The Stuff '08

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The Stuff '08

Thursday, January 08, 2009

Lots and lots of awesome stuff happened and existed in 2008. Now that it's 2009, we ought to reflect on the past, in order to set an appropriate standard for the new year to live up to. 2009 may end up being pretty bad ass, but it'll be hard to top The Stuff '08!

Reviewer
WRS Staff
Categories
Features

Gears of War 2

As Cliffy B himself promised, Gears 2 is bigger, better and more badass than Gears 1 ever was. When you consider that the original Gears of War has an average rating of 94% on gamerankings.com, is still one of the most popular games on Xbox Live and allowed you to chainsaw people in half with a zoomed in camera and blood splashing all over the place, we'd say that's a pretty impressive feat.

South Park

Everything that needs to be said about business, politics and general stupidity in the world, but isn't, Matt and Trey will say it for us. The vulgar cartoon has fully evolved into a satirical commentary on daily life, and the transition couldn't have been made more gracefully. Of course they've been pursuing this avenue for years now, but each season is somehow better than the last. The only thing to do now is hope South Park doesn't suffer The Simpsons syndrome and forget   how to be absolutely hilarious.

Nine Inch Nails - The Slip

Give me a thumping backbeat and a bass groove and I'll love you forever. Make it free and I might be compelled to do things still illegal in many states. Part of The Slip's appeal is not only that its a free-of-charge service to the fans, but that if you DO indeed choose to pay you get extras in the form of high-quality audio formats and an artbook (hell you get a PDF included with the free version) in addition to a physical copy of the album. The man has put his money where is mouth is with regards to his criticisms against the current state of digital distribution. So what about the music? The first half of the Slip is just plain fantastic. 'Discipline' is a definite favorite, along with 'Letting You' and '1,000,000'. The second half, a more ambient and instrumental affair is pretty decent too, although for me a lot of the appeal of NIN's music lies in Reznor's vocals. That notwithstandng this album is definitely recommended for fans and NIN neophytes and just a good album in general...what've you got to lose?

The Dark Knight

How about a magic trick? I'm willing to bet that 3/4s of the people who read that didn't think of a street magician asking some random guy on the street an honest question, but instead thought of what was probably the most memorable movie moment of 2008. The Dark Knight is not only one of the best comic book films of all time, it's also easily one of the best movies of 2008. Oh, and I'm sure you're sick of hearing it, but Heath Ledger deserves at least a nomination for his performance as The Joker.

The Large Hadron Collider

Will it kill us all, or will it unlock the secrets of the universe? I personally think the Large Hadron Collider will help us get back to the island, but we'd still need some kind of runway in order to land there... Hm. Anyway, what was I talking about? Oh yes, the LHC was shut down for maintenance a few months ago, but not before its tense visit to   the science community spotlight. I personally think the Standard Model is flawed and that the production of a Higgs boson will only introduce further questions, but it may be a while before that theory is proven.

Spike Energy Drinks

This company has set the bar for energy drinks and it's a pretty high standard. Will there be anyone out there that has the balls to try to best them? I'm guessing not, and if any company attempts it, good luck! Maybe 2009 will create the new high flier in the energy drink category but for now Spike definitely has the crown, and it doesn't look like they are going to lose it any time soon!

Super Smash Bros. Brawl OST

300+ tracks that make up one of the biggest video game soundtracks of all time, all bringing nostalgia into the hearts of gamers new and old. I really don't think I need to write too much up on this, but...well, Nintendo is known for its immortal music. The big names in the sound business, including Koji Kondo and Nobuo Uematsu, are credited to this classic list, as well as most musicians who have worked with any game with a very renowned score of any sorts. A heavy metal version of Gourmet Race? The sooth, calming serenade of Stickerbrush Symphony? How about some Latin vocals to the Fire Emblem theme? It's all here on the Brawl OST.

Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix OST

This is the only item on the list where the soundtrack is better than the actual game. The amazing part is that it all comes from hobbyists -- OC ReMix to be specific. You can find most, if not all, of your favorite Street Fighter 2 songs, in what might as well be HD music. Even legendary ReMixer Rayza, who some people may know has shied away from submitting as of recently, can be found on this incredible collection of music.

Mirror's Edge

Sure you can knock Mirror's Edge for its trial and error based gameplay and its clunky shooting mechanics, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the innovative parkour influenced first person shooter gameplay that the game had to offer. Very few games offer the same kind of rush that Mirror's Edge does when you're quickly and consistently pulling off cool acrobatic moves that get you from one end of the city to the other just by jumping around rooftops.

Left 4 Dead

Zombies? Zombies! Who doesn't love killing zombies? Thanks to Valve, we can now slay countless amounts of zombies with four friends without even leaving the living room. Tons of replay value and Valve's unique brand of humor made this easily one of the best games that was released in 2008.

Heroes

All right, so Villians still didn't have the impact we all hoped it would give us with all the hype leading up to it, but we keep it on our list because of the promise the series has going into the new year. With Bryan Fuller returning to the series, all I can see ahead is a bright future for the series. We saw that the show can still leave a deep emotional impact after "Our Father". All we need to do is tell the writers that this is the kind of shit we will eat up, and let them go to work.

Ninja Gaiden 2

The hardcore action fan's dream game. Ninja Gaiden 2 takes the already visceral combat system from the original game and just cranks it up to eleven. More weapons, more flashy combos, gruesome execution maneuvers, more ultimate techniques and tougher enemies make for one of the most difficult, but at the same time one of the most satisfying games of 2008.

Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood

I know what you're thinking: "IGN said the battle system sucked!" Well, grow up, Jimmy, 'cause anybody with an interest in Sonic would enjoy this game. In my opinion, the battle system wasn't even that bad. Plus the story, while not sensational, is leaps and bounds past anything that the Hedgehog has starred in since maybe the Dreamcast. And you know you can't resist playing as Big the Cat.

