Sunday, November 11, 2007

Gaming Beyond the Horizon, Gaming Past Due


Games coming out in the next two weeks I will be purchasing:
- Super Mario Galaxy
- Assassin's Creed
- Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles
- Mass Effect
- Link's Crossbow Training

Games I've already bought and/or plan to that have come out this year:
- Eternal Sonata
- Beautiful Katamari
- Chibi-Robo!: Park Patrol
- Heroes of Mana
- Kurikin Nano Island
- Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials and Tribulations
- Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland
- Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice for All

To-be-released: 5
Already released: 8
Total: 13

Not really a bad ratio. Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles, Super Mario Galaxy, Link's Crossbow Training and Assassin's Creed will all be relatively short affairs. Mass Effect, on the other hand, likely will not be. I need to decide how much time I'll devote to it, since it's going to be absolutely huge.

Eternal Sonata I own, but given it's rather... how can I put this, terrible combat, boring characters and storyline, well... Blue Dragon destroys this game in terms of everything, yet Eternal Sonata was reviewed better! I don't understand the press, sometimes. Beautiful Katamari will undoubtedly be short given the length of the first two titles. Chibi-Robo!'s DS outting, I'd imagine, will be quick. Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland is a non-linear RPG, so I have no idea what to expect. I haven't even played the two Phoenix Wright's that came out this year, and they aren't the shortest games around, either. Heroes of Mana is an RTS/RPG, which is said to be around 20-30 hours. And, Kurikin Nano Island, is a Japanese RTS/RPG with a rather odd premise -- you fight with and command microscope germs and stuff, it's neat. No idea if I'll even get around to it this year, but I doubt it.

Interesting note, there isn't a single DS game I plan to buy that's not out yet (for this year), yet they account for the majority of my "already released" list.

The order in which I plan to play the games yet to be released:
1. Super Mario Galaxy
2. Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles
3. Link's Crossbow Training (maybe interspersed with Assassin's Creed)
4. Assassin's Creed
5. Mass Effect

In retrospect, it was probably good that Super Smash Bros. Brawl was delayed. It gives me time to go through the sheer amount of games I didn't complete and have yet to complete this year.

Three Words Review: Portal



Inventive, brief, cake.

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

What is Hype? Baby, Don't Hurt Me

Anything that's surrounded with hype is leading a damned if you do, damned if you don't type ordeal. What I mean is, there's always going to be negativity when there's a surplus of positive encompassing something. What you're left with is a product that's either devoid of positive attention, or an embodiment of fulfillment.

What I'm rather ambiguously referring to is the impending release of Super Mario Galaxy; a product that was relatively low-key (in regards to the so-called "hardcore gamers" that make up the majority of game messageboards) until about a week or two ago. It's now, rather suddenly, struck a chord with gamers' hearts and is being hyped into the stratosphere. Of course, as I already mentioned, there will be fallout once the game's out. There are always jaded people that will go in with a particular mindset (game will suck) and will come out with that same mindset.

The last time I've particularly witnessed a game receiving this kind of attention (at least, this year) was with BioShock. BioShock turned out to be a rather good game, but the gaming press christened it as some pious deliverance from God. As much as I don't want to generalize, but, I will, it was a streamlined System Shock 2. Now, don't get me wrong, it was easily one of the best titles that I've played this year, and likely will be in my top 5 or 10 for this year. However, given what it was hyped to be, and given what the end result was, it was disappointing.

BioShock's hype came as a manifestation of a demo released on Xbox Live about a week prior to its retail release. This demo took player's through the first "area/stage," so to speak, and that first area is phenomenal. You're left with a modicum of options initially to attack enemies with, but it's still a very satisfying experience. That, coupled with the broken street date (chosen date of release assigned by the game's publisher) by Toys R Us, instigated a frenzy of decidedly impatient, anxious, and ravenous gamers.



Cue Super Mario Galaxy. Why has this game been hyped suddenly? What was the catalyst that caused for this game to be the spotlight of attention? Coincidentally, a demo. It isn't exactly unfolding in the way BioShock had, but Super Mario Galaxy's attention of late can likely be accredited to the GameStop demo for it. The full retail game was shipped to GameStop's nation-wide last week, three weeks before the game's US release. It's no surprise that it's managed to leak onto the internet, too, so that's another factor in this amalgam of hype. It also had its Japanese release just yesterday, and import copies are arriving to some of the gaming press to fiddle with before they receive their review copy. Review copies have, apparently, already been dispatched and should be received in a day or two, if not already. I digress, though, it's this combined with the absolute heaps of positive press the title is receiving. A UK game magazine, GamesTM, reviewed it and called it "the best 3D platformer ever." That is quite the accomplishment, given that Super Mario 64 is largely regarded as the holder of that title. Positive press is also the second parallel between Super Mario Galaxy and BioShock. People are itching to get this title in their hands, and there's still another two long weeks left.

Well, that was a rather lengthy exposition. I realized something last year when Super Mario Galaxy was first shown at E3 2006. It's something that was, surprisingly, blind to me, and I'm not exactly sure why. I think that Super Mario is probably my favorite series, and I can recall my most fond gaming experiences ever with it. Super Mario 64 was a title unlike any other, and the awe and enchanting effects that game held over me will likely never be reproduced. The pivotal transition from 2D to 3D was one unlike any other. Super Mario 64 is a title that, at the time, I didn't appreciate for more than just, "HOLY SHIT, THIS GAME IS 3D AND I HAVE FULL CONTROL OVER MARIO. THIS IS SO MUCH FUN." Looking back, the game's level design, creativity, ingenuity, and just sheer wonder was beyond anything at the time, and hasn't been touched since. Comparing it to the rather lackluster (but, still fun) Super Mario Sunshine, it becomes all the more obvious that Super Mario 64 was something special. The only real reason I can think of why Super Mario 64 turned out the way it did, was because Shigeru Miyamoto directed the title; the last game he was in the directorial role of.

After the NES, Miyamoto was assigned to mainly supervision duties as a producer of Nintendo EAD (then, R&D3 and R&D4, I believe). He didn't really delve into directing much. Following Super Mario 64, he returned to his producer role, and was overseeing the entirety of all production (even with second and third party licensed projects), for some time. This continued into the GCN era. The internal restructuring of EAD was done as a means to relieve Miyamoto of his duties so he could only maintain watch over EAD. Meaning that he'd be able to go much more hands-on with projects that were being done internally. Ultimately, one of the many magnificent decisions Iwata's made since he became president. Right around the time of the restructuring, was when pre-production of Super Mario Galaxy began. You can pretty much likely guess where I'm going now. Miyamoto was able to play a producer role (which, was fine), but was involved with all aspects of development in the same way a director is. He's stated that his role on Super Mario Galaxy is more of a directorial role than even when he was a director previously on games. Is Super Mario Galaxy's incredible design a direct result of Miyamoto's involvement? I don't know, and, frankly, I'd like to be wrong, because I dislike the thought that Nintendo relies on this one man entirely for their software. Of course, when you're dealing with unquestionably the most successful designer in the business (both critically and commercially), wouldn't you want him to have a say over everything and anything?

Super Mario Galaxy's magic is actually being done by a relatively new team. EAD Tokyo, which was formed in 2003, has only released one game so far -- the sleeper hit Donkey Kong Jungle Beat. The studio is comprised of the core members of the Super Mario Sunshine team. Notable of which being Yoshiaki Koizumi, the director of Sunshine, and Takao Shimizu, the assistant director. Shimizu's most notable directorial role comes from Star Fox 64. Koizumi was assistant director to Miyamoto on Super Mario 64, as well as sub-director on Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. Both are seasoned Nintendo employees, and have been with the company since the NES days. The sad thing is, the only other name that's really associated with Super Mario (besides composer Koji Kondo) is Takashi Tezuka, and he's not involved with Super Mario Galaxy. Tezuka is just below Miyamoto in terms of power, as he's the general producer of EAD. Tezuka is, in my opinion, the best director Nintendo has, and it's a shame to see him being relegated to production duties. (That's kind of an odd way of describing it, as he really was promoted, but, whatever.) But, I digress. Tezuka is an important link to Super Mario Galaxy, as he was the main director of Super Mario Bros. 3. Why is this important? Many people are heralding Super Mario Galaxy as not the true successor to Super Mario 64; no, it transcends that, but Super Mario Bros. 3, arguably the fan favorite in the series. Tezuka was moderately involved with New Super Mario Bros., but that can't really hold a candle to Super Mario Bros. 3.

The team is young, has a lot of passion, and are looking to create fun and engaging products. Some of the new staff that was picked up for EAD Tokyo included animators, musicians and some graphic designers. It's likely this will be their landmark title, though.

I've kind of gotten a bit bored typing all of this up, so I'll continue this sometime later. Enjoy another picture of Super Mario Galaxy.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Exhaustive Research: Why Being Obsessive-Compulsive is No Good

This will be, yet again, another entry in which I wish I had a means of doing an entry cut. Again, if anyone can inform me on this process using Blogger, by all means, don't hesitate to comment.

Anyway, this isn't pertinent to my other post (meaning, I don't have anything special to show at all).

Before I begin, let me give you the synopsis. I'm looking to play through and finish a vast majority of Nintendo first or second-party developed titles. It's quite a grandiose task, but I think I can manage... over the course of a few years. I've realized that there are a slew of Nintendo published titles that I've never even touched, but have always wanted to. So, I set forth on this mission about two weeks ago, beginning with the excellent Mother (EarthBound Zero) on the NES. The title's a fairly typical RPG in terms of battle mechanics and other general RPG archetypes, but the story and characters are definitely atypical. I'm done with that, and going through EarthBound (Mother 2) currently, but I'm not enjoying it as much. Firstly, the music isn't quite as evocative, and, secondly, the characters and NPCs don't seem as quirky, for want of a better term/description.

So, what exactly am I looking at in terms of titles? How many, which series', Japanese-only releases, etc.? There are a staggering 82 titles that I would like to play -- and, I omitted a fair bit. However, many of the titles/series listed I have no intentions to play for a long time, if at all. There's no chance I'll ever get around to playing all of these, but I'd like to tackle a good chunk of them.

Of course, there will be inhibitions in my mission. The most prevalent of which being that a damn good amount of these games never even saw an English release. What's more, is that most of them haven't had completed fan translations. Tomato Adventure, for example, looks to be one of the most interesting RPGs on the Game Boy Advance, yet, it wasn't brought to America, and there is no fan translation. There are FAQs available, and I intend to fully use them (especially for NES games, as most of those are directionless), but it's not going to be the same.

Before I proceed to the full list, let me just explain the formatting I used.

Each system is listed, with the title of specific games below it. Next to the title of the game is the development team/studio behind it. Some titles have the asterisk (*) next to them. This is used to denote titles that have questionable translations (if at all), or titles that I may or may not play at all (likely, won't).

Onto the list:

NES -

Famicom Wars (Intelligent Systems)
StarTropics (Already played it, will replay to refresh my memory) (Nintendo R&D3)
Zoda’s Revenge: StarTropics II (Nintendo R&D3)
Air Fortress (HAL Labs)*
Joy Mecha Fight (HAL Labs)*

Sega Genesis -

Pulseman (Game Freak)

SNES -

F-Zero (Nintendo EAD)
Super Metroid (Team Deer Force [Defunct])
EarthBound [Mother 2] (HAL Labs, APE, Inc.)
Marvelous: Another Treasure Island (Nintendo EAD)
Famicom Tantei Club Part II: Ushiro ni Tatsu Shoujo (Nintendo EAD)
Sutte Hakkun (Nintendo EAD)

N64 -

Custom Robo (Noise)*
Custom Robo V2 (Noise)*
Legend of Zelda: Major’s Mask (Nintendo EAD)
GoldenEye 007 (Rareware)*
Perfect Dark (Rareware)*
Sin & Punishment: Successor of the Earth (Treasure)
F-Zero X (Nintendo EAD)

GameCube -

Pikmin (Nintendo EAD)
Doshin the Giant (Nintendo EAD/Param)*
Star Fox Adventures (Rareware)*
GiFTPIA (skip ltd.)*
Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (Nintendo EAD)
F-Zero GX (Amusement Vision)
Custom Robo Battle Revolution (Noise)
Pikmin 2 (Nintendo EAD)
WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Party Game$ (Nintendo SP&D1, Intelligent Systems)
Battalion Wars (Kuju)*
Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door (Intelligent Systems)

