When I first heard of Guitar Hero back in June, I decided to pick it up and try it out. I was blown away by the sweet songs and awesome gameplay. After this awesome game, I was thrilled to hear about GH2 coming so soon after I got the first one. So is it on par with the first one? HELL YES.

First off, the songs are just plain better and there are more (40 compared to GH1's 30). Would you rather play Infected or Sweet Child O' Mine? Among the Guns N' Roses classic is Aerosmith's Last Child, Alice in Chain's Them Bones, and Kansas's Carry on My Wayward Son. Sure, GH1's songs were sweet but GH2's just kick ass. Oh and there is nothing like beating the whole game and learning that the last song is Freebird then beating it.

Which leads to a cool new feature. In career mode, after you pull off 3 or 4 songs in a set, you have the option of doing an encore. This brings up a song you didn't have unlocked and it brings out a special effect on stage. Its just a nice little touch to the already great formula.

Multiplayer was a sweet feature in GH1 and its bar has been raised in the new outing. Adding to Face-Off where you switch off parts, there is Pro Face-Off in which each player plays the whole song. And then there's the new hallmark multiplayer feature, Co-Op. You and a buddy play a song with 2 different parts, with combinations of either Lead and Bass or Lead and Rhythm, depending on the song. Playing with your bud is awesome and can't be missed if you have 2 guitar controllers.

The graphics don't push the PS2 to the limit, but graphics aren't that big of a deal when three quarters of the time you eyes are glued to the insane riffs you have to play.

And by insane I mean insane. The difficulty in GH2 has been raised significantly, Expert in the first game is like Hard in the second game. Three button chords, faster solos and sections, and just plain harder songs make this game a true challenge.

So this is in my opinion one of the greatest PS2 games ever and is totally worth the 70 or 80 bucks you need to fork over for the game and controller. ROCK ON!!!!!

Sounds: They are totally awesome it's like yuo are really rocking out!

Graphics: The weakest part, but who cares you don't really need that since you are concentrating on the game.

Gameplay: Has good controls. New cool features.

Score: 5/5 (Just Full of FUN!!)

Wake -weird intro sound...beeping...here come the drums...guitar...
buildup OMG buildup...here it comes....crazy riff, wow. alright.
that sounds so "fresh and new". wow! nice drumming. dope intro. sets the tone for a good CD...I hope.

Given Up -already heard most of it, it's alright. not the greatest.
the first real track is next...can't wait. chester sure does scream nicely. 2nd verse=nice
not a bad song at all. pretty crazy but not that great. it's average.
LP CUSSED lmao. IT'S GREAT TOO. the bridge is PURE OWNAGE. holy SHIT THE SCREAM GOES ON SO LONG.
the bridge makes it SO GOOD. the last chorus gets you into it so much. REALLY NICE.

Leave Out All the Rest -intro sounds different. p5hng me aw*y samples O_o
what the hell, chester. crazy! very nice verses. chorus is SUCH POP. VERY pop. sounds like backstreet
boys. such a beautiful song. total new direction, never heard anything like this. its really nice.
so different for LP. its so emotional....I really like it. forgetttinggggggg <3
outro is great. NICE SONG. so good.

Bleed It Out -walking steps...talking....MIKE SHINODA YES!!!!!!!!!!!!
chorus is alright. WOW ....MIKE ....THIS IS FUCKING AMAZING. chorus goes nicely. mike is such pwnage.
hes really good. bridge....is alright. chester screaming O_O kinda like it. different song structure too.
I really like this song. very nice. nothing bad so far about the CD! can't wait to go back and rock to Mike.
such amazingness. outro is nice. the structure pwns.

Shadow of the Day -sounds like NIN's closer. soft, synthy guitar. basssss. woah chester O_o
it's so.....soft. it's on a synthy beat and Leave out all the rest was like that. its too similar...
the suuuun will set for youuuuu. here come the real drums. I like the way this is going. he sounds better
over drums. strings are very nice david campbell! it keeps getting better as it goes on, so it's not bad
at all. CHESTER, VERY NICE. holy shit brad!! short but nice BBB. ive got the chorus in my head already and
it's not even over. oh wow brad again. long song! nice ending yes! I love it!! nice fadeout.
oh wow it keeps going. OH I SEE NOW, it's the intro into WID that they did live! I get it!
that's so cool.

What I've Done -heard it fucking a million times. so amazing still. very strong song. catchy chorus, PWNAGE
guitar in the bridge, the breakdown is hot and then the buildup is nice. the ending is really good.
you really respect the vocals that were done in one take here. I still love it. na na na na, na na na na!
I just noticed the CD is almost halfway over. wow, so short. WHAT I'VE DOOOOOOOOONE. the music video is hot also.
the song hasn't gotten old over all this time (since april 2), but wow now it seems so old for some reason...
still great. one of my favorite songs ever.

Hands Held High -intro surprised me. church music on top of....soft guitar? marching drums!
HOLY SHIT Mike, here it comes! wow, he's doing so good. my mouth flew open in the middle of his verse.
this is such pwnage of fort minor...mouth continues opening. WOW. HOLY FUCKING SHIT MIKE.
aaaaaammmeeeennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn. wow what a...powerful song dude. Mike DUDE HOLY. SHIT. WOW.
mikes message is hitting home hard...its about iraq...getting so many chills here. so many.
shedding a tear....getting so emotional. chorus again, holy shit this is the best track ive ever heard.
best song ever. bridge is very different, so awesome. ammmmennnnn keeps going, it's so...powerful.
wow, nice. MIKE WOW!!!! best. track. ive. ever. heard. in. my. life.

