8 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, October 27, 2004 ARTS 'Spy Fiction' doesn't advance genre By Shaun Nurrenbern For the Daily With the success of a handful of stealth-based action games such as "Metal Gear Solid," "Splinter Cell" and even the insanely violent killing spree known as "Manhunt," many game makers have begun to rush pro- duction of their own offerings to the genre. "Spy Fiction" is Sammy Studios's Spy Fiction PS2 Sammy Studios 9 latest attempt at just that. Mix a few parts "Metal Gear Solid's" Solid Snake with an equal amount of Tom Clancy; add a couple drops of "Mis- sion Impossible," and top it all of with a healthy dose of Homeland Security and you'll get something close to that of "Spy Fiction." The game begins near the end of a storyline in which the Phantom agent parachutes into a castle to stop an international terrorist from releasing a biological weapon upon the world. At the end of this first mission, the game jumps back in time to where the plot begins and slowly unveils how the events in the first mission came to be. The one fairly original and inter- esting aspect of this game is the dis- guise system. With a good enough photograph of a character within the game, players can perfectly disguise coutesyICof I SammIy .JLuUiIJ My spider-sense is tingling... themselves and fool almost any guard they come into contact with. For the most part, the game is easy to the point of being uninteresting. Firing at an enemy guard has no con- sequence other than that he might make noise and call for backup on the radio. Other than that, they usu- ally fall without any sound and dis- appear shortly thereafter, negating any need to hide the body from the other guards. Even if the guard does happen to call for backup, gamers can knock- out or kill off the backup with just as little effort. And if trouble does arise, it takes over a dozen shots to finally take the player down, resulting in a far-too-easy combat scenario. Overall, "Spy Fiction" turns out merely a mediocre performance; there is nothing new or particularly special about it. It has its moments, but these are overshadowed by the mundane. After about one mission, gamers are likely to get tired of using the exact same moves over and over to progress through the level. Though the game is entertaining, it still feels repeti- tive and unadvanced. Gainers would be wise to stick with splinter cell to quench their thirst for the genre. I don't drive a BMW. My mom picks me up at the bus stop. Super-producer can't create gold with hip -hop debut '1st Infantruy' By Cyril Cordor Daily Arts Writer r1 Pop-rockers keep it simple on 'Fate' By Jerry Gordinier Daily Arts Writer "If anyone sees a bag with $470 in it, I seem to have lost it. Just let me know." Standing on the well-worn stage at the Blind Pig early last Tues- day night, this quiet request came from The Reputa- tion frontwoman, Elizabeth Elmore. With a timid smile on her face and electric guitar The Reputation To Force a Fate LookOut! Records former band Sarge in 1999 to attend Northwestern Law School, she con- tinued to play independently, releas- ing a single with Hey Mercedes' Bob Nanna. Eventually, with her studies under control, Elizabeth decided it was once again time to be a rock star. With the help of Joel Root (bass), Sean Hulet (guitar) and Kent Stewert (drums), her power pop rock band The Reputation, was born. To Force a Fate proves the old adage of beauty in simplicity. Yet, like a Milk Dud, there is something haunt- ingly dark underneath the smooth, sweet surface: something to chew on.The album's opening track, "Let This Rest," starts with quiet, falling, guitar riffs and basic 4/4 drum beats. Yet the moment the listener begins to get wary, a rising electric lick catch- es him and holds on tight. Elizabeth comes in, subdued, candy-sweet: "You're always so sick of me / Yeah you tell me all the time / Well I'm self- ish and hateful, you're lazy ungrate- ful." She cries out, "If we could just let this rest / It would get better in time I promise." Between the calm, addict- ing guitar lines and the hushed power of Elizabeth's voice lies a message. The album's main focus is Eliza- beth's relationship struggles, and as the album progresses the shell slowly dissolves away. "The Ugliness Kick- ing Around," the ninth track, reaches the core, as, against the background of strings and piano, Elizabeth hope- fully cries out: "Yeah it must be get- ting better." It becomes apparent the song is itself a struggle: as it pro- gresses, the sweet tone in Elizabeth's becomes heart-wrenching as she cries, "And I wish you'd bend the truth / When you said you'd never lay a hand on me / And god will damn you / For all the ugliness kicking around inside of me." And that's the story of the album: simple complekity. Three chord pro- gressions, syncopated, incessant rhythms and the undeniable charm of Elmore. There is a brutal honesty, a deeper level, in this album that may be overlooked on first listen. That's OK though. It's still good to drive to. arguably one of the top five produc- ers in hip-hop right now, but yet as his first rhyming debut, 1st Infantry, sug- gests, he's only been coming around lately and is new in town. 1st Infantry is more like a very dope mixtape of The Alchemist's material. He barely rhymes at all on Although The Alchemist has produced for a long laun- dry list of artists ranging from underground notables like Dilated Peoples, Bumpy Knuckles and Royce Da 5'9" to mainstream stars like Nas, Jadakiss and Mobb Deep, many do not know this beatsmith extraordinaire. He's The Alchemist 1st infantry Koch Records in hand, she apologetically stated, "I just took my bar exam." Exuding bub- bly blondness and an honest humility, the audience couldn't help but forgive her. She then tore into the pure, arrest- ing, 6pening riff of "Botie Rocket Battles," a track from The Reputation's latest release on LookOut! Records, To Force a Fate. When Elizabeth Elmore left her the album, but it features a whole slate of the industry's top artists. Unfortunately, he serves hot beats for the likes of Lloyd Banks and G-Unit affiliates like The G.A.M.E. In this respect, the album is not very cohesive. Nonethe- less, the humorous skits in between the tracks about "Our Boy Al" attempt to make this mixtape come together like an autobiography. Of course, the beats are the