Extra Awards

Biggest dissapointment 2005: Nintendo Gamecube

I hate to dish this award out, but sadly the Cube was at its weakest in 2005. It missed out on some good multiplatform releases (Burnout Revenge, Psychonauts), and had no good exclusives. When Nintendo's best 1st party games are 3d versions of Fire Emblem and Advance Wars that play almost the same as their 2d counterparts, you know you're in trouble. Even its greatest assest, Resident Evil 4 could be played on another console.

Nintendo is lucky that their fans are so loyal. We know the Revolution should bring some great new things to gaming, and we know that Twilight Princess will be better off thanks to the delay. But in return Gamecube fans were left high and dry this year, so much so that I could no longer rely on it as my primary console for this generation. Let's hope things speed up in 2006.

Biggest Surprise 2005: Nnitendo DS

And in the blue corner we have Nintendo again, this time with the DS. I have been harsh on the handheld since it was announced way back when, but this Christmas I finally got my hands on one for an extended period of time. The system is really well designed; it is sturdy in construction, has plenty of buttons, and the touch screen is very well implemented. The wireless setup is simple but very robust, and the menu systems have a very slick design. Oh, and it had a staggering list of original and entertaining games this holiday season. The PSP may have have the horsepower and the gizmos, but the DS manages to provide a fun, sturdy system for a great price.

The Christian Eats Crow Award: Slim Playstation 2

I've bashed the PS2 more than anything this generation. Everything from snide remarks to outright loathing. But when I had some extra money at the start of the summer, I passed over both and iPod and an Xbox in order to pick up a Slimline PS2. While I don't think I would have been dissapointed with the other items, I think I made the right choice.

First there is the size. The slim model is easily one of my favorite console designs ever. It fits perfectly between my phone and TV, and is incredibly portable. Plus it has the network adapter built in, and the console is finally toploading. Sure it allegedly has some hardware issues, but so does the regular PS2 and the Xbox and the Xbox 360. It is practically the norm these days...

Then there are the games. I've already got 16 of them by year's end, with more to pick up in 2006. I still believe that Sony broke the rules of competition with the PS2 (by making gaming a war of "just good enough" rather than "the best"), and that a great deal of its library is junk. But with a sharp eye and an open mind you can find some knockout titles. I finally managed to complete my fighting game collection, and found Metal Gear Solid 3, Ico, Beyond Good and Evil, Burnout 3 and Devil May Cry all for $20 or less. Plus all three of my game nominees can be played on the console. You're still a rat bastard Sony, but I think now I can live with you around.

Best game I played not from 2005: Ico

It is the spiritual predecessor of Shadow, which alone puts it in high esteem. But Ico manages to stand on its own two feet as an addictive platformer that is both surreal and emotional. It is a completly different beast than its brother, but one that is just as worth playing.



Game that needs to go away (at least for a little while): Katamari Damacy

I feel bad giving this award to Katamari Damacy. It really didn't do anything bad. I actually like the game a lot, and I'm glad that to this day people are still discovering it. The problem is that people just won't shut up about the damn game. It is always the same thing; some otaku stumbles across the game, finds the unique concept to be fun, and the quirky japanese style to be so kawaii. After that they continuously proclaim that it is the best game ever, that nothing else is as original, that the music is so amazing, and those who haven't played it are some form of gaming slug. Katamari quickly destroys any internet debate dealing with innovation or game design, and I've literally seen people break out into the game's theme song at every chance they get. Yet half the time they can't even explain why they like it beyond the reason of "its so wierd and cool." One of the best games of last year also happens to be perfect otaku bait.

I understand you all like the game, but there is plenty of other good stuff out there. No it isn't all wierd and Japanese, but that shouldn't matter. And no, you aren't some wisened sage of gaming lore because you stumbled upon the one under the radar game that actually managed to garner a lot of press time. Why don't you spend some of that energy looking at the import scene? I promise you'll find lots of other good titles, and it just might convince some studios to release more Japanese games over here.

Worst of all, the fans are beating the horse dead. One Katamari sequel is fine. One main sequel and two handheld games in a little over a year is overkill. If they all start complaining that their favorite series has "sold out", they won't have anyone else to blame. In five years, when the PS3 is beginning to get a bit old, I would love to see another Katamri style game. But right now I think it could use a little break.


So there you have it everyone. The first Gaming Retrospective is over, and I hope you found it enjoyable. If not, well, I didn't mean to offend anyone either (not even the Katamari fans. I think they just need to calm down a bit). Have a great New Year's celebration, and I'll see you in 2006.

Gaming Retrospective 2005 finale

And now for the end of the Gaming Retrospective. The time to dish out some silly awards and choose just what was my favorite game of 2005. I guess it is appropriate to have the final segment be posted on the final day of the year. Let's conclude....

Favorite Game of the Year:

To be honest, it isn't easy to pick one game that I enjoyed above all else. All three of the nominees (as well as a few unmentioned titles) were a joy to play, and gave me a lot to think about the nature of game design. If you choose to pick up any three of them I personally believe you will be more than satisfied. Still, if I had to choose just one that stood out the most as a shining example of the medium, it would most definitely be Shadow of the Colossus.
It is said that during E3 2005, Shigeru Miyamoto stood with Shadow's director Fumito Ueda, watching the game in action for a while. Not long after, Miyamoto made his announcement that Zelda: Twilight Princess would be the last traditional entry in the series for quite some time. After finishing the game, I (as well as many others) believe that Shadow had some part in that decision. It is not obvious at first, but SOTC invokes the spirit of the original Legend of Zelda better than even the Zelda sequels. Games like Link to the Past and Ocarina of Time are about the classic Zelda dungeons (with their classic Zelda puzzles), expanding your arsenal of tools, and progressing the story. I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing (otherwise OOT wouldn't be my second favorite game), but after Minish Cap and Wind Waker, perhaps the formula is getting a little old. Nintendo can put the same puzzle in every new iteration and say "it doesn't matter; its Zelda and you like it", and we fan(boy?)s will happily nod our heads and play through it.

But Shadow reminded me (and perhaps Miyamoto) that the original Zelda was a completely different beast. Yes, you cleared dungeons, and yes you geared up. But the focus was on something completely different. It was all about exploration, and growing as a character. Link has little to no assistance in his journey, save for clever quips like "dodongo hates fire". You don't know where do go, or where anything is. When you encountered a dungeon, you didn't even know if you had the tools to explore it! The Legend of Zelda is a cold, lonely world, and the player is supposed to feel a little bit scared and overwhelmed. But they are also supposed to feel determined to succeed, no matter what the cost. And so they will explore the land of Hyrule, and slowly but surely they will find new weapons and new strength. They will solve every puzzle and defeat every boss. Finally Hyrule isn't so big and intimidating anymore. Link has climbed the mountain, and now he is master of his domain. And yet even the most diligent players will surely find more secrets to uncover and places to explore.

It is the same in Shadow of the Colossus. Every boss is a dungeon distilled into an intense battle. The world is a multitude of lakes, forests, plains and deserts. And even after all sixteen beasts are slain, there are countless corners to search and new things to uncover.
In the absence of a new 3d Zelda game this year, Shadow was more than a worthy replacement. It has captured the soul of one of the most famous games in history and inspired the master to go back to his shop. It reminded me of the unlimited potential of the videogame medium. And that is the best praise I can possibly give.

Part 3

Dragon Quest 8 : Journey of the Cursed King (PS2)

Okay, so this is the one game on the nominee list that I haven't actually managed to finish. Considering it is a 80+ hour RPG, I hope you can excuse me (and I'm already about 40 hours in, meaning I've still played it for longer than a lot of other games this year).

If you know me well, it may seem odd to find a Square Enix game being nominated for favorite game of 2005. But remember: the company is Square Enix now, and this happens to come from the Enix side of business (along with Level 5, the developers behind the whimsical Dark Cloud 2). The result is a perfect blend of old and new designs that reminded me of just what makes this genre worthwhile. Forget Final Fantasy: this is the game that will save role playing.
Dragon Quest 8 is a game that is unashamedly old fashioned. You travel the overworld, fight random battles against classic DQ monsters, and level up. You can only rest in save in a village, and you just might have to do some level grinding to conquer that dungeon. The story is the simple tale of a boy and his friends on a journey to stop an evil mage and aid his king. It is the textbook example of how to make a Japanese RPG, but the game feels far from generic. Dragon Quest director Yuji Hori has been making this type of game for twenty years now. He knows what works and what doesn't, and as a result, Dragon Quest 8 tastes like a finely aged whisky (pardon the bad analogy) rather than really old saki. Battles are quick, status ailments work, and there is room for both strategy and "mash x till they die" styles of play. It feels old, but it feels right. I'd much rather play a proven, battle tested combat system like this than the hit or miss flavors that mark every Final Fantasy.

As great as Dragon Quest's foundation is, it still isn't enough to push the title out of the realm of "fans only", where the series has rested all these years (on American shores that is). What pushes it over the edge is its ability to join the old with some new and very refreshing design choices. The biggest of these is the overworld which, as you can judge by the screenshot, actually is an overworld. It has forests, mountains, lakes and valleys, and it is all yours to explore. It is also large without being massive (*cough*Morrowind*cough*) . The level grinding that is famous in this series is practically transparent thanks to the huge overworld. By the time you've explored a new region, you'll find yourself more than prepared for the next area. It just works so well; the aggravations of old style RPG overworlds are gone, and the genre is better for it.

Then there are the graphics. Dark Cloud 2 proved that Level 5 can do cel shading as well as anyone else in the industry. Couple this with the character designs of Akira Toriyama, and you have an incredibly beautiful game, the closest thing to an interactive anime without all the annoying anime cliches.

Rounding out the whole package are all the little things that add some polish to DQ 8's new coat of paint. The skill point system adds deep customization with little hassle. The alchemy pot allows those power gamers out there to create strong weapons and armor far before they are supposed to gain them. There is a plethora of extra things to do, everything from uncovering chests to cleaning out the casino to completing the Monster Arena, which is almost complex enough to stand as a separate game. And of course the American version has been given unorthodox (but entertaining) British voice actors, and a fully orchestrated score to replace the midis of the Japanese original. Square Enix wanted this game to do well across the pond, and their hard work shows.

Ever since Final Fantasy VII and the Playstation Generation, Japanese RPGs have gone down a path much different than the one they started on. They are often pretentious, always crammed with overly long cutscenes and story sequences, and are based on some of the worst stereotypes of anime (ie. angsty villain with a flowing coat and silver hair) . They also come with convoluted and often inane combat/magic systems that are either easily broken or not fun to play. Dragon Quest 8 throws this all out of the window, in an attempt to bring the genre back to its roots, all the while trying to push the state of the art. It is a simple and rollicking adventure, one that manages to be epic without forgetting to be fun. There are very, very few jRPGs I enjoy, but this has given me hope for the genre. Square Enix, forget about Final Fantasy, and cut out the crap with Kingdom Hearts. You've got the best thing you've made in years right here, and I can't wait for the next one.

Part 2

Shadow of the Colossus(PS2)

No minions to fight. No moves to learn. No coins to collect or gates to open. Just a horse, your bow and arrow, and sixteen boss battles to be fought in a huge, beautiful world. The concept behind Shadow of the Colossus is as minimalist and unorthodox as you can get. Everything is there to set up an "interesting but failed experiment" kind of game. But Shadow does not fail, not in the slightest. Nor is it in any way perfect (no game is). What we have here is one of the most unique and emotionally powerful pieces of interactive entertainment I have ever witnessed.

Despite what seems to be a rather low polygon count, the landscape in Shadow is gorgeous. Every plain, every lake, every forest grove and hill seems so natural. It really feels like a virtual world, rather than the artificial microcosm of a videogame. It beckons the player to explore, to strike out on their own and find their foes. Hyrule Field is officially out of date, and so is every bump mapped corridor in every Sci Fi FPS that reminds me more of a Disney World attraction than a space station.

And yet the world is only half of the equation. The magnificent Colossi that inhabit it make up the rest. Simply put, the thrill of facing these giant beasts is incomparable in the gaming world. Some are no bigger than a bull, while others are the size of a small mountain. The objective is always the same; find its weak spot, find a way on it, and give it a taste of your sword (or bow). Completing these steps, however, is never quite the same. There is always a strategy to each battle, always a clue to help you out, and then of course there is the matter of executing it all. It is part puzzle, part platformer, part action game, and it is always thrilling. Just watching the noble beasts roam the land is a sight to behold. Then you find yourself launching your attack and climbing across their bodies, jumping from limb to limb and holding on for dear life as they try to shake you off like a pestilent flea. Finally you get a chance to strike, and they will scream and they will bleed. SOTC makes you feel truly small and humble in the wake of these powerful creatures. When you finally defeat them, you feel as if you are on top of the world, as if you could conquer it all. Yet this feeling is only fleeting once you witness the slain Colossi fall to its death. Suffice to say, it is a sad and sobering moment. I personally couldn't defeat more than one of them a day, so powerful was each encounter.

But the game will continue, as will your quest. Pay attention, and you will learn more about the nature of your quest, and about the consequences of your actions. Eventually you may question the morality of what you are doing, and yet you, like the hero, won't stop. The rollicking adventure changes into something far different, and when the ending finally comes you may not know what to feel. But when it is all over, you will have felt something, and that is far more than I can say about a great many games.

This is certainly not a game for everyone, but for those that can understand it, Shadow of the Colossus transcends being just a videogame, and becomes an experience, one that every gamer should at the very least see with their own eyes. I've seen friends become enthralled just watching me play it, and I know that I personally enjoyed every second of it. Games can be art, and yes, there is hope for innovation and originality. Shadow is proof positive of it.

Gaming Retrospective 2005

Aye, it figures that as soon as I created that new banner image,the server that LC1201 is hosted on goes kerplunk. And since I won't be back at school for a little while, I don't know when it will be back on. As a result, the 2005 Gaming Retrospective will be posted here, on the blog (which is probably for the best, since it is so darn easy). Let's begin.

Awarding a Game of the Year is a tricky thing. Just what is it that makes one game stand out above all others? Is it the most fun? That's a very subjective thing to base a selection on. Is it the most impressive on technical levels? An achievement to be sure, but that doesn't seem to be enough. Maybe it is the one game that the largest possible audience can enjoy. If that is the case, then the Game of the Year isn't all that special.

Actually, that last point is the one that I think we can all agree on; no one really cares about the GOTY outside of fanboys and marketing execs. I can't even remember when or why they began in the first place, which goes to show how unimportant they are in the grand scheme of things. Nevertheless, while I don't have a choice for Game of the Year, I certainly have a choice for my favorite game from 2005. The one title that, on a whole, provided the single best experience. One that reminded me of exactly why I love this hobby. It pushed the right buttons, and did the right things. I don't expect everyone to agree, or to even understand. But maybe I can give you some insight into what I think are some of the year's true treasures. I'll be listing the nominees in individual posts, as soon as I finish each of them. Here we go:

Resident Evil 4 (Gamecube, PS2)

The Resident Evil series has been accused in recent years for being stale and uninspired. This is of course due to the fact that Capcom can never let a popular thing go away, but I'd like to think there's more to it than that. I thought back to all of the older entries, all games which I have loved despite the criticism. I came to the conclusion that Resident Evil 4 is the culmination of the lessons learned in every RE game before it. Every entry since the original had really been a playground for creator Shinji Mikami, a chance for him to experiment with new, small ideas in a relatively safe and successful franchise that retained its core gameplay throughout.

Longtime fans will remember just how much bigger and more epic RE2 was compared to the first. In the third game we were introduced to constantly respawning enemies, a very handy dodge maneuver, and the ability to create your own ammunition (which in turn made your weapons more poweful). Code Veronica changed things up with a fully 3d world and an even greater focus on action than even 3 had. The REmake showed us just what kind of graphical splendor the current generation could bring, and Resident Evil Zero introduced the concept of managing two characters at once (clunky as it may have been).

All of this can be found in RE4 in one form or another. The staggering mix of (fully 3d) environments takes the game far away from its roots in an old American mansion (aside from the one part that does take place in a mansion....). Our hero, Leon S. Kennedy, is armed with the most robust control scheme this series has ever seen, one that makes it so that you can't blame the game anymore when you screw up. You can always see what is in front of you in the thanks to a camera system that is even more conservative Ocarina of Time's. Inventory is restricted but generous; you actually have control over it this time. The weapon selection is large and varied, and they can all be upgraded as the game progresses, thanks to the "ph4t l00t" you can acquire throughout. Before Resident Evil 4 I never would have thought it possible that I could be followed around by a helpless teenage girl in a videogame and not have it get in my way. Thanks for proving me wrong Capcom.

Now all of these things are great. They all help bring the experience together into a very good game. What makes Resident Evil 4 rise to the level of greatness is how it is always throwing something new at you. You will take on an entire village, and later return to said village only to find a new batch of villagers and bear traps on the ground. As soon as you grow tired of blasting away at large crowds of villagers, they begin to mutate. Once you learn to handle the mutations, the villagers are replaced with an entirely new set of enemies. The game will throw chainsaw wielding maniacs at you. It will throw trucks at you. You will fight a boss early in the game, and fight two of the same creature later on as if it was nothing. You will engage in sniper battles and take on a small army with an attack chopper as backup. Oh, and you will never look at mine cart levels the same way. Resident Evil 4 is a twenty hour roller coaster ride featuring some of the most varied and interesting action gameplay ever crafted.

All of this, and I haven't even mentioned the graphics engine which, even a year later, makes RE4 one of the best looking games out there. The story is still cheesy, and the game is surprisingly not scary, but as an action game Resident Evil 4 has few equals. Greg Kasavin from Gamespot put it best by saying that he never expected such an incredibly fulfilling experience from any game this generation. Personally I have seen my own copy be played no less than ten times through by myself and friends, and that doesn't even include the unlockable minigames. A year later, some of them still want to go back to it. It is that fun.

Hands down the best Gamecube game this year, and one that sits right up there with Metroid Prime for best game on the console.

Home Stretch 2005

You may notice the new banner at the very top of the blog. I know it doesn't look very good, and it is very squished, but it was yet another attempt to improve my gain some skills in digital art. Being a computer geek, I of course follow the Golden Rule: You probably can't break a program, so keep playing with it until you figure it all out. This is sound advice that has helped me learn practically everything I know, even in college. But it only seems to go so far wtih this artistic stuff. I know a lot of the gizmos and features in your Photoshop and Fireworks or whatever it is one might use, but I always struggle with knowing just how much color to use here, or what combination of filters and saturations might work best. I've tried asking more artistically skilled people for advice, and generally they just refer me to the Golden Rule. I know all the tools, I just don't know how to use them. I guess that kind of skill isn't something that can be taught to someone; you just need to have it in the first place. If that is so, then I'm screwed, but damn if I won't keep trying, just in case.

Hopefully everyone had a good Christmas (and Chaunuka !) this year. I got Band of Brothers on DVD, which made it a success no matter what else. I still feel as if the gift pile was far larger than I actually needed, even if it was paltry compared to the average Loyola student. I guess I still prefer giving over receiving, though I will be thankful for what I have and will use it in good health(and get your minds out of the gutter...).

There are a whole lot of End of the Year Gaming Retrospectives going on in all the usual places, and I can't say I like most of them. It is generally the same stories repeated over and over again, with a healthy sprinkling of smarmy jokes and comments (mostly directed at Nintendo; I know you didn't play Cube much. Its collecting dust. I get it). Yet hyopcrisy be dammed, I kind of feel like doing one of my own. Nothing large mind you, just a simple article on my favorite games and biggest surprises during the year.

Tonight is the final game of Monday Night Football on ABC. While it isn't ending as much as simply moving to ESPN, it still feels like the end of an era. However, I feel that it is a necessary end; while the idea of a Monday night game might have been a good idea originally, these days no one has the time or the energy to stay up and watch a football game on Monday night that is guaranteed not to finish before midnight. On cable, diehards can still tune in, while ABC can air something else during the timeslot. A pretty good compromise if you ask me.

I rented Million Dollar Baby tonight. I must say, between this and Return of the King, the Academy is getting pretty good at picking these Oscar winners for a change. Maybe they can keep it up.

Why sir, its Christmas Eve!

Yes it certainly is, and thankfully I got all of my gift shopping done in just one day. Not too shabby (or stressful), though I should count my blessings. The only reason I did so well is because my list consisted only of my four family members. Come ten years from now, when the word "family" encompasses four times as many people, perhaps I'll be saying "humbug" to holidays like so many others....

So around this time of year it seems I always try to come up with some deep holiday message, or something like that. I can't think of anything this time, but I think that's a good thing. Everyone seems to be arguing about the commercialization of the season, the "war on Christmas", and lots of other topics that just aren't in the spirit of the season. Instead of tryign to grasp such weighty topics, I think that, for now, we should all just take it easy, and be thankful that the holiday season is one where many of us can spend some real, quality time with friends and family.

I thought of this after reading all of the news surrounding the death of Tony Dugny's son, which was an apparent suicide. Dungy is on the top of the sporting world with his 13-1 Colts, is an incredible coach and a great family man. Now comes the Christmas season, and his son is dead, and he may never know the reason as to why. I can't think of many things that could be worse for a parent to face, and it is horrible to think that such a promising young man had to take his own life.

This holiday season, I'm thankful more than anything for having my family with me, safe and sound and together. And for those who cannot be with loved ones, or who have lost them recently, they'll be in my thoughts and in my heart.

Take it easy everyone, and be safe (I know, everyone says it, but its important). After the holiday rush you can expect a lot more psots by me, since I'll have plenty of free time to do so. I'll even crank out some reviews. Yay!

Oops

To anyone who has tried to comment on any blog posts in the last month; my bad. Apparently I had enabled comment moderation, which does not publish comments unless you allow them too. I had no clue that the feature was enabled, or that it worked like that. The moderation is off now, so comments should appear as normal.

I'm back at home for Christimas break. Or is it "holiday break"? I really don't know. Just make sure that whatever you choose to celebrate is fun and safe. That matters far more than any sort of names we attach to the season.

Eh?

First off, here's an interesting GIF made by an insert credit forumite parodying Working Designs..using Zero Wing. I know all the fans out there are going to dig it.

Okay, I promised to talk about Kingdom Hearts 2 here, but I realized its kind of pointless. Instead I'm going to try to finsih my long lost review of the original game. Yeah, that sounds good.

That's a wrap.

Today I took my last exam, returned my library books, and turned in a final paper a day early (don't think it was due to overachieving; I thought it was due today and stayed up all night working on it). The semester is now officially over, and I can let out a small sigh of relief . It is only a small sight because I still have a busy day of cleaning and packing tomorrow, and I'll be spending the holiday break looking for summer work and logging in hours for my on campus job. Then there's the looming (and dooming?) grades that will come in sooner than later. Nevertheless, being able to rest my head on a pillow without having to think about assignments looming over my head is a truly great feeling.

I wish there was more to discuss in this space, but I've been so out of touch with the world this last week that I don't really know what's gone on. I do know that Kingdom Hearts 2 is out in Japan, and the fan(boy)s are in a fervor. Actually, maybe I'll get to that later tonight...


Watch this space.

Finals Status

Two finals down, three more to go. Here's how it has gone so far:

Macroeconomics: I actually studied a lot for this one. The class was rather easy, but either because of my neglicence or my picky professor I hadn't performed as well as I wanted to. The final took some thinkin' to get through, but with the exception of one short answer and a handful of multiple choice, I think I did well enough. Expected Grade: B, which is about what my average is. It could be a B+, maybe even an A-, but I don't want to jinx myself.

English Lit: We had a final paper in this one, and damn if it didn't consume my entire life for almost two days. I got about four hours of sleep on Wednsday night, and proceeded to work on it for all (and I mean all) of Thursday and didn't get a wink of sleep. I'd say that tossing it on the stack at 11:30 was a great feeling, but I was so weary that I don't remember much beyond putting it there and leaving. Now that I realize that it was the last English paper I'll ever have to write, that good feeling is starting to finally come. Expected Grade: Can't tell really. I definitely could have used more time to refine the research and drive the thesis home, but by the end it was looking much better than I thought it would. This could either be one of those knock out papers that nets me an A-, or one that is so far out there that it doesn't scrape out a B. I'll cross my fingers and see what happens.

Round 3 is tomorrow. Place your bets folks.

Linkage time.

Dragon Quest 8 prequel all about Yangus. Hopefully it gets a U.S. release; I love that cockney bastard.

Kingdom Hearts 2 is out in Japan, and my the man behind my favorite review ever chimes in on it. Of course, if you loved the first game, I don't suggest you click on that link. Thems be fightin' words.

And lastly, I'm about to pull the pin and throw a huge grenade of awesomeness for all the indie game fans: Katamari Damacy T-Shirts designed by the creator himself. A bit pricey, but I know of at least two people that will love this. Enjoy guys.

Steam at Work(ing Designs)

U.K. cult classic Darwinia is being released today via Steam. Since the actual relese time is measured in Pacific Standard, it was still technically availibie for preorder this morning, which means one could technically get the $2.00 discount. Despite being backlogged with games to play (my roomie's got a lot of Xbox titles), I went ahead and purchased it. One, because the game looks great. Second, I would like to see online content delivery at affordable prices become a serious reality in the games industry, and this is the best way I can think of to support that goal.

Even more interesting gaming news lies in the closure of Working Designs. In case you don't know, Working Designs is a company that worked solely in licensing and localizing obscure Japanese games for release in the States. If you've played any of the Lunar games on Playstation, you've seen their work. However, their releases during this generation have been slow as shit (only three games in five years), and failed to get the green light from Sony to localize the latest Goemon game after a very long time trying, and either one or both of these things combined to create a bad situation.

In the aftermath, I find myself fascinated by all of the debate being waged about the company. The fans blame the entire ordeal on Sony's insistence on cool, cutting edge games, and cite that WD was an incredible company that released incredible games and really cared about their fanbase. To them, the company has had a huge impact in the localization of Japanese games, and the loss is a huge one.

On the other hand, the non fans(naysayers and people who just didn't care) claim that it was all WD's fault; their infamous head honcho Vic Ireland took the company from a bad situation with Sega during the Saturn era and moved it into an equally bad scenario with Sony, all the while completely ignoring Nintendo and Microsoft as possibilities. They claim that WD took far too long localizing any games, and seemed to be more worried about their small fan base than about the rest of U.S. gamers. Finally, this camp claims that none of WD games were really amazing, but rather were "otaku bait", titles that were quirky and wierd for the sake of being so that would appeal to the "otaku-wai-wai" group of people that unshakingly believe Japan = better. To this side, Working Designs was great for its fans, and had the passion, but their business sense wasn't very good, and thus they were the product of their own downfall.

While I have never played a game made by Working Designs, I would say that, based on what I've read (and it is quite a lot), I would prob. side with the latter camp. I'm sure everyone at the company, including Vic, are great people who loved what they did. But wihtout a good business sense there is no way a group like them could last forever. And based on the amount of otaku bait products I have seen, I wouldn't be surprised if most of their games weren't really up to snuff. In the end, I think Ferricide puts it best: WD was basically a man and his associates getting paid to do their hobby for ten years. Not that bad if you think about it.


Finally, this is another good article, discussing how the RPG genre is so stale. The author cites how 4 games (one being Dragon Quest 8) managed to break the mold and really stand out, yet none of them will have much of an impact in the long run. This guy is is wondering why the genre is facing problems, but he managed to answer his own question. As long as unique, or just plain solid RPG's that do not follow the Final Fantasy mold are ignored, the longer it will be before the genre becomes fresh again. But as a great man noticed, Level 5's Rogue Galaxy will be outsold by a long shot by Kingdom Hearts 2 in Japan this month. I think we've got a long way to go...

Small Talk, Small Bricks

Yet Another CS assignment took me until four in the morning to complete. This time I was coding in Smalltalk, and thankfully, it was also the last one I had to do.

Let's talk a bit about Smalltalk, shall we? Its object oriented, and if we are to listen to its fans, it is the best kind of object oriented. The kind where everything in the language is an object, and you have to pass messages to those objects to make them do things. Seems simple enough, and it is, once you've written enough code. What isn't so logical is the seemingly random way in which punctuation (or a lack thereof) is used throughout the code. There you are, trying to understand what's in front of you, and Bang(literally) ! There's an exclamation mark, and you don't know why. Now there are two exlamations. Maybe Smalltalk just gets really excited. Actually, it is used to define the end of functions (or blocks of functions) in a class. Why a '!' of all things? No clue friends.

Then of course we have periods, no periods, parens and pound signs being used for what seems to be no reason at all. Sometimes you need a colon, sometimes you don't. If you are a good coder, you'll figure it all out. Smalltalk will finally make some sense. This is when you remember all the tutorials you looked up where feverish, adamant SmallTalk advocates sung its praises to the heavens, claiming that their language of choice is at the very top of the OOP mountain. Java? Its nothing compared to ST. C and C++? They never mention it! (coincidence? I think not) . If you were to listen to these Smalltalk fans, you'd think there was no reason to code in any other language. They're like die hard Mac fans (no offense) of the programming world. But they're wrong. Oh yes they are.

Smalltalk is an interesting language. It can do a lot of great things that C++ can't. But there are so many ridiculous aspects of the syntax that feel as if they're different for the sake of being so. Having code that reads more like english is great. Obfuscating it with so many oddities isn't. One thing I know about C is that no matter what you're writing, each piece of code generally looks the same, and it just makes sense. Perhaps that is why it is still so popular after so many years.



I also got to play with some old Lego Mindstorms kits for A.I. final project. It reminded me of why I used to love the little bricks when I was a kid; with enough pieces and a big imagination, there is little that you can't do. It also reminded me as to why Lego sales have been horrible in recent years; they forgot the spirit of the company. Legos are all about freedom. Sure you can build the set, but you can also take it apart and make your own. Hell, the instructions even included new ideas on the back cover! These days, however, Lego kits come with so many intricate and specific pieces that aren't meant to be used out of context. Rather than being construction sets, they've become fragile, expensive toys.

There was one more thing I wanted to comment on, and I will, but it will require a seperate post. Its just that big a deal.

Rise and Fall

Let us all mourn the passing of one of the greatest comedic legends of all time, Richard Pryor. The world just got a little less funny.

...On a brighter note, last night there was the first ever Loyola dodgeball tournament between the Computer Science and Math departments, and C.S. came out on top after coming back with 3 victories in a row to win the best of five. There is no better precedent that could have been set for future competitions, though I would be lying if I didn't say that the Math dept. put up an incredible fight. Can't wait to do it again next year.

There are a lot of reasons to love Valve software, but they never seem to stop giving us more. First they announced Darwinia being availible on Steam, and now they're making the Source engine even better than before. They just don't seem to rest on their laurels, and to me this is a good thing. Out of the three major game engines to come out of 2004, one is being replaced (Unreal engine), another has only been used by its own creators (Doom 3 engine), and one is being used by multiple 3rd parties and is constantly being upgraded and tweaked for much less of the cost of writing something new from scratch (Half Life 2 and Source of course). We need a lot more of the third example if we are to prevent game prices from continuing to rise to $60 and beyond. Good show Valve.

On a final note, the only flash game I've ever enjoyed has been given a sequel. Field Command 2 is here, and it is bigger, flashier and deeper than ever before. If you like military strategy and good music then you should check it out.

Doomdiddy Doom!!

I got to watch the last 25 minutes or so of the Doom movie last night. Here are my thoughts.

- The dialogue is hokey and forced. The kind of lines that you know must be said, but can be written (and delivered) in a better way. The best performance was from the Rock, but even that was just par for the course in Hollywood.

- ridiculous story. Something about finding a magic portal that leads to a city on Mars (how that is explained, I can only guess), and experiments are done on people that have something to do with the 24th chromosome. Now I need a Biology expert to back me up on this, but isn't that just Downs Syndrome? On the other hand, Doom's target audience is probably the last group of people who would care about that.

- I didn't get to see much action, but I did catch the First Person Scene. I'll be honest with all of you; it was pretty neat. The game is the first person shooter. Why the hell not have an homage to it? The only problem I had with this part is that I think it could have been done better. It felt slow and plodding, when it should be fast and intense.

So were the cool nerds right about the film? Yes in that Doom is not a piece of incredibly fine cinema. But I think a lot of people were overexaggerating about how bad it is. Despite everything I've said about it, Doom is no better or worse than your typical summer action film. And considering the source material, I don't see how anyone could expect it to be anything more than that. This is Doom people. Its not exactly the most gripping narrative in the history of gaming. While I do think that it would have been better if the story revolved around opening the gates of hell, even this wouldn't have made it that much better. And if you compare it next to House of the Dead or Alone in the Dark, I'd say the Doom movie did well enough for itself.

I'd place Doom in the same category as Advent Children; lots of crazy setpieces, some stuff to please the fanboys, and not a lot of strong story or characters. If that's all you expect, you won't be dissapointed. And if you expected more, I don't know what to tell you. Maybe you should read some manga or something?:p

Pure as driven,,,

We got the first major snowstorm of the year today. When I say major, I mean just enough to cover the ground up without melting by the next morning. I'm thinking classes will be canceled tomorrow....

It was rather beautiful coming out of class today. If was around 4:30, and the flakes had just begun to fall. The sky was that dark gray that would vanish into night in just mere minutes. The Christmas lights strewn about campus and the lamps above the street gave off a soft glow that gives the whole scene that strange, dreamlike feeling. I'm not a huge fan of winter (its far too nasty and depressing, especially back home), but this time right around the start of the season always seems so...nice. It puts me in a mood where I feel good about the end of the year, something that is much needed during crunch time.

Sorry to get all poetic there. Actually, that wasn't even poetry. All the better then. Would you like to own a piece of Acclaim? You can if the price is right. Here's a nice article that diffuses some of the Xbox360 hype for some honest answers. And of course, the big question: is Rare back in business? If their two new games are an FPS that still plays like an N64 game and a shinier collect-a-thon platformer, I'm going to go out on a limb and say no.

Off to bed now. Here's something to help you drool at night.

Edit: Wait, I lied. Those specs are not good. I'm already waiting for every major gaming editor/pundit/lunatic webcomic artist to hammer Nintendo's final nail into the coffin. Like Tycho said: "I forgot that innovation was measured in texture passes."

Its up

New review is up! And just before midnight too!! Enjoy.

It cannot be

....or can it? A new review coming tonight? After months of nothing?

Oh. Hell. Yes.

Finishing that paper certainly got me out of that writing slump, and so I decided it was time to get back to some reviews, starting with one for Onimusha on the PS2. I'm still a little concerned about the overall quality of my review skills, so this one's a bit small so as to ease my way back into it.

There's also a new twist; the review has no score. That's right, I'm ditching the idea of using a score system. I found that in attempting to write several reviews in the last few months, I was more concerned about what score I was going to assign certain games than what I was going to say about them. Far too many gamers look to the final score of a review to be the sole indcator of the quality of a title, and since so many major gaming sites tend to have scores that are skewed on the high side, I have gotten some criticism by friends that my scores are far too low. In fact the very first opinion I ever got about a review was someone telling me that I was an idiot for not liking Max Payne, because said person didn't realize that a 3/5 is not at all a bad score by me. I've also been told that my reviews are sometimes wishy washy, which I beleive may be caused by me trying to fit the writing to the grade.

The solution to all of this seems clear; if there is no score to worry about, then readers have to actually do some reading to judge if they'll like the game, and I can worry about nothing more than what it is I want to discuss about it. I've also tried to shy away from always doing the "all comprehensive" review where every last detail has to be tackled. If the story isn't worth mentioning, or the graphics are just average, I may not give them much attention. Hopefully this will make things a lot less boring.

Will all of this work? I can't really say for sure, but its worth a shot. As always feedback is appreciated, and expect the review by midnight (hopefully!).

Guitar Hero

Perhaps you have heard of Guitar Hero, the newest rythm game on the market. If you haven't, you should, becasue it looks like one of the coolest things to come out this year.

So what makes GH so different than say, japanese favorite Guitar Freaks? Several reasons have been given by the game's fans:

1) two more fret buttons to play with, which leads to many more possibilities.
2) Controller shaped like a Gibson

And most importantly, 3) A soundtrack full of classic American and British rock. This is what I find most appealing. I've played my fair share of DDR, but the main reason I have is becuase of the challenge, not the music. There are very few songs there that I can honestly say I really enjoy playing to (anyone who's played with me knows I never pick the songs. Now you know why). The whole "Japanese for the sake of being so" style of the games also doesn't do much for me. Being able to play some of my favorite songs in Guitar Hero just sounds that much more appealing.

I don't think its a question of "if", but "when" I get around to purchasing this game (not for a while though; Shadow and Dragon Quest 8 sucked up my game reserves). I only hope that next time the DDR gang gets together they don't mind me blowing them to the back of the auditorium (or trying to at least. I never have played guitar).

Quake 4- the Demo

Huh, looks like the Quake 4 demo's out, and I just finished playing it.

The reviews on this game have ranged from everything from "Good ol' school fun" to "far too outdated for its own good." My own opinion lays somewhat in the middle.

First off, the visuals are what you might expect; its Doom 3 with more lighting, and some minimal art design inspired by Quake 2. So, while it looks detailed, it doesn't look interesting. It feels like something you've seen before because you pretty much have.

The actual gunplay is somewhat improved over Doom 3. The weapons here are much more satisfying; the feel powerful when they fire, something that was all too much absent from Doom (the shotgun was the worst offender. Was it even firing shells?). That isn't to say that the enemies will go down quickly; most of the strogg are tough cookies, and even with the help of your squadmates they often won't go down until they're right in your face. Which brings me to another problem; the AI is weak. Enemies are still only smart enough to strafe and blindly charge at you, and your comrades are not much better. This stands out in stark contrast to many of the scripted events you'll witness where Marines are kicking all sorts of ass. Why they suddenly become stupid when tagging along with you makes no sense. Actually, yes it does; Id and Raven, like so many other developers, are still far too worried about making a game look good to even bother much with AI . Considering we've had two generations in a row with identical playing games (and signs that the 360 wont' chagne things), I find this to be a bad trend.

So is it worth it? The weapons and the production values do a good job of giving Quake 4 the intensity and grittiness that one expects from a sci-fi shooter, but there's no denying that the gameplay feels old and tired at this point. At least Doom 3 tried to mask this by constantly trying to surprise the player and instilling them with a sense of dread. Quake 4 seems like a decent pick-up a year from now when its $20 bucks, but in the mean time I think Id and Raven need to hit the drawing board if they don't want to fade into obscurity.

Also, looksl like Bioshock may have found a publisher in Take Two. You may not be familiar with many of Irrational's games, but trust me; if these guys can get a big break, it'll be good for the whole industry.

Desperation Move

Before I left for break, I said something in the blog about getting a truck ton of work finished so that I could return with some peace of mind. I'm proud to say that my mission was accomplished. It was quite an undertaking; the 10 page paper took most of the break to write and my Prolog assignment took me until 4:30 in the morning to complete. I lost two pages of my paper an hour and half before class, and I managed to complete my econ problems while the class was going on and I was eating a chicken parm sandwhich in the student center (and I still got to hand it in at the end of the lecture).

In reality this is only the beginning of my workload for the remainder of the semester, but I feel a lot better beginning the journey with my best foot forward.

I'm pretty sure there were other things I wanted to mention in this post, and now I forget them. Maybe it will come back to more tomorrow. For now, its time for sleep

Book of Root

I don't remember if I ever mentioned the Book of Root project in this space. In any case, it deserves mention now. Its a webcomic that a friend of mine has been trying a very long time to create, and at one point I was going to write for. While I'm not part of the project anymore, it looks like it is finally getting off the ground for reals, which I'm glad to see. Perhaps you will find it entertaining too.

Wax on

Of all days of they year, Thanksgiving should be the very last one in which I feel hungry at 11:00 at night. Yet that is just what happened to me yesterday night. Family Thanksgiving always involves a very large amount of people, making it physically difficult to actually put food on one's plate. I've developed a system over the years that works rather well for firsts, but seconds are still out of the question, so fast are the leftovers removed and stored away. I might have been saved by the traditional midnight turkey sandwhich, but the severity of the local roads after some bad snow caused us to leave early.

No candy on Halloween, not stuffed on Thanksgiving, and now I can't think of anything I want for Christmas. Man I'm really screwing up the holidays.

I have a lot of writing to do today, hopefully this post will get the juices flowing. I spoke to someone last night about how I've been frustrated with any and all writing assignements this semester. This despite having only two major writing assignments so far, and getting grades of an A- and a B respectively. Why am I worrying so much when I'm not even doing C work? I guess its the fact that I still look at everything I type as being pure crap, and that I never have/give myself enough time to complete assignments. Thus every time I hand something in I feel as if this is the one, the bomb that will do my in. If I just did them, turned them in and forgot about it, I'd probably do well enough for myself, probably continue to get A-'s and B's (respectively). But for some reason I enjoy this stuff too much to just say "you're a CS major, you're not supposed to write well." and be done with it. There's something ticking in the back of my mind that keeps saying "you can do better, keep trying." with every page I type. I haven't learned to ignore that yet, and I don't know if I ever will. Is that a bad thing?

A nation of college students mourn over the passing of Mr. Miyagi, and I mourn over the silliness of Black Friday. Doesn't everyone realize that the hottest gift, the Xbox 360, is already sold out? Whatever else might be on sale, I doubt there is a need to trample over people to get to it. And besides, the best sales always come the week before Christmas. Its one of the few reasons I can take pride in being a procrastinator.

My brother spent eight hours one day fixing my grandmother's computer. His reward? A shiny new iPod Nano. And to think I did that shit for free during freshman year. But back to the iPod; this has been the first time I have really got to sit down and play with one. Kinda sad that the only person who has ever trusted me with such a device is my own flesh and blood. I never understood all the hype around these little pieces of hardware, but when I held it and felt the cool factor around me increase, I finally understood. Still too rich for my blood, but my previous idea of buying a non-iPod music device to be "different" from the rest has been effectively shot to shit.

Oh, and the iPod came with Apple stickers, which my brother has slapped on his Dell. It really is like a cult of sorts. Then again, what isn't these days?

Just...wow

This is a quote on the IGN forums commenting on 50 Cent: Bulletproof...

I thought Final Fantasy 7 had a great story line... this game brings out so many emotions in me.. god.. i cant wait for a sequal~!

My friends, this is what is killing the f$%cking industry.

Another news flash; Japanese people are as racist as we are.

Here I go again on my own

Thanksgiving break begins tomorrow. I'll be packing things up and heading back home early, so its time to say goodbye and wish everyone an enjoyable holiday. I myself have quite a lot of work to do and business to take care of, but for some reason it doesn't bug me. If it all works out well, I'll be able to enter the home stretch of the semester with some peace of mind, which would certainly make things easier.


Be safe everyone. And try to play some RPG's. Those are great for the long days off with nothing to do.

Xbox 360

A new console is now among us (or will be tomorrow). I've thought a lot about the Xbox 360, and what it could mean for the industry. Personally, I want to see it do well, for the sole reason that I don't like where Sony wants to take the industry with the PS3, and having an undisputed industry leader 3 generations in a row is just silly.

Still, while I want it to succeed, I am also very much worried about it. I had a whole post on this planned in my head, but it turns out that Eric-Jon Rössel Waugh (one of my favorite game writers of recent) expresses many of the same concerns in the style of a real, professional writer. The console does have a focus tested feel (First time I saw it I thougth "Macintosh + Mountain Dew, and I don't believe that is coincidence), as if every piece of its design exists soley because

a) its currently fashionable
b) Sony would do it.

When I picture the "casual/cool gamer" and "Xbox 360 mega fan", I get the same image. That doesn't sit well with me, not because the console is designed for someone else, but because people don't always know what they want. Catering to them won't make things any better.

Perhaps my biggest concern can be found in this one paragraph by Eric-John:

The 360 is the first out the door, and surprise of surprises, two-thirds of the games on its launch list are either gussied-up current-generation games like Gun and King Kong (both developed for the lowest common denominator of the PS2) or merely the 2005 entries in long-unchanging series like Madden and Need for Speed. Get rid of a couple of PC ports and all you're really left with are two Rare games, neither of which has much to say that we didn't hear a decade ago on the N64 (as pretty as they might be).

A brand new next generation console, and we're playing current gen PC/console ports and a few games stuck in their N64 roots. The same thing happened with the PS2 launch, and to this day there are only a few titles that I can say play better becuase they're on PS2 rather than if they were on PS1. I know they need some time to really show what the 360 can do, but I'm afraid that for a long time we are going to be stuck with games that play no better than they do now. And it will all be in the name of graphics.

All hail the HD-Era, where everything will look pretty. Good luck Microsoft. You may-or may not- be needing it.

Tasty

I'm on fire with these posts. What the heck?

Bad day for me today. Here's the scoop if you are so curious, but realize that it is a link to Livejournal. You should know what to expect. You have been warned.

I have tried out the first half of the FF12 demo. All I can say is this: Vyse and Malak called, Square. They want their games back.

The first thing you'll see is the demo FMV, where you'll discover a land full of air pirates and the evil empire of Arcadia. Now if this isn't a ripoff and stab at Skies of Arcadia I don't know what is. To be fair, the FMV showed some very serious/violent battle scenes which looked rather impressive. It is possible that Square is growing out of the teen angst stage and may have the skills to make a serious dramatic story, but the ripoffs are so abundant that I still don't trust them.

Then we have the combat. Its Knights of the Old Republic with summons everonye. The only difference is that enemies respawn MMO style. I didn't really enjoy the KOTOR system after a while, and I doubt that FF12 won't be winning me over to it.

Perhaps the worse sign for the game is that it just wasn't very interesting. The monsters were generic, as were the party members. FF games have generally done a good job of making each character look (and sometimes play) unique. For example, Tidus is the dude with the water sword. Wakka is the wierdo who fights with a blitzball. Lulu and Yuna look nothing alike. In FF12, we've got three generic looking pirate types with generic swords and bows. There's nothing interesting about them, or the environments they fight in. Whatever heart and soul Final Fantasy may or may not have had, it feels gone here.

This was supposed to be the FF I cared about. The one made by the FF Tactics people, who would take the series and bring it back to its former, pre-playstation glory. But then internal problems began, people jumped ship, and the director went crazy. What was left was given to a man who already tried and failed with the series. The results seem to speak for themselvse. I wanted to see Ivalice, but instead I'll just get a world that just so happens to be named Ivalice. I wanted a new combat system, but instead I'll get one from the "Game of the year" that I didn't even like. At this point, Square isn't even trying anymore. And after playing just two hours of Dragon Quest 8, I almost want the Final Fantasy series to give up the ghost so better, more enjoyable/daring RPG's can have some of the spotlight. But who am I kidding? A PS3 remake of FF VII will guranatee at least 8 more games.

Don't worry though, I won't let Final Fantasy taint this post. Let's finish it up with some awesome sauce.



I'd like to see who'd win....

Dragon Quest 8

When you walk into Gamestop, and the clerk tells you there are two remaining copies of Dragon Quest 8, and no, you don't need a pre-order to buy one, you grab it and never look back. That's what I did tonight during a quick trip to the store.

I really didn't need this game. I've plenty of non gaming things to do, and plenty of stuff to already play. But I don't regret the purchase in the slightest. It was one of those cases where I felt it was my duty as a gamer. When I bought Shadow of the Colossus, I said to myself "This is the kind of game I want to see more of. I need to give these people my full support now, not when its super rare and/or super cheap." With Dragon Quest I said to myself "This is the type of RPG I want to see more of out of Square-Enix, rather than angsty Final Fantasy and silly slop like Romancing saga and Radiata Stories. This game needs my support." And so there you have it. I sincerely hope that DQ 8 succeeds in the states (the whole bundle the FF12 demo with it will certainly help along those lines). All the reviews state that while the game has no innovation, it takes the classic trappings of RPG's and makes them fun again. And since I don't see the RPG genre becoming fresh anytime soon, I'll certainly settle for fun.

No WOW update

Sorry about not posting any WOW impressions. Unfortunately I've only played the game for a total of 3 hours since Saturday. I've simply had too much else to do, and when I do have time to sit down, its either with friends, or with a game that I can pop in for 30 minutes and leave when I need to. WOW seems like the type of thing that requires you to invest at least a good 2 hours at every sitting in order to do anything. That's just not something I'll be able to do this semester. Hopefully I'll be able to get back on sometime before the trial ends, but I'm not betting on it.

What I can say is that the wordl is certainly beautiful, and definitely massive in size. This alone made me want to go explore. That being said, the combat and quests seemed so... archaic. I don't know how many times I could run a glorified fetch quest for experience, or whip up the same spells to kill some generic lizard. Most suprisingly, it doesn't seem to be the type of game I could really get addicted to. Granted, I played for three straight hours, but when I quit I had no massive urge to get right back into it the next day. Maybe that's what everyone says when they start playing.

Also, Dragon Quest 8 is out. I'm drooling at the thoughts.

Time for links. Go.

-The co-owner of the Giants, Robert Tisch, died of cancer. Its shocking to see both men pass away in just a few weeks time, and I hope it doesn't hurt morale. I also hope that the heirs of the franchise manage the team as well as Mara and Tisch did.

This idea is ridiculous, but thankfully I don't think it will catch on.

Colossal achievement

This post has been a long time coming. Time to sit down and actually write it!

I finished Shadow of the Colossus early this weekend. At this point it goes without saying that it has been one of the best gaming experiences I've had in years. What surprised me however was just how moving the ending was. I read someone else who said that it was the greatest love story he's ever seen, and while I wouldn't go that far, SoTC proves just how much romance (as well as tragedy) can be heightened just by the interactive nature of gaming. Developers should take some notes. Not every game has to have a hip hop vibe or teenage angst.

Of course, like many who have finished both Ico and Shadow I have already begun to speculate how both games tie into each other, if at all. I have my own theories, though most have been stated already by much better writers than myself.

I had a coupla missed oppurtunities on Saturday night. I almost saw Serenity this weekend, but the backwards little theatre we went to had a rule that tickets can't be purchased 20 minutes after a film has begun. I was also offered an alcoholic beverage at the restaurant we went to beforehand. It was obvious that the waitress was looking for better tips, which I understand, but since I wasn't paying for the meal I wasn't about to run up the tab for an illegal drink. A cold beer with dinner is nice, but it isn't something I need between now and January.

Some of the coolest cars in existence are up for auction. All I can say is "sweet".

P.S.- I'm playing World of Warcraft now. Or at least a 10 trial of World of Warcraft. I'll make up a seperate post, hopefully tonight, detailing my impressions.

Down for the Count?

So overall, this week felt like 30 hit super combo straight to the gut. I think I have enough credits to continue, but I have to start countering life's big hits a little better.

Tonight is the Loyola College Fall Football Classic, which despite the name, is only a few years old but hugely popular on campus. Its Freshmen vs Sophs and Juniors vs Seniors in flag football, with quite a lot of drunk folk watching from the sidelines. I myself am in a somewhat sticky situation; I'm of course a junior, but live with 5 seniors. If my team loses I'll be hazed and razzed all night long, and if we win I might be locked out of the house (alcohol can do that to people :p). Considering the seniors haven't won a single game they can have this victory, so I suppose I'll take the former option and roll with the punches.

If you go to insertcredit, and look for the "Doom radio Drama" on the front page, you will be treated to something both horrible and hilarious. Don't say I didn't warn you though.

Today is Veteran's day everyone. I hope everyone can take some time out of the day to reflect on the men and women who gave their time and their lives for their nation. Semper Fi soldiers; you may be gone, but never forgotten.

Beatdown

I had two exams in a row today. One was in Economics, a class in which the lectures are the simple, paint by numbers style of a business course, but the exams include rather rigirous multiple choice. Suffice to say that I underestimated the difficulty of the previous test, and learned an important lesson about treating each and every class you take with the utmost seriousness. I made sure not to make the same mistake this time around, and I hope the results will reflect it.

The other midterm was in Programming Languages, a challenging couse taught by the most challenging professor in the CS department. I would probably rate my comfort with the exam as "solid", assuming we exclude the one question that I did not answer. Then again, to my knowledge no one else answered the question either, which I suppose is a good thing for us all considering the situation. Unless my knowledge is incomplete, in which case curve breakers will be flogged.

It'll be back to work for me toinight however, but I might as well take a little bit of time to recoup, and provide some fresh brewed links:

The newest PS3 rumor is that the console will be DRM'ed, so that any games you buy are authenticated for your machine only, thus eliminating rentals, trading and the sale of used games. I don't really belive it will happen; I know Sony has been in the headlines lately about their DRM schemes, but such a strict policy would ruin their market. Is it possible PS3 games will use some form of DRM? At this point it seems a guarantee. But it can't be anything that drastic... its just suicide to think of it.

Talking about how awesome pirates are is all fun and games until some of them try to kill you on a cruise ship. This is just another reason for me to prefer ninjas; they wouldn't waste their skills on innocent people. They have death matches to fulfill....

As a rule of thumb, I absolutely hate tooting my own horn, or even giving the appearence of doing so. But the following comments made by Warren Spector about Rockstar games and the industry as a whole are almost to the T the exact same things I said in a debate I had this summer with two of my best friends (who are also the most hardcore gamers I know). It is pretty amazing to see something I said about the industry being repeated by such a gaming legend. Maybe, just maybe, my crazy comments aren't so crazy after all.

