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The second episode of Tales of Monkey came out yesterday, called The Siege of Spinner Cay. This episode I felt was every bit as good as the first episode. I'm really enjoying how this series is shaping up so far. This time I didn't find the controls nearly as cumbersome as before. I think I'm starting to get used to them. It was a really funny episode too, maybe perhaps more than the first. I like the new character introduced in this episode as well, whom I'm not going to mention. There are still some minor issues and bugs, but to a lesser extent this time around. I have two final words: Cliff Hanger! And it's a darn good one too. Now here's my gameplay video for this episode



Now I knew about this movie called Avatar coming out directed by James Cameron for a little while now. The trailer was just released, and man am I blown away by it. I'm happy enough to hear that James Cameron is coming back after all this time to direct a feature length film (he's easily one of my favorite directors), but watching this trailer automatically moves this film to the top of my hype-o-meter. I'm really excited and can't wait to see it. Here's the trailer

I finally went to the bookstore yesterday and here was my haul



I can't wait to read Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie. I'm probably going to read it next. As much as I would rather tackle my "to read" pile these new books just keep coming up and I have to put them at the top. :P Damn you Abercrombie for writing such awesome books.

The Lord of the Sands of Time by Issui Ogawa is the beginning of what I hope will be more published Japanese science fiction. I've never read Japanese science fiction before.

Crossover by Joel Shepherd is a book I've had my eye on for a little while now. Also it seems like he pumps them out pretty quickly. The other two books in this series are out.

As for The Sword-Edged Blonde by Alex Bledsoe, based on the title and cover alone I don't think I would have ever picked it up, but I've heard nothing but good reviews on it, so I'm looking forward to it.

I went and saw District 9 yesterday. I really couldn't wait to see this movie after hearing Peter Jackson was involved. Here are my brief thoughts on it from Flixster

"This movie wasn't quite what I was expecting, and by that I mean it was more "Hollywood" than I expected. Regardless, it was a very good film. It was intense and action packed."



I don't want to say anymore about it, except go see it!

It has been a bad year for celebrities. A couple of days ago, director John Hughes died. He directed some of my favorite 80s movies. At 59, he was also quite young. Here's a little tribute, some clips from two of his movies that I just love. Ferris Bueller's Day Off and The Breakfast Club These are my favorite scenes from those movies






RIP John Hughes.

I finished playing Wallace and Gromit's Grand Adventures: The Bogey Man yesterday. It marks the end of this series. I have to say I was kind of disappointed with this episode. I didn't really care for the story much. Also it seemed like this episode was rushed in production because technically it didn't look as good as the other episodes. You could see cracks in the characters' faces. Overall I liked this series, but I'm kind of up in the air about whether I want the DVD. I thought it was the weakest of TellTale's episodic games, but still enjoyable enough. It's not really focused on humor like their other games. Well this was the order I liked the episodes in

Fright of the Bumblebees
Muzzled
The Last Resort
The Bogey Man

Now here's a gameplay video for The Bogey Man. There isn't much to this video because I was in a rush



Now, in the meantime I'm eagerly awaiting the second episode of Tales of Monkey Island, which comes out August 20th.

So, I finished The Secret of Monkey Island: SE the other day. It wasn't quite what I was hoping for. For one thing, I was having trouble getting it to run properly. I couldn't hear half of the voices for some reason. So, I can't say I'll ever want to use Steam to play games again because of all the trouble it caused me. I did finally get it to run and overall it was a very ho-hum experience.

Things I liked

Backgrounds looked hand painted
The voice acting (especially from Dominic Armato)
Nothing changed from the original aside from graphics

Things I didn't like

The interface the interface the interface. Seriously it really sucked. What is with using two different keys to call up the inventory and action windows? So, this is how it worked. You push "I" to call up the inventory, but in order to use objects in the inventory you have to push "Ctrl" to call up the actions, click on one, such as "Use" and click it on one of the inventory items. It's way more complicated than it should be and I have no idea how LucasArts thought it was a good idea. Haven't they heard the term "Keep It Simple Stupid?"

So, as you can tell I was pretty unhappy with the interface. Also getting Guybrush to move was kind of pain too. Sometimes he just doesn't go where I click. I think if those issues were fixed I would have loved the game more. I still liked it, but that kind of ruined things for me.

Also occasionally there were pauses between conversations, but I think that can be excused because the dialog in the game is kept the same. The original game was not meant to be voiced so that probably explains why sometimes the conversation sounds stilted.

I know it really sounds like there were a lot of things I didn't like about the game. I still thought it was worth playing. It just didn't really meet my expectations.

