So there I was writing a piece on sequels and then I go and get my hands on a copy of Killer 7. All I can say at this moment in time is WOW.
I'll write something more on this but for the following week, I'll be playing this. This also means a lack of updating but heck games like this don't come around too often.
Sunday, July 17, 2005
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Best of You
Finally got this finished after working on it for a few weeks. I blame Wimbledon and swiss cheese.
Games that I'm currently playing are a mix of brand new games and sequels. Animal Crossing still holds me as I try and catch all the fish and insects I can this month and just stock up money for the redecorating of my house. I've also been playing Zelda: Ocarina of Time again.
So that's one original game and then a sequel. This made me turn my attentions on Nintendo and the perception of it amongst gamers. Not the regular schmoes who think it's a kid company but those that hold it as a bastion of originality and innovation.
Here we are deriding companies like EA for producing the same shit year-in, year-out yet Nintendo seem exempt from this. Looking back at Nintendo, in amongst some great new games like Donkey Konga we get a sequel in Donkey Konga 2. We get Wario Ware Inc and that's followed by another 3-4 games spread on a variety of Nintendo systems. Animal Crossing is scheduled for a sequel on the DS at the end of the year, we have another Mario Kart, a new Mario game, a new Zelda and well it's just a bunch of sequels that line the release list.
What is it that makes us go ahead and embrace some things and villify others? Also are sequels necessarily bad?
If you distil Zelda you are left with the same sorts of bosses, the same block pushing puzzles, the same enemies, the same weapons, the same of everything really. If you take Mario Kart and distil that, you have a driving game with the same drivers with similar power-ups and weapons. You do the same with Mario and you are left with a fat Italian plumber who should stop eating that many pizzas.
Now take FIFA and each year (or twice a year if the World Cup is about) you have the same football game. Take any one of EA's main franchises and it's a similar story.
Now this idea of trying to distil games to their bare minimum will make any game seem the same. However we need to look at the composition of the game in relation to this.
For FIFA the main new flourishes we get is a list of new licenced songs to play over a new polished interface, with a new roster of players to match the current squads. The gameplay is left more or less in tact with some additional graphical touches and possibly a few more moves which doesn't alter the game in a great way. I think this would be open to criticism as it's not really changing anything and nor is it really building upon the last game(s).
For Zelda, each new iteration usually comes with a certain dynamic to differentiate the game. The key difference. With A Link to the Past, we had Light and Dark worlds; Ocarina of Time had the ability to time travel between a Hyrule of the past and future, split by seven years; Majora's Mask had you controlling time over a 72 hour span and The Wind Waker had you controlling the winds to sail across the sea. This is key to the whole game, with puzzles oft making use of these abilities.
So that is our main change, you then factor in new moves/items that are added to change up puzzles which may seem similar or vary the way in which you go about combat. Story is also key and can pull you into the game, making you skirt over similarities to see more of it unfold. Part of the similarities is what helps to bring you into the game also; the joy of seeing characters you've met in adventures past.
Maybe a better example to compare this against is the games like Street Fighter, although again you could argue that at times key changes are made to certain dynamics. Additions of specials, groove modes, tech hits. Yet still these games are cherished with each edition due to nuances that exist between each.
I'm not so sure sequels are all that bad. I'm not so sure we should bemoan them as in sequels we can get very original ideas implemented. What we should bemoan is the sequels that are not trying or doing anything different, or are trying to cash-in on the current vogue ideas (Prince of Persia 2 going all angsty and dark).
Maybe the thing we need to look at is the current love of making clones of popular games, without any real thought put in to enhance of change the game, minus more blood/swearwords/nudity in a bid to seem adult.
Games that I'm currently playing are a mix of brand new games and sequels. Animal Crossing still holds me as I try and catch all the fish and insects I can this month and just stock up money for the redecorating of my house. I've also been playing Zelda: Ocarina of Time again.
So that's one original game and then a sequel. This made me turn my attentions on Nintendo and the perception of it amongst gamers. Not the regular schmoes who think it's a kid company but those that hold it as a bastion of originality and innovation.
Here we are deriding companies like EA for producing the same shit year-in, year-out yet Nintendo seem exempt from this. Looking back at Nintendo, in amongst some great new games like Donkey Konga we get a sequel in Donkey Konga 2. We get Wario Ware Inc and that's followed by another 3-4 games spread on a variety of Nintendo systems. Animal Crossing is scheduled for a sequel on the DS at the end of the year, we have another Mario Kart, a new Mario game, a new Zelda and well it's just a bunch of sequels that line the release list.
What is it that makes us go ahead and embrace some things and villify others? Also are sequels necessarily bad?
If you distil Zelda you are left with the same sorts of bosses, the same block pushing puzzles, the same enemies, the same weapons, the same of everything really. If you take Mario Kart and distil that, you have a driving game with the same drivers with similar power-ups and weapons. You do the same with Mario and you are left with a fat Italian plumber who should stop eating that many pizzas.
Now take FIFA and each year (or twice a year if the World Cup is about) you have the same football game. Take any one of EA's main franchises and it's a similar story.
Now this idea of trying to distil games to their bare minimum will make any game seem the same. However we need to look at the composition of the game in relation to this.
For FIFA the main new flourishes we get is a list of new licenced songs to play over a new polished interface, with a new roster of players to match the current squads. The gameplay is left more or less in tact with some additional graphical touches and possibly a few more moves which doesn't alter the game in a great way. I think this would be open to criticism as it's not really changing anything and nor is it really building upon the last game(s).
For Zelda, each new iteration usually comes with a certain dynamic to differentiate the game. The key difference. With A Link to the Past, we had Light and Dark worlds; Ocarina of Time had the ability to time travel between a Hyrule of the past and future, split by seven years; Majora's Mask had you controlling time over a 72 hour span and The Wind Waker had you controlling the winds to sail across the sea. This is key to the whole game, with puzzles oft making use of these abilities.
So that is our main change, you then factor in new moves/items that are added to change up puzzles which may seem similar or vary the way in which you go about combat. Story is also key and can pull you into the game, making you skirt over similarities to see more of it unfold. Part of the similarities is what helps to bring you into the game also; the joy of seeing characters you've met in adventures past.
Maybe a better example to compare this against is the games like Street Fighter, although again you could argue that at times key changes are made to certain dynamics. Additions of specials, groove modes, tech hits. Yet still these games are cherished with each edition due to nuances that exist between each.
I'm not so sure sequels are all that bad. I'm not so sure we should bemoan them as in sequels we can get very original ideas implemented. What we should bemoan is the sequels that are not trying or doing anything different, or are trying to cash-in on the current vogue ideas (Prince of Persia 2 going all angsty and dark).
Maybe the thing we need to look at is the current love of making clones of popular games, without any real thought put in to enhance of change the game, minus more blood/swearwords/nudity in a bid to seem adult.
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
We're not afraid
After looking around the web, I stumbled across this site: We're Not Afraid. Lots of images from people across the world in defiance of the London bombings.
Of all the images I've seen I think this one summed up my thoughts more than any other.
Saturday, July 09, 2005
Oh summer days, come back to me
Why does the summer invariably be a mess of weather.
Now the British weather is suspect at the best of times but we always get the wrong conditions at the wrong times. Why must we get snow two months after Christmas? Why must we get one week of hot weather around the time of Wimbledon and then nothing more?
I know it's still only July and we have another month of summer to follow but why can't we have a good 4-5 week period of weather that whilst not really hot by UK standards is at least consistently warm.
Maybe I should buy a giant magnifying glass and help the weather out a bit?
Now the British weather is suspect at the best of times but we always get the wrong conditions at the wrong times. Why must we get snow two months after Christmas? Why must we get one week of hot weather around the time of Wimbledon and then nothing more?
I know it's still only July and we have another month of summer to follow but why can't we have a good 4-5 week period of weather that whilst not really hot by UK standards is at least consistently warm.
Maybe I should buy a giant magnifying glass and help the weather out a bit?
Thursday, July 07, 2005
Nil Desperandum
It's been a while since I last wrote anything and the two or three things I was writing have slowed whilst everything else goes on.
So I had in mind to write something quick and simple to get me back into regular updating. It was going to be written with the Olympic bid in mind but this morning has seen some crazy antics go on in London.
The thing that struck me most is the calm that seemed to exist. People were wondering how they'd get home and if their loved ones were involved but it was not mass hysteria or panic about impending doom. It is, no doubt, a big situation but everyone involved seem to have handled themselves well.
You could attribute the reaction down to a number of things like the bombings we've had to endure here. We're told of stories during WWII when people had to shelter themselves from the bombing and always be alert. We've seen it happened in recent memory with the IRA bombings. We even had a bomb go off a few years back destroying shops, the legacy of which has only recently been rectified.
Maybe it was the inevitability of it, we've heard for a long while that it was a matter of when, not if.
Whatever it may be, it's impressive that we can cope and behave in this manner, without letting fear, uncertainty and doubt plague us. Hopefully, we can go on from this and put this to use in all aspects of our lives.
So I had in mind to write something quick and simple to get me back into regular updating. It was going to be written with the Olympic bid in mind but this morning has seen some crazy antics go on in London.
The thing that struck me most is the calm that seemed to exist. People were wondering how they'd get home and if their loved ones were involved but it was not mass hysteria or panic about impending doom. It is, no doubt, a big situation but everyone involved seem to have handled themselves well.
You could attribute the reaction down to a number of things like the bombings we've had to endure here. We're told of stories during WWII when people had to shelter themselves from the bombing and always be alert. We've seen it happened in recent memory with the IRA bombings. We even had a bomb go off a few years back destroying shops, the legacy of which has only recently been rectified.
Maybe it was the inevitability of it, we've heard for a long while that it was a matter of when, not if.
Whatever it may be, it's impressive that we can cope and behave in this manner, without letting fear, uncertainty and doubt plague us. Hopefully, we can go on from this and put this to use in all aspects of our lives.
Monday, June 20, 2005
Summertime
This weekend has been great and this week coming looks like it shall continue. I refer to the weather we've been enjoying of late, hot and sunny.
There are certain things that always help to make you feel summer is finally here. More than the hot weather, more than the monsoons, more than the countless movies of comic book adaptations and more than running about naked. For me I find the start of Wimbledon as heralding in summer.
The overdosing of tennis we all have during these two weeks is astonishing. People who never knew the sport existed become pundits for these two weeks each year. The BBC show us comprehensive coverage. We see John McEnroe and Boris Becker recalling past stories, Sue Barker flirt with some of the Andy Roddick et al and countless reminders to hit the red button and choose from a selection of matches. Then we get the hope of Henman winning the tournament, only to be knocked out in a surprise result.
So what have I spent my time doing? I enjoyed the sun as much as I could and the fine weather. The British weather gives us a week where we can sit and enjoy the tennis, eat strawberries with cream and go burn food over a fire. It then decides to spite us and give us raining periods and cold days which wouldn't look out of place in the winter (only we get these types of days more often in winter than we do days of snow).
With the forecast telling us we have a week of good weather coming, go make the most of it. It could be our one and only chance to wear the countless pair of shorts and flowery shirts we buy in hopes we get days we can wear them without being ridiculed.
There are certain things that always help to make you feel summer is finally here. More than the hot weather, more than the monsoons, more than the countless movies of comic book adaptations and more than running about naked. For me I find the start of Wimbledon as heralding in summer.
The overdosing of tennis we all have during these two weeks is astonishing. People who never knew the sport existed become pundits for these two weeks each year. The BBC show us comprehensive coverage. We see John McEnroe and Boris Becker recalling past stories, Sue Barker flirt with some of the Andy Roddick et al and countless reminders to hit the red button and choose from a selection of matches. Then we get the hope of Henman winning the tournament, only to be knocked out in a surprise result.
So what have I spent my time doing? I enjoyed the sun as much as I could and the fine weather. The British weather gives us a week where we can sit and enjoy the tennis, eat strawberries with cream and go burn food over a fire. It then decides to spite us and give us raining periods and cold days which wouldn't look out of place in the winter (only we get these types of days more often in winter than we do days of snow).
