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Video Game Meme (Because I haven't made a journal in ages!)D
Posted 14 years agoStole this from a buncha people I saw doing it. Read if you want. :) I know I did something similar to this a while back, but I didn't realize it until I had this one half finished. I blame exhaustion. Enjoy if you want.
Day 1 - First video game you ever played: First game ever played was probably Sonic the Hedgehog for Sega Genesis. First game beaten was Berenstein Bears, also for the Genesis.
Day 2 - Your favorite character: SONIC. :D
Day 3 - A game that is underrated: Hmmm. Now that is a toughie. I own a Dreamcast, and there are tons of games on there that are underrated, and a few that are overrated. But as for a specific underrated game...I can't think of any. I tend to only play games that get high reviews, especially now that my time for gaming is limited. Tho, one game that I don't think got enough recognition is Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing. It's a Mario Kart clone, yes, but a damn good one! With tons more personality.
Day 4 - Your guilty pleasure game: Oh, there's a lot of these. There's a bunch of games out there that make me smiles. The most recent is Ms. Splosion Man for the Xbox 360. I just downloaded it today, and I'm absolutely in love! More games: Almost anything Sonic, Toy Commander, Crazy Taxi, Let's Go Jungle, Jet Grind Radio and I'm sure I'm forgetting some.
Day 5 - Game character you feel you are most like (or wish you were): This is tricky, since I'm unlike a ton of video game characters. Travis Touchdown in No More Heroes is a nerd like me, but I'm nothing else like him. Geez, this is tough. PASS.
Day 6 - Most annoying character: Easy. Pepperita (or whatever her name is) from Star Ocean 3. "If you're not robbers, then you must be burglars!"
Day 7 - Favorite game couple: This is another hard one. I so very rarely find video game couples to be believable. Tho, Nate and Elena from Uncharted I think are adorable. As are Jak and Keira from Jak and Daxter.
Day 8 - Best soundtrack: Oh JESUS. Where do I even begin? SO SO SO SO SO MANY great game soundtracks out there. I'll list a bunch off the top of my head. Marvel Vs. Capcom 3, Ace Attorney (all of them), Ms. Splosion Man, Persona 4, Persona 2, Final Fantasy VII, Kingdom Hearts, Super Smash Brothers: Brawl. I could go on.
Day 9 - Saddest game scene: Persona 4. It's not a specific scene, but it's a moment in the game. A certain character who was always there with the main character suddenly isn't there. If you've played the game, you know what I'm talking about.
Day 10 - Best gameplay: This isn't a fair question. With all the gaming genres out there and with so many games that do their genre so well it's impossible to pick one game that has my absolute favorite gameplay. Though, if I had to pick, I'd pick Sonic 3. (Noticing a pattern here?)
Day 11 - Gaming system of choice: PS2. GAME. SET. MATCH.
Day 12 - A game everyone should play: Persona 4. Do it if you haven't.
Day 13 - A game you’ve played more than five times: I don't do this very often, since I'm always hopping from game to game. However, I have beaten all the Genesis Sonics several times (Except Sonic Spinball, tho I have beaten it twice), and the Sonic Adventures. I've also beaten the Power Rangers genesis game a lot too.
Day 14 - Current (or most recent) gaming wallpaper: Mine changes every half-hour.
Day 15 - Post a screenshot from the game you’re playing right now: http://xboxlivemedia.ign.com/xboxli.....08722_640w.jpg
Day 16 - Game with the best cut scenes: Uncharted 2. Done.
Day 17 - Favorite antagonist: Ramirez, Skies of Arcadia.
Day 18 - Favorite protagonist: Sonic.
Day 19 - Picture of a game setting you wish you lived in: http://www.wallpaperdesktops.net/wp.....1/06/04303.jpg
Day 20 - Favorite genre: Platformers.
Day 21 - Game with the best story: Persona 4.
Day 22 - A game sequel which disappointed you: Sonic the Hedgehog (2006). I never played a more broken game in all of my life.
Day 23 - Game you think had the best graphics or art style: Ghost Trick. It's beautiful
Day 24 - Favorite classic game: Guess! It rhymes with Tonic Free.
Day 25 - A game you plan on playing: LA Noire. And Catherine.
Day 26 - Best voice acting:. Uncharted 2
Day 27 - Most epic scene ever: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S66LtJ77mRk
Day 28 - Favorite game developer. Atlus.
Day 29 - A game you thought you wouldn’t like, but ended up loving: Grand Theft Auto IV. I went in expecting shooting prostitutes, and got an incredibly deep, complicated, and rewarding story.
Day 30 - Your favorite game of all time: Sonic 3 or Skies of Arcadia.
Day 1 - First video game you ever played: First game ever played was probably Sonic the Hedgehog for Sega Genesis. First game beaten was Berenstein Bears, also for the Genesis.
Day 2 - Your favorite character: SONIC. :D
Day 3 - A game that is underrated: Hmmm. Now that is a toughie. I own a Dreamcast, and there are tons of games on there that are underrated, and a few that are overrated. But as for a specific underrated game...I can't think of any. I tend to only play games that get high reviews, especially now that my time for gaming is limited. Tho, one game that I don't think got enough recognition is Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing. It's a Mario Kart clone, yes, but a damn good one! With tons more personality.
Day 4 - Your guilty pleasure game: Oh, there's a lot of these. There's a bunch of games out there that make me smiles. The most recent is Ms. Splosion Man for the Xbox 360. I just downloaded it today, and I'm absolutely in love! More games: Almost anything Sonic, Toy Commander, Crazy Taxi, Let's Go Jungle, Jet Grind Radio and I'm sure I'm forgetting some.
Day 5 - Game character you feel you are most like (or wish you were): This is tricky, since I'm unlike a ton of video game characters. Travis Touchdown in No More Heroes is a nerd like me, but I'm nothing else like him. Geez, this is tough. PASS.
Day 6 - Most annoying character: Easy. Pepperita (or whatever her name is) from Star Ocean 3. "If you're not robbers, then you must be burglars!"
Day 7 - Favorite game couple: This is another hard one. I so very rarely find video game couples to be believable. Tho, Nate and Elena from Uncharted I think are adorable. As are Jak and Keira from Jak and Daxter.
Day 8 - Best soundtrack: Oh JESUS. Where do I even begin? SO SO SO SO SO MANY great game soundtracks out there. I'll list a bunch off the top of my head. Marvel Vs. Capcom 3, Ace Attorney (all of them), Ms. Splosion Man, Persona 4, Persona 2, Final Fantasy VII, Kingdom Hearts, Super Smash Brothers: Brawl. I could go on.
Day 9 - Saddest game scene: Persona 4. It's not a specific scene, but it's a moment in the game. A certain character who was always there with the main character suddenly isn't there. If you've played the game, you know what I'm talking about.
Day 10 - Best gameplay: This isn't a fair question. With all the gaming genres out there and with so many games that do their genre so well it's impossible to pick one game that has my absolute favorite gameplay. Though, if I had to pick, I'd pick Sonic 3. (Noticing a pattern here?)
Day 11 - Gaming system of choice: PS2. GAME. SET. MATCH.
Day 12 - A game everyone should play: Persona 4. Do it if you haven't.
Day 13 - A game you’ve played more than five times: I don't do this very often, since I'm always hopping from game to game. However, I have beaten all the Genesis Sonics several times (Except Sonic Spinball, tho I have beaten it twice), and the Sonic Adventures. I've also beaten the Power Rangers genesis game a lot too.
Day 14 - Current (or most recent) gaming wallpaper: Mine changes every half-hour.
Day 15 - Post a screenshot from the game you’re playing right now: http://xboxlivemedia.ign.com/xboxli.....08722_640w.jpg
Day 16 - Game with the best cut scenes: Uncharted 2. Done.
Day 17 - Favorite antagonist: Ramirez, Skies of Arcadia.
Day 18 - Favorite protagonist: Sonic.
Day 19 - Picture of a game setting you wish you lived in: http://www.wallpaperdesktops.net/wp.....1/06/04303.jpg
Day 20 - Favorite genre: Platformers.
Day 21 - Game with the best story: Persona 4.
Day 22 - A game sequel which disappointed you: Sonic the Hedgehog (2006). I never played a more broken game in all of my life.
Day 23 - Game you think had the best graphics or art style: Ghost Trick. It's beautiful
Day 24 - Favorite classic game: Guess! It rhymes with Tonic Free.
Day 25 - A game you plan on playing: LA Noire. And Catherine.
Day 26 - Best voice acting:. Uncharted 2
Day 27 - Most epic scene ever: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S66LtJ77mRk
Day 28 - Favorite game developer. Atlus.
Day 29 - A game you thought you wouldn’t like, but ended up loving: Grand Theft Auto IV. I went in expecting shooting prostitutes, and got an incredibly deep, complicated, and rewarding story.
Day 30 - Your favorite game of all time: Sonic 3 or Skies of Arcadia.
To all y'all going to AC!
Posted 14 years agoHave fun! :D Someday I'll get myself to one of these cons, but unfortunately, now is not the time. Enjoy yourselves, don't do anything stupid, and just make the most of your time! :D See ya when you get back!
Why I'm just not feeling Valkyria Chronicles 2
Posted 14 years agoFirstly, yes, I'm back from vacation. :P WHOO NIAGARA FALLS.
And upon coming back from vacation I came to a startling conclusion. I suddenly have some time to play video games! *LE GASP* And I figured it was time for me to finally start a game I got last Christmas, Valkyria Chronicles 2 for the PSP. I was a very big fan of the first game, and was very eager to re immerse myself in the world of Gallia and a land on the brink of war.
Needless to say, I'm not exactly enjoying the trip the second time around.
My younger brother was an even bigger fan of the first game than I was, and he started the sequel right after we got the game for Christmas. He lasted about two days before he tossed the game aside, and never looked back. He had a list of complaints a mile long for the game, most of which I thought he was just hating on it for no real reason. He had a tendency to not give games a fair chance, and if he finds one thing that he doesn't like, it tends to wreck his whole experience.
The game has been collecting dust for quite some time now, and only now have I finally gotten around to starting it. And, while the game certainly made some good improvements over its predecessor, a number of smaller changes have been for the worse. And, like with everything, the devil is in the details. And those details have effectively wrecked my experience with Valkyria Chronicles 2.
Hold on tight Ladies and Gentlemen, a huge rant is a-coming!
The first game told the tale of Welkin Gunther, a man who had just graduated from college and was all set to begin his career studying plants and bugs and that kind of thing. Until the second Europan War forces him to go into combat. The son of a great general, Welkin knew his way around a tank and war, and is assigned to lead a small squad called "Squad 7." As the game progresses, the story goes deeper and while it's not entirely predictable, it's not exactly full of surprising twists and turns. Yet, where it shines is the subtlety in which it is handled, which is rare for anything coming out of Japan, and its character development. The gameplay too was incredibly deep, combining turn based strategy with a third person shooter. This huge tale was riddled with a lot of complicated themes, including revenge and racism, and even had a very poignant love story thrown in for good measure. AND IT WORKED.
The sequel lacks...almost all of that. Instead you meet Generic Hero Avan Hardins (who I swear is the hero from every generic anime). Avan has enthusiasm (A la Naruto) but isn't very good at what he does (A la Naruto). He gets word that his brother has been killed in the continuing conflict (The first game didn't end with the war over, mostly just slowed) and no one will tell Avan why. Thus, Avan enrolls in the Lanseal Military Academy (complete with stupid uniforms) to both help fight in the battle and find out what happened to his brother. There he meets Dingbat (real name: Cosette) and Brainiac (Zeri, known to be smart because he wears glasses). Together they...go to school and fight in mock battles, and thus your game begins.
These three are perhaps the most bland characters I've ever seen. Cosette is supposed to be the cheerful, goofy character. Goofy might be too nice a word. Unrealistically stupid might be more accurate. For example, someone tells her to be quiet. So, she stops breathing and nearly passes out. And they let her into Military School.
The first game's cast had a lot more personality, and wasn't just super generic team of three. Welkin had flaws, and was more interested in plants and animals than actually fighting the war. And he didn't make up for his faults with Enthusiasm. He was actually decent at what he did! Alicia, the leading lady from the first game, was also a more enjoyable heroine. She was strong, able and careful, but at her core was still a scared child.
In the sequel, it's just....bland.
However, storytelling has some improvements too. Firstly, there are now scenes between the other members of your squad. In the first game, it was just the main cast while the rest of the squad got a description and bio and a few one-liners. I like giving the other team members time to shine, but unfortunately once again it's very bland and uninteresting. No one feels really human here. They all have one trait that the game brings up constantly whenever the characters appear. Franca hates her brother and yells at him constantly. Helmutt is a captured soldier from the other side of the war. Edy's sister (I forget her name) likes acting. It's not realistic, and the characters actually suffer because of it.
That, and they feel way too much like anime characters and not at all like real people.
The art style too takes a hit, though I am more forgiving of this one. The PS3 game looked great, but you just can't get that kind of graphics on the PSP. For what it is, the game does look good. Everything has a clean look to it, and the character artwork is very nice looking. However, it looks more anime than the first game, and less like a watercolor painting. I always kind of thought the first game resembled a very pretty anime, but the sequel looks more like saturday morning cartoon fodder. However, if you don't mind the art style, it's very clean and clear, and the animated scenes look very nice. And they can be surprisingly frequent.
Gameplay itself is the same, and changed in a number of ways, most of which are for the better. Now all the classes can be upgraded and changed, giving more options for the player to customize. For example, a scout can now become a sniper, or a scout Elite. They do play differently, and it adds a lot to character individuality. Suddenly, you can have four different scouts, each meant to handle a situation differently. It works well.
What doesn't work is the lack of scale. Let me explain. Instead of large areas where you have a lot of men running around, in Valkyria Chronicles 2 you are regulated to small areas that are connected by camps. This part I actually do not mind. I understand that due to hardware and software limitations of the PSP the game had to be scaled back. That's fine, and I think the multiple small areas is a good compromise.
What isn't fine is how small and uninteresting the battles feel. And how repetitive they can get. In the first game, there was generally one or maybe two battles per chapter. And they were all big, sprawling affairs with many units on both sides. Areas never repeated, and every battle presented a new challenge with multiple ways to tackle it. The second game gives you more battles, yes, but it repeats the areas a lot. A lot, lot. That, and most battles have no story to precede them, instead just telling you to capture this base or kill this character. There's no feeling of weight to the proceedings. Instead, it just feels like you are grinding. And battles are short. This is a love it or hate it thing, but the first game's battles often went on for a half-hour to more than an hour. Now? 20 minutes is a long battle. It just feels off. And not very interesting. And incredibly repetitive.
That is the biggest crime in my opinion. Had every mission had serious weight to it, or at least, more weight than just "Kill this guy. You need to do this mission to get to the next one" then I might've been able to forgive the story flaws. Because the game itself is actually a pretty well done version of the Valkyria Chronicles gameplay. But I just can't get into it, and with no story or compelling reason to keep me going through the more tedious elements, I just wonder why I'm wasting my time.
So, there you go. If you've read this far, congratulations! And if you haven't, go play the first Valkyria Chronicles. You'll be happy you did.
And upon coming back from vacation I came to a startling conclusion. I suddenly have some time to play video games! *LE GASP* And I figured it was time for me to finally start a game I got last Christmas, Valkyria Chronicles 2 for the PSP. I was a very big fan of the first game, and was very eager to re immerse myself in the world of Gallia and a land on the brink of war.
Needless to say, I'm not exactly enjoying the trip the second time around.
My younger brother was an even bigger fan of the first game than I was, and he started the sequel right after we got the game for Christmas. He lasted about two days before he tossed the game aside, and never looked back. He had a list of complaints a mile long for the game, most of which I thought he was just hating on it for no real reason. He had a tendency to not give games a fair chance, and if he finds one thing that he doesn't like, it tends to wreck his whole experience.
The game has been collecting dust for quite some time now, and only now have I finally gotten around to starting it. And, while the game certainly made some good improvements over its predecessor, a number of smaller changes have been for the worse. And, like with everything, the devil is in the details. And those details have effectively wrecked my experience with Valkyria Chronicles 2.
Hold on tight Ladies and Gentlemen, a huge rant is a-coming!
The first game told the tale of Welkin Gunther, a man who had just graduated from college and was all set to begin his career studying plants and bugs and that kind of thing. Until the second Europan War forces him to go into combat. The son of a great general, Welkin knew his way around a tank and war, and is assigned to lead a small squad called "Squad 7." As the game progresses, the story goes deeper and while it's not entirely predictable, it's not exactly full of surprising twists and turns. Yet, where it shines is the subtlety in which it is handled, which is rare for anything coming out of Japan, and its character development. The gameplay too was incredibly deep, combining turn based strategy with a third person shooter. This huge tale was riddled with a lot of complicated themes, including revenge and racism, and even had a very poignant love story thrown in for good measure. AND IT WORKED.
The sequel lacks...almost all of that. Instead you meet Generic Hero Avan Hardins (who I swear is the hero from every generic anime). Avan has enthusiasm (A la Naruto) but isn't very good at what he does (A la Naruto). He gets word that his brother has been killed in the continuing conflict (The first game didn't end with the war over, mostly just slowed) and no one will tell Avan why. Thus, Avan enrolls in the Lanseal Military Academy (complete with stupid uniforms) to both help fight in the battle and find out what happened to his brother. There he meets Dingbat (real name: Cosette) and Brainiac (Zeri, known to be smart because he wears glasses). Together they...go to school and fight in mock battles, and thus your game begins.
These three are perhaps the most bland characters I've ever seen. Cosette is supposed to be the cheerful, goofy character. Goofy might be too nice a word. Unrealistically stupid might be more accurate. For example, someone tells her to be quiet. So, she stops breathing and nearly passes out. And they let her into Military School.
The first game's cast had a lot more personality, and wasn't just super generic team of three. Welkin had flaws, and was more interested in plants and animals than actually fighting the war. And he didn't make up for his faults with Enthusiasm. He was actually decent at what he did! Alicia, the leading lady from the first game, was also a more enjoyable heroine. She was strong, able and careful, but at her core was still a scared child.
In the sequel, it's just....bland.
However, storytelling has some improvements too. Firstly, there are now scenes between the other members of your squad. In the first game, it was just the main cast while the rest of the squad got a description and bio and a few one-liners. I like giving the other team members time to shine, but unfortunately once again it's very bland and uninteresting. No one feels really human here. They all have one trait that the game brings up constantly whenever the characters appear. Franca hates her brother and yells at him constantly. Helmutt is a captured soldier from the other side of the war. Edy's sister (I forget her name) likes acting. It's not realistic, and the characters actually suffer because of it.
That, and they feel way too much like anime characters and not at all like real people.
The art style too takes a hit, though I am more forgiving of this one. The PS3 game looked great, but you just can't get that kind of graphics on the PSP. For what it is, the game does look good. Everything has a clean look to it, and the character artwork is very nice looking. However, it looks more anime than the first game, and less like a watercolor painting. I always kind of thought the first game resembled a very pretty anime, but the sequel looks more like saturday morning cartoon fodder. However, if you don't mind the art style, it's very clean and clear, and the animated scenes look very nice. And they can be surprisingly frequent.
Gameplay itself is the same, and changed in a number of ways, most of which are for the better. Now all the classes can be upgraded and changed, giving more options for the player to customize. For example, a scout can now become a sniper, or a scout Elite. They do play differently, and it adds a lot to character individuality. Suddenly, you can have four different scouts, each meant to handle a situation differently. It works well.
What doesn't work is the lack of scale. Let me explain. Instead of large areas where you have a lot of men running around, in Valkyria Chronicles 2 you are regulated to small areas that are connected by camps. This part I actually do not mind. I understand that due to hardware and software limitations of the PSP the game had to be scaled back. That's fine, and I think the multiple small areas is a good compromise.
What isn't fine is how small and uninteresting the battles feel. And how repetitive they can get. In the first game, there was generally one or maybe two battles per chapter. And they were all big, sprawling affairs with many units on both sides. Areas never repeated, and every battle presented a new challenge with multiple ways to tackle it. The second game gives you more battles, yes, but it repeats the areas a lot. A lot, lot. That, and most battles have no story to precede them, instead just telling you to capture this base or kill this character. There's no feeling of weight to the proceedings. Instead, it just feels like you are grinding. And battles are short. This is a love it or hate it thing, but the first game's battles often went on for a half-hour to more than an hour. Now? 20 minutes is a long battle. It just feels off. And not very interesting. And incredibly repetitive.
That is the biggest crime in my opinion. Had every mission had serious weight to it, or at least, more weight than just "Kill this guy. You need to do this mission to get to the next one" then I might've been able to forgive the story flaws. Because the game itself is actually a pretty well done version of the Valkyria Chronicles gameplay. But I just can't get into it, and with no story or compelling reason to keep me going through the more tedious elements, I just wonder why I'm wasting my time.
So, there you go. If you've read this far, congratulations! And if you haven't, go play the first Valkyria Chronicles. You'll be happy you did.
Game Meme (and I'm going on vacation)
Posted 14 years agoI figured I'd do a game meme, just for the hell of it. :P COME SEE MY OUTDATED IDEAS OF GAMING.
Stolen from
zephyrhero
1- Very fist video game
Hmm...Toughie. I had a Genesis as my first game console and we only had a few games. The first one I probably tried was Sonic the Hedgehog (or maybe Sonic Spinball, I had both) but the first I beat was Bernstein Bears.
2- Your favorite character
SONIC. :D
3- A game that is underrated
Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2. For a fighting game based on a TV show, this one is actually pretty damn good. The fighting is different, and not as complicated as Street Fighter, but it's damn fun to play, and surprisingly balanced.
4- Your guilty pleasure game
Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2
5 - Game character you feel you are most like (or wish you were)
Toughie, again. I can name a few TV show characters I am like (The BlueBird from Regular Show for example)...I wish I was Ryu Hayabusa, cuz he's the man! :P But as for a character I am most like...I don't know. I can't pick.
6 - Most annoying character
Pepprika (or whatever the hell her name was) from Star Ocean 3. "If you're not robbers, then *Gasp* You must be BURGLARS!)
7 - Favorite game couple
Welkin/Alisha from Valkyria Chronicles.
8 - Best soundtrack
Persona 4. <3
9 - Saddest game scene
Persona 4. It's not really a scene, and it's a huge spoiler if you haven't gotten there, but it's the saddest moment I've ever had in gaming. Ever. I will tell if you ask.
10 - Best Gameplay
Not entirely a fair question, since gameplay is such a broad term. It's hard to rate games on their gameplay alone. Though, recently, I had the most fun with Portal 2 (LE GASP! HOW MAINSTREAM)
11 - Gaming system of choice
PS2, for all it's JRPG goodness.
12 - A Game everyone should play
Skies of Arcadia
13 - A game you’ve played more than five times.
Sonic 3 and Knuckles. I can beat that game with my eyes closed.
14 - Current (or most recent) gaming wallpaper.
My desktop changes every half-hour. I have a variety of wallpapers. Sonic, Persona, Lara Croft, etc.
15 - Post a screenshot from the game you're playing right now
http://www.gameranx.com/images/upda.....47267mvc33.jpg Should be obvious what this is.
16 - Game with the best cut scenes
Kingdom Hearts 2 (My sometimes love, sometimes hate thing aside, the game was beautiful for its time, and it's cutscenes still look damn good today).
17 - Favorite antagonist
OH GOD SO MANY. I'm a big fan of villains, especially in movies. My favorite video game one though would have to be Ramirez from Skies of Arcadia.
18 - Favorite protagonist
ONCE AGAIN SO MANY. Ryu Hayabusa, Luke Fon Fabre, Sonic, Balthier, and that's just off the top of my head.
19 - Picture of a game setting you wish you lived in
Once again, this is easier with movies for me then video games. I would love to live in Avatar's world, for example (Both of them.:P) but for video games...sheesh. This should be so easy...Sonic. :) I love my Sonic.
20 - Favorite genre
RPGs, Platformers.
21 - Game with the best story
I complain so often about video game stories...But it's hard to find a good one. Though, I really got into Valkyria Chronicles, Portal 2, and Tales of the Abyss.
22 - A game sequel which disappointed you
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days.
23 - Game you think had the best graphics or art style.
Uncharted 2. Viewtiful Joe.
24 - Favorite classic game
Sonic 3 and Knuckles.
25 - A game you plan on playing
Final Fantasy IV
26 - Best voice acting
Uncharted 2
27 - Most epic scene ever
Portal 2's ending.
28 - Favorite game developer
Atlus Games.
29 - A game you thought you wouldn’t like, but ended up loving
Most of the time I'm pretty good at determining whether or not I like games. Though, perhaps the biggest surprise is how much fun I am currently having with Marvel Vs. Capcom 3. I didn't think I'd care for it, like, at all.
30 - Your favorite game of all time
Sonic 3 and Knuckles. HANDS. FUCKING. DOWN.
Oh, and on Sunday I'm leaving on a vacation to Niagara Falls. Won't be back until Thursday. :P STAY AWESOME Y'ALL.
Stolen from
zephyrhero1- Very fist video game
Hmm...Toughie. I had a Genesis as my first game console and we only had a few games. The first one I probably tried was Sonic the Hedgehog (or maybe Sonic Spinball, I had both) but the first I beat was Bernstein Bears.
2- Your favorite character
SONIC. :D
3- A game that is underrated
Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2. For a fighting game based on a TV show, this one is actually pretty damn good. The fighting is different, and not as complicated as Street Fighter, but it's damn fun to play, and surprisingly balanced.
4- Your guilty pleasure game
Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2
5 - Game character you feel you are most like (or wish you were)
Toughie, again. I can name a few TV show characters I am like (The BlueBird from Regular Show for example)...I wish I was Ryu Hayabusa, cuz he's the man! :P But as for a character I am most like...I don't know. I can't pick.
6 - Most annoying character
Pepprika (or whatever the hell her name was) from Star Ocean 3. "If you're not robbers, then *Gasp* You must be BURGLARS!)
7 - Favorite game couple
Welkin/Alisha from Valkyria Chronicles.
8 - Best soundtrack
Persona 4. <3
9 - Saddest game scene
Persona 4. It's not really a scene, and it's a huge spoiler if you haven't gotten there, but it's the saddest moment I've ever had in gaming. Ever. I will tell if you ask.
10 - Best Gameplay
Not entirely a fair question, since gameplay is such a broad term. It's hard to rate games on their gameplay alone. Though, recently, I had the most fun with Portal 2 (LE GASP! HOW MAINSTREAM)
11 - Gaming system of choice
PS2, for all it's JRPG goodness.
12 - A Game everyone should play
Skies of Arcadia
13 - A game you’ve played more than five times.
Sonic 3 and Knuckles. I can beat that game with my eyes closed.
14 - Current (or most recent) gaming wallpaper.
My desktop changes every half-hour. I have a variety of wallpapers. Sonic, Persona, Lara Croft, etc.
15 - Post a screenshot from the game you're playing right now
http://www.gameranx.com/images/upda.....47267mvc33.jpg Should be obvious what this is.
16 - Game with the best cut scenes
Kingdom Hearts 2 (My sometimes love, sometimes hate thing aside, the game was beautiful for its time, and it's cutscenes still look damn good today).
17 - Favorite antagonist
OH GOD SO MANY. I'm a big fan of villains, especially in movies. My favorite video game one though would have to be Ramirez from Skies of Arcadia.
18 - Favorite protagonist
ONCE AGAIN SO MANY. Ryu Hayabusa, Luke Fon Fabre, Sonic, Balthier, and that's just off the top of my head.
19 - Picture of a game setting you wish you lived in
Once again, this is easier with movies for me then video games. I would love to live in Avatar's world, for example (Both of them.:P) but for video games...sheesh. This should be so easy...Sonic. :) I love my Sonic.
20 - Favorite genre
RPGs, Platformers.
21 - Game with the best story
I complain so often about video game stories...But it's hard to find a good one. Though, I really got into Valkyria Chronicles, Portal 2, and Tales of the Abyss.
22 - A game sequel which disappointed you
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days.
23 - Game you think had the best graphics or art style.
Uncharted 2. Viewtiful Joe.
24 - Favorite classic game
Sonic 3 and Knuckles.
25 - A game you plan on playing
Final Fantasy IV
26 - Best voice acting
Uncharted 2
27 - Most epic scene ever
Portal 2's ending.
28 - Favorite game developer
Atlus Games.
29 - A game you thought you wouldn’t like, but ended up loving
Most of the time I'm pretty good at determining whether or not I like games. Though, perhaps the biggest surprise is how much fun I am currently having with Marvel Vs. Capcom 3. I didn't think I'd care for it, like, at all.
30 - Your favorite game of all time
Sonic 3 and Knuckles. HANDS. FUCKING. DOWN.
Oh, and on Sunday I'm leaving on a vacation to Niagara Falls. Won't be back until Thursday. :P STAY AWESOME Y'ALL.
Kyoma's Thoughts on E3 (cuz everyone else has one)
Posted 14 years ago(Finally) Finished Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2
Posted 14 years agoTook me forever to do so! I've actually had this game for quite a while. I was at a Gamestop and had meant to buy a used copy of Ninja Gaiden Sigma 1. However, the guy behind the desk put the disk for the 2nd game (which at the time was 54.99 used) in the box for the first game. He never noticed! :D I made out like a bandit!
And then tried to beat the game.
And failed. Several times.
If you know me, you know I have an insane crush on Ryu Hayabusa, the star of the Ninja Gaiden series. I really find his character appealing, and his character design is downright kick-ass. But, I had never been able to finish his game. Or rather, the second game, I don't own the first. I had tried about three times since getting it, but never got past chapter 10. So, this summer vacation, I told myself I would -finally- finish the game.
And I did. On Hard-mode. FUCK. YEAH.
And here's a mini-review for your viewing pleasure.
If you've never played a Ninja Gaiden game before, here's the premise. Ryu Hayabusa is the Dragon Ninja, which means he's special. He's trying to kill the bad guys. And it's up to you to play as Ryu and kill bad guys. Seriously, that's it.
As you probably gathered, the story sucks. And that is certainly the case here. Nonsensical, poorly acted, and even more poorly told, the story almost seems to harken back to the video games of old where the story was nothing more than an excuse to get from location to location. And that's pretty much all you do in Sigma 2. There's a girl (with huge boobs) from the CIA named Sonia, who's looking for Ryu. Apparently there is this EVIL GROUP OF NINJAS called the Black Spider Clan who are trying to resurrect the archfiend. And Sonia wants Ryu to stop them.
Which involves killing a ton of things in a variety of locations.
The story never gets more detailed than that. You just go from place to place, often with no explanation of how you got there, and kill things. Sometimes a cutscene plays before a level, showing Ryu doing something badass before you get to play.
Playing the game is actually a mixed bag. The combat is great. There's a lot of weapons, lots of moves to master, and the actual fighting has quite a bit of depth to it. Which is good, cuz you don't do much else. There's some platforming in some of the levels, but it's not very good. The camera sucks at all times, even during combat, and it's almost always hard to tell what's where when. Controlling Ryu is actually very good during combat. He moves lightning-quick, stringing together moves faster than the eye can keep up with. Platforming however...let's just say he's not Prince of Persia.
The graphics for the game are actually pretty crappy. I know it's a bit of an older game, but some parts just look bad. The water effects especially. It just looks fake. But, the game does run at a rock-solid 60 FPS, which is actually really nice when the combat gets crazy. I guess you need to sacrifice graphics for smoothness, which I am willing to do. Nothing pisses me off more than a crappy framerate. That, to me, is just sloppy.
The combat is really fun and very satisfying. The game is based around it, so it's good that it works so well. It's also a pretty difficult game. Some of the bosses might have you ripping your hair out if you don't deal well with repeatedly dying. However, and this might be just me, but I didn't find the game as hard as I expected. Sure, I died sometimes, but not as often as many people made it sound. And I'm not a master of it, by any means. I don't know what the combo lists are, I basically just button mash.
Oh yeah, and you can play as some skanky girls too. And you can bounce their boobs with the Sixaxis. It's amusing, but honestly, I'd much rather play as Ryu. Firstly, he plays better than they do. And secondly, he's Ryu. I love him. :P
And yeah. I'm heading to bed. G'night all!
And then tried to beat the game.
And failed. Several times.
If you know me, you know I have an insane crush on Ryu Hayabusa, the star of the Ninja Gaiden series. I really find his character appealing, and his character design is downright kick-ass. But, I had never been able to finish his game. Or rather, the second game, I don't own the first. I had tried about three times since getting it, but never got past chapter 10. So, this summer vacation, I told myself I would -finally- finish the game.
And I did. On Hard-mode. FUCK. YEAH.
And here's a mini-review for your viewing pleasure.
If you've never played a Ninja Gaiden game before, here's the premise. Ryu Hayabusa is the Dragon Ninja, which means he's special. He's trying to kill the bad guys. And it's up to you to play as Ryu and kill bad guys. Seriously, that's it.
As you probably gathered, the story sucks. And that is certainly the case here. Nonsensical, poorly acted, and even more poorly told, the story almost seems to harken back to the video games of old where the story was nothing more than an excuse to get from location to location. And that's pretty much all you do in Sigma 2. There's a girl (with huge boobs) from the CIA named Sonia, who's looking for Ryu. Apparently there is this EVIL GROUP OF NINJAS called the Black Spider Clan who are trying to resurrect the archfiend. And Sonia wants Ryu to stop them.
Which involves killing a ton of things in a variety of locations.
The story never gets more detailed than that. You just go from place to place, often with no explanation of how you got there, and kill things. Sometimes a cutscene plays before a level, showing Ryu doing something badass before you get to play.
Playing the game is actually a mixed bag. The combat is great. There's a lot of weapons, lots of moves to master, and the actual fighting has quite a bit of depth to it. Which is good, cuz you don't do much else. There's some platforming in some of the levels, but it's not very good. The camera sucks at all times, even during combat, and it's almost always hard to tell what's where when. Controlling Ryu is actually very good during combat. He moves lightning-quick, stringing together moves faster than the eye can keep up with. Platforming however...let's just say he's not Prince of Persia.
The graphics for the game are actually pretty crappy. I know it's a bit of an older game, but some parts just look bad. The water effects especially. It just looks fake. But, the game does run at a rock-solid 60 FPS, which is actually really nice when the combat gets crazy. I guess you need to sacrifice graphics for smoothness, which I am willing to do. Nothing pisses me off more than a crappy framerate. That, to me, is just sloppy.
The combat is really fun and very satisfying. The game is based around it, so it's good that it works so well. It's also a pretty difficult game. Some of the bosses might have you ripping your hair out if you don't deal well with repeatedly dying. However, and this might be just me, but I didn't find the game as hard as I expected. Sure, I died sometimes, but not as often as many people made it sound. And I'm not a master of it, by any means. I don't know what the combo lists are, I basically just button mash.
Oh yeah, and you can play as some skanky girls too. And you can bounce their boobs with the Sixaxis. It's amusing, but honestly, I'd much rather play as Ryu. Firstly, he plays better than they do. And secondly, he's Ryu. I love him. :P
And yeah. I'm heading to bed. G'night all!
Sonic Generations
Posted 14 years agohttp://www.gametrailers.com/video/c.....rations/714051
Fuck.
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/m.....rations/714053
Yeah.
I've never been this excited for a Sonic game...ever.
Sega, you better not fuck this one up...
Fuck.
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/m.....rations/714053
Yeah.
I've never been this excited for a Sonic game...ever.
Sega, you better not fuck this one up...
Master's Degree along with Good News!
Posted 14 years agoLet's get the good out of the way, first. The first draft of my novel was finished on Sunday! 84,783 words! 164 pages, single spaced!
The first Harry Potter Book is about 74,000 words.
I am wicked excited! But now comes the hard part. Editing. Talk about a daunting task. I have a friend willing to help me out, which will actually be a ton of help. I'm simultaneously excited and terrified about this. On the one hand, awesome, I get to relive my story. On the other hand, I'm likely to look at the sections and be like "Damn. I thought this was good at the time!" But yeah. I'm excited nonetheless. I might post a more complete version up here sometime.
And if you wanna read the shitty first draft, let me know. I'll be happy to let you take a gander.
And now for the Master's Degree. I came to the conclusion a few days ago that I don't know ANYTHING about getting one, or what it would actually entail. So, I decided to email one of my favorite professors who happens to teach Master's level courses here at my school, and ask her about it.
NOTE: There will be no exaggerations in the following story. This is exactly what happened.
Professor: "Hello Kyoma, what can I do for you?"
Kyoma: "Well, I don't know anything about getting a Master's Degree. But I'm curious about it, and just want some general information, and since you teach master's courses, I figured you would know."
Professor: "Well, let me tell you what I tell every student who asks me this. *ahem* RUN! RUN! RUN NOW! DON'T DO IT! GO TO CVS AND GET A REAL JOB! DON'T YOU SEE US? WHY WOULD YOU EVER WANT TO BE LIKE US? RUNRUNRUN! *Ahem* With that being said, what do you want to know?"
Kyoma: "O_O...."
I love this woman, because that is exactly what she did. And said. Yes, she said CVS. She's hilarious.
but that was NOT the response I was expecting when I went to ask a professor about getting a Master's Degree. I expected something like "It will be a lot of work, but you can handle it Kyoma, you were always good at this school thing." But then she just starts telling me about her experience. How she would find people in the library just breaking down. How she would be in the library on Friday night and realize how pathetic her life has become.
How she had to read David Copperfield in one day. Started at 5 AM and finished at 11:30PM.
So, yeah. I'm a bit discouraged from that now. My parents think I need to get other opinions, and I have to agree. But yeah...Second Guessing is fun. yay.
Anyway, I'm overtired...still...and I have to get to class soon. Bye all!
The first Harry Potter Book is about 74,000 words.
I am wicked excited! But now comes the hard part. Editing. Talk about a daunting task. I have a friend willing to help me out, which will actually be a ton of help. I'm simultaneously excited and terrified about this. On the one hand, awesome, I get to relive my story. On the other hand, I'm likely to look at the sections and be like "Damn. I thought this was good at the time!" But yeah. I'm excited nonetheless. I might post a more complete version up here sometime.
And if you wanna read the shitty first draft, let me know. I'll be happy to let you take a gander.
And now for the Master's Degree. I came to the conclusion a few days ago that I don't know ANYTHING about getting one, or what it would actually entail. So, I decided to email one of my favorite professors who happens to teach Master's level courses here at my school, and ask her about it.
NOTE: There will be no exaggerations in the following story. This is exactly what happened.
Professor: "Hello Kyoma, what can I do for you?"
Kyoma: "Well, I don't know anything about getting a Master's Degree. But I'm curious about it, and just want some general information, and since you teach master's courses, I figured you would know."
Professor: "Well, let me tell you what I tell every student who asks me this. *ahem* RUN! RUN! RUN NOW! DON'T DO IT! GO TO CVS AND GET A REAL JOB! DON'T YOU SEE US? WHY WOULD YOU EVER WANT TO BE LIKE US? RUNRUNRUN! *Ahem* With that being said, what do you want to know?"
Kyoma: "O_O...."
I love this woman, because that is exactly what she did. And said. Yes, she said CVS. She's hilarious.
but that was NOT the response I was expecting when I went to ask a professor about getting a Master's Degree. I expected something like "It will be a lot of work, but you can handle it Kyoma, you were always good at this school thing." But then she just starts telling me about her experience. How she would find people in the library just breaking down. How she would be in the library on Friday night and realize how pathetic her life has become.
How she had to read David Copperfield in one day. Started at 5 AM and finished at 11:30PM.
So, yeah. I'm a bit discouraged from that now. My parents think I need to get other opinions, and I have to agree. But yeah...Second Guessing is fun. yay.
Anyway, I'm overtired...still...and I have to get to class soon. Bye all!
So, I tried the 3DS...
Posted 14 years agoWhat the heck is with this 3D fad? All it does is get you to wear stupid glasses and hurt your eyes.
I played for two minutes and it gave me a migraine! Same for my brother and my friends. How is that fun? Admittedly, the 3D does actually work, but damn, it's not easy on the eyes. If/when I get it, the 3D will never, ever go on.
Ever.
The graphics did look nice though. I'll probably get one eventually. But not any time soon. Probably when the inevitable 3DS2 comes out.
I played for two minutes and it gave me a migraine! Same for my brother and my friends. How is that fun? Admittedly, the 3D does actually work, but damn, it's not easy on the eyes. If/when I get it, the 3D will never, ever go on.
Ever.
The graphics did look nice though. I'll probably get one eventually. But not any time soon. Probably when the inevitable 3DS2 comes out.
NEW POSTER
Posted 14 years agoI, like so many others, have Pokemon Black!
Posted 14 years agoAnd I just started today! I'm not very far yet, but I figured I'd put my friend code on her like so many others do. I'm certainly not as obsessed as people (What the hell is EV Points?) but I do enjoy it and like battling and such. Here's my friend code:
4126 4561 7680
Send me your code and we can battle/trade and stuff! :)
4126 4561 7680
Send me your code and we can battle/trade and stuff! :)
Something close to a self-discovery (Please Read)
Posted 14 years agoLet me tell you a story.
Last semester, I began to think to myself that I really needed to go see a counselor. I hadn't been feeling particular depressed, per say, but I hadn't been exactly happy either. I would be fine through most of the day, happy as a clam (or so it appeared to everyone) but once I was alone, I would feel an incredible sadness and loneliness. This would only happen at night, however, and was often forgotten during the day.
After a while, however, I told myself that it was time. I needed to see someone, and sort this out. I went to the counseling center on campus, and schedule myself an appointment. I was admittedly incredibly embarrassed going in; seeing a counselor had always seemed as some kind of "weakness" to me, something that was those who were over-emotional, but not me. I thought I had things in control.
The day of the meeting came, and before walking into the building I took care to make sure no one I knew saw me walk in. I went upstairs, and they gave me some paperwork. Most of it was standard stuff, the usual things that go on paperwork. There was one question, however, that I hadn't been expecting.
"What do you hope to get out of a counseling session?"
This gave me trouble, and I debated on it for some time. I've gotten pretty good at hiding my emotions in just about every manner (hence the whole "only depressed at night" thing above) and I considered just bullshitting. But, I remembered that I did have one purpose, and only one, for why I was here.
To understand myself.
I walk into the room, and meet my counselor, Jeanne. She was incredibly nice, just the right amount of kind and caring and understanding. Something I realized that I didn't get from a lot of people in my life. And I, of course, felt scared and embarrassed about being there. Conversation was awkward. Until..
"It says on your sheet that you're here to understand yourself. What exactly does that mean?"
I took a deep breath. "I don't understand why I do the things I do. I don't understand why I am who I am, and why I do the things I do. I just want to find some answers, and really get to know myself."
The conversation went a bit, but then I found myself remembering a conversation I had with an online friend of mine. "Someone once asked me, 'What would you change about yourself?' I began to list the things that I didn't like about me. It wasn't just one thing. It was several. Many. To the point where my friend cut me off and said, 'Don't want that. You'd be changing everything about you that makes you who are.'"
I'm paraphrasing, of course, but that is what I said. I realized then that I didn't like who I was, and I wanted to know why I was this way, and if I could change it.
I think I'm finally finding some answers.
About a week ago, I was riding home from college with my dad. I was telling him, in the car, about the Art and Lit Magazine I run on campus. I was explaining the troubles the club has been having, overall, and how I wasn't completely happy with how it was going.
For those who don't know, I'm the president of the art and lit magazine on my campus. The book takes poetry, prose, artwork and photography submissions from the student body, selects the highest caliber, and prints them in a yearly book.
I was telling my dad that we didn't have as much art as I would've liked. He tells me, "Why don't you get your cousin to help you draw for the book?"
...
It was that moment that everything clicked into place. I suddenly understood a lot of the reasons why I do the things I do, and the way I do them.
My parents make no attempt to understand me.
This may sound fairly normal, but if you know me, then you know that my family has been incredibly tight knit since my 8th grade year in high school. And to realize that they just don't understand who I am, or what I want to be...it, well, it hurt. A lot.
I hid it in the car ride as best as I could, which surprisingly is very well. My dad started talking about politics and all I needed was to "mhm" at the right moments and he wouldn't know I wasn't listening. But, sheesh, I couldn't believe it.
It made sense. The more I thought about it, the more I realized it was true. It was an epiphany.
I tried not to think about it too much when I went home, and instead let the thoughts simmer. If I dwelled too much on this, I might make radical conclusions that could be incorrect. That, and emotions aren't something that readily get expressed at my house, so I really didn't want to let them show while I was at home. But I did think it over, nonetheless.
I went to my counselor last Wednesday, and explained this incident to her. She agreed. She said it wasn't exactly uncommon, but the desire to be understood is one that can drive the actions of many people. She said it was likely why I took to writing. I saw that the paper was someone who understood me, and wouldn't judge.
She then asked me, "Since your family is so tight-knit, how could they not understood you? You share everything, right?"
I began to explain my room. My room has been, as far as I can remember, football themed. I have football wallpaper. A patriots poster. used to have pictures on my wall from the Snow Bowl. A patriots rug. Etc.
I don't like football. Never did. Don't even know how to play it.
I remember saying, "I think my parents see me as the child they wanted me to be. And, in some way, still see me that way. Or choose to ignore the parts they don't like."
She asked me, "Is there anything in that room that's yours?"
Well. A bit. But it's fairly recent. As in the past three years or so. The first thing was a Ninja Turtles poster. I bought it, and wanted to put it on my wall. I had to fight for it. My parents did not want a "ugly kid's poster" on my wall. I really had to work for that. They agreed to let me hang it as long as it was framed. Yes. Framed.
Don't ask me why.
Later, I got a Transformers poster on the wall as well. That also took some effort. I also have some anime plushies, and I used to have my big whales in there as well. Those are out of my room currently, since they collect dust and I'm allergic to dust. The whales used to piss my parents off. I would come home from school, and the whales would be in the basement. I would bring them up every weekend. Until recently, since I'm trying to get my room dust-free so I breathe freely. But that's another story.
Jeanne asked me about the football poster above my bed. "Why don't you just take it down?"
"My parents would kill me."
"It's not their room. It's yours. And that poster represents their control on you. How they've been trying to get you to be a heterosexual, football-loving son. And instead they got you. They still love you, but they choose not to see who you really are. So, start with babysteps. Take that poster down, and put something you like up there. Preferably something they don't. It might work out for the best. I won't lie, sometimes these things don't end well, but it would at least be a good start. Give them a wake-up call."
My parents don't know about my counseling. I've, on numerous occasions, thought about yelling about it to them. Just being like, "By the way, I'm gay, and I'm seeing a counselor on campus." but I always lose my nerve. Jeanne thinks the poster is the first step toward doing that.
She's right. When I go home next weekend, the poster is going down. I'm gonna try and find a nice FullMetal Alchemist one, or something along that line for my wall instead.
I'm tired of trying to be someone I'm not. So, instead, I'm going to be who I want to be. And if my parents don't like it, tough shit. I'm 21. It's time to start being me.
I don't know if anyone will actually read that short novel. But it needed to be typed. And shared. All part of the desire to be understood, I guess.
Last semester, I began to think to myself that I really needed to go see a counselor. I hadn't been feeling particular depressed, per say, but I hadn't been exactly happy either. I would be fine through most of the day, happy as a clam (or so it appeared to everyone) but once I was alone, I would feel an incredible sadness and loneliness. This would only happen at night, however, and was often forgotten during the day.
After a while, however, I told myself that it was time. I needed to see someone, and sort this out. I went to the counseling center on campus, and schedule myself an appointment. I was admittedly incredibly embarrassed going in; seeing a counselor had always seemed as some kind of "weakness" to me, something that was those who were over-emotional, but not me. I thought I had things in control.
The day of the meeting came, and before walking into the building I took care to make sure no one I knew saw me walk in. I went upstairs, and they gave me some paperwork. Most of it was standard stuff, the usual things that go on paperwork. There was one question, however, that I hadn't been expecting.
"What do you hope to get out of a counseling session?"
This gave me trouble, and I debated on it for some time. I've gotten pretty good at hiding my emotions in just about every manner (hence the whole "only depressed at night" thing above) and I considered just bullshitting. But, I remembered that I did have one purpose, and only one, for why I was here.
To understand myself.
I walk into the room, and meet my counselor, Jeanne. She was incredibly nice, just the right amount of kind and caring and understanding. Something I realized that I didn't get from a lot of people in my life. And I, of course, felt scared and embarrassed about being there. Conversation was awkward. Until..
"It says on your sheet that you're here to understand yourself. What exactly does that mean?"
I took a deep breath. "I don't understand why I do the things I do. I don't understand why I am who I am, and why I do the things I do. I just want to find some answers, and really get to know myself."
The conversation went a bit, but then I found myself remembering a conversation I had with an online friend of mine. "Someone once asked me, 'What would you change about yourself?' I began to list the things that I didn't like about me. It wasn't just one thing. It was several. Many. To the point where my friend cut me off and said, 'Don't want that. You'd be changing everything about you that makes you who are.'"
I'm paraphrasing, of course, but that is what I said. I realized then that I didn't like who I was, and I wanted to know why I was this way, and if I could change it.
I think I'm finally finding some answers.
About a week ago, I was riding home from college with my dad. I was telling him, in the car, about the Art and Lit Magazine I run on campus. I was explaining the troubles the club has been having, overall, and how I wasn't completely happy with how it was going.
For those who don't know, I'm the president of the art and lit magazine on my campus. The book takes poetry, prose, artwork and photography submissions from the student body, selects the highest caliber, and prints them in a yearly book.
I was telling my dad that we didn't have as much art as I would've liked. He tells me, "Why don't you get your cousin to help you draw for the book?"
...
It was that moment that everything clicked into place. I suddenly understood a lot of the reasons why I do the things I do, and the way I do them.
My parents make no attempt to understand me.
This may sound fairly normal, but if you know me, then you know that my family has been incredibly tight knit since my 8th grade year in high school. And to realize that they just don't understand who I am, or what I want to be...it, well, it hurt. A lot.
I hid it in the car ride as best as I could, which surprisingly is very well. My dad started talking about politics and all I needed was to "mhm" at the right moments and he wouldn't know I wasn't listening. But, sheesh, I couldn't believe it.
It made sense. The more I thought about it, the more I realized it was true. It was an epiphany.
I tried not to think about it too much when I went home, and instead let the thoughts simmer. If I dwelled too much on this, I might make radical conclusions that could be incorrect. That, and emotions aren't something that readily get expressed at my house, so I really didn't want to let them show while I was at home. But I did think it over, nonetheless.
I went to my counselor last Wednesday, and explained this incident to her. She agreed. She said it wasn't exactly uncommon, but the desire to be understood is one that can drive the actions of many people. She said it was likely why I took to writing. I saw that the paper was someone who understood me, and wouldn't judge.
She then asked me, "Since your family is so tight-knit, how could they not understood you? You share everything, right?"
I began to explain my room. My room has been, as far as I can remember, football themed. I have football wallpaper. A patriots poster. used to have pictures on my wall from the Snow Bowl. A patriots rug. Etc.
I don't like football. Never did. Don't even know how to play it.
I remember saying, "I think my parents see me as the child they wanted me to be. And, in some way, still see me that way. Or choose to ignore the parts they don't like."
She asked me, "Is there anything in that room that's yours?"
Well. A bit. But it's fairly recent. As in the past three years or so. The first thing was a Ninja Turtles poster. I bought it, and wanted to put it on my wall. I had to fight for it. My parents did not want a "ugly kid's poster" on my wall. I really had to work for that. They agreed to let me hang it as long as it was framed. Yes. Framed.
Don't ask me why.
Later, I got a Transformers poster on the wall as well. That also took some effort. I also have some anime plushies, and I used to have my big whales in there as well. Those are out of my room currently, since they collect dust and I'm allergic to dust. The whales used to piss my parents off. I would come home from school, and the whales would be in the basement. I would bring them up every weekend. Until recently, since I'm trying to get my room dust-free so I breathe freely. But that's another story.
Jeanne asked me about the football poster above my bed. "Why don't you just take it down?"
"My parents would kill me."
"It's not their room. It's yours. And that poster represents their control on you. How they've been trying to get you to be a heterosexual, football-loving son. And instead they got you. They still love you, but they choose not to see who you really are. So, start with babysteps. Take that poster down, and put something you like up there. Preferably something they don't. It might work out for the best. I won't lie, sometimes these things don't end well, but it would at least be a good start. Give them a wake-up call."
My parents don't know about my counseling. I've, on numerous occasions, thought about yelling about it to them. Just being like, "By the way, I'm gay, and I'm seeing a counselor on campus." but I always lose my nerve. Jeanne thinks the poster is the first step toward doing that.
She's right. When I go home next weekend, the poster is going down. I'm gonna try and find a nice FullMetal Alchemist one, or something along that line for my wall instead.
I'm tired of trying to be someone I'm not. So, instead, I'm going to be who I want to be. And if my parents don't like it, tough shit. I'm 21. It's time to start being me.
I don't know if anyone will actually read that short novel. But it needed to be typed. And shared. All part of the desire to be understood, I guess.
Dexter: Season 5 Review
Posted 14 years agoHi All,
So yeah, I haven't made a journal in a while. So, while this isn't really a journal-journal, I figured I'd type up my thoughts on this particular season of Dexter. Yes, I watch Dexter. I'm a bit late to the party, I know, but nonetheless I figured I'd share anyway.
Oh, and SPOILERS FOR EVERYTHING UP TO THIS POINT! :P
So, Season 4 ended on a bombshell that completely shook both me and my brother to the core, to the point where neither one of us could watch the next season of Dexter for a few weeks. (We watch the show through Netflix and OnDemand) We start this season warily, because I have heard some negative things about season 5. We go into it with an open mind, however, and begin.
The first thing that bothered me right away on this show was the handling of Rita's death. Or rather, the other characters' reactions to said death. Let me explain. It quickly becomes apparent that the other characters see Dexter's reaction as something abnormal. I didn't think so. At all. Dexter became quiet (he always was) and didn't show a whole lot of emotion. Or that's what they said. I think Dexter seemed plenty shaken by the events, honestly. He withdrew, felt numb, and worried. He didn't cry, no, but that's not always unusual. Some people just...don't cry. I don't, not usually. And he didn't either. Apparently that makes him abnormal to the point of suspicion. Uh-huh. Right, yeah, okay.
Second, Deb and Quinn spend quite some time cleaning up the "Mess" in the bathroom after Rita's murder. Then go the kitchen. And have sex.
...
Seriously? Did Deb just go "Nothing turns me on like cleaning up my brother's dead wife's blood?!" What the hell? I'm all for Deb and Quinn hooking up, I really am, but this was NOT The way to do it. It was sloppy, no way about it, and cemented Deb as a complete and total whore (Which she debatably was already, but I digress).
After we get through this very sloppy grieving period, we introduce the new character for the season, Lumen. I had incredibly mixed feelings about Lumen from the start. Yes, it's a new dynamic to explore with Dexter. No, he really has no reason to get personally involved in this. Yes, she forces his hand, etc, etc.
I actually liked Lumen by the end, but it took a lot of work to get me there. That, and one of her early scenes has her int he same position as Rita. I'm sorry. NO. You can't do that. Rita's memory is constantly defiled on this season. Destroyed. First sex, then a bath in the tub where she died. In the same position. NO. NO. NO.
After that, like I said, Lumen began to grow on me. And by the end of the season, I liked her. Quite a bit. Though, I'm mad at the writers for their choice to take her out of the picture. I really think having her around for future seasons working with Dexter would've been a great new dynamic for the writers to explore. Instead she vanishes, and the show goes back to square one. It's not horrible, and her character's actions do make sense, but it would've been nice to really change the status quo a little bit.
That, and it seems like the show has a knack for sweeping plotlines under the bus, and creating many plotholes because of it. This season was probably the worst. The thing with Trinity completely vanished. On the season finale, the car vanishes. Deb fires a shot that seems to be unexplained. While the blood on Quinn's shoe Dexter said wasn't the dead guy's, there was plenty of other evience that needed to be worked out.
I'm not saying these couldn't have been worked out, and trust me, there are other holes like this, but it would've been nice to at least see them.
Overall, this season wasn't embarrassingly godawful, but it really wasn't the show at its finest, and after a spectacular season 4, it felt a little dry and anticlimatic. And full of wasted oppritunities. Lumen leaving. Deb not catching Dexter for like...the 3rd time now. I'm not quite sure where the show can go at this point. I really have no idea.
I like Dexter. I definitely think the first four seasons are some of the finest television out there. This season was better thana lot of other shows, but it still came up short. Partially because of season 4, and partially because it was sloppier than most. I'll be watching season 6, but I'm hoping they up the ante a bit.
Apparently they are getting a new showrunner. Let's hope this new guy can kick the show into high gear and get it back on track.
Overall: 7.5/10
So yeah, I haven't made a journal in a while. So, while this isn't really a journal-journal, I figured I'd type up my thoughts on this particular season of Dexter. Yes, I watch Dexter. I'm a bit late to the party, I know, but nonetheless I figured I'd share anyway.
Oh, and SPOILERS FOR EVERYTHING UP TO THIS POINT! :P
So, Season 4 ended on a bombshell that completely shook both me and my brother to the core, to the point where neither one of us could watch the next season of Dexter for a few weeks. (We watch the show through Netflix and OnDemand) We start this season warily, because I have heard some negative things about season 5. We go into it with an open mind, however, and begin.
The first thing that bothered me right away on this show was the handling of Rita's death. Or rather, the other characters' reactions to said death. Let me explain. It quickly becomes apparent that the other characters see Dexter's reaction as something abnormal. I didn't think so. At all. Dexter became quiet (he always was) and didn't show a whole lot of emotion. Or that's what they said. I think Dexter seemed plenty shaken by the events, honestly. He withdrew, felt numb, and worried. He didn't cry, no, but that's not always unusual. Some people just...don't cry. I don't, not usually. And he didn't either. Apparently that makes him abnormal to the point of suspicion. Uh-huh. Right, yeah, okay.
Second, Deb and Quinn spend quite some time cleaning up the "Mess" in the bathroom after Rita's murder. Then go the kitchen. And have sex.
...
Seriously? Did Deb just go "Nothing turns me on like cleaning up my brother's dead wife's blood?!" What the hell? I'm all for Deb and Quinn hooking up, I really am, but this was NOT The way to do it. It was sloppy, no way about it, and cemented Deb as a complete and total whore (Which she debatably was already, but I digress).
After we get through this very sloppy grieving period, we introduce the new character for the season, Lumen. I had incredibly mixed feelings about Lumen from the start. Yes, it's a new dynamic to explore with Dexter. No, he really has no reason to get personally involved in this. Yes, she forces his hand, etc, etc.
I actually liked Lumen by the end, but it took a lot of work to get me there. That, and one of her early scenes has her int he same position as Rita. I'm sorry. NO. You can't do that. Rita's memory is constantly defiled on this season. Destroyed. First sex, then a bath in the tub where she died. In the same position. NO. NO. NO.
After that, like I said, Lumen began to grow on me. And by the end of the season, I liked her. Quite a bit. Though, I'm mad at the writers for their choice to take her out of the picture. I really think having her around for future seasons working with Dexter would've been a great new dynamic for the writers to explore. Instead she vanishes, and the show goes back to square one. It's not horrible, and her character's actions do make sense, but it would've been nice to really change the status quo a little bit.
That, and it seems like the show has a knack for sweeping plotlines under the bus, and creating many plotholes because of it. This season was probably the worst. The thing with Trinity completely vanished. On the season finale, the car vanishes. Deb fires a shot that seems to be unexplained. While the blood on Quinn's shoe Dexter said wasn't the dead guy's, there was plenty of other evience that needed to be worked out.
I'm not saying these couldn't have been worked out, and trust me, there are other holes like this, but it would've been nice to at least see them.
Overall, this season wasn't embarrassingly godawful, but it really wasn't the show at its finest, and after a spectacular season 4, it felt a little dry and anticlimatic. And full of wasted oppritunities. Lumen leaving. Deb not catching Dexter for like...the 3rd time now. I'm not quite sure where the show can go at this point. I really have no idea.
I like Dexter. I definitely think the first four seasons are some of the finest television out there. This season was better thana lot of other shows, but it still came up short. Partially because of season 4, and partially because it was sloppier than most. I'll be watching season 6, but I'm hoping they up the ante a bit.
Apparently they are getting a new showrunner. Let's hope this new guy can kick the show into high gear and get it back on track.
Overall: 7.5/10
YIM has been hacked
Posted 14 years agoI changed my password tho! So we should be all good. But if I IM you on yahoo telling you to take an IQ test, trust me, it's not me. :P We all know I'm the smartest, anyway. LOLROTFLMAO
If it happens again, please let me know as soon as possible. I'm thinking of making a new YIM anyway. Might happened sooner than later.
If it happens again, please let me know as soon as possible. I'm thinking of making a new YIM anyway. Might happened sooner than later.
*HATEANDRAGEANDHATE*
Posted 14 years agoFanCrush Meme! (Taken from...Somewhere)
Posted 14 years agoI had seen this a little while ago, and decided to do it myself. It's a real simple meme. ((Sorry for the long links at the end, but it said to include pictures. :P))
Make a list of the top ten guys/gals from your favorite movies, video games, TV shows, etc. that you have a crush on! Include photos of your loves!
(In no particular order)
1. Ryu Hayabusa from Ninja Gaiden. http://ninjagaiden.neoseeker.com/w/.....67/NGS_Ryu.jpg
2. Haruhi Suzumiya from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Hv-1mLTN7.....0/s_haruhi.jpg
3. Lara Croft from Tomb Raider. ((Sorry, I'm a sucker for this girl!)) http://www.techshout.com/images/lar.....oft-tr-ann.jpg
4. Luke Fon Fabre from Tales of the Abyss. http://cdn.myanimelist.net/images/c.....s/11/28255.jpg
5. Zack Fair From Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII http://bestgamewallpapers.com/files...../zack-fair.jpg
6. Winry Rockbell from FullMetal Alchemist: http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/.....girl_11261.jpg
7. Leonardo from TMNT: http://www.ninjaturtles.com/artwork.....e_leonardo.gif
8. Bumblebee from Transformers: (Don't judge! I really like this guy!) http://tfwiki.net/w2/images2/thumb/.....mblebeeRIC.jpg
9. Bayonetta from Bayonetta. :P http://www.bigshinyrobot.com/review.....a1-300x293.jpg
10. Crimson Viper from Street Fighter IV: http://www.cosplayisland.co.uk/file.....0157/viper.jpg
That was actually more difficult than I thought I would be when I made it. But yeah, some of my favorite characters and crushes. I'm pretty sure I forgot someone, but we'll leave it at that for now. :P
Make a list of the top ten guys/gals from your favorite movies, video games, TV shows, etc. that you have a crush on! Include photos of your loves!
(In no particular order)
1. Ryu Hayabusa from Ninja Gaiden. http://ninjagaiden.neoseeker.com/w/.....67/NGS_Ryu.jpg
2. Haruhi Suzumiya from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Hv-1mLTN7.....0/s_haruhi.jpg
3. Lara Croft from Tomb Raider. ((Sorry, I'm a sucker for this girl!)) http://www.techshout.com/images/lar.....oft-tr-ann.jpg
4. Luke Fon Fabre from Tales of the Abyss. http://cdn.myanimelist.net/images/c.....s/11/28255.jpg
5. Zack Fair From Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII http://bestgamewallpapers.com/files...../zack-fair.jpg
6. Winry Rockbell from FullMetal Alchemist: http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/.....girl_11261.jpg
7. Leonardo from TMNT: http://www.ninjaturtles.com/artwork.....e_leonardo.gif
8. Bumblebee from Transformers: (Don't judge! I really like this guy!) http://tfwiki.net/w2/images2/thumb/.....mblebeeRIC.jpg
9. Bayonetta from Bayonetta. :P http://www.bigshinyrobot.com/review.....a1-300x293.jpg
10. Crimson Viper from Street Fighter IV: http://www.cosplayisland.co.uk/file.....0157/viper.jpg
That was actually more difficult than I thought I would be when I made it. But yeah, some of my favorite characters and crushes. I'm pretty sure I forgot someone, but we'll leave it at that for now. :P
To those who talk to me on IMs...(And Birthday Stuff! :D)
Posted 14 years agoI'm sorry I haven't been around for any length of time in like...forever. And I feel like I owe those people some kind of explanation for my lack of being around-ness. Rather than tell everyone individually, I'll just say it here.
Firstly, before Winter Break, my college schedule was incredibly busy. Classes, work, homework. That was my life. Occasionally the gym too. And occasionally hanging out with my IRL friends on campus, which is an increasingly rare occasion, I'm finding. I'm an English Major, and that means lots of pre-class reading. I can't read and be on the computer at the same time; I find myself doing neither task very well. That, and I had two big research papers due on the same day, along with the club stuff, and finals, and UGH. So yeah, if you tried to talk to me pre-winter break and I didn't respond, that's why.
And now I'm on Winter Break. You would think that means "Free Time" right? WRONG. D:
I guess that isn't completely accurate. I do have free time. It's just that...well...I haven't found much joy in sitting on the computer for hours these days. FA is great, and I like chatting with everyone, but at the same time, I'd much rather be doing things off the computer. I got some new video games I'd like to play, and some games left over from LAST Christmas that I still haven't played. I also got a Kindle for Christmas. I've been reading a lot lately. I've noticed that I've become a slower reader lately, so I'm trying to read more and get my speed back up. Currently Reading: "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo." I'm only about 27% (according to the Kindle) done so far, and it's decent if not OMG Amazing.
That, and I'm working on my novel. 21,037 words so far. I've been trying to keep myself to about 1500 words a day, and while I'm not always able to get there, it's a good goal and I'm happy with my progress. I cannot, however, write and be on IM's at the same time. My writing quality suffers. So, sometimes I will be on the computer, typing my story. I'll finish, browse the web, and forget that I'm not signed off. And then I'll be done surfing the web, and well...not sign on, I guess. Then I'm done on the computer in ten minutes...and yeah.
And Lastly, I'm really never in the RPing mood anymore. Unless the RP is more or less story based, I'm not feeling it. Haven't for a while actually. There are a few exceptions, but for the most part, RPing has lost all luster. Again.
I feel really bad about this. Honest. I want to talk to everyone, keep up and stuff. But, at the same time, I feel like just sitting on the computer after I check my websites is a waste of my time. :/ I've learned how short the days are, so I am trying to cram as much as I can into a day. And well...sometimes the computer gets the shaft.
That, and I'm currently at home. Parents do not understand the idea of letting me on the computer. They think that being on the computer = Not busy in the slightest, so they do call me away alot. :/
I'm sorry to everyone who wants to talk to me. I know that what I typed above isn't really a good reason for not being online, but I wanted to be honest. I feel bad only being on for like...twenty minutes at a time.
That, and I've joined the gym again. There goes another hour-2 hours every other day.
I guess there's so much I want to do during the day. I want to read more books so I can learn from the great authors and get published. I want to watch more movies and learn how the masters of Cinema create their masterpieces. I want to play games...to relax.
Yeah. It's late, I'm tired. This might not be very cohesive at this point.
Last thing. My birthday is on Thursday. Big 21. Yay. *sarcasm* I got some friends who want to take me out drinking. I'm not looking forward to it. But yeah.
That's that, I guess. I'm still here, still alive and well. Just not online very much.
Firstly, before Winter Break, my college schedule was incredibly busy. Classes, work, homework. That was my life. Occasionally the gym too. And occasionally hanging out with my IRL friends on campus, which is an increasingly rare occasion, I'm finding. I'm an English Major, and that means lots of pre-class reading. I can't read and be on the computer at the same time; I find myself doing neither task very well. That, and I had two big research papers due on the same day, along with the club stuff, and finals, and UGH. So yeah, if you tried to talk to me pre-winter break and I didn't respond, that's why.
And now I'm on Winter Break. You would think that means "Free Time" right? WRONG. D:
I guess that isn't completely accurate. I do have free time. It's just that...well...I haven't found much joy in sitting on the computer for hours these days. FA is great, and I like chatting with everyone, but at the same time, I'd much rather be doing things off the computer. I got some new video games I'd like to play, and some games left over from LAST Christmas that I still haven't played. I also got a Kindle for Christmas. I've been reading a lot lately. I've noticed that I've become a slower reader lately, so I'm trying to read more and get my speed back up. Currently Reading: "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo." I'm only about 27% (according to the Kindle) done so far, and it's decent if not OMG Amazing.
That, and I'm working on my novel. 21,037 words so far. I've been trying to keep myself to about 1500 words a day, and while I'm not always able to get there, it's a good goal and I'm happy with my progress. I cannot, however, write and be on IM's at the same time. My writing quality suffers. So, sometimes I will be on the computer, typing my story. I'll finish, browse the web, and forget that I'm not signed off. And then I'll be done surfing the web, and well...not sign on, I guess. Then I'm done on the computer in ten minutes...and yeah.
And Lastly, I'm really never in the RPing mood anymore. Unless the RP is more or less story based, I'm not feeling it. Haven't for a while actually. There are a few exceptions, but for the most part, RPing has lost all luster. Again.
I feel really bad about this. Honest. I want to talk to everyone, keep up and stuff. But, at the same time, I feel like just sitting on the computer after I check my websites is a waste of my time. :/ I've learned how short the days are, so I am trying to cram as much as I can into a day. And well...sometimes the computer gets the shaft.
