Greetings lost traveller! I'm not quite sure how you managed to stumble on the Church Of Blessed Indecision, but since you're here, you may as well pull up a chair and check out my inane ramblings on life, videogames, music and anything else that occupies my mind for a few fleeting seconds before 'the voices' start talking to me again...
Wow! Has it been over a month since I last posted here? I shamefully know it has been. After my recent shoulder dislocation, I kind of slumped. Not only have I neglected my posting duties, but I've kind of dropped out of the blogosphere in an Elderly type of way.
I haven't posted, and even more shamefully than that, I've neglected to even check out or comment on my fellow blogger's blogs. If I'm honest, I kind of slumped after my injury, having two months off work and slipping into a routine of staying up all night, drinking loads , sleeping all day and vegetating in front of the TV.
Sure, I've played a bit, including Fifa 2007, Call Of Duty 4 and Ninja Gaiden on the DS, Condemned and GTA IV on the 360, God Of War on the PS2, but mostly it's been endless rounds of Maury Povitch, Jerry Springer, Everybody Loves Raymond and King Of Queens on the TV.
So what has kicked my sorry arse into gear? What has inspired me to update this sorry blog? Well peeps, it's all down to one man. One saviour of Portugese proportions. Not only has he discovered a new contributor to both the Dreamcast Junkyard and the Saturn Junkyard, but he has bestowed the most incredible Christmas present on the Krishna household that has arrived in years....
Having waited with baited breath for about three years for the release of Resident Evil 5, checking out every internet snippet, every 360 teaser and video demo, what should pop through my letterbox this afternoon???
Only a fucking playable demo of said game from my hallowed Portugese brother!!! I don't want to blow him up good and proper, 'cos the lovely package I received is in no doubt a tad illegal, but if you are a regular reader of this terribly un-updated missive, you'll know who has furnished me with this terribly exciting CD.
Let's take a snapshot of the moment... December 22, 2008. The postman drops a package through the letter-box. My biggest son, Joe tells me to wake up. (I was snoozing on the sofa at the time, as I have been so many times since mid October...)
I open the envelope and within is a anonymous looking disc with a hand written letter (nice touch Nuno BTW...) I pop it into the Xbox obeying the hand written instructions... Go to the My Games section of the Xbox dashboard and WTF????!!!!! ... I see the RE5 logo and some Japanese gobbleydegook.
Five minutes later, and I'm playing RE5!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fucking hell!!! I'd be a liar if I said that little FK wasn't standing proud at that moment... It was a truly beautiful gaming experience. Me and my three boys were glued to the TV, all edging closer to wrestle the controls from each other.
There was a tangible feeling of excitement as we all competed to play the Shanty Town level as Chris Redfield. If I'm honest, I was the crappest, getting eaten by the infected horde much quicker than my two eldest offspring, but I was having some sort of out of body experience at the time!!!
I'm having some sort of posting epiphony at the moment and could go on and on spilling my guts to you all, but it would be wiser to wrap thi up right now... Suffice to say that Nuno has rescued me from a personal slump of major proportions, and his generosity has pulled a brother back from the brink...
So apart from registering my major gratitude to the man, I'd just like to say that my 2009 resolution will to be a return to the international brotherhood that has meant so much to me since I started blogging!
No posting from me for a while folks, I just got back from the casualty department at the local hospital. I fell from the top of the stairs in my house, right to the bottom, dislocating my right shoulder (for the seventh time). I'm one finger typing this and it's a ball ache. So I'll be out of action for a while, in terms of posting and commenting. I'll still be reading your blogs though, so know that I'm with you in spirit!
I may have been a tad ambiguous in the past on FKWS, about my feelings for this band. I think my last post that had any reference to Oasis was slagging off band main man Noel , for making inane comments on video games and violence.
To my American audience, this band maybe an unknown quantity. To my UK readers, love 'em or hate 'em , they are perhaps the biggest musical phenomenon to come out of the UK for years...
Opinion on the band is quite divided. Personally I think they are the most excellent UK musical output since the Beatles or The Sex Pistols. Interestingly enough, the band (or more significantly lead singer, Liam) suffuse those two influences quite succinctly.
I'm inches away from knowing these guys... "Inches away..." you say Father K? "Well do you know 'em or don't you?"
Weee....ellll... no... But one of my best friends, Neil, grew up with them in Manchester. He's in one of their videos! This has lead to me having a personal message and autograph from lead singer Noel, and almost getting to know them!
Neil has offered me the chance to meet them TWICE! but I've not been able to... for various SHITE reasons... You have to put into your mind, that the band or artist you would most like to meet in your life were willing to meet you, then imagine that a close friend could make that a possibility for you, but then for whatever reason... *please insert your own shit excuse* you couldn't....
DOH!
I'm still hoping that one day me and the guys will hang or chill... until then I'll just hit you with you with their latest single... Which I think is fucking great!
This is a trailer for a new TV show coming onto E4 this Autumn. It looks excellent! Centred around the UK reality show "Big Brother", it depicts the contestants and hosts going all zombie-fied on live TV. Can't wait!!
Imagine my horror as I finally registered my Xbox with Microsoft only to be given the news that my warranty ended in May 2008 (I only bought it in Dec 2007. Imgine my delight when the lady at the end of the Microsoft tech support helpline said that the lovely Bill Gates had personally extended my warranty and that they would fix my Xbox.
Shortly after the call, golden seraphim flew through my letterbox, wrapped my 360 up in angel hair, sprinkled it with pixie dust and transported it through the ether to anothe dimension.
Actually, they said they would send me some shipping labels, arrange for a courier to pick it up and I would have it back in about a month. Hurrah!!
Then Angelina Jolie turned up at my door saying she had tired of Brad, and wanted to start a new life with me. She said she felt she didn't have enough children, and that we should start making some RIGHT THERE AND THEN! She roughly pushed me to the floor and then slowly peeled off her Lara Croft cat-suit. Then she started to make passionate lo...
OK, I'm just gtting my Xbox fixed, but you get the picture. I'm really happy...
Here's a snapshot of my life. I've been out for a curry on a Saturday night. I'm sat in my living room with my lifelong friend Eli who is visiting me for the weekend from Liverpool (we're going to see Stephen Stills, veteran of Woodstock, play a gig on Monday). My middle son, Martin (14), has been to see "Mirrors" at the cinema. For the first time ever, (and he's been watching horror films since he was a nipper) he's genuinely shitting himself. He was disturbed by the images he saw in the film. So, me and Eli are giving him loads, taking every opportunity to exploit his fear, having a right laugh at his expense. It ended with me singing the MJ classic, 'Man In The Mirror' and sniggering.
Marty walks into the living room, cool as a cucumber, wafting his hand behind his arse. A micro-second later, we realise he's farted. And then it kicked in... The most unholy stench... Eggy... in the extreme... Moments later, me and Eli are gagging, bawking, coughing and wretching... More moments later I'm puking... Into my mouth... I stagger to the back yard and spray puke onto the floor, just in time to see Eli has staggered to the back yard before me. This one fart has reduced two grown men into shivering, puking, wretches at the back of my house.
At the end of this couple of minutes, Marty walks back into the room, with a wry and triumphant smile on his face. So pleased was he with his one-up-man-ship that he began to call his friends to tell them of his powers.
So there you have it... Now for just one moment, close your eyes and savour your life. It's far greater than mine!
I first heard about this game in a Playstation magazine about three years ago. In the article, the game was declared the 'spiritual successor to Shenmue', which was enough to get me interested, indeed, enough to get me salivating. I bought it close to it's UK release, played it for a little and then rapidly lost interest in the game.
The reason? Despite the Japanese setting, the ability to explore the local environment, interact with a myriad of characters, kick ass in a variety of set battles and gang fights and perform mundane chores like shopping... It fell short of the Shenmue experience. Despite the fact that the PS2 had more lifespan for development and was by all accounts a better piece of hardware, Yakuza didn't look as good as Shenmue. The plot line was not as engaging, the game world not as convincing. In short it just wasn't Shenmue.
At the time, I was in mourning for Shenmue. I'd played the first and second installment of the game at least twice and could not believe the experience was over... with no conclusion to the story, leaving me gagging for more. Yakuza was made by Sega, but there was no way the company were ever going to spend as much on the game's budget as they did for Shenmue, (which was partly responsible for the downfall of the Dreamcast due to lack of sales of the software, to bring a return on their development investment.)
But Yakuza is a very different game to Shenmue... the journalist who first made the comparison cursed my enjoyment of it as a title in it's own right. It set the bar too high... As time has elapsed, my need for Shenmue has diminished (although the Xbox version of Shenmue II was the second game I ever played on my 360 in 2008 - despite having access to Call Of Duty 4, Sega Rally Revo and Pro Evo 6). That means I am now able to play Yakuza on it's own merits, without comparison to Shenmue and as such, I'm enjoying the experience greatly.
The story is very much like films such as Infernal Affairs, one of loyalty, betrayal and intrigue. The murky world of the Yakuza (Japanese Mafia) and it's 'families' is faithfully represented. The language is "colourful" to say the least - peppered as it is with 'shit, fuck, mother fucker' , etc. the brawls are frequent, with weapons being drawn from a variety of objects littered around the place.
Kazuma, the game's hero and protagonist is a very likeable and one whose identity you quickly become comfortable as playing. You even get to see a schmaltzy and sensitive side when he looks after the orphaned Haruka, and even goes out to find dog food for an abandoned puppy.
The game developers did splash out a little for the title, however, on voice acting - by the inclusion of both Mark Hamill and Michael Masden adding vocal content as characters mob lieutenant 'Goro Majima' and gang boss 'Futo Shimano' respectively. I'm about four hours into the game and I'm enjoying it immensely.
Enjoy the Gamespot video review, and again, if you have a few quid, bucks or euros spare, pick it up! They're onto the third installment in Japan, and Yakuza II has just been released on the UK market, so the franchise is very much alive... and at this point showing how viable the PS2 stll is as a piece of hardware in the current gen. Check it out and be sure to check out the links so lovingly installed in this post!
I've decided to delete my last apalling post on this quite lovely game, because a.) It looked shite and b.) I feel to an extent it may have put my four or five loyal readers off from giving it a proper look in (with the exception of dear Nebacha.)
I completed the game in about four hours using the standard PS2 controller and I would definitely like to revisit it using the G Con light gun. the game was refreshingly short, making it a nice "light snack" between other games. It also satisfied my desire to dip further into the world of Umbrella after playing the most excellent RE4 (Wii edition) last weekend. It's really whetted my appetite for RE5 which finally seems almost close enough to touch.
Apparently out on "Friday 13th" (of what?) sometime in 2009, the game looks more jaw droppingly amazing with every fresh teaser released.
But back to Dead Aim... I was totally intrigued to find a reference to Umbrella "planting a seed in Africa" during the game. Could it be that this is where the first reference to the plotline of RE5 originated? If so it would surely elevate the status of RE Dead Aim form an under-rated spin off of the franchise to something far more significant?
Any way instead of hitting you with big ungamely chunks of Wikipedia, I'm going to present you with a very comprehensive review of the game by Jeremy Dunham of IGN. Please read it and comment if you would. Heck, if you have a PS2 lying around and a couple of quid to spare, go and buy it and play it. I'd definitely reccomend it as an amusing distraction and a fun way to kill a couple of hours (and a couple of hundred zombies ...) If you are like me and are desparate to know every twist and turn in the ongoing saga of the Umbrella Corporation , this title could be essential playing...
"US, June 17, 2003 - The difference in quality between the Resident Evil and Dino Crisis franchises in comparison to the spin-off Gun Survivor games is pretty amazing. While the former are among the best adventure titles of the last twenty years, the Survivor series hasn't been nearly as distinguished. In fact, the unpopular offshoot is generally acknowledged to be the laughing stock of the survival horror world. Not exactly an adventure, not quite a light gun shooter, the amalgamation of these two genres has never been the elite combination that Capcom was hoping for.Despite the series resolute critical panning, however, the franchise has somehow been kept alive for the lifespan of two consoles. But after 2002's botched third attempt known as Dino Stalker, most of us had figured that it would be the final chapter in a trilogy of failed experiments. Apparently we were quite mistaken. As in the span of less than a year Resident Evil: Dead Aim finds itself chiming in as the fourth attempt at a producing a quality genre blend. And while it still possesses a lot of the same mechanical problems that its predecessors had, we're pleased to announce that the series has finally taken a step forward. Hard as it may be to believe: some of it is actually "fun".StoryBorrowing a page from the forgotten Game Boy installment, Resident Evil Gaiden, Dead Aim moves the familiar Raccoon City plotline to that of a cruise liner. Owned by the Umbrella Corporation and headed for destination unknown, the ship has become infected with offshoots of the G and T-viruses while amidst the high seas.
Beginning with a confrontation between government agent Bruce McGovern and a mysterious Umbrella operative known as Morpheus, the tale seems to bring us in about halfway. On the brink of being eliminated by Morpheus, Bruce is saved rather suddenly by the interjection of another government agent and Chinese badass Fongling. Once the trio go their separate ways, the next chapter in the Resident Evil series is officially underway.
Once the game begins, the back-story is fleshed out through the discovery of journals, clippings, and other staples of Resident Evil lore and continues along at a quickened pace via the occasional cut scene. If you're a die-hard fan of the series, there isn't a lot to be discovered here in terms of adding to the franchise's mythology, and the characters themselves are a little cut and dry. Regrettably, the game's most interesting character, Fongling, is barely explored at all; and other than a few moments that allow her to show how much attitude she has, she's pretty underexposed. Of course, there are a few revelations that tie up a couple of loose ends from previous installments, but nothing truly earth shattering.
(...or is there????!!! -FK-)
GameplayIf you're unfamiliar with the Gun Survivor games, the description provided in the introduction pretty much sums it up. Combining the primary shooting elements of light gun shooters such as Time Crisis and Ninja Assault with the adventure components of its Resident Evil source material, the series is a unique mix of otherwise opposite genres. If done right the idea is actually pretty clever, and is a legitimate attempt at improving on a sub-category of game that hasn't seen innovation since "the pedal". How long do developers expect us to stay on simplistic, rail-based pathways anyway?
Happily, Dead Aim takes the adventure aspect of the Survivor series further than any other game before it. And to its credit does an outstanding job of capturing the familiar Resident Evil-style progression. With the exclusion of pre-determined camera angles and the usual blind spots, however, the sudden frights that are associated with the traditional games aren't quite as plentiful. As we previously mentioned, though, the typical Resident Evil goodies and items are at your disposal the moment the game begins: Key cards, green herbs, first aid spray, and all that other stuff we've come to love populate the inventory screen in an identical manner to the adventure games.
Weapons too play a similar role in Dead Aim; with handguns, silenced weapons, grenade launchers, shotguns, automatic rifles, and other familiar equipment available for annihilation. Limited to only a few ammo slots in the inventory menu, ammo has to be conserved in order to have enough of it left for the end. Unlike most light-gun shooters, however, running away and choosing to fight your battles at another turns out to be the best tactic, and one that will actually prove fruitful in the more difficult game settings. This factor alone could prove to be a big turning point for light gun fans: Do they want action, or do they want atmosphere? Dead Aim provides more of the latter.Once the decision has been made, gamers will have to control their character. To maneuver them around (yes, you can control both Bruce and Fongling at different intervals), players are able to select from a myriad of different combinations that best suit their tastes.
Using a GunCon, Dual Shock, or USB Mouse, gamers will have literally every possible control option available. Though we have to admit that the best way to go is to utilize a GunCon/Dual Shock combo. With that mix, a user can implement the analog stick for movement and the gun for shooting monsters when the situation calls for it. It'll take a little getting used to at first, but it's the most rewarding way to go.Unfortunately the movement of your character is hampered by a grid-based control system that makes it close to impossible to make high-speed rotations. While this doesn't mean that players move on a point-by-point basis (ala tactics-based RPGs), it does mean that performing a full circle without stopping is nigh impossible (think Tomb Raider or better yet, Nightmare Creatures). The developers have included an "escape' button for situations that would normally call for a quick turn around, but unless you press the hell out of the shoulder button, it rarely works. Worsening the situation even further is the fact that character movement in general is rather sluggish. And when facing higher-speed monsters in the latter half of the game (like Glimmers, Hunters, the Final Boss, and so on), survival becomes less a matter of skill and more a test of patience.
Dead Aim's pacing doesn't help much either; with some moments that can see your character unscathed for six sometimes seven rooms in a row, there's a sudden feeling of rushed action when you enter a room with ten zombies after doing practically nothing for five minutes.
We figured that this sporadic placement was meant to help build tension between conflicts, but given the large nature of the traveled cruise ship and the equally big disposal facility, it doesn't exactly make for an exciting game. That is unless, you decide to play on the hardest setting at which time the game becomes a frigging nightmare. The undead is everywhere, and unless you've grown a tolerance for Dead Aim's wonky movement, is almost unplayable. Our recommendation is to stay with the normal setting -- it's still unbalanced, but it isn't as frustrating or disturbingly easy as the hard and easy options. But even then, the experience as a whole will only last you under two hours.
Graphics - It wouldn't be a stretch of the truth to say that Dead Aim has some mighty impressive textures. From the humans to the creatures, each character is mapped with a bevy of high quality imagery that easily eclipses the tattered mess that was Dino Stalker. Similarly, the polygonal models (be it f man or thing) are pretty convincing, and when paired with the subtle animations included for each character, produce some kick ass results. Breathing, slight head movements, and even line-of-sight eye contact with targets add that little something extra.Also worth mentioning are the excellent lighting effects. From Bruce's shoulder lamp to the red-streaked eyes of the Glimmer creatures, Capcom's attention to illumination and darkness is an important ingredient for establishing the game's distinctive horror-themed mood. Of particular note are the shadowed hallways in the latter part of the cruise ship; it's here that the more potent zombie creatures literally come out of nowhere and attack you. Don't forget to check your shorts the first time you find the path to the "clean room".Sadly, the visual positives fall victim to an unhealthy amount of slowdown when the screen is overpopulated with models --especially when playing on the busier harder difficulty setting. Another annoying little tidbit is the occasional pop-up and clipping that infest the closed-quarters sections of the game. Take one look at the three zombies inside the gas chamber when picking up the charged particle rifle for a prime example: they pop in and out of the walls like it wasn't even there. Ho hum.
Sound - Resident Evil titles have almost always been the shining example of how to properly mix an ambient soundtrack and Dead Aim isn't any different. Using subtle pipe and horn instruments in a slow, monotonous fashion, the game's musical score is appropriately creepy and foreboding in all the right sections. Occasionally during boss battles or sudden changes of situation, the composition ramps up into an action movie-like fervor -- with more than a couple of tunes that reminded us of another Capcom tale of the dark, Devil May Cry.
As a unit, it all comes together very nicely and goes to prove even further that the team's musical division definitely knows what its doing.Of course, the usual sound bank of audio effects that we've come to recognize as part of the Biohazard mythos has returned as well, and there's an untold number of groans, grunts, growls, and other such noises that fans will always appreciate. Unfortunately the character voices aren't as strong, and for some reason or another, sound as if they were recorded in a gigantic hollow tube. Nearly every spoken word echoes and reverberates the moment it leaves the television and in some of the more extreme cases, can't be understood without several chances to hear it again.Another bizarre tidbit worth mentioning is that the subtitles don't match what the actors are saying. Although the translation is similar to what the characters are referring to at the time, the written text is almost completely different. We can understand a difference when translating another language sure -- but why need two separate translations of the same material if there's only going to be one language option? Truly bizarre, indeed.
Closing CommentsIn the end, Resident Evil: Dead Aim did something we didn't expect -- it made us want to play it until we beat it (a feat that previous Gun Survivor versions made us cringe over). And though our experience with game wasn't as consistent at some of the other titles in the genre, its efforts at being different, its high production values, and legitimately entertaining mini-moments deserve a little recognition in what has otherwise been a history of negativity. But who knows? Perhaps the series is on the edge of greatness? Perhaps Dead Aim is the catalyst that will propel the next version of Survivor into the upper echelon of shooter-loving bliss? Maybe this will be the one that helps launch a bigger, better, and more enjoyable version sometime in the near future? And maybe, just perhaps will give Capcom the opportunity to tell all of its naysayers "We told you so!" Then again, perhaps maybe not. "
Yet another classic portrait from my favourite artist, Mr. Deitrix... What a total trip it is for the recipients of these classic portraits, I can't even begin to describe. An honour and a privelige I'll say that! We praise your might dear Deitrix!!!
Bloody shit fuck cock arse and bollocks. My Xbox is dead. The 'red ring of death' appeared on Saturday when I was in Wales. I'm a third of the way through GTA IV and now I can't play it.
I'm pretty philosophical about it though... my first thought was that I could fill it's space with the PS2... I want to play Kingdom Hearts again and maybe give Yakuza a proper play... Then I could always just re-play Enter The Matrix or give Okami another blast.
I might go and check out what's available for the PS2 as a bargain at the local game shop. Or play through Resident Evil Dead Aim... Yes that's the ticket!
The Dreamcast and Saturn have also been neglected... I've just got Death Crimson 2 from Japan (I only just found out though that it's actually just a more buggy and incomprehensible version of Death Crimson OX, which I already have for the Dreamcast, and dang it if my light gun doesn't work properly on it!!!
I'm expecting The Ring from Japan and alsoKidou Senshi Gundam: Giren no Yabou so the Dreamcast may get some action yet... If nothing else, I've just scored Metal Gear Solid for the PS1 and a MGS specific Bleem disc, so I can play it with improved graphics on my Dreamcast. So yeah the possibilities of a bit of 'retro' gaming is quite a good one.
I've also just got House Of The Dead for the Wii, although on the slight amount of time I have played it, I'm not massively impressed...
I've shamelessly nicked this from Junlee, simply because I love it so much, I wanted it on my blog. You'll see me raving about it for the next few months. I only hope it's as good as it looks... This has got me thinking about the retro-future world of Bioshock... I love the combination of cheesey American info-mercials, the fifties music and the post appocalyptic wasteland... Genius!
What's this? our favourite blue hedgehog being sandwiched between not one but two latin lovelies? yes folks, as the wonderful BJ pointed out in the comments section, Samba De Amigo is now out for the Wii.
The Dreamcast classic has been spruced up and repackaged for the Wii. Only except for shaking those lovely motion sensing maracas that came bundled with the original Dreamcast version, you'll be shaking a couple of Wii-motes instead. They've also squeezed in my favourite space reporter Ulala from that other Dreamcast classic Space Channel 5 and a few new tunes (such as 'Pon De Replay' by Rhianna and 'Low Rider' by War as well...
It's almost inevitable that I'll pick this up at some point, although I really don't need it. I've got the Dreamcast version and two sets of maracas. I've also got the PS2 incarnation which uses the eye toy. But you just know that this is going to be a riot with friends after a few beers so it'll be entering my Wii collection any day now. In the mean time it's just a great excuse to throw on a video featuring lot's of lovely Brazillian chicks wearing very little. he also makes and appearance in the game! Oh,and well done Sonic, maybe the good times are back for you, my little anphetamine fuelled spiky rodent buddy... Enjoy!
Pan's Labyrinth... What a harrowing, haunting and beautiful film this is. A story of the horror of war, (the brutality and ultimate futility of the Spanish Civil War in particular) the fantasy world of a little girl caught up in the grip of her fascist step father, the film includes death, torture, murder and could not be described as 'light entertainment'.
But I would reccomend it to anyone. It has some of the most amazing cinematography of any film I've ever seen. By the end of it Mrs. K had tears streaming down her face... I still need to get posting here more regularly... I'm slowly getting my blogging mojo back!
Just look at this... beautiful isn't it? Brooding, simple, stark, yet familiar and homely. I've long been a fan of deitrix artworks and have even been priveliged to have my own likeness rendered by the great man himself.
I've just bought a print of this amazing picture, that I will be showcasing in my caravan in Wales.
Go visit his site and shop now... You'll be well rewarded!
Oh and look at this rather amazing picture of my good friend Nebacha... Is there no end to this man's talents?
"Do you remember the time?" So said Michael Jackson to supermodel Iman and transvestite loving Eddie Murphy, in a pyramid, whilst Magic Johnson looked on in panic...
Well I say, do you remember the time when Michael Jackson games looked like the Master System/Megadrive/Genesis classic featured above...
However, it seems as though even if Mike can't be bothered giving me and Junlee a new CD, he's given us a new danc game that you can play via the magic of the Internet...
"Michael Jackson is proud to launch, in conjunction with the new international release King Of Pop, a brand new flash-based game that allows users to control Michael Jackson's dance moves as they aim to keep up with the steps during his tracks in a dance-mat style routine. Hand-and-eye co-ordination is the key to the game as arrows directs users to try and build up the biggest combo they can and see the King of Pop break out the trademark moves he made a worldwide phenomenon.
Prizes will be awarded for the highest hourly and daily scores, exclusive ringtones for hourly winners, and limited edition iPod Nanos for the daily winners. The overall top 5 scorers from each social network will then move on to a secret extra level. This level will pit the players against each other as they aim to be the lucky recipient of two round the world plane tickets (for players aged 18 and over), or a Sony Bravia 32" TV and a Playstation 3 (for players aged under 18)."
Click here to give it a whirl! If you can't be bothered (and quite frankly it's well worth at least one play, if only to check out the cheese factor...) then you can watch the video below! Enjoy!
Well enough of all this wallowing in self pity! So I can't give you any gaming news? Well what about a load of frankly innuendo-laiden place names? Fantastic! Enjoy!
For a lot of my upbringing reggae was the most important musical genre... Although I spent most of my formative years in an all white Liverpool environment, I aspired to the music of Jamaica.
I had the fortune of meeting King Yellowman at the 'Secrets' nightclub in 1989 in Ocean City, MD.
I've hit him up on youtube some twenty years later, and it is my privelige to share it with you now!
If there's still anyone out there that still checks in on this tumbleweed infested ghost town of a site, let me make my apologies. I've hit a zone of blogging impotence. There's many things I could have talked to y'all about , but gaming aint one of them.
I'm currently slogging my way through GTA IV, and don't get me wrong, I'm loving every second of my time in Liberty City, but it's taken me nearly a month to get through 25% of the game. That's not to say I've devoted all my free time to the game... I haven't! I've been listening to music, watching films, reading books- (Stephen King)- and comics... And I've kind of lost the impetus to blog (and even worse, checking on my blogging buddies blogs!)
Take the Saturn Junkyard for example... I created this blog and it's a creation of which I'm very proud. It's had over a 100,000 hits and has become an international phenomena. But I don't even contribute to it any more! It has it's own independent existence due to the very comprehensive team I recruited to post on it... Props to Caleb, Elend, Nebachadnezzar, Arugulaz etc...
I was originally thrilled to be a contributor on the Dreamcast Junkyard, Retro Treasures and Gnome's Gaming On The Go... But I deserve to be sacked from all those sites 'cos I've produced diddly squat for those esteemed places in months!
Basically I'm in a blogging rut my friends. Even posting this admission has been an effort. I guess I've got writers block, if I'm worthy of blessing myself with a condition that should be attributed to writers of a better calibre...
Anyway I'll leave you with the movie trailer for the latest film I just watched and loved because every piece of written prose needs a good picture to illustrate it...
Because I've been out of the blogging loop completely for the last month, Junlee and J have monopoloised the news on the next game that could make me think that the Wii was a valid purchase. Why it's 'Mad World' that black and white blood bath that seems the most interesting game to hit Nintendo's overly franchised market place since 'No More Heroes'.
I'll buy it and play it, hopefully I'll love it too. The Wii has held such a low place in my console world that I've actually let my son take it out of the living room and have it in his bedroom as an outlet for his Smash Bros obsession.
For me the 360 rules. i'm locked into GTA IV, the Wii means nothing.
Maybe this litle taster from the CVG newsletter that I regularly receive might explain why the Wii is still a valid console for real gamers. It's already lost the race as far as I'm concerned...
"Platinum Games chose Wii as the platform for its ultra-violent, black and white blood bath, MadWorld, because "it feels like a game that is at home" on Nintendo's console. Hmmm...
Speaking to CVG Platinum Games' Atsushi Inaba said the pick up and play nature of the controversial action game made it a good fit for Wii."We're really interested in the Wii platform so we wanted to create a really cool and stylish game for that," said Inaba.
"As you can see [from our Leipzig presentation] it's really easy to pick up and play so when we came up with the concept of Mad World the Wii felt like a good console for that. It feels like a game that is at home on Wii."MadWorld recently riled up a ton of controversy in the newspaper press for bringing extreme violence to Nintendo's otherwise "family friendly" console.
Mediawatch-UK even called for it to be banned from British shores."Yes, it's violent. We don't try to hide that, but as publishers, we see it as a fantasy game - it's fantasy violence. It's over the top. It's cartoony," Sega marketing man David Corless told us added.Refreshing? Yes. Needed? Yes. But is Mad World completely "at home" on Wii? Look out for the full interview later today."
I heard this on one of the Radio stations on GTA4... I used to have it back in the day, but it's long since gone... Probably lent it to someone, that's where a lot of my books, games, DVDs and CDs have gone... I'll be re-purchasing it ASAP!
Sorry to drone on about something you all probably completed/abandoned/got over months ago, but I can't believe how good GTA4 is. Now I know I shunned the excitement of it's release, neglected to even give it a go even though it was sat under my telly for six months and generally bad mouthed the franchise, but if you know me well that's about par for the course.
Whilst I drooled with anticipation for Umbrella Chronicles and I've still not completed it, chewed my nails off waiting for Soul Calibur IV, only to play it intensely for a couple of weeks before losing interest and currently have Smash Bros (purchased by Gaming Ginger Ninja, Big Mart - 14) without even having given it a look, I've just realised why everyone was so stoked about the release of GTA4...
The back story of Niko Bellic and cousin Roman's rise to notoriety, form the backstreets of "Fuckknowswhere, Eastern Europe", to the seedy, stinking, shit lined streets of Liberty City draws you in from the very start. Characters such as Vlad, Dimitri, Faustin, Little Jacob etc seem realistic (in a Gangster B-Movie type of way...)
The free roam 'sandbox' environment (which originally put me off the Vice City incarnation - as my then eight and six year old sons just used to drive around pointlessly smashing up vehicles, but having a wail of a time...) now seems enthralling and liberating at the same time.
Grabbing a quick police chase for no apparent reason at all, and getting away is a great distraction!
I like the health power ups (burger bars and restaurants), shopping for clothes or weapons, watching the TV and whiling away the hours playing pool, darts, watching a show at the cabaret club, playing the tetris style video game, meeting with Michelle or just cruising around listening to the highly entertaining talk radio shows! The music on offer is great (I find myself choosing the Tuff Gong station mostly...) But I also love the linearity of the missions!
In short, it has everything a game should have, in my opinion. It'll take me an age to complete (and there's no garantee it wont be abandoned, as so many other games I've raved about in the early stages have been when the going gets to tough...) If I've got one small gripe, it's the character rendering that look like they could have been better served by the Dreamcast. Compared to the graphically gorgeous setting of Liberty City, Niko et al look very "uncanny valley" if you get my drift...
If you're wondering where I'm up to in the game, I've just killed Faustin and been set up by Dimitri. Fortunately my bredren Little Jacob helped me kill off all Dimitri's henchmen and we wasted the pigs before fleeing... I was just on my ay to the safehouse when my stupid cousin Roman rang me. Then Mrs. K came in from work and I had to turn it off...LOL!
Still, it's got me looking forward to my next session, if Mrs. K is not demanding the TV to watch "Diagnosis Murder" when I get in from work tomorow...
My littlest Ginger, Teduardo, has been messing around in the world of "Spore". he's somehow managed to upload his creation onto Youtube without any help. Not bad for a 10 year old I reckon! So ladies and germs, without any further ado, I give you Dino-pig!
Here's the cover of one I bought in a Head Shop in Canada in 1982, age 15. (I still have it...) Whilst I was initially attracted to the shlock horror visuals on the front( the comic tells the story of serial killer Ed Gein, the original inspiration for Psycho) the comic contained an interview with Bob Shea and Robert Anton Wilson, authors of the epic Illuminatus! trilogy, which in turn 'turned me on' to studying the Illuminati, the politics and work of Timothy Leary and inspired me to try LSD, which I did the same summer (I was tripping at the top of the CN tower in Toronto, but that's another story... LOL!) All these synchronistic events have had a significant ricochet through my life right up to the present day. Weird Trips indeed!
Hello my beautiful friends! I'm back from my three week vacation in the beautiful land of Wales. I took the xbox 360. One day I was watching the Matrix and I just got totally into it for about the twenty seventh time. I went over to the little shop on the caravan park, and they were selling xbox and ps2 games two for £15 (which is kind of a rip off 'cos you can pick 'em up for peanuts over here...) They had 'Enter The Matrix' and 'Max Payne'.
Still, it was the chance to play a Matrix game and the weather this summer in the UK has been shit and I was on holiday and Mrs. K wasn't arriving for a week. I had plenty of gaming time available! So I bought the games. Enter The Matrix wouldn't load up immediately (I didn't have the internet to download the code or whatever). However Max Payne loaded up straight away. I'd played and loved this game on the PS2 (I've got two copies) but got stuck and couldn't progress and like so many games before I'd abandoned it. To cut what is rapidly becoming a long story short, I played the game to it's conclusion and LOVED it! It had every element of a game that should be there for me. To give it the award it deserves it came close to Shenmue. I know that's nearly blasphemy but it's true. What I absolutely loved were the faux series on TV... Lords and Ladies, Dick Justice etc. I love that!
When I finally finished the game, despite having a stack of games I could play, I felt the need to play more Max Payne. I found the sequel in 'Summit Games', Bangor, for the much more realistic price of £4. That saw me through the second week of my holiday... If you've never played Max Payne 1 & 2 you HAVE to play them.
After that I needed something along similar lines. It proved to be GTA4 that has been in my house since it's release date. I'm loving it. I've never played a GTA game but now I literally am Nico Bellic, and Liberty City is my home! I've only played 10% of the game but I love it. I know I'm always behind the times but in this case the lag is not THAT long...
Well I never did resolve my faux pas (see below), so unfortunately there is no happy ending to the sad tale of this week. Still, life goes on and so I've been trying to think of thing to cheer myself up.
The first thing that springs to mind is my family. I've had a really nice day with Mrs. K and my three lovely sons, Joe (16), Marty, (14) and little Ted, (10). My family (extended family and friends) are the best thing in my life, and really, whilst I have them, I'm the luckiest man in the world.
Next, it's you guys out there. Junlee, J, Funnyman, Nebacha, Sonnyboy, Gnome, Koobs, Caleb, BJ, Mikey... (and anyone else I've left out)...You're my virtual penpals. What's so great about our friendships and correspondence is that unlike some of those 'real life' friends out there, we will never fall out or get mixed messages.
Though we can't go out for a beer, or play a few videogames together (with the exception of Nuno!) we aren't going to see each other enough to get into the horrible situation I experienced this week... And believe me, you mean a lot to this old bastard!
Next, I'm going away on holiday for THREE WEEKS tomorrow!!! For those of you who don't know, I have a static caravan in Wales. This is what my friends in the US would call a trailer. A complete vacation 'home from home'. It's on a site in one of the most beautiful parts of the UK, with amazing mountains, beautiful countrysideand a fabulous coastline, historic castles, millenia old megaliths, gorgeous beaches where seals and dolphins swim. And I'm there for three weeks!
I'm taking my 360 and PS2, and Treamcast so there's loads of time for gaming! Then there is this wonderful video (below) that makes me laugh and laugh!
So all in all, the glass is ALWAYS half full, not half empty. Life goes on and good times are always around the corner. I love you my blogosphere bretheren. I'm also taking my laptop away so I'll still be keeping in touch with you all.
About a month ago, my friend from University phoned me up and said he was going to come up and visit me during my vacation. We lived together as room mates for three years, we went to Amsterdam and the Glastonbury festival together, got stoned together and once walked the 25 miles from Manchester to Wigan together, Suffice to say we were tight. I hadn't seen him for like eleven years and I thought that was it.
But when he got in touch I was so pleased. Now we spoke, and he said he was going to come up from London with his son, and stay with me, on what in my mind, was the FOURTH of August. I stayed in all day waiting for him to knock at my house, but he didn't arrive. I tried to find his phone number but couldn't.
I checked my messages, tried to find his phone number on my computer, but could get nothing. I assumed he'd thought better of it. The next day I went out to visit friends, and today went to visit my parents in Liverpool. When I returned home there was a message on my phone to say it was him, he had come up on the FIFTH. I felt so bad.
There were definitely some 'crossed wires' there. I was sure it was the fourth, he must have said the fifth. We hadn't exchanged mobile numbers, I could not find his number, the whole thing was a disaster. I have sat in my house for two weeks nearly, but on the day he came I wasn't there.
He had paid money to come the two hundred miles from London to Manchester, expecting to stay the night with me. I wasn't there. I've tried to phone him to apologise but there is no answer. I feel like a right cunt. It's really got me down and I'm sure thats one more friend from my past that is gone forever. (At Christmas, I fell out with my best friend of 25 years, Godfather to my son Joe and the other guy that lived with me and the one I'm writing about now when we were at Uni.) Twenty years ago we were the three amigos. I think I've managed to erase the final trace of that this week.
Hurrah! I just got Soul Calibur IV today and it's an absolute joy to play... Yoda's even cool and I didn't think I'd particularly like him! In fact he's the character I've used the most both on and offline. Playing online is an absolute blast... I now need my good friend Nebacha to get the game and repeat our epic battles on Virtua Fighter 5, only this time with weapons!
To celebrate my joy, I've decided to post a lot of pictures of my beloved Ivy. If the truth were told, I've spent an unhealthy amount of time 'customising' her outfit this afternoon! LOL! (There's a touch of Funnyman in all of us...)
The Neverending Betrayal at House on the Hill
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[image: Batman v Superman: Dawn of justice | Random J blog]
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When we saw the last Prince of Persia game titled Prince of Persia: The Two
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