So I have returned yet again, still sporting the same issue I had from a short while back. Yes, this goes back to work and it has become a bit of a dilemma on my part. I mean the choice should be obvious, and I think that it is, but how does one go about telling your boss "I'm done"? Especially knowing that you are basically all that is left that is holding up a department?
I know I need to find something that pays more or else I'll have to continue living on a month-to-month basis and folks, living this way down right sucks. Every two weeks, my girlfriend and I have to survive (broke) until we get paid again.
With that being laid out, the choice should be clear in sight and easy to see, right? Oh I wish the choice could be made and executed as easily as it seems.
My problem lays in the fact that a part of me does feel bad, knowing that the times are bad. But man... so many of my fellow co-workers and friends have long gone and here I remain. Am I the fool? Or have I just not reached the point of no return like many others have reached before me?
My other gripe is the fact that the company I work for hasn't even given me my 3 month, post-probation raise, which was due in February. And we are where? Oh right, we're heading into October, which would mark my first year with the company.
Not to mention the fact that the company I am with picked up a grand total of ZERO new workers from the job fair recently. Good signs right? Right?
At this point, I am not rushing around and just making a decision rashly. I'd like to be sure that the choice made is as right as I can manage. I'd even like to be fair to everyone else, but I think I've been pretty patient and I've overlooked my own interests long enough. I think tomorrow is the day that I'll bring up (again) my concerns to my boss and inform him that I'll be opening up my options and beginning to keep a more keen eye out there. Meaning I'll be looking for a new place to hang my hat, so to speak.
And considering the temperament that my boss has, I'm sure he'll take the news about as well as a raging gorilla who got it's nuts kicked in. OK, maybe not quite that well... maybe, hopefully, he'll at least understand where I'm coming from.
Like that old saying goes, a man has got to do what a man has got to do. I just wish it were just a little easier to do...
Side note: I've added in a flash game at the bottom of my humble little blog called "More Mindless Violence." I think the name speaks for itself. Anyway, if you're bored, sick of work or just feel like shooting stuff... then shoot some aliens! It's fun!
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Friday, September 28, 2007
The Big 100th Post...!
Yeah, I know something like having 100 posts doesn't really mean all that much if you think about it. Does it mean something meaningful? Will it bring world peace? Will it end all the bitching and screaming and moaning and groaning about the Super Ferry in Hawaii?As much as I'd like to say yes it could, well...
OK, so maybe it could very well be possible that this 100th post could change the course of events around the world. I mean think about it, it is a pretty strange world out there where all sorts of weird things happen every second of every day. So to think that a 'mere' 100th post could change the world... hell, it just may very well happen!
(I'd rather have my 100th post win me the biggest lottery jackpot in the world, but eh... can't win 'em all...)
So much to say and write and all that, but where oh where to begin? I think I am beginning to pressure myself out here, just thinking about just how big (in my own little mind) this 100th post really is!
For starters, I'm gonna hit up something I haven't written about in quite a while, which would be wrestling.
You can say how fake the matches are and yes, the matches are pre-determined before the guys ever hit the ring. But with everything in the news about it lately, I think it is safe to say that professional wrestling has become very, very real.
Still, at the end of the day I still do wonder if everything that is coming out will really make a difference in the end. Take the WWE for example here folks, this isn't the first time they've been called out about steroids. Obviously the fact that they are at it again proves that things haven't really changed. I mean sure, they have a wellness program in place. But does that really make a difference?
I just hope that these men and women that go out and perform are taken care of and helped if at all possible. One thing I'd like to not see for a very long time is another wrestler death. Enough is enough, hopefully people snap to and change their ways (if they have a problem that is).
Switching gears, although we are still going wrestling talk here, and this is about the rumors of Chris Jericho's possible return.
Now as a fan I am pretty excited to hear that and the idea of not having cable TV makes that all the harder to deal with. Sort of. It has been a little over a year since Jericho was on WWE TV? Maybe 2 now? I can't remember these things, but anyway... I guess all I can do is sit back and read about what goes on and maybe I'll find a video or 2 of his return (should it happen) on YouTube.
Switching gears again folks, now we go towards Dynasty Warriors and the 2 games that have recently been released under this banner.
I've been meaning to write something about Dynasty Warriors: Gundam and Warriors Orochi, but I just haven't had much of a chance these days. Anyway, if given a choice of which I like better, the hands down winner of this face off is Warriors Orochi. No question about that choice folks, that absolutely (in my opinion) choice wins by a landslide.
That isn't to say that Dynasty Warriors: Gundam is a bad game or anything. OK, so maybe the action manages to fall behind the standard Dynasty Warriors paces. Is that even possible? Surely they are both hack-and-slash games, but somehow DWG manages not to be as fun as Warriors Orochi. Not to mention if you don't know anything about the Gundam Universe, this game will be a confusing mess (I only knew of Gundam Wing).
Another thing DW: G lacks is options, modes... something more then just the confusing story itself. Original Mode is OK, but really... it isn't much different then the Official Mode.
As for Warriors Orochi... now that game felt like home to me and it played exactly as can be expected. The only real gripe that I have about this is the lack of extra modes (just like DW: G). Besides Free Mode, there aren't anything else like previous games, such as Rampage, Time Attack, etc.
What surprised me about Orochi was the changes that were made to the game. I think the biggest change is the ability to chose three warriors to go to war with and you can change among your trio at any time. It keeps things feeling fresh and you can basically mix and match up your team of choice from the officers you've unlocked from both the Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors games.
The story itself is interesting also, which pretty much goes a little something like this: Orochi, the Serpent King, wishes to test his might against the most powerful fighters in history. And to that end, Orochi pulls the warriors from Feudal Japan and Ancient China. Now the basis of this game is how Orochi basically holds hostage the leaders of Shu, Wei and Wu and uses most of their top fighters (mixed up with the fighters from Samurai Warriors) to crush any resistance and to also weed out the weak and leave only the most worthy and powerful.
Does that all make sense? Hopefully I didn't gut the story and ruin it... just trust me when I say that it is a pretty damn good hack-and-slasher!
Now onto a subject I never thought I'd be writing about here, in my humble little blog, ever again. Final Fantasy XI is coming out with a brand spankin' new expansion and Square Enix is tossing in new jobs! Again! Why do I get the feeling that the majority of the new content will be aimed (still) towards end gamers? I hope I am wrong and if so, who knows... I may very well go back...
I mean why not right? I'd love to see my Elvaan as a Dancer and who knows what else. I suppose we shall all see as SE unleashes more details in the coming months.
News flash: Work still sucks! Now back to the regular blog fodder!
Honestly I do miss playing Final Fantasy XI, but what I don't is the hours of waiting and all the shit that goes with having to form a party. I've wasted more hours then I care to remember doing stuff like this. Surely it is all a part of the game and the 'experience.' It did feel good when I left and started back up on offline games. The joke I told the few friends I made while gaming on FFXI was at least now I didn't have to beg people to join my party or people leaving after 10 minutes of fights or even wait for 6 hours to get into something!
Yes, it was a great, great feeling.
Speaking of playing, I've been playing Halo 3 with my girlfriend and lemme tell you all this. We suck. We're playing it on easy because anything higher then that would result in our faces splattered across the screen. Oops, sorry... got that mixed up with Gears of War.
(In either case, the end result remained the same.)
I think we've only played through 2 chapters? I don't know/remember off hand how the game is broken down. The story sounds interesting and the game play is as fun as we both remember it from both Halo and Halo 2.
Random topic: I'd be playing my XBox 360 right now, but it is fairly warm (Read: Hot) where I live right now and I am a paranoid man. Paranoid that my XBox will flash me those dreaded red rings of death... I don't think I'd take all that well if that should happen any time in the near future.
Funny story, which I am slightly repeating from a previous post from ages ago it seems, and this goes back to when I first got my 360.
Gotta love Wal-Mart and their belief that I was somehow lying to them about the XBox they sold me being previously used and broken for that matter. Yeah they plugged it in and oh, it works! See the problem was that the night before (the night that I had bought it), it had stopped reading XBox games. After letting it sit for about a half hour, it'd read the game again for a short time and then freeze up and stop again.
Well they did not believe me and somehow I guess they thought I was trying to scam them. How? I don't personally know for myself and my poor mind just couldn't connect with their thought pattern on this one. Anyway, after they wasted my time for about an hour and talked to me like I was lying, I did get it replaced. Needless to say, all I wanted to do was leave and get the hell home...
What lifted my spirits (after being talked to like a goddamn criminal) was when that jerk of a girl that was "helping" me took the XBox back up front and plugged it in again. Guess what popped up and greeted her stupid face? Those bloody red rings of death CAME OUT FOR THOSE SONS OF BITCHES!
Ha! Serves you all right, jerks!
Oh that was bliss... pure, unadulterated bliss...
Do I hold a grudge? No, not really.
But I do take offense when someone decides to call me a liar and doesn't even know what he/she is talking about. Then again, while they did waste my time, the ending is what always brings that smile of mine back to my face. After that, I have been worried that those red rings would return and kill my poor XBox and so I've gone through my own hell to be sure I don't do all that much to kill that expensive bastard.
Then again, there is a lot of good games still coming for the 360 and so I guess this will serve as a fairly good test to see if my box will survive or not. Hell, if nothing else, I think WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2008 will do all the testing I need, considering it ends up being a better game then the '07 edition.
I mean it has flaming table matches! ECW wrestlers! And um... and other stuff that makes this game great! Actually, I play it just to mess around with it's create-a-wrestler mode. Everything else to me is secondary. I love to create stuff, people, anything. I loved The Sims (original, though wishing I could play The Sims 2...) and games like Stronghold. OK a game like Stronghold I spent a good deal of hours building up a massive castle and then laying it to waste and rebuilding it again.
I don't know what it is, but creating is fun for me and addictive even more so since there are a few games out there that allow that sort of freedom.
Oh, did I mention I was a wrestling fan? I bet that was a difficult thing to figure out.
So fast does time fly and I think I was having fun writing all of that somehow. Not to mention the fact that I've just caused my brain to go empty, since I've finally gotten to write out much of what I've been meaning to write for the past week or two. Hopefully this is a worthy 100th post or else I may have to spam my own blog to reach post 200 to try again.
Hmmm...
Monday, September 24, 2007
Gaming Overload
It's Monday and at this very moment I should either be asleep or waiting in line at some video game store (more about that later). So what in the world am I doing? Why, I am writing/blogging of course! I mean come on folks, sleep? Psh...
Sleep is overrated!
Only normal people with lives and responsiblities and stuff do that sleep thing. For the rest of us? Heck no! We game and game 'till the sun rises! Then we go to work and bitch up a storm about the lack of sleep! Whoops, maybe I said a few words too many?
Although tomorrow (for me at least) will be a day of hell, if I can manage to pull off everything I need to finish at work. The list of tasks is daunting, to say the least, but I will try and do my best. So a decent amount of sleep may be just what the doctor ordered, but I have a much better solution.
A rousing round or 3 of Warriors Orochi does the trick too! Hacking and slashing, yes, that is the true path towards peaceful sleep!
Don't think badly of me, I think it is (pay no regard to any previous statement about excuses pertaining to lack of sleep) the lack of sleep that is affecting my brain at this point. Wow, this makes it the second post where Ihave said something about this!
Maybe it's a pattern?
Anyway, I think the title speaks volumes more then my mere words can at this point. So many games people! In just these past 2 months, I think I've managed to rank up more then a few games and I just seem to be finding ways to pick up more as I go here.
The newest addition? Warriors Orochi (At Last!)
What's next? Halo Freakin' 3!
Well that would have been here and now, but there isn't any possible way for me to be able to stand in line until midnight for this one. So like a true lame ass, I shall wait for tomorrow and stride in (read: drag) that game store and pick up my below Legendary copy of Halo 3.
And I think that is all that my brain can muster for this evening. Anything further and that will require some thought and I don't think I am all too capable of that feat at the present time. Then again, maybe I can write more? Surely I can... but if I do, I may end up being here all night and that would defeat my previous logic.
If that happened, then why in the hell am I here and not in line to get Halo 3? Alas, I don't foresee any reasonable end to this self-arguement and so I shall quit here and attempt some sheep shooting. Err. Counting. Yes, I meant counting!
Sleep is overrated!
Only normal people with lives and responsiblities and stuff do that sleep thing. For the rest of us? Heck no! We game and game 'till the sun rises! Then we go to work and bitch up a storm about the lack of sleep! Whoops, maybe I said a few words too many?
Although tomorrow (for me at least) will be a day of hell, if I can manage to pull off everything I need to finish at work. The list of tasks is daunting, to say the least, but I will try and do my best. So a decent amount of sleep may be just what the doctor ordered, but I have a much better solution.
A rousing round or 3 of Warriors Orochi does the trick too! Hacking and slashing, yes, that is the true path towards peaceful sleep!
Don't think badly of me, I think it is (pay no regard to any previous statement about excuses pertaining to lack of sleep) the lack of sleep that is affecting my brain at this point. Wow, this makes it the second post where Ihave said something about this!
Maybe it's a pattern?
Anyway, I think the title speaks volumes more then my mere words can at this point. So many games people! In just these past 2 months, I think I've managed to rank up more then a few games and I just seem to be finding ways to pick up more as I go here.
The newest addition? Warriors Orochi (At Last!)
What's next? Halo Freakin' 3!
Well that would have been here and now, but there isn't any possible way for me to be able to stand in line until midnight for this one. So like a true lame ass, I shall wait for tomorrow and stride in (read: drag) that game store and pick up my below Legendary copy of Halo 3.
And I think that is all that my brain can muster for this evening. Anything further and that will require some thought and I don't think I am all too capable of that feat at the present time. Then again, maybe I can write more? Surely I can... but if I do, I may end up being here all night and that would defeat my previous logic.
If that happened, then why in the hell am I here and not in line to get Halo 3? Alas, I don't foresee any reasonable end to this self-arguement and so I shall quit here and attempt some sheep shooting. Err. Counting. Yes, I meant counting!
Saturday, September 22, 2007
The Warriors Orochi Hunt is ON!
Eh.
That is a pretty good summary of my feelings at the moment, since I had my heart set on picking up Warriors Orochi today. I went into GameStop today to pay off Halo 3 and to my surprise, I had some left over credit.
Joy right?
Well sure, so the next question, which actually came out of my girlfriend's mouth was: "Do you have the new Dynasty Warriors game?"
"Oh, Warriors Orochi?"
"Yeah that game."
"Well, we're all sold out of the XBox 360 version. But we do have it for PS3!"
That was all I needed to hear and business was quickly concluded. I mean sold out? I thought people hated hack and slash games? Wasn't it too stupidly easy? Wasn't it the same damn thing in every game for the past, what? 5 games (not including the Samurai Warriors games)? Isn't that what all game reviews for anything Dynasty warriors-related say? So how could it be sold out? Is this even possible?
(Obviously it was, but I was in disbelief nonetheless)
So while my brain just couldn't comprehend this twist of fate, my girlfriend acts as my guiding light and drags me out of there before my brain suffers any further damage. I'd hate to think that, just maybe, other games I am looking for like Eternal Sonata was released or something........
Yes, it was very sweet of her to do that.
And after coming to my senses and swearing at myself (in my head of course, because anything verbal would likely draw a stare or many) for not reserving it, we try Best Buy. And to cut a long and dull story short, no tengo deniro folks.
Wait, did I just write no tengo deniro? That doesn't even make any sense! Wait, no... no! Ugh, evil song! No! Go play in some other person's head! Why now? Must...resist... urge...to play (trying to speed this up)... song!
...
*Plays song on the computer, loud and proud for the world to hear*
Noooo!
(It's been a long day and having just one day off isn't enough to save a person's mind I'm afraid. Don't feel bad for me, feel bad for the world that must endure my brand of madness tomorrow!)
That is a pretty good summary of my feelings at the moment, since I had my heart set on picking up Warriors Orochi today. I went into GameStop today to pay off Halo 3 and to my surprise, I had some left over credit.
Joy right?
Well sure, so the next question, which actually came out of my girlfriend's mouth was: "Do you have the new Dynasty Warriors game?"
"Oh, Warriors Orochi?"
"Yeah that game."
"Well, we're all sold out of the XBox 360 version. But we do have it for PS3!"
That was all I needed to hear and business was quickly concluded. I mean sold out? I thought people hated hack and slash games? Wasn't it too stupidly easy? Wasn't it the same damn thing in every game for the past, what? 5 games (not including the Samurai Warriors games)? Isn't that what all game reviews for anything Dynasty warriors-related say? So how could it be sold out? Is this even possible?
(Obviously it was, but I was in disbelief nonetheless)
So while my brain just couldn't comprehend this twist of fate, my girlfriend acts as my guiding light and drags me out of there before my brain suffers any further damage. I'd hate to think that, just maybe, other games I am looking for like Eternal Sonata was released or something........
Yes, it was very sweet of her to do that.
And after coming to my senses and swearing at myself (in my head of course, because anything verbal would likely draw a stare or many) for not reserving it, we try Best Buy. And to cut a long and dull story short, no tengo deniro folks.
Wait, did I just write no tengo deniro? That doesn't even make any sense! Wait, no... no! Ugh, evil song! No! Go play in some other person's head! Why now? Must...resist... urge...to play (trying to speed this up)... song!
...
*Plays song on the computer, loud and proud for the world to hear*
Noooo!
(It's been a long day and having just one day off isn't enough to save a person's mind I'm afraid. Don't feel bad for me, feel bad for the world that must endure my brand of madness tomorrow!)
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Insanity's Encore!
Here I am, going for post number two just because I can and I haven't the will to do anything else. But what can a guy like me do or say more then I have in the past day or so? Well, plenty! And I am here now to prove that very fact to be... well... a fact!
So really, after everything that had happened yesterday, I decided pretty quick to give myself an extra day off. Yeah, I know that isn't the greatest idea nor is it a very sound one for that matter either. A part of me advised myself against doing it, but the other half had a much more convincing speech that won me over in a heartbeat. At that moment and even now, I believe that choice to have been the best that I could make to prevent myself from walking off the job or something prick like that. I was raised and taught to try and never "burn down any bridges," since one can never know when they may need to cross them again.
What else to say...? Hmm.
Ugh. I'm beginning to crave pizza... but ordering it and eating it without my girlfriend would ultimately result in a most painful death. So I am instantly convinced that I am on a strict, no-pizza diet as of this very second!
I've been watching (and rewatching) all three of the Naruto movies, two of which haven't been released State side yet. They aren't bad at all and what makes them all the more appealing to me is the fact that they do not drag things out for 4-5 episodes!
I think that can be also said about Dragon Ball Z movies. I favor those whole heartily over the regular series any day.
Truthfully though, there really hasn't been any anime series that I found to have not liked. The last few series I've watched *fully* were Last Exile, Fullmetal Alchemist, Burst Angel, DNAngel (Oh Niwa! Mister Dark! Ms. Harada! *cringe*) and Disgaea. My favorite three favorite series from that list would easily be Last Exile, Burst Angel, and Fullmetal Alchemist.
One series I'd like to see more of would be Eureka Seven, which was the last thing I watched on TV before we dropped it all together. That was a little over a year ago now...
I'm starting to want to rewatch Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. I'm listening to some of the music from the movie and it is simply beautiful. Certain songs are very relaxing, very ideal during writing sessions and what not. It definitely helps me and my rusty brain work out more and more ideas that's for sure.
Just thinking about FFVII brings back a lot of good memories, both of the game itself and otherwise. I remember picking up the game in California and just being gitty like a little school boy back then. I don't think I was ever as excited over a game as I was then.
And yes I will admit that I was one of those fans whose heart was forever broken when Aeris was killed. Some say she was a worthless character (as far as in-game was concerned), but I thought otherwise! *sheds a tear in memory...*
For the record, Omnislash still is the most awesome attack I think I have ever seen in a Final Fantasy game. It is oh so gratifying to bust that move on any foe. Knights of the Round was OK too, but it takes so long to finish the summon.
Ah, the memories...
Jumping back to the thought of movies, I just got the chance to watch Beverly Hills Ninja today. Man, I am surprised with how little time has dulled it down. Or maybe I am more for cheap laughs then I care to admit? Anyway, I really miss Chris Farley and his style of comedy... some of my favorite movies were stuff that he had made (Black Sheep, Tommy Boy, Beverly Hills Ninja).
Another movie I've seen a few days ago was Blades of Glory. Did I write this before? Because it feels like I have... deja vu!? Well anyway, I spent most of the time hiding my face in shame because the movie is just outright shameful. Well not really in bad way and maybe my usage of the word "shameful" was wrong. Maybe more like embarrassing? Yeah, I think that does it about as right as I think I can manage.
Still, it is funny and outrageous as anyone could expect from a comedy from Will Ferrell.
And at last, I will bring this writing to it's end and maybe spend the rest of this evening wasting away in front of my TV, playing Dot Hack or maybe even Dynasty Warriors: Gundam. Oh and I can't forget Blue Dragon either... and damnit! Eternal Sonata AND Warriors Orochi were released this past Tuesday! And I am too broke to get either (that is, unless I want to give up Halo 3 and folks, that just ain't happening)!
Oh well. Life goes on... I still have a pretty decent line-up to finish off anyway...
So really, after everything that had happened yesterday, I decided pretty quick to give myself an extra day off. Yeah, I know that isn't the greatest idea nor is it a very sound one for that matter either. A part of me advised myself against doing it, but the other half had a much more convincing speech that won me over in a heartbeat. At that moment and even now, I believe that choice to have been the best that I could make to prevent myself from walking off the job or something prick like that. I was raised and taught to try and never "burn down any bridges," since one can never know when they may need to cross them again.
What else to say...? Hmm.
Ugh. I'm beginning to crave pizza... but ordering it and eating it without my girlfriend would ultimately result in a most painful death. So I am instantly convinced that I am on a strict, no-pizza diet as of this very second!
I've been watching (and rewatching) all three of the Naruto movies, two of which haven't been released State side yet. They aren't bad at all and what makes them all the more appealing to me is the fact that they do not drag things out for 4-5 episodes!
I think that can be also said about Dragon Ball Z movies. I favor those whole heartily over the regular series any day.
Truthfully though, there really hasn't been any anime series that I found to have not liked. The last few series I've watched *fully* were Last Exile, Fullmetal Alchemist, Burst Angel, DNAngel (Oh Niwa! Mister Dark! Ms. Harada! *cringe*) and Disgaea. My favorite three favorite series from that list would easily be Last Exile, Burst Angel, and Fullmetal Alchemist.
One series I'd like to see more of would be Eureka Seven, which was the last thing I watched on TV before we dropped it all together. That was a little over a year ago now...
I'm starting to want to rewatch Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. I'm listening to some of the music from the movie and it is simply beautiful. Certain songs are very relaxing, very ideal during writing sessions and what not. It definitely helps me and my rusty brain work out more and more ideas that's for sure.
Just thinking about FFVII brings back a lot of good memories, both of the game itself and otherwise. I remember picking up the game in California and just being gitty like a little school boy back then. I don't think I was ever as excited over a game as I was then.
And yes I will admit that I was one of those fans whose heart was forever broken when Aeris was killed. Some say she was a worthless character (as far as in-game was concerned), but I thought otherwise! *sheds a tear in memory...*
For the record, Omnislash still is the most awesome attack I think I have ever seen in a Final Fantasy game. It is oh so gratifying to bust that move on any foe. Knights of the Round was OK too, but it takes so long to finish the summon.
Ah, the memories...
Jumping back to the thought of movies, I just got the chance to watch Beverly Hills Ninja today. Man, I am surprised with how little time has dulled it down. Or maybe I am more for cheap laughs then I care to admit? Anyway, I really miss Chris Farley and his style of comedy... some of my favorite movies were stuff that he had made (Black Sheep, Tommy Boy, Beverly Hills Ninja).
Another movie I've seen a few days ago was Blades of Glory. Did I write this before? Because it feels like I have... deja vu!? Well anyway, I spent most of the time hiding my face in shame because the movie is just outright shameful. Well not really in bad way and maybe my usage of the word "shameful" was wrong. Maybe more like embarrassing? Yeah, I think that does it about as right as I think I can manage.
Still, it is funny and outrageous as anyone could expect from a comedy from Will Ferrell.
And at last, I will bring this writing to it's end and maybe spend the rest of this evening wasting away in front of my TV, playing Dot Hack or maybe even Dynasty Warriors: Gundam. Oh and I can't forget Blue Dragon either... and damnit! Eternal Sonata AND Warriors Orochi were released this past Tuesday! And I am too broke to get either (that is, unless I want to give up Halo 3 and folks, that just ain't happening)!
Oh well. Life goes on... I still have a pretty decent line-up to finish off anyway...
First Impression: Dot Hack//G.U. Volume 3: Redemption
So I have finally put in more then a few hours into the third (and I assume the final) installment of the G.U. series. I guess that would be why they are calling it a trilogy? Hmm. That concept is beyond my own level of understanding. Maybe one day...
Anyway, so how does Volume 3 of the G.U. series stack up? Any earth shattering changes?
While I'd like to say that there are a flood of new this and thats, it pretty much looks and feels the same. Yes folks it is pretty much the same old song and dance from Volumes 1 and 2. Really, to sum up my thoughts here, the only thing that really changes in this series is the story itself. Dungeon layouts, monsters, game play and even music stays pretty much the same all around. That isn't to say that this is a bad game or series, it is well worth the time in my opinion.
But I guess that is what should be expected, by that I mean leaving a lot of things unchanged. I mean it is based on an online game and from experience I know those things don't undergo drastic changes all that often. I think the intention of the game makers to make it feel like one continuous story, which they succeed at that let me tell you. One thing that I wish would have been changed some was the combat and monster encounters. Really, if you're playing an online game... would it be fun at all to battle against monsters that simply march around in a circle?
