| The Ultimate Anger Issue: Journal Of An Eccentric Fuckwit |
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| Posthumously Awesome |
[11 Jul 2009|10:25am] |
Even in the light of his recent passing, Michael Jackson continues to rock.
And I'll tell you why right now: NEW GAME!!
According to those in on the project, the new game had been in the works for several months, and that Jackson had recorded a significant amount of speech before his passing.
The new game, currently untitled, is planned for a winter release for the Xbox 360 and PS3, and chances are, if he had any involvement in the game's design, it could actually turn out halfway decent.
Jackson was no ordinary musician-breaking-into-videogames type celebrity...Beyond the eccentric demeanor, he had some pretty good videogame ideas, having been directly credited for the concept and design of both the Arcade and Genesis games. He also had cameos in both Space Channel 5 titles, so you know he had good taste in games!
Maybe that Peter Pan complex wasn't entirely a bad thing after all...
I can't even begin to think of what this new game will include, but as long as it doesn't feature Jackson in a fat suit, we'll get along fine.
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| The Loss of Another |
[11 Jul 2009|06:54am] |
It's finally happened.
Scarlet_Havoc has finally closed her LJ account.
She was good person who was recently undergoing a personal crisis. She had went missing for several months, and then re-appeared, determined to start life anew, even if it meant leaving her old one entirely.
To me, she was a great friend, gamer, and one of the only people who I could ever comfortably talk to on a personal level. She, too, was there for me when things seemed down, and I will never forget her for that. Now all I have left to remember her by are a crossed-out profile name, an abandoned Xbox 360 avatar, and the times we've chatted over AIM.
...
I don't want to think the good-byes are forever, but if there's anything I've been learning the hard way over the past few weeks, there are just certain things I cannot control.
Farewell, Scarlet_Havoc, I'll miss you greatly.
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| When Life Catches Up... |
[11 Jul 2009|12:06am] |
I'll be thirty in August. Not a number I'm looking forward to, really, but for a long time I treated it as just that; A number.
Then I got a visit from an old friend that made me feel like I was 60.
None of you know this person...: We go further back than the internet itself. We first met in local game retailer after gazing our eyes on the latest in Genesis-pushing game-nology: Flashback: The Quest For Identity. We pretty much became friends after that, and for several years, he was the best friend I had.
Then things happened and I had to move out of the area. Not far enough that he was out of reach, but shortly afterward I lost contact and never heard from him again...
...Until yesterday, anyway, when he spontaneously shot a message to my sister's Facebook account. She replied, and about 30 hours later, he was at my front door, saying hi to everyone.
It's been several years since I last talked to him. I probably would have contacted him sooner, but...well...I'm not proud of my situation, and it doesn't make for good conversation.
Not like I could have reached him, anyway. He informed me that he moved out of his old apartment, effectively changing phone numbers in the process, and sometime within the past 4 years, he was in the air force!
He was a pretty skinny dude who seemed rather comfortable in his situation when I last saw him. He had a job dealing with spreadsheets for an online business, he kept busy DM-ing a chatroom RPG, and generally seemed happy.
I see him now, and there's this aura of pride and confidence surrounding him that I've never seen before. He now has knowledge in mechanics and enjoys taking things apart. But what's even more apparent is his absolute belief that if he put his mind to something, he can do it.
...I wish that were inspiring, but all it did was make me feel old. When he got around to talking about his chatroom RPG, he mentioned that, after ten years, it finally wrapped up in November, and with all the players having grown up and had families of their own over the years, everyone's too busy to really play anymore. He mentioned the characters I created for his RPG in the first year. Ever since we lost contact with each other he pretty much took over the characters, and re-introduced them in the final sessions of the RPG. Suddenly those lost years hit me like a ton of bricks. I'm only thirty, but never has a chatroom RPG felt like a lifetime ago.
Somewhere in the conversation, quite a bit of the old friend I knew spilled out. He's the same gum-flapping gabber that I've always known, never stopping to let other people speak. He's still a big Anime buff, and even though his interest has switched from chatroom to tabletop RPGs, he's still elaborately detailing the events and actions of every single (female) character he's ever created and played as.
I suppose it was nice to see him again after so long. He seems pretty insistent in coming back into the lives of my family and myself, and I won't say I mind that.
