C3PX

The novelty of both the cassette and the 8 track was their potential for portability. And the whole mix tape thing and ability to record with cassettes was a plus. But beyond that, they didn't have much of a future. Just a place holder until the next best thing came along, and it did.

R.I.P. Cassette tape. It was fun while it lasted, but not many of us were sorry to see you go.

Back to topic. Notice how during the first week after this man's death, the creepy makeup wearing white guy was nowhere to be found? Every where you looked was the boyish faced, curly haired, chocolate skinned, helium voiced young man so many women seemed to swoon over for so many years. One week later, that face had disappeared, and every magazine cover is plastered with the pasty white face, and bearing captions such as "Drug Addict?" "What will become of his children?" "Micheal's Horrible Secrets Revealed!" etc. Gotta love the media.

Thanks Sluggo.

Heh, just realized that there are probably plenty of people browsing this off topic section who have never played Bioshock, or even know what a Big Daddy looks like, so here is a picture of one from the actual game for comparison.

To give them a little background, they are the guardians of creepy little genetically altered little girls known as "little sisters" in the brilliantly rendered and depicted utopia turned distopia of Rapture. In the game the Big Daddys (lovingly called "Mr. Bubbles" or "Mr. B" for short by the little sisters) won't mess with you until you mess with them or a little sister they are escorting.

The little sister's job is to harvest ADAM, which is a bit more complicated to explain, in short it has to do with genetic manipulation and drugs, which ran rampant in the under water utopia the game takes place in. In Rapture, doctors were free to experiment with all sorts of questionable things in the name of enlightenment and human greatness, which is what the city of Rapture is all about. Ultimately, the citizens constantly using more and more of these drugs to manipulate and improve their bodies caused the minor side effect of gradual insanity.

The little sisters harvest the ADAM out of dead people, and the junkies that liter the place want the ADAM so they can get more powerful genetic manipulations, which is why they need a stout guardian. Once you kill a Big Daddy, you can choose to rescue or harvest the little sister, rescuing her results in a small reward of ADAM, and then she scurries away, now a fairly normal looking little girl because he body is free of ADAM. Choose to harvest her, and she turns into a limp dead slug of a thing, and you get a whole crap load of ADAM. The game has slight alternative endings depending on which option you choose the most.

In the trailer for Bioshock 2, we see the image of a young woman (which we can assume to be a grown up little sister) holding the doll I posted pictures of in my first post.

In other words ignore all this weird stuff I am talking about, and my silly looking rag doll, and play this game. It is one of those rare gems of a game that only comes along once every few years. Sure, it is just another silly first person shooter that really doesn't do anything new to speak of, but its backstory is so indepth it will suck you in. Another plus is that you only have to look into the backstory as dee as you feel like. If you only want to blow things up and kill people, then you can. But if you want to really take the time to find out exactly what Rapture was and what kinds of things went on there to turn it from an idealogically perfect capitalist society into a dark, damp, and bloody junkie ridden hive of anarchy, then you are free to do so.

Fang Zei said:

The Blade Runner release alone should be shaming Lucas into preparing a monster-sized blu-ray set for each of the movies, but it probably isn't.

"Shame" and "Lucas" two words that are so alien from one another, they should probably never be used in the same sentence.

shimy said:

i been a member of this site since about 4 months after it came online hahaha shit its 2009, man i am coming up on my 6th OT BDAY. it was july 2003

Yeah, and your posts are still as meaningful as ever.

Anyway, I don't see why Ricard would reply to your post simply stating the fact that you are a "member from way back when" (unless he has decided to provide a commentary for every thread). I am pretty sure he was refering to Jennys1138.

Johnny Ringo said:

and for the weight issue maybe consider replacing it's insides with something lighter - dunno how much of an effort that would be...

It would be easier just to use a tee ball I suppose, I cannot imagine what would be involved with hollowing out a baseball and refilling it with something else.

Yes it is awesome! It is one of those games where you can save anywhere, so time is no excuse! Go beat the damn thing Richard. Second one is coming out in just a few short months. Doubt it will be as significant as the first, but I am looking forward to it.

I would refuse to sign any petition that feels the need to request it in anamorphic. That is just too asinine. It is just pampering. George knew it should have been anamorphic, he knew that was the standard. He just didn't care.

I'd love to see him release the OUT on Blu-ray in letterbox. It would awesome. At the moment, there are literally hundreds of DVD with far worse quality than the GOUT. However, if George were to pull something like this with BD, he'd have the distinction of having released the worse quality BD ever. Might even win a place in the Guiness Book of World Record. This would truely make my day. Unfortunately, very little George does makes me happy these days. So I won't be holding my breath for this this. :( 

But yeah, seriously, I hope fans don't stoop so low as to spell out that it needs to be "anamorphic" (does that even apply to BD?), it seriously just feels like you are on your knees groveling. "Oh great bearded one! Witness as we jump through hoops for thee! Bless us our lord with thy holy trilogy, this time without the punishment of black bars and low quality. Your will be done o'wise story teller, your saga forever be worshiped, and your..." ah, you get the idea.

Yoda Is Your Father said:

 you bought your music on a vinyl or CD...

Dude! You left our the part about the wonderful and glorious audio cassette! How could you leave out audio cassette?

Another popular way of distributing music videos back in the nineties were at the ends of movies on home video. If one of the songs on the soundtrack was a popular single with a music video, the music video would often end up tacked on after the credits on VHS of the movie. This was the genesis of the special features which are now standard with DVD and BD.

Ah, so your problem wasn't actually with Twin Snakes, but with MGS itself. First time I played MGS I kept dying too. Frustrating as hell, wanted to take the game out and break it. MGS definitely has a learning curve to it, but once you get going, it gets a lot easier (still challenging enough, but your not dying ever two seconds like a lot of people do during the first bit of the game) and it is downright amazing. I am sorry you didn't stick with it, once you get inside the base and get a hold of some gear, it is a lot of fun.

I think we may have had this discussion before, but why didn't you like it? I am assuming you liked the original and don't just dislike the game in general.

Here is how I spent part of my day off work.

As seen in the Bioshock 2 Sea of Dreams trailer,

and the concept art,

Ever since I first saw the trailer, I thought it would be really cool to have my very own Big Daddy rag doll. Problem with mine is that it looks too new. Believe it or not, I couldn't find a dirty old baseball to save my life. In fact, I had a pretty rough time finding a baseball period. Wal-Mart was sold out of them, and said that since Summer was over (uuuh, it is only July!) that they wouldn't be getting anymore in until after Christmas. Finally found a brand new ball and sandpapered off all the markings. Need to figure out a way to make it look old and rugged. Thought about soaking it in a bucket of mud. If anyone has any better suggestions, let me know.

The other thing I need to fix on mine are the push pins. In the trailer and concept art they are actually metalic silver, with red paint on the tips. Since I can't find any metalic silver push pins, I need to find some metalic silver paint, then put a dap of red paint on the tip of each. I think this will definitely give it more of a rugged improvised look. 

The other issue is the weight. The baseball is very heavy compared to the hand made rag doll body (stuffed with dried corn and cotton), so it is extremely top heavy and wont hand from the neck like in the concept art, or from the arm like in the trailer. I'll probably end up filling his film canister backpack thing with lead weigths to see if I can get him to sit/hang better.

Reboot is just a fancy new word for remake anyway. So I am with Anchorhead, I didn't think it needed explained. Only "reboot" kind of makes the assumption that the film is going to spawn a zillion sequels and once again be milked for all it is worth. Kind of like saying, "Yeah we know we beat this dead horse for a very long time, and its smelling rotting carcass offended you so you left. Well, now we have a new horse with the same name, and we are proud to invite you to come and watch as we once again subject it to great abuses, watch as it collapses dead, then proceed to continue beating it until you once again leave offended at its putrid stink."

Of course, nobody is that honest, hence the invention of the term, "reboot".

