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!"#$% By Robert Solomon !"#$% By Zheng Zheng : Contributing Writer Hero 5 Sta! Writer GENRE: In the two years since the full-band rhythm genre GENRE: Rhythm game It has been almost four years since the original CONSOLE: , was launched with Rock Band, the popularity of mu- CONSOLE: Xbox 360, transformed the gaming world with its PlayStation 3 and sical rhythm games has started to decline, with unit Playstation 2, Playstation 3 innovative plastic and gameplay sales dropping almost 50% this year versus last year. and Wii reminiscent of the seminal game Dance Dance Revo- DEVELOPER: Harmonix It is certainly understandable; there are only so many lution. Since the introduction of the drum set and the RATING: Teen plastic instruments a person needs to buy. !e novelty DEVELOPER: Neversoft microphone, the multiplayer cultural phenomenon of the genre has largely worn o" as well, with the satu- that is enjoyed by a large audience has become one of RELEASED: Sept. 9, 2009 ration point long having been exceeded by RATING: Teen today’s leading franchises in gaming. , churning out four full Guitar Hero games this year the latest installment of the series, was highly antici- OUR TAKE: !!!!! alone. RELEASED: Sept. 1, 2009 pated since its announcement, and the game, released As with any other sequel, there has to be some sort in the U.S. on Sept. 4, has indeed lived up to both its of evolution in form to remain interesting. !e nov- OUR TAKE: !!!!! reputation and expectations. elty of #rst person shooters would not have been sustained without the improvements !e o$cial playlist of Guitar Hero 5, easily the in control systems and graphics. It is not just the technical improvement but innova- most important aspect of the game, contains a mix- tion in gameplay that keeps this genre alive, as seen in brilliant titles like 2K Games’s ture of 85 songs from 83 distinguished artists. Although the numbers are impressive, Bioshock or Valve Software’s Portal. the wide variation in style and genre between songs is problematic for a player look- Rock Band developer Harmonix, a company founded by musicians, seems to un- ing for multiple favorites. derstand this better than Neversoft, who seems to be shoveling Guitar Hero games Guitar Hero 5’s playlist ranges from folk rock (Bob Dylan) to modern British out the door as fast as they can code them. alternative (Arctic Monkeys) to heavy metal (Megadeth) to grunge (Nirvana) to Bon Compare this with Rock Band, which has subtle visual cues like the slight shaking Jovi. While it is easy to pick up and play a song that suits your taste, it is hard to #nd of the note rails when you hit the pedal, or a crowd that will show a very similar ones later on. slight cry of disapproval when a long note streak is interrupted before resuming their However, this is somewhat mitigated by the additional downloadable songs and cheers. !e instrument you are playing in Rock Band also has its presence enhanced through GHTunes, a feature introduced back in , which al- in the overall mix, because if you were actually playing in a band, that’s how it would lows for player-created music to be used within the game. Aside from the playlist, the sound. most noticeable components that separate Guitar Hero 5 from its predecessors are its Harmonix is a developer that understands the value of such subtleties, and they improved features. permeate every inch of !e Beatles: Rock Band (TB:RB). Very quiet ambient sounds Players are now given the opportunity to jump in at any point in the middle of a play when you go to a submenu while the details at the edges move ever so slightly, song instead of having to wait for the song currently being played to end and having supported by a visual style that is nothing short of an artistic marvel. to join the fun from the main menu. Furthermore, multiple players can now play If there is this much detail in the menus, you can imagine the gameplay to be the same instrument, preventing further struggle on who’s playing the lead guitar the same. Indeed, there is just as much. However, the core gameplay of TB:RB is not and who is going to get stuck with the bass. Last but not least, the band no longer changed very much from . !e greatest improvement is the addition of automatically fails a performance if any single player fails more than three times. vocal harmonies, and what harmonies they are! For vocalists, TB:RB is a delight, !is will increase game time and prevent better players from being dragged down particularly when the second and third vocals vary from the lead vocal. Harmonix by #rst-timers. has taken a “if it ain’t broke, don’t #x it” approach, and with the visual and narrative To make the game more accessible, two brand new gaming modes are supported enhancements, this turns out to not be a problem. by Guitar Hero 5. “Party Play” allows players to switch instruments and di$culty With TB:RB, Harmonix is clearly spelling out the evolution of rhythm gaming. levels mid-song, a feature greatly appreciated in social settings where people switch It is not the quantity of notes on the rails, but their quality. Rather than looking at in and out more rapidly. !e other is called “Rockfest,” in which players can set the notes as a challenge to conquer, they are instead turned into something to experi- interesting rules or challenges to each song in a playlist beforehand. !ough the ence. When you play the bass lines of Paul McCartney, you are focused intently on game will only be slightly altered, the refreshing gameplay change will be enjoyed how his playing supported the composition of the songs. !is may lead to plastic by casual players. guitarists actually preferring the bass in this game. !e single-player Career Mode also underwent some interesting upgrades, as now !is attention to quality shines through the visual representations of the band random challenges are set prior to each song played in a venue, providing the op- members themselves. !e historic venues and artistic dreamscapes behind the mem- portunity to earn exciting rewards like new , clothing, etc. for the band. !ese bers look so good that you may lose focus on the notes you are supposed to be bonus challenges are speci#c to each instrument and can each be completed on three playing. !ese wouldn’t matter if !e Beatles themselves didn’t look right, but they di"erent di$culty levels. strike the perfect balance between realism and style. !is contrasts with the resur- !e maximum star rating that a band can achieve has also been increased from rected musicians in the Guitar Hero series that look like they came straight from the #ve to nine. Five of the stars are earned from the regular game play, the sixth for a uncanny valley. perfect 100% performance, and the last ones are based on the level of the challenges As the venues change from small clubs to large stadiums to Abbey Road Studios, met by the players. As some of the challenges are quite di$cult and require that the appearances of !e Beatles change slightly to denote the passage of time. When strategies be planned ahead of time, hardcore players will #nd these new features the #nal rooftop concert ends in Story mode and the #nal coda of “!e End” plays, more appealing. players feel that they have experienced !e Beatles’ own journey from the optimistic Taking its cue from Nintendo’s Wii, the Xbox 360 version of Guitar Hero 5 will

See Beatles, page 15 See Guitar, page 15

ENTERTAINMENT Technique t4FQUFNCFS t 15

Beatles from page 13 “I Saw Her Standing !ere” to the Past and present unite in new Melrose howl of John Lennon in “I Want &$'$()%)*+ You (She’s So Heavy).” Melrose Place !ere is no other comparable experience in a music game to- NETWORK: The CW day. It feels more like a reverential WHEN: Tuesdays, 9 p.m. documentary that you can partici- pate in than the grab bag of songs GENRE: Drama Guitar Hero stu"ed in ’s own titles STARRING: Thomas Calabro focused on speci#c bands. and Katie Cassidy Worry not if you have never been a huge fan of !e Beatles, OUR TAKE: !!!"!! as you have been hearing their in- %uence in every pop song you’ve grown up with. !ere is no bet- By Nirav Bhatia ter way to interact with their mu- Contributing Writer sic more deeply than to indulge yourself in the experience that is !e premiere of Melrose Place TB:RB. last week unleashed a two-sided For rhythm game fans, this ti- plot, appealing to both a drama- tle is a must, and if you have never oriented audience as well as to the played a rhythm game before, this fans of convoluted mysteries and artistic achievement of a game is a twists. !e characters seem to be great reason to give it a try. driven by sky-high ambitions, and in pursuit of reaching to the top, Image