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With Xmas only days away, things have been in high gear. Not only have I been scrambling to get one final project done, but I’ve been busy seeing friends one last time before I head back home to Washington, which is less than 48 hours from now.

On Friday I went to see the Series of Unfortunate Events with MK, Dave, and the rest of the crew. I should probably mention right off the back that I’m a pretty big fan of the books (though I’ve yet to start on the latest volume due to all the stuff going on). Anyway, as for the movie…. it was okay. I guess. I’m not foolish to think that any film adaptation will ever totally stand up to the source material; when people bitch, I don’t know if they actually forget for real that it’s two totally different mediums, or only do so for the sake of arguing. Some seem to think that when a film based on a movie comes out, that the source material automatically goes up in smoke. Either that of they just don’t have good imaginations (hey, if you can’t read Harry Potter without seeing Daniel Radcliffe’s face as the actor, that’s your fucking problem dude). But then again, there is that fine line of making a change from the book because something couldn’t be done logistically in a motion picture, or if it’s for a less sincere reason (like the filmmaker’s ego for example).

Back to the film, it was technically quite impressive: everything looked simply fantastic. Especially the sets, which looked straight out of the book in certain instances. As for the acting, I really didn’t mind Jim Carrey that much (like many, I was sick of him for a while, but totally redeemed himself with Eternal Sunshine) though I found some of his improved antics rather annoying. And regarding the kids, they did a good job, but it’s a case a change being made that’s, in my opinion, rather necessary. Why couldn’t the character of Klaus be some pudgy kid with glasses like in the book? Also, the book has a weird, ethereal quality which was somewhat killed by some dialogue which really made it apparent when the film was made. Plus, I don’t recall the kids being from Boston in the books. That little detail, as easy it was to miss, really annoyed me. And finally, I find it both curious and frustrating how the exquisite animated title sequence from the end of movie was far more interesting that the actual film itself.

On an unrelated note, the true highlight of the evening, at least for me, was the look of total shock and awe from Steve when I mentioned Indonesian Mr T’s presence in the Stabilizer (we were all walking towards the theater, with Steve ahead of me, as soon as I said it, his head snapped my way in about 0.02 seconds). I won’t be able to see him before I leave, so Xmas is out of the question, but at least I know what to get him for his birthday…

The rest of the weekend was like the pervious one: more cable access and holiday specials. This time around I got some Robyn Bird action on tape for Morgan. Nothing like seeing slimy gay guys with cock rings and even greasier women with quadruple Q breasts all gyrate to hair metal circa the 80′s or 90′s (when it comes to cable shows with shitty production values… which I know is a given… it’s impossible to properly date things). Plus we got some random sketch comedy show that wasn’t very good, some performance dance, and Groover headbanging to Rammstein.

As for the Xmas specials, MK brought over the Black Adder Christmas Carol and the Father Ted Christmas episode. For the occasion, I wanted to go out and get ahold of the Office Christmas Special to make it a total BBC trifecta, but didn’t get the opportunity. Also, MK finally got the chance to see Pee Wee’s Big Adventure which she hasn’t seen up until now (yeah, crazy, I know). As I watched it, perhaps for the seven thousandth time, I think I’ve come to the conclusion that it might have my personal favorite soundtrack of any film. Plus, she brought along a DVD that her brother got when he bought some nunchucks. It was by some knife company, so it was two hours of just fat guys demonstrating their entire selection by cutting up rope, cardboard figures of peoples, and raw meat. Plus they also make battle axes, maces, and spears, and at one point, two guys beat the hell up of some old cars in a junk yard. It was insane. Everyone needs to seriously see it.

And we managed to watch enough of SNL to see this year’s Robert Robert Smigel cartoon, which like the brilliant one circa post 9/11, was done in the Rankin/Bass stop motion style. And like that one, it was fucking brilliant, though anything that bashes Margaret Cho is gonna get a thumbs up from me (sorry, but I really resent the fact that, cuz I’m part Korean, that I have to like her… yeah here Korean mom impression is funny, it’s spot on actually, it’s just like mom when growing up, so I really don’t need to be reminded). Plus Rob Riggle said his “Ain’t cost nuthin’! line, made famous (well to me and my friends who went to see Piledriver back in the day at the UCB), which was awesome. Plus some Muppets were on the show and we caught some of that.

The holiday cheer didn’t stop there though; the next day I went out to Queens to exchange gifts with Dave and Raina, and saw even more specials. In addition to even more stuff from the UK, the Snowman and Father Christmas, I finally got the chance to see the classic Charlie Brown Christmas, plus a new special from recent years, which I dug if only cuz it featured Spike. Plus it started snowing that night, so we all went out in the freezing cold to get ice cream.

Last night I exchanged gifts with my next door neighbor/former student/fellow half Korean/fellow “gamer” Kim (Yes, she’s a girl and she plays games, plus she’s really cute! And also taken, sorry guys). She brought over a friend of hers just so he could see Karate Ruler. I think she wants me to get the sequel, Karate Lover, more than I do. Thus far I’ve gotten some good stuff: comics, music, DVDs. Kim gets extra points for using pages from a Sonic the Hedgehog comic as wrapping paper.

Meanwhile, I’ve been so busy that I’ve barely had a chance to keep abreast of the world of video games, though honestly there’s not much going on, other than EA still grabbing headlines. Not only have they purchased 20% of Ubi Soft, but they also apparently tried to get another exclusive dealing going, this time with the NBA, but failed. Though I’m almost certain once the monster numbers come in from Madden 2006 (that is if it’s still called Madden next year… there’s rumors that EA might dump the Madden name) I’m almost certain NBA will “come around to EA’s mode of thinking”. That and EA will probably have more money next time around.

Also, a teenager is suing the makers of the The Guy Game because she appears in game topless. Apparently she was caught by on camera at some spring break event where the game’s makers were shooting footage of various girls to be “prizes” in the game. So what was originally considered a piece of jerk off material posed as a game (and not a good one) now might be breaking the law since she’s underage. Sorry, but I can’t feel too sorry for this girl; if you’re stupid enough to show your tits in public, you deserve this kind of humiliation. I’m only mentioning this cuz I have a feeling it has the potential to be snowballed and used by some idiot lawmaker in some new anti-video game bill to be composed somewhere down the road. And I wouldn’t be surprised if that one is a reaction EA’s supposed attempts to change Californian law so their labor practices can be deemed legal.

Anyway, with the exception of some more details regarding Katamari 2 trickling in, as well as possible confirmation that Giftpia might actually come out in the states after all (yes!), there’s really nothing much to report. So I guess I’ll wrap things up with, what else? Christmas songs! Abd not just any songs, but chiptune Christmas songs…

Silent Night by Null Sleep & Let It Snow by Bit Shifter

For more, be sure to check out the 8-Bits of Christmas! Download it, print out the cover, and it makes a swell gift. Plus be sure to check out the site for the slew of remixes of Axel F from Beverly Hills Cop.

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- So it’s been a pretty crazy week in video games (as you might have noticed). With so much going on, such as all the bullshit with EA, the demise of GMR (XBN as it turns out is still on life support; it might return with a bimonthly schedule and hopefully full time return once Xenon hits), all the debates that either that slams or justifies the PSP’s battery life (I mean, come on people, how could anyone think that five hours is acceptable?), and even more shots from Katamari 2 coming in, it’s easy to loose track of things, such as the just announced a SD card reader to allow mp3 and mpeg4 playback on the GBA.

It’s a curious little contraption, which everyone assuming is suppose to help Nintendo face off against the much vaunted multimedia capabilities of the PSP. While it’s a good idea, the whole thing brings along way too many questions, observations, and hassles to be even worth it. First off, it’s for the GBA, and not the DS. Why? Cuz SD cards are too big for the DS. Fine enough, since the DS can play GBA carts anyways, so no problems right? Wrong. There are conflicting reports regarding it’s cross-compatibility. If true, this is just going to confuse and frustrate people even more so than they have, and potentially drive away (even more) customers.

Also, playing movies on the PSP, no matter how dumb I might think it is, just makes more sense; it may be small, but it’s screen is still much bigger than the GBA’s and DS, and is much nicer to boot. Folks also need to keep in mind that SD cards aren’t exactly cheap, and you will need a SD reader for your computer to really use it. And I’m not keen on having to lug around yet another cartridge type thing for a Nintendo handheld. Plus, and this is going to sound really retarded, but here goes: it just looks physically unappealing. Sorry, but handhelds are all about looking somewhat sexy, and unless Nintendo can do a massive overhaul of the design, it’s going to re-enforce Nintendo’s “kiddie” image, which is not going to help with this particular product. And not only is big and bulky unappealing, but inconvenient, which goes against what a handheld should be.

Though the fact that Nintendo really hasn’t made such a big deal out of it, plus it looks as if its only going to be available in Japan and via online, shows how committed they are. Nintendo is really starting to look like Sega (circa 1995) these days, if you know what I mean.

- Also in Japan, Snake Eater just came out (yesterday I think). So you know what that means? More chicks with crocodile hats!

FYI, the game sold more copies on one day in Japan than in the first two weeks here in the states (actually, the latest Metal Gear has been somewhat classified as a bomb in the U.S.). I’d like to think that stuff such as this is the main reason why. Seriously, game commercials here in the states are really lacking these days.

- Here’s a story of some guy who spent $26,500 in actual US currency to buy a piece of real estate in a MMORGP. Fucking crazy.

- Speaking of crazy, here’s some drawings by a guy who clearly loves his wife, named Peach, and has decided to depict her as the character with the same name in the Super Mario games…

Hey, it’s great that he’s so in love, but to such a degree, and with video games intermixed, is just plain strange (and I really do mean that in the nicest way possible). Though I do like how he manages to incorporate other game characters. He’s a big fan Space Channel 5 I see. And I have no clue who the hell this “Fire Faerie” is.

As bizarre as they might be, they are still pretty cute. But why the hell is his nose bleeding in this pic?

- Still sticking with love and video games, here’s a neat music video that mixes both.

- On the personal side of things, I’ve working double time to make sure things are wrapped up by next Thursday morning, which is when I fly back home. I’ve gotten most of my Xmas shopping done, thankfully, plus I’ve managed to get a thing to two for myself.

I finally got a chance to go back to Chinatown and get that rare game from J&L which I mentioned from before. It’s Blast Corps btw, the last decent game every to come from Rare (who my opinion has always been way overrated anyway). I also looked around a bit and noticed that most of the prices of their PSone games have been slashed down. There’s a few titles I’ve always been on the fence about which I might actually pick up. I had the urge to get Cosmic Race, if only to say that I owned the officially worst game that no one has ever heard of, but $25 still isn’t worth that mantle. Some titles I’m seriously thinking about picking up for the trip (mostly GBA titles, since that’s pretty much all I have to keep me entertained while at home) but again, I’m the paranoid type so I’m not naming names. Also, they still have a DS for $275.

Plus, I finally got Robotic Alchemic Drive (or R.A.D.) thanks to Job! After reading a while back of my failed attempt to procure a copy, he offered to sell me his extra one. Thanks again Job!

BTW, Job’s girlfriend made him for the holidays a truly awesome stuffed Katamari Damacy plush. I asked Job for some pics, so once I get them, they’ll be posted. And also, the next Gamers Nite Groove is next week on Wednesday night. I’ll pass along the info once I get it.

- Last night I met up with Nelson, a nice fellow from SVA that’s interested in producing video games, and we went over the design specs for a game we’re working on together. It’s based on an idea I’ve had for a very long time, so it’s nice to know that it’s finally happening. Sam, another guy with similar interests joined up with us to attend the Large Animal Christmas party that I was invited to.

It ended up being a ton of fun. It was almost like an IGDA meeting of sorts (well my friend Corey from Large Animal does run the New Jersey chapter of the IGDA). I think it’s probably best that I don’t divulge in great detail what was discussed, at least not yet. Let’s just say there some interesting things brewing for next year in regards to the New York game development community, and a good opportunity to really get my hands wet.

As expected, there was a game to be played there. Everyone was classified as a “Good Elf” or “Bad Elf” (I was a baddie) and you had to get a person from the other team to say a special word, which changed every fifteen minutes. If successful, you had to give up a small present, which were really just game pieces (and those were really just laundry clips with a small drawing of a Xmas present glued on). I forget who won since by the end of the evening, I was too into talking without actually playing the game, and gawking at a guy’s N-Gage (the “old-school” Sidetalkin’ model).

If there’s one thing about New York City, you never know who or what you’re going to run into. After the party, Nelson, Sam, and myself went for a drink at a local bar. Then while walking towards Penn Station, Nelson mentioned how he had just played Katamari and remembered me talking about the game, way back in March (gushing is perhaps a more appropriate term). Then Sam brought up Ikaruga in relation to something. Anyway, some guy who was walking alongside us asked if we worked in the industry due to the kind of games we were talking about. The guy said he used to work at Rockstar and didn’t really like it. Seemed like a nice fellow, and not like some total jack-ass, so I’m assuming he didn’t fit in.

Then on the subway ride this morning to work, one kid was playing a Neo Geo Pocket! Strange…

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