Wednesday, April 29, 2009
American Idol Week 11 Results
Well Matt was eliminated. So this means that by using their one and only save all they did was give him one extra free to be on the show. They should have held onto their save until it could really make a difference. Like say this week if for some reason Adam was eliminated then oh well we've already used our save to spare someone less talented so you're screwed. I hope in the next season of the show that they either change the save system or they wait to use it for somebody really deserving and not use it on someone and then two minutes later say they don't have a bat's chance in hell of winning.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
American Idol Week 11
Kris Allen (The Way You Look Tonight) - I was hoping that he would do more with the song but vocally it was pretty good. But near the beginning he was doing some weird things with his face that almost made me laugh.
Allison Iraheta (Someone To Watch Over Me) - Another one where she didn't do too much with the song but the vocal was very good.
Matt Giraud (My Funny valentine) - It seems like every year someone has to do this song. Saying that I thought this was good but it didn't blow me away.
Danny Gokey (Come Rain or Come Shine) - It was good but as I've said before I wasn't blown away by it.
Adam Lambert (Feeling Good) - He's the first one tonight to do something real unique with his song. He really made it his own and he sang it really well. This is my pick for the best performance of the night. I'm going to say it now I think Adam is going to win.
Allison Iraheta (Someone To Watch Over Me) - Another one where she didn't do too much with the song but the vocal was very good.
Matt Giraud (My Funny valentine) - It seems like every year someone has to do this song. Saying that I thought this was good but it didn't blow me away.
Danny Gokey (Come Rain or Come Shine) - It was good but as I've said before I wasn't blown away by it.
Adam Lambert (Feeling Good) - He's the first one tonight to do something real unique with his song. He really made it his own and he sang it really well. This is my pick for the best performance of the night. I'm going to say it now I think Adam is going to win.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
American Idol Week 10 Results
Well the results are in and Lil and Anoop are going home. Neither of them did that well last night and neither of them had much of a chance to win the show. But one good thing is now that they are down to 5 we shouldn't have too much of a problem getting everything in on time.
Game review: Metal Gear Solid 4
The Metal Gear series is one with a long and storied past. It is one of the most respected and revered video game series in recent memory. The Metal Gear Solid series began on the original PlayStation in a game that became an instant classic. Then that was followed up by Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty on the PS2 and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater also on the PS2. Now we have Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots on the PS3.
The first thing I have to say about this game is how good it looks. To say it flat out this game is gorgeous. Everything about it is rendered in a tremendous amount of detail. All of the locales are distinct and the characters are incredibly detailed. The cinematics look just as good as the rest of the game because all of the cut scenes are rendered using the game's engine. This also allows for the game to transition seamlessly from a cut scene right into the game. But the level of detail in everything is outstanding. You can see details in their skin and you and see the sweat pouring down their face. This game looks amazing from start to finish. You also get a chance to revisit a locale from one of the previous games and it really brings back a feeling of nostalgia. It was recreated perfectly and is exactly how you'd expect it to look.
The graphics are also helped by the amazing score. Metal Gear has had one of the most memorable soundtracks since it first came out and this game doesn't disappoint. From the music that swells during a heated battle to the softer tones in some of the more emotional scenes it all fits with the game perfectly and helps to add drama to every scene. You also have the option of listening to an in-game iPod and you can find tracks for it hidden throughout the game. These tracks range through all of the modern Metal Gear games and are nice to listen to.
Now trying to explain the story here is a bit complicated. First I don't want to give away any spoilers and secondly the Metal Gear story is pretty complex. But to put it short you play as the classic character of Solid Snake. He now suffers from accelerated aging because of a virus in his system. So you get to see Snake with white hair and wrinkles on his face. He has been brought in to take down Liquid Ocelot who is the main villain. What ensues from there is a great story that fits in very well with the rest of the series. Like I said it can get a bit complex but thankfully they released an add-on called the Metal Gear Database that contains information about the whole series that for some people can really tie everything together and fill in the gaps.
Now what is a game without the gameplay? The Metal Gear series is about stealth. You sneak around and try not to be seen by your enemies. If you are seen it's not the end of the world but it makes things more difficult. You can either kill your enemies or try and evade them. In this game you can use the classic cardboard box and you are also given a drum can that you can hide in. But be careful because the soldiers will notice if they start to move. You can also take cover inside of dumpsters in certain levels but when you get out the smell stays with you and can give you away. But the best thing at your disposal is your octocamo suit. This is similar to the camouflage system used in Metal Gear Solid 3 but you don't have to fumble around in the menu, the game does it all for you. Lean up against a wall or lay on the ground and the suit will automatically change to match your surroundings.