With the forecast telling us we have a week of good weather coming, go make the most of it. It could be our one and only chance to wear the countless pair of shorts and flowery shirts we buy in hopes we get days we can wear them without being ridiculed.
Thursday, June 16, 2005
This week I have been mostly...
been driven insane by Animal Crossing.
After taking a long while away from the game, I got back into it. A charming and wonderful game where you idle time away doing nothing much but fish, garden and try catching insects. It's been infuriating as I've tried to obtain the Golden Axe (which I was close to doing before I left it) and this requires you to be meticulous for 15 days making sure trees you've planted don't die, no trash is left in town and weeds don't overrun.
Strangely enjoying this, my mind turns to the DS version of Animal Crossing. This will be an online game where we can share towns with others (quite how this works I am not sure) but it sure is intriguing having 2 others in town with you. We'll have those who love gardening, others who enjoy fishing and others who want to just run about trying to hit on NPCs but all within the same town interacting and making friends. I cannot wait, it's what AC was requiring all along and another feather in NCL's DS hat.
After taking a long while away from the game, I got back into it. A charming and wonderful game where you idle time away doing nothing much but fish, garden and try catching insects. It's been infuriating as I've tried to obtain the Golden Axe (which I was close to doing before I left it) and this requires you to be meticulous for 15 days making sure trees you've planted don't die, no trash is left in town and weeds don't overrun.
Strangely enjoying this, my mind turns to the DS version of Animal Crossing. This will be an online game where we can share towns with others (quite how this works I am not sure) but it sure is intriguing having 2 others in town with you. We'll have those who love gardening, others who enjoy fishing and others who want to just run about trying to hit on NPCs but all within the same town interacting and making friends. I cannot wait, it's what AC was requiring all along and another feather in NCL's DS hat.
Thursday, June 09, 2005
Capturing the imagination
A few weeks back I noted on aesthetics and I made passing references to the PSP and the DS. I've long stayed in touch which this particular issue. For me handheld gaming has long been a great idea but it's not always lived up to what I imagined.
I own a few Game Boys and I've gone and played some of the bigger games but it's usually tended to be at home and not out and about which is what handheld gaming should be about. As handheld as they are, they don't seem to be so portable or playable when out. With E3 though, I noticed a few announcements which really caught my imagination.
Nintendo announced that they would be taking the DS online, playable against others across the world. Imagine yourself on the bus, you load up your DS, stick Mario Kart DS on and then participate for 10 minutes in a tournament against a Japanese businessman on his way home from work, an American lady winding down after a night out and someone else on the second deck of the bus you are on. This is gaming on the go as I've seen it. Playing with or against random people, without the need to use link cables nor bound by distances between you.
Nintendo also state they have a new version of the DS in the works, to refine it's look (I guess in direct response to the way the PSP looks, on which I'll talk about later) and a new version of the GBA, the GBA Micro.
The Micro really looks the business, it's tiny but playable and it's the sort of thing you could fit into any pocket. Granted it's got no wifi abilities to play online against others but it allows you to take your copy of Zelda and play on the go when you have a spare moment without worrying that you've no space to carry it.
So as I said, we have two announcements (well three but a redesigned DS is not really one of my main concerns at this juncture) that really caught my imagination. This is how I saw handheld gaming, we have two consoles which will be handy in different situations. One to take out and about with you to enjoy online with others, in addition to a control system which continues to innovate and show real progression in gaming. Another to take out with you when you are short of space to continue your gaming. So what is it about this that leaves me cold?
Both announcements came from one company, Nintendo. Nintendo seem to be the ones wanting to innovate and move the handheld area further, to cater for differing situations and needs. Sony on the other hand have not mentioned anything on this. Prior to launch they made a big song and dance about MP3 playing capabilities and movies you can watch. Great! I can spend £20 on a UMD of a movie I own and squint at it on a PSP. So what about the games or the innovations I can expect?
I have heard nothing, it's left to "hackers" to open up the system to some interesting ends but again nothing groundbreakingly different to anything that wouldn't be able to be done on the DS.
Regardless, Sony's PSP seems to be the must own thing of 2005. It looks sleek and stylish but it's rather souless. Nintendo could be readressing the balance but I'm not sure it'd make a difference. I feel that Sony have a certain cachet that holds amongst the "kidz".
It's a shame as it would force Sony into new ideas but they don't seem to be bothered about it in a way Nintendo seems to be. That might be due to the position Nintendo is in the market but they've tried to innovate constantly as well as produce great games. Sony on the other hand seemed to have taken the approach that if they make a console that looks nice and forget about anything else, it will all work out fine because the wider press will be orgasming on the MP3 and movie capabilities and the specialist press will be ignored highlighting Nintendo's ideas on moving handheld gaming forward.
Nintendo have made a console that really has moved gaming forward. If I give someone Ridge Racer and a PSP they will maybe say how nice it looks before going back to whatever they were doing. I give the same person a DS with Wario Ware and they'll be hooked blowing a car out of harms way, frantically unrolling a roll of toilet paper before the timer ends or slicing a pizza in half.
Nintendo have a system that is capable of bringing gamers and non-gamers together to play and moving games forward. Sony on the other hand, really need to sort their act out to catch up but the problem is they don't need to bother as everyone is lauding them for making a nice looking system.
I own a few Game Boys and I've gone and played some of the bigger games but it's usually tended to be at home and not out and about which is what handheld gaming should be about. As handheld as they are, they don't seem to be so portable or playable when out. With E3 though, I noticed a few announcements which really caught my imagination.
Nintendo announced that they would be taking the DS online, playable against others across the world. Imagine yourself on the bus, you load up your DS, stick Mario Kart DS on and then participate for 10 minutes in a tournament against a Japanese businessman on his way home from work, an American lady winding down after a night out and someone else on the second deck of the bus you are on. This is gaming on the go as I've seen it. Playing with or against random people, without the need to use link cables nor bound by distances between you.
Nintendo also state they have a new version of the DS in the works, to refine it's look (I guess in direct response to the way the PSP looks, on which I'll talk about later) and a new version of the GBA, the GBA Micro.
