Hey SparkBox Listeners! It’s time for the JungleTrek Check-IN, giving you the latest on whats coming out in theaters and the video game stores. Check out this week’s update right now:

Click Here:  JungleTrek Check-In

Well, its been hyped for months, and here it is! BIOSHOCK 2, the sequel to the original, Game of the Year, “Bioshock”. I, like hundreds of other Bioshock megafans have been waiting a long time for it and I spent my entire day yesterday playing completely through it. Ready for the whole inner scoop? Here is what I thought of my return to Rapture…

I bought Bioshock 2 the day it came out, and I did what any other mega Bioshock fan would do… I went to work and bounced up and down holding the Game Disc and drooled heavily on it wishing the day would end so I could go home and play already! Which fortunately happened after about 8 hours. And man, was it worth the wait.

I was very, very worried about Bioshock 2… the first Bioshock is my favorite game of all time and I was sure that a second one would ruin it. I am very pleased to announce to Bioshock fans everywhere that I was dead wrong! This sequel matches the story quality and magic of Rapture in all its glory; shedding new light on the city in a whole number of defining areas without messing with the formula. The city we had come to know in the first one was suddenly much larger and more open, with more beautifully designed areas and visual stories in each room.

Let me cover a few of the newer perks of this second game.

First off, the duel welding control system that was established in the first Bioshock was maintained and perfected. As in the first one, it feels bulky and bizarre for about five minutes and then begins to feel very, very natural. The menu and inventory system was streamlined just a little bit to make smoother transitions to get to inventory during battles. And finally, my favorite feature, the button that once made you instantly use a MedKit was relocated to the D-Pad so that you aren’t using unneeded Medkits during battle. (Trust me, my brother did that a lot in the first Bioshock.)

The weapons are super charged! Heavy duty weapons that only a Big Daddy could handle. Rivet guns, grenade launchers, and of course the almighty drill! My own person favorite was the Spear Gun that pierced through your enemies and nailed them to the wall with one powerful stab… an effect that could only be better if you could attach an explosive to it… which you can! (Quick tip, any Big Daddy can be taken down with 6 headshots using your Rocket Spears.)

The Plasmid system is again fun and easy to understand. Having just spend the past two months playing “Borderlands” and having to use a calculator to figure out what gun is better, its nice to have a system that tells you these things.

Plasmids have evolved in Bioshock 2, letting you do far more then in the first Bioshock and giving you powerful new add-ons to the original Plasmids we all know and love. One new plasmid called “Scout” lets you ghost out of yourself and scout the area ahead unseen, later you can use the ghost to hack machines and attack enemies without being anywhere near danger.

Another Plasmid, which was featured in the first game, “Security Command” now allows you to summon Security Bots to come fight for you at anytime. For once in Rapture, YOU are leading the attack and you get to watch the fear in the eyes of the Splicers as you, a massive Delta Big Daddy slams into a room with rockets and grenades blasting and Security Bots unleashing waves of machine gun ammo into your enemies. It is just awesome! There is one more Plasmid that you get right towards the end of the game… but I’ll save that as a very special surprise for you players

Ok, lets talk about the thing that really matters here: the story.

I, like other Bioshock fans, understand that Rapture far more then just a game world and reaches into your own emotions and feelings, playing with your mind in a way no other video game ever has. This second installment is no different! For those of you who spent as much time playing the first game as I have know that Rapture is not as scary as when you first stepped out of that Bathysphere. In Bioshock 2, they understood that the players of this game have also emotionally evolved. We are very much comfortable in Rapture and therefore this second game does not entail much horror as in the first one. It is seen through the eyes of someone who knows Rapture and has lived there a long time.

I was terrified that 2K Games was going to ruin the first game by revisiting old places and altering the story of Andrew Ryan and Fontaine. I am so happy that they did not touch it at all and completely took a new direction with the story! Bioshock 2 features a much more personal story and is much more isolated. Your choices alter greatly how this game is played, far more then the original.

((Quick Note: You get to hear Fontaine’s voice only twice in this game in Audio Diaries and it is so weird… because you find you actually miss him.))

The gathering Little Sister aspect continues; but this time, you’re part of it… many, many times. The developers really worked to create a connection with you and the Little Sisters this time around and it really pulls at your heart strings in several places. In the end, the choices you’ve made will affect them all and you… just keep that in mind while playing.

The story itself is completely entrapping and lives up to the tale-telling traditions of Bioshock, with twists and turns and sudden stops and gos that make you never want to put down the controller. I was afraid that this Bioshock 2 would be overly science fiction with monsters and other unbelievable things that were alien to Rapture’s world… again, I was wrong! There is nothing that I could find that crossed overly the line of “unbelievable stupidity”.

There is no major story twist as in the first one, but some jaw-dropping climaxes. But we DO finally get to see something we have all wanted to see: Rapture at its peek back in the day. And yes, it is stunningly beautiful and elegant.

After completing this game, I literally sat on my couch, held the controller, and needed a few minutes to digest what had happened. Finally, I opened my mouth and said: “Woooooooooooow.”

Ok! To be fair, I need to point out two things I did NOT like in this game!

First one, the new design and character animation was way too cartoony for the Rapture. The splicers ran like “Woody” from Disney’s “Toy Story” in places and their faces were almost comical in a spot or two. Fortunately, Splicers usually die before they can get too close to you.
((Note: Splicers have many, many more spoken lines this time… so those of you who got sick of hearing the splicers shout: “RYAN.. RYANNNNNN” in the first game will be happy to know that phrase is NOT in this game even once.))

Second thing I didn’t like: For the most part, the voice acting in this game is incredible, however a couple characters were simply too stereotypical. The “Irish Preacher” was just simply too Irish and was too much a “God-flangled, hallelujah-shouting, TV evangelist” which reflects a modern view of religion, and the only African American character felt the need to call me a “Tin Daddy”… which just didn’t work.

I really need to wrap up this review, but here is a very quick lowdown on the multiplayer!

The Multiplayer feature of Bioshock 2 again changes everything you know about Multiplayer games. It is fair and balanced and comes down to your skill and not just the weapons. And best of all, they actually worked the story into the action and they gave you something you always wanted in Rapture: Your own apartment overlooking the city that you can walk around in freely… I want to really live in that apartment so badly.

In conclusion, Bioshock 2 only cements the Bioshock series as the ultimate video game series of all time, always paving the way for a new generation of games and raising the bar. I am proud to award this game 5 Stars out of 5.

Your Buddy,
JungleTrek

As we celebrate Memorial Day here in the USA, let us not forget the brave souls who fought tirelessly and against all odds to defend our country and our world virtually. Join me now in paying respect to our Video Game Veterans and let us look back on some of their heroic deeds…

Lt. Jimmy Patterson
Medal of Honor: Frontline

Lt. Patterson bravely fought and kept at bay the evils of the German war machine during World War II. It was he who made Operation Market Garden a success and, in the end, lived to tell the tale. Great work, Jimmy!

————————————

Zack Hammond
Dead Space

It is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to Zack Hammond. He was a great leader and great man. Only because of his noble sacrifice, was Isaac able to defeat the spreading space evil that surely would have wiped us out if it had reached Earth. We salute you, Zack!

————————————

Master Chief
Halo

What can be said about this heroic soldier? The Master Chief has protected our world time and time again. Overcoming the odds, he kept the invading forces of the Flood and Elites from over-running our soils. But, this hero’s journey is not over yet! We wish you luck, Master Chief, in your coming battles.

————————————

The EDF
Earth Defense Force

Again our world was threatened by the alien scourge and who answered? The EDF, of course! Ranked with the best fighting men of Earth, they were able to slam back the insect invaders. Many of them fell in the war and they have our deepest thanks.

————————————

The Gears
Gears of War

Well, we aren’t sure just which world they are protecting. But, they are doing a bang up job!