But standing next to him, I feel this bizarre Felix/Oscar mentality: The Gallant to my Goofus, if you will. He's made the most of himself, and I still sit on my ass playing videogames.
I don't think I could ever withstand the brutal training and mind games that come with being in the Army, but looking at him, I feel even more insignificant.
In the end, he became the better man. He grew up, and I grew out.
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| My Take On The P&T Ep... |
[10 Jul 2009|09:04am] |
...Hm...
So I finally did sit down and watch that Videogame Violence episode of Penn & Teller's Bullshit...
And honestly, for starters, I wasn't aware of how graphic the more violent games have become.
Yeah, I do play games like Gears Of War and - to a lesser extent - GTA4, but I've always associated the fantasy/reality differentiation that was driven home by the show: Gears had aliens who wanted to shoot back, and GTA had a radio station that plays rock (As of last year, K-Rock no longer airs in New York City).
...Okay, I partially kid. Truth is, I can't really describe what separates the fantasy of a major violent game with the reality of...well...violence...But I can feel it. There's something in the game that makes me think "...Somethings not right". I admit, from a passive standpoint, I see these dismember-heavy games and I can understand how someone could look at the kid playing them and think he's being influenced.
But maybe it's a different experience when you're actually playing the game. Again, there's this separation of fantasy and reality that becomes even more prevalent when you're playing the game directly. To stray from the topic a bit, my problem was never really about the excessive blood and gore - If that were the case, I would've never enjoyed Mortal Kombat - But whether or not the game does anything different gameplay-wise to make it stand out...Like, for example, Fatalities. But even that, right there, shows some evidence of fantasy...Is it even possible to rip someone's head off with the spine intact? Forget the ability to fire-breath your opponents to death. My concern has never been about how much blood is shed, but whether or not there's any fun in doing so. I didn't give a flying damn about FPS games until Bioshock, and only then did I begin to go back and appreciate Half-Life 2 - A game with significantly less mutilation and carnage than Soldier Of Fortune. Hell, for all the association with the 'Videogame Violence' category that Halo gets, there really isn't so much falling of alien life-force that I recall. Hell, I don't even remember dismemberment playing a role in the first two games!
I think, ultimately, Penn nailed it on the head by reversing the roles of football and videogames. Football...a physical, outside sport promoted by local schools as a required healthy activity...Also has its deal of broken bones and head-trauma. Not even Baseball is safe once you're looking down the stitching 98-mile-per-hour slider. And don't get me started on Soccer...Your own country could shoot you dead if you fuck up!
Personally, I still prefer Mario to Manhunt, Dynamite Headdy to Doom. And while I doubt this episode will be the end-all-be-all to this pointless argument, I hope, at the very least, it will keep the activists quiet, if even only for a little while.
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| Bullshit Reminder |
[09 Jul 2009|09:46pm] |
I haven't felt much like writing today, and for obvious reasons.
But I will tell you that, as of this posting, the Videogame Violence episode of Penn & Teller's Bullshit starts in 10 minutes.
If you don't carry the Showtime channel (As I don't), a torrent link to the episode shall be forthcoming,
That is all.
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| Post Meme: Da-Aren-Marie |
[08 Jul 2009|05:43am] |
*Checks meme*
Pff! How come nobody replies unless I'm pissing off or angering people!? Am I really that expendable to you folks?
*sigh* Well, anyway, one person DID reply, and sadly enough, it's game-related. Not to say what she asked me to write about is a bad choice, but I started the meme to get some variety rolling around here...
Her reply was actually three topics in one, and I suppose I'll just answer them individually, so...:
"The dude in your icon!"
Oh, Holland Mackray? That's from the "Rally King" games in "Retro Game Challenge"! If the dude has a Japanese name, I'm unaware of it.
...That's right! Dia's from the Phillipines; RGC was never released outside the US! If you have a DS Lite, you'll have to invest in an R4 card or something similiar! It's a crime that this game never made it to Europe, but we in the US should be lucky we got an English version at all!
How you stumbled upon Game Center CX!
Wow...I got so quickly wrapped-up in the show's premise that I've completely forgotten! Think...Think...
It may have been when the game was first released in Japan. This was about...a year-and-a-half ago? I had heard nor seen anything about the show prior, and when the retro gaming fans started melting over this new DS import, I did some research. I discovered this regularly-updated English episode guide and found its premise...from challenging videogames to visiting popular arcade centers across the country...something I'd love to do, if given the opportunity. To be able to sample everything from obscure game consoles to rare arcades like some videogame connoisseur...Oh, that would be a wonderful dream come true...
What games you would like to challenge!
My problem with game challenges is that I don't have the endurance for marathon runs. At least, not anymore. At the height of my obsession, I could've probably sat in front of the TV screen for about 6 hours at a time. Now, my sessions don't usually run for more than two hours. If it's a situation where I want to keep gaming, I have to switch off to something different before going back to the first game.
All that said, I don't know what games I'd like to challenge, as I suppose it would require a game that I either 1) Haven't played before or 2) Never beaten. I suppose Mike Tyson's Punch-Out fits the latter requirement, and those Cactus-designed Mondo games would be perfect for the former.
And I suppose if it's a longer game that I do know my way around...like Starfox Adventures or Beyond Good & Evil... I may one-day attempt a beginning-to-end marathon with one of those.
...Oh! Oh! But you know what ELSE I'd like to try? Donating a few hours of my time to the "Desert Bus For Hope" charity! I'd be more than willing to endure the pain for a good cause!
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| *Looks At Previous Post* |
[07 Jul 2009|08:18am] |
....Tarnation and blimey, I KNOW I can talk about more than videogames...
I've tried this meme recently before (With absolutely zero results! Beh!), but I'll try it again...
If you folks have a topic you wish for me to discuss, just make a reply below. I shall dedicate a post all about whatever it is you want me to write about! If it's something you're not comfortable talking about in public, it shall be put behind a friends-only tag and in an LJ-cut. If you just have a question to ask, ask away. If you wanna talk about your pet cat, an entire post will be made about Mr. Fluffles. If you have an uncharacteristic obsession with Fidel Castro's beard, then let's discuss how we can put that fantastic facial hair on T-shirts! Relax. Go nuts!
Make me proud!
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| Today We Talk About Daffodils....Just Kidding! |
[07 Jul 2009|06:28am] |
Man, why is every videogame developer out there so flakin' prudish? Now even ICO/Shadow Of The Colossus superbeing Fumitsu Ueda is on the criticism bandwagon. At least he had the kindness to admit he's a harsh critic, but...Is Miyamoto the only person not to exude any long-standing arrogance? Even he eventually admitted that insisting on a cartridge format for the N64 wasn't the best idea he's ever insisted on...
My sister's really gotten me into this 1 Vs 100 beta on Xbox 360. Yeah, you would think the name itself would be a turn-off, but very rarely is a videogame based on a gameshow better than the gameshow itself! And hey-it's a free download! Who's it gonna hurt!
There are a couple of things that really stand out for me about the beta, chief amongst them being that it follows a live schedule. It's like those Satelleview stories I keep reading about: The game, much like the show based on it, is only available during prime-time hours (Usually about 8-11PM, but some days it goes for longer). Each game lasts a half-hour, but you can join in at any time, there is no limit to how many people can join, and you are free to leave at any time. During a single game, you are given a series of multiple-choice questions, which - I am told - are constantly updated, so the selection never gets stale, like those old NES Jeopardy games. Over the course of the half-hour, your scored is tallied along with everyone else in the room, and the more people who fail at the question, the more valuable the correct answer is. After every 10 question, the game breaks for a couple of minutes for the odd commercial advertising and stat-check. An entire half-hour game consists of about 35-40 questions depending on time, and the winner gets...Well, nothing at the moment. Currently, the more questions you get right, the more chances you get in an as-of-yet-determined raffle for prizes. But...BUT...Starting this week, specific shows WILL begin to give away prizes to the winner, like MS Points and cars and such.
Now, usually, each game is a series of general trivia, but the 11PM show is a specific topic of questions. For example, last night's 11PM show was entirely made of trivia as provided by the 1 Vs 100 community members. Tonight, it's "Superhard" trivia!
Alas, the fun can only last so long, and once final show has been played...uhm...The game no-longer becomes available. Seriously, it sits on your harddrive, inaccessible until the next evening. It doesn't appear in your game library menu like everything else does, and while you can still find it in the memory section of your system settings, you can't do much with it. The game doesn't exist in the usual Xbox Live Arcade sections, and if you try to access it through the game-specific window, you'll only be allowed to schedule a reminder for when the game starts up again.
I wonder if that's what Satelleview owners went through back in the late '90s...The concept of a videogame with online components that are only available for a short period of time per day...It's such an alien and fascinating concept to me...
If Nintendo really wanted to, they could use the Wii's online connectivity to re-issue BS Zelda No Densetu through the Virtual Console, or maybe even as a WiiWare title. Geez, Nintendo, do you even listen to your fans? Some of the things we say...It's a license to print money. Or perhaps...even more money.
Hm, what else...Hrm...Still plugging away at Sonic Unleashed...LocoRoco 2 continues to be interesting...The Cave Story blog has started updating again (*GASP!*)
...And suddenly I feel ill. I'm gonna go lie down.
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| WiiWare For The Wealthy |
[06 Jul 2009|08:20am] |
Okay...Okay...gotta do some math...
Provided I can figure out how, WiiWare is actually going to suck me dry of funds this week...*sigh*...and after I already got LocoRoco 2 and Patapon 2...
Alright, So Final Fantasy 4: The After Years gets three new stories today, at 300 Wii NINTENDO points each (Guh, I'll never get used to that...). Also out today is Bit. Trip Core, at 600 points, and Bust-A-Move Plus, at another 600. Bust-A-Move Plus already comes with 135 puzzles, but in true Square Enix fashion, comes with two additional DLC packs, increasing the game by another 270 puzzles. Now, provided that these packs are also 300 points apiece...
So that would be...2700 points...and since the Nintendo shop channel only allows increments of 10$ at the lowest...That's 30$...And who knows what surprises are in store for this week's XBLA...
...
...Ugh, I'm gonna have to start killing more prostitutes. I hope I've cleaned my crossbow.
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| Playing With Old, Complicated Toys |
[06 Jul 2009|02:27am] |
It seems like every three-and-a-half years or so, I feel the desire to do something a little tech-geeky, and I proceed to satiate that desire by pulling out my Genesis Sonic ROMs and combining them.
...Yup, combining. Allow me to explain.
Back in the late '90s, when Genesis emulation technology was advanced enough to accurately play a good 90% of the game library on even the more cheaper computers out there, and before the budding Sonic community got their hands on the coveted Sonic 2 beta, focus turned to the mystery behind Sonic & Knuckles' "Lock-On" gimmick. As nobody was able to figure out how it worked, ROM files for Sonic 3/Knuckles and Sonic 2/Knuckles games did not exist for some years.
Then, by around 2000 or so, someone learned the trick. It required 'clean' Sonic 3 and S&K ROMs in .BIN format. The hacker simply launched the DOS prompt and reverse-combined both games together into one large file. Suddenly, Sonic 3 & Knuckles was fully playable! And combining S&K with Sonic 1 also yielded the fully-animated "NO WAY!" screen.
Sonic 2 was a little more difficult and caused the most problems to work. That's because the S&K cart carried an additional hidden ROM chip that went undetected for a long time. This chip acted as a 'patch' of sorts for Sonic 2, replacing the Sonic sprite-set and control routines with Knuckles'. Once this hidden ROM was extracted and applied to the combined S&K/Sonic 2 file, the game worked perfectly.
Now, you have to admit that later Sonic compilations have effectively taken away the experience of connecting two cartridges to form one larger game. Sonic Jam on the Saturn was perhaps the closest to replicate this action, while the Sonic Mega Collection games simply list the combined games as if they were separate titles - It's kind of anticlimactic, I think. So, at the very least, being able to manually fuse together two ROM files to get the complete Sonic 3 & Knuckles experience feels somewhat rewarding to me.
Unfortunately, in more recent years, Genesis ROMS have dropped the .BIN and .SMD extensions for .GEN (I.E. "Genesis"), and because this format differs slightly from the .BIN files, they are not cross-compatible.
So what does this mean, exactly? You can use the DOS prompt to reverse-combine a .GEN file with a .GEN file (Or a .BIN file with a .BIN file) and the game will work fine, but combine a .BIN file with a .GEN file, and it won't run. This wouldn't be so bad, except that the hidden ROM patch for Sonic 2 is only available in .BIN format (Or at least, that's the only version I ever see), and so I've been unsuccessful in combining the Sonic 2 and S&K ROMs that use the .GEN format. Thing is, a working Sonic 2/Knuckles .GEN ROM is out there, so it can be done. I just don't know where I can find the modified Patch file, or if it is even publicly available.
For the record, .SMD files were often considered 'dirty' dumps, which meant there was a chance that there was extra code that would make the combined files unplayable, so there would be programs that would convert .SMD files to .BIN format. If there is any way to convert .BIN to .GEN, I'm unaware of it.
...
Yeah, I confuse myself with this crap sometimes...
...Well, at least there are torrent sites that still carry the original .BIN formats. They don't carry everything, though; Whenever I'm building a folder of Sonic games, the Japanese version of Sonic 1 (The one with the floating clouds and rippling water) HAS to be included.
I guess, then, it pays to look.
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| Whoring Myself Willingly To Japan Studio |
[04 Jul 2009|07:19pm] |
So shortly after purchasing Patapon 2, I fortunately ran into a bit more money, allowing me to buy LocoRoco 2 in the process. Indeed, these were the two PSP games on my wishlist, so it's nice to have them, even if it doesn't look like I'll be getting to Patapon 2 for awhile.
LocoRoco 2, however, is a bit kinder on the OCD, as it doesn't feature save-data transfers. I also read that it's about half the size as the first LocoRoco, but I consider this a good thing, since I thought that game was a bit 'long in the tooth', as the saying goes.
But also, unlike LocoRoco, I'm really enjoying this sequel. That's not to say the first game was bad, but there was really no reason to go around collecting all the fruit and the Mui Muis, Since the former only cosmetically improved the background music when split apart, and the latter bummed around in a separate are that had no effect, direct or otherwise, to the main game itself. Heck, after the impressive demo downloads, LocoRoco disappointed me in the music department, as all the tracks were only about a minute long and were only marginally effected by the LocoRoco themselves.
LocoRoco 2 improves on this in a way I find satisfactory. While the game's recycling of music from the first LocoRoco is kind of cheap, the developers modified and improved its effectiveness in the sequel, as new layers are now added over the basic tune as the LocoRoco collect fruit and get bigger. What's more are the inclusion of musical notes, and these are a wonderful new addition. The notes are contained to the level itself, i.e. You can't carry your collection to the next stage. The reason is that the notes act as experience points for that stage, and each stage has four important levels you can gain: Level 1 allows you to collect fruit easier, Level 2 gives you a level map with the option to purchase hints to the location of the next fruit, Level 3 grants the LocoRoco a barrier that will protect them from spikes for a few hits, and Level 4 on will give you an item you can bring to the Mui Mui house (More on that in a moment). These levels don't erase when you leave the level, either, so if you find yourself particularly stuck, you can run through the level a second time, collecting more notes and eventually opening up the map to help you. And now, if you collect all 20 fruit in a level, you are rewarded with short video clips displaying the everyday activities of the LocoRoco and their friends. This is something the first game should've had!
Now, just like in the first game, there's a separate build-an-area place, the Mui Mui House, that you can mess around with, though this time things are more controlled. Instead of using an item anywhere on the map regardless of purpose or practicality, the item placements are now specific, and whether you can build it or not depends on if you have the necessary materials that you've gained playing the regular levels. And as you build the house, you be able to use items that you can use in the main levels, like a Gramophone that allows you to change the level music. So yeah, it's still largely standalone, but at least it isn't a confusing mess this time.
Finally, The LocoRoco can now also learn new abilities. As you progress through the game, you will notice areas that the LocoRoco seem to know nothing about...: Branches they can hang on but have no clue how to use, walls that are too high for normal jumping, etc. Well, the LocoRoco will now learn new tricks as you progress in the game, allowing you to go back and search areas you couldn't get to before. The only downside with these new abilities is that the game once again does not take advantage of the multiple LocoRoco types, so really, whether you use the yellow blobs you start with, or the pink ones later on, it won't make a difference, and the change in music they carry with them is only a cosmetic feature, at best. Again, I respect that LocoRoco 2 put more emphasis on how the music is effected by picking up fruit, but, at the end of the day, it still doesn't effect the gameplay in any way. Which LocoRoco type you choose to play as is strictly a matter of preference and not practicality.
