My Top 5 Games of 2012

Happy (slightly belated) New Year everyone! Now that it's 2013, it's time to reflect back on the year that was 2012. Part of that for me is my annual blog post of my personal top five video games of the year. The following are my picks, in order from #5 to #1, for my favorite five video games that were released in 2012. After that, I've also included some honorable mentions and my biggest "letdown" video game of the year. So read on and enjoy!



5. Journey - PS3 - March 13

Journey is a game that's very difficult to describe to someone who hasn't played it. If you have a PS3, $15, an internet connection, and a couple of free hours, I would definitely recommend trying it out yourself. Gameplay-wise it's a fairly simplistic adventure game, but it's got amazing visuals and a great soundtrack (which actually won a Grammy). The game centers around your trek to a faraway mountain and the exploration that occurs during the journey. There's no dialogue the entire game, and no cutscenes or backstory given. You're left to insert your own story if you'd like, but the game is more about making your way and taking in everything that's around you. Journey's use of co-op was also something that was new and different from any other game I've played. You will randomly come across other players during your quest, and the only communication method you have with them is a sort of "ping" by pressing a button. That's it. You can't speak, send text, point, or anything else. You also can't choose to play with your friends like most games; any person you come across is a random stranger. But if you manage to stay with another player you can actually help each other out and (in my experience) start to form a sort of unspoken bond in helping each other. Like I said, it's a hard game to describe properly, so if you get a chance to play it I would definitely recommend it.



4. Halo 4 - Xbox 360 - November 6

The return of Master Chief. The end of Bungie and the beginning of 343 Industries. In my mind, this game had "letdown" written all over it. I wasn't even planning on getting it, but based on early feedback I changed my mind right before launch. And I'm glad I did. Halo 4 was a hit. Within the first fifteen minutes of the campaign I felt more invested than I ever did in any of the past Halo games (and I liked all of them except Halo 3). That really says something about the direction 343 went with this game. They kept all the action and combat, but they expanded on the core characters and made you actually care about them. The story was a good sci-fi story that wasn't overly complicated, and the Prometheans were much better enemies than the Flood (who I never liked). There were also a few vehicle levels which I thought were well-placed to mix things up a little bit. They were fun but they didn't overstay their welcome. My only complaint about the campaign is that I actually wish it had been a little longer. I finished the game in around nine hours on normal, but I'm not a Halo god and I usually take longer than most people to go through a game.

Besides the campaign, the multiplayer was different but good. There's the "Infinity" mode, which is your normal multiplayer that consists of slayer, team slayer, capture the flag, etc. Here they definitely took a step towards being more like Call of Duty in that you level up your Spartan based off XP you get in multiplayer to unlock new weapons, armor, abilities  customizations, etc. I always liked Call of Duty's multiplayer better for this reason (it's more like a little RPG in and of itself), so I was happy about this. The other multiplayer mode is called "Spartan Ops", which is a series of new missions they put out every week which are meant to be played co-op by up to four people. They continue the story of the game after the regular campaign with non-Master Chief spartans. These missions are if a little repetitive, but it's hard to complain about what basically amounts to free DLC every week. Overall, I was very impressed with Halo 4 and am looking forward to the rest of this new trilogy more than I ever looked forward to any Halo games before.



3. Mass Effect 3 - Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Wii U - March 6 (later on Wii U)

There was some sort of problem I remember reading about with Mass Effect 3. Apparently there was some controversy about the ending of this game or something? People on the internets weren't happy I guess? I don't follow that stuff much.

Seriously though, I loved Mass Effect 3. I thought it was and still think it is an excellent game. The problem was with the last ten minutes or so. I didn't hate the ending as much as most people, but there were some definite problems with it. The "Extended Cut" DLC which came out a few months later fixed most of the loopholes and added a little more closure, but it still was a little bit of a disappointment. But while the ending wasn't great, I thought the rest of the game was, and I'm not ready to trash the whole thing just because of the ending.

The campaign was great and once again extremely well-written. Like the rest of the Mass Effect series, you are forced to make choices that affect your game (at least in the moment), and it was great to see all the old characters again, and meet a few new ones. As always with Mass Effect, the writing and voice acting were topnotch. Mass Effect is so well done that you can't help but become invested in the characters and story, which is why people were so upset when it didn't have an epic ending with great resolution.

Oh, and let's not forget about the gameplay improvements. Combat went from being kind of a chore in Mass Effect 1 to "fun" in Mass Effect 2, and ME3 took it to an even better level. The combat is both strategic and action-packed, you need both skill and smarts (to manage your powers and squad mates if you choose to do so). The cover system, which is key in 3rd person shooters, was also improved, along with giving you a ridiculous amount of customization over what guns you take and how you equip yourself. Oh, and let's not forget about the multiplayer, which wins the "No One Thought This Would Be That Good But Me And My Friends Wound Up Playing It Non-Stop For Months" award. Yeah, it was that fun and addictive. Without getting into it too much, it basically took the best RPG elements from Mass Effect 3 and combined them in a co-op horde mode game. And you could play as all the races. It was awesome.

"Gimme yo' head!"

2. Borderlands 2 - Xbox 360, PS3, PC - September 18

Like sequels often do, Borderlands 2 took all the good stuff from the first game and expanded on it while adding a few new things. I always liked the graphical style of Borderlands and this game kept it going. Also, Borderlands has become a standard in co-op games, which is definitely a plus (unless you have no friends I suppose). If you're playing Borderlands alone, you're doing it wrong.

As always with the Borderlands franchise, the characters and dialogue were great (and by great I mean hilarious). Last year in my Top 5 I said that Portal 2 was the funniest game I'd ever played. Borderlands 2 probably surpassed that this year. Claptrap is the greatest character ever created in any form of media or literature throughout human history. He makes the whole cast of the Godfather movies look like bad community theater actors. A bunch of other characters from the first game also make an appearance and the new characters are all great too. While some of the quests get a little repetitive, the overall story is good and the gameplay is top notch. While I beat the game, I'm behind on playing the DLC (and there's still more coming), and I still haven't gotten a max level character yet, so there's definitely replay value and a lot of life to this game.




1. Dishonored - Xbox 360, PS3, PC - October 9

Something must be said for Dishonored, which is the only new "franchise" to be on this list from 2012 (Journey was a new IP as well, but probably won't become a franchise the way Dishonored will). You've got to give props to a game that is new and innovative but is still this good. I'm normally not a fan of stealth games, and you don't even have to play Dishonored like a stealth game if you don't want to, but I did anyway and still really enjoyed it. I think that speaks volumes for how well it's made and how interesting the game is. The gameplay is great, the story is good, and the world of Dunwall (where the game takes place) is amazing. I've often said that Dishonored is like a mix of Half-Life 2, BioShock, and Assassin's Creed, which are all hugely critically successful games. That's very high praise, and while Dishonored isn't a perfect game, I think it deserves it.

Besides all the great qualities of the game I listed above, the other great and unique thing about Dishonored is how many options they give you for approaching each different situation. You can finish the entire game without killing a single person if you wish (there's even an achievement for doing it). While that makes the game much harder (I didn't have the patience to do it that way), it just shows you how many different options you have in the game (you can also kill almost every person you meet if you so desire, not that I endorse that). The level of control you have approaching every situation, the mix of combat and stealth, and the RPG elements make the gameplay and replay value outstanding. Mix that with a setting, atmosphere, and story that is reminiscent of Half-Life 2 and BioShock, and you have my Game of the Year for 2012.



Honorable Mentions:

X-Com: Enemy Unknown - Something old and something new. I played some X-Com when I was a kid (it was probably slightly before my time), but I remember it well enough to know that this is both a great remake and a great game in its own right. It's also nice to see a well-made turn-based squad strategy game, as that's a genre that's hard to find nowadays. This game is addictive and extremely deep.

FTL: Faster Than Light - Very much an "indie" game, but extremely fun and addictive, and also surprisingly deep (gameplay-wise). If you're a Star Trek fan and ever wanted to be the captain of your own starship, this is the game for you. This game can run on almost any computer, and is only $10 (and often times I've seen it on sale for less than that). If it sounds interesting you have no reason not to check it out. Here's a link: http://www.ftlgame.com/



Letdown of the Year:

Diablo III - Since it's pretty much been beaten to death online I won't go into this too much. Diablo's co-op was great, and levels 1-59 were all pretty good (I did have to use the gold auction house a few times in there but it wasn't too bad). But once you get to level 60 and Inferno difficulty, the game's just not fun anymore. By then you're on your fourth playthrough of the exact same game, and to progress you have two equally unattractive options: farm the previous difficulty or Inferno Act 1 for days to try to find some halfway decent gear (tip: you probably still won't), or go spend $250 (that's not a typo or exaggeration) per item on some ridiculous items in the real money auction house (or RMAH). Yeah, thanks Blizzard, but I think I'll pass on that and just leave my character suspended in Act 2 of Inferno for the rest of time. Can't wait for Heart of the Swarm though!!!



And there's my list for 2012. While there were some good games that came out (see above), I feel like the video game industry is starting to slow down in anticipation for the next generation of consoles from Microsoft and Sony (which will probably be out either late this year or early 2014). And the Wii U doesn't really count, because it's on around the same level as the 360 and the PS3, which have been out about 7 and 6 years respectively (can you tell I'm not a big fan of the Wii U?). Games now are starting to be made for the next consoles, so there's probably going to be a lull in the number of games for 360 and PS3, which soon will be "last generation" consoles. I think to some extent that's what happened last year, and it will definitely be more noticeable this year. That's just my prediction though.

Stay tuned for my upcoming list of games I'm looking forward to in 2013 (and beyond)! As always, I would love to hear your thoughts on my list or even your own list. Any comments, feedback, likes, shares, retweets, +1, high-fives, "Sup girl?"'s, or whatever else are all greatly appreciated!

My Top 5 Games For 2011 (and more!)

The year 2011 has come and gone, and was a great year for video games. We saw a lot of great releases throughout the year and, as usual, especially around the holiday season. Unfortunately my free time was tragically cut short around halfway through the year, so I don't have nearly as much time to play video games as I once did. Because of this I've had to limit my selection based on free time (and money) to certain games (pick and choose my battles, if you will). So instead of a top 10, this year I present you with my Top 5 Games of 2011. Out of all the games I played this year, these five are my favorites. Keep in mind that I only include a game in lists like these if I feel I've played it enough to adequately review and judge it (which usually means "beating" it). The below are ranked in order, with #1 being my "Game of the Year". After the top 5 list I'll also give a few honorable mentions, some games that may have made the list if I had had time to play them, and a few of the letdowns from this year (there were unfortunately several).

We'll start with my Top 5 Games of the Year:

*drumroll*

5. Dead Space 2 - Xbox 360, PS3, PC - January 25

I'm not usually a fan of the horror genre, but I've come to realize that that may be the reason I'm so drawn to the Dead Space franchise. Besides the fact that they're great games with good stories, great atmosphere and setting, and very fun gameplay, a game like Dead Space 2 wouldn't normally be something I'd enjoy. It's outside of my comfort zone, and while I naturally like my comfort zone, it's nice to try something different once in a while. It's almost like a personal mark of pride for myself that I can say I've beaten every Dead Space game that's come out so far (yes, even the on-rails one for Wii). And while they're great games and I thoroughly enjoy pretty much everything about them, I do have to admit that I breathed a huge sigh of relief when I beat Dead Space 2. Playing games where you don't always have to worry about aliens popping out of dark at you is much easier and much less stressful. Dead Space 2 is not one of those games.



4. Batman: Arkham City - Xbox 360, PS3, PC - October 18

"Gimme yo' heads!"

