Sparky's Update grabs its spandex and shield yet again!

Here's hoping you all are still feeling as stuffed and full as I am after a wonderful Thanksgiving.  The dreaded Black Friday has come and gone, and with it, many a great deal was to be found - and lost, for that matter.  This week, I'm suiting up in my tights and spandex once again for Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2, Black Friday deals, and my thoughts on the superb Where the Wild Things Are.  The film, that is, not the inevitably crappy spin-off game.
 
I Love My Spandex 
 
I know a lot of people felt that Marvel UA 2 was dumbed down quite a bit, but I don't look at it that way after having played it now for about twelve to fifteen hours.  It felt like the developers were trying to bring it back to the essentials, and though it ditches some of the fun loot collecting of the earlier games, there is still plenty here to enjoy.  The graphical overhaul looks great for the most part, though character faces are shockingly devoid of detail, especially given how much detail goes into their actual costumes.  The gameplay is rock-solid and familiar - if you've played a prior X-Men Legends or the original UA, you've got the basics pretty well covered.  The much-touted (by its publishers) Fusion system is actually fairly basic, but shows room for improvement and growth once the team can develop more animations and tinker a bit with unique team-ups.  The story is the most intriguing bit about the game, and definitely the highlight of the series as it covers the Civil War/Secret Invasion very, very well while throwing in its own little charms and moments. 
 
One thing that I'd still like to see is an even larger roster of characters.  The decision to not include some former characters is a head-scratcher, and there are some well-designed character models that make appearances without being selectable characters.  Really, the choices are just odd in spots, too - you can play as Songbird, but not Bishop or War Machine - what the hell?  The downloadable characters are well-designed and vary from the pre-existing characters, though they are light on unique dialogue, which is a bit of a disappointment.  Still want to see Wonder Man, Quasar, Havoc, and many, many others become selectable characters.  Eh, I can hope, anyways. 
 
Oh, and Psylocke as a downloadable character?  Mmmm mmmm mmmm. 
 
Man, I Hate Black Friday 
 
I really despise the entire idea of Black Friday.  It's taking a holiday that should be about good cheer and togetherness, and smashing you over the head with consumerism and shopping madness.  People have actually committed violence against one another and KILLED for discounts.  Can you fully comprehend the very madness of that sentence?  I think about it, and it's like my mind is teetering on the edge of some great black sociological abyss.  It's one of the most depressing statements about mankind I can make, so it horrifies me a bit that I take part in it and am generally just as grumpy as the next guy. 
 
What's sad is that I was basically along for the ride.  I had almost all my shopping done and needed to pick up only one item that wasn't even on sale that day.  Yep, I went along for no good reason, and boy, do I regret it.  It wasn't my first time at the rodeo, but it'll almost certainly be my last. 
 
That being said, I found some fantastic deals on games - ironically enough, all through Amazon.  I picked up Tekken 6, Tales of Vesperia, and Wolfenstein, as well as a couple of deals for my brother's Christmas present (not listing them here on the odd chance he actually might read this).  I held off on purchasing Dragon Age Origins in the hope that I might get it for X-mas from a loved one - I don't mean that to sound selfish at all, and I never expect gifts.  It's just the one game I'm hoping I might get. 
 
Beyond video games, I picked up some hunting gear for my dad, as well as some bruises from a beefcake woman who thought by ramming me with her cart, she'd get to the deals on flashlights and drills at Home Depot just that much faster.  Black Friday, I love your smokin' deals, but next year, my ass is staying in my house and I'm buying online. 
 
Where the Wild Things Were

Only one real other note this week.  Where the Wild Things Are is one of the most fantastic films I've seen this decade, right alongside the LOTR and Pirates movies.  It is simply excellent storytelling.   I'm man enough to admit that I was on the verge of tears at several points throughout the movie because I've been dealing with a lot of personal issues this year, and seeing something that brought me back so much to my childhood just did it to me.  It's a bit unfocused in parts, and the ending really could have used an extra five or ten minutes for some closure between a couple of characters, but overall, it's one of the best movies I've seen. 
 
Question of the Week, and Notes on a Future Installment

 I'm going to be putting together a huge wall 'o text for an upcoming installment.  I'm tentatively planning on talking about my favorite games of the 2000's, with highlights from each year for consoles and PC's.  It's a huge undertaking, but it should be ready by Christmas.  Until that time, I'll probably be posting shorter updates with quicker looks at games - yeah, I know, they're already pretty short. 
 
With Christmas almost upon us, I figure I'm going to shy away from games for just a few weeks and ask some fun Christmas-related questions.  This week, we'll start with an easy one.  What are your favorite Christmas treats or candies?  Any family or home-cooked treats you particularly love?