Category: Features

Posted on: November 28, 2009 Posted by: Jay NeuFutur Comments: 0

Petz Hamsterz Superstarz (Nintendo DS)

The petz series has covered the main animals that players would like to see – primarily cats and dogs – and I see this as a good sign that they are giving smaller critters some face time. This time around, hamsters are given the star treatment, while Ubisoft has stuffed the title full of all the pet-sim goodness that players have learned to expect from this line of games. At…

Posted on: November 28, 2009 Posted by: Jay NeuFutur Comments: 0

Drawn To Life: The Next Chapter (Nintendo Wii)

There is something to say about the levels of customization in video games. Where earlier titles (those that I grew up with, released in the late eighties and early nineties), there was little to do to customize – colors may be swapped out, but there was little else players could do to express themselves. Of course, as next-generation consoles fell into obsolescence, newer titles were able to really allow player’s…

Posted on: November 27, 2009 Posted by: Jay NeuFutur Comments: 0

Rise For Order – Rip It Up (CD)

“Paralyze” has all the grit and energy that is present in a Papa Roach, Godsmack, and even Tantric. The hard edge that comes forth is moderated considerably by the tremendous skill exhibited by each band member. The nods that Rise For Order make to older acts, including Tool and Nine Inch Nails, further establish the act as one that furthers the dialogue present in the hard rock genre. The production…

Posted on: November 27, 2009 Posted by: Jay NeuFutur Comments: 0

Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party 3 (Nintendo Wii)

I have been a fan of the Dance Dance Revolution series for the last six or seven years. At some point, I would hit up the Internet and search out different arcades and restaurants that had a DDR machine present. I familiarized myself with the home-console iterations of the DDR line, but I felt almost as if the arcade version had some essence that put it at a level unachievable…

Posted on: November 26, 2009 Posted by: Jay NeuFutur Comments: 0

Diner Dash: Flo on the Go (Nintendo DS)

It seems that there is a tremendous amount of trouble present in converting casual games to titles that can stand the test of time in console format. Diner Dash is a casual game that a large subsection of the Internet audience know, and it is thus that much harder for a company like Zoo Games to do justice with the title without having detractors that may have preferred the Internet…

Posted on: November 26, 2009 Posted by: James Comments: 0

Red Stag (Bourbon)

We here at NeuFutur have had the chance to try out a number of different whiskies, but I feel that there have not been too many changes to the archetypal style. However, Jim Beam has attempted to rock the boat and come up with something new and fresh. This four year-old bourbon is infused with black cherry flavoring (natural flavorings, of course), which ties a little bit of sweet to…

Posted on: November 25, 2009 Posted by: Jay NeuFutur Comments: 0

Just Dance (Wii)

Just Dance is a game in the dance (Dance Dance Revolution, Pump It Up) genre, and it allows up to four players to break it down. Each player has a bar showcasing the amount of moves that they have successfully completed, while a character on-screen provides them with further instruction. The number of different tracks that players can enter into is stellar, with over thirty tracks being available for rapid…

Posted on: November 25, 2009 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

Big Man: Real Life & Tall Tales by Clarence Clemons and Don Reo (Book)

Standing stage left to Bruce Springsteen for the past three decades, E Street Band saxophonist Clarence Clemons has had the opportunity to take in life from a unique advantage as a member of perhaps the greatest American rock band. In his wildly entertaining memoir, written with the help of his best friend Don Reo (creator of “My Wife and Kids” and a number of other sitcoms), Clemons manages to share…

Posted on: November 24, 2009 Posted by: Jay NeuFutur Comments: 0

Slug #251 (Zine)

It’s been a few months since we have had the chance to go and review an issue of Slug, and one simply cannot come back to a greater blend of different approaches, styles, and subject material. This ensures that readers will be able to keep interested in what Slug’s staff has to say, while checking out the different advertisements that are spread out at good intervals in this issue. “Dear…

Posted on: November 21, 2009 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

My Effortless Brilliance (DVD)

My Effortless Brilliance is a throwback to early/mid-90’s Indies like Daytrippers and Walking and Talking – engaging characters, simple plots where not much happens, but the dialogue is refreshingly honest.

