Gyaruson

I'm picking it up on 360. Been looking forward to it for months. Like, seriously. it feels like I first heard about this game years ago...

I just got this. Lovely bit of integrity from our friends at Gawker. Not only do they block two of the articles on the home page with a giant drop-down, uncloseable ad every time you visit the site, but then they start doing the same within the articles. I know they aren't actually blocking the written piece itself, but it does block the image. It's even time-coded. Fuck, were they not generating enough ad revenue with all the hits Ashcraft's pr0n articles get that they had to resort to this?

StoneBridge Resort

Since Microsoft really failed to create a face for their company, they tried their hand at a few horribly misguided games: Brute Force: And Blinx: Gee, I wonder why they never worked out...

Still playing CoD: Blops. That multiplayer is so much fun. For single player I'm throwing down some Bayonetta, Dance Central, Fallout 3 and Rock Band 3 (when I find time). I really want to start playing Crackdown 2, but haven't found time between everything else.

I would call that 'over-written' (a term that also applies to Tycho's posts on Penny Arcade.) Exactly. I know that Jerry (Tycho) just likes to flex his mental e-peen whenever he posts for the site, and it gets kind of ridiculous sometimes. The same can be said for some of the characters in True Grit, IMO.

Holy crap, I did not expect all this Majora's Mask love. So good to know I'm among family... Anywho, not only did it take the most risks of any Zelda game (with the possible exception of Wind Waker), but it reaped the most rewards for taking them. The three day loop was ingenious. You must plan out your days, because any wasted time can ruin your chances at success. You want to beat the Water Temple, and help Kafei find true love? Sorry, not in one playthrough, you're not. Plus, it required extensive research and pattern-forming in order to accomplish some of the more difficult side missions. The characters were all great, and had wonderful depth (wish we would see more about the Skull Kid in other games), the time mechanic worked brilliantly, but most of all - it was just fun to play. Playing as a Deku Scrub, Goron and Zora are some of the most memorable moments in gaming for me. The first time Link transforms was incredible, and it gives your three entirely different ways to play the game, and interact with people. Plus, the dungeons were so well-designed and challenging that it gave the game real depth and forced players to calculate their moves. Seriously, that Water Temple can suck my balls, with it's five different water streams that force you all over the level unless you control their flow. That one gave me fits. Oh, and Fierce Deity kicks so much ass...

Got 5-7 inches of snow here in my part of Nebraska. Supposed to keep going until tomorrow sometime. Yeah, it totes sucks. But I just got a new winter coat, so that's a plus.

So, I've been seeing a lot of films lately. True Grit Wonderfully acted, wonderfully written (albeit a little too wonderfully - I'll explain), but pretty boring. The movie falls victim of not being able to deviate from the source material, and it's just a rather dull, linear story with little to no conflict until almost the very end. It's very well made, just not the best of stories. And when I say that it's too well-written, I mean that sometimes the dialogue comes across as unbelievable, considering who it is that's talking. And no, I don't mean Maddie Ross. I mean the outlaws. The uneducated, unkempt villains. They all talk like they're educated lawyers, when in reality a fair amount of people couldn't even read or write back then, so it's likely that if you're an outlaw, you're uneducated, thus you shouldn't know all of the words they were using. A minor gripe, but a gripe nonetheless. Black Swan Weird, wonderful, exhausting. It's a little too ambiguous for my liking (I like being able to decipher a point out of what I'm seeing) but it is brilliantly shot and very gripping. Aronofsky switches between flowing, gorgeous ballet scenery to his typical psuedo-documentary style with ease, and it really sets the tone of the film apart from most. Natalie Portman was stellar, and whoever played her mother was exceptional. Like I said, there is a lot that leaves you scratching your head, but I don't think the film was made with a clear understanding of what was being made. I don't think there is a "right answer" on how to interpret the film. It's just an enjoyable ride, and you can take it however you like. The Fighter A surprisingly good film, considering I really don't like Mark Wahlberg (when he's not playing SSgt Dingham from The Departed), but he really nailed the part. Everyone in the film gave an amazing performance. Christian Bale will win the Oscar for his role, as should either Melissa Leo or Amy Adams for Best Supporting Actress. They absolutely nailed the aesthetic of the New England in the early 90s, and create one of the most believable settings of any film last year (with the possible exception of The Town). The direction was solid - I particularly loved how the camera style changed to a HBO-esque look during the fights. Really created a believable environment. Very well done. I was impressed. I'm Still Here This is the documentary (mockumentary) about Joaquin Phoenix and his "descent into madness". Put aside the fact that it was all an act, put aside that he was faking it for a year, forget that most of the dialog was actually scripted... The movie still sucks. It's boring. Pure and simple. Joaquin Phoenix doesn't create a character with which you can relate, nor does he create a character you empathize with. He's just annoying. Which really makes me wonder: why, if the whole thing was scripted and planed, would you go out of your way to look like an asshole? I mean, I respect the dedication to the role, I really do, but why dedicate so much of your life and time to such a shitty character. Doesn't make sense to me.

Dynasty Warriors.

RIP: Smooves 1984-2011

Yeah, EA's "buy new" initiative really doesn't bother me. I mean, I always prefer buying new (I'd like to make sure the developers get compensated). Plus, it's just EA protecting their investment and guaranteeing that their hard work doesn't get completely passed by from the likes of Gamestop.

ExciteTruck was a blast when the Wii first launched. Not sure if it still holds up, 4+ years later. Haven't played it in ages. Some of the best Wii games are (in my opinion) Virtual Console stuff. They really cater to amazing developers with that thing.

♫ I was wrong, and I just can't live without you! ♫

You forget about us, Smooves?

God, I go to lunch and the thread has advanced three pages. That's the last time I eat!

The Movies.

Legend of Zelda: Wand of Gamelon? Or whatever the CD-i Zelda was called..

C'mon you mentally handicapped space car driver, give us the answer!

You say that like a John Woo remake of Titanic wouldn't be the greatest thing ever... Seriously though, Twin Snakes was awesome. It doesn't in any way replace the original, but it was a wonderful companion piece.

I still hold firm that the Gamecube is one of the best systems ever. It has so many amazing titles that no one ever played, or played somewhere else after they got ported. - Windwaker - Metroid Prime series - Mario Sunshine (was still good!) - Viewtiful Joe - Killer 7 - Resident Evil 4 - Eternal Darkness - Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes - Smash Bros. (the best one) - Pikmin - The amazing Resident Evil remakes - F-Zero GX - Super Monkey Ball - Paper Mario: Thousand Year Door - Tales of Symphonia Seriously. I freaking love the Gamecube, despite Nintendo trying their hardest to make people hate it...

I'm a diehard Nintendo fanboy, but my console of choice is my Xbox 360. I would play more PC games if my rig wasn't my primary video editing computer. I also do enjoy the PS3 as hardware, but don't find myself particularly fond of any game that doesn't have the words "Metal" and "Gear" in the title. I don't fault Sony for that though. I actually might pick up LittleBigPlanet 2. I really enjoyed the first one.

Guitar Hero

Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare?