To commemorate the success he had with the album, Justin Timberlake has rereleased his hit album FutureSex/LoveSounds. So, for this week, I am going to take a look back at 2006 by reviewing one of its most successful albums. FutureSex/LoveSounds has spawned an amazing six singles to mainstream radio, aswell as two of them getting a suprising mass amount of play at Urban stations. And the deluxe edition is even better!!
From the first moment your hear FutureSex/LoveSound (the first track on the album) to Sexy Ladies (Remix) (the last one), you can hear great production on this album. Whether it's from the trio of Timberlake, Timbaland, and Nate Hills, Will.I.Am, or Rick Rubin, the production on this album is outstanding. The beats are amazing ear candy in my opinion. They go from extremely technical-sounding (Sexy Ladies, My Love, Summer Love) to smooth (What Goes Around........Comes Around [Interlude], Until the End Of Time, Set the Mood Interlude, [Another Song] All Over Again). One thing I noticed about the songs is that some of them (ex. Summer Love/Set the Mood Prelude) are split into two parts, one being a prelude or interlude and the other being the actual song. I think that this is in spirit of the title being split into two parts by a slash mark. The guest spots on the album also help a bit. Timbaland, T.I., 50 Cent, and Three 6 Mafia put a little more edge into their album with their rapping, aswell as their random appearances in songs in the case of Timbo. On the other hand, Beyonce puts a little more R&B flavor into Justin's current hit, Until the End of Time and Will.I.Am puts more of a hip-hop flavor onto the song he produced, Damn Girl. The one thing that I really dislike about the album is that pretty much all of the songs are about love and sex, with the exception of Losing My Way (in which Justin talks about an addiction to crack cocaine and asks if anyone out there understands him and hears him). But what can you expect from an album titled FutureSex/LoveSounds?
My favorite two tracks on the album are My Love and What Goes Around....../Comes Around Interlude. I like My Love for the amazing production on it, aswell as the T.I. guest spot. Justin is also taking his voice to the limits on this song, which I really admire. I especially like What goes Around because it is essentially a story in one song! The "story" talks about how when the girl Justin like rejects a relationship with Justin, it will all come back around at her and that it isn't fair. As for the argument on which is better, out of the regular Until the End of Time and its remix, I would say that Beyonce beats Justin on his own song. The remix is truly an amazing combination, with the princess of R&B and the prince of Pop (even though he really wants his music to be titled R&B music, not Pop). Plus, their voices harmonize so great.
The production of this album, along with the smoothness and versatility of Justin's voice, make FutureSex/LoveSounds a great album in my opinion.
Grade: A-: Spectacular production, amazing singing and rapping. The only drawback was the unoriginality of the tracks.
Track to Get: My Love, What Goes Around.../...Comes Back Around Interlude, Until the End of Time (duet with Beyonce)
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Game Review: Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games for Nintendo Wii
Ah. What a beautiful day at the 2008 Olympics!! Such a great breeze, the sun is shining, and what's this?!!??! The competitors are entering the stadium!!!!! But wait, it can't be!!! Mario, the heroic plumber and mascot of Nintendo, and Sonic, the hedgehog or heroicness and mascot of Sega, are entering the stadium in one competition together!!!! And they are being followed by such heroes and villains like Luigi, Tails, Knuckles, Shadow, Bowser, and Peach, to name a few!! This, is Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games!!!
The main selling part about this game is the fact that this is indeed the first game in which Mario and Sonic clash!! Many people that are fans of both protagonists have been waiting for them to be together in a game, and this is their chance to see them together. Of course, this isn't really what fans were expecting. I would think most people would have wanted the two to have their own epic journey in which they face annoying pests such as Dr. Eggman and Bowser. Atleast this is a start of possibly a big game including Sonic and Mario. Anyways, this game sets Mario, Sonic, and their comrades (and your Miis) as contestants in the 2008 Bejing Olympics.
And with the Olympics come a wide array of sports events! These events range from Swimming to Athletics (Track and Field) to even Table Tennis!! The games are divided into six categories, each utilizing either just the Wii Remote or the combination of the Wii Remote and the Nunchuck. I think that this game is much similar to Wii Sports, except a wider choice of characters and different activities. The most fun out of the activities, in my opinion, is the Trampoline. This event, classified in teh Gymnastics category, has you first trying to jump a certain distance, and then peforming tricks by pressing the A and B buttons and twisting the Wii Remote. Speaking of the Wii Remote, this event uses only the Wii Remote. It is pretty tricky to get all of the buttons and tilts in time. I always keep getting in the low to mid-7s for my score on the performance!! As for those who played Wii Sports for a fun way to sweat off some pounds, I would recommend the Swimming events. the events in this category have you moving the Wii Remote and Nunchuck in different ways to swim with your character. Some of these characters make you move the pair of controllers up and down to swim with them. i have found that by rapidly doing this method of swimming, it is easy to break a sweat. As for those who want a mental challenge, I would recommend the Fencing game. In this event, you use the Wii Remote held vertically to block, fake, and fence at your opponent. It takes a good mind to know what the opponent will do and how to counter it. Mabye you're thinking that the opponent is about to fence at you. Block the shot to leave your opponent open for a fence. Or, go backwards and dodge the shot. There are also many games that I didn't talk about that are fun, so try them out!!!
Overall, I would say that this is a great game that utilizes all of the motion-sensory features of the Wii, whether it's aiming the Wii Remote at flying disks or quickly alternating the Wii Remote and Nunchuck to run. And it's also a bonus for those Mario and Sonic fans.
Gameplay: 8.5/10 - Pretty bad concept, but very nice gameplay in my opinion.
Graphics: 8.25/10 - Not really detailed, like most other Wii games, but just as crisp and clear as an Olympic day!
