The James Logan Courier

By Bill Hutchens (MCT)

Game night just got a little more interesting.

Hasbro, makers of table-game mainstays such as Sorry! and Battleship, has teamed up with Electronic Arts to reinvent these and other classics. "Hasbro Family Game Night" for the Wii and PlayStation 2 might change the way your family plays together.

This isn't just a collection of table games that have been turned into video games. We've seen that many times before, most often on Mac and PC but also on game consoles. These family favorites in this new collection have been given a digital upgrade – and then some. To the basic play modes of every game, the makers have added some fun and interesting "power" modes that could only be accomplished in videogame form.

By Jessica Stewart, Courier Editor-in-Chief

A Very Merry Christmas is a small collection of short Christmas romances by three different authors: "Do You Hear What I Hear" by Lori Foster, "Bah Humbug, Baby" by Gemma Bruce and "By Firelight" by Janice Maynard. I enjoyed them all thoroughly, and they definitely got me into the Christmas spirit. Who needs wistful thoughts of mistletoe when you can read steamy holiday stories like these?

"Do You Hear What I Hear" is one of my favorite holiday stories, and not just because it shares the title of one of my favorite Christmas tunes. Marci Churchill is an animal psychic—she understands what animals are trying to tell the dim-witted two-leggers that just can’t seem to grasp their language. Marci has devoted her life to helping these animals, albeit anonymously. So, when she happens upon a kidnapped donkey in a local nativity scene, she brings him back to her apartment so that she can figure out how to get him back home.

McClatchy-Tribune News Service (MCT)


It's been a down year for the Nintendo DS' puzzle library, which has seen only a trickle of great additions after a few years in which gems practically rained from the sky.

How savvy, then, of Destineer to send reviewers fresh copies of one of those games that got lost in the shuffle of 2007's downpour. "WordJong" combines two dependable concepts — Mahjong and Scrabble — into one sleek game that's simple enough to sell itself, and if you never played or even noticed it last year, it's as good an addition to your DS library as anything that actually came out this fall.

By Jamey Padojino, Courier Staff Writer

Last Friday, my friend and I decided to try the new BJ’s next to NewPark mall. The restaurant, which opened in early November, is already a big hit in the East Bay.

Before the opening of the Newark location, the closest BJ’s was in Pleasanton.

The Newark location is off of Mowry Avenue, across the street from New Park Mall on the same block as Mervyn’s.

Although it was a Friday night, we got seated right away. To start off our meal we got an appetizer of chicken potstickers. The potstickers were crunchy around the edge, but soft and chewy at the center.

By Jenelle Gallardo, Courier Staff Writer

Authentic Mexican food. Now we hear that claim from a lot of restaurants but how many actually promise what they say? Los Pericos Taqueria in San Leandro, offers food with big portions, big taste, for a small price. Located in San Leandro's old town, Pelton Center, sits a town's favorite spot for Mexican dishes.

By Brandie Moore, Courier Daily Editor

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Nothing is harder then when your senior boyfriend tells you that he might go to college thousands of mile a way in New York. But with Kate, Annie, and Cooper, central characters in Isobel Bird's novel, Circle of Three #2: Merry Meet, that standard just doesn't work out.

By Jessica Stewart, Courier Editor-in-Chief

“The candlelit room was designed for seduction with sound-muffling draperies covering the walls and a linen-covered table intimately set for two. But what made her stomach twist into a knot of apprehension was the four-poster bed that dominated the majority of the room, its bedcovers turned down in open invitation. A welcoming fire burned in the grate.

However, something was wrong.”

Unfortunately for Fiona, things only go downhill from there. A Seduction at Christmas is an interesting read, if a bit simplistic. It’s a quick holiday read great for a stormy night spend by a crackling fire and a lovely gift for the romance lover in the family. While Christmas is mentioned only every now and then, the story is the stuff of dreams, and, as the old year ends and the new year rolls in, it’s the perfect time of year for dreams and wishes. I enjoyed letting my worries go and basking in the chemistry and romance between the main characters, if only for an hour at a time.

By Victor Godinez
The Dallas Morning News (MCT)

Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, your 2008 video game holiday gift guide:

• Action

All ages: Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts (Xbox 360); LEGO Batman (Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, Wii, DS, PC)

Ages 13 and up: Prince of Persia (Xbox 360, PS3 and PC); Tomb Raider Underworld (Xbox 360, Wii, PS3, PC); Mirror's Edge (Xbox 360, PS3, PC); Metal Slug 7 (DS)

Ages 17 and up: Gears of War 2 (Xbox 360); Left 4 Dead (Xbox 360 and PC); Resistance 2 (PS3); Call of Duty: World at War (Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, Wii, DS, PC); Far Cry 2 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

By Billy O'Keefe
McClatchy-Tribune News Service (MCT)

By hook or by crook, Sega needs to pull the plug on Sonic Team's disastrous dismantling of Sonic the Hedgehog's good name and give the reins to a developer that can figure it out.

"Sonic Unleashed," the umpteenth reboot of the franchise since things started careening south seven years ago, merely drives home this point yet another example of a developer too stubborn to give fans what they want and not nearly capable enough to justify such obstinacy.

To its partial credit, "Unleashed" isn't the technical nightmare 2006's "Sonic the Hedgehog" was. The camera only occasionally rather than constantly interferes, and the game's failings are merely disappointing instead of staggeringly impossible to understand. "Unleashed" also looks considerably better than its predecessor, which was chock full of graphical glitches, and while the story remains a complete mess, it at least won't creep you out the way "Hedgehog's" weird romance did.

By Mia Tungol, Courier Staff Writer

As a few friends and I visited our other friend in San Jose, we had a hard time deciding where we were going to eat lunch. Finally, after many suggestions, we picked to eat at the first restaurant we saw: Red Robin. When we first walked in, I was surprised that there weren't customers waiting in line especially since it was around lunch time. However, I wasn't complaining. We were able to get our table quickly and order exactly what we wanted in less than thirty minutes all together.

By Louis R. Carlozo
Chicago Tribune (MCT)

So you chug-a-lugged some spiked egg nog, passed out and had nightmares of hearing "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" for the gajillionth time. Then ... you got lost in a megamall, only to be mauled by a gaudy Mannheim Steamroller.

Afraid this could happen to you? Well, take heart — and don't leave your holiday music in the hands of deejays, in-laws and other evil elves who serve you the sonic equivalent of brick-hard fruitcake.

Here are 25 songs for a holiday playlist. Burn a mix of these tunes and consider wrapping up the CD as a thoughtful hostess gift or stocking stuffer.

1) "Monsters' Holiday," Bobby "Boris" Pickett
What's to love: This 1962 sequel to "Monster Mash" is a bit more sublime but even more fun. Song ends with Igor going ape over St. Nick: "Ooooooh, Santa GOOOOOOD!" Scary Christmas!

By Mia Tungol, Courier Staff Writer

This Friday, Logan's Improv team will be competing against another school at home for the very first time. They will be competing against Hollister's San Benito High School. To prepare for this, both Improv teams met on Saturday for a workshop in order to set the standards for Friday's competition, set to begin at 7 p.m. in the Little Theatre.

Improv is an after-school activity in which a group of diverse people come together in hopes of entertaining others and making the audience laugh. This year, the captain is Efren Gonsalez, the co-captain is Joseph Rodriguez, and the manager is Jamie Maxfield. There is no script, and everything is made up on the spot. The only times when their performance was not made up on the spot would be when the team would ask for suggestions.

By Jessica Stewart, Courier Editor-in-Chief

“The sounds of birds awakening, cars driving by, and the relentless, rhythmic beating of her heart swarmed her mind. She wished she could deny the morning. She wished she could be reborn as someone else, someone…normal.”

Nevertheless, Gabrielle Cody, God’s paladin, must respond to the call of duty every time, isolating her from her fellow man. That is, until a few new friends force themselves into her life. Lori Foster, writing as L. L. Foster, proves her versatility with this new book, a mixture of action, suspense, horror and romance. While it is definitely not similar to any of her previous novels, most of which fall strictly under the romance genre, I enjoyed it thoroughly and could not put it down once I had started it.

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Posted by courier at 09:43 AM. Filed under: Entertainment

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By Brandie Moore, Courier Book Editor

"As the box went down the line, Kate listened to the topics chosen by the other students. Suddenly they all seemed fascinating, and she wondered why she hadn't thought to write about the beheading of Anne Boleyn, Magellan's explorations, or the excommunication of Queen Elizabeth I. When the box was passed to her, she hesitated for a moment and then reached inside. Grabbing a piece of paper, she drew it out and opened it. The witchcraft persecutions, she read frowning."

What if a simple subject for a mid-term paper could change your whole world around in a instant? Would doing something you don't know much about really go as you planned it? Could you get all you wanted just but saying some words and lighting some candles? Kate Morgan is on a journey to find just that out.

By Billy O'Keefe
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
(MCT)

If you fell madly in love with "Animal Crossing" when it debuted six years ago on the Gamecube, you might want to sit down. Because while Nintendo still loves you and treasures your company, it wants to see other people.

