Fall Guide 2011…

Rift

Trion Games

PC

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery then Rift is trying to woo the Hell out of World of Warcraft (WoW). The massive multiplayer online game is the latest in a line of games very closely resembling the current king of the MMO hill, WoW. However, unlike all the other clones, this one is actually a great game. There’s no denying that this fantasy-based role-playing MMO pulls many components from WoW, to the point that the default hot keys are almost exactly the same, but Rift sets itself apart in a few important areas. The most important is regular Player versus Environment (PvE) world events in the form of rifts and invasions. Both are essentially waves of attacking enemies, but rifts are localized and invasions can take over the entire zone. They’re hard to avoid, which gives them a realistic feel—you have to deal with them whether you want to or not. Additionally, Rift drifts toward a more serious and dire approach than WoW. The graphics are more realistic, and you won’t find as many in-game jokes and pop culture references. If WoW is Harry Potter, then Rift is Frodo Baggins. Still, you can’t deny that in many ways this game boils down to a loose remake of WoW. As remakes go, it’s incredibly good, but after only six months—compared to WoW’s almost seven-year run—it’s hard to tell if Rift can create the most important thing for an MMO: A community of loyal players. At the very least, Rift gives WoW players a new dish to snack on between the same meals they’ve been eating every day for the last seven years. Riftgame.com; Retail varies, monthly subscription required.

Bastion

Supergiant Games

Xbox Live Arcade

Small, independent video game developers continue to make Roger Ebert look like an old fool after he decreed that “video games can never be art.” One of the latest examples to reveal Ebert as cranky, out-of-touch and small-minded, is Bastion, an overhead action title with a touch of role-playing mixed in. Many people are throwing around the word “dynamic” in relation to this game because the world, story and narration evolve and spring to life as you beat down baddies while trying to decode the mystery behind the Calamity—a cataclysmic event that ripped apart a world and left it devoid of citizens. The graphics are slightly stylized, a watercolor hue rests upon the landscape, and it’s really cool to see the floating islands you’re exploring grow as you walk across them, but one of the most talked about features is the dynamic narration. A Billy Dee Williams-esque voice narrates the hero’s actions and provides exposition as the story unfolds. The narration could be annoying if it announced every action you took. Instead it pops up from time to time against a beautiful score to provide insight, warnings, and revealed pieces of the mystery. The gameplay is nothing special—your basic attack slots and upgradeable weapons and abilities—but the unique approach to the storytelling pulls you into a world you originally know nothing about, a perspective that matches the hero’s making the story all the more compelling. Sure, Ebert may not think it’s art, but he gave three stars to Cowboys and Aliens—do you really want to trust his opinion? Xbox.com; $15.

Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection

Midway (original developers)

Xbox Live Arcade

Misspelling “combat” for almost two decades is the last thing parents are concerned with when it comes to one of the original fighters. This collection is a port of Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat II—the roman numerals make it classy—and Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3—not as classy as its predecessor but considerably more ultimate—and that’s all you should expect. Does it need more? No. The nostalgia of one of the most infamously violent series is enough. At the time of its original release, the “life-like” violence, which, by today’s standards looks like a flipbook compared to reality, outraged parents and secured the game a place beside the hidden Playboys in a young teen’s room. It’s amusing to see that the button combos for the Fatalities—uniquely graphic ways to kill your opponent—are still ingrained in our gamer brains. By today’s standards, the controls are clunky, and the graphics are worse. However, with online matches and a low price point, the bloody battles will appeal to a new generation of children—children whose parents had to sneak away to the arcade or wait until their parents were gone to pull out this forbidden game. Therefore, the only question left is for the parents of this new generation: Will you remember your clandestine childhood and let your kids engage in kombat trusting they’ll turn out OK in the end, or will you run to check under the bed for kontraband? Xbox.com; $10.

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Insider’s Guide – Point Richmond…

If you could pluck a small town from the Sierra Foothills, say Placerville or Angels Camp, and seclude it on the Northern California coast long enough that the tourists stop showing up, you could begin to understand the appeal of Point Richmond. Once the end of the line for the Santa Fe Railroad before the cars were ferried over to San Francisco, the neighborhood now sits surrounded by trees and hills that keep the encroaching industrial parks at bay. Within the early-20th-century architecture hides businesses and people that are decidedly coastal — outgoing, artistic, and driven by a love for the community.