Grand Theft Auto 4

Among the best of the action genre, as well as being the best in the series, GTA 4 was a stellar achievement for 2008. Everything about the package pushed the game to the limit: a lengthy campaign, solid AI, a vast and unique open world, a large and varied soundtrack, as well as excellent voice acting all help to make this one of the strongest games to reach the hands of gamers in a very long time. What’s even better about the game? Rockstar decided to go ahead and implement a fun multiplayer system into the mix which contains everything from free-world play to co-op missions. BUY THIS GAME IF YOU DON’T ALREADY OWN IT!

My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges

Man, this one really has to grow on you. My Morning Jacket, coming off the hyper-reverb'd, super spacey Z, decided to ditch the normal rock sound and go for the gold doing whatever they wanted. It seems to have worked pretty well, though the vocals in 'Evil Urges' and 'Highly Suspicious' took their time to grow on me. I can't say I like it more than Z, but it's certainly a noteworthy release for 2008.

Unibody Macbook

God, I can’t begin to explain how much I love Apple. I would make sweet loving to Apple it were a girl (all night long, too). The new 13" Macbook is probably the coolest thing I have ever owned and will be my favorite device for a long time to come. The new aluminum unibody build is one of the features that sets this computer so far beyond so many other laptops. It’s light, solid, and sleek. When I first took my computer out of the box, the first thing I did was admire the work of art in its perfect form. I then proceeded to power it up and explore all of the new features which makes it the most advanced of the Macbook line -- first, the new trackpad. By manufacturing it completely out of glass, Apple makes the trackpad the sleekest and most comfortable way to work on a laptop. With the new gestures and capabilities of the pad, everything can be performed in a speedy and swift fashion. Rarely do I ever actually push down to click anymore because of the ability to touch anywhere on the pad and the use of the new gestures. Spend an hour alone with the trackpad, and you will never want to use another PC mouse again because of how bulky and slow it is in comparison.

Dissidia: Final Fantasy

Though it's still months away from being released Stateside, Dissidia: Final Fantasy deserves its place on the list as being a fantastic game. I was initially skeptical; not being too big of a fan of the Final Fantasy series like some, this seemed like an extremely pretty fanservice to satiate all those fanboys looking to pit Cloud against Squall or Sephiroth against Tidus (there goes the extent of my knowledge). Oh, how little did I know.The gameplay is straightforward and incredibly easy to pick up despite the language barrier, but leads to incredibly intense and cinematic battles that will have the expletives flying from your lips as you try to gain the upper hand against your opponent. As your character levels up you learn new abilities and skills and the story mode throws in challenge battles to ensure that even if you're playing alone (luckily there are ways to play this online despite there being no built-in support) you're rarely bored. Plenty of items including armor, weapons, and accessories, a deep and helpful manual, plenty of characters from the get-go with others to unlock and just plain all-around great gameplay equals a game that makes me glad to be a PSP owner.

Sex and the City: The Movie

Having never watched the show regularly, I wasn't too hot on the idea of seeing the movie. "On the off chance that I'm ever injected with absurd amounts of estrogen, this may be a good flick to binge eat ice-cream to," I told myself. That's all well and good I'm sure, but do you want to know something amazing? Sex and the City: The Movie is   worth the $15 movie ticket and $30 popcorn.

Dexter

Going into the third season of Dexter I had some mixed feelings because I really couldn't see what else they could possibly do with the show after the first two seasons without making things seem repetitive. Not only did they prove me wrong, but they actually went and made this season to be the best season of Dexter yet. If you haven't gotten wrapped up in the life of America's favorite vigilante serial killer, you need to get on it right quick.

Shinedown - The Sound of Madness

When I wrote my orignal review of this album over the summer months, I was tring to convince a co-worker that this album is one of the absolute best to have come out of the new year. Mind you, that man is one who will never take my taste in music seriously, considering the fact that I also think the Backstreet Boys' "Black & Blue" to also be the best album ever. I was amazed to open up my Facebook one day to see that my co-worker had indeed listened to the album, and loved just about every song. Hard-Driven Rock mixed with beautiful ballads makes Shinedown's third album a must listen to, at least for "Devour".

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

Further proof that Musicals, Supervillians, and Neil Partick Harris are three tases best served together, Dr. Horrible managed to become a cult-classic while mantaining the message it was sending out to other writers during the horrific Writers Strike at the top of the year. Memorable melodies, pitch black humor, and one of the most heart-rendering endings to any work of fiction from 2008 makes this Blog one you'll be Singing Along to until you get hit with a freeze ray.

T-Mobile G1

Ease of use? Open source? What the hell could I possibly be talking about? That's right it's the G1. It has anything you could possibly want in a phone and has the people of Google to back it up! If there is any phone out there that has more features and allows users to program whatever they imagine I would like to see it!... Wait no takers? That's right; it may be the fact that most other manufacturer's want to watch out for their bottom line, which is negated by the free market of Android and the ability for users to come up with apps on their own. This phone is, as I believe, a precursor to what is to come in the next few years in smartphone technology!

Twilight

The teenage film-to-take-your-significant-other of the year, definitely. Twilight is a supernatural love story between, you guessed it, a human girl and a vampire boy. Based on the beloved book series loved by 90% of the teen girl population, this is a rather low budget movie. In fact, most of the record-breaking number of people that went to see it went only to scream to the top of their lungs at Edward Cullen gracing the big screen. Despite this fact and the crappy budget, this movie is actually pretty nice. It catches the feel of the book very well, and even though the effects are a little choppy (don't even get me started on the fight scenes), what you see is what you get. It's a love story, but it's got enough differences to set it apart from just a chick flick.

30 Rock

There's fewer funnier people on the TV these days than Tina Fey. Having swept through the Emmy's and obtaining like, half of them, 30 Rock is off to a fantastic third season, making great use of brillant guest stars and retaining that endearing wacky-while-still-serious vibe the show always gives us. Can I get a copy of that Porn Videogame anytime soon?

Professor Layton and the Curious Village

Like Braid, Professor Layton and the Curious Village came out of obscurity and provided one of the most intelligent games of the year. The game itself is really nothing more than a total of 135 logic puzzles embedded into a point and click adventure game, but the way that it was all presented made for one of the best DS games of the year. The story was intriguing all the way through, the characters were extremely likable, the art style was fantastic, the voice acting was way beyond what you would have expected for a DS title and it provided some of the best full motion video cutscenes that the DS has ever seen.

Castle Crashers OST

I was shocked when I found out the songs that make up the Castle Crashers soundtrack are submissions from different artists to the New Grounds website. Of course, some are more involved with the game than others, but the songs have a distinctly uniform feel. They're all equally and consistently upbeat and fun, and it's not hard to imagine smacking those little dudes around the screen with these jams rolling.

Tropic Thunder

Tropic Thunder? No Oscars for this one, no high-brow dry humor, tear-jerking emotional interactions or platitudes leaving the audience feeling as if they've witnessed something truly great about the human condition. And that's just fine. Unlike the -insert here- Movie franchise where the actors phone in performances from a script that has little substance to begin with, Tropic Thunder is enjoyable in that the cast revels in taking shots at the industry that puts their food on the table (and diamond encrusted platinum dancing shoes on their feet). Every character fully embraces their stereotype or, in Robert Downey Jr.'s case, embraces the stereotype their stereotype embraces and to be honest that's what makes the movie so damned fun to watch. There are things to be learned about the hypocritical, money-driven nature of the big-budget movie industry from Tropic Thunder, but it's the ridiculously over-the-top approach that puts it on the list of movies to watch.

A Chinese Restaurant - My Dearest I Cannot Speak

This band took me so by force and surprise that I didn't know what to do. These three German dudes can certainly make some good Pop Punk/Screamo/Hardcore/whatever. A short but concise album, the songs vary well, but what I really dig about it is that you can tell they're just a few kids who got popular where they came from. They have a charming naîveté that makes the songs shine a bit brighter.

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist

Although I believed that the film was going to be a bad career move for Michael Cera, I still knew I would end up seeing it. Thank god I did.. 3 times. Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist is one of the best feel-good movies of the year, and may also be one of my favorite feel-goods of all time. Yeah, the movie has a few of those typical “teen” moments, but I actually felt that those scenes worked to help the overall vibe of the movie. One of the best things about this movie is the soundtrack. In every single frame of the film, the music perfectly helps to drive the each scene, which often made me smile over and over again. It’s hard to explain what makes Nick and Norah so perfect; the music, the acting, and just the backdrop of NYC are all things that made me feel happy and made me crave repeated viewings of the movie. Michael Cera is great and actually comes off as a complete badass throughout the film, yet he still maintains the humor that fans have come to love while still keeping everything fresh from beginning to end. The relationship between Nick and Norah is also very well written and feels very real in every scene. You can’t help but to just smile whenever they are together, just because of how well the feeling of finding someone you can connect with is portrayed in the film. Do yourself a favor and see this movie as soon as possible. If you love Cera, then it’s even more of an excuse to watch it.

Vampire Weekend

Vampire Weekend - Yeah, I know you've heard this band's name at least ten-thousand times last year, but in the words of Houston Calls, one more won't hurt. Ivy League-ers in an indie band, eh? First time for everything I suppose. But I don't think everybody's first time is as catchy, diverse, and original as the debut album from Vampire Weekend. Pretentious, perhaps, but hooks abound, a fresh sound, and a less than subtle nod to Peter Gabriel (and a super-meta Peter Gabriel cover) help push this past many, if not most, of the other indie releases of 2008.

Mario Kart Wii

Where else can Bowser and Mario race motorcycles? Remember how you would always tilt that SNES/N64 controller in some kind of hopes to make that turn? This Wii game is a culmination of the classic series and all of the motion sensing goodness that makes Wii awesome mixed with all of those fun characters and levels you know and love. Plus, now we have another game to argue about what controller is best to use for it.

Fable 2

After completing the first Fable, I had high expectations for the sequel. Luckily, Fable 2 lived up to most of the hype. It boasted great graphics with awesome gameplay mechanics, and placed the player in a world of fantasy which would often serve as a pleasant distraction from reality. There are only a few minor quirks that are in Fable 2 (another short main campaign, buggy multiplayer, a familiar plot line), but none of them have a huge effect on the end quality the game. Whether you are a fan of the Action-RPG genre, or are just looking for a game that is unique and is a blast to play through, Fable 2 is well worth adding to your collection.

The Foot Fist Way

Fred Simmons (Danny McBride) on the power of meditation versus Tae-Kwon-Do: "Meditation is terrific and all, but I've never heard of it saving anyone from a gang rape type situation." Fred Simmons's opinion of a real profession: "Dentistry? I can't even believe that's something that's real." Fred Simmons to his girlfriend: "I hope your hair turns into dog shit one day. You wake up and you run your comb through it and all that it is, is little trundles of dog shit." Please don't deny yourself this comedic delight.

Wall•E

Pixar proves that they've still got the magic with this fantastic Sci-Fi adventure. Wall-E is sweet, smart, funny, appeals to all ages, and above all else, is just simply a joy to watch. It's pretty amazing when the audience is more drawn to the romance story of two robots who can't say anything other than each other's names, than they are to 90% of romantic comedies in theaters (at least I was).

Pineapple Express

James Franco stars as the best guy ever, Danny McBride stars as the other best guy ever, and Seth Rogen stars as himself. Remember how Franco got all serious after Freaks and Geeks, what with the pumpkin bombing Spiderman and all? That's not a bad role for him, but I wholeheartedly prefer watching him interact with a different type of Green Goblin. Also, Danny McBride is comedy gold.