Also, I want to say that for my album review this week, be prepared for a blast from the near-past!! I am Jaykk, signing out!
The main selling part about this game is the fact that this is indeed the first game in which Mario and Sonic clash!! Many people that are fans of both protagonists have been waiting for them to be together in a game, and this is their chance to see them together. Of course, this isn't really what fans were expecting. I would think most people would have wanted the two to have their own epic journey in which they face annoying pests such as Dr. Eggman and Bowser. Atleast this is a start of possibly a big game including Sonic and Mario. Anyways, this game sets Mario, Sonic, and their comrades (and your Miis) as contestants in the 2008 Bejing Olympics.
And with the Olympics come a wide array of sports events! These events range from Swimming to Athletics (Track and Field) to even Table Tennis!! The games are divided into six categories, each utilizing either just the Wii Remote or the combination of the Wii Remote and the Nunchuck. I think that this game is much similar to Wii Sports, except a wider choice of characters and different activities. The most fun out of the activities, in my opinion, is the Trampoline. This event, classified in teh Gymnastics category, has you first trying to jump a certain distance, and then peforming tricks by pressing the A and B buttons and twisting the Wii Remote. Speaking of the Wii Remote, this event uses only the Wii Remote. It is pretty tricky to get all of the buttons and tilts in time. I always keep getting in the low to mid-7s for my score on the performance!! As for those who played Wii Sports for a fun way to sweat off some pounds, I would recommend the Swimming events. the events in this category have you moving the Wii Remote and Nunchuck in different ways to swim with your character. Some of these characters make you move the pair of controllers up and down to swim with them. i have found that by rapidly doing this method of swimming, it is easy to break a sweat. As for those who want a mental challenge, I would recommend the Fencing game. In this event, you use the Wii Remote held vertically to block, fake, and fence at your opponent. It takes a good mind to know what the opponent will do and how to counter it. Mabye you're thinking that the opponent is about to fence at you. Block the shot to leave your opponent open for a fence. Or, go backwards and dodge the shot. There are also many games that I didn't talk about that are fun, so try them out!!!
Overall, I would say that this is a great game that utilizes all of the motion-sensory features of the Wii, whether it's aiming the Wii Remote at flying disks or quickly alternating the Wii Remote and Nunchuck to run. And it's also a bonus for those Mario and Sonic fans.
Gameplay: 8.5/10 - Pretty bad concept, but very nice gameplay in my opinion.
Graphics: 8.25/10 - Not really detailed, like most other Wii games, but just as crisp and clear as an Olympic day!
Also, I want to say that for my album review this week, be prepared for a blast from the near-past!! I am Jaykk, signing out!
Friday, November 23, 2007
In my opinion, the top 3 electronic must-haves
As all of you know, today was Black Friday, the start of the holiday season. To celebrate the start, many people shop for holiday gifts! To acount for the start of the holiday season, I wanted to make a top three list of must-haves for this holiday season:
3. Super Mario Galaxy
It has been awaited since even before the Wii was released. And now, Super Mario Galaxy makes is descent onto Earth. This is the must-have game for all people with a Wii. For some good information on this game, you can refer back to when I posted about Super Mario Galaxy in an article. And with the success it has had already, I am sure that one out of atleast every 100 houses will have this in their bundles of gifts.
2. Rock Band
Ever since the release of Guitar Hero, some people have wondered, could you ever have a digital band? Well, with Rock Band, that is very possible indeed. Rock Band has a great selection of songs that focus on the whole band, and is rapidly adding to the list with downloadable content. Some examples of great songs are Dani California, by the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Wanted Dead or Alive, by Bon Jovi. I would say this also is a must for families. With the main game needing 4 people, This is a game the whole family can love and enjoy playing.
And........................
1. iPhone
When I was in the Apple store two days ago, I swore I saw atleast five iPhones being purchased. Plus, with the commercials still running in maximum of the product, the iPhone is the must-have on any wish list. The versatility that it has is amazing. Plus, it means that instead of getting a phone, laptop, and iPod for someone, you can just get them an iPhone. Nothing much else to say, as most of you should know what the iPhone does.
Well, that's all for today. I hope you have had a good time shopping today! See you back here on Monday, and possibly sooner!!
3. Super Mario Galaxy
It has been awaited since even before the Wii was released. And now, Super Mario Galaxy makes is descent onto Earth. This is the must-have game for all people with a Wii. For some good information on this game, you can refer back to when I posted about Super Mario Galaxy in an article. And with the success it has had already, I am sure that one out of atleast every 100 houses will have this in their bundles of gifts.
2. Rock Band
Ever since the release of Guitar Hero, some people have wondered, could you ever have a digital band? Well, with Rock Band, that is very possible indeed. Rock Band has a great selection of songs that focus on the whole band, and is rapidly adding to the list with downloadable content. Some examples of great songs are Dani California, by the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Wanted Dead or Alive, by Bon Jovi. I would say this also is a must for families. With the main game needing 4 people, This is a game the whole family can love and enjoy playing.
And........................
1. iPhone
When I was in the Apple store two days ago, I swore I saw atleast five iPhones being purchased. Plus, with the commercials still running in maximum of the product, the iPhone is the must-have on any wish list. The versatility that it has is amazing. Plus, it means that instead of getting a phone, laptop, and iPod for someone, you can just get them an iPhone. Nothing much else to say, as most of you should know what the iPhone does.
Well, that's all for today. I hope you have had a good time shopping today! See you back here on Monday, and possibly sooner!!
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Can it be alright to lipsync?
First of all, I would like to say happy turkey day to all of my blog readers! It has been a great holiday for me so far, and I hope it has for you too. Secondly, I wanted to talk about an important topic in music today, lipsyncing.
