The Doctor's Prognosis

Resident Evil 6 and Street Fighter X Tekken Trailers

2012-01-20T15:27:00.000-08:00

by Dr. C-LOS

Been a while my peeps! I was just completely overwhelmed with university and work but I'm trying to get back in the groove of things. What better way to ease in than with some cool new trailers? Check them out!

Resident Evil 6

Looking very action-oriented which isn't really a bad thing. I enjoyed the action of RE5, but this new iteration looks to have ramped that up even more. Looking forward to seeing more.

Street Fighter X Tekken

Let's start with this cool cinematic....

I'm loving the feel of these cinematics. They have a much more gritty feel in comparison to how Street Fighter IV felt. This is likely influenced by the inclusion of the Tekken universe, which has always been much grittier as opposed to Street Fighter's "cartooniness." And now for some awesome gameplay featuring newly announced characters!

Oh man, check out the silhouettes of Pac-Man and Mega Man! If playable, I hope they are not just for the Vita. It would be fun to duke it out with them on my 360. But did Mega Man look a little odd? Maybe it is Frank West from Dead Rising dressed up like Mega Man? Or maybe it's the infamous bad box art Mega Man from the original NES game? Either one would be a letdown, though extremely funny.

Even without the company mascots, I am looking forward to this game. Street Fighter X Tekken (pronounced Street Fighter Cross Tekken) is slated for a March 6 release in North America for the PS3 and XBox 360, with PS Vita and PC releases expected later this year.

I hope you liked these trailers as much as I did. 2011 was a great year in gaming but 2012 is already shaping up nicely too. I also hope I can keep updating while continuing my increased workload from school and work. See you next time my peeps!

New Movie Trailers!

2011-07-25T19:22:00.000-07:00

Now I know these are not exactly "new" in the sense of time on the Internet, but if you aren't constantly keeping up to date with movies the way I am, then perhaps you have yet to see these trailers. Besides, watching these trailers isn't enough when you don't know what I think about them yet. :-P

This is the film I am most looking forward to next year. Bane can most assuredly be used better in The Dark Knight Rises than he was in Batman and Robin by Joel Schumacher.

Let's try to forget this version of Bane.

But I know what everyone is thinking. What are we supposed to watch in the year leading into TDKR? How about this?

Based on the Frank Miller graphic novel of the same name, Batman: Year One promises to deliver quality like the WB animated features have in the past. And so far, the trailer seems to show that the film is on the right track.

If you have never seen any of the straight-to-DVD/BD animated DC features, you're doing yourself a disservice. They have a very good track record. Batman: Under the Red Hood, and Green Lantern: First Flight come to mind as standouts. In fact, First Flight was more critically revered than the live action version of GL. Highly recommended films and I recommend you check out Year One when it releases this September.

But now onto something else.....

I was almost certain I wouldn't like anything new they'd do with Spider-Man. Primarily because I was upset that we couldn't see Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 4 (I think he's a great director and gets what needs to be done to redeem the franchise), but this trailer has won me over. It does look like a darker film and it will retell the origin story, but I like the idea of starting over with a somewhat different feel. I also like the inclusion of Peter Parker's original love interest from the comics, Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone). I'm going to be cautiously optimistic with this one but it does look good so far.

The next trailer is for a TV show, but I feel it needs recognition for being tied to my childhood.

I think it looks awesome. Looks like they expanded on the original story so that it has a feeling of being fresh and new while retaining what everyone loved from the old show. Look for the new ThunderCats to premier this Friday, July 29th on Cartoon Network.

There is another trailer that caught my attention recently, but for all the wrong reasons.....

I'm sorry you had to endure that but better you know now about this atrocity, lest you take a date to this film unassuming of the horrors that await you. And for those of you that enjoyed that trailer, and maybe even look forward to seeing this movie, well you cannot be my friend. Nor are you allowed to read my website any longer. Good day. :-P

Well those are just some of the films I'm excited about. Let me know what recent trailers you enjoyed. What films will you be excited to watch this year or next?

Sonic Generations Demo Impressions

2011-07-02T20:56:00.000-07:00

by Dr. C-LOS

Actually, there are now only 10 days remaining for this demo.

Sonic Generations is the newest iteration of the long-running series (20 year anniversary) from Sega and the the Sonic Team. The story goes something like this: today's Sonic somehow gets blasted back in time and meets his younger self. Now both Sonics must fight whatever evil started this mess in the first place and set things right.

Past meets present in Sonic Generations!

Whatever. The point main is, the classic feel of Sonic is back! The demo lets you play the first zone in the game (Green Hill Zone), which is very similar to the first zone in the original Sonic game. Sonic can spin-dash his way through this familiar environment with loops and corkscrews, all while collecting rings. However, the graphics are much improved and there are some neat camera effects added in as a bonus. It is also worth mentioning that this game is compatible with stereoscopic television sets. Furthermore, this is definitely not a cut-and-paste job despite the similarities to the original Sonic. There is enough new to make it feel like a new game.

Old school Sonic goodness!

It's just too bad that the demo is over so quickly. You're having fun, speeding and bouncing around, when it's suddenly over. But that small amount of gameplay is a blast, and leaves you wanting more like a good demo should. And most importantly, unlike Sonic 4, the physics feel like Sonic should. I can see myself buying this game just based on that. The big question is, how good will the 3D modern Sonic levels play? Hopefully we get a chance to try out modern Sonic at some point before the game's release.

Prognosis: Great graphics and classic gameplay means you should keep an eye on this one. Definitely download this demo and try it out for yourself. But hurry up! This demo is a timed demo and will only be available to play for 10 more days! That means the demo will be disabled on July 12th! Sonic Generations will be available late in 2011 for the XBox 360, PS3, and 3DS.

Green Lantern Movie Review

2011-06-28T22:36:00.000-07:00

by Dr. C-LOS

Marvel has had a lot of success with their movie franchises, even with their lesser known properties. DC, however, has been content to use only their big two, Superman and Batman. That was true until now. Green Lantern, one of DC's biggest properties in comics today, finally hits the big screen. But does the film live up to the potential that the graphic novel iterations seem to imply?

For those not in the know, Green Lantern follows Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds), an ace test pilot with the ability to overcome great fear. This ability is recognized by a dying alien and thus bestows onto Jordan a ring that is controlled by the green power of will. This ring can manifest green-colored constructs, limited only by the user's willpower and creativity.

Green Lantern's ring in action.

Jordan then joins an intergalactic group of aliens also chosen to be ring bearers. This group is called the Green Lantern Corps. Their biggest threat is an entity known as Parallax, a parasitic monster that feeds on the yellow power of fear.

This might sound a bit cheesy but this is based on a comic book after all. Green Lantern doesn't take itself too seriously except when needed, and has quite a sense of humor. My favorite gag being when Reynolds does his best impression of Christian Bale as Batman.

"Carol, I have a confession. I'm a green space cop."
"...................
Be serious Hal."

Overall, Reynolds does a great job as Hal Jordan though he may come off a bit more goofy than his comic book counterpart. Blake Lively, however, was not a great choice as fellow pilot Carol Ferris, but at least she is nice to look at. The best performances are by Peter Sarsgaard as Hector Hammond and Mark Strong as Sinestro. Unfortunately, Tim Robbins was chosen as Hammond's father, which is unbelievable considering how close in age they look. Angela Bassett as Amanda Waller was a great choice but her scenes are short-lived. And Sinestro is underutilized, along with other interesting Green Lantern Corps members. Furthermore, some characters could have been better fleshed out, leading to a feeling that the story is being rushed through so they can just get to the sequel.

As for the special effects, they were very well done and are one of the film's best assets. Thankfully, the film was shot in 3D as opposed to being converted. It really shows as the 3D effects look great. The planet Oa, where the Green Lantern Corps reside, looks marvelous. It is too bad then that we don't see much of it or its inhabitants.

Wish we could have seen more of this.

One of Green Lantern's biggest downfalls, however, is that the story has way too much going on. There just isn't enough time to cover Jordan's background. We learn enough about his father to care, but there is more behind the relationship between Jordan and Carol Ferris. There just wasn't enough time to explore that relationship within the film. Furthermore, Sinestro could have been fleshed out a lot better. Showing his dark side develop would have made a great story arc. The story is there but it's only touched upon enough to make way for a sequel. And the film goes just a little longer than it had to. It's not that I got bored from it being too long, it's just that they tried to cram too much into it. If they had focused on just one villain, and hadn't been so adamant about getting everything out of the way for the sequel, the story could have been tighter and more enjoyable.

Despite the flaws, Green Lantern still ends up being very entertaining. The special effects, action, and sense of humor add up to a very good, though not great film. Green Lantern doesn't quite live up to the lofty goals of Dark Knight or Iron Man 1, but it ends up about on par with Thor or better. It might help to be a Green Lantern comics fan so you can understand a lot of the smaller details, but it does not hurt the film otherwise. And now that they have the origin out of the way, I can see the sequel being much more focused, and having more time to tell a better story. In the meantime, Green Lantern is an enjoyable but bumpy ride.

E3 2011 Musings

2011-06-21T21:18:00.000-07:00

Well E3 is done and enough time has gone by to contemplate what we've seen. Let's get into it shall we?....

Microsoft

I was sorely disappointed with Microsoft again this year. They focused on Kinect a lot but did not show anything that really wowed me. I'm happy another Dance Central iteration is on its way, but not much else caught my attention. Being able to customize your guns in Ghost Recon using the Kinect is a neat idea, but I'd rather do it with my controller. I just cannot see myself being very accurate with a gun using the Kinect instead of an analog controller.

They showed Gears of War 3 again, and a revamped version of the original Halo, which are both nice but nothing too exciting at this point. The only somewhat surprising thing was Halo 4 was officially announced.

I always thought we would see Halo 4 announced sometime down the line but not this soon. I suppose Microsoft might have put too many eggs into their Kinect basket. They needed something to get the core gamers excited. Not that there aren't plenty of quality games coming out for the 360, but not too many exclusives to get excited about. Gears 3 and Halo 4 should help MS out but hopefully they have more up their sleeves for the future. Anyway, Halo 4 is a buy for me but only because I know my friends will buy it too. Otherwise I'd pass.

Sony

I admit I was surprised by Sony this year. Similar to last year, not much caught my attention... except for their new portable, the Vita.

It actually looks like they are putting some effort into the Vita. It features some impressive graphics along with analog controls, motion controls, a touchscreen, and an odd touchpad on the back of the system. I'm all for whatever brings in some creativity and maybe that touchpad on the back might help. As long as they do not take the same approach they did with the PSP then I'm all for it. After all, what's the point of a portable that just has the same stuff I can play on my PS3 right now? Well unless it is like Hideo Kojima's "transfarring" system idea then it's not a selling point.

For those not in the know, "transfarring" allows you to transfer your current game progress from the console (PS3) to the portable (PSP or Vita). You can get further in the game on your portable and later transfer it back to the console. It sounds like a great idea though that alone won't get me to buy a Vita. And so far, it seems to only be an idea Kojima thought up without any hard info on any games using it either.

The price point is very smart. At $249.99 for a Wi-Fi model, it's a very competitively priced new portable. Now let's see something that makes me want to buy it Sony!

Nintendo

I admit I like Nintendo much more than Sony or Microsoft, but I was hoping they would show more new games. The Wii got no love, but at least they showed some 3DS games to get excited for.

Luigi's Mansion was a decent game, and I've been waiting for a new Kid Icarus since forever so I will likely buy those two sequels. I'm a fan of Mario Kart but the new version looks to have too many gimmicks. Once I saw the underwater and floating parts I actually lost complete interest.

Not interested in 3D versions of old games like Star Fox, but there is definitely a market for that and it will keep gamers happy while they wait for more games. But the new game that got my attention this time was the new 3D Super Mario game.

Super Mario on the 3DS looks like it's going somewhat back to its roots by mixing the 3D gameplay with some old 2D staples. Primarily, I'm excited to see the return of Tanuki Mario! Can't wait to see more on this game. Especially can't wait to get my hands on it!

But the one thing that got me really excited was the official announcement of the Wii U!

Unfortunately, they did not show any real games. They only showed a few minigames and an amazing-looking Zelda tech demo. Hopefully that tech demo turns into a full-fledged game. And I'm sure it will with time. They need to finish Skyward Sword first.

Regardless, the hardware definitely has loads of potential. Nintendo is finally embracing HD graphics and seems to be moving in a direction where they are servicing both to the core and casual gamers. The tablet controller will be perfect for casual gamers with minigames and such. But the tablet could also be used for core games as well. The tech demo showcased this well but there are certainly other applications such as being able to see a planted turret's POV during an FPS multiplayer match, or using it as a rear-view mirror during a racing game.

Once again, there were not any big games actually announced for the Wii U but they did show gameplay footage from new games running on 360/PS3 hardware. These games will be released on the Wii U as well and will likely have similar graphics to what was shown. I imagine that we will see something more substantial at next year's E3, but Nintendo made their point. They are always thinking about how to innovate and change the way we play games. And I'm definitely excited for the Wii U and its potential. Now, like I said to Sony, show me some games Nintendo! However, something worth noting is the next Smash Bros. game was announced for both the 3DS and the Wii U! Can't get here soon enough!

BONUS~!

I've never been huge on MMO's, or Star Wars for that matter, but this game is shaping up nicely and might just pull me over to the Dark Side...... of gaming. I've even decided to pick up Knights of the Old Republic just to get an idea of what it would be like. So far, I'm greatly enjoying KOTOR. Hopefully SWTOR turns out well. Actually, I'm sure it will be awesome. This was the only thing that really caught my attention outside of the big 3 conferences. Well the only thing besides this....

Now wasn't that awesome? Rocksteady also recently announced that preordering at Best Buy will net you Tim Drake's Robin playable in a couple challenge rooms! A Red Robin skin is also available.

The Boy Wonder is looking pretty badass here.

A little research indicates that preordering only gets you Robin early and that he will be available later as DLC. I hope that is true because I am preordering with Amazon to use the $20 I'm getting from preordering Gears of War 3 with them. If not, no big deal.

So once again, I feel that if I had to pick a "winner" of E3, Nintendo would be it. A healthy showing of games for the 3DS and the potential of an innovative new console have won me over. But what did YOU think was most impressive from E3? What did you feel was lackluster? Maybe the Vita won you over? Or maybe playing Ghost Recon with the Kinect has you feeling goosebumps? Let me know your thoughts on what you saw from E3!

See you next time!

Best Movies of 2010

2011-05-31T16:56:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome to another edition of The Doctor's Prognosis! It's been a little over a month since my last entry but here are my favorite films of previous year.

Honorable Mention
Scott Pilgrim vs The World

What looked like eye candy ended up being a very entertaining film with a great soundtrack. Kieran Culkin's supporting character is hilarious and the story actually has a message. The amazing special effects are just gravy. Definitely a big recommendation from me.

Honorable Mention
Kick-Ass

Another comic book inspired film, Kick-Ass lives up to its moniker. A very gritty and entertaining film, Chloe Moretz as Hit-Girl steals the show. Even Nicolas Cage is likable in this film as he does his best Adam West/Batman impersonation. The main problem is that the film goes from gritty realism with the titular hero, to butt-kicking fantasy with Hit-Girl. Despite this problem, Kick-Ass ends up being an entertaining film worth watching.

3rd Runner-Up
The Fighter

The Fighter tells an emotional story following real life boxer "Irish" Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg). However, Micky's relationship with his half-brother is what really makes this film. Christian Bale shows off his acting chops as Dicky Eklund, Micky's aforementioned half-brother. You will believe Christian Bale is a drug abuser when watching this film. Melissa Leo also does an amazing job as Alice Ward. It is no wonder that both Bale and Leo won supporting awards. Watch this film!

2nd Runner-Up
The Social Network

David Fincher does an amazing job directing what could have been an otherwise dull film. The Social Network delves into the people behind the formation of the social networking juggernaut known as Facebook. Great directing, acting, and a soundtrack by Trent Reznor equals one of the best movies of the year.

1st Runner-Up
Black Swan

Darren Aronofsky is one of the most consistent directors out there and this film proves no different. The acting is amazing in this film. Natalie Portman delivers an Oscar-winning performance as Nina, a ballerina who aspires to be the principal in her ballet company's upcoming production, Swan Lake. If you watch Black Swan, there will be no question why she deserves so much praise. The supporting actors are no slouches either. The ambience in this film is creepy throughout. Even during the now infamous girl on girl scene, there is a sense of creepiness that permeates the screen. Thus delivering one of the most amazing psychological thrillers I have ever seen. And that's not just hyperbole. Aronofsky has quickly become one of my favorite directors.

Best Film of 2010
Inception

It was really tough to choose the best film this year. If you ask me tomorrow, I might change my mind and say Black Swan. That is how close it was. But no film captured my imagination, made me think, and at the same time entertain me like Inception did. Christopher Nolan, like Aronofksy, is one of the most consistent directors out there today. Nolan gathered a great cast and created an entertaining film that features that "hyper realism" Nolan loves so much. Delving into dreams is a concept that has never been done quite like this before. Furthermore, Hans Zimmer's score is so fitting and helps tell the story musically. It really helps create this great atmosphere like you are in another world. A world that is similar to our own, yet fantastical at the same time.

It is also worth noting how detail-oriented Nolan is. He created some amazing scenes in this film. Just mention the hallway scene to anyone that has seen Inception and they will know what you are talking about. It is amazing to think how much time and effort must have been used to create scenes like that. That is why I must present Inception with The Doctor's Prognosis' coveted Film of the Year Award!

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is my hero!

I hope you all enjoyed my latest entry. I'm sure you do not all agree with me, so please let me know what you think are the best films of 2010.

See you again soon!

3DS, RRoD, and Kinect GET!!

2011-04-05T17:43:00.000-07:00

Hello everybody and welcome to another edition of The Doctor's Prognosis!

I was going to write about movies but I was able to get my hands on a brand new 3DS! Actually, it belongs to my brother. But that didn't stop me from buying a few games and putting it to the test.

Also, my XBox died when some friends came over to play some games and hang out. It just froze suddenly during Dead Rising 2. When my brother restarted the system, it gave us the dreaded Red Ring of Death! Forced to buy a new one, we decided to go all out and buy one with a Kinect and Dance Central. Here are some impressions!

Dance Central

So far, the game has been very enjoyable. Which almost made me forget about the expense of buying a whole new XBox. Almost.

Now I admit to being skeptical about the Kinect but Dance Central is a lot of fun. I had some friends come over to try it out with me. Some were more rhythmically inclined than others. Fortunately, there is a "Break It Down" mode to teach you the moves before attempting the song. But most important of all, they all had fun. In other words, I found a new party game!

Dance Central can be as easy as you want, or extremely difficult. Harder songs have more complex moves, while selecting harder difficulties on the same song will change the routine up more often, with a wider variety of moves added to the routine. Generally, choosing a harder difficulty is more fun since it will be less repetitive, and a better a workout. But it might be a good idea to practice before tackling the harder songs. If more games like Dance Central come out for Kinect, we'll be in for a good ride.

