Music Review (Neighborhoods by blink-182)

After nearly 8 years since their last studio album, including a 4 year hiatus, blink-182 is back and they sound considerably different than they used to. I expect many people to like this change, while quite a few will be put off. The album is much 'darker' than any other blink-182 album, and shows the members have matured lyrically. This doesn't take away from the quality of the songs at all, because many of the songs still have the classic, simplistic, catchy 'blink riffs.' Anyway - I'm going to review each song individually.

1.) Ghost on the Dance Floor: 4.5/5 A nice way to start the album - starts with a really nice riff, and a bit of synth (which you'll find many of these songs have) In comes Tom's voice, and it has a veryvery heavy Angels & Airwaves feel, so if you aren't a fan of AvA, I'm not sure you'll be crazy about this song. Fairly simple, but it sounds great.

2.) Natives: 4.5/5 Even though the riff is recycled almost entirely from Angel's and Airwaves' "Young London," it doesn't bother me. Unsurprisingly, Travis's drumming is ace. What really makes this song though is the chorus, which is primarily Mark, while the verses are sung by Tom.

3.) Up All Night: 4.5/5 The long awaited first single. At first, I wasn't a big fan, but it quickly grew up on me as I learned the lyrics, and it got stuck in my head. The chorus is sung by Tom, while the verses alternate between him and Mark. Not a bad first single at all.

4.) After Midnight: 5/5 Fairly simple drumming much of the song with quick triple-hits on the hi-hat starting at the intro through the song just draw you right in immediately. In comes Tom, and you start the 3:26 long After Midnight. I can tell you now this is probably my favorite from Neighborhoods - love it. Oh, and in case you're wondering, both Tom and Mark sing in this one.

5.) Snaker Charmer: 4.25/5 Just a catchy song. Took a few listens to really appreciate... it's quite far from the best on Neighborhoods, but at the same time it's far from the worst.

6.) Hearts All Gone: 4/5 One of the first songs released from the band for Neighborhoods. This one's sung by Mark, and to me, it has a real Millencolin/Offspring feel to it. I don't care for it TOO much, but at the same time it gets stuck in my head more often than any other song on the album. This song also features Travis's quickest drumming.

7.) Wishing Well: 4.5/5 Another Tom song. The "la-da-da"s make this song insanely catchy, as if it wasn't already. You'll probably find the chorus stuck in your head after a few listens. Not mind-blowing musically, but it's a good one regardless.

8.) Kaleidoscope: 4.5/5 It sounds like I've heard this song before... I'm just not sure where. It takes awhile for the song to really get started, but once it does, it's a dandy - nice drumming as usual from Travis, and both Mark and Tom's parts are great. Despite the feel that it's been done before, it's freakishly good.

9.) This Is Home: 4/5 I dig the stutters - but that's about it.. nothing remarkable about this song. Still veryvery listenable, but with the other really good songs earlier on Neighborhoods, it's just sort of THERE.

10.) M.H. 4.18.2011: 4.5/5 Mark's best song on Neighborhoods. He didn't have too many, he never does, but this is very nice. A gem at the bottom of the Neighborhoods set list. This song also has what is probably the best line on the album - "Stop living in the shadow of a helicopter." I have a feeling this song will be quite under-appreciated.. for SHAME.

11.) Love is Dangerous: 3.5/5 Initially I really disliked this song, but after about 5 listens, I've really started to like it. Even though the song title and that line is all sorts of cheesy-lame, it's really a good song after a few listens.

12.) Fighting the Gravity: 3.75/5 Thismakesnosensethismakesnosensethismakesnosensethismakesno - kind of sucks you in a bit with that. Sounds dark, and pulls you in. Fighting the Gravity is the slowest song on this album I'd say, and for that reason, and just the way it sounds and ends, I feel like it should be the last song of Neighborhoods, yet it isn't, unfortunately. I think this song could grow on me.

13.) Even if She Falls: 4/5 Solid. Not a stand-out track by any means, and fits well near the back-end of this album, but it shouldn't be the last song. It should definitely be Fighting the Gravity! This was one of the most underwhelming songs to me initially, but it's quickly moved its way up.

First listen through of this CD, I would have given it about a C+ or B-. Upon more listens, I'd give it a B+, or potentially an A-. I'm pleasantly surprised at Neighborhoods. I was almost scared that after the band's hiatus, they'd come back a bit dull, rusty, or just out-of-sync. Something like that. I was wrong, for the most part. From just about beginning to end, this is a fresh, new, and welcome blink-182 sound, and I'm looking forward to what this brings from the band.

4.5/5

What is the best Call of Duty on the Xbox 360/PS3?

Six, and soon to be seven, Call of Duties are available on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. Which CoD is best? Which is the worst? From CoD2 to Black Ops, here we go. NOTE: These rankings are based solely on online play.

6.) Call of Duty 3: Forgettable at best. It's worth mentioning that CoD3, along with WaW, is one of two CoDs that feature vehicles in online multi-player. That alone isn't my sole reason for giving Duty 3 the 7 spot, it's also because the maps online were almost entirely BLAH. Just not much of Call of Duty 3's online-play is memorable.

5.) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2: After Call of Duty 4, I expected big things out of Modern Warfare 2, and I was absolutely, completely, and utterly, disappointed. I'm not sure what it was - maybe the addition of some stupid things like the heartbeat sensor. The not-so-great online maps. Whatever it was, MW2 was nothing but a letdown for me. Just to give you an idea of how huge of a bust it was in my opinion, I got to rank 67 of 70, no prestige, and sold the game towards Black Ops.

4.) Call of Duty: World at War: I'll admit - I didn't exactly play WaW a lot online. And it's also the only CoD I've played where I didn't finish the story. Although I didn't play a lot of the online play, I did enjoy the maps. I didn't care much at all for the tanks online, but WaW was a solid game. It also helps that my K/D in World at War was one of my highest in any Call of Duty.

3.) Call of Duty 2: This game was absolute GOLD when I first got it. It was my first 360 title, and I loved it. So much in fact, that I didn't mind that there weren't online statistics, and for me to say that, shows how much I enjoyed it, because I'm a big stat whore. Small maps for the most part, more tactical gameplay, no perks - the last 'naked' Call of Duty. While the game feels dated by today's standards, at the time of its release, Call of Duty 2 was completely brilliant.

2.) Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare: As great Infinity Ward did with Call of Duty 2, they made the game WAY better with CoD4. How? I have no idea. The maps were fantastic, the game was balanced, - for the most part. Juggernaut, Stopping Power. Meh. - and it was just utterly addicting. The only downfall the game really ever had, was that it only got one map pack. Other than that, one of my all-time favorite FPS's.

1.) Call of Duty: Black Ops: I'm not sure how many people would agree with me on this one. Probably not many. But I feel Black Ops is perfect. The best CoD since the original Modern Warfare. Little things like an emblem editer, combat training, and theater mode. The number of solid DLC packs. Black Ops is really, without question, my favorite Call of Duty. I'm not giving many reasons here, but I just feel like Black Ops is CoD perfection. And to think I almost didn't even get this game. Ha! I really don't see Infinity Ward's Modern Warfare 3 outdoing this game, but we'll just have to see. Nice job, Treyarch.

Food Review (Cravin' Chicken Sandwich from Arby's)

A little while ago, I reviewed the chipotle chicken sandwich - now the Cravin' gets its turn. Arbys.com sez:

"Crispy, all white-meat Prime-Cut™ chicken breast fillet topped with crisp lettuce, juicy tomato and a jolt of zingy, zazzy, zaucy, zesty Cravin’ sauce. It’s one sandwich that’s anything but boring!"

Right away I'll just say, I prefer the chipotle chicken sandwich. The Cravin' Chicken Sandwich is your typical chicken sandwich filet with a couple ordinary toppings - lettuce and tomato - with a special sauce that Arby's calls "Zesty cravin' sauce." The Cravin' Sauce is good, but it's not that great. To be honest, it almost tastes like a salad dressing. The 'zing' and tang that it has is what you'd expect from an Italian dressing. That's not to say it's bad, because it's not, it's just sort of odd.

If you go to Arby's and want a chicken sandwich, either get the cordon bleu one, or the chipotle - neither of those will let you down. This sandwich is decent, and that's all.

3.5/5

Food Review (Bacon Ranch and Original Chicken Flatbread from Taco Bell)

The chicken flatbread has made its return to Taco Bell, alongside a newer one: the bacon ranch chicken flatbread. First time around, I never reviewed the original one, so I'm going to do it now.

Taco Bell sez:

"A warm, soft flatbread layered with 100% marinated all-white-meat chicken, a blend of three melted cheeses — mozzarella, cheddar and pepper jack — and topped with Bacon Ranch sauce." (For the bacon ranch)

The original is the same, but with a different sauce. It should also be noted if you didn't know by now, that these are 99 cents a piece - which is a DECENT value. Considering you can get other things at Taco Bell that'd fill you up better for the same price, there are other options.

The thing about these two sandwiches that's odd to me, is that they both taste very similar. I'd say the bacon ranch tastes a little bit better, but it's really very subtle. And it's not because of lack of sauce, I had plenty on both.

My two flatbreads were also much different in amount of chicken on them. My bacon ranch one was probably 85% bread, while my original flatbread had much more chicken. Was sort of bummed, but not surprised - it's not like they officially have a chicken-to-bread ratio. Though they should.

Overall, two good 99 cent options. I've noticed a lot of people comment on these, and it seems you either love them, or you hate them. For me, that also means you love both flatbreads, or you hate both flatbreads, because as I said a couple paragraphs ago, they taste pretty similar. Think of it as Sprite and Sierra Mist. If you weren't really paying attention or trying to guess which was which, chances are pretty decent that you wouldn't have a definitive answer.

3.75/5 for bacon ranch
3.5/5 for original

+: The value of the sandwiches is determined by who makes it for you, nice to have something on the menu that isn't a burrito or a taco.
-: The value of the sandwiches is determined by who makes it for you. Enough said.

Franchise Battle: Call of Duty vs. Battlefield

It wasn't much of a battle before this year, but with Modern Warfare 3 and Battlefield 3 being released less than a month apart from each other this Fall, it's really started to heat up. But which franchise is better?

If you ask me, it's a short argument. As with most disputes between two things, it's a matter of personal preference. For that reason, it's hard to really say which is better - especially since the two games really do differ quite a bit.

Similarities first, they're obviously both modern war-time FPSs - that's essentially where the similarities end. If you've played both of these games, they play completely differently. Battlefield makes teamwork a necessity, while in Call of Duty, you can hop in a match of Team Deathmatch by yourself, play without a headset, and do quite well. If you aren't in a good, communicative squad on Battlefield, you can bet your ass is going to be had more often than not.

It's not to say Call of Duty doesn't require tactical skill, because it does, but in comparison to Battlefield, it's not even close. Call of Duty's maps are minuscule when sided against Battlefield's, and in most game modes, allow for 12 players tops, while in Battlefield 3, you can have 12 per team. While Call of Duty has more gametypes that require objectives to be completed online, it's more of a challenge, and feels much more rewarding in Battlefield for the most part, for that reason.

It may be stupid of me to say, considering I prefer Call of Duty to Battlefield, but it's just the truth. Battlefield is a much more cerebral game overall than Call of Duty. As you've probably read elsewhere, Call of Duty caters more to the casual player, while hardcore players will tend to maybe prefer Battlefield. It's not to say there's only one way to go - there are plenty of people that play and enjoy both games.

In short, again, it's about personal preference. These two franchises are really quite different, and there just aren't that many similarities between the two. Tend to play alone? Go for Call of Duty. Like communicating and teamwork? Battlefield. Either way you go, you'll more than likely have a good time.

Food Review (Smokin' Chipotle Chicken Sandwich from Arby's)

Getting this, I'd've actually been shocked if I didn't like it. I've never gotten chicken from Arby's and been displeased. I randomly went to Arby's yesterday and saw this, so I decided to give it a try.

Arby's sez: Kick up your mood a notch with Arby’s® Smokin’ Chipotle Chicken Sandwich. A new crispy all white-meat Prime-Cut™ chicken fillet topped with Chipotle BBQ sauce, pepper bacon, cheddar cheese and diced jalapenos on a toasted bun with lettuce and tomato. It’s spicy good!

Sound good? Good. Because it is good. If you've ever had Arby's chicken, you really don't need me or anyone else to tell you it's some damn fine fast food eating. I find myself almost routinely, when I got Arby's, getting the chicken cordon bleu sandwich. Anyway, this sandwich was really good and surprisingly spicy. Not because of the chipotle sauce, but because of the jalapenos, which came as a pleasant surprise to me, as I didn't know they were in the sandwich. My sandwich was almost picture perfect, with one exception - the cheese wasn't melted. Still, that didn't take anything away from its appeal.

If I were to have one criticism - I guess it'll end up being two, although the second one doesn't apply to me - it would be that the bacon is almost unnecessary. I know everyone believes, "bacon makes everything better," but the truth is it doesn't add much to this sandwich outside of sodium. You can taste it a little bit, but it's almost a waste. The sandwich has enough flavor without it. The second criticism, although I actually enjoyed it, is that the jalapenos may burn people's mouth to the point they can't finish the sandwich. But hey, you saw the picture on the menu, what'd you expect? I have a pretty high tolerance for heat, and my nose was started to run a bit, and my mouth had a nice burn. This is the spiciest thing I've ever had from Arby's, and may be the hottest thing I've had at any fast food restaurant period. Thumbs up!

4.25/5

+: Delicioso.
-: Bacon's not really needed; some may be over-whelemed by the heat, although I find it to be perfectly spicy.

Game Review (Pinball FX 2 Review - 360)

After going to Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum in Farmington Hills, Michigan, I pretty suddenly got a quick erection for pinball. Instead of trying to save up about $5,000 for one pinball machine, I found this game on the Xbox LIVE Arcade. Pinball FX 2 is a game that has no tables with it. To get them, you need to purchase them. In the description it says it comes with one free table, but I never got it for some reason. Anyways, there are a good bunch of different tables to download, including Marvel Comic tables.

Graphics: 4.25/5 Pinball FX 2 looks actually very good. The ball is nice and shiny, and the tables, for the most part - it varies, look great with a lot of flashy lights. Another big plus here is that there is absolutely no drop in frame rate during online play. Huzzah.

Sound: 3/5 Meh. The main reason why I give this a 3 is because of the pretty horrendous voice acting coming from the tables. There's nothing wrong with the sound of the ball hitting the bumpers or anything, but the voice acting is pretty atrocious. Luckily, that alone is the one bad thing about this game.

Fun: 4/5 It is what it is. If you want to play a pinball game, XBLA has you covered. It's an entertaining game, with good graphics, and a pretty decent variety of tables. As fun as this game is, it only is in bursts. It's pretty hard to want to play this game for very long, as it just isn't addicting. Then again, that's likely a matter of opinion. Still, Pinball FX 2 is a game worth playing if you have any remote interest in pinball.

+: Pinball, nice graphics and table variety, a helluva lot cheaper than buying a real pinball machine.
-: You can't buy individual tables from packs, gets a bit old after a little while, terrible voice acting.

4/5

Food Review (BBQ Pulled Pork Sub from Subway)

The commercial showing the black dude eating one of these subs at a fire station. Before long, it's gone. In my head I was just saying, "Yeah. He probably threw it out. Subway? BBQ? Hahaha."

I highly doubt he did - this sub should be a mainstay on the Subway menu. The pork is surprisingly good and flavorful. While the BBQ sauce isn't anything eyepopping, it tastes alright - it should be known it's quite sweet. One thing that surprised me a bit is that it's cold. I guess that's my fault for not getting it toasted. Instead, I popped it in the microwave. It just didn't seem right to eat this with the meat being cold. Anyway - that's about it. I may have found a new favorite from the Subway menu.

4.25/5

+: Pretty freaking tasty.
-: Just seems weird to eat cold, this and every other sub should always be $5 for a footlong, BBQ sauce is average.

Rock Band DLC Review Part XVII (March 2009)

February had a few crappy tracks, but had plenty of stuff worthy of a download. On to March:

"New" No Doubt
"Texas Flood" album by Stevie Ray Vaughn and the Double Trouble
"All I Want" and "The Kids Aren't Alright" Offspring
"Losing My Religion" REM
"The Way that it Shows" Richard Thompson
Get The Funk Out 01 [3 pack, including "Sex Machine" and "Pick Up the Pieces")
"Thrash Unreal" Against Me!
"All the Things that Go to Make Heaven and Earth" and "Use It" The New Pornographers
"Last Resort" and "Lifeline" Papa Roach
"Ten" album by Pearl Jam
"Don't Stop Believing" Journey
"Heartbreaker" Pat Benetar
"Geraldine" Glasvegas
"C'mon, C'mon" The Von Bondies
SpongeBob Squarepants 01 [3 pack, including "The Best Day Ever"]

This was a huge month in quality and quantity, including two albums from entirely different genres - "Texas Flood" and "Ten." There are a bunch of must downloads from this month, and very few tracks I wouldn't recommend - The New Pornographers, "Geraldine," and the SpongeBob pack I'd say pass on. Also? "Last Resort." As I'm sure you all probably or should know, it's not the 'real' version we're all familiar with. Instead, it's a demo version, and sounds pretty shitty. As I said - an incredible month.

Ftw of the month: The Offspring, "Thrash Unreal", "Lifeline", Ten, "Don't Stop Believing"
Gtfo of the month: "Geraldine", SpongeBob SquarePants 01
Avg of the month: 4.5/5

Rock Band DLC Review Part XVI (February 2009)

Last month proved to be extremely average... but February is a new month.

Thin Lizzy 01 [3 pack, including "The Boys Are Back in Town (Live)"]
"Precious" The Pretenders
"Hit Me With Your Best Shot" Pat Benetar
"Break My Heart" and "Don't Tell Me" Nikko
The Fratellis 01 [3 pack, including "Flathead"]
"More Human than Human" and "Black Sunshine" White Zombie
"Wasted Again" Turbo Negro
Alt-Country 01 [5 pack, including "3 Dimes Down" and "Can't Let Go"]
Jimmy Eat World 01 [3 pack, including "Sweetness"]

Thin Lizzy? Yes please. "HMWYBS?" I'll take it. Fratelli's and Jimmy Eat World? Consider it downloaded. A lot of blah stuff can't get in the way of that. "Precious"? Bleh. The Alt-Country pack? No thank you. For the amount of good stuff this month though, it's a winner.

Ftw of the month: Thin Lizzy, Fratellis, Jimmy Eat World.
Gtfo of the month: Alt-Country 01
Avg of the month: 4/5

Rock Band DLC Review Part XV (January 2009)

It's a new year! I know, it took me forever to get from December '08 to January '09, but here it is. Let's see if Harmonix celebrated 2009 in a big way.

Roy Orbison 01 ["Pretty Woman", "You Got It", 4 others.]
Lenny Kravitz 01 [4 pack, including "Are You Gonna Go My Way"]
"Megasus" Megasus
"Entangled" Honest Bob and the Factory-to-Dealer Incentives
Steve Miller Band 01 [3 pack, including "The Joker"]
"I Stand Alone" Godsmack
"Feed the Tree" Belly
"Wind Me Up" Ghost Hounds
"Typical" Mute Math
"War Zone" Rob Zombie
Grateful Dead 02 [6 pack, including "Fire on the Mountain" and "Uncle John's Band"]

A big fat ass 'MEH' from me. Two of Orbison's most popular songs being released was nice - and "Are you Gonna Go My Way" was as well. "Megasus" was a pretty pleasant surprised, especially being that it was only a dollar. The Steve Miller Band pack could have been better, but I still enjoyed it. "Typical" is a song many may overlook seeing as how they likely haven't heard it, but I'd highly recommend it. For the final week, Grateful Dead 02. I'm not a huge fan of the band, but the first pack was actually pretty fun. This pack? Not so much - I didn't particularly like how the songs sounded, and just wasn't thrilled.

Ftw of the month: "Megasus", "Are You Gonna Go My Way", "Typical"
Gtfo of the month: The rest of Lenny Kravitz 01, "Feed the Tree", Grateful Dead 02
Avg of the month: 3.5/5

Arcade Review (Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum)

Arcade review - how often will I review an arcade? That's right, this time. And this time only.

Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum (Also known as Marvin's, Marvin's 3M, or simply 3M) is an arcade/museum that's located in Farmington Hills, Michigan. Chances are, you already knew that and were just probably looking for a review of some sort. Were you? Yeah you were - you've come to the right place.

Maybe... I suck at writing reviews. But I'll give it my best shot!

I went to Marvin's about a month ago, and I can tell you before saying anything else, I plan on going back quite soon. Unfortunately for me, I live over an hour's drive away, so it's not exactly practical for me to stop by very often, but this place is fantastic. Basically as soon as you walk in, it's like stepping into a carnival, that at the same time is an arcade with probably hundreds of different games to play. While there are a lot of games and such in the museum, there is still - surprisingly - plenty of room to get around. Near the front door, there's a wall of pinball machines from different decades, including several different themes from movies (Iron Man) to TV shows (The Simpsons), as well as a couple DDR machines - yes, two.

As you walk a bit more into the arcade - er, museum - you'll find more and more games to play, from old-school to current, from Galaga to shooters and racers. And not just games, there are also several pretty interesting things besides just them, my favorite being a large made-just-for-Marvin's jukebox, which contains several instruments, and a library of hundreds of songs to choose from. It's super unique, and anybody will easily find a handful of songs they'd recognize. Where this machine is located, there are also a few tables and an area where you can get food, candy, or drinks. Since this place has a carnival theme, that's just the kind of food you'll find here. There's popcorn, cotton candy, hot dogs, ice cream, and things like that.

On the far side of the museum you'll find what I'd say is the kiddy area, where the ticket arcade games are found. And being as there are tickets, there is also a ticket counter where you can, you know... redeem tickets for stuff. To me, the coolest thing that's back there is this little hockey foos-ball table. I had played with one YEARS ago somewhere else, and was pleased to be able to play it again.

All-in-all, 3M is just a must-visit if you're into entertainment whatsoever. And I'm going to guess, since you're HUMAN, you'd NOT regret going here. To top if all off, this place doesn't get very busy - perhaps because it's somewhat tucked away in the shopping center where it's located. Whatever the reason is, it's great. You don't have to wait in line to play anything, and there's always something to do. Marvin's has a great atmosphere, and for just about $10, you can entertain yourself AND your kids - if you have them - for a couple hours, which is pretty much obscenely cheap this day and age. So think to yourself, would you rather sit and see a movie, or visit a year round fun house? The choice is yours, but I know what I pick.

5/5

Game Review (Need for Speed Hot Pursuit - 360)

Graphics: 5/5 Without a doubt the best graphics I've seen in a racing game, and one of the best games I've seen period. Not only are the cars ridiculously realistic, but the attention to detail from crashes, the weather effects, and the landscapes, are all really nice - not to mention the frame rate's pretty perfect as well. The one slight downfall, although it's understandable, is that the load times take a tiny bit of time... but that's a minor annoyance, and with the way this game looks, it's worth the wait.

Sound: 4.5/5 The cars, the police radio chatter, and all of the sounds you hear when racing are all well above average, but I don't find the soundtrack to be too great. There are a few pretty decent songs, and there is also a lot of variety - from rap to rock - but I haven't found anything mind blowing.

Control: 4.5/5 If you've played Burnout, this is essentially that. All you really need to know is how to steer, gas, brake/drift, and use boost. That is it... extremely simple first glance, but the drifting will take awhile to master. Speaking of the drifting, I've found that seemingly every car controls identically or similarly... it's like every car is just slapped with a new face with a different top speed. Other than that, quite alike.

Fun: 4.75/5 If you're a fan of the Burnout series, as well the previous Hot Pursuit games, there's no reason to not at least try this game out. While this game is almost perfect - there are a couple minor flaws. Firstly, there is no in-car view in this game. While this isn't particularly surprising, it's disappointing nonetheless. Secondly, you're required to pay $10 to play this game if you don't have a 'pass' that comes with a new copy of the game. And lastly, there is NO SPLITSCREEN multiplayer. While this may not be a huge problem for most, it is to me, seeing as how the only time I do play splitscreen in a game, is with a racing game. Anyways, you can play as the racers or the chasers in Hot Pursuit, and there are different ways to get in the lead, including spike strips, and the use of helicopters. If you can only have one racing game on the 360, make it Need for Speed Hot Pursuit - not only does Hot Pursuit look great on the surface, it also has the goods under the hood.

4.75/5
[Changed to a 4.25/5 upon easy-to-get-to 100% completion.]

EDIT 11/1/12: After playing Most Wanted (2012) and looking back to this game for comparison, I've really found that the two aren't completely different. While I'd say both games are fun to play in some of their own ways, both are very shallow as far as replay value goes. I beat Hot Pursuit to 100% completion in just 8 days, and if I wanted to, I could have easily beaten Most Wanted (2012)'s single player in about 2 days. I say Hot Pursuit is the better game, but not worthy of what equates to a 9.5 by any means. If you can get it cheap, that's a fair rating. But for the lack of longevity, remembering how little this game did for me after I beat it, I'd give it more of a 4.25/5.

+: Fantastic graphics; good variety in tracks, as well as solid variety in events; entertaining online play.
-: If you don't buy the game new, you have to pay $10 to play online; many of the cars seem to control similarly; No in-car view; No splitscreen; As fun as the online play is, when it lags, it lags terribly.

Food Review (Bacon Cheddar Ranch Tendercrisp from Burger King)

Well, any time I see something new at a fast food restaurant, I tend to try it at least once. How's the BCRT from BK?

First things first, it should be know that this big boy has 900 calories, 2100mg of sodium, and a gram of trans fat. Seeing as how it's fast food that shouldn't be too shocking, but fast food should at least taste GOOD for that kind of intestinal beating, and this sandwich simply doesn't cut it.

The BCRT is almost, dare I say, disgusting. The ranch smells and tastes like it's old and been sitting out for a long while... it's actually, very, foul. I actually wonder if they taste-tested this thing before putting it on the menu.

I got some of the ranch on my finger, and I can still smell it. I'm not the biggest ranch fan, but I don't know WHO would find this tasty. Hell, maybe I DID get some old-and-been-sitting-out ranch - I hope, because I find it hard to believe Burger King would sell this.

2/5

+: It's edible!
-: But barely. Not good, and way too salty.

Game Review (Call of Duty Black Ops Annihilation Map Pack)

After quite a break between "First Strike" and "Escalation," the one between "Escalation" and "Annihilation" was much shorter. In what felt like no-time, a third Black Ops map pack was released. How does it compare to the first two?

Drive-In: 4/5 This map has a feel, to me, quite similar to that of "Trailer Park" from Modern Warfare 2, and somewhat like "Firing Range" from Black Ops as well. Treyarch says they added this map due to the popularity of "Nuketown," but I don't really see any resemblance. "Nuketown" is a super-tiny map, and "Drive-In" seems to be at least twice that map's size. Anyway, "Drive-In" is the smallest map from the pack, and it's really a good bit of fun. As the name states, it takes place at a drive-in movie theater, with a whole bunch of different areas to go into including food stands, and an arcade. Above average map, but nothing that'll make you jizz yourself.

Hangar 18: 4.5/5 I can just tell you right now, this is the best map of the pack. It's not so much that Hangar 18 is super unique, but it's laid out very nicely, and there are just some nice areas in and around the map. Another nice thing about "Hangar 18" is that it'll cater to pretty much anyone's play-style - there are a few areas to snipe, there are some medium range areas for those who use assault rifles like myself, and there's also the hangar itself, which is close-quarters for those who use SMGs and shotguns. "Hangar 18" is, to me, is a good example that mapmakers don't need to try too hard to create a winner.

Hazard: 4/5 Treyarch states that this map was inspired by "Cliffside" from World at War, although the maps are really unlike each other, aside from the fact that they have a cliff. "Hazard" takes place on a golf course in Cuba. This is most definitely a map for snipers - it's a large, mostly open map, with several areas that are just screaming for snipers to sit near them. "Hazard" is a pretty solid map, but its absolute biggest downfall is the fact that the majority of the center of the map is pointless if you want to actually survive. To get around the map effectively, you'll have to run almost in a giant circle, unless you want to risk getting killed running through the golf course.

Shangri La: 4/5 I'm not a huge Zombies buff, as I've stated before, and I tend to only really play Zombies on each map a couple times until I get the achievements, but Shangri La is actually a pretty cool map. The spike traps, quick sand, and things like that are quite the nuisance, but Shangri La's a fairly good Zombies map - I don't think fans of the gametype will be all-too disappointed with this.

Silo: 3.5/5 In the video preview, "Silo" looked and was said to be the biggest map in the game. Uh, no. While it's a pretty large map, "Silo" is probably about the size of the on-disc maps "Array" or "Crisis." Immediately in the screenshot showing the map before the game started, I thought this looked like Black Ops's version of Modern Warfare 2's "Quarry" ... a fairly large map with different levels to walk up, as well as its share of buildings. "Silo" isn't a MISERABLE map, but it's definitely the weakest of the four. It's also not helped by it's pretty bland, grey appearance, and the fact that you'll find yourself almost exclusively in and around area D3 on the mini-map. Essentially, that's where you'll find both teams - in Team Deathmatch - trying to camp.

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Annihilation is a pretty decent map pack. "Shangri La" is much different than any other Zombies map in terms of looks, and is also quite challenging as there isn't really one great spot to camp - "Hangar 18" is far and away the best map here, but both "Drive-In" and "Hazard" are also worth playing. While "Silo" is a blah map at best, it's hard to expect every map in a pack to be very good or better. For $15, you're getting 4 maps that offer great variety: golf course, a drive-in movie theater, an aircraft hangar, and a Russian silo place dealie - varying in sizes as well. The multiplayer maps in Annihilation aren't the greatest of the current three choices available for Black Ops, but I'd still recommend downloading them.

4/5

Food Review (XXL Steak Burrito from Taco Bell)

Let me just say first of all, you can get beef, steak, or chicken in this burrito - I'm not positive, but I believe steak's the most expensive, at $4.99.

The Taco Bell website says this, "The New XXL Grilled Stuft Burrito is our biggest burrito yet, STUFT full of grilled, marinated steak, a blend of three cheeses - cheddar, pepper jack and mozzarella - flavorful seasoned rice, hearty beans, reduced-fat sour cream, chunky guacamole, avocado ranch and fiesta salsa, wrapped up in a warm flour tortilla."

As I said, you don't have to get steak - I have also gotten beef, and to be honest, I think I preferred the beef. Anyways...

How's it taste? Good. There's nothing in this burrito they didn't already have at Taco Bell, but it's "Everything but the kitchen sink." To be quite honest, I really dislike the avocado ranch sauce - at least I think that's what i was tasting. Maybe it was the guacamole. Either way, there's something in there I don't particularly care for - it's one of those two things.

How big is it? (That's what she said. Er. Asked.) I think according to the website and doing a little conversion, it weighs about a pound, although it varies. I've had two of these, and the beef burrito I got felt like it weighed considerably less than the steak one I got. Then again, that can also depend on the person making it.

Is it worth it? As with the Double/Quad steak burritos, I can't recommend something from Taco Bell this expensive. It's just not worth it. Why would you spend about five bucks on one burrito, when you can get five different one dollar burritos? Sure, I'd say try this at least once, as it does taste quite good, but because of the price, I can't recommend this too much.

3.75/5

+ Tastes good, and is a good size.
- Expensive as a Thai hooker. Eh. Maybe a little more expensive.

Rock Band DLC Review Part XIV (December 2008)

It's the last month of 2008 - will Harmonix end 2008 with a bang..?

"Are You Dead Yet?" Children of Bodom
"Tutto E' Possibile" Finley
"Hay Poco Rock 'n Roll" Platero y Tu
"Tempted" Squeeze
"Ready, Set, Go!" Tokio Hotel
"Real World" All-American Rejects
"Headphones On" Miranda Cosgrove
"Body I Occupy" Naked Brothers Band
"I Don't Want to Go to School" Naked Brothers Band
The Singles 1992-2003 Album by No Doubt
Going Country 01 (Brad Paisley, Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert, etc.)
Rockin' the Holidays 2008 (Barenaked Ladies, Billy Squier, The Pretenders)
Foo Fighters 01
"Space Truckin'" Deep Purple
"Funk #49" James Gang
"Hymn 43" Jethro Tull
"Take Back the City" Snow Patrol

Eh... nope. Sum-41 and AC/DC made their Rock Band debuts this month though! Ohp, nope. Finley and Platero y Tu respectively sound like those bands in ways. You know, minus the English language. "Squeeze" is a simple, but great song most people have probably heard. "Real World" is a poor AAR song choice, and the Nickelodeon tracks can be done without, even if the Cosgrove one is free and the other two are a dollar. The No Doubt Greatest Hits album has a decent number of songs I would suggest others to download, and is a welcome addition to the Rock Band catalog. Country finally gets its own pack in Rock Band with Going Country 01, and I can tell you "Free and Easy" is well worth downloading, country fan or not. Rockin' the Holidays 2008 pack disturbs me. We got Barenaked Ladies and Billy Squier, but HOLIDAY songs - for shame. Barenaked ladies could and should have a pack, as should Billy Squier, yet these were their first songs in Rock Band, and we've gotten nothing since. The song choices for Foo Fighters 01 I didn't really care for, but there are a few singles from the final week of the month, "Hymn 43" and especially "Funk #49", that should be purchased. There are a few good songs this month, but there's a hell of a lot more of a disappointment than anything else.

Ftw of the month: "Tutto E' Possibile" is way too overlooked and actually a good song, to me at least, "Tempted", a good portion of No Doubt's Greatest Hits, "Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go)", "Funk #49"
Gtfo of the month: The Nickelodeon tracks, Rockin' the Holidays 2008
Avg of the month: 3.25/5

Rock Band DLC Review Part XIII (November 2008)

October was pretty average... there was good, there was bad. November's got a pretty huge list of songs, but are the songs any fun to play?

The Presidents of the United States of America 01
"Use Me" Hinder
"I Don't Care" Fall Out Boy
Rock Band 2 20-Pack (The Cab, Underoath, Endeverafter, X Japan, Shaimus, Between the Buried and Me, etc.)
The Colour and Shape Album by Foo Fighters
Dead Kennedys 01
Mission of Burma 01
Century Media Girls of Metal 01 (In This Moment, Lacuna Coil)
"Gone" Crooked X
The Killers 01
Yngwie Malmsteen 01
"Jesus Christ Pose" Soundgarden
"Pretty Noose" Soundgarden
"Laid to Rest" Lamb of God

Man. That's a huge month in terms of number of bands and tracks - but just how much fun are these songs? Well, skip right down to the 20-Pack that was free for those that purchased Rock Band 2 - a lot of the songs, to me, were not good at all, but there were a few gems in there. "I Wanna be Your Man" and "Like a Fool" are probably the best two of the entire pack. They both sound great, and are a lot of fun to play as well. For The Colour and Shape, I'll just say I'm "meh" on Foo Fighters. They have some good tracks, but I'm not a guy that enjoys their entire discography. For me, "Monkey Wrench" and "My Hero" were enough for me, and I passed on the rest. Mission of Burma 01 has terrible reviews, and rightfully so. That week and the next, with the exception of The Killers 01, we got heavy/hard stuff. Yngwie Malmsteen isn't especially heavy or hard, unless you're talking about difficulty - "Caprici Di Diablo" is a hammer-on fest that'll give your fret fingers a work out. November is a pretty typical Rock Band month - some good, some bad. This month's a good example of quality > quantity.

Ftw of the month: "I Wanna be Your Man", "Like a Fool", "Monkey Wrench" and "My Hero" from The Colour and Shape, mostly because of the drums, The Killers 01, "Caprici Di Diablo" is you want to see just how fast your fingers can move.
Gtfo of the month: "Use Me", "I Don't Care", A LOT of the 20-Pack songs, Mission of Burma 01
Avg of the month: 3.5/5

Rock Band DLC Review Part XII (October 2008)

September made up for August in a big way with three albums from three WAY different genres, and a pretty great selection of singles. October, make it two good months straight!

"All Right Now" Free
"Stop!" Against Me!
"Bad to the Bone" George Thorogood & the Destroyers
"Cream and Bastards Rise" Harvey Danger
"Nearly Lost You" Screaming Trees
"Push It" Static-X
The Offspring 01
Dr. Feelgood Album by Motley Crue
Nirvana 01
Siouxie and the Banshees 01
"Dammit" blink-182
"Well Thought Out Twinkles" Silversun Pickups
"Melatonin" Silversun Pickups
"Pretty in Pink" The Psychadelic Furs

For the most part, this month is disappointing to me. There are some pretty big names, but poor song choices. For instance, Harvey Danger's best known for "Flagpole Sitta", yet we got a song by them that pretty much no one has ever heard of. I consider myself a fareweather Static-X fan, and we got "Push It." Nirvana 01 is a BLAND pack almost all the way through with the exception of a few tracks, the SSPU tracks are just 'meh,' and Siouxie and the Banshees 01 is a turd - as is "Pretty in Pink" for that matter. The Offspring pack was pretty decent, Dr. Feelgood has some stellar songs on guitar, and "Dammit" is a quick song on drums that requires some serious stamina. There are some songs that should be bought this month, but it's average overall.

Ftw of the month: "Stop!", The Offspring 01, some tracks from Dr. Feelgood, a few keepers in Nirvana 01, "Dammit"
Gtfo of the month: "Cream and Bastards Rise", Siouxie and the Banshees 01, "Pretty in Pink"
Avg of the month: 3.5/5

Rock Band DLC Review Part XI (September 2008)

After two great months, August came, and Harmonix shat on our faces. Well, September's a new month, and Rock Band 2's release is on the horizon.

The PAX 2008 Collection (Coulton, MC Frontalot, The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets)
All That Remains 01
"Charlene" Stephen and the Colberts
Rock Band Live 2008 Tour 01 (The Cab, Dashboard Confessional, Panic at the Disco, Plain White T's)
Peace Sells But Who's Buying? Album by Megadeth
Moving Pictures by Rush
"Sorrow" Bad Religion
"She Sells Sanctuary" The Cult
"Bandages" Hot Hot Heat
"Shoot the Runner" Kasabian
"You're No Rock-and-Roll Fun" Sleater-Kinney
"Love Spreads" The Stone Roses
Blood Sugar Sex Magik by Red Hot Chili Peppers

Well. That's a big month, to say the least - I suppose in celebration of Rock Band 2's release. THREE albums in one month, including one in back-to-back weeks. I'll start at the top - PAX 2008? Pass. Easy pass. All That Remains, I'm just not a fan of. "Charlene" seemed like a joke. Some of the songs in the Rock Band Live 2008 pack are worth checking out... Peace Sells is, in my opinion, extremely overrated. I'm not a HUGE Megadeth fan - I like some of their stuff - but I don't care for that album. Rush, same-ish story, but Moving Pictures was well worth the purchase. Then, we have all the singles that were released with Moving Pictures. "Sorrow" is WELL worth downloading in my opinion, as is "She Sells Sanctuary" for nostalgia purposes, and "Love Spreads" by The Stone Roses due to its radicalness - yes, radicalness - on just about all instruments. As if that wasn't enough, BSSM by RHCP was released for the final week of the month. In my eyes, easily the best of the three albums for the month. September is WAY better than August - not even on the same level. There are some duds this month, but that's pretty much unavoidable. Despite those few songs, the amount of worthwhile songs drastically overrides the turd tracks. A solid month, to say the least!

Ftw of the month: Most of Moving Pictures, "Sorrow", "Love Spreads", a selection of songs from Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Gtfo of the month: PAX 2008 Collection, "Charlene", Peace Sells, But Who's Buying?, "You're No Rock-and-Roll Fun"
Avg of the month: 4.25/5