Kicking trash and taking names, the Jak and Daxter way

by Trevor A.

THE AWESOME: Each game has trophies, it’s Jak and Daxter, tight controls

THE BAD: You might die a lot in this game, double jump might try to kill you, graphics show their age in Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy

When my brother and I got a PlayStation 2 for Christmas a few years ago, two games came included with the system: Gran Turismo 3 and Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy. Jak and Daxter was followed by Jak II and Jak 3, with Jak II being my favorite out of the bunch. As a whole, this series was probably my favorite, so you can imagine that I was pretty excited when I found out that an HD collection would be coming for the PlayStation 3.

This game can be purchased in Blu-ray format or on the PlayStation Network. If you choose to buy it on the PlayStation Network you will have a choice of getting it in a bundle (for the same price as you would retail) or you can buy them individually, one at a time. You will end up paying five dollars more if you buy them separately. I decided to go with the Blu-ray version of the game.

The collection consists of Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, Jak II, and Jak 3. Being able to play these three games again has been a lot of fun. Each game runs without any issues. The graphics look good, but you will notice that Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy hasn’t aged as well as it’s successors. It still looks good, but not as good as the games that followed in the series.

The Jak and Daxter Collection is one of the best HD remastered collections I have played thus far. Except for performing double jumps, the controls work great. I’ve enjoyed a lot of other HD remastered games, but for some reason the controls would feel loose at times. You won’t find that in this collection. The double jump can be your enemy at times, but for the most part the controls feel great.

The original may look cute and all that, but it quickly changes once you start Jak II and stays that way in Jak 3. To this day, I still find the original Jak and Daxter game to be the most difficult out of the bunch. It might be because you aren’t armed with any weapons for a very long time, but it’s still enjoyable.

The controls don’t change much from The Precursor Legacy to Jak II, except for the fact that Jak is armed with weapons. It does take some getting used to, since the game automatically aims for you. That doesn’t make it any easier though. Expect to die a lot. Daxter does a comic routine whenever Jak dies, so that makes up for the numerous deaths you may encounter. Right? It never really bothered me how many times I would die in this game, since load times were non-existent after dying.

I have thoroughly enjoyed going through the Jak and Daxter series once more. Playing these games reminds me why I liked playing the PlayStation 2 so much. Now that there’s a Jak and Daxter collection for the PS3, I really hope we see a Ratchet & Clank Collection in the near future. Mass Media Inc. did a wonderful job of porting this PS2 classic to the PS3. It stays faithful to the PS2 version. The graphics will show some age here and there in Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, but gameplay more than makes up for that. Whether you’ve played this series before or not, I highly recommend getting a copy of this collection.

We bought the Jak and Daxter Collection for $39.99 at GameStop.

What a happy family... Wait, what's Bart up to?

by Trevor A.

THE AWESOME: It’s the Simpsons Arcade Game on PS3 and Xbox 360, no quarters required, local/online multiplayer

THE BAD: Outdated graphics, might get repetitive

Back when arcades could be found in the United States, there was a game (besides Marvel vs. Capcom 2) that I enjoyed playing with my brother. That game was the Simpson Arcade Game. It was one of the goofiest games I had ever played during my younger years. It was one of the reasons why I liked going to Chuck E. Cheese, and I can still remember playing this game in Mexico. Lots of good memories.

This game is pretty darn old. It has been a long time since I have gotten to play this game, but don’t tell Konami, Backbone Entertainment, Sony, or Microsoft that. Earlier this month, the Simpsons Arcade Game made a triumphant return for the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 as a digital download. For those with PlayStation Plus, this game can be downloaded free of charge. It’s $9.99 without PlayStation Plus. I don’t know how to convert dollars into Microsoft Points, but it’s the equivalent of $9.99 on Xbox Live.

Whichever console you predominately game on, this is a game worth buying. It’s a lot of fun, especially played with others. In fact, that’s the best way to play it. It’s still fun playing the game alone, but you’ll get the most out of it while playing with others. The Simpsons Arcade Game can be played on a single PS3/Xbox 360, or you can take it online and play it with others on the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live. There’s a section called “Cool Stuff” that is unlocked through playing the game, as well.

Since this is a four-player arcade game, players can choose to be Homer, Marge, Lisa, or Bart. Controlling a character is simply done by moving the left analog stick or the directional pad. The X button (A button for 360 users) is used to jump, while the Square button (X) is used to attack enemies. The mechanics for this game is very simple. As far as combat goes, Homer uses his fists to attack, Marge uses a vacuum, Lisa uses a jumping rope, and Bart takes out enemies with his skateboard.

The animations for each character are different, but it doesn’t affect gameplay at all. It’s just funny watching the Simpson family beating down guards, donut men, and many other ridiculous characters with whatever they have lying around them. Objects, such as rocks, can be picked up to throw at bad guys.

The objective in this game is to rescue Maggie from the clutches of Smithers. He and some henchmen were in the process of stealing a diamond when the Simpson family collides with Smithers, causing the diamond to go sky high and land in Maggie’s mouth. Smithers kidnaps Maggie and the Simpson family begin their quest to saving the youngest of the bunch.

Each character does speak, but you’ll usually hear one of them yell “Maggie,” so don’t expect too much. If you’ve seen the Simpsons, you will know that they aren’t shy about saying swear words. It’s not too bad in this game, but they are there.

The graphics are really outdated, so expect the characters and everything else in the game to look pixelated. This game is over two decades old, so it’s expected.

If you have PlayStation Plus, I suggest getting this game. If you don’t, it’s going to cost $9.99 to purchase this digital game. If you grew up playing this game, you will definitely have a lot of fun times with family and friends. If you aren’t a fan of arcade games though, this might not be the best game for you to get.

We downloaded the Simpsons Arcade Game from the PlayStation Network for the PS3.

And 1 for all!

by Trevor A.

THE AWESOME: Great multiplayer fun, play as Ratchet or Clank or Captain Qwark or Dr. Nefarious

THE BAD: Not your typical Ratchet & Clank game, game holds your hand from start to finish, might get hectic

The Ratchet & Clank series is one of my favorites on the PlayStation consoles. Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando was the first game in the series that I played, and because I liked it so much I had to check to play the original before I could finish it. Excluding Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters (which I might get in the near future), I’ve gotten to play every single Ratchet & Clank game.

Although I did enjoy the series more on the PlayStation 2, the Ratchet & Clank Future trilogy on the PS3 was no disappointment. Well, except for maybe Ratchet & Clank: Quest for Booty, but it was a PSN game, so it’s understandable. Ratchet Deadlocked on the other hand…

Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One strays away from the single player experience that nearly all the games in the series are known for. Ratchet Deadlocked explored the multiplayer spectrum of gaming, but in All 4 One up to four players can play. The characters found in All 4 One are Ratchet, Clank, Captain Qwark, and Dr. Nefarious. You can play as either character with family and friends.

All 4 One is set right after the events of A Crack in Time, but doesn’t necessarily count as part of the Future series. Ratchet and Clank are looking to retire from the whole saving the universe business, Captain Qwark is president, and Dr. Nefarious is up to no good. Things never go as planned, and the four find themselves having to work together to save the universe from destruction.

Before I knew anything about this game, I thought it was a neat concept to have up to four people play. I still stand by that thought. It doesn’t force you to play with others, but if you’re looking for the single player experience that you have come to know and love in previous Ratchet & Clank games, you aren’t going to find it here.

This game can be played on the same console or online via the PlayStation Network. Mind you, things will get hectic no matter the number of people playing. The graphics look fine though. The game does a nice job of showing you something different, so you won’t find yourself running through recycled levels. I did like that. You might find yourself in a vast city at first and then as you progress in the game you’ll find yourself in factories and even on shaky foundation. The game runs smoothly for the most part, even with all the characters blowing stuff up.

Ratchet has been slightly redesigned to give him more of a cartoon look. All the voice actors reprise their roles for the four characters in this game, so it’s great to hear familiar voices. The dialogue can get rather annoying though, especially during gameplay. A second won’t go by without a character telling you what you need to do.

