This Month’s Flashback: January ’11
It’s 2011! Wow what a quick and great month! I had college break for two weeks and started making preparations for my future preparations. I saw Les Miserables at the Broward Center, which was pretty good, and now my last semester started and I graduate in June with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management.
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Gamer Banter: Fast Forward To March Please!
I don’t really know what games I’m looking forward to so much this year. I only have an idea of what the retail game release calendar looks like until May 2011 (thanks to Gamefly). There could be some amazing games but I don’t know if I’ve heard of them yet.
I’ve been really busy focusing on getting my future on track (I’ll be graduating in June from my undergraduate college and then off to get a Master’s and Phd). I’ll only be listing three games I’m looking forward to this year as I really have not been able to uncover much awesome stuff that has me interested as of yet.
3. The 3rd Birthday
Sadly I never really got around to playing the Parasite Eve series back in the day (I thought it was too scary!) Though if I have time there’s a rumor the games are being released on the Playstation Store soon. In the meantime, The 3rd Birthday is set to be released March 2011 and it’s gotten amazing reviews from famous Japanese magazine Famitsu.
2. Child of Eden
Developed by Q Entertainment, responsible for some of my favorite games like Lumines and Rez, I’m really looking forward to this game but I don’t know too much about it. I’m hoping this game is not Kinect only (I’m not the biggest fan of Kinect, still prefer traditional controllers). It’s not coming out until June but I’m patient.
1. Nintendo 3DS
No, it’s not a game… but it is a game-changer (Nintendo’s new motto for this system). 2011 is the year of the handheld systems. With Sony’s NGP (Next Generation Portable) just announced, and the 3DS coming out in March, this is where I’m most excited! I’ve already put $100 down on the 3DS and just need $150 more for it. Dead or Alive Dimensions looks amazing on the 3DS.. as well as Resident Evil and Legend of Zelda! I can’t wait for the 3DS!!!
This post was part of Gamer Banter, a monthly video game discussion coordinated by Terry at Game Couch. If you’re interested in being part of this, please email him for details.
Other takes:
The Game Fanatics, The Clockwork Manual, Zath, Buttonmashing, Game Couch, Gunthera1-gamer.
Les Miserables @ Broward Center
I recently went to see a musical performance of the famous story Les Miserables. Unfortunately the seats we got were not the greatest, but worse of all it was difficult to hear all of the lines being spoken. If you’re not acquainted with the classic book or the amazing 1998 film, it will be difficult to understand what is going on.
Featuring famous songs like “I Dreamed a Dream” and “Masters of the House”, the musical songs were nice, and the set design was great. Some of the vocalists were a bit lackluster but overall it was a decent performance, if a bit too long clocking in at 3 hours.
Quote of the Week [#132]
One of the most important ways to manifest integrity is to be loyal to those who are not present. In doing so, we build the trust of those who are present.
- Stephen Covey
Sony’s New Handheld Revealed!
At the time of this writing, no price or release date has been announced (if it’s more than $300 I’ll be sad!), but so far the handheld system looks to be good!
It will be ditching UMD and using flash-memory cards. All games from the Playstation Store will work on it.
There’s also a GPS in this handheld, called the”NGP” (Next Generation Portable). The PSP has been out since 2005 in North America, so six or so years is perfect to release a new handheld. Definitely going to buy it as long as the price tag does not scare me away! Read more about the NGP here.
Best & Worst Bottled Water
Ever wondered if the bottled water you’re drinking is any good? This list tells all. Surprisingly there’s quite a few shocks in store, but bear in mind the list is only graded by what the water companies provide, i.e. the website did not actually test the water to see what chemicals are in it, but rather assigned a grade mainly for how much information the water bottle/company/website provides.
Nestle Pure Life was rated one of the best (which is one I frequently purchase) and Voss water was rated an F, which is one of my favorites. I will still drink Voss as it tastes and feels fine. A few bottled water brands I never enjoyed drinking was Aquafina, Dasani, and Crystal Geyser, and they all scored very low. The website urges using filtered tap water instead of buying bottled water but at least there are some good bottled water alternatives.
Movie Spotlight: Saw – The Final Chapter
I’ve been watching the Saw series since it first released. Each movie has had its ups and downs, some being better than others. I did not enjoy the gruesome moments, but rather the underlying theme and interwoven plot throughout the movies. While a bit disjointed over the seven films, this purported seventh film is the last, and sadly seems to have lost its roots a little.
The people put to the test are not too worthy of such cruelty, a sense of hope is lost as the plot that has carried the series is put on a back-burner focusing more on characters new to this movie which are not too worthy of screen time. Does this movie bring closure? For me, no it did not. I’d like to see one more Saw film really give its all bringing back all surviving characters and/or relatives of characters from the film series and an end to the madness that is “Saw”. If you’re new to the Saw series, I don’t recommend watching this. Best to start from the beginning but only if you have several hours to waste as ultimately the Saw series is not Oscar-worthy cinema.
Song of the Week [#131]
I’m going to be seeing a production of Les Miserables soon, so why not feature an orchestral piece?
Movie Spotlight: Black Swan
Director Darren Arnofsky produced one of my favorite films, Requiem for a Dream. So I was slightly looking forward to Black Swan and was not too disappointed. The acting is very good and the soundtrack is phenomenal.
While the content can be a bit disturbing, the movie is a psychotic thriller and worth a watch if you’re interested in seeing something different.
Quote of the Week [#131]
“You cannot go around and keep score. If you keep score on the good things and the bad things, you’ll find out that you’re a very miserable person. God gave man the ability to forget, which is one of the greatest attributes you have. Because if you remember everything that’s happened to you, you generally remember that which is the most unfortunate.”
– Hubert H. Humphrey
Movie Spotlight: Devil
Movies written/directed by M. Night Shyamalan are a hit and miss, and Devil is somewhere in between the hit/miss category. If watching a film about a few people stuck in an elevator sounds intriguing to you, by all means it’s a decent watch.
I thought there would be more twists and turns but was not left blown away with the story or caring for the characters in it. I recommend seeing Blackout over this one, which was another movie similar to this one. However for a boring day, it’s not too bad. You may like it more than I did.
Pre-order Nintendo 3DS!
Well the day has finally arrived! Retailing at $250, you can now pre-order a Nintendo 3DS which comes in two available colors.
If you’re pre-ordering at Gamestop, a $50 deposit is required. Highly recommended to pre-order, as I have a feeling if you don’t it will be difficult to get one in the following few weeks (or months).
The 3DS comes out March 27, 2011.
Song of the Week [#130]
One of my favorite trance artist labels, Anjunabeats, is celebrating 10 years (with a CD release which I pre-ordered and is coming in the mail) This is one of the songs on it, more of an uplifting trance song:
Xbox Marketplace Activision Sale
Until January 17th, the following content published by Activision is on sale for 50% off:
Movie Spotlight: The Dilemma
Going into this film, I thought it would be a comedy but it really was not much of one. The Dilemma has a decent cast but it’s much more of a serious drama (or perhaps dark comedy) than what the trailer originally showed.
It’s not a bad movie, but rather something to just have an open mind while going into it. The plot focuses on a friend finding out his best friend’s wife is being unfaithful and is now stuck with wondering how to deal with this. There’s some original moments to this film but it’s not for everyone.
Quote of the Week [#130]
“Do not think of knocking out another person’s brains because he differs in opinion from you. It would be as rational to knock yourself on the head because you differ from yourself ten years ago.”
– Horace Mann
Video Game Spotlight: Lost In Shadow
Lost In Shadow is a platform type game. It has interesting gameplay mechanics, as you play in the shadows and manipulate objects with light at certain times. Eventually you get a weapon and fight shadow enemies, as you progress through a tower. The scenery changes around 10 floors or so, but unfortunately the game can get very repetitive. With a minimal storyline, it has a difficult time enticing the player to continue.
The soundtrack really sets the tone, with haunting and ambient tracks… the game is actually pretty good and one of the better and unique Wii games. Check it out if you can.
Movie Spotlight: Case 39
Case 39 is a thriller/horror film which involves a social worker who adopts a child. In the beginning, the child seems to be normal, but then strange things start happening. While some of the events are not too original, the film is pretty intense and the acting is great.
I liked the ending but it seemed vaguely familiar to another film called “What Lies Beneath” – ultimately the movie is better if you are new to this type of genre.
Song of the Week [#129]
This week’s song is from Enchanted Arms, a decent role-playing game for Xbox 360 and PS3. This song is near the beginning of the game.
Video Game Spotlight: Resident Evil – The Darkside Chronicles
A sequel to Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles, this Nintendo Wii game is an “on-rails shooter” which has you pointing your Wiimote at the screen to shoot. The game is better than the first one, which offers a good narrative experience and tons of action. The best part about this game is experiencing familiar moments and places from previous Resident Evil games (a big part of this game is from Resident Evil 2, one of my favorite games).
Things can get a little repetitive, and the game is best played co-op with another person. The graphics and soundtrack are also well done and makes this game one of the better Wii games available. Highly recommended.
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