courtesy ofCW Television Network morale is an unknown territory. photographer, Jonah (played by of both the father and the son sonality, which gives all the more Guitar from page 13 !e show delves into the lives Michael Rady), has no other op- seems almost unreal to digest at reason to watch the show. of seven incredible characters, tion but to give in to a deal where #rst. However, when her persua- Violet (played by singer-song- each with his or her story to tell. his short #lm is directed only out sive personality is assessed, and it writer Ashlee Simpson), who only allow players to use their Xbox !ere is compelling suspense, of fear that he might spill a secret is only leveraged by her ways of recently arrives in Los Angeles, is Live in the game as a play- fashioned by a sense of total am- about the very director, throwing blackmailing and threatening Da- shown to behave in a sort of ec- able character. !ough the stage biguity in the identity of Sydney’s his #lmmaking talent and ability vid to get back with her. centric way, and with her com- presence of three rock legends (played by Laura Leighton) mur- far from any recognition. And guess what? !e saga of ment to Lauren, “We’re good and a signi#cantly smaller, cuter derer. On the other end, an aspiring love conundrums doesn’t stop girls,” she drops a hint for the cartoon character is odd, it is a !e “you can’t put your #nger doctor, Lauren (played by Stepha- here. Ella (played by Katie Cas- viewers to look beyond what ap- welcoming new option for Xbox on it” melodrama is what evokes nie Jacobsen), agrees to sleep with sidy), is a publicity agent for Jo- pears. Not to mention, with a clip owners. Other unlockable play- the thrill that keeps you musing a man out of downright despera- nah and also seems to be falling of Sydney threatening to evict Ella able characters include Johnny until the end. What’s interest- tion for money to pay for medical for David to the point of turning and to ruin her career soon before Cash, and Kurt ing, however, is the fact that the school. It’s the scruples of these him against his girlfriend, Riley her murder, another suspicion Cobain. “suspects” seem to have their own characters that leave a touch of (played by Jessica Lucas), who is presents itself. Overall, Guitar Hero 5 is an- reasons for wanting Sydney out of reality in the show, right in the reluctant to marry Jonah out of Even simple and innocent other solid game that will only the way. face of viewers laying ethics on a the doubt that he is not mature characters seem to be out of line boost the reputation of the fran- It’s the pivotal and power- pedestal. enough. when it comes to achieving their chise and push the genre to the drunk persona of Sydney, which However, if you thought these Although this might suggest goals, and that’s another dismissal next level. Improvements can be points out the grandeur of her were the only striking elements an instance of sanity and gravity at the trustworthiness of any of found nearly everywhere in the control over other characters’ presented by the show, wait un- in relationships, the show twists the characters. game, with very few notable weak lives. til complex relationship triangles the whole idea at the end when El- “Fair is Foul, Foul is Fair,” is points. In a sort of hackneyed style, unfold in the form of an almost la’s orientation is revealed, in the most certainly an apt a slogan for !e game’s current price tag Hollywood’s reality is also set Greek tragedy type drama, with form of her kissing a girl at a bar. the storyline of the show. In es- makes it rather expensive to par- forth in the show through the the trio of Michael (played by Needless to say, the show renders sence, if you’re into a plot with a ticipate in the re#ned experience, million-fold underlying dirty !omas Calabro), his son David relationships for pure pleasure and fair deal of dramatic experience but if you enjoyed the previous in- tricks of achieving one’s goals. (played by Shawn Sipos) and the fun, discarding any signi#cance. and a largely suspense-packed, stallments, Guitar Hero 5 will also Pride and dignity truly seem to ever-in%uential Sydney. Overall, the characters hold a gripping sequence of events, Mel- rock your world. be meaningless when a struggling Sydney being a common lover duality, and a somewhat slick per- rose Place is the show for you.