Posted on: November 20, 2009 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

Boat – Setting the Paces (CD)

You gotta love an indie band that doesn’t try to coat their pop songs in faux hipster swagger. Seattle’s Boat – unlike many of their trendy indie brethren in the Pacific Northwest – play straight up pop rock and the result is fantastic. On Setting the Paces, their third full length, the group delivers 14 tracks that would make Cheap Trick put down their double-necked guitars and start taking notes.…

Posted on: November 13, 2009 Posted by: Jay NeuFutur Comments: 0

Rick McGuire – Dust & Tears (CD)

There are only two players to the different elements heard on “Dust & Tears”. When an individual has the ability to hear exactly what sort of dense and detailed sound issues forth from their speakers during “Dust & Tears”, they will be amazed. McGuire himself takes on the vocals, bass, guitars, and drums, while Donnie LaMarca takes the strings and the piano-type instruments. “Breathe” is the culmination of these two…

Posted on: November 12, 2009 Posted by: Jay NeuFutur Comments: 4

Barefoot Bubbly – Moscato Spumante Champagne (Wine)

For those that have been able to try out some of the various efforts by Barefoot Bubbly, they understand that the company is able to put together some amazing efforts at a stellar price. However, they may not know that there is a new type of Barefoot Bubbly – Moscato Spumante – that will be tickling drinker’s throats all through the end of this year and into 2010. This (very)…

Posted on: November 11, 2009 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

Andy Barker, P.I. –The Complete Series (DVD)

If you needed any further proof that TV executives are little more than sadistic puppet masters who like little more than to tease us with what might have been, look at the career of Andy Richter. After leaving Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Richter made the bizarre, but extremely funny Andy Richter Controls the Universe. The show was smart and original, so obviously it was cancelled after one season.

Posted on: November 11, 2009 Posted by: Jay NeuFutur Comments: 0

Mathilde Liqueur – Blackcurrant (Liqueur)

We have had a few shots at the different offerings by Mathilde in the last few months, and we wanted to save one of the best for last. This is their Blackcurrant Liqueur, a spirit that may seem to be a little viscous compared to other similar liqueurs, but is in reality a dark horse, with a specific quality that individuals would not necessarily expect out of a similar colored…

Posted on: November 10, 2009 Posted by: Jay NeuFutur Comments: 0

Motorstorm: Arctic Edge (Sony PSP)

Motorstorm: Arctic Edge is the third in the Motorstorm line, and it represents a transition for the title that may either save or wreck the series. The previous two Motorstorm titles were on the Playstation 3, while Motorstorm: Arctic Edge takes a step back and allows players of the PSP and the PS2 a chance at the franchise. The amount of vehicles players can use (24) and the differentiation of…

Posted on: November 10, 2009 Posted by: Jay NeuFutur Comments: 1

Pacific Rim – 2007 Chenin Blanc Columbia Valley (Wine)

We here at the NeuFutur HQ have had some great Rieslings and similar varietals in the last few months, but I feel that the ’07 Chenin Blanc taken from the Columbia Valley vineyard may just be one of the best we’ve had. The Chenin Blanc, for casual wine drinkers, is a variety of grape that is versatile as all get out and is planted practically everywhere that is hospitable for…

Posted on: November 10, 2009 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

fun – Aim And Ignite (CD)

When The Format announced they were splitting up last year after their epically brilliant, but tragically underrated concept record Dog Problems, it seemed like a horrible waste of talent. Dog Problems, produced by Red Kross’ Steven McDonald with musical arrangements by Jellyfish’s Roger Manning, Jr., was pop rock perfection from start to finish; one of the best power pop records put out in 2007. Taking inspiration from XTC and ELO,…

Posted on: November 5, 2009 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

Willie Nelson – Lost Highway (CD)

It’s easy to forget how relevant Willie Nelson still remains, nearly 50 years after releasing his first record. On Lost Highway, his greatest hits collection from the label of the same name, Nelson, turns in 17 already classic country songs. Tunes like “Maria (Shut Up and Kiss Me),” “Back to Earth” and his cover of the reggae classic “The Harder They Come” just go to illustrate how relevant he still…

Posted on: November 3, 2009 Posted by: Jay NeuFutur Comments: 0

Cliff Eberhardt – 500 Miles: The Blue Rock Sessions (CD)

Cliff Eberhardt has been one of those individuals that has been in the periphery for a number of years, but has never gotten the fame or recognition that ey deserves. With “500 Miles”, I feel that there is enough present to bring in an entirely new fan base that may yet catapult Eberhardt to stardom. The album starts out with “500 Miles”, a song that tells just as much with…