The only downside I've noticed? I now have this song stuck in my head....

Prognosis: Dance Central is great but I don't see much more I want to play in the horizon. There is definitely potential there but hopefully some clever developers outside of Harmonix can come up with some good applications. But with the fun I'm having, Dance Central may be worth the price of admission alone. At least you know Harmonix will always keep their game updated with new content before releasing a Dance Central 2.

Nintendo 3DS

The first game I purchased was Super Street Fighter IV. The controls aren't too bad. What helps is that the touch screen has large pseudo buttons to perform a couple special moves along with a super move and your selected ultra. This was much appreciated considering how hard it is to press all punch or kick buttons at the same time. Don't get me started on double fireball or 360 motions.

Another really cool feature is an over-the-shoulder perspective called "Dynamic Mode." Although it does not sound like it would be intuitive, it works quite well and makes the 3D look even better. You might not want to switch back to normal view once you try it. The online mode also works really well whether playing with friends or battling random people online.

The graphics look amazing as well. Backgrounds are static now but still 3D. Character models look great. Especially in Dynamic Mode. Overall, it's a great port. SSF4 is worth checking out even if you already own the console version.

Pilot Wings Resort, while not as good a game as SSF4, is still a fun little diversion. It's easy to get into for the casual gamer. The 3D actually makes the game easier thanks to the depth perception. This makes it easier to judge how to adjust in midair as you play such as when flying your biplane through rings. Worth checking out for more casual gamers. And it helps that it shows off the 3D quite well.

Every 3DS comes with AR Cards to use for some simple games. I played one where you shoot arrows at targets followed by a large dragon-like boss. It is a simple but fun game where you must lay the AR card down on a flat, well-lit surface so the 3DS camera recognizes it, and move around the card to get a good shot at your targets. The 3D effects and warping of reality in the game comes off quite well. It's basically a fun little tech demo. There is definitely potential there.

Another great built-in tech demo game was Face Raiders. You use the built-in 3D camera to take your friend's picture to put them in the game. Similar to the AR Cards, the game uses the camera to warp reality as you turn and shoot your friend's face. Except this time, you're more stationary and just need to turn while you are surrounded by faces. The game will definitely make you laugh since it will warp your friend's face, making him or her laugh or putting disguises. I found this one very enjoyable. I hope to see more games using this kind of technology to enhance play.

Prognosis: I really liked the 3DS. There is a lot of potential I didn't see until I got my hands on it and began playing with it. I'm also happy to see that it is compatible with WPA routers as opposed to the WEP-only DS I own. The downside is that my eyes did start to bother me after a half hour of use. There is a handy slider on the side of the unit to minimize the depth of the 3D or just turn it off. I can't wait to play more games on it. I plan to buy my own eventually but buying a new 360 with Kinect puts that off a little longer. Hopefully, once I do get it, there will be a more steady flow of games coming out. In the meantime, I'll just borrow my brother's 3DS. :D

I hope you all enjoyed my prognosis on the Kinect and 3DS. Let me know your thoughts on the Kinect and 3DS too!

See you next time!

Best Album of 2010

2011-02-28T17:31:00.000-08:00

Hello and welcome to another edition of The Doctor's Prognosis!

In case you were all wondering, I have been busy with college and work. If I'm not busy with one, it's the other. :P

I was planning on doing a best films entry but I am going on vacation for a week so I decided to do a quick entry on my favorite album of 2010 instead. I will do a best movies entry when I return from my trip.

Best Album of 2010
The Wild Trapeze by Brandon Boyd

For those that do not know, Brandon Boyd is the lead singer of Incubus, and The Wild Trapeze is his first solo album. Boyd purposely goes for a raw sound here, eschewing the highly digitized, over-produced sound we hear so often today. Therefore, The Wild Trapeze sounds like it was recorded at home. Sometimes the tracks can sound unclear, as if the mic was turned up far too much, but that lends to the uniqueness of the sound. Furthermore, Boyd plays nearly every instrument you hear. So despite its flaws, The Wild Trapeze succeeds as an album made for the love of music, or "music for music's sake" as Brandon Boyd himself put it.

Now I would like to share a couple tracks. But first, to get a feel for the music, listen to 30 second samples from every track in the album.

Thanks to an old friend, I was introduced to Brandon Boyd's first single, Runaway Train. I loved the feel of the song, and the lyrics really spoke to me. I made a decision to buy the album right there and then. Furthermore, the music video was really well done. Boyd shows off some of his artistic abilities other than just his music.

With such a strong album, I found it difficult to choose a favorite. However, I found myself listening to Mirror of Venus the most. I feel like there is a hint of romance and adventure, but also a sense of urgency at specific points. Take a listen and see what you feel the music tells you.

I hope you enjoyed this edition of The Doctor's Prognosis! While I have shared music in the past, I have never made it the sole focus. I plan to share more music in the future. Especially if I think it is music that is easily overlooked like Brandon Boyd could be. And hopefully I can make a few of you new fans.

See you next time!

Best Games of 2010

2011-01-24T23:28:00.000-08:00

Hello and welcome to another edition of The Doctor's Prognosis!

This is how the year in review is going to work: Every game mentioned will get a short review and will be in order leading up to the Game of the Year. I will also include a few of my favorite music tracks from some of these games. First up are the best downloadable games of the year starting with a review I meant to do earlier....

Downloadable Honorable Mention
Castlevania: Harmony of Despair

Unlike previous 2D Castlevania games, Harmony of Despair focuses on multiplayer. Very little story to it but you can play as several characters from previous games such as Alucard from Symphony of the Night, and Shanoa from the more recent Order of Ecclesia. Each character plays differently enough to be interesting such as magic users and melee based attackers. However, HD eschews the old leveling system for an equipment based one. So in essence, HD plays a lot like a Castlevania/Diablo hybrid. This is supposed to help with balance but more often than not, a newbie will have trouble keeping up with veterans. So it is recommended to do a little single-player action to learn the ropes and earn some better gear before trying online multiplayer.

Up to 6 can play together through Live.

There are only 6 levels but each one is made up of enemies from previous games and sometimes not even the best looking ones they could have used. The levels themselves are mishmashes of areas from previous games and must be completed within 30 minutes. At the end of each level is a boss from a previous game which will net you a gold chest with nice loot. This can get addicting but can also be repetitive. Thankfully there is some DLC to help with replayability with some more characters and levels available for purchase. There are also some extra song tracks available for purchase to be used in the level of your choice. The music, while terrific, is also remixed from previous games. But seeing as the music has always been one of the series' hallmarks, this is not a bad thing.

Overall, Harmony of Despair is a fun game that can provide several hours of gameplay, but strays a bit from the old formula. It can be confusing for new players since many of the game's mechanics are not straightforward, and therefore may give a bad first impression. If you can stick it through, HD is a flawed but rewarding experience for Castlevania fans. Castlevania: Harmony of Despair gets a 7.5 out of 10.

Downloadable First Runner-Up
Limbo

Limbo is a fun and challenging puzzle-platforming game. It is a game of trial and error where you must go from one challenge to the next as you travel through a bizarre and unsettling world. The art style really makes the game stand out and helps set the disturbing mood along with the soundtrack. What makes the soundtrack stand out is actually the lack of music, which is kept to a minimum. When music is used, it is used effectively and helps keep the dark mood going throughout.

Think and act quickly to survive.

The main downside to Limbo is the short playtime. You can finish the game in only a few hours. There is some replayability thanks to some of the achievements which encourage you to play a second time. But there is little incentive to play it much more than that. Despite that, Limbo is fun and will make you think as you try to overcome each challenge the game throws at you. Limbo is not only one of the best downloadable games of the year, but one of the overall best games of the year! That is why it was so difficult to choose between this game and the winner. Limbo earns a 9 out of 10.

Best Downloadable Game of 2010
Super Meat Boy

This was a tough choice but Super Meat Boy won due to its simple but fun platforming gameplay, great level design, wicked sense of humor, and a surprisingly amazing soundtrack. Each world in SMB has several levels to complete before the final boss fight. You, as Super Meat Boy, must complete the level by simply rescuing your girlfriend Bandage Girl from the evil Dr. Fetus. You simply walk, run, and jump to complete each level. And each level, when completed with an A+ rating, will unlock a "dark world" level to complete as well. There are also several playable characters to unlock which all play differently. There is no shortage of things to do in this game.

This game is hilarious!

The only downside to this game is the punishing difficulty. While challenge is good, SMB can get frustrating at times and may discourage some from playing any further. Thankfully, this is a game of trial and error, and you can try each level as many times as you like. And when you finally do finish that level that gave you so much trouble, you get to see a replay of every attempt of the level at the same time so you can watch all your errors and deaths at once.

Despite the difficulty, SMB is still a lot of fun and reminiscent of games like Super Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog. And like a Mario game, if you die it is your own fault as the controls are very precise. Furthermore, it is not just the best downloadable game of the year, but one of the best pure platformers ever! That is why Super Meat Boy earns a 9 out of 10.

And now the best in console gaming!

Console Second Runner-Up
Super Street Fighter IV

Super Street Fighter IV took what made vanilla SFIV great and expanded on it. Two great new characters were introduced with Juri, a Tae Kwon Do master from Korea, and Hakan, a Turkish oil wrestler. Furthermore, many old favorites have returned such as Adon and Guy. Even a few SF3 characters were included and tweaked to match the fighting system such as Ibuki and Dudley.

SSFIV could have stopped at adding new characters and new stages but the game has been further balanced and now features more modes than ever before. The online component was ramped up for further replayability and fun. With so much added to the game, and a lower price point than vanilla SFIV, Super Street Fighter IV earns a 9 out of 10.

