Super Princess Peach – Nintendo (2006)

June 4, 2009

It’s been a while since I’ve played an honest to God platform game. It’s not my usual bag, as it requires a skill set that is lacking in me. These games generally consist of accurate timing, good aim, and good reflexes. These are all things I lack, and so platformers tend to annoy me to the point of non-playing.

I used to stay as far away from platformers as I could, given that my ability in them scored somewhere in the negatives. Every time I would try one, I’d get about 4 levels in, and then start to hate myself. It’s really not a pretty sight. Give me turn-based games and experiences points, that’s what I say!

Of course to every rule there is an exception, and Super Princess Peach is, shockingly, one of those exceptions.

Front Mission – Square Enix (2007)

April 20, 2009

Oh Front Mission. I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with your series. How can one franchise give so much joy, while sapping someones will to live so readily at the same time? I played my first Front Mission game back on the original PlayStation. It was actually the third in the series, but that mattered little to me. Within that game was a breadth of customization and unit control that up to that point I couldn’t have dared dream of.

Don’t even get me started on the side-quest goldmine that it was. It had it’s own “Internet” that came with spam, conspiracy theories, and hackable government systems. It had a solid story line, an excellent battle system, and some decent (for the time) graphics.

Front Mission DS (which apparently is a re-release of the original) has none of these things. Well okay, not none per say, but far less than my first experience. It did manage to be just as frustrating though, so that’s something.

LEGO Indiana Jones – LucasArts (2008)

January 29, 2009

Wow, it’s been a while since I’ve done a game review. Could be because It’s been a while since I’ve played a game through to completion. Sadly I am finding it hard to make time to dedicate to playing games when things like school and work are in the way. Pesky thing, responsibility.

Having said that, with my school giving me far too much time off over the Christmas break, I managed to get my hands on a shiny new XBox 360. Granted that was a bit of a fiasco, in the end I landed me a couple of games. One of those games (obviously, I think, at this point) was LEGO Indiana Jones.

I recall my brother getting LEGO Star Wars, back when it came out. He was obsessed with it, and at the time I couldn’t really figure out why. Sure it was LEGO, which we were clinically addicted to growing up, but at the time I couldn’t see what the big deal was. Of course once I started playing LEGO Indiana Jones, my opinion has quite simply 180-ed. I’m just going to go ahead and assume that 180-ed is a term I can use.

Anyways.

Motion City Soundtrack – Even if it Kills Me

May 19, 2008

I’m a bit of a sleeper fan of Motion City Soundtrack. I had their albums available to me for over a year before I listened to them. The only reason I really gave them a chance was because I was driving through a snow storm and the radio couldn’t pick up anything. I was really shocked when I went through both albums that I had of theirs (Commit this to Memory and I Am the Movie) and was craving more. Their bouncy, feelgood sound had me totally hooked. I listened through them all again, and I realized that in contrast to their sound, much of what was said bordered on major depressing.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time (May 2004)

May 5, 2008

I recently got around to reading The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. I remember picking up the book a long time ago and only putting it back because I didn’t have the money to purchase it right then and there.

The next time I find the book, it’s a best seller across the world, and Mark Haddon has already written another novel. I could have been there in the beginning! Ah well, I picked it up, and once I started reading, I found it hard to put down.

Ben’s Brother – Beta Male Fairytales

March 31, 2008

I very recently came across Ben’s Brother due to Dentynes newest commercial. I like many, many others were drawn in by the addicting song selected. ‘Stuttering’ is the name of the track, and it’s performed by Ben’s Brother. I’m sure this track alone will launch them into new realms of stardom. As I tend to give bands the benefit of the doubt, I decided to get my hands on their latest (and only) album “Beta Make Fairytales”. As it turns out, they are not a one-hit-wonder. They are, in fact, a rather talented band that reminds me faintly of Coldplay, Maroon 5, and even Snow Patrol.

David Ford – Songs for the Road

February 28, 2008

I was recently at the El Mocambo with Theresa to watch Ingrid Michaelson, and one of the opening acts was David Ford. As soon as this guy hit the stage, he won my heart with his shear moxy at having many instruments that could record and repeat audio. He played them all, which involved him dashing around the stage singing into a microphone, or mashing the piano, or playing the guitar, or the maracas, etc.. He easily won top marks for the technical portion of the night. He was actually fantastically funny, and very, very English. Complete with the swanky accent and a wit so dry that you could start a fire with it, he won over the crowd with his banter and his craft.

I Am Legend (2007)

December 21, 2007

Last night I had the fortune to watch I Am Legend staring Will Smith. The premise of the movie is that Robert Neville (Will Smith) is the last man alive, after a deadly super-virus lays waste to 90% of the worlds population. 1% of man kind had a natural immunity to it, and 9%… well that’s something else.

The Last Dodo (July 2007)

December 12, 2007

Finally! A new series that actually has a little body to it. I was honestly starting to lose hope in the new adventures. The Last Dodo puts a little bit of that darkness, that deep reflection of the Doctors that has been until now has been sorely lacking from the new books. Though there is only a small moment of it (part of which is quoted in this review) it demonstrates what I’ve been talking about over he past couple books. I know that the authors were probably told that they need to ease into it all, what with trying to nail such a wide demographic and so many new readers, but have a little compassion for those who’ve stuck with the series all these years.

Sam & Max Episode 201 : Ice Station Santa – Telltale Games (2007)

November 17, 2007

Ice Station Santa is the first installment for the second “season” of Telltales expansion of the Sam & Max universe. I grew up with the original Sam & Max, and so when I heard tell of a new company taking over the title – since LucasArts is run by morons and discontinued the title – I was a little worried. Hell I remember the short-lived cartoon, which though enjoyable had screwed with my young sensibilities. The voices weren’t the same and it really bugged me.

The Spill Canvas – No Really, I’m Fine

October 18, 2007

No Really, I’m Fine is the third fourth (it pays to do research) official album (I don’t count EPs as albums) by The Spill Canvas, and I’ve noticed two things. They’ve become more mainstream sounding, and they’ve really tightened up their sound. I don’t want to make conclusions that one of those points begets the other, it’s merely an observation.