Your Buddy,

Jungletrek

]]> http://sparkboxshow.com/2009/05/memorial-day-game-veterans.html/feed 3 http://sparkboxshow.com/2009/04/this-weekends-winners-are-10.html http://sparkboxshow.com/2009/04/this-weekends-winners-are-10.html#comments Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:13:13 +0000 James http://sparkboxshow.com/?p=1146

Another weekend, another slew of moderate movies. Lets see who won the battle of the box office.

17 Again opened #1 at the box office, earning $24 million.

State of Play opened #2 at the box office this week, earning $14 million. GRRRR, why does this man keep making movies?

Monsters vs. Aliens stayed at #3, earning $12.9 million and raising its four-week total to $162.7 million. The film had a budget of $175 million.

Hannah Montana The Movie fell three spots to #4 at the box office, earning $12.6 million and raising its two-week total to $56 million.

Fast and Furious fell three spots to #5 at the box office, earning $12.2 million and raising its three-week total to $136.7 million. The film had a budget of $85 million. It still suprises me how well this did.

Crank: High Voltage debuted #6 at the box office, earning $6.5 million. Did you really think it would make any more? All I can say is that another $6 of its total will be from me on friday…

Observe and Report dropped three spots to #7 at the box office, earning $4 million and raising its two-week total to $18.6 million. The film had a budget of $18 million.

Knowing dropped three spots to #8 at the box office, earning $3.4 million and raising its five-week total to $73.6 million.

I Love You, Man dropped three spots to #9 at the box office, earning $3.3 million and raising its five-week total to $64.6 million.

The Haunting in Connecticut dropped three spots to #10 at the box office, earning #3.1 million, and raising its four–week total to $51.9 million.

BOX OFFICE TOP TEN
1. 17 Again – $24 million ($24 million to date)
2. State of Play – $14 million ($14 million to date)
3. Monsters vs. Aliens – $12.9 million ($162.7 million to date)
4. Hannah Montana The Movie – $12.6 million ($56 million to date)
5. Fast and Furious – $12.2 million ($136.7 million to date)
6. Crank: High Voltage – $6.5 million ($6.5 million to date)
7. Observe and Report – $4 million ($18.6 million to date)
8. Knowing – $3.4 million ($73.6 million to date)
9. I Love You, Man – $3.3 million ($64.6 million to date)
10. The Haunting in Connecticut – $3.1 million ($51.9 million to date)

So there you have it, another lack-luster weekend at the box office. Hopefully next week won’t suck as much!

It’s Award season and here we go with another award show. Read more to see who the winners were this year.

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

WINNER: SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON (Paramount Pictures)
DOUBT (Miramax)
FROST/NIXON (Universal Pictures)
MILK (Focus Features)
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role

WINNER: SEAN PENN – “MILK”

RICHARD JENKINS / Walter Vale – “THE VISITOR” (Overture Films)
FRANK LANGELLA / Richard Nixon – “FROST/NIXON” (Universal Pictures)
SEAN PENN / Harvey Milk – “MILK” (Focus Features)
BRAD PITT / Benjamin Button – “THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON” (Paramount Pictures)
MICKEY ROURKE / Randy – “THE WRESTLER” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role

WINNER: Meryl Streep – “DOUBT”

ANNE HATHAWAY / Kym – “RACHEL GETTING MARRIED” (Sony Pictures Classics)
ANGELINA JOLIE / Christine Collins – “CHANGELING” (Universal Pictures)
MELISSA LEO / Ray Eddy – “FROZEN RIVER” (Sony Pictures Classics)
MERYL STREEP / Sister Aloysius Beauvier – “DOUBT” (Miramax Films)
KATE WINSLET / April Wheeler – “REVOLUTIONARY ROAD” (Paramount Vantage)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role

WINNER: Heath Ledger – “THE DARK KNIGHT”

