhat rocky experience, just like it was with Xbox live, but if Sony's not 100% committed to making it a kick ass system, free or not, people aren't gonna go for it.



Zelda box art. I look at this and any fears I have about the Wii being anything less than a spectacular system pretty much melt away. Nintendo has yet to make a Zelda game that has been anything short of legendary, I'm positive Twilight Princess will be no different.

Finally, I've got a few videos to end today with:

Just cause it's cool-THE MUPPET MATRIX (Kermit>Keanu)



Weird Al's new CD, Straight Outta Lynwood, is out next week. Here's the first of hopefully many brilliant videos off of it: WHITE & NERDY (Donny Osmond dancing like a spaz is the funniest damn thing I've seen in a long time):



And of course the SCRUBS CLIP OF THE WEEK:

The brush is mightier than the sword.

Easily this coming week's biggest release, the much anticipated Okami finally arrives on PS2. It boasts a lush visual style for more appealing than the ultra-realistic looks most next-gen titles go for, and features very unique play centering around using a powerful paint brush that lets you affect the world around you. As good as the game sounds (and I fully plan to pick it up). This sounds like the kind of game that would be perfect on the Wii, so hopefully a port is being considered down the line.

Speaking of games that would be great to port over to the Wii, a whole ton of Sierra compilations for King's Quest
, Leisure Suit Larry, Police Quest, and Space Quest are out this week as well. I would've preferred A Hero's Quest compilation to Police Quest, but otherwise, this is an excellent chance for somebody to pick up classic adventure games, I'm certainly at least enjoying some quality time with Roger Wilco, humanity's greatest space janitor!

And if last week's barrage of DS titles wasn't enough to satiate you, three more big titles hit this week. Slimes are apparently tired of being the whipping boy in just about every RPG ever made, so they finally have a game of their own in Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime. Although it's an action puzzler, not an rpg. It does appear to be a bit on the kiddy side, but it's gotten surprisingly solid reviews (even game of the month in the new EGM), so it's probably worth your time to check out.

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, marks the series first appearance on the DS. I've honestly never really gotten into this series, though admittedly my limited experiences with it were mostly the weaker entries (namely Bloodlines for Genesis and the truly atrocious N64 3D attempt), but the concept of Metroid with an old school vampire hunting theme definitely are tempting me to give it another go.

And finally, the latest in the seemingly never-ending series of Pokemon titles: Pokemon Rescue Team. In this latest adventure, you actually play as a Pokemon for a twist rather than a trainer, so it seems to be more a traditional role-playing game where you naturally gain party members as you progress rather than just "catch 'em all!".

I picked up Lego Star Wars II for the DS. I think it's good, but it's the version I'd least recommend out of all the other systems. The camera angle is problematic and really limited and if it's possible the A.I. is even stupider than in the console versions.

And lastly, I did manage to see The Last Kiss. I feel a little misled by the advertising quite frankly, as calling this a light-hearted comedy is way off. It's a serious & heavy exploration about growing up. It's a little hard and depressing, as Braff's character makes plenty of bad choices that a protagonist normally doesn't, but the dialogue & acting are top notch. I'd overall recommend it, just be prepared for it not to be some silly romantic comedy.

FREE GAME OF THE WEEK:Mini-Putt Online

Nintendo wants to make a profit? HOW DARE THEY!!!!

So, Nintendo's big American press conference was today, and it more or less confirmed what most realists thought, but irked a few idealists who apparently imagined Nintendo as this last bastion for extremely cheap ass jackasses. Surprisingly, the most "controversial" comment came from Reggie Fills-Aime himself, claiming that unlike MS & Sony, the Wii is designed to be profitable right out of the box. Historically, companies have sold their systems at a rather significant loss, making it up in game sales. But honestly, the system is already the cheapest on the market by a long shot with it's confirmed $250 price tag and it's the only system coming with a pack-in of a title (and Wii Sports looks like one hell of a pack-in with no less than 5 games included). Anybody who's complaining about it is just a moron.

Now, onto the stuff that actually matters, the launch specifics, broken down into three categories:

The Good:

-Launch price: Granted, $250 is a little more than most were expecting, but it's a extremely reasonable price for what's at least supposed to be a revolutionary new way to experience games.

-$50 games: This makes the system all the more attractive, of course at this point only Nintendo has confirmed that their games will stay at $50, much like MS has done with their 360 titles, but I can't imagine how you'd justify paying $60 for a Wii title.

-One Price: YAY!, finally somebody understands that it's fucking moronic to have one souped up model and one severely crippled one and claim it's an "option" for the buyer.

-At least 30 virtual console games at launch: By comparison, Xbox live arcade only has 29 after being out for nearly a year, this is an excellent start to really make it a superior offering.

The Bad:

-Nov. 19th Launch-Christ, they should at least launch before the PS3, not a mere 2 days later. This means they'll be fighting with Sony for big press coverage, and that battle they will most likely lose.

-Pricing for extras: $5 for a NES, $8 for an SNES & $10 for a N64 title? To be honest, I really can't think of more than a handful of each for each system that are still worth that much. But much more concern is the pricing for the controllers. Extra Wiimotes & Nunchucks are sold separately? And for $60 when you combine the two? That seems a little ludicrous to me. not too mention charging money for a browser that if you have a computer you can download for free.

-Photo/Video System: Is this what the somewhat unexpectedly high price comes from? Nobody's going to use this for anything. It's a stupid, useless idea that should've never come to fruition, especially if it would've dropped the console price.

-No DVD playback: Not a huge feature in the scheme of things, but it's a selling point that now MS & Sony can offer that Nintendo can't, and they did initially claim that it would feature DVD playback.

The Ugly:

-Controllers run on batteries: You have got to be fucking kidding me. Supposedly the batteries run for about 30 hours of gameplay. I play at least 30 hours worth of gaming a week, so do most serious gamers. To not make the controllers themselves rechargeable (you know, like on the 360) is pretty goddamn ridiculous.

