Game On: Mario Kart Wii

Simply said: Mario Kart is back.

At first I had my doubts, but this game is everything Mario Kart is supposed to be and more. It has great - no amazing - new tracks (Bowser’s Castle…oh yeah. Maple Tree and Koopa Cape….holy crap. Friggin Galaxy Star Road….holy jeebus). It also, in a very smart move on the console Kart taken from the portables, has a collection of great classic Mario Kart courses, going all the way back to the old days of the SNES. It’s as if Nintendo doing what it seems to do best of late: creating a new experience that pulls heavily from past inspiration and take it in a fun new directions while acknowledging the past.

It also seems that for the first time Nintendo got the online aspect right, as, aside form the multi-player with friends - a staple of my Mario Kart life - the online games have been some of my favorite times with the game. The way it tracks records and handles grouping players, as well as the fact you can play as long or short as you like due to only committing to one race at a time, it simple yet well designed. Why, oh why, could that have not done it this way for Brawl?

So, for me another great game to kill my little free time and even less brain cells with. At least there are no other major games coming. Unless you count Wii FIt. Oh, and everything on WiiWare. Hmmm….

PS: I totally drive in Mario Kart with the WiiWheel and a proudly admit that

Nintendo Codes: Updated with Brawl and Mario Kart

I’m reposting my Nintendo friend codes with updates.  Please feel free to add me, you can let me know to add you in return by posting a comment here or try to reach my AIM which still is “Shuanfu”. I should add anyone who doesn’t seem stalker-rific. Maybe we can share friend codes to help my list grow. Maybe this will be how the new utopia starts…

Wii Console Code: 6253 9471 2462 3907

Battalion Wars 386 670 725 394

Endless Oceans 8961 7221 4662

Guitar Hero III 489740865639

Mario Kart Wii 0130 2194 5558

Mario Strikers Charged 214855 103746

Super Smash Bros Brawl  3394 3207 2545

Advance War: Days of Ruin 309361 868618

Clubhouse Games 4467 5779 1013

Mario Kart DS 223406 688884

Picross DS 528388 576479

Planet Puzzle League 214850 509709

Pokemon Diamond 3694 6503 0301

Star Fox Command 225 863 748 520

Tetris DS 137882 363400

Game On: Okami

Over a year ago, Okami was a game I loved to hate: IGN had picked it over Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess as their game of the year.  At first I wasn’t quit sure what to make of this: a cell shaded game that every reviewer says is basically Zelda without Zelda picked as GOTY over a true Zelda game that gave everyone what they wanted after all the hate on Windwaker.  But after bringing the game home and getting lost in it for several hours, I can see that they knew what they were talking about.

Okami is an epic game, both in design and story.  Heck the story is so big, you may even be tricked into thinking your done with the game at one point, only to realize there is much more to go.  The artwork, while still heavily cell-shaded, takes inspiration from traditional Japanese artwork just as the story takes parts of ancient Japanese folklore and mixes elements together to form it’s own story.

I will say, however, there are a few complaints.  It is very easy to get lost - which is both good and bad; I don’t mind the sense of finding where you need to go, but having absolutely no idea what needs to be done next gets a bit frustrating- and the brush strokes, god the brush strokes.  For those not in the know, one of the key game components of Okami is the Celestial Brush, the ability to use your god-like powers through drawing certain shapes on the screen.  When it works, it works great.  But when it doesn’t register after several tries, especially during critical moments, it gets maddening.

But those few complaints aside, Okami so far is like No More Heroes was a few months ago: a great game that makes you want to keep playing and brings that feeling of “old school” games back; that feeling of excitement for what’s next and the sense of accomplishment for finally getting to the next level or area.  It’s a shame more games these days can’t do that, but thankfully games like Okami are around to fill the void.

In other news…

As work starts to settle down for the summer, I hope to get posting again on a regular basis. I know, I’ve said it before. But two things help: a whole hell of a lot of stuff coming out to write about and a brand new camera to help make things easier/less frustrating. It’s obvious by the broken sentences below that I’m out of practice, but hopefully I’ll be back in the swing of things soon enough. Hurdy gur…

I love having these turtles: NECA’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

It’s safe to say that like many my age I too owned many a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles figure in my life. The originals were a large part the “end of days” when I was still buying toys only for play, while the latest movie figures were also well done enough for me to pick up for…my collection. Yeah, I so would be lying if I said I didn’t still play a little. But this past week, I picked up what I believe are the best TMNT figures to date.

Just released from NECA, these Turtles are all that and a bag of pork rinds (random TMNT movie reference, anyone?). They are based on what eventually became my favorite version of the guys -the Eastman and Laird original comics.

The design of these figures are simply amazing. They make great shelf or desk deco with their excellent paint scheme alone. The heavy use of black lines to match the style of the artists makes the figures look like 3-D artwork and the colors just pop. They also have a “texture” to theme that makes them appear even more “turtle-like”.

Along with the paint scheme, these figures have the best posability of any TMNT figure to date with over 20 points of articulation per figure. Gone are the oddly shaped legs/feet and rubber heads of the Playmates years, replaced by Turtles that can do just about anything you want them to. This makes these not only some of the best looking figures for the guys, but also the ones with the most playability. That’s saying a lot for a set of figures geared as more of a collectible, but is a very welcome surprise.

I also wanted to mention the attention to detail put into these figures. For the first time ever to the guys have the ability to look up. They can also stand in many poses (like the unassisted Don above) that the older figures could have never had pulled off. The weapons also look more realistic, with great details like the ‘metal’ chains on Mike’s chucks and the color on Leo’s katana handles. And the simple fact that Raph can hold his weapons through his fingers is very bad ass indeed.