sliver www.nique.net dwyer for heisman! JazZMaN’s OPEN ALL NIGHT LONG PANDORA FAIL janet bao bao YES! new three days grace “break” love it Eric has the swine!!! Ben should use 2(pi) as his time step... I was confused by the jack black sightings until i realized i had ece with him. Odd, I would have expected him to be questing for the pick of destiny not thevenin equivalency. !e new ticket system is absurd, and the people at the ticket o$ce are rude even when i try to give them even more money Happy Birthday Ben from Hawaii! Football parking sucks! Anyone who moves their car for football parking is swine! A Canadian president?! wtf !e hand sanitizer that SGA gave out smells like poo! I would rather catch the %u than use the hand sanitizer that SGA handed out mehreen iqbal GT campus: enabling you to legitimately say that “school was uphill both ways” since 1885 xkcd ftw Na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na BATMAN! BATMAN! Mario Kart Wheeee! Luda just gave away 20 cars! I’d do that. I’ve got my own cell phone radio, yeaa! !at’ll do pig, that’ll do. !e colorguard this year is lookin HOT! hey guys across from us at woody’s south: those are some pretty cool dance moves hahaha --the WDF north pacman room ladies, c’mon. there’s a barfy in my tummy, so yummy, so yummy nique t4FQUFNCFS tTechnique ENTERTAINMENT Short !lm 9 goes feature length, wows audience ,)'# world. !ough he manages to #nd on Earth, and the nine dolls are quickly turn potentially boring to be desired, but that quickly 9 others like him, he also discovers their next target. moments in the movie into in- changes. !e ending ultimately that they are not completely alone. As the movie progresses, the tense action scenes. !e anticipa- #ts in with the rest of the movie, GENRE: Animation, Fantasy !e dystopian world of 9 is set machines become more and more tion of these scenes only adds to so expect to be pretty satis#ed STARRING: Elijah Wood, devoid of human life because ma- frightening. !ey certainly #t the intensity of the movie. with the movie as a whole. !e John C. Reilly and Jennifer chines have replaced men. !ese in with the dark and somewhat At #rst, it seemed like the end- fast-paced action is really one of Connely machines have eliminated all life scary setting of the #lm, and they ing of the movie left something the best parts of the movie, but many other things come together DIRECTOR: Shane Acker to form one of the best movies of RATING: PG-13 the year. For example, the director con- RELEASED: Sept. 9, 2009 structs a very believable world where men create machines and OUR TAKE: !!!!! where the machines eventually take over the world. Granted, this By Chris Harless isn’t the most original plot. It is Contributing Writer actually repeated over and over in books and movies, but the plot Shane Acker’s 9 takes the au- still manages to capture the imag- dience on an extremely fast-paced ination of the post-apocalyptic thrill ride that maintains its mo- genre fans. mentum from the opening credits !e animation is also one of to the very end. the key parts of the movie, and !e #lm is backed by the leg- it clearly has ’s stamp endary producer Tim Burton all over it. It’s nothing short of su- and an all-star cast of voice actors perb, and the #re and explosions that includes Elijah Wood, John in the movie are particularly phe- C. Reilly, and nomenal. many others. !e movie de#nitely would not !e story of 9 originated from have the same e"ect if the anima- a short #lm by the same title. !e tion wasn’t so attractive, and the director, Acker, received an Oscar visuals are really the most impor- nomination for this short #lm, tant part of the movie. giving him the chance to turn his Acker’s short #lm didn’t even eleven-minute short #lm into a use dialogue because he believed feature-length movie. that the visuals were able to tell While 9 may not be a truly Os- the whole story. car-worthy #lm, it still entertains In an e"ort to make the fea- the audience from start to #nish, ture-length movie more commer- which