My Japanese Coach

What seemed like perhaps the MOST obvious "My (Blank) Coach" to send out to the Americans comes... actually, wait, I take that back; My Weight Loss Coach would probably be the most obvious. But anyway, the game that should've been released years ago finally hit the DS, to the delight of anime fans and other interested parties nationwide. With a super simple interface, a variety of mini-games to repeatedly refresh your memory, and interesting facts to learn along the way, My Japanese Coach will undoubtedly satisfy anybody looking for a basic to moderate level of understanding.

Lost

The only thing better than Lost is new Lost, and the only thing better than new Lost is nothing. Great job, Lost; you did it. You won. Damon and Carlton breathed more life into the dying sci-fi(/drama) genre than J. K. Rowling did to fantasy novels. Mythology as intriguing as Lost's teamed with their deeply explored - not to mention huge - cast  of characters is a deadly combination. The ratings would tell you otherwise, but they're just mad because they don't know what the smoke monster is like I do.

MGMT - Oracular Spectacular

You had to assume that this band was gonna be amazing once you heard that they'd tapped Eric Wareheim to direct the video for their strangely catchy single, "The Youth." And you'd be justified in assuming that upon seeing the video. At first I was put off by some of the songs; for example, I found the first thirty seconds of "Weekend Wars" to be exquisite, a rock solid melody, but as the song advanced I lost interest due to a flurry of surplus instruments and sounds. However, once this band grabs a hold of you, they don't tend to let go, so you might as well give in now.

Castle Crashers

Basically successful for sticking to the basics. Castle Crashers is a dream come true for collection fiends, character grinders and weapon fanatics. The princesses are plentiful and can keep anyone entertained long enough to forget that they haven't quaffed in days. Also, while everyone may have the King's Scepter via online exchange, can anybody tell me how the hell you're supposed to get it otherwise?

Hellboy 2: The Golden Army

I gotta say, I didn't enjoy the original very much, but Guillermo Del Toro's sequel to Guillermo Del Toro's Hellboy seriously caught me off guard. Expecting a cheesy, faux-action-filled romp ripe with one-liners out the ass, I was presented with a coherent, consistently exciting story with a population of interesting beasts and monsters seemingly larger than the cast and crew of the movie. The villain's as relentless as a Jehovah's witness, and George Bluth is in it. Do I really need to say more?

House

It's amazing that the writers of House are still able to make each episode feel unique and fresh while still sticking to the same formula of "patient gets sick, House and team try to diagnose, diagnosis seems to be correct until patient suddenly gets worse, new diagnosis is formed, treatment still doesn't work, things look hopeless for patient, House gets sudden epiphany, patient either lives or dies based on result of House's epiphany." But somehow, they manage to do it by keeping the writing incredibly smart, the dialogue extremely witty and the delivery of the actors being spot on.

Rock Band 2

Rock Band's sequel brings even more life to a party than its predecessor, boasting 84 on-disc songs, the $5 export of 55 Rock Band songs, and enough DLC to bring the entire song count to over 500 at the time of this writing. Inarguably the best music game of the year, this is without a doubt some of the most multiplayer fun you can get in a game. Most people are quite familiar with the Guitar and Bass gameplay, while the Drums open up a more "beat-the-crap-out-of-something" realm for those that get into that, while the vocals are for people that just want to sing. It should be noted that if you pick up the full band set, you may as well pick up the  Guitar Hero: World Tour disc, as well; despite what fanboys will tell you, they're essentially the same game with minor differences, excluding the song list and career functionalities - if you can play one of them without failing, you should be able to do the same on the other.

Zack and Miri Make A Porno

A new Kevin Smith movie? Awesome. WHAT?! SETH ROGEN'S IN IT?!?! This may be one of the best things I could have ever asked for. Turns out the movie is way funnier than I could have imagined and the cast is amazing. Craig Robinson, Jason Mewes and the lovely Elizabeth Banks helped carry this movie to being the best Kevin Smith film to date.

James Bond 007: Quantum of Solace

This movie confused me. Is that James Bond playing Daniel Craig, or the other way around? I can't imagine a more fitting person for the role; the original 007 has nothing on our modern day hero, mostly because he's dead, but also because if he were still alive, he'd be really old and wrinkly. Dusty, even.

Metal Gear Solid 4

While some may have been turned off by the long install times and the so called "90 minute long cutscenes" (slight exaggeration), I think few will deny that MGS4 is easily the most fun MGS title to date. With much needed improvements to the camera and shooting mechanics along with the additions of the Solid Eye, the Active Camo Suit, and all of the new CQC techniques that Snake could employ, the gameplay of the MGS franchise was finally up to the same quality as the cinematics. MGS4 also deserves some special honors by actually being able to tie up every single dangling loose thread left by the immense storylines of all three previous games.

Girl Talk - Feed The Animals

I can't stop listening. If witches existed, this is what their music would sound like. If you think all this music consists of is samples from other artists layered over different beats, you're some kind of fool. There's an extra ingredient you're forgetting - magic. Find me a music rearrangement master of this caliber and I'll eat my hair off. All of it.

Psapp - The Camel's Back

I've slowly fallen more and more in love with this album from a band that claims they make "toytronica", electronica music created with toys and toy instruments. Might sound a bit ridiculous, but somehow these songs are like ten times better than most of the songs that full bands put out last year. It's kinda like Beck's song "Broken Train" taken to a glorious, glorious extreme. Boundless creativity and a lovely singing voice make this duo's album easily one of the best and most important releases of 2008.