Game Boy -

Game Boy Wars (Intelligent Systems)
Metroid II: Return of Samus (Nintendo SP&D1)
Wave Race (Nintendo EAD)*
Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 (Nintendo R&D1)*
Mole Mania (Nintendo EAD?)*
Wario Land II (Nintendo R&D1)*
Card Hero (Nintendo SP&D1)*
Kirby Tilt ‘n’ Tumble (Nintendo R&D2)
Wario Land 3 (Nintendo R&D1)*
Game Boy Wars TURBO (Hudson Soft)*
Game Boy Wars 2 (Hudson Soft)*

Game Boy Advance -

Advance Wars (Intelligent Systems)
F-Zero: Maximum Velocity (NDCUBE)
Custom Robo GX (Noise)*
Golden Sun (Camelot)*
Wario Land 4 (Nintendo R&D1)*
Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising (Intelligent Systems)
Golden Sun: The Lost Age (Camelot)*
Tomato Adventure (AlphaDream)
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga (AlphaDream)
Mother 1+2 (HAL Labs, APE, Inc.)*
Sennen Kazoku (Nintendo R&D1)*
Rhythm Tengoku (Nintendo SP&D1)
Sword of Mana (Brownie Brown)*
F-Zero Climax (Suzak)
F-Zero GP Legend (Suzak)
Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (Flagship)
WarioWare: Twisted! (Nintendo SP&D1, Intelligent Systems)
Drill Dozer (Game Freak)
Mother 3 (HAL Labs, Brownie Brown, APE, Inc.)
Magical Vacation (Brownie Brown)*
Sakura Momoko no Ukiuki Carnival (Nintendo EAD)*

Nintendo DS -

Daigasso! Band Brothers (Nintendo EAD?)
WarioWare: Touched! (Nintendo SP&D1, Intelligent Systems)
Kirby: Canvas Curse (HAL Labs)
Advance Wars: Dual Strike (Intelligent Systems)
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time (AlphaDream)
Freshly-Picked Tingle’s Rosy Rupeeland (Vanpool, Nintendo SP&D3)
Magical Starsign (Brownie Brown)
Custom Robo Arena (Noise)*
Chibi-Robo: Park Patrol (skip ltd.)
Heroes of Mana (Brownie Brown)*
Advance Wars: Days of Ruin (Intelligent Systems)

Let me provide a breakdown on the development studios/teams I have listed:

Intelligent Systems - Nintendo first-party, broke away from Nintendo Research & Development 1 (Gunpei Yokoi's division) to form a studio in Tokyo.

Nintendo Research & Development (Nintendo R&D) - Internal Nintendo first-party, merged into Nintendo EAD with the internal restructuring in 2005 under Satoru Iwata (current president of Nintendo Co. Ltd [NCL]).

Nintendo Software Planning and Development (Nintendo SP&D) - Internal division of Nintendo, some of the remnants of Nintendo R&D can be found here. Team 3 oversees all outsourced projects.

HAL Laboratory, Inc.(HAL Labs) - Nintendo second-party, responsible for Kirby and Super Smash Bros. series.

APE, Inc. - Joint company between HAL Labs and Nintendo. Still exists as Creatures, INC., headed by veteran Nintendo composer Hirokazu Tanaka. Handles some Pokemon merchandising.

Game Freak - Nintendo second-party, responsible for main Pokemon series on handhelds.

Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development (Nintendo EAD) - Internal Nintendo first-party, most prominent division in Nintendo. Responsible for Super Mario, Legend of Zelda, Animal Crossing, Mario Kart, and many more. Headed by Shigeru Miyamoto.

Team Deer Force - Now defunct, was a "dream team" composed of Nintendo R&D1 and Intelligent Systems members. Headed by Yoshio Sakamoto (today, manager of Nintendo SP&D1) and Gunpei Yokoi (deceased). Most notable title being Super Metroid.

Brownie Brown - External Nintendo first-party, has done some work for Square Enix with the Mana series. Created the original IP Magical Vacation and Magical Starsign. Did some work on Mother 3.

Noise - Nintendo second-party, responsible for the Custom Robo series.

Rareware - Former Nintendo second-party, now a wholly owned Microsoft Game Studios first party. Most notable titles include Donkey Kong Country, GoldeneEye 007, Perfect Dark and Banjo Kazooie.

Treasure - Third party, developed a few Nintendo 64 exclusive titles that Nintendo published.

Param - Defunct Nintendo second-party.

skip ltd. - Nintendo second-party, responsible for Chibi-Robo! series. Arguably, their most significant title, GiFTPIA, never made it to the states.

Amusement Vision - Internal Sega development team, third party, responsible for the critically lauded F-Zero GX.

Kuju - A particular development team in Kuju that's been responsible for the Battalion Wars series.

Hudson Soft. - Longtime third party, have developed a few titles for Nintendo.

NDCUBE - Nintendo second-party, responsible for two crappy GameCube games and one F-Zero GBA title.

Camelot - Former Nintendo second-party, now aligned with Capcom. Mainly an RPG house, have an affinity with golf titles, though. Former Sega second-party, as well, before Nintendo snatched them up.

AlphaDream - Nintendo second-party, best known for their work with the Mario & Luigi series.

Suzak - Third party, has been licensed some Nintendo properties before.

Flagship - Former semi-Nintendo second-party. Was a joint funded studio by Capcom, Sega and Nintendo. Best known for their work with the Legend of Zelda handheld series. Was dissolved by Capcom in June 2007.

Vanpool - Third party, has been licensed the Tingle IP (intellectual property).

That's everything, I believe.

Things I observed about these studios/divisions:

- Nintendo has an affinity for buying out start-up studios.

- Nintendo has an even bigger affinity for former Squaresoft (now, Square Enix) veterans. Case in point: skip ltd., Brownie Brown, AlphaDream and Monolith Soft. It's a stretch, but Nintendo has a fair majority of the key people that worked on Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. Also, notably, the Xenogears team.

- Nintendo has had, basically, the same teams working on the same series' for decades.

Things I observed from the titles I need to play:

- Each successive generation, my backlog increased.

- I was the most experimental with the software I'd play during the NES days. Likely, due to renting a large number of games.

- I like quirky games, and was more attracted to them as a kid than I am now. Still, a big proponent of quirky titles, though.

- A single Sega Genesis title made the list, lol.

- Never really touched the F-Zero series, I own F-Zero GX, and think it's awesome. I've hardly played it, though.

- Many, many, many Japanese-only releases. Some stuff I probably didn't even realize existed until the advent of the Internet.

- I started playing the Advance Wars series with the first title, but it didn't stick with me. Now, I have, like, 3 or so titles to go through.

- I omitted a ton of Kirby titles. I think the series has, quite frankly, gone downhill since the SNES. Kirby's Canvas Curse looks neat, though.

- Not too many third party developed stuff.

- I haven't played a single Brownie Brown or AlphaDream game.

- I dropped out of the WarioWare series after the first, now I have 3 to play. WarioWare: Smooth Moves on Wii was great (but, dismally short).

- I've hardly touched any of Intelligent Systems' series'. I'm looking forward to diving into their games.

- The largest quantity of titles I missed out on comes from the Game Boy Advance; a platform I largely ignored, sans a few select titles.

- The reason for the above is because I was too busy playing MMORPGs instead of actual games.

- The Mother (EarthBound) series prompted this decision. Top priority, at the moment, is to complete those before moving forward.

- My goal is (to the best of my ability) play these games chronologically (from when they were released).

- I need to learn Japanese if I ever want to play some of these games properly.

- I know way too much about Nintendo first and second party studios/divisions.

The real reason why I intend to do all of this, is to play through a particular series. Fire Emblem has always intrigued me, but, when it finally made it to the States, I had no interest in it. Well, I do, now. I want to go through each Fire Emblem title if possible. Half of these didn't even make it to America, and don't have full translations available. The first SNES Fire Emblem was also a remake of the two NES Fire Emblem's, too. The upcoming Fire Emblem DS is a remake/port of the first Fire Emblem.

The full list, below:

NES -

Fire Emblem: Ankoku Ryu to Hikari no Tsurugi (Intelligent Systems)*

Fire Emblem Gaiden (Intelligent Systems)*

SNES -

Fire Emblem: Monsho no Nazo (Intelligent Systems)*

Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu (Intelligent Systems)*

Fire Emblem: Thracia 776 (Intelligent Systems)

Game Boy Advance -

Fire Emblem: Fuin no Tsurugi (Intelligent Systems)*

Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken [Fire Emblem GBA in US] (Intelligent Systems)

Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones (Intelligent Systems)

GameCube -

Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance (Intelligent Systems)

Wii -

Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn (Intelligent Systems)

Nintendo DS -

Fire Emblem DS (tentative title) (Intelligent Systems)

Observations on Fire Emblem:

- Kickass character designs.

And, that's it. I hope someone actually reads through this entire thing. And, dammit, I need an entry cut like nobody's business.

I'll likely continue this post in a series posting updates over time. Of course, I don't play games at a very quick pace (unless they're new titles). With the plethora of games coming out this Holiday, too, I probably won't get around to most of this for a while.

Sunday, October 14, 2007

Blog Surgery

I made a few minor cosmetic changes to Taciturn. It looks better, IMO. There was too much white before; it was beginning to bother me.

Anyway, I'm working on something for this blog, I just don't know when I'll post it. It's something I want to write about, but don't have much to really say about, if that makes sense. I'll be doing something I previously hadn't before, though.

Oh, and if anyone (all 1 people that still read this when their RSS feed updates) can explain how to make an entry cut (you know, the "Continue Reading..." link) so the entire entry isn't exposed on the front page, I'd appreciate it. This post is way too big. Plus, the entry I'm working on will be doing something I've never done before (not that I've done much to begin with), and it will require some sort of entry truncation.

Let me know if this is any worse or better (regarding the changes). I'll probably fiddle with it a bit before I decide on anything definitive. That is, without doing any actual HTML coding.

See you soon.

Monday, September 10, 2007

Amplification


I hate it.


SECRET TESTING AREA FOR UPCOMING POST:

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Disappointment: A Lesson in Failure


If you were to aggregate my feelings towards this year's E3, the above picture would accurately portray them. I'll break-down the conferences:

Microsoft
  • Scene-It? - Buzz! ripoff.

  • Limited Edition Halo 3-themed Xbox 360 - It's visual disaster. If you happen to lay eyes on this abomination, I advise that you seek medical attention immediately.

  • Viva Pinata: Party Animals - Don't they get it? Microsoft's fanbase doesn't want games aimed for Nintendo's.

  • Disney on Xbox Live Marketplace - Yay!?

  • Jeff Bell - Does Microsoft have an assembly line actively manufacturing these PR robots guys? Just wondering.

This is how the conference went once Jeff Bell stepped on the stage:



"Xbox 360 is great."


"Diverse portfolio!"


"Halo 3 sells a lot."


"Microsoft is great, too!"


"Naruto is nice, and stuff."

Thanks, Jeff.

Nintendo
  • YouTube videos - You guys wasted over 15 minutes on this garbage. Why?

  • Wii Fit - Neat peripheral. They spent way too much time showcasing it, though. (Yes, I realize it was meant to appeal to the mainstream press, and Nintendo's ingenuity was on full display, because it worked. But, I was bored.)

  • "Heavy Clothing" - Oh, Reggie...

Sony
  • PSP Redux - What? What? What? It's the same thing, only lighter. What?

  • Chewbacca - I cringed, I cried, I laughed; my ambivalence knows no bounds.

  • Jack Tretton - "I'm a little nervous being up here with so much free room, I'm a podium kind of guy." Hey, honesty is a plus. He had a decent performance at E3.

  • Killzone 2 - "And, remember, this is all real-time footage." Frankly, I wasn't impressed. Lair is still technically miles ahead of Killzone 2; I don't understand the fascination with this title.

Basically, it can't be compared to the E3's of years past. Nothing major came from the event, but, it was interesting none the less. It seemed like all console manufacturers were content with just showing off their 2007 titles. Not much was shown from any of the three in terms of 2008 releases.

E3 may or may not be around next year; but, I think it was more of a success than people initially thought that it would be. The reason why I say it's a disappointment, is because it was what I had predicted E3 would be (i.e., nothing Earth-shatteringly awesome shown or announced), and I turned out to be correct.

Anyway, Leipzig and PAX (Penny Arcade Expo) are next month. So, maybe something good will come from those two. If not, I can hold out hope for TGS (Tokyo Game Show) at the end of September.

We shall see.

