I own a Japanese 360 and recently picked up Akai Katana Shin. It's actually a very good game. The people on the shmups forum would agree with me on this one. Scoring is a bit too precise for my tastes (think Espgaluda II, but with a much stricter sense of chaining), but, aesthetically, the game is gorgeous and…

Would you care to explain what you mean by "soft" and "hard" power?

Spoilers to follow:

I'm surprised that no one in this thread seems to enjoy "Jupiter Jazz" as much as I do. I don't really care to slap a grade on it (though I obviously rate it higher than the others), but I always figured that it was one of the higher revered episodes.

Bebop Recaps
I'm most excited for the Cowboy Bebop recaps. I've noticed that several other commenters are planning on watching it for the first time, so I'm even more excited to see what those commenters have to say about it. Personally, I don't think television gets any better than episodes 12 & 13 ("Jupiter Jazz")…

Favorite Point-And-Click
Full Throttle all the way.

Kid A
OK Computer
The Bends
In Rainbows
Amnesiac
Hail To The Thief
The King Of Limbs
Pablo Honey

One moment that has stuck with me is the dinner sequence in "The Son". Zach Gilford's breakdown is so beautifully done and so perfectly acted that I can't readily think of any other moment that hit so hard. That's still my favorite single episode of television that I've ever seen.

Bayonetta was an incredible game, one that I forgot came out this year (that's what a January release date will do to you). Its fighting system, which was very complex, was a thrill to master. Just beating the game on Normal was a challenge/victory, and this fails to mention its higher difficulties.

There are often threads or articles that serve as prerequisites for these types of reviewing decisions on the AV Club. Since I only read the film, game, and comics reviews nowadays, perhaps you could point me in the direction of their dvd collection reviewing statement?

Well, thanks for the responses.

Well, Steve, it's my belief that game reviewing and game criticism should speak to the games, not their value (because value doesn't effect the mechanics/aesthetics of the game) or the junk they're packaged with. Therefore, I would have liked to see you write about the mechanical aspects of the game and how it holds…

I guess I'm just not sure what money has to do with a game. If my friend buys a game for $10 and I buy the same game for $20, does that mean my game is worse?

Agreed, Ghaleon.

Heavy Rain
Bewildering and astounding idiots who forgot/never played the LucasArts SCUMM games of vastly superior quality.

This review…
So, this review isn't at all a review of the games, but of the fact that Nintendo hocked out a rom port of their most popular games (and left Super Mario World off the disc) and how it makes for a crappy package?

Gee, I knew I should've prefaced each sentence with "In my opinion…" lest someone think I'm touting my opinions as objective facts! Drat.

I'd read it, too. Leonard's Metal Box is always a good read.

Curse you, Modell
Calling those of us who rightly call out The National's once great, now quite boring take on white collar ennui/malaise "weak eared" is just darn mean (and yes, I understand that distillation of their thematic leanings is gross). I mean, I enjoyed High Violet, but it doesn't rank with Alligator or…

No Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti and no Joanna Newsom are glaring, blunderous oversights.