Welcome to another addition of The Doctor's Prognosis! I hope you all enjoyed your 4th of July whether you live in the U.S. or not.

A little news on me.... I just got a new car! It took me like 2 weeks to find the deal I was looking for. I ended up getting a Nissan Altima 2.5 SL fully loaded with sunroof, Bose stereo, Bluetooth, leather seats, XM radio free for 3 months, the works! All for $26,550! That is a little more than $3000 under the asking price. I was able to do that because I did my homework.

I'm thinking to do my next blog or at least an upcoming one on my car-buying experience and also give some tips on how to buy a car. It's just that if you go in there without any knowledge on what you're doing then you WILL get taken. What do you guys think? Should I do the car-buying blog?

Anyway, today I am taking a break from games and talking about films. Let's start with some films I have recently watched.

The Incredible Hulk

This is one of the bigger films of the summer. After Ang Lee's iteration, many filmgoers wanted something less artsy and more smashy. And this film delivers on that promise.

The Incredible Hulk stays closer to it's television roots with the wandering Bruce Banner trying to make sure he doesn't lose control over his other side, afraid of what he might do. But the best part is how they include the Abomination, a monster whose threat is worse than even the Hulk's. This of course leads to a great fight scene between these behemoths which was far more satisfying than the confusing ending to the last Hulk film. Furthermore, there are a few cameos and little fun surprises for Hulk fans to find.

While I don't hate Ang Lee's version of the Hulk as much as everyone else seems to, this new film is one I think we all can enjoy. Big thumbs up.

The Happening

Now I have to give one of my most scathing reviews ever. Warning: Contains Spoilers!

I will just tell you straight out that I hated this film. Usually, I can find some merit in Shyamalan's films but this one was pretty ridiculous. Furthermore, there isn't even a twist ending like all his other films.

They explain half-way through the film that the plants are probably the ones releasing toxins into the air causing people to kill themselves. At first they thought it was terrorists.
Anyway, this leads to ridiculous scenes where characters are actually trying to outrun the WIND in open fields.
So the whole movie I was like "Well there's going to be a twist and it will explain everything because plants is a really stupid explanation leading to people running away from the wind which is impossible."

The twist never came. The ending was stupid.
The plants just suddenly stopped letting out those toxins and everyone lived happily ever after. Until in some European country the events start happening again. THE END

The thought was that man has to change so that they can continue to live. It's an environmental film.
I guess it sounds good on paper but the execution was horrible.
That's Shyamalan for you. Good ideas but horrible execution.

Huge thumbs down.

Justice League: The New Frontier

This is a straight to DVD/Blu-Ray release. Don't let the happy, kid-friendly look of the character design fool you. This is actually a pretty adult-oriented tale. A part of the film even features someone getting shot in the face, resulting in the shooter going into a mental ward.

Anyway, you might think that having so many characters in a film would cause this film to turn out pretty bad. Actually, the film tends to center on certain individuals the most. So the film doesn't really feel uneven as all the characters eventually come together to battle a common foe.

The animation is top-notch, and the voice acting is great. Warner Bros. has almost always done a great job with their animation (let's forget Superman: Brainiac Attacks ever happened) and they don't disappoint this time either. Pick this one up for sure.

Batman: Gotham Knight

In case you didn't know, I am a huge Batman fan and for me, The Dark Knight is THE film of the summer to watch. But Warner Bros. is here to give us a little extra to hold us over until the release and it is called Batman: Gotham Knight and it takes place after Batman Begins but before The Dark Knight.

So what's so great about this straight to DVD/Blu-ray release is that it isn't in the traditional Warner Bros. sty|e of DC animated films/programs. It's actually an anthology of six tales and all are done by 6 different anime directors in 6 different anime sty|es.

Another tidbit about myself is that I am a huge anime fan. A Japanese animated Batman is something I have dreamed of for a long time so this was like a dream come true. While I haven't seen this film, I really feel like this is a can't-miss for Batman/anime fans.

Batman: Gotham Knight is set to release on July 8th so that's this coming tuesday. Make sure to keep it on your radar.

Cosplayer of the Blog

Keeping in the theme somewhat, here is a hot superhero (sometimes villain). This time we got Black Cat of Spider-Man fame. She can catch me any day.

