Xbox 360 gamers that want to dress up their dollies avatars with night vision goggles should head to Xbox Live straight away and download these free Modern Warfare 2 accessories. They’re free for the entire weekend. What are you waiting for? Do it. Do it!!!
What Are You Playing This Weekend?
I’m totally into Final Fantasy XIII. I just started chapter eight and I really don’t understand why some people have bashed the game. The music is great; Masashi Hamauzu knocked it out of the park with a ton of pressure on him (mainly for not being Nobuo Uematsu). I started digging the gameplay after five hours and really enjoyed it after nine — I don’t understand the criticism that the game takes 25 hours to get going. The story is confusing at first, but a lot of the people that criticize the story go nuts over Final Fantasy VII’s, as if that story made a whole lot of sense. Plot aside, I’m really loving the characters. They’re different and interesting, dealing with a ridiculous situation in ways I can identify with.
So yeah! I’m completely satisfied with FFXIII so far and I’m excited to play more of it over the weekend. How about you? What are you playing this weekend?
Coffee Talk #120: What Bands Should Get Their Own Music Game?
My friend and I were talking about Green Day: Rock Band the other day. While we both like Green Day to a certain extent, we’re both puzzled as to why they have their own Rock Band game. Certainly there are better and more deserving bands, no? Perhaps it has everything to do with the band appealing to people in their ’30s and below, but shouldn’t bands like Queen and The Rolling Stones have their own Rock Band games before Green Day?
Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, the start of a new MLB season (go Yankees!), cute Didi Benami getting booted over the incredibly lame Tim Urban, and tomorrow’s Apple iPad launch, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
My friend and I were talking about Green Day: Rock Band
To be fair, Queen does have their own Singstar game
With Green Day breaking down barriers to music games, I wanted to see what bands and artists you think should get their own Guitar Hero or Rock Band game. And no, The Monkees: Rock Band is not an acceptable answer.
Mafia II Developer Diary: Story and Characters
Here’s a cool developer diary for the upcoming Mafia II
Jack is awesome because he likes to drink at my San Francisco dive bar.
Iron Man 2 Behind-the-Scenes Developer Video
Here’s an excellent video that gives you a behind-the-scenes look of the upcoming Iron Man 2
McHale is an awesome guy. I’ve known him for like a decade and he’s just a sharp, sharp individual. Plus, he has awesome MacGyver hair. Martinetti is also a really cool guy. I met him randomly at a San Francisco dive bar and we bonded over being transplanted New Yorkers.
Anyway, check the video out and let me know what you think of the game (please)!
Coffee Talk #119: Thanks for the Memories! Off to Cambridge!
Well, after six months of running RPad.tv, I’m going to have to scale it back. I wanted to thank everyone for all their support! I’ll still update the site, but it’s going to be less frequent because…I’ve accepted a new job at the M.I.T.!!! I’m going to be teaching a class on videogame criticism at this most venerable institution starting in September 2010. Naturally, I have to move, prepare my course, find my TAs, etc.
Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, the site’s new logo, Bobby Kotick buying a kitten, and Steve Jobs admitting the iPad was just an elaborate joke, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
Well, after six months of running RPad.tv, I’m going to have to scale it back. I wanted to thank everyone for all their support! I’ll still update the site, but it’s going to be less frequent because…I’ve accepted a new job at the M.I.T.!!! I’m going to be teaching a class on videogame criticism at this most venerable institution starting in September 2010. Naturally, I have to move, prepare my course, find my TAs, etc.
Oddly enough, this site was a big part of how I got the job. So thanks for commenting and making it fun/awesome!!!
Update April 2: Yes, this was an April Fools’ Day post.
Harmonix and MTV Working on The Monkees: Rock Band
How do you follow up an excellent game like The Beatles: Rock Band? With The Monkees: Rock Band of course! In addition to bringing the musical stylings of Davey Jones, Mickey Dolenz, Mike Nesmith, and Peter Tork, the game has a few new twists that differentiate it from other music games. For example, maraca and tambourine accessories will be used in the game to accurately convey Jones’ contributions to the band.
In today’s press release, Harmonix CEO Alex Popodopoulous said:
You know, I never really liked The Beatles, but everyone at MTV wanted a game based on them. This is the game I wanted to make. Unlike that game with John, Paul, George, and Ringo, I’m interested in the music this time around. Working on a Monkees game is such an honor and such a personal project.