The Micro really looks the business, it's tiny but playable and it's the sort of thing you could fit into any pocket. Granted it's got no wifi abilities to play online against others but it allows you to take your copy of Zelda and play on the go when you have a spare moment without worrying that you've no space to carry it.
So as I said, we have two announcements (well three but a redesigned DS is not really one of my main concerns at this juncture) that really caught my imagination. This is how I saw handheld gaming, we have two consoles which will be handy in different situations. One to take out and about with you to enjoy online with others, in addition to a control system which continues to innovate and show real progression in gaming. Another to take out with you when you are short of space to continue your gaming. So what is it about this that leaves me cold?
Both announcements came from one company, Nintendo. Nintendo seem to be the ones wanting to innovate and move the handheld area further, to cater for differing situations and needs. Sony on the other hand have not mentioned anything on this. Prior to launch they made a big song and dance about MP3 playing capabilities and movies you can watch. Great! I can spend £20 on a UMD of a movie I own and squint at it on a PSP. So what about the games or the innovations I can expect?
I have heard nothing, it's left to "hackers" to open up the system to some interesting ends but again nothing groundbreakingly different to anything that wouldn't be able to be done on the DS.
Regardless, Sony's PSP seems to be the must own thing of 2005. It looks sleek and stylish but it's rather souless. Nintendo could be readressing the balance but I'm not sure it'd make a difference. I feel that Sony have a certain cachet that holds amongst the "kidz".
It's a shame as it would force Sony into new ideas but they don't seem to be bothered about it in a way Nintendo seems to be. That might be due to the position Nintendo is in the market but they've tried to innovate constantly as well as produce great games. Sony on the other hand seemed to have taken the approach that if they make a console that looks nice and forget about anything else, it will all work out fine because the wider press will be orgasming on the MP3 and movie capabilities and the specialist press will be ignored highlighting Nintendo's ideas on moving handheld gaming forward.
Nintendo have made a console that really has moved gaming forward. If I give someone Ridge Racer and a PSP they will maybe say how nice it looks before going back to whatever they were doing. I give the same person a DS with Wario Ware and they'll be hooked blowing a car out of harms way, frantically unrolling a roll of toilet paper before the timer ends or slicing a pizza in half.
Nintendo have a system that is capable of bringing gamers and non-gamers together to play and moving games forward. Sony on the other hand, really need to sort their act out to catch up but the problem is they don't need to bother as everyone is lauding them for making a nice looking system.
Monday, June 06, 2005
Football: a big thumbs up
In my time I've seen lots of odd (and sometimes disturbing) things. Sonic appearing on a Nintendo console, Man-Faye (definitely disturbing) and courtesy of last night, women playing football (kinda odd).
What may be odder is how good it was and how much I enjoyed it. The match that kicked off the BBC's coverage was England vs Finland and what drama it was. A 2-0 English lead that slipped to 2-2 in the 89th minute. There I am sitting thinking, this is just how England always perform in a major championship when up strides Karen Carney to chip the ball home and win the game 3-2.
I found myself cheering and shouting during the game as I did last year during the men's European Championship. I was nervous when Finland pulled one back and we missed a few great chances. I became deflated when Finland equalised and then elated when we scored to win. At the end of the game, I'm left there sitting and admiring a good game of football with my interest peaked for the rest of the Championship and my mind opened to watching more of women's football outside of major tournaments like this.
Another thought on this whole affair. Whilst discussing this, the subject came up of women watching men's football and discussing Beckham's legs or Lampard's arse. We can finally get our own back and enjoy a game as well as the lovely ladies on show, perfect.
What may be odder is how good it was and how much I enjoyed it. The match that kicked off the BBC's coverage was England vs Finland and what drama it was. A 2-0 English lead that slipped to 2-2 in the 89th minute. There I am sitting thinking, this is just how England always perform in a major championship when up strides Karen Carney to chip the ball home and win the game 3-2.
I found myself cheering and shouting during the game as I did last year during the men's European Championship. I was nervous when Finland pulled one back and we missed a few great chances. I became deflated when Finland equalised and then elated when we scored to win. At the end of the game, I'm left there sitting and admiring a good game of football with my interest peaked for the rest of the Championship and my mind opened to watching more of women's football outside of major tournaments like this.
Another thought on this whole affair. Whilst discussing this, the subject came up of women watching men's football and discussing Beckham's legs or Lampard's arse. We can finally get our own back and enjoy a game as well as the lovely ladies on show, perfect.
Friday, June 03, 2005
Thursday, June 02, 2005
No One Else
I've developed a love for something that may be considered off. One of those guilty secrets you keep as best as you can such as wearing women's underwear or liking the Playstation (I assure you I don't do either).
No this guilty secret is something that some may consider puerile, however the fact of the matter is, those people are uninitiated.
These past two weeks I have started to grow very fond of a new show on Cartoon Network, the Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi Show. It started with curiosity from loving the Teen Titans theme tune which led to the love of the theme tune of this very show. It then became watching the hyperactive and crazy dealings of the protagonists transfering to the insanity of the cartoon itself. For anyone who has not caught this show, just seeing a quick snippet of the colour and the style of the show will make you dismiss it. You need to sit down and watch it to realise there is something special going on.
I'm not sure what it is, the actual duo's insanity coming through or the silliness of it all but it's got me hooked.
No this guilty secret is something that some may consider puerile, however the fact of the matter is, those people are uninitiated.
These past two weeks I have started to grow very fond of a new show on Cartoon Network, the Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi Show. It started with curiosity from loving the Teen Titans theme tune which led to the love of the theme tune of this very show. It then became watching the hyperactive and crazy dealings of the protagonists transfering to the insanity of the cartoon itself. For anyone who has not caught this show, just seeing a quick snippet of the colour and the style of the show will make you dismiss it. You need to sit down and watch it to realise there is something special going on.
I'm not sure what it is, the actual duo's insanity coming through or the silliness of it all but it's got me hooked.
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
Across the Sea
Finally, got the Star Wars thing published late yesterday (I had it saved as a draft for more days than necessary although another viewing of it made me push through).
Now it'll be back to a regular thing, I've yet to mention finally seeing Ong Bak on the big screen (really something you must do as it comes alive on the grander stage) as well as continue the E3 thoughts I had.
