Archive for March 2009
Hostess Chocodiles
Chocodiles
Ok, I haven’t had any of these since I was a kid. And I used to love them. For those who don’t know what they are, they are basically chocolate-covered Twinkies. As if Twinkies are not good enough, someone had the brilliant idea to cover them in chocolate. I know a lot of these companies won’t distribute products in areas where demand is low, and I guess New York City is one of those “low demand” areas. Go figure. But I found this website, so I may just have to order some of these to feed my cravings. God bless the internet.
Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Freud’s Structural Model of the Psyche
Sigmund Freud, as you may or may not know, theorized that there were three parts of the human psyche: the id, the ego, and the super-ego. But I’m not going to go into an in-depth discussion of these theories and this modality here. For more info, there’s a great Wikipedia article that sums it up nicely. Because what better place is there to get info on complex psychological theory than Wikipedia, right? But simply put, the id, ego and super-ego are the three parts of our psyche that motivate us. The id is the unorganized part of us that contains our basic drives. The ego is based more in reality, but tries to fulfill the id’s wants and needs. The super-ego is the organized part of us that strives for perfection and idealism. It is like our conscience.
So how does this relate to the Aqua Teens? Read on.
Master Shake – The Id: For anyone who has seen the show, this is pretty self-explanatory. Shake is quite possibly the most revolting human being shake alive, and exists only to further his own wants and desires. He has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. He is selfish. He is self-centered. He is greedy and materialistic. He’s impatient, thoughtless, careless, mean-spirited, narcissistic, and sociopathic. He basically lives to obtain the basic wants and needs of all males, namely cool electronics such as guitars, televisions, PDAs, and other cool gadgets; food such as tacos, burritos, “Steak-Ums,” or flash-fried cows; and women, going so far as to order a mail-order bride from Russia that he would “co-marry” with his neighbor Carl. He delights in tormenting his roommate, Meatwad, and this seems to be his greatest form of entertainment. Shake even went so far as to commit suicide (in Carl’s pool, natch), just so that he could torment Meatwad in the video game he was playing, “Video Ouija.”
Meatwad- The Ego: Meatwad, while simple-minded and innocent, does possess a basic understanding of right and wrong, even if he doesn’t always choose what’s right. He is often frustrated and angry at Shake for all the pain and suffering he is put through by him, but just as often seems to look up to him and seeks his acceptance. He can be selfish at times, but can also be quite considerate of others. He always pulls the Danger Cart for his fellow Aqua Teens. When asking Carl to babysit his dolls, he was nice enough to leave Carl a note (it was scratched into the aluminum siding of his house, but it’s the thought that counts). When he almost killed Santa Claus, he still delivered toys to the world’s children, though it was often the wrong toy, and he had forced Shake to become a reindeer to pull the sleigh. So much like the ego, he tries to satisfy both the need to get what he wants, but also the need to do the right thing.
Frylock – The Super-Ego: Frylock is the conscience of the Aqua Teens. He is quite intelligent, and might even be a legitimate scientist. He’s crafted many inventions, most of which had the original intent of creating a better world, like the toilet that didn’t use water, his ultra-fast super computer, and his shrink ray. Though he can sometimes act selfishly as well, he is usually the voice of reason, especially concerning Shake’s selfish schemes. Just like the super-ego works in direct contradiction to the id, Frylock and Shake never see eye to eye. Shake just wants instant gratification for himself, while Frylock wants to act in a socially responsible manner, whether it be protecting the environment, being considerate to his neighbors, educating Meatwad, or attempting to save Carl from his imminent weekly maiming or death. The Aqua Teens are accosted almost weekly by some inept villain, and while Shake usually tries to befriend them for his own selfish purposes, it’s Frylock who ultimately wins the day, usually by shooting lightning or fireballs out of his eyes at said inept villain.
Carl Brutananadilewski: There really is no corresponding part of the Psyche for Carl. He’s just there. He’s the typical asshole we all know. He’s overweight, balding, crude, crass, selfish, possibly racist, definitely sexually deviant, and yet the viewer cannot help but like Carl. He is a sympathetic figure, in that because he lives next to the Aqua Teens, he usually suffers some collateral damage from their adventures just because his house (which is always for sale) happens to be next to theirs. He has been beheaded, skinned alive multiple times, had his hands swell up, suffered a major bump on the head, fallen from a 2-story house, been shrunk, had his genital crabs enlarged, has exploded many times, as well as had his house and pool explode on multiple occasions. How can you not feel a little bad for the guy?
Of course, it’s completely possible that this is just a great show to watch late at night while you smoke a little pot and not have to think about any of this.