The deWitt Gallery and Framing (121 Park Pl., 510-778-1480, PointRichmondArtCollective.org) houses a rotating collection of work by the Point Richmond Art Collective. A variety of mediums such as acrylics, jewelry, pencil, photography, and metalwork line the walls and floor, and local artists are often on site and are happy to talk about their work.

When discussions in the gallery turn from the canvas to the plate, two names often pop up. Kao Sarn Thai Cuisine (130 Washington Ave., 510-233-8585) has an amazing pumpkin curry, but The Baltic (135 Park Pl., 510-237-1000, BalticJoint.com) stands out for its history, feel-good food, beer selection, and live music. Constructed in 1904, the space has housed everything from a brothel and a speakeasy to a funeral parlor and City Hall. Brought over from San Francisco in 1904, the bar and back of the bar escaped the 1906 earthquake and still provide sturdy support for glasses and patrons full of beer. A cold liter of one of the German beers on tap is the perfect accompaniment to a plate of the ultimate comfort food: käsespäetzle — soft, thick egg noodles drenched in melted cheese and onions. Most nights feature live music, though the Thursday night jam sessions are worth a listen if only for their laid-back, coastal coffee-shop feel.

After a big meal at The Baltic, work off the calories by exploring the Miller-Knox Regional Shoreline 888-327-2757, EBParks.org), a 306-acre park with beautiful views of the East Bay and the tip of the Golden Gate Bridge, plenty of fishing spots, a sandy beach, picnic areas, and the Ferry Point Loop Trail (PointRichmond.com/baytrail). Part of the Bay Trail, which winds for more than three hundred miles throughout the Bay Area, the Ferry Point Loop takes you out to the unconventional beauty of the crumbling piers where the Santa Fe Railroad unloaded San Francisco-bound trains. Within the park, a yellow, nondescript building carries on the rail traditions of the area, just on a smaller scale. The Golden State Model Railroad Museum (900-A Dornan Dr., 510-234-4884, GSMRM.org) entails 10,000 square feet of operating model trains and intricate landscapes and buildings. Hop onboard during the museum’s limited hours (Sunday afternoons, April-December) and you can tower over the towns, giving your imagination free reign to wreak Godzilla-style havoc.

If the water off Miller-Knox Regional Shoreline looks too chilly, try the Point Richmond Municipal Natatorium, nicknamed The Plunge (1 East Richmond Ave., 510-620-6820, RichmondPlunge.org). Built in 1926, the indoor heated pool sits below a two-story observation deck and a large, colorful mural. A relaxing oasis, it also provides swim classes to visitors of all ages, races, and economic means. After off-and-on financial troubles, the city shut down the building in 2001, but the community rallied together and helped re-open the pool on August 14. Today its doors remain open, just one example of the love and work the residents have put into maintaining the unique value of their neighborhood.

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Insider’s Guide – Alameda Point…

Spreading across 1,150 acres west of the Alameda Ferry Terminal, Alameda Point occupies what was once Naval Air Station Alameda. Commissioned in 1940, the Navy base operated until 1997, and the City of Alameda purchased the land in 2006. It’s been in development limbo ever since. Driving through the streets, there’s an uneasy stillness to the boarded-up windows and weeds reclaiming the runways, interspersed among the still-occupied cookie-cutter military housing. But there are sparks of life in this unusual neighborhood that are well worth pursuing.

One of the oldest and most popular businesses in Alameda Point is St. George Spirits (2601 Monarch St., 510-769-1601, StGeorgeSpirits.com). Created in 1982, the company moved into Hangar 21 in 2004. St. George Spirits began its distilling career creating eau de vie, fruit brandies, inspired by California’s prevalence of produce. Owner and distiller Jörg Rupf then branched off into whiskey, vodka, tequila, and liqueurs. In the bottles and at the tasting room, experimentation is encouraged. The decor and knowledgeable staff are a blend of hipster and Jack Skellington with a touch of steam-punk. Their passion is as invigorating as their pours, which are available in the classy tasting room beside the copper stills. The whiskeys are clean but stiff, the fruit-infused vodka — especially the crisp Hangar One Buddha’s Hand — is a welcome pardon from $9 party brands, and the absinthe has a strong herbal kick with a smooth louche after just a touch of ice or water.

Compared to St. George Spirits, Rock Wall Wine Company (2301 Monarch St. Ste. 300, 510-522-5700, www.rockwallwines.com) is the new kid on the block. Founded in 2008, the organization is a collection of eight urban wineries that use grapes from across California and produce their wines in a hangar full of half-lit, moody hallways. A new tasting room, a transparent dome events center, and a catering kitchen will complete construction next door within a few months. What won’t change are the rotating lineups of wines, along with special surprises, such as a recent barrel tasting of Ehrenberg Cellars’ hearty but smooth 2009 zinfandel that promises only to get better with age.

With all of the progress throughout Alameda Point, there’s still a respect for the past. Two naval sites serve as reminders for the historical and tactical importance of the base during World War II. The Alameda Naval Air Museum (2151 Ferry Point Rd., 510-522-4262, AlamedaNavalAirMuseum.org) hosts a collection of models, artifacts, and historical photos and documents. It should whet your appetite for the real thing, the USS Hornet (707 W Hornet Ave., 510-521-8448, USS-Hornet.org). The aircraft carrier saw action in World War II and Vietnam, and acted as the recovery ship for NASA’s Apollo 11 and 12. Now a museum, it boasts an impressive collection of jet fighters, helicopters, and exhibits.

If war is too heavy for you, Alameda Point celebrates another form of history as well. Every first Sunday of the month, the Alameda Point Antiques Faire (2900 Navy Way, 510-522-7500, AlamedaPointAntiquesFaire.com) takes over a large section of the runways looking across the bay to San Francisco. More than eight hundred sellers offer everything you could ever want — and about 1,489 things you never knew you needed. Of course, there is furniture, clothes, and jewelry, but digging deeper unearths a bevy of odd, exciting items such as typewriter key necklaces, 1984 Super Bowl commemorative Coke bottles, or a 1.5-liter martini shaker. Much like Alameda Point itself, the fun lies in aimlessly poking around and seeing what treasures you come across.

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Winter tech…

The best forms of technology don’t alter life; they enhance it. There’s no shame in bringing some tech with you to the great outdoors, slopes or ski resort. Embrace the robot overlords, and grab some gear that allows you to quantify, share and prolong your winter adventures.

Transcend GPS Goggle

Video games love to use the idea of HUDs (Heads-Up Displays), view screens placed in helmets or ocular implants that let the user access information or an augmented reality. Well, we’re still a ways off from detecting aliens through our contact lenses, but Zeal Optics’ new ski goggle brings a slice of science fiction to the snow. Integrated within the goggle is an LCD display that lets you view real-time information obtained from a camera and GPS device—both mounted in the eyewear—as you hurtle down the hill. Users can see their altitude, speed, and even a vertical odometer and then plot their course over Google Maps. Now, if your friends don’t believe that you hit a 20-foot jump at 80 mph, you’ll have the data to back you up. And with a lithium-ion battery that provides approximately seven hours of use, you won’t have to worry about missing a thing. Back at the lodge, the USB port allows you to upload the information to a computer using Recon Instrument software (included) so you can analyze your runs for places to improve or save those wicked tricks for prosperity and bragging rights. A polarized, anti-fog lens keeps the glare out of your eyes, and aside from three buttons on the side, these goggles look and act like any other model (though they range from $399–$499), so no clunky head-mounted camera or extra gadgets to carry. Just remember the words of dear old mom: “Watch where you’re going.” zealoptics.com/transcend

 

I-Finger Gloves

Playing hooky and want to check your work email to ensure the office didn’t descend into anarchy while you ascend the chair lift? Need to make sure you copy the snow bunny’s phone number into your Nokia perfectly? Well, you could tear off the gloves and expose your toasty fingers to the freezing cold, but this is America. We have workarounds. Swany’s tech-friendly gloves feature small pads on the thumb and fingertips that let you accurately hit the analog or digital keys on your Blackberry or iPhone. Setting you back $40, the sleek gloves are discreet (though awkwardly named) so you don’t scream nerd while screaming down the mountain, but you’ll be able to keep in touch without losing feeling. swanyamerica.com

Elite Nomad 7M Solar Panel

Last time we checked, trees don’t have power outlets nestled in the branches. Luckily, GoalØ has hit upon an amazing discovery: solar power. Weighing just under a pound, this foldable solar panel has USB and DC outputs capable of charging most devices in less than a few hours. Folded, it’s smaller than a sheet of binder paper, so you can easily pack it for the rustic cabin or backwoods hike. From the practical (GPS unit) to the extraneous (MP3 player), your unnecessary necessities will always have juice for $99. Now if someone would just tell big oil about this solar power thing. goal0.com

