well... most know my opinion overall on three-dee so it's story time.
yesterday my programs year end show opened.... i was hopihn to stop by today but then my parents told me the whole day was planned away.... oh well i'll go tomorrow near the end for tear down.... anyways.
the day started with a trip to Playdium.... Wow i haven't been to one in 9ish years..... and now i remember why.
a) Arcades really are dead in north america.... i mean they had lots of selection and new games but nothing that was incredibly fun.... i mean.... i had more fun playing bubble bobble on the Neo Geo then i did one any other game....
b) Arcades are REALLY loud.... the first thing i did.... and pretty much the first thing i ever do at arcades in play DDR..... but the speaker was SO loud on the one side of my head that when i got off the machine i was dizzy from being deafened in one ear. oh well at least the dance pad worked which is always a plus.
c) Wow.... there are a lot of little tiny children who enjoy running around without looking where they are going and cutting lines... this of course is fine but there are a lot of games that really are tricky for people shorter then a certain height to play.... again no big deal but yeah... makes it crowded.
however we were only there for a little and at one point where we needed to run through all our credits quickly so we just stood by this game that would eat credits and give us a lot of tickets.... we didn't really care we just wanted to head to the next thing.
after that was a quick stop to the shoe store.... nothing really happened there.... other then the shoes i like not coming in my size... but thats nothing new....
after that was dinner.... again pretty fine other then i've been really sick the past week and it hits me harder in the evenings... all it did was make me lose my appetite....
ah yes... the the main event.... or at least waiting.... see when my mother went when it first came out there was a line so she was worried.... so we were happily at the front of the line, waiting an hour for the theater to clear... we were let in and soon after the film starts.
the 2 hour and 75 minute masterpiece as they call it...
holy crap that film is long.... not a good or bad thing but i've found my max threshold for 3d.... whether it's well done or not... is about 30 minutes give or take.
now we all know the story....
people go on a big ship, ship is unsinkable.... hurray~
oh noes the mean nasty Iceberg hit the poor ship.... now it's Sinking D :
lots of people die D : not a happy film at all
but they throw in a love story cause.... why not....
how was the 3d? better then i've seen in other films.... any cross fades hurt my eyes and panning shots were painful too... in fact anything getting near the bottom or the edges but still coming forward cause of the 3d hurt... I know i said i would never see anthor 3d film..... i got dragged to this one... do i begrudge it? no.... will i probably be sick as a dog tomorrow? yeah but it's all good.
alright.... time to watch more Sgt. Frog... and by watch i mean sleep through.
Sunday, 29 April 2012
Saturday, 21 April 2012
Completed: The Disappearance of haruhi Suzumiya (movie/Spoiler free)
so i love this film...
You see (classified information) and then (classified information) when suddenly (classified information) which is great cause it means we get the best line in any anime ever.... anyways so (classified animation) but then suddenly (classified infromation) and just when you think things are going to end (classified information)
and that's what makes this my fav anime film of all time.... it's long at nearly 3 hours but you know what? i love it.... and you can't tell this story in any more or less time....
and yes.... i fan girl over the haruhi suzumiya series a lot.... i can't help it.... we are all allowed to have that one fandom that always brings a smile to your face right? even though it's been 3 years since this movie originally came out and there has been no talk of another season or more movies.... oh well... i'm reading the books now so either way i guess i'll get some closure.... oh but the animation and music on this show are so good....
alright i got a full season o keroro gunso to watch now... should be fun~
You see (classified information) and then (classified information) when suddenly (classified information) which is great cause it means we get the best line in any anime ever.... anyways so (classified animation) but then suddenly (classified infromation) and just when you think things are going to end (classified information)
and that's what makes this my fav anime film of all time.... it's long at nearly 3 hours but you know what? i love it.... and you can't tell this story in any more or less time....
and yes.... i fan girl over the haruhi suzumiya series a lot.... i can't help it.... we are all allowed to have that one fandom that always brings a smile to your face right? even though it's been 3 years since this movie originally came out and there has been no talk of another season or more movies.... oh well... i'm reading the books now so either way i guess i'll get some closure.... oh but the animation and music on this show are so good....
alright i got a full season o keroro gunso to watch now... should be fun~
Friday, 20 April 2012
Kurai - From Start to Finish
i finished this on Tuesday a little before midnight..... then on Wednesday I took all 6 paintings to my final critique... so with this piece this series is 'technically' done.... i'll still probably paint a few more like this but on my own time. It feels odd thinking that i love painting as much as i do.... three years ago when i started college i had never really painted before.... it was really hard and i really sucked.... but as i tried different medium i found one i love and now i just want to keep on painting....
anyways i think because i was rushed i had a hard time with figuring out how to post him.... so i went more simple....
once again i was in a rush so i forgot to photograph while it was just black lines..... oh well.... so this is once again 14x20 on hot pressed paper and yeah.... his name is Kurai for now.... i named him ten years ago so i'll probably change it since none of my other characters have 'japanese' names....
"but what about Raichana?" yeah it's a made up name... try searching it on baby names sites or name meaning sites.... you'll get no results.
anyways i don't know if i'll actually change his name.... but i really want to.
so this is the 'final' result..... or at least what i presented to class.... i think i will go in now that it's all over and add other colours into all of them.... i would have done it earlier but i didn't finish till very late and editign them all would have kept me up all night.... probably...
but yeah i really had a good time with this series, loved every moment on it and like i said before i'm lookign forward to painting even more.
now how am i going to fit all of these in the grad show.... hmmmmmm (i have a 4 x 8 panel and these with the black border are 28 inches wide and 30 inches tall...this should be interesting)
So it can be purchased as either a print or an iphone case at Red Bubble
anyways i think because i was rushed i had a hard time with figuring out how to post him.... so i went more simple....
"but what about Raichana?" yeah it's a made up name... try searching it on baby names sites or name meaning sites.... you'll get no results.
anyways i don't know if i'll actually change his name.... but i really want to.
but yeah i really had a good time with this series, loved every moment on it and like i said before i'm lookign forward to painting even more.
now how am i going to fit all of these in the grad show.... hmmmmmm (i have a 4 x 8 panel and these with the black border are 28 inches wide and 30 inches tall...this should be interesting)
So it can be purchased as either a print or an iphone case at Red Bubble
Wednesday, 18 April 2012
Completed: College
.... so yeah.... today i had my final classes and now i'm done....
i haven't gotten any grades back but i'm pretty sure i'm not in danger of failing any class so i'm not too worried.
So yeah... those three years went by really quick... my program isn't the most respected one in the school but honestly i enjoyed it and i'm glad i took it.
Now to enjoy all this spare time by painting-- cause apparently i like it now.... wow when did that happen?
i haven't gotten any grades back but i'm pretty sure i'm not in danger of failing any class so i'm not too worried.
So yeah... those three years went by really quick... my program isn't the most respected one in the school but honestly i enjoyed it and i'm glad i took it.
