New Blog coming....

Yup, I'm going to be relaunching this blog soon in a new format. I've got other MPZ things to do before I do that, but watch this space (and the main news page) for updates. It may continue to be here or move elsewhere, but either way I'll keep you up to date.TTFN

Time for Change??

This blog is just about to turn 3 years old. Somewhere along the way it morphed into it's current form whereby I blog pretty much anything that interests me. mainly for my own amusement. However I have begun to wonder if it wouldn't be more fitting if I were to change the way I do things. I am planning on making it more relevant to the site as a whole- blogging about the animations/games/comics I am working on and sharing some artwork. there will still be room for my random interests occasionally but not as the main focus. This is where you come in. I'm putting it up to the vote, and if enough people care enough about the old format, and would miss it, then I will drop my plan to change it. So pick an option and vote! Multiple votes will be kicked in the special place.

State of Play at E3 part three: It's-a-him

So the final part of my E3 2009 round-up brings me to the conference of my game's company of choice, Nintendo. Last year's confrerence was a PR disaster for the big N as many of the company's 'core' fanbase felt left out in favour of the "expanded audience". Which was a bit of a cock-up as they are the only people who actually will be watching the E3 coverage. But fair play to Ninty they admitted their mistake and apologised. This year was a different story.

It might have not seemed so when they unveiled the 'vitality sensor' and Wii Fit Plus, but some major core games were shown too. Firstly Super Mario Galaxy 2 was announced. It looks simply fantastic, and is the first time a 3d Mario Game has recieved a sequel on a single system and will add Mario's beloved dino pal Yoshi to the mix. Frankly as SMG is my favourite game there needn't have been any other news. They could've just showed the trailer for Galaxy 2 and left the stage and I would've been happy. But No! They just kept on giving. Metroid Other M is a continuation of the classic Metriod series that returns it's to it's roots and away from first person shooters such as Metroid Prime. It's being made by Team Ninja the acclaimed developers of the Dead Or Alive and Ninja gaiden series. A new Wii Zelda was announced behind closed doors too- no footage was available but it's hoping to be released next year but I wouldn't be surprised if it gets delayed.

But wait... another game featuring Mario was unveiled. And unlike SMG2 this one will be released in 2009. It's not a sports game or spin-off but a real true proper Mario Game. Not a 3d one but a true original old school 2d platformer only with shiny modern graphics to go with the classic gameplay. With up to 4 players at once. For an old school Nintendo fan like me who mourns the demise of the 2d platformer this is like a dream come true. New Super Mario Bros. Wii is the game I've been waiting for...and it's coming out this Christmas!

State of Play at E3 part TWO: Sony but so far

Sony really surprised everyone (note: sarcasm mode engaged) with the announcement that PlayStation 3 is to get a Wiimote like motion controller. Unlike Microsoft's Natal however it doesn't seem to have anything to distinguish it from it's competitors- at least nothing that's been unveiled yet. Maybe Sony is keeping that under it's hat for now. However it really can't help but seem like a very 'me too' addition and seemed to be tacked on to their conference as a bit of an afterthought. Sony's big hardware announcement was the remodelled third generation PSP (PSP Go!), a very badly kept secret (it leaked days before E3) that drops the UMD drive and really doesn't seem to make me any more keen to get one to be honest. It's the lack of decent games that's the PSP's big problem not the design of the machine itself.

Speaking of games the PSP is getting a new Metal Gear game plus a portable Gran Turismo that may go someway to improving the handheld's library, but the PS3 has a couple of exclusives worth mentioning too. I loved Uncharted: Drake's fortune and find it to be one of the best PS3 games I've played, so it's good to hear that Uncharted 2 was shown off at E3, even though it was already announced. Completely new however is the interesting sounding (if unimaginatively monikored) Agent made by the bods behind GTAIV- Rockstar North. It's someway off but promises to give you a chance to be a super secret agent in a 70's setting. Could be ace.

Next time: Nintendo!

State of Play at E3 part one: Post Natal

It's that time of year again, the E3 when all the players in the videogame ...er.. game gather to show off their wares and we the fans get to see what games will be released in the future. And so I will be breaking my extended Blogging break (sorry about that) to write a series of posts about the big news from LA. First up is the 'shock' announcement from Microsoft....

OK so It was pretty much inevitable when Microsoft showed off their Natal motion controller. The video showed will be familiar to anybody who's seen any of Nintendo's Wii ads, this is a pretty blatant declaration of War on the big N. Which seeing as the Wii makes more money than God is understandable from a business point of view. Doesn't mean I have to like it. I'd also balk an calling this 'innovative' as it's essentially a combination of the Wiimote and Sony's Eyetoy. I can't see the 360 Hardcore's taking to it, but it all depends on the software support it has. As of now the video didn't win me over but I will reserve judgement until we've had a chance to see what it has to offer. The real question is will it be able to tempt the New expanded audience away from Nintendo? I don't know, but as a self confessed Ninty fanboy I have to say I hope not.

Coming up next: Sony and Nintendo's slate plus other big game news

Wildly Anticipated

More info is finally leaking onto the interwebs about Spike Jonze's forthcoming adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are. It seems to have been in development forever, and there have been concerns that Jonze has had to fight the studio to be able to get his particular vision on the screen. Adapting a much loved book is always going to be tricky ( and WTWTA is one of the most perfectly crafted Children's books of all time, part of the childhood's of generaion after generation) let alone one that consists of less text than the average cereal packet. However I always felt if anyone could pull it off, it was Spike Jonze. Check out these pictures that appeared on Slashfilm, and I suspect you'll agree with me. It looks as if it could be something akin to a live-action My Neighbour Totoro, and believe me my friends, praise doens't come higher than that. Can't wait!

I watched the Watchmen

So, Watchmen came out, opened big but then negative word-of-mouth seemed to set in and caused a big drop-off and that's likely to be even bigger on the second weekend. It seems largely that the mainstream audience(non-fans of the book) hate it but fans of the source material are divided. Some love it, some hate it but everyone seems to have an opinion.

As for me? Normally I emerge from a cinema, blinking into the light my opinion fully formed- I will turn to my viewing companion and declare "that was awesome!"", "that was awful" or "that was OK". After Watchmen, I just didn't know. Both the 'for' and 'against' columns had plenty of entries. For everything that was done really well, another thing really annoyed me. A real blend of the 'ace' and the 'arse' Now, having had time to mull it over and hear the opinions of others, I have come to realize that the things that i enjoyed generally come directly from the source material, whereas the things I hated were largely down to Snyder- the way he directs violence really rubs me the wrong way.

At the end of the day though it was far from the disaster I feared. The film is a genuine love-letter to the book, and many of the little details are just perfect. It is one of the most faithful adaptations of any material ever, arguably to the point where it's impenetrable to those unfamiliar with the material. It's made by a director with all the subtlety of a breeze block, but you can't fault him for commitment. When it's released on DVD (and shiny shiny Blu-ray) I'll watch it again and maybe I'll be able to forgive the things that annoyed me so much.

For the curious here's a (completely inexhaustive ) round up of the good and the bad (in my opinion)
Ace: set designs, the performances of Rorschach, Night Owl, the Comedian and Dr Manhattan, most of the soundtrack, the opening titles, the effects (mostly), all the little references for the fans

Arse: the action, the slow-mo, the new ending, the performances of Ozymandias, the guy who plays Nixon and most of the bit-parts, Ozy's pet cat-thing, the virtually pornographic depiction of violence, the rest of the soundtrack and that sex scene.