Thanks for making another appointment with the Doctor's Prognosis. See you next time!

Well it has been a really long time but I finally decided to do this again. I think the trick will be to make shorter blogs so I don't let everything out at once and feel like I don't have to do another one in ages. Plus finding good working pics to put in my blog was somewhat time-consuming.

Anyway let's start with some games I have finished during my hiatus.

Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga

Wow I started it back in 2003 when it came out but stopped playing for whatever reason and picked it back up a couple months back. Great game and I wonder why I never finished it. Very fun RPG. Since you are actively trying to do more damage or counter your enemies' attacks, you are more involved than the average turn-based RPG. Big thumbs up. I gave it a 9/10.

Sonic Rush Aventure

One of the more recent games I actually finished. Sonic Rush Adventure is actually a little more forgiving than the first Sonic Rush where I felt like I was dying just because of some cheaply placed death traps. So I died a lot less in this sequel which I felt was a good thing. The only things dragging this one down were the lame story elements and long cutscenes. Just went a little overboard with those but still a very fun game. There is a lot more to do in this game than the first. You can take on extra missions to unlock extras so there is a lot of replay value even after you finish the game. I didn't really bother with this very much but those of you who always want more Sonic action will be pleased. I gave it an 8/10.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

Oh man now talk about your old games to finish. I played the original SNES game but got stuck somewhere and never finished it until this year on the GBA. How many years is that? More than a decade!

So what can I say that hasn't been said about this game? Awesome game for it's time and is still a blast today. My only gripe would be that it can be quite difficult to find some hidden items. But of course this is a minor gripe. I can't believe it took me this long to finish such an amazing game. Unfortunately, I didn't get to try out the Four Swords since I am playing this on my DS. I give it a 9/10.

Playing Now

I've picked up Bioshock again after months of not playing it. I don't know why I keep putting off finishing this game. I'm almost done and whenever I pick it up I play for hours but finishing it has eluded me. Hopefully before the summer ends.

Also I now have a PS3 along with a copy of Metal Gear Solid 4. I was never a big fan of Metal Gear and thought the series was a bit overrated. But this newest iteration is so great. I really think it deserves the praise it's getting. Even the cutscene are better with some interactivity. I haven't played MGS3 so sorry if it was in that one too. This is my first MGS4 since the 2nd one that I never finished. I got turned off by the cutscenes. MGS4 has a great story, high production values, and it's a blast to play which is always great. Get this game if you have a PS3 as it's the best reason to own one outside of playing Blu-Ray movies.

Street Fighter IV

OK so this was the main thing I wanted to talk about. The more I see of this game, the more excited I am for it's impending release. Even if it is released in Japan first, I know a place about 45 minutes from my house that I can go to play an imported version so I hope it's released soon.

So let's look at the new fighters.

El Fuerte

Funny that I really wanted a Mexican wrestler in this newest iteration but I didn't really like El Fuerte's design at first. I thought he should look a little flashier (like maybe Rey Mysterio) and I hated that pineapple hair thing he's got going. I've never seen a real Mexican wrestler with silly hair like that.

Once I saw him in videos, however, I started to really like him. He jumps around a lot like a Mexican wrestler would. He really does have quite a bit of personality from what I have seen. His design has grown on me as well. I think he will probably be the first newcomer I try.

Crimson Viper

Probably my least favorite newcomer. Her moves look just okay to me. Nothing really stands out about them as a unique fighting sty.le except that she has both electric and fire type moves that are based on gadgets rather than "ki" like most characters. Her electric moves reminded me a little of Benimaru of King of Fighters fame and she even looks more like an SNK character than a CAPCOM one. Plus her name sounds like a generic Cobra soldier from G.I. Joe.

Well her positives are that she does look unique and maybe a little like Angelina Jolie (which may be negative to some). I still feel like she doesn't quite fit in though. I will definitely want to try her out but she is the least interesting to me. I prefer martial artists to something like a sexy spy.

Abel

I think that Abel fits into the SF mold really well. He has a unique moveset as an MMA fighter which was another type of character I wanted to see.

Some may argue that he looks too generic. I think he has a unique look but keeps in the designs they were going for with the original characters.

Rufus

I really hated Rufus when I first saw pictures of him. He's really ugly and looked a little ridiculous with his all yellow outfit.

After reading more about him, he has grown on me. Rufus is basically an American that taught himself some Kung Fu and now thinks he's the greatest fighter. He apparently takes it upon himself to make Ken his rival. I dunno but I think that he sounds pretty funny. Especially seeing his concept art eating from a bucket of popcorn and his stage is apparently outside a Diner. Just funny stuff to me. Maybe he could be the new Dan. Anyway, I like him now and will look forward to playing with him.

Seth

The new boss of the game bears a resemblance to Urien and Gill of Street Fighter 3 fame. His moves in all the circulating pictures of him look straight out of their fighting repertoire. Perhaps he is also an elemental of sorts. Originally, Gill was supposed to be light/dark elemental. But apparently they were unable to implement the kind of graphics they wanted for those powers so they went with fire/ice instead.

Perhaps Seth is going to be the light/dark elemental they meant Gill to be. He even has a rotating yin yang symbol in his gut so it makes sense.

What I have read though is that Seth copies moves of other fighters so maybe he will be the Shang Tsung of Street Fighter in a way. As long as he doesn't copy Gill's resurrection technique I guess I'm okay with that.

Cosplayer of the Blog

The return of the Prognosis features the return of the Cosplayer of the Blog! And keeping with the theme, here is a nice Cammy cosplayer. Holy Jeebus!

Anyway, thanks for making another appointment with the Doctor's Prognosis! Hopefully I can schedule another appointment sooner rather than later.

Welcome to another addition of the Doctor's Prognosis! And it didn't take me a whole month to do it!

Anyway let's get right into it.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

According to 411mania.com, Nintendo leaked 3 previously unrevealed characters from Brawl and they got some proof!

So stop reading this section if you don't want to know.

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The leaked characters are Lucario, Jigglypuff, and Ness!

Apparently, the Japanese Nintendo Wii website has a video showcasing many of Brawl's features and shows a section with the stickers and, although very small, one can see which characters the stickers are usable with. Remember that some stickers can only be used on particular characters.

Well one of the stickers is a character from the Mother/Earthbound series and it clearly shows Lucas and what appears to be Ness as the characters that can use that sticker.

The next image is similar but shows Pokémon specific characters able to use a Pokémon themed sticker. This time you can see Pikachu, Pokémon Trainer, and the unannounced Jigglypuff and Lucario.

I'm not exactly excited but I know this is great news for fans of Ness, Jigglypuff, and Lucario. Once the game comes out in Japan, expect a more complete roster leak.

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*END SPOILERS*

Sonic Chronicles

Some more pics thanks to The Magicbox.

Bionic Commando Rearmed

I thought this was really cool.

If you haven't heard, the original Bionic Commando is being remade for XBox LIVE Arcade. Obviously they will make some nice additions to the game including some nice graphics and even some two-player cooperative play.

Here is the announcement trailer if you missed it.

Cosplayer of the Blog

And now the Cosplayer of the Blog!

And the winner this time is....

Faye Valentine!

What's that? Too small to see?

Okay here you go!

O_O

I guess some things are better far away.

Make sure to make an appointment with the Doctor's Prognosis again!

See you next time!

Hello and thank you for making another appointment with The Doctor's Prognosis. I am your host, Dr. C-LOS.

Well I have been very busy and it is my first blog of the year. So I apologize for not being able to comment or check out my peeps' blogs very often. Anyway I hope to make up for it with a HUGE Cosplayer section so look forward to it at the end of the blog.

My Newest Film

So I have finally uploaded my second film and first ever documentary. It is a short doc based on magic. I did all the interviews and camerawork myself. The only footage not mine is from Criss Angel's MINDFREAK program. Please watch and rate it. I hope you enjoy it.

Street Fighter IV

Ok so this is old now but in case you haven't seen it here is a link to actual gameplay footage of Ken vs. Ryu in Street Fighter IV thanks to 1up.com

Check it out here.

Here is an edited version of the gameplay and trailer...

Now for some NEW info thanks to The Magicbox.