Friday, June 22, 2007

Legitimacy: A Lesson in Neglect

So, I've neglected this blog outside of B-Side News for a long while. I still intend to post here, though, that's for sure. Okay, so legitimate response time, I've got some things to discuss!

I've picked up a freelance reviewing job. I'm being sent review copies of games, so that's a definite plus. Only downside? I gotta bite the bullet and review some PC games, too. I think I'll live, though. This will be my first "real" job reviewing games, since what I was doing previously was just hobby work. I'm pretty excited, but I'm not an expert at reviewing, so it'll take some work. I'm excited, though, and I think it'll bode well for the future. If anyone's wondering (lolol), I'm still a news editor for my other site, so this job won't be interfering with my other work.

I finished Metroid Prime after owning the game for four years. I'm really fickle with games, and I think it's going to be a problem while reviewing them. Playing through it, it felt pretty repetitive and didn't seem to exemplify the Metroid ambience the 2D titles are renowned for. However, upon finishing the title, I came to the realization that I had really enjoyed playing it.

As such, I need to finish Metroid Prime 2: Echoes before Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is out. I've got a long list of titles I need to finish before the summer's done, and reviewing games on top of it isn't going to make it any easier of a task.

Oh, and Metroid Prime has a fantastic soundtrack. Given Metroid Fusion's and Metroid Zero Mission's mediocrity in the sound department, it's refreshing to know that there are still some good compositions left for the Metroid series.

I picked up Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition. You know, I started playing it and thought, "this game is beginning to show its age." But, then, I started progressing further, and I began to realize how well it still holds up. The character models are just dripping with detail, high poly count, realistic expressions and animation, it's really aesthetically pleasing to look at. Much of the atmosphere is excellent, too. The Village at the beginning isn't that great, but once you're at the cemetery, or the burning barn, or the castle, it's just really nice looking.

On the subject of Wii controls, I think it fits the game real well. Initially, I had about a 20 minute adjustment period where I was really perplexed with them. Now, though, I'm really content with them, and it's far, far, far superior to controlling it with the analog stick. So, really, still the same great game from two years ago, with better controls and the PS2 extras. A $30 asking price is a bit steep, but I, personally, feel it's worth the price.

I ended up typing more than I had initially thought I would. Okay, I guess this makes up for the lack of updates in the past couple months. Now, to neglect this blog until September!

No, I'll try to keep updating a bit more often. Not that anyone cares, but it's still something I'd like to do. Maybe I'll post excerpts of reviews I've done, we'll see.

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

B-Side News: Pro Evo Soccer 6 Online Issues

Did I mention that people don't read? I did, didn't I?

Konami and Microsoft are working to fix the connectivity issues some players are facing.

Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH today addressed that they are aware that a small number of customers are experiencing difficulty connecting while trying to play online. Microsoft and Konami are both working to fix the problem at hand. We’ll let you know when a fix comes along.

B-Side News: Shadowrun Available Now for Xbox 360 and PC

Shadowrun has gone on sale today, retailing for $59.99 for Xbox 360 and $49.99 for Windows Vista.

Shadowrun goes on sale today. It carries a MSRP of $59.99 for Xbox 360, and $49.99 for Windows Vista. Shadowrun is rated “M” for Mature.

Shadowrun is a FPS offering cross-platform multiplayer for both PC and Xbox 360 players. Players can choose between four different races including human, elf, dwarf or troll. Shadowrun will come with nine maps and three map variations. The game is set in a futuristic Santos, Brazil.

Monday, May 21, 2007

B-side News: EA Announces Partnership with The9

EA has invested $167 million into the Chinese online operator The9 Ltd. to bring FIFA among other titles to mainland China.

Electronics Art announced today that they have made an investment of roughly $167 million in The9 Ltd. The company is a leading online game operator in China. Both companies also announced a licensing agreement that allows for The9 to publish EA Sports FIFA Online in China. EA will own approximately 15 percent of the common shares of The9.

The9 currently operates licensed MMORPGs in China. Some of these include MU, World of Warcraft, Soul of The Ultimate Nation, and Joyful Journey West.

“EA will be a strong partner for us in the rapidly expanding online game market in China,” said Jun Zhu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The9. “We are seeing strong interest in online sports games in China with the upcoming 2008 Beijing Olympics and the FIFA World Cup in 2010, and FIFA Online is set to be a top favorite in the Chinese market.”

B-side News: Ubisoft Announces My Coach Line of Casual Titles

All I can say is that, people need some reading comprehension to prevent double news posts. Hence the recent influx of B-side news. Trust me, I don't prefer putting up B-side news instead of an actual news story for the site I write for.

My Coach titles promote personal improvement and will be released across Wii and Nintendo DS later this year.

Ubisoft is continuing their Nintendo DS support with more casual games. The publisher today announced the My Coach series of games, which will act as an extension of the already released Petz line of Nintendo DS titles.

Ubisoft apparently have even more casual oriented games in development, as they have appointed Pauline Jacquey as executive producer of casual games at Ubisoft.

“Ubisoft’s vision for this business is unique,” said Pauline Jacquey. “We are developing projects that make people feel that playing games is worth their while, allowing them to spend quality time with family and friends, learn a new skill, or improve their daily lives.
By creating games with real-life benefits, we are creating games that appeal to everyone.”

The My Coach series of titles will be educational titles designed to stimulate creative thinking. The first two titles to be released will be My Word Coach and My Life Coach. My Word Coach is being developed jointly with linguists; and intends to assist players in refining their verbal and vocabulary skills. My Word Coach will be available for both Wii and Nintendo DS this fall.

My Life Coach is a “personal coach” title that’s also being developed in collaboration with a behaviorist. My Life Coach will be available this Holiday for the Nintendo DS.

The successful Petz line of Nintendo DS games will also be making their way to the Wii later this year.

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

B-Side News: Bomberman Blasts onto XBLA this Summer

Bomberman promises to retain the classic multiplayer experience by allowing for 8 players to battle online.


Last week Bomberman was rumored to be making his way to Xbox Live Arcade. This week, we’ve got an official confirmation from Hudson, announcing a new Bomberman title for XBLA with support for up to 8 players online.

Bomberman will allow for full character customization, letting players personalize their character’s appearance to suit their needs with over 10,000 combinations available. In addition to 8-player online play, 4-player local action will also be provided.

