Mark N's blog

Years ago, ebaumsworld had this video where two Japanese men squared off in what can only be described as matrix ping pong, with the aid of some nimble actors hidden in black outfits. I have no idea what the "official" name for this type of performance is because my Japanese is rusty (read: non-existent), but that doesn't make it any less intriguing.

I rarely post about stuff like this unless I can find an accompanying video or even an image, but I couldn't wait. In pawing through IGN's upcoming release calendar looking for games to check in on, something caught my eye that made me light up like a kid on Christmas. Sometime in the mysterious "TBA 2009," an XBLA title called "Ender's Game: Battle Room" based on my favorite sci-fi novel of all time, will find its way onto my XBOX360.

That crackling sound that you just heard is hell freezing over. Even though I've taken every opportunity to fling crap at Eric for making me watch "Postal" for the podcast some months ago, I couldn't help but post this upated trailer for "Postal 3." I can honestly say that it looks way more fun to play than its movie companion was to watch:

The subject of numerical ratings for both games and films has been the topic of much debate for a long time, and it has only garnered more attention in recent years. With thousands of review sites online, there are very few examples that deviate from the standard "this many points out of this multiple of 10" system, with a few notable exceptions like Rotten Tomatoes. In recent years the Like/Dislike system has gained popularity in other mediums, but not so much for games and films because of their rabid internet followings and the likelihood of tampering.

If you're a follower of the hype surrounding the recent release of "Resident Evil 5," you may have heard about the zombie-infested midnight release held at the Stroudsburg, PA location. Basically, instead of waiting in line in a well lit room (BORING!) to purchase the game, fans from all over Stroudsburg and the surrounding areas waited in line while high school drama students and college stoner drop outs dressed like zombies played out various scenes of infected debauchery (zombauchery?). Some people drove from up to four hours away to take part in the event, which may mean something.

I've never quite recovered from the night that I saw a man on "Ripley's Believe it or Not" whose face was made almost entirely with prosthetic parts. Besides the grotesque oddity of essentially seeing inside his head, the thought of losing one or more major parts of the body is something that will freak out even the hardest of hardasses.

For most of us, costumes are a once-a-year thing, if that. For the would-be protagonists of the Matthew Ogens' 2006 documentary "Confessions of a Superhero," costumes are not only a way of life, but sometimes their sole existence.

Despite only making it about 6 hours in, I really enjoyed Fallout 3. The story is great if not totally original, and the gameplay is unparalleled in depth. If not for the exhausting run time I'm sure I would have completed it, someday. Thankfully, Bethesda is not just content with making a never ending game for their fans, as they are spending tons of time pumping out DLC for the game. Their latest addition, "The Pitt," sounds pretty gnarly so far:

From Wikia:

"Mega Man 2" is one of my favorite games of all time. Although maddeningly difficult, I kept coming back to it time after time to get my ass whipped, and loved every blade throwing minute of it. Naturally, I peed a little when I saw this video of the game re-imagined in '2.5D,' "Paper Mario" style.

Last month, I posted a blog about the falling out between Namco and BottleRocket Entertainment over the direction of the "Splatterhouse" remake. Since then, the project is rumored to be in the hands of the team behind "Afro Samurai," which garnered mixed reviews upon its release. Despite that, BottleRocket is still a bit miffed over allegations of "underperformance," and recently released a statement to address those allegations: