As a consequence of not being able to post at the drop of a hat I've been playing serious catch-up with game news, so I just want to go over the biggest stories first and go from there. First is news that several big-name actors will be playing roles in the upcoming Godfather game, including the man who practically defined the movie, Marlon Brando. My only concern is that these giants of industry will mail in their performances, as the "big-name" cast did for X-Files and other wonderful movie-licensed garbage games. But then again there's a certain amount of satisfaction in imagining Marlon Brando locked in a recording booth for twenty-seven consevutive hours with little more than a cup of water, a bag of Funyuns, and a chamber pot, while the voice director whips him brutally in a vain effort to make his lines "better". Just typing that thought out makes up for Brando's atrocious turn in "The Heist".
I've also heard tales that Star Fox Assault will contain wonderful happy mini-games such as Xevious and the like. Of course, why the original Star Fox could not be included is far beyond my humble reckoning, but ah well. In any event, I am aquiver with glee in anticipation of the 15th, when I shall be in the cockpit of an Arwing again after a good five year hiatus. It feels really weird, but thinking back to some of the clientele I serviced at Electronics Boutique, I have been playing Star Fox since before they were born. Not metaphorically, literally. I'm thinking, of course, that if I get the chance to again sometime I'll play through Star Fox 64. I've finished it, of course, I just sort of miss it. Actually, a lot of N64 games I played were very unique-- Mischief Makers, Blast Corps, and Tetrisphere. If sequels/rereleases of those became available, I'd line up in a heartbeat.
Musashi Samurai Legend hits on the 15th. It's in my Gamefly Q now. I'm also a bit intrigued by the announced Namco x Capcom crossover festival thingamabobber, which will either rock mightily and steadily or suck atrociously. There can be no middle ground in this venture-- you will either love playing as all your favorite characters or you will be aghast at the way your loved ones are being exploited. Kind of like Kingdom Hearts, I guess. I kinda see where you guys were coming from now, Kat.
Oh! Oh! Xenosaga 2 is gold! Just a couple more weeks! Now.... where's my damn movie pre-order bonus disc, EB? At this rate I won't be able to watch the disc before XS2 hits.
I would like to tell you all about my wonderful place of work, and all the wacky and zany misadventures I am getting into, but to be brutally honest I'm being kept too busy to be zany. On the other hand, I have learned that God put the Japanese and the Australians in different hemispheres for a reason and that reason is because they do not play well together. I so wish I was kidding about this. Oh, sure, it starts out fine with his cheerful "g'day" and her pleasant "konnichiwa", but at least once an hour he's baiting her with some sarcastic remark, and she's on the verge of tears because he's constantly evading her earnest questions, but he's getting exasperated 'cause she asks the same question over and over again... it never ends. It's like "It's A Small World" playing over and over in our office. Which reminds me, in the morning I have to burn my heavy metal collection so I can drown out the international negotiations with iTunes goodness.
There's somethign to be said about the properties of Absolut Vanila. Why, just a dash into a glass of "W Up" (Wegmans' brand lemon-lime soda, which just tastes wrong otherwise) makes it a very tolerable drink indeed. This is heedless of the fact that the itty-bitty airplane-sized bottle of Absolut was very nearly empty anyway and this is actually the first alcohol I've had in at least four months. Let me put it another way-- I haven't been in the liquor store since, oh, June, I think. Even then I only bought two little bottles. Every time I've thought about going to get some more I remember that I still have two bottles at home and decide to drink those, but by the time I actually get home I don't want a drink anymore. Furthermore, I always said that when I finish what I have, I'll be able to go get more after having become an informed imbiber. I don't expect to be in the booze market until May at the earliest. We'll just have to see how much I like... uh... (looks in the cupboard) raspberry pucker.
Wait, I take that back-- I had a weird martini at the Outback in October, I think. (I also don't really count Christmas champagne, either, and to the best of my knowledge I didn't drink at Rob's New Years party.) It did not sit well with me, for some reason, though part of that could have also been attributed to extreme sleep deprivation at the time (I'd been up for almost four days straight when I said "bottoms up"... so in essence my judgement was already as close to impaired as it was going to get before officially crossing that line). Apparently I was unpleasant to be around, but those who said that acknowledged that the blame is not solely on my and that wonderful molecule, but rather that... well, the details are unimportant as everything's smoothed out now. However, I learned that if I drink, as George Thorogood said, I prefer to be by myself.
Not much else going on now, folks. I'll probably catch up with you all on Friday evening before I turn my attentions to Zelda: Wind Waker, Eternal Darkness, Guilty Gear Isuka, or Pop'n 10-- in ascending order of interest, but descending order of the chance that I'll have that game by then. (So Pop'n 10 is what I'd play first, but the odds are good it won't be here, while Zelda is the "if all else fails" choice 'cause while I have it already, I just kinda won't play it if something else presents itself). Also, I should be able to tell you all a little about the quality of Gamefly's service-- Inner Circle folks know I signed up on Sunday, but I haven't yet received the first games (ED and Guilty Gear, obviously). If I play Eternal Darkness-- and you'll hear about it if I do-- will someone kindly remind me that I have to save every so often? I forgot to do so the last time I played it and wiped out an hour's work by not watching where I was going. 'Till then, folks.Friday, February 4, 2005 6:40:18a: *
Today's Penny Arcade is the greatest comic in the history of web comics ever. EVER.Friday, February 4, 2005 7:07:30a: *
And now for today's Hot News: GameSpot released some cutscene footage of Star Fox Assault yesterday-- namely the opening movie and a mid-game cinematic. I took a few minutes out of my busy schedule to check them out this morning, and if you ever liked Star Fox, I suggest you do the same-- the scenes are really good. The one thing which struck me most about the movies was the absolutely gorgeous mecha design-- which comes as no surprise, given that Namco had a hand in it. The dialogue, however... well, maybe it's cheesy on purpose, but I found a certain amount of irony in calling the "remnants of Andross' legions" "dirty dogs", given that the forces at war in the Lylat system are anthropomorphic animals. Taken as a whole, though, the movies did nothing to satiate my patience, and I am currently analyzing my options to get the game early.
Until then, however, I'm more than pleased with GameFly's prompt delivery of Eternal Darkness and Guilty Gear Isuka, which are both pretty groovy; and if I want something visual (that's not too abysmal, and blessedly does not star Steve Reeves), there's AIR, which Slipgate has been after me to watch. After episode 1 I set the others to download, and have yet to get to them, but I will this weekend. Ah, the weekend. It's so wonderful to be looking forward to it again. But Guilty Gear. Very cool. I just wish there was a story mode, 'cause I kinda don't remember the whole deal with Ky and Sol. We shall see. Later, folks.Monday, February 7, 2005 7:35:25a: *
Quick notes this morning: First, Air 5 downloaded last night, so I'll catch that tonight after work-- I'll probably snag Ah! My Goddess while I'm away, too. This all hinges on me not playing any more Eternal Darkness-- DAMN, for a creepy game it sure has me hooked. RE4 is now on my Gamefly list, so rest assured I'll check that out too. Also, I expect Pop'n Music 10 to arrive either today or sometime this week, so that'll put a lot of stuff on hold. (Thanks to Lightside Alex who managed to get a fully-unlocked Pop'n 10 save for me, but now needs to return the AR Max disc I lent him to put the save on my memory card.)
Guilty Gear Isuka.... I'm sort of ambivalent on this title. Admittedly it loses something without having an instruction manual, but I'm kinda disappointed. I guess I expected Guilty Gear XX again, but it's a very different game-- for example, no more Instant Kill moves, most everyone has a limited moveset (very noticeable on Ky, who really has only about four moves plus Ride the Lightning-- which still looks cool), and the dual-line thing is superfluous. What irritates me most, however, is that in the course of the arcade mode you'll be "challenged" to two-on-one smackdowns which serve little purpose than to drain your life meter. Still it was a bit satisfying to beat Baiken with only a sliver of life remianing. I still stand by my wishing for a story mode beyond GG Boost mode, which basically turns the game into Final Fight, minus the cool characters and overarching story from Final Fight.
That's really about it... I'm going to try to concentrate on finishing up the novel I started in November. I want to set aside one night a week where I come home and do nothing but eat dinner and write. Probably Tuesdays. We'll see. Oh, and tonight I'll get a new AMV of the month up-- a little late, I know, but I think you guys will like this.Wednesday, February 9, 2005 10:03:21p: *
Not to creep anyone out or anything, but lately I've been having a recurring nightmare that my eyes were bleeding. I don't know what it signifies but it scares the shit out of me to even consider.Friday, February 11, 2005 7:27:04a: *
Gamespot reports this morning that Ion Storm has closed its doors. I had mostly forgiven them for Daikatana, especially since that was more John Romero than the studio as a whole, so this news saddens me greatly. Hopefully Eidos won't discard the Thief and Deus Ex properties as they shift their focus to... wait a second... Crystal Dynamics? That Gex studio, the one I hated almost as much as Acclaim?
....crap.
Anyway. Rick made some remarks on NetJak about the "very special" episode of Law and Order SVU this past week. The one that implied that games were responsible for a woman's death. Rick made some good points in the article but failed to mention that a show like L&O, which has always flirted with controversy, has never been known to stand up and openly say that the emperor is naked (so to speak). Gamers expected the show to condemn them, and it didn't-- but neither did it vindicate them. The point is that the show grafted the "controversy" du jour onto a pretty tired murder plot, and ran with it-- which makes it no different from any other L&O episode ever. I know my dad watches L&O, so maybe he'll mention his take on it sometime-- but call me when CSI takes a stab at the games/mayhem "connection". They'll actualy research it. Well, more than these clowns did, anyway.
Dunno how relevant this is, but Pop'n 10 has some very catchy music tracks-- Rakugakids in particular, as it's almost impossible for me to get out of my head right now. Ah well, I'll have plenty of time to pop my brains out this weekend. And I promise I'll be writing more novel stuff soon-- I took this week's writing day to catch up on reviews, and I've been thinking a bit about the next event and how to get the story moving again. We shall see; Tuesday is officially Writing Day from now on, no matter what happens. We'll see. Later, folks.Tuesday, February 15, 2005 7:20:03a: *
Today's the day, kiddies. Star Fox Assault and Xenosaga Episode 2. I have to admit I've been watching Gamespot's video reviews for both games, and I'm very thrilled... though the anticipation of the games is also going to be something I'll miss. Anyway, today is Writing Day, so my game time will be minimal; I want to get through the next scene before I play either game-- even though I intend to pick them up on the way home tonight-- and I've set it up so very well. Which reminds me, I'd better get that written down before I forget. Heh heh heh.Wednesday, February 16, 2005 8:00:00a: *
Good morning. On Sunday, February 13th, Matt Pitzer was killed in an automobile accident. It's a bit trite to say that while other people were on their way to church, God was calling one of His own back to Him, but that can be seen as one explanation for this horrific event. Perhaps, in some people's eyes, it is the only explanation.
And yet, in the face of something so alien to human experience-- the loss of a brother-- what other words can there really be? We grow up in our families believing with all our souls that our siblings will always be there for us. When they are taken from us, what can we do? Do we beat our fists against inevitability, screaming that he's not really gone? Do we resign ourselves to despair, the hopeless feeling that those we love are erased forever?
Or do we believe?
Humanity, for all its marvels and fascinations, has yet to even begin to touch on understanding death. And yet where science and reason falter, we turn to the faith that has brought us through time immemorial-- that in the end, there will be no sorrow and there will be life again. It may be impossible for us to understand. But the best we can hope to do now is to accept that this has not happened due to random circumstance; that there is a design to everything, a grand narrative, and we are merely the players in this tale.
My thoughts and condolences go out to the Pitzer family. Please be safe, everyone.Sunday, February 20, 2005 8:58:23a: *
Morning, folks. Browsing through the iTunes store today I find a couple forgotten gems-- for example, did you know A New Found Glory did a cover of "The Goonies 'R Good Enough"? Neither did I, and I kinda wish I hadn't found out, as it's nto so hot. Still, seeing a new version of "Mind Killer" (Rez, Area 5) was pretty good. Adam Freeland can definitely kick it out; I was glad to see him on the Animatrix disc, and hopefully he'll be tapped for a few new projects.
Not much else going on. I finished Star Fox Assault, and am proceeding to work my way through Xenosaga II, which is proving to be trickier than initially suspected. Maybe this is a silly question, but when did MOMO get to be the heavy hitter in the party? She does more damage than Ziggy. A twelve-year-old girl can out-perform a hundred-year-old cyborg with more metal than flesh. Does not compute.
Later, folks.Thursday, February 24, 2005 7:11:51a: *
One of the things about Bemanistyle I never noticed before was that your avatar is placed on the main page when you sign in, right next to your name. I had forgotten that I'd changed my avatar last night from "no image" to this:
Yeah. Scared the shit out of me.
I'm finishing up the Star Fox review this morning and sending that off; presumably I'll be able to progress in Xenosaga but so far this week life has not allowed me to do so. I haven't even had time to collect my thoughts for a Writing Day. Regardless, I'll be heading back to the folks' house on Friday, so that means stashing my computer and hopefully doing some work Saturday afternoon. I want to finish up XS as soon as possible, though, so I can get the PS2 fixed. It would be much easier if the game wasn't so god damned hard. I'm eight hours in and already facing a boss that can rip a Gear's HP in half in one shot. I'm probably not doing it right.
The Circle knows the kind of stuff I've been dealing with of late, so there's no sense repeating it here. Just bear in mind that if something does go down, I might have to put the site on hiatus for a while 'till things calm down. I'll leave the forums active, of course-- no need to sabotage the Otakon preparations. That reminds me, I also need to get in touch with my hosting service and see about the new year's fees. One last thing-- I'll almost certainly be re-doing the site during the downtime.
A bit of news from GameSpot indicates that in addition to announcing their "one a month" schedule, Square Enix has a surprise up their sleeve that involves musical performers Sex Machine Guns. On a tangent, the name "Sex Machine Guns" evokes thoughts of Dave Barry, or Robin Williams' bit: "if we can't kill it, let's f**k it". Also on another tangent, doesn't the flyer S-E posted resemble another flyer for a musical event? Hm. Well, it did before I actually went and found the other flyer. Anyway, dollars to donuts this whole to-do is about a new anime series.
Later, folks. We'll see what happens today.Saturday, February 26, 2005 8:03:12a: *
It was really a matter of time before the Zeitler and Duffy Hordes found its way to the site; all things considered I would have hoped it to be sooner than nigh on the two-year anniversary of zero hour, but such is life. In any case, welcome, folks. I encourage you to sign up for the forums over there; I'll add you to the family subgroup as soon as I get back home.
I suppose an explanation of the site is in order for the family. First off, as to why I never mentioned it before, part of that is the classical answer "you never asked" but part of it is also due to the fact that quite frankly, what I deal with on this site is pretty arcane to most of you. I'm fairly certain I bored you all to death prattling on and on about games and suchlike at the reunions and holidays and stuff, so naturally a place where all I did was blat out about the latest waste of and 80 hours I was playing would probably not send you all rushing to your browsers with hearts a-pitterpat in ecstasy. As it turns out it's garnered me a little bit of attention.
So let me preface the whole full-disclosure deal by saying-- I don't talk about games as much here anymore. Not since I was accepted as a reviewer for NetJak. Conveniently enough the featured review this week or so is my coverage of Star Fox Assault, which means it's the one that looks all purty on the top of the front page. Yeah, I'm a little proud of that. Well, I suppose I ought not to be surprised, but it still gives me enough of a boost seeing it up there.
And while I've probably casually described myself as a writer, my work has been very, very esoteric. If you've done the Google-whacking Mike Duffy suggested, you've probably already hit upon one of the stories I wrote for RPGamer.com-- well, I suppose "story" is to what I wrote as "doggy" would be to a 300-lb St. Bernard; they're big, messy, sprawling, and they get drool all over everything. OK, maybe not that last part. The three novellas I wrote were fairly well received, regardless of how accessible (or not) they may be, so that gave me the confidence I needed to start work on an independent novel back in November. I should have the first draft done by now, but I'm lazy.
So where do I begin? After shooting down the two biggest draws to the site, there's not really as much left. I am still a fanatic follower of Japanese animation and Japanese culture in general; though actually, I delight in studying pretty much all foreign customs and traditions. I've continued my passing familiarity with foreign languages, and have made it a point to learn as many foreign four-letter words as I can just so I can tell when someone's insulting me. It's really quite fascinating, studying etymology and finding out that English gets a particular word from the German seventy-twelve letter compound word, derived from a Slavic root which contains syllables unpronounceable by human throats. (The word, for those of you playing the home game, is "exaggeration".)
So how about my job, huh? I work for a start-up internet division of a somewhat respectable marketing firm here in beautiful downtown Erie, in a small cell I share with four other psychotics I feel proud to call my co-workers. I spend my days cranking out Perl code to do things which are intended to bring universal peace to the world, ushering in the new millennium of prosperity and freedom-- but due to budget cuts they instead just put nice-looking ads on tasteful webpages. The whole utopia thing is scheduled for version 2.0, but we're thinking we might be able to squeeze it in a service pack between now and then.
My private life is something I don't think is appropriate to put on the main page for all the world to see. Let me just say this-- there's a reason you haven't met my fiancee yet and that's because I haven't found her yet. 'Nuff said.
This is one of those things where there's so much to be said, but the more words you say the less information actually gets conveyed. So, rather than blather on for another hour and a half, I think it's best just to let the page speak for itself. I hope you all enjoy my site, and I hope you'll stick around. Later, folks-- I've got to see a man about a horse. Except replace "man" with "woman", "horse" with "taxes", and "a" with "unpaid". Gah.
