The 2008 YECA: Attack of the Ambition (Top 10 MVs + ??)
Southern Kentucky. Home of...well, nothing really. Um...Cumberland Falls? *shrugs* Southern Kentucky's greatest claims to fame are soon to be two rocking individuals who keep the awesome alive every day. One of them is someone who has a name that is easily nicknameable, Mucus Curator Steven. The other is yours truly. Together, we are the saving grace of this area of horror. While MC has his extra cheese pizza, I have my own little blokk around the corner. However, there's something else that I have. Something that all of the kids talk about. Something that brings all of the boys to the yard. Something...well, that is not Ulysses. That's right, it's the Year-End Crazy Ambition! From the shores of the Pacific to the Jersey Shore, from the Eiffel Tower to the CN Tower, The Year-End Crazy Ambition has rocked all over the world for a couple years now, and this year, it's going to rock just as hard, if not a bit differently than usual. Yes, there's the usual video games, YouTube videos, and albums lists. However, the rest has changed a bit. There is no music videos or worst songs of the year list this year. I don't want to listen to ****** music anymore, and I didn't watch or remember enough videos to put together a list. Also, the non-singles and singles list have combined to give all of you lovelies out there the new and improved main countdown of the Year-End Crazy Ambition: The Top 80 Songs of 2008 list! To be honest, I grew tired of figuring out which songs were singles and which songs weren't. This is my compromise. Plus, as an added bonus, I will give you guys the top ten albums that I'm anticipating in 2009, and I'm going to throw in a couple of surprises, too.
With that said, it may not be the year-ender that you guys expect from me, but you can bet that I will provide the same entertainment that I always do, along with the same amount of awesome that any of you who read and reply have. This is the Year-End Crazy Ambition 2008: Attack of the Ambition.
1) Top 5 Video Games of 2008
2) Top 10 YouTube Videos of 2008
3) Top 10 Most Anticipated Albums of 2009
4) Top 15 Albums of 2009
5) Top 80 Songs of 2008
It all starts with the Top 5 Video Games of 2008 list, and it starts...well, soon. Really soon.
It was a tough call between the two, and, in the end, I decided to just put both on the list. NHL 09 may very well be the best sports game ever, I **** you not. NHL's version of Be A Pro is the most addicting mode in the history of sports games, and their online leagues are truly unique. Meanwhile, on the Guitar Hero side of things, World Tour is more accessible to the more casual player, and, when Activision's not ruining the fun, the Music Creator mode can truly be something, even if the only music that people can really create are GHTunes versions of copyrighted material.
4) Gears of War 2
Honestly, no game disapppointed me this year more than Gears 2. Why? Well, mostly because of the multiplayer. The game's not bad. Far from it, it's great. Horde is amazing, Wingman rules, especially when you have a player by your side, and Annex/King of the Hill still rule. The single-player/co-op is a bit better, though the final boss fight is excruiatingly easy. The story is pretty interesting, and Dom's sidequest for his wife Maria was, in my opinion, the most intriguing part of the game. Also, let's not forget about the implementation of the bots in multiplayer mode. Why is this important? Because that leads me to my biggest complaint with the game. People are not playing the game as it was intended on multiplayer mode. Instead, people just run around with shotguns and shoot you point blank in the face. It's annoying, mostly because this is supposed to be a game that emphasizes COVER. Thank god for bots, because I would be miserable without them.
3) Left 4 Dead
What an awesome game. For someone such as myself, who loves zombie movies and loves to play with others, this is, pretty much, the ultimate game. Versus mode is a bit frustrating sometimes, but that's more because of my shittiness than because of the game itself. Seriously, get this game. The amount of replayability this game has is second to none, and it ALWAYS changes. Even though there's only four campaigns, there's always enough variants to keep people coming back for more.
2) Grand Theft Auto IV
A game so huge and popular that it became a worldwide phenomenon and caused a backlash that rivaled Halo 3's backlash(if not surpassed it), Grand Theft Auto IV will be the game everyone remembers when they think of the year 2008. Period. No exceptions. Here's the thing: you hear people say so much about the negative things about the game, but how did all of the positive things get lost in the shuffle? The multiplayer mode is still one of the most exciting multiplayer modes out there, the campaign itself is one of the more fascinating stories in gaming, and Niko Bellic, the protagonist of GTA IV, is...is...LIKABLE! No, seriously! And I still get a kick out of crashing my car and flying out of my windshield, or playing darts with Roman, or going bowling with whoever. It's been over six months since I got this game, and I still enjoy it as much as I did when I first started playing the game.
1) Rock Band 2
When I thought about what games would make this list, this was the first game that came to mind. My immediate thoughts were, "Well, RB2's #1. What's #2?" Rock Band 2 isn't a huge improvement over its predecessor, but it doesn't have to be. The first game was an amazing little game, so why fix what's already working? Instead, work on a couple of the things still missing from the first game: a solo World Tour, a Battle of the Bands, specific challenges for bands to conquer, music video shoots, a more polished overall look to the game. Not only that, but this is the first game I can recall my dad actually playing in a LONG time. When a game can be so fun and awesome that it can actually get my *dad* to rock out, well, then there just can't be another choice for #1. The music, also, is amazing, barely a stinker in the bunch. This game even freaking got me into The Grateful Dead, for crying out loud! My favorite game of the year, and it wasn't even close.
And that's the end of that chapter. Chapter two, the "Top 10 YouTube Videos of 2008" list, should be up sometime either tonight or tomorrow. Be on the lookout, gumshoes.
Obviously, I wasn't kidding when I said "really soon".
Attack of the Ambition: Top 10 YouTube Videos of 2008
10) But, supposedly, I'm gonna have this "accident" because I didn't tie my shoes.
From the guys that brought you the greatest reaction of all-time last year, here's another classic. If you look closely, the guy who plays the "victim" is the same guy who let out one of the funniest screams in recorded history in the same reaction video. In this parody, the "victim" is going to the hospital because his wife is giving birth. However, he's going to have an "accident" because he didn't tie his shoes. Welcome to my world. Anyway, the payoff is absolutely hilarious, featuring the funniest "OH MY GOD!" since the "OH MY GODDDDDDDDDDDD" guy. This video is hilarious on its own, but if you want this to be REALLY funny, watch the PSAs that this clip is parodying. I will warn you, though: They are graphic as hell, especially the restaurant PSA. That is thirty seconds of my life that will never leave me.
9) No, McGruff! No!
Pretty short, but amazingly sweet. My favorite part isn't McGruff taking out the kid, and it's not even the fact that the McGruff impersonator is WHITE(oh, come on, you couldn't even get a black guy?), but the fact that the McGruff impersonator is trying so freaking hard to win a race that is, obviously, meant to help charities. Way to stay classy, McGruff.
8) FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU--
Now, we're starting to get to the heavy hitters. And I mean heavy. You need to keep in mind that this is a PARODY of all of the other epic choke and epic reaction videos that are out there on YouTube. It's funny even if you don't keep that in mind, though, just because the man who created this video, Bill, is a ****ing funny guy who knows how to make others laugh. In particular, check out the trip, his cameraman trying to keep his laughter in check(and failing), and the two funniest parts, from 2:37 to 2:47, which features one of the funniest visuals I've EVER seen. You'll know it when you see it, trust me.
7) Holy ****! WHAT THE ****?!
You may be thinking to yourself when watching this video, "Um, what the **** is so funny about this?" Well, if you watch the Tourette's Guy videos, then it makes a hell of a lot more sense, but imagine, if you will, this being some random guy's reaction to a horse suddenly becoming a unicorn and flying(FLYING) over a big T that comes together out of nowhere as the unicorn is jumping. It is a HELL of a lot funnier then.
6) I'MMAH FIRIN' MAH LAZAH~!
The actual ad that this is parodying is really funny(and has a great message), but this is even better. It's so random, so ridiculous, that I can't help but love it. Just when it looks like the kid's going to go into a full-on tantrum, the kid's eyes and mouth enlarge in a cartoon-ish way and he spits out the four best words in the history of the english language: "I'MMA FIRIN' MAH LAZAH!" Yeah, I realize that I'm alone in loving this clip, but damnit, this is comedic GOLD and I don't care if you disagree.
5) Wassuuu-ohhhh.
Here's a political ad that is legitimately funny and thought-provoking at the same time. What's more, IT'S THE ****ING WASSUP GUYS! The real guys! One of them's going through the stock market collapsing, another has lost his home, another is in Iraq, another is pretty much ****ed up with injuries, and the last guy...well, let's just say he's being blown away. The message at the end is what makes this ad, though. It takes a really funny parody and turns it completely on its ass.
4) Chopper Read Presents: Driving School
The Ronnie Johns Half Hour is a pretty ****ing funny show that is as vulgar and crude as it is hilarious. The man that this parody is based off of is Mark "Chopper" Read, an ex-con author. But that's not what important. What is important is that he is ******* CRAZY. Nowhere is this more apparent than this clip, which includes, in my honest opinion, the funniest thing I saw in 2008: "60. This means, if you're over 60, get off the ****in' road."
3) FAFSA
Here's a video that NEVER gets talked about, but damn well should. If you've ever seen the FAFSA videos(and I wouldn't blame you if you haven't), this video is a parody of those videos. Even without them, it's hilarious. These three gentlemen deserve a medal for their commitment to hilarity. "It's free! Free money for college." "Hey, did you guys say free money?!" "YEAH!"
2) I'm right behind you now, Charlene.
Okay, I'll admit it, the first time I heard this song was through Rock Band. And thank god, or else I may have never discovered this gem of a vid. Anyone who has ever seen a music video from the 1980's will absolutely adore this, but I adore it simply because it's so ****ing funny. The song itself is absolutely glorious, but the shots of Colbert are what make this clip, including a face close-up at :30 that has never, ever, EVER failed to crack me up. This, right here, is my reason for my love of anything and everything Colbert.
1) A-malgamated...Federaliza---hey, I don't know what the **** it means.
The highest praise I can give this clip is that this is one of the most quotable clips I can recall seeing. Just a couple of my favorite quotes: "And we don't take **** from nobody. YOU GOT THAT, ASSHOLE?!", "And we push around a lot of lil' old ladies from Floriduh", and, of course, "We've got broads out there who keep your kids from getting run over by some hardon." There was a much tougher competition for #1 this year than last year, when "Hacksaw vs. Warrior" was the clear #1, but, regardless, AFSCME rules the day.
Two down, three to go. Trust me, the other three will not go by nearly as quick. Thanks, school! Coming up next(or, really, later): Top 10 Most Anticipated Albums of 2009. See you then, homeslices.