A simple question: what are you the most excited about? Vote and leave a comment!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Play it Again, My Johnny (Fallout: New Vegas [PS3])
Fallout: New Vegas starts off with a bang. Literally. Your character (unofficially known as The Courier) is bound, robbed of a shinny silver poker chip and shot right in the face.
And that is how you start your grand journey into the Mojave Wastelands. After going through the normal process of crafting your character's features, stats and perks, you're released to explore every corner and crevice of this desolate desert. If you have any experience with Fallout 3, then you're probably already familiar with the interface and game play, but there are some new elements this go around. To start, more of your actually skills play into a player's dialogue options and choices. Once of the early quests you can encounter, for example, involves you gathering up support to help protect the town of Goodsprings from the Powder Gangers. During the quest, you have to option of sweet-talking some dynamite off a crazy old dude. If your explosive skills is not high enough, he says that you're more likely to kill yourself than to kill anyone else, and you get squat. This is welcome addition to the regular speech check, and really motivates the player to advance all of their skill at least a little bit.
FORE!!! (Image courtesy of Joystick.com)
Another welcome addition to the series (or should I say a welcome return)is the ability to have multiple companions. The Courier is allowed to travel with two item-slaves, I mean companions, one humanoid and one non-humanoid. Their AI seems to work a bit better than it did in Fallout 3, and you can now interact with them using a wheel of options, similar to the weapon/abilities select wheel from Mass Effect. This makes using stimpaks on crippled comrades much easier, and it allows you to tweak their inventories without having to swim though dialogue that gets old after the second time you see it.
The companions themselves are quite impressive this go around. Obsidian Entertainment really outdid Bethesda in this respect. From Rex, the faithful dog obtained from The King, New Vegas's premiere Elvis impersonator to "delicate" nightkin Lily Bowen. Searching them out was a great adventure in and of itself, as they are scattered all across the map. There are eight in all, and searching them out nets you a cool trophy (or achievement on the XB360).
All eight companions, together at last (Image courtesy of Fallout.wikia.com)
The key storyline seemed to be a much better motivator in New Vegas as opposed to Fallout 3. As I mentioned earlier, you're out on a quest for revenge, and as you make you way through the wastelands, The Courier juggles the interests of three main factions: the New California Republic, The Legion and Mr. House. Each factions has something different to offer the player: the NCR are more or less out to bring order to the Mojave (even if that means breaking a few, say, hundred eggs/skulls), the Legion are a ball of chaos for those who might be felling a bit froggy, while Mr. House is perfect for loners like me that like calling all the shots. The final ending revolves around sided with one (or none) of these factions, but there are several more scattered through the game, such as the Brotherhood of Steel, Powder Gangers, the Boomers (and their arsenal of Howitzers) and the White Glove Society, just to name a few. Not to downplay Fallout 3 too much, but I just didn't give a shit about trying to find my dad in that game. Maybe it's just a personal thing, but the quest for revenge seemed much more interesting and engaging than the overarching plot for FO:3.
Other new additions include a new game mode called Hardcore, where you must keep track of how much you eat, sleep, drink water and nearly every item now has weight assigned to it. Companions can die in this mode (in the normal mode they simply pass out), and every healing item is a HOT (oh sorry, heal over time), including stimpaks. The game features new music, a cache of new weapons and items, gambling, one the coolest new traits in "Wild Wastelands" and standard level cap of 30 (I expect that to go up with DLC in the future).
Welcome to the Luck 38 boys! (Image courtesy of IGN.com)
As much as I loved FO:NV, it does have it problems. First and foremost, the glitches. It's hard to play for more than two hours before the games bogs down and freezes, which is quite the pain. While this can be mitigated with frequent (and numerous) saves, the fact that I can't just sit down a geek out without the constant fear of having to restart the game every couple is troubling. I mean, you would thing that they would fix this issue, since it was a bit a a problem even in FO:3. It was never this bad before, though. And the patch that was release, didn't fix shit, it only made some elements worse. I'm locked out of two quests ATM simply because the NPC won't talk to me, for no reason. WTF?
Aside from the glitches, the radio sucks. Hardcore. There are only two real stations to choose from, and they play the same crap. There are supposedly 27 songs, but I swear I've heard ten of them loop constantly. I can't even play with the radio on anymore, because if I hear "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?" one more time, I'm going to have pierce both of my eardrums with plastic sporks. Actually ther is one song that is pretty good: Big Iron.
That's some killin' music right there.
Some of the old FO:3 problems still exist, like NPC suicide, missing items every now and then (I think some of my companions have stolen Nuka-Colas from my safehouse. :-/) and the occasional get-stuck-inside-a-rock-for-no-f@^king-reason moments. Otherwise the games a good solid 8.5/10. It's not perfect, but there is a shit ton of items to locate and quests to undertake. The replay value is very high, since you'd have to be kinda crazy to take on Hardcore on you're initial play through. If you can bear though the glitches, then the game is amazing, but they are so persistent and annoying that it's hard to look past them all.
And that is how you start your grand journey into the Mojave Wastelands. After going through the normal process of crafting your character's features, stats and perks, you're released to explore every corner and crevice of this desolate desert. If you have any experience with Fallout 3, then you're probably already familiar with the interface and game play, but there are some new elements this go around. To start, more of your actually skills play into a player's dialogue options and choices. Once of the early quests you can encounter, for example, involves you gathering up support to help protect the town of Goodsprings from the Powder Gangers. During the quest, you have to option of sweet-talking some dynamite off a crazy old dude. If your explosive skills is not high enough, he says that you're more likely to kill yourself than to kill anyone else, and you get squat. This is welcome addition to the regular speech check, and really motivates the player to advance all of their skill at least a little bit.
FORE!!! (Image courtesy of Joystick.com)Another welcome addition to the series (or should I say a welcome return)is the ability to have multiple companions. The Courier is allowed to travel with two item-slaves, I mean companions, one humanoid and one non-humanoid. Their AI seems to work a bit better than it did in Fallout 3, and you can now interact with them using a wheel of options, similar to the weapon/abilities select wheel from Mass Effect. This makes using stimpaks on crippled comrades much easier, and it allows you to tweak their inventories without having to swim though dialogue that gets old after the second time you see it.
The companions themselves are quite impressive this go around. Obsidian Entertainment really outdid Bethesda in this respect. From Rex, the faithful dog obtained from The King, New Vegas's premiere Elvis impersonator to "delicate" nightkin Lily Bowen. Searching them out was a great adventure in and of itself, as they are scattered all across the map. There are eight in all, and searching them out nets you a cool trophy (or achievement on the XB360).
All eight companions, together at last (Image courtesy of Fallout.wikia.com)The key storyline seemed to be a much better motivator in New Vegas as opposed to Fallout 3. As I mentioned earlier, you're out on a quest for revenge, and as you make you way through the wastelands, The Courier juggles the interests of three main factions: the New California Republic, The Legion and Mr. House. Each factions has something different to offer the player: the NCR are more or less out to bring order to the Mojave (even if that means breaking a few, say, hundred eggs/skulls), the Legion are a ball of chaos for those who might be felling a bit froggy, while Mr. House is perfect for loners like me that like calling all the shots. The final ending revolves around sided with one (or none) of these factions, but there are several more scattered through the game, such as the Brotherhood of Steel, Powder Gangers, the Boomers (and their arsenal of Howitzers) and the White Glove Society, just to name a few. Not to downplay Fallout 3 too much, but I just didn't give a shit about trying to find my dad in that game. Maybe it's just a personal thing, but the quest for revenge seemed much more interesting and engaging than the overarching plot for FO:3.
Other new additions include a new game mode called Hardcore, where you must keep track of how much you eat, sleep, drink water and nearly every item now has weight assigned to it. Companions can die in this mode (in the normal mode they simply pass out), and every healing item is a HOT (oh sorry, heal over time), including stimpaks. The game features new music, a cache of new weapons and items, gambling, one the coolest new traits in "Wild Wastelands" and standard level cap of 30 (I expect that to go up with DLC in the future).
Welcome to the Luck 38 boys! (Image courtesy of IGN.com)As much as I loved FO:NV, it does have it problems. First and foremost, the glitches. It's hard to play for more than two hours before the games bogs down and freezes, which is quite the pain. While this can be mitigated with frequent (and numerous) saves, the fact that I can't just sit down a geek out without the constant fear of having to restart the game every couple is troubling. I mean, you would thing that they would fix this issue, since it was a bit a a problem even in FO:3. It was never this bad before, though. And the patch that was release, didn't fix shit, it only made some elements worse. I'm locked out of two quests ATM simply because the NPC won't talk to me, for no reason. WTF?
Aside from the glitches, the radio sucks. Hardcore. There are only two real stations to choose from, and they play the same crap. There are supposedly 27 songs, but I swear I've heard ten of them loop constantly. I can't even play with the radio on anymore, because if I hear "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?" one more time, I'm going to have pierce both of my eardrums with plastic sporks. Actually ther is one song that is pretty good: Big Iron.
That's some killin' music right there.
Some of the old FO:3 problems still exist, like NPC suicide, missing items every now and then (I think some of my companions have stolen Nuka-Colas from my safehouse. :-/) and the occasional get-stuck-inside-a-rock-for-no-f@^king-reason moments. Otherwise the games a good solid 8.5/10. It's not perfect, but there is a shit ton of items to locate and quests to undertake. The replay value is very high, since you'd have to be kinda crazy to take on Hardcore on you're initial play through. If you can bear though the glitches, then the game is amazing, but they are so persistent and annoying that it's hard to look past them all.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Kuugo Jingou's his name, but what the hell is his game? (Bleach 428 summary & review)
Finally, Bleach 428 is out, and it's pretty good. I have hoping to read it while I was cooking a bunch of crap yesterday, but beggars can't always be choosers. :-/
428 opens in Ikumi's shops, where Ichigo is still discussing a new job with their strange client , the Unnamed Stranger. Things are starting to heat up, when Ikumi shoves her hot-ass face into the scene again, stating that their will take up the job, but the guy has to leave.
U.S. leaves his contact info, and slips out the door, delivering one final warning to Ichigo to see what's going on at Urahara's shop once he gets a chance. Outside, U.S. is stopped by some more strangers, who we take as his companions. One is a young girl with pony tails named Riruka, the other a middle-aged man with an eye-patch and a nice suit named Giriko Kutsuzawa. Both parties seem disappointed in U.S.'s efforts to recruit Ichigo to their cause, whatever that might be (Riruka even offers to try and bang him), but U.S. quickly and decisively gets them to disperse so that they are not heard and caught.
Meanwhile and Urahara's shop, Jinta gets molested while Karin goes over some products with Urahara. She seems to be stocking up on spirit deterring items and sprays in order to protect a powerless Ichigo. Karin's powers have definitely improved, evident in the fact the she is able to pretty accurately gauge her brother reiatsu levels.
As she leaving, Ichigo pokes his head out from a around a corner. He's kinda concerned about what he seeing, but not so much so . . . until U.S. shows up. He says that Ichigo and his family cannot trust Urahara, as nothing in his history suggests that he is a trust worthy guy (i.e. Rukia's gigai). If he want's to protect his family, Ichigo must to find out more about his past, and more about Urahara. Still stunned, Ichigo asks U.S. his name. ". . . Jingou. Kuugo Jingou."
Interesting chapter, with some great plot development. I'd give it a 9/10, especially since we final have a name for ol' U.S. But what is Kuugo's game? He obviously needs/wants something from Ichigo, which probably requires his to regain his abilities and/or to rid himself of Urahara's influence. How far will this have to go though? Will he have to sever ties with the Visored, because of their strong ties to Urahara? What about Ishida, who now is one of Urahara's employees? Or is Kuugo just trying to sever all of his ties with any Shinigami?
I'm not too sure at this point, only because we don't know that much about Kuugo. He is obviously familiar with the Shinigami order, which is evident with his familiarity with the Shinigami Badge. My guess? Kuugo and friends are either something completely new, rouge Shinigamis or rouge Visored. Still to early to tell for sure though.
Next week: WTF is up with Urahara and will we find out more about Kugo and friends?
Hopefully OOO 11 will be up soon, so keep an eye out for that as well.
428 opens in Ikumi's shops, where Ichigo is still discussing a new job with their strange client , the Unnamed Stranger. Things are starting to heat up, when Ikumi shoves her hot-ass face into the scene again, stating that their will take up the job, but the guy has to leave.
U.S. leaves his contact info, and slips out the door, delivering one final warning to Ichigo to see what's going on at Urahara's shop once he gets a chance. Outside, U.S. is stopped by some more strangers, who we take as his companions. One is a young girl with pony tails named Riruka, the other a middle-aged man with an eye-patch and a nice suit named Giriko Kutsuzawa. Both parties seem disappointed in U.S.'s efforts to recruit Ichigo to their cause, whatever that might be (Riruka even offers to try and bang him), but U.S. quickly and decisively gets them to disperse so that they are not heard and caught.Meanwhile and Urahara's shop, Jinta gets molested while Karin goes over some products with Urahara. She seems to be stocking up on spirit deterring items and sprays in order to protect a powerless Ichigo. Karin's powers have definitely improved, evident in the fact the she is able to pretty accurately gauge her brother reiatsu levels.
As she leaving, Ichigo pokes his head out from a around a corner. He's kinda concerned about what he seeing, but not so much so . . . until U.S. shows up. He says that Ichigo and his family cannot trust Urahara, as nothing in his history suggests that he is a trust worthy guy (i.e. Rukia's gigai). If he want's to protect his family, Ichigo must to find out more about his past, and more about Urahara. Still stunned, Ichigo asks U.S. his name. ". . . Jingou. Kuugo Jingou."
Interesting chapter, with some great plot development. I'd give it a 9/10, especially since we final have a name for ol' U.S. But what is Kuugo's game? He obviously needs/wants something from Ichigo, which probably requires his to regain his abilities and/or to rid himself of Urahara's influence. How far will this have to go though? Will he have to sever ties with the Visored, because of their strong ties to Urahara? What about Ishida, who now is one of Urahara's employees? Or is Kuugo just trying to sever all of his ties with any Shinigami?I'm not too sure at this point, only because we don't know that much about Kuugo. He is obviously familiar with the Shinigami order, which is evident with his familiarity with the Shinigami Badge. My guess? Kuugo and friends are either something completely new, rouge Shinigamis or rouge Visored. Still to early to tell for sure though.
Next week: WTF is up with Urahara and will we find out more about Kugo and friends?
Hopefully OOO 11 will be up soon, so keep an eye out for that as well.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Family, Code Geass, and Other Things I've Put Off For Far Too Long
Back in K-town and it feels . . . the same. Oh well, at least there is free food this time, and now I have time to catch up on everything. Gonna be watching the end of Code Geass R2 tonight, so I might be ranting on that in the morning, but more importantly, the first part of the Chou Den-o movie trilogy is out. :-/ . . . At least it's something to watch.
Also just finished Kirby Squeak Squad, which was kinda fun. What you'd expect from a Kirby game. Should have a review of that and Fallout:NV by Sunday at the latest. If I can get and watch OOO 11, I should have a review of that by Thursday.
And I'm sure many of you have noticed the lack of Super Sentai coverage. There is a reason for that: Goseiger sucks. I'm gonna finish it on principle, but if you haven;t started it, don't. Just re-watch Shinkenger or Go-onger, which are infinitely better.
Why is it so bad? Alata, for starters. He's one of the most worthless red rangers ever, plus he's absolutely hopeless. For those who don't know, the Goseigers are part of a league of angels who protect the Earth. This team, composed mainly of rookies, becomes trapped on Earth when . . . snore. . .
Ah, even explaining it is freaking boring. Later in the series, the pick up a kid, force him to give them a place to stay after they save his life or whatever, and things get stupider with each episode. The powers a terrible, the equipment is not cool in the least, and the mecha is almost as complex as Go-Onger, only not in a funny, quirky way. The entire series is forgettable
Now the next Super Sentai series sounds amazing. Entitled Kaizoku Sentai Goukaiger (which translates to Pirate Squadron Goukaiger), the series will feature a five-man team of time/space/dimension traveling pirates who meet previous rangers and collect their powers. A tie-in to the Super Sentai anniversary, this series sounds like it's going to be like Kamen Rider Decade on speed.
The Goukaiger team will be fighting Ghost Pirates (not Pirate Ghost, since they are ghost that made a decision to become pirates), and instead of having forms of their own, the rangers will take on the forms of past rangers.
Sounds awesome right? Inoright! They do have their own mecha, and each ranger will also be equipped with a pirate sword. Not much else is know about the series at this time, but keep an eye out for it in 2011.
Also just finished Kirby Squeak Squad, which was kinda fun. What you'd expect from a Kirby game. Should have a review of that and Fallout:NV by Sunday at the latest. If I can get and watch OOO 11, I should have a review of that by Thursday.
And I'm sure many of you have noticed the lack of Super Sentai coverage. There is a reason for that: Goseiger sucks. I'm gonna finish it on principle, but if you haven;t started it, don't. Just re-watch Shinkenger or Go-onger, which are infinitely better.
Why is it so bad? Alata, for starters. He's one of the most worthless red rangers ever, plus he's absolutely hopeless. For those who don't know, the Goseigers are part of a league of angels who protect the Earth. This team, composed mainly of rookies, becomes trapped on Earth when . . . snore. . .
Ah, even explaining it is freaking boring. Later in the series, the pick up a kid, force him to give them a place to stay after they save his life or whatever, and things get stupider with each episode. The powers a terrible, the equipment is not cool in the least, and the mecha is almost as complex as Go-Onger, only not in a funny, quirky way. The entire series is forgettableNow the next Super Sentai series sounds amazing. Entitled Kaizoku Sentai Goukaiger (which translates to Pirate Squadron Goukaiger), the series will feature a five-man team of time/space/dimension traveling pirates who meet previous rangers and collect their powers. A tie-in to the Super Sentai anniversary, this series sounds like it's going to be like Kamen Rider Decade on speed.
The Goukaiger team will be fighting Ghost Pirates (not Pirate Ghost, since they are ghost that made a decision to become pirates), and instead of having forms of their own, the rangers will take on the forms of past rangers.Sounds awesome right? Inoright! They do have their own mecha, and each ranger will also be equipped with a pirate sword. Not much else is know about the series at this time, but keep an eye out for it in 2011.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
A.D.D. (Bleach 427 and rantings)
Sorry about the late post folks, but you know how it goes. School and work always get in the way of having fun. :-/
Anywho, enough about boring shit, let's talk about our favorite strawberry superstar.
Haven't read 427 yet? Well stop now, and click here.
No, not Inoue. Well, sort of. In the latest chapter, we enter to find Inoue chasing after the rumors swirling around Ichigo's sudden disappearance at from the school grounds. Ishida calms her, saying that is was only his boss, when Inoue points out that she's felt some strange aura surrounding crimson Shinigami. Odd seeing a Ichigo should have any reiatsu remaining . . .
(Writer's note: So yeah, it looks like everyone is gonna start noticing the return of Kurosaki's reiatsu soon. I mean if Inoue & Ishida can sense it, I'm sure Isshin has too. Speaking of, I'm interested to see where this next chapter is going, but we'll get to that soon enough)
Ishida plays it cool and shrugs off the idea as Inoue rushes off to work (I guess she working at a bakery now, given the art for the title.). Meanwhile at the batcave, I mean Ikumi's shop, the Unnamed Stranger finally spills his unusual request: he want to investigate Isshin Kurosaki.
Now I figured we were going to get some background info in Isshin soon but not like this. Also U.S. is creepy as shit. He's pretty much stalking Ichigo, carrys around ramen for no reason and kinda reminds me a of young Aizen.
Creepy . . .
Anyway we take a break from the intensity at Ikami's to check on the young baseball ace, Jinta. Looks like he's grown a bit and decided to take on the "Wooden Sword" Ryu look. Suits him well actually, since they are both worthless pricks with just enough of a redeeming value to them for you to like them. But only a little. Ururu done some growing up too, and it looks like she might be in school (note the outfit she's wearing). Tessai also shows to beat the crap out of Jinta, who is harassing some school boys. I sure hope we see Genocide mode again soon.
Soon after, someone come by looking for Urahara. It's Karin! WTF? Ichigo mentioned that he powers had started to mature, but is she really wanting to train with Urahara? Or is she just looking of answers? I hope it's the later, 'cause I'm not sure if the world is ready for three Kurosaki warriors.
So yeah, not a bad chapter, all in all. I'd give it an 8/10. Didn't see the whole Kiren thing coming (should have, since Kubo REALLY fond of foreshadowing), but it could lead to an interest side-plot. What I'm more interested in is what Isshin is hiding from Ichigo. We've always know that many to be a quagmire of mystery, so watching Ichigo dive in will be a welcome way to spend the next few chapters. My predictions? Either a) Isshin knows about Ichigo's returning powers, which stem from his bloodline (Which means we will finally lean some more about Masaki; maybe she is was a Shinigami as well, but I have the feeling that she might be much more than just that. It seems to me that she could sense reiatsu at eh very least, given that she was able to protect Ichigo form Grand Fisher.) or b) he's partial responsible for Masaki's death. Or c) it's a bluff, and U.S. doesn't realize that Ichigo already knows that his dad was once a Captain. >.<
Anyway, look out for posts onOOO 10, Fallout: New Vegas (almost have that beat, but I keep dicking around with side quests), and Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 coming soon. ish. Now back to school work. T_T
Anywho, enough about boring shit, let's talk about our favorite strawberry superstar.
Haven't read 427 yet? Well stop now, and click here.
No, not Inoue. Well, sort of. In the latest chapter, we enter to find Inoue chasing after the rumors swirling around Ichigo's sudden disappearance at from the school grounds. Ishida calms her, saying that is was only his boss, when Inoue points out that she's felt some strange aura surrounding crimson Shinigami. Odd seeing a Ichigo should have any reiatsu remaining . . .(Writer's note: So yeah, it looks like everyone is gonna start noticing the return of Kurosaki's reiatsu soon. I mean if Inoue & Ishida can sense it, I'm sure Isshin has too. Speaking of, I'm interested to see where this next chapter is going, but we'll get to that soon enough)
Ishida plays it cool and shrugs off the idea as Inoue rushes off to work (I guess she working at a bakery now, given the art for the title.). Meanwhile at the batcave, I mean Ikumi's shop, the Unnamed Stranger finally spills his unusual request: he want to investigate Isshin Kurosaki.
Now I figured we were going to get some background info in Isshin soon but not like this. Also U.S. is creepy as shit. He's pretty much stalking Ichigo, carrys around ramen for no reason and kinda reminds me a of young Aizen.
Creepy . . .Anyway we take a break from the intensity at Ikami's to check on the young baseball ace, Jinta. Looks like he's grown a bit and decided to take on the "Wooden Sword" Ryu look. Suits him well actually, since they are both worthless pricks with just enough of a redeeming value to them for you to like them. But only a little. Ururu done some growing up too, and it looks like she might be in school (note the outfit she's wearing). Tessai also shows to beat the crap out of Jinta, who is harassing some school boys. I sure hope we see Genocide mode again soon.
Soon after, someone come by looking for Urahara. It's Karin! WTF? Ichigo mentioned that he powers had started to mature, but is she really wanting to train with Urahara? Or is she just looking of answers? I hope it's the later, 'cause I'm not sure if the world is ready for three Kurosaki warriors.
So yeah, not a bad chapter, all in all. I'd give it an 8/10. Didn't see the whole Kiren thing coming (should have, since Kubo REALLY fond of foreshadowing), but it could lead to an interest side-plot. What I'm more interested in is what Isshin is hiding from Ichigo. We've always know that many to be a quagmire of mystery, so watching Ichigo dive in will be a welcome way to spend the next few chapters. My predictions? Either a) Isshin knows about Ichigo's returning powers, which stem from his bloodline (Which means we will finally lean some more about Masaki; maybe she is was a Shinigami as well, but I have the feeling that she might be much more than just that. It seems to me that she could sense reiatsu at eh very least, given that she was able to protect Ichigo form Grand Fisher.) or b) he's partial responsible for Masaki's death. Or c) it's a bluff, and U.S. doesn't realize that Ichigo already knows that his dad was once a Captain. >.<
Anyway, look out for posts on
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
I Haven't Forgetten, It's Just . . .