As I finished watching the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, I started to wonder about the musical performances. I realized while listening to them that they were all lipsynced. So, for my blog article, I was thinking about when its alright to lipsync. Of course, I came up with the obvious places where it is horrible to lipsync. But, I also came up with a couple times in which its fine to lipsync.
The place in which you want to lipsync the least are most televised performances and concerts, in my opinion. Televised performances are one of main sources of exposure for digital download success. But, if an artist lipsyncs a televised performance, then that will get a possible customer of the digital single mad at the artist and most likely cause him or her to not buy the single. Also, if that performance was really talked about beforehand, then the artist would most likely get a lot of bad media if they lipsynced a televised performance. For a good example at this, look at Britney Spears' performance at the MTV Video Music Awards. Her performance was extremely hyped up. Then, the performance comes. Britney messes up, and every single pop culture TV show is giving her bad press. As I said before, another bad place to lipsync is at concerts. Most concertgoers want to hear the music of the artist they are seeing in a different perspective, that perspective being live. If an artist lipsyncs at a concert of theirs, you can expect the crowd to boo them to death and leave the concert.
But, in some cases, it is alright to lipsync. For instance, take Chris Brown's performances at the MTV Video Music Awards and the American Music Awards. He did lipsync, but made up for it by doing some amazing dancing. So, if you do something else in your routine to make up for lipsyncing, like dancing and the such, then you can lipsync and people won't give a care. Another place I find it alright to lipsync is the Thanksgiving Day Parade. Since the performance is shortened anyways, most people won't care if you lipsync or not.
Well, I am gonna stop here and go to my thanksgiving feast. So, with my goodbyes, I wish all a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!!!
As I finished watching the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, I started to wonder about the musical performances. I realized while listening to them that they were all lipsynced. So, for my blog article, I was thinking about when its alright to lipsync. Of course, I came up with the obvious places where it is horrible to lipsync. But, I also came up with a couple times in which its fine to lipsync.
The place in which you want to lipsync the least are most televised performances and concerts, in my opinion. Televised performances are one of main sources of exposure for digital download success. But, if an artist lipsyncs a televised performance, then that will get a possible customer of the digital single mad at the artist and most likely cause him or her to not buy the single. Also, if that performance was really talked about beforehand, then the artist would most likely get a lot of bad media if they lipsynced a televised performance. For a good example at this, look at Britney Spears' performance at the MTV Video Music Awards. Her performance was extremely hyped up. Then, the performance comes. Britney messes up, and every single pop culture TV show is giving her bad press. As I said before, another bad place to lipsync is at concerts. Most concertgoers want to hear the music of the artist they are seeing in a different perspective, that perspective being live. If an artist lipsyncs at a concert of theirs, you can expect the crowd to boo them to death and leave the concert.
But, in some cases, it is alright to lipsync. For instance, take Chris Brown's performances at the MTV Video Music Awards and the American Music Awards. He did lipsync, but made up for it by doing some amazing dancing. So, if you do something else in your routine to make up for lipsyncing, like dancing and the such, then you can lipsync and people won't give a care. Another place I find it alright to lipsync is the Thanksgiving Day Parade. Since the performance is shortened anyways, most people won't care if you lipsync or not.
Well, I am gonna stop here and go to my thanksgiving feast. So, with my goodbyes, I wish all a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!!!
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Album Review: Jordin Sparks - Jordin Sparks
Hello fans =). Today, I am here to review the not-so-long, but awaited debut from Sixth Season American Idol winner Jordin Sparks.
After her first single, "Tatoo", didn't do amazingly on the charts, I was having doubts about Jordin Sparks' self-titled debut album, Jordin Sparks, doing good on the charts. But, after hearing the rest of the album, I can say with all my heart that this album will debut at #1. Just as she said, Jordin's album has a pop feel like Kelly Clarkson, but yet smooth like Beyonce. More on the smooth side though, especially with tracks like "One Step at a Time", "Permanent Monday", and "Next to You". There are some tracks that sound more pop though, like the techno-beat "Shy Boy". Plus, Jordin chose a great track to end the album with, "This is My Now". Putting such a powerful track like that makes a really good last impression on the listener.
Personally, I really like the album. First and foremost, Jordin has an undeniably great voice. Secondly, I think her album appeals to people who listen to more mainstream, yet also people who like listening to urban radio stations. As for my favorite tracks, well, the majority of them are good, but a track that really got my ears tuning in was "No Air". The Chris Brown guest spot on the track does make me like it, but it's also the theme of the song that gets me. The song is about how a boy can't live without their girlfriend beside them and how a girl can't live without their boyfriend beside them. Jordin and Chris alternate lines, and then sing the chorus together. I think their voices go along great together, especially when they're combined in a meaningful chorus.
Overall, the album is very good in my opinion. Mabye not enough to convert me to a state of Jordin Sparks obsession, but good nonetheless.
Grade: B+
Tracks to Get: "No Air"
After her first single, "Tatoo", didn't do amazingly on the charts, I was having doubts about Jordin Sparks' self-titled debut album, Jordin Sparks, doing good on the charts. But, after hearing the rest of the album, I can say with all my heart that this album will debut at #1. Just as she said, Jordin's album has a pop feel like Kelly Clarkson, but yet smooth like Beyonce. More on the smooth side though, especially with tracks like "One Step at a Time", "Permanent Monday", and "Next to You". There are some tracks that sound more pop though, like the techno-beat "Shy Boy". Plus, Jordin chose a great track to end the album with, "This is My Now". Putting such a powerful track like that makes a really good last impression on the listener.
