Led Zeppelin kicks so much ass.
The thing that I've found most impressive about Led Zeppelin is that, over time, I've come to appreciate almost all of their songs. Wait, appreciate isn't the right word. I can appreciate things that I don't like. I've come to really like almost every Zeppelin tune I've heard.
This CD, Houses of the Holy, has the three song set that might just be the best trifecta to open a CD of all time: The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, and Over the Hills and Far Away. Track one blows you away, seemingly the musical equivalent of a race against time. The Rain Song is arguably the greatest song ever made (I said arguably). The guitar part is smooth and relaxing, but still powerful, and Robert Plant's vocals are, as always, perfectly phrased. Over the Hills is the only radio-friendly of the three, but still holds true to the creative guitar and vocals that Zeppelin became known for.
The rest of the album is great as well. D'yer Mak'er is a huge radio hit and popular among most music fans. No Quarter appeals to a more segmented group, with its darker sounds, but is still tremendous. And the final track, The Ocean, has what I named my favorite lyric of all time:
"La, la, la la la la, la, la la la la la la la la."
What can I say? I'm a sucker for scat.
Most people who recommend Led Zeppelin to someone unfamiliar will recommend the untitled fourth album, also called IV or ZOSO. They're not wrong to make such a recommendation, and I imagine someday that album will make its way into the hall of fame. But for my money, Houses of the Holy is the best album Zeppelin ever made, so that's my recommendation.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Installing Xbox Games
I was at Best Buy the other day, and I found something that seemed seedy; maybe you guys will see it differently. I was looking at Xbox 360 games, and noticed a sticker on one of them offering Best Buy's expertise in installing the game for customers.
What?
Doesn't the installation process for a console game consist of putting the game in the 360 and turning it on? I'm sure it's profitable for Best Buy to charge people whatever they charge for installations, but shouldn't the technicians have some sort of moral problem with it? They know there's nothing to it. If anyone pays to have a console game installed, the technician needs to make sure they only do it once, and they realize how silly it is to pay for that.
Generally I'm fine with exploiting the very stupidest of our fellow humans, but you should feel some kind of guilt when you do it this egregiously. I don't know, maybe I'm a sucker.
Yeah, I'm a sucker.
What?
Doesn't the installation process for a console game consist of putting the game in the 360 and turning it on? I'm sure it's profitable for Best Buy to charge people whatever they charge for installations, but shouldn't the technicians have some sort of moral problem with it? They know there's nothing to it. If anyone pays to have a console game installed, the technician needs to make sure they only do it once, and they realize how silly it is to pay for that.
Generally I'm fine with exploiting the very stupidest of our fellow humans, but you should feel some kind of guilt when you do it this egregiously. I don't know, maybe I'm a sucker.
Yeah, I'm a sucker.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Video Game Hall of Fame: Halo
We take a step just a little bit forward with this month's induction into the Video Game Hall of Fame, and embrace a game that came out after the turn of the century. Halo was widely appreciated as a great accomplishment, and one of the reasons that the Xbox would be here to stay. It really ended up being the game that was able to counter the ridiculous size of the Xbox controller and have broad-reaching entertainment. People who had never played first-person shooters came around, because the game was so smooth and well-designed. And long-time gamers appreciated the depth of gameplay and the fact that, finally, a futuristic first-person shooter didn't suck ass.
The campaign portion of Halo was tremendous. I say "campaign" rather than single-player because, at long last, this was a game that offered a two player cooperative campaign. The logic behind it was limited, as there is supposed to be only one Master Chief, but when it comes down to eliminating aliens, you don't need a reason. There are lots of situations where one player can hold the attention of enemies, and the other can slip behind them and bust things up. You feel like a well-oiled machine when it goes right, and a complete boob when it goes wrong.
One feature in particular of the multiplayer campaign made for some good laughs when I played through with my brother. When one of the two players dies in cooperative play, the player is spawned at the location of the second player, so long as they're in a safe location without enemies nearby. My penchant for sniping and taking cover, combined with my brother's maverick attitude, meant that he was essentially bait in big battles. He'd run out into the open, kill a couple guys, and draw more guys to him. Then, he'd start tossing grenades, and I'd start popping pistol rounds into alien skulls. He'd die, I'd fall back a bit, and he'd get respawned. And we'd do it all over again.
The adversarial multiplayer options are also very well done. The maps are well-constructed and, more importantly, well-balanced. Some of the weapons are a little unbalanced (specifically the pistol), but in most levels everyone starts with the pistol, so the playing field is pretty level. As far as game types, you have the standard death match and team death match, as well as king of the hill, capture the flag, and "odd ball," in which a player or team tries to hold the "ball" for as long as possible. The options available are numerous and interesting, from giving every player permanent invisibility or unlimited grenades to giving each player a specific target to kill. They make for a wide variety of enjoyable games.
The apex of Halo, however, is in the system link option. You can link up to four Xboxes together for up to 16 players playing together at the same time. The scope of these mega-matches give you the PC online experience of a chaotic, action-packed game, with the allure of knowing everyone in your game. Trash-talking becomes an art form in these kinds of games, and you learn to appreciate it as much as solid gameplay. This facet, the "big game" feature, is what has made the original Halo playable even today. Our familiarity with the maps and nostalgia for the original have brought people together on multiple occasions to compete in massive struggles for supremacy.
In the end, Halo did both ends right (campaign and multiplayer), which is all too rare in the video game world today. It was this combination of accomplishments that made Halo one of the games of the decade, and one of the early inductees into this hall of fame.
The campaign portion of Halo was tremendous. I say "campaign" rather than single-player because, at long last, this was a game that offered a two player cooperative campaign. The logic behind it was limited, as there is supposed to be only one Master Chief, but when it comes down to eliminating aliens, you don't need a reason. There are lots of situations where one player can hold the attention of enemies, and the other can slip behind them and bust things up. You feel like a well-oiled machine when it goes right, and a complete boob when it goes wrong.
One feature in particular of the multiplayer campaign made for some good laughs when I played through with my brother. When one of the two players dies in cooperative play, the player is spawned at the location of the second player, so long as they're in a safe location without enemies nearby. My penchant for sniping and taking cover, combined with my brother's maverick attitude, meant that he was essentially bait in big battles. He'd run out into the open, kill a couple guys, and draw more guys to him. Then, he'd start tossing grenades, and I'd start popping pistol rounds into alien skulls. He'd die, I'd fall back a bit, and he'd get respawned. And we'd do it all over again.
The adversarial multiplayer options are also very well done. The maps are well-constructed and, more importantly, well-balanced. Some of the weapons are a little unbalanced (specifically the pistol), but in most levels everyone starts with the pistol, so the playing field is pretty level. As far as game types, you have the standard death match and team death match, as well as king of the hill, capture the flag, and "odd ball," in which a player or team tries to hold the "ball" for as long as possible. The options available are numerous and interesting, from giving every player permanent invisibility or unlimited grenades to giving each player a specific target to kill. They make for a wide variety of enjoyable games.
The apex of Halo, however, is in the system link option. You can link up to four Xboxes together for up to 16 players playing together at the same time. The scope of these mega-matches give you the PC online experience of a chaotic, action-packed game, with the allure of knowing everyone in your game. Trash-talking becomes an art form in these kinds of games, and you learn to appreciate it as much as solid gameplay. This facet, the "big game" feature, is what has made the original Halo playable even today. Our familiarity with the maps and nostalgia for the original have brought people together on multiple occasions to compete in massive struggles for supremacy.
In the end, Halo did both ends right (campaign and multiplayer), which is all too rare in the video game world today. It was this combination of accomplishments that made Halo one of the games of the decade, and one of the early inductees into this hall of fame.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Deals?
Hey, I was thinking about perusing Amazon for more deals (mostly video games) to post here, and I wanted to see if anybody has anything else that you'd like me to keep an eye out for. I have a decent amount of free time at work, so I stumble upon all sorts of deals from time to time. I also have a couple of other sites that I sometimes get deals/coupons for, and I'd be happy to share those as well.
They'll be properly linked, which means I get a cut of the action, but the price for you will be the same, so you can enjoy all the benefits of a personal shopping assistant without having to worry about me grabbing your ass...yet.
What?
They'll be properly linked, which means I get a cut of the action, but the price for you will be the same, so you can enjoy all the benefits of a personal shopping assistant without having to worry about me grabbing your ass...yet.
What?
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Movie Hall of Fame: The Usual Suspects
This was the movie. When people wanted to know what movie to rent, this was the movie. When people asked what your favorite movie was for the months that followed your initial screening, this was the movie. This was the movie that made us demand some kind of completely surprising twist at the end of any "dramatic" movie. This was the movie you wouldn't let people watch the end of if they weren't paying attention to the rest of it, because they wouldn't "get it." This was the movie.
The first time I watched it, even I didn't really get it. I mean, I was like 16, so I didn't really get much of anything, but I wasn't sure that I even liked the movie initially. But the times changed. I grew up, and began to appreciate complex storylines, and this movie really started to shine through. I liked the betrayals, the suspicions, and the investigation. Also, as a teenager, I liked the fact that the movie was about criminals and crime. There was (and to an extent still is) something about a life of crime that piques my interest.
The Usual Suspects doesn't have an all-star cast. The "headliner" is Stephen Baldwin, who's fine, but not exceptional. There are some other bright spots: Kevin Spacey is good (but not as good as the accolades he tends to get), Benicio Del Toro does a very nice job of playing a kind of loopy guy, and Chazz Palminteri plays in a much more serious role than he played in A Night at the Roxbury. But generally, it's pretty good acting and fantastic story-writing.
I'd love to tell you more about the story, but if you haven't seen it, I don't want to ruin a moment of the movie for you. I'll leave you with a couple of very vague pieces of information: it's a crime drama that you'll enjoy the first time you see it, and like it more each successive time. And once you've seen it, you'll want to discuss it with everyone around you. Just remember, the movie came out over a decade ago, so you may look foolish. But hey, you never know. You might find someone like me, who, regardless of how old something is, I love it.
(See my video game HOF choices).
The first time I watched it, even I didn't really get it. I mean, I was like 16, so I didn't really get much of anything, but I wasn't sure that I even liked the movie initially. But the times changed. I grew up, and began to appreciate complex storylines, and this movie really started to shine through. I liked the betrayals, the suspicions, and the investigation. Also, as a teenager, I liked the fact that the movie was about criminals and crime. There was (and to an extent still is) something about a life of crime that piques my interest.
The Usual Suspects doesn't have an all-star cast. The "headliner" is Stephen Baldwin, who's fine, but not exceptional. There are some other bright spots: Kevin Spacey is good (but not as good as the accolades he tends to get), Benicio Del Toro does a very nice job of playing a kind of loopy guy, and Chazz Palminteri plays in a much more serious role than he played in A Night at the Roxbury. But generally, it's pretty good acting and fantastic story-writing.
I'd love to tell you more about the story, but if you haven't seen it, I don't want to ruin a moment of the movie for you. I'll leave you with a couple of very vague pieces of information: it's a crime drama that you'll enjoy the first time you see it, and like it more each successive time. And once you've seen it, you'll want to discuss it with everyone around you. Just remember, the movie came out over a decade ago, so you may look foolish. But hey, you never know. You might find someone like me, who, regardless of how old something is, I love it.
(See my video game HOF choices).
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Music Hall of Fame: Throwing Copper (Live)
Just to clarify, this album is by the band Live, it's not a live album.
When I was in high school, I didn't really know much about music. I heard songs and liked them, but rarely knew who the band was or what other songs they did. I knew Dave Matthews Band, Counting Crows, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Spin Doctors, and that was pretty much it. My cousin told me she liked Live, and I said, "Oh, I don't know them." Which was half-true; I didn't know who they were. But I would find out soon enough that I actually like several of their songs.
It happened while I was at the beach with said cousin. We were driving somewhere and a song came on the radio, and I said, "Turn it up, I love this song!" She said, "This is Live, the band you said you didn't know." It was Pain Lies On The Riverside, off of the Mental Jewelry album, immediately preceding Throwing Copper. I said, "Oh, maybe I do like them then. What are some other songs by them?"
She proceeded to hum four or five songs from Throwing Copper, and they were all songs I had heard and enjoyed: All Over You, Lightning Crashes, Selling the Drama, I Alone, and possibly White, Discussion. I say "possibly" not because I'm unsure of whether or not I like the song; it's in fact definitely my favorite among the five radio hits from the album. I say it because I'm not sure if she had suggested that song to me at that time; the others I'm fairly certain about.
So, armed with the knowledge that I already liked the album, I went out and bought Throwing Copper. It was beautiful. The album opens with The Dam at Otter Creek, which is anything but mainstream, but it ends up being a really "neat" song. Neat like cool, not neat like tidy. The radio hits are sprinkled throughout the album, but the other songs are often just as good. Iris and Top are both a little less radio-friendly, but a little more interesting. Another tune sort of like Otter Creek. is T.B.D., which may or may not be a playful title, like when Dave Matthews Band uses numbers (#41, #36, etc). Regardless of the meaning behind the title, the song is dark and foreboding, but also quiet and calm. I love it.
You might ask, "Who would like this album, Joe?" And my first inclination would be, "Anyone who likes rock," but then there's the example of Chip. Chip appears to like rock, but can't stand Live (or Van Halen, but that's another story). I would guess that you maybe have to enjoy some of the harder rock bands, like Alice In Chains, Megadeth, or Soundgarden. Not that I know for sure that Chip doesn't like those bands; he may love them. I'm just trying to do what I can to guide your music exploration.
Regardless of your tastes, if you haven't really heard any Live, I suggest you give them a whirl. I'll make you a mix tape!
When I was in high school, I didn't really know much about music. I heard songs and liked them, but rarely knew who the band was or what other songs they did. I knew Dave Matthews Band, Counting Crows, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Spin Doctors, and that was pretty much it. My cousin told me she liked Live, and I said, "Oh, I don't know them." Which was half-true; I didn't know who they were. But I would find out soon enough that I actually like several of their songs.
It happened while I was at the beach with said cousin. We were driving somewhere and a song came on the radio, and I said, "Turn it up, I love this song!" She said, "This is Live, the band you said you didn't know." It was Pain Lies On The Riverside, off of the Mental Jewelry album, immediately preceding Throwing Copper. I said, "Oh, maybe I do like them then. What are some other songs by them?"
She proceeded to hum four or five songs from Throwing Copper, and they were all songs I had heard and enjoyed: All Over You, Lightning Crashes, Selling the Drama, I Alone, and possibly White, Discussion. I say "possibly" not because I'm unsure of whether or not I like the song; it's in fact definitely my favorite among the five radio hits from the album. I say it because I'm not sure if she had suggested that song to me at that time; the others I'm fairly certain about.
So, armed with the knowledge that I already liked the album, I went out and bought Throwing Copper. It was beautiful. The album opens with The Dam at Otter Creek, which is anything but mainstream, but it ends up being a really "neat" song. Neat like cool, not neat like tidy. The radio hits are sprinkled throughout the album, but the other songs are often just as good. Iris and Top are both a little less radio-friendly, but a little more interesting. Another tune sort of like Otter Creek. is T.B.D., which may or may not be a playful title, like when Dave Matthews Band uses numbers (#41, #36, etc). Regardless of the meaning behind the title, the song is dark and foreboding, but also quiet and calm. I love it.
You might ask, "Who would like this album, Joe?" And my first inclination would be, "Anyone who likes rock," but then there's the example of Chip. Chip appears to like rock, but can't stand Live (or Van Halen, but that's another story). I would guess that you maybe have to enjoy some of the harder rock bands, like Alice In Chains, Megadeth, or Soundgarden. Not that I know for sure that Chip doesn't like those bands; he may love them. I'm just trying to do what I can to guide your music exploration.
Regardless of your tastes, if you haven't really heard any Live, I suggest you give them a whirl. I'll make you a mix tape!
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Memorial Day Weekend
I'm heading to Atlantic City for the long Memorial Day weekend, hoping to come back with at least the clothes that I arrived with. Anything on top of that (you know, like cash) is just a bonus. We're staying at Resorts on Thursday night for free, as I'm finally taking advantage of the money I've lost in the past and getting a free weekday room. Then, Friday/Saturday/Sunday nights, we're going to the Showboat, which had slightly lower prices than the other casinos with vacancies.
There was some discussion when we were making plans about staying in a crummy hotel as opposed to one of the casinos. Initially I figured a hotel/motel would be better because of the price, but a few factors changed my mind:
There was some discussion when we were making plans about staying in a crummy hotel as opposed to one of the casinos. Initially I figured a hotel/motel would be better because of the price, but a few factors changed my mind:
- Convenience. There's nothing quite like walking out of your room, taking an elevator, and immediately placing bets. Hotels can get close, but they can't match it.
- The "Fancy" factor. I've stayed in a couple of very nice hotels, but casinos are just a little bit better. The room we got at Resorts a few years back was just huge, and while you don't use much of that space, you feel more comfortable with it there.
- Safety. Atlantic City is not a nice town. If you go more than one block off the boardwalk, you're asking for trouble. Staying at a casino means that you never have to set foot on the sidewalk if you don't want to, and trust me: you don't want to.
- Price. I know what you're thinking. Casinos, Joe? They're always so expensive. And you're right, staying in a casino is substantially more expensive than staying in a motel. But really, what's the value of that price? You'd still be paying around $200/night at the crummiest of places in Atlantic City, and if you're going to be shelling out that kind of cash, don't you at least want to enjoy the place you're paying for? You work hard for the money. You'd better treat you right.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Video Game Hall of Fame: Civilization 2 Multiplayer Edition
You know what I’ve noticed about these first few inductees to the video game hall of fame? Well, for starters, they’re all sequels: Civ2, Diablo 2, Mega Man 2. They’re also all older games, which sort of makes sense. You don’t induct Albert Pujols today; you make sure that he can stand the test of time as one of the best in the game. Chances are he holds up, just as chances are that (insert your favorite new video game here) holds up. But that’s why you play the games…hey, how about that double-meaning?
Today brings us to Civilization 2. I was a big fan of the original Civilization game; I remember playing it at Learningsmith in the local mall and thinking, “This is the kind of game I want to play for the rest of my life.” So when Civ2 came out, I was ready to hop on board. The game stays very true to its predecessor, remaining a turn-based strategy game, but with a lot of added complexities that really enrich the experience. They incorporated a couple of new battle concepts (to prevent spearmen from beating tanks…too often), and changed up some of the wonders of the world to try to balance them a little better. Additionally, they improved diplomacy (slightly) and added an Internet- and network-capable multiplayer option.
But at its heart, the reasons that Civ2 was tremendous were the same reasons that the original game was so much fun: building up cities, waging war, managing research, and conquering the world (in whichever way you see fit). The opportunity to play against your friends is obviously a bonus, especially since the difficulty levels on the game seem to get very hard, very quickly. Level 1 is “Chieftain,” which is relatively easy. Level 2 is “Warlord,” where you’ll lose most battles. Anything beyond that and you really must just be a glutton for punishment.
The game runs easily in any Windows starting at 95, up to and including XP (I haven’t tried it in Vista, but I assume Vista cracks your disc in half and spits on your face). It runs in a window; add to this the fact that it’s turn-based, and you’ve got the perfect game for when you’re multi-tasking. You can run AIM and Gmail while you play, and even kick in an online TV show.
It’s not widely available for purchase anymore, but you should be able to find a copy on eBay or Amazon. Give me a holler if you need help and I’ll try to find it for you.
Today brings us to Civilization 2. I was a big fan of the original Civilization game; I remember playing it at Learningsmith in the local mall and thinking, “This is the kind of game I want to play for the rest of my life.” So when Civ2 came out, I was ready to hop on board. The game stays very true to its predecessor, remaining a turn-based strategy game, but with a lot of added complexities that really enrich the experience. They incorporated a couple of new battle concepts (to prevent spearmen from beating tanks…too often), and changed up some of the wonders of the world to try to balance them a little better. Additionally, they improved diplomacy (slightly) and added an Internet- and network-capable multiplayer option.
But at its heart, the reasons that Civ2 was tremendous were the same reasons that the original game was so much fun: building up cities, waging war, managing research, and conquering the world (in whichever way you see fit). The opportunity to play against your friends is obviously a bonus, especially since the difficulty levels on the game seem to get very hard, very quickly. Level 1 is “Chieftain,” which is relatively easy. Level 2 is “Warlord,” where you’ll lose most battles. Anything beyond that and you really must just be a glutton for punishment.
The game runs easily in any Windows starting at 95, up to and including XP (I haven’t tried it in Vista, but I assume Vista cracks your disc in half and spits on your face). It runs in a window; add to this the fact that it’s turn-based, and you’ve got the perfect game for when you’re multi-tasking. You can run AIM and Gmail while you play, and even kick in an online TV show.
It’s not widely available for purchase anymore, but you should be able to find a copy on eBay or Amazon. Give me a holler if you need help and I’ll try to find it for you.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Movie Hall of Fame: Braveheart
Braveheart was one of the least-anticipated movies among those I'd consider hall of fame worthy. The reason, of course, is that when I was 15 years old, I didn't really care for "epic" movies. I was more into...well, I don't know what I was into, I didn't really watch a lot of movies back then. But for as long as I can remember appreciating movies, I've thought Braveheart was a tremendous film.
I've met more than a few people who feel the same way as I do, but I've also met a few people who don't care for Braveheart, and while I think they're as wrong as you can be, I sort of understand it. Some people (such as those who don't like Braveheart) are weak-minded ne'er-do-wells, the dregs of society who can't appreciate a true cinematic masterpiece when it's staring them in the face. That's their cross to bear; mine is that I am compelled to berate them at every turn.
Seriously, how could you not like Braveheart? It's got one of the best villains of all time in King Edward the Longshanks, a great protagonist in William Wallace, and a perfect sidekick, Hamish, the red-haired bruiser. It's got a ton of memorable and quotable lines, some of the best action scenes of this era, and for the ladies, a pair of love interests, both of whom are romanced by Wallace in a sappy enough way that only the truest "chick flick" fan would be disappointed.
One thing I've found most interesting about this movie is looking for some of the actors in other films, specifically Brendan Gleeson, who plays Hamish. He was in the past two Harry Potter films (as Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody) and Kingdom of Heaven (as the warmongering Reynald de Chatillon). Gleeson and Brian Cox (who plays William's uncle Argyle) were in Troy (among the siegers), and Cox was also in the first two Bourne movies, The Escapist, X-Men 2, and lent his voice to a pair of video games (Manhunt and Killzone). Cox was also in a bar/restaurant in Westminster, MD one time, and my brother's roommate talked to him. Angus Macfadyen, who played Robert the Bruce in Braveheart, appeared in Saw III & IV and episodes of Alias and ESPN's Tilt.
I don't know why it's interesting. I think maybe it's the whole "six degrees" thing. Plus, for whatever reason, I find some satisfaction out of recognizing voices and faces from movies/shows/video games. Familiarity is the key.
There was apparently a poorly-received Braveheart video game, but I never played it. You have to think that it's a franchise that someone will tap into again to make a new video game, and if they do it right, it could be really excellent.
But back to the movie, it's really one of the best movies of our time, and it will (and should) go down in movie history as one of the all-time greats. In that regard, it is unique among the current member movies of the House Housington Movie Hall of Fame. But don't worry, we'll get some other legitimate powerhouse movies to make Braveheart feel right at home.
I've met more than a few people who feel the same way as I do, but I've also met a few people who don't care for Braveheart, and while I think they're as wrong as you can be, I sort of understand it. Some people (such as those who don't like Braveheart) are weak-minded ne'er-do-wells, the dregs of society who can't appreciate a true cinematic masterpiece when it's staring them in the face. That's their cross to bear; mine is that I am compelled to berate them at every turn.