I know some people might be turned off by the design not being more like the cartoon and the masks being all one color (just like the original comics) but that is yet another quality I like about the figures. Even though the paint schemes are identical, the figures each convey the character through facial expressions. Even without their weapons there is no way to confuse Leo with Mike. This gives the figures an individual personality that other lines lack.

If your a TMNT fan in the slightest, I highly recommend these figures. I found my set (a box set with just weapons; the individual figures are harder to find but come with a display base) at BigBadToyStore, but I’m sure they can be found around the net. These figures are now some of the best comic-based figures in my collection, so taking the time to find them is worth it and you won’t be disappointed.

There’s just nothing going on…

It could be that work is getting busy again-which always makes me restless-but doesn’t it seem like there is absolutely nothing going on these days? No stand out new movies, no really good TV, just….meh. Outside of gaming and work, as well as a few comics here and there there really isn’t much to comment on. But I’ll try it anyway, in another episode of…

Here’s what I’ve been into lately….

(doo…doo…doo….doo….oooo…ooooo…oooooo….yeah…)*

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

If you know me at all, this is an absolute given. A lot was riding on this game being “all that”-is that still decent slang?-and it sure as heck delivered on all accounts. Sure, it’s essentially the last game again with a ton of changes. But it’s those changes that make it work so well, especially for me and mine, raised partially by Mario and all his friends. It’s been a long while since I remember playing one game for nearly 5 hours straight with a group of friends, realizing how long we’ve been playing, and then still keep going for two hours more. And the one liners that have come back (”don’t get too cocky!”) or were created (”I done stole yo hat, monkey”) while playing this game adds to the memories and made the price of admission well worth it.

No Country for Old Men and Southland Tales

Two movies I recently saw. Both were great for different reasons:

This flick held my attention and my booty on the edge of the couch all the way up to the end. That’s saying a lot for someone who has the attention span of a gnat and gets bored with most movies very quickly. The greatest thing about it? It creates a world and lives in it. Everyone is committed to what they do and it makes that universe so real it’s scary. Easily the best movie I’ve seen in weeks.

On the other hand…

I can’t decide whether Southland Tales is amazing or horrid. Many people have already made there decision, but I’m still a bit unsure. The minute I decide to like it, I remind myself of reasons to hate it. And visa versa-always wanted to type that- when I think I hate it, I think of reasons to like it.

If you don’t know anything about this movie, it’s from director Richard Kelly, who made a cult name for himself with his first feature, Donnie Darko. So my, along with many others, expectation where high. It’s a tough call.

I will say I learned two things from this movie: Justin Timberlake and Stifler can actually act if they need to and pimps don’t kill themselves, mostly because, ya know, they are pimps.

Marvel Comics

I’ve read comics on and off since I was, geez, 10 years old. Recently, with their revamp of Spider-man (that luckily, for the most part, worked out) and the idea that everything that has been going on for years is possibly building into one huge event with the upcoming alien invasion of Earth - which I so called by the way- makes reading Marvel books now just as much fun as there were when I was a kid.

I have high hopes for what’s to come…so for now make mine Marvel.

As I said, not much going on. So until next time….

*apologies for the very random and obscure Janet Jackson reference.

‘New’ Music: The Frames

I type ‘new’ as I did because sometimes you find music that is actually only new to you and, upon hearing it, you feel as if, “how the hell have I not been hearing this before now?!”

The Frames is such a band. Fronted by Glen Hansard, who was made instantly more famous after winning an Oscar for the film Once, this Dublin band is my new soundtrack. After I saw the above mentioned movie -a must see for any music, or movie for that matter, fan- I starting to consume anything I could from the band.

The great thing about The Frames is they haven’t settled on one sound. Some acoustic, some heavy rock, some electronic. But all of it mashes together to make the sound of the band. And the lyrics -always a point of contention for me- are superb and Hansard seems to put his heart and soul into each performance.

Without further ado, I’ll let the music speak for itself:

This one actually was in Once…

Revelate: one of their most simple songs and one of my favorites…

This situation’s killing me
It’s got me right under the thumb
I don’t know where I want to be
This doesn’t make no sense at all
You’re quoting every single line
I spoke too much but I was old before my time, you told me

I want my life to make more sense
I want my life to make amends
I want my life to make more sense to me

Damn right….

I know the audio quality on these vids stink, but I couldn’t find any music videos of the songs I wanted to show. Plus, you can see how into their music they really are. If you’re curious, check out more of their stuff elsewhere online. You won’t regret it.

Something new….soon

Promise…

Will it ever end?…

Hell’s yeah….

I’m gonna be broke by Christmas….

Not much to say….

I sat down to write a new post today and realized I had nothing to write about. With no new TV and the lack of decent movies, the typical stuff I cover is limited these days. That would explain why the site has been so heavy in video game and comic posts; outside of work and friends, there’s not much else going on.

Then I read Billy’s post and felt schooled by all things blog-like. Damn him.

So I’ll rack my brain and try to come up with something soon. Jumper is on the schedule for the weekend; we’ll see how that turns out. Plus I’m gonna answer the two biggest questions I’ve gotten emails about: “What do you think about the new Amazing Spider-Man after a few weeks” and “who are you gonna use in the new SSB Brawl as your main fighter?” Yep. It’s an exciting life I lead.

To make up for my lack of creativity, I humbly submit one of my favorite comic panels of all time: