Manhunt 2 - The Final Trailer

Got my money ready for this one. Manhunt was awesome, and editted or not, Rockstar Games has never made a bad game (even Midnight Club has it's moments)

Dinosaur Comics,,,,,great stuff

I hope this is big enough to read. It's funny. It's an experiment in the medium, every panel is always the same, yet every strip is different. Author Ryan North tackles issues from existentialism to a Tyrannosaurus Rex's love for chocolate covered pork chops. Check it out. For more of these visit QWANTZ.com,,,the guy is a genius.

Flight of the Conchords Ep 3 Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros

fucking awesome

‘Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree’ is a lot of casual fun as long as classes are kept short

The Nintendo Wii has brought casual games to the forefront with the system’s easy-to-use controls and games that are easy to get into, yet strangely addictive. Nintendo has already had success with Wii versions of sports like baseball and bowling in “Wii Sports” and crazy/funny games in “WarioWare: Smooth Moves,” but with the most recent release aimed toward the casual gamer market, Nintendo is targeting gamers who want to make their brains bigger.
And by bigger, I mean it literally. In the recent release “Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree,” players are tested by various mini-games, and their results are scored as weight that is added on to their brains. The player with the heaviest brain is the smartest. If this were a true way to measure intelligence, Stephen Hawking’s brain would be heavier than a Boeing 747 filled with elephants.
Ignoring for a moment the strange grading system, “Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree” does have some interesting things to offer, as long as you feel smarter for learning the mechanics of gameplay.
The game is a symbolic sequel to the “Brain Age” games that proved to be a hit on the Nintendo DS. On the Nintendo’s hand-held DS, “Brain Age” is a collection of mini-games that attempt to allow gamers to use their brainpower to solve short puzzles on the go. For the home console, “Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree” doesn’t add much to the formula.
At the beginning of the game, you’ll be tasked with enrolling yourself in the Big Brain Academy. From here you’ll play the games, each separated into groups under a theme. For example, there are the “Calculate” games which task the player with doing various mathematical calculations, like one game where you’re given a total and left with a mix of numbers printed on on-screen logs. You have to use the Wii-mote as a hammer to knock the incorrect numbers off of the screen. There are also “Visualize” puzzles where you’ll have to do things like identify the animal in a photo when you’re only shown a small part of the picture or you’re asked to recall the facial features of a cartoon character after they have floated through the screen in a hot-air balloon. It’s simple games like this that keep the game fun, and the program is smart enough to adapt by slowly upping the difficulty level as you play.
The problem is that the only real “learning” that players will be doing is learning how to play the game. Some games are simple, like “pop the numbered balloons in the correct numerical order.” Okay, no problem, I can figure that out. But some of the games cause the player to wonder just what in the world the game is asking them to do before they can attempt to figure out how to do it. I understand that figuring out the game is part of the game, but it’s frustrating to be rushed by the clock while trying to figure out if the game wants you to pick the two similar shapes or the ones that are different.
Also, there is little more to the game than the mini-games themselves. In the single player mode, there are a few ways to play mix-ups of the different mini-games, but ultimately, these modes are nothing more than training modes for the “test” mode where players are graded on their ability.
Remember that being graded means your brain is weighed. So, the professor (a blob-like thing with glasses and a mustache) will put your “brain” on a scale and smack it with your scores from the various tests, adding to your brain’s girth. Also, you’ll be given a suggested job by the game’s career counselor. You get silly job suggestions like “Museum Curator” or “Improv Actor,” but is a fun addition.
There is also a multi-player mode where players can team up and play with friends. It’s fun, but very similar to the single player modes.
Overall this game is a lot of fun, but the fun lasts about as long as these short mini-games do. Initially, it is great to learn the games and try to improve your performance. After that, however, the game becomes tiring and stale.

A ‘Black Summer’ could lead to a very green autumn for Avatar Press

The avid comic book reader often overlooks small press comics and it is a mistake that really hurts the industry. Often the big two companies (DC Comics and Marvel Comics) are so busy one-upping each other that the stories go unattended while the companies slap the latest whiz-bang foil cover or hologram card on all of their comics.
Also, the bigger companies need to take their characters on long, drawn out stories because these characters are their bread-and-butter. So, in order for something important to happen in their fictional lives, it needs to take time in the comics. Just think of what would happen if Spider-Man broke his arm. That would effect a bunch of other stories throughout the year for Marvel Comics because they would have to work his cast into every story.
But, this is just an extremely minor point, what if he died and stayed dead? Well, that could never happen, Spider-Man is too popular and he makes too much money for Marvel to ever let him go.
But, here is where small press comics are great. They allow a creative team to take any characters they want and play with them. They can build them up or destroy their lives in order to tell a good story. Since the history isn’t there, like it would be in the case of the 60-plus year old web-slinger, writers and artists have no boundaries with these characters. Unfortunately, having an elaborate history is also part of the reason why people like reading about Spidey. So, small press has to introduce these new characters and then tell their story. I believe it can be a wonderful thing and great creative talent comes from books by small or independent publishers, but with so much out there it’s hard to find what is worthwhile.
I remember when I was younger and I found “The Tick” comics at the local comic shop. I remember how hard it was getting the all black-and-white issues of the comic, but it was worth it. It was funny, clever and written well. As a reader I felt like I was in on the jokes and I knew that I found something different than other comics. It was everything a comic should be. Since then “The Tick” has had a series of toys, a video game and two separate TV shows based on it.
Well, finding a small press book like that is rare, but it is worth looking because every now and then one can find a comic that is outside of the mainstream but could be the work that eventually helps lead the entire industry. Just look at Alan Moore’s “Miricleman” for the perfect example of this.
But, I’m getting carried away. This week, I found “Black Summer” from Avatar Press and it isn’t quite what the other books I mentioned were, but it does have some interesting ideas that are worth exploring.
Veteran comic-author Warren Ellis wrote the story and artist Juan Jose Ryp drew the book. Ryp has an interesting look to his art. Things are very detailed, For example, a reader can see all the intricate details Ryp puts into the shards of glass after a bottle is shattered. But, I found his musculature of the characters to be look much like rope. Every line of their bodies is over-drawn to the point of tedium. This is not a bad thing, it just tends to make the artwork look like something from "Mad" magazine at times instead of an action-based comic.
Ellis however is on-point. The story begins with a shock; a superhero has just killed the president live on television. Then the story kicks into gear. The “hero” who did the deed is part of a group of heroes called “Seven Guns.” It consists of seven different heroes who were genetically engineered by the U.S. government to be a weapon. It seems these heroes were deactivated and separated a long time ago and the heroes were expected to lay low and turn off their cybernetic enhancements. Well, in issue #1 there is a very “Miricleman”-esque moment where we find out that some of the heroes haven’t turned off their enhancements and the power has driven them mad. (Does this sound like Kid Miricleman to any one else?)
The government decides to end the lives of these seen heroes and cut their losses. That’s understandable for the one who murdered the president, but what of the other six?
As of issue #1 little is know about the others, but one of the original seven is now crippled after a failed government assassination attempt. A bomb took his leg and the life of the woman he loved. She was also one of the “Seven.”
Anyway, the first issue introduces us to the crippled ex-hero Tom Noir, the murdering hero John Horus and their creator Frank Blacksmith.
I’m looking forward to seeing where Ellis takes these characters, but I must admit that already I’m seeing signs of imitation (or should I say flattery) of Alan Moore. It is early in the story and the similarities might be inconsequential, but it is noticeable if you’ve read Moore’s work.
However, if you haven’t or are looking for something different than the standard Marvel and DC fare, give “Black Summer” a look.

With many summer blockbusters delayed, what’s left to play this year?

Recently, I wrote a column touting the “video games of summer” that were due to be released in the weeks after that article. However, the video game industry is a tricky business, and many of the games I mentioned have had their release dates pushed so far back that they aren’t going to be “games of this year,” let alone “games of this summer.”
The game I was most waiting for — “Grand Theft Auto IV” was positioned to be released in late August. Well, last week this changed when the game’s release date was pushed back until spring of next year. That is a long time to wait just to tear around Liberty City, committing crimes and running from “the fuzz.”
Also, “Mass Effect” for the Xbox 360, which looks to be an engaging space-opera, was to have been released in late spring, but instead, the title might be on shelves by the winter holiday season. I stress that it’s just a “maybe,” and it could be pushed back even further.
Maybe it is due to the requirements of next-generation systems, and maybe it is the fact that video game development is an extremely expensive venture, and perhaps developers want to ensure that their titles have a little bit of extra polish and sheen before they push them out the door. For whatever reason, gamers are growing weary because most games released this year have been mediocre at best.
It’s truly a shame that the best Nintendo Wii game I’ve played this summer was just a rehash of a game that came out originally in 2005. But, other systems haven’t fared well, either. The Sony PlayStation 3 has been plagued with nothing but bad games or no games at all. In fact, the best game Sony has released all year was “God of War 2,” which came out for the PlayStation 2, a last-generation system.
Microsoft’s Xbox 360 has fared the best this year with a few good titles like “Forza Motorsport 2,” but big-name games that have been released have been relatively poor. Just look at any review of “The Darkness” or “Spider-Man 3,” and you’ll see that these games, with all the potential and hype surrounding their release, have been met with lukewarm reviews.
But, there is hope. A few games will retain their release dates and will be on store shelves and in gamer’s hands before too long.
First and foremost, Bioware’s “Bioshock” is still set to be released on Aug. 21. If this game comes out on its expected release date, I believe this could be the game that players have been waiting for all year. Bioware is a successful company with a few quality titles under its belt — the “Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic” games — and the “Bioshock” title is actually building off the successful “System Shock” series that was popular in the late 90s.
The upcoming game tells the tale of a man, the player’s character, who is lost at sea. He is a sailor overboard when he dives underwater. Then, in the depths, he sees a shining city on the ocean floor, and he swims toward its light.
From then on, players must investigate this ruined underwater city and search for reasons why the only inhabitants left, in what was meant to be an example of humanity conquering nature and living undersea, are monsters and maniacs with no memory of what occurred. Needless to say, it looks interesting.
Also, fans of the “Guitar Hero” franchise should be excited as “Guitar Hero III” will soon be released. Honestly, though, this is a game I could never get interested in. It looks to me like grown men playing a Fisher-Price guitar. Real guitars exist, and learning to play guitar should be as rewarding as pushing buttons on a cheap, plastic, guitar-shaped controller. If you actually learn guitar, you’re learning a skill that you can enjoy even when you have no television or PlayStation, and, ask any band member, girls like guys who can play guitar. But, I don’t think playing air guitar, while smacking on something that looks like a toy from a kindergarten playroom, will turn any heads — at least not in a positive way.
But, to each his own. That’s why they make chocolate and vanilla ice cream, right?
Anyway, “Guitar Hero” is out, and, following that idea, Electronic Arts will soon release “Boogie” for the Nintendo Wii.
“Boogie” is a dancing simulator that invites players to get off the couch and shake their respective “groove thangs.”
It looks to be a lot of fun, and I’m a fan of any game for the Wii that gets the players off the couch and invites people to laugh and play together.
So, there you have it, a few of the upcoming games of late summer. The fall holds another round of good games like “Halo 3,” “Assassin’s Creed” and “Smash Bros. Brawl.”
But, until then, I say play some of the older games again or get your hands on “Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.” It is available for almost every console and computer system, and it offers enough to get players through these slow summer months.

Are other referees guilty of gambling? I’d bet on it

Recently, NBA referee Tim Donaghy has been the subject of media and law enforcement scrutiny due to his alleged gambling on games which he refereed.
This is a huge scandal, as Donaghy, according to information collected by R.J. Bell of the Web site Pregame.com, cheated during the two seasons investigated by the NBA. Bell found that 57 percent of the time, the teams involved in games officiated by Donaghy scored more points than expected by Las Vegas sports books.
However, Bell said that in the previous two seasons, this only happened 44 percent of the time, leading one to believe that Donaghy could be involved in a scam involving point spreads. In basketball, this is relatively easy to fix. All Donaghy needed to do was call a few extra fouls late in a game, and he could easily rob one team of points or award points to a team in order to make the numbers he needed to cash in.
Bell also found Donaghy officiated in 10 straight games throughout last season where the point spread moved 1.5 points or more before the beginning of the game. Bell said that this is an indication that big money had been wagered on the game. The fact that the big money won every time, Bell said called “another indication that something [was] going on."
According to accusations made by the FBI, Donaghy had been working with low-level members of organized crime, and through an investigation into organized crime — not into sports betting — Donaghy’s actions became apparent.
However, I believe that Donaghy’s actions weren’t caught simply because he was breaking the rules. He was caught because he is a self-centered jerk who thought the rules didn’t apply to him.
In fact, Donaghy, originally from nearby Delaware County, Pa., had problems with his neighbors while living in West Chester, Pa. According to various reports posted online and in print (I found the information on Philly.com.), Donaghy set his neighbor’s tractor on fire and drove their golf cart into a ravine. He even called the police on a 6-year-old neighbor for supposedly “throwing rocks into his yard.”
Would this make him a bad referee? Not necessarily, but does it make him a jerk who craves constant attention? Yes, of course. If he is asking for police attention through his off-the-court antics, it is easy to expect someone to eventually figure out his cheating ways. But, unfortunately, he had been in the league for years before he was caught, so what does that say about other officials who might not be as flamboyant off the court?
If someone so abrasive gets away with these actions for such a long time, how long have other referees been quietly getting away with similar schemes? I’m not saying anyone else is cheating. This could be an isolated incident, but it is unlikely.
Something like this should cause professional sports to turn a critical eye on all referees and umpires. I don’t expect many referees to be cheating now. I bet the recent events will cause a scare that will keep all officials honest.
Hopefully, sports organizations will do more to keep the officials honest now that this has come to light. It’s bad enough to watch your team lose the game. But, it’s worse to learn that the team lost because the referee wanted to make a few bucks on the side.

‘Resident Evil 4’ for the Nintendo Wii — Can we call it ‘Resident Wiivil?’

“Resident Evil” is back and it’s time for another round of shooting zombies in the head. Or should I say, another round of mindless (pun intended) fun?
Anyway, the long running “Resident Evil” series has recently returned to the spotlight as the game’s developer, Capcom, has released “Resident Evil 4” (RE4) for the Nintendo Wii.
The game is essentially the same game that was released on the Nintendo GameCube and the Sony Playstation a few years back, but now it features the innovative controls of the Nintendo Wii to make the zombie hunt all the more personal.
For anyone unfamiliar with RE4, the plot is convoluted, but interesting nonetheless. Leon Kennedy, who was one of the two heroic protagonists from “Resident Evil 2” released for the original Sony Playstation back in 1998 returns for RE4.
Back in 1998, our buddy Leon was an unlucky policeman who — on his first day on the job no less — had to contend with zombies throughout Raccoon City after the biomedical/weapons research company, Umbrella Corp. released a virus into the town as a test of a new chemical weapon.
Well, after that trial under fire, it seems Leon has moved through the ranks of law enforcement because in RE4 he is a full-fledged special-ops agent tasked with rescuing the president’s daughter after she is kidnapped and taken to a remote Eastern European village.
Once he steps into town, Leon is assaulted by a lone villager. But, this time the enemy isn’t a mindless zombie. Instead, the person spoke Spanish and seemed to live a normal life until Leon showed up. Without ruining too much of the plot, Leon soon finds out that the inhabitants of this village have been infected by a new strain of virus (possibly created by Umbrella Corp. as well), and they turn hyper-violent and zombie-like when a foreigner is in their midst or when commanded by the leader of the religious cult that originally infected the citizens.
Anyway, soon Leon finds that the villagers are the least of his worries, as cult experiments have lead to the creation of crazy monsters, and in order to protect their secrets, the cult has created a trap-filled castle from which Leon must escape after he tracks down the president’s daughter.
That's the story in a nutshell, and it leads to some fantastic action and set-piece battles that players will remember fondly long after the game is over. But, honestly, many gamers knew all of this when the game was originally released back in 2005. So, what changes were made to update the two-year-old game and bring it to the Nintendo Wii?
Well, the biggest change is the interactive Wii controls. Players use the Wiimote controller to aim Leon’s weapons on-screen which leads to a more involving experience. Also, the controls feel much tighter, as players are able to point directly at what they want to shoot. The nunchuck controller attachment controls how Leon walks and runs. Also, when using a rifle with a scope, the nunchuck controls the aim and zoom on the scope.
Also, the Wii version includes the same special features that were included on the Playstation 2 and PC versions of RE4.
My only complaint is the fact that, as a huge fan of the Resident Evil games, I’ve played this before. I know where most of the secret items are. I know how to solve the puzzles. Capcom could have changed some things around to make parts of the game fresh for gamers who have already played the original version of RE4.
But, that’s a minor complaint, and if the developer changed things too much, I might find myself complaining that the game is too different than the original, so I’ll take this version any day.
Overall, RE4 is a wonderful game that gamers old enough to handle the excessive violence of Leon’s European excursion will enjoy and return to for as long as they own the title.

Aqua Simpsons Hunger Force(Teaser commercial)

Awesome Video

‘The Simpsons Movie’ is out in theaters — I take a look at the media blitz surrounding the Springfield clan

If you’ve been watching TV, read the newspaper or visited a local 7-Eleven recently, you know that “The Simpsons Movie” opens over the weekend. As of publication of this article, the film had yet to be released, but considering the popularity of the lovable, yellow-skinned family from Springfield, it is easy to assume that the movie will be a success.
Since I have yet to see the film but I feel as if I have been surrounded by the movie for the past month, I want to take a look at the Simpsons media blitz used to promote the film.
7-Eleven’s have become Kwik-E-Marts
As part of the marketing campaign for “The Simpsons Movie,” 11 7-Eleven stores throughout America were transformed into Kwik-E-Marts a few weeks before the July 27 premiere of the film. Many 7-Eleven stores in America are currently selling Simpsons related items. I visited a 7-Eleven near my house earlier this month, and I was able to purchase “Buzz Cola,” the soda from the Simpsons TV show was just Coca-Cola in a new can; a “Squishee” that was just a vanilla-flavored, blue colored Slurpee and a “Simpsons Movie Doughnut,” which was a round doughnut with pink frosting and sprinkles, just like the one used as the “o” on the posters for the upcoming movie.
But, the 11 stores that have been transformed are truly a sight to behold. None of the stores in Pennsylvania or New Jersey got the full Kwik-E-Mart makeover, but coincidentally, I have a brother who lives in Orlando, Fla. and the 7-Eleven near his house was one of the 11 Kwik-E-Marts.
He was kind enough to send me photos of the overhaul, and it’s interesting to see how thoroughly this gimmick changed the store. There were two-dimensional standees of many of the characters from the Simpsons television show throughout the aisles, including many characters re-enacting events that occured in a Kwik-E-Mart. For example, the old man named Jasper, who froze himself in a Kwik-E-Mart freezer in an attempt to hibernate himself into the future, was plastered in the frozen foods freezer of this real-life Kwik-E-Mart.
What is interesting about this promotion, is that while it may be a shameless marketing gimmick, my brother, Eric Mitman, said “It was funny to see everyone there laughing about it.”
So, maybe the promotion turned a monotonous trip to 7-Eleven into something fun, if nothing else.
Springfield, Vt. is the most “Simpsons-worthy” Springfield
Springfield has always been the fictional hometown of the Simpson family, but this year, in a contest to pick a real city to hold the premiere of the Simpsons movie, Springfield, Vt. won. I admit, I don’t understand this choice, especially since the Simpson family once took a road trip to Vermont for the Wordloaf Writer’s Convention after Lisa ghostwrote poems for Moe the bartender. Also, Vermont has no Shelbyville, and any fan of the show knows that the Simpsons hometown has a long-running feud with the Shelbyvillians. The origins of the feud go back to the founding of the two towns, and fighting has even arose over a (supposedly) haunted lemon tree.
After doing some digging, and with some help from snpp.com, I found that Springfield is one of the most common city names in all of America, and most states have a town named Springfield. But, only a few states have a Springfield and a Shelbyville. The state with a Springfield located closest to a Shelbyville is Illinois. So, maybe that is where the “official” Springfield should be. But I guess that is not the case. Oh well, it is just a cartoon after all, so it’s not like they would be living in a real town anyway.
Create your own “Simpson” character
This is great. Burger King teamed up with Fox to promote the upcoming movie, and they are offering Simpsons fans a chance to see themselves made into a Simpsons character.
Just visit www.simpsonizeme.com and upload a photo of yourself. The Web site is picky, so the color photo has to be of just your face, and the photo needs to have a resolution of 640 by 480 pixels. I had some trouble with the site, but others didn’t, so it might have just been my computer. Also, if the “Simpsonizer” doesn’t work for you, visit www.simpsonsmovie.com, and you can make your own Simpsons character.
You can see the one I made for myself above.
Anyway, it looks like it’s going to be a “Simpsons” summer this year, and I couldn’t be more excited about it. The movie has been in the oven for a long time, and it’s about time to see the final product. I know many fans have lost interest in the show in the past year due to lackluster episodes, but this movie might be just the thing to bring us all back for another trip through familiar Springfield.

The sad, twisted and sick secret life of Michael Vick

According to a federal indictment issued on July 17, Michael Vick, star quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, has been competing throughout the off-season by participating in illegal dog fighting. This is the type of story that could affect readers in a number of ways. If you look at these allegations strictly as a football analyst, this might not be too big of a deal. Vick’s ability to play hasn’t been affected, and dogs are just dumb animals, right? Maybe, but if you are an animal lover, the allegations are despicable.
The recently released indictment document alleges that Vick and three others ran a dogfighting group, called “Bad Newz” Kennels, in buildings on property owned by Vick in Smithfield, Va. On June 4, Sports Illustrated ran a story reporting the condition of this property when federal investigators initially found evidence of dog fighting. According to that article, on the property there is a big white building that looks like a nice, normal, residential home. However, behind that house, hidden from the road, there are a number of buildings, all painted jet black in an alleged attempt to hide the buildings from sight. It was in those buildings on Vick’s property that investigators allegedly found more than 30 dogs, many of whom showed signs of participation in dog fights (wounds on the face, ears or front legs).
In interviews, Vick has claimed innocence, saying that he let relatives live at the home and therefore, he had no control over their actions. But, in the indictment, Vick (also known as “Ookie,” according to the document) was in attendance during a litany of documented fights.
In fact, the document alleges that Vick was on hand when many of the animals were killed, most by gunshots fired by one of Vick’s three alleged associates. I’ll spare you the detailed accounts of the fates that other dogs allegedly suffered at the hands of these men, but events listed in the indictment are truly deplorable.
The real story is the fact that this isn’t an isolated issue. The Sports Illustrated story points out many other athletes who have been arrested for their personal involvement in dog fighting. Athletes such as former NFL running back LeShon Johnson, former Dallas Cowboy Nate Newton and former NBA player Qyntel Woods all ran into problems with the law due to their involvement in the “sport.”
Maybe these athletes are used to being so competitive in their lives that they feel some need to be competitive with their pets. But, if that is true, why the need for so many dogs? Wouldn’t one dog be enough to be proud of? And if they take pride in these “pets,” why the accounts of horrific treatment and murder of the animals?
I just don’t understand. Vick is a highly paid athlete. With his ability, wealth and youth (he’s only 26 years old), he could be enjoying so many wonderful things in life. But instead he is accused of using a violent means to get enjoyment out of life, and it is hard to fathom.
The shame is that actions like this take the focus off of the good that the spotlight of sports stardom can bring. For example, instead of running some illegal venture, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb runs the DM5 Foundation, a non-profit organization aimed at fighting diabetes. In fact, to celebrate his efforts, in 2006 McNabb was awarded the Eagles Man of the Year award for his work in the community.
But, this example is just a look at what a different quarterback has done. Many athletes from all sports do incredible and worthwhile things to give back to the community. It’s a shame the actions of an alleged dog abuser like Vick can cast such a shadow on an industry where so many do so much for others.

The latest gizmos and gadgets were unveiled recently at E3 — what should gamers look forward to in 2008?

The Electronic Entertainment Exposition, or E3, was held recently July 10 to 13 in Los Angeles. and, while we, as East Coast video game fans, might have been far from the action of this year’s event, I’ve scoured the Internet to bring our readers a few highlights of this year’s show.
Information from this year’s E3 event is available all over the Internet at sites like IGN.com, Gamespot.com or even E3’s own Web site at E3expo.com. Also, TV network G4 covered the entire exposition during the week of July 10 through 13 and through all of the information released, I have to say it looks like gamers will have a wealth of games to play before the holidays this year.
E3 used to be a spectacle of lights, games, music and girls — everything that will attract the young male crowd that is so heavily involved in video games. But this year, after the circus that was E3 in 2006, the show’s organizers felt the games were getting swept away in all the spectacle. This year, there were no stage shows to promote games, there were no models (known as “booth babes”) hired to promote games at the show and there were many fewer attendees invited to visit E3 this year.
This all lead to a new exhibition where the games were the stars of the show, and now that the week-long event has wrapped up, here’s a few of the biggest announcements and upcoming games that were shown. I broke everything down by system.
Microsoft Xbox 360
Last year, Microsoft was the only company to have a next generation console on the market during E3. So, how did Bill Gates’ company do this year, now that the other big companies (Sony and Nintendo) also have next-generation systems on the market? Well, I believe they did pretty well.
The company had some big exclusive titles to show off, and I liked that it opened the press conference, shown live on G4, with a small band of “Halo” fans who played an impressive version of the “Halo” theme song.
“Halo 3,” of course, is Microsoft’s biggest game this year. It is due out in the fall and Microsoft showed some footage of the new game at E3. A big focus of Microsoft’s efforts this year, (that I didn’t see from the two other big companies,) was a focus on games that will be available before the end of the year, instead of showing games that players will not be able to get their hands on until 2008. That was an interesting idea.
The Xbox 360 does have some wonderful titles on the way. I personally am looking forward to “Bioshock” by 2k Games (an interesting looking underwater horror/shooter game), “Fable 2” by Blue Box Entertainment (the first one is one of my favorite all-time games), and the awe-inspiring “Mass Effect” by Bioware.
Sony Playstation 3
Sony was relatively quiet at this year’s E3. Prior to the event, Sony announced a price cut on its Playstation 3 (PS3). The move slashed the price of the PS3 with a 60 gigabyte hard drive by $100. However, this didn’t seem to surprise many video game analysts, as the PS3 is seen as overpriced, and the PS3 with a 60 gigabyte hard drive is being discontinued by Sony in favor of a PS3 with an 80 gigabyte hard drive. So, is this a true price cut or an attempt to clear the shelves of the PS3 with the smaller hard drive?
No matter — Sony showed some impressive titles at E3. The action/fighting game “Heavenly Sword” looks incredible, and “Killzone 2” is a follow up to an impressive Playstation 2 game from a number of years ago. But, as a gamer who doesn’t want to pay for a PS3 because it costs too much and, so far, has few good games, I really didn’t see anything in the E3 coverage that would make me want to buy a PS3.
Nintendo Wii
The last company at the show with a next-generation system seemed to show off more than anyone else this year.
Nintendo showed up at E3 with more than just games to show this year — it brought impressive hardware too. The company showed off a “zapper” that connects to the Nintendo Wii controller and makes it work as a gun. This could be used in many upcoming games, and if it’s handled right, it could bring some hardcore games to the system that some players seem to believe is too “casual.”
Also, Nintendo brought a new game and accessory to the table, or should I say to the floor, with the announcement of “Wii Fit” and the “Fit Mat.” The Wii has been known to help players lose weight, as many of the games require the players to get off the couch and move around in front of the TV. Nintendo is capitalizing on that by introducing a weight-sensitive “Fit Mat” that allows players to move their bodies to on-screen instructions in order to lose weight. This is one I’m going to have to try before I can give an accurate impression, but it looks like a lot of fun. Kudos to Nintendo for introducing something like this to make exercise more fun. Also, Nintendo will be introducing big games like “Metroid Prime 3: Corruption” and the new “Super Mario Galaxy”
Keep an eye out for all these games and gadgets in local stores at the end of this year and early next year.