is one of the most impor- cial, much dialogue was added. tant things movies should do. At Fortunately, it does not detract only an hour and 19 minutes, the from the movie. In fact, the voice movie has no time to slow down, acting is really good, and it gives and the movie’s intensity never each doll a more de#ned person- dies down as a result. ality. !e #lm begins in an old, 9 is one of those rare movies abandoned house where a doll where the #lm actually lives up to wakes up in a world where life the promises that are made in the seems to be completely wiped trailer. !e trailer manages to cap- out. !is doll has been given the ture the excitement and intensity spark of life by an old scientist and of the movie and doesn’t make any is given the name “9” because he empty promises. is the ninth doll that the scientist Especially for a short-#lm has brought to life. turned feature-length, 9 takes all !is doll, voiced by Elijah of the promises from the trailer Wood, quickly discovers that he and delivers an explosive and fast- is one of the few remaining life paced thriller that ranks as one of forms in a dark, post-apocalyptic Tim Burton’s best movies. Image courtesy of Focus Features

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THEME CROSSWORD: FORESIGHT

By Robert Zimmerman United Features Syndicate 45. Goes after game 76. Done without looking 46. Force 77. Choir member ACROSS 47. Welfare 78. Public employees 1. Part of AARP: abbr. 48. Sea eagles 79. Fanatical 5. Hooch 49. Adds extra fat to 80. Aim 10. Historic civil-rights city 50. Betting game 81. Wear, in a way: 2 wds. 15. Outlined 51. Letters on a dial 82. Representative 19. White or Blue river 52. Fashion 84. Treat unjustly 20. Brown pigment 53. Big blood vessel 85. Set 21. Mannerism 54. Detroit player 86. Portent 22. !e Emerald Isle 55. Legless creature 87. !rottle 23. Start of a quip by George 56. Zone 88. Something untrue Carlin: 6 wds. 57. Lost: 2 wds. 92. Flowing garment 27. Bon — (high society) 58. Game for horsemen 95. Pandemonium 28. Scene 59. Part 2 of quip: 6 wds. 96. Colleen 29. Orchid-tuber meal 65. Like cupcakes 97. — Grande 30. Firstborn 66. Passage for vessels 98. End of the quip: 6 wds. 31. Los — 67. Nucha 102. British gun 33. Remedies 68. Romanian currency 103. Herb with aromatic seeds 34. Upright beam 69. Furnishings 104. Prevention amount 35. According to 71. Prepares apples for pie 105. Concerning: 2 wds. 36. Nostrils 72. Zodiac sign 106. Shipshape 37. Relative of a Don Juan 73. Sign 107. Speedway car 41. Item of value 74. Norse deity 108. — Peak, Colo. 44. Cringe 75. — -cornered 109. Expense account charge

DOWN 13. Farrow the actress 37. Drapery hardware: 14. Nonbelievers 2 wds. 1. Bryant or Baker 52. Circus performer 71. Rustic dwelling 88. Broad comedy 15. Make numb 38. Showy %ower: 2 wds. 2. One of the Chipmunks 53. A Titan 72. Skirt shape: hyph. 89. Peace goddess 16. Midway attraction 39. Weathercock 3. Jargon 54. Big books 75. Schedule of events 90. Glittering headband 17. Figure in Greek myth 40. Love god 4. Ariz. neighbor 57. Dogpatch resident 76. Where to buy paperbacks 91. Sing a certain way 18. Yarn woven across the warp 41. State in India 5. More bustling 58. Played on a #fe 77. Liberal — 92. Charge 24. Ait 42. Pert 6. Leaves unmentioned 60. Image 79. Type style 93. Opposing one 25. Less common 43. Disbelief 7. A woodwind 61. Rowed 80. Evidence 94. Nosebag #ller 26. Raines and Fitzgerald 44. Go slowly 8. Buddhist sect 62. Mont- — -Michel 81. Oklahoma county 95. Stylish 32. Sword 45. Seraglio 9. Some deletions 63. Slowly, in music 83. One of the sciences 96. Blockhead 33. Cried like a rook 48. Made a miscalculation 10. Fashions 64. Territory in Canada 84. Capt. Ahab’s ship 99. Literary collection 34. Zoo animal 49. Ne’er-do-well 11. Western Indians 69. Performs 85. Elapses 100. Gallic reply 36. Like some analgesics 50. Metric unit, for short 12. Floodlight 70. Whirlpool 87. Pursue 101. !at boy t4FQUFNCFS tTechnique COMICS

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