"This has been one of our most requested games, our fans have been clamoring for it, and we are thrilled to finally be able to deliver the game they want," said John Greiner, President of Hudson Entertainment. "As our flagship series, Bomberman has been hailed as the best multiplayer game ever created. Now that Xbox LIVE Arcade delivers a truly worldwide multiplayer gaming platform, we can at last bring to market a Bomberman game that represents our long-term vision of the brand."

Bomberman is expected to launch worldwide this Summer.

B-Side News: Sega Joins the Unreal Engine 3 Bandwagon

Sega is just one of many studios licensing Epic’s Unreal Engine 3.

Sega today announced that they have licensed the Unreal Engine 3 for upcoming projects. All of these titles are being developed in North America.

“SEGA is pleased to arm our developers with the sophisticated tools contained in Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 3,” said Simon Jeffery, President and COO, SEGA of America, Inc. “Its versatility and power will help SEGA create incredible gaming experiences.”

Details on the projects that will be utilizing the Unreal Engine 3 will be announced sometime later this year.

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

B-Side News: Next-Gen Wolfenstein Still in Development

A Madison, WI news channel ran a story about developer Raven Software. Some minor tidbits revealed about the next Wolfenstein.

A local Madison, WI news channel (WISC-TV) ran a story this past Friday about Raven Software, located in the Wisconsin city. Raven Software is known for titles such as Quake 4, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, X-Men Legends, Soldier of Fortunes, and many others. During the story, WISC-TV revealed that Raven Software is currently at work on a next-gen installment of Wolfenstein.

The story detailed that, “The company is currently working on a new game based on the "Wolfenstein" series, and with newer motion-capture technology, it is working with a local actress to be the character in its movie.” Which, really doesn’t tell us much regarding the game, but be happy that it’s in development.

During X05, id Software and Activision announced that the next installment in the Wolfenstein series was being developed at Raven Software for the Xbox 360 and PC. Later on in 2006, Todd Hollenshead, CEO of id Software, stated that the Xbox 360 would be the primary development platform for the next Wolfenstein title. This essentially confirmed John Carmack’s previous sentiments, where he had had mentioned that he would like to switch his primary development efforts over to the Xbox 360, instead of PC.

The WISC-TV story also stated that the next Wolfenstein title won’t be coming out until sometime in 2008. We’ll keep you updated.

Monday, May 7, 2007

B-Side News: Project Witches Coming to PS3, Wii, and Xbox 360

I'm dumb and can't figure out how to cut a blog post so I can include additional text and pictures. If anyone can tell me how to, I'd greatly appreciate it for this entry and future entries.

Being developed by Revistronic, Project Witches promises a next-gen experience unlike any other.
Project Witches Coming to PS3, Wii, and Xbox 360
Being developed by Revistronic, Project Witches promises a next-gen experience unlike any other.

Project Witches has been announced for PS3, Wii, and Xbox 360. The title is being developed by Revistronic; and will put players in a macabre medieval-esque world.

You’ll control Gwen, a male warrior that is struggling to resist his dark will, but does what’s in his power to rebel against it.

Project Witches is being developed specifically with cooperative play in mind. The modeling, levels, and scenes are being developed so players will work together through Project Witches.

Last of all, Revistronic has stated that they intend to bring out the most from all three next-gen consoles to provide a distinctive gameplay experience.

Thursday, May 3, 2007

B-Side News: Naruto: Ninja Council 3 Release Date Announced

Late again on my update post. Somehow, I doubt anyone really cares if I'm early, on time, or late. For now, enjoy some B-Side News goodness. (It's not that exciting, really.)

Shipping date and new website revealed.


Today, D3Publisher of America announced that Naruto: Ninja Council 3 will be shipping to retail on May 22nd, 2007. The game features 27 players from the shows cast and offers 60 different missions for up to four players. The title will carry a MSRP of $29.95.

The website for Naruto: Ninja Council 3 also launched today. In addition to this Naruto title, this site will act as a hub to all future Naruto titles released on Nintendo platforms. You can check out the site here.

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

B-Side News: Shadowrun Beta to End April 30th

Oh man, I feel like I'm on a roll with B-Side News. I'll have a proper update sometime later this week. It's been a long time; not that anyone reads this or cares. Until then, Pokemons will consume me.

Shadowrun’s beta test will end on April 30th, FASA claims it was a success.

Shadowrun beta, we had a good long run. As with most beta tests though, they end on a bit of a bittersweet note. Let us pensively reflect on the times we shared, as the end comes this April 30th. FASA announced the beta closure today, and has deemed the Shadowrun beta test as a success through and through.

We look forward to your retail release, Shadowrun.

Monday, April 23, 2007

B-Side News: E3 Exhibitor List Revealed

E3 has been drastically reduced in size compared to last year. Expect only 3,500 invite-only attendees.

A definitive list of exhibitors to be at E3 ’07 has been released. Most major publishers will be in attendance, two independent developers, id Software and Foundation 9 Entertainment, and accessory and peripheral manufacturers Logitech and Nyko Technologies.

E3’s exhibit hall this year will be hosted in Santa Monica’s Barker Hanger, with running demos at nearby hotels. 60,000 attendees came out to E3 last year, this year it’s believed that only around 3,500 invite-only guests will attend E3 on July 11-13.

The full list of major publishers expected to attend this year’s E3 is below:

1C Company, Activision, Akella, Atari, Atlus, Buena Vista Games (now Disney Interactive Studios), Capcom, Codemasters, Crave Entertainment, Eidos, Electronic Arts, Konami, LucasArts, Majesco, Microsoft, Midway, Namco Bandai Games, NCsoft, Nintendo, Sega, Sony Computer Entertainment, Sony Online Entertainment, Square Enix, Take-Two Interactive, THQ, Ubisoft, Vivendi Games, and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.

Thursday, April 12, 2007

B-Side News: Mad Catz Plays Basketball

Third party game accessory provider renews their license to produce NBA related game accessories.

Mad Catz Interactive known for their third party game accessories, have renewed their license with the National Basketball Association (NBA). This license will bring forth a variety of customized team video game controllers and other NBA related accessories.

Mad Cats intends to produce new video game controllers, faceplates, and Console Skinz for all 30 NBA teams, featuring their respective colors and logos. These products will be available across all major platforms, including the PS2, PS3, Xbox, Xbox 360, PSP, DS Lite, and Wii.

