matt hackmann - web developer - artist - nerd

Once upon a time, I used to enjoy the snow. My brothers and I would make giant snow forts using spare laundry detergent buckets and then spend the next several days pummeling these impenetrable fortrii with the meanest snowballs we could conjure up. Snow was indeed a wondrous thing, but not so much now. No, my time working at a television station has forever ruined snow for me.

For now "snow" means scrambling to ensure that systems are working correctly, driving many miles in treacherous weather or, in tonight's case, being pent up in a hotel some blocks away from my place of employ instead of at home enjoying good food and watching Death Note with my brothers.

One day I will no longer work at a TV station and perhaps maybe the beauty and glory that is snow will return to me. I hope so, because on the off-chance I produce offspring, I don't want to pass on this miserly attitude I've developed over the past year.

It is time now for the second wave of '08/'09 reviews with today's column covering video games.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (2008, Xbox 360)

There was quite a bit of hype surrounding this game when it came out. It was supposed to be a Star Wars IP that the world hadn't seen since Shadows of the Empire. Did it live up to the hype? Depends on who you ask. I didn't buy it until recently, but I definitely had fun playing it. That said, there were also many points where I was frustrated out of my mind to the point of controller throwing (something I've not done in years). Some of this was due to faulty game mechanics, but mostly my own incompetence. Sadly, the game is fairly repetitive in terms of combat and I found myself relying on Force lightning to handily finish off every enemy I came across. There are plenty of options for combat such as push and choke and, of course, your lightsaber, but none of these were as handy or wholly satisfying as lightning. Oh, and for all the hype about Euphoria, never once did I see a stormtrooper grab another in mid air. 7/10

I decided to take pepper spary to a new level and make art out of it. Okay, never mind.

Actually, I've continued my Star Wars advertisement line this time combining a complete bad ass with the world's greatest lemon-lime soft drink. And a really awesome, swirly background thingy. Enjoy!

Comic

Yeah, so, Monday is going to be a crappily drawn black and white comic whereas Friday's shall be CG cleaned and full color.

About the comic itself most of the story credit goes to devusb. Kick ass!

Comic

This is one thing I've never understood: Why the heck does Smokey Bear wear jeans and no shirt? He's a bear for crying out loud, he can run around nude :-P. Or if you're going to clothe half of him, why not the other half? IIRC, 20th Centruy Fox wanted to do the same thing to Chewie.... idiots :-P