What?

Why?  I'm not sure.  It's boredom after a long day.  Or rather, the boredom of a long day.  The boredom of a long day which I spent most of being nauseous.

Chinese checkers didn't originate in China or in Asia.

These Names Suck.

Here they are, in no particular order. Alphabetizing is reserved for worthwhile things only. These names suck. If you find your name on this list, that means you suck, too.

Eugene
Martain
Garret
Robert
Harold
Jesse
Jacob
Marcel
Bill
William
Jose
Farquad
Lyle
Dick
Richard
Dale
Chip
Carl
Geoffery
Phillip
Benjamin
Blaze
Amier
Frank
Levi
Carson
Eli
Elliot
Ethan
Eddie
Bart
Perry
Murphy
Cameron
Eric
Nathaniel
Gary
Harold
Lloyd
Curtis
Jerry
Roger
Percy
Ernie
Burt
Donald
Donnie
Oscar
Robin
Ashton
Ashley
Kelly
Vergil
Peter
Ronnie
Dino
Harry
Barry
Larry
Cary
Chet
Harold
Lance
Torvold
Ferris
Gregory
Yancy
Douglas
Stewart
Chuck
Lou
Louis
Lewis
Spencer
Nicholas
Charlie
Samuel
Wilbur
Christopher
George
Theodore
Jimmy
Willie
Haley
Billy
Ferguson
Woody
Taylor
Stafford
Stanford
Stanley
Lawrence
Al
Morgan
Albert
Harold
Brett
Arty
Francis
Franklin
Seamore
Alvin
Brendon
Brandon
Barney
Bernard
Tracey
Lester
Braden
Bryce
Orlando
Butch
Bud
Buck
Bubba
Sydney
Clay
Clifford
Hugh
Mitch
Leon
Leopold
Tristian
Christian
Otis
Toby
Trevor
Howie
Dean
Lenard
Ringo
Oswald
Wayne
Omar
Guy
Lionel

My Blog Isn't Nearly This Interesting.

"Dog carcass in alley this morning, tire tread on burst stomach. This city is afraid of me. I have seen its true face.

The streets are extended gutters and the gutters are full of blood, and when the drains finally scab over, all the vermin will drown.

The accumulated filth of all their sex and murder will foam up about their waists and all the whores and politicians will look up and shout, "Save us!"...

...and I'll look down and whisper, "No."



For the unfamiliar, those are the opening lines of Alan Moore's landmark story Watchmen as documented in the journal of Rorschach, my favorite character in the book. I've had a copy of Watchmen sitting around for a while now, and decided it was time to finally dive into it two nights ago. After finishing it's quite easy to see why so many people hold it in such high regard; never before have I read something in the medium with such complexity and insight. I'd love to discuss certain points throughout the story, but I wouldn't want to ruin it for anyone who hasn't had the chance to read it before.

Throughout my reading, my thoughts strayed to my Dad several times. He grew up a fan of comics, and helped feed my interest in them when I was younger. During a conversation we had a short time ago after I lent him my copy of Batman: Dark Knight Returns to read, he talked about how it was slightly disappointing to him in certain ways. He enjoyed the story, but he was bothered to some extent that it wasn't a tale likely to be easily stomached by a young kid. When he was growing up in the '60s comics were always aimed for a younger audience, free of the violence, language, and more adult themes often prevalent in the medium today. It was easy to see where he was coming from, but I grew up with comics that were sometimes darker in approach, so the oppressive atmosphere in Dark Knight Returns struck a different chord with him. As he pointed out, when he was growing up Batman wasn't quite the brooding, psychologically-troubled anti-hero he's often portrayed as today. I'm aware that that DKR was written over 20 years ago, but realize what era my Dad is coming from. And really, it's more of the change to a classic hero that my Dad wasn't fond of. As a huge fan of Sin City, violence, sex, and drugs in a graphic novel isn't anything new to him.

This all came to mind because I wondered what his reaction would be to Watchmen. It's a dark, often-depressing tale that lacks any character you can agree with entirely and count on to serve 'justice.' The mortality and wellness of the cast is a forefront issue, and they're constantly reminded of it throughout. Also, I couldn't help but feel that when they looked back on the past it was like looking back on the past of the comic industry. Times were more simple, with heroes fighting a more straightforward battle with their villans. Granted, it wasn't that straightforward, as the reader sees the darker side of things as well. To me it had, to an extent, the same feel as it does when I look back the origin of some of today's comic heroes, and I found it to be an interesting, if minor, parallel. My dad would enjoy reading such sections, and probably the entire book, but I know it would be a very different read than what he grew up with and loved.

To anyone with an interest in comics I recommend reading this, though I think the majority of fans have at this point. I love comics, but my spare time is often spent on other things, so there are plenty of classics I've never gotten around to. When I read something this spellbinding I have to stop and wonder why I don't pick up graphics novels more often.

If Only Life Was 2-D.

April 9 can't come soon enough. Need I say anything else?

March = Greek Month.

So, I'm a liar. Have I been keeping this updated? No. It's all due to self-deception and trickery. Hopefully I'll be able to outsmart myself in the future and push out posts like that old lady in the shoe did babies. Or...something. Onward.

I've spent the last week and a half in a Greek-induced stupor. I went to see 300 last Friday, which was fantastic. Seriously, if you haven't seen it yet you're doing yourself a disfavor. Drop the money to see it in a theater. It's worth it. The visuals are gorgeous, and between that and the thundering sounds of battle you just can't beat a massive screen and surround sound.

As if things couldn't get any better, God Of War II dropped on Tuesday, and I picked up a copy Wednesday to continue the saga of the pasty Spartan. Kratos was really pissed, lots of things died, and things generally did not fare well for the denizens of Olympus. Rarely do I play a game and stare in disbelief as on-screen actions shatter the boundaries of coolness. Did I say shatter? I meant destroy, dismember and crush between doors. Anyone who played the original will definitely remember how quickly, and on what a grand scale things started off. I think it's safe to say that GoW2 topped this with the opening battle between Kratos and the colossus of Rhodes. Take my word that it's an extremely epic beginning, and the rest of the game holds up extremely well after such an offering. I was extremely impressed with GoW2, and overall I think it even tops the first outing.

The solid combat system of the original returns here with some small tweaks and more polish. First off, players can now map a second weapon to R2 and switch at will between it and the blades. It was definitely a nod to Devil May Cry 3, even it only allows players to switch between two weapons at a time(DMC3 keeps all your weapons in the available cycle). It was a welcome addition to gameplay, but I still found myself always going back to the blades, just as I did in the original. Still, there are three weapons to pick up throughout the game, doubling the arsenal available in GoW. Even so, I still felt that I could get away with some mashing at certain points in the game. You can at certain points in any game, but anyone who has played titles such as DMC3 and Ninja Gaiden will understand that the combat here isn't quite as deep. Don't get me wrong, though. It's extremely good, takes skill, is fun, and feels great. I just wish I couldn't horizontal, horizontal, vertical my way to victory so often(a basic string that you have the entire game). Also, there are more attack animations this time around. While the same move will still function the same, it might display a different animation in killing two different enemies. The context-sensitive finishing moves have returned in full force, and definitely top anything present in the original.

The presentation is again through the roof. It puts that of most games to absolute shame. DMC3 may have a deeper combat system(which I prefer), but even with its extremely cool cutscenes, more in-depth story(than the rest of the DMC series, I mean), and dark locales, the presentation of the GoW series crushes it like a harpy under a Spartan sandal. I'm not saying I like GoW more overall, but enough can't be said for its presentation. Picking a favorite series would warrant another post entirely. It's something I just might consider, though it's been long enough since I picked up a DMC title that going back to one would be necessary first.

GoW2's story is fantastic, and you always feel like you're working towards your ultimate goal. I'm not going to delve into things here because I don't want to ruin it for anyone who hasn't played the game yet. The story tells another chapter, but the story is not finished yet. It was satisfying, but in the same way killing and sex is for Kratos. You get plenty, but you still want more.

Boss battles. They deserve their own paragraph to emphasize how incredibly well done they were. The original GoW only featured three boss fights, and while they were all great, it was something I really wanted more of. SCEA really listened to fans and added more this time around. A lot more. The game really feels strung together by boss fights, whereas in the first game they felt like a rare occurrence. Knowing I was in for more this time, I did have the nagging worry that they wouldn't be as well done as they previously were. Thankfully this worry was completely thrown aside as I played. Many of the boss fights are smaller, while bigger boss fights still numbered more than they did in the first. Whether bigger or smaller in scale, pretty much every single one was noteworthy. When I say smaller, though, don't take it as meaning they aren't as good as the larger fights. What I mean is that they simply aren't as big or as long as, say, the colossus battle. Or some others, considering how huge the colossus is. I'm going to leave it at that since boss fights are something players definitely don't need spoiled.

All in all, GoW2 is an incredible game, and a more-than-worthy follow-up to the original. It's definitely going to be a contender for GOTY, though considering the titles lined up for the year I'm fully looking forward to something else impressing me even more.

Could This Year Get Any Better?

So, I'm slightly behind on posting. I apologize for that,(I'm sure you were all broken up) as I honestly want to keep my blog updated. There sure isn't a shortage of post topics this year, even with us currently in the typical gaming season 'drought,' which hasn't exactly hit this year. While new releases that I actually want to play are generally sparse throughout the first quarter each year, I'm glad to say I don't even have the cash for everything I'd like to get my hands on. Realistically, I'd also like to point out that at this point I don't really need new releases. I want them, yes, but the list of last-gen games I still want to play is rather large.

If anyone has actually checked my sidebar they would've noticed that I picked up a copy of Fire Emblem: Path Of Radiance for the Gamecube. My GC library isn't exactly huge, but it's composed of some of my favorite games. Even so, my GC sees a lot of use, and I needed something new to play. With that in mind I set out in search of something fresh. After considering my options it came down to either FE or Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. When I got the chance to stop in at EB a few days later they didn't have PM, but they did have a new copy of FE for just $15, so my decision was easy.

Since then FE:PoR has taken up quite a bit of my time. In just under two weeks I've put in around 24 hours, which isn't bad considering it isn't the only game I've been playing. Also, those familiar with the FE system will know that when one of your party members dies in battle, that's it. Phoenix Down? Yeah, right. Not here. Therefore, I've had to restart numerous battles, and the time spent doing that isn't included in my above playtime. I thought I might get frustrated with this system, but I've honestly been all right with it so far. Permanent death really causes you to think out your moves more, and it makes winning a battle that much more satisfying.

Also, FE is built on a system that requires no grinding at all. The game is based on chapters, each one containing one fight(or four, in one amazingly long chapter). Once you finish that fight you move onto the next chapter. There isn't even an option for you to grind. Now, that does take away the chance that you'll ever be over-leveled and able to pound your opponent into pulp, but I've strangely all right with that. This system gives each battle great significance in terms of gameplay and story. Every chapter features story segments both before and after a fight, so the player always has something to look forward to. The sheer amount of dialogue included in these segments is quite impressive. Voice acting would've been nice, but it's easy to see why they stuck with text. With all that said, here's to hoping that the difficulty doesn't ramp to a frustrating level in the last eight(of 28) chapters. I don't consider myself to be very good at SRPGs,(my experience with them is extremely limited) so I was geeked to see the easy difficulty option.

So, what does that have to do with this year, you ask? Well....not a whole lot, actually. So long as the rest of the FE experience goes well I'm going to pick up the sequel when it drops this summer. The Wii doesn't exactly have a great summer line-up yet, either, and that could be a huge saving grace.

