It should be clear by now that I'm pretty much a nerd. Thus I hope it is not too much of a stretch for me to reveal that I am also a very avid fan of anime. Yes, I enjoy the typical over the top fanfare that most anime bring to the table, but I was caught off guard when a friend recommended the series True Tears to me.
True Tears does something that very few anime tend to do; it follows someone's normal, everyday life and the encounters that they must face. The main character, Shin'ichiro, is caught in a very uncomfortable situation involving a girl his family took in, the somewhat-loner hyper girl at his school, and his best friend's girlfriend. Normally this is the type of situation that an anime would take and turn into a comedy fest, but True Tears decided to take this situation very seriously, and show the reprecussions one choice can have on everyone around you. It's something that I am not at all used to when watching any sort of animation, but I have become completely hooked on this series.
Shin'ichiro has one trait about him that really catches my attention; he tends to show his emotions and thoughts through a series of small comic books that he draws. Such distinctly human, realistic things show up every now and then during the series, really reminding me that despite its artistic beauty, this show is really down to earth. Each episode tends to end with a cliffhanger, which eggs on the viewer more and more and pulls them deeper into the story. The characters all have very real human flaws, flaws that don't rear their heads very often in this sort of medium. It is surprisingly relieving to see an anime take on such a subject, one that very few dare to take on; young love and friendship. Yes, I love my out-of-this-world comedy and action that most anime offer, yet so far I must say that True Tears has been the first anime to catch me emotionally off guard in a long, long time, and I tend to HATE stuff that gets overly emotional.
Overall score out of 10: 9.0. The reality of a very limited viewing audience is what keeps this score from going any higher. Sure, the chances of this type of situation as presented in the show are at best slim, but they are not at all beyond the realm of realism. Keep in mind, the series is not yet over, so this is a score for what has happened so far; if the ending is not to my tastes, i'll be sure to rant about it.
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Game: Dynasty Warriors 6
First, let me get one thing clear. I like the Dynasty Warriors series. Yes, they are repetitive and have had little innovation over the past five years. The characters have had very few updates, and the attacks that the characters use have had little change in the past...oh...ten or so versions of the games in which these ancient Chinese warriors have appeared in. Finally, though, the folks over at Koei decided that its about time that they take the franchise and give it a bit of a face lift. New character models, new weapons, totally new attack system...this game is very different from the Dynasty Warriors of yonder year.
This is Dynasty Warriors 6. And in some ways, its much better than its predecessors...and in others, not so much.
The game takes place during an actual historical period of China around the 2nd century and the fall of the Han Dynasty. Then again, anyone who is reading this review probably has played the previous versions of the game and thus knows the story well. The versions of the characters seen are based on the way they were presented in the epic "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms", which shapes up these men and women to be the superheroes and super villains of their age, complete with super strength and all. Your job is to use whatever warrior you choose to cut a nice wide swath in the soldiers around you...sounds easy, sometimes IS easy, sometimes turns out to be a total pain in the butt.
The first thing that fans of the franchise will notice is that every character has gotten a MAJOR overhaul. This is also the first Dynasty Warriors game to come out with fewer characters than its preceding version. Some removals are alright, but a few staple characters of the franchise have also been erased, which is sure to put off some players.
Koei decided that it was time to do away with the control system of the old games. Now, a new "Renbu" system is in place to dictate how strong your character is in battle. Basically, the more people you kill in a row, the more powerful your attacks become and the more versions of an attack you can perform. Attacks are now separated into three categories. The "Normal" attack is, as expected, what you'll be using most of the time. Instead of being able to attack a set number of times as in previous installments, DW6 decided that you should never stop attacking.......ever. If you keep pressing the normal attack button, you're going to keep attacking....and attacking...aaaand attacking. Now this makes sense in that you're going to be able to sweep through enemies in a much more kung-fu esque movement style, but there is a catch. The old "press X so many times and then Y to unleash a cool attack" system, the staple of the series, is gone.
Yep, its gone.
Now, the "Charge attacks" are split into 2 forms. Both also depend on the Renbu system. First is what I call a "Solo Charge", where you keep pressing the Charge button in order to link a stronger combo, depending on your Renbu level. It is surprisingly interesting and intriguing to level up a character to see what their entire combo system is like, and since most of the moves actually seem realistic now, it looks very fluid and pretty to the eyes. There is also a "Crowd Charge", which is done by holding down the Charge button. This unleashes a single, usually sweeping attack meant to give yourself a little bit of breathing room. Again, this move really matters when Renbu is high.
As expected, the rocking, guitar heavy soundtrack has returned, as well as the absolutely atrocious English dub of the character's voices (and the creators DIDN'T include the Japanese audio track for some reason..they always should). Still, its cheesiness is funny and adds to the game's character. Overall, the best you can say about it is that...well...it works.
Score: 7.0 out of 10. It may just be my opinion, but I REALLY miss the old Charge attack system the game had. Sure, give everyone new weapons and new looks, but the fighting system is what really made the games. That isn't to say that this fighting system doesnt work, because it does, it just doesn't feel very...Dynasty Warriors-ish. The saving grace is that there are MANY more characters on screen at once than in previous versions and some of the weapons look really cool, not to mention the characters holding them. Still, the graphics should be better than this now that we are in 2008, and much of the sense of individual "power" felt in the previous versions has been diminished. I'm still sure that I'm going to play this game for a while to come, I just wont be as enthused about it as I thought I would be.
This is Dynasty Warriors 6. And in some ways, its much better than its predecessors...and in others, not so much.
The game takes place during an actual historical period of China around the 2nd century and the fall of the Han Dynasty. Then again, anyone who is reading this review probably has played the previous versions of the game and thus knows the story well. The versions of the characters seen are based on the way they were presented in the epic "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms", which shapes up these men and women to be the superheroes and super villains of their age, complete with super strength and all. Your job is to use whatever warrior you choose to cut a nice wide swath in the soldiers around you...sounds easy, sometimes IS easy, sometimes turns out to be a total pain in the butt.
The first thing that fans of the franchise will notice is that every character has gotten a MAJOR overhaul. This is also the first Dynasty Warriors game to come out with fewer characters than its preceding version. Some removals are alright, but a few staple characters of the franchise have also been erased, which is sure to put off some players.
Koei decided that it was time to do away with the control system of the old games. Now, a new "Renbu" system is in place to dictate how strong your character is in battle. Basically, the more people you kill in a row, the more powerful your attacks become and the more versions of an attack you can perform. Attacks are now separated into three categories. The "Normal" attack is, as expected, what you'll be using most of the time. Instead of being able to attack a set number of times as in previous installments, DW6 decided that you should never stop attacking.......ever. If you keep pressing the normal attack button, you're going to keep attacking....and attacking...aaaand attacking. Now this makes sense in that you're going to be able to sweep through enemies in a much more kung-fu esque movement style, but there is a catch. The old "press X so many times and then Y to unleash a cool attack" system, the staple of the series, is gone.
Yep, its gone.
Now, the "Charge attacks" are split into 2 forms. Both also depend on the Renbu system. First is what I call a "Solo Charge", where you keep pressing the Charge button in order to link a stronger combo, depending on your Renbu level. It is surprisingly interesting and intriguing to level up a character to see what their entire combo system is like, and since most of the moves actually seem realistic now, it looks very fluid and pretty to the eyes. There is also a "Crowd Charge", which is done by holding down the Charge button. This unleashes a single, usually sweeping attack meant to give yourself a little bit of breathing room. Again, this move really matters when Renbu is high.
As expected, the rocking, guitar heavy soundtrack has returned, as well as the absolutely atrocious English dub of the character's voices (and the creators DIDN'T include the Japanese audio track for some reason..they always should). Still, its cheesiness is funny and adds to the game's character. Overall, the best you can say about it is that...well...it works.
