R.I.P. Kurt Vonnegut, Nov. 11, 1922 - April 11, 2007

Kurt Vonnegut, novelist, died recently after he suffered head injuries due to a fall in his New York home.
Vonnegut was a cynical writer who authored the classic title, “Slaughterhouse Five,” and toward the end of his life, grew disdainful of the current leadership in America.
According to an article published in The Free Press, in March of 2006, Vonnegut said that “the only difference between Bush and Hitler is that Hitler was elected.”
As a young man, Vonnegut served his country in the American infantry during World War II. During maneuvers, he and his team were taken captive by German soldiers, and he was imprisoned in Dresden during the Dec. 14, 1944 allied firebombing of the city. This event would serve as a catalyst to spur on many of his ideologies towards war, politics and religion.
As a writer, he was a genius. He used scientific invention as a plot device and would, at times, use invented alien species as a way to analyze the human condition from a different point of view. This often meant his work was labeled as “science fiction,” which is something he did not appreciate.
He had always said his religion was “humanist,” meaning he felt that there was no greater reward than life itself, and that regardless of social standing, everyone in modern society should treat each other with common decency.
Vonnegut will be missed. A recent collection of his essays, “A Man Without A Country,” made the New York Times Best Seller list. I recommend it to everyone.
I’d like to conclude this short remembrance of the writer with a phrase that, in a 2006 interview for Scottish newspaper, The Sunday Herald, he said he would like as his epitaph:
“The only proof he needed for the existence of God was music.”

Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam is a waste of time. The game doesn't even deserve the thought I would put into a catchy headline.

Being able to review video games for a newspaper is a pretty sweet gig. I mean, there is a lot I do as a writer and editor to put together a weekly newspaper, and it is always a lot of fun to go home, relax and play a video game, knowing I’ll get to write about all the fun I had in an upcoming video game review column.
It can be a lot of fun, unless there is a game like “Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam” (THDJ) waiting to be reviewed. When I sat down to play THDJ I honestly felt like I was sitting in a dentist’s chair struggling to endure the pain.
You see, I love “Tony Hawk”-style skateboarding games, but this is nothing like other games of its ilk.
Probably due to the motion-based control scheme of the Wii, THDJ removes the free-form skate-anywhere aspect that all other “Tony Hawk” games have included and instead isolates the game into a downhill race on small, confined race courses.
Other professional skaters must not have wanted to see their likeness represented in this mockery of the sport because the only real-world skateboarder represented here is Tony Hawk. He’d have to be in it because his name is on the title, but to replace real, talented pros who have been replicated so well in other “Tony Hawk” games with generic characters is just a shame.
In THDJ, players pick a character. Then, they hold the Wii-mote controller sideways, similar to how ordinary video game controllers are held. Then, they must guide their skater downhill using buttons to swing punches at rival skaters and shaking the Wii-mote to make the skater shift into turbo-mode.
Pardon me while I snore.
There’s nothing new or exciting here at all. The game plays a lot like the years-old “SSX” titles but with smaller courses. The same tricks are here, too. As a skateboarder, you can grind rails, pop ollies and do some grab tricks on your board. These tricks make sense when applied to the snowboard themed “SSX” because there are only a few tricks that you can do when the board is strapped to your feet. And, snowboarding games need to be based on downhill courses because, well, that’s where the snow is, and that is where people actually go snowboarding.
But, in a skateboarding title, players should be allowed to treat their board like an instrument. So many real-life skateboarders can do incredible things with a skateboard. Just take a second and look up Rodney Mullen on the Internet. He’s a professional skateboarder that made a career out of doing flat-land tricks, as in tricks with no ramp or hill — just him and his board. This downhill aspect simplifies everything so much that the game turns into a lifeless, tedious sludge of colorful graphics and characters who speak in slang terms that someone in the video game developer’s board room must believe is “hip teenager lingo.”
The whole title seems like the developing company caught a case of “Let’s cash in on the new system” syndrome.
Overall, this game is a waste of time. It jettisons much of the charm and finesse of other “Tony Hawk” titles, and what is left is a watered down “snowboard-esque” game with little to redeem itself.
This isn’t the Tony Hawk I know, and don’t let his name on the box fool you into thinking that this game is anything other than a silly downhill racing game.
When Tony Hawk is back doing tricks and ripping up the courses with skill instead of speed, I’ll be back, ready to play. Until then, I’ll let this title collect dust while playing something else.