The Phils close in on 10,000 losses?!! Say it ain’t so, Charlie!

As of July 12, the Phillies are one game away from a momentous occasion. The team will soon suffer its 10,000 loss as a franchise, more losses than any other ball club in existence. This is a dubious achievement indeed, but I believe the Phillies could use it to their advantage in a number of ways. Unfortunately, right now, the team is trying to avoid commenting on the record that they are about to break (and on July 18, when this paper reaches your doorstep, the Phils will probably have suffered that 10,000th loss). So, I put together a short list of ways that I believe the Phillies could use this bogus achievement to their advantage.
1) It’s a record, isn’t it? Look, Phillies fans have suffered for years. Heck, I was only a year old the last time the Fightin’ Phils won the World Series, and it’s been 14 years since the Phillies have made it to the World Series. So, honestly, it might be kind of fun for the team to celebrate the loss in a humorous way. At least they could acknowledge the record that their fans have had to suffer under for these many losing seasons.
2) Hold a humorous “bad luck” day at Citizens Bank Park. I found out, thanks to a recent article by Paul Hagen of the Philadelphia Daily News, that on June 6,1972, the Phillies hosted a “turnaround” day in an attempt to turn their bad record around. Hagen noted in a article written for the People Paper on July 6 that:
“The ushers wore their caps backwards. The lineups were introduced in reverse order with the players’ last names first,” reported Hagen. “The seventh-inning stretch was held in the third. The scores were posted backwards. When the Astros scored twice in the top of the first, the ‘2’ was posted in the ninth inning. The organist played ‘Good Night, Sweetheart’ before the first pitch and the national anthem after the final out.”
Why can’t they do something similar now? Couldn’t they give away t-shirts to all the fans that read “I survived 10,000 losses, and all I got was this Phillies shirt”? That would at least keep it light-hearted, and fans can have fun with the record.
3) Embrace the record and celebrate the teams of the past.
The Phillies have been a professional baseball team since 1883. That is almost 125 years of baseball. Any team that survives that long will eventually achieve 10,000 losses, so I really don’t think the Phillies should be ashamed. They should do something to recognize the players who played the game throughout the years. It isn’t about blaming the older teams for racking up the losses, but instead it’s about celebrating the fact that they played the game in Philadelphia.
When you come right down to it, Philadelphia sports fans are familiar with loss. Consider the Philadelphia Eagles’ recent Super Bowl loss, the 76ers’ horrendous last season or the struggles that the Flyers have had to endure.
We can’t pretend that the Phillies haven’t reached 10,000 losses. As fans, we’ve all watched more than our share of games in that record number. But, it’s part of being a Philly fan. We know they will get better, although I hope it happens sooner than later. But, I guess sometimes it’s good to root for the underdog.

The top five reasons why the new ‘Transformers’ movie screws up things that were great about the ’80s cartoon

Over the fourth of July, judging by box office receipts, many Americans went to see the “Transformers” movie. I went too, but I need to complain a little bit about the movie. I know anyone else who, like me, grew up in the ’80s probably noticed the same problems that I did in the new movie. These are some things that stuck out like a sore thumb, and I’m going to list them, not in order of how much they changed the original characters or plot, but how much the change bothered me. I know that might make this list very subjective, but it is my name on the article, so I’m going to stand on this soapbox for a minute.
On we go to:
5) Transformers came to Earth for energon!
In the new film, the various Transformers are led to Earth in search of something called “The Allspark,” which supposedly gave life to their planet of Cybertron. But, the movie only gives a vague reason why the two factions, Autobots and Decepticons, would each want to control the Allspark. It seems like it gives life, but the movie Autobots want it destroyed — why? Anyway, the plot in the old TV series was clear. Earth had energon, the substance that made the Transformers live. So, when they heard that our planet had this substance, the giant robots came to Earth. The Decepticons want to possess all the energon they can hoard in order to become stronger, while the Autobots want energon use to be controlled as to allow the life-giving fuel to be able to give life to all of the robots back on Cybertron. It was sort of an Al Gore (in the form of Optimus Prime) versus big oil companies (i.e. the Decepticons) battle that we are seeing today. It was much better, and as a child, even though I watched the show to see big robots fight each other, I remember the lesson of conservation. It’s too bad that was removed from the recent film.
4) Bumblebee is a Camaro?
In the new movie, Bumblebee is a Camaro who makes the first contact with humans. I actually kind of liked the fact that Bumblebee is the Autobot who befriends Sam (played by Shia LaBeouf), as he was also the robot who befriends a human (Spike) in the cartoon. But, why change the type of vehicle that Bumblebee is?
Sure, a Camaro is a cooler, faster car, but he’s named Bumblebee in reference to the fact that he was a Volkswagon Beetle. He was named after a bug because he was a yellow bug. Oh well, I guess a Camaro will just sell more toys.
3) What happened to Starscream?
Starscream is the Decepticon’s conniving second-in-command. He was always willing to backstab the leader, Megatron, at every opportunity, and it showed a struggle in the ranks because the Decepticons would get frustrated since they always lost to the Autobots. But, the fact that he mindlessly follows Megatron in the movie doesn’t bother me, it is how he looks. Starscream was always a jet plane, but in the ’80s he had a sleek look.
As you can see in the picture above, Starscream was a good looking character, and his body was proportionate after he transformed from a jet into a robot. In the new movie, Starscream’s jet form looks fine, but when he transforms into a robot, he looks like a piece of pizza with twigs sprouting from his sides for arms and legs. Why couldn’t they just leave him the way he was?
2) Megatron is a jet?
In the original cartoon, Megatron could transform into a gun. It showed how the Decepticons cherished power so much that they made a gun their leader. But, in the new movie, Megatron transforms into some sort of goofy-looking space jet. He should have at least been a tank. I could understand the change. But why erase the history of the character by making him into something completely different than he was originally? A “Transformer” indeed.
1) Why does Optimus Prime have lips?
This one jumped out at me the second I saw it. In the cartoon, old toys, comic books and even on the poster for the new movie, Optimus Prime has no mouth. He has a ninja-like mouth covering that just looks cool. And, honestly, I never questioned the mouth cover because, even as a kid, I knew one simple fact: robots don’t need mouths to communicate. That should be simple to understand, but I guess the movie studio didn’t like it because the first time you see him, Optimus is speaking using a gigantic, fully articulated mouth. In the film, he only uses the mouth cover during fights. Great. Way to go movie studio. Way to unnecessarily change the character, especially on a character whose face is so iconic. I hope in the inevitable sequel some of these things are addressed. If not, who am I kidding? I’ll still be in line to see it.