Dragonforce - Ultra Beatdown

Dragonforce is a band notorious for two things: a) Through the Fire and Flames on Guitar Hero 3, and b) the fact that most of their songs have a lot of repeated lyrics, overdone themes, and "every song is the same freaking thing" power chords and style. Listening to their new album, Ultra Beatdown, and the tracks from the special and Japanese editions, I must say they're working to overcome these facts. While a lot of the lyrics are still about waiting for the day in a cold winter (time of day here), going through (peril here) until the end of time, and a bunch of nerdy and sci-fi themes, this album actually has very distinctive songs from one another. The most famous track on here is Heroes Of Our Time; it's probably the most "Dragonforcey" of the album's songs, and even that's pretty unique. E.P.M., the song exclusive to the Japanese version, is probably my favorite. Sorry, but an 8-bit intro alone makes it awesome.

Little Big Planet

Little Big Planet is a hugely important game for many reasons. For one, it's an exciting new IP, which is something that is getting extremely rare these days. For two, it's an exciting new IP that's actually for the PS3 exclusively. It's also one of the most fun and innovative games of the year that actually appeals to gamers of all backgrounds, from casual to hardcore and everyone in between. Never before in a game have users been given so much power to bring their imagination to life with the extremely intuitive and powerful level editor, stickers and decals that let you decorate every aspect of the game, the ability to take photos and then import them into your levels, and the ability to share your own creations with the rest of the online world.

Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs/Bender's Game

Even though it may be one of the the greatest television shows to grace the airwaves, the morons at the Box network cancelled the show. The people at Comedy Central realized that everyone and their mother loves this show, and all of us lucky fans got not one, but two full length movies staring our favorite delivery company in 2008. Some say Bender's the greatest, and once you've seen the show you can't help but agree.

Beck - Modern Guilt

Beck, you dog, you. What a gentlemen, eh? He's so classy, he refuses to best himself for creating Midnite Vultures. Bravo, sir. You certainly accomplished everything in releasing that album, and it'd be totally Bono of you to continuously try to outdo your own damn self. Modern Guilt is one step below perfection, but it's an exceptional treat for the eardrums and truly a shame to miss.

Final Fantasy - Spectrum, 14th Century

Spectrum, 14th Century is only a few songs long, but damn, what a few songs can do. By far one of the most creative releases of 2008, Owen Pallett and friends make up Final Fantasy, a musical project that is obviously an homage to the legendary game series. Think Beirut, but less cultured, more progressive and tirppy. Coincidentally, Owen has written string parts for Beirut, as well as for The Arcade Fire's two most recent releases, Funeral and Neon Bible.

Gears of War Zune

Owning a Microsoft Zune is really not all that bad. That being said, the release of the Gears of War Zune is a mighty tempting offer. Granted it's not an iPod, but its Gears, so how could you go wrong? The box art alone is cool enough to make this a contender on the list. This is a perfect collectible for any GOW fan.

Fleet Foxes

The only indie release hyped more than Bon Iver's For Emma, Forever Ago and Vampire Weekend, Fleet Foxes' self-titled debut album is a collection of rural, dreamy, vocally-rich songs full of three part harmonies. In my opinion, Bon Iver produced a thoroughly better set of songs, but do not neglect yourself of this indie gem, if ONLY for "White Winter Hymnal", which is probably one of the best songs ever written.

True Blood

I haven't given my overly eager fingers the chance to review the first season of Alan Ball's second television masterpiece, so I now present the abridged version of that thing I just said: Vampires that aren't cheesy, southern accents unaccompanied by (most negative) southern stereotypes, lots and lots of sex, compelling stories regarding well-rounded and intense characters, bizarrely satisfying macabre moments, and a plot more addicting than the ultimate (nonexistent) super-drug, Heroackjiuanampire Juice. Watch it.

Dead Space

This game has almost been sort of a sleeper title this holiday season, but boy is it awesome. This has to be the best game I have played in a while. Awesome controls, visuals, sound, AI, and story are what make this title not only more than just a game, but an experience. Strategic dismemberment is innovative and is fun as hell. Nice to see developers who still know what Survival Horror games are all about.

Santigold

Santogild pretty much defies definition. The only real way to describe her would be eclectic, I suppose. Though she credits eighties music as her real influence, she's moved so far beyond it that it's hardly recognizable. I would argue that little to nothing good came out of music in the eighties, but there must've been SOMETHING for this woman to end up with an album like this. The tracklist reads like a list of singles, and most of them sound like nothing you've ever heard.

PSP-3000

So the PSP-1000 was the normal PSP we first saw at release. The PSP-2000 is the slimmer version thereof. The PSP-3000 is the new guy on the block with the fancy LCD screen and the microphone. It's more or less an optional upgrade for those that really need to be upgraded in everything. I haven't been playing the PSP for games as much as I probably should, but to my knowledge, the only game with support for it is SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 2. Skype is also a functionality for it, as well. It's fancy, and the one to pick up if you haven't picked a PSP up yet. If you've got the 2000 (Slim), though, it's probably not worth it unless you really want to make use of Skype or SOCOM FTB2.

How Can You Slap?!

If there's an internet video that has ever made me laugh more than the infamous "How Can You Slap?!", I haven't seen it. The girl just slaps the dude and he hits her back without even hesitating. I've since read that the girl is a rich, insufferable bitch, but regardless, you don't hit a woman like that. You pee on her, then deny it's you in the video. ESPECIALLY not if you're gonna cry like a little girl after half the population of the studio has kicked your ass. I'll leave you with how Ben recited the best part of the video: "How can sheslap mesirr, how can she slabbme?"

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

So the shocking conclusion of the Twilight series hit stores and went straight into the hearts of teenage girls everywhere. Bella and Edward seal the deal on their relationship. Marriage, honeymoon, sex. You know the deal. They have a kid, and given the circumstances, this sparks a bit of controversy among the powers that be. But it's okay. A bunch of things happen and a bunch of words are said, and everything's A-okay. It's a lot more about love and parenthood than action and superheroic vampire skills, but it's all good. The fans like it, the critics hate it...but last time I checked, series creators couldn't care less about the latter, and neither do I.