Now to enjoy all this spare time by painting-- cause apparently i like it now.... wow when did that happen?
Monday, 16 April 2012
Completed: The Noble Fool Vol 1 of The Hungering Saga by Heath Pfaff
This is unlike any book i've ever read. i'm not saying this is a good or bad thing.... just something to note.
Quick summary.
Lowin, a young boy, barely older then 16, works as a book keeper. That is until his entire world is ripped from him as he knows it, whisked away by a 'Black devil' and a mysterious girl he begins the journey that'll change the course of his life forever.
now.... why start out by saying this book is unlike anything i've ever seen?
First - It's written in first person from a retrospective point of view.... not saying this hasn't been done before but i find it really effective here. the only downside is that i know this is a trilogy and it's retrospective so the chances of the main character dying are slim to none. You may be saying but the chance of a main character dying is ALWAYS slim to none.... well not in the books i tend to read.... sometimes they die many times.... or at least appear to die.... anyways getting off topic here
Second - There are no Chapters. None... there are just gaps that tell you 'you can take a break here if you want' this drove me a little nuts cause i hate stopping in the middle of the chapter... again it doesn't really affect the book it's just.... never seen a book without chapters.
Third - It deals with the theme of augmenting an inherently weak human body into a war machine but at what cost.... it's an interesting system in place that you can easily see how it went from the innocence it once was to the horrible thing it's become.
Fourth - Wow there is a lot of Sex... I mean.... at one point I thought I grabbed a romance novel instead of a fantasy one.... not that it's bad it just felt a little out of the blue at one point.
So did i like the book? For the most part.... I mean it has issues with building up emotions in certain spots. as i mentioned before there's a sex scene that comes out of no where immediately followed by a different sex scene that makes perfect sense in the context of the story. a scene where a character just suddenly reappears to the story but doesn't do as much as he could in my opinion..... a deal to honor any wish that is requested a little too quickly.... that's one of those things you want to forget happened so that when it bites you you go.... oh yeah..... that thing....
the worst one is at the end when some really interesting plot development and heart string pulling could have happened and it's all over within a page or two.... that actually annoyed me.
but other then those flaws i did enjoy it... again i like the system in place... essentially if you are a match for this race of seers you bond with that person and slowly gain their power... without spoiling too much eventually this leads to your body changing into something less human as you work for the king as his super army.
but the person in question has no choice in the matter and has to deal with the loss of humanity ect ect.
but yeah i do like most of the characters and i hope the second volume is even better since i find most authors improve with each book. so yeah i'll keep on reading though i may go read another book first cause yeah... i need a little bit of a break.
link to the authors website http://www.offoxsmind.com/ and it seems they only have their books available as Ebooks so if you have an Ereader or kindle then you should check it out.
Quick summary.
Lowin, a young boy, barely older then 16, works as a book keeper. That is until his entire world is ripped from him as he knows it, whisked away by a 'Black devil' and a mysterious girl he begins the journey that'll change the course of his life forever.
now.... why start out by saying this book is unlike anything i've ever seen?
First - It's written in first person from a retrospective point of view.... not saying this hasn't been done before but i find it really effective here. the only downside is that i know this is a trilogy and it's retrospective so the chances of the main character dying are slim to none. You may be saying but the chance of a main character dying is ALWAYS slim to none.... well not in the books i tend to read.... sometimes they die many times.... or at least appear to die.... anyways getting off topic here
Second - There are no Chapters. None... there are just gaps that tell you 'you can take a break here if you want' this drove me a little nuts cause i hate stopping in the middle of the chapter... again it doesn't really affect the book it's just.... never seen a book without chapters.
Third - It deals with the theme of augmenting an inherently weak human body into a war machine but at what cost.... it's an interesting system in place that you can easily see how it went from the innocence it once was to the horrible thing it's become.
Fourth - Wow there is a lot of Sex... I mean.... at one point I thought I grabbed a romance novel instead of a fantasy one.... not that it's bad it just felt a little out of the blue at one point.
So did i like the book? For the most part.... I mean it has issues with building up emotions in certain spots. as i mentioned before there's a sex scene that comes out of no where immediately followed by a different sex scene that makes perfect sense in the context of the story. a scene where a character just suddenly reappears to the story but doesn't do as much as he could in my opinion..... a deal to honor any wish that is requested a little too quickly.... that's one of those things you want to forget happened so that when it bites you you go.... oh yeah..... that thing....
the worst one is at the end when some really interesting plot development and heart string pulling could have happened and it's all over within a page or two.... that actually annoyed me.
but other then those flaws i did enjoy it... again i like the system in place... essentially if you are a match for this race of seers you bond with that person and slowly gain their power... without spoiling too much eventually this leads to your body changing into something less human as you work for the king as his super army.
but the person in question has no choice in the matter and has to deal with the loss of humanity ect ect.
but yeah i do like most of the characters and i hope the second volume is even better since i find most authors improve with each book. so yeah i'll keep on reading though i may go read another book first cause yeah... i need a little bit of a break.
link to the authors website http://www.offoxsmind.com/ and it seems they only have their books available as Ebooks so if you have an Ereader or kindle then you should check it out.
Sunday, 15 April 2012
Spring 2012 First Impression
the new anime season has hit and here's my first impression on some of the shows i've checked out so far.
all of these shows are seen on Crunchyroll since it's the easiest place to legally watch anime.
Kids on the Slope
So far this is my fav of the season, i love slice of life shows which i would say this falls into.
It's about a new transfer student who has anxiety issues becoming friends with the class 'thug' and the class president through their mutual love of music. after only one episode it just seems like an adorable show with great animation, characters and music.
Hiiro no Kakera
it's a reverse harem show that seems to follow all the reverse harem tropes so far.... you all knwo who she'll end up going for cause.... well it's always the same with these shows.... it's not bad but 3 episodes in and i really hope it gets better or i'll give up on it.
OZMA
.... Yeah.... i know the creator is a huge deal in the anime world and i know it's blasphemous for me to have not seen harlock or galaxy 999.... but just because they have created classics in the past doesn't mean everything they touch is gold. I watched one episode of OZMA and i really didn't like it.... the story isn't very good the characters are really unlikable i had no idea what was going on and i find that all the girls he has drawn tend to have the same face and that's distracting.
Space Brothers
so far it's cute and it's got some humor... you can tell it's trying to educate people and try to get more interest in space and astronauts... which is fine but they are using NASA a lot and it's a bit distracting since NASA isn't planning on going into space any time soon... granted this does take place in the future so they could just say well people changed their mind. also the art is pretty interesting... it's nice to see a slightly more realistic style instead of the moe crap we've been getting
Folktales from Japan
whenever i want to go WTF i put this on.... it's just.... they have some really odd stories. but i really like the style... and i love that each little story gets it's own style to depict it... but yeah.... very very odd but still something fun to watch.
Sengoku Collection (Parallel World Samurai)
yeah.... i will state right now i don't know the story of Oda Nobunaga.... but in the past year or two there have been 5 or so titles i can think of that try to use this story as a base.... most of them takign the genderbender approach.... it's not new.... it's not funny and we see it as just a blatant way to show your fanservice in. i have only given this show one episode so i may try again later... but right now this show doesn't impress me.
Kuroko's Basketball
The other show i'm really enjoying this season... i normally hate sports anime but i guess since i played basketball as a kid i'm enjoying this one? the art is good the characters are fun and i'm looking forward to how the story progresses.
Mysterious Girlfriend X
i think the show lost me when she vomited a crapload of drool because she was... and i quote... 'excited'.... yeah i REALLY didn't like this... just a little too gross for me.... the creator seems to have a fetish for drool.... which is fine just.... keep it to yourself... and it's a shame cause the art is really cool art and the concept of a boy coming to the age of being curious about being with a woman could have been handled in an interesting way... but no.... we get drool and LOTS of it. I'm not saying it's bad it's just.... not for me
Tsuritama
This show is odd..... i think i need to give it a few more episodes before i can even sumemrize the plot.... all i think i know is mind control watergun.... and even then i'm not entirely sure.... still the art is cool and the intro song is fun.... i'll keep with it for now...
Dusk Maiden of Amnesia
Love it so far.... second episode doesn't air till fairly late tonight but i really look forward to seeing more.... it's about a paranormal club where the president just happens to be a ghost.... just so much fun.
Medaka Box
Oh yay.... another fan service show... cause we don't have enough of those.... i'm being unfair cause i only got 5 mins in before i declared boredom and went off to do other things with my time... maybe it has a good plot or interesting characters.... from what i saw it was just the same old fanservice crap
so yeah... i think that's all i've seen so far... i've heard lupin is good and funimation is simulcasting and i'm not sure if i can watch their stuff in canada.... maybe i'll try later.
but yeah... things to keep in mind....
I'm not the biggest fan of Moe or fanservice.... I don't mind if the show has a little moe here or a little fanservice there... it's when the show feels those aspects are more important then having a plot.... so thats probably why i'm really harsh on some shows which are getting great reviews.... this is all my personal opinion and i'm not saying i'm right... it's just how ive felt about what i've watched so far.
all of these shows are seen on Crunchyroll since it's the easiest place to legally watch anime.
Kids on the Slope
So far this is my fav of the season, i love slice of life shows which i would say this falls into.
It's about a new transfer student who has anxiety issues becoming friends with the class 'thug' and the class president through their mutual love of music. after only one episode it just seems like an adorable show with great animation, characters and music.
Hiiro no Kakera
it's a reverse harem show that seems to follow all the reverse harem tropes so far.... you all knwo who she'll end up going for cause.... well it's always the same with these shows.... it's not bad but 3 episodes in and i really hope it gets better or i'll give up on it.
OZMA
.... Yeah.... i know the creator is a huge deal in the anime world and i know it's blasphemous for me to have not seen harlock or galaxy 999.... but just because they have created classics in the past doesn't mean everything they touch is gold. I watched one episode of OZMA and i really didn't like it.... the story isn't very good the characters are really unlikable i had no idea what was going on and i find that all the girls he has drawn tend to have the same face and that's distracting.
Space Brothers
so far it's cute and it's got some humor... you can tell it's trying to educate people and try to get more interest in space and astronauts... which is fine but they are using NASA a lot and it's a bit distracting since NASA isn't planning on going into space any time soon... granted this does take place in the future so they could just say well people changed their mind. also the art is pretty interesting... it's nice to see a slightly more realistic style instead of the moe crap we've been getting
Folktales from Japan
whenever i want to go WTF i put this on.... it's just.... they have some really odd stories. but i really like the style... and i love that each little story gets it's own style to depict it... but yeah.... very very odd but still something fun to watch.
Sengoku Collection (Parallel World Samurai)
yeah.... i will state right now i don't know the story of Oda Nobunaga.... but in the past year or two there have been 5 or so titles i can think of that try to use this story as a base.... most of them takign the genderbender approach.... it's not new.... it's not funny and we see it as just a blatant way to show your fanservice in. i have only given this show one episode so i may try again later... but right now this show doesn't impress me.
Kuroko's Basketball
The other show i'm really enjoying this season... i normally hate sports anime but i guess since i played basketball as a kid i'm enjoying this one? the art is good the characters are fun and i'm looking forward to how the story progresses.
Mysterious Girlfriend X
i think the show lost me when she vomited a crapload of drool because she was... and i quote... 'excited'.... yeah i REALLY didn't like this... just a little too gross for me.... the creator seems to have a fetish for drool.... which is fine just.... keep it to yourself... and it's a shame cause the art is really cool art and the concept of a boy coming to the age of being curious about being with a woman could have been handled in an interesting way... but no.... we get drool and LOTS of it. I'm not saying it's bad it's just.... not for me
Tsuritama
This show is odd..... i think i need to give it a few more episodes before i can even sumemrize the plot.... all i think i know is mind control watergun.... and even then i'm not entirely sure.... still the art is cool and the intro song is fun.... i'll keep with it for now...
Dusk Maiden of Amnesia
Love it so far.... second episode doesn't air till fairly late tonight but i really look forward to seeing more.... it's about a paranormal club where the president just happens to be a ghost.... just so much fun.
Medaka Box
Oh yay.... another fan service show... cause we don't have enough of those.... i'm being unfair cause i only got 5 mins in before i declared boredom and went off to do other things with my time... maybe it has a good plot or interesting characters.... from what i saw it was just the same old fanservice crap
so yeah... i think that's all i've seen so far... i've heard lupin is good and funimation is simulcasting and i'm not sure if i can watch their stuff in canada.... maybe i'll try later.
but yeah... things to keep in mind....
I'm not the biggest fan of Moe or fanservice.... I don't mind if the show has a little moe here or a little fanservice there... it's when the show feels those aspects are more important then having a plot.... so thats probably why i'm really harsh on some shows which are getting great reviews.... this is all my personal opinion and i'm not saying i'm right... it's just how ive felt about what i've watched so far.
Friday, 13 April 2012
Raichana: -From start to Finish-
getting to the end of these.... well they are due on wed
So this time i did Yellow which is the main colour of the character whose name i use for everything.
again i forgot to take a lot of process work pics but this is the line art with some of the base colour.... Yellow is really tricky cause even Yellow Ochre isn't terribly dark so i had to go with quite thick paint by the end to avoid it looking too pastel-y
so yeah this was the final result.... now all i have left is Red which will probably be the most fun/most difficult one of the bunch.... wish me luck.
So it can be purchased as either a print or an iphone case at Red Bubble
So this time i did Yellow which is the main colour of the character whose name i use for everything.
So it can be purchased as either a print or an iphone case at Red Bubble
Wednesday, 11 April 2012
Completed: Magic Knight Rayearth (anime/spoilers)
Yes i'm going to focus mainly on the Anime but honestly.... all CLAMP Anime follows extremely close to it's manga counterpart.
So Magic Knight Rayearth is pretty easy explain. there are a bunch of school who have gone to Tokyo tower for a field trip and there is a bright light... suddenly one girl from each of the three schools gets teleported to the land of Cephiro.
They see the large ocean, a floating island and a large volcano in the distance as they hurtle through the sky towards their death.... luckily a giant flying fish saves them.
they meet a very small man in a very funny outfit named Clef and he explains that Cephiro is a land controlled by ones will, he then teaches them magic and explains they need to save the pillar of this world and grant her wish before they can return to Tokyo.
To be able to grant the princess' wish they need first get weapons made of a certain material that will evolve as they get stronger and then they need to find the Rune gods to be able to fight off the high priest Zagato.... then clef gets turned into stone and the girls have to navigate this foreign world on their own.
they meet friends and some characters even die and eventually they get the weapons and the rune gods and they defeat Zegato before they find out that he is not the final Boss...the princess is... see she's tired of praying for the world and wants to be with Zegato but will only be able to be with him in death...
oh yeah totally a happy fun time magical girl story.... ok.... where to start.
The good:
Despite seeming like your typical magic girl show it has some fairly dark themes, characters die for good (... well... at least in this season... i'll get into that later) others get injured and bleed.... and in the end even though your just trying to complete your mission of granting the wish of the pillar of this world you have to soil your hands with the blood of someone who has done you no wrong
Also, even thought Hikaru is technically seen as the leader of the group there is no real leader.... by that i mean in shows like sailor moon when new powers are given it tends to go...
Sailor moon>Mercury>Mars>Jupiter>nevus.... almost always this order.... slight variations randomly but nothing major.
In MKR it's random... each of them have a chance at being the one to learn the skill first or get the first rune god.... you don't see this a lot in magical girl anime so yeah.... bonus.
The character design is really good, extremely colourful and just pretty to look at... i believe (i'm probably wrong) MKR was their breakout hit that put CLAMP on the map... and it's easy to see why, the story is well done and the characters are likable....
The not so good:
Mokona.... i don't like this thing only because it feels a little cheap when that go "oh we need this" then Mokona pops in and goes "Puu Puu~" and magically they now have what they need. it's just way too easy and honestly it doesn't add to the plot at all (well.... in the first season at least....)
the animation, epecially for filler episodes, is not the best.... this is in part because of clamps style not easily translating from Manga to Anime... but it's better then macross which is a plus.
Forgettable.... i've read the manga and watched the show 2 or three times now... and i still barely remember whats going to happen next... it's just this blank void in my mind.... don't know why.
The dvd.... I have the media blaster dvd release which just plays the english right when you pop it in.... so i have to hear a few seconds of that terrible english dubbed intro while i hunt for the remote to get to the Japanese settings...
so yeah it's not a bad show but it's not my favorite CLAMP adaptation.... no that will forever be held by Cardcaptor Sakura... but that's for another time.
So Magic Knight Rayearth is pretty easy explain. there are a bunch of school who have gone to Tokyo tower for a field trip and there is a bright light... suddenly one girl from each of the three schools gets teleported to the land of Cephiro.
They see the large ocean, a floating island and a large volcano in the distance as they hurtle through the sky towards their death.... luckily a giant flying fish saves them.
they meet a very small man in a very funny outfit named Clef and he explains that Cephiro is a land controlled by ones will, he then teaches them magic and explains they need to save the pillar of this world and grant her wish before they can return to Tokyo.
To be able to grant the princess' wish they need first get weapons made of a certain material that will evolve as they get stronger and then they need to find the Rune gods to be able to fight off the high priest Zagato.... then clef gets turned into stone and the girls have to navigate this foreign world on their own.
they meet friends and some characters even die and eventually they get the weapons and the rune gods and they defeat Zegato before they find out that he is not the final Boss...the princess is... see she's tired of praying for the world and wants to be with Zegato but will only be able to be with him in death...
oh yeah totally a happy fun time magical girl story.... ok.... where to start.
The good:
Despite seeming like your typical magic girl show it has some fairly dark themes, characters die for good (... well... at least in this season... i'll get into that later) others get injured and bleed.... and in the end even though your just trying to complete your mission of granting the wish of the pillar of this world you have to soil your hands with the blood of someone who has done you no wrong
Also, even thought Hikaru is technically seen as the leader of the group there is no real leader.... by that i mean in shows like sailor moon when new powers are given it tends to go...
Sailor moon>Mercury>Mars>Jupiter>nevus.... almost always this order.... slight variations randomly but nothing major.
In MKR it's random... each of them have a chance at being the one to learn the skill first or get the first rune god.... you don't see this a lot in magical girl anime so yeah.... bonus.
The character design is really good, extremely colourful and just pretty to look at... i believe (i'm probably wrong) MKR was their breakout hit that put CLAMP on the map... and it's easy to see why, the story is well done and the characters are likable....
The not so good:
Mokona.... i don't like this thing only because it feels a little cheap when that go "oh we need this" then Mokona pops in and goes "Puu Puu~" and magically they now have what they need. it's just way too easy and honestly it doesn't add to the plot at all (well.... in the first season at least....)
the animation, epecially for filler episodes, is not the best.... this is in part because of clamps style not easily translating from Manga to Anime... but it's better then macross which is a plus.
Forgettable.... i've read the manga and watched the show 2 or three times now... and i still barely remember whats going to happen next... it's just this blank void in my mind.... don't know why.
The dvd.... I have the media blaster dvd release which just plays the english right when you pop it in.... so i have to hear a few seconds of that terrible english dubbed intro while i hunt for the remote to get to the Japanese settings...
so yeah it's not a bad show but it's not my favorite CLAMP adaptation.... no that will forever be held by Cardcaptor Sakura... but that's for another time.
Tuesday, 10 April 2012
Autodesk Sketchbook copic Edition
the colour selection is nice since it's limited. (i know that sounds like an odd positive but it is really nice. )
i just don't like the interface... it's a little clunky compared to Photoshop where damn near everything can be finessed and has a shortcut. in this you have to click and drag and ugh half the time it does stuff i dont want it to.... like i said i've been pampered by Photoshop.
but still it may be a fun program to have around for doodling but even then i'd rather use Photoshop.
anyways it's Arian who hasn't been drawn in ages~ probably because it looks like a pain bucket full of colours dropped on her....
but yeah it's a fun program to play with i guess but i will not be using it in the future... you can DL the trail (which from what i can see really only flattens the image if you close it.) http://copic.jp/en/sketchbook-ce.html
Monday, 9 April 2012
Completed: Hotarubi No Mori E (Movie)
I use the term 'Movie' loosely cause it's only 45 minutes long.... but still.
So This is the adaptation of the first chapter of the Manga with the same title.
We start with Hotaru, a young girl reminiscing overall the adventures she had during her summers. See she was six she got lost in the forest, an odd boy with silver hair and a mask helped her find her way back home as long as she doesn't touch him. Apparently if a human ever touches his skin then he will vanish.
She does try to touch him at first but after a few bonks to the head she gives up, he tells her that his name is Gin. She lets him know she'll come back the next day with a thank you present... so the next day when he's there waiting for her she's overjoyed.
Unfortunately she's only visiting the area for the summer.... but she'd be back the following year and they would continue to have fun together.
I can't go into much more without spoiling everything....
I think that it should be mentioned that this was created by the same person who made Natsume Yuujinchou... and it shares a lot of common things with the other show.... The theme of yokai (demons, spirits ect) and even if they look scary they may not be. The music styling is extremely similar, i don't know for sure but it sounds like the same composer. Also the voice talent sounds very similar to the voice actor who does Natsume, it is not the same actor but they do sounds fairly close. Finally the visuals.... Gin looks like like Natsume but with silver hair and eyes... thast not bad but itis something you notice if you like the other show.
This does just feel like a long episode of Natsume Yuujinchou but i'm okay with that, it's an adorable story of a girl growing up unable to hug the one she cares about the most. There are 3 other stories in the manga.... I doubt they will be turned into films because of the four stories this is the strongest one.
I really hope someone like NISA licenses it since they have the rights to Natsume yuujinchou... i really want this on my shelf.
sorry for refferencing Nastume Yuujinchou so much...
So This is the adaptation of the first chapter of the Manga with the same title.
We start with Hotaru, a young girl reminiscing overall the adventures she had during her summers. See she was six she got lost in the forest, an odd boy with silver hair and a mask helped her find her way back home as long as she doesn't touch him. Apparently if a human ever touches his skin then he will vanish.
She does try to touch him at first but after a few bonks to the head she gives up, he tells her that his name is Gin. She lets him know she'll come back the next day with a thank you present... so the next day when he's there waiting for her she's overjoyed.
Unfortunately she's only visiting the area for the summer.... but she'd be back the following year and they would continue to have fun together.
I can't go into much more without spoiling everything....
I think that it should be mentioned that this was created by the same person who made Natsume Yuujinchou... and it shares a lot of common things with the other show.... The theme of yokai (demons, spirits ect) and even if they look scary they may not be. The music styling is extremely similar, i don't know for sure but it sounds like the same composer. Also the voice talent sounds very similar to the voice actor who does Natsume, it is not the same actor but they do sounds fairly close. Finally the visuals.... Gin looks like like Natsume but with silver hair and eyes... thast not bad but itis something you notice if you like the other show.
This does just feel like a long episode of Natsume Yuujinchou but i'm okay with that, it's an adorable story of a girl growing up unable to hug the one she cares about the most. There are 3 other stories in the manga.... I doubt they will be turned into films because of the four stories this is the strongest one.
I really hope someone like NISA licenses it since they have the rights to Natsume yuujinchou... i really want this on my shelf.
sorry for refferencing Nastume Yuujinchou so much...
Saturday, 7 April 2012
Completed: Working!!
Also known as Wagnaria!!
just a cute fun comedy show about the odd group of people that work at the inn.
We have Takanashi, the boy who is the newest employee, he only joined cause a cute small girl asked him to... he really likes small things... to a point where it's pretty creepy.
then we have the previously mentioned small girl Popura, she constantly has to deal with being htought of as a elementary school student as well as constant teasing from the main chef.
The there is the main chef, Sato, Former gang member this university student sticks out with his tough attitude and his blond hair.... however he' realyl a softy at heart and has a crush on the main waitress.
Of course the main waitress (who's name i can only remember as being 'chief' so we'll go whit that) is completely clueless about the fact that he likes her.... part of the reason she just doesn't get it is cause she wont shut up about the owner.
Yachiyo owns the restaurant and is a former gang member (different gang then Sato) the problem is she spends more time eating the food the restaurant produces instead of...you know.... doing work.
Our last important waitress is Inami who is an Androphob, she fears all men and has a tendancy to punch them... this makes working difficult.
Then there's the other cook.... who has dirt on all the previously mentioned characters, whatever the situation he has the picture or the juicy secret to torture/blackmail the other characters with...
and thast pretty much the main cast... other characters come and go but these are the main ones.
the story focuses mainly on them... and it's just a good time. it's a slice of life show that currently has 2 seasons, 13 eps each... go check them out on crunchyroll or buy season 1 from Nippon Ichi Software America (NISA) online store.
just a cute fun comedy show about the odd group of people that work at the inn.
We have Takanashi, the boy who is the newest employee, he only joined cause a cute small girl asked him to... he really likes small things... to a point where it's pretty creepy.
then we have the previously mentioned small girl Popura, she constantly has to deal with being htought of as a elementary school student as well as constant teasing from the main chef.
The there is the main chef, Sato, Former gang member this university student sticks out with his tough attitude and his blond hair.... however he' realyl a softy at heart and has a crush on the main waitress.
Of course the main waitress (who's name i can only remember as being 'chief' so we'll go whit that) is completely clueless about the fact that he likes her.... part of the reason she just doesn't get it is cause she wont shut up about the owner.
Yachiyo owns the restaurant and is a former gang member (different gang then Sato) the problem is she spends more time eating the food the restaurant produces instead of...you know.... doing work.
Our last important waitress is Inami who is an Androphob, she fears all men and has a tendancy to punch them... this makes working difficult.
Then there's the other cook.... who has dirt on all the previously mentioned characters, whatever the situation he has the picture or the juicy secret to torture/blackmail the other characters with...
and thast pretty much the main cast... other characters come and go but these are the main ones.
the story focuses mainly on them... and it's just a good time. it's a slice of life show that currently has 2 seasons, 13 eps each... go check them out on crunchyroll or buy season 1 from Nippon Ichi Software America (NISA) online store.
Thursday, 5 April 2012
Completed: The Ace Attorney Series
well seeing as i have no more queued reviews i figure why not dip into things i have completed in the past, This is mostly be for games cause i have a tendency to re-watch shows or re-read books but i almost never replay a game.
I may get some details wrong because for a lot of these it has been a long time since i beat them but I promise to do my best.
A little back story~
Back in high school there was a lot of buzz about this point and click game where you play a defense attorney and how it was surprisingly good.
Then I didn't hear anything about this series for a few years.... and I completely forgot it even existed... Until one of my friends was talking about the plot and it sounded really fun, we were at a con and i happened to come across a vendor selling the first game in the series for 5 or 10 bucks.... so i took a chance and bought it.
And thats where this whole thing began.
To date the games in this series that have been released are...
Ace Attorney: Phoenix Wright
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Justice for all
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Trails and Tribulations
Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney (the first series in the game to not have Phoenix as the main character)
Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth (the first game where you was around... i'll get into that)
So as you can probably tell, if your like me and sort things alphabetically.... this series throws a wrench into that. it's one of the few series where i just do it in order instead of alpha.... *sighs*
The first game in the series introduced the main cast.
You play Phoenix Wright, a young defense attorney fresh out of law school... and a bit of a moron, luckily you have your mentor beside you to help you along the way--- what? she dies in the first not tutorial mission? well.... that sucks..... oh but she occasionally possessed her little sisters body to help out.... well that is nice of her....
Anyways the game is broken up into two main parts. Investigation where you look around the crime scenes to search for clues and evidence and Court room where you have to present evidence to prove your client innocent.
Investigation is easy but can be frustrating... the game wont let you progress till you've gotten all the evidence you need... and if you miss one tiny little thing and you have many maps to look over it can be annoying to try and find whats missing... and it tend s to lead to a lot of yelling at the DS things like "but i looked there already!"
The courtroom is the only place you can take damage (in the first game at least... and again it's been a while so i don't remember if this is entirely correct) In the first game you have 5 exclamation marks... get five answers wrong and you start the day over........ unless you did what i did and save before every answer and if i got five strikes just reset the game so i could jump right back in without restarting.
I personally enjoy the courtroom more then the investigations but you do tend to have a few situations that can be annoying.
one is you'll know how to solve the case right away but you can't prove it till the game allows you.... almost everyone i talk to feels this way about the Steel Samurai case.
The other is when the game goes "oh i know how to prove this, it's so simple" and you as the player just think "it's great that you know Phoenix.... wanna fill me in?"
but still the story is cute and i love all the characters.... but since this is a poitn and click game.... there really is only one way to beat it and that means no re playability.... the closest thing you get it lending it to friends and having them come ask you for help.... but sometimes you even forget... oh well...
The second game puts Phoenix's name first, why? i don't know.... probably to upset people who order things alphabetically.
There are a few changes to this game, instead of 5 exclamation marks you get a bar, some questions will do more damage to you.... some even will take away the entire bar if you screw up... the other change is that you can now take damage when investigating.... kind of... see your given a megatama by Maya Fey, the previously mentioned younger sister of your dead mentor.... this allows you to sense when people are hiding something, you go into an alternate scenario where you see the locks people have put on this secret and your job is to break through the locks without putting them on edge. this is really fun since it takes elements from the courtroom which i like and puts it into the investigation segments which aren't as fun....
that begin said when you see multiple locks on a persons secret you kind of whimper cause you know you have to find a way to get all that info out of them.
this one also has a lot of great character development especially in the last chapter which makes up for the fact that i believe this is the shortest of all 5 games.
the third game has the best story and characters by far.... as well as more character development and that's probably why i love this series so much.... yes the game play is fun but the story is really engaging.... also i love that each characters cellphone ringtone is a midi version on their overall theme, i have a friend who tends to use Pheonix' cellphone ringtone as his own and it makes me laugh every time.
Then we get to game 4.... and everything changes.
First game made exclusively for the DS.... that's right the previous three were ports from the GBA...
the first game to star a new defense attorney.... in fact this game takes place many years after the third game and Phoenix is pretty much a hobo after being disgraced by one of his cases....
it also mean no megatama.... no locks to break.... instead Apollo has a bracelet that tightens when people are lying.... it's your job to find their nervous twitch.... i really like this.... but there was one i got stuck on for a long time and i actually had to gamefaq the answer.... i was so upset with myself.
despite all the changes i really liked this game.... but i think Phoenix is better then Apollo.... but i guess i just need to give it time...
also there's a lot of forensics in the game... which is something we only got a taste of in game one and i think it's a welcome addition.
finally the last of the released games.... and the most different out of all of them...
i've technically done a completed of this all by itself... but i'll mention things here.
this is TECHNICALLY a spin off since your playing a persecutor.... not a defense attorney.... also as the title suggests... it's all investigations.... no court... you still do all the things you would have done in the court on the outside but still... no judge.... : (
it's also the first one to let you walk around the scene... before you were just a cursor hovering over an image.... it's fun and the story was nice... most people like Edgeworth more the Wright so i geuss there's that as the bonus.... there is a sequel on the way and i can't wait to too how they have tweaked it since each game tries to add something new.
there is a cross over planned between this series and Prof. Layton... it hasn't come out over here so i can't talk too much about it other then i really really really really want it. i love both series so much and i'd love to see how the two mix.
Also there is a stage play based off the game and a movie being shot... haven't seen either so i can't talk about them but i do hope they are good.
alright, the TL;DR is if you like point and click games then this is a really fun on to pick up, most places sell it cheap. all 5 games are for the DS but the crossover game is slated to be for 3ds.
so yeah.... go play it
I may get some details wrong because for a lot of these it has been a long time since i beat them but I promise to do my best.
A little back story~
Back in high school there was a lot of buzz about this point and click game where you play a defense attorney and how it was surprisingly good.
Then I didn't hear anything about this series for a few years.... and I completely forgot it even existed... Until one of my friends was talking about the plot and it sounded really fun, we were at a con and i happened to come across a vendor selling the first game in the series for 5 or 10 bucks.... so i took a chance and bought it.
And thats where this whole thing began.
To date the games in this series that have been released are...
Ace Attorney: Phoenix Wright
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Justice for all
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Trails and Tribulations
Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney (the first series in the game to not have Phoenix as the main character)
Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth (the first game where you was around... i'll get into that)
So as you can probably tell, if your like me and sort things alphabetically.... this series throws a wrench into that. it's one of the few series where i just do it in order instead of alpha.... *sighs*
The first game in the series introduced the main cast.
You play Phoenix Wright, a young defense attorney fresh out of law school... and a bit of a moron, luckily you have your mentor beside you to help you along the way--- what? she dies in the first not tutorial mission? well.... that sucks..... oh but she occasionally possessed her little sisters body to help out.... well that is nice of her....
Anyways the game is broken up into two main parts. Investigation where you look around the crime scenes to search for clues and evidence and Court room where you have to present evidence to prove your client innocent.
Investigation is easy but can be frustrating... the game wont let you progress till you've gotten all the evidence you need... and if you miss one tiny little thing and you have many maps to look over it can be annoying to try and find whats missing... and it tend s to lead to a lot of yelling at the DS things like "but i looked there already!"
The courtroom is the only place you can take damage (in the first game at least... and again it's been a while so i don't remember if this is entirely correct) In the first game you have 5 exclamation marks... get five answers wrong and you start the day over........ unless you did what i did and save before every answer and if i got five strikes just reset the game so i could jump right back in without restarting.
I personally enjoy the courtroom more then the investigations but you do tend to have a few situations that can be annoying.
one is you'll know how to solve the case right away but you can't prove it till the game allows you.... almost everyone i talk to feels this way about the Steel Samurai case.
