Category: Written


Looking Through 3D Glasses

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May 12, 2010

Originally Published: December 23, 2009, on 1050ESPN.com (Now ESPNNewYork.com)

It is the most hyped movie of the holiday season with one of the most acclaimed directors of our time (James Cameron) and a $500 million dollar budget. Could it possibly live up to all this hype though or is it just a lot of bright colors and flashing lights?

The first thing I have to explain, due to many people asking me about how much money Nickelodeon put up for this, is that this is NOT the same property as the Nickelodeon cartoon of the same name! Nickelodeon’s Avatar will have its own movie in 2010 and it will be directed by M. Night Shyamalan. James Cameron’s Avatar has blue aliens and amazing visuals. Nickelodeon’s Avatar deals with monks who control the four main elements (earth, wind, water, fire).

Now that we have cleared that up, James Cameron’s Avatar deals with a human mining company trying to rip out special ore (imaginatively named “unobtainium”) from the crust of a jungle planet called Pandora. The indigenous people of this planet though refuse to let their land simply be cultivated or embrace the human culture that is being forced upon them.

In order to help bridge the gap between the two species, Dr. Grace Augustine (played by sci-fi staple Sigourney Weaver; if you want to have a successful sci-fi movie, you need Sigourney!) develops something called the “avatar” program where she melds human DNA with the alien DNA. The human who had their DNA harvested can then plug into the avatar body mentally via a machine that is safe back at the human mining colony.

This is where Jake Sully comes in (played by Sam Worthington, another sci-fi vet after his major role in Terminator: Salvation). His twin brother helped Dr. Augustine with the avatar program, but was murdered in cold blood and thus his avatar was left in storage. Since the avatar-human hybrids cost millions to cultivate, instead of throwing it away, the government contracted Jake due to his similar DNA.

Thus begins an epic, action-packed drama that really takes about 20 minutes too long to unfold and tries to cover up slow moments with some cheesy 3D special effects and a light show that would be too intense for most raves. Really, this was a very good movie, but it just dragged at a couple of points that helped shake you out of the world that James Cameron tried so hard (and spent so much money) to bring us into.

The South Park episode that summed it up as “Dancing with Smurfs” was very spot-on. This movie is basically the thought that a people who are one with nature are forced to leave their homes and fight against foreign invaders and their culture after bringing one of these foreigners into their fold and way of life. Instead of Native Americans and settlers though like in Dances with Wolves, it is blue aliens and humans.

The movie’s visuals were brilliant (and the creature that was a hammerhead shark crossed with a rhinoceros was awesome) and it should win a Visual Effects Oscar hands down. Anything beyond that would be a stretch and the fact that 7-10 Oscar nominations have been predicted for this is a joke. There was some good acting from those involved with a plot that has shown worth before with some simple twists and special effects to make it look new again, but this isn’t a ground-breaking feature film. Of course, with worldwide numbers, it should make back the $500 million dollar investment.

A visually beautiful film with a solid plot makes this probably worth a viewing in the theatre and maybe even a special edition DVD buy because it will probably have some sweet special features (it better with that budget), but I saw it once and that was enough for me.

James Cameron’s Avatar gets 3.5 out of 5 as a solid, but not special, movie worth one, but not multiple, movie theatre viewings.

-Ray Carsillo

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The Holiday Rush

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Originally Published: December 21, 2009, on Lundberg.me and 1050ESPN.com (now ESPNNewYork.com)

I did this last year where I offered some last minute advice to help out people looking to pick up a couple of more items to stuff in the stockings or under the tree and due to positive feedback, we’re doing it one more time!

Now, if you’re looking for games for some little ones and don’t feel they’re ready for an over the top, alien shoot ’em up, or some action-adventure, sword wielding bloodbath, then here are a few E-rated games that will keep them happy till their birthday rolls around.

1. New Super Mario Bros. Wii – Nintendo Wii – Any older gamer will appreciate the nostalgia this game conjures up. Any young gamer will fall in love with the crazy characters, classic side-scrolling platforming gameplay, and the hours of exploration and fun it will provide. Just like every other great Mario Bros. game to ever come out. This Wii game has been flying off of store shelves this holiday season with good reason.


2. The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks – Nintendo DS –Another one of Nintendo’s powerhouse franchises with a new chapter in its long and storied history. What’s nice about this is that the kids can take this with them on the long car or plane ride you’re already dreading. At least it’ll keep the kids out of your hair as you prepare for departure delays or traffic due to the predicted bad weather. Not the longest or most in-depth in the Zelda series, it will more than do the job of distracting the little ones this holiday season.

