I've been REALLY bad about posting these... or anything. But since nobody reads...
Diamond Select sent my employer a prototype, meaning I got to play with it. I'm not entirely convinced the electronics in it were final, but it's a pretty sizable ball of fluff with a switch that allows you to select "off", "purr," and "ZOMG KLINGONZ". The actual toy is due out in 2009, so this one seems to have been lacking any tags or what have you-- but it's pretty slick, and significantly larger than any other Tribble toy I've had the chance to see in person.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Lost & Found: Console RPG Love
I hate RPGs. Let me back up a little bit-- I used to love RPGs, along with every other holier-than-thou gamer who, in high school, turned up their noses at anyone who bought the original PlayStation for Madden and not Final Fantasy VII. Clearly, the unwashed masses were missing out on the greatest thing ever.
Flash forward a few years later and well, it seemed the genre was getting boring-- and it was spilling over into another favored genre, the adventure game. (Or "action RPG," if you will, and I won't.) Final Fantasy VIII I played through to the end twice without seeing the ending-- damn that last boss/my not having enough magic. Final Fantasy IX, I loved, and Final Fantasy X was more or less tossed on the "play later" pile for a couple of years. (And XI could suck it thanks to its monthly fee.) FFX was the last RPG I bought (not counting GameBoy Advance ports of NES and Super NES games, of course) and later the new Zelda for Wii slammed the coffin shut on adventure games for a while, too. (As neither Wind Waker, Ocarina of Time, nor Twilight Princess held on to me long enough to beat it.) Obviously, I was flushing money down a toilet.
Last week I scored a $15 copy of Lost Odyssey, and so far I'm liking it. It feels more like a Final Fantasy than VIII or X, in both the good and the bad ways. It's deeply flawed and as a storytelling medium, a little scatterbrained. Yet it's actually making me want to play it for reasons I can't quite figure out yet. As I approach what I presume is the end of the first disc (of four), the real story has yet to be revealed. The first combat takes place when the game starts, and the next is over two hours later. There's a lot of background and introduction, and the title is highly indulgent. Let me explain how, and this falls under the schizo storytelling I mentioned before. (And yes, I know this game came out months ago, but you're reading this still so blah.)
In Final Fantasy I-IX, the story was told with text-- there was little or no recorded dialogue in the game. X introduced limited dialogue for many of the major events, and that's exactly what we have here. Some of the story is told with the standard text windows-- like in the 8-, 16-, and 32-bit games. Some is like on whatever the Playstation 2 was. And the weird thing is that more still is told in the forms of these "dreams" you have to unlock-- the main character's life is told in flashbacks, which are actually short stories. Really, they come off as more or less parables or novels, in that they involve the main character and "a man" or "some guy" and no other named people. I don't know if I like it, but it's an interesting way to eat up game time and extend the narrative with nearly no extra storage space being wasted-- and since it's on 4 DVDs, there's a lot of storage space, much of which likely being wasted.
A significant portion of the game so far is cut scenes. I've probably watched 60% of the play time, as there is a lot of story being crammed down my throat. In old generations, this sort of time would be spent wandering an overworld and leveling up, something this game seems to discourage. It really wants you to advance the plot, and as such, random battles aren't always easily available to you. As of yet. Like I said, I'm on disc 1 here.
Despite being from Mistwalker (founded by ex-Square, ex-FF people) this game is more Final Fantasy than Final Fantasy. A mysterious brooding hero with memory problems? Line-up combat with limited animation? A bizarre system of learning new abilities? Chicks with bare midriffs everywhere and a queen with a thong of sorts? It's all here. Heck, there's even a sequence when you get stuck in a dungeon and have to escape-- if ever there is a Square drinking game, this should be one of the main components. That and "..." as dialogue, which this game has as well.
With the advent of the downloadable arcade game, I've figured that game value can more or less be quantified thusly: $0.25 for about 10 minutes of fun is basically fair. With lots of getting my ass handed to me by the first boss, I've probably clocked in about 8 hours, and paid $15 for the game on ye olde clearance rack. This means I'm extremely close to getting my money's worth, which is fantastic. I'm told by reviewers that the entire game is 50-70 hours, and I'm currently going to shoot for it. I said the same thing about Twilight Princess last year and haven't touched it since, so who knows. Wish me luck, as now I'm going back and forth between Lost Odyssey and Mega Man 9 and I gotta beat something soon.
Flash forward a few years later and well, it seemed the genre was getting boring-- and it was spilling over into another favored genre, the adventure game. (Or "action RPG," if you will, and I won't.) Final Fantasy VIII I played through to the end twice without seeing the ending-- damn that last boss/my not having enough magic. Final Fantasy IX, I loved, and Final Fantasy X was more or less tossed on the "play later" pile for a couple of years. (And XI could suck it thanks to its monthly fee.) FFX was the last RPG I bought (not counting GameBoy Advance ports of NES and Super NES games, of course) and later the new Zelda for Wii slammed the coffin shut on adventure games for a while, too. (As neither Wind Waker, Ocarina of Time, nor Twilight Princess held on to me long enough to beat it.) Obviously, I was flushing money down a toilet.
Last week I scored a $15 copy of Lost Odyssey, and so far I'm liking it. It feels more like a Final Fantasy than VIII or X, in both the good and the bad ways. It's deeply flawed and as a storytelling medium, a little scatterbrained. Yet it's actually making me want to play it for reasons I can't quite figure out yet. As I approach what I presume is the end of the first disc (of four), the real story has yet to be revealed. The first combat takes place when the game starts, and the next is over two hours later. There's a lot of background and introduction, and the title is highly indulgent. Let me explain how, and this falls under the schizo storytelling I mentioned before. (And yes, I know this game came out months ago, but you're reading this still so blah.)
In Final Fantasy I-IX, the story was told with text-- there was little or no recorded dialogue in the game. X introduced limited dialogue for many of the major events, and that's exactly what we have here. Some of the story is told with the standard text windows-- like in the 8-, 16-, and 32-bit games. Some is like on whatever the Playstation 2 was. And the weird thing is that more still is told in the forms of these "dreams" you have to unlock-- the main character's life is told in flashbacks, which are actually short stories. Really, they come off as more or less parables or novels, in that they involve the main character and "a man" or "some guy" and no other named people. I don't know if I like it, but it's an interesting way to eat up game time and extend the narrative with nearly no extra storage space being wasted-- and since it's on 4 DVDs, there's a lot of storage space, much of which likely being wasted.
A significant portion of the game so far is cut scenes. I've probably watched 60% of the play time, as there is a lot of story being crammed down my throat. In old generations, this sort of time would be spent wandering an overworld and leveling up, something this game seems to discourage. It really wants you to advance the plot, and as such, random battles aren't always easily available to you. As of yet. Like I said, I'm on disc 1 here.
Despite being from Mistwalker (founded by ex-Square, ex-FF people) this game is more Final Fantasy than Final Fantasy. A mysterious brooding hero with memory problems? Line-up combat with limited animation? A bizarre system of learning new abilities? Chicks with bare midriffs everywhere and a queen with a thong of sorts? It's all here. Heck, there's even a sequence when you get stuck in a dungeon and have to escape-- if ever there is a Square drinking game, this should be one of the main components. That and "..." as dialogue, which this game has as well.
With the advent of the downloadable arcade game, I've figured that game value can more or less be quantified thusly: $0.25 for about 10 minutes of fun is basically fair. With lots of getting my ass handed to me by the first boss, I've probably clocked in about 8 hours, and paid $15 for the game on ye olde clearance rack. This means I'm extremely close to getting my money's worth, which is fantastic. I'm told by reviewers that the entire game is 50-70 hours, and I'm currently going to shoot for it. I said the same thing about Twilight Princess last year and haven't touched it since, so who knows. Wish me luck, as now I'm going back and forth between Lost Odyssey and Mega Man 9 and I gotta beat something soon.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Pushing Buttons
If you told me, in 1998, that my console of choice in the 21st century would be a DVD box made by Microsoft, I'd call you a liar. I've been posting a little less everywhere because in the past few months, Microsoft's Xbox 360 has managed to be consistently entertaining to the point where-- *gasp*-- games are preferable to working.
This month's two big draws were Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, which took me 4 days to finish, and Mega Man 9, which is at 4 days and counting. (Didn't get to play much on Friday and I spent much of Saturday fixing my Mac.) Both are big draws on my childhood-- Star Wars is obvious, and I went back and forth between action figure collecting and parking my butt in front of an NES and Super NES for most of my pre-high school years. So The Force Unleashed gave me more of that Star Wars video game action that I never quite got, and Mega Man 9 is proof positive that someone, somewhere, understands where I'm coming from as a gamer.
Much time was also spent with the Mega Man Anniversary Collection, as I was itching to play the originals. I beat 1 and 2 and need to go back and finish the others.
I also picked up Scene It? for $15 at Target this week. It's a board game for movie trivia, and it doesn't seem to require too much movie trivia-- a lot of it is "here's two minutes of a movie and some questions." It's like a game show, complete with buzzers to answer questions.
I'd like to point out that I'm a Nintendo fanboy and I also own a Wii, which has not been switched on since I got and lost interest in Wii Fit this past summer. I'd like to get Wario Land: Shake It but based on the reviews, that ain't gonna happen at full price. As someone with pretty much every Nintendo platform, including a Virtual Boy, it's a little disappointing that Nintendo isn't really churning out the titles to turn my crank-- although Capcom and Konami sure seem to be doing a great job. But where, WHERE is my next 2D Metroid? Where is my sequel to New Super Mario Bros.? And why hasn't Nintendo introduced a new mascot character worth a damn since Wario?
Soul Calibur IV and Civilization Revolution are on my short list to try, but at $60, it's going to be a while. In my old age I'm finding that if I pay full price for a game, or if I get it for under $20, I get about as much fun out of it-- so better to wait it out. Especially given The Force Unleashed and its length, which I must say would have made a top-notch $30-$35 title. As far as I can tell, the less I pay for a game, the more I tend to like it. Well, except The Force Unleashed, I enjoyed that a tremendous amount.
Oh, and I'd be a bad old fart gamer if I didn't also mention that Contra 4 for Nintendo DS was pure awesome. It is to Super NES gaming what Mega Man 9 is to NES gaming.
This month's two big draws were Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, which took me 4 days to finish, and Mega Man 9, which is at 4 days and counting. (Didn't get to play much on Friday and I spent much of Saturday fixing my Mac.) Both are big draws on my childhood-- Star Wars is obvious, and I went back and forth between action figure collecting and parking my butt in front of an NES and Super NES for most of my pre-high school years. So The Force Unleashed gave me more of that Star Wars video game action that I never quite got, and Mega Man 9 is proof positive that someone, somewhere, understands where I'm coming from as a gamer.
Much time was also spent with the Mega Man Anniversary Collection, as I was itching to play the originals. I beat 1 and 2 and need to go back and finish the others.
I also picked up Scene It? for $15 at Target this week. It's a board game for movie trivia, and it doesn't seem to require too much movie trivia-- a lot of it is "here's two minutes of a movie and some questions." It's like a game show, complete with buzzers to answer questions.
I'd like to point out that I'm a Nintendo fanboy and I also own a Wii, which has not been switched on since I got and lost interest in Wii Fit this past summer. I'd like to get Wario Land: Shake It but based on the reviews, that ain't gonna happen at full price. As someone with pretty much every Nintendo platform, including a Virtual Boy, it's a little disappointing that Nintendo isn't really churning out the titles to turn my crank-- although Capcom and Konami sure seem to be doing a great job. But where, WHERE is my next 2D Metroid? Where is my sequel to New Super Mario Bros.? And why hasn't Nintendo introduced a new mascot character worth a damn since Wario?
Soul Calibur IV and Civilization Revolution are on my short list to try, but at $60, it's going to be a while. In my old age I'm finding that if I pay full price for a game, or if I get it for under $20, I get about as much fun out of it-- so better to wait it out. Especially given The Force Unleashed and its length, which I must say would have made a top-notch $30-$35 title. As far as I can tell, the less I pay for a game, the more I tend to like it. Well, except The Force Unleashed, I enjoyed that a tremendous amount.
Oh, and I'd be a bad old fart gamer if I didn't also mention that Contra 4 for Nintendo DS was pure awesome. It is to Super NES gaming what Mega Man 9 is to NES gaming.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Games and Games and Games
As a kid I spent nearly every free minute with a controller in my hand if I could help it. I got to revisit this part of my life last week with a slog through Star Wars: the Force Unleashed on the Xbox 360. Overall, I'd say the experience was a good one but I did get annoyed at a few spots. The game wasn't sufficiently debugged and some of the difficulty feels quite uneven, but still, I can't deny that I enjoyed the experience as a complete package.
After that, I pulled out (and am close to finishing) Mega Man 1 and 2. (Just need to do the Dr. Wily stages in both.) I'm pretty excited that Mega Man 9 is coming this week, but it's only for the Wii and PlayStation 3. Since the Xbox 360 version is next week, I'm going to wait-- not because I dislike the Wii (and don't own a PS3), but because as a fiend for achievements, well, I at least want a shot at them. Even if they are seemingly impossible. (Seriously read the list, tell me if you think you can get 40% of those.) It should be fun, though, and I'm really hoping that it's an excellent game that sells well. Anything to encourage more game development that might result in software that seems like it fell out of a time warp from an alternate 1991.
Anyway, this week is going to be a big catch-up week since Saturday was mostly spent playing video games for the first time in a while. Oh well. I will say, though, that it certainly beats working.
After that, I pulled out (and am close to finishing) Mega Man 1 and 2. (Just need to do the Dr. Wily stages in both.) I'm pretty excited that Mega Man 9 is coming this week, but it's only for the Wii and PlayStation 3. Since the Xbox 360 version is next week, I'm going to wait-- not because I dislike the Wii (and don't own a PS3), but because as a fiend for achievements, well, I at least want a shot at them. Even if they are seemingly impossible. (Seriously read the list, tell me if you think you can get 40% of those.) It should be fun, though, and I'm really hoping that it's an excellent game that sells well. Anything to encourage more game development that might result in software that seems like it fell out of a time warp from an alternate 1991.
Anyway, this week is going to be a big catch-up week since Saturday was mostly spent playing video games for the first time in a while. Oh well. I will say, though, that it certainly beats working.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Birthday Stuff
It was my birthday today. We went to a bunch of toy stores and basically didn't find much, although we did discover a posthumous comedy album from Mitch Hedberg called Do You Believe in Gosh? from Comedy Central records. Apparently this was recorded in 2005, two months before he died. If they're releasing a live set not meant to be made into an album for one of the greatest comedians that never really managed to be all he could, it can only mean one thing. They're making a ton of money from those other two albums. (Also, it's probably very funny, I haven't listened to it yet.)
Also, the Ontario LEGO store has the classic LEGO figure 5-pack-- you know, with the old-timey red astronaut, a classic fire fighter, and some other figures. At $19.99 for 5 figures, I passed. I thought it was going to be $10, and it wasn't. Thankfully there was a Fazoli's nearby so at least dinner would be about as exotic as one might hope.
I also didn't notice Rock Band 2 at any of the many places I went. I did see the massive Viva Pinata Trouble in Paradise strategy guide, and a lot of presell tags for this week's Star Wars: The Force Unleashed release. Which I still look forward to, despite an almost certainty that it's going to be (at best) average.
We also hit up this one area to check out a used book store (which we opted not to peruse) and a little CD shop (which was closed) in front of a giant dirt pit. I think it was in Pamona. Pamona sucks.
Am now working on the various blogs and pages for the Monday readership. I'd rather be playing Dig Dug some more.
Also, the Ontario LEGO store has the classic LEGO figure 5-pack-- you know, with the old-timey red astronaut, a classic fire fighter, and some other figures. At $19.99 for 5 figures, I passed. I thought it was going to be $10, and it wasn't. Thankfully there was a Fazoli's nearby so at least dinner would be about as exotic as one might hope.
