Braid on PC (10/10)

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Braid

Braid got a lot of critical praise when it was released for Xbox. When it went on sale for the PC on Steam for $4.99, I immediately grabbed it. For once, this is a game that actually lives up to the hype that surrounds it.

Braid uses standard 2-D platforming conventions like jumping around on enemies and prize collection, but what sets the game apart is its unique time-manipulation mechanic. At first, the ability to reverse time if you make a mistake seems like a rip-off of Prince of Persia: Sands of Time. In that game, reversing time only served as a “lives” or respawning system—a way to undo mistakes and try again. In Braid, this mechanic gets a major upgrade by adding items that always persist in time even when it’s being reversed. This simple addition makes time manipulation the means of solving puzzles rather than just an undo system. For example: if that time-persistent key is above a flaming pit that will kill you, you can still grab it and die, and then reverse time and the key will come back in time with you because it isn’t reversed back to its original position. Confusing? Trust me, you get used to it pretty quickly.

Just when you do get a handle on controlling time, the game mixes things up with each level. Various worlds have different time rules. In one world, your position on the screen determines where the play head on the time line is. Run right, time goes forward. Run left, it reverses. There are six levels, each of which has its own challenging rules.

If the game were just these mechanics it would still be a pretty great game. But, on top of all this, the game has an unconventional, painterly art style, wonderful music and a pretty interesting story to go with it. The story is presented solely as text at the beginning of each level. Admittedly, the writing feels like overly wordy English lit student writing—pretty much like every “community” interactive fiction game ever written—but it gets its point across in a way that at least feels artistic. This minor quibble aside, I think Braid ranks up there with Portal as one of the best games of the decade.

Coffy (7/10)

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Another Pam Grier blaxploitation film cut from the same cloth as Foxy Brown. This one is not as well paced or structured but it still satisfies. The overall revenge story works well and ends appropriately, however, there are several plot points introduced at the beginning which get lost in the mix much to the film’s detriment.

Flying Colours by C.S. Forester (9/10)

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Another great Hornblower tale. The action picks up right at the end of the previous book and keeps going all the way to the immensely satisfying ending. Most of this story takes place on dry land, and, unlike the earlier books, you get a closer look at some of the other secondary characters like Bush and Brown.

Foxy Brown (8/10)

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This is the first film I am watching in my Pam Grier film fest and it’s a good one. There plenty of over-the-top violence and action. The film is nicely paced for what is essentially a standard B-movie. There are points in the film where you are thinking, “They aren’t going to go there are they? …oh yes, they are!”

Meatball Machine (4/10)

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After seeing The Machine Girl I was itching for more Japanese splatter, but it turns out most of these movies suck. They say movies are becoming like video games, and that is definitely the case with Meatball Machine. Only this film is like an hour-and-a-half long cut scene from a 1992 era CD-ROM game. Boring, poorly acted and wastes about a third of the movie with close-ups of a stupid, fetus monster puppet.

Ship of the Line by C. S. Forester (9/10)

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Another exciting Hornblower sea tale. This one was a much better read than the last, although, outside of the title character, there still aren’t that many vivid characters. But, you can tell that Forester is beginning to lay the groundwork for larger story lines. The story here goes from one naval action to the next, each more exciting than the last.

Resident Evil 4 – Wii Edition on Nintendo Wii (9/10)

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Resident Evil Wii

This was another bargain purchase for me. Ten dollars on Amazon during one of their Gold Box sales. I’d have to say it was well worth the price.

I remember when this game came out it got all sorts of game of the year awards on G4 and such. After having played it through I can say it isn’t THAT good, but it is pretty good game, and one of the best Wii games I’ve played. However, if this were a PC game I would only consider it to be mildly above average compared to other PC shooters like Half Life 2. The movement controls are atrocious and the ugly, muddy palette is so 1998. You do get used to the clumsy movement after a half hour or so. I was willing to deal with the tank controls because, on the other hand (literally), using the wiimote as a shooting device works very well. Taking aim at monsters and zombies and blowing them away is very satisfying.

The game’s story moves along at good pace and the voice acting pretty good. I especially like the Spanish curses that get uttered by all the evil villagers. As the game progresses there’s a bit of variety thrown in to the gameplay that keeps it from getting too repetitive. Although, as the final chapter approached, I felt a bit of sameness fatigue setting in and was relieved after beating the final boss. There is a bunch of extra gameplay modes that get unlocked when you finish the game, so it looks like I’m not quite done with this one yet. This is an essential game for the Wii if you want something with a little more meat on it than the kiddie titles that dominate the platform. Despite my nagging, I’d highly recommend it.