Posted in: Dare to Play the Game, News and Opinions by Michael Durr on September 26th, 2007
Halo 3, Halo 3, and Just say No To Transsexuals - Welcome to the column that is overloaded with hype and sexual indecency known as Dare to Play the Game.
Welcome to another edition of Dare to Play the Game. In my hand I have the Halo 3 CE Tin. It's pretty, it's sexy, I want to have relations with it. (okay not really). In my other hand, I hold a 20 ounce of Halo 3 Mountain Dew Game Fuel. Feeeel the hype. I have not played the game yet; I will soon and hope to have a review on this site by Sunday. Sure, the other reviewers had it up on Tuesday. But I have a job, and I don't get the game early. The tin looks great seriously, but my only complaint about the tin is how the discs are held inside. Its flimsy and they should have used the harder plastic pegs we are accustomed to. I'll have to be careful with it so my Halo 3 goodness goes undamaged. Apparently there is already news about this. Perhaps I need to find a double cd case for the two discs. In other gaming news, I took the time to put my Bomberman Live (XBLA) Review up. Great game, great use of 800 points. Expansion pack #2 is set to hit today, most people will probably miss it because they'll be knee deep in Master Chief's crotch. Hey you know it's true.
Posted in: Game Reviews by Michael Durr on September 23rd, 2007
Bomberman has long been a friend of mine. I spent most of the early to mid 90's playing either the original Bomberman or Bomberman '93 for the Turbo Graphix 16 System. I played each until their eventual conclusion and then wouldn't touch them for years. So when there was word that a Bomberman game would come to Xbox Live I was very excited. But at the same time I was very skeptical. So skeptical, it took me about two months to download it and the accompanying first expansion pack. However, what came out of it was quite possibly the best multiplayer Xbox Live Arcade game of all time and one of the best reasons to own an Xbox 360 that doesn't involve a first person shooter.
Graphics
The main difference between Bomberman Live and Bomberman games of old (at least like I remember them) is the 2d to 3d jump. My eyes did a flip when taking in all of the new boards and how they looked in three dimensions. They are all very detailed from the Bombermen themselves to the blocks and surroundings. This is further helped by the widescreen presentation. No silly borders filling half the screen here. Bomberman has been completely redone and it shows in the presentation. The only difficulty anybody will experience in admiring these graphics is that there might be seven other Bomberman on the screen at the same time. So it can get crowded especially once you clear the explodable blocks out of the way. That and keep tracking of all the bombs on each path can lead you to some crazy frustrating situations. However, the graphics (up to 1080i) are crystal clear and rival some of the larger retail releases in crispness and vibrancy.
Posted in: Dare to Play the Game, News and Opinions by Michael Durr on September 19th, 2007
Turbo Cd's on the Wii, Gamestop Manager on Suspension and a Washer on the way to my house - Welcome to the column that is always on even if the writer is somewhere between a wounded animal & rigor mortis known as Dare to Play the Game.
Welcome to another edition of Dare to Play the Game. I finally started playing my Xbox 360 again. Played a smattering of Dig Dug (good stuff) and Gauntlet (I forgot how frustrating this game is) and I also started playing WWE Smackdown vs Raw 07. Getting used to the new grapple system is interesting but I'm already having fun with it. Unlocking some of this stuff will take some major time but outside of the crazy achievement where you have to beat everybody on legendary or the online ones where you have to win 20 in a row (unless somebody is willing to boost for me); I think I'll be playing this for a while. I did also download Bomberman Live after much consideration and should be providing a review by the end of the weekend. It will be the first review that I will do with some help from my girlfriend (who might be playing this right now). Yes I appreciate finally having a gamer girlfriend. And she's amazing in some many other ways too.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on September 12th, 2007
Writer note: Apologies to Brendan who did the fine HD-DVD review for this flic. Some hack had to pick up the slack for the regular DVD and present a slightly alternate view. (and a different interpretation of english grammar)
Ever see Shaun of the Dead? No? Don't worry, not too many people did either. This fine film directed by Edgar Wright was a parody and homeage to the George Romero Dead films. Full of comedy and nods to the genre, it was a very good but mostly forgotten flic. Fast forward to 2007 and Edgar Wright along with Simon Pegg (who would also play the character of Nicholas Angel) decide to write the homeage to action movies: Hot Fuzz.