Console First Runner-Up
Halo: Reach

What can be said about Halo: Reach that hasn't been said before? It is just a more refined version of what made the old Halo games so great. It helps that the graphics were finally revamped. This helps make this the grittiest Halo ever. The single-player component is still strong but is more fun with friends like usual. And the online is better than ever. The addition of special abilities to choose from before each online match helps ramp up the strategy in the gameplay. If this is indeed the last Halo developed by Bungie, it is a great swan song that shooter fans will be playing for a while. Halo: Reach earns a 9 out of 10.

Overall Game of the Year 2010
Super Mario Galaxy 2

Is anyone really surprised? No game I played this year was both as fun and as challenging as SMG2. It really is difficult to think of anything wrong with this game. Like I mentioned in my complete review, the developers could have been lazy but instead expanded on what made the first game so great: the power-ups, the music, the precise controls, and the pure fun factor. Oh yeah! And Purple Coins!

Super Mario Galaxy 2 is what every game aspires to be. It just oozes quality and never feels hackneyed despite being a sequel to an equally large game. That is why Super Mario Galaxy 2 earns not only a 10 out of 10 but also The Doctor's Prognosis' coveted Game of the Year Award!

One of the best games ever!

I hope you all enjoyed my 2010 year in review for games! Make an appointment for my highly anticipated year in review for movies as well!

See you again soon!

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Review

2010-12-20T23:35:00.000-08:00

Hello and welcome to another edition of The Doctor's Prognosis! It's been a few months but I'm done with finals and ready for Winter vacation! I'm still working a lot but at least I have some free time again.

Now back in October, where I usually spend my time watching horror films, I decided to play Castlevania games instead. So here is the first of three reviews I plan to do...

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Review (XBox 360)

The Castlevania series has seen a lot of success as a 2D series on the older consoles and as modern handheld games. However, the acclaimed series has had a few fumbles when it comes to its 3D iterations. Now, from developer Mercury Steam and Kojima Productions, comes Konami's latest 3D Castlevania, Lords of Shadow. Does Lords of Shadow deliver where previous incarnations have failed? Yes and no.

LoS is a reimagining of the Castlevania series and is not related to the original series canon. Set in the year 1047, this Castlevania once again features a Belmont as the protagonist. Gabriel Belmont is on a journey to both expel the evil forces of the land, and resurrect his dead wife with an ominous relic known as the God Mask. Helping Gabriel accomplish his goals is his chosen weapon, the Combat Cross.

Lords of Shadow's hero, Gabriel Belmont, with the Combat Cross.

The game begins with a tussle with some lycans (werewolves for the uninitiated) in the rain. A basic tutorial to become acquainted with the controls. The Combat Cross is basically a big cross-shaped hilt with a retractable chain whip. Not too unlike the Vampire Killer whip from previous games in the series. Basic moves include attacking a single enemy, a wide attack for covering your back, dodging, blocking, and a grab attack. There is also a return of subweapons such as holy water and daggers, as well as a couple new ones (fairies and a crystal).

Killing enemies nets you experience points which you can use to purchase upgrades to your attacks including new moves, combos, and enhancements. As you progress, you also gain access to magic which will open up how you can fight. Light magic is generally for healing and defense, while Shadow magic is for offense and damage. Learning to use your magic and weapons effectively is fun and challenging.

Fortunately for Gabriel, the Combat Cross can be used as a stake!

Overall, the fighting feels a lot like God of War. This is not a bad thing since that fighting system is good. You wear down the enemy until you give the killing blow, usually a quick time event style deathblow like God of War employs. However, it takes a while for the game's fighting system to hit its stride. It can be pretty tedious for about the first third of the game. But even once you open up more skills and combos, you might find yourself relying on the same combos even later in the game. But the potential for fun is there if the player experiments with the magic system, combos, and subweapons.

Boss fights are particularly well done. The series has always had good boss fights and this iteration is no different. They range from easy to very difficult, and will test your wits and abilities. You have to be quick with the dodge to survive. In fact, many boss fights can be won by focusing on a couple quick strikes and then dodging. These fights can be very intense and will sometimes require the use of magic or abilities to win. Many also feature dramatic quick time events to win and help tell the story. Fortunately, these fights can be very fun, very challenging, and also very rewarding. Some bosses will even look familiar to long time Castlevania fans.

A very menacing vampire boss.

Enemies vary from lycans and giant spiders, to specters and animated armors. Many of the enemies are very much a part of previous Castlevania games, and defeating them unlocks information in the beastiary just like previous games. However, there are some new ones such as goblins and trolls. It seems the developers wanted to make something of a dark fairy tale as opposed to the straight-up horror-inspired iterations of the past. Even Pan, a mythological goat god of sorts, makes an appearance. While some may complain, these creatures are not too far from the Castlevania creature spectrum that they do not feel like they belong. And more importantly, they are fun to kill.

"Use the fo-" "The force?" "The fork! Use the fork!"

The only problem is that goblins, trolls and lycans are far too generic, and far too common for about one third of the game. This is what leads to some of the tediousness of the early game. But fortunately, it gets better as the game goes along.

For the umpteenth time..... *yawn*

However, I would be remiss not to mention the worst enemy in the game, the chupacabra. First of all, it does not make any sense why it is even called that. Chupacabras are usually known as "goat suckers." They are most often depicted to be odd spined creatures that are quick and drain the blood of their prey. In this game, the chupacabra is a mysterious, magical little man-creature-thing that wears a hooded robe and steals your magic and relics, making the game tedious and annoying for a while until you catch it. How someone would confuse this annoying creature with a blood sucking creature is a mystery. They are nothing alike. Chupacabras are extremely annoying and mostly serve to artificially lengthen the game for a short amount of time.

"My name makes no sense."

Also of note are Titans. If you have played Shadow of the Colossus, then you have an idea about these enemies. Titans are large enemies you must climb in order to attack the magical runes that make them work. Using your platforming skills is essential in defeating these enemies. They can be tough and require a lot of good timing to make your way from rune to rune.

"Pfft..... that's not so big."

Now, aside from all the fighting, thankfully, platforming breaks up the monotony. You must jump across large chasms, as well as shimmy along steep cliffs. The Combat Cross doubles as a grappling hook to help you traverse the levels as well.

"Wee!"

If Lords of Shadow had to be compared to a previous game, Super Castevania IV would be it. Both feature open landscapes mostly outside a castle. In fact, both feature a similar map screen showing its Belmont's path to the end of the game. Thus, LoS eschews the popular Metroidvania style for a more classic, linear adventure. However, there are plenty of secrets to uncover, such as hidden gems that lengthen your life and magic bars, as well as upgrades to the amount of subweapons you can carry. You have to explore the levels thoroughly to find them. The map screen even shows your completion percentage and what you have left to do. Completionists will also want to beat each level on the hardest difficulty as well as complete extra challenges that unlock after finishing the levels. Fortunately, you can go back to any level at any time you wish.

Maybe a bit un-Castlevania-like.

While lush green landscapes may not sound right in the Castlevania series, there are plenty in LoS that do. Ancient ruins, burning villages, underground caverns, and desert wastelands are some of the great settings in this game. The only downside is that it takes a while to build up to these settings. In fact, going back to the first third of the game feeling somewhat tedious, the first third also somewhat feels like a different game. As mentioned, it is almost like they were going for something more fairy-tale like. And after a third of the way through, Konami came in and made them go a different direction. As if they came in and said, "This is a Castlevania game now." And it gets better after that first third because of it. In fact, there are some great staples from the series here such as a library, clocktower (complete with lots of platforming), and of course, a castle full of vampires.

Now THIS is very Castlevania-like.

The game also has plenty of puzzles for further variety. Unfortunately, the puzzles are hit or miss. Some are just environmental puzzles where you figure out what to push or pull and where in order to advance. Others are a bit obtuse. Overall, they are welcome to help with pacing, variety, and fun. But some could have just been left out.

So...... what the $@#% am I supposed to do now?!

Further dragging this game down are the technical issues. First, the camera is static. There are no camera controls. This is not too bad as for the most part the camera does not get in the way. But it is a bit archaic compared to most games today. Furthermore, the camera is shaky a lot. Sometimes it seems like this is done for effect. Giving an ominous feeling to what is going on. Other times, it feels like they just did not know how to make it steady.

However, the biggest flaw is that when you are confronted with multiple enemies there is considerable slowdown. The game even came to a complete stop when swarmed with a myriad of specters at once during the third act of the game. It should be noted, that this happened only a few times (maybe 3 or 4) during gameplay for me and during the final third of the game. However, it seems this can vary from person to person from some research I did. It is a shame because the game actually looks great both graphically and artistically. Unlocking game design pieces is definitely one of the highlights of this game.

My game looked a lot like this photo.... completely still for several seconds!

While this review has been nitpicking, there is also plenty of positive in this game. In particular, the voice acting and story are superb. The narrative is interesting and keeps you playing to find out Gabriel's fate. Throughout the game, each level is narrated by Gabriel's comrade Zobek, played by Patrick Stewart. The best part of these narrations is that they throw in a lot of winks towards long-time Castlevania fans. Furthermore, while I will not spoil anything, the ending is quite good. And it definitely makes one wonder where Konami will go with this new series.

"Gabriel Belmont will make those vampires cry bloody tears with that cross of his. You could call it a real vampire killer. Hang in there dear friend. Vanquish the symphony of the night with your iron blue intention you tragic prince. Soon we will dance of pales to the moonlight nocturne....." *wink*

The sound department also did an amazing job in this game. You feel like you really are in the environments. The music is also fantastic which is reassuring due to the series' pedigree in that department. Unfortunately the soundtrack is missing classic songs from previous games. There is one classic song that pops up in a surprising format which is a nice touch. While not necessary, it would have been great if they could have worked in some more of the classic music. But what they have is great already.

Castlevania fans have long been dreaming of that great 3D game to finally hook them in and this game definitely has a lot going for it. Despite the slow start, the game slowly gets better the more you dig into it. The player is rewarded with experimenting with combat and exploring previously visited levels. And the game definitely gets going upon completion of the first act, only getting better with the second and third act. And the truth is, that while Lords of Shadows does borrow elements from God of War and Shadow of the Colossus, it borrows the best parts, while mostly staying true to what Castlevania is about. What we have is a flawed, but very good start for Castlevania in the next-gen. If Konami can address the issues with the first game, Lords of Shadow can spawn a really great 3D series to complement the original 2D one. Unfortunately, the technical flaws and slow beginning bring this otherwise enjoyable game down a notch. Thus, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow earns a 7.5 out of 10.

"Where do you go Belmont's theme?" *wink*
"Quiet you!"

Talk about dissection! Don't let my nitpicking deter you from checking this game out. If you are a Castlevania fan, this game is worth a playthrough. I was hoping to do reviews for Order of Ecclesia and Harmony of Despair so keep an eye out for one of those soon.

Happy holidays to you all and happy gaming!

See you again soon!

Super Mario Galaxy 2 Review

2010-10-25T19:29:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome to a long overdue edition of the Doctor's Prognosis! I am your humble host, Dr. C-LOS. Been very busy with work and school but everything is going really well. In the spirit of the month of Halloween, I have been playing both Castlevania: Lords of Shadow on the 360, and Castlevania: Harmony of Despair for XBox Live. My friend pointed out that Castlevania: Lords of Shadow abbreviated is C-LOS. :P

Now on to the main event!

SUPER MARIO GALAXY 2 REVIEW

Super Mario Galaxy won the coveted Doctor's Prognosis' Game of the Year award back in 2007. So this sequel had a lot to live up to. Would Nintendo simply rest on their laurels and churn out the same old kind of stuff we saw last time? Fortunately, they did not.

The whole game could have looked like this and we all would have still bought it.

While SMG2 does indeed have many similarities to the first game (collecting stars, crazy gravity, etc.), the developers went out of their way to inject fresh challenges throughout. For example, Nintendo could have relied heavily on the old power-ups such as Ghost Mario and Bee Mario. Instead, while still present, these power-ups are scarce. Thus making room for the new power-ups such as the boulder-like Rock Mario, and the platform-creating Cloud Mario. Such new power-ups create new challenges for Mario to overcome.

My favorite new power-up, Cloud Mario, can create up to 3 platforms anywhere!

One of the best new power-ups, is also an old friend: the return of Yoshi! Point the Wii remote at enemies on screen to help Yoshi gobble them up and earn you star bits. Yoshi, just like the other power-ups, presents new challenges to overcome such as using Yoshi's tongue to swing around the levels, or eating certain fruits to gain even more abilities. One such fruit is the blue fruit which turns Yoshi blue, fills him with air, and allows him to float around for a bit. Red fruits make Yoshi red and give him the ability to run really fast for a while. Learning to use Yoshi will get you very far in the game and is a big part of the fun and challenge.

Yoshi changes color and gains special abilities when he eats certain fruits.

Of course with all the new power-ups comes some great new level designs creating new challenges whether it is tailored to using the power-ups, or simply testing your timing and patience. Nintendo got very wicked with their level designs and present a game even more challenging than the previous one. Difficulty will range from very easy, to extremely hard.

Awesome boss fights are another part of the fun and challenge.

The beauty about SMG2 is that it can appeal to anyone of any age and of any ability in playing games. There are many ways to go throughout the game and collect stars that new gamers can avoid the more difficult levels and challenges. Meanwhile, hardcore gamers will relish the difficulty of obtaining every star (this reviewer lost about 50 men, and the feeling in his arms, just to get the final star).

You might feel like this after getting all the stars. I did.

Also worth mentioning, the music is just as good as the previous game. Once again, Nintendo did not rest on their laurels and composed a lot of new music. Of course, there are some from the last game, but those are used sparingly. And of course, there are still arrangements of Mario games of yore. But they always seem to be used where it seems most appropriate as opposed to just being thrown in for nostalgia sake. And more importantly, purple coins are back (in both the level and musical sense)!

As has been the focus of this review, Nintendo could have indeed been lazy and churned out a game very similar to what we had in the first Super Mario Galaxy and it would still have been a great game. But instead we have an incredible game with some imaginative level design, and some wicked difficulty. The game is also much more streamlined, eschewing the giant spaceship world hub for a Mario-shaped spacecraft that will quickly take you to the level you want. And while it would be pushing it to say they raised the bar as much as they did with the first SMG, it would also be extremely difficult to find anything objectively wrong with the game. This is a game where if you die, it is your own fault. Not because the camera was in the way, or because the game was unfair, but because you timed your jump incorrectly, or pushed the analog stick too far to the right. There are not many games like that out there but Mario usually seems to fit into this category. And this Mario game definitely fits into that category. And that is why, with some hesitation, and still unable to come up with any good reason to the contrary, Super Mario Galaxy 2 gets a 10 out of 10.

"Yahoo!" "Yoshi!"

I hope you enjoyed my review! I almost did not give the game a 10 because of the motion controlled levels. It was my least favorite part but I realized I still could not put my controller down and had fun doing them. And they were really challenging. Nintendo is diabolical I tell you!

And yes I really did get every single star. And yes it did take me about 50 lives to get the last one. My arm was in terrible condition by the time I got it. If you want to know, the last star takes place in the most difficult level in the game, and you have to finish it without getting hit a single time! You must be masochistic to attempt it! Or stupid...... Oh wait! :P

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the latest edition of The Doctor's Prognosis! Hopefully the next one won't be so far off. Don't forget to make another appointment! See you soon!

Come On Over (All I Want is You)

2010-08-07T16:38:00.000-07:00

I just got tagged by a friend on another site, and I haven't done a blog in a while so here goes:

1. Put Your iTunes (or other music player) on Shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. You must write down the name of the song no matter how silly it sounds!
4. Put any comments in brackets after the song name.
5. Tag at least 10 friends.
6. Anyone tagged has to do the same, because fun pointlessness spreads like a virus

Just so you know, these songs were limited by being on my Macbook, which is only a fraction of the music I own. Most of my music is rock music like Tool, STP, Nirvana, etc. But none of that is on my Macbook.

1. If someone says, "Is This Okay?" You Say:
Alma, Corazon, y Vida - Los Panchos (An old Ecuadorian song. Title means "Soul, Heart, and Life.")

2. How would you describe yourself?
Just One Thing - Morning Jacket (actually have not listened to this song before but not bad at all)

3. What do you like in a guy/girl?
Laugh About It - N.E.R.D. (I love a girl with a good sense of humor)

4. How do you feel today?
Damaged - Danity Kane (LOL)

5. What Is Your Life's Purpose?
I'm Yours - Jason Mraz (I guess I just need to find the girl I belong too)

6. What is your motto?
Details in the Fabric - Jason Mraz (a song about being strong on your own)

7. What do your friends think of you?
Violet Hill - Coldplay (Not sure what that means. It is a great song open to interpretation. Might be about love or war or love in war?)

8. What do you think of your parents?
Sleeping Lessons - The Shin (They could teach me about how to go to bed earlier I guess. I'm a night owl.)

9. What do you think about very often?
Last Night a Passenger - Brandon Boyd (Great new song by the lead singer of Incubus. Very dreamlike, I feel that I do daydream a lot so I think it fits.)

10. What is 2+2?
Everybody Get Dangerous - Weezer (lolwut)

11. What do you think of your best friend?
Crimson Red - The Rapture (I don't mean any harm to my best friend despite this title)

12. What do you think of the person you like?
Dirrty - Christina Aguilera (LOL! I got this song for a friend. Never knew it could come in handy with a question like this.)

13. What is your life story?
Picture This - Danity Kane (Once again, I like to daydream and imagine the new. Picture This shows my creative side.)

14. What do you want to be when you grow up?
End of the Road - Boyz II Men (To reach my goals fo sho! Well I am a grown up, but there's always more to accomplish.)

15. What do you think of when you see the person you like?
Light Powered - Deastro (Crushin' on a girl gives me energy? Feel like I'm powered by the cosmos! lol)

16. What will you dance to at your wedding?
Dynamo of Volition - Jason Mraz (This is actually a really cool song. Danceable fo sho. Especially the Kid Icarus part.)

17. What will they play at your funeral?
Here Comes Everyone - Brandon Boyd (A song about the bad we do to this world. I warned ye! Now I'm dead! lol)

18. What is your hobby/interest?
Are We In This Together - Day26 (Well I love being with my friends and family so this works.)

19. What is your biggest fear?
Only Human - Jason Mraz (Another song about the weaknesses of man. I guess I'm afraid of always letting myself fall into line and making the same mistakes others do. I want to be able to say I rose above expectations.)

20. What is your biggest secret?
A Night Without Cars - Brandon Boyd (A song that I believe is about rising above human trappings and living life to its fullest. Definitely something I want to feel I can achieve.)

21. What do you think of your friends?
Canada vs America - Broken Social Scene (Not sure what to think about this one. The song doesn't make too much sense but the artist name does LOL. Maybe my friends are all trying to fight against something much bigger than they can handle? Haha jk.)