If I get by another Target store in my area I will. I already cleaned out the two closest to me, and in both cases I wasn't actually going there looking for the thing, I just got lucky. I have to go out of town today, and I think I am passing a Target. If I do I will drop in and check for you.

Left 4 Dead 2 comes out in November I think, no doubt the first one will take a big price cut after that.

Heh heh! Just happened to stop by a Target store other than the one I usually shop at to buy a few things, and just decided to zip by the Xbox games and see if they had any clearance copies of Left 4 Dead. On the shelf behind the glass was the Game of the Year Edition marked $59.99. I glanced down the side of it to check out the labels, and noticed one of the labels was in a different position than the rest, indicating that it was not the GOTY edition. So, I have now purchased yet another copy of Left 4 Dead for $12.48.

So, if any of you want this game on the cheap, I highly recommend checking your Targets. Obviously it is not too late, since I just got that copy today. The Target I found this one at is a pretty busy Target too. Other people on the internet have found copies of the regular edition hidden behind the GOTY edition, sounds like this is pretty common. It honestly makes no sense the regular edition should be clearanced so cheap when then GOTY edition's only difference is content that is downloadable for free. This is really a steal.

It usually sells for about $25 bucks. I know that sounds like a lot for a GC game, but all things considered, that isn't too bad. The fact that it still cost that much shows that it is still a very desirable game.

Of course, I believe you are from the UK? So it may very well be a different story there. 

As I said before, Twin Snakes was more for those who had never gotten around to playing the first game before.

I think it is kind of funny, is how its name and cover art provide spoilers for the actually game. It would be like Empire Strikes Back having been titled, Star Wars Episode V: Father Vs. Son and having Luke dueling Vader on the poster.

I couldn't agree more about the disposable mentality. But I do think that in some cases, some stories are just too good to let go. And that is where you see two different mentalities behind various sequels and remakes.

Some remakes really strive to take a loved story and give it a new spin. And others just seek to remake an old film because they see the opportunity to potentially to rake in cash because of it.

For example, one of my favorite books as a kid was War of the Worlds. I also really love the old 50s film version. I think the fifties film version is fantastic, but when I heard Spielberg was making new version of the film back in 2004, I was very excited. It is such a great story, I felt a remake was a very reasonable thing. Unfortunately the new movies was pretty awful.

Essentially Indenpendance Day was also a remake of the 1950s War of the Worlds. I'd often talk my friends into watching the 50s version of WotW, and they would be stunned at how much is was like Independance Day. No doubt ID took a lot of inspiration from that film (which followed a very different path from the book), but the result was an enjoyable modern take on the story.

Several non-official sequels to War of the Worlds have also been written (including one that is a collection of short stories retelling the events through the eyes of famous historical world figures who lived during the time the novel took place, and their reactions to the alien invasion and their various attempts at coming up with ways to fight them). In some cases things like this are simply "cashing in", but some of this stuff was actually very creative.

A story like War of the Worlds is the type of great premise that simply can't be left alone. Too many people have too many good ideas on how to add their own spin to it. 

Then you have a film like Planet of the Apes, which is also a really great story. But the idea of this being remade irritated me. And ultimately, it really ended up sucking. The original film is really the definitive version of the story. Sure it is based off a novel, but other than myself, I have never found anyone who has sat down and taking the time to read the thing. Most people experienced POTA through the original film. That film really struck all the right chords, and hit all the right marks. Why remake this film?

Magnificent Seven is another good example, there was nothing wrong with its source material. It simply took a great story, and gave it another spin. It lives in harmony with The Seven Samurai, and both films can be enjoyed side by side.

A film like Back to the Future being remade would be lame, because we already have a nearly flawless definitive version of the story. What could be gained via a remake?

A.I., while not the greatest film I have ever seen, was a very fascinating remake of Pinocchio. Imagine if Spielberg had simply decided to make another film about the wooden puppet? It would have been more of the same. Just another lame remake. Instead, it became its very own story, possessing its own good points and bad points.

