Prestons do not go into the woods. A guy named Preston is gonna get his ass kicked by a squirrel.

Ladies, ladies, ladies, the Mustard is in the hiz-ouse.

So much to talk about, so little time, so here we go:

First up, guess who got to play some Wii last weekend? During a quick weekend trip up to NYC, I somehow manage to convince Erin to stop by the Nintendo World Store where they had a whole lotta Wii demos set up. While I didn’t get a whole heckuva lot of time due to the large crowd there, I did get to play a little Wii Sports and Excite Truck.

I got some time in with the Bowling portion of Wii Sports and I gotta say, it was pretty fun. While the game completely eschews graphics for simple stylized (alright, I’ll admit, “kiddie”) visuals, the gameplay itself is sweet. Though it took to me to my last frame to even pick up a spare, I can see this as being a pretty darn fun multiplayer game. The ability to add spin to the throw by turning your wrist as you bowl, exactly like you would with a real bowling ball, is really cool. Add in the other games of Golf, Tennis, Boxing and Baseball and the fact that the game is an included pack-in game with the Wii and you’ve got a winner on your hands.

I got one race in Excite Truck and proceeded to come in dead last. But the control scheme is again unique and quite fun where you turn the “wii-mote” sideways and turn it like a steering wheel to maneuver. Given that I’ve never been a huge racing fan (exceptions being the Mario Kart and F-Zero series), I’m unsure if this is a must-have for me. But an awesome new feature that’s just been announced is the ability to use your own MP3’s to create a soundtrack for the game via an SD card. That’s a brilliant move and I hope we see a lot more of it.

So in general, the new controller is living up to the hype. I was pissed they didn’t have a Zelda demo up but then again, I don’t need a demo to know that game is going to absolutely own.

It’s funny, with all the craziness surrounding the PS3 Launch, I really don’t see a whole lot of exclusive launch games for it that would really make the system a must-have. Resistance looks pretty good but not really all that much better than say Gears of War on the 360. Maybe I’m missing something but I’ve yet to see a real reason to upgrade from the PS2 at this point. But then again with the ridiculous shortage of machines, that’s probably a good thing since most people won’t be able to upgrade.

You knew this was gonna be here:

Music You Should Be Listening To:

+/- (Plus/Minus) - Let's Build a Fire

The opening title track starts out as though it's being played over a gramophone before suddenly cranking out the horn section and guitars. Fadeout's minimalism feels like a song just constantly building until the very last minute when the drums and guitars explode into the picture. I'm still waiting for Steal the Blueprints to be released as Death Cab's newest single with its up-tempo guitars and backing vocals. Thrown Into the Fire has the synthy beats and sounds that are very reminiscent of Stars. An entertaining album from an off the radar band.

Ben Kweller - Ben Kweller

Things start off with the upbeat piano-fused, Run (which in no small way feels inspired by Springsteen’s Born to Run). Penny on the Track wins the Windows Down in the Car Award for this album with it’s quick, piano pounding tempo. Thirteen goes in the opposite direction with its simplicity being unbelievably effective. It’s repeating piano chords feed the songs multiple verses with no real chorus, only a simple harmonica interlude. By far my favorite track on the album. All in all a mighty fine album for when you’re looking for something a little different.

News and Notes:

South Bend was a damn fine time even if it was also damn cold. Good to finally see a win in the stadium again (haven’t seen one since my senior year). Oh and Erin nearly had a heart attack when Brady Quinn ALMOST got on our elevator in the hotel. We had to settle for the Irish D Line instead but he was that close to her!

Speaking of College Football, why why WHY couldn’t South Carolina have kicked that damn field goal!? That’s all we would’ve needed to put the Irish in really good position for a title run. Now Florida needs to fall flat before the season ends. Oh and props to Rutgers! Who would’ve guessed?

With all the shows getting picked up for a full season, you know what name I’d reeeeeally like to hear? Veronica Mars. Come on WB!!! Not just 3 additional episodes, I want the full season!

So is it really worth going to see Happy Feet in order to see the new Harry Potter trailer? That is the question a surprising number of people may be contemplating this weekend.

Until next time:

“Dad, you're eating Dr. Phil!”

“It's amazing, he tastes just like Jeffrey Tambor.”