In terms of movies, it’s like when Matt Damon makes a Bourne movie to make the money. That’s The Beatles: Rock Band. Then he makes the fruity-guy-that-plays-golf-and-talks-to-horses movie that he loves. That’s The Monkees: Rock Band.
Here they come…walking down the street!
Update April 2: Yes, this was an April Fools’ Day post.
Final Fantasy VII Confirmed for Fall 2011 for Xbox 360 in Japan
Square Enix finally confirmed the highly anticipated remake for Final Fantasy VII. The game has been in development for about a year and will be released in Fall 2011 for Xbox 360 in Japan. European and North American release dates haven’t been announced. In a prepared statement, superlative producer Tetsuya Nomura said:
We’re tired of hearing about this god damn game. It’s not even that good. Hell, Final Fantasy XIII is way better and white people around the world have been panning it because they don’t know what they’re talking about. Honestly, I’m just working on VII so everyone will shut the hell up about the damn remake.
Pretty crazy, hey?
Update April 2: Yes, this was an April Fools’ Day post.
Random Thoughts (Not a Review!) on Blackest Night #8
I just finished reading Blackest Night #8 and it wasn’t what I was expecting. I super enjoyed it, but I didn’t get the sense of closure I was looking for. What really got me excited was the storyline possibilities for the entire DC Universe — not just the Green Lantern books. While the finale did an okay job at ending Blackest Night, it excelled at teasing future storylines across multiple books. Random thoughts and spoilers ahead!
– I was disappointed in Sinestro’s “ending”. I really thought he was going to die in issue #8. In my head I pictured a fallen hero finding redemption and closure on the death of his best friend (Abin Sur, Hal Jordan’s predecessor) by dying to save the universe. Perhaps that was too obvious. Instead, he kind of just goes with the flow. The good news is that he has plenty to do in the Green Lantern books and he’s such a great character.
– The Indigo Tribe was never really explained. I still don’t get them. I’m probably not supposed to. However, it would have been nice to understand their motivations. I’m sure they’ll be popping up again and they will be developed, but there should have been more details given in Blackest Night. For now, they’re just these tribal people with power rings and no shoes.
– Larfleeze cracks me up.
– The white lantern battery is exciting. I’m sure Geoff Johns will do something interesting with it.
– The resurrections were mostly awesome. Let’s go through some of them.
- J’onn J’onzz – He’s the Justice League’s glue. The DC Universe feels better and safer when he’s around. Plus, the dude’s addicted to Oreos. He’s not the flashiest character around, but everything feels more stable when he’s a big player. I’m thrilled that mean green machine is back.
- Jade – Jennie-Lynn Hayden’s return will make things really interesting for Kyle Rayner. Upon returning to life, she greeted Kyle with a big kiss. This did not go over well with Kyle’s current lady, green lantern Soranik Natu. The love triangle will be fun. Sinestro kicking Kyle’s ass for snubbing his daughter would be awesome. I’m a Guy and Hal guy, not a Kyle guy (though he’s growing on me), so any time Kyle gets his ass kicked is okay by me.
- Maxwell Lord – He really screwed up the DCU in Infinite Crisis. He almost wiped out all of Earth’s metahumans and succeeded in tarnishing Wonder Woman’s reputation forever. He’s cunning, devious, and dangerous. I’m sure he’ll pop up in big way soon. That said, a small part of me wishes DC would retcon his story and make him used-car salesman that ran the Justice League and Super Buddies (*snicker*) again.
- Hawkman and Hawkgirl – I’m glad they’re back and I’m super glad that Hawkgirl isn’t Kendra Saunders anymore. Carter Hall was getting too ornery and Kendra was getting too flighty in the JSA books. I’m glad the Hawks are back to normal.
- Deadman – Fans of DCU’s magical characters will get a kick out of Deadman being…uh…not dead. This was a fun curveball and I think the writers can do something cool with Boston Brand being alive. I suppose he should change his name though. It no longer applies.
- Eobard Thawne – Well, Barry Allen is back so you might as well bring back his greatest villain, right? Professor Zoom is cool and all, but he just seems like a guy with funky powers and a lot of brain damage. The Reverse Flash is just a vicious son of a bitch. He adds an ever-present sense of danger to Barry Allen’s life as The Flash.
- Digger Harkness – Not only did Captain Boomerang come back from the dead, he lost weight and gained hair color too! While he won’t have the impact of Thawne, but it’s good to bring him back to the Flash’s rogues gallery. Between Barry Allen, Wally West, and Bart Allen, there are a lot of super speedsters in DC. They need more rogues. Plus, I’m looking forward to seeing how he interacts with his son. I’m also looking forward to seeing any fallout for his role in Identity Crisis.
- Aquaman – He’s okay. I just wish they brought him back looking like Vincent Chase. That would have been cool.
So yeah! Blackest Night has been wrapped up and Brightest Day has been set up; those elements of issue #8 were fine, but not great. The resurrections and implications really got me excited. Of course I’m going to read the whole series 12 times over and probably have a different opinion on Sunday. These are just my initial thoughts. If you happen to read Blackest Night #8, I’d love to hear your thoughts on it!
Random Thoughts (Not a Review!) on Clash of the Titans 3D
Last night I caught a screening of Clash of the Titans in 3D. I loved the original movie. Sure, it was a total cheeseball take on Greek mythology, but it was completely cool to a third-grader (I think that’s when I saw it). The movie immortalized Harry Hamlin (in my mind, anyway) and cemented Burgess Meredith as a legend (name another actor that could portray a gritty boxing trainer, a Batman villain, and a Greek philosopher!). With all of that in mind, I was a little scared of this remake. I was also a little scared of seeing a 3D movie (I’m pretty sure the last one I saw was Captain Eo). While some of the movie was fun and other parts cool, I left the theater with a profound sense of, “Well…that was okay.”
Here are some random thoughts (not a review!) on the movie:
– The action and pacing were mostly good. Some of the fight scenes were cool, if not outstanding. The movie moved briskly and didn’t drag at all.
– Liam Neeson as Zeus was…interesting. He was wearing Medieval armor in several of his scenes. It was puzzling and distracting. Why was a Greek god wearing Arthurian armor?!?
– Ralph Fiennes as Hades wasn’t the best. He was far more threatening as Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter movies. He often traveled as a streak of smoke, which he also did better as Voldemort.
– As expected, there were several hackneyed contrivances. The Djinn conveniently show up to bail Perseus and his crew out of a battle and give them a ride to the Stygian witches. They conveniently piss off after hearing a foreboding prophecy, which conveniently (again) left a small gang to tackle Medusa. Pegasus also shows up as the clock is ticking down.
– The whole quest had a poor man’s Lord of the Rings feel to it. Instead of three movies about walking to a volcano, it was one movie with a bunch of people walking to different places. In videogame terms, 70 percent of the movie was a fetch quest.
– I understand that Perseus is supposed to be a demigod, but he goes from hearty fisherman to inexperienced swordsman to acrobatic genius in a span of 20 minutes.
– Who knew that Pegasus was black? I didn’t.
– Sam Worthington was a nice, gruff hero, but he had no charisma. Harry Hamlin was far more charming as Perseus. The good news is that I won’t remember Worthington in this role whereas Harry Hamlin will always be Perseus to me. For example, L.A. Law = Perseus Becomes a Lawyer.
– Gemma Artertron looked beautiful as Io, but she also left me thinking about The Lord of the Rings. I was all, “They couldn’t afford Liv Tyler so they got this British chick.” To be fair, she was probably the most interesting character in the whole movie.
– Purists will have a problem with the Perseus/Io romance. This did not happen in the Greek myths. I want to see a Greek mythology fanboy go ballistic on this change. I can picture two 70-year olds having a “Greedo shot first!” argument about this.
– The 3D effects were mostly stupid. There were a few times when they were used to create a cool sense of depth, but most of the effects were corny and didn’t add anything to the movie. Some of the scenes shoved 3D down my throat to the point where I just had to laugh.
– There were at least five different accents among Perseus’ crew. It wasn’t Kevin-Costner-as-Robin-Hood distracting, but it was close.
– The Cracken in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies was more threatening than the one in this film. It was cool when it was flailing around its tentacles, but its face reminded me of Aliens (my friend thought it was more like Godzilla).
Ultimately, I enjoyed the movie, but struggled to remember why after it was done. I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed it if I had to pay $10 for it. The 3D didn’t work for me and I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch it on a 3D television. That said, it’s the kind of movie that I’d probably watch if I happened to stumble upon it while channel surfing.
Anyway, let me know what your thoughts on the movie are. Were any of you interested in seeing it? Does anyone else love the original as much as I do? Unleash the Cracken!!!