Malacast Editorial

A Boy Named Shel by Lisa Rogak Book Review

2012-02-09T14:59:00.003-05:00

Image From openlibrary.com

Biographies,they are perhaps the most sought-after nonfiction novel, because they are theones that seem to be the most useful for remembering some of the mostintriguing people in the history of our world. Biographies are what everyonewants, because it’s proof that the individual the nonfiction work is writtenabout will survive the test of time. Everyone who is relevant has had some formof biography or autobiography written, and in the present day biographywriting, there could be more than several books from different authors, on thesame person.

FromBill Clinton, to Paul Jackson Pollock, almost everyone of noteworthy interesthas a biography, and most are quite concise, if not an exact imprint of theperson’s life. Historical fiction can be very close to a well-writtenbiography, but biographies are very precise in what’s expected of them,especially when it comes to the fact outweighing the fiction. Yet, with somecharacters in our world’s history, the fact is more intriguing than the talltales we’ve come to believe.

Outof the many biographies I’ve read, few have come close to resembling the morerecent history than that of the late, great cartoonist: Shel Silverstein.Silverstein was one of the first cartoonists for Playboy magazine, and wrotefor Stars and Stripes, the military’s newspaper. These starting positions, theformer more cementing than the latter, was the beginning of the many greatachievements of Shel Silverstein. Shel is called one of the last greatRenaissance Men, and although many more have had infamy over him, Shel hadalways excelled in almost every single project he had been a part of,particularly when it came to recording music, and songwriting.

ShelSilverstein is a man who stands alone, and although most people only know himfor his children’s works, he has done many racy songs, plays, and a few books,both graphic in sex and language. This biography, though there are some qualms,is quite distinct, if not concise on the subject of Shel Silverstein.

LisaRogak is known for her biography on Dan Brown, which I’ve not personally read,but have heard some accolades on her account on Dan Brown’s The DaVinci Code.When I saw a book about Shel Silverstein around the time of his death, I pickedit up, and after just reading it after having the book for a year or so, Ifound it quite well-written. Though it feels like a biography that writesitself, this was more specific, where the information came from primary sourcesof the friends, family, and people who’ve surrounded Silverstein in his life.

Rogakactually has written a quite concise biography. Again, the few qualms I’ve hadwith this book are few-and-far-between. I’m not too fond of the writing style,but this could be the fact that I’m more used to reading autobiographies, whichare obviously more direct since it comes from the main source. She writes well,just I find her descriptions of Shel Silverstein come off as if she knows ShelSilverstein personally, so it sounds a bit bias. Granted, Shel was a great guy,I can have a good idea of this by what all has been said of the man, but I feelthe author may have gotten just a bit too subjective on this subject.

Despitethese personal qualms, the book is great, Rogak gives so much information in solittle pages, and it feels like you are reliving the life, observing theinterviews, and it’s simply well-written. It’s not the most special book everwritten, or in-line for the greatest biographies, but it’s a great biographynonetheless, as the subject in Shel Silverstein has written award-winningbooks, songs, and playwrights. His most well-known works are probably WhereThe Sidewalk Ends A Light in the Attic and Falling Up. As achild I read these works, and others that Shel Silverstein has written, and Iwould go so-far ast to say he was one of my favorite writers when I was achild. He, and R.L. Stine have eaten up many hours of my life scrolling my eyesacross their books, and are two of the most popular children’s novelist ever.Silverstein’s work is incredible, his silly poetry, and his authentic cartoonsare automatically recognizable to any fans of his work.

Mostlyknown for his Playboy cartoons, I found it interesting that Shel was not reallyinterested in being a children’s writer, and that his publisher is the onethart pressed him to write young adult, and children books. Incredibly, forevery medium Shel created for children, he would push the shock value with hisother works, such as song recording, playwriting, or even adult poetry books.

ShelSilverstein’s life was amazing, he lived the dream-life of every man, despitemany hardships, and tragedies that happened to him, his life was quite surreal,impossible to believe as true, but much of his stated life in this biographyhas happened. Shel pratically lived in the Playboy Mansion, had a number ofexotic women who would sleep with, though he never really wanted any stringsattached, he was a wealthy vagrant, traveling the country, even the worldwhenever he felt like picking up and going, he lived like a rebel, and the roadwas his home.

Havingmany houses throughout the country, and even a houseboat in California, Shelwas a man that believed freedom was mobility, and freedom was having no realattachments to the place you are in, sop you owe nothing to noone, and nobodycould demand anything of you.

ShelSilverstein was again forms of conformity that fit the majority belief in thefifties and sixties, going even out of the realm of the hippie movement. He wasmore into the country and jazz countercultures, sort of like a beatnik withmore brains. He was unique, in a time where that word has lost much meaning,the “me” culture of the digital age, Shel was truly a unique man. The truth isShel was a man that no one could really be compared with, no one comes close tobeing able to say they could be the next Shel Silverstein. If you ever readShel as a child, perhaps this book will open up some information about him youdidn’t know before, but overall, it’s a good book to read. I’m not sure I’drecommend it as a buy, but definietely a read. If you’re a huge fan of the man,buy the book, if not, the local library near you (the one that’s actually stillopen) is always a suggestion, because it’s a good book, and a fun read.

Overall,a Boy Name Shel, named that since Shel Silverstein is the writer of the song aBoy Named Sue, made famous by Johnny Cash, is a great biography. Lis Rogakshows some commendable skill, writing a great book that intrigues, and bringsinterest to its subject character. Lisa makes Shel loveable, and shows him as acharismatic man that women wanted, and men just couldn’t believe from thisgangly-shaped bearded man.

Thosewho have read me before, I don’t have an accurate rating system, as systems areobjective, so I’ll just put it like this: of all the recent biographies, thisone isn’t about some kind of politician or reality star. This makes it prettymuch the best biography of the last ten years, except Nikki Sixx’sautobiography, that was well-written as well. So I recommend people to readthis book, it may spark your interest in the man’s large volume of work. A BoyNamed Shel by Lisa Rogak can be found in paperback form, though I own the firstedition hardcover, and it may have been reprinted already, but if not, the bookis originally published by Thomas Dunne Books, St. Martin’s Press, and can befound at Amazon.com, or any local bookstore.

Again,I highly recommend this novel, and though I’ve been a bit vague, the subject isso controvserial, it’s hard to really describe Shel in a short review. Luckily, this book does the job for me,and I promise you all it is a worthy read, if at a minimum, will give you agrand list of works and albums Shel Silberstein has written or recorded, andthat could lead you to seek out these books, many of which I’ve read, andthey’re quite good, you can find most of them online or in the store. Lis Rogakhas given you much information of Shel, and her research is noteworthy, sheshould be commended for such a great job at covering her subject so well, butmaybe she could’ve been more objective than she had been.

Despitethe small book that covers the big live of Silverstein, A Boy Named Shel islike a passport towards the works of a modern-day satirist. It leads the readerdown a trail of morsel bread crumbs that are the works of Shel Silverstein, andthat is the biggest reward for the person who reads Lisa Rogak’s book. Rogakdoes her job well, in making her subject intriguing, noteworthy, andmost-of-all, a respectful, tasteful retelling of his life, and despite my lastqualm, being her somewhat amateurish cliffhangers at the end of each chapter,she makes Shel Silverstein relevant with this work. If you’re interested, pickup her work, if not give Shel a chance, and revisit a misplaced childhood withWhere the Sidewalk Ends, or The Giving Tree.

Thankyou for reading the Malacast Editorial! You can send comments to a post about aparticular subject, or to me specifically mcasteditorial@yahoo.com, or you can followme on twitter @mcasteditorial. Join me on Facebook by adding Malacast Agentt(with two ts in Agent because Facebook doesn’t recognize Agent as a last name.)I try my best to answer all e-mails sent to me, but it may at times takelonger, so thank you for your patience. Thank you again for reading theMalacast Editorial, and expect many more reviews, comments, and editorials in2012.

Arkham City Review

2012-02-09T14:52:00.001-05:00

Rocksteadyis a company we should all hope never succumbs to the economic struggles of theglobal market. The company took a great franchise, and added so much more toits mythology, that even skeptics of comic book video games had to applaudtheir ballsy move for making a Batman game. Taking up the rights from formerpowerhouse Atari, Rocksteady made a 2009 game called Batman: Arkham Asylum.

Thegame was first met with failure, being taken over by Atari, the game went intoproduction, and Rocksteady had a hard road ahead to even finish the game.Arkham Asylum was to a semi-canon game, and the lucrative struggle to make thegame began. Rocksteady scratched most of what Atari wanted to do, and createdone of the best games made in the current console generation. Not only did theyhave to deal with making a good game overall, they had to do so with a comicbook character that has been around longer than television, let-alone videogames.

Batmanhas a long-history of staying true to its story, meaning that the canonizedoutweighs the non-canonized, so readers who have followed this character forgenerations knows exactly how this character thinks, works, and his modusoperandi. The villains, allies, and even background characters that placate tothe hero’s personality, are a major part of this franchise’s success. Thepsychology and philosophy of this character is incredibly influential in almostall of history. So to use the medium of video game entertainment to sum upclose to eighty years of history into a passable game was a task that isperhaps more difficult than coming up with a wholly original concept for games.

Despiteall the trials, the impossible odds, and the incredulous criticism that gamesand comic books should be like two passing ships, Rocksteady created Batman:Arkham Asylum. The game has become one of the biggest shocks in video gamehistory. The praise for this game gave it a running for game of the year. Evenif one was not a Batman fan, but a gamer, this perhaps opened the doors formany new fans to the mythology.

ArkhamAsylum did everything right, where so many past titles have failed. Whether itbe due to the newer technology of the current generation of game consoles, theincredible detail to each and every character, (both new and long-forgotten tothe franchise), or the incredibly brilliant graphics that seemed with the cutscenes, that has made this game a startling addition to a long line of Batmangames. Using the voice talentsfrom the nineties animated series, including the great Mark Hammil as theJoker; this game hit all the right marks where they were needed most.

Witha great combat system, an amazing story arch that is believable in the Batmanuniverse, and the smallest details done so perfectly, you’d think thedevelopers of Rocksteady had to sell their souls to the devil to pull them off,the world was given a Batman game that did not suck. Arkham Asylum was soincredible, just slipping below the radar of an M-rating; a sequel was in highdemand. So came the ballsiest move ever done: a sequel to a comic book-basedvideogame.

ArkhamCity, the sequel to Arkham Asylum came out in early November of 2011. For mostgames, this is where an independent series leads into a major franchise.Uncommon for most theatrical releases, most videogames make their majority ofmoney on the sequel, but this can be a double-edged sword, because once avideogame franchise is popular, most gamers find it has to re-invent itself inorder to survive, take the new Tomb Raider game that will release this year(2012). Arkham City was perhaps a bigger risk than Arkham Asylum, a game thatalmost didn’t happen, and it could’ve been vaporized like other games, likePossession, and True Crime: Hong Kong. Rocksteady, having hit gold, now had tomake Arkham City, which was not only going to create a brand-new storyline, butnow had to create a whole new game style.

Unlikeits predecessor, Arkham City is an open-world game, where one does not follow alinear path towards a continuing main story line like Asylum, rather the playercan choose to complete the main campaign, or do side quest that open up moreoptions that originally would not have been available during normal game play.Game play itself has become a huge part of Arkham City, and unlike the prequel,fighting is not a constant annoyance, in-fact, a player can evade fighting anygrunt characters, simply by grappling and evading. If you want to go straightthrough the main quest, it will take you some time, and takes many developingskills that will initially be used later on with a returning gimmick that nevergets old: the Riddler Trophies.

Characters like The Mad Hatter (Jervis Tetch) can only be accessed through sidemissions

Thereare now four hundred Riddler trophies spread throughout Arkham City, includingthe returning Joker Teeth, and subject Riddles that must be scanned to answer.There are random Riddler trophies in the "?" shape throughout thecity as well, but they are not all simply laying around, some involve puzzles,and some of those puzzles even require specific items to complete. Themini-games from the Riddler Trophies can be quite frustrating, and to thosecoming to this game anew without playing Arkham Asylum, can take forever. Theyare well-worth collecting though, since with every hundred or so RiddlerTrophies collected, solved, or overall finished, new Riddler-based side questopen up, where the player can find distinct locations to solve deadly puzzlesto save the lives of undercover cops, doctors, and political prisoners.

OtherRiddler trophies, or in the case of the non-collecting parts, Riddler Quests,there is an added bonus of Riddler solutions by finding the classic JokerTeeth, new Joker balloons, and taking out security cameras that are placed inArkham City by a militant group called Tyger Operatives. These cameras are normally destroyedwith a well-placed Batarang, and the same can be done for the chattering teeth,and balloons. One thing Arkham City does well is spreading these tasks andtrophies far around the city, and it makes the game more challenging, fun, andunlike the past game, the trophy hunting rarely gets old. With Arkham Asylum,the limited amount needed to be done for the Riddler Challenges became old anddrawl rather quickly, while with Arkham City, they are fun, interesting, andare not simply limited to collections, scans, and destroying teeth. There arealso physical requests, where certain combos, fighting sequences, and glidingtechniques will solve Riddler Challenges.
Overall,this is an exceptionally well-done edition to a unique side-quest found in Asylum,and it is truly an old dog learning new tricks, being incredibly accurate, andas mentioned before, occasionally becomes some of the most tasking, anddemanding parts of the game.

ArkhamCity looks, and feels like the child that is given so much care, it turns outto defy all logic in how perfect it plays. The game feels incredible, thecontrols are so responsive, you may start believing you are Batman. Thefree-flow system is such an added bonus, it hardly compares to Asylum, andcombat actually feels right, unlike the Arkham Asylum system, I felt the combatwas laggy, shifty, and aggravating at times. With Arkham City, controls feel,and respond so well, I have almost nothing to complain about when grappling,and even walking about the open-world environment.

Soundquality is well above par, equal to the amazing ambience found in the firstgame. Arkham City sounds, feels, and looks like a game that could compete withgames along the line of Uncharted, God of War, and other “beat-em up”open-world games that have truly been amiss lately on the current generationsystems. With Surround sound, andthe 3-D technology built into both Arkham City, and was done for Arkham Asylum,Rocksteady really wanted these added features to make the player feel they weresubmerged deeply into one of the best video game experiences of 2011.

Icome from old-school gaming; graphics are not always the most important thingto me, so long as game play, story, and content are executed well. Graphicshave become the trend for most games, being that they are held to the highestquality now more than ever, and have changed the experience in some ways,compared the to 8-bit generation.

ArkhamCity is gorgeous, and very easy on the eyes. The character designs are verydark, comic-like, but the shadings are incredible, the city streets are dirty,broken, and look more like mini war zones. Papers, garbage, and even weatherenvironments add a subtle, sickening atmosphere. The city buildings look like each was modeled specifically forGotham, no two buildings look the same, or if they do, it was very hard tonotice. Landmarks, such as the Stacked Deck Bar, Ace Chemicals, and even thefamous Wayne Enterprise Tower, looks amazing, and are great eye-candy for theplayer.

Thisgame is proof that some developers are masochists, as the details are sofantastic, I couldn’t imagine a finding any problems. I’ve played the game forquite a few hours, and have not yet ran into a serious glitch. The lagging hasbeen minor, and the game looks seamless, no ghost walls, and the rate the gamemoves at is incredible. I can imagine that the testers for these games must’vebeen through months and months of playing alone, because I’ve yet to find anyserious complications with the game. There may still very well be glitches, butconsidering I finished the main storyline, and most of the side-quests already,I’ve seen most of what Arkham City has to offer. Although, I’m sure there ismuch more that can be explored through the DLC of Cat Woman. I have not triedthis DLC yet, but I do possess it, and will most-likely review it on anotherday. For now though, I am mainly focused on the main story, and I will gladlyshare the premise for you, without trying to spill many spoilers, but I willhave spoilers for Arkham Asylum, so please be warned of the following twoparagraphs; they will have spoilers for Asylum, and the comic book series ofArkham City:

Atthe end of Arkham Asylum, Joker is beaten to a pulp by Batman, the Titan in hisveins has made him deathly ill, and his life becomes so fragile, that he is puton a basic life support system. It seems like Joker’s death is imminent, WardenQuincy Sharp becomes the unsung hero for the Asylum incident, although he wassecretly the Spirit of Arkham, who was going to try and kill all the inmates,particularly the Joker, only to elude Batman, and go on to become the mayor ofGotham.

AsMayor Quincy Sharp, he becomes overtly powerful, perhaps too powerful, as hegains the control of all of Gotham to establish a new Asylum, one where theinmates are locked away in half the city, most of Downtown Gotham, and theindustrial area is walled off to house all the inmates. This to be Sharp’slegacy to Gotham City, and begins the story arch for the Arkham City videogame.

ArkhamCity leads off a while after Arkham Asylum, as Bruce Wayne is running againstSharp, as Mayor of Gotham City. Hugo Strange, a mad Psychiatrist, hell-bent ondisposing of Batman, and becoming very much what the Dark Knight could neverbe, a hero, knows the secret identity of Batman, and sends his PMC group, theTyger Unit, out to apprehend Bruce Wayne. Wayne is then arrested, and flunginto Arkham City, where The Penguin has put a pricy bounty on his head. Afterhis first confrontation with Penguin, and his goons, Wayne enters the city nearthe Ace Chemicals Plant, and suits up to become Batman. He does so by talkingto Alfred, his trusty butler, who calls it in on the Batwing (The stealthfighter jet Batman uses). After using the sequencer device to hack the localsurveillance and radio frequencies, Batman hears about Harvey “Two-Face” Dentkeeping Selina Kyle aka, Catwoman, hostage at Gotham City’s courthouse. It’s upto Batman to save Catwoman, find Hugo Strange and discover his plan, namedProtocol 10, and discover what really lurks beyond the doors of Gotham City’slargest penitentiary. These are the events, which leads Batman through themake-up of Arkham City.

Thecharacters, story, and quests are all well above and beyond what I could’veimagined for a game solely-based on a comic book and movie franchise. If therewere not a Dark Knight Rises movie coming out this summer, I would say thisgame is quite satisfying for eager Batman fans. Batman: Arkham City isincredibly well done, superb even, and shines in way other video games fail.When anticipation for brand-new games are met with high hopes, and they fail toimpress to what is showcased at conventions and such venues, Arkham City hasnot failed its loyal fan-base. The game is extensive, meaning it could takedays, if not weeks to find every single secret held in it, and would mostlikely be the Game of the Year winner, if not for said games like Elder ScrollsV: Skyrim. There are hardly any noticeable glitches; the game ran well throughall of the main missions, and all of the side missions, which is practicalperfection for a game. Aside from minor system lags that are bound to happen,Arkham City is worth the price, and including the fact that the Catwoman DLC isavailable right outside the case, there are plenty of missions, and secrets tokeep you duly full until a sequel. I do ask myself, as a proprietor of this blog, and a person who has notonly used video games as a medium of entertainment dating back to the earliestsystems, that could a sequel top a game like Arkham City?

I’ve played many sequels from almost every generation ofgames, and I know that the third in a series is quite possibly the hardest towin-over critics with, thus most sequels after the second are rarely good, andif they are, still don’t outdo their predecessors, only mimic their ownsuccess. Although imitation is the regarded as the highest form of flattery, itseems more like arrogance when you’re imitating your own success. Will thenext, if there is one of course, Batman game by Rocksteady is a reinvigoration,or will it suffer the fate of so many sequels in the past, and just be themarket par? Until the release date comes, we’ll never know.

For now though, if I were amagazine, or so-called video game channel host that reviews games, I’d giveArkham City a10 out of 10 rating, or five stars, or even a big two thumbs up,but I am not any of those things, simply a modest blogger of media. So instead,I’ll simply tell my readers this: if you have played Arkham Asylum, you alreadyknow what you’d expect from Arkham City…I would tell you to raise yourexpectations even higher than the bar you’ve set, because the game makes ArkhamAsylum look obsolete, in graphics, game play, and storyline. For the hardcoreBatman fans, I would say Rocksteady has made a non-cannon game, that vaguelyresembles more the Animated series of the mid-90s, but yet still makes it amore interesting story than any fan fiction you could possibly read, and thatalone makes it a buy.

Mark Hamill, one of the bestJoker’s of the Pre Nolan movie era, is the incredibly eerie, yet hilariousvoice of the Clown Prince of Crime. That is but another reason why one wouldbuy this game. It seems most of the character voices are those of the 90’sseries, and that brings nostalgia to mind, and although most games are rootedin nostalgia, hence why characters like Sonic the Hedgehog, and Mario stillexist, this is well done, because they don’t make it seem as if they are tryingto placate directly to the old series. In-fact, it seems the generational gapsof all the Batman Mythos seem to come well together in both voice acting,story, and character selection, characters including Joker, Mr. Freeze, ThePenguin, and even possibly lesser-known, or more accurately, lesser mentionedcharacters like Mad Hatter, and the Assassin Deadshot.

Deadshot (Floyd Lawton) is another character that can only be found through side missions, and is one of Batman's lesser-known villains.

For the hardcore gamer, if you’re not a Batman fan, which Ican understand, this game would be amazing, even if it was any other characterin the history of media as the star, if you love games, this game is perhapsone of the reasons to own a current generation console, and shows they arefar-off from dying. Batman: Arkham City is well executed, well written, andmost importantly, a well-controlled game. I always try to make the statementthat beautiful graphics are lovely in their own right, but pale to intriguewhen it comes down to control of the character. If the controls are crass tothe point where I cannot move, I really don’t care how “pretty” the waterparticles are in the game.

In the retrospect of Batman moviegames for consoles like NES, Super NES, and Sega Genesis, up to even ArkhamAsylum, none of these games, excluding Asylum have ever been deemed relevant tomassive title releases. Most were hyped marketing to get kids interested ingoing to see the big Hollywood movies. These games, both Arkham Asylum, andArkham City may have done the same for the Nolan pictures, even in a minormarketing strategy, but they are both quite amazing, and show just how far afranchise can go on the medium of digital entertainment. The only negative thing I have to sayis that I wished the game was longer, but that’s only because this is the sortof game you don’t want to stop playing.

Luckily there are still the DLCs for this title, and for onceI’m not going to bash DLC, because if it feels just as great to play asCatwoman, Robin, and Nightwing, then I’m sure it will extend the longevity ofthis game even further until an announcement for the next game in the series.I’ve not personally tried any of these DLC characters, but I am certain theywill be worth the money, especially if they are as accurately detailed, andmobile as Batman is in the main Arkham City quest.

Two-Face's role is more played out through Catwoman's DLC, but is still one of the most iconic characters in the Batman Mythology. He is also one of the very first mission villians mat

To sum up this review, if you’veliked what you’ve read, and if the game sounds enticing to you, this is a gameworth buying, especially if it was not a top-priority for you during theholiday season, which is probably the one time of the year where most peopleactually purchase games, or their major game purchases. It’s fun, exciting, andalthough you may want to get the issues of the prelude comic book, which youcan pretty much read as you open up story information with Riddler trophies,the whole premise of Arkham City is pretty straightforward. The storiesactually lie within Batman’s interaction with the inmates and his mainadversaries, and that is what makes up the game’s bulk. Also, it’s simply funto just grapple line across all of Gotham, with the skyline in the background.The game is so detailed, so massive, and so much fun, it even gives you thechance after beating it to start a new game with harder enemies and some moresurprises, mainly being able to start over fully upgraded. This was alsosimilar to what was allowed in Arkham Asylum, but you can feel the differencein game play as you are then flying about the city.

Arkham City is the game gamers havebeen asking for, and 2011 being a year of big sequels, and some shockingsurprises, the end was truly exciting. One can only hope 2012 is as big a yearfor video games as it was for 2011. Arkham City is a must-buy, and I highlyrecommend it for bringing a bit of the best that makes video games the largestgrowing media format, and for perhaps being better than some of the movies thathave come out in recent years.

Overall, congratulations to the videogame industry, despitethe ups and downs of the past few years, and I do hope to see this niche marketgrow up and become something unexpectedly amazing. To all the developers atRocksteady, the writers, producers, and voice talents that have worked onArkham City, thank you for making, and being in production of such a greatgame. Also, thank you to the game testers that truly have done a fantastic job,because without their input, games would ship for prices unmatched to thequality of work. If more developers were on the same page as Rocksteady, andhow they’ve proven to perform, we’d have many more games at such a greatcaliber on shipping day. Again, Rocksteady, thank you for a game that will haveus all begging for more, and good luck with all future endeavors.

Thank you for reading the MalacastEditorial. You can follow Malacast Agent on twitter @mcasteditorial, and youcan also send me an e-mail at mcasteditorial@yahoo.com,and I’ll be sure to answer back any comments that I can. Happy New Year toeveryone out there, I hope to find you all having a very safe, and very happy2012.

The Riddler will drive you nuts with his riddler trophies, and death traps to save captured doctors and security guards

Editorial: Eureka, and the unlikely NASA programme

2011-08-18T16:12:00.000-04:00

I happened to catch some of the new season of Eureka, a SyFy original show that predates the phonetic spelling years, and I was quite impressed to see that such an intellectually sounded show, though more theatrics than real science, has lasted on television for as long as it has. Collin Fergueson portrays the town sheriff, and is perhaps the most "normal" person in the fictional town of Eureka, where everyone is either a genius or something greater, and is the main character of the series. Though this season so-far has been leading up to the events of the cast going to the Saturn moon of Titan, it hinges on the verge of the space program shutting down in real-world America.
I'm sure someone has talked about this already, but maybe we can learn a few things from this season of Eurkea, in-that space travel is still a vital importance for the economic, and social aspect of American culture. Though we no longer have a space program, nor do we even have a space shuttle left that will launch from NASA, American astronauts will be hitching rides on Russian shuttles to the International Space Station for now on, this being the best-case scenario.
I enjoy Eureka, it's a great show, that plots the "dumbest" character (Collin Fergueson's Sheriff Character) against a horde of super-geniuses, that always seem to have something terrible going wrong, yet the dumbest character seems to always trump the scientists, doctors, and engineers in a down-to-earth common sense that others seem to miss. Fergueson's character seems to always find a way to solve the issue, if not have the issue solved through some interaction with the rest of the egg heads, and this shines a light far greater in our world today. When we have super geniuses dealing with powers even they might not fully comprehend, it always seems the guy that may not even have a Ph.D somehow comes in and rectifies the situation with a bit of common sense, and simplistic laymen's thinking.
This wrings true here as well in the situation with NASA, and the space programs shutting down. How come I, not even being in the same realm of a rocket scientist realize that NASA shutting down is not only bad for us economically, but bad for morale of the American psyche? We believe, though I feel most of us seem to hate America more than praise it these days, but yet still pretend to believe we're the greatest country on Earth. How come now, we give up our hopes of the future by not allowing them to pursue their dreams. Seems when you ask a kid in the future they'd rather be, I'm sure they'd most likely say a political scientist, or manager of a Denny's over being an astronaut, scientist, or doctor.
Sure, space is expensive, and it does run up bills, but what do we prove to the rest of the world when we say our children are so "dumb" that they couldn't even ride on a Russian space shuttle? We are losng innovation because Americans are too spoiled with all the good things we've been allowed to own. Living in this country, even at the minimal, is still better than living in most third-world nations at the best ability.
So when I watch the farce that has become the show Eureka, and I must say I always felt the show was an underrated achievement, I can already see other "science" or "nerd" shows being an even greater failure in years to come. An example would be another of my favorites, the "Big Bang Theory", which placates to Physicists, chemists, and psychologists, humoring those who have actually learned something in their time at university. Fraiser was another show that pitted minds against one another for the sake of intelligent comedy, and what do we see now? Well, the Generation of Jackass, Survivor, and other reality shows, not discluding the likes of Jerry Springer, are finally grown-up to the point of controlling the entertainment media to the point that if even any intelligence is allowed, it has to be dumbed down with some form of perverted sex joke, or an intellectual fart joke.
When I think of shows like Eureka, I think of shows that stem a bit above the stupidity, maybe not-so-much as Big Bang Theory, but it is entertaining, original, and up until NASA was cut, relaistic for authentic Science Fiction precursing Science Fact.
I am a Sci-Fi buff, and when I see shows like this, it makes me feel good to have something I can relate to on the tele, but let's face it, nerds are always going to get the short-end of the stick. I feel for nerds, I really do, and most people do not understand them, nor will they ever get a grasp of why they're so much smarter, and why they're more likely crazier than the rest of us. To let it be said, because it must be, nerds are simply disliked, they're not "cool" and they lack the common sense the rest of us normally have because they've not lived long in the real world. When given scholarships, grants, loans, etc. it's hard to understand how working for a living meant working until you were sore, doing what you hate in order to survive. I don't envy anyone, or hate anyone for their choices, but as Eurkea, this NASA shut-down, and the Big Bang Theory can show us, for every egg head, you need a dumb ass to equal out the factors, because you'll always need common sense in place of sheer intelligence

Editorial: The Short-sided Opinion on the likes of DLC and Digital Distribution

2011-08-12T10:40:00.000-04:00

The last time I checked, it was illegal to digitally downloaded material that was considered by the RIAA as "pirated" software. Recently, I've taken notice that many companies, big and small, are allowing free distribution of certain copyrighted materials, and are using the global marketplace as a think tank for freely marketing original content by struggling artists who are not getting the proper pay and to me this is promoting the very illegal distribution that so many feel hurts the entertainment industry. Sadly, you have to deal with contemporary mediums for outsourcing materials like new albums, digital books, and even podcasts in the form of free samples, which hardly ever help the "little guy/gal" indie entertainer. This mostly relates to advertisers taking hard-working entertainers to the cleaners more heavily than ever before.
In recent months, there have been so many digitally distributed resources for people to manage to transfer via the world wide net, that it is almost impossible to imagine there being any income or capital of any sort for the modern-day musician. The art is thrown around by mega structures, that the artist is starving more now than ever before. I am not talking about the likes of Lady Gaga, although she is digitally downloaded enough that she losses hundereds of thousands of monies from income, but her work is so wildly popular with the demographic, it becomes pennies on the dollar.
Digital Distribution, whether through a source such as iTunes, or Bit Torrent for the illgeal distributer, pirating is now a threat more to the start-up artist, rather than the hit-making machines that are artistic elite. Granted, stealing from any artist who has actually put the thought and heart into their achievements should be wrong on levels from both sides of the spectrum, but I worry mostly for the likes of the classic independent, struggling artist who has no means to survive except for the fruit of their own labor. In this modern digital age, we see the likes of film, music, and even pirated software for videogames going against the developers who try the best to make the most out of what they can. Most monies are made within the first month of release for most games, films, and albums, after that, it's back to the drawing board, and the artist must struggle to rise to the top again.
Game developers use a tatic that sometimes pays off, and that is downloadable content. This is used for most gamers, who spend a lot on new-age technology to support their favorite passtime,to further enhance the gameplay of their favorite games. Developers do at times insult gamers who feel that DLC stands for vapor-ware, or uncompleted software, but in the struggling times, such as is with the music industry, developers and producers simply try to give the best possible experience with their software, in hopes of having gamers and sometimes new gamers to a said genre or series, to come back ravenously for more.
In the spectrum of gaming, the internet has at times allowed for positive conditions to the entertainment platform, considerably in the aspect of updates, and patches to fix all bugs in a game. For some, this is seen as a "lazy" form of developing, but meeting unrealistic deadlines for encoding thousands of lines of information can sometimes be haphazardous to those who try to get the best version of the game on the market. Most people do complain games should be finished before being shipped onto the shelves, but considering that the games patches and updates are usually free, complaints are respected, but not taking as serious as with the prices of DLC.
In the lines of the DLC, this is where games are usually made better with added bonus content that will run a gamer a full $75 to $100 (including purchase of the said game disc) when all content is officially uploaded onto stores like the PSN Store or Xbox Live. Content is not needed to experience the full-fledged game, but what once was included in most games on previous systems, now cost the player extended investments, and is rarely available in another format other than digitally downloaded versions. For some, although a rare minority, DLC is impossible do to internet scarcity, or the sort of connection only available in their area. Believe it or not, some places in the world, even the United States, are without the access to broadband or cable.
The gamers left out of the DLC movement, can at times find certain DLC available to buy on disc format at their local videogame store, but these options are scarce, if ever existant. The worst part is that developers who do deserve the extra services are bound to find, even at the lowest minority, pirating of the above software outlets, hence much money spent to distribution, but more importantly development, is taken out of the hands of those who create these billion dollar titles, and they recieve and even lower portion of the slave wage already the minimum.
Over the years, I have always been pro business to these, and other individuals who spend much of their lives developing the entertainmetns we now take for granted. The monies poured in are never the return, and if only for the love of the job do the individuals who create such entertainments continue to go along, and continue creating these amazing games, albums, and films. Although I do not talk much about the banking industry that is Hollywood here, I will say that even the highest paid director sometimes develops a movie worth his salary.
Thank you for reading the Malacast Editorial, I hope you've enjoyed this short editiorial on the basis of DLC and Digital Distribution, its pros and cons, and why examples of commisions like the RIAA are sometimes right about pirating digital content. I will give a further analysis on this topic, as it's always a blowhard one I deal with and am questioned about on the more-than-rarest of occasions. Thank you again for reading.

Short Post

2011-08-10T15:33:00.000-04:00

For the last six years, the Malacast Editorial has been a go-to site for all your info on the newest books, video games, and personal reviews done by yours truly. I have been searching high and low for more people to become involed in this website, as it can prove to have the demographic that spans continents. I believe wholly that the Malacast Editorial is a think tank for the world to catch up on the newest, most honest reviews for the latest entertainment. Because I choose to do these reviews on my own time, and I choose to give you my honest opinion, I try to be as thorough as I can in my honesty on how great or how terrible a book, game, movie is, because I know that people shouldn't waste their money on junk entertainment that we've been frugal to put up with for the past fifteen years or more.
So I try my best to ensure a quality reading, playing, or movie-going experience with every film, book, movie review I can muster. I try hard to allow my blog readers to see the good and bad of a certain medium, and give them my honest opinion on why it sucks or not.
I plan to continue these types of reviews with every future post, and I hope that all the readers out there know that I thank them every time I can for reading, and supporting this blog. They are the ones that keep me going, and I would love to hear from everyone. If you'd like to comment on this blog, just leave a comment in a post and I I'll read it, or if you have a comment to me directly, just e-mail mcasteditorial@yahoo.com, and I will get back to you ASAP.

Thank you all again for your undying support, and I do hope to have brand-new reviews up in a short time. I will be 100% sure to review Margaret George's Elizabeth I Once I get out and buy it, and hopefully it will be a much better read than the past two novels she has written.

Mortal Kombat 9: Review

2011-07-21T16:08:00.005-04:00

Late reviews are one of the things I hate do post, because I feel I've neglected my readers valuable time. So for the sake of those who read my blog, and were expecting this review sooner, I appologize. I actually have some things I want to say in this post that may seem controversital,but really it comes down to ethics on-part of the designer.
Mortal Kombat 9, the lastest in the Mortal Kombat series, released earlier this year for the Xbox 360, and the Playstation 3 is a retro take on the old fighting franchise. How do you keep an old dog with old tricks releveant in this age? With a new engine. Although the graphics engine for Mortal Kombat 9 is the same one used for Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, it is actually much smoother this time around. The characters are all the same from past games, no real new characters are found here, excluding DLC, but we'll get to that later. The game consists of almost every fighter from the first three games, and includes Quan Chi as an added bonus. The game itself is a rip-roaring smorgasbord of violence, carnage, and everything fans have grown to love from this franchise.
Mortal Kombat 9 brings back famous characters who are on a first-name basis with fans,with the likes of: Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Sonya Blade, Johnny Cage, Reptile, Liu Kang, Raiden, Kano, and loads more. Not the most amount of fighters seen in the game's history, but a close second. Playable characters are enough to keep hours, if not days of gameplay enthralling, even without the downloadable content. The game is consistent, realistic, the new fighting engine, including the surprisingly fun X-Ray moves, are not as stale as I expected them to be.
Fatalities are back, and can be unlocked in the returning krypt, or they can be found out in the pratice fatality mode, which allows you to pratice all different combinations to discover seceret fatalities. All characters have a stage fatality, which is similar to what could be done in MKII, considered the best game by an engrossing amount of fans, and babalities have also returned for certain characters.
The fatality system has not changed much since its inception, to no one's real surprise, it still takes a buttong combination to pull off the stage ending video, where your opponent is split and sliced into itty bitty gore parts. Considering Warner Bros. said they wanted a 90s style game back on the market to sell, it's no surprise that Boon and company pulled out all the bloody stops to make this game a no-go for parents. The times have changed though, as much less outraged can be seen over this game, and although this game is far less graphic in content to say the Grand Theft Auto series, and even horror juggernaut Dead Space 2, there is a surprising amount of gross moments, and many comical ones as well.
When you look at the overall game, there was a lot of love placed into it, and the game shines, and has some droughts, but overall, it is a classic game in a new engine. Fans should not be disappointed, and newcomers to this series will find they have a world of history to explore if this sparks their interests in the older games. I'm sure HD remakes will be hitting the PSN and XBLA soon enough, but this game in-itself is a fresh start to the franchise. I would actually be excited for MK-X if and when it comes out in the future.
Levels from the first three games return in their HD glory, some famous ones being the Living Forest, which I was not too impressed with, but compared to its predecessor, there is no rival. Then there's the Subway station, which looks better than the first one, and its stage fatality is a fun one to use. The Rooftop stages are the best known from MKIII, and are some of the most detalied in MK9. Level design was done so well, that it makes you forget that this game is really an amazingly detailed hock of the first three, but does that mean the storyline pales in comparison from the first time around? Eh...you decide.

The story is that Raiden, after losing to Shao Khan in Armageddon, with all the Earthrealm fighters dead at their feet, uses some mystical telepathic power to reach his predcessor, the full God Raiden, back at the first tournament. Raiden warns himself that there is going to be a horrible future if he does not change the past, and if Armageddon happens, all of the realms will come under attack by Shao Khan. Seeing as Shao Khan is the tyrannical emperor of Outworld, a big guy with a Napolean complex, it does not shine the best light on Earth's future.
Using a broken medallion as a smybol to "mend" the past, the past Raiden uses images sent by the future Raiden to change the course of history. This turns out to take place over the first three original tournaments, as Shang Tsung, the great socceror to Shao Khan, loses both the first and second tournaments to Liu Kang and his Shaolin brother Kung Lao. These change the storyline so much, in-that it becomes a whole new timeline, and we are left to wonder what great changes will happen. Turns out, a lot of things change. One thing that changes is that Sub-Zero becomes a cybernetic ninja instead of the Lin Kuei member Smoke, and although Jax still loses his arms, and Kabal is still fried chicken, it seems like many of the Earthrealm warriors gain status where there was none before. Stryker becomes a more important character, while Liu Kang becomes on par with Kun Lao. Scorpion learns more about Quan Chi, the sourcerer that brought him back from hell, and though the original Sub-Zero does become Noob Saibot, and Cyber Sub-Zero teams with Shao Khan for a while, much of the change comes from the outcome of Shao Khan's death. The fourth game seems it may be skipped altogether, but that will be shown in MK X if it is developed in the future.

Besides the Quantum Leap storyline, the old-style of 2-D vs. 3-D, the game itself is a testament of all that is lvoed about Mortal Kombat, and all the petpeeves we as fans have had about the game. I can't say much has changed in the almost two-decade long era, but I do hope to see great things come from the series. I am not just finished though with this review, because if I were to rate the game as it stands now, I'd give it about an 8.5 out of 10. Yet, we still have some DLC to get through.

The DLC of MK 9 is not all entirely released, but so far we have two characters: one old, one new. The first is Kenshi, now before we get into this, if you've read my blog in the past, you know how I feel about DLC (Downloadable Content) and how much I cannot stand it, simply because if forces extra payments to a game I've bought already overpriced. DLC is unfair in-that if you do not have a cable modem, you cannot use it, and it costs more money than the download seems worth, but besides all of the negatives, and DLC is here to stay, here is my takes on the two chracters.
First mentioned is Kenshi, who become a playable character almost a decade after the first game's release. He is a blind swordsman who replaced Ermac in the Deadly Alliance and Deception titles. He was a fun character, a fan favorite for the new generation of Kombatants, and he is a powerful adversary. He returns to break up the timeline a bit, but is quite similar to the Kenshi we all have played in the past. The render of the character looks great so-far, and though I have little experience with the new characters, I can say they are not worth download just yet, as I hope a full-package is made a few months after the last few DLC characters come into play.

The second character is brand-new to the series, although it is a character created out of one of the famous mythos of the first three games. Skarlet was supposedly a playable character in the second game, but turned out to be a swapped render of Mileena. She is playable here for the first time on DLC for MK9, and is a blood-based female ninja. She uses similar, though not copied moves that Nitara had in MK:Deception, but she is a big part of the mythology behind the Mortal Kombat Universe. Many fans have hoped and wished for a Skarlet character, and now Boon and developers have come to terms with giving the fans the character that is literally a decade in the making. She is worth downloading if you are a super fan of the old games, but she has no real relevance to the timeline just yet, we'll see if the fans accept her, and if she returns as a stock character in the next game.

Overall, the game is fluent in its execution, Mortal Kombat 9 is perhaps the fastest game out, but considering other fighting titles, it's still in the stone-age. A more conservative fighting game, and it is more mature this time around, not so-much in violence, but seems our little MK franchise is finally growing into a classic. The story isn't the bad, but not great, the dialogue could still use some work, and the gameplay, including the A.I. need some kinks removed, but overall, this is by far the best "new age" Mortal Kombat game to date, and I'm so glad that Kratos is a playable special character over Robin, that would've been the worst decision ever made. I enjoyed the game, and if you're a diehard MK fan like myself, this review wouldn't matter anyway, but thank you for reading through it anyhow, and enjoy Mortal Kombat 9.

I just found out that Freddy Kruger is going to be a DLC character coming this August. I will give a full review in the up-coming month on this, and Rain, which has been out, but I have not much to say about the character. Rain does seem a bit overpowered in the preview, but I will put it to the test this upcoming month

I am Malacast Agent, and this is the Malacast Editorial, thank you for reading all of the reviews, and enjoying the many posts on this site. You can follow me on Twitter @mcasteditorial, or add me as a friend on Facebook, just search for Malacast Agentt, the extra t is because FB refuses still to acknowledge my name as real. Also check out the blog here at mcasteditorial.blogspot.com for more information on my newest project: The EntroPhenom Internet Radio Show.

As always. thank you for reading the Malacast Editorial, expect new posts up in the near future.

Good News!

2011-07-21T15:59:00.004-04:00

After careful consideration, I've decided on which website I've planned to build the EntroPhenom Internet Radio Show on, and I have the link. There is as of this moment no posts, or radio show uplinked yet, but with a matter of days I should have everything up an running, including a two-hour retro show coming up this week! After I configure everything, and my co-host Edgar Holves and I meet to record, the first three official shows should be up and running in a matter of no time! I thank you all for your patience, and I appreciate everytone who not only reads this blog, and follows me on twitter, but for all those who take the time out to post commetns on the blog. Thank you again for reading the Malacast Editorial, and expect to see new posts up and ready in a matter of days. I also believe Edgar will be posting here shortly too, as I am glad to have more than one person working on this blog. Over 100 posts strong, and the Malacast Editorial has done well for this little site. I thank Blogger also for featuring the blog several times, and I am hopeing to push this blog to its limits in the upcoming months.
Thanks to everyone again, and have a great day, despite the obscene tempetures around the States. Also thanks to all my readers in Germany, Russia, and South America, your support is just as crucial for this blog.

EntroPhenom Radio Show to be Posted Very Soon

2011-07-07T15:34:00.004-04:00

Malaast Agent here, I have3 been discussing for some time doing what everyone was doing,meaning podcasts, vlogs, etc. Yet despite these failings of never delievering the goods,I have decided to team with a good friend of mind, Mr. Edgar Holves, and create a radio Internet SHow. This is the next big step for the both of us, and although we both feel the first few episodes will need some tinkering, we plan on having live video feeds in the future. I am also looking into creating a skype profile in order for skype users to voice chat for free, and for telephone callers to have a toll-free number to call in for questions and comments.
Much thought and work has been put into both marketing and determining the ideas of this radio show, but I am hoping that the variety of topics will interest those who have trafficked this site in the past. If possible I will be posting the shows up later today, but expect them up on either this site, or linked through facebook in the next week.
The first show is a 4th of July special, and the second show is a variety show where we dicuss everything from politics, to cats. Shows three, four, and five will be rounding out the month, while shows six through ten will lead us into the Fall.
For more information on the EntroPhenom Internet Radio Show, and other reviews, previews, and podcasts/radio shows in the future, feel free to check back here at the Malacast Editorial, and don't forget to follow this blog on Twitter @mcasteditorial. I'm also on Facebook, so add me as a friend: My name appears there as Malacast Agentt, because it wouldn't reconize the last name any other way. I will be adding much more to the Facebook page, with internvews, previews, and other video sources. They will be linked here as well for those who do not have Facebook.

Thank you as always for supporting the Malacast Editorial, I will have much more to post in the upcoming months, I am focused greatly on thsi radio show, but I will have some video game reviews coming up, including an in-depth Mortal Kombat 9 review, a Twisted Metal Review when the game is released, and I am planning on seeing Captian America: The First Avenger, so I will most likely review that movie as well.
Again, Thank you for following me on Twitter, and I hope the radio show will entertain you, the second its posted, you'll hear about it first on Twitter, and only here at the Malacast Editorial

I'm Sorry :(

2011-06-23T18:12:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the lack of stimulation to this page, I've been mostly working on the Twitter Feed ever since E3, and I'm sticking around here for a while, waiting to finish up more blog posts. Lots of stuff going on, but I do it all for those who actually enjoy this blog site. Surely I try my best for you, and if I don't then you have all the right to just not give a shit, and stop reading. I respect it all. Check out the websites I support like the Daily Rotten, and the Exquisite Corpse Journal. Both extreme views in free speech, and in some cases the dammnation of free speech, but nonetheless interesting. the links are on the homepage of the blog, and as always thanks for reading the Malacast Editorial.

Mortal Kombat 2011 Preview

2011-02-03T10:08:00.000-05:00

Part 1: Kratos Kombat?

Mortal Kombat is a series I follow religiously, ever since the 2-D games on the Genesis and Super Nintendo. I’ve stuck with it since it was done by Midway, the company that also brought gamers Spyhunter and Primal Rage. The game is almost two decades old, and has made a mark on gaming history. Lately, the games made for the current generation systems have been a bit unique, particularly the game Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. This game hit a sour note with many fans that have followed the game since its inception, but nothing really drastic has been done to the series since the combination of Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Mortal Kombat: Deception, and Mortal Kombat: Armageddon. These games were the foundation for the sixth generation gaming systems, and were well received, despite some minor discrepancies in the fighting system.
The first Mortal Kombat for the seventh generation consoles sported a teen rating, and left behind the typical blood and gore found most prominently in the series, and replaced it with minor violent images, and sported Detective Comic’s characters. So Sub-Zero fought Batman, Raiden fought Captain Marvel, and Kano took on the Flash. Sure, these ideas are interesting, similar to that of Marvel vs Capcom, but never did it represent the core fan base.
Now, with a promise of a new Mortal Kombat being released this upcoming year, a promise to go back to the blood and gore that made the series innovative, along with a 2-D fighting system has had much hype over the past few months. It was recently released that the game would be coming out in the very near future, mid 2011, and many fans are anxious to start using all the new features like tag-team Kombat (Similar to that of Marvel Vs. Capcom, and Teken Tag).
With a handful of characters released for the roster, and a promise to tell the first three games over again in a new story, wills the game live up to its hype? Or will it sink NeatherRealm down before it has a chance to swim?

Mortal Kombat, the 2011 remake of the classic game series will sport familiar favorites like Kung Lao, Sub-Zero, Scorpion, and Sonja Blade. The game will be released around the time the new movie is set to launch in theaters, perhaps a bit earlier, but it seems Mortal Mania is arising, just with a cautious flag of hope across the desert landscape. The game is perhaps the biggest remake in the history of renovations, as the game will be a total of three games via story mode.
Perhaps the biggest announcement made is that a special character has made the roster list, and that is none other than God of War’s own Kratos. I was personally shocked to hear that Kratos will be a playable character in the next game, and found it a mixed blessing.
The fan boy inside me was screaming with joy, but the skeptic also was staring confused at the article, lost on the concept that Warner Bros. Has here.
Granted, Kratos is a character familiar with killing and ravaging enemies in the most bloodiest fashion, but there also coincides a conundrum I cannot understand: If Kratos is going to be in the game, does that truly make it a Mortal Kombat game? We the fans were promised a game we would fall in love with as a true original, honest Mortal Kombat game that has not been seen in years, and now they decide to add in a character that is obviously there to sell units.
Another problem I see is that if Kratos is in the game, will he be on both the Xbox 360 version, as well as the Playstation 3 version? I would take a wild guess and say no, as Sony owns pretty much all the rights to the God of War series, and that would in-term give Microsoft a character that is exclusively Sony’s work.
Which brings up another question in this bold move, will that mean some famous Microsoft character will be playing the role instead of Kratos on that version> I’m not sure how cool it would be to see Master Chief fight Scorpion, but I’m sure something is being worked out for this launching title in 2011.
Aside from Kratos, Seems almost every character from the first three games originally released in arcades, and for the home consoles of Super NES, and the Sega Genesis. This gives play to dozens of characters, so expect a roster of forty to sixty characters, give or take a dozen. This will be as exciting as the release of Mortal Kombat II into the arcade. Perhaps the biggest makeover is a bit over-the-top to say for the newest Mortal Kombat, it’s more correct to say that this is going to be a revising of the original games that we all know and love.
Interestingly enough the game will be a two-dimensional fighter, similar to something of what we’ve seen from the previous Street Fighter titles. The game will be perhaps the most goriest to date, and every character will have their on personal move set, fatalities, and costumes. The game is set for release some time late this year. The game will consist of almost every kombatant, including the first six, Shao Khan, Nightwolf, Reptile, Jax, and Ermac are just a few confirmed. Others will be Kitana, Mileena, and Scorpion. Sub-Zero will be playable as well through story mode, which seems to accumulate all the characters (excluding Kratos, who is only playable in arcade mode.) Not much has been revealed about this game, specifically, the storyline, characters, and arenas, but what has been revealed so far looks to be a plus in every way.
First off, the developers have returned to 2-D fighting systems. That means that this will be the first game since MK Trilogy to have this sort of game play, how it will work on a next gen console is yet to be seen, but if it is as fluid in kombat as what we’ve seen from the likes of Street Fighter IV, we should be in for a grand surprise.
Secondly, the game will have a tag-team option. It’s not quite sure if this will be allowed in single player mode only or if it can be used in as a two-on-two match as well. It would be interesting to have a co-op tag similar to Tekken Tag, but also similar to the Endurance match found in the Playstation 2 and Xbox versions of Ultimate Mortal Kombat III. This allowed for two-to-four players to fight in a four-on-four character bout. Meaning each player had two characters to face off against another four characters respectively.
Okay, so that’s a little confusing, to put simply, if the new tag option is like Teken Tag, or similar games, it can be interesting to see online factions, or four players in a room playing like an old school arcade tournament.
Speaking of which, there was a hint from developers that all online fights will be like arcades where two powerhouse players battle it out in an arena of spectators via a sort of forum which allows online players to what combatants and get a glimpse as to what they’re fighting next. Perhaps there will be a jump-in style of game play where one player continues to fight oncoming opponents in a sort of endurance online mode. Speculations are starting to seem more realistic with more and more information leaked about this game, coming out mid to late 2011. Many different release dates have been announced, but none of them have been set in stone. Mortal Kombat should be quite the spectacle, especially with what’s to come, and the secrets we’ve yet to hear about, which will be far great I think, than just a Kratos appearance.
Let’s get back to that idea though; Kratos and Mortal Kombat seem to have a way of complementing one another in their varying differences. God of War is an ultra-violent game that uses button combinations throughout to pull off sick ending moves that leave a bloody mess. This is perhaps the biggest way that God of War and Mortal Kombat are in sync with one another. Is this the biggest news of the year yet? Perhaps, but most likely not, as I do wonder so many different questions about this pair up, it is almost confusing as to whether it was the best choice, or a PR decision that would branch the game to a much larger audience. Perhaps a fear of Midway going out of business last year, and hopes for a larger selling game, or making a game that will appeal to an audience of a younger generation that have not grown up with the arcades and 2-D versions of the earlier games. Believe it or not, this is truly the last generation of the arcade era. Truly online play killed the arcade giant, but this is also a blessing in disguise, as we will be playing an innovative multiplayer the likes of which have never seen before.

Part 2: Going Old Skool

Mortal Kombat for 2011 is going back to basic 2-D fighting homage to the arcade days. See, most kids growing up today, don’t really recall the golden age of the arcade hall. Sure, there’s arcades left in malls, movie theaters, and some cabinets can be found on occasion in some pizzerias and restaurants, but they are nowhere near as frequent as they were in the early 90s. Arcades have become arcane, and no one really wants to admit that Internet killed the arcade halls. Arcades were really the only place where you could truly test your might against the other players in the district, sometimes even players from across the country, even the world.
I remember walking to the arcades as a kid, some good two miles away, and playing the newest games to come out from developers. Most brand-new games would first hit arcade halls before seeing the light of day on a home console, and the port would never match the experience of the arcade versions. Lines would go out the door for the newest games, and people would put thousands of quarters into a machine a day.
If you wanted to prove you were the best, you’d stand at the machine, with a hundred people behind you, waiting for their turn at the machine, cheering or booing you along, ready to pick up where the last loser left off. It was a character builder, and you learned more in the arcade than any strategy guide could teach you, and a win counted more, because it was your hard earned money going up on the cabinet.
Interestingly enough, the new Mortal Kombat takes this concept to a whole new level. The developers actually use the Internet to their advantage, and have online forums where players watch and comment on two players going head-to-head in a match, reliving the sort of pressure that was once felt in arcades, but to a whole new level. So simple an idea is this, yet so modern an idea as well to bring social gaming back to a level it’s yet to achieve on the home front, excluding titles like Littlebigplanet.
Mortal Kombat wants to make it so the player that is waiting patiently up next can be eying the other competitors like a piece of meat, ready to tear away at what’s left of the victor, and claim his or her spot as the next in line to defend a winning streak. This element will be quite crucial for gamers who have never experienced that particular form of competitive gaming, and in a long-shot, this may start a wave of online arcade tournaments, that will force games like Street Fighter and Teken to follow suit.
Sure, there are similar things out there for games using ventrillo chat systems, but to my knowledge, the first attempt to strategically do this sort of game with this type of forum. With the 2-D fighting system back in play, how exactly will this play out for most people who started out with Deadly Alliance, or even Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe?
It’s actually quite simple; the games of yesteryears, particularly the ones that come from the Super NES and Sega Genesis days are actually quite simplistic. They invented the juggle combos that are so often used in most fighting games today, creating combos that are close to 100 hits each, if the player was good enough to pull them off. Mortal Kombat really allowed for players to create and combine combos out of the blue, having professional players leave amateur button mashers lost in a state of confusion on just how the character pulled off such an amazing feat.
It’s interesting enough to see the game develop as news is released every few weeks. The question is, with so many big reveals, that the majority of characters from the first three games will be present, a tag-in mode, and a challenge tower in place of the ladder system that challenges players as they continue to beat the game, what else can they reveal? Speculation would lead that the tests your might mini-game will return, perhaps during Kombat, like the MKvsDCU game? Time will tell. Other speculations can be made that the storyline will further invoke a demand from loose ends that must be tied up from Armageddon and Deception. Will characters to playable make cameos, like Quan Chi. Perhaps yes, perhaps no, but we will find out in a matter of months. Crazy to think that 2011 has already come and is on its way. This year does seem to be shaping up to be the year of fighting titles, but will Mortal Kombat reign supreme again, or will other newer titles take charge?

Part 3: Total Revision

As you may also know, there is scheduled to be another Mortal Kombat movie, this one will see theaters, and is completely a revision of the mythos, perhaps a lead-in to the new game, and to future titles. Now that Warner Bros. owns the rights to all of what were Midway’s games, will this mean a bigger budget for film ideas?
The free five minute opening of the movie has been up on YouTube for some time now, and with a release date set for either this year or early next, one can only wonder if we’re seeing 1992 all over again, but in this new modern age, can older games withstand the test of time? Mortal Kombat will be twenty years old next year, will the violence, so over-the-top as it is, become stale? Will the movies continue to be terrible? What about the future of the fighting genre? Are we to see new classics made from out of the rotting tombs that make up games like Mortal Kombat, or Street Fighter? Maybe the answer is not buying a new dog, but teaching the old one calculus. Yes, seems that mistakes have well been learned by Ed Boon, a very celebrated man in the whole of video games, up there with the likes of Myamoto and Dave Jaffe. Not to leave out great developers like Cliff Belelinckzi, but what comes next? Has the fighting genre reached its toll or is the best yet to come?
In a year where the top three most anticipated games are all fighters Twisted Metal, Mortal Kombat, and Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds, when will we see something completely out of the blue to the genre? Sure, Primal Rage 2 could become a reality, even a remake of the Bloody Roar series can be coming out shortly, but what exactly could stand out in that key demographic. Something that wows, something that puts an end to the oligarchy system that has troubled the genre to mere spectator sport? The answer will be Mortal Kombat.
I do believe deep down that this Mortal Kombat will entice fans to seek out future installments in the series. This will be a major breakthrough for the fighting genre as well as the game franchise itself, soon to be released in March or April of this year.

Thank you for reading the Malacast Editorial, please be sure to check out the twitter feed @mcasteditorial, and you can always read further reviews, previews, and more at the Malacast Editorial, at mcasteditorial.blogspot.com

Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds Preview

2011-02-03T09:57:00.000-05:00

For the first time in over ten years, Capcom and Marvel are teaming up to bring to gamers the next generation version of the powerhouse mash-up Marvel vs. Capcom 3. The game is scheduled for release on February 15th of this year, and is perhaps one of the biggest sequels in the history of the series.
Not much has been leaked about story, boss characters, modes, etc., but most gamers are expecting the game to be hyped up until the midnight release. Many gamers are anxious to see just what will unfold for this series, and which characters will be playable. This particular mash-up series is all about exploding the character roster to epic numbers. This title in the series boasts about thirty characters all around, but could very well be over fifty by the end.
The game play is simple: a three-on-three two-dimensional fighter with tag-ins is the basis for the game. Unlike your traditional fighting game, MvC is supposed to be about using specific characters together to make the best team in any given scenario, making it one of the tougher fighting games around. If the third installment is anything like the first two, it will require the player to use strategy before and during fights. Again, characters is what drives this series, along with excellent game play, physics, and stages. Hidden characters, and unruly boss fights have also driven this series to be what it is, and that’s a unique fighting experience, which allows for players to mesh-up hardcore gamers with casual, as pro fighting genre players can go head-to-head with button-mashers.
The list of characters so far has been quite astounding, as I mentioned above, there is a possibility for at least thirty characters to duke it out. Some confirmed are:

Capcom:
Ryu (Street Fighter IV)
Chun-Li (Street Fighter IV)
Zero (Mega-Man X)
Arthur of Ghost n’ Goblins fame
Chris Redfield and Albert Wesker from Resident Evil
Dante (Devil May Cry)
And many more

Marvel:
Captain America
Iron Man
Wolverine
Hulk and She-Hulk
X-23 (Wolverine-like girl from the X-Men Last Stand movie)
Magneto
And still much more

I do hope that more characters are confirmed, particularly a few that maybe overlooked:

Capcom characters I would like to see

Mega-Man
Vega (Street Fighter IV)
Akuma (Street Fighter IV, possibly confirmed)
Jill Valentine (Resident Evil 1 and 3 fame, though the games are dated, perhaps she’ll be on the roster?)
Toko Bots (Always loved them in the second game, although they are spam friendly)

Marvel Characters I would like to see in the game:

Before I list, I do want to explain that although these games both seem like they are linked to either street Fighter or X-Men respectively, there are other characters from both universes that do indeed deserve to be in the game, for the marvel side I have:

Black Heart (An original character from the first few games, that should be returned once again, joined by his rival, Ghost Rider.)

Ghost Rider ( A character always overlooked, but worthy of the game, and perhaps even an awesome asset to the roster.)

Shamor Goroth (Another classic character that few people know the origins of, but also a great asset to the game.)

Venom (Yet another character that would be returning to the game, but still very much a fan favorite in the Spider-Man mythos)

(My personal favorite) Carnage (This would be a first time for the symbiotic lunatic, but would be an awesome character, though in truth, a Venom clone.)

Lastly, I’d like to see the Punisher put into the game, it would counter out the likes of Chris Redfield and those particular characters that are gun-based. Frank Castle may very well not be in this game, but for hopeful future titles, he would be an excellent shoe-in for most unlikely character, but still worthy of being considered part of the Marvel family, even if he is the Black Sheep.
Then again, Punisher may also raise the ESRB rating to Mature, but with the popularity of the Punisher movie, and the War Journal comics, this game may very well see a possible future of Frank Castle being included.

Surely we can’t speculate what could be, rather than what is with this game, but some other characters that are confirmed are: Haggard, Nightcrawler, Deadpool, and possibly Nemesis (Why I think Valentine will make a cameo appearance.)

The game is a typical fighter, each combatant will have their own specialized moves, power-ups, combos, etc. The game will consist of three-on-three rounds, as mentioned above. This means that all the characters can interact and use their attacks together. This allows for most giant combos to consist of using all three characters together, even combining all three finishing moves together.
With an elemental fluidity that comes from combining excellent game play with artistic graphics, the series has been a contender with other games in the genre, and this is combined with detail to both universes respectfully, it is a fan fiction fantasy that can only be written for Marvel and Capcom.

More details will be coming only as the release of the game is coming up shortly, Here at the Malacast Editorial, we will have the review of the game. As always, thank you for reading the Malacast Editorial. For more information, follow the Malacast Editorial on Twitter @mcasteditorial.

Cannibal Holocaust Review

2010-11-19T18:47:00.002-05:00

I just finished watching the cult film Cannibal Holocaust, some Itallian film shot in the Americas. The film is over three decades old, and probably never saw the light of day during the family cinema hours. Granted it’s almost five in the morning at this moment, and I must say, this is not so-much the goriest thing I’ve ever seen, but I was fascinated at just how the film was made.
Anyone that’s been to college, and taken a course in cinema, may have been subjected to this film, and many people will say many things about this particular film from the late seventies, early eighties, and it would be said that it is perhaps the most graphic piece of film ever made.
I compare it to film noir, but done in such a mass produced style, as if the film really could’ve made it in box offices, and it has intrigued me in that sense. I’ve seen the unrated version of the film, which is truly the only version of the film, but what I find enticing is not just the ruthless violent display, but the film as a whole, and the only true film to ever touch on what makes us human, and how do we define civility. The director of this film has truly pushed this question of morality to the extreme, and it is significant to how we survive, and how the rest of the world outside of the modern age view normalcy.
Now I know so much has been written about this film, and so many people from scholars of film, all the way down to laymen critics have dissected (no pun intended) this film to its core. The use of no-name, to minor actors (at the time) have made the authenticity of the film almost questionable. I really do wonder how, even to this day how they made such a false documentary look like something on a midnight showing of a Discovery Channel documentary. Incredibly precise in every moment of shooting, there are amazing uses to cut scenes that I’ve never in my life seen in other films, nothing as unique since Alfred Hitchcock’s use. The movie itself never truly starts until the reviewing of the adventurer’s film, but it is incredibly done, I must give props.
Now, the film has been banned in several countries, towards the cruelty of animals shown, as some animals are actually killed during the filming of both the film and the “documentary” part of the movie. Looking past that, as hard as it may be, this is horror at its deepest meaning, fear of the unknown, and the threat of what we once were, to what we have become.
Cannibalism is the main theme of the whole film, and the Western, modern world’s view of it, and if it is inhuman, or if it is just a practice we’ve forgotten. The film itself shows acts of cannibalism, which are clearly staged, and fake, but you really wouldn’t be able to tell the difference, showing that some of the greatest directing is done under the guise of reality.
Cannibalism itself is something that also shows the backdrop, and that it is shown to be part of the moral make up of the tribes filmed, which are also fake tribes. We, the viewer of the film is supposed to decide who are the real primitives: those who practice eating and mutilating humans for consumption, or the overly violent, enthusiastic Westerners that claim to be moralistic people, yet find it intriguing to view such violence from film and culture. Surely many films have touched on this subject of our Western psyche, but nothing has come so close to really grasping that point than Cannibal Holocaust.
See, the name of the film is not for us to sympathize with the so-called victims of the mutilation and cannibalization of the film crew and party, but the abuse and humiliation, and murdering of these primitive people. The most grotesques scenes that I’ve found in this movie are not the acts of cannibalism, murdering of people through the rituals of the tribe, but the way that when the producers are reviewing the film with the anthropologist, the main character in the film, they are desensitized through most of the sickening images they see, a clear example of very undertone symbolism on the American psyche. This was the most disgusting part of the film, the fact that people can be so desensitized by violence and gore, that they watch it as if it’s all staged, or that it affects them in no way whatsoever.
To make my point clear, I believe this is one of the most well directed films I’ve ever seen, I understand the mysterious history behind the film, and I respect that most people will disagree with me, if not say that the whole thing was a sham, which I’m well aware of, but reviewing Cannibal Holocaust as simply a film, I must say nothing has ever come close to being as realistic as this. If I were to cut out the background story, and skipped to the documentary part of this film, it would be quite impossible for anyone to say that this was simply a movie, and fake.
That is the work of great directing with the most simplistic camera work, and not even films like The Blair Witch Project can even relate, and really must pay homage to films like this for getting the fake documentary that is done right.
Cannibal Holocaust is a film that few people will enjoy, mostly film majors, those who can appreciate the work put into it, and the fact that it can still maintain an intriguing story, abound with the array of violence witnessed, it is simply intriguing to have anyone NOT acknowledge that once you come back to reality and realize it was a fake film, that it was amazing directing and filming, and how all movies should be done today.
Peter Jackson with District 9 tried in a way to capture authenticity, trying to almost make us believe that aliens have landed in Johannesburg, and it was done well, but sadly, as this is the only recent film to my knowledge to use in comparison, it is still apples and oranges, Cannibal Holocaust puts it to shame. Nowhere else have I seen a director push boundries for a film than here, and on a tight budget as this film was made for its time, I’m shocked that it turned out as truly remarkable as it had.
I would urge anyone that can truly stomach the film to watch it, because it’s something everyone that ever wanted to do film should experience, if just once. I’ve must’ve watched the film at the very least eight times, and I still find the way it was made to be absolutely remarkable. If I ever wanted to be a film writer, or a director, I would cite this movie as an inspiration on how film should be shot, and how it should be as authentic as possible.
Underneath all the psychology, the technicalities, and the massive production of the film itself, it is still truly a horror film. Cannibal Holocaust has made it so anyone that watches it, will feel queasy, scared, hypertension, and will chill you down to the bones. It is a film that if you are too sensitive, should be watched when there’s light still out, and I am so impressed at how far the film crew and production have gone, I’d show this film to anyone that was intrigued with the art of film.
I put this film up there with classics like Eraserhead, Todd Browning’s Freaks, and Rocky Horror Picture show on some of the films every film student must see. Especially I compare it to Eraserhead, because it may not be the exact same theme, it is about how the film is produced, and both follow a unique suit that is particularly important to acknowledge as filmmakers. In a digital age where we are subdued to over-the-top special effects, and damnable storylines, filmmakers in should take note of how this movie was made, and use those methods in their own personal works of noir filming.

Cannibal Holocaust inspires, and transcends all film you will ever see, and if a modern version was ever made, it would be like the terrible remake of I Spit on Your Grave, which will be coming out to theaters soon. Nothing beats the original, not with Last House on the Left, or the Hills Have Eyes, nothing beats the classic, and nothing will last as long as the original. No matter how many remakes spew up from the underbelly of Hollywood, they will never redo great indie films like these, even with their billion dollar budgets. If theaters had any real guts, they’d show this film on the big screen, but due to the content, it will never happen commercially, and that saddens me, because if political correctness will kill the humanity of seeing this spit-in-the-eye mirror image of our society, then we are truly lost to the world as generic copies of insincere, pompous superiority complexes that the Western civilized world is the greatest thing ever to exist.
Need I remind my readers that happen to be disgusted by my “cynical” views on the subject, that even the great Romans, what we base our entire existence on, would watch bloody bouts, tinkering on the brinks of massacre in a circled pit known as the Coliseum. The irony of it all, is that through the bloodshed, the film is making an example on how we all love our blood, gore, and obscure violence all too damn much.
Cannibal Holocaust is a must-see for anyone old enough to be able to stomach the contents found inside, and for those that want to break into film. I would like to take a quick chance though to let you know I am not saying it’s the greatest film ever made, and if I came off in my review as saying so, I am not, but the way it was made, the production of this great film is perhaps the most incredible I’ve seen in the most recent history of filmmaking. There are plenty of film done like this that also fit into the category of gore film, like Dario Argento’s work, but they are still PG compared to this cult classic.
Cannibal Holocaust is a must-see film that is in much need for analyzing, critiquing, and dare-I-say, a piece of film that should be in every advanced film school class. Test should be given on this film, and I say that with no hint of sarcasm, despite the obsurdity it will cause, because all the sickening things that make the audience nauseous are done for a prime reason: who are the real monsters? Who are the real primitives? Questions that need to be answered, discussed, and debated for as long as we can, because this film is perhaps the work of lunatics, but ingenious lunatics nonetheless.
I would like to leave on the note that I do not condone violence to animals, and although done for the film, the animals that were killed were indeed eaten, and not just left aside, nevertheless, it does not negate the fact that they were indeed killed for the film. As a meat-eating person, I cannot say I fully damn the film on the notion that animals were killed for consumption. I do not believe animals should suffer for the film itself, so in that respect, I do not believe that this was the best route to take, but also in respect to the film, it had made its feeling so much more authentic, that it did even have my rational mind question if this film truly was authentic or simulated. Any PETA activists out there that are going to try and rip into me for this film, I am stating now that, although it may sound like I am glorifying this film, I am truly not deceiving you by saying I loved everything this film has, as a film itself I am saying it is simply one of the best examples of making the imaginative as real as possible.
Although this film may offend, entice, or even not reach the critical point it was trying to make, Cannibal Holocaust is a film that everyone should see at least once, and I say everyone, even those who may be offended, because you should allow yourself to be offended just once to get the notion of what this film is trying to say about humanity. It is important and a test of our will as human beings to always leave the natural world, and build wat we think is a better, or “safer” world than fighting alongside the wolves and bears for survival. Truly a self-incriminating look at who we are, and where we’ve stemmed from, it’s always good to remember just how primitive we all truly are, and that we’re just one skyscraper away from just being all back in the jungles.

As always, thank you all for reading the Malacast Editorial, and thank you all for following me on Twitter, and I do hope to have a Facebook Page sooner or later, and a podcast eventually when I can get the show itself set up professionally. Hopefully I do not lose many of you with this post, and I purposefully did not touch on much detail of the film, due to its illegality in some countries, I do not in any way believe that people should break the law to see Cannibal Holocaust, nor go out of their way to attain a copy. I believe solely that this film is, and should only be seen by adults that are mentally stable enough to view its contents.
If you’d like you can follow this blog on Twitter, @mcasteditorial, and do leave a comment on the main blog, any criticism is welcomed, and I am very sorry for the lack of posts, I do try to keep this blog running by myself with limited Internet access, and I appreciate you all checking back often for new posts.
I am hoping to do a few book reviews, as well as some film reviews in the upcoming months, with perhaps some editorial/opinion pieces, and I am still enticed at sending out newsletters. I also will do my annual Halloween and Fall post when the time comes. I also would love, absolutely love to put up a video log, and go out and do some interviews, so do try to check back for those and many more upcoming events, posts, and reviews at Malacast Editorial.

Twisted Metal: Next Generation Revealed

2010-06-21T15:27:00.002-04:00

Twisted Metal: Next Generation Revealed

I don’t consider myself a fan boy, I usually have problems with most series of games, books, and films that I never truly believe one genre or series deserves all of my attention. There are maybe two games that I do love more than any, because of fun, and also because of their originality (at the time of their conception) and those two game series are Mortal Kombat, and Twisted Metal.
Twisted Metal is a series that I have personally followed since my youth. Though I did grow up in the generation when Mortal Kombat was the worst thing ever, and would bring about the end of days, and Tipper Gore was demanding regulation on video games, Twisted Metal was sort of the next step in that wayward sense of violent video games. Clearly not as drastic as say, Mortal Kombat in its grotesque violence, the fact that this was a game where you blew up cars, and ran people over, it did raise many eyebrows and suspicions. Despite the first game only having a Teen rating by the ESRB, the game clearly was meant as a rebuttal to all the terrible racing games.
In its conception, Twisted Metal was suppose to represent big, open worlds, where car chase and explosions resembled those closely linked to Action and Thriller films of the seventies and eighties. Now, with the original cast behind the game with Eat.Sleep.Play, former partners with Incognito and the original developing company called Single Trac are now re-creating a game that is well over ten years old.
Twisted Metal, no subtitles, was shown at E3’s Press Conference, and it was perhaps the biggest news the gaming world received in a long while, since Sweet Tooth is like the unofficial spokesperson for Sony Playstation. The game was demoed with the new inception of a multiplayer online game called Twisted Metal: Nuke. This was demoed to draw-dropping fans and developers alike, showcasing the PS3’s potential. The game plays out like a class-based style combat game, although not Team Fortress, but something similar.
This new Twisted Metal was demoed this year, although we only saw a revamp in online play. The question is though, is the game going to be like MAG (Massive Action Game) where it is primarily and online title with no Story Mode? If so, does this truly make it an official Twisted Metal title? Also, if there is a Single Player Mode, then will there be brand-new cars, or will there be a feel for the original games, as Dave Jaffe intended? Jaffe, being one of the original co-creators of the series, has promised that the game will have a definite feel of the original titles released on the PS1. Although I am excited personally for this title, I would hope it is more than Online play, as Internet access is very limited in this area.
The Multiplayer game Twisted Metal: Nike, showcased the engine rather well, as factions for the Sweet Tooth gang went up against those in the Dollface gang. Sweet Tooth is of course the Ice-Cream truck driving killer clown, and Dollface was the emo-like China doll faced driver of the infamous Semi truck named Darkside as it appeared in Twisted Metal: Black.
The game shows a bunch of guys in clown outfits and masks, attacking the Dollface fighters in an effort to capture the leader of the opposing team, and dragging them back to your base via a grappling hook. Once there, they are held there, until a certain amount of time, until they are sacrificed to a nuke launcher (a bit similar to the one Calypso used to drive in the fourth game) and this nuke missile can then be guided, and hit into the opposing teams’ giant metal float. After three hits, the metal float explodes.
It sounds like a real pain, but the game looks incredible, and the giant open environment looks amazing, even if it is always at a glimpse, since the frame rate, and overall speed of the game will feel incredibly fast. Twisted Metal is shaping up fast, but it looks like it has to be just in its baby-stages, or they are just holding out, I’ve only seen the Playstation Keynotes, so I‘ve yet to get anymore updates.
I’m sure when we actually get our hands on this game, it feels like it’ll be around fall of 2011, but I could be very, very wrong on that date. No matter when the date is set, this game will be a guaranteed seller for the Playstation 3.
Questions still remained if this is going to be a full-game, of course multiplayer is probably the most impressive, but I do hope that there are original characters as well, along with a bunch of the old cars, because if it’s just motorcycles, and tow trucks, and maybe some regular cars, I don’t think it will be that great. Then again, I may eat my own words once I get a hand on the game, because being so much into the old series, and a change-back to the comedic, old-school form, I may very well enjoy this game to the highest extent.
For a brief history on Twisted Metal, I refer to an earlier post, doing the entire Twisted Metal History; I’ve also done one for Mortal Kombat, including Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. To get the whole experience, check out Amazon.com for the first four games and Small Brawl, and the PS2 version of Twisted Metal: Black. There’s also an online version, sold separately, that can also be found on Amazon.com.
Back to the new game, as the future is always more powerful than the past in the video game world, I find that this new game will be the second best in the series, (World Tour is still considered by the diehards as the best game yet) as mentioned earlier, it’s funny how the twos in fighting games are always some of the best, and everything after is just child’s play of the first sequel.
Think about it: Twisted Metal 2: World Tour, best of series, Mortal Kombat II, best of its series since conception, Street Fighter II, so good it had like what, two remakes? (Super Street Fighter II, and Street Fighter Turbo.) And Teken 2, the game that built the franchise up, and made it popular, and still the most impressive game in the series. Marvel vs. Capcom 2, a game that was so popular ten years ago, it demanded a sequel? Even games that haven’t seen the shores of the states still have a sequel that true fighting genre gamers will know, like Tobul 2. Hell, even Resident Evil 2, and Silent Hill 2, although not technical fighting games, are both sequels that pressed their franchises further, into gaming history.
In the case of video games, sequels are not always a bad thing, in-fact, they sometimes, if not always show-up their predecessors. Look at it this way, games that were popular originally, will always spawn a greater sequel, because when a big brand-new game gets released, it is not always the most funded, or the most cared after game during production. So when the game is released, even if it looks like shit, and it’s a big hit, the game will then get the funding needed for a bigger, greater release in the sequel.
For things like movies, this would spell disaster, like seen in Transformers, which was not even that great as a first film, but with games, the difference maker is that the innovation and time is, I believe put for to make the titles as big as they are, because big Hollywood budgets are not what they are given, but a limited amount, even if it is quadruple what the developers were making originally, and it is funded deeply into the game, so it can run its course over ten years. Here’s and example, Mortal Kombat will be 18 come Jan 3rd of 2011, and the title has shown so much maturity with its new title, that I think the game series if very well watched will be played one day by my kids.
Same goes for t he longest-running game character, Mario. Technically he may not be the oldest, but it is a pretty close race to see who is perhaps the most influential character out there, and Mario sure as hell is perhaps the most iconic game character to ever have been created. Pac-Man, and others from the early days of Namco and the Atari have their spots in the history of gaming, but no game character in the history of the art form of video game creation has ever come close to beating Mario. Now, what does this all have to do with Twisted Metal? Here’s the point I’d like to make: If Dave Jaffe, and the developers, writers, and programmers at Eat.Sleep.Play games keeps developing at this caliber, I’m sure that Twisted Metal will not just be revitalized, I’m very well sure it will be taken off the Iron Lung and running track in the next few years.
It may very well be that the characters I grew up with, like Sweet Tooth, Roadkill, Spectre, and Yellowjacket to name a few of the more popular cars, will be played by my children, and even if pressed further on through high-end innovation, my grandchildren. I already know that Mario will survive to see the 2040s and 2050s, but will he be alone from this generation of game innovation? Mario’s already well over thirty years old (If you consider Donkey Kong) and is like the Mickey Mouse of gaming, but who will become the Clint Eastwood of gaming?
Is it not interesting that in many ways we have been entertaining people with the same ideas for more than a century? Every movie has had thirty remakes, every song has been released a million times over with different variations and styles (Thanks to Youtube, any band from the local high school chorus, to some garage band punks rocking out with a flip-camcorder set on a vibrating desk from the noise coming from their instruments, can be doing a rendition of Come Together by the Beatles in two different entire styles of music, and millions across the world would see it!
Yes, remakes are both exciting and boring at the same time, because of their nostalgia to better times, when really the older was always seen as the best, but when it comes to games, fan boys jump for joy, then truly never admit that they were a bit let-down by the new product, never saying the golden words “It’s been done before”. Stating the obvious, gamers will always turn to the familiar, than to the unknown, they are very conservative about their games, and if any originality ever spews forth, it has to be wholly accepted, or never accepted at all. Katamari Damacy was a prime example of something a bit familiar and a bit unknown that showcased a great original game, that is now almost become a genre, and boring.
In video games, genres are key, almost astounding to a generation that hates definition, but they love a new FPS, or a sports title, or even something from the Action/Adventure genre; yet when it comes to Hollywood, they are the same that will boo at another Terminator, or another Die Hard, yet it’s practically the same thing! Then there’s always the Metal Gear theory.
The Metal Gear theory is a somewhat coined terminology I’ve come up with, but has been probably mentioned by many bloggers and inside workers before: it states that no matter what system, no matter how many releases, people will always be excited over this series, because of the original from the NES. Many younger gamers may not realize this, but Solid Snake (now mostly voiced by the talent of David Hayter) is a character that is well over twenty years old. Metal Gear has had about ten to fifteen titles in the series, if you count the remakes and the horrible Snake’s Revenge. The series has been around almost as long as I have been alive, if not longer, and has spawned a worldwide sensation. It’s truly sensational in a rather ironic way just how long games that entertain us now, have been entertaining people for almost three generations of gamers. I guaranteed when the next generation of systems are released in about five years or so, there will be an uproar of fandom when next there will be an announcement for a brand-new Metal Gear Solid game.
Hideo Kojima, pretty much the father of Konami in a slight sense, has made games that people play over-and-over again, always finding something new to discover in his games. It’s amazing that a man has had so much success on this one game franchise, but never really seen any other success in any other games, or game styles. He is the forerunner for the creator of tactical espionage games to surface over the years from developers like Ubisoft, and has had some of the most memorable games ever created, his last big title being Metal Gear Solid: 4 Guns of Liberty, and with the release of Metal Gear: Peacewalker, he’s practically has the handheld PSP back in sales.
With the series Twisted Metal, we see that innovation, determination, and a fan base in core gamers from three different genres: the open-world genre, or sandbox genre, the fighting genre, and the racing/driving genre, all clawing at their knees. You could even throw in the FPS gamers for this game if you’d like, but it was the innovation of Twisted Metal that birthed the genre of car combat games.
Popular games to follow suit with Twisted Metal are: Vigilante 8, actually a quite refreshing look at the new genre, and at this point of popularity and iconic history; Vigilante 8 is a game that deserves to be considered another franchise in the developing, and creating of the car combat genre. Carmageddon was a game made for the original Playstation console and PC that also took the car combat genre to a whole new level, although the grotesque amount of violence and sadistic king was nowhere near the very more action-focused games like Twisted Metal, Vigilante 8, and Rogue Trip. When I first saw this game advertised back in magazines like Tips and Tricks, and Playstation Magazine, it was looked more similar to Thrill Kill, and Killer Instincts, both over-the-top fighting genre games, than it ever did to Twisted Metal.
Twisted Metal is the true original, the most outsold, and even puts next generation games like Full Auto to shame in fan-fare, so when I saw the Ice Cream truck pull up in the teaser trailer at the Sony Keynote, I knew that there was something amazing coming up when the actors were discussing car-combat games. Sure, I knew right then it had to be Twisted Metal, but it could have easily been a chat about Full-Auto, at this point in Sony’s history, it is the game that is most known in the genre. When I heard the Ice Cream music, I knew right then, that Sweet Tooth was back.
If anyone from Sony reads this, I would like him or her to know, I want to buy that Ice Cream truck they rolled out on the stage. I don’t care if I have to take out three mortgages, and spend the rest of my life in debt from loans, but I want that Twisted Metal Ice Cream truck.
I am a huge geek at heart, even if I don’t always appear to be one, but I would literally giggle and dance around like a little boy at Christmas morning to have that ice cream truck in my front yard. Even if it’s just a prop, I don’t care; I want that truck!
I’m not sure if this game will be like the old ones: based on real-world areas, or based on generic imagined areas that could be anywhere, it will be the most astronomical game in the series. Even if it is so horrible, it puts the series to shame and the car concept game out of business, (doubtful) Twisted Metal will still be biggest, most-original title in the series.
What else can we expect from that showing of multiplayer action? I’m sure that this little tidbit taste, although more than I ever expected to see, will be all we get until well into next year. I highly doubt that Dave Jaffe will allow for much information or footage to leak, as this is truly a comeback title, if we all over prepare for it too fast, the lackluster will surely be gone at release.
I really did not believe there was much more you could do with this series, but as Twisted Metal reaches adulthood, it surely is maturing in its graphics, game play, and online capabilities. When they innovate the game by making cool additions to multiplayer with teams going against teams, and there are snipers in one car, and a driver in the other, camping up on a hillside, and sniping off riders on motorcycles. Or better yet, riding a motor bike from hell, wielding a chainsaw in one hand, and then lowering it to the ground to heat it up on fire to make a flaming chainsaw, then tossing it or cutting it through your opponents car.
This is just a taste of the new game, as you know, so I can imagine what other nifty little acts they will put into the game to get us interested. If they are as fun as what I saw in this game, I can very-well assure you all that this may very well be the second best game in the series, I still do not believe it will surpass the second game in both fun, and in the shock of the boss character when you first meet him, going through the Hong Kong streets and subways. It truly brings up great memories, and if this game is as good as it looks, and plays just as amazing on my console, I do believe there will be many more memories made with the next installment; also the first next-generation installment of the Twisted Metal franchise.
I also hope that although they may not also be the original creators, that maybe in a few years, we could see a remake of the Jet Moto series in the future. A great, very popular game, but it never saw another day on a system past the original Sony Playstation. The game was great, and it had original characters that all had a back-story, and were quite interesting to play as, maybe something can be don through Eat.Sleep.Play to remake this series as well?
Jet Moto was a racing game that had tehse futuristic jet skis that could go on land, snow, and water. The game had you racing the clock to get across the finish line first, and it turned out to be a very difficult thing to do. One cool cheat allowed you to play the swamp level that you raced in Jet Moto in Twisted Metal 2, showing there was a bit of similarity between the two games, although they were not even in the same genre. It would e interesting indeed to see this game played on the Sony Play station 3, who knows just what will happen when the PS3s power is used for this classic title. Either way, I’m sure a brand-new Jet Moto would more than likely turn some heads.

Thank you, as always for reading the Malacast Editorial. I cannot help but thank every reader that struggles with me, and has read me since day one, I will do my best to always bring you the newest information in the entertaining side of the technologically advancing Mass Media market of the digital age, as well as the latest book reviews.
If you’d like to follow this blog on Twitter, you can at Twitter.com/mcasteditorial, and do not be afraid to go back into past blogs for more information on book reviews, especially my summer reading suggestions. I do hope that Blogger creates a way to manage blogs into files, or groups, maybe they already do have it, but I have not searched the site out enough to discover these things, it would dearly help me sort old blogs better than just using keywords.

E3: Day 1 in Review

2010-06-16T15:23:00.001-04:00

E3 Review: Day 1 via G4TV

Although this is not the official start of the floorshows, Electronic Entertainment Expo began today with showcases on EA and Ubisoft. The convention is shaping up to be one of the biggest in years. Considering the flop of 2008, and the iffy 2009 game showcase. This year has a lot to be excited for, as we opened up with a preview in of Spiderman Shattered Dimensions, a preview pre EA Showcase show in the G4 Studios. The game is going to be inimitable to the other games out there including the web slinger. The game will be split into four different dimensions, each taking up a quarter of the game play.
Each dimension is shown to have existed at one point in the Marvel Universe, so this will be a game that is appealing to the comic book fan base, which is finally what Spiderman fans have been waiting to get. One fascinating demo from the game shows the dimension of Spiderman: 2099, a particular chapter in the Spiderman mythology not truly brought to a modern video game console. Although not based in the Peter Parker era of Spiderman, this Spiderman has been seen in both animated shows and comic book “other world” chapters that make up a niche fan base that is surprisingly strong.
The game shows a free-fall scene with the future Spiderman passing through tunnels, skyscrapers and everything in-between in pursuit of Hobgoblin through a futuristic New York City. The scene was quite similar to the scenes of Kratos from God of War III using the wings of Icarus, and flying up from Hades to Olympus.
What was great about the game was the visual graphics, similar to the shading of the upcoming Marvel vs. Capcom 3. The game is shaping up to look amazing, and I am sure that most people who are a fan of Spiderman will be pleased by the development of this game, and will definitely want to see some more of this game. The release date seems to be set up for an early 2011 release, which when you really think about it, is not that far away at all.
Still not the official start of EA’s Showcase, we are given another preview with a new music-based genre game that has a real six-string guitar that boasts the ability to even teach you how to play the guitar, which I personally doubt, but the game seems to want to be as close to realistic playing as it is from playing the real instruments. The game was impressive in both concept, and design, but I felt that there would be some issues, like say replacing strings if they break, that is of course if they are nylon, or some other tough compound. Aside from some of the issues seen, the game looked interesting, but not something I would personally buy.
Next, we were given a hands-on exclusive to the game Hunted. Hunted was not that interesting to me, but it was not really given much air-time, and the air-time given to it, they did not do well with their promo. The concept is actually not that new, with different characters in a role-playing style game that allows for friends to jump in at save points to help you out in the game. Sure, you are hacking away at skeletal warriors, but the real innovation is that you can change characters on a whim, and your friends can join in via online to travel through this adventurous role-playing game.
Again, not the true first day of the expo, but still major announcements made, one after another. EA had the spotlight on them first, being the industry’s leading developers with games like the Fight Night series, Madden series, and NCAA basketball. Not just a sports game developer, they showcased a mass amount of games like Medal of Honor, EA Active 2, and a few more I’ll recap in a minute. Considering it is not even the first official day of the event, we are already getting a taste of all the games we will be spending our hard-earned dollars on, because we all know that despite a recession, games are the hold-back to going on luxurious vacation. EA dropped jaws with the new Medal of Honor, showcasing an incredible eighteen-player demo online on the stage. The game was incredible-looking, and quite realistic, taking place in real Afghanistan, and demoed in Kabul.
The game will follow a group of Tier 1 military groups that are the tip-of-the-top of the Army. The game is going to be released in the fall, around October or November. Medal of Honor is going to be released for the two major consoles, and on PC. Expect this game to eat up a lot of hours, and the body counts rise, as Army troops go head-to-head with Afghan rebel fighters.
The next game shown was EA Active w, which looked incredible for the Wii. It is a fitness game that actually scans your entire body, and shows you as a figure in the game. The game is supposed to be constantly updated online, and able to keep you on top of your regimen. This game seemed interesting, and considering it uses things like weights, and calisthenics to get you in shape, I’m not one to personally use video games to get in shape, and Dance Dance Revolution was the major calorie burning game that I can recall. Considering I usually play a video game with pizza and soda on the table in front of me, and a cigarette in my living room recliner as I’m popping caps in zombies. Being “active” is nice, and playing while being active sounds like fun, but honestly it’s not something I wake up to early on Christmas morning excited to play, as my inner child screams in glee.
EA was impressive though, it has a show-off of Kinect’s technology, and they will utilize that, along with Playstation: Move, and of course the Nintendo Wiimote. 3-D is also being shoved down the throats of gamers now, and maybe in a few years, many of us will comply, but more-likely it is a fad, and I would hate to have to wear 3-D glasses over my prescription eyeglasses for hours on end, and probably go even more blind from watching blood and guts get spread all over the place.
With game titles like Bulletstorm, I’m not really looking forward to the push of 3-D, and having grand pappies across the nation dying of feeling like bullets are attacking them from all sides. Bulletstorm, an extremely blood-ridden game, that I am sure was toned down a bit for E3, but there is some serious bloody messes being set up for us in this game. EA has shown that they are the top developer in the business, pulling in over a billion dollars annually, they are top dogs and shown off their innovation with EA Partners. Now, if you’ve followed EA for as long as I have, since the mid 90s when I was practically too young to even know what a the 64bit system really was, I knew that there was something special of these guys in suits talking about shaping the future mold of entertainment
EA has been partnered with developers for years, bringing about new titles, and with the development of mediums that are the next generation consoles, we know now that the biggest developers have been doing the most business together to make innovation a possibility. EA has allowed for independent developers to come in and create many downloadable, and mini games online, and now we are seeing the future of gaming is allowing for independents to build and create, always invigorating the market. EA is doing this so games like Fat Princess, and Flower, innovative from the past few years, will be allowed to thrive in the future, and the kid that tampers around with this array of software can make it big in the video game world. Now we see communities of people come together to create different uploaded user content.
EA finished well, and brought a lot of pre-excitement to the obscene amount of senses overload come the next three days. EA wanted to assure gamers and developers that like last year; they are willing to share that wealth of open-ended development to newcomers and time-hardened veterans. EA was an exciting opening, but it lead into the bigger shocker of Ubisoft.
Ubisoft is a French developer that started out very small, and very low on the radar. One of the first games, Rayman became mascot of the company, and was not well known, mostly a cult following. After receiving the licensing of Tom Clancy, many saw Ubisoft as the first true tactical espionage thriller in the market. Games like Rainbow Six became very realistic to the tactical shooter genre, expanding it well beyond what it was in the early 2000s. Ubisoft has had a long history that stretches a bit above twenty years, but they showed that they wanted to open strong, being that this was the biggest event of the year in video games, and the subconscious psyche that this is the last big even of the decade.
Ubisoft really spread out their projects for all of us to see with the announcement of a new Tom Clancy shooter Ghost Recon: Future Warrior. It was interesting to watch the demonstration, with futuristic weaponry and tools, as the team of soldiers went invisible, and communicated very well to find and isolate the objective targets. Then were given an example of sniping and using that to our advantage in the setting of a hotel room. The game is to take place in the European beaches a bit in the future where economical and ecological disaster has overrun the continent.
As I was saying, the demo was crazy, sick to see a helicopter that is carrying an experimental vehicle go crashing and spiraling out of control after sniping the apache pilot in the head. Using the solitary setting of the hotel room, you find that it is amazing, as the AI actually seems to react to everything. Ghost Recon was perhaps one of the more anticipated games from years ago. Most games from the Tom Clancy series have people always anticipating the next big thing from Ubisoft, the leader in the tactical shooters.
After seeing the first demonstrations of this game, it was safe to say that Ubisoft did an amazing job, and I do look forward to the future of this European-based developer. Watching out for Splinter Cell titles, Rainbow Six, and the likes, it makes you wonder about the roots of this company. Enter the biggest surprise of the night, bigger than Ghost Recon, bigger than all the health mumbo jumbo bullshit, and event he innovative laser tag thing that made me question who develops these ideas to what audiences, was Rayman: Origins. Also add in there that crappy breathing game that is supposed to relax you but is taught at like every liberal college seminar to “reduce stress” when really I wanted to punch that developer in the face for such a lame idea of a “game.” Are we so masturbatory to our computers that we need a little “cute” video game to teach us how to breeze easy the way a simple yoga video can? Someone’s bullshitting us out of money.
Despite the stupid stuff, the core of Ubisoft this year was games. The announcement of Rayman: Origins will most likely be overlooked, but the fact that only five people are looking over the art and creation of this budding masterpiece of a game, I’m sure that most people will overlook it for other major announcements like Nier, Fallout: New Vegas, and of course, Halo: Reach. Do realize that although these games are respectable in their own way, from what I saw in that two minute preview of Rayman, I felt there was a distinctive line between the old-school gamers, and the new gamers that think that Nintendo 64 is “old-school”. Sure, I’m getting into an immature debate here, but my point being is that Rayman is an iconic character in a time when games were just getting to their first peak.
The graphical visuals that went into making this 2D side scroller is no small achievement, and if it turns out the way it looks, it can be considered an art piece all by itself. Hopefully what we saw was not just vaporware, but something spectacular that will teach an ancient dog some next generation tricks.
Ubisoft ended strong for the first day, unofficial first day of live coverage of E3, and though my only source has been the HD broadcast on G4TV, I believe highly that they may not be always the best when it comes to live technical broadcasts, but they are fans and gamers, to some degree. They know what the core gamers want to see, as well as showcasing some of the casual games that may not have as deep an impact.
I’ll give a brief analysis, as we were given a little bit more than expected for the day: First off, big hats off to EA, they showed us really what to expect, even though much of it felt like a rehash of what we already love, but being that most gamers are conservative of their favorite titles, they are showing us that games like Madden 11 will still have some different aspects. Games will take less time, there will be realistic huddle situations, and play changes will look like the real-deal.
Well, sometimes new is better than a game you just played the year before, and Madden is no different than any other AAA title that deserves a remake. Madden is turning out to be quite impressive, and people who love these sort of games, from the casual sports enthusiasts to the hard-headed no-necks that play football and eat pigskin for breakfast daily will find this to be the game they will want. Sure, I’m not the biggest football game fan, but if I were to play any of them, I’d rather play Madden over any other brand. It isn’t given it’s props every year for no reason, it is the best on the market.
EA wanted us to know that they will be rewarded for buying EA games, by getting access from the Gunclub, and games like Medal of Honor, and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 that are purchased, and being such a loyal fan, can get special online and DLC not available to those who don’t buy the games, or buy used. Gun Club can be accessed online from your computer, and it launches either today or very soon.
Overall at this particular spotlight, EA has brought together a great array of games for us to play next year and this fall. The question though, is what about this summer? There seems to be a draught of games for the summer season. And I am wondering what exactly we’ll be doing for fun, we may have to go outside and get some sun, and be active. This is a no-no on the hardcore gamer’s part, but maybe something will be revealed soon. We can only hope in the next couple of days.
Ubisoft is our closer for this day, and I might add they closed out quite impressively, even though I am not much of an Ubisoft player, compared to EA, but the do have some great games coming out that were not mentioned above: Driver Los Angeles will be one title that many people will be going ape over in the upcoming months. Driver Los Angeles will be a game that takes place right around to after Driver 3. The game’s trailer shows the two iconic characters of the series going head-to-head with each other. Although this game was not one that stood out to me as particularly interesting, it did not mean that it did not impress me to a high extent. I did find it more compelling of a story than recent driving simulation, particularly games like Motorstorm, and Burnout Paradise City. Older, but still games that are hailed as pinnacles for the racing genre on their respected systems.
Ubisoft’s biggest reveal had to be Ghost Recon to the hardcore gamers, but it is still to me the Rayman: Origins trailer that will stick out, and the art style may be retro but I love to find retro-like games done in a next-generation engine. I compare it to games like Street Fighter IV that came out with that classic 2D style but a bit of an added depth, called a “2.5D” game, and it was perfect to Capcom’s Franchise, when most other fighters are fully 3D.
Uibsoft will definitely have a great end year, and a great first quarter 2011, and one can only speculate just what the rest of 2011 will hold. Wow, I’m getting far ahead of myself! Let’s not forget that E3 itself is not even one day in! Excitement is abound and I feel terrible for some who haven’t had a chance to get there to this year’s convention. Don’t worry though, there’s always hope for next year, and E3 is still shaping up to have many wanted titles, and perhaps some sneak peeks at hidden games being kept under lock and key.
That’s all for this first-look at E3, I’m sure tomorrow will be packed with about seven hours alone of new games tomorrow with the official start of the convention. I’ll be loading up these full analysis of the E3 conventions whenever possible, but stay tuned in for more information as we get the big reveals at E3 all this week!

As always thank you for reading the Malacast Editorial, I appreciate every person that reads this blog, and also apologize for the limited amount of posts every month. You can also follow on the blog on Twitter: twiter.com/mcasteditorial, or @mcasteditorial. Thank you again, and please read Days 2-4 of coverage of the live E3 event June 14th-June 17th. For more news check out the E3 website, and G4tv did happen to promise extra content at G4TV.com.
Keep aware that although today is not the official day of the Electronic Entertainment Expo, I am calling it the first day, as a disclaimer has been put at the top of the page. Tomorrow I will have Nintendo and Sony’s showcases reviewed and analyzed, and although I for some reason have not seen Microsoft’s (it was not broadcasted in my area or even mentioned) I heard and saw clips, and it did suck royally. I try not to play favorites, but I absolutely hate Microsoft, and their showing of kinect, while not even really revealing anything for their core fan base made them seem off the bar this year. Maybe Sony and Nintendo will show them up, but who knows, we’ll all find out tomorrow, goodnight!

Huge Review a novel by James W. Fuerst

2010-06-12T20:39:00.002-04:00

Huge

Last year’s surprise debut novel by writer James W. Fuerst was the book Huge. The novel takes place in the 1980s in New Jersey, between an area that represents the projects, and the other area across the woods that represent the rich, suburban area. Pretty much a poor boy story in a “gotta be someplace better than here” situation.
Huge is actually the ambiguous nickname of Eugene Smalls, and with a name like that; we can sort of understand off the bat why this kid has the makings of a passive-aggressive lunatic.
Huge is your generic Holden Caulfield-style character, a bitchy preteen at that point in his life where things are becoming confusing, life is starting to have less and less of a meaning for his voided childhood, and the unfortunate metamorphosis into a man. The book does do Catcher in the Rye some gratitude by mentioning Caulfield in a deep comparison to Huge in a very awkward situation between he and his sister during an scene in the bathroom.
Sure there’s more symbolism than Jung’s psychological writings can explain, but this kid is a Freudian’s nightmare, and may have pushed any sensible person to believe I n hopeless endeavors.
Huge starts out as a kid that is riding to a retirement home to meet his grandmother. His grandmother of course is a sly woman that plays possum with her marbles, in a symbolic way of seniority and youth disobeying the system in a generation gap. I see it more like the grandmother represents the origins of Huge’s mischievous mannerisms, and eggs him on, while Huge secretly loves that she does this, despite the self-fulfilling prophecy of his delinquency having punishable consequences.
Huge is sadly the author’s whipping boy, never catching a break, always having conspiracies the world is out to change him, and in a way, it is, considering the bullshit parenting of the single mom.
Sure, if I had a child like Huge, I’m sure I’d want to beat the holy hell of sense into him, but let’s be honest, he’s deemed a loss cause to almost everyone but his fading grandmother.
The grandmother that he calls Toots, points out that the retirement home has had a run of vandalism over the past few weeks, and it is up to Huge to figure out just who desecrated the home’s sign, by writing RETARTED over Shady Oaks Retirement Home. Now Huge has been raised on a bellyful of detective novels from some of the greats, and he is obsessed with them. His grandmother pays him in advance with ten dollars, a lot more than you’d think to a 12 year old, and it gives you a sense of nostalgia just how ten dollars seems like a world of money, and it cost a dime to play Pac-Man. Taking the money, Huge promises to bring back information on the vandal that ruined the sign of the retirement home, and wants to personally punish the culprit that would pick on the poor old folks.
We find out about Huge, and his faithful friend, Thrash, a stuffed frog that seems to symbolize the primitive, violent, nonsensical part of Huge’s life. Huge is this kid that plays out like a ne’r-do-well, arrogant in-between aged child, who uses his Cruiser as a means for transportation throughout his misadventures. Starting out the case by searching for clues, he goes and starts to blame a gang of “taggers” (A bunch of kids that spray paint graffiti about the Palisades and Northern Jersey area.) This lead, has Huge and Thrash head to meet a stoner that happens to be Huge’s sister’s boyfriend (on-and-off) as a lead suspect, and his crew of taggers. This in-turn leads to be another attempt for Huge to indirectly seek social acceptance from his higher-up peers. Of course, Huge is a tough kid, but unfortunately he is also seen as a kid that’s insane, has mentally been ravaged from an impoverished life, and has a form of OCD and bipolar depression.
To psychoanalyze him any further, one would assume he has just teenage angst when all those chemicals are meshing around in his brain, making everything confusing and depressing.
Eugene Smalls is iconic, a seemingly familiar character that almost anyone can relate to at one point in his or her life. Growing up in the 1980s Northern New Jersey area is difficult, but we get a feeling of a very primal, very do-or-die sort of setting. Through a teenager’s eyes, we feel the invincibility, and the life-or-death situation all at once; we get this feeling that everything can come crashing down at any moment.
Going through situations like sexual frustration, disownment, being cast out by everyone, and that isolation that creates insipidness, Huge is a diverse character that functions on all engines constantly. A grave misfortune to his mother, a constant pain in the ass to his sister, forcing her to have no life in order to watch out for him, we at a moment’s glance see that Huge is not functioning on all cylinders, and we watch slowly as he begins to mature, and the detachments from his former childhood into his teenage years.
All over one summer it’s amazing to imagine a kid go from working out every morning through routine conditioning, fighting to get on a football team, and promising to beat the holy hell out of whoever desecrated a retirement home’s sign, to becoming a tween kid that is learning to transcend his former aggressions, and leaving behind a stuffed animal companion that symbolizes the loss of hope we all feel, and being the comforting, ticking conscience that always makes us want to do the bad thing.
Huge does find out so much in this amazing novel, but what does he find more in puppy love with a girl he had a crush on forever, that just wasn’t able to happen until this great epiphany happens. We start off with a mystery novel, but end with a teenage diversion into the heart of what really matters, that the best years, the adventures we once had, are all behind us after age eighteen. We find that we made things serious, that we had something grand as kids, because there was no serious responsibility that the primal youth we had turns into the mimicking of adulthood we all transpired to have in our early teens. This is a novel of self-redemption, and seeking to gain a responsibility so young that now most that are adults wish we could give back for one more year of childhood.
In a way, if you delve deep into this story, which has more depth than seen at a first glance, you see that past the foul language, which becomes a symbol of defiance and freedom in-itself, you see a screaming soul that is tortured by his self-deprecation, teeming at the rims with a hint of forgiveness. Perhaps Huge is here to teach us that there may not always be a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but at least there’s not pot full of shit there either.
If you would like to delve more into this novel, I do highly suggest it, despite it being more of a flashier updated version of Salinger’s classic, but remember this: if it’s all been done before, at least this time it’s done well. Furest’s novel demands some praise, especially for a first novel, sometimes a difficult thing to do is hit it right in all the best places the first swing at bat, but hopefully this novel will be a testament for things to come. A writer should never stop writing, especially when they can go the distance with such a touching novel.
Huge is a character that we all relate to, whether we are twelve years old now, and begging for a parent to recognize that they’re no longer a child, or a parent of an in-between ager that sees the frustrations of growing up, or even some twenty-something that gets a little laugh at what they once were like, this book is for almost anyone that’s ever lived past age thirteen.
This mystery/comedy/coming-to-age tale is what every summer list needs. Although it’s a year or so old, if you haven’t read it yet, no summertime is better than now, so I do reco0mmend this novel, and I do believe that if you are an avid summer reader, it is the perfect novel for those sunny and rainy days. Huge by James W. Fuerst, a high recommendation by yours truly.

Thank you for reading the Malacast Editorial, please feel free to follow me on twitter.com @mcasteditorial, and do check back every once-in-awhile for updates to the blog itself. Have a great time, and enjoy the summer!

E3 Preview

2010-06-01T15:03:00.003-04:00

Seems like the big players will be at E3: Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft. Should be an interesting year, although I wonder if other companies like Leapfrog, Tiger, and other versions of handhelds will be there as well, or are they extinct? I also wonder what will be the end-all, beat-all game, considering all the top franchises have let out their wrath on the gaming industry with developers making some of potential 2010 GOTY candidates in just the last four months. Summer may be the drought for once, but there are hypes of games like Marvel vs Capcom, which I'm sure may have a new trailer, if not a possible playable demo. Being that I am not considered a part of the industry, which is obviously true, I am not going to go, and although I would love to go one day, it will not be this year.
I'm not sure what's up ahead for this year's E3, but I am willing to bet it will be pretty astounding, especially because for the first time I'll be watching all 25 hours in HD. So I'll get the full experience of what these games will surely look like, and I'll relay that to my readers, and to followers on Twitter. I'll also make sure to split the posts up fairly so not to bombard the readers with tons of information and opinion at once. I will be sure to fill you all in on information, links, and the mother load come June 15th, so be sure to check back at this blog for the most detail on the Electronic Entertainment Expo.

MLG-Fighting Genre Tips for amateurs

2010-04-15T15:11:00.000-04:00

This is a series on MLG gaming: the system that allows professional players to play on a grand scale, and how best for amateurs to break into the major league gaming franchise. Granted, not every hint or tip will guarantee a no-name player to win the biggest tournaments, as like any other competition, it takes training, determination, and hours and hours of intense time spent with a particular game.
No true tip can ever guarantee a win, but only a suggestion into the competition, and how to compete and keep up with those who are more common to play under this sort of pressure. MLG requires the competitors to be able to afford the tournaments they buy into, and the consequences of how each tournament system works. It is best for you to read up on the rules, the type of tournament, and the abilities and experience expected of those who are ranked into the tournament. Like the old saying goes, do not pick a fight you can’t win.
I am not a complete expert on professional gaming, as I’ve only been in several tournaments, with some memorable matches in the fighting genre. I remember spending around six to eight hours a day with just one character, preparing for a tournament, running through each tutorial over and over, until I was able to memorize the character’s strengths, weaknesses, and how they reacted in timing, and recovery time to attacks from almost every character possible. After that, I would do the arcade bracket mode multiple times to test against the highest level of A.I. opponents, just to make sure that I was able to beat the A.I. to the point of memorizing every prerequisite tactic that the computer could throw at me. Even that was not anywhere near what I could’ve done to prepare have I had the time before the tournament I participated in, and was my downfall for not taking the entire tournament for myself.
Gaming on a professional level is not tests of strength per say, but it is an endurance test for the mental and physical strain one goes through in order to prepare them for facing an opponent that wants to take the win for them. Did I beat out those who really were not up to par with the best of the best? Yes, and that did wane out the competition, but doing this will also throw you a curve when it comes to playing against a player that does this for a living.