Stuff Get!

My brother came down for the weekend, and so far it has been great. Just being able to chill and do whatever we want at our own pace has been a refreshing change of pace. Unfortunately I still have a boatload of homework to do, but I can get it done.

I also had my interview for the NSA/I-fund scholarship, and I really can't say how good or bad I did on it. Some questions were easy to answer, while others caught me a bit off guard. Considering my bad luck with these types of things, I have in my head what I think the outcome will be, but I'll try not to dwell on it so as not to jinx me.

Finally, I bought two items today that are completely opposite sides of the spectrum. In one corner is Revenge of the Sith, which is generally loathed among the geeks of the world. Personally, I don't really care what they think. Only two people I've met have bettered my knowledge of Star Wars and its lore, and I find it to be a fine movie indeed. It also seems that compaining and dissenting about everything and anything it has become cool among the geek population these days, so I'll simply enjoy the film and ignore their bemoaning.

Second is the obscure Gamecube game P.N. 03. It is part of the infamous "Capcom 5" , and got as mixed reviews as possible upon its release. Due to my love of Capcom, obscure titles, and the reccomendation of the hardcore shoot 'em up community, however, I figured I'd give it a go. We shall see I suppose.

In my English Lit class we are currently reading a book titled Sister Carrie, by Theodore Dreiser. In one part of the novel, two of the main characters declare their love for each other, spend lots of time together... but don't quite yet begin an affair. But as a result of this, the man's wife divorces him, and the woman's friend and provider tells her to leave. The catch? - the wife and friend made their decisions based purely on word of mouth rather than any concrete proof. On the other hand, while a true affair hadn't blossomed at the time, there is no doubt it would have, making the actions of the accusers somewhat legitimate. Being a Naturalist work, the novel also seems to imply that these actoins are somewhat inherent in our nature. Its something we do even if we don't mean to.

Anyway, the reason I bring this confusing tale is that I find myself in a similar situation. I made a decision a few days ago about a friend, a decision that was certainly rash and arguably unecessary. I've been thinking a lot about it since then. Like the characters in the book, I made my choice based solely on implications, assumptions, and the words of a few people. And yet, as stupid as that was, something keeps telling me that in the long run, perhaps the choice I made was the right one, and I just haven't realized it yet.

One thing I've learned from reading Carrie is that the best thing to do is to stand by your decisions and live with the repercussions. I'm certainly prepared to do that, though I wish nature wouldn't be so cruel.

Scary things

So last night. Yes, it was certainly the most boring, uneventful Halloween I have ever witnessed. Being under age (really gets to you when you're only a few months away), I couldn't go out with 90% of my friends. The closest I had to a good time was watching them shamble in drunk as hell, telling me about all the fun I missed. But I don't begrduge them; I'd probably do the same thing.

Then there were my other friends, or should I put "friends" in quotation marks. I have always been under the assumption that when someone says "nothing is happening now, but I'll call you in an hour or so." it means that, well, said person is going to call you. When they don't, you could chalk it up to forgetfulness, but this isn't the first time I've been excluded from gatherings. I've thought for a little while now that these people just don't want me around, and last night was just a little bit more proof. At this point even an honest, simple explanation feels like wishful thinking.

At least I managed to beat another Colossi last night. That always makes a man feel like a giant.

Speaking of Giants, their victory on Sunday was what dreams are made of. I was speechless. To shutout one of the best teams in the league with a strong defense and running game (hallmarks of Giants strategy), and for Tiki Barber to have a career day. I can't think of a better way to honor Wellington Mara. Well, I can think of one other thing; a Super Bowl ring.

We all know Sony can be pretty damn petty and evil. But installing rootkits on computers as part of your DRM scheme? For shame. I don't think I can trust you again. Not unless you make it worth my while. Hint hint.

7...8...11?

Yes ladies and Gentlemen, The King of Fighters 11 is out! In Japan!! No one cares but me!! In all honesty though, I look forward to watching some gameplay videos to see what they've done, and hope that the assholes at Sony don't prevent a U.S. PS2 release of the game (since Sony does in fact try to limit the amount of 2D games on their console, like it is some sort of crippling anathema.)

Half Life: The Lost Coast is out as well, but I don't think it will run too well on my machine. If only Kita were running well, I could get a serious look at it.

Chicago has won the World Series, and no one seems to know it. I've seen some quiet playoff seasons before, but this one was kinda sad. This is also the first time I've made a World Series prediction for a team back in preseason and have it come true. Go luck, since I don't think it was due to my own skills.

And finally, this. I don't know what to make of it. Is it even real?

R.I.P.

New York Giants owner Wellington Mara passed away at the age of 89. While I only recently knew of the many great things he did for the league, I have always known just how much he cared about his team, his players, and the fans. I can only hope that in the future the club is run with the same passion that Mara had.

Mr. Mara, your father was the one who "pulled football over New York", but it was you that kept it there for so many great years. Thanks.

Yesterday had some incredibly cold, nasty weather. It somewhat surprised me at first, to see such a sudden change in temperature. Then I looked at my watch, and realized that yes, it certainly was October 25th. Fall is waning, though it went by so fast that I don't think I saw it beginning.

Anyway, despite my love for the summer months, I find something appealing in those afternoons in late fall, where the sky is dark gray with clouds, leaves dot the grass and a strong wind is blowing the rest off of the trees. Not sure why I like this; I guess it evokes something poetic.

Gamers love to make fun of the Spike TV gaming awards, but this year even casual gamers can get in on the fun. Look at these nominations, and tell me how many of those titles are actaully out on shelves. Even better, you might like to know that some may not even be out by the time the show airs in November. Say it with me now: Payola baby.

Lastly, the NES turns 20 this year. Happy birthday buddy; like many a gamer, I wouldnt' have found my hobby if it wasnt' for you. Next year I'll buy you a drink when you turn 21.

Phew

Busy day today. We had people from ABET come to evaluate the computer science department (meaning asking students lots of questions), and I had to do some running around to get permission for a math class next spring. This is my first chance to sit down today, though after this post, my time sitting will also be time studying for an exam. Yes, it certainly is the start of a new week....

Anyway, I saw this news piece, and was reminded of how much I miss Calvin and Hobbes. Easily one of the most intelligent, funny, and sincere comics of our time. I didn't realize just how young Waterson is - I always thought the strip ended because he was simply too old, though I can understand his wanting to quit while he was ahead. With the current state of comics these days, it is one of the few that will be remembered in a positive light.

I started Shadow of the Colossus last night, though I only beat the first Colossi. More impressions as I get farther into it, but for now, I know this: I don't know if I can ever go back to collecting stupid coins or doodads in platformers or adventure games. Unless it is a Mario game, for he is the Godfather.

Done....

For a long time now, my list of top 5 favorite games ever has looked like this

1. Soul Calibur
2. Ocarina of Time
3. Half Life Duology
4. Deus Ex
5. The Fallout Duology

After tonight, however, there's been a change.

1. Soul Calibur
2. Ocarina of Time
3. Half Life Duology
4. Deus Ex
5. Ico

Yeah, it was that good.

Business

So I went to mall today to take care of some business and buy some things I needed/wanted. Unfortunately I realized that most of said things cost far more than I expected them to, and thus I refrained from purchase (I'll just make do as always). I did get a new phone however, since my old one's screen has been dead for quite some time. Its simple little guy, nothing flashy, but that's all I really need. I had to get a new contract as well, but I was intending to do so anyway; my original plan was under my parent's name, which meant I wasn't authorized to make any changes to it or utilize any upgrades. This will be much easier in the future.

I also made the mistake of walking into Power Gamer, a local owned game store full of games both old and new, import and domestic. I like to support this business as much as I can, and so I often buy stuff from them even if I can get the same thing at EB (which usually dosen't happen, since the stuff I get at PG is often on the obscure end of the spectrum.) Anyway, they were the only store in the area to have a particular, brand new game I've been pining for, and it was only $40 versus the standard $50. Thus, being the consumer whore that I am, I walked out with a copy of Shadow of the Colossus. I don't regret my choice; anything made by the people behind Ico is worth looking at (and I haven't even finished Ico: that's how good it is), and from what I'm hearing, word of mouth is rapidly spreading, and the title is selling out in a lot of populated areas. If it becomes one of those rare gems that no one can find after a year, I'll be even happier with my choice.

An old co-worker of mine from Wal-Mart, who also happens to be a good friend, has had a chance to try out the Xbox 360 demo kiosk they just got. His initial reactions are not too positive. The two demos they had were for King Kong and Kameo, and while they played well enough, he said that both games sported a terrible amount of jaggies nad graphical glitches. I'll have to see it myself before I pass any sort of judgement, but if this is true let's hope that these are simply early builds being presented and that this is not foreshadowing of the upcoming launch. Right now the pessimist inside is saying that the latter could be the case; reports on a lot of multiplatform ports (like American Wasteland and Madden '06) are saying that the 360 adds little if any graphical upgrades. If that's the case, then we may have a next generation launch that doesn't really usher in the next generation. And if that's the case, then a lot of people may end up waiting for the Playstation 3's release to get their first taste of the future. We'll see come November....

THAW ing it up

So the reviews for Tony Hawk's American Wasteland are out, and the general consensus seems to be "the series is getting old, but this is still better than the two Underground games that preceded it." For one, this makes me feel better, since I had a bad feeling about the Underground duology and thus never played them. However, I also wonder why, if American Wasteland is so much better, both Undergrounds scored in the upper 9.0 range on most every review site. This isn't the first time I've seen reviews mention dissapointment with an old game that received fabulous scores. Perhaps we should haev a month waiting period so the hype cools down and games can be rated for what they're worth. I know that sounds ridiculous, but it also seems to be the only way.

I just read an article in USA Today about how the gender gap in colleges is continuing to grow, with women becoming the clear majority on college campuses. I won't go too far into my views on gender equality, but I will say that a generation of poorly educated and unprepared men would be harmful for everyone. Whether it be today or 100 years ago, it seems that the world can only give attention to one gender. Does it really have to be that way?

DQ 8

So yeah, when I said update on Dragon Quest 8 that night, I meant Wed. night. Actually, I just got real busy and never had a chance to do it. So let us begin now, shall we?

Simply put, Dragon Quest VIII represents what the RPG genre should have been during the PS2 generation. No crazy FMV's to worry about, no agnsty teens and convoluted plots. Its just classic RPG gameplay with the option for some interesting customizations (looks like Enix borrowed a few good ideas from American RPGs). It is also a simple but enjoyable story that tries to entertain rather than confuse.

What is most important however, is the gameworld. Traditional RPG overworlds are strange, pseudo representations of the continent you're traveling. You cross small patches of forest and plains, get into a random battle (which is rendered completely differently), and your character model is the size of a town. This was acceptable back in the days of the NES, but in modern times it would be nice to actaully explore the world. You can do that in DQ 8. Its kinda like an MMO; if you see a path, you can walk it. See a forest, and you can actually go through it (with all the trees and whatnot rendered in full). Have you ever seen an anime where the characters are traversing some random lush countryside, getting into random adventures? DQ 8 is the closest thing to that in the game world, and it's just great. It seems you'll spend as much time exploring as your will completing quests.

Then there is the attention to detail. The cell shaded, Akira Toriyama designed characters look great, and everywhere you visit is full of detail, be it the random plates and cups in the bar or the erratic patches of moss growing in a cave. These little details immerse the player into the world, rather than making them guess what makes one area different than another. The whole game feels natural.

Oh, and the voices; all crazy European accents. Its all well done, and very different than what gamers are used to.

So yes everyone, I am excited about a game from Square Enix. I think I might preorder it. I guess that's because this one is coming from the Enix side rather than the cancer that Square has become. If you can get your hands on the demo I highly reccomend it, and if you can't, you'll just have to wait until the end of November to buy it.

I don't have a picture to link to right now, but see if you can find a picture of the Xbox 360 power supply. Thing is almost as big as a Gamecube. Not a huge deal if it all just goes behind the entertainment set, but now I wonder: can it be used as a backup generator?

Its here!

Dragon Quest VII demo. Its sitting next to me rightn now. Full report tonight.

Neogtiations Finished

Well actually, there were no negotiations to be had at all in ending my AIM strike. The week simply ended, and now I'm back on. I must say, however, that it went surprisingly well. Whether I engaged in homework, gaming or simple socializing with other people in the dorm, I was able to focus my complete attention on it, instead of worrying about a message window booting me from a game, or people being offended by my absence. In all honesty I'd like to continue to it, but alas, there are still certain people that I like to stay in some contact with, and until they realize that phone and email are perfectly feasible forms of communication, the instant messenger will stay on.

I was bugged by someone I know to give my impressions on the Opera web browser. I've used it long enough now that I think I can do such a thing.

First, the good. The browser has most of the wonderful features found in Firefox, such as tabbed browsing, pop-up blocking and the google searchbar. However, there are a couple of ways in which Opera trounces the Fox. For one, the browser will save any pages you were looking at when you exit it so that you can go back to them again when you re-open it. If I'm not mistaken, Firefox requires a plugin for this feature; at the very least it doesn't enable it as a default option like Opera does The browser also features a great deal of options dealing with securty, appearance and saved information. You don't have to play with any of it, but its nice to have the choice regardless. Personally, I found that Opera's best feature is that it loads any and all new windows in a tab. The whole point of using tabs is to condense the entire browsing experience into one window, and Opera seems to understand that a bit better than Mozilla. Opera also has a cool feature called mouse gestures, which allows you to move back and forward by moving the mouse rather than clicking anything, but I'm afraid old habits die hard and I never really used the feature. Still, it is there for those who are curious.

Unfortunatley, what flaws Opera does have happen to be pretty killer. The worst is that many pages don't load correctly. I know Firefox has this problem as well with many IE specific sites, but it seems to be a much less frequent occurance. Also, Opera's inccorect rendering will often cripple whatever it is you are looking at. If I search for something on Gamefaqs, the best matches (aka the thing/s you're looking for) are cut off and cannot be clicked. When going to Gamespy, you often cannot click through the big promo ads it often has; they just get constantly reloaded again and again. These are just two examples I can think of, but I have certainly ran into more.

Secondly, it doesn't seem that Opera supports any plugins at all. Most of the time, Firefox plugins happen to be silly fluff that is more distracting than anything, but I have found quite a few useful ones, and it would be nice to see such adaptability in Opera.

So, will I decide to stick with Opera permanently? I'm afraid not. I'll be keeping it on my harddrive for sure; it seems to be more lightweight than Firefox, so I can keep it open while playing a game and not have to fear about wasting memory. But overall it seems Firefox edges it out, so long as you routinely delete saved page information so it doesn't load at a snail's pace (like it did for me :( ).

I'm now in the middle of two new games, on complete opposite sides of the gaming spectrum (though I like them both very much). The first is Doom 3, which, while archaic in its gameplay, is so full of good zombie busting action that I can't help but have a lot of fun with it. Many pretentious, pseudo-intellectual type gamers have scoffed at it, but to them I say that anime hair and angsty storytelling does not a good game make. There's nothing wrong with watching a good action film, and I believe the same applies to gaming as well.

I'm also working through Ico, and I must admit that all of the good words and praise it has received is well deserved. It is a captivating and magnificent work, and I can see why it is often considered a piece of art by its fans. I can't really describe why this it is so great, other than saying that Ico is in many ways the gaming equivalent of an arthouse film, minus the crazy abstract concepts that no one can understand. But more on that when I finish the game. I'm actually somewhat glad that Ico is rather short, becasue it means I can go out and rent this sometime in the very near future.

Tonight there may be another post, but unless you're a 2d Fighting game dieahrd it probably won't be worth reading.

Beyond Blog and Evil

So the AIM Strike contniues, and so far its been interesting. I certainly seem to focus a lot more on my work and/or leisure, though I am sure quite a few people are wondering where I am (though since all those people are on campus they can easily find me or call me if they choose).

I don't know how one gets the credentials for becoming an analyst, but considering what has come out of their mouths recently I'm willing to bet that even Loyola's business majors would be over qualified. First they predict the Nintendo Revolution won't push past a million units after a year (even if it doens't catch on, the Nintendo fanbase can rack up a million in 12 months...), and now they reportthis. It's not like PC gaming has never been declared dead before, I just don't see how they can keep saying it when history proves them wrong time and again.

Tonight I finished Beyond Good and Evil (the game, not the book). Expect a review soon. In terms of quality, I'd rank it as better than average, but not on the levels of Zelda or Metroid in the action/adventure genre. Yet it got me thinking about a lot of things, far more than a lot of games lately.

The next title I'll be taking a crack at is the ps2 cult classic Ico. This is a rather interesting time to be playing this game, as its spiritual successor Shadow of the Colossus is almost ready for release.

That reminds me; there's a lot of good stuff coming out. Other than Shadow, there is the Gamecube Fire Emblem, Serious Sam 2, Call of Duty 2, and yes, Soul Calibur 3. Good thing I finally have a Blockbuster video close by, though some of these may end up being purchases. I hope some checks start rolling in from work...

So it seems that UNICEF has made a commercial in which the Smurfs get carpet bombed to death. You can find it online if you look hard enough (the link I saw it through seems to be dead now). I don't know what to think of it: they're trying to make a point, but the events in the ad happen so fast that it didn't really phase me, and I used to love the Smurfs as a kid. In fact, I think I actually laughed at the ad because of the cheesy special effects it used. And thus, the anti-Goldwater ad with the girl in field and the nuke is still my vote for most shocking ad I've seen.

This weekend is my school's fall "break", aka a three day weekend. That means that half the campus will be heading home, even though home is 5 or more hours away. I've never seen why so many people do this just because there's one more day off. At most it nets you an extra half day when you throw in traveling. Then again, if you don't have classes on Monday, or just skip them, then the break becomes much more significant. As for me, I'll be spending it catching up on as much work as I can. I'm on a roll so far with my grades, and I can't let it stop.