There are other extras that can be found throughout the game, like stamps which act like images that are collected in an archive, and some egg-collecting thigamawhatever I haven't yet ran into. But already this game feels more robust than the first game was.
So...Uhm...yeah! See how many times I've written "LocoRoco" in that wall of text! I think I may have also confused the context of the word "Level".
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...Entire change of topic, but I'm hearing my mother in the other room watching that deplorable Nancy Grace as she continuously shoehorns "Michael Jackson" and "Drugs" in the same sentence more than a dozen times! It reminds me of when I was walking around the mall earlier today and the street merchants were busy promoting shoddily-made Jackson 5 T-shirts. It makes me sick thinking about it, and I grow physically ill with each time Nancy Grace insists that everybody in the world is guilty and then tries, laughably, to disassociate herself from other 'media'. What a self-serving, hypocritical, stone-cold bitchmass!
I needed to get that off my chest...Nancy Grace makes me rage more than Dick Wolf's over-cynicism of the world in general! I don't think there's anyone else on cable or satellite who is more willing to continuously whore out hearsay and conspiracy in the light of tragedy. So fucking heartless!
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| Game Center CX #84: Tetris With Babies |
[03 Jul 2009|05:14pm] |
Arino's Challenge for this Wednesday will be the Japan-only Super Gussun Oyoyo (Super Famicom, 1995), a weird-looking puzzler where blocks are placed and used as stairs to get a baby to an otherwise out-of-reach doorway. Take too long, and the playing field fills with water, potentially drowning the baby.
Cute, huh?
Arino actually demoed this game a bit on the Nintendo Channel's Virtual Console Sampler video.
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| 'Patapon' Is Native For "He Who Cannot Sleep Until All Is Complete" |
[03 Jul 2009|06:03am] |
Curse you, Patapon 2! (Electric Boogaloo. Don't stop me, I'm on a roll!)
I'll be honest in saying that when I made that list the other day, I was putting LocoRoco 2 above Patapon 2. I'm not too sure if I'm ready for another rhythmic strategy game just yet.
But now I learn that not only does Patapon 2 picks up directly after the first game (To the point where Patapon 2 offers no backstory), but you can carry your weapons and levels from the first game into the second. What's more, if you prefer to carry your materials into the demo download first, you can get an exclusive bonus item upon completion, just like with Patapon 1.
My OCD's going haywire about this. Having never even coming close to completing the first Patapon, now I feel compelled to drive through it if I'm ever going to start the second game. What's more, I think I may have misplaced my copy. I think my sister still has her's back from when she was still in college, but I have this odd little thing where if I have my own copy of a game I'd prefer using that instead. Y'know, it's like...that's the copy that I am taking care of, and I don't want to be responsible for mishandling or doing potential damage to someone else's, if it can be avoided.
Let's just say this little quirk of mine goes back to accidentally erasing other people's save files as a kid...Yup, this blasted little curse of mine goes even further back than a remote incident in Texas. I should bring my own memory cards from now on.
...
Jeez, tomorrow's the 4th of July? Usually my neighborhood's shooting off bottle rockets a week in advance! I wonder why it's been so quiet...
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| Potential List Of Games I'm Currently Interested In Playing |
[02 Jul 2009|10:01am] |
Punch-Out!! - But of course! This is the game that would make me finish Sonic Unleashed quicker, if I knew I could get it at the end of the week! Every-dang-body has had so much fun with this, but alas, I'm at the mercy of my sister's Gamefly account, which only currently allows one game rental at a time. I MUST finish Sonic Unleashed! ...Hm...I wonder where I can get a Doc Louis Remedy bar without having to march into Manhattan...
Deadly Creatures - This one went completely under my radar! It sounds like my kind of game, too: A 10-hour adventure...like Starfox Adventures or Beyond Good & Evil! Oh. And there's Billy Bob Thorton.
BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger - I should really take a step back from 2D fighters. As fun as Street Fighter 4 was, once it became painfully obvious that I simply did not have the skill to do 80% of the training missions, it wasn't fun anymore. Now, while I'm a fan of extravagantly-polished 2D games (Out Of This World, Flashback, Garou:MOW et al), a couple of brief reviews mentioned how the big draw with BlazBlue is the online components, which is something I never cared about. Hm...I'll try it, though.
Ghostbusters: The Video Game - Now that the reviews have pegged Ghostbusters as not being a total waste of time, I'm curious. Honestly, though, I've read absolutely nothing about the game and what occurs in it, aside from taking place not too long after the second movie. I'm sure there's a logical reason to simply not set it the present day...Maybe GBHQ invested in online services and became victims of the internet bubble.
LocoRoco 2 And/Or Patapon 2 - As charming as the first LocoRoco was, I think my problem was that I was expecting a more musical experience than actually turned out to be. Granted, there WAS some singing and other joyful chirps and tweets coming from the LocoRocos, but the music was too short and repetitive! I don't know if LocoRoco 2 fixes this, but if the levels are as twisting and fun as the demo, then I'm willing to forgive the audio. The original Patapon was a great game marred by the constant returning to older levels to build your characters. Still, I love rhythmic take on the strategy concept enough to give it a second chance.
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| Speaking Of Moonwalker... |
[02 Jul 2009|02:40am] |
This'll probably be the last time I bring this up, but I'm surprised I went this long without knowing about it.
See, in the Genesis Moonwalker, Round 3 is a cemetery complete with zombies. So you'd think "Hey, "Thriller"'s gotta be the obvious choice for BGM, right?"
Nope. Instead, it's "Another Part Of Me". Maybe the game needed a 'Bad' track to balance out the 'Thriller' ones ("Beat It" and "Billie Jean" were already on there. I always associated Moonwalker as a 'Bad' album promotion, anyways).
Anyway, "Thriller" originally wasn't non-present in Moonwalker: You could hear a clip of it if you perform Michael's dance move. Wikipedia's info on the musical cameo is muddled, but I'll assume that the clip was originally present in the Japanese version, then removed in US releases. Wiki's mention of holding the B button while performing the move simply doesn't work.
As a ROM file, the Thriller clip can be found in the "REV00" version of Moonwalker. "REV01" replaces "Thriller" with "Another Part Of Me".
Yes, yes, not at all important in the grand scheme of things, but I'm a sucker for such gaming trivia. If you're still mournin', keep on dancin'!
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| Eyes Forward, Step In Time! |
[01 Jul 2009|02:50am] |
Goodbye, June. And good riddance. Up until the very end it was nothing but heartache of both public and private types. I hope I never have to put anybody through that kind of tragedy again (But to be fair, I can't promise anything. I'll try my best, but I don't take depression medication because it's sweet like candy).
I completed Moonwalker, and honestly, I like it. I only ever really played up until Round 2 as a kid, usually because I wanted to stop and play something else before going back, but as there's no save/password or level-skipping system, I always had to start from scratch. Blecch!
But anyway, yeah. The only difficult time I had was fighting off the enemies in Round 5-2: Three tougher-than-normal zombies that can take a beating even after the full-blown dance-off. And in a pair of lazers constantly shooting from off the screen, and things can get to be annoying. The last stage was also a funny experience: A shoddily-made cockpit shooter. What a hoot!
Oh, I forgot! The new season of Penn & Teller's Bullshit started last Thursday! This week's going to be a look into the potential hoaxiness of Astrology, but the week after that, on the 9th, is the big one: Videogame Violence!
With each new season of P&T's BS, the title sequence is modified to briefly show what topics will be covered over the course of that season. The "Violent Videogames" part shows a game of Space Invaders floating over a Tron landscape. Teller's also wearing a space suit, which I could swear is based off an Atari 2600 cartridge, but I can't recall which one.
So, what else...? There's word of ads coming to the Xbox360 dashboard, which I think is repetitive and stupid...Square Enix has a Kojima Kountdown to a game that nobody has yet been able to decipher...Discovery of a new patent that would, for better or for worse, bring PS2 emulation back to the PS3...Bob Ross is still awesome...
Just seeing if you were paying attention.
But seriously, he is. Half hour with Ross = free therapy!
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