JOSH BROLIN / Dan White – “MILK” (Focus Features)
ROBERT DOWNEY, JR. / Kirk Lazarus – “TROPIC THUNDER” (Paramount Pictures)
PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN / Father Brendan Flynn – “DOUBT” (Miramax Films)
HEATH LEDGER / Joker – “THE DARK KNIGHT” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
DEV PATEL / Older Jamal – “SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role

WINNER: Kate Winslet – “THE READER”

AMY ADAMS / Sister James – “DOUBT” (Miramax Films)
PENÉLOPE CRUZ / Maria Elena – “VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA” (The Weinstein Company)
VIOLA DAVIS / Mrs. Miller – “DOUBT” (Miramax Films)
TARAJI P. HENSON / Queenie – “THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON” (Paramount Pictures)
KATE WINSLET / Hanna Schmitz – “THE READER” (The Weinstein Company)
PRIMETIME TELEVISION

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries

WINNER: Paul Giamatti – “JOHN ADAMS”

RALPH FIENNES / Bernard Lafferty – “BERNARD AND DORIS” (HBO)
PAUL GIAMATTI / John Adams – “JOHN ADAMS” (HBO)
KEVIN SPACEY / Ron Klain – “RECOUNT” (HBO)
KIEFER SUTHERLAND / Jack Bauer – “24: REDEMPTION” (FOX)
TOM WILKINSON / Benjamin Franklin – “JOHN ADAMS” (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries

WINNER: Laura Linney – “JOHN ADAMS”

LAURA DERN / Katherine Harris – “RECOUNT” (HBO)
LAURA LINNEY / Abigail Adams – “JOHN ADAMS” (HBO)
SHIRLEY MacLAINE / Coco Chanel – “COCO CHANEL” (Lifetime)
PHYLICIA RASHAD / Lena Younger – “A RAISIN IN THE SUN” (ABC)
SUSAN SARANDON / Doris Duke – “BERNARD AND DORIS” (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series

WINNER: Hugh Laurie – “HOUSE”

MICHAEL C. HALL / Dexter Morgan – “DEXTER” (Showtime)
JON HAMM / Don Draper – “MAD MEN” (AMC)
HUGH LAURIE / Gregory House – “HOUSE” (FOX)
WILLIAM SHATNER / Denny Crane – “BOSTON LEGAL” (ABC)
JAMES SPADER / Alan Shore – “BOSTON LEGAL” (ABC)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series

WINNER: Sally Field – “BROTHERS & SISTERS”

SALLY FIELD / Nora Walker – “BROTHERS & SISTERS” (ABC)
MARISKA HARGITAY / Det. Olivia Benson – “LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT” (NBC)
HOLLY HUNTER / Grace Hanadarko – “SAVING GRACE” (TNT)
ELISABETH MOSS / Peggy Olson – “MAD MEN” (AMC)
KYRA SEDGWICK / Dep. Chief Brenda Johnson – “THE CLOSER” (TNT)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series

WINNER: Alec Baldwin – “30 ROCK”

ALEC BALDWIN / Jack Donaghy – “30 ROCK” (NBC)
STEVE CARELL / Michael Scott – “THE OFFICE” (NBC)
DAVID DUCHOVNY / Hank Moody – “CALIFORNICATION” (Showtime)
JEREMY PIVEN / Ari Gold – “ENTOURAGE” (HBO)
TONY SHALHOUB / Adrian Monk – “MONK” (USA)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series

WINNER: Tina Fey – “30 ROCK”

CHRISTINA APPLEGATE / Samantha Newly – “SAMANTHA WHO?” (ABC)
AMERICA FERRERA / Betty Suarez – “UGLY BETTY” (ABC)
TINA FEY / Liz Lemon – “30 ROCK” (NBC)
MARY-LOUISE PARKER / Nancy Botwin – “WEEDS” (Showtime)
TRACEY ULLMAN / Various Characters – “TRACEY ULLMAN’S STATE OF THE UNION” (Showtime)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

