24: So good it gives me nightmares.

About a month ago I wrote a post claiming that 'Pulling Mussels (From The Shell)' is the best song ever written. The skeptical reader might wonder how long I thought about staking this claim. I can assure you I had been thinking about it for years; challenging myself and other people to name a better song based on the case I had presented. So it goes with 24. I didn't pull this out of my hat. I didn't just get bored one afternoon and decide to proclaim 24 the best show ever broadcast. So it is after great deliberation that I present my case that 24 is the best show ever shown on tv (this includes both cable and broadcast programming).

The show is about Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) and his exploits as a government agent specializing in preventing terrorism. He has an on-and-off relationship with The Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU). The gimmick (and the source of the shows title) is that the events of each episode elapse in one hour, in real time. Therefore each season is one twenty four hour day from start to finish.


Don't shoot! I'm on your side Jack!

24 is shot mostly with handheld cameras, which helps to add to the suspense in the same way it would in a horror film. It also updates the spy-movie cliche of having multiple scenes, in frames, on the screen at once. The trademark of the show is the digital clock which appears on screen before and after commercials, and at the end of each episode. The ticking of this clock is more iconic (and way more important) than Law & Order's gavel drop (also known and the "donk-donk").

I have to admit I was late to the party as far as 24 is concerned. During late weeknights with my housemates during season five I really started to get hooked. To be honest, depending on what day of the week it was, it could have been a toss-up between 'Lost' and 24. I ended up being drawn to 24. I'm lucky it was during season five because this is widely regarded (including by me) to be the show's best season to date. I can remember yelling "RUDY! RUDY!" at the screen with my housemates whenever Sean Astin was on the screen, but little did I know that the seed was planted, and I was soon to be the ultimate 24 fanatic.


I named one of our cats Chloe O'Brian. She rules.

In short order I purchased seasons 1-4 on DVD and watched them with great frequency just to get all caught up. I decided to rewatch season five ("RUDY! RUDY!") via the Internet and it was at about this time I realized the 24 universe was invading my life a little too much...

One night, before Eileen and I were married, we were slumbering together in my apartment in my full-sized bed. In the middle of the night I sprang from a deep sleep and grabbed my future wife by the throat with my left hand (I'm right handed). It all happened in an instant, and I realized what was happening before she even woke up. There was no going back. I was a CTU agent.

After season six, something really bad happened: the writer's strike. To many fans, season six was underwhelming, and although I thought it was up to par with some past seasons, I was worried that a long break would be detrimental to the show in general. So far, halfway into season seven, I can happily say that I was wrong.

Season seven opened with Jack being questioned by a senate committee for his questionable tactics while on the job. As it has always been, the show is again on the cutting edge of the cultural zeitgeist. As our real-life president plans to shut down the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba and recently stated that "America does not torture," in the 24 universe the once untouchable Bauer is about to face the music for doing what was necessary to keep the country safe. Lucky for us, he is pulled out of the hearing by FBI agent Renee Walker, and the action begins.

It didn't take long for 24 to start affecting my sleep again. Last week I had terrible nightmares for three nights after the show aired. I rarely have dreams of being chased, in my nightmares I am the killer. So far I haven't tried to choke my wife to death, and I might miss anyway since we have a kingsized bed now.

For anyone into tactical special-agent type action with some political intrigue mixed in, this show is for you. If you like suspense by any measure, this show is for you. If you have eyes and ears, this show is for you.

If anyone sucessfully uses the 24 defense for attempted murder on his/her husband/wife, let me know.

Game Informer Top Five

Each month I receive Game Informer. A one year subscription of this mediocre video game magazine, which is nowhere near as good as Electronic Gaming Monthly, comes with membership to the Gamestop Edge. The Edge card costs twenty dollars, is good for one year, and can be used for a ten percent discount on used games. It can also be used to store trade-in credit. Even though I never trade in my games, the card usually pays for itself via frequent use of the ten percent discount.