I guess what I am trying to communicate, retellings of stories can be great, when they can bring their own spin to the tale and make it something that stands on its own (like The Forbidden Planet to The Tempest, or Chicken Run to The Great Escape). Rather than just re-filming what has been filmed with new special effects and technology.

In other words, remake does not always = crappy disposable money grabber, but more often than not they do. Same for sequels, some exist just for the sake of milking a little more out of an already successful film. But sometimes they are very worthy continuations of the original story.

Thus far, the current century seems to have been wholly devoted to remakes, sequels, reboots, spin-off, and adaptions or readaptions of well known books and comics. At this point, I think we are all pretty sick of it and are frantically reaching for the window hoping for a breath of freash air.

Honestly, I really don't see that any different than now. 

Only instead of classic films covered in shit, we have pure shit. I don't know about you, but I really like things to act like what they are. I get a cat, I want it to act like a cat. Dumb thing goes and starts acting like a dog, I am tossing it out. The SE is a confusing mess, is it an old film, is it a new film, complete mess. 

I don't think a remade sequel trilogy would have any adverse bearings on an eventual restoration of the original trilogy. It would be a bit like euthanasia for the poor old trilogy. Right now the things looks like crap, tubes coming out of every hole, hook up to life support. Nobody even really cares about it anymore. It has worn out its welcome for most people. The poor movies define dead horse beatings. It feels like the decent thing to do, to retire the poor things. Let the sleeping dog die. Burry the bloody horse corps. These movies deserve to be setting on everybodies DVD shelf, not under going cosmetic surgery every few years and having the little good that remains in them squeezed out for a profit.

Yeah, but only for the last couple of years. Remember back when music videos were constantly being removed from youtube and google video because they were in violation of copyrights? There was still a long gap between the time "music" channels stopped actually showing music videos and the time youtube filled that gap in glorious pixelated blurriness

Janskeet said:

What about his music videos? What format were those in back then?

Television. Back then the music channels actually played music videos. You'd turn on MTV and it would be video after video (there was some other programming too, but lots of videos).

Today, I am not even sure why music videos are still made. Seriously? Where are they aired so that they can bring back profit? I wouldn't even know where to go to see a video today if it wasn't for youtube.

Be sure to let us know how it is. Had this happened about five years ago, I'd be semi-euphoric right now, but as it is, I am really not even feeling all that interested in it. Perhaps as the insanely good reviews start flowing in, and LucasArts announces their regret for having missed out on the opportunity of making another Monkey Island because of the astronomical success of the new series, the Monkey Island addict in me will start to awaken. But for some reason he is sleeping like a baby, perfectly content with the many hours spent on the previous installments.

Also, be sure to let me know if Murray! The evil demonic skull makes an appearance. The first time he told me he was going to roll through the gates of hell with my head on a pike, I was endeared to him forever.

ChainsawAsh said:

The Twin Snakes would have been great if not for the following problems:

- The ability to shoot in first person makes the game insanely easy compared to the original MGS
- Some of the re-recorded voice acting isn't quite up to snuff (though I have no problem with the change of Mei Ling and Naomi's accents)
- The ridiculous cutscenes (jumping off of a missile? WTF?)
- The fact that, despite all the changes, everything felt just a little too much the same (in fact, the majority of the game itself just feels like they took the original PS1 maps and put better textures on them), though this is a double-edged sword because you can't make it too different either

But I still enjoyed it quite a bit - I just highly prefer the original.

I much prefer the original voice acting, the new recordings were so different, they just felt wrong. As for the cutscene, I never made it that far in Twin Snakes, sounds lame, but the series always has been pretty over the top.

As far as everything feeling the same, you have to keep in mind that Twin Snakes was more of an introduction into the series for those Nintendo owners who had never experienced it on the PS, than it was a Special Edition for the enjoyment of old MGS veterans.