WINNER: MAD MEN

BOSTON LEGAL (ABC)
THE CLOSER (TNT)
DEXTER (Showtime)
HOUSE (Fox)
MAD MEN (AMC)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series

WINNER: 30 ROCK

30 ROCK (NBC)
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (ABC)
ENTOURAGE (HBO)
THE OFFICE (NBC)
WEEDS (Showtime)

All in all it was a pretty good show. Rourke losing to Sean Penn and Meryl Streep beating out Kate Winslet both suprised me. But what did’t suprise me was Slumdog winning Best Cast in a Motion Picture. That damn movie is an award gathering powerhouse. Yet again though, Heath Ledger wins. I am sorry, but I cant see this as a legit win since he died. Call me an ass, but I would feel much better if he was alive and winning. I just feel since he is dead he is getting more recognition then he should.

Well, it’s that time of year again! The time when the so called “film experts” give awards to undeserving cretins in Hollywood for pushing their political banter in movies that no one ever sees. I speak, or course, of the Oscars.

For those who suffered along with me watching last years abomination, know what I’m talking about.

Originally, the Oscars were a celebration of exceptional talent and creativity, and overall, the art of film. But no longer! Hollywood has turned the once proud ceremony into a shockfest presentation of stupid environmental or social ideals …and once in awhile an award is given out. (Of course, that only happens after a pregnant teen lesbian mother (who is drunk AND high AND randomly Muslim) sings a touching song about how hard it was to grow up in her poor African village and in the Bronx at the same time and then, finally, to drive the point home, she is raped on stage to protest the war.)

Then, they hand Brad Pitt an award for Best Butthead of the Year…

Well, anyway, now that I got my rant out, here’s the complete list of nominees this year. I hope they don’t make you gag as much as they made me. In my humble opinion, “Iron Man” deserves a lot more attention then it recieved. And “Slumdog Millionaire” and “Milk” can simply go to heck… and then burn in it.

Complete list of 81st annual Academy Award nominations:

1. Best Picture: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “Frost/Nixon,” “Milk,” “The Reader,” “Slumdog Millionaire.”

2. Actor: Richard Jenkins, “The Visitor”; Frank Langella, “Frost/Nixon”; Sean Penn, “Milk”; Brad Pitt, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”; Mickey Rourke, “The Wrestler.”

3. Actress: Anne Hathaway, “Rachel Getting Married”; Angelina Jolie, “Changeling”; Melissa Leo, “Frozen River”; Meryl Streep, “Doubt”; Kate Winslet, “The Reader.”

4. Supporting Actor: Josh Brolin, “Milk”; Robert Downey Jr., “Tropic Thunder”; Philip Seymour Hoffman, “Doubt”; Heath Ledger, “The Dark Knight”; Michael Shannon, “Revolutionary Road.”

5. Supporting Actress: Amy Adams, “Doubt”; Penelope Cruz, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”; Viola Davis, “Doubt”; Taraji P. Henson, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”; Marisa Tomei, “The Wrestler.”

6. Director: David Fincher, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”; Ron Howard, “Frost/Nixon”; Gus Van Sant, “Milk”; Stephen Daldry, “The Reader”; Danny Boyle, “Slumdog Millionaire.”

7. Foreign Film: “The Baader Meinhof Complex,” Germany; “The Class,” France; “Departures,” Japan; “Revanche,” Austria; “Waltz With Bashir,” Israel.

8. Adapted Screenplay: Eric Roth and Robin Swicord, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”; John Patrick Shanley, “Doubt”; Peter Morgan, “Frost/Nixon”; David Hare, “The Reader”; Simon Beaufoy, “Slumdog Millionaire.”

9. Original Screenplay: Courtney Hunt, “Frozen River”; Mike Leigh, “Happy-Go-Lucky”; Martin McDonagh, “In Bruges”; Dustin Lance Black, “Milk”; Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon and Pete Docter, “WALL-E.”

