Wednesday November 3, 2004 arts. michigandaily. com artspage@michigandaily. com at RmdgtSilg 11 - - ---------- . . . . ......................... . . . ............... THE HOTTEST PICKS IN ENTERTAINMENT FROM A DAILY ARTS WRITER 0 "Star Wars - Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith" Trailer - Say what you want about the prequels, but there is no denying that George Lucas sure knows how to cut a trailer to excite the masses. Debuting on the Internet tomorrow, the first peak at the final "Star Wars" movie is sure to have millions talking around water coolers until May (or until the second trailer debuts). The teaser will also be shown with "The Incredibles" come Friday, which is a good excuse to go see that amazing film. Current Movie Soundtracks - It's a great time for music in the movies. Musical genius Jon Brion wrote the score and contributed songs for "I V Huckabees." Mick Jagger and Eurythmics' Dave Stew- art have put together new tunes for the "Alfie" remake and the "Team America: World Police" soundtrack is just plain brilliant. Here's hop- ing "America, Fuck Yeah!" scores an Oscar nomination. "World News Now" - If you are ever up late studying, turn your television to the greatest news program of all time. A staple on ABC since 1992, this late-night news program combines current events with healthy doses of irrelevant humor. And you know what Thursday night/early Friday morning means: World News Polka! STRATEGIC GAME By Jason Roberts Daily Arts Editor VI DEOGAMEREVEW **** During its peak, the Roman Empire was a vast and powerful region encompassing much of south- ern Europe as well as northern Africa and parts of Asia. With its immense power came immense Nintendo DS - Nintendo's latest handheld system is debuting in less than three weeks, and you better believe I'm pumped. Featuring two screens, it's too early to tell whether the console will be revolutionary or merely be a gimmick a la "Virtual Boy" (and nearly every Nintendo peripheral). The fact that the system has a new ver- sion of "Super Mario 64" ensures I'll be buying one Nov. 21. November - There's a lot to be thankful for this month if you're a pop culture fanatic: Heav- ily hyped movies ("The Incredi- bles," "Alexander"), videogame sequels ("Halo 2," "Metroida Prime 2"), loaded DVDs _ ("Shrek 2," "Gone With The Wind") and plenty of new music (U2 and Eminem). Why does everything have to cost so much? Courtesy of Nintendo wealth, luxury and respect. But these things did not come easily. Much blood was spilled and many sacrifices were made to make the Roman Empire the superpower it came to be. Activision's "Rome: Total War" is a turn-based strategy game Rome: Total War PC Activision civic structures, increasing and decreasing taxes to collect more revenue, training new recruits and so on. The level of detail is overwhelming at first glance, but because of the intuitive point-and- click interface and well-managed world map, the information is organized in such a way that makes it easy to utilize and understand. There are even options to automate certain features, making the game more about the fierce clashes between war- ring factions than about the micromanagement of each colonized city. The epic battles in the game are also very impres- sive, as literally hundreds of troops clash in struggles across the Roman landscape. Using a fully three- dimensional camera, players are allowed to track certain units through their campaign or float freely above the battle, only to swoop in and focus on the fight between two individual characters. Much like the technology used for the epic conflicts in the "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, these displays play out in very realistic ways: individual units are able to distinguish between friend and foe and change their fighting style accordingly. The sound only amplifies this intense aggression when swords and shields clash in a magnificent cacophony of noise. Luckily, the controls within each of the battles Courtesy of Activision Last night In Florida. TRIUMPHS ON PC are as easy to manage as the controls on the world map. Most commands can be executed with either the left or right mouse button and the camera is eas- ily managed using the middle scroll button. There is also an in-game guide that offers help with manag- ing armies and understanding basic functions early on. More advanced users can use the keyboard to execute quick commands and group together units for more personalized control. While the game overall has a solid core, the pre- sentation could use a bit of refining. The characters in battle - considering that there are nearly a thou- sand of them on screen at a time - move with fairly fluid animation but are composed of blocky geom- etries and simple textures. Even the landscapes and the architecture of the cities could benefit from a few additional polygons and a more diverse palette. All in all, however, as the game progresses, the visuals improve as well. Larger cities are riddled with tem- ples and buildings that visually impress. Despite its inherent complexity, "Rome: Total War" makes itself accessible to those gamers new to the genre and those who find the trying under- taking of mundane task-mastering to be a chore. And under that veil is a game rich with possibilities as one's empire begins to expand and grow. that mixes the politics and planning of the Roman Empire on the rise with the fierce and brutal battles that turned the tides and created an empire from so many fractured nations. What makes "Rome" such a unique entry into the strategy genre is its clever and well-executed method of blending two very different modes of play. With each city conquered, players are allowed to build up the towns to their liking, improving Cartoon spoofs reality "f" television By Kevin Hollifield Daily Arts Writer E3Goodman's back as'center' of family Courtesy of Comedy Central With virtually every genre of televi- sion being turned into a reality show, animation once seemed immune to the trend. Not anymore, as Comedy Central's latest offering, "Drawn Together" com- Drawn bines "Big Broth- Together er" and Bugs Wednesdays at Bunny, only with 10:30 p.m. more profanity. Comedy Central In the show, the archetypal car- toon characters stop being polite and start being real, resulting in a racist princess, a pig with a self-control problem and the biggest keg parties this side of Dr. Seuss. In the pilot, the young and naive Princess Clara (voiced by Tara Strong, "The Animatrix") speaks her mind about her housemates. When Foxxy Love (Cree Summer, "Rugrats"), a mystery-solving musician, hears her, Hey, Halloween was three days ago. she takes exception to the princess 's comments and the two come to blows. Captain Hero (Jess Harnell), the beer-swilling, ultra-macho super- hero, then has to separate the two. To show there are no hard feelings, Foxxy throws a party, with freely flowing alcohol, which corrects the animosity and leads to debauchery and spontaneous outburst of song. Others sharing the house include Spanky Ham (Adam Corolla), a foul- mouth Internet character that uri- nates all over the house, Xandir (Jack Plotnick), a videogame warrior on a quest to save his girlfriend, and Toot (also by Strong), a full-figured mono- chromatic '20s sex symbol who likes to cause trouble when events do not go her way. The only fun here is the inter- action of the characters, most of By Kevin Hollifield Daily Arts Writer The premise of the well-meaning father in constant conflict with his irksome relatives on network sitcoms has been done before. CBS's "Center of the Universe" follows that long line. The storylines and characters are often predictable, but still good for a laugh. John Goodman is John Barnett, the owner of a security company and a devoted family man. He and his wife Kate (Jean Smart, "Garden State") constantly run into the problems of daily life, most notably those within their family. John's father-in-law, Art (Ed Asner), Center of the is an aging and sex-crazed. His mother- Universe in-law, Marge (Olympia Dukakis), con- Wednesdays stantly pursues attempts to feel younger, at 9:30 p.m. - copying Kate's hairstyles and clothes CBS - to John's extreme discomfort. John is also at odds with his brother, Tommy (Diedrich Bader, "The Drew Carey Show"), a slacker whom John is guilted into hiring, and John's sister, Lily (Melinda McGraw, "Nutty Professor II: The Klumps"), is a mentally anguished therapist. Miles (Spencer Breslin, "The Cat in the Hat"), John and Kate's son, has the potential of carrying on the family legacy of eccentricity, wearing the family crest and kilts to school. In the pilot, John plans a wedding so he and Kate can renew their vows. While John tries to make the preparations for the perfect celebration, the family's problems get in the way right before the ceremony. John has to handle these annoyances, including Art's newfound obsession with a Malaysian anti- impotence drug. John tolerates them and tries to be a good Courtesy of Comedy Central I feel like I'm in Normal, Ohio. whom would hold distinctly sepa- rate timeslots on Saturday mornings. The triangle of Captain Hero giving relationship advice to the androgy- nous Xandir, the object of Toot's affection, is unique if nothing else. Spanky Ham also is a tired, overex- posed character; his bodily function exploits that once would have harm- lessly elicit laughter from viewers now results in embarassment. While the object of the game or how a winner is selected in this real- ity offering is not revealed, the point is the interaction of the characters, all drawn from different worlds. Viewers who like "South Park," a good cartoon brawl and a skewer- ing of the reality genre might like it. Otherwise, voters should vote this off Comedy Central's schedule as soon as possible. husband. While he realizes that for all his family's insanity, without them in his life, he would be lonely and boring. "Center of the Universe" has its moments. It is refreshing to find a new sitcom with jokes that elicit at least some chuckles. The always affable Goodman and Asner provide the chemistry of uneasy in-law relations, trying to make the best of the family around them. Kate is suitable in the role of the anchor in John's turbulent life, and the rest of the cast - even in their dimin- ished roles - are nutty enough to stand out on their own. While "Center of the Universe" provides a good number of laughs, the formula of an average Joe with a crazy family has been done several times before. Still, the characters and writ- ing make it worth a look. Viewers will not be disappointed by making this show part of their universe. DAILY ARTS. WE'RE WITH YOU MAKING TOUGH DECISIONS, 24/7 - THAT'S 24 HOURS A WEK, SEVEN MONTHS A YEAR.