Philly mayor John Street waited 15 hours for the iPhone — what an iDiot

Philadelphia mayor John Street was one of the first people to be in line for Apple’s newest must-have gadget, the iPhone.
Street waited for over 15 hours on a Philadelphia street corner to be able to purchase one of the multi-talented, multi-tasking phones, and when the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News reported his 15-hour vigil, they did it with a favorable nod to Street.
Both papers seemed to latch onto the positive fact that Street is a technophile, and he seemingly attends to a lot of his mayoral duties on his Blackberry device. The Inquirer ran an editorial on July 4, which even pointed out that Street is brining free Wi-Fi to the City of Brotherly Love through his personal love of technology.
But, while this paper is hardly a comparable news digest next to the likes of those daily Philly papers, I feel the bigger papers missed the reasons why most Philadelphians on the streets were upset at the mayor’s 15-hour wait for the iPhone.
It isn’t because of his desire for new technology. Heck, who doesn’t want an iPhone? Those things look like fun. It wasn’t even because he was sitting outside waiting in line when he easily could have had a staffer, or even an unpaid intern, do it for him. Or he could have been sensible and waited a few hours and gotten one on eBay. That at least would have saved taxpayer money by not having Philadelphians pay his salary while he sat in line on a weekday.
Nope, instead, what is most upsetting is the fact that he was visible for such a long period of time doing nothing at all when so many Philadelphians feel that so much needs to be done to improve the quality of life for people all over the city.
The Inquirer editorial reported that people in other cities and countries, who had heard about Street’s vigil, had applauded his efforts, and the story insinuated that Philadelphians just don’t get it. The editorial said that Philadelphians seem to feel that “Street can do no right.” But, the fact is that Street is not a visible mayor when it comes to the issues that concern most of the city. Don't get me wrong, Street has attended rallies against gun violence, but that doesn’t seem to be affecting the high rate of crime in the city. I don’t think he’s ever spent 15-plus hours on the streets of the city for any reason other than purchasing an iPhone.
He’s not holding 15-hour long rallies against violence and crime. He’s not sitting outside of a local police station in any 15-hour demonstration to rally public support for anti-gun laws, stricter citywide gun control or anything like that. In fact, he’s probably not doing anything now but programming all of his friends’ phone numbers into his new gadget while, as of July 5, the homicide rate in the city has hit an all-time high of 205 for this early in the year.
As a mayor of one of the largest and most respected cities in the country, Street is a visible figure. If he is outside (especially for 15 hours), he is in the public eye. He should be using it for a better reason than to buy the ability to watch YouTube on a cell phone.
I suggest that the next time Mayor Street feels like sitting outside for a few hours, he should sit on a street corner in North Philadelphia for the night. Or maybe he could do a 15-hour stint on a street corner in Port Richmond or Kensington. Maybe then he’ll see that real Philadelphians don't sit outside waiting to be the first to waste their money on some over-priced gadget. Instead, if they are going to sit outside, they will probably watch the streets so they can protect their family and their neighbors from the violent crime that Street seems to be so reluctant to stop.
Besides, even with all the magical things it can do, I don’t think the iPhone has a “Stop City Crime” button, which is the feature he should be most worried about right now.

It's too bad this game can't transform into something fun

There are few rivalries that will never end: dogs versus cats, Hatfields versus McCoys, Marvel versus DC, and of course, Autobots versus Decepticons.
I don’t know what it is about the Transformers, but the two factions of the giant convertible machines, the Autobots and the Decepticons, have always wanted to tear each other apart. For most of my youth, these sworn enemies have engaged in a galactic war that unfolded in cartoons and in my imagination on too many Saturday mornings to count. And now, in 2007, the bohemoths have headed into movie theaters with one mission: destroy box office records.
Well, they are going to try to do that anyway, with the help of veteran movie maker Michael Bay.
From what I’ve seen of the trailers, this movie looks like the next “Citizen Kane,” but I’m biased. I played with the Transformer toys before I could throw a ball, and I vaguely remember wanting to name our family’s first cat “Optimus Prime.” Needless to say, I was outvoted. But, that’s not the point. Like many kids today who are into collecting all the animals in “Pokemon” or cards in “Yu-Gi-Oh,” I liked the Transformers.
So, I am excited for the movie, and when I heard that there would be a game based on the movie, my interest was again peaked. But, then I thought about the many games that have been based on movies and have been disappointing. Most games based on movies or TV shows tend to be bad. But here we have a unique case. “Transformers: The Game” is based on a movie that in turn was based on a cartoon which was based on a line of toys (which itself was based on a similar series of toys from Japan)!
So, how does the game fare? Not too well. I initially thought I’d make the joke: “For more fun, take the game disk and transform it into a drink coaster,” but that is a little harsh.
“Transformers: The Game” has good intentions. It allows you to transform using many of the most popular Transformers, and battle throughout cities while stomping on buildings. Players are even given an interesting selection of weapons and collectible objects scattered throughout the game world to keep playing to earn unlockable bonuses. But, under all that goodness is a core of lame gameplay.
The game is frustrating, because it has so much potential. The levels are great. They are all medium-sized free-roam playgrounds where players can run around and find missions, items or just mess with the scenery. Players can choose to play as either the Autobots and protect the buildings and people in each level or the Decepticons and try to destroy everything in sight.
If you choose to be an Autobot, you’re already limiting your play. Autobots all transform into wheeled vehicles, while the Decepticons can turn into scorpions, helicopters and jet planes. Also, as an Autobot, you need to protect the city. That means your health is tied into the health of the area you are protecting. So, essentially, if you break it, you bought it, since, if you break enough things, you’ll kill yourself. Clever play on words, right? Yeah, that’s why they pay me the big bucks. Anyway, being penalized for breaking a building can be frustrating. But players will get used to it.
My biggest complaint was that as a gigantic transforming robot, players get a wealth of power, but very little chance to use it. Most of the missions can be completed without ever needing to transform, and when you do need to shape-shift, you’ll only need to do it for a minute or so.
Also, every character gets two kinds of weapons, a heavy attack and a quick attack, but the weapons are completely useless. Except for a few small enemies that appear on only one level, the weapons are ineffective with every other enemy because all the transforming robots have shields to block the shots. So, what could have been an all out, blow-em-up fun fest is instead reduced to you holstering your weapons and using the same three-punch combo to take out every enemy. It’s just a shame.
Overall, i liked the game. It’s a blast to transform at ease and race around the levels, but completing the missions can get boring, and the fighting could use more weapons and less shields. So, if you’re a real fan of the Transformers, give this a try. Otherwise, well, wait two months and get Grand Theft Auto 4.

Sorry Cheney, but you are still a part of the Executive Branch

Recently, two news items caught my eye. One, reported by Julie Steenhuysen of Reuters in Chicago, said that scientists with the University of California have found that if you put a name or face on your feelings, it will help mute the ill effects of the emotions. In other words, talking about bad feelings helps you feel better. Obvious, maybe, but I bring this story up to make a point.
The other story that I found recently was from a report by the Oversight and Government Reform Committee of the U.S. Congress. This is available on the Web at http://oversight.house.gov/story.asp?ID=1371. In the report, the committee states that Vice President Dick Cheney has claimed his office is not “an entity within the executive branch.”
According to the committee, Cheney made this statement in a letter to committee chairman Henry A. Waxman, who represents the 30th District of California, after Waxman questioned why Cheney has exempted his office from a government-wide procedure that is established to safeguard classified information.
The order allows the National Archives to store all classified documents from all branches of government. It’s a standard procedure and allows the government to safeguard its most important documents. But, Cheney would seemingly rather have his files disappear after he is out of office. Does this mean he has something to hide?
I don’t know. But, I can say one thing. The fact that the Vice President of the United States is hiding information from the National Archives and breaching a security measure that all branches of government are legally required to adhere to, well, that just makes me confused and angry.
There, those scientists are right. Now, I feel a little better.

Wizard World Philly '07 coverage!

It was a weekend filled with superheroes and celebrities, where sorcerers, magic and mayhem could be found, and imaginations ran wild.
Welcome to Wizard World ’07.
This event is held only once a year in the City of Brotherly Love. And, it invaded the Philadelphia Convention Center during the weekend of June 15 to 17. The event, named for Wizard magazine, which focuses its coverage on all things “geek,” is a weekend full of comics, art, collectibles and celebrities.
Wizard World is a special kind of convention, one not aimed toward a specific crowd. Traditional comic book conventions attract mostly collectors and dealers who are looking for rare items, and “Star Trek” or “Star Wars” conventions bring fans of one space drama or the other, but Wizard World offers more than similar conventions ever could.
At the event, comic creators and artists joined movie and TV stars in the “Artist Alley” and signing areas, while throughout the convention center, fans could scrounge through the thousands of comic bins and dealer tables, play card and board games, watch martial arts demonstrations from the International Fighting League or even see light-saber battles between members of the New York Jedi.
“I’ve been attending this event for about five years now,” said award-winning cartoonist Brad Guigar. “Wizard World started as a general comic convention, and it has grown to this. It’s all good because the more people they bring into to tent, the more books I can sell.”
Guigar, a Philadelphia native and graphic designer for the Philadelphia Daily News, was on hand to promote his comic strip “Evil Inc.,” a comic about a corporation run by supervillains. His strip appears daily in the “People Paper.”
Guigar also writes a weekly “Phables” feature for the Daily News where he features stories of the lives of Philadelphians. For “Phables,” Guigar recently won a “Best Local Column” award from the Philadelphia Society of Professional Journalists, and this year the column has been nominated for a Will Eisner award for “Best Digital Comic.”
“I started doing a comic called ‘Greystone Inn,’ and it evolved into ‘Evil Inc.’ I was doing it on the side. The Daily News didn’t even know I was doing it,” he said. “Now, along with the day job [at the Philadelphia Daily News], I work on it six days a week, but who needs sleep?”
For more information on Guigar’s work, visit his Web site at www.evil-comic.com.
Along with local artists like Guigar, celebrities like Hayden Panettiere of NBC’s TV show “Heroes” and Lou Ferrigno, who played The Hulk in a TV show named for the muscle-bound superhero, were also available throughout the weekend to meet fans.
But, in what might be the most noteworthy achievement of the event, fans dressed as their favorite superheroes or villains were applauded for their costumes, and prizes were awarded for the best getups. No one was left out or ostracized. People weren’t poked fun at for their devotion to the things they enjoy.
Instead, in this reporter’s experience, everyone at the show was very welcoming. I believe that, to many, having the ability to revel harmlessly in their own favorite fantasies, even if only for a few hours, is what makes something like Wizard World so unique.

The weekend of June 15 to 17, head to the city for ‘Wizard World Philly 2007’!

For fans of technology, comic books and all things “nerd,” sometimes the East Coast can be a lonely place. When you live on this side of America, it can be hard to find others interested in the same things as you. Out in California, there are comic book, video game and all kinds of conventions on a steady basis. Los Angeles hosts not only the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), which is the biggest video game convention of the year, but the city is also host to special events like the recent May 24 “Star Wars” 30th anniversary celebration.
But, what about us on the East Coast? We love all things tech, comic, game and sci-fi as much as anyone. Where’s the love for the East Coast?
Thankfully, Wizard Entertainment hasn’t forgotten about this side of the states. The company will be hosting “Wizard World Philly 2007” from June 15 through 17 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center at 1101 Arch St. in Philadelphia, just for fans like you and me.
I was lucky enough to be able to attend last year’s “Wizard World Philly,” and it did not disappoint. There were exhibitors and collectible dealers from all over the world.
Everywhere I went, there were comics to read and collectibles to examine, artists to meet and fun games to play. This year’s show should prove to be even more eventful.
Comic book creator guests like “Ultimate Spider-man” writer Brian Michael Bendis or artist and Marvel Comics’ editor-in-chief Joe Quesada will be available for autographs, as will TV superstars like Hayden Panettiere of ABC’s “Heroes.” Even Lou Ferrigno (who played the Hulk in the “Incredible Hulk” TV show from the ’80s) will be available to talk and sign autographs for fans.
Not only that, but during Wizard World, there is a section of the convention center designated as “Artist’s Alley.” It is here that fans can meet many of their favorite comic book artists as well as talk to the artists, young and old, about their craft or purchase some hand-drawn artwork.
But, Wizard World is more than just autographs and famous people. During the weekend, there will be a number of events taking place that fans of any genre will want to take part in.
Throughout the weekend, the New York Jedi, a group of light-saber toting martial artists will be holding classes in light-saber fighting techniques, and the Jedi will hold a light-saber dueling tournament for members of the group. Where else can you see live light-saber duels?
But, if you’re the type of person who would rather duel on a table top instead of with a light-saber prop, Wizard World has something for you, as well. There will be Heroclix (a superhero-based board game) and Magic: the Gathering (a card-based battle game) tournaments open to all attendees.
Also, a new event for Wizard World will be artist “jam” sessions. In these sessions, artists who are at an event in Charlotte, N.C. will FedEx artwork to the convention in Philadelphia, where artists will add their own personal touches to the artwork. The final pieces will then be auctioned off by the Hero Initiative. The Hero Initiative is a non-profit organization that helps comic-book creators meet financial needs in case of emergency or medical costs as creators age. The group collected an impressive list of artists to “jam” together this year, and the auction should be an exciting event.
For video game fans, Sony Playstation will have a booth this year at Wizard World. Gamers can play demos and see footage of upcoming games. Also, if you bring your Sony PSP, you could receive a free memory stick. Demonstrators will be on hand to teach PSP gamers how to use their system to access games and information on the Internet.
Overall, this year’s event is shaping up to be something special. When you live on the East Coast, very rarely do you get to attend a convention with this many famous guests, fun events and exciting collectibles. Tickets are available on the days of the show, but all advance ticket orders will receive “Fantastic Four #546” featuring a sketch cover by the great artist Michael Turner, and a copy of “Fathom: Kiani #2,” featuring an exclusive cover also by Michael Turner. If you buy tickets the day of the event, you don’t get the books.
For more information on other special guests and show times, and to purchase tickets in advance, visit the Web site at http://wizarduniverse.com/conventions/philadelphia.cfm.
This is an event that comes around only once a year. So, if you’re interested in comic books, this is the place to be this weekend. But if not, try something new and bring the kids. They will love it, and with all the amazing events and items under one roof, you might become a comic fan yourself.

‘Conan: Book of Thoth’ isn’t nearly as entertaining as Busiek’s other ‘Conan’ books

Last week, I wrote about comic book author Kurt Busiek’s, “Astro City.”
I believe it’s an intelligent and entertaining comic.
And in my opinion, you’re really missing out if you haven’t read it.
Also, a few weeks ago, in a review of Dynamite Entertainment’s, “Red Sonja,” I brought up Busiek’s work once again. Specifically, I discussed his work on Dark Horse Comics’ “Conan” title, but I soon realized I haven’t yet reviewed any of the Conan books.
Well, I will rectify that mistake right now.
Concerning Busiek’s work on Conan, Busiek revels in Conan creator, Robert E. Howard’s world. Busiek shows his ability to write stories in the sword-and-sorcery genre that are as compelling as anything he had written before.
I decided to take a look at the book “Conan: Book of Thoth,” in which Busiek attempts to invent an origin story for one of Conan’s oldest enemies, Thoth-Amon.
Conan has encountered the evil wizard Thoth-Amon very early in his literary life. In fact, Thoth-Amon was introduced in Howard’s short story, “The Phoenix on the Sword.” Published in 1932, it was one of the very first Conan stories.
With “Conan: Book of Thoth,” Busiek — with help from writer Len Wein and artist Kelley Jones — tells the origin of Thoth-Amon, 75 years after the initial appearance of the character. It’s an interesting idea, but I couldn’t help but feel disappointed in this book.
The story starts off simply enough. Thoth is a poor boy who begs and steals to make money for himself and his family. He has an abusive father and a young sister who he promises to save from their harsh lives. This is a good starting point. It sets up Thoth as a boy who may commit petty crimes to get by, but desires more for himself and his sister.
However, soon after, the sister is all but forgotten. Thieves rob Thoth, and just as the robbery ends and he feels defeated by the world, Thoth’s only friend, Amon, arrives bragging that he had been invited to be an acolyte at the “Temple of Ibis.”
Seeing an opportunity to gain power, Thoth does the most evil thing he has done so far in his young life — he murders Amon and assumes his identity. For years, Thoth (pretending to be Amon) studies the peaceful magic of the god Ibis until he finds a forbidden scroll from which he learns of the evil god Set.
To make a long story short, Thoth seeks out the power of the evil god. I assumed that once he found this power, the story would end or readers would be treated to a tale of Thoth-Amon wielding his newly found powers against the mighty Conan. But no, Conan never even appears in this book. Instead Thoth, who doesn’t change his name to Thoth-Amon until late in the story, returns to the temple and creates a shrine to Set in the — get this — basement of the Temple of Ibis.
For years, none of the peaceful acolytes noticed Thoth’s sacrificial altar in the basement of a peace-loving god’s temple? I guess not, because Thoth keeps the altar and uses the power of Set to kill a few of the acolytes whom Thoth feels treated him badly.
After he gets these schoolyard rivalries out of his system, Thoth starts to turn the villagers’ worship of Ibis to Set. This takes place while the leaders of the Temple of Ibis promote Thoth to the head of their church.
If this sounds convoluted and slightly contrived, it is. A lot of things happen “just because” in order to get Thoth-Amon to place that he was in Howard’s original stories.
As the book nears its conclusion, Thoth-Amon unleashes an ancient evil that even he is unable to control, and then he and a priest of Ibis must destroy what is summoned.
The whole story feels forced, and when the story is over, there are too many loose ends. At the end of the tale, mention is made of the fate of the wizard’s family and sister. He is told that they died after he burned a wheat field to starve those who didn’t believe in Set. But this is done as an after-thought. It is as if Busiek forgot the characters and threw in the explanation at the last minute. Also, much of the origin of Thoth-Amon is similar to the origin of “Infidel,” one of Busiek’s own characters from “Astro City.”
In the end, I can’t recommend this book to anyone other than die-hard fans of the Conan books. You learn a great deal about the evil wizard Thoth-Amon. But while his rise to power is interesting, once he gains control of the Temple of Ibis halfway through the book, the story stagnates.
I say, pick up any of the collected trades: “Conan: The Frost Giant’s Daughter and other stories,” “Conan: The God In The Bowl And Other Stories,” or my favorite of the three, “Conan: The Tower Of The Elephant And Other Stories.” Unless you are trying to collect them all, leave “Conan: Book of Thoth” on the shelf. There are better comic books worth your time and money.
Hayden Mitman can be contacted with all your video game or comic book comments at hmitman@phillynews.com.