This is a new character for Street Fighter IV named Crimson Viper. She is supposed to be a detective that is speedy and has hidden weapons all over her body

Sounds cool. Don't know about that name though. And what country is she from? I really hope they have a nice diverse roster from all over the world because I really feel that was part of the charm of SFII that made it so popular. Anyway I hope we hear more about Crimson Viper and other characters soon.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Well unfortunately the game has been delayed again. It will be appearing about a month later on Sunday, March 9th. I'm actually okay with this since it gives them more time to polish the game and more time for me to finish the games I have now.

On a more positive note, while I have not played a Pikmin game, I am glad to see Nintendo exploring more unique characters by having Captain Olimar playable. I am even interested in playing with him despite never playing a Pikmin game before just because he seems like such a different type of fighter.

And the new Pikmin stage looks incredible. A lot of detail went into it and this is the reason why I am not complaining about the delay. Let them have time to put all the little Nintendo touches they want.

Sonic Chronicles: Dark Brotherhood

Well Sonic RPG's real name was finally revealed in the latest Nintendo Power magazine. Here is some info I scrounged up from the net...

-Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Shadow, Amy, Big, and Rouge are revealed characters

-Water color/hand drawn look to graphics

-11 party members total

-Full stylus control similar to Phantom Hourglass

-Rings will be used as money in the game

-Characters each have their own specific abilities, team attacks also possible

-Customizable attributes when you level up

-Simple dialogue trees

-No random battles, enemies seen on-screen

-Turn-based fighting

-Special attacks play out like Elite Beat Agents

-"Fatigue Points" instead of MP

-2 Acts: Sonic-themed areas and a darker world

-Fully animated cut scenes

Here is a summary about the game's story thanks to Go Nintendo: Sonic is on vacation from defeating Eggman 2 years ago. Gets a call from Tails that Knuckles has been kidnapped by a group called the Marauders, and that 6 chaos emeralds are missing. Eggman not the main villain. But Bioware wants to make him a creditable bad guy again. Something about a "twist" between Eggman and Sonic that goes back to the earlier games.

Here are a few photos I found. Sorry about the bad quality.

Also, a new character named Shade is introduced. It is unclear what role Shade will play. Hmmm.... Did the name have to be so similar to Shadow?

The graphics look really nice and the character designs look great. I think the art direction is well done.

Check out this video I found featuring more scans.

Sonic Chronicles Scans

Hopefully more information comes soon.

Cosplayer of the Blog

And now it is time for the Cosplayer of the Blog!

I just recently finished watching Death Note and it was a great anime so that is the theme this time around.

And the winner is....

Misa! Well I thought she was a bit annoying at times on the show but this girl is too cute not to win.

Here are some more shots of her plus other great Death Note cosplayers.....

What's with those arm blade things? I don't remember that from the anime?

Again with the blades.

Oh no don't write my name!

Anyway let's move on to L and the others!

Freaky eyes.....

Very well done. Even the mannerisms.

Light and his Death Note

Shinigami Ryuk... Really well done outfit.

This Ryuk is pretty cool too.

This was cool because of the cool Shinigami Rem outfit.

Fear the Death Note and its.... um... song and dance number!

Chibi Death Note!

And one of the best Shinigami ever..... MacDeathGod!

Anyway thanks for dropping by and visiting the Doctor's Prognosis! I hope you enjoyed today's installment.

Make sure to make an appointment to visit again!

Thank you for making another appointment with The Doctor's Prognosis. I am your host Dr. C-LOS.

About Me
Not much news to go over so I decided to tell you a little about me.
About my nickname... first let me remind you why they call me Dr. C-LOS.



So of course I am the one dressed like a doctor. The two girls are Nina and Liana. I gained my nickname at this party. People often call me C-LOS as a nickname to Carlos. But after this party they started calling me Dr. C-LOS. The name has stuck ever since. This party was in San Francisco and was taken about 2 years ago. I was visiting my good friend up there and he throws great parties. Fortunately he moved back to Los Angeles.

For a more recent pic.... Here is another pic of me at a Halloween party in Hollywood.



This was a fun night. I got to get in for free and got free drinks because my friends are "in the biz" so to speak. VIP treatment all night. Check out the VIP tag around my neck. Automatic play wearing that.
The two girls in the pic are Asha on the left and Christina on the right. Asha is supposed to be "Greed" of the Seven Deadly Sins since she is holding a "valuable ruby." Christina is supposed to be "Sloth" since she is holding a pillow.