Coldplay - Viva la Vida

Can I get a collective "Ooooooooooooooooo!"? Maybe Chris Martin and co. ripped off Satriani, maybe not, but either way, Viva La Vida was both a great song and a great record. I wasn't a big fan of X&Y, but their first two releases were pretty damn good. I'm not sure that Viva La Vida lived up to them, but it definitely did find the band on some interesting new ground.

Fallout 3

With Fallout 3, Bethesda managed to do what many thought was impossible: modernize the aged Fallout franchise so that it appeals to a new generation of gamers while still being able to satisfy the majority rabid Fallout fanbase who felt that their beloved series would be turned into "Oblivion with Guns." Fallout 3 provides a lengthy single player adventure that provides players with a nearly unparalleled amount of freedom to do whatever it is they want. Plus making a super mutant's head explode into little bits and pieces in slow motion never gets old.

Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts

The story begins showing our favorite bear and bird duo as rather out-of-shape creatures who, now that they've sealed what's left of Gruntilda in a tomb of rocks, do nothing but sit on their asses and do nothing constructive. Then some Pong face guy comes in, tells them that they suck as video game characters, and that, for his own amusement, they and Gruntilda will be hurled into a new video game world of his own creation. Fun times! However, this feels more like a spin-off of sorts, due to the focus on vehicles. It works for series veterans, and it's chock full of good ol' B-K charm, too. It's just different enough to be considered its own game, so if you found the first two B-K games to be slightly boring, you might want to give the series a new start with this game, anyway.

Chocolate News

Widely hailed as a Chappelle's show ripoff, this David Allen Grier helmed Comedy Central news-spoof made up for what it lacked in subtlety and variety with DAG's trademark charisma and a few slightly humorous tangential reporters. Tackling topics such as Denegrofication - a process for middle-aged wiggers to shed the act, to Licorice Stick's porn moves, Chocolate News was practically the BET of 2008. Actually, I think white people liked this show more than anybody else.

Iron Man

In a hilarious turn of events, Robert Downey Jr. has become sandwiched between Christian Bale and the late Heath Ledger. But even the combined successes of the Batman Begins and The Dark Knight can't drop a shadow big enough to deny Iron Man a place in the Hero Film-O-Fame. Can you believe I just made that up? Right off the top of my head, Film-O-Fame. Think about it. BAM - that fast.

Super High Me

School taught me that if you smoke marijuana once, your life is over, you're a drug addict and in jail. Doug Benson takes all of these hilarious myths and puts them to the ultimate test by being sober for 30 days, then doing nothing but smoke weed for the next 30. Plenty of research was done, and of course it's not nearly as bad as many other outlets would have you believe. On top of it all, guess who's still alive, not in jail, and hilarious?

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

This is one of the best party games exclusive to Wii, bar none. If your friends get into this game, there are no limits to how long this game can last you. With 35 characters to choose from (39 counting Sheik, Zero Suit Samus and all 3 of Red's Pokemon), and 41 stages (plus anything you create on the stage creator) to take the Brawl to, this is local fighting gaming at its best. Its online functionality is terrible to say the least, suffering from really bad lagging issues, but it's alright considering it's optional. A long Adventure mode, known as The Subspace Emissary, is also included to widen the single-player experience. It, along with a lot of single-player modes, have co-op options, to further enhance the already insane multiplayer possibilies. So rather you want to annoy somebody by constantly reminding them that they're too slow with a certain hedgehog, want to blow the ever-living crap out of the foes out a certain infiltration specialist, or just want to beat on them with a certain Italian plumber, I'm sure you'll find something you want here. Unless you're just too "mature" and "hardcore" for a multiplayer experience that isn't M-rated. *cough*

Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago

It's a legendary story by now: dude gets dumped from a relationship and a band, and goes to a remote cabin in the woods of Wisconsin for a few months to recuperate. He didn't intend to write any songs, but eventually, For Emma, Forever Ago made its way onto tape, and subsequently, onto pretty much everyone's year end list, and rightfully so. Every song on the album serves its own role, and it's refined in that way, while a bit sloppy and emotional when it comes to the music. The vocals are the highlight of the album. If you don't know how, don't even ask; find out for yourself.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard

The Tales of Beedle the Bard sells based on the premise that it's a mere collection of classic wizard stories, complete with commentary by the late Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore and notes by J. K. Rowling. What really sold me, however, was the underlying commentary regarding issues such as children's literature and adults' incessant need to filter out which books they deem inappropriate. Sound familiar? These five are tales you won't soon forget.

Kaki King - Dreaming of Revenge

You ever heard of a sexy little brunette who can play guitar better than you, your dad, and any of your friends, while she's not even trying? Well, that's Kaki King in a nutshell. Her sonic creations are nothing short of brilliance; thorough, infini-layered, experimental, and as beautiful as they are catchy. To say that Dreaming of Revenge is her most effective effort yet is both an understatement and an impressive accomplishment.

Hancock

Hancock is a very interesting movie, to say the least. Will Smith plays a guy named John Hancock. Like most superheroes, he's not your typical guy. He's a good-for-nothing drunk who commons the public outdoors. When he comes in to save something, he usually causes a lot more destruction than he saves. One day, he saves a guy from being killed by a train. Said guy slowly but surely makes him understand the importance of using his powers not only for good, but controlling himself enough to not destroy everything else around him. That and curing his addiction to alcohol. Remember kids, alcohol is bad for you! A few plot twists here and there, and then the movie ends with Hancock vandalizing the moon in a rather noticeable way. All in all, it's worth a watching...it's by no means a typical superhero movie; the plot twists and the drama involved almost make it more of just a more or less paranormal action movie. Which is good, if you ask me.

Pizza Hut Quepapas

Here's a classic piece (of crap) that you may not have noticed on this very website, authored by yours truly: "...first of all, these things are made of potatoes, cheese and jalapenos. Secondly, they’re in tater-tot form. Tater-tots?! Finally, they come with ranch dip! If I caught you asking for anything else, I’d punch your face." Things haven't changed much since then.

