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Mobile Entry | New Banana Type
[Sent from my Moto Droid]
[Sent from my Moto Droid]
Mobile Entry | White, White Cheese
[To those non-spanish speakers, "blanco" = "white"]
[Sent from my Moto Droid]
Mobile Entry | Turtle Trails?
[posted from my blackberry storm]
Mobile Entry | Who Shot The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown?
[posted using my blackberry storm]
Daily Entry | An AwesomeSaber Preview
A few months ago, I was randomly searching online, as I often do, and as I sometimes do, I searched around for some outfit that makes custom lightsabers. Years ago I went to a Halloween party as a Jedi with a friend and we "made" our own lightsabers. I made a design that was so elegant and beautiful it actually depressed me because I knew I didn't have the know-how or the hardware to pull it off. Sooooo, we cobbled together some PVC and screws and junk and made some alright looking sabers.
From that Halloween I had a dream to find someone that could make my dream lightsaber a reality. Over the years I've come across a few places that offered "custom" saber builds, but most of them just had a selection of parts you could choose to have assembled by whoever. The only actual custom job had prices so exorbitant it was almost funny. Moreso, their portfolio contained some bad looking creations. Everything looked like it was out of some high school shop class... I mean... c'mon!
But I digress... A few months ago while doing the randomness I came across Parks Sabers. I checked over their production models, and was quite impressed with the quality of reproduction of their clone models, as well as their own designs. Not only did they have great looking hilt designs, but they came with DETACHABLE, TOUGH lighted blades! Continuing to the museum, it became apparent they did custom jobs. I fired off an e-mail asking if it was really "custom" jobs they do. I got a reply less than 12 hours later asking for a design. So I drew up this outline:
...and e-mailed it. Again, promptly came the reply, "give us a call to talk about the details". Could it be? Could they really do this? Can my dream come true? I called and talked to Jeffery Parks, the head honcho himself (awesome personal attention to customers!) and he went over my design and in a very cool way talked me through the practicality of the design. We altered a few details (which to me, ended up with a better looking final design) and he said he'd get to making it. After the 12 week turnaround, I got an e-mail with pictures of my finished design. It's amazing; better than I could've imagined. And I can't wait to have it in my hands. Check it out!
I'll post more pics, and with the blade attached when I get it.
Swag | Borderlands (PS3)
[posted from my blackberry storm]
Previews: Rock Band 2 Will Cure Cancer! - Part Two: The Gear
New songs, features and improvements not enough for 'ya? "There are some issues with the hardware too, Karma." Alright, I understand and agree. But guess what? There's more!
Let's start with the microphone. Yeah... You sing into it. As with the other instruments, though, a third-party manufacturer will be releasing a mic with buttons so you don't have to manage the pesky controller. But let's face it, it's still a mic. MOVING ON! (Click images for full size view)
The drums are next. Personally (and I'm not alone here) a big problem with the drums was the noise. Granted, drums are supposed to make noise, but not fake drums. This time around, the pads have been... padded better, so they're a lot quieter. A velocity sensor has been added to the pads as well, so the game will be able to tell if you're playing "softly" or "hard". The bass pedal has been reinforced with a metal plate, so hopefully the horror stories online of broken bass pedals will be a thing of the past. There are also extra plugs for a second bass pedal and up to three cymbal attachments! Now you can hit actual cymbal-shaped pads for the cymbals in the game! Check out the pics below. Finally, if that wasn't enough, the drums are supposed to be wireless! Like all the other instruments, there will be a third party "premium" drum kit. If I wasn't so bad with the drums, I'd totally get it because it's full of amazing win. The last two drum pics say it all.
The guitar/bass have been improved as well. They/it is/are wireless now, and more reliably wireless than the last generation. The strum bar has been tweaked so it feels more "solid" and the buttons have been softened so they are more responsive and don't give off such a loud sound when pressed. Quieter instruments FTW! For those with calibration/lag problems, the official guitar has an optical sensor and an audio sensor that, when held facing the TV, will listen and "look" at a calibration screen and auto-calibrate the lag for you! No more wacky calibration junk! Harmonix cares about YOU. I never had a problem with lag, so I can't speak in this regard, but I can imagine how frustrating it must be not to play spot-on.
The look of the instrument has been given a more realistic facelift. The pseudo-Strat now sports a sweet starburst paint job and a gorgeous wooden-looking fretboard. But what I'm really drooling over is the premium, "guitar version" from MadCatz. I'd give an arm to own one, if I'd still be able to play it. Check out the pics; Official, MadCatz premium guitar, MadCatz premium bass.
