3DS thoughts/comments

Okay now, I've had the 3DS now for a long weekend, and have had a chance to put it through it's paces, and I thought I'd take the opportunity to jot down a few thoughts on my blog.

For the record, the games which I got with the 3DS were as follows:

Pilot Wings
Street Fighter IV
Ridge Racer

I'd also like to add that I got the aqua blue model, in light of the fact that my original DS (phat) was silver, my DS lite was white and my Dsi was black. As such, I wanted something with a little more colour :)

Anyway, my thoughts (both good and bad), as bullet points (as I'm lazy).

- When I first saw the 3D effect, it really blew me away, but at the same time I also found it extremely intense (too much so). The fact that I first witnessed this at approximately half past midnight, and felt very tired, probably didn't help... speaking of which:

- My first lesson learned, the 3D effect is not good if you are feeling tired (especially fast moving, quick reflexes type games – Ridge Racer, I'm looking at you).

- Past my first experience, the next day, once I had more type to play (and was less tired), I found that I could get used to it, and found that depending on the type of game played, the 3D slider needs to be adjusted slightly.

- Also, the more you play with the 3DS, the more you tend to get used to the 3D effect and adjust to it quicker and quicker.

- One think that I actively HATE about 3D movies at the cinema, is that the 3D glasses that you have to wear are tinted (and are really like shades – which you wear in the dark). As a consequence, I often find that the colours of the film are muted and dulled (which isn't surprising), and as such pretty much prefer no 3D viewing. As the 3DS doesn't need glasses, this isn't an issue and the colours look as vibrant as you would expect from a Nintendo system.

- You know the type of warning you get in games that advises you to take a break every 30 minutes for 10 minutes. Normally, I pretty much ignore these, but in the 3DS's case, I think that this is quite prudent.

- For games where there are several levels of depth (such as Pilotwings), I tend to find that I need to turn the 3D effect down to half, or slightly lower. The fact remains that it still looks stunning in 3D even on lowers settings.

- I tend to find the higher the 3D slider, the closer you need to hold the 3DS to you.

- For AR games (which are also very cool) you need to have the 3D slider turned down low, as you need to move with the 3DS, which can sometimes loose the 3D effect, which is less jarring at a lower 3D level.

- Speaking of which, the 3D sweet spot is relatively small, and it takes a few plays to get used to this (i.e. to learn to keep your posture steady), but after a while you get used to this, and I haven't found this to be much of an issue.

- I think it is very likely that different people have a different perception of the 3D effect, but then again to some extent, the 3D slider helps to address this.

- The graphics are a definite step up from the DS, and the 3DS feels very much like a portable Wii, as far as power goes, which is great. The resolution, whilst not up to ipod touch retina standards, is still much better than the DS and seems more than adequate.

- I have tended to find that the added depth rally adds something to some games. With the likes of Pilotwings and Ridge Racer, I find that this really helps me to judge distance in the game, which in turn assists how I play the game.

- Going from 3DS to a monitor/ipod touch is a little weird, as I find myself looking at the screen and find that my brain is trying to make a 3D picture out of a 2D plane.

- The battery life really is approximately 3-5 hours, which compared to other DS models, is far from great. The fact that I have been using it a lot each day, and so has Elliot, has meant that I have been charging this pretty much every evening. This is far from perfect, but I'm learning to live with it. There are also 3rd part battery solutions coming, should I need these if I find this to be too much of an issue.

- I think that the analogue nub/joystick, is very good.

Overall, I'm very impressed with the 3DS. There's simply nothing quite like it out there at the moment, and I'm loving my experiences with it. It's a great machine and a definite step up from the normal DS. It's not perfect, and requires some tweaking and getting used to. Additionally, I have no doubt that there will likely be a 3DS lite in maybe a couple of years, which probably address a few of the issues (namely battery life and viewing angles), but at the same time, I would not want to wait until this, and would have no problem recommending the 3DS.

I'm also super hyped up at the prospect of 3D Ocarina of Time in a couple of months :)

There are probably more points, but these are all I can think of at present. I'm looking forward to trying out streetpass when I'm in London next week, as so far I have not had any joy with this, but like the concept of it.

Oscar results

BEST PICTURE
My prediction: The Social Network

WRONG - The King's Speech

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
My prediction: Colin Firth for "The King's Speech"

RIGHT

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
My prediction: Natalie Portman for "Black Swan"

RIGHT

DIRECTING
My prediction: David Fincher for "The Social Network"

WRONG - Tom Hooper for The King's Speech

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
My prediction: Christian Bale for "The Fighter"

RIGHT

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
My prediction: Helena Bonham Carter for "The King's Speech"

WRONG - Melissa Leo for The Fighter

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
My prediction: "Toy Story 3"

RIGHT

SCREENPLAY (Adapted)
My prediction: Aaron Sorkin for "The Social Network"

RIGHT

SCREENPLAY (Original)
My prediction: Christopher Nolan for "Inception"

WRONG - The King's Speech - BLAH!

ART DIRECTION
My prediction: "Inception"

WRONG - Alice in Wonderland

CINEMATOGRAPHY
My prediction: "Inception"

RIGHT

COSTUME DESIGN
My prediction: "Alice in Wonderland"

RIGHT

FILM EDITING
My prediction: "The Social Network"

RIGHT

MAKEUP
My prediction: "The Wolfman"

RIGHT

MUSIC (SCORE)
My prediction: "Inception"

WRONG -The Social Network

MUSIC (SONG)
My prediction: 'We Belong Together" from "Toy Story 3"

RIGHT

SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)
My prediction: "The Gruffalo"

WRONG - The Lost Things

SOUND EDITING
My prediction: "Inception"

RIGHT

SOUND MIXING
My prediction: "Inception"

RIGHT

VISUAL EFFECTS
My prediction: "Inception"

RIGHT

Totals:

13/20

65%

i.e. - could have done better!

Oscar predictions 2011

BEST PICTURE
As much as I’d like to see Inception win this (or alternatively Toy Story 3), I think that it will be between The King’s Speech, Black Swan and The Social Network. I think this really is a tough call this year. Black Swan is likely too dark and grotesque to win (I’d also like to see this win, but think that this is the least likely out of these three), The King’s Speech is VERY Oscar friendly, but a bit lacking in my opinion and The Social Network, whilst good (but far from Fincher’s best) is probably a bit too current for most of the Academy voters.

My prediction: The Social Network

(But it really should be Inception)

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
My prediction: Colin Firth for "The King's Speech"

...and I’d be surprised if I was wrong on this one.

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
My prediction: Natalie Portman for "Black Swan"

...and I’d also be surprised if I was wrong on this one.

DIRECTING
I think this will be between Aronofsky and Fincher...

My prediction: David Fincher for "The Social Network"

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
I’d say that this is between Bale and Rush. Going against Bale is the fact that he still has a stigma attached to him following his well known rant, and Rush has already won an Oscar for Shine. Taking into account the end credits of the Fighter, where the real character (Dickie) played by Bale was shown, it was clear how close and uncanny he played this. As such...

My prediction: Christian Bale for "The Fighter"

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
I’m finding this hard to choose between Adams, Bonham Carter, Leo and Steinfeld (so in other words most of them). I think the Fighter nominations will likely cancel each other out, so that leaves Bonham Carter and Steinfeld. Steinfeld was the best thing in True Grit, but Bonham Carter has never won before and has been in a lot of great films.

My prediction: Helena Bonham Carter for "The King's Speech"

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Do not know enough to predict.

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
My prediction: "Toy Story 3"

Anything less would be a crime!

SCREENPLAY (Adapted)
My prediction: Aaron Sorkin for "The Social Network"

SCREENPLAY (Original)
My prediction: Christopher Nolan for "Inception"

After all, Nolan deserves to win something following his Best Director snub!

ART DIRECTION
My prediction: "Inception"

CINEMATOGRAPHY
My prediction: "Inception"

COSTUME DESIGN
My prediction: "Alice in Wonderland"

As much as I didn’t like the film, you can’t fault the costume design!

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Do not know enough to predict.

DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
Do not know enough to predict.

FILM EDITING
My prediction: "The Social Network"

If only for the fact that I have it for Best Picture.

MAKEUP
My prediction: "The Wolfman"

MUSIC (SCORE)
My prediction: "Inception"

I thought Inception had a clever and memorable score and really deserves to win.

MUSIC (SONG)
My prediction: 'We Belong Together" from "Toy Story 3"

SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)
My prediction: "The Gruffalo"

SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)
Do not know enough to predict.

SOUND EDITING
My prediction: "Inception"

SOUND MIXING
My prediction: "Inception"

VISUAL EFFECTS
My prediction: "Inception"

So overall, I think that Inception will come out of the Oscars winning a fair few of the technical and lesser awards, but not the big awards (apart from original screenplay – fingers crossed).

The King’s Speech will do well winning 2 of the acting awards.

The Social Network will win the main awards.

Let’s see how I do!

Oscar nominations 2011

Okay, here we go...

The Oscar nominations are up and are repeated below. I should be off to London in just over 2 weeks time, so hope to catch up on some of the nominated films which I have not yet seen and as such, will likely post my predictions shortly following this. I already have a few ideas of what the likely winners are, but do not want to jump the gun.

I must admit I’m a little miffed that Christopher Nolan isn’t up for best director, which seems a little insane. As such, the likelihood of Inception taking away best picture is now very slim.

Anyway, here they are:

BEST PICTURE
"127 Hours"
"Black Swan"
"The Fighter"
"Inception"
"The Kids Are All Right"
"The King's Speech"
"The Social Network"
"Toy Story 3"
"True Grit"
"Winter's Bone"

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Javier Bardem for "Biutiful"
Jeff Bridges for "True Grit"
Jesse Eisenberg for "The Social Network"
Colin Firth for "The King's Speech"
James Franco for "127 Hours"

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Annette Benning for "The Kids Are All Right"
Nicole Kidman for "127 Hours"
Jennifer Lawrence for "Winter's Bone"
Natalie Portman for "Black Swan"
Michelle Williams for "Blue Valentine"

DIRECTING
Darren Aronofsky for "Black Swan"
David O. Russell for "The Fighter"
Tom Hooper for "The King's Speech"
David Fincher for "The Social Network"
Joel & Ethan Coen for "True Grit"

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Christian Bale for "The Fighter"
Mark Ruffalo for "The Kids Are All Right"
Geoffrey Rush for "The King's Speech"
Jeremy Renner for "The Town"
John Hawkes for "Winter's Bone"