No More Sorrow -YES HERE WE GO. fuck yessss the violin. I can't wait ahhhh. DRUMS FUCKING OWN.
CLAP THAT SHIT UP, HERE WE GO. THIS IS IT. oh my god it's about to OWN. I like the bass in half that drum
intro extended part (lmao @ me having no idea what im saying). YES. WOW.
chester sounds so rough! I wonder why he sounds like that. you trade money for lies! Mike on the prechorus!
NOOOOOOOO, NO MORE SORROW, I'VE PAID FOR YOUR MISTAKES. ohhh man it's great. Mike on the chorus too!
such amazing placement after hands held high. it fits so well...it has to be anti-bush. the song is
so fucking angry man, the bridge is MEAN. not gonna be one of my fav songs cause of the roughness, but
I think the intro is god damn straight up amazing. I wish it wasn't as 'rough', I don't like it that much.
live version is a little better. *LATER EDIT: stupid comment about the violin: I know it was an Ebow lmao*

Valentine's Day -wind? guitar....chester sounds so...BABY'ish! sounds emo! my chemical romance maybe.
oh he's getting better. wow yes he is so good. this is the pwnage of my december. chester is sounding
good now. guitar is coming up maybe? he keeps going...it sounds like its gonna break it up here.
just single guitar notes and drums now. keyboard! yes! WOW. IT GOT HEAVY. on a valentines day!!!!
it goes from so soft to being so 'tough'. doubled vocals! it sounds really nice too. DUDE.
THIS IS AWESOME. I love this. abrubt ending, but DAMN. wow. once it got going it just sounded so emo
on the very very first listen to me but after it was over I realized the structure of it and wooooow.

In Between -intro sounds familiar...repeat that. WOAH MIKE. such a different aspect of him. he sounds
good, wow. he doesnt sound bad. hes a great singer! I really like this. interesting how the band is
gonna come in on this later on. im so surprised - Mike is doing really good. the rhymes are just flowing.
its like hes rapping but hes not...hes singing and making it work really nicely. oooooooooohhhhhhhhh, there's
chester in the background. breakdown into SOME BEAUTIFUL FUCKING GUITAR. HOLY SHIT. lots of strings now.
its so soft, but Mike. WOW. YES. OWNAGE. AWESOME. A+++++++++. abrupt end. onto the next. nice.

In Pieces -xylaphone. what a fucking funky beat. xylaphone over a crazy ass beat. its soft singing over a punk/ska
beat. its totally crazy. talking about lies again. its gradually going up, I can hear it I think.
ok heres some guitar finally. hey it's some joe hahn! nice! chester sings so soft, I really think that's
enough soft singing. this might be one of my least favorite songs. it doesnt suck at all but it just isn't
as strong as the rest. GUITAR SOLO HOLY SHIT. woah two guitars come in now. going heavy at the end I guess!
my opinion just changed. "I won't be the one to leave this in pieces". that's really nice. he sounds great
over this instrumental. that was crazy. worst track so far, but still it's so different it owns everything
theyve ever done before. DAMN.

The Little Things Give You Away -most anticipated. here we go. sounds like a nine inch nails beat with
guitar on/off noises you know? acoustic guitar. hmm. soft singing over this acoustic guitar. hmm. it
really brings the lyrics out. it's very good. the levees are breakin'. the message here is nice, I think
the lyrical aspect of this is niiiiice. and he keeps going. its a nice message.
HERE WE GO. its getting heavier....and he keeps on singing. this is so nice. it got just a bit heavier and is
flowing nicely. chester dude, this is one of the best songs he's ever done. WOAH breakdown into a nice drum
beat. it totally fits the mood and flows SO WELL. hey it's piano! more guitar! wow. what the fuck it's so soft
but I'm sitting here screaming in my mind IT'S SO FUCKING AMAZING. here comes guitar. BRAD DELSON TIME.
wow!!!! holy fucking shit. its so...soft but its OWNING AHH. omg more chester. YES. wow.....so many chills.
mike! that doesn't sound like him at all. the little things give you away. I like them both singing at the same
time. its so...powerful. they keep going. no more drums or guitar. aaaaaaoooohhhhhhh. WOW.
THEY ARE BOTH ARE SO POWERFUL TOGETHER.
WHAT A FUCKING WAY TO END THE RECORD. the last part just totally killed me. so perfect.
HOLY SHIT WOW.

....
fucking wow.

The original God of War was an action gaming masterpiece from start to finish. Its Greek mythology-derived storyline, blanketed with larger-than-life set pieces and timeless characters and themes, provided the perfect backdrop to an incredibly intense and engaging action romp. We dubbed it our pick for not only Best Action Game but overall Game of the Year for 2005, and to this day it stands as one of, if not the greatest, action games ever released. Though Kratos wound up sitting atop his throne as the God of War at the first game's finale, his tale was far from over. God of War II picks up right where the original left off and follows the anti-hero on his continued path of revenge.

When the sequel was announced, fans wondered not if it would be a worthy follow-up but whether Sony's Santa Monica Studio would actually be able to outdo the original. After all, rather than making the leap to next-gen, the developer decided to keep the franchise on the PlayStation 2 for the time being. Citing matured technology that would allow them to focus on content rather than having to work through the growing pains associated with in-progress engine development, Santa Monica Studios took the road most traveled and wound up producing what amounts to a near-perfect sequel.
The answer is that yes, Santa Monica has indeed managed to better the original, though given how fantastic the first title was, just barely. It's not an exponential improvement, one that an appearance on the PlayStation 3 may have brought, but rather an evolutionary one that has seen what small imperfections the original God of War contained polished out.

While we're not going to provide any significant spoilers that anyone who's followed the game thus far wouldn't already know, those of you who want to know absolutely nothing about the story should skip ahead to the next paragraph right about… now. The second chapter of Kratos' story once again revolves around revenge, and after being Metroided out of your godly status and powers, you head off to find the Sisters of Fate to set things right again. Well, "right" is only from Kratos' perspective as the story in God of War II isn't about black and white / good vs. evil, but rather all about perspectives. Even more so than the first game, God of War II taps into Greek mythology for a vast assortment of characters, settings and, more importantly this time, purpose, power and greed. Does that make this tale better? Frankly, it's quite arguable and it's a close one to call, but we think so. Only time (and really, another game) will tell us which chapter stands up stronger in the long run, but God of War II's story certainly doesn't disappoint. It's likely that some folks may be a little disappointed in the ending as it's obvious Kratos' journey is far from over, but it's been known for some time that a third game has been planned all along so none of this should come as a shocking surprise.
The combat mechanics are practically identical to the original title, and for good reason as it was already perfect the first time out. Kratos does have a few new moves up his sleeve however, some of which are just cooler versions of previous moves while some are totally brand-new and replace some existing techniques. But mechanically, if you've played the first game you'll be able to jump right in and slice the living hell out of everything around you. Instant gratification in the palm of your hands, just the way we like it.

Combat wouldn't be of much use without someone or something to kill, but luckily ancient Greece was filled with all sorts of crazy SOBs with their guts hanging out, just begging to be sliced in half. There's a larger pallet of minions to kill this time, some of which have come back for a second helping. Medusas are back, more decayed in form than before, and some of which are able to flash-freeze you if aren't careful. Cyclops are here in full effect, usually showing up when called out by little dwarfish-demons that tend to climb atop a nearby Cyclops and steer it like a wrecking machine. Boars, Cerberi, skeletons, hulking green beasts and more stand in your way to the Sisters of Fate.
God of War II features a number of small puzzles scattered throughout the game, and while none of them are exactly classics in the Zelda sense of the word, they're almost all really well done and are short enough as to not slow down the pacing of the game. One or two were a bit tricky and a little more difficult to solve than what we saw in the first game, but we all know Kratos to be a thinker first and foremost so they're quickly overcome.

We did come across two puzzles however that seemed a little rough around the edges and whose otherwise straightforward solution suffered a bit from imperfect implementation. By that we mean that both of them required putting something in just the right place, and if it was off by just a tad, it looked like we were on the wrong path altogether. One involved putting a pedestal on a platform and using it to block the platform from rising all the way up. On our first try, the pedestal "popped" off the platform as if it was either supposed to be all the way on or off, so we wound up trying a number of other things until we finally came back and happened to put it in just the right spot. In both of these cases the areas were rather small without too many other things to try, but it was certainly confusing to attempt the actual solution first only to have it fail and then wind up being lost for 10 minutes.
God of War II may in fact be the best action game ever made. It outdoes the original God of War in every way, even if only by a tiny bit as the first was so good to begin with. It's an evolutionary step rather than a revolutionary leap, but it has basically perfected the formula that the original set up. If you own a PlayStation 2 (or PS3) and don't mind excessive amounts of blood, you absolutely must play this game. If you don't own a PS2, find someone who does and sit yourself down in front of their TV for 12 or so hours as you'll otherwise be missing out on one of gaming's most intense and engaging experiences available.

OVERALL RATING: 9.7/10

A poignant but gritty, challenging yet touching depiction of two damaged souls in the South, Hustle and Flow director and writer Craig Brewer has scored again with Black Snake Moan. From the opening scene to the final credits, this is a film with numerous layers and themes, all of which are equally riveting and complex.

Ronnie (Justin Timberlake) has decided that it is his duty to serve his country and is shipping out the following day, much to his girlfriend Rae's (Christina Ricci) dismay. As he pulls out of the driveway, Rae first makes us aware that Ronnie's departure evokes deeply rooted anxiety and panic attacks. We later learn that the panic stems from childhood sexual abuse and, ironically, is satiated only by more loveless sex. As a result, she has garnered a reputation as a tramp and is treated as such by everyone from the local pimp to her own mother who turned a blind eye to the abuse. When Rae tries to block out the pain of Ronnie's absence with drugs and alcohol, she falls into the wrong hands and is left for dead on the side of the road.

Lazarus (Samuel L. Jackson) is trying to block some pain of his own. His wife has left him for his younger brother and in spite of their attempts to receive his blessing there is no forgiveness in his hardened heart. After a night of drinking and some talented blues playing, he wanders out to the road and finds Rae, barely clothed, bloodied and beaten. Being a good Christian, he knows he can't leave her there with a clear conscious and throws her over his shoulder to take her inside.

