I went to see this a few weeks ago but didn't take the time to talk about it here.
A shame really since cinema "reviews" (more like opinions) used to be pretty much the only thing I managed to keep doing... Anyway, better late than never.
I didn't expect anything from the 1st movie and came out begging for more. The downside is that I expected a lot from this sequel.
I'm happy to report that it didn't disappoint. In the "Hollywood blockbuster" genre, they still hold 1 of the best recipes currently in use.
In a clever twist, they manage to put Tony Stark in a similar position than the 1st movie: he starts as an obnoxious borderline-unlikable playboy (although Downey Jr. plays it perfectly and that the character has his own reasons for being that way) before redeeming himself to his friends and the audience. :)
This time round, he's also got a proper nemesis and Mickey Rourke proves (although unsurprisingly) a bad ass choice.
And I didn't even mention Black Widow... :)))))))))
It's also good to see that they didn't sacrifice character development for action. The drawback is that you end up wishing there was a bit more action, but that's also because the 3 set pieces here are really outstanding. Varied and just plain fun.
So again, this is not really art, but as Hollywood blockbusters go it's not dumbed down, it's spectacular, just dark enough yet fun enough...
A great movie therefore!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Bit Trip Runner
It's been a long time I didn't post.
I actually regularly think of things to post but I don't get to actually do it anyway.
Today I found an incentive.
I acquired Bit Trip Runner, the latest in the "Bit Trip" series, available on WiiWare. And I find it quite excellent.
I've been following the series with great interest and I could have sworn I mentionned it here but I can see now I didn't.
So to recap: it's a collection of games that take a "retro" look, ie big pixels, bright colors and simple (yet not simplistic) gameplay, with still some modern bells and whistles of the current technology. They also leave a non-negligible space to music, making them almost rythm games to some extend. 8-bits style of course.
And they all are devilishly difficult.
It's how I like my games: revolving around a concept rather than flashy graphics. That makes the series fresh and stylish.
Bit Trip Beat paid tribute to Pong & Arkanoid: you controlled a pad to send back dots (balls? pixels?) where they came from. It's the original concept, very simple yet completely addictive.
In Bit Trip Core, you would do kind of the same thing, but using "beams" that you could send in 4 directions. I liked it also but I found it way too difficult.
Bit Trip Void saw you control a "dot", trying to collect other black dots while avoiding the white ones. It reminded me of Ikaruga in many ways and with very clever design it does reproduce some "shoot-them-up" situations. However there's one thing that irritates me in this one: the background changes a lot and sometimes becomes dark, which is a cool effect, but prevents you from seeing the black dots you're supposed to collect. While I know this is done on purpose, I think it's rather cheap and that the game is already difficult enough without this.
And so all this built up to Bit Trip Runner. Wonder Boy is referenced here and the gameplay expands also, as you now control an actual character (although it's the same one you where controlling in the previous games, here you can see him better), who runs, jumps, slides & kicks. 4 actions then, all cancelling an obstacle you might run into. No life here, as the levels are partitionned in small segments. If you hit anything, you start from the beginning of the segment. To score points, you need to collect some gold on the way, which gives some interesting risk / reward dilemmas...
The general feel is less abstract than in the previous entries and has an incredible charm. The fact that you're running through levels in bite-sized segments make the whole thing a lot more approachable than the previous entries, in which you needed to sit through a complete level in 1 go (roughly 15minutes of intense concentration). This doesn't mean that Runner is easier. It just STARTS easier. By the end of the 1st level, you're already confronted to some meaty chains of moves that require you to refrain from blinking...
It reminds me of Vib Ribbon, on the Playstation, although here the levels are not auto-generated by the music you use. In recent memory, Cannabalt, which I already mentionned and Tomena Sanner (which is also a gem of Japanese nuttiness) come to mind.
Although it's gameplay at its simplest, it's just a joy to play. The graphics, controls, music come together to offer an experience that is charming & rewarding and it's a pleasure to revisit completed levels to try and beat your previous high score...
It appears 2 more games are planned for the series, I'm very much looking forward to seeing what surprises Gaijin games have in stock for those...
I actually regularly think of things to post but I don't get to actually do it anyway.
Today I found an incentive.
I acquired Bit Trip Runner, the latest in the "Bit Trip" series, available on WiiWare. And I find it quite excellent.
I've been following the series with great interest and I could have sworn I mentionned it here but I can see now I didn't.
So to recap: it's a collection of games that take a "retro" look, ie big pixels, bright colors and simple (yet not simplistic) gameplay, with still some modern bells and whistles of the current technology. They also leave a non-negligible space to music, making them almost rythm games to some extend. 8-bits style of course.
And they all are devilishly difficult.
It's how I like my games: revolving around a concept rather than flashy graphics. That makes the series fresh and stylish.
Bit Trip Beat paid tribute to Pong & Arkanoid: you controlled a pad to send back dots (balls? pixels?) where they came from. It's the original concept, very simple yet completely addictive.
In Bit Trip Core, you would do kind of the same thing, but using "beams" that you could send in 4 directions. I liked it also but I found it way too difficult.
Bit Trip Void saw you control a "dot", trying to collect other black dots while avoiding the white ones. It reminded me of Ikaruga in many ways and with very clever design it does reproduce some "shoot-them-up" situations. However there's one thing that irritates me in this one: the background changes a lot and sometimes becomes dark, which is a cool effect, but prevents you from seeing the black dots you're supposed to collect. While I know this is done on purpose, I think it's rather cheap and that the game is already difficult enough without this.
And so all this built up to Bit Trip Runner. Wonder Boy is referenced here and the gameplay expands also, as you now control an actual character (although it's the same one you where controlling in the previous games, here you can see him better), who runs, jumps, slides & kicks. 4 actions then, all cancelling an obstacle you might run into. No life here, as the levels are partitionned in small segments. If you hit anything, you start from the beginning of the segment. To score points, you need to collect some gold on the way, which gives some interesting risk / reward dilemmas...
The general feel is less abstract than in the previous entries and has an incredible charm. The fact that you're running through levels in bite-sized segments make the whole thing a lot more approachable than the previous entries, in which you needed to sit through a complete level in 1 go (roughly 15minutes of intense concentration). This doesn't mean that Runner is easier. It just STARTS easier. By the end of the 1st level, you're already confronted to some meaty chains of moves that require you to refrain from blinking...
It reminds me of Vib Ribbon, on the Playstation, although here the levels are not auto-generated by the music you use. In recent memory, Cannabalt, which I already mentionned and Tomena Sanner (which is also a gem of Japanese nuttiness) come to mind.
Although it's gameplay at its simplest, it's just a joy to play. The graphics, controls, music come together to offer an experience that is charming & rewarding and it's a pleasure to revisit completed levels to try and beat your previous high score...
It appears 2 more games are planned for the series, I'm very much looking forward to seeing what surprises Gaijin games have in stock for those...
Friday, May 07, 2010
Cannabalt reloaded.
I replayed Cannabalt (which now features a vicious typing tutor) and got 8405m!!!
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