Men in Tights, Pointless Updates, and Adventures in High Definition

Yeah, I could have updated yesterday. But I didn't just because I could. So there.

Ever since watching "Superman Returns", I'd been wondering about Superman films generally, and I remembered I actually have the original on my DVD shelf. So I put it in and watched it (as I believe is the current style). It wasn't too bad actually, apart from being INCREDIBLY camp. It's amazing how much of the dialogue was essentially stolen for "Superman Returns", although I guess it could be called a "reimagining". Also, Superman is the only film I've ever seen that sets up the plot of the sequel before establishing the plot of the actual film. KNEEL BEFORE ZOD, and so forth.

I bought the update for the iPod touch the other day, purely so I could get Rolando 2, which I have REALLY been looking forward to. But, because I only have an iPod touch, it's apparently my job to pay for the update. Grr. SO I bought it, but unfortunately I now don't have enough iTunes credit to buy the new Rolando, which sucks big time... So I now have the ability to copy and paste text, but no new game. I fail at everything =)

I've also been watching many a high definition video recently, just because the option is there and I've got the time to let it render, or buffer, or whatever. Videos on YouTube are quite good, especially Fallout 3, which is a noticeable improvment from all the blur you get on regular videos. The Simpsons looks very strange in HD, but the new intro sequence is cool. Unfortunately, I don't know anything about the specs of my screen so it could be a waste of time really... Meh.

Oh, I have the Determinance demo on my PC. I should really play it at some point...

Platform Wars; PC (or laptop, whatever)

Since I have bugger all else to write about (except completing Wolfenstein on my iPod) I thought I'd rabbit on about old games that no-one cares about, just like internet phenomenom, Yahtzee. It has nothing to do with the fact that all my PC games are already neatly stacked like that coz I just cleaned out the PC cabinet. To the left, we can see said stack. So, let's get started. I'm working from bottom up, in no particular order, although it's essentially order of preference.

12. World of WarCraft

I should point out, it's not at the bottom because I hate it. It's there because if I leave it lying around, it might attach to me Venom-style and cripple my already struggling social life. Maybe one day I will return to Renegade, the Troll Hunter... But I really doubt it, that bitch took half a year of my life, and I sucked at it.

11. Sonic Adventure DX

Oh Sonic Adventure DX.... Where SEGA first decided what Sonic fans wanted was to play as a bunch of characters no-one had ever heard of. Yeah, that makes a whole heap o' sense... In a sort of kitch way, this isn't too bad. The fishing mini-game was crap, the story was awful, but it has the "so-bad-it's-good" vibe going for it. Oh and Chaos is a fantastic word, so you know, bonus points there.

10. The Simpsons Hit and Run

Like GTA meets the Simpsons. Honestly, bit of a train wreck on the PC, but I managed with it. Didn't run too well as I recall, but that's because my computer is like 4 years old... Actually, now that I think of it, this came free with Season Four of The Simpsons. I got it from Woolworths, sadly no longer with us...

9. The Sims 2

Technically, this game isn't mine, but I don't care. I played it the most, so it counts as mine. I never really got the point in the Sims... It just stressed me out that I couldn't manage a family... But sometimes, it was a laugh, especially when you could have surreal soap opera families going on. Mort and Demi had a child, but Mort died, and Demi married Jamie, but then Morty (the baby) got abducted by aliens. Which is still vaguely better than "Desperate Housewives"

8. The Longest Journey

First point and click of the pile! Yay. Unfortunately, this doesn't work any more, which is sodding annoying since I was half way through and actually enjoying the damn thing. Slightly annoying dialogue can be excused for nice visuals and a slightly mental story. Puzzles are good, if not a tad abstract, but like I said, visuals = awesomeness. As a side note, a present from my good friend Oisin.

7. Simon the Sorcerer 2; The Lion, The Wizard and The Wardrobe

Yay, another point and click, but this time retro style. Sort of. It had voice work, so I guess it's not that retro. Simon is English, which makes a nice change from American pirates and Mexican skellingtons. I don't know why I have them this way round, I actually prefer this one. The story is much better for one, and is by far a hell of a lot funnier. MUCH better than Simon 3D, which was poooor. Turns out there's a Simon 4. That completely escaped my notice.

...and that's all I got time for, mainly because it's late and I wanna stretch this over to the weekend. Come back then for the second half and why I like these games, and also what that odd envelope is. Until then, stay awesome!