Despite the misleading advertising, the relationship Lazarus and Rae develop is quite paternal. He does some research to find out who she is, gets his friend at the pharmacy to prescribe some medicine for her, cooks for her, and tends to her wounds. When her drug and anxiety induced fits send her frantically trying to escape, Lazarus performs the ultimate fatherly duty of chaining her to the radiator. This, of course, enrages Rae at first but it also provides a chance for a relationship to develop and a believable explanation for it. Rae tries to manipulate Lazarus in her usual manner of seduction and when he does not succumb, trust and respect for him slowly but surely results.

When Ronnie gets discharged from the military with his own anxiety problems, he comes home to discover an empty house. His alleged "friend" informs him of Rae's wild ways and that she is incapable of being faithful, which sends him into a rage. This leads to another highly emotional confrontation and resolution with the help of the Reverend John Coltrane, a long time friend and confidante of Lazarus.
At no point during the film does it occur that you are watching a performance. The actors, although stars, completely envelop their characters, thus erasing any trace of their celebrity. This is not a surprise for veterans such as Sam Jackson and Christina Ricci but Justin Timberlake kept up with these high standards as well. Not afraid to be vulnerable by committing to his rage and love for Rae, he proves under Craig Brewer's direction to be a capable actor (in addition to bringing sexy back and knowing exactly what every girl wants for Christmas).

The structure of the story is brilliant. The parallels between Lazarus and Rae are a heartwarming example of how we are all sharing a human experience despite the obvious differences in circumstances. Nothing is shown to us in black and white. Brewer is generous enough to let us draw our own conclusions and take from the film whatever we choose.

Infused with great blues music, themes of sexual abuse, anxiety disorder, adultery, redemption, healing and a desperate love story, there is something for everyone in this film. A beautiful and original movie without being obscure or difficult to follow, Black Snake Moan is highly recommended for anyone who is tired of films with scripts that insult their intellect or that boast superficial performances by mediocre actors.

OVERALL RATING: 10/10

A sure way to tell the quality of a band is to listen to their collection of b-side tracks, which in today's age of media saturation, can almost invariably be found on a single compilation disc somewhere. Anthrax's Attack of the Killer Bs, Green Day's Shenanigans, Pearl Jam's Lost Dogs, and NOFX's 45 or 46 Songs That Weren't Good Enough to Go on Our Other Records are all examples of compilation discs that are good enough to stand on their own merits.

Add Remains, the latest release from Alkaline Trio, to that list. The collection of b-sides, EP tracks and international releases from the Chicago-based punk band is good enough that those who do not know a lot about the band may not know it's a compilation. Those who are fans of the band will probably not even have all the tunes included here. A winning scenario for everyone is the end result of an album that was pieced together from bits and pieces of a multitude of other records.

What makes this record so good is that from start to finish, it is classic Alkaline Trio. Their bread and butter--songs that speak of broken relationships and depression that are handled with bitterness and acrimony instead of crying and sorrow--can be found strewn all over this album. In fact, it is the fact that Alkaline Trio can do this without sounding similar from song to song that makes them a solid band.


One example is the track "Jaked on Green Beers." Singer/guitar player Matt Skiba sings, "It's been a long time since I've been close to you. It's been a long time since I've been sad. It's been a while since I've really spent time with you. I wish I could take back the times that I've had. The only thing that you ever really did for me is make me oh so miserable. And the hope that I never see your face again is anything but questionable. I hope this is goodbye."

In addition to their trademark tracks, Alkaline Trio has also added some cover tunes to the record. Among the covers is "Rooftops", a cover of the Hot Water Music song that Alkaline Trio released on the split series disc with the post-hardcore band. Also on the docket of covers is the song "Metro" which Alkaline Trio borrowed from 80s new wave band Berlin. Subtle background additions to the track give it a classic Alkaline Trio edge.

The band even penned "Sadie", an ode to Susan Atkins, infamous member of the Manson Family. The track is haunting and is even sprinkled with actual testimony from the trial for effect. Remains finishes with a trio of live tracks, appropriately enough.

While the individual tracks on Remains may have been recorded over a period of years and never meant to be compiled and packaged together, it is a testament to the songwriters of Alkaline Trio that such a varied group of songs could come together so easily and fit so well with each other.

Definitely Download:
1. "Metro"
2. "Hell Yes"
3. "Warbrain"
4. "We Can Never Break Up"
5. "Fine Without You"
6. "Jaked on Green Beers"
7. "Queen of Pain"

OVERALL RATING: 7.3

There aren't a lot of directors today whose movies I'd see even if the plot revolved around paint drying, but David Fincher is one of them. God knows the man legitimized music-video helmers-turned-filmmakers more than any working director, and one suspects that if his story did actually hinge upon the above "plot," that would indeed be some damn beautiful enamel airing out up there on the screen.

His latest movie, curiously enough, is a story that does seem a little dry on occasion -- and I mean that as a compliment. Sublimating all of the visual trickery that distinguished his previous films from the b- and c-grade genres from whence they came, Fincher creates a righteous epic about San Francisco's Zodiac killer and in so doing offers a cathartic close to the exact kind of serial tomes that made his name as an a-list moviemaker.

