Red vs. Blue is back. With a Vengeance. And it's not a miniseries this time, either. Most of the original cast is back.
This new season, entitled Red vs. Blue Reconstruction, has, what you might call better production values. It runs on the Halo 3 engine, which, for my money, actually looks good. Halo 1 was okay, graphics-wise, Halo 2 was . . . slightly better, but it would seem the jump from original Xbox to Xbox 360 was indeed a substantial one. This one's a little more serious than the previous seasons. There are action sequences, which are pretty badass actually. The new villain, known only as "Meta", is an actual, competent antagonist, unlike O'Malley and Wyoming. Agent Wash, previously seen is one of the miniseries, is now a regular character, and him being straightlaced compared to the older regulars actually makes it funny, for he's the one straight guy in a series full of screwballs. He's a male version of Tex, basically.
And of course, the regulars come back. Church is still sarcastic, Simmons is still insecure, Sarge is still gung-ho, Grif is still cowardly, Lopez can still only communicate en Espanol, and Caboose is still lost in his own vacous stupidity. Still no sign of Tucker or Donut yet, and I wonder if Vic will show up again.
All of this will only make sense if you've watched the older RVB stuff. I have, and it remains the funniest thing I have ever seen on the internet. I'm dead serious. Funnier than Homestar, funnier than other machinima series, (although Freeman's Mind comes pretty dang close) funnier than your average internet rant, funnier than my own material, funnier than any online comic I've read, and . . . you get the idea. What's really ironic is I love RVB, and yet, I absolutely abhor the Halo games. That is so weird, that something this awesome was spawned from what I consider to be the most overrated game franchise of this decade. Not the worst, but certainly not the best, either.
Oh, and peoples, with new RVB comes new PSAs. The one about achievements went over my head, probably because I don't have an Xbox 360, but the one about things you never hear on the internet . . . too true, man!
Changing subjects . . .
I'm still hooked on Vocaloids. My ventures into youtube have yielded both good and bad Vocaloid songs, some of which have music videos done in CGI, some of which look better than other. But peoples, if you wanna hear something special, direct your browser to the following link:
Light Song.
I guess the best way to describe it is, "Techno Pop." It's like a J-Pop song, but with techno instrumentations, and it's all so very, very beautiful. It's the best Vocaloid song I've heard, yet. If I could obtain an MP3 of it . . .
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Last minute ramblings
Tomorrow, I go back to school. I go back to a scheduled life. I am not going to be able to update this blog as frequently starting tomorrow. I still have Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays off, but I'll be spending my free time studying instead.
I did a lot of goofing off throughout this break. I played Persona 3, I read some (comic) books, and I watched more works of animation from Japan than ever before in my life. I met a lot of cute (fictional) girls in that time, including Yukari-chan, Haruhi, Tsuruya, Ryoko, Kyon's Sister, Pacifica, Raquel, Chitose, and Himawari. Then again, in all fairness, I met a lot of cool (fictional) guys too, like Junpei-kun, Kyon, Itsuki, Kurogane-san, and Fai-san, to name a few. I took up Game Boy/Color/Advance emulation again. I got to see all of Motherfucking Death Note, and now regard it as among the best of the best of the best. L is one of my idols, now. I watched some funny stuff about a lot of things, including Homestarrunner, Half-Life, and synthesized voices singing J-pop hits. In all, I had a good time.
And I end it with this; I tried out one last anime series; Lucky Star.
I saw English dubbed episodes on youtube. Thing is, only 8 episodes are out at the moment. LS is, different. It's a high school comedy, but with no plot. It's practically a sketch comedy show, but most of the 'sketches' involve many of the same characters. It's nothing close to the awesomeness of Haruhi, but it is occasionally funny. However, FYI, I do know nerd girls like Konata in real life, really obsessive about games, manga, and whatnot. NONE of them were nice nor friendly like Konata was.
LS would've been completely forgettable had it not been for the Lucky Channel segments.
"HIYA LUCKIES!!!!!!!!"
Oh dear Lord, the whole show should've just been about Akira Kogami and Minoru Shiraishi. This is where all the laughs are concentrated. Half the time, Akira is extremely kawaii, (and yes, she is really cute during these moments.) then the other half of the time, she sounds like an extremely bitter woman who hates everyone and thinks the world sucks, then suddenly sounds cute again, then sounds cynical again. And Minoru is deathly scared of her. But Akira man, she is so hilarious. In English, she's played by Stephanie Sheh, who is also known as the voice of Hinata, Orihime, Mikuru, and Eureka. That's an impressive repertoire, and she plays Akira with such range, such nuance, I can't help but be awed.
So LS isn't fantastic, but it's a decent time waster. Also, Konata's cell phone ring=teh win.
And speaking of voiceover trivia, I watched some Mushi-Shi again not too long ago. I saw this one episode that was really great. One of the characters was a young boy, and I recognized his voice actor; Aaron Dismuke. He is also Alphonse Elric from FMA, and he also played a prominent character in Trinity Blood. I hear FMA is getting another anime series; I wonder if he'll play Al again. He really did that part well.
By the way, I tried to watch Azumanga Daioh again, this time in English. It still completely sucks compared to the manga, but the characters didn't sound as annoying. But is still sucks compared to the source material. Oh well.
So now, I won't be able to update as often. And also, I'm gonna be in school for about 3-and-a-half months straight. I'm getting ready for school now. Here goes nothing.
I did a lot of goofing off throughout this break. I played Persona 3, I read some (comic) books, and I watched more works of animation from Japan than ever before in my life. I met a lot of cute (fictional) girls in that time, including Yukari-chan, Haruhi, Tsuruya, Ryoko, Kyon's Sister, Pacifica, Raquel, Chitose, and Himawari. Then again, in all fairness, I met a lot of cool (fictional) guys too, like Junpei-kun, Kyon, Itsuki, Kurogane-san, and Fai-san, to name a few. I took up Game Boy/Color/Advance emulation again. I got to see all of Motherfucking Death Note, and now regard it as among the best of the best of the best. L is one of my idols, now. I watched some funny stuff about a lot of things, including Homestarrunner, Half-Life, and synthesized voices singing J-pop hits. In all, I had a good time.
And I end it with this; I tried out one last anime series; Lucky Star.
I saw English dubbed episodes on youtube. Thing is, only 8 episodes are out at the moment. LS is, different. It's a high school comedy, but with no plot. It's practically a sketch comedy show, but most of the 'sketches' involve many of the same characters. It's nothing close to the awesomeness of Haruhi, but it is occasionally funny. However, FYI, I do know nerd girls like Konata in real life, really obsessive about games, manga, and whatnot. NONE of them were nice nor friendly like Konata was.
LS would've been completely forgettable had it not been for the Lucky Channel segments.
"HIYA LUCKIES!!!!!!!!"
Oh dear Lord, the whole show should've just been about Akira Kogami and Minoru Shiraishi. This is where all the laughs are concentrated. Half the time, Akira is extremely kawaii, (and yes, she is really cute during these moments.) then the other half of the time, she sounds like an extremely bitter woman who hates everyone and thinks the world sucks, then suddenly sounds cute again, then sounds cynical again. And Minoru is deathly scared of her. But Akira man, she is so hilarious. In English, she's played by Stephanie Sheh, who is also known as the voice of Hinata, Orihime, Mikuru, and Eureka. That's an impressive repertoire, and she plays Akira with such range, such nuance, I can't help but be awed.
So LS isn't fantastic, but it's a decent time waster. Also, Konata's cell phone ring=teh win.
And speaking of voiceover trivia, I watched some Mushi-Shi again not too long ago. I saw this one episode that was really great. One of the characters was a young boy, and I recognized his voice actor; Aaron Dismuke. He is also Alphonse Elric from FMA, and he also played a prominent character in Trinity Blood. I hear FMA is getting another anime series; I wonder if he'll play Al again. He really did that part well.
By the way, I tried to watch Azumanga Daioh again, this time in English. It still completely sucks compared to the manga, but the characters didn't sound as annoying. But is still sucks compared to the source material. Oh well.
So now, I won't be able to update as often. And also, I'm gonna be in school for about 3-and-a-half months straight. I'm getting ready for school now. Here goes nothing.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
You know, this ranting thing . . .
. . . you think I'll ever tire of it? Even though I tend to rant only about pointless diversions? Granted, I could rant about more serious issues, (And believe me, I have quite a few things to say about things like bigotry, people who are un-inclined to think for themselves and form their own opinions, war, people blaming others instead of taking responsibilities for their own actions, mendacity, and vanity, to name a few.) but I don't use this blog to discuss serious issues for the most part. But still, you think I'll ever tire of ranting, whether it's about mindless diversions, or about real world issues?
Nah.
Know why? Guess what, everybody? In my search to find last minute to watch stuff on the internet, I discovered another anime series that, just simply, sucks.
"So, xm hates on another anime series. What else is new?" (Say it like Kyon. No, say it as Crispin Freeman as Kyon. It is the author's intended effect, after all.)
Well, you know how Funimation is hosting its shows on youtube? I tried watching another series there, with tried being the key word.
I tried to watch the first episode of Kiddy Grade.
Here's all you have to know about Kiddy Grade; it has a lot in common with Fruits Basket and Code Geass.
"Oh Sheeee-it. The hate is gonna be enormous. RUN!"
And by that, I mean KG, just like FB and CG, is an embodiment of everything I hate in anime. It is the antithesis of everything I love about anime. The exact opposite of Eureka 7, Miyazaki's works before 1997, Steamboy, Mushi-Shi, and Motherfucking Death Note. KG is a plague, a plague infected with some of the most retarded sexual fanservice I've seen in years. It's impossible to take it seriously, even though it seems like it wants to be taken seriously, despite all the fetish outfits and, did I mention there's a fuckton of panty shots? Oh yeah, every single fucking time one of the heroines leaps or delivers a kick, the camera work will remind the audience that if these ladies weren't wearing panties, we'd all be seeing their genitalia. Nice. Real nice.
Oh, granted, this isn't the first time a series was ruined by fanservice, sexual or otherwise. But all Kiddy Grade succeeds in doing is making me constantly roll my eyes in disgust, thinking, "This is from the same studio that gave us Trinity Blood? Why? Why!?" Good thing I saw Mushi-Shi right afterwards. Otherwise, I would've been unable to cleanse myself of the realizing that Kiddy Grade is the most stereotypical action-anime-for-adults-series I've ever seen. I mean, KG makes the anime version of Chobits seem tasteful in comparison.
Man, when's the next season of Haruhi coming out? Save us from this terrible plight, Suzumiya!
I need therapy.
Nah.
Know why? Guess what, everybody? In my search to find last minute to watch stuff on the internet, I discovered another anime series that, just simply, sucks.
"So, xm hates on another anime series. What else is new?" (Say it like Kyon. No, say it as Crispin Freeman as Kyon. It is the author's intended effect, after all.)
Well, you know how Funimation is hosting its shows on youtube? I tried watching another series there, with tried being the key word.
I tried to watch the first episode of Kiddy Grade.
Here's all you have to know about Kiddy Grade; it has a lot in common with Fruits Basket and Code Geass.
"Oh Sheeee-it. The hate is gonna be enormous. RUN!"
And by that, I mean KG, just like FB and CG, is an embodiment of everything I hate in anime. It is the antithesis of everything I love about anime. The exact opposite of Eureka 7, Miyazaki's works before 1997, Steamboy, Mushi-Shi, and Motherfucking Death Note. KG is a plague, a plague infected with some of the most retarded sexual fanservice I've seen in years. It's impossible to take it seriously, even though it seems like it wants to be taken seriously, despite all the fetish outfits and, did I mention there's a fuckton of panty shots? Oh yeah, every single fucking time one of the heroines leaps or delivers a kick, the camera work will remind the audience that if these ladies weren't wearing panties, we'd all be seeing their genitalia. Nice. Real nice.
Oh, granted, this isn't the first time a series was ruined by fanservice, sexual or otherwise. But all Kiddy Grade succeeds in doing is making me constantly roll my eyes in disgust, thinking, "This is from the same studio that gave us Trinity Blood? Why? Why!?" Good thing I saw Mushi-Shi right afterwards. Otherwise, I would've been unable to cleanse myself of the realizing that Kiddy Grade is the most stereotypical action-anime-for-adults-series I've ever seen. I mean, KG makes the anime version of Chobits seem tasteful in comparison.
Man, when's the next season of Haruhi coming out? Save us from this terrible plight, Suzumiya!
I need therapy.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Music is fun
I like music. I really do. However, I'm really picky about my music.
I have downloaded many MP3's over the years. However, I've noticed something about my music. I have downloaded, at last check, 1127 MP3's. Of course, those are only the ones I keep. I noticed most of my music, of the music I've downloaded anyways, falls under one of four categories:
It is Final Fantasy music.
It is Dragon Quest music.
It is Chrono music.
It is Sonic the Hedgehog music.
Yeah, most of my downloaded music is from 3 RPG franchises, and a once-respected platformer franchise. Tallying up all four of those categories yields 647 MP3's.
647 divide into 1127.
57.4 percent of my downloaded music comes from FF games, DQ games, Chrono games, and Sonic games. This is all the music I know. Sure, some of my music is other background music: a Cowboy Bebop score here, a Xenogears piece, there, a Fullmetal Alchemist opener here, a Wild Arms 3 MP3 there. But it's the only music I know.
Of course, I have more than that. My older brother left behind 12 gigs of MP3's on my computer when he was still using it, and I have access to all of that music as well. All of his music is a little more mainstream than mine. And I like some of it. I mean come on, who doesn't like Van Halen, Sublime, Gun N Roses, and Michael Jackson's Thriller album? Then again, he also left a lot of rap albums on my computer, but I'm not really fond of rap.
