Reviews by Prelude

Here is another true Arcade classic. Does it really need a review? it's the classic of all classics! :)

You can play it for free here: [Link removed - login to see]

This one was on my favorite arcade/atari 2600 games. So simple, yet so addictive.

You can also play this one at Atari Play...

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A true classic, though not my favorite atari 2600 game.

You can play the original arcade version of Asteroids over at Atari Play...

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This was most definitely the 'black sheep' of the Super Mario Bros. series, and most likely because it never was intended to be a true Super Mario Bros. sequel. It was released in Japan under a different name, but the real #2 of the series was too complicated and hard to release in North America, so this game was just relabeled as SMB 2.

The differences are astonishing. Rather than typical Mario going to save princess, you can choose to start any level as either Mario, Luigi, Princess, or Toad. Also, jumping on enemies does nothing - you just stand there and go for a ride. Button pressing a button and you flip the enemy upside down, carry then, and throw then into other enemies. There's also a bunch of vegetables that you can uproot, carry, and throw at your enemies.

This game has a big love-it-or-hate-it persona. Though SMB 3 is my favorite of the series, I still have very favorable feelings to this one, mostly because of the very different gameplay, and use of 4 different characters each with different skills.

Oblivion is easily the most perfect role-playing game ever made. When it first came out a couple years ago, I tried it and didn't really get into it, but it was because of my video card holding me back. Running most games, especially one such as Oblivion, on low and even mid-range video cards is not recommended, as you miss out the true beauty of the game. Yes, the world was expansive, but everything was choppy and always loading and only a few trees were visible to forest looks so baren, and as you walk thru them, trees kept popping up. and along the cliffs, you saw the imperial city simply dissapear when you got to far, so back then, I just couldnt get into it.

But this was then and this is now. With my overclock 8800GTS that can make even Crysis run smooth, i decided to try to get back into Oblivion, and opted for the deluxe edition (includes all latest pateches as well as both official add-ons). And I started a new character from scratch. and man am I hooked! What used to be choppy pound-the-mouse-button type of 'battles' is now a perfect fluid combat where I have to time exactly when to raise my shield, when the enemy drops his guard so I can swipe him with my sword, sneak up on him with an arrow to the skull, or fire off a ball of flame right into his face. The battles are awesome and nerve wracking - no other game comes as close to making you feel 'right there' in sword & sorcery fights. The sound effects are amazing as well.

Next comes the scenery. oh, the scenery. Many times, I would just gaze off into the distance and don't even notice a bandit or a rogue mage ambush me. With all graphics on max, the forests are alive, the scenery seems never ending, and the HDR lighting as well as dynamic day/night is something to see. And after spending a week in it, I feel i'm just barely grazing the surface of all the side quests and vast environment that can be explored. This game is as massive as a MMORPG yet doesnt require you to connect to internet and pay ridiculous monthly fees to keep playing. And that also helps keep the addiction in balance, because if you pay monthly fees for a MMORPG, you feel like you have to keep playing to get all your money's worth. Instead, I find myself playing Crysis one day, a rally game another, and back for some more dungeon exploring in Oblivion the following day. And for a game pushing on 2 years old, for it to feel so fresh and new simply by maxing the graphics shows how ahead of their time this release was. And its got an easy 2 or 3 more years before it would start to feel dated.

This compilation is some of the finest chilled tunes to ever strike my ears. here I am, late night, trying to finish up one design for work monday morning, and instead of being bummed out and tired with all the take-home overtime work, i'm tappin' my feet and noddin' my head to this CD...

Ministry of Sound typically puts out high quality compilations, and this one is no exception, but rather than their typical club-scene house or mainstream electronica, the Chillout Sessions series (the 10th and latest one) brings you the best in down tempo grooves.

Highly recommended for smooth listening, relaxing, chillin', heck, even working late night on a tight deadline project. :)

I really wanted to like this movie because not only is this John Krasinksi's first lead-role in a major picture, it also has many of his hilarious 'Office' co-stars. And Christine Taylor is in it. ~~drool~~

But after a few attempts at watching, I always gave up on it shortly after those idiotic mechanical-babies got introduced. Who the heck is the clown who thought to introduce such an idiotic concept, and then to use them for all jokes for rest of movie?

Another major problem was that Krasinski as well as his Office co-stars played the exact same personalities as they play on the TV show. Either its really bad directing, or they are all single-skill actors. You have Mindy as the annoying wife/gf, you have Angela as the bitch, you have Brian as the loud crazy fat guy. and you have John as the bumbling but good-hearted guy, using all same facial expressions he does on the tv show.

And Robin Williams. Man, he used to be so good, and usually had one great hit followed by one bomb, but last few years, he's carpet bombing every single project he touches.

Add in the over-used under-performing so-called 'actress' Many Moore (I avoid anything this person is in... only reason I gave this a chance was because of the 'Office' casting), and also add in one of most annoying actors in the industry (Josh Flitter - how old is he? I seriously can't tell if he's a fat kid or a chubby dwarf? i have no idea), and finally top it off with a lame director using same cliche rom-com style film (boy meets girl, boy tries please girl's family/friend/or in this case - pastor, boy can't please them, boy loses girl, but then boy re-connects and declares love for the girl). You have now all the ingredients of a grade A bomb. Enjoy.

i got thru 22 minutes of this crap, didn't even smile once, shook my head in disgust at least 8 times, and then shut it off. even as a free download, i felt cheated and robbed. that's 22 minutes I could've been doing something more productive, such as cleaning mud from my shoes, or scrubbing behind the toilet, or perhaps getting some cavities worked on. all of that would've been more enjoyable as well.

It was trying to be 'napoleon dynamite' - funny and pointless. but Hot Rod missed the 'funny' part, so instead just ended up being pointless.

Pros: Great range, awesome battery life, and best of all, no bloody cords stretching across my living room.

Cons: no rumble feature :(

I would've preferred if the rumble could have been optional, so people that wanted battery life could turn it off, and those with lot of energizer rechargeable batteries could turn it on. Many mario party mini-games that rely on rumble feature are affected by the lack of this feature (although once again, being able to sit on couch for a game of mario party without dragging wires across the living room is just too nice - I still highly recommend these for all gamecube owners.

Mind-blowing graphics. Too busy playing. Will post proper review later.

but once again, let me re-state: mind-blowing graphics....

who cares about Vista and DX10 if games likes Jericho can look so damn good under lowly old DX9.