TOP PICK
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
(Sony Computer Entertainment America)
One of the year’s best videogames is also one of the PlayStation 3’s
all-time greatest. Like Lara Croft with testicles, hero Nathan Drake is
a treasure hunter who can’t stay away from trouble. Good thing he’s
armed with a quick wit and lots of weapons. Storytelling and gameplay
rarely mesh so perfectly. The multiplayer is terrific too.
CD
Do What You Want, Be What You Are: The Music of Daryl Hall
and John Oates
(RCA/Legacy)
The 74 songs on this four-disc box chart the evolution of one of
pop’s most durable duos (and music’s most awesome mustache). The early
singles and later album tracks sag a little, but the middle part of the
story is stuffed with hits: “She’s Gone,” “Kiss on My List,” “I Can’t
Go for That (No Can Do),” etc. It’s time to reevaluate their
legacy.
BOOK
Lego Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary
(DK)
Lego’s Star Wars sets combine the best of both geeky worlds:
little plastic figures shaped like Yoda, Boba Fett, et al. This
wonderful, photo-packed book looks back on a decade of Star Wars Legos, chronicling all of the vehicles, weapons and characters that
were released. Best of all, the book comes with an exclusive Luke
Skywalker minifigure.
DVD
Celebration: The Video Collection
(Warner Bros.)
Two things dawned on us while watching this two-disc, 47-song
compilation of Madonna’s music videos: 1) She was totally hot during
her slutty period. 2) She was a star from her very first video,
“Burning Up.” Madonna may have gotten more annoying as she got more
famous, but her music and provocative videos remain revolutionary.
DVD
Ultraman — The Complete Series
(Mill Creek)
All 39 episodes of the 1960s Japanese TV show about a police captain
who transforms into a ginormous metallic hero are collected on this
two-disc set. They’re all built on a similar premise: Giant monsters
attack Earth, and only Ultraman can save us. Like the later Godzilla
movies, it’s kinda hokey. But the monsters are bad-ass, among the
genre’s all-time best.
This article appears in Nov 4-10, 2009.