Following up on the hit game Batman: Arkham Asylum, Arkham City puts you in a larger, open world, adds more classic characters, and improves on the (very) few flaws from Arkham Asylum. My one complaint about Arkham Asylum was the combat, and I felt that it flowed more smoothly and was easier to master in Arkham City. The setting, story, side missions, characters, voice acting, and gameplay are all great... and I mean, come on, it's Batman. What more could you ask for?



3. Portal 2 - Xbox 360, PS3, PC - April 19

"SPAAAAAAAAAACE!!!"

Portal 2 has the distinction of being the funniest game I've ever played. As someone who loves humor and comedy, that's a big deal for me. And when you add that and the great characters in the game (most of them new) to the awesome gameplay mechanics and puzzle design you get something really special. The new co-op mode is a lot of fun and works really well too. I played through this game almost three times this year, and while it admittedly isn't as long as most of the other games on this list (especially after you beat it the first time), that really says something about the kind of experience you get when you play this game.



2. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Xbox 360, PS3, PC - November 11

One of the most epic games I've ever played. The world is beautiful and perfectly constructed. The stories and quests are very good, and the combat, while still a little rough in spots, is definitely a step up from Oblivion. And while that stuff is all great, the main reason I play the Elder Scrolls games (and Fallout for that matter) is for the expertly crafted huge open world. Most RPGs are all about going from quest to quest, advancing both the story and the side missions, and leveling up in the process. And while that is a big part of Skyrim, the beauty of this game is the ability to just explore the world and see what secrets you can find hidden away in the mountains of Skyrim (the name of the game is also the area in which it takes place). The game has a quick travel option to go from place to place, but I often find myself not wanting to use it. I'd much rather spend the extra time walking to my next destination and seeing what kind of awesome stuff happens along the way (like defending myself from a dragon attack), or what I can discover (like another hidden dungeon). This game is truly a masterpiece in an already fabled franchise.



*another, more dramatic drumroll*


1. Star Wars: The Old Republic - PC - December 20

Deciding between this and Skyrim for my #1 game was a tough decision that took me several weeks to come to. Both games earned the right to hold that title, and in fact when I first drafted this list I had Skyrim number one and Old Republic number two. But as I continued to play Old Republic I gradually changed my mind. Because it's an MMO, Old Republic has a built-in advantage of being able to play with your friends, which is always a good thing. All MMOs have that going for them, but what really sets Old Republic apart is that I find myself wanting to play it even when none of my friends are online (even over Skyrim, which is made to be only a single player game). I messed around with WoW back in the day, and more recently played Rift and a few other free-to-play MMOs, and while they're all fun in their own way I never experienced this with any of them.

Old Republic mixes all that's great about MMOs with a story that works a lot like Mass Effect does (another game by Bioware). There are still your usual MMO fetch quests (i.e. go here and kill 15 of these, or collect 6 of these and return to me), but where the game really stands out are its "class quests". These quests advance a story and introduce supporting characters that stay with you the rest of the game. And your choices in these quests matter: like Mass Effect you usually have a choice to be good or evil, and whatever you pick affects what happens in your story down the road. There are 8 different classes (4 for each faction) all with original and unique stories that span from level 1 all the way to level 50 (the max level right now). I haven't beaten any of them yet, but I'm a good chunk into 2 of them (out of 8) and they're both really good so far. And from what I hear from other players and online, all 8 are very well made (in the Bioware tradition). You basically get 8 Mass Effect-type stories in one game, and best of all it's set in the Star Wars universe (which I'm also a big fan of). All that mixed with the space combat (which is a fun diversion) and the ability to play with several friends makes this my choice as my favorite game of 2011.



Honorable Mentions:

Rift - Wasn't as captivating as Old Republic, but was fun and had a lot of good ideas I wish other MMOs (including Old Republic) would steal.

L.A. Noire - A very interesting game; it tried a lot of new things and they worked out. Some parts were repetitive, but the interrogations, the story, and most of the action was great.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution - This game had some problems, but overall I really liked it and found most of it to be a lot of fun. Here's hoping for a sequel where they keep all the good stuff and iron out all the problems.



Games that may have made my top 5 list if I had had time to play them:

This is my way of giving props to games that probably deserve a spot on the list but that I unfortunately haven't gotten a chance to play yet.

-Bastion
-Dark Souls
-Gears of War 3
-Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
-The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings



The Letdowns

And, last but definitely least, the letdowns. Every year there are a few games that I (and many others) look forward to but unfortunately fail to meet most expectations. These aren't necessarily bad games (although many times they are). They're just... well, letdowns.

Brink - Bought this game for like $10 on sale about two months after it came out. That should tell you something.

Duke Nukem Forever - This game has been $10 for months now, and I still haven't bought it. That should really tell you something.

Dragon Age II - Not a terrible game, but for the most part it was overwhelmingly average. The characters (Bioware's specialty) were still good, but that was probably the only real bright spot in the game. The story was only okay and the environments and combat were damn near terrible. Definitely did not live up to expectations or the standard set by the first game.

Rage - Another one that wasn't all bad; in fact it started out really well. The graphics and gameplay were great, but the story started out decent and only got worse and worse until the ending, which is one of the worst endings for any game ever. The game just ends. Like stops. All of a sudden, you just win. And for a game that was in development for like five years, it's insultingly short. The "open world" is a lie and the multiplayer is not worth playing. The racing is an okay diversion but is pretty shallow and gets old pretty quick. Rage had a lot of potential but ultimately failed to reach it, or really even come close.



And there you have it: my list(s) for 2011. As always I value and appreciate any feedback, so feel free to post any comments or opinions you might have.

My Top 10 For 2010

Even though 2010 is well behind us now, I've finally gotten around to doing my list for my favorite games of the year. I'll list the games here, from #10 to #1, with #1 being my favorite (thus also my "Game of the Year"). Along with each game, I'll list the applicable platforms and the date it was released (obviously all games were released in 2010). So here are "My Top 10 For 2010". So clever.