-No online play at launch: What the fuck is wrong with you Nintendo? This is a major selling point of your competitors, you should at east have something to counter it. Once again, Nintendo has really dropped the ball on this aspect, and if they do fail yet again, this will most likely be the key reason.


Nintendo has honestly set themselves for a much rougher uphill battle then it initially appeared a scant few months ago. We'll have to see if it pays off. I still plan on getting one launch day, but after today you could see a little wavering in the previously unanimous enthusiasm for the system.

Several big movies opening this weekend, although not that many really look appealing. I already saw Gridiron Gang at a sneak preview, and although the Rock showed some decent acting chops, it was still your ridiculously run-of-the-mill sports film.

Everybody's Hero
just looks like the most generic "wacky" animated film ever. I don't even think little kids will be able to sit through it without being incredibly bored.

Black Dahlia features an intriguing true mystery about an unsolved murder, but odds are Brian De Palma's increasingly mediocre directing skills will muddle most of the potential.

And finally there's some little film called The Last Kiss, early reviews are about 50/50, but I think it'll be enjoyable and honestly the only film I'm seriously interested in seeing this weekend.

That's really it for today, I'll most certainly be back later this coming weekend, though.

Use the LEGOS, Luke!

Sure, the long overdue original versions of the Episodes IV-VI came out today, but what I'm really excited about is Lego Star Wars II. The original was a surprisingly fun game and the new one looks to a vast improvement, especially since it's based on the far superior original trilogy. I'm honestly still too wrapped up in Disgaea 2 to get another game right now, but I'll definitely be picking it up down the line when my queue isn't so backed up.

A ton of big DS games are out this week. Mario Hoops, a basketball game starring Mario & pals that makes extensive use of the stylus and focuses more on how many "coins" you accumulate than actual baskets. But maybe a more traditional basketball title would've been the right way to go, as the general consensus is that it's lacking in good play mechanics.

The first DS appearance for the seemingly never-ending Mega Man series, Mega Man ZX is also out this week. The reviews are solid, but Mega Man is more worn out than World War II games at this point, and I just don't have any interest anymore.

Never thought you'd see a MS franchise on a Nintendo system? Well, that day has arrived. Mech Assault: Phantom War is also out for the DS this week. Early word is that thid matches the excellent series it's based on pretty well, so Mech fans may want to give this one a look.

Harvest Moon makes it's inevitable DS debut. If you've played one farming sim, you've played them all (pretty much because this is the only farming sim out there).

And finally, one of Ds' more unique titles, Cooking Mama, is out this week. It sounds like another quirky title along the lines of Wario Ware or Brain Age. It's also a pretty good impulse buy at only $19.99

The absolutely brilliant 2nd season of The Office is also out today. Scrubs is still my favorite show on TV right now, but The Office is definitely the funniest show on TV in the last year. I really hope they can keep it up for at least a few more seasons.

SCRUBS CLIP OF THE WEEK:

BEST. HALO. VID. EVER.

-Seriously, this is just amazing how they got all the angles and it syncing up perfectly with all the different music, I just honestly wish most of the clips were a little longer.

Moving on, I saw several films this weekend, starting with The Illusionist. I thought Giamatti & Norton gave fine performances as usual, but they were anchored by a fairly dull & predictable plot.

I also did see The Protector. It did feature some impressive fight scenes, but star Tony Jaa just really seems lacking in the intangible quality that would make him a big screen star.

But easily the best film I saw this week (and one of the better ones I've seen this year) was Hollywoodland. Affleck does his best acting in years (possibly ever) as George Reeves, and a genuinely involving mystery that actually leaves you with questions unanswered (in a good way) anchored by a strong performance by Adrien Brody as the PI hired to investigate the "suicide".


We all know the 360 is cheaper than the PS3, right? Well, if you just want to play games, yes. However, if you want the full experience from each system (especially including the HD-DVD player for the 360 due out this fall), the PS3 actually comes out at a much cheaper price. It would be a much better selling point if PS3's weren't going to be so ridiculously scarce. Odds are that if the 360 doesn't have a major price drop by the time the PS3 launches, it will by the time it's actually easy to get.


A Suppossed early list of what should be available on the Wii's virtual console come launch day has been revealed, and it's already more impressive than just about anything Xbox's live arcade has to offer in terms of classic old-school gameplay. Though it will remain to be seen if the original titles developed for download will be as cool as Geometry Wars or the Upcoming Castle Crashers.

Finally, my buddy/arch nemesis Sean O'Connell has posted an interview with Zach Braff while he was promoting The Last Kiss, which in case you didn't notice the giant banner that's been hanging around all month, opens this coming Friday.

FREE GAME OF THE WEEK: Starfighter: Quadrant Wars

Ben Affleck is just super, thanks for asking.

Hollywoodland, which focuses on the mystery surrounding the original Superman, George Reeves' (Affleck) death, marks what I think is Affleck's long overdue return to challenging dramatic roles that will hopefully end his cold streak. I've always thought his best work was his more edgy stuff-Chasing Amy, Dogma, even his short but memorable parts in movies like Mallrats and especially Boiler Room which showcased a much darker side than when he became a box office megastar were where he really shined. Hopefully this movie is a start back on that road, and most of the early word is very positive, and I am definitely seeing it this weekend.

One movie I'm sort of debating about is The Protector. I love kickass martial arts films as much as the next guy, but I wasn't as entranced by Ong-Bak as most others. I found all the fancy editing really jarring and distracting. But Tony Jaa merely starred in this movie as opposed to directing it, so that gives me some hope I'll be able to see it without having to bring motion-sickness pills.

