stuff I loved; a year in review

I feel like everyone thinks I'm that hater guy they know. The one who, when you start talking about something you love, they are immediately already aware of it and don't like it. There might be an element of truth to that, so I have been trying to be more positive. It's really hard when everyone loves Michael McIntyre and Kings of Leon, but I have taken to offering up things that I love when I dislike things in an attempt to establish common ground. It works quite nicely in a lot of cases (but you wouldn't believe the number of people who will readily call you a hater and not even entertain alternatives you suggest. It's a lot).

I'm very passionate about a lot of things, so I've categorised the year. They may seem arbitrary in some cases, but this covers the whole year (save for things I forgot).

hardware

It hasn't been a hardware-heavy year, what with our house trying to fall down every time I look away, but I have managed to pick up some awesome.

Limited Edition Red Nintendo DSi XL - I've had a DS before (a couple of times) but there's really getting to be some amazing games for it now, so it's time to add it to my arsenal for good, I think. Or at least until we establish that the 3DS doesn't give me a headache.

Apple iPhone 4 - I probably wouldn't have added previous iPhones to "best yearly hardware" lists. They're good, best phones I've ever used, but they've never been amazing. This new one is. The screen, build quality and operating system are all first-rate. It's really clear that this is a product that Apple truly cares about and they're leading the phone industry right now, whether you like them or not. I've tried recent versions from all competing manufacturers (except Nokia and Blackberry - I have no idea why anyone would want to own one of those things) and they're nothing by comparison.

ZVEX Box of Metal - guitar has been making a play for me again recently. Picked up this pedal on several recommendations and it's brutal. Ridiculous amounts of filthy distortion complemented by an excellent noise gate makes this top 3 guitar-related things I own (top being my awesome Les Paul Goldtop. Looking forward to the year I find something better than that!)

games

Games have been a huge part of this year. By the time it's over, there'll almost certainly be more to go in this category (I know what I'm getting for Christmas!) but here's a list of everything I haven't traded this year.

Super Meat Boy (XBLA) - Game of the Year, Game of the Last 10 Years, Game of Forever. This is hands-down the best, toughest, most-rewarding platformer I have ever played. It's retro genius with perfect controls, brilliant soundtrack and perfect level design/learning curve. So, so much content for a game that costs a fraction of a major release. Buy an XBOX 360 (or PC), then buy this.

(Where did that come from, saying that something costs a fraction of something else? Even if something the same price, that's still a fraction. Stupid hyperbole, I guess.)

Demon's Souls (PS3) - I'm not a great gamer, I just love games. What I lack in ability, I make up for in perseverance. To play Demon's Souls, you need to get really good, really quick or it'll eat your life away. In a gaming age where all games hold your hand like a caring parent until you're ready to fly solo, this game is a refreshing kick into the real world with no help our guidance. More games need to have the balls to just drop you in a world full of demons and let you fight your own way out. Buy a PS3, then buy this (unless you're a big pansy).

Mario Kart DS (NDS) - yeah, so this has been out for ages and I've even had it before, but for some reason I get it now. Snaking used to be a big part of the online element and it ruins it for me, so now I don't play online. If you're playing local multi-player, or just blasting around for the hell of it, it's a great fun game (though 150cc is still brutally hard).

Forza 3 (360) - let's get this out of the way. I hate Gran Turismo. There. I said it. For Forza 3, you need a wheel. If you're a console accessory purist, you have to buy official. The Microsoft wheel is expensive, but great quality. If you're a fan of driving simulators, this is an excellent game to own. I haven't even chipped away much at career mode - I like my Focus RS too much!

Angry Birds (iOS) - probably my most-played game of the year. Original and Seasons have been at the top of Apple's charts every single week since their release with good reason. Just incredibly addictive - my mother-in-law, who never plays video games plays this every day. You probably know someone like this as well - it's been insanely popular and it's thoroughly well-deserved.

iOS apps

FitFu - when it comes to getting active, I need a kick up the ass. This app is made by shameless geeks who know as well as anyone what makes you tick. It's stats. It's being able to see your performance, track your improvement and equate numbers to your activity. It's your phone congratulating you for how many crunches you can do. And it works. These guys have done a brilliant job on this app and I really hope it catches on.

Kinetic - another exercise app, this one is aimed at you going outside. I get the impression that this is also made by geeks; add and remove modules, view maps and graphs of your sustained performance during a run or a ride or take part in training programs to improve your performance. A great interface, regular updates and a quantitative sense of achievement make this a winner.

Camera+ - even before returning from a six month hiatus, this was an excellent alternative to the native camera. Since its release, I have used this as an alternative because the effects and ability to crop are a very valuable addition to a camera app. Now that it's back, they've removed everything I disliked about the original version and crammed in a bunch of extra features and effects. The ability to tweak effects so that they're not quite so full-on is a very welcome addition that I never knew I needed.

Instapaper - like a todo list for reading. tl;dr is no longer a problem. Simple, incredibly useful, continuously updated. Amazing interface and some great functionality, this is really for everyone.

Ampkit+ and Ampkit LINK - Agile Partners are doing seriously impressive guitar-related work. They're getting recognition all over for Guitar Toolkit and Tab Toolkit and it's because they're the best. Ampkit includes the best amp and effects models I've come across in an interface that is beautiful and makes perfect sense. Using Ampkit LINK, the sound quality through a pair of ACS T3 or Macbook Pro (GarageBand as a monitor) could not be better.

Lick of the Day - Agile Partners and Guitar World bringing licks of varying difficulty to you every day. Bread and butter by Andy Aledort and Jimmy Brown, but every now and again a surprising appearance by Joe Satriani and Glenn Proudfoot make this a great app to keep you picking up the guitar every day.

SBSettings - Jailbreak-only, but this is pretty much the only reason I do. Quick access to system toggles such as Wifi, brightness, 3G, Data, Airplane mode, SSH. I really don't know why there isn't something like this as standard in iOS.

music

The Chariot - Long Live. There is so much music. Even if I quit my job and listened to music all day, I would never be able to listen to all the music I'd like in a lifetime. That's why, if a band pisses me off, they don't normally get a second chance. The Chariot, however, managed to piss me off and redeem themselves (lucky them, right?) in one year. They played an absolutely abysmal live show, but then came along with this devastating album and made me forget absolutely everything that had annoyed me in the first place. A step in the mathcore direction, this is chaotic, brutal and beautiful. If you don't like this album, there's something irreparably wrong with you and I don't think we can be friends any more.

La Dispute - Somewhere at the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair. La Dispute can do no wrong. They release poorly recorded EPs that blow my face off. They release soft, spoken word EPs that make me want to cry and their full-length album makes me want to destroy everything I've ever loved, just so I can understand it. Vocally, musically, lyrically, everything about all of their music is perfect. Really, nothing I can say will do these masterpieces justice.

Pianos Become the Teeth - Old Pride. For me, this has been the year of traumatic emo. Horribly sad music that strangely fills you with hope and energy. Music like this always reminds me of a quote from the IT Crowd about Cradle of Filth: "It sounds horrible, but it's actually quite beautiful". If it's not something you're used to, it does sound horrible, but it's supposed to. Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, this is not.

Bring me the Horizon - There Is a Hell, Believe Me I've Seen It. There Is a Heaven, Let's Keep It a Secret. Bring me the Horizon have changed so much since their first release. Now incorporating techno and electro elements (I assume, inspired by their Suicide Season - Cut Up release) and featuring cameos from the amazing LIGHTS and youmeatsix, their music has a much more mature edge. This release is so intelligent, haunting and loud that they can be forgiven for the atrocity of a debut video that came from it!

TV

Sons of Anarchy - this has been on my radar for ages, but escaped me for various reasons. I finally got round to sitting down and watching it end-to-end and it's absolutely brilliant. If you imagine The Sopranos (coincidentally another I need to watch through) on Harleys, you're halfway there. In spite of the absolutely terrible casting in places (Charlie Hunnam, Titus Welliver, Keith Szarabajka), this succeeds as some of the best TV since House started going stale (and yes, it has so shut up).

Fringe - Fox is going to cancel this. I know it, you know it, the Friday Night Slot of Death knows it. Still, it's brilliant sci-fi and I love it. There's not a weak link in the cast and there hasn't been a weak element to the story (except that recap episode - what the fuck was that?), I have no idea where it's going and I can't wait to find out. Please, please, Fox, don't cancel it.

How Not to Live Your Life - brilliantly-written British sitcom. I was beginning to think Britain was only capable of breeding terrible, terrible comedians who make we want to leave the country. Thank you, Dan Clark, for proving me wrong.

Party Down - relatively unknown, this is a great sitcom with an Arrested Development style to it. Very dry, deadpan and awkward at times, it's immensely well-written and acted. I wish they could've run a million seasons of it but stupid Adam Scott went to stupid Parks and Rec and they had to cancel it (and they did have to. It would've made no sense to carry on without him).

So, there you have it. All the things that were the best about this year. Some things, granted, were not from this year but I'm not always on time for everything. Sorry if the thing you made isn't here, it just means you weren't good enough.