Soul Calibur 4

Transcending history, and the world...a tale of swords and souls eternally retold. Wait, what? Lightsabers, you say? Yoda, Vader, and Vader's Apprentice join Siegfried, Maxi, and the rest of the Soul crew in the latest Soulcalibur game. The 360 version gets Yoda, the PS3 version gets Vader, both get the Apprentice, and you can download the other console-exclusive for a few bucks on Xbox Live and Playstation Store respectively. Not sure why the Lightsabers don't just cut through everything in their path...but this game remains true to the series, while incorporating a concept of armor, as well as new adventure modes, such as Tower of Lost Souls. Also, Critical Finishes, for a rather flashy KO when people just block and do nothing else. Fun!

Wendy's Flavor Dipped Chicken Sandwich

In 2008, Wendy's released what was perhaps the greatest product in the history of their delicious products: the Flavor Dipped Chicken Sandwich. Bitchslapping you in either Buffalo or BBQ flavor, everything about this sandwich was perfect. First of all, the chicken was actually great quality. Dipped in flavor like the title may or may not suggest, each sandwich was dripping with juice, marking the first time in fast food history that a company has actually produced an item that looks and tastes how it should.

Twilight OST

If you haven't noticed yet, I'm a Twilight fan. I'm one of the few guys who will not only admit that, but are proud of it. I also love Paramore, and they just so happen to have two songs on here, and Decode was definitely my guilty pleasure song of the year. Sadly, that wasn't even in the movie...which really upsets me. However, the other songs on this soundtrack are also pretty good songs. I usually despise Linkin Park, but for some reason I like their song on the disc, Leave Out the Rest. Muse's Supermassive Black Hole is awesome, too. Enough about individual songs, though. They all fit the bill, and if you're a fan of the series, go out and buy this album. I know, most people just download music, but this is actually worth shelling out a few bucks for.

Braid

The sleeper hit of the year. Braid silently creeped on to the Xbox Live Arcade and blew us away with its innovative time control mechanics, its brilliantly conceived puzzles and its thought provoking ambiguous storyline that culminates in one of the most awesome video game endings we've ever seen. It may be short lived, but Braid packs in more for fifteen dollars than most games do with a full sixty dollar price tag.

Kanye West - 808s and Heartbreak

An emotionally charged spilling of guts if I've ever heard one. Auto-tune has never been utilized in such a non-gimmicky fashion, as far as my ears know. Do you really want to know how good this album is? It's so good, I'm going to take a minute to put it on right now. OK, I'm listening to it right now, and the quality of my life has improved by 15%. Isn't it time you started living your life to the fullest? Get quality - get 808s and Hearbreak.

Nintendo DS-i

After months of denouncing rumors about a new iteration of DS, it was confirmed that there would indeed be a new, 12% thinner DS with TWO cameras, no GBA slot, and an SD card slot as well. It sounded grand. One catch, though: it's not even coming to America. Then it was, but not for a very long time. Now, it's "Prior to Q4 2009". Considering the current economic state, perhaps it was a smart move on Nintendo's part to hold off.

Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!

Too many hilarious things can happen in one season of this show, and season three was no exception. Sometimes this show is so stupid it's smart. Sexual Romance, Chubs, Jim and Derrick, Dick Douche, 100 Years of Jackie Chan and too may other new things that have the guys' undeniable brand of humor on it. If this show was any funnier, it probably wouldn't be allowed on television.

Gatorade Tiger

I love this stuff. While I'm writing this, I'm drinking the Red stuff now. It's a nice little spin on the Gatorade formula, featuring Tiger Woods. Most people would argue that Tiger's not that much of a worker. He even pays a caddy to do all the lifting. However, it's apparently enough to merit a Gatorade brand, and man is it good. My personal favorite is the Red stuff, but Purple is also pretty good. I'm not too keen with the Green stuff, as it's quite tangy...however, I do know that if you take a a Green bottle, empty a little bit out and put in small doses of Red into the mix, you can get some pretty good Watermelon and Orange mixes, too. They're even colored appropriately!

The Root of All Evil

Not many shows can deliver stand up comedians of such a high caliber, but all this show does is feature them. The Root of All Evil is a highly comical debate show, with one item decidedly being, "The Root of All Evil." Scientology vs. Disney, Weed vs. Beer, and even Red States vs. Blue States; you can see all of these controversial topics and more discussed in hilarious detail. Oh and Paul F. Tompkins is on it.

The Sarah Silverman Program

The Writers Strike sucked, plain and simple. Luckily, absurd shows like The Sarah Silverman Program sparsely need actual writing, so Sarah and co. returned later the same year with the funniest, most ridiculous season yet. Beards, bongs, and busted backs played out as Seinfeld-on-crack plots about nothing that showcased how good Sarah Silverman is at pulling stuff out of her ass, which sounds like something Jimmy Kimmel would be into.

Taco Bell Volcano Taco

The Volcano Taco. It's a red-shelled taco of flaming proportions. At only 89 cents (plus tax, so more like 96, 97, something like that), it's a nice little snack that will more than likely heat up your taste buds. Though it was originally a temporary menu item, they seem to have brought it back by popular demand...which is good. Basically, it's a taco, but red, and with hot sauce. That's basically it...but man, is it good. Considering it doesn't even cost a dollar, it's quite filling, too.

Stride Always Mandarin Gum

Citrus flavor is the ultimate win in candy flavors and when that flavor lasts all day thanks to Stride you basically have the best product on the market. That's exactly what this is. Fantastic orange flavor that lasts all day. You're an asshole if you're asking for more.

iPhone 3G

The iPhone 3G delivered everything I asked for, save for cut and paste, and a reasonable price. But it's not the iPhone 3G's fault that it's stuck with AT&T. I can finally use any headphones I want, browse the Internet on the fly at tolerable speeds, and how about that form factor? It's thicker, but it feels thinner. Um, what? I also have yet to see any competitor come close to duplicating the iPhone's miraculously-precise touch screen.

