Narcoleptic Jumper

the new Intel Core Duo iBooks are going to be released very very soon. get that.

Indeed, there was also the notion of an inventory... like when she gets that knife, uses it to get through the painting, then drops it [this item is no longer needed...drop it?]. She dropped it by accident, but still, it was a little wink wink to the gamers in the audience.

the hell are you talking about?

well, I, uh, loved it. easily the best videogame movie ever made, of course that isn't saying much but it still is the first one to actually be in the good to great range. It got the perfect blend and synergy down as to what a game-movie should be. and if you didn't play the games (and like the games) there's no way you would have enjoyed this movie the way it was meant to be enjoyed. and yeah it had some shitty dialogue.

bunch of info on Red Steel bunch of info: -Game development started shortly after E3 2005. Ubisoft saw and demoed the controller before E3 2005. -Ubisoft Paris took their idea directly to Iwata and Miyamoto, and were given the go ahead. After that meeting they were given prototype controllers. The article states that Ubisoft worked "closely" with Nintendo's engineers in Japan on the title -Game Informer mentions that while conducting the interviews with Ubisoft, they were handed the "latest version" of the controllervel consisted of shooting ranges that popped out from behind cover "A -During the beginning of the game, you are encouraged to use your weapons ruthlessly, but as the game progresses you become more proficient and strategic. This gameplay idea led Ubisoft to decide to give the game a martial arts setting. "Enter the Yakuza" -The first third of the game will be all about being "brutal by necessity" -You will be less precise and favor more devastating weapons (machine guns) -As you progress and become more precise, smaller guns will be used -"The goal...is to use five bullets to kill five enemies" -"When fighting with this level of skill, the music and sound effects will reflect it, remaining calm and peaceful" -"When you fight brutally, the sounds around you grow increasingly more intense" -"Audio feedback" -Freeze shot: by fighting effciently you fill the Freeze Shot gauge...fighting chaotically causes to decreases -When the gauge is filled you can hit a button to momentarily stop time, and then target specific locations on enemy bodies -Headshots thus are tempting, but non lethal shots, such as shooting guns out of enemy hand, can be more beneficial -By defeating high ranking leaders who command others and sparing their lives, you will be rewarded. He will offer you respect and help (guns, help, new weapons, alternate paths, etc) -Respect plays a MAJOR part in the game -Flailing your sword isn't a smart idea -Specific motions with the controller will trigger combos (in the final game) -Tracing an X in the air, for instance, will unleash a devastating attack -You can stop these combos at any time by simply pausing your own movement. So if you do something that leaves you open to attack, you won't be screwed -New moves will be taught to you by two mentors in the game -One will teach you gun tactics, and another will teach sword tactics -If you don't show the proper respect to them, they won't help you -Friendly/respectful interaction is tied to the controller -You signal "yes/no" answers by nodding the controller up or down or shaking it from side to side -You show extra respect by bowing to the masters -Ubisoft is still coming up with other interactions -"You can act disrespectively as well: there are no cut scenes in the game - all conversations take place in game, as in Half Life 2. However unlike that game, characters wont keep prattling on if you walk away from them. They will react angrily to your imputent behavior" -Staying in the master's good graces is key: they give you missions that can be tackled in any order -You track down the gang leaders and try to turn them to your side. If you don't, they will join Tokai's (the main villian) gang -You have to prove you are worthy to them by battling them and sparing their lives. -You will need as many of them with you as possible to face Tokai. Without their help, you'll have a rough time when you finally face him -You turn gang leaders to your side by besting them in battle and stopping a deadly blow miliseconds before it strikes -Training sessions are offered by the two masters so you can hone your skills Game Informer's hands on: -The two triggers on the front of the analog unit activate ducking and jumping. The analog stick controls movement, and the revmote controls aiming. No rails. -Aiming with the controller is as simple as using a laser pointer. You point your hand at a target and hit the trigger on the underside of the controller to fire -"Unlike other FPS games, which tie the camera and aiming together, Red Steel's camera follows your aim with a slight delay. If, for example, you point to the edge of the screen, the camera will turn to re-center on your view after a second. With the sensitivity of the controller, a standard FPS control would move too much, potentially making the player feel ill -"Thanks to the improved reaction that the controller offers, the team can create gunfight scenerios that would be extraordinarily diffilcult with a standard controller" -Most console FPS games limit their enemies to horizontal planes to prevent player frustration, but targets on a verticle plane are just as easy to hit with the Revolution controller -You can aim at a target as quickly as you can move your hand -In the demo targets popped up on rooftops and in second story windows, as well as behind cover points on the ground, and all were equally easy to hit -While you can quickly shoot enemies anywhere on screen, Red Steel never feels in a light-gun game - this is a true FPS, one that feels like it has drawn from the best of both the PC and console shooter worlds -Straffing is extremely easy and effortless -"Aiming felt similar to using a PC mouse, and it's possible to quickly explore every direction in a three-dimensional space with quick gestures" -"In the finished game, you will be able to push forward with the controller to knock over an object to use for cover, pull it backwards to reload, and twist it to lead behind walls" -Lob grenades with the controller, or roll them on the ground like a bowling ball -"gangsta style" shooting is cool -Total immersion. Feels like you are living the game -According to lead game designer Oriola, it takes roughly three seconds to turn completely around around in most console shooters, while it takes about one-quarter second in a PC game. In Red Stel, it takes one second -AI characters will care for themselves. They will go for cover, attack you while you're reloading. They focus on risk management -"They won't walk around a table to get to you. They will simply jump over the table" -"The benchmark for their intelligence and aggressiveness, says Oriola, is the PC title F.E.A.R., which has widely been praised for it's AI"

