This is the archive for March 2009
"Zubo"
For: Nintendo DS
From: EA
ESRB Rating: Everyone 10+
(crude humor, mild cartoon violence)
The first thing we really learn about "Zubo" is that it stars you as a pretty generic human character. The second thing we learn is that, as this human, you can collect and befriend different creatures, called Zubos, whom you then employ in battle against their evil Zombo counterparts.
Sounds a lot like "Pokemon" — which, with "Pokemon Platinum" arriving at almost the exact same time, also sounds like some seriously terrible timing on "Zubo's" part.
Once you see how "Zubo's" fight system works, though, all perceptions fly out the window. Turns out, timing isn't the game's biggest problem so much as its greatest asset.
Posted by courier at 05:35 PM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Boing! Docomodake DS
For: Nintendo DS
From: AQ Interactive/Ignition Entertainment
ESRB Rating: Everyone
You may not know it just to look at it, and you may never have known if nobody told you, but "Boing! Docomodake DS" is a commercial mascot tie-in game — the latest in a sometimes-brutal genre that includes the wretched likes of "Yaris" and "Izzy's Quest for the Olympic Rings."
In this case, the star of the show is Docomodake, who is to Japan's dominant mobile phone provider what the Kool-Aid man is to Kool-Aid.
Fortunately, all that amounts to nothing more than trivia. Docomodake is a delightful character, regardless of affiliation. More importantly, "Boing" is a genuinely great game _ an inspired platformer/puzzler hybrid that uses the full might of the Nintendo DS' capabilities in completely new ways.
Posted by courier at 04:56 PM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Rohan Kumar, Courier Staff Writer
Universal studios brings
Wanted, the blockbuster motion picture to gamers across the world.
Wanted: Weapons of Fate hit the shelves March 24, and is available on the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC platforms.
Wanted is a third person shooter and resembles game play similar to the film's perspective. Some of the film's signature moves are also a part of the game such as curving bullets and assassin time, which is taken straight from the film.
The story continues where the film leaves off, in the shoes of Wesley Gibson five hours after the events in the film. In the game Wesley is determined to finally discover the truth behind his family and the secret fraternity of assassins. Unlike the film where the story revolves around the relationship between Wesley and his father, the story will focus on the relationship between Wesley and his mother.
Posted by courier at 10:40 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Melissa Mota, Courier Staff Writer
Lifetime television recently screened the film
America, which focuses on a teenage foster child's struggle with the foster-care system. This is very emotional film that broke my heart.
This film is filled with suspense, because we have to figure out why the main character, a bi-racial boy named America, is in Ridgeway, a facility for "troubled" kids. There are clues scattered about in clips of his past.
Posted by courier at 09:28 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Brandie Moore, Courier Daily Editor
As many of you know or have heard
Twilight, the very successful book written by Stephenie Meyer, was turned in to a movie. This movie opened in theaters on November 21. Many anxious teenaged girls (as well as boys and older women and men) waited outside the theaters on November 20 until the 12:01 opening of the movie.
Now, four months later, Twilight has finally come out on DVD, released on March 21. Like the movie, many people waited with anticipation on the night before (at various locations, such as Borders and Wal-Mart) to get their copies as soon as possible after the 12:01 release of the DVD.
Posted by courier at 09:12 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Greg Kot
Chicago Tribune (MCT)
Veteran singer-songwriter Jill Sobule got fed up with business as usual three years ago, and on a new song she pinpoints the moment.
"I'm here at a meeting," she sings in a voice perched between exasperation and resignation. "Trying to impress someone at a dying record company."
She describes the jaded talent scout, the air of condescension thick in the room, the sense of creeping frustration. Then comes the I'm-not-gonna-take-it-anymore payoff line: "I got nothing to prove!"
Sobule did more than just write a song about her dissatisfaction, however. She did something about it.
Posted by courier at 05:47 PM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Cait Baca, Courier Staff Writer
As a fan of Hip-Hop/Rap, I decided to expand my tastes in music by listening to what's considered a hard-core Rock & Roll group, AC/DC.
I listened to their "Let There Be Blood" (AC/DC) Live Album to fulfill my curiousity. And let me tell you, my attention was instantly captured the second I pushed play. For all of you Hip-Hop/Rap fans, this kind of music definitely contrasts with what we are used to listening. In Hip-Hop, we hear a lot of "boom-boom-claps" and hard-hitting snares. Although AC/DC
is different, there are various similarities that would put a Hip-Hopper's yearning for Hip-Hop beats at ease.
Posted by courier at 02:17 PM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Circle of Three: In the Dreaming
by Isobel Bird
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Collins (1 Oct 2001)
Language English
ISBN-13: 978-0007120406"The three friends had only experienced two of the eight sabbats, or holidays, that made up what was called the Wheel of the Year, but both of those sabbats had had unforgettable results. At Ostara, the sabbat commemorating the beginning of spring, they had met two people who quickly became important in their lives. One was Sasha, a runaway who had later been taken in by a member of a local coven. The other was Tyler. He was Kate's boyfriend--for now. She'd broken up with someone else to go out with Tyler, and recently a kiss between Kate and this ex-boyfriend, Scott, had raised some doubts in Kate about her feelings for Tyler. At the May Day sabbat of Beltane, Cooper had had her own experience with the power of magic when she'd come face-to-face with a dead girl who had been haunting her dreams, dragging them all into a roller coaster of an adventure that had culminated in Annie's kidnapping and the unmasking of the girl's murderer. Now they were about to celebrate the third sabbat of the year and a day they had committed themselves to studying with their Wicca class. School had ended for the year only a few days ago. Finals were behind them, and they had the long, lazy summer to look forward to. Starting it off with a celebration with their Wiccan friends was the perfect beginning to what was sure to be a great couple of months."
In this book, the fifth of the
Circle of Three series, the recurring characters Annie, Kate and Cooper all rotate as the focus of the chapters. For example, the first chapter focuses on Annie, the second chapter Kate and the third chapter Cooper.
Posted by courier at 09:03 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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"Watchmen: The End Is Nigh"
(Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)
What's Hot: Killer graphics tech
What's Not: Lame voice-acting;
Levels are too long and unvaried;
Lack of depth
The Verdict: Fry It
Of all the comics properties that seem least likely to translate to videogames, Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' thoughtful masterpiece of superhero deconstruction, "Watchmen," leads the pack. But, in the Age of the Inevitable Tie-In, all fans of beloved creations can do is grit their teeth when favorite comics, books or television shows get plucked out of their native soil and placed into the hands of game developers and publishers.
Now, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and developer Deadline Studios offer "Watchmen: The End Is Nigh" -- a $20 digital release connected to Zack Snyder's big-budget adaptation of "Watchmen." What will fans who want to take control of Rorschach and Nite Owl get in the downloadable title?
Posted by courier at 09:28 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Prayers for Bobby
By Melissa Mota, Courier Staff Writer
The film is very emotional and heartbreaking! It's the story of the life of Bobby Griffith, whose live was cut short because he decided to commit suicide over the self-hatred that attended his homosexuality. The fact that his mother's blind faith in her religion led her to reject Bobby's sexual orientation drove him to kill himself. He kept diaries in which he expressed his self-hatred and his wish for a cure.
Posted by courier at 09:56 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Kaenyama: Sushi, Teppanyaki & Bar
43785 Boscell Rd
Fremont, CA 94538
(510) 683-8800
Located in the busy Pacific Commons, Kaenyama is a classy restaurant ideal for special occasions if your wallet can handle the steep price. The menu is filled with flavorful and unique rolls that I’ve failed to try at any other sushi restaurant I’ve been to so far. The design of the restaurant is not only unique but has a modern flare and is tastefully set up. The table dining is artfully separated from the Teppanyaki and is quiet as well as elegant. Blossoms line up the wall behind the bar and a glass walled waterfall greets patrons from the entrance. The tables are graced with tableware and napkins folded in a clean fashion and the service, as well as the food, is worth the price.
Posted by courier at 09:19 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Mia Tungol, Courier Daily Editor
Last Friday, James Logan's Improv team had a competition against San Ramon's California High School. This comedic competition was held differently than the others in the past. Instead of having two teams of four, there was only one team consisting of six members.
