Guitar Hero.
F-ing Guitar Hero.
More later...
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Salvo
Couple of quick things on my mind today;
-Gas Prices. They're incredibly high again. Meanwhile oil companies are having skyrocketing profits. Does anyone other than me see these two things and not wonder what the hell is going on? I've heard that some people are pushing for probes into price fixing, and I fully support this. Hell, I even believe some of the politicians (some, not all) that claim they are trying to help. Even greedy bastards don't like to see the economy suffer. That is, unless you're one of the greedy bastards from this current administration with powerful ties to Big Oil, who are probably a large reason as for why Exxon and pals are rolling in the green.
- As a gamer, I'm a little nervous about all this talk to disband FEMA and make something better. Once I hear that Walton Simons is appointed leader, I'm running for the hills (+1 if you get the joke. Classic, classic game right there folks).
- Am I the only one who thinks that this new Coalition of Canadian artists against DRM is nothing more than a publicity stunt? Look at the list of artists who support it, and tell me they are more than just talking heads. When Avril lets people buy her new album with no copy protection, then I'll believe that this is legit.
- If you haven't heard, Nintendo has given us the official name for the Revolution. Its now called the Wii, pronounced "we". I suppose I'll join the rest of the Internet trolls in saying I don't like it, though not becasue "omfg! itsl ike sooO gay!!" In fact, I find that the name makes a lot of sense considering Nintendo's vision for the console. My problem with it stems from two things
1) The Revolution was a badass name. It had balls to it, and it was obvious from the get go just what this system was all about. I suppose Nintendo was a bit afraid that calling it the Revolution meant that they really had to step up to the plate, but the fact that it calls up much more potent imagery than Wii makes it a better name in my opinion.
2) Console names generally suck, and they don't always tell you what you're getting, but one of the key aspects of most names is that they're unique in the context of electronics. There's no device you're going to confuse with the Xbox or the Playstation in your home theatre. Saturn may be a car company, but in the land of gizmos and gadgets it was another unique name. Same for Gamecube, Dreamcast, Genesis etc.
But the Wii? If I told someone I was about to go play with my Wii they wouldn't know what I was talking about (or they'd think I was going to go masturbate). While the name fits the vision, it cannot stand out at all when it is pronounced like one of the most common words in the English language. I'm very curious to see the opinions of the non-Internet public about this name. Either it is really brilliant or really silly.
-Gas Prices. They're incredibly high again. Meanwhile oil companies are having skyrocketing profits. Does anyone other than me see these two things and not wonder what the hell is going on? I've heard that some people are pushing for probes into price fixing, and I fully support this. Hell, I even believe some of the politicians (some, not all) that claim they are trying to help. Even greedy bastards don't like to see the economy suffer. That is, unless you're one of the greedy bastards from this current administration with powerful ties to Big Oil, who are probably a large reason as for why Exxon and pals are rolling in the green.
- As a gamer, I'm a little nervous about all this talk to disband FEMA and make something better. Once I hear that Walton Simons is appointed leader, I'm running for the hills (+1 if you get the joke. Classic, classic game right there folks).
- Am I the only one who thinks that this new Coalition of Canadian artists against DRM is nothing more than a publicity stunt? Look at the list of artists who support it, and tell me they are more than just talking heads. When Avril lets people buy her new album with no copy protection, then I'll believe that this is legit.
- If you haven't heard, Nintendo has given us the official name for the Revolution. Its now called the Wii, pronounced "we". I suppose I'll join the rest of the Internet trolls in saying I don't like it, though not becasue "omfg! itsl ike sooO gay!!" In fact, I find that the name makes a lot of sense considering Nintendo's vision for the console. My problem with it stems from two things
1) The Revolution was a badass name. It had balls to it, and it was obvious from the get go just what this system was all about. I suppose Nintendo was a bit afraid that calling it the Revolution meant that they really had to step up to the plate, but the fact that it calls up much more potent imagery than Wii makes it a better name in my opinion.
2) Console names generally suck, and they don't always tell you what you're getting, but one of the key aspects of most names is that they're unique in the context of electronics. There's no device you're going to confuse with the Xbox or the Playstation in your home theatre. Saturn may be a car company, but in the land of gizmos and gadgets it was another unique name. Same for Gamecube, Dreamcast, Genesis etc.
But the Wii? If I told someone I was about to go play with my Wii they wouldn't know what I was talking about (or they'd think I was going to go masturbate). While the name fits the vision, it cannot stand out at all when it is pronounced like one of the most common words in the English language. I'm very curious to see the opinions of the non-Internet public about this name. Either it is really brilliant or really silly.
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Giant Death Robot
Which Colossal Death Robot Are You?
Brought to you by Rum and Monkey
So he may not destroy much, but Bender is certainly one of my favorite robots out there. I'm pleased with the results.
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Thoughts
There's a rule of sorts, among Final Fantasy fans, that all the odd numbered games are "system" entries, meant for combat and gameplay changes, while the evens are "story games". I find this rule to be as silly as they come; FF7 is highly regarded for its story (even if I dislike it), while 2 and 8 aren't exactly classic tales. Meanwhile no one is raving about FF9's combat. There are some entries that follow the rules - 3 through 6 come to mind for me, but in general I find it is more coincidence than anything.
Whatever is the case, I'm finding that the more I play FFX, the more respect I continue to have for it. This is easily the most impressive mainline entry (meaning not FF Tactics) that I've played since 6.
I'm not going to go into a full review (that would require finsihing), but I'd like to talk a little bit about the story. Like the Playstation entries, X still focuses heavily on cutscenes and story segments. What is amazing is that for the first time, it doesn't bother me. I'm actually interested in the plot. It isn't perfect, or even that original, but I can detect a definite maturity to it that just wasn't present in past entries.
An example if you will (I suppose spoiler alerts are in order if you haven't played FF7, though at this point you probably won't ever play it, so read on!). I was watching my roomate play 7 the other day. He reached one of the more critical stages of the plot, when meteor is summoned, Cloud is missing and most of the major plot twists seem to have been revealed. Its all doom and gloom among the cast, and the prevailing emotion seems to be "its all over now, so lets just bide our time." At this point I decided to complete give up on the story of FF7. Here it was, only a few hours into the second disc, and the stage has been setup for the end game. What were the writers thinking? We all know this isn't the end. The heroes will prevail, everything will turn out okay... what the hell else could they fill the rest of the game with? (please don't tell me fans, I honestly don't care) Whatever it may be, I doubt it can be that interesting. FF7's story is much like its fans. I envision it being like a hyperactive teen screaming "OMFG I've this super awesome story that you just have to watch right right now because its so mature kthxbye!!", followed by Barrett tossing random swear words while the other characters make no sense whatsoever. It tries to use plot twists and foul language in an attempt to be serious and mature, but like a young, naive writer it has no clue what the hell to do with any of it.
Then we have FF8. More ellipses than I've ever seen in an RPG. Why so many pauses?
.... I just don't know....
Anyway, FF8 isn't quite as immature as 7, but it has the angsty/emo vibe of a college kid. A good try, but not enough to grab me.
Then there is FFx. For once we have characters that have real emotions, real reasons for how they behave. They can still be erratic, but when Tidus runs towards the water and swims after Sin, I actually understand why. Hell, I know I would do the same. The characters feel human for once, and I'm actually concerned about their wellbeing.
Furthermore, the plot is much more mature in how it progresses. I just got through a rather major event, one that occurred less than ten hours into the game. Right from the start I knew that shit was going to go down. People were going to die, things were going to be revealed. I never expected something this dramatic to happen so early in the plot, but there it was, and it worked brilliantly. This was not FF7. This was a game that was saying "You and I both know this isn't the end. Far from it in fact. I'm simply giving you a taste of what I can do." It isn't perfect, but the story is trying. It is maturing. It is giving me a reason to give a damn, it isn't pulling any punches, and it is getting better at using plot twists and character development effectively, rather than throwing them about haphazardly. Simply put, I'm hooked, and if the stories from games like FF12 and Nintey Nine Nights truly are as good as I hear, then perhaps we really will get to an era were RPG stories aren't one giant anime cliche.
A couple parting shots for you all;
Command and Conquer 3 has been announced. This is one of the few series that still has not been destroyed by EA. Let's hope the trend continues. With this, Rise of Legends and Supreme Commander (or whatever Chris Taylor's new game is called) in the works, perhaps the genre will see a rebirth of sorts.
Keita Takahashi doesn't like the Revolution controller? I don't care if the man made Katamari Damacy; he's starting to piss me off. Not because he seems to be hating on Nintendo, but because I've yet to see an interview with the guy in which he doesn't sound like a disenfranchised hipster. Newsflash Keita; you're not too cool for school. Go make more than one game (and one that isn't a spiced up version of super monkey ball) and then you can talk.
Whatever is the case, I'm finding that the more I play FFX, the more respect I continue to have for it. This is easily the most impressive mainline entry (meaning not FF Tactics) that I've played since 6.
I'm not going to go into a full review (that would require finsihing), but I'd like to talk a little bit about the story. Like the Playstation entries, X still focuses heavily on cutscenes and story segments. What is amazing is that for the first time, it doesn't bother me. I'm actually interested in the plot. It isn't perfect, or even that original, but I can detect a definite maturity to it that just wasn't present in past entries.
An example if you will (I suppose spoiler alerts are in order if you haven't played FF7, though at this point you probably won't ever play it, so read on!). I was watching my roomate play 7 the other day. He reached one of the more critical stages of the plot, when meteor is summoned, Cloud is missing and most of the major plot twists seem to have been revealed. Its all doom and gloom among the cast, and the prevailing emotion seems to be "its all over now, so lets just bide our time." At this point I decided to complete give up on the story of FF7. Here it was, only a few hours into the second disc, and the stage has been setup for the end game. What were the writers thinking? We all know this isn't the end. The heroes will prevail, everything will turn out okay... what the hell else could they fill the rest of the game with? (please don't tell me fans, I honestly don't care) Whatever it may be, I doubt it can be that interesting. FF7's story is much like its fans. I envision it being like a hyperactive teen screaming "OMFG I've this super awesome story that you just have to watch right right now because its so mature kthxbye!!", followed by Barrett tossing random swear words while the other characters make no sense whatsoever. It tries to use plot twists and foul language in an attempt to be serious and mature, but like a young, naive writer it has no clue what the hell to do with any of it.
Then we have FF8. More ellipses than I've ever seen in an RPG. Why so many pauses?
.... I just don't know....
Anyway, FF8 isn't quite as immature as 7, but it has the angsty/emo vibe of a college kid. A good try, but not enough to grab me.
Then there is FFx. For once we have characters that have real emotions, real reasons for how they behave. They can still be erratic, but when Tidus runs towards the water and swims after Sin, I actually understand why. Hell, I know I would do the same. The characters feel human for once, and I'm actually concerned about their wellbeing.
Furthermore, the plot is much more mature in how it progresses. I just got through a rather major event, one that occurred less than ten hours into the game. Right from the start I knew that shit was going to go down. People were going to die, things were going to be revealed. I never expected something this dramatic to happen so early in the plot, but there it was, and it worked brilliantly. This was not FF7. This was a game that was saying "You and I both know this isn't the end. Far from it in fact. I'm simply giving you a taste of what I can do." It isn't perfect, but the story is trying. It is maturing. It is giving me a reason to give a damn, it isn't pulling any punches, and it is getting better at using plot twists and character development effectively, rather than throwing them about haphazardly. Simply put, I'm hooked, and if the stories from games like FF12 and Nintey Nine Nights truly are as good as I hear, then perhaps we really will get to an era were RPG stories aren't one giant anime cliche.
A couple parting shots for you all;
Command and Conquer 3 has been announced. This is one of the few series that still has not been destroyed by EA. Let's hope the trend continues. With this, Rise of Legends and Supreme Commander (or whatever Chris Taylor's new game is called) in the works, perhaps the genre will see a rebirth of sorts.
Keita Takahashi doesn't like the Revolution controller? I don't care if the man made Katamari Damacy; he's starting to piss me off. Not because he seems to be hating on Nintendo, but because I've yet to see an interview with the guy in which he doesn't sound like a disenfranchised hipster. Newsflash Keita; you're not too cool for school. Go make more than one game (and one that isn't a spiced up version of super monkey ball) and then you can talk.
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
End Break
Easter Break is finished, and now the home stretch begins. Thankfully I feel incredibly well for it. I'm not sure why, maybe I actually recharged my batteries during break, or perhaps it is the weather. In any case, I hope to be much more productive in the coming few weeks before the semester ends.
Couple of things to get through in today's update:
- I bought an old copy of Final Fantasy X over the break. I will wait for comments...
Okay, now that everyone who wants to has called me a hypocrite, I will say this: my faith has been restored in this series. A lot of the "true fans" of Final Fantasy have been upset with Square lately, what with FF X-2, making FFXI into an MMO, and denying them an FF7 remake while working hard on the now very controversial FF12. All I know is that I think we have a winner with FF12 if Square learned a few lessons from X, and if the work of the original FF Tactics team is still intact. Its silly how much stupid shit they fixed in X, and I look forward to more.
- Is E3 coming around soon? I'm... pretty sure its this week or next. I don't actually see myself reading about it until afterwards. The daily coverage is often... too much, and considering certain sites seem to be charging for the good video downloads, I think I'll wait for the dust to settle and swoop in for the best scoops.
- I finally got a chance to watch Firefly on DVD. To all you browncoats I know personally; you were right. It really is a damn good show. I can see now why you said it makes Serenity that much better of a film (though even then, I still have some issue with the movie). The show on the other hand is pure gold. Incredibly natural dialogue, fast snappy plots, and very little of the over dramatic, ham-fisted bullshit found in many Sci Fi shows. I do have a few issues with it overall; The alliance is both unoriginal and underused, at least in the first 8 episodes, and I find the mix of technology and old west style to be a little too random at times. However these are pretty minor in light of all the good it brings to the table. And to think that despite the stellar DVD sales, this show still can't find a way back on TV, while Family Guy has become the biggest thing since the Simpsons. I guess there is no accounting for taste when it comes to Television audiences.
- The Mets are the best team in baseball. Someone pinch me?
Couple of things to get through in today's update:
- I bought an old copy of Final Fantasy X over the break. I will wait for comments...
Okay, now that everyone who wants to has called me a hypocrite, I will say this: my faith has been restored in this series. A lot of the "true fans" of Final Fantasy have been upset with Square lately, what with FF X-2, making FFXI into an MMO, and denying them an FF7 remake while working hard on the now very controversial FF12. All I know is that I think we have a winner with FF12 if Square learned a few lessons from X, and if the work of the original FF Tactics team is still intact. Its silly how much stupid shit they fixed in X, and I look forward to more.
- Is E3 coming around soon? I'm... pretty sure its this week or next. I don't actually see myself reading about it until afterwards. The daily coverage is often... too much, and considering certain sites seem to be charging for the good video downloads, I think I'll wait for the dust to settle and swoop in for the best scoops.
- I finally got a chance to watch Firefly on DVD. To all you browncoats I know personally; you were right. It really is a damn good show. I can see now why you said it makes Serenity that much better of a film (though even then, I still have some issue with the movie). The show on the other hand is pure gold. Incredibly natural dialogue, fast snappy plots, and very little of the over dramatic, ham-fisted bullshit found in many Sci Fi shows. I do have a few issues with it overall; The alliance is both unoriginal and underused, at least in the first 8 episodes, and I find the mix of technology and old west style to be a little too random at times. However these are pretty minor in light of all the good it brings to the table. And to think that despite the stellar DVD sales, this show still can't find a way back on TV, while Family Guy has become the biggest thing since the Simpsons. I guess there is no accounting for taste when it comes to Television audiences.
- The Mets are the best team in baseball. Someone pinch me?
Friday, April 14, 2006
I'm back!
Has it realy been almost two weeks since my last post? A combination of work, illness and a lack of motivation have all combined to make a lazy and slothful me. But I've returned home for Easter Break, and am in much better spirits. I'm going to try to create a more robust post for later, but for now I've got a couple of things to get off my chest:
-I've always joked about how many liquors have gone from being sophisticated spirits to Jolly Rancher flavored junk for young, mostly underaged teens and college kids. Yesterday I saw Watermelon flavored rum for the first time in my life. That means we've got lemon, orange, melon, raspberry, green apple and banana. I suppose the joke is in fact reality; looks like we've got all the flavors but grape (and I bet that's out there and I just don't know about it).
-So the Mets are off to a fantastic start, and all the New York sports media can talk about is the Yankees' home opener and how they are a threat with a record barely over .500. I think the Mets could win the Penant and the critics would still spend their time talking about how the Yanks "almost made it". Ain't no respect for the Amazins'.
-I was reading a back issue of the dismal Game Informer magazine (my brother got one of those dreaded gamestop subscriptions), and read an interesting letter from a reader concerned about the 8.5 score given toTrue Crime NY, a game which has been decmiated in just about every review I've read. In the typical fashion of poor journalists and drooling fanboys, the GI response was the typical "how can you criticize our opinion when you haven't played the game?" This is always their defense; don't cry foul if you haven't tried it yourself. This might sound like a fair critique, but it isn't, not in the slightest. By this logic I should be trying to play every game that comes out. Even through renting this is an impossible and costly task. Truth is, you can't expect every gamer to play every game out there. No, we rely on good, critical reviews and opinions to help us figure out what is worth playing and what isn't. Then maybe we'll give it a shot, and we can formulate an agreeing/dissenting opinion. This isn't easy to do when one magazine gives a high -and rather suspect - score to a game that is generally agreed upon to be horrid. What if I buy the game on your good word GI and find that it really is trash? Will you listen to my own review of the game, or would you be like every forum fanboy on the internet and disregard it by saying "well that's just your opinion" because you know you're a bunch of dishonest and uncredible "journalists" who don't know how to give a game less than a score of 6. The entire "have you played it?" argument is just a backup for gamers who know that their glowing opinion of a game is completely unfounded and ridiculous and would be absolutely destroyed by a solid and well constructed arguement.
On second thought, why do I even pick up that stupid magazine in the first place? Am I asking for pain or what?
-I've always joked about how many liquors have gone from being sophisticated spirits to Jolly Rancher flavored junk for young, mostly underaged teens and college kids. Yesterday I saw Watermelon flavored rum for the first time in my life. That means we've got lemon, orange, melon, raspberry, green apple and banana. I suppose the joke is in fact reality; looks like we've got all the flavors but grape (and I bet that's out there and I just don't know about it).
-So the Mets are off to a fantastic start, and all the New York sports media can talk about is the Yankees' home opener and how they are a threat with a record barely over .500. I think the Mets could win the Penant and the critics would still spend their time talking about how the Yanks "almost made it". Ain't no respect for the Amazins'.
-I was reading a back issue of the dismal Game Informer magazine (my brother got one of those dreaded gamestop subscriptions), and read an interesting letter from a reader concerned about the 8.5 score given toTrue Crime NY, a game which has been decmiated in just about every review I've read. In the typical fashion of poor journalists and drooling fanboys, the GI response was the typical "how can you criticize our opinion when you haven't played the game?" This is always their defense; don't cry foul if you haven't tried it yourself. This might sound like a fair critique, but it isn't, not in the slightest. By this logic I should be trying to play every game that comes out. Even through renting this is an impossible and costly task. Truth is, you can't expect every gamer to play every game out there. No, we rely on good, critical reviews and opinions to help us figure out what is worth playing and what isn't. Then maybe we'll give it a shot, and we can formulate an agreeing/dissenting opinion. This isn't easy to do when one magazine gives a high -and rather suspect - score to a game that is generally agreed upon to be horrid. What if I buy the game on your good word GI and find that it really is trash? Will you listen to my own review of the game, or would you be like every forum fanboy on the internet and disregard it by saying "well that's just your opinion" because you know you're a bunch of dishonest and uncredible "journalists" who don't know how to give a game less than a score of 6. The entire "have you played it?" argument is just a backup for gamers who know that their glowing opinion of a game is completely unfounded and ridiculous and would be absolutely destroyed by a solid and well constructed arguement.
On second thought, why do I even pick up that stupid magazine in the first place? Am I asking for pain or what?
Sunday, April 02, 2006
Tomb Raider!
Now let us attend to the matter of the new Tomb Raider Demo. Crystal Dynamics, the series' new developer, has taken measures to prevent the game from falling into the same traps (no pun intended) that past entries faced. In doing so, they have assembled an experience that is completely by the numbers. For instance, gone are the massive, confusing rooms with six different ways to go, where you might not even be able to see the platform you need to jump to. Instead the demo provided a very linear sequence of puzzles and jumps. The controls and even the platforming have been ripped straight from the recent Prince of Persia games, and like a good post-Half Life 2 game, there are some physics based puzzles to deal with as well. Combat is much more streamlined (and even a little strategic), and the graphics engine is loaded with plenty of bloom lighting and environmental effects that you have seen plenty of times before.
Furthermore, the game's presentation is very much in sync with the Tomb Raider films. Everything from the logo to Lara's redesign to the cutscenes and dialogue are meant to evoke the "charm" of the movies as well as provide the usual "cinematic" experience. Whether or not this is a good thing is up to you I suppose.
To close, it seems like this new Tomb Raider will fare much better than the last few (I haven't enjoyed any of them since the original). On the other hand, it doesn't look to be much more than the sum of many borrowed ideas from better games. That means that it will be an average experience at the very least, but I didn't see much that points to this being a Tomb Raider 1-esque classic. Guess we'll find out soon enough.
Furthermore, the game's presentation is very much in sync with the Tomb Raider films. Everything from the logo to Lara's redesign to the cutscenes and dialogue are meant to evoke the "charm" of the movies as well as provide the usual "cinematic" experience. Whether or not this is a good thing is up to you I suppose.
To close, it seems like this new Tomb Raider will fare much better than the last few (I haven't enjoyed any of them since the original). On the other hand, it doesn't look to be much more than the sum of many borrowed ideas from better games. That means that it will be an average experience at the very least, but I didn't see much that points to this being a Tomb Raider 1-esque classic. Guess we'll find out soon enough.
Saturday, April 01, 2006
Starcraft Ghost (and other things)
I know it is a little bit late, but here's a link to my Starcraft: Ghost rant. Perhaps you will enjoy it.
Tomorrow I'd like to tell you a little about the Tomb Raider: Legend demo that dropped recently. I'd do it now, but I'm not in the right state to accurately describe it (and, no, that doens't mean I'm drunk. Just solemn).
And finally, here is my nomination for best April Fool's joke of 2006: Gamespot's number one Final Fantasy game. Well played Gamespot. Well played indeed.
Tomorrow I'd like to tell you a little about the Tomb Raider: Legend demo that dropped recently. I'd do it now, but I'm not in the right state to accurately describe it (and, no, that doens't mean I'm drunk. Just solemn).
And finally, here is my nomination for best April Fool's joke of 2006: Gamespot's number one Final Fantasy game. Well played Gamespot. Well played indeed.
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