Website reviews: Co

Are you a gamer and wish to learn about the newest cooperative friendly video games on the market? If so, then Co-Optimus is probably the ultimate one stop website for you to learn the newest ways to team up with friends in the various video games that have recently been released.

Sure, the name of the website doesn’t sound all that great, but once you type it into the address bar and check it out you’ll most likely be hooked. At times, video games with cooperative modes can be very hard to find, that’s by Co-Optimus claims itself to be the prime source for Co-Op gaming.

Design

In terms of the layout of Co-Optimus, the website looks just like any other professionally made gaming website. The design and feel seems similar to IGN.com or one of those major sites. Co-Optimus has crisp images and great reviews at first glance, but can the features of the website stand up against other gaming websites?

Features

While there isn’t many features on the Co-Optimus website, there are many different categories of information and articles on the website. As with other gaming websites, the front page is littered with gaming news that almost always centers around games that have or had cooperative game play features.

Beyond that, the website gives a home to some very impressive reviews with crisp screenshots from each game. Take note that there are comments from users on the articles too, so readers can display differences in opinion and so on. Editorials and other special articles are also on the same page as the reviews, which can be about various different subjects in gaming.

The games section gives video gaming fans a list of cooperative games for all of the newer systems, and most classic ones. For example a person could check out the newest cooperative friendly games for Xbox 360 or Nintendo Wii, and then go out to the nearest store and buy them.

Improvements

Does Co-Optimus have room for improvements? For the most part yes, it does have some room for improvements, but the website sets out and achieves its original goal. The website is no doubt the best place to look up information on cooperative friendly video games whether they be online playable or local only.

Ultimately Co-Optimus gets a score of eight out of ten for being well above average. The website could use some improvements but overall it does the job that it sets out to do.

Final Score

8 Out of 10. – Well Above Average – (10 Being Perfect, 1 Being Horrible.)

Movie reviews: The Transformers (2007) – Part 76

Going into “Transformers” I did not expect much out of the movie, and I did not think much of it coming out. Although the plot of the movie is quite interesting and there are a few laugh-worthy parts, I was not impressed overall. The movie is far too liberal with its action sequences; one person can only stand to watch so much destruction. The last 30 minutes of the movie was so repetitive (crash, boom, crash, boom, explosion, etc.) that I found myself staring at the ceiling and praying for the movie to end sometimes soon.

In my opinion, the best parts of the movie were parts which did not contain any traces of transforming cars. During one particular scene when the boy’s parents venture into his room during a power outage, I was laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes.

Although the movie got much applause from the audience (especially the appearance of Optimus Prime), I was not particularly impressed and feel that the movie could have been much better.

Memorable TV cartoon characters of the past and present – Part 1

Of course, there are a number of memorable TV cartoon characters, both of the past and the present. There are the obvious character choices, such as Bugs Bunny, Mickey Mouse, Fred Flintstone, Woody Woodpecker, and Winnie the Pooh, just to name a few. I would also include Snoopy from the Peanuts specials in this list. But who else is there?

Going back to the 1960’s and 1970’s, I would have to say that one of the most memorable cartoon characters from that era would have to be Scooby-Doo. In fact, he’s so memorable, that he has continued to appear in various television shows including one that aired on Kids! WB earlier this decade!

If you go back to the 1980’s, I would have to say one of the most memorable cartoon characters of the era would have to be Optimus Prime from The Transformers. So many people of my generation remember Optimus Prime, especially since his death in The Transformers: The Movie caused such a controversy. I would also consider the Smurfs to be memorable 1980’s cartoon characters. And if you go back to the 1990s, I would have to say that several of the Rugrats characters (specifically Tommy, Chuckie, and Angelica) would also be in the memorable category.

From more recent cartoons, I would have to say that SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick Star also fit into this category. I’m around kids who really like SpongeBob, and a couple of them can even quote lines from episodes. For current preschoolers, one of the most memorable cartoon characters would probably have to be Dora the Explorer.

I would also have to include Bart Simpson and Homer Simpson in a list of memorable TV cartoon characters; with such catchphrases as “Eat my shorts” and “D’oh!,” who could forget these two?

From the anime field, I would definitely have to include Pikachu as a memorable TV cartoon character. There’s just something about Pikachu that captures children’s interest.

Movie reviews: The Transformers (2007) – Part 81

“So, what are we going to see tonight?” I asked my husband as we pulled away from the hotel that my in-laws were staying at during the time they were in the area from Texas. They had granted us a rare occasion of being able to go out to a movie without our four year old and two year old and we were at a loss as to what we were going to do like a lot of parents during that time without the kids. “I don’t know, I guess we will see when we get to the theater.” My husband said as we made our way to the local theater.

The movies that were available during the time that we were there did not interest us much but I saw Transformers and said I wanted to see it. I did not tell my husband that I had been a secret fan as a kid since most of the viewing audience had been boys during the time the cartoon was on in the 80’s. But I loved a “hero” story line as much as anybody. The Optimus Prime character was always my favorite and each time I went to a story and saw an action figure I wished I could pick one up for myself but I figured I would have to say it was for my younger brother if anyone had caught me.

I walked into the darkened movie theater yawning from a day of traveling on the road with my in-laws. I was really hoping that the movie was not going to be one that I was going to fall asleep in. Boy was I not let down in anyway! The action started just about right away as the main character goes to a car lot to buy his first car and the entire car lot of blows up! The car that was picked was a classic Camero at first that reminded me of the cars when I was a kid so I had a chuckle at that and when it began to do things like drive by itself and play songs that were appropriate to the moment, I could not help but fall in love! There was NO way that I was going to fall asleep during this movie!

I enjoyed seeing Shia Lebeouf in the main male lead role as I have enjoyed him on the Disney shows that I have been able to watch including the movie “Holes”. He has a certain flair with comedy and action that is captivating and hopefully will last a long time in the entertainment business. It was almost a breath of fresh air from watching other action flicks with actors that need to throw in the towel. His female counterpart in Megan Fox was refreshing as well. She actually turned out to be the beautiful girl with a brain rather than the cheerleader who was more obsessed with her looks than anything else. There were scenes were she was really able to show her emotions and her strength and I was cheering for her right long side Sam, Shia Lebeouf’s character.

All in all, this thirty five year old mom gives the movie a huge thumbs up with great action shots, great characters and an awesome story line. I may have to buy a copy when it comes out on DVD.

Testimonies: Why I collect action figures

I really have to thank childhood for this, I haven’t stopped loving action figures since I was a kid and still have them to this day. As I’ve gotten older though I don’t collect as much than how I used to. Nowadays I tends to go for McFarlane toys with some of their Movie Maniacs line, in particular with popular horror characters. The other type of figures would probably be of video game characters as well. Usually if I get very involved with a game and learn more about a particular character I tend to get interested in it’s action figure variation.

During the summer however I became very addicted to Transformers which I hadn’t bought for well over 2 decades since their original reign. It wasn’t the actual film itself that encouraged me, but rather the re-runs of the original cartoon that was being shown during the summer. Never before had I seen a show so much as to make me want to see what the actual toy of it was like.

I don’t think I will ever stop collecting action figures especially when in today’s day of age you can almost literally buy action figures based on anything, even to the most bizarre types of creativity imaginable. Before you know it you can have Snoop Dogg standing next to Optimus Prime. Better than this though you can even have a version of yourself fighting the good fight with all of your good guy action figure counterparts from your childhood. Why play these figures when you can be side by side with them!

Remembering the 80s cartoons – Part 3

The success of Robot Chicken tells me one thing; a lot of people miss the 80’s. I proudly admit to spending Saturday mornings and after school weekdays in front of the television. Looking back, it is funny that my mom would say I shouldn’t spend so much time in front of the T.V. It was rarely more than an hour here and there. Compared to today’s child, it was insignificant. What made those cartoons so glorious? Will our children feel the same about the cartoons of today? I don’t think so. Enjoy a trip with me through the ’80s cartoon graveyard.

A list could be made of all the wonderful cartoons that fascinated the 80’s child, but it would take all day. Cartoons of the 80’s offered our first glimpse into real life situations. G.I. Joe offered important safety education through the public service announcements at the end of the shows. “Now I know, and Knowing is half the battle”. Saturday morning cartoons had a sprinkling of One to Grow On PSAs throughout their line up. They were teaching us that bad things could happen and we needed to be prepared. That was a first in the world of children’s television. The world was shifting and cartoons were helping us with these changes.

For the first time women were holding their own in roles held traditionally by men. Scarlett from G.I. Joe rescued Snake Eyes and Duke a time of two. Even Cobra had the wickedly intelligent and highly deadly Baroness. She-Ra was the female counterpart to He-Man. Noble Cheetara fought alongside Lion-O and Panthra against Mumm-Ra. And who could ever forget Jem, who was truly outrageous.

