E3 2010: The good, the bad, and the 'are you serious?'

Hello again all of you. There is a lot I could have written about E3, but I decided to write about what each of the big three (sony, microsoft and nintendo) had to offer. Enjoy!

Microsoft Motion Control

Microsoft shed new light on their motion based controls they call “Kinect.” It is kind of like the Wii, but without the controller. When it was first announced, it looked pretty cool. People seemed to receive it well and excitement was buzzing. Then they showed us a demo. While you will have to watch some of the videos for yourself I will say that they are horrible. The Kinect does not look fun to play…at all.

A prime example is “Kinect Adventures.” The demo we saw for this game was river rafting. If you looked on the screen you see two animated characters racing down a river in a raft. No problems with that. The actual human participation was the issue. If you looked at the people all you saw was two women leaning to the right and leaning to the left pretending to have fun. Oh, and I forgot that they would occasionally hop when they wanted to jump their raft. While the game does encourage participation and does this well, it is just not that exciting. It doesn’t look like the kind of thing that will keep someone playing.

Another game was “Kintect Sports” where the player commands a mighty running back running down a foot ball field. Now, you don’t really even run. Or steer the football player. All you do is perform correct movement to dodge the defense (jump, duck ect…) and that’s it. Again, not very exciting.

The real issue Kinect is facing is that the Wii has already done this and done it well. This thing is months from launch and it is performing like this? Not good. Its not like this is Microsoft’s first time they struggled at launch. Even the Xbox 360 was a failure when it came out. Consoles were breaking all over the place. So will they be able to rise out of the dust? I do not know. The only thing this technology is going to be good for in the future is more of a natural user interface when navigating menus. All of the menus are commanded by voice and touch movements. This is ingenious and probably the best part about Kinect. I am sure this type of interface will catch on in the future.

Maybe once more people get to play this thing it will end up being better than we thought. The tech it uses is nothing short of amazing. I mean, no one has done controller free gameplay before. While it sounds as if I am condemning it I will leave it open to the possibility of it being fun. I really, really want Microsoft to prove me wrong with this one because what we have seen so far isn’t so great. In short: Tech= awesome. Game play and functionality= not awesome.

Sony Motion Control

Sony also announced a motion control system. The “Playstaion Move” is taking more of a Ninento Wii approach with a controller. This one looks much better. Not only does it look more enjoyable, it is an all around better product. I guess you could say it is the Wii, but with real games. The games they are coming out with aren’t just “Playstation Move Sports” or “Playstation Move Adventure” they are normal games, albeit with motion controls. That means we will see shooters, platformers and the like. This is brilliant, because that is mainly what their audience plays. They saw their audience, and they acted. Microsoft should have done that.

They also announced that some already existing games for the PS3 will have a software update that will allow Move compatibility. While this is awesome, I am not sure that motion capability will make some of these games worth giving a second look. The move controller will be priced at $50 with some of the other accessories being slightly over priced. If the Move is as awesome as it looks, then price really shouldn’t be a problem. They also announced 3D capability that is coming to the PS3 system. The great thing about this is that all they will need to do is send out a software update. The Playstaion 3 system already has 3D capability.

Nintendo 3DS

Nintendo got off to a real rocky start with their presentations. They couldn’t even get the Wiimote to work during one of their demonstrations. Nice.

Then they showcased the “Nintendo 3DS” and people stopped laughing and were captivated. Essentially what the 3DS is, is a Nintendo DS system that is entirely 3D. You don’t even need any kind of glasses. Now, everyone was a skeptic, even me. Then they busted out this baby and let people try it. The reviews have almost all been full of “this thing is amazing”, and “wow, it really works.”

I am not alone in saying I will surely be buying one of these. Usually anything can impress the casual gamer. It takes a pot of gold and a rainbow to even make a hardcore gamer smile a little bit. But this is making them act like a bunch of giddy school girls. I am excited to see if it is really as good as everyone is saying.

It isn’t only the handheld itself that is stirring excitement, but the game library. A good set of games is going to be released with this thing. And another thing: the graphics are stunning. They took it to a whole new level of visuals with this one.

My favorite thing about Nintendo has to be how humble and quiet they are for this. Microsoft has been talking about their little motion project for quite a while now. The amount of hype was almost as much as the total letdown gamers received. Not a whole lot was known about the 3DS until they busted it out at E3. They had a trump card and they used it at the perfect time: game, set, match. Now we are just going to have to wait for the release to see if this thing catches on.

Summary

Out of all the companies, I have to say that Nintendo stole the show by far. If you haven’t noticed, Nintendo has become something of trend setter in the gaming world as if late: first motion controls with the Wii, now 3D on a handheld. Not to mention the monopoly they have on the handheld market with the DS. While the other game makers presented good technology Nintendo already has their ideas simplified and ready to ship. Well done Nintendo, well done.