22. What will you put as the title?
Come On Over (All I Want is You) - Christina Aguilera (LMAO this will get me some hits for sure... Or scare them off lol.)

And I shall tag....

Nobody! This ends here.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my little list. I'll try to do a real blog soon. But I got a bachelor party to run next week and a wedding to be a part of. Maybe I'll let you guys know about that. Or maybe I can do a Mario Galaxy 2 review? Or an Inception review? Or be lazy about blogging and go out instead? Stay tuned. :P

My Newest Short Films

2010-07-18T15:33:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome to The Doctor's Prognosis!

Well it was a long time between my last two posts but with good reason. As mentioned in my last post, I was hard at work on a couple of films, among other projects. So it only makes sense to present you now with my newest films!

Now my films are very short. I find that most people don't want to spend a half hour watching a film from a nobody on the Internet. So I make it a point to keep them as short as possible. And when editing, I try to "cut out the fat" in the footage. Sometimes, it's easy to fall into a trap of wanting to get all the footage you like into the film. But this only hurts the film. You have to take a step back and ask yourself, "Does this really fit? Is it already said elsewhere in the film?" This prevents the film from dragging and keeps it entertaining. So I really hope you enjoy my films because I put a lot of work into them.

THE ENTERTAINER

This is a very short narrative film. It stars my brother, Luis, and his girlfriend, Jackie, as the leads. Can the dorky magician win the heart of the young lady? Find out now.....

ABUELITA

This is a very short documentary and tribute to my abuelita, my grandmother. Features interviews with my immediate family and some old Ecuadorian music (which my grandma loves).

I really hope you enjoyed my films. Let me know what you think. I am always open to feedback.

I have two older films I have posted online as well. One is a short chase film, and the other a short documentary on magic. You can reach them on my YouTube page. I hope to make more films in the future so please look forward to those projects.

Thanks for making another appointment with The Doctor's Prognosis! See you next time!

E3 Musings

2010-06-23T17:48:00.000-07:00

Welcome to another edition of The Doctor's Prognosis! It has been months since I have had the time to do one of these things. I created a couple of short films I would like to share with you, but today I'm focusing on my thoughts on E3.

MICROSOFT

I had been a little under the weather last week, but I was able to keep up with news thanks to Gamespot.com and G4TV. I watched all the big keynotes, and Microsoft disappointed me with their conference. I thought it focused just a little too much on casual gamers. From a business standpoint, it makes a lot of sense. The Wii did extremely well with this demographic, and both Sony and MS are looking to capitalize as well.

I have to say, nothing about Kinect excites me. But then again, I'm not the demographic for games like Kinectimals. Hopefully, they can come out with something core gamers will like as well.

Now despite this casual gamer showing, MS did show some quality games.

Gears of War 3 looked amazing. Not a revolutionary game by any means but it looks to improve on the formula we have come to expect. What has me excited is the ability to play as the different types of Locusts such as Tickers, Wretches, and Berserkers. This is called Beast Mode. It will be a lot like Horde Mode, except you are Locusts protecting yourselves from waves of humans. This should add a fun twist to gameplay.

I admit, Metal Gear Solid Uprising did not have my attention when it was first announced. But the trailer shown at E3 won me over. It just looks so awesome to be able to cut through just about anything in the game. And with so much precision too. I hope it turns out well. I will definitely be keeping my eye on this one.

SONY

I have to admit, I don't remember much about Sony's conference. Not much I liked anyway. That can't be a good thing.

Killzone 3 looked pretty good if you like that series. It will be in 3D, which is kind of cool. I still think 3D is a bad gimmick for TV and console gaming. The fact that it requires special glasses and an expensive new TV means very few people will be taking advantage of it.

Gran Turismo looked good too if you are into racing sims. I'm not but I can see the appeal. Maybe one day they will release it?

Oh wait! This was epic.....

NINTENDO

Here we have a company who seemingly forgot about the core gamer, to focus on the casual gamer. Even Sony and MS are shifting gears towards casual gamers to get a piece of that pie. But Nintendo came out full force and gave us all what we wanted: core games.

New Legend of Zelda? Sold! Seriously though, the new Zelda game looks great. The art style seems to mix both Wind Waker's cell-shaded/cartoony look with Twilight Princess' more adult look. The one thing I am a little worried about is the shift to making the Wii motion controls more involved with the gameplay. I was fine with the way it was with Twilight Princess. Let's hope it comes together well. But this is Nintendo, and I can't remember a bad Zelda game outside of the Philips CD-i. And Nintendo did not make those bad games anyway.

I was very surprised to see a new GoldenEye game. This was the first FPS I ever enjoyed. I always got motion sickness from games like Doom and Wolfenstein. But further than that, GoldenEye on the N64 introduced a great multiplayer game. I would say it set the bar at that time. I would have friends come over with their N64 controllers so we could have GoldenEye parties. Since there were always much more than four of us, we would alternate so everyone could have a turn. Needless to say, the new GoldenEye has huge shoes to fill. Here's hoping it turns out well.

THIS was what won E3 for Nintendo for me. Sure they had a lot of great games to show, but the 3DS is looking like a great little handheld. 3D without glasses? And a new Kid Icarus after so many years? Yes please! the graphics on the games are looking great so far. Can't wait to see what the 3D looks like. I need to get my hands on one of these. And I cannot wait for this new Kid Icarus. I just hope it ends up playing well after waiting all these years.

Nintendo also showed a new Donkey Kong Country for the Wii, as well as the new Metroid game from Team Ninja. They also announced several older games for the 3DS such as Star Fox and Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Let's hope Nintendo can keep it up with the good news. By focusing on the core gamer, Nintendo came out of E3 with the best buzz, and for me, the winner of E3.

I hope you all enjoyed the return of The Doctor's Prognosis. Hopefully I can keep it up more often than I have been this year so far. Don't forget to make a future appointment with the lady at the front desk on your way out. See you next time! :-)

Borderlands Review and my Games of the Year

2010-01-15T18:23:00.000-08:00

Welcome to another Doctor's Prognosis! Today I will review Borderlands and give you my best games of 2009! Now I haven't played that many games this past year so it is a very short list. But quality over quantity my friends. First up is the review...

BORDERLANDS REVIEW

If Call of Duty and Diablo had a baby, it would be called Borderlands. This game came out in October and I am still playing it. That's how fun it is. The story is unintelligible, but you aren't playing this for the story. This is what you call a "loot-hoarding" game. It's extremely addictive simply because you want to keep playing to see what you can find next. And every weapon plays and feels differently so you definitely want to try them all out before deciding to sell.

Each weapon is unique so pay attention to it's attributes and compare them to your current weapons.

You have 4 classes to choose from and each one can be customized with a skilltree based on how you want to play. So the game is very flexible for different playstyles. Also, leveling up feels satisfying because you can allocate a skill point on your skill tree. Plus new and stronger weapons and items become available to use that you couldn't at lower levels.

Playing with up to 3 friends makes this game even more fun. Just make sure you play with people you know. There are some jerks out there.

Also of note is the great art design. It looks like a graphic novel come to life. It really helps lend character to the game and makes it stand out among the myriad shooters out there.

Lilith (Siren Class) and Claptrap (yellow robot buddy) look great with the unique graphic novel look.

But if this game is so addicting and fun, why isn't it my Game of the Year? Well it has some serious flaws. The music isn't so great but that's not a big deal breaker. Also, you fight a lot of the same enemies throughout the game. But the biggest flaw is the myriad glitches in the game. And I don't mean just "weird stuff in midair" type glitches but "Holy crap I lost my awesome shield mod" type glitches.

Notice you can customize your character's name and color scheme. Weapon proficiencies will level up depending on what you use most.

Yes this game is lots of fun and you will always be finding cool equipment to use but when you have to be so careful not to lose your hard-earned items, well that's just too big of a flaw. Thankfully, developer Gearbox has fixed some of the glitches since launch. But one of the new DLC caused this reviewer to lose some really cool gear. That's just too big to overlook.

Mad Moxxi(from the new DLC) will give or take advantages between Waves such as taking your shield away. If you're not careful, you may lose your shield for good like this reviewer did.

So, it is due to these flaws that I make Borderlands one of my Game of the Year runner-ups, and give it an 8 out of 10.

STREET FIGHTER IV

Not in this game.

This is another Game of the Year runner-up! Fortunately there are no horrible Borderlands type glitches, and Street Fighter IV boasts an evolution in gameplay from both SF2 and SF3. However, it still lacks some features that have become common in fighting games. Specifically the online gameplay is missing a few features such as being able to mimic arcade play with spectators. Fortunately, many of these issues will be addressed for the upcoming SUPER Street Fighter IV.

Super Street Fighter IV sees the return of Guy, Cody, Adon, Dee Jay, T. Hawk....... is that a kunai Guy is deflecting? Hmmm.....

Street Fighter IV is a great reintroduction into the series after a long hiatus. I originally gave it a 9 out of 10. But it is difficult to make it GotY when an improved version with more stages and characters (such as the Korean Tae Kwon Do fighter Juri) is coming out in only a few months. But if you love fighting games, you can't go wrong with the new SF4 series. Maybe just wait for the new Super SF4 coming out in the Spring.

According to a rumored list of additions (which has been correct thus far), a new character will be Hakan, a Turkish oil wrestler which will probably look something like the preceding picture...... (O_o)

Expect Dudley, Ibuki, and Makoto to also be announced sometime soon for SSF4. In the meantime, brush up your skills players!

GAME OF THE YEAR

Is anyone really surprised by my choice?