10. Rock Band 3 - PS3, Xbox 360, Wii - October 26


The game that perfects the music genre. This game has all of the good stuff of the previous ones without any of the bad. It also adds new features like keyboard and three-part vocal harmonies. It has a good track list and the ability to import most of the songs from Rock Band 1 and 2, along with all DLC. This is really a well made game, but it's ashame it didn't sell well. I think that's more the fault of people getting tired of music games and already owning earlier Rock Band/Guitar Hero games, because it's certainly not the fault of the quality of this game.



9. Madden NFL 11 - PS3, Xbox 360 - August 10


Easily the best Madden since '06 (when they switched to the next-gen consoles). The addition of GameFlow was genius, and the gameplay and physics keep improving every year. Throw in some great online features like Online Franchise and Co-op mode, and the single player "Madden Moments" and regular franchise, and you've got yourself one of the most solid Madden titles ever.



8. Call of Duty: Black Ops - PC, PS3, Xbox 360 - November 9


While not a huge departure from the series, this is another game that takes what's great about the previous games, gets rid of the bad stuff, and adds a few new things to keep it fresh. The multiplayer is the best of any CoD game, with a bunch of new modes, a cool new money system, and a ton of customization options. The single player campaign, while expectedly short, was one of the best of the series, second only to maybe CoD 4. And dont forget my favorite part: Nazi Zombies. Or, I guess just "Zombies" now since we're not in WWII anymore. Whatever.



7. Fallout: New Vegas - PC, PS3, Xbox 360 - October 19


It took me a while to warm-up to this game, but once I got into it I really enjoyed it. This is essentially Fallout 3.5; the same game engine with a few new things and a whole new setting and characters. I still prefer the actual game world of Fallout 3 to this, but New Vegas definitely has better characters (Felicia Day!) and a better main quest (side quests are arguable). Also all the new things they added, like iron sights and hardcore mode, were a nice touch. I'm definitely looking forward to DLC for this game in the coming months.



6. Dong Kong Country Returns - Wii - November 21


I loved the original Donkey Kong Country for Super Nintendo back in the day, so I'm sure nostalgia has something to do with this pick, but there's no arguing that this is a very good game (check Metacritic if you don't believe me). The art and level design are awesome, along with the music, and the game is just a lot of fun to play. There's even co-op and a few new features added.



5. Limbo - XBLA - July 21


This game is only available on Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA), but it is definitely worth playing if you have an Xbox as this is easily one of the best downloadable games I've ever played. It's a 2D platformer with some cool mechanics, and every aspect of the game's design in great. You really have to play this game for yourself to understand why it's so great, it's one of those that's hard to describe to someone who's never seen it. It's a pretty short game (about 4-5 hours long), but it only costs $15. I would definitely recommend this if you have an Xbox.



4. God of War III - PS3 - March 16

"Gimme yo' head!"

The incredible end to the God of War Trilogy that does not disappoint. The graphics are amazing and the action and combat are intense. This game probably has the most epic boss battles of any game ever. Every level is a brand new adventure in dominating everything around you, and I mean that in the best possible way.



3. Red Dead Redemption - PS3, Xbox 360 - May 18


Basically Grand Theft Auto (GTA) meets the old west, but that doesn't truly do it justice. Try as I might, I've never really liked any of the GTA games (they're just not my thing), but I loved Red Dead Redemption. The single player is more than just an open world were you blow stuff up, run people over, and occasionally do a mission. It's a beautifully realized recreation of Southern Texas and Northern Mexico in the early 1900's, and the characters and story are all great to complement the awesome game world. There's a lot of variety in the single player so that even though the campaign is long, very rarely do you get bored. There's also a multiplayer component, which lets you play competitively or cooperatively with your friends. I never really got into the old west and cowboys and stuff like that, but this game actually made me start to appreciate the genre a lot more (although I still need to see The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly). Also, the "Undead Nightmare" DLC that came out for this, though not technically part of the original game, was very well received by both critics and fans.



2. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty - PC - July 27


The best RTS (real time strategy) game I've ever played. Everyone knows the Starcraft series has great online multiplayer, and this game doesn't disappoint on that front. But it also has a great story and single player campaign, and every mission (I think there were around 25) was interesting and contributed to the plot in its own way. It never felt repetitive. That's really what makes this game stand out above the rest for me. SC2 is also probably the most addictive game on this list: I can play online for hours and hours, always having that mentality "just one more match!".



1. Mass Effect 2 - PC, PS3, Xbox 360 - January 26 (PC & Xbox)


As soon as I beat this game (which was almost exactly a year ago from now), I knew it was going to be my favorite game of the year. And it's not because I had already made up my mind, or because I'm some kind of Mass Effect fanboy. I just realized that I loved this game so much that the chances of me liking any other game that came out last year as much as this one were incredibly slim. Mass Effect 2 just has it all. Obviously it's still considered mainly an RPG, so its strengths lie in its story, characters, and the relationships between those characters. It delivers on all those fronts. What really put ME2 over the edge for me was how much they improved the gameplay from the first one. You could really also say that this is a third person shooter - the combat and shooting mechanics are tight, and the biotic powers and special abilities work very well. Bioware added in a lot of other improvements too, like the new inventory system. So the gameplay was fantastic, but it still was the story that was the strength of this game. I mean, depending on your choices during your playthrough, you and any/all of your crew can die by the end of the game. That's pretty insane. All of this, and even some other stuff I haven't mentioned, is why Mass Effect 2 gets my Game of the Year Award for 2010.




Because I wanted to keep the list at ten, there were two games that got cut and left off, so I figured I'd give them a quick honorable mention here. They were Halo: Reach (#11) and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (#12). Both were very good games that I enjoyed both the single and multiplayer of, but unfortunately they just missed the cut.

So there's my top 10 list for 2010, and my 2010 Game of the Year. Thanks for reading through, and as always comments are welcome!