10. Animated Feature Film: “Bolt”; “Kung Fu Panda”; “WALL-E.”

11. Art Direction: “Changeling,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Dark Knight,” “The Duchess,” “Revolutionary Road.”

12. Cinematography: “Changeling,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Dark Knight,” “The Reader,” “Slumdog Millionaire.”

13. Sound Mixing: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Dark Knight,” “Slumdog Millionaire,” “WALL-E,” “Wanted.”

14. Sound Editing: “The Dark Knight,” “Iron Man,” “Slumdog Millionaire,” “WALL-E,” “Wanted.”

15. Original Score: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” Alexandre Desplat; “Defiance,” James Newton Howard; “Milk,” Danny Elfman; “Slumdog Millionaire,” A.R. Rahman; “WALL-E,” Thomas Newman.

16. Original Song: “Down to Earth” from “WALL-E,” Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman; “Jai Ho” from “Slumdog Millionaire,” A.R. Rahman and Gulzar; “O Saya” from “Slumdog Millionaire,” A.R. Rahman and Maya Arulpragasam.

17. Costume: “Australia,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Duchess,” “Milk,” “Revolutionary Road.”

18. Documentary Feature: “The Betrayal (Nerakhoon),” “Encounters at the End of the World,” “The Garden,” “Man on Wire,” “Trouble the Water.”

19. Documentary (short subject): “The Conscience of Nhem En,” “The Final Inch,” “Smile Pinki,” “The Witness — From the Balcony of Room 306.”

20. Film Editing: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Dark Knight,” “Frost/Nixon,” “Milk,” “Slumdog Millionaire.”

21. Makeup: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Dark Knight,” “Hellboy II: The Golden Army.”

22. Animated Short Film: “La Maison en Petits Cubes,” “Lavatory — Lovestory,” “Oktapodi,” “Presto,” “This Way Up.”

23. Live Action Short Film: “Auf der Strecke (On the Line),” “Manon on the Asphalt,” “New Boy,” “The Pig,” “Spielzeugland (Toyland).”

24. Visual Effects: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Dark Knight,” “Iron Man.”

25. Best Crap in 2008: “Hollywood”

One last thought… “Wall-E” was awesome! Kick that stupid “Kung Fu Panda”‘s butt, Wall-E!

“You cannot sell anything that is not physical,” said Mr Knoxx. “That includes ghosts, souls and spirits which is funny.

“I have been refunded but I had 200 people watching it, I’m really disappointed by that. “I had lots of emails asking if I was serious and religious groups telling me I couldn’t do that, others wanted to talk about my soul.

“I had a lot of interest but no actual bidders which is a real shame.”

The Arts Institute graduate decided to try to sell his soul after a lack of creative jobs in his home town of Bournemouth, Dorset.

“I’m a highly creative person, but creativity is not without its drawbacks,” he said in the listing.

“Unfortunately where I live there are hardly any jobs to keep a creative person like myself employed in anything other than boring, mundane office jobs.”

Mr Knoxx was planning to use the money to get his experimental music group, Paradigm, which he created with his friend Zakk Altair, up and running.

He quit his “shoddy job” as a laptop repair technician and said: “I leave it to you, the denizens of Earth, to purchase my actual soul and in return allow me to acquire some tasty capital.”

The auction included a legal contract entitling the new soul’s owner to a percentage of Mr Knoxx’s income for the rest of his life, with a guaranteed minimum of £1,000 per year.

Another clause entitled the owner to 10% of any intellectual works of Paradigm.

He also pledged to write a full account of the soul’s life within three years and the owner of his soul would also be entitled to 10% of his estate in his will.

Other clauses in the contract included sending the owner an annual report of his soul, and a birthday card on Mr Knoxx’s birthday, as well as a promise to plant three trees a year.

A final clause also stated Mr Knoxx could buy back his soul for £100,000,000.

Pretty good eh? I tell ya if ebay didnt stop this, there would have been a lot of rich Atheists out there.