There's a snake in my boot!!- - -for the last time.

Now I know our friend Brandon Prows already covered this one on his blog, but I really wanted to write about this. So here we go! On to the review!


Well folks, it’s finally here. Toy Story 3. It has been a very long wait for all of us; especially those of us who grew up with Woody and Buzz and saw them as comrades. Pixar realizes this and they made their film accordingly. Now I could write about this film for hours, but I will keep it short.

In the third installment, Woody and the gang are at the end of their rope. What do I mean? I mean Andy is off to college. For the toys that means they will most likely get thrown away and neglected. Then the toys discover something magical; donation. After some wacky misadventures, the toys end up and Sunnyside Day Care Center. When they arrive, everything seems awesome. There are tons of children and day spas and everything a toy could dream of having. Only Woody is skeptical; and rightly so. I won’t go into detail but let’s just say everything and everyone are not what they seem.

This film does a lot of things well, but what they did well the most was make this movie with heart. Yes it is indeed animated and yes it is indeed about toys but that doesn’t stop Pixar. They recognize that most of their audience is in their teens and early twenties; they grew up with this stuff. They knew the fans expected nothing more than a movie full of heart and meaning. After all, we really do care about these characters; and so does Pixar. The animation in the film is top notch, and it is very funny. There are jokes that kids will appreciate, and there are jokes that the older folk will appreciate. It really is a movie for everyone.
I would advise you to bring some tissues because the finale of this film is horribly sad. While touching and heartfelt it is very sad. You will cry (or get very close) I promise you this.
Overall, Toy Story 3 is a real masterpiece. You will laugh, and you will sure as heck cry. The movie’s animation is beautiful and everything is what we have come to expect form Pixar. They did a good job on this one, and they did not let the fans down. It is the perfect ending to the perfect saga about a boy and his favorite toys. Pixar really gave us the sendoff we wanted and needed. Well done Pixar, well done.
5/5

E3 2010

Well, I have to say I am happy with this year's E3. There was tons of new tech showcased, but I have to say Nintendo really stole the show with their 3DS. Everyone that has tried it says it is simply amazing. I am really looking forward to trying it out. We also saw some new footage for Gears of War 3 which looks great.
We got TONS of new trailers which were pretty awesome. Anyway, kind of a short post I know. I might post a longer E3 feedback post which I already wrote for my online magazine. We shall see.
Good night all!

Merrry Men in Da Hood. (with no tights)

Robin Hood is probably one of my favorite fictional characters. I mean you have a jolly guy in tights helping the poor and fighting off the rich. Don’t forget the band of Merry Men (also in tights). So, as you can all imagine, I was fairly excited when I heard the news of a new Robin Hood film staring Russell Crowe.

The film was directed with Ridley Scott at the helm, which I was rather pleased with because he is experienced when it comes to medieval and war films. The film treats the origin of the Robin Hood story we know and love. Crowe stars as Robin Longstride, an archer in the army of King Richard the Lion heart. After the death of the King, Robin and his comrades (soon-to-be the Merry Men) run away from the military in an attempt to get home. While heading home, he learns of more invading forces heading for his home town. The plot gets more complex from there. Overall the story is very clunky and doesn’t flow well. It can sometimes be very confusing and it just doesn’t catch your attention like the plot of a movie should. While the movie’s climax is exciting and fun, the rest of the film is hard to watch.

Robin HoodRussell Crowe and Cate Blanchett once again do a great job in both of their roles, and surprisingly work very well together on screen. They have a certain chemistry that is fun to watch and is believable. The rest of the characters do a fine job in their respective roles. The acting is convincing and what we have come to expect from actors and actresses such as these. The film’s style is conveys authenticity. The battles are exciting, the weapons devastating and the castles mighty. He who is a fan of the medieval times will not be disappointed with its design.

One problem I had with this movie is that to me, it didn’t really feel like a Robin Hood film. There were no jolly men in tights and Robin Hood himself really doesn’t appear until the last minutes of the film. Now Robin Longstride is in the film, but not the character we are used to. Maybe we will the more familiar manifestation of the character in the sequels that are inevitably coming.

Overall, Robin Hood is a good (not great) movie full of medieval battle sequences and genuine adventure that really anyone can enjoy. Ridley Scott shows us yet again that he paid attention in history class, with everything really feeling like the middle ages. One silly issue. The film takes place in 1199. They say it is the turn of the 12th century...but in fact that is the turn of the 13th. Anyway, moving on. The only problem is, it really doesn’t feel like a Robin Hood film. However, it is still a film that will entertain you. I am interested to see what they will put in the sequel (some merry men in tights, maybe?).