Remember the victims of the Virgina Tech massacre, forget the gunman

*Note — this is the editorial I wrote the week of the Virgina Tech massacre*
By now, everyone has heard about the tragedy that befell Virginia Tech in the early hours of April 16. By now, everyone reading this knows that the shooter ended 32 lives before turning the gun on himself. And by now, many people know his name, which I have an uncomfortable feeling that is all he really wanted — having others remember his name. I have thought the words in this editorial through very carefully and I am going to do one thing that newspapers should never do — I’m going to withhold information from the reader.
I will not give the perpetrator of the Virginia Tech massacre any acknowledgment by printing his name in this paper.
This is a local community newspaper, and his name is news that is understandably part of the national media at this moment. But, this paper will do all it can to forget that one worthless individual.
However, I’d love to be able to reprint the names of all the innocent victims of that day, but that information isn’t mine to give. There are lists available as of April 19. I found one — compiled by the Associated Press — on Yahoo.com earlier today, but by the time this paper gets to your mailbox, I believe there will be more informative lists available. I do believe that two of the victims were from New Jersey, but not Camden County.
A time like this, after the worst shooting rampage to happen in our country’s history, let alone the worst school shooting ever in America, is when we as humans can connect with each other and grieve together. It is part of the human condition to want to come together as a national community in a time of crisis. In a way, we can all relate to the families of the victims.
While not all of us may have lost someone close in this disaster, we still feel the pain of the loss of innocent lives. Just as after Sept. 11, 2001, we as a community mourn the innocent dead. It is natural. It helps us to not feel alone when horrible things make the world this much more frightening. It is part of the healing process.
The true struggle after something like this occurs is in making sense of it all. Many news outlets this week are focusing on asking questions like “What could have stopped this?” and “Why didn’t something in the gunman’s past set off some kind of warning?” But I feel the true questions are “Why now? What was the final straw?” I have read that the perpetrator was a small, quiet kid who was picked on most of his young life. Did he finally get to a point where he couldn’t take it anymore? The fact is a huge percentage of the American population was the “small quiet kid” who was picked on. Not everyone can be rich, popular or good looking (I know this one first hand).
But, most people can handle it. Society functions on the fact that most people can do everything calmly, and they handle the ups-and-downs of life in a non-violent fashion. But here was a quiet, unassuming person who went instantly mad. I honestly don’t know how to prevent this kind of atrocity without removing freedoms of modern society.
Would more gun control have prevented this? I’m not sure. The gunman had no criminal record, so just as any law-abiding American citizen could, he was able to purchase a gun. He had a checkered past of possible stalking offenses, and was once in a mental institution, but many fully functional people in society have been in mental institutions or have seen psychiatrists for one reason or another at some time in their lives.
His stalking offenses were text message related. He sent a lot of cell phone text messages to girls he was interested in. I can see how, before this incident, this offense might not set off the type of warning necessary to allow authority figures to identify the gunman as a threat of this magnitude.
I have to admit that maybe there is no way to understand this incident. There are too many factors involved, and placing blame on any one thing other than the depraved individual at fault is a mistake. Video games, heavy metal music, violent movies or other aspects of society can’t be blamed just because the one who committed the crime is in a grave.
The strange video he sent to NBC as a statement of motive only made the whole incident more confusing.
Instead, I suggest society forget those who do not deserve to be remembered and wish the murdered victims peace. My heart goes out to the friends and families of all the innocent victims.

The fantastic 'Fables' stands on its own despite comparisons to "The Sandman"

Ever since Neil Gaiman ended his series “The Sandman” in 1996, several comic books have attempted to seize the throne left vacant by the “King of Dreams.” Gaiman’s series was easily one of the most entertaining and intellectual comic books ever printed. Throughout its run, he weaved a tale of Morpheus, also known simply as Dream, who was the King of Dreams. Gaiman’s work chronicled Dream’s exploits, along with the many characters in his life. His sisters, Death and Delirium played pivotal roles, and the series was a huge success for DC Comics.
I have to admit, it is difficult to explain this series to those who haven’t read it. It is very much a Greek tragedy tale that has been turned into a deconstruction of fairy tales, myths, literature and aspects of modern society. But, any description of “The Sandman” could never do the series justice. Gaiman wrote the book for almost 10 years, and in that time, he received a plethora of awards, had collections of “The Sandman” on the New York Times best-seller list and cemented his status as a genius creative talent along the way.
But, as I said, Gaiman finished the series in 1996. When he brought it to an end, readers in love with his style and his take on mythical characters have looked for a similar comic book ever since.
Over the past few years, I’ve heard praise for DC Comics’ “Fables,” a series written by Bill Willingham. It is based on fairy tale characters that inhabit the real world. More than a few readers have told me that “Fables” reminded them of Gaiman’s work.
At first, I decided to do what I usually do when I hear a series being compared to “The Sandman.” I ignored it. In comics, as with most industries, when one book is a critical hit, or is well respected, other books with similar themes will follow, and often, reviewers or readers will say that the new series is “just like” a series that was actually good. It’s a shame — all too often I’ve wasted money on comics that I had heard were “just like” Gaiman’s books, or were similar to Alan Moore’s “Watchmen” or Moore’s “Miracle Man” series. So, it was with trepidation that I sat down and read the first two collected volumes of “Fables.”
I can officially say that, in my hesitation, I ignored a wonderful series. Willingham created a vibrant world full of familiar characters in interesting situations, and while it isn’t quite the next “Sandman,” the series has a wealth of merits on its own.
The books concern the lives of fairy tale characters that have been forced from their various comfortable fairy tale lands to live in real world New York.
Central to the series are King Cole, who has become mayor of Fabletown (a city for the fairy tale characters that is disguised as a skyscraper); Snow White, who is divorced from Prince Charming and works as the mayor’s aide; Bigby Wolf, who is in fact, the Big Bad Wolf, but has learned to shape shift to hide his wolf-like appearance — he’s the sheriff of Fabletown, and Jack Horner, who has had adventures in the “Jack and the Beanstalk” story. He’s become something of a rogue in “Fables.” There are many other characters here. Willingham brings characters from all types of fables, myths and literature into this world. It’s a lot of fun just to see the what familiar characters are up to in this world. Just wait until you see Willingham’s take on Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
Willingham is also careful with how he handles his overall plot. Little is revealed about the true identity of “The Adversary,” the leader of the force responsible for taking over fairy tale lands and evicting the Fables. Willingham held that secret close until long into the series, and I‘m not going to reveal the enemy’s identity here, but it is a good surprise.
Willingham also does something intelligent with how he frames his story. The first story arch, collected in “Fables: Legends in Exile,” is a murder-mystery that involves Bigby Wolf investigating the murder of Snow White’s sister, Rose Red. Using Bigby’s investigation as a way of introducing readers to each character’s history and motivation was a great way to pull readers in to the world of “Fables.” The next collection (appropriately titled “Animal Farm”) introduces readers to a farm outside of New York where the Fables who can’t pass as humans are forced to live. Just as in George Orwell’s “Animal Farm,” the creatures have a desire for more and Snow White must act as the mayor’s emissary and quell a revolution on the farm.
I’ve got to stop here because, as I said, I’m late to the party on this title, and I’m just now reading the third collection of the long-running, ongoing series. It’s a blast following the further, “grown-up” adventures of many of the fairy tale characters that we have all grown up with.

Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade — offers a wealth of games to players, especially with the awesome 'Castlevania:SOTN'

Microsoft has some smart employees. It must, because the company’s third-party support for games and services is astounding. The Xbox 360 doesn’t suffer from many of the problems that have plagued Nintendo or Sony in the past, problems like game developers who, for example, might not want to develop a game for the Nintendo Wii. Stories have come to light about developers claiming that the Wii is relatively low-powered, and the controls are too hard to program for games. But, these companies will still work with Microsoft. And, companies who were at one time exclusive to Sony are jumping ship because Microsoft’s Xbox 360 has proved to be a worthwhile piece of equipment that can showcase games of any genre.
What seems to make developers most happy is that way Microsoft handles its relationships with other companies. Microsoft offers a wealth of support, in the form of software updates and knowledgeable support technicians, to others who are developing games for the Xbox 360. All this has led to happy companionship between Microsoft and other companies, and when all is said and done, the real winners are owners of the Xbox 360 itself.
To illustrate my point, I want to take a look at the latest games available through Microsoft’s online Xbox Live Arcade service. See, Microsoft is clever. Every next-generation console (Nintendo Wii, Sony PS3, and Xbox 360) has Internet connection capability and hard drives to save information. Both Sony and Nintendo have a deep library of classic titles from previous systems which they are releasing over their respective online services. This will allow gamers to play the older, fondly remembered titles. But, how does Microsoft, a relative newcomer to gaming, compete with companies whose systems can play both the latest titles and classic games that gamers have loved for years?
Not to be outdone, Microsoft is competing, if not winning, in this field. By having favorable relationships with outside development companies, Microsoft is able to purchase the rights to publish classic titles from those companies on an online arcade. So, even games that gamers might have played before in arcades or on other systems can now be downloaded and played in high definition on the Xbox 360.
Familiar older games like Konami’s “Contra,” Capcom’s “Street Fighter II,” Midway’s “Mortal Kombat III” and more are available. Even classic titles like “Pac-man,” “Frogger” and “Joust” are available to play for a new generation of players to enjoy.
Microsoft just released possibly its biggest classic title yet, and I’ll include a short review of the re-released original Playstation game at the end of this column, but I want to touch on the other aspect of Microsoft’s arcade ingenuity — new titles.
Along with classic titles, new developers are producing a steady steam of games for the arcade. While some are more impressive than others, it’s incredible to play a game like “Lumines Live!” on the Xbox 360. That title was originally a Sony PSP exclusive, and seeing it branch out onto the online service is a real treat.
Overall, Microsoft should be commended for its online strategy, and any gamer who owns an Xbox 360 but isn’t using Xbox Live is missing out on the full potential of the gaming machine.
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
(for Xbox Live Arcade)
When Microsoft gained the rights to publish this game on Xbox Live Arcade, the company knew it had a winner on its hands. Online reports noted that Microsoft’s company reps smiled when talking about the new titles on the way and hinted that something big was on the horizon, but this game was truly an unexpected gift.
The game, originally published in 1997 for the original Sony Playstation, is similar to all “Castlevania” titles from that time. It is a side-scrolling adventure where the goal is to destroy Dracula once and for all. But, this version of the game added evolving character elements to the player’s hero so that, throughout the game, you were getting new weapons, armor and skills.
But, what set this game apart was the beautiful, hand-drawn graphics; a rich musical score and incredible level design. (The game tricks players into thinking they beat the game when only half the game is truly complete!)
If you call yourself a fan of video games and haven’t played “Castlevania: Symphony of the Night,” well, that's honestly like a movie buff who hasn’t seen “The Godfather.” You’re missing one of the truly classic titles of all time. So, go out there and get it now. It is a huge game, and it only costs $8 on Microsoft’s Xbox Live Arcade.