The other is when the game goes "oh i know how to prove this, it's so simple" and you as the player just think "it's great that you know Phoenix.... wanna fill me in?"
but still the story is cute and i love all the characters.... but since this is a poitn and click game.... there really is only one way to beat it and that means no re playability.... the closest thing you get it lending it to friends and having them come ask you for help.... but sometimes you even forget... oh well...
The second game puts Phoenix's name first, why? i don't know.... probably to upset people who order things alphabetically.
There are a few changes to this game, instead of 5 exclamation marks you get a bar, some questions will do more damage to you.... some even will take away the entire bar if you screw up... the other change is that you can now take damage when investigating.... kind of... see your given a megatama by Maya Fey, the previously mentioned younger sister of your dead mentor.... this allows you to sense when people are hiding something, you go into an alternate scenario where you see the locks people have put on this secret and your job is to break through the locks without putting them on edge. this is really fun since it takes elements from the courtroom which i like and puts it into the investigation segments which aren't as fun....
that begin said when you see multiple locks on a persons secret you kind of whimper cause you know you have to find a way to get all that info out of them.
this one also has a lot of great character development especially in the last chapter which makes up for the fact that i believe this is the shortest of all 5 games.
the third game has the best story and characters by far.... as well as more character development and that's probably why i love this series so much.... yes the game play is fun but the story is really engaging.... also i love that each characters cellphone ringtone is a midi version on their overall theme, i have a friend who tends to use Pheonix' cellphone ringtone as his own and it makes me laugh every time.
Then we get to game 4.... and everything changes.
First game made exclusively for the DS.... that's right the previous three were ports from the GBA...
the first game to star a new defense attorney.... in fact this game takes place many years after the third game and Phoenix is pretty much a hobo after being disgraced by one of his cases....
it also mean no megatama.... no locks to break.... instead Apollo has a bracelet that tightens when people are lying.... it's your job to find their nervous twitch.... i really like this.... but there was one i got stuck on for a long time and i actually had to gamefaq the answer.... i was so upset with myself.
despite all the changes i really liked this game.... but i think Phoenix is better then Apollo.... but i guess i just need to give it time...
also there's a lot of forensics in the game... which is something we only got a taste of in game one and i think it's a welcome addition.
finally the last of the released games.... and the most different out of all of them...
i've technically done a completed of this all by itself... but i'll mention things here.
this is TECHNICALLY a spin off since your playing a persecutor.... not a defense attorney.... also as the title suggests... it's all investigations.... no court... you still do all the things you would have done in the court on the outside but still... no judge.... : (
it's also the first one to let you walk around the scene... before you were just a cursor hovering over an image.... it's fun and the story was nice... most people like Edgeworth more the Wright so i geuss there's that as the bonus.... there is a sequel on the way and i can't wait to too how they have tweaked it since each game tries to add something new.
there is a cross over planned between this series and Prof. Layton... it hasn't come out over here so i can't talk too much about it other then i really really really really want it. i love both series so much and i'd love to see how the two mix.
Also there is a stage play based off the game and a movie being shot... haven't seen either so i can't talk about them but i do hope they are good.
alright, the TL;DR is if you like point and click games then this is a really fun on to pick up, most places sell it cheap. all 5 games are for the DS but the crossover game is slated to be for 3ds.
so yeah.... go play it
Tuesday, 3 April 2012
Completed: Ys vs Sora no Kiseki: Alternative saga
now i'm using the term completed very loosely here.... because it's a fighting game and not really something you can beat.... but i want to talk about it so it counts.
Ys vs Legend of Heroes (not a direct translation but it gets the point across) is a Falcom fighting game in the style of Super smash brothers and powerstone.
There is a story mode, an arcade mode, a free mode, a shop and an area where you can see all your collectables.
so i'll talk about each section briefly.
Story mode
if you didn't gather from the title this is an import game, other then the menu and a few other spaces it's all in Japanese.... that makes story mode difficult... luckily it's all voiced so i was able to get the gist of the story.
So there's something going around controlling all your friends and you have to beat some sense into them... eventually you come across the information that the big bad can be defeated by the "dragon slayer" so then you go searching for that... still kicking the ass of everyone you come across eventually you find the blade but on no it breaks... but through the power of glowing light you find out that whomever your playing is the REAL dragon slayer.... as you proceed to slay a dragon.... yay you win, learn new summon unlock new character rinse and repeat but on a higher level or with a different character.
so essentially the plot is: fight people till you get to final boss.... yay
i've only played three of the stories so far and there only seems to be a slight difference.
When played as Adol you are prompted with an option of two dialogues.... i can't read japanese so unless i recognized the characters i always picked the top one...
Estelle had a few choices but i mean only a few...
Gies has not had any, probably because unlike Estelle and Adol he's not really the main character of his series.
also i should note (though this probably changes when you beat all their stories) there are only 5 characters to choose from, once you beat their story once you can try again but starting at level 41 instead of level 1....
oh.... i haven't mentioned this yet.... this is a fighting game where you level up.... and equip yourself.... even if you lose the match you get a little bit of experience and money... and yes.... theres money but i'll talk about that more when we get to the shop.
Arcade mode
You pick any of the available characters and fight for as long as you can.... there may be an end to this, i don't know cause no matter how hard i try i can't get past level 10.... cause it's 2 against one : (
still this is the perfect way to grind your character or earn some cash if they aren't high enough level for the story mode... unfortunately computer uses characters with the items you have equipped as well as raisign there level to meet yours.... so yeah it's not an easy mode but very fun.
Free Mode
this you can pick who you fight, you can even use alternative colouring or team battles.
i believe you find network mode in this vein too where you can fight against others with the game.... unfortunately being an import game i have not tried out network mode yet... i do know someone else who owns the game but i haven't seen him yet so yeah...
Shop
after a fight you are awarded money which you can use in the shop... here you can upgrade you characters weapon, buy them accessories to make them more powerful or even buy more skills for them....
The shop had levels and the more you buy the more things you get as a reward, soon enough you'll be able to buy music for the game, stills that are shown as loading screens, themes for your psp or videos that are intros of pretty much every Falcom game. Most of these things i believe can be unlocked through game play but if your impatient and want to listen to Innocent Primeval Breaker now then just buy it.... but i tend to spend most of the money on upgrading characters so they do a stupid amount of damage early on in story mode.
Collectables
This is where you see everything you got.... either from playing the game or buying it.... you can take the anime stills an use them as a background, the themes can be applied to your psp here and you can listen to a TON of music of watch some of those videos.... i think all games need something like this cause this bonus stuff really adds to playability.... and i've only ever seen these kinds of collectable areas on my other import psp game Project Diva and Ys 3 Oath in Felghana... another Falcom game...
So how does the fighting work?
it's pretty easy to pick up, it's for the psp so the buttons are in a nice layout.