I'm HYPER busy right now guys. I have two school projects due in less than a week, and a rough draft that needs to be finished by Monday. And we are about to lose a guy at work. So yeah. Sorry. :-/
I should have some time to post up something about Bleach 427 (which is pretty much what I expected it to be) by this weekend; hopefully I can get to it by Friday. Until then, I pray that I can keep my sanity throughout these next few days.
To tide you over, I found some great youtube crap. Enjoy.
I should have some time to post up something about Bleach 427 (which is pretty much what I expected it to be) by this weekend; hopefully I can get to it by Friday. Until then, I pray that I can keep my sanity throughout these next few days.
To tide you over, I found some great youtube crap. Enjoy.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
The mysterious stanger revealed! (Bleach 426 - The Starter 2) [Minimal Spoilers]
So if you haven't read 426 yet, here it is
Best title page ever, btw. So in 425, Ichogo and Ishida team up (sort of) to defend the school from a gang of punks hellbent on revenge. Nothing special about that, really. Ishida and Ichigo dispatch them in a matter of minutes, while arguing over a Quency's role in this new world. It also seems as if Ishida finally has a cell phone, which he received once he started working for none other than (dun-dun-da-dun!) Urahara! It seems he's been working at the shop in his spare time. And he's taken up texting. A real renessaunce man, that Ishida.
Urahara has apparently been keeping himself busy by suppressing the amount of Hollows that are manifesting in Karakura Town. Right as things start to get intersting, an old friend stops by to crash the party.
Yokochini! Don't remember him? Not surprising. He's in like 2 chapters or so, as part of Chad's flashback during his fight with Kyoraku. Ichigo beats the crap out of him then, and looks like he's gonna have to do it again. Right as he is starting to remember who the hell this dude is, some one else (literally) beats him to the punch . . . er kick. Some chick appears, wearing some sort of eel shirt, and kidnaps Ichigo! WTF!
Meet Ichigo's employer, Unagiya Ikumi (Cheap! Fast! Safe! That's Unagiya). She manages a jack-of-all-trades family shop, specializing in rabbit care and cleaning projects. She also has a young son, named Kaoru. It seems as if he has no idea what's going on with the business, but he does know that he doesn't want Ichigo as a step-dad. Not that he seems interested (I would be. Single mom w/ a crazy job and she can beat he crap out of pretty much anyone. I think I found my soul mate. <3)
Another fight breaks out, when suddenly a customer appears. OMG it's that guy! With ramen?!? WTF mate! What does he want? Who the hell is he? A lost Shinigami? Looks like we'll have to wait for next week to find out.
So I was totally wrong about Ichigo's employer (but at least someone is working with Urahara), but this new character Ikumi seems pretty interesting. She can definitely hold her own in a fight, plus she's uber hot. We also know from 424 that this mysterious man has an official Shinigami Representative Badge, so he has some connection to Soul Society (or maybe Urahara . . .), even if it's just a loose one. Or maybe it's Ichigo's, since we don't see him with it after 424 (Thanks Patrick for that thought. Didn't even consider it until you brought it up today). Is he the one who will help reawaken Ichigo's dormant powers? Only time will tell.
(Thanks again for the comic scans & images narutomanga.org and Bleach's wikia)
Best title page ever, btw. So in 425, Ichogo and Ishida team up (sort of) to defend the school from a gang of punks hellbent on revenge. Nothing special about that, really. Ishida and Ichigo dispatch them in a matter of minutes, while arguing over a Quency's role in this new world. It also seems as if Ishida finally has a cell phone, which he received once he started working for none other than (dun-dun-da-dun!) Urahara! It seems he's been working at the shop in his spare time. And he's taken up texting. A real renessaunce man, that Ishida.
Urahara has apparently been keeping himself busy by suppressing the amount of Hollows that are manifesting in Karakura Town. Right as things start to get intersting, an old friend stops by to crash the party.
Yokochini! Don't remember him? Not surprising. He's in like 2 chapters or so, as part of Chad's flashback during his fight with Kyoraku. Ichigo beats the crap out of him then, and looks like he's gonna have to do it again. Right as he is starting to remember who the hell this dude is, some one else (literally) beats him to the punch . . . er kick. Some chick appears, wearing some sort of eel shirt, and kidnaps Ichigo! WTF!
Meet Ichigo's employer, Unagiya Ikumi (Cheap! Fast! Safe! That's Unagiya). She manages a jack-of-all-trades family shop, specializing in rabbit care and cleaning projects. She also has a young son, named Kaoru. It seems as if he has no idea what's going on with the business, but he does know that he doesn't want Ichigo as a step-dad. Not that he seems interested (I would be. Single mom w/ a crazy job and she can beat he crap out of pretty much anyone. I think I found my soul mate. <3)
Another fight breaks out, when suddenly a customer appears. OMG it's that guy! With ramen?!? WTF mate! What does he want? Who the hell is he? A lost Shinigami? Looks like we'll have to wait for next week to find out.
So I was totally wrong about Ichigo's employer (but at least someone is working with Urahara), but this new character Ikumi seems pretty interesting. She can definitely hold her own in a fight, plus she's uber hot. We also know from 424 that this mysterious man has an official Shinigami Representative Badge, so he has some connection to Soul Society (or maybe Urahara . . .), even if it's just a loose one. Or maybe it's Ichigo's, since we don't see him with it after 424 (Thanks Patrick for that thought. Didn't even consider it until you brought it up today). Is he the one who will help reawaken Ichigo's dormant powers? Only time will tell.
(Thanks again for the comic scans & images narutomanga.org and Bleach's wikia)
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Soaked, The Past, Scorching Hot Combo (OOO 9) [Some Spoilers]
Sorry about the late post all. I was fencing and such. Anywho, I hope you all boned up on your OOO watching, cause I charging full speed ahead with episode 9 tonight! So let's start!
Want to watch episode 9? Check it our here at TV-Nihon!
It's Halloween and the Cous Coussier is celebrating in style. Eiji, who just recently got a job at the theme restaurant, tells owner Chiyoko Shiraishi that Ankh had a terrible childhood and is now homeless, just like him, so now she's allowing him to stay that the shop as well. This situation also works out for Hina, who want's to keep an eye on her brother's body (yeah, if you haven't caught up in the series, sorry for the spoilers. I told you to catch up!). Erika Satonaka, Kougami's assistant, shows up to collect on Eiji's loan from a while back. She's even dressed a gothic kitty cat! How cute!
Paying back the debt weakens Ankh, as he was on the brink of death when he received the loan. Everyone else seems to be having a good time until something outside explodes! Eiji, out hero, races out the door to investigate, and stumbles across the crime scene. As the crowd gathers, Eiji notices another car is rigged to go, and rushed to get everyone away just in time. The explosion, however, just destroys the car and covers everyone in water. Eiji notices a weird man with a doll on his shoulder casing out the scene. Very suspicious! Ankh informs him of a nearby, and Eiji runs off before he can question the shady figure.
The Yummy, a water type, is really fucking fast. I mean we're talking Super Sonic speed. Or the speed teen girls hit when they hear that Justin Bieber is anywhere within a twenty mile radius. The Yummy gets away, despite Eiji's best efforts. Too bad he did have cheetah legs. Or crystal meth.
Meanwhile, at the legion of doom . . . I mean Greeed headquarters, everyone is festing on Cell Medals, but it seems as if Kazari is missing. It seems as if he's figured out that someone other that the Greeed and OOO are after the O Medals, and they might have a valuable stash hidden away somewhere. . .
More explosions occur, and Eiji figures that it's the work of the Greeed. We get a curious flashback into Eiji's mysterious past, before that guy shows up yet again. Who they hell is that man? Following the only lead he has, he tries to track down the culprit, and starts to take him out using the TaToBa combo. He sees about the same results as with his last fight, but right before the Yummy gets away, Ankh shows up and tosses OOO the Cheetah medal, which helps level the playing field. That is until Gamel and Mezool show up, and start wrecking his shit. Desperate, Eiji resorts to using Lion on top of Tora and Cheetah, creating RaToraaTah.
His new found power is astounding, as he injures Mezool so badly that she drops four (count 'em) Core Medals. Gamel helps Mezool retreat, and OOO turns his new powers towards Mezool's Yummy, who is pretty much instantly evaporated by his Scanning Charge attack. After the battle, guess who shows up with some "encouraging" word. It's our friend, the doll dude! WTF!
Thanks for the image Miralupa!
There's a bit more to the episode, but why ruin anything else for you? Needless to say, next week's episode will be pretty sweet, as the bomber is still on the loose and there are still nests to be to find. Lots of new developments and possibly some new equipment, so there should be plenty of excitement to go around. (>.<)b
As for this episode, I give it a 7.75/10. They are really starting to develop Eiji, and we are starting to get a better picture of what made him the man he is today. Ankh is still an ass, but I don't expect him to start turning around till around episode 30 or so. Not the best episode, but it's still very impressive.
Want to watch episode 9? Check it our here at TV-Nihon!
It's Halloween and the Cous Coussier is celebrating in style. Eiji, who just recently got a job at the theme restaurant, tells owner Chiyoko Shiraishi that Ankh had a terrible childhood and is now homeless, just like him, so now she's allowing him to stay that the shop as well. This situation also works out for Hina, who want's to keep an eye on her brother's body (yeah, if you haven't caught up in the series, sorry for the spoilers. I told you to catch up!). Erika Satonaka, Kougami's assistant, shows up to collect on Eiji's loan from a while back. She's even dressed a gothic kitty cat! How cute!
Paying back the debt weakens Ankh, as he was on the brink of death when he received the loan. Everyone else seems to be having a good time until something outside explodes! Eiji, out hero, races out the door to investigate, and stumbles across the crime scene. As the crowd gathers, Eiji notices another car is rigged to go, and rushed to get everyone away just in time. The explosion, however, just destroys the car and covers everyone in water. Eiji notices a weird man with a doll on his shoulder casing out the scene. Very suspicious! Ankh informs him of a nearby, and Eiji runs off before he can question the shady figure.
The Yummy, a water type, is really fucking fast. I mean we're talking Super Sonic speed. Or the speed teen girls hit when they hear that Justin Bieber is anywhere within a twenty mile radius. The Yummy gets away, despite Eiji's best efforts. Too bad he did have cheetah legs. Or crystal meth.
Meanwhile, at the legion of doom . . . I mean Greeed headquarters, everyone is festing on Cell Medals, but it seems as if Kazari is missing. It seems as if he's figured out that someone other that the Greeed and OOO are after the O Medals, and they might have a valuable stash hidden away somewhere. . .
More explosions occur, and Eiji figures that it's the work of the Greeed. We get a curious flashback into Eiji's mysterious past, before that guy shows up yet again. Who they hell is that man? Following the only lead he has, he tries to track down the culprit, and starts to take him out using the TaToBa combo. He sees about the same results as with his last fight, but right before the Yummy gets away, Ankh shows up and tosses OOO the Cheetah medal, which helps level the playing field. That is until Gamel and Mezool show up, and start wrecking his shit. Desperate, Eiji resorts to using Lion on top of Tora and Cheetah, creating RaToraaTah.
His new found power is astounding, as he injures Mezool so badly that she drops four (count 'em) Core Medals. Gamel helps Mezool retreat, and OOO turns his new powers towards Mezool's Yummy, who is pretty much instantly evaporated by his Scanning Charge attack. After the battle, guess who shows up with some "encouraging" word. It's our friend, the doll dude! WTF!
Thanks for the image Miralupa!
There's a bit more to the episode, but why ruin anything else for you? Needless to say, next week's episode will be pretty sweet, as the bomber is still on the loose and there are still nests to be to find. Lots of new developments and possibly some new equipment, so there should be plenty of excitement to go around. (>.<)b
As for this episode, I give it a 7.75/10. They are really starting to develop Eiji, and we are starting to get a better picture of what made him the man he is today. Ankh is still an ass, but I don't expect him to start turning around till around episode 30 or so. Not the best episode, but it's still very impressive.
Opportunity in Disaster
Kinda messed up guys. No KR OOO this week. (TT_TT) Damn you sports!!! But I'll make it up to you! How about brief recap of the series so far, and a review of Ep. 9? Will you love me then?
Kamen Rider OOO: SUM-MAR-Y, SUMMARY, SUM-MAR-Y! (minimal spoilers)
Plot: 12th Rider of Heisei era, Kamen Rider OOO (pronounced OOoohhhs, like you're yelling at someone who's about about to fall into a pile of them. I mean the tools.) is wielded by Eiji Hino, a young vagrant who travels the world with no real aim or reason, save to have enough money to buy tomorrow's underwear. After getting a gig as a night guard, Eiji wakes up to find the building partially destroyed. Eventually he runs in a situation where he must become OOO to save the life of a young detective from creatures called Greed. Aided by the mysterious Greeed, who can only manifest as an arm, he uses a combination of three medals (controlling the forms of his head, body and legs) to gain the amazing power of a Kamen Rider.
Want to find some episodes? Here! Can't torrent files? That's OK, many of them are also on YouTube.
Characters:
Eiji Hino -A young man who has not held a job in his life. After falling asleep on his job at the museum, he must gain the ability to become Kamen Rider OOO in order to save a young detective injured in an "attack."
Kamen Rider OOO: SUM-MAR-Y, SUMMARY, SUM-MAR-Y! (minimal spoilers)
Plot: 12th Rider of Heisei era, Kamen Rider OOO (pronounced OOoohhhs, like you're yelling at someone who's about about to fall into a pile of them. I mean the tools.) is wielded by Eiji Hino, a young vagrant who travels the world with no real aim or reason, save to have enough money to buy tomorrow's underwear. After getting a gig as a night guard, Eiji wakes up to find the building partially destroyed. Eventually he runs in a situation where he must become OOO to save the life of a young detective from creatures called Greed. Aided by the mysterious Greeed, who can only manifest as an arm, he uses a combination of three medals (controlling the forms of his head, body and legs) to gain the amazing power of a Kamen Rider.
Want to find some episodes? Here! Can't torrent files? That's OK, many of them are also on YouTube.
Characters:
Eiji Hino -A young man who has not held a job in his life. After falling asleep on his job at the museum, he must gain the ability to become Kamen Rider OOO in order to save a young detective injured in an "attack."
Ankh - A bird-like Greeed who aids Eiji in his quest, hoping to utilize his power to defeat all the other Greeed and obtain the power of the Multi King. He can only manifest his arm, but he can posses others to utilize their bodies. He stores most of the medals that the duo earn from defeating Greeed, including many of the Core Medals need for OOO to transform.
Hina Izumi - Sister to the detective injured during the incident at the museum, Hina hosts superhuman strength, which she can't always control. She is very close to her brother, since he is the only family she has left.
Kougami Foundation - A shadow organization which owns all of the medal driven tech derived from their research of the Greeed. They own the museum that Eiji had a part-time job at, and they also own the Cell Medal-operated machines, such as the Candroids and the Ride Vendor. The organization is headed by Kousei Kougami, assisted by Erika Satonaka (his assistant) and Shintaro Goto (head of the Foundation's Ride Vendor 1st Squad motorcycle brigade). Little more is know about this group at this time.
Greeed - These creatures feed on Core and Cell Medals in order to gain greater power and abilities. They are created from the 45 core medals, sealed away 800 years ago. They are back now and looking to take over the world again. They are able to a create less powerful creature called a Yummy, which can generate and store Cell Medals. These creates are spawned from greed, either from a human source or a Greeed itself.
There are five Greeed: Ankh (a bird), Uva (insect), Kazari (cat), Gamel ('heavy animal'), and Mezool (aquatic creatures).
Equipment and Forms:
As I mentioned earlier, OOO's power is obtained by inserting a combination of Core Medals into the OOO Driver. The Driver is then scanned using the O Scanner (go figure :-P), which activated the belt and transforms the head, body and legs of the Rider, in accordance the to slotted Medals. The Medals can be inserted and removed both in and outside of henshin (much like Kamen Rider W driver ability), and control the head, body and legs from left to right.
The first (and main) formation is known as TaToBa Combo. The top being Taka (bird), body being Tora (cat) and the body being Batta (grashopper). His final attack in this form is a Rider Kick, which is activated with a Scanning Charge (reminiscent of Kamen Rider 555).
Other notable form are GataKiriBa Combo, LaTorarTar Combo, and LaToraBa Combo.
Medajalibur is a sword which can be loaded with Cell Medals and scanned with the O Scanner to perform the OOO Blast Tripple Scanning Charge. The blade is given to OOO by the Kougami Foundation.
Ride Vendor is a vending machine, which can distribute Candroids and can transform into a motorcycle through the use of Cell Medals. The machines are owned and operated by the Kougami Foundation.
And that about does it. I'll be posting that review of OOO 9 tonight, so catch up on the series if you have to time. See you then! d_(>.<)_b
Monday, November 8, 2010
New chapter & episode reviews, but so little time. :-/
Yo!
So Bleach 426 and Kamen Rider OOO 9 release on the 10th, & a review coming for Kamen Rider OOO 9 is coming; this week is going to suck soooooo badly. I've got a ton of projects coming up soon for school, and we just entered the Christmas at work. (ugh . . . it's not even Thanksgiving yet and I'm already burnt out on Christmas tunes)
I apologize in advance if some of these reviews come out late, but hang around a bit cause some good stuff is coming soon. I also have reviews incoming for Fallout: New Vegas, Sengoku Basara and The Walking Dead. On top of all of that, I'm working on catching up on Naruto (took a 4 year hiatus on that series), Code Geass, Gundam OO and Sengoku Basara Season 2. Busy, busy, busy!
@_@
So sit tight, but until then, check this out!
Awesome, right? If you want to catch up on the action of KR OOO, check out the site TV-Nihon for all the of the episodes up to 9. 10 releases on Wednesday, Nov. 10, along side Bleach 246.
So Bleach 426 and Kamen Rider OOO 9 release on the 10th, & a review coming for Kamen Rider OOO 9 is coming; this week is going to suck soooooo badly. I've got a ton of projects coming up soon for school, and we just entered the Christmas at work. (ugh . . . it's not even Thanksgiving yet and I'm already burnt out on Christmas tunes)
I apologize in advance if some of these reviews come out late, but hang around a bit cause some good stuff is coming soon. I also have reviews incoming for Fallout: New Vegas, Sengoku Basara and The Walking Dead. On top of all of that, I'm working on catching up on Naruto (took a 4 year hiatus on that series), Code Geass, Gundam OO and Sengoku Basara Season 2. Busy, busy, busy!
@_@
So sit tight, but until then, check this out!
Awesome, right? If you want to catch up on the action of KR OOO, check out the site TV-Nihon for all the of the episodes up to 9. 10 releases on Wednesday, Nov. 10, along side Bleach 246.
Friday, November 5, 2010
The 10 (. . . er 15) Most Cryptic Coheed & Cambria Songs, and Why They Have to Be That Way
I've been going through a real Coheed and Cambria kick lately. I mean I listen to them all the time, but for the last week or so I've had all 5 albums on my DSi. They are honestly one of the best bands running the alternative rock scene today, plus their vision and concept are absolutely brilliant. The lead singer/guitarist Claudio Sanchez produced an epic graphic novel series which tells the story of Coheed, Cambria, their children and the fate of the universe in which they live, Heaven's Fence. Each album depicts a different segment of the storyline, from the Amory Wars (Year of the Black Rainbow) to the last moments as the universe tears itself apart (Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV: Volume 2: No World For Tomorrow) at the hands of The Crowing.
Most of my friends also listen to this guys, but whenever I try to introduce someone to the band, the most common complaint I get is that many of their lyrics are violent and cryptic for no reason. While they do tend to get a bit dark, it does have a very focused purpose, which stretches over the five albums and the novels, so I decided to make a list of the 10 darkest, most cryptic songs in the discography. That way I could explain to others why Claudio writes the way he does, and how the music is a reflection, if not a necessary tool, of the story as a whole.
This list was much harder to compile that I originally anticipated. I'm a huge Co&CA fan, so narrowing this list down to just 10 songs was quite a gut-wrenching task. In fact, I couldn't do it. I just couldn't cut the last five songs, so now the list has grown to 15. /fail. You'll see why though, so without further adieu, number 15.
15. The Willing Well III: Apollo II: The Telling Truth (Goodbye Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV: Vol. I: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness)- Long-winded titled aside, this song is pretty intense. So much is going on during this song int he Amory Wars comic: Claudio, Ambellina and the gang fall into Wilhelm Ryan and Mayo Dentinwolf's trap on the House Atlantic; Jesse begins his final fight will Mayo; Ambellina and Claudio manage to defeat one of Ryan's Onstantine Priests; The Writing Writer crosses the frame from our world into Heaven's Fence using the Willing Well and immediately attacks Ambellina, acting upon the influence set in motion by Ten Speed to kill the one he loves. It's all simply amazing! (If you're already lost at this point, read up on the story here.)
After realizing his helplessness in the face of the Writer, Claudio submits to his new master as he gives him this command: "In my presence you will make/ Sure the fiction meets its fate/ That death will grace your face my dear character/ Through these lessons you have learned/ All the worlds from here must burn/ For as God demands that the end we miss" As the Crowing, Claudio is destined to bring Heaven's fence and Wilhelm's tyrannical reign to and end, and now, by his God's commands, that time is here. This is one of the most depressing scenes from this album, as we Claudio lose this one he loves again, and once again he is helpless to stop it. Poor kid.
14. Welcome Home (GA,IBSIV: V.1: FFTtEoM)- "You could have been all I wanted/ But you weren't honest/ Now get in the ground . . ." The Writer's longing for his former lover Miss Erica Court (She'll be popping up a lot) starts to transform from simple sorrow to outright rage. Ten Speed is still prodding him, pushing him to the brink of madness, until finally he see no other options other that the destruction of all things. In this scene, however, the Writer sees himself clad in black, standing over a large whole in the ground with Erica bound before him, pleading for mercy. She says that she loves him, but he can't believe any of her words. Even in the very end, he still loves her, but knows in his heart that she must die for her sins (which that whole thing might not be exactly as it seems . . .) saying "I’d do anything for you/ One last kiss for you/ One more wish to you/ Please make up your mind girl…/ Before I hope you die"
His tormented state sets the tone for the rest of the album and the story from this point on, as Claudio and the Writer come closer and closer to their final goal: the destruction of the Fence.
13. Time Consumer (Second Stage Turbine Blade)- The was the first so most Coheed and Cambria fans ever heard, and honestly it's one of my favorites. It paints the backdrop for one of the most disturbing and powerful moments of this album. We enter the Kilgannon residence, where Coheed, plagued by horrifying dreams (which are actually memories of a life once lived), is convince by Mayo that he must kill his children in order the protect the universe from the Sinstar Virus, a mutation of his on Monstar virus. If it allowed to coming to term, Sinstar would wipe out the entire Fence, darkening every star.
We watch a a father is torn between saving the countless populous of the Fence and protecting those who he holds most dear. Unfortunately he chooses the former, suppressing his emotions to the brink, ("Pain is only a pulse /If you just stop feeling it") as he plans to do the unthinkable.
12. The Velorium Camper I: Faint of Heart (In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3)- What would a countdown like this be without an appearance of the most vile, fucked up character from the whole series: Al the Killer. A sadistic shadow of Han Solo, Al helps Claudio and Ambellina escape from Shylos Ten. During their trip, we see just how messed up this dude really is. He has a odd, sexual relationship with his prized sniper rifle, the subject of this song, and obsesses over killing white girls in his free time. This song, as a mention, lays out his psychopathic obsession with his rifle, caressing it, making plans of mass murder
11. Here We Are Juggernaut (Year of the Black Rainbow)- The first entry from the newest album, Here We Are Juggernaut chronicles the opening scene of the YotBR novel, as Coheed and Cambria descend into the bowels of Howling Earth and confront Mayo. After a very close battle, the Beast and Knowledge manage to destroy the mining facility, though it comes at a heavy price. As they escape, Mayo screams, "You fools! You have attracted the attention of the Supreme Tri-Mage, Wilhelm Ryan! Consider this battle lost." This marks the beginning of the end for our young lovers, and acts a bitter foreshadowing of the dark deeds yet tom come.
10. This Shattered Symphony (YotBR)- Everything is falling apart at this point. Leonard is falling apart. Pearl, betrayed and alone, contemplates murder. Ryan and Mayo are finally starting to seize control of the the Fence. We enter as the world around these characters starts to turn black, and there is no turning back now. Read the novel for an more in-depth look into this moment, as it hold much more significance that I let on.
9. The Suffering (GA,IBSIV: V.1: FFTtEoM)- So how do you top that? How about a a tale of (alleged) sexual betrayal, suicide AND murder. While the lyrics here aren't as pointed, the story behind them is quite dark. The Writing Writer, at this point, as accepted the quest given to him by Ten Speed (I know I've mentioned this . . . thing a couple of times, maybe I should provide some background. Ten Speed is a talking demonic bicycle, produced by the delusions of the Writer, that convinces him to kill Ambellina/Erica 'cause she's a bitch.) to kill Ambellina, who the Writer sees as Erica.
The Writer contemplates everything Erica did, from banging some mysterious strange to never telling him the truth. He was on the brink of proposing to her, and then she had the nerve to run out on him. He's a God for Christ's sake! You can feel the torment in the music here better than in many other songs from this album, especially in live performances.
8. Neverender (SSTB)- Imagine you come home, fretting that you stayed out a little past curfew with your significant other, and upon entering the kitchen door, you find you entire family brutally murdered. Your older sister, bruised and bloodied on the linoleum floor screams at you, "RUN! YOU'LL MAKE IT IF YOU BELIEVE!!!" Just then a cloaked terror appears behind you, red eyes set to kill. At you flew from the front door, you hear the final screams of you sis roaring down the hill. Your only escape is to stow away on a trash ship, set out to some unknown horrible planet, as you decide to leave everything you've know and loved behind forever.
You're now in the shoes of Claudio Kilgannon, as he sets out on a journey to fulfill his yet unknown destiny. In this song, young Claudio, vowing revenge of those who killed his family, writes a final goodbye letter to his parents, praying and hoping that they are alright. "In graver mistakes/ Dear mom and dad/ I write you in the letter that states (scratched through) . . . When the new days begun/ Forget your son/ When he’s out on his own" He even contemplates suicide ("Point your gun in another direction/ Now that you’ve cried yourself to sleep") before calling it off. They actually had to put a disclaimer in the album cover about how this is a work of fantasy, and kids should try that at home.
7. The Willing Well IV: The Final Cut (GA,IBSIV: V.1: FFTtEoM)- And we are back to were we started, the Willing Well. This scene actually takes place before The Telling Truth, as we watch as the Writer is snatched up in a dream and is lead to none other than Miss Erica Court. Before we get to far into this song, a word about the Willing Well: this is the most bad-ass thing ever. It's a full-length mirror/portal to another dimension Like I said, bad-ass!
Anyway, about the Final Cut. Erica brings him to the block, readied to lop off his head, and utters these fateful words that change the Writer forever: "This is no beginning/ This is the final cut." This song also features one of the most violent lines in the discography. Taunting the love of her life, Erica snickers, "Here wait, so I guess that you knew/ That you’re… a selfish little whore/ I’m the selfish little whore/ If I had my way I’d crush your face in the door." Ah, young love.
6. Mother Superior (GA,IBSIV: Vol. 2: No World For Tomorrow)- The first track on the list from the end chapter of the Co&Ca saga, this song is considered one of the most melodic and beautiful songs in the entire discography. However on further inspection, it quite dark, revealing Claudio's reservations and fears right as he about to complete his role as the Crowing. The comic has yet to be released, but many fans have made some great predictions of how the story goes down at this moment.
Claudio, though he's accepted his power as the Crowing, still is not ready to give his life for a universe that has turned it back on him. Everything and everyone he's ever loved is dead or gone, his God is forcing his hand (and killed his most recent love to push him forward), and all of the deeds that have led up to this moment have been revealed to our young "hero." What should he do? Should he sacrifice himself ("Little baby, kicking, you scream and whine/ Victims pay the price eventually/ The cost, lets see… your life") or walk away? Will there be a world for tomorrow?
5. Blood Red Summer (IKSoSE:3)- We've cracked the to five, and looky what we have first! "In a blood red summer/ I'll give you." Claudio, now teamed up with Jesse the Inferno and Ambellina, has just been told of the fate of his parents at the hand of Wilhelm Ryan. Shocked and sickened by this new information, he begs and screams what did he do to deserve this. The music video is amazing too, and it has zombies!
4. Three Evils (Embodied in Love and Shadow) (IKSoSE:3)- In one of the most disturbing scenes from the entire saga, Sizor (one of Jesse's "children"), after giving himself up to Ryan and Mayo in exchange for Chase's life (all in a ploy to gain favor with "father"), is taken to Shylos Ten to be tortured for information on the rebellion. They drill holes in his hands, blind him, decapitate him, yet he still won't give. Finally, they toss his body on the streets where Claudio and Ambellina stumble upon him. The song gets really dark towards the end, requiring a disclaimer in the album cover about how this is a work of fantasy, and kids should try that at home. ("Dear my friends/ In the time we spent forever after beyond this when will our nightmare ever end?/ Pull the trigger and the nightmare stops . . .")
But IRO-Bots will never die . . .
3. Everything Evil (SSTB)- "Wait . . . for/ Everything evil in you/ Comes out." And it truly does in this scene. Coheed performs his dark deeds, beating Josephine to death with a hammer right in front of her fiance ("blood hungry cannibalistic unfit family ties/ In a series of knocks to the young girl’s head side"), killing the twins and, to top everything off, Claudio returns at the last minute to view the entire gruesome scene. Oh and did a mention that right before this, Josephine is brutally raped by a gang of psychopaths? No? Well, we'll get to that soon . . .
But first, number 2!
2. Once Upon Your Dead Body (GA,IBSIV: V.1: FFTtEoM)- Great title right? "If hello could only drop its 'o.'" Ten Speed continues his campaign to drive the Writer to murder. You can hear as Claudio (the singer, [god this is gonna get weird]) shifts between Ten Speed and Claudio's persecive on the situation ("Do you remember why you did it?/ Do you rememeber why she left?") until he final comes to the conclusion Ten Speed had always hoped for.
"I hope you dies right now when you drink my chemical/ and If you cry out load it would only make me feel too good."
That brings us to number one on my list. Are you ready? Here it is!
1. Devil in Jersey City (SSTB)- Jersey sucks, no matter what universe you're in. Josephine and Patrick, very much in love, decide to take a short cut though the secluded city of Jersey. Bad call Pat. They are assaulted by the Jersey City Devils, a local gang of degenerates. Patrick is beaten to shit and watches, helpless as Josephine is raped in front of his eyes ("Don't let them scare you"). "Scream loud scream sayonara oh oh oh/ Sweet josephine will you follow me home?" What a way to propose! And that is why it's the darkest moment on my countdown.
Not satisfied? Pissed that your favorite song didn't make the list? Wanna send me words of praise (psssh, don't expect any of that)? Leave a comment or email me @ havenwood56@gmail.com, and I'll get back with you.
Most of my friends also listen to this guys, but whenever I try to introduce someone to the band, the most common complaint I get is that many of their lyrics are violent and cryptic for no reason. While they do tend to get a bit dark, it does have a very focused purpose, which stretches over the five albums and the novels, so I decided to make a list of the 10 darkest, most cryptic songs in the discography. That way I could explain to others why Claudio writes the way he does, and how the music is a reflection, if not a necessary tool, of the story as a whole.
This list was much harder to compile that I originally anticipated. I'm a huge Co&CA fan, so narrowing this list down to just 10 songs was quite a gut-wrenching task. In fact, I couldn't do it. I just couldn't cut the last five songs, so now the list has grown to 15. /fail. You'll see why though, so without further adieu, number 15.
15. The Willing Well III: Apollo II: The Telling Truth (Goodbye Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV: Vol. I: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness)- Long-winded titled aside, this song is pretty intense. So much is going on during this song int he Amory Wars comic: Claudio, Ambellina and the gang fall into Wilhelm Ryan and Mayo Dentinwolf's trap on the House Atlantic; Jesse begins his final fight will Mayo; Ambellina and Claudio manage to defeat one of Ryan's Onstantine Priests; The Writing Writer crosses the frame from our world into Heaven's Fence using the Willing Well and immediately attacks Ambellina, acting upon the influence set in motion by Ten Speed to kill the one he loves. It's all simply amazing! (If you're already lost at this point, read up on the story here.)
After realizing his helplessness in the face of the Writer, Claudio submits to his new master as he gives him this command: "In my presence you will make/ Sure the fiction meets its fate/ That death will grace your face my dear character/ Through these lessons you have learned/ All the worlds from here must burn/ For as God demands that the end we miss" As the Crowing, Claudio is destined to bring Heaven's fence and Wilhelm's tyrannical reign to and end, and now, by his God's commands, that time is here. This is one of the most depressing scenes from this album, as we Claudio lose this one he loves again, and once again he is helpless to stop it. Poor kid.
14. Welcome Home (GA,IBSIV: V.1: FFTtEoM)- "You could have been all I wanted/ But you weren't honest/ Now get in the ground . . ." The Writer's longing for his former lover Miss Erica Court (She'll be popping up a lot) starts to transform from simple sorrow to outright rage. Ten Speed is still prodding him, pushing him to the brink of madness, until finally he see no other options other that the destruction of all things. In this scene, however, the Writer sees himself clad in black, standing over a large whole in the ground with Erica bound before him, pleading for mercy. She says that she loves him, but he can't believe any of her words. Even in the very end, he still loves her, but knows in his heart that she must die for her sins (which that whole thing might not be exactly as it seems . . .) saying "I’d do anything for you/ One last kiss for you/ One more wish to you/ Please make up your mind girl…/ Before I hope you die"
His tormented state sets the tone for the rest of the album and the story from this point on, as Claudio and the Writer come closer and closer to their final goal: the destruction of the Fence.
Coheed and Cambria - Welcome Home (Official Music Video). Watch more top selected videos about: Coheed and Cambria
13. Time Consumer (Second Stage Turbine Blade)- The was the first so most Coheed and Cambria fans ever heard, and honestly it's one of my favorites. It paints the backdrop for one of the most disturbing and powerful moments of this album. We enter the Kilgannon residence, where Coheed, plagued by horrifying dreams (which are actually memories of a life once lived), is convince by Mayo that he must kill his children in order the protect the universe from the Sinstar Virus, a mutation of his on Monstar virus. If it allowed to coming to term, Sinstar would wipe out the entire Fence, darkening every star.
We watch a a father is torn between saving the countless populous of the Fence and protecting those who he holds most dear. Unfortunately he chooses the former, suppressing his emotions to the brink, ("Pain is only a pulse /If you just stop feeling it") as he plans to do the unthinkable.
12. The Velorium Camper I: Faint of Heart (In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3)- What would a countdown like this be without an appearance of the most vile, fucked up character from the whole series: Al the Killer. A sadistic shadow of Han Solo, Al helps Claudio and Ambellina escape from Shylos Ten. During their trip, we see just how messed up this dude really is. He has a odd, sexual relationship with his prized sniper rifle, the subject of this song, and obsesses over killing white girls in his free time. This song, as a mention, lays out his psychopathic obsession with his rifle, caressing it, making plans of mass murder
11. Here We Are Juggernaut (Year of the Black Rainbow)- The first entry from the newest album, Here We Are Juggernaut chronicles the opening scene of the YotBR novel, as Coheed and Cambria descend into the bowels of Howling Earth and confront Mayo. After a very close battle, the Beast and Knowledge manage to destroy the mining facility, though it comes at a heavy price. As they escape, Mayo screams, "You fools! You have attracted the attention of the Supreme Tri-Mage, Wilhelm Ryan! Consider this battle lost." This marks the beginning of the end for our young lovers, and acts a bitter foreshadowing of the dark deeds yet tom come.
10. This Shattered Symphony (YotBR)- Everything is falling apart at this point. Leonard is falling apart. Pearl, betrayed and alone, contemplates murder. Ryan and Mayo are finally starting to seize control of the the Fence. We enter as the world around these characters starts to turn black, and there is no turning back now. Read the novel for an more in-depth look into this moment, as it hold much more significance that I let on.
9. The Suffering (GA,IBSIV: V.1: FFTtEoM)- So how do you top that? How about a a tale of (alleged) sexual betrayal, suicide AND murder. While the lyrics here aren't as pointed, the story behind them is quite dark. The Writing Writer, at this point, as accepted the quest given to him by Ten Speed (I know I've mentioned this . . . thing a couple of times, maybe I should provide some background. Ten Speed is a talking demonic bicycle, produced by the delusions of the Writer, that convinces him to kill Ambellina/Erica 'cause she's a bitch.) to kill Ambellina, who the Writer sees as Erica.
The Writer contemplates everything Erica did, from banging some mysterious strange to never telling him the truth. He was on the brink of proposing to her, and then she had the nerve to run out on him. He's a God for Christ's sake! You can feel the torment in the music here better than in many other songs from this album, especially in live performances.
8. Neverender (SSTB)- Imagine you come home, fretting that you stayed out a little past curfew with your significant other, and upon entering the kitchen door, you find you entire family brutally murdered. Your older sister, bruised and bloodied on the linoleum floor screams at you, "RUN! YOU'LL MAKE IT IF YOU BELIEVE!!!" Just then a cloaked terror appears behind you, red eyes set to kill. At you flew from the front door, you hear the final screams of you sis roaring down the hill. Your only escape is to stow away on a trash ship, set out to some unknown horrible planet, as you decide to leave everything you've know and loved behind forever.
You're now in the shoes of Claudio Kilgannon, as he sets out on a journey to fulfill his yet unknown destiny. In this song, young Claudio, vowing revenge of those who killed his family, writes a final goodbye letter to his parents, praying and hoping that they are alright. "In graver mistakes/ Dear mom and dad/ I write you in the letter that states (scratched through) . . . When the new days begun/ Forget your son/ When he’s out on his own" He even contemplates suicide ("Point your gun in another direction/ Now that you’ve cried yourself to sleep") before calling it off. They actually had to put a disclaimer in the album cover about how this is a work of fantasy, and kids should try that at home.
7. The Willing Well IV: The Final Cut (GA,IBSIV: V.1: FFTtEoM)- And we are back to were we started, the Willing Well. This scene actually takes place before The Telling Truth, as we watch as the Writer is snatched up in a dream and is lead to none other than Miss Erica Court. Before we get to far into this song, a word about the Willing Well: this is the most bad-ass thing ever. It's a full-length mirror/portal to another dimension Like I said, bad-ass!
Anyway, about the Final Cut. Erica brings him to the block, readied to lop off his head, and utters these fateful words that change the Writer forever: "This is no beginning/ This is the final cut." This song also features one of the most violent lines in the discography. Taunting the love of her life, Erica snickers, "Here wait, so I guess that you knew/ That you’re… a selfish little whore/ I’m the selfish little whore/ If I had my way I’d crush your face in the door." Ah, young love.
6. Mother Superior (GA,IBSIV: Vol. 2: No World For Tomorrow)- The first track on the list from the end chapter of the Co&Ca saga, this song is considered one of the most melodic and beautiful songs in the entire discography. However on further inspection, it quite dark, revealing Claudio's reservations and fears right as he about to complete his role as the Crowing. The comic has yet to be released, but many fans have made some great predictions of how the story goes down at this moment.
Claudio, though he's accepted his power as the Crowing, still is not ready to give his life for a universe that has turned it back on him. Everything and everyone he's ever loved is dead or gone, his God is forcing his hand (and killed his most recent love to push him forward), and all of the deeds that have led up to this moment have been revealed to our young "hero." What should he do? Should he sacrifice himself ("Little baby, kicking, you scream and whine/ Victims pay the price eventually/ The cost, lets see… your life") or walk away? Will there be a world for tomorrow?
5. Blood Red Summer (IKSoSE:3)- We've cracked the to five, and looky what we have first! "In a blood red summer/ I'll give you." Claudio, now teamed up with Jesse the Inferno and Ambellina, has just been told of the fate of his parents at the hand of Wilhelm Ryan. Shocked and sickened by this new information, he begs and screams what did he do to deserve this. The music video is amazing too, and it has zombies!
4. Three Evils (Embodied in Love and Shadow) (IKSoSE:3)- In one of the most disturbing scenes from the entire saga, Sizor (one of Jesse's "children"), after giving himself up to Ryan and Mayo in exchange for Chase's life (all in a ploy to gain favor with "father"), is taken to Shylos Ten to be tortured for information on the rebellion. They drill holes in his hands, blind him, decapitate him, yet he still won't give. Finally, they toss his body on the streets where Claudio and Ambellina stumble upon him. The song gets really dark towards the end, requiring a disclaimer in the album cover about how this is a work of fantasy, and kids should try that at home. ("Dear my friends/ In the time we spent forever after beyond this when will our nightmare ever end?/ Pull the trigger and the nightmare stops . . .")
But IRO-Bots will never die . . .
3. Everything Evil (SSTB)- "Wait . . . for/ Everything evil in you/ Comes out." And it truly does in this scene. Coheed performs his dark deeds, beating Josephine to death with a hammer right in front of her fiance ("blood hungry cannibalistic unfit family ties/ In a series of knocks to the young girl’s head side"), killing the twins and, to top everything off, Claudio returns at the last minute to view the entire gruesome scene. Oh and did a mention that right before this, Josephine is brutally raped by a gang of psychopaths? No? Well, we'll get to that soon . . .
But first, number 2!
2. Once Upon Your Dead Body (GA,IBSIV: V.1: FFTtEoM)- Great title right? "If hello could only drop its 'o.'" Ten Speed continues his campaign to drive the Writer to murder. You can hear as Claudio (the singer, [god this is gonna get weird]) shifts between Ten Speed and Claudio's persecive on the situation ("Do you remember why you did it?/ Do you rememeber why she left?") until he final comes to the conclusion Ten Speed had always hoped for.
"I hope you dies right now when you drink my chemical/ and If you cry out load it would only make me feel too good."
That brings us to number one on my list. Are you ready? Here it is!
1. Devil in Jersey City (SSTB)- Jersey sucks, no matter what universe you're in. Josephine and Patrick, very much in love, decide to take a short cut though the secluded city of Jersey. Bad call Pat. They are assaulted by the Jersey City Devils, a local gang of degenerates. Patrick is beaten to shit and watches, helpless as Josephine is raped in front of his eyes ("Don't let them scare you"). "Scream loud scream sayonara oh oh oh/ Sweet josephine will you follow me home?" What a way to propose! And that is why it's the darkest moment on my countdown.
Not satisfied? Pissed that your favorite song didn't make the list? Wanna send me words of praise (psssh, don't expect any of that)? Leave a comment or email me @ havenwood56@gmail.com, and I'll get back with you.
Beginning of a new arc (Bleach 424 & 425) (Massive Spoilers)
Once again, if you haven't finished the series up to the fight with Aizen, watch out. I'm going to ruin the story for you. I'll take a second for you to look away; take your time.
Ok, now that everyone is caught up, here's the scoop. Ichigo has lost all of his Shinigami powers after defeating Aizen to save Karakura Town from ultimate destruction. Now he can finally enjoy life as a normal high school student. No spirits, no missions, no Hollows, no problems. Right?
Wrong! While Ishida has taken over the duties of protecting the town from Hollows, it seems as if Ichigo still can manage to find some trouble to get himself tangled into.
424 opens with Ichigo, a senior now, getting ready for school, while sidestepping various obstacles at home. He does note that Karin's powers have gotten stronger, which might be an interesting plot development in the future. After arriving at school, he meets up with Mizuiro, Keigo and Tatsuki. Tatsuki asks him t return her copy of Tekken so that she can practice for the next one, (I assume she's gotta be talking about Tekken Tag 2(>.<)b) when Ichigo notices that he still has Shinigami Representative Badge from the Soul Society. I'm going to break off for a sec, and speculate about some shit. From what I remember, no one without a significant amount of spiritual energy can see the Seal of Approval. (See Chapter 183) Sooooo we have to assume at this point that Ichigo hasn't lost all of his powers, they just have diminished significantly. Back to 424; While Ichigo reflects on his time as a Shinigami, Ishida rushes out of the room, presumably to confront a Hollow, (my have the turned tables) and later we see Ichigo sulking on the roof with Keigo contemplating his future and of what became of Rukia. Poor little lover boy. He acts tough, but he's a big softy on the inside. On the way home from school, Ichigo beats the crap out of some street punk that steals a mans bag. Ichigo walks away after he returns the bag, telling the man to not say anything about it, when we see a Seal of Approval slip out of this mysterious strangers bag. DUN DUN DUNNNNN!!!!!!
Moving on to 425: Ichigo has a strange dream of Renji, Byakuya and Rukia telling him to wake up. (creepy!) Upon waking, Ichigo must defend himself from another one of Isshin's surprise attacks. When he tells him about he weird dream, he immediately forgets what it was about.
Back at school, Ichigo is screening different clubs to make a little extra money so that he move out of his dad's place once he graduates. Tatsuki shows up, and tells him of her new job as an assistant of a dojo that they both attended as children. Orihime stops by, making a flashy entrance.
As Tatsuki runs off to work, she reminds Ichigo of his other job, which he has completely forgotten. Blowing off soccer practice, Ichigo calls his employer and pretty much gets himself fired. Responsibility WTF!
As he hangs up, a gang representing the dude that Ichigo beats up in 424 crashes the school gate, looking for revenge. Before Ichigo can get involved, Ishida sticks his d*%k into the situation. Ichigo rushes in to help his best frenemy, a shadowy figure stands off in the distance, watches as sh!t goes down.
An with that the new arc begins. Obviously Ichigo will be getting his powers back at some point, he just need to awaken to them. The real question is how. Is this mysterious man an ally or enemy? Will Shinji and the Visored make a comeback to help a fallen ally? (I hope so because Mashiro is the sh!t) When will we see Rukia again! Will Kon ever have a three-way with Orihime and Rukia? Probably no change on that last one every happening, but they rest will be seen with time I guess.
Ok, now that everyone is caught up, here's the scoop. Ichigo has lost all of his Shinigami powers after defeating Aizen to save Karakura Town from ultimate destruction. Now he can finally enjoy life as a normal high school student. No spirits, no missions, no Hollows, no problems. Right?
Wrong! While Ishida has taken over the duties of protecting the town from Hollows, it seems as if Ichigo still can manage to find some trouble to get himself tangled into.
424 opens with Ichigo, a senior now, getting ready for school, while sidestepping various obstacles at home. He does note that Karin's powers have gotten stronger, which might be an interesting plot development in the future. After arriving at school, he meets up with Mizuiro, Keigo and Tatsuki. Tatsuki asks him t return her copy of Tekken so that she can practice for the next one, (I assume she's gotta be talking about Tekken Tag 2(>.<)b) when Ichigo notices that he still has Shinigami Representative Badge from the Soul Society. I'm going to break off for a sec, and speculate about some shit. From what I remember, no one without a significant amount of spiritual energy can see the Seal of Approval. (See Chapter 183) Sooooo we have to assume at this point that Ichigo hasn't lost all of his powers, they just have diminished significantly. Back to 424; While Ichigo reflects on his time as a Shinigami, Ishida rushes out of the room, presumably to confront a Hollow, (my have the turned tables) and later we see Ichigo sulking on the roof with Keigo contemplating his future and of what became of Rukia. Poor little lover boy. He acts tough, but he's a big softy on the inside. On the way home from school, Ichigo beats the crap out of some street punk that steals a mans bag. Ichigo walks away after he returns the bag, telling the man to not say anything about it, when we see a Seal of Approval slip out of this mysterious strangers bag. DUN DUN DUNNNNN!!!!!!
Moving on to 425: Ichigo has a strange dream of Renji, Byakuya and Rukia telling him to wake up. (creepy!) Upon waking, Ichigo must defend himself from another one of Isshin's surprise attacks. When he tells him about he weird dream, he immediately forgets what it was about.Back at school, Ichigo is screening different clubs to make a little extra money so that he move out of his dad's place once he graduates. Tatsuki shows up, and tells him of her new job as an assistant of a dojo that they both attended as children. Orihime stops by, making a flashy entrance.
As Tatsuki runs off to work, she reminds Ichigo of his other job, which he has completely forgotten. Blowing off soccer practice, Ichigo calls his employer and pretty much gets himself fired. Responsibility WTF!
As he hangs up, a gang representing the dude that Ichigo beats up in 424 crashes the school gate, looking for revenge. Before Ichigo can get involved, Ishida sticks his d*%k into the situation. Ichigo rushes in to help his best frenemy, a shadowy figure stands off in the distance, watches as sh!t goes down.
An with that the new arc begins. Obviously Ichigo will be getting his powers back at some point, he just need to awaken to them. The real question is how. Is this mysterious man an ally or enemy? Will Shinji and the Visored make a comeback to help a fallen ally? (I hope so because Mashiro is the sh!t) When will we see Rukia again! Will Kon ever have a three-way with Orihime and Rukia? Probably no change on that last one every happening, but they rest will be seen with time I guess.
New content coming!
For those of you that have read some of my other blog, all of this content is going to look a bit familiar. Sorry, I've been kinda busy with school work, and I've been wasting most of my free time playing New Vegas and catching up on a verity of anime and manga series that I have neglected for too long.
Anyway, I have reviews for Bleach Chapters 424 & 425, Fallout New Vegas (PS3 version), SMT: Strange Journey and some other goodies in the works.
In the meantime, enjoy this clip mash-up of Don Draper. It's not mine, but it is awesome.
Anyway, I have reviews for Bleach Chapters 424 & 425, Fallout New Vegas (PS3 version), SMT: Strange Journey and some other goodies in the works.
In the meantime, enjoy this clip mash-up of Don Draper. It's not mine, but it is awesome.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Whoa! Another Tri-py Review.
Long time, no publish, guys! To help make up for the absence, I have another mega-review here. Let’s not waste anymore time and hop right into Katamari Forever.
Katamari Forever (PS3) - Nana nanananana na nana. . . This tune has become a symbol of joy, adventure, and galactic destruction. Ever since the King of All Cosmos destroyed every star in the sky back in 2004, gamers have been hooked on the ultimate item collection game created by Keita Takahashi. While Takahashi didn’t work on this project (Kenji Nakamo directed this project), it still retains the charm of it’s predecessors.
This time one King was simply not enough. Forever, originally subtitled Tribute, contains a significant amount of levels from previous Katamari games, which you play to try and awaken the KoAC from a coma-like sleep. To fill during the King’s absence, the Prince has also constructed RoboKing, who like his name sake has a problem with keeping the heavens intact.
The came features plenty of hidden accessories and cousins, and you can unlock 2 bonus game modes as you lay through the title. KF also features an amazing soundtrack, and of course, each level has it’s own tune or re-mix.
All in all, this a strong title for newcomers and old time fans of the series. I highly recommend checking this game out if your looking for a good game to play with your girl/boyfriend, since the game features both multiplayer VS and co-op play. While it does lack online play, there are online leaderboards, but these are really only entertaining if you have friends who own the title as well.
Grade: B+
Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars (Wii) - First off, let me say I suck d&%k at fighters. I do like playing them, but I’ve never been able to really kick a$ is ‘em. I apologies in advance if I don’t go into extreme depth with how the fighting system compares to other high-speed 2-D fighters.
What’s I do know is that TvC is insanely addictive. When it came out I pretty much played it for two weeks straight. At the time I was debating on splurging on a pristine copy of Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 for PS2, but TvC manages to keep that same feeling alive with it new cast of characters.
Newcomers such as Zero and Frank West over unique skills and variable attacks that help spice up the combat which efficiently operating at higher speeds. Some of West’s specials are particularly amusing, as he can summon zombies to attack from almost any part of the stage. Plus there’s nothing like teaming up with Megaman to perform a double mega buster cannon attack. HAZZAH!
While I do find this title amazing, I think most of the novilty lies in knowing the Tatsunoko and Capcom characters and their motivations. The Capcom roster is loaded with plenty of recognizable faces, but, for most Americans, the only Tatsunoko characters that might seem remotely familiar are the members of the G-Force or Casshan (and that would only be because of Vanquish). This isn’t a problem for true fighter fans, but for casual gamers, this might be an insurmountable hurdle.
Grade: B
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor (NDS) - If you’ve read some of my other posts (see here, and here), there should be no surprise that I’m giving this game an A ranking. I’m a huge SMT fan (it’s part of the reason why I’m buying a PSP, which is almost paid off btw. WoOt!), and love games involving government conspiracies, immanent mass genocide, and dozens of tenuous relationships you can either chose to nurture or burn. SMT: DS (get it?) delivers on all fronts.
Without giving too much away, you and two close high school friends find yourselves trapped in Tokyo, surrounded on all sides by the military officers who’s orders are to shoot to kill. Inside, demons run wild on the streets, and to only thing that can protect you are three devices call COMPs, which interface with a mysterious server to summon demons under your control.
As the crisis worsens, a religious cult emerges, promising salvation, as the gang begin to encounter several individuals who’s fates can intertwine with yours. By engaging these characters, you can unlock extra side missions, which might net you a few powerful demons for your efforts.
The combat systems is an interesting mix of standard turn-based strategy titles, such as Fire Emblem or Tactics Ogre Battle, and system from other SMT games, such as the Digital Devil Saga and Persona titles. Critical hits and attacks that strike a foes weakness reward the player with extra attacks, maxing out at two attacks per character per combat encounter. Characters can summon up to two demons to aid in combat. Demons carry a wide range of attacks and benefits, so experimentation vis fusions, team combinations and move lists is highly advised.
Characters can also "crack" moves from downed foes, which allow you in increase your available move list for all of your summoners. These moves can also be copied to your demon’s set list under curtain circumstances.
This game should be a definite purchase for any SMT fan with a DS (or you could wait for the new 3DS version, what ever that ends up being), and a must play for strategy-RPGers.
Grade: A+
Katamari Forever (PS3) - Nana nanananana na nana. . . This tune has become a symbol of joy, adventure, and galactic destruction. Ever since the King of All Cosmos destroyed every star in the sky back in 2004, gamers have been hooked on the ultimate item collection game created by Keita Takahashi. While Takahashi didn’t work on this project (Kenji Nakamo directed this project), it still retains the charm of it’s predecessors.
This time one King was simply not enough. Forever, originally subtitled Tribute, contains a significant amount of levels from previous Katamari games, which you play to try and awaken the KoAC from a coma-like sleep. To fill during the King’s absence, the Prince has also constructed RoboKing, who like his name sake has a problem with keeping the heavens intact.
The came features plenty of hidden accessories and cousins, and you can unlock 2 bonus game modes as you lay through the title. KF also features an amazing soundtrack, and of course, each level has it’s own tune or re-mix.
All in all, this a strong title for newcomers and old time fans of the series. I highly recommend checking this game out if your looking for a good game to play with your girl/boyfriend, since the game features both multiplayer VS and co-op play. While it does lack online play, there are online leaderboards, but these are really only entertaining if you have friends who own the title as well.
Grade: B+
Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars (Wii) - First off, let me say I suck d&%k at fighters. I do like playing them, but I’ve never been able to really kick a$ is ‘em. I apologies in advance if I don’t go into extreme depth with how the fighting system compares to other high-speed 2-D fighters.
What’s I do know is that TvC is insanely addictive. When it came out I pretty much played it for two weeks straight. At the time I was debating on splurging on a pristine copy of Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 for PS2, but TvC manages to keep that same feeling alive with it new cast of characters.
Newcomers such as Zero and Frank West over unique skills and variable attacks that help spice up the combat which efficiently operating at higher speeds. Some of West’s specials are particularly amusing, as he can summon zombies to attack from almost any part of the stage. Plus there’s nothing like teaming up with Megaman to perform a double mega buster cannon attack. HAZZAH!
While I do find this title amazing, I think most of the novilty lies in knowing the Tatsunoko and Capcom characters and their motivations. The Capcom roster is loaded with plenty of recognizable faces, but, for most Americans, the only Tatsunoko characters that might seem remotely familiar are the members of the G-Force or Casshan (and that would only be because of Vanquish). This isn’t a problem for true fighter fans, but for casual gamers, this might be an insurmountable hurdle.
Grade: B
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor (NDS) - If you’ve read some of my other posts (see here, and here), there should be no surprise that I’m giving this game an A ranking. I’m a huge SMT fan (it’s part of the reason why I’m buying a PSP, which is almost paid off btw. WoOt!), and love games involving government conspiracies, immanent mass genocide, and dozens of tenuous relationships you can either chose to nurture or burn. SMT: DS (get it?) delivers on all fronts.
Without giving too much away, you and two close high school friends find yourselves trapped in Tokyo, surrounded on all sides by the military officers who’s orders are to shoot to kill. Inside, demons run wild on the streets, and to only thing that can protect you are three devices call COMPs, which interface with a mysterious server to summon demons under your control.
As the crisis worsens, a religious cult emerges, promising salvation, as the gang begin to encounter several individuals who’s fates can intertwine with yours. By engaging these characters, you can unlock extra side missions, which might net you a few powerful demons for your efforts.
The combat systems is an interesting mix of standard turn-based strategy titles, such as Fire Emblem or Tactics Ogre Battle, and system from other SMT games, such as the Digital Devil Saga and Persona titles. Critical hits and attacks that strike a foes weakness reward the player with extra attacks, maxing out at two attacks per character per combat encounter. Characters can summon up to two demons to aid in combat. Demons carry a wide range of attacks and benefits, so experimentation vis fusions, team combinations and move lists is highly advised.
Characters can also "crack" moves from downed foes, which allow you in increase your available move list for all of your summoners. These moves can also be copied to your demon’s set list under curtain circumstances.
This game should be a definite purchase for any SMT fan with a DS (or you could wait for the new 3DS version, what ever that ends up being), and a must play for strategy-RPGers.
Grade: A+
AoLG: Vol. 5: The Tri-disaster
Chattanooga (UTC/The Loop)-Welcome to this edition of the Archive! Today, we have three games to review, Hammerin' Hero for the PSP, N+ for the DS and Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom for the PS3, and, for the first time in the history of the Archive, we have some great summer gaming suggestions from Senior Archivist James Webb and Archivist Josh Fogleman. Hang on folks, cause this might get a bit crazy!
Hammerin' Hero for the PSP follows the adventure of a young carpenter names Gen who must protect his city from a greedy crime boss ruining the simple life the town folk have know for so long. This charming 2-D platformer captures the spirit of retro platformers such as Ninja Gaiden, requiring precise skill and timing to advance through some stages, with a game mechanic similar to the Genesis platformer Kid Chameleon, where players could change the title character's costume to access new abilities and powers.
Gen can take a wide variety of roles, from the DJ job, which allows him to swing around a giant boom box and throw vinyl records at his foes, to the Sushi Chef job (Gen gains the ability to unleash a giant wasabi-powered energy attach) and the baseball-inspired Slugger class. This adds a great deal of depth to gameplay, and encourages the player to try out several jobs per level.
Take down giant dragons and wild beast in Monster Hunter Tri, releasing April 20th for the Wii.
Great cheap games are always great finds, but what about some of the solid new releases we have coming out in the next couple of months? Archivist Josh Fogleman said he was excited about Monster Hunter Tri, releasing April 20 for the Wii. This title brings the smash portable hit to the Wii for the first time in the US, and will include underwater combat and a host of new monsters to challenge. " I loved the demo," Fogleman said, "and I can't wait for the full release soon."
Another great title is Just Cause 2 for the PS3 and Xbox 360. James Webb just started playing the title, and said that it is even more insane that the first Just Cause. "Now you have a grappling hook attached to your arm," He said. It can even be used as a weapon!
Other great summer titles include:
Images courtesy of IGN.com.
