James: Hey there, Backlogaroonie. How's it hangin'?
Roonie: Get the **** out of here.
James: What?
Roonie: The only reason you bring your gangly ass around anymore is to pass time until that piece of crap hardware comes back.
James: Oh, you mean the 360?
Roonie: "Oh, you mean the 360?" Yeah, genius. Now, why don't you go shave your head or something.
James: Look, I'm--
Roonie: No, no. You've made it quite clear on where we stand.
James: Now, just--
Roonie: No.
James: But I--
Roonie: Sega!
James: Look, I genuinely want you to diminish. So, here's the deal: for every new game I complete, I'll play--
Roonie: Oh, sure: "play". And then you get sidetracked by some--
James: Just listen. For every new game that I complete, I will play and complete two games from you.
Roonie: Huh. Yeah, that's gonna happen.
James: I promise.
Awkward silence.
Roonie: All right, this is the first time we've made a deal like this. You'd better pull through.
James: Coitanly!

The 360's not gone. But let's do dis t'ing:

"Were it so easy."
--Arbiter

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Just in case you missed it, here's a bit of the Family Guy season premiere which spoofs the original Star Wars movie. It's probably the best episode of the show I've ever seen. I'm a big Star Wars fan and, as far as spoofs go, this thing is nearly perfect. A large reason for that is the fact that John Williams' score is employed. And the satire just fits extremely well, like, for example, when a couple of Imperial officers quibble over not firing at the escape pod that R2 and 3PO are in as they jettison from the Tantive. A lot of the trademark Family Guy humor is worked in as well. If you haven't seen it already, you'll know what I mean.

(Sorry, the vid had to be deleted due to copyright issues. I'm willing to bet that the hour long episode will be available on DVD at some point, though.)

"So many faces--So different from one another... So few smiles..."
--Joker, The Dark Knight Returns

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I was planning on jumping into another game to bide my time with while waiting for the 360 to return. Little did I know that UPS would call today informing me of the console's arrival tomorrow. So, it seems I'll be able to play Halo 3 relatively on schedule. Gravy. Oh, but UPS has a habit of issuing broad arrival estimates: 8AM to 7PM. I can never tell when the driver in my area is going to come around. One day it's 9AM, the next it's five o'clock at night. Heck, I might just stay home tomorrow. I know this phrase is going to get thrown around a lot over the next week or so, but let's make plans to finish the fight. See ya on the other side.

Jesper Kyd has held a prominent style in the Hitman games since his orchestral venture with Silent Assassin in 2002. Contracts saw a return to the more electronic methods that were employed in the first game, Codename 47. So, here we have Blood Money which incorporates a bit of both. The end result is a slick infusion of electronica and orchestral wonderment.

Now, anyone who's played the game knows that Franz Schubert's "Ellens dritter Gesang" is used as a central piece. Unfortunately, that particular piece -- along with a couple of others -- is not included on the soundtrack disc. And actually, the "Main Title" track is listed last. Being that it is the main title, however, it has been posted first in the following compilation. The track starts out with a gentle piano riff, perhaps indicating that there is, in fact, a refinement about the world Agent 47 comes from. The electronic cords that follow serve as a driving theme for the hitman's adventures and clue us into the sort of grandeur accompanied by his world traveller archetype. "Hunter" is a track used during missions and makes use of the choir to great effect, creating an almost ominous feel as 47 either tracks or executes various targets. There is no absolute end to this track as it may be intended to loop during any mission's run, pending completion of goals. "Apocalypse" is similarly ominous, although it creates an effect more likened to the main title. Quite simply put, it is epic. I can't recall hearing this track in the game -- I'd have to give it another playthrough -- but it's a damn good piece.

Silent Assassin still stands as my favorite game/score in the series. But the sort of the evolution and collaboration that's taken place during its course is interesting to make note of. Not only has Jesper Kyd brought an unprecedented feel to these stealth action games, but he has provided listening material that easily ranks even amongst some of the best movie scores produced recently. Let's hope the trend continues.

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A few minutes ago, I completed Blood Money, thus ending my run with the Hitman series for the time being. I had a great time playing these games and 47 provides just the sort of protagonist I can root for. He's like James Bond without the nobility or penchant for passions of the flesh. Speaking of Bond, though, there's a song that plays during the end credits of Blood Money titled "Tomorrow Never Dies". How's that for irony? It's not a bad song and it does fit with the game somewhat. My only concern -- and a minor one, mind you, being that it is just a song used at the end of the game -- is that Eidos might turn 47 into a Bond-like character at some point. You know, the womanizing type. And apparently the film incarnation will indeed find something of an interest in the opposite sex. That's total crap, but what are ya gonna do? Still, one would think studio execs might leave well enough alone. I mean, the dude kills people for a living. How is that not going to get audiences into theaters? All right, enough of my rhetorical questions. Have a good weekend.

All right, so I just started watching the TGS broadcast a little while ago and decided to try my hand at the Trivia Challenge. I did okay, scoring about 300, but the last question's answer was incorrect. The question was something along the lines of "What is the name of the group of supervillains that Dr. Doom assembles in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance?" Well, it is not the Masters of Doom, GameSpot. For shame.

Today I was reading an issue of Star Wars: Legacy when something other than the stunning panels caught my eye. There's this ad for some new additions to the Star Wars 30th Anniversary action figure collection, including Luke Skywalker (with Rancor chokin' bone) and CZ-4 (technically CZ-3; that dude is seen walking the streets of Mos Eisley in A New Hope). What really caught my eye, though -- and what is indeed the focal point of the ad -- was Boba Fett.

The 30th Anniversary line really hasn't grabbed my attention all that much. In fact, I haven't picked up a single figure from that collection (can't keep up, too costly, not interested in the coins, etc). But I absolutely must have this Animated Debut Boba Fett figure. Boba's always been one of my favorite characters. Along with Vader, he's one character that I probably have the most memorabilia related to. This got me to thinking of the character's origins, waxing nostalgic and whatnot. So, I thought I'd post the cartoon that features his first appearance. It's certainly not the best piece of animation, but it's definitely one of the better parts of the Star Wars Holiday Special. Granted, that's not saying much but it'll do.

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Oh, and shiver me timbers, yo ho, yo ho, yar har.

"I try to decorate my imagination as much as I can."
--Franz Schubert

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