Posted in: Dare to Play the Game, News and Opinions by Michael Durr on September 12th, 2007
The Wii Saber, A Smaller PS3 & some Sonic fun - Welcome to the column that promises to push innovation and technology but in the wrong direction known as Dare to Play the Game.
Welcome to another edition of Dare to Play the Game. Well since last week, the 360 service center people have been doing things a little differently. I received two phone calls. The first was from the manager lady that said she was working on my signature issue and wasn't able to change the address but she would get me a tracking number once it was fixed. So yesterday, I'm sitting in the car and get another phone call. They have my tracking #? What?! My X-Box 360 in a mere two weeks from when it hit McAllen is being shipped back all fixed. *RAH RAH RAH* I guess kindness and following up actually works. I should see my 360 back this week. :), I also got my birthday presents from my group this week; to the tune of Smackdown vs Raw 2007 for 360 and Morrowind Game of the Year Edition for XBOX. Fun, fun stuff. To be truthful though, I've been watching movies lately and not playing video games. More on that later.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on September 6th, 2007
I like Paul Walker; I tend to enjoy his movies. However my experience with Paul Walker starts with JoyRide and ends with Running Scared. (we'll ignore the Fast and the Furious) So I was kinda excited at the chance to review Bobby Z, a straight to video release that also starred the clever Laurence Fishburne. Two fun actors in what looked like to be a fun action movie. The basic premise was that Tim Kearney (Paul Walker's character) is plucked from a prison by Tad Gruzsa (Laurence Fishburne's character) and his assistant because he looks exactly like the infamous Bobby Z, a drug runner who is supposedly dead. So, Kearney takes on the persona of Bobby Z and is used in a trade for a federal agent that was captured. Of course the deal goes horribly wrong and Kearney finds himself in the Mexican desert. Here he has to stay in the Bobby Z persona as he finds out that Bobby Z had a kid among many other plot points. This drives forward to a conclusion with some predictable twists where Kearney does everything he can to stay alive.
The movie runs ninety four minutes , for the first 40-50 minutes of the movie I was really enjoying myself. The plot started off so strong and the actors (particularly Walker & Fishburne) showed off their wares. The action was intense but not overdone. Then something happened in the last half of the movie. It became dull and incredibly clichéd. Every single cliché about either an action movie or a drama that used the idea of somebody impersonating somebody else is used. It's borderline scary how much just seems borrowed. Tough hard-nose prison guy suddenly develops heart of gold; check. The character he's impersonating has a kid; check. There is a girl who is still in love with the original character but remarks how much he's changed; check. I would go on; but in the event you can't guess the ending I'll stop there. There is even a scene near the end that borrows from Bugs Bunny shorts (think duck season, wabbit season). Not to mention the ending seems a little too cookie cutter and proceeds to just say okay everybody lives happily ever after; the end. When given the situation in a more realistic setting there would be some serious questions to be answered here.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on September 6th, 2007
Do you as the viewer ever watch that movie that you feel due to overwhelming popular opinion you should like? Unfortunately, I run into this all too often. Most of the time I'm able to push that aside, and give an honest review. Sometimes it is harder. Private Fears in Public Places directed by Alain Resnais is one of those movies. Set in Paris (with language to match); this puts six lonely characters in search of love during the harsh winter season. However, what they find isn't what they were searching for. Naturally these characters' stories intertwine and we get a whole lot of snow effects which encapsulate the end of each scene (and each part of this review).
The movie starts out with Thierry (played by André Dussollier), a realtor who is showing Nicole (played by Laura Morante) various flats in attempting to find one that will suit her and her fiancée. Her fiancée; Dan (played by Lambert Wilson) drinks his life away at a local hotel bar since he is between jobs. He is served by Lionel (played by Pierre Arditi), a bartender who must consistently get new caretakers to care for his elderly father. Thierry's assistant is Charlotte (played by Sabine Azéma) who also doubles as the nighttime caretaker to Lionel's father. Her story is entertaining as being a devout Christian but with a secret side. Finally, Thierry's sister; Gaëlle (played by Isabelle Carré) spends her nights searching for love by going out on blind dates. (*snow effect*).
The acting is pretty decent throughout the movie especially in nod to the two male lead characters: Dussollier and Wilson. There is no weak areas I can really find but the movie is just several shades of depressing. Sure there is some excitement and things do look up at certain events through the movie but by the end it comes to a crashing halt and you wonder what's the point. They do everything short of having the entire crew getting run over by a bus to give us any hope at this thing we call love. I'm a very strong believer in true love and watching this turned me momentarily into something less than that. I watch movies to escape not to re-live every failed courtship or bad relationship I've ever had. (*snow effect*).
Posted in: Dare to Play the Game, News and Opinions by Michael Durr on September 5th, 2007
PS3 might go even cheaper, Fatal Fury Special at mad prices and Command & Conquer free beeotches - Welcome to the column that slashes prices and then sends you a bill every seven days known as Dare to Play the Game.
Welcome to another edition of Dare to Play the Game. Called the 360 repair people; talked to them for roughly half an hour over the signature jazz. They basically told me they can't do anything right now. Ummm, okay. I even got to speak to a very nice female manager who I tried to wow with my seductive ways. That didn't work too well; not that she was mean but she wasn't willing to bend over backwards anyway. Which is a nice trick when you can get the girl to..errr nevermind. So I'm still stuck playing the PS2; at least I'm finally playing a decent wrestling title again (Smackdown vs Raw 2006). It's been forever since I played it, and for some reason Chris Benoit was still the US Champion. *fwap* Changed that in a hurry as Finley obliterated him in a Last Man Standing Match. No, I'm not bitter.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on September 4th, 2007
Sometimes when you sit down to review a dvd, you are treated to a fantasy. However, sometimes that fantasy isn't all it seems and leaves you with a blank expression and curious feelings of being unfulfilled (kinda like that marriage I had). Anyhow, I took the dubious task of reviewing Lesbian Sex & Sexuality, a television show that is on the here! network who also bring you such fine shows such as Dante's Cove. (okay; so I gave Season 2 a 2 out of 5, who's counting?) The show is very simple and has a very provocative premise. That premise is to take a mostly uncensored (I'll explain later) look at the secret and rarely explained world of lesbian sex. All kinds of subjects would be explored from fantasies to erotic dancers to the ever popular porn films. No stone and no position would be left untouched. No girl either. Men, well...anyhow the show is broken down into six half-hour episodes across two discs.
The initial problem that most people realize is that this show very much has a documentary premise. Sure there is skin and plenty of it but any male or female who is looking for a good time should probably consult their partner or an escort service (I don't know anything). However, the show succeeds on many levels; the main one being to inform the viewer on all of levels of lesbian sex. An example episode might take you along with Cinnamon, Molasses and Sugar (Tarragon ended up finding a gig in Brookshire) as they take you on a tour of the world of Go-Go Dancing. While another episode might take you behind the scenes of SIR Video (who were initially famous for their Bend Over Boyfriend series of porno films (*drums fingers and sighs*)). There are aspects of lesbian sex that are very different from heterosexual sex or even gay male sex. This series helps to exploit that. Once you get past the first two episodes, the show seems to run out of gas. The rest of the shows are essentially uninteresting and while staying on subject; do little to further entice the viewer.
Posted in: News and Opinions by Michael Durr on August 30th, 2007
Xbox Live Arcade decided to spring a super secret release on us that was not made public knowledge until it showed up. Poof! Streets of Rage 2, one of the best Sega Genesis Beat em ups hits the marketplace for a mere 400 points. The game besides featuring the same great gameplay featured two new characters; Max Thunder and Eddie "Skate" Hunter in addition to Blaze and Axel. The story can be seen below from YouTube. Yet another *beeping* title for me to get when the Xbox 360 returns from McAllen repair center!
