Rendclaw

I had a different feel than the arcade, Anya. Combo Breakers were easier to pull off, and the characters were better balanced than the arcade.

Damn, how could I forget FNM's War Pigs? I was floored when I heard it. It still holds up today, though the album is now what, 17 years old?

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Load, while an excellent album in its own right, was too much of a departure from what came before. ReLoad, even more so. I would have liked Load much better if Prince Charming was on it. That song was about as close to "classic" Metallica as they have gotten since the Black Album. I will agree with you somewhat Corey, though Justice was the nadir of their "progressive" era. I remember reading an interview with Hetfield when it first came out and he and Kirk were talking about how during the recording they were basically jamming riffs together to make them fit. That's why though I like Justice just fine, it sounds a little artificial to me. Never mind that Jason was hidden throughout the enture album. The Black album was a return to better and simpler songwriting, and they sounded much more like a band. I will give Bob Rock credit for that album, and basically telling Lars and James that they needed to give Jason his own sonic space.

I am waiting for the second Maiden documentary DVD to come out. The first one was downright awesome, with tons of concert footage. I want to get Death on the Road, but there were some major issues with the sound and video quality.

I am really hoping that they can get back on track. Re-Load and St. Anger were *such* disappointments to me, musically. They don;t have to remake everything they have done from 84-91, but they do need to get back to sounding like themselves... after Load, they definitely wandered far afield.

Metallica's version of Killing Time was the shit, though Turn the Page ranks a close second. Whiskey in the Jar I run hot and cold on. At times I like it, at times I think it sucks moose balls. Foo Fighters version of Baker Street beats Gerry Rafferty's six ways to Sunday. The best cover I have heard still is Iced Earth's version of Maiden's Transylvania.

KI for the Snes was a totally different game than the arcade version. I actually enjoyed playing it, even though I thought KI 1 and 2 Arcade were total shit. There was very little strategy involved in either one, just whomever could pull off the coolest and longest combos...

Fantastic Four is a prime example about sticking too close to the forumla. It was painfully average at best. The thing that about killed it for me was casting Jessica Alba. That was such an obvious grasp at the male demographic it was pathetic. Everyone else did fine, but the girl is too young and way too fucking hot for a role like that. That's right, I said she was too hot to play Susan Storm-Richards. Hell, Charlize Theron would have been a better choice. She's gorgeous, but she can downplay her beauty to fit the role she plays. The Italian Job was a perfect example.

I am still playing my NBA 2k5, and after winning the championship I had Steve Smith retire on me.... its a shame because he was my starting two guard and was averaging 13 points a game, and I developed him into a witch defensively... But the best thing was re-signing Kirilenko for the max, then trading him for LeBron, who still has two years left and is only at 4.8 mil a year, opposed to 7 years at 13 mil for AK-47, and the stats were similar. I have to save that money for my CAPs at the 1 and 5. The Suns I remade into my image are downright sick.

I liked SF II, but the Champion Edition was about the best sequel. I had a fascination with Sagat since SF II, and to be able to play him was a dream come true. I used to play going "Muay Thai, baby!!" God, I was such a dork.

I know, there are so many, its hard to find the first ones. I recently lucked into the SCE books, finding a book store that had the first four.

Well, technically, SftP and VotF are in early EU now, at least in terms of using the Battle of Yavin as a frame of reference. One thing, though...I tend to get irked by Stackpole making Corran so successful and unbeatable. I personally liked that Stackpole took a character and made him at least semi-important aside from the main characters. That's what needed to happen more in the EU and its something that is finally being keyed upon in the Trek novels: Create new and fresh characters and take the major characters and either drop a couple in temporarily or put them in the backstory. I liked Corran Horn from the start, and I, Jedi was the perfect topper to what was started in Rogue Squadron. Corran wasn't unbeatable, hell he almost died in one book because he tried to use the Force when he had no idea how. He just learned from his mistakes.

I agree about Iron Man, since I was reading my brother's comics before most of you were even born, and Tony Stark was a hell of a lot more than just a rich man with a high-tech suit of armor. For what it was, I liked the Hulk. As soon as I heard Ang Lee was directing it, I knew it was going to be poignant and tragic almost to excess, like several of his other films; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon being the obvious example. People thought that movie was just about martial arts action, wire-fu, and little else, imagine the surprise when it was basically a classic Chinese tragedy. People who obviously went in with certain expectations were the ones that shit all over the movie, and the same thing happened with the Hulk. While I liked it, I do think that a better job could have been done, a better balance between the drama and action.

There are some games that do not drop in price for whatever reason. I wonder if the company that made High Heat is even in business anymore.

That was a wise move on her part, because the NJO series was all but shit on by a majority of the fans, and not just because of Salavatore's writing off killing Chewbacca. I gave the series a chance, but I stopped about four or five books in. The concept is garbage to me. A better one could have been thought up.

What he said. You cannot go wrong with either series, though if you are going to go with the Han Solo series, pick up the Han Solo trilogy by Brian Daley, who wrote the series in 1978, I believe. He was also an excllent author and set the table for Ann Crispin. He also did a wonderful job fleshing out Han's personality. It is a shame he died so young.

Its the same in book stores, but a firm "No thank you" or "Yes I have heard about it" usually does the trick. Considering I used to be one of those guys back in the day, I know its their job, but if you use the right tone of voice to shut them down, more often than not you will shut them down. And if not, either walk out on the sale or if you're up for some conflict, tell them to get the manager.

Indeed. It sucks that the last one is apparently the mediocre Starfighters of Adumar. The writing was OK (always liked Hobbie and Wes) but the entire plot just didn't strike a chord with me. And, while it was good to see Wedge get the proverbial happy ending, I just didn't like how everything finished tied up with a pretty bow. Actually, SoA is my favorite Star Wars novel. I thought it was fresh and uninhibited in its creativity. And it was damned funny. But to each their own. Oh, it was good. I just thought that it was one of the weakest of the series. Again, Wes and Hobbie making fun of each other (and every one else) and Wedge finally "getting the girl" were definite high points. It seems like Allston loves to write sarcastic dialogue (Wes, Hobbie, Ton Phanan [possibly my favorite character in the series], Garik Loran, etc.). Heck, he even let Tycho make juvenile jokes at Janson's expense. *looks back at his message* Man, I've read this series too many times. Stackpole and Allston were perfect for the Rogue Squadron series. Both writers took a good concept and made it great. I can re-read all nine books over and again and still be satisfied by them. and I will give a mention to the Han Solo Trilogy. Ann Crispin took a character with no real background, gave him one, and did an excellent job of it.

You know, when he could actually move and stuff.

Lets hope that that happens, though by the time I decide to pick up a PS3, the PS4 will be several months away.

You owe it to yourself to find some of his work from the first few years of TNA or Ring of Honor. I didn;t even see it and I knew that Low-Ki was going to rule. Yes, I am a mark for him. Sue me.

just like Jake doing the DDT. When he busted it out, it was the deadliest finisher second maybe to Orndorff's jumping piledriver and nowadays everyone does it. Brunzell's dropkick was good, but that's taken down a peg by the fact that it was all he was known for, and nothing else when separated from Brian Blair. Not to mention Meng could dropkick you in the face doing it *barefoot*. Don;t get me wrong. I loved the Killer Bees back in the day.

Outback Jack's Clotheline to the back of the head. Meng was just a total badass, though I liked him better when he and The Tonga Kid made the tag team of the Islanders. Not to even mention that at the time, only Rocky Johnson had a better dropkick than Meng.

And I find it rather funny that you are on her list of friends, Leena.

Okay, they officially have my money now.