While presented as a largely linear retelling of the crimes and their subsequent investigation by authorities, Zodiac is essentially the JFK of true-crime thrillers: a swirling mass of misinformation and conspiracy theory where the truth is always just out of reach. In the film, Jake Gyllenhaal (Jarhead) plays Robert Graysmith -- a political cartoonist for the San Francisco Tribune who is unexpectedly drawn into the case after a colleague, Paul Avery (Robert Downey Jr.), is assigned to cover it for the paper. Simultaneously, the cops are staging their own investigation, led by David Toschi (Mark Ruffalo) and William Armstrong (Anthony Edwards). Soon enough, the authorities and the news media are engaged in a tug-of-war to track the killer, whose headline-grabbing antics embarrass the police and drive circulation through the roof.

It comes as no small surprise that Fincher takes a decidedly unshowy approach chronicling the various characters' efforts. While in the past he catapulted his camera into the catacombs of his locations, not to mention his characters' fractured psyches, here he is a study in directorial restraint -- mainly because the business of catching serial killers is frequently unexciting, arid stuff. Choosing everyman faces rather than movie-star charm for his cops, Fincher inundates the screen in procedural minutiae; "t's" are crossed and "i's" are dotted, and when they aren't the oversight is revisited to (usually) terrific importance. The hunky camaraderie of Pitt and Freeman is long gone, replaced here by long hours, late nights and thankless dedication.
That said, Fincher definitely does have a style for this film, albeit one more consistent with movies like All the President's Men or Bullitt -- a look all the more distinctive because it is so understated. Fincher shot the movie with a new digital camera that features little to no compression and as such has an extremely saturated image quality. In other words, the director integrated his visual flourishes so completely into the fabric of the film that they will likely go unnoticed by everyone but the most observant viewers.

Gyllenhaal's boy-next-door looks do a great job conveying Graysmith's inexperience first as a reporter, then a detective. He's one of the few young actors who seems to know how to use his looks to his character's advantage rather than just his own. As Avery, meanwhile, Downey contributes the same kind of feverish unpredictability as in past roles, but this time applies it to the overall arc rather than his own secretive purposes in each scene. He lets his character's deterioration become a metaphor for the case's infuriating and inescapably destructive impact on virtually all who come in contact with it, offering a poignant and human throughline for a tale often obsessed with protocol and red tape.

On the "cop" side, Ruffalo redeems himself of at least a couple of the romantic comedies that he made in recent years. As another of the case's "casualties" -- a victim of its never-ending pursuit -- he earns hard-won liberty by film's end, but still bears the burden of its lingering uncertainty. Ruffalo was born to play these kinds of characters -- a Don Gordon-style actor who lends credibility to the scripted shoe leather -- and he reminds audiences of the talent he displayed in films like You Can Count on Me.

Ultimately, however, Zodiac is Fincher's show. In interviews, the director said he didn't just want to make another serial killer movie, but the last one. And he has accomplished that mammoth task, at least artistically. By crafting a sprawling yet strangely mundane epic about the case, Fincher all but completely ruins the idea that fictional characters like Hannibal Lecter will ever be as scary as their real-life counterparts, even if Seven's John Doe would appreciate the level of detail Fincher devotes to bringing this story to life. It's because this film refuses to exploit serial-killer clichés that it elevates them to new heights.

So even if this film doesn't provide superficial thrills or tear down box office records, its position in the subgenre's canon is assured. Although it takes some audiences a few years to discover that watching paint dry isn't merely a good thing, but a great way to deconstruct the whole process of painting in the first place.

OVERALL RATING: 10/10

Last year, Sony Computer Entertainment emerged as a sports underdog with one of the best titles of the year in MLB '06: The Show. A stronger Career mode along with additions like a redefined batting system and addictive King of the Diamond mini-game went a long way to reversing years of weaker performing titles from the franchise. Of course, the pressure on SCE's part was to deliver a follow up to this impressive performance with a more robust feature set and stronger gameplay. Capitalizing on the success of the name, SCE has recently delivered MLB '07: The Show, and like its predecessor, improves on the series in just about every single way.

Last year, the primary focus of the game was placed on batting with the redesigned Zone Control Batting system. This year, the attention turns to towards the mound, with a two part system designed solely around the pitcher. Of course, every pitcher has a set number of pitches they are good at throwing. The Pitch Command System not only places them on the controller from strongest to weakest (X being your best pitch, R1 being your weakest), it evaluates the confidence that your pitcher has in that particular ball as it leaves his hand with a meter. As you land more strikes or get players out with a particular pitch, your pitcher's faith in that pitch will grow, and it will get much stronger. For example, fastballs will have more speed and curveballs will break more over the plate.
Pitchers will have to vary up their pitches while they're on the mound, however. Constantly relying on one specific pitch over another not only sells your opponent on what you're willing to toss, it decreases the effectiveness of your other pitches. As a result, MLB 07 adds in the other part of the pitching system, Adaptive Pitching Intelligence, which is governed by the catcher. During the game, your catcher will read the situation, batter that your facing and strength of the pitches you're throwing and give you a suggestion of what you should throw and where in (or out) of the zone you should place the ball. Players then have the opportunity to disregard that pitch and choose a separate pitch and location, or can choose to follow the suggestion and hopefully deliver a strike. It may seem like a minor adjustment, but it can add to the strategy of the game when you're trying to balance your pitches and how you're painting the strike zone.

Then again, you'll also need to worry about whether or not the umpire thinks your pitch is a valid strike, or if you're going to unintentionally walk half the lineup. MLB '07 now features Umpire Personalities that dictates how the plate ump will call the game. You have a chance to pull down one of three different guys during any particular matchup, which will force you to adjust your playing style on the fly. Loose strike zone umps will often call strikes, even if the pitch is clearly a ball, which will force you to be on your toes. Tight strike zone umps won't be so forgiving on borderline balls, so if you try to paint the corners, you may find a lot of balls being called. Otherwise, you may run into an ump that calls it right down the middle, so a ball is a ball and a strike is a strike.
While it's great that the game "keeps pitchers honest" with calls this way, it sucks that you have to essentially stumble into figuring out what kind of umpire you're going to have. Major league teams know which umpires are loose with their calls and which ones are sticklers for the zone, so whenever they see them step behind the plate, the pitchers know how to adjust their game. Unfortunately, you don't have any warning or information to discover this, so you can potentially go through two or three innings before you have a full sense of how the game will be called, which can potentially be dangerous to your score.
Now, even though most of the changes have been made to the pitching side of the ball, batters do have a slight adjustment this year thanks to the new Swing Analysis system. Every now and then (especially on the higher difficulty levels like Hall of Fame) you could swear that you timed your swing just right, and somehow you managed to miss the ball entirely. Thanks to the Swing Analysis system, players can evaluate whether their timing on their swing is too early or too late to connect with the ball, if they were in a good or bad position to hit a pitch, and where it was located in the strike zone. This is an extremely valuable tool, especially when you're trying to determine why you keep going three up, three down in innings. It also helps you adjust your stroke on the ball so you can get on base more consistently.

Once you're on base, you can take advantage of the new Baserunner targeting system, which lets you point the left analog stick in the direction of a base to select the runner. As soon as he's selected, his icon will blink on the diamond display, and you can hit a specific button to send him to that base. This effectively replaces the Classic baserunning mechanic of sending a character from, say, first to third, because you can literally highlight the first baseman and direct him to that base with one button press. It's a nice addition, but it can sometimes be a bit sticky as far as trying to parcel out directions before the pitch.
The other tweak is to the fielding system, which implements a new meter to determine the strength of a throw from a player. The longer you hold down the button, the harder the throw is to your intended target. The problem with the fielding system is that the meter is somewhat inconsequential to the actual play, especially since certain throws are automatically determined to be light throws even when you've been holding the button for a while. Since it doesn't seem to actually affect the accuracy of the throw, even though it's supposed to, the feature seems somewhat ineffectual to the gameplay. As a quick aside though, why is almost every throw a one hopper? If I'm on first base, I don't need to hop to toss the ball back to the pitcher, yet just about every single player will do this. Yet for some reason, just about every throw involves a hop before it leaves a player's hand.

While last year's career mode wasn't really breathed on (apart from the updated menu system and presentation), MLB '07 features a brand new take on the career mode with Road to the Show. Similar to Superstar mode from Madden, you'll create a player and solely experience the league from that position's perspective. You're not the manager of the team you're on -- the computer handles all of those details. As a result, the computer will give you either situational tasks, like swinging away during an at bat, or specific goals to accomplish, such as not getting tagged out when you're on base or driving a run home. Successfully performing these tasks will add to the number of points you can use to boost your player's stats, making him a more formidable player in the game as well as increasing his status amongst the club. Consistently fail tasks, and you'd better expect to be spending a ton of time stuck in the minors until you can prove to your skipper that you deserve another shot at The Bigs.
Players can also keep on top of the latest news going on in the MLB with a Sportscast that updates the MLB ticker at the bottom of the screen with news and other details. You'll also be able to update rosters (which you'll need to do out of the box, since they are a month old), but there's also one very cool side feature that most players might not expect. Previous MLB titles have always featured a ton of various sliders that you can use to tweak your game to create the perfect settings for you. Players now have the ability to save these adjusted settings and upload them to the MLB servers, where other players can download them. If you ever felt that you could determine the best settings for the game, such as not being able to guess a pitch or eliminating the throwing meter, here's your chance to help your fellow MLB player.

Visually, MLB 07 hasn't really received a significant facelift in graphics from last year. The stadiums will still feature a lot of generic background textures with a lot of aliasing issues and rendering passes that will crop up on camera angles. Crowd textures are a bit smoother than they were in last year's game, although every now and then they'll perform in this weird animation loop that pops them back into place after a few seconds. Fortunately, many of the players' character models have been improved significantly from last year's game. The seams on character models have been significantly reduced, their hands now actually look more realistic, and the faces of the players now look much better. While they're not going to approach those of a PS3 or 360 baseball game, the detail is probably just as good as the PS2 will be able to produce.
The sound hasn't changed significantly either. Players will still get razzed by fans, the crowd will still roar or express disappointment based on how the home team is doing, and Vasgersian, Hudler and Campbell are still somewhat behind in their play calling. At the very least, the timing of a call has been tightened up somewhat, so that instead of being five to seven seconds behind the onscreen action, they're around 3-5 now. It's a minor adjustment, but it does help. The game also still packs the diverse musical soundtrack from previous years, with rock and rap songs filling out the selections for the game.

Closing Comments
It's nice to see a sports franchise build upon the previous year's gains with some new solid game features. Whereas MLB '06 came across as a basic correction of buggy franchise play, MLB '07 actually tries to push the series and the sport further ahead particularly thanks to its Road to the Show career mode, redesigned pitching system and online options. Look no further, because The Show has gone back to back for the crown of the best baseball game around.