Yeah, you can imagine what it's like when I'm driving. Just about all the music on the radio sucks to me. There's only one (decent) rock station where I live, and 95 percent of its music is crap. Sure, you might get lucky every once in a while, "Hey! Led Zeppelin!" But the good songs don't last forever. Good thing I have an MP3 player though. Then again, I only listen to my music when I'm driving by myself. And there's no way I'm playing my music with the windows rolled down. I don't want people staring at me when I'm driving thinking, "What the fuck is he listening to?" When I'm playing music from Star Ocean 3. And, also, I don't want to attract the off-chance individual who could recognize my music. You may think that, because I know a lot about about 21st century nerd culture, I can get along with modern nerds very well. That, with few exceptions, couldn't be farther from the truth.
{Idiot nerd} Hey, are you listening to music from Final Fantasy? I love Final Fantasy! Especially Final Fantasy 7! That game has the best storyline ever! And . . . I think I might be gay for Cloud . . . . and Sephiroth . . . and . . .
{Me} For God's sake, would you please just leave me the fuck alone!?!?!
(By the way, that's not much of an exaggeration of the nerds where I live. EVERY-FUCKING-BODY THINKS FF7 IS THE VIDEOGAME COUNTERPART TO THE LORD OF THE RINGS. AND NONE OF THEM. FUCKING. SHUT. UP. ABOUT SPIKEY BOY AND GREY LOCKS. I SWEAR, I AM NOT MAKING THIS UP. I AM GRITTING MY TEETH RIGHT THIS SECOND AS I WRITE THIS.)
Now, let's touch on that subject from yesterday. I don't have much vacation time left, so I'm spending all my time on youtube listening to more music, particularly music sung by Vocaloids. Some Vocaloid compositions are better than others. However, I've detected a fatal flaw about all of them.
None of them sing with passion.
No matter if it's Hatsune Miku, Rin and Ren Kagamine, Sweet Ann, or whatever other programs they have, they all lack . . . emotion. I swear, it's like a bad plot from a phoned-in epsiode of a Star Trek show. ("These . . . Vocaloids you call them . . . their singing, is . . . phenomenal." "Be that as it may, Jim, I find their manner of singing to be . . . illogical.") That doesn't mean they sound bad. No, some of the pieces are great. It's just that, unless if they can make a Vocaloid mimic human emotion while singing, it won't match the best human singers I know.
Then it hit me. My disdain for most music, that is. The Vocaloids, regardless of their versatility and kawaii appeal, are soulless. "But, xm, you already think most professional singers are soulless anyway! What difference does it make!?" I was amused with myself.
But regardless of what you think about Vocaloids, you have to listen to this one J-rock piece I found. A piece performed by Rin Kagamine, if you will.
Rock on.
P.S. Linkin Park is not one of my favorite bands. However, they are not completely worthless either. "ZOMG! xm defended a band popular with 'normal people'! Is there no stopping his rugged individuality!?"
I have downloaded many MP3's over the years. However, I've noticed something about my music. I have downloaded, at last check, 1127 MP3's. Of course, those are only the ones I keep. I noticed most of my music, of the music I've downloaded anyways, falls under one of four categories:
It is Final Fantasy music.
It is Dragon Quest music.
It is Chrono music.
It is Sonic the Hedgehog music.
Yeah, most of my downloaded music is from 3 RPG franchises, and a once-respected platformer franchise. Tallying up all four of those categories yields 647 MP3's.
647 divide into 1127.
57.4 percent of my downloaded music comes from FF games, DQ games, Chrono games, and Sonic games. This is all the music I know. Sure, some of my music is other background music: a Cowboy Bebop score here, a Xenogears piece, there, a Fullmetal Alchemist opener here, a Wild Arms 3 MP3 there. But it's the only music I know.
Of course, I have more than that. My older brother left behind 12 gigs of MP3's on my computer when he was still using it, and I have access to all of that music as well. All of his music is a little more mainstream than mine. And I like some of it. I mean come on, who doesn't like Van Halen, Sublime, Gun N Roses, and Michael Jackson's Thriller album? Then again, he also left a lot of rap albums on my computer, but I'm not really fond of rap.
Yeah, you can imagine what it's like when I'm driving. Just about all the music on the radio sucks to me. There's only one (decent) rock station where I live, and 95 percent of its music is crap. Sure, you might get lucky every once in a while, "Hey! Led Zeppelin!" But the good songs don't last forever. Good thing I have an MP3 player though. Then again, I only listen to my music when I'm driving by myself. And there's no way I'm playing my music with the windows rolled down. I don't want people staring at me when I'm driving thinking, "What the fuck is he listening to?" When I'm playing music from Star Ocean 3. And, also, I don't want to attract the off-chance individual who could recognize my music. You may think that, because I know a lot about about 21st century nerd culture, I can get along with modern nerds very well. That, with few exceptions, couldn't be farther from the truth.
{Idiot nerd} Hey, are you listening to music from Final Fantasy? I love Final Fantasy! Especially Final Fantasy 7! That game has the best storyline ever! And . . . I think I might be gay for Cloud . . . . and Sephiroth . . . and . . .
{Me} For God's sake, would you please just leave me the fuck alone!?!?!
(By the way, that's not much of an exaggeration of the nerds where I live. EVERY-FUCKING-BODY THINKS FF7 IS THE VIDEOGAME COUNTERPART TO THE LORD OF THE RINGS. AND NONE OF THEM. FUCKING. SHUT. UP. ABOUT SPIKEY BOY AND GREY LOCKS. I SWEAR, I AM NOT MAKING THIS UP. I AM GRITTING MY TEETH RIGHT THIS SECOND AS I WRITE THIS.)
Now, let's touch on that subject from yesterday. I don't have much vacation time left, so I'm spending all my time on youtube listening to more music, particularly music sung by Vocaloids. Some Vocaloid compositions are better than others. However, I've detected a fatal flaw about all of them.
None of them sing with passion.
No matter if it's Hatsune Miku, Rin and Ren Kagamine, Sweet Ann, or whatever other programs they have, they all lack . . . emotion. I swear, it's like a bad plot from a phoned-in epsiode of a Star Trek show. ("These . . . Vocaloids you call them . . . their singing, is . . . phenomenal." "Be that as it may, Jim, I find their manner of singing to be . . . illogical.") That doesn't mean they sound bad. No, some of the pieces are great. It's just that, unless if they can make a Vocaloid mimic human emotion while singing, it won't match the best human singers I know.
Then it hit me. My disdain for most music, that is. The Vocaloids, regardless of their versatility and kawaii appeal, are soulless. "But, xm, you already think most professional singers are soulless anyway! What difference does it make!?" I was amused with myself.
But regardless of what you think about Vocaloids, you have to listen to this one J-rock piece I found. A piece performed by Rin Kagamine, if you will.
Rock on.
P.S. Linkin Park is not one of my favorite bands. However, they are not completely worthless either. "ZOMG! xm defended a band popular with 'normal people'! Is there no stopping his rugged individuality!?"
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Just what we need; another teeny bopper starlet
Hey everybody; I just discovered a youtube sensation! And no, it's not a parody of Dragonball Z or anything like that. Instead, it's a person, a singer. She's cute. She can hit the high notes. Everybody loves her. She hasn't done anything scandalous, and best of all, she doesn't have fake breasts! (as far as I know.) Who is she?
Why, she's none other than Hatsune Miku!
Okay, Hatsune-chan is only as good as whoever is programming her, but I discovered the Vocaloid2 program earlier today on youtube. It is utterly amazing. It's a music and voice synthesizer program. What's amazing though is the voice almost sounds like a real human voice. I was thrown back.
Of course, Hatsune-chan is optimized for Japanese vocals. You can 'trick' her into singing in a different language, but her accent will be so exaggerated, it's hilarious. For example, did you think the Evangelion covers of Fly Me To the Moon had thick Japanese accentuation? I beg to differ.
There are other Vocaloid2 programs. One is optimized for English, another simulates two voices for duets, and so on. Vocaloid2 is an update of an older program called Vocaloid. I listened to a piece by a Vocaloid(1?) singer optimized for English, Miriam if you're curious; she didn't sound much better than the voice synthesizer built in my PC. (Rock on, Microsoft Sam!) Hatsune was much better sounding. At the rate they're advancing, I think these 'Vocaloids' are going to replace real singers.
"OH NOES!!! TEH MASHEENS ARE TAKIN OVER TEH WORLDS!!!!! ITS TEH MATRIX AND TERMINATER FILMS ALL OVER AGAINS!!!!!!!"
Nah. I think I'm exaggerating the threat of digital programs right now. I'm not gonna panic about robots or programs or holograms or whatever other piece of technology overtaking us organisms. We control the machines! It's not the other way around! Unless if Bender has something to say about it.
"Hey, you wanna kill all the humans?"
Okay, now I'm just sounding silly again. I think I'll leave you with another one of Hatsune-chan's 'hits.'
It's Super Mario Bros., with Japanese vocals! Don't ask me what the lyrics mean, though. Your guess is as good as mine.
Why, she's none other than Hatsune Miku!
Okay, Hatsune-chan is only as good as whoever is programming her, but I discovered the Vocaloid2 program earlier today on youtube. It is utterly amazing. It's a music and voice synthesizer program. What's amazing though is the voice almost sounds like a real human voice. I was thrown back.
Of course, Hatsune-chan is optimized for Japanese vocals. You can 'trick' her into singing in a different language, but her accent will be so exaggerated, it's hilarious. For example, did you think the Evangelion covers of Fly Me To the Moon had thick Japanese accentuation? I beg to differ.
There are other Vocaloid2 programs. One is optimized for English, another simulates two voices for duets, and so on. Vocaloid2 is an update of an older program called Vocaloid. I listened to a piece by a Vocaloid(1?) singer optimized for English, Miriam if you're curious; she didn't sound much better than the voice synthesizer built in my PC. (Rock on, Microsoft Sam!) Hatsune was much better sounding. At the rate they're advancing, I think these 'Vocaloids' are going to replace real singers.
"OH NOES!!! TEH MASHEENS ARE TAKIN OVER TEH WORLDS!!!!! ITS TEH MATRIX AND TERMINATER FILMS ALL OVER AGAINS!!!!!!!"
Nah. I think I'm exaggerating the threat of digital programs right now. I'm not gonna panic about robots or programs or holograms or whatever other piece of technology overtaking us organisms. We control the machines! It's not the other way around! Unless if Bender has something to say about it.
"Hey, you wanna kill all the humans?"
Okay, now I'm just sounding silly again. I think I'll leave you with another one of Hatsune-chan's 'hits.'
It's Super Mario Bros., with Japanese vocals! Don't ask me what the lyrics mean, though. Your guess is as good as mine.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
The Voice . . . of Reason
One manga series I've been able to read from start to finish was Azumanga Daioh. It was pretty funny. The teacher, Yukari, (not to be confused with the Yukari in Persona 3.) was my favorite character, and Osaka was my second-favorite, but Chiyo and Sakaki have their moments, too. It's not as good as the author's more recent Yotsuba! series, but AZ has its moments, too.
Well then, imagine my surprise when I saw clips of the anime version of AZ on youtube not too long ago.
Keep this in mind, I saw bits of AZ in Japanese with English subtitles, for authenticities' sake. (It is set in Japan after all; wouldn't it make more sense for the characters to be speaking Japanese?) I will tell you the following with absolute sincerity:
The anime version of Azumanga Daioh SUCKS compared to the manga version!!!!!!!!
The voice acting is irritating beyond belief, the animation is sub-par, the music is also irritating, and the jokes just don't work as well in animated format. I know a few online people who despise AZ. I tell you this; if you've only seen the anime, I totally agree! Read the manga, instead! It's way better!
I know it's hard to judge acting in a foreign language, considering for today's example that I can't comprehend most Japanese without English subtitles, but I can tell you, the voices in AZ are mediocre when compared to the Japanese versions of Cardcaptor Sakura, Evangelion, and Haruhi Suzumiya. It's like they were trying to sound as grating as humanly possible. Ugh. Now I feel like checking out the AZ novels again, just to wash away the terrible-ness.
That's something I've noticed about comic books. They, like regular books, have the advantage of you the reader being able to use your imagination. If I didn't like someone's voice in the tv or movie version, I can just replace it with my own imagined voice. I do this quite often. Behold; a list.
-In FMA, I agree that most of the English voices were superb, however, I don't think Envy sounds his part. He doesn't sound, evil enough. So, when I read his dialogue in the manga, I imagine his voice sounding like Albedo from the Xenosaga games. It's perfect! It's totally how Envy talks! Or so I think.
-In CCS, I imagine all of their voices as they sounded in the show . . . or, as how they would sound if they spoke English, except for Kero-chan. As I said before, Kero-chan is one of the few book characters I've ever imagined speaking . . . in my own voice. Um . . . I know it's hard to describe a voice without a soundbyte . . . um . . . my natural range in somewhere in the tenor range, so it's kinda high-pitched. But yeah, my vocals suit Kero-chan beautifully! I swear!
-In Tsubasa, the anime version anyways, Fai-san sounds like a mellow Edward Elric. However, when I read his lines in the manga, I imagine him sounding like the English version of Itsuki Koizumi instead. Yeah, that's right; Johnny Yong Bosch should've gotten the part! Well, he does in my imagination . . .
-And yeah, my imagined voices for the girls in AZ were a lot better than their anime renditions.
But I'm still pissed over the anime adaptation of Azumanga Daioh. It sucks as much as the anime I saw as a teenager. And that's saying a lot, right there.
Well then, imagine my surprise when I saw clips of the anime version of AZ on youtube not too long ago.
Keep this in mind, I saw bits of AZ in Japanese with English subtitles, for authenticities' sake. (It is set in Japan after all; wouldn't it make more sense for the characters to be speaking Japanese?) I will tell you the following with absolute sincerity:
The anime version of Azumanga Daioh SUCKS compared to the manga version!!!!!!!!
The voice acting is irritating beyond belief, the animation is sub-par, the music is also irritating, and the jokes just don't work as well in animated format. I know a few online people who despise AZ. I tell you this; if you've only seen the anime, I totally agree! Read the manga, instead! It's way better!
