Emmo’s Blog

Posted by Emmo on March 30, 2009

Avid readers of this site (Hi Dan) will remember my scathing attack on PES2009 back in Oct08.
Without repeating myself I was severely disappointed with what seemed like a half finished game. Half the teams wasn’t correct and transfers that happened nearly 6 weeks before the game was released (Berbatov and Robinho to name two) hadn’t been updated. FIFA09 had and was released two weeks before PES09!

After many years of buying Konami’s games starting with ISS for the SNES back in the early 90s right up until PES2008 for the 360, I ditched them this year for EAs Fifa09.

For 6 months I loved Fifa09. Official kits, correct player names, properly named stadiums and real time player form (via Xbox Live) made PES2009 look like the Luton Town of football games. But last week for the first time ever I went to switch on Fifa09 and I changed my mind. I felt bored of it. Don’t get me wrong (as per Oct review) Fifa09’s game play is the best EA have come up with since the game began back in 93. The game plays well and looks amazing but for all its flaws you still can’t beat PES game play.

As previously stated EAs game looks amazing but after a while you notice that the game is too scripted. You can’t seem to have flowing moves from one end of the pitch to the other. Also you never seem in total control of your players. Many times all my defenders just seem to stop and stare as the other team bear down on goal as I frantically push every button to try and get them to tackle. In the end the AI will tackle someone for me. Another annoyance is that no forward can ever seem to find space. The game seems to be built around counter attack football. The ball seems to stay in the middle of the pitch until someone passes it through a gap and the fastest player on the field can race through on goal. Long range goals are rare as the ball is like a balloon and ends up in row Z. The “finesse” shot is a great addition and but most goals are scored this way.

Like PES’s Master League EAs version, Management Mode, has its flaws. For all EAs efforts to try and catch Konami this mode lets the game down. Silly things like Euro games are never played at night, never seeing your team lift a trophy, £750k sponsorship per game for Division 2 teams, lower league teams signing top Premiership players and no pre-season so you only have 1 month to sign players makes things awkward.
It has it pluses like selling players is easy, they use real money not points, players can improve their contracts at anytime, games can be simmed and you can upgrade backroom staff and stadium. If you think you have taken the team as far as you can then you can join another team at the end of the season.

So last week I re-bought PES2009 and thanks to Konami’s updates most of the teams outside the Premiership are correct and the Jan transfer window moves have been adjusted. This weekend the new download included the new England strip.
I have also just bought of eBay an option file so when I plug in my memory card every team, kit, player name and stadium will be correct The menus still look like a 80s game that someone has been sick on but get past that and you have a not a great game but a very good game.

PES’s game play is what it’s all about. Scoring goals is the best part of football and PES capture that moment brilliantly. After scoring you see the ball in the net, the other team disappointed and your players wheeling away in celebration. This is another feature of Fifa09 that I dislike. The moment of scoring is quickly taken away as the camera doesn’t want to see the ball in the net but wants to see you choose a silly celebration for your goal scorer.
Scoring a goal in PES feels like you have really had to earn it. The other day I scored a 25 yard pile driver with Aguero and I jumped off the bed in delight. I have never had the slightest inclination to do this with FIFA as it’s all a bit emotionless.

PES for me although miles behind FIFA09 in its options and presentation has that “something” during game play that EA just can’t quite find. If EA do find the missing magical ingredient then Konami are in trouble. EA have so much depth to their game from the loading menus to the stats on how many goals, fouls and offside’s you have had since you bought it. It’s a statisticians wet dream. But Ill forgive Konami for their ugly menus and late updates if the game play remains either the same or improves. Most PES fan boys claim that PES5 or 6 was the best and they just want to see PES10 to have that engine with new-generation graphics and I would also be more than happy with that. But for now until Oct when PES10 will be unleashed I shall enjoy the beautiful game that is PES09

Agree or disagree with me? please comment………..

Posted under Games, Other Stuff

Posted by Emmo on March 13, 2009

It’s been nearly 4 months since Guns N’ Roses released their long awaited album Chinese Democracy.
Now the hype and hysteria has died down what do I now think of it? Has it lost its flavour or have I got bored with it?

The simple answer is no.

When I said (in last year’s top 10 albums review) that I thought this album was the release of the decade I wasn’t exaggerating. I know it only four months on but the album still sounds great and I’m still hearing things that I’ve missed the previous listens. The album is more than comfortable sitting with the bands previous releases.

It always amazes me that a music reviewer can give a review after maybe 2 listens. I think everyone knows if they dislike an album pretty much straight away but if you like an album there is so much going on that it takes (me) about 10 listens to hear everything that’s happening.
I may like a certain song so much that I’m still thinking about it well into the next song and therefore not paying as much attention to it. That’s why loads of listens are needed.

The biggest compliment I can give the album is that the first time I heard it I never wanted it to end. It’s the same now.

Axl Rose’s Ex Stephanie Seymour is the inspiration behind most of the songs. Better, Street Of Dreams, There Was A Time, This I Love & If The World are all about his relationship and feelings for her.

Sorry is aimed at former band mate Slash. It’s the albums darkest and moodiest song and it a real album highlight. Anyone who thinks that a the original GNR line-up is back on the cards need only listen to this song. Axl recently gave an interview where he said that the old GNR was “dead and buried” and described Slash as the bands “cancer.” Strong stuff.

After as many listens as I have given it there are of course a few songs that haven’t grabbed me by the balls and they are Shacklers Revenge & This I Love. Shacklers has too many keyboard effects in it for my liking and This I Love is like a Meatloaf/Opera style track.

If I had to pick 3 songs that are my favourite it would be hard but Better (the next single), Street Of Dreams & There Was A Time would be up there. There Was A Time is 6 minutes long and the last 3 minutes are guitar solo. It’s already a GNR classic. A true masterpiece.

It’s disappointing that Slash, Duff, Steven & Izzy are not on this album but with the musicians that Axl has drafted in they are not missed as much as you might think. According to the album sleeve this album has had up to 9 guitarists playing on it. There are also a few drummers who have played on the album. Axl recently admitted to listening to Appetite and the Illusions and loving them except for the drumming. He thinks they sound dated. He is even talking of taking 2 drummers when they start touring. Axl wants as many guitars and drums on stage as possible. Will it work? Who knows!!

Axl also said he was miss-quoted when saying “I want to bury Appetite” during an interview by Kurt Loder back in 1990.
He said he meant everything that surrounded Appetite (Steven Adler’s problems & the excessive drug use by some band members) and he wanted to start fresh with the Illusions. Due to Izzy leaving plus Slash and Duffs continuing problems starting fresh never happened. Now that Axl is last man standing he has drafted in who wanted and as many as he wanted.

There are plans for a Chinese Democracy 2 but that will follow after a few years touring. Axl has stated that some of the guitar work is amazing and sounds like Stevie Ray Vaughan.

For all those who doubted Axl Rose’s genius this album will restore the faith but for millions who never doubted him this album is another more than interesting chapter in the GNR legacy.

Posted under Music, Music News

Posted by Emmo on March 9, 2009

A new band……to me anyway !!

I have recently been introduced to a band that started in the early 90s and are still going today albeit with a few line up changes.

If you like good rock music with harmonies and superb guitar solos then go and check out Enuff Z’ Nuff.
Some of the songs have a Beatles-esq feel to them and none more so than their biggest hit Fly High Michelle.

I have recently purchased their first three albums. You can pick these up cheap on eBay or Amazon in the new or used section. I recommend the self titled debut album and the third release Animals With Human Intelligence.

