Thor review (86/100)

When Marvel Studios was created, their debut film “Iron Man” knocked the worlds collective socks off. Here was a comic book film that wasn’t just about telling it’s own story (which it did) or making a lot of money (which it also did) but also about developing storylines and characters that could be used in upcoming movies in the future. Agent Colson, The Avengers, Tony Stark, Nick Fury, all of these characters first showed up in the first Iron Man film and have all since appeared in several other of Marvel Studios films. Thor not only continues that tradition, but it also brings things just a little bit closer together so fans can get a pretty good idea where The Avengers is going.

But don’t be fooled, Thor isn’t just a prequel story to The Avengers, it’s a pretty great film in it’s own right.

2011 is going to be a big year for Videogames

2011 is going to be a huge year for videogames. I know as gamers we say that every year, but the amount of titles coming out this year that are primed to be smash hits is astounding. Below are the top 5 games I am most interested in this year, and hope they succeed in passing my expectations:

The Comeback Mechanic: why its here to stay

Street Fighter II, the forefather of the fighting game genre, is a brutally difficult game to play. If you were down on health you were at a severe disadvantage. Your opponent doesn't have to worry about pressing the attack, and in many cases can afford to make a mistake without paying a high consequence. The “Super Turbo” (ST) edition of SFII changed the game only slightly. A super meter was added to the game, allowing you to unleash a flashy and damaging super combo when the meter was full. The meter was filled up by using special moves and otherwise attacking your opponent, awarding the aggressor.

This mindset is prevalent in the 90's and early 2000's fighting games. You played offense, filling your super meter and allowing you access to your most powerful techniques. Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 had the aggressor bar. King of Fighters, Marvel vs Capcom 1, 2, and all the other vs games had super meters. They almost all functioned in the same manner: both attacker and defender received meter, with the attacker gaining significantly more.

Playing the Gears of war 3 Beta

When Gears of War 3 got delayed from April this year to September, Microsoft seemed to be the culprit behind the move. Everything we've seen from the game so far suggested that it was pretty close to being finished. Cliff Blezinski and his crew even played a level of the game on stage at last years Electronic Entertainment Expo, and it looked spectacular back then. While Microsoft would never come out and say they delayed Gears of War because there's no Halo coming out this year, the fact that Gears 3 got delayed to the exact time period that every Halo game prior has released so far seems to suggest that's exactly why.