OVERALL RATING: 8.5

How big is Fall Out Boy's latest album? Thundering metal riffs and ad-libs from label chief Jay Z litter the brash opening cut, "Thriller"; named after Michael Jackson's famous zombie-infested music video. The chances of the Chicago native pop-punk quartet shrinking their sound for their second major label album were slim to none. Thankfully, the album holds the weight of the puffy sing-a-long hooks and hard-charging rock well, even if it does feel more like a collection of singles than a cohesive album.

Towering sing-a-long hooks and slickly written songs are nothing new for Fall Out Boy, and they do an excellent job of taking full advantage of what they do well as a band. Patrick Stump's soulful melody-dripping vocals are spot-on throughout the album, as are the band's harmonized anthemic hooks. Their love of monstrous ultra-catchy hooks and soulful vocal styling might be the reason some have shunned Fall Out Boy, but it is the same thing that makes them so incredibly hard to ignore; and even harder not to cheer on. Lead songwriter, or at least lyricist, Peter Wentz scores repeatedly with slickly written verses and irresistible chest-pounding hooks that beg for listener participation.

Without straying too far away from the sound that got them invited to the mainstream, Fall Out Boy push themselves a bit. Strutting riffs shake over a hip-hop beat on lead-single, "This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race". Stump's swaggering soulful verses give way to a frantic all-out, "I'm a leading man / And the lies I weave are oh so intricate", hook. The unavoidable track eventually warns newfound fans, "This bandwagon's full / Please catch another"; leaving a boatload of new fans standing teary-eyed at the bandwagon bus stop.


Smack-dab in the middle of it all, Fall Out Boy break into a gorgeous piano-driven neo-soul ballad, "Golden". While it feels like it has no place on the otherwise ravenous rock album, the '70s soulful feel is an unexpected and pleasant surprise. The haunting tune also features some of the strongest lyrics on the album, with lines like, "Tongues on the sockets of electric dreams / When the sewage of youth drowned the spark of my teens". Perhaps not as surprising, the album's most dramatic cut is found at the end, in the form of "I've Got All This Ringing In My Ears And None On My Fingers". The theatre-quality drama of Stump's vocals brings the ever so faint scent of Queen to the '70s inspired rocker; complete with rolling guitar riff. Proving the ability to write clever lyrics for songs large and small, smartly written line, "You're a canary, I'm a coalmine", deftly captures the tragic truth of a dying relationship.

An eyebrow raising hire of legendary R&B producer Babyface resulted in two cuts on the album, although how he was not used for the neo-soul "Golden" is perhaps the biggest head-scratcher. The first pairing comes in the form of the longest title on the album, "I'm Like A Lawyer With The Way I'm Always Trying To Get You Off (Me & You)". While longtime fans of the band might shudder at the thought of the boys going R&B, they have nothing to fear; the slick track may not connect as well as some of the more hook-friendly numbers, but no less rocking despite the gorgeous harmonized vocals.

The second collaboration with the soul producer is "Thnks Fr Th Mmrs"; or "Thanks For The Memories", if you buy a vowel or three. Needling strings and stabbing riffs dance beneath the hard-charging beat on the brilliantly written tell-off tune. The irresistible, "One night and one more time / Thanks for the memories / Even though they weren't that great / 'He tastes like you, only sweeter'", hook is among the best on the album, and Babyface earns some rock cred with sparkling production that includes a stripped-down Spanish guitar section.

The constant hook-to-bridge-to-hook flow of the storming rockers will leave listeners hoarse from all the sing-a-longs Fall Out Boy strews across the album. Oddly enough, "The Take Over, The Brakes Over", named after a Jay Z lyric, follows the track that he was featured on, rather than actually featuring him; although song titles matching up with lyrics have never been Fall Out Boy's strong suit. The punchy riffed number is not quite as catchy as "Arms Race", but it is not far off either. The hard charging beat and ultra-catchy lyrics slam together bridges and hooks to the point the whole song sounds like one big chorus with absent verses; in the end, it is just too much fun to care.

Chugging rocker "Don't You Know Who I Think I Am?" is rather cliché-happy, featuring a dual cliché hook, "They say quitters never win / But we walk the plank on a sinking ship", and opening lines, "A penny for your thoughts / but a dollar for your insides", though the '80s musical breeze that it rides in on makes it forgivable. Itchy guitars drive "Hum Hallelujah", winning with less of a hook for once on the album. Despite all the swelled-up hooks, Fall Out Boy only get too big for their britches once; on the arena-rocker "The (After) Life Of The Party", where the soaring hook and strings float away from them.

Infinity On High is a huge album, full of non-stop sing-a-long hooks (after bridges, after hooks), full-speed-ahead rock, and smart songwriting. Fall Out Boy does a great of focusing on what they do best, but the album does drown itself a bit with all the overwhelming enormity of it all. Loaded with radio-ready singles it may seem a strange complaint, but a few mid-tempo numbers to break things up a bit more would have gone a long way to making the album Fall Out Boy's masterpiece rather than another solid step towards it.

