And Now For A 2006 Joke Monday, January 1, 2007 : 8:00 PM By: Chris

What better way to ring in 2007 than with a comic that resurrects a topic rooted firmly in 2006? Dance competitions aside, I don't really think rumble is that big a deal. Sure, it was pretty neat back in StarFox 64 when you'd hit the thrusters and feel the controller shake, but now I largely don't even notice force feedback. This is even more true with the Wii, where the rumble is less intense than many cell phones.

I had a chance to try my hand at two rather well known franchises over the holidays for the first time. I've been pretty awful at music games ever since I attempted to play Beatmania way back when. As a result, I don't usually find the genre to be all that great. But I gave Guitar Hero a try and I must say I liked it. Lets be clear, I still suck at rhythm games, and hitting the orange button on the guitar is a feat I can't wrap my brain around while simultaneously doing anything else - but I think it's a fun game nonetheless. I can see why it's grown into the phenomenon it has.

The second game was the golden oldie ToeJam and Earl. This game is quite unlike anything I've ever played before, and certainly is a big departure from the usual stuff that was around in the 16-bit days. It shines in it's co-operative elements while also incorporating a unique "divide and conquer" approach. It's a shame that the sequel suffered the same fate as the original Legend of Zelda. Namely, that a fun, successful formula was scrapped in lieu of trying to cash in on the side-scroller craze.