Get to Citizens Bank Park — food voted best in the U.S.

The Phillies stadium, Citizens Bank Ballpark in Philadelphia, has the best food of any stadium in the country. Now, although I wholeheartedly agree, I can’t take credit for giving Citizens Bank Park that honor. Instead, the park was recently awarded “Best Ballpark Food” by the Food Network during the channel’s inaugural “Food Network Awards” held last April.
Now, I knew the food at the park was phenomenal, but an award like that is something special. This means the Philadelphia park beat out parks like Fenway in Boston (famous for the “Fenway Sausages”), San Diego’s Petco Park and its famed shrimp tacos and even the over-rated “Dodger Dog” served at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. But, is it really a surprise to anyone who has been to Citizen’s Bank Park that it has the best food? Not only does the park have Rick’s Cheesesteaks and Chickie and Pete’s Famous Crab Fries, but also Bull’s Barbeque, named after former Phillie Greg “The Bull” Luzinski (who is always available at the booth to sign autographs!) and Harry the K’s, named after legendary Philly sportscaster Harry Kalas, that have some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. Bull’s Barbeque offers pretty much any type of barbeque you could want: beef, pork, chicken, turkey, and includes coleslaw and baked beans for one relatively reasonable price. It’s great.
Add in the fact that fans can watch Phillies pitcher get warmed up in the two-tiered bullpen and the outfield Hall of Fame along Ashburn Alley, and I think most people would enjoy that park even if there wasn’t a game being played.
But recently, I realized how few people have gone to the new stadium. For instance, I attend many games with my dad. He’s a huge Phillies fan, and every chance we get, we attend games. But, I was talking to my mom recently, and she’s never even been to the park. Granted she’s not much of a baseball fan, but like I said, there is so much to see and do at the park, I know she would enjoy it. So, she’s going to a game soon with me and my dad. Another friend of mine, one who can recite Phillies statistics like they were the Pledge of Allegiance, has not been to the park all year. I’m shocked.
The Phillies are looking good this year. First baseman, and last year’s champion of the All-Star Game Home Run Derby, Ryan Howard has just returned to the line-up after he suffered an injury, and as usual shortstop Jimmy Rollins and second baseman Chase Utley are both playing well. Center fielder Aaron Rowand (remembered mostly for a hard-fought catch last year that broke his nose) has been on a hitting streak, and he doesn’t look to be letting up any time soon.
So, what more reason can I give? Any Phillies fan should love to go to the park. There is no substitute for sitting in the sun on a cool spring day at the ballpark and hearing the crack of the bat. Even if you aren’t a huge fan of the team, take the kids. They will have a blast at the Philly Phanatic playground. And you just might find something that you enjoy. Soon, you might just find yourself returning to the park to join in a “Go Phillies” chant and to do the wave with the rest of the fans.

Here's a look at some awesome games coming out soon!

Summertime is a difficult time of the year for video game fans, and not just because the weather is warmer and people are telling us to “go outside and get some sun.” While it might seem like nagging moms, wives or girlfriends are pushing some gamers to abandon the consoles and hit the outdoors, the reality is that game publishers introduce most of the new titles in the winter around the holidays when people are more likely to buy them. So, what happens in the summer months is that shipments of new titles dry up like a slug in the bottom of a a salt shaker, meaning there are no new games to be easily found for any system.
But, every year, a few interesting titles trickle into stores during the summer months, and this year will be no different. This week, I’m going to highlight a few choice titles for each system, and hopefully, gamers will be able to find something to get them through the sunny-but-stale summer months.
Many of the upcoming summer games will be “multi-platform,” meaning they will be available on a few different game consoles. I’m sticking mostly to console-specific titles for this column, but one special “multi-platform” game will be listed at the end. So, if you read through this listing and don’t see a game that you hoped to play on your system, just read on to the “multi-platform” listing, okay?
Sony PS3
Sony’s Playstation 3 has been struggling to find buyers because it is an expensive piece of equipment and it doesn’t have many games, but there are a few titles coming but this summer that can change that. “Ninja Gaiden Sigma” by Tecmo Games will be released soon. This game is a remake of the stellar “Ninja Gaiden” released on the Xbox a few years ago. The “Sigma” version will have new levels, enemies and even a new playable character, but will a remix of an old game be enough to get gamers to buy the PS3? I doubt it, but “Ninja Gaiden” for the Xbox was one of my favorite games of all time, so this new version should be good.
Many of the PS3’s other upcoming titles will be “multi-platform.”
Xbox 360
Microsoft’s big box has steadily been outselling PS3s, and with the upcoming titles, it is easy to see that developers are working hard to keep Xbox 360 owners happy.
“Shadowrun,” which should be on the shelves by the time you read this, is also a remake of an older game. But, in Shadowrun’s case, the game is an old pen-and-paper style role playing game. The Xbox 360 version turns the game into an online shooter where gun-toting technology lovers fight against spiritual tribes of magic-users. It’s an all out battle of science versus magic, and it looks like it will be a blast.
Also, for racing fans, Microsoft will be releasing “Forza Motorsport 2” in the coming weeks. This game is a perfect title for fans of realistic racing, as all the cars in the game are real cars, and the vehicles are tuned as they would be in real-world conditions. The races take place on real-world courses, as well.
For fans of role-playing games, Microsoft will be releasing “Mass Effect” this summer. This is a futuristic science-fiction game that enables the player to play the game a number of different ways. For example, the main character’s job can be selected, so if players choose to be soldiers, they will encounter a lot of run-and-gun action while attacking aliens. But, on the other hand, if they choose to be an engineer, the players will need to approach tasks differently and puzzle solving will be required instead of a skilled trigger-finger. With a wealth of jobs to choose from, this could be one of Microsoft’s biggest games all year.
Nintendo Wii
We can’t forget Nintendo as we look toward the future. The inexpensive yet incredibly hard to find Wii has been winning the console wars since the holiday season, and in the coming months, gamers will get their fill of motion-sensitive action.
There will be two survival/horror games coming out, and they both look incredible. “Resident Evil 4” by Capcom Games will be a remake of an older game, but with special controls and features for the Wii, and “Manhunt 2” by Rockstar Games will put the player in the role of a mental patient who must escape a psychiatric hospital where everyone is a murderer. It might not be a good game for kids, but older gamers will enjoy all the scares in “Manhunt 2.”
Multi-platform
I’m running out of room, but I have to talk about the game that will be (along with Halo 3) the biggest game of the year: “Grand Theft Auto IV.” Developer Rockstar Games has kept a tight lid on information about this title. But, I know that the main character will be a Russian immigrant in America. In a recently released video, the character is shown driving around the newly designed Liberty City. It looks awesome, and all I saw was a guy sitting in a car!
So, get back in the house this summer — there are some great games coming home in upcoming months.