Posted by courier at 09:20 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Origami Card Craft:
30 Clever Cards and Envelopes to Fold
by Karen Elaine Thomas
Paperback: 128 pages
Publisher: Potter Craft (March 17, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 030740840X
ISBN-13: 978-0307408402
I love origami for its simplicity, beauty and, of course, challenging techniques. But "useful" has never really been a defining characteristic. "Origami Card Craft: 30 Clever Cards and Envelopes to Fold" by Karen Elaine Thomas (Potter Craft, $21.95) is here to change that perspective.
The book has some beautiful designs for cards, pockets, envelopes, boxes and more. The papers used in the designs in the book are so beautiful and colorful, I can't bear to even try one of the designs using what I have on hand — computer paper! (Note to publishers: Next time release a companion pack of some delicious prints, too!)
Posted by courier at 04:07 PM. Filed under: Entertainment
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X-Blades
For: Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and Windows PC
From: Gaijin Entertainment/
TopWare Interactive/SouthPeak Games
ESRB Rating: Mature
(blood, suggestive themes, violence)
Children of the 1980's doubtlessly remember the wave of low-budget Nintendo Entertainment System games that didn't exactly view user-friendliness as a virtue. Instructions and storytelling were minimal to non-existent, and completing the games demanded some mix of cruel trial and error and/or a strategy guide purchase.
"X-Blades" is, on multiple levels, the modern-day embodiment of those old games.
Take for instance, the Observation Site level, which finds you trapped in a room with spikes that pop out of the floor. "X-Blades" gives you no instruction on how to escape the room, nor does it really explain why the trap even exists. So you're stuck with your contemporary instincts, which compel you to find a way to escape the room. But there exists no such trick: If you can dodge the spike patterns for an entirely indeterminate amount of time, a cut scene plays and you're freed.
Posted by courier at 06:36 PM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Jenelle Gallardo, Courier Staff Writer
Confessions of a Shopaholic hit theaters last month and I decided to go see it after opening day.
Shopaholic is based on the novel by Sophie Kinsella.
The movie starts off with Rebecca Bloomwood (Isla Fischer), as a young girl; the story gradually continues picking up on details of her family, and why she is a so-called "shopaholic". Living in New York City, Rebecca is a college graduate working as a journalist. She tries to build her way up to get into the top fashion magazine, and goes through the whole ordeal most chick flicks have.
Posted by courier at 09:44 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Sandhaya Mansfield, Courier Staff Writer
"Castle" is a newish crime drama airing on Monday's on ABC that's worth watching.
In the show, Richard Castle is a widely famous novelist known for his mysteries. Suffering from writer's block, Castle is growing bored with his life until he hears that a murderer is staging crime scenes straight off the pages of his murder mysteries. When Castle is questioned by NYPD Detective Kate Beckett, he decides to help out on the case because, after all, who has a better understanding of the crime scenes than the author who wrote them?
Posted by courier at 09:30 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer
Paperback: 736 pages
Publisher: Picador
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0312265050
ISBN-13: 978-0312265052"Nobody could sleep. When morning came, assault craft would be lowered and a first wave of troops would ride through the surf and charge ashore on the beach at Anapopei. All over the ship, all through the convoy, there was a knowledge that in a few hours some of them were going to be dead."
So begins
The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer, the best war novel I have ever read. Its length was a bit daunting at first, but I got so involved with the characters that I was done before I knew it and wishing for more. It is bloody, depressing, fascinating and utterly human. It has a great mix of action, thought-provoking questions, and character development, and is perfect in its imperfection. I honestly cannot ask more of a war novel, and would not if I could.
Posted by courier at 09:19 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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The Godfather II
ESRB Rating: Mature,
Courier Staff Writer
The Godfather video game sequel is finally here and stays true to the original films story. From EA games
The Godfather II is set to be released for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC, April 7, 2009.
The Godfather II is an third person action game that resembles game play similar to
Grand Theft Auto. Some of the voice overs will be done by the same characters in the film, such as Robert Duvall, who voices his character Tom Hagen.