3. A Boy and His Blob – Nintendo Wii – Rounding out the Nintendo dominance of kid-oriented games is a remake of a NES classic. A Boy and His Blob follows a young lad and his alien, shape-shifitng friend, who can help the boy in a plethora of ways by eating magical jellybeans. These jellybeans allow the blob to turn into a gun, a ladder, a trampoline, and many other useful items as you travel across these beautifully drawn 2.5 D worlds.

“But, Ray! My kid is in high school and I don’t think these childish games will work for him/her.” Never fear! There is plenty of T-rated games just waiting to be picked up.

1. Ghostbusters: The Video Game – All systems – The closest thing die-hards have seen to a third movie, this game picks up about three years after the end of the second movie and brings the story together better than any movie could have. With all the original voice cast returning to reprise their iconic 80s roles, ‘bustin’ has never felt so good.

2. Batman: Arkham Asylum – XBOX360, PS3 – One of the most critically acclaimed games of the year, Batman: Arkham Asylum is the initial offering of what looks to be a long series of new Batman games. With a free-flow combat system that flows like water and a plot worthy of a comic maxi-series, this game is a must have for any comic book fan.

3. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves – PS3 – The SpikeTV Video Game Awards game of the year delivers on every front like no other game this year. Plot depth, tremendous characters that pull on your heart strings, probably the best looking game of the year, and flawless gameplay makes this a must have for any gamer’s collection if you have a PS3.

Now you’re wondering, “What about the games for Mommy and Daddy?” Well, there are plenty of M-rated games out there for long after the kiddies go to bed.

1. Madworld – Wii – It’s rare to see a phenomenal M-rated game on the Wii, but Sega’s Madworld delievers in ways I never thought a Wii game could. An unfathomable amount of gore and language brightens up the black and white world of “Jack”, a man tasked with winning a “Running Man”-esque game of death in a world that just screams “Sin City”. Either interacting with the entire environment to find new and interesting ways to kill your enemies, or just relying on the chainsaw on your right hand, you will have fun wreaking havoc in Madworld.

2. Assassin’s Creed 2 – XBOX360, PS3 – My pick for game of the year, Assassin’s Creed 2 expounds on the plot of the first game and trumps the action by leaps and bounds. A new free-flow combat system, being able to wield two weapons at once, poison, guns, and an entire economic system make what was once a repetitive, tedious chore to beat in AC1, makes AC2 one of the most unique mainstream gaming experiences of the year.

3. Halo 3: ODST – XBOX360 – My choice for first-person shooter of the year, any Halo fan needs to have this game. Aside from the amped up difficulty due to you acting as a lower class of trooper than Master Chief’s Spartan self, the film noir aspect of taking over every member of your squad at different moments as you unravel the mystery of the Covenant’s attack is one of the most immersive plot techniques I’ve seen in gaming in years.

Those are the games that will make everyone you know, no matter their age, happy. On this last list, are the games that leave everyone cringing and they will be returned. Guaranteed. Avoid these games at all costs Grandma!

1. Fairytale Fights – XBOX 360, PS3, PC – A nice concept that falls flat on its face. Living through some classic fairytale character’s stories with some bloody hack-‘n’-slash combat is a nice thought, but horrible gameplay, a poorly kept-together plot, and nothing really special about using these fabled characters from fairytale lore aside from the random weapons they find was really a disappointment.

2. TMNT: Smash-Up – Nintendo Wii – It uses the same engine as Super Smash Bros. Brawl, but it lacks everything else. Only a handful of selectable characters, a miserable story mode, and controls that aren’t nearly as responsive as the Nintendo character counterpart. A bitter disappointment for any TMNT fan and another TMNT media project that doesn’t include the original theme music!

3. The Conduit – Nintendo Wii – This is probably one of the most hyped games of the year and instead should be considered as the worst first-person shooter of the year. Basically a remake of Perfect Dark from N64, but with some more high tech weapons and a looser plot. The graphics look like something from the Gamecube and the multiplayer, although probably one of the better ones for the Wii, is still subpar when compared with the multiplayer offered by games for the XBOX 360 and PS3.

Well folks, there it is. For all you last minute shoppers out there, those are some helpful hints. Thanks for reading my article and have a happy and safe holiday season.

-Ray Carsillo

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Eat Your Heart Out John Hammond

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Originally Published: December 20, 2009, on 1050ESPN.com (now ESPNNewYork.com), Lundberg.me, and Examiner.com

I think every boy growing up in my generation who saw Jurassic Park instantly fell in love with dinosaurs and the idea of “What if they roamed the Earth, today?” We even sat through the less than stellar sequels because the thought of living with these long extinct creatures excited and scared us in ways that stimulated our pre-pubescent imaginations.

Most of us have matured (and, of course, most of us now are obsessing over women, an entirely different breed of creature that excites and scares us), but we still remember the feelings that are stirred up when a concept involving dinosaurs is brought to the table.

In that vein, I present to you Jurassic: The Hunted, a new first person shooter from Activision. You play as Craig Dylan, a contractor for a private security firm that is hired by a scientist looking for her father whose expedition was lost in the Bermuda Triangle back in 1983. As your plane flies over the ocean and you prepare to parachute onto an island, a storm suddenly appears and lightning strikes your plane. As the plane begins to tail spin out of control, you, your teammate, and the doctor (Gilligan and the skipper escaped the same fate), fall into a bright blue light. When you wake up and begin foraging for weapons and supplies, you come across a lizard…a really big lizard.

Thus begins your adventure as you find out later that you fell through a temporal vortex and that the reversal of the earth’s magnetic poles are causing tremendous amounts of unstable energy to pull creatures and objects from all of time. You’ll explore a German U-boat, use weapons from the Civil War, and get your hands on a sweet plasma rifle from the future as you search for the missing doctor and end up trying to save the world in the process.

Well, it isn’t the most original plot, but it had great potential and like I said before, people love dinosaurs. Unfortunately, great potential does not a great game make. The execution of the plot felt rushed, like Activision was trying to just get this out before the holiday. I blew through the entire game in about five hours and even with the unlocking of a hard mode, and the inclusion of a survival mode that reminds you of a one-man Horde or Firefight mode from Gears 2 or Halo 3: ODST, is not enough to make this an elite game.

I will say that the game at least looks good. Seeing the dinosaurs on-screen in this game is like watching Jurassic Park again. All I would need is John Williams’ classic theme and I would be set with the peripherals of this game. Unfortunately, the sound falls flat on its face compared to the graphics. The music and SFX are generic at best and the voice acting would be comparable to Larry the Cable Guy trying to do Shakespeare.

The gameplay is solid, but not spectacular and I would have loved a larger variety of weapons, especially those from different time eras. The whole time travel aspect of the game wasn’t emphasized enough in general, but that again goes back to the rush job that Activision seemed to give this one. The boss battles were simple and you shouldn’t die more than a handful of times if you are any good at first-person shooters. The adrenaline feature you have is a nice idea and the graphics of seeing the vitals for the dinosaurs are awesome, but aside from that it is mostly unnecessary.

Going back to the survival mode, which is probably the only thing to try to bring you back to this game, but it isn’t special in any way and you should get your fill of hunting dinosaurs after a single playthrough of the game.

This game has a really strong core to it, but it just seems that everything was so rushed that it started to unravel at the seams as you continue through the entire game. The gameplay is average and there is no difficulty to speak of for anyone familiar with first-person shooters. A saving point for this game is that it is available on all systems and is only $40 compared to the full $50 or $60 price usually seen. Still, it shouldn’t offer you more than five to seven hours of gameplay and for that I would rent this instead of buying it.

Ratings are based on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the best.

Graphics: 9.0: Easily the best part of this game is the visuals. The dinosaurs look just as good as if you were watching Jurassic Park and there were almost no glitches to speak of.

Audio: 4.0: Generic music and SFX do a horrible job of setting the mood or immersing you in the game. Add on top of that some of the worst voice acting I’ve heard in a long time and this game might be better played with the volume off.

Plot/Plot Development: 6.0: A fun idea that should appeal to a wide audience, but horrible execution and a feeling of being rushed through the game really takes you back and out of the experience.

Gameplay: 6.5: There weren’t any glitches that I could think of throughout the game, but there were only a handful of weapons to use and the melee feature was not necessary because if the dinosaurs got close to you, you were done for. Of course, every first-person shooter needs to have a melee option though. The adrenaline feature was also unnecessary. Add in the simplicity of the game and you have a barely passing score.

Replay Value: 4.0: A couple of difficulty levels and a survival mode is just not enough to bring me back to this game after the initial playthrough.

Overall (not an average): 6.5: The game gets a barely passing score because even with all the flaws it had, it was still fun. It is sad when a game like this comes out because if the developers had sat on it and put a little more into it, you could’ve seen this being a solid game that made an impact instead of something that is at best a good rental. The lower price tag does make it appeal a little more to the masses, but I would still rent it over buying it.

Jurassic: The Hunted is out now for Xbox 360, Wii, PS3, and PS2.