One hope, which I am believing will happen anyway (again), is the tournament battles seeing improvement. Actually, it isn't really right to call it an actual tournament, since it is used as a part of the overall story. What bothered me the most was going into battle and simply destroying my enemies and yet get hit with a cutscene that shows ME losing. Talk about lies! All lies!
For obvious reasons, it isn't advised, should you decide to get into playing this series, to start with volume 3. With the amount of story told in the previous two games, being lost and confused would be an understatement. And really, you'd be missing out on what makes this game so great. In my personal opinion, that is what has kept me hooked onto the G.U. series. Between the character development (Haseo especially) and the story telling, you really get the sense of the characters growing and maturing during the course of the telling.
So the bottom line here folks, it is worth the time and effort if you enjoy a good story. While I did not pick up any of the first Dot Hack series, I am glad that I did not miss this one. It is definetly something different in a lot of respects, though it doesn't quite do enough to be an innovating force in RPGs. But fun is the name of the game here and that it can do pretty well. That is all that matters, isn't it?
Anyway, so how does Volume 3 of the G.U. series stack up? Any earth shattering changes?
While I'd like to say that there are a flood of new this and thats, it pretty much looks and feels the same. Yes folks it is pretty much the same old song and dance from Volumes 1 and 2. Really, to sum up my thoughts here, the only thing that really changes in this series is the story itself. Dungeon layouts, monsters, game play and even music stays pretty much the same all around. That isn't to say that this is a bad game or series, it is well worth the time in my opinion.
But I guess that is what should be expected, by that I mean leaving a lot of things unchanged. I mean it is based on an online game and from experience I know those things don't undergo drastic changes all that often. I think the intention of the game makers to make it feel like one continuous story, which they succeed at that let me tell you. One thing that I wish would have been changed some was the combat and monster encounters. Really, if you're playing an online game... would it be fun at all to battle against monsters that simply march around in a circle?
One hope, which I am believing will happen anyway (again), is the tournament battles seeing improvement. Actually, it isn't really right to call it an actual tournament, since it is used as a part of the overall story. What bothered me the most was going into battle and simply destroying my enemies and yet get hit with a cutscene that shows ME losing. Talk about lies! All lies!
For obvious reasons, it isn't advised, should you decide to get into playing this series, to start with volume 3. With the amount of story told in the previous two games, being lost and confused would be an understatement. And really, you'd be missing out on what makes this game so great. In my personal opinion, that is what has kept me hooked onto the G.U. series. Between the character development (Haseo especially) and the story telling, you really get the sense of the characters growing and maturing during the course of the telling.
So the bottom line here folks, it is worth the time and effort if you enjoy a good story. While I did not pick up any of the first Dot Hack series, I am glad that I did not miss this one. It is definetly something different in a lot of respects, though it doesn't quite do enough to be an innovating force in RPGs. But fun is the name of the game here and that it can do pretty well. That is all that matters, isn't it?
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
The Losing of the Mind!
I have no idea why I am thinking having the main picture (above) posted again would somehow be a cool idea. Then again, today has been a day of unusual happenings and the like.As the title may (or may not) imply, today was one of those days where my mind was just lost. Gone. Yes, this is work related, which has been my plight these past many days.
Which ties into the color changes and stuff around here. Does it look a little chaotic (the main picture)? It certainly explains my mood today quite perfectly, probably better then any words I could ever muster up.
So here we go with what will likely end up being a rather weak rant, if you can even call this such. Still, I will go off and babble about a topic that will likely be of no source of major interest. But I will not stop, not until I have let loose my bitching onto the internet! Yes! Yes! Now that is a plot worth laughing an evil laugh over!
Ha!
Anyway, to be serious for a few moments here, maybe it is the fact that it feels like I am expected to pick up the work of what should probably be separated among 2-3 people that is getting to me. Did I ever mention that the department that I work in consists of mainly myself? My boss doesn't show up usually until after I am done and headed home, which isn't any help with the amount of crap that he tends to order. The other guy I work with is only a part timer, which amounts to about 3-4 hours a day. Such a huge help that is, yes I know. As for myself, well I am the only full time worker in my department.
I've been trying my best to be a team player, but for the sake of god... it is very much a moral killer when I have to watch as all the other departments in the store gets help and my own boss doesn't even bother to show up when his help could be of most use.
So pretty much I feel like I am the sucker in all of this, which clearly is the signal that it is time to find a new job or risk going insane. I mean even my temper (sort of) flared out of control and there were some causalities amid my rage (my deepest condolences to the 5 containers of Oatmeal. You will be forever remembered by all). That can't be a good thing, I mean I have never had this problem at work before and now I just feel so sick and fed up with the whole thing that it makes me sick. I think I am slowly slipping towards insanity...
Personally, while insanity sounds like an ideal situation at times, I think I like having my mind in working order. I mean just how could a crazy person play video games? OK, maybe smacking my forehead onto the controller could be entertaining...
Wait, no! No, that is just flat out wrong... not to mention games like Dynasty Warriors would totally cause more brain damage then it was intended to do as it is. Button mashers have never looked quite as dangerous as they are to me right now.
I do feel better to just write some of this down and out here, I mean this (writing) seems to be my greatest release of stress.
So anyway folks, if you've happened upon my humble little blog and you do live in the general Honolulu area and you somehow shop at Marukai Ward... do drop in and look for the guy pushing a cart that has a look on his face that can only be described as "someone just kicked my puppy." Or maybe it is more like "What in the bloodiest of hells am I still working at this s*it hole!??"
Ah, yes. Ladies and gents, we have ourselves a winner there...! And it seems that wasn't really a rant after all. I don't even know what this thing can be called, other then a blog entry or maybe something else. I can't think. Anyhoot, that is my time for today, tonight and for now of course as I don't have the will to continue to bitch over work. It is killing what little of a good mood that I have recollected. Oh! One more story!
To make matters of today all that much more better, my girlfriend and I went food shopping today. Fun and exciting huh? Well wait, there is more to this then it might seem! Well since we tend to get stuff like chicken and large amounts of soda (brain juice as I like to think of it as), we catch a taxi to take us and our crap home.
Well we got ourselves the bugger that was in dire need of money apparently! Because that bastard of a Chinese man drove us right into traffic and proceeded to run up a tab of about $19. We usually spend about $12-$15. The jerk even had the nerve to get pissy when we tried to tell him where to drop us off! Ah hell, I was about ready to layeth the smackdown on his fry rice making ass (wrestling catchphrase stolen!)!
And now that makes this little writing a real rant! Yes! Another life goal accomplished! And now onward to Dynasty Warriors: Gundam, where I will begin my long and arduous training towards face-to-controller combat mastery. Immortality will be mine! Galactic wars beware, for my face will one day rule all!
Ha, ha, HA! (I've lost my mind and maybe my marbles...? Wait, where are my marbles.....)
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Another Sleepless Night...
It is all there in the back of my mind, the knowledge of the fact that I should be well asleep right at this very minute. So why in the heck am I still up and typing? Well as the title states, tonight is yet another night where I find myself unable to sleep. That or I've developed quite the ability to be able to type what I am thinking while I am asleep. Now that would be simply amazing to do folks, in my own humble opinion.
Well, I may as well make the most of my time awake and type up a thought or two that I have been meaning to jot down. For starters, as I have mentioned a post or two ago, there are quite a few games coming that I have some intent on owning in the near future. One of which was Dynasty Warriors: Gundam.
While I haven't put much more then an hour or two into it, which like Dot Hack//G.U., I don't think I have experienced enough to give a proper opinion about it just yet. I will say, however, it is a pretty standard affair and it certainly lives up to the Dynasty Warriors series. I'll admit, I am enjoying running around as Heero, the pilot of the Gundam Wing Zero.
But I do wonder about one thing... surely Heero was a interesting character in his own right, but what about Zechs? I was surprised to see him appear in the Original game mode, but he doesn't appear to be playable. I hope that he is, the Epyon looks awesome! And fun too!
Oh and a surprise for me today... my girlfriend insisted we go to Waikiki today to check out the airshow featuring the Thunderbirds. I believe there have been events done by the Airforce, which seems to have been going on all this week. Anyway, to make a long story short, the show was awe inspiring and just amazing to see those jets fly by in person. Surely they were loud and if you blinked, they were gone in a flash. Still, the show and those pilots were simply amazing nonetheless.
Off subject, though this ties into the Thunderbirds show to a certain degree. It took my girlfriend and I about an hour to get into Waikiki and about that much so to get back out. The air show itself lasted about 20 minutes. So basically we spent two hours to get in and out for a 20 minute show. Was it worth it? Sure. But man was that place (and all of the buses) packed!
And a final thought from this restless soul before I head out and attempt to sleep. We recently rented Dead or Alive (D.O.A.), which is based off of the video game of the same name. Anyway, I am astonished to say it is actually a pretty good movie! The action was fairly decent and the story (and the acting) wasn't anywhere near as bad as I thought it was going to be.
While it is far from being a classic, it is a fun movie to watch and it does even toss in a touch of comedy now and again. Ok and I will even say that there are beautiful women, but that is a given considering what the movie is based off of.
I was surprised (as it seems to have been my past time this weekend) to see Kevin Nash appear in the movie too. The guy seems to be doing a lot more movies these days, which I would venture a guess as to say his wrestling career seems pretty much done and over these days.
Ah well, more from my brain another day, another time for sure. I need to force myself asleep... work is just around the corner and my brain needs all the help it can get. Then again, I don't think there is any amount of preperation that could prepare me for the hell called "work."
Such is the life... damn you video games! Damn you for forcing me to work! And damn you bills and rent and food and all that other adult-like responsibilites! Wow, I kind of feel better!
Yes, yes... I am losing touch with my sanity... common knowledge around these parts lately. Sleep!
Well, I may as well make the most of my time awake and type up a thought or two that I have been meaning to jot down. For starters, as I have mentioned a post or two ago, there are quite a few games coming that I have some intent on owning in the near future. One of which was Dynasty Warriors: Gundam.
While I haven't put much more then an hour or two into it, which like Dot Hack//G.U., I don't think I have experienced enough to give a proper opinion about it just yet. I will say, however, it is a pretty standard affair and it certainly lives up to the Dynasty Warriors series. I'll admit, I am enjoying running around as Heero, the pilot of the Gundam Wing Zero.
But I do wonder about one thing... surely Heero was a interesting character in his own right, but what about Zechs? I was surprised to see him appear in the Original game mode, but he doesn't appear to be playable. I hope that he is, the Epyon looks awesome! And fun too!
Oh and a surprise for me today... my girlfriend insisted we go to Waikiki today to check out the airshow featuring the Thunderbirds. I believe there have been events done by the Airforce, which seems to have been going on all this week. Anyway, to make a long story short, the show was awe inspiring and just amazing to see those jets fly by in person. Surely they were loud and if you blinked, they were gone in a flash. Still, the show and those pilots were simply amazing nonetheless.
Off subject, though this ties into the Thunderbirds show to a certain degree. It took my girlfriend and I about an hour to get into Waikiki and about that much so to get back out. The air show itself lasted about 20 minutes. So basically we spent two hours to get in and out for a 20 minute show. Was it worth it? Sure. But man was that place (and all of the buses) packed!
And a final thought from this restless soul before I head out and attempt to sleep. We recently rented Dead or Alive (D.O.A.), which is based off of the video game of the same name. Anyway, I am astonished to say it is actually a pretty good movie! The action was fairly decent and the story (and the acting) wasn't anywhere near as bad as I thought it was going to be.
While it is far from being a classic, it is a fun movie to watch and it does even toss in a touch of comedy now and again. Ok and I will even say that there are beautiful women, but that is a given considering what the movie is based off of.
I was surprised (as it seems to have been my past time this weekend) to see Kevin Nash appear in the movie too. The guy seems to be doing a lot more movies these days, which I would venture a guess as to say his wrestling career seems pretty much done and over these days.
Ah well, more from my brain another day, another time for sure. I need to force myself asleep... work is just around the corner and my brain needs all the help it can get. Then again, I don't think there is any amount of preperation that could prepare me for the hell called "work."
Such is the life... damn you video games! Damn you for forcing me to work! And damn you bills and rent and food and all that other adult-like responsibilites! Wow, I kind of feel better!
Yes, yes... I am losing touch with my sanity... common knowledge around these parts lately. Sleep!
Friday, September 14, 2007
Redemption!!
Yes, I am still playing Blue Dragon. I haven't given up on that and I haven't any intentions on doing so at this point. So what is with this game? Well I felt I at least owed it to myself to see this series (and it's story) to the very end. I mean Ovan...! Shino returns! Tabby returns too (that is, if you've seen .hack//Roots)! And what seems even better, you can even party up with the three Azure Knights! Wow, don't I sound like a happy little geek?
Shame, what is this you speak of!?
Anyway, I just picked up the third and final game in the Dot Hack//G.U. trilogy today (pictured to the right). I've been awaiting this one for a while and vol. 2's cliffhanger ending really didn't help matters all that much.
Sure, the game play isn't the greatest in the world of gaming, but what drew me to this in the first place was the story and it continues to do so until the very end.
Now I can finally see what becomes of Haseo (the main character of the series), as he now knows who truly is Tri-Edge and what becomes of his inevitable final battle against the one he swore to bring down. What has been intrigued is if Haseo can actually bring himself to killing Tri-Edge. Both of them are so very close and... and...
And if I say much more, I'd basically have to spoil it and I wouldn't want to do that if there is someone who happens upon my humble little blog and follows this game.
I'll get up a First Impression of the game in a few days, once I've managed to put in a couple of hours into this. Not to mention the fact that I'll have to find the way and the will to balance playing both this and Blue Dragon at the same time. Oh and Warriors Orochi (the cross-up of Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors) is coming out this Tuesday, along with Eternal Sonata!!
My poor wallet is crying in pure agony right now, as I am sure will be the same fate with myself, given a week or two with all of these games being released...
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Blue Dragon: Second Opinion
Eh, I meant to write this a while ago and I had every intention of doing so. But I just couldn't find the time or energy to make the effort of getting this out here. Work is just draining, leaving me pretty much not wanting to do much of anything once I do get home.
But that is a different story for a different time, because this entry was meant for Blue Dragon. Has my opinion changed for the better? Or worse? To sum up my feelings, I am still generally unmoved from much of what I have said before. Certain elements in the game has gotten better, while others are unchanged. Oh and yes, I have moved onto disk 2, which happened sometime last week.
For starters, your team is pretty damn powerful (if you've been leveling them up) and towards the ending of disk 1, you get your fifth and final (I think) team member in Zola. Now having a four person team was pretty kick ass as it was, but adding in one more? Absolute domination! In my own experience, there hasn't been an enemy or boss that has given me enough trouble to warrant a mention here.
Then again, I have heard that this game was intentionally made easier... is this Final Fantasy 4 all over again? Do we need to be treated like RPG noobs? I guess someone out there felt that was needed, or maybe this was done for mass appeal? Well whatever the case might be, this game does feel a whole lot easier to nearly the point of insanity in some cases.
One thing that has been bugging me is the music. I mean yes, it is Nobuo Uematsu, but it seems to teeter into great or just outright annoying. Battle music never changes, nor does the boss fight music for that matter. It does sound good the first time, but after hearing it over and over again, it does lose its appeal. I will say that my favorite so far is the music played during your trek through Nene's flying fortress. Simply AWESOME.
One last thing and this part goes towards the characters and, as I had said during my first impression post, their lack of depth. Sadly, that part has not changed and very, very little is said about Shu, Jiro, Kluke, Maromaru and Zola. Maybe I should take on 'so far'? At this point, I guess it wouldn't be too wise to expect much in the way of any real background stories...
I think what hurts this game the most is the level of expectation that was set before it was released. I mean it was being toted as XBox 360's answer to Final Fantasy... which is something that I am not convinced of thus far. No, I am not a Final Fantasy Fanboy (maybe I am, just a little?), I mean I have enjoyed a great deal of other RPGs over the years that weren't initialed 'FF.'
Speaking of which, I kind of want to replay Earthbound.....
Anyway! Now don't get me wrong here folks, alone it (Blue Dragon) is a pretty good game. The English voice overs gave me a headache, but thank god for Japanese voice overs! Oops, getting off track again here. Yes! Blue Dragon is good! But as far as measuring up to a Final Fantasy? Blue Dragon, as of my experiences so far, falls pretty short of that mark. I still will say that this looks and plays something like Dragon Quest VIII, not saying as that is a bad thing but...
But my time is up! I will soldier forward and continue Blue Dragon in hopes that there is more to that world then meets the eye. I shall return! Eventually!
But that is a different story for a different time, because this entry was meant for Blue Dragon. Has my opinion changed for the better? Or worse? To sum up my feelings, I am still generally unmoved from much of what I have said before. Certain elements in the game has gotten better, while others are unchanged. Oh and yes, I have moved onto disk 2, which happened sometime last week.
For starters, your team is pretty damn powerful (if you've been leveling them up) and towards the ending of disk 1, you get your fifth and final (I think) team member in Zola. Now having a four person team was pretty kick ass as it was, but adding in one more? Absolute domination! In my own experience, there hasn't been an enemy or boss that has given me enough trouble to warrant a mention here.
Then again, I have heard that this game was intentionally made easier... is this Final Fantasy 4 all over again? Do we need to be treated like RPG noobs? I guess someone out there felt that was needed, or maybe this was done for mass appeal? Well whatever the case might be, this game does feel a whole lot easier to nearly the point of insanity in some cases.
One thing that has been bugging me is the music. I mean yes, it is Nobuo Uematsu, but it seems to teeter into great or just outright annoying. Battle music never changes, nor does the boss fight music for that matter. It does sound good the first time, but after hearing it over and over again, it does lose its appeal. I will say that my favorite so far is the music played during your trek through Nene's flying fortress. Simply AWESOME.
One last thing and this part goes towards the characters and, as I had said during my first impression post, their lack of depth. Sadly, that part has not changed and very, very little is said about Shu, Jiro, Kluke, Maromaru and Zola. Maybe I should take on 'so far'? At this point, I guess it wouldn't be too wise to expect much in the way of any real background stories...
I think what hurts this game the most is the level of expectation that was set before it was released. I mean it was being toted as XBox 360's answer to Final Fantasy... which is something that I am not convinced of thus far. No, I am not a Final Fantasy Fanboy (maybe I am, just a little?), I mean I have enjoyed a great deal of other RPGs over the years that weren't initialed 'FF.'
Speaking of which, I kind of want to replay Earthbound.....
Anyway! Now don't get me wrong here folks, alone it (Blue Dragon) is a pretty good game. The English voice overs gave me a headache, but thank god for Japanese voice overs! Oops, getting off track again here. Yes! Blue Dragon is good! But as far as measuring up to a Final Fantasy? Blue Dragon, as of my experiences so far, falls pretty short of that mark. I still will say that this looks and plays something like Dragon Quest VIII, not saying as that is a bad thing but...
But my time is up! I will soldier forward and continue Blue Dragon in hopes that there is more to that world then meets the eye. I shall return! Eventually!
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Into The Not-So-Distant Future (Video Games To Run Myself Broke Over!)
So I'll be honest here and say there are a shit load of games that are coming in the next few months that has me drooling. Blue Dragon, ladies and gents, is just the tip of the ice burg for me! Wow, I think I hear my wallet crying right now. Check back with me after the Holidays and see if I'm joining in on the water works too (which I just might be after all of these games are released).
Yes, there is Halo 3 (need I say more?) on the way next month, which I think it is fair to say it has developed a decent amount of hype...
Another game worth mentioning, especially since RPGs are so few on the 360, is Eternal Sonata. Music + RPG = Uncertainty, at least in my own mind anyway. I played an RPG on PS2 some years ago that was centered around music. Needless to say, I don't remember putting much more then an hour or 2 into it, because that sucker hurt my poor little brain. It didn't even trade-in for much credit either! Argh...
But that isn't everything folks, no, no, no...
There are 2 Dysnasty Warriors games that I'd like to get my hands on, one of which is Dynasty Warriors: Gundam, and also Warriors Orochi, which is a mash up of both Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors. While these are both pretty much mindless hack and slashers, what can I say? Sometimes simple is good!
Oh and dare I forget to mention Beautiful Katamari, which I guess you could say is another simple game. But again, I was pretty hooked with the previous 2 games of Katamari and the thought of it coming to XBox 360 leaves me with dreams of rolling up even more Japanese people and everything in between...
And of course there is Naruto: Rise of a Ninja, which looks to be a lot of fun (even more so now that I am familiar with the story). I mean the promise of open environments and the story will cover episodes 1-80 should make for a pretty good game in my book.
On the other hand, however, it would be pretty disappointing if the game is dragged out in the way the anime is. If the story is paced more as it was with the Manga, then that should be a fairly well paced story/game (which is what I am hoping for).
I shall even mention Guitar Hero 3, though any further thought into this and I'm afraid my hands will fall off. How people can play this game so well is clearly beyond me, the king of easy mode... lol....
OK, so I am a terrible player when it came down to Guitar Hero, but it is still fun no less! So what if my mind can keep up with the various colored buttons on the screen, but my hands cannot?
This next game I am about to mention is the nightmare of my girlfriend...
WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2008.
She hates these games with a passion, to put things out here lightly. She despises these games to the point that the mere mentioning of it will cause her eyes to roll and irritation levels to rise beyond anything Mother Nature can cause. Why does she hate this series so?
Err... well, I did play SD vs Raw 2006 for well over a year and the same can be said for WWE Smackdown!: Here Comes The Pain. I even dodged the newer ones just to keep playing the same old games. Maybe that did it?
Wrestling games themselves isn't what draws and keeps me playing, it is the create-a-wrestler feature that does it for me. I have literally spent years just creating and changing my very own army of wrestlers, to the point where I have regulars that I've made in each game that I've played.
One gripe with wrestling games these days though, is it seems as though as the create-a-wrestler feature is getting shallow. By that I mean the options to which is available to a player looks to be thinning out, which is unfortunate. I can only hope SD vs. Raw 08 actually improves, rather then takes 3 steps back.
Well this post is pretty short and it even is beginning to sound like a Christmas list (hint, hint!) to no one in particular, unless you live with me.... Nah, I'm just kidding.
Sort of.
But really, I feel myself losing a lot of weight in the coming months and keeping it off, considering the amount of cash that will be dropped to pick up these games. What? Outside world? What ever in the world might that be?
Then again, I'll likely dodge a game or three from what was listed above. I mean, they all can't be that great. Can they? Anyway, I'll hopefully sort my brains out in the coming months to pick which of these are actually worth picking up and which aren't. With my luck, I'm sure to pick up at least one stinker that will flat out suck.
Yay... *sigh*
Yes, there is Halo 3 (need I say more?) on the way next month, which I think it is fair to say it has developed a decent amount of hype...
Another game worth mentioning, especially since RPGs are so few on the 360, is Eternal Sonata. Music + RPG = Uncertainty, at least in my own mind anyway. I played an RPG on PS2 some years ago that was centered around music. Needless to say, I don't remember putting much more then an hour or 2 into it, because that sucker hurt my poor little brain. It didn't even trade-in for much credit either! Argh...
But that isn't everything folks, no, no, no...
There are 2 Dysnasty Warriors games that I'd like to get my hands on, one of which is Dynasty Warriors: Gundam, and also Warriors Orochi, which is a mash up of both Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors. While these are both pretty much mindless hack and slashers, what can I say? Sometimes simple is good!
Oh and dare I forget to mention Beautiful Katamari, which I guess you could say is another simple game. But again, I was pretty hooked with the previous 2 games of Katamari and the thought of it coming to XBox 360 leaves me with dreams of rolling up even more Japanese people and everything in between...
And of course there is Naruto: Rise of a Ninja, which looks to be a lot of fun (even more so now that I am familiar with the story). I mean the promise of open environments and the story will cover episodes 1-80 should make for a pretty good game in my book.
On the other hand, however, it would be pretty disappointing if the game is dragged out in the way the anime is. If the story is paced more as it was with the Manga, then that should be a fairly well paced story/game (which is what I am hoping for).
I shall even mention Guitar Hero 3, though any further thought into this and I'm afraid my hands will fall off. How people can play this game so well is clearly beyond me, the king of easy mode... lol....
OK, so I am a terrible player when it came down to Guitar Hero, but it is still fun no less! So what if my mind can keep up with the various colored buttons on the screen, but my hands cannot?
This next game I am about to mention is the nightmare of my girlfriend...
WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2008.
She hates these games with a passion, to put things out here lightly. She despises these games to the point that the mere mentioning of it will cause her eyes to roll and irritation levels to rise beyond anything Mother Nature can cause. Why does she hate this series so?
Err... well, I did play SD vs Raw 2006 for well over a year and the same can be said for WWE Smackdown!: Here Comes The Pain. I even dodged the newer ones just to keep playing the same old games. Maybe that did it?
Wrestling games themselves isn't what draws and keeps me playing, it is the create-a-wrestler feature that does it for me. I have literally spent years just creating and changing my very own army of wrestlers, to the point where I have regulars that I've made in each game that I've played.
One gripe with wrestling games these days though, is it seems as though as the create-a-wrestler feature is getting shallow. By that I mean the options to which is available to a player looks to be thinning out, which is unfortunate. I can only hope SD vs. Raw 08 actually improves, rather then takes 3 steps back.
Well this post is pretty short and it even is beginning to sound like a Christmas list (hint, hint!) to no one in particular, unless you live with me.... Nah, I'm just kidding.
Sort of.
But really, I feel myself losing a lot of weight in the coming months and keeping it off, considering the amount of cash that will be dropped to pick up these games. What? Outside world? What ever in the world might that be?
Then again, I'll likely dodge a game or three from what was listed above. I mean, they all can't be that great. Can they? Anyway, I'll hopefully sort my brains out in the coming months to pick which of these are actually worth picking up and which aren't. With my luck, I'm sure to pick up at least one stinker that will flat out suck.
Yay... *sigh*
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
First Impression: Blue Dragon
While I don't have endless sea of thoughts flowing through this young/old brain of mine, it is just that I am bored and can't sleep. So here I am, rather then sleeping I am up and writing. Typing. You get the drift.
Anyway, onto the main event of this morning writing session. Gaming... that's what I feel like setting my sights on and just hack away and type up a storm. I mean, why not? Surely this is an improvement over such wonderful topics like work and life and responsibility.
What shall I go on about? What game will I attempt to write about in hopes to convey my interests or lack thereof? There have been a few games that I have played lately, but there is one that stands out for me.
Blue Dragon.
It has been what has been keeping me busy (why I am not playing it now is beyond me... or is it?) lately, well whenever I turn my XBox 360 on anyway. Truth be told, I've been fearful about using it too much, for fear that it will one day present to my fragile eyes those dreaded red rings of death.
I've only put in about 10 hours or so thus far, but so far I am generally impressed with the game. It definitely plays a lot like Dragon Quest and because of the character designs, I even tend to think I am.
And that is something I kind of like, I mean I can appreciate the old school style that the game carries. It is nice and refreshing, considering how complex video games can be these days. Man, do I sound old saying that or what?
Honestly though, while it is a fairly good game, Blue Dragon just isn't a Final Fantasy. Is it the XBox's answer to Final Fantasy? Sure. When the only choices on the XBox as far as Final Fantasy games are concerned are FFXI, anything could easily qualify as the "answer."
The characters themselves are ok, as goes the story as well. Neither of them stand out all that much and its seems expected for the player to be able to connect with the group with very little background story to fill in the blanks. Maybe it'll be spelt out more later in the game, which I am hoping for, but as of right now there isn't really much to go with.
One thing to me that I am finding oddly addictive is the ability to chose a class and power up your Shadow. Why is it so? I can't really say for sure yet, but it has been for me. What makes it interesting is the ability to mix and match up abilities to make up a balanced fighting (or healing) machine.
Overall?: This is definitely a game that I will see to the end, if for nothing else because of the fact of the people behind of the game. I respect everything that they have done for RPGs and yes, Final Fantasy probably couldn't be the monster of a series it is today without them.
Anyway, onto the main event of this morning writing session. Gaming... that's what I feel like setting my sights on and just hack away and type up a storm. I mean, why not? Surely this is an improvement over such wonderful topics like work and life and responsibility.
What shall I go on about? What game will I attempt to write about in hopes to convey my interests or lack thereof? There have been a few games that I have played lately, but there is one that stands out for me.
Blue Dragon.
It has been what has been keeping me busy (why I am not playing it now is beyond me... or is it?) lately, well whenever I turn my XBox 360 on anyway. Truth be told, I've been fearful about using it too much, for fear that it will one day present to my fragile eyes those dreaded red rings of death.
I've only put in about 10 hours or so thus far, but so far I am generally impressed with the game. It definitely plays a lot like Dragon Quest and because of the character designs, I even tend to think I am.
And that is something I kind of like, I mean I can appreciate the old school style that the game carries. It is nice and refreshing, considering how complex video games can be these days. Man, do I sound old saying that or what?
Honestly though, while it is a fairly good game, Blue Dragon just isn't a Final Fantasy. Is it the XBox's answer to Final Fantasy? Sure. When the only choices on the XBox as far as Final Fantasy games are concerned are FFXI, anything could easily qualify as the "answer."
The characters themselves are ok, as goes the story as well. Neither of them stand out all that much and its seems expected for the player to be able to connect with the group with very little background story to fill in the blanks. Maybe it'll be spelt out more later in the game, which I am hoping for, but as of right now there isn't really much to go with.
One thing to me that I am finding oddly addictive is the ability to chose a class and power up your Shadow. Why is it so? I can't really say for sure yet, but it has been for me. What makes it interesting is the ability to mix and match up abilities to make up a balanced fighting (or healing) machine.
Overall?: This is definitely a game that I will see to the end, if for nothing else because of the fact of the people behind of the game. I respect everything that they have done for RPGs and yes, Final Fantasy probably couldn't be the monster of a series it is today without them.
Monday, September 03, 2007
Turning Point... Where?
So here I go again, another day and another entry and what shall I go on about today? Yes, yes... I think I will go back to what has been an ever present theme these past few writings.
Work.
Surely it is a dull and mudane subject, I mean I could be writing about one of millions of other things right now. But as I had mentioned previously, it has been an ever growing blight of mine and it continues to be so with each passing day.
What was the problem again? Oh yes.
Do more and more work and get paid absolute shit. The problem isn't unique, I know. That is what a person like me gets for working right out of high school, rather then jumping head first into college.
Anyway. now that the problem at hand has been laid out, what next? Well I imagine the solution to it all should come fairly easily and obviously, right? Well yes and equally, no.
I can do one of two things: 1. Go to college and work and study towards getting a job that'll pay better. Or option number 2, find a new job and continue on my merry way.
I could go to college, but my present situation won't allow me to do so and I'm a lazy fuck. Whoops, I think I made myself look bad just then. Well to spell it out a little better, while I'm not homeless, I think I make just enough money not to fall into poverty. Well, truth be told... I don't think I make it onto any earnings bracket.
And then there is option number 2...
It would seem that this little ditty would be the answer to all things called trouble, as far as my little life is concerned. If it pays better, then why the heck not?
I guess the easiest way to put it is this....
I know what is wrong and I know what I can do to resolve the problem. I know it, the throughts are there in my very brain, even as I type away right now. But I just can't do it.
Is it wrong for me to want to find something else? To actually explore my options and seek something that will allow me to live a little better a life?
The answer, I wager, should be a resounding no.
So again, knowing that... then why in the hell can't I make the moves I need to make? So days I jus wish I could just totally, completely change the way my brain worked. Just rewire, rewrite and try this whole thing again. Maybe then I could do what I need to do and be done with it.
...And the point of writing this all out was to help myself lay things out and maybe convince myself on a proper course of action. Wow, and here I am making it sound as if I was forced to make a choice between war or peace. Like my problem is that big!
Then again, for a simple minded being like me... I guess even the smallest of troubles can turn out to be a mountain of a headache.
Work.
Surely it is a dull and mudane subject, I mean I could be writing about one of millions of other things right now. But as I had mentioned previously, it has been an ever growing blight of mine and it continues to be so with each passing day.
What was the problem again? Oh yes.
Do more and more work and get paid absolute shit. The problem isn't unique, I know. That is what a person like me gets for working right out of high school, rather then jumping head first into college.
Anyway. now that the problem at hand has been laid out, what next? Well I imagine the solution to it all should come fairly easily and obviously, right? Well yes and equally, no.
I can do one of two things: 1. Go to college and work and study towards getting a job that'll pay better. Or option number 2, find a new job and continue on my merry way.
I could go to college, but my present situation won't allow me to do so and I'm a lazy fuck. Whoops, I think I made myself look bad just then. Well to spell it out a little better, while I'm not homeless, I think I make just enough money not to fall into poverty. Well, truth be told... I don't think I make it onto any earnings bracket.
And then there is option number 2...
It would seem that this little ditty would be the answer to all things called trouble, as far as my little life is concerned. If it pays better, then why the heck not?
I guess the easiest way to put it is this....
I know what is wrong and I know what I can do to resolve the problem. I know it, the throughts are there in my very brain, even as I type away right now. But I just can't do it.
Is it wrong for me to want to find something else? To actually explore my options and seek something that will allow me to live a little better a life?
The answer, I wager, should be a resounding no.
So again, knowing that... then why in the hell can't I make the moves I need to make? So days I jus wish I could just totally, completely change the way my brain worked. Just rewire, rewrite and try this whole thing again. Maybe then I could do what I need to do and be done with it.
...And the point of writing this all out was to help myself lay things out and maybe convince myself on a proper course of action. Wow, and here I am making it sound as if I was forced to make a choice between war or peace. Like my problem is that big!
Then again, for a simple minded being like me... I guess even the smallest of troubles can turn out to be a mountain of a headache.
Saturday, September 01, 2007
What Happens When The Mind Slips Away
Madness by any other name is still madness
I'm bored right now and I haven't the faintest clue as to how to pass the time away without going insane. I could clean up around my place, but that requires a level of effort and dedication unforseen around these here parts in many a moons.
Of course there is also the ever cheerful task of laundry, but again, effort and dedication required and so... maybe another day.
Then there is option number three, which brings me right back here to this little blog of mind. I could write! Type! Type away to my heart's content, to let loose whatever it might be that floats through this brain of mine. I haven't done that in ages and I think it is so very long overdue by now.
But where to begin? How shall I start? What could set off the mind to such an extent as to let loose without fear or regret?
One moment please, I need a moment of silence to ponder and piece together a fool proof plot for the matter at hand. These sort of things take thought and preperation and dedication... and effort... curses! I have fallen into the trap when I least expected it!
It is too late now though, because the plot has been thought up and finalized and it is already in motion. I shall unleash an entry with a lot of things said that may very will end up meaning absolutely nothing! Where by rendering all of this as useless chatter and drooling!
Or will it?
Madness by any other name is still madness, though we will be to the point from here on. To the point indeed! And so now it begins, the beginning of the end! Or maybe it is the end of the beginning? Or maybe it is a few minutes before the end? Or was it the beginning? Ah, damn confusion! Forget it! Onward! Forward! March towards insanity's end!
And to start, what do we have here folks!? A double post today! In case it isn't known to all by now, I'm freaking bored and sitting around the house is absolutely no good way to pass the time! I think I just might be going completely out of my mind, which somehow draws up the idea from the depths of my brain, the idea I had for work.
Fun, fun old work...
I've been suppressing this increasingly strong urge to start arguments with myself and I don't mean anything subdued either. I mean full blown, I hate your guts because you work too goddamn slow kind of arguments. OK, so maybe I could argue with others rather then with myself here. But considering there really isn't anyone else in my department... what is a guy to do then?
Another idea, along the lines of what I just mentioned, is to hold meetings with nothing but empty chairs around. No other actual people, just the damn chairs. And, again, just scream and yell and scold and berate them all for being such unproductive workers.
Someone asked me the other day if working by myself is getting to me and what did I answer?
"Nah, not yet..."
Because clearly, my mind is still functioning properly (as it always had, mind you) and there is absolutely no evidence to suggest otherwise.
At least nothing anyone at my workplace could find, unless they managed to probe my mind and uncover the existence of my blog here. Then they would see what I have in mind and that would ultimately lead to my demise. But really, if they could do all of that... wow, what in the hell would they be doing at a Japanese grocery store anyway? Shouldn't they be working with some kind of... um... undercover, intel-gathering thing for the government or something?
Wait, while I'm at it, what in the hell am I doing in a Japanese grocery store anyway!? I can't even read/write/understand Japanese! And I'm part Japanese!!??
It's always fun to have a customer approach me and just let loose in Japanese. I imagine the momentary look of a defeat must be too much for these old people to comprehend. God knows I just hear mumbling the likes of which don't think any school or class or anything could ever hope to help me understand whatever it is these people are saying to me.
Ah, the things that desperation will force a person to do when they have absolutely no other options left. Maybe next up, I'll apply at a Chinese restaurant. Not as a bus boy or dishwasher, but as a cook no less. Can I cook Chinese food? Hell no!
So if you're in Hawaii, around the island of Oahu, beware of the Chinese restaurants. You never know, I could very well be the cook in the back cooking up some random concoction such as cardboard soup with three month old noodles in oyster sauce and curdled milk surprise. Speaking of noodles, ever see noodles after it has begun to mold over? It looks kind of creamy....
In other news, the weather here has gone from raining to sunny, effectively burning my brain in ways that aren't all that humane. Thanks Mother Nature, that is what I really wished for today.
I could move my ass to a different part of my apartment and sit down in front of my TV and play Blue Dragon. But fears of that $400 piece of machine breaking on me is just too much pain for this heart to endure. Should it really happen, I think I'd smash it to tiny little pieces and mail it back to Microsoft in a trash bag wrapped in duct tape.
But then I doubt the postal service will accept it. Where would I put the stamps anyway?
Anyone read about the Shaolin Monks that are totally pissed off because someone on the internet said some monks got their asses handed to them by a Japanese Ninja. Hell, they even went as far as to get a lawyer! Are you fucking kidding me?
Imagine watching a Bruce Lee movie and when the bad guy hits Lee, the fight stops and the room fills with men in black suits and dark shades.
Men in Black, the Chinese version you wonder? Nope! Mr. Lee has just executed his most lethal move! The Lawsuit! Dun dun duuun!
I don't know, but somehow I think I'd end up sitting down to watch a movie like that. It would an awesome comedy!
And now I think I will leave this blog alone and just walk away silently. I must do it or who knows? Maybe the effects could contagious. So now I shall get off of the chair I’m sitting on and then the plan is simple. I will now conduct a futile search for something productive to do to pass the time and hope that my state of mind will return to “normal.”
Or else the world be damned, it has been put on notice as of whatever moment is required for such a notice be to issued. Or something. Insanity will run rampant and the first target on the list will be good old work… office chairs beware!
Side note: After as many posts as I've done here, I've finally gotten around to using the bold button. I made bold many words to which I think summerize what I was saying in each part. Really though, I was just having fun with it and so it'll probably make very little to no sense at all. It was still fun to me!
Thoughts Adrift
So I decided to try something a little different with my blog colors this time around. It does match the name, being that everything here looks faded, though hopefully it isn't too hard to read. Who knows, I'll probably be back to black in no time flat!
Har har... I makes a rhyme that time...!
So with that being said, not really much to report on the home front called life. What is usually my biggest headache is work, which literally left me with a mean case just the other day. It was one of those that just left me barely able to think without being a snappy ol' stock clerk.
Maybe I do a little too much moving around?
I know I need to get out there and find myself something better, something that will at least pay better for the amount of work being done. It also seems that the company wants me to work like this other guy, but why should I change? This other guy just quit recently, stating burn out as the reason he didn't want to work there anymore.
Maybe they are trying to be rid of me? Smart idea, considering the department I work in went from 4 guys (the most we've had in nearly a year), down to 2 in the past 2-3 months. And with the Holidays coming up, I'm no fortune teller but I'm predicting we'll all be screwed.
Wow, look at that beautiful sunset!
It's not a sunset, the ship is sinking...
Oh...
Off note: Weather in Hawaii is nice and... raining. And humid. YUCK.
Changing subjects, since the weather and work make my head hurt. I just managed to finish Naruto #11 and I still say I like the pacing of the manga over the anime anyday. The anime reminds me way too much of how Dragon Ball Z was and that wasn't a pleasure to watch.
That Gaara is a real mind job too, but man that kid can put up a hell of a fight.
I think my favorite characters are Naruto, Kakashi and Rock Lee. That would be like the ultimate odd squad, but all three of them can fight and hold their own against the best of 'em. I think.
Anyway, this one is short and sweet, just the way I like 'em! Ha! Wow, that comes off just a tiny bit weird huh? Maybe I am evolving into a weirdo? I'd like to think I'm slowly progressing into madness, though that theory is still being worked out.
Har har... I makes a rhyme that time...!
So with that being said, not really much to report on the home front called life. What is usually my biggest headache is work, which literally left me with a mean case just the other day. It was one of those that just left me barely able to think without being a snappy ol' stock clerk.
Maybe I do a little too much moving around?
I know I need to get out there and find myself something better, something that will at least pay better for the amount of work being done. It also seems that the company wants me to work like this other guy, but why should I change? This other guy just quit recently, stating burn out as the reason he didn't want to work there anymore.
Maybe they are trying to be rid of me? Smart idea, considering the department I work in went from 4 guys (the most we've had in nearly a year), down to 2 in the past 2-3 months. And with the Holidays coming up, I'm no fortune teller but I'm predicting we'll all be screwed.
Wow, look at that beautiful sunset!
It's not a sunset, the ship is sinking...
Oh...
Off note: Weather in Hawaii is nice and... raining. And humid. YUCK.
Changing subjects, since the weather and work make my head hurt. I just managed to finish Naruto #11 and I still say I like the pacing of the manga over the anime anyday. The anime reminds me way too much of how Dragon Ball Z was and that wasn't a pleasure to watch.
That Gaara is a real mind job too, but man that kid can put up a hell of a fight.
I think my favorite characters are Naruto, Kakashi and Rock Lee. That would be like the ultimate odd squad, but all three of them can fight and hold their own against the best of 'em. I think.
Anyway, this one is short and sweet, just the way I like 'em! Ha! Wow, that comes off just a tiny bit weird huh? Maybe I am evolving into a weirdo? I'd like to think I'm slowly progressing into madness, though that theory is still being worked out.
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