Jefftown

Hardcore

Don't get snobbish, but Brian Azzarello's 9 issue run on Deathblow is some of the finest kinetic action in any medium period. From the bombastic military, to the dogpack companions, every line is perfect for that character. The cyborg raptor, possibly the stupidest concept in the world, is elevated to titanic villain heights. His slugfest with an opponent where he has to correct him about just what type of nightmare he is, is legendary.

Throw in gunny-rats, tag-team assassin minors, copious war on terror riffs, ethic differences about sharing family photos, and it can't be stated enough, some of the most tooth jarring testosterone fuelled beatdowns you're ever endured. The beginning of issue 3 should be the quality bar for anyone trying to do first person melee.

It's lyrical, funny, sad, and above all else the apocalypse of the smashmouth adventure comics. Best of breed.

So much like my dreams it's scary

"If the White Stripes paved the runway for the take-off of the garage-rock revival, the Black Lips are the face-plant on the tarmac." - Amazon.com

Mispent Vacation

Bitey

I'll always remember the werewolf from Andrew Spencer Studio's Ecstatica.

In all it's software rendered ellipsoid glory, the werewolf was the first monster you encountered in Ecstatica, and it was designed to be unkillable at this point in the game. I hadn't played resident evil by then, and the concept of "you should run from this encounter" hadn't entered my gaming lexicon yet. I was bewildered that I couldn't kill it, while all the time it could handily rip me apart.

Slowly I figured out how to escape from it, and realized running for my life was the solution to the puzzle. It was a rare gamer growth moment, where I re-evaluated what a game could be. It felt like the connection you get with an author sometimes, the crafted content hitting your every note perfectly.

When you do earn the wherewithall to murder the werewolf, its all the sweeter because of it's earlier dominance. Reflecting on it, It's sounds alien. Common sense today would dictate such a feature could route to a shelf moment, a casulty of a millimeter of non-obviousness. Makes me wonder what kept me put through the 20 load/save circuits I needed to dope out the winning strategy.

Anyway, I'm sure it's dosbox-able and worth checking out.

President of the Alpha Centauri Fan Club

True story...

Say they got me on CCTV

My favorite rapper from the future:

D'oh..that was Sirens from Dizzee Rascals new album Maths and English. Check the links..

Smell you later...

Def jam: Icon is fun.

It’s got a simple, smooth and responsive control. When combined with its methodical pace, it makes for a very tactical game of attack and counter attack. It reminds me of Powerstone, all its countering moves, blocking then exploiting, leveraging the environment.

The stages environmental effects are pretty amazing. At various times you’ll be slugging it out among cities being shook apart, penthouses engulfed in flame, and skyscraper roofs. All self destructing in perfect sync to the music.

It’s got a fun strategic layer of financial management that’s part strike commander and part playboy: the mansion. You gain and retain artists through “combat resolution”, which in this game means the stage fights. These artists, on their own, spew a single that you promote with your bankroll. If it does well, you have more cash to finance and produce reality tv-shows and repair trashed hotel rooms.

There’s some story and it’s fairly indecipherable, though it does add a very genuine alien-ness to the atmosphere. Fighting it out with all these crazy, slouching dudes with star wars bounty hunter names like E-40 and T. I, there’s a definite science fiction vibe to it if you cross your eyes a little.

It’s got roughly the same character creator from fight night 3, and a shallow shopping RPG. For some reason dragging the controller to the corners in the face maker always creates the most interesting characters IMO. Sadly this tends to make my characters look almost identical between games that let you customize your avatar (Frog  faced white dudes with bleached braids: fight night 3, saint’s row, now icon).

I chuckled when I leveled to “producer” on the icon chart, which was right above “hustler” but not quite “hit maker”. 

Battlestations: Midway demo

The Battlestations: Midway demo on Live has really sunk it's claws into me.

Essentially Battlefield 1942 + RTS without infantry or tanks, it captures the spectacle of pacific theater WWII like few games I've played. You can jump into any vehicle at any time, but I've solely been playing it as a strategy game. Lots, even most, people I've played online with (MP only demo) prefer to control the aircraft and ships themselves, so it's a game that lets you have fun with it, however you prefer.

Unlike ST: Legacy, it lets you switch to your units without forcing you to take control of them, which is key to my enjoyment. I want to SEE the carnage that results from my actions, not necessarily control Joe Blow in the middle of it. The visuals generated from 3 squadrons of Zeros protecting a player controlled battleship as it repels wave after wave of human and AI controlled bombers and torpedo planes is just unmatched in any other game. I find it regularly breathtaking.

Caveats: It's got a hella steep learning curve, is not especially polished, locks up on me exiting games about 75% of the time and since it's an MP only demo expect to get screamed at/kicked/Live-style abuse from minors. Nevertheless, once you've got the hang of it, it's a very different and engaging experience. It seems questionable releasing a MP only demo with no tutorial for as complicated a game as Battlestations: Midway, and the forums are very split into the hate it/don't hate it camps. Reminded me of the Outfit demo, which I also adored.

Look out world! I'M ON MY WAY!

Lil Wayne and Birdmans "Like father like son" is the Paul's Boutique of cash money albums. It's crime rap, so one has to cope with drug and violence focused concerns, which it's interesting to note seem heavily influenced by HBO's the wire. But it triumphs where all great hip hop albums do: with the music. It has moments of incredible texture and richness across tracks 2-8, ones that appeal initially and reward with each listening. It's not perfect, and the murder stuff is pretty tired, but overall a memorable purchase.

Clipse’s Hell Hath No Fury doesn’t have the musically artistry of the cash money outing, but these guys deliver like Ice Cube in the 80s. The wonderfully inventive rhymes and surprisingly candid choruses really seduce. Cocaine topics are to rap what superheroes are to comics, and sadly Clipse doesn’t escape this ghetto, but still a safe buy for any fan of the genre.

Where's my fucking CAR?

This guy is why Time Magazine's choice this year is right on the money: