All entries filed under Reviews
January 11, 2012 at 11:33 pm · Filed under Reviews, Thoughts
I’m sorry, but this game kind of sucks.
I wanted to like it–I really, really did. The Penny Arcade guys seemed to like it (though they didn’t write any follow-up notes when they finished it, if they finished it), and it got good reviews pretty much across the board. For a while, I thought I was crazy–what was I missing? How could so many people say that this game returns Sonic to his roots when it has more in common with Sonic Unleashed than Sonic and Knuckles? How can they say that Sonic’s “annoying” friends are downplayed in this game when they are, in fact, constantly present, and the few levels in which they are playable seem to be uniformly awful? How can anyone claim Generations is the best new Sonic game in years when it attempts to redo a stage from the worst Sonic game of all time (Sonic 2k6) and leaves me liking the original version better?
Keep reading….
November 7, 2011 at 8:57 pm · Filed under Reviews, Thoughts
I got the game today, and thought I’d share an early list of pros and cons. I’m three zones in; I haven’t fought the first boss yet.
Pros
- The nostalgia factor is exactly as high as you’d expect it to be, yet the “classic Sonic” stages don’t feel like remakes or rehashes (a big improvement over Sonic 4).
- All the music is great. The classic songs are perfectly preserved, the newer remixes hit just the right notes (I can’t wait until I start getting the reverse, i.e. Genesis-style remixes of later-era songs!), and the stage select music is fascinating. It blends slowed-down versions of the different zone songs depending on your proximity to the zone gates, sort of like the hub world in Banjo-Kazooie.
- I haven’t yet seen any of those awful button-matching minigames in the modern Sonic stages, and they seem to have made the Starposts impossible to miss in both modes, regardless of what height you’re at when you pass them. It’s about damn time.
- So far, the selection of stages represents an excellent cross-section from the various Sonic eras. It’s nice to see Sega apparently knowing what makes its games good, for once. (That said, I would totally welcome a redone Sonic 2k6 stage at some point, if only because this is probably their only chance to make amends for that game.)
Keep reading….
February 25, 2011 at 9:00 am · Filed under Reviews, Thoughts
And it’s awesome.
Sonic Colors has been out for a few months now, the third Wii-exclusive Sonic the Hedgehog game and one of the best next-gen Sonics for any system so far. The plot, revolving around an interstellar amusement park that is really part of Dr. Robotnik’s latest scheme, is played for humor much more than drama, but even when this approach is grating, it’s at most a momentary diversion. This isn’t a game about story–it’s a game about speed, reflexes, and learning how to get better times and higher scores in a system dominated by color-based powers unlike anything ever seen in a Sonic title.
Keep reading….
January 27, 2011 at 12:00 pm · Filed under Reviews, Thoughts
I am officially pissed at this franchise.
Don’t get me wrong–Dark Dawn was a great game while it lasted. There aren’t too many classic JRPGs being released anymore, so even though the gameplay was ridiculously similar to the GBA Golden Suns, it was nice to reinhabit that framework for a while. And the story, which picks up 30 years after Golden Sun: The Lost Age, draws you in with a deceptively simple premise that grows into something entirely different, steeped all the while in the lore of this universe. For a veteran of the series, it’s a real treat to see familiar characters reappear, and to watch as questions are raised that may finally lay to rest this decade-long plotline.
Except those questions are never answered. Just like the original Golden Sun, Dark Dawn ends on a cliffhanger, leaving too much unresolved and making the game’s final act feel budget-ran-dry rushed.
Keep reading….
December 24, 2010 at 9:00 am · Filed under Personal, Reviews, Thoughts
This post is almost entirely for my sister. Since she was a little girl, she’s made a point of watching a mini-marathon of Christmas specials every year–many of them off my parents’ original 80s and 90s-era VHS tapes! For my money, the best parts are often the ancient commercials, many of which describe stores and products that have long since ceased to exist. I’ve gotten the jingle for “Faz” toy jewelry (which contained embedded cosmetics) stuck in my head several times over the years, and I’m convinced that an old episode of Sealab 2021 (the one about TinFins) makes reference to this even older commercial for a cereal called “Crispy Critters.”
Anyway, in the spirit of the season, here’s a list of several highlights from my sister’s yearly marathon. See how many of these you remember!
Keep reading….
December 10, 2010 at 9:01 am · Filed under On SKSG, Personal, Reviews, Thoughts
First things first–I’d like to remind you all of that $2 book offer I’ve had up for the last week or so. You can click on either the obvious ad or the normal link to the Store, both of which are just a few pixels to your left. Go on, go for it!