Busiek’s ‘Astro City’ is a glimpse into the lives of superheroes in the ‘real’ world

Ever since he started writing comics in the early ’80s, Kurt Busiek has been writing stories with a sense of humanity that is unique to his work.
This is no more evident than in his work on the Marvel Comic series “Marvels.” This series, with phenomenal artwork that brought attention to now-famous artist Alex Ross, told various stories about citizens who inhabit a fictional New York City where the Marvel superheroes co-exist with regular people.
In “Marvels,” Busiek examined the life of a newspaper photographer who kept busy by snapping pictures of the local superhero population. Busiek was skillful in his examinations of the heroes, and Ross’ lifelike art work helped the “Marvels” series to win numerous awards.
But, this series, originally printed in 1994, lasted just four issues, and in writing his stories from a different point of view, Busiek had unearthed an interesting idea. So, he continued this tradition in his personal series, “Astro City.”
In “Astro City,” Busiek created a new city and an entirely new roster of heroes with which Busiek could play with in any way he wanted.
It is in this series that Busiek is able to pose interesting storylines featuring characters similar to known superheroes. For example, Busiek examines what a date between DC Comics’ Superman and Wonder Woman would look like when he sends his heroes The Samaritan and Winged Glory on a date together. The Samaritan, a man from the future who gains powers similar to those of Superman after he is sent backwards through time, takes Winged Victory, who is, like Wonder Woman, a warrior female and the last of her race, out on a date at a fast-food joint. The two heroes quickly realize that, although they are interested in each other, the date will not work out. The Samaritan has the ability to hear the cries of those in danger, causing him to be distracted at times throughout the meal, and Winged Victory has fought alone for so long that she has a hard time opening up a conversation, and she sees his attempts to be a gentleman (like offering to get the door for her) as insults to her pride.
Busiek even turns his inquisitive eye on Marvel Comics’ Spider-man and the character’s motto “With great power comes great responsibility,” by creating a character named Jack-in-the-box, who, just like Spidey, taunts villains and shoots a confettilike string that ties up his enemies (like Spidey’s web). Here, Busiek decided to see what responsibility means to his hero when he gives Jack-in-the-box a young son. What is the more responsible action, protecting the city and risking your life or staying alive to ensure that your child has a father?
Since 1996, Busiek has been addressing ideas such as these in “Astro City” and, as with “Marvels,” Busiek’s work has received a number of awards.
Currently, Busiek is taking on racial tensions during the ’70s in the book “Astro City: The Dark Age Book 2.” Here, not only race relations, but civilian/superhero relations are strained after one hero, The Silver Agent (a character similar to Marvel’s Captain America), is found guilty of a crime and is put to death. All of Astro City mourns the hero especially once the citizens learn that their rush to judgment might have killed not only an innocent man, but one who had been a noble superhero.
Also, in “The Dark Age” books, Busiek pits law and crime directly against each other in the form of two brothers, one of whom is a cop and the other, a criminal.
I don’t want to give too much away. This book is currently available in comic book shops and collected stories of “Astro City” are available at all bookstores. The only problem with this series is, unfortunately, due to heath issues, Busiek’s books have has been stalled a few times. But, the latest books seem to be back on track and are as good a read as ever.

Spider-man 3 for Xbox 360 is a decent, but lame boss fights ruin the adventure

This review is going to be slightly biased, I’m sorry. I need to apologize for it up front because in all truth, the recently released “Spider-man 3” video game is not a great game, but I had a blast playing it.
Let me qualify my experience with the game. I am a devout “web-head.” I regularly look in the skies around the city for signs of the friendly neighborhood hero’s presence. Okay, that is an exaggeration, but there is a pretty sweet Spider-man statue on my desk as I write this column.
Anyway, I’m a fan of the guy in the red and blue, so I was very excited when the video game, based heavily on events from the recent movie, was released last week.
The problem that this game has is the same problem that most movie-based games have, the developers try to appease fans of the movie and fans of the comic, making the whole game a relatively enjoyable compromise, instead of an exciting home run.
Most movie-based games have to walk a fine line. They need to allow gamers to “play” the movie, but it would upset movie studios if the game simply retold the movie. So, they compromise. Some scenes of the movie make it into the game, and the storyline is intentionally left vague to keep gamers — who might have not seen the movie yet — guessing.
Also, with a game like “Spider-man 3,” developers might want to include all the different villains or stories from the comic books, but since certain things haven’t happened in the movies, certain villains can’t appear. For example, a villain named Carnage is a man who wears a suit that was spawned from the symbiote (the black goo that gets on Spider-man’s suit in the movie) that Venom wears. But, since the movie just introduced Venom, the game can’t introduce this other character, just in case the movie studios want to bring Carnage into a later movie.
Okay, I’m starting to talk semantics. Let me get back to the game. First of all, the developer, Treyarch, decided to stick with what works by basing this game’s mechanics on those of the older “Spider-man 2” game. That game was the first to give players the chance to swing through a realistic Manhattan as the web-slinger.
It was great. It was liberating. It was fun. But it was two years ago. So, why did the web-swinging get worse and more clunky this time around?
In the new game, Spider-man has fewer movement options, like tricks, than he had before, so that freedom is restrained. Also, the game is very buggy, and not in a “spider” sense, pun intended.
There were quite a few times that I was crawling up the side of a building, and as the camera turned, Spider-man ended up with his back to the wall and his feet pressing against thin air. He still kept climbing but on his back.
The entire experience feels hollow. You’re allowed the freedom of roaming the city, fighting generic gangs, finding some races or moving to the mission markers where you’ll square off with the movie villains, and some comic villains as well. Here my favorite inclusion is easily Kraven because, as in the comic book, Spider-man was wearing his black suit during the showdown. The fight gave me fond memories of the comic book.
But that was probably my favorite thing about the fight — the symbolism, because the mechanics are all wrong.
Throughout the game, Spider-man felt like a weak-armed wuss when fighting. Even when he fought a gang of punk fashion models, it took him a long time to knock one of these girls out, but then, not five minutes later, the game showed Spidey ripping a door off of a bank vault. How strong is he supposed to be?
When all is said and done, this game is very random. There are a lot of graphical errors, and the sound in the city is oddly muted. The boss fights are overly complicated and frustrating. Then, when you unlock the black suit, you’ll feel like you lost a lot of the fighting moves you just learned. But, you get to play as Spider-man in a new video game. It’s a trade off, I guess.
If you liked the older “Spider-man 2,” you’ll probably like this game, but if you’re looking for the best next-generation superhero game, get a game like “Crackdown,” instead.

Spider-man 3 kicks off a huge summer for geek movies (awesome!)

Summer is almost here, but as far as moviegoers are concerned, summer started on May 4. That was the first day of a summer that promises to be chock full of blockbuster movies. That was the day “Spider-man 3” was released.
Now, if you’re a regular reader of this paper, and I hope many of you are, maybe you have noticed that, on occasion I write a column focused on comic books or video games. I’m a nerd, what can I say?
But, I mention this because I believe it puts this newspaper in a unique position. Few publications comment on comics or video games, and I believe as this generation grows older, the entertainment that we remember from our childhood will grow with us and commentary on topics like video games or comic books will stay relevant. Just take a look at some of the movies coming out this summer:
-Spider-man 3, comic book (of course)
The web-swinger has also had his share of video games, and right now he’s a marketing machine. Unfortunately, his creator, Stan Lee, doesn’t see much of the profits from the films because when he created Spidey back in 1962 in the pages of “Amazing Fantasy” issue 15, no one expected the character to become the cultural icon that he has grown to be. It’s a shame because Lee created another super hero team that will be at the movies this year as well.
-Fantastic Four 2, comic book, also created by Lee.
The Fantastic Four came to life in 1961 under Lee’s masterful pen, and the team of heroes has been fighting villains like Doctor Doom ever since. It’s a shame a creator like Lee doesn’t seem to get the kudos he so rightly deserves for creating these heroes. But, I believe this proves a point.
Comic books, which were often thought of as something for nerds or bookworms, have become mainstream, and audiences all over the world are starting to meet characters and learn stories that us faithful comic fans have known for years.
You know the villains in the new movie? I’ve known them since I was a little kid. I can tell you Venom’s motivations, alter-ego, strengths and weaknesses without ever stepping foot into the movie theatre, because, as a child, my parents believed in keeping me reading often. It’s interesting to see characters you have known your whole life be brought to the screen and introduced to your friends and family who aren't comic readers. I hope the trend continues.
-Transformers, toys/comic book/ cartoon/ video game, to be released on July 4.
When most people hear the word “transformer,” they think of an electrical box that converts electrical current, but not people in my generation. My mind envisions the great war on Cybertron between the Autobots, led by the powerful Optimus Prime and the Decepticons, and their leader, the devious Megatron. I’m not sure if all of the Transformers that I remember from my youth will make it into the movie. (One of my favorites, Grimlock, a robot who transforms into a Tyrannosaurus Rex, probably will not make the jump to the silver screen.) But, once again, it is a shining example of a property that 20 years ago was looked at as childish or nerdy and now, the rest of America is jumping on the bandwagon — a bandwagon that will transform into a giant robot at that.
-Simpsons, cartoon, to be released as a feature film at the end of July.
This one was aching to be made into a movie for years, and it has been so popular for so long I’m sure that everyone knows these characters by now. But, I believe this falls into the category of the other films on this list. It started as a cartoon that many people thought of as juvenile, but over the years it has proved its ability to stay relevant and topical.
As for the “Spider-man” movie that just came out, if you have seen the first two, I’m sure you have seen how director Sam Raimi handled the characters with such reverence and respect that they burst off the screen. I have yet to see the most recent movie, but if it is anything like the comics (and the first two movies have been very similar to the books), well, I already know how the movie is going to go. But, that doesn’t mean I’m not excited to see it.
So, get out and enjoy this summer’s blockbuster films. And just stop for a moment and ask your kids about the characters in the films first. Chances are they have read the heroes’ exploits or played with toys of the characters long before these movies were ever conceived.