Score: 7.0 out of 10. It may just be my opinion, but I REALLY miss the old Charge attack system the game had. Sure, give everyone new weapons and new looks, but the fighting system is what really made the games. That isn't to say that this fighting system doesnt work, because it does, it just doesn't feel very...Dynasty Warriors-ish. The saving grace is that there are MANY more characters on screen at once than in previous versions and some of the weapons look really cool, not to mention the characters holding them. Still, the graphics should be better than this now that we are in 2008, and much of the sense of individual "power" felt in the previous versions has been diminished. I'm still sure that I'm going to play this game for a while to come, I just wont be as enthused about it as I thought I would be.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Delayed Review: skate
Ok, after a long delay because of "car auction work" and the beginning of the new school semester, it's finally time for a new review. This time we find a game from a genre that I have not touched for about four or five years, the skateboarding genre. The genre has been absolutely owned by the Tony Hawk franchise for about eight years now, so "skate" (which is spelt with a lower case s on purpose) is a welcome change to the genre. Tony Hawk was a very, VERY fun game franchise...until it took a turn and decided to become "Jackass" with four wheels. Don't get me wrong, Bam Margera and the gang are absolutely hilarious guys and all, but it just doesn't transfer into good game material (at least for me).
skate takes place in the open-ended city of San Vanelona, which is absolutely HUGE for a skateboarding game and allows for some really creative thinking in how to acomplish everything that one must to complete the mile-long list of missions and challenges to be found in the game. The most surprising thing about the game is it's take on skateboarding...which is dead on realistic (GASP!). Rather than the absurd take of rail grinding down the trunk of an elephant onto a dumpster, pulling a 1080 within the blink of an eye, landing in a manual...(fill in about 10 more lines worth of tricks)...and ending with a double back flip Christ Air, skate does something brilliant. It realizes just how hard most of the tricks in the game are in real life, and gives them a point system in accordance. For once, a 360 kickflip actually MEANS SOMETHING.
skate's trick system is really what sets the game apart. Every jump or board spin is completely controlled by inputs on the right joystick of the controller, which takes a little bit of getting used to. Give it about fifteen minutes, though, and you'll find this is the best thing to happen to the game genre in years. Grabs are performed rather easily, and skating around the city comes with relative ease, minus the occasional wipe out when you hit a curb. There are no stats in the game either; you basically start as good as you're going to get, so the game utterly depends on the player's skill. There is still plenty of character customization, though, which is something EA has become an expert with. Famous skaters in the game look quite good, and the world as a whole gets a solid thumbs up for looks; it's pretty and definitely gets the job done. The random cars that show up every now and then are a bit of a bother and dont look too good, but hey, this game isnt about cars, its about skaters.
Overall Score: 8.9 out of 10. This game is good. Really, really good. It looks good, sounds good, has a GREAT soundtrack...it's just polished to a nice sheen. It takes skill to play, which I'm sure will turn away plenty of players, but as of now it is outselling Tony Hawk BIG TIME, which gives me hope for this genre. I can see people getting bored with the game quick, though, and once you've beaten it I dont see much reason to go back and play it again. Still, the game is one hell of a party while it lasts.
skate takes place in the open-ended city of San Vanelona, which is absolutely HUGE for a skateboarding game and allows for some really creative thinking in how to acomplish everything that one must to complete the mile-long list of missions and challenges to be found in the game. The most surprising thing about the game is it's take on skateboarding...which is dead on realistic (GASP!). Rather than the absurd take of rail grinding down the trunk of an elephant onto a dumpster, pulling a 1080 within the blink of an eye, landing in a manual...(fill in about 10 more lines worth of tricks)...and ending with a double back flip Christ Air, skate does something brilliant. It realizes just how hard most of the tricks in the game are in real life, and gives them a point system in accordance. For once, a 360 kickflip actually MEANS SOMETHING.
skate's trick system is really what sets the game apart. Every jump or board spin is completely controlled by inputs on the right joystick of the controller, which takes a little bit of getting used to. Give it about fifteen minutes, though, and you'll find this is the best thing to happen to the game genre in years. Grabs are performed rather easily, and skating around the city comes with relative ease, minus the occasional wipe out when you hit a curb. There are no stats in the game either; you basically start as good as you're going to get, so the game utterly depends on the player's skill. There is still plenty of character customization, though, which is something EA has become an expert with. Famous skaters in the game look quite good, and the world as a whole gets a solid thumbs up for looks; it's pretty and definitely gets the job done. The random cars that show up every now and then are a bit of a bother and dont look too good, but hey, this game isnt about cars, its about skaters.
Overall Score: 8.9 out of 10. This game is good. Really, really good. It looks good, sounds good, has a GREAT soundtrack...it's just polished to a nice sheen. It takes skill to play, which I'm sure will turn away plenty of players, but as of now it is outselling Tony Hawk BIG TIME, which gives me hope for this genre. I can see people getting bored with the game quick, though, and once you've beaten it I dont see much reason to go back and play it again. Still, the game is one hell of a party while it lasts.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Music: Sneaky Sound System
Oh I've needed an album which I can just groove to for quite some time. Sure, Daft Punk's "Alive 2007" is packed full of energy, but really it's just new versions of songs that fans of the group have heard for a few years already. Out of nowhere I was recommended a self titled album by Sneaky Sound System and decided to give them a go. The album was released originally way back in August of 06, and I had heard a few clips of songs from it in various online videos and such, but I hadn't been able to get a good listen of the entire album. Then, this past December, a limited edition version of the album was released with new remixes of Sneaky Sound System's (SSS) works. "Remix" is a word that draws me like a moth to the flame, so I decided to fork over my wallet and take a spin.
This album is, at times, just really damn fun. There is a common vein through every song that has a disco-esque vibe to it, especially in songs like "UFO" or "I Love It" that keeps the level of energy high throughout the album. There is a pretty heavy emphasis on the bass throughout as well, really hitting home the point that this is an album that is supposed to be danced to. A few of the songs actually made me thing of "Lights" by the Scissor Sisters for some reason, though SSS's work is much more techno-pop-ish.
This album is very, VERY much a visit to the past, screaming carefree 80's at every moment that it can, but also takes the modern pop genre into consideration when it comes to its lyrical forms. The female lead singer, who calls herself Miss Connie apparently, does a great job, but the album does at times taper off, especially in songs where she isn't prominently featured such as "You're Hot". "Hip Hip Hooray" seems like a wrench thrown into the mix just to suddenly cause unneeded chaos, and some of the songs just seem lacking in overall quality as though the group suddenly gave up and decided to work on the next track.
Of the remixes offered with this version of the album, the Stylaz Fuego Remix of "UFO" and the Tonite Only Remix of "Pictures" stand out as the strong support of this half of the album. The remixes offer a bit of a different taste of the original works that may draw in a different audience, which is good since the remixes are all of the best works off of the original album. the Bag Raiders mix of "Hip Hip Hooray" really gives this version of the song an edge. The remixes really save this album from the brink of utter forgotten-ness.
Score: 7.7 out of 10. The remixes are fun and there are a few songs amongst the main chunk of the album that are good, but too many of the songs seem like things that I have heard before that I just cant give this a higher score. The album does have one common vein in style, but at the same time SSS just cant seem to define exactly what kind of group they are lyrically. The lyrics make the songs change styles constantly, which is too confusing and will turn off many listeners.
This album is, at times, just really damn fun. There is a common vein through every song that has a disco-esque vibe to it, especially in songs like "UFO" or "I Love It" that keeps the level of energy high throughout the album. There is a pretty heavy emphasis on the bass throughout as well, really hitting home the point that this is an album that is supposed to be danced to. A few of the songs actually made me thing of "Lights" by the Scissor Sisters for some reason, though SSS's work is much more techno-pop-ish.
This album is very, VERY much a visit to the past, screaming carefree 80's at every moment that it can, but also takes the modern pop genre into consideration when it comes to its lyrical forms. The female lead singer, who calls herself Miss Connie apparently, does a great job, but the album does at times taper off, especially in songs where she isn't prominently featured such as "You're Hot". "Hip Hip Hooray" seems like a wrench thrown into the mix just to suddenly cause unneeded chaos, and some of the songs just seem lacking in overall quality as though the group suddenly gave up and decided to work on the next track.