-Ray Carsillo

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Wheels of Glory

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Originally Published: December 16, 2009, on Examiner.com, Lundberg.me, and 1050ESPN.com (now ESPNNewYork.com)

There are few games that can offer the sense of realism like a racing game. There is nothing quite like the feel of pounding the clutch as you switch to 5th or up to top gear as you try to pass on the outside as a hairpin turn is approaching. There are few things that match the visceral sensation of actually fighting against the g-force as you drift into a turn at 110 MPH and try to tame the laws of nature itself. Of course, a large part of this comes with the tools that can be added to a racing game in the form of a steering wheel, pedals, and shifter that you need to truly experience all the moments I described above.

So, when you pop in the winner of Spike TV’s VGAs Best Driving Game of the Year (which I agree wholeheartedly with), Forza Motorsport 3, what wheel would provide the best experience to go with the best driving game?

Well, I know a pretty strong candidate for the discussion. Let me introduce you to the Porsche 911 Turbo S Wheel from Fanatec. With two possible gear sticks, three force feedback motors, and a smooth belt drive; this wheel easily provides the best racing experience possible on the Xbox 360 and therefore makes it the best wheel on the market.

I enlisted the help of a friend of mine, Joseph Layton (give a quick shout out to Joe!), who is a gearhead and an avid video game racer (and also sometimes serves as my editor) to try out the wheel and give it a good thrashing. He played with it for four hours straight, rushing through gears, drifting all over the track, and, generally, driving like a maniac. He said the finish of the wheel was excellent and the sense of driving was very lifelike. The hand-stitched leather wheel cover provides a great grip and the authentic Porsche crest looking back at you lets you know this is a special piece of equipment.

After I pried my buddy from the wheel, I stepped into the driver seat myself and looked at the peripheral from a pure gaming perspective and I immediately found myself fighting against the wheel as I tried to take some tight turns a little too quickly.

The term “simulation” had taken on completely new meaning because there was an entirely new world of nuances and fine-tuning that I didn’t get with a regular controller and now needed to take into consideration with this wheel. From knowing when to let my foot turn to led to when to let up and ease on the brakes, this was racing like I had never experienced before and it was good. Even when using the famed Forza Motorsport 3 Rewind mode, the wheel would actually rewind itself as well to the position where my wheels were at that previous point in the race as I prepared to re-do that hairpin turn. The wheel had surprised me and made a great game even better.

I had only a couple of problems with what the wheel had brought to the table. Although my friend said it was mostly authentic to a Porsche’s pedals, I thought the pedals were a little too sensitive and not being able to adjust that on this model was a little bothersome (But that could be the car we used in the game during much of the testing, a racing-spec Porsche GT2, in honor of the wheel).

I was also a little perturbed with the placement of the buttons on the wheel. Often when reaching for several buttons in mid-race, I would press the wrong button and would suddenly be rewinding the race when I just needed a pause for a bathroom break.

Aside from these minor complaints, this wheel does nothing but add to the overall experience of an already great game. Throw in that the wheel is backwards compatible with any racing game that supports the Microsoft Wireless Wheel and is also compatible for the PS3 and the PC and that makes this wheel worth the $350 price tag because it will last you the remainder of this generation of consoles, and since this current generation is expected to last longer than previous ones, it looks like it would be a great investment in your video gaming peripherals.

Ratings are based on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the best.

Overall: 9.0: Obviously, none of my other usual categories apply to this piece of equipment. Hands down, this is the best wheel on the market and due to its compatibility with previous Xbox 360 racing games and other systems, it makes it a worthwhile gaming investment. Throw in the phenomenal force feedback (the best of any wheel I’ve ever used) and smooth feel of the wheel and I can’t rave about this wheel enough.

Note: The wheel was used with a Rennsport Wheel Stand (also from Fanatec) which made the entire review much easier than it would have been otherwise. The stand itself should also receive a 9.0 because the setup was quick and simple and the overall build quality was very good. I had no problems with the stand, but my friend complained about it sometimes hitting his leg when using the pedals. I just think he was flailing about way too much though.

-Ray Carsillo

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Drawing Up Plays in the Sand

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May 11, 2010

Originally Published: December 8, 2009, on 1050ESPN.com (now ESPNNewYork.com)

Few would argue the dominance of Madden as the premiere football franchise, but there are several competitors out there who are offering some interesting alternatives to the typical football experience. Everyone knows I’m a fan of the Blitz series. It’s a nice alternative to the Madden series how it provides true bone-crunching play and some less than legal alternatives to medicine, but it is more of an arcade experience than true football.

