Media Worth Mentioning IX: E3 EDITION
Every week, the incredibly busy staff here at Fajitamonday will bring you the important [read: important to us] releases in movies, dvds, music, and video games as we see fit. This is where the complete bias of our writers shines through. Please note that all the distributors lost our address and we have no advance copies of anything. We are also poor.
Video Games
We have a special edition Media Worth Mentioning this week, partially because the E3 video game conference was this week and also because we haven’t done a MWM in around a month! GO PRODUCTIVITY! The event is huge so we won’t be covering ALL of E3 like your standard journalists would, instead we are just going to cover some highlights from the show.
RP: The X-Box appears to have brought a lot of guns (literally) to E3 this year. Bringing our previews and announcements for a whole load of first and third person action and shooter games. The games that seemed to be getting the biggest fanfare included Assassin’s Creed II (think Metal Gear Solid: Italian Renaissance), Modern Warfare II (think CoD: Modern Warfare… sequel), and Rock Band: Beatles (think awful awful game). I know I will receive shit for this from MtK but I may honestly be the most excited for Fifa 10. They’re making some great ball control tweaks so that you can actually spring with the ball in any direction instead of the weird 8 way directional run they have in the current version. This is all along with the standard updated rosters, graphical enhancements, etc. I’m a sucker for a soccer game what can I say?
But who reads this to hear about what I love? Here’s what I didn’t love: Both Sony and Microsoft are trying to jump on the motion capture train with wii-mote or handsfree verisions to try and take a bite of Nintendo’s market. I think they should stick with what people bought the system for. The X-Box and possibly even more so the PS3 are hardcore gamer machines and most hardcore gamers want to use a controller. I recently made the switch from a Wii to an X-Box because the types of games on the Wii weren’t the types of games I wanted to play most of the time. I like longer games with generally more mature content and a fuck ton of blood. I think more than anything, I’m just scared that these companies are trying to take gaming away from those of us who have been playing them since we were kids. That probably makes me some what of an elitest, and I’m ok with that.
MtK: While I know Ronin has very strong feelings about the direction Nintendo has been going, I found myself EXTREMELY excited about the trailers for New Super Mario Brothers Wii (that’s a mouthful) which brings the updated version of the classic platformer, and adds some multiplayer, both competitive and co-op. Nice graphics, but simple, original game play. Looks like a blast. Additionally, Nintendo previewed Super Mario Galaxy 2. I. am. pumped. I think that this was a defining title on the Wii. It was one of the most intuitive and fun members of the Mario family. I likened it a lot to Super Mario 64, which was by far my favorite (Super Mario Sunshine should’ve been named Super Mario Suckshine). SMG2 looks like a good, solid update with a new vibe that builds well off the first one without being just a boring extension. Return of Yoshi? Hells yes. Also, the new Metroid looks good.
I don’t really follow the other platforms so much, but I found myself disappointed with the decision to include NASCAR with GT5. I know Ronin and I disagree on this, and while he makes a valid point that it might allow them to extend the reach of the Gran Turismo series, I feel that it cheapens the brand.
Movies
Land of the Lost
RP:This movie looks downright dreadful. I haven’t read any reviews of it but judging from the preview (which made be the least funny preview since…night and the museum 2: the hunt for more bad history jokes) It’s going to be a terrible terrible ride. What happened to funny Will Ferrell?
MtK: Wow. Just wow. I’m surprised how much we disagree here. I saw the trailer and said “Hey, a Will Ferrell movie that might actually be slightly funny and not formulaic.” I’d be interested in seeing it, but I do have serious concerns that all of the funny moments could be in the trailer.
The Hangover
RP: I have such mixed emotions about this movie. They talked about it on Jordan Jesse Go! (my favorite podcast) last night and said that it could have an Old School style following. The humor in it does seem to be of that vain. It’s a mixture of slightly offensive and very over the top. I like Zach Galifianakis and I love Ed Helms. I have no idea who Bradley Cooper is. at all. AT ALL (that was my Patton Oswalt impression)
MtK: I think this one will be good…I’ll definitely catch it. Like any funny movie these days, I worry that all the funny/good parts could have been in the trailer, but I’m holding out hope. Also, I think that I can’t see Ed Helms as anyone BUT Andy from the Office. I’m sure I’ll watch the whole movie wondering “why would Andy do that? Where’s Oscar?”
by
roninpowride
2 years ago