In other news, I've listened to the new Weezer album many, many times now. I love it and possibly my second favourite (Pinkerton being my favourite album by them). Eels were good on Later with Jools Holland, definitely need to get their latest album. Still no Audioslave.
Now it'll be back to a regular thing, I've yet to mention finally seeing Ong Bak on the big screen (really something you must do as it comes alive on the grander stage) as well as continue the E3 thoughts I had.
In other news, I've listened to the new Weezer album many, many times now. I love it and possibly my second favourite (Pinkerton being my favourite album by them). Eels were good on Later with Jools Holland, definitely need to get their latest album. Still no Audioslave.
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Order 66
Warning the following will contain spoilers so if you've not seen Episode III yet then I'd advise not reading on until you have done so.
So Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith was released on thursday May 19th and with it comes the end of the big screen Star Wars saga. It was a sad moment for sure but it was also joyous, for Lucas has delivered a movie that is in closer keeping with the original trilogy. After two disappointments we have a movie that will be considered a good addition. Whilst the other two did have highlights, overall they didn't hold up. Looking back on them now with the perspective of Sith, they still aren't what we would have wanted but they do make more sense within the story arc. Traits of some characters were warranted due to the story Lucas wanted to tell, even if we don't expect them from that character.
So anyway onto Sith itself (and I'll be defining this mainly by the lightsaber battles). From the very start your senses are dazzled with what is an amazing opening. You see a big space battle as Obi-Wan and Anakin fly through in their spaceship, the camera trailing them, in a shot that reminds me of the fight sequence in the Cowboy Bebop movie, very kinetic. The banter between the two starts here showing the friendship that has now developed between the two, over the roles of Master-Padawan they played in the last movie and it's all the more enjoyable for it. Showing this throughout makes the eventual duel between the two to carry some extra weight.
In an attempt to rescue Palpatine we get the two blazing their lightsabers on droids of all sorts as well as Dooku who meets his demise early on, before a quick encounter with Grievous and a crash landing.
Throughout the movie, we see the continued distrust from the Jedi Council in Anakin yet still wanting him to act as their lapdog, it's this that again counterbalances the scenes with Anakin and Palpatine which are great, especially the opera house sequence. Palpatine begins to play on the visions Anakin has of Padme dying during childbirth. Palpatine continues to confuse Anakin's mind telling the story of the great Sith Lord Darth Plagieus the Wise and how he had the power to save lives (and create life, possibly hinting at Anakin being a creation of a Sith Lord rather than of the Force).
This is about when the lightsaber duels start to go into overdrive.
Obi-Wan having reached Utapau sneaks his way to an area where Grievous has finished a briefing with the Trade Federation leaders. In a cool sequence, Obi-Wan seeing a mass of droids just jumps down with a grin and so starts on the General. In the end it leads to a chase whereby Obi-Wan defeats Grievous with a blaster where he quips something about the blaster being so uncivilised (echoing something mentioned in EpIV).
So that's lightsaber fight 2 out of the way (the first being Dooku versus the two Jedi).
Onto lightsaber duel 3, Mace vs Palpatine. Anakin gets told by Palpatine he is indeed Darth Sidious, he gets all confuzzled and goes to tell Mace. Mace leaves with three other Jedi and confronts Palpatine. The other three Jedi get killed very quickly, leaving Mace and Sidious. The duel is quite deliberate now, more reminscent of two samurai fighting or fencers (quick succession of strikes, then a period of setting the stance again). Anywho after a good duel Anakin arrives at the end of the battle with Mace standing over Palpatine who is now playing possum and begging for help. Seeing the lines blurred between what he thought was the the light side and the dark side, he goes and lops off Mace's arm and Palpatine/Sidious delivers the final blow.
Anakin plegdes his allegiance to Sidious and gets given the name Darth Vader. The first act he is given is to go to the Jedi Temple and destroy the Jedi there. As he marches there with the Clone army, Sidious enacts Order 66: the destruction of all Jedi. We see images of Jedi all over the galaxy being turned on by the Clone armies they were leading. It switches back to the Temple and Anakin. He enters the room where the Council sit to be confronted by the younglings hiding out. One comes up and asks him what they are to do, at which he lights his saber and we get a cut. Very dark scene but great, glad Lucas didn't wimp out of something as it might have affected the rating (granted it's only a 12A).
So onto lightsaber duel 4, Yoda gets back to Courscant after managing to escape Kashyyk meeting Obi-Wan and Bail Organa (who saw part of the Jedi Council massacre). The best bit about the meeting is that it's another nod back to the original trilogy, the blockade runner is retrofitted to look like the 1977 opening sequence.
So the duel, Yoda fights Sidious. Possibly the best bits are either just prior to the fight when Yoda knocks out the two Imperial Guards with a quick Force push and Sidious calls Yoda his "little green friend". Good to see Yoda kicking some arse but bad that he gives it up so easily. I know Yoda's faith was placed wholly in the Force and it had be shattered with the Jedi masscre but still you'd have expected him to at least result in some sort of double knockout, where both limp out.
Well it's not so bad as we get the final lightsaber duel showing what it is all about. Obi-Wan vs Darth Vader (Anakin). Now this is everything we had hoped for and more. The two go at it at a crazy speed with full force. My thoughts after the movie was "how much would it have hurt if either had missed getting their 'saber into position in time". There were great touches all through the fight and the end of it was real sad (I had hoped for more duelling). Obi-Wan's reaction at the end was great showing the anguish of losing a friend/brother after all they had gone through and all that he believed concerning the Prophecy.
Once this concludes we get about 10-15 minutes of tying up ends for Episode IV. We see the birth of the twins. A sequence where we see Darth Vader put together and the spine-tingling moment of his mask going on for the first time. I'm unsure on the whole "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" part, which made me wince.
There is a part where we're shown the construction of the Death Star with Vader, Sidious and a young Moff Tarkin standing (again the ship they're on is retrofitted to original trilogy stylings). We see Captain Antilles receiving the two droids with the condition Threepio's memory is erased.