Personally, I really like the album. First and foremost, Jordin has an undeniably great voice. Secondly, I think her album appeals to people who listen to more mainstream, yet also people who like listening to urban radio stations. As for my favorite tracks, well, the majority of them are good, but a track that really got my ears tuning in was "No Air". The Chris Brown guest spot on the track does make me like it, but it's also the theme of the song that gets me. The song is about how a boy can't live without their girlfriend beside them and how a girl can't live without their boyfriend beside them. Jordin and Chris alternate lines, and then sing the chorus together. I think their voices go along great together, especially when they're combined in a meaningful chorus.
Overall, the album is very good in my opinion. Mabye not enough to convert me to a state of Jordin Sparks obsession, but good nonetheless.
Grade: B+
Tracks to Get: "No Air"
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Album Review: Alicia Keys - As I Am
Well, today I am here reviewing Alicia Keys' newest album, released on Tuesday. The title, for those who don't know, is "As I Am". This is her fourth release (The others, in order being Songs in a Minor, The Diary of Alicia Keys, and Unplugged). Onto the review!
Personally, What I like about the album is that all of the songs have that Alicia sound. But, each song has it in a different way. She sounds different of each and every song, whether she sounds as if she is in the 60's or today. Now, the bad part is that the album sounds a little too bland for me. No song extremely stood out. I mean, the album is good, just no noticeable tracks. Well, only one. The most noticeable track for me was the Intro. It's a great start to such a soulful album in my opinion. So, nothing else really to say about the album, unfortunately.
Grade: B
Tracks to Get: As I Am (Intro), No One
Personally, What I like about the album is that all of the songs have that Alicia sound. But, each song has it in a different way. She sounds different of each and every song, whether she sounds as if she is in the 60's or today. Now, the bad part is that the album sounds a little too bland for me. No song extremely stood out. I mean, the album is good, just no noticeable tracks. Well, only one. The most noticeable track for me was the Intro. It's a great start to such a soulful album in my opinion. So, nothing else really to say about the album, unfortunately.
Grade: B
Tracks to Get: As I Am (Intro), No One
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Gonna do it tomorrow, post it later that night + Really cool iPhone/iPod Touch App!!
Well, with such a swamped day today, I have to delay the album review to tomorrow. Lucky for me, my brother got "As I Am", making the album review all the easier. In other Alicia news, she sold 160,000 copies of "As I Am" in her first day, beating out Celine Dion by over 100,000 (she sold 58,000 copies of "Taking Chances").
Well, for today, I want to talk about an iPod Touch/iPhone application that I got through Jailbreaking my iPod Touch. The game is pretty reminiscent to Guitar Hero. But, by looking at the title of it, you would first think Dance Dance Revolution. The application is called Tap Tap Revolution.
Tap Tap Revolution has you trying to hit all of the notes to a song on three strings. Unlike Guitar Hero, there is no strumming involved. You just press the note you want to hit. Also, instead of a limited song library, the songs you play are the ones that you have that have TTR note spreads. Of course, you need Wifi to see which ones have TTR note spreads. So, try and stay as close to the Wifi source as possible. And how does the application have so many songs already? You can make TTR note spreads for any song in your library and then send them to the Internet for others to try out!!! It makes the application a whole lot better in my opinion.
So, if you need a good game application and don't want to go through the process to put ROMs onto your iPod Touch, Tap Tap Revolution is great!! I certainly love it!! The concept of a widely-played console game on a portable device is amazing!!
Well, for today, I want to talk about an iPod Touch/iPhone application that I got through Jailbreaking my iPod Touch. The game is pretty reminiscent to Guitar Hero. But, by looking at the title of it, you would first think Dance Dance Revolution. The application is called Tap Tap Revolution.
Tap Tap Revolution has you trying to hit all of the notes to a song on three strings. Unlike Guitar Hero, there is no strumming involved. You just press the note you want to hit. Also, instead of a limited song library, the songs you play are the ones that you have that have TTR note spreads. Of course, you need Wifi to see which ones have TTR note spreads. So, try and stay as close to the Wifi source as possible. And how does the application have so many songs already? You can make TTR note spreads for any song in your library and then send them to the Internet for others to try out!!! It makes the application a whole lot better in my opinion.
So, if you need a good game application and don't want to go through the process to put ROMs onto your iPod Touch, Tap Tap Revolution is great!! I certainly love it!! The concept of a widely-played console game on a portable device is amazing!!
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Review tomorrow!!!!!
I am pleased to say that after the dismay of last week, the album review of the week shall be posted tomorrow or Thursday morning!!! This week, I am reviewing "As I Am" by Alicia Keys. This album has spawned two singles so far, them being the soulful "No One" and her latest single, "Like You'll Never See me Again". If I were to judge from those singles, then I would have to say that "As I Am" is a great album. This week, Alicia will have to face Celine Dion, with her newest album "Taking Chances", in the album battle ring. Personally, being a fan of Alicia from the start, I hope Alicia can pull out the win. Besides, she has a very successful single, while Celine has a mildly-successful single.
So, come back here tomorrow for a very soulful album review!!!! I think I will be very impressed with the album.
So, come back here tomorrow for a very soulful album review!!!! I think I will be very impressed with the album.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Great news for Guitar Hero 3 players on Xbox 360 and PS3!!
Have you ever wanted to get new songs on Guitar Hero, without the wait of a new game? Well, now is your chance to do so!! If you have Guitar Hero 3 for Xbox 360 or Playstation 3, then with Wifi, you can buy Trax Pax!!