"Crackdown" looks great and is a blast to play, but where's the plot?

The graphics and game play in Microsoft Game Studio’s newest title “Crackdown” are both incredible.
The game’s premise is simple. You are a genetically enhanced super cop who has to “clean up the city,” as the game says all too often. The trash you are tasked with removing comes in the form of three separate gangs that populate Pacific City.
The game starts by setting you loose in the city and allowing you to handle enemies as you see fit. However, there is a definite separation in the strengths of the various gangs. You should focus on taking each out, one at a time. This, too, is handled relatively well.
As you traverse the city, you’ll gain information videos focusing on one or more members of each gang. That gang member will be your target. Each gang is separated into various generals who you need to target before going after that gang’s leader. It all has a sort of trickle-down effect to it. For example, if you take down the gang’s general in charge of firearm procurement, the gang throughout the city and at the leader’s base will have weaker weapons. If you take out the general in charge of gang recruitment, there will be less members on the streets, and so on.
It is a lot of fun to pick away at the gangs, and the gang structure is really detailed. But, once you get to the generals, they all basically fight the same way. Even the gang leaders fight the same as the generals. You’ll have to pound your way through a large number of gang members to get to the leader or general. Once there, the target will have stronger weapons than most and tougher bodyguards with bullet-proof vests. But, other than the look of the characters nothing changes. It’s “find, fight, repeat,” with no variation on the fights.
That’s not to say the fights aren't fun, but they are repetitious, and with so much thought being put into the gang’s structure, you’d think the characters would have a little bit of personality, or at least varying tactics once you confront them. But here, all the gangs fight the same.
Other than going after gang members, a big part of this game is leveling up your agent. You’ll start with stats that make your supercop just slightly stronger than average humans. But, you’ll gain experience points by attacking gangs, driving cars, climbing buildings or just finding pick-up icons. As you progress, your character’s looks will change. He will grow bigger muscles and his face will change, sometimes aging or sometimes getting crazy face tattoos.
What is weird is that, since you have to level up your abilities, some things are frustrating, and at first you can blame your problems on the game. You will not be able to always target your enemy, and you will end up shooting innocents or other police officers mistakenly, but as you level up, you’ll be making precise shots from rooftops. The same goes with cars. At first, you’ll find driving frustrating. Later, it’s a blast. This is sort of counter-intuitive because the game is frustrating players by greeting them with sloppy controls before they have played the game and gotten a hang of all the moves and buttons.
But, moving up a few levels, everything gets tighter, control is better and players will have a character who can jump over small buildings and lift cars into the air. It’s impressive and fun, but it takes a while to get there.
Also, a big “shining star” point of this game is Pacific City itself. Every building and street is beautifully detailed. Some of the tallest buildings are actually fear inducing when climbed, if the player isn’t a fan of dangerous heights. You’ll be able to see for miles from the tops of buildings and it all comes together in a really impressive package. Despite few story elements and an annoying announcer who doesn’t seem to realize you’ve learned what ability orbs do, so he doesn’t need to remind you four hours into the game, “Crackdown” is one fun ride. But, don’t expect much of a story here to draw you in. Instead enjoy this game for its impressive graphics, game play and the sheer size of the massive cityscape.