What's new with you?

So, is anything actually happening over there? I really haven't gotten much mail from anyone recently, except when Jordan sent me that Blue Dragon thing the yesterday. Are you guys... breaking up with me? I guess I haven't been saying much either but as yet there hasn't been much to say. I may be off probation soon if I have correctly read the reaction of one of my superiors at Nova, so that's pretty cool.

Also, I got a DS, which is also quite cool. The first game I got for it was Jump Ultimate Stars, which is like Smash Brothers, but it has Shonen Jump characters and it's not as good. Now, don't get me wrong, it is still a damn good game, but it's missing a few things that keep it for being that good. One is level design. Smash Brothers was great with that but the levels in this game, though reflecting many og the manga, they also feel generic. Most of them feel like the same kind of platform filled level with mildly different traps, if any. The Naruto level was kind of cool in that it has some ninja traps and the One Piece level has a cannon in the middle but I just know it can have more than just platforms. I'd loke the Eyeshield level to be on a Football field, not just another platform level with a field in the background. On the plus side, the levels all take place within a big manga panel, which I think is kind of cool.

The other is that I don't know if this plays nearly as well in multiplayer as Smash brothers, but I've never really played a multiplayer game on a game boy before.

I do love the Koma (panel) system, though, which is pretty cool and allows you to build a cool team of battle, support and bonus characters. Basically you have to build a team on a grid fill it with manga panels. More powerful characters take up more panels (except for bonus characters who only take up one panel each and ive bonuses to selected characters). So you can have a team of three characters with a few bonuses or one character with lots of bonuses and support.

I already beat of levels from series I like (Slam Dunk, Eyeshield21 and One Piece) and from series I've never heard of (Popularity King Taizo Saga and Jaguar for example) and for the most part am kicking ass, though right now, I'm having trouble trying to finish the Hitman Reborn level. Still, I really hope they bring this game to the Wii, because it would be endlessly cool.

As for other things, not to much is happening over here.

I heard that there will be a Spider-Man stage musical, and even stranger, it's directed by Julie Taymor, who did the incredibly popular and critically acclaimed Lion King play as well as some amazing movies like Titus and Frida. The music will be by Bono and the Edge. Frankly, I'm not a musical person, but I am curious and will be buying the inevitable soundtrack. However, I'm mildly worried since they mentioned there will be a new character, Arachne:

The character breakdowns provide some insight to plot points as the character Arachne ("female, 20-35 years old, any ethnicity") is described as "a beautiful, boastful young woman turned into a spider for her hubris and lack of respect for the gods. She subsequently appears to Peter Parker and the audience as in turn a powerful spider-woman who comes from another time to inspire Peter; an otherworldly lover; a bride; a terrifying (and sexy) dark goddess of vengeance; a dance partner in a charged and violent spiders dance of death; and, finally, a lonely, fragile young woman." Casting is seeking a "strong Celtic, Balkan style, e.g., Sinead O'Connor," noting, "outside the box ideas are welcomed. Could be someone from the music industry."

Seems very strange, as Spider-Man doesn't interact with magic and myth that much unless some gets start like Doc Strange shows up. Still, they did mess with it in Michael J Straczynski's run (creator of Babylon 5) but that story was really nothing to write home about. Still Taymor, is very talented and as long as she gets the characters it should be fine. But most importantly, I want to see J. Jonah Jameson sing. Face it, you do too.