Ranking the Bond Films

Over the last few months, I've watched all 22 of the James Bond films in order, usually one a week. Bond is one of my favorite film franchises, and I figured since I had now seen them all pretty recently, I would go through and rank them. I'll also provide a few of my thoughts for each movie, along with who played Bond and what year that film came out. So, here is my list, in order from worst (#22) to best (#1):




22. Die Another Day - Pierce Brosnan, 2002

Nothing they did to Bond while he was a prisoner in North Korea for 14 months is worse than watching this movie.




21. The Man With the Golden Gun - Roger Moore, 1974

This movie has a cool premise, and the way Bond defeats the villain at the end is great. Unfortunately the rest of the movie is not so great and all the acting besides Moore is pretty awful. I would love to see a remake of this one with Daniel Craig and another great actor as Scaramanga (the villain).




20. A View to a Kill - Roger Moore, 1985

Roger Moore was 57 when he filmed this (his last Bond movie). He actually aged pretty well, but still... come on. The plot is pretty lame and the main Bond girl is annoying. This is the 80's at its worst. The only redeeming thing about this movie is Christopher Walken as the villain. Everything he says cracks me up, even when he's a bad guy. It's just the way he talks. He could be saying he's about to burn down an orphanage with everyone inside and I wouldn't be able to help myself. Hilarious.




19. Live and Let Die - Roger Moore, 1973

Roger Moore's first Bond film, while having some good parts, falls short overall. The movie drags out way too long with a 30 minute boat chase through Louisiana that is more reminiscent of something you'd see in "The Dukes of Hazard" (and I mean that in the worst way possible), and the American redneck sheriff (who returns in The Man With the Golden Gun) is the worst character to appear in all 22 Bond films. And that includes Halle Berry. On the plus side, Jane Seymour is pretty fine as Solitaire, and this film has my favorite Bond theme-song of all, "Live and Let Die" by Wings.




18. Octopussy - Roger Moore, 1983

This film, while not awful, is also not especially memorable. And I say that because I really can't remember that much about it now. Although I liked the female lead (Octopussy), the whole "hot girl cult" thing was pretty lame and far-fetched (yes, even for a Bond movie), and Roger Moore "saves the day" while in full clown makeup. Yes, you read that right. Dressed as a clown. So let's move on.




17. Tomorrow Never Dies - Pierce Brosnan, 1997

Bond takes on an evil media tyrant that wants to start World War III between the US and China so that his company can have exclusive media coverage of the war. AKA Fox News. This movie is alright, but once again not especially memorable or cool. Although it's not a great movie, it does hold a special place in my heart as the first Bond movie I ever saw on the big screen.




16. License to Kill - Timothy Dalton, 1989

Without giving away too much, what makes this movie ultimately fail is that it strays too far from the usual Bond formula, as Bond breaks with MI6 to go on a revenge mission to kill the man that hurt one of his closest friends. That sounds like it might not necessarily be a bad thing, but throw in some poor acting and the 1980's and you've got a movie that just doesn't make the cut. It's not all bad though, as there are some cool moments.




15. Moonraker - Roger Moore, 1979

Bond in space. If those three words don't set off alarms in your head, then consider yourself lucky you've obviously never seen the end of this film. After the huge success of the first Star Wars film, the makers of Bond decided they would try to piggyback off of that to make some extra money. I actually like the first 2/3 of this movie, but the end gets awfully ridiculous. Poor Roger Moore: he was a good Bond, but most of his scripts put him in plots that were just unsalvageable (and you can say the same thing about Pierce Brosnan).




14. Diamonds Are Forever - Sean Connery, 1971

Sean Connery returns after a one-movie break for his last (official) Bond movie, and manages to keep most of his style although noticeably older. A decent Bond movie - not bad, but not great.




13. The World is Not Enough - Pierce Brosnan, 1999

Brosnan does a good job, I absolutely love the girl villain in this film (played by Sophie Marceau), and we get to see more of Judi Dench as M (which is a good thing).The male villain is ok, but what really kills this film is Denise Richards as nuclear physicist "Christmas Jones". She was awful and completely unbelievable in the role: no one smart enough to be a physicist would marry Charlie Sheen.




12. On Her Majesty's Secret Service - George Lazenby, 1969

George Lazenby's only Bond film; many people aren't even aware this movie exists. Connery "retired" after You Only Live Twice, and Lazenby was chosen to be the next Bond. He does an okay job and the movie is actually pretty solid, if not spectacular. As soon as the movie was finished however, Lazenby announced he also was retiring from being Bond, because of the hard filming schedule and because he was sure that now he had made it and could get other big roles. How'd that work out for you, George?




11. You Only Live Twice - Sean Connery, 1967

James Bond goes to Japan and other parts of eastern Asia to hunt down and try to infiltrate Spectre. This movie has some good and some bad. We first meet Blofeld in this movie, and there are a lot of cool gadgets. The movie drags on though, and while they made a noble effort to make Sean Connery look Japanese, I didn't really think it worked that well.




10. The Spy Who Loved Me - Roger Moore, 1977

One of Moore's better movies, this one has a great opening and a good female lead (who happens to be Ringo Starr's wife). We also first meet Jaws, and the locations they used were all cool. The middle-ish of this movie drags on for too long though (the long, drawn out battle on the ship).




9. The Living Daylights - Timothy Dalton, 1987

A solid action movie with some good plot twists. The acting is all pretty good too. As Dalton's first Bond film (out of only two), he plays a more introspective and quiet Bond, while still maintaining Bond's suave and lethality. This is Bond film that tends to get somewhat forgotten, but I would definitely recommend it if you haven't seen it.




8. Quantum of Solace - Daniel Craig, 2008

The most recent Bond film and a direct sequel to Casino Royale (Craig's first film). As far as action and cinematography go, this is the best Bond of the whole series. It lacks a great plot like Casino Royale had, but the story is still good enough to hold its own and not get in the way of a great action movie. Craig also gives another very good performance.