When it comes to Major League Gaming, it seems that there’s a top-notch player every single day, and that in-turn does not allow for the stars to truly stand out. Most players of fame are from clans or groups of online players that play towards a common goal. Most games played professionally are First=Person Shooters (FPS) and if you are not top notch at this game style, you are caught with your pants down during an online tournament. Other games that make the fray are the one-on-one style of the fighting genre games. Teken and Street Fighter are just two of the main contenders for those trying to break into the online Major League Gaming community.
When it comes down to the games that are played for the big bucks, the console games are where most people sign up to play. Most people spend hours upon hours memorizing the game from the inside out, trying to get their skills honed to take online. Truth is, it’s about nonstop practice, teamwork, and the ability to pick up the pace for the least talented players on your team. Games like Modern Warfare 2 have become more like sports than playful entertainment.
Do gamers of this caliber really hold a chance in real-world situations? Not really, it is more of a do-or-die tactic that is seen throughout most games of the above genres. For example, in FPS games, one of the key components to success is to simply work with your teammates and camp, hoping an opposing player will be sniped, before the camper is snuffed out by a horde onslaught.
In Fighting genres, the tactic of “button-mashing” can make any player have a good game, but it does in its own rights have to be of some skill level, despite many top players being taken out by a few fluke moves from random exchanges through button mashing. Although some fighting games that do have skills needed to actually master are of Soul Caliber, and Teken. Here are some simple tips that can be used for anyone starting out in this genre that want to break into the big leagues.
First off, in a game such as Teken, a prime example of a fighting game that requires familiarity with the character before mastering the game, it is best to stick to exactly one character that feels best to your playing style. Many choose characters that are considered “noobs” or cheap due to the type of stringing combos or max damage they perform. Despite the flare that one character brings to the fight, it is best to stick to the basics when starting out, and choosing a character that you personally can understand, or at the most compete with on a fair basis. If you can actually play a certain character, and hold back on certain combos, and still feel very secure with how they work, then you can easily master that character.
I prefer to use the character King, as he is a more basic fighter, and his style is more honed to that in which I personally can understand. King is the leopard-headed street fighter from Teken. Teken is one of the most difficult games in the fighting genre to play and master, compared to its more button-mashing cousins, it takes much more experience than simply hitting the right combination of buttons to pull off some spectacular special move that obliterates the opponent. Instead, it is more martial arts based, and deals with many timed moves and grappling that requires the full attention of the player. The original games were arcade classics, and are still mostly played by arcade junkies looking for a fair, balanced fighting games.
Teken allowed for people to play very unique characters, but also allowed for the player to learn as they went along in progression throughout the game. One thing I personally enjoy about this game was that you never felt like it was too easy or too hard. You went throughout the game, not feeling like it was a pushover, and never felt like the computer A.I. was ever buggy in how difficult the next opponent was to the preceding opponent.
Teken is the game that you want to play to prep yourself for a professional game. Find a character, stick with them for a few weeks, and then try out others, mimic how they fight, and see if you can also grow to master them as well. When you learn every character, you learn their pros and their cons. Every fighting game is set up so when you focus on one character they will be as strong and counter every other character in the roster. Do not be deceived by characters that are said to be weaker, stronger, or slower than is preset by the game, this will not be a factor when you figure out how each character works. Once you’ve studied how each character works, you will discover that even the cheapest character can be taken out with the slowest, weakest character when put to battle.
Special characters are a no-no. Unlocked characters are like junk food, they feel good at first, but when put through a rigorous test, you will find that they are simply eye candy, and really left over junk that developers threw in there for fun. Only use these characters when you feel completely sure about your skills, and only as a last resort. Opponents over a network will try to psyche you out by choosing a character, but then switching to another, and special character you may not have unlocked will show up, and throw you off, this is best to stick with the character you are most familiar to playing. If someone for example chose a secret character in Teken, like Kuma (Now part of the normal roster, but still a vanity character) I would stick with King, because I am most familiar with his settings. Remember that there is not normally a rule on how controller commands are set up, so feel free to switch the default controller settings to fit you best, and do not be afraid to try out all different button settings to tweak your overall performance, what works for you, works best.
Now, exceptions to the above rule can be seen in games like Street Fighter. One secret character that is not junk in this series is Akuma. Perhaps the most used character outside the normal roster, this character is by far a force to be reckoned with by a skilled player. Akuma is sort of a variant of the famed characters Ken and Ryu, with a Hadoken blast that can be performed as an aerial maneuver. Do expect a harsh beat down against a skilled Akuma player if you are not fully prepared with a countering character. Although I never break far away from my character selection in any Street Fighter game, I’m normally a Ryu player. He may not be the flashiest player, but against top players of characters like Balrog and Vega, I assure you that I will stick with what I know best, and that’s the character I have the most experience with to take my opponent by surprise.
With any fighting game, from Mortal Kombat to Street Fighter, to Soul Caliber, you will lose many hours in a tournament that may very well take you to your mental limits. What I’ve learned from playing these games for so many years, is that I see it as always being a competition, which sadly takes away much of the fun from them, but I know I am one of the best because I take it seriously in the given situation.
Many will tell you that there is not a lot of skill to these games, and it will come down to luck, but I say this is false. The reason many games will come down to one hit way for either side to victory is because it takes much skill to fully encompass the tools given to that particular character. Why is it that a skilled Ryu player can defeat an obnoxious Vega player? Anyone who has taken the time to play Street Fighter will tell you that it is hard work, and will say it takes many hours to hone Ryu’s counters and defensive strikes.
Perhaps my most celebrated game is Mortal Kombat, and I find it is one game that I can feel safe playing any of the characters given, and nine out of ten times I will win with that selected character. If you’ve read the giant Mortal Kombat review I’ve done a few years back, you’ll know that I am rather obsessed with the game, and it is the inkling start for many of us of the nineties generation that got us into the fighting genre.
Not many tournaments are held for anything besides top fighting games, Mortal Kombat is not your normal choice for a tournament headliner, but it does happen often if you are willing to search one out, but it is not where the most skilled players are honed into fighting genre champions.
One trick to Mortal Kombat is to abandon the block button completely; it is only a resource for a spammer, and nothing more. Against skilled players, the block button is just a nice way to give your opponent a free counter. If you are skilled enough to use the block to an advantage, it is normally in the form of a crouching block. I find it more of a resource to use the sidestep (In the newer games) and the run from the older titles to evade my opponent and throw them off guard. The best way to win at Mortal Kombat is a bit different than the other fighting titles, but I will say that it is crucial to still know your character from the inside out. I believe combos chained with special moves may seem cheap, but they are where skills are most honed. When you have the right setup, you can get a flawless victory quite easily against even the most skilled players.
Take Sub-Zero, perhaps the most iconic character in the series next to Scorpion, an exact opposite. Sub-Zero is infamous in combat because he tends to have the most time potential against almost any character. If you are skilled at freezing an opponent, you can own the match and having the other player left without a clue as to how they just lost. At first it will feel a bit unfair, but there are many of ways a character can counter Sub-zero, so do not feel overconfident with him before a match is officially over. See, Sub-Zero’s best weapon is time, when you can initiate a stop in motion to the other character successfully; you have all the potential to take them on, and dispose of them with a devastating combo system that they cannot block from a long string. Stringing together combos with Sub-Zero is also massively hard, as it will force (in the newer games) a breaker from you opponent that will have you attempting fate for a second or third time.
Sub-Zero’s flaw is that his reaction time is a bit off, but this can be overcome by the fact that you have at least one second of reaction to when you freeze an opponent. What makes him extremely deadly is not so much the special moves but the devastating combos once pulled off correctly, and forcing a opponent to sit back and watch you brutally defeat them is not going to play well when they will be expecting an iceball to freeze them.
Sadly, without this one special move, and its several variations, Sub-Zero is a slow, clunky character that is best used as an offensive character. If you play him for a few days, and feel out the negatives, you may want to switch off to a character meant for less skilled players like Liu Kang, who can counter and defend quite well against most of the roster.
Scorpion is a bit unfair, as he is the most beloved character of the lead developer Ed Boon, and is a bit overpowered, and a bit more difficult to handle, it is like trying to control a wild fire with joysticks. Scorpion is by far the most elusive characters you can play as, while also being the most destructive, hence being the most dangerous to play against with a skilled opponent.
When using Scorpion, it is best to remember that you are better off playing him as an offensive character. His spear throw is perhaps the most effective way to string a combo, but seeing as most players will be expecting that move, it is best to use his secondary special to start a chain: the teleport. The teleport is a mixed blessing, as it is not best to use constantly, unless you can string well into the exit of the teleport punch that Scorpion pulls off.
Combos with Scorpion can look very pretty if they are learned with the highest efficiency, but they pale against those of a learned Shang Tsung opponent, or even a Baraka enthusiast. What is most important in this type of tournament is to remember never to let the guard down, and avoid the block button in exchange of close combat. Never be more than two steps away from your opponent as any character, and always remember to sidestep any charged up special attack. If you are playing an older version of the game, always use run when needed, but avoid blocking as it holds the same problem with the new games.
Blocking can be done well in other games, but with Mortal Kombat it is only used to dodge projectiles from a player that will constantly spam moves, and only in retaliation to a defensive strike following.
Now, not all of these tips will help you out, but the most important tip I can give is that the time and effort put in, and learning from a highly skilled player willing to give up their time to help you out, it is best to practice to make perfect. You may very well be the next MLG contender in the fighting genre.
I would like to add a final note to those wanting to get into fisticuffs with the pros, the best thing to do is to practice with your main character, learn all other characters to the best degree that you can, and learn the weakness of every character so you can use that to manipulate the overall fight against the skilled opponents you may come across. If you feel this method is not working, or you simply do not have the time to win, the best way to get into a brawl and succeed is to play the offensive well, and wait to feel how your opponent will strike. Are they passive players that anxious wait for counters, or do they rush in with blazing combos and nonstop barraging array of punches? If you can psyche out your opponent, you will be able to take on these fighters, and other styles that may not have been covered.
Always remember, it is a struggle to fight online skilled players, and you are almost guaranteed to lose a few if not many matches to those who have been playing games since before they could walk. Learn the tricks of the trade, and invent some of your own, and you may very well be a top player that everyone is gunning to dethrone.

Thank you for reading the Malacast Editorial! You can follow the blog on twitter @mcasteditorial, and check back at the blog for the most recent updates at: mceasteditorial.blogspot.com. Again, thank you for reading the Malacast Editorial.

Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition Too much of a good thing is still a good thing

2010-03-19T15:15:00.000-04:00

Bethesda has created one of the most unique game experiences with their Elder Scrolls series, especially that which is Oblivion, a game which Fallout 3 shows in a specific way. Perhaps a qualifier to massive undertakings in gaming, its astounding that this game has ever been fully completed by any gamer. I’m very intimidated to even write about it now, but with this effort, I hope to cover as much as I can about this version of Fallout 3 with what I’ve played and finished, along with research on the game in whole.

Before we get into this review, I must say that it will be quite a lengthy read, so I plan on splitting this review up into either parts or sections. The game is massive, and those who bought it are either just finishing it now, or have powered through it in speed runs. To have completed all the missions on the hardest difficulty, it could take even the most experienced gamer to push their patience to the breaking point.
Fallout 3 is one of those games that come about whenever great innovation is needed in the mainstream of First-Person Shooter titles. The game is a ton of story, action, drama, and allows you to choose your own path. What I found interesting about this game is not is it only one of the longest games I’ve personally ever played, it is also one of the shortest games you can choose to play. Fallout 3 is an open world with hundreds of missions, and is one of the few games that allow you to go straight to the end of the game to win it in around fifteen minutes.
I do have to say that this game is a lot of walking. I mean you literally walk the map to discover missions and characters that unlock progress through the main game. This game is actually six games on one massive disc, not to be confused with the original game, this is the special edition that includes not only the original game, but all the downloadable content that can also be bought separately through your videogame systems online network. This one disc makes it easier in that you do not have to buy the DLC separately, but rather in one large package, and is at this point, considerably cheaper. With the purchase of Fallout 3: GOTY edition, you only pay sixty dollars before tax for a brand new game.
Due to the disc holding so much information, you will on occasion find I troublesome when the game decides to freeze, lag, or glitch, but as this will occur on a rare occasion, a simple reload of your most recent save will normally take care of the problem, or if you simply wait a bit, the game should just start up again and continue functioning routinely.
Aside from the occasional glitches, this game is a durable one, and a very important game in both storyline and value. I would still recommend this version of the game to those who are looking for a great gaming experience, but I will warn them of some of the issues that come with Fallout 3. One is that it is time-consuming, and will often irritate you when the commands from the wireless controller do not operate with the game play, making a slower reaction time to the game.
The game also has some issues, mostly in the walking around the Wastelands, but luckily there is not a lot of room for boredom as there is always danger out there, with Raiders, Slavers, mutated animals, and the occasional Super Mutant, the Wastelands are dangerous and fun.
The story is classic, it follows the story of your character (which you create at the beginning of the game, and after determining the sex, ethnicity, and overall look of your character, you watch as your mother dies, and you are already starting off on a bad foot in the post apocalyptic world.
As you begin the game, you are but a toddler, around a year old, and your first goal is to get out of your crib. After you are out of your crib, you find a baby book, and there you set your S.P.E.C.A.L. attributes, which act as a point-value system that allows you to better survive the massive game to come. You have the ability to preset points to attributes such as Speech, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Agility, and Luck, hence the acronym. These, along with the perks you build throughout the game help develop what kind of human being your character will become in the game. Remember, you can be the good guy, the bad guy, or just a neutral character as the game develops, so these abilities will help you in the quests that the player will embark on throughout the Capital Wastelands.
You spend a good portion of the beginning of the game inside the vault, your home for the majority of you character’s childhood life. Vault 101 is the vault you come from, and the beginning of your life. This is the one of several that you can find throughout the Capital Wasteland. Vaults were developed to help people survive and rebuild the world after the atomic bombs dropped. The vault you come from is a friendly place with a bit of 1950s nostalgia, although the game takes place around the year 2077.
Your character, that you name, counts on those around him/her for the majority of information needed in the world, and aside from that, there are books, notes, and other forms of writing from pre-war to post-war times that will help you figure out the game.

Before I get ahead of myself, your first true experience of the Fallout 3 game play comes at the tenth birthday party, when you receive your PipBoy 3000, a simple arm band-like computer that resembles and old Dos system that will be the key control panel for the entire game. This will even come in handy towards certain quests. Your PipBoy 3000 will tell you what weapons you have, what aid you have for health, and miscellaneous items you may have picked up along the way. It will also tell you if you’ve crippled any bones, your radiation level for when you leave the Vault, and it will also light up when you hold the button in that activates the PipBoy 3000.
After your birthday party, you receive a BB gun as a present. Your first goal is to hit all the targets, and then kill a Radroach, which is pretty much a cockroach the size of a poodle. When that is finished, you and your father take a picture together, and you are warped to age sixteen.
This is the age where you and all other vault-dwelling children have to take the G.O.A.T. test. This is pretty much a mockery of the S.A.T., and is your first true achievement in the game. The vault leader, the despotic Overseer, immensely is the key character of the vault, being the former of the G.O.A.T. and the one set in charge as sort of an imperial statesman to the colony becomes the back-story to many side missions, and even parts of the main story to the game. His role is not very important as it seems at first glance, but later through analysis, it seems that there’s always a bigger, greater picture to the characters that seem to dwell in the isolation of the Capital Wasteland.
After the test, you go onto the next part of the prologue, which is age 19. At age 19, your character is awakened by the Overseer’s daughter, as she’s trying to explain how your father breached the Vault, and has ran off into the treacherous Wasteland. You then run through one-or-two side missions to gain access to the Overseer’s office, where you can of course, choose to kill him, as well as anyone in the vault that steps in your path.
Reaching this particular part of the game starts your flow of the Karma system. Karma is the length-way of your characters main traits as either a good or evil. Plainly what can be told of this particular aspect of the game can determine much of how the ending, and interaction with other characters goes. Seeing as either good or evil are not only measured by your own personality that you create for the character, it is also measured by your time spent out in the world of the D.C. ruins. Karma plays roles that greatly affect your perks, or can be affected by your perks. In general, Karma affects the story, the dialogue, and the way certain characters will interact with you. (Jericho in Megaton is an example).
After breaching the computer system of the Overseer’s office, and making your way through the underground security hull of the Vault, you’ll come to the Vault 101 door, and when opening it, you’ll be able to make some adjustments to your S.P.E.C.I.A.L abilities as a last second resort to the dangers you’re about to face. After that, it’s a long trek through the dumps that make up the whole of the Capital Wasteland.
What is unique to this particular version, the Game of the Year Edition, you’ll have access to at least four of the five DLC missions without an Internet Access. Those missions are: Mothership Zeta, Operation: Anchorage, Point Lookout, and the Pitt. The mission pack Broken Steel will require you to have a level thirty and/or to defeat the main game. Each of the extra missions can be a quarter of the size of the main map, to almost as big as half the map. For example, the Pitt’s level is at most a quarter of the Capital Wastelands, but is one of the more interesting storylines, despite it takes about an hour or two to run through. On the opposite end, an area like Point Lookout goes from a seaside amusement park, to swampy inland with backwoods irradiated hillbillies, to a stretch of mainland overlooking cliffs to a lighthouse that you can swim out to investigate.
As for the main game, which I feel gives you more freedom, than the objectives laid out in the DLC. After breaching Vault 101, you are free to just roam around the Wastes, or go straight to the ending, a record time set online showed a player beating the original game in about fifteen minutes, so you can pretty much play the game through, or beat it in an instant.
Fallout 3’s game progress is pretty repetitive in the sense that it is just finding missions continuously throughout a massive world, seen in games similar like Oblivion; Elder Scrolls IV, and in other titles like Final Fantasy, although a big stretch for a comparison, the similarities are made because with each roam through the Wasteland, the story progress further. I can imagine how such a script was written for the game, as the story is so vast, it may be repeated through characters you meet, but in their own point-of-view.
The precursor to the game’s story is quite interesting, as it tells of a fictional war between the United States and Communist China. The Chinese invade Anchorage Alaska, which is also the side-story detail to Operation: Anchorage, a very different approach to the game, as it is more military based, rather than fighting deformed monsters, seen throughout the Wasteland. As it goes, China is able to take on the U.S. Army, around the year 2066, and with that, there is full-scale war between the two countries. Through old articles and newspaper clipping shown in-between loading screens, you get even more details of the war, as some will say the U.S. annex’s China, and the declaration of war leads to a M.A.D. affect onto the U.S.
What was a downside to the original game was that you never really get much detail on this war, except what you find in holotapes (voice recordings that are playable on the PipBoy 3000) Luckily with the Operation: Anchorage DLC, you are able to play a bit of this war through the simulation, and it has a more Call of Duty feel, than the rest of the experience in Fallout 3.
As the U.S. loses the war, it seems that the entirety of the Northeast is but a nuclear atrocity. Roaming around, you’ll find information that is relevant to the storyline that is not only vast, but has multiple breaks that flow as you go deeper and deeper into the game.
Considering that this game is based greatly on exploring and survival, while leveling up so your enemies fear you that you once feared, you get your hands on some pretty detailed weapons. Some futuristic beyond imagination, and some that are quite realistic and detailed to the guns we can get today.
The biggest gun in this game that you can pick up or buy is called a Fat Man. A Fat Man is a hand held mini nuke launcher that can be seen as based off a concept of a rail gun, and a slingshot. The concept could also be seen as the real-life handheld nuke launcher developed during World War II that was based off a mortar concept, but junked as the propulsion of the missile was too short a range for ground infantry to use safely.
This gun when set off creates a mini mushroom cloud and if pinpointed directly will incinerate any enemies that are caught in its path. A useful weapon, it is still meant to be used in short-ranges, and can also backfire and destroy the player if not properly measured.
The best part of the game when it comes to weapons is the schematics. Schematics allow you to create weapons that are made out of the miscellaneous junk that can be found all throughout the Capital Wasteland. Perhaps the most popular is the Rock-it Launcher, which allows the player to make anything from toasters, to teddy bears into deadly ammo. With the Rock-It Launcher, you’ll never run out of ammo, unless you cannot find any junk. The best thing about this schematics weapon is that once you launch something like a baseball, you can then go and pick it up and use again so your ammunition is never wasted.
Bottle cap mines, the shish kebab, and Railway Rifle are just a few of the other guns you can learn to make, earning you a new way to take out enemies when there’s not weapons to be had. These weapons pale in comparison though to all the guns, knives, swords, grenades, and melee weapons are just a few other original goodies are at your disposal out in the Wastes.
Although you have more weapons than you can carry at hand, there are plenty of things out there in the Wastes that will give you a run for your nuka cola caps. Super Mutants are perhaps the most deadly enemies in the Main game, and they come in enough varieties to keep you always on your toes. They can be the size of a normal Raider, or reach the heights of buildings, so you’ll never have an easy time while exploring. Super Mutants are tough, but they are but a tick on your skin at the monstrosity force that is the Enclave.
The Enclave are perhaps the most ferocious enemy in the game, not because they are mutated beasts, but because they are militant strategists that outnumber you about a thousand to one. They also have helicopters called Vertibirds that will hunt you down from the sky, and land releasing a whole mess of these power-suited military marauders. When facing them, you’ll have to use wit and your V.A.T.S system (explained below.) to take them out. They aren’t a pushover, and if you land in one of their camps, it will take a miracle to make it out unharmed, but they are still not the toughest Wasteland enemy to fight.
Deathclaws, loathe them, because they’re going to beat you down into submission many, many times before you can learn to take them out. When the Enclave have a few as their personal pets, it’s easier to throw on a stealth Boy and just avoid confrontation altogether. Sometimes it’s not going to be so easy as playing a game of hide-and-seek, and the Deathclawa are not so easily fooled. Resembling something out of a horror flick, or your worst nightmares, Deathclaws are terrifying not only by their grimly look, but also by their size and speed. It takes a lot to take one down; even a shot from a Fat Man may not always do the trick. Beware of their claws, as their name is not just a cheesy gimmick, one good swipe will tear you to shreds. The best thing about them is that once you kill them, their claw can be collected, and is a perfect companion to the Rock-It Launcher.
Now if you ever run into a Super Mutant, and anywhere past level five, they may seem like a breeze, but with the Overlord, and Brute classes, it will never get boring to fight them. Mutants normal travel in groups, and if not they have another Wasteland enemy tagging along as their watchdogs, The Centaurs.
Centaurs are nothing like the mythological protégés that they are named after, unless of course you consider a human being mixed with only God knows what else as a horse man, then they are perfectly named. Centaurs are a little bit of almost every enemy character in the history of video games. They look like a Resident Evil reject, but are still rather nasty to fight. With a lashing tongue, a surprisingly scary speed, and the ability to spit some sort of radioactive acid, they may not have the ferocity of a Super Mutant, but the two combined leave you in a frantic haste while fighting.
Your last group of enemies for the main game are actually quite similar, but differ mostly in appearance and tactic. Raiders are sort of like caravans that hunt down and take whatever they can from whoever they can in the Capital Wasteland. They frequently show up whenever you’re trudging through deserted buildings, houses, and even just out scaling through the terrain. They normally travel in groups that are no larger than ten, but no less than two. On the rarest occasion you’ll spot a single raider, but it is unlikely. They are generated more than any enemy over the map, and after a few levels are more like pestering gnats than threats. They will sneak up out of nowhere to get you, but will attack almost anything in the Wastes that comes into contact with them. They’re really the first true enemy you’ll meet out in the Wasteland, but if you’re armed with only a baseball bat, they can be one of the hardest groups to fight.
Being that they are not wholly affected by radiation poisoning, they are great survivors, and wholly human. They are scavengers, marauders, and will not hesitate t kill you while you’re passing by. You cannot bargain with them, or reason with them, as you may luckily be able to do to a Merc, but be warned that if you kill one, you’re almost guaranteed a bunch more will follow. Raiders do occasionally have bases throughout the Wasteland, and if you happen by chance to come up on one, you’ll more-than-likely to have a shootout. If you’re lucky they may be preoccupied with a Radscorpion (giant scorpions that resemble Black Emperor Scorpions that are affected by radiation poisoning) or other Wastelanders that will not harm you unless you cross them wrong.
The next group of enemies that are similar to Raiders are Ghouls. Ghouls are the name for people that are so sickened by radiation poisoning; they look like a horror show zombie more than a deranged human. Although not all Ghouls are mindless killers, many will hate you for being a full intact human. The ones that cannot be bargained with are called feral ghouls. Feral ghouls are the particular class of ghoul that has had so much radiation poisoning that their comprehension of right and wrong has diminished to the state of a vicious animal. Not to be mistaken by ghouls that can actually speak and even barter with you, these are the deadliest form that will attack without reason, and are not the easiest to kill. They come in four classes: Feral Ghoul, Feral Ghoul Roamer, Feral Ghoul Brute, and Glowing Ones.
Glowing Ones are the most difficult class of Ghoul to fight, as they like other ghouls can be healed by radiation, these type emit radiation, as their green glowing skin aptly proves. They are extremely vicious, and can tear you to pieces if you are unaware of their presence. Normally a Feral Ghoul will hiss or grow to alert you, it is not always the case with Glowing Ones. If you spot a Glowing One first, and depending on your skill level, weapon, and condition of your weapon, they are a pushover to defeat.
Finally we have Mercs and Regulators. Mercenaries can be spotted throughout the game, and may or may not attack you depending on the situation, but they are trained ex military, or at least have some form of military training, and when at a base, can easily blow you to bits. They are ruthless, but can at times be bought off, or even hired, depending on the situation. Most of the time, they are hired to kill, or even tag along with caravans, but at other times, they can just attack without reason. Unlike Slavers, which will rarely attack, unless you’ve wronged them, Mercs will not always need a reason to put you in the ground.
Regulators are somewhat opposite of Mercs, as they are the “Good guys” trying to maintain order in the anarchy Wastes. If you have a very evil karma, they will occasionally come upon you and try to kill you because of a higher power placing a bounty on your head. If you wrong someone that has a lot of power in the game, you may have to then face one of these groups, and the end result may not always be in your favor. Unlike Mercs, Regulators cannot be persuaded otherwise to stop hunting you down, and they work in large groups throughout the waste, unlike Mercs that are loners. If you wrong one Regulator, they will all come after you, as opposed to Mercs, if you wrong one, you may be able to slide by the rest. Trudge softly, and you may be able to avoid any unnecessary problems from these two groups.
Despite the array of people that you meet in the game, much of the wildlife in Fallout 3 can be dangerous to pit against as well. The wildlife of the Wasteland can be just as dangerous as the psychopaths running around causing chaos. Here’s a few things to watch out for prior to getting Animal Friend Perk 2.
The Mole Rat is common for the first few levels of the game, and they can be a pain in the ass to handle. Like most enemies, they’ll come out of nowhere and start munching on you before your PipBoy can even see them on the radar. They’re pretty much moles that due to the effectiveness of radiation poisoning they grew exponentially, and have loss all their hair. They are ugly as sin, and will attack you without hesitation. Another creature to watch out for are Bloatflies.
Bloatflies are radiated bee-like flies that will shoot at you with stinger-like needles with pinpoint accuracy. They will attack you and buss around, so V.A.T.S. will be best to take these buzzing annoyances out with a bang. You can of course take meat off of these creatures for health. Perhaps the most dangerous natural wildlife animal is the Yao Guai.
Yao Guai are radiated black bears. They are vicious, and hard to kill, which will take up your ammo pretty fast. Yao Guai have a particular meat, and it will add side effects whenever your character takes the meat for aid. They are highly ferocious, and will greatly damage the player. The most unique aspect of the Yao Guai are their look, if you can get close enough to admire them that is. They have pulsating skin that looks as if it is cracked, due to radiation poisoning. When one is coming after you, they are perhaps the most vicious thing next to the Death Claws.
One animal that follows enemy characters are watchdogs. These semi-domesticated creatures are nasty in their attacks, and will draw the attention of enemies to your location if you are discovered. Perhaps the most annoying enemy, as they can cause great trouble for the player when the Raiders come to see what their canine friends have discovered. These animals are also highly radiated; giving a bloody, deathly look to them, and making them look even fiercer than their human counterparts.

All enemies in Fallout 3 can either be a pain in the neck, or a synch to beat. One enemy is always an easier challenge, but what if you have five to ten Enclave soldiers coming at you at once? Well, a few frag grenades can save you some trouble, but not always the best choice against three Super Mutants gunning at you in close quarters. Even the most veteran FPS gamer will have trouble in some of the worst-case scenarios of the game. So how does one survive while not reverting to their last save point? Simple, use V.A.T.S.
V.A.T.S. is a targeting system that allows you almost pinpoint accuracy to your enemies. This is done b a specified targeting system that will direct you to a snapshot of your enemies in their most recent pose, and from their you can decide just where you want to bring the pain. Take them out with a headshot? Or do you cripple their limbs so they can’t run away? Your style in V.A.T.S. can persuade the character's ideology by being precise, vindictive, or professional just with the click of a button.
After you select the targets, and take advantage of their weak points, you will set the commands in a chain of rapid gunfire that at first seems like a glorified version of Bullet Time ™, but is a far different animal in its own rights. V.A.T.S. is almost essential in major battles that will be laid out throughout the map, and in the end, it may even save you time, from simply just dying in an all-out shooting battle. V.A.T.S. is not fun when used constantly, but rather when you use it at the precise moments, like in a sneak attack.
As you will see, the V.A.T.S. system will tell you the percentage chance of hitting your target, the damage it will cause to that area of the opponents body, and the overall damage to that enemy’s health. During the game play, I’ve found it more interesting to use V.A.T.S. with melee weapons, and knives, rather than guns. Watching a Fat Man Mini Nuke go off and have a critical shot in V.A.T.S is also a fun way of testing out the magnitude of the weapon’s ferocity, compared to how mundane it feels with say a combat shotgun.
V.A.T.S. also brings a bit of a turn-based strategy feel to it, but despite being a unique improvement to an already advant garde title, it is one of many improvements made to the game as a whole that separates this title from many of the games that have come before it, and to the many more that have followed it ever since.
One thing I have not really mentioned about the game overall is that it is not just a linear fighting/shooting title. As I mentioned earlier, the karma system allows you to do things many other games tend to allow, but not to the detail of Fallout 3. If you want to be rid of a character forever in the game, you can very well end their life, no matter if they are good or evil. Not ever character is able to be killed, as it is important to understand that some characters are essential to quests, and if that quest is active, they will not die, but only be knocked unconscious until a set time that they can be killed.
When deciding on your path through the game, you may find yourself wanting to switch from a very good character, to a character that has no particular side. The specific acts that you do in the game are so detailed, that they can very well decide the overall end of the game, or just make you either very good or very evil. As you progress further in rank and level, you’ll be able to decide whether you want a high perk that is of Good Karma, Bad Karma, or Neutral Karma, which will be important, as some characters will not bother to even acknowledge you if you did very bad things, or very righteous things in your progression.
Karma is decided throughout the game through not only your actions while walking throughout the Wasteland, but also through missions. Missions are the key part of Fallout 3, in that they supply a vast majority of the experience points, and can be major deciders in how much your karma is affected. Missions, both main, and side missions are important in shaping your character into the angel or devil he or she may become.
The bulk of missions are mostly side missions that do not truly reflect the main mission of following in the footsteps of your character’s father. The main conflict in the game depends on you hunting down your father and helping him with his unfinished experiment. You travel through landmarks like Megaton, Galaxy New Radio, the Citadel, and Rivet City. Finally, the game comes to ahead at the Jefferson Memorial, where in this particular version of the game, you can either end it there, or continue on, adding a few more hours of game play.
DLC missions have in some part an important role to the mythology of the gigantic world that is Fallout 3. A prime example is when you play Operation: Anchorage, you get an idea of the game’s prologue of the war between the United States and China. In the DLC package
Point Lookout, you get to travel a bit further up to Maryland, where you will be on a seaside amusement park, and you will then travel and help a ghoul defend his mansion against rowdy tribal members that are hell bent on regaining the land for the sake of their insane cult leader that finds that the Wild Punga Fruit is essential to their ideology of some greater God. They seek out the mansion as if it’s Holy Ground, but you later find out there’s much more than just religious zealous. The storyline is not an exact add-on to the Capital Wasteland epic, but it is essential in finding out the source of the Punga Fruit, and in that you find out essential information that you’d never find while walking around the Wastes.
What I’ve found interesting was that with the DLC game in Mothership Zeta, it was an interesting take-away from the original game. Rather than having wide-open landscape to plot and attack from, I had the dealings of spaces that were of minuscule dimensions in comparison.
Mothership Zeta is a game that is primarily based on an alien spaceship, and the chief goal was to reach the Mothership, and fight the alien captain. This DLC is important though, because there is essential alien technology that can be found and used at your disposal. The Alien Disintegrator and Alien Atomizer are two weapons that are both fun to mess with, and cause a substantial amount of damage. The game itself is not clunky, but due to such a different terrain, it may take a moment to adjust to the game itself, in-comparison with the other missions to be played.
The Pitt, mentioned a bit earlier in this review, is another game that is a direct link to the main story, while not taking place directly in the Capital Wasteland. The Pitt is actually a smaller map, and take place in the ruins of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. You discover this particular DLC while venturing out into the Wastes, and finding an escaped slave that needs your help to rescue his fellow captives in the Pitt. The Pitt is a giant mining facility that is run by oppressive slavers that work their captives to death, attempting to rebuild the once great city back to its former days of glory.
The leader of these slavers is actually a former Brotherhood of Steel member, and his workers are mostly ex slaves that have won their freedom in the arena. The problem that progresses from the scenario is that there is a disease due to radiation poisoning that is affecting all the workers, and turning them into things called Trogs. These Trogs are like human monstrosities, as they seem to walk on all fours, and are meshed deformities of skinless, bleeding creatures.
Although one of the shorter areas for you to play, it has a lot of humanity, dialogue, and story to make it a formidable download to add to the immense package that is Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition. The Pitt is fun, and not too long, or too short, so you’ll be able to finish it without any real agitation, but it will also not be a walk through the park either. Collecting steel ingots turns out to be the more difficult part of this game, as all your weapons, are not only stripped from you, but you are thrown out there with Trogs with only your bare fists to protect you. Luckily there are plenty of weapons laying around at your disposal.
Granted, jumping straight into any of the DLCs will require you to have a bit more experience with the main game, and with the more experience you have, the easier the transitions will be for you. If you use your survival skills learned from the main game, you’ll find that the DLCs are mostly quick ways to gain a lot of experience very fast.
Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition, is a game that will never really finish, nor truly end, with the thousands of directions you could take our character, each play through will be a brand new experience. If you killed someone early on in your previous game, they may be helpful on the second time around when you let them live. The paths you choose in the game will ultimately decide how the game plays through, and that’s what makes it such an important game for this generation. The pinnacle of deciding more on what you want to do in the game’s vast open world, instead of what game developers want you to do, is decidedly a game changer from all the other gaming experiences out there. If you were to call this game an experiment, it is more of letting the gamers decide what they want their game to be, and giving a free will not normally seen in videogames.
Fallout 3 is a gaming experience you not only become submerged in, but encourages the experience to be immersing with something new at every turn, and every time you travel the wastes. The story develops through a mix of oral history, notes, and recordings, as if you are uncovering the big picture with every travel through the Wasteland. The game invigorates with its fresh originality. Enticing and separate from most any other gaming experience you will ever come around in this generation of videogame systems, you will find that Fallout 3 is a glimpse at the future of gaming, with its RPG style of switching the game from First Person to Third Person perspective, the V.A.T.S. targeting system, and the epic storyline. Fallout 3 will prove to most doubters that it was not considered Game of the Year for just any old reason; it was named Game of the Year because it has an almost perfect experience.
With this version of the game, it may have its flaws, but for the price, and the amount of game play you receive with the disc, you can very well ignore some of the glitches for the amount you will be playing. Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition is a game deal that is most definitely worth your hard earned money, and being the immensity of this game, it could be the only game in your collection, and you could play it out until the disc burns up, and still not seen everything the game has to offer.
Without giving too much more away, I’d personally say that if you own a next generation console, this is the sort of game you’d want to own, because it takes all the elements that make video games of today great, and do it up right. Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition is not perfect, but what it lacks in control, accuracy, and occasional glitches, it makes up very well for by being a game that speaks to the hardcore group of gamers that look for something more out of their game. Give it a try, and you’ll discover that Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition is very much worth your valuable time.

Thank you for reading the Malacast Editorial, keep checking back for more reviews and previews of video games, movies, books, and the occasional music review. You can also follow any updates to the Malacast Editorial with Twitter! Follow @mcasteditorial for all the latest updates to the blog, and any upcoming reviews that will be posted, and with the upcoming Malacast Podcast TBA. The next review will be of the upcoming video games for March 2010, including Heavy Rain, Final Fantasy XIII, and the long-awaited conclusion to the God of War saga with God of War III.

Sarah Palin: Potential presidential run in 2012?

2009-12-18T04:42:00.000-05:00

This news is older than water as Palin has said time-and-time again that her political aspirations may be on hold at this moment, but what about her “community” work? Is this not an actual attempt at a presidential nomination? Another question is: if she is going to run, will it be with an R next to her name, or perhaps a third party potential?
The questions that come from asking so many questions about Sarah Palin is that she is becoming a populous individual. She is a powerful figure in the eyes of many, and an absolute joke in the eyes of many more. I may have personally found her intriguing as a vice presidential nominee, but that was also because it was something I’d expect of a man like John McCain. See, John McCain was a person of not only experience in political wrangling, but a man with life experience to match. The man was of integrity, respect, and held true to man of my personal views. That being said, it was a unique position to pick a down-home Conservative (so it seemed at the time) to run with him.
I was hoping for a McCain election victory, not so much as a blowhard conservative being, but rather as a man who respects the history of Senator McCain’s work in Congress. The man has had a fiscal political career with ups and downs, this last election perhaps being his furthest down on the political scale. Despite all that has been said and done in his defense, the man had a snowball’s chance in hell at the on-going campaign of the Obama juggernaut.
Now in 2012, we may be pitted with another round of the same old debates between ex governor of Alaska Sarah Palin, whose book Going Rogue has been a number 1 bestseller even before it hit shelves, and Obama, who also holds the same title with titles like The Audacity of Hope, and Dreams of My Father. Both compelling novels to say the least, they still string a bit of controversy which is never a negative in political gain.
Despite the fact that this is a replay of our 2008 elections to some extent, I find it is in a different realm in late 2009. By the 2010 elections, we will see some sort of revolt to the current incumbents, and very well send them off before the next presidential election. This in-turn may stir up a mix blessing on the two-party system. Now many believe that two parties is all we have in this nation that count, and this has been seen on the massive scale of Federal government to an extent. Locally, you’ll find all ideologies in play, from socialists, libertarians, and even pseudo capital anarchists to name but a few. We do know that by region, opinions are changed by personal reflection.
To be fair, I do not hold to either party’s viewpoints wholly, as I believe many Americans are moderate in their everyday lives. I’ve also seen much aggravation on the side of Republican pundits, as well as Democrat pundits that are pushing for this election to happen in some form. Fox News is practically writing the ticket for Palin, who has never actually shown to want any more to do with politics than the Americans who simply vote. They put words into her mouth, as if they are campaigning her now, when we have three more years until the next presidential elections.
Other stations like MSNBC have in ways also done this for the Obama presidency, in a non-stop campaign that will not even be needed until 2012! Perhaps we put too much into the president’s title, perhaps they give the executive branch more credit than it deserves. Why give the president, or better yet, why does the current president nominees of the past say, twenty years feel it is an obligation to do the jobs the legislative branch should be doing promptly? Why act like a running back on issues like Health Care Reform and redistribution, when you’re simply a cheerleader?
Truthfully, this administration, as well as the Bush administration has shown that change is quite needed in this country. We are arguing the same viewpoints that Woodrow Wilson and FDR argued, and have not seen one bit of change, but suggestion on how this country should be run. Perhaps the voter is to blame? Or perhaps the very people who run for election are as much to blame as we are in this debacle.
Now, to the point I’d like to make about Sarah Palin, and her possible run against Barrack Obama in 2012: does she believe that her policies are a fit for the common American? Does she feel that she has enough experience at being president than the inexperienced Obama? And also, her quitting her governing job in Alaska show a sign of weakness when you’re put on the spot?
I do not believe personally it is career suicide to step down from a position in government, but in the shameful manner to only excel at a higher position shows me that Sarah Palin may have found her job not as “important” to say running as a GOP candidate for something that is three years off. It would be hypocritical to stage a mock campaign in 2009 that runs all the way to 2012 simply to be noticed in politics. If Sarah Palin was to truly run for election by the end of Obama’s term limit, would it not be smarter to campaign locally for say, a Senator’s position and move forward from there?
I believe this move would benefit both her career, and the American people. If she was put on a grand scale for that much time, we the American people could see if she would falter under pressure, or be a champion for her party, and deserving of potential nomination. I’ve yet to personally read her book, but I know enough to understand that when you put yourself in the line of fire, you either duck, or start shooting back. If Palin wants respect from the country as a strong candidate for running this country, she had better show it soon.
If I could, I’d personally ask Sarah Palin the most straightforward questions that I believe we need to hear. Naturally I’d ask the same of President Obama and hope both be answered for the sake of liberty. A question of thought first about this potential election which makes me curious: If Palin does run independently, say as just a Conservative, how many potential Republicans we’ve seen before, and who we will see after come in and take up against her as GOP candidates? If someone like Mitt Romney, or even Mike Huckabee throws their hats into the fray, would they stand a better chance against her?
Sarah Palin has answered some of the question I pose to her, but never as clearly as I’d expect, as she’s learning to softly step around the questions and make it seem like an attack. Does she believe she’s a fair candidate for the presidency? Does she feel the media through syndicates like Fox News are pushing her more than other candidates because of favoritism? Does she have the right knowledge to fix any blundering the current and last administrations had on the economic crisis? Will she create jobs, or at least speak with Congress to put forth legislation to help people create jobs? Will she rally for small business, or will she trend towards lobbyists?
Sure, these questions are either too misleading for her to answer, as she may not even know how her political games will be played, or they may seem to alienate her as someone that is untrustworthy. I still ask for the fate of Americans that these questions are ones we need to ask a person that claims to be outside of the “D.C. state of mind” and for the common person. If she were for the populous, she’d have no problems never getting involved with the lobbyists of both corporations and special interests groups on either side of the debate.
Another question we should ask Sarah Palin is if she is a fair and just representative? Will she be wholly conservative, or partially liberal? Will she hold herself accountable to her beliefs and never stray from them, or “flip flop”? That being asked, will she just go along party lines through muscling, or will she do like she claims to have done in Alaska and fight both parties, even a third party she may very well run in? Most importantly: will she be able to handle the pressures that come with the job?
She already has controversy surrounding her, which is fine; it makes our politicians human and not celebrity status of what seems to ironically spell “perfection”. I think the allegations of her daughter Bristol will come up many times in an election, as it should, but will it make her seem weak?
If I were to hope someone run for the presidency, it would be someone like Wayne Allyn Root, who was a candidate with Bob Barr in 2008. They ran on the Libertarian ticket, and most people if they heard of them, only saw small cuts from the news, or if they were in tuned looked them up on the internet. The only candidate outside of the ones we had run that gained any focus were the likes of Ron Paul, and Mike Gravel, both of which are well-known politicians.
Let’s hypothesize though, and say Sarah Palin by some chance becomes the GOPs candidate for 2012, despite how much of a long shot that seems. If she is chosen as a candidate, will that assure a Barrack Obama reelection? Many will argue this point time and time over, but what matters most is if this sort of situation will favor the incumbent. I cannot predict the future of the present administration term in office, but facts and figures will speak out larger than soothing words. If the jobs decrease in the upcoming years, and the Congress changes exponentially, it may very well be that Sarah Palin is the next, and first female president in United States history. This of course, will be under very extreme terms, and will have much to do with how the current administration handles the situations we as Americans deal with at home and overseas.
The wars we are fighting will be influencing factors, the health care debates, along with other special interests in social politics will become affluent in the outcomes in the upcoming years. Will the press for even more local issues such as gay marriage, and legalization of Marijuana not also be debated as they have been for the last ten to fifteen years string about political change? These are indeed factors both parties will have to look upon, and by then, many Americans that are beginning to talk will surely have their eyes wide open on all aspects of these debates.
So this may not have been a truly “political strategy” for Sarah Palin to follow, but that was never the intention. As a Libertarian, I hold no water in either party’s win, but as an American, I believe whole-heartedly that the future of my country will always depend on the vote, and it should depend on the vote. President Obama could very well be a one-term president, unless he decides to run again if by-chance he loses in 2012, but this does not mean it will be an easy win either if he does not show he is candidate that is far better than his 2012 opponent.
With his approval ratings just etching back up to 50% this week of December 7th, 2009, it could show that it will effect the outcome in the years to come. Despite popularity, the push towards Health Care Reform is at a significantly low approval rate of 35%, but this also shows that it can have room for far greater improvement.
With opinion becoming the way of the rabble rousers that piss and moan over one party or the next, we need to just simply turn to the facts given to us on what is happening in the country today, and what would greater improve the standard of living. We need to show that if the free market should still exist, it has to be done right, and that if the free market is to fail; we have to find a better solution than the ones we are receiving.
I believe in one thing when it comes to the politics of America, that it was founded by men that may not have always followed, but indicated that a man or woman has a natural right to do as they please within reason, that their privacy is sacred, and that they should choose for themselves the level of involvement if any they have in the way government works.
The people have a full-pledge right to say what they want without the fear of offending idle ears that may have overheard. They have the right to disagree with their leaders, both local and federal, while also being able to change that with either impeachment or through the voting process. The ballot box is stronger than fancy words strewn at them by politicians.
I believe personally that the government that governs less does truly govern best; I follow a somewhat Jeffersonian philosophy, and a laziez fare approach to the lives of others. I don’t like to stick my nose in everyone’s business, and I avoid the gossip of others, as it doesn’t affect me on a personal level. When I look at a potential candidate, and I hear they want to lay off on taxing, eliminate spending on pointless special interests groups, and that they will leave me to my property, my rights that are supposedly unalienable, and to decrease the size of useless government programs, I’m a happy guy.
Would Sarah Palin do this? Maybe, she claims to be a small government person, but saying you are small government in this modern day is saying you will only increase the deficit a few hundred million instead of several trillion, which is despicable. I liked Sarah Palin earlier on because she spoke with some eloquence, but not the jargon of political battering that I’m so used to hearing, rather she spoke in a manner I hear from people who find that the steady argot these politicians use every year sounds more like horse shit shoveled into the ears.
I’d like to close by saying that I do not back any candidate, and I try my damndest not to sound bias, but if by any means I was harsh on either the president or Sarah Palin during this post. I assure you, I’m equally questioning of both of them, and find both to need careful watching over the next few years. Both parties I talk about here are but a fraction of what really needs to be said about the current state of our government. I do believe highly that both Sarah Palin and Barrack Obama have both good and bad, and even horrific qualities to them, neither any better nor worst than the other. That is today though, and in three years this may very well change. For now, I’d just like to say is this: neither of these individuals are any better or any worst given the current circumstances, the only people who can truly fix the situation we are in, are the people who vote with their heads, and change the future by placing a choice in the ballot box. That is the freedom we have, and if we fail to use it, then our children may never have the right to do so when their time comes.
Sarah Palin has no doubt made a serious impact on a grassroots movement, but with a movement that has grown through Barrack Obama, has it been set in stone that the Republicans have no chance at winning in 2010, not even counting the next presidential election? Only the American people will decide this on a local and federal level. We as Americans will have to stay put for now, and hope for whatever honest change will come.
I question Palin and her views with a skeptical tone, as she has neglected to mention much of her political aspects in the future. Despite what will happen, we will know that Fox News is clearly behind her, and I question their loyalty to the supposed “fair and balanced” views they supposedly claim to have. What irritates me most is that it seems if things are not going their way, they are not happy, but despite it all, Sarah Palin is nothing more than a “Ra Ra” team that simply will not stop on the solely conservative level. She will either fail miserably on the federal level, or be a surprise comeback candidate for a dying right wing. Either way, we’ll be hearing more from her in the future.
Thank you for reading the Malacast Editorial, the home of reviews on videogames, movies, book, music, and opinion articles on stories of interest. You can follow the Malacast Editorial with twitter @mcasteditorial, and also check out the editorial itself at: mcasteditorial.blogspot.com.

