Do you like video games? Then go here.
If you have a Fileplanet account, you can also download some MP3s. (Note: some of the MP3s on Hardcore Gaming 101 aren't exactly high quality.)
But there was an article on Hardcore Gaming 101 that reminded me of something. Something . . . from my past.
Flashback to the first half of 2003. I was a junior in high school, and I was 17. I don't remember the exact month, but sometime in March, April, May, or June of 2003, my friends at that time invited me to a party. I accepted. Yes, these were those friends of mine, the psycho dysfunctional otakus. This was the last party of theirs I ever went to. So I get there, I'm chatting it up, when someone brings in a new PS2 game. At this time, I did not own a PS2 (that didn't happen until early 2005) so any PS2-only game was foreign to me. I learned what this game was: Guilty Gear X2. Nowadays, we call it GG: XX, but that was then.
Now, I had actually heard a little bit about GG X2 prior to this. I had briefly scanned a Gamespy review of the game. The review went something like this:
"ZOH MY GAWD! ZOH MY GAWD! ZOH MY GAWD! ZOH MY GAWD! ZOH MY GAWD! ZOH MY GAWD! ZOH MY GAWD! ZOH MY GAWD! ZOH MY GAWD! ZOH MY GAWD! UNPARALLELED 2D GRAPHICS! ZOH MY GAWD! ZOH MY GAWD! ZOH MY GAWD! ZOH MY GAWD! ZOH MY GAWD! ZOH MY GAWD! ZOH MY GAWD! ZOH MY GAWD! ZOH MY GAWD! ZOH MY GAWD! ROCK MUSIC IN THE SOUNDTRACK! ZOH MY GAWD! ZOH MY GAWD! ZOH MY GAWD! ZOH MY GAWD! ZOH MY GAWD! ZOH MY GAWD! ZOH MY GAWD! ZOH MY GAWD! ZOH MY GAWD! ZOH MY GAWD! WE CAN'T REMEMBER THE LAST TIME WE ORGASMED OVER A TOURNEY FIGHTER LIKE THIS ONE!!!!!"
And lucky for me, I got to see the game in action. Oddly enough, although I was offered the chance to play, I declined, for I didn't want to embarrass myself trying to play a game I was completely unfamiliar with. (Which had happened in the past.) So I watched. I was impressed with the graphics. I had never seen 2D graphics of that technical level before. I had observed a few things about the game, which, for the longest time, remained my only knowledge of all things GG related. They were as follows:
-There was a blonde dude named Ky. One of the players always played Ky, and as such, I picked up on the name.
-There was a really tall dude with a paper bag over his head (and glasses) who could attack by opening doors. That was funny the first time I saw that.
-There was a character who blurted out random Japanese words. And he would always pronounce them correctly. It was the first time I ever heard someone say, "kamikaze!" correctly.
-"Trust me, man. This 'chick', is actually a guy." "Seriously? But, Bridget is a girl's name!" "Not for this Bridget." *starts match* "Listen." (in game audio: "I'm a crossdresser!") "Told cha so!" "No way!" (And thanks to that, I had avoided the trap entirely.)
I was impressed. However, I didn't have a PS2 at the time, so I never played it. And, if you'll recall, sometime after I had finished my junior year of high school, I had a falling out with the "friends" of that party, so by the start of my senior year, (September 2003) I had no one to talk to about Guilty Gear. And, while I did get a PS2 by 2005, I couldn't ask to borrow the "friend's" copy because of the falling out. God, imagine how awkward that would've been if I was ballsy enough to attempt that.
{I'm at said 'friend's house. I knock on the door. The 'friend' answers.}
{'Friend'} xm!? The fuck do you want!?
{Me} You still have Guilty Gear X2? I wanna borrow it.
{'Friend'} But, I thought you didn't have a PS2.
{Me} Don't ask for details. Just, do you have it or not?
{'Friend'} I'll lend it to you, but only if you promise to watch all of Slayers with me.
{Me} I may be crazy, but I am NOT watching a fucking anime just to borrow a game. (note: if this scenario took place before mid 2007, that would totally have been something I would've said.)
{'Friend'} Either you watch Slayers, or leave.
{Me} (leaving) I knew visiting you again was a bad idea.
So, because I was a late PS2 owner, and because of my unfortunate social situation, Guilty Gear, as a whole, slipped out of my mind. The only time I ever mentioned GG on this blog was when I was commenting how Mugen players like using Mugen versions of GG characters. (Including Ky! I knew he looked familiar!)
That's all going to change.
When I read that article, I also downloaded the sample MP3s. Most of the songs are kickass. (Then again, I love rock in all of its myriad forms, from classic, to alternative, to metal, to punk, and everything in-between.)
And then I discovered; there's a new GG game out for the PS2: Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus. Only 30 dollars, years of refinement, and a bonus CD with music! Just like Persona 4! And, I have pocket change to burn, and a burned-out economy to stimulate. (Think about it; GG may be a Japanese product, but the American distributor gets money too. Both America and Japan are in a recession right now. Someone's gotta give back to the video game industries of both countries!)
So next chance I get, I'm hitting up the video game stores in my town. And if that fails, there's always Amazon.
"But, I thought this was Half-Life History Month! Why your sudden fascination with a game that's part of a genre you don't even like for the most part!?"
Because if GG: XX AC+ is more enjoyable than Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 3, it will be totally worth it.
(And those Goddamned Striders! I can't beat them even on the easy mode!)