Definitely Download:
1. "This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race"
2. "Thnks Fr Th Mmrs"
3. "The Take Over, The Brakes Over"
4. "Hum Hallelujah"
5. "I've Got All This Ringing In My Ears And None On My Fingers"
6. "Golden"

OVERALL: 8.3

The danger with moving comedy from the small to big screen is that, often, concepts that work in short installments do not translate into laughs when stretched into a longer format. Perfect examples would be any of the Saturday Night Live movies from the late '90s. Luckily, Reno 911!: Miami does not fall into this trap. Instead, it is the perfect extension of an already hilarious show, and its move for an R rating was a wise decision. Reno 911!: Miami is the TV show unleashed, and once it loosens the belt, it is a marvel and a joy to behold.

For those unfamiliar with the Comedy Central Reno: 911! show, it is an improv-based spoof on TV police series like Cops, only the Reno police department is made up of the most inappropriate, racist, horniest, befuddled and generally hilarious cops this side of L.A. Throughout the course of the show, the cameras ride along and catch their lack of professionalism, perpetual law-breaking and all-around buffoonery and package it mockumentary-style. The show has enjoyed a great deal of success on Comedy Central, leading to four seasons and several decked-out DVD sets and compilations.

The show is a mere 30 minutes, and that time span works well for the loose narratives and episodic humor, but for a film, a larger framework is needed in order to keep the festivities jumping for an hour and a half. Luckily, the creators seized on the idea of sending our favorite ne'er-do-wells to a police convention in South Beach: a concept both hilarious and ironic (leading to the title Reno 911!: Miami). Comparing the awful cops of Reno to virtually any other police force in America is ripe comedy pickings already, but when all of the gathered forces are quarantined inside a convention hall, leaving the inept cops as the only law enforcement officials in all of Miami, the hilarity meter is cranked to 11.

All of the characters from the series are on-board: Jim Dangle (Thomas Lennon), the flamboyant and conceited short-shorted leader; trailer-living simpleton Deputy Junior (Ben Garant, who also directs); Deputy Raineesha Williams (Niecy Nash), a sassy headstrong cop who knows how to fill out a thong; Deputy Trudy Wiegel (Kerry Kenney), the half-cocked sexual-starved wingnut; Deputy Jones (Cedric Yarbrough), an action-first/questions-later (in every sense of the word) officer; Deputy Garcia (Carlos Alazraqui), the straightest shooter of the bunch; Deputy Clementine Johnson (Wendi McLendon-Covey), a promiscuous lady cop who lets it all hang out, literally; and Deputy Cherisa Kimbal (Mary Birdsong), whose sexual orientation is a constant source of discussion in the department.

The meat of the movie centers on this inept department's attempts to police Miami, a city much larger and crime-filled than their normal stomping grounds. Once they take over, a good deal of time is spent on the routine calls they take in order to keep Miami safe: getting a gator out of a pool, fielding a noise complaint at a rapper's house, disposing of a whale that's been washed ashore at a nudist beach.

The whole affair is held together by a through-story involving a Miami drug lord, which is really just a device to keep the action moving forward. That's not to say that the main plot is not welcome or funny; the whole film manages to elicit plenty of cackles.

The real treat is that the humor is not bound by the confines of cable TV. The blur bars have been removed, the beeps turned off. There have been uncensored DVDs of Reno in the past, but they always seemed a little "off," since the show naturally censors content for the small screen. But there's no such issue here. Nudity abounds, sexual humor runs rampant, and the deputies unleash enough obscenities to fully make up for all the beeping over the years.

The cast has an undeniable chemistry and it easily translates to this more scripted variety of comedy. There are also several show-stopping cameos (which we won't reveal here), including some Reno veterans and some new (and quite famous) faces as well. None of them seem extraneous and they all add to the overall humor.

Reno 911!: Miami is not for everyone, but fans of movies like Borat will be right at home watching the lampooning antics. Longtime followers of the show will not be disappointed. This is Reno as it should be done for the big screen: bigger, wetter, fouler and even funnier.

The in-game soundtrack to Major League Baseball 2K7 will be packed to the gills with solid rock 'n roll offerings that span the gamut from classic proto-punk (The Stooges) to modern day stoner rock (Wolfmother) with classic flourishes of alternative (Nirvana and The Pixies) tossed in for added measure.

"Producing this soundtrack was like making a mix tape for a friend, especially considering the profile of the artists and the quality of the songs," said Tim Rosa, 2K Sports Director of Brand and Lifestyle Marketing. "We always seek to provide the sports gaming community with a soundtrack that makes sense for the game they are playing, while also showcasing great artists above and below the fringe. We achieved that goal with Major League Baseball 2K7, so I'm really proud of this one."


Major League Baseball 2K7 In-Game Soundtrack Track Listing:

311 - "Down"

Bishop Allen - "Middle Management"

Cities in Dust - "Emergency"

Death From Above 1979 - "Little Girl"

Dixie Witch - "Set the Speed"

Editors - "Munich"

Five Horse Johnson - "I Can't Shake It"

Greatdayforup - "Man's Ruin"

Les Savy Fav - "Hold On To Your Genre"

Nerf Herder - "High Five Anxiety"

Nirvana - "Breed"

Sublime - "Summertime"

Tapes 'n Tapes - "Insistor"

The Jealous Sound - "Naïve"

The M's - "Plan Of The Man"

The Pixies - "Mr. Grieves"

The Specials - "A Message to you Rudy"

The Stooges - "I Feel Alright"

The Thermals - "A Passing Feeling"

The Walkmen - "The Rat"

Wolfmother - "Woman"