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Amy Adams for "The Fighter"
Helena Bonham Carter for "The King's Speech"
Melissa Leo for "The Fighter"
Hailee Steinfeld for "True Grit"
Jacki Weaver for "Animal Kingdom"

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
"Biutiful" - Mexico
"Dogtooth" - Greece
"In a Better World" - Denmark
"Incendies" - Canada
"Hors la Loi" ("Outside the Law") – Algeria

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
"How To Train Your Dragon"
"The Illusionist"
"Toy Story 3"

SCREENPLAY (Adapted)
Michael Arndt for "Toy Story 3"
Simon Beaufoy & Danny Boyle for "127 Hours"
Joel & Ethan Coen for "True Grit "
Aaron Sorkin for "The Social Network"
Debra Granki, Anne Rosellini for "Winter's Bone"

SCREENPLAY (Original)
Mike Leigh for "Another Year"
Lisa Cholodenko, Stuart Blumberg for "The Kids Are All Right"
Christopher Nolan for "Inception"
David Seidler for "The King’s Speech"
Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson, Keith Dorrington for "The Fighter"

ART DIRECTION
"Alice in Wonderland"
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One" "Inception"
"The King's Speech"
"True Grit"

CINEMATOGRAPHY
"Black Swan"
"Inception"
"The King's Speech"
"The Social Network"
"True Grit"

COSTUME DESIGN
"Alice in Wonderland"
"I Am Love"
"The King's Speech"
"The Tempest"
"True Grit"

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
"Exit Through the Gift Shop"
"Gasland"
"Inside Job"
"Restrepo"
"Waste Land"

DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
"Killing in the Name"
"Poster Girl"
"Strangers No More"
"Sun Come Up"
"The Warriors of Qiugang"

FILM EDITING
"127 Hours"
"Black Swan"
"The Fighter"
"The King's Speech"
"The Social Network"

MAKEUP
"Barney's Version"
"The Way Back"
"The Wolfman"

MUSIC (SCORE)
A.R. Rahman for "127 Hours"
John Powell for "How To Train Your Dragon"
Hans Zimmer for "Inception"
Alexandre Desplat for "The King's Speech"
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for "The Social Network"

MUSIC (SONG)
'Coming Home' from "Country Strong"
'I See the Light' from "Tangled"
'If I Rise' from "127 Hours"
'We Belong Together" from "Toy Story 3"

SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)
"Day & Night"
"The Gruffalo"
"Let’s Pollute"
"The Lost Thing"
"Madagascar, a Journey Diary"

SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)
"The Confession"
"The Crush"
"God of Love"
"Na Wewe"
"Wish 143"

SOUND EDITING
"Inception"
"Toy Story 3"
"Tron: Legacy"
"True Grit"
"Unstoppable"

SOUND MIXING
"Inception"
"The King's Speech"
"Salt"
"The Social Network"
"True Grit"

VISUAL EFFECTS
"Alice in Wonderland"
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1"
"Hereafter"
"Inception"
"Iron Man 2"

2010 Review

Well another year has (almost) passed, and I have barely touched my blog in MONTHS, however, I thought that I’d post my annual yearly review for the hell of it...

Anyway, here goes:

Films

Top 3 films of 2010

Toy Story 3

It’s Pixar (again).

As has been the case for the last few years, a Pixar film is in my top 3 films of the year, and that is simply because Pixar make just damn fine films!

I must admit, however, I was slightly concerned towards the beginning of Toy Story 3. I found that the film was covering similar ground to the last two films a little too much, and I didn’t gel with it immediately, however by the time that the Toy’s were trying to escape from the playschool it all seems to click into place and the remainder of the film was simply brilliant. Amusing, scary, and very very moving.

I just hope that Pixar sees sense and doesn’t try to push things with a Toy Story 4... This simply isn’t needed, the ending was simply perfect and anything more just wouldn’t be needed.

Inception

A clever, dazzling and very moving film.

I popped over to Jersey to catch this at the cinema and I’m certainly glad that I did. I was expecting great things from this, seeing as it is from Christopher Nolan and I wasn’t disappointed in the least. I know that some viewers found it to be a confusing film, but so long as you watch closely and pay attention to the rules of the dream, it is relatively easy to follow.

What I love most about the film is that it doesn’t give you simple answers and leaves the viewer to interpret the ending.

Requiem for a Dream

Okay, now I’m cheating a little. This film did not come out in 2010, or anywhere near 2010. It is in fact around ten years only (I think), but I only got around to watching it this year, so I’m adding it for the hell of it! What the hell, this is my Blog, and next to nobody reads it!

Utterly, utterly fantastic – but dreadfully depressing at the same time.

Notable mentions (for good or bad)

[●Rec]2

A very good sequel, that ups the ante a little in a similar fashion to how Aliens built on Alien. Not quite as good as the original, but still very good.

Hierro

A clever Spanish film, that reminded me a bit of The Orphanage, but not quite as good as that.

Scott Pilgrim vs the World

Almost made it in my top 3, but whilst this was very good, I just don’t think that it deserves to be in the top 3, namely that why I cheated and added Requiem in the top 3.

Time Crimes

Another very clever Spanish film, this time addressing time travel.

Woah – just noticed that I have 3 Spanish language films in my notable mentions (for good reasons).

Games

Top 3 games on 2010

Super Mario Galaxy 2

The first game is without doubt the greatest 3D platforming game of all time (IMHO), and this sequel just builds on that. I felt that a little of the character of the first game was a little lacking, but you can’t fault the additional stages in the least.

Plus Yoshi’s return in 3D (he was rubbish in Super Mario Sunshine) is absolutely fantastic, it’s just a shame that he wasn’t used more.

Dragon Quest IX

I’ve sung a fair few hours into this one, and have also enjoyed co-op play with Elliot.

Very old-school JRPG, but after all the excess of Final Fantasy XIII, this was a welcome change. Quite simply, one of the finest games on the DS,

Red Dead Redemption

At times this has an element of GTA-Western feel to it (especially in the mission structure), but the open plains make this feel like a very different game. Definitely the best PS3 game I’ve played in the year.

I cannot fail to mention the Undead Nightmare DLC which was relatively recently added, which has to be my favourite DLC for any game. The tongue in cheek humour was very much appreciated.

I’ve just notices that my 3 top games of the year span the 3 platforms that I play on, namely Wii, DS and PS3... How about that (it wasn’t intended).

Notable mentions (for good or bad)

Rock Band 3

An excellent recent entry into the series. It’s just a shame that it isn’t selling as well as it should be. I’m still in 2 minds as to whether I’m going to buy myself a pro-guitar (Squire) in due course.

Borderlands

Very almost made it into my top 3 (even though it came out towards the end of 2009). A fantastic game.

Fallout: New Vegas

A fantastic, heavily detailed game that has had me gripped. It’s only failing is how buggy it is, which can be VERY frustrating, otherwise it probably would have been in my top 3!

Metroid: Other M

Dared to take the franchise in a slightly different direction, which while didn’t work all the time, still was a very interesting take. It also had some fantastic boss battles (especially Ridley).

Heavy Rain

A great storty lead adventure.

No More Hero’s 2: Desperate Struggle

I found this to be rather disappointing compared to the first game, lacking the character and likeability that made the first shine.

Final Fantasy XIII

Not the best Final Fantasy out there (but definitely the prettiest – if not the prettiest game on the PS3). I’d probably put this in a similar league to Final Fantasy X (namely likeable, but largely forgettable). Certainly nowhere need as good as it’s immediate predecessor (namely Final Fantasy XII), which was excellent.

Life

Okay, a few notable events in my life during 2010.

- Again I have enjoyed a relatively healthy year, which is always welcome.

- The fact that we have had numerous injuries with our cats springs to mind, and the fact that we have had to cage more than 1 of them for weeks on end (Flower was around 10 weeks if I remember correctly).

- Going to see Paul McCartney live in Cardiff was absolutely fantastic, and stands out as one of my highlights of 2010. The fact that I had Roz with me to enjoy the event made it all the better.

- I enjoyed a fantastic holiday away in Florida with Roz and Elliot. Much fun was had in Disney World and Universal, plus as a bonus I managed to catch Sheryl Crow live on stage at Universal Studios. It was also great to go up in a hot air balloon again, this time with Elliot as well.

Lastly.... A Happy New Year to everyone!

Okay then… Roll on 2011!

Happy Christmas

A quick note to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas :)

2011 most anticipated games

Only a few more days until Christmas.

As I have a fairly good idea what games I may be due to get this Christmas, and as some of the games I’d hoped to get for aren’t out until next year, I thought that it is about time that I gave some thought to my most anticipated games of 2011.

Following this, I’ll do my 2010 review (if I have time)

Anyway, counting down from 10 to 1:

10. Pilot Wings Resort 3DS (3DS)

I seems like an absolute age since the last Pilot Wings game (N64 days) and I think that the 3DS is an ideal fit for the next game in the series. I’m just hoping that a full game comes from the demo that was shown when the 3DS was first unveiled.

9. Kirby: Epic Yarn (Wii)

Due out year end in both Japan and the US, but annoyingly not due to come out until 2011 in Europe, otherwise this would have been likely at the top of my Christmas list!

How can you argue with something this cute? Well, how can you? My only slight concern is that it may be a little on the easy side, but otherwise this continues the resurgence in 2D platforming which seems to be blossoming at Nintendo of late.

8. Batman: Arkham City (PS3)

The first game was surprisingly great (I did not hold up too much hope for it until I played the demo) mixing both stealth and action superbly.

The next games hopefully builds upon this, plus has Catwoman, in her modern comic outfit in all its sexy glory... How can I possibly argue with this?

7. ICO / Shadow of the Colossus HD collection (PS3)

Yes I know that it is a rerelease, but my goodness what a rerelease! I seriously considered putting this higher in my list (possibly even at the top), but the fact that these are games that I’ve played already made me mark it lower.

Both running at a smooth 30fps (which trust me is good for SotC) and in HD.... sign me up.

6. Professor Layton v Phoenix Wright

Wow... Just wow.

This was totally unexpected and whilst no gameplay has been shown yet, I’m excited at the possabilities.

5. Mario Kart 3DS (3DS)

There’s no doubt that I’m looking forward to the 3DS, but the game I’m looking forward most on this system is Mario Kart.

I’ve been replaying both Mario Kart on the DS and also Wii recently with Elliot and Roz and have reached the opinion that the DS iteration of Mario Kart is probably the finest to date, it was only the snaking in it that spoilt online games a little. If the Mario Kart 3DS is just an enhanced version of this, I’ll be a happy man.

4. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii)

I must admit that I was a little disappointed by the demonstration of this game at E3 2010, although I suspect that the demos on display were only there to show the control methods for the game and the story/meat of the game is still under wraps.

I just hope that it does the franchise justice!

3. Portal 2 (PS3)

I’ve recently replayed Portal and while it is undoubtedly a very short game, it is still IMHO one of the finest crafted games of all time.

I was overjoyed to hear that Portal 2 would be making its way to the PS3, as otherwise I likely would not have had the opportunity to play it. Whilst I have some concerns that the game may lose some of its magic if it is drawn out too much, I have trust in Valve, who are also of course responsible for the wonderful Half Life 2 (of which I’m still waiting for episode 3 – for the PS3)

2. The Last Guardian (PS3)

Well at the TGS 2010 it has finally been confirmed that this will be launching for Holiday 2011, which will hopefully mean both in Japan and Europe/America.

This game was actually at the very top of my “most anticipated game of 2010 list”, but it’s clear that this never came to fruition.

Both ICO and Shadow of the Colossus stand up as two of the finest games of all time, as well as being rather moving on an emotional level for games as well. As such, to say that I’m looking forward to this would be an understatement.

1. Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deceipt (PS3)

Only very recently announced, and boy does it look good already. I cannot express how psyched I am at the thought of playing the further adventures of Nathan Drake. The Uncharted series is without a doubt the most thrilling series of adventure games out there and the third entry is already looing simply breathtaking! Best of all (fingers crossed), it should be out just in time for my birthday :)

Uncharted 2 was without doubt the best game so far for the PS3, so I have every hope that Uncharted 3 will continue at this high level.

Other games of significance (which didn’t quite make the top 10)

Ghost Trick (DS)

Little Big Planet 2 (PS3)

Kid Icarus 3DS (3DS)

Pokemon: Black/White (DS)

The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time 3DS (3DS)

Disgaea 4 (PS3)

Ni No Kuni (DS/PS3)

Killzone 3 (with sharpshooter) (PS3)

E3 predictions 2010

It’s less than 1 month until E3 2010 (which commences June 15) and as such, I thought I’d post my yearly predictions (as I tend to most years).

Anyhow…

Microsoft

I confess that I know very little when it comes to Microsoft, not owning one of their consoles, as such, much of the following is just a wild stab in the dark:

* Footage will be shown of Mass Effect 3, Halo Reach and Fable 3.

* The main push by Microsoft will be Natal, which I predict will likely keep the development name of Natal rather than be renamed.

* No new console will be announced, but some sort operation system revamp will be announced.

* Microsoft will score exclusive DLC for a big new release (something along the lines of the GTA4 DLC).

* FFXIII Versus announcement (namely that it will be ported to the 360 as well as PS3)

Sony

Sony has I believe shown their hand a little too early this year. They have already shown a great deal of the Playstation Move, Little Big Planet 2 has already been announce and many of their big name games have already been announced, however, I predict that the following will also be announced come E3.

* Infamous 2 announcement.

* Grand Turismo 5 release date (and further details relating to this game).

* Playstation Move release date, price and also release games.

* The PSP2 will be announced and will feature a touch screen, camera, and gyros.

* Warhawk 2 (Spacehawk) will be announced.

* Killzone 3 announcement.

* PSN premium services are announced (something akin to gold Xbox membership)

* An update to the Firmware is announced including cross game chat.

* Resistance 3 announcement.

* An Ico collection is announced (similar to the God of War collection), being HD versions of both Ico and Shadow of the Colossus for the PS3 (This really, really has to happen).

* The Last Guardian is playable and is utterly fantastic…

Nintendo

Nintendo have had a relatively quiet, or odd past few E3’s. I get the feeling that this year might be when they really have something to show to get the masses exited again.

* The talk of the show will be the 3DS. I personally have some doubts how Nintendo are going to pull this off, but I have a sneaky suspicion that they may have something special in store.

* Talking about the 3DS, it will likely have some other feature, or features which have not been announced yet.

* An update to the Wii firmware is announced, hopefully allowing something along the lines with a PSN username which purchases are tied to rather than the machine. If this could also be done to the DSi, this would be great.

* The new Zelda Wii game will be shown and blow everyone’s socks off. It will also be remarkably different to the more recent Zelda offerings.

* It probably won’t happen, but I feel I must add Wii HD to the mix.

* Pikmin 3 will be shown.

* A new F-zero game, Star Fox or Pilot Wings game is announced – possibly as launch games for the 3DS.

* Nintendo will announce and show a game which 99% of people will think is utterly bonkers (I’m predicting a meditation game using the vitality sensor).

Multi/general

* A new Burnout game is announced. Hopefully more in line with the excellent Burnout 3 than Burnout Paradise, which I never really gelled with.

* Batman 2 will be given a proper title and will likely look fantastic.

* Metal Gear: Rising will be shown.

Oscar results

BEST PICTURE
Avatar

WRONG – The Hurt Locker

BEST DIRECTOR
James Cameron, Avatar

WRONG – The Hurt Locker

BEST ACTOR
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart

RIGHT

BEST ACTRESS
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side

RIGHT

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Mo’nique, Precious

RIGHT

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

RIGHT

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner, Up In The Air


WRONG - PRECIOUS

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds

WRONG – The Hurt Locker

ART DIRECTION
Avatar

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Avatar

RIGHT

COSTUME DESIGN
Coco Before Chanel

WRONG – The Young Victoria

FILM EDITING
The Hurt Locker

RIGHT

MAKE-UP
Star Trek

RIGHT

MUSIC: ORIGINAL SCORE
Up

RIGHT

MUSIC: ORIGINAL SONG
Crazy Heart – The Weary Kind

RIGHT

SOUND EDITING
Avatar

WRONG – The Hurt Locker

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND MIXING
Avatar

WRONG – The Hurt Locker

VISUAL EFFECTS
Avatar

RIGHT

BEST ANIMATED PICTURE
Up

RIGHT

Total 12/19 correctly guessed -(i.e. 63%). Not too bad a result - but could have done better (That damn Hurt Locker)

Oscar predictions 2010

Okay, here goes...

BEST PICTURE

Avatar

At this point I'd be really surprised if it wasn't Avatar. If I had my pick, I'd go for the following (in this order): Up, District 9 & Inglorious Basterds, Up in the Air and then Avatar...

Id be happy enough if Avatar wins, it's a good film (just not Cameron's best)

BEST DIRECTOR
James Cameron, Avatar

Prior to watching The Hurt Locker I would have said Kathryn Bigelow, but I think this will go to Cameron as well. Would love to see Quentin win!

BEST ACTOR
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart

BEST ACTRESS
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side

I just think people would like to see her blub when she gets the award!

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Mo’nique, Precious

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

I really hope that this goes to Waltz...

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner, Up In The Air

A tough one to predict – but I'm going to go with the above. Never read the original source, but the story was good and certainly well written.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds

Again, a tough one to predict, I think it is likely between Up and Inglorious Basterds... I think the Basterds may take it by the end of the night.

ART DIRECTION
Avatar

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Avatar

COSTUME DESIGN
Coco Before Chanel

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
No prediction

DOCUMENTARY SHORT
No prediction

FILM EDITING
The Hurt Locker

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
No prediction

MAKE-UP
Star Trek

MUSIC: ORIGINAL SCORE
Up

I'm going to go with Up for this one – which had a fantastic and moving score.

MUSIC: ORIGINAL SONG
Crazy Heart – The Weary Kind

SHORT FILM: ANIMATED
No prediction

SHORT FILM: LIVE ACTION
No prediction

SOUND EDITING
Avatar

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND MIXING
Avatar

VISUAL EFFECTS
Avatar

BEST ANIMATED PICTURE
Up

I will officially cry if Up doesn't at least scoop this!

PSN issue and Borderlands

First of all I need to mention an oddity with PSN. For me (and possibly others, I have not checked), I seem to be disconnected from the PSN at 12:00 midnight every night, pretty much on the dot. At first I thought this was problems with my internet connection (which in the past I was having issues with, but this has nothing to do with that. It isn’t normally a problem, as I just need to pop back in the menu and sign in again, which takes a matter of seconds.

Anyway, onto Borderlands.

I haven’t posted on my blog about Borderlands (but then again I’ve barely touched my blog), but it is worth mentioning that it is a fantastic game. It is also a great co-operative game, which I have been playing with random strangers in my second playthrough (I would love to play it with real friends, but my real friends are either 360 owners or if they do have a PS3, hardly use it for gaming and likely have zero interest in Borderlands).

Anyway, in the past I have regretted buying DLC for games, as I find that I barely touch it and end resenting paying the money, but for Borderlands I have loved The Zombie Island of Dr Ned and Mad Moxxi’s Underdome. It has to be said, however, the Mad Moxxi is tough as hell. I have almost obtained all the trophies for the main game and, already have all of them for Dr Ned, for Moxxi, however, I have not even managed to get the first bronze.

Moxxi are tournament levels where you have 3 different arenas and have to fight through 5 rounds, each consisting of 5 waves (in other words 25 waves of baddies of ever increasing difficulty). To get the first bronze you have to beat all three arenas. I have managed one so far, and that was DIFFICULT. It is impossible to do on your own, you really need someone else along to help out for various reasons.

Incidentally, to get the other trophies you have to play all 3 arenas in a harder mode which is 20 rounds, each consisting of 5 waves (in other words 100 waves of baddies). I know that some people have managed this, but I fully believe that I will never manage this

Anyway, onto last night…

Last night I was trying a second arena on Moxxi and after a long, long slog, with many very, VERY closely fought battles, I just managed to get to the end (with higher level co-players). I was logged onto one of their games, so as such, was not hosting the game.

At the end of each round (even the last) there is a countdown from 10 to 1 to signify the end of the round. So as we finally killed the boss wave at the end of round 5 (the final round), I sank back into my sofa in relief, relieved that I’d managed to get through a second arena of Moxxi and also picked up some epic random generated weapons. I watched the timer, waiting for the victory to be registered.

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

DISCONNECT…

NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Falls to knees and shakes fists at the heavens)

DAMN YOU PSN!

Oscar nominations 2010

Okay, the Oscar nominations have been announced today.

These are as follows:

BEST PICTURE
Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious
A Serious Man
Up
Up In the Air

BEST DIRECTOR
James Cameron, Avatar
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
Lee Daniels, Precious
Jason Reitman, Up In The Air

BEST ACTOR
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up In The Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker

BEST ACTRESS
Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Penelope Cruz, Nine
Vera Farmiga, Up In the Air
Anna Kendrick, Up In the Air
Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart
Mo’nique, Precious

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
Matt Damon, Invictus
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones,
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell, District 9
Nick Hornby, An Education
Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche, In The Loop
Geoffrey Fletcher, Precious
Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner, Up In The Air

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Mark Boal, The Hurt locker
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
Joel and Ethan Coen, A Serious Man
Alessandro Camon and Oren Moverman, The Messenger
Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Up

ART DIRECTION
Avatar
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Nine
Sherlock Holmes
The Young Victoria

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Avatar
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
The White Ribbon

COSTUME DESIGN

Bright StarCoco Before Chanel
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Nine
The Young Victoria

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Burma VJ
The Cove
Food Inc.
The Most Dangerous Man In America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers
Which Way Home

DOCUMENTARY SHORT
China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province
The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner
The Last Truck: Closing of A GM Plant
Music By Prudence
Rabbit A La Berlin

FILM EDITING
Avatar
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Ajami
El Secreto
Desus Ojos
The Milk of Sorrow
A Prophet
The White Ribbon

MAKE-UP
Il Divo
Star Trek
The Young Victoria

MUSIC: ORIGINAL SCORE
Avatar
Fantastic Mr Fox
The Hurt Locker
Sherlock Holmes
Up

MUSIC: ORIGINAL SONG
The Princess and The Frog – Almost There
The Princess and The Frog – Down In New Orleans
Paris 36 – Loin de Panane
Nine – Take It All
Crazy Heart – The Weary Kind

SHORT FILM: ANIMATED
French Roast
Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty
The Lady And The Reaper
Logorama
A Matter of Loaf and Death

SHORT FILM: LIVE ACTION
The Door
Instead of Abracadabra
Kavi
Miracle Fish
The New Tenants

SOUND EDITING
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Star Trek
Up

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND MIXING
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Star Trek
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

VISUAL EFFECTS
Avatar
District 9
Star Trek

BEST ANIMATED PICTURE
Coraline
Fantastic Mr Fox
The Princess And The Frog
The Secret Of Kells
Up

A few observations…

This year is slightly different that instead of the normal 5 films being nominated for best picture there are 10. The last time this was done was back in the 1940’s. I think this has been done to broaden the appeal of the Oscars as having 10 films nominated means that it is more likely for mainstream films to be in the batch of nominated films. As a result, both Up and District 9 have been nominated, which is great news (even though it is unlikely either will win). I’m especially please that Up has been nominated (which is also nominated for best animated film, which it should win), as this is just the second animated fim ever to be up for Best Picture, the first being Beauty and the Beast.

As with previous years, I will post my predictions, and reviews / opinions, shortly before the ceremony on this blog.

The Apartment

Film watched:
The Apartment

Okay, I’m throwing away my twenty word rule out of the window, instead, what I plan to do is just review films when and if it take my fancy, or if I feel like I have anything to say, as in this instance.

I’ve had The Apartment on my Lovefilm list for a little while now, as it is a classic film that I have wanted to watch for some time, however, as soon as I started watching it I suddenly realised that I didn’t know anything about it! Sure I knew that it was considered a “classic”, it was a Billy Wilder film and starred Jack Lemon (always good) and Shirley McClain. As such, I think I was expecting a whimsical classic comedy in the same vein as Some Like it Hot (best comedy of all time), but boy was I wrong.

Okay, maybe no completely wrong, yes it was whimsical and yes it had comedy elements, but it was a lot darker than I had imagined and also hit upon themes which I imagine were quite daring for early 60’s popular cinema. We’re talking adultery, self depreciation, suicide and above all else, the differences between those who take advantage of others and those that are taken advantage of.

Overall it is a masterfully written film with fantastic performances mainly by Lemon and McClain. A real gem that I’m glad has come to my attention.

8.5/10

Avatar and blog posts

First of all, I feel that I have to mention that I haven’t completely abandoned my blog, I’ve just dialled down things a little. Instead of posting reviews for all films that I see / games that I play etc, I will likely only be blogging very occasionally, or when the mood takes me.

Other big posts such as Oscar nominations, yearly reviews and E3 predictions etc will still be put on my blog, for my benefit more than anything.

Anyway, I managed to go and se Avatar (finally) the other days, so…

Film watched:
Avatar



Undeniably excellent, but not Cameron’s best. Hampered a little by being unbelievably predictable. Pretty much an alien Dance with Wolves!

8/10

2009 Review

Films

Top 3 films of 2009

Up

It’s Pixar.

The above two words should be sufficient an explanation of why this film is in my top 3, but if I were to add to that and say that it is likely the best Pixar film to date, then you know where I’m coming from.

This film had me in tears twice within the first 10 minutes, and this is from a children’s CGI film! It was also great being able to take Elliot to watch it in 3D in a very fine cinema in Canada, which also added to the experience.

Truly and without a doubt in my mind, the best film of 2009!

Watchmen

This is not a perfect film, in some ways it’s a little too faithful to the graphic novel and in other ways it’s not faithful enough.

Whilst I do not miss the squid, I do miss the scenes of carnage which follow the reveal of the squid in the graphic novel, especially in light of the fact that the hundreds of dead bodies seen include some minor characters which you have grown to love. It drives home the consequences of the “villain” in the story. This was missing in the film and as such, the ending lacked its punch in my opinion. Apart from that the rest of the film was fantastic, with the best moment being in my opinion the Dr Manhattan segment, which was mesmerising.

It’s a bit of a shame that the film was not more successful, but then again, it is far from your typical super hero movie, so it’s not too surprising that it didn’t have the appeal of Spiderman or The Dark Knight.

[●Rec]

Okay, so technically this film did not come out in 2009 (I believe it was released in the cinema in 2008), but I only got the chance to see it in 2009 – so it’s on the list.

This is my regular foreign top film of the year (in the last 5-6 years at least one of my top films has been foreign, either Korean or Spanish), in this case it is a fantastic Spanish POV camera film in the same ilk as Blair Witch, Cloverfield and Diary of the Dead, only so much better than all of them. At its most basic it’s a zombie move based in an apartment block, but it is made all the more effective by the way in which it is filmed. Also the ending based in the penthouse is especially chilling.

There is a sequel due out shortly to this, which I am looking forward to, which follows on directly from the original film. I just hope that it is in the same league.

Notable mentions (for good or bad)

Antichrist

If only for the last 20 minutes of the film which really were wince inducing and utterly disgusting (and this is coming from me). I dare any man to watch the film and not feel the slightest bit physically sick.

Moon

Very, very nearly made it in my top 3 films of 2009. A film which showed that low budget, intelligent sci-fi could be a million more time effective than big budget sci-fi rubbish (transformers).

A film which is lead by an incredible performance by Sam Rockwell, which, if there is any justice in the world, land him with an Oscar come 2010 (although in all likelihood this will be ignored). A fantastic and moving sci-fi film which has all the qualities of the classic sci-fi films of old.

Slumdog Millionaire

So deserved its Oscar in 2009. A great return to form by Danny Boyle.

District 9

Again a low budget sci-fi film which was so much better than its bigger budget brothers and sisters.

Games

Top 3 games on 2009

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Undoubtedly the best game of 2009.

The first Uncharted was a fantastically fun game, but the sequel just builds upon this so much, fixing all the small issues from the first game and adding so many new fun elements. Never before has a game felt like an exhilarating action summer blockbuster.

I have played through the game three times and have unlocked all the trophies (Ha Ha Crushing level – I spit in your direction) and I never got bored. A combination of witty dialogue, great set pieces, a mixture of adventure, combat and exploration just draws you back into the game again.

Best of 2009, best on PS3. Just fantastic.

Batman: Arkham Asylum

In many respects this has many similar play styles to Uncharted 2, and I also got the game at the same time as Uncharted 2 (i.e. my birthday).

This is, without doubt, the best superhero game released on any system so far. Batman has always been ripe material for games, but for one reason or another, no developer has been able to properly do the character justice until now. Again, like Uncharted 2, it excels in its presentation and particularly the dialogue and graphic departments. I also like the way that combat and stealth elements are used in the game.

Fallout 3

Again technically this came out late 2008 and not 2009, but I didn’t buy it until 2009 – so added to my 2009 list.

I just loved the freedom available in this game and also the fact that it was a game that gave you morale choices which were not entirely black or white (or at least not all the time). You could even at times play both sides against each other, or complete objectives by alternative ways (my favourite has to be talking someone out of an entire quest).

I also enjoyed the post-apocalypse setting with a tinge of 50’s paranoia.

I ended up sinking around 70 hours into this baby, maxed out my level and managed to get my first platinum in any PS3 game.

Notable mentions (for good or bad)

Madworld

It looked gorgeous, but got repetitive – quickly.

The Conduit

I had high hopes for this, but in truth it ended up being nothing more than a sub-standard shooter, with graphics not as good as it believed they were and a control scheme that still wasn’t as good as Metroid Prime.

Pokémon: Platinum

For introducing me into the world of Pokemon – which, to my surprise, I found I rather liked!

The Beatles: Rock Band

I love the Beatles and I also enjoy Guitar Hero / Rock Band type games and as such, this was always going to be a marriage made in heaven.

Life

Okay, a few notable events in my life during 2009.

- I have enjoyed a relatively healthy year, after the last 2 where I seemed to have suffered with various ailments. Luckily, this year, things have gone rather well.

- During this year I have undergone a fair amount of training for work, which has been quite hard going, and has also required a fair amount of studying away from work. All the same, I think that it has been a valuable experience.

- Because of my work training, I have also travelled a lot during 2009 to London, and for quite a while in the summer I was over in London at least once, if not twice a week. As such, I managed to get the opportunity to go to the cinema on a regular basis during my trips which was great, as UK based cinemas are a vast improvement on our local flea pit.

- I enjoyed a fantastic holiday away in Canada (Toronto and Niagara Falls) with my wife and Elliot. It was the second time to Canada with Rox, but the first with Elliot, and also Elliots first big holiday and he thoroughly enjoyed himself (and is still asking if he can go back again).

- I was proud to attend Roz degree ceremony in London earlier in the year.

Okay then… Roll on 2010!