NBA Heat Check (2010-11)

A lot of players, a lot of games, a lot of basketball sneakers, but these 5 gentlemen brought the style, sense, and swag to put to shame the shoe game of every other player on the NBA hardwood, at least for one night during the 2010-11 season. I present to you, the NBA Heat Check.

5) Courtney Lee - Houston Rockets

Weapon of Choice: Nike "Cough Drop" Foamposite One
The thing about Courtney Lee that I really like is that he always mixes things up with his shoe game, from the Penny III, to the Air Hoop Structure, to the LeBron VIII. He was spotted this season wearing the "Cough Drop" Foamposite Ones, in what may be his greatest footwear moment to date.

The thing about Foams is that they definitely don't go with everything, so I can appreciate when a player has the presence of mind to make sure that the sneakers match the colors up top before throwing them on. While not one of my personal favorite incarnations of the Foamposite One, the "Cough Drops" looked pretty amazing with that Rockets uni.



4) George Hill - San Antonio Spurs

Weapon of Choice: Nike Air Penny III Metallic Silver
Speaking of matching the sneaks to the jersey, George Hill rocking the House of Hoops Metallic Silver Penny III was a no-brainer. Keith Bogans would lace up the silver 1/2 Cents all the time last season, and as soon as the silver Penny IIIs were announced, I knew that they'd look good on some San Antonio Spur.

It pains me a little to see someone on the Spurs rocking a Penny so well, but you gotta give credit where it's due. George Hill was killing it in these.



3) J.J. Hickson - Cleveland Cavaliers

Weapon of Choice: Nike 1/2 Cent "Cranberry"
Continuing the Air Penny theme (surprise!) is J.J. Hickson in the "Cranberry" 1/2 Cent. He was actually doing work in these, and came up with one of the more memorable plays of the season in them, emphatically blocking a Blake Griffin dunk and earning a certain degree of revenge on behalf of the rest of the league. My dude Hakim Warrick was also a semi-regular user of the Eggplant version of the 1/2 Cent, although he unfortunately wasn't blocking any shots or playing any manner of defense whatsoever.

If there's one 1/2 Cent colorway that I still contemplate picking up from time to time, it's the Cranberries. Damn, those things are loud.



2) Gilbert Arenas - Orlando Magic

Weapon of Choice: FILA Grant Hill (95)
Gilbert brought the heat every night and even wore a handful of my personal favorite pairs - Air Penny II, Royal Foamposite One, Cool Grey XI - but I like the FILA shout-out that he gave to Grant Hill.

Bold, nostalgic, unique, clean.



1) Derrick Rose - Chicago Bulls

Weapon of Choice: Adidas Crazy 8 Chicago
While Derrick Rose's adiZero Rose signature isn't bad, it wasn't until he pulled out a Bulls colorway of Kobe Bryant's old Crazy 8 that he caught my attention.

Yes, they were pretty amazing, and yes, I'm still hoping to get my hands on a pair.

The Ongoing PlayStation Network Saga

With the PlayStation Network supposedly up and running again, I figured that I'd go ahead and log in so I could do the required password reset. Imagine my surprise when I attempted to do so and was immediately prompted with the same old "PlayStation Network is currently undergoing maintenance" message that we've been seeing every day for the past month or so. Turns out that while North America (and just about every other country) has access to the network, Japan will have to wait a while longer until Japanese authorities have deemed the upgraded network safe enough. Figures. Still, I suppose the prolonged wait doesn't bother me so much. I rarely play games online and it's not like we're paying for the service, so whatever.

If there's one positive to come out of this, it's the "Welcome Back" package that will be made available to all returning PSN users. We already knew about the free month of PlayStation Plus, but Sony has also revealed that users will be able to download 2 free PS3 and PSP games. Here's the PS3 list:

• DeadNation
• inFAMOUS
• LittleBigPlanet
• Super Stardust HD
• Wipeout HD + Fury

Ok, I was expecting stuff like Crash Bandicoot and Angry Birds, so all things considered, that's a pretty awesome list. And a calculated one as well, considering that inFAMOUS 2 needs the promotion and that Little Big Planet 2 could see a sales boost if people enjoy the first one (which they will). Well played.

Throwback Clips: Penny Hardaway

No real reason, just had that urge to watch some old school Penny clips that I get from time to time. He's absolutely beasting on the Pacers in the 95 ECF here.

Air Jordan "Wolf Grey" V

I knew the Wolf Grey Vs were going to be special the first time that I saw pictures of them, but wow, in person? They are absolutely gorgeous. The Cool Grey XIs were amazing, but I'm going to go ahead and say that these are even better. An instant classic.

Catherine Impressions

Playing:
Catherine
(PS3)

The idea of tackling an intricate action/puzzle game normally wouldn't resonate with me, but as a huge fan of Persona 3 and 4, the prospect of playing Atlus' first offering on the PS3 was just too good to pass up. Atlus has dubbed Catherine an "adult horror" title, which isn't quite as risque as the naming might imply, but a fitting moniker nonetheless. The game does indeed have a mature vibe to it, but you won't come across anything here that you wouldn't find in a fairly tame PG-13 film (well, aside from the exploding bodies). Much like how Persona 3 and 4 combined elements of traditional RPGs with those of simulation games, Atlus blends us a rather interesting puzzle/action/sim combo with Catherine.

Without spoiling too much, the story revolves around our hero Vincent Brooks, a somewhat unkempt gentleman who has been having some rather peculiar nightmares as of late. Vincent manages to get himself caught up in a bizarre love triangle involving longtime girlfriend Katherine, and a younger, bubblier woman, also named (yowza!) Catherine. The aforementioned nightmares are a concern because other men around town have been mysteriously dying in their sleep. We take control of Vincent and try to get to the bottom of the mysterious dreams, while attempting to figure out whether they have anything to do with the town's recent deaths.



While the simulation aspect of the game isn't nearly as extensive as those of the Persona titles, it does have a subtle depth that you'll come to appreciate as the game goes on. Vincent spends virtually all of his waking hours at the bar getting drunk out of his mind and fielding text messages from his two lady friends, but it's through the various encounters with the other bar customers that you'll gradually solve the mystery behind the nightmares. You'll also learn a whole lot about alcohol in the process. Don't ask.



Now, rumors that you may have heard regarding Catherine's difficulty are probably true. The game is HARD. I'm talking one of the most frustratingly difficult "easy" modes of all time here. The premise of the game's puzzle portion is simple enough. Once Vincent enters "Nightmare" mode, he must attempt to scale a sprawling tower of blocks in an effort to reach a podium at the very top. Players do this by pushing or pulling the blocks to create pathways or ascending steps while dodging the occasional trap. Other dreamers appear in the form of sheep, but they're more of a nuisance than an actual threat. At first the puzzles are fairly simple, and even the massive bosses - though they help introduce an element of panic - aren't terribly difficult to evade.



However, once the player begins to reach the game's later stages, the puzzles leave precious little margin for error, which can result in an incredibly frustrating experience. Expect to pull out some hair and toss a few controllers. In fact, the game was so difficult that Atlus released a patch which would in effect turn the game's "easy" mode into a "very easy" mode. Unfortunately, the puzzles remain unchanged even when you toggle the patched easy mode, though the stages are now littered with special energy drinks that allow Vincent to bound up blocks 3 squares at a time (as opposed to just one). What's funny is that this makes the game too easy, as previously frustrated players will likely be scratching their heads as the once stagnant Vincent flies through each level without breaking a sweat.

This isn't to say that the puzzle portion of the game can't be fun. It can be immensely rewarding and I personally quite enjoyed it, but the game certainly isn't for everyone. Catherine will inevitably attract the Persona crowd, but while RPG fans are used to being able to grind out experience points to get out of a tough spot, Catherine will just bludgeon players with the same unforgiving puzzle over and over again.



Yet in spite of the constant bouts of frustration, the dark, intriguing murder mystery plot drives you to keep playing. Overall, it's a unique, fantastic little package, but simply one that's hampered by some overwhelming difficulty issues. Despite that one flaw, you won't find anything out there quite like Catherine. Recommended.

NA Fans To Get Deluxe Edition Catherine

I'm jealous. $79.99 is a bit steep, but that's a pretty slick package. I guess I must have really enjoyed the game because part of me wants a pair of Vincent's boxers. Sweet shirt as well.



Finally got around to beating the game the other week, so I'll have a review up later.

Extreme Rules 2011

I'm not planning on making this a regular thing, but I went ahead and tracked down a copy of Sunday's event because I really wanted to see the Smackdown title match. This event is EXTREME, and we'll thus see the superstars going at it in various no disqualification scenarios. Tables, ladders, cages, oh my. We kick things off with Punk and Orton, and I swear, the amount of combined tattoos between these two men has already increased considerably since April 3rd. The anonymous Raw General Manager immediately sends the New Nexus to the back, which CM Punk does not approve of. One of the Nexus members seriously looks like Batista's pissed off little brother.

Randy Orton vs CM Punk (Last Man Standing)
Booker T is doing color here, which makes things infinitely more interesting. He kind of has that Dusty Rhodes vibe on commentary, where he'll get excited to the point that it isn't always immediately clear what's coming out of his mouth. Great match, as you'd probably expect from these two. Some pretty sick bumps here, including CM Punk taking an RKO on the announce table. Punk comes back by wrapping a chair around Orton's throat and ramming it into the ringpost. Booker: "Oh my goodness, he could have crushed a larynx or anything, WHAT THE HELL!" Finish comes when Orton catches Punk up top and brings him down with an elevated RKO. They gave them 20 minutes here, so no real complaints aside from the fact that CM Punk loses yet again. Does this guy ever win on PPV?

US Title: Sheamus vs Kofi Kingston (Tables Match)
This one is technically a bonus match since it wasn't advertised to be on the card. Good for Sheamus since he got shafted at Mania, though you gotta figure that he's losing here since RAW needs a secondary title and Sheamus just got drafted to Smackdown. Decent match. I like that they worked an actual logical tables match, with the entire focus being table spot, counter, table spot, counter, table spot, etc. Kofi takes it after coming off the top with his legdrop onto Sheamus who was outside the ring. Sheamus took the table bump while standing which made it look a lot more impressive.

R-Truth is getting interviewed backstage. I guess he had a title shot but lost it when John Morrison beat him on RAW. Truth smells conspiracy (but apparently can't spell it). Truth: "Conspiracies ain't good, they BAD." He's like Dead Prez meets Mystikal and Sesame Street.

Michael Cole & Jack Swagger vs Jerry Lawler and Jim Ross (Country Whipping Match)
I guess last month's King/Cole match didn't live up to expectations, so they decided to add Jim Ross and his technical wrestling wizardry to the equation. Cole comes out wrapped entirely in bubble wrap, which is actually kind of funny for a few seconds before the whole thing goes to hell. Cole surprises JR with a rollup to take the win. Moving on.

Cody Rhodes vs Rey Mysterio (Falls Count Anywhere)
Cody Rhodes' character has really grown on me. He's accompanied to the ring by a pair of gentlemen who proceed to cover the faces of ringside fans with paper bags because they're "extremely ugly." Tremendous. Falls count anywhere, so they eventually make their way to the back where Rhodes catches Rey with that springboard knee of his. The fans backstage chant "holy shit" and "this is awesome" at that. Um, that seems a tad generous. Back in the ring, Rey breaks out the green mist (!) before hitting the 619 and a splash for the victory. Evil grin from Mysterio afterward. What is he, a heel?

Michelle McCool vs Layla (No DQ, Loser Leaves WWE)
Haven't sat down and watched a proper Divas match in ages, but McCool seems to be pretty good. Layla spends most of the match bawling - as in crying - which is somewhat annoying. McCool hits a Styles Clash, but Layla reverses the pin to steal it. Viscera makes his return after the match and kills McCool dead with a double underhook facebuster. Why is he picking on women? Oh wait, apparently it's not Viscera, but Awesome Kong. Cool. Her WWE ring name is Kharma.

Smackdown World Title: Alberto Del Rio vs Christian (Ladder Match)
I like Del Rio a lot, but I've been a huge Christan fan for over 10 years so I'll let you figure out who I'm rooting for here. Booker: "Alberto Del Rio reminds me of myself back in the day as far as going out there and totally trying to get the job done at all times." Indeed, if the definition of "getting the job done at all times" is breakdancing in the middle of the ring instead of pinning your opponent. Not the Jeff Hardy-esque trainwreck that ladder matches are often associated with, but kudos to Del Rio for taking a big ladder bump off a missed elbow drop. Really good match here in spite of Brodus Clay and Edge getting involved. Christian annihilates Brodus Clay with a ladder, which leads to Clay bleeding all over the place like he got shot in the head. They're going to have a lot of fun editing that one out for the DVD release. Christian eventually pushes Del Rio off of a ladder all the way to the outside before climbing it himself to secure his first world title. Edge looks legitimately happy for his friend here, and Christian celebrates with the belt like the title actually means something to him. You don't see enough of that nowadays. Tough not to be happy for Christian, one of the guys who's worked hard and always been a total pro. Great moment.



Alex Riley is talking to the Miz about his upcoming triple threat title match. Riley says that Miz mathematically only has a 33% chance of winning. Well, not if you ask Scott Steiner:



Tag Team Titles: Big Show & Kane vs Wade Barrett & Ezekiel Jackson (Lumberjack Match)
Not trying to be funny or anything, but I seriously have no idea who half of these lumberjacks are. Whatever happened to Wade Barrett's push? Never mind, perhaps Big Zeke ate it. Seems like they have big plans for Ezekiel Jackson, the dude certainly is...large. Show chokeslams Barrett to pick up the win. Nice to know that even though LayCool can't get along, Big Show and Kane will always be BFF.

RAW World Title: The Miz vs John Cena vs John Morrison (Steel Cage Match)
Remember when Miz and Morrison were tag champs? I would have bet money on Morrison becoming world champ first. Hey, this one turned out to be pretty good. Morrison really adds an interesting element to the match with his unique offense. He busts out a C4 at one point, which kind of goes over the head of the crowd. Cena and Morrison try a double superplex on Miz, but Miz takes the bump on his head like it's a brainbuster, resulting in the sickest spot all night. I guess Cena gets jealous of all of Morrison's springy, flippy offense, so he decides to break out a monkey flip. ABUNAAAAII!!! Morrison almost manages to escape through the cage door, but R-Truth shows up and kicks his head in. He proceeds to beat down Morrison and Cena before leaving. You know, I've never been a fan of Truth because he was always this goofy rapper/dancer character that couldn't rap or dance, but at least he has an edge as a heel. Finish comes when Cena recovers and catches Miz with an Attitude Adjustment off the top rope. Good show.

Two days later: reports from this week's Smackdown taping have revealed that Christian has lost the world title to Randy Orton. Wow. I hate that they didn't even let Christian make it through a single episode of Smackdown as champ before slapping the title on Orton for the 8th time. Would it have killed them to let Christian run with the title for one month before having him drop it at the next PPV? On the other hand, I'm happy that Christian got his moment. Taking the title off of him so quickly was absurd - especially considering the reaction he got from the fans when he won the belt - but he's a former world champ now, and that certainly counts for something. Hell, maybe now they'll finally turn him heel. A heel Christian going after Orton would at least be a pretty fresh feud.