Little Big Planet....I Think I Love You...

Is it possible to love a game? I mean, like, REALLY love it?!? Well, probably not, especially if you've only played it for but a short while, but my current feelings on LBP are somewhere along that ballpark. Not to the levels I have w/ Galaxy (which I'll hopefully be renting again sometime this coming weekend), but for a game I've only played about a 10th of as much as said Galaxy, the love quotient's pretty high. Now how exactly was I able to play this marvelous game while lacking a PS3 you ask? Welp folks, that's what friends are for. A good buddy of mines that I hadn't seen in a while, welp, showed up unexpectantly. We casually jetted (like that even fucking exists) to his crib and lo and behold, he's pretty much got the HD entertainment hub in full effect. That 42-inch HDtv couldn't have come at a better time, plus now he's officially playing PS3 the way Sony would have him if it were stated in hard law....well, almost. The only things he's really missing now are a surround sound digital audio speaker system (Dolby Digital 5.1 please!!), a table for snacks 'n' shit, and a vibrating chair. Other than that the bases are covered.

Well anyways, there we are getting our Smash Bros. Brawl and CvsSNK2 feasts on (surely we could've worked GGXX Accent Core in there as well, but shit just slipped my mind) and, well perhaps a bit exhausted on our melee smackfests, decided to turn the ol' platforming route and play some LBP. He's obviously had it for a while and I obviously had yet to play it up to that point, just hoping it would live up to the hype. Suffice it to say-and even though we only played on about 5-6 stages (including the tutorial stage....speaking of tutorial stages, WHY do they still tell needless "information" like "Use the left analog stick to move your character!"? Honestly?!? I mean sure there are the NEW new gamers who probably see tips like that like gold, but this is the PS3 here,....I'm pretty sure about 95% of it's owners know what a controller is by now and how it functions, and for the 5% that don't....dear Mary I don't EVER wanna hafta meet them in person; that'll be a smashfest of endless joking)-the game's left a pretty sweet taste in my mouth. Sure sure, the jumps are a little "floaty" and the plane-switching mechanic's a bit odd at first (a lot of people say the game auto-handles it for you; during my brief play time I was controlling it manually since it felt more natural that way and I always trust my own instincts and brains over the game's AI any day in regards to me getting my own ass around;), but soon enough the throwback-yet-foward-thinking gameplay (seriously, the physics possibitlies are VERY interesting and I can't wait to start building my own levels once I get the game), charming visuals and atmosphere and pretty fucking good music kick in, you'll likely forgive these few issues, much like I have already. And it's not like there's a game that's immune to minor deficencies out there anyway; you gotta just look past the tiny flaws and accept the amazing experience on the whole, and LBP seems like a very amazing experience, one that could become quite moreso whenever I get deeper into the game.

So there you go everyone; my quick thoughts on a quick play session w/ Little Big Planet. The game is just oodles of fun, and my favorite levels so far personally being this one roller coaster-esque stage, a Dead Space parody stage (my favorite one thus far), and another stage from the actual story game stages (I think) where you have to ride a lighted beaver/groundhog pinata through a relatively dark stage. As said before, I really can't quite wait until I get my hands on the game sooner, and at this moment it seems like either the Wii or PS3 will be the first of the nextgen systems I get (saying this mainly b/c I've actually PLAYED games on these systems whereas I haven't been as lucky to get any serious time w/ a 360, therefore I don't have any hands-on tests to gauge how much I'd enjoy the system though I must say it seems to have the largest abundance in a few genre games I like, particularly racers and fighters, and a healthy assortment of action/adventure 3rd person games as well like Gears an' shit. So for that alone it could be the first, but I swear if I get a RROD within the first few months of ownership, I will personally march up to Redmond, Washington with a baseball bat and knock Microsoft's game division fatcats' heads' off to the Artic Ocean to swim with the fishes and live in the mouths of the polar bears). So until next time everyone, later and g'day.

Some Garou Love On The Way..

Eye been a while hasn't it?!? Welp, consider the drought of new posts on this blog to be cut drastically short as it was all just a clever ploy for me to sucker you saps into the form of desperation so I could spring forth this deliberate act for the sake of gain in power,...you know, sorta like what FDR did when he allowed Pearl Harbor to get attacked so the US had a valid reason to actually enter WWII. ZING!! Well, needless to say this isn't the time or space to talk about possible governmental and WW conspiricies, but having read a bunch of it just last night, a lot of things have sunken in to my head and I wouldn't totally discount those theories being true. Then again, many other conspiricy theories involve a race or reptiles decked in hoodies controlling every political figurehead on the Earth. THAT sounds pretty far-fetched, but given my crazy way of interpreting things I wouldn't put it past being the truth either (in fact it could be sound- I know; I'm nuts as a fuck). But like I said earlier this isn't the time to deal into that shit (some other time), but I can't let Japan out of this entirely. I just casually mentioned them w/ the Pearl Harbor bit earlier, and if we can just the time to hold hands and skip past those two little bomby thingamajiggas, then we can get to the root as to why I'm still on Japan in a sense: that of course, being (as the title of this post implies) Garou: Mark of the Wolves.

I don't know exactly what compelled me to give it a brief run today, other than the fact I was about to cook my dinner and work out, and needed something to do involving the reflexes. Couldn't paint-still need a fresh tube of Cerulean Blue and Raw Umber (I might try another blue and down the line switch out of Cadmiums for a bit, and try some Phatlos just to see the differences, as I've heard they're there and I'd also like to see if nearly as much work w/ Titanium Whites and Raw Umbers would be needed on those)-so I just wandered by on Gametap and well..before I get into that, I just have to say it sucks they've taken down so many of their Free Games. It's been months since I've hit up Gametap, but certainly I did hear just about two weeks ago that they were doing a major restructuring, likely for underlying business reasons. But to just go to the site, and notice the catalog (on the Free front) that cut back...it sorta hurt xD. Well anyways, I knew for a fact that Garou was in the catalog, and w/ the "Free Play" tag sitting right there, I also knew it wouldn't hurt to try out this seminal classic. Lucky thing I did that too; they're moving it to the Members Only section on THURSDAY (and if you've gotten the impression I'm a cheap bastard by now,...well, you'd be spot on in a sense hehe. When the job situation clears up that'll definitely be a non-issue, but that bright spot just can't seem to come soon enough ):( So that said, it suddenly implored in my head to say "Hey if you're gonna play this anytime soon today or tomorrow might be the only open days for you", and holy shit did that ring true.

That said, with such knowledge disposed in my little pink dome, I've decided that-just for the hell of it and really getting a bit in touch w/ one of the fighting game genre's more underappreciated classics (which, unlike 3S, hasn't experienced any sort of post-realease "boom"; likely b/c there hasn't been a tourney player who's done some fucking "Damn that was epic at the time but now everyone's sorta doing it and weakening the impact" skill like Diago did parrying Chunny's SAII at EVO, which I MUST get to, hopefully this year ;) -a run up on my thoughts of the game wouldn't be too bad a way to get going in that aspect. Keep in mind though that I'm stuck using my (very archiac) KEYBOARD to get the job done, and yes-that's already pure sacrilege insofar as fighting games are concerned. Thankfully my little test-run w/ the game today produced fairly confident results; even though I kept getting my ass kicked (though strangely enough Rock was a pushover, the first opponent no less and even though I was playing as the comical little ninja dude (name's Hamato I think ) it still jarred me just a bit to see ROCK as the first opponent; please guys, Rock deserves higher status than just being the 1st lamb to get slaughtered :) with Match 2 and onward (stopping at Butt who completely deva--... Butt.....), it was a fun sort of ass kicking I didn't mind recieving (wonder if that means there's a gimpish-dominated sort of thing quelled deep in me...better call Dr. Whatthefuckisupwithyou to cross-ref. on this and get concrete facts. The quest BEGINS!!!). Still, that keypad'll lead to atleast a few unfair losses I'm sure, but we'll see how that goes. So...yeah,...tune back in here tomorrow everyone and I'll let you know my opinions (you could call them tenative b/c until I get a decent controller or (God PLEASE show mercy w/ this blessing) arcade stick I won't probably be able to get concrete into character moveset chatter. Had enough of a hard time pulling off Supers as was!!). So until then, much love, keep the fingers pressing, the mind forming, and the spirit hungry for more filling food. See 'ya later and g'nite.

Here They Are!!! My Super Mario Galaxy First Impressions!!!

Alright everyone, what's up and how's it goin'? On a sidenote; before I even get this thing started, lemme just say that I'm a little annoyed over how Firefox underlines words I already know are spelled wrong. It's like it's reminding me for my chosen, self-righteous stupidity. I already know those words are screwed up in terms of letter arrangement; there is no reason to refresh it in my head. Hehe but all in all, I just love Firefox too much to vent out that level of frustration continuously; all is forgiven. And here's to hoping it becomes my dominant web browser in due time.

Now, you might be thinking I'm upset after just going off into that rant, but honestly that's anything but the case. As I'm here right now, typing this shit and working on my fan comic (STILL can't tell you the details yet, but don't worry; they're comin'..just hold tight) and scrathing my hair, I just can't get over how impressed I am with Super Mario Galaxy. It's been a LONG time since I've played a platformer or any game in general that's quite as epic and polished (yeah that even includes Brawl and Iji; they're great games too don't get me wrong but they aren't on that same level; don't gotta be but you know what I mean) as this and I'm actually pretty sad over the fact it's gotta get traded in tomorrow. REALLY makes me wish I started playing the very day it was rented vs. waiting 'till Tuesday, b/c I might've already "finished" it by now (those of you who know the completion rate to get the game's ending now what I'm talking about; it's the same in pretty much every other Mario platformer). But sad as that shit-dosed fact may be, in it has to go, and..well I might just get a Wii over the 360 after all; Galaxy's been that good to me. Now all that being said, I do have some opinions over how things have colored me fancy over the 4 1/2 or so hours (with my playthrough today being where the majority of shit got done) playing the game; it's certainly not enough to give a full-worded review, but I can atleast garner what the game's about, and with that I have my own impressions. But first, perhaps a general run-through of things wouldn't hurt.

Galaxy, as you know, is the 3rd 3d Mario platformer, and the 8th main platformer in the series (that's of course counting Bros. 1-3, World, Yoshi's Island, 64, and Sunshine). It's also perhaps my favorite, but that's not important here. Anyway, story-wise, you've got Princess Peach having a bit of a ball at her castle, and everyone's invited. The toads, Mario, every damn body, and it's quite an esquisite one as well as the stars fall across the pearly black sky. All shit goes down, though, when Bowser (or as I'm gonna start calling him, King Koopa) smashes the event, kidnaps not only Peach but the ENTIRE castle, and hightails it outta there. Mario, not content to just stand there, tries going after Peach, but is plucked off Bowser's ship so to say, funneling out into the reaches of the galaxy, finally only to end up on strange, foreign, unfamiliar territory. It is here wherein he learns the truth behind the matters. In effect, Bowser has kidnapped the Princess using the power of, well, Power Stars, and-now having met a new princess of sorts by the name of Rosalina-is the sole hope to not only get Peach back, but also silently do Rosalina and the Luma (little creatures that seem to be hungry quite often; they got surprises to be sure)s' bidding in retrieving the Power Stars, foiling Bowser's plans yet again. Oh here we go again indeed.

And THAT about wraps up the basic story overview. Basic gameplay itself isn't much more complicated to grasp; Mario must now travel from planetoid to planetoid in self-confined galaxies, looking to get the scattered and often enslaved (to prisms mind you) Power Stars as they are undergoing some pretty messed up means of hiding, atleast one in which I can only note as "slightly perverse". That's me and my gutter mind mind you, but uh...yeah, you'll catch it too, if not already. Anyway, as Mario traverses these planets, you'll find yourself relying on that Wiimote and nunchuck more and more, the nunchuck to more the plump hero across these magnificent worlds and the Wiimote for everything from jumping (just press A! It's that easy!!) to his now-most-vital move the Spin Twist (shaking the Wiimote in a circular motion on the screen) to launching from Star Pads to collecting Star Bits (Mario's new main currency) to even firing those same Star Bits at enemies to stun them before moving in for the kill (but don't expect over-the-top Gears of War shit or any racial overtones a la Mario chanting "Yeah a-mia I killed-a a brown Goomba!!"). In other words, the Wiimote is given some hardcore love, and it's love you'll find yourself silently asking to give more of as you play this completely awesome adventure.

Okay, now for general thoughts. Firstly, the game does a FANTASTIC job of easing the player into how things work. You can of course be like me and make some things needlessly harder than they actually are, but overall those who don't suffer that way of thinking will find themselves thanking Nintendo and Miyamoto & co. for making the learning curve fairly gentle. I know I have, and it's really something of an accomplishment I'm so comfortable with the controls as this is the first Wii game I've actually seriously played that revolves heavily on the Wiimote; no lie. And that brings up another thing; the controls just feel really, really good. Very natural; very seamless and responsive. Addmittably Mario seems like he runs just a LITTLE bit slower than I remember him doing in Sunshine, but space tends to have that effect I guess so that can slide. And actually, his running speed being just a tad slower works out to his favor here; prevents from accidentally running off the edge of things too often and thus accidental deaths (though, if you're like me, you might do it anyway just b/c you're too stupid to catch on to shit when you should). And they never once really came off as gimmicky either, a feeling of solidification and assurdnace only strengthed by one particular bit just a bit later on in my playthrough.

Another thing that's really impressed me so far is the way the game gives you more than ample room to experiment around with the controls and mechanics while just playing. There's always often more than one way to get to a particular place you need to reach, and always multiple options for handling some parts of most every challenge. Of course, that's always been a Mario staple, but it's particularly noteworthy here. Also, the game seems perfectly balanced in terms of challenge so far; I actually have quite a bit of health so need to worry there, though for everyone else it's more or less the same. By that I mean the following: the game never seems like it's being cheap. Never. I can honestly say that the times I died or just outright sucked were on me and me alone; most games could only wish to offer that same level of fairness. Beyond that, the music is actually very good as well, and it's the first Mario soundtrack I'm considering downloading and buying. Seriously. It's a great orchestratial score (and I don't listen to orchestra much mind you) that fits the game like Mario's gloves fit his hand. The visuals, as well, deserves some props. A very colorful game, the color choices really set the right hues and tones for their respective worlds, and some of the texture work (like the fur effects) are spot-on. Hell the game even seems like it has extras in store for some other games; for example, after just playing it for about like an hour, I unlocked Rosalina in Mario Kart Wii. Quite a great deal if you ask me, and personally it's enough to get me want to play that game again. I'm just hoping now that, somewhere along the line, it can unlock her for play in Smash Bros. Brawl. Now that'd be awesome.

Now, I'm realizing I'm gonna have to keep this short, so I'll just take the following space to mention some of my personal favorite moments, either on the game's part, or me being just that stupid. Hope you guys enjoy 'em.

-The Dino Pirahna Boss: I can honestly say I didn't feel so much like a noob as when I played this fight,..again,..and again....and again, and then after beating it realizing just how EASY (if you're thinking, which is what the game wants you to do) he is. I won't spoil the details in general, but let's just say it isn't rocket science. And yet, I think I got down to 1 life after starting out with 7 on this bad (yes, it was going that badly) and to add to further embarrassment it was the 1ST boss! Now, I'm no stranger to playing games obviously, but being good in one game doesn't mean that much for being good at another, and this fight's shown me that I could stand to practice my Mario platforming a lot more. Sadly that won't be for a while (I guess two weeks, at the most) from here so here's hoping I not only get to keep my friend's Wii a little longer but that my skills don't suck as much once that time comes!!

-The Honey Hive Galaxy: This entire galaxy was just pretty damn good; very well constructed and had a great sense of flow. My favorite bits were flying around with the Bee suit power-up (obviously) and crawling over the Queen Bee's privates (hehe) to get the Power Star pieces. Nintendo, I know you didn't mean for any perversity there, but I can always snuff that sort of shit out, just so you know. Makes me wanna see what you've got planned in that department for the se--wait what the FUCK am I saying. Snap outta it Johnny!!!

-The Octopus Boss Fight: Forgot his name, but it was a pretty fun fight nonetheless. Unfortunately not too difficult for me but it shows off the game's texture effects greatly, and the dude shoots coconuts out at you while it's resting in a pool of LAVA. That's serious pointage right there hehe. On a side note, I enjoyed this fight more than the fight against the pissed off hornet bug in the Honey Hive Galaxy, but ONLY b/c that fight; the last form was pretty tricky to land on and I spent a good two minutes just trying to line up my drop path. The actual flying around in that fight was well implemented though, so I guess it's a tie between them for my favorite boss fights so far. Then again, they're some of the only bosses I've gotten to so far hehe.

-Sweet Sweet Galaxy: DAMN I wish there was more than one star to get in this galaxy!! Probably the 1st pure platforming challenge in the game (in terms of requiring some of that old school platforming mentality to just get through it), it was also one of my favorite bits. It's pretty crazy, and has a neat puzzle element strewn about it, though if you (like me) aren't paying attention the 1st time near the end bit, it'll seem like that star is just infinitely far away. Also a stage where combined Spin Twist and basic platforming and very good timing is needed,...well actually that's needed for all the stages to an extent hehe, but they're more forgiving most of the time (barring the occasional black hole that'll suck your ass to a 1Down) b/c of their level layout. This one,...well shit just play it and tell me how forgiving you think it'll be if you miss that jump through that star shape, or that circle shape, or that dragon shape...okay I made the last one up but it's still valid damnit!!

-MANTA RAY SURF RACING: This bit just wanted me to fail. I know it did. Maybe I bounced around too much on the baby penguins' heads beforehand and big papa decided to make my fail count that much higher, or maybe it's that I wasn't taking the intricate time to handle the Wiimote as I should have to see my way through the end of it, but when you fall off a split second AFTER reaching the goal, and you still lose the event,...well damn it's gotta have an agenda out for you or something!! Haha I seriously doubt that's the case, but even if it were that case and not me just sucking on my own merit, I'd still love this bit. Surfing manta rays is pretty awesome. Again, though, there's only one Power Star here, so unless I wanna go for a higher score (which I might do perhaps down the road), there's not gonna be a reason to come back here. But oh well, better things await.

Now keeping in mind I've only gotten about 4 1/2-5 hours into this thing (closer to the former, give or take a few minutes), you can also notice (hopefully) that this game has fantastic variety. I mean REALLY great variety. Now, I never really got too far into Sunshine, but one of the chief complaints I here about it is that it takes a while for it to give you variety. I'm not sure how true that is, but if any game wants to take a great cue on how to switch it up to keep things fresh, Galaxy would make for a great teacher bar none. And for those of you thinking that 4 1/2 hours is pretty long and that what I've mentioned above isn't variety, then you A: probably don't play games (c'mon, 4 1/2 hours for most games is just getting started. Don't even get me on about JRPGs!) and B: didn't read closely. The reason why Galaxy IS so fresh so often is b/c of not only how the challenges are structured (and the fact you can save after each Star helps too, giving in to that snack-sized feel very nicely; great for those of us who don't have as much spare time as we'd like to really dig deep into a game like this), but that they're so entertaining you'll note the time flying by more often than not.

...Shit!!!?! those were my first impressions?!? Does that seem like a review?!? Hehe well I guess you can sorta say it is. Surely, when I play Galaxy again, I'll definitely have to update this impressions listing, but until then I suppose this'll have to do. All in all, I'm just very enamoured with this game everyone. It proves w/o a shadow of a doubt that platformers-if you put a little thought behind them (like with any game)-can still shine and shine very brightly. This is also the sort of game that defines a Wii personally, not the shit load of crappy cheerleader sims or even supposedly good stuff like Wii Sports and Wii Fit (yeah I know they're good, but those aren't the games I care for. And besides Wii Fit, I already work out so HAHA!!!). To all proud and righteous Wii owners: whenever a 360 or PS3 fandiot (who just can't like each console on their own merits unfortunately) talks shit about the Wii, pull up Galaxy as a defence. And just to cut ahead of their trash talk, tell them that not every game needs an exploding torso or decapitated head with blood pouring out on the grounds of Park Avenue to make it something worth playing.

; needed that breather. Welp that about wraps it up here everyone. It's been a great day, and Galaxy a great friend. I CAN'T wait to buy this to finish playing it, so I'll just probably be re-renting it in no time, and since all the data's stored on the Wii itself, I can just carry off from where I last left off (last I know, I have Bowser's galaxy unlocked so he's probably wanting to say a few words to me, that species-confused fucker). I'll be back around often and likely do a posting on Iji, another game I've been playing (must...play...Sector 8,...tomorrow!) in a little bit; probably one on Brawl too and Kart and Kirby when I get back with them. That of course is assuming time out from my other work, which does come first but I'm really trying to give all my loves equal time these days. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed my words; look forward to more of them soon. Oh and PLAY GALAXY if you haven't/aren't already. So until next time, later out and g'nite. See ya'.

Super Mario Galaxy Impression Tommorow!!!

  Hey guys and gals, what's up and what's not down?  Is it you?!?  I sure hope so.  Well anyways, man it's been a pretty decent week to be gaming, for me anyways.  I'll admit with all the shit I cook up and work on (most of which is never finished but I'm changing that fucking habit like NOW) I just don't get in as much gaming time as I like.  I haven't touched Brawl in a while, or Mario Kart or Iji for that matter, and I'm just now getting around to playing Galaxy,..which, of course, is just galatically awesome.  I mean, I know I've just started playing it and have only gotten 3 stars in, but when there's magic in a certain game, you can notice it right off the bat.  All the classics have that spark, and Galaxy (and if those sales numbers are true I'm sure millions of others will agree with this) is one of those games; it's got that magic touch (not the pedophilic kind mind you, which wouldn't work anyway since I'm over 12,...thank Jesus Christ and the Latter Day Saints hell yeah!!), and tomorrow will of course see some more "love makin" for it, to quote a good friend of mine.  

  So why this post?!?  Welp it's just a head' up of what's coming tomorrow.  A little first impressions on my experience with Mario Galaxy up to whatever point I get to it tomorrow (bearing in mind I don't die several times on easy-to-solve puzzles and bosses, I augta get pretty far in like 3 hours I suppose), including the good (shitload of a lot so far) and the bad (not much I can really think of, but that change in perspective and gravity shit could mess with your head and thinking process at first, like it did with me...shit I'm saving the rest of that talk for tomorrow).  It might be short (for my standards so you "wall of text"-phobics out there might still have a reason to worry hehe), but damn will it be full of love.

  Oh and the music is awesome so far too, though the sound that plays when you can only take one hit b/f you die,...damn I wish it would shut up atleast a little.  Gimme a coin QUICK, if for anything not to keep hearing the fucking sound,...hehe well whatever on that.  More from me tomorrow, and as always, later out and g'nite.  

Just Back From The Tournament

  'Kay everyone, what's up and what's down?  You?  Aw don't feel that way; I'm here to cheer and pucker you up.  Hehe well enough of that shit, I'm hoping everyone had a pretty great day and are planning on having an even better night; my birthday's only two days away and I want EVERYONE to live it up!  You know, just in case I don't.  But anyways, so today was indeed that SF tournament,..if you can call it that.  True enough, it wasn't IV at all, but rather the HD Remix that only came out a few months ago (I believe), reworked by UDON and David Serlin (I think that's his last name; can't be too sure on that).  I can't HONESTLY say I was really excited about that game, what with it basically being another remix of II (hell I think there's enough reworks of that one to give it a rest Capcom; how's about a rework of 3rd Strike in HD?  Now THAT'D be some shit for sure, of the good variety), but I was willing to still go, as to firstly give myself something to do game-wise (rented Galaxy today at LAST, but doubt I'll be playing too much of it b/f I go to bed.  Do plan on playing at least a few levels, just to get a feel for controls and all of that, but that's it) and also to play HD Remix, as I atleast wanted to see what all the fuss was about.

  Now, keep in mind I'm not here to REVIEW HD Remix; not yet anyway.  I've only played it a few times, at this very tournament in fact, and if I were to review it on shit like controls alone, I'd give it a D+.  Honestly, I just can't use the 360's pad worth shit for a 2d fighting game, as it's pretty obvious by now what sort of games Microsoft had in mind when making that pad (ie NOT fighting games or 2d games).  I even tried using the analog stick, but the difference btwn an analog stick and a joystick,..well they're pretty noticable hehe.  Even so, I can give the game some props on other things.  Even though we were playing on what looked like a CRT monitor size-wise (though I'm sure it was HD-capable; seemed that way to me), the graphics were very good.  Actual animation was okay; basically Super Turbo frame-for-frame; this is NOT III or even CvsS2 or Alpha level here, but it doesn't need to be.  The opening theme was pretty awesome; I'd download it if I could, as it's  a pretty nice rock tune that fits it well.  Also, dispite me more or less sucking b/c of unfamiliarity with the 360s d-pad and having not played II or any version of it in a while (seriously getting back into that game's pacing style and lack of stuff like parry and air block and guard cancels,...that really fucked me up, but that's me 'ya know), the moves did seem to be responsive when I knew for I fact I nailed the motions, which is always something of a goal for any competent fighter to shoot for.

  Now, as for the tournament itself, well it wasn't really that much of anything near EVO level (speaking of EVO, I am really fending on going to one some time very soon.  Just gotta practice a little more's all) as it was held at the local Gamestop.  A pretty small tournament too since only eight people (including me and my friend) were competing, so it went by pretty quickly.  The organizers were generous enough to let us get some practice rounds in b/f the tournament started and even allowed us to change our control settings (sans any dip switches obviously) at the start of every match, which-and I'm not sure on this but got a good feeling of-probably isn't allowed at tournaments like EVO, that much is for sure.  Of course they allowed people to bring their own controllers (one dude was super-authentic; brought the arcade stick an' everything), but still none of that dip switching shit was allowed.  And so it was, not a long while after the hub-bub and gathering crowd, that the tournament got underway.  I could spend some time talking about every match but just to save time, I'll let you in on what I did specifically. Being smart, I decided to play it safe by getting one of the shotos, Ken (who's actually the best shoto for beginners in a particular SF game like I was with HD Remix; he has more offense than Ryu and better defense than Akuma by a mile.  A sort of nice melding of the two you could say), as did my good buddy.  Although a few more of the participants got a shoto as well, most of the favorite picks seemed to be charge characters like Guile (who, in the very 1st version of II, had one of the cheapest-and deadlist-combo sets ever.  So yeah, he's a favorite of many hehe) or Dee Jay, or non-shotos like Dhalsim and Cammy.  Interestingly enough no one picked Chun Li.  Wierd, though that might be b/c she's low-tier in that game (like she seems to be in IV from what I've seen there, unfortunately.  Sorry Chunny, your skills got gimped.  Thankfully those thighs and nice meaty ass did not!!).  

  "So", you might be thinking, "you being a shoto, you should've torn up some ass right?" Well, not quite.  Between using that shit excuse of a 360 d-pad and not really getting into HD Remix's pace and flow, I guess I could say the other guys were just more on their game than me.  Then again, I just entered for the fuck of it, with little to no preperation beforehand.  Sometimes getting your ass kicked can be fun, as I learned here.  My friend managed to fare better than me...a lot better in fact.  Made it all the way to the finals and eventually took 2nd place, so suffice it to say he'll have to go to the next site to continue.  I could go, I guess, but honestly I'm just not THAT jivved for HD Remix to do that.  If it were IV it would be a whole other matter; I'd go to each site even if I got my ass embarrased in the tournament (speaking of which my opponent did get one Perfect on me,...sucks, but ah well), but I never have really followed HD Remix rigirously, therefore there's no point.  Maybe if and when I download it, I could get into it more, but at that same time I might also be playing 3rd Strike, or IV, or CvsS2, or even MvsC2,...in other words, games that fit my fighting fancy more.  That's no harsh strike against II, but-to me-it's pacing and lack of features I've grown accustomed to like parrying, air blocking, rolling, dashing, super-jumping, guard-canceling, block-reversal, and air dashing (ah yes Guilty Gear, ain't forgot about YOUUUUUU.  Now shoot me for impersonating Soulja Boy) really throws me out of the loop.  II's gameplay just feels nigh-archiac to me now, and I know there are some that'll argue with me on that point (and they have every right to), but that's my personal opinion, preference, and stance, and likely will never change.  Still, I'll always appreciate II, just not play it often I guess.

  But that's getting a bit off topic.  Overall I'd say the tournament was pretty fun, albiet short and lacking on refreshments (we could do with some chips or whatever, tournament organizers).  Plus, I pretty much seem to be solidified in my belief that you can meet some of the coolest people at outta-the-blue tournaments.  I mean, when you're in the company of a goddamn police officer who knows his fighting games, you really just can't quite beat that.  Even though he got beat by the winner near the end of it all in a "just for fuck's sake" (or JFFS as I'm gonna call them for now on) match that was still pretty fun to watch.  Here's hoping to more local tournaments; in fact they're already talking about one with either the new MK vs DC game (which I've yet to play so I might go to that one just to try the damn game out), Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 (haven't played too much of it, but have been wanting to.  It' s just hard as hell to find) or Capcom Vs. SNK 2 (which would be awesome, since I can show some fucking dominance in that bitch and redeem for the pathetic showing in this HD Remix tournament), though a Smash Bros. Brawl or even King of Fighters or Garou: Mark of the Wolves tournament wouldn't be a bad thing at all either (highly doubt the last two though; they unfortunately just aren't that popular, though admittably I haven't played KOF much and never played G:MOTW, but am gonna get KOF XII when that drops).  Anyways, I guess my gaming for the next few days is gonna be split among Mario Galaxy, Iji, Smash Bros. Brawl, and Mario Kart, with maybe a bit of Parasite Eve for good measure, and that's actually a pretty well-rounded listing genre-wise.  I'll be off now, and seeing you guys down the road.  So until then, later out.

OMG getting ready...

  .  Well I don't think I ever mentioned it around here, but there was *supposedly* going to be a Street Fighter IV tournament around a local Gamestop this Saturday, just two days b/f my birthday, and damn was I was pumped for it.  I mean c'mon, it's the first PROPER SF sequel in almost a decade following 3rd Strike; of course I wanted to go play that tourney, if for anything to try out the new characters (yeah honestly I was prob. gonna use CV, Abel and especially El Fuerte.  Rufus,...fuck Rufus's fat sloppy ass.  He is honestly a joke and I can't believe Daigo ever thought of that guy as competent for a SF game.  But more on that later).  But somewhere deep in me, I kept getting this feeling that it was a little too good to be true.  I mean, the game's only availble in arcades at the moment, and it doesn't even come out for consoles in JAPAN until mid-Feb.  I'm sure there's been no console tournament for it yet over there, so why would the US get one before them?  Doesn't that go against "home pride" Capcom?  Well appearantly it does and that fear was not unfounded; I'm still not quite sure if the tournament is still going on and I've yet to hear from my friend on it, but all signs are pointing to a definitive "NO!".  That' s no as in "You're a fuckin' gimpass for even thinking the shit as legit my man" no.  Shattters the heart a bit, to be sure.

  But it ain't all that bad.  I'll finally get Mario Galaxy tomorrow and I GUESS I'll play the strangly-getting-easier-for-me-but-everytime-I-say-that-I-jinx-myself-and-the-game-sorta-hands-me-my-ass-but-I-kinda-want-that-shit-to-happen Smash Bros. Brawl (which JUST beats out the HD Remix SFII for ridiculously long title, even if most of it was my own fuckin' doing), among other things like finish out Iji hopefully (doubt that in one day, but maybe over the next three days), while I work on ideas for my next picture.  So there goes on that.  Anyway, nice talking as always guys, and I'll see you in a flipping short while.  Until then, later out.

A Convesation On the Toyish Industry...

  Alright, so here I am, the night dragging on as I'm at this very moment deciding to do a bit of multitasking and post up my thoughts on something that's been on the mind quite a lot lately while simultanously making sure I don't burn my dinner and keeping from yelling at the neice and nephew to just shut up as they play their asses off.  In fact, just getting off of 1up for a second, it's one of their news peices that's inspired me to finally talk this shit through.  I'm talking about, of course, the video game industry, or as I sometimes like to jokenly call it, the "toys industry", though it of course doesn't QUITE have it's Toys R' Us yet...

  Nor do I think it wants to, as I and I'm sure a hell of a lot of people feel that same way.  Who wants people to equate gaming to a toy shop-around?  No hands?  Didn't think so.  That said, reading what the new PoP's producer Ben Mattes (the game being one of course I DIE INSIDE to get my hands on;..one day soon my Prince) had to say about his thoughts on the sales of PoP and disappointing sales of Mirror's Edge, Dead Space and a few other big innovative original IPs this year, I couldn't help but be caught by this following line:  "Whether this means we didn't totally succeed in our risk taking or whether our industry in fact has a stronger appetite for the familiar then it wants to admit remains to be seen".  Though it's not a completely 'stooped in truth' line, it does hold some merit, so uh, let's try and see where he's coming from, and how exactly that even comes close to making games seem like the toy industry in atleast one important aspect (but just for shits and giggles, let's check on that food eh?).

  Okay, the food's coming along well, but enough on that.  Now back to the point; I do have to agree with Ben on atleast one point.  That the industry's had many repeats of original, genuinely inspired and innovative new games come out that have just come short of retail expetations or just straight up bombed.  The assertion that "hey, there's all these hardcore gamers always clamoring for something new" and yet when the "new" arrives it's outright ignored,...well honestly at times it seems like that's the case and if so it's completley hypocritical.  Of course, there are always a multitude of different reasons why people don't jump into a new product, as it could be simply out of fear or (more often than not) lack of cash to spend around (I know that's the case with me personally).  To that end (and not saying Ben's alluded or implied the following in any way), asserting that the lack of sales for these new games is solely on a hypocritical group of customers is a bit inappropriate, b/c the majority of them (eh, us I suppose) are willing to get these games if circumstances permitted.  And to that end, I don't think it's actually anything to do with the industry being non-desirable of new gaming experiences when it puts on the facade that it wants them, b/c that desire is not a facade at all, and truthfully everything that's considered "mainstream" and par for the course these days was at some point or another new and innovative, though admittably it can seem like the industry gets stuck in "moods" where certain types of shit is more desirable than others.  So in other words, that argument's moot.

  In all honesty, taking a look at the stuff that's now considered staples of the industry yet when first out were something new and risky (GTA, MGS, Halo in a sense but admitablly Golden Eye and Perfect Dark helped that out plenty, Gran Turismo, even Madden) have become the successes they are today b/c they either came out (albiet luckily) at a time when the industry was stagnant and the right product at the right time was garunteed big success, or clever marketing and good word of mouth helped surmount it's claim to fame.  Take GTA III for instance, a sequel admittably to a duo of games that were never THAT popular to begin with and while interesting in gameplay never quite nailed it down.  That game came out in holiday season '01, right when MGS2 was due, and everyone knows for a good while which of those two games was getting the hype-up.  Yet out of nowhere, GTA III's popularity skyrocketed, and with that comes increased sales.  Now, seeing as how it was coming out when two arguably much more anticipated games were due (MGS2 and DMC), it should've tanked right?  B/c new games (and yes I'll say it again, technically GTA III was a sequel but to the console gamer, and in particular PS2 owners, neither of the other two games really meant a shit to them, so it was new enough) are supposed to fail during retail in the face of strong sequels and whatnot, correct?  Well that isn't quite what happened at all. 

  All that said, just how does that connect with what Ben said?  Well for me, I think it proves that the industry is open for new ideas to succeed, if the right variables are taken into account.  And sure, the industry of 2001 is quite different than today, but a lot of the fundamentals are still in place.  So what are the variables then?  Well, for one, or should I say the biggest variable at work, is that a lot of new games that aren't sequels and deserve their sales are simply released at the WRONG time of year, right up to where the big sequels are released.  Stuff like GTA III proved that a new (or in it's case new-ish) property could still succeed big in that time of year, if the right variables were around, i.e timing and luck.  And more breathing room from competition.  The industry itself has matured quite a lot since 2001, and part of that maturity's brought about more games, more big releases, and thus more overall competition.  GTA III benefitted from having relatively few (compared to what we see today) big sequels to go up against; as far as my knowledge serves me, only MGS2 and DMC were big talk at that point.  That's two games (and yes, I'm leaving the launches of the Gamecube and Xbox out of this though honestly they were further competition in a sense).  This year alone, the holiday season had the release of Gears of War 2, Fallout 3, Fable 2, Farcry 2, and Guitar Hero World Tour.  That's five games, and not nearly even all the big sequels.  What's more, despite my own best wishes, I'm sure the number will likely only increase next year insofar as big sequels released between Sept.-Dec's concerned, but more to the point.  I think that if game publishers FINALLY (and by so I mean collectively, not just a scant handful) began realizing that, "Hey,there's this month called January, and another called Febuary, and a few more called March and April and shit like them that we could bring these products out in", then a lot of these new original games could thrive a LOT better (and with atleast decent marketing of course) simply because they wouldn't have to worry about something like Gears II to go up against.  And if they actually did that, then maybe it could finally move the industry just a LITTLE bit further away from being likened to the toy shopping season as far as the oblivious mainstream press is concerned.

  But why hasn't that happened yet?  Welp, even with the industry maturing, I think that some of the older relics have yet to be worked out.  We've seen plenty of old game design relics gone the way of the dodo, and business relics (hey remember when you couldn't even get your fucking name mentioned in the game, even after all the 40+s you pulled for it?) that were primitive even at their prime are now dead at last, but I think that perception of publishers thinking games only sold well in the holiday shopping season months is more or less alive and well, and slowly-SLOOOOOOOOWLY-dying out as well.  Yet was that shit even true?  Well, it was in  a sense.  Keep in mind that when the NES, SNES and Genesis were around as the kings, the average gamer was more or less a kid or a young teenager.  They didn't have jobs back then, so they were at the mercy of their parents.  And the parents, seeing that their kids were, well, KIDS, playing games, equated the games to toys, and figured that Christmas time would be the best way to get the kids the games and systems they really wanted (everything being on sale helped a shitload of a bunch as well).  That was then.  Nowadays, most gamers are older than even me, and they can afford to buy games at any time more or less, which, obviously, means that they probably get a paycheck other than between September and December (or ele the job force would suck a hell of a lot).  Why won't publishers just wise up and spread the goodies out the course of the year, and take a lesson from Hollywood that's actually worth learning?  Mmm, guess the publishers are more immature than their audience in that sense.

  Going into '09, it seems like more publishers are actually wising up and taking the chance to offer their product during some of the time gamers would normally be catching up to finishing shit from half a year back and stuff brought over the holidays.  With it being no secret that games are getting shorter (on average) in lenght and more lenient in terms of what defines failure and death to the player, we're in turn getting more time open to play more games at points where we normally wouldn't.  While I doubt the majority of the big sequels will EVER honestly start releasing at a new timeframe, all of that vacant space from New Year's to Labor Day suddenly becomes a lot more tempting for the new IP to fill up.  And with that, Mr. Mattes, I offer my own wish for the industry as a whole to fully mature, and give all the new original stuff that honestly deserves some great sales that exact opportunity.  Leave the Christmas holidays to the established players on the block, but the rest of the year?  It's free game for the newbies.  Let 'em have their fun.  This is John here, signing off.  Later and g'nite.