Today there is quite a yin and yang in the world of cartoons. They either seem to educate or eradicate brain cells. I appreciate PBS shows and Dora and Diego are teaching children about caring while helping children learn another language. But sometimes I have to take out the cartoons from my childhood. There is something magical about them because my daughters squeals with glee and jumps into my lap to enjoy them just as much as I do.

I want my daughter to know Bumble Bee and watch the “Autobots roll out.” She is learning about people, or in this case machines, fighting for justice. I want her to know Firestar and Spiderman’s other Amazing Friends. She is learning about how life doesn’t always work out and that you won’t always be the popular kid but life is still good. I want her to feel like the sky is the limit, and that there are bad things that can happen and she needs to be aware. Most of all, I want her to have the fun I had when cartoon characters actually looked like people instead of shapes in a Picasso work. Bless you Optimus Prime and He-man because of you and “By the power of Greyskull, I have the power”.

Why The Volkswagen Polo Bluemotion Could Save The Planet

With global warming threatening to warm up our shores to the extent that we’ll live in a Mediterranean climate, I went out and bought some baking oil to help top up my suntan. The idea of sitting out on Christmas day sipping on my Pina Colada by the swimming pool isn’t exactly my idea of hell. In fact I thought I’d speed up the process so I jumped into the latest Volkswagen Polo and revved off to the shops rather than walk the 100 yards, washed my clothes on the hottest wash possible, threw out all my recyclables as normal rubbish and then washed the Volkswagen Polo with a high powered hose and left the water running for a good five minutes after I needed to.

It was a good day and one that followed to the next until in one week my carbon footprint had grown to the size of a big, not-so-friendly giant. This frivolity seemed infallible; surely everyone will thank me for warming up our cold winter? Then it happened – my road to Damascus moment. I was packing my ten items into ten separate plastic carrier bags in a supermarket when the cashier asked if I needed so many. Sensing her mis-understanding, I explained that I was helping people just like her and if anything, I should be revered rather than lambasted. “Haven’t you thought that if the polar cap melts we won’t have a country to worry about?” came the response. There and then the energy-saving light bulb in my head switched on, I bought a reusable carrier bag and changed my life.

I can now often be found separating my cardboards from my plastics ready for recycling and be seen cheerfully walking to the shops. I am rehabilitated into sustainable and ‘green’ thinking and won’t be caught falling off the wagon like Pete Doherty. “Bet you still drive though” you’re probably saying, to which I’d happily say “yes” and point in the direction of the one aspect to remain unchanged – the Volkswagen Polo.

You see, it’s not just any VW Polo, it’s a Bluemotion 1 and that means it’s greener than a bag of frozen peas. In fact, the car is so low on carbon dioxide emissions (just 99g/km of the stuff) that it is exempt from being charged road tax as it falls into the VED Band A. Not really sure the ins and outs of this classification but it’ll save you plenty of cash that’s for sure.

The savings don’t end there either. The fuel consumption is so low you’ll think the gauge is broken as it seems to stay wedged on ‘full’. In fact the exact return is 74.3mpg from the 1.4 litre diesel engine and although you won’t receive whiplash from the acceleration (a 0-60 time of 12.8 seconds) it’s nippy enough to get around town and refined enough on tear up the motorway miles.

Airbags, CD player and electric windows are standard across the Bluemotion range, although for a bit of extra cash the aptly named Bluemotion 2 offers central locking, rain-sensing automatic windscreen wipers and air-conditioning. The extra weight of these extras does increase CO2 emissions to 104g/km which means the road tax collectors will come knocking on your door.

Quite frankly though all the above means diddly squat if the driving experience is reminiscent of that bit in Casino Royale where Bond has his nether regions smacked about with a piece of knotted rope. You needn’t worry as the rest of the Bluemotion is near enough like any other Volkswagen Polo. The 14 inch alloy wheels are wrapped in larger profile rubber to reduce resistance against the tarmac and inevitably this means handling is slightly woollier than on a standard Polo. Despite this, the overall driving experience remains a good one – especially motorway driving where wind and road noise are kept to a minimum.

The styling retains the German elegance of the current Volkswagen range, with the Bluemotion gaining a subtle rear spoiler and smaller mirrors to help aerodynamics and in turn increase efficiency. The alloy wheels mentioned earlier set the car apart from it’s siblings without being too brash. My personal favourite has to be the rear light clusters that give the back end of the Polo the look of Optimus Prime from Transformers.

So there you have it. If you want to help save the planet, consider buying a Volkswagen Polo Bluemotion – just don’t expect it to turn into a robot to help out.

