8bitfix Review - PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale (Vita)

So after all my time playing PlayStation All-Stars I finally wrote a review on it. The Vita version, that is. This game is pretty awesome, right up the alley for PS fans but I think anyone who digs the competitive Smash scene will like this game better. Let's face it, if you are trying to play Smash competitively that's basically like bragging about how awesome of a driver you are when all you do is race go karts at Putt-Putt (do they still have Putt-Putts?)

It's a little alarming how I somehow reviewed two fighting games in a row considering I don't consider myself a fighting game kinda guy. This one was easier for me to talk about though considering it isn't an overtly technical fighting game. There is technical-ness to it, but it's all behind the scenes which I like. So I was able to talk more about how this differs from Smash and the overwhelming visual aspect of the game. All in all I feel I did fairly well, though I think everyone who wants this game has it by now. Hopefully it reaches Superbot and they notice some of the constructive negative feedback and use that to create and even better PASBR 2.

Anyways here's a link and a bit from the review: 8bitfix Review: PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale (PlayStation Vita)

"Since so many characters from different games are thrown together in this all out brawl, it is easy to lose your bearings sometimes. You'll do plenty of double takes seeing Fat Princess next to Big Daddy. Initially it does look awkward but you do get used to it in no time. I'm sure there are others out there who don't share the sentiment but I feel this amalgamation of Sony's diverse video game lineup is part of this game's charm. In fact if I were more of a Sony diehard fan I would probably say something like "the contrast is evident of Sony's diverse software lineup". It's a good thing I'm not a Sony diehard fan eh?" -me

Who does your dentistry?

8bitfix Review - Lego Batman 2: DC Superheroes (Vita)

Lego Batman 2. Lego Batman.... two. I really loved the first Lego Batman actually, I played the hell out of it on Xbox 360. Now that I'm that more into playing on handhelds I decided to get Lego Batman 2 on the Vita. While I was at it I might as well review it right? Right! Well coming directly from Lego Batman I didn't notice at first that this largely has less to offer than the console versions. Indeed it does, and even ignoring that fact it is hardly a perfect game on its own merit. The CGI cutscenes and music is poorly handled and the game is simply too easy to appeal to more than the hardcore fan. Thankfully I am that hardcore fan so I don't much regret my purchase at all, but that makes this version of the game a hard sell. With few really appealing games on the Vita for consumers anyway I really wish TT Fusion would have upped their game for this title. After all, the Vita needs all the help it can get.

The review was easy enough and I spent the majority of time trying to cover the basic highs and lows of this game. In the end it became somewhat of a rollercoaster ride settling at an average score. I toyed with the notion of rating it lower, but felt the majority of my disappointment with this game rested on what it lacks compared to the console version. While it's certainly my intention to inform readers of the differences my desire to review objectively won out and I decided not to punish the Vita version for not being the full console version of the game.

Anyways you can read for yourself here: 8bitfix Review: Lego Batman 2: DC Superheroes (PlayStation Vita)

The lack of difficulty isn't necessarily a terrible thing however, due to both the game's obvious target audience and the fact that the game is fun. It is a silly, whimsical fun that Lego games are known for. Seeing enemies explode into a flurry of bricks is hilarious every time and the game's story itself plays up the Lego humor without becoming annoying. It's this that keeps those who play Lego games coming back. - me

This is why we can't have nice things.

8bitfix Review: Persona 4 Arena

Well, so as it turns out it would be a good idea for 8bitfix to simplify its review format so it could be a bit more flowy. After several days of getting opinions like teeth out of the reviewers we finally Ok'd it and voila! So Persona 4 Arena for PS3 marks the first review I've done in the approved format. I had even started a review for Lego Batman 2, but to be honest it was proving a challenge. This seemed like a natural transition since it is a game that really lends itself to this free form sort of format. It was as much of an exercise for me as it was a review. So with that said I hope you guys enjoy!

When reviewing this game, being a person who is not generally of a fighting game background I decided to stay away from the analytic approach. Afterall, I wouldn't really know much about what I'd be talking about with weird stuff like hit boxes move priority, character tiers and other things I simply don't understand in fighting games. So keeping it simple, I decided to focus on what I know it does bring to the table. Accessibility and style. At least knowing what's up with games like Guilty Gear and BlazBlue helped give a point of reference to gamers who were looking for more technical info. All around I really like this game, and it is a steal at it's reduced price of $20. If you are a Persona fan or a fan of fighting games in general this belongs in your game library no questions asked.

Anyways here is the link with a little blurb as usual: 8bitfix Review: Persona 4 Arena (PS3)

When it comes to the actual fighting this game doesn't disappoint. The lesson mode teaches you there is an easy combo for players to rely on until they learn the ropes, but they are soon outgrown when greater combos are learned. Being able to combine attacks from your character and their Persona both can create some satisfying and unique combos I had tons of fun with it. The diversity of characters is pleasing as well. 13 characters from both Persona 3 and Persona 4 don’t sound like a lot but many of them have a diverse move set that covers all the bases. - WildCardCorsair

Want to piss someone off? Diaharan!

Boogie on down! 8bitfix Review: Orgarhythm

Troll box art is successful!

Another one bite's the dust! This time it's XSEED's groovy RTS/Rhythm hybrid, Orgarhythm for PlayStation Vita. Not really one for rhythm games myself (though Theatrhythm may have changed that a little) I was pretty intrigued what this would play like. Would it be more RTS than rhythm, or vice versa? In the end, just like a two piece harmony, there was a perfect blending of the two. The only thing holding this title back from being that new refreshing Vita entry is the fact that most people won't stop to give a strange title like this a try. It's a shame, but I'm under no illusions about the mentality of the majority demographic of gamers today. Well it is what it is, but anyone daring enough to risk a try at this $30 PSN only Vita title just might be rewarded with something truly special :)

Anyways here's the link: 8bitfix review: Orgarhythm

Oh, and a snippet, as always!

"Orgarhythm is actually very simple to describe, but difficult to convey the true experience. Here I go anyways. The game is equal parts rhythm and equal parts strategy. In order to properly dispatch troops you need to tap the screen to the beat. One tap on the God of Light, another to select which elemental trooper to use, and a third to select which type of attack they will perform. Then all you have to do is tap the screen, or tap and drag to send a certain number to a specified location on the map. As you continue to successfully tap, the "voltage level" will rise, powering up your troops, and allowing you to have more of them. See not hard to describe at all, but the game sounds plain. I assure you it isn't. There is a sort of excitement to the game you can't really appreciate until you try it. Something about how the music amplifies your drive to attack, and attacking continues to build your combo and voltage level; it's a cyclical excitement that builds with the better you are doing. Not to mention there are no technical difficulties whatsoever with tapping. The game runs smooth, almost surprisingly so when you have 48 of your own troopers heading out amidst a sea of enemies equal in number! It is absolutely essential rhythm games always run smoothly, and for one that incorporates RTS elements this is doubly so."

Say it with me... "Colors, Colors!"

That nineth lion must have some serious heartburn!

Another day, another review. This time the lucky game is none other than the eclectic Zero Escape Volume 2: Virtue's Last Reward. Yes, this is a visual novel which is a sort of sequel to 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors for the DS. This one, is a total improvement all around which I love. It's totally engrossing just like the first, but with way more user friendly additions. It also looks spectacular on the Vita. Plus the 24 different endings are... mind boggling. Each playthrough is almost like this is an entirely different game, it's rather crazy. The Vita is finally starting to build up its library in earnest and I could not be happier that this title is part of that. It's pretty much a must for any fan of visual novels, but even if you aren't you should still give this a try. Anyone who loves a crazy story, murder mystery, or just the site of a constantly topless wannabe Egyptian queen is sure to hit it big here.

Anyways here it is. 8bitfix Review: Zero Escape Volume 2: Virtue's Last Reward

Oh and if you wanted a taste... well here, have a taste:

"As you can imagine, logical thinking and problem solving are huge components of this game, but nothing is ever thrown at you unexpectedly. Compared to other visual novel/puzzle games this game is all inclusive. Whereas frustration had set in during my experiences with Layton games and their constant need for me to be a scholarly mathematician, this game does a great job of explaining anything you might need to know. This is definitely appreciated and oddly overlooked by other games in similar genres."

The Real World is really starting to cast funny nowadays.

Code of scantly clad women?

convenient logo placement...

Well it is done, Code of Princess review is nice and live. I felt I almost tripped over myself on this one. Let it be know, that I, WildCardCorsair may have rushed through this one a little. After a little quiet contemplation and otherwise general tomfoolery I was finally able to score this game. So that's why this took so long. Not that you guys were keeping track... were you? Anyways what we have here is a side scrolling brawl fest ala Double Dragon, Streets of Rage, etc but with a heavy RPG element to it. I'll explain it all in the review but for now just know that this is really a niche title. I mean you really have to think you'll like it or else you won't stand a chance.

Anyways here is the review: 8bitfix Review: Code of Princess

And if you wanted it... here's a tiny snippet:

"The story in Code of Princess is pretty laughable. It’s there, and time was spent on it, but it's cliché at best, and full of holes at worst. So many increasingly important facts are thrown at you out of left field, leaving you to wonder if the team at Agatsuma even expected people to pay attention. Even the characters are painfully clichéd, such as the scantily clad yet pious princess, the thief with the heart of gold, the soft spoken samurai looking for love, and the strong silent bruiser with a soft spot for cure animals. Yup you've seen everything here before but what makes this pill easier to swallow is that the game never takes itself too seriously. The characters and situations are tongue-in-cheek 4th-wall-breaking comedy gold at times. So if you were looking for some kind of deep introspective tale of epic proportions you won't find it here. If you don't mind humor in your Action-RPG/Brawler then you won't have any problems here."

not a zombie!!

Remember, Remember, the 14th of September!

As most of you probably know I picked up the Limited Edition version of Halo: Reach yesterday night. Of course after the initial batch of pictures I took my friends and I jumped into online multiplayer for a couple hours before it was time for bed. I didn't really have any time to really look over the main component of the limited edition: Halsey's journal.

After getting a chance to look at it I can honestly say the extra 20 bucks was well spent. The effort and design put into the journal is nothing short of astounding. Bungie has really outdone themselves this time and I think it's safe to say those who purchased the limited or legendary editions will be extremely pleased.

The journal itself is more like a small book written by Dr. Halsey: a very very important, yet frequently unexpanded, character in the Halo universe. Anyone who has read "The Fall of Reach" will understand what I mean when I say this journal contains some very awesome totally canon information that until now was never truly expanded upon.

Aside from the journal pages themselves, the journal also contains alot of extra printed material from the Halo universe. News clippings, photographs, dossiers, personal letters, and even information on the Spartan Master Chief John-117 and his Mjolinr mk.IV armor.

Oh and there's an iron-on patch, whooo!

So aside from the game being totally awesome (so far) I highly recomend the limited or legendary editions for any person who is hungry for more insight into the Halo storyline!

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

KICK-ASS or ASS KICK?

You know I don't even know anymore.

I saw Kick-Ass on sunday and honesly i really liked it. It was only during the credits that i found out it is in fact based on a comic.

So naturally being a fan of the comics i looked it up.

i kinda wish i didn't

the Kick-Ass big screen adaption is almost like the big screen adaption of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. if youve read that then you know what i mean.

So is Kick-Ass based on a comic book?

yes, but not really.

Ya see, this movie fails where so many adaptions fail before it.

they change like ever fucking thing about the comic, then they say "hey thisll make a good movie". then before you know it you hacked and spliced enough times it went from looking like patrick swayze in dirty dancing to patrick swayze in too wong foo.

im going to pretend you didnt just say how much you liked too wong foo and continue.

oh, and fanboys, spoiler alert so if youre gonna whine and bitch about how i ruined the movie for you stop reading now.

First off the comic is a gritty take on why people dont become super heroes in real life. the message: life is not a comic and it just doesnt work.

the movie sends different message. super heroes dont exist in real life cause people didnt try hard enough.

now normally this would be such a bad thing, and the movie starts off much in the same way as the comic but about halfway through it makes a strange deviation.

It becomes some kinda happy go lucky super hero comedy.

Big Dady WAS a retired cop, framed for a crime he didn't commit by a new york drug kingpin. as opposed to a bored accountant who fights crime with his brainwashed daughter.

Kick-Ass DID get the girl and lived hapily ever after, only giving up the costume on her request, rather than getting rejected and his ass kicked by her new boyfriend upon revealing hes not gay to her

Kick-Ass's dad never gets involved with Lucille (who dies in the movie)

while these differences arent many, they completely change the mood and almost the focus of the entire movie. I'm not sure that Millar and Romita jr. have in store for the character in the future (theyve both stated a sequel book is in the works) but you can probably bet it will never be as happy or feel good as this movie turned out to be.

all in all my verdict is simple, if youve read the comic youll probably dislike the movie, if you havent, which im wagering is the category most people fall into, youll probably like it.

i give this movie a Katie Deauxma/10

A Mustering of 'Muchness'

Over the weekend i bought the Almost Alice CD which is basically the "music imspired by the motion picture" CD, and not the original soundtrack, which would be all Danny Elfman songs anyways (not at all a bad thing).

Personally i love it. mind you i dont love EVERY song because well, quite frankly compilations are almost always hit or miss, but most of the album is actually quite good.

There are definatly some things you should know about it however before you purchase it if thats what you were thinking about. if you werent thinking that then theres really no need to read this however if you dont i will be sad and you certainly don't want that.

you wouldnt like me when i'm sad.... wait.

songs in the good category are Avril's track "Alice" which is the song that plays in the end credits of the movie, AAR's "The Poison", Owl City's "The Technicolor Phase", Robert Smith (of The Cure)'s "Very Good Advice", 3OH!3's "Follow Me Down", Motion City Soundtrack's "Always Running out of Time", and Valora's "Extreme" (although i have NO idea what it has to do with Alice in Wonderland).

Falling into the cool yet weird category is Franz Ferdinand's "The Lobster Quadrille" which is a musical performance of an actual poem from the book. Also in this category is They Might Be Giant's "" for the same reason. And of course the CD wouldnt be complete without a cover of Grace Slick's (and the rest of Jefferson Airplane) "White Rabbit". The cover version is pretty decent but the original is still better (Don't worry though, this one doesnt have a 7 minute hippie solo at the end)

And now for the bad. Ironically enough the songs i thought i would love, i ended up not liking. go figure. Pete Wentz and Mark Hoppus's "In Transit" leaves much to be desired. Same goes for Wolfmother's "Fall Down a Hole", and Shinedown's "The Name is Alice". As for another of the CD's singles, "Tea Party" by Kerli I give her points for enthusiasm but i didn't like the song much.

The rest of the songs not mentioned are decent at least but not really falling in any of the above categories.

Its not as good as Nightmare Revisted which was literally an awesome CD but i definatly don't regret my purchase.

And a word to the wise, the iTunes version comes with the Danny Elfman main theme as well as the They Might Be Giants song, where as the Hot Topic version comes with 3 extra tracks including the Velora track.

All in all i'd give the CD a Bandersnatch scratch/10!

Har-Har-HeartGold!

Ok, i didnt actually get HeatGold, i just thought it would be funny if that was the title. What i did get is SoulSilver:



Now you may be telling yourself, Self, this is just a remake.

i'm here to tell you thats retarded.

Ok yes it is a remake, but its vastly different. the storyline has been beefed up, graphically it takes full advantage of the DS's graphics.

functionaly it takes full advantage of the DS system. you can actually use the touch screen for 99% of the games input. thats basically everything but moving your character.

Its also completly compatible with other generation IV games and you can use the pal park to transfer Pokémon from your generation III games.

It has a full online mode if you have wi-fi access that includes mini-games, trainer battles and other things like doodling and "spinning" (that im pretty sure that has nothing to do with bottles). they even have something called the pokéthalon which if the name is true sounds something akin to pokémon olympics.

and if that wasn't enough to get your blood pumping they have the Pokéwalker.

remember that annoying Pokémon Pikachu tamogatchi thing? its like that but better. it syncs to and from your gamepack directly, earning exp for the pokémon you choose for every step it counts in real life. and just like that older Pikachu one, it converts every 20 steps you take into 1 watt which can be used to buy more routes to walk on, encounter other pokémon in a minigame that can allow you to catch these pokémon and transfer them back to your game, or find hidden items along your route that can also transfer to your game. and when all is said and done take your pokémon from the walker back to your gamepack and choose another to walk with you instead.

if that wasn't enough if you meet someone with a pokéwalker also, you can connect to each other via infared and earn an item to transfer back to your game. from what i understand they can also battle via the pokéwalkers simplified battle system. (much like rock, paper, scissors)

now if you aren't a pokemon fan this probably sounds mediocre to you and i guess theres no helping that. but for anyone who was left hungering for Gold/Silver because of the games incompatibility with newer handhelds and gen III and on games, this is your time to shine.

and the icing on the cake is all the cool interconnectivity between it and Diamond/Pearl/Platinum. Already in my SoulSilver game i have an exclusive pokéwalker route (via Jirachi trade), a SoulSilver special sprite pokémon (via Pikachu-colored Pichu trade), and when i finally make it to the area in the game, my Arceus trade will get me a lvl 1 Palkia, Giratina, or Dialga.

all in all it leads me to spending another gross amoun of time playing another Pokémon game while anxiously awaiting new Generation V

James T. Shepard!

and of course as awesome as DA:O is, you know i still had to put it down in favor of (surprise) Bioware's sequal to the awesome game Mass Effect.

cause nothing beats galavanting about the galaxy and screwing alien chicks!

...oh and saving the known galaxy from anihilation

hands down the best thing about the game is you can import your character from the first game.

some people (including me) had trouble importing characters at first but replaying the game from your last save on the first game really quick will fix that (last save is usually an auto save just before fighting Saren's "final form" so its only like 5 mins). but importing your character is so awesome, starting a new character is really kind of a shame. it imports your class and appearance both of which you can alter if you choose too, but most importantly it imports a certain ammount of your characters gained renegade or paragon attributes, and all of your previous games sidequests and backstory info. remember Conrad Verner? oh yeah hes back with a side quest. Reporter on the citadel? prepare to be harrased by her again. Remember the colonists from Feros? you get a side quest after checking up on them! not to mention your character relationships from past games play a role still with extra scenes or unique dialogue lines when you run into those characters again.

the gameplay itself however is alot different from the first. the RPG elements have been scaled down but as much as it sounds like a bad thing its really not. the shooting and action are much more fluid in this game, creating more of a sense of urgency since you dont have to go to the wheel menu ever 5 seconds for a biotic, tech, or weapon power. and while there still are abilities to use, 3 can be mapped to hotkeys for instant use, and some have even been combined (for intance instead of having pistol marksman, carnage, overkill, and assassination, soldiers in mass effect 2 have adrenaline rush, which works for all weapons)

your weapons no longer have to be leveled up individually either, leveling one job specific trait will increase the damage for all the weapons that character can use as well as other things like your renegade and paragon gain rate, health, or biotic and tech powers. this allows for less time contemplating where exactly to put each point but still lets you choose which skills to focus on and which to ignore.

also your weapons are static, no longer can you use an untrained weapon at the cost of your aim and accuracy, you are forced to only have the weapons your character can use period. thankfully each job can have at least 3 weapons including the new heavy weapons, and in some cases the new SMG gun class.

and as much as i loved the Mako im a bit glad to see it go. being the kind of guy i am i tended to explore each and every inch of a planet surface just in case something of real value was laying around. most times there wasnt. but not you drop straight into missions on planets that have them via the new dropship, and for resources (which actually serve a purpose in this game!) can be scanned from orbit and have probes sent to collect them for you, taking less than half the time of a mako tour.

the missions and quests even feel different, the missions are more plentiful, but less long. and considering how i talked about mission length for DA:O im rather pleased about that. you have both a recruitment and a loyalty quest for each character, totalling 18 character related quests, with more side quests availible during missions or from other characters on the normandy, quests are still found while randomly scanning planets, and on occasion from Admiral Hacket or the Illusive Man.

and completely new are renegade and paragon actions... at certain times during normal diologue sequences you will be given the ability to press either the right or left triggers for an awesome actions-speak-louder-than-words moment that changes the course of the conversation. for instance growing tired of listening to a low level eclipse boss give me attitude as to why he wont give me the info i want i literally kicked him through the window of a 50 story building. now he'll have time to think about why he shoulda cooperated with me on the way down! LOL

also new this time around is the Normandy itself, there are now 5 decks, your captain's quarters, the command information center (CIC), crew's quarters, the engineering deck, and the cargo bay. and THANKFULLY its not a 10 minute elevator ride between them. there is however a loading screen but it can go as quickly as 15 seconds if you load the game to and play it from your hard drive.

and the final mission is so totally epic its almost perfect, depending on all the missions you ran pior, your upgrades, and who of your team is loyal to you the mission can go tons of different ways. youre even given choices on who to let handle certain situations. with your choices determing not only the success of the mission, but whether or not your characters live or die.

and theres more love insterests to choose from too. i wonder what Tali looks like under the suit...

*ahem*

and of course the game as lovely as it is cannot escape my criticism :(

one thing i miss is the Mako (wait didnt i just say i liked it being gone? wait for it....) missions (oh!). driving around on certain planets was actually pretty cool, Noveria especially and nothing beats the feeling of driving around in a tank with a kinetic shield. there are obviously no longer any driving missions in this game and i kinda wish there was. now thankfully the rumor mill suggests there will be one coming in a DLC featuring an upgraded Mako but i'll have to cross my fingers and see

and aside from the cliffhanger ending my really only other gripe is the lack of time with Legion. i wont go into details cause itll spoil it for ya, but you get him at the end of the game and you dont really have much time to try him out before the end.

also theres no worthwhile lesbian love intrest! WHHHYYYYYYY? well you can bang Kelly Chambers as a female Shepard but she wont net you the paramour achivement. BLAST!

this game gets a bangin' Tali/10

Dragon Age: Outstanding!

I'm alive.

no really, i've just been a hermit...

as usual.

Its been video game time for me since the release of 2 incredibly awesome video games.

first i was derailed by is Dragon Age: Origins.

i have to say, screenshots or trailers for the game didn't really make it look amazing. they focus more on showing a couple short FMV sequences and some gameplay, which normally would be a good thing, but RPGs dont have the same kind of flashy gameplay as other games.

but trust me the game is awesome. you can definatly play it a few times cause the replay value is amazing. each main quest can have at least 2 ways to go through it, sometimes more, with 2 different outcomes which heavily impacts the game's endings.

and with character creation you can pick one of 3 races, each with a choice of backstory, and without that job select up to 2 unique specializations. my rough math says theres 72 different characters possible counting only combonations of race, backstory, job, and combos of 2 specializations. thats not counting choices of gender, positive or negative alignment, different choices made during the main quests, the side characters you choose to join you, or any of the multiple endings you can get.

i'm not good enough at math to figure that out.

if that doesnt impress you maybe the fact that there is a varitable cornicopia of love instrests, tons of sidequests including character specific sidequests given to you by your companions, and some very challenging optional bosses. not to mention theres already 3 DLC already out one of which includes a fully integrated new character. not to mention blood dragon armor for this and Mass Effect 2 if you bought the game (which you should you pirating ninnies)

if that wasnt enough March brings us Dragon Age: Awakening, a full game expansion with 5 new companions, a new main story line, new areas and an all new origin story.

phheeeewwwww... sorry gotta take a breath there. lol

theres only two things i dont like about the game. first its bloody hard sometimes. i really suggest taking the time to completely reprogram certain characters tactics (its a series of cause and effect senarios for the ai to prioritize during battle) to make them more effective. the spirit healer character you can recruit has such a horrible tactics set its a miracle she gets off a single healing spell. that ones got to go. also any tanking character you leave to AI should also be reprogrammed. doing this makes battles go smoother but there still plenty of frustrating "Your journey ends..." screens. in fact, i actually had to lower the difficulty on some fights after dying 10+ in the same situation.

the other thing is the length of some of the main story missions. im not a 15 yr old kid with hours and hours with which to play games anymore, and i like to usually play a quest or a mission straight through before turning it off, so on some of the missions the length was a little much. the mages circle in particular was a little too long for my taste as that one mission can take a couple hours if you let it. so stock up on potions and get all the extra inventory spaces you can, cause thats a doozy. keep in mind the length of the game itself is actually quite good, its really just the length of certain missions that gets a bit tedious.

all in all i love the game and cannot wait to get Awakening. i'm sure ill talk about that plenty when it comes out.

i give this game a solid fuedal lordship/10

District 9

Well... I saw District 9 on sunday

and before i tell you what i think i want to tell you that recent years have been sparcely decorated with a handful of sci-fi movies, some of them not even good, some of the lost in the bluster of the starring actors or big hollywood budgets

i thought District 9 was amazing.

and before you say "well i thought it was good, But not AMAZING" remember my previous statement.

Aside from a few other good sci-fi movies District 9 has a feel to it no sci-fi movie has had in almost a generation.

and it doesnt need big names or actors to do it.

So go see it, wether youre a sci-fi fan or not you wont be dissapointed, and if its one of your first forays into the genre it will definatly be a good experience for you!

I give this movie a Cat Food/10 (see the movie and youll understand :p)

Fable-ulous!

Heheh. yes. i got it...

well as im sure you can assume... and assuming is for asses btw...

but yes you can guess im going to review the damn game now.

you were right!

does that happen often?

probably not... anyways

Fable II, sequel to the highly successful albiet lacking Fable for Xbox.

the shiney limited edition will look like this:

and contain this a download card for the "Otherworldly Download pack" which features the  "HAL" armor set and "Hal's Sword".

being the completely awesome epicness this game is this is what the Hal armor is:

hell yes.

Master Fucking Chief armor

what more do you want? sheesh.

oh yeah the other bonuses?

you also get access to the Halls of the Dead dungeon, (off the main pier in Bloodstone, look for a dive spot) and within that a legendary sword called "The Wreckager"

well anyways thats what ya get....

there was supposed to also be a mini hobbe figurine and a set of 4 or 5 Fable II tarot cards.

where those went i'll never know....

anyways... if youve played the first game i'll save ya some time.

Go Get This Game.

well that is if you like what the first had to offer but wanted more.

we ALL wanted more.

did you like owning a massive property empire in Fable? 

now you can own even more... and all your money is deposited directly to your characters every collection period! no more running!

did you like having one wife per city so no matter where you are you could always get some blacked out sex screen with some girl calling you norty?

you can save sex out of wedlock now! or if you do choose to get married you can even have children in Fable II, and not only that but watch that roving eye, cause if your wife(s) find out about mistresses/other families they'll give ya the ol heave ho!

speakin of sex outa wedlock, there are hookers in this game, but watch it cause sleepin with them skanks might result in getting an STD! and if that wasn't enough, you can even have sex with multiple men, women, or any combonation thereof! (theres even an achievement for it LOL)

did you like the morality system?

Fable II expands on it by having 2 distinct character aligntment bars Good/Evil and Morale/Corrupt. fall into any place on the two for a more descriptive character personality.

Emotes have been improved in Fable II also giving you more choices, and giving every NPC in the game 3 different ways to judge you: Love/Hate, Fear/Light Heartedness and Ugly/Beautiful

The fields and world are much much larger than the first Fable, about 10x more so as Lionhead states.

even battle affects you characters appearnce this time around. being defeated results in the appearence of permanent scars on your body... and villagers will even comment on them!

Get tattoos, haircuts, facial hair, make up, and a variety of clothing to upgrade your appearance! not only that but there are a variety of Dyes to change the color of anything you dont like, clothes included!

and quite possibly the biggest change to the game... mans best friend! (no not porn)

yep you have your own little doggie (i names mine Indiana)

he can bark to alert you if enemies are near, sniff out treasure chests you can't see, sniff out treasure buried in the ground, attack downed enemies to finish them off, distract enemies that may be trying to shoot you from a distance and even preform tricks to show off for the vilagers of albion. 

all in all this was a great game, with many things to do after you be the main story line and a great experience overall.

oh.

did i mention you can do CO-OP now?!

lol yup, over Xbox Live even.

you can even unlock achievements by watching your friend accomplishments if youre playing with him on his game.

what would i give this game? 

i'll give it an AWESOME/10

Year of the Reinvention -or- Change Ain't Just for Obama

Well well now... ive been a busy....

person.

i got myself a load of new songs, most of them just singles off upcomming albums.

theres definatly a trend going here.

and if you dont know what it is by now *eyes title* im not tellin ya...

seriously...

anyways! lets move on to it. i got alot to get through so im gonna be fairly consice.

first one is a new single called "Gives you Hell" by The All-American Rejects off their upcomming CD

Im actually a pretty big fan of these guys after i saw one of their live preformances (even if you are so-so about their songs these guys are a blast in concert. they play better in concert than they do on their CDs!)

they've always been the pinacle of summertime feel good rythems and good sometimes even laugh to yourself funny lyrics.

this single gives you more of that with a rather refined sound organization. hats off to the mixer and producer cause they really took what AAR does best and improved on it.

it takes failed past relationship, peppers in some cynical fork-tongued goodness, and has you bouncing to the beat all the while.

if this is any indication their really going to take their newer more organized sound and work magic with it... i can't for the album if im in store for more of this!

Im also a big fan of BoA a korean born J-pop star (shush all of you)

unfortunatly i really only have access to her EPs.

this is actually a single off one of her albums thats recently come out though, called "Eat You up"

the single is that is. 

Its no secret that BoA actually can speak pretty good english and it isnt the first time shes done it, but this song too is actually all in english.

but that combined with an american house style beat makes this song stand out from her previous stuff.

its not as good as some of the other songs of hers i own, but is still pretty good.

and it sounds incredible with my subwoofer ^^

her english is great though, and short of Utada Hikaru or Maaya Sakamoto, BoA's english vocals are very easy to understand and have almost no accent to them.

its yet another very dancy and singable song BoA.. what more can you ask for?

Ok... now its time for a couple by those F.O.B.

man what to say.

i mean its on par with some of the songs off their last album, but it is still so different in comparison.

some of my same gripes from my review of "I Don't Care" remain, although some lines are certainly quotable.

at certain times the band strikes a wonderful vocal range, hitting some lows and together with the beat bringing a very Depeche Mode feel to the song. 

hell the beat itself sounds like something out of a 80's synth rock/pop manual.

and no Fall Out Boy song would be complete with mondgreen of somekind lol. 

one line is either "Does your husband know the way that the sunshine bleeds from your wedding band" or Does your husband know the way that the sunshine gleams from your wedding band"

imho bleeds makes more sense but w/e

all in all i have to applaud what F.O.B. accomplishes... but i still miss what they brought to the table in years past.

theyre experimenting and theyre evolving, and most of all theyre growing.

and god damn the song is catchy

Another Fall Out Boy release off of Folie a Duex... "What a Catch, Donnie"

this one is even more different than the rest.

its a soulful balled like XO or Golden before it but its a little more difficult to get into.

i didnt particularly like Golden when i first heard it but it managed to grow on me somewhat

im not sure how much this one will grow on me.

not so say its not without merit. 

most notably the song replays lines from famous F.O.B. singles at the end of the song, like "Grand Theft Autumn/Where is your boy", "Sugar We're Goin' Down", "Dance, Dance", "This Ain't a Scene its an Arms Race", "Thks fr th Mmrs", and even from "Headfirst Slide into Cooperstown on a Bad Bet"

it even features some great lines, but all in all its the kind of song you end an album with

and according to Wikipedia's Folie a Duex page... its mid album.

can't say what they might be thinking but i guess we'll have to see how it plays out on the album.

heres to hoping.

 

KanYeWest. 

Kanye, Kanye, Kanye...

first off... its a great sounding song. 

trademark Kanye beat.

great subject matter

catchy

singable.

wait... singable?

yep... there is no rapping in this song.

isn't that odd... for a rapper to do?

i know hes borederline hip-hop/R&B... but he was still a rapper

nonetheless i cant really find a reason to not like the song. 

even the T-pain spin on his voice which i would normally complain about it is perfectly fine in the song

yes.... im weirded out at this strange turn of events in the Kanye saga... but its good.

i mean i think it may bring listeners to the table that aren't a big fan of his rap.

not to say he stands to lose fans of his college dropout record if he doesnt have some rapping on the LP. 

we'll just have to see. its a great song though

Now this one is a gem... a total gem. 

in basic premise its the entire Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack covered by other artists... even the instrumental songs.

it really is a blast to listen to famous and or other artists take on the great works of Danny Elfman

and since this is a CD of various artists i'll give a quick rundown of each song so you'll know what youre getting into if you buy it

which you should

go buy it >.>

1. Overture - Devotchka - Good! mix Danny Elfman and eatern european stlye poka music (its good, dont be afriad!)
   
2. Opening - Danny Elfman - Good! hes no Price or Stewart but this is his baby and its good to hear him on the narration for once
   
3. This is Halloween - Marilyn Manson - Great, same as the one on the 2 disc NBC soundtrack a year or so ago
   
4. Jack's Lament - The All-American Rejects - Passable. i say this because they apply their own style wel enough, but they lose feeling in the sadder parts of the song. injecting your style is great, but dont lose the point of the song
   
5. Doctor Finkelstien/In the Forest - Amiina - Good. its instrumental and sounds great, similar to th original but with a twist
   
6. Whats This? - Flyleaf - fail. they miss the point of the song, once again injecting your style is great but dont lose the point of the song. its supposed to be about an inquizitive and exciting new thing jack discovers, and her vocals sound lazy and disintrested.
   
7. Town Meeting song - The Polyphonic Spree - Fail. this song is simply painful to listen to
   
8. Jack and Sally Montage - Viatamin String Quartet - Good! very faithful but a great way to listen to the song with just a dash of difference to make it interesting
   
9. Jack's Obsession - Sparklehorse - Fail. also painful. its not only painful to listen to but breaks up the vocals making them awkward. ignores the feel of the original song too
   
10. Kidnap the Sandy Claws - KoRn - Great! im not a fan of KoRn, in fact i actively dislike them. but i have to say they successfully add their own style without changing the song. good job
    
11. Making Christmas - Rise Against - Great, same as above, they are decen about controlling their angst partailly without sounding foriegn to their natural style. they capture the intensity of jack in parts of the song, good job
    
12. Nabbed - Yoshida Brothers - Great! almost completely different from the original but the Mandolin sounds incredible, more proof that different can still equal great
    
13. Oogie Boogie's Song - Rodrigo y Gabriella - Great! with no words even! spanish guitars play all but 2 lines in the whole song, which are the only vocals. daring, bold, and different
    
14. Sally's Song - Amy Lee - Great! worth buying the album for. Fiona Apple's version was good but her vocal style can sometimes be too morose. Amy captures the intensity of Sally's doubts without making her sound suicidal. and shes got some pipes on her too
    
15. Christmas Eve Montage - RJD2 - Great, a treat to listen to, a DJ doing a remix of the song making it seem very edgy, yet faithful. i can listen to it all day
    
16. Poor Jack - Plain White T's - Good. The vocals can be a bit tiring at times and i have to deduct points for trying to simply copy the original, but they do play it well and definatly capture the emotion
    
17. To the Rescue - Datarock - Great! so fun to listen too, especially with the music that plays during the fight with oogie boogie! can also listen to it all day!
    
18. Finale/Reprise - Shiny Toy Guns - Great! take what i said about RJD2 and add good vocals. faithful while different, also very fun to listen to!
    
19. Closing - Danny Elfman - Good. Same as i said about the opening
    
20. End Title - The Album Leaf - One of the most faithful songs on the album but a very good way to close it off. anything as different as some of the others would leave me feeling less nostagic i think.
    

and there ya have it!

with more winners than losers i think anyone that can get into the 5 covers on the special edition soundtrack from a year or so ago will love it. 

just in time for halloween too!

The Day That *Almost* Never Comes

Well ok, i have to say, its hard to talk while eating your own words.

not only that but its sorta hard to eat your own words when you've stuck your foot in it.

yes thats right:

Death Magnetic done made a fool of me.

i'm prolly not the only one either. 

it all started a couple weeks ago.

"you heard the new metallica yet buddy?" a coworker asked me. "its good!"

"well thats the problem man, "new" and "metallica" dont go together very well" i replied. 

and that was it. for a couple weeks.

CD came out, i didn't hear anything bad about it. and i even heard some good things.

I saw this cool Skullcandy Metallica styled Hesh headphones, cheap as hell with an itunes card for the Death Magnetic download too.

i almost considered it, mostly because the headphones were $20 cheaper than i paid for my Hesh.

and i do love those headphones.

still didnt buy em.

Then this morning..... 

was driving to work and what should come on the radio (99.5 the Rocket baby!) but "The Day that Never Comes" 

now i didnt know thats the song that was playing.

but in my ignorance i listened.... and liked.

now im listening to a ripped copy and i have to say... i still like.

it starts of with just post classic metallica guitar riffs in "That Was Just Your Life" and the album actually holds its steam very well. 

of course im sure Rick Ruben had something to do with that but hey, who can argue when Metallica fans no longer have to say "old Metallica" on their list of favorite music.

James actually lets the guitars take precedence in some very classic Metallica styled solos.

good i needed him to shut up every once and awhile

It even features "The Unforgiven III" (still not as good as its predecesors but at least a welcome addition to the story)

Make no mistake this is no "Kill 'em All" which is probably the highest energy classic Metallica CD i have in my collection, but its definatly something to shut people like me up. 

and something to make people no longer ashamed to say they like Metallica.

i know i was for awhile >.>

mind you i haven't totally forgiven for them for their collective idocracy (Lars mostly) but at least i can listen to this CD and tell myself "at least the music is good!"

@#%*! -or- I *DO* Care

ok seriously.

i give you all free range to laugh at me

no seriously

i downloaded the new single from Fall Out Boy and i can't get it out of my head.

its not even that great!

where are the witty one-liners?

the would-be-pop-punk guitar riffs?

the portion of the song that is slightly incoherrant thus sparking infinite debates amongst tween girls as to the ACTUAL lyrics.

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. its damn catchy though.

damn.

Gurren Lagann

Well lets talk anime. now generally i'm a fan.

at least i was.

then they started making crap.

come on, deathnote? what is that seriously.

the most interesting deathnote thing ive seen was the spongebob deathnote thing.

that was hilarious.

anyways back to anime.

i guess you could say i started to lose faith, nothing looked appealing. i couldnt find a single new title after ergo proxy and law of ueki i could actually get into

(that oughtta show you im not too picky really)

then i saw this:

I had heard of it before. bascially off VGcats and a few other sites that do parodys.

then i saw the back.

from the makers of Neon Genesis Evangelion and FLCL.

FUCK YES

i love those two animes. who doesnt?

what you dont?

stop reading.

get out.

no really get out.

*ahem* now lets continue.

the thing was a double disc containing 8 episodes (value!) but i only got to see the first 3.

that actually a pretty good judging point. so basically if you don't like it after the first 3 episodes then you can successfully say you tried.

not that you'd need to try to hard, once you get past the first episode the animes a blast.

i would say... a good blend of rediculousity and hilarousness.

yes i know those aren't actually words.

thats why they work so well, because this anime is also crazy.

its a fast paced mech anime that makes fun of itself.

it takes place in a world in which people live in undergound hovels theyve built themselves into. the surface is forgotten and people act like Shia Le Bouf's character in holes.

(no they dont crash after having had one too many, although on that angle drunk mech opperators would be a great anime plot!!)

along comes evil monster that crashes in and self-doubting shinji boy uses a little tiny big-headed robot to fend it off and save his village.

on the outside he finds fuzzy star wars critter rip offs and more evil mecha than you can shake a test-type EVA at.

and Kamiya is great.

(you'll love Kamiya)

you'll also love her.

Yep, no Gainax creation would be complete without some fanservice running around throwing her gravity defying boobs around in the main character's face.

so seriously, do i need to say more?

im kinda wondering at this point.

why aren't you checking this out yet?

The House Bunny

Well if anything theres a few good labor day past times... no working is not one of them.

sheesh.

who made that up anyways.

the last thing i want to do on a paid holiday is pull weeds out of my front lawn.

thankfully i don't have a lawn anymore so i don't have to worry about that.

anyways Labor Day past times, yes you can barbeque... but frankly there are too many bugs and grilling is too much work, so that leaves movies!

and because i was going to have a very hard time convincing Juli to go see The Dark Knight with me for the 4th time we saw this instead:

Yes, The House Bunny. now before you hurl assorted gay jokes at me first let me say. there was alot of clevage in it. clevage is good yes?

ok, now that thats out of the way let me tell you what i think.

remember ana farris from scary movie? from scary movie 2 and possibly 3 & 4? (i dont know i stopped watching after 2)

this is basically the same character. i mean its not like Ana Farris plays characters like this.... riiiiiiiight.

but hey do what youre good at, and Ana Farris is pretty hilarious.

also funny is Kat Dennings and Emma Stone.

Don't know who they are?

you do, you just don't know thier names.

Kat is Kathrine Keener's daughter from 40 yr old virgin and Emma Stone is Jules from Superbad.

It also has Kathrine mcPhee whom Juli tells me is an american idol, Tyson Ritter lead singer for the All American Rejects, Rumer Willis (Bruce's and Demi's daughter), and a bunch of other semi-famous people. kinda too many to keep track of.

its basically one of those ugly duckling stories that isnt entirely original but you forgive because

a) its funny

b) its funny?

well as Juli would say, "it was a cute movie" "cute" isnt a guy word so i can't use it :p

yes there were some very very cheesy parts. but they are thankfully overshadowed by the actually funny parts.

did i mention it was funny?

well thats about all i can really say it was entertaining, not a waste of money which is more than i can say for alot of the other movies out there

*cough disastermovie cough*

in summation: The House Bunny: Not a waste of time or money!