Band of the Month: Machinae Supremacy

So the planned band of the month for February didn't work out too well. Here's the replacement. Remember that band Anamanaguchi that I mentioned a few weeks back? Remember how awesome they were? Well these guys are 10x more awesome. They are a self-defined SID Metal band from Sweden that kicks major ass. What is SID Metal, you ask? Machinae Supremacy uses a SID chip in their music. That's the sound chip from the old Commodore 64 video game system. You'd think with a name like Machinae Supremacy they'd be some sort of really heavy screamo band. But no, these guys sing about, cover, and have even contributed to video games. The best way to describe their sound is F-Zero. Like I said, awesome.

This Man Can Operate A Chainsaw!

Not only did he do that with a chainsaw, he did it while wearing a hockey mask! I want one.

Plastic Beach Megamix

If you're wondering, the songs are:
1. Intro
2. Superfast Jellyfish
3. To Binge
4. Stylo
5. Rhinestone Eyes
6. On Melancholy Hill
7. Welcome to the World of the Plastic Beach
8. Plastic Beach

Superfast Jellyfish

I love that little guy!

Top 12 Favorite Games of the Naughts: Fuzunga's Picks

I said before that I was going to do some of these decade posts and then never did. So I figured better late than never. It's still only February, after all. So here's my top twelve favorite games of the last decade. It was originally going to be ten, but just couldn't knock off those last two.

Breaking News: Nintendo Owns the Summer

In completely unexpected news (perhaps it's just because I wasn't aware Nintendo was holding a media summit today) Nintendo announced two of it's biggest releases of the year will be arriving way sooner than expected. Super Mario Galaxy 2 will release May 23rd and Metroid: Other M will release June 27th. In addition, Monster Hunter Tri will be available April 20th and the new Sin and Punishment is releasing June 7th. Those last two aren't high on my priority list but, hey, the more hardcore Wii the better, right? Click here for new Other M shots. Click to view the full post to see a new trailer for Super Mario Galaxy 2.

THE FUTURE

Crazy, crazy Japanese people. Leave it to them to make the world's most advanced exoskeleton and then have it look like it's from an anime. What you see above is the HAL 5, or Hybrid Assistave Limb. This baby uses electrodes to sense electrical impulses from muscles and sends them to an onboard computer analyzes them and sends this information to servos of the suit to mimic the user's movements. And it's got a 100 volt battery at the waist to power the whole thing. In plain english, you put it on and you can lift five times what you normally can lift. There is also a varient for legs only which increases strength by ten. It's currently still in the testing phases, but they're now available for limited rent. Check out the video of the thing in action by viewing the full post.

Adventures in Sex City

Well this is the weirdest thing I've heard in a while. The Middlesex-London Health Unit in Canada has developed a game to "educate" about STD's. I assume it's to educate kids, though the game provides a warning that it's "for mature audiences only." Go figure. Anyway, that's all fine and dandy until you see the game. Here's a video of Joystiq's Justin McElroy trying the thing out:



Yeah, I warned you. It all seems to... silly to be real. If you really want to, you can play it here.

PSA: Buy Darksiders, Get Free Stuff

If you purchased the game Darksiders when it first released, you may have opened it up to find a slip of paper with a code that stated in all caps "DO NOT DISCARD" with a small message with instructions to check out the game's website for more information. You may have gone there only to find a "Check back soon" message. Well, now we know what it's for. If your copy of the game came with one of these slips (and not all of them did) you can visit this page to receive a free copy of Red Faction: Guerrilla for the 360 or PS3 and a bonus DVD for the game. How awesome is that? Well, technically this stuff will run you $4.99 for shipping, but Red Faction for $4.99? Yes please! 

If you didn't get a slip but still bought the game, don't lose hope! You too can get Red Faction for free. Details here. This offer is good until March 7th. 

A comment on the BioShock review that wouldn't fit in the comment box

I agree that their are a lot of flaws in the game (like crappy controls in shooting) and such. But there was also something about it that people really loved. I personally never beat the game because I lost interest in it, with its irritating repetition, witch says something about the game on its own, but I have a feeling that we are going to be seeing these kinds of trends of 'ehhh' games getting way to much recognition. Like, say, all of the Call of Duty Modern Warfare games. People, who aren't really gamers or even play games much, find a game that is extraordinarily simple to play and tell all their friends, who usually don't play games either. They all go out and buy this game and it gets great ratings and sales from the people who usually don't play games. And the makers of the game sas to themselves "Well, I don't know what we did right, but apparently people like it, so lets make our next 5 games just like it." So they stop foccusing on certain parts of the game and just foccus on the parts that people responded well to. Untill they get to the point where the people playing the game don't even care about the story and only play online (modern warfare). I'm not saying that Modern Warfare 2 online isn't fun, because that would be a blatant lie, it is a lot of fun, but that is because it is a simple shooter that has been polished untill it competes with the sun for shine. Basically what I am saying that these "amazing" games arent that amazing, they are just picked up by people who dont usually play games, so the sales go way up. WOW that was a long comment.