Remembering the 80s cartoons – Part 4

Remember when Saturday mornings were worth getting up early for. In a time when the news and sports is all you find on Saturday and Sunday mornings, it causes me to look back and remember what it was like not too long ago. You couldn’t get me up on school days if my life depended on it, but Saturday morning rolled around and I was up at em before the rooster crowed. Back in the 80s, I had a good reason to be up at that ungodly hour, Saturday morning cartoons.

Rainbow Brite was saving the world with the color kids. The Smurfs were running from Gargamel and Azrael and getting into some mischief of their own. Gummy Bears were bouncing here and there and everywhere. Care Bears taught us how to kill evil with kindness. He-man was the Master of the Universe always defeating Skeletor, and had a twin sister She-ra Princess of Power. Snorks were the goofy looking cousins of the Smurfs, but still fun. My Little Pony and Strawberry Shortcake brought us warm, fuzzy feelings inside. Looney Tunes were on for almost two hours, and a new generation fell in love with Bugs Bunny and Tweety.

It was a much simplier time, which a lot less violence and higher family morals. Those were the days we got up at 6 a.m. and cartoons were over by noon; after which we would go out and reenact everything we just saw. We would fight over who would be Optimus Prime and who had to be a Decepticon. There were so many cartoons to choose from; it always led me to an entire afternoon of adventure. In the evening after bathtime, we got to tune into the Muppet Show for another family entertaining event in front of the television.

I have forgotten many of my old favorites such as the Wuzzles, who were two animals mixed together, Shirt-tales, Snorks, and Jem and the Holograms to name a few. My all time favorite was Turbo Teen, which many people don’t even remember. It is the story about a boy who turns into a car when he gets warm and then back into a teenager when he is cold. It was a fun cartoon, but I believe it only ran for one season.

Looking back at all the 80s cartoons, takes me back to a simpler time, my childhood. I have found that cartoons today do not even compare in any way to the ones back then. The animation may be better, but the quality and, dare I say, innocence is lacking in the cartoons of today. Saturday morning is not what it used to be and I even feel a bit sorry for those children who will never get to experience the joy of awesome Saturday morning cartoons.

Movie reviews: The Transformers (2007) – Part 75

This movie rose way above my expectations. Being a fan of the original cartoon from the 80’s, I was a bit skeptical on the quality of the movie, and how well it would be portrayed. Too many times have I gone to see movies portraying comic book/cartoons only to come out rather irritated at the 9 bucks and 2 hours wasted on it. It seems like these kinds of movies are overdone and oversold with the sole purpose on making money based on the hype.

Despite all this, Transformers captured my (as well as the entire audience’s) attention. First of all, the acting, namely from Shia Labouf, was superb. His role as Sam could not have been cast better. The underlying comedic aspect of the movie involving his relationship with a girl, as well as the Transformers, did not deter for even a second from the genius action and edge-of-your-seat thrills throughout the entire show. There is no surprise at the love of these characters, and the fact that Optimus Prime got a round of excited applause at his entrance. The special effects were tailored very well and did not overpower the dialogue or plotline at all. There weren’t so many explosions and camera angle changes that your brain was slow to keep up. It’s a well balance mix of comedy, drama, friendship, action, and old fashioned good guy vs. bad guy action.

Judging from the standing ovation the movie got at its closure, I don’t think many people (if any) were disappointed in this rendition of a beloved classic.

Movie reviews: The Transformers (2007) – Part 55

Released on DVD as of Tuesday, October 16, 2007, Transformers: The Movie is a thrilling, albeit cliche, action movie starring Shia Lebouf, and Megan Fox. The movie also features Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, and Peter Cullen returning to his role as the leader of the Autobots: Optimus Prime.

The original DVD release of this film leaves a bit to be desired, if you are a fan of extra features – the disc is startlingly bare in that regard. However, if you are like me and really could not care less about such accoutrements, this movie is well worth picking up. Fans of the original 1980’s cartoon will certainly not be disappointed.

In all honesty, the movie is a bit over the top, but that is the charm of it. After all, it’s based on a Saturday morning cartoon. This much is guaranteed: children of all ages love how the uber-realistic robots come across on screen. The special effects are simply amazing. The acting is quite good, as well. The biggest weakness of this CG extravaganza is that the dialogue comes across as being very kitschy at times – very cartoonish. Considering the origins of this film, though, such flaws can be overlooked.

Recommendation: Pick this movie up if you are a fan of the cartoon, have older children (there is some mild swearing), or if you love action flicks regardless of how corny the dialogue may or may not be at times. Rating: 4 stars out of 5.

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