If you should get into a firefight you have a good amount of weapons at your disposal. From machine guns to pistols to rocket launchers. But I found that I really only used two or three different guns throughout the course of the game, but each player is different. But probably the best gun you have is your tranquilizer gun. This shoots a dart that will silently knock out your enemies. If you can nail them with a head shot they will go down immediately. You can try to sneak up your enemies and grab them from behind but most of the time it's easier to give them a dart to the head. But if you do knock them out you can't move their body. If you kill someone you can drag around their body and hide it but hitting the same button for someone that is knocked out will eventually wake them up.
You are also given some other gadgets to use. The first is the Solid Eye. Snake wears this like an eye patch over one eye. It has three different vision modes. One for night vision, one to highlight important things and show you a radar and the last is a binocular mode. But be careful with the night vision mode because it makes a sound that can give you away. The other is the Metal Gear Mark II. This is a small robot that you can guide around the area to scout ahead and even knock out some enemies.
In previous Metal Gear games you got all of your guns and ammo by picking them up around the world. This game has done things a bit differently. You run into a character named Drebin. He will sell you all the guns and ammo you need. Also whenever you pick up an item you already have it earns you points. So there will never be a situation where you will want for bullets. Just pull up your menu and buy as many as you need. He also gives you the option to customize your weapons with scopes, silencers and different grips that can steady your shots or improve range. Now when you pick up a new gun it will be locked. But he will unlock it so you can use it for a small price. But this system does take away from the previous games where sometimes you were in a boss fight picking your shots because you only had so many bullets left.
Speaking of boss battles this game has some pretty good ones. Your main bosses are from the Beauty and the Beast squad. These are four women that wear special suits and each have different abilities. The fights against them aren't too hard but they each have their own little pattern or weakness that you have to figure out in order to beat them.
As with the previous games in the series the voice work in this one is suberb. All the original voice actors are back and they all deliver their lines amazingly. From Snake's growling voice to Otacon's constant concern and worry. It really draws you into the experience and is among some of the best video game voice acting I've ever heard.
This is not a short game by an means. Without wandering around too much it will probably take you around 18 hours or so to play from start to finish. But the game's biggest downfall is a good majority of that time is spent watching cut scenes. I enjoy watching them but there were times when you'd sit for over 30 minutes watching them only to play the game for 10 minutes and watch another 15 minutes of cut scenes. But that is something that the series has been about and changing that would have taken something away from the experience.
This is hands down the best game that I played that was released in 2008. I had picked this game for Game of the Year before I had even played it and my prediction was right. If you are a fan of the series you owe it to yourself to play this game. If you like action games you might want to look elsewhere because you will spend a lot of time watching cut scenes and if you aren't familiar with the series you might be lost when it comes to the plot. This is most likely the last Metal Gear Solid game that will be released and Hideo Kojima ended the series well and gave it the best send off possible.
My score: 9.5/10
The first thing I have to say about this game is how good it looks. To say it flat out this game is gorgeous. Everything about it is rendered in a tremendous amount of detail. All of the locales are distinct and the characters are incredibly detailed. The cinematics look just as good as the rest of the game because all of the cut scenes are rendered using the game's engine. This also allows for the game to transition seamlessly from a cut scene right into the game. But the level of detail in everything is outstanding. You can see details in their skin and you and see the sweat pouring down their face. This game looks amazing from start to finish. You also get a chance to revisit a locale from one of the previous games and it really brings back a feeling of nostalgia. It was recreated perfectly and is exactly how you'd expect it to look.
The graphics are also helped by the amazing score. Metal Gear has had one of the most memorable soundtracks since it first came out and this game doesn't disappoint. From the music that swells during a heated battle to the softer tones in some of the more emotional scenes it all fits with the game perfectly and helps to add drama to every scene. You also have the option of listening to an in-game iPod and you can find tracks for it hidden throughout the game. These tracks range through all of the modern Metal Gear games and are nice to listen to.
Now trying to explain the story here is a bit complicated. First I don't want to give away any spoilers and secondly the Metal Gear story is pretty complex. But to put it short you play as the classic character of Solid Snake. He now suffers from accelerated aging because of a virus in his system. So you get to see Snake with white hair and wrinkles on his face. He has been brought in to take down Liquid Ocelot who is the main villain. What ensues from there is a great story that fits in very well with the rest of the series. Like I said it can get a bit complex but thankfully they released an add-on called the Metal Gear Database that contains information about the whole series that for some people can really tie everything together and fill in the gaps.
Now what is a game without the gameplay? The Metal Gear series is about stealth. You sneak around and try not to be seen by your enemies. If you are seen it's not the end of the world but it makes things more difficult. You can either kill your enemies or try and evade them. In this game you can use the classic cardboard box and you are also given a drum can that you can hide in. But be careful because the soldiers will notice if they start to move. You can also take cover inside of dumpsters in certain levels but when you get out the smell stays with you and can give you away. But the best thing at your disposal is your octocamo suit. This is similar to the camouflage system used in Metal Gear Solid 3 but you don't have to fumble around in the menu, the game does it all for you. Lean up against a wall or lay on the ground and the suit will automatically change to match your surroundings.
If you should get into a firefight you have a good amount of weapons at your disposal. From machine guns to pistols to rocket launchers. But I found that I really only used two or three different guns throughout the course of the game, but each player is different. But probably the best gun you have is your tranquilizer gun. This shoots a dart that will silently knock out your enemies. If you can nail them with a head shot they will go down immediately. You can try to sneak up your enemies and grab them from behind but most of the time it's easier to give them a dart to the head. But if you do knock them out you can't move their body. If you kill someone you can drag around their body and hide it but hitting the same button for someone that is knocked out will eventually wake them up.
You are also given some other gadgets to use. The first is the Solid Eye. Snake wears this like an eye patch over one eye. It has three different vision modes. One for night vision, one to highlight important things and show you a radar and the last is a binocular mode. But be careful with the night vision mode because it makes a sound that can give you away. The other is the Metal Gear Mark II. This is a small robot that you can guide around the area to scout ahead and even knock out some enemies.
In previous Metal Gear games you got all of your guns and ammo by picking them up around the world. This game has done things a bit differently. You run into a character named Drebin. He will sell you all the guns and ammo you need. Also whenever you pick up an item you already have it earns you points. So there will never be a situation where you will want for bullets. Just pull up your menu and buy as many as you need. He also gives you the option to customize your weapons with scopes, silencers and different grips that can steady your shots or improve range. Now when you pick up a new gun it will be locked. But he will unlock it so you can use it for a small price. But this system does take away from the previous games where sometimes you were in a boss fight picking your shots because you only had so many bullets left.
Speaking of boss battles this game has some pretty good ones. Your main bosses are from the Beauty and the Beast squad. These are four women that wear special suits and each have different abilities. The fights against them aren't too hard but they each have their own little pattern or weakness that you have to figure out in order to beat them.
As with the previous games in the series the voice work in this one is suberb. All the original voice actors are back and they all deliver their lines amazingly. From Snake's growling voice to Otacon's constant concern and worry. It really draws you into the experience and is among some of the best video game voice acting I've ever heard.
This is not a short game by an means. Without wandering around too much it will probably take you around 18 hours or so to play from start to finish. But the game's biggest downfall is a good majority of that time is spent watching cut scenes. I enjoy watching them but there were times when you'd sit for over 30 minutes watching them only to play the game for 10 minutes and watch another 15 minutes of cut scenes. But that is something that the series has been about and changing that would have taken something away from the experience.
This is hands down the best game that I played that was released in 2008. I had picked this game for Game of the Year before I had even played it and my prediction was right. If you are a fan of the series you owe it to yourself to play this game. If you like action games you might want to look elsewhere because you will spend a lot of time watching cut scenes and if you aren't familiar with the series you might be lost when it comes to the plot. This is most likely the last Metal Gear Solid game that will be released and Hideo Kojima ended the series well and gave it the best send off possible.
My score: 9.5/10
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
American Idol Week 10
Lil Rounds (I'm Every Woman) - I think this is the kind of song that she should sing. But she didn't do too much with it. The vocal sounded good but it was nothing special.
Kris Allen (She Works Hard for the Money) - This was really good. His treatment of the song really made it his own and made it unique.
Danny Gokey (September) - It was good but was not the best he's done so far.
Allison Iraheta (Hot Stuff) - This is an interesting song choice but her treatment of it was really good. I wasn't that crazy about her at first but she's proving she can make songs her own and sing them well.
Adam Lambert (If I Can't Have You) - I thought this was really good and thankfully he didn't shout the song or overdo it.
Matt Giraud (Stayin' Alive) - I think he's in danger of going home. This was not the kind of song he should have chosen. He should have gone with something slower or even done a slower arrangement of this song.
Anoop Desai (Dim All the Lights) - It wasn't that good.
Kris Allen (She Works Hard for the Money) - This was really good. His treatment of the song really made it his own and made it unique.
Danny Gokey (September) - It was good but was not the best he's done so far.
Allison Iraheta (Hot Stuff) - This is an interesting song choice but her treatment of it was really good. I wasn't that crazy about her at first but she's proving she can make songs her own and sing them well.
Adam Lambert (If I Can't Have You) - I thought this was really good and thankfully he didn't shout the song or overdo it.
Matt Giraud (Stayin' Alive) - I think he's in danger of going home. This was not the kind of song he should have chosen. He should have gone with something slower or even done a slower arrangement of this song.
Anoop Desai (Dim All the Lights) - It wasn't that good.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
American Idol Week 9 Results
Well for the first week the judges decided to use their save. Matt was the one with the lowest number of votes and the judges decided to spare him. But Simon said that this means that two people will be going home next week, unless the judges use their save on someone else. What do I think of Matt getting saved? I think that they made the right choice as he was clearly not the worst performer this week.
Now I do have something else to say in regards to the show. To me the show is running too damn long. Ever since they added the fourth judge that can't squeeze into an hour what used to be easy for them. I remember in the first couple seasons when you had the top 12 it would be a 2 hour or an hour and a half show. Then when you got down to the top 10 then it would shorten to an hour or stay at an hour and a half. Evetually the show would go to the hour format and stay that way up until tne end. Well now they started with the 2 hour show and they did that up until we were down to like 8. And now the last two weeks they have run long. So much so that they now limit it to two judges speaking at a time, which I think sucks. Because most of the the Simon is the judge that I want to hear but now for half of the contestants we won't get to hear what he has to say. This format is probably not going to change because of all the filler they put into the show and they aren't going to get rid of Kara. So for those of us that actually want to hear what all four judges have to say we are screwed because American Idol is becoming like a football game in that it can't ever seem to end on time. But I think my solution to this problem is to stop airing the show live. If you switch over to tape you can easily squeeze everything into an hour. And the same thing has happened to the results show. It used to be a half our show and now it's a full hour because they have to have guest performers and group performances and even then they sometimes don't end on time. Again they've expanded something that can be done in 10 minutes to more than an hour. Just do it fast and get it over with.
Now I do have something else to say in regards to the show. To me the show is running too damn long. Ever since they added the fourth judge that can't squeeze into an hour what used to be easy for them. I remember in the first couple seasons when you had the top 12 it would be a 2 hour or an hour and a half show. Then when you got down to the top 10 then it would shorten to an hour or stay at an hour and a half. Evetually the show would go to the hour format and stay that way up until tne end. Well now they started with the 2 hour show and they did that up until we were down to like 8. And now the last two weeks they have run long. So much so that they now limit it to two judges speaking at a time, which I think sucks. Because most of the the Simon is the judge that I want to hear but now for half of the contestants we won't get to hear what he has to say. This format is probably not going to change because of all the filler they put into the show and they aren't going to get rid of Kara. So for those of us that actually want to hear what all four judges have to say we are screwed because American Idol is becoming like a football game in that it can't ever seem to end on time. But I think my solution to this problem is to stop airing the show live. If you switch over to tape you can easily squeeze everything into an hour. And the same thing has happened to the results show. It used to be a half our show and now it's a full hour because they have to have guest performers and group performances and even then they sometimes don't end on time. Again they've expanded something that can be done in 10 minutes to more than an hour. Just do it fast and get it over with.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
American Idol Week 9
Allison Iraheta (I Don't Want To Miss A Thing) - I did not like the fact that she slowed the beginning of the song way down. The vocal was good but it was a bit too breathy in the beginning.
Anoop Desai ((Everything I Do) I Do it for You) - I thought he did a real good job even though he didn't get quite as rough as Tarantino said that he should.
Adam Lambert (Born To Be Wild) - I think it was good but he fell a bit into that thing where he was shouting the song more than singing it. And I think the jumping around on stage was at times a little too much.
Matt Giraud (Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman?) - It's good to see him back at the piano. I thought he did a good job with it. Not his best but it was still pretty good.
Danny Gokey (Endless Love) - I thought it was good but at times it seemed a little too subdued. But he ended strong.
Kris Allen (Falling Slowly) - He picked a lesser known song, even though it won an Oscar. I thought he did quite a good job with it. This is one of his better performance in quite a while.
Lil Rounds (The Rose) - I thought the song was good until she switched up to the gospel part. At that point she really lost me. If she would have done the whole song in that slower style it could have been great.
Anoop Desai ((Everything I Do) I Do it for You) - I thought he did a real good job even though he didn't get quite as rough as Tarantino said that he should.
Adam Lambert (Born To Be Wild) - I think it was good but he fell a bit into that thing where he was shouting the song more than singing it. And I think the jumping around on stage was at times a little too much.
Matt Giraud (Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman?) - It's good to see him back at the piano. I thought he did a good job with it. Not his best but it was still pretty good.
Danny Gokey (Endless Love) - I thought it was good but at times it seemed a little too subdued. But he ended strong.
Kris Allen (Falling Slowly) - He picked a lesser known song, even though it won an Oscar. I thought he did quite a good job with it. This is one of his better performance in quite a while.
Lil Rounds (The Rose) - I thought the song was good until she switched up to the gospel part. At that point she really lost me. If she would have done the whole song in that slower style it could have been great.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
American Idol Week 8 Results
Well the results are in and Scott went home. I have to say that I am a bit bummed at this. I really liked Scott and I think he had a lot of potential. It's funny that myself, along with the judges, kept telling him to get away from the piano. Then the week that he does he goes home. So I guess in retrospect he should have stayed sitting at the piano. But if you go by the performances last night I think that Kris should have gone home because he was just plain bad. I have said it before and I'll say it again, send home the person that sucks not the person who was just OK.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
American Idol Week 8
Danny Gokey (Stand By Me) - I thought he did a good job. It's nice to see him do a slower ballad but even when it got more up tempo it was still real good.
Kris Allen (All She Wants To Do Is Dance) - I think this was a really bad song choice. The vocals were not that good and I didn't like the arrangement at all.
Lil Rounds (What's Love Got To Do With It) - I thought the vocal was OK but to me it came over as a Tina Turner impression. Especially with the walking around the stage and the "dance" moves.
Anoop Desai (True Colors) - I think it's interesting for him to pick a Cyndi Lauper song and I remember Dilana doing such a great version of this on Rock Star Supernova. And this version wasn't even close. I thought the vocal was OK at best.
Scott MacIntyre (The Search Is Over) - It's nice to see him away from the piano finally. I thought the beginning of the song was good but when it got up tempo it wasn't as good and I don't think he needed the guitar.
Allison Iraheta (I Can't Make You Love Me) - This was very good. Right from the beginning of the song she sucked me in and kept me watching for the whole thing . This was by far her best performance and will probably be the best of the night.
Matt Giraud (Part-Time Lover) - Nice to see him away from the piano too. I thought he did a real good job. It's nice to see him doing a more up tempo song but the slower part at the beginning of the song was still real good. I think he did a good job of making the song his own, especially since Stevie's song as pretty hard to do.
Adam Lambert (Mad World) - I love this and I like that he didn't do the Tears for Fears version and did the slower version from Gary Jules. It seems like he's getting into more of a groove lately and he really knows the right songs to pick.
Kris Allen (All She Wants To Do Is Dance) - I think this was a really bad song choice. The vocals were not that good and I didn't like the arrangement at all.
Lil Rounds (What's Love Got To Do With It) - I thought the vocal was OK but to me it came over as a Tina Turner impression. Especially with the walking around the stage and the "dance" moves.
Anoop Desai (True Colors) - I think it's interesting for him to pick a Cyndi Lauper song and I remember Dilana doing such a great version of this on Rock Star Supernova. And this version wasn't even close. I thought the vocal was OK at best.
Scott MacIntyre (The Search Is Over) - It's nice to see him away from the piano finally. I thought the beginning of the song was good but when it got up tempo it wasn't as good and I don't think he needed the guitar.
Allison Iraheta (I Can't Make You Love Me) - This was very good. Right from the beginning of the song she sucked me in and kept me watching for the whole thing . This was by far her best performance and will probably be the best of the night.
Matt Giraud (Part-Time Lover) - Nice to see him away from the piano too. I thought he did a real good job. It's nice to see him doing a more up tempo song but the slower part at the beginning of the song was still real good. I think he did a good job of making the song his own, especially since Stevie's song as pretty hard to do.
Adam Lambert (Mad World) - I love this and I like that he didn't do the Tears for Fears version and did the slower version from Gary Jules. It seems like he's getting into more of a groove lately and he really knows the right songs to pick.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
American Idol Week 7 Results
Well Megan Joy is finally gone. She has been bad week after week and the fans finally listened to the judges and sent her home. I can also imagine it wasn't a hard decision for the judges at all to not save her and to send her home. She didn't have a bat's chance in hell of winning so now that she's gone we've trimmed the fat.
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