The odd thing about this is it actually turns out to be a lot of fun. Street 3 creates a new world combining the biggest stars from real world soccer and mixing them with unique venues around the world. Add in some pulsating techno music and you have a sense that this game is not something of this world.

The game has an impressive cast with over 250 of the world’s best players from 18 of the top international teams. Each player has been rendered into a stylized body form loosely based on his actual physical attributes. This stylization helps further the arcade experience, but more importantly helps streamline gameplay as a players body type is usually indicative of their style of play.

There are four styles of play that a character can be. Tricksters are known for their ball handling ability. Enforcers are defense oriented. Playmakers have good awareness and are easily able to set up their teammates to score a goal. Finishers have a high ability to shoot and can score easily from mid court.

The graphics engine delivers beautiful visuals and special effects. FIFA Street 3 delivers a multitude of animations and ball control that lets you take complete control over the ball in a very intuitive manner. The analog control sticks allow you to seamlessly control the ball and passing and shooting is extremely easy.

The learning curve is very slight and the intuitive controls allow for hundreds of different ways to handle the ball, shoot, juggle, etc. The final feature, which is new to the series, is the Game Breaker that allows you to power your ultimate abilities and give you a competitive edge when needed.

The only downside is that it gets old, fast. It’s fun to play with friends, but when going solo the unchallenging AI and repetitive game modes don’t have much to offer. I recommend trying out this game, but be wary of its replayability.

Quick hits:

Publisher: EA Sports
Developer: EA Sports
Platform: PlayStation 3 (reviewed), Xbox 360, Nintendo DS
Genre: Arcade sports
Players: 1-6 (Up to 8 online)
Launch Date: Feb. 18, 2008

Playability: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Learning Curve: 4 out of 5 stars
Sound: 4 out of 5 stars
Graphics: 4 out of 5 stars
Overall: 4 out of 5 stars

Users will be able to “grab” the information with their hands, interacting with the content by touch and gesture. Additionally, users will be able to place physical objects on the Surface to trigger different types of responses. In a product demo, Bill Gates demonstrated the the possibility of putting a cell phone down on the Surface to have the Surface instantly recognize it and access the stored information. Within seconds, Gates was able to pull photos from his phone and put them into view on the Surface, where then he was able to move, resize and even e-mail them.

The initial market for the Microsoft Surface will be commercial, and the possibilities appear endless. Imagine having this computer as part of the table at a restaurant. There will be no need for a waiter or waitress to actively attend to tables because patrons would be able to pull up menus and order directly. Also, object recognition would allow patrons to put their credit cards down on the table and pay, also using a slider to calculate proper tip, as demonstrated in the product demo.

Microsoft anticipates consumers to start seeing the Surface later this year and has announced Harrah’s Entertainment, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, and T-Mobile as some of the first companies that will be utilizing these tables. Soon you will able to walk into a T-Mobile store, pick up a phone that you find interesting, put it down on the Surface, and product specs/prices/plans/etc will appear giving you all the information you might want about said phone. At Harrah’s, the Surface will be able to act as a digital concierge letting people buy concert tickets or make reservations at restaurants.

The Surface is expected to cost somewhere in the ballpark of $5,000 to $10,000.

Allegra, whose girlfriend had recently broke up with her due to Allegra’s unwillingness to commit, is depressed until she ends up spending an evening with a man named Philip, (Justin Kirk). She and Philip surprisingly hit it off immediately, and he drives her into a sexual identity crisis. She also happens to meet a girl named Grace, (Gretchen Mol) to whom she finds herself attracted. She starts seeing them both, and if that wasn’t enough, the kicker is that Grace and Philip are recent ex’s.

The movie starts with the ending scene, and the rest is a re-telling of the story with a narrative by Allegra. Even though we already know what will happen in the end, the journey is an entertaining trail of situational comedy supported by a well-written script. Through the telling of the story, we find out what is going on long before any of the characters find out, which makes for some entertaining encounters and humorous stories.

Another great point to the movie is that the minor characters are absolutely hilarious. These characters include the sushi chefs at Allegra’s favorite restaurant, who would give their input on the situation in Japanese while looking in on the situation, as well as Allegra’s friends who, with their quick humor, manage to make every situation into an enjoyable time.

One problem with the film is that the main characters are very shallow. Not much is done to develop them and because of this, it’s hard to feel sympathetic for their situations. The good thing about this, however, is that it’s very easy to find humor in their misfortunes. Because of the lack of character development, Puccini for Beginners feels like a sitcom where instead of focusing on characters, every scene tries to milk out as many laughs as possible. Fortunately, the film is very good at this and will keep you laughing.

It is very easy to recommend people to see Puccini for Beginners. This romantic comedy will keep you laughing from beginning to end with its sharp humor. If you are a Woody Allen fan it really is a must see. However, Woody fan or not; see this movie and enjoy.