Because you share the same screen with others, the camera is fixed. Instead of being able to control the camera with the right analog stick, the camera follows your characters and does the best it can to not obscure what’s on screen. I have ran into some problems, particularly when enemies are behind me. The game features an auto target, so you’re bound to kill enemies, but it would still be nice to know what I’m shooting at.

This game isn’t very hard. In fact, you can pretty much take out all the enemies with the first weapon you obtain in the game. They aren’t explosive as they are in the other games. For a series known for its weapons and upgrades, this was a huge disappointment for me. Weapons don’t level up as you use them. Rather, upgrades are purchased with bolts that are collected throughout levels. This game also holds your hand from start to finish as if you had never played a game before.

I do like how more damage can be inflicted on the bad guys as everyone targets the same enemy with the same weapon. A circle appears and expands to let you know that severe damage is going to be unloaded on your foes. Your weapons sound like they’re shooting faster and then before the enemy blows up, the game goes slow-mo on you. It’s really cool.

This game is very kid friendly, so there’s no fear of coming across anything inappropriate for children. It’s nice that it is geared more toward families with younger children, but I’m not really sure why it was toned down, since the other games weren’t at all that inappropriate. The game does have its moments of laughter, but it isn’t as funny as the other games because of the watered down humor.

I also didn’t like what they did to Mr. Zurkon either. Mr. Zurkon isn’t as cool as he was in Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time, since he doesn’t sound like the lovable, yet bloodthirsty robot from the last game.

This game is very linear, so there’s no room for much exploration. You can revisit levels as you complete them, so that’s rather cool if there’s a particular level you like most. I am not too fond about not being able to skip cutscenes. If you decide to stop at the beginning of a level, before you can even do that you’re going to have to watch a cutscene. When you choose to beat that level the next time you load the game, you’re going to have to watch it again. Nothing drastic, but still a nuisance.

Overall, I have found this game to my liking. It does stray away from the series with mechanics and humor, and it took me a while to get used to that. If you’re looking to play a typical Ratchet & Clank game, you aren’t going to find it in All 4 One, so you might want to skip this one. It isn’t bad by any means. It’s better when played with others, but it can be done alone. It does take time though. Just remember that it isn’t like the other games if you do plan to get it.

We bought Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One for $44.99 at GameStop.

Is that Edgar Allen Poe? How do I know? It says so in the bottom right-hand corner

by Trevor A.

THE AWESOME: Very portable, no glare while outside, light-weight, very user-friendly

THE BAD: Plastic screen can be easily scratched, doesn’t have a backlit screen

There’s a lot of books out there. There’s multiple ways to get a book: at a bookstore, at a library, or you borrow one from a friend. If you’ve been a faithful follower of CasaCena, you may know that we like the iPad. Although it wasn’t primarily used to read books, the iPad has become a good resource to use to read the latest book. Maybe you don’t want to spend $499 (the minimum for an iPad 2), or maybe you strictly want to read books. The Nook Simple Touch might be that e-reader just for you.

The Nook Simple Touch doesn’t take much room at all. It’s 6.5 inches in height, 5 inches in width, and not even half an inch in thick (0.47 inches). This makes it the smallest Nook out in the market. Because of its size, you don’t have to worry about finding a spot to set it down while at home. Its size also makes it quite portable, but the screen is made out of plastic, so be weary of scratches if you’re placing it into a backpack or something similar. It’s also not in color. The Nook Simple Touch uses an E Ink (electrophoretic ink) display to show you what’s on the screen. Although E Ink can be displayed in color, the Nook Simple Touch is in grayscale.

What’s great about the screen is that you don’t have to worry about tilting the device in order to see what’s there when you’re outside. You’re only going to get glare if you try to do it yourself. Why anyone would do that is beyond me, unless they’re writing a review. The thing I dislike about the screen is the inability to read in the dark. If you’re a night reader, you’re going to need a lamp in order to see in the dark.

On the front-frame of the Nook Simple Touch is a lowercase n. That lowercase n acts as the wake up button, much like the iPad. I like that it’s located right there on the front of the Nook rather than on the back or by the USB port. There’s also a switch on the back of the Nook to put it to sleep when you’re done using it. That’s about it for buttons. The USB port can be used for charging the Nook and hooking it up to a computer. There are no speakers on the Nook Simple Touch.

Unlocking the screen is simple. All that is needed to be done is pushing the wake up button and then following the instruction that shows up on the screen. The user-interface with the Nook Simple Touch is also very user-friendly. Located at the top of the screen are a Book icon, a Notification icon, Wi-Fi signal strength, battery life, and the time. The home screen shows you what you’re reading currently, what’s new on Barnes & Noble, and the top 100 on Barnes & Noble. By pressing the wake up button, five other icons appear: home, library, shop, search, and settings. At the bottom of the screen, if you tap it, other icons will appear as well.

The device comes equipped with 2GB of internal memory, but half of the memory is used up, so you’re left with 1GB. This is the confusing part of it though. Apparently 750MB of the 1GB is used for whatever is available on the Barnes & Noble’s e-book store. 250MB can be used for files like PDF, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, and EPUB. Pictures can be stored onto the Nook, but they can only be used for the screen when it’s in sleep mode. The Nook Simple Touch isn’t the device to use to show off pictures, unless you don’t mind it being in grayscale. If you feel that this isn’t enough memory, you can always buy a microSD card for more space (up to 32GB memory cards).

Because Barnes & Noble is the developer of the Nook, all the books you will find will be on Barnes & Noble’s e-book store. With 2.5 million e-books available, you’re bound to find something you will enjoy reading. Hopefully, anyway. This e-reader also has great battery life. Assuming you are reading only an hour a day, you won’t have to worry about charging it for about two months. Not bad.

If you are looking for an e-book reader that’s strictly an e-book reader, then the Nook Simple Touch might be the one for you. It’s light, it’s small (but not so small that it makes reading difficult), and the E Ink display is pretty cool. If you want more features, be prepared to pay $100 to $150 dollars more. As far as reading goes, this is a great device to have.

The Nook Simple Touch can now be purchased for $99 on Barnes & Noble’s website or wherever Nook’s are sold. We got ours at Staples.

Did you know that the subtitle to this game is a reference to a Queen song? No joke

by Trevor A.

THE AWESOME: Fun tactical gameplay, ability to manipulate story (to an extent), multiple endings

THE BAD: Guest AI characters might make stupid choices in battle

My original intention was to get this game in digital format via the PlayStation Network. After some thought, I came to the conclusion that Evan might enjoy this game more than I would, so I chose to buy the UMD version of Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together. He is really into Final Fantasy Tactics, so much that he got the PSP version of the same game and the GBA spinoff, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance.

Immediately after a couple of battles, I had slightly regretted getting this game in UMD format. I am planning on getting a PlayStation Vita, and since you can play most PSP games on the Vita, this would have been an awesome game to have. Oh, well, at least Evan will like this game.

I’m not really sure why I even bothered getting this game. I guess I’ve been itching to play a tactical RPG thanks to Valkyria Chronicles. Mind you, Tactics Ogre and Valkyria Chronicles aren’t exactly alike, but the tactical gameplay is more or less the same.

This game starts off with three youth looking to avenge their town which was attacked by the Dark Knights. Denam Pavel and Catiua Pavel are brother and sister, while Vyce Bozeck is their friend. Denam and Catiua’s father was also taken by the Dark Knights. Throughout their journey, Denam and crew come across characters that will join with their party. What’s great about this game is how you have some control in what happens in the story. Depending on the choices you make, the story will be affected, opening it up for multiple endings.

Not only does this game play well, it looks good on the PSP screen. It isn’t as colorful and vibrant as Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, but Tactics Ogre won’t disappoint either. Unlike Final Fantasy Tactics, there’s no way to turn the map clockwise/counterclockwise. That makes some battles a little hard, since you might accidentally choose the wrong grid you want your character to go to. You can reset your character’s movement though, as long as you haven’t attacked.

The thing I like most about this gameplay is how it manages to bring me back for more. Some battles did frustrate me, causing me to start over, but it never got to the point where I was hating the game. It only made me want to figure out what I can do differently to win the battles. Each battle has an objective, such as defeating the leader of the enemy group. Gameplay is done on isometric grids. Each turn, a character can move to another enemy, attack, end turn, and so forth. There are also guest characters that join the party, which can be helpful, but sometimes the AI likes to do some pretty dumb moves, like take out other enemies than the main one. That’s the thing I disliked most.

If you’re into tactical RPGs and you have a PSP (or are going to get a PlayStation Vita), this is a great game to have in your collection. The load times are practically non-existent, the gameplay makes you come back for more, and there’s a lot of replay value thanks since there’s multiple endings.

We bought Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together for $19.96 at Fry’s Electronics. It is also available on the PlayStation Network as a digital download.

Don

by Trevor A.

THE AWESOME: Fun gameplay, you’re a bounty hunter, number of ways to take out enemies

THE BAD: Some frame-rate issues, confusing story

Oddworld first started out on the original PlayStation. I never played it myself, but I have heard quite a bit of good about it. A couple of years ago, my brother and I got our dad Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath for the Xbox. I never played that game either. The only one I played to a small extent was Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee. Boy, that game was strange. I think it’s safe to say that each Oddworld game is, well, odd.

Just recently, an HD remastered version of Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath became available on the PlayStation Network at a very reasonable price. It took me a while to actually get to playing it, with other games at my disposal and school occupying my time. Needless to say, I’m really impressed with this updated port of Stranger’s Wrath. It may be a remastered game, but it is by far the best looking HD remake I have played.

Oddly enough, this game was not remade for the Xbox 360. I find it rather strange, considering it originally came out on the Xbox. I guess it makes up for the cancelled PS2 version.

The main character is a bounty hunter who goes by the name Stranger. The game is set in sort of a western aspect. Stranger actually makes me think of Clint Eastwood, except for the fact that he speaks so darn slow. Still, he’s just as awesome as Clint Eastwood, so at least he’s’ got that going for him.

Stranger goes about performing bounties to obtain moolah, or in other words money, so he can pay for a surgery he is in dire need of. It is going to cost him 20,000 moolah, so you can bet your bottom moolah he isn’t too happy about that. That’s pretty much it to the story. Stranger’s Wrath won’t blow you away with it’s story, but it’s gameplay might be what keeps you coming back for more.

Bounties can be found at the Bounty Store. There are two ways you can bring in outlaws: dead or alive. If you’re wanting to make more moolah, it’s best to bring in outlaws more alive than dead. There’s also a General Store where ammunition can be bought, as well as upgrades to the ammunition and various other things can be made.

This town ain

This game is played in both first-person and third-person. First-person is used for firing at enemies, while third-person is more for exploring and going through the platform parts of the game. It can get a little hectic trying to switch back and forth while in combat, but it is manageable. You can hide in tall grass from enemies to lay out sneak attacks. Bad guys can be captured by getting near to them when they’re knocked out or dead and then holding down the square button. If you aren’t careful, the enemy may disappear after being dead for a while or will become conscious after being knocked out for an amount of time. Enemies can also be blown up by shooting at exploding barrels. There are other means by which bad guys can be taken out, but I’ll let you find out for yourself.

Stranger’s weapon of choice is a crossbow. Early on, you discover that Stranger isn’t a fan of guns, so he’s left to using a crossbow to take down enemies. What’s unique about Stranger’s crossbow is the kind of ammunition he uses. You would think that he would be using arrows, but instead he uses insects, spiders, and mammals as “live-ammunition” to combat against the outlaws and their henchmen. You can use two different rounds at a time, so figuring out which ammo compliments another during certain parts of the game may be to your benefit.

As aforementioned, the graphics in this HD remake are the best I’ve seen in a remastered game. Something I liked was how the sun would glare in your eyes if you were facing it to some degree. The dust being blown around when you’re traveling from town to town looks pretty good as well. I have been experiencing some frame-rate problems, but it isn’t enough to stop you from playing the game. I’ve also seen shadows go through solid objects, so that’s a little weird . Other than that, it is a well-polished remake.

If you’re looking for something different from the norm, Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath is that game. The frame-rate issue isn’t enough to keep you from playing the game. This isn’t a game to play for the story, but as far as gameplay goes, it’s an enjoyable one.

There is quite a bit of profanity in this game. I was surprised about that. A lot of it is said by the town’s folk, so they can be avoided. A lot of swearing is done by the outlaws you encounter though, so you’ve been warned.

Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath is available for $14.99 on the PlayStation Network as a digital download.

Raise your sword in the air, and say yo!

by Trevor A.

THE AWESOME: First true Zelda game for the Wii. Utilizes Wii MotionPlus controls superbly.

THE BAD: There aren’t any. Can you believe that?

For me, it hasn’t been easy to play a Legend of Zelda game. I wasn’t too big of a fan of Wind Waker, and it wasn’t because of the art direction they took. I actually liked that. I did finish it, but it took me way too long to do it because I had little interest in playing the game. Twilight Princess wasn’t too bad, but I never got around to beating it because, much like Wind Waker, I lacked interest in playing it.

Now comes the first true Legend of Zelda game for the Nintendo Wii. Let’s face it, the Wii version of Twilight Princess was a port. I might have liked it more had I had the GameCube version, maybe. Who knows.

That’s all in the past though. Fast forward five years later and Nintendo gives us The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. After playing Wind Waker and Twilight Princess, I was very skeptical about Skyward Sword. I wasn’t entirely sure what I was getting into. I was pretty worried about the whole flying in the sky scenario, since I didn’t like sailing around the ocean in Wind Waker.

I’ll cut to the chase—I love the Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. It’s really hard for me to say it’s the best game in the series, since I’m a huge fan of the N64 Zelda games, but it’s very debatable if you ask me.

What makes this game so great is how fresh and different it is from the series. The protagonist, Link, still dons the traditional green tunic and cap, but there’s some noticeable differences, such as Link and Zelda being childhood friends. Skyward Sword also utilizes the MotionPlus controls, which makes the experience even better. Not only can you chuck bombs, you can roll them. There’s plenty to talk about, and I’ll do my best to do so without taking away from the experience others should have by playing this game.

As mentioned, Link and Zelda are good friends in Skyward Sword. The game begins on a floating piece of land known as Cloud City … I mean Skyloft. This is the latest game of the series, but happens to be the one that precedes all other games. Confusing? Maybe, but I personally had never really linked the other Zelda games before.

Newly knighted, Link must search for his friend, Zelda, in the land below the clouds. The game has you alternate between Skyloft and the land below the clouds, which sounds like it would be really annoying, but it’s not that bad at all. Traveling by air is pretty awesome in my opinion, although the flight controls can be your enemy more than your friend at times. It isn’t enough to make you stop playing the game, but it does take some time getting used to it. In Skyloft, there’s a bazaar where you can purchase new shields, potions, repair items, upgrade items, and even store your items when you don’t have any room in your traveling pack.

There’s three features that really stand out to me in this game. The first has to be the controls. Wii MotionPlus may not be the most accurate motion controller, but it is a big upgrade overall. You will have to calibrate Wii MotionPlus from time to time, but Zelda’s gameplay makes up for that in the end. What stuns me most is the AI of the enemies. Unlike Twilight Princess, spamming your swings won’t get you anywhere, and in fact may cause you to lose heart points. You will need to look for an opening to swing at opponents and inflict damage on them. This game is called Skyward Sword for a reason, as there will be parts in the game where you have to point the Wii Remote upwards to activate things.

Secondly, Link has a stamina meter, meaning Link can now sprint and run up walls. When there’s a steep hill Link has to run up, you simple hold down the A button to begin sprinting. If Link runs out of stamina though, he will have to take a breather before he’s back to full form. I really like the stamina meter, as it adds much more to the way you play Skyward Sword.

Lastly, the third thing I liked was how you could upgrade items and potions, and repair them. Repairing only cost you rubes, but in order to upgrade your items and potions, you must collect bugs and other things. You don’t have to upgrade your items, but it’s really cool to see how these upgrades affect the weapons and items you have in your inventory.

There’s so much too like about the Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Being a bit disappointed with Wind Waker and Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword makes up for those two console Zelda games. I don’t think Wind Waker and Twilight Princess are bad games. They’re considerably better than a lot of the others, but they didn’t provide me the same experience that Ocarina of Time did when I played it over a decade ago. Skyward Sword is an amazing addition to the series. It’s incredible how this series has been around for 25 years, yet has found ways to stay fresh and new. Skyward Sword proves it.

We bought the Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword for $49.99 at K-Mart. In order to play this game, you must have the Wii MotionPlus attachment or Wii Remote Plus. This game also comes bundled with a soundtrack filled with orchestrated music from the series.

What's going on here?

by Trevor A.

Our very own G. A. Albrethsen (dad to me) has gone out and published a book. The first in the Age of Restoration series, The Foolish and The Weak has been available for the Kindle since last Friday. On Tuesday, The Foolish and The Weak was approved by Apple to be sold on the iBookstore. There’s the possibility of it being available for Sony Reader users and Nook users. More on that later.

The Foolish and The Weak is told in third-person, but like The Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter, follows a main protagonist. In this story, we accompany a young woman named Paz Kirkegaard, your average 19-year old girl attending community college. The story begins with Paz and her family in Washington, DC. Her father, George Kirkegaard, had recently been elected as a congressman from the state of Texas.

Without giving too much away, Paz sneaks off to a club with a young man named Brad. As fate would have it, things begin to get a little out of hand and we find Paz running away from the scene. As Paz flees Brad and the club, unbeknownst to her, she is being followed by kidnappers. All throughout the book, Paz, her family, and their security guard, Colin, must do the best they can to be one step ahead of the kidnappers.

From start to finish, the story will keep you captivated. Seriously, I’m being as unbiased as I can be. I think I may have mentioned this in my previous posts about books, but I have a very hard time reading, let alone reading for consecutive days. The book explores the moral state in which we find the United States of America currently, as well as religious aspects, especially when it comes to Paz and her mother, Paloma.

Needless to say, there’s quite a bit of action in this book. If cars blowing up, cool gadgets, buildings being shaken by tremors, and many other action-oriented sets, are your thing, you’re bound to find that in this book. Although the book begins in Washington, DC, other places in the United States are visited, such as Florida, Texas, Oregon, and Washington.

The best dialogue that occurs in The Foolish and The Weak has to be between Paz and Paloma. Like any mother-daughter relationship, Paz has great trust in her mother. Midway through the book though, Paz begins to question just how well she knows her mother, and it’s just so cool seeing how she copes with the newfound information about her mother’s hidden past.

Paz also has a brother. He’s name is Thomas. Just like most teenage boys, he is into technology, sports, and girls. At first, he isn’t too excited about all the commotion that’s goes on, but as he becomes more involved with the plans they create, he finds more excitement in their effort in evading their followers. And I’m not referring to followers on Twitter either.

I love reading books on my iPad. Whether you have an iPad or a Kindle, this is definitely a great book to have in your booklist. I personally don’t know when a Nook version and a Sony Reader version of this book will become available, but you can check out the official website to find out more. There’s also a Twitter page and a Facebook page to follow.

The Foolish and The Weak is currently being sold via Apple’s iBookstore for the iPad, the iPhone, and the iPod Touch, and on Amazon.com in the eBook section. It is $2.99.

So the sky wasn't as clear as it was in Southern California...

by Trevor A.

It was time to leave the nice weather and head back to the rain and the col. We left Cypress, California early in the morning, making good time as our next stop was Redding, California. We stayed at another Hilton Garden Inn, but although it was given the same name, it was pretty different experience. Regardless, it still was nice. Staying in Redding rekindled our liking of the city as well.

After we unloaded our luggage into our rooms, we headed north into the busier part of Redding to get something to eat. We had some lunch around 1:30 PM, so we failed to eat all of the food we got at Olive Garden. It wasn’t quite as busy as the one in Arcadia, and it was one of the nicest Olive Gardens we have been in. It did smell like cheese though. I joked that they went a little too crazy with the cheese in the kitchen and that it was all over the floor and that the waiters were walking on it to spread the smell. I don’t know if my parents appreciated my joke as much as I did. That’s usually the case though, so no surprise there.

We also went to the mall. My mom made the rounds at the clothing stores, as my dad and I searched for a PS2 game at GameStop that I had been wanting to get for the last couple of months. Thought I’d take advantage of that.

Anyway, we went back to the hotel to rest for the night. I found the room to be a lot bigger than the one we stayed in while at Arcadia. I think it might have been wider. We also were on the first floor, so that was nice, as fun as it is riding the elevator. It also had a television right in front of the bed. It also had ESPN2, which the other hotels didn’t have. Sadly, I missed First Take anyway.

We were only there for one night, so we weren’t able to explore Redding some more. We really like the city, and hopefully we can visit more of it some other time. The hotel is right off the I-5 freeway, so it’s pretty easy to locate.

In the room you may find a King or two Queen size beds. They also offer free Wi-Fi. If you’re not into Wi-Fi, there’s an Ethernet port conveniently placed near the desk. There’s also a mini-refrigerator, a microwave, and a bathroom.

Like the other hotels, there is a pool. There was also a place to exercise. Ha, like I was going to anyway.

There’s plenty to do in the city of Redding. There’s lots of places to eat as well. There’s also a Costco. There wasn’t as much to do as there was in Southern California, but it is a nice city to be in that isn’t crowded or loud.

Holy smokes, a stove!

by Trevor A.

My dad needed somewhere to work while we were on vacation, so after we spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and part of Christmas Post Day with my mom’s brother and sister and their families, we traveled to Cypress, California. My dad also had a business related matter to attend to, thus the reason we stayed in Cypress. For those of you who don’t know where Cypress is, it is right next to Anaheim.

Also, in case you’re reading this in the year 2012 after mid-January, the Hyatt Summerfield Suites is now called the Hyatt House. I don’t know why they changed the name, but at least it doesn’t take two days to say it now.

Unlike the last hotel we stayed in, the Hyatt Summerfield Suites (Hyatt House) actually offered a breakfast. On Tuesday morning, my mom and I went downstairs to get some grub, and also bring some up to my dad since he had to start working in the wee hours of the morning. One thing we learned right away is to get their early, like between 7:00 PM and 7:30 PM. Otherwise you might have to get a search warrant to find a table to sit at. There are places to sit at outside, but they were also quite full.

It’s no surprise that it was such a busy hotel. It happens to be fairly close to Disneyland, so there were children and teenagers all over the place. Don’t be alarmed if you hear children running all over the place, as it happened quite a bit while we stayed at there.

Don't have a stove? Just nuke it in the microwave

This time around, my parents and I got different rooms. My parents got a full room, while I got a mini room. In reality, there wasn’t much of a difference. I still had the same size bed, a kitchen sink, a nice sized bathroom. The only noticeable difference was the stove/oven, the full refrigerator and the island counter to sit at and eat. Actually, because my room lacked those accommodations, my room happened to be a lot more spacious than my parent’s.

There were also two other rooms, a living room and a bedroom. In the living room, there was a couch and a chair, a Sony Bravia HD television, and a table to place your feet on. I even sat on the table at times. It wasn’t the most comfortable seat, but it wasn’t too bad. The bedroom had another television, a Samsung HD television, which was considerably smaller than the one in the living room. The bathroom and bathroom sink were separated from one another, which does make sense when you have more than one person in the room. Still, I don’t like it.

It was a very nice hotel indeed. There’s a place to workout in the hotel, but I never made it there even though I had planned to do so each time we were there. I was pretty lazy during our vacation, wasn’t I?

Are you planning to go to Southern California and take your kids to Disneyland? Check out this website to learn more about what this hotel has to offer.