These Track Packs contain 3 songs. Each of these songs shares the same artists. For instance, the first two Track Packs available at the moment are the Velvet Revolver one and the Foo Fighters one. The former contains three tracks, like "She Builds Quick Machines" and the song from the Guitar Hero 3 commercial, "Slither". The latter contains two of Foo Fighters older hits, and their latest hit, "The Pretender". Each Track Pack is set at quite a good price at $6.25.
Overall, I would say Track Packs are a great investment. I would definitely want all of them.
These Track Packs contain 3 songs. Each of these songs shares the same artists. For instance, the first two Track Packs available at the moment are the Velvet Revolver one and the Foo Fighters one. The former contains three tracks, like "She Builds Quick Machines" and the song from the Guitar Hero 3 commercial, "Slither". The latter contains two of Foo Fighters older hits, and their latest hit, "The Pretender". Each Track Pack is set at quite a good price at $6.25.
Overall, I would say Track Packs are a great investment. I would definitely want all of them.
Friday, November 9, 2007
I guess it was made to be a no. + What I want on the iPod Touch
Sadly, after making the time to do the album review I wanted to do, I couldn't find the tracks. I think it has to do with Jay-Z not putting "American Gangster" up on iTunes. So, I will not be posting a review this week, sadly.
Now, onto the actual article....
When I got the iPod Touch, I felt as if it wasn't complete. So, for today, I wanted to post some ideas for Applications for Apple to consider when making future iPod Touch models.
First of all, the iPod Touch comes with no communication applications whatsoever. I think that just as how they did with Youtube, Apple should partner up with a company like Facebook and make an application on the iPod Touch that lets you check your Facebook profile and those of your friends, as well as your News Feed and Notifications. This idea might even convince family members to buy iPod Touches, just to keep in touch at all times with Facebook.
Secondly, the applications that were iPhone-exclusive need to get onto the iPod Touch. There is no reason as to why they can't, due to the iPhone and iPod Touch having the same internal features. Some of those applications were very handy on the iPhone. I think I would like to know where I am going (Maps) or the weather (Weather).
Finally, it may take some modifications to the shape and size of the iPod Touch to do, but I think a Radio application should be made for the iPod Touch. Apple could apply the same technology that they used with the iPod Radio Tuner with the iPod Touch. Besides, the iPod Touch can already connect to the Internet, so why not a satellite? This is good if your in a moment in which you want to listen to a variety of music, but don't want to do the work for yourself via On-The-Go.
So, there's my input on future iPod Touch features. I hope you, the readers, can cope with no album review for this week, and I am terribly sorry for not writing for the past two days. I have just had so much things to do, that I couldn't fit in time to blog. Well, see you tomorrow!!
Now, onto the actual article....
When I got the iPod Touch, I felt as if it wasn't complete. So, for today, I wanted to post some ideas for Applications for Apple to consider when making future iPod Touch models.
First of all, the iPod Touch comes with no communication applications whatsoever. I think that just as how they did with Youtube, Apple should partner up with a company like Facebook and make an application on the iPod Touch that lets you check your Facebook profile and those of your friends, as well as your News Feed and Notifications. This idea might even convince family members to buy iPod Touches, just to keep in touch at all times with Facebook.
Secondly, the applications that were iPhone-exclusive need to get onto the iPod Touch. There is no reason as to why they can't, due to the iPhone and iPod Touch having the same internal features. Some of those applications were very handy on the iPhone. I think I would like to know where I am going (Maps) or the weather (Weather).
Finally, it may take some modifications to the shape and size of the iPod Touch to do, but I think a Radio application should be made for the iPod Touch. Apple could apply the same technology that they used with the iPod Radio Tuner with the iPod Touch. Besides, the iPod Touch can already connect to the Internet, so why not a satellite? This is good if your in a moment in which you want to listen to a variety of music, but don't want to do the work for yourself via On-The-Go.
So, there's my input on future iPod Touch features. I hope you, the readers, can cope with no album review for this week, and I am terribly sorry for not writing for the past two days. I have just had so much things to do, that I couldn't fit in time to blog. Well, see you tomorrow!!
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Now I am getting agrivated >=(
I really want to, but once again, I cannot review the album today. But, It is 100% going to be tomorrow, which is just in time for the weekend. So once again, I am terribly sorry, but see you tomorrow for the so-called stupendous album of a true American Gangster.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
I am really sorry =[....
....but once again I have to delay the album review for personal reasons. So, expect it tomorrow. Thanks guys!!!!!
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
First Look: Super Mario Galaxy for Nintendo Wii
Before I start this article, I am dismayed to say that the album review will be coming tomorrow. I just don't have enough time to do one today and I am terribly sorry about it.
Anyways, I was at the mall today. While I was there, I went into Gamestop, looking for Sonic and Mario at the Olympic Games, which actually comes out tomorrow. But, what I did find there was a demo of a Nintendo Wii title coming out next Wednesday (November 14th), Super Mario Galaxy. I wanted to write a little bit about the game today.
This game is different from the past 3D Mario titles for a few reasons. First of all, while Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine take place on land, Super Mario Galaxy takes place in space!! The graphics of space are much imporved from the graphics of 64 and Sunshine. Second and most importantly, this game has much different gameplay from its 3D Mario preceders. This is because Super Mario Galaxy makes full use of the Wii Remote/Nunchuck combination and the motion-sensory of the Nintendo Wii. For instance, you use the Nunchuck control stick to move around, press A to jump, and spin the Wii Remote to use a spinning attack.
From playing the in-store demo, I can tell you that I look forward to playing Super Mario Galaxy. First of all, the graphics look amazing compared to any other Mario game. The settings look all polished up and Mario's looks have improved. Secondly, the gameplay is so creative, which I really like. Finally, it's a Mario game, and who doesn't love playing as the Nintendo mascot trying to beat the big, bad Bowser and save the stunning Princess Peach?? Of course, I wasn't able to get even one star with the time I had playing the demo, but I am sure I can do it when I get the game. Besides, with the added bonus of unlocking Luigi after 150 stars, you would probably want to get the first one as soon as possible.