Profile: Brendan Eliason…

Brendan Eliason twirls his finger in the air, indicating a radius beyond the barrels of wine that fill the old World War II submarine facility. “Within 100 miles from where we are, you can source everything — the best wine, meats, cheeses, and produce,” he said. When Eliason’s not extolling the wealth of culinary resources that the East Bay has to draw upon, you can find him at his Periscope Cellars (1410 62nd St., Emeryville, 510-655-7827, PeriscopeCellars.com). There, he fills the cold, damp winery walls and the adjoining tasting room and art gallery (the pieces from artists living in lofts above the winery and rarely from artists living in what Eliason refers to as “The West Bay”) with warmth and enthusiasm for the East Bay community — particularly the restaurants.

“My new favorite place for breakfast is OB’s Cafe in Old Oakland — killer grits and scrambled eggs,” he said. While the one-man operation at 729 Washington Street seats no more than a dozen people, and the Southern-Creole fair is to die for, just don’t offer the owner any suggestions. “OB doesn’t put up with a lot of shit.”

The potential for abuse, Eliason assures, is worth the amazing dishes. Perhaps that’s why his favorite sushi in the East Bay is at Alameda’s Yume (1428 Park St., Alameda, 510-865-7141). Some patrons chastise the curt nature and posted rules from the husband-and-wife team who run this eatery, but Eliason recognizes perfection hidden in their strictness. “This is not gringo sushi,” he said. “Once their special rolls included locusts and the chef took his time to explain to me his process of selecting just the right locusts for sushi.”

However, before you start to think it’s all Southern breakfast spreads and locust sushi for the winemaker, know that you’re apt to find him working late hours fueled by a can of PBR. A bourbon man, Eliason loves the top-shelf menu at Picán (2295 Broadway, Oakland, 510-834-1000, PicanRestaurant.com), but his wallet is usually more inclined to head to The Miz, better known as the Missouri Lounge (2600 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley, 510-548-2080, TheMissouriLounge.com). The East Bay landmark has staked its reputation on drinkable beer and an unchanging, local clientele.

Sometimes, though, change is good. “In the last ten years, more so than any other place in the Bay Area, Emeryville has changed,” he said. “And it’s been for the better.” Eliason recalls a time when “the friendly ladies” walked the streets of Emeryville, but these days the best thing on a corner come from Seoul on Wheels (415-336-0387, SeoulonWheels.com), a roaming restaurant that infuses food cart items with a Korean overtone. “You’d never think Korean tacos, but they’re amazing,” he said. “They also have a Daniel burger that has spicy pork and kimchi.” If you come across the cart on a Monday or Wednesday, on Hollis by Pixar or at 64th, be brave and try the Daniel burger for lunch — a juicy burger patty topped with cheddar cheese, crisp and spicy pork, mayonnaise, Sriracha chili sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and kimchi. The creation is a little odd at first, but it quickly morphs into fusion heaven.

“I guess we can blame the Food Network,” Eliason postulated. “With the increased interest in food, East Bay restaurants have increased in number and quantity and I don’t see that coming to a stop anytime soon.” And as for the “friendly ladies?”

“I saw one walking down San Pablo the other day and it was obvious she had taken a wrong turn,” he said. “She wasn’t working; she was trying to find her way the hell out of this place.”

Insider’s Guide: Alameda…

Let’s take a moment to applaud the military-industrial complex for being so resistant to change. Without its stubborn ways, demolition crews would have bulldozed Alameda’s small-town charm decades ago. Instead, just over a dozen years after the Naval Air Station Alameda shut its doors, the town still has a vibrant Main Street (even if it’s called Park Street) full of little surprises.

Most cities can’t maintain an independent video store with Blockbuster looming, but Alameda boasts three on Park Street alone, most notably BlueRectangle (1355 Park St., 510-337-0750). More than just an “Eff-You!” to Blockbuster, BlueRectangle offers VHS, DVDs, CDs, books, video games, and even a rack of secondhand evening gowns. Old TVs fill the front display windows, broadcasting black-and-white movies while inside moms ferry kids around, weaving their way to a small box filled with free children’s books. You won’t find shelves of Michael Mann drivel, but you might just discover your high-school soundtrack — Will Smith’s Big Willie Style maybe?

Down the street at Churchward Pub (1515 Park St, 510-521-4800), you’re more likely to hear Southern rock — at least during weekday happy hours. (On weekend nights, the local bar turns into a dance club.) A large, proudly worn L-shaped bar dominates the deep-brown room, and the beer and whisky help keep the stools filled.

Around dinnertime, most patrons will run next door and bring back tacos and burritos, but it’s also worth a trip across the street to Havana (1518 Park St., 510-521-0130, HavanaRestaurant.net), a cool-blue restaurant with Cuban flair. Aside from a dangerous mojito, the menu tempts with Cuban sandwiches, ceviche, and plantain-crusted halibut.

From the bounties of the waters to the waters themselves, Robert W. Crown Memorial State Beach (Eight St. and Otis Dr., 510-521-7090, EBParks.org) has picnic tables, horseshoe pits, a freshwater lake, and bike trails. However, the real gem is the thin stretch of beach that almost disappears during high tide. When the water recedes, the sand, full of clamshells, stays soft and wet, making it the best place in the city for a sunset stroll.

After the sun dips behind San Francisco, the lanes light up just a few steps from the beach at AMF Bowling Center (300 Park St., 510-523-6767, AMF.com). Insiders know that Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday are $1 nights and the best time to score a couple of beers, hot dogs, and a lane for the night.

Of course, that still leaves the rest of the weeknights vacant. Luckily, there are waffles. Ole’s Waffle Shop (1507 Park St., 510-522-8108), to be exact. The old-school diner has the usual selection of burgers, pork chops, and tuna melts, but breakfast stands out. The eggs are runny, the waffles crisp and fluffy, and the coffee comes in a ceramic mug, making it a perfect way to end the day in Small Town, USA.

Don’t miss: For a quiet distraction, head down to the Alameda-Oakland Ferry (2990 Main St., 510-749-5972, EastBayFerry.com) and take a short trail to the right of the ferry to a hidden bench that provides the perfect spot for watching the ships lazily drift by. … To get an up-close view of a ship, tour the USS Hornet (707 W Hornet Ave., 510-521-8448, USS-Hornet.org), a decommissioned aircraft carrier full of Navy exhibits and interactive programs. … Let the flippers fly at Lucky Ju Ju Pinball (1510 Webster St., 510-769-1349, UJuJu.com), where a flat fee lets you play more than forty classic pinball machines, most dating back to the 1950s and 1960s.

Winter Guide: Gear that’s cool as ice…

Some people say that hitting the slopes is about man versus wild, an exhilarating thrill ride that tests your skills against the best Mother Nature has to offer. Yeah, right. Really, it’s about looking good while hitting those ollies and aerial grabs, so here’s the newest gear to keep you hot while looking cool.

TEAM I

Remember your roots with this freestyle snowboard designed by the 4-year-old son of a HEAD Snowboards employee. The company, with a full line of boards, boots, bindings and protective gear, wants to inspire the masses with a crazy diorama of stick figures hurtling down the slopes while trying to avoid dinosaurs, sharks and an onslaught of missiles. While the drawings may be childish, the board is all grown up. A tip-to-tail wood core is laced with Kevlar and carbon fibers to increase agility, and the sintered base provides high wax absorption. In case the creativity of a child is too limiting, the board, retailing at $529, comes with a pack of high quality Edding markers to add your own individuality to the snow. Ridehead.com

Headphone Beanie Hat

You’re rockin’ a killer board and poised to head down the mountain, but the whistle of the wind doesn’t do justice to the epic moves you’re about to pull off. Pump a great soundtrack into the descent with this tech-inspired beanie with built in headphones. A flapjack or visor style holds adjustable headphones in the lining, and a 48-inch cord that plugs into any 3.5 mm headphone jack gives plenty of flexibility in range of motion. At $24.99, this ThinkGeek combo gives you warmth and tunes suitable for the lodge or half pipe. ThinkGeek.com

Snow Report Apps

If the jams are coming from an iPhone or iPod Touch, make sure you also have a couple of free snow report apps on hand to give you the latest weather information. The North Face Snow Report and REI Snow Report apps provide the same information with slightly different delivery methods. Along with forecasts, recent snowfall levels, and contact information, you can find out which world resorts are open, how many lifts and trails are operating and check out the resort’s Twitter feed. Which app finds a permanent spot in your phone will boil down to personal preferences; REI allows you to set alerts for new snowfall at your favorite slopes, and North Face has a sleek red and black design and live webcam feeds. Apple.com/iTunes

ezGear echargeable Hand Warmer

Avoid freezing your fingers off when checking those apps with a hand warmer that won’t make people think you pulled it out of a fanny pack. The compact and understated design looks like it fits alongside Apple’s signature style when you’re sizing up the fresh snow down the road. The warmer will provide three hours of heat and is rechargeable more than 500 times via a USB connection to your computer or USB wall outlet. Unlike gel packs, this $29.99 heater comes with an on/off switch, so you can pop it on just long enough to grab a cup of coffee or keep it running on the lift. ezGear.com

Digital diamonds in the rough…

In the lull between the summer blockbusters and holiday must-haves, video games notoriously suffer the same fate as their silver screen cousins. However, there are always a few diamonds in the digital rough that are guaranteed to get you over the fall blues.

Batman: Arkham Asylum
Eidos Interactive; Multiple Platforms

For years, nerds have pieced together their ideal Batman; a cape and cowl version of the “I’ll take the breasts of Marilyn Monroe and the legs of Betty Page” game. Now, their fantasies have come true. When Joker is incarcerated in Arkham Asylum, the criminal madhouse that houses Batman’s worst enemies, his true plan is unveiled, and the inmates take over the asylum. The Caped Crusader must battle against his arch nemesis using only his wits, fists, Bat-gadgets and selections from the best of the Batman canon. Together again, Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill respectively voice Batman and the Joker—the roles they once held in Batman: The Animated Series—and the pairing is perfect. The Batmobile from the 1989 Michael Keaton film makes a cameo, and the gritty, brutal images of the troubled villains are reminiscent of graphic novels like Batman: The Killing Joke. All together, this mash-up makes for a wonderful ride. There is no multiplayer mode but a variety of secret items and a series of single-player challenges ensures a second or third time through the game. To find all of the secret items you’ll need to use a sort of night vision technology, which is a shame because you’ll spend 90 percent of the time playing through a blue haze, missing out on the detailed and grim environments. When it comes to Batman, consider this more Dark Knight and considerably less Batman Forever.

The Beatles: Rock Band
Harmonix; Multiple Platforms

It’s been a hard day’s night bringing the Fab Four to the video game realm, but MTV and Harmonix have finally released the much-anticipated all-Beatles music game. There are two aspects of the game, one that everyone should buy and play and another that could easily have been downloadable content for any music game already on the market. On the plus side, the story mode is bloody brilliant. Forty-five songs trace the career of the greatest band of all time, with the staging of the songs starting out rooted in realism. Performances from The Ed Sullivan Show and Shea Stadium give way to studio sessions that dissolve into Yellow Submarine- and Sgt. Pepper-inspired trips. The variety and digital likenesses are much appreciated in a genre growing stale with cookie-cutter installments. However, aside from being the first Rock Band game with harmony vocals, this is still the same game we’ve played for years: Grab an instrument, hit the notes. The saving grace, the iconic music of The Beatles, forces the game to take a step backwards. For obvious reasons, you can’t customize your band mates. $60 for a new game that basically amounts to a collection of new songs for the same games you own may seem like a rip-off, but at the going rate of $2 per downloaded song, it’s worth it if you bought the entire playlist. And let’s be honest, you’d buy the whole playlist: They’re the freakin’ Beatles.

Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box
Nintendo; Nintendo DS

You have to credit Nintendo for knowing what they do well and sticking with it. This cute puzzle game relies on short-attention-span challenges that add up to an addictive experience. Professor Layton and his assistant Luke set off to discover the potentially deadly secrets behind the Elysian Box and along the way find 150 puzzles, riddles and brainteasers. Rest assured, if you talk to someone in the game, they’ll have a non sequitur excuse of posing a puzzle for you to solve. Like the child of Hayao Miyazaki and The Triplets of Belleville, the art fueling the mysteries is rooted in a slightly skewed reality that adds to the cryptic feel. Don’t expect any major deviations from this entry in the Professor Layton series or from any future entries. As with the system it’s played on, they’ve already unlocked the riddle to a great time.

Insider’s Guide – Oakland’s Chinatown and Downtown…

When the high-rises shut their doors after a long day, Downtown Oakland continues to offer plenty of reasons to stay and play. Within a square mile, downtown encompasses Old Oakland and Chinatown — two great reasons to eat, shop, and play through the day and night.

Grocery stores are as plentiful as restaurants in Chinatown, but New Sun Hung Fat Supermarket (325 10th St., Oakland, 510-238-8618) ups the ante. Outside, piles of just-picked produce spill into the streets while inside creatures swim and crawl in tanks and boxes. Turtles, saucer-sized frogs, and soft shell crab clamber over one another next to squirming mounds of snails and aquariums full of snapper and catfish. When you’re browsing the noodle aisle and recognize the chef who just served you lunch down the street, you know you’re in the right spot.

All dim sum is not created equal. Tao Yuen Pastry (816 Franklin St., Oakland, 510-834-9200) forgoes some of the fanfare, like whirring carts, but doesn’t compromise on the food. While a line of people snakes out the door, the siu mai, har gow, and buns filled with pork, dates, sweet taro, or red bean curd overflow at every turn. Nothing more than a counter, the small shop doesn’t offer sit-down service, but most items are under $1 and are perfect companions for browsing the myriad of brightly colored stores that make up the neighborhood.

As the baby boomers complain that video games have ruined our youth, it’s refreshing to find a gaming store that relies on purely analog enjoyment. Across the street from the Oakland Convention Center, Endgame (921 Washington St., Oakland, 510-465-3637, EndGameOakland.com) has a wide variety of games for all palates — Candyland and Dungeons and Dragons share space with games imported from overseas. Best of all, there’s plenty of room upstairs for a pickup game of canasta or Warhammer 40K — it’s your call.

Art programs in schools are always on the chopping block, but that doesn’t mean that creative outlets for our kids will cease to exist. The Museum of Children’s Art (538 9th St., Ste. 210, Oakland, 510-465-8770, MOCHA.org) isn’t only a place where kids can display their sculptures, paintings, and wacky creations; the building also doubles as a studio space for budding artists eighteen months and older.

Insider’s Guide – Emeryville…

If you’re spending all of your time following an endless maze of Swedish jigsaw furniture, you need to step out of IKEA and experience everything else Emeryville has to offer. What was once a mass of factories, bordellos, and gambling houses has become a commuter town full of hidden culinary gems and sweeping vistas.

An odd mashup of Pixar employees, tattooed punk twentysomethings (it’s co-owned by Green Day’s Mike Dirnt), and hipsters who drink up the $1 cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon like irony is going out of style, Rudy’s Can’t Fail Cafe (4801 Hollis St., Emeryville, 510-594-1221, RudysCantFailCafe.com) is the late-night hotspot for home cooking. Open until 1 a.m., Rudy’s features the usual diner fare — pancakes, burgers, and heaping piles of fries — but the real treats are the rotating specials. These comfort-food favorites such as chicken-fried steak, mac and cheese, and meat loaf lend credibility to the diner’s name.

Jutting out into the bay, Marina Park (3300 Powell St., Emeryville, 510-596-4300, Ci.emeryville.ca.us) provides panoramic views of San Francisco, the Bay Bridge, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the surrounding hills and beaches. A great spot for picnics, it also offers a few tucked-away barbecue pits on the beach — just in case you land the big one while fishing off the piers.

Most people refer to the city across the bay as San Francisco, but not Brendan Eliason, winemaker for Periscope Cellars (1410 62nd St., Emeryville, 510-655-7827, PeriscopeCellars.com). When visiting his tasting room/winery/art gallery, housed in an old WWII submarine factory, you’ll hear Eliason refer to the City as “the West Bay” while he pours generous tastings of his boutique red wines. Eliason’s heart, and his wine, is deeply rooted in Emeryville. Both have received a professional makeover in an attempt to cover a sordid past that, thankfully, keeps poking through.

With its rare mix of affordable drinks, an expanse of pool tables, and a discerning lack of sleazy clientele, the Broken Rack (6005 Shellmound St., #160, Emeryville, 510-652-9808, TheBrokenRack.com) is located in the last place you’d expect to find a billiard hall — tacked on to the Emerybay Public Market. There’s nothing fancy here, and that’s the appeal.