Seriously, how could you not like Braveheart? It's got one of the best villains of all time in King Edward the Longshanks, a great protagonist in William Wallace, and a perfect sidekick, Hamish, the red-haired bruiser. It's got a ton of memorable and quotable lines, some of the best action scenes of this era, and for the ladies, a pair of love interests, both of whom are romanced by Wallace in a sappy enough way that only the truest "chick flick" fan would be disappointed.
One thing I've found most interesting about this movie is looking for some of the actors in other films, specifically Brendan Gleeson, who plays Hamish. He was in the past two Harry Potter films (as Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody) and Kingdom of Heaven (as the warmongering Reynald de Chatillon). Gleeson and Brian Cox (who plays William's uncle Argyle) were in Troy (among the siegers), and Cox was also in the first two Bourne movies, The Escapist, X-Men 2, and lent his voice to a pair of video games (Manhunt and Killzone). Cox was also in a bar/restaurant in Westminster, MD one time, and my brother's roommate talked to him. Angus Macfadyen, who played Robert the Bruce in Braveheart, appeared in Saw III & IV and episodes of Alias and ESPN's Tilt.
I don't know why it's interesting. I think maybe it's the whole "six degrees" thing. Plus, for whatever reason, I find some satisfaction out of recognizing voices and faces from movies/shows/video games. Familiarity is the key.
There was apparently a poorly-received Braveheart video game, but I never played it. You have to think that it's a franchise that someone will tap into again to make a new video game, and if they do it right, it could be really excellent.
But back to the movie, it's really one of the best movies of our time, and it will (and should) go down in movie history as one of the all-time greats. In that regard, it is unique among the current member movies of the House Housington Movie Hall of Fame. But don't worry, we'll get some other legitimate powerhouse movies to make Braveheart feel right at home.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Portal
I tried to think of a witty title for this post, but I was up late playing the aforementioned game, and I'm too tired now at work to be creative.
Portal is part of The Orange Box
, a 5-game pack from the makers of Half-Life. In addition to Portal, it includes the previously released Half-Life 2, as well as two follow-up "episodes," and Team Fortress 2, a multiplayer shooter game that involves characters with different roles (medic, engineer, soldier, 6 others). While I'm excited about playing the rest of the games in the suite, Portal is the only game I'm going to discuss right now.
The basic concept of the game is one of solving puzzles. Think of a first-person version of The Adventures of Lolo or Solomon's Key. The equivalent of Solomon's wand in this game is the Portal gun, which you don't have fully together until level 7 or so. Using the portal gun, you can create two ends of a portal, one orange and one blue. The two portals link to each other, so you can transport yourself to many different places in the world, and you'll have to do just that to progress in this game.
The first 15-20 challenges are refined, constructed rooms, designed specifically to test the player in a training sort of context. There are still deadly foes, so your life is on the line, but the game auto-saves after every minor accomplishment, and it offers a manual save anywhere in the game, so you won't have to worry about "lives" like in old NES puzzle games. After the final "test" room, you begin the more intense and more Half-Life style portion of the game. You still use your portal gun to move forward in the game, but things are much more dangerous, and you'll have to dodge bullets and pistons to stay alive.
One of the more endearing aspects of this game is GLaDOS, the artificial intelligence that guides you through the test rooms, and becomes the main antagonist by the end of the game. It's a robotic female voice that offers advice, quips, and sometimes outright lies about your progress in the game (such as the one room that she states is impossible). She's very funny, as are a few other aspects of the game, such as the machine gun drones who whine when you disable them. GLaDOS also sings a song at the end of the game that really embodies the attitude of the game. If you're itching to hear/see it, YouTube has got a bunch of videos of the end credits (the song is called Still Alive). For those of you who own Rock Band for the 360, it's a free download to add the song to your game.
The one shortcoming of the game is that it's very short. I played for two hours one night, then beat it the following night after another hour. But even though the game doesn't last very long, it's got a decent amount of lasting appeal, as I could definitely see going through the game again in a month.
A link I've found when reading about the game is here. It's a blog with a lot of Portal-inspired media, like songs and sound clips. Some pretty neat stuff on there, worth checking out I think.
, a 5-game pack from the makers of Half-Life. In addition to Portal, it includes the previously released Half-Life 2, as well as two follow-up "episodes," and Team Fortress 2, a multiplayer shooter game that involves characters with different roles (medic, engineer, soldier, 6 others). While I'm excited about playing the rest of the games in the suite, Portal is the only game I'm going to discuss right now.The basic concept of the game is one of solving puzzles. Think of a first-person version of The Adventures of Lolo or Solomon's Key. The equivalent of Solomon's wand in this game is the Portal gun, which you don't have fully together until level 7 or so. Using the portal gun, you can create two ends of a portal, one orange and one blue. The two portals link to each other, so you can transport yourself to many different places in the world, and you'll have to do just that to progress in this game.
