My Dream Date with Starcraft II

My dream date began this past Monday night...

Having given StarCraft the coveted number one spot on my all time favorite games list a while back, I think it's safe to say that I'm an unabashed fanboy. So it should come as no surprise that I found myself waiting in line at midnight this past Monday, eagerly awaiting my copy of the uber anticipated "StarCraft II: The Wings of Liberty."

Continue the epic saga of the Protoss, Terran, and Zerg. These three distinct and powerful races will clash once again in the fast-paced real-time strategy sequel to the original, StarCraft. Legions of veteran, upgraded, and new unit types will do battle across the galaxy, as each faction struggles for survival.
Featuring a single-player campaign that picks up where StarCraft: Brood War left off, StarCraft II presents a cast of new heroes and familiar faces in a sci-fi story filled with adventure and intrigue. In addition, Blizzard offers online play through Battle.net with several enhancements and features to make StarCraft II even better.

If you played the original, then you will instantly feel comfortable with the new game. Blizzard is smart enough to know that when something isn't broken, there's no need to fix it. The play controls and general layout are familiar and work like a champ. What Blizzard has done is taken an already great game and made improvements throughout. For those not in the know, the original StarCraft was a 2D isometric game. The sequel has gorgeous, lush 3D graphics and a scalable camera. New units abound and advancements to original units make for one happy gamer. One nice addition is the ship that serves as your home between missions. You're able to purchase mercs, upgrade units and research new tech.

If I have one minor quibble with the game, it's with the Campaign missions. Too many missions require you to complete an objective in a set time or you fail. While fun and filled with tension, there's just too many of them. One other minor complaint is the need to log on to the battle.net servers just to play the single player side of the game.

Overall, the game brings back warm memories of StarCraft while giving the franchise legs for years to come. If you're a fan of RTS (real-time strategy) then this one is a no-brainer. Run out and buy it today.

As for me, I got to get back to killing Zerg. Have a great weekend! Oh, and don't forget to sign up for my contest HERE

And almost forgot! I'm a guest at Mithril Wisdom today!

Time to Celebrate!

200! Not as awesome as the 300, but damn close.

Thank you, everyone! I'm stunned and amazed 200 people find me interesting. Maybe I should place that on a t-shirt...

So to celebrate and honor those who follow my blog, I'm holding my first contest! I had to check with my publisher first, but they've agreed to do a giveaway. Here's the scoop:

The contest is for a copy of CassaStar and a big feature here for the winner.

To enter:

Become a follower and leave a comment. One point.

Tweet this contest (hashtag #CassaStar) or mention it on your blog. Two points.

Post my book trailer on your blog - located on the page above marked CassaStar. Ten points! (And those who've already done so qualify - just leave a comment.)

Contest runs through August 8th.

Sorry I can't send everyone a bottle of champagne! But I do thank each and every one of you for following my ramblings about movies, music, games, etc. (Oh, and yes, I stood in line Monday night and got a copy of Starcraft II - and it rocks!)

August Movie Preview

August is usually a little sparse when it comes to quality theater releases, so I’ve included a couple DVD releases as well. As always, don’t forget the popcorn!

Aug. 3 - DVD - Kick-Ass

It didn’t intrigue me enough to visit the theater, but I’ll check it out on NetFlix.

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Aug. 6 – The Other Guys

Director: Adam McKay
Stars: Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg
Two mismatched New York City detectives (Ferrell and Wahlberg) seize an opportunity to step up like the city's top cops whom they idolize -- only things don't quite go as planned.

Not sure on this one yet...

Aug. 10 - DVD - Date Night

I’m a big fan of Steve Carell (especially The Office) and Tiny Fey (from 30 Rock) so this is in my NetFlix queue right now.

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Aug. 13 - The Expendables

Director: Sylvester Stallone
Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Eric Roberts, Mickey Rourke, Bruce Willis
A team of mercenaries head to South America on a mission to overthrow a dictator.

Has potential!

Aug. 27 - Centurion

Director: Neil Marshall
Stars: Michael Fassbender, Dominic West, Olga Kurylenko
After the Roman Ninth Legion is attacked by the Picts -- Celtic tribesmen who serve as some of the Roman Empire's toughest opposition -- a band of soldiers who survived the brutal massacre try to make their way back across enemy lines.

Okay, this movie excites me! In a violent, bloody, action sort of way.

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Any good movies on your radar for August?

Blast From the Past

Thought I’d start a new segment maybe twice a month or more if it gets a good response. Since my obsessions are movies, books, music, and tech stuff, I’ll stick with those topics and see if I can’t jog your memory with a blast from the past.

MUSIC

Honeymoon Suite

This 80’s band achieved some success, although they never hit it big. They came on the scene in 1984 with a debut album of the same name and gained momentum with a second album, Big Prize, in 1986. Their hits included New Girl Now, Feel it Again, and Stay in the Light, and my favorite, Bad Attitude. Subsequent albums didn’t fare so well, but the first two from this rock band are excellent!

Anyone else remember Honeymoon Suite?

Friends are visiting this weekend. I'm sorry I won't be online much, but enjoy today's blast!