A sequence before the splitting up of the twins where Yoda mentions to Obi-Wan that Qui-Gon has contacted Yoda and that he has training to do with him. Then we see Leia with Bail Organa and Obi-Wan delivering Luke to Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru. It ends on a scene recalling Episode IV with the two looking out on the sunset of Tatooine.
Overall I really enjoyed it, especially the duels and the things which hark back to the original trilogy. There were a few problems with it; the dialogue needs work, Natalie Portman hasn't seemed to have made the leap in this movie that the others seem to have done so (Ewan McGregor and Ian McDiarmid especially stealing the show), the romance again being very lame (thankfully it's kept short) and we see Mr Binks and he's not blown up or killed in some other painful way. He only talks once I believe so that's some consolation but that's still one too many times.
I would have liked to have seen Qui-Gon actually appear in the movie (as shown in the script rather than the movie we see). What better way to show what training to become one with the Force does and tie up Qui-Gon's vanishing death than him being there whilst Yoda pledging to take Qui-Gon as his teacher. It would have been nice to see a little touch with Obi-Wan having a moment with his former Master.
Regardless, Lucas has delivered a movie that is in keeping with the traditions of the original trilogy.
So Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith was released on thursday May 19th and with it comes the end of the big screen Star Wars saga. It was a sad moment for sure but it was also joyous, for Lucas has delivered a movie that is in closer keeping with the original trilogy. After two disappointments we have a movie that will be considered a good addition. Whilst the other two did have highlights, overall they didn't hold up. Looking back on them now with the perspective of Sith, they still aren't what we would have wanted but they do make more sense within the story arc. Traits of some characters were warranted due to the story Lucas wanted to tell, even if we don't expect them from that character.
So anyway onto Sith itself (and I'll be defining this mainly by the lightsaber battles). From the very start your senses are dazzled with what is an amazing opening. You see a big space battle as Obi-Wan and Anakin fly through in their spaceship, the camera trailing them, in a shot that reminds me of the fight sequence in the Cowboy Bebop movie, very kinetic. The banter between the two starts here showing the friendship that has now developed between the two, over the roles of Master-Padawan they played in the last movie and it's all the more enjoyable for it. Showing this throughout makes the eventual duel between the two to carry some extra weight.
In an attempt to rescue Palpatine we get the two blazing their lightsabers on droids of all sorts as well as Dooku who meets his demise early on, before a quick encounter with Grievous and a crash landing.
Throughout the movie, we see the continued distrust from the Jedi Council in Anakin yet still wanting him to act as their lapdog, it's this that again counterbalances the scenes with Anakin and Palpatine which are great, especially the opera house sequence. Palpatine begins to play on the visions Anakin has of Padme dying during childbirth. Palpatine continues to confuse Anakin's mind telling the story of the great Sith Lord Darth Plagieus the Wise and how he had the power to save lives (and create life, possibly hinting at Anakin being a creation of a Sith Lord rather than of the Force).
This is about when the lightsaber duels start to go into overdrive.
Obi-Wan having reached Utapau sneaks his way to an area where Grievous has finished a briefing with the Trade Federation leaders. In a cool sequence, Obi-Wan seeing a mass of droids just jumps down with a grin and so starts on the General. In the end it leads to a chase whereby Obi-Wan defeats Grievous with a blaster where he quips something about the blaster being so uncivilised (echoing something mentioned in EpIV).
So that's lightsaber fight 2 out of the way (the first being Dooku versus the two Jedi).
Onto lightsaber duel 3, Mace vs Palpatine. Anakin gets told by Palpatine he is indeed Darth Sidious, he gets all confuzzled and goes to tell Mace. Mace leaves with three other Jedi and confronts Palpatine. The other three Jedi get killed very quickly, leaving Mace and Sidious. The duel is quite deliberate now, more reminscent of two samurai fighting or fencers (quick succession of strikes, then a period of setting the stance again). Anywho after a good duel Anakin arrives at the end of the battle with Mace standing over Palpatine who is now playing possum and begging for help. Seeing the lines blurred between what he thought was the the light side and the dark side, he goes and lops off Mace's arm and Palpatine/Sidious delivers the final blow.
Anakin plegdes his allegiance to Sidious and gets given the name Darth Vader. The first act he is given is to go to the Jedi Temple and destroy the Jedi there. As he marches there with the Clone army, Sidious enacts Order 66: the destruction of all Jedi. We see images of Jedi all over the galaxy being turned on by the Clone armies they were leading. It switches back to the Temple and Anakin. He enters the room where the Council sit to be confronted by the younglings hiding out. One comes up and asks him what they are to do, at which he lights his saber and we get a cut. Very dark scene but great, glad Lucas didn't wimp out of something as it might have affected the rating (granted it's only a 12A).
So onto lightsaber duel 4, Yoda gets back to Courscant after managing to escape Kashyyk meeting Obi-Wan and Bail Organa (who saw part of the Jedi Council massacre). The best bit about the meeting is that it's another nod back to the original trilogy, the blockade runner is retrofitted to look like the 1977 opening sequence.
So the duel, Yoda fights Sidious. Possibly the best bits are either just prior to the fight when Yoda knocks out the two Imperial Guards with a quick Force push and Sidious calls Yoda his "little green friend". Good to see Yoda kicking some arse but bad that he gives it up so easily. I know Yoda's faith was placed wholly in the Force and it had be shattered with the Jedi masscre but still you'd have expected him to at least result in some sort of double knockout, where both limp out.
Well it's not so bad as we get the final lightsaber duel showing what it is all about. Obi-Wan vs Darth Vader (Anakin). Now this is everything we had hoped for and more. The two go at it at a crazy speed with full force. My thoughts after the movie was "how much would it have hurt if either had missed getting their 'saber into position in time". There were great touches all through the fight and the end of it was real sad (I had hoped for more duelling). Obi-Wan's reaction at the end was great showing the anguish of losing a friend/brother after all they had gone through and all that he believed concerning the Prophecy.
Once this concludes we get about 10-15 minutes of tying up ends for Episode IV. We see the birth of the twins. A sequence where we see Darth Vader put together and the spine-tingling moment of his mask going on for the first time. I'm unsure on the whole "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" part, which made me wince.