One movie I'm not even debating is The Covenant, yet another in a long line of obviously horrible films not even screened for critics. I mean, I sure as hell am interested in going to a movie about incredibly bratty rich kids with superpowers that they use primarily for their own gain, aren't you?

That's all I really got for today, but I'll be sure to post sometime this weekend.

PS3'S??? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKING PS3'S!!!

In a double whammy of extremely bad news (even for Sony), it turns out that the ever more important European market will not even get any PS3 consoles this year. Yikes, what could be worse than missing the crucial 2006 holiday season in Europe? How about slashing their projected launch shipments for those of us getting it this year by a whopping SEVENTY-FIVE PERCENT. So, even if you can afford a PS3, you'll probably have to enter some sort of deadly tournament in order to procure one. You know, despite all the bad press, I always have been of the opinion that Sony would in fact pull it together in time to at least make a solid launch, but even that doesn't seem feasible at this point. What good are exquisite-looking games if even those with tons of disposable income can't get their hands on one? If they have as long a shortage as MS did with the 360 initially, this will definitely be the swan song for Sony.

Some extremely interesting details have leaked about Ubisoft's Far Cry for the Wii, specifically, that it will feature online support. Granted, this could be something as simple as downloadable content, but also could be fully-fledged online multi-player. Far Cry is a 3rd party launch title, which contradicts the report by IGN that no 3rd party launch titles would have online support. This may not be cleared up til we get closer to launch, but at least there's some hope.

SCRUBS CLIP OF THE WEEK:

NO HDMI CABLES FOR YOU!

Planning on getting a PS3 so you can bask in all the high-def Blu-ray glory? Well unfortunately, Sony has decided that their $600 system doesn't need the necessary cables included with the system so you have to go out and buy them yourself. Way to piss off what few fans they must have left. I can think of few things more frustrating than being informed that in order to get my shiny new overpriced console to work like it should, I have to go out and hunt down some expensive cable that should've been included with it in the first place.

I was pleasantly surprised by Crank. Make no mistake, it's completely mindless, but that's why it's fun. The action sequences are fresh and energetic and don't go too over the top like say the XXX movies; and the film has a good sense of humor and doesn't take itself too seriously.

I did something I haven't done in probably at least a decade and I'm not very proud of myself. I bought the strategy guide for Disgaea 2. Generally, real gamers don't buy strategy guides, especially today with most of the info easily available at various websites. It's not even that Disgaea 2 is that hard, but a lot of what is in the guide should've probably been in the instruction booklet to begin with, like detailed info on all the basic classes (there's well over 200, for chrissakes) and a much expanded explanation of the item world & weapon mastery. I consider it $20 well spent for a little piece of mind, as trying to manage my continually growing army of peons without any guidance was driving me nuts.


FREE GAME OF THE WEEK: CHAOS FACTION

BRING ME THE (metaphorical) HEAD OF CIRCUIT CITY!

http://www.gametab.com/news/668114/

Quote:
Want to play your original xbox games on your new Xbox 360?

Backward compatibility on the Xbox 360 is done through software*

Let Circuit City install it for you
For just $28.99

What are the benefits to playing original Xbox games on my Xbox 360 console?

• Every game* will be playable in high definition.
• Every original Xbox game* will be upscaled to 720p and 1080i, and will take advantage of Xbox 360's anti-aliasing capabilities, delivering a picture that is clear and crisper than anything available on Xbox.

*Refer to the original Xbox games list to ensure compatibility on the Xbox 360.

In case you didn't know, all you need to make your xbox 360 backwards compatible is AN INTERNET CONNECTION! If you don't have one? You can contact MS and they'll send you a disc that you can simply slip into your 360 to get backwards compatibility FOR FREE. Now give me my fucking $28! I have worked in retail nearly all of my adult life, and while I understand we as a industry constantly sell people stuff they don't really need, this is simply customer fraud. I actually used to like Circuit City, but the fact that they let this go on at ANY store is fucking inexcusable and they better hope a class action suit doesn't come out of it because they will lose BIG time. I am permanently boycotting this slimy fuck of a company and anyone else with any common sense should do the same. This is a true low for any buisness to purposely deceive customers like this. Unfortunately, I don't have enough info available to my to file a complaint with the Better Buisness Bureau personally about the specific store this photo was taken at(and there are no Circuit City locations in Seattle itself so I can verify if it's the same at other stores), but I bet someone else has already gone ahead and done it, I suggest if you see such a display in a local Circuit City, you do the same. I honestly too disgusted and pissed about this to write about anything else right now, so I'll be back tomorrow with my thoughts on Crank and a few other things.

Crank it up

What do Jason Statham & Nicholas Cage have in common? Two big movies with NO SCREENINGS FOR CRITICS! Which is becoming a startling regularity, but it sort of makes sense. I can just tell Wicker Man is going to be another pointless "spooky" mystery with some many plot twists that it makes absolutely no sense. And Crank seems like another mindless action vehicle, but it doesn't pretend to be anything else, and I really like Statham, so I plan on seeing it this weekend.

I'm really digging Disgaea 2 so far, lots of great humor and deep strategy and I'm not even at the end of the second chapter. Really my only problem is that I already have too many party members and have to decide whether to make a B-team or just delete some characters so I have a small but lean team.

So, just how fucked is Sony? According to this lengthy WIRED article, very. I admit that I always thought Sony was doing very well in pretty much all their departments despite seemingly minor setbacks like UMD. Even if the PS3 makes money, it may not be enough to really save the company, which is a very interesting thought that next round we may just be seeing MS & Nintendo duking it out.

That's really it for today, but I'll leave you with a little visit from Mr. Gates, circa 1995:

Grand Theft Auto Online

The upgrade fans of the GTA series have been waiting for is for the series to finally go online. 360 owners may get a sense of what that is like as Saint's Row hits stores this week. It has a similar gang theme, but also offers online multi-player. Of course, online or not, these cookie-cutter urban-themed titles usually only appeal to a certain type of person:







What's much more interesting to me is that 3 big rpgs are out this week. Enchanted Arms is the first rpg for 360 owners since Oblivion. As it is a first gen-360 rpg, honestly haven't been keeping up on it too much, but it really sounds like it's just all over the map. In fact, it sounds like a slightly more mature version of Pokemon, which I just have no interest in whatsoever.

Also out is the third and thankfully final chapter in the Xenosaga series. I really tried to get into the supposedly improved second episode, but much like the last few Star Wars films, it was even more disappointing than the first one. I really can't imagine what kind of desperate fanboy would pick it up at this point.

But one rpg that I am extremely interested in that's out this week is Disgaea 2, from the wacky minds at NIS. I probably haven't played a good strategy-rpg since the first Disgaea, the new one is sure to take up tons of my free time with it's deep gameplay and really out there humor.

Finally, a big release for DS owners comes out this week with Star Fox Command. I have sort of mixed feelings about this one, as the original Star Fox game is a certified classic, but the series has had a huge downhill slide ever since. I am meeting with a bunch of other DS players this week, at least one of which should have the game, so I'll give you my impressions afterwords.

SCRUBS CLIP OF THE WEEK:

Lessons for next year....

I had a ton of fun a PAX this year (There is truly nothing like watching The Wizard with at least 1000 other video game geeks). I came away with more free trials from NC Soft than I know what to do with. (City of Heroes, City of Villains, Lineage II, Auto Assault) The Meydenbauer Center was ridiculously packed, so hopefully it will be somewhere bigger next year (hint: Like The Washington State Convention center, which I happen to be only a few blocks from...). But after spending nearly 20 hours in 2 days at the convention (many of which was waiting in long lines) and then working a full shift at my job today, I am ridiculously tired. I'll definitely need to plan ahead a bit more next year. I do have to say that the exhibition hall was pretty disappointing. The only games worth checking out were Splinter Cell: Double Agent & Star Fox Command. Even though Nintendo was a major sponsor of the event, the Wii was nowhere to be seen, just a whole lot of fun, but underwhelming DS titles.

And speaking of Nintendo massively dropping the ball, HOW COULD YOU HAE NO ONLINE SUPPORT FOR 3RD PARTIES UNTIL'07?!? My launch budget literally dropped by about half for this. I'm not buying Madden, without the ability to play online. I'm not buying Red Steel without an online option, and Marvel: Ultimate Alliance will be bought on another system that I can go online with. Simple fact: Madden playable in a whole new way against your friends online would sell a lot of systems, now all it has is a wacky control scheme. There is just really no excuse for this. I know Nintendo is obviously not putting the emphasis on online that MS & Sony are, but this is a big fucking plus in the competition's favor when they will be able to offer online play for just about every 3rd-party multi-player game that comes out in the next 6 months or possibly even more and the Wii can't match that. Mark my words, this will really bite Nintendo in the ass if they don't get it going within a few months of launch.

Thank you Conan O'Brien for actually making the Emmys tolerable. I did watch tonight, but aside from Jeremy Piven getting a well-deserved win for Entourage, it was crap. Seriously, at least half the shows nominated were cancelled cause they sucked or had ended in May after being run into the ground years ago.

All right, that's really all for today, but I fully plan to be back tomorrow, as there are several games coming out this week I want to touch on. In the meantime, here's your FREE GAME OF THE WEEK: SUPER SMASH FLASH

A PAX ON YOUR HOUSES!!!

Let me sum up this week's releases in one simple word: Craptacular. Between Invincible, another formulaic sports story and Beerfest, the latest tragic attempt at "comedy" from the Broken Lizard crew. Thankfully, there's plenty to keep a Washington gamer like myself busy this weekend. Namely the Penny Arcade Expo, which is essentially a huge gamer convention thrown every year by the guys at Penny Arcade. It's 3 full days of gamer madness, and it'll be my first one, so I'm very excited about it. And I'll be sure to report back on my experiences, but essentially any gamer who can attend should.

Weird Al finally has a new album coming out, and the first single, "Don't Download this Song" is available for free at IGN. Everything he does is pure genius, Straight Outta Lynwood should be no different.

That's pretty much all i have for today, but I'll leave you with a telling email that was leaked today:

Wait a Wii bit longer.

So tommorow, the latest unecessary update of Madden hits stores. It signifies so many things that I hate about not only EA, but the game industry in general (i.e. yearly updates with minimal improvements). But this may be the first year in many that I actually consider buying the game, just a version that isn't out yet. See, Madden is being especially made the Nintendo's Wii console to take full advantage of the Wiimote. This instantly makes a much needed change to the same old formula we've been force fed from this series for years (assuming it works of course). So I'm waiting until the Wii comes out to play some damn football, I reccomend you do the same.

Although Snakes on a Plane was number 1 this weekend, the underwhelming 15 million opening puts a lot of doubt on the suppossed power of the internet. Now some are saying that they just let the hype build too long, but I think it's just a reminder that the internet has a long ways to go before it starts being a real tool of influence. Now, I did see the film yesterday, and I thought it was fun, but it's the same kind of fun you get wacthing a cheesy horror film on late night cable.

Now I want to take a second to discuss the "ad" you should be seeing above this and every other post. I only wish it was something I was being paid for. It's mainly cause I'm a huge Zach Braff fan and I thought it would be something fun to try out since I think The Last Kiss looks really good. I have no idea how to make banners myself, so this won't be done too often, but if I can find one for something I'm real excited about, I may do a similar thing in the future. I also added his site to my links since he seems to be one of the few celebs who actually bothers to update it himself.

And I'll leave you today with the SCRUBS CLIP OF THE WEEK:

Does Internet Hype=Box Office?