Gorgeous, ain't they? The premium versions are going for $200. A hefty price for a glorified controller, but they're beautiful, full-size, and weighted for that "look ma, it's almost real!" effect. I'm almost certain I'm going to get the guitar. All-in-all Rock Band 2 looks like it's going to be eating up a lot of my free time; and I couldn't be happier. I just wish they'd hand out an actual date, beyond their "September" release window. Counting down!
Previews: Rock Band 2 Will Cure Cancer! - Part One: The Game
Placing the paddles away, he welcomes the revival of his long dead weblog...
So, it's finally hit me. Rock Band 2 fever. I only recently learned of the new edition of my favorite game on the 360 (based on play time) and I'm already almost peeing in my pants over it. Not only will you have 84 master-recording songs on the disc (more on that later); not only will you be able to play the over 200 downloadable tracks that are already out there; not ONLY will you be able to download all the tracks from the first Rock Band (accursed disc-switching is a thing of the past!); NOT ONLY will they provide a library of 500 songs by years end; NOT ONLY WILL THEY.... wait, let me slow down. I'm gonna have to divide this massive iceberg of awesome into a few parts to make it less... massive.
Starting with the lifeblood of a good rythm game, the songs. There will be 84 tracks on the Rock Band 2 disc. The selection is probably the best ever, or the best as long as I have been playing rhythm games. Here we go!
1. AC/DC “Let There Be Rock” 1970s - [Pure WIN]Now tell me that's not amazing. On top of that, all the songs available for download now are compatible. All you have to do is fire up the game. No re-downloading, they will automatically load just like they do in Rock Band. It's also been revealed that for a nominal "licsence extender" (or something like that) of less than $5, owners of Rock Band will be able to download the tracks from the first game's disc. No more swapping! Praise Jeebus! I despise having to switch discs when I get a craving for a certain song.