If you’ve been coming to this site for a while, you may remember seeing mention of the document-scanning project I’ve been working on for well over a year now. The most daunting thing about it that I haven’t brought up before is that I’m constantly generating new papers that need to be scanned, in the form of memo books and other handwritten notes. This leaves me with a conundrum: on the one hand, if I decide that I have to scan everything, I virtually guarantee (a) that I will be scanning stuff forever and ever, and (b) that I will wear out my scanner long before its time. Besides, constantly scanning or typing things up usually feels like a big chore–most nights, I’d rather be writing new stuff. But on the other hand, if I don’t scan everything, I risk accidentally losing a portion of my work irrevocably (due to fire, theft, or something else horrible), and as long as all my notebooks are the only copies of themselves in existence, I absolutely have to keep them all around in my apartment, which really isn’t big enough to support the amount of paper I generate indefinitely. I’d thought for a while about using that travel laptop I bought to replace any and all future notebooks, but I just couldn’t get around the fact that I like writing longhand.
My solution: the Livescribe Smartpen.
Keep reading….
October 29, 2010 at 9:00 am · Filed under Personal, Reviews, Thoughts
- Take out trash and recycling.
- Pick up and throw away obvious dust bunnies.
- Chase invading flies around apartment with spatula, kill.
- Scrub down bathroom, refill soap dispenser.
- Wash (most of) the dishes.
- Vacuum up that HUGE FREAKING WATERBUG THAT I HEARD SCRATCHING ALONG THE WALLS FOR LIKE AN HOUR WHAT THE HELL.
Yeah, it’s been a while since I’ve had anyone over.
I’m finally playing Metroid Prime 3. Seems good so far!
October 1, 2010 at 9:01 am · Filed under Personal, Reviews, Thoughts
And for once, I’m not talking about my own. Since it seems to be the In thing to do, here are a couple of books I’ve recently read/acquired/want to acquire or read:
Jonathan Lethem: Chronic City - Lethem is one of my favorite authors, but I admit that I had a hard time getting into You Don’t Love Me Yet, and I’m a little nervous to approach this one, which sounds like it might mirror my own periodic frustration with New York City just a little bit too much. I bought it as a birthday present for myself last year, and I still haven’t gotten around to it yet. The jacket art is pretty well-done. This is one I might need to take with me when I go on vacation…somewhere rural…for a long time.
Keep reading….
August 20, 2010 at 8:30 pm · Filed under On My Influences, Reviews, Thoughts
Now that was a rock concert.
I had my doubts at first–while waiting in a line that went all the way around a city block (!), I had plenty of time to size up the audience, which only reinforced the nagging feeling that I was getting too old for this. I had teenage douchebags to the left of me and adult douchebags, apparently waiting for Jersey Boys to start, on the right, and I felt conspicuous and exposed walking in alone. But then I stamped out a cigarette some jerk threw near the two girls behind me (who were wearing sandals), and they thanked me, which at least made me feel like a good samaritan. I reminded myself that, once inside, no one else was going to give a crap about me. I didn’t need anyone’s permission to be here.
The effects of the evening took a little while to sink in, but all told, it was one of the best concerts I’ve been to. The songs of Something Corporate don’t typically make me feel excited and driven like some of my other favorite music–instead, they makes me calm, clear, and reflective, and the live performance didn’t disappoint. Here’s what they played, in no particular order:
Keep reading….
August 13, 2010 at 9:01 am · Filed under On My Influences, Personal, Reviews, Thoughts
Writing in General - This site isn’t set up for me to talk about much aside from School Kids SG, but I’ve actually had a ton of creative energy lately, and I’ve been pouring it into a variety of different projects, SKSG included. It’s almost like I can’t control what happens on any given night–like the stories want to be written, and they’re jockeying with each other for a better position in line. It’s so gratifying to see those stacks of paper getting ever taller…sometimes, I toy with the notion that it would be nicer if I decided what type of energy flowed through me at any given time, but that’s the businessman’s approach to writing, and no matter how much time I spend in New York City I will always have the soul of an artist. If that’s not too arrogant of a thing to say.
For those who are interested in the writing and publishing process, here’s a bit of breaking insight: I’ve started using manual duplex printing to put two-sided pages on three-hole paper, which I then put into binders for the editing phase. It’s convenient and it saves a ton of money (also space, which is no small concern for those of us who live in small apartments).
SKSG Specifically - I’m slowly sprucing up the Facebook page–keep an eye on it. There’s going to be a major advertising push this summer and fall, so that I can get more people into the first three books before I move further along with book four. Anyone who has friends they think might be into my stuff, please spread the word! And thanks very much to those who have already done so (you know who you are).
Scott Pilgrim - Well, let’s see, I posted about receiving the first volume of Scott Pilgrim on…July 29th? It is now August 13th and I’ve read five out of six. The fifth in a single sitting–I can’t remember the last time I did that. I mean, it helps that comic books move faster than pure prose, but I seriously have not been able to put this story down, and that’s not something I say often. When I was younger (i.e., up to and including my last year of college), I would deliberately go slow when reading books or playing video games, to savor the experience, but I don’t think I could slow down here if I tried. Looks like I might be done in time to catch the movie in theaters after all!
Rock Show - I’m seeing Something Corporate tonight! A show where I will probably be the only man in the audience! Eh-heh. Nevertheless, this might be my only chance ever to see them live, so there’s no way I can pass it up. I’ll post a report here at some point, I’m sure!
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