Eureka Seven: Adult Swim Finale and Overall Impressions

SPOILER ALERT! THAR BE SPOILERS HERE!!!

No Pantsu shot for you!

Adult Swim aired the final episode of Eureka Seven this past Saturday, simultaneously making me happy, mad, and confused. Confused is to be expected when it comes to Eureka Seven, and happy comes quite easily too. The mad part is something that really surprised me, but this has been the 3rd time this year that Adult Swim has really irked me (ENOUGH with the April Fools weekends and InuYasha movie marathons!), so I shouldn't be TOO surprised. But let's discuss Eureka Seven first, and what Adult Swim did WITH Eureka Seven in a little while.

Eureka Seven is a Japanese anime series from Japan.... where redundancy runs free.... Eureka Seven is/was/will be produced by Bones, most notably the studio behind Fullmetal Alchemist. Bones was formed from members of Sunrise, a subsidiary of Bandai, the studio behind the Gundam series and about 50% of the anime most people have heard of. They loves them their mechs. They decided to produce a mecha anime after FMA, and wanted to use the designs of Shoji Kawamori (Macross). After a few rejected attempts to get E7 off the ground, Bones finally gave it the go ahead.

Eureka Seven tells the story of young Renton Thurston, the teenage son of the hero Adrock Thurston, a military researcher who sacrificed himself to save the world. Renton leads a relatively boring life with his grandfather repairing machines. He dreams about being like his hero, Holland Novak, the popular lifter (sky surfer, no rivers/lakes/oceans) and lifting all the time. As luck would have it (or as the writers would have it) an LFO (mecha) , named Nirvash, crashes into Renton's home. The LFO is piloted Eureka, a young, enigmatic teenage girl with mint green hair and little emotion. She is part of Gekkostate, the group that Holland leads. Renton immediately falls in love with Eureka and decides to follow Gekkostate after making a delivery for his grandfather to Holland and Eureka.

LOOKING UP AND SMILING FTW!!!

That was the simple part of the story. The overall arc is about the Scub Coral/Coralians, a sentient alien life living as part of the planet, the military's attempt to deal with the Scub Coral, Gekkostate's fight against the military (former military members themselves) and the love between Eureka and Renton. The last one is the big theme here folks. Eureka is not your average teenage girl (is there such a thing!?!?) and her peculiar behavior and mysterious demeanor make Renton want to get to know her even more. It is revealed late in the show that Eureka is actually a way for humans and Coralians to comunicate with each other, and they need to find a way to save the world from impending doom.

This was a very confusing show, even by anime standards. The localization team deserve "mad props" for translating some of the weirdest dialogue I have ever heard, and for making sense of what is a confoundedly confusing plot. I had no idea what was going on until episode 40, and this is a 50 episode show, but it does all make sense (more or less) by the end. The important themes are there (love, brotherhood, duty, humanity) and easy to see, even if you don't understand what a Control Cluster, Coralian, or Trappars are. I almost walked away from this show after the first 2 or 3 episodes because of how random and unclear the story was, but I am glad I stuck around. I am sad that I won't get to see Renton and Eureka every week now, that I won't know how Holland and Talho end up later in life, or where Anemone and Dominic are headed in their lives.

The finale was bittersweet, but Adult Swim edited out a good 5 minutes of content, so most viewers will never know how the show ACTUALLY ended. But first the good. Everything ended the way I hoped it would. Renton and Eureka end up together (and finally kiss (who says "I love you" before ever even kissing anyway? (yes, I know they are 15/16 in the show, but c'mon))), all the good people survive, there is a good twist with a character that was onboard the Gekko, and everything just felt right about the way it came together. No big surprises, no OMG!!1!!!one!! moments, and nothing too flashy or emotional. Think of how you wanted NGEvangelion to end (as compared to how it actually ended (before the OVAs)), and that is how well put together Eureka Seven's ending was. I loved how they matured Renton and Eureka physically to go along with their emotional growth as well.

Where Adult Swim thought the ending ended... or ending started.... whatever...

Adult Swim made me like the ending a lot less. Eureka had a monologue at the opening of the episode, and Adult Swim cut that out and replaced it with the normal "Sakura" theme opening, so when the show actually starts, there is 60 seconds of lost footage about exactly where Eureka went at the end of the last show. Then there is the ending.... the ending SHOULD have been a 4 minute epilogue starring Renton's grandpa and the 3 kids, but once again, Adult Swim just aired the normal ending theme. This shocked me. Adult Swim usually tries to respect the source material, and has done a great job with it, especially where Eureka Seven is concerned. They starting airing the "American Cowboy" warning before the show several months back so that they could show the actual blood and violence in the episodes, so you know they WANTED to show as much content as possible. So where did this horrible edit come from? Apparently, they would rather show 3 commercials for ATHFCMFFT instead of the show.... I have sent them an email with much finger wagging.

Once again, I am sad to see the story of Renton and Eureka (and Nirvash) end. I hope the manga does the show justice, because I would gladly start reading it. This is a great series that doesn't take itself too seriously like other mecha shows do. Fans of Neon Genesis Evangelion and RaxPhaleon (SP? don't care) will definitely enjoy. The DVDs are out (most anyway) and they won some awards. Eureka Seven has become one of my favorite animes, but still a long way from the top (don't worry, FMA, you are king). Boo-urns on Adult Swim for butchering the last episode, but if it weren't for them, I wouldn't have even heard of this show..... so I don't know where to go with that.... I am left a bit confused on how to feel on that topic.... confused.... a comforting place for Eureka Seven fans.

EDIT: READ THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE FOR AN UPDATE: CLICK HERE!!!!!

Sad to see you leave too....

This one had me laughing....

A guy trying to use Vista's voice recognition feature to do a little typing.

Super Paper Mario: A Review

SPOILER ALERT! THAR BE MINOR SPOILERS HERE!!!

Nintendo loves Mario. Nintendo knows that YOU love Mario. So what does Nintendo do? They release a lot of games that feature Mario. From RPGS (Paper Mario) to basketball (Mario Hoops) to racing (Mario Kart) to party games (Mario Party) and puzzle games (Mario Vs Donkey Kong), there is always a new game starring or featuring Mario on its way. While none of these games are bad, and some, like the Mario Kart series are great, they do not feature Mario doing what Mario does best; plumbing.

Ok, not true, Mario is a platforming star. Plumbing is just a convenient cover story. He runs, jumps, stomps and flies around mushroom laden lands filled with turtles and monsters trying to save the princess. That is the Mario we love best. Nintendo knows this. They proved that they know that with The New Super Mario Bros. on the DS last year. But just releasing new levels using the same old mechanics doesn't work like it did back in the cartridge days, so Nintendo has again made a Mario cocktail. A dash of platforming, an ounce of RPG, a dollop of Wii. That is what goes into the delicious drink that is Super Paper Mario.

We have seen Mario in RPGs before, from the SNES Super Mario RPG, to the GBA/DS Mario & Luigi games, to 2004's Thousand Year Door on the GameCube. They all mixed RPG standards (turn based battles, leveling up, items and weapons) with the Mario platforming formula. They were all RPGs first, and Mario games second. Super Paper Mario is different. Super Paper Mario is a platforming game, with some RPG features added in. It may be better to describe Super Paper Mario as a platform/adventure game more than a platformer, but the heart of this game is all about the platforming.

GO FROM 2D....

TO 3D!

Graphics
Super Paper Mario looks great. Bright, vibrant colors cover every surface on the screen. The core gameplay mechanic in Super Paper Mario is flipping from the traditional, side scrolling, 2D view, over to a 3D view of the same scene (see pix above). All of the sprites look alive and colorful, but some of the 3D falls flat. I realize there is a specific artistic theme to the game, but some of the 3D just looks out of place. The draw distance acts funny sometimes, drawing only hollow squares instead of solid shapes, and in some cases, the majority of the screen is just a big black or blue background. It would have been nice if when switching to 3D, the foreground had some more character to it, or showed distant lands or other scenery, but instead there is just a big blue blank sky.

My complaint about the visuals ends there. Every character is drawn beautifully and is well animated. Lines are thick and black, and stand out well, creating a very nice cartoon environment. One great effect is when you first enter a level, the background is drawn in as black lines, and the other shapes and colors then fill in. The level design is the best part though. Extremely clever level design can be found on every screen. The first world of the game even pays tribute to the original NES Mario game by replicating many of the scenes, brick by brick, goomba by goomba. This game will not win any awards for graphics, but it has the perfect visuals to compliment the style of gameplay.

4 Stars (out of 5)


Sound
Sound in a Mario game can be both a big deal, and a non-event. While I may not remember a single tune from 99% of the Mario games released, the original themes from the NES games (and SNES Super Mario World) are permanently embedded into my memory and always great to listen to. Nintendo pays homage to these original themes in all of the new music in Super Paper Mario. The music samples and recycles almost all of the original themes from the NES Mario games. But other than those moments when you recognize that familiar tune, you will hardly notice that any music is playing at all. This can be seen as a good thing, as the music never distracts from the gameplay, but it would be nice to here something other than MIDI tunes coming out of my TVs speakers.

The same can be said in the rest of the sound department. The classic jump, bonk, bump, and bang noises from every other Mario game are here (the good) but the sounds of the characters talking (not voice acting) and the sound of text scrolling are either forgettable or just annoying (the bad). While there is nothing inherently bad to say about the sound, almost everything here is a throw-away. Not bad, just not great.

3.5 Stars (out of 5)

Controls/Gameplay
Gameplay is where the game shines the most, but also brings up my three biggest disappointments in the game. The positive first. This is one fun game. I often found myself thinking "just one more level" before saving and turning the Wii off. For the most part, Mario controls like he always has. He runs and can jump on enemies to damage them, or uses his head/fist to bust open bricks and ? blocks. By pressing the A button on the Wiimote (held horizontally in both hands, like a classic controller) you flip from 2D to 3D (see above) and can avoid hazards blocking your way, get past enemies, or walk into the background to get past a previously unjumpable gap. Its a great gameplay mechanic that I would love to see in a sequel.

The other great new feature in the game are the Pixls you collect/meet along the way. Pixls are.... things.... that have special abilities to help Mario prevent Count Bleck from ending the world (there is SOME story to the game, but barely worth mentioning). Tippi lets you point the Wiimote at the screen to find hidden items or get info on a monster, Thoreau lets you pick up and throw enemies and items, and Boomer who is a small bomb that can damage enemies and the enviroment. For the most part, you will be using Thoreau, Boomer, and one or two others, but there are others like Carrie, who lets you float over dangerous spikes that are needed very rarely, if only once or twice.

Speaking of useless, you can play as characters other than Mario! There are 4 characters total, and Peach and Bowser join you early on before leaving for their honeymoon (not joking, play the game) and you can freely switch between the two at any time. This brings up 2 of my 3 complaints. The other characters you can switch to are practically useless 99% of the time. Except for rare occasions when you need Peach to float over a large chasm, or Bowser to set something on fire, you will always want to use Mario. Not only does Mario control better, but you can't flip from 2D to 3D with any other character. Its more annoying having to switch than if I could just play as Mario.

Which brings me to my second, and biggest complaint: the controls. For the most part, the game controls beautifully. It takes SOME getting used to pressing A next to the d-pad for the 2d/3d flip, but it becomes second nature after some time (but more time than it should). The 1 button jumps, and 2 uses your currently selected Pixl. The problem comes in when you want to switch Pixls or characters, or use an item. You can press the + button to gain access to the main menu, but its very unnatural to reach to the middle of the Wiimote. To get access to the Pixl/character/item quick select menu, you have to press 1 and 2 together. At first, this was very frustrating. And even after almost 30 hours, it never felt right and could become a distraction. The B button on the Wiimote's bottom went totally unused, and the - button was used to show the control scheme. 2 wasted buttons. This game would have controlled perfectly if you could have used the Wii Classic Controller, but then you would lose the pointer functionality, and the occasional need to shake the Wiimote. The shaking function was stupid (get a little extra experience if you shake the Wiimote after jumping on an enemy) and it would have been just as easy to pick up the Wiimote to use the pointer. When a game gets distracting, I stop having as much fun.

My third and last complaint is less of a complaint, but more of a disappointment in a lack of feature. Every time I got a new Pixl, I wanted to go back to each level and use it to unlock secrets, but there are very very few secrets of this nature. Other than a character card here or there (you can collect character cards to deal extra damage to enemies) and a miniature bakery supply store (again, not joking) there was no need to revisit levels. There are only 2 side quests in the entire game, a fetch quest and a 100 level dungeon, and both are tedious and boring.

But none of that really matters, because this game is fun. Gaining points to level up and using items to heal and damage enemies are the biggest RPG elements, and both are a welcome addition. Control annoyances aside, I wish this game was longer and had larger worlds so I could keep playing. Forgiving the clearly rushed control scheme, the game is the most fun I have had with Mario in a long time, with the exