Ok, so after quite some time of being a place holder, I've decided to fill this out.
I've always found it interesting to try to psychoanalyze a superhero. What makes them tick and what gives them their set of rules? When I was a kid, I often fantasized about being Spider-Man or being someone like Venom. Spider-Man being a Hero and Venom an Anti-Hero. Looking back, it kinda resembles what kind of "Hero" I'd be.
I watch these shows and movies depicting heroes being bound by a set of rules and having to follow codes and other assorted nonsense. See, if I had powers, that dog would NOT hunt Monsieur. For some reason, I think I'd be unable to actually follow said "rules". I have power, who exactly is going to stop me?
I could never be too goody goody. I'd prefer a little taste of rage in battle, some edgy existence, and there's NO way I'd say no to the advances of a woman. I'd be totally fine with beating the living hell out of any criminal, and maybe even taking a life in certain circumstances. If I had certain powers, I'd be all for using them for monetary gain or to meet my own ends.
Sometimes I often wonder if being a villain is the way to go for me. I lack certain core qualities of villains though. Namely psychopathy, lack of empathy, stone-heartedness and a penchant for violence. Maybe I could be the villain with a secret heart of gold?? Nah, nothing but a weakness in a villain's playfield.
I think that my innate sense of justice would probably keep me on the slightly more heroic path, saving the populace, stopping natural disasters, fending off villains, and the like. But, if I saved some woman from being assaulted in an alleyway, something tells me that guy isn't getting off without some powderized bones.
I guess my path also kind of depends on what kind of power I inherit. Anything more bestial or primal and I'd probably be more evil. Anything lighthearted would probably make me be a better hero. Maybe someday you'll see me swinging or flying around the city streets, or plotting the world's demise.
Would you still be my friend if I was a Villain?? Good question hmm?
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Zombies: A Primer.
Well, with certain companies fucking around with the human genome like they are, I wouldn't doubt that a chemical outbreak will start the Zombie Apocalypse. Someday, you'll have to make that decision to run through a crowd of smelly marauders or off yourself. Should you decide to fight in a world where your neighbor is now trying to neatly peel your skin off and eat it, this will help you understand.
As myself and a few other discussed in Economy one day, there are 2 kinds of zombies. Unfortunately, they may or may not be distinguishable, and one is much more difficult to kill:
VooDoo Zombies.
These zombies are not the product of any virus or chemical imbalance, these are the product of dark magic. VooDoo Zombies close mindedly carry out the will of their summoners. They will not stop by any means. Despite decapitation or dismemberment, their pieces will still move, and still try to eat and kill you. The only known way to kill a VooDoo Zombie is to somehow disintegrate the body. Burn it, melt it, freeze it and blow it up, whatever, but NOTHING can remain.
Chemical Zombies, aka the Resident Evil Zombie.
These are the one that everyone knows and loves and the ones you probably have to worry about. Reanimated by a virus or chemical, these guys are variable as far as how dangerous they can be. If said walking corpse is fresh, odds are muscle memory and actually having some muscles left will allow them to literally run after you. Depending on the lapse of time between reanimation and your encounter with them, they might be able to run, or be reduced to a slow shamble. Pray that you can find out quickly.
9 / 10 times, the virus attacks the cells within the bite radius, eventually spreading to those within the brain, frying all higher brain function, erasing the person they used to be. The brain is left only with basic motor movement and the instinct to feed. Occasionally, if they're intact, sensory organs may have some slight function. All energy in the body goes to powering what's left of the brain, and because of this, the rest of the body cannot be maintained causing Zombies to rot. It's a vicious cycle, because in order for energy to be fed into the body, it must digest food, but how can it when the stomach is dead? Sucks, huh?
But don't feel bad for Zombies, they don't feel pain at all. This is their biggest asset when you're trying to stop one. You need to aim for the head. Destruction of the cortex is the ONLY way to ensure that this zombie you just fought off will not come back and try to take a bite out of you. Decapitation will disable the body, but the head will still try to move, unless the cortex is hurt.
You've seen it in every friggin' movie: the moment when a survivor has to kill an undead loved one. I myself question if I'd be able to off my Mom or Dad whilst they were shambling towards me with outstretched arms, wanting to give me the deadliest snuggle hug ever. The key to being able to do so, I would think at least, is to realize that it's not your loved one anymore. Just some rotting husk, holding your parents soul inside. Release them from their torment. Save them from the wretched fate of wandering the Earth for eternity, seeking meat until they literally fall apart and die again.
I hope this helps a little! If anything, just remember: AIM FOR THE GODDAMN HEAD! Death to the Undead!
As myself and a few other discussed in Economy one day, there are 2 kinds of zombies. Unfortunately, they may or may not be distinguishable, and one is much more difficult to kill:
VooDoo Zombies.
These zombies are not the product of any virus or chemical imbalance, these are the product of dark magic. VooDoo Zombies close mindedly carry out the will of their summoners. They will not stop by any means. Despite decapitation or dismemberment, their pieces will still move, and still try to eat and kill you. The only known way to kill a VooDoo Zombie is to somehow disintegrate the body. Burn it, melt it, freeze it and blow it up, whatever, but NOTHING can remain.
Chemical Zombies, aka the Resident Evil Zombie.
These are the one that everyone knows and loves and the ones you probably have to worry about. Reanimated by a virus or chemical, these guys are variable as far as how dangerous they can be. If said walking corpse is fresh, odds are muscle memory and actually having some muscles left will allow them to literally run after you. Depending on the lapse of time between reanimation and your encounter with them, they might be able to run, or be reduced to a slow shamble. Pray that you can find out quickly.
9 / 10 times, the virus attacks the cells within the bite radius, eventually spreading to those within the brain, frying all higher brain function, erasing the person they used to be. The brain is left only with basic motor movement and the instinct to feed. Occasionally, if they're intact, sensory organs may have some slight function. All energy in the body goes to powering what's left of the brain, and because of this, the rest of the body cannot be maintained causing Zombies to rot. It's a vicious cycle, because in order for energy to be fed into the body, it must digest food, but how can it when the stomach is dead? Sucks, huh?
But don't feel bad for Zombies, they don't feel pain at all. This is their biggest asset when you're trying to stop one. You need to aim for the head. Destruction of the cortex is the ONLY way to ensure that this zombie you just fought off will not come back and try to take a bite out of you. Decapitation will disable the body, but the head will still try to move, unless the cortex is hurt.
You've seen it in every friggin' movie: the moment when a survivor has to kill an undead loved one. I myself question if I'd be able to off my Mom or Dad whilst they were shambling towards me with outstretched arms, wanting to give me the deadliest snuggle hug ever. The key to being able to do so, I would think at least, is to realize that it's not your loved one anymore. Just some rotting husk, holding your parents soul inside. Release them from their torment. Save them from the wretched fate of wandering the Earth for eternity, seeking meat until they literally fall apart and die again.
I hope this helps a little! If anything, just remember: AIM FOR THE GODDAMN HEAD! Death to the Undead!
Monday, November 21, 2011
Hidden Missiles!
Well, I found this on a site, thought it might be fun to fill out for giggles. Enjoy?
1) Who was the last person you held hands with?
In a serious way? No one, I guess. It's been eons. Other than that, probably just my brother's hand while escorting them across parking lots or whatnot.
2) Are you loud, outgoing, or shy?
Depends on who I'm with. I'm usually pretty outgoing, but sometimes I stumble with words. I get shy around some people, don't really know why, haha.
3) Who are you looking forward to seeing?
Well, now that Joe's back for a time, him.
4) Are you easy to get along with?
Quite so.
5) Have you even given up on someone, but then gone back to them?
Back when I was younger, and stupid. That Matt is dead now.
6) If you were drunk, would the person you like take care of you?
Probably, though she's in West Covina now...
7) Do you think you'll be in a relationship two months from now?
Nope.
8) Who from the opposite gender is on your mind?
A couple girls. One in the company of a friend and another that I'm worried about, a little. I know she can handle herself, and things are looking up, but even the strongest of us need some help.
9) Does talking about sex make you feel uncomfortable?
Not in the least. I'm pretty accepting as far as sex conversations go!
10) Who was the last person you had a deep conversation with?
Joe, I would say.
11) What does your most recent text say?
"OK."
12) How do you feel about abortion?
Ladies, it's your body, so I think you should have a choice. However, I think that if you can't keep your vag closed for a while, you shouldn't be able to abuse the power to choose.
1) Who was the last person you held hands with?
In a serious way? No one, I guess. It's been eons. Other than that, probably just my brother's hand while escorting them across parking lots or whatnot.
2) Are you loud, outgoing, or shy?
Depends on who I'm with. I'm usually pretty outgoing, but sometimes I stumble with words. I get shy around some people, don't really know why, haha.
3) Who are you looking forward to seeing?
Well, now that Joe's back for a time, him.
4) Are you easy to get along with?
Quite so.
5) Have you even given up on someone, but then gone back to them?
Back when I was younger, and stupid. That Matt is dead now.
6) If you were drunk, would the person you like take care of you?
Probably, though she's in West Covina now...
7) Do you think you'll be in a relationship two months from now?
Nope.
8) Who from the opposite gender is on your mind?
A couple girls. One in the company of a friend and another that I'm worried about, a little. I know she can handle herself, and things are looking up, but even the strongest of us need some help.
9) Does talking about sex make you feel uncomfortable?
Not in the least. I'm pretty accepting as far as sex conversations go!
10) Who was the last person you had a deep conversation with?
Joe, I would say.
11) What does your most recent text say?
"OK."
12) How do you feel about abortion?
Ladies, it's your body, so I think you should have a choice. However, I think that if you can't keep your vag closed for a while, you shouldn't be able to abuse the power to choose.
13) Do you like big crowds of people?
I'm indifferent. Lol.
14) Do you believe in luck and miracles?
Yes indeed. I believe in luck, miracles, fate and all that assorted stuff.
15) What good thing happened this summer?
Joe came back! Heh.
16) Would you kiss the last person you kissed again?
Sure!
17) Do you think there is life on other planets?
Yep!
I'm indifferent. Lol.
14) Do you believe in luck and miracles?
Yes indeed. I believe in luck, miracles, fate and all that assorted stuff.
15) What good thing happened this summer?
Joe came back! Heh.
16) Would you kiss the last person you kissed again?
Sure!
17) Do you think there is life on other planets?
Yep!
18) Do you still talk to you first crush?
Rarely anymore, haha.
19) Do you like bubble baths?
A good soak is always fun, but I prefer the quickness of a shower.
20) Do you like your neighbors?
They're nice people, but we don't talk a lot.
21) What are your bad habits?
A lot. Not really feeling this question, haha.
22) Where would you like to travel?
Rome, Europe, Japan, lots of places really!
23) Do you have trust issues?
Yes and no.
24) Favorite part of your daily routine?
Sleepy time?
25) What body part are you most uncomfortable with?
All of it, to a certain degree. Dropping weight though!
26) What do you do when you wake up?
Turn off my alarm, stumble out of bed and go pee.
27) Do you wish your skin was lighter or darker?
Darker, I'm pale as fuck.
28) Who are you most comfortable around?
Friends and family! ^_^
29) Have any of your ex's told you they regret breaking up?
Ex's? Lawl.
30) Do you ever want to get married?
Someday.
31) Is your hair long enough for a ponytail?
Nope, hahaha.
32) Which celebrities would you like to have a threesome with?
Olivia Wilde and Elizabeth Hurley. >=]
33) Spell your name with your chin:
Matthew. Bam.
34) Do you play sports?
Once upon a time I did.
35) Would you rather live without TV or music?
TV, for sure. Music is too integral.
36) Have you ever liked someone and never told them?
Yupz.
37) What do you say during awkward silences?
BAP!!
38) Do you think age matters in relationships?
A little, yes.
39) What are your favorite stores to shop in?
I don't really shop, I know what I'ma get when I go in.
40) What did you think you'd be doing after highschool?
Not failing at life. Wish I was right...
41) Do you believe everyone deserves a second chance?
The cynical side of me says "Hell no." So does my other side.
42) If you're being extremely quiet, what does that mean?
I'm either angry, miserable or simply zoned out.
43) Do you smile at strangers?
If we make eye contact, sure.
44) Trip to outer space? or bottom of the ocean
Both!
45) Do you want a roomate?
I have a weird stigma about living alone, no matter how much I'd want to live alone.
46) What are you paranoid about?
Not a lot. Not sucking at what I'm doing.
47) What was the meanest thing someone has ever said to you?
"I can't say I've ever hated you before, but this is the closest I've been."
48) The nicest thing?
I honestly don't remember...
49) Have you done something recently that you hope no one finds out?
Now why would I post that here??
50) What language do you want to learn?
Esperanto.
Rarely anymore, haha.
19) Do you like bubble baths?
A good soak is always fun, but I prefer the quickness of a shower.
20) Do you like your neighbors?
They're nice people, but we don't talk a lot.
21) What are your bad habits?
A lot. Not really feeling this question, haha.
22) Where would you like to travel?
Rome, Europe, Japan, lots of places really!
23) Do you have trust issues?
Yes and no.
24) Favorite part of your daily routine?
Sleepy time?
25) What body part are you most uncomfortable with?
All of it, to a certain degree. Dropping weight though!
26) What do you do when you wake up?
Turn off my alarm, stumble out of bed and go pee.
27) Do you wish your skin was lighter or darker?
Darker, I'm pale as fuck.
28) Who are you most comfortable around?
Friends and family! ^_^
29) Have any of your ex's told you they regret breaking up?
Ex's? Lawl.
30) Do you ever want to get married?
Someday.
31) Is your hair long enough for a ponytail?
Nope, hahaha.
32) Which celebrities would you like to have a threesome with?
Olivia Wilde and Elizabeth Hurley. >=]
33) Spell your name with your chin:
Matthew. Bam.
34) Do you play sports?
Once upon a time I did.
35) Would you rather live without TV or music?
TV, for sure. Music is too integral.
36) Have you ever liked someone and never told them?
Yupz.
37) What do you say during awkward silences?
BAP!!
38) Do you think age matters in relationships?
A little, yes.
39) What are your favorite stores to shop in?
I don't really shop, I know what I'ma get when I go in.
40) What did you think you'd be doing after highschool?
Not failing at life. Wish I was right...
41) Do you believe everyone deserves a second chance?
The cynical side of me says "Hell no." So does my other side.
42) If you're being extremely quiet, what does that mean?
I'm either angry, miserable or simply zoned out.
43) Do you smile at strangers?
If we make eye contact, sure.
44) Trip to outer space? or bottom of the ocean
Both!
45) Do you want a roomate?
I have a weird stigma about living alone, no matter how much I'd want to live alone.
46) What are you paranoid about?
Not a lot. Not sucking at what I'm doing.
47) What was the meanest thing someone has ever said to you?
"I can't say I've ever hated you before, but this is the closest I've been."
48) The nicest thing?
I honestly don't remember...
49) Have you done something recently that you hope no one finds out?
Now why would I post that here??
50) What language do you want to learn?
Esperanto.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
The One That Got Away.
I'm playing things ever so slightly closer to my chest on this one. I.E. I'm not emblazoning this one on everyone's Facebook page. This one is a bit more sentimental. This one's about a girl...
I was taking a random survey today for a psychology profile doohickey, and one of the final questions was: "What's the biggest regret you have?" Well, if you know me well enough, it revolves around a certain someone and wasting three years of my life. Of course, the one only inspires bitterness in me, so I don't usually consider than one anymore. I'm past it, essentially.
However, there is one girl that slipped away from me that sometimes I still dream about. It's odd, we really didn't have a relationship of any sort, we were very good friends during High School. But...she's the one who taught me to be myself. The girl who was so charmingly outlandish, she made me realize that taking others opinions so strongly was foolhardy, after all, what did they mean to me? And when she walked out of my life I felt truly sad for the first time in my High School career. You know that kind of sadness. Not the "Oh no, I dropped my cookie on the floor." kind of sad, where you can fix it by getting another cookie or just downing the milk. That kind of sad where you absolutely can NOT shake it. That kind where everything happy in your life suddenly doesn't matter anymore. It's all trivial, silly, childish. It's the kind where you pick up your favorite plushy and feel nothing.
Her name is Christina Schmeltz. Or Nina as she went by later. I know that some of you knew her, and probably still do, perhaps. I know that some people didn't like her, and are probably wondering why I felt the way I did. To them: fuck off, I don't need you harshing my dream-mallow. And yes, I know the deal with her now, alright? I met Nina back in sophomore year, in our English class. I ended up being seated pretty close to her, if memory serves I sat right behind her. For a little while things went as HS does. Acclimating to new surroundings, awkwardly trying to befriend the people around you, wondering how your real friends are doing, yadda yadda. And then there was Nina.
I already thought she was adorable, so when she abruptly turned around and asked me my name, I naturally derped when I should have hurped. When I finally managed to gurgle my name out whilst clearing my throat, she said " Ok Matt! You're my boyfriend now!" And turned back around. And bam, I was no longer single! Haha, kidding. I knew she was just being playful, but the word boyfriend had a wonderful ring to it coming from her. As time progressed, we became stalwart friends. I began to really admire her outlandish attitude, and how laid back she was. Not giving a single fuck what people thought of her, except me it seemed, and being herself.
As time progressed a little more, she started throwing PDA's my way, IE. surprise glomps, hugs in the hallways, that kind of thing. I don't know if she was joking or not, even to this day, but I was really enjoying my English class, tell ya that much. Eventually I got the balls to ask her out to do something. I don't remember much of it honestly, and try as I might, the only part I can remember is her. Smiling, giggling, and us just having fun. I was trying to move forward, you know? Try and make her see me as more than a friend. If I remember correctly though, when the new schedules came out, I lost her. She switched to a class in a different period, and without that constant contact, things slowly deteriorated. Nowadays there's no way in fuck that would happen....but I was younger....and stupid(er)...
Come to find out later on that Nina is a lesbian. Which hurt a little bit, knowing that I either never had a shot with her, or no longer had a shot with her. I lost Nina after that year. Contact dwindled, and before long, she wasn't in my life anymore. It saddens me a little to this day when I ponder it for too long. It's weird when she's in my dreams. She's always sporting the white tank top / grey sweats she did in HS, and she's always helping me. I often wonder what's going for her these days, but never try to look her up. *sigh*
Well, that's my melancholy for today my lovelies. I'm gonna go hit the hay and reminisce some more...
I was taking a random survey today for a psychology profile doohickey, and one of the final questions was: "What's the biggest regret you have?" Well, if you know me well enough, it revolves around a certain someone and wasting three years of my life. Of course, the one only inspires bitterness in me, so I don't usually consider than one anymore. I'm past it, essentially.
However, there is one girl that slipped away from me that sometimes I still dream about. It's odd, we really didn't have a relationship of any sort, we were very good friends during High School. But...she's the one who taught me to be myself. The girl who was so charmingly outlandish, she made me realize that taking others opinions so strongly was foolhardy, after all, what did they mean to me? And when she walked out of my life I felt truly sad for the first time in my High School career. You know that kind of sadness. Not the "Oh no, I dropped my cookie on the floor." kind of sad, where you can fix it by getting another cookie or just downing the milk. That kind of sad where you absolutely can NOT shake it. That kind where everything happy in your life suddenly doesn't matter anymore. It's all trivial, silly, childish. It's the kind where you pick up your favorite plushy and feel nothing.
Her name is Christina Schmeltz. Or Nina as she went by later. I know that some of you knew her, and probably still do, perhaps. I know that some people didn't like her, and are probably wondering why I felt the way I did. To them: fuck off, I don't need you harshing my dream-mallow. And yes, I know the deal with her now, alright? I met Nina back in sophomore year, in our English class. I ended up being seated pretty close to her, if memory serves I sat right behind her. For a little while things went as HS does. Acclimating to new surroundings, awkwardly trying to befriend the people around you, wondering how your real friends are doing, yadda yadda. And then there was Nina.
I already thought she was adorable, so when she abruptly turned around and asked me my name, I naturally derped when I should have hurped. When I finally managed to gurgle my name out whilst clearing my throat, she said " Ok Matt! You're my boyfriend now!" And turned back around. And bam, I was no longer single! Haha, kidding. I knew she was just being playful, but the word boyfriend had a wonderful ring to it coming from her. As time progressed, we became stalwart friends. I began to really admire her outlandish attitude, and how laid back she was. Not giving a single fuck what people thought of her, except me it seemed, and being herself.
As time progressed a little more, she started throwing PDA's my way, IE. surprise glomps, hugs in the hallways, that kind of thing. I don't know if she was joking or not, even to this day, but I was really enjoying my English class, tell ya that much. Eventually I got the balls to ask her out to do something. I don't remember much of it honestly, and try as I might, the only part I can remember is her. Smiling, giggling, and us just having fun. I was trying to move forward, you know? Try and make her see me as more than a friend. If I remember correctly though, when the new schedules came out, I lost her. She switched to a class in a different period, and without that constant contact, things slowly deteriorated. Nowadays there's no way in fuck that would happen....but I was younger....and stupid(er)...
Come to find out later on that Nina is a lesbian. Which hurt a little bit, knowing that I either never had a shot with her, or no longer had a shot with her. I lost Nina after that year. Contact dwindled, and before long, she wasn't in my life anymore. It saddens me a little to this day when I ponder it for too long. It's weird when she's in my dreams. She's always sporting the white tank top / grey sweats she did in HS, and she's always helping me. I often wonder what's going for her these days, but never try to look her up. *sigh*
Well, that's my melancholy for today my lovelies. I'm gonna go hit the hay and reminisce some more...
Friday, November 4, 2011
If Music is the food of love...play on.
I always tend to see these lists here and there. Music has a funny way of invoking emotions in people, be it via past experience with it or melodic tone. Growing up, I didn't listen to the radio a lot, due to the fact the radio in ye old Car didn't get anything besides AM. Fuck FM.
What I did listen to a lot was gaming music. Why? Well I played the living fuck out of our Super Nintendo. When I wasn't outside playing with my school chums, we were at someone's house on the Super. As such, gaming music is a majority of what I listen to even now. It's given me a greater appreciation of music as a whole, and has made me incredibly fond of instrumentals.
So, here's 5 tracks that evoke a deep rooted emotion in me today.
Gradius III Arcade: Fire Scramble
This song always makes me feel more energetic. In Gradius III, this stage is covered in flame, and constantly hurling flaming comets at you. You HAVE to keep moving, dodging rocks as well as shooting them down and not to mention the enemies flying about as well. It makes me think of speed, nimbleness, like flying and jumping. Makes me jittery sometimes, hahaha.
Resident Evil 4: Regenerator.
This piece always sends an icy chill up my spine. Regenerators are some of my most feared enemies in any game I've played. Subconsciously I'm always shuddering a little when I hear their ragged breath. Regenerators are tall, sexless beings incapable of being killed by conventional means. It takes heavy concussive fire or well placed shots via a thermal scope to kill them. Their limbs are able to stretch to ensnare prey, and with giant fangs, the tear into their food. Another version impales it's victims on numerous spines that eject from it's body. Like an Iron Maiden.
REmake: Safe Haven
Another track from Resident Evil, this time from the Gamecube remake. I played this game a LOT. This song is the safe room theme. Many times I've been critically injured and running from Crimson Heads, only to run into one of these rooms. Usually dimly lit with an Item Box and a Typewriter, nothing is able to enter this room, except for you. As such, this always makes me feel very serene and relaxed.
Trauma Center Second Opinion: Code Blue ~DS Ver.~
This song makes me ridiculously tense. Trauma Center is a surgery sim with a lot of over the top stuff after the halfway point. This version of "Code Blue" is only used when your patient is hanging by a thread right off the bat. I spent forever trying to beat a mission with this song: save someone who's been in a nasty car accident. Lacerations on the body, glass stuck in their heart, and dying...I kept screwing up and I'd get really tense trying to beat it. Funny, consider it's just a game. But fuck...I can't hear this without feeling tense anymore. I mean, this song could make scrambling some eggs and ordeal.
Persona 3: Burn My Dread ~Last Battle~
Determination. All I can say. This song basically says don't back down. If you've played Persona 3 you know exactly why too, hahaha. It's a fucking awesome song with a fucking awesome message, and probably the only rap I'll ever listen to. This takes place at the end of the game during a scripted fight with the final boss. I refuse to spoil the story to the game, suffice to say it's the best story I've ever played in a game, ever. If you have a PS2 and like "different" RPG's, grab Persona 3 FES.
And that's that! Hope you like the songs, haha, and let me know what y'all think!
What I did listen to a lot was gaming music. Why? Well I played the living fuck out of our Super Nintendo. When I wasn't outside playing with my school chums, we were at someone's house on the Super. As such, gaming music is a majority of what I listen to even now. It's given me a greater appreciation of music as a whole, and has made me incredibly fond of instrumentals.
So, here's 5 tracks that evoke a deep rooted emotion in me today.
Gradius III Arcade: Fire Scramble
This song always makes me feel more energetic. In Gradius III, this stage is covered in flame, and constantly hurling flaming comets at you. You HAVE to keep moving, dodging rocks as well as shooting them down and not to mention the enemies flying about as well. It makes me think of speed, nimbleness, like flying and jumping. Makes me jittery sometimes, hahaha.
Resident Evil 4: Regenerator.
This piece always sends an icy chill up my spine. Regenerators are some of my most feared enemies in any game I've played. Subconsciously I'm always shuddering a little when I hear their ragged breath. Regenerators are tall, sexless beings incapable of being killed by conventional means. It takes heavy concussive fire or well placed shots via a thermal scope to kill them. Their limbs are able to stretch to ensnare prey, and with giant fangs, the tear into their food. Another version impales it's victims on numerous spines that eject from it's body. Like an Iron Maiden.
REmake: Safe Haven
Another track from Resident Evil, this time from the Gamecube remake. I played this game a LOT. This song is the safe room theme. Many times I've been critically injured and running from Crimson Heads, only to run into one of these rooms. Usually dimly lit with an Item Box and a Typewriter, nothing is able to enter this room, except for you. As such, this always makes me feel very serene and relaxed.
Trauma Center Second Opinion: Code Blue ~DS Ver.~
This song makes me ridiculously tense. Trauma Center is a surgery sim with a lot of over the top stuff after the halfway point. This version of "Code Blue" is only used when your patient is hanging by a thread right off the bat. I spent forever trying to beat a mission with this song: save someone who's been in a nasty car accident. Lacerations on the body, glass stuck in their heart, and dying...I kept screwing up and I'd get really tense trying to beat it. Funny, consider it's just a game. But fuck...I can't hear this without feeling tense anymore. I mean, this song could make scrambling some eggs and ordeal.
Persona 3: Burn My Dread ~Last Battle~
Determination. All I can say. This song basically says don't back down. If you've played Persona 3 you know exactly why too, hahaha. It's a fucking awesome song with a fucking awesome message, and probably the only rap I'll ever listen to. This takes place at the end of the game during a scripted fight with the final boss. I refuse to spoil the story to the game, suffice to say it's the best story I've ever played in a game, ever. If you have a PS2 and like "different" RPG's, grab Persona 3 FES.
And that's that! Hope you like the songs, haha, and let me know what y'all think!
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Dawn of the First Day.
Well, this is one of those deep entries. I'm slowly but surely losing my sanity here at home, maybe I can make myself feel less overwhelmed by nothing if I put it here.
As I'm 90% certain you all know, we just passed Halloween. Normally this is a pretty happy time, and it was for the most part. Of course, not near as much for me. Bored to death all the time, hunting for a new job, in constant close contact with 3 screaming obnoxious children. Don't get me wrong, my brothers can all be pretty cool on their own or at certain points in time. But when they come in contact with each other, it's always the same. Screaming, yelling, obnoxiously loud noises, and my parents screaming at them to make them stop. Of course, it's completely unsuccessful, the screaming always starts up again within a few moments.
Lately I've been incredibly tired. You may remember a Facebook status I had talking about getting hit with a wave of exhaustion. You see, I go to bed around 11:30ish every night, save the weekends. I sleep until 7AM, then take my Mom to her carpool, take the kids to school, then come home to hang around and job hunt / baby sit until 6:00 PM. That's right, 6PM, when I finally come home with Mom.
We eat dinner, and around 8ish, I go to my grandma's salon and work there for an hour-ish, making some extra cash. Come home, shower. Then either jump on my computer or watch some Netflix before heading to bed.
Sounds good right? 7 hours of sleep is a dream for some people. Well, I don't actually get those 7+ hours of sleep. I'm afflicted with a condition called Sleep Apnea. Basically, I'm so fat that my body is literally unable to maintain my breathing at night; feasibly, I could die any night now. So my brain never actually rests, and I never go into a deep sleep. The only cure is to drop the weight. Simple, non? So my Mom asks me this morning why I seemed so uptight, and if I was in a bad mood or something. I told her No, that I was just really tired. She tells me to go to sleep earlier. Brilliant Mom, as if that hadn't entered my mind. The reason I even bother staying up that late is because Night is one of the few times my house is actually quiet. The kids are asleep, and there's no noise to be heard. Regardless, I doubt my fractured sleep would really handle another hour.
Anyways, going back to Halloween. I stopped dressing up once I hit 19. I figured I was too old for it now, and if I wanted candy I could go buy a sack or two at Target or whatever. Still though, I find myself aching to make a costume, and thinking of ideas for costumes I can use "next year". I ran out of time this time, but next year I will be dressing up again. I came to realize a few things on Halloween day though.
I realized that it's time to change. I made a promise: by Halloween next year, I want to be at 200 lbs, or close to it. I'm tired of looking in the mirror and feeling embarrassed. I'm tired of feeling like I'm trapped in my body, and like I'm not myself. I'm tired of the constant cycle of feeling confident, realizing I have nothing to be confident about, then feeling worthless. I'm tired of women judging me by my body and outward appearance. I'm tired of not being able to do things because of how fat I am. I'm tired of feeling eternally slow and tired, like I'm weighed down and weak. I'm tired of the phrase, "This shirt won't fit." I'm tired of feeling ashamed of how much I eat even if I'm genuinely hungry. I'm tired of my life.
I'm putting this here to remind myself of why. When the going gets rough, I want to give up, and I'm on the edge, I want to be able to read this and say, "No. Remember why you're doing this, and remember the big picture. Keep fighting."
Now now, before you go on thinking this is purely for a noble purpose, don't underestimate my desire for the darker side of things. And you, I know you're reading this, and you know who you are. This is my vengeance. This will be the concept that allows me to rub your stupid choices in your face. To all the people that talked shit about me, all the women that rejected me, and everyone who underestimated me, I will show you. I will prove you wrong, and show you that I am indeed a force to be reckoned with. The day will come when I will be looking down on you, I promise.
Here's the Plan:
1. Start slow.
Basically this boils down to portion control and light exercise. Probably just extended walking and beginner stretches / workout.
2. Research.
Kind of self explanatory. Basically, I need to lose fat in my stomach and my ass/thigh areas. Create a workout routine and pseudo-diet that will adhere to that.
3. Discipline.
This is something I believe I need to work on. I want to take up a Martial Art, anything but Shotokan really. I would like Muay Thai, but I'll see what's around. This will teach me the discipline I need, as well as give me a method of protecting myself (pffft, come on, I live in Camarillo.), and Joe needs a sparring buddy.
4. Power.
Power through it. Stick to my regimen no matter how much it hurts, no matter how insane I go, and no matter what it takes. This is me, and my fight. Either help me or get out of my way.
5. The Goal.
I need something physical to remind me. A tangible goal I can use to keep myself going. One day at DisneyLand I saw a girl wearing a Blue Power Ranger shirt. It had the design of the old costumes and I thought it was pretty cool. A wearable slice of nostalgia. I asked her where she got it, and she told me Hot Topic before giggling and running off. Maybe that's what it should be. Maybe I should buy the shirt in a Large or X-Large (I have really broad shoulders so I dunno), and pin it to my wall. Then one day I can take it down and wear it for real...
All in all, I need to change. My life is technically at stake here. Honestly, 90% of the problems I have are because I'm fat. Don't try to disagree, because trust me, I've thought about this long and hard. My sleep apnea drains me, which makes me tired and not want to work out. I've always been fat, so my self-image and confidence are in the shitter, which tends to drive women and people away from me. That in turn makes me feel lonely and worthless, only furthering my stoop into crippling depression.
This is simply....something I must do.
As I'm 90% certain you all know, we just passed Halloween. Normally this is a pretty happy time, and it was for the most part. Of course, not near as much for me. Bored to death all the time, hunting for a new job, in constant close contact with 3 screaming obnoxious children. Don't get me wrong, my brothers can all be pretty cool on their own or at certain points in time. But when they come in contact with each other, it's always the same. Screaming, yelling, obnoxiously loud noises, and my parents screaming at them to make them stop. Of course, it's completely unsuccessful, the screaming always starts up again within a few moments.
Lately I've been incredibly tired. You may remember a Facebook status I had talking about getting hit with a wave of exhaustion. You see, I go to bed around 11:30ish every night, save the weekends. I sleep until 7AM, then take my Mom to her carpool, take the kids to school, then come home to hang around and job hunt / baby sit until 6:00 PM. That's right, 6PM, when I finally come home with Mom.
We eat dinner, and around 8ish, I go to my grandma's salon and work there for an hour-ish, making some extra cash. Come home, shower. Then either jump on my computer or watch some Netflix before heading to bed.
Sounds good right? 7 hours of sleep is a dream for some people. Well, I don't actually get those 7+ hours of sleep. I'm afflicted with a condition called Sleep Apnea. Basically, I'm so fat that my body is literally unable to maintain my breathing at night; feasibly, I could die any night now. So my brain never actually rests, and I never go into a deep sleep. The only cure is to drop the weight. Simple, non? So my Mom asks me this morning why I seemed so uptight, and if I was in a bad mood or something. I told her No, that I was just really tired. She tells me to go to sleep earlier. Brilliant Mom, as if that hadn't entered my mind. The reason I even bother staying up that late is because Night is one of the few times my house is actually quiet. The kids are asleep, and there's no noise to be heard. Regardless, I doubt my fractured sleep would really handle another hour.
Anyways, going back to Halloween. I stopped dressing up once I hit 19. I figured I was too old for it now, and if I wanted candy I could go buy a sack or two at Target or whatever. Still though, I find myself aching to make a costume, and thinking of ideas for costumes I can use "next year". I ran out of time this time, but next year I will be dressing up again. I came to realize a few things on Halloween day though.
I realized that it's time to change. I made a promise: by Halloween next year, I want to be at 200 lbs, or close to it. I'm tired of looking in the mirror and feeling embarrassed. I'm tired of feeling like I'm trapped in my body, and like I'm not myself. I'm tired of the constant cycle of feeling confident, realizing I have nothing to be confident about, then feeling worthless. I'm tired of women judging me by my body and outward appearance. I'm tired of not being able to do things because of how fat I am. I'm tired of feeling eternally slow and tired, like I'm weighed down and weak. I'm tired of the phrase, "This shirt won't fit." I'm tired of feeling ashamed of how much I eat even if I'm genuinely hungry. I'm tired of my life.
I'm putting this here to remind myself of why. When the going gets rough, I want to give up, and I'm on the edge, I want to be able to read this and say, "No. Remember why you're doing this, and remember the big picture. Keep fighting."
Now now, before you go on thinking this is purely for a noble purpose, don't underestimate my desire for the darker side of things. And you, I know you're reading this, and you know who you are. This is my vengeance. This will be the concept that allows me to rub your stupid choices in your face. To all the people that talked shit about me, all the women that rejected me, and everyone who underestimated me, I will show you. I will prove you wrong, and show you that I am indeed a force to be reckoned with. The day will come when I will be looking down on you, I promise.
Here's the Plan:
1. Start slow.
Basically this boils down to portion control and light exercise. Probably just extended walking and beginner stretches / workout.
2. Research.
Kind of self explanatory. Basically, I need to lose fat in my stomach and my ass/thigh areas. Create a workout routine and pseudo-diet that will adhere to that.
3. Discipline.
This is something I believe I need to work on. I want to take up a Martial Art, anything but Shotokan really. I would like Muay Thai, but I'll see what's around. This will teach me the discipline I need, as well as give me a method of protecting myself (pffft, come on, I live in Camarillo.), and Joe needs a sparring buddy.
4. Power.
Power through it. Stick to my regimen no matter how much it hurts, no matter how insane I go, and no matter what it takes. This is me, and my fight. Either help me or get out of my way.
5. The Goal.
I need something physical to remind me. A tangible goal I can use to keep myself going. One day at DisneyLand I saw a girl wearing a Blue Power Ranger shirt. It had the design of the old costumes and I thought it was pretty cool. A wearable slice of nostalgia. I asked her where she got it, and she told me Hot Topic before giggling and running off. Maybe that's what it should be. Maybe I should buy the shirt in a Large or X-Large (I have really broad shoulders so I dunno), and pin it to my wall. Then one day I can take it down and wear it for real...
All in all, I need to change. My life is technically at stake here. Honestly, 90% of the problems I have are because I'm fat. Don't try to disagree, because trust me, I've thought about this long and hard. My sleep apnea drains me, which makes me tired and not want to work out. I've always been fat, so my self-image and confidence are in the shitter, which tends to drive women and people away from me. That in turn makes me feel lonely and worthless, only furthering my stoop into crippling depression.
This is simply....something I must do.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Why Paranormal Activity 3 was good, for me.
I find this kind of weird. An audience looking to be frightened; seeking to wet themselves; aching for the bitter chill of fear; didn't like a movie that pretty much did just that. I mean, PA3 wasn't lasting scary, unless you actually believe that it's real, which it clearly isn't, or you're a religious buff. What the movie was, was tense, and a decent enough story, much more in your face than PA1, and entertaining at very least. The answer as to why lies, of course, with stupid people. Again. And the fact that this is the 3rd movie, and little has changed.
What Paranormal Activity 3 Did Right:
1. Preyed upon multiple innate phobias.
This is what Paranormal Activity does to people without them even realizing it. The story always revolves around a normal everyday family, living at home comfortably without a care, until some thing invades this home. Subconsciously, to everyone who has a "home", their home is a Sanctuary. An impregnable fortress where people expect things to play by their rules. It's your home turf, y'know? And now something you can't see or defeat has suddenly invaded this fortress. It's proving to yourself that you are indeed helpless to stop this entity. It's harming your family, it's wrecking your stuff, it's invading your personal area, and you can't stop it.
This entity, now dubbed Tobey by the younger sister, is preying upon much younger people now. Katie and Kristi are incredibly young in this movie, and the film does a good job of painting them up to be completely harmless, cute, innocent, and oblivious to the nature of Tobey; at first. When Tobey starts getting pissy, these girls have the living shit scared of out of them, and the older sister gets assaulted quite a bit. Having a demon rage against young children shows an inhuman ruthlessness, which really fucks with an audience after a while.
2. Tension.
Comparing Paranormal Activity to other horror movies is like comparing Resident Evil 1 to Resident Evil 4. Other horror movies are lasting scary, there's something warped or perverse that really fucks with you personally, and you find it's hard to sleep that night. Like Resident Evil 1, all you can see when you close your eyes is that zombie lurching towards you: its every alien movement, the low moan, the rotting flesh; and suddenly you're not so tired anymore. Paranormal Activity is like Resident Evil 4. It's not terribly scary after you're out of that dark theatre, but while you're there, you're tense. Waiting for the scare that you KNOW is coming, but don't know when or how.
It's the perfect set up. The film sets you up like a house of cards: playing every moment up, having you anxiously waiting for the scare, and the delivery makes you lose bowel control briefly. Well done.
3. Showed more of the Demon.
Tobey was not fucking around in this movie. In the previous two films, Tobey was a little more subdued in his actions until the climax of the movie. Within the first 20 minutes or so, the couple is making a really bad sex tape while they're high, when an earthquake hits (they're in California). As they run off to check on the girls, the camera sways a bit due to the vibrations and the quake ends. And we see him. Dust from the roof settles on a form, we see an outline of Tobey. We can't tell much, but he's made known, and given form. The dust falls as Tobey takes off. The Demon is connected to the Katie, the younger sister, and to everyone else in the house, is her imaginary friend she calls Tobey. And about halfway through the movie, when Katie tells him that she wants nothing to do with him anymore, Tobey gets a little ticked off and ups the ante by quite a bit.
I won't spoil any scares, but I will say the one that actually made me say "Holy Shit" out loud. There's a small scene where the sisters are playing tag or something, and Katie runs by the camera. Kristi is chasing her closely and she actually runs into Tobey. A thud is very audible and Kristi is visibly scared the moment it happens. She begins to back away very slowly from Tobey, calling for her Mother, until Tobey grabs the girl and picks her up by her hair. I thought that was pretty chilling.
4. They explained why this is happening, sorta.
There's a scene in the movie that I apparently missed while going to take a piss. I guess some stuff happened in the girls room and some weird symbol thing was made in Lite-Brites after the attack. The boyfriend/Father researches this symbol and finds it to be the Emblem of a Witch Coven. This coven apparently brainwashes young girls to be used in various rituals. We come to find that Julie's (the mom of the sisters) Mother is either the ringleader or a prominent member of this Coven.
The final scenes of the movie take place at Rose's house (Rose is Julie's Mom). The boyfriend/Father is looking for Julie, and he happens across a meeting of this Witch Coven. The symbol is seen is lights in this room, which has a bunch of older women in it. Boyfriend Guy runs away from this meeting, finds Katie, blah blah blah, until the end of the movie. Boyfriend Guy finds Kristi knelt by Julie's corpse (Julie was killed as little earlier by Tobey). He has Katie with him, and leaves her for a moment to approach Kristi.
She, upon him touching her shoulder, turns around and screeches at him. She has fangs, I think, and she scuttles off. Somehow, this has hurled Boyfriend Guy backwards and injured him. I figure maybe Tobey was like "BTFO, lol." Anyways, Boyfriend Guy is crawling on the floor while the camera seems to have magically fallen in perfect angle to catch his demise. As he gets closer to the doorway, Rose steps in front of him. He looks up at her pitifully while she gestures at him slightly. Tobey then proceeds to grab Boyfriend Guy's arms, and break him in half. Cooooool. Rose then walks away with both sisters in hand, while Katie cheerfully says "Come on, Tobey!"
Ok, me being the nerd I am, I kinda know what's going on. Stupid People on the other hand, wouldn't have any clue. Basic Demonology says that demons can't exist on our Plane without some sort of host, someone they're connected to and ultimately will use to solidify their existence among us. Said victims can't be just anyone, they have to be prone to spiritual existence, these people are known as HyperSensitives. What it seems to me, is that this Coven of Witches are using young HyperSensitive girls to use as hosts for demons, in order to harness their power and control them. So, Rose, seeing that Katie is a candidate for their rituals, has brainwashed her and bound "Tobey" to her, explaining why several years later "Tobey" wants to take Katie for himself. This explains why Katie doesn't remember jack shit in PA1, and why Tobey is so intent on stealing Katie away for himself. I never saw PA2, so fuck that.
What Went Horribly Wrong:
1. They edited too much.
According to a lot of surveys, people didn't like that fact that most of what the previews were showing, was not in the actual movie. Other scenes were changed. Example: there's a scene in the previews where Katie and Kristi are filming themselves playing Bloody Mary. Once they lights go out, nothing really happens, once they come back on though, a shadowy form is supposed to be in there with them. In the movie though, this scene was changed to have Kristi and Boyfriend Guy's film buddy. People don't like change, haha.
2. They explained why this is happening, sorta.
Explaining or attempting to explain the supernatural is always a double-edged sword, it's just the nature of the beast. On the one hand, if the audience wants "Tobey" to be explained, this might help give an inkling as to why without completely telling the story. This leaves the door open for another Paranormal Activity, and may keep viewer interest....maybe.
On the other hand, people might be confused about what happened, and by default resort to "Fuck it" rather than think it out. This creates a negative association with the movie, and so people spread the word that it was bad. Of course, this shuts all avenues for any more movies in this series, and kind of discredits the series as a whole.
Personally, I liked the movies that I've seen. They were innovative to an extent, had a decent loose story, some good scares, and were entertaining. For me, they're entertaining for all the wrong reasons, mainly because I file PA under 'Comedy'. All in all, go watch at least the first one. It's a decent movie, and good if you like the thriller genre. If worse comes to worse, you can come laugh about it with me.
What Paranormal Activity 3 Did Right:
1. Preyed upon multiple innate phobias.
This is what Paranormal Activity does to people without them even realizing it. The story always revolves around a normal everyday family, living at home comfortably without a care, until some thing invades this home. Subconsciously, to everyone who has a "home", their home is a Sanctuary. An impregnable fortress where people expect things to play by their rules. It's your home turf, y'know? And now something you can't see or defeat has suddenly invaded this fortress. It's proving to yourself that you are indeed helpless to stop this entity. It's harming your family, it's wrecking your stuff, it's invading your personal area, and you can't stop it.
This entity, now dubbed Tobey by the younger sister, is preying upon much younger people now. Katie and Kristi are incredibly young in this movie, and the film does a good job of painting them up to be completely harmless, cute, innocent, and oblivious to the nature of Tobey; at first. When Tobey starts getting pissy, these girls have the living shit scared of out of them, and the older sister gets assaulted quite a bit. Having a demon rage against young children shows an inhuman ruthlessness, which really fucks with an audience after a while.
2. Tension.
Comparing Paranormal Activity to other horror movies is like comparing Resident Evil 1 to Resident Evil 4. Other horror movies are lasting scary, there's something warped or perverse that really fucks with you personally, and you find it's hard to sleep that night. Like Resident Evil 1, all you can see when you close your eyes is that zombie lurching towards you: its every alien movement, the low moan, the rotting flesh; and suddenly you're not so tired anymore. Paranormal Activity is like Resident Evil 4. It's not terribly scary after you're out of that dark theatre, but while you're there, you're tense. Waiting for the scare that you KNOW is coming, but don't know when or how.
It's the perfect set up. The film sets you up like a house of cards: playing every moment up, having you anxiously waiting for the scare, and the delivery makes you lose bowel control briefly. Well done.
3. Showed more of the Demon.
Tobey was not fucking around in this movie. In the previous two films, Tobey was a little more subdued in his actions until the climax of the movie. Within the first 20 minutes or so, the couple is making a really bad sex tape while they're high, when an earthquake hits (they're in California). As they run off to check on the girls, the camera sways a bit due to the vibrations and the quake ends. And we see him. Dust from the roof settles on a form, we see an outline of Tobey. We can't tell much, but he's made known, and given form. The dust falls as Tobey takes off. The Demon is connected to the Katie, the younger sister, and to everyone else in the house, is her imaginary friend she calls Tobey. And about halfway through the movie, when Katie tells him that she wants nothing to do with him anymore, Tobey gets a little ticked off and ups the ante by quite a bit.
I won't spoil any scares, but I will say the one that actually made me say "Holy Shit" out loud. There's a small scene where the sisters are playing tag or something, and Katie runs by the camera. Kristi is chasing her closely and she actually runs into Tobey. A thud is very audible and Kristi is visibly scared the moment it happens. She begins to back away very slowly from Tobey, calling for her Mother, until Tobey grabs the girl and picks her up by her hair. I thought that was pretty chilling.
4. They explained why this is happening, sorta.
There's a scene in the movie that I apparently missed while going to take a piss. I guess some stuff happened in the girls room and some weird symbol thing was made in Lite-Brites after the attack. The boyfriend/Father researches this symbol and finds it to be the Emblem of a Witch Coven. This coven apparently brainwashes young girls to be used in various rituals. We come to find that Julie's (the mom of the sisters) Mother is either the ringleader or a prominent member of this Coven.
The final scenes of the movie take place at Rose's house (Rose is Julie's Mom). The boyfriend/Father is looking for Julie, and he happens across a meeting of this Witch Coven. The symbol is seen is lights in this room, which has a bunch of older women in it. Boyfriend Guy runs away from this meeting, finds Katie, blah blah blah, until the end of the movie. Boyfriend Guy finds Kristi knelt by Julie's corpse (Julie was killed as little earlier by Tobey). He has Katie with him, and leaves her for a moment to approach Kristi.
She, upon him touching her shoulder, turns around and screeches at him. She has fangs, I think, and she scuttles off. Somehow, this has hurled Boyfriend Guy backwards and injured him. I figure maybe Tobey was like "BTFO, lol." Anyways, Boyfriend Guy is crawling on the floor while the camera seems to have magically fallen in perfect angle to catch his demise. As he gets closer to the doorway, Rose steps in front of him. He looks up at her pitifully while she gestures at him slightly. Tobey then proceeds to grab Boyfriend Guy's arms, and break him in half. Cooooool. Rose then walks away with both sisters in hand, while Katie cheerfully says "Come on, Tobey!"
Ok, me being the nerd I am, I kinda know what's going on. Stupid People on the other hand, wouldn't have any clue. Basic Demonology says that demons can't exist on our Plane without some sort of host, someone they're connected to and ultimately will use to solidify their existence among us. Said victims can't be just anyone, they have to be prone to spiritual existence, these people are known as HyperSensitives. What it seems to me, is that this Coven of Witches are using young HyperSensitive girls to use as hosts for demons, in order to harness their power and control them. So, Rose, seeing that Katie is a candidate for their rituals, has brainwashed her and bound "Tobey" to her, explaining why several years later "Tobey" wants to take Katie for himself. This explains why Katie doesn't remember jack shit in PA1, and why Tobey is so intent on stealing Katie away for himself. I never saw PA2, so fuck that.
What Went Horribly Wrong:
1. They edited too much.
According to a lot of surveys, people didn't like that fact that most of what the previews were showing, was not in the actual movie. Other scenes were changed. Example: there's a scene in the previews where Katie and Kristi are filming themselves playing Bloody Mary. Once they lights go out, nothing really happens, once they come back on though, a shadowy form is supposed to be in there with them. In the movie though, this scene was changed to have Kristi and Boyfriend Guy's film buddy. People don't like change, haha.
2. They explained why this is happening, sorta.
Explaining or attempting to explain the supernatural is always a double-edged sword, it's just the nature of the beast. On the one hand, if the audience wants "Tobey" to be explained, this might help give an inkling as to why without completely telling the story. This leaves the door open for another Paranormal Activity, and may keep viewer interest....maybe.
On the other hand, people might be confused about what happened, and by default resort to "Fuck it" rather than think it out. This creates a negative association with the movie, and so people spread the word that it was bad. Of course, this shuts all avenues for any more movies in this series, and kind of discredits the series as a whole.
Personally, I liked the movies that I've seen. They were innovative to an extent, had a decent loose story, some good scares, and were entertaining. For me, they're entertaining for all the wrong reasons, mainly because I file PA under 'Comedy'. All in all, go watch at least the first one. It's a decent movie, and good if you like the thriller genre. If worse comes to worse, you can come laugh about it with me.
Monday, September 26, 2011
To Counter the White Knight! My Lotto Plan.
Alright, I've actually wanted to do this post for eons, and it seems fun to bust this out now in tandem with Whitey's post!
You may have read in his what the options are, but if not:
You take the blue pill, and receive your full amount of money over time. It takes for-fucking-ever, but you'd get the full 96 mil over the course of 9 lifetimes. Not bad, if you're fundamentally greedy.
You take the red pill, and get roughly 35-40% of the earnings in one lump sum. After the lottery and Uncle Sam say "Whoa whoa, hold your horses there." and rape your winnings, you'd be left with about 38 mil, which is STILL a formidable amount of cash.
The thing about me, is that if I won, I'd learn from past winners of the lottery. No, I'm not gonna buy a car for each day of the week. No, I'm not gonna buy a solid gold toilet. No, I'm not gonna buy Le Grand Cigar. No, I'm not gonna fill a mansion with exotic animals and expensive hookers.
I'm a simple guy with insane tastes and a keen mind. So, anyways, here's how it all goes down. Assuming I have 38 mil to fuck with BTW.
Step 1: HOLY FUCKING HOBBIT TESTICLES, I JUST WON THE GODDAMN LOTTERY!! Tell Mom and Pop and watch them lose bladder control and sob uncontrollably.
Step 2: Split the money, 20 mil for me, 18 mil for Mom and Dad. I'm content with 20; Mom and Dad still have three kids to raise. Seems fair to me. 18 mil to pay off one debts, and live comfortably until the Angel arrives. Love you guys.
Step 3: I'm OUTSKIS!! Move the fuck out. Take my games and my shit and buy a simple condo somewhere. Buy the best gaming router and internet money can buy, and get my techy 2nd Life online. Also buy food and things necessary for staving off Death.
Step 4: Sexy Party. Not even fucking kidding.
Step 5: Clean up and have nice wholesome Housewarming party! Friends, games, PIZZAAAAAA, zombie movies, the whole enchilada. Speaking of which, there'd also be Mexican food.
Now that I have a place of my own, it's time to buy myself something nice. Just one thing. A new car. I have no idea what it would be as of yet, but something stylish, a hybrid, and not retardedly overpriced. Once I have obtained said car, it's time to relax for a little while.
Time to travel to come of my favorite places in the world and spend time there. Spain, Europe, Greece, Italy, France, everywhere. Just take some money and see the world, you know?
Upon my return, I would build my livelihood. Much fun as being lazy can be, I would become entirely too bored to lay around and do nothing for the rest of my life. Behold, the gamer's paradise:
THE GRID. Not a Tron reference.
The Grid would be my gift to gamers, a well maintained place where one can game and feel some sense of community. It'd be kind of like a parlor, with flat screen stations connected to various systems. You'd have an incredible library of games to choose from! Pay a paltry fee per hour, and use our online gaming to play whatever you wish. There'd also be section for PC gaming, and games you could choose from there. Of course, with me running the place, there'd be no 6-year-olds shooting shit on Call of Duty, and no preteens slaying zombies, even with parental consent. Any douche bag teens have a problem, my bouncer "Fisty" will have a word with them. I know this has been done before (looking at YOU, NextGen Gaming!)m but mine will be done on a much grander scale, in amazing facilities, and with much more creature comforts. Comforts such as a snack bar, comfortable seating, and decorated facilities.
But this isn't all. There's an underground side to this thing. Through a different route within the parlor, lies the entrance to the Psycho Crusher. A fighting game stadium the likes of which this world has never seen! Still working on the name, perhaps something less stupid, haha.
Anyways, this place will be THE place to be for Socal Regionals and different tournaments, both big name and my own private ones. A huge screen will show the audience the fight, as in the center, two combatants duke it out on two arcade cabinets. These cabinets will be outfitted to play a plethora of fighting games, or maybe I'll just have cabinets for each game, not sure yet depending on legality. It'll be decorated like steampunk industrial and have bleachers to seat spectators and awaiting combatants. It's a rough idea, but with my imagination, it'll be amazing.
*sigh* Someday, am I right children? Nothing but a far off dream so far....
You may have read in his what the options are, but if not:
You take the blue pill, and receive your full amount of money over time. It takes for-fucking-ever, but you'd get the full 96 mil over the course of 9 lifetimes. Not bad, if you're fundamentally greedy.
You take the red pill, and get roughly 35-40% of the earnings in one lump sum. After the lottery and Uncle Sam say "Whoa whoa, hold your horses there." and rape your winnings, you'd be left with about 38 mil, which is STILL a formidable amount of cash.
The thing about me, is that if I won, I'd learn from past winners of the lottery. No, I'm not gonna buy a car for each day of the week. No, I'm not gonna buy a solid gold toilet. No, I'm not gonna buy Le Grand Cigar. No, I'm not gonna fill a mansion with exotic animals and expensive hookers.
I'm a simple guy with insane tastes and a keen mind. So, anyways, here's how it all goes down. Assuming I have 38 mil to fuck with BTW.
Step 1: HOLY FUCKING HOBBIT TESTICLES, I JUST WON THE GODDAMN LOTTERY!! Tell Mom and Pop and watch them lose bladder control and sob uncontrollably.
Step 2: Split the money, 20 mil for me, 18 mil for Mom and Dad. I'm content with 20; Mom and Dad still have three kids to raise. Seems fair to me. 18 mil to pay off one debts, and live comfortably until the Angel arrives. Love you guys.
Step 3: I'm OUTSKIS!! Move the fuck out. Take my games and my shit and buy a simple condo somewhere. Buy the best gaming router and internet money can buy, and get my techy 2nd Life online. Also buy food and things necessary for staving off Death.
Step 4: Sexy Party. Not even fucking kidding.
Step 5: Clean up and have nice wholesome Housewarming party! Friends, games, PIZZAAAAAA, zombie movies, the whole enchilada. Speaking of which, there'd also be Mexican food.
Now that I have a place of my own, it's time to buy myself something nice. Just one thing. A new car. I have no idea what it would be as of yet, but something stylish, a hybrid, and not retardedly overpriced. Once I have obtained said car, it's time to relax for a little while.
Time to travel to come of my favorite places in the world and spend time there. Spain, Europe, Greece, Italy, France, everywhere. Just take some money and see the world, you know?
Upon my return, I would build my livelihood. Much fun as being lazy can be, I would become entirely too bored to lay around and do nothing for the rest of my life. Behold, the gamer's paradise:
THE GRID. Not a Tron reference.
The Grid would be my gift to gamers, a well maintained place where one can game and feel some sense of community. It'd be kind of like a parlor, with flat screen stations connected to various systems. You'd have an incredible library of games to choose from! Pay a paltry fee per hour, and use our online gaming to play whatever you wish. There'd also be section for PC gaming, and games you could choose from there. Of course, with me running the place, there'd be no 6-year-olds shooting shit on Call of Duty, and no preteens slaying zombies, even with parental consent. Any douche bag teens have a problem, my bouncer "Fisty" will have a word with them. I know this has been done before (looking at YOU, NextGen Gaming!)m but mine will be done on a much grander scale, in amazing facilities, and with much more creature comforts. Comforts such as a snack bar, comfortable seating, and decorated facilities.
But this isn't all. There's an underground side to this thing. Through a different route within the parlor, lies the entrance to the Psycho Crusher. A fighting game stadium the likes of which this world has never seen! Still working on the name, perhaps something less stupid, haha.
Anyways, this place will be THE place to be for Socal Regionals and different tournaments, both big name and my own private ones. A huge screen will show the audience the fight, as in the center, two combatants duke it out on two arcade cabinets. These cabinets will be outfitted to play a plethora of fighting games, or maybe I'll just have cabinets for each game, not sure yet depending on legality. It'll be decorated like steampunk industrial and have bleachers to seat spectators and awaiting combatants. It's a rough idea, but with my imagination, it'll be amazing.
*sigh* Someday, am I right children? Nothing but a far off dream so far....
Monday, September 19, 2011
A 3 Year Old's Visual Pokedex: Series 1.
This started as a terrible joke for my younger brother Garren. Suddenly I was getting lots of requests for other Pokemon, and this started. These Pokemon are for my friend Jill, and my de-facto cousin Angel!
The Pokemon pictured are: Rattata, Machop, Pidgeotto, Tentacool, Oddish, Weedle, Butterfree, Ekans, Sandshrew, Mew, Mewtwo and Pikachu!
PS: The Ekans is saying: "Hur hur, TAWKSIC!!" (Toxic)
I take requests, but I only do 6 at a time. Feel free to do so on here or on Facebook! My original drawing was of a Koffing.
The Pokemon pictured are: Rattata, Machop, Pidgeotto, Tentacool, Oddish, Weedle, Butterfree, Ekans, Sandshrew, Mew, Mewtwo and Pikachu!
PS: The Ekans is saying: "Hur hur, TAWKSIC!!" (Toxic)
I take requests, but I only do 6 at a time. Feel free to do so on here or on Facebook! My original drawing was of a Koffing.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Old Habits Die Eventually.
It's been an interesting time in my brain the last few weeks. Amid a few sleepless nights, it's been a dream-fest, which is a little unusual considering normally I don't dream too often anymore. More interesting still is what floats to the surface when I dream.
Some nights it's about fighting. Fighting against Evil Me, fighting to save someone I care about, fighting to save the planet, and self sacrifice. Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose, usually it's all very brief flashes and a feeling.
Other nights it's purely sexual. About sexual taboos I explore, my own fetishes, perhaps people I lust after. Usually these kinds of dreams are like segmented movies, mini scenes play out in my head and link to eachother.
Other times I get the recurring dream. Odd scenarios that play out in my head on certain nights. For example, I dream about having a party with all my friends. We're fathoms under the ocean in some neo-marine club made from thick glass, giving you an amazing view of the ocean life while you party the night away. But, without warning, the glass starts cracking, and one pan shatters. As water starts pouring in, I'm swimming around, trying to scream and find my friends before all is lost.
Another recurring dream is of a house. Kind of a weird fusion of my old house and my grandparents current house. I'm being beckoned by some voice, it's very gutteral and almost robotic sometimes. I'm walking through the empty house, passing by old furniture and random decor. Suddenly my view twists and there it is, the stairs. Every night I get closer to the stairs. I know something is behind/under them, and I wonder if I might see what's there some night.
Lately though, I've been having irritating dreams about being with someone. Like, we're in a relationship, and all's going really well with it. The girl I'm with changes from time to time, its weird. Sometime I don't know who she is, in reality, but in the dream she's my soul mate. What irks me is the girl sometimes. It's not always who I'd expect, or even think about. Definitely has made me think about things though...after all, a dream is completely uninhibited.
*sigh* I dunno, maybe I'm just more fucked in the head than other people. All I can say is that these play to my personality. I can be pretty protective, and self-sacrificing if I care, hence the fighter dreams. I'm sure there are other links, but I'm not feeling "deep" right now. I think the worst part about a relationship dream is waking up. Suddenly I realize, it's just me. I'm still single, still quite alone, and that was all a construct.
All part of the plan...
Some nights it's about fighting. Fighting against Evil Me, fighting to save someone I care about, fighting to save the planet, and self sacrifice. Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose, usually it's all very brief flashes and a feeling.
Other nights it's purely sexual. About sexual taboos I explore, my own fetishes, perhaps people I lust after. Usually these kinds of dreams are like segmented movies, mini scenes play out in my head and link to eachother.
Other times I get the recurring dream. Odd scenarios that play out in my head on certain nights. For example, I dream about having a party with all my friends. We're fathoms under the ocean in some neo-marine club made from thick glass, giving you an amazing view of the ocean life while you party the night away. But, without warning, the glass starts cracking, and one pan shatters. As water starts pouring in, I'm swimming around, trying to scream and find my friends before all is lost.
Another recurring dream is of a house. Kind of a weird fusion of my old house and my grandparents current house. I'm being beckoned by some voice, it's very gutteral and almost robotic sometimes. I'm walking through the empty house, passing by old furniture and random decor. Suddenly my view twists and there it is, the stairs. Every night I get closer to the stairs. I know something is behind/under them, and I wonder if I might see what's there some night.
Lately though, I've been having irritating dreams about being with someone. Like, we're in a relationship, and all's going really well with it. The girl I'm with changes from time to time, its weird. Sometime I don't know who she is, in reality, but in the dream she's my soul mate. What irks me is the girl sometimes. It's not always who I'd expect, or even think about. Definitely has made me think about things though...after all, a dream is completely uninhibited.
*sigh* I dunno, maybe I'm just more fucked in the head than other people. All I can say is that these play to my personality. I can be pretty protective, and self-sacrificing if I care, hence the fighter dreams. I'm sure there are other links, but I'm not feeling "deep" right now. I think the worst part about a relationship dream is waking up. Suddenly I realize, it's just me. I'm still single, still quite alone, and that was all a construct.
All part of the plan...
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Matt's Team.
First off, let me say I strive for uniqueness in a lot of things that I do. I pride myself on using uncommon characters, teams, and the like when it comes to fighting games. Usually though, I'll sacrifice uniqueness for personal tastes if it comes right down to it.
So, when it comes to making a three person team on Marvel vs. Capcom 3, it can be a little rough given the amount of characters. I did most of the trials for everyone, so I have a general idea how the characters are supposed to be played, according to the game.
Slot 1 will always be Wesker. Wesker is easily top tier: he's got power, speed, a good assist set, devastatingly good looks, a teleport, a counter, a counter HYPER, fluid movement, and shades. Wesker is always my Point Man simply because of how versatile he is, and that his OTG (Off The Ground) attack is cake to use. Because of that overly simple OTG, his capacity for expanding combos is crazy. Not to mention people always seems to fall for the Light, Medium, Heavy -> Jaguar Dash, Jaguar Kick reset, which is oodles of fun to land.
For a while I was running with Wesker, Jill, and Dormammu.
Jill is a complicated character to use. She requires a lot of trickiness, a lot of control, and a lot of dexterity to use well in battle. The upside to all that is that she's ok to start with, and if you can land Flip Kick or Somersault Kick, you can easily wipe away a lot of your opponent's health with her Machine Gun Hyper. Her Flip Kick assist easily sets up your opponent for a beating. Once you land that Air S, a quick OTG with her Flip Kick assist and your opponent is popped neatly into the air for an easy S with another air combo. Jill has deceptively low health though. The main reason I dropped her is because none of her normals are very safe on block....and Joe uses her, haha.
Dormammu is the concept of zoning made real. Dormammu is easily capable of standing in one spot and controlling the entire screen. Dark Hole can control overly aggressive opponents; while Purification easily trumps any kind of jump-ins, rushdown, or runaway tactics. He has some simplistic combos, but they require timing and precision due to his normals. The main reason I dropped Dormammu is because the timing on his combos is tight at times, and I keep dropping them in a pinch. Also he has deceptively low health for a God-King. Dark Hole, if it misses, leaves you WIDE open.
As such, I fumbled with some new Slot 2/3 people:
Dr. Doom is also incredibly good at offense and zoning. He has a ton of projectiles, some good BTFO moves, and is fully capable of being a rushdown juggernaut. But, his combos are really difficult to pull off, especially when they require Air Dashing in mid combo, or OTG-ing with a slow normal. Although he is incredibly fun to use fundamentally, and has a hilariously awesome personality that shows in battle.
Shuma-Gorath is a combo fiend. He's a wiggly squid monster that if allowed a single hit, can lop off half your health. Mystic Smash has 0 knockback, unless Advancing Guarded. Mystic Ray is a good OTG and zoning tactic since the Heavy version spans the whole screen vertically. It won't do a lot of damage, but it swats opponents out of the air. He's the only character I can think of with a charge move. Plus he can do obscene amounts of damage in the corner, particularly with a Hyper Mystic Ray OTG, then an X-Factor cancel into Chaos Dimension. I really have no reason to NOT play Shuma-Gorath, save for the fact he can be hard to get in with, and his advanced combos are way crazy.
Iron Man plays a little wonky in this game, since most of his combos involve Crouching Light, Cr. medium, then Standing Heavy, which always throws me off. I did figure out some easy ways to land Iron Avenger (his Lv3 Hyper), like Cr. Light, Cr. Medium, St. Heavy, Light Repulsor Blast, Repulsor Spread, Iron Avenger. Iron Man is pretty good, he has a Beam special, which is great for pressure. Repulsor Blast is difficult to get around besides blocking, and he has a lot of priority. That old Tony Stark charm shows too, haha. But, like I said, his basic combos tend to throw me for a loop in battle, plus his only OTG is Smart Bomb, which is a shoryuken motion....
For a time, I was running Wesker, Shuma-Gorath and Dormammu. That is, until I got better at doing mid combo assists, and OTG assists. Then I took a liking to a couple new characters.
My current team is:
Wesker: Color 1, Handgun Shot Low assist.
Wesker, as mention above. The perfect blend of speed, power, durability, personality, and mixup, Wesker is probably the most dominant character on my team, since I can usually wipe entire teams out with just Wesker and my assists. His Beta assist is his normal OTG that he can do himself. It's good for extending combos, so I use it as needed.
Taskmaster: Color 3, Parabolic Arrow Shot (Beta) assist.
Taskmaster is awesome, and hilarious. The guy wields a copy of Captain America's shield, and totes a freaking broadsword. He has two command normals, both integral for his combos. Back and Heavy is "Shield Skills" AKA. Cap's charging star. Forward and Heavy is "Spidey Swing", AKA Spider-Man's webswing without the command. Doing some of his trials showed that he's actually pretty cool to use. He's a tad slow movement wise, but has a wicked fast forward dash, and Shield Skills is pretty quick. Also: dat Counter Hyper
Dante: Color 3, Crystal (Beta) Assist.
Dante is the flashy guy with a move list the size of China. It's not easy to put Dante's versatility into words...he can literally do anything. He has easy OTGs, ground bounces, projectiles, air specials, a Form-Changer Hyper, crazy good assists, long (difficult) combos, great range, a teleport, the whole enchilada. The one thing he doesn't have, is Stamina. Dante can get wiped pretty easily, but given his power, it's understandable. I mean LOOK AT THIS, WHAT IS THIS EVEN!?
I know the basics and some advanced with these guys, so hopefully this'll tide me over for November when my team will be Wesker, Nemesis, Vergil.
So, when it comes to making a three person team on Marvel vs. Capcom 3, it can be a little rough given the amount of characters. I did most of the trials for everyone, so I have a general idea how the characters are supposed to be played, according to the game.
Slot 1 will always be Wesker. Wesker is easily top tier: he's got power, speed, a good assist set, devastatingly good looks, a teleport, a counter, a counter HYPER, fluid movement, and shades. Wesker is always my Point Man simply because of how versatile he is, and that his OTG (Off The Ground) attack is cake to use. Because of that overly simple OTG, his capacity for expanding combos is crazy. Not to mention people always seems to fall for the Light, Medium, Heavy -> Jaguar Dash, Jaguar Kick reset, which is oodles of fun to land.
For a while I was running with Wesker, Jill, and Dormammu.
Jill is a complicated character to use. She requires a lot of trickiness, a lot of control, and a lot of dexterity to use well in battle. The upside to all that is that she's ok to start with, and if you can land Flip Kick or Somersault Kick, you can easily wipe away a lot of your opponent's health with her Machine Gun Hyper. Her Flip Kick assist easily sets up your opponent for a beating. Once you land that Air S, a quick OTG with her Flip Kick assist and your opponent is popped neatly into the air for an easy S with another air combo. Jill has deceptively low health though. The main reason I dropped her is because none of her normals are very safe on block....and Joe uses her, haha.
Dormammu is the concept of zoning made real. Dormammu is easily capable of standing in one spot and controlling the entire screen. Dark Hole can control overly aggressive opponents; while Purification easily trumps any kind of jump-ins, rushdown, or runaway tactics. He has some simplistic combos, but they require timing and precision due to his normals. The main reason I dropped Dormammu is because the timing on his combos is tight at times, and I keep dropping them in a pinch. Also he has deceptively low health for a God-King. Dark Hole, if it misses, leaves you WIDE open.
As such, I fumbled with some new Slot 2/3 people:
Dr. Doom is also incredibly good at offense and zoning. He has a ton of projectiles, some good BTFO moves, and is fully capable of being a rushdown juggernaut. But, his combos are really difficult to pull off, especially when they require Air Dashing in mid combo, or OTG-ing with a slow normal. Although he is incredibly fun to use fundamentally, and has a hilariously awesome personality that shows in battle.
Shuma-Gorath is a combo fiend. He's a wiggly squid monster that if allowed a single hit, can lop off half your health. Mystic Smash has 0 knockback, unless Advancing Guarded. Mystic Ray is a good OTG and zoning tactic since the Heavy version spans the whole screen vertically. It won't do a lot of damage, but it swats opponents out of the air. He's the only character I can think of with a charge move. Plus he can do obscene amounts of damage in the corner, particularly with a Hyper Mystic Ray OTG, then an X-Factor cancel into Chaos Dimension. I really have no reason to NOT play Shuma-Gorath, save for the fact he can be hard to get in with, and his advanced combos are way crazy.
Iron Man plays a little wonky in this game, since most of his combos involve Crouching Light, Cr. medium, then Standing Heavy, which always throws me off. I did figure out some easy ways to land Iron Avenger (his Lv3 Hyper), like Cr. Light, Cr. Medium, St. Heavy, Light Repulsor Blast, Repulsor Spread, Iron Avenger. Iron Man is pretty good, he has a Beam special, which is great for pressure. Repulsor Blast is difficult to get around besides blocking, and he has a lot of priority. That old Tony Stark charm shows too, haha. But, like I said, his basic combos tend to throw me for a loop in battle, plus his only OTG is Smart Bomb, which is a shoryuken motion....
For a time, I was running Wesker, Shuma-Gorath and Dormammu. That is, until I got better at doing mid combo assists, and OTG assists. Then I took a liking to a couple new characters.
My current team is:
Wesker: Color 1, Handgun Shot Low assist.
Wesker, as mention above. The perfect blend of speed, power, durability, personality, and mixup, Wesker is probably the most dominant character on my team, since I can usually wipe entire teams out with just Wesker and my assists. His Beta assist is his normal OTG that he can do himself. It's good for extending combos, so I use it as needed.
Taskmaster: Color 3, Parabolic Arrow Shot (Beta) assist.
Taskmaster is awesome, and hilarious. The guy wields a copy of Captain America's shield, and totes a freaking broadsword. He has two command normals, both integral for his combos. Back and Heavy is "Shield Skills" AKA. Cap's charging star. Forward and Heavy is "Spidey Swing", AKA Spider-Man's webswing without the command. Doing some of his trials showed that he's actually pretty cool to use. He's a tad slow movement wise, but has a wicked fast forward dash, and Shield Skills is pretty quick. Also: dat Counter Hyper
Dante: Color 3, Crystal (Beta) Assist.
Dante is the flashy guy with a move list the size of China. It's not easy to put Dante's versatility into words...he can literally do anything. He has easy OTGs, ground bounces, projectiles, air specials, a Form-Changer Hyper, crazy good assists, long (difficult) combos, great range, a teleport, the whole enchilada. The one thing he doesn't have, is Stamina. Dante can get wiped pretty easily, but given his power, it's understandable. I mean LOOK AT THIS, WHAT IS THIS EVEN!?
I know the basics and some advanced with these guys, so hopefully this'll tide me over for November when my team will be Wesker, Nemesis, Vergil.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
World Warrior Gym Leader Profile: Matt Smith
Leader Name: Matthew Jared Smith
Chosen Element: Steel
Team: Empoleon (Dante), Steelix (Hephaestus), Aggron (Felicia), Heatran (Belial), Magnezone (Epsilon), Metagross (Quadraxis).
Addition Notes: All Pokemon are powerful, fully trained, Quadraxis and Belial are both shiny.
//------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\\
Gym Name: IronForce Gym
Gym Theme: Cavern of Remembrance
Gym Badge: Forge Badge
Number of Subordinates: 2 maximum subordinates, with 3 Pokemon apiece.
Subordinate Battle theme: Construction Yard
Gym Layout Notes: As the Trainer enters, there will be a small entry plaza in which cool refreshments will be given to those who ask. Tables and chairs are placed so that challengers and spectators alike can relax before and after the battle. Seats 20 maximum. On the left side is a door that leads to a room in which a large window allows spectators to view the fights, however many there will be, in style and comfort. Plush seats and air conditioning will maintain a happy atmosphere, barring the sting of defeat. A door on the right of the front courtyard leads to an area without the confines of walls. No walls and no windows offer the ultimate experience in watching IronForce Gym battles.
Through the first metal gate lies the first of two qualifier rounds. A large metal room will provide protection from most Pokemon attacks, except the more severe ones. A viewing window lies on one side, while the wall has been removed on the opposite side to provide spectator viewing for interested parties.
If the Trainer wins said battle, they will head through another metal gate into a second room. This will be identical to the first, nothing to fancy.
Should the Trainer best my two subordinates, they will be able to face me in the Grand Chamber. Glimmering with the sheen of steel, the room will be large, and adorned with the IronForce emblem. At the far end lies the final challenge: Me.
//------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\\
Intro: "Well done, you must be strong to make it this far. I'm sure you're not here to mince words. Come, prepare to contend with the power of IronForce!"
Battle Theme: Omega Pirate Battle
First Pokemon KO'ed: "Impressive."
One Pokemon Left: "Let's finish this."
Leader Defeated: "Most impressive. You truly are powerful."
Trainer Defeated: "You did well, keep at it and someday victory will be yours!"
Trainer Victory Theme: Victory (A Cry in Summer)
Post Trainer Victory: "Excellent work and congratulations, you have bested the World Warriors. I confer upon you, my Forge Badge, and the Trinity Emblem as a symbol of your victory. You may also choose to have a single Egg from any Pokemon of any World Warrior you have battled. Choose wisely."
Sunday, June 26, 2011
.....Or Not.
Something way down inside me wants to post something today, problem is I have no idea what the fuck to talk about.
I could talk about my love life, but that's such a boring ass topic. It always boils down to, I'm fat, girls don't like fat; and I have an odd personality. Girls don't like odd either.
I could talk about the secret lusts bubbling at the back of my brain, but nobody wants to stomach such nonsense.
I could talk about why my house creeps me the fuck out sometimes, but that's old hat and might aggravate whatever wants to kill me in these walls.
I could bitch about my current line of life, how I don't really want to spend my entire summer taking care of my brothers for 8 hours a day, but everyone has their problems, why read about mine?
I could do something about games, but that just plays to my nerdy side and no one really cares about that junk.
I could go on a rant and tell people to grow a pair; life won't make every endeavor you attempt work out like a dream! But again, who needs that, it's all over TV.
I could discuss how I think the world will end, spinning a wild tale about aliens from Jupiter and a zombie apocalypse consisting only of lunch meat, but that would just be helping Scientologists out.
I could discuss what I would do after I won it big in the lottery, but that'd be boring and just show how greedy and dorky I am.
I could talk about my internal struggle of what my dreams are telling me, but that's depressing.
I could talk about how P!nk's recent songs have really spoken to me, but that might give you all the Gay.
I could tell you a manly tale about how I conquered the Pacifists of the Ghandi Nebula, but of course, you already know that one. Also you're reading this in my sweet seductive voice.
All in all, have no idea what I want to talk about. Maybe next time...
I could talk about my love life, but that's such a boring ass topic. It always boils down to, I'm fat, girls don't like fat; and I have an odd personality. Girls don't like odd either.
I could talk about the secret lusts bubbling at the back of my brain, but nobody wants to stomach such nonsense.
I could talk about why my house creeps me the fuck out sometimes, but that's old hat and might aggravate whatever wants to kill me in these walls.
I could bitch about my current line of life, how I don't really want to spend my entire summer taking care of my brothers for 8 hours a day, but everyone has their problems, why read about mine?
I could do something about games, but that just plays to my nerdy side and no one really cares about that junk.
I could go on a rant and tell people to grow a pair; life won't make every endeavor you attempt work out like a dream! But again, who needs that, it's all over TV.
I could discuss how I think the world will end, spinning a wild tale about aliens from Jupiter and a zombie apocalypse consisting only of lunch meat, but that would just be helping Scientologists out.
I could discuss what I would do after I won it big in the lottery, but that'd be boring and just show how greedy and dorky I am.
I could talk about my internal struggle of what my dreams are telling me, but that's depressing.
I could talk about how P!nk's recent songs have really spoken to me, but that might give you all the Gay.
All in all, have no idea what I want to talk about. Maybe next time...
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Castlevania: The Whys of 3D-vanias. MASSIVE SPOILERS~~
To date, Konami has attempted 4 times to make Castlevania a 3D game.
First came Castlevania 64, a Classicvania in 1999. It followed the story of Reinhardt Schneider and Carrie Fernandez, partners and descendants of Belmont family friends. You can play as either, though the story is mostly the same, save one branching path. It's got a very basic storyline, the same the all Classicvanias share: Dracula is back, kill him. Each character had a main weapon and a side weapon, as well as the ability to grab subweapons and use them via expenditure of Red Gems. Reinhardt has a whip for a main weapon, which gained power by grabbing Power Ups, like older games. He also totes a short sword for a side weapon. Carrie shoots Magic bursts that track opponents, which also gain power via Power Ups. She sports a single Chakram as a side weapon. The subweapons functioned the same for both characters: Knife, Axe, Cross and Holy Water. The game took you through various areas of Dracula's castle, and branched after the Duel Tower. Reinhardt has to climb a certain tower and confront Death over the death of a vampire girl named Rosa, whom he meets earlier. Flashback: Rosa tried to commit suicide, but Reinhardt stops her. She attacks him, only to be killed when he tries to defend himself. He loves her, somehow, so he's kinda ticked when Death comes to take her. Carrie has to climb a different tower and fight one of her vampirized ancestors, and a vampire named Actrise.
If you get the good ending, you find out that the dude you thought was Dracula is actually just his servant, and some kid you rescued earlier is really Dracula. You have to fight Dracula and some weirdo Dragon-Centipede final form.
Second came Lament of Innocence, which hit the PS2 in 2003. This game finally unveiled the origins of Dracula and the Belmont Clan, in the Castlevania universe at least. It centered around Leon Belmont, a lord knight during the crusades, and his journey in 1094. Leon and his friend Mathias Cronqvist were leaders during the crusades, and best friends. Mathias fell extremely ill when he was told that his wife had died. Leon kept going, until his fiance Sara disappears. Monsters start showing up around populated areas, so Leon comes back to find her and kick some monster ass. The Church denies his plan to counter attack, so he ditches the Church. Mathias get his sick ass up, and tells Leon that this is all because of a vampire, and that the vampire took Sara to his castle in the middle of a cursed forest. Leon goes to save her, and he's given a whip made with alchemy by a man named Rinaldo. The game essentially follows him going throughout the castle, kicking ass and trying to find Sara. Eventually you come to find that Walter, the vampire that took Sara, has infected her with vampirism, though she's not quite a vampire yet. Leon takes Sara to Rinaldo, and of course there's no way to save her. Though Rinaldo reveals that the whip can be "completed" by pouring Sara's tainted soul into the whip via a blood pact. Sara sacrifices herself to give Leon the ability to kill Walter, Leon promises to school him. This is the birth of the famous Castlevania weapon: the Vampire Killer. Eventually you kill Walter, only to have it revealed that this was all a ruse set up by your friend Mathias. Mathias used the power of a special stone to harness the power of Walter's soul, all in an attempt to get revenge against God for stealing his wife away. Mathias offers to make Leon an immortal vampire like himself. Leon refuses because of the promise he made to Sara. You have to defeat Death, and the epilogue reveals that Mathias is Dracula.
After that, in 2005, Konami releases Castlevania Curse of Darkness on the PS2 and ye olde Xbox. The story was also adapted into a Manga, which tells a bit more of Hector's past. Curse of Darkness took the Alucard / Soma Cruz route and had their protagonist wield a fuckton of weapons rather than be limited to just a whip. Hector's adventure takes place 1479, 3 years after Castlevania III (on the NES). Hector used to be a high ranking general, known as a Devil Forgemaster, under Dracula's regime during one of his resurrections. His rival and fellow general, Isaac, is the only other Devil Forgemaster out there. Both served under Dracula, though Hector leaves once Dracula started killing humans without rhyme or reason. Isaac served until Dracula was killed by Trevor Belmont at the end of Castlevania III, and even after for some time. Isaac wanted revenge on Hector, so he kills Hector's lover: Rosaly. Hector, gets a little pissed and goes to fuck up Isaac's shit. So, the object of the game is to track Isaac down and beat the living hell out of him. This game kinda broke the mold a bit, you plow your way through more of Wallachia's terrain, but the game ends within Dracula's Castle, as always. As Hector makes his way towards Isaac, he meets a plethora of characters, all trying to stop Dracula's Curse from ravaging Wallachia. Dracula's Curse refers to the final acts of Dracula before his death in CVIII, in which he curses humanity to fester in their uncertainty until the obliterate themselves. Hector comes across: Zead, a monk who seemingly wants to be rid of Dracula's Curse. Julia, a witch that acts as your shop for the game. Trevor Belmont, nuff said. And St. Germain, a time traveling man sporting a top hat, a british accent, and a poisoned blade. He attempts to discourage Hector from his quest, later we find out it's so Hector doesn't bring about Dracula's resurrection. You come to find that Zead is actually Death (gasp), and plotted to use you and Isaac's impending duel to release a ton of dark power, and upon Isaac killing you, use your body as Dracula's vessel for his resurrection. It still happens, but the fact is that Hector kills Isaac, so Isaac becomes the new vessel. The end of the game culminates with Hector's fight against Dracula, and Hector using his powers to turn back Dracula's Curse.
Ugh. Then came Lords of Shadow in 2010. As you can tell, I hate this game. I refuse to dignify it with the surtitle of Castlevania. Not to say the game is bad in and of itself, it's alright; but no way in Hell is it a Castlevania game. Lords of Shadow is not part of the series canon, it's supposed to be a reboot, but it's not. It takes place in 1047; Gabriel Belmont is a member of the Brotherhood of Light, which has received wind that the Lords of Shadow will rise and bring about the World's End. They send Gabriel for some reason, I assume because he's a good warrior. It plays like God of War, to the T, I'm not even kidding. You want a good reveiw: watch Zero Punctuation's review of it, it's spot on. Gabriel is one of those newfangled and incredibly chic "Dark Protagonists", you know: the ones that are inherently good, but go about being good in the most violent and almost comically mean ways conceivable. I think the slogan for the game even says: "Dark times call for a Dark Hero!". My biggest gripe is that this game didn't feel like a Castlevania game, it just lacked the gothic flare and...just everything. Anyways, you spend most of the game running around fighting werewolves and trolls with a weak ass whip for a weapon. You're also being creeper stalked by Patrick Stewart, your ally and the game's narrator. It has the cheesiest after-credits ending I've ever seen. Not even kidding. There's also a Portal reference. Whoo.
Castlevania newbs will say the Lament of Innocence and Curse of Darkness suck because they're boring and there's no "epicness" to them. Conversely they'll also say Lords of Shadow was amazing because there were all these actions scenes and epic bloody kills.
Veterans of the series will say all three suck, and that's what mystifies me, with the exception of Lords of Shadow. I personally love Lament of Innocence and Curse of Darkness, and I'm here to say why.
Castlevania 64
The Pros:
It was the first of it's kind. It was pretty revolutionary considering that it was on the Nintendo 64. The story was pretty decent, given how basic the skeleton is. It pioneered the item system, as well as the money system.
The Cons:
The platforming was pretty choppy at times, and frustrating when you were far away from a save. Some of the enemies are hard to hit due to the limited range of Reinhardt's whip or the awkward tracking effect of Carrie's magic. This game can be pretty rough the first time around, as far as difficulty goes.
Castlevania Lament of Innocence
The Pros:
The game has that gothic feel to it, complete with sexually ambiguous artstyle and completely orchestrated music, mostly. Leon wields nothing but a whip, and the classic subweapons from older Castlevanias. They added the Crystal as a new subweapon because they couldn't find a way to implement the Stopwatch without being cheap. They also have a new mechanic, in which you gain and Orb after killing a boss. Adding an Orb to your subweapons changes the effect, but also increases the cost of the Hearts you use. Example: Holy Water. Normally you generate a small half circle of blue flame in front of you on the ground. Simple, costs 4 <3's. However, adding the effect of the blue orb gives you Energy Gazer, which fires repeated pillars of energy in front of you, a la Magneto's Magnetic Shockwave in Marvel vs Capcom 2.
The whip in this game functioned a lot better. There's combos to unlock, and the range is greatly improved. The addition of a Guard command, as well as a dodge, really helps you get a leg up on some enemies. The layout, while confusing at times, is expansive and very pretty actually. I find myself using the Map a lot, to see where I'm going, but I find that good because I never seem to use it in any other games. Memorial and Magical Tickets come about in this game, which teleport you back to your previously used Save room and Rinaldo's cabin, respectively.
The Cons:
Some of the dialogue is incredibly cheesy, but that's a Castlevania staple really. The camera has a fixed position, which can get annoying at times, but it's easy to get used to. The layout can be a real pain, sometimes there's a chunky of backtracking, but that can be circumvented (sort of) by Memorial Tickets. The storyline is a little cliche, but it's still implemented well, despite it all.
Castlevania Curse of Darkness
The Pros:
The ability to use multiple weapons gives a sense of freedom that the other Castlevanias don't. The weapon fusion systems adds a sense of grinding for people who like it. The storyline is pretty interesting actually, despite it's aged roots. The new system of familiars, known as Innocent Devils in this game, is really cool! I dub this game Poke'vania because of the way it works. When one finds the basic form of an ID, you can view a tree spread of its different evolutions. ID's evolve by Hector using certain weapons and gathering Evo Crystals from slain enemies. Depending on the ones absorbed, the ID's evolve differently. After a while, your ID will also drop an Egg, which can be used to hatch a new ID, and evolve it differently. Depending on the current ID, they can learn different attacks and be used for certain purposes. This provides a new level of customization, and it can be kinda addicting. Any unused ID's are kept in Julia's care. There's a fair chunk of secrets to find too, and challenges.
The Cons:
The plotline can be a little confusing at times, what with masquerading characters. The layout for this game makes Lament of Innocence's look like a punk. This game is huge, and takes time to fully explore. As such, it can be really confusing, and sometimes a little boring. I found some backtracking to be really tiresome at times, and some of the bosses are tough the first time off.
Lords of Shadow
The Pros:
It's very pretty, the devs really took their time. The whip combos are also very flashy. Some of the stages were pretty cool, and the creature control was nifty. PATRICK STEWART! Also, there's some pretty nifty puzzle solving.
The Cons:
Oh God this game is bland as Hell. VERY cookie cutter, and the similarities to God of War are almost offensive. Buggy camera angles really piss you off during combat. No matter how much want, your whip doesn't get ANY stronger. Enemies that take a while to kill in the beginning still take a while later on, and you don't feel like you're really progressing. Half the time you just want to scream at Gabriel "THAT'S NOT A GOOD IDEA!!!" but he won't listen. The Shadow of the Colossus fights are incredibly boring and take too long. You can skip puzzles.....no, just no. Logic puzzles....also no. WTF, WHY IS SATAN THE FINAL BOSS??!?! The After-Credits scene took the whole game and made it the creation of a seven year old child. This game doesn't feel like a Castlevania. The soundtrack is also very bland, and very generic "Epic" kind of stuff. It sounds like Batman Dark Knight, Spider-Man and Lord of the Rings had a baby.
All in all, this is just my personal opinion of these games. My verdict: just try them, especially if you actually like Castlevania. They're not hard to find, and can usually be found for pretty cheap.
First came Castlevania 64, a Classicvania in 1999. It followed the story of Reinhardt Schneider and Carrie Fernandez, partners and descendants of Belmont family friends. You can play as either, though the story is mostly the same, save one branching path. It's got a very basic storyline, the same the all Classicvanias share: Dracula is back, kill him. Each character had a main weapon and a side weapon, as well as the ability to grab subweapons and use them via expenditure of Red Gems. Reinhardt has a whip for a main weapon, which gained power by grabbing Power Ups, like older games. He also totes a short sword for a side weapon. Carrie shoots Magic bursts that track opponents, which also gain power via Power Ups. She sports a single Chakram as a side weapon. The subweapons functioned the same for both characters: Knife, Axe, Cross and Holy Water. The game took you through various areas of Dracula's castle, and branched after the Duel Tower. Reinhardt has to climb a certain tower and confront Death over the death of a vampire girl named Rosa, whom he meets earlier. Flashback: Rosa tried to commit suicide, but Reinhardt stops her. She attacks him, only to be killed when he tries to defend himself. He loves her, somehow, so he's kinda ticked when Death comes to take her. Carrie has to climb a different tower and fight one of her vampirized ancestors, and a vampire named Actrise.
If you get the good ending, you find out that the dude you thought was Dracula is actually just his servant, and some kid you rescued earlier is really Dracula. You have to fight Dracula and some weirdo Dragon-Centipede final form.
Second came Lament of Innocence, which hit the PS2 in 2003. This game finally unveiled the origins of Dracula and the Belmont Clan, in the Castlevania universe at least. It centered around Leon Belmont, a lord knight during the crusades, and his journey in 1094. Leon and his friend Mathias Cronqvist were leaders during the crusades, and best friends. Mathias fell extremely ill when he was told that his wife had died. Leon kept going, until his fiance Sara disappears. Monsters start showing up around populated areas, so Leon comes back to find her and kick some monster ass. The Church denies his plan to counter attack, so he ditches the Church. Mathias get his sick ass up, and tells Leon that this is all because of a vampire, and that the vampire took Sara to his castle in the middle of a cursed forest. Leon goes to save her, and he's given a whip made with alchemy by a man named Rinaldo. The game essentially follows him going throughout the castle, kicking ass and trying to find Sara. Eventually you come to find that Walter, the vampire that took Sara, has infected her with vampirism, though she's not quite a vampire yet. Leon takes Sara to Rinaldo, and of course there's no way to save her. Though Rinaldo reveals that the whip can be "completed" by pouring Sara's tainted soul into the whip via a blood pact. Sara sacrifices herself to give Leon the ability to kill Walter, Leon promises to school him. This is the birth of the famous Castlevania weapon: the Vampire Killer. Eventually you kill Walter, only to have it revealed that this was all a ruse set up by your friend Mathias. Mathias used the power of a special stone to harness the power of Walter's soul, all in an attempt to get revenge against God for stealing his wife away. Mathias offers to make Leon an immortal vampire like himself. Leon refuses because of the promise he made to Sara. You have to defeat Death, and the epilogue reveals that Mathias is Dracula.
After that, in 2005, Konami releases Castlevania Curse of Darkness on the PS2 and ye olde Xbox. The story was also adapted into a Manga, which tells a bit more of Hector's past. Curse of Darkness took the Alucard / Soma Cruz route and had their protagonist wield a fuckton of weapons rather than be limited to just a whip. Hector's adventure takes place 1479, 3 years after Castlevania III (on the NES). Hector used to be a high ranking general, known as a Devil Forgemaster, under Dracula's regime during one of his resurrections. His rival and fellow general, Isaac, is the only other Devil Forgemaster out there. Both served under Dracula, though Hector leaves once Dracula started killing humans without rhyme or reason. Isaac served until Dracula was killed by Trevor Belmont at the end of Castlevania III, and even after for some time. Isaac wanted revenge on Hector, so he kills Hector's lover: Rosaly. Hector, gets a little pissed and goes to fuck up Isaac's shit. So, the object of the game is to track Isaac down and beat the living hell out of him. This game kinda broke the mold a bit, you plow your way through more of Wallachia's terrain, but the game ends within Dracula's Castle, as always. As Hector makes his way towards Isaac, he meets a plethora of characters, all trying to stop Dracula's Curse from ravaging Wallachia. Dracula's Curse refers to the final acts of Dracula before his death in CVIII, in which he curses humanity to fester in their uncertainty until the obliterate themselves. Hector comes across: Zead, a monk who seemingly wants to be rid of Dracula's Curse. Julia, a witch that acts as your shop for the game. Trevor Belmont, nuff said. And St. Germain, a time traveling man sporting a top hat, a british accent, and a poisoned blade. He attempts to discourage Hector from his quest, later we find out it's so Hector doesn't bring about Dracula's resurrection. You come to find that Zead is actually Death (gasp), and plotted to use you and Isaac's impending duel to release a ton of dark power, and upon Isaac killing you, use your body as Dracula's vessel for his resurrection. It still happens, but the fact is that Hector kills Isaac, so Isaac becomes the new vessel. The end of the game culminates with Hector's fight against Dracula, and Hector using his powers to turn back Dracula's Curse.
Ugh. Then came Lords of Shadow in 2010. As you can tell, I hate this game. I refuse to dignify it with the surtitle of Castlevania. Not to say the game is bad in and of itself, it's alright; but no way in Hell is it a Castlevania game. Lords of Shadow is not part of the series canon, it's supposed to be a reboot, but it's not. It takes place in 1047; Gabriel Belmont is a member of the Brotherhood of Light, which has received wind that the Lords of Shadow will rise and bring about the World's End. They send Gabriel for some reason, I assume because he's a good warrior. It plays like God of War, to the T, I'm not even kidding. You want a good reveiw: watch Zero Punctuation's review of it, it's spot on. Gabriel is one of those newfangled and incredibly chic "Dark Protagonists", you know: the ones that are inherently good, but go about being good in the most violent and almost comically mean ways conceivable. I think the slogan for the game even says: "Dark times call for a Dark Hero!". My biggest gripe is that this game didn't feel like a Castlevania game, it just lacked the gothic flare and...just everything. Anyways, you spend most of the game running around fighting werewolves and trolls with a weak ass whip for a weapon. You're also being creeper stalked by Patrick Stewart, your ally and the game's narrator. It has the cheesiest after-credits ending I've ever seen. Not even kidding. There's also a Portal reference. Whoo.
Castlevania newbs will say the Lament of Innocence and Curse of Darkness suck because they're boring and there's no "epicness" to them. Conversely they'll also say Lords of Shadow was amazing because there were all these actions scenes and epic bloody kills.
Veterans of the series will say all three suck, and that's what mystifies me, with the exception of Lords of Shadow. I personally love Lament of Innocence and Curse of Darkness, and I'm here to say why.
Castlevania 64
The Pros:
It was the first of it's kind. It was pretty revolutionary considering that it was on the Nintendo 64. The story was pretty decent, given how basic the skeleton is. It pioneered the item system, as well as the money system.
The Cons:
The platforming was pretty choppy at times, and frustrating when you were far away from a save. Some of the enemies are hard to hit due to the limited range of Reinhardt's whip or the awkward tracking effect of Carrie's magic. This game can be pretty rough the first time around, as far as difficulty goes.
Castlevania Lament of Innocence
The Pros:
The game has that gothic feel to it, complete with sexually ambiguous artstyle and completely orchestrated music, mostly. Leon wields nothing but a whip, and the classic subweapons from older Castlevanias. They added the Crystal as a new subweapon because they couldn't find a way to implement the Stopwatch without being cheap. They also have a new mechanic, in which you gain and Orb after killing a boss. Adding an Orb to your subweapons changes the effect, but also increases the cost of the Hearts you use. Example: Holy Water. Normally you generate a small half circle of blue flame in front of you on the ground. Simple, costs 4 <3's. However, adding the effect of the blue orb gives you Energy Gazer, which fires repeated pillars of energy in front of you, a la Magneto's Magnetic Shockwave in Marvel vs Capcom 2.
The whip in this game functioned a lot better. There's combos to unlock, and the range is greatly improved. The addition of a Guard command, as well as a dodge, really helps you get a leg up on some enemies. The layout, while confusing at times, is expansive and very pretty actually. I find myself using the Map a lot, to see where I'm going, but I find that good because I never seem to use it in any other games. Memorial and Magical Tickets come about in this game, which teleport you back to your previously used Save room and Rinaldo's cabin, respectively.
The Cons:
Some of the dialogue is incredibly cheesy, but that's a Castlevania staple really. The camera has a fixed position, which can get annoying at times, but it's easy to get used to. The layout can be a real pain, sometimes there's a chunky of backtracking, but that can be circumvented (sort of) by Memorial Tickets. The storyline is a little cliche, but it's still implemented well, despite it all.
Castlevania Curse of Darkness
The Pros:
The ability to use multiple weapons gives a sense of freedom that the other Castlevanias don't. The weapon fusion systems adds a sense of grinding for people who like it. The storyline is pretty interesting actually, despite it's aged roots. The new system of familiars, known as Innocent Devils in this game, is really cool! I dub this game Poke'vania because of the way it works. When one finds the basic form of an ID, you can view a tree spread of its different evolutions. ID's evolve by Hector using certain weapons and gathering Evo Crystals from slain enemies. Depending on the ones absorbed, the ID's evolve differently. After a while, your ID will also drop an Egg, which can be used to hatch a new ID, and evolve it differently. Depending on the current ID, they can learn different attacks and be used for certain purposes. This provides a new level of customization, and it can be kinda addicting. Any unused ID's are kept in Julia's care. There's a fair chunk of secrets to find too, and challenges.
The Cons:
The plotline can be a little confusing at times, what with masquerading characters. The layout for this game makes Lament of Innocence's look like a punk. This game is huge, and takes time to fully explore. As such, it can be really confusing, and sometimes a little boring. I found some backtracking to be really tiresome at times, and some of the bosses are tough the first time off.
Lords of Shadow
The Pros:
It's very pretty, the devs really took their time. The whip combos are also very flashy. Some of the stages were pretty cool, and the creature control was nifty. PATRICK STEWART! Also, there's some pretty nifty puzzle solving.
The Cons:
Oh God this game is bland as Hell. VERY cookie cutter, and the similarities to God of War are almost offensive. Buggy camera angles really piss you off during combat. No matter how much want, your whip doesn't get ANY stronger. Enemies that take a while to kill in the beginning still take a while later on, and you don't feel like you're really progressing. Half the time you just want to scream at Gabriel "THAT'S NOT A GOOD IDEA!!!" but he won't listen. The Shadow of the Colossus fights are incredibly boring and take too long. You can skip puzzles.....no, just no. Logic puzzles....also no. WTF, WHY IS SATAN THE FINAL BOSS??!?! The After-Credits scene took the whole game and made it the creation of a seven year old child. This game doesn't feel like a Castlevania. The soundtrack is also very bland, and very generic "Epic" kind of stuff. It sounds like Batman Dark Knight, Spider-Man and Lord of the Rings had a baby.
All in all, this is just my personal opinion of these games. My verdict: just try them, especially if you actually like Castlevania. They're not hard to find, and can usually be found for pretty cheap.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
GOOD LORD MAN!! (Post VGL)
Ok, first off, Video Games Live was so FUCKING AMAZINGLY COOL! They played a hell of a lot of our home grown music: World of Warcraft, Lair, Heroes of Might and Magic, lots of stuff. There was a lot of guest composers; a lot of which I'm ashamed to say I didn't know...but still! I was close to going comatose plenty of times during the show!
I gained a newfound respect for World of Warcraft music, I suppose what I've heard until last night was from earlier times? My favorite entries? #1 Wind of Madness, Wesker's theme from Resident Evil 5. #2 The Castlevania medley, not my favorite songs, but they were good. Dreams of Triumph, the Castlevania 64 theme and Vampire Killer, I believe. #3 The Chrono medley: Earlier Times, Frog's Theme, and Time's Scar.
I've come to realize there's a stark difference in hearing a song via one's Apple product and hearing it live. It's amazing to hear it live, the phrase "Feeling the music" applies tenfold.
Besides the show, the trip was fun too. The roadcrew was as follows: Ryan Uyematsu, Mike Groom, Chris Nichols (AKA Tall Justin.), David Casas and myself. We stopped as Roscoe's for food at first! They have some damn good Chicken and Waffles. Akin to how good food USED to be. ^_^
Afterwards we stopped at In-N-Out and reminisced about life and the concert. Good times, haha. I finally got my ass home at 1 AM and decided to jump on the Xbox, I was too pumped for bed, haha.
Can't wait til next year!!
I gained a newfound respect for World of Warcraft music, I suppose what I've heard until last night was from earlier times? My favorite entries? #1 Wind of Madness, Wesker's theme from Resident Evil 5. #2 The Castlevania medley, not my favorite songs, but they were good. Dreams of Triumph, the Castlevania 64 theme and Vampire Killer, I believe. #3 The Chrono medley: Earlier Times, Frog's Theme, and Time's Scar.
I've come to realize there's a stark difference in hearing a song via one's Apple product and hearing it live. It's amazing to hear it live, the phrase "Feeling the music" applies tenfold.
Besides the show, the trip was fun too. The roadcrew was as follows: Ryan Uyematsu, Mike Groom, Chris Nichols (AKA Tall Justin.), David Casas and myself. We stopped as Roscoe's for food at first! They have some damn good Chicken and Waffles. Akin to how good food USED to be. ^_^
Afterwards we stopped at In-N-Out and reminisced about life and the concert. Good times, haha. I finally got my ass home at 1 AM and decided to jump on the Xbox, I was too pumped for bed, haha.
Can't wait til next year!!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Don't You Worry About Video Games Live; Let Me Worry About Blank.
Well, we're here, VGL. I went a few shows ago, it was really fun actually. My only gripe with the show is their music choice. Personally, I don't think War games or World of Warcraft have very inspiring sound tracks, mainly just generic "Epic" themes. But, unfortunately, they cater to the masses, and nothing is more mainstream than Call of Duty and Wow...
Yes, you read the bitterness there. Despite my friends efforts, I think the only thing close to an MMO I'd play is Castlevania HD; and that only has some loose ties at best. Anyways, VGL, right! We're here to talk about that, not my ABSOLUTE DISDAIN FOR ALL THINGS MAINSTREAM, BRRRARRRRRRGH!!!
It should be quite the experience, but my hopes are at a low. Probably because I know better, hahaha. I'd have to say my series favorites as far as music goes are: Castlevania, Kingdom Hearts, Chrono Trigger/Cross, Final Fantasy and SMT: Persona Series. Yes, I know they're all RPGs, big whoop, wanna fight about it? Castlevania isn't!
If I had to pick 5 songs from each group here (omitting Persona because it'll never happen, and Final Fantasy because it's ALWAYS THE SAME SONGS!!), it'd be:
Castlevania:
Vampire Killer
Dance of Illusions
Festival of Servants
Aquarius
Clockwork Mansion
Kingdom Hearts:
Lord of the Castle
Unbreakable Chains
Vim and Vigor
The Encounter
The Other Promise ~Drammatica Arrange~
Chrono Trigger / Cross:
Time's Scar
Victory ~A Cry in Summer~
Battle With Magus
World Revolution
Boss Battle 2
I doubt I'll here any of this, but a guy can dream, right??
Keep watch for my Post VGL blog!
Yes, you read the bitterness there. Despite my friends efforts, I think the only thing close to an MMO I'd play is Castlevania HD; and that only has some loose ties at best. Anyways, VGL, right! We're here to talk about that, not my ABSOLUTE DISDAIN FOR ALL THINGS MAINSTREAM, BRRRARRRRRRGH!!!
It should be quite the experience, but my hopes are at a low. Probably because I know better, hahaha. I'd have to say my series favorites as far as music goes are: Castlevania, Kingdom Hearts, Chrono Trigger/Cross, Final Fantasy and SMT: Persona Series. Yes, I know they're all RPGs, big whoop, wanna fight about it? Castlevania isn't!
If I had to pick 5 songs from each group here (omitting Persona because it'll never happen, and Final Fantasy because it's ALWAYS THE SAME SONGS!!), it'd be:
Castlevania:
Vampire Killer
Dance of Illusions
Festival of Servants
Aquarius
Clockwork Mansion
Kingdom Hearts:
Lord of the Castle
Unbreakable Chains
Vim and Vigor
The Encounter
The Other Promise ~Drammatica Arrange~
Chrono Trigger / Cross:
Time's Scar
Victory ~A Cry in Summer~
Battle With Magus
World Revolution
Boss Battle 2
I doubt I'll here any of this, but a guy can dream, right??
Keep watch for my Post VGL blog!
Friday, June 3, 2011
All I'm askin', ooh, is for a little respect!
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
I noticed this little fact due to my own experiences, and stories from friends. When a young adult hits somewhere between 18 and 20, things take a sudden turn. Those of you with younger siblings know exactly what I'm talking about.
In most aspects, you become something a little more equal with your parents. You have car, so now you can do what you like. With freedom of movement comes a bevvy of other things you can do, it's pretty badass I'll say. But, with this freedom comes an attitude change with your parents. Now that you're not a child anymore, the respect you get from your parents takes a major nosedive. I'll say this now before we get in too far, this is mainly just me blathering on here, I'm sure this doesn't go for everyone.
Parents get this notion that, while you're now an adult and can do whatever you please, you're still subject to anything and everything in their lives. Hey, you're not doing anything important right? Head to the store while I sit my ass down on the couch. Parents get lazy, and while I do understand that parents have a busy life, I don't think it's fair. I believe relationships are all about give and take. Take too much without giving anything back, and things get unpleasant. I know I'm not the best at fulfilling that doctrine, I do my best with what I can. I just think that if we're going to be at your beck and call since we're in your house, you can at least allow us something, right?
Wrong. Parents will constantly play the Bread Winner card. Again, I get it parents, you're providing for us. But come on, you can't keep a promise, or a date? You can't remember when we've got plans, and we've told you, and you make plans for us anyways? Why is it that no matter where we are, it always funnels down to what you need, and your instant gratification. Why is it that when you're with your friends, you are not to be bothered; but when we're out with our friends, we're fair game to be bothered with stuff? If you say you're going to do something with or for us, DON'T blow it off because "We can handle it like adults."
When you have younger siblings, this really begins to press your buttons, in both effects no less. You see your younger siblings get ignored too, and you get pissed because you know how that feels. On the same token, you get ignored because your younger siblings have precedence over you, and that pisses you off too. I understand that the younger kids need to be babied a bit more, but honestly, it's just incredibly uncool to drop one sibling for another.
On to borrowing stuff from us. As with anyone else, and more especially because you're an adult, I expect anything you borrow from me to be returned in the same or better condition than when it was given. I would also expect that if you're going to borrow money from us, and you say you're going to pay us back, that it get paid back as soon as you can do so. It ticks us off a bit when you walk in with a shiny new toy that costs more than what you owe us. Now, I dunno if anyone else's parents borrow their car, but we only have two cars to split between three people. What ticks me off here, is when I fill my tank, then my parents use it, and suddenly I'm down by 1/4 tank. Or worse, when the use it, I have something to do, and they leave me with no gas. Or when they leave their stuff in my car, or their garbage. It's my car, it's in my name, so why the hell do you treat it like it's yours? Would you borrow a friends car and drain the gas / leave your garbage in it? Then why the fuck would you in your own son's car?
This last one is purely of my own volition here. See, my parents when their in the mood, have special days for each of the kids. Each of us gets to spend a day, just us, Mom and Dad. Or rather I should say, each of them gets a day. Now, I may be different than a lot of 20-something's these days, because I love my parents and am not ashamed of them. Matter of fact, anytime someone gets uppity with their parents, it makes me want to smack them and tell them to show a little respect. I was actually kind of depressed that I was left out of this deal. The baby went with Mom and Dad to run some errands and play at the park, simple, but he is 2. Garren went with Mom and Dad to Golf N' Stuff. They played some mini-golf and what not. Collin went with Dad to shooting range, my grandpa took over Mom's place because she wasn't feeling well. But me? Nothin'. I dunno, maybe they didn't expect me to want something like that, but they could've asked.
If you're TL;DR'ing this: Parents, get your shit together with your oldest. Oldest: make sure you're not being a dick to your parents.
Also:
Onyxia Wipe
My favorite Castlevania Scene
and Look at you Go!
I noticed this little fact due to my own experiences, and stories from friends. When a young adult hits somewhere between 18 and 20, things take a sudden turn. Those of you with younger siblings know exactly what I'm talking about.
In most aspects, you become something a little more equal with your parents. You have car, so now you can do what you like. With freedom of movement comes a bevvy of other things you can do, it's pretty badass I'll say. But, with this freedom comes an attitude change with your parents. Now that you're not a child anymore, the respect you get from your parents takes a major nosedive. I'll say this now before we get in too far, this is mainly just me blathering on here, I'm sure this doesn't go for everyone.
Parents get this notion that, while you're now an adult and can do whatever you please, you're still subject to anything and everything in their lives. Hey, you're not doing anything important right? Head to the store while I sit my ass down on the couch. Parents get lazy, and while I do understand that parents have a busy life, I don't think it's fair. I believe relationships are all about give and take. Take too much without giving anything back, and things get unpleasant. I know I'm not the best at fulfilling that doctrine, I do my best with what I can. I just think that if we're going to be at your beck and call since we're in your house, you can at least allow us something, right?
Wrong. Parents will constantly play the Bread Winner card. Again, I get it parents, you're providing for us. But come on, you can't keep a promise, or a date? You can't remember when we've got plans, and we've told you, and you make plans for us anyways? Why is it that no matter where we are, it always funnels down to what you need, and your instant gratification. Why is it that when you're with your friends, you are not to be bothered; but when we're out with our friends, we're fair game to be bothered with stuff? If you say you're going to do something with or for us, DON'T blow it off because "We can handle it like adults."
When you have younger siblings, this really begins to press your buttons, in both effects no less. You see your younger siblings get ignored too, and you get pissed because you know how that feels. On the same token, you get ignored because your younger siblings have precedence over you, and that pisses you off too. I understand that the younger kids need to be babied a bit more, but honestly, it's just incredibly uncool to drop one sibling for another.
On to borrowing stuff from us. As with anyone else, and more especially because you're an adult, I expect anything you borrow from me to be returned in the same or better condition than when it was given. I would also expect that if you're going to borrow money from us, and you say you're going to pay us back, that it get paid back as soon as you can do so. It ticks us off a bit when you walk in with a shiny new toy that costs more than what you owe us. Now, I dunno if anyone else's parents borrow their car, but we only have two cars to split between three people. What ticks me off here, is when I fill my tank, then my parents use it, and suddenly I'm down by 1/4 tank. Or worse, when the use it, I have something to do, and they leave me with no gas. Or when they leave their stuff in my car, or their garbage. It's my car, it's in my name, so why the hell do you treat it like it's yours? Would you borrow a friends car and drain the gas / leave your garbage in it? Then why the fuck would you in your own son's car?
This last one is purely of my own volition here. See, my parents when their in the mood, have special days for each of the kids. Each of us gets to spend a day, just us, Mom and Dad. Or rather I should say, each of them gets a day. Now, I may be different than a lot of 20-something's these days, because I love my parents and am not ashamed of them. Matter of fact, anytime someone gets uppity with their parents, it makes me want to smack them and tell them to show a little respect. I was actually kind of depressed that I was left out of this deal. The baby went with Mom and Dad to run some errands and play at the park, simple, but he is 2. Garren went with Mom and Dad to Golf N' Stuff. They played some mini-golf and what not. Collin went with Dad to shooting range, my grandpa took over Mom's place because she wasn't feeling well. But me? Nothin'. I dunno, maybe they didn't expect me to want something like that, but they could've asked.
If you're TL;DR'ing this: Parents, get your shit together with your oldest. Oldest: make sure you're not being a dick to your parents.
Also:
Onyxia Wipe
My favorite Castlevania Scene
and Look at you Go!
Thursday, June 2, 2011
With a Knife.
Yeah, with a knife.
Not much to say today. So here, enjoy this video instead.
I'm a Bounty Hunter, HUNTER!
Not much to say today. So here, enjoy this video instead.
I'm a Bounty Hunter, HUNTER!
"Ladies, put on your no entry signs!"
This is what the title is from, sort of.
I'm beginning to notice a lot of lady friends are having guy problems. Not to say this is unusual, Guys are simplistic, yet frustratingly predictable. First off though, allow me to note that the term "Guys" is different from men, males, and boys. "Boys" will be boys, "men" have their shit straight, and "males" have a penis.
Ladies, to the more evolved of our gender, you're a puzzle. A puzzle that if solved, comes with the greatest rewards, but at the same time a ton of risk. If we can solve the puzzle that is a woman, she becomes the part of our life we're missing. Amongst the harsh chaos in our world, there's you: the brilliant, shining, soft and calm part of our world. While our existence is fraught with barbed wire, you are our feathers. But, to fail the puzzle means that the barbed wire in our life suddenly gets coated in salt. We lose you, and suddenly you become cold, aloof and brash. This of course, implies that you're a part of our life to begin with.
To some men, the reward is not worth the risk. We don't want to lose you, so we freeze, unable to pursue whatever feeling we might have. Others feel like we're not worth it to the fairer species. We look in the mirror and wonder who could ever love the beast we see, even if you think we're fine the way we are. A woman is to us, our greatest source of joy and woe. We love when you praise us, we adore every facet of your body and mind, we love keeping you happy because we see that twinkle in your eyes. And when we do something wrong, it hurts because we care, not because we were wrong.
But of course, that's only half the story. Women can seem like a daunting foe, but that's not always the case:
Sadly, the former is not the case with a lot of males. Guys are the much more common of our gender, and while ladies have the unfortunate task of staving them off, we are tainted with the image and doubt they present. Guys are governed by four forces in their life: their dick, their stomach, their image, and their money. They want to fuck anything that moves, and they need to convey a classy image. They need money to do that, and food to keep them going. Simple, and annoying.
Guys will do or say anything if it means getting in a woman's pants. They'll go to ludicrous lengths in pursuit of flesh, then vanish in an instant once they get it. You'll find they like a lot of the same things you do, you have a lot of things in common, he'll seem REALLY sincere, and be confident to the point of possible cockiness. It's a good front, but that's all it is, a front.
Moral of the story my ladies, is just to be smart about things. And I mean it when I say this, trust your instincts. Intuition is a powerful tool when it comes to avoiding trouble. If it doesn't feel or seem right, abandon ship. If a male really cares, he'll do his damnedest to try and get you back. "But Matt, what if it's just a Guy trying to get me back and seduce me?" The words of a man who cares will feel a little more desperate or pleading, while those of a Guy will feel more like pressure or have a condescending tone.
If you want to find a decent guy, try searching the background once in a while. Don't be surprised if you find that Diamond in the Rough you've been looking for. And no, I'm not just saying that because I'm a backgrounder. Let's just say I know how it feels to watch the douchebag run off with the girl you'd die for. It's not fair, it's not fun, and probably one of the most mentally destructive things out there.
*huff* Well, there you have it. I really don't know what made me feeling like ranting about this tonight. Old habits, perhaps.
Well, I'm off!
"Pip pip, cheerio! Yellow teeth and all that."
I'm beginning to notice a lot of lady friends are having guy problems. Not to say this is unusual, Guys are simplistic, yet frustratingly predictable. First off though, allow me to note that the term "Guys" is different from men, males, and boys. "Boys" will be boys, "men" have their shit straight, and "males" have a penis.
Ladies, to the more evolved of our gender, you're a puzzle. A puzzle that if solved, comes with the greatest rewards, but at the same time a ton of risk. If we can solve the puzzle that is a woman, she becomes the part of our life we're missing. Amongst the harsh chaos in our world, there's you: the brilliant, shining, soft and calm part of our world. While our existence is fraught with barbed wire, you are our feathers. But, to fail the puzzle means that the barbed wire in our life suddenly gets coated in salt. We lose you, and suddenly you become cold, aloof and brash. This of course, implies that you're a part of our life to begin with.
To some men, the reward is not worth the risk. We don't want to lose you, so we freeze, unable to pursue whatever feeling we might have. Others feel like we're not worth it to the fairer species. We look in the mirror and wonder who could ever love the beast we see, even if you think we're fine the way we are. A woman is to us, our greatest source of joy and woe. We love when you praise us, we adore every facet of your body and mind, we love keeping you happy because we see that twinkle in your eyes. And when we do something wrong, it hurts because we care, not because we were wrong.
But of course, that's only half the story. Women can seem like a daunting foe, but that's not always the case:
Sadly, the former is not the case with a lot of males. Guys are the much more common of our gender, and while ladies have the unfortunate task of staving them off, we are tainted with the image and doubt they present. Guys are governed by four forces in their life: their dick, their stomach, their image, and their money. They want to fuck anything that moves, and they need to convey a classy image. They need money to do that, and food to keep them going. Simple, and annoying.
Guys will do or say anything if it means getting in a woman's pants. They'll go to ludicrous lengths in pursuit of flesh, then vanish in an instant once they get it. You'll find they like a lot of the same things you do, you have a lot of things in common, he'll seem REALLY sincere, and be confident to the point of possible cockiness. It's a good front, but that's all it is, a front.
Moral of the story my ladies, is just to be smart about things. And I mean it when I say this, trust your instincts. Intuition is a powerful tool when it comes to avoiding trouble. If it doesn't feel or seem right, abandon ship. If a male really cares, he'll do his damnedest to try and get you back. "But Matt, what if it's just a Guy trying to get me back and seduce me?" The words of a man who cares will feel a little more desperate or pleading, while those of a Guy will feel more like pressure or have a condescending tone.
If you want to find a decent guy, try searching the background once in a while. Don't be surprised if you find that Diamond in the Rough you've been looking for. And no, I'm not just saying that because I'm a backgrounder. Let's just say I know how it feels to watch the douchebag run off with the girl you'd die for. It's not fair, it's not fun, and probably one of the most mentally destructive things out there.
*huff* Well, there you have it. I really don't know what made me feeling like ranting about this tonight. Old habits, perhaps.
Well, I'm off!
"Pip pip, cheerio! Yellow teeth and all that."
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
War Were Declared.
It may have just been friendly banter Whitey, but I see through your little ruse! You're challenging me to keep up with you! Well I got news for you!!!!!!
Eh, I'll do what I can.
Anyways, today wasn't really anything new, or really insightful. I woke up at 7:30 AM, and ended up being able to sleep in. I had a weird dream as I slept for another couple hours. It wasn't really coherent, or at least the parts I remember aren't, but I remember how I felt. I dreamed that I lived in a house that was essentially a copy of my grandparent's house here in town. But this house had an entity inside it, a vengeful spirit hell-bent on making my life miserable. I remember feeling claws on my arm, and I ran into the street screaming like a banshee. I was suddenly accosted by the police, and I could tell by their eyes that they assumed I was batshit crazy.
Upon entering my house, nothing greeted them. No shade, no spirit, no ill will. I awoke after demanding my house show them what was really going on. I felt a little woozy, and came to notice three curious scratches on my right arm. Creepy? Perhaps. I have a habit of developing odd nicks and scratches during the night.
Nothing really eventful happened. I spent my morning doing laundry and playing Castlevania. Made myself some scrambled eggs and toast, with a little cherry juice. Hung out later with some friends: Ryan, Mike, and Whitey. Had fun! I introduced them to a nifty and rather annoying site, www.akinator.com. It's a site that basically plays something like 20 Questions with you. You think of a character or person, anybody, and after some questions, the Genie will reveal to you who you were thinking of. The charm definitely lies within the fact it determines your EXACT character with seemingly generic questions.
The first time I toyed with the site, I assumed it was a rather limited scope of information, so I chose someone I thought was too obscure for this Djinn to figure out. So, I answered my questions as best I could and was completely caught off guard when it said: "I think of....Akihiko Sanada (Persona 3)" No fucking way, right? Nope, I kept trying and trying, it got every single person right before it gave up. If the Genie fails to guess your person three times, it concedes victory to you. I thought I had it one time, I attempted to dupe it by using a character that was essentially the same as another, but wasn't completely. First time he said it was some girl from an anime I didn't know of. Second, it got the character that wasn't quite right (Elizabeth from Persona 3). But that frickin' third time, it pulled out Margaret from Persona 4. Stupid thing. So far I've only been able to stump Akinator one time, by choosing the NDN Bullet from Roger Rabbit. It freaked me out though, because it guess that I was thinking of the Singing Sword from Roger Rabbit.
On a lighter note, I managed to get the Healing Mail I was looking for on Castlevania. I scored it while farming Ch 11 Normal with a German guy and a brit. I have all rare armors in my possession now, so it's satisfying. I'm still playing Mortal Kombat like a fiend. MK was really my first fighting game ever. I used to play it with my Dad and Uncle on ye olde Super Nintendo. So, for me, this is a radical step forward from the Soul Calibur style Mortal Kombats being pumped out. Right now I'm working with Reptile as my main and Sektor as my secondary. I use them both in Tag teams.
I've really not much else to say right now. I'm excited for VGL and E3. I'm still hoping really bad that we get whiff of a new Castlevania. I'm itching for another 2.5 D Castlevania, one that has fully rendered 3D enemies, bosses and Belmont. OK, you know what, fine, here's my dream Castlevania. A game released on a triple platform spread, either via disc or download. It'd look like Castlevania Dracula X Chronicles: 3D enemies, bosses, and a Belmont on a 2D plane. Full 3D backgrounds, the works. But, unlike DXC, this one would be a Metroidvania. Not that I don't enjoy a good Classicvania, but I'm just more into the Metroidvanias.
Alright, besides my ludicrously sexual comments that no one wants to hear, I'm done here for real.
Remember, it's all part of the plan.
Eh, I'll do what I can.
Anyways, today wasn't really anything new, or really insightful. I woke up at 7:30 AM, and ended up being able to sleep in. I had a weird dream as I slept for another couple hours. It wasn't really coherent, or at least the parts I remember aren't, but I remember how I felt. I dreamed that I lived in a house that was essentially a copy of my grandparent's house here in town. But this house had an entity inside it, a vengeful spirit hell-bent on making my life miserable. I remember feeling claws on my arm, and I ran into the street screaming like a banshee. I was suddenly accosted by the police, and I could tell by their eyes that they assumed I was batshit crazy.
Upon entering my house, nothing greeted them. No shade, no spirit, no ill will. I awoke after demanding my house show them what was really going on. I felt a little woozy, and came to notice three curious scratches on my right arm. Creepy? Perhaps. I have a habit of developing odd nicks and scratches during the night.
Nothing really eventful happened. I spent my morning doing laundry and playing Castlevania. Made myself some scrambled eggs and toast, with a little cherry juice. Hung out later with some friends: Ryan, Mike, and Whitey. Had fun! I introduced them to a nifty and rather annoying site, www.akinator.com. It's a site that basically plays something like 20 Questions with you. You think of a character or person, anybody, and after some questions, the Genie will reveal to you who you were thinking of. The charm definitely lies within the fact it determines your EXACT character with seemingly generic questions.
The first time I toyed with the site, I assumed it was a rather limited scope of information, so I chose someone I thought was too obscure for this Djinn to figure out. So, I answered my questions as best I could and was completely caught off guard when it said: "I think of....Akihiko Sanada (Persona 3)" No fucking way, right? Nope, I kept trying and trying, it got every single person right before it gave up. If the Genie fails to guess your person three times, it concedes victory to you. I thought I had it one time, I attempted to dupe it by using a character that was essentially the same as another, but wasn't completely. First time he said it was some girl from an anime I didn't know of. Second, it got the character that wasn't quite right (Elizabeth from Persona 3). But that frickin' third time, it pulled out Margaret from Persona 4. Stupid thing. So far I've only been able to stump Akinator one time, by choosing the NDN Bullet from Roger Rabbit. It freaked me out though, because it guess that I was thinking of the Singing Sword from Roger Rabbit.
On a lighter note, I managed to get the Healing Mail I was looking for on Castlevania. I scored it while farming Ch 11 Normal with a German guy and a brit. I have all rare armors in my possession now, so it's satisfying. I'm still playing Mortal Kombat like a fiend. MK was really my first fighting game ever. I used to play it with my Dad and Uncle on ye olde Super Nintendo. So, for me, this is a radical step forward from the Soul Calibur style Mortal Kombats being pumped out. Right now I'm working with Reptile as my main and Sektor as my secondary. I use them both in Tag teams.
I've really not much else to say right now. I'm excited for VGL and E3. I'm still hoping really bad that we get whiff of a new Castlevania. I'm itching for another 2.5 D Castlevania, one that has fully rendered 3D enemies, bosses and Belmont. OK, you know what, fine, here's my dream Castlevania. A game released on a triple platform spread, either via disc or download. It'd look like Castlevania Dracula X Chronicles: 3D enemies, bosses, and a Belmont on a 2D plane. Full 3D backgrounds, the works. But, unlike DXC, this one would be a Metroidvania. Not that I don't enjoy a good Classicvania, but I'm just more into the Metroidvanias.
Alright, besides my ludicrously sexual comments that no one wants to hear, I'm done here for real.
Remember, it's all part of the plan.
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