Short and sweet update from your ol' pal Sparky this week.  I've only really been playing one game of particular note (hint, hint - it's Torchlight), so I'll discuss some of the major changes from the PC version.  Other than that, it's pretty much a books n' movies sort of week.  Grab a slice, crack a beer, and plug yourselves in for what I'm tentatively calling Captain Sexypants's Ballin' Update of the Motherf***in' Week  
 
Like I said... it's a tentative title.  On to the show! 
 
BABY I'M BURNIN' I'M BURNIN' I'M BURNIN' FOR YOU 
 
Or rather, Torchlight is. 
 
Say, if you're new to the whole Torchlight shebang, why not check out one of Giant Bomb's Quick Looks?  If you're lookin' for the short and sweet of it, Torchlight is a great little Diablo clone, available on the PC and Xbox 360.  I've played both versions pretty extensively, and while I think the PC version is slightly better, both are definitely fantastic versions of the same game.   It focuses on action, leveling, and, of course, finding that sweet, sweet loot.  You have three generic classes (warrior, mage, archer/rogue), each with three subsets of skills to choose from as you level up.  And level up you shall, as the game is pretty great about handing out experience and items. 
 
So Torchlight isn't anything new, but it revels in its homage to Diablo and comes away all the better for it.  Other than Titan Quest, I think it's the best Diablo-clone on the market, simply because it recognizes the core elements of what made Diablo fun and runs with those in a very smooth, very tight package.  The PC version has a better inventory system and better menu navigation.  The Xbox 360 version has stabilized the sometimes atrociously bad achievements of the PC version (I talked to that goddamn horse at least 200 times before the Steam achievement kicked in), and has bumped up stacks to much higher amounts, making inventory management slightly easier.  The PC version edges out the 360 in terms of graphics, but since neither is really a graphical powerhouse, the difference is negligible. 
 
Most importantly, both are plenty of fun and have a ton of replay value.  You can retire characters, leaving behind one inherited item that receives slight stat boosts or an extra bit of enchantment (cue Sandal).  You can also transfer any items you'd like through a shared loot chest to your future characters, meaning that if you find an extra copy of a spell or a cool weapon that might be better suited to a different class, you can hang onto it and use it later. 
 
The difficulty for these types of games usually comes more from your character builds and your patience for testing out what spells or abilities work best.  Generally, I like to concentrate on three main abilities, passive skills that boost those abilities, and then... well, whatever catches my fancy.  The mage is perhaps the easiest class to play, as it has great pets and it can inflict massive amounts of damage through spells.  But you really can't go wrong with any class, as you'll find respec potions are relatively cheap and gear to be plentiful.  
 
My only real beef with the game is that there is no multiplayer.  Even something as simple as a way to gift items to friends would have gone a long ways towards enhancing the experience, but it's still a superb game for a pretty cheap price. 
 
PATRICK ROTHFUSS IS A NAME YOU SHOULD KNOW AND LOVE 
 
The reason I love books so much can be defined almost entirely by Patrick Rothfuss's newest novel, The Wise Man's Fear.  It left me feeling alive, adventurous, ready to take on the world and ready to come back home again.  That's a lot of hyperbole, but this book deserves it and more.  Rothfuss's prose isn't anything too complex or flowery, but it is beautiful.  He finds the exact balance between description and action, between movement and stillness.  It's more than meat-and-potatoes writing.  This is a master craftsman working on something elegant and making it look simple.  He never talks down to the reader, he doesn't choose the biggest words in his vocabulary, and he never overstays his welcome in any one particular act. 
 
If you haven't read it, please, I'm begging you - do yourself a favor and do so post-haste.  Along with Scott Lynch and Brandon Sanderson, Patrick Rothfuss is spearheading a new wave of brilliant fantasy writers, and I thank him profusely for that. 
 
RDJ AND BRUCE WILLIS, OH MY! 
 
Really briefly: 
 
I enjoyed the hell out of Due Date.  It's a crass bastardized take on the Odd Couple-on-wheels concept that worked so well for John Candy and Steve Martin.  Of course, it's no Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (oh, man, that last scene of John Candy in that movie makes me cry every goddamn time - no shit), but it is fantastically funny, wry in all the right ways, and has a fantastic scene of insanity, especially in the fact that there are no repercussions whatsoever from some of the dangerously illegal acts Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifinakis get into. 
 
Red, on the other hand, is a bit of a let-down.  I guess I thought the film might take a more blackly comedic turn, so maybe my expectations weren't in the right place.  It's certainly not terrible, just not what I hoped for.  Still, a fantastic cast, solid dialogue, and a sense that the actors were having a blast makes this well worth watching. 
 
Just getting into 3rd Rock from the Sun, and wow, is it a joy to see these actors play.  The entire main cast and the supporting actors and actresses are incredibly fun to watch.  The sheer over-the-top bombastic nature of everyone involved makes me giddy and wish I was still acting. 
 
PSP, PCP... WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE? 
 
I've decided I'm going to pick up a PSP 3000.  I'm looking for recommendations for games of any sort.  What are your favorites?  Don't just pick 'em from some website's top 20 PSP games list, either.  I want to know YOUR favorites.  Any genre, any age, I don't care.  Hit me!