2. AFI “Girl’s Gone Grey” 2000’s - [Good to laugh at.]
3. Alanis Morissette “You Oughta Know” 1990’s - [A little Lillith Fair homage]
4. Alice in Chains “Man in the Box” 1990’s - [Awesome.]
5. Allman Brothers “Ramblin’ Man” 1970’s - [Awesome.]
6. Avenged Sevenfold “Almost Easy” 2000’s - [Awesome.]
7. Bad Company “Shooting Star” 1970’s
8. Beastie Boys “So Whatcha Want” 1990’s - [This is "Rock Band" right?]
9. Beck “E-Pro” 2000’s - [Awesome.]
10. Bikini Kill “Rebel Girl” 1990’s
11. Billy Idol “White Wedding Pt. I” 1980’s - [Awesome.]
12. Blondie “One Way or Another” 1970’s - [Awesome.]
13. Bob Dylan “Tangled Up in Blue” 1970’s- [ Mega Awesome. The Dylan!]
14. Bon Jovi “Livin’ on a Prayer” 1980’s - [Tell me you haven't always wanted to feaux-play it.]
15. Cheap Trick “Hello There” 1970’s
16. Devo “Uncontrollable Urge” 1980’s
17. Dinosaur Jr. “Feel the Pain” 1990’s
18. Disturbed “Down with the Sickness” 2000’s
19. Dream Theater “Panic Attack” 2000’s
20. Duran Duran “Hungry Like the Wolf” 1980’s - [Mega Awesome.]
21. Elvis Costello “Pump It Up” 1970’s
22. Fleetwood Mac “Go Your Own Way” 1970’s - [Awesome.]
23. Foo Fighters “Everlong” 1990’s - [Only one of the 3 best Foo songs ever!]
24. Guns N’ Roses “Shackler’s Revenge” 2000’s - [Awesome.]
25. Interpol “PDA” 2000’s
26. Jane’s Addiction “Mountain Song” 1980’s - [Awesome.]
27. Jethro Tull “Aqualung” 1970’s - [Awesome.]
28. Jimmy Eat World “The Middle” 2000’s - [Awesome. I've always wanted to be "cool emo".]
29. Joan Jett “Bad Reputation” 1980’s
30. Journey “Anyway You Want It” 1970’s - [Awesome. Although a little cheesy.]
31. Judas Priest “Painkiller” 1990’s - [Awesome.]
32. Kansas “Carry On Wayward Son” 1970’s - [Awesome. The second song I'm gonna play to death.]
33. L7 “Pretend We’re Dead” 1990’s
34. Lacuna Coil “Our Truth” 2000’s - [Awesome.]
35. Linkin Park “One Step Closer” 2000’s - [Awesome.]
36. Lit “My Own Worst Enemy” 1990’s - [Awesome.]
37. Lush “De-Luxe” 1990’s
38. Mastodon “Colony of Birchmen” 2000’s - [Awesome.]
39. Megadeth “Peace Sells” 1980’s - [Awesome.]
40. Metallica “Battery” 1980’s - [Awesome.]
41. Mighty Mighty Bosstones “Where’d You Go” 1990’s - [Awesome.]
42. Modest Mouse “Float On” 2000’s
43. Motorhead “Ace of Spades” 1980’s
44. Nirvana “Drain You” 1990’s - [Awesome.]
45. Norman Greenbaum “Spirit in the Sky” 1960’s
46. Panic at the Disco “Nine in the Afternoon” 2000’s
47. Paramore “That’s What You Get” 2000’s - [Mega Awesome.]
48. Pearl Jam “Alive” 1990’s - [Awesome. And even better, you finally will know what he's saying!]
49. Presidents of the USA “Lump” 1990’s
50. Rage Against the Machine “Testify” 1990’s - [Awesome.]
51. Ratt “Round & Round” 1980’s - [Awesome.]
52. Red Hot Chili Peppers “Give it Away” 1990’s - [Awesome.]
53. Rise Against “Give it All” 2000’s - [Awesome.]
54. Rush “The Trees” 1970’s - [Awesome.]
55. Silversun Pickups “Lazy Eye” 2000’s
56. Smashing Pumpkins “Today” 1990’s - [Awesome.]
57. Social Distortion “I Was Wrong” 1990’s
58. Sonic Youth “Teenage Riot” 1980’s
59. Soundgarden “Spoonman” 1990’s - [Awesome.]
60. Squeeze “Cool for Cats” 1970’s
61. Steely Dan “Bodhitsattva” 1970’s - [Awesome.]
62. Steve Miller Band “Rock’n Me” 1970’s
63. Survivor “Eye of the Tiger” 1980’s - [Awesome. Wow. YES!]
64. System of a Down “Chop Suey” 2000’s - [Awesome. Wake up!]
65. Talking Heads “Psycho Killer” 1970’s
66. Tenacious D “Master Exploder” 2000’s - [Awesome.]
67. Testament “Souls of Black” 1990’s
68. The Donnas “New Kid in School” 2000’s - [Awesome.]
69. The Go-Go’s “We Got the Beat” 1980’s - [Awesome.]
70. The Grateful Dead “Alabama Getaway” 1980’s - [Awesome.]
71. The Guess Who “American Woman” 1970’s - [Awesome. Thank God it's not Lenny's version.]
72. The Muffs “Kids in America” 1990’s - [Awesome.]
73. The Offspring “Come Out & Play (Keep ‘em Separated)” 1990’s - [Awesome.]
74. The Replacements “Alex Chilton” 1980’s
75. The Who “Pinball Wizard” 1960’s - [Awesome.]
Bonus Artist Bonus Song Title Decade
76. Abnormality “Visions” 2000’s
77. Anarchy Club “Get Clean” 2000’s
78. Bang Camaro “Night Lies” 2000’s - [Awesome.]
79. Breaking Wheel “Shoulder to the Plow” 2000’s
80. The Libyans “Neighborhood” 2000’s
81. The Main Drag “A Jagged Gorgeous Winter” 2000’s
82. Speck “Conventional Lover” 2000’s
83. The Sterns “Supreme Girl” 2000’s
84. That Handsome Devil “Rob the Prez-O-Dent” 2000’s
Harmonix has kept their word on the new DLC every week, and full album downloads. They're continuing that tradition, and promising a library of over 500 songs by year's end. Amazing. Hard to wrap my head around the sheer variety of songs we're gonna have!
Another choice improvement is the addition of band world tour online! Now you don't have to take up little black books to schedule band play times. If you're home, you're world touring! "But what if the band leader isn't there?" Whatever! Band leaders are a thing of the past. Now you all have an equal share in the band. And what's more, band members can switch up instruments using ONE character. So if your band gets tired of the same-'ol same-'ol, you can just switch up. This makes playing those long, grueling tours much more exciting. I know after my band(s) and I played all the songs a few times over, it got a little old. We had to either make a new band or play as each other's characters (which doesn't really "work" when your bandmates are of the opposite sex).