Batman: Arkham Asylum had very little flaws. I gave it a 9 out of 10. But it had no game-breaking glitches like Borderlands, and you didn't have to worry about people disconnecting after a hard won fight like in Street Fighter IV. Instead you had a great game inspired by the likes of Metroid and Zelda. The only disappointment was that the boss fights could have been better. But this is a very small gripe as there is plenty to love about the game. With great stealth elements, a deep fighting system, great voice acting, and an awesome story, you can't go wrong with Arkham Asylum.

If you like Batman, or just action/adventure games, buy this game! And hurry up because the sequel was announced recently!

I hope you enjoyed my year in review of the best games of 2009. What was your Game of the Year? See you next time! :-)

Reviews: District 9, Nein, Nine!

2009-12-25T15:11:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everybody! And welcome to another edition of The Doctor's Prognosis!

Since I just got District 9 on BD (with God of War III demo), I thought it would be cool to do some movie reviews.

So what do District 9, Nine, Inglourious Basterds, and 9 have in common? Not much really but they do have the word "nine" in there somewhere. Weak I know. :-P

Anyway, on to some short reviews!

9

This is an animated short that got turned into a feature film. And it was only decent. The problem is the story is pretty predictable. You can't shake the feeling that you have seen this before. Nonetheless, some of the imagery is pretty good. And I get the feeling that this will be a good film for kids in their early teens. Something visually appealing but with a little more maturity than the Saturday morning cartoons. That makes this movie only decent, and not great. I just can't fully recommend it with better movies around.

"Hi I'm the protagonist. You sound female so you must be my love interest! Now let's go find the kind sidekick and the old bigot who's scared of change!"

9 is worth a rental if you're curious but that's about it. Mild thumbs down.

Inglourious Basterds

Now this was a great film. It isn't as balls-to-walls violent as you may think. But it is a fun film that builds its tension up before a final release. And everything building up to that climax is great too. There is a lot of humor here and some great characters. Brad Pitt is hilarious as Lt. Raine, and Christoph Waltz is great as the villain you love to hate.

Did you like 9? "Nein nein nein nein nein!"

If you don't like Tarantino films, well I'm not so sure this will change your mind. But this was a thoroughly enjoyable film for me. Big thumbs up for this one.

District 9

I really liked this film too. The protagonist starts out as someone who is kind of a joke and develops into something of a hero. There is also some cool sci-fi eye candy including some crazy violence. But this movie does have a very human element to it which makes it endearing.

Now who's buying me one of these? You never have to worry about parking!

I don't think everyone will like it, but I enjoyed it and thought it was one of the best films of the year. It's now available on video so go pick it up (remember it comes with a God of War III demo) or at least rent it. Another big thumbs up.

I really hope you enjoyed my short reviews! I also hope you all have a great holiday weekend! Merry Christmas to everyone. Here is a little something to say thanks for supporting my blog.

See you next time! :-)

Batman: Arkham Asylum Review

2009-11-20T11:11:00.000-08:00

Welcome to another edition of the Doctor's Prognosis! Just so you know, this review is for the 360 version of Arkham Asylum. And I managed to get every achievement..... not to brag or anything. :-P

Batman's history in games haven't been very good. He's fared better than Superman for sure, but has never had a great game until now.

Batman: Arkham Asylum borrows its biggest story elements from the graphic novel Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth. Joker lures Batman to the asylum, the asylum becomes a trap, and now Batman must survive the night or become like those he imprisons. But there is a lot more to it than that in order to flesh out the story for a game. And Paul Dini (famed writer of Batman: The Animated Series, LOST, Tiny Toon Adventures, and more) did an admirable job of penning the story. It has quite a bit new story elements plus a twist on a mystery from the original graphic novel.

The game also borrowed elements from games like Metroid and Legend of Zelda. The map is has a large hub of sorts with an outside area. But you have mostly long hallways and narrow corridors when inside the buildings. Yet it is still open-ended in that respect. As you go through the game, everything opens up more and new gadgets will gain you access to new areas in places you have been before. There are also some rooms involving Zelda-esque platforming which includes running, jumping, climbing, and using gadgets to traverse the area. It is fun to go back and discover new areas or just explore. Just be ready to open a huge amount of grates by tapping the X button.

Joker (in the background) is pulling the strings and has locked the Caped Crusader in the asylum.

Exploring can reward you with nice finds like audio tapes that help you understand the sinister villains by listening in on recorded sessions conducted by Arkham doctors. You might also find Riddler Challenges. The Riddler has set up challenges in every area of the game. This includes finding trophies, solving riddles by taking "photographs" of the area, and destroying chattering teeth. These challenges will net you experience and sometimes unlockables like character trophies or biographies. The character trophies are just like the ones from Smash Bros. except they are higher res but much fewer in number.

A big part of exploring, and the rest of the game really, is the Detective Mode. Link always had Navi to help him, Batman has this mode to help. Batman's eyes turn white and he gains the ability to see enemies through walls and which ones are armed. It also tells you what parts of walls and ceilings might be unstable for use with explosives or the Batclaw. It also highlights grates and Riddler Trophies. Some riddles can only be solved by being in Detective Mode. And that is the problem. There is almost no reason in the game to not be in Detective Mode because you might notice something you would not have otherwise. And it makes being stealthy much easier when you know the enemy is on the other side of the wall. The only time you might want to not use it is for to admire the graphics or to make combat easier.

Detective mode in action.

Dispatching enemies is well done. Rocksteady said they wanted to concentrate on what made you feel like you were playing as Batman but at the same time it had to be fun. They did this by having separate gameplay elements that still worked well together.

The combat is simple but deep. You only have one attack button, but you also have stun, counter, and dodge at your disposal. Pressing the attack button will let out different attacks. Since Batman has so many attacks, it makes sense to just have one button do them all. But if all you do is mash attack, you will get beaten easily because you are often surrounded by many enemies at once. Sometimes, simply attacking a foe just isn't enough. Thugs with knives will block your attacks and those with tasers will hurt you if you attack head on. Learning to use stuns, counters, dodges, and more without taking damage will reward you with higher combos and experience points to use to improve the Dark Knight's arsenal.

Definitely a guy you want on your side.

You can later even use some of your gadgets within your combos. This can be difficult to use properly but can be done with practice and feels very satisfying.

Another big part of the gameplay includes the stealthy portions Rocksteady calls Predator Gameplay. Batman is known for his stealth and Predator Gameplay makes it easy to watch, strategize, and take out your enemies. As you take them out one by one, the remaining thugs will become scared. Their heart rate will climb and will react to noises in the environment. All the while, Joker taunts his own henchmen.

Rocksteady has mentioned that "stealth" usually means the main character in a game is weak and has to hide. But Batman is powerful and the Predator Gameplay does make you feel like you have the thugs at your mercy. Most of the game you can perch up on gargoyles and plan your attack which makes it fairly easy. But later on, you will have to take out enemies without the use of gargoyles. You will have to use floor escapes, grates, gadgets, and your wits.

Batman just plays around with his victims.

One disappointment in the combat area is the boss fight. With so many villains available, there are not too many boss fights. The Scarecrow challenges in the game are fun and well done, but not a real boss fight. Killer Croc's challenge is more about avoiding Croc than fighting. Which is disappointing because the game kind of builds up this confrontation with Killer Croc but you never really fight him. Poison Ivy is one of the few real boss fights and even that was a bit disappointing in execution. You will spend most of your combat time fighting thugs and Titans (thugs on a strain of Venom). This disappointment is further compounded by the fact that there are so many references to different characters in the Batman universe, and a few cameos. Overall, this makes it feel like missed opportunities.

Killer Croc shows up in the beginning of the game, only for a whole lot of nothing later on.

The story mode is not too long. It can be completed in around ten hours or less. To add playtime, you can spend a lot of time backtracking to finish all the Riddler Challenges you missed. While the game is not too difficult, playing the game a second time on Hard is recommended for an added challenge. On hard, the player cannot see the tell signs of an attack to counter (lightning bolts over the attacker's head), so one must watch the animations instead. Batman also cannot take as much damage.

For further playtime, Rocksteady added Challenge Maps. These maps are either for combat or Predator Gameplay. But each map has set goals to earn up to three medals. The combat maps require a particular score to earn medals (which is much more difficult than it sounds), while the Predator maps require taking out enemies in certain ways such as silent takedowns or using explosives. You can also compare your scores with friends and players around the world through the leaderboards.

Some of the challenge maps are more difficult and are labeled "Extreme." These maps may require even higher points with a time limit, or taking out thugs in a more particular order. They can be extremely challenging (hence the label) and may take up some more of your time to get every achievement in the game or just to beat your friend's score. Or they may drive you crazy and make you find solace in a real asylum.

Taking on multiple foes is no task for the Batman.

The sound in the game is great. The music is reminiscent of the Nolan films and fits the mood very well. It can be tense or even silent when it needs to be. The sound effects were also well done. The sound of a distant explosive taking out a thug is satisfying.

The voice acting in the game is also to be commended. Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, and Arleen Sorkin reprise their roles from The Animated Series as Batman, Joker, and Harley Quinn respectively. They all sound almost identical to the old roles, but Joker definitely has a darker tone to his voice which fits the game well. It is difficult to imagine anyone else doing the voices for these three. All the other roles in the game are also well done though I do miss the other Animated Series voice actors.

The graphic design is excellent. Taking inspiration from both the comics and the movies, we have a semi-realistic Batman and stylized villains that look larger than life but still work in this setting. Everything is very dark and gritty, and there is quite a bit of horrific sights to see if you explore the asylum. You can find jars with dismembered body parts and dead bodies are found throughout the playing field. Rocksteady put a lot of effort into the look and feel of the game and it shows.

Not someone you want to run into... anywhere.

Batman has had a shaky past in video games but Rocksteady has created a terrific game. While it is not perfect, the different elements combine to become not only the best superhero game ever, but one of the best of the year. There is definitely room to improve, but Rocksteady has earned a big recommendation from me.

The Doctor's Diagnosis: 9 out of 10

The Doctor's Halloween Movie Special!

2009-11-02T15:42:00.000-08:00

I know it is late but Happy Halloween everybody! And welcome to The Doctor's Prognosis!

Well it's been too long because I have been extremely busy with filmmaking, school, and even went to Hawaii for a week. I recently finished Batman (1000 Gamer Points) and found a new addiction with Borderlands. More on those two for another time.

As for a Halloween costume, I did dress up. I simply put on black slacks, a nice long-sleeve black dress shirt, nice black dress shoes, and a black shirt with Superman's red symbol. Yup. I was Clark Kent. But I call it "Classy Clark Kent" because of the sexy black. Whenever somebody asked who I was, I dramatically opened up my shirt as if I was staring off into the distance. I know. I'm a nerd. And sorry, I got no pics.

Now Halloween being one of my favorite holidays, and horror films being a pleasure of mine, I make it a habit to watch horror films throughout the month of October. So here are some good scary films I recommend.

HELLRAISER

I had never seen this film from beginning to end. Only bits and pieces as a kid since I could never seem to catch it from the start. Needless to say, the effects may not hold up that well today, but I think practical special effects lends a more visceral feel than CGI, which can be overused nowadays.

But one things that did hold up for this older film was the creepiness factor. When Pinhead shows up with the Cenobites, you cannot help but feel dread for the characters (except for Frank). And Pinhead is very scary when he says he will "tear your soul apart." Well no thanks to that whole process.

"I have such sights to show you.... and maybe a dinner and a movie later?"

The story was also strong because it deals with what feels like real people and a failing marriage. There is a lot of emotion behind these characters and the actors did great jobs. I definitely want to see the sequel now (though I hear I should stop at part II). I highly recommend Hellraiser. Just know that it is pretty gory.

THREE... EXTREMES

This is actually an anthology of 3 films. 1 Korean, 1 Japanese, and 1 from Hong Kong.

Box is the Japanese film. This one is very artistic but creepy too. It contains some great imagery. The cinematography is to be commended. There are different interpretations of what the ending means but I won't spoil that here. Great short.

Box has some great imagery but is a bit creepy as well.

Dumplings (from Hong Kong) was definitely the most unsettling of the 3 films. It deals with an aging actress attempting to regain her use from a mysterious cook who makes these special dumplings. The secret ingredient will disgust you. Apparently, this film became a feature length film. But I think it is fine as is in this anthology. Pretty good if you can stomach it. Ummm... pun not intended. :-P

Baking.... to the EXTREME!!

The last short was Cut from South Korea. From Wikipedia: "A successful film director and his wife are kidnapped by an extra, who forces the director to play his sadistic games. If he fails, his wife's fingers will be chopped off one by one every five minutes." This short had some dark humor in it for sure. While the story in Box is pretty clear depending on which interpretation you take, Cut has a confusing ending. It's not entirely certain what happens in the end but the whole is better than its parts.

"For every sprinkle I find, I shall kill you."

Overall a great anthology to check out for horror fans. Thumbs up.

DRAG ME TO HELL

As a fan of Sam Raimi's Evil Dead and Army of Darkness, I was looking forward to this film and it did not disappoint. I don't think it was quite as hectic as those films were but there was enough in there to satisfy. It thankfully did not take itself too seriously and delivered despite being only PG-13.

The staples are... becoming?

I really hope to see more horror from Raimi in the future (and if you haven't watched the great Bruce Campbell in the Evil Dead series, you need to go watch them now). Drag Me to Hell is one to watch.

Bruce Campbell: Prop Fighter.

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY

If you liked Blair Witch Project, you will probably like this one. I thought it was okay. It definitely had some creepiness factor to it though. But you are not missing much if you decide to skip it. I say rent it when it's out on DVD. Would be great to watch at home with surround sound.

This is about 30% of the movie.

GHOSTBUSTERS

No explanation needed. Not really horror but brilliant comedy. I make it a habit to watch this at least once a year. The sequel wasn't great but they are getting closer than ever on a third one. The script is being penned by the writers of The Office so I have some hope that it will be good. If you haven't seen this... what's wrong with you? Go watch it now!

"Anybody remember us? Hello? Jake Kong? HELLO?!"

That's all for today. Hopefully it won't be as long for my next post. I will likely do an Arkham Asylum review soon. And Borderlands is calling for my attention.

See you next time!

Bruno Review

2009-07-28T13:20:00.000-07:00

Welcome once again to the Doctor's Prognosis!

Just saw Bruno the other day so it's time for a new review. I never actually saw Ali G or Borat so I am new to Sacha Baron Cohen mockumentaries.

Velcro suits are the hot new thing in fashion.

Bruno is supposedly an Austrian homosexual who also wants to be a famous celebrity. And he doesn't care how he becomes one. This is what leads to Bruno involving himself in all sorts of crazy situations as he tries to get his face out there.

One such situation involves Bruno trying to get kidnapped by terrorists, just to get his face on TV! Another great segment involved adopting a young African baby and making him wear a shirt that said "Gayby" on it. It's a miracle Sacha didn't get himself killed making this movie.

Father of the year!

And this is where one of the problems of the film arises. The parts where Bruno puts himself into these situations with real people are funny, but the acted out parts just fall flat. They are really only there to move the "story" forward and lead into reasons why Bruno puts himself in these situations. But really, the film could have cut most these parts out and worked out just fine.

One such segment involves a gratuitous sex scene between Bruno and a Pygmy. It was all acted out and not really very funny. It was just ridiculous like, "No way! He put a bottle in his butt and served himself some champagne! Is that even real?"

Another problem is the abundance of penis. Yes, there is a lot of wang in this film. It makes sense at one point because they want us to see what some of Bruno's victims see. But be prepared to look away from the screen like I did.

Don't wear sunglasses with this outfit. That would just look ridiculous.

Despite it's problems, Bruno still manages to be very funny. As long as you can get over the gratuitous nudity and grossness, you can find yourself having a lot of fun with this film. Thumbs up.

Movie Reviews for Moon and Public Enemies

2009-07-15T18:34:00.000-07:00

Welcome once again to The Doctor's Prognosis!

One word of advice before moving on to the reviews: Never answer a jury summons..... Oh wait! I can't say that can I? OK then, please make sure to do jury duty. It's a right and a privilege or some other such nonsense. Oh wait! That was the same thing wasn't it?
>.>
<.<
/runs away

Public Enemies Review

Public Enemies was an odd experience because here I had actors I admire. I like Johnny Depp and Christian Bale, and Giovanni Ribisi makes an appearance. And the movie even starts with a jail breakout. So it sounds like a fun way to start the film. Yet for some reason, I never fully felt engaged with this film.

I thought Johnny Depp did a decent job as John Dillinger, and Christian Bale really didn't have much of a character to work with. It was just alright.

"I should have been in a better film."

Many times I felt like I should have been more enthralled by the gun fights, and some of them worked pretty well, but overall the film still felt dull.

Also working against the film were the myriad cliches. You will feel like you saw this film before and done better.

Public Enemies did get better as it went along. However, it never fully engaged me. I felt the same way about the trailer, but I was hoping that it would be good with the people involved. Unfortunately, it was just alright and just not worth watching with all the better movies available. Michael Mann should be ashamed. He can do better than this. Thumbs down.

Moon Review

This was a film I wanted to see since watching the trailer earlier this year. Starring Sam Rockwell as an astronaut that made a deal to work alone on the Moon for 3 years, this thriller harkens back to the style of sci-fi filmmaking we saw in the 60's and 70's. Moon eschews big CGI special effects for a story that's delves into the psyche.

One cannot talk about this film without talking about what an amazing job Sam Rockwell does with his acting. Sam Rockwell's character, Sam Bell, finds himself face to face with a clone that claims he was sent with the same contract to fulfill for 3 years. This leads to Rockwell acting with himself throughout the film. And to convince the audience that he is indeed two different people (albeit with the same DNA) is no easy feat.
Kevin Spacey also does a great job voicing Gerty, Sam's robotic buddy in the film.

Moon reminded me of something more akin to a Twilight Zone episode. Growing up watching and loving those kind of stories made Moon really shine. It took that kind of cerebral storytelling and made it modern again. I hope this means that more films of this kind could be on the horizon.

Director Duncan Jones should be proud of his work here. Jones has only one other directing credit under his name but his talent here should help propel him to more great work. I highly recommend anyone to watch this film if you like some old school sci-fi in your film. Big thumbs up.

Hope you enjoyed my reviews. If you're interested in watching the trailer to Moon, check it out here.
If you want to see what will surely be the best movie of the summer, click here.
If you're interested in Public Enemies, go get professional help.

Thanks for stopping by.
See you next time!

The First Prognosis!

2009-07-11T02:16:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the first ever Doctor's Prognosis! Exciting huh?

Not much to say right now except that I usually can't stop writing once I get started so I will keep it short and say that hopefully this will be one blog I update more regularly.
I put so much work in my older blogs on other sites, that I didn't even want to start them anymore because of how long it took me to finish. Seriously, I would put up all these pics and vids and links and it just took too much time.

Anyway, I will try to keep these short and to the point instead of articles which is how I'm used to writing. But we'll see where it goes.

But I do like posting pics so... here you go!

"Sailor Moon says.... hey what happened to my voice?"

See you next time! :-D