The first 15-20 challenges are refined, constructed rooms, designed specifically to test the player in a training sort of context. There are still deadly foes, so your life is on the line, but the game auto-saves after every minor accomplishment, and it offers a manual save anywhere in the game, so you won't have to worry about "lives" like in old NES puzzle games. After the final "test" room, you begin the more intense and more Half-Life style portion of the game. You still use your portal gun to move forward in the game, but things are much more dangerous, and you'll have to dodge bullets and pistons to stay alive.
One of the more endearing aspects of this game is GLaDOS, the artificial intelligence that guides you through the test rooms, and becomes the main antagonist by the end of the game. It's a robotic female voice that offers advice, quips, and sometimes outright lies about your progress in the game (such as the one room that she states is impossible). She's very funny, as are a few other aspects of the game, such as the machine gun drones who whine when you disable them. GLaDOS also sings a song at the end of the game that really embodies the attitude of the game. If you're itching to hear/see it, YouTube has got a bunch of videos of the end credits (the song is called Still Alive). For those of you who own Rock Band for the 360, it's a free download to add the song to your game.
The one shortcoming of the game is that it's very short. I played for two hours one night, then beat it the following night after another hour. But even though the game doesn't last very long, it's got a decent amount of lasting appeal, as I could definitely see going through the game again in a month.
A link I've found when reading about the game is here. It's a blog with a lot of Portal-inspired media, like songs and sound clips. Some pretty neat stuff on there, worth checking out I think.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Music Hall of Fame: AEnima (Tool)
Note: I know the title isn't written correctly; I tried using the percent signs and such to make the combination A/E but it didn't work. You know what album I'm talking about, so stop complaining.
In high school and the summer to follow, this album was featured heavily when hanging out with "the group," which included Nitin, Sam, Sam, Chip, Laura, Scott, Joe Perez, Carmack, and a few other stragglers from time to time like Lu and Victor. Oh, Victor. Anyways, back to the album. I used to get pissed off when someone (read: Nitin or Perez) would put it on. I found the music abrasive and disagreeable, and a stark contrast from the bands I enjoyed most at that time in my life, like DMB, Toad the Wet Sprocket, and Counting Crows.
I don't know exactly when it was, though if I were to guess, I'd say sometime during my freshman year of college, but I quietly started to enjoy the album. I think I warmed up to it a little bit before then, when we all went to North Carolina for our senior spring break trip. Then, a few trips to visit Nitin at UMD, and I was on the path to Toolville...I know it's not a real place, it's a metaphor, dick.
Anyways, eventually I acquired a Tool CD from Scott. He had made his own "Best of Tool" CD, but then changed his mind about what he wanted to put on the album, rendering the original obsolete. The winner, of course, was me.
Among my favorite songs from this album are H, Stinkfist, Eulogy, and the title track, but the first song I truly embraced was Forty-Six & 2. It's more along the lines of a standard song rather than the industrial/electronic sound that surrounds a lot of their other music. It still hits as hard as any of them, but I think I found it easier to enjoy Forty-Six & 2 earlier because it wasn't all that different from traditional music. The guitar hook is tremendous, one of my favorites from the 90s.
But what really defines this album is the tracks that aren't truly "songs" by the standard definition. Message to Harry Manback is...well, you've really just got to hear it. Also, if you're familiar with Ana Nuckols, you've really got to imagine her saying the stuff from that track, it's a riot. Die Eier von Satan is perhaps the most memorable track on the whole album, drawing its lyrics from a baking recipe, but reciting it in German and making it sound like a political rally...think Nazis.
"Die hard" Tool fans will say Undertow should be the hall of fame inductee, and they're not wrong. Undertow is a tremendous album, and I'd venture to say it may even have more of a broad appeal. But I don't have any stories about Undertow. I've got plenty about this one, so this is the one that makes it...first. Stay tuned, maybe Undertow gets the nod down the road.
In high school and the summer to follow, this album was featured heavily when hanging out with "the group," which included Nitin, Sam, Sam, Chip, Laura, Scott, Joe Perez, Carmack, and a few other stragglers from time to time like Lu and Victor. Oh, Victor. Anyways, back to the album. I used to get pissed off when someone (read: Nitin or Perez) would put it on. I found the music abrasive and disagreeable, and a stark contrast from the bands I enjoyed most at that time in my life, like DMB, Toad the Wet Sprocket, and Counting Crows.
I don't know exactly when it was, though if I were to guess, I'd say sometime during my freshman year of college, but I quietly started to enjoy the album. I think I warmed up to it a little bit before then, when we all went to North Carolina for our senior spring break trip. Then, a few trips to visit Nitin at UMD, and I was on the path to Toolville...I know it's not a real place, it's a metaphor, dick.
Anyways, eventually I acquired a Tool CD from Scott. He had made his own "Best of Tool" CD, but then changed his mind about what he wanted to put on the album, rendering the original obsolete. The winner, of course, was me.
Among my favorite songs from this album are H, Stinkfist, Eulogy, and the title track, but the first song I truly embraced was Forty-Six & 2. It's more along the lines of a standard song rather than the industrial/electronic sound that surrounds a lot of their other music. It still hits as hard as any of them, but I think I found it easier to enjoy Forty-Six & 2 earlier because it wasn't all that different from traditional music. The guitar hook is tremendous, one of my favorites from the 90s.
But what really defines this album is the tracks that aren't truly "songs" by the standard definition. Message to Harry Manback is...well, you've really just got to hear it. Also, if you're familiar with Ana Nuckols, you've really got to imagine her saying the stuff from that track, it's a riot. Die Eier von Satan is perhaps the most memorable track on the whole album, drawing its lyrics from a baking recipe, but reciting it in German and making it sound like a political rally...think Nazis.
"Die hard" Tool fans will say Undertow should be the hall of fame inductee, and they're not wrong. Undertow is a tremendous album, and I'd venture to say it may even have more of a broad appeal. But I don't have any stories about Undertow. I've got plenty about this one, so this is the one that makes it...first. Stay tuned, maybe Undertow gets the nod down the road.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Ikariam
I've been monitoring the progress of a pending MMORTS (massively multiplayer online real-time strategy) game called Beyond Protocol. It seems very interesting, at least in theory, and I've been doing a little pestering of the folks there, re-applying to the beta at least one extra time, I think twice, and reading up on the discussions people are having about the game. The diplomacy portion is what I'm really interested in, as it looks like they're planning on having a galaxy-governing body through which players can actually generate changes to the game. How this actually shakes out remains to be seen, but needless to say, I'm intrigued.
But in the meantime, I've been looking for other MMORTS-style games to quench my thirst. I play the occasional game of WarCraft III online, but it's not really what I'm looking for. I want more of a broad scope interactive game that includes diplomacy, economics, city management, and a civilian aspect of the game. Beyond Protocol may not even be that game, as I haven't seen much as far as the civilian side of things. So I've been looking around.
I did some browsing on Wikipedia and stumbled upon Ikariam. I've created an account (on Lambda world, if anyone else wants to join up), and I'm sort of testing the waters. It's a free system, though there is some kind of enhanced experience that you can get by buying "ambrosia" (using real money) and spending that. I haven't investigated that aspect too much, since for the time being I'm really just looking for a time-killer.
In that vein, one of the most appealing aspects of Ikariam is that it's a browser-based game. This means that, if I like, I can check in on it while I'm at work without having to install a big program or anything. I like the idea of checking in, giving new orders, and then getting back to the business of the day....which for me would probably be looking for more of those kinds of games.
Anyways, I've gotten to play it a little bit, and it seems very Civilization-esque. It's got a few different levels of management, from inside your city to the island that you share with a number of other cities, to the whole world (again, Lambda for me). You allocate resources to different tasks (military, research, resource management, etc.), and try to build your city so that it's strong enough to defend itself from eventual attackers while having the capacity to expand to new territories. Again, I'm very early in the game, and don't know exactly how combat or expansion works, but I know they're in the game somehow, and I'm looking forward to finding out.
All in all, it seems encouraging. I'm not going to declare right now that it's my kind of game, but it's certainly got the tools to be something I'm happy to throw some time into. If you decide to join up, let me know so I can track your town's progress and direct you towards my own.
But in the meantime, I've been looking for other MMORTS-style games to quench my thirst. I play the occasional game of WarCraft III online, but it's not really what I'm looking for. I want more of a broad scope interactive game that includes diplomacy, economics, city management, and a civilian aspect of the game. Beyond Protocol may not even be that game, as I haven't seen much as far as the civilian side of things. So I've been looking around.
I did some browsing on Wikipedia and stumbled upon Ikariam. I've created an account (on Lambda world, if anyone else wants to join up), and I'm sort of testing the waters. It's a free system, though there is some kind of enhanced experience that you can get by buying "ambrosia" (using real money) and spending that. I haven't investigated that aspect too much, since for the time being I'm really just looking for a time-killer.
In that vein, one of the most appealing aspects of Ikariam is that it's a browser-based game. This means that, if I like, I can check in on it while I'm at work without having to install a big program or anything. I like the idea of checking in, giving new orders, and then getting back to the business of the day....which for me would probably be looking for more of those kinds of games.
Anyways, I've gotten to play it a little bit, and it seems very Civilization-esque. It's got a few different levels of management, from inside your city to the island that you share with a number of other cities, to the whole world (again, Lambda for me). You allocate resources to different tasks (military, research, resource management, etc.), and try to build your city so that it's strong enough to defend itself from eventual attackers while having the capacity to expand to new territories. Again, I'm very early in the game, and don't know exactly how combat or expansion works, but I know they're in the game somehow, and I'm looking forward to finding out.
All in all, it seems encouraging. I'm not going to declare right now that it's my kind of game, but it's certainly got the tools to be something I'm happy to throw some time into. If you decide to join up, let me know so I can track your town's progress and direct you towards my own.
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