Fable 2 (Xbox 360)
So I, like many other people, I’m sure, got an Xbox 360 for Christmas this year. I’ve been a PlayStation man for years now, since the original came out what seems like eons ago. So this was a bit of new experience for me. The PS and PS2 served me well, but when it was time to upgrade, I decided I wanted to try the Xbox. It seemed to just have better versions of the cross-platform games (like Fallout 3) and exclusive titles that suited my tastes a lot better. Like Fable 2.
Fable II
Now, I did play the original Fable first, but I’ll save most of my thoughts on that game for a retro review sometime down the road. I downloaded it off Xbox Live Originals, and, suffice it to say, I loved it enough to buy the sequel. I know a lot of people were turned off to these games because they didn’t live up to the hype of their developer, Peter Molyneux. But I guess since I was a little late coming to the party, I never boarded the hype wagon to begin with, so I had no illusions going into the game.
Story
In fantasy role-playing games (or RPGs), there aren’t too many original stories. There seems to always be the unlikely hereo (you, player 1) who has to overcome some seemingly insurmountable odds. Usually, it’s either that you are recruited to save the land of the (insert picked-on race here, usually elves) because some big bad is threatening to steal some magic item that will give him super powers so he can take over the world, or someone kills your family (or family member) so that he can steal some magic item that will give him super powers so he can take over the world. Fable 2 falls into this second category, though I won’t spoil it much more than that. So it’s up to you to stop the big bad, and you can do it walking the path of goodness, evil, or something in between.
Gameplay
The gameplay in Fable 2 is pretty tight. The controls are responsive and pretty intuitive, though a bit different than the first game. So if you’re like me and jumping from one to the next, it’ll take some getting used to the new control scheme. But pulling off counters and flourishes in melee is pretty easy and very rewarding to see. Nothing beats decapitating a bandit or ducking behind him to run him through with your sword. Ranged attacks are also awesome, due mainly in part to a strong auto-targeting system. The ability to eventually zoom in and target specific body parts is also great fun. I loved shooting weapons out of the hands of my enemies. A nice crotch shot is always good for a laugh too. Magic attacks suffer though. I liked the magic attacks in the first game much better than this “charged” version here. So I pretty much played the whole game without using much magic at all.
Leveling up is pretty straight-forward as well, and you can always sell back abilities that you don’t want or use anymore. By the end of the game, you can become pretty strong and with the right weapons and augments to those weapons, become damn near invincible.
Travel is a bit convoluted, as the in-game maps are hard to read, and you basically have to fast-travel between towns and locations. I would have preferred if you could just roam the open countryside.
This time around, you have a dog to accompany you. This is a great addition to the game. And while it may sound annoying, it’s extremely helpful and you become quite attached to the dog. The dog can find treasure for you, warn of enemies hiding nearby, and even help you in fighting them.
Graphics & Sound
Fable 2 is an amazing looking game. Not as good as something like Oblivion, but pretty close. Seeing the sunsets, or the light reflected in the water, the trees, the plants, the buildings and architecture, it’s all beautifully done. Again, unfortunately the gameworld isn’t as big as Oblivion or Fallout 3, but you’ll never get tired of looking at the scenery. The sound is also good, with a nicely fitting musical score, the chatter of townspeople, and the growling of enemies and monsters. A lot of the townspeople sound alike, but the game acknowledges this in its own tongue -in-cheek way.
Balance
Honestly, the game is far too easy. It’s too easy to make tons of money, which in turn makes it too easy for you to buy amazing weapons very early in the game. The sword I bought maybe 30 minutes into playing is the same one I finished the game with, with one augment (augments are jewels that can be attached to weapons to give an extra bonus or ability). That being said, it doesn’t take away from the game all that much. Some of the fights are still a bit challenging, and everyone always imagines being strong enough to take on 8 bad guys at once and kick all their asses. So what’s wrong with being able to do that here? Nothing.
Replayability
The big selling point of the Fable games is that you can play them in any way you see fit. Want to be the good guy who saves the town and is celebrated as a hero? Go for it. Want to be the bad guy, raising everyone’s rent, sleeping with prostitutes and killing anyone who looks at you funny? You can do that too (almost). There are a few instances where you must complete the objectives in order to move the story ahead, which takes away a bit from the claim that you can do whatever you want in the game world. Again, it’s not Oblivion or Fallout. But it comes close.
Overall
Fable 2 is a great game, and I recommend it to anyone who likes video games. It has enough roleplaying elements to please RPG fans, and enough action to please action/adventure fans. Without giving too much away, the ending is quite anti-climactic, but it doesn’t take anthing away from the game experience itself, and in a way, is quite fitting from a storyline perspective. Plus, there’s always the Knothole Island dowloadable content to play as well. And you can keep playing the game once it’s over, especially since there are some quests that can only be played once the game is over.
Final Score: 9/10
U2: No Line On The Horizon
As an avid U2 fan, I figured that there would be no better way to start my new blog than to review the new U2 album, No Line On The Horizon. I haven’t reviewed it before now because, as with all of U2′s albums, I like to give it a few listens before I make up my mind. First impressions are one thing, but with U2 albums, there is usually much more to them than can be discovered on a single listen. Now that I’ve lived with the album for a few weeks, I think I’m finally ready to weigh in with my thoughts. I’ll do a track by track review, and then an overall summary at the end.
1. “No Line On The Horizon” – The album opens up with this rocker, which sees the Edge using the lower registers of his guitar. The rhythm is heavy and distorted, with more signature delayed, chimey Edge sounds finding their way into the song during the chorus. Bono’s voice sounds great on this one, and Adam and Larry provide a stellar rhythm section. Nothing fancy in this one. It’s quite minimalistic. But it is U2, after all.
2. “Magnificent” - Almost every other review I’ve read in some way mentions how this song is truly “magnificent.” I don’t want to say the same thing, but it’s true. It’s one of the stronger tracks on the album, with a great chorus that you can definitely see live audineces in the stadiums singing along to loudly.
3. “Moment of Surrender” – U2 does gospel/R&B. And they do it really well. A really good song, though it falls a little short of being epic. It could turn into a modern version of “Bad,” though, if done properly when performed live. Bono’s vocals on this track are amazing.
4. “Unknown Caller” – One of the stranger songs on the album. The chorus is a bit too monotone for my tastes. The guitar solo at the end is great, and the song, musically, is solid, but I’m having a hard time with the lyrics and especially the chorus.
5. “I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight” – Silly title, but a pretty good song. This one has definitely grown on me, especially after seeing them play it live on Letterman. Another song that you can tell will be big in the arenas.
6. “Get On Your Boots” – I don’t think this should have been the lead-off single, or even a single at all. Not indicative of the album as a whole, and kind of the album’s light/fluffy track. That being said, it’s not a bad song, for what it is. I like the heavy guitar riff, and the bridge is fantastic. “Let me in the sound, now…God, I’m going down…I don’t wanna drown now…Meet me in the sound…”
7. “Stand Up Comedy” – This is a funky/groovy little number. It opens with a Zeppelin-esque riff, has some Beatle-esque vocal harmonies, but is pure U2 funk. The outro to this is awesome too. I think this could be a huge song live, and will probably be expanded upon (extra lyrics, guitar solos, etc.). Bono kinda pokes fun of himself in this song a few times, too.
8. “FEZ-Being Born” - Actually two different songs. “FEZ” is just this little instrumental bit at the beginning with a sample of “Let me in the sound…” from “Get On Your Boots.” This will probably be what is played as the band comes out for an encore at concerts. “Being Born” is kind of heavy, and hearkens back to U2′s younger days. This track would totally be at home on their fourth album, The Unforgettable Fire.
9. “White As Snow” – A stripped-down U2, and you can almost hear Johnny Cash or Bob Seeger singing this. It’s different and not like them, so I dig it. Not an amazing track, but it does what it does.
10. “Breathe” – For me, the best song on this album. I really like Bono’s stream of consciousness, Dylan-esque rattling off of lyrics here. I love the pre-chorus and chorus (“Walk out…Arms out…I can breathe…breathe now…”). I really like the sort of dissonant harmonies on it. It really adds to the ambience. The Arabian cello throughout also adds to the song, especially on the bridge right before the (completely awesome) guitar solo. You can tell something good is coming. To me, this song is the spiritual successor to “Acrobat.” 3/4 waltz timing, but heavy and yearning. I’ve liked this one since the beach clips on YouTube. This should be the next single after “Magnificent.”
11. “Cedars of Lebanon” – They usually close with a slow song, and this album is no different. Just the point of view from a war correspondent in the Middle East. It’s moody and atmospheric and melancholy. There’s a cool little guitar solo at the end that is followed exactly by the bass, and it’s pretty cool.
Some reviews (like Rolling Stone or Q Magazine) have given this album 5 stars. Others have bashed it as bland and boring. I don’t agree with either assessment. The album is solid, with a lot of good tracks. But, I feel like Eno and Lanois (Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, longtime U2 producers) are way too involved in many of the songs. In fact, they actually get songwriting credit on many of the tracks. Eno in particular just likes to push the weird/minimalistic envelope too much, and it shows here. U2 should have been let loose on this album, but it feels like they were held back. The result is an album that feels 85% finished. Lots of great potential, but too much meddling by Eno.
Overall Score: 8/10
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