February 23, 2005
Katamari of Love
Hello. My name is Zip, and I'm a Katamari-holic. I've been playing Katamari Damacy for about three weeks now, and I can't stop thinking about this game. It haunts my thoughts, my dreams...my everything! So, I have decided to unleash it upon everyone else.
Suckers!!!
The story is simple enough. You play as The Prince. 
Your father is The King of All Cosmos. 
So, Dad goes whizzin' though space one night on a drunken bender (like he does) and destroyed a bunch of stars, a few constellations, and the moon. Now, you have to clean up his mess. He can rebuild the stars and moon, but he needs an item the same size as the star he's replacing in order to do it. He sends you to Earth with a little ball called a katamari. The katamari acts like a magnet in that anything it touches will stick to it. The more items that stick to it, the bigger the ball gets until (eventually) it is the size you need. Once that occurs, the King tosses the ball up into the sky and *POOF*...it turns into a star.
(Oh, in case you were wondering, "katamari damacy" roughly translates to "clump of souls".)
That's it. Pure and simple. So, you're probably wondering, "Zip," you wonder (like you do), "what makes it so addictive?"
Two things: Originality and Music.
There is no game like this, and never will be (until the sequel later this year). It's simple, clever and fun as hell. There's no strategy, no violence, no complicated controls, no boss levels, no health packs...nothing that you would find in any other game. The characters are extremely likable. The design is oustanding. It's pure originality.
The music is not only the best of any game I've played in the past year, it might well be the best of any game I've ever played. EVER. Hell, it's better than most movie soundtracks! And that's really saying something, considering how varied the music style for each track is. Gamespot.com captures it best:
"The soundtrack is consistent only in how different one piece is from the next. The menus are at first accompanied by the filtered pluckings of an acoustic guitar, and then by what can best be described as a marching band composed of very small robots. The pipe-organ-laced synthesized vocal chorus that plays as you're briefed by the King of All Cosmos helps set such a surreal tone that it doesn't seem inappropriate that his voice sounds like DJ scratches. During the actual gameplay, you'll hear big swing-music sounds, an achingly sweet J-pop song, and some intensely bizarre electronic compositions that work hard to defy description. The quality of the soundtrack is high enough that it stands on its own as a catchy, quirky collection of music, though within the context of the game, it is an integral part of the experience."
As proof that I'm not alone in my addiction, here are three different LiveJournal communities dedicated to the game:
Katamari Damacy Fans
The Cult of Katamari
Katamari Damacy worship!
There's even a growing base of Katamari cosplay:
Pics from Katsucon 2005
It's even inspired an original song by some band called "Boxes".
But it's not just the gamers who are fans! The International Game Developers Association listed its nominations for the fifth annual Game Developers Choice Awards. Katamari Damacy earned four nominations, including Best Audio, Best Character Design, Best Game Design, and Best Game Overall. The nominees are chosen by game industry professionals, so you know it's gotta be good!
In GameSpy's 2004 Top 10 Games of the Year, it came in at number 10.
Gamespot.com awarded it Best Original Music, as well as Most Innovative Game of 2004.
Voodoo Extreme on IGN lists Katamari Damacy as the Number 1 PS2 game of 2004.
Time Magazine ranked the game at #4 in their list of Top 10 video games for 2004. That's one spot above GTA: San Andreas! TIME MAGAZINE!!!
The list goes on, but I'm sure you get the idea. If you play this game, you will fall in love with it. And it costs less than $20. I got it for $15! The only excuse you have for not playing it is if you don't own a PS2...but with the recent price drop and stores carrying used consoles readily available, that's starting to become a less viable excuse. >:)
I might upload a song or two from the soundtrack soon so you can get a taste of the goodness. Until then, enjoy the soundtrack cover art...
February 16, 2005
Hitchin' A Ride
UPDATE!!! - This trailer is playing in front of Constantine. Many might feel that this alone does not warrant a trip to the theater, but I can assure you that Constantine is not as bad as the critics are making it to be. I quite enjoyed it. Plus, you get to the see the Hitchhiker's trailer on the big screen!!!
SWEET SASSY MOLASSY!!!!!!!!!!
Click here for the official trailer to the upcoming movie The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy!!! Yes, it's in crappy streaming format, but still...SWEET SASSY MOLASSY!!!!!!!!
February 14, 2005
February 12, 2005
Phone Troubles
Since our house is in a valley, I can't get a signal worth a flip at home. Everywhere else is fine...just not at my house. I just upgraded my cell phone from "old and busted" to "new hotness", hoping that this might help the situation. It has not. In fact, a new complication has arisen.
The "new hotness" has a built-in feature that will not allow any incoming calls if the network signal is very weak or not detected at all. The idea behind this is to help prevent dropped calls and conserve battery power. After all, what's the point of using power to answer a call that's going to drop after a few seconds anyway?
BOTTOM LINE: If you call me and get no answer, PLEASE LEAVE A MESSAGE!!! It will notify me of any voicemail, and I will be able to call you back.
February 07, 2005
Terry Tate, Office Linebacker
UPDATE: Thanks to jolefay, here is a link where you can watch all of the commercials from this year's Superbowl.
As previously indicated, I didn't see the Superbowl last night. In fact, I didn't watch TV at all yesterday. But I found myself thinking about the commercials. Jason had pointed out this VW ad which still has me in a state of "shock and awe". Then, I was reminded of this ad Reebok ran two years ago - The Streaker. It was funny, but I never went to their website to "watch more".
This morning, through a series of web articles, I learned that I should have because there was much more to enjoy. Reebok had produced a series of extended comercials that put a football linebacker into a corporate office environment. Hilarity ensued. This definately piqued my attention, so I found links to these ads and watched them. I assure you, this is the best line of ads I've seen in years. Since I'm two years behind, you might have already seen these, but I'm posting them here for your viewing pleasure anyway. (Note: these are all in Windows Media Player format, except for "Sensitivity Training" which is in Quicktime format)
My personal favorite - OSPN Athlete of the Year
Mind you, I'm not trying to help push their product. I'm just sharing some refreshing comedy on this dreary Monday morning.
P.S. - Don't forget to watch the new TV spots for Batman Begins and War of the Worlds, as well - in glorious Quicktime.
February 04, 2005
R.I.P. - Ossie Davis
Ossie Davis, one of the leading figures of the African-American acting community, was found dead Friday morning in Miami. He was discovered in his hotel room in Miami Beach, where he was making a film called Retirement, which he had just begun filming. He was 87.
This man was an amazing performer and an amazing person. I don't think anyone could have had a more fulfilling life than Ossie Davis. He will truly be missed.
Read more here.
R.I.P. - John Vernon
John Vernon, best known as Dean Wormer in National Lampoon's Animal House, has died. He passed away in his sleep Tuesday following complications from a Jan. 16 heart surgery. He was 72.
His work as Dean Wormer was absolutely hysterical. That character became the basis for all comedic villians that followed, and no one has ever come close to matching his ability in such a role.
What's more surprising is his resume. He's been working in films for almost 50 years! His first role was doing the voice of Big Brother in a film version of 1984. He was the Mayor in Dirty Harry! In fact, he's worked with Clint Eastwood several times, as well as Lee Marvin, Alfred Hitchcock, Robert Redford, Walter Mathau, Ben Kingsley...the list goes on. He was the bad guy in Ernest Goes to Camp, for God's sake!!! ERNEST GOES TO CAMP!!!!!!
He will be missed.
Read more here.
February 01, 2005
Don't Feed the Plant!
The Broadway revival of "Little Shop of Horrors" is playing at the Fox Theatre this week. It's my favorite musical. Ever. I have two tickets for the Sunday evening show (starting at 6:30pm).
Who wants to come with me?
Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
ADDENDUM: I understand that it is the same night as the Superbowl, but I look at it like this:
The Superbowl happens every year. "Little Shop of Horrors" will probably never play at the Fox Theatre ever again in our lives.
Theatre enriches our lives. No matter how you try to spin it, football does not.
Plus, there's the added element of being at a live event as opposed to sitting in someone's living room (or a crowded bar) watching television. We only watch it for the commercials, anyway. Search your feelings...you know it to be true!