As I mentioned, the Game Informer (GI) magazine is pretty lame. Among other things it features a section profiling the top players of particular games, because one should absolutely give two shits about the top jackass playing "Mirror's Edge." It is also rife with pointless lists, for example: Top 10 Video Game Bromances. I guess this is supposed to be funny. Above this list is a clever caption "Lists...Everybody Loves Lists..." Well perhaps not as much as your editors, GI.

The list I love the most is the "Top Fives" list. "Favorites From Industry Pros and GI Readers." Again, I really care so much about this stuff. Thank you GI for letting me in on what some no-name freshman coder and some zero of a reader consider their top five games.

There are no criteria given for these lists. Favorite games of all time? Favorite games right now? Favorite games to play while eating a cheeseburger? Who knows?

I'm so excited about the mystery and potential of these lists that I've decided to submit my own. As you will see, I've put a lot of thought into this list, which you can only read here (the magazine simply prints the titles and the platform they are on). I'm going to take the practical route and put together a list of my top five favorite games of all time. I really hope I get printed so the other readers of GI can see my stupid face and scoff at the games I love. Here we go.

5. Starfox 64 - Nintendo 64. I really loved the first Starfox game on the SNES, but this one was leaps and bounds over the original. Let's first point out that this game came with the rumble pak! Vibrating controllers have been a standard feature with almost all consoles since, and we mostly have Starfox 64 to thank for it. The game itself features pretty good graphics, a barely-there story line, and linear gameplay (it's a 3-D shooter). Where the game excels and becomes infinitely replayable is in the gameplay itself. The controls are perfect, the levels are action packed, and the scenery and objectives change frequently enough to keep the player interested. The thing I love the most about this game is that I can turn it on and beat it in about an hour, that is if I want to. Through the choose your own route level system, the game can be as difficult or easy as the player wants it to be.


If you say so, rabbit.

4. Kirby's Adventure - NES. No 2-D platformer is as much fun. This game was released near the end of the NES' life and for this it is somewhat overlooked. The game couldn't be simpler. You are Kirby, and pink cream puff with the power to fly and swallow your enemies to take on their powers. Though it is known for being childish and colorful, I actually think it could have been even more colorful, even for the NES. There are a lot of pale colors, but this does not take away from the experience.

3. NBA Jam: Tournament Edition - SNES. There were actually a few old SNES sports titles that could have made the list for their ability to facilitate camaraderie between friends. Madden '94 and NHL '95 came to mind, but NBA Jam: TE edges them out for its presentation value. Everybody knows this game, and as I discovered about two weeks ago, playing it is like riding a bike. Finding the hotspots and powerups is like a reflex, so is screaming "Pass it to me! I'm on fire!!"


"BOOMSHACKALACKA!"

2. Resident Evil 4 - Gamecube and 1. Metal Gear: Solid - PS1. These games are actually very similar, though each superior in its own way so I'll take them on at once. MGS was the first game of the 3-D generation which I played all the way through, and it was such a rewarding experience. By today's standards it is a very short game, but I remember countless long nights plodding through the plot heavy story just trying to see what would happen next. The sequels that have come out continue the saga in a satisfying way, but nothing can compare to the original experience.


That guy is fucked.

Seven years later, Resident Evil 4 was unleashed on the world. For fans of the series such as myself, this game was the ultimate gift. Capcom fixed every problem long time players had been suffering through for years. The slide show-like screen changes were replaced with full 3-D scenery, and the infamous "tank" controls were replaced with an over the shoulder third person view, making aiming way more intuitive.


DAAAMMMNNNN!!!

As stated above, MGS and RE4 share many similarities. Both games feature inventory systems which must be carefully utilized. Both boast excellent and engaging story lines with likable characters. Both encourage replay through the game by rewarding the player with weapons and upgrades after each completion. I have played through both of these games a few times each. The main difference of course, is that MGS encourages nonviolent stealth tactics, while RE4 encourages shooting the shit out of everything. In the end, they both rule.

If Game Informer actually has the sense to publish this incredible list, I will post a scan here on Half Of A Wing.