Pygmy Review

2009-10-23T08:11:00.001-04:00

Pygmy By Chuck Palahniuk

Picture from Google Images

Coming off of the popularity of Rant: An Oral Biography of Buster Casey and the ever-controversial Snuff, Chuck Palahniuk’s next release in the wildly satirical storytelling is Pygmy the story of a militant youth that is a secret operative for a plan called Operation Havoc. Agent 67, known as Pygmy to his peers, must infiltrate the immoral homes of the American public and declare mass destruction from the inside. Along with several other operatives, all highly trained in killer tactics and over exceeding an intelligence superior than the working class Middle American town they attack, are a threat to the evil freedom that is American democracy, which also makes for an outrageously hysterical story.
Pygmy is told through “Operative Me” Agent 67, in little notes similar to a log or journal and tells the story of his life with the family that took him in as a foreign exchange student, made up of a “pig brother”, “cat sister”, “chicken mother”, and “cow father”. From Pygmy’s perspective, we get a great understanding of ourselves through the eyes of an foreign enemy, that has no remorse or regret for dismantling all that America stands to represent. Pygmy shows a strong socialist view that if the state does not succeed from an activity, then it is deemed worthless, as shown in the sections that express Pygmy’s opinions on school activities, such as Music class and Gym class.
The story unfolds as a blatant satire on the xenophobia of America, and the daily scare that something God awful will happen to the United States. This novel is justified by being so hysterical in some points, one has to have a bit of a little devil in them when they laugh, but it feels so good to laugh at the controversies.
During a setting that was sure-fired to be one of the most unique takes on how one views our culture the main character is seen at a church. Pygmy describes the statue of the crucifixation, and it is hilarious the little guy’s take on the whole scenario. The next best part of this entire novel is the symbolism found underneath every aspect of the novel, even some of the more grotesque details, have the most useful bit of information that foreshadows the dispatches later on in this memoir-style novel.
Like many of his works, Palahniuk uses a narrative-style in Pygmy to tell the tale, and this gives us an in-depth look at a young boy that wants nothing but to forward his native land’s agenda to finish off America, a country of which he holds responsible for the death of his family, which we the reader do not truly find out if it was fact or an inside job to mess with the psyche of their little assassin. What we do find out that Pygmy himself is a bright young boy that excels vividly in all areas of school, martial arts, and tactical espionage to keep him, and other operatives well excelled on the FBI’s Most Wanted list. The little killer is a great homage to other great characters in history and some that are monstrous as he quotes others to fulfill his internal goals by the end of every dispatch. Pygmy does decidedly make his point argued through the words of Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler, D.H. Lawrence, and Mao Te Tung, along with numerous historical figures.
What we learn is that despite the satirical undertones, we see the great old story of frustrated youth that buried underneath is but a child yearning for love. The novel exposes a child that has hardships, and learning the basic fundamentals of humanity: love, deceit, humiliation, and aggressive behavior. Violent outbursts feel almost cartoon-ish in the way Palahniuk describes them, but the feelings and emotions, although told in a simple English hit harder than any sentence structure of the greatest writers to date.
Pygmy is one novel that any concerned American should read to at lest relax them a bit, and to show that the world isn’t always out to get them, while placing some of the blame of all the world’s problems on ourselves, and compensating for the benefit of the doubt that we are not all tyrant monsters in the states, and there are worst evils that are more unjustified than our nation of fast-food junkies. Do not expect any apologies from this work, but do expect a great storyteller to do his best in this novel. I personally look forward to the next work that this young, talented storyteller has to offer, and I do hope it can top Pygmy.
Pygmy being such a brilliant character to win over the hearts of his potential victims is the ultimate showmanship of Stockholm syndrome (Defined as a feeling of trust or affection a victim has towards the villain that has placed them in jeopardy.) This is one theme that has willed its way into the novel that confesses to the psyche of the Post-911 American, and feeds off the idea that perhaps the world as we know it could be worst off than it already stands.

Maragert George’s Elizabeth I Preview

2009-09-18T11:16:00.001-04:00

If you are an avid reader of my blog Malacast Editorial, you’ll see I always seem to have an unfair bias towards the works of Margaret George, my favorite writer of this century so far. Her novel,s tof which I’ve read, have always come out with the most positive reviews, with little if none actual true detail, but more me screaming like a fanboy about how great her work is and most be read. I am fanatic for her amazing ability to details and storytelling, that she is an above writer to most of authors that print, and the fact she takes so long to write her novels shows she’s not out ot make the quick buck, but to make her avid readers happy to have devoured her latest works. George averages 1 book per 4 years of research, her historical fiction topples most competition, who never come as close to description, excluding perhaps Edward Rutherford, if they are even classified in the same genre.
Margert Geogre is a great writer, her works are proof to both great research and great imagination, I almost forget that George wrote the novel as I’m reading her work. The reflection of her characters is so strong, I almost believe Cleopatra wrote her own Memoir, or Henry VIII had a lost autobiography, she is a great author for being there in her subject’s world.
So far, Margaret George has written 5 novels of historical fiction, and one children’s book. Her works include: The Autobiography of Henry VII, The Memoirs of Cleopatra, Mary Queen of Scots and the Isles, Mary, Called Magdalene, and finally, Helen of Troy. Her next novel is to be based off of Queen Elizabeth I during her later years of life. This is a strange step for George, as she loves to chronically explain her subjects life from birth to death, and being as Queen Elizabeth I is such an notorious character, the information would be all but welcomed in an 800-1000 page giant read that she is most famous for, but alas the story is said to be from the Queen’s later life until her death. More is explained on why this is the path for the novel on Margaretgeorge.com. The release date for this novel should be in mid-to-late 2010, as it will be close to exactly four years since her last novel Helen of Troy was released in August of 2006. Expect to see the novel closer to next summer, but for now, if you’re still new to this amazing author, I can guarantee her pervious books will give you plenty of time before her newest one is even on the shelves.
Margaret George’s take on Elizabeth I will be an eccentric story, guaranteed to be about lust, power, and dignified characters of the time that were lewd and rowdy like the Queen’s spirit. Although it is mentioned on her website, I still believe that William Shakespeare will play a grand role in this epic novel, as well as Sir Francis Bacon. I highly expect there to many famous historical figures being given the fictional empathy we attribute to all great literature, and expect nothing but the best from this work.
Although the subject may not seem at first glance to be as unique a character in history, I still highly recommend you to be extremely excited for this new novel, as it will be one of the most unique looks on the Queen’s life ever published.
As always, thank you for the generous support, and to all the readers who are still with Malacast Editorial. Expect more reviews and previews to come in the upcoming months, and expect even more online next season.

Maragert George’s Elizabeth I Preview

If you are an avid reader of my blog Malacast Editorial, you’ll see I always seem to have an unfair bias towards the works of Margaret George, my favorite writer of this century so far. Her novel,s tof which I’ve read, have always come out with the most positive reviews, with little if none actual true detail, but more me screaming like a fanboy about how great her work is and most be read. I am fanatic for her amazing ability to details and storytelling, that she is an above writer to most of authors that print, and the fact she takes so long to write her novels shows she’s not out ot make the quick buck, but to make her avid readers happy to have devoured her latest works. George averages 1 book per 4 years of research, her historical fiction topples most competition, who never come as close to description, excluding perhaps Edward Rutherford, if they are even classified in the same genre.
Margert Geogre is a great writer, her works are proof to both great research and great imagination, I almost forget that George wrote the novel as I’m reading her work. The reflection of her characters is so strong, I almost believe Cleopatra wrote her own Memoir, or Henry VIII had a lost autobiography, she is a great author for being there in her subject’s world.
So far, Margaret George has written 5 novels of historical fiction, and one children’s book. Her works include: The Autobiography of Henry VII, The Memoirs of Cleopatra, Mary Queen of Scots and the Isles, Mary, Called Magdalene, and finally, Helen of Troy. Her next novel is to be based off of Queen Elizabeth I during her later years of life. This is a strange step for George, as she loves to chronically explain her subjects life from birth to death, and being as Queen Elizabeth I is such an notorious character, the information would be all but welcomed in an 800-1000 page giant read that she is most famous for, but alas the story is said to be from the Queen’s later life until her death. More is explained on why this is the path for the novel on Margaretgeorge.com. The release date for this novel should be in mid-to-late 2010, as it will be close to exactly four years since her last novel Helen of Troy was released in August of 2006. Expect to see the novel closer to next summer, but for now, if you’re still new to this amazing author, I can guarantee her pervious books will give you plenty of time before her newest one is even on the shelves.
Margaret George’s take on Elizabeth I will be an eccentric story, guaranteed to be about lust, power, and dignified characters of the time that were lewd and rowdy like the Queen’s spirit. Although it is mentioned on her website, I still believe that William Shakespeare will play a grand role in this epic novel, as well as Sir Francis Bacon. I highly expect there to many famous historical figures being given the fictional empathy we attribute to all great literature, and expect nothing but the best from this work.
Although the subject may not seem at first glance to be as unique a character in history, I still highly recommend you to be extremely excited for this new novel, as it will be one of the most unique looks on the Queen’s life ever published.
As always, thank you for the generous support, and to all the readers who are still with Malacast Editorial. Expect more reviews and previews to come in the upcoming months, and expect even more online next season.

Twisted Metal for Playstation 3 Imaginings (Not a full-account of Twisted Metal’s History) By: Malacast Agent

2009-09-18T11:11:00.001-04:00

Hello, this is Malacast Agent, from Malacast Editorial at mcasteditorial.blogspot.com, and I am here to give an idea of what the next Twisted Metal game in the series is going to be, or at least, should be close to in comparison to the latest games.
The company Eat, Sleep, Play is the official producers of the title series. Eat, Sleep, Play are the original people behind the first two Twisted Metal games in the series, Twisted Metal Small Bawl, Head-On, and of course, Twisted Metal: Black. Originally called SingleTrac™, then Incognito™ now the company is called Eat, Sleep, Play. Jaffe, being one of the original key designers on the first Twisted Metal, has also gone on to other great titles, aside from the Jet Moto series; there is also the God of War Trilogy.
Twisted Metal, for those who do not know the series, is a car-combat game, assumingly inspired by Death Race 2010(?) which inspired the 2008 film Death Race, which is as close to a Twisted Metal game as one may ever see. If you want a concept of how the game works, Death Race is as close as they get, although the concept of Twisted Metal is not a race to the finish, but the last car left running is victorious. The game is also not made up of prisoners buying for freedom, but for one wish by the always-elusive character Calypso.
Twisted Metal takes place originally in Los Angeles, and after the first game, seeing Los Angeles was left in trash and terror, spread throughout the world, creating a mass destruction on a global level of literally Twisted Metal. Over the fourteen yeas of its existence, the game has evolved from cartoon-ish graphics, to a darker, grimy, metallic feel that is found in the Twisted Metal: Black installment. Twisted Metal: Head-On recaptured that feeling one got from Twisted Metal: World Tour (TM2), which is still considered by fans to be the best game in the series thus far.
The basic concept of the game is that you select a character car driven by a unique character whose personality is reflected in their unrealistic armor-plated ride. Characters from the game that are most often found include: Roadkill, Specter, Hammerhead, Shadow, and of course, the game’s mascot; Sweet Tooth.
The game was originally supposed to be called High Octane, but was switched at the end of production due to a change of heart, or copyright infringement, but this led to the cutting out of actual video endings for each car victorious in the competition. You can catch the endings on YouTube or other video sites that host streaming video.
Twisted Metal holds a very strong place in the hearts of fans, which truly bleed metal and chrome. The game has a nostalgia feel that is not easily found in other games, like a cultural movement found in that era. The feeling is best felt when playing the game than explained in a simple blog post.
Twisted Metal is as of now an exclusive to Sony, and most likely will always be a game expected on the upcoming installments to the Sony Playstation hardware. The original two games have also been sold for PC, but have been seen as lesser games to the console counterparts. The age of the game franchise, and the absolute outcry for a new game stands the test of time to prove this game has social significance in the gaming universe.
This brings me to the purpose of this post: Twisted Metal on the Playstation 3. Some fans are concerned on how this game will play out, some are curious about just what’s going to become of the beloved series. Most fans will concur that Twisted Metal III and twisted Metal 4 were dark days for the series, but that cartoon-ish feel is what gave the game its fun, and its retro feel. Twisted Metal: Black took the series down a darker road, as most game series have fallen suit with that growing trend, but that is what I believe hurt the series: the game was too bland without the colorful look that made it unique. So, the question is, where could this series go? Will it follow Twisted Metal: Head-On, will it be a counterpart to the rarely seen game Twisted Metal: Lost (a re-hash of what was suppose to be Twisted Metal: Black II) or will it be something completely different than any fan expects? I will paint an idea of what we can be expecting this September (Supposedly).
If Mr. Jaffe considers following the classic game, and making perhaps a game that reminds us of Twisted Metal 2, then he may have either a winner on his hands, or an absolute failure. Dave Jaffe will want to mostly appeal more to the series than the fans cry, because that is what honestly has made the series better, and kept it original. Why would I want to play a game I already came up with the idea for, or even practically helped design? Eat, Sleep, Play will most likely not follow this path, but if they do, you’ll have a game that travels the globe to famous sites from countries around the world. I mean, it never gets boring blowing up the Eiffel Tower, but what else can one suspect if they follow suit with this idea?
So expect the colorful cars we love, similar characters from past games, and of course expect Sweet Tooth in some form, maybe even as a final boss, but expect the character in the new game. If Sweet Tooth is left out, although the character may have become stale, the fans may internally riot in a pissy outrage.
Now if the second path is taken, the path more likely to be taken due to the fact we live in such a scared world, and any game showing any vehicles ripping through buildings will just be too “realistic” for “children” to play is just taboo. So instead we may very well see Twisted Metal: Black….2? Or 2.5? Either way, we’ll get that fictional world where the concept will be more true to Death Race 2010/Death Race (2008/9) where prisoners will fight for a wish. The dark, gothic style will surely be bland but it’ll look “pretty” in Next-Gen graphics. The story will likely be set in a similar fictional world found in the past game, or another area of that game, we’ll know in previews to come.
Twisted Metal: Black on PS3, or a game based off that concept will more-than likely carry the M rating, where most other games only had the T Rating M= Mature, T= Teen, we’ll discover that the game will be far more violent, or the wrecks will be far more realistic than in previous games. I have heard fans personally crying out for Burnout-like crashes and explosions in Twisted Metal, but I expect more GTA IV style crashes and burns in the Twisted Metal Franchise. I expect these partly due to the fact the game was never meant to be that “realistic”, as it is Science Fiction-based, and always was a bit faulty and cartoon-like. If developers go down the TM: Black road, expect a darker, shade of grey from the game, and something more set to Goth culture than the nostalgia 90s culture given off by the first two games.
The third possibility I can see happening for Next Generation Twisted Metal for the PS3 is that it will be completely different than anything we’ve seen before, and the rules, and game itself may not even play the same. Granted, some characters may return, some will be new as well, not disinclining to mention new weapons and stages, but perhaps a change in the game entirety. The game may be more open, sand-box style than we’ve seen, instead of closed off courses, the levels may be more open than ever before, more secret passages to get to a main focal point, and I highly expect more puzzles to finish/move onto other levels.
I also expect that despite a change in story per character, that game play may be different for every single car, like if say one chooses the enigmatic Sweet Tooth, the game will play directly to that character through the tournament, where the cars played against will be for that car’s storyline in-particular. So if say the cab Yellow Jacket returns, the player choosing that car instead of say, Sweet Tooth will affect the game play. It’s difficult to explain what may happen, or how I see this new game being played out, but considering the amount of space the Eat, Sleep, Play crew have to fool around with, the game will be difficult, and have plenty of replay value. Most important though, I hope that the game is fun, and I hope that fans out there will expect the same integrity to this game as was put forth in previous titles.
Finally, I believe that if Eat, Sleep, Play decide to junk all past ideas for Twisted Metal, the game will most definitely be established to the now generation, and scrap the entire concept of the Twisted Metal tournament as seen in the 90s and early 00s. The game may even come about as racing style, which may make it too much like Full Auto, or kill the series off for the fans. Whatever happens, the truth is that few know what’s going to happen, and the rest of us just sit patiently waiting for the new game.
Twisted Metal for Next Generation, is set up for possible release in September, if not just at most an announcement on a release date and preview, should be an exciting game. I am hoping very much that the hard-workers at Eat, Sleep, Play release a great game, and hopefully release it soon to the fans starving for some car combat action.
Keep updated on the developments of this game, and previews/reviews of the latest books, movies, music, and of course video games right here at Malacast Editorial. Also, listen to shows being uploaded to YouTube at the Malacast Podcast. As always thank you for reading and supporting Malacast Editorial.

Twisted Metal History

2009-09-18T10:54:00.001-04:00

Twisted Metal (TM) is a game franchise originally created by SingleTrac™ as a Sony exclusive title. For those unfamiliar to the series, Twisted Metal (TM) is a vehicular combat game that involves a different array of crafty characters driving different sorts of vehicles (including cars, motorcycles, dune buggies, and even Semis) that fit their personas.
The first two games were created by the above-named company SingleTrac™ that has evolved into the gaming company Eat, Sleep, Play ™ and was released on the Playstation, and the PC in 1995. The game was very unique for its time, and has been the leading series in the genre of car-combat games. Rouge Trip was another game developed by SingleTrac™ based off the same concept as Twisted Metal (TM), but never received the same amount of praise as its predecessor. This in-turn created many other spin-off titles ove the years, including titles such as: Vigilante 8, a great competitor for the genre, and Full-Auto, another similar title that has also followed suit in the car-combat genre. Both of the above named titles have spawned sequels on several systems.
During a time when racing genre games were quite popular, the car-combat series combined the right amount of violence, which at times may have been considered “too graphic” with the right amount of enthusiasm that gave way to the racing game genre. Later titles of Gran Turismo for the original Playstation was one of the best selling games on that platform and that genre, which is still leading fans for the release of the sequel Gran Turismo 5 for the next generation console, Playstation 3.
Though this is not a formal history of all car games, it is fair to name some of the games that have both helped the Twisted Metal (TM) franchise, and games that have suffered the car-combat genre into a niche market of videogames. Twisted Metal (TM) had truly lead the way for expanding the concept of vehicular combat games, and has also allowed for its original company to expand onto other great titles like the God of War series.
Despite critics, despite all opposition, Twisted Metal (TM) as a series has become the dirty little secret to success because of proof of great story-telling, excellent, if not cliché characters, and a mass amount of carnage rarely seen in a game outside the sandbox genre games. Twisted Metal (TM) ’s short, but nevertheless impressive history, deserves to be acknowledged not only by fans, but by videogame gurus of all walks of life.
The first Twisted Metal (TM) featured 12 car combatants, and they are:
Road Kill- the Junk car
Specter- Sports Car
Darkside- The Semi truck
Mr. Grimm- The Motorcycle
Thumper- The Lowrider
Hammerhead- The Monster Truck
Pit Viper- The First Dune Buggy
Outlaw- The Police Cruiser
Crimson Fury- The Ferrari-like car
Wart Hog- The Army Hummer
Yellow Jacket- The Taxi Cab
And of course Sweet Tooth- the ice cream truck, who would grow to become the mascot of the company.

Each car was driven by a different, unique character, some on the side of good, others on the side of evil, and the unique characters on neutral, or personal sides that held no alliance.
Twisted Metal (TM) had unique stages based off loosely the surrounding inner-cities and suburbs of Lose Angeles. Stages included: an underground club, Suburbia, the Freeway, and the Rooftops of famous landmark buildings. These particular levels were rather flimsy, but for the time of the game’s creation, they were unbelievable, and more accurate than what had been seen in pervious titles, despite repetition of certain backgound and foreground buildings.
Los Angeles had become the official area of the Twisted Metal (TM) competition over the years, as the city is quite used often in almost every game. This favoritism is unique to the storyline, as it is where mostly the story takes place in the game
The story of Twisted Metal (TM) is one of the key components that keeps the fan base interested, as one uses the cehicular car, few people empathize with the driver until the very end, allowing for the repercussions of their characteristics, and their actions to be climaxed towards the end of the game. The main story is that there is a contest held every so many years (differs on the pending game’s explanation) and the creator of the car combat tournament is a mysterious figure named Calypso. Little is known about this man, except that his face is burnt beyond all recognition, and his mind is as twisted as the contest he had created. The goal is simple: be the last car running, no matter what ti takes to put the competition to rest, and that winner receives a prize. The prize can be given in the form of any wish that the person can imagine. The game holds true to the old saying: “Careful what one wishes for, for it may come true” as is shown in many wishes made by contestants. If the player can get through every competitor, including the final boss, which has changed depending on the game, they receive their ultimate prize.
Twisted Metal (TM) II: World Tour was the follow-up sequel in the popularly growing series. The introduction of new characters include: Twister, the race car. Gasshopper, a Dune buggy that replaces Pit Viper. Shadow, a purple hearse, which summons evil spirits to and Axel, a man connected by his arms and legs to a pair of wheels on a giant steel axel rod. Twisted Metal (TM) II: World Tour was also the first game to introduce Dark Tooth, supposedly Sweet Tooth’s father, a giant black and pink ice cream truck with a giant flaming clown head.
This title in the franchise is one of the most popular titles to have come out for the original Playsation, and is still today a big seller on the Playstation Network’s store. Twisted Metal (TM) II had competition against Vigilante 8 2nd Offense, and other games like Carmageddon, considered to be a highly violent videogame that caused much controversy.
The next two Twisted Metal (TM) games to come out for the PS1 were both created by 989 Studios. Although the storyline attempted to follow the same path as the first two games, the gameplay,graphics, and format of the game was completely different, if not glitchy. Twisted Metal (TM) III had seen the creation of several new characters, which include: Auger, a Construction Machine with an Auger drill on the front, Club Kid, a Mini-Cooper style car with a black and yellow scheme, sporting a smiley face. Flower Power, a VW Beetle with a hippie theme, and Firestarter, a Hot Rod with a flame thrower (perhaps a replacement for Thumper?) The game also created a new Boss, Primeval. The game was shabby, and not as graphically detailed as the past two games in the terms of the cities and States that represented the new levels. Darkside returned as a boss character on the Washington D.C. level, as well as the return of the Battle Tank Minion returned as well in the London level.
Twisted Metal (TM) IV, barely scratched by, as there was a change in power, as Sweet Tooth took over the contest, which took over the form of a dark carnival. The tentire game also took away from the majority of the well0known characters, being replaced by all brand-new cars, one even had Rob Zombie as a playable character. Calypso became a playable character in the game, along with a meter maid, a bug terminator truck, and other off-the-wall characters. The major new add-on to the series was a poorly-done create a car option. If you haven’t played these two games, you honestly haven’t missed much, and only if you’re hardcore gamer, or a huge fan of the series, then try to find these two games used in your local store.
Twisted Metal (TM) Small Brawl was absolutely different than any of the games ever created. The game dealt with the characters as children racing RC cars around different areas like the Playground, the toyroom, and so on and so on with the absolutely absurd settings. The game is a fun break from the normal violent carnage, but it was not a true Twisted Metal (TM) tournament game. All the original cars are the key players in this game.
The next game in the series was the first Twisted Metal (TM) game for the Playstation 2, and that is the series-changing Twisted Metal (TM) : Black. Twisted Metal (TM) : Black was a dark, gothic, but nevertheless a much-needed change. Twisted Metal (TM) : Black would become a very popular game, unfortunately never spawning a sequel. A sequel was in the works, but was canceled before ever seeing play on the Playstation 2, but made a slim appearance later on as Twisted Metal (TM) : Lost, which was a shortened version of what Twisted Metal (TM) : Black 2, and came packaged with the PS2 version of Twisted Metal (TM) : Head-On.
Twisted Metal (TM) : Black, created by Incognito™, originally the developing company SingleTrac™ was so dark and violent in both story and character, that the game end a deserving M (Mature 17+) rating. This kept many of the younger audience away, but quickly became one of the largest selling games on the system, creating an online version to have to be sold for the PS2 several months after its release. The game brought back many classic characters, like the better predcessors, and established an array of new characters to the fray. One major improvement, aside from the PS2 graphics, which were amazing at the time of its conception, were a more detailed story with each character having an opening, middle, and ending cut scene.
The newest characters that are found in the game are: Brimstone, an old junk car with stained glass windows, and a spear on front that shoots out the evangelical driver’s followers at opponents. Junkyard Dog is a tow truck that has been implementaed with a steel mace ball on it’s hook that is launched and directed at the enemy combatants. Finally, the dump truck Manslaughter is the newest combatant to the frey, and is a slow-moving vehicle, but nothing short of powerful. The game has many new takes on old special weapons, and several unlockable characters (Axel and Yellow Jacket are two of them). Most of the well-known cars have stayed, including the ever popular Sweet Tooth, Darkside returns, Outlaw, Road kill, and Specter also make the return to the Twisted Metal™ contest.
Twisted Metal™ : Black becomes a game that becomes one of interest, and one that the fans see as a forwarding movement, but it in-turn lost much of the original games’ feel. The game has become a must own in the realms of the Twisted Metal™ fandom, and is still a must-have for any major fan of the series. The game adds many of the key elements of the original game, while not being a re-hash of older games, making it a standalone element in the Twisted Metal™ universe.
The game also brings back perhaps the most famous boss character in the series’ history: Minion, but instead of being an assault tank like the vehicle is normally portrayed, Minion has been transformed into an even more terrible meance as a giant Semi Truck pulling a trailer of napalm behind him. The final boss character is actually a combat chopper named Warhawk, that appears at first to be a Police chopper. After the fight with Warhawk, the game’s last cut scene rolls, and the character’s story is finished. After the story is completed, the end credits roll, with The Rolling Stones playing their song “Paint it Black” to cut scene videos from the game, making it one of the better ending cut scenes in the series’ history. Twisted Metal (TM) : Black has notched itself in the PS2 library of Greatest Hits, alone with its first two-predecessors, and has become a mainstream title for the systems voluminous library of great games.
The next game in the series would not be seen until the Playstation Portable was created, and that game was Twisted Metal: Head-On. Twisted Metal: Head-On was an absolute homage to Twisted Metal II: World Tour, with practically every original driver from that game (excluding Minion) and several new characters. The style that was done for Twisted Metal: Head-On was great, it followed the original feelings to the first two games so closely, it felt like a reincarnation of SingleTrac™ Twisted Metal. The game also made the PSP sell well in the first quarter, and was even used as a bundle pack for the system. Twisted Metal: Head-On was an all-inclusive look at what the Twisted Metal Universe came from, and was deserving of a high rating by all of the mainstream videogame magazines.
The gameplay was similar to the original games, despite only one analog stick, and if one looks closely, several signs and artwork can be found in the game that were in Twisted Metal II: World Tour. The game’s levels were similar to the second game: the first level was just a stadium, but the second was Los Angeles, where much was similar to the second game. This game also allowed for power-ups with the destruction of every combatant destroyed by the player, and helped greatly in fights. Twisted Metal: Head-On allows for the player to decide which level they rather play as well. If the player for example wants to play Paris France, over Egypt, they can decide at certain points of the game to which level best suits them at the moment. The same is with either playing Greece or Russia. This concept was not new, as it was allowed in Twisted Metal: Black, but it still feels like the second Twisted Metal was what inspired the game.
The game had become so popular on the handheld (As what also happens with the GTA games, and Silent Hill Origins for the PSP) that the game was ported to the PS2. The Playstation 2 version of Twisted Metal: Head-On cane with the unfinished Twisted Metal Black: 2, aptly named as Twisted Metal: Lost. This game allowed a glimpse of what could have been if the sequel to Twisted metal: Black was created. In this version, you can also run around outside of the vehicle as Sweet Tooth.
Twisted Metal: Head-On for the Playstation 2, also came with a documentary of the series, as well as question and comments made by long-running Twisted Metal fans. The submission of these videos were sent through the Twisted Metal Alliance website, found at: www.tmalliance.com. The winning submissions are archived on the PS2 version of Twisted Metal: Head-On, and also a secret code had been placed in the game. That secret code, although easier to find than was thought to be by the developers read: TWISTED METAL COMING TO PS3. This is what has made fans excited for the last three years, as they aptly sit back and wait for the next installment into the Twisted Metal franchise. Fans may have to wait for mid-late September of 2009 in order to get an idea of what is on the horizon for the franchise, but some sources have speculated a PS3 version of the game may not be seen until the middle of 2010.
Despite the rumors heard, the only respectable information has come from Dave Jafe himself at Twisted Metal Alliance, the well-known fan site for the series. Updates found on the website can be quite outdated, but the site is normally updated by either well-informed fans, or by Jafe and others 1-2 times every two-to-three months.
The future of Twisted Metal is very broad, as the proof is in the results of the games that the series can have highest highs and lowest lows, but storyline, although not always fluent from one game to another is always funny, quirky, and fresh from the key writers of the Twisted Metal team. No matter how “pretty” the next generation Twisted Metal may look, storyline, originality, and a bit of cartoon-ish humor are what will make this game the franchise fans have grown to love. With the amazing track record of Eat, Sleep, Play™ games, thee fans will leave it up to the developers to give them the game they are eager to play.
Twisted Metal has had a long history that speaks for itself in the gaming world. Despite being a one-trick party on a one-system deal, it is a trick that never gets old, and an audience that is wholly dedicated to making it a continuing best franchise on that one system. Speculations say that we have good things to look forward toward, but will the game make it to the shelves? Will the game be hack and slash, or more orientated to the car concepts and driving control? Will the game become as in-depth in realism like Gran Turismo, or will the cartoon-like atmosphere be in place? Questions that some have answers to, and many want the answer to, and so much more. Who will return? Can we expect new concepts of: Specter, Road Kill, Warthog, darkside, and of course Sweet Tooth? Will the game’s graphics take away from gameplay development, and will the physics be better than the past games? Time will hopefully tell, but one thing is for certain: The history of Twisted Metal is still being made today, and there is not yet an end in sight for this powerhouse player franchise.

For imaginations, and speculations on what Next Generation Twisted Metal may very well look like, be sure to check out the blog post about the future Twisted Metal game at mcasteditorial.blogspot.com. As always thank you for reading Malacast Editorial, the support of readers keeps the blog in full continuation with updates, insights, and plain old-fashioned fun. Thank you again, I personally wish to thank every reader that scans across these pages, and comments are always welcomed. If you love the blog, hate the blog, or whichever way, all comments are accepted, and thank you all for the time.
Feel free to read archived blog posts on books reviews, movie reviews, videogame pre/reviews and many more, and as always continue to come back for more updates on posts and the information on the blog’s construction.

Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury Review

2009-09-18T10:24:00.002-04:00

Reviews come and go around here, and lately it’s been novels, some old, some pretty new, and others that are instant classics from today or your ancestor’s day. I’ve recently read a novel that is keen on being one of the most unique experiences I’ve ever had, by updating constantly, if not insanely with post after post of some amazing works that one should read.
If any authorship were a contest, then hands-down, Ray Bradbury would be the surprising winner every year. Ray Bradbury is one of America’s most known writers, and perhaps the most important hand dealt in the literary pot. A writer that spans a whole century of literature from as early as the 1920s to the 00s and beyond, titles as important as: Fahrenheit 451, Something Wicked This Way Comes, The October Country, and From the Dust Returned, he is truly one of the most spectacular authors to ever go the distance of the perfect career. Any young writer today would dream to have half of the unique fame as this man that I now write about, and I surely will not be the last to write about.
Ray Bradbury is one man that will have thesis papers, essays, and many more written about him, and will keep college students awake long nights finishing up those final paragraphs in hopes of an A paper. Scholars will be obliged to read about his works, pay homage to his life, and always anticipate the next great novel.
Every story told by the master brings feelings of excitement, reminiscent childhood days basking without a care in the summer sun, and the fearful excitement of All Hallows Eve when Dark Carnivals come to town to steal away youth, in a marvelous, horrific spectacle. Such intensity is not easily found in novels, and over the years, Bradbury has not been disappointing.
Although a Fantasy/Science Fiction writer, the very beginnings of Bradbury’s art has never succumbed to selling out to the clichés found in your classic case of Sci-Fi /Fantasy. Despite the change of the genre, the demand of more zombies! More Aliens! And the ever-crying demand for technology so intelligent it ceases to help mankind, and rather destroy its creators, Bradbury dared to stay original, never straying from his authenticity.
Bradbury is such an amazing talent, that even a description of a home cooked meal is written to such a high caliber that a term paper on any subject pales in comparison. Ray Bradbury’s talent comes from a lifetime of experience, and a self education that puts the public school systems of today to shame. Bradbury will make any everyday situation sound better than describing the most beautiful creatures on earth. Whatever has been written in the course of history, Bradbury could write it in a way that makes it not only original, but beautiful.
None has ever been more shown of true authentic Bradbury than his great work Dandelion Wine. Dandelion Wine is not-so-much of a Sci-Fi epic seen by much of his other works, but it never ceases to amaze the reader with its cooling emotional auras. Taking place in 1928 Green Town Illinois, Summertime, the rare tastes and colors of the season blend into such a magnificent creation, it is God-like in its telling. This novel is not just another book that will be found on your professor’s list, or your high school English Teacher’s shelf in tearing paperbacks, no, this is a life lesson in a book.
To read Dandelion Wine in the very season it demands, is to feel something no video, book, or even virtual reality experience could have ever beheld. The most Science Fiction aspect to this book is that it comes off more than a book, it is an experience that few could feel with any story: sheer brisk emotional responses to the characters and settings. I could feel and smell the crisp warm air, I could envision myself stepping bravely to the ravines banks and placing my hand in the dark-tar waters that flowed like cold bones down stream. The taste of Dandelion wine itself on my mouth keeps me somber still in a glaze of sheer delight while writing this review.
When one is asked, or chooses to write a review of a novel in the current time, few find any novel that is truly meant for them, for that particular psyche that capture their youth imagination, or their ferocity of happiness. Few novels beg the reader to demand more of the life they have in such a way that a century old man could run the seven meter dash and roll willy-nilly down a wildflower knoll. Stories written about life never taste so bittersweet, what else could you demand of a novel?
The story revolves around one full summer in the life of young Douglas Spaulding, a 12-year-old young man, learning about life, and learning that he himself is alive. Douglas Spaulding’s life is affected over the 239 pages with such a tenacity, that it’s the perfect up-and-down rollercoaster that becomes the daily life of all 26,000+ members of the small town. The year of the machines sums up a great deal of the novel, as well as the terrorizing of the Lonely One. Machines included are: the Happiness Machine, which is a machine that goes through several transitions, and displays pictures of “happy thoughts” including Paris, Egypt, bright colors, particular smells like perfume, and sunsets. The Green Machine is like a cheesy knock-off of what is the cross between a car and a lawnmower. The Green Machine is presented by a door-to-door salesman that entices the “simple” townsfolk into paying for his invention, which is obviously a gimmick, sells it. The final machine is more a symbol in an old Colonel that recalls all the memories from his earliest childhood, up to his 80+ years of life in Green Town Illinois. Traveling back to the Civil War, a magician’s tragic death in a freak accident, and hunting the Bison on the thunderous plains. Perhaps the most important machine of all was lying in the heart and mind of an old military officer.
A love of the season, a depth-defying amount of triumph, betrayal, and growth, this is a text-book example of how lives. Dandelion Wine is one novel that demands three readings, it requires only one thing: a love of reading. Bradbury shows you that it doesn’t matter what the season is, the exaggeration of the truth, but grand character development that entices the reader’s interest.
Dandelion Wine Is one of the best Bradbury books I have ever read, and is still a great classic today as it ever was in its first inception. The great American novel has been written a million times over, but lest we forget one of the first modern novels, Dandelion Wine is a case of books to read in a lifetime. I want to shake the hand of Mr. Bradbury in hopes to thank him for this creation he has made by ly living young and thinking wise.
If ever you have the chance to read this novel, be it from your local bookstore, a bargain bin at a hospital, or even at your local bookstore, do not hesitate to read this book! Dandelion Wine has become the novel of childhood summer dreams, If anyone on any blog, newspaper site, or even television or radio suggest a brand-new late summer read, take heed of my suggestion: Dandelion Wine. Even if it would be your first reading, or your one-hundredth reading no novel comes closer than Ray Bradbury’s Dandelion Wine for the end of summer, and the welcoming of Fall. If this book has inspired you for what’s next in classics for the season, The October Country is your ticket for a great opening fall novel.

Thank you for reading the Malacast Editorial; keep coming back for constant updates. The first fall newsletter will be out shortly, so don’t forget to subscribe for what to expect in the upcoming season.

Rant: An Oral Biography of Buster Casey Review

2009-09-18T10:14:00.005-04:00

Chuck Palahniuk’s fiction novel Rant: The Biography of Buster Casey is the story of Buster “Rant” Casey, a troubled young man that grows notorious as one of the best “Party Crashers” of the Nighttimers. Released in October of 2005, this novel takes the reader on a wild ride in more than one way, through the eyewitness accounts of those who were family, friends, and enemies of the late Buster Casey. The story is pieced throughout by these eyewitnesses of “Rant” Casey’s life, and tell detailing, yet contradicting accounts of the man’s life in a know-all, tell-all oral history of the man known as one possible notorious serial killer of all time.
The story starts in the small town of Middleton, and is the birthplace of Buster “Rant” Casey, son to Irene Shelby and Chester Casey. Throughout his young, short life, “Rant” played the role of a typical troubled child, and is constantly surrounded by obscene characters that although helped shape him into the horror he was to become, he was dammed since day one. Born to Irene when she was 13 years old, and Chester only fourteen years of age, he was raised by child parents, as Irene’s parents before. “Rant” Casey becomes an obsessed child addicted to poisons, venoms, and self-mutilation. Being a primary carrier of Rabies, and spreading it about to all the local teens, while creating gruesome scenes throughout his home and the book overall.

Photo from Personal Delicious Library
Photo of the Hardcover Edition

Having an obsession for being rabid, and only having a rush from venoms, “Rant” Casey begins to stick his arms and legs into different dens and holes, hoping something would bite him and give him his “rush”. One oral telling states that this may have been by seeing his grandmother be bit by a Black Widow spider, and her following death, that may have sparked this obsession with venom; like a hint at “Rant” testing his mortality.
Buster Casey (called “Buddy” by his mother) receives his infamous nickname during a church event on Halloween by buying up all the guts, eyeballs, and entrails from the local butcher shop, using these props to scare the blindfolded children, and having the putrid old blood smeared about the food that made them “rant” and vomit. This would begin a series of events that would lead “Rant” Casey to leave his small hometown, and move to the big city, to find himself.
On obtaining the money to buy the guts from the butcher, another peculiar incident occurred where a man pulled up in a car beside “Rant” as he was running to get help for his dying grandmother. The man said to Buster “Rant” Casey that he was his true father, and hidden in a secret spot was “treasure” for Buster to go and pick up after he helped his grandmother.
The treasure was actually a whole chest full of out printed coins from the mid 1800s with a market value of millions and millions of dollars. Buster Casey takes this as not only a blessing, but also a guise to make a marketing strategy by trading teeth for a coin. Different teeth would receive either a gold coin, or silver coin, and would go to raise the inflation of the entire town. This caused so much chaos and greed that nicknamed “Rant” again as the “Tooth Fairy”, as he and fellow childhood friend Bodie Carlyle would collect teeth from the local youth, and replace it with the overpriced coins. This strategy would pay off down. Chester Casey sits with his son, about to send him off to the big city, and says that the man in the car was his true father, and that he would have to find himself alone in the city. From here on out we see Buster Casey is seen growing up into a man, and about to start his true calling in life: Party Crashing.

Party Crashing is similar to Demolition derby, but instead of a set track, the “Crashers” would have carpools of people designated with a certain position in the car, while driving around on the local highways of the city. “Rant” Casey moves to the big city where he begins a job as an exterminator, and starts a collection of poisonous and rancid creatures to feed his addiction to poison and Rabies. The collection includes all sorts of poisonous/infected creatures such as Hobo and Black Widow spiders.
By happenstance chance “Rant” meets up with Echo Lawrence (A young lady horribly disfigured from a car accident that killed her parents), Shot Dunyun (Works with transcripts that are jacked into people’s brains and acts like a virtual reality of film and video, sometimes rehashes these films with affects of drug-induced euphoria), Green Taylor Simms, (Orator and Historian position in the fray of Crashers) and Neddy Nelson (A psycho-babbler conspirator that spouts outlandish theories).
These “Party Crashers” pick him up during the Nighttimer curfew (Due to recent outbreaks of Rabies that is later blamed on Rant, citizens are split between “Daytimers” and “Nighttimers” in a forced segregation), spotting him the position as “mascot” in the middle of their “Just Married” flagged vehicle. Without precedence, the first meeting is love at first sight, in more ways than one as “Rant” purposely kisses Shot on the mouth to send as a picture back to his parents in hopes of causing more unwanted stress in their life about their baby boy.
“Party Crashing” uses “flags” i.e. “Honeymoon Nights” are when all cars participating dress up as “Just Married” newlywed cars, “Tree Nights” dealt with bolting Christmas Trees to the top of the vehicles, “Mattress Nights” had participants tie mattresses to the top of the vehicles, and many other forms of flags on different events. These flags, although at times humorous were to mainly point out who was a “Party Crasher”, and who were just civilians.
Despite the wild, chaotic sport that is “Party Crashing”, there are primary rules to the game. To any team that does not follow those rules, there are fouls called on them, and after three fouls, that team are not notified of the next night that “Party Crashing” would happen. A few examples to the rules is that flags have to be visible on the cars participating, so a “Soccer Mom” night had to be painted up with team names and look like a high school van off to a soccer game. Another important rule was that no collision of the cars could be more than 20 mph combined, so if Car A is traveling at 10 mph, and collides with Car B going 11 mph, the combined impact is 21mph, and over the limit. T boning (hitting a vehicle from the side) was also illegal.
“Rant” begins to become a well-known figure in the illegal Demolition Derby, and by some accounts becomes the scapegoats for the government to use as a cause for a super spreader of the Rabies pandemic in both the city and the small towns surrounding the area. This makes Buster “Rant” Casey infamous, and helps spark an intimate relationship with Echo Lawrence, becoming that generations “Sid and Nancy” as described by a high school student’s account in the book.
Rant: An Oral Biography of Buster Casey by Chuck Palahniuk is available in paperback from Doubleday Press, and is worth reading. Without revealing much more, if one can get passed the style of biography this novel is written in, where Palahniuk gives reference to several other biographies written in this style are found in the Author’s Note of the book’s first hardcover edition.
Rant: An Oral Biography of Buster Casey was an exciting, hysterical read, and despite being four years old, I recommend anyone to read this book, which read fast and is fun, if not grotesque. Chuck Palahniuk is a great cross between humor and horror, and it always is fun to be both grossed-out and bawling with laughter in his books. The novel is somewhat sophomoric, a cliché notion to what one expects of Chuck Palahniuk’s work, but the story itself is fluctuating constantly between different sorts of testimonies, so not one voice is ever majority. Testimonies from over 50 different witnesses keeps the book moving at a fast-pace, and has amazing details not quite found in most modern novels. I especially love how the book makes one have to question who is being the most honest eyewitness to Buster “Rant” Casey’s life account. A perfect read for anytime, you may see yourself either loving the book, or hating it completely, but one thing is for certain: it has Chuck Palahniuk written all over.

Thank you again for reading the Malacast Editorial, I appreciate every single reader that glances my blog over; be sure to check back for constant updates in movie, book, videogame, and comic book reviews.

A Message to Iran, and the World's Witnesses

2009-06-21T18:49:00.002-04:00

History is sought as a juggernaut that is doomed to repeat itself, least the youth are determined to learn from past follies. We are slowly seeing a rise in hope, and a demand for freedom, despite how little it may seem, or how mass-scale it appears. Iran wants freedom, or at the very least representation from its Supreme Leaders. Religion is what binds these people stronger than culture. God is the key to their faith, their culture, their entire religion, and is the also the filibuster that has kept them from the allowance of Freedom.
Iran's incumbent president Ahmadinijad, or the pawn tyrant, as he so ought to be called, is but a pawn in the true theocracy that has implemented itself as the ruling law of the land in Iran. My anger towards such a regime to deny its people the most valuable freedom of all, the freedom of choice, of the vote, and of change, has deafened the ears, and covered the eyes of the world from the truth. The Iranians have torn off the blinds of deception, and seek the blindfold of justice to enable their cause to far greater heights. These people demand justice, and deserve not only a recount, but a change in the policies of this junk government.
I pray they take back their land, their flag, and their freedom, which many of the West are also to blame for, we are to blame if we keep quiet, and the West can be the difference-maker in this changing-times. My hands are hurting, my neck is cracking, but I will type, and carry a torch of support for these people whom I've but a week ago have sought to be enemies. I have never felt closer to these people than I do now, and I pray deeply for we share the same rights, the same God, and the same strength for the freedom we all deserve. From Madrid Spain, to Jakarta Indonesia, all across the fiery streets of Tehran, we all deserve the same rights. From America, to the Congo, we are all God's Children. I am not a preacher, I am not a zealous person, but we may at times forget about God. When something this great happens; when something this important stirs the world, we are all truly under 1 God, and we must protect everyone, and anyone, be they Muslim, Atheist, Christian, or Bahai, we must save them, to save ourselves.
I will root for Iran, I will pray for them, and I will support their cause, but I only ask in return that they respect our rights as much as we will fight for theirs. This world is tough, we all know that we have to fight to even survive the corporate level. we learn to survive. Let us fight! Let us survive! Let us fight for the Nedas, the innocents that have died for the bloodlust of tyrants. The voices of the dead have always yelled louder than the living, let them be our battle-cry, let us be pissed off, let us be frustrated, angry, rant and rave, and make run-ons. Let them run on and on, and run on some more so they know that the world cannot be shut out by the truth, and that our anger will only be calmed by their solace, their peace, and let THEM, the tyrants know, they are to fear US, not let us fear them!
Thank you for reading this, thank you for seeing the immaturity of these tyrants that cling to defunct regimes, and that the deaths of the few, will fire the hearts of the many. Let these assholes, and I mean ASSHOLES, let them know that this is just a small spark to ignite the largest powder keg freedom has yet to see. The fires in the street will never, never be as hot, as vaporous, or as pungent as the fire that will ignite the lower quarters of the Supreme Leaders that will burn in Hell. God Bless the Iranians, and God Bless the Nedas in all suppressive states.

A Prayer for Iran

2009-06-21T13:39:00.004-04:00

Dear God,
Please be with our brothers and sisters as they fight for the natural rights bestowed upon us by Almighty God. I pray that they will see peace, and their rights will be far greater than their strife. Please keep them safe, they are our brothers and sisters under God, and I beg that they see the dawn of light in their country. Throw their tyrants out of power, humble them with sanctuary, and keep them safe from the evil men that dare harm them. I beg to God to allow the world to be selfless, and show their highest sympathies to this people, who are truly our brothers and sisters.
God, please allow for our friends, our families, and our neighbors in Iran safe passage through this blood-trail to freedom, where if we all give support, the dead will not have been murdered in vain. Yes, they were murdered, they were killed inhumanely, and I pray that the justice they so deserve will come from the freedom of their vote. God bless the Iranians, and God Bless the world as we all become the great witnesses to this sight.

Ghostbusters: The Video Game

2009-06-20T17:55:00.008-04:00

CLICK BLOG TITLE TO LINK TO GAMESPOT.COM'S REVIEW AND IMAGES

We all know the song, we all know the characters, and the amazing actors behind those characters. We all know the writers, directors, and producers of the movies, and we all know who we gotta call: Ghostbusters. The movies were great, classics, and were some of the best comedic works of Akroyd, Murray, and Ramis, names that need no introduction. Surely we can see that the Ghostbusters franchise is a dead-set cultural iconic franchise at that, but how does the video game (based off the potential third film's script) measure up to the movies, animated series, and the merchandise that makes all Ghostbusters fans go ga-ga?
Simple, it just does! If you loved the movies, you will love the game. If anything, it will get you psyched for a possible third film, if one ever does occur in theaters. I'd throw in a few ghostly puns here, but at the moment, I just want to give you the hard news on the game, first, Gameplay.
Video games, whether they be rehashes of older games, based off movies, or even original series that grow into crappy movies ( i.e. Silent Hill, Resident Evil, Super Mario...you get the point) gamers all desire one important aspect of all these games: great gameplay. Gameplay is the stone scaffolding to any game, it may be an old model, but it builds up a pretty skyscraper of a game. If I can't get around the controls, or if I can't handle the flow, I just throw the game out, so in a huge, huge, mind you fucking huge line of terrible video games based on movies, does Ghostbusters the Video Game fall in line, or does it cut ahead of the class?
I think the game is honestly far above the par of major movie-to-video game titles, but what I like is that it is easy to fall into the controls, and learn the game. The controls handle well, but it may take a few moments to become familiar with the game. I picked this game up 12 in the morning,a dn played until four, just so I could write this review early, and luckily I can give you an idea of everything that needs to be covered. If you need to worry about anything in this game, controls are the least to worry about. You may need to read the manual though, as I have yet to find a fair customization for the controls. They just have a few defaults that are self-made, and I find that annoying, but I didn't play around much with that, I jumped excitedly into the video game.
Ghostbusters The Video Game, is quite amazing in its graphics, as the characters really do look like the actors that have become the embedded images of Dr. Venkman, Egon, and Stantz. The characters truly look and word just like the characters of the movies. I was absolutely amazed at the detail put into these characters, figuring that Atari would just hash some bad renders, as this game took forever to come out, due to the companies falling out after finishing the game, and Atari swooping in and touching the game up just a bit. I was happy to see that the graphics of the ghosts, although the renders at times get repetitive, follow through with the major ghosts from the movies. Other characters from the films do return, like Peck, the dick-wad EPA Administrator that completely boasted an ugly-ass goatee, and put New York in peril during the first film, he becomes part of a special paranormal investigative corporation from the state government called P-COC becomes tied into the Gozer-themed story that follows the video game.
The story pretty much opens up at the New York Museum of Natural History, and there is a new Gozer exhibit, so you can expect some crazy things to start-up. These sightings of ghosts lead to be something larger than ever seen on the paranormal spectrum, as ghouls and goblins from movies past make a triumphant return, and look very pretty doing it! I especially love how how they made Stay Puft's images looked awesome, and I know awesome may not be a professional term, but come on! You get to fight the Marshmallow man, how professional does it get? This game is sheer satire, it's awesome, and it's funny, and if you don't want to play it, fine, but you're missing out.
The game does get a bit laggy, and yes, a bit repetitive, but what I think is the least-satisfying is that there are not really enough cut scenes that develop the plot enough, although enough of it is done in real-time. The game is actually a bit creepy in some cases, taking a few pages from survival horror, and yet still being a tad cartoonish, it is a game that hasn't really decided what genre it wants to be. Without giving much away, the game basically plays like the next movie, so it's not an combined attempt on both movies, it is literally the next chapter in the Ghostbusters trilogy, and that alone makes it a collector's item. Ghostbusters is available for: Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, and PC.
The game also boasts a few minigames to be played online through multiplayer challenges of groups of five. Some of the games include: protecting generators that need to be charged from ghosts, protecting artifacts, capturing ghosts the fastest, and sort of king of the hill style games where you have to move from one point on the other on the game's map. This part of the game is quite laggy, but when it's working, it is just pure amazing, because you can play any of the four original ghostbusters, or the "rookie" from the game, and you play and can even chat to the other players, while you slam ghosts into traps. This can lose its flavor after a while, but you can do some awesome stuff, like dunk slimer, and other fun games that are a little avant-garde, it's still fun to do. For more information on the game, check my link to all the pretty pictures of the game from gamespot, and follow this blog on twitter, just search mceasteditorial on Twitter, and get your tweet on! How lame would that be if that was there by-line?

Review of the NBA Playoffs Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics Series, and Thoughts on Game Seven

2009-04-30T23:09:00.008-04:00

VERSUS

People sometimes ask why sports are important, why do people care so much about a bunch of Neanderthals with triple digit salaries and double digit IQs. I'd normally agree with some of those accusations, but when you witness something like this 2009 NBA Playoffs Series of the Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics, you witness the absolute humanity that comes with Basketball. I personally have never been a gradn basketball fan, but I know a dynasty uprising when I see it, and that rivarly is seen in this spectacular series.
You'll see these sport anchors use words like spectacular, amazing, and phenomenal so loosely for even the most lameduck game, but this amazing series, which is on it's way to Boston for Game Seven is Immortal.
If you've not been following this series, either because you're not a Bulls/Celtics fan, or a basketball fan at all, I highly recommend you see what true drama, it shows through in these games. Words that describe what you've seen during the last six games could be synonymous to a compelling drama, or a showcase of pure tenacity. Fear, aggression, tiredness, pain, and conquest are even more words I could toss ou at how important these games have been in the history of the NBA.
The rookie of the year, Derrick Rose has been a powerhouse of a player that showcases more like a pro-star than someone coming into the big games for the first time. This crown jewel of the game has truly inspired my faith in the Chicago Bulls Franchise. Other vital players that make this a winning franchise are Kirk Hinrich and Brad Miller, two amazing players that will definitely be a factor in game seven
Not to discredit the Celtics' astounding players, for they too have made this emotional roller coaster of a series just as spectacular as their opponents. Players like Ray Allen, Tony Allen, and Ron Rondo have shown all the potential of an all-star team for the Celtics lineup. This team's full roster is a force to be reckoned with, and against an inferior team, they trample them like a swarm of locusts over a crop.

This series has gone back and forth, with both teams having the advantage and being tied, the series is now tied at three and three, with the seventh and final game going triumphantly for the Bulls back to Boston. Much criticism has been given to both teams performance so far, but to criticize at such a high level o playing, almost seems like a complaint to perfection. Never before have I seen basketball played so well that it looked like an art-form watching these two teams have at it for over four quarters with three overtimes!
So much has happened in over six games, but I guarantee these games will see the light of broadcast again, but they will be shown on channels like ESPN Classics, or NBA TV or some channel that will show the immortals of the sport. This game tonight shoed me that Derrick Rose may be the diamond in the rough, and could he possibly be the next Michael Jordan of the Bulls? Perhaps, time will be the fortune teller of that prophecy. Will Rose make his own self-fulfilling prophecy, or will the Bulls have to go back to basic training? Will the Celtics continue to build a winning team that transcends all hype, or will they be defeated by a comeback franchise?
If you feel this is just broad hype of a simple basketball game, tune in Saturday to see for yourself that legends are made in all walks of life, and this upcoming Celtics and Bulls game is truly one of those historical moments. So don't just buy the cliche of overpaid sports anchors, don't just take this blog's opinion of the game, tune in on Saturday on TNT (check your local listings for times and channels in your area) at 8:00pm, seven thirty for TNT Sports NBA Pre-game show if you want some highlights of the past games to catch you up to speed, but whatever you do, make some time, even if it's at the very end with ten seconds left, to catch the end of this series, because it's a game that will go down not only in NBA History, but very well in Sports history.

I'm no sports guru, I'm not really one to be a sports expert, or know everything about everything that is the wide world of sports, but I know greatness when I see it, it has a certain sparkle of magic. It has a certain taste of glory that singes the tongues of those witnessing such a spectacle, and it is the Bulls-Celtics Playoffs Series. Catch the game, bite the criticism, and see history be made.
If I had to root for either team in this series, I'd have to root for the Bulls because they're showing much greater potential, except they are dribbling too much during shots. I find that this is not smart playing, but hopefully it will cease, and the game will play as interesting as it did tonight. Good luck to both teams, whoever wins, we're guaranteed an amazing game.

Hopes for the Mid-Year, and a few glimpses for fun

2009-04-25T20:21:00.004-04:00

2009 is looking to be an up year in the entertainment world, despite economic crushing from the market. Although many would say that the economy will not see a fixing in some time, I'd like to be a bit more optimistic and hope that the youth of our world will prevail to overcome the obstacles the older farts have given us to bare. What does this have to do with technology and entertainment? Far more than most realize: see, our generation (18-24) well add a few years and subtract a few to get a better estimate, but the point is we are the first generation to ever witness such a technological boom, and a recession all at once. Our 401Ks will be vanquished before they're even existing. Granted, iPods are being created, and we're buying them up like reserved water, but our houses have no income to sustain an electrical charge so we can watch Scrubs season 1 on iPod Touch.
Our vast wealth of knowledge on every gizmo in existence, now with the creation of "E-Cigarettes" technology do we see our cultural shifts towards technological progression, while the economic recession teeters on world bankruptcy. Perhaps the problem is not that we cannot fix the economy, but that the economy is unfixable due to the fact it's the same "economy" since 1942. The way business is done is perhaps the oldest form of our economy. Capitalism is an amazing form of government, but without a reformation towards a changing world, it will falter just like the Neanderthals.
This post is not primarily on how the economy we as a human race are all a part of is doing, but on how despite it's downturn there are plenty of desperate cries for help in the entertainment business with an uproar of upcoming films and video games. DVD sales are suppose to even spike in the upcoming months, and that includes an increase as well in Blu-Ray sales, but those statistics you receive via spam mail are about as accurate as shitting from the sky and hitting a three-legged ant.

Image from http://www.iwatchstuff.com/2008/10/23/hotel-for-dogs-poster.jpg Will this movie sell out as expected when released on DVD/Blu-Ray April 28th, 2009? Time will tell for sure, but we'll be guaranteed to see the sales figures after Tuesday.
Movies coming to DVD and Blu-Ray are always bested by the hardware one sees the movie more valuable on, such as a movie on Blu-Ray may very well exceed sales of the same movie on DVD due to the picture quality enhancing the film. Transformers is such a film where I can assure the Blu-Ray Sales per capita make up an astounding amount over the regular DVD sales. One film I see being a big seller in disc format is Hotel for Dogs, a film about a group of kids that build a hotel completely dedicated to stray dogs so they have a sanctuary to stay. I'm sure uproarious laughs and loving scenes occur often in this film, as I've yet to truly view it for myself, but my point is to be made in due time. It seems these child-aimed films do more than just make parents lay down twenty plus dollars at a movie, they also create a shit-load of revenue that one would find extraordinary. This is proof further that children are not only a key demographic for Hollywood, but Hollywood may very well not survive without the child market. Even the PG-13 movie The Dark Knight was still targeting an audience below that age range, even down to the ages of four and five! Surely anyone who's been to a movie theater during a PG-13 movie can attest that although the rating claims to be for teenagers, children are very well spotted out in the seats as well, so do not take that rating system as not a target demographic for children.

image from
http://aletorro.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/resident-evil-5-20070726113937477.jpg click on image to see full size

This year has seen so far a number of great video games that have come out for the consumer market in hopes of sparking a bit of cash in the pockets of these developing companies. Capcom released its prime jewel, Resident Evil 5, selling a whopping 1,523,000 copies on both Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 combined. This shows that even in a down makert, numbers will be larger, but will the numbers quarterly be the same? Time will tell if a spruce in the market will raise sales higher, despite having monthly records of all-time lows, it seems teens are still edging on to buy the latest games and films.
Even as recent as today, we can see that sales for the prior week are not even moving upwards, as money has seemed to somehow ceased. For a Saturday even, the amount of money spent shopping has by chance lowered more and more as the months have gone by, but with the releases of new movies, new technology, and with the hopes of an uprising economy, time will tell the factor of the entrainment business's future, and the likelihood of sales improving.

Entertainment

Capcom's Street Fighter IV Review

2009-02-19T18:48:00.009-05:00

SFIV Logo. Image from Google Images.

Capcom is, perhaps, the most famous name in video games today. With award-winning series like Resident Evil, there’s no question that Capcom holds water in the gaming marketplace. Now they unleash a reservoir of fame with the newest title in a 20-yearlong juggernaut that is Street Fighter.
Street Fighter IV, the newest installment in the series, is more of a prequel than a sequel. Taking place between Street Fighter II and III, in the same way the movie Saw IV took place between the second and third film. The game, though not a true continuation, does not disappoint in both storyline and game play.
First thing you notice when playing this game for the first time is that the game play is not so much difficult, but more challenging than the last few installments. I enjoy the fact that the analog joystick on the Playstation 3 version is reminiscent vaguely of the arcade feeling one gets when pulling off specials and combos. Game play is also effective, in-that it feels 3-D. When you’re hammering in on an opponent, the controls feel smooth, but will hurt your thumb after a long while. With the return of the Super Combos, you get a feeling for the “2.5”D as your character is encompassed in the camera, and the look on your opponent’s face is priceless. “2.5”D is an interesting, and rather appropriate way of describing the graphics in the game, as the old-school 2-D movement is taken into a 3-D control basis.
The graphics are pretty much the best I’ve ever seen in the series. I remember Street Fighter 3-D for the PS1, and those graphics were piss-poor pitiful. Here, you get that sort of “cell-shading” but it’s more anime-based than “XIII” or Dragonball Z look. Each character has a distinct look that stays true to the designs from previous games. The facial expressions, and the almost cartoonish look will be a plus to some, and a minus to other fans. I typically enjoy a good fighter, and know that graphics are not normally their selling point, but the anime cut-scenes, the ability to switch languages (English or Japanese), and the detail to the characters are a great add-on, are we finally reaching a period where fighting games can have great storylines and amazing graphics?
Speaking of storylines (cheap lead-in, I know) Street Fighter IV does not fail, as each character helps piece the puzzle together, as if you’re working in the middle, and branching off from all sides dependent on the character you play. Again, the amazing anime cut scenes (A beginning and ending cut scene for each character) are fluid, yet they are short, and as I said, are like pieces of a film meshed up in a disarrayed order. If you are an avid fan, and perhaps know the game’s mythology by heart, it may not be as difficult to pick up on as say a newbie finding the series interesting for the first time.
All the usual suspects are to be found: Chun-Li, Ryu, Ken, Guile, M. Bison, Vega (personal favorite), and of course, Sagat. These are pretty much the standard characters, not forgetting of course E. Honda, and Dhalsim, but new characters have been tossed into the tournament as well. The first, and most oddly designed character I’ve seen since Gil or Oro.

Crimson Viper as she appears in Street Fighter IV. Image from Google Images.

The next newest character to join the fray is Crimson Viper. An agent to S.I.N., she rivals Chun-Li, and attempts to prevent her investigation of the organizations any further. She has a suit that shocks and burns an opponent, and is perhaps the most fluent new character in the series. She seems to stem from a mixture between Jax from Mortal Kombat fame, with a sort of ground pound via electric shockwaves, and Fire kicks from Long from Tekken fame. Although I highly consider her original, her character components seem to match Cammy’s look, although she has red hair, and it’s a bit larger, she actually unlocks Cammy from the game. Her arrogant attitude makes up her character, like before and after winning a match, she’s on her cell phone, sort of an insult to her opponent. I personally found her Ultra to be one of the best in the game: She does a massive-charged “ground stomp” and follows it up with multiple wheel kicks of fire into and up the opponent, sending them in orbit.
Although the boss character is brand-new to the series as well (Seth) the last playable character you start off with is a Mexican luchador named El Fuerte (The Strong/Strength).

El Fuerte as he appears in Street Fighter IV. Images from Google Images

He is another form of mock character, but he is actually a very good mock character as opposed to Rufus. His wrestling/acrobatic style is fast-paced, and makes the character of the most fun to play as and/or against. The character is a wrestler that is honing up on his cooking skills, so he travels the world kicking ass, and taking recipes in hopes of wining and dining his opponents into the ground. The character is almost on speed when fighting on the hardest level, it’s difficult to keep up with him, and this makes him one of the most worthy of adversaries in the game. If you go online, expect and expert to kick the holy hell out you with him, as he’s an almost cracked character, but not as cracked as say Zangief.

The main antagonist/final Boss of Street Fighter IV, Seth. Image from Google Images

Finally, the Boss Seth, is sort of a mesh-up of all the characters in the game. He has Guile’s Sonic Boom, all of Ken,’s Ryu’s, Sakura’s, and Akuma’s moves. He also can elongate his arms like Dhalsim, and teleport like Bison. Not to make a battle with him any easier, but Seth has the power to suck up his opponent’s into his abdomen, which at first looked like a spinning yin/yang symbol. Seth will then fire his opponent into the screen, and it will inflict a nice deal of damage. This move is quite cheap. In-fact I personally hated it most when I just moments away from victory, managing to hold onto the little life my character had left, when I was then sucked into his body, and spat out. The move I believe is his Ultra, which really is the best one of the game, and is pretty much a game-changer. If you unlock Seth, you’ll not have to worry about any other characters, he’s by far the strongest opponent/playable character of the series.

Gameplay from Street Fighter IV. Image from Google Image

As I mentioned above the storyline follows an unset path, and is determined through the character you play as, but it mostly surrounds the Organization S.I.N., and Seth being #15 of 27 of his kind, despite being self-proclaimed trump card of the rest. He’s not as arrogant as other characters, but has pull in almost every character’s story. Despite looking like a Doctor Manhattan rip-off, he’s also part connected through the organization by being Bison’s most powerful weapon. The storylines will tie-up all loose ends thus far, but are still rather short, but very nice to watch, as it seems much detail was put into each character’s plot. If you’re a fan of the series, and still not sure whether or not to pick up this game, I suggest you do, it’s one of the best Street Fighters I’ve played in a while, HD Remix was great as well, so you should definitely try each of these great games. Street Fighter IV will most likely revitalize the series, even though the series was still doing well, this was a much-needed change of pace, and you can bet many people will be honing up their skills in online battle
Through the Playstation Network (another cheap lead-in, I know, sorry), you can create a ranked game, custom with rules and regulations against anyone in the world. The online ranking systems also give you an idea of who’s the best of the best online, and allow you to pick and choose who you fight against. I most-of-all enjoyed the easy access to lobbies, and the ability to set up a game with a friend, rather than search the World Wide Web in order to find someone that lives downtown. That one important online function was missing from the last few Mortal Kombat games, and I am thankful it is as clear as day in Street Fighter IV. Online play, in the few times I was able to try it prior to writing this review, is practically flawless, and has few bugs or glitches that I was able to find, but someone else may have found many that I’ve not seen, so do not take this part of the review as wholly factual, this is just personal experience. The game play was like playing a person; in-that it was as fluid as one could be while fighting a human as opposed to the computer. This made me want to come back and fight online more, and I think most people after unlocking all characters will find excellent replay value in online via the PSN or Xbox Live.

fighting gameplay from SFIV. Image from Google Image.

I would like to close up this review with a mention of the game’s A.I. Although this should part of the review be up several paragraphs in another part of the review, I find that the A.I. on just very easy was smarter than most games on Hard. Not so much because it was able to read my moves with counters as often (I found that countering from the computer on Hard was almost like playing with another person) I saw that the computer would spam and spam, and spam. I was eating so much spam the first few rounds, I thought I’d be in a diabetic coma. After I realized that a few counters and spamming of “Sagat Uppercut” was all the Very Easy setting was going to do, I moved up to Hard, where I was actually given a challenge. Seth on Hard, which is not even the hardest level, is insane, and I don’t even know how the hell it’s possible to win. I mean, on Normal mode, Seth is a spammer, but he’s also spamming some insanely difficult moves to counter or tech hit out of, hence Hard mode was like God mode for other games, I could not believe even reaching Seth on Hardest mode. If you’re into a challenge, or if I just really, really suck at video games, then playing through arcade mode is going to be up your alley, or I just suck, and it’s easier than pie to win.
Street Fighter IV is perhaps the best fighting game out in the market right now, trumping Soul Caliber IV, MK vs. DCU, and all the rest that try living up to their hype. Sometimes it takes the original to show how the genre is supposed to be done. Capcom does not block any hard hits with this game, which will be like “WTF?!” at first, but will finish up with “EPIC!!!” after you get the hang of the game, and you see all the movies unlocked. Hell, even the opening movie was worth drooling over, with an amazing soundtrack blasting in the background, I almost hope you can buy it separately or download the entire soundtrack. If you’re a fan of fighting games, and you want to master and play the best of the best, then I highly suggest, dare-I-say, demand you play Street Fighter IV, it is worthy every penny you spend on it, and it will pay you back in replay value that never gets old. See you online!

Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe Review

2009-01-25T19:45:00.002-05:00

Image from Google

Fighting games are a franchise that was held in the highest regards during the nineties. People lined up around the block outside the local arcades to take their chance at beating the best of the best at games like Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, Killer Instinct, and SNK’s King of Fighters series. The game that was given the most controversial skepticism was of course Mortal Kombat. All fighting games are brutal in their own way, but Mortal Kombat was the first mainstream video game fighter in the arcades that actually allowed you to kill your opponent in a gruesome gory way. This became known as the iconic fatality, and has been shown to have impacted our culture in many ways, as parodies and real-life cases have come to show the Mortal Kombat series as an iconic time capsule that will be seen as one of the most important fighting games of our time.
The newest installment in the series is called Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. The idea is not a new one for the fighting franchise, crossovers are more common than not. The Marvel vs. Capcom series should be a prime example of how this is an old dog doing old tricks, but it looks pretty and new. Let’s now go into the review for Mortal Kombat vs. DC Univserse:

Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe is a prequel game set between Mortal Kombat 2 and Mortal Kombat 3. The game’s story mode can be played by either the DC side, which brings you into contact with the heroes and villains of that world such as: Batman, The Joker, Deathstroke, Superman, Shazam, and Lex Luthor. The other side can be played by Mortal Kombat characters, and takes place in both Earthreal, the Neatherrealm, and Outworld. DCs side plays out mostly in Metropolis, Gotham City, and of course the Fortress of Solitude.

Image of Captain Marvel from DC fame.

Ok, so the gameplay is one of the best of the series. Unlike most fighters, the button mashing stays the same, but the team at Midway put some thought into revamping the fighting system so it flows well on the Playstation 3. I was not too fond of this mash-up at first, but after playing several characters, I sense how they put lots of detail into the game, and even adding an element It lacked for so long: the double tap dash, which means you hit the directional but twice to make the character sprint. This is present in almost every fighting game, and was a much needed improvement.
The klose kombat addition, where you can pull your opponent in and take pop shots at their face was an excellent, and sometimes a much welcomed break from the brutality of the match. Despite this game’s Teen rating, which is a major step down from the Mature rating the series is used to, the punishment the characters take can be unbearable to watch as they’re tattered and torn apart. The detail to ripping costumes, and scarring is a beautiful attention to detail. Free-Fall Kombat is similar to klose kombat, and does massive damage. Midway also brought back the classic test your might style back into certain levels, where you crash your oppenent through a series of walls, and button mash to add damage. All these great additions play well into the gameplay.

Image from Bat Blogger
I did not feel the Kombo Challenges were done well, , and just makes you throw the controller down, and go back to arcade mode. The new pro moves system is a pain to pull off. Pro moves are like a free extra couple of hits on your opponent. When pulling off a special move, say Sonya’s upward bicycle kick manuver, if you hit the action button, in the case for the PS3, It would be the circle button, she will then do this move twice. These moves are truly for pros, as timing is essential, so newcomers to the game will have a hard time figuring out how to pull them off. With some time, and some quick fingers, the moves will become like second nature. This is although a frustrating part of the game, a very much welcomed edition to the genre, as it forces you to strive and become a better player.
Although you can do all of the combo challenges to earn achievements or trophies ( accomplishments for completing tasks in the game.) and you can play arcade mode on hard to better your skills, the only way to learn how to master the game, is to get some experience in through online play. Online play is very simple, and I feel that it is fun, but like other games in the past, the game play is lagged a bit, and counters done to an oncoming attack can hurt both players, so when say one character is doing a chain combo of hits, and the other character does a special move, both parties are hurt in the exchange. In Mortal Kombat: Deception and Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, I had the same lag issues, now I know this may be a server issue, so why did they not fix their servers, or at least update them? It’s like they said: “Well, it’s broke, so let’s not fix it”.

Despite lag, and a simpler game room layout from the previous game, Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe has a good online system. It could be better, that is true, I’ve only played it on the PS3, so maybe Xbox Live has less bugs. The game play online is at times like arcade mode, but because of the online play, you can have spammers, hackers, and other infringements on the game that can change a camera angle, or hurt game play. This takes away from the accuracy and fairness of the online matches, and may frustrate many a players testing their abilities against the best.
Overall, the game is a great addition as a fighter, but the story mode, the combo challenge mode, and even the online mode need to have been looked over once more, because they flaw the game. The story mode should have been longer, despite it already being lengthy; due to the ability of playing both the Mortal Kombat and DC Universe side. The lack of in-depth plot shortens the experience of what is supposed to be a six-hour game. To be honest, for the casual gamer, this game is not worth your money, perhaps more a glorified rental title.
If I had to score this game, I’d give it a 7 out of 10. The game is a great fighter, but all-in-all this is a game that needs to have been combed over once more. I hope that if they go this route again with a mash-up title, they fix the glitches in the final game. Although it is not as glitch-y or as bad as Armageddon, hopefully the next game in the franchise is more back to the bloody roots that started it all.

McCain picks Sarah Pallin as his V.P. Runningmate, winning my vote

2008-08-29T20:18:00.009-04:00

Ok, first I'm supporting the McCain-Pallin ticket, because I'm sick and tired of the Dems telling me that they're the party of change, big whoop! I was hoping Obama would've chosen the best person for the VP, but Joe Biden is far from what I was expecting, and I think that McCain choosing Sarah Pallin was a smart move for the American people. Sarah Pallin is perfect, because she's not part of the Washington Regieme that McCain cannot stand, if you listen to him, his views are pretty liberal, with a conservative backdrop, but he's all Libertarian at heart. Sure, Obama made that great speech, but great speakers have come and gone in this world, most not being the best choice: Hitler, Stalin, Lenin. Lenin especially fits to the type of person I see in a Mr. Barack Obama, who I am not saying is an evil man, Lenin is only viewed as evil because of his politics, but at heart he's no worst than JFK, that was a joke. Yes, I'm quite the conservative this year, and yeah my last year's political choices are out: Doug Stanhope being a strong candidate in the LP party, my favorite Republican Ron Paul, and of course, Hill Dogg, but don't fret, Obama and McCain were the two likely candidates, and it's going to be a whopper of a good run for the two of them.
So why exactly a I voting for McCain/Pallin, because I want to see a change in Washington government, those guys all sit up on that mammary-shaped building with the elongated nipple, and expect to suckle it dry through our tax dollars, McCain is not only a POW, he's a man of integrity, and by that I mean he has balls to do something/say something that others will shy away from because it's not "politically correct" the man is a veteran and a senior, and isn't taking shit from nobody, I admire that in a person. Plus, he's chosen a female running mate that is young, eager, and willing to learn and grow independently in Washington, a breath of fresh air. She's also as spunky as the old man, so expect her to shake up Washington a bit with her finesse.
Granted, Sarah Pallin is a newbie, but how well have the older, "experienced" politicians been doing? We give them questions, they have no answers, and they have little-to-no insight, which means they're learning how to speak well, and evade confrontation. No one, I mean no one has had a reasonable plan for: rising gas prices, illegal immigration, the drug war, the economy, even social issues like gay marriage! Hell, we can't even decide if we should let other human beings be at least a little bit happier in this shitty life by allowing them to fuck! Hell, we all love to fuck, we all love sex, we all love intimacy, yet we deny and subjugate certain groups who don't fuck how the rest of us fuck, which irritates me to no end. The situation has an easy rectifying solution, yet we're too high strung on butt sex to just let the gays fuck. Jeeze, you'd think in the 21st century all men would've at least had a fondle of their on ass to see what it's like, I mean come on!
The above statement was semi-serious, but the fact-of-the-matter is that we have yet to see any change from these politicians, literally or metaphorically. I support the idea of a McCain-Pallin ticket, because it is a big middle finger up to Washington that we're not playing the musical chairs game anymore! We're going to actually make a small-town person, who is in touch with the rest of US a powerful position in the White House. Sarah Pallin will be a great leader one day, and a great help to the leader of the free world. I was undecided with McCain/Obama for a long while, because I was upset by my party's choice of a candidate in Bob Barr, who just wanted a spot, taking away from my first favorite after Stanhope pulled out in Wayne Allen Root. He may be president one day as well, one can only hope a man of that style and vitality can make a mark on boring laymen's politics that have not changed a damn thing in the way of social/economic growth.

I am urging people out there to register to vote, I don't care what party you choose, that's a personal choice, I'm a registered Libertarian, one of the few left in the state of New York, and I must say that it is a party that is as conglumours as the American Nation. We have so many idealologies that all come into one goal, the Libertarian view of complete freedom of economics and personal choice. I believe in owning guns as protection, as the old saying say: the watchmen watch us, but who watches the watchmen?" That's our job, we deserve the right to own guns, and to have those rights hindered upon, we become slaves to a police state. Now that is a dystopian future that may very well happen, but it's quite far-fetched from reality. It is we, the people who will allow such atrocities to happen, and I hope for those young men and women who are now dying overseas protecting our liberties that we make fair and decisive choices now, for a better future.
Personally I think T. Boone is a true patriot, because he knows that he can help because he's been blessed with riches, and he wants to return something to his fellow Americans. He's not a politician, nor a government lackey, he's just a concerned American, and that's what we need to be, aware, informed, and intelligent because let's face it, we can't be babied by the government from cradle to grave.
Despite those naysayers who think McCain is Bush, that is so far from truth that I laugh at people who assume all Republicans are Bushes. It's a political party, one of many, the truth is that most people don't belong in the party they're running as, because we're so torn up/influenced by both media and individuals of all different backgrounds that one way for one party cannot be true. Granted, Republicans will be there for bailing out our economy to some extent, and Democrats will at least try to fight for social freedom, failing miserably at it I might add, but it's not just liberal and conservative, it's more who we are, and what we believe that make us just the little bit different. We are all patriots to some extent, because we all think we know what's right for this country, but that's the beauty of this world, we choose what we think is right, and if we mess up, we have to rectify our mistakes, and that is why we the people will always stand as one, because who else can we depend on?
In a world that is dark, and that even dangers lurk on shore, in our communities, we watch out for each other, and we try to save faith in each other's trust. We set up neighborhood watches, we protect our own investments at home, at work, and in our private lives, and we try to stay out of each other's business. We believe you're innocent to proven guilty, we give you the benefit of a doubt, and we try our best to help those who do indeed need that help. We stray at times, making the victim a glutton for punishment, and giving more aide at times to those who cause harm, and those victimized by that harm seem to be evil, we demonize victims! That has to change, why do pedophiles get more psychological help than the kids they rape? Why do murders do less time than drug pushers? If there's no extremes to a crime, and breaking the law is breaking the law, then why do car thieves not get the chair? Hopefully McCain will attempt to fix these wrongs.
McCain also wants to make it easier to adopt children in this country, rather than I having to adopt children from another country. See, I think that as we are the people united under the roof of this great nation, we also should be able to help those younger, more feeble than us out by adoption. They say children overseas need help, and they do, I will never say any different, but we put the world before our own people, and that is the same thing Rome has done, and it will be our downfall. I want to be able to adopt a child in the future, it is the most selfless thing one can ever do, and I believe that by doing this I set an example that it does not take strength to adopt, just a loving heart, and common sense.
McCain by-the-way is a father to an adoptive girl, which most see as a very tough thing to do, but I say nay, it is one the best things anyone can ever do, to take on the responsibility of a child that has been left behind for a reason that can never have a good excuse, (excluding death of parents) that is one of the greatest gifts you can ever give a person: a loving home. I believe that with McCain-Pallin, we may see in the next few years, which is when I may very well adopt a child. I'm young, but in four, and possibly eight years, I'm not going to be quite so young. I hope McCain is able to do something positive, but all I have now is "vaporware" as the techies call it, so I'm not sure if what he says he can deliver is what I'll get in the end, but one can only hope, and one can put that hope. They call it a two-hand vote for a reason: one hand holds their nose shut, while the other pulls the lever to cast their ballot. Despite the outcome, this years' elections will be as historic as any, perhaps even more historic, as we're guaranteed a chance for something different.

R.I.P Jessica:You were an angel among men

2008-08-29T20:00:00.002-04:00

A person close to me that I've known in high school died in a car wreck, the details have been vague, but I feel very bad that this young woman who has been taken away at a prime time in her life. R.I.P. Jessica, my thoughts and prayers go out to you and your family, I hope somewhere out there, you're earning your angel's wings, you were a very sweet girl, and never judged anyone. You truly were an angel on earth.

MK vs. DC Universe and Mortal Kombat 8/9 Preview

2008-08-27T00:50:00.005-04:00

P.S. I did not post any pictures, because they're all over the net.

Mortal Kombat: if you've looked back at my past reviews/previews, you'd see that I've been solely dedicated to this fighting franchise, and not just for the singularity feeling of going head-to-head in a classic, updated fighting game, but for the overall expansion of the Mortal Kombat world that has taken this mud ball by its reigns and said: "Whoa, hold it right there, now see this? This is how a fighting game is made." This is the definitive fighting game on the planet, and people ask, how did this one beat out all the others when it comes to fighting games? I mean Capcom, SNK, even Neo-Geo have their classics, but Midway's Mortal Kombat is the game franchise you think of? Even games like Soul Calibur, and Bloody Roar ( in my opinion, Bloody Roar is an actualy technical fighting game, where button mashing and spamming do not pay off) fail to compete with this game that is over 15 years in the making? Well, because the story never goes stale, and the kombat system is what others strive to be, yes even Street Fighter.
Unlike Guilty Gear, KoF, or even Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat made the best jump from 2-D to 3-D of any of the above named fighters. I'd throw in Bloody Raw and Soul Calibur into that line-up, but those two were already three dimensional games, and are also top tier franchises. For more information on Mortal Kombat's significance in video gaming history, please refer to the earlier posts.
Now, when I think of Mortal Kombat, I think of three things: 1. Story, perhaps the most important aspect I find in the series, and where Armageddon failed me, but that's another story. 2 Control, I want to be able to have quick reactions, and not deal with the same three-hit combos spammed to hell in every damn match against Scorpion. The controls need to react fast, because that's how the fighting genre is, speed and skill against defense and reaction. Finally, I want characters: Above 20, below thirty, but 10 is a reasonable amount to really show-off whether you know how to play, or just spam characters until they shoot out a fireball.
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe was a fucking joke when I first heard the announcement, about four-to-five months ago. That's when I was bored and decided to check out Midway's homepage in hopes of a new Suffering game to preview, but alas, I see Batman and Sub-zero squaring off. It was a few weeks before April Fools' so I figured it was Gamepro doing a gag, but they already set up the Zelda film, which I admired through the creativity that went into that faux trailer. Nope, Midway was not following in the Gamepro footsteps, this game was coming out whether I liked it or not, I expressed my utter hatred for this game, and I am not picky I disliked Marvel vs Capcom as well, because cross-overs are nothing but unimaginative games pieced together to make a quick buck off of old content.
Then I heard that it was canon! This game is canon to the story, as it takes place between MK I and MKII, which was also the early and mid-nineties, the rise in DC comics were going up with Frank Miller, Alan Moore, and Todd McFarlene working on different Batman comics, revitalizing the franchise from near death, and shitty films. Remember, the Michael Keaton Batman came about this time as well, so it was desperately needed. That is probably coincidence, rather than playing to the Golden Age of DC revitalization.
I was not happy about this at all, I mean as someone that knew Special Forces was a bad idea, felt that this game in-particular would flop like a fish on scalding glass. I also suspected that Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe was TIme Warner sticking their nose in Midway's business, but I saw potential after not just the renders, but the fact that fatalities were specific to certain characters. After the last three games (MK: DA, MK:D, and MK:A) The fatalities were becoming more and more broad, and the characters were based more off fighting style and either good, bad, or neutral. So when I saw that the fatalities/brutalities, would be specifically picked because of either a hero of villain, I saw the possibilities of a future game (MK 8/9 depending how you are counting) as it would play out on the next gen consoles. What irritated me is that this game should've came afterwards, and was done obviously because of the next few years in film. DC is struggling to regain its dynasty from the conquering Marvel franchise, and impending superiority of Dark Horse with Hellboy, and the ever-present Image comics with Spawn. DC Universe is another game based on DC that is coming out like an MMORPG style game, and that is also because of the revival of not only Batman in The Dark Knight, but the next Superman movie in Summer of 2009, the green lighted production of a Green Lantern film, and the big Justice League movie to conclude in 2010 or 2011. Marvel is ahead of this game with an Iron Man movie, an Incredible Hulk movie, and possible upcoming Captain America movie, and Spiderman 4. These movies, in-turn lead into an Avengers film. Marvel Wars is probably the kickstart to all these happenings.
Back to the game, and why I feel it was a bad idea: See, you have these two franchises, and just how they're both suppose to be playing out towards the video game medium, and the theatrical medium, and both together are like mixing pizza with ice cream, only a few sickos are going to enjoy the taste. Midway did this because of the fail attempt to win their fans with Armageddon which they knew was hype, and even admitted to leaving out important areas, while never giving us bios, or closure. So instead of fucking up the next canon game in the present timeline of Mortal Kombat, they're going back to the glory days of MKII, which is considered to be the game's high-point.
The story they came up with is unoriginal, and really lazy: the two world's collided, and now MK and DC characters are battling it out because they can, and it's not even like the tournament is happening, it's just like this: "Hey! It's batman, he's like my opposite" says Sub-Zero. "I have to kick his angst, anti-social ass back to Gotham City where he can nightcap with Vicky Vale, and over-analyze simple tasks." Yeah...Sub-Zero and Batman....long lost twins, sort of like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny Devito in the movie Twins. Of course Scorpion and Superman have to duke it out, I guess both are complete opposites because.......yeah, still trying to grasp a hold as to why these two are paired up to battle it out, makes my brain hurt, so I'll go play pong for a while.
Yeah, this game is sad, I mean it's really, really sad, there's no beacon of light at the end of that lighthouse, it's just a lighthouse that's beating it's window-paned face on the wall trying to figure out why the hell this game was made.
But then, I saw a tiny flame, I saw it budding across that dark palette of suck ocean, and what came back was the smile and laughter of a clown. A deranged, psychotic, whacky clown that SHOT KITANA IN THE FUCKING HEAD WITH A PISTOL!
The Joker's fatality, is by far one of the sickest things I've ever saw, I mean it's the Joker, nothing better could sum him up. First he pulls out a pistol, shoots the opponent, and out comes confetti and a "BANG" flag. Opponent is like "WTF?" then he pulls out another pistol and just point-blank shoots them in the FUCKING HEAD....yes, I'll say it again out comes pistol, shot in head, and I say "MK vs DCU, I'm in love with you, please, take my hand in geek, comic-book guy nerdiness marriage".
So despite flaws, characters most of us had to research to know who the hell they were, which I'm glad to have done, Shazam is an interesting Superhero, despite being a blatant rip-off of Superman...or is it vice versa, sorry, Marvel fan here. This game has potential, sure it's not what the fans wanted, but if they allow creative freedom on all parts. (DC writers are working with Boon and company on this project) it could be a good vanity piece for collectors down-the-road. If Boon doesn't fuck it up, we might have a play-worthy game on our hands.
I've had the chance to sample a bit of this game at Comic-Con this year, but seeing the drastic changes to the game since then (i.e. new characters) I just hope they spruce up the lucidity of the controls, and for PS3 use the Sixaxis controller in some way, maybe test your might? That is all easy programming though, and may be a last-minute surprise. I've pre-ordered the game, and expect to get it at least two days ahead of the curb, as I am also reviewing Street Fighter 4 here, and in an indy magazine put out by gamers. Leipzig showed us that all MK characters, except Johnny Cage will be in (As of now) and that characters such as Wonder Woman, and Deathstroke, what else could we see from this game that seems to continue to surprise, and mesmerize both sides of the fan base spectrum? Perhaps we'll never know, but in the upcoming months leading the the November 10th release, Mortal Kombat vs, DC Universe will be one game fans will need to play, as this can be a turning stone in the series as we know it; I mean, look at what happened to Street Fighter after Marvel vs. Capcom... give it a thought.

Now, Mortal Kombat 8, or 9, however you count it, I count it eight because of this game, but in the line of games, it will actually be MK 13, 14 counting MK: Unchained for the PSP, but you get the gist. Mortal Kombat 8 for all intent purposes, should be to the PS3 as Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance was to the PS2, granted, it was a great game, but it also laid the path for Deception, perhaps the best game of that console. New characters are a must, especially female characters, I think they are under-appreciated in MK games, and feel that they can be just as original if not more original than the male characters. Mortal Kombat 8 will take place right after Armageddon, so we're guaranteed to be saying good-bye for a while to some of the classic characters that have died off in Armageddon *Note: no characters have yet to be canonized as dead, and/or gone from the Mortal Kombat Universe, so it's still anyone's game, but don't expect Scorpion to be biting the dust twice, he's still going to be there, unless Boon completely shocks the hell out of me and puts him off for now, but he's not gone for good. The story mode will follow along the lines of what we've seen in the past, but I'm hoping for less sandbox, more story, maybe something like a Mortal Kombat: Reconciliation game, where we all get to start back at square one, and not let emotion run the tourney, but rather have the fights be for the sake of humanity, and play that battle out on an epic scale with CGI galore, you can have perhaps the most intense MK game if you try hard enough and make that sparing effort.
In hopes of a future game, I do hope that MK DOES NOT, I repeat DOES NOT go the way that Bungie did, and create an RTS style game, as it will be like turning Tetris into an RPG, or Final Fantasy into an FPS....oh, sorry, FF XIII already did that from the looks of the game.
MK on the PS3, the real MK will be worth waiting for, Boon is making a promise, and knowing him, he'll not keep it, but Ed Boon also knows this story as it's his lifeline, and if he cares about the $60 bucks of not just my money, but the hundreds of thousands of fans throughout the world that adore MK, he'll focus on a good story, and great fighting.

Check out my upcoming posts on future video games, music, technology, and of course, literature/books. Thank you for reading Malacast Editorial, and hope you've enjoyed your stay.

Helen of Troy by Margaret George

2008-08-26T23:35:00.008-04:00

Two years ago, on my birthday, I picked up the book "Helen of Troy" by Margaret George. I was feverishly reading through three other novels, two of which I had reviewed, one of which I gave a short preview, and a summary on the relevancy of the novel. After last week, putting aside my other books, I read the book Helen of Troy, and if you've read my prior acknowledgements on this author, I liked it not only because I like Margaret George, but I like the mystery that this piece of history is shrouded in....very much like a mystic shaman of ancestral tribes, Helen of Troy is only fact to that time, and to those who were there to witness that generation.
The story of Helen of Troy, formerly of Sparta, is a story that we not only know by heart, but it is enriched by our own tellings, especially in America. Helen's desire for her true love Paris may be quested out these days on a Jerry Springer/Maury talk show, but her tale is one that is prone to both anger, frustration, and common sense. Menealus, the character that we are either to despise, or empathize with, is not either a hero or villain, he's actually not much of anything, but is such a crucial part of the tale....why? These days Menealus would be the high-school angst teen that screams hopeless romantic babbling towards the balcony of his "true love" and threatens to kill himself if he cannot be with the hot chick that rather date the jock.

image from http://images.barnesandnoble.com/images/13780000/13780943.JPG

I'm not picking on the story, I think it's a great story, but I know that this was to be a challenge for George to do, after her earlier release of Mary, Called Magdalene, I knew she had to do something to get me out of that rut, it was not even like a real Margaret George experience. Now, Helen of Troy felt like a Margaret George novel, it vitalized my faith in her writing. Is this her best work yet? In my honest opinion, I still feel, in my heart that her most accurately descriptive, although over-dramatized piece has to be "The Memoirs of Cleopatra" this was the first book I've read that was written by George, and the third she's ever written. That behemoth of a novel is to me, the standard George novel. I compare all her other works to that novel, even the earlier works that are The Autobiography of Henry VIII, another great novel I did a short review on that demands to be read, and Mary Queen of Scots and the Isle, a great read that is done a little differently from her first person narratives.
Back on subject, Helen of Troy is that sort of novel I would not recommend unless I was sure it was worth both the time and effort for the average reader to take-on, and it is! This novel is great, and if you're a George fan, you'll love her work. I'm not really into the romance novels, and I just could not really connect with Helen on a deep level as I could've with Cleo, because she sounded like a drama queen teen-aged angst, high-school grad cheerleader, but in a sense, that's sort of what she was, even in the stories by Homer (Iliad, Oddessy, Aneid) Even George left the mythological parts of the story in, but instead of showing the Gods on Olympus, she instead told it through the perspective of the characters, she explains this in the afterward, because many readers, as well I, assumed this to be a close-to-fact retelling of Helen, a way we've never read of her before. We do get the telling of Helen's life in a new way, but we also get more fiction than historical.
I am partial to George, and I may take it too easy on her work at times, but I think that this bulk of a novel *around 620 pages in the hardcover standard print issue* could've been a little better, what novel is perfect in the first edition? That's why even "Ender's Game" has several editions, with new prefaces every reprint with "added chapters" Preface should just be French for: "I fucked up the first time, so I'm going to add nonsense into a great novel just to feel better about myself" or the new hip thing authors do: "Introduction to the new addition" I see that and tear the pages out of the spine. George seems to rush the middle of the second part, as if to spare time, but it's a book, time is always on your side, and making a hundred years span thirty pages can be done well, but George instead cannot allow twenty years to span three hundred pages because she's telling intricate details on Helen using a privy, sorry, but that did piss me off a bit, the most menial tasks that all humans do become enshrined in the midst of the voyage to Troy, and hence we lose decent story over way too much description. I guess if you're the daughter of a God, wiping your ass is more important than oh, say twenty years of war! Granted, it was not about a privy, but because of the load of characters, and that part about the birthday party for the Trojan queen were boring, and long-winded like this run-on sentence. Catch my drift?

Image from http://www.libraryjobpostings.org/covers/george.jpg

I admire details, they're like that little extra effort of a school paper, like making a colorful cover sheet with a powerpoint image of an Delicious Red apple with a worm poking out with a graduate's hat on for the teacher to giggle over.....but it can also look like you're sucking up to the reader, which I've seen in two latest books by Ms. George. The subjects of the past two novels again were more fiction than history, but not only is it hard to chronicle a life that may never have happened, it is also a task for experienced writers to fill those missing gaps responsibly, and Ms. George gives an A- effort, although she's an A+ writer. I love Ms. George's works, and I'm trying to be a tad harsh, but this irritates the hell out of me, and I do hope that Ms. George's next work on the mid life of Elizabeth I will be astounding. Ms. George, keep up the work, for it is great, and I am grateful that you continue to write such novels that inspire.

Going Postal over Postal: The Movie, P.S. Dave Folley, please do something worthwhile with your career post Kids in the Hall

2008-08-26T23:06:00.004-04:00

"Postal" the movie has finally; after about two years, come to America. The very bad, terribly acted,written,directed film is perhaps as ungodly a production as say Hercules vs the Moon Men, or Santa Claus vs the Martians, or whatever the hell that movie was called. Uwe Boll spent less time on this film than I did writing this blog post. Hold on, let me explain: Postal, and more popularly known, Postal 2 is/are a video game franchise that is created by the studio Running with Scissors. The game is loosely based on satire, both social and political, and is sort of a big old middle finger to the Jack Thompsons of the world, which is fine if done with some respect to the gamers. Postal the game is mindless violence for the thinking man, and in-turn history will pay it some debt for its societal message, which is that life is all a game, but the reset button has been hacked out of the console: Play at your own risk. Now, Postal the movie is a wee-bit different, in that it not only has much to do with the game (Boll almost makes the references to the real game seem like a thirty page exam he half-assed to get the C+) and in that case, is more a movie about Uwe Boll, than about Postal. Now, I actually like Uwe Boll, in that he has sort of an Ed Wood style, the man is obviously educated, but he downplays himself because he understands the common man and is not a stuck-up asshole, but he is a self-righteous asshole at times, and tries to play it cool. The man can take the shit in laymen's terms, but I give him credit for not giving me the same fabricated bullshit movie that hollywood puts out year-after year. This is the sort of movie i wish I saw in theaters, I could see the crowd, who if they already know the concept, are fans that would be laughing along at the inside jokes. If I said this was Boll's best films, I'd not be saying much, but this is the sort of movie you watch not looking for some bullshit Oscar award, but for the fact it's a fun ride, and it's pitifully stupid. Uwe Boll is the most hated director, who is pretty much conning the German government into giving him money for more stupid films just to get back, making a point that if these college punks can make noir film that people call deep, when it's really brown-stained mustard over mumbling, while Hollywood makes films that are all flash explosions and fake tears, he's trying to be real.
As a gamer, this was an outrage, but as a smart-ass, I get what Boll's doing, playing everyone for a fool (which I can admire) and laughing all the way to the bank/beating the piss out of critics.

The movie: yeah, plot is simple, the Postal Dude, or simply the Dude has a cheating harlot for a wife, and is an overall tool. He can't find a decent job, and the one job interview we see him go to is in a small office, with a fat woman, and a nut-case boss that has heads on pikes in the room. I swear, I cannot make this shit up, oh, and then he has to sign the company's flag song, which is hilarious. The Dude then goes to meet his crazy uncle that is the leader of a cult, who worship what is written in Dave's Bible, it's called Dave's Bible....how the hell do you come up with this??? I mean Uwe Boll must've read like a short synopsis on wikipedia to make this damn film, damn! I swear, if Alone in the Dark 2 is going to happen, or worst: Far Cry, I really am going to shit my pants. I'm so glad that it's all a joke, and that Boll is doing it to piss gamers off, but come on man, am I suppose to believe that you don't take yourself seriously with your films? You're suppose to be a gag satirist, instead you come off like a douche-bag, but better to be a douche than a scum bag I suppose. See, satire is a thin line between genius and holy-shit-I'm-so-full-of-myself-I'd-fuck-my-clone-and-buy-it-a-three-course-dinner-afterwards asshole. Boll tries to pull a Kaufman on us and make us think he's actually a nice guy, but in-truth, he's just a copy of the masters, but Postal is enjoyable, if you're into musing.
I'd name the actors in the film, but I'm afraid they'd be embarrassed, so I'm just going to say they're B-list, but they're even in shock that they're on the fucking set! Oh, and Boll, I did find it funny how you said that you're money was funded by Nazi gold, perhaps the only thing close to a joke in the film, but if you want to actually shock someone, say that in a real interview, and not make Postal a shit film.

So pretty much, if you saw this film, you're probably blogging like I am and making a big fuss how this was not what you'd expected, but one aspect I have to pay homage to Boll for is that, despite the shitty ability to make the movie like the game, the way he directed Postal, it was like a video game, where it was obnoxiously, hilariously violent, and it was cartoonish as hell, so it was fun at the end, but most movie-goers would not get the joke if they're not also gamers. So I submit to you this: Postal is a good film if you're in the mood for something on the lighter side of an abomination film, and it's shock, but living in this generation, not much really to shock me with, so sorry Boll, I was not shocked at all, more sick of the cliches. So Uwe Boll, if you want to chastise Hollywood productions for the same bullshit film, try not to be a hypocrite and do the same.

Next Generation Gaming

2008-06-22T06:51:00.009-04:00

Ever since their multiple release dates, the three new systems: The Nintendo Wii, the Xbox 360, and the Playstation 3, all have had their amazing moments, but all have had their limitations. By a stroke of luck, I've been able to play all three systems, and I have to say, that I like each one, but at the same moment, I find some flaws that could have been avoided in the design (Wii with the sensor bar, should have been attached, Xbox 360 has many: brick of a power unit, tray opening, and many more like lack of an HD player, and HD disc capabilities. I've played the top games, even own three of the big names in Triple A games: Metal Gear Solid 4, Grand Theft Auto IV, which I've had the pleasure to play on both the Xbox and PS3.
On the Wii, I've played Mario Kart Wii, Wii Play, and Super Smash Bros. Brawl. On the Xbox 360, aside from thier version of GTA IV, I've had the chance to get familar with Halo 3, and Dead Rising. Let's open up the review with Dead Rising, which is a sour note to start on, but like any tart, it gets sweeter towards the end. I love zombie games,and I love the survival horror genre in general, as I will be the first person on line to get Silent Hill Homecoming and Resident Evil 5, but this game is a sham. Not even Capcom's name on the title screen could save this train wreck, and I am not kidding, if they make a sequel, consider it a shot-down title before it hits the markets. Normally, I'll let the other reviews go, and try hard to give a fair and balanced, if not overly-too positive opinion on a game, but it in this case, the reviews held water, and this game sucks. I mean it sucks bad, so bad I rented it for a day, played it for about an hour that night, said; and I quote: "Fuck this", then promptly returned it the next day to rent something else. I could not stand this game, I mean it's got everything that would interest me, and even that did not even make me like this title anymore. In fact, it made me hate the damn game even more over the fact that it was everything I loved in video games, and that it was done in such a shitty way.
For those who have yet to play this game, even after this long of it being out, I urge you to read this, and heed this warning: All that you've read is true, for once the reviewers can be trusted, and this game is not worth your time, nor money. The premise of the game is that you are a photo journalist flown into a mall (best setting for zombies) and you have to take pictures of the nasty genocide that has happen to a little town out in Colorado (taking pictures of gory things, what's not to love?) Then, you have the ability to help others, or to chronicle their dramatic last minutes (choose your destiny style, freedom of choice in a video game gives it a thumbs up for allowing me artistic freedom to choose to be good or bad) so what's wrong? Everything!
First off, I could not stand the controls, they were weak, and the programmers made poor use of the many of the mechanics.It was so cliche, that I wanted to puke. I mean it posed no challenge, and the graphics, although the least important part of any game, could have been held in a bit higher standard. I mean there by fourth grade students that took better account of basic graphics design for a video game than these guys have during Dead Rising.
Secondly, The game reminded me too much of Destroy All Humans in its look, feel, and story. For a game that is so hellbent on being about zombies in a mall, they could have at least stolen some pages from the book of George A. Romero, at least it would have been a fun experience. I don't want to be a dead horse to life, so I'll continue onto the next game, because if you are still confused as to why this game sucks, then allow me to sum it up in one sentence: overdone, underdeveloped, bad writers, and don't forget the fact that despite using everything as weapons, you can't use anything that will actually inflict damage, this game sucks.

From gamemanx.com Master Cheif and friends scoping out the terrain, hoping to get that first frag of the day.

The next game we must talk about is Halo 3. Yes, Halo 3, the game that launched around the time of the PS3, and it was one of the highest selling games, in fact it was the most sold copies on the first day. Whether or not you're a Microsoft fan, or even an X-box fan, there's something about Halo that crosses boarders in the gaming industry, yet it is in the pockets of Microsoft via Bungie. Bungie has been developing games for so many years, and they're a great company, although I personally think the hype of any First Person Shooter hardly ever lives up to my expectations, Halo isn't that bad all-around. Halo 3 follows up where Halo 2 left everyone going: "huh? What the hell was that?!" but it's still not that great of a story. This game is going to be used by most for one thing: Online play. It seems the future in gaming is online play, but I am still very happy that two players can still duke it out on their own television. It irritates the hell out of me when some big game developer assumes I have no friends and forces me to play only online against other players. Luckily Halo 3 does not force you to do this, and even makes the experience enjoyable. The graphics for the Xbox 360 are okay, and Halo 3 looks as if it has been helped out a bit by the developers, but despite all the hype, I still think it falls flat on its gaming ass when the fans were expecting much more than what they gotten from Bungie. I felt let down like I did with MGS2 and MGS3, but as I hope with the next Halo, I was very much in love with Metal Gear Solid 4.
Metal Gear Solid 4 has opened my eyes to forgivness and allowed for me to believe in Kojima once again, bad timing, alas, for this be the last MGS game we may ever see: Hideo Kojima has decided to put the snake to rest for good.....but then again....it's Kojima. Hideo Kojima makes serious games for the sarcastic asshole. I mean his games are movies more than games, but with MGS4, there's actually some good gaming here! Metal Gear "Gekko" is definietly a contender to both Ray and Rex, following up on both look, structure, and odd-sounding cow noises....what is with that anyway? Anyhow the game follows Snake, the lead character of most of the Metal Gear titles, and starts where Sons of Liberty left off...well, a few years later, but you get the gist.
The game revieved a perfect score by many well-respected review sites, and it's not just fanboys creaming themselves over the "kool graphix" but the game really is a Triple A game in that it takes the player into the story, allows them to manipulate the camera, plot, and even the flashbacks. MGS4: Guns of the Patriots really gives you alot, and although it could've had a bit more i.e. more gameplay, more character depth, and more button commands/actions. You wont here me complain. The game is flawless in presentation, and near-perfect in execution. the storyline hits so close to home, Kojima makes you believe its happening. What I love about the Metal Gear Solid series is that it's not cheesy in dialogue, unless it's trying to be cheesy/funny with a purpose. Seeing is believing, and I believe Mr. Kojima reached deep into the hat and pulled out one helluva hare. I was not disappointed in the least, and I hope to see many more games from Konami; like Silent Hill: Homecoming, although it may turn out to be the one that silents the series.
The biggest game of the year, is another in the line of sequels with the number 4. if you haven't played it, or at the very least heard it seldom mentioned, then my dear reader, you must look at Grand Theft Auto IV. I've played both the Xbox, and the PS3 version, the PS3 version is the one I own, so I'll use that for the review. It also has more features in-game, and a crisper graphic layout.
GTA:4 takes place in Liberty City, the same place as it's prequel GTA III, and parts of GTA: San Andreas. Rockstar has created a juggernaut that you can either love or hate. Grand Theft Auto IV is a game that makes gamers play games. Sure it's violent, rough, and full of swearing, debauchary and every sin in the book. Damn, but breaking the law never felt so good! The Grand Theft Auto series is the pinnacle of what we call a sandbox game, it may at times be overrated, but this one has well surpassed my expectations, it may have even surpassed the developers' expectations, I've never seen something so beautiful summed up in a small package. The story is yours to create, and it gives you the choices I so wished were in the original games. I loved choosing whether or not to have to kill someone on a mission, and if I wanted to pick and choose jobs, rather than be assigned them. For example, you can at times steal cars, bikes, etc. for Brucie (in-game character) you can work for your cousin Roland and his taxi cab business, or you can even go apeshit and become a vigilante like the old games had. "The choices are yours, and yours alone" as Olmec from Legends of the Hidden Temple would say, and it's pretty damn true.

from Google Images: Niko Bellic running through the streets evading arrest from some LCPD officers.

