the.blog @scwleung

Hmmm….so it’s been a full day since the beginning of the Android trial, and I have to say that I am mostly impressed. This isn’t to say that I am loving the device, but I can see it growing on me over time like barnacles to a boat. However, I digress.

One of the most immediate things that jumped out at me is the slide out keyboard. being one of those self-righteous and dignified Blackberry haters, I’ve never had the real displeasure of using a real QWERTY keyboard on a small mobile device. I must admit that the keyboard itself wasn’t as horrendous experience as I imagined, it was pretty bad. The thing I miss most from the iPhone is the well designed smart error correction algorithm, and the Android platform simply can’t compare. Furthermore, with the keyboard slightly off-center, there are times I type in the wrong character that is simply one over from where I needed to be. Still, I greatly appreciate having a scroll wheel off to the side. Keyboard shift errors is a not-so-small price to pay for that luxury.

One of the biggrest complaints of the Android phones is that the battery life is terrible. I can confirm this; you really don’t want to take this puppy on a road trip if you’re not packing some portable juice. Fortunately, on my way up to Ottawa yesterday [more on that another time], I had the fortunate foresight of packing my Solio solar charger. Ironically, this was a gift from Google back in May. Maybe their GJuice powered crystal balls [patent pending] forecasted my dire need for it, and found a way of alieving this pain. Regardless, I was very happy to have it as my batteries were already down 50% by the time I reached Napanee [which was roughly 6 hours since unplugging it]. I wasn’t even running on 3G! Just simply terrible battery life. I have my own theories as to why, but I won’t indulge your curiosity at this time.

In any case, I do have more stories to tell about the device. Stuff about the Android Marketplace, Microsoft ActiveSync support, integration with other G-based apps, but I’ll save it for another time. My thumbs are getting numb from all this typing on the machine.

Until next time…

Sam

Publisher: Firaxis and 2K Games

Genre: Turn Based Strategy

Platform: XBox 360, Playstation3, Nintendo DS, and various others

What they say:

Lead your civilization from the dawn of man to the space age and beyond, in an all-new Civilization created exclusively for console. Go head to head with history’s greatest leaders as you wage war, conduct diplomacy, discover new technologies and build the most powerful empire the world has ever known.

Read the rest of this entry »

Title: CrossWorDS

Platform: Nintendo DS

Genre: Puzzle [Crosswords]

What I Say: I’d like to preface this review with the disclaimer that I am a crossword nut. I simply love filling those little boxes in with letters and have them all come together to form cohesive grids. With this in mind, I have to say that I have been thoroughly enjoying this game. There is significant depth with the levels, hints, words and puzzle types that will keep your mind flexing for the right word. I’ve spent probably 5 or 6 hours with the game so far, and I’ve only played through 60% of the Easy mode. I thoroughly recommend this title if you enjoy the crosswording lifestyle, or if you want a fun way to increase your vocabulary. Very high value for $35.

Can’t believe I sat on this one for a month… I guess that just shows how busy I’ve been lately. But that’s for another post… Let the reviewing begin!

Grand Theft Auto IV!
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Platforms: XBox 360, Playstation 3

What they say:
What does the American dream mean today? For Niko Bellic fresh off the boat from Europe, it is the hope he can escape his past. For his cousin, Roman, it is the vision that together they can find fortune in Liberty City, gateway to the land of opportunity. As they slip into debt and get dragged into a criminal underworld by a series of shysters, thieves and sociopaths, they discover that the reality is very different from the dream in a city that worships money and status, and is heaven for those who have them and a living nightmare for those who don’t.

What I say:
There’s already plenty of people who have written their thoughts on this game, so I’ll keep my comments brief.

Wow. This game was a big leap from the previous GTA games I’ve played in the past [I and II], and I have to say, I am very impressed with the robustness of the world. Rockstar did a bang up job recreating New York City, its inhabitants, and the overall feel of the entire world. The storyline is immersive and puts up a good attempt at getting players to empathize with Niko’s situation. Like previous iterations of the game, Niko can commandeer cars, motorcycles and other vehicles in his journey through the city. The player can also ensue in all the mayhem that made the other games in this series a success.

There are a couple of really great points to this game: the story, the realism and the dialogue. It really shows that Rockstar has put a lot of time and effort in making the game feel as much an interactive graphic novel as possible. The story itself keeps drawing me back to my 360 more so than any other aspect of the game.

Despite it’s high level of realism, I still found some parts of the game lacking. Firstly, I find that the cops are really far too gung-ho to chase you down for the tiniest misdemeanor. This only annoys me as I would end up spending more time running away from cops than I would be trying to further my beloved storyline. With such detail to the game, I was surprised to see that Rockstar didn’t incorporate some way to gauge fuel consumption and stall the car when the tank’s running a bit low. The game already embeds a number of different socio-political messages into the gameplay, why not put in others that matter as well?

One of my personal concerns with the game is that players may just gloss over the story in favour of shooting things and doing all things that are Grand Theft Auto. I find this a true shame because the game really does present itself as a reflection of who we are as a society, and how well-intentioned our actions may be, the result can still be dire. This is a message that needs to be reiterated in today’s world.

In spite of some of these shortcomings, I would still recommend this game. Even if you don’t want to be in the driver’s seat [so to speak], it’s still an enjoyable experience to sit back and watch the game being played as if it were a decent drama. Even not having touched the game for a fortnight, I still feel that this game was a very solid investment.

I’ve done a bit of movie watching and game playing in the past few weeks. So here are some highlights and thoughts.

• Okami [Wii] – Fun little game with great graphics and controls, but combat needs work.
• Mario Kart Wii [Wii] – Totally different beast from Double Dash with great new elements, extremely balanced game.
• Grand Theft Auto IV [360] – Solid and realistic that offers a compelling look at the condition of our current society.
• Forbidden Kingdom – Great take on the classic Journey to the West with excellent fight scene choreography.
• Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay – Nothing like a stoner flick to make you feel good about yourself, though there were some unnecessarily disturbing scenes.
• Iron Man – Downey Jr. played Tony Stark as I imagined, great effects.
• Speed Racer – Surprisingly Enjoyable, if you go in expecting pretty cars and elaborately detailed ‘car battle’ scenes.

All in all, been a good month for entertainment so far. Can’t wait for the new Indie movie, and Narnia to wrap up this month.

It’s been a few weeks since I wrote my initial impressions to jPod [found here], and with a few more episodes under the belt, this would be a good time to fully weigh in on the show.

The show continues its slight edginess and quirkiness that just seems to elude the mainstream, though I must admit the feel is more of a bleeding-edge culture, rather than uncontrolled wackiness. The acting continues to impress, but the writing requires a bit more tightening so that audiences won’t get overwhelmed by the layers of stories being told. The show is still solid, but there is still more that can be done to improve and reach a wider audience.

While the show is still alive and kicking, CBC’s move to slot it on Friday night is a worrying sign that the show is losing the confidence of the network’s scheduling executives. I hope the show would see to the end of this season [when the US networks will resume its airing of prime time shows], but I wouldn’t hold my breath.

Publisher: Nintendo

Genre: Puzzle

Platform: Nintendo DS

What they say:

In the curious village of St. Mystere, townsfolk greet each other with brainteasers, lock their doors with sliding puzzles, and hide their secrets in mazes. When a baron’s last will reveals a treasure hidden in the village, it’s up to puzzle master Professor Layton to crack the case.

Read the rest of this entry »

I’m really not sure where the past week has gone. All I really remember was finishing Mass Effect [XBox 360] and watching Juno, Elizabeth: The Golden Age and Charlie Wilson’s War. Not sure if I’ll bother giving any of those a full review, but here are some bullet points.

• Mass Effect – Longer than I expected. Lots of dialogue. Decent overall and worth replaying.
• Juno – Watch it. It’s witty and smart, unlike a lot of stuff nowadays. Has some pretty good acting in it to boot.
• Elizabeth: The Golden Age – Hmmm…ambivalence! Oh, and naval battles. Always love them naval battles.
• Charlie Wilson’s War – Nice and light. Worthy to be watched with friends or alone. Unsure if the point of the movie was to honour or demean the man for his actions. I’ll have to think about this.

That’s all from me this week. I may have an Insert Thought Here before the week is out, but I make no promises.

Genre: Comedy/Drama

Airs Tuesdays at 9pm on CBC

jPod, based on the Douglas Coupland novel by the same name, is one of the more highly anticipated TV programs for the CBC winter season in the young adult demographic. Following the fictional lives of the misfit inhabitants of the jPod [an accident of the Y2K bug], the show is wacky and spunky, the hallmark of Coupland’s works. This, however, works against the show in a number of ways. The pilot starts [rather abruptly] into the midst of action with an all-too-brief introduction to the characters. The result: flat characters that seem just a little too fake. This leaves the viewer with an emotional disconnect with the characters and the show, and a general sense of confusion as to the direction of the show. The set pieces used just weren’t convincing [i.e. did not exude geek!] and who can actually believe that there’d be that much snow in Vancouver [I, for one, don't]. Most audiences may find these to be rather big turn-offs for a first impression. Still, the show is redeemed by a strong cast and some very witty, Couplandesque dialog. The plot, while non-existent at the moment, will inevitably emerge and reward the faithful who continue to watch it weekly.

The pilot may not have been the best first impression for the series, but it has potential. The writing and acting are strong, all it needs is a bit of time. I don’t know about you, but I’ll be tuning in next week even if you’re not.

Genre: Drama

Airs on the CBC at 9pm across Canada.

The Border marks the beginning of the CBC’s winter TV schedule and portrays the work of Immigration and Customs Security [ICS] agents in preventing terrorist attacks in the post 9/11 world. While it may sound like a homebrew version of 24 or other terrorist dramas on TV , the focus is less on action and more on political foreplay and the human element dealing with the stresses and responsibility of protecting the country. It offers a wonderful afterthought to last year’s movie hit Rendition. Furthermore, as a show with a purely Canadian perspective, expect much friction to come about between Canadian and American Intelligence Services and our ICS protagonists. That, and copious number of double-doubles consumed in Tim Hortons paper cups. The show has potential, and if 700,000 Canadian viewers who tuned in Monday night are to be believed, it may be this season’s Monday night hit.