For the uninitiated — which was everyone back in 2002 — the joy of playing "Crossing" is almost impossible to understand until you give it a firsthand whirl. You star as a human character living in a neighborhood full of talking animals, and the purpose of the game, which has no end goal, is to be a good neighbor while earning money to afford a nicer house and all manner of things with which to stock it.

By Jamey Padojino, Courier Staff Writer

Last week was Thanksgiving break, and since I had a whole week off my aunt took me out to a treat at Eggette’s COM in South San Francisco. Eggette’s COM is a café that sells boba drinks and their popular snack, eggette’s.

Eggettes are Hong-Kong style mini pancakes that come in a bite-sized form. They have a fluffy interior and a crunchy exterior available in vanilla and chocolate flavors. This was the first time I had ever eaten eggettes, let alone learning what they are, so as I waited for my order I anticipated trying out a new delicacy. As I popped the first eggette in my mouth, I recognized a particular flavor that tasted all too familiar. The best way to describe the flavor of eggettes is to compare it to a warm, soft fortune cookie.

Mia Tungol, Courier Staff Writer

Recently, my grandparents from Oregon came to town to visit. My mom wanted to treat them to a nice dinner, so she chose to take us to Maggiano's Little Italy at Santana Row in San Jose. Usually, it is hard to find parking since Santana Row is a popular area to be around. Luckily, we were able to have free valet parking, so we had good parking that wasn't too far away from the restaurant.

By Preston Jones
McClatchy Newspapers (MCT)

In a bid to inject some much-needed life into a ceremony that, traditionally, is one of the stuffiest awards shows going, the Grammys tried something new Wednesday night.

The clumsily titled "The Grammy Nominations Concert Live!! — Countdown to Music's Biggest Night," hosted by Taylor Swift and LL Cool J, was an attempt to blend star-studded performances with the announcement of a handful of nominees (of the 110 categories the Grammys recognize, a mere six were announced on air; the full list of nominees was made available on grammy.com).

By Hamed Noorsay, Courier Staff Writer

"Crush", the new single by David Archuleta, is an up-beat pop song about having a crush on someone who doesn't even know who you are.

The single unites a familiar theme with a very bland, typical, cookie cutter monotonous pop beat. It's just another piece of boring pop music with nothing very special about it.

In a weird way, it is reminiscent of the Backstreet Boys and N*sync, except with a solo boy artist rather than a band of boys.

By Jenelle Gallardo, Courier Staff Writer

"A lot of guys use their senior year to coast; catch up on partying and reward themselves for making it this far. Not me. This was my year to read everything I could get my hands on, to speak up, push myself and my teachers to get the true hot poop on the World At Large, so I could hit the ground running."

Deadline is about high school senior, Ben Wolf. He comes from a family that consists of his hardworking timid father, all around nice guy, star quarterback "big little" brother, and a depressed alcoholic mother, from Trout, Idaho, or as Ben puts it, the middle of nowhere.

By Brandie Moore, Courier Daily Editor

"‘There you are. What happened? You missed dinner.’ ‘I'd completely forgotten. Sorry...got carried away with some guardian stuff. It's a long story.’ She'd changed for dinner. Her hair was still pulled up, and she now wore a form-fitting dress made out of silver raw silk. She looked beautiful. She looked royal. I thought about Victor's words and wondered if she really could be the power for change he swore she was. Looking like she did now, so glamorous and self-composed, I could imagine people following her anywhere. I certainly would, but then, I was biased. ‘Why are you looking at me like that?’ she asked with a small smile. I couldn't tell her that I'd just seen the man who frightened her the most. I couldn't tell her that while she'd been out living it up, I'd been off watching her back in the shadows, like I would always do. Instead, I returned her smile. ‘I like the dress.’"

Richelle Mead came out with her third novel to the Vampire Academy series last month. In the latest addition, Shadow Kiss, Rose Hathaway, a teenage half-vampire half-human, has to make the biggest decision of her life: she has to choose between her best friend, Lissa, or the love of her life, Dimitri.

By Billy O'Keefe
McClatchy-Tribune News Service (MCT)


"Gimmick" is something of a dirty word in gaming circles, and leaning on DC Comics' heavy hitters — Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, the Flash and the Joker, among others — to breathe relevance back into "Mortal Kombat" most definitely qualifies as a gimmick.

But it's hard to knock a gimmick when it works, and so it's hard to knock "Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe," which freshens up a franchise stuck in neutral while taking full advantage of the moment to trim much of the fat that had accumulated since "Kombat" went 3-D.