Another of these alternative franchises is the Backyard Football franchise that is trying to branch out from its “kiddie” label over on the Wii console to something that is a “family friendly” alternative. Part of that movement is making it available for the Xbox 360 in this year’s version. Unfortunately, it has still has a long way to go before it can shake off its “kiddie” label.

For those of you who are unaware, the Backyard Football franchise looks like a bunch of the Wii’s Miis in football gear representing the 32 NFL teams. Along with the cartoony looking children representing these teams, each team has one age regressed superstar from each NFL team. San Francisco has Frank Gore, the Giants have Eli Manning, the Arizona Cardinals have Kurt Warner, etc., etc. To open up the field a bit, each team also only has seven players on the field so you see a lot less “in the trenches”.

In terms of a football game, this will not appeal to any hardcore fans out there. It might appeal to little children (or ignorant girlfriends) who are trying their hardest to get into football and might make a decent stepping stone before trying to focus on the real deal. To also appeal to a younger generation, you can also earn powers to help out your team in tight spots like the “bull rush” where you grow horns and run over everyone or the “twister” where you spin around the field and can’t be tackled.

A nice new feature is also the ability to create-a-player and make custom teams to help personalize your playing experience during the 16-game season. Still, the experience overall is very simple and will bore most gamers very quickly.

The graphics are poor even when admitting they were done in a cartoony style and the audio is subpar at best. The commentary might make you chuckle a little as they try to spoof the old Madden style (and are probably more entertaining than the current commentators for Madden), but the kiddie carousel music will have you shaking your head by the time you finish your first session.

This is not a very good football experience overall, but if you have a little child who is trying to learn about football and can’t wrap his head around the Madden franchise or the actual live game, this might be a nice way to bridge the gap.

Ratings are based on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the highest.

Graphics: 4.0: Even though you know going into this game the graphics are going to be cartoony, they aren’t even a very good cartoony look. Plus, it’s very hard to follow the football because the graphics are so poor.

Audio: 6.5: A barely passing score due to the light-hearted commentary, but it grows old very quick and the music grows old even faster.

Plot/Plot Development: N/A: It’s supposed to be a sports sim…

Gameplay: 7.0: Controls are a mix of both the old-school Blitz series from the arcades and the current Madden style and it works, but it is really nothing spectacular.

Replay Value: 5.0: There is a season mode that can keep bringing you back if you want to play with different players or teams, but that’s really it. There is also only localized multiplayer so all those Wii friend codes you collected or that Xbox Live account is worthless.

Overall (not an average): 5.0: A poor attempt overall as a football alternative and it doesn’t appeal to anyone who can tie their own shoes, even with the cheaper price tag than its more adult counterpart ($39.99 compared to $59.99).

Backyard Football 10 is available now for Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii.

-Ray Carsillo

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Reinventing the Renaissance: Assassin’s Creed II DLC announced

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Originally Published: December 2, 2009, on Lundberg.me and Examiner.com

With Assassin’s Creed II living up to the tremendous hype it had leading up to its release with awesome gameplay and an engrossing plot, and with a solid 800,000 units sold in its first week for Xbox 360, it is no surprise that Ubisoft has officially announced two new DLC packs for the first quarter of 2010 for Assassin’s Creed II.

The first new DLC is titled “Battle of Forli” and will hit the marketplace sometime in January 2010. No details of the plot have been released, but if it is taking place in the Romagna/Forli region, and if you paid attention to the Animus’ promptings for history lessons about the people and buildings in the area, then you could probably draw the conclusion that you are going to be doing a few favors for the lovely Catalina.

The second new DLC is titled “Bonfire of the Vanities” and is supposed to hit the marketplace in February 2010. There have been absolutely no confirmed details released about either of these DLC’s in terms of plot and how they tie into the main story of Assassin’s Creed II, but Ubisoft has confirmed that each DLC should be about 1 GB in size. This means that each one is going to be about the size of GTA IV’s The Lost and the Damned if you are looking for a point of reference.

Ubisoft has also said that they will reveal more before the New Year at least about “Battle of Forli”. There has been no word on achievements, price, or exact release dates up to this point, but with the few details we have, I think it is enough to get excited about considering how great Assassin’s Creed II was.

An addendum: Published 12/5/09: After finally completely beating the game, I make the prediction that the two DLC packs are the “two sequences” that are skipped over in the regular game for the sake of time due to the Templars closing in on your Animus 2.0’s position.

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Never Saw It Coming

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Originally Published: November 18, 2009, on 1050ESPN.com (now ESPNNewYork.com) and Lundberg.me

As a Giants fan, the first person who comes to my mind when speaking of defensive greatness is Lawrence Taylor, the one and only man who should be referred to as LT. When I think of LT, the first things that come to mind are the hundreds of great plays he made over his career, the MVP, and the two Super Bowl Championships. Many other football fans, though, instantly think of him snapping Joe Theismann’s leg like a twig and ending his career instantly.