My Reviews
Since I started at GS, I have written two reviews.
Check them out and let me know what you think.

Dragon Quest VIII review

Jump Superstars review

My Film

Also don't forget to check out my first ever film if you missed it last time. It is a short chase film I made for my cinema course. Please watch and let me know what you think.

Game of the Year
I just wanted to quickly chime in on what I consider to be my game of the year.
With so many great games it really was a difficult decision but came up with the one I had most fun with.

And the winner is.....



I just had the most fun with Super Mario Galaxy. I felt it was the best package of fun gameplay, excellent music, and amazing graphics.

Some notable games from this year include....

Bioshock
Call of Duty 4
Halo 3
and God of War II

I should note that I only include games that I have played and own. All these games are amazing and should not be missed by anyone.

And now it is time for....

Cosplayer of the Blog!
And our winner today is.....



Metal Gear Kirby!

In the spirit of Christmas, first runner-up is....



Santa Claus is one lucky man.

Anyway thanks for making another appointment to see the Doctor's Prognosis! Happy Holidays to all!

Welcome back to another edition of the Prognosis. I am your host Dr. C-LOS. Let's get right into things.

Yoshi's Island DS

I finished this game recently and wanted to give a quick diagnosis. It plays great and is a lot of fun. It starts off VERY easy and gets very challenging towards the end. The good lies in the platforming action and the various abilities you gain depending on the baby you are using. The fault in the game is the music. Some of it is really good but most of it makes me want to grind my ears inside out. In fact, some of it really couldn't be considered music: one or two notes every other second... Kind of sounds like a child playing with a xylophone but a little shy about what to do. If you want to collect everything in the game, be prepared to spend a lot of time with this game, and be prepared to possibly pull your hair out in frustration Highly recommended nonetheless.

Mario Kart Wii

According to Nintendo Power, they got to sepnd some quality time with much anticipated game. Let's go over what little was revealed.

It is already known that despite the name of the game, bikes are also playable along with karts. There will also be a stunt system of sorts implemented where you can perform stunts with your kart or bike but its tactical use is not yet known.

16 new courses are confirmed as are a few returning revamped older courses. Of course all the traditional power-ups are returning along with some promised new ones which have yet to be revealed.

As reported since earlier in the year, online play is still a go and will promise to feature up to 12 players simultaneously. Great news indeed.

As for the controls, the remote will be controlling all the steering and the face buttons will be used for acceleration, braking, attacking, etc.

My prognosis is that Mario Kart Wii looks to be shaping up to be a worthy successor to the series as long they keep the controls tight. The new online mode sounds great and hopefully the new 2-wheeled vehicles and stunt system add more to the gameplay. Keep a look out for more on this game in the future.

My Film

Well I promised that I would share my first ever film and I am very proud of it. It is a short 5 1/2 minute chase film. Please watch it, rate it, and let me know what you think. Thanks!

I Am Legend, I am the Dark Knight

Just saw this movie last night and wanted to give a quick diagnosis. It felt a little short as it was about 90 minutes long and it seems every film nowadays is 3 hours. But I felt it was worth watching. I think Will Smith did a good job and the action was intense in many spots. I liked it so I give it a thumbs up.

I saw this film in the IMAX theatre so I got a special treat of a 6-minute prologue to The Dark Knight. I can't find a good online version of it so instead here is a link to the newest trailer.

Ghostbusters

New pics of Ghostbusters for the Wii thanks to NGamer and 411mania.com. Solo and multiplayer modes are confirmed. Should be lot of fun hunting down ghosts with 3 friends. Unfortunately, no online mode confirmed which is a big disappointment. Split-screen can get hectic when trying to bust some ghosts and all hell is breaking loose. Anyway here are the screens and I hope they don't get cut off too much. I'm to lazy to download, resize, and reupload

And now onto.........

The Cosplayer of the Blog!

And today's winner is.......

Wowsers... I just suddenly became a fan of Supergirl. Not sure why

Anyway thanks for making another appointment with the Doctor's Prognosis. I have another film I have done so I promise to put it up soon.

See you next time!