7. Thunderball - Sean Connery, 1965

A little too much of this film takes place underwater for my taste (especially at the end), but overall it's a very good Bond film. The female villain is great, and this movie has some classic moments in it. And the main Bond girl, Domino, is one of the best looking in the whole series.




6. For Your Eyes Only - Roger Moore, 1981

In my opinion Moore's best film, it has a good story, good characters, a great plot twist, and I love the ending. Sure, the American ice skater girl is annoying as hell, but no movie is perfect.




5. Goldfinger - Sean Connery, 1964

Many people rank this as the best Bond, and while I don't fully agree with that I will say that it's up there. Connery is probably at his prime as Bond in this one, and you have a great villain with genius plan and an awesome henchman (Oddjob). My two gripes with this movie are: 1) Bond spends most of the movie as Goldfinger's prisoner who oddly continues to keep him around despite all his mischief, and 2) I'm not a big fan of "Pussy Galore" as a Bond girl, or a name for that matter (I just think it's stupid). Overall Goldfinger is definitely one of the finest Bond films though.




4. GoldenEye - Pierce Brosnan, 1995

My favorite Brosnan film, and one of my favorites overall. GoldenEye had a large task: it had to show the world that Bond could still be relevant and entertaining in a post-Soviet-Russia world, and it did the job wonderfully. Sean Bean plays a great and complex character, Brosnan does a great job as Bond, and it has a great script and supporting cast.




3. Dr. No - Sean Connery, 1962

The first "official" Bond film, Sean Connery took the role and never looked back. He managed to be suave and cool while still being a beast, and set the precedent by which all future Bonds would be judged (whether fairly or not). This movie also features Honey Rider, who is my personal favorite Bond girl, and the movie has one of my favorite quotes in all the Bonds: "That's a Smith & Wesson, and you've had your six." The banter between Dr. No and Bond is some of the best in any Bond movie as well.




2. Casino Royale - Daniel Craig, 2006

Daniel Craig's first Bond film is a beyond-triumphant return for the British spy after some pretty bad Brosnan movies. The movie is dark and gritty and doesn't try to hide it, while still keeping a great sense of humor and wit. As a reboot of the franchise, we see Bond as a newly appointed "double-0" agent on his first assignment which turns out to be a very important one. Throw in some great villains, lots of intrigue and poker, and one of the best Bond girls in Vesper Lynd (who is not only gorgeous, but also smart and complex), and an outstanding performance by Craig, and you've got the second best Bond movie ever. The opening of this movie is also my favorite of any Bond film, and they all usually have pretty good openings.




1. From Russia With Love - Sean Connery, 1963

My personal favorite Bond. The plot is great with plenty of intrigue and suspense without going overboard. Just the right amount of comic relief and dialog, and one of the best fight scenes in all of Bond (the one in the train car). Along with Goldfinger, Connery (also my personal favorite Bond) was at his peak as Bond in this film. The Bond girl, while not a particularly strong personality, is one of the best looking, and Connery has more than enough personality for both of them anyway. The "briefcase" gadget Bond gets from Q, while not highly futuristic or anything, is also one of the best overall gadgets in the series. This is the closest Bond gets to being perfect, and it also has a great opening theme song.



There are my rankings for all the official Bond movies. And since I'm on the subject I'll also quickly list how I rank the actors who have played Bond:

1. Sean Connery
2. Daniel Craig
3. Pierce Brosnan
4. Timothy Dalton
5. Roger Moore
6. George Lazenby



I think all the Bonds had their strong points and were good in their own way. George Lazenby gets the short end of the stick just because it's so difficult to judge based on only one movie. For the same reason it's hard to place Timothy Dalton (2 movies) and Daniel Craig (2 movies so far, with a 3rd in the works).


I hope you found this enlightening and/or fairly amusing. I'd love to hear from any Bond fans out there and get your thoughts. Let me know what you think, even if you've only seen a few of the movies.

My Top 15 Episodes of South Park

After going through every episode of South Park (through season 13) in order for the last year and a half, I decided that it would be a fun idea to pick out my favorite episodes. Below is a list of my 15 favorite episodes (in order), followed by some honorable mentions. It was really hard to pick favorites: I originally was only going to do a top 10, but I had to go with 15 because I didn't feel right weeding anymore out. Also, I did rank them 1-15 (from most favorite to least favorite), but many of these episodes could easily be changed in the order either way. Also, I have not seen any episodes from season 14 (the current season) yet, so none of these could be included in the list. And so, with all that in mind, here are my favorite 15 episodes of South Park:


1. Chinpokomon (Season 3)

As someone who admittedly was totally obsessed with Pokemon as a kid, this episode automatically got a special place in my heart just because of its subject matter. But it's the two Japanese men in the episode that really make this the funniest episode of South Park to me.

2. Make Love, Not Warcraft (Season 10)

Perhaps the most well known episode, this one is a brilliant parody of World of Warcraft, and Blizzard (the company who created WoW) contributed to help make the episode. A truly hilarious episode from start to finish.

3. Trapped in the Closet (Season 9)

This episode exposes and mocks Scientology for what it really is (a scam), and features Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Nicole Kidman, and funniest of all, R. Kelly (none of which are actually voiced by the real person, obviously).

4. Miss Teacher Bangs a Boy (Season 10)

Ike (a kindergartner) gets involved romantically with his teacher (who happens to be a young, attractive woman), but no one in society seems to mind because it's a female teacher. The police, on being informed of this, joke that they should award him the "luckiest little boy in the world award." This episode also rips Dog the bounty hunter, and features the catchphrase "Nice."

5. Go God Go (parts I and XII) (Season 10)

While many South Park episodes rip various religions, the South Park creators once again show a sense of equality (of making fun of everything) by poking fun at atheism. The episode centers around Cartman and the lengths he goes to to try to acquire a Nintendo Wii without having to wait for it to come out. Also parodies the old TV sci-fi show "Buck Rodgers in the 25th Century."