Hammerin' Hero for the PSP follows the adventure of a young carpenter names Gen who must protect his city from a greedy crime boss ruining the simple life the town folk have know for so long. This charming 2-D platformer captures the spirit of retro platformers such as Ninja Gaiden, requiring precise skill and timing to advance through some stages, with a game mechanic similar to the Genesis platformer Kid Chameleon, where players could change the title character's costume to access new abilities and powers.
Gen can take a wide variety of roles, from the DJ job, which allows him to swing around a giant boom box and throw vinyl records at his foes, to the Sushi Chef job (Gen gains the ability to unleash a giant wasabi-powered energy attach) and the baseball-inspired Slugger class. This adds a great deal of depth to gameplay, and encourages the player to try out several jobs per level.
Certain levels are inhabited by depressed or helpless citizens, which Gen can assist depending on his current job. These side quests unlock extra collectibles and trophies, adding even more charm to this addictive title. The game cost about $17 to $20 at most used game stores, which only adds to the many reasons of why every PSP owner should play or own this game. This is one gem in a more or less desolate and lacking PSP library.
Next up is N+ for the DS. N+ spawned from a web-based flash game that attained a massive online following. You play a ninja who must use his climbing and jumping skills to activate switches for doors in each room. Your score in based on how long it takes you to beat a certain stage, and how many extra orbs the player grabs on his way to the exit.
The game is simple to control, yet hard to master, and it offers an insane number of stages. If that were not enough, players can make their own stages, and can share them with friends and family. Throw in a price tag of about $10 to $15, and how could you resist?
Finally, we have Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom for the PS3. This is a Sony exclusive series that has already made a good name for itself on the PSP. While I must admit I have not played the PSP titles, I have enjoyed everything UL: DK has to offer.
UL: DK play like the Champions of Norrath series for the PS2, and allows for up to two players to team up and defend the kingdom of Dureth from the rule of the corrupt king. Players can choose between three classes (mage, rogue or warrior) as they hack and slash their way to victory and glory.
While the story is a bit forgettable, the gameplay is fun and fast-paced, enabling characters to massacre dozens of enemies with ease. Players can buy or find gear, such a gems for weapons or armor, which can add combat abilities and can quickly swing the tide of battle in your favor. If you are looking for fun title to jump into with a buddy for under $20, check out Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom for the PS3.
Take down giant dragons and wild beast in Monster Hunter Tri, releasing April 20th for the Wii.
Great cheap games are always great finds, but what about some of the solid new releases we have coming out in the next couple of months? Archivist Josh Fogleman said he was excited about Monster Hunter Tri, releasing April 20 for the Wii. This title brings the smash portable hit to the Wii for the first time in the US, and will include underwater combat and a host of new monsters to challenge. " I loved the demo," Fogleman said, "and I can't wait for the full release soon."
Another great title is Just Cause 2 for the PS3 and Xbox 360. James Webb just started playing the title, and said that it is even more insane that the first Just Cause. "Now you have a grappling hook attached to your arm," He said. It can even be used as a weapon!
Other great summer titles include:
- Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (PSP)
- Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon (Wii)
- Lost Planet 2 (Xb360, PS3)
- Infinite Space (DS)
- Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey (DS)
Images courtesy of IGN.com.
AoLG: Vol. 4: Deadly Premonition (Xbox 360)
Chattanooga (UTC/The Loop)- Welcome one and all to another glorious edition of the Archive of Lost Games. It has been a while, guys, I know, but you know how life can be, always getting the way of the the fun things you like to do. This week, we are covering the Xbox 360 game, Deadly Premonition from Ignition Entertainment. I am your host and archive curator, Danny "Barnaby" Butler, and once again, I am joined by my esteemed colleague, senior archivist James Webb.
This week's game is a bit a of a strange one. Fans of the blog will most likely know the name and reputation for Ignition, but for everyone else, Ignition is know for localizing titles such as Muramasa: the Demon Blade, King of Fighters XII, Nostalgia and others. This is their first foray into the world of survival horror titles, and what a journey this turned out to be.
One of the first things you will most likely notice is the low quality of the graphics. This was done out of necessity, since the game's budget was quite small, but Deadly makes up for poor quality visuals with stellar storytelling, unique characters and inspired gameplay. To sum up the game plot at a glance, you play as FBI agent Francis York Morgan tasked with solving a series of murders which have led you to the small town of Greenvale, near the Canadian border.
York, as he is called through most of the game, is kinda crazy, and he is often seen chatting with his long-time friend "Zach," which may or may not be the player. He occasionally assigns Zach "homework" in the form of obscure movie trivia and regales him with tales about his past cases. These segments are quite enjoyable and great way of passing time in the game, which works at a near real time pace. While some might grow tired of the slow pacing, it gives the game an organic sense of realism which helps draw the player into the story.
The full world immersion doesn't stop there. Driving is also done in real time, so if you have an appointment to make on the other side of town, you're going to be driving for a good 10 minutes or so. On top of all of these features, the player must also change clothing frequently to avoid becoming a "stinky agent" (flies start buzzing around the character, and they can be quite distracting), shave their beard (Webb: "best beard mechanics ever!") and eat periodically throughout the day. Forgetting to do this things can cause players to be too tired or hungry to complete missions.
The town of Greenvale is about 8 kilometers in diameter, and you feel every minute of that while trying the solve the mystery at hand. Nearly every car has a certain allotment of gas, and if York's tank runs dry, it's game over.
The plot of Deadly was supposedly inspired by Twin Peaks, a popular TV series which ran during the early '90s. While it is not a requirement to have seen the series before paying Deadly Premonition, it definitely enhances the experience.
"Having seen all of Twin Peaks," Webb said, "it gave me a bit insight into the plot, and the characters felt a bit familiar straight from the start."
The town is also loaded with hidden references and easter eggs for those familiar with the series, Webb said.
Deadly's gameplay resembles older Silent Hill games (they even have awkward camera angles from time to time that truely make you fear for your life) with portions of the game playing a bit more like the chases encountered in the Clock Towerseries. York is equipped with a special 9mm, and he can pick up or purchase ever other weapons ranging from katanas to machine guns.
If you are looking for a unique horror/mystery for you Xbox 360, look no further than Deadly Premonition. Sure, it is not the greatest looking game, but for $20 new, it contains a remarkable amount of content, a great story, unique gameplay and the coolest beard mechanics ever.
This week's game is a bit a of a strange one. Fans of the blog will most likely know the name and reputation for Ignition, but for everyone else, Ignition is know for localizing titles such as Muramasa: the Demon Blade, King of Fighters XII, Nostalgia and others. This is their first foray into the world of survival horror titles, and what a journey this turned out to be.
One of the first things you will most likely notice is the low quality of the graphics. This was done out of necessity, since the game's budget was quite small, but Deadly makes up for poor quality visuals with stellar storytelling, unique characters and inspired gameplay. To sum up the game plot at a glance, you play as FBI agent Francis York Morgan tasked with solving a series of murders which have led you to the small town of Greenvale, near the Canadian border.
York, as he is called through most of the game, is kinda crazy, and he is often seen chatting with his long-time friend "Zach," which may or may not be the player. He occasionally assigns Zach "homework" in the form of obscure movie trivia and regales him with tales about his past cases. These segments are quite enjoyable and great way of passing time in the game, which works at a near real time pace. While some might grow tired of the slow pacing, it gives the game an organic sense of realism which helps draw the player into the story.
The full world immersion doesn't stop there. Driving is also done in real time, so if you have an appointment to make on the other side of town, you're going to be driving for a good 10 minutes or so. On top of all of these features, the player must also change clothing frequently to avoid becoming a "stinky agent" (flies start buzzing around the character, and they can be quite distracting), shave their beard (Webb: "best beard mechanics ever!") and eat periodically throughout the day. Forgetting to do this things can cause players to be too tired or hungry to complete missions.
The town of Greenvale is about 8 kilometers in diameter, and you feel every minute of that while trying the solve the mystery at hand. Nearly every car has a certain allotment of gas, and if York's tank runs dry, it's game over.
The plot of Deadly was supposedly inspired by Twin Peaks, a popular TV series which ran during the early '90s. While it is not a requirement to have seen the series before paying Deadly Premonition, it definitely enhances the experience.
"Having seen all of Twin Peaks," Webb said, "it gave me a bit insight into the plot, and the characters felt a bit familiar straight from the start."
The town is also loaded with hidden references and easter eggs for those familiar with the series, Webb said.
Deadly's gameplay resembles older Silent Hill games (they even have awkward camera angles from time to time that truely make you fear for your life) with portions of the game playing a bit more like the chases encountered in the Clock Towerseries. York is equipped with a special 9mm, and he can pick up or purchase ever other weapons ranging from katanas to machine guns.
If you are looking for a unique horror/mystery for you Xbox 360, look no further than Deadly Premonition. Sure, it is not the greatest looking game, but for $20 new, it contains a remarkable amount of content, a great story, unique gameplay and the coolest beard mechanics ever.
Objection overruled! The Archive of Lost Games Vol. 3: Harvey Birdman (Wii)
CHATTANOOGA (UTC/The Loop) --Welcome once again the to the infamous Archive of Lost Games! I am your host and archive curator Danny “Barnaby” Butler, and today we are talking about the Wii game Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law.
My guests this week are James Campbell, and returning for a historic third appearance, it’s James Webb.
Webb was the first to take a whack at this detective/court room adventure game inspired by the popular Adult Swim cartoon. Birdman, a semi-popular cartoon hero from the ‘80s has finally decided to settle down, deciding to trade his superhero exploits for arson and copyright lawsuits.
The acting talent in the game impressed Webb, who said he was a fan of the series.
“They assembled almost everyone from the original cast, except [Steven] Colbert,” he said as he pondered the answer to the game’s first puzzle.
“The game is very true to the series,” Webb said, “so fans of the show will definitely enjoy it.”
Newcomers might get a little lost he thinks, but the story lines are crafted to help draw in newcomers. Webb compared the game to a cheaper version of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney series for the Nintendo DS.
“Fans of that series should enjoy this,” he said, “but they will notice that some court room sequences are slightly more restrictive than they are in Phoenix Wright.”
Campbell, who had not played any of the Phoenix Wright series, though the game was humorous, fun and entertaining.
“I really liked it,” Campbell said right after trying his first case. “If I had a Wii, I would definitely want to pick this up.”
The game is priced at five dollars new, so it will fit in just about any budget. While reviewers' did like how the game stuck to the show's signature style and pace, most sites gave Harvey Birdman low reviews on account of its length (the game takes about 4 hours) and relatively shallow game play.
That’s all for this week’s edition. Tune in next week for Deadly Premonition on the Xbox 360, a game which explores the dark corners of the mind of a detective.
All images courtesy of Gamespot.
My guests this week are James Campbell, and returning for a historic third appearance, it’s James Webb.
Webb was the first to take a whack at this detective/court room adventure game inspired by the popular Adult Swim cartoon. Birdman, a semi-popular cartoon hero from the ‘80s has finally decided to settle down, deciding to trade his superhero exploits for arson and copyright lawsuits.
The acting talent in the game impressed Webb, who said he was a fan of the series.
“They assembled almost everyone from the original cast, except [Steven] Colbert,” he said as he pondered the answer to the game’s first puzzle.
“The game is very true to the series,” Webb said, “so fans of the show will definitely enjoy it.”
Newcomers might get a little lost he thinks, but the story lines are crafted to help draw in newcomers. Webb compared the game to a cheaper version of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney series for the Nintendo DS.
“Fans of that series should enjoy this,” he said, “but they will notice that some court room sequences are slightly more restrictive than they are in Phoenix Wright.”
Campbell, who had not played any of the Phoenix Wright series, though the game was humorous, fun and entertaining.
“I really liked it,” Campbell said right after trying his first case. “If I had a Wii, I would definitely want to pick this up.”
The game is priced at five dollars new, so it will fit in just about any budget. While reviewers' did like how the game stuck to the show's signature style and pace, most sites gave Harvey Birdman low reviews on account of its length (the game takes about 4 hours) and relatively shallow game play.
That’s all for this week’s edition. Tune in next week for Deadly Premonition on the Xbox 360, a game which explores the dark corners of the mind of a detective.
All images courtesy of Gamespot.
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