Circle attacks
X dodges or makes you recover in midair
Triangle jumps
Square blocks.
If you hold R and hit any of those buttons it'll preform the special move programmed to it but this use SP so you can't just spam these moves.
you can move with the analogue stick or directional pad.
L and R together brings in your support character who will buff you for a short time.
if your all charged up for a super special attack then you have to hit L and that's pretty much it.
there's a hit point system so when your life hits 0 you are out.... you can also be poisoned, burned, froze, paralyzed, turned to stone and many other status ailments.
so yeah despite the language barrier it's really easy to play.. i wish i could read what some of the accessories do but i figure more of them wont hurt me if i equip it.
if you own a PSP and like (or have even heard of) Falcom games then you should pick this up... due to the fact it has sooo much info about their Japan only games it'll probably never be translated. Luckily PSP doesn't have region coding issues so anyone outside of Japan can play...
alright i'm going to go back to playing now cause it's so much fun
Ys vs Legend of Heroes (not a direct translation but it gets the point across) is a Falcom fighting game in the style of Super smash brothers and powerstone.
There is a story mode, an arcade mode, a free mode, a shop and an area where you can see all your collectables.
so i'll talk about each section briefly.
Story mode
if you didn't gather from the title this is an import game, other then the menu and a few other spaces it's all in Japanese.... that makes story mode difficult... luckily it's all voiced so i was able to get the gist of the story.
So there's something going around controlling all your friends and you have to beat some sense into them... eventually you come across the information that the big bad can be defeated by the "dragon slayer" so then you go searching for that... still kicking the ass of everyone you come across eventually you find the blade but on no it breaks... but through the power of glowing light you find out that whomever your playing is the REAL dragon slayer.... as you proceed to slay a dragon.... yay you win, learn new summon unlock new character rinse and repeat but on a higher level or with a different character.
so essentially the plot is: fight people till you get to final boss.... yay
i've only played three of the stories so far and there only seems to be a slight difference.
When played as Adol you are prompted with an option of two dialogues.... i can't read japanese so unless i recognized the characters i always picked the top one...
Estelle had a few choices but i mean only a few...
Gies has not had any, probably because unlike Estelle and Adol he's not really the main character of his series.
also i should note (though this probably changes when you beat all their stories) there are only 5 characters to choose from, once you beat their story once you can try again but starting at level 41 instead of level 1....
oh.... i haven't mentioned this yet.... this is a fighting game where you level up.... and equip yourself.... even if you lose the match you get a little bit of experience and money... and yes.... theres money but i'll talk about that more when we get to the shop.
Arcade mode
You pick any of the available characters and fight for as long as you can.... there may be an end to this, i don't know cause no matter how hard i try i can't get past level 10.... cause it's 2 against one : (
still this is the perfect way to grind your character or earn some cash if they aren't high enough level for the story mode... unfortunately computer uses characters with the items you have equipped as well as raisign there level to meet yours.... so yeah it's not an easy mode but very fun.
Free Mode
this you can pick who you fight, you can even use alternative colouring or team battles.
i believe you find network mode in this vein too where you can fight against others with the game.... unfortunately being an import game i have not tried out network mode yet... i do know someone else who owns the game but i haven't seen him yet so yeah...
Shop
after a fight you are awarded money which you can use in the shop... here you can upgrade you characters weapon, buy them accessories to make them more powerful or even buy more skills for them....
The shop had levels and the more you buy the more things you get as a reward, soon enough you'll be able to buy music for the game, stills that are shown as loading screens, themes for your psp or videos that are intros of pretty much every Falcom game. Most of these things i believe can be unlocked through game play but if your impatient and want to listen to Innocent Primeval Breaker now then just buy it.... but i tend to spend most of the money on upgrading characters so they do a stupid amount of damage early on in story mode.
Collectables
This is where you see everything you got.... either from playing the game or buying it.... you can take the anime stills an use them as a background, the themes can be applied to your psp here and you can listen to a TON of music of watch some of those videos.... i think all games need something like this cause this bonus stuff really adds to playability.... and i've only ever seen these kinds of collectable areas on my other import psp game Project Diva and Ys 3 Oath in Felghana... another Falcom game...
So how does the fighting work?
it's pretty easy to pick up, it's for the psp so the buttons are in a nice layout.
Circle attacks
X dodges or makes you recover in midair
Triangle jumps
Square blocks.
If you hold R and hit any of those buttons it'll preform the special move programmed to it but this use SP so you can't just spam these moves.
you can move with the analogue stick or directional pad.
L and R together brings in your support character who will buff you for a short time.
if your all charged up for a super special attack then you have to hit L and that's pretty much it.
there's a hit point system so when your life hits 0 you are out.... you can also be poisoned, burned, froze, paralyzed, turned to stone and many other status ailments.
so yeah despite the language barrier it's really easy to play.. i wish i could read what some of the accessories do but i figure more of them wont hurt me if i equip it.
if you own a PSP and like (or have even heard of) Falcom games then you should pick this up... due to the fact it has sooo much info about their Japan only games it'll probably never be translated. Luckily PSP doesn't have region coding issues so anyone outside of Japan can play...
alright i'm going to go back to playing now cause it's so much fun
Sunday, 1 April 2012
Elendil - From Start to Finish -
nearing the end of this series.... mostly because i'm running out of time...
Alright so this one gave me a bit of trouble because i'm not particularly fond of the colour orange... oh well... also i felt liek at first i had drawn her too big.
yeah it's really hard to see but i wanted to fit the fact thast she's an archer into the pic but i thought there was no way to do it with her being so big....
until i stared at it for a while just before i was going to erase the whole thing...
was it the best solution? probably not but i felt happy that i didn't have to redraw it all cause liek i said... the deadline is fast approaching.
so to avoid procrastination i claim that i will finish the piece before i go to bed...
and this is what i got
yeah the camera really didn't like taking the picture and the colours look much better in person but it's the only way i can get this 14x20 inch piece to the internet. i will probably go back and darken some spots but right now i need to hurry onto Yellow and Red
also no april fools joke cause... well i'm too busy with school to think on up. maybe next year?
This will be able to be seen on my DeviantArt account on april 2nd... when the cat takeover has been abolished.... though i wouldn't mind kitty overlords.
So it can be purchased as either a print or an iphone case at Red Bubble
Alright so this one gave me a bit of trouble because i'm not particularly fond of the colour orange... oh well... also i felt liek at first i had drawn her too big.
until i stared at it for a while just before i was going to erase the whole thing...
so to avoid procrastination i claim that i will finish the piece before i go to bed...
and this is what i got
also no april fools joke cause... well i'm too busy with school to think on up. maybe next year?
This will be able to be seen on my DeviantArt account on april 2nd... when the cat takeover has been abolished.... though i wouldn't mind kitty overlords.
So it can be purchased as either a print or an iphone case at Red Bubble
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