The band have gone though some line up changes. Original drummer Vikki Foxx left shortly before the release of Animals… to join the Vince Neil Band. Neil set this band up after his sacking from Motley Crue in 1992.
Then disaster struck when guitarist Derek Frigo was found dead with a suspected drug overdose.

Enuff Z’ Nuff have released 14 albums including Greatest Hits and live albums.

Go check them out and let me know your feedback

Posted under Music, Music News

Posted by Emmo on March 3, 2009

So the defeat at Middlesbrough confirmed what we all knew deep down.
The title race (hardly a race if only one team is only in it come 1st week of March) is over.
Utd won the title without even kicking playing in the league this weekend.
Fergie and Utd will claim their 19th Championship and join LFC as the holders of the most English league titles. It hurts. It really hurts.

But you have to take your hat off to Fergie. He has turned Utd into the team that no one wants to play and they have been in the title race every season since the Premiership began. Correct me if I am wrong but I’m sure there’s only been 1 season when they failed to finish in the top 2.  A remarkable achievement.

I see many similarities between the Manchester Utd that Fergie took over to Liverpool team Rafa took over.
Utd were a huge club who were severely under achieving in the league but picked up the odd cup here and there.
Ring any bells?

In the first 5 years Fergie won the FA Cup and Cup winners cup. Rafa has won the FA cup and Champions League.

Utd had gone 26 years before Fergie finally won them the Championship. It took Fergie 5 years to win his first title.
Under Rafa Liverpool have never seriously challenged for the title and by challenge I mean being top in November for 5 games and then being nowhere to be seen come March onwards is not a serious challenge.

The point is that Utd stuck with Fergie through 5 average years compared to what their history had previously given them. Just like us Utds history had hindered them. Some say that Fergie would have been sacked if it had not been for a last minute Mark Robbins goal which kept Utd in the FA Cup in 1990 (Utd went on to win the cup that year) This has always been denied by people at Utd.

Fergie was always going to be given time. I think that people forget that Utd went 26 years without winning the title. We have gone 19 years and the bad news is I still think there a few more barren years ahead when it comes to us winning the league.

After Utd won their first few titles and decided to “whore” their image across the world. People say that when you go to the far east it’s all Utd when a few years ago it was Liverpool.  LFC have fallen way behind Utd in terms of global branding and that’s one of the reasons Rick Parry is leaving at the end of the season. For example our club shop is a joke. They never have any stock in and people are forced to go to other sources to buy their LFC merchandise.

Also Utd have started winning titles in the BSKYB era which has enabled them to coin it in and make Old Trafford one of the biggest stadiums in Europe. Utd get nearly 70,000 people at every home game. That’s over 30,000 more than us. If tickets cost roughly £40 that’s more than £1.2 million more than we make at every home game. Multiply that by 18 home games (in the league alone) and that’s £21.6 million more than us a season. If we built a stadium that had a 65,000 capacity we could fill it. But we don’t have one.  Again Parry stood still while Old Trafford was being modernised.

It’s not all Parry’s fault of course. Liverpool have wasted their money on average after average player. For every Reina, Alonso, Torres and Mascherano there is a Kirkland, Degan, Morrientes and Sissoko. With the money Utd make they can fail in the transfer market where as we can’t. Every signing has to count as every penny counts for LFC at the moment and until the Yanks go it will always be this way.

The whole point of this post is that Rafa needs time and money to get us to where Utd are. This isn’t going to happen over 4 or 5 seasons. Especially as when Fergie took over no one was as good as Utd are today.

Look at what we spend compared to Utd. We have one £20m+ player. Utd normally have 4 or 5 on the bench. Rafas job isn’t made any easier by the two Americans either at each other throats or not talking at all. Heard anything from the Glazers lately?
It’s a miracle we manage to stay in the top four yet people want us to win the league.

It won’t happen this season and unless the club is sold and major finances are invested then it won’t be next season either.
It took Utd and Fergie 26 years. It may take LFC and Rafa a bit longer.

Posted under Football, LFC