6. Canada on Strike (Season 12)

The country of Canada decides to go on strike to teach the world a lesson about respecting them. I personally love any time Canadians are portrayed on South Park, and this one also has the famous YouTube battle scene.

7. Christian Rock Hard (Season 7)

Realizing that it's easier to make it in the Christian music industry than in the Mainstream, Cartman decides to start a Christian worship band to win a bet with Kyle that he can get a platinum album first. Also makes fun of celebrity musicians complaining that downloading music illegally is greatly hurting them financially.

8. Scott Tenorman Must Die (Season 5)

Cartman will go to any lengths to get a back at an older boy who has been constantly tricking him. Also features an appearance by Radiohead (actually voiced by themselves).

9. Simpsons Already Did It (Season 6)

Butters, aka Professor Chaos, tries to devise evil schemes to spread chaos throughout South Park, but every time he thinks of something, he realizes it's already been done on an episode of the Simpsons. The boys are also afraid they may have accidentally killed one of their teachers. Features the short but funny "Sea People" song.

10. Night of the Living Homeless (Season 11)

More and more homeless people start showing up in South Park begging for "change" (like loose coins). This problem soon grows to epic proportions.

11. Fishsticks (Season 13)

Jimmy (with the "help" of Cartman) invents the greatest joke in the history of the world, which everyone loves except for Kanye West, who becomes very angry and eventually even questions his own identity because he doesn't understand it. Also rips on Carlos Mencia and features a hilarious song.

12. All About Mormons? (Season 7)

When Stan meets a new Mormon family that has just moved into town, he learns all about the history and roots of Mormonism.

13. The Red Badge of Gayness (Season 3)

Cartman makes a bet with the other boys that this year he can get the South to win in the yearly South Park civil war reenactment.

14. Fat Camp (Season 4)

Because he is overweight, Cartman is sent to fat camp, while the boys learn that Kenny will do anything for money. Also contains "The Prostitute Song" by Chef (featuring James Taylor), which is my favorite Chef song of all time.

15. 4th Grade (Season 4)

The boys and their classmates, which have all now gone on to fourth grade, wish they could go back to third grade, while their new teacher tries to figure out how to control and communicate to them. Features the song "Third Grade" by Eric Cartmen.



Honorable Mentions:

-Gnomes (Season 2)

Step 1: Steal Underpants.
Step 2: ?
Step 3: Profit.

-Rainforest Schmainforest (Season 3)

An episode featuring the voice of Jennifer Aniston as a class teacher that makes fun of empty-hearted activism just for the sake of being seen as an "activist."

-Cartmanland (Season 5)

After inheriting a huge amount of money, Cartman buys his own amusement park that only he is allowed to go to.

-The New Terrance and Phillip Trailer (Season 6)

This episode gets an honorable mention because of the Russel Crowe show "Fightin' Round the World."

-Douche & Turd (Season 9)

Stan tries to abstain from voting for the new school mascot, but P. Diddy and his "Vote or Die" campaign have other ideas.


Almost every episode of South Park is a good episode, but these are the best of the best (to me). I would love to hear your opinions on my list, as I'm sure some people will disagree with me about what I did or did not include. I welcome any comments/feedback, and would love to see what your favorite episodes of South Park are. Thanks!

Weezer Albums

I will now proceed to list Weezer's albums from my favorite to my least favorite:

1. The Blue Album
2. The Green Album
3. Pinkerton
4. The Red Album
5. Raditude
6. Maladroit
7. Make Believe

Any other Weezer fans out there who want to weigh in?

My All-time Favorite Video Games

I decided to make a list of my top 15 favorite video games of all time (and then some honorable mentions). This is taken from a note I originally wrote on Facebook. On my list, after the video game's title (at least for the top 15) I put the genre, the company, and what platform I mainly played it on. Also, expansion packs (which is what is after the "/" on some games) and DLC all count toward the original game. So here is my list:

My All-time Favorite Video Games:

1. Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn/Throne of Bhaal
RPG, Fantasy
Bioware/Black Isle
PC

The best RPG I've ever played. Great story, even better characters. This game has enough content and re-playability to keep even hardcore gamers busy for a long, long time.

2. Neverwinter Nights/Shadows of Undrentide/Hordes of the Underdark
RPG, Fantasy
Bioware
PC

The single-player was good, but what really made this game special for me was the online. Being able to create your own world online and then have other people play it while you joined or DMed was simply amazing. This game was one of the first MMORPGs (that I know of), and it was free.

3. Oblivion
Action, RPG, Fantasy
Bethesda
Xbox 360

Great fantasy game with unique level up system and great character customization. Runs really smoothly and really lets you get immersed in the huge world. Great graphics. The only thing that wasn't that great was the combat.

4. Fallout 3
Action, RPG, Science fiction
Bethesda
Xbox 360

Much like Oblivion, but much better combat (I love V.A.T.S.), and a very different world. Where Oblivion had lush forests, snow covered mountains, and sprawling cities, Fallout 3 is a desert-like world that has been destroyed by nuclear war and huge amounts of radiation. Very well made game.

5. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
RPG, Sci-fi
Bioware/LucasArts
Xbox
Great story, and one of the best plot twists ever. Character customization was great too (especially if you're a Star Wars fan). Very good cast of NPCs.

6. Madden 06
Sports
EA
Xbox

My favorite sports game. I put countless hours into years and years of multiple franchises, and somehow I never got tired of it. This was the peak of Madden games (IMO) before they decided to redo the whole system for the next-gen consoles in Madden 07. I still play this game more than any other Madden (I own 09 too), even with the badly outdated rosters.

