Blogged: Grand Theft Auto IV

Now that the much-anticipated, long-delayed Grand Theft Auto IV has been released, here's what gaming bloggers say about it:

8bitjoystick.com: “Grand Theft Auto IV is the first true sequel to Grand Theft Auto III and is a game that is not rivaled in ambition or execution. Built from scratch for Xbox 360 and PS3, it blows away all previous GTA games in scope and scale. The story follows Niko Bellic, a Serbian veteran of the Yugoslavian civil war, who came to Liberty City to meet up with his cousin Roman. Roman is a screw-up who has gotten fat, lazy and in debt with various organized crime groups. Niko is quickly drawn into the criminal underworld and has to do the dirty work of the gangsters and eventually take them on and take them out. Unlike other GTA protagonists, Niko is pretty personable and the story is truly compelling. The graphics are a massive step beyond previous GTA games and previous GTA-like games on the Xbox 360. … There are new, enhanced driving and shooting gameplay mechanics, but anyone who has played GTA games should have no problem picking up and getting a hold of GTA IV. It takes criminal violence and action to new grounds.”

Tmrzoo.com: “This is the type of game that people lose jobs and relationships over. … The story is as good, if not better, than anything you will see in a theater. It is epic in scope, grabs you early and keeps you engaged to the very end. The characters feel real, and have such depth to them that you begin to form emotional attachments to certain people, and you begin to hate others. … The graphics are top-notch 99 percent of the time. There are some occasional hiccups in the Xbox 360 version but the “WOW did you see that?!??” Liberty City moments far outweigh the rare snags. … The city actually feels like another character, with its own moods and habits. The look and feel changes from neighborhood to neighborhood, and depending on the time of day, which gives it a real living, breathing quality. … GTA IV delivers in every possible way, and only gets better the deeper you get into it. It is like landing a date with the most beautiful girl you have ever seen only to find out she is a rich SportsCenter junkie with an extensive pornography collection. Maybe not that good, but you get the point.”

Drawing people out

Rama Hughes, a 33-year-old art teacher who grew up in Miami, received a beautifully decorated box from his mother on his 21st birthday. She had asked many of his friends and relatives to contribute something for the box, and since most of her son's friends were artists, they drew pictures of Hughes. When he returned to art school, his friends were intrigued with the box and offered their own artistic contributions. Hughes started taping the portraits onto a wall and his collection quickly grew from 10 to about 70. “Strangers would come to see my roommates, and they'd see the wall and be like, 'What's this?'” Hughes recalls. “I'm like, 'It's a portrait wall. Wanna trade portraits?' It's a great way to get to know people … to take some time and draw each other.” At some point, Hughes started calling these small gatherings “portrait parties.” Hughes, who now lives in Los Angeles and illustrates magazines, books and CD covers, continues that tradition with Theportraitparty.blogspot.com, on which people submit portraits they've created of others. Among my favorites are portraits that artists Loujinga and Ginko drew of one another. Ginko says the concept gave her an excuse to introduce herself to Loujinga. They soon realized they both spoke Chinese. Also notable is a sketch Hughes doodled of his mother on the day he learned that, as a girl, she used to snap her fingers and say, “Yo, Queenie” as a way to greet friends. Other contributors include indie singer-songwriter Daniel Johnston, cartoonist Morgan Kessler and Craig Thompson, who created the graphic novel Blankets. Some people find artists on the site and exchange photos from which to create portraits. Some e-mail images of the finished portraits to one another, while others trade the physical artwork. While the blog attracts some serious artists, one doesn't need an art background to throw a portrait party. All that's required are friends, art supplies, snacks and maybe a jug of Chardonnay. — Colleen Dougher

On the tube

Search for the following phrases on YouTube (and see the first video listed) for some of South Florida's finest offerings.

John G's. This is the video that answers the question, “Why are those lines so damn long at John G's in Lake Worth?” Hint: It's all about family.

Harvey Ruvin. This Miami-Dade Clerk of Courts revealed to The Miami Herald that he was always telling his son Zack that the rappers he listens to aren't addressing important issues. So Ruvin, 70, wrote his own rap song titled “Maybe Just Maybe” and put it on YouTube for all the world to hear. In it, he discusses global warming, oil wars and the “mental midgets” in Washington. An excerpt: “Maybe, just maybe/The world could take collective action/Reduce the midgets to a fraction/Pull us back from the brink/So that maybe, maybe, just maybe/We won't become extinct.” Move over, Rick Ross, Pitbull and Trick Daddy. MC Groovin' Ruvin has arrived.

Sewer Sesh Lake Worth. A Palm Beach County kid jumps his skateboard over an open sewer three times. Look for the scooter at the bottom of the hole. — Colleen Dougher