Game review: Cake Mania 2

In 2006, Sandlot Games came out with a new service-oriented time management game called Cake Mania. You play Jill, a culinary student trying to restore her grandparents' bakery. The game revolves around you baking cakes to the specifications of your patrons. With each new level, you get to purchase upgrades for your shop. This year we are treated to the game's sequel, Cake Mania 2. The customers are different, the locations are really different and there are new cake shapes with new frosting colors available. This time Jill has two friends in desperate need of her help. You choose which friend you wish to help first and off you go into the fabulous world of baking.

As much as I hate cooking in real life, I found myself enjoying Cake Mania so I had high hopes for the sequel. I was not disappointed! With games like this, you usually don't get a lot of new things. However, you not only get the frills of new cake shapes and new frostings and new cake toppers but you also get more difficult customers. Instead of always having a whole line of one-customer patrons, you now get paired patrons. With one customer, you get one type of cake to make them but for the paired-customers, you have to make two separate cakes. It makes the whole experience a little more interesting. Normally I can handle the one-cake-per-customer orders pretty well. I actually got confused once when they tossed in a two cake order and ended up having to throw away a two-tired cake as a result. That just made me more determined to not make any more mistakes.

If you like time management games like Wedding Dash or Snowy Lunch Rush, I think you'll really like Cake Mania 2. There are tons of choices for the player to make so you are never held back by the game's storyline. You get to choose where you go and what upgrades you purchase. I hope that more time management games learn from this upgrade in interactivity.

Unlucky with iPods

A couple of years ago, I had a great iPod. Then it was stolen. My husband bought a new iPod and one day, it just stopped working. We took it into the Apple Store to be replaced but they would not replace it. There was a dent on the back of the case when we bought it, which we reported to the store. It turns out this dent was what caused the failure but no one had noted the dent in their customer service system so the skin we had on it was blamed for the dent. This past Christmas, my husband bought me a Shuffle. Recently, it has been flashing the green-and-orange light while not working. It turns out that this is a fairly common problem with Shuffle users. For now, turning it on and off a couple of times seems to fix it. I'm sure that it will stop working completely within the next week. Most likely I am going to have to go back to the Apple Store to try to get them to replace my less-than-one-year-old Shuffle. I find it a little ridiculous that it's suddenly having problems. My Shuffle hasn't been dropped a lot - maybe once or twice. When I am at work, it sits on my computer tower playing music. It travels in the cell phone pouch in my purse then it gets popped onto the charger as soon as I sit down at my desk at home. I really hope that the Apple Store will replace my Shuffle. Otherwise I will never buy another Apple product.

Return of the Geek

Now that our house guest has left the state, we can get back to business. We did accomplish some semi-geeky things this weekend. That is, if you consider educational excursions geeky. On Saturday, the gang headed over to Adventure Aquarium in Camden, New Jersey. I hadn't been there since they made the big change from the Camden Aquarium to Adventure Aquarium. It was a neat trip. They have an area where you can touch some of the animals. I thought it was a little weird to have shrimp to handle but those that touched them said it felt cool. Unfortunately, the Swim With The Sharks area was closed. According to the sign, it will be back on September 22. We watched the seals getting fed and my daughter got her face painted like a Mermaid Princess, which took me forever to scrub the sparkles off her face. The only down side of the trip was that the previously free Children's Garden now costs a whopping $3.50 to get into. Otherwise we all had a great time and I can't wait to go back to see what Swimming With The Sharks is like.

For Sunday's adventure, we hit up two museums. First, we went to the Franklin Institute Science Museum. I've always loved visiting this place. My husband and I came here on our honeymoon. Sadly, most of the exhibits weren't functioning then. However, since there is currently a King Tut exhibit that brings in tons of people, the older exhibits have been retooled so they work properly. My personal favorite is the Giant Heart. It's basically a huge walk-through heart that shows you the path that your blood takes through the heart. When I was a kid, it used to be in a room all by itself. Now there is a huge health and wellness area around it with skeletons and x-ray machines and all sorts of neat gadgets. I think this may be my favorite room in the entire museum.

After we finished being science nerds, we headed over to The Academy of Natural Sciences. I think we mostly went for the butterflies. While we were watching the butterflies flying around us, the boys were lucky enough to have some land on their hair. (I believe this is because the boys have lighter hair while all the girls present had dark hair.) My daughter is currently on a bit of a dinosaur kick so she really enjoyed looking at the dinosaur bones and trying to identify the various types.

It was a really awesome weekend where everyone got to see and do something they enjoyed. Since my daughter just started kindergarten last week, this was a great opportunity to learn some things she probably won't learn for a couple of years. There were definitely enough geeks around to explain something to her if she didn't understand! Whether you are an adult or a child, if you are in the Philadelphia area, please try to take a day or two to visit some of these wonderful museums. I can pretty much guarantee you will have a good time.

Music review: Arashi - Yume De Ii Kara

Artist: Arashi (Sakurai Sho solo) Members: Ninomiya Kazunari (Nino), Ohno Satoshi (Leader), Matsumoto Jun (MatsuJun), Aiba Masaki, Sakurai Sho Album: One Release date: 8/3/05 Video link: On YouTube

English translation: (Oh) I see you Everyday in my dreams and I just wanna say It's ok as a dream, right C'mon yeah! S.H.O. What?! Yo, I need you girl! Yeah ha ha Check it out

Right now this relationship is ONE WAY If I wake from this dream it'll be OK (but in order to be okay) I need your love OH Go beyond this door (to be) as one with the one on my mind Anything and everything for you BABY A throbbing (heart)beat, let's make a promise This happiness I feel with you PLEASE BE MY LADY

Is this for real? Yeah, maybe it's just on a whim. It's fine if it's a lie, I'm already out of time Repeating words, even if I recall (them) I can't believe it after all

+ From between the clouds a brilliant light shines on me Little by little, I float up from the ground I spread my arms and fly into the sky as the town becomes smaller Look, I search for your smile, ah- it's all right even if it's a dream

I don't want to say something trite THE WAY I FEEL INSIDE This is not a dream, IT'S REAL Feelings that aren't lies, after L.O. (is) V.E. and you, together, MAKE A story If the light shines then there will be no confusion If time passes then I will mature THIS LOVE SONG IS FOR YOU Again in a daze (because of) you YOU ARE MY SUN AND MOON (on) this earth that we journey on

Were shall we go? Nothing comes to mind, anything is fine as long as I'm with her Please help this me who has fruitless feelings(2), what should I do?

Before being lost, before being tormented I'll show you the happiness i feel for you from my heart Don't forget these precious, precious feelings If I can touch your tears ah- it's all right even if it's a dream

(ad lib)

'It's not a dream,' to me, this is all I can say I've never had experience (of this sort before) moving forward, changing, the meaning of loving someone Am I able to find it?

+ repeat About the song: This is a sweet little love song. It almost sounds like it should be the theme song for some drama but it lacks the 'oomph' that drama theme songs tend to have. Sho is known more for his rapping in Arashi, yet this there is little rapping in this. What rapping exists in the song is very light and love-songish. If I was to compare this to an American release, it feels almost like a Boyz II Men song. However, Boyz II Men always felt like they were aiming for a "mature" audience whereas Arashi feels like they are aiming for teenage girls, which, most likely, they are. Yume De Ii Kara would be a good song for relaxing or snuggling with your significant other.

Game review: Wedding Dash

I'm sure most of you are familiar with Diner Dash, the restaurant game featuring everyone's favorite waitress, Flo. You seat customers (preferably matching the color of their clothes to the color of the seat), take their order, bring them their order then give them their bill and clean up the dirty dishes. There are three separate games in the Diner Dash world, all involving Flo saving restaurants from imminent closure, that feature different types of customers with different types of problems for our heroine to overcome. Wedding Dash is a new service-related game from PlayFirst, the publishers of Diner Dash. We are introduced to our new heroine, Quinn, in the midst of a friend's wedding planning breakdown. Quinn kindly offers to help her friend plan her wedding and off we are to start the game.

This is extremely similar to Diner Dash in that you are seating wedding guests, taking their presents to the happy couple and bringing them food. Luckily there are no dirty dishes to clean up since these tasks will keep you extremely busy, especially later in the game when the guests are requesting who they sit next to. As Quinn, your job is to handle the bigger problems - fighting bridesmaids, bad sound equipment, grill fires, etc. There is an unnamed waitress character that handles all of the guests needs. However, it is very difficult to keep juggling everything with just these two characters in the higher levels. In the second round, there are enough seats to handle about 10 guests but the waitress can only carry two things at once. If you don't figure out how to juggle the presents and food properly, you'll end up with a lot of angry guests. At the same time, Quinn can get overtaxed trying to handle the major problems. There are upgrades to try to offset the difficulty but I found that by Chapter 2, I was having problems keeping up with everything. I did find it to be a very enjoyable game despite getting aggravated that I was having problems by the end of the first chapter. If you liked Diner Dash, give this a try. You'll even get a cameo from the fabulous Flo!

The Status of The Geek

Hi everyone! I hope you've been enjoying the various reviews that I've been posting. Things will be pretty slow around here for the next couple of days. A friend of the family is coming to visit so we will all be really busy for awhile. I plan on watching and reviewing the second live-action Nana movie next week the moving onto the Trick series. As always, if you have any ideas for jdorama series for me to review or music that you'd like me to talk about or pretty much anything you'd like to see on The Geek Within, feel free to email me your suggestions!

Music review: Kuroki Mio - Change of Pace

Artist: Kuroki Mio (played by Alisa) Album: Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Original Song Album "Dear My Friend" Release date: 6/23/04 Video link: A slideshow featuring the song

English translation: Step by step, one by one Stepping firmly on the road The boring days pile on top of one another In this dazzling world

Worrying only about appearances Acting like other people takes some boldness Do we have the kind of relationship We can't tell people about, The two of us?

You might be convinced You've gotten hold of The treasure in front of you But she's going to vanish like an illusion Say goodbye to the girl of convenience

*In the unbearable ?Morning mist of 5 a.m. ?I repeat the same story ?I only want to just ?Cuddle with someone ?I want to feel more free ?Change of pace

The momentary love is over The agreement was for one time only You won't get anywhere Step by step, one by one Stepping firmly on the road The boring nights pile on top of one another In this dazzling age

I just make whatever excuse works And run out Pressed by my quota Behaving awkwardly, you know It's ridiculous, the two of us

Looking just at what I see I feel like I know reality But in a city accustomed to crowds Without doing that You can't live life

Like it permeates my body, this Emotion I have to be careful of sweet traps Since life has only just begun I'm being stingy with The real high points, all the time

*Repeat

The eternal love affair I realize is fate, but I'm taking the long way round Step by step, one by one Stepping firmly on the road The rose-colored days pile on top of one another Love you, love me, please About the song: Change of Pace is a very catchy song from the Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon drama. Kuroki Mio is a villian sent by Queen Beryl to defeat Tsukino Usagi, the human form of Sailor Moon. She becomes an idol (like Aino Minako) and transfers into Usagi's school. Once there she tries every mean trick to undermine Usagi's cheerfulness. Anyone familiar with the Sailor Moon universe knows that the bad guys never win.

This is one of my favorite songs from PGSM. Each of the main female characters has a couple of songs they sing on a variety of albums. Most of them are cutesy types of songs. Change of Pace is more on the mature side of things. Kuroki Mio may be a bad girl but, in my opinion, she makes a better idol than Minako!

Jmovie review: Nana

Title: Nana Release date: 9/3/05 Genre: Romance, Slice of Life Cast: Nakashima Mika, Miyazaki Aoi, Matsuda Ryuhei, Matsuyama Ken'ichi, Narimiya Hiroki, Maruyama Tomomi Plot: The story of the lives and loves of two Nanas. Osaki Nana (Nakashima Mika) is a punk princess determined to make her way to the top of the Tokyo rock scene. Komatsu Nana (Miyazaki Aoi) is a naive girl following her boyfriend to Tokyo in the hopes of marriage. The girls meet on a train in the middle of a snowstorm. Little did they know how intertwined their lives would become from that one fateful meeting. What is good: The emotional rollercoaster that is the girls' lives. What is bad: Since this movie only takes us about halfway through the Nana storyline, the ending seems a little abrupt. Letter rating: A Overall: I adore the Nana franchise. On one hand, I wish I could rock like Osaki Nana but on the other hand, I wish I knew how to be the "perfect" housewife like Komatsu Nana. I watched the movie before watching the entire anime series so it really was this version of the story that I fell in love with. Nakashima Mika was the perfect choice to play singer Osaki Nana and I thought that Miyazaki Aoi did a really good job bringing the innocence and puppy-dog characterization that is Komatsu Nana. While I didn't like the Trapnest songs very much, I did enjoy GLAMOROUS SKY, the movie's theme song which was written by Hyde of L'arc~en~Ciel fame. This is definitely a girly movie but I think any girl who has ever loved a boy before would love this movie.

Jconcert review: Gackt - TRAINING DAYS 2006 DRUG PARTY

Artist: Gackt Concert: TRAINING DAYS 2006 DRUG PARTY Date: 12/19/06 Location: Zepp Tokyo GacktJOB members: You, Chachamaru, Ju-Ken, Jun-Ji Song list:

1. Cube 2. Maria 3. uncontrol 4. Emu-for my dear- 5. seven 6. REDEMPTION 7. Ash 8. NINE SPIRAL 9. Speed Master 10. Lu:na 11. Storm 12. Papa lapped a pap lopped 13. Kalmia 14. Fragrance 15. mind forest 16. Metamorphoze 17. Birdcage 18. Mirror 19. ANOTHER WORLD 20. Kimi ga Oikaketa Yume

Tell me about the concert: This is one of Gackt's most laid back concerts. There are no costume changes, no backdrops and few videos. The entire concert is just Gackt and the band playing their hearts out in a smaller venue. None of his dancers are there but two new dancers - Kaori and Chika - dance in masked nurse uniforms to Storm and Papa lapped a pap lopped. On the DVD, only the second half of Mirror is performed. When you reach the extras, you will find that You and Chacha sang the first half of the song while Gackt slammed away on the drums. It is extremely funny to watch but I wish they had kept it in the context of the concert. I was very confused when the second DVD began with the infamous Gackt yelling in the middle of the song. There is also a beautiful rendition of Kimi ga Oikaketa Yume at the end of the concert. It begins slowly - almost like a tinkling jewelry box song - then it picks up speed, giving you a very satisfied ending to the event.

What are your feelings? TRAINING DAYS is my favorite Gackt concert. All of the guys seem more relaxed here and therefore seem like they are truly enjoying playing music together. There are some amazing performances in here. Fragrance and Birdcage are absolutely stunning. While I know that some people didn't enjoy this concert, I think that the lack of theatrics made it much more breath-taking than anything else he has done. This is a perfect example of the musical genius that is Gackt.

Music review: Do As Infinity - One or Eight

Artist: Do As Infinity Members: Tomiko Van, Ryo Owatari, Dai Nagao Album: True Song Release Date: 12/26/02

English translation: (Listen...)

...But you're still too dull. Look, you're still wandering lost, always wasted. You're back to being a whimsical lady -- [!!] Your ideals are great but still unclear.

Close your eyes -- try feeling it, This speed. Feel your dream -- there's no limits On that field.

Until you grasp victory, don't stop those legs -- Whether you sink or swim, do as much as you can. [1] Aim for your goals, Like the heroes on TV That you always watched.

It's gonna be crazy, that perverseness of yours... You're doing whatever you want again; it's all monkey business. Selfish lady, hurry up and stop crying A splendid life is reckless and OK.

Can you hear? The cheering Won't stop. Play the truth -- You're shining On that stage.

You don't have to mind rumors -- Whether you sink or swim, do as much as you can. Awaken a miracle, Like the heroes on TV That you always watched.

Until you grasp victory, don't stop those legs -- Whether you sink or swim, do as much as you can. Aim for your goals, Like the heroes on TV That you always watched...

...Awaken a miracle. About the song: Do As Infinity is one of my favorite Japanese bands. Sadly, they disbanded in 2005. This song is great because it has a very upbeat feeling to it. Of course, the lyrics go along with that. As the theme song to Japanese satellite station WOWOW's Europe Soccer show, the song drowns in sports references. The title of the song is a sports pun in itself. In Japanese, one or eight sounds similiar to ichi ka bachi ka meaning sink or swim. So you have a happy, upbeat song telling you to do your best. A great theme song for a sports show.