I know it's hard to judge acting in a foreign language, considering for today's example that I can't comprehend most Japanese without English subtitles, but I can tell you, the voices in AZ are mediocre when compared to the Japanese versions of Cardcaptor Sakura, Evangelion, and Haruhi Suzumiya. It's like they were trying to sound as grating as humanly possible. Ugh. Now I feel like checking out the AZ novels again, just to wash away the terrible-ness.
That's something I've noticed about comic books. They, like regular books, have the advantage of you the reader being able to use your imagination. If I didn't like someone's voice in the tv or movie version, I can just replace it with my own imagined voice. I do this quite often. Behold; a list.
-In FMA, I agree that most of the English voices were superb, however, I don't think Envy sounds his part. He doesn't sound, evil enough. So, when I read his dialogue in the manga, I imagine his voice sounding like Albedo from the Xenosaga games. It's perfect! It's totally how Envy talks! Or so I think.
-In CCS, I imagine all of their voices as they sounded in the show . . . or, as how they would sound if they spoke English, except for Kero-chan. As I said before, Kero-chan is one of the few book characters I've ever imagined speaking . . . in my own voice. Um . . . I know it's hard to describe a voice without a soundbyte . . . um . . . my natural range in somewhere in the tenor range, so it's kinda high-pitched. But yeah, my vocals suit Kero-chan beautifully! I swear!
-In Tsubasa, the anime version anyways, Fai-san sounds like a mellow Edward Elric. However, when I read his lines in the manga, I imagine him sounding like the English version of Itsuki Koizumi instead. Yeah, that's right; Johnny Yong Bosch should've gotten the part! Well, he does in my imagination . . .
-And yeah, my imagined voices for the girls in AZ were a lot better than their anime renditions.
But I'm still pissed over the anime adaptation of Azumanga Daioh. It sucks as much as the anime I saw as a teenager. And that's saying a lot, right there.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Is it normal to be worried about caricatures?
I finished reading vol. 18 of Tsubasa earlier today. The next English volume doesn't come out for a few months. GUMF!
But I read Tsubasa today because . . . I'm worried. I'm worried about the protagonists. And I'm especially worried about Sakura-hime and Fai-san. (Surprised?) I don't want anymore bad things to happen to anyone. Of course, I got a strange suspicion that bad things will befall everyone again soon enough.
But speaking of comics, one time at the library, I did see a volume of Magic Knight Rayearth available for checkout. I considered checking it out, but, the artwork pushed me back. The character designs for MKR are really fuckin' weird, and not easy on my eyes. I understand it's one of CLAMP's earlier works; perhaps the work of a supergroup less experienced and less refined, but it totally put me off.
I seem to have developed a love/hate relationship with the art of CLAMP. Some of it I think is outstanding, while other bits . . . push me away. Observe.
EDIT: This article was last updated on May 19th, 2010. I tell you more about CLAMP's art.
Cardcaptor Sakura (both anime and manga versions): KAWAIIIIIII!!!!!
Code Geass: OW! MY BALLS!!!!!!
Chobits: *giggles* Chitose and Hideki's teacher sure are pretty! *giggle*
Magic Knight Rayearth: IT BUUUUUURRRRNNNNNSSSS!!!!!!!!
Manga version of XXXHolic: Beautiful! CLAMP's best! And Himawari-chan is . . . cute-i-ful!
Anime version of XXXHolic: . . . . . BULLSHIT! How could they take CLAMP's most beautiful series and make it look so awful!?!?!? And how come Himawari doesn't look as cute!? Has the whole world gone crazy!!!?!?!?!
Tsubasa: Pretty!
CLAMP School Detectives: Oh dear Lord, it's like MKR, but with boys . . . THAT LOOK LIKE GIRLS!!!!! THE HORROR!!!!! But at least unlike MKR, their eyes in this series don't look like they're sliding off of their faces.
Clover: This series is really well illustrated.
RG Veda: . . . . . Okay artwork, I guess. It was their first professional work, so what are you gonna do?
Angelic Layer (anime and manga): It's cute!
X/1999: My gawd, it's just like Yu-Gi-Oh in one aspect; there are no women in X/1999, only girly men, and Kamui and Fuma are fighting over who is the girliest one of all!
Kobato: Guh! Get . . . the defibrillator . . . I'm . . . going . . . into . . . moe-induced shock! Oh, and the manga version of Kobato looks really nice.
IN OTHER NEWS . . . . .
I have become addicted to tvtropes. This website is made of win, as they say. There's so many great entries, I don't know where to start you off. You really need to see it for yourself. In fact, I'm gonna read some more tropes right now.
But seriously, MKR looks like it was drawn by psychotic non-Japanese fangirls who think obnoxiously huge eyes and freakishly wild hair is just sooooooooooooooooooooooo hot. I'm used to stereotypical anime/manga designs, but my gawd, even I have my limits!
But I read Tsubasa today because . . . I'm worried. I'm worried about the protagonists. And I'm especially worried about Sakura-hime and Fai-san. (Surprised?) I don't want anymore bad things to happen to anyone. Of course, I got a strange suspicion that bad things will befall everyone again soon enough.
But speaking of comics, one time at the library, I did see a volume of Magic Knight Rayearth available for checkout. I considered checking it out, but, the artwork pushed me back. The character designs for MKR are really fuckin' weird, and not easy on my eyes. I understand it's one of CLAMP's earlier works; perhaps the work of a supergroup less experienced and less refined, but it totally put me off.
I seem to have developed a love/hate relationship with the art of CLAMP. Some of it I think is outstanding, while other bits . . . push me away. Observe.
EDIT: This article was last updated on May 19th, 2010. I tell you more about CLAMP's art.
Cardcaptor Sakura (both anime and manga versions): KAWAIIIIIII!!!!!
Code Geass: OW! MY BALLS!!!!!!
Chobits: *giggles* Chitose and Hideki's teacher sure are pretty! *giggle*
Magic Knight Rayearth: IT BUUUUUURRRRNNNNNSSSS!!!!!!!!
Manga version of XXXHolic: Beautiful! CLAMP's best! And Himawari-chan is . . . cute-i-ful!
Anime version of XXXHolic: . . . . . BULLSHIT! How could they take CLAMP's most beautiful series and make it look so awful!?!?!? And how come Himawari doesn't look as cute!? Has the whole world gone crazy!!!?!?!?!
Tsubasa: Pretty!
CLAMP School Detectives: Oh dear Lord, it's like MKR, but with boys . . . THAT LOOK LIKE GIRLS!!!!! THE HORROR!!!!! But at least unlike MKR, their eyes in this series don't look like they're sliding off of their faces.
Clover: This series is really well illustrated.
RG Veda: . . . . . Okay artwork, I guess. It was their first professional work, so what are you gonna do?
Angelic Layer (anime and manga): It's cute!
X/1999: My gawd, it's just like Yu-Gi-Oh in one aspect; there are no women in X/1999, only girly men, and Kamui and Fuma are fighting over who is the girliest one of all!
Kobato: Guh! Get . . . the defibrillator . . . I'm . . . going . . . into . . . moe-induced shock! Oh, and the manga version of Kobato looks really nice.
IN OTHER NEWS . . . . .
I have become addicted to tvtropes. This website is made of win, as they say. There's so many great entries, I don't know where to start you off. You really need to see it for yourself. In fact, I'm gonna read some more tropes right now.
But seriously, MKR looks like it was drawn by psychotic non-Japanese fangirls who think obnoxiously huge eyes and freakishly wild hair is just sooooooooooooooooooooooo hot. I'm used to stereotypical anime/manga designs, but my gawd, even I have my limits!
Saturday, August 16, 2008
"xm won't shut up about cartoons! Make him stop!"
You know what's a good movie? The Nightmare Before Christmas. Revolutionary for being the first full-length animated feature to use stop-motion animation, it's also extremely imaginative, with one of the best soundtracks ever, yet isn't quite as well known as many other cartoons films of the early '90's. It's a Gothic fairy tale courtesy of Tim Burton, and one of Disney's cult-classics. (Don't be fooled by the label; Touchstone is owned by the Walt Disney Corporation.)
The music and lyrics were composed by Danny Elfman, who has scored many soundtracks before and since. But of all the scores he's done, the one for TNBF is by far his best; his magnum opus if you will. The motifs for Halloween Town all have that haunting yet kooky vibe to it, while Christmas Town sounds much sweeter, more friendly. And of course, the songs. I love almost all of the songs in the movies. I can't decide on a favorite. I love, "This is Halloween", I love, "Jack's Lament", I love, "What's This?" I love the song Lock, Shock, and Barrel sing, I love Oogie Boogie's song; they're all great. Geeze, how is it all the Disney films of my childhood had such great music?
The premise for TNBF is, different. Jack Skellington is not your average protagonist for a kid-friendly film. Sally isn't your average love interest for a kid-friendly film. The villain doesn't even appear until much later into the movie. The film is a Halloween movie, and a Christmas movie. TNBF has a peculiar sense of humor. (I still laugh every time the street musicians in Halloween Town play Christmas carols.) Unlike the majority of animated films today, all of the voice actors and actresses are unknown. (To me anyways. Have they done anything else? They sounded pretty good.)
And yet, despite being so offbeat, it's still a great movie. It's fun for everyone. It's great for kids, because it's simple, yet not condescending to childrens' intelligence. It's great for grown-ups, because it's mature and so well put together. It's really short, so you don't have to pay attention for too long. The length is also the movie's only real weakness. I would've liked to have seen more of Oogie Boogie, perhaps find out why he is so evil. I would've also liked if the relationship between Jack and Sally was more nuanced. Oh well, you can't have it all. The good outweighs the bad, though.
Perhaps the reason TNBF isn't as remembered as much as it should is, well, look at all the other Disney movies that came out at that time: Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King. Do I like TNBF as much as those films? No, not quite. But is it still a real treat, with beautiful backdrops, flawless animation, an otherworldly soundtrack, and an interesting concept that isn't hackneyed? Oh yes. I bring this all up because I saw somewhere that TNBF is being re-released on DVD in the near future, and on blu-ray for the first time. I've rented the film before, but never bought it. Well, looks like it's time for me to make room for another movie in my collection!
"But Jack! I am only an elected official! I can't do everything by myself!"
I like how he also says that in Kingdom Hearts. Did he say that in KHII, also? I don't remember.
The music and lyrics were composed by Danny Elfman, who has scored many soundtracks before and since. But of all the scores he's done, the one for TNBF is by far his best; his magnum opus if you will. The motifs for Halloween Town all have that haunting yet kooky vibe to it, while Christmas Town sounds much sweeter, more friendly. And of course, the songs. I love almost all of the songs in the movies. I can't decide on a favorite. I love, "This is Halloween", I love, "Jack's Lament", I love, "What's This?" I love the song Lock, Shock, and Barrel sing, I love Oogie Boogie's song; they're all great. Geeze, how is it all the Disney films of my childhood had such great music?
The premise for TNBF is, different. Jack Skellington is not your average protagonist for a kid-friendly film. Sally isn't your average love interest for a kid-friendly film. The villain doesn't even appear until much later into the movie. The film is a Halloween movie, and a Christmas movie. TNBF has a peculiar sense of humor. (I still laugh every time the street musicians in Halloween Town play Christmas carols.) Unlike the majority of animated films today, all of the voice actors and actresses are unknown. (To me anyways. Have they done anything else? They sounded pretty good.)
And yet, despite being so offbeat, it's still a great movie. It's fun for everyone. It's great for kids, because it's simple, yet not condescending to childrens' intelligence. It's great for grown-ups, because it's mature and so well put together. It's really short, so you don't have to pay attention for too long. The length is also the movie's only real weakness. I would've liked to have seen more of Oogie Boogie, perhaps find out why he is so evil. I would've also liked if the relationship between Jack and Sally was more nuanced. Oh well, you can't have it all. The good outweighs the bad, though.
Perhaps the reason TNBF isn't as remembered as much as it should is, well, look at all the other Disney movies that came out at that time: Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King. Do I like TNBF as much as those films? No, not quite. But is it still a real treat, with beautiful backdrops, flawless animation, an otherworldly soundtrack, and an interesting concept that isn't hackneyed? Oh yes. I bring this all up because I saw somewhere that TNBF is being re-released on DVD in the near future, and on blu-ray for the first time. I've rented the film before, but never bought it. Well, looks like it's time for me to make room for another movie in my collection!
"But Jack! I am only an elected official! I can't do everything by myself!"
I like how he also says that in Kingdom Hearts. Did he say that in KHII, also? I don't remember.
Friday, August 15, 2008
The Normality of xm0123
Praise Kappa that I'm much more mature than your average fan of anime/manga. I know, I rip on fans of Japanese pop culture constantly, but I am not alone.
I have pointed a link to animenewsnetwork.com before. It's where I learn about anime and manga. Although I disagree with a lot of their reviews, (Trinity Blood is a lot better than what they say it is, for example.) the site itself is a great read. My favorite section is Hey Answerman! Wherein someone of the ANN staff answers questions regarding anime and such. They also have Hey Answerfans! Wherein people sound off on anime issues.
The one for today caught my eye. What is it about modern anime fans that annoys you? Well, I don't know, anime fans are tied with Final Fantasy fans and fans of superhero comics when it comes to being the most annoying nerds I know. "Hey, wait, aren't you a fan of anime, FF, and superhero comics?" Yes, yes, and no. For a guy who likes comics, I surprisingly never got into stuff like X-Men. There are reasons for that, but that's a rant for another day.
Getting back to anime, I realize from today, as well as from an earlier Hey Answerfans segment, that anime fans who are also 'normal people' are few and far between. I'll prove it, using today's material as my script, if you will.
I don't draw fanart. Well, that's probably because I can't draw worth shit. I don't think Japanese animation is the greatest entertainment in the world. I don't ignore everything else. I mean, I saw Star Wars Episode IV again recently. And, while I do have non-sexual, non-romantic crushes on a few anime/manga girls, I don't claim to be married to them, I don't have sexual fantasies about them, and I don't get jealous if someone else likes them like I do. It's okay, you can also like Yukari-chan if you want. Share the love.
I don't think being an anime fan, in itself, is a cool thing. Yes, I do believe you can have 'nerd cred' and still be cool, but it's nothing to brag about. I do know what kawaii, baka, neko, and watashi mean, but I don't use them in my daily speech. Well, then again, most people don't know Japanese where I live. I don't hate people who hate anime. Hey, I can sympathize. I used to hate all anime myself, and it's perfectly okay to favor The Boondocks over Inuyasha. I am not a dub hater, nor do I intend to become one. Okay, I admit, the English dub for Eva sucks compared to the Japanese original, but not all shows and movies sound horrible in English. And no, I don't watch hentai. And I'm not into yaoi or yuri either. If you are, though, I won't stop you.
So you see, I'm actually pretty normal. The title of the thread is an allusion to something anime-related, though. The (blank) of xm0123, what does that sound like? That sounds like the Boredom of (blank). Or The Vanishment of (blank). Or, okay, it's an allusion to The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. I have been watching some of the episodes again, and it's still a laugh riot. It really is the only anime comedy series I've seen that can rival the best American cartoon comedies. I don't think they'll ever be a series that can top Futurama, or The Simpsons and Family Guy when they were in their primes, but Haruhi sure comes close. Some of the episodes are actually funnier the second time around, when you know more about the series. The one episode where we learn the truth about Ryoko Asakura is funnier the second time around. Also, I noticed her English voice is provided by Bridget Hoffman, and her voice is just so lovely! It suits Ryoko perfectly!
So yeah, like I said in one of my first posts, I'm a normal fan, not an idiot fan, nor an elitist fan. More people should be like me, and anime wouldn't be so looked down upon. No, not all anime is pornographic. And there's more anime besides Spirited Away, Bleach, and Yu-Gi-Oh in the world. And, while I claimed that anime is not the best entertainment in the world, it can rival the best in live-action film, American animation, and so forth. Before I go, let me just reiterate that I am fortunate to have watched Castle in the Sky sometime in my lifetime. Also, I am lucky to have seen Motherfucking Death Note in its entirety.
I have pointed a link to animenewsnetwork.com before. It's where I learn about anime and manga. Although I disagree with a lot of their reviews, (Trinity Blood is a lot better than what they say it is, for example.) the site itself is a great read. My favorite section is Hey Answerman! Wherein someone of the ANN staff answers questions regarding anime and such. They also have Hey Answerfans! Wherein people sound off on anime issues.
The one for today caught my eye. What is it about modern anime fans that annoys you? Well, I don't know, anime fans are tied with Final Fantasy fans and fans of superhero comics when it comes to being the most annoying nerds I know. "Hey, wait, aren't you a fan of anime, FF, and superhero comics?" Yes, yes, and no. For a guy who likes comics, I surprisingly never got into stuff like X-Men. There are reasons for that, but that's a rant for another day.
Getting back to anime, I realize from today, as well as from an earlier Hey Answerfans segment, that anime fans who are also 'normal people' are few and far between. I'll prove it, using today's material as my script, if you will.
I don't draw fanart. Well, that's probably because I can't draw worth shit. I don't think Japanese animation is the greatest entertainment in the world. I don't ignore everything else. I mean, I saw Star Wars Episode IV again recently. And, while I do have non-sexual, non-romantic crushes on a few anime/manga girls, I don't claim to be married to them, I don't have sexual fantasies about them, and I don't get jealous if someone else likes them like I do. It's okay, you can also like Yukari-chan if you want. Share the love.
I don't think being an anime fan, in itself, is a cool thing. Yes, I do believe you can have 'nerd cred' and still be cool, but it's nothing to brag about. I do know what kawaii, baka, neko, and watashi mean, but I don't use them in my daily speech. Well, then again, most people don't know Japanese where I live. I don't hate people who hate anime. Hey, I can sympathize. I used to hate all anime myself, and it's perfectly okay to favor The Boondocks over Inuyasha. I am not a dub hater, nor do I intend to become one. Okay, I admit, the English dub for Eva sucks compared to the Japanese original, but not all shows and movies sound horrible in English. And no, I don't watch hentai. And I'm not into yaoi or yuri either. If you are, though, I won't stop you.
So you see, I'm actually pretty normal. The title of the thread is an allusion to something anime-related, though. The (blank) of xm0123, what does that sound like? That sounds like the Boredom of (blank). Or The Vanishment of (blank). Or, okay, it's an allusion to The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. I have been watching some of the episodes again, and it's still a laugh riot. It really is the only anime comedy series I've seen that can rival the best American cartoon comedies. I don't think they'll ever be a series that can top Futurama, or The Simpsons and Family Guy when they were in their primes, but Haruhi sure comes close. Some of the episodes are actually funnier the second time around, when you know more about the series. The one episode where we learn the truth about Ryoko Asakura is funnier the second time around. Also, I noticed her English voice is provided by Bridget Hoffman, and her voice is just so lovely! It suits Ryoko perfectly!
So yeah, like I said in one of my first posts, I'm a normal fan, not an idiot fan, nor an elitist fan. More people should be like me, and anime wouldn't be so looked down upon. No, not all anime is pornographic. And there's more anime besides Spirited Away, Bleach, and Yu-Gi-Oh in the world. And, while I claimed that anime is not the best entertainment in the world, it can rival the best in live-action film, American animation, and so forth. Before I go, let me just reiterate that I am fortunate to have watched Castle in the Sky sometime in my lifetime. Also, I am lucky to have seen Motherfucking Death Note in its entirety.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Episode VII: The xm Strikes Back
Okay, everyone. It's the rant you've been waiting for. It's time I ranted about something a little more mainstream than an overrated anime/manga series. Actually, I'm not gonna rant about the products in question. No, I'm going to hate on the haters.
I'm going to respond to Star Wars haters.
Remember there was a time when people thought Star Wars was cool? I do. I still think it's cool. And so does everyone in my family. However, it seems like, ever since the last movie came out, it's no longer, chic, to be a Star Wars fanatic. Making fun of George Lucas has become a past-time. The typical comments for the remastered version of the original trilogy usually run along the lines of, "WTF! They ADDed moar standins in Mos eisley WTF! Teh movie suks now! FUCK LUCASFIUILM!!11 I WANT MY VHS COPY BAK!!!!!" And the typical comments of the newer trilogy? Well, I rather not repeat them here. It's like, what was once considered awesome back in the 20th century, is now something to mock endlessly.
Well I say, fuck you; the entire movie series is awesome (barring Attack of the Clones), I don't mind watching the original trilogy with digitally altered effects, and Georgie Boy (as I like to call him) is my lord and Savior! You people who hate Star Wars for illegitimate reasons can go fuck yourselves. I'm tired of your nitpicking and your bullshit.
Note the phrase, illegitimate. If you have a good reason for not liking SW, that's fine by me. Some people think it's shallow. Others say it's heavy on flash and short on substance, and so forth. If you dislike SW for a good reason, I'm not attacking you. Instead, I'm going after the people who used to like SW back in the day, but now like they're hip by bashing everything SW-related. And no, I'm not talking about anybody who moved on to other science fantasy series; I mean the full-on haters. I see them everywhere.
First off, the flak the newer trilogy gets. Okay, I did admit, Episode II does deserve any criticism it gets. It is the one film in the whole franchise that disappointed me. But Episode I was a great film, damn it! Yes, I know Jar-Jar is the worst character ever, yes, I know the plot is a lot more childish than the other films, but the Podrace sequence was a whole lot of fun! And at the end when the Trade Federation Droids are trying to invade Naboo, and Darth Maul is fighting Obi-wan and his master, and Anakin is flying straight into that space station, that sequence was off the hook, and you know it!
And Episode III was as good as the films in the original trilogy! . . . okay, Revenge of the Sith does have the weak acting and dialogue that is characteristic of the other newer films, but other than those two flaws, it's as good as the original trilogy! We learn the truth about Darth Vader, and the Emperor, who is one of my favorite villains of all time, especially now since I've seen Episode III.
But Episode II? Yeah. Bash that all you want. I don't care. The only reason I still keep my copy is because you can't understand everything that happens in Episode III without having seen episode II.
But the one other thing that bothers me is the flak the original trilogy gets ever since the special editions came out. There was an episode of South Park that made fun of touched up movies. Now, personally, I do believe a remake, if not handled properly, can turn out worse than the original. However, a good remake can be just as good, or even better.
I recently watched Episode IV on DVD. It's the special edition with anamorphic widescreen, 5.1 surround, and THX certification. yes, Mos Eisley looked a little different. Yes, the space battles looked cleaner than usual, but I will tell you right now; the special edition on DVD was just as enjoyable as when I saw the 1977 cut on tv as a little kid many years ago. The core film is unchanged. All of the changes were approved by the original creator.
But noooooooooooooooooooo, you have to be all like, "DOOD!!!! GREEDO SHOOTS FIRST!!!! THIS MOVIE NOW SUXXORS!!!!!!! I CAN NEVER WATCH STAR WARS AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!" Jesus Christ peoples; the movie is not ruined. It's not like when the movie version of Nausicaa first came out in America under the title, "Warriors of the Wind." It's nothing of a butchery like that. Georgie Boy knows what he's doing. Yes, if anyone other than him made alterations, I too would cry foul. But it's his movies; so long as he's still alive, he can do whatever he wants. Same goes for Spielberg.
Both myself, my mother, and my father, love the original Star Wars trilogy, in all of its forms. We all believe that the remake is not sacriligious. Besides, I'm always too absorded into the story to notice digital alterations, anyways! I only notice those things when I'm looking for them on purpose!
By the way, on the whole, "who shoots first; Han, or Greedo?" debate, I have this to say:
WHO GIVES A FLYING FUCK!!!!!!?!?!??!?!
It stills ends the same way, doesn't it!? Han kills Greedo, and walks out of the Cantina unharmed, doesn't he!? What difference does it make!??!!?!?! Why are internet junkies so goddamn nitpicky?
On a less trolling note, I still believe the original theatrical cuts should still be available to the public, for historical purposes. And I do believe the Phantom Menace would've been better if Jar-Jar had a smaller role. But peoples, if you're gonna hate on SW, think of better reasons. Because if you can't, then you only come across as elitist assholes who obviously have nothing better to do than to sound like complete fuckwads.
Gotten this off of my mind, I have. Break from the internet, I must take.
I'm going to respond to Star Wars haters.
Remember there was a time when people thought Star Wars was cool? I do. I still think it's cool. And so does everyone in my family. However, it seems like, ever since the last movie came out, it's no longer, chic, to be a Star Wars fanatic. Making fun of George Lucas has become a past-time. The typical comments for the remastered version of the original trilogy usually run along the lines of, "WTF! They ADDed moar standins in Mos eisley WTF! Teh movie suks now! FUCK LUCASFIUILM!!11 I WANT MY VHS COPY BAK!!!!!" And the typical comments of the newer trilogy? Well, I rather not repeat them here. It's like, what was once considered awesome back in the 20th century, is now something to mock endlessly.
Well I say, fuck you; the entire movie series is awesome (barring Attack of the Clones), I don't mind watching the original trilogy with digitally altered effects, and Georgie Boy (as I like to call him) is my lord and Savior! You people who hate Star Wars for illegitimate reasons can go fuck yourselves. I'm tired of your nitpicking and your bullshit.
Note the phrase, illegitimate. If you have a good reason for not liking SW, that's fine by me. Some people think it's shallow. Others say it's heavy on flash and short on substance, and so forth. If you dislike SW for a good reason, I'm not attacking you. Instead, I'm going after the people who used to like SW back in the day, but now like they're hip by bashing everything SW-related. And no, I'm not talking about anybody who moved on to other science fantasy series; I mean the full-on haters. I see them everywhere.
First off, the flak the newer trilogy gets. Okay, I did admit, Episode II does deserve any criticism it gets. It is the one film in the whole franchise that disappointed me. But Episode I was a great film, damn it! Yes, I know Jar-Jar is the worst character ever, yes, I know the plot is a lot more childish than the other films, but the Podrace sequence was a whole lot of fun! And at the end when the Trade Federation Droids are trying to invade Naboo, and Darth Maul is fighting Obi-wan and his master, and Anakin is flying straight into that space station, that sequence was off the hook, and you know it!
And Episode III was as good as the films in the original trilogy! . . . okay, Revenge of the Sith does have the weak acting and dialogue that is characteristic of the other newer films, but other than those two flaws, it's as good as the original trilogy! We learn the truth about Darth Vader, and the Emperor, who is one of my favorite villains of all time, especially now since I've seen Episode III.
But Episode II? Yeah. Bash that all you want. I don't care. The only reason I still keep my copy is because you can't understand everything that happens in Episode III without having seen episode II.
But the one other thing that bothers me is the flak the original trilogy gets ever since the special editions came out. There was an episode of South Park that made fun of touched up movies. Now, personally, I do believe a remake, if not handled properly, can turn out worse than the original. However, a good remake can be just as good, or even better.
I recently watched Episode IV on DVD. It's the special edition with anamorphic widescreen, 5.1 surround, and THX certification. yes, Mos Eisley looked a little different. Yes, the space battles looked cleaner than usual, but I will tell you right now; the special edition on DVD was just as enjoyable as when I saw the 1977 cut on tv as a little kid many years ago. The core film is unchanged. All of the changes were approved by the original creator.
But noooooooooooooooooooo, you have to be all like, "DOOD!!!! GREEDO SHOOTS FIRST!!!! THIS MOVIE NOW SUXXORS!!!!!!! I CAN NEVER WATCH STAR WARS AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!" Jesus Christ peoples; the movie is not ruined. It's not like when the movie version of Nausicaa first came out in America under the title, "Warriors of the Wind." It's nothing of a butchery like that. Georgie Boy knows what he's doing. Yes, if anyone other than him made alterations, I too would cry foul. But it's his movies; so long as he's still alive, he can do whatever he wants. Same goes for Spielberg.
Both myself, my mother, and my father, love the original Star Wars trilogy, in all of its forms. We all believe that the remake is not sacriligious. Besides, I'm always too absorded into the story to notice digital alterations, anyways! I only notice those things when I'm looking for them on purpose!
By the way, on the whole, "who shoots first; Han, or Greedo?" debate, I have this to say:
WHO GIVES A FLYING FUCK!!!!!!?!?!??!?!
It stills ends the same way, doesn't it!? Han kills Greedo, and walks out of the Cantina unharmed, doesn't he!? What difference does it make!??!!?!?! Why are internet junkies so goddamn nitpicky?
On a less trolling note, I still believe the original theatrical cuts should still be available to the public, for historical purposes. And I do believe the Phantom Menace would've been better if Jar-Jar had a smaller role. But peoples, if you're gonna hate on SW, think of better reasons. Because if you can't, then you only come across as elitist assholes who obviously have nothing better to do than to sound like complete fuckwads.
Gotten this off of my mind, I have. Break from the internet, I must take.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
More ghosts! They are relentless!
Hey everybody. I got bad news; I can't get any farther on Poke646. Why? A bug is preventing me from getting further. Bugs anger me. I deleted Poke646, for it pales compared to HL1, HL2, OF, and They Hunger. So I went back to Half-Life 2.
But that's not what I'm here for. I've been watching something; the anime version of XXXHolic. Good news! Unlike Tsubasa, Holic actually translated well into an anime series! Also, it's pretty close to the source material, too. However, I do have one complaint. The art in the XXXHolic anime isn't as good as the manga version. The characters, they, uh, they . . . um . . . . .
THEY LOOK LIKE THE CHARACTERS FROM CODE GEASS!!!!!! (Say it like E.E. Or Watanuki, since we're discussing Holic.)
I don't get it! Concerning anime versions of CLAMP series, Cardcaptor Sakura and Chobits, art-wise, came out very well. And the Tsubasa anime is pretty good too, design-wise. And while I still like the Holic anime, it doesn't help that the character designs remind me of that great abomination Geass. Not cool, man. Not, cool.
But what is cool is the English dubbing. The English dub is provided by Funimation, and they ensembled another great cast. Everyone sounds their part. Watanuki and Mokona didn't sound like how I imagined they did in the manga, but their voices fit them. And I can't imagine anyone other than Colleen Clinkenbeard playing Yuko. A job well done. It's not often a dub sounds this good. I'm serious.
It follows the manga closely, for the most part. Some of the dialogue is different, mainly to have less references to Japanese culture. However, unlike the manga, most of the references to other CLAMP series were excised. There's no mention of Clow Reed in the anime (so far), and Shaoran from the Clow Kingdom's fateful encounter was cut out, (but can be seen in the Tsubasa anime.) unlike in the manga novels.
Still, it's a good series. It's not fantastic, but it is different. And it's really hilarious to be able to hear Watanuki as he gets frustrated and swoons over Himawari all at once.
But that's not what I'm here for. I've been watching something; the anime version of XXXHolic. Good news! Unlike Tsubasa, Holic actually translated well into an anime series! Also, it's pretty close to the source material, too. However, I do have one complaint. The art in the XXXHolic anime isn't as good as the manga version. The characters, they, uh, they . . . um . . . . .
THEY LOOK LIKE THE CHARACTERS FROM CODE GEASS!!!!!! (Say it like E.E. Or Watanuki, since we're discussing Holic.)
I don't get it! Concerning anime versions of CLAMP series, Cardcaptor Sakura and Chobits, art-wise, came out very well. And the Tsubasa anime is pretty good too, design-wise. And while I still like the Holic anime, it doesn't help that the character designs remind me of that great abomination Geass. Not cool, man. Not, cool.
But what is cool is the English dubbing. The English dub is provided by Funimation, and they ensembled another great cast. Everyone sounds their part. Watanuki and Mokona didn't sound like how I imagined they did in the manga, but their voices fit them. And I can't imagine anyone other than Colleen Clinkenbeard playing Yuko. A job well done. It's not often a dub sounds this good. I'm serious.
It follows the manga closely, for the most part. Some of the dialogue is different, mainly to have less references to Japanese culture. However, unlike the manga, most of the references to other CLAMP series were excised. There's no mention of Clow Reed in the anime (so far), and Shaoran from the Clow Kingdom's fateful encounter was cut out, (but can be seen in the Tsubasa anime.) unlike in the manga novels.
Still, it's a good series. It's not fantastic, but it is different. And it's really hilarious to be able to hear Watanuki as he gets frustrated and swoons over Himawari all at once.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Somebody get these freakin' ghosts away from me!
Last night, I had a dream. I was wondering around a suburban neighborhood, when suddenly, an SUV pulled in front of me. The driver said, "Come in and join us, Brother!" (I don't remember his exact words, but it's a close approximation.) So I got in. The only available seat was in the back left. I recognized the driver and all of the passengers. The driver, was Don Kanonji. In the front passenger seat was Karin Kurosaki. In the center back seat, right next to me, was Jinta. In the right seat, was Ururu.
I dreamed about Bleach last night. And I rode, with the Karakura Superheroes.
Don Kanonji said something about me being able to sense spirits, and also that I already knew all about their operation. (Probably because I own the first 12 volumes of the manga.) I wasn't going to be a permanent member, just a temp. Yay, I'm an office temp for an all-Japanese Ghostbusters squad. Except I'm not Japanese. I am, what the locals in my hometown call, a "White guy." This, combined with my bluish-green eyes, would definitely make me stand out in modern Nippon, Karakura included. Still, it was cool to know that the Karakura Superheroes weren't afraid of taking up gaijin, even if it was only temporarily. I say temprary, because after a little riding around, we spotted a Hollow. I actually spotted it first. Don Kanonji said, "Go forth, Brother! Spirits are with you!" The door next to me opened, and Jinta pushed me out. Nice little kid.
Now I was standing near a Hollow, which was coming right for me. I tried to see if I had any weapons on me, but I didn't. I even said aloud, "Shouldn't I like have one of those spirit swords on me?" Of course, I seemed to have forgotten that I'm not a Soul Reaper, and that there's no way I could call forth a Zanpaku-to. So, I just started throwing random punches and kicks at the Hollow. And guess what? I actually killed it, with little effort! It didn't lay a finger on me! It must've been a weak Hollow. Either that, or I just don't know my own strength.
By the way, when I was riding, only Don Kanonji spoke to me. Karin and Jinta talked, but they were just trash-talking everyone, like usual. Ururu, true to her character, never spoke a word. She never made eye contact with me the whole time. I knew it was her, though, since she wore black pigtails.
But guess what, Internet? I'm not done talking about ghosts in Japanese comics just yet. I went to the bookstore again, and I 'tried before I bought' again. You know how Tsubasa crosses over with XXXHolic? Well, I read the first volume of XXXHolic today. Yay, more spirits.
Some of the Holic characters have shown up in Tsubasa, but only in minor roles. I now know them better. I have detected a trend in CLAMP's writing. It seems they like to take genre tropes, and put new spins on said tropes. Take for instance, the character of Yuko. At first glance, she seems to be a cliched mysterious sorceress, and she certainly comes across as one; tall, black hair, large mammary glands. Why are arcane sorceresses usually ravenhaired? But of course, she's more than that. She also has this silly side of her that comes out, and she enjoys making Watanuki, the main protagonist, work like a slave. Add to that her fondness of sake, talking about philosophies involving determinism, her love of revealing outfits (yay, sexual fanservice. The heterosexual males must be pleased. Wait, I'm a heterosexual male, should I be enjoying that sort of thing, even thought they're just illustrations?) and her odd sense of humor, and you have a not-so-typical sorceress after all. Watanuki, meanwhile, reminds me a lot of Edward Elric. This kid has anger-management problems, for sure.
Oh, and I met this one character who really caught my eye. Watanuki is enamored with a girl. A cute girl. A girl named Himawari. And yes, she really is cute. In fact, I think I might place her on my list. I wanna see more of XXXHolic before I do that for sure, though.
However, Holic didn't quite hook me like Tsubasa. It feels like everything is not established yet. If I had to, I would rate in right now a 7 out of 10. I like the drawings, (it looks slightly cleaner than Tsubasa.) Yuko-san is kinda funny, and Himawari-chan is certainly adorable, but it's not good enough to own. Who knows? It might get better the farther along I get in the series, though. And the CLAMP references are amusing enough. (In volume 1, Yuko-san refers to Clow Reed as a "creep." Really? I didn't know he was a creep.) If you're bored enough, you might wanna read it at the library or bookstore, but don't rush into collecting it unless you wanna know everything that happens at Yuko's shop whenever the Tsubasa gang isn't communicating with her.
Okay, that's enough. I gotta purge myself of these spirits now.
I dreamed about Bleach last night. And I rode, with the Karakura Superheroes.
Don Kanonji said something about me being able to sense spirits, and also that I already knew all about their operation. (Probably because I own the first 12 volumes of the manga.) I wasn't going to be a permanent member, just a temp. Yay, I'm an office temp for an all-Japanese Ghostbusters squad. Except I'm not Japanese. I am, what the locals in my hometown call, a "White guy." This, combined with my bluish-green eyes, would definitely make me stand out in modern Nippon, Karakura included. Still, it was cool to know that the Karakura Superheroes weren't afraid of taking up gaijin, even if it was only temporarily. I say temprary, because after a little riding around, we spotted a Hollow. I actually spotted it first. Don Kanonji said, "Go forth, Brother! Spirits are with you!" The door next to me opened, and Jinta pushed me out. Nice little kid.
Now I was standing near a Hollow, which was coming right for me. I tried to see if I had any weapons on me, but I didn't. I even said aloud, "Shouldn't I like have one of those spirit swords on me?" Of course, I seemed to have forgotten that I'm not a Soul Reaper, and that there's no way I could call forth a Zanpaku-to. So, I just started throwing random punches and kicks at the Hollow. And guess what? I actually killed it, with little effort! It didn't lay a finger on me! It must've been a weak Hollow. Either that, or I just don't know my own strength.
By the way, when I was riding, only Don Kanonji spoke to me. Karin and Jinta talked, but they were just trash-talking everyone, like usual. Ururu, true to her character, never spoke a word. She never made eye contact with me the whole time. I knew it was her, though, since she wore black pigtails.
But guess what, Internet? I'm not done talking about ghosts in Japanese comics just yet. I went to the bookstore again, and I 'tried before I bought' again. You know how Tsubasa crosses over with XXXHolic? Well, I read the first volume of XXXHolic today. Yay, more spirits.
Some of the Holic characters have shown up in Tsubasa, but only in minor roles. I now know them better. I have detected a trend in CLAMP's writing. It seems they like to take genre tropes, and put new spins on said tropes. Take for instance, the character of Yuko. At first glance, she seems to be a cliched mysterious sorceress, and she certainly comes across as one; tall, black hair, large mammary glands. Why are arcane sorceresses usually ravenhaired? But of course, she's more than that. She also has this silly side of her that comes out, and she enjoys making Watanuki, the main protagonist, work like a slave. Add to that her fondness of sake, talking about philosophies involving determinism, her love of revealing outfits (yay, sexual fanservice. The heterosexual males must be pleased. Wait, I'm a heterosexual male, should I be enjoying that sort of thing, even thought they're just illustrations?) and her odd sense of humor, and you have a not-so-typical sorceress after all. Watanuki, meanwhile, reminds me a lot of Edward Elric. This kid has anger-management problems, for sure.
Oh, and I met this one character who really caught my eye. Watanuki is enamored with a girl. A cute girl. A girl named Himawari. And yes, she really is cute. In fact, I think I might place her on my list. I wanna see more of XXXHolic before I do that for sure, though.
However, Holic didn't quite hook me like Tsubasa. It feels like everything is not established yet. If I had to, I would rate in right now a 7 out of 10. I like the drawings, (it looks slightly cleaner than Tsubasa.) Yuko-san is kinda funny, and Himawari-chan is certainly adorable, but it's not good enough to own. Who knows? It might get better the farther along I get in the series, though. And the CLAMP references are amusing enough. (In volume 1, Yuko-san refers to Clow Reed as a "creep." Really? I didn't know he was a creep.) If you're bored enough, you might wanna read it at the library or bookstore, but don't rush into collecting it unless you wanna know everything that happens at Yuko's shop whenever the Tsubasa gang isn't communicating with her.
Okay, that's enough. I gotta purge myself of these spirits now.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
What hath thine internet wrought?
On this messageboard I went to, someone mentioned something funny, "It was like I was reading the entire internet at once!" It was in reference to an over-abundance of internet catchphrases. Most of you would know them as internet memes.
I'll tell you right now; virtually every meme I know is not cool nor funny nor awesome. I don't even know how they catch on. There's something about the internet that I find toxic to the mind. Even I have succumbed to the toxicity on occasion. (For example, I used to play video games . . . online. Biggest mistake of my video game career.)
However, the sensation that you're reading the entire internet . . . well, the English-speaking part of the internet anyways . . . I think I wanna replicate that now. I will make subtle alterations to the memes, but you'll still recognize them. However, I will deliver the memes as dialogue between people.
Here ya go, internet. The following is on YOUR HEAD!:
"So, how'd ya score on the exam?" "Let's see, I got . . . oh my god, my score!" "What? "It's over Nine THOUSAAAAAANDDDDD!" "WHAT! NINE THOUSAND!" "Just kidding! It's over eight THOUSAAAAANNDDDDD!" "Yeah, that's pretty high."
"Who's the author of this blog again?" "Are you thick? Are you slow-witted? Who the heck do you think I am? I'm teh gosh darned xm!" "Ohhhhhhhhh, that guy."
"Hey everyone, what happened when I was gone?" "Somebody set up us the bomb." (I am ending the sketch here. This joke was old back in fucking 2001, when I had just become an internet junkie. Just let it fucking go already! Anyways, moving on . . .)
"I saw Luke Wilson the other day-" "-PICS OR IT DIDNT HAPPEN" "uh, I don't have any-" "-FUK YOU, FUCKEN LIER!"
"Should I play Final Fantasy 12?" "No!" Why not?" "IT'S A TRAP!"
"Oh my god what the fuck bee bee que! Dumbledore is teh ghey!"