Remember, Nintendo was really taking a beating for their shortage of games aimed at the older crowd, and their stubborn dedication to the idea of keeping things cleaner than other consoles. By the end of the N64 era they realized they had lost most of the kids who had grown up with Nintendo, they had now moved over to Sony with feelings that they had outgrown the former. Nintendo realizing this profit losing disconnect way to late for their own good tried to recover. They made deals to get the Resident Evil games, which were all ported to GC, and with RE 4 even being a GC exclusive for a time, and the still GC exclusives of RE0 and the REmake. Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes was part of this effort, since MGS along with Resident Evil and Final Fantasy, where some of the more popular titles of the previous generation that were often cited as reasons to get a PS over a 64.

DarkGryphon2048 said:

I've heard the Director's Cut of Daredevil is above and beyond higher quality compared to the Theatrical version. But I wouldn't know since I've never seen the Director's Cut yet.

The director's cut is a complete and total master piece compared to the awfulness that is the theatrical. But by its own merits, it is still a dog of a film. It does successfully remove a few of the problems of the theatrical version, but still holds onto many. The bottom line is, that movie absolutely sucked.

EyeShotFirst said:

Star Wars being remade is meh. The OOT shows a time when George Lucas was an innovative and proud director. It might be nice for some but I don't know...

I suppose you missed my subtle hints of a SW remake being a bit like waving a slab of raw meat in front of a rampaging lion, then chucking it as far from yourself as humanly possible. All about diverting focus.

If those three films were remade, I'd go see them in the theater for the sake of curiousity. I really think it would be a win win situation for SW fans of every type. George could even change the stories as much as he wished in order to "improve them". Ultimately, the originals would still exist, and I could walk away content if they such, and slightly excited if they turn out to be good.

Oh, another film I'd really like to see remade is Daredevil. I think DD is way under rated as a comic book hero. He has always been one of my favorites, and I was excited when I heard they were making a Daredevil movie. I was hoping it would be on par with Spider-Man, but instead it was... unspeakably awful...

Since they have already remade the Hulk (into, from what I understand, another pretty horrible film), I'd really like to see them take DD and restart from scratch without the over the top corniness.

DarkGryphon2048 said:

captainsolo said:

Just picked up a gamecube with rogue leader. Anyone have any suggestions for good GC games? Speaking of Rogue Leader, what source of OT did they use for the menus? Also is the L4D sale on Xbox only or also for PC versions?

Good GameCube games: (Just my suggestions so your milage may vary)

Resident Evil Remix/Remake

Resident Evil 0

Resident Evil 4

Killer 7

METROID: Prime 1 & 2

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

 

Dunno of what else.

 

Definitely Resident Evil 4* (even if you didn't like any of the other RE games, this one is quite different)

Metroid Prime (go ahead an pick up the sequel too if you liked the first one. Personally, by the time I was done with the first one, I really wasn't feeling up to the sequel)

Both Rogue Squadron games

Legend of Zelda The Twilight Princess (if you are into Zelda games, Wind Waker isn't too bad either).

Super Smash Brothers Melee

If you like Metal Gear Solid a lot, Twin Snakes is worth picking up on the cheap.

Time Splitters 2 (if you liked Goldeneye and Perfect Dark on the N64, you definitely want to look into this one).

If you have ever liked any of the Turok games or fps in general, Turok: Evolution* is pretty decent.

Spider-Man 2* (a little dated now, but a very decent game. Novelty of it is that it is somewhat like a sandbox game... emphasis on the some what. Unlike most arcade style action games that make you follow a linear path).

Also, a general note to the new Gamecube owner, make sure you got one of the larger sized memory cards, for some reason Nintendo made them incredibly tiny to start with, and some time down the line wised up and released some more reasonably sized ones. You don't want to be constantly deleting saved games to make room for others. I'd also recommend avoiding third party memory cards, personally I have always had awful luck with third party stuff made for Nintendo consoles.

*also on PS2 and/or Xbox

That would be cool FF.

I'll add another film to my list of films I'd like to see remade,

Live and Let Die

For those who don't know, the book Live and Let Die was the sequel to Casino Royale. Since the recent film adaption of Casino Royale was relatively close to the book, I had very high hopes that they would continue this trend and carry on down the line of Fleming novels with decent quality films... instead we got Quantum of Solace... oh well.