LT changed the game forever that day as the position of left tackle (which fittingly is also LT on the stats sheet) had a spotlight shone on it like never before. The position was now seen as needing to be filled by someone just as talented as the quarterbacks they were hired to protect. Men like Orlando Pace, Tony Boselli, David Diehl (maybe my Giants bias comes through with that one), Walter Jones, and many others in their position have been lauded as the rocks of many franchises over the years.

This unquestioned importance for the position makes the true story of Michael Oher, the current rookie left tackle for the Baltimore Ravens (1st round, 23rd pick), something of a modern day fairytale (along with the whole rags-to-riches and inner-city struggles thing wrapped in football pads) as he did not have the most traditional of paths to the NFL.

The Blind Side, presented by Warner Bros. and based on the best-selling novel The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game, is the telling of Michael’s incredible tale that is still unfolding as we speak.

Growing up without a real family or home, Michael (played by newcomer Quinton Aaron) survived a difficult childhood in the poverty stricken projects of Memphis only to be taken in by the well-to-do Tuohy family, spearheaded by the unstoppable force that is Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock). With the help of the Tuohy family, specifically Leigh Anne, Michael is able to reach his full potential, both on and off the field, and help the Tuohy family find something they didn’t realize they were missing until Michael entered their lives.

We all know that this tale has a happy ending, but this is still a spectacular movie, even if you are not a football fan or familiar with the story. Everyone involved gives fantastic performances and Sandra Bullock could be up for an Oscar nomination for this role. The movie has you laughing one instant and tugs on your heart strings the next, all the while telling this amazing story in a way the whole family can enjoy.

But this isn’t just a football movie. Football is simply the catalyst for this tremendous story of how one man’s journey was forever altered by the love and generosity of complete strangers and how he was able to reach his fullest potential because of it.

I almost felt that the story, which took 2 hours and 5 minutes to tell, was actually a little too perfect, even with me knowing it’s true. There was clear adversity that Michael had to overcome, but I don’t think it was shown as much as it could’ve been, possibly just to maintain a PG-13 rating. How much he struggled adapting to a new school, these strangers who took him in, these teachers who didn’t want to teach him, I just needed something more. There just seemed to be a lot of help for Michael wherever he turned and that ever-present aid will keep this movie from being an all-time great sports movie like Rudy. Still, it’s a very enjoyable watch and a must-see film for any sports fan.

The Blind Side will be released nationwide on Friday, November 20, 2009, and gets 4 out of 5.

-Ray Carsillo

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Video Games Live!

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Originally Published: November 9, 2009, on Lundberg.me and 1050ESPN.com (now ESPNNewYork.com)

Since the video game revolution really started plowing forward back in the mid 80s, one of the most underrated aspects of the aspects has been the music. The 8 and 16-bit processors that the Nintendo, Super Nintendo, and Sega Genesis systems could produce were not much more than melodic beeps and pings made to sound like a catchy tune.

Of course, times have changed. Now, many of the best and brightest games have scores composed by full orchestras or big time, main-stream bands, but those original compositions still bring back childhood memories of simpler times to go along with our simpler games. The themes from Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Mega Man, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Castlevania, are still lovingly talked about alongside the newcomers from Metal Gear Solid, Halo, and Kingdom Hearts.

The music from these games and the feelings of nostalgia they conjure up are only now starting to get the respect they deserve on a scale worthy of the sales of these monolithic franchises. In that vein, I present to you Video Games Live.

Video Games Live was founded back in 2002 by celebrated game composers Jack Wall and Tommy Tallarico and has been a tour de force ever since. With a full orchestra and choir in tow, Wall and Tallarico have put together a show that needs to be seen to be believed. Fortunately, I saw it about two weeks ago. With musical selections from over 20 video games played, and 40 more waiting in the wings ensuring that an audience will never see the same show twice, Wall and Tallarico mix in geek-based humor with a light show, scenes from the greatest games ever created, and musical acumen that rivals the best and brightest out there.

The show I went to at the Beacon Theatre was the most fun I’ve had in a long time. You had a costume contest for people dressed as video game characters, a Guitar Hero competition, and a random drawing for a Nintendo DSi. You had special messages from Hideo Kojima, the creator of the Metal Gear series, as he gave a special recorded greeting before the playing of the Metal Gear music, and Koji Kondo, the composer of the Mario Bros. and Legend of Zelda themes, give a special message as well.