Ex Post Facto: BioShock

I've been wanting to do writeups like these for a while now, when we discuss or review some old, now seemingly irrelevant thing, but I couldn't come up with a cleaver name. Since the stuff is old, I figured "retro" or "rewind" but they both sound boring and overused. So I settled on "ex post facto" a Latin phrase meaning "after the action." Seems to fit alright. And it's memorable. So, anyways, not having played BioShock 2 yet, I set out to play me some Bioshock 1. I have come to the conclusion that BioShock is not all that. Maybe it was all that back in 2007, but it's not any more. Why would I cut down BioShock? I'm not, but I just don't think it's as fantastic as people made it out to be. I think maybe people were so blown away with "OMG THIS GAME HAS GOOD STORY AND PLAYS FUN YES!!!1!!!" that they were easily willing to look past all those flaws. So here is a review of sorts of BioShock more than two years after the fact.

Music Month: Nothing In Particular Week? Also, poll results.

Well, I sort of ran out of ideas for specific feature weeks. If there's something you'd like to see for the rest of February, let me know. Otherwise, I'll just post random musical posts. In case you were wondering, that's the reason for the lack of posts the last two days.

In other news, it seems the votes are overwhelmingly for bolstering movie content. I'll get on that. As soon as I watch some movies. You know, that's a lot harder than covering music. First you need to find a movie then you need to watch the movie and considering movies cost monies and I don't go very often, you'll probably have to make do with older stuff. It's not the end of the world, though, so quit your complaining. I'm just telling it like it is.

Cover Week Bonus: Brittany Spears

I found this the other day without looking. It made me crack up because it's so unexpected. The band that covers it, by the way, is seriously awesome. I'm planning on doing a feature on them in the near future. Unfortunately, they missed Indie Week by just a few days.

Cover Week: Top 5 Covers of 80's Songs

It's a well known fact that the 80's produced a lot of notoriously crappy music. Fortunately, a lot of that crappy music gave rise to a lot of awesome covers. Here's the top five awesome covers of 80's songs:

The Field of Unknowing

In the vast expanse of time lies the Field of Unknowing. This is where the vast array of forgotten knowledge accumulates.

Cover Week: Johnny Cash

What makes this cover special? It's a 15 year old kid.

Cover Week: One Republic

Ever wonder what "Apologize" would sound like if it was rock? Wonder no more, because Silverstein has you covered. Get it? Covered?

And The Hype Machine Rolls On

The Real Last Airbender Trailer

I'm actually really excited now. But am I the only one concerned that none of these trailers have featured much in the way of actual acting? I'm just hoping that's not to hide the fact that the acting sucks. It's probably just because they wanted to make an exciting trailer, though.

Cover Week: Gorillaz

A cover of "Feel Good Inc." by Editors. One of the most unique, and probably best, covers I've ever heard. Here it is set to the music video:

Reach Beta: Coming Soon

 Click for wallpaper size

This just in: The Halo Reach beta begins May 3rd. When it ends is anybody's guess, but my guess is it'll probably be up for seven to ten days. Time to get excited! One of the maps you may be playing on, called "Powerhouse," can be seen after the break.

Cover Week: Muse

So, I searched far and wide to find one of Muse's songs being covered. Not many bands have the balls to even attempt to cover Muse. UK progressive metal band Threshold does, however. And they're probably the only ones. I respect them for it, and think their cover of "Supermassive Black Hole" is actually pretty good. They certainly made it their own and, in my opinion, that's a good thing because good covers aren't just carbon copies. I can't shake the feeling, though, that the singer has a classic rock vibe about his voice. It's heavier and more retro at the same time.

Random Video for Today

THE PIE PARADOX OF DOOM

Sexiest Music Videos! Part 2 of 3

For Master Roshi (courtesy of Fuzunga):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_fCqg92qks

From my Romanian room-mate:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBvge-c2_Xg&feature=channel

Also courtesy of my Romanian room-mate:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6enc1TyQ4nM

And old-time personal favorite:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPtfsk4ETjM

Enjoy!

Cover Week: Radiohead

To start off cover week proper, here's Gnarls Barkley covering "Reckoner" by Radiohead. It's a great one, folks.

Cover Week: Kingdom Hearts

This counts as a cover as far as I'm concerned. It's a brilliantly done arrangement of the song that plays during the final boss battle in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days.

Here's the original for reference:


And the excellent arrangement by Jacob Williamson titled "Dirge of the Fourteenth." Embedding disabled by request, and I will respect that. There's a link to the download in the info pane. Not only is it now one of my favorite songs from all of Kingdom Hearts, but it's one of the best arrangements I've ever heard. Yes, he completely re-recorded everything from scratch.

Sexiest Music Video! Part 1 of 3

Like I said before, my access to games is limited while at college. I'm also lagging behind on hits, so like any good merchant, I will resort to selling sex. Here's sexy video 1:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9b8erWuBA44

Network

Dear Readers,

I recently watched a film titled "Network". The actors in it do a great job of portraying the ideas of their characters. Its a satirical film about the television industry, but can be applied to any media form. It even though it was released in 1976 its message still holds true today. It points out and exagerates ideals that newer generations and the media seem to hold. It is slightly disturbing in its accuracy and portrail of how the media is run. If I say much more it will give away the film, but please, take the time to go rent and watch this movie. And before you blow it off as being ridiculous, think hard about it.

Indie Week: Advance Review: Broken Bells

To close out Indie Week, I have for you an advance review of the debut album from Broken Bells! I'm sure you can't contain yourself. What's that? You can't get excited because you don't know who they are? Well allow me to introduce you:

Broken Bells is an American indie rock band featuring artist–producer Danger Mouse (billed by his real name, Brian Burton) and James Mercer the lead vocalist and guitarist for the indie rock band The Shins. The project was first announced on Tuesday, September 29, 2009. The pair decided to work together after meeting at a Danish music festival in 2004 and finding they were fans of each others work. Mercer and Burton began recording together in secret at Burton's Los Angeles based studio in March 2008 and describe their material as "melodic, but experimental, too".

Now are you excited?

Indie Week: Feersum Ennjin

Tool is one of my very favorite bands. Imagine how excited I was to find a new band formed by Tool's former bassist Paul D'Amour. Very much so. And guess what? They're awesome.

Superbowl Sunday

This isn't related to games, but while I'm at college my access to games is extremely restricted. Anyway, the poll results are in: the fanchoice this year goes to the Saints! I'm pulling for the Saints too, but I don't think they can overcome Manning. We'll see tonight how this turns out.

Indie Week: A Brief Smile

 

I recently discovered these guys and their music started to grow on me. Then I found out that they are now no more. That's disappointing, but I'm highlighting them here because not only is their music good, but the band still lives on spiritually as Sea Monster. As such, official info is hard to come by. They're not on Wikipedia and their website hasn't been updated since last July. I do know they're from New York, though. Anyway, last summer they released three EPs of three songs each, which were apparently their last work before becoming Sea Monster. I'll be reviewing them today and if you like what you hear, then you might want to check out Sea Monster. They have a brand new EP out (new as in last week) and you can download it for free on the band's website. 

New Teaser for "The Last Airbender" is Pretty Good, Actually

I've been optimistic towards this film since it was announced. While the announcement of the director and cast seemed a bit questionable, my optimism remained. Then the first teaser came. Aang looked pretty spot on and the Fire Nation ships looked perfect. I started to get excited. Now IGN has premiered the new Superbowl spot for the film. I must say, even if the characters don't all look exactly like they do in the show, everything else seems, at this point at least, well done. As for the music... let's just say they should have hired The Track Team. I can't wait for the trailer next Friday. I can only hope and pray they don't massively screw it all up. But as it stands now, it looks like a great adaptation of the show. Though we haven't seen any actual acting yet...

The Grinder Goes Multiplatform, Still Awesome

Remember The Grinder? Shame on you! It was to be the next big third party game for the Wii from High Voltage, the developers of The Conduit. Well it still is I suppose, but now non-Wii owners won't have to miss out on the fun. The Grinder will now release on Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, and PC Halloween 2011. I know, that's a long way off, but at least there's something to be excited for next year. With all the games coming this year, I was beginning to think there would be nothing left. Ever. Every game ever was to come out this year. Thank you, The Grinder, for being a beacon of light in the dim future. Also, check out this new trailer:



That's from the Wii version, folks.

Indie Week: Anamanaguchi

I could provide an actual photo of the band, but that would ruin the awesomeness. Plus, this one has an octopus. Anamanaguchi is probably the most unique band we'll be highlighting all week. They don't just make any old music, they make 8-bit music. Just as a note, this is to make up for my lack of update yesterday.

Indie Week: Animal Kingdom

animal kingdom are four

geoff, wayne, hamish, rich

skins, strings and sings

currently holed up somewhere cold and westward

they make wintery music that's strange, dark and beautiful

when it's done, you should come have a listen

That's the official bio for the band. It's been written in verse for some reason. You can probably tell Animal Kingdom already has a unique personality of their own. And they've got music to match.

Once you see it...

BOMBERSHOCK!

This Week in Games

Been an interesting week so far in terms of gaming news. Check out the full post for buttloads of videos. There's everything from an awesome new game from Platinum, to a new Sonic the Hedgehog you might actually want to check out.

Indie Week: Psyche Origami

Psyche Origami is the thinking man's rap music. You may not have heard of Psyche Origami, but chances are you have heard them. They are one of numerous artists featured during [adult swim] bumps. But if that's all you've heard of them, you're missing out. The real unique thing about Psyche Origami is the lyrics. Their second album, The Standard, for example, is a concept album that uses the idea that the body is a vehicle to focus on a metaphorical gas station as a pit stop on the road of life. I'll give you a minute to pick up the pieces of your mind which has obviously just been blown.

Indie Week: Stratospheerius

Since this week is Music Month, I figured the month should start off with Indie Week, in which we highlight a different indie, new, or relatively unknown artist and review some of their work. To start out, here's Stratospheerius. Why them? Because I just happened to be listening to them, that's why.