http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=63596 sounds like they're more just postponing production, probably so they can compete head to head with Duke Nukem Forever.

but Batman doesn't really have any powers. What are they doing to do? Make him stupid and poor?

I'll be going to Indiana university this fall.

peanut butter sandwiches dunked in coffee. Great breakfast.

First video of the new Zelda game looks freaking awesome. the DS seems to be kick ass. wish I had one.

Well, I've seen the film Tom Waits' BIG TIME and it's truly one of the most bizarre, fucked up, amazing live performances I've ever seen. It's not really a traditional live thing, it's a stage play about 3 different characters all played by Waits and they just play different Waits songs. It's so great. I didn't even know it was an album, I don't see the point if you can't watch the guy performing.

Sgt. Pepper was the album that got me into the Beatles... the Beatles (or more specifically, Paul McCartney) at the peak of their (his) compositional extravagance. Songs like "Getting Better" and "Lovely Rita" and "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" are just... I dunno, perfect. The only two songs I feel are even slightly weak are "within you, without you" and "good morning, good morning" which are just not very memorable. The former goes on for way too long and the second one just feels like filler. I think it's interesting that people play up the whole "concept" album part of it but really it's no such thing. the "concept" goes from the cover to the first two tracks and then after that it's just a bunch of songs thrown together. anyway, it's not my favorite beatles album (the White album, duH) but it's still a cultural artifact and is host to 10 or so perfect pop songs (when I get older losin' my hair... MANYYY years from now! do dodo do doo)...

E.T. wait...

Well we don't need the theme of the film spelled out for us in one neat little line read poorly by Jack Black. It might have worked in the 30s but it doesn't work today.

I agree that it was similar to the Mifune/Kid stuff but I think that the Matrix did the whole mentor-kid relationship a whole hell of a lot better. Mifune was a hardass that didn't think Kid was worth a damn from the first place and their dialogue wasn't so ridiculously cliche and unbearably "inspiring". It was a more subtle relationship. This King Kong thing was just so obviously trying to speak to everybody as if we ALL need to hear what he's saying. TAKE DECISIONS, APPLY YOURSELF! blah blah shut the fuck up. I am pretty sure that there were blacks in the military during WWI. I'm sure they weren't integrated with the white regiments but I'm sure there were black regiments so I don't know how unfeasible it is. But I could be wrong, easily. Black's reading of that line was just flat out wrong. I don't know ... I just can't even think of how that line could be used effectively. Worst last line ever.

Glad to see Deadwood on that list but no Carnivàle makes it irrelevant. Along with every single other "best of TV" list I've seen this year.

You're right about the gorilla, but then again, the gorilla didn't have any lines. (besides ARGHHHHH and RAAAAH, of course). The last line of the movie "no... it wasn't the airplanes! It was beauty killed the beast!" is just terrible. terrible. And it's made even worse because of all people Jack Black says it and you just can't take Jack Black seriously, especially with this line which he delivers as if it's the most profound thing ever said by man. This was one of the "so terrible it's hilarious" lines of the film. There was another line earlier in the movie that Jack Black said that was something like... "I'm the crapper of the crappers!" or some such nonsense. Who the fuck wrote that line? What did it even mean? Oh, and don't forget every single one of the exchanges between that black first mate and the little kid reading that overrated book. HOORAY FOR POLITICAL COMMENTARY! WHOOO! And totally completely blatant and not subtle comentary at that. "It's not an adventure story, is it, Mr. Hayes?" I was extremely pleased when Kong finally offed that guy. But even before he died he had time to get in a "NO JIMMY! LIVE YOUR LIFE TO THE FULLEST TAKE DECISIONS I'M SO WISE!" but he did have a suitable death. I must admit I can't really think of many examples of dialogue. I'm not really very good with that in the first place, plus I was stoned as a goat when I saw it so specific lines aren't really coming to me. But I know that I was just absolutely cringing half of the time. and the dialogue wasn't the only thing wrong with the script.

WELL IT'S IN THE BIBLE. CAN'T YOU SEE IT'S ALL RIGHT THERE IN THE BIBLE. you can clearly see... I mean, it's all there. really.

This was a very very bad movie. A badass monkey and CGI work cannot save a fucking atrocious script. Did George Lucas ghostwrite this movie or something? Poor performances all around (literally, there was not a single standout job of acting in the entire film) but that may be at least partially due to the terrible dialogue. I am seriously amazed to see everyone just RAVING about this movie. What a joke. no offense or anything.

just wait until you get to 13, downhome.

VIII is the best (Junction system is genius, best RPG mini game ever, game is stunningly beautiful even to this day), followed by X (mainly for the brilliant battle system, the game's story is pretty bland and Tidus is really grating on the nerves), which is followed by VII and then IX. I couldn't really get into any of the older games. The NES games are completely archaic and not really worth playing, IV is too hard for me and also really archaic and almost unplayable in certain respects, and neither V nor VI ever really grabbed me in any significant way.

FF8 is my favorite RPG of all time, I think. I'm one of the few who absolutely loved the Junction system and all the flexibility it offers, and for some reason I don't have any tedious memories of drawing spells. The only time I do remember drawing a lot was on the Islands Closest to Heaven/Hell, running in circles with "Enc-None" equipped. I also loved how it got rid of the need for leveling. Yay! Random battles begone! I also really really admired the art direction, the way the characters looked so lifelike (compared to FFVII), those amazing FMV sequences, and the card game, Triple Triad which I swear is the best RPG mini game of all time. I played that for hours. Though creeping up towards #2 on my list is Vagrant Story as I get closer and closer to the end. This game is pure fucking genius.

Is it just my boyhood nostalgia talking or was Cool Spot actually a really fun game?

I just picked up Vagrant Story again and finally got through the part where I had been killed numerous times after going a long way without saving. This is one of the best RPGs all time, IMO. The battle system is so incredibly complex and rewarding once you get a feel for it, which didn't really take very long for me but I like games that make you spend almost as much time navigating menus as actually fighting enemies. Preparation is key.

My favorite part of Virtual Bart was trying to catapult the tomatoes across the school yard to hit people in the face with them. That was mega fun, but hard.