This brings me to the original cause for my post. Atlus USA recently announced the acquisition of the publishing rights for Vanillaware's Odin Sphere, a sort of spiritual successor to Princess Crown. Don't worry, I hadn't heard of it until now, either. It did grace the Sega Saturn, after all. Why am I extremely excited, then?







That's why. It easily contains some of the most stunning 2D art I've ever seen included in any game, and in combination with some beautiful music I'm pretty much sold, even though knowledge of the gameplay is fairly limited, though it looks cool enough You can check out the trailer here.

I made sure to post the pictures first, as the YouTube'd trailer doesn't do the art proper justice. Atlus is really pushing this one, and I couldn't be happier. They already have the english site opened, and anyone familiar with Atlus knows they don't do that until their games are fairly close to release. Slated with a late spring release for both Japan and the US, it won't be all that long until I get my hands on it, then promptly drool all over my Dualshock. Hopefully this post gets the word out to someone who wasn't familiar with the game before, as titles like this really need all the support they can get. So many people are quick to shrug off 2D titles because....well, they're idiots, and I don't want to see Atlus stop localizing projects like these.

Now I'm looking forward to both Odin Sphere and Fire Emblem: Goddess Of Dawn, two games I wasn't even considering at the time of my games of '07 post. Really, how many more games can I handle? The DS is going to rape as well, as the announcement for the follow-up to Osu! Tatakae! Ouedan was just made last week. While I expect '07 DS announcements in the coming months, I wasn't exactly expecting to suddenly be looking forward to two more console titles so soon.

Vanillaware is also partially responsible for Grimgrimoire, an upcoming sidescrolling RPG/RTS they co-developed with Nippon Ichi. The gameplay looks crazy, and the art is amazing. I don't feel like uploading any more pictures, so you can just head over to the site and check it out. Here's to hoping someone decides to localize it. Because, you know, there isn't going to be anything to play this year.

Simply A Matter Of Taste?

Over 20 years ago Nintendo introduced two of its most prominent franchises with The Legend Of Zelda and Metroid. Both series rose to fame and haven't looked back since. However, the Zelda series has really stolen the limelight by this point. This post is discuss why this has happened. Both series share a similar depth of gameplay, but Zelda's popularity far outweighs that of our favorite female bounty hunter.

The Legend that started it all.

While both series feature adventure-styled gameplay, they still function quite differently. Zelda takes place in the kingdom of Hyrule and paints the picture of a lively world, full of talkative characters and interactive environments. I think this world is one of the numerous reasons that Zelda sits so high upon its deku throne. Hyrule's high-fantasy environment is easily accessible and friendly to fans. Link can traverse on foot or horseback to various locales and encounter a variety of indigenous people to interact with. From humans to zorras to gorons, almost anyone you talk to has something interesting to say and can lead to various sidequests. Walkings into Castle Town in many Zelda titles introduces jovial music and allows the player to witness NPCs interacting with each other, establishing a sense of community and the feeling that you're part of a world bigger than just Link and his quest.

Super Metroid still retains it's incredible atmosphere to this day, which is an amazing accomplishment.

Now, take a leap, or more likely, a ship, to the outer boundaries of the universe to planets such as Zebes, SR388, and Tallon IV and you're in for quite a different experience. As I said before, Metroid and Zelda may both offer an adventure experience, but both are completely unique. While Zelda offers a lively world full of people and their lives, full of both comedy and serious situations, Metroid offers alien planets full of biomechanical, hostile environments. Also, there aren't any friendly locals to talk about the weather with. Samus is generally on her own from start to finish, exploring in silence. The atmosphere varies from cold and uninviting to simply curious, but very rare is an area where you want to kick up your space boots and call it quits(Tallon Overworld[Metroid Prime] does it for me). I think Zelda has a wider appeal in this area, because dungeon crawls are broken up by friendly conversation and lightheartedness, whereas Metroid generally has a lonely, gloomy overtone.