That's the big question that will be answered this weekend when SNAKES ON A PLANE finally hits theatres after months & months of anticipation based pretty much strictly on the title. I think it will be a hit, but just how much of one is anybody's guess, as people who aren't internet junkies haven't really heard of the film and have no idea what the fuss is. What really makes Snakes unique is it complete lack of shame. Whether it's a bad movie or not is completely irrelevant (in fact, most are expecting it to be bad, but in a fun way). This is a cultural event for us internet geeks, I'll be seeing it with a bunch of people on Sunday, hoping it won't suck too bad.

I caught an early screening of Gridion Gang tonight. It was entertaining, and the Rock did a good job in a rare dramatic role, but it's still a very formulaic and predictable sports movie like every other one released in the last few years. There's a reason I never go to these anymore....

Ever wondered what the best toilets in gaming are? Me neither, but Maxim has gone ahead and picked out the top 12. Read if you dare.

FREE GAME OF THE WEEK: Voidwing Nexus

Scorpio Rules!

The header today refers to one of my all time favorite Simpsons episodes, featuring Hank Scorpio as Homer's newest boss. Because today, The Simpsons Season 8 is out on DVD. And while I will certainly be picking it up and recommend any fan should, this is really the season where the cracks in this once impeccable show start to appear. Sure you have classics like You Only Move Twice and Homer's Enemy, but those are rare standouts among about a season that's really about half as good as the previous 7. There are still a few good episodes in the next couple seasons, but as I've said before, the Simpsons have been on a steep slide in quality the last 8 years or so and they'll probably never get back to form before they are dragged kicking and screaming off the air. Maybe Groenig and company should really go back and study these seasons so the Simpsons movie doesn't suck...

And speaking of milking a franchise for far more than its worth, out for rabid FF fanboys this week is Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus. While I'm a huge fan of Square Enix, the only thing they do well is RPGs, and DOC is a shooter, and a very bad one from most reviews (not too mention the demo I played a few months ago). I'm sure some hardcore fans will say it rocks, but I just have no interest in it.

So, is today the day we learn when the Wii will finally be released? This memo supposedly went out to Virgin Megastores yesterday. Nobody really knows how much time is on the clocks or anything yet, though, or even what kinds of units of time they measure, so it could be just another marketing ploy.

Need to get into a slithery mood for SNAKES ON A PLANE? IGN has compiled a list of the top 10 snake films. This list just makes me realize that we actually need to make a decent film about snakes (and them being on a plane ain't it....).

SCRUBS CLIP OF THE WEEK:

A vote of no confidence

You know, with all the bad press Sony's been getting lately, now is a key time to rally the troops. Get all the fiercely pro-Sony publications and websites out there spinning anything positive. What they really, really don't need is the editor of a publication that is supposed to be specifically about Sony's console telling people to NOT BUY IT. Now granted, it's not like Official Playstation Magazine is Sony's publication, but this is a magazine that is supposed to be all about Sony, even mentioning the the competition is a taboo that is rarely broken. And here's the editor of the goddamn magazine saying she'll pick a 360 over a PS3 this year. That's a pretty damning statement. After all, you don't really get that "Official" brand without Sony's approval, and this would send any Sony exec through the fucking roof.

Even fake gamer network G4 has joined the anti-Sony bandwagon, creating this rather clever spoof of the Mac vs. PC ads that have been running recently:



That's all for today, here's your FREE GAME OF THE WEEK: Stick Arena

Heartbeat! I'M LOOKING FOR A HEARTBEAT!

Though it probably has little if anything to do with the "classic" Don Johnson ballad, the horror movie Pulse is arguably the biggest movie opening this weekend. The latest Japanese horror film remade for American audiences. And just like The Grudge & The Ring, it will most likely be horrifically bad. It wasn't even screened for critics, the classic sign of a horrible film.

But also out Wednesday was Oliver Stone's take on the 9/11 tragedy, simply titled World Trade Center. I feel roughly the same way I feel about United 93. It's way too soon. People have pointed out other historic epics, but those were more than a generation after the fact. I think it's important to make films like this for future generations so they can learn about it, but there's no point when it's still pretty fresh in our minds.

For the family, there's Zoom, with Tim Allen and Cortney Cox. Allen has some solid family fare in his resume, but this just seems like a much weaker version of Sky High, and much like pulse, it was not screened for critics (though IGN has a review, they gave it a whopping 1 star).

And then there's Step Up, yet another horrible movie about dancing. Not that there has been a good one. There's been good movies with dancing mind you, just not one that's actually about dancing.

Moving on, Halo has a director. Though you have probably never heard of Neill Blomkamp, he's done some amazing short films that give me great confidence that this may be the first video game film to actually be really good:





So I'm a few days into my DDO free trial and I'm not digging it too much. Though the team aspect is interesting, you essentially have nothing to do unless you are going into an instance, and although it's keeping with D & D, the level cap is pretty low. It really is like WOW lite.

Finally, we all know that the DS has it's function as an educational device, but what about some sexual education? A Montreal-based developer has designed a game entirely focused on teaching how to reach orgasm. It's sort of subtle what with the theme technically being that you perform certain activities to please a blue cartoon bunny, so it will probably go over kids heads what the title is really about. But it's definitely interesting to see a game take such a direct approach to sexuality. I'm sure Jack Thompson will be suing over it any second now...

Zombies in the mall! Wait, what's different about that?

Out tommorrow is one the 360's most highly anticipated titles: Dead Rising. It's key feature is the seemingly endless amount of random mall items you can use to slaughter zombie hordes. Although it's gotten pretty solid early reviews, they all list negatives that would make me pass on any title-Escort missions with dumb as dirt NPCs, time limits and repetitive action. I mean, I really cannot imagine this title being entertaining for more than a few hours, tops, so maybe it would rank as a rental at best.

I did try out the Lego Star Wars II demo, and it seems very solid, but truth be told, I had very little idea what I was suppossed to do, and the controls really don't translate well on a keyboard. I'll have to wait till the game is out on consoles to get a better feel for it.

I did decide to try the free 7-day trial for Dungeons & Dragons Online, it's downloading as I'm writing this, I'll let you know my thoughts over the next few days.

That's really all I have for today, but here's your SCRUBS CLIP OF THE WEEK:

Rob Schneider thinks he matters

I normally stay away from the more dirty tabloid side of entertainment, but I feel the need to speak on this. We've all heard about Mel Gibson's recent controversy and how it has shocked a lot of people. How much it will really affect his career is debatable, but Rob Schneider's obvious use of the incident as an obvious publicity stunt to puff up his non-existent importance is just hilarious. Never work with Mel Gibson? Yeah, I'm sure Schneider is at the top of Mel's list for his next film. They were all set up to film Deuce Bigalow 3 before this whole debacle. And what really makes this pathetic? He paid for a full page ad in Variety to get his opinion out. You know, most of the time, when celebrity scandals happen, it's not hard to for other celebrities to voice their opinions for free on all the various interview and talk shows and magazines. Rob Schneider paying for an ad in some trade paper pretty much confirms what everybody knows: NOBODY GIVES A FLYING FUCK WHAT YOU THINK, ROB! AND NOBODY EVER WILL!

Moving on, I saw a few movies this weekend. Little Miss Sunshine, which was pretty standard fare for an indie film about a quirky family, but the performances help keep it fairly amusing. Talladega Nights, which was all right, but had a lot of moments where it dragged, and I didn't really find Sasha Cohen as a gay Frenchman all that funny (not too mention they completely wasted Andy Richter in a throwaway role his his husband). And finally, I also saw The Descent. Mainly because of the good buzz and critical praise, even if it is a horror film. Unfortuantely, it falls into the pitfalls of all horror films-Cheap scares, bad acting, thin plot and worst of all-NOT SCARY! I think I just have to admit to myself at this point that I can't enjoy really serious horror films and just stick to more campy ones like Slither.

Got a halfway decent PC? Then you owe it to yourself to download the demo for Lego Star Wars II on Monday. I'm not suggesting you join fileplanet or anything, but the demo is supposedly free for non-subscribers as well and It'll be a good way to get an early taste of what should be one of the most enjoyable games of the year.

And that's all for now, so here's your FREE GAME OF THE WEEK: Prehistoric

The Need for Speed.

I loathe NASCAR. It's an idiotic redneck sport where the only exciting thing that ever happens is the crashes. That being said, I'm very hopeful about this weekend's only release even worth mentioning: Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. Granted, Will Ferrel's star has dimmed a bit with several really bad movies in the last year, but the previews look incredibly funny, and what really got my hyped was this brilliant short:



If they can keep up that level of humour, it should be easily one of the better comedies out this year (not that there's really been much competition). But honestly, this is more like one of those VH1 awesomely bad specials.

What are Mario's greatest moments? 1up thinks it knows the ten best ones. But honestly. this is more like Mario's 10 most awesomely bad moments, with things like Mario Ice Capades (with Jason Bateman & Alyssa Milano no less) & Mario Opera.

All right, that's all I really have for today, but I'll certainly be back sometime on Sunday.

Nintendo, savior of the adventure genre?

We can certainly hope. It's an interesting idea. I'd love to see a resurgence of old school point & click Sierra games. Especially if it resulted in all new chapters of faves like King's Quest or Space Quest.

So, while E3 isn't going to be completely cancelled, the huge carnival atmosphere of years past is gone. Now it will be more like a real trade show, and as much as gamers are probably bitching and moaning, journalists and gaming companies are doing an enthusiastic dance of joy. E3 is a massive headache fiscally and logisitcally all around and with game development budgets skyrocketing in the last few years, this was a much needed cutback.


What are the greatest comedies ever? Premiere thinks it knows, and while some on there defintiely deserve a spot (Some Like it Hot is still one of the top ten comedies ever), and any list that leaves out Spaceballs, South Park & Dumb & Dumber is pretty much completely invalid in my book.


Got a couple of fun photoshop links for you today; first up, what if video game characters became actors? Somethingawful has the answer. All of these are fairly brilliant, and may in fact have been better than the original.

And then there's games that will never be made. At least we hope, but with game companies being strecthed to the brink on terms of creativity, I wouldn't put it past anybody to release DDR Madonna or Fast Food Manger...

All right, that's really all for today, and here's your SCRUBS CLIP OF THE WEEK:

It's as if millions of geeks suddenly cried out in terror...

E3 IS DEAD?!?. It's not completely official, but expect an announcement that E3 will be massively scaled down if not outright canceled. Certainly a disheartening announcement for us gamers, as it's what we look forward to most each year (and really the only show worth paying attention to most years). But, as far as affecting the industry itself, I don't think it will be that big a deal. The really big companies will probably just put more money into their annual shows that already exist, and there will probably just be a few more small shows added into the calendar for the smaller companies. Hell, odds are some other new show will just take its place (though possibly not for a couple more years). Still it's hard to imagine that gamers won't be getting in a big frenzy every May any more.

So I did end up seeing Miami Vice, and I enjoyed it. The plot was hard to follow, but the fairly kickass shootouts splintered throughout the film made it worthwhile. I'd still like to see one that's much closer to what the show was like, though.


All right, that's it for today, but here your SCRUBS CLIP OF THE WEEK:

Pac Man is more than half violent

64% to be exact, according to recent senate hearings. Just how fucking insane are politicians? Pac-Man? The game where all you do is gobble up pellets and eat the occasional ghosts? How could PAC-MAN possibly be considered the least bit violent? I am just truly speechless at the out of touch jackasses that run this country. Is it any wonder nobody even bothers to vote anymore?

Moving on to a slightly more amusing topic, how much does G4 suck? They went from a promising channel for gamers by gamers to some low rent version of Spike or MTV, just desperately trying to grab a piece of the coveted young male demo. Now, a writer at Gamerag undertook the arduous job of actually watching 24 hours of this tripe and chronicled his painful experience. Just a guy expressing his opinion of the content on the channel (which any gamer worth their controller would share). But somebody at G4 took great offense to someone calling them out for being a horribly unwatchable network. The response was petty and filled with inaccuries, so obviously it was one of the higher-ups at the network. Gamerag's response? A very amusing "apology ". Thanks G4, I apologize for ever being stupid enough to watch you horribly shitty channel. I'll make sure never to make that mistake again.

Ok, lot's of movies opening this weekend, so I'll just do a brief rundown of each:

John Tucker Must Die: If you aren't some vapid tween female and are at this movie, you should be shot. I'm pretty sure the vapid females who actually go see this movie should be shot too. Good way of thinning out the herd.

The Ant Bully: What makes this not a complete and utter ripoff of Antz or the far superior Bug's Life? There's a human involved this time! Seriously, this is tired as hell material, even for a kids movie.

Scoop: Woody Allen, Scarlett Johannsen. I hate Woody Allen, and Scarlett Johannsen's not quite enough to drag me to another one of his painfully unfunny comedies. Seriously, the guy peaked with Annie Hall, and it's been 30 years of pure mediocrity since then.

Miami Vice: This is Miami Vice? It looks nothing like the show. Granted, that could work in our favor, but I sure as hell wouldn't mind seeing a cheesy campy overblown big screen version of the influential tv show. Otherwise, this is just Bad Boys with an Irish dude pretending to be an American dude, even if Michael Mann is the guy behind it (and one should note he was the executive producer of the original show, so we he would make the movie so drastically different is beyond me).

And finally, Little Miss Sunshine: This little indie comedy seems to easily be the best choice this week, but good luck finding it, as it's in limited release (I can't find a single theatre in the Seattle area that is carrying it). Steve Carrell as a suicidal gay uncle? Sounds like fun for the whole family!

That's it for today, so here's your FREE GAME OF THE WEEK: KITTEN CANNON

The same thing we do every night, Pinky

Ok, sorry for the lateness but I sorta got hooked on this little anime called Bleach this week, and basically spent the last few days watching episodes. It's quite easy when every episode released for a show so far is all in one convenient website (i.e.:Bleach Portal) to get caught up in it. I'm planning on doing the same with Full Metal Alchemistt pretty soon, just need to give my eyes a break from staring at the screen for hours on end.

I did take time out for complete vegetation to go see Clerks II, and it was pretty entertaining. The performances were pretty bad aside from Rosario Dawson and the dude who plays Randal, but the all the jokes are spot on, and it's a fun film that wraps up the story of these two losers nicely. Any fan of Smith's should really enjoy this one.

Finally, Since it's technically Monday as i write this, I'd like to plug two very great DVD releases that are out tomorrow-Animaniacs & Pinky & The Brain Vol 1. These are both absolutely brilliant animated shows that manage to be fun for kids and adults, unlike most of the painful crap that is on today for kids. I'm going to leave you of today with a few examples of their brilliance:














FREE GAME OF THE WEEK: Z BALL

No Laughing Matter

So, after much rumor and speculation, it appears the Heath Ledger is almost a virtual lock for the role of the Joker in the next Batman film. It's certainly an interesting choice, and Ledger is an excellent actor, but it seems an odd one when there a guys who would more easily slip into the role like Crispin Glover or Jim Carrey or even Robin Williams (and especially given what a great job Nicholson did in the 1989 film). But I trust Nolan wouldn't give Ledger the role without good reason, so hopefully he'll do the role justice.

Ok, onto this weekend's movies. Monster House is the latest animated family fare, and while the critical buzz is actually pretty good, it just seems incredibly dull to me. The animation looks flat and uninspired, and it didn't look the least bit entertaining in the trailers.

Then there's My Super Ex-girlfriend, which features an interesting twist on the romantic comedy genre, as no film has really explored exactly what it would be like if you broke up with a girlfriend who was psychotic and had super powers. Ivan Reitman, Luke Wilson & Uma Thurman sound like a winning combination, so I'm definitely intrigued by this one.

And we also have M. Night Shamalawayadingdong's latest piece of utter and total crap that will make no sense and have nonsensical plot twists-Lady in the Water. I have absolutely no interest in seeing anything this complete and utter hack does ever. I pretty much consider him in the same league as Uwe Boll at this point. He's squandered any hint of credibility with his last two films and odds are this will only lower his stock. (I seriously hope those rumors about him directing the next Potter film are completely unfounded).

Finally, the movie I'm most excited for-Kevin Smith's return to what he knows best, Clerks II. Now granted, this seems a really unnecessary sequel, but Smith is totally in his element here, and word is any fan of his work will thoroughly enjoy this trip back to the ViewAskew universe, which I certainly am.

And last but not least, the teaser for the CG Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has been released. I was initially against the whole CG thing, but after seeing this, I think it's looks pretty damn promising.

Why the PS3 will Succeed

I know it seems like my blog has had a motto of “Sony sucks!” lately, but the fact is Sony has had nothing but bad press ever since their rather unimpressive E3 showing. Does Sony stand a chance this holiday season with their high price and seemingly arrogant attitude? They most definitely do, and here’s why:

1. The name you know: For seven straight years, Sony has dominated the best brand poll by Harris interactive. Nintendo was once synonymous with gaming, Sony has taken that, along with being the top recognized name in electronics. That generates a familiarity and customer loyalty that’s hard to break through. Customers who had a PS2 will most likely get a PS3 because generally speaking, they had a good experience with it and are willing to bank on the PS3 being an equally good experience.

2. It’s a steal: Maybe not compared to other consoles, but let’s not forget that the PS3 is reportedly offering cutting edge technology at what is considered for the market a bargain price. As has been stated before, $500-600 for a machine that can play games, Blu-ray movies, music and go online when the new Blu-ray players by themselves are going to be around $1000? Sounds like a bargain to me.

3. Blu-ray is the future: HD-DVD may be cheaper, but Blu-ray has the support of a large majority of the major Hollywood studios. That, combined with Sony using it as their game format could easily and quickly usher in the Blu-ray era, leaving DVD/HD-DVD players and the systems that utilize them in the dust.

4. SHINY!: Both Sony & Microsoft are betting that superior graphics will be a huge part of the console war. If it’s the defining one, Sony’s already the winner. Assuming they weren’t completely blowing smoke out of their ass at E3, they will easily have the most impressive titles in terms of looks, and let’s face facts-impressive graphics sell. Can you honestly take one look at trailers like Resistance: The Fall of Man or MGS4 (or even the conspicuously MIA Killzone from last year’s E3) and tell me those don’t make you want to go out and get a system that can reportedly pull off something that impressive.

5. It’s a status symbol: There is a certain segment of the population that’s wants the latest, most expensive, cutting edge hardware, and that’s exactly what Sony is marketing the PS3 as, and if they are successful, they will convince this segment that they need to have this system in order to stay ahead. I mean, I sure as hell don’t need a top of the line high-def TV to watch my favorite shows and movies, but do I want one? Absolutely. Simply put, owning the PS3 definitely makes a statement.

6. Familiar Faces: Want to play the new Final Fantasy, Devil May Cry, Ratchet & Clank or the next-gen God of War? Nintendo and Microsoft aren’t an option. Though exclusivity isn’t what it used to be, many of your favorite franchises from the last generation will only be available on the PS3, and while nobody can argue the sheer quality of Nintendo’s exclusive trio of Mario, Zelda & Metroid, Sony has such a large advantage in terms of more key franchises that it may not matter.

7. Free Deathmatch: As of right now, Sony’s online service is supposedly free. Although Xbox live is hardly expensive at $50 a year, free still sounds pretty damn attractive, and although we don’t quite know the details, their system seems to roughly mimic Xbox live, which is hardly a bad strategy, and looks a lot more sophisticated than the friend code system Nintendo is planning on porting over from the DS for the Wii.

8. It slices! It dices!: According to Sony, the PS3 isn’t just a gaming machine, it’s an entertainment hub that will replace all your big media devices-your stereo, your movie player, possibly even your home computer. And if this turns out to be the case, it’s suddenly a very appealing all-in-one device.

9. Microsoft & Nintendo have burned too many fans: Let’s face some hard facts here-Nintendo’s last two home consoles can’t be considered anything other than dismal failures as market share of the once dominant company shrank considerably. All but the most diehard may have completely given up on them. As for Microsoft, they completely abandoned the Xbox to focus on their new system pretty damn early. And it’s been a bumpy road for the 360 so far with long shortages, numerous reported hardware issues, half-assed backwards compatibility and a general lack of really strong AAA titles. This has not left a good taste in gamers’ mouths. Sony on the other hand, is still supporting the PS2 very well and reportedly plans to for at least a couple more years. They’ve also pledged full backwards compatibility. It remains to be seen if they can do what Microsoft has not been able to, but if they pull it off, that’s one more huge point in Sony’s favor.

10. The system seller: Granted, we don’t really know what the PS3 launch lineup is going to look like. But it’s been repeatedly proven that you need only one really standout title in order to move systems. Assuming it makes launch, I’m more than willing to bet Resistance: The Fall of Man will move a hell of a lot of PS3’s and it may not be the only game to do so.

To wrap up, despite the missteps Sony has had in the last few months, this round of the console war is still very up for grabs. History has a trend of repeating itself. But there are two pertinent histories to really consider here. The most recent being Sony’s, who has easily won the last two rounds, and despite all points otherwise, may be poised to do so again. But possibly more important is Nintendo’s history. The easily won the 8 & 16-bit wars, but the next round hit them so hard they may never fully recover. Could Sony be in for the same fate? Either way, should be a very interesting holiday season.

I'll be back on later today with movie previews and any news that breaks.

Make Love the Brisco County Way

In case you forgot, today one of the greatest tv shows of all time is out, The Adventures of Brisco County Jr., starring the legendary Bruce Campbell. The list price is a steep $100, but I've seen plenty of places selling it for a much more reasonable $60-$70. I would love to see massive DVD sales lead to a movie or something, but truth be told, Bruce is getting a little old to reprise any of the roles that made him famous (although maybe he could pull off one last Evil Dead, specifically about how he's too old to do it anymore).

And if you have a little extra cash to spare, get a double dosage of Campbell in his short-lived series Jack of All Trades, where Campbell plays a bumbling agent of Uncle Sam. Pretty much trademark Campbell camp.

So, 360 owners, what are you thinking about getting this fall season? My bet is on just about everyone's list is Gears of War and the hugely hyped Too Human. But not so fast. The two top titles might be suffering from some major setbacks, Too Human is almost guaranteed not to come out til at least 2007 now, and though Gears of War will probably make it by the end of the year, the possibility exists that it won't. which in my opinion would effectively kill the 360 this season as it gets assaulted by the PS3 & The Wii and their shiny new games while the 360 would essentially have no major exclusives too push. Hell, even if Gears of War does make it, I'd think it would need a good head start before it gets buried under the hype of the new system releases.

Is the PSP dying? Gameworld Network certainly seems to think so. It cites some good reasons such as the failure of UMD movies and the lack of original titles, but I think they are selling it a bit short. I don't like the library, but it is selling decently, and i think the system itself has loads of potential, if only the developers would actually step up...

OK, here's your SCRUBS CLIP OF THE WEEK: