Loud whispering. Knowing Santa. Incorrect ideas about nutrition. These things have made Buddy the Elf a beloved holiday character since comedian Will Ferrell created him in the 2003 movie “Elf.”

Buddy is on Broadway this season in “Elf the Musical” playing at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre with Sebastian Arcelus in the title role. And in the likely event that Buddy the Elf will fans get their way, Buddy — again played by Will Ferrell — will host the 2010 Saturday Night Live Christmas Special.

Betty White ended up as host of Saturday Night Live last year after a Facebook campaign to put her there reached almost half a million members. Now Buddy’s fans have a politely-named Facebook page, “Dear SNL, Please Let Buddy the Elf Host the 2010 SNL Christmas Special.” It has over 135,000 members.

Ferrell was an SNL cast member from 1995 to 2002. But unlike some other characters that SNL alum have portrayed in movies, Buddy the Elf didn’t premier on that show, nor was the “Elf” film made by SNL Studios. This means there might be some copyright agreements to be worked out between New Line Cinema, MSNBC, and their respective corporate octopi. There are no other obvious reasons why Will Ferrell, Lorne Michaels, and every else involved with SNL wouldn’t go for it.

Will Ferrell, as himself, hosted SNL in 2005 and 2009. But Buddy the Elf won’t be the first fictional character to host an SNL episode (if the Christmas Special, a clip show, is considered an episode). That honor probably goes to Pee Wee Herman, played by Paul Reuben, who hosted in 1985.

Image media credit/Christopher Crosby

Fantasy Wars will be criticized for its unoriginal gameplay style and an equally uninspired name, but there’s a good game under the hood.

The game is a lot like Blizzard’s Warcraft III and also has the RPG style of a game like Quest. The true beauty of Fantasy Wars lives in the fact that, especially for a clone, it has amazing replay value!

There are three campaigns in which you take the roles of the humans, the cute little elves and the tough orcs. The orcs are the usual fantasy stereotype. In “Wars,” they are known for desiring gold, being a strong race and a constant need to pillage.

The game is no pushover. It’s very difficult in the beginning and gets harder in later phases. It’s important to use your units to their maximum potential and be able to plan for what your opponent might attack you with. The game is a turn-based strategy, which means that you will direct units to attack, hold their positions, defend, gather, etc. Then it’s the other guy’s turn.

Unlike other TBS games, your units and supplies will carry over to the next mission, instead of just starting fresh. Each individual campaign has it’s own ups and downs. The key to being successful at Fantasy Wars is to stay focused, protect your units and deploy them at the right time.

The graphics are well-done. The environments are clear and well animated. It’s all just a little “cartoony” sometimes though. The battle animations will even have you laughing at times.

On the other hand, the sound is enough to drive you insane. The battle cries start off okay enough, but when you hear them every four seconds in a heated battle, you might turn your volume all the way down.

Multiplayer is also available via networking.

The game delivers. It’s an affordable strategy title. Fantasy Wars is highly addictive and a great way to kill an afternoon.

Quick hits:

Publisher: Atari
Developer: Ino-Co
Platform: PC CD-ROM
Genre: Turn-based strategy
Players: 1-2
Launch Date: November 13, 2007

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

Look at me I’m an elf!

Seems like an untrue statement for a woman who’s 5’10″ until you visit elfyourself.com and start the elfmorphosis.

By uploading up to four photos, you can create a whole group of elves for your dancing pleasure. It is easy to upload photos with tools there to resize and rotate and allow you to get your face right in there. The fun part comes when it’s time to upload a message. Call a toll free number and following the instructions!

All that’s left to do is give the dance instruction. After you press play your elf self begins a rock concert dance to Jingle Bells with your message playing throughout in your elf’ed voice. This is a hilarious holiday treat!