100, thank you!

You know you're blog isn't that popular when after nearly two months of blogging, you create a post to thank everyone for visiting because you've just hit 100 hits. Cheers, guys.

The Rugby Challenge has, indeed, just begun...

At the moment, I'm trying to write indivdual content for, believe it or not, five sites. At once. It's a nightmare. A CV-bolstering nightmare, granted, but a nightmare nonetheless. Ontop of this rather lovely blog, I'm also working on three reviews for KN, (The Batman: Arkham Asylum one should be up soon. It's scored quite well) plus a variety of other assorted features for it that shall be unveiled in their proper time and I'm also involved as a newsy-type on website AV Gamers, writing newsy things about, funnily enough, games. Then there's a secret project which I can't mention to anyone, at all, ever. Really, it's a secret. All in all: I'm quite busy, although it feels like I'm doing nothing because these words are being written about video games, films and TV, which seem like nothing-subjects to me. I'm also on Twitter.

However, I find much of my time (When I'm not plugging my own work) being spent working out what exactly I'm going to do with the game once I finally get my hands on Jonah Lomu Rugby Challenge. As a Rugby fan, I've always been likely to be interested in the game, but it's really surpasing my expectations. I haven't played it, but I've watched every single video of it on the internet, plus the one of the pre-release build that got leaked out and quickly pulled down. It looks smooth enough, I guess, but then it's got all the club sides anyone'd ever want to play as. (Although regrettably no Japanese league) And the vast majority of the player likenesses we've seen are spot-on. My only concern is whether or not Kiwi devs Sidhe, who seem to have done a sterrling job, have accurately rated Pat Leach or Morgan Allen, or any of the more obscure Welsh players. I trust they'll get the attributes of Shane Williams and Adam Jones down to a tee, but if they can nail the perfection that is Jason Tovey's tactical kicking, then I'll be impressed.

Look at George North's digital face! it's amazing! ZOMG ZOMG ZOMG! Oh, and there's Shane Horgan too. Hi Shane Horgan.

I'm excited for this game in a riddiculous way. While I don't feel as determinded about its upcoming greatness as I do, say, Zelda: Skyward Sword, I've got this total anxiety to play it, which probably comes across in this blog post, which is probably the worst structured, most rambliest I've done in a while. I've also chosen not to spellcheck or proof read it, in true fanboy blog style. There was no planning for this. My excitement for Rugby Challenge is not because it's going to be a Game of the Year contender, (Although with the pannel including myself and Grancko, it may sneak into the Top 20) but because it's the kind of game I've dreamt of making. Gameplay that actually works and all the licensed teams I'd ever want, and then a player creator for the unlicensed  teams I'd want? Cheers, Sidhe. It's a totally rational game to love as a Rugby fan, but as a person that is on the verge of gaining some respect in the games industry as a review-type, it's irrational. But I don't care, because in late August/early September, I'll be able to control a digital Tavis Knoyle, and nobody can take that away from me.

Film What I Saw #3: Cars 2

Monster Inc is the finest animated film of all time. It expertly crafts and disposes of a world and worlds worth of characters within 100 minutes, using these as a medium to conjure up all imaginable emotions. It's a masterpiece that sits proudly amongst the greatest films ever, rather than just the best animated ones.WALL-E is a perfect example of the CGI 'digimation' finally coming out of its shell- A mature film with serious issues on its mind but even more so in its heart. However, it still embraces how it is presented, offering laughs and far-fetched ideas that would hardly be possible with a camera and some actors. The original Cars, however, was simply a good example of the digital animation genre. A couple of gags, a couple of action bits, but mostly just a romp aimed at the kids. It seemed to have little-to-no aspirations to be any more than the best vehicle on that particular track, never aiming to conquer the world.

The sequel, however, is on a far grander scale, the plot even reflecting the metaphor I used up above. Now a worldwide event, Lightning McQueen (Voiced by a strangely bearable Owen Wilson, an actor for whom my hatred has recently been rekindled, thanks to a spike of Marley & Me reruns.) must take on the best racers from every country in the world, although we hardly see anything of anyone but the Italian entry, a cocky, snide Ferrari called Francesco. While John Turturro does a good job of making his cringe-worthy lines a bit less irritating, he's still slightly grating, and for all the wrong reasons. Not quite the charismatic anti-hero Pixar wanted him to be. Mater the tow-truck , McQueen's best friend, also falls flat on his digitally constructed face as well. The first films' comic relief character, (Though I personally never found him that funny) he's given a far bigger role this time around, essentially replacing Lightning McQueen as the lead character. There's also not enough of Nigel Gearsley, the British car, who I was really wanting to cheer for. He's little more than a plot device, soon blown off the track by part of the second plot running through the movie.

Yes, where as the original was a fairly straight-forward film, they've essentially put their ideas for film two and film three together here, because along with the World Grand Prix, we've also got a spy plot going on. Moeikal Coaine is really quite good as the British intelligence car (There's a great gag on this when he first reveals this to Mater.) on a top-secret global mission, somehow recruiting Mater along the way, believing him to be an incredible American spy who disguises himself as a foolish tow-truck.Oh, and I meant Michael Caine back there, by the way. Sorry. I'll try and steer away from that kind of thing. (Steer? Anyone? No? Never mind.) Bond references litter the film, some recycled from The Incredibles, although they're a little hit-and-miss, while the London-based climax was surprisingly unpatronizing, with extra jokes that only the UK-based viewers (Or at least those familiar with our culture, even Pixar weren't familiar enough to realise that the Union Jack is not the 'England' flag.) would get, including a cameo from Lewis Hamilton, although he's not as entertaining as Jeremy Clarkson was in the previous instalment.

At the end of the day, Cars 2 is a very different beast to the original. Souped up and pimped out to the max, it fits far better with my tastes- While I'd argue it's a huge improvement on the original, I could understand if those who liked the simplicity of the first film don't appreciate the more ambitious sequel. However, I believe it's everything a good follow-up should be: Bigger, bolder and unashamedly more intelligent. Pixar remain the kings of not just animation, but sequels as a whole. Let's hope next years follow up to The Finest Animated Film Of All Time(tm) lives up to my (extremely high) expectations.

7 open wheels out of 10

Films What I Saw #2: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two

Monday was quite a potent day for me. Whilst a jaunty trip to the local multiplex may not seem that big a deal, it was actually more of an act of closure. Whilst there's bound to be plenty of blogs being all misty-eyed and soppy about the film, I'd just like to quickly say that, yes, like everybody else my age, I've grown up with Harry. I've always been a Potter fan, since getting the first book for my birthday, years before The Philosophers Stone was released as a movie. As shaky as that first film was, the series has grown into a genuine piece of cinematic gold, one of few series to hold viewers interest that well over the span of eight films whilst also maintaining a consistent level of quality. Perhaps Daniel Radcliffe isn't the best actor in the world, but he's genuinely believable. You can see him as somebody with power thrust upon him, instead of opting to lead the life he ended up having to. Rupert Grint is the only 'good actor' amongst the regular child cast, but then I'd argue most of them are in the same boat as Harry himself.

Anyway, what of the eighth instalment itself? It's really rather good. It is, indeed, an act of closure on the worldwide global phenonium (A world I nor the spellchecker can spell) that the trailers keep reminding us it is.While I felt the final battle was somewhat understated, it generally worked quite well. David Yates is a fantastic director, and certainly the right man for the job, creating an air of uncertainty amongst even those of us who have read the book multiple times. The constant nods to previous films work very, very well, fully embracing the source material and the folklore JK Rowling has built up, rather than ignoring the world of Harry Potter to focus on the man himself, which may have made for a better stand-alone film, but Yates' decisson makes for a fans' treat instead. A special mention must also go to Helen Bonerman-Carter for her performance as Hermione being Belatrix. Totally convincing and spot-on as somebody 'trying out' someone elses body, and attempting to command the same respect. In fact, the whole Gringots heist scene was excellent, and one of few scenes that made me glad of the extra £4 I spent on 3D glasses. Otherwise, however, I couldn't help but feel underwhelmed by the extra dimension. I was reluctant to pay the extras, but in the end was forced to sit there with glasses in my lap, making the most of what little light the film had without the shades there to take it away.

There were some definate moments of wobble, though- Nevile beheading the snake, Nagini, was nowhere near as daramtic as I remember it in the book. he randomly pulls out the sword of Godric Griffindor waaaaay too early, and his swipe is fittingly dramatic, but I wasn't too fond of the angle that Yates picked, though it's a minor quibble. Speaking of the Quibbler, a word has to go out to the actress playing the daughter of the author of that fine paper. (Tenious segway, but I made it) When she first appeared in Order of the Phoenix, I wasn't fond of her portrayal of the loopy Luna Lovegood, but she's really grown on me to the point in which I couldn't imagine anybody else in the role.

It's funny how much Potter lore has actually been ignored in the film. While Cho Chang makes a cameo and Seamus Finnigan pops up to give his usual Irish performance, I wanted to see more from the Weasley twins (Aside from Hagrid, they've always been my favourite characters) before a certain unfortunate incident involving one of the two and Molly Weasley not casting the killing curse was disapointing. Yet, despite all this, it's a well-tied up end to a series of which I have been a big fan. You can expect more on the series from me in the future.

8 Kingsly Shacklebolts out of 10

Wales and the No. 8 Crisis

Not that long ago I made a post on this very blog concerning Wales' issues in the No. 9 shirt. While it's an area Wales are typically always well off for, No 8 is a far lesser-competed slot historically. Yes, we've brought the world Mervyn Davies and Scott Quinell, but beyond that? Nadda. Nothing compared to Rob Howley, Robert Jones, Terry Holmes, Dai Bishop and Dwyane Peel in addition to the almighty Gareth Edwards, the man voted The Greatest Rugby Player Ever. So here we are, the second in what may become a series. Maybe. We'll see. Who should Wales be picking at No. 8? I'll investigate...

Ryan Jones

Caps: 52
Points: 5 (1 try) -Although the IRB lists him as having 2, despite one officially being a penalty try.
Age: 29
Club: Ospreys


Pros: Ah, good old Ryan. A truly inspirational leader, with many positive qualities and, as a person, a top bloke. Until last year, he's always been Wales captain under Warren Gatland, so he's obviously got the respect of the squad and the leadership qualities to boot, always leading from the front and putting in countless tackles. Experience is on his side, too, as he's played over 50 test matches and 100+ matches for the Ospreys, more than anybody else on this list. He's also a thinking No. 8, which is a delight compared to the likes of Andy Powell

Cons: Smart man he may be, but he's not the solid man as well, or at least anymore. He use to be a really dynamic ball carrier, but has lost that in recent years. However, it's easy to forget how well he carried in the Six Nations, so he still could be the top man going into the world's No. 1 tournament.


Toby Faletau

Caps: 1
Points: 0
Age: 20
Club: Newport-Gwent Dragons


Pros: He's an enormous Tongan with an afro! Where can you go wrong? Nowhere, it seems with Toby at the minute. He's in such great form, a brilliant ball carrier and with skills to match. He's also deceptively quick, meaning he can keep going once he busts through the defence. He's also a pretty handy kicker, if he needs to be.

Cons: Just look up at those stats. The number 0 pops up twice, while 1 and 2 also make single entries. He's inexperienced. He started quite slowly against the Barbarians on his sole cap, but he did quite well after a quite 20 minutes. He's certainly good enough, but is it simply too big a risk to throw him in the deep end against South Africa for his first 'proper' test match?

Andy Powell

Caps: 17
Points: 0
Age: 29
Club: Sale Sharks



Pros: Just look at that picture up there. Phwoar! Smashing straight through McCaw, having already left Kaino in his wake. He's incredible strong and uses it to good effect, just bouncing people off and dragging them along. He's shown in the past what a well-rounded player he can be, for instance on his first man-of-the-match debut against South Africa a few years ago. But mostly, he's just an utter wrecking ball.


Cons: Unfortunately, that wrecking ball has smashed his brains out. Andy Powell is really, really thick. As in bone dead stupid. As in drink-drive a golf buggy up the M4 at the dead of night without any trousers on stupid. He doesn't know where to run or what to do, which is the second biggest issue with him to the way that he gives away countless silly penalties, which when your opposition has a goal kicker such as Morné Steyn, you can't afford to do.

Gareth Delve

Caps: 12
Points: 5 (1 try)
Age: 28
Club: Melbourne Rebels





Pros: He's really, a complete No. 8. He's not as quick as Toby, but besides that he matches him in almost every department. He's in fantastic form, as any Australian Melbourne Rebels fans shall tell you, he's a great carrier and an equally good tackler. He's also capable in the air and in the lineout. He's an exception player.

Cons: ...But an exceptional player who plays in Australia. He's hardly played with any of the current Welsh squad, and when he has that's been in limited bursts. (One game plus one week training last year, and before that nothing since 2008.) While Toby hasn't been playing for Wales, he's been alongside the likes of Dan Lydiate and Aled Brew and playing against the other Welsh clubs, but Delve has been way out in Australia, waiting to be forgotten, which thankfully, he hasn't, meaning he's now in the Welsh training squad. He could be the man if he can get familiar with the Welsh set-up.

Or Someone Out of Position

Sam Warburton
Plays Number Eight up to Under 20s level, but hasn't started there since. While he's come off the bench once or twice in the position there for the Blues, he's established himself as the world's third-best openside flanker, where I think we all want him to continue. A no-no for me.

Dan Lydiate
I keep talking about how good and how underrated Lydiate is, but nobody ever listens. He's up there with the best Blindsides in the world, but nobody ever notices him because he just gets about his job in private. But look at who he's come up against, and how they've played when opposite him. Rocky Elsom, Sean O'Brien, Richie McCaw and Thierry DusitoirLydiate's been their opposite number. Coincidence? Unlikely. Anyway, he's too useful on the flank to move him to No. 8, means he can't do as much defensive work and ruck-smashing as he's too busy focusing on carrying the ball and his positioning.

Rob McCusker
Of all the 'out of positon' options I've thrown up here, I'd say McCusker is the most realistic. While he's not a No. 8 by trade, he has played there quite a few times for the Scarlets and has done a decent enough job in the positon. He's a good carrier and is looking rather adept at international level, (See him against the All Blacks last year, he played 60 minutes against the top team in the world and didn't look out of place at all, despite having just one cap and being somewhat of a wildcard for squad selection.) while also capable of doing Lydiate-style ruck-smashing, he could be a realistic option as a last-minute filler, although I wouldn't go starting him there above any of the four specialists.

Jonathan Thomas
NO.










Anyway, that's my assessment of the No. 8s in Wales (Or Australia, whichever the case may be.) and while my overall pick would vary, I think I'm leaning towards Ryan Jones for the opener against the Springboks, because we'll need every ounce of leadership and experience we can muster for that game, but Toby will be perfectly suited for the other games, especially since with his Tongan heritage, playing against Fiji and Samoa is basically a local derby! Just so long as we don't pick JT, it'll be fine.

An Inspir3D System Line-Up

Not that anyone noticed, but last Friday was a very important day. Not just because it was the 1st of July and therefor officially the point in which us in Britain can be legitimately disappointed when it rains, rather than just sighing and carrying on but due to a more gaming-related reason. The first day of July marked the release of Resident Evil: The Mercenaries, a landmark in the history of Nintendo handhelds. Firstly, on a lighter note, it was the quickest time in which a Nintendo handheld has gained an 18-rated title, just three months, (It took both the GBA and DS three years to gain a GTA title, which went on to be their only adult-only games.) but secondly, and most significantly, it was the tenth good game on the 3DS. Yes, Nintendo's most recent portable system has gained another digit on the count and with it achieves the feat far quicker than the humble DS, a system that now boasts the best library to grace any console, Ever.

For my money, these ten games are launch titles Super Street Fighter IV, Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars, Ridge Racer 3D, Pilotwings Resort, Pro Evolution Soccer 3D and Nintendogs plus more recent releases in the collective shapes of Dead or Alive: Dimensions, Steel Diver, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D and now Mercenaries. OK, perhaps Steel Diver is pushing it slightly as it'll never become a classic or anything as a number of the mentioned titles may well do, but as an early piece of software, it's quite nice. I currently own five of these games, with intentions to pick up them all when the price dips on those I do not own. (Ridge Racer is already beginning to slip.)

Mario's headed to the 3DS, via the Galaxy team's bus. Can't be bad, can it?

What's all the more remarkable is the coming line-up of games. This autumn/winter period, the 3DS shall be hit by an incredible amount of triple A titles. Never before have Nintendo spoilt us like this, the closest I can think being the grand November of 2007 that saw a brand new Metroid and Zelda launch just either side of Probably The Best Game Ever, Super Mario Galaxy. Within three months (Or even less) Nintendo shall be launching a new Mario platformer, Star Fox in full 3D, a brand new Mario Kart title and the long-awaited return of Kid Icarus on top of a brand new Wii Zelda game that's been in the works of six years.

This is before you look at this Christmas' third-party software for the little miracle-box. There's Metal Gear Solid launching for it, a new Tales game from tri-Ace (Who are also working on the incredible-looking Beyond the Labyrinth, as I reported for AV-Gamers the other day.) and an original BluBlaze title also being given the 3DS treatment. Don't forget Doctor Larautec, either, France's answer to Professor Layton or the surprisingly good looking Pac-Man Dimensions, which includes the whole of both Pac-Man: Championship Editions and Pac-Man Vs, two very fine games indeed, as well as various reworkings on Galaga. Don't forget the online store, either, which shall be letting you download Mario's Picross before long, great news for square-guzzling fans like me.

It's important to remember that by comparison, the DS had a really start. It took it a year and a half to get a 'proper' RPG (And even then, it was the rather underwhelming LostMagic) and by the Christmas point had just five good games, (Mario 64, Meteos, Nintendogs again, Sonic Rush, Mario Kart) as opposed to nearly 20 as the 3DS shall have. (I've also written off the somewhat promising Dream Triger, an ultra-hardcore bullet hell title with rhythm action elements.) For a machine coming under so much criticism, you have say that it's a pretty strong line-up, especially compared to a system that didn't get as much stick yet struggled even more. It's already got a better library than the PSP and it's godawful lack of diversity. The 3DS has a big future ahead of it, you've just got to believe.

The Year So Far in Games

We're now over half way through 2011! (I know, I can't believe it either. I keep thinknig it's still 2010.) As such, I should probably do a 'half way GOTY' thing on KN, but the 5 year Anniversary prompted enough list-related arguing, so I've decided instead, we'll just deal with this very important issue here, on my little blog thing. No fancy introductions, let's just start: My top 5 games of 2011 so far...

5. One of the titles bellow that I haven't actually played, but intend to soon as I've been somewhat too busy to play every single game that's come out, but know I'll love at least one of them. (My guess is currently Ghost Trick.
 

4. Kirby's Epic Yarn
Those of you who read this blog are probably yet to stumble upon this little nugget: I love platformers. Platformers of any kind tend to take my fancy, be they 2D, 3D or the current industry favourite, 2.5D. Epic Yarn, however, is a completely new sort of look and feel for the genre. The fabricy effects are simply excellent- Charming and also help the game feel completely unique, despite being about the eight trillianth 2D platformer released on Wii lately, just proving that 1995's favourite genre still isn't dead.

3. Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars
I've just mentioned my love of jumping on things, however, Advance Wars is another title that has a habit of absorbing me in a way I wouldn't expect to be sucked in. Why am I mentioning this now? Because Ghost Recon on the 3DS may not seem like an ideal 3D showcase, but the turn-based strategy title is verging on being as good as it's Intellegent Systems-developer cousin. The best non-AW strategy game I've played in a long, long time. Possibly ever.

2. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
A marketing teams' dream: It's the game commonly described as the best ever, now redone with visuals to do it justice, on a handheld system for the first time. The constant "96% -Gamesmaster, 1998" and "10/10 -Eurogamer, 1998" we're seeing still stand up today, with familiarity being only of the only things forcing it down into second positon. It's a great game, and the 3D genuinly works to make it feel even better.

1. Portal 2
I just made a post a few days ago telling you all how much I loved Portal 1. Well, lately I've managed to get stuck in with the sequel, and I'd like to confirm that it's still utterly brillaint and geniusly designed, even if I'm not enjoying it quite as much as I did the original, though a lot of that may be because the sheer magic of using the portal gun is begining to wear off. However, making comparisons to one of the best games ever is an unfair thing. Rated against the rest of this years' efforts, they hardly stand up. It's magestic. And going to be reviewed in a few days time, so I don't want to use up too many ways to describe it on this silly little blog.


There we have it. Oh, and keep your eyes on KN for lots of reviews over the next few weeks if you like the way I use words. If you don't, it's a lot better on there because I go back and check them, rather than punch them in and leave it as it is. OK, that's all for today. Bye bye everyone.