highlight of this album. People will still want to hear what The Alchemist has cooked up for this diverse roster. Members from both the Lox's D-Block crew and Mobb Deep's Infamous clique collaiorate on the dark orchestration "'11-Block to QB." The haunting strings and murky bassline accompanied with hand claps and drum taps help depict the grim land- scape and lyrics. The song "Stop the Show," featuring M.O.P. and Stat Quo, brings back the Mafioso days of Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx with its grinding guitar and hyped-up lyrics. The best track on the album is the last song; "Differ- ent Worlds" and is one of the few songs that fit the theme of his skits. He and Twin Gambino of Infamous Mobb go back and forth rhyming about their different lives: The Alchemist, who is white and came from an affluent family in California, and Twin Gambino, who is black and grew up on the streets of New York. Although this song is conceptually on point, The Alchemist should just stay behind the boards and not bother trying to grab the microphone. There's no doubt that The Alchemist serves us with top- quality production on 1st Infantry. Once he finds the right emcee, hip-hop can expect a classic offering. U - REC SPOR Please join the Department of Recreational Sports In our Intramural Sports Building Renovation Celebration! In addition to the events highlighted below, there will be a Renovation Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on Wednesday, October 27th at 5:00 PM In the lobby of the Intramural Sports Building. We look forward to celebrating with youl New classically-inspired novel finds 'Strange' magic Feature Renovations -Hew expanded weight room and equipment Two floors of cardio equipment *+Completely remodeled women's locker room "M-Rock" Climbing Wall Grand Re-Openng Specials -The Intramural Building will be opening early ! yam on Monday, Otober 25th AND 7am on Tuesday, October 26th *Free towel and locker rentals all four days! -You do NOT need to be a member to use the facilities or take advantage of our Renovation Celebration events,(Pcture Identification is required for entrance to the facility and a events) "M Rodk"-. Climbing Wall *"Tuesday, October26 -free Starter packages available at 5:00 PM & 7:004PMI 'Wednesday, October 27-Free Starter packages available at 5:00 PM & 700 PM! *Thursday, October28-Freeclmbing for certified climbers (participate in a starter session on Tuesday or Wednesday to be certified!) "eettigg to know the IM1tittFdjn "To Participate In our self-guided tour of the new features of the IM Building and win prizes and great discounts!! By Jordan Henry For the Daily 141: H.": __ntx %,A t4C)r+~ U-Move Fitness " Spinning classes Monday and Thursday at 6:00 PM " Plates class Wednesday at 6:00 PM " information and coupons available M-it Program " StabilityBailSeminar Monday, October 25th 5:00-5:30pm - Mat Room " Ask the Personal Trainer - Question and Answer Session Monday, October 2514 11:00am - 3:00pm Wednesday, October 27th 6:00-7:3pm, * M-Fit staff members will be available for questions in the cardo and weight rooms Susanna Clarke's premiere novel, "Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell," is a groundbreaking fantasy that intertwines magic and history into a remarkably plau-_ sible legend. This behemoth work, Jonathan with 10 years of Strange & preparation and Mr. Norrell 800 pages to its By Susanna Clarke name, is a thor- Bloomsbury ough submersion into a world where magic is real, myth is alive and con- sciousness is what Clarke dictates. Though its premise is exotic, the reader is quickly enchanted with the novel's quirky charm. Combining mysticism and science with legend and history, Clarke artfully merges the elitist worlds of Dickens, Austen and Byron with English folklore in this fantastic story of two magicians who strive to restore magic to London. The novel describes how magic was once a thriving aspect of histori- cal England, instituted by the legend- ary Raven King. But in the novel's haughty early 19th century era, magic has been diluted to a pedantic study reserved for upper-class gentlemen scholars. Eventually the demands to reinstate practical magic soon weigh heavy on scholars. The reticent book- worm Mr. Norrell emerges into the limelight from a reserved life of soli- tude, and through a series of marvel- ous events, his astounding skill is publicly exposed to London's most notable acclaim. Simultaneously, the young and dash- ing Jonathan Strange surfaces with his newfound magical powers and even becomes Norrell's first pupil. The Brit- ish government, at the height of the Napoleonic Wars, calls upon the two magicians to enlist their services to combat the emperor; in these collisions of history with mysticism, Clarke illus- trates some of her most imaginative and compelling scenes. Despite his appren- ticeship with Norrell, Strange grows restless under the restraints placed on his art. Driven by anxiety and determi- nation, he sets out to show England his magical prowess, but fails by danger- ously overstepping his bounds. This sensational novel will quench the thirst of any reader. For the histo- rian, Clarke offers tedious detail of his- torical Great Britain ornamented with mysticism. The charming plot, inevi- tably compared to the "Harry Potter" or "The Lord of the Rings" series, will tickle the minds of any child with an ounce of imagination, while every avid reader will appreciate the clever and poignant writing Clarke has created. The only disappointment of the novel is that it ends - the reader can't help but want more after living in Clark's vibrant world. Finally, here is a fantasy novel that has writing and imagination as magical as its characters and story. For a novel of this length and stat- ure, though, it falls short of becoming more than just a fantasy. Though it is a comprehensive submersion into his- torical England twisted with the spice of magic and myth, it hardly tran- scends genuine entertainment. The reader is left wanting more, perhaps, because there is so much untapped potential in a work as ingenious and amiable as this. But if amusement is all the reader is craving, he will have his fill with "Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell." *For day-to-day schedules please contact * The intramua Sports BuIlding Main Office (7m34) .3562 or www.resports.umlcbhedu