Buy an Episode of Strong Bad, get an Episode of Sam & Max Free

From now until Halloween, Telltale Games is giving an episode of the Horror movie-spoof episode of Sam & Max, “Night of the Raving Dead” away for free with the purchase of any episode of Strong Bad for the PC, including the season pass.

Zombies Ate My Neighbors Review

Allow me to switch gears for today’s 20 Days of Halloween review with a video game.  I present for you the horror spoof developed by LucasArts and published by Konami, Zombies Ate My Neighbors.

The game stars either Zeke or Julie (or both if the game is played with two players), as they scramble to save their neighbors from certain doom.  The animations of the characters and enemies are well done, and still even today look good, as they were presented in a pleasing cartoon style.  The music suits the game quite well, although it wasn’t overly memorable.  The gameplay however is a lot of fun.  The game is a top-down run and gun game, where the player has to navigate around the neighborhood and fight various B-movie monsters such as vampires, werewolves, and of course, zombies.  Zeke and Julie can pick up potions that will turn them into monsters for a short period of time, giving them more strength.

There are 48 standard levels and several bonus levels.  As was standard for LucasArts for the time, quite a few in-jokes that only fans of LucasArts would get, were included in the game.  One of the bonus levels was themed after a point and click adventure game that was released at the same time as this game.  Another bonus level was themed after the LucasArts office building and featured LucasArts employees of the time.

The game is a great spoof of horror B-movies, and it does things well to feel like a B-movie itself.  It’s a fun arcade-style run and gun with great humor and pleasing graphics.  There was a rumor a while ago that the game was coming out on the Wii Virtual Console.  It would be great if this game did get rereleased for a modern audience, because it is definitely well worth playing.

Final Verdict: Four out of Five

The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror Review

Treehouse of Horror is the annual Halloween-themed episode of The Simpsons.  It has become a place for the Simpsons’ creators to do wonderfully bizarre things to their characters without having to worry about series continuity.  But, here, in the second season’s Treehouse of Horror, things started off much more innocently.

This episode takes place in Bart’s treehouse (hence the name ).  The Simpsons kids (Bart, Lisa, and Maggie) are up in the treehouse telling scary stories while Homer eavesdrops on them.  The episode is really a series of three short cartoons, interspersed with scenes showing that the kids are the ones telling the stories.

The first story, Bad Dream House, has the Simpsons family moving out of their familiar home on Evergreen Terrace in Springfield.  Their new house turns out to be alive, and decides to get the Simpsons family out by possessing the family members, turning them into psychopaths who want to try to kill each other.

The second story, Hungry are the Damned, parodies the episode of the Twilight Zone TV show called “To Serve Man”.  The Simpsons are abducted by two aliens known as Kang and Kodos.  They give the Simpsons huge amounts of food, and take pleasure in watching the family stuff themselves.  This makes Lisa suspicious, so she searches the ship to find out the aliens’ true intentions.

The last story is a retelling of the short story “The Raven” by Edgar Allen Poe.  This is easily the most memorable segment of the whole episode.  Here Bart is the raven that drives the main character, Homer, crazy while he thinks of his lost love Lenore (who is shown in a portrait as Marge).  The story is spoken from the text directly from Edgar Allen Poe’s story, and is narrated by James Earl Jones.

As I mentioned in an earlier review, the first episode of The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror is excellent.  But, the best episodes in the series are still to come.  Even so, The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror has become a Halloween tradition in many American households (mine included), and this is the one that started it all.  Everyone should see this at least once.

Final Verdict: Four and one half out of Five

Beetle Juice Review

It seems I missed yesterday’s 20 Days of Halloween Celebration, so today I’ll review two pieces of Haloween themed entertainment.  I’m going to start with Beetlejuice, from the master of the horror-comedy, Tim Burton.

Beetlejuice features a newly-wed couple who die in an accident as soon as they move into their new home.  Before the couple even realizes they are dead, their home is put up for sale.  The new family, the Deetzes, move in and turn out to be quite opposite to the folksy attitude of the deceased couple.  They decide that they want to scare the Deetzes out of their home, but turn out to be too nice to do so.  They decide to hire a self-proclaimed “bio-exercist” named Beetle Juice, who turns out to have his own ulterior motives for helping them out.

The cast is brilliantly cast.  Michael Keaton is perfect as the wise-cracking, foul-smelling undead con-man Beetle Juice.  Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis are the kind, folksy newly-dead couple.  Jeffery Jones and Catherine O’Hara are wonderful as the pretentious Deetzes.  Winona Ryder plays probably the most memorable role of her career as Lydia Deetz, the daughter of Charles Deetz, a gothic girl who has an obsession with the morbid.

The musical score by Danny Elfman is wonderful, and very memorable.  The film also contains a memorable song and dance comedy routine to the tune of Day-O (The Banana Boat Song).  It happens so abruptly, and is so delightfully strange, but somehow manages to not feel out of place.

Beetlejuice is a comedy classic.  The music is great, the comedy is wonderful, and all of Tim Burton’s trademark nightmare-like sets and creature designs are here. If you haven’t seen it yet, take the time to watch it.

Final Verdict: Five out of five

Sam & Max Season One on Wii Today

Sam & Max Season One, Telltale Game’s six episode 3D point-and-click graphic adventure game, is out in stores for the Wii today. For those who liked the classic LucasArts adventure games like the Monkey Island or the original Sam & Max Hit the Road, this will be right up your alley.

PlayStation 3 and PSP Firmware Updates Coming Soon

The PlayStation.Blog was updated with the features that will be coming in the next firmware updates for PS3 (v2.50) and PSP (v5.00).

The PSP will now be able to access the PlayStation Network from the PSP. You will be able to sign up for or access the PlayStation Network with your existing login. You will also be able to access the PlayStation Store directly from your PSP. The PlayStation Store on the PC will be down so it can be revamped for the changes. The other firmware changes for the PSP include a sleep timer option that can be used while you are playing music on your PSP, a full screen keyboard option for text entry, and a redesigned background for the XMB.

The PlayStation 3 will be getting some big changes.  The next firmware update will have support for:

• Support for the PS3 Official Bluetooth Headset - The upcoming Bluetooth Headset comes with the soon to be released Bluetooth Headset and SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation Bundle. This latest firmware installment enables High-Quality (HQ) mode, which delivers clear and wide-band online voice chat. On top of that, an added on-screen indicator shows battery status, volume level and use of HQ mode.
• PlayStation Trophies interface enhancements – This update makes sharing and comparing your trophies with your friends easier.  On the first part of the profile page you’ll see a symbol under level that represents level and the actual percentage towards the next level along with the existing level meter. The level symbol carries over to the trophy comparison screen where you will now be able to see your level, your friend’s level and the percentage towards the next level for both users along with all of the game by game comparison information you see today.
• Friend status – Offline friends on your Friends list will have information below their avatars that will indicate how long it has been since they were last online.
• Video – This update adds the Scene Search feature similar to the feature on the PSP. Activating this feature while viewing a video on the PS3 will break the video up into scenes that you can quickly access by pressing the X button. You can break the videos into one, two or five minute intervals. In addition, you can now choose to have all of the videos under the video section of the XMB play in sequence. Go to Settings then Video Settings to turn this option on.
• PlayStation Store – A redeem codes option will be added right on the store to make it easier to redeem your PlayStation Network Cards and promotion codes. In addition, PlayStation Network Sign Up and Account Management have been redesigned.
• Power Save Settings – You will be able to set your PS3 and wireless controllers to turn off automatically after set periods of inactivity. Go to Settings then Power Save Settings to turn on these features.
• Background Downloading – the option will be added to set the PS3 to turn off automatically after a background download or installation of content has completed. This option is available when you turn off the system from the button under [Users] while content is being downloaded or installed.
• In-game Screenshots – this tool will allow everyone to capture, share and in other words, immortalize their favorite gameplay moments. This will be supported on a game by game basis.

The ability to access the PlayStation Store from the PSP is great, that should have been there from the start.  It’s probably a bit weird, but the most exciting feature for me for the PlayStation 3 is the In-game screenshots.  I’m always on the lookout for easter eggs and in-jokes in games, and it would be great to be able to take a screenshot of them on a console.

PlayStation Network to be Down for 5 Hours Today

The PlayStation Network will soon be down for 5 hours today for maintenance.  Sony will be shutting down the North American PSN servers today from 2PM to 7PM Eastern (11AM-4PM Pacific).

The Tell-Tale Heart Review

The Tell-Tale Heart is a 1953 animated short film by Columbia Pictures, directed by Ed Parmalee.  It is based on the famous short story of the same name by Edgar Allen Poe.  This is a really spooky animated short, and it is the best adaptation of an Edgar Allen Poe short story I have seen in any medium.

The Telltale Heart is about a madman who kills an old man just because his eye irritates him.  The murder eventually drives him crazy, and he thinks hears the beating of the man’s heart coming from where he buried him.  The film is narrated with the dialog from Poe’s short story, and the narrator has a suitably macabre tone.  I can understand why they decided to do this film in animation, as the visuals are stunning and really do a lot to convey the thoughts of insanity as the lead character goes farther and farther into madness.

This short film is a brilliant adaptation of a brilliant short story, but since the subject matter is intended for mature audiences, please note that this is not a film for children.  If you are not offended by spooky subject matter and disturbing images, do yourself a favor and watch this film.

Final Verdict: Five out of Five

Homestarloween Party Review

Short films are the oldest form of motion picture, so I thought Jupiter Beagle could use some reviews of shorts.  The first review up, for the second day of the 20 Days of Halloween celebration, is a relatively new form of short film: the flash cartoon.

In Homestarloween Party, the namesake of homestarrunner.com, Homestar Runner, throws a Halloween costume party. The characters all show up in various costumes, based on pop culture from the past. Homestar Runner fans should note that Homsar, the series’ “secret guy” was not a part of the main cast as of this cartoon, so there’s no Easter egg costume here. The residents of Free Country, USA decide to take turns telling a scary story, which ends up being not scary at all due to the story being twisted with each character’s personality quirks.

This is the beginning of the very popular Homestar Halloween shorts, and much like The Simpsons Tree House of Horror, the first one is excellent, but the better ones are still to come.

Final Verdict:
Three and one half out of Five

Zombie 360

Well, our Xbox 360 is back from the dead thanks to the towel trick.  Wrapping your Xbox 360 in towels to make it overheat (to reset the chips) probably is not the smartest thing to do, but it works.  Time will only tell how long our Xbox 360 will live before the red rings show their ugly face again.