There was a live Q & A with Ralph Baer, the man credited with inventing video games (he is also credited with inventing the light gun, the first video game system peripheral, and the popular kids’ game Simon in the 70s), over Skype and it was impressive to see this legendary inventor at the ripe age of 87 still smiling at how his invention has changed and influenced the lives of so many people across the world.

You had YouTube sensations, pianist Martin Leung and Laura “Flute Link” Intravia, come on and do what made them famous on the stage. Martin is best known for playing the Mario theme on piano blindfolded and Laura plays a stunning rendition of the Ocarina of Time music on flute, in full green tunic like the Hero of Time. Both would accompany the orchestra on several songs over the course of the night, usually to standing ovations (I nearly leapt out of my seat when Martin started playing the Super Mario World theme).

There was a request portion (where I nearly lost my voice screaming for the Mega Man theme and starting a Mega Man chant in my section of the Beacon Theatre; I was pleasantly surprised to find it was incorporated later into the show) where everything many fans called for was played and many were pleasantly surprised when Martin broke into the original Tetris theme, just because.

There were classics played from Mega Man and Chrono Trigger to more recent games like Halo and Shadow of the Colossus, but no matter if you were young or old, newbie or wily old veteran, there was something to make every geek and video game fan smile and laugh.

Video Games Live is now on their fourth world tour, and much like the game music they play, are just beginning to receive the respect and recognition they deserve. Playing to sold-out shows all over the world and constantly adding new and beloved video game music all the time (including the one I went to at the Beacon Theatre), Video Games Live is an ever-evolving entity much like the games off of which they are based. It is with the utmost praise that I recommend that every video game fan should see this show when they come to your town.

-Ray Carsillo

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Not So Happily Ever After

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Originally Published: November 6, 2009, on 1050ESPN.com (now ESPNNewYork.com) and Examiner.com

Fairytales. We all know them and all grew up with various incarnations of them. Capitalizing on this ingrained popularity, the folks at Playlogic have created a twisted, sadistic, bloody vision incorporating some of our favorite characters for their new game, Fairytale Fights.

Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White, The Naked Emperor (from the Emperor’s New Clothes), and Jack (from Jack and the Beanstalk) have teamed up after a mysterious stranger has come to steal their fame away from them. And in their fairytale world, fame is everything. Without fame, their stories will be lost forever, and their purpose will then cease to exist.

It is an interesting concept for a story. And the universal recognition of these characters will probably sell push a few units, especially when you consider the sadistic amount of violence in this game. To see these cute, cuddly, little creatures chopping each other up in one of the most blatantly bloody games (even if it’s very cartoony blood) to have come out in a long while was a very unexpected surprise.

Little Red Riding Hood chopping up lumberjacks with axes, Jack impaling gingerbread men with swords, and Snow White bashing toy soldiers with frying pans are just some of the examples of the carnage that can be inflicted during your adventures through fairytale land as you try to reclaim your fame in the most violent ways possible.

Unfortunately, this great concept falls flat in its execution. The cartoony graphics and effects give it a feel as if the game is torn between being an E-rated game and a M-rated game instead of just going full-tilt in one direction of the other. The senseless violence is great, but the goofy faces of the cartoon characters and the loose execution of the plot really take away from the overall theme of the game.

Add in that the controls are absolutely abysmal in that you attack with the second control stick instead of just assigning the attack mechanism to a button, there’s no way to lock onto enemies, and an impossible to kill number of enemies that are thrown at you over ridiculously long levels really makes this game a bore that no amount of blood and guts splashed on the screen could save.

I loved these characters while growing up. The Abbot and Costello version of Jack and the Beanstalk is still the defining version of the story in my mind. I think part of my dislike for this game might be its perversion of these classic characters. However, even when I put my personal biases aside, the execution of the game is still abysmal. The game is a glitchy button masher with little to no variety over the course of its 13 levels. Even the four playable fairytale characters have no variety besides their looks. Snow White has no different abilities from the Naked Emperor. Jack is no different from Little Red Riding Hood. Why have four different characters if they all play exactly the same?

This game is a perfect example of wasted potential, a solid premise that falls flat on its face due to cut corners and poor execution. The blood and guts might appeal to a few players out there, but I would recommend that if you are tempted to even look at this game, rent it before looking to buy it, especially for the listed $59.99.

Ratings are based on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the highest.

Graphics: 7.0: The graphics are cartoony and goofy as to be expected with a game based on fairy tales. Still, the look of this game is a perfect example of corners that were cut as the characters look a little too blocky for a modern console game.

Audio: 6.0: No voice acting in the game automatically docks the game points. The SFX are repetitive and bland. The only saving grace is that the background music actually sounds like something that would be fitting for a fairytale.

Plot/Plot Development: 7.5: A solid plot concept that falls flat on its face due to poor execution. This is a great example of where this game did not know if it wanted to be a mature game or a kids game because the plot was too simple and too simply explained to be geared towards a more mature audience.

Gameplay: 3.0: Lots of glitches over the course of the game made an already horribly handling game come off as even worse. The attack mechanism should have been assigned to a button and not the second control stick, each character should have had their own individual powers or abilities, and the levels were easily twice as long as they needed to be and got repetitive much too quickly.

Replay Value: 7.0: The game does have a co-op feature, which could make it better since misery loves company, and playing this game might make you miserable. Add in a simple arena vs. mode and the game has decent replay value.

Overall (not an average): 4.0: If you are thinking about getting this game, rent it first. The game disappointed me because it was such a wonderful concept but had absolutely no polish to it whatsoever. The glitches were too numerous to count and the game lost itself about halfway through.

I would not recommend this game, but if you’re curious it is out now for Xbox 360 and PS3.

-Ray Carsillo

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Come On Down!

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Originally Published: October 30, 2009, on 1050ESPN.com (now ESPNNewYork.com)

With family-oriented games developing a strong following, mostly due to the tremendous popularity of the Wii, game show type games are becoming hugely popular as well. Trivia games like Buzz! and 1 vs. 100 have seen a steady stream of sales for their respective consoles since their releases.

To cash-in on this trend, Ubisoft has released their 2010 versions of some classic game shows for the Wii like Press Your Luck, The Price is Right, and Family Feud figuring that if these new game shows could develop a strong following, that classic game shows that were once TV staples (The Price is Right still is) should do well also.

I don’t know how they will sell, but these games at least deserve more than a $1 bid. Press Your Luck is probably the worst of the three because of the luck factor. Most of the game deals with trying to avoid the “whammy” that steals whatever money and prizes you have accumulated while playing the big board with a randomizer. The person with the most wealth acquired at the end of several rounds of taking and passing turns, accumulated via answering multiple-choice questions, wins.

The graphics are typical of the Wii as your avatars are cartoon-like in appearance with a lot of bright lights and funny sound effects reminiscent of the classic TV game show. Due to the majority of the game being based around luck (hence the title, I suppose), I would probably say this was the worst of this old-school game show triumvirate.

Next on the review list is The Price is Right. This game show has always had a special place in my heart because growing up I would spend many summer days at my grandparents’ house and we always would watch The Price is Right at 11AM on CBS and play along at home.

The best part of this game is that there are actual clips taken from the show to display the items used to play the pricing games (Barker’s Beauties, or maybe they’re called Drew’s Darlings now, are included in the clips as well). With over 30 original pricing games and thousands of items up for bid, the game can almost never play out the same way twice.

Again, the graphics are cartoony and I would love for the theme song to be featured more prominently, but aside from those minor complaints, it reminds me of those summer days playing along with my grandparents except this time I actually have control over the bids and games (and the Golden Road pricing game is still the bane of my existence!)

The only gripe I have with The Price is Right game is that when playing with the computer, it is almost impossible to win the big wheel to make it onto the showcase showdown. I almost always go over or get such a paltry score that the computer easily wipes the floor with me. Again, like Press Your Luck, there is too much of a luck factor with the big wheel and it’s never fun losing to a computer. If you have people to play with though, this game is a winner all the way.

The final classic game show game was Family Feud. I saved this for last because this is by far the best game of the three because it is fun whether playing by yourself or playing with friends because it tests your common sense and leaves very little up to luck.

The purpose of Family Feud, as anyone who has had exposure to TV over the past 30 years would know, is to guess the most popular answers to survey questions. When one team (usually a family in the traditional show) reaches 400 points, they have a chance to send their two best players out for an abbreviated version of the regular game and if they can get another 200 points, the team wins $25,000 dollars.

This is a great family oriented game because everyone gets a chance to be involved and can either work as a team against the computer or against each other as they try to figure out the answers to the surveys. The theme song is classic and the graphics are typical of all the games featured in this article. I would say that if you are looking for a family/group oriented game show game for the Wii, then the best value for the money is Family Feud because there is no luck involved and the competition level is evident from the second the game starts.

It is nice to see these family interaction oriented games are going strong and that classic shows are being incorporated in order to help draw in the older audience that remembers the shows as well as the younger audience that might enjoy them. Now all we need is a $25,000 Pyramid game and we’ll be covered on the classic 80s game show front.

All three of these games are available now.

-Ray Carsillo

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