Darren Richardson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mad Catz commented, “Basketball has proven to be an extremely popular genre for gamers and we are thrilled to announce the continuation of our license agreement with the NBA. Our new NBA line will offer fans more ways than ever to demonstrate their support for their favorite teams and we look forward to launching controllers and other quality accessories that enhance the gaming experience of our customers.”

Expect to be able to purchase this line of Mad Catz products through NBA.com, NBA arena stores, online game retailers, and your standard retailers.

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

B-Side News: WipEout Pulse Coming to PSP

WipEout Pulse, the sequel to the gravity defying racing game WipEout Pure, is set to release this September. SCEE’s Studio Liverpool is helming the development. WipEout Pulse will contain 24 new tracks and seven different game modes. Probably a lot of blazingly quick racing too, but that’s just a hunch. Eight racing teams will be making their appearance, including the new EG-X outfit. The newly refined racing will also include a new Mag-Strip feature, which will cause ships to become temporarily restrained to the track’s surface. Of course, this new addition will allow for a multitude of track design options such as loops, vertical drops, and 90 degree angled sections.

Additionally, the game will support both Ad hoc and Infrastructure modes for multiplayer. Another neat feature will be the ability to listen to your own music from a Memory Stick. That is of course, if you prefer that to the licensed soundtrack, which will include artists such as Mason, Loco Dice, and Stanton Warriors. You can even snap a picture of your ship at any time during a racing using Photo Mode.

Downloadable content such as new tracks, ships, and tunes will also be available at launch and proceeding afterwards.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

B-Side News: Rockstar Collaborates with Timbaland on PSP Game

Further evidence that gaming has gone pop; Rockstar Games is working in unison with the hip-hop producer Timbaland to produce the music and rhythm game Beaterator for the PSP. The game will allow for players to become their own music producer, creating original beats and rhythms at their leisure. Sam Houser, founder and executive producer of Rockstar Games explained, "Having Timbaland involved in the game is a real honor and only adds to our excitement about the title." Will Timbaland’s famed beats ensure Beaterator’s success? That’s still up for debate, but we’ll be there to find out when the game launches this summer.

Wednesday, March 7, 2007

B-Side News: More news that didn't make the cut

As I previously mentioned, I'm going to post news that otherwise doesn't get posted on the site I write for. I'll start using "B-Side News" as the title to denote such entries. Anyway, this one is from yesterday, so it's a day late; but enjoy! (It's not very interesting.)

Aspiring game designer? Well, put your skills to the test, as Microsoft is offering $40,000 in potential prizes with its new Dream-Build-Play promotion. Excellent news if you’re versed in the ways of Microsoft’s XNA Game Studio Express, as that’s what’s required to partake in this contest. The possibility stands that your game could even be featured on Xbox Live Arcade. Great exposure, and a great thing to add on your resume. In addition to this, Microsoft also announced new tools available for the XNA Game Studio Express. These include Torque X, as well as texture-creation software.

The contest ends on July 2nd, and for further details about the Dream-Build-Play promotion, visit http://www.dreambuildplay.com.

Tuesday, March 6, 2007

Taking it Slow

GDC is just getting started; and I'm sitting at my computer, patiently awaiting the onslaught of news the world expects me to report. Hopefully by next year I'll be at GDC rather than reporting on it from my house (wishful thinking). So what's worth noting this week? We've got some keynotes, some meetings, some general industry chit-chat. I'm actually more excited to see what Sony has ready to unveil than Nintendo. As some stock arrangement with the Japanese government is complicating their would-be GDC plans. This, essentially, puts an interim period where they are unable to reveal their future intentions. It sucks really, as it was something I was anticipating since the Wii launch. Nintendo loyalists are undeniably more accustomed to waiting than any other fans, so I'm sure they don't mind too much.

So, what have I been playing? Aside from the dismally short-lived Crackdown, things have been bleak on my itinerary. Prior to being engulfed by Crackdown's gangster-purging, I began Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. The dialogue is excellent; clever, really, is the best way to describe it. The lacking elements come in the form of everything outside of the courtroom. The sections bore me, as it plays like a point-and-click adventure with still-frame portraits. Encapsulating not only my sheer boredom, but also monotonous gameplay. I need to go back and finish that and write a review for it. I've been neglecting a certain site, and they'd probably appreciate it if I occasionally did some work. Last up is Ninja Gaiden, for the original Xbox. I've put about 10 minutes into this radiant title, so I don't have a clear impression for it just yet. Other than the awkward camera that resembles the recent Sonic's. I'm cringing, really; just use your internet-goggles to properly view it.

Oh, I'd like to formally announce -- or as formal as a blog can be -- that I'm not going to write for Audiosyncratic any longer (see: I never did). I talked it over with Brian, and I don't feel suited to the task. He was fine with that, and my plate is kind of widening every day with things to write to begin with. So, it works out, for me at least. By the way, do read Audiosyncratic. Even though I know the majority of my traffic (all one of you) is brought in by way of Brian's other blog, Bêtise.

I guess that's about it. I may update later this week after GDC; but don't count on it unless something absolutely huge is revealed.

Friday, March 2, 2007

B-Side News: The Tirade Continues

Only posting this crap here because someone beat me to posting it for the site I legitimately write for. I may start doing this more frequently in the future, because it's happening on a daily basis.

Oh, and long time no post!

My original post is below in italics:

Ready 2 Rumble Boxing Fights Its Way To Next-Gen
Set to release across “various platforms”.

Ready 2 Rumble, the zany, yet comical boxing title that saw brief popularity at the beginning of last-gen is finally receiving a third installment. Not much was provided in terms of details unfortunately. The title is being developed by the Japanese AKI, whom you may recall developed such titles as Def Jam and WWF Wrestlemania. According to the press release, Ready 2 Rumble is planned for various platforms. So, hopefully no matter which console you own, you should be able to get your boxing on.

The original Ready 2 Rumble Boxing was a Dreamcast launch title. How the time just flies by. But I digress; Ready 2 Rumble saw a sequel appropriately named Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2. It’s anyone guess as to why the series was KOed from further development, but at least now things seem to be looking up.

10Tacle Studios CEO Michele Pes commented that, “With the release of “Ready 2 Rumble” 10Tacle Studios is focusing on one of the major game brands in the market.”
The original two titles saw favorable sales. But, a series that hasn’t had a game release in over six years can still be considered a “major game brand”? In any case, this title could potentially reclaim its former glory.

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Eros' Entropic Tundra

Ikaruga is headed onto Xbox Live Arcade. My feelings? Excited. Xbox Live Arcade provides a great platform for developers to work with. Especially when considering projects that otherwise became vaporware or were released with a limited printing run. It's an outlet for developers to produce low-cost games that they would otherwise have to charge a ridiculous premium for if it saw an actual printed release. Okay, so I'm running off on a tangent. I digress, I want to see other "rare" titles hit Xbox Live Arcade. The prospect was raised on NeoGAF that Radiant Silvergun could also see an Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA, getting sick of typing that out). What options do I have to play a game like that? Pay a lucratively overpriced fee off of Ebay, or piracy. Emulators work too, but of course, emulating Saturn games has been proven to be a shoddy and nearly nigh unplayable experience. If developers took the time to port some of these otherwise lost relics of gaming to XBLA, it'd be a wondrous thing.

Oh, Symphony of the Night? I'm going to be all over that. For a few reasons:
- Difficult to obtain without resorting to piracy/emulation.
- Ebay, no thanks.
- Accessibility. It's permanent, it's easy to boot up my Xbox 360 and constantly have access to it.
- I haven't played it before (my reputability has just been slaughtered).

As my other entry previously specified, I've taken it upon myself to indulge in the Castlevania series. How have I come away from that? I love it, I'm absolutely a fan now. It's a shame though, because I only have Symphony of the Night left in the vein of a "Metroidvania". But, what a title it is, the most critically and fan lauded of the bunch. I'm anxious for another DS Castlevania to be announced, because I don't possess a PSP of my own. Also, the remake of Rondo of Blood isn't enough to satiate my lust for Castlevania. I'm more inclined to play the "Metroidvania" structure, and Rondo of Blood doesn't offer that. Had this been a title in that style I would've taken it upon myself to purchase a PSP.

...Okay, I digress again. So, what games would I like to see on XBLA? Probably a lot that I couldn't even begin to fathom unless they happened to fall on my lap. I'm interested in titles that appeared on obscure or niche consoles. Neo-Geo, PC-Engine, Saturn, etc.

What titles would you (all one of you), like to see on XBLA? I'm sure there's a diverse selection of noteworthy games out there.

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

VK2K2

As you may or may not have noticed, there is now an "Affiliates" bar to your immediate right. This newly devised bar will host two (currently) blogs that you, the reader (all one of you, still), should feel inclined to also enlighten yourself with. We are a self-proclaimed blog webring. A trifecta of video games, music reviews, and technology. Bêtise is heading the tech front, as I'm not nearly as technologically versed nor inclined as Brian is. I try my best, but I tend to fall short every time I attempt to read an Engadget blog post. Audiosyncratic is a joint effort between Brian and myself to review albums and provide music related news when we feel it's applicable. I can't write at all about music, so at least check it out for Brian's sake.

That's about it, that spiffy new Wii Channel just debuted a bit ago. "Everybody Votes" or something to that affect. Seems we can vote on important pressing matters such as, "Do you prefer cats or dogs?" And, "Is chocolate or roses a better Valentine's Day gift?" Well, you know, I was kind of hoping we could discuss (see: vote) potential political candidates for the 2008 presidential race. I guess not though.

Oh, and in case you're wondering; cats and chocolate.

Sunday, February 11, 2007

Saturday, February 10, 2007

Swinging Chandeliers

I just realized something. Linking to my review of Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin would shatter my veil of anonymity. I don't want that, what fun would there to be had in that case?

So, uh, I guess in the future I'll just bitch about games in an informal manner here when I feel up to the task. As I did with Portrait of Ruin already, so that's one game down.

As a side note: I'd kill to have my DS DS Lite right now. I purchased Elebits in the meantime to keep me occupied, but my limited time with the title is already pointing towards some glaring flaws in the game.

Here's an idea, how about less slowdown? It escalates to the point where I can't properly use the motion controls because my movement is going quicker than the pace of the game. After an hour with Elebits, my arm was properly sore due to the repetition of said movement because actions weren't executed properly on screen the first time I swung my arm. All thanks to the prevalent slowdown. An hour.

I'll leave Konami alone...for now. But, there's no guarantee that I won't be coming back to Elebits with even more demeaning things to say in a future blog post.

Thursday, February 8, 2007

Atom Feed

Link to the Atom feed is at the bottom of the page. But, for those unfamiliar with scrolling, here's the direct link:

http://taciturnblog.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/defaultt

So now all of one person can be notified when this is updated.

Tulip Baroo

My recent outings with the Castlevania series has been derelict of criticism or annoyance. A startling turn of events, as I went in with moderately high expectations, and generally leave with bitter remorse after having such notions. This sentiment, however, returned in a cataclysmic fashion with my latest endeavor: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin. It's sort of ironic, because initially I was dreading playing them (the GBA/DS incarnations) chronologically from their respective dates of release. Portrait of Ruin -- being the most recent -- was obviously last on the list of five titles.

The irony sets in because I'd consider Portrait of Ruin, the poorest of the GBA/DS titles; and it was the one I wanted to play the most. At this point, I'd direct a lot of animosity at the title after playing the previous ones. For one, there's a castle; it is Castlevania last time I checked. So the most essential element for any Castlevania is there, that's a positive. What's inside the Castle though? Paintings. Not just any paintings though, no. One's that bend the space-time continuum and act as interdimensional portals to other places that have nothing to do with Dracula's castle. The game is a convoluted mess; the castle stands merely as a host to the various paintings which are just small scaled levels. So, basically, I'm playing a game that's essentially a redux of older Castlevania's, but done in the vein of a "Metroidvania". A.k.a., post-Symphony of the Night.

There's more wrong with it, but I'll highlight its shortcomings when I write a review in the coming week.

First blog post and it's spent griping about a game. I guess I should detail what this blog itself will host. This castle blog will be filled with paintings motivational as well as educational posts revealing and discussing game-related and occassionally music-related news and the like. I guess that means you can expect what the rest of the blogosphere is already doing, only with my take on it. Awesome, exciting, rejuvenating, delectable, stimulating, and most of all, pleasurable.

Sunday, February 4, 2007

Oh?

I'll update when I feel it's suitable that my thoughts be condensed in a proper blog format.