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Peter Rivera-Pierola

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  • The  Elements of Typographic Style
  • Visual Explanations: Images and Quantities, Evidence and Narrative
  • Dexter: Season Five
  • Mad Men: Season Four
  • Super Mario Galaxy 2
  • Red Dead Redemption
  • 1000 Extra/Ordinary Objects
  • Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things
  • I'm Just Here for the Food: Food + Heat = Cooking
  • Absolute Watchmen
  • Lord of the Flies
  • Seven
  • A.I. - Artificial Intelligence
  • American Beauty
  • Arrested Development - Season Two
  • Arrested Development - Season Three
  • Arrested Development - Season One
  • Dexter: The First Season
  • Fight Club
  • Bioshock - Limited Edition
  • The  Orange Box
  • Shadow of the Colossus
  • Batman: Arkham Asylum
  • Mass Effect 2
  • Shadow Complex
  • Resident Evil 4
  • Metroid Prime
  • Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness
  • Buying In: The Secret Dialogue Between What We Buy and Who We Are
  • The  Absolute Sandman Special Edition
  • The  Laws of Simplicity
  • Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
  • Freakonomics
  • The  Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom
  • Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
  • Iron Man
  • Fight Club
  • Minority Report
  • Ratatouille
  • Despicable Me
  • Up
  • Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations
  • Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth
  • Heavy Rain

Peter’s Recent Events

january 14th, 2011
Heavenly Sword

Featuring some of the best cinematic cut scenes of this console generation, Heavenly Sword ultimately won me over on presentation and story. The team’s animation and voice work is really getting to the heart of what makes a digital actor’s performance realistic. Nearly approaching Uncharted-level polish, characters emote with believable nuance and conviction. The story is simple, yet ...

Peter Rivera-PierolaPeter Rivera-Pierola posted a review of Bayonetta
Bayonetta

Platinum Games seems to be the only eastern developer capable of making modern Japanese games that are both fun to play and full of wacky, native charm. I’m normally not a combo-driven, character action fan (besides God of War), but this game was a blast to play. Yes I tended to spam the same effective combo over and over ...

No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle

I tried to play the first one, but only got about an hour into it before trading it in for something more exciting. It seems they fixed much of the control issues from the previous game, and kept all the crazy style and music that made it stand out. While there are some pretty frustrating difficulty spikes that prevent me ...

Peter Rivera-PierolaPeter Rivera-Pierola modified 3 items

  • No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle
  • Bayonetta
  • Heavenly Sword
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

No one can deny this series’ ability to create a quirky cast of characters that seemingly have purpose and motivation, yet I can’t help but wonder how the “game” part of it has not evolved over time. In one sense this is an interactive movie, full of 20 minute long dramatic cut scenes that flesh out this crazy world ...

Not Recommended

Exit Through the Gift Shop

An entertaining statement on the capricious nature of pop (art) culture. Great pacing and quirky characters fill out this behind-the-scenes look into the world of street art.

Peter Rivera-PierolaPeter Rivera-Pierola posted a review of Outliers
Outliers: The Story of Success

Excellent book about how successful individuals leverage their opportunities to excel beyond the crowd. It’s an insightful, entertaining look into human culture and psychology; always clear and concise in its message, without sparing colorful storytelling and character. If you’re interested in how things come to be, you’ll like this book.

Peter Rivera-PierolaPeter Rivera-Pierola modified 14 items

  • Outliers: The Story of Success
  • Tangled
  • Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
  • Inception
  • Mad Men - Season One
  • Mad Men: Season Four
  • Exit Through the Gift Shop
  • Avatar
  • Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
  • Enslaved: Odyssey To The West
  • Red Dead Redemption
  • Super Mario Galaxy 2
  • Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
august 23rd, 2010
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

An over-the-top ode to video game/nerd culture that is thoroughly entertaining, with a surprising amount of heart. Prepare to be giddied by the numerous gaming references, bold visual style, and quirky personalities.

Peter Rivera-PierolaPeter Rivera-Pierola modified 6 items

  • Veronica Mars - The Complete First Season
  • Mad Men - Season One
  • Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
  • Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World
  • EA Sports Active
  • New Super Mario Bros
july 20th, 2010
Peter Rivera-PierolaPeter Rivera-Pierola posted a review of Machinist
The  Machinist

The Machinist: a dark, twisted journey through the mind of a troubled man that is visually powerful, yet somehow still misses its potential in narrative emotional impact.

Peter Rivera-PierolaPeter Rivera-Pierola posted a review of Innerspace
Innerspace

Innerspace: a jovial blend of science fiction, slapstick, and raunch that defines its era through outrageous premises and genuinely comic performances.

Peter Rivera-PierolaPeter Rivera-Pierola posted a review of Inception
Inception

Inception: a thoroughly entertaining psychological thrill-heist, pure in concept and execution, carried by naturally-flawed characters and calculated pacing.

Peter Rivera-PierolaPeter Rivera-Pierola modified 3 items

  • The  Machinist
  • Innerspace
  • Inception
july 12th, 2010
Peter Rivera-PierolaPeter Rivera-Pierola finished watching the following

Surrogates
july 10th, 2010
Peter Rivera-PierolaPeter Rivera-Pierola added 2 items to his top shelf

  • Up
Peter Rivera-PierolaPeter Rivera-Pierola modified 6 items

  • 1000 Extra/Ordinary Objects
  • Adaptation
  • Up
  • The  Game
  • Spaceballs
  • New Super Mario Bros
july 9th, 2010
Peter Rivera-PierolaPeter Rivera-Pierola posted a review of Flower
Flower

Flower makes a great case for gaming as an art form. While just a tad short, no other game has provided me such a beautifully calming and dare I say, uplifting experience.

Despicable Me

Despicable Me was fantastic. Undeniably charming and consistently hilarious. The entire theater was downright giddy :)

Peter Rivera-PierolaPeter Rivera-Pierola finished playing the following

Flower
june 28th, 2010
Peter Rivera-PierolaPeter Rivera-Pierola posted a review of Alan Wake
Alan Wake

An addicting, enjoyable thriller through a dark world full of camp and mystery.

+ game is presented through tight, well-paced episodes akin to serialized television; complete with self-contained story arcs that keep you playing.
+ moody, night-time atmosphere is masterfully contrasted against energizing lighting effects; you will look forward to the light.
+ beautiful and expansive pacific northwestern vistas during the daytime; the ...

Peter Rivera-PierolaPeter Rivera-Pierola finished playing the following

Alan Wake
june 13th, 2010
Peter Rivera-PierolaPeter Rivera-Pierola finished watching the following

Splice
june 11th, 2010
God of War III

The epic, greek-inspired trilogy comes to a brutal and gratifying end. The game is steadfast in its vision, depicting striking art direction and savage gore, and improving upon its predecessors with more gameplay balance and variety. Fans of the series will not be disappointed by this tighter, yet grander experience.

Peter Rivera-PierolaPeter Rivera-Pierola finished playing the following

God of War III
june 2nd, 2010
Peter Rivera-PierolaPeter Rivera-Pierola posted a review of Orange Box
The  Orange Box

A tour-de-force of first-person gaming bliss, the near-perfect Half-Life 2 series alone would be worth the box price. Now, throw in Portal, one of the most innovative games in recent memory, and you’ve got yourself a steal. A must-play, created by some of the smartest game designers out there.

Metroid Prime

A genre-defining adventure that reinvented the Metroid franchise in 3D. Lonely and magnificent in its design, with equal parts discovery and adventure to lead you through the mysterious and unfolding worlds. A must-play for the modern gamer.

Condemned 2: Bloodshot

Still some of the best hand-to-hand combat around, this creepy, visceral game takes bum-fighting to a whole new level. Play it with the lights off and the sound turned up, and be prepared to flinch.

Dead Rising

Quirky and very Japanese, but somehow strangely accessible and compelling. The untraditional save system and game structure may turn many away, but those that enjoy the chaos of progressing through the zombie masses will have a blast.

Peter Rivera-PierolaPeter Rivera-Pierola posted a note about Outliers
Outliers: The Story of Success

About a third of the way in, and I’m completely fascinated. This is the kind of book I like: focused on uncovering the wonder within seemingly simple things. Love the tone and case studies used to make his points. Looking forward to finishing…