I sat with an empty document open for like 3 hours.
I came up with a thousand ways to distract myself from actually doing any real writing.
That's the true mark of a writer...
The ability not to write.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Golden Eyes Upon the Silver Screen
Recently I've had the opportunity to watch several movies for the first time. I'm not an avid movie goer to be honest. Even more odd is my addiction to pop culture which very often includes referencing movies. So it's with great pleasure that I indulge my movie senses on a regular basis. Surprisingly I usually have the patience to wait until movies are released onto DVD, but sometimes I actually go to the theater to catch it on the big screen.
Tuesday's are dollar movie night at the cheap seats in Bangor, you see. They manage to show some fairly recent movies. Let me ask you, who the hell wouldn't take advantage of this value if the chance was there and boredom was king? Us, actually. When we finally remember it's Tuesday before the final showing and there's something worth seeing then it's off to the scrubby little theater.
The other day we went to see a movie in the theater for the first time in several months. It was worth it too, because it was a movie that I had been wanting to see since it came out at Christmas. It didn't disappoint either. I'll talk about it right after this when I get to the shortlist of movies. Which brings me to...
SHORTLIST OF RECENT MOVIE VIEWINGS v1.0
So here's a list of a few movies I've watched lately. I'd say more here, but it's 1:30 in the morning and I find myself caring less and less for this post. SO here's a quick rundown of the movies.
Sherlock Holmes - This is the movie I was talking about in the last post. It's a pretty damn good movie. Guy Ritchie redeems himself to a level he hasn't been at since Snatch. Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law make a great, if nontraditional, pairing as Holmes and Watson. Downey's performance is reminiscent of what Depp tried doing in Pirates of the Caribbean. If you're watching carefully (read: at all) and are a fan of 90s wrestling then you probably recognized Kurrgan as the giant Frenchman. Yup, obscure references booyah! This movie left the identity of Moriarty open for a big casting in the sequel while featuring him as a background player in the main events of the film. Great stuff.
Zombieland - This movie was a whole new kind of awesome. This was the best zombie movie since Shaun of the Dead with which it is unsurprisingly most often compared. All of the characters are extremely likable and have some real depth. They aren't just survivors, they're real people. Oh and Bill Murray cameo for the fucking win! That came out of nowhere and clobbered me in the head with awesomeness. It's quirky and original. Zombieland is as ultra satisfying as a movie can get.
I'm A Cyborg But That's Okay - Insane and bouncing off the wall is the best way to describe this Korean movie. It's directed by the same guy that was in charge of the classic Oldboy and exhibits the same sort of style to a degree. It's about a girl who thinks she's a cyborg and is sent to a mental institution. From there it gets really, really, really weird. In a good way. Sometimes it's hard to tell the reality from the mental delusions of the cyborg girl. Crazy stuff.
Ponyo - Okay I had actually seen this in the theater but that isn't going to stop me from talking about it here. It was just released on DVD a few weeks back and I picked it up first day. Why? It's a Hayao Miyazaki film is why! Everything that he attaches his name to is almost certainly pure gold. Ponyo was no different. The film is targeted towards a much younger audience then some of his other films. It's closer to Kiki's Delivery Service and My Neighbor Totoro than it is to Spirited Away or Princess Mononoke. That doesn't mean that the movie is immature or childish at all. Miyazaki shows the world through the eyes of a child and conveys that brilliantly. Ponyo is an innocent and beautiful movie. Spectacular visuals bombard your eyes throughout the film. It has all the trademarks of any Ghibli film and is accessible by any fan of his older movies.
I'm going to call it good there because I'm losing focus. Laters!
Tuesday's are dollar movie night at the cheap seats in Bangor, you see. They manage to show some fairly recent movies. Let me ask you, who the hell wouldn't take advantage of this value if the chance was there and boredom was king? Us, actually. When we finally remember it's Tuesday before the final showing and there's something worth seeing then it's off to the scrubby little theater.
The other day we went to see a movie in the theater for the first time in several months. It was worth it too, because it was a movie that I had been wanting to see since it came out at Christmas. It didn't disappoint either. I'll talk about it right after this when I get to the shortlist of movies. Which brings me to...
SHORTLIST OF RECENT MOVIE VIEWINGS v1.0
So here's a list of a few movies I've watched lately. I'd say more here, but it's 1:30 in the morning and I find myself caring less and less for this post. SO here's a quick rundown of the movies.
Sherlock Holmes - This is the movie I was talking about in the last post. It's a pretty damn good movie. Guy Ritchie redeems himself to a level he hasn't been at since Snatch. Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law make a great, if nontraditional, pairing as Holmes and Watson. Downey's performance is reminiscent of what Depp tried doing in Pirates of the Caribbean. If you're watching carefully (read: at all) and are a fan of 90s wrestling then you probably recognized Kurrgan as the giant Frenchman. Yup, obscure references booyah! This movie left the identity of Moriarty open for a big casting in the sequel while featuring him as a background player in the main events of the film. Great stuff.
Zombieland - This movie was a whole new kind of awesome. This was the best zombie movie since Shaun of the Dead with which it is unsurprisingly most often compared. All of the characters are extremely likable and have some real depth. They aren't just survivors, they're real people. Oh and Bill Murray cameo for the fucking win! That came out of nowhere and clobbered me in the head with awesomeness. It's quirky and original. Zombieland is as ultra satisfying as a movie can get.
I'm A Cyborg But That's Okay - Insane and bouncing off the wall is the best way to describe this Korean movie. It's directed by the same guy that was in charge of the classic Oldboy and exhibits the same sort of style to a degree. It's about a girl who thinks she's a cyborg and is sent to a mental institution. From there it gets really, really, really weird. In a good way. Sometimes it's hard to tell the reality from the mental delusions of the cyborg girl. Crazy stuff.
Ponyo - Okay I had actually seen this in the theater but that isn't going to stop me from talking about it here. It was just released on DVD a few weeks back and I picked it up first day. Why? It's a Hayao Miyazaki film is why! Everything that he attaches his name to is almost certainly pure gold. Ponyo was no different. The film is targeted towards a much younger audience then some of his other films. It's closer to Kiki's Delivery Service and My Neighbor Totoro than it is to Spirited Away or Princess Mononoke. That doesn't mean that the movie is immature or childish at all. Miyazaki shows the world through the eyes of a child and conveys that brilliantly. Ponyo is an innocent and beautiful movie. Spectacular visuals bombard your eyes throughout the film. It has all the trademarks of any Ghibli film and is accessible by any fan of his older movies.
I'm going to call it good there because I'm losing focus. Laters!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Unfinished Business Sir
It's time for a list! I realize that my blog has been overloaded with video game posts lately. What can I say except that I'm a gamer. And a journalist. With the future (unlikely) possibility of being a video game journalist. That and I've been playing a couple of hours of games a day lately so I've really got games on the mind. I also loaded up Final Fantasy XII mostly because I dislike Final Fantasy XIII so much. I never actually got around to finishing the game when it first came out. I was so damn smug and excited that I downloaded and burned the game a week before it was officially released. Somehow I got close to the end but never pulled the trigger on heading towards the final boss. That got me thinking about all the other games that I got at least midway through but never got motivated to fully finish. Let me tell you it's a long list. Here's the top 5 games that I didn't find the time to get to the end.
Five Games I Meant to Finish but Never Did:
Final Fantasy XII
The very game that brought about this list. I actually managed to get to the Bahamut which was the final dungeon. I remember that I didn't finish the game because there was sooooo many distractions that I wanted to finish before beating the game. Espers and hunts and secret dungeons. The monster hunts started to get boring and tedious and eventually it just left me without the motivation to continue and it was swept to the side. More than a year later and I've picked it up and I'm definitely going to finish this one.
Baldur's Gate 2
I never played this classic PC game when it first came out. In fact, I never played it for the first 10 years it was out. Back in 2008 I picked it up on the cheap and decided to give it a shot. I figured it would be decent after seeing it on so many people's best games of all time lists. Plus it was by the same folks that put out the fantastic Knights of the Old Republic games. It lived up to the hype. It was fun with a highly detailed combat system, even if it was a Dungeons and Dragons game. So why did I stop playing? I don't know. Other stuff came along and I just didn't have the time to finish this game. I remember I had just been betrayed by my favorite party member and was almost to the final showdown. Sadly I don't think I'll be going back to this one anytime soon.
Shenmue II
One of my favorite video game series (if you can call two games a series) of all time. This free roaming, slice of life, adventure game from Sega was a huge achievement in gaming. Way ahead of it's time it was a divisive game to the community. Half loved it, half hated it. QTE events were innovated by Shemue. Y'know, those things that are in every single game nowadays. I finished the first game by doing nothing but playing it for a solid week back in... oh 2003 or so. I never got a chance to play Shenmue 2 for myself until I got a 360 in 2007. I bought the second game since the 360 is (somewhat) backwards compatible. I played it and loved it as much as the first one. The only problem is that I had a ton of games for a next gen system. Playing those games took up all my gaming time and I wasn't able to devote the time to Shenmue 2. I still haven't found the time to go back and finish this gem.
Lost Odyssey
Mistwalker's sublime RPG may be the best JRPG released on the 360 so far. There are a few that I haven't played yet, namely Eternal Sonata and Tales of Vesparia. It definitely trounced all of Square Enix's efforts. The gameplay was very much like Final Fantasy X and the story was pretty good. The best part was of course the 'Thousand Years of Dreams' stories. Some of the most powerful stories ever to appear in a game. They won't all admit it, but I guarantee you every gamer that ever that read some of the sadder stories teared up. This was another example of me losing interest and time towards the end of the game. Release schedules blend together and I had a ton of surplus income to spend on new games, so I just bypassed this and never went back. I was nearly at the end with only the final dungeon to go and I just dropped it. Partly because there was so much side stuff to do, as in Final Fantasy XII.
Persona 2: Eternal Punishment
The second half of the Persona 2 double shot and the only one released in the US, I bought this game on the first day it was out back in 2000. I loved this game. It had an amazing modern setting that is rarely seen in games. The demon contact system made a return and was even better than the first Persona. Returning from the first game were most of the characters, two as party members. The story was crazy. Games weren't doing the kind of insanity that was going on in P2. Demon invasions, crazy killers, rumors becoming reality, hackers and feuds with the Triads. It was amazing. The problem came from a particular battle late in the game that I got stuck on and it killed my motivation to keep playing. I had the one save and couldn't go back because I was too close to the end of the game. No going back. Giving up was an unfortunate way for me to end my time playing this game. I loved everything and really wanted closure. If I had played Persona 2: Innocent Sin, the Japan only first chapter, it would have driven me to finish this game no matter what. While this game is my biggest regret at not being able to finish I have a rather poor record with Persona games. I never finished Persona 1. I never finished Persona 3: FES. I haven't finished the translated P2: Innocent Sin. I broke tradition by beating the amazing Persona 4 last summer.
Notice a trend here? All RPGs. I'm not finishing RPGs these days like I used to in high school and early college. The games demand such a time investment and I like to play a diverse selection of games. That's really the big point to take away here. I like to play a lot of different games and experience a wide range of game play. I like diversity and RPGs tie you down for a long time. Finishing these games demands a huge time investment that I'm willing to put in, up to a point. Online games require an even greater time investment to the point where it must become a part of your life. That right there is a major reason I just can't get interested in MMORPGs. It's the same thing over and over, the same game with the same system for as long as you play. Which has to be a long time if you ever want to see what the game truly offers. I can't put 6 hours a day into a game for 10 months just to see 10% of what it offers.
I do plan to go back and finish most of these games at some point. My saves for all of these games still remain (excepting Baldur's Gate 2) and I can jump back in at any time. I'm doing it now for FF12. I may not remember the whole story or the game mechanics right off, but it quickly comes back to me. If I've played it before it all comes flooding back, maybe not every detail but certainly enough for me to become immersed in the game easily.
Five Games I Meant to Finish but Never Did:
Final Fantasy XII
The very game that brought about this list. I actually managed to get to the Bahamut which was the final dungeon. I remember that I didn't finish the game because there was sooooo many distractions that I wanted to finish before beating the game. Espers and hunts and secret dungeons. The monster hunts started to get boring and tedious and eventually it just left me without the motivation to continue and it was swept to the side. More than a year later and I've picked it up and I'm definitely going to finish this one.
Baldur's Gate 2
I never played this classic PC game when it first came out. In fact, I never played it for the first 10 years it was out. Back in 2008 I picked it up on the cheap and decided to give it a shot. I figured it would be decent after seeing it on so many people's best games of all time lists. Plus it was by the same folks that put out the fantastic Knights of the Old Republic games. It lived up to the hype. It was fun with a highly detailed combat system, even if it was a Dungeons and Dragons game. So why did I stop playing? I don't know. Other stuff came along and I just didn't have the time to finish this game. I remember I had just been betrayed by my favorite party member and was almost to the final showdown. Sadly I don't think I'll be going back to this one anytime soon.
Shenmue II
One of my favorite video game series (if you can call two games a series) of all time. This free roaming, slice of life, adventure game from Sega was a huge achievement in gaming. Way ahead of it's time it was a divisive game to the community. Half loved it, half hated it. QTE events were innovated by Shemue. Y'know, those things that are in every single game nowadays. I finished the first game by doing nothing but playing it for a solid week back in... oh 2003 or so. I never got a chance to play Shenmue 2 for myself until I got a 360 in 2007. I bought the second game since the 360 is (somewhat) backwards compatible. I played it and loved it as much as the first one. The only problem is that I had a ton of games for a next gen system. Playing those games took up all my gaming time and I wasn't able to devote the time to Shenmue 2. I still haven't found the time to go back and finish this gem.
Lost Odyssey
Mistwalker's sublime RPG may be the best JRPG released on the 360 so far. There are a few that I haven't played yet, namely Eternal Sonata and Tales of Vesparia. It definitely trounced all of Square Enix's efforts. The gameplay was very much like Final Fantasy X and the story was pretty good. The best part was of course the 'Thousand Years of Dreams' stories. Some of the most powerful stories ever to appear in a game. They won't all admit it, but I guarantee you every gamer that ever that read some of the sadder stories teared up. This was another example of me losing interest and time towards the end of the game. Release schedules blend together and I had a ton of surplus income to spend on new games, so I just bypassed this and never went back. I was nearly at the end with only the final dungeon to go and I just dropped it. Partly because there was so much side stuff to do, as in Final Fantasy XII.
Persona 2: Eternal Punishment
The second half of the Persona 2 double shot and the only one released in the US, I bought this game on the first day it was out back in 2000. I loved this game. It had an amazing modern setting that is rarely seen in games. The demon contact system made a return and was even better than the first Persona. Returning from the first game were most of the characters, two as party members. The story was crazy. Games weren't doing the kind of insanity that was going on in P2. Demon invasions, crazy killers, rumors becoming reality, hackers and feuds with the Triads. It was amazing. The problem came from a particular battle late in the game that I got stuck on and it killed my motivation to keep playing. I had the one save and couldn't go back because I was too close to the end of the game. No going back. Giving up was an unfortunate way for me to end my time playing this game. I loved everything and really wanted closure. If I had played Persona 2: Innocent Sin, the Japan only first chapter, it would have driven me to finish this game no matter what. While this game is my biggest regret at not being able to finish I have a rather poor record with Persona games. I never finished Persona 1. I never finished Persona 3: FES. I haven't finished the translated P2: Innocent Sin. I broke tradition by beating the amazing Persona 4 last summer.
Notice a trend here? All RPGs. I'm not finishing RPGs these days like I used to in high school and early college. The games demand such a time investment and I like to play a diverse selection of games. That's really the big point to take away here. I like to play a lot of different games and experience a wide range of game play. I like diversity and RPGs tie you down for a long time. Finishing these games demands a huge time investment that I'm willing to put in, up to a point. Online games require an even greater time investment to the point where it must become a part of your life. That right there is a major reason I just can't get interested in MMORPGs. It's the same thing over and over, the same game with the same system for as long as you play. Which has to be a long time if you ever want to see what the game truly offers. I can't put 6 hours a day into a game for 10 months just to see 10% of what it offers.
I do plan to go back and finish most of these games at some point. My saves for all of these games still remain (excepting Baldur's Gate 2) and I can jump back in at any time. I'm doing it now for FF12. I may not remember the whole story or the game mechanics right off, but it quickly comes back to me. If I've played it before it all comes flooding back, maybe not every detail but certainly enough for me to become immersed in the game easily.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Final Fantasy XIII unt The Last Story
Here's a regular scene in Final Fantasy XIII, an example of the "story" if you will.
"Focus! L'Cie! Focus! Destiny! Focus!"
"Cocoon! L'Cie! Fal'cie! SERAH! Fal'cie!"
"Cocoon! Pulse fal'cie! Pulse! Cocoon!"
"Focus! L'cie! Cocoon! Pulse! l'cie!"
"L'cie! Focus! Pulse fal'cie! Fal'cie!"
"L'cie..."
WHAT THE FUCK! As I've clearly displayed here it's just the same six or seven words rearranged and with different inflection. That doesn't constitute a story. I'm severely, severely disappointed in this game. I never thought that I would find a Final Fantasy game so... obnoxious! I didn't even think it would be possible. I took the series for granted. This shit makes Final Fantasy Mystic Quest look like a diamond. It's graphically impressive but the story, which Final Fantasy games have been legendary for, is the absolute worst of the main series. The worst. In fact I've never felt so disconnected from a story in any RPG ever. Other than Sazh, the rest of these characters are wooden and even boring. The gameplay is pretty good, the battles are more challenging than we're used to certainly and the world is uninspired. The graphics and sound are good. But the story... OH GOD THE STORY. I don't think there is much more to say without falling in to a stream of mind rant. So I'll just leave it with what I've said before. This series may have hit it's zenith and is on the downflow.
There is, however, a game on the horizon that has got me excited about the JRPG genre despite my recent misgivings with them. That game is The Last Story by Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakuguchi. The game promises to breath new life in the stagnant JRPG genre. The Japanese gamers are resistant to change which has led to the Japanese gaming market to plateau. This in turn led to a western disaffection with games from the land of the rising sun.
The Last Story may be a symbol of changing times. It's being created by Mistwalker, the studio that created the sublime game Lost Odyssey. From the artwork I've seen in will be one of the most beautiful and artistic games to ever be released. The landscapes are brilliant and reminiscent of Miyazaki. A far cry from the tired anime characters that permeate the standard JRPG. The designs released for The Last Story so far have been colorful, vibrant and whimsical. The game world seems to be the sort of stuff out of a Molyneux promise. A dynamic and ever changing world is one of the highlights of The Last Story, with cities that react to your actions in the game. The game sounds great but there's one problem. It's a Wii exclusive. Who knows I might have one by the time this game is released.
Until then, I'll keep chugging away at Final Fantasy XIII and try to get to the point at which everyone says it picks up. I don't think I'll finish it anytime soon since I don't really want to. I've picked up Final Fantasy 12 again and I'm going to finish it for real this time. I have one dungeon left. Just hammer it out and call it good.
"Focus! L'Cie! Focus! Destiny! Focus!"
"Cocoon! L'Cie! Fal'cie! SERAH! Fal'cie!"
"Cocoon! Pulse fal'cie! Pulse! Cocoon!"
"Focus! L'cie! Cocoon! Pulse! l'cie!"
"L'cie! Focus! Pulse fal'cie! Fal'cie!"
"L'cie..."
WHAT THE FUCK! As I've clearly displayed here it's just the same six or seven words rearranged and with different inflection. That doesn't constitute a story. I'm severely, severely disappointed in this game. I never thought that I would find a Final Fantasy game so... obnoxious! I didn't even think it would be possible. I took the series for granted. This shit makes Final Fantasy Mystic Quest look like a diamond. It's graphically impressive but the story, which Final Fantasy games have been legendary for, is the absolute worst of the main series. The worst. In fact I've never felt so disconnected from a story in any RPG ever. Other than Sazh, the rest of these characters are wooden and even boring. The gameplay is pretty good, the battles are more challenging than we're used to certainly and the world is uninspired. The graphics and sound are good. But the story... OH GOD THE STORY. I don't think there is much more to say without falling in to a stream of mind rant. So I'll just leave it with what I've said before. This series may have hit it's zenith and is on the downflow.
There is, however, a game on the horizon that has got me excited about the JRPG genre despite my recent misgivings with them. That game is The Last Story by Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakuguchi. The game promises to breath new life in the stagnant JRPG genre. The Japanese gamers are resistant to change which has led to the Japanese gaming market to plateau. This in turn led to a western disaffection with games from the land of the rising sun.
The Last Story may be a symbol of changing times. It's being created by Mistwalker, the studio that created the sublime game Lost Odyssey. From the artwork I've seen in will be one of the most beautiful and artistic games to ever be released. The landscapes are brilliant and reminiscent of Miyazaki. A far cry from the tired anime characters that permeate the standard JRPG. The designs released for The Last Story so far have been colorful, vibrant and whimsical. The game world seems to be the sort of stuff out of a Molyneux promise. A dynamic and ever changing world is one of the highlights of The Last Story, with cities that react to your actions in the game. The game sounds great but there's one problem. It's a Wii exclusive. Who knows I might have one by the time this game is released.
Until then, I'll keep chugging away at Final Fantasy XIII and try to get to the point at which everyone says it picks up. I don't think I'll finish it anytime soon since I don't really want to. I've picked up Final Fantasy 12 again and I'm going to finish it for real this time. I have one dungeon left. Just hammer it out and call it good.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Post 200: A Bit of Wrestling
So a quick post for my 200th, and it's about wrestling.
All Japan Pro Wrestling (y'know, that other company in Japan... the one nobody pays attention to) held a show at the Ryogoku Kokugaikan the other day. At this show Satoshi Kojima, otherwise known as the man with one of my favorite names in the world, put his legendary Triple Crown championship on the line. Against who? A giant chunk of fat named Ryoto Hama. Surely it was no contest. Surely Kojima retained his crown against the rookie of only a year. Surely the man who weighed in excess of 400 pounds and tags with Akebono in a veritable buffet of tubby immobility. No. No. Ryoto Hama WON the Triple Crown championship. THIS GUY (on the left).
This guy is fat in ways that Yokozuna only dreamed about. I'm just in absolute shock that he won the title. Although given the fact that AJPW is basically ignored these days, I'm not surprised that Mutoh would pull something like this in hopes of some attention. Some western fans seem to really be into Hama... but I'm unconvinced. This was a big gamble that I'm not sure will play out how they want.
Since I caught wind of this bit of news I started wondering about the rest of the champions around the wrestling world. I can't say that I actually follow this form of entertainment as closely as I used to these days. I check up every now and then out of morbid curiosity more than anything else really. I stopped being a fan of the "genre" of television when I realized that most companies weren't making an appealing product for me. Even a company like TNA which started off on the right foot eventually decided it needed Bischoff and Russo to face fuck it into the ground. So I'm going to take a look at the "world" champions, which I just researched on Wikipedia because I realize I don't know where else to find this information anymore.
WWE
WWE World Heavyweight - Chris Jericho
I think I knew this, but it was still a delightful surprise to see that Jericho was the champion.
WWE Heavyweight - Deacon Bautista
How very ordinary and boring. A weightlifter wins a belt in MacMahon's company.
TNA World Heavyweight - AJ Styles
One of the few people deserving to hold the title on a regular basis. Quite good.
NOAH
GHC Heavyweight - Takashi Sugiura
What? Though he's a good wrestler I don't see the sense in this. Don't see a long reign here with such competition as Morishima, Marufuji, Shiozaki and Rikio. Let's not forget KENTA is almost healthy again.
NJPW
IWGP Heavyweight - Shinsuke Nakamura
My man Shinsuke! Always a contender, always good. This company is gleefully forgetting the Lesnar and Sapp days of 2005-2006.
AJPW
Triple Crown - Ryoto Hama
See above...
NWA "World" Heavyweight - Adam Pearce
Holy awful! Why did it go back to him? Oh yeah, because he books himself to win it all the time.
RoH
ROH World Heavyweight - Tyler Black
Probably a good choice but I can't really be sure since I stopped watching before he hit his zenith. He's no Nigel or Danielson, but not bad.
Well, that's my look at wrestling. Don't expect another one for a long time. I'm really not interested in wrestling anymore. Maybe NOAH and NJPW, but nothing domestic.
All Japan Pro Wrestling (y'know, that other company in Japan... the one nobody pays attention to) held a show at the Ryogoku Kokugaikan the other day. At this show Satoshi Kojima, otherwise known as the man with one of my favorite names in the world, put his legendary Triple Crown championship on the line. Against who? A giant chunk of fat named Ryoto Hama. Surely it was no contest. Surely Kojima retained his crown against the rookie of only a year. Surely the man who weighed in excess of 400 pounds and tags with Akebono in a veritable buffet of tubby immobility. No. No. Ryoto Hama WON the Triple Crown championship. THIS GUY (on the left).
This guy is fat in ways that Yokozuna only dreamed about. I'm just in absolute shock that he won the title. Although given the fact that AJPW is basically ignored these days, I'm not surprised that Mutoh would pull something like this in hopes of some attention. Some western fans seem to really be into Hama... but I'm unconvinced. This was a big gamble that I'm not sure will play out how they want.
Since I caught wind of this bit of news I started wondering about the rest of the champions around the wrestling world. I can't say that I actually follow this form of entertainment as closely as I used to these days. I check up every now and then out of morbid curiosity more than anything else really. I stopped being a fan of the "genre" of television when I realized that most companies weren't making an appealing product for me. Even a company like TNA which started off on the right foot eventually decided it needed Bischoff and Russo to face fuck it into the ground. So I'm going to take a look at the "world" champions, which I just researched on Wikipedia because I realize I don't know where else to find this information anymore.
WWE
WWE World Heavyweight - Chris Jericho
I think I knew this, but it was still a delightful surprise to see that Jericho was the champion.
WWE Heavyweight - Deacon Bautista
How very ordinary and boring. A weightlifter wins a belt in MacMahon's company.
TNA World Heavyweight - AJ Styles
One of the few people deserving to hold the title on a regular basis. Quite good.
NOAH
GHC Heavyweight - Takashi Sugiura
What? Though he's a good wrestler I don't see the sense in this. Don't see a long reign here with such competition as Morishima, Marufuji, Shiozaki and Rikio. Let's not forget KENTA is almost healthy again.
NJPW
IWGP Heavyweight - Shinsuke Nakamura
My man Shinsuke! Always a contender, always good. This company is gleefully forgetting the Lesnar and Sapp days of 2005-2006.
AJPW
Triple Crown - Ryoto Hama
See above...
NWA "World" Heavyweight - Adam Pearce
Holy awful! Why did it go back to him? Oh yeah, because he books himself to win it all the time.
RoH
ROH World Heavyweight - Tyler Black
Probably a good choice but I can't really be sure since I stopped watching before he hit his zenith. He's no Nigel or Danielson, but not bad.
Well, that's my look at wrestling. Don't expect another one for a long time. I'm really not interested in wrestling anymore. Maybe NOAH and NJPW, but nothing domestic.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Gambare! J-League 2010
It's finally time for the 2010 J-League season! Asian football has finally kicked up again and I couldn't be happier. While the major European leagues are winding down and closing in on the final stages, Japanese football... err soccer, is just getting going. I love this schedule as it means that my entire attention can be given to the J-League over the summer (excepting of course the World Cup). It's not the easiest league in the world to follow as it's somewhat obscure and new. A determined devotee will have no trouble keeping up with this exciting soccer group. In particular the show Gambare! J-League on Fox Soccer provides weekly coverage of the J-League and the Emperor's Cup. It's not full matches but it's more than one would expect.
Let me say a few words on why this young soccer league is one of my absolute favorite. Forgetting for a moment the entire Japanese angle and my obsession with that country and culture, the J-League is one of the most interesting out there. Since it's newer it has been able to tailor it's entire image to be publicly appeaing. From logos to uniforms to team names everything has a cool edge to it. The logos are sleek, modern and colorful. They catch the eye, unlike many of the 80-100 year old logos in European leagues. Here's a couple of my favorite examples.
Now let me say a word about the uniforms. They are awesome. Anything but bland, each team manages to put out great new design every two years or so. With a combination of color and design these J-League teams present a very visually appealing experience on field. While it's not the most important part of the game it certainly helps the experience. These uniforms are a stark contrast to the standard fare in Europe. Red shirts, blue shirts, and white shirts. Maybe some red and white stripes, or red and black stripes. A few cool jerseys stand out, like Celtics green hoops or the bright yellow of Villareal. The bright green of Bellmare, the orange of S-Pulse, the blue/black of Frontale, and the purple of Kyoto Sanga are a few of my favorites.
Team names in the J-League are like none other in the world of sports. Using a combination of city names and borrowed words these teams demand attention and turn heads at their spectacular names. Many of the teams form their names using a combination of borrowed words from other languages. Some just use seeming nonsense words. Shimizu S-Pulse is one of the greatest team names in soccer. Sanfrecce Hiroshima combines the Italian words for 'three' and 'arrows'. Cerezo Osaka is named after the Spanish word for cherry tree. Albirex Niigata is named after the constellation Albireo and the Spanish word for king, 'rex'. Shonan Bellmare takes it's name from the latin words for war and sea (bellum and mare). These names don't even seem out of place. They roll off the tongue. Pleasant and natural would describe many of the names of these teams. Go take a look at a list of J-League 1 and J-League 2 teams and tell me you don't love their names. Not that there aren't a few uninspired names (FC Tokyo, FC Gifu, Tochigi SC, Ehime FC, Yokohama FC), but for the most part they are great names embraced by the fans.
The fans are absolutely rabid. For the major teams these fans go all out. It seems like when the Japanese support their teams, they like to really support their team. The entire crowd seems to come decked out in team colors, like any other sport, but these fans bring massive banners and have huge sections of flag waving maniacs behind each goal. I'm not talking piddling little flags, I'm talking multiple flag giant flags furiously waving throughout the entire match. And since it's Japan you never have to deal with the threat of riot, like in South America or Europe (occasionally). I would love to experience a J-League game second only to a Premier League game. The fans just seem to make the entire thing a fun atmosphere.
Basically from everything I've seen this league seems to be one of the most attractive on the planet. It has originality and spectacle going for it certainly. J-League players aren't always the best in the world and the league doesn't attract many top names. However it can be the breeding ground for future greatness. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger coached at Nagoya Grampus before getting the Gunners seat. Shunsuke Nakamura started off in his home league before jumping to Celtic. Michael Laudrup played for Vissel Kobe. It's not drawing the caliber of foreign stars that appear in MLS. There's no David Beckham to put the league on the map. They had to depend on strong performances by league players on the international scene to up the ante in their home country. Once the J-League started getting popular in Japan, thanks to three AFC Championships by the national side, it began getting international recognition. Still very much in a growing state, like the MLS and the Australian A-League, the J-League is an exciting bit of soccer to watch. I highly recommend the Japanese J-League to any true soccer fan.
Let me say a few words on why this young soccer league is one of my absolute favorite. Forgetting for a moment the entire Japanese angle and my obsession with that country and culture, the J-League is one of the most interesting out there. Since it's newer it has been able to tailor it's entire image to be publicly appeaing. From logos to uniforms to team names everything has a cool edge to it. The logos are sleek, modern and colorful. They catch the eye, unlike many of the 80-100 year old logos in European leagues. Here's a couple of my favorite examples.
Now let me say a word about the uniforms. They are awesome. Anything but bland, each team manages to put out great new design every two years or so. With a combination of color and design these J-League teams present a very visually appealing experience on field. While it's not the most important part of the game it certainly helps the experience. These uniforms are a stark contrast to the standard fare in Europe. Red shirts, blue shirts, and white shirts. Maybe some red and white stripes, or red and black stripes. A few cool jerseys stand out, like Celtics green hoops or the bright yellow of Villareal. The bright green of Bellmare, the orange of S-Pulse, the blue/black of Frontale, and the purple of Kyoto Sanga are a few of my favorites.
Team names in the J-League are like none other in the world of sports. Using a combination of city names and borrowed words these teams demand attention and turn heads at their spectacular names. Many of the teams form their names using a combination of borrowed words from other languages. Some just use seeming nonsense words. Shimizu S-Pulse is one of the greatest team names in soccer. Sanfrecce Hiroshima combines the Italian words for 'three' and 'arrows'. Cerezo Osaka is named after the Spanish word for cherry tree. Albirex Niigata is named after the constellation Albireo and the Spanish word for king, 'rex'. Shonan Bellmare takes it's name from the latin words for war and sea (bellum and mare). These names don't even seem out of place. They roll off the tongue. Pleasant and natural would describe many of the names of these teams. Go take a look at a list of J-League 1 and J-League 2 teams and tell me you don't love their names. Not that there aren't a few uninspired names (FC Tokyo, FC Gifu, Tochigi SC, Ehime FC, Yokohama FC), but for the most part they are great names embraced by the fans.
The fans are absolutely rabid. For the major teams these fans go all out. It seems like when the Japanese support their teams, they like to really support their team. The entire crowd seems to come decked out in team colors, like any other sport, but these fans bring massive banners and have huge sections of flag waving maniacs behind each goal. I'm not talking piddling little flags, I'm talking multiple flag giant flags furiously waving throughout the entire match. And since it's Japan you never have to deal with the threat of riot, like in South America or Europe (occasionally). I would love to experience a J-League game second only to a Premier League game. The fans just seem to make the entire thing a fun atmosphere.
Basically from everything I've seen this league seems to be one of the most attractive on the planet. It has originality and spectacle going for it certainly. J-League players aren't always the best in the world and the league doesn't attract many top names. However it can be the breeding ground for future greatness. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger coached at Nagoya Grampus before getting the Gunners seat. Shunsuke Nakamura started off in his home league before jumping to Celtic. Michael Laudrup played for Vissel Kobe. It's not drawing the caliber of foreign stars that appear in MLS. There's no David Beckham to put the league on the map. They had to depend on strong performances by league players on the international scene to up the ante in their home country. Once the J-League started getting popular in Japan, thanks to three AFC Championships by the national side, it began getting international recognition. Still very much in a growing state, like the MLS and the Australian A-League, the J-League is an exciting bit of soccer to watch. I highly recommend the Japanese J-League to any true soccer fan.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Knee Kick to the Ugly Face
I want this KENTA shirt! I want it sooooooooo much!
Knee kick to an ugly face. Accept the killer shot?
What the fuck?! KENTA, please give me your new shirt! It's phenomenal!
As seen on Puroresu Representin' where they give a Paul French-Fries level of translation to KENTA's weekly column. Go NOAH!
Knee kick to an ugly face. Accept the killer shot?
What the fuck?! KENTA, please give me your new shirt! It's phenomenal!
As seen on Puroresu Representin' where they give a Paul French-Fries level of translation to KENTA's weekly column. Go NOAH!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
FFXIII Pulls a Koji Cutter on Me
A little game called Final Fantasy XIII came out yesterday and ever since I got it yesterday it's been my life. Oh sure I managed to ride my bike this morning, but other than that it's been all Lightning, Snow and Vanille. I knew it was coming, I knew how much time I would invest. I knew it was going to become my biggest chunk of time.
I'm not going to hammer this one out like I did with Mass Effect 2. I'm going to take my time and enjoy what is sure to be an epic story. Sazh is definitely my favorite character. He looks cool, he has a baby chocobo living in his hair and he plays the grizzled veteran and comic relief. From what I've played so far this game is proving to be very enjoyable. I didn't like the combat system at first as it seemed really limited. As I progressed further in the game and opened up new elements of the battle mechanics, it's really grown on me. The battles play out much more strategically with the switching between 'paradigm' groups. The environments are a little lacking. Imaginative surely, but just too weird for me to enjoy. The characters and environments don't really blend well so far. Maybe I'll find a place I really like, but XIII's world doesn't compare to those of X or XII. The story has legs, that's for sure, and has the potential to really pick up. I'm sure that by the end it will be as classic as those of the other Final Fantasy. At least this one doesn't bait and switch by making you play as the character who is the least involved in the story coughVAANcough.
It's weird to get achievement points from a Final Fantasy. Really weird.
While I'm at it I may as well take a look at all the games that I've played since losing my job, eh? I've played a few and I may as well give a quick rundown on them. Even though I'm playing them for the first time these games aren't all brand new.
UFC 2009 Undisputed
Got this from Glyde the other day. I'm not very far into it, career mode wise anyway, but the fighting in this is fun. It's just smash, smash, smash and hope you knock the other guy out. Honestly it's as simple as that right now as I haven't figured out the ground and submission mechanic yet. The graphics are good, better than the Smackdown vs Raw series, and the knockouts are spectacular. To watch Brock Lesnar's eyes roll into his head and see his mouthguard fly halfway across the ring after a head kick is priceless.
Ghostbusters
Also picked this game up from Glyde. Entertaining game for a fan of the movies. Voice work is decent, if a little phoned in (though Dan Akroyd did a fantastic job). The gameplay is pretty standard stuff with a few cool touches. Busting ghosts is a childhood dream come true. I've never so closely lived out the dream that 7-year old me had. It's a decent game filtered through a layer of nostalgia and comes out a fun experience. Fighting the Stay Puft Marshmellow Man is the best thing I've done all year!
Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition
Yes this was my personal game of the year back in 2008. I played the hell out of it back then I might add. Until recently (these last few days in fact) I had not had a chance at several of the DLC. However I borrowed the second disc from Sir Gerald and it turns out that's all you need. It gives you the DLC whether or not it's registered to you. Which means you get them for free if you can borrow it from somebody. Amazing hack. Anyway I played The Pitt and Mothership Zeta. The Pitt was pretty cool since it introduced us to another major American city (Pittsburgh) and an entirely different atmosphere than the Capital Wasteland. Walking around the apartments and scaffolding of The Pitt was a nice change from the flatlands of the waste. Plus the circular saw weapon is gruesome. Mothership Zeta was sorta 'meh' for me. Just didn't add enough for me. Sure I can get samurai armor and alien rifles, but it just didn't thrill me. Anyway, the DLC was fun to try out for a few hours. Nice to play this game again.
Way of the Samurai 3
Highly underrated game, though I can understand why. I spent a lot of my first unemployed month playing this when I wasn't looking for work. Hard to get into at first because there is absolutely no direction. Once you figure out the gameplay, how to power yourself up and how to advance the story at your own pace, this game gets good. Learning new sword styles is fun due to the immense amount of weaponry at your disposal (over 100). The story line branches in so many places that you'll never see the same scenes twice. Hell you might see a scene one playthrough and never see it again. Kill off a character and it changes the rest of the game. I killed off Osei early on once and later on Shinnosuke hunted me down and challenged me to a duel! It's fun if enough time is invested. I'm a fan, I'm a real fan. This is better than the second one, but not as good as the first. Few games give you so much freedom, both in what you do and how you affect the story.
I'm not going to hammer this one out like I did with Mass Effect 2. I'm going to take my time and enjoy what is sure to be an epic story. Sazh is definitely my favorite character. He looks cool, he has a baby chocobo living in his hair and he plays the grizzled veteran and comic relief. From what I've played so far this game is proving to be very enjoyable. I didn't like the combat system at first as it seemed really limited. As I progressed further in the game and opened up new elements of the battle mechanics, it's really grown on me. The battles play out much more strategically with the switching between 'paradigm' groups. The environments are a little lacking. Imaginative surely, but just too weird for me to enjoy. The characters and environments don't really blend well so far. Maybe I'll find a place I really like, but XIII's world doesn't compare to those of X or XII. The story has legs, that's for sure, and has the potential to really pick up. I'm sure that by the end it will be as classic as those of the other Final Fantasy. At least this one doesn't bait and switch by making you play as the character who is the least involved in the story coughVAANcough.
It's weird to get achievement points from a Final Fantasy. Really weird.
While I'm at it I may as well take a look at all the games that I've played since losing my job, eh? I've played a few and I may as well give a quick rundown on them. Even though I'm playing them for the first time these games aren't all brand new.
UFC 2009 Undisputed
Got this from Glyde the other day. I'm not very far into it, career mode wise anyway, but the fighting in this is fun. It's just smash, smash, smash and hope you knock the other guy out. Honestly it's as simple as that right now as I haven't figured out the ground and submission mechanic yet. The graphics are good, better than the Smackdown vs Raw series, and the knockouts are spectacular. To watch Brock Lesnar's eyes roll into his head and see his mouthguard fly halfway across the ring after a head kick is priceless.
Ghostbusters
Also picked this game up from Glyde. Entertaining game for a fan of the movies. Voice work is decent, if a little phoned in (though Dan Akroyd did a fantastic job). The gameplay is pretty standard stuff with a few cool touches. Busting ghosts is a childhood dream come true. I've never so closely lived out the dream that 7-year old me had. It's a decent game filtered through a layer of nostalgia and comes out a fun experience. Fighting the Stay Puft Marshmellow Man is the best thing I've done all year!
Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition
Yes this was my personal game of the year back in 2008. I played the hell out of it back then I might add. Until recently (these last few days in fact) I had not had a chance at several of the DLC. However I borrowed the second disc from Sir Gerald and it turns out that's all you need. It gives you the DLC whether or not it's registered to you. Which means you get them for free if you can borrow it from somebody. Amazing hack. Anyway I played The Pitt and Mothership Zeta. The Pitt was pretty cool since it introduced us to another major American city (Pittsburgh) and an entirely different atmosphere than the Capital Wasteland. Walking around the apartments and scaffolding of The Pitt was a nice change from the flatlands of the waste. Plus the circular saw weapon is gruesome. Mothership Zeta was sorta 'meh' for me. Just didn't add enough for me. Sure I can get samurai armor and alien rifles, but it just didn't thrill me. Anyway, the DLC was fun to try out for a few hours. Nice to play this game again.
Way of the Samurai 3
Highly underrated game, though I can understand why. I spent a lot of my first unemployed month playing this when I wasn't looking for work. Hard to get into at first because there is absolutely no direction. Once you figure out the gameplay, how to power yourself up and how to advance the story at your own pace, this game gets good. Learning new sword styles is fun due to the immense amount of weaponry at your disposal (over 100). The story line branches in so many places that you'll never see the same scenes twice. Hell you might see a scene one playthrough and never see it again. Kill off a character and it changes the rest of the game. I killed off Osei early on once and later on Shinnosuke hunted me down and challenged me to a duel! It's fun if enough time is invested. I'm a fan, I'm a real fan. This is better than the second one, but not as good as the first. Few games give you so much freedom, both in what you do and how you affect the story.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
The Way I Am
I've made a couple of decisions lately. Time has been something that I have an abundance of lately. For a little while it was okay. Catch up on some games and browse a little internet. That sort of schedule just doesn't keep a person going, physically or mentally. So for that reason I've decided to try and spruce up my life and make good use of the time I have.
Firstly I'm going to start biking every (or as close to every) morning. University of Maine's bike path is just down the street. Less than a mile away from where I live is an access point to the path and I've never really made use of it for any extended period. Well I'm changing that starting immediately. A lack of recent activity has really left me a bit out of shape. I'm hoping that this little activity will help me get back into proper working order.
Since spring has started so damn early in the year this is actually something I was able to start immediately. Had this been last year I wouldn't be able to start until maybe a month and a half from this date. I actually started doing this earlier in the morning of the day I'm writing this post. I woke up at 7:55, which is somewhat early. Between getting prepared and bidding Ashes adieu I didn't manage to get out the door until 8:10. Sadly today proved to be a bit chillier than recent weather. In fact, it was straight up cold. I was freezing half way into the ride. That was my only real complaint. Well that and my own heavy breathing/wheezing by the time I got home. It was about 3 miles from the apartment to the entrance by the campus, round trip of course. I'm going to keep doing that little bit each morning until I work out my ring-rust. Then I'll start incorporating the part of the path that goes past the farm, and even further out all the way down past the school.
The other decision I've made is to start following a little bit more strict format here at the blog. I'll still have the same BS blogs that I'm always doing, but I want to throw in weekly articles to make myself work within a deadline. So far I've come up with ideas for a couple ideas. The first is a weekly post about trying new stuff (food, drink, whatever I find at a convenience store) and what I think these products. Glorified product reviews really. I like some of the 'conbini' posts I see on J-Blogs and want to follow that sort of theme on my own blog. The second idea I have is a weekly post about video games. Sort of do this anyway, but I want to formalize it. Y'know, pick a theme or something and write posts weekly. Lastly I want to try and work in a hard news article with the aim of getting it published somewhere. I had another idea, but son of a vaudruke if I can remember it at all. Weekly short stories? Would y'all like to see that? Anyway I'm outlining a new format/schedule for my blog. Look to see some changes around here in the future.
There are other changes I want to implement, like working on some manner of group project or networking my blog. But I don't know how to network and I can't motivate myself to getting into that side of blogging. And group projects, I don't have a group! I'm barely making progress on my own projects.
We'll see how this all goes. I'm going to try and make myself follow through on this. Gotta keep the faith and make it happen! Next post will be more interesting, I promise.
Firstly I'm going to start biking every (or as close to every) morning. University of Maine's bike path is just down the street. Less than a mile away from where I live is an access point to the path and I've never really made use of it for any extended period. Well I'm changing that starting immediately. A lack of recent activity has really left me a bit out of shape. I'm hoping that this little activity will help me get back into proper working order.
Since spring has started so damn early in the year this is actually something I was able to start immediately. Had this been last year I wouldn't be able to start until maybe a month and a half from this date. I actually started doing this earlier in the morning of the day I'm writing this post. I woke up at 7:55, which is somewhat early. Between getting prepared and bidding Ashes adieu I didn't manage to get out the door until 8:10. Sadly today proved to be a bit chillier than recent weather. In fact, it was straight up cold. I was freezing half way into the ride. That was my only real complaint. Well that and my own heavy breathing/wheezing by the time I got home. It was about 3 miles from the apartment to the entrance by the campus, round trip of course. I'm going to keep doing that little bit each morning until I work out my ring-rust. Then I'll start incorporating the part of the path that goes past the farm, and even further out all the way down past the school.
The other decision I've made is to start following a little bit more strict format here at the blog. I'll still have the same BS blogs that I'm always doing, but I want to throw in weekly articles to make myself work within a deadline. So far I've come up with ideas for a couple ideas. The first is a weekly post about trying new stuff (food, drink, whatever I find at a convenience store) and what I think these products. Glorified product reviews really. I like some of the 'conbini' posts I see on J-Blogs and want to follow that sort of theme on my own blog. The second idea I have is a weekly post about video games. Sort of do this anyway, but I want to formalize it. Y'know, pick a theme or something and write posts weekly. Lastly I want to try and work in a hard news article with the aim of getting it published somewhere. I had another idea, but son of a vaudruke if I can remember it at all. Weekly short stories? Would y'all like to see that? Anyway I'm outlining a new format/schedule for my blog. Look to see some changes around here in the future.
There are other changes I want to implement, like working on some manner of group project or networking my blog. But I don't know how to network and I can't motivate myself to getting into that side of blogging. And group projects, I don't have a group! I'm barely making progress on my own projects.
We'll see how this all goes. I'm going to try and make myself follow through on this. Gotta keep the faith and make it happen! Next post will be more interesting, I promise.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
GD DS Technology
It's too bad there's not a two letter abbreviation for technology because that would've made the title so much hipper.
Well anyway here's what's going down plebs. I've been a bit dishonest in my use of Nintendo's little wonder-machine, and my dishonesty caught up to me. When I initially received the DS back in December 2008 I did what any normal (uninformed) person would do. I bought my games. Then I was introduced to the "flash card" concept by several people. This caused me to lose my mind due to the sheer awesomeness. I'm not going to elaborate, if you know then good for you. If you don't, then ignore it. Anyway I ordered one (which took like 3 weeks to ship from Hong Kong) and picked up a microSD card. Using a website, yes an actual website, that hosted DS roms I was able to start playing every game the day of the release. I didn't even have to resort to torrents, I found an actual website that had legit roms released almost immediately.
I started out with a few good games, picked up a couple more used ones and a couple new ones. All told I own about 10 games for the DS. Now thanks to that magical device I've boosted the amount of games I've played to something like 100 probably.
Anyway I used this system up until recently. My usage of this card was halted rather suddenly when my flash card died. Totally out of nowhere it just stopped working. Permanently. I looked it up and found out that if you downgraded the firmware that it would brick the card and make it stop working forever. Whatever all that means. I was played, basically, by somebody disguising a game as a firmware downgrade. Anti-pirates? Pirate-busters? Something. They got me, and now I can't play DS games on my wunderkard. Which is very disappointing due to the high volume of great games on the system.
Here's a few of the games I've played that have really stood out. I was wary of the value of the system at first, but took the leap and discovered some real gems. Discounting the relative crappiness of the Wii and it's library of "games", Nintendo is doing very well this generation on the DS. It targets real gamers, old school gamers and hardcore gamers.
Gonna have to play it legit for now, I guess. Bust out those games that I actually own. Like Chrono Trigger and Advance Wars. The Mario 64 remake is pretty good too. I'll have to fix my little wunderkard before the end of summer, though, since the DS will be my only gaming tool for an entire year! Yup, I'm not bringing my 360 overseas. No gaming. For a year. Time to get online and order a new card.
Well anyway here's what's going down plebs. I've been a bit dishonest in my use of Nintendo's little wonder-machine, and my dishonesty caught up to me. When I initially received the DS back in December 2008 I did what any normal (uninformed) person would do. I bought my games. Then I was introduced to the "flash card" concept by several people. This caused me to lose my mind due to the sheer awesomeness. I'm not going to elaborate, if you know then good for you. If you don't, then ignore it. Anyway I ordered one (which took like 3 weeks to ship from Hong Kong) and picked up a microSD card. Using a website, yes an actual website, that hosted DS roms I was able to start playing every game the day of the release. I didn't even have to resort to torrents, I found an actual website that had legit roms released almost immediately.
I started out with a few good games, picked up a couple more used ones and a couple new ones. All told I own about 10 games for the DS. Now thanks to that magical device I've boosted the amount of games I've played to something like 100 probably.
Anyway I used this system up until recently. My usage of this card was halted rather suddenly when my flash card died. Totally out of nowhere it just stopped working. Permanently. I looked it up and found out that if you downgraded the firmware that it would brick the card and make it stop working forever. Whatever all that means. I was played, basically, by somebody disguising a game as a firmware downgrade. Anti-pirates? Pirate-busters? Something. They got me, and now I can't play DS games on my wunderkard. Which is very disappointing due to the high volume of great games on the system.
Here's a few of the games I've played that have really stood out. I was wary of the value of the system at first, but took the leap and discovered some real gems. Discounting the relative crappiness of the Wii and it's library of "games", Nintendo is doing very well this generation on the DS. It targets real gamers, old school gamers and hardcore gamers.
- Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown - This is a cross between new games in the GTA series and the original game. It's so fucking fantastic that if you haven't tried it, then screw you! The mini-game for stealing cars is so cool.
- Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor - Strategy RPG from Atlus. Set in modern Japan, it's a cross between Persona and FFT. Fusing monsters to try and get some powerful deities is fun.
- Suikoden Tierkreis - The first Suikoden side game that I've actually played. It's a cross between Chrono Cross and Suikoden, and does in fact feature 108 playable characters. The story is crazy, with worlds fusing in and out of existence.
- The World Ends With You - Best game on the system by a Portuguese mile. Combat system completely unseen before. Story that really draws you in. A very stylish art style for the environment and characters. Obnoxiously catchy music. It's brilliant chummos and definitely worth a look.
Gonna have to play it legit for now, I guess. Bust out those games that I actually own. Like Chrono Trigger and Advance Wars. The Mario 64 remake is pretty good too. I'll have to fix my little wunderkard before the end of summer, though, since the DS will be my only gaming tool for an entire year! Yup, I'm not bringing my 360 overseas. No gaming. For a year. Time to get online and order a new card.
Friday, March 5, 2010
KIKU
I found this amazing picture of Kikutaro/Ebessan wearing the blade from Assassin's Creed!! Ridiculous!
Monday, March 1, 2010
It's March...
AW FUCK, another month went by pretty quickly. Time to look at my goals for last month (oh no!).
February 2010 Goals:
-Write an Article-
Outcome - Partial credit. That Winter Olympics blog post, with a little fine tuning, could be considered an opinion article. I'm not going to go around publishing it anywhere but I consider it to be a somewhat decent article. So this is like a D-... passing, but just barely.
-Write at Least 8 Articles-
Outcome - Pass. I posted more than eight, but a lot were really short. Not a lot of content, but definitely met my goal.
-Get a Job-
Outcome - Fail. While I'm aware that Failmart is trying to recruit me back I'm quite wary of taking the job. No calls from any place else. This isn't going well...
-Organize the Notes from My Notebooks-
Outcome - Partial credit. I looked them over and realized that the best place for them are in my notebooks. I added to them quite a bit. I'm just going to keep them where they are, they belong as scribbled notes in small pads of paper. It's eccentric.
-Come Up with 20 Ideas-
Outcome - Pass. At least 20 if not more. Wrote down maybe half of those. Had some real doozies come to me last month too. Forgot about half of them, as I do, but managed to get the others written down. One has really captivated me and I'm thinking of turning it into a short story.
-Read a Book-
Outcome - Fail. I read part of three books, but not one all the way through. With all the goddamn time I have I can't get off my ass and read a book...
March 2010 Goals:
- Read a book
- Write at least 10 blog posts
- Get a job
- Write a good resume, not a slapdash effort
- Network
- Publish something, somewhere
- Flesh out my projects and get started on some
It's a bigger list than normal. I really want to press myself to get some of these done for my own sake. Some are more important than others, obviously. Well here's to March! Good luck, me. Anybody else want to jump on the monthly goals bandwagon?
Until next month, do svidaniya comrades!
February 2010 Goals:
-Write an Article-
Outcome - Partial credit. That Winter Olympics blog post, with a little fine tuning, could be considered an opinion article. I'm not going to go around publishing it anywhere but I consider it to be a somewhat decent article. So this is like a D-... passing, but just barely.
-Write at Least 8 Articles-
Outcome - Pass. I posted more than eight, but a lot were really short. Not a lot of content, but definitely met my goal.
-Get a Job-
Outcome - Fail. While I'm aware that Failmart is trying to recruit me back I'm quite wary of taking the job. No calls from any place else. This isn't going well...
-Organize the Notes from My Notebooks-
Outcome - Partial credit. I looked them over and realized that the best place for them are in my notebooks. I added to them quite a bit. I'm just going to keep them where they are, they belong as scribbled notes in small pads of paper. It's eccentric.
-Come Up with 20 Ideas-
Outcome - Pass. At least 20 if not more. Wrote down maybe half of those. Had some real doozies come to me last month too. Forgot about half of them, as I do, but managed to get the others written down. One has really captivated me and I'm thinking of turning it into a short story.
-Read a Book-
Outcome - Fail. I read part of three books, but not one all the way through. With all the goddamn time I have I can't get off my ass and read a book...
March 2010 Goals:
- Read a book
- Write at least 10 blog posts
- Get a job
- Write a good resume, not a slapdash effort
- Network
- Publish something, somewhere
- Flesh out my projects and get started on some
It's a bigger list than normal. I really want to press myself to get some of these done for my own sake. Some are more important than others, obviously. Well here's to March! Good luck, me. Anybody else want to jump on the monthly goals bandwagon?
Until next month, do svidaniya comrades!
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