Kings of Leon - Only By the Night

I first got into Kings of Leon during the Aha Shake Heartbreak days, and they truly are a different band today. As raw and creatively Southern as Aha Shake Heartbreak was, Only By the Night is polished and pretty. The sweet thing is, Kings of Leon totally pulled it off. Maybe it was the pain pills Caleb credits as his inspiration for trying to make the music "pretty", but whatever it was, there is a certain glow to some of these songs.

Flight of the Conchords

Booty shakin' beats and melodic harmonies centered around some of the wittiest, driest humor that could ever be set to lyrics. '08 continued to be another Conchords dominated year with the second season of their groundbreaking HBO series debuting (online, at least) and this Emmy award winning album being released. Some of the best songs from the show are on this album, but please, listen to a live copy of "Robots".

Family Guy

If you're anything like me, you love Family Guy. You might even have a number of Family Guy related apparel. You might even be wearing a Stewie T-shirt right this moment, quite like myself! If you are, you're awesome, and so is Family Guy. Despite multiple cancellations, this show is still going strong, with fresh material to boot. Though the taste might not be too nice for some (a bunch of conservatives were screaming like it was the end of the world on one particular McCain-bashing scene...you know the one), for those of us that respect the First Amendment just as much as we do the Second one, it remains just as funny as it's ever been. Nothing much else to say, really. It's Family Guy. Freakin' sweet. (Peter laugh here.)

Dewmocracy

Midway through 2008, Mountain Dew released three new flavors for the world to get slightly wired on. It was a competition; your input counted. It was a Dewmocracy. I tried all three flavors and I predicted that Voltage would win, so that was awesome. Voltage is in stores nationwide.

Guitar Hero KFC Combo Meal

They have since stopped doing this, but the concept was simple. A little over $8 nets you one Snacker, one piece of chicken, two crispy strips, a biscuit, two sides of your choice, a 32 oz. drink, and a coupon that puts $5 toward the purchase of Guitar Hero: World Tour at Best Buy. Basically, the amount of food totals over 1200 calories and 60 grams of fat, so this is a meal best shared by two or three people, and if you planned on picking the game up, the food itself basically cost $3...which is why it gets its own little mentions here.

Nailing Your Wife

One of two awesome low budget things Nathan Fillian has done this year. The noteworthy part being that both things are great enough to be on this list. This has the perfect example of generic bad porn acting, and is also work safe. The suprise ending is so shocking, it'll take you a minute to realize how hilarious it is.

Odd Hours by Dean Koontz

I honestly didn't know where Mr. Koontz could've taken Odd after Brother Odd, but he flipped it on me and brought him back to his roots. Though it's not as incredible as the first, it easily lives up to the sequel, and almost reaches the third in quality. Whatever your preference, it was a worthy update to what is arguably Dean Koontz's best and most original series, and the fact that it blatantly leaves it open for another entry makes it even better.

Juno

This is the most relentlessly hip movie I've ever seen. If your aspirations are to one day become quirky and pregnant, you'll probably dig on Juno. If that's not your cup of tea, the all star cast will surely win you over. And if nothing else, you may end up buying a hamburger phone of your own!

Rise Against - Appeal To Reason

A last second addition to the list, I was starting to dig Rise Against after listening to a few tracks from the several thousand video games they've contributed a track to. Appeal To Reason stands as a terrific Punk album, giving fantastic melodies and maintaining an edgy feel, best seen on their first single Re-Education (Through Labor), but keeps the feeling all throughout the album.

Matt Costa - Unfamiliar Faces

I don't really know what to say about this album... It might be a perfect pop album. Every song is based around a particular melody, and each melody is carefully crafted and refined. I first heard this album browsing myspace while perusing and pondering layouts for this very site, and it hasn't left my iPod since. Mr. Pitiful, Emergency Call, and Vienna, as well as every other song, are highlights of the album.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

This movie threw Jason Segel in a starring role he's deserved since Freaks and Geeks. Luckily for him, after this film it's hard not to get him out of your mind. They also casted two amazing female leads in Kristin Bell and Mila Kunis. Add Paul Rudd, Jonah Hill, and Russel Brand and you pretty much have an all star cast in my book. Aldous Snow is also one of the best movie characters to have been created in a while, and his upcoming movie in '09 will prove that.

The Cool Kids - The Bake Sale EP

The Cool Kids are just plain fucking badass. Catchy, minimalist beats coupled with intelligent lyrics and great flows made this one of the year's most irresistible hip hop releases. It's playful, but they're serious musicians. And Their name is totally justified. Don't go another minute without checking out The Bake Sale EP.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

What’s not intriguing about a baby being born as an 80-year-old man? And then aging backwards! I know it sounds a little crazy but its Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett staring in an excellent movie about life, joy, and sadness. If you haven’t seen this movie, go do so fast, before you get old and die…..or get young.

Cloverfield

Whether you loved or hated this movie, you gotta admit that Abrams knows how to sell a film. The viral marketing and buzz around this movie during early 2008 and the end of 2007 was just unbelievable. I thought the movie was practically as good as the hype suggested, too. Not the most original concept, but they took it to a slightly different place, at least. And the way the audience is kept in the dark throughout the whole film just added to the mysterious awesomeness for me.

Synecdoche, New York

After seeing Synecdoche, New York, it was hard to say what I was immediately feeling when the credits began to roll. Throughout the entire film, the viewer is taken through a collage of scenes, all of which involve various emotions and situations revolving around our lead, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, that leaves you wondering what was reality and what wasn’t in the life of a writer. Charlie Kauffman has released a film that will please the most intelligent of viewers and is sure to leave you reminiscing for days to come.