I also didn't notice Rock Band 2 at any of the many places I went. I did see the massive Viva Pinata Trouble in Paradise strategy guide, and a lot of presell tags for this week's Star Wars: The Force Unleashed release. Which I still look forward to, despite an almost certainty that it's going to be (at best) average.
We also hit up this one area to check out a used book store (which we opted not to peruse) and a little CD shop (which was closed) in front of a giant dirt pit. I think it was in Pamona. Pamona sucks.
Am now working on the various blogs and pages for the Monday readership. I'd rather be playing Dig Dug some more.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Galactic Heroes: A Movie (as opposed to The Movie)
Next to the main action figure line, my favorite thing about the modern Star Wars endless ocean of toys is the Galactic Heroes line. If you don't collect it, allow me to give you a brief history.
1999-2001: Hasbro comes up with idea, unpainted prototypes leak to eBay. Company is hesitant to release any. A line of kiddie-friendly Jurassic Park Jr. toys is selling seemingly well, but they're a little bit smaller.
2002: First batch of "Playskool" Star Wars toys are released. 6 products in all, each include a vehicle or creature and an array of mini figures. Prices are awesome-- $6 got you 2 figures and 2 vehicles, $15 got you 3-4 figures and a big vehicle, and $30 got you the Falcon with 4 figures. The line ended before 2003 was up, but product was (un)sold through at least 2004.
2004: Line returns as a series of 2-packs and some repackaged vehicles, this time called "Galactic Heroes." The vehicles are basically dropped by the end of 2005 until reissues start in late 2007.
2008: Vehicles galore, a Slave Leia, Grand Moff Tarkin, and other bizarre choices make Galactic Heroes one of the most consistently interesting toy lines. I shot some of the vehicles-- the X-wing and the Darth Vader's TIE Fighter-- in the video below.
If you're a fan, Hasbro expanded the line to include Toy Box Heroes (Toy Story, 2008), Robot Heroes (Transformers, 2007-present), Combat Heroes (G.I. Joe, 2008), Superhero Squad (Marvel properties, 2006-present), and there will probably be more.
The most fascinating thing about the line to me is that from 2002-2008, the line has had a basically uniform look, however it appears the facial sculpting is going to start changing as Hasbro releases figures from The Clone Wars this Fall. Well, it was fun while it lasted, now it's going to look different. Still, it's a fantastic line.
1999-2001: Hasbro comes up with idea, unpainted prototypes leak to eBay. Company is hesitant to release any. A line of kiddie-friendly Jurassic Park Jr. toys is selling seemingly well, but they're a little bit smaller.
2002: First batch of "Playskool" Star Wars toys are released. 6 products in all, each include a vehicle or creature and an array of mini figures. Prices are awesome-- $6 got you 2 figures and 2 vehicles, $15 got you 3-4 figures and a big vehicle, and $30 got you the Falcon with 4 figures. The line ended before 2003 was up, but product was (un)sold through at least 2004.
2004: Line returns as a series of 2-packs and some repackaged vehicles, this time called "Galactic Heroes." The vehicles are basically dropped by the end of 2005 until reissues start in late 2007.
2008: Vehicles galore, a Slave Leia, Grand Moff Tarkin, and other bizarre choices make Galactic Heroes one of the most consistently interesting toy lines. I shot some of the vehicles-- the X-wing and the Darth Vader's TIE Fighter-- in the video below.
If you're a fan, Hasbro expanded the line to include Toy Box Heroes (Toy Story, 2008), Robot Heroes (Transformers, 2007-present), Combat Heroes (G.I. Joe, 2008), Superhero Squad (Marvel properties, 2006-present), and there will probably be more.
The most fascinating thing about the line to me is that from 2002-2008, the line has had a basically uniform look, however it appears the facial sculpting is going to start changing as Hasbro releases figures from The Clone Wars this Fall. Well, it was fun while it lasted, now it's going to look different. Still, it's a fantastic line.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
AZ Food Round-Up: The Chuckbox
As the month started, I made it a point to hit up a number of eateries while I was in Arizona. You may not believe this, but the state is surprisingly packed with unique places to eat in addition to being the single greatest place for toy runs, ever. Near ASU in Tempe, AZ is a place called The Chuckbox.
Inside, the garbage cans look like recycled barrels, you sit on a crate, and there are a couple of cocktail cabinet arcade games in varying stages of decay. Also, two flat-screen TVs. Outside, it looks a little run down. Inside, it also looks a little run down, but they've since repaired some cracked glass while maintaining its rustic appearance. The look is meant to evoke an old west feel, which is something you see less and less of in Arizona as it ups its California-wannabe-ness.
The cuisine varies from meat on a bun to a bun with some meat on it. Also, there's a variety of fried sides, like fries, onion rings, and zucchini. Booze and soda are also served, plus there's a big salad bar-esque array of toppings for your food.
And it's good. Did I mention that? Well, it is. The burgers are about $4-$6, with your choice of white or wheat buns-- unless they run out of wheat, which they frequently do. Sides sold separately. I've tried a few dishes, and would suggest trying the BBQ Chicken Sandwich or, if you're particularly hungry, a Great Big One. The burger is indeed great and big, and since you have to dump your own stuff on it you're probably going to like it better than if you couldn't.
After you order, there's a big sign saying "wait here for food." Due to lines, a lot of people may be waiting there as they grill your food right in front of you and manage to fully cook it in just a few minutes.
As burger joints go, this is one of your best options if you're in the area. The food is fresh, the service is quick, the pricing is decent, and most important of all, you'll probably be ruined for fast food hamburgers once you try it. Mostly I just wanted to show you the sign in the photo, but I'd suggest making it appointment eating if you're in Arizona.
LOCATION: 202 E University Dr, Tempe, AZ 85281
POINTS OF INTEREST NEARBY: Arizona State University, Eastside Records, Ash Avenue Comics & Books. Eastside Records is another place you should stop if you're interested in artists not carried by the majority of music stores and new or old vinyl.
NOTES: There used to be a second location in Scottsdale, but it closed a few years ago and is now an upscale pizza place.
Inside, the garbage cans look like recycled barrels, you sit on a crate, and there are a couple of cocktail cabinet arcade games in varying stages of decay. Also, two flat-screen TVs. Outside, it looks a little run down. Inside, it also looks a little run down, but they've since repaired some cracked glass while maintaining its rustic appearance. The look is meant to evoke an old west feel, which is something you see less and less of in Arizona as it ups its California-wannabe-ness.
The cuisine varies from meat on a bun to a bun with some meat on it. Also, there's a variety of fried sides, like fries, onion rings, and zucchini. Booze and soda are also served, plus there's a big salad bar-esque array of toppings for your food.
And it's good. Did I mention that? Well, it is. The burgers are about $4-$6, with your choice of white or wheat buns-- unless they run out of wheat, which they frequently do. Sides sold separately. I've tried a few dishes, and would suggest trying the BBQ Chicken Sandwich or, if you're particularly hungry, a Great Big One. The burger is indeed great and big, and since you have to dump your own stuff on it you're probably going to like it better than if you couldn't.
After you order, there's a big sign saying "wait here for food." Due to lines, a lot of people may be waiting there as they grill your food right in front of you and manage to fully cook it in just a few minutes.
As burger joints go, this is one of your best options if you're in the area. The food is fresh, the service is quick, the pricing is decent, and most important of all, you'll probably be ruined for fast food hamburgers once you try it. Mostly I just wanted to show you the sign in the photo, but I'd suggest making it appointment eating if you're in Arizona.
LOCATION: 202 E University Dr, Tempe, AZ 85281
POINTS OF INTEREST NEARBY: Arizona State University, Eastside Records, Ash Avenue Comics & Books. Eastside Records is another place you should stop if you're interested in artists not carried by the majority of music stores and new or old vinyl.
NOTES: There used to be a second location in Scottsdale, but it closed a few years ago and is now an upscale pizza place.
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