That, and I'm currently at home. Parents do not understand the idea of letting me on the computer. They think that being on the computer = Not busy in the slightest, so they do call me away alot. :/
I'm sorry to everyone who wants to talk to me. I know that what I typed above isn't really a good reason for not being online, but I wanted to be honest. I feel bad only being on for like...twenty minutes at a time.
That, and I've joined the gym again. There goes another hour-2 hours every other day.
I guess there's so much I want to do during the day. I want to read more books so I can learn from the great authors and get published. I want to watch more movies and learn how the masters of Cinema create their masterpieces. I want to play games...to relax.
Yeah. It's late, I'm tired. This might not be very cohesive at this point.
Last thing. My birthday is on Thursday. Big 21. Yay. *sarcasm* I got some friends who want to take me out drinking. I'm not looking forward to it. But yeah.
That's that, I guess. I'm still here, still alive and well. Just not online very much.
Merry Christmas! ((Day Early, but with good reason!))
Posted 14 years agoWhat the title says. :P
In all seriousness, I doubt that I will see everyone I wanna wish a Merry Christmas to (Or happy Holidays, if you don't celebrate Christmas) so this journal is me saying it to those I otherwise won't see tomorrow.
Have a great holiday!
In all seriousness, I doubt that I will see everyone I wanna wish a Merry Christmas to (Or happy Holidays, if you don't celebrate Christmas) so this journal is me saying it to those I otherwise won't see tomorrow.
Have a great holiday!
So, FA's been hacked?
Posted 14 years agoI just learned of this now. I apparently live under a rock. :P I was going through my journals, and saw something like "OMG FA's been hack!!!" from a bunch of people.
What exactly happened? O_O
What exactly happened? O_O
Finals Week almost over! (and a Question! :D)
Posted 14 years agoIf you've talked to me at all via IMs, then you likely know that yes, I've been busy with finals week. I've had four of them. Two are down currently (As of Thursday night) with one on Friday and the last one on Monday. I think they are going well enough, and are certainly keeping me on my toes. Man, I can't wait for Christmas Break. Gonna curl up with a book and just read for hours on end.
anyway, yeah. Almost done. :) Will hopefully be more active later. I wanted to ask tho.
I'm gonna be doing my own NaNoWriMo over Xmas break (the plan being that I will have time then). Would anyone want me to post it on here? It won't be particularly...good, and it won't be furry or fetish related. But if anyone wants to see it, I will post it.
anyway, yeah. Almost done. :) Will hopefully be more active later. I wanted to ask tho.
I'm gonna be doing my own NaNoWriMo over Xmas break (the plan being that I will have time then). Would anyone want me to post it on here? It won't be particularly...good, and it won't be furry or fetish related. But if anyone wants to see it, I will post it.
Happy Thanksgiving
Posted 15 years agoYup, quick and simple journal. Have a good holiday everyone! Pig out on Turkey! :D
Saw How to Train Your Dragon (And I review it!)
Posted 15 years agoYes, I know I'm a little "Behind the Times" here, but I blame my incredibly busy college schedule for that. But yes, being the sucker for both dragons, animation, and kid's movies that I am, HTTYD has been on my "Watch-List" for a while now. I'm not quite sure what I was expecting from a film that had 98% on Rottentomatoes, but this film wasn't quite it. However, that's not to say I didn't enjoy it.
The plot of the film focuses on Hiccup, a viking who doesn't fit in. These vikings are at war with the dragons, and have been for all time. However, when Hiccup comes in contact with one of these dragons, he realizes that he what he thought he knew about them might be completely wrong.
Yes.
This is a film of "Boy befriends hated (Insert animal here) and through the power of their friendship is able to change the views of an entire (Village, nation, world, etc)." Without a doubt, you've seen this plot before.
Doesn't mean it's not fun to watch though.
Let's go over the good. The Film is beautiful. The visuals in this film truly give Pixar a run for their money and in some areas (the fire effects especially) surpass them. The character animation is great, fluid, and has a nice cartoony look to it. Toothless (The main dragon) is absolutely adorable and charming as hell. Everyone else in the film is fun to see too, and the hair/beard/fur effects are great.
The lighting in the film is nice too. This is one animated feature that isn't afraid to be dark in some scenes, and those scenes benefit for it. The lighting extends to the backgrounds too; everything just has a nice, clean look to it. I wish I couldn've seen this movie in theaters. It would've been incredible to see on the big screen.
The plot and pacing is where the film falls a wee bit short. As is the trend with most kid's movies, the director never seems to watch to give its characters time to breathe. Yes, the plot is familiar, but you'd be surprised how much an extra character scene where nothing happens but small talk can go. The relationships between the characters seemed phoned in as well. Hiccup is the reluctant hero. His father is overbearing and ashamed of his difficult son. His "Classmates" pick on him. The only female character in the film becomes the love interest. And that's the extent of the depth.
It's a shame too, because the script is actually really smart. It's got snappy dialogue, and some very good one-liners. When the characters are given time to be characters, they are charming and fun to see. The film is barely an hour and a half long, and it really could have benefitted from a few extra scenes, or a little more creativity in the plot.
An example of this is the romance between Hiccup and female viking Astrid. It's phoned in. Horribly. And it's too bad. She's charming in a number of scenes. But they just don't develop it at all, and things go the "It's a movie, they are the leads, they fall in love" and that's that.
I know there's a lot of negative above, but quite honestly I did enjoy the film quite a bit. The visuals are great. The plot, while phoned in, has real moments of brilliance. If you see this movie and don't fall in love with Toothless, you have no heart. I have high hopes for a sequel (which apparently is coming). Hopefully they get a little creative in the plot in that one, and really push the envelope. Dreamworks, you've got a beautifully realized world here. Embrace it, and use it for all it's worth.
Overall, 8/10.
PS. Yes, I typed this at 2 AM feeling pretty damn exhausted. Excuse poor grammar please.
The plot of the film focuses on Hiccup, a viking who doesn't fit in. These vikings are at war with the dragons, and have been for all time. However, when Hiccup comes in contact with one of these dragons, he realizes that he what he thought he knew about them might be completely wrong.
Yes.
This is a film of "Boy befriends hated (Insert animal here) and through the power of their friendship is able to change the views of an entire (Village, nation, world, etc)." Without a doubt, you've seen this plot before.
Doesn't mean it's not fun to watch though.
Let's go over the good. The Film is beautiful. The visuals in this film truly give Pixar a run for their money and in some areas (the fire effects especially) surpass them. The character animation is great, fluid, and has a nice cartoony look to it. Toothless (The main dragon) is absolutely adorable and charming as hell. Everyone else in the film is fun to see too, and the hair/beard/fur effects are great.
The lighting in the film is nice too. This is one animated feature that isn't afraid to be dark in some scenes, and those scenes benefit for it. The lighting extends to the backgrounds too; everything just has a nice, clean look to it. I wish I couldn've seen this movie in theaters. It would've been incredible to see on the big screen.
The plot and pacing is where the film falls a wee bit short. As is the trend with most kid's movies, the director never seems to watch to give its characters time to breathe. Yes, the plot is familiar, but you'd be surprised how much an extra character scene where nothing happens but small talk can go. The relationships between the characters seemed phoned in as well. Hiccup is the reluctant hero. His father is overbearing and ashamed of his difficult son. His "Classmates" pick on him. The only female character in the film becomes the love interest. And that's the extent of the depth.
It's a shame too, because the script is actually really smart. It's got snappy dialogue, and some very good one-liners. When the characters are given time to be characters, they are charming and fun to see. The film is barely an hour and a half long, and it really could have benefitted from a few extra scenes, or a little more creativity in the plot.
An example of this is the romance between Hiccup and female viking Astrid. It's phoned in. Horribly. And it's too bad. She's charming in a number of scenes. But they just don't develop it at all, and things go the "It's a movie, they are the leads, they fall in love" and that's that.
I know there's a lot of negative above, but quite honestly I did enjoy the film quite a bit. The visuals are great. The plot, while phoned in, has real moments of brilliance. If you see this movie and don't fall in love with Toothless, you have no heart. I have high hopes for a sequel (which apparently is coming). Hopefully they get a little creative in the plot in that one, and really push the envelope. Dreamworks, you've got a beautifully realized world here. Embrace it, and use it for all it's worth.
Overall, 8/10.
PS. Yes, I typed this at 2 AM feeling pretty damn exhausted. Excuse poor grammar please.
PS3 Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja: Storm 2 Anyone?
Posted 15 years agoHeya.
Just curious if anyone else besides me has/is playing that particular game. I can only play on weekends, but I'm looking for online buddies!
PSN: Ryoma90 if you're interested.
BTW, I really don't care for the Naruto manga or anime. In fact, I find both to be rather boring. I just really like the Ultimate Ninja Storm Series. Which is why I bought it.
Just curious if anyone else besides me has/is playing that particular game. I can only play on weekends, but I'm looking for online buddies!
PSN: Ryoma90 if you're interested.
BTW, I really don't care for the Naruto manga or anime. In fact, I find both to be rather boring. I just really like the Ultimate Ninja Storm Series. Which is why I bought it.
*FANGASMS*
Posted 15 years agohttp://sonicfanremix.com/ <--CLICK IT NOWWWW! :D
Not Buying Sonic 4
Posted 15 years ago15 bucks for 4 levels? That's a little crazy. Drop the price Sega, and I will buy it. But dang, I can beat Sonic 2 in an hour, and that game has 12 levels! 12! 15 bucks for an hour? No thanks.
Plus, the levels are "Inspired" from levels from previous Sonic games. Meaning, of course, they are very similar to levels from the past. There's Green Hill, Labyrinth, Casino Night, and that metal level from Sonic 2.
I'm happy Sega is bringing classic Sonic back. But damn, that's expensive. D:
Plus, the levels are "Inspired" from levels from previous Sonic games. Meaning, of course, they are very similar to levels from the past. There's Green Hill, Labyrinth, Casino Night, and that metal level from Sonic 2.
I'm happy Sega is bringing classic Sonic back. But damn, that's expensive. D:
