Aaah. Did you miss me? I've been playing Katamari pretty hardcore over the last week, and got all three of my bros into it to boot, so that kind of helps to explain the lack of posting. I've also been spending mucha hora with Command & Conquer Generals. Is so funs. But that's not the point! I finally finished the article that was supposed to be done last Friday. I also installed Word '97, so typos should be minimal to non-existant. Enjoy.
The time is finally at hand. In the last two posts, I've showed you images of both the ugly Playstation 3 and the sleek Xbox 360. And today, you get your Nintendo Revolution. Here are some more. Bias aside, I'm not a big fan of the look, but it's not stupid and round like the Playstation 3. At least it's got some kickass features like being able to download tons of Nintendo games, built-in WiFi, and an online Super Smash Bros as a launch title. Assuming Nintendo sticks to their no-fees ideology, this could be bigger than Halo.
A little less exciting, I got my letter of acceptance into the Universtiy of Manitoba today. Whoopee! Now I have to go back to learning...
The last of today's topics is a little out of the ordinary. If you're looking for a good-as-new PSP bundle for a slightly discounted price, gimme a shout. Asking price is $300. The thing's been used a whole of maybe two times, comes with Gretzky Hockey, Metal Gear Acid, and the Spiderman 2 movie. And for those of you who need to know, there are two dead pixels. Like I said, if you're interested, E-Mail/phone/talk to me ASAP.
Following up on the Xbox 360 bit of the last post, here are some pics of the PS3. Looks like utter crap, I think. And while the buttons remain the same, they really messed up that controller too. Looks like the Xbox is currently in the lead for aesthetic appeal this time. Though it should be interesting to see what Nintendo cooks up.
Oh yes, and I've got a new article on the way. Maybe by the weekend. That, and I'm finally getting around to doing a couple work blog entries, so that'll be updated soon too, as well as some new submissions to the second art gallery.
Yeah, I want to get back to playing Donkey Konga 2, so today I'm just going to provide you with some links. Hey, it's something, so stop complaining.
Walking-stick defence - A good one that I've been meaning to link to for a while now. Make sure you click the ad at the top.
New Penny Arcade - No real need to point it out, other than because I find it to be the funiest thing I've seen in a long while. And I just watched five seasons worth of South Park.
Dick Turtle's webpage - It's really no more than a terrible game and a wallpaper, but you know how I love to post stuff about Dick Turtle.
Mary-Kate and Ashley's Dance Party of the Century - No comment.
Donkey Konga 2 review - If I were reviewing it, I would be wasting valuable playing time, now wouldn't I?
The True Story Behind Darth Tater - Star Wars is coming soon, and I figure I should add a little Star Wars into each post until then. At least.
Xbox 360 - Now, normally I wouldn't do this, but... so sleek... And white... there are some better pics of the "console" and controller on the site if you look around a bit.
Because we just can't get enough of Dick Turtle here at TE, here is a little background information on the guy that I'm way to lazy to have dug up myself. And now back to the program already in progress.
Rented LEGO Star Wars this weekend. I have to say, that despite my premature opinons on the game, it turned out to be quite good. When I first heard of it, I just thought it had bad idea written all over it. But alas, I've been proven wrong, and I spent pretty much all weekend playing it. So it's time for one of those nifty little blog reviews, the only thing that keeps the blog from being entirely boring!
Firstly, and possibly most importantly, the name doesn't tell you much about which Star Wars it's covering. And to the possible dismay of some, that would be the prequel trilogy. I have no problems with this, because to be honest, I liked both The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones, and I intend to fully enjoy Revenge of the Sith as well. But most people feel differently, so yeah. Either way, the game has about 17 missions, covering most of the more action-packed parts of the movies. This includes several rampages through Theed, a romp in the Geonosis droid factory followed by the huge Jedi Battle in the colosseum, the war on Kashyyyk, and the final battle between Obi-Wan and Anakin. Of course, this means some slight spoilers for those who've not seen RotS (and by the way, I refuse to address the newer movies as "Episode X"). And while it could be argued that we already know the outcome, I was still intending to find out exactly how everything goes down from the movie itself, but oh well.
The game is fun, but a little slow. See, you've got two ways to go about it. You can power through the levels and not worry about collecting stuff (money), or you can explore every nook and cranny to get it all. And there are tons of interactive objects in every level room, so there's a lot to check out. You don't really need the cash, as you only need copious amounts of it to unlock the secrets (which are just for fun), as the only other thing you'll be spending it on is new characters, and most character unlocks are quite cheap.
Speaking of which, there are a total of around 56 playable characters (I suck at math), and while like 20 of them are different coloured Clone Troopers or Battle Droids, pretty much every single character from the trilogy (and then some) is playable. Everyone from (three versions of) Obi-Wan to General Grievous to Jar Jar to Yoda is playable. And they all have different abilities, like being able to use the force, being able to jump really high, or being able to unlock certain doors. Of course, not every character has an ability. All the Battle Droids can do is walk and shoot, except the commander. He can say "Roger Roger". So everyone will be able to find someone they like to play as. I personally spent the most time as AotC Obi-Wan, Grievous, and R2-D2.
The one thing that really made me favour the game is that it's got a ton of funny little things in it. The fact that everything is in LEGO is funny on it's own, but the fact that some cutscenes really make the most out of the medium, and add in some little sight gags. Some of the levels contain some funny things, like when you're on Kamino, you can do a little light-matching puzzle to turn the room into a disco and get the Kaminoans dancing. It is indeed quite hilarious. Most of the "extras" are just funny things too, like adding moustaches to all characters, or having Jedis wield brooms rather than lightsabers.
All in all, the game is pretty solid. It'll last until you've hunted down every collectible item, and the tow-player mode will add a bit more fun to the mix. Graphics are great, as LEGO isn't too damned hard to animate well. The music is ripped directly from the movies, so obviously that gets full points. The only weaknesses is that most people won't like all the slow treasure hunting you'd have to do to produce the kind of funds you'll need for the more expensive stuff, and that when you've got everything, the game is pretty much dead. If you really go at it, you should be able to get everything in a rental. I wouldn't reccommend buying it though. Sadly, it loses pretty much everything once you've got the 100%. But it is fun while it lasts. Oh yeah, and it's way too easy. You can't lose, no matter how hard you suck. You're given unlimited lives, and the only disadvantage to dying is that you lose a little money. The only way you can lose is to get stuck as the somewhat tricky podrace level and quit of frustation. So yes. Good game, but not a buyer. Not at more than half-price anyhow.
April was a pretty slow month as far as blog posts go, but it did see the glorious returns of both Dick Turtle and the mini-reviews. Now it's forever saved onto its own page in the archives. Hoo-ray.
In other news, I've just recently caught wind of this really kickass band. They go by the monicker of Span and are a rather excellent portralyal of what rock 'n' roll is all about. Unfortunatley, they've currently only got one major release (which is very rare to find), so this is gonna be one of those Jimmy Eat World one-CD reviews.
So firstly, who the Hell is Span? There's a 97% chance you've never heard of them. If you have, you're either really lucky, or have finished the video game Obscure, which totes their music quite prominently. That would be where I first heard of 'em. Anyhow, while their look may at first suggest a punk band, calling these guys punk would be an insult. They sound far too professional for that title. While they have an obvious nu-rock influence, Span is your model modern rock 'n' roll band. Combining fast, catchy anthems with hard rock and slower ballads, Span runs the full rock gamut, semblant of old-school rock legends like Motley Crue, Poison, and Firehouse.
So onto the review thing. The CD, as you should be able to see above, is titled Mass Distraction. While it features a scant 11 tracks (I'll admit, I'm spoiled by compilations and greatest hits albums that have between 15 and 20 songs apiece), it's a joy to listen through from start to finish. The first song, "Found" is a pretty standard song, and does well as an opening track. Anywhere else on the CD, it might seem a bit weaker. Now number two, "Don't Think The Way They Do" is my new favourite song ever. It's fast, catchy, and just really cool. It's the only song I know of on the CD to have a single, so I guess it's their hit song. Seriously, if you're checking out Span, this is a good song to start with. Very addictive. "Peaceful" slows it down a bit, with its first part being rather slow, and then getting up to a harder tone near the halfway point. "Papa" takes it from there, and really gets things rolling with some fantastic teamwork between the guiars and drums.
"Stay As You Are" isn't quite as hardcore as the previous track, but keeps up the rock 'n' roll attitude, and makes for a second really catchy song. "Missing in Stereo" sounds almost like Span took a page from Matthew Good, as it's quite slow and moody. I'm a pretty big Matt Good fan, so I like it a lot. "On My Way Down" brings back the rock but manages to keep the moodiness of the last song, and sounds great doing it. Next up, "Buckle Under Pressure" really reminds me a little of the good old classic rock of the 80's. It combines some really heavy guitar work with lighter verses and a sweet chorus to make a pretty unique sound.
And then comes the only song that could possibly rival "Don't Think The Way They Do" for best song on the CD. "Baby's Come Back" is insane. It's fast, catchy, kinda funny, and has a simply magnificent guitar solo that is surpassed only by that of "Stairway to Heaven". All this backed by some sweet vocal work and a great drum beat, and you've got a killer song. "Wildflower" is really surprising, in that it's more of a poppy song, rather than rock. But it maintains respectability by being really good. As it is with a lot of CDs, the last track Mass Distraction is a slower one, "When She Stares". It's slow, but it's got a very powerful chorus, and is twice the length of most of the other songs on the album. It's an excellent song, and a great choice to end with.
Be it resolved that Mass Distraction is the best CD I've heard in a long time, and I've got a lot of really awesome CDs. Props out to Span and their great, though far too unknown effort. Also, I should mention a couple of their other songs I've heard, particularly "Cut Like Diamonds" and "Always Ends", are just as great as anything on their debut album. Word on the street is that they're going to be releasing number two in the near future, so here's hoping that maybe I'll be able to find that one in stores. Or at least download it like I did with the first. Yeah, I'm pretty damn obsessed with these guys right now, and my AudioScrobbler account holds undeniable proof of that. Check 'em out for sure.