Summer Blog

So, not a lot on the geek front particularly, as I have spent quite a chunk of the last few weeks on holidays, rendering my access to the internet, comic books and games in general rather limited. Still, I'm never totally without something nerdish, and this summer was no exception.

For reading: Terry Pratchett's City Watch trilogy,Star Wars Dark Empire (comic) Skaar, Son of Hulk (comic - also one I will not look at now, because, frankly, that's too much writing for one post...).
For gaming: Nintendo DS.

Now, Mr. Terry Pratchett is undoubtedly my favourite author, his stories are witty, engaging, satirical and wrapped in a fantasy world that subtlely pokes fun at the fantasy genre as a whole. This trilogy is no exception, focusing on the City Watch in the sprawling city of Ankh-Morpork. Looking at it's rise to importance in the city, while following the individual tales of characters such as the near-chimpanzee Nobby Nobbs, the overweight Fred Colon, and angry captain Samuel Vimes, the trilogy contains many brilliant set pieces and irrerverant commentaries as they meander through the tales: one story concerning dragons, the next concerning the murder of a clown, and another the hazards of high society balls and genteel conduct. The scope is as excellent, and the writing comedic, with each character becoming identifiable and characterised to the point of familiarity. Indeed, the reader gets so used to the reactions of Fred Colon and Nobby Nobbs et al., that it becomes a joy to see what they face next. Be it Fred Colon squaring off against a dragon that shouldn't exist, or Sam Vimes stubbornly refusing to put a feather in his hat because its poncy, each section is brilliant.

Anyway, that's enough. I can't recommend Terry Pratchett high enough. Just get one of his books, and read it.

Ok, next topic: Dark Empire.

Now, I have read this comic several times before, and each time because, well, I like it.
This is the summary of the tale itself:

Six years after the Battle of Endor, the fight for freedom rages on. Darth Vader is dead, but a reborn Empire —under a mysterious new leader—strikes back at the struggling Rebel Alliance. Massive World Devastators, more powerful and unstoppable than the Death Star, ravage entire planets, while the ruthless heirs of Jabba the Hutt place a monumental price on the heads of Princess Leia and her husband, Han Solo. Along with Lando, Chewbacca, Artoo, Threepio, and other old allies, Han and Leia struggle to protect the future for their unborn child. But their greatest foe may be their closest friend: Luke Skywalker...

This pretty much sums it up as a story. When added to the title - Dark Empire - it becomes clear that it is not a happy tale. Following the Rebel Alliance as they try to assert their control over the galaxy, even as the remnants of the Empire fights amongst itself. We soon meet Luke, souped and powerful as he takes down an AT-AT casually, who asserts that he feels the Dark Side strongly. Cue the overused 'I have a bad feeling about this' moment, as Luke sets off to find the source of this disturbance...
Now, I want to avoid too many spoilers, and thus I shall skip over what happens, needless to say Luke and Leia turn out to be a pretty nifty Jedi team, and that the grandiose scale of Star Wars is upheld in the finest of forms - shown best, perhaps, by the appearance of a Star Destroyer that is 10 miles long. Epic scene.

So, why do I like this comic? Largely nostalgia - it was the first Star Wars comic I read. But, more specific reasons: the artwork, while some don't like it's watercolour nature, it is to me brilliant. Dark, atmospheric and brooding, it sets the tone quite nicely. The story has many twists and turns, which is always good, as well as excellent Star Wars humour - with Han Solo sarcasm abound. Sure, at some points the story leaps a bit too fast, but it's never unfollowable. The action is great and the resolution excellent, showing that the optimism at the end of Return of the Jedi was perhaps premature - whilst the Emperor had been defeated, the hard task of uniting the galaxy was still to follow, and this tale marks the beginning of the Expanded Universe as it explores this theme - the growth of the New Republic and how it would face trouble with the Jedi knights at its head.

So last part of my holiday geekery:
My Nintendo DS.

On a camping holiday, it's pretty hard to access electricity. Luckily, my DS was fully charged, and ready to go. However, thanks to a proliferation of console games, I had neglected the little dual screened hero, and thus this holiday allowed me to reacquaint myself with it. And I was glad indeed that I had it. Inbetween reading comics (both Dark Empire and Skaar, Son of Hulk) I would happily play away, whiling away the time between trips to the beach and pub. Excellent way to spend a day.
What did I play? Largely Animal Crossing - I got back into the game again, and it is like crack. I spent ages trying to catch fish, or butterflies, talking to the other townsfolk, getting annoyed at Tom Nook's stupid store banter, and listening to K.K. Slider's bangin' sets in the Roost. (If you got those references, kudos.) It truly is a great game, absorbing and charming. For a game in which not a lot happens, you can lose a huge amount of time, just shifting furniture, looking for a shark, or delivering post. Excellent fun.
What else...New Super Mario Bros.
Now, I completed this game ages ago, but I did so at speed, ignoring the hard-to-get coins and the secret worlds. Not so this time. Playing as Luigi (the best brother...) I spent far too much time hunting out coins and opening all the paths to all the worlds. Still, it has the wonderful charm of all Mario games. No matter how frustrating it is when you plummet down a hole, you never feel cheated. If you mess up, it's because you're a fool. Plain and simple. Love it. Also, the game is beautiful, from the dancing feet of the Koopas, to the scrolling backgrounds and wonderfully animated plumbers, it's just a joy.
What else?
A few blasts on Metroid Hunters - excellent shooter, a bit fiddly, but gotta love shooting angry bounty hunters in the face.
Mario Kart DS - gotta love time trials, and trying to beat your own ghost.

Basically, thanks to my holiday, I fell back in love with the DS and handheld gaming in general. I love being able to play a game for ten minutes, then pop to the shops, then go straight back to it. Gaming on the go.

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Anyway. I think I wrote a fair bit there, when I had planned a shortish post...so that'll do...all I seem to have shown is how even holidays can't stand between a geek and his things...

So, without further ado, I hope you enjoy this read, so until next time. Cheerio.