Life is meant to be played

Ben can count to 10

2008-05-25T17:46:00.001-07:00

So anyone that reads this, or knows me, knows I'm a big kid at heart. I love Teen Titans, I love the JLA, I love Fairly Odd Parents, and now, I find myself loving the show, Ben 10.

It has a nice original storyline and even though I'm only through the first season (thanks Netflix) I expect I'm going to keep on liking this show. It's funny, I like the idea of getting used to so many different characters in the way of the alien watch, the "omnimatrix." It never comes across that he has instantly mastered the watch as the way it seems a lot of hero cartoons do it; make it seem the hero gets used to his abilities in the blink of an eye. It's gradual and hard for him as he learns what it's capable of.

In fact the only thing I could find "cheesy" about it is how they try and hint that the Grandpa has a secret backstory.
Example:
*"Insert talking under his breath line from Grandpa after he has seen an alien or something normal people would find strange."
*Have kids ask a quizickle question about said line.
*Have the Grandfather shrug it off as nothing was said and then quickly zoom into his face all dramatic like as he looks off camera. DUN DUN DUUUUN!

Like I said, cheesy.

But over all I really do like this show and if you are a big kid at heart, or have kids ;-P, then I would reccomend renting this series.

New Arcadia and the fruit "lovers" who inhabit her

2008-05-21T11:30:00.000-07:00

Warning, this game is rated "M" and so is this review

So last night I stayed up to 1am just to be able to download Penny Arcade's new Xbox Live game, "On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness."

Let me tell you, it was worth it. Right from the get go you gotta love a game where the NPC's are running around screaming, "Holy shit, did you see the huge fucking robot!?" Right then I knew I was going to love this game. It has a feel to it like you and your buddies got together and made this game...but you know, minus the sucky-ness. The art work done is 100% Gabe and that translates into a unique feel as it seamlessly goes to hand drawn artwork, to 3D, all the while retaining the comic feel that Penny Arcade has been known for over 10 years.

The humor is what really drives this game wether you are rooting through trash cans or beating "fruit fuckers" with your rake. You'll notice yourself laughing, smiling, and even rolling your eyes here and there thinking to yourself, "Dear God, did they seriously just say that?" The narrator is also pure gold. If only I could get this guy to narrate my life for the everyday mundane tasks, such as pouring a box of cereal for breakfast, life would be an epic blast indeed!

So wether you are a fan of Penny Arcade or have just heard about them, a fan of laughing, and love a turn based-RPGish-action/adventure game, this game is totally for you!

New Rating System

2008-05-21T08:48:00.000-07:00

I realize that I haven't really been getting on here and writing reviews about the games and movies I see...heck, I would have to do it 100% to even do it half-assed compared to what I have been doing in the past.

So for now on I will be reviewing every movie and game I see or play for the foreseeable future! Now I hate the rating systems people use...10 points, 5 points, stars, etc. 10 to me seems nitpicking (especially if they start doing that 7.5 crap) and the whole 5 points is better, but I think it could be improved upon....

So viola, I give you Life is Meant to be Played's rating system! First of all I love stars...before I became an achievement whore I was a star whore (should have seen me in kindergarten, it was sad. After I left Mrs. Birds class I went through major withdrawls...thats when I learned what the "thousand mile" stare was). So I decided to go with the 5 star system for overall game play. Then within those stars you will see three other possible things that I think make or break a game; Laughter, Seriousness, and Originality. This will give you more of an idea what the feel for the game is and not just if I think it is good or not.

I hope this helps and now, on to the reviewing!

Finally done...now all I need is a job

2008-05-14T09:15:00.000-07:00

After graduating from two colleges, one for computer animation and all things video games & art, and the other for all things film (pre, production, post), I am ready to join the working world!

There is a slight problem though...the catch 22 (if you will) of the entertainment industry. Everyone wants you to have experience before they hire you, but how are you supposed to get experience if they won't hire you because you don't have experience? (if your head hurts from that round-about, sign up and join the club...and do so quick while they're still validating parking)

For as long as I can remember, since I picked up my first Atari controller I knew I wanted to be in the video game industry. Coming from a very long line of artists I am the first one to take it to the digital age. My great grandmother was an amazing oil painter, my grandmother worked in Disney as an animationist, my Uncle was a gifted real life artist, my Mom is a painter and a glass artist, my sister does charcoal art & photography on her travels, and myself...well seeing that I want to become an Art Director someday I've practiced in damn near anything and everything! Traditional art, cartoon, comic, animation, modeling, painting (with all mediums), video editing, audio editing, and that is just to name a few!

I want to be the best...I want to make video games...*sigh* So why, oh why can't someone look at my educational background and realize that I have that potential? How many other people have gone to both an Art college and a film school to learn both worlds all to better the video game one? Wish me luck, pray, do whatever you do and I'm going to keep on trying until that amazing day comes that I can say I made it...that I'm making video games baby!

A sad gamer...

2008-04-26T16:00:00.000-07:00

So GTA IV comes out tomorrow and unfortunately I won't be able to get it.

Kinda sucks but seeing that it's either spend money on a video game OR buy food, gas, etc...well, I gotta make the hard choice.

And I know for some that seems like a rather stupid choice, "duh" (I hear you say) "eating and food and such is far better of a choice then say, starvation!" Ok, yes, true...but being a gamer and passionate about doing what I do it's kinda a gimme that I'm there for the things that impact the industry I love.

So until I find a job I'm just going to have to wait to play this game that I'm sure I will be hearing allllll about from my friends. *grumble grumble*

So please video game companies of the world...SAVE ME! (starts playing song in head "I can be your hero babeh!...I can kiss away the pain...") *cough* Was that inner dialog, outwards?

WEB PAGE COMPLETELY DONE!!!

2008-04-25T17:48:00.000-07:00

Ever have one of those days where you could seriously consider (for those of us who really can't do this) try a backflip? I have pumped my arms in victory, I have thrown my head back and laughed, I have done everything that could be associated with triumph and happiness (that would be acceptable out in public).

Finishing my website has been something I have been working on for a while. Trying to get all the content on there, to figure out Flash or not to Flash, just the fine tuning. Of course there will always be more work to do...but for the most part, IT'S DONE BABY!

So now commence the dancing and the drinking of drinks that shall make the drinking fun! ;-P

Getting close to graduating!

2008-04-03T20:02:00.000-07:00

So here it is...a month away. One month to sum up my entire college career, to lord willing, a real career.

I have no problems admitting, I'm nervous as hell! I still have so much to get done too. Website to finish, demo reel to complete, storyboards to continue to draw (it's one of those moments that it's required that I remind myself to do the whole breathing in and out thing)

I so badly want to make it...and to not just make it, but to help define games as we know them! To rub shoulders with companies like BioWare, Square Enix, Bungie, and to show them what I'm made of. All I can do is move forward and pray.

Laters,
Bugz

BLEACH ME!

2007-08-27T07:33:00.000-07:00

I have liked my anime in my day...It alllll started with Akira, then Princess Mononoke, then *laugh* buying every single episode of Dragon Ball Z, then of course Spirited Away, to Howl's Moving Castle, to watching Naruto (Japanese version...not the stupid English dubbed version, that hurts my ears), to many other Animes! Now, I am completely enamored with Bleach.

I'm in the second season right now and I have to tell you they have done a very nice build up! And just like Naruto, the one thing I love is that it really goes into the back story of every person you get to meet. And I love that...because whether they be a bad guy or good you have some kind of connection to them. And you also realize that they have their own reasons for acting the way they do...so even the "bad guys" aren't all that bad!

It has also inspired me to do some artwork...a little project if you will! ;P I have one week left of school before my break, so I will start this lil "project" of mine after this week is done with. If you want to see some of my artwork go to Imagineye's Deviant Art. Anyways, you have a great day and I'll talk to ya laters!

Money, money, money...muuuuneeeeh!

2007-08-01T09:16:00.000-07:00

So this month marks the month that I will officially be broke. Like the great Titanic after it has been struck I too know I'm screwed. Bio Shock, Mass Effect, Call of Duty 4, and a host of others that I haven't named. I can practically hear my pocket book screaming at me and biting me in my ass as I try to remove it from my back pocket. All I gotta say is thank God for Game Fly! It's the ONLY way I can play so many games with basically no budget! And at the very least I get the chance to see if they really do kick ass or if it's just all hype.

But said games mentioned above, if you haven't tried them, read about them, looked at them...then "Lucy, you gots sum explan'in to do!" (yes, the Lucy reference is lame...but it's the only thing that popped into my head just now) These are going to be the gems of the video game world from what I have seen...and if you are a gamer then do yourself a favor and go check out the videos of these games that were shown at E3 either on G4 TV or YouTube.

Anyways, as these games become available I will be posting the reviews. Catch ya laters!

Stargate SG-WHAT!?!

2007-07-28T11:40:00.000-07:00

Stargate...at first, a movie. Then, a TV show. If you haven't watched the TV show, or haven't even heard of it, I have two questions for you. Where the hell have you been?!?! And two, what is wrong with you?!?! Stargate SG-1 is now unfortunately coming to a close. Season 10 just came out which now marks the last season, but not the last season in the Stargate universe. Because there is also Stargate Atlantis. It is another amazing TV show and just because it is derived from another doesn't make it any less of impressive. And the way they interweave together and compliment each other is also equally impressive.

I'm in the middle of watching season 10 so I don't need to tell you that I love this show and would recommend it to you. So whether your with Netflix or Blockbuster or have the money to buy the first season, you have no reason not to give it a look. Try it out, watch the first season, and I know you will like it! If you don't, no worries, it just means that you have no taste and you should take an entire bee hive, screw it tightly in your ear canal until it tickles your brain and then sneeze as hard as you can. You'll feel better in no time :-)

I saw the movie with a resounding, "DOH!"

2007-07-27T07:22:00.000-07:00

So last night I went to see that mecca time to see movies...the mid-night release! And of course what movie would have been released last night? That's right, none other then the Simpsons!!!

But here's the catch...your "movie experience" isn't just based off the movie itself...oh no no no. It's also based off of the theater you see it at and the service you are given for your cash deposit. Let me put it to you this way...the movie was supposed to start at 12 O'clock (well really 12:30am if your counting the previews), the movie for me didn't start until 1am (at the very least!) Why so late you are all asking? Because the theater (unbeknownst to me) is run by retarded brain dead monkeys (and trust me, I'm being kind with this statement)! The movie was either never in center (top half was the bottom half and the bottom half was the top half), when they turned off the projector to try and fix this problem the geniuses didn't pause the film, so when it came back on the movie was now further down the line...and after doing this dance about three times (after they had pissed off an entire room full of people) they FINALLY rewound the film (and of course rewound it so we had to watch the freaking previews again!). It was a complete disaster...Oh, and when they finally got it right, they left the house lights on half way through the damn movie.

In this kind of instance I would rather see the person(s) responsible get slapped around for a bit and then re-tarded an feathered then just get my money back. If you live in Southern California, never go to the cinemas 12 in Camarillo...save your brain being raped by retarded brain dead monkeys and go see it in a theater run by babies...at least you know you will have a better experience!

Oh and FYI...yeah, the Simpsons movie was freaking amazing and it was everything I could have hoped for!

"Why does everything I whip keep leaving me?" - Homer Simpson

Happy Birthday's...

2007-07-25T07:23:00.000-07:00

It's almost become like an unspoken tradition...whenever someone close to me has a birthday I tend to make a Bugz comic for them. It's quite flattering and I am truly humbled by the fact that people would want artwork then something say bought at their favorite store. Over all I am just glad that I get to create and make people laugh...it makes me happy to make others happy in life!

Ok, so this BLOG really isn't about video games or movies...but I just wanted to share my thoughts :-) Oh and look for tomorrow for me to post another comic, I'll share with you the comic I made for my friend. Talk to ya laters!

EUREKA!!!

2007-07-21T00:43:00.000-07:00

Eureka! A word typically uttered when a revelation comes over someone...but I say it thinking of a TV show that I saw. In a world where re-doing old movies and making video games, comics and boogers whiped on a napkin in a restaurant warrents making a movie about it, Eureka is a fresh new show! Think of the typical absent minded professor but times it by a city full of these types of people...it's fresh and the stories don't seem copied and pasted from other sci-fi type of shows (something I have also seen done a lot lately). The writers to their credit do a good job explaining a lot of this bizzar and off the wall science and make it seem like it could be very possible. The lead actor (one of them at least...the Sheriff) reminds me if you took Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs and that guy that used to play Ernest, smashed em' together and sprinkled street smarts over that Frankstein body (if you can imagine that...your pretty smart...and welcome to my world).

Over all it's a great show and I would reccomend giving it a chance! To see the first season go to www.tv-links.co.uk You will not be sorry you did!!!

It didn't just meet my eye...it destroyed it!

2007-07-18T11:36:00.000-07:00

Transformers...cartoons, action figures, games and now, a movie that makes Ninjas on fire kicking pirate ass seem lame! Ok, so you have heard it all...you know the graphics were ground breaking, the sound effects were cool (especially when they go iee-iee-eeee-rewwwww...you know what I'm talking about, ahhhh yeaaaaah), the acting was good, and I loved all the inside jokes that they used! (When Bumble Bee smacked his car door into the VW Bug near the beginning...and if you don't get the joke look at an old pic of Bumble Bee in the original cartoon and you'll see what car he used to turn into)

The funny thing is that the original Transformers was JUST before my time...I got into them because of the Beast Wars cartoon. This is one of those few movies that I am actually looking forward to it being a trilogy (unlike so many others before it). And of course this is going to be a solid buy when it comes out onto DVD! If you haven't seen it yet, do. It's just that simple...if you want to see it how it's supposed to be seen, you need to see it in the theaters and not at home on your crappy TV, boxer shorts and drinking a cold beer...(however those last two sound pretty good...hmmm)

Transformers the movie: 5/5