Of the remixes offered with this version of the album, the Stylaz Fuego Remix of "UFO" and the Tonite Only Remix of "Pictures" stand out as the strong support of this half of the album. The remixes offer a bit of a different taste of the original works that may draw in a different audience, which is good since the remixes are all of the best works off of the original album. the Bag Raiders mix of "Hip Hip Hooray" really gives this version of the song an edge. The remixes really save this album from the brink of utter forgotten-ness.
Score: 7.7 out of 10. The remixes are fun and there are a few songs amongst the main chunk of the album that are good, but too many of the songs seem like things that I have heard before that I just cant give this a higher score. The album does have one common vein in style, but at the same time SSS just cant seem to define exactly what kind of group they are lyrically. The lyrics make the songs change styles constantly, which is too confusing and will turn off many listeners.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Game: Rock Band
Well, that was a fun little Christmas and New Years break now, wasn't it? Now its time to get back to work, so I decided that I'd review one of the hottest Christmas gifts from this past holiday season, the caffeine based son of "Guitar Hero" and the arcade addiction of a Japanese arcade that is "Rock Band".
If you hate "Guitar Hero" for any reason whatsoever, stop reading this review now. "Rock Band" isn't going to change how you feel about this game genre. In fact, chances are you'll hate it even more after this game after you find out that your voice pitch is way off and you can't keep a beat on fake drums if your life depended on it. Lucky for me, I happen to thoroughly enjoy the "Guitar Hero" experience and so I welcomed "Rock Band" with open arms ready for a good time. And a good time I did indeed have.
First off, let me just say that the game looks GREAT...that is, the few chances that you have to actually see the virtual band playing when you're not concentrating on the gameplay itself. Character customization enters the genre for the first time, and its actually quite fun to design your own little band to be a quirky "KISS" ripoff or soldiers of the Emo movement. Everything is animated very well, so when you watch your friend try to beat the game on Expert, you won't have much of a problem watching it in action.
"Rock Band" sports a pretty remarkable song list for one to enjoy over the course of the game with classics from "Livin on a Prayer" to modern hits like "Here It Goes Again". There is a little bit of something for everyone in this game, especially because you aren't limited to just one style of playing. While the typical guitar playing of the genre stays, you now are also given the choice of playing bass, which is somewhat simpler but at the same time offers a whole new level of depth to the songs that the "Hero" franchise only offers in multiplayer, and it's just done to a much better level in "Rock Band".
If you're willing to fork over $170 for the box set version of "Rock Band", you are also treated to a microphone to belt out your favorite songs into, which actually works pretty well as a game mechanic. It's really, REALLY hard to fail a song while singing, even on the hard difficulty level, if you have any form of pitch control at all. The real selling point of the game, though, is the new drum mechanic, complete with a new "drum set" that comes with the $170 package. This is a real test of the game genre and it's fans, as it is hands down the hardest of the four modes of play in the game, but for some reason feels the most rewarding when one becomes good at it. I have just a little bit of experience with drums, mostly because a few of my family members are superb drummers, so I was able to watch and learn from them from a young age, so the drumming comes easily to me. But again, I must emphasize the point that the drumming is HARD, especially if someone has no prior experience since it is the closest simulation to playing the real instrument that one can get for a low price like this.
The game is fun alone, but it's one hell of a party when all four avaliable instruments are played together. This game is meant to be multiplayer, and if you have any friends that like this genre, you are ready to have a blast playing this game together. My one complaint actually comes in the guitar portion of the game. Anyone who has played the "Hero" trillogy knows what I mean when I say hammer-ons-and-offs are a huge portion of the gameplay, but the visual cue for when to do them is MUCH harder to catch in "Rock Band" than in the "Hero" franchise. Also, the new guitar for the game may be a bit bigger and have more buttons, but one crucial factor is missing. The strum bar (the thing you flick to hit every note in conjunction with holding down the fret buttons) no longer has the satisfying "click" that it's "Hero" counterpart does. However, this also means that anyone who plays the game like one plays a bass will have an easier time dealing with the controller, which is understandable. It takes a bit of getting used to, but don't worry, the controllers all work fine.
Score: 9.0 out of 10. This is such a fun game when you're playing with people who enjoy it. I know plenty of people who bash this game genre, thinking that it's detracting from people playing real instruments and will destroy the music genre in the future, but I personally dont see it that way at all. Did karaoke ruin singers? No, and this wont ruin music. After all, it's a game, and if you get into it, its a REALLY FUN game.
If you hate "Guitar Hero" for any reason whatsoever, stop reading this review now. "Rock Band" isn't going to change how you feel about this game genre. In fact, chances are you'll hate it even more after this game after you find out that your voice pitch is way off and you can't keep a beat on fake drums if your life depended on it. Lucky for me, I happen to thoroughly enjoy the "Guitar Hero" experience and so I welcomed "Rock Band" with open arms ready for a good time. And a good time I did indeed have.
First off, let me just say that the game looks GREAT...that is, the few chances that you have to actually see the virtual band playing when you're not concentrating on the gameplay itself. Character customization enters the genre for the first time, and its actually quite fun to design your own little band to be a quirky "KISS" ripoff or soldiers of the Emo movement. Everything is animated very well, so when you watch your friend try to beat the game on Expert, you won't have much of a problem watching it in action.
"Rock Band" sports a pretty remarkable song list for one to enjoy over the course of the game with classics from "Livin on a Prayer" to modern hits like "Here It Goes Again". There is a little bit of something for everyone in this game, especially because you aren't limited to just one style of playing. While the typical guitar playing of the genre stays, you now are also given the choice of playing bass, which is somewhat simpler but at the same time offers a whole new level of depth to the songs that the "Hero" franchise only offers in multiplayer, and it's just done to a much better level in "Rock Band".
If you're willing to fork over $170 for the box set version of "Rock Band", you are also treated to a microphone to belt out your favorite songs into, which actually works pretty well as a game mechanic. It's really, REALLY hard to fail a song while singing, even on the hard difficulty level, if you have any form of pitch control at all. The real selling point of the game, though, is the new drum mechanic, complete with a new "drum set" that comes with the $170 package. This is a real test of the game genre and it's fans, as it is hands down the hardest of the four modes of play in the game, but for some reason feels the most rewarding when one becomes good at it. I have just a little bit of experience with drums, mostly because a few of my family members are superb drummers, so I was able to watch and learn from them from a young age, so the drumming comes easily to me. But again, I must emphasize the point that the drumming is HARD, especially if someone has no prior experience since it is the closest simulation to playing the real instrument that one can get for a low price like this.
The game is fun alone, but it's one hell of a party when all four avaliable instruments are played together. This game is meant to be multiplayer, and if you have any friends that like this genre, you are ready to have a blast playing this game together. My one complaint actually comes in the guitar portion of the game. Anyone who has played the "Hero" trillogy knows what I mean when I say hammer-ons-and-offs are a huge portion of the gameplay, but the visual cue for when to do them is MUCH harder to catch in "Rock Band" than in the "Hero" franchise. Also, the new guitar for the game may be a bit bigger and have more buttons, but one crucial factor is missing. The strum bar (the thing you flick to hit every note in conjunction with holding down the fret buttons) no longer has the satisfying "click" that it's "Hero" counterpart does. However, this also means that anyone who plays the game like one plays a bass will have an easier time dealing with the controller, which is understandable. It takes a bit of getting used to, but don't worry, the controllers all work fine.
Score: 9.0 out of 10. This is such a fun game when you're playing with people who enjoy it. I know plenty of people who bash this game genre, thinking that it's detracting from people playing real instruments and will destroy the music genre in the future, but I personally dont see it that way at all. Did karaoke ruin singers? No, and this wont ruin music. After all, it's a game, and if you get into it, its a REALLY FUN game.
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