There is a part where we're shown the construction of the Death Star with Vader, Sidious and a young Moff Tarkin standing (again the ship they're on is retrofitted to original trilogy stylings). We see Captain Antilles receiving the two droids with the condition Threepio's memory is erased.
A sequence before the splitting up of the twins where Yoda mentions to Obi-Wan that Qui-Gon has contacted Yoda and that he has training to do with him. Then we see Leia with Bail Organa and Obi-Wan delivering Luke to Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru. It ends on a scene recalling Episode IV with the two looking out on the sunset of Tatooine.
Overall I really enjoyed it, especially the duels and the things which hark back to the original trilogy. There were a few problems with it; the dialogue needs work, Natalie Portman hasn't seemed to have made the leap in this movie that the others seem to have done so (Ewan McGregor and Ian McDiarmid especially stealing the show), the romance again being very lame (thankfully it's kept short) and we see Mr Binks and he's not blown up or killed in some other painful way. He only talks once I believe so that's some consolation but that's still one too many times.
I would have liked to have seen Qui-Gon actually appear in the movie (as shown in the script rather than the movie we see). What better way to show what training to become one with the Force does and tie up Qui-Gon's vanishing death than him being there whilst Yoda pledging to take Qui-Gon as his teacher. It would have been nice to see a little touch with Obi-Wan having a moment with his former Master.
Regardless, Lucas has delivered a movie that is in keeping with the traditions of the original trilogy.
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Tomorrow I'll finally finish writing my Star Wars piece. I have most of it done but still trying to condense it down and have more of my say on things.
Trying to finish it has been part of the reason for my not posting anything else, once it's done though I'll go back and finish off what I wanted to say about E3 last week.
Trying to finish it has been part of the reason for my not posting anything else, once it's done though I'll go back and finish off what I wanted to say about E3 last week.
Friday, May 20, 2005
Star Wars = time consumer
Star Wars Episode III took all my time yesterday. Watched it twice one an earlish showing and another in the evening.
I'll have my say on it tomorrow in some depth so hopefully most will have seen it and not worry about spoilers. I will say now that I enjoyed it thoroughly.
I'll have my say on it tomorrow in some depth so hopefully most will have seen it and not worry about spoilers. I will say now that I enjoyed it thoroughly.
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Aesthetics
I don't think the PSP is as sexy looking as everyone makes it out to be. It looks good but it's not the top looking thing that people make it out to be. What makes it remarkable is that Sony seem not to have a clue in console aesthetics.
I look at the PS2 and think how ugly a system it is. I'm thinking that this was a fluke of design and whomever it was that designed it was fired (out of a large cannon into a large brick wall). What we have seen at E3 this week, well I could never have prepared myself for what Sony unveiled. My two intial thoughts were along the lines that Sony have taken convergence too far. Namely I thought that:
1. Didn't I see a Breville Sandwich Toaster in the Argos catalogue that looks the same
2. George Foreman is going to have the lawyers slap sense into Sony for copying the design of his lean mean grilling machine.
Now when the whole PSP vs DS thing kicked off, the big fuss was about the PSP looking better than the Nintendo DS and that being grounds enough for buying a PSP over the DS. Now people are hypocrits, with the gaming community being particularly bad, especially those that Sony aim at. Despite the Revolution and the Xbox360 looking a whole lot better, no-one will state that they would prefer either of those over the PS3 due to looks alone.
So why do people make a song and dance about such issues as I have done? I'd like to offer the idea that due to the way in which consoles fail to excite, we need something in order to get people and take notice.
I couldn't care less about the processor running at 16 gigaflops or one console having 0.001% less power than the other. At the end of the day, it won't make a difference aside from the schmoes out there who want to eek out the most miniscules of power or the schmoes who have no real clue apart from "ps2 rul3z cus I cun ply war3z". The discerning gamer knows that the current crop of consoles still have potential that's been left untapped (apart from the PS2 that's showing it's age in a big way).
So it's sad seeing consoles being rushed out so early just to get a market foothold in the next generation. Does this mean for the next generation we'll maybe get a console out in under a year due to the market going against the manufacturer?
I look at the PS2 and think how ugly a system it is. I'm thinking that this was a fluke of design and whomever it was that designed it was fired (out of a large cannon into a large brick wall). What we have seen at E3 this week, well I could never have prepared myself for what Sony unveiled. My two intial thoughts were along the lines that Sony have taken convergence too far. Namely I thought that:
1. Didn't I see a Breville Sandwich Toaster in the Argos catalogue that looks the same
2. George Foreman is going to have the lawyers slap sense into Sony for copying the design of his lean mean grilling machine.
Now when the whole PSP vs DS thing kicked off, the big fuss was about the PSP looking better than the Nintendo DS and that being grounds enough for buying a PSP over the DS. Now people are hypocrits, with the gaming community being particularly bad, especially those that Sony aim at. Despite the Revolution and the Xbox360 looking a whole lot better, no-one will state that they would prefer either of those over the PS3 due to looks alone.
So why do people make a song and dance about such issues as I have done? I'd like to offer the idea that due to the way in which consoles fail to excite, we need something in order to get people and take notice.
I couldn't care less about the processor running at 16 gigaflops or one console having 0.001% less power than the other. At the end of the day, it won't make a difference aside from the schmoes out there who want to eek out the most miniscules of power or the schmoes who have no real clue apart from "ps2 rul3z cus I cun ply war3z". The discerning gamer knows that the current crop of consoles still have potential that's been left untapped (apart from the PS2 that's showing it's age in a big way).
So it's sad seeing consoles being rushed out so early just to get a market foothold in the next generation. Does this mean for the next generation we'll maybe get a console out in under a year due to the market going against the manufacturer?
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Arcade Fire
Saw Jools Holland on friday night. Arcade Fire really impressed me out of all the acts there.
Finally bought the album today.
It's fecking tops, go check it out asap.
Finally bought the album today.
It's fecking tops, go check it out asap.
Advertising gone wrong
So I'm sitting in the cinema watching movie trailers and up pops one for The Island. Images flash past of the players in the movie; Ewan McGregor, Scarlett Johansson, Sean Bean and Michael Clarke Duncan.
So far, so good.
Some more images flash past of high speed chases and thrills and then my heart fills with dread. What could have changed my perception so quickly? Well the movie trailers advertises itself by telling you it's from the director of Pearl Harbour. I thought the whole point of advertising was to sell yourself in the best possible light?
So far, so good.
Some more images flash past of high speed chases and thrills and then my heart fills with dread. What could have changed my perception so quickly? Well the movie trailers advertises itself by telling you it's from the director of Pearl Harbour. I thought the whole point of advertising was to sell yourself in the best possible light?
Monday, May 16, 2005
The worth of champions
For readers in the US, I shall be concentrating on football for this entry. That is football, not soccer.
I'll skip the big news of the man who knows nothing about football owning one of the largest football teams in the world (Malcolm Glazer owning 75% of Manchester United) and the beginning of his scheme to ruin the club.
Instead I want to look at the worth of winning competitions.
In the days of old being Champions of Europe or Champions of the World meant something. It meant pride, prestige and honour of knowing you were the best. It meant fame and glory. It meant working harder to defend your title next time out knowing that everyone was now vying for your scalp.
It also meant automatic qualification.
We are now in the position of having to see one team qualify for a competition and another not knowing what will happen.
We have Brazil the Champions of the World*. In 2002 they won the World Cup in Korea and Japan. They beat Germany 2-0 in the final and won for the fifth time, making them the most successful team by far in this competition. Whereas in the past they'd be sitting thinking about defending their title next year, they are sitting thinking about how they could possibly be knocked out of the qualifiers and not make it to Germany where the 2006 finals are being held.
We have Liverpool, in the final of the Champions' League, the most prestigious club competition in Europe. Now in the Premiership they finished fifth. The top four teams in the Premiership qualify for the Champions' League. They are in the position that even if they win the competition they may not be allowed to compete next year and defend their title. They did not finish fourth and UEFA initially said that the English FA would need to decide between Liverpool and the fourth place team, Everton.
Now how the heck could this be allowed?
Team: "Hello, we are the championship winning team."
Big Boss: "Hey congratulations, you won the competition. Thank you for playing and earning us mega-bucks in sponsorship, television and advertising revenues now please fuck off and don't let the door hit you on the way out."
I can understand wanting to put in rules and methods for qualification to make it fairer for all areas. However, allowances need to be made for the Champions regardless of what else has gone on. The rules should cover as many eventualities as possible or have a loose set of principles which when followed can resolve many/any situation. The Champions should have a special place, an exemption as another reward for the toil and effort put in to achieve their position.
*mainly for anyone in the US. Unlike the World Series where a team from the US declares they are World winners, the World Cup actually has teams from all over the globe competing against each other.
I'll skip the big news of the man who knows nothing about football owning one of the largest football teams in the world (Malcolm Glazer owning 75% of Manchester United) and the beginning of his scheme to ruin the club.
Instead I want to look at the worth of winning competitions.
In the days of old being Champions of Europe or Champions of the World meant something. It meant pride, prestige and honour of knowing you were the best. It meant fame and glory. It meant working harder to defend your title next time out knowing that everyone was now vying for your scalp.
It also meant automatic qualification.
We are now in the position of having to see one team qualify for a competition and another not knowing what will happen.
We have Brazil the Champions of the World*. In 2002 they won the World Cup in Korea and Japan. They beat Germany 2-0 in the final and won for the fifth time, making them the most successful team by far in this competition. Whereas in the past they'd be sitting thinking about defending their title next year, they are sitting thinking about how they could possibly be knocked out of the qualifiers and not make it to Germany where the 2006 finals are being held.
We have Liverpool, in the final of the Champions' League, the most prestigious club competition in Europe. Now in the Premiership they finished fifth. The top four teams in the Premiership qualify for the Champions' League. They are in the position that even if they win the competition they may not be allowed to compete next year and defend their title. They did not finish fourth and UEFA initially said that the English FA would need to decide between Liverpool and the fourth place team, Everton.
Now how the heck could this be allowed?
Team: "Hello, we are the championship winning team."
Big Boss: "Hey congratulations, you won the competition. Thank you for playing and earning us mega-bucks in sponsorship, television and advertising revenues now please fuck off and don't let the door hit you on the way out."
I can understand wanting to put in rules and methods for qualification to make it fairer for all areas. However, allowances need to be made for the Champions regardless of what else has gone on. The rules should cover as many eventualities as possible or have a loose set of principles which when followed can resolve many/any situation. The Champions should have a special place, an exemption as another reward for the toil and effort put in to achieve their position.
*mainly for anyone in the US. Unlike the World Series where a team from the US declares they are World winners, the World Cup actually has teams from all over the globe competing against each other.
Sunday, May 15, 2005
The day of rest
After lying in bed for longer than usual you get up and plan for the rest of the day. Now sunday is usually the day you realise that you have homework to do for school tomorrow or you are starting a week of work tomorrow.
It's also the day you are supposed to rest and relax after a week of work and play. So why is it that sundays are often the most boring and wasteful days of the week?
Taking TV for an example. On a saturday evening you get TV channels putting on supposedly the best line-up of shows to entertain us on one of our days off. However, that's also the day you tend to be out enjoy a night on the town. Saturdays are usually the day that Sky Movies likes to show a premiere of some big movie. You then look at the schedules on a sunday and it's punctuated by long spells of crap. Sky Movies don't show premieres on a sunday evening.
I would like to know what the heck is up with this. Surely the better practice would be to move schedules? Put the crap on a day you are going out and the good stuff on the day you'll spend home.
It's also the day you are supposed to rest and relax after a week of work and play. So why is it that sundays are often the most boring and wasteful days of the week?
Taking TV for an example. On a saturday evening you get TV channels putting on supposedly the best line-up of shows to entertain us on one of our days off. However, that's also the day you tend to be out enjoy a night on the town. Saturdays are usually the day that Sky Movies likes to show a premiere of some big movie. You then look at the schedules on a sunday and it's punctuated by long spells of crap. Sky Movies don't show premieres on a sunday evening.
I would like to know what the heck is up with this. Surely the better practice would be to move schedules? Put the crap on a day you are going out and the good stuff on the day you'll spend home.
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