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

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.

What I say:

Despite the poorly worded box-back blurb, the game does live up to their marketing spiel. Civilization Revolution is a gorgeous revitalization and reimagining of one of gaming’s oldest franchises. The game got a bit of attention because this is the Civ franchise’s first step away from PC gaming, and there was some worry that a robust game like Civ won’t be properly translated onto consoles. Fortunately, the developers decided to redesign the entire game, rather than do a simple port. As such, the game is still loyal to the spirit of the franchise, despite having made a number of changes so that the gameplay and experience would work on a console.

Change 1 – The Graphics feels more mature

The graphics definitely look more polished and refined, but that’s expected from this current generation of consoles. This also isn’t what I mean by mature. I mean…have you seen Catherine the Great’s…uh…costume? Elizabeth II is pretty much the same… Your advisors have also been given much of this same mature touch-up. Be warned.

Change 2 – Compressed Tech Tree

One of their design decisions they incorporated was to compress the tech tree into a very manageable size. In my opinion, this makes the game more playable for the console, at the cost of greater depth in the game. [And really...console gaming with depth? Laughable!] Despite the compressed tree, choosing the technology to develop is still quite difficult. There is usually a lot of tech to choose from, and they present them in a very clean format.

Change 3 – Limited Options

This decision choice really annoyed me. Essentially, the game has a very limited set of options that can be tweaked for gameplay. These are the standard audio settings and such. What this means is that they essentially removed all real gameplay options [such as skip zoom on pre-programmed move units]. Missing out on real gameplay options really confine me to a generic play experience, which is a big no-no in today’s gaming standards.

Change 4 – Achievements!

Nothing new about Achievements [for XBox 360, at least], but I really liked the way they implemented it here. Achievements are worth very little here [some as low as 3AP], and these micro-achievements are scattered pretty well throughout the game. It makes me pay attention to the game a bit more. Good decision choice!

Change 5 – Control Scheme

The control scheme for this console version [XBox 360] felt natural and right. Sure, they pared down functionality so that a simple scheme can work, but it just feels so right.

Change 6 – Armies and Battles

I can’t seem to recall if Civ4 had the option of building armies, but I liked how they implemented it here, so I’ll comment on it now. In the game, you have the option of creating armies if 3 of the same type of unit is on the same square. This would give the unit significant advantage in attacks and defenses. Battles are also well implemented without the use of health bars [which I thought was always a bit annoying]. When a battle begins, the game will quickly calculate and display the strength of the attackers and defenders based on the number of units, terrain and other modifiers. This gives an indication of which side has an advantage for the battle. This is not to say that it’s an automatic victory. In fact, there are many times when the underdog is able to skillfully score a victory, and there are other times when the clearly dominant force takes on heavy casualties. The combat system was surprisingly well implemented and a welcomed change.

So, all in all, many changes I felt were good, and some that weren’t. Still, there were a number of things that they didn’t change that help keep the game robust and familiar. Some changes I wish they did implement though:

• Smarter AI for auto troop movements
• Cycling through units [or maybe I just haven't found it yet]
• Smoother transitions in general

Was it worth it?
Overall, I felt that for $54.99 [CAD], you get a very solid Civilization experience. It’s not exactly the same as the PC experience, but it feels natural. The graphics and gameplay are familiar and will make any Civ fan feel at home in this new console environment. It is totally worth it.

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.

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.

• 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.

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.

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.

What I say:

Do you remember the brainteasers and logic puzzles that we were occasionally asked to do when we were young? The ones that involved moving matchsticks and shifting blocks around to get a ball out? Now, combine over a hundred of these puzzles with engaging story and animation, and you come pretty close to creating your own [copyright infringing] version of Professor Layton. The player follows the exploits of Professor Layton, a mild mannered British academic known for his problem solving abilities, and his young ward in their quest to find the Golden Apple in the village of St. Mystere. Along the way, puzzles and hijinks ensue.

Not very good at brainteasers and puzzles of this nature? Fear not, the game has a built in system of hints and clues that can be purchased with a limited number of ‘hint coins’ located throughout the game. The three hints provided for each puzzle should be enough to get you to the solution.

The animation style for the entire game hails back to the modern European [well...more French] style of animation that is reminiscent of The Triplets of Belleville and The Count of Monte Cristo. It is easy on the eyes and fits quite well with the tone and theme of the game. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to have Gonzo Animation Studios [Howl's Moving Castle, Transformers: Cybertron, amongst other Anime works] lacing the game with full animation video.

There were a few annoyances with the game, primarily with its length. While there are over 100 puzzles, I found the game to be extraordinarily short. The game’s timer clocked me in at just under 14.5 hours of play, and I’ve heard of others completing the game in even less time. Despite the promise of downloadable puzzles using Nintendo’s WFC and other little perks, there doesn’t seem enough to keep people hooked after the initial run through. [In fact, I lent my copy of it to Carol.] Still, with the promise of 2 more sequels along the way, I’m definitely looking forward to more puzzling fun.

Was it worth it? It’s a tad short, but it’s quite enjoyable. With DLC available every week and a sequel along the way, it’s an indubitably yes.

• 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.

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.

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.