7. The Orange Box
Shooter, Horror, Sci-fi, Puzzle
Valve
Xbox 360

What can you say about The Orange Box? It's kind of unfair to the other games on this list, seeing how it's actually 5 games in 1. I still haven't completed Half-Life 2, but I'd have to say it's probably my favorite shooter (with Bioshock in a close second: see below). Portal is sheer genius, and GLaDOS has to be my favorite villain ever in a video game. My only problem with Portal is how short it is and how you cant download user made content on the Xbox 360. Team Fortress 2 is probably the weak link of the group, but it's not a bad game. The class based multiplayer is fun, but it doesn't have dedicated servers, and not many people play on Xbox Live anymore. Also, I never liked how each map has only one type of game that can be played on it (capture the flag, territories, etc.)

8. Bioshock
Shooter, Horror, Sci-fi
2K Games
Xbox 360

Great shooter. The setting of this game (Rapture) is completely awesome, and so is the mood and ambiance of the game. Good mix of guns and super powers, and who can forget fighting the Big Daddys? I felt the story/plot twist was a little weak, but the game itself plays great. Also, this game has the best intro/opening of any game IMO.

9. Mass Effect
RPG, Action, Sci-fi
Bioware
Xbox 360

Great RPG with a great story and character customization. I thought the combat could get a little annoying, but overall a very enjoyable experience (like most Bioware games).

10. Jade Empire
RPG, Action, Fantasy
Bioware
Xbox

Another great Bioware game, but unlike their previous RPGs, this was an action RPG, meaning that you actually controlled your character during combat. Once again, a great story with great character customization. Also, another great plot twist.

11. Super Mario RPG
RPG
Nintendo/Square Enix
Super Nintendo

My favorite game growing up. I still usually play through it once a year on an emulator. Great combat system, and probably my first experience of an RPG. Also a pretty humorous game at times.

12. X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse
Action, RPG, Comic
Activision/Raven Software
Xbox

I love the X-Men (especially Cyclops), so I was already biased toward this game. A great cast of characters you can pick from, and a good mix of an action "beat 'em up" game with RPG elements and great character customization/level up process.

13. Left 4 Dead
Shooter, Horror
Valve
Xbox 360
Another great shooter from Valve. L4D is very light on plot, but that's the point. It's the online multiplayer (especially versus mode) that keeps me coming back to this game. This game is beautifully simple.

14. Baldur’s Gate I/Tales of the Sword Coast
RPG, Fantasy
Bioware/Black Isle
PC

Another great RPG (especially for its time). Not as much character development and interaction as BG2, but this game laid the foundation and has a good story and a well made world (Faerun) to explore.

15. Warcraft III/The Frozen Throne
RTS, Fantasy
Blizzard
PC
A good story mode, though I haven't played that much of it. I mainly played this game online with friends, and have some great memories from doing so. Also, the fact that this game is still played by millions of people today (along with Starcraft) and has a ton of mods and user-created game types speaks for how well-made it is.

Honorable Mentions (in no particular order):

Marvel Ultimate Alliance (Xbox 360)- Not as good as X-Men Legends II, but a good superhero beat 'em up game with a cool cast of characters.

Star Wars: Battlefront II (Xbox)- Really fun TPS (third person shooter) with great levels and the ability to go from land to space and vice-versa. The vehicles and heroes are awesome too.

Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance II (PS2/Xbox)- Fun hack and slash game.

Icewind Dale II (PC)- A good RPG that I played a lot. The story and characters dont measure up to BG2, but still a fun game with good combat.

Civilization: Call to Power (PC)- My introduction to turn based strategy. More simple than most civ games, but still enjoyable.

Starcraft/Brood Wars (PC)- Great RTS. Still played all over the world today.

Super Paper Mario (Wii)- Going from 2D to 3D whenever you want is pretty awesome. It makes for some very interesting puzzles/combat. Also a funny game with well-written dialogue.

Super Mario World (SNES)- Flying with the yellow cape was revolutionary at the time. This game also introduced Yoshi.

Donkey Kong Country (SNES)- A great side-scroller with amazing graphics for its time.

Super Mario Kart (SNES)- The beginning of the Mario Kart Franchise.

Pokemon Red & Blue (Game Boy)- Almost everyone played this. Leveling your Pokemon and catching new ones was always a lot of fun. And you could trade with/battle your friends.

Mario Tennis (N64)- I cant wait for the release of this on the Wii virtual console. Well made game with great characters and controls. There were some pretty intense matches of this in college.

Mario Kart Wii (Wii)- The latest Mario Kart game. Adds a lot of cool features.

Braid (Xbox 360)- Great puzzle game. Really cool story with deep characters, but not in the way that usually means. You really have to play this game to understand why it's so great.

Myst (PC)- Awesome puzzle game. Who would have thought that a game where you are the only person around the whole time could be so interesting and captivating?

Rock Band (Xbox 360)- Played this a lot in college. Still my favorite collection of songs in a game (until Beatles Rock Band comes out).

NFL Street 2 (Xbox)- Fun, over the top sports game. Own the City was a really cool game mode.

Halo: Combat Evolved (Xbox)- The start of the Halo series, I played a lot of great system link games my first year of college. I also loved the pistol, which was never quite the same in the games following.

Perfect Dark (N64)- Awesome shooter with great weapons, co-op play, and the ability to play with bots. Way ahead of its time.

Star Wars: X-Wing (PC)- Star Wars space flight simulator. The A-Wing was always my favorite to fly.

Command & Conquer: Red Alert (PC)- Used to play this online a lot through a dial-up connection.

Age of Empires (PC)- Another great RTS game.

Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord (NES)- A really old school RPG with close to no graphics, but still fun.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Xbox 360)- Great shooter that plays really well. Has a solid story with good characters, and the multiplayer leveling system is very deep and really well done.

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Game Boy)- The only Zelda game I ever played all the way through. Was a lot of fun. I liked that hook-shot.


So, there you have it. Feel free to comment/disagree/agree with me on anything, or even post your own list if you have time. PLEASE NOTE: I am not saying that these are the best games ever made. They are just my personal favorites.