Grand Theft Auto IV has a great look, real-time physics, and even some great crashes that are great, and may one day rival Burnout, but are not yet up to that level. There are so many pedestrian renders, it's hard to tell one from the other, I don't think I've heard the same cliche line twice in a whole tour of the city, event he hookers look different in areas at different times. The game has features and stops old and new including: spray n pay, burger shot, a car wash open 24/7, hailing a taxi instead of driving their yourself, and toll booths that you can choose to pay, but running them instead paying can lead to a fun cop chase.
Oh yeah, the cops, well that has changed a lot, although you still have the five stars, you have to lose them first, then hope they don't catch you, because if they do, they'll make you do the formation of laying down as they arrest you. If you evade arrest, that leads to them going crazy and opening fire on you from all directions. The police are much more brutal, and will bust you for some real-world crimes. I like that it's a more serious tone as it doesn't allow you to massacre a bunch of pedestrians with a Combine before being chased by a fat officer on foot.
Last, but most certainly not least is the Nintendo Wii's games Super Smash Brothers Brawl and Mario Kart Wii. First up: Super Smash Bros. Brawl. This is perhaps the biggest game on the console as of yet, but it is far from the last, and it is good. Newcomers include: Sonic the Hedgehog, MetaKnight and King Deedeedee *Kirby's Dreamland*, Solid Snake (famed from the Metal Gear series mentioned in the above paragraphs), Wolf from Star Fox, Olimar from Pikmin, and Lucas from Earthbound. This game is rated Teen, probably for the violence, but it really could be an E 10, or even an E to the more lenient parents, but don't let the cute characters fool you: this game is fighting. Sure, it's funny to watch Peach use Toad as a blocker against a Mario fireball, but it's also pretty bad ass to watch Ganodorf and Link go head-to-head in a fight with a Final Smash victory, but what makes this game is that the characters look good, the crossovers fit nicely, and this game outwits most crossover fighting games to boot. Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe can learn a lot from SSBs, because it gets it right. The story mode, or Subspace Emissary mode was great. the old platform style gaming that you get in the game is a walk down memory lane, especially if you play as Mario and Luigi, but it also gives you an idea about what's happening in the worlds where these characters reside. Perhaps the most interesting part of the journey are the boss battles that are based off the actual games that the characters come from, and some that are like rejects from Kingdom Hearts.

from Google Images: Link and Sonic battling it out in Brawl

Sadly the story, like the past games is not that great, but there is some cute slapstick comedy involved in some of the cut scenes that will make you smirk a bit, but there's no real story, sorry, get over it, and go Smash online. Well, maybe not.
Brawl online is believe it or not, not as popular as playing your four friends in the same room, which I can understand, as I have been playing this game since it came out, I understand why people like to play in groups. SSBB is all about togetherness, and it really does get the players going when you can hear nothing but the clicks of the Gamecube controllers, and the eyes all on the screen as they're screaming for a knockout. Then again, who are you suppose to play when you're by yourself? This is definitely a game that needs friends, because it gets dull fast when 1-on-1, it needs at the least 3 players, but nothing beats a true Smash game.
For my last game review, I actually want to just make it short, sweet, and memorable, just like Mario Kart Wii has been. I remember Super Mario Kart, the first in the line of Kart games created by Nintendo, which were honestly gimmick games to push the famous characters forward, sort of like Super Mario All-Stars, or Dr. Mario, a branch from the original moneymaker, Super Mario Bros. Now Mario Kart Wii, just like Super Mario Kart, and Mario Kart 64, pays homage to the fun racing game that was a big part of my youth, as I'm sure it was for many gamers and fanboys/girls that roam the world. Take what you loved of the original, what you loved of the 64 version, mix it all together, bring in mortorbikes/baby carriages, a ton of new characters, and online play with anyone in the global network, and you have Mario Kart Wii. Plus, hidden characters, and enough races to keep a new generation of young gamers loving what we older gamers loved as kids. from ign.com a close race between Yoshi and Peach, sporting her cool new dirt bike.
Yes, this is a generation clinching game, as it has brought forth the Wiimote steering wheel, which I personally loved and it got a good laugh out of me to be playing, I could imagine what a party of people doing this would be like, and saw good potential for a lot of laughs. I think the generation now has an idea of what I had when I was there age, and not that I'm old, it's just they get the grasp of what games were like when I was young, not a lot like the crud that's out today.
For more game reviews from the best in the business, Gamespot is a great resource for upcoming game titles, despite some favoritism over select games, it is very diverse due to allowing any forum member to create a review. I also hold true with Game Informer, and even IGN.com. Gamespot.com gameinformer.com, and IGN.com are my top three picks for gaming references. You can also read about it here at mcasteditorial.blogspot.com, where I do the occasional video game review update, or at least I'll promise one once in a while. I in-fact will be doing a Silent Hill: Homecoming review, as well as my review of MK VS. DCU (Mortal Kombat versus DC Universe) whether I like it or not, so please be sure to check that out, and all my other reviews on the MK series, as well as other video games of the past, present and future. If you'd like, also check out my subtle movie reviews, and my sometimes overly-detailed book reviews.

The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star

2008-05-16T11:07:00.007-04:00

“The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star” by Nikki Sixx is a very eye-opening testament of a man’s gradual decent into hell. The visuals given off by this book are so frightening that it is amazing to believe that this man has not died and pulled himself out of that dangerous place. The sheer paranoia that Nikki feels from using heroin really takes away from the glamour of the drug.

Image from google.

The book is a testimony of Nikki Sixx’s year from December 1986, Christmas day to December 1987 Christmas day, with commentary from friends, family, band members, and managers. For those of you who do not know, Nikki Sixx is the bassist of Motley Crue, the biggest band in rock n’ roll during the hair metal age. This band was probably one of the most hardcore bands in terms of absolute chaos and destruction to come out of metal. Their drug use and partying is perhaps one of the most notorious parts of their legacy. Out of all the members, Nikki Sixx seems to be the one member that pushed the limits, abusing obnoxious amounts of alcohol, drugs, and girls. Heroin becomes his main drug, as Nixxi himself says in the beginning of the book “It was love at first sight.”
Nikki talks about himself as if he were a head case, and for those who have never chased the dragon, he pretty much was a head case back then, as the drugs were running his life, and leading him into a downward spiral into hell. Nikki Sixx talks about how it is an internal conflict with his second identity that he calls “Sikki” after his fatal addiction that comes close to claiming his life.
The story is a pure, honest peek into the human soul, and is not without the raw detail that comes from an unauthorized view of oneself. This book is a worth a look over, and deserves the press it has been getting, not only because Nikki is a famous rock star, but it shows you that he is more human than ever before with his mistakes, lies, and fears.
Although the book focuses mainly on Nikki’s behavior during his addiction, other parts of his life open up widely during this novel, including: past relationships, goals, desires, lusts, fears, and is one of the most personally detailed novel I have read in years, it is so realistic in honesty, that it almost seems surreal to have this person’s life opening up so fluently in the pages.

Image of Nikki Sixx from Google

Now this book has some drawbacks from making it a solid work, and that is that it will depress the hell out of you, I mean it will really make you wonder about things in their present state, and how a man can live through so much abuse. If anyone ever needed proof that there is a God, the life of Nikki Sixx will make you a believer.
Granted the diary is not suppose to make a person cheery, but I mean it just lays it on so thick you don’t really get the emotion that the diary is aiming for: you get sick. I literally was feeling myself quease up at the stomach over some parts of this novel, like how Nikki used toilet water from a public restroom in some club to fill up a cap to boil some heroin in to shoot up into his veins. This, and many, many other sickening, but true acts of degradation to his person lead one to believe that Nikki Sixx truly is a Saint of Los Angeles to be alive.
Nikki’s diary introduces some other elements that add to his addictive personality, as he never knew his father, and the only positive influences in his life were his grandfather and grandmother. His mother was a delusional person that did drugs, and once dated Richard Pryor. She shipped him off all throughout his childhood to live with her parents, and this added to much tension to an already strung-out tenn that began to vent through music, which can be said as his first addiction, and his last.

Nikki discusses his formation of Motley Crue, and that he was perhaps the most influential part of the band, which is not far off from the truth. Nikki, not only being the bassist for the bad asses of rock, also was the songwriter that really paved the golden road of fame for the band, eh was the meal-ticket for Motely, and this is why much of his addiction was overlooked.
Being around 432 pages long, this year-long diary is really something to behold, and to just think this was just ONE year of Nikki abusing, while he was an addict many years before, it is hard to imagine he did not join the legendary 27 club like many other addicts in the past. Being what it is, this novel is worth reading, and would make a lot of people who have wanted to try heroin think twice. As Nikki even said in the side note comment: There’s no heroine in heroin.
Who should read this book? Well, definitely addicts, maybe to get an idea at just how bad addiction can spiral a human being into tragedy, and this is not the sort of story that the Lifetime movie network runs for women in their 60s to cream their panties to, no this is really a story of every vital bodily fluid swapped into one. This story is going to take you places you frankly don’t want to go, and they’re going to leave you there to get your elbows dirty. Then maybe it’ll let you return to the real world, just as you get a grip on the absolute filth that comes out of serious, un-glamorized addiction, and the struggle to find the peace between “Nikki and Sikki”, to unleash the story of redemption and hope that few stories ever tell you. You’ll find yourself begging Nikki to stop using, pleading with him as he becomes more and more detached to reality and stuck in the plain of everlasting hell.

For the faint of heart, this book may not be the best thing to read, but if you want to see for yourself what reality as an addict is like, this book comes close to giving you the extremes of an almost unreal amount of drug use. This book is enough of a read to keep you questioning every single moment of this man’s life, and what leads to his inevitable demise, it is like the Lion to the Lamb, as the transformation from Sikki to Nikki set the stage for one of the most spectacular books that should be on everyone’s summer reading list, so check it out as soon as possible.
Just one more note for some of the naysayers out there, that think that Nikki doesn’t have a sense of humor, he does indeed give us all some very universally sound advice: “chicks = trouble”. If that right there is not enough to get you to read the book, well then you don’t have a single bit of humor in your whole body.

Ender's Game Short Review. Last Post of 2007!

2007-12-09T13:07:00.000-05:00

Orson Scott Card is the renowned author of The Ender Series, and the praise for him is not ever more present than in his first novel, Ender's Game. Some said that this novel would not be anything more than an poorly written pice of Science Fiction, with immature language and a weak plot/story-line. The same critics that assumed that much of Ender's Game were more likely to stuff it after the novel one two prestigious awards in the Science Fiction genre. The novel won the Nebula and Hugo awards, which are the two largest awards in Science Fiction next to the Philip K. Dick award.
The premise of Ender's Game is based of Card's empathy of highly intellgient children. He felt that they were overlooked and underappreciated, while still having to deal with peer pressure and neglect. Ender is a prime example of how genius can be manipulated and taunted by those who see him merely as a boy, and how adluts use his young ignorance for trust to their advantage.

image from http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0812589041.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

I do not want to reveal much about this book, but all you really need to know is that The Aliens called Buggers attacked Earth twice, and Ender is the only hope for all mankind, yet he doesn't realize it just yet. Ender has to train in the Battle School where he goes for the major majority of his childhood, if you could call it a "childhood". He starts out in Salamander Army, moves to Rat Army, and before he can even wet his toes, is forced out of that army and placed in charge Dragon Army. Dragon Army is the worst army in the school, so bad it was disbanded for five years. This would become the true test of Ender's physicality and mentality, and we soon realize that Andrew "Ender" Wiggin is no mere boy.
The story unfolds and thus leads the reader into the next book: Speaker of the Dead. I suggest that if one chooses to read Ender's Game, that the reader continues on to Speaker of the Dead. Card's novels are some of the most interesting Science Fiction out there. Ursula K Le Guin is also one I highly recommend. For more on Science Fiction, try http://www.sfsite.com/, it has a lot of information on Science Fiction.
Well as the title says, this is the very last 2007 post, as I will be away for the festive holidays. I hope everyone enjoys their holiday season, and everyone gets what they want from Santa. Have a great New Year!

Something Wicked This Way Comes

2007-12-04T03:09:00.002-05:00

Ray Bradbury is the pinnacle of genius when it comes to the great American novel. His writings always pertain to the abnormal, fantastic, almost science fictional outlook on what a story represents. Bradbury's work is rooted in high spirits of satire, to low spirits of horror. His work flows smooth, almost too smooth, that it may slip from one's grasps at a time, but is nevertheless where many have put to practice, and few have ever equaled. "Something Wicked This Way Comesis a novel that truly gives you a vivid picture, if not a physical picture of just what life was like for a teenaged boy growing up in the mid- 20th Century.
Jim Nightshade, the name alone speaks of the depths of just how far Bradbury can take his work, and take it fast, so the story is not held up by jargon. In fact, you get so fast into the novel, you're almost afraid you've missed out on something before you ever turn to the second page, but you haven't! Bradbury just rights that good, no bullshit, no misconception, he is in no lack of discipline with his fluent prose. Read on, dear reader, and do not fear the turn of the page, it only leads into a greater ecstasy that is Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes".
image from http://www.salemhigh.com/mc/2008%20RFL%20images/something%20wicked%20this%20way%20comes.jpg

The story is about two boys having a strong friendship, that seem to be polar opposites of one-another. Jim Nightshade, the sly, fast-paced out-going kid, and Will Halloway, the more timid, if not weaker-willed character. Both are born on the same year of the same day (which happens to be Halloween). This in turn is also less than two weeks away at the beginning of the novel. The book opens up with Will and Jim relaxing on a nice fall day, with the cool air in the breeze so they are dressed warm when a lighting rod salesman stops by and talk to them. This in-turn leads onto the foreshadowing of the Dark Carnival, and that lighting would strike Jim's house. Jim being the fearless, more risky sort laughed off the threat, while Will was sure that something awful was afoot, seeing as a drastic change in the weather was occuring, and in fact that a storm was brewing.

The insidious Mr. Dark leads his parade of freaks, mystics, and magicians. His dear friend Mr. Cooger, The Illustrated Man wants blood, and they so aptly go forth, no emotion, just pure evil with emotionless gazes down the street, searching for our heroes. These two forces are the heart and soul of the Dark Carnival. The Carnival offers those with no hope a chance to redeem themselves, whether it be youth, wealth, power, they give hope to the hopeless. Of course, with every offer, comes a price to pay, and that price is the recipient's mortal soul. Now there are two pre-teen boys, and one Over-the_hill father that seeks peace through library books to stop this treacherous show of horror, and fantastic magnitude. Can Jim and Will prevail with the help of Jim's father and save the town, or will the locals get all their desire they ever wanted for the price of their soul? To find out just how Jim Nightshade and Will Halloway do against their arch nemesis, read Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes

The novel's themes are light and dark, good and evil, but also compel the notion of how important a child's laughter can be to the world. Bradbury wrote this, and other titles such as The Illustrated Man, which Image from http://images.amazon.com/images/P/055327449X.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg speaks from his childhood, the carnival in which he befriended the freaks and sideshow attractions. His inquisitive and question behavior opened his mind up to the sureality of these people, and their career choice. Bradbury humanizes these people in a world that still questions the unknown and fantastic in both a positive and negative light.
Bradbury's other works include: The Martian Chronicles, R is For Rocket, Fahrenheit 451, From the Dust Returned, and Dandelion Wine's sequel, Farewell to Summer. I recommend fully reading this great American Authors work, and please watch some of video interviews and college speeches on how to write, and why you should write. He is the voice for the young writers of tomorrow, as he has been for many years, so listen to what this modern legend has to say, for he is often imitated, but never matched in his abilities.
For more Bradbury information, please do not be shy and check out for more information on his novels, upcoming events, and more.

More on Writing

2007-12-02T20:54:00.000-05:00

If you are a reader of my blog, you'll understand that I am imperfect when it comes to writing. Yes, I explain how one can compose great verses, and how one can write prose well, but even my blogs are in need of criticism. If I've misspelled a word in a prior blog, I rarely go back to fix the mistake, rather I leave it as a mark like blemish or even like that of an imperfection that comes with the embodiment of greatness. For example, I am reading the classic Science Fiction novel: "Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card, one of the most imaginative and well-respected writers in the business. In the novel, where the word feet should be, the mistake of leaving the "t" off of the word is proof that even printed/reprinted, and even re-reprinted works have mistakes. Page 222 of the 1991 reprint edition of the novel at the very bottom of the page, shows the mistake as clear as day. Now, does this minor mistake keep me from continuing? No, because I am anxious to finish, and begin on the sequel after reading "Neuromancer" for a college project. After I hand in that project, and if I feel it is worthy enough, I may reprint the entire project on here, for William Gibson's first novel does more than deserve praise from our culture, it should be required reading in the future-is-now High schools were are creating now! Enough about Card and Gibson for now, I will be doing individual posts on Ender's Game later on, and a preview of the up-coming movie based on "Ender's Game" and "Ender's Shadow", destined to hit theaters in 2008.
Writing is perhaps the most fundamental piece of learning that will provide one with a healthy career. True, it's not one of our most important aspects as human beings, as speech is something of a far greater importance when conducting business in the so-called "real world" that we all have to accept to join one day. Since I live in some imaginary world, where rules of time and organization tend to be prone, I do intend to drastically allow my mind to slip deeper into even more unconscious states while preparing for a piece of prose to go public. In an age when originality, and even an age where the remaking of an old great idea is horrible, well it worries me that literature will find that path, and we'll lose the writers of tomorrow. I beg and plead that you take a writing course or two when you have time on writing; even if you're a prodigy, be a learned prodigy.
The biggest fear I have of this culture is the Instant Access/ADHD generation where writers will not be able to write a book over a few months, and stay on subject. It is a fact that the youth do tend to not slow down and admire the more important things in life, and since they have glued themselves to their video games, and their bloody cellphones. I cannot understand it, perhaps I missed the cutoff, or maybe I just am older for my age, perhaps a little wise for my age as well. Nevertheless this tragedy that has become of our culture, is the same that the older generations have had been told by their elders. Nevertheless, we still get great writers, and we still receive amazing, intellectual thought...just that intellectual thought seems to change with time in meaning.
Follow your heart when it come to writing, and allow for not one book on the subject of writing to be your teacher. I only recommend the Elements of Style as a vital part of it, since it is from William Strunk Jr,. a great writer that deserves respect for the fact that he is learned not only on the subject of excellent writing, but that he came up with the politically correct term "Studentry" which sadly is not a replacement for the "cadaverous" "student body" term. I believe that the talent of writing takes years to hone, and much much seclusion in a closed room, with he exclusion of a shy window allowing in air.
A message to the youth writers of the world ( The 10-14 year range) When I started writing, Madonna was apologizing for burning crosses in her videos, so I grew up in that post "!984" cyberpunk/age of technology world, but just prior to being alive before the Internet was invented. I remember having to get my sources from the New York Public Library, and having to look up information in the Library Catalog on an old Apple II computer. I also learned about Library cards in grammar/elementary school before computers made it an easy click, so I recall just what it was like to actually have to feel my sources, to actually turn the pages on books that smelt of saw dust, and that's the way it should be done. Granted this whole cool/new way of looking up technology is going to "Wikipedia" and getting information from that, or editing what you feel is correct information, but I prefer the facts to have some printed backup. Naturally, we all know that even the old books are not written in stone, and theories are proven/disproved as facts/fiction by the hour, but at least try to use a source found in an old textbook. Yes, even fiction needs one to look up. and check their information, and yes, you should make sure your source does not make you look like a fool! I've decided against a podcast, as it is a hopeless endeavor. I even remember when podcasting was created, and I have to laugh at the idea that it was in fact worrying, by worrying I mean "Great! Any asshole with a mic and an ego can make a radio broadcast." Then again, the same thing about blogs could be said, and may be what could have feuded this blog.
Back to writing, well, no, forget it, I'd find it even more annoying to explain something that is so broad as writing. Articulate your thoughts clearly, and you'll be fine! Bullshit! Assertive writing, and aggressive attitude on top of sounding wordy is not intelligent. I hate that word "wordy", since it seems to be used so much in legal speech, you become accustomed to using it in that which is normal writing after reading several cases. (note the wordy sentence I made on purpose as a point.) Well as of now, it's reaching towards 3:00 in the morning, and sadly, I think it's time for me to amscray so as not to be too tired in the morning sunrise (note the wordiness, redundancy, and utter egotistical asshole-esque attitude...avoid!). Oh, use Pig Latin with some satirical twist if you do use it at all.

On an Unrelated note:
Since I have found Youtube several years ago, I have been an avid user of the site, mostly trying to get whole episodes of my favorite old shows as a child, but alas, I've found that it can be useful. I've decided that I may create a small vlog ( video log) that will be updated occasionally. with a small post every now and then on either a novel, music, etc. any form of entertainment that is interesting, if not noteworthy. I usually give an interesting perspective, so please stop buy and see what I have to say. So stay informed by coming back for more information on that news.
As always thank you again for supporting the Malacast Editorial, and I hope you find the blog insightful. If not, you could help fix the fuck-ups by commenting on current posts.

The Kite Runner: Movie Preview

2007-12-01T16:13:00.000-05:00

Hollywood is in a turmoil today. Movies they spit out are more like bank notes moving millions of dollars from hand-to-hand, hoping the check doesn't bounce. Granted, some films from the year 2000 to the present have been excellent, award-winning pieces of movie history, while others have been bigger flops than Hercules vs. the Moon Men; and that is a hard act to follow! Now we have another film coming out in mid December: The Kite Runner. Yes, you've heard right, if you haven't already known, the Kite Runner is going to become a major motion picture in theaters released this month. Hollywood is using hype by getting publishers to put out an illustrated copy of the book, in hopes that this will boost enthusiasm, if not boost the sale of novels again. Khaled Hossinni gets much press on this blog, but do not think for a moment I believe this movie is going to be an automatic Oscar-winning performance. Not that the Oscar are important to me, it's just that I have some hope that you have to at least have a decent movie to be in the running (no pun intended).

Image of Kite Runner Movie Poster, and cover of the newest edition of the Kite Runner novel. Image from http://www.steadywinds.com/exhibitimages/kiterunner/kite_runner.jpg

The Kite Runner will be directed by Marc Forster, director of Stranger Than Fiction, Finding Neverland, and Monster's Ball.
A link to the trailer can be found below, uploaded to youtube.com.

The trailer gives you an idea of the making of a great film, but seems to focus on the Taliban a tad too much, and may very well become a political statement, rather than what the novel was based upon: redemption, forgiveness, friendship, and betrayal. Not much more can be said about this upcoming release, but I promise a full-page review of how I honestly felt about the movie when it hits theaters December 14th. the official movie site has links to what the press feels about the film, including: Vanity Fair, Roger Ebert.com, and Variety. .
Keep surfing the web for more information about this and other films set to be released in the upcoming year, and be sure to check back to Malacast Editorial for further updates. As always thank you again for your support, and be sure to comment on how the site is doing to provide you with the up-to-date information on the things that make you click.

Roshalde and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

2007-11-04T17:30:00.000-05:00

"Rosshalde" by accalimed novelist, Herman Hesse, is very much an autobiraphical account on the author's personal life. Although much of his work does span the genres, many of Hesse's works do in fact, have autobigraphical qualities. Hesse's works are among the most read, with his most popular novel Siddhartha being a common literaty work used in the classrooms of both high schools and colleges. Hesse does dive into other topics, such as Science-Fiction and Fantasy, but ver few do lead to the case of whether these works are also autobiographical in nature.
Rosshalde, the home of Johanan Verguth, and his family, the famous house bought by a renouned painter, who seems to have everything in the world, but only one joy, his son, Pierre. Verguth may have his friend Otis, a world-traveler who resides in India, and a close friend of the dear painter. Some areas may even hint at a kinship relationship between the two, who act more like brothers than childhood friends.

image from http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0312422296.01._SS500_SCLZZZZZZZ_V1056579481_.jpg

Hesse's character Verguth, being more a meat puppet than a character playing a vital role, is more-or-less a jagged-edged character, who has fallen out of love with his vife, and seems to only care about his son Piere. Even his older son Albert, who we the readers meet for the last three-quaters of the book, comes home for holiday, despite his animosity towards Johan. With-that-in-mind it seems to lead us into what exactly is going on in Verguth's life. Verguth is quite unhappy with his life indeed. He lives inside hi art studio, and his only true love is his son Piere. Unfortunately, a terrible tragedy occurs, and Hesse's close-to autobiographical novel (Aside also from Steppenwolf) leads Verguth to travel with his friend Johan into the world of giving up all material and living in the enightenment of one's own soul. This novel is short, but bittersweet, and something to consider for a rainy, gloomy day, where nothing can disturb you. I do not highly recommend it over Hesse's other works, but this is nevertheless, a Herman Hesse novel. Roshalde is literally a short story in novel form, and it has depths and settings that shine in novellas like before, but it's honestly not all that deep in the part of story, and it's good to me, just not something common for general reader. Might I recommend his Science Fiction "The Glass Bead Game"? If so, I do think that story, being almost double the size of Roshalde is a worthy reader to the testament of Hesse's diversity in genre.

The Curious Incident With the Dog in the Night-Time is perhaps one of the best first novels I've ever read. Of course, not adding in Hossieni's The Kite Runner (A Major Motion Picture in November of this month) it is hilarious in the cruel sense, and I could see this being an instant classic for the adult growing up reading the Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys mysteries, but with the satrical twist of making the detective an adolescent boy with a form of Autism that is searching for the murderer of a dog.
image from
http://www.secondaryenglish.com/curious%20incident.jpg
That's right, it's a murder mystery....about a dead dog. Let me correct myself, but not give too much away for those who have yet to read this: murdered dog. See, i found the who plotline outrageous, the entire setting was maddening, as we went about in the main character's life, it was almost impossible to believe that this story went from the murder of a dog to a conspiracy surrounding the main character's parents, even involving one particular family member as a suspect to the neighbor's murdered pooch. This is a smart, witty, almost downright slapstick murder mystery guranteed to even make Angela Lansbury blush a bit with envy. If you have yet to read this, do yourself a favor, pick it up and read it! Do some justice to your piece of mind and read a novel that acutally makes math comprehendible! Also acknowledge that the chapters go by prime numbers, so yes, you are on chapter 223, just it's not really in sequential order. Again, this is almost as fun as picking up a MAD comic that doesn't suck, well maybe it is even better, I give it my offical \m/ devil horns of approval for fun!
Not to blab at how great this book is, but I also reccomend that you read this book on a sunny day, maybe witht he shades cracked even, and just relax on your recliner, your bed, or even a front stoop.

Three Reviews

2007-09-15T01:08:00.000-04:00

In case you did not know, I am a Sicence Fiction writer. These are mainly my takes on others' works, but my own are Science Fiction. I love to read outside of the genre I write of course, but I do tend to read that genre, so I can find myself improving my own stories. Although one sereis I became automatically hooked on, due to a friend's recommendation is the work f Terry Pratchett. I've so far read "Going Postal", which is one of the most recent novels of the Discworld novels. I recommend starting with "The Color of Magic", which is the first Discworld novel, but I started with "Going Postal", and am now reading "Mort", which is the fourth in the series. Luckily, the way the novels are written, the order is not so much th eissue, as is the knowing of key essential chracters, and understanding of the plot. I cannot review the entire series right now, but I can suggest you look up Terry Pratchett's offical website for more information. Normally, I try not to be this lazy about giving one information on a good book, in fact, I do quite the opposite and give as much detail as possible, with some understanding of characters and plot. This time however, I choose not to do so, for chance i may very well ruin the story for you, and I would not want to do so from such an astounding series of novels.
image from http://www.sfsite.com/gra/0512/gplg.jpg

http://www.terrypratchettbooks.com/ is the website I am giving you to go check out, and I hope you see what the buzz is about, because this guy is like the Douglas Adams/Kurt Vonnegut of Fantasy. Although I cannot say many compete with Douglas Adams, nor with Kurt Vonnegut when it comes to amazing satire, this man surely tries hard to make you see how serious he is about satire.

Ok, next novel is: Middlesex. A 2002 hit, I was shocked to find the same author of "The Virgin Suicides", a 1993 classic, had written this book as well. When I first dived into this novel, I found it was difficult to follow, but after I got past the first hundred pages, it all went easy. The story follows young Calliope Stephenaides, a psuedohermaphrodite born through an incestous family of Greek immigrants. Calliope becomes Cal later on in the story, as Calliope spends one half of her life as a girl, and the other half as a boy. Raised to be a girl in the household of a loving family, her father, a well-off, self-made success, becomes one of the key characters during the Detroit riots of the seventies. The story itself has a history of stories inside, wich it tells well. Just, it's hard to really stay in it unless you're dedicated to the book.

image from http://www.uweb.ucsb.edu/~dominiquebeutick/middlesex.jpg

This book is for hardcore readers of drama, and notsomuch those interested in oddities in nature, because this novel is just not about that, but it is deep, compassionate, and full of human emotions unparallel to many of the dramas this year. If you can get past the first hundred pages, you're good, and you know you're going to see the novel to the end. This book is an Oprah's Book Club read, but despite that sticker on the front, I do recommend trying this one, but borrow fromt he library, cause you might not make it all the way through.
I buy books constantly, they are like my drugs, but I do know when the average reader is on a budget, so starting next week, I am going to compile a list of new, noteworthy book worth getting for sale that wont break you.
Back on topic here, this book is not worth buying at first read. If you want to try it again, then you should buy the book, but if you read it through once, and struggled through it, then don't buy it, just borrow from a library, or from poor fool who bought the book beforehand. The critics will tell you that this novel was excellent, and give it some high regard, but all I am going to say is, that much better novels have come out that year, and since it's not the book I would say that defines Jeffery Jeffrey Eugenides (I say The Virgin Suicides did that for him) It did go on to win the Pulizter Prize, which these days probably is the equivalent of wiping your ass without getting shit on your hand. Sadly, this man is obviously a great writer, a pity he prints novels so far apart from each other, but they do turn out to be masterworks. I will give his next book a chance, if he so does choose to make one.
This book does follow Cal throughout three generations on the Stephaniades bloodline, and even gives us insights on current events in the real world, that coincide with what is happening in Callie's/Cal's life. The whole novel is pretty much Callie's history, and every theme that you pretty much find in great literature including: comin-of-age, loss of innocence, tragedy on a massive scale, etc. Again, I do not recommend buying this novel, but if you still choose to, I always recommend buying through Amazon.com, since you have the ability to save on free shipping.

Finally, I come to the most important review yet: but the thing is, I'm not suppose to talk about it. That's the first rule, same as the second rule. That's right, about ten years ago, a novel came out that may have been the most hysterical dark satire for the 90's. Many see Chuck Palahniuk as the writer to sum up the nihilistic culture of my generation. Fight Club, in whole, is a satire. The book is hilarious, sick, and the perfect blend of everything unwholesome in literature. Even the writing itself is painful, like a blow to literature; but in a good way.

image from http://a0.vox.com/6a00d4142b9a0d6a4700d41431fe303c7f-500pi

The narrator, who remains namless throughout the entire novel, speaks with no quotes at all, as if mocking his existience. I could sit here and put theories and meaphors towards all the reasons behind the lack of quotes on the narrator's behalf, or why the jumbling/repetion of lines repeat throughout the novel, but it would take at least triple the size of this post. That's right, if you've seent he movie, the novel is pretty much the same thing, just told in different orders, and pretty much gives you an idea of what the ending will be less than fifty pages into the book. Still, since it's the tenth anniversary of the novel, and you've played the DVD of the movie till it scrached the circumference of the disc, why not give the book a try?
To sum it up, I have yet to really deal with a shitty or non-noteworthy novel, but I am looking out for you guys in hopes of what is worth your time, and what of course, is not. I really try hard to like everything I read, but alas, it never happens, and I wind up reviewing a Hemingway which i know will suck, but it's a painful matter of getting through it to warn you of what the story is, and what it will further lead towards. To all those out there, thanks again for supporting Malacast Editorial, and be sure to vote on the upcoming polls, e-mail me @ my new yahoo mail account: mcasteditorial@yahoo.com, or to reject848@yahoo.com.
Also in other news, Short Story weekly was ceased for a bit to make sure nothing was faulty with the blog, and should be up and running shortly, stay updated either here, or check on Short Story Weekly occasionally to see new short stories by yours truly, plus other members as well. I try to warn people if they so choose to place their work up for FREE on Short Story Weekly, they must own all the copyright material, and I am not responsible for stolen work. Again, enjoy the rest of the weekend, and have a great afternoon/evening. Thanks again for the support of Malacast Editorial!

"A Thousand Splendid Suns" Review

2007-07-24T02:58:00.001-04:00

"A Thousand Splendid Suns" was a huge surprise, as it was suppose to be nanmed "Dreaming in Titanic City" so I worried about the next Hossieni novel, when I saw this, I thought he released one, and went on to the next. Luckily it was not that I was being left behind, but rather I was right on time for the next installment in Khaled Hossieni's stories about Afghanistan.
Now, I have a love for this author's work. Hossieni's style truly makes you appreciate the fact that some authors do in fact have a talent in this world today/ Hossieni is an instand modern classic, and I would not be shocked if his works are even used as required reqading in some colleges and high schools about the country.
The novel, " A Thousand Splendid Suns" is about two women whos' lives are intervened by tragedy and harship. Mariam and Lalia find themselves under the smae roof, and married to the same husband through a twist of fate that forces them both to learn to deal with each other's prescence. The novel has four parts: the first part is told through the perspective of Mariam, from a little child up to her marriage with her cruel husband, Rasheed. SPOILER WARNING: The sory of Mariam takes the worst turn when her mother commits suicide, and she goes off to live with her father, Jalil. Her father treats her well, but at the same times, acts like she is not his daughter, since she is a hamrami, or a "bastard". This in turn, leads to her farther making her sleep one night out on the street. Since her p[rescence prings forthh shame to Jalil's family, she is soon married off to Rasheed, who is a shoemaker in Kabul. Since Mariam has lived in a kolba most of her life, near the city of Herat, she does not want to be married off at the age of 15 to a man of around 45, more than twice her age. With the climax of the first part of the novel over, we are then introduced to Lalia in the second part of the book.
Lalia grew up in Kabul, and was a trtacted to her childhood friend, Tajik. Tarjik had an amputated leg, and need a prostehtic one to walk around. Due to beign the victim of a mine, like many other children in that era. Tajik was highly protective of his friend, Lalia, and even would threaten the bullies that picked on her in school. Lalia came from a background of an educated, but considerably soft father, and a mother that was like a comatose victim, ever since her two songs went off to fight the Soviets in the jihad (Holy War). Lalia by horrible misforutnes becomes Rasheed's second wife, to find out more, you'll have to read the novel.
The third part of the novel switches between the persepctives of the two wives, which shows their contrasting views, and Lalia's immaturity, and Mariam's aged wisdom. The story progresses much in this part of the story, leading into the amazing climax. END SPOILER
The novel goes through a lot of time, pretty fast, as the story starts out in the mid sixites, and finishes around 2003. So about forty years of times passes through this novel. The novel flows well, and Hosseini makes the literature come to life with not only a lot of descirption, but the imagery and symbolism is perhaps better than was in his first novel, "The Kite Runner". Not much more can be said about this book is positive, since there are so many things that specifcially make this story show Hosseini's talent as a storyteller, but ther are some very molecular flaws that I have noticed. The main issue that I had with the story, was that some of the words used in Fashi did not have an English word to describe its meaning. Unless i missed it, I could not see what the word hamshira meant, but again, such a minor issue, that google can help you decipher.

DVD Releases I want to see

2007-07-23T18:38:00.000-04:00

A lot happens in twenty years.....enough in a life to get a general experience of all the emotions: love, hate, sadness, and tranquility. In twenty years of my life, a lot of shows have been created that have influenced my works. Yes, books have influenced me just as well, and I have written about many of them in my two and a quater years with the Malacast Editorial, but several shows from my childhood that I have loved that have influenced me in both graphics, and storyline have never been released in DVD format.

image from broadvocabulary.com
One show that I absolutley adored when I was a young teenager, as many did was MTV's Daria. Daria, as some may know, was originally a concept character on another MTV show, Beavis and Butthead; and after that show concluded, Daria became its own television show that was very successful, and was firmly dipped in a river of satire. Perhaps the embedded inside jokes at every twist and turn were what made this show an important part of my writing. Although it was classy, sophisticated, and showed how much life can suck for a youth, it really was asafehome for some of the best puns, and pokes fun at points-of-intrest at that time. Daria did for teenage life what Get Smart did for secret agent spy shows. It was a large joke, and you fell in love with her for being so quirky and original. Empathsis and identification are the keys to creating an admirable character, Daria was perhaps too smart for her own good in allowing anyone to view her world; where she is the anti-hero of every episode.
Daria aired for five seasons, with two, one hour-long films. "Is it Fall Yet?" and "Is it College Yet?" are the two movies where major changes are seen of Daira, and are probably the most one could see of Daria's "softer side", since she is cynical most of the time. Daria has yet to have a proper DVD release, with few mock-up boxsets that can be found online. This show, being so influential, and loved by many adoring fans, should have a DVD box set release to commemrate it's ten year anniversary. Although MTV has yet to show a care if this show, or any more of their animations will be coming out on DVD format anytime soon. Hopefully Daria will get the love she deserves, and a box release as soon as possible.
Moving on now to another animated series, on the same network is "The Maxx". The Maxx was created in 1993 as a series of comic books, with a series of 36 issues, including a few bonus issues called "Friends of Maxx", which portrayed others in the strange reality that the Maxx exists. In 1995, "The Maxx" animated series came to existence on MTV. The shows success can only be atributed to the comic's creator, Sam Keith having a close-hand on the project. The series on television follows issues in comics close, from aprox. 1-13, but those numbers may be a little off.
Image from coverbrowser.com Famed picture of the first issue of the Maxx #1.

The Maxx is a guy in a purple suit who believes himself to be a superhero, but in the "real world" (which indeed is hard to decipher for the majorit of the series) he's a bum that lives in a carboard box in an alleyway. Now, his only true friend or companion in the world is a frelance social worker named Julie Winters. She allows him to stay in her apartment, but this is do to her controlling personality, which we learn the reason for through series. When Maxx uncontrallably goes into the Outback, that he calls Austrailla, he is a super hero that kills the unique creatures that make up the ironic, satirical, surreal world. Maxx then fights to protect his jungle queen, which is Julie Winters' alter-ego. The interesting question that comes up though, is if Julie Winters is an ealter-ego to the Jungle Queen, or vice-versa.
The whole story is a psyychological thriller, in which some cases, you may actually need to understand a little about psychology just to get the gist of the story. Luckily the animated series is quite easy to follow. Have I mentioned the villian. Of course The Maxx needs a supervillian in order to be a superhero! Mr. Gone is a serial killer/rapist that tortures Julie Winters and the Maxx at every twist and turn he can. The funny thing is that hew knows much about Julie and The Maxx, that he could reveal all they ever needed to know, but instead he finds it more fun to mess with their minds. Mr. Gone has a daugher named Sarah, who has some serious coping issues, and goes through that teenage angst that a lot of kids her age deal with. She sees herself as fat, ugly and "smart", a terrible quality for any girl, and makes her highly unpopular. She too plas a vital role in the story, but not so much one in the animated series.
This series needs to be brought to DVD format, but it can be found on a complete series VHS tape. Many petitions have gone up across the net in order to get this series on DVD,a nd even perhaps another animated season. The Maxx popularity was greatly influenced in the mid 90's, and had much influence on the McFarlene style popular in Spawn. The Maxx also sused a CGI style of graphics that added more accent to already beautiful style of animation. Alas, this pricless artwork may become extinct if not brought to a DVD boxset. I fear also because this series has had much influence on me, even when it first came out, and I was eight years old seeing it for the first time. It absolutely astounded me how such an intelligent story plot could exist in a cartoon! It truly has humor, tragedy, and some points of sheer disgust, but not in a bad way...more like teh humor can get rather demented. If Celebrity Deathmatch can get a full DVD release for every single episode, then I am sure they can make room for The Maxx on DVD. They did it for AEon Flux, they can surely do it for Maxx.
Thank you for continuing to support Malacast Editorial! Please leave comments, or e-mail me at: www.fingmad221@yahoo.com, or again, just leave a comment on the most current post. Come back very soon for the long-awaited review of Khaled Hosseini's masterpiece "A Thousand Splendid Suns". Thank you again for reading Malacast Editorial!