As you can see, I am really awaiting the landing of Super Mario Galaxy to the US. The game seems like it really did deserve the title of second most awaited Wii game (First went to The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess). Catch you tomorrow!!!
Anyways, I was at the mall today. While I was there, I went into Gamestop, looking for Sonic and Mario at the Olympic Games, which actually comes out tomorrow. But, what I did find there was a demo of a Nintendo Wii title coming out next Wednesday (November 14th), Super Mario Galaxy. I wanted to write a little bit about the game today.
This game is different from the past 3D Mario titles for a few reasons. First of all, while Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine take place on land, Super Mario Galaxy takes place in space!! The graphics of space are much imporved from the graphics of 64 and Sunshine. Second and most importantly, this game has much different gameplay from its 3D Mario preceders. This is because Super Mario Galaxy makes full use of the Wii Remote/Nunchuck combination and the motion-sensory of the Nintendo Wii. For instance, you use the Nunchuck control stick to move around, press A to jump, and spin the Wii Remote to use a spinning attack.
From playing the in-store demo, I can tell you that I look forward to playing Super Mario Galaxy. First of all, the graphics look amazing compared to any other Mario game. The settings look all polished up and Mario's looks have improved. Secondly, the gameplay is so creative, which I really like. Finally, it's a Mario game, and who doesn't love playing as the Nintendo mascot trying to beat the big, bad Bowser and save the stunning Princess Peach?? Of course, I wasn't able to get even one star with the time I had playing the demo, but I am sure I can do it when I get the game. Besides, with the added bonus of unlocking Luigi after 150 stars, you would probably want to get the first one as soon as possible.
As you can see, I am really awaiting the landing of Super Mario Galaxy to the US. The game seems like it really did deserve the title of second most awaited Wii game (First went to The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess). Catch you tomorrow!!!
Monday, November 5, 2007
Guitar Hero 3 for Playstation 2: The Review Part 2.
Hello again. I am back with the rest of the review of the amazing game known as Guitar Hero 3. The setlist and career mode are pretty different this time around. So, I decided to talk about those things today.
First, the songs for this game are different that the past Guitar hero games. The most exciting part about the songs is that a lot of them are recorded by the artists that originally made them instead of some cover band. This makes the in-game songs sound much more like their in-real life versions. For instance, in Guitar Hero 2, I was pissed off that the Guitar Hero version of Avenged Sevenfold's "Beast and the Harlot" was different from the original. Now, my favorite song in Guitar Hero 3, "Knights of Cydonia", doesn't have to go through that. this is because Muse rerecorded KoC for Guitar Hero 3. Another change is that frets come earlier in this game, starting to appear widely in the last 3 levels of Medium.
Another difference in this game is the Career mode. The career mode in this game has you as a band trying to succeed in the music business. Then, you get this wild manager named Lou, who guides you through all of the shows and such. But, after the band has fully broken out, the boss really insults them by calling them hasbeens. This causes the band to "can", or get rid of, the manager. Then, the bad part comes. Turns out, when you signed a contract with the manager, you didn't read the last part, which states the following:
Your souls are mine.
Ouch. So, you go to hell and after completing the final level of songs, you face your manager in a Boss Battle that will keep you playing Guitar Hero 3 for a while. Now, about the boss battles. In Career mode, you have 3 boss battles. Your opponents are Tom Morello, Slash, and Lou (in that order respectively). The first one is pretty easy, once you get the hang of Battles. Slash seems like a huge challenge, but once again, he is somewhat easy if you are good at Battles. Then comes Lou. Lou is pretty hard. here are my three tips on beating him:
1. If you keep missing a lot of notes, try not focusing on one note and just try and hit the rest. That is, unless you need to hit that note for a Power Gem.
2. Time your Power Gems so that Lou won't get his Power Gems. Otherwise, he will time them perfectly and wreck you.
3. This one might have been pure luck, but use Slash. Every time I used Axel Steel, I failed against Lou. But, once I used Slash, I found myself beating Lou on the first try.
So overall, I think Guitar Hero is a great game to follow up Guitar hero 2, which was also good, but not on caliber with its sequel.
First, the songs for this game are different that the past Guitar hero games. The most exciting part about the songs is that a lot of them are recorded by the artists that originally made them instead of some cover band. This makes the in-game songs sound much more like their in-real life versions. For instance, in Guitar Hero 2, I was pissed off that the Guitar Hero version of Avenged Sevenfold's "Beast and the Harlot" was different from the original. Now, my favorite song in Guitar Hero 3, "Knights of Cydonia", doesn't have to go through that. this is because Muse rerecorded KoC for Guitar Hero 3. Another change is that frets come earlier in this game, starting to appear widely in the last 3 levels of Medium.
Another difference in this game is the Career mode. The career mode in this game has you as a band trying to succeed in the music business. Then, you get this wild manager named Lou, who guides you through all of the shows and such. But, after the band has fully broken out, the boss really insults them by calling them hasbeens. This causes the band to "can", or get rid of, the manager. Then, the bad part comes. Turns out, when you signed a contract with the manager, you didn't read the last part, which states the following:
Your souls are mine.
Ouch. So, you go to hell and after completing the final level of songs, you face your manager in a Boss Battle that will keep you playing Guitar Hero 3 for a while. Now, about the boss battles. In Career mode, you have 3 boss battles. Your opponents are Tom Morello, Slash, and Lou (in that order respectively). The first one is pretty easy, once you get the hang of Battles. Slash seems like a huge challenge, but once again, he is somewhat easy if you are good at Battles. Then comes Lou. Lou is pretty hard. here are my three tips on beating him:
1. If you keep missing a lot of notes, try not focusing on one note and just try and hit the rest. That is, unless you need to hit that note for a Power Gem.
2. Time your Power Gems so that Lou won't get his Power Gems. Otherwise, he will time them perfectly and wreck you.
3. This one might have been pure luck, but use Slash. Every time I used Axel Steel, I failed against Lou. But, once I used Slash, I found myself beating Lou on the first try.
So overall, I think Guitar Hero is a great game to follow up Guitar hero 2, which was also good, but not on caliber with its sequel.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Guitar Hero 3 for Playstation 2: The Review Part 1.
I know there wasa big delay for this article, but it was worth it, trust me. I just finished the Career Mode of Guitar Hero 3 on Medium, and I have to say, it is awesome.
Just as I said for the Wii version, this Guitar Hero has upgraded graphics for a lot of things. First, the graphics for the Note Streak, Multiplier, Star Power Gauge, and Crowd Enjoyment Gauge have been changed around and upgraded. Then, the characters' appearances have changed. For instance, Axel Steel looks a little more scruffy now, while Xavier Stone looks less formal in his groovy purple getup. Plus, there are new guitars and finishes in this game. All of the new guitars look very cool, even the Guitar Hero guitar that you can buy in-game. Finally, the arenas. The arenas include a Japan-themed one, a space-themed one, a wooden outdoor haven, and Hell. The one annoying graphic that is in the game is the lead singer of the band. But, after you get over that, the graphics for this Guitar Hero are better than any other one so far.
Another addition to Guitar Hero in this version is the new Battle Mode. This mode is played by two people, in which they try not to outplay the opponent (like Face Off), but to make the opponent fail by making their song harder for them. Instead of Star Power in this mode, there are Power Gems. Each Power Gem has a power that makes the opponent's song harder. Some of those Gems include a Increase Difficulty Gem and a Double Note Gem. Then. there are gems that disable notes until you press that fret a few times or do other stuff. These Gems are the Cut Note Gem and the Whammy Gem, which makes you shake the whammy bar to enable the notes. Of course, the effects of the Gems last only for a few moments, so use them at the right time, or else your opponent can get them and strike you with the Gems' mighty power and cause you to lose all control of your notes. This mode is used to battle against the bosses, so you might want to practice beforehand with your friends.
Well, since Guitar Hero 3 is so amazing, it needs 2 days for review!!! So, see you tomorrow, with more details on the greatest Guitar Hero game yet!!!
Just as I said for the Wii version, this Guitar Hero has upgraded graphics for a lot of things. First, the graphics for the Note Streak, Multiplier, Star Power Gauge, and Crowd Enjoyment Gauge have been changed around and upgraded. Then, the characters' appearances have changed. For instance, Axel Steel looks a little more scruffy now, while Xavier Stone looks less formal in his groovy purple getup. Plus, there are new guitars and finishes in this game. All of the new guitars look very cool, even the Guitar Hero guitar that you can buy in-game. Finally, the arenas. The arenas include a Japan-themed one, a space-themed one, a wooden outdoor haven, and Hell. The one annoying graphic that is in the game is the lead singer of the band. But, after you get over that, the graphics for this Guitar Hero are better than any other one so far.
Another addition to Guitar Hero in this version is the new Battle Mode. This mode is played by two people, in which they try not to outplay the opponent (like Face Off), but to make the opponent fail by making their song harder for them. Instead of Star Power in this mode, there are Power Gems. Each Power Gem has a power that makes the opponent's song harder. Some of those Gems include a Increase Difficulty Gem and a Double Note Gem. Then. there are gems that disable notes until you press that fret a few times or do other stuff. These Gems are the Cut Note Gem and the Whammy Gem, which makes you shake the whammy bar to enable the notes. Of course, the effects of the Gems last only for a few moments, so use them at the right time, or else your opponent can get them and strike you with the Gems' mighty power and cause you to lose all control of your notes. This mode is used to battle against the bosses, so you might want to practice beforehand with your friends.
Well, since Guitar Hero 3 is so amazing, it needs 2 days for review!!! So, see you tomorrow, with more details on the greatest Guitar Hero game yet!!!
Friday, November 2, 2007
Jaykk's Guide to Making a Good Mii on Your Nintendo Wii
Today, after school, I was playing my Nintendo Wii and decided to make a Mii. Then, after doing a lot of complicated stuff with the Mii Channel, I had a new, but very creative Mii that sort of looked like a Koopa from the Mario games. There are different types of Miis, being Portrait, Crazy, and Creative.
Most of the time, when you make a Mii on the Nintendo Wii, it would be one that looks like someone you know. To make a good Portrait Mii, the person you are making it of should be right near you or you should have a picture of them. This helps for detail like the size of the head, size of the nose, shape of the eyebrows, and more. I would really suggest that the person is there with you when you make the Mii so you can get personal preferences from the person about them. For instance, when I made a Mii for my friend, he was there to tell me that he wanted to be skinnier than I made him and taller. Or, you can make a Mii of a celebrity. The one thing with that is that you have to put in the right smile to fit theor personality.
A lot of people also like to make really weird Miis with things such as makeup, funny eyes and nose, and gray hair. The key to making a Crazy Mii is to use as many of these funny and weird things as once. I personally like to use the shortest and fattest figure possible for my Crazy Miis. One Mii of mine, Zupahdisko, has a grey hair afro and big glasses, which are both weird in my opinion.
Finally, the very skilled people at making Miis would know that you can make very creative Miis using the Mii Channel. The key to doing so? Moving around and resizing the facial parts (eyes, eyebrows, mouth, nose, etc.). One example is when I made my Koopa Mii, I moved his eyes to the top left and right of his head, his eyebrows to where his nose would be, and his mouth in between the eyes and the eyebrows in their positions now, so it looks like as if the Koopa has a beak-ish thing on his face, like all Koopas. Another way of making creative Miis is by making images in the face. But, this needs more moving. For instance, I made a Goomba Mii with an image of a Goomba from the Mario games on the face of the Mii by moving and resizing the eyebrows, nose, mouth, and eyes of the Mii.
As you can see, there are many ways to make a Mii. Whether your Mii is very creative like my two, a portrait of a friend, or some crazy looking thing, you should know how to perfect it and even how to make it in the first place. Sadly, I will not have an article tomorrow, due to a certain event I am going to, so see you right back here on Sunday!!!
Most of the time, when you make a Mii on the Nintendo Wii, it would be one that looks like someone you know. To make a good Portrait Mii, the person you are making it of should be right near you or you should have a picture of them. This helps for detail like the size of the head, size of the nose, shape of the eyebrows, and more. I would really suggest that the person is there with you when you make the Mii so you can get personal preferences from the person about them. For instance, when I made a Mii for my friend, he was there to tell me that he wanted to be skinnier than I made him and taller. Or, you can make a Mii of a celebrity. The one thing with that is that you have to put in the right smile to fit theor personality.
A lot of people also like to make really weird Miis with things such as makeup, funny eyes and nose, and gray hair. The key to making a Crazy Mii is to use as many of these funny and weird things as once. I personally like to use the shortest and fattest figure possible for my Crazy Miis. One Mii of mine, Zupahdisko, has a grey hair afro and big glasses, which are both weird in my opinion.
Finally, the very skilled people at making Miis would know that you can make very creative Miis using the Mii Channel. The key to doing so? Moving around and resizing the facial parts (eyes, eyebrows, mouth, nose, etc.). One example is when I made my Koopa Mii, I moved his eyes to the top left and right of his head, his eyebrows to where his nose would be, and his mouth in between the eyes and the eyebrows in their positions now, so it looks like as if the Koopa has a beak-ish thing on his face, like all Koopas. Another way of making creative Miis is by making images in the face. But, this needs more moving. For instance, I made a Goomba Mii with an image of a Goomba from the Mario games on the face of the Mii by moving and resizing the eyebrows, nose, mouth, and eyes of the Mii.
As you can see, there are many ways to make a Mii. Whether your Mii is very creative like my two, a portrait of a friend, or some crazy looking thing, you should know how to perfect it and even how to make it in the first place. Sadly, I will not have an article tomorrow, due to a certain event I am going to, so see you right back here on Sunday!!!
Thursday, November 1, 2007
First Thoughts: Guitar Hero 3 for Nintendo Wii
After a fun-filled night of trick or treating last night, our group of trick or treaters went back to one of their houses. The best part? I got to play a couple songs on Guitar Hero 3, the Wii version.
The Most notable difference between 2 and 3 that I saw was the graphics. The graphics for the Wii version are very reminiscent of Guitar Hero 2 on Xbox 360. Another difference I saw, that I think is only for the Wii version, was that to hit the note, you had to play it like a quarter of a second before you are supposed to. But as I said, that is most likely only for the Wii version. A very cool thing I saw was that Guitar Hero 3 for Wii utilizes the Wii Remote's speakers. Whenever you miss a note, you hear the missing noise from the Wii Remote in your Guitar.
Now, about the songs I played. The two that I chose were When You Were Young and of course, Knights of Cydonia, both on medium and then KoC again on easy. When You Were Young wasn't that difficult. Of course I did get a pretty bad score on it, due to not playing Guitar Hero in a while. Then came Knights of Cydonia. It was pretty hard for a Medium song. The song throws a lot of notes at you, one by another. There are also a lot of frets. Sadly, I only got through 61% of the song, but there's always next time, when I play Guitar Hero 3 on my PS2. On the other hand, I got through the Easy version, which was much easier. Now I have at least one goal for GH3 on PS2: Beat Knights of Cydonia on Medium, and possibly try it on Hard.
Well, I hope this short review was helpful! I absolutely loved playing Guitar Hero 3, and I hope you do too!!!! Expect a full review of the PS2 version in the next week or so =).
The Most notable difference between 2 and 3 that I saw was the graphics. The graphics for the Wii version are very reminiscent of Guitar Hero 2 on Xbox 360. Another difference I saw, that I think is only for the Wii version, was that to hit the note, you had to play it like a quarter of a second before you are supposed to. But as I said, that is most likely only for the Wii version. A very cool thing I saw was that Guitar Hero 3 for Wii utilizes the Wii Remote's speakers. Whenever you miss a note, you hear the missing noise from the Wii Remote in your Guitar.
Now, about the songs I played. The two that I chose were When You Were Young and of course, Knights of Cydonia, both on medium and then KoC again on easy. When You Were Young wasn't that difficult. Of course I did get a pretty bad score on it, due to not playing Guitar Hero in a while. Then came Knights of Cydonia. It was pretty hard for a Medium song. The song throws a lot of notes at you, one by another. There are also a lot of frets. Sadly, I only got through 61% of the song, but there's always next time, when I play Guitar Hero 3 on my PS2. On the other hand, I got through the Easy version, which was much easier. Now I have at least one goal for GH3 on PS2: Beat Knights of Cydonia on Medium, and possibly try it on Hard.
Well, I hope this short review was helpful! I absolutely loved playing Guitar Hero 3, and I hope you do too!!!! Expect a full review of the PS2 version in the next week or so =).
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