"When a man sleeps with 6 women at once, he calls it a slice of Heaven. When Chuck Norris sleeps with 6 women at once, he calls it a 'slow Tuesday.'"
"Zoh My Gawd! Misa Misa Is Teh Hawtness!"
"You can't go to any of the chans!" "Why not!" "Because it's blasphemy! It's madness!"
"Madness?
THIS!!!!!!
IS!!!!!!!!!
XM0123'S DOMAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Okay, I can't go any further. I just don't have the nerve. But, if these things, of all phrases, can be memes, why can't I make my own memes? Okay, I do like "It's a trap!" but I have my own catchphrases!
"Yeah right! Your only catchphrases are, 'FUCK (insert name of something you hate)!' or 'OH NO! NOT (insert name of girl you think is really really really cute)!' Those won't catch on."
Yeah, ya know what? catchphrases are dumb.
IN AMERICA!
I'll tell you right now; virtually every meme I know is not cool nor funny nor awesome. I don't even know how they catch on. There's something about the internet that I find toxic to the mind. Even I have succumbed to the toxicity on occasion. (For example, I used to play video games . . . online. Biggest mistake of my video game career.)
However, the sensation that you're reading the entire internet . . . well, the English-speaking part of the internet anyways . . . I think I wanna replicate that now. I will make subtle alterations to the memes, but you'll still recognize them. However, I will deliver the memes as dialogue between people.
Here ya go, internet. The following is on YOUR HEAD!:
"So, how'd ya score on the exam?" "Let's see, I got . . . oh my god, my score!" "What? "It's over Nine THOUSAAAAAANDDDDD!" "WHAT! NINE THOUSAND!" "Just kidding! It's over eight THOUSAAAAANNDDDDD!" "Yeah, that's pretty high."
"Who's the author of this blog again?" "Are you thick? Are you slow-witted? Who the heck do you think I am? I'm teh gosh darned xm!" "Ohhhhhhhhh, that guy."
"Hey everyone, what happened when I was gone?" "Somebody set up us the bomb." (I am ending the sketch here. This joke was old back in fucking 2001, when I had just become an internet junkie. Just let it fucking go already! Anyways, moving on . . .)
"I saw Luke Wilson the other day-" "-PICS OR IT DIDNT HAPPEN" "uh, I don't have any-" "-FUK YOU, FUCKEN LIER!"
"Should I play Final Fantasy 12?" "No!" Why not?" "IT'S A TRAP!"
"Oh my god what the fuck bee bee que! Dumbledore is teh ghey!"
"When a man sleeps with 6 women at once, he calls it a slice of Heaven. When Chuck Norris sleeps with 6 women at once, he calls it a 'slow Tuesday.'"
"Zoh My Gawd! Misa Misa Is Teh Hawtness!"
"You can't go to any of the chans!" "Why not!" "Because it's blasphemy! It's madness!"
"Madness?
THIS!!!!!!
IS!!!!!!!!!
XM0123'S DOMAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Okay, I can't go any further. I just don't have the nerve. But, if these things, of all phrases, can be memes, why can't I make my own memes? Okay, I do like "It's a trap!" but I have my own catchphrases!
"Yeah right! Your only catchphrases are, 'FUCK (insert name of something you hate)!' or 'OH NO! NOT (insert name of girl you think is really really really cute)!' Those won't catch on."
Yeah, ya know what? catchphrases are dumb.
IN AMERICA!
Saturday, August 9, 2008
SNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARKS!!!!!!
Hey yo, Internet! I am riding high on my newfound Half-Life fandom!
You know what's great about Half-Life 2? You discover new things every time you play. For example, I didn't know you could do this until just recently. In the part of the game with the endlessly respawning Antlions, and also when the Antlions are trying to kill you, I discovered a new way to kill them. Antlions can't swim. Simply run into the ocean and dive just below the surface. Any Antlion that jumps after you will drown immediately. Yeah, take that, you stupid bugs!
Also, the Gravity Gun can kill headcrabs by itself. Although . . . it's more effective to simply launch stuff at them. Still, three hits with the primary fire will kill them.
But, HL2 is not enough. There are many singleplayer mods for the first HL I haven't played. I downloaded one earlier today; Poke646. The graphics, although nothing close to the quality of HL2, certainly surpass the un-moded HL1. It's not great, but it's not horrible either.
But, there's this one part in Poke646, where you're in a room, you flip open a switch, and two doors open. One of them leads you down a pipe to where you're supposed to go. The other is inaccesible, and only opens so that a large group of enemies attacks you. You know what ambushes you?
SNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARKS!!!!!
Yes! Lots of those tiny fuckers show up and try to splode all over you! It was fuckin' awesome! The readme warned that Poke646 is more hardware-intensive than the un-moded HL1. Good thing my PC far surpasses the hardware requirements for HL1. (Any game made before 2004 runs like a dream on my PC. So long as it isn't a DOS game.) I would've had some slowdown during the snark scene if I was running Poke646 on a Pentium II. Remember Pentium II's? What's it at now? Pentium VI? Pentium XVIII? Answer me, Intel!
That's one thing HL2 lacks; snarks. Although pretty useless as a weapon, snarks made for a great enemy, huh? Nearly impossible to hit, yet will die in a matter of seconds, yet they can run as fast as you can. Oh god, I remember running like Hell in HL1, Opposing Force, and Blue Shift every time I started hearing their telltale cries for suicide bombing. Same goes for every HL mod that featured them, as well.
Poke646 is not supposed to be that long. When I'm finsihed, I'll go back to HL2. Yeah, man, eight-and-a-half years after buying HL1 and OF, and Half-Life is still number 1. Eat it, Bungie!
You know what's great about Half-Life 2? You discover new things every time you play. For example, I didn't know you could do this until just recently. In the part of the game with the endlessly respawning Antlions, and also when the Antlions are trying to kill you, I discovered a new way to kill them. Antlions can't swim. Simply run into the ocean and dive just below the surface. Any Antlion that jumps after you will drown immediately. Yeah, take that, you stupid bugs!
Also, the Gravity Gun can kill headcrabs by itself. Although . . . it's more effective to simply launch stuff at them. Still, three hits with the primary fire will kill them.
But, HL2 is not enough. There are many singleplayer mods for the first HL I haven't played. I downloaded one earlier today; Poke646. The graphics, although nothing close to the quality of HL2, certainly surpass the un-moded HL1. It's not great, but it's not horrible either.
But, there's this one part in Poke646, where you're in a room, you flip open a switch, and two doors open. One of them leads you down a pipe to where you're supposed to go. The other is inaccesible, and only opens so that a large group of enemies attacks you. You know what ambushes you?
SNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARKS!!!!!
Yes! Lots of those tiny fuckers show up and try to splode all over you! It was fuckin' awesome! The readme warned that Poke646 is more hardware-intensive than the un-moded HL1. Good thing my PC far surpasses the hardware requirements for HL1. (Any game made before 2004 runs like a dream on my PC. So long as it isn't a DOS game.) I would've had some slowdown during the snark scene if I was running Poke646 on a Pentium II. Remember Pentium II's? What's it at now? Pentium VI? Pentium XVIII? Answer me, Intel!
That's one thing HL2 lacks; snarks. Although pretty useless as a weapon, snarks made for a great enemy, huh? Nearly impossible to hit, yet will die in a matter of seconds, yet they can run as fast as you can. Oh god, I remember running like Hell in HL1, Opposing Force, and Blue Shift every time I started hearing their telltale cries for suicide bombing. Same goes for every HL mod that featured them, as well.
Poke646 is not supposed to be that long. When I'm finsihed, I'll go back to HL2. Yeah, man, eight-and-a-half years after buying HL1 and OF, and Half-Life is still number 1. Eat it, Bungie!
Half-Lifin' It N Da City (17)
Playing Portal, and reflecting on the Half-Life franchise has inspired me to replay Half-Life 2. I've owned the game since it first came out, but I never played through it from start to finish more than once. Yeah, I did like how you can restart from chapters in HL2. I've played through Ravenholm many times, but not the whole game from start to finish until now.
In some ways, HL2 is better than the first, but in some ways, it's worse than HL1. HL2 doesn't have as many weapons as the first. Also, you can't kill civilians. This makes the game easier, but also makes the player unable to commit acts of schadenfreude. Admit it, you liked it when you crowbarred a scientist just to hear him scream, didn't you? Also, HL2 is not as long as HL1. I don't know about Episode 1 and 2 and 3, but HL2 doesn't last as long as HL1. This is rather nitpicky, because HL2 is longer than, say, Max Payne 2. You still get plenty of bang for your buck. Lastly, you can't gib enemies in HL2, barring Antlions.
But in some ways, HL2 is better than HL1. Aside from improved production values, the shotgun and crossbow are way more powerful in HL2 than in HL1, making them more useful. And, although many weapons from HL1 and Opposing Force don't appear in HL2, it doesn't matter because you have vehicles. And the Gravity Gun. All hail the Gravity Gun. The enemy AI is improved, and it's not as challenging as HL1. It's more, useful friendly than the first, if you will. And let's not forget, Citadel makes for a much better endgame than Xen, am I right? (Be thankful I don't spell it "amirite?" like a fuckin' llama.) And Dr. Breen is a rather memorable villain, I think.
So, either way, Half-Life is the epitome of action games that play from a first-person perspective. And nothing you say will convince me otherwise. I've played through HL1 and OF at least three times each; I think it's only fair I play through HL2 more than once. It deserves it.
P.S. You wanna see somethin' absolutely fuckin' hilarious for all those who've played the singleplayer mode of HL1? Watch this series on Machinima.com. Now you know why Gordon Freeman doesn't ever talk in the actual games.
In some ways, HL2 is better than the first, but in some ways, it's worse than HL1. HL2 doesn't have as many weapons as the first. Also, you can't kill civilians. This makes the game easier, but also makes the player unable to commit acts of schadenfreude. Admit it, you liked it when you crowbarred a scientist just to hear him scream, didn't you? Also, HL2 is not as long as HL1. I don't know about Episode 1 and 2 and 3, but HL2 doesn't last as long as HL1. This is rather nitpicky, because HL2 is longer than, say, Max Payne 2. You still get plenty of bang for your buck. Lastly, you can't gib enemies in HL2, barring Antlions.
But in some ways, HL2 is better than HL1. Aside from improved production values, the shotgun and crossbow are way more powerful in HL2 than in HL1, making them more useful. And, although many weapons from HL1 and Opposing Force don't appear in HL2, it doesn't matter because you have vehicles. And the Gravity Gun. All hail the Gravity Gun. The enemy AI is improved, and it's not as challenging as HL1. It's more, useful friendly than the first, if you will. And let's not forget, Citadel makes for a much better endgame than Xen, am I right? (Be thankful I don't spell it "amirite?" like a fuckin' llama.) And Dr. Breen is a rather memorable villain, I think.
So, either way, Half-Life is the epitome of action games that play from a first-person perspective. And nothing you say will convince me otherwise. I've played through HL1 and OF at least three times each; I think it's only fair I play through HL2 more than once. It deserves it.
P.S. You wanna see somethin' absolutely fuckin' hilarious for all those who've played the singleplayer mode of HL1? Watch this series on Machinima.com. Now you know why Gordon Freeman doesn't ever talk in the actual games.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
"New shit has come to light."
The quote of today's entry comes from The Big Lebowski, one of the best movies of all time.
But we aren't going to talk about The Big Lebowski today. We're going to talk about my favorite manga series from CLAMP instead.
"Oh. Where are you at at Tsubasa now?"
Volume 17 is the last one I've completed now. I have seen alternate reality versions of Kamui and Suma from X/1999, and Subaru from Tokyo Babylon. I learned something important about Kamui. You know how in the 1990's, Japanese pop culture seemed to have some pathological obsession with good-looking boys who were surly, emotionally-troubled youths? Yeah, Kamui in Tsubasa is definitely that; like he apparently was in X/1999. He is, as English-speaking fans would say, an emo bishounen. Personally, I dislike using the term, "Emo" to describe anything that isn't a form of punk rock, so I'll instead say he looks like a girl, and he's never in a good mood. But enough about that.
Volume 15 starts a new arc. Then I read volumes 16 and 17.
Hole.
Lee.
FUCK.
The series has pulled a 180, much like the anime version of Chobits, but Chobits never had anything heavy like this! I've learned why Shaoran seems to have two personalities, I've learned a little more about Fai, Sakura demonstrated bravado like Nausicaa* again, Kurogane becomes more honorable, and Mokona becomes sad. There's nothing sadder than a sad Mokona. That last remark was said with half-jest, and half-seriousness.
And everything is really dark now, like the more recent entries in the Harry Potter franchise. Thought Tsubasa was becoming stagnant? Think again! Man, now I have to read more. I've read the series is about to come to a conclusion in Japan, so I shouldn't have to collect a whole lot more novels. That's cool. I have to see how it ends.
In other news . . .
At the bookstore, I spotted something curious. A few collectibles. A few collectibles in the manga section. They were chess pieces. Chess pieces depicting characters from CLAMP series. All of the pieces, save for the Mokona pieces, were Chibi-sized. There is only one word to describe the chess pieces I saw.
KAWAIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!
They were just so cute! The black side and white side had their own pieces! The black queen piece was Yuko-san, the white bishop piece was Fai-san, the pawns were Mokonas in both black and white, Shaoran was the white king piece, and take three guesses as to who the white queen piece was.
"OH NO! NOT SAKURA!"
Oh yes! There she was, with those huge round green eyes of hers! I was giggling right there in the store, over just how adorable the chess pieces were! Only problem is, the chess pieces were rather expensive. Also, I saw two characters I didn't recognize. One looked like a boy wearing a hat, another was a girl with long hair I couldn't recognize, must be from series I haven't read nor seen. But the detail was so good! And the colors were perfect! I wonder who the other chess pieces might be. Clow Reed might be the black king piece, Kurogane-san might be the black knight piece, and I wonder if there's a Tomoyo-chan piece? but I don't know. I'm just guessing.
Okay, enough of me talking in my effeminate voice.
Another time I was shopping, I found some accessories. More accessories that also made me giggle with delight. No, they didn't make me giggle over how infectiously cute they were, 'cause these ones weren't. But one time I was shopping, I saw some refrigerator magnets for sale.
Refrigerator magnets depicting characters from Motherfucking Death Note.
Oh yeah, baby! Right there, magnets of Light, L, Ryuk, Misa, and the letter L, ready to be emblazoned over your fridge! I couldn't believe my eyes! Accessories of the (second) best thing I've ever seen on Adult Swim! I also spotted a Ryuk keychain, but it wasn't as cool as the magnets. But man, L as my fridge magnet!? Too cool!
Good thing I don't have extra money to burn. Good thing I know how to prioritize my expenditures. I don't wanna imagine the money needed for accessories. Okay, signing off now . . .
But seriously, the CLAMP chess pieces were too cute! I wish they had all of them for me to see . . .
*That's the second time I've compared Sakura-hime to Nausicaa. In case you don't understand, Nausicaa, who is obviously from Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, is my favorite female protagonist from a graphic novel series of all time. To see Sakura-hime be like Nausicaa, even if only for a few chapters now and then, makes me like her all the ever more.
But we aren't going to talk about The Big Lebowski today. We're going to talk about my favorite manga series from CLAMP instead.
"Oh. Where are you at at Tsubasa now?"
Volume 17 is the last one I've completed now. I have seen alternate reality versions of Kamui and Suma from X/1999, and Subaru from Tokyo Babylon. I learned something important about Kamui. You know how in the 1990's, Japanese pop culture seemed to have some pathological obsession with good-looking boys who were surly, emotionally-troubled youths? Yeah, Kamui in Tsubasa is definitely that; like he apparently was in X/1999. He is, as English-speaking fans would say, an emo bishounen. Personally, I dislike using the term, "Emo" to describe anything that isn't a form of punk rock, so I'll instead say he looks like a girl, and he's never in a good mood. But enough about that.
Volume 15 starts a new arc. Then I read volumes 16 and 17.
Hole.
Lee.
FUCK.
The series has pulled a 180, much like the anime version of Chobits, but Chobits never had anything heavy like this! I've learned why Shaoran seems to have two personalities, I've learned a little more about Fai, Sakura demonstrated bravado like Nausicaa* again, Kurogane becomes more honorable, and Mokona becomes sad. There's nothing sadder than a sad Mokona. That last remark was said with half-jest, and half-seriousness.
And everything is really dark now, like the more recent entries in the Harry Potter franchise. Thought Tsubasa was becoming stagnant? Think again! Man, now I have to read more. I've read the series is about to come to a conclusion in Japan, so I shouldn't have to collect a whole lot more novels. That's cool. I have to see how it ends.
In other news . . .
At the bookstore, I spotted something curious. A few collectibles. A few collectibles in the manga section. They were chess pieces. Chess pieces depicting characters from CLAMP series. All of the pieces, save for the Mokona pieces, were Chibi-sized. There is only one word to describe the chess pieces I saw.
KAWAIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!
They were just so cute! The black side and white side had their own pieces! The black queen piece was Yuko-san, the white bishop piece was Fai-san, the pawns were Mokonas in both black and white, Shaoran was the white king piece, and take three guesses as to who the white queen piece was.
"OH NO! NOT SAKURA!"
Oh yes! There she was, with those huge round green eyes of hers! I was giggling right there in the store, over just how adorable the chess pieces were! Only problem is, the chess pieces were rather expensive. Also, I saw two characters I didn't recognize. One looked like a boy wearing a hat, another was a girl with long hair I couldn't recognize, must be from series I haven't read nor seen. But the detail was so good! And the colors were perfect! I wonder who the other chess pieces might be. Clow Reed might be the black king piece, Kurogane-san might be the black knight piece, and I wonder if there's a Tomoyo-chan piece? but I don't know. I'm just guessing.
Okay, enough of me talking in my effeminate voice.
Another time I was shopping, I found some accessories. More accessories that also made me giggle with delight. No, they didn't make me giggle over how infectiously cute they were, 'cause these ones weren't. But one time I was shopping, I saw some refrigerator magnets for sale.
Refrigerator magnets depicting characters from Motherfucking Death Note.
Oh yeah, baby! Right there, magnets of Light, L, Ryuk, Misa, and the letter L, ready to be emblazoned over your fridge! I couldn't believe my eyes! Accessories of the (second) best thing I've ever seen on Adult Swim! I also spotted a Ryuk keychain, but it wasn't as cool as the magnets. But man, L as my fridge magnet!? Too cool!
Good thing I don't have extra money to burn. Good thing I know how to prioritize my expenditures. I don't wanna imagine the money needed for accessories. Okay, signing off now . . .
But seriously, the CLAMP chess pieces were too cute! I wish they had all of them for me to see . . .
*That's the second time I've compared Sakura-hime to Nausicaa. In case you don't understand, Nausicaa, who is obviously from Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, is my favorite female protagonist from a graphic novel series of all time. To see Sakura-hime be like Nausicaa, even if only for a few chapters now and then, makes me like her all the ever more.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Possibly a product of the Hippy Dippy Weatherman.
If you don't know, you can watch English dubs of anime series that were imported by Funimation on youtube. Be careful, they change their episodes every Monday, so don't wait around. I wasn't interested at first, because their initials offerings included shows I don't care about, and Slayers. Yeah, you know how I feel about that.
EDIT: Actually, you can access all their older episodes. Just go to "view all videos" in their profile. Works for me. Anyways, back to the original text . . .
But just yesterday, they uploaded the first four episodes of Mushi-shi. Watch it if you haven't.
Contrary to popular opinion, I actually don't find most anime series and movies to be, attractive. Miyazaki's earlier movies, (pre-Princess Mononoke if you're curious) to be honest, do not impress me, aesthetically speaking. Also, I really couldn't overlook how jerky the animation of the anime shows I saw as a teenager were. Good job, Pokemon! Yu-Gi-Oh! What can I say? I grew up on Disney movies. And my favorite cartoon series of all time, Futurama, is pretty impressive looking.
However, there are some exceptions to that belief of mine. There are a few anime series I have seen that are very impressive looking. And, I will say right now, the best-looking animated series is indeed a Japanese series. For the last year or so, I always thought the most beautiful animated tv series was Trinity Blood. And indeed, it, as well as Ghost in the Shell, Haruhi, Eureka 7, and Motherfucking Death Note were those exceptions that outdid American animated series, animation-wise.
Then I saw Mushi-Shi in high quality.
Whoa man. Now Mushi-Shi has the honor of being the most beautiful animated tv series I've ever seen. I'm dead serious; a tv series that can match the animation quality of a theatrical animation. You will stand in awe of the world of Mushi.
And the show itself is very engaging. Emotions run high, yet it has a rather low-key approach. There are no villains, there is only one recurring character, there is no humor, no fanservice, and no anime cliches. If anything, the show is an expose of the human condition, and how that condition reacts to the supernatural phenomenon that is the Mushi. The show doesn't seem to be in a serial format. You can jump in any episode, and enjoy it. Mushi-shi is a relaxing experience, and indeed, after watching so many anime series that were either absurd, cutesy, violent, edgy, or obfuscating, it's nice to see a series like Mushi-shi. The relaxed nature, combined with an opening theme song that sounds like a mellow Beatles song in acoustic, makes me wonder if this is a product of a stereotypical hippie like the Hippy Dippy Weatherman. (If you don't know who that is, pay more attention to George Carlin's material.)
Nonetheless, Mushi-shi is a good series. It's a good way to unwind, and perhaps open your eyes to something different. I look forward to the next four episodes.
EDIT: Actually, you can access all their older episodes. Just go to "view all videos" in their profile. Works for me. Anyways, back to the original text . . .
But just yesterday, they uploaded the first four episodes of Mushi-shi. Watch it if you haven't.
Contrary to popular opinion, I actually don't find most anime series and movies to be, attractive. Miyazaki's earlier movies, (pre-Princess Mononoke if you're curious) to be honest, do not impress me, aesthetically speaking. Also, I really couldn't overlook how jerky the animation of the anime shows I saw as a teenager were. Good job, Pokemon! Yu-Gi-Oh! What can I say? I grew up on Disney movies. And my favorite cartoon series of all time, Futurama, is pretty impressive looking.
However, there are some exceptions to that belief of mine. There are a few anime series I have seen that are very impressive looking. And, I will say right now, the best-looking animated series is indeed a Japanese series. For the last year or so, I always thought the most beautiful animated tv series was Trinity Blood. And indeed, it, as well as Ghost in the Shell, Haruhi, Eureka 7, and Motherfucking Death Note were those exceptions that outdid American animated series, animation-wise.
Then I saw Mushi-Shi in high quality.
Whoa man. Now Mushi-Shi has the honor of being the most beautiful animated tv series I've ever seen. I'm dead serious; a tv series that can match the animation quality of a theatrical animation. You will stand in awe of the world of Mushi.
And the show itself is very engaging. Emotions run high, yet it has a rather low-key approach. There are no villains, there is only one recurring character, there is no humor, no fanservice, and no anime cliches. If anything, the show is an expose of the human condition, and how that condition reacts to the supernatural phenomenon that is the Mushi. The show doesn't seem to be in a serial format. You can jump in any episode, and enjoy it. Mushi-shi is a relaxing experience, and indeed, after watching so many anime series that were either absurd, cutesy, violent, edgy, or obfuscating, it's nice to see a series like Mushi-shi. The relaxed nature, combined with an opening theme song that sounds like a mellow Beatles song in acoustic, makes me wonder if this is a product of a stereotypical hippie like the Hippy Dippy Weatherman. (If you don't know who that is, pay more attention to George Carlin's material.)
Nonetheless, Mushi-shi is a good series. It's a good way to unwind, and perhaps open your eyes to something different. I look forward to the next four episodes.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
An update
I don't feel like talking about Gurren Lagaan right now.
But I do feel like talking about the manga version of Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle! And you know who's in Tsubasa . . .
OH NO! NOT-
-Uh, the last two volumes I read didn't really feature Sakura-hime very much. We already saw her in action during the volume 10 thru 12 arc. I finished vol. 14 recently, and things don't let up.
In volume 13, we learn more about Kurogane-san. There is much more to him than meets the eye. If there's something I've noticed about the major characters in Tsubasa, it's that they are multi-layered. Kurogane-san has grown on me throughout the series. At first, he seemed to be this totally irreverant punk, but now, now he's like, an honorable warrior type person. But a cool honorable warrior.
In volume 14, it ends on a cliffhanger. In vol. 14 though, I think, I think Shaoran-kun might have a split personality in Tsubasa. Most of the time, he's like, "I must save the princess!" but sometimes, especially in this volume, when he gets into hairy situations, he becomes like a totally different person. In his other 'form' I guess, he never talks, his eyes seem to light up, (they don't really light up, but his eyes seem to stand out more.) and he can totally beat the crap out of anything, even magical entities made of fire. So what's his secret?
Oh, also, according to what I've read from Wikipedia, the gang has supposedly run into characters that were originally from X/1999, and while I do have a little knowledge of X/1999, the only characters I know by name are Sorato and Arashi. All these other character references go right over my head. Sucks to be me, huh? I guess this is what happens when the only other CLAMP series you've seen and/or read are Cardcaptor Sakura and Chobits.
Oh, by the way, throughout Tsubasa, the gang, through the white Mokono, stays in contact with Yuko the space-time witch. And unlike with most of the other characters, the XXXholic characters in Tsubasa are the actual XXXholic characters, not alternate reality counterparts. Of course, I only know this because of Wikipedia.
Lastly, concerning mascots, the white Mokona will not dethrone Kero-chan anytime soon, but it (not a he or a she, but an it.) is more worthy than Sumomo.
(Sumomo) GOOD MOOOOORNIIIING! IT'S TIME FOR THE WAKEY WAKEY EXCERCISES!
(me) Shut up! *picks up Sumomo and throws her against the wall*
(Sumomo) *flying through air* WHOOOOOAAAAAAA!!!! *hits wall, then falls and hits ground* HELP ME! HELP ME! THAT MAN IS SCARY!
What? Don't tell me you wouldn't have done the same thing. She's a Persocom; it doesn't hurt her . . . I don't think.
CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT VOLUMES!
But I do feel like talking about the manga version of Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle! And you know who's in Tsubasa . . .
OH NO! NOT-
-Uh, the last two volumes I read didn't really feature Sakura-hime very much. We already saw her in action during the volume 10 thru 12 arc. I finished vol. 14 recently, and things don't let up.
In volume 13, we learn more about Kurogane-san. There is much more to him than meets the eye. If there's something I've noticed about the major characters in Tsubasa, it's that they are multi-layered. Kurogane-san has grown on me throughout the series. At first, he seemed to be this totally irreverant punk, but now, now he's like, an honorable warrior type person. But a cool honorable warrior.
In volume 14, it ends on a cliffhanger. In vol. 14 though, I think, I think Shaoran-kun might have a split personality in Tsubasa. Most of the time, he's like, "I must save the princess!" but sometimes, especially in this volume, when he gets into hairy situations, he becomes like a totally different person. In his other 'form' I guess, he never talks, his eyes seem to light up, (they don't really light up, but his eyes seem to stand out more.) and he can totally beat the crap out of anything, even magical entities made of fire. So what's his secret?
Oh, also, according to what I've read from Wikipedia, the gang has supposedly run into characters that were originally from X/1999, and while I do have a little knowledge of X/1999, the only characters I know by name are Sorato and Arashi. All these other character references go right over my head. Sucks to be me, huh? I guess this is what happens when the only other CLAMP series you've seen and/or read are Cardcaptor Sakura and Chobits.
Oh, by the way, throughout Tsubasa, the gang, through the white Mokono, stays in contact with Yuko the space-time witch. And unlike with most of the other characters, the XXXholic characters in Tsubasa are the actual XXXholic characters, not alternate reality counterparts. Of course, I only know this because of Wikipedia.
Lastly, concerning mascots, the white Mokona will not dethrone Kero-chan anytime soon, but it (not a he or a she, but an it.) is more worthy than Sumomo.
(Sumomo) GOOD MOOOOORNIIIING! IT'S TIME FOR THE WAKEY WAKEY EXCERCISES!
(me) Shut up! *picks up Sumomo and throws her against the wall*
(Sumomo) *flying through air* WHOOOOOAAAAAAA!!!! *hits wall, then falls and hits ground* HELP ME! HELP ME! THAT MAN IS SCARY!
What? Don't tell me you wouldn't have done the same thing. She's a Persocom; it doesn't hurt her . . . I don't think.
CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT VOLUMES!
Monday, August 4, 2008
"Weren't you supposed to be in the test chamber half an hour ago?"
So, after having tried out Portal, I remembered something.
The Half-Life series is my favorite action game series.
I bought Half-Life (the original non-Source version) and its expansion Opposing Force in early 2000. It was pretty much all I played on my PC that year. Well, why wouldn't I? At that time, those were the best shooters ever made, even better than Duke Nukem 3D, which I didn't think possible. What really blew me away, more than anything else, was Black Mesa. Unlike older shooters, Half-Life wasn't broken down into small levels. No, it was one large continuous environment. And, the Black Mesa Research Facility was so fully realized, I feel as though I've actually been to the BMRF. Swear to God. It feels like a real place. "Yeah, a place with aliens, crackshot soldiers, and experimental weaponry." Precisely. Sure, the game had a few bugs, and Xen, although being a cool environment, was not as fun as the BMRF. Still, it was awesome, and you gotta love the cheesy dialogue. ("My God, what are you doing!?")
Then, a few years later, and we are blessed with Half-Life 2. It was like the first game, but with a more professional feel. The graphics were otherwordly, the voices were improved, as was the sound design. There were some new enemies, some old enemies, and driveable vehicles, but none of that matters because of two words: Gravity Gun.
That's what being a physicist is all about; using the world's physics to your advantage, and no weapon in action game history has done that better than the Gravity Gun. You can turn anything into a weapon with the Gravity Gun. Even a can of paint can prove lethal to a headcrab with the Gravity Gun as your weapon. And, unlike in the first game, the last segment was totally awesome. But what is up with that G-Man? What is he?
I haven't played Episode 1 and 2 yet, but I have played a few mods for the first Half-Life. The best singleplayer mod for HL1, by far, is They Hunger. They Hunger recycles enemies and weapons from the first HL and various HL mods to provide a horror experience. Its environment, much like the BMRF, feels like a real place. It even has its own song during the ending credits, provided you get that far. A must play, for certain.
So, if you're wondering why I hate Halo, well, it's because Halo is not Half-Life. Then again, I've heard people say Half-Life sucks because it's not Halo. Well, let me ask you this; what does the Covenant got on the Combine? Answer: Jack Diddly Squat, that's what!
All Hail the Free Man!
By the way, next time I update, it'll be about one of two things; either something that is the awesomest awesome that ever awesomed, or three guys, a girl, and a white rabbity thing. Stick around.
P.S. Wake up, Mr. Freeman. Wake up, and smell the ashes.
The Half-Life series is my favorite action game series.
I bought Half-Life (the original non-Source version) and its expansion Opposing Force in early 2000. It was pretty much all I played on my PC that year. Well, why wouldn't I? At that time, those were the best shooters ever made, even better than Duke Nukem 3D, which I didn't think possible. What really blew me away, more than anything else, was Black Mesa. Unlike older shooters, Half-Life wasn't broken down into small levels. No, it was one large continuous environment. And, the Black Mesa Research Facility was so fully realized, I feel as though I've actually been to the BMRF. Swear to God. It feels like a real place. "Yeah, a place with aliens, crackshot soldiers, and experimental weaponry." Precisely. Sure, the game had a few bugs, and Xen, although being a cool environment, was not as fun as the BMRF. Still, it was awesome, and you gotta love the cheesy dialogue. ("My God, what are you doing!?")
Then, a few years later, and we are blessed with Half-Life 2. It was like the first game, but with a more professional feel. The graphics were otherwordly, the voices were improved, as was the sound design. There were some new enemies, some old enemies, and driveable vehicles, but none of that matters because of two words: Gravity Gun.
That's what being a physicist is all about; using the world's physics to your advantage, and no weapon in action game history has done that better than the Gravity Gun. You can turn anything into a weapon with the Gravity Gun. Even a can of paint can prove lethal to a headcrab with the Gravity Gun as your weapon. And, unlike in the first game, the last segment was totally awesome. But what is up with that G-Man? What is he?
I haven't played Episode 1 and 2 yet, but I have played a few mods for the first Half-Life. The best singleplayer mod for HL1, by far, is They Hunger. They Hunger recycles enemies and weapons from the first HL and various HL mods to provide a horror experience. Its environment, much like the BMRF, feels like a real place. It even has its own song during the ending credits, provided you get that far. A must play, for certain.
So, if you're wondering why I hate Halo, well, it's because Halo is not Half-Life. Then again, I've heard people say Half-Life sucks because it's not Halo. Well, let me ask you this; what does the Covenant got on the Combine? Answer: Jack Diddly Squat, that's what!
All Hail the Free Man!
By the way, next time I update, it'll be about one of two things; either something that is the awesomest awesome that ever awesomed, or three guys, a girl, and a white rabbity thing. Stick around.
P.S. Wake up, Mr. Freeman. Wake up, and smell the ashes.
getting Steamed
I have Steam on my computer. It's no surprise, considering that I also have Half-Life 2 installed on there. Man, Steam used to be so unreliable, especially back when it first came out. Nowadays, Steam is awesome . . . provided you have a fast, reliable internet connection, which I currently do.
I'm still amazed that I, in theory, could buy and download hundreds of games off of Steam, and the best part is, I wouldn't have to put the CD or DVD in every time I wanted to play a Steam game. However, because I am a cheapskate, (and also since I don't want to use my parents' credit card.) you can download demos of games off Steam for free. So I downloaded some demos. Also note, I would've downloaded the demo of Bioshock, but my PC would fry if I tried to run such a game on it. Oh well. Here's three games I played recently:
Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slicked Precipice of Darkness.
I've never been a fan of Penny Arcade, but this game makes up for it. When you're not in combat, it plays like the Diablo games. Basically, you click to do everything: move, crack open boxes, talk to people, and so on. When you enter combat, it's like the combat system from Chrono Trigger, with Final Fantasy 10's overdrives thrown in. You wait too long to attack, and you'll get fucked by the fruit fuckers. Consequently, you can use items and normal attacks, and special attacks which work like the aformentioned overdrives. Also, some characters have, I guess you could say dual techs. For example, Gabe and Tycho have a dual tech that does a lot of damage against one enemy. Lastly, there are no random encounters (or at least there wasn't in the demo.) but some enemies can't be avoided. The graphics are great, and so is the music. And best of all, it doesn't take itself seriously. Like RPGs? Then you'll like On the Rain-Slicked Precipice of Darkness.
Portal.
I was shocked myself when I wrote in my last entry that I've never played Portal. So, even though the demo is only about ten minutes long, I can see where all the hype comes from. This is a puzzle game. A genuine puzzle game. You have to actually think to beat this one. I like how it uses the Source engine from HL2; even has many of the same sound effects. I only have one complaint though, it's not about Portal itself. Rather, it's this. Thanks, Internet. Thanks for not shutting the fuck up about Portal. I already know one plot twist thanks to you. Why did you constantly have to shout, "LOL! THE CAKE IS A LIE! LOL!"? You spoil me.
Audiosurf.
In this game, you guide a hovercar on a trippy one-way race track, collecting blocks. It's a little more complex than that, but you race to get blocks. What's this game's gimmick, then? The track you pick is based on an MP3 on your computer. You select a piece of music, and you race it. Not only do you hear your music, but the track is in sync to it, also. When the music's slow, the track is slow. When the music's fast, then blocks come at you everywhere. I can listen to my music and play. See, this game has the best soundtrack ever; you choose the music! By the way, is Audiosurf one of those so-called 'casual' games I've been hearing so much about? If it is, then I say, bring on the casual games!
These games are all good enough to own. Haven't played any of them, yet? Then go on and do so. The xm commands it.
P.S. You know what a good song to play on Audiosurf is? The extended cut of Hare Hare Yukai. The SOS Brigade has now invaded Audiosurf!
I'm still amazed that I, in theory, could buy and download hundreds of games off of Steam, and the best part is, I wouldn't have to put the CD or DVD in every time I wanted to play a Steam game. However, because I am a cheapskate, (and also since I don't want to use my parents' credit card.) you can download demos of games off Steam for free. So I downloaded some demos. Also note, I would've downloaded the demo of Bioshock, but my PC would fry if I tried to run such a game on it. Oh well. Here's three games I played recently:
Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slicked Precipice of Darkness.
I've never been a fan of Penny Arcade, but this game makes up for it. When you're not in combat, it plays like the Diablo games. Basically, you click to do everything: move, crack open boxes, talk to people, and so on. When you enter combat, it's like the combat system from Chrono Trigger, with Final Fantasy 10's overdrives thrown in. You wait too long to attack, and you'll get fucked by the fruit fuckers. Consequently, you can use items and normal attacks, and special attacks which work like the aformentioned overdrives. Also, some characters have, I guess you could say dual techs. For example, Gabe and Tycho have a dual tech that does a lot of damage against one enemy. Lastly, there are no random encounters (or at least there wasn't in the demo.) but some enemies can't be avoided. The graphics are great, and so is the music. And best of all, it doesn't take itself seriously. Like RPGs? Then you'll like On the Rain-Slicked Precipice of Darkness.
Portal.
I was shocked myself when I wrote in my last entry that I've never played Portal. So, even though the demo is only about ten minutes long, I can see where all the hype comes from. This is a puzzle game. A genuine puzzle game. You have to actually think to beat this one. I like how it uses the Source engine from HL2; even has many of the same sound effects. I only have one complaint though, it's not about Portal itself. Rather, it's this. Thanks, Internet. Thanks for not shutting the fuck up about Portal. I already know one plot twist thanks to you. Why did you constantly have to shout, "LOL! THE CAKE IS A LIE! LOL!"? You spoil me.
Audiosurf.
In this game, you guide a hovercar on a trippy one-way race track, collecting blocks. It's a little more complex than that, but you race to get blocks. What's this game's gimmick, then? The track you pick is based on an MP3 on your computer. You select a piece of music, and you race it. Not only do you hear your music, but the track is in sync to it, also. When the music's slow, the track is slow. When the music's fast, then blocks come at you everywhere. I can listen to my music and play. See, this game has the best soundtrack ever; you choose the music! By the way, is Audiosurf one of those so-called 'casual' games I've been hearing so much about? If it is, then I say, bring on the casual games!
These games are all good enough to own. Haven't played any of them, yet? Then go on and do so. The xm commands it.
P.S. You know what a good song to play on Audiosurf is? The extended cut of Hare Hare Yukai. The SOS Brigade has now invaded Audiosurf!
Friday, August 1, 2008
And now another Q&A with XM0123 the Scholar
Q: What are your favorite first-person shooters?
A: Duke Nukem 3D, System Shock 2, Half-Life, Half-Life: Opposing Force, and Half-Life 2.
Q: Do you feel sorry for the Weighted Companion Cube?
A: What? I've never played Portal. Cut me some slack.
Q: What's your favorite flavor of ice cream?
A: Rainbow Sherbet. Anything else is uncivilized.
Q: One of your earlier posts refers to, "My homeboy E.E." Who is E.E.?
A: Do you even have to ask?
Q: Asuka Soryu Langley is hot, wouldn't you agree?
A: God damn it! No she's not! What the fuck is wrong with you!?!?!?!
Q: LOL! I knew you'd react like that! But, why the antagonism?
A: I don't know. Maybe I'm getting back at every one of the psycho nerds I knew back in high school in doing so. At least two of them worshiped Eva, so there.
Q: Any last minute plans before you go back to school?
A: Well the first thing I'm gonna do, before school starts, is clip my toenails. I think that's a good start.
Q: Do you have any last words?
A: You aren't gonna kill me, are you?
Q: No. I meant last words for this interview.
A: Ooooohhhhhh. Okay. I wanna repeat a joke I read on the internet before. Only some of the words will be altered so that you will be able to understand it. Here goes:
A: Duke Nukem 3D, System Shock 2, Half-Life, Half-Life: Opposing Force, and Half-Life 2.
Q: Do you feel sorry for the Weighted Companion Cube?
A: What? I've never played Portal. Cut me some slack.
Q: What's your favorite flavor of ice cream?
A: Rainbow Sherbet. Anything else is uncivilized.
Q: One of your earlier posts refers to, "My homeboy E.E." Who is E.E.?
A: Do you even have to ask?
Q: Asuka Soryu Langley is hot, wouldn't you agree?
A: God damn it! No she's not! What the fuck is wrong with you!?!?!?!
Q: LOL! I knew you'd react like that! But, why the antagonism?
A: I don't know. Maybe I'm getting back at every one of the psycho nerds I knew back in high school in doing so. At least two of them worshiped Eva, so there.
Q: Any last minute plans before you go back to school?
A: Well the first thing I'm gonna do, before school starts, is clip my toenails. I think that's a good start.
Q: Do you have any last words?
A: You aren't gonna kill me, are you?
Q: No. I meant last words for this interview.
A: Ooooohhhhhh. Okay. I wanna repeat a joke I read on the internet before. Only some of the words will be altered so that you will be able to understand it. Here goes:
Im teh xm0123.
Dont say that Half-Life* suxs
or i wil have 2 shoot at U wid my shoo ting gun a lot of many times
*you can substitute Half-Life with Star Wars, Chrono Trigger, Fullmetal Alchemist, or Motherfucking Death Note to get the same effect.
Dont say that Half-Life* suxs
or i wil have 2 shoot at U wid my shoo ting gun a lot of many times
*you can substitute Half-Life with Star Wars, Chrono Trigger, Fullmetal Alchemist, or Motherfucking Death Note to get the same effect.
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