However, I don't feel that the difference in atmosphere is the only reason Zelda is head and shoulders above Metroid in popularity. Take a look at their history and you'll see both shared a great deal of popularity in their early years. I wasn't able to take note of how they faired at the time, but it seems that up until the Nintendo 64 hit they were pretty even. Super Metroid is often regarded as not only the best Metroid title, but its been honored as number one on numerous games-of-all-time lists.

Ocarina Of Time cemented my position as a Zelda fan, and the series continues to grow a decade later.

When the N64 ushered in Nintendo's foray into 3D gaming, they pulled out all the stops and released Ocarina Of Time, oftern haralded as the best Zelda title of all time, which brought in a lot of new fans(myself included, as my Zelda experience had been fairly limited up until that point). OoT was an absolutely incredible experience, and the fact that it was in 3D made the Hyrule seem that much bigger. The biggest in-game world I had adventured through up until that point was in Super Metroid, and I remember being blown away by OoT.

As gamers continued to preach the wonders of OoT, Samus was noticeably absent. Her only apperance on the 64 was in Super Smash Bros., and that didn't give new players the Metroid experience. If Nintendo wasn't ready to make another Metroid game that soon because they were holding out for quality reasons, then you can't really complain. Regardless, the series was greatly missed on the 64. By the time Majora's Mask dropped, fans were frothing at the mouth to run around in green tights again, and Samus seemed all but forgotten. Mask brought another experience, while controversial, that is dear to many of today's gamers.

I can't help but geek a little everytime I see the title screen.

When Nintendo announced that Metroid Prime for the Gamecube would be done from a first-person perspective, it was pretty hard not to think that Nintendo was caring less and less about the franchise. Metroid worked perfect in a 2D environment, and the switch in dimensions and perspective seemed crazy. However, in the end, Retro Studios delivered an experience that surpassed all expectations. Prime was, and still is, almost perfect. Still, it seems as though the switch to first person has taken away its appeal from a certain crowd. Both Prime and Prime 2 performed well here, but did less-than-stellar in Japan. Apparently first-person titles make Japanese gamers sick, or so they say. Regardless, the Prime titles have a dedicated fan base, and Zelda's first appearance on the GC wasn't exactly standard fare, either.

Call it what you want, Windwaker was loved by critics and legions of fans alike.

Even with these numerous factors, I believe there's one other large factor that plays a part, atleast recently. Difficulty. For example, take a look at both series last major outtings, Prime 2 and Twilight Princess, both of which I've completed. In my first playthrough of Prime 2 I died countless times....fighting a mid-boss...early in the game. Not to mention the many other deaths I faced as I ventured across Aether, sodomizing the Ing horde along the way. It doesn't classify as a truly hard game on my list, but it surely was challenging. It's not the type of game you'd see many grade-schoolers playing; both the difficulty and oftentimes creepy atmosphere see to that.

The Twilight realm gameplay segments in Twilight Princess were instant classics due to the incredible atmosphere.

Twilight Princess, however, is another story. It's an amazing game. Heck, I think it's the best Zelda title I've ever played, but it wasn't difficult. Sure, it had plenty of clever puzzles and was truly epic in length(I clocked in around 42 hrs. to finish it), but I didn't die once the entire game. I fell off plenty of ledges and lost hearts, but the Prime titles have a very similar feature. What I'm talking about is an actual game over. I didn't really mind, but it would've been nice to have multiple difficulty settings to add to the replay value.

In the end I think multiple factors have contributed to Zelda's popularity over the Metroid series. It's not something that bothers me, as I'm a huge fan of both, but I've always questioned it to a certain extent. Zelda just has a wider appeal in terms of atmosphere, as a traditional fantasy setting it something everyone is familiar with, and character interaction helps out a lot as well. It's not a fault that Metroid lacks it. On the contrary, it's a factor that contributes to the overall atmosphere, but also one that not quite as many people enjoy. I'll be happy as long as both series continue to thrive, and hopefully we won't see anymore generation gaps in either series.