I give it 3/5 Stars.

Movie Review: The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus

Now this movie came out a while ago, but I'd thought I would tell you about it anyway. Why, you ask? Because chances are you never saw it. This reminds me a lot of how Fantastic Mr. Fox was treated. It was over shadowed by bigger releases and most people thought it looked stupid. The actual movie was amazing, one of my favorite actually. The same goes with The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus. This is Heath Ledgers last film that nobody really saw.

The film is about a traveling band of people who, along with the wise Dr. Parnassus, essentially advertise passage into a "dream world" that is run by the Dr.'s mind. While they are doing this, we learn that the Dr. is thousands of years old and on the raw end of a deal with Satan himself. On her 16th birthday, he is going to have to give is only daughter to The Devil. Along their way they find Tony (Ledger) hanging from a bridge. He doesn't know who he is, but his motives are indeed questionable. From there the adventure begins, and it gets weirder and weirder. In a good way, of course.

The film is brilliantly acted by all of the main characters. Valentina, the Dr.'s daughter is played by the Beautiful Lilly Cole while Christopher Plummer does a great job as Dr. Parnassus himself. Ledger does yet again a very good job playing the shady Tony adding a certain charm to the role that not many other actors could pull off. The film is exciting, with the best scenes being when they are in the "dream world." Really anything can happen, and it gets a little odd. The films music is great but forgettable, but it does its job.

Overall, this film is an offbeat movie that is very entertaining to watch. Once you have watched it fully and understand its primary themes and messages you will love it even more. The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus is an offbeat film that you can really sink your teeth into and enjoy.
I give it 4/5 Stars

The Animal Crossing Retrospective

Animal Crossing, Animal Crossing. We love you so. Not only have you brought endless joy to children with no friends, you have brought joy and tears to the eyes of adults who maybe had friends and just liked your game. This article is more of a review, but since I am talking about the Animal Crossing series as a whole (the last new game came out in 2008) I decided to call it a retrospective. Because after all; that is what it really is.

Story: You start off your adventure in a vehicle (it varies in every one of the three games) where you are interviewed by a strange animal inside. Your answers to the questions shape what your character’s gender and overall looks are. But where are we going on this mystery vehicle ride? We are going to a town (which you get to name yourself) inhabited with animals who talk and behave like normal humans do. Now for the sake of the article we will refer to it as “Animal Town.” You are the new guy in town, and actually the only human there. You are introduced to the town shop owner Tom Nook, a cheapskate raccoon, who immediately puts you to work for him. After doing pretty much whatever he wants for a little bit, you are basically set free to do whatever you would like. This game is a “free roamer” meaning you can pretty much go anywhere in the entire Animal Town whenever you want to with no real restrictions. So, it is safe to say that this game really has no set story line. The rest is essentially what you write yourself.

Game play: The game play of the Animal Crossing series is really what sets it apart from other video games. Once you have gone through the required mumbo jumbo that I mentioned above you are pretty much set free. Each player owns a house and they can decorate it as they wish. You can buy items at Tom Nook’s local shop. This game is excellent for anyone that enjoys collecting things because there are hundreds of fun items to use to decorate your living space. Some of the things they have are very creative and fun. You can also go fishing and bug catching, with tournaments for both taking place almost every weekend. You can mail letters and socialize with a variety of eccentric animals including an egotistical tortoise and a pigeon who serves some of the most expensive coffee in the world. The main currency in the game are “bells”, which are earned by selling your existing items or selling fruit that can be found on trees everywhere around the town. One interesting feature of the town is that it allows you to set the time in the town. The game runs entirely on real time, even including the seasons and their holidays. If you set it to your time it is September when it is really September, it is dark when it is really dark, and it even snows in the winter time.

Other Elements: This game looks like a box of crayons threw up on the Hogle Zoo. There is a ton of color in this game. Almost everyone and everything in the town is chalked full of smiles and vibrant colors. This makes for a very welcoming and happy environment. The humans look like they came straight out of a Japanese anime with exaggerated features and bright colored clothes. Overall the music is very catchy and really fits whatever situation you are at in the game. There are a ton of music tracks; one for almost every hour of the day.

Summary: Overall, I‘d have to say Animal Crossing is one of those games that is simple and fun. It just puts a smile on your face. The three animal crossing games are out for the Nintendo 64 and Game Cube, the Nintendo DS and the Wii. All of the versions are essentially the same, but the DS and Wii versions are the most recent, so I recommend picking up one of those. This is a game that is great for gamers of every age. It is designed in such a way so that anyone can pick it up and just play. I give the entire Animal Crossing series an overall score of 8.5/10.