Posted by courier at 08:58 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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"MLB 2K9"
Reviewed for: Playstation 3
and Xbox 360. Also available for:
Playstation 2, Wii, PSP and PC
ESRB Rating: Everyone
"MLB 2K9," not unlike its most immediate predecessor, has issues.
The default calibration between runner and fielder speed is all over the map. Pokey fielder animations turn even simple double plays into uncertainties, but stretching singles into should-be doubles is similarly dicey.
Then again, the computer's A.I. occasionally likes to nap on base and in the field. Even completely misplaying a ball doesn't ensure your opponent will take proper advantage.
Posted by courier at 08:26 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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44388 Old Warm Springs Blvd.
Fremont. 510-623-7200
www.sharksice.com
All this extended forecast of bad weather leaves people with few things to do on weekends. Sure, there are a lot of indoor activities like shopping, movies, and watching TV, but how about a something physical once in a while? Sharks Ice at Fremont gives the rainy day a whole new spin.
Posted by courier at 09:58 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Ronald Epps, Courier Staff Writer
Two very popular shows MTV's "TRL" (on mtv) and BET's "106 & Park" at one time displayed the most recent, in-style music videos and interviewed the most famous celebrities from Katy Perry to Beyoncé.
TRL played a variety of genres from hip-hop to pop to country all the way to alternative. 106 & Park, on the other hand, focused on hip-hop and rap. "TRL" was shut down three months ago, while its counterpart "106 & Park" stayed on strong,
Posted by courier at 08:56 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Suzanne Wu, Courier Staff Writer
A family oriented Hong Kong style restaurant, Aberdeen Cafe is an excellent pick for those who enjoy Hong Kong Style Chinese fare. Located in Warm Springs, Fremont, the cafe is popular for its array of rice dishes, congee (porridge), and noodles.
Posted by courier at 08:31 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Delicious by Susan Mallery
Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: HQN Books (February 1, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0373770561
ISBN-13: 978-0373770564,
Courier Editor-in-Chief
Penny Jackson knew that it was probably wrong to be so excited to see her ex-husband come crawling back, but she was willing to live with the character flaw.
What woman in her right mind would not enjoy watching the man who broke her heart come crawling back? Delicious is an engrossing read that I couldn't put down. I especially enjoyed how it goes beyond the relationship between Penny and Cal, her ex, and explores various familial relationships. It is all the more realistic because it isn't focused solely on falling in love. Fortunately, the other relationships never take away from the one between Penny and Cal - in fact, they add a bit of spice to their relationship and the plot as a whole. It is, for lack of a better phrase, absolutely delicious.
Posted by courier at 04:49 PM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Finding Abby, by
Virgina M. Scott
Hardcover: 177 pages
Publisher: Butte Publications (March 2000)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1884362354
ISBN-13: 978-1884362354
By Brandie Moore, Courier Daily Editor
Sorry, everyone, but for this book I could not put in a quote so I'll just tell you about it and try to persuade you to read it without the quote.
In the book
Finding Abby, Abby, a musical prodigy, loses her hearing and goes though the difficultly of not being able to hear. Two years after meningitis claimed her hearing, Abby dies, by her own hand, it is believed.
Paige, Abby’s older sister, is told about Abby’s death and cannot believe it because Abby was a sweet girl who always did as she was told.
Posted by courier at 04:38 PM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Jericho Faustino, Courier Staff Writer
Kill Zone 2 has came back with a vengeance,
The latest from the developers, Guerilla Games, is Kill Zone 2. Published by Sony Computers Entertainment Europe, is this science fiction first-person shooter for the Playstation 3.
Kill Zone 2 is the third installment of the Kill Zone franchise that began with the Playstarion 2’s
Killzone and continued to the Playstation portable’s
Kill Zone : Liberation. The game was released worldwide late February 2009.
Posted by courier at 10:23 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Rohan Kumar,
Courier Staff Writer
Rockstar games is back with another addition to the
Grand Theft Auto series.
Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars is set to be released for the Nintendo DS on March 17,2009. Chinatown Wars is a third person action game and the first one of its kind on the DS. Usually
Grand Theft Auto games are played through an over the shoulder view, but
Chinatown Wars features a top-down perspective as if your watching from a helicopter.
Posted by courier at 09:15 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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