I've been playing the Special Edition of The Secret of Monkey Island. I'll say more what I think about it once I'm done, but I just want to say I'm never ever going to use Steam for games ever again. Here's a gameplay video of what may be my favorite part of the game, aside from insult swordfighting that is



I also just finished reading The Last Unicorn last night. Here's my brief Goodreads review

"A lone unicorn decides to leave her enchanted forest to find out what happened to the rest of her kind. It's a simple story, but a really well told one. I fell in love with the poetic prose, which just lets you drift off to another place. I can see why it's been compared to Lewis Caroll's and J.R.R. Tolkien's work because it's easily in the same league. A classic of fantasy literature."

Yeah, so I really loved it. Now I'm looking forward to watching the movie, since I've never seen it before.

I went and saw Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince yesterday. Here are my thoughts on it from Flixster.

"This movie was really slow compared to all the others, but I'm not sure I can fault it for that because not a whole lot happens in the book either. It's basically all just a setup for the last installment. Also I felt the romance could have been toned down quite a bit even though I know it's necessary because of what it leads up to. Overall I thought it was still quite good, but certainly the weakest of the films. I don't agree with the critics saying it's the best Harry Potter movie yet."



I wish they had given more screen time to my favorite side characters as well, such as Neville. The actor who played the new Professor Slughorn did a good job though.

I saw Public Enemies yesterday. Here was my brief thoughts from Flixster on it

"A bit slow and hard to follow sometimes, but very good. Dillinger sure got cocky toying with the law like he did. An excellent performance from Depp."



Yeah, if I were a gangster I would definitely not make some of the decisions John Dillinger made in this movie. :P

I also knew that this film was shot in HD so I was looking out for it. I have to say that I didn't really like it. Instead of immersing me in the movie it just took me right out of it. Movies are supposed to look like well...movies! I don't like the home video look. I certainly hope that movies don't all start reverting to HD because that would suck. The way they are filmed now is just fine and I love it because I don't know, it just looks more professional. One exception was the shootout scene at the hotel. That looked pretty awesome.

So, I finished the first episode of Tales of Monkey Island last night and I have to say I was very pleased with it. It could easily be the best Telltale game I've played so far.

( Launch of the Screaming Narwhal Review )

Now here is my gameplay video of Launch of the Screaming Narwhal

I finished Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson a couple of nights ago. Here is my Goodreads review of it. I don't think the review is particularly spoilery or anything, but I'll put it under a cut just in case.

( Review of Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson )

I've been playing Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper lately and I have done a gameplay video of it. That is what I do. I make gameplay videos on YouTube. Here it is. Viewer discretion advised.



What it's all about

"At the time the industrial revolution was in full swing, the British Empire was at its peak. As the premiere world power, England's model of wealth and modernity radiated throughout the world. However, Whitechapel District, in the East End of London, hardly reflected this brilliant reality.

Whitechapel was the capital's most squalid neighborhood. Within its boundaries lived England's worst rabble including alcoholics, beggars, prostitutes…as well as a large community of Jewish immigrants fleeing Eastern Europe's ever growing anti-Semitism. In this terrible hole of misery, tens of thousands of people lived crammed within a maze of narrow, sinister, stinky streets overshadowed by fog. To deal with the poverty, the government created Public Work Houses in an attempt to manage the masses.
It's within this sinister set, faithfully rendered in all its details and similar to a macabre playground that you'll have to investigate and track Jack the Ripper's bloody trail and solve one of the greatest mysteries of crime." from http://www.sherlockholmes-thegame.com/

Review coming soon...

Ok, so I saw this idea floating around in blog circles. That is to post what your top 5 reads are of the year so far. So, here is my list (not in any order). It probably might turn out different by the end of the year

The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson



Coraline by Neil Gaiman



Watchmen by Alan Moore



A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin



Avempartha by Michael J. Sullivan



I've read 19 books so far, which is actually good for me. I usually average about 20-25 books a year. I know if I read more that number would go up, but I'm doing well so far.

One of my new favorite recent fantasy authors is James Maxey. He writes a post-apocalyptic fantasy series with dragons called Dragon Age. I just picked up the third in the series, called Dragonseed. I don't know if this is the last book or not, but I hope he keeps writing more. I recommend them. They are fun reads. The first book is called Bitterwood and the second is called Dragonforge. Try them out.



Here's a synopsis for the first book: Bitterwood

"Bitterwood has spent the past twenty years hunting down dragons, one at a time. But he is getting old and the hate that he has carried in his heart since a group of dragon-soldiers killed his family is beginning to fade. When he kills the royal prince dragon, the king decides the only retribution is genocide of the human race. Bitterwood is forced to enter the Free City, the grand trap designed to eradicate mankind, with thousands of others. Can he lead from within, or can a select few dragons unite to stop the king's madness from becoming reality. Full of rich characters and drama, this is an amazingly astute vision of our own culture by way of a feudal kingdom where dragons rule, and humans are used as workers or pets."-Amazon.com

Here's my brief review of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen from Flixster

"I enjoyed Revenge of the Fallen, but it wasn't as good as the first movie. A lot of the dialog was really cheesy and while the humor in the first movie worked, this time it was way over the top and too crude for my liking. Our favorite characters get shoved aside for new ones that aren't very interesting or much developed at all. The twins and Mikela were really annoying and I found myself wishing they had been eaten alive by the Decepticons. On the upside, it was still fun to watch, and the effects are still amazing, especially on IMAX."

So overall slightly disappointing, but I'd still watch it again and get the DVD.

I admit it. I liked Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series. I know those books and the author is universally hated by fantasy fans. They hate his objectivist philosophy and the constant preaching of it throughout the series, and his arrogance the most.

Even though I like the series, I do happen to agree with the haters. Goodkind is a pretty pompous arrogant ass. You can see how in his interviews. Here's an example of one of them http://cgi1.usatoday.com/mchat/20030805003/tscript.htm Also elsewhere he basically says if you don't like his books, then you're an idiot. So, not exactly the sort of author one would want to admire.

I also don't agree with objectivist philosophy, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the books. I think the reason I liked the books was because I liked the characters. They grew on me. But hey I started reading the series when I was 17. This was literally the best thing I had read at the time. I was new to the fantasy genre then. Sword of Truth was responsible for getting me into adult fantasy in the first place.

I enjoyed them for what they were because I hadn't been around the block in fantasy yet. Do I still think these books are well written? No. I've read more books now that are better written. Do I still enjoy them though? Yes. I guess they're sort of a guilty pleasure read for me now.

Now, Goodkind is coming out with a new book in September. I first heard he was going to leave fantasy and start writing mainstream a year or so ago. So, I was expecting something different. This new book is called Law of Nines. Now the plot synopsis indicates to me that it is not a mainstream novel, but clearly fantasy and also clearly another sequel to The Sword of Truth. What!? Goodkind constantly claims he doesn't write fantasy (said so about The Sword of Truth too).

He is really a big fat liar. I'm pretty pissed that he continues to push that he doesn't write fantasy. I doubt he can even write anything, but the same old objectivist/fantasy fiction. Whatever, regardless. I was going to quit reading Goodkind after the Sword of Truth, unless his new book seemed interesting. I think I'm still going to read this anyway. I'm pretty ambivalent about his books and feel guilty reading them, but who cares? I guess I will post my thoughts on it when I get it read.

Here's the cover and plot synopsis



"Bestseller Goodkind (Confessor) ventures into thriller territory with results sure to please fans of his fantasy fiction. In the opening pages, Alex Rahl, the book's unwitting hero, saves the beautiful Jax from being run down on the street in Orden, Neb., by a plumbing truck flying a pirate flag. Jax, who turns out to be from an alternate reality where evildoers are attempting to seize control of her civilization, has traveled to Nebraska to seek Alex's help in saving her people. In Jax's world, magic takes the place of technology, but on earth she's stripped of her powers and forced to fight armed with only her trusty dagger. The author takes his time setting all this up, but once the story gets rolling, it's a gripping ride as the bad guys whoosh in between their world, which remains unseen, and ours. Fantasy and thriller readers alike will find themselves swept along to the final confrontation and looking forward to the next installment."-Publisher's Weekly

Like I said, sounds awful, but I'm reading it anyway.

Today the entertainment industry lost two legends, Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett. It's pretty shocking and sad news. Neither of them were that old. Michael Jackson was a big part of my childhood, certainly among my favorite music artists when I was a kid. His songs will never get old to me. He still lives on through his music.

While I never watched <i>Charlie's Angels</i> (before my time) I understand what an icon Farrah Fawcett was to people.

They will both be sadly missed. Losing two legends in one day is tragically unexpected.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090625/michael_jackson_090625/20090625?hub=TopStories

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090625/ap_on_en_tv/us_obit_fawcett

It was just announced that Adrian Tchaikovsky's series Shadows of the Apt is going to be released sometime next year in the U.S. under the publisher Pyr. I couldn't be more happy about this news and hope to see this series in stores. More info here.



From Examiner.com, "Shadows of the Apt is a fantasy set in a world where humans possess powers based on various insect totem, such as beetles, mantis, spiders and wasps."

I've had my eye on this one for a little while. It looks very original.

ere are my hauls from Best Buy and Borders yesterday



I was in the mood for science fantasy this time. The problem with being in the mood for a particular subgenre though is I usually don't get to reading these books until much later. The new Art of Murder game is the sequel to the first game. My mom also got my dad a book for Father's Day, that I'm sure I'd want to read at some point. It's called The Alien Invasion Survival Handbook by W.H. Mumfrey.

I also almost got Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse edited by John Joseph Adams because since I feel the apocalypse is going to happen soon, I might as well get in the mood for it. However, I decided not to get it because it's a big trade paperback and mass market paperbacks just take up less shelf room. I'm sure I'll get it at some point though.

Now here are some descriptions (from Amazon) about the books and game.

The Patriot Witch by new author C.C. Finlay

"This spellbinding historical fantasy, first of a series, takes Proctor Brown, ready minuteman and reluctant witch, through the opening battles of the American Revolution. Caught between the demands of a loyalist girlfriend and the needs of his aged parents, Proctor is eager to join the American cause and put his hidden abilities to good use. As he learns more about witchcraft, he finds it employed by both rebels and Royal Marines, and he struggles to master his talents without being exposed. Finlay (The Prodigal Troll) provides enough well-researched minutiae of daily life in colonial America to make this a fine historical novel, while offering a magic-tinged view of the happenings at Lexington, Concord and Bunker Hill that impressively restores suspense and uncertainty to long-settled events."-Publisher's Weekly

Deathstalker by Simon Green

"When Owen Deathstalker, foppish aristocrat-about-the-galaxy and master of the martial arts who'd rather write history, is outlawed by the maximally evil empress Lionstone, it's a pretty sure bet that narrow escapes and desperate deeds will follow. They do. This first-in-a-series is populated by a suave and suitably blas{‚}e hero, nasty villains galore, a wide assortment of peculiar supporting characters of many bizarre species, and the requisite confused love interest; and it is set on a criminal planet, Mistworld, at an imperial court, and all over a wildly variegated galaxy. Green blends derring-do, space battles, and wry banter aplenty to form an eminently satisfying space opera."-Booklist

Orphans of Chaos by John C. Wright

"In the first installment of the Chronicles of Chaos series, common associations of high school with prison prove spectacularly well founded. The five teen protagonists are hostages in a British boarding school run by pagan gods. Sustaining themes of lost identity from Wright's respected Golden Age trilogy and heavily borrowing from the work of Roger Zelazny, the narrative charts the teens' discovery of their true identities--they're shape-shifters who hail from Chaos--then pits their budding powers against school authorities who have proceeded from acting in loco parentis to being ominous and occasionally lascivious oppressors. Phaethusa, who goes by Amelia after her aviatrix role model, narrates the rich and frequently comic intrigue, which takes full advantage of the alluring juxtapositions that arise when the soul of a "montrosity from beyond the edge of space and time" is trapped in a nubile teen's heaving breast. Mythological references and discursions on the nature of reality may prove substantial barriers for some; Wright's growing fandom will revel in his overlapping frames of reference."-Booklist

Art of Murder: The Hunt for the Puppeteer

"FBI agent Nicole Bonnet returns! This time she has to face new challenges and solve another dark mystery that will take her to two continents ¿ from France and Spain to exotic Cuba. Make a genuine investigation demanding courage, devotion and logical thinking. Find out why the perpetrator leaves mysterious dolls in 18th century costumes by the corpses of the murdered people. Check, what connects the victims, seemingly chosen by random. What are the motives behind the actions of the pitiless slayer? Point and click adventure game , intricate intrigue, interesting characters, absorbing dialogues and complicated puzzles!"

I played the third episode of Wallace and Gromit's Grand Adventures yesterday. First off I give this episode points because it's about cute doggies and overall it was a very cute episode. The new character, Monty Muzzle, is a really great villain character. I like him much more than the other characters. Aside from Wallace and Gromit, the supporting characters are all dull and very lacking. Another nitpick: It was extremely hard for me to click on Constable Dibbs and Major Crum on the moving Muzzler ride. I didn't have to interact with the characters on the ride to complete the game, but I think this could have been improved upon. Making the ride slower perhaps? It was a great use of animation, but a pain to interact with. Comparing this episode to the first two, I thought it was better than the second episode, but not better than the first. Fright of the Bumblebees remains my favorite. Last episode comes out next month.

Here's my gameplay video of the episode. It has gotten an astonishing 347 views so far, which is like some kind of record for my channel! Although I think it's because I posted the video the day the episode came out, so I'm sure people were looking for videos of it.

Episode 3 of Wallace and Gromit's Grand Adventures came out today! Now it's slowly downloading. It seems like I was waiting forever for the third episode. It still feels like I'm waiting forever for the first episode of Tales of Monkey Island to come out. Look out for a gameplay video within the next couple of days.

Here's my current line-up of games (subject to change of course)

Wallace and Gromit's Grand Adventures Episode 3: Muzzled
Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
Tales of Monkey Island Episode 1: Launch of the Screaming Narwhal
Sherlock Holmes VS. Jack the Ripper
Nikopol: Secrets of the Immortals
Nancy Drew Ultimate Dare Pack (will I ever get to these Nancy Drew games?)