Aside from that, the overall interface has been tweaked and improved. The song selection screen now looks like the store's interface; with options to filter by title, artist, genre, decade, and difficulty. Quick Play is even quicker to jump into this time around. Character selection/creation is even more robust, with all categories seeing more choices. There is a new online "band battle" element where you and your mates play your best to reach the top of your friends list, and global charts. There are even "band challenges" that will test your band's skills. Harmonix is promising new challenges every week as well, so you'll always have a challenge waiting for you to conquer. No, Rock Band 2 isn't going to be a glorified track pack. Things are lookin' up.
Harmonix is actually listening to the fans, something that adds to Rock Band's overall appeal. I think that is what sets them apart from their old flame, Guitar Hero. They try their hardest to provide a variety of fun songs (not just guitar-heavy tunes) all bandmates can enjoy. The key charts feel "accurate", something Guitar Hero is lacking to an extreme degree. Harmonix's focus is on having a good time with music. From these new improvements it's obvious they're still working hard to bring that experience to us, and listening to what their fanbase wants. And I can't wait until September when the new hotness comes out.
Still not convinced? Hang on! I still have to talk about the new instruments! But you're going to have to wait for Part 2...
Fanboyism - Lily Allen
Maybe I'm out of the musical loop lately, maybe I've always been, or maybe I'm just tired, but about 2 hours ago I discovered a jewel in the U.K.-music-scene rough named Lily Allen. Of course, upon further inspection, her album is available here in the States (which I've already purchased, and am presently listening to). Not only that, but she has two music videos that are currently in the run on Mtv. Having viewed the one for "Smile" I realized I saw that video a few times before. You can imagine my disappointment after this chain of realization that if only I "waited 10 seconds" she would've been burning up the... hard drive on my iPod for the nearly six months her album has been available. Alas, life can be cruel sometimes and I have only just now "synched" her album to my little device.
Again, maybe it's the lack of sleep (Harry Potter's last hurrah has been causing me to miss my bedtime...) but I couldn't resist, I couldn't keep this in; so to the blog I went... go... am? Not only that, but this is a Fanboyism entry, my first, and I've only known about her for a few hours. Oh well...
I'm not quite sure what the appeal is. I usually don't go for these U.K. types; the kind of singers that retain their British accent in-song, and have that London Thug attitude. What may seem like a judgement to some, just her look gave me that feeling, especially her eyes. They scream mischeviousity and a flood of confidence that spills out as arrogance. Misunderstood? Meh... From her personal biography on her official site:
Born in Hammersmith, Lily grew up fast. "I listened to punk, ska and reggae when I grew up, courtesy of my parents' record collections. We moved around London... Shepherds Bush, Bloomsbury, Islington... and I absorbed all the music around me. I got expelled from various schools and was sent to boarding school as they thought it would be a restraining influence, but I ran away to Glastonbury and other places when I was 14. I was into jungle and drum and bass. It was obvious I didn't like authority. I guess I knew from an early age that I could never do a job where I'd have to sit in an office all day long."
Lily finally left school at 15 when it became obvious her creative needs were not being met. "I always read a lot. It was frustrating moving schools so much because I always felt I couldn't articulate my feelings as much as I wanted to. Books and music helped me do that. I became obsessed by quite arcane subjects, like second world war evacuation stories and books about 18th century aristocracy. I started to feel like I could have a voice. But I wanted to write about my own world in an entertaining way. So I did."
She quit school at 15, lied to her parents, and worked at a record store (as well as dabbling in ecstasy sales, although she says she wasn't any good at it). Check out her Wiki Entry, specifically the Public Persona section for some of the "controversial highlights". She speaks her mind. If you haven't gathered that yet, check out this interview. Again, this would normally turn me off, but it only serves to pique my interest. Nowadays, all the singers in the pop-star scene fit a cookie-cutter mold fabricated by their record label. They avoid speaking their mind and giving their honest opinion, favoring an, "I love everyone" approach to questions about their peers. This girl, though, just doesn't care what others think and that's pure awesomeness.
Her music is a perfect fit to her personality. It's full of what she enjoyed growing up, and you can tell she's lovin' every minute of it. Overall the album has a ska/reggae/pop feel, but it's hard to pin a single genre (I wouldn't do that anyway. Music isn't "this" or "that"; at least, it shouldn't be.). While her vocals aren't impressive, in a Mariah Carey sense of the word, the melodies sound wonderful. My favorite aspect of the songs, though, are the lyrics. They're playful and opinionated, slightly cynical yet they remain positive. If someone went around talking like she sings, there would be that cheerleader/prep clique in the corner whispering, "Ugh, she's so full of herself. I wish she'd just shut up." I love that. If someone were to count her lyrics at face value, they'd end up disliking her. Wonderful! I'm giggling as I write this. Smile, her first American single (maybe in the U.K. too, but who knows?) is on repeat. Hey, I have an idea, why don't I stick the 'ol video here for you to watch?
Brilliant. Even lip-synching her song, it's so obvious she's lovin' it. The YouTube page has comments like, "She deserves a strong kick in the uterus." See? I personally find the video hilarious. It's so playful, the video and song. Everyone has had "dark" thoughts like that. Jilted, betrayed, rejected; it's only natural to get angry. It's a joy to hear lyrics that are so open, yet playful and sort-of making fun of herself at the same time. Sorry, more accurate words escape me.
I'm gonna take a risk here, and further expose my fanboyish insta-obsession. She's always wearing those dresses with sneakers, so much so that she has her own line of clothing (called "Lily Loves"), reflecting that particular style. The dresses are feminine, like the epitome of "girl", but the sneakers and lack of your run-of-the-mill "glamorous pop star" makeup echo her "I do what I like" attitude. More video!
Another winner. The... intro?... to the video is especially awesome. Anyway, check out her official site to listen to some more tunes, and hit up YouTube to grab some interviews and junk. Meh, maybe I'm the only one fascinated by her, but I had to get it out. I'll stop now, mainly because of the tiredness. Maybe I'll clean this up tomorrow.
Oh, one more thing, she's totally cute. (Teh Wallpaperz) ;)
Nights... Into Dreams (Do Come True!)
As usual, I've been very busy lately. There have been a few new developments in life but this isn't the entry for that. No, my friends. This entry is so much better. If you've been reading my little 360 page here for a while, then you'd know I have been a big supporter and fan of all of Sega's consoles and games (if you haven't; now you do). Anyway, I got the Sega Saturn years ago for my birthday and along with it came the wonderful game NiGHTS: Into Dreams. This was a sort of "beginning" to the now-long list of interesting out-of-the-box games Sega's released. The game was essentially about two children that traveled to a dream world called Nightopia when they slept. Nightmares were invading and the two kid-o's, along with the most awesome jester I've ever played as were the only ones that could save the denizens of Nightopia. You flew through the sky collecting orbs, avoiding enemies, and twisting and turning to get a high score at the end of the "course"... hard to explain, so I'll just show you!
Suffice to say, it was one of the most original and fun games I've ever played (and still do from time to time). To the point, ever since the game reached the masses, fans have been longing for a sequel. Throughout the years there have been many rumors, all of which have resulted in letdowns. Some have given up hope, thinking it was one of those one-shot deals; a kind of test to see if non-traditional games would be successful. Others just gave up because they were losers. But I, I never gave up. And my undying hope has finally paid off. What's more, the Wii is involved.
That's right, folks, it's has been officially confirmed by Sega that a BRAND SPANKIN' NEW Nights game is in development, and even has a (tentative) release window in the fourth quarter of this year! They even have a "webpage" for it! So far I've only seen 5 screenshots of the game, but the news alone is enough to get me excited. It's called NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams. Once again you have to save Nightopia from the Nightmarens. Here's the text from the site (if you're too lazy to go there yourself).
The critically-acclaimed franchise that gave gamers the freedom to fly in a world of dreams is coming to the Wii™! As a fantasy jester called NiGHTS, you will experience a heightened sense of gliding, spiraling, and looping through seven extraordinary worlds of Nightopia where the ocean resides in the sky and glass-formed cliffs overlook a castle of mirrors. When the "Nightmarens" from the neighboring dark world of Nightmare infiltrate the idyllic Nightopia, NiGHTS must defend the dream world to keep it safe for all dreamers. This holiday, NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams will take you in a voyage filled with courage, hope and inspiration.
Awesome. Awesome to the max. Nights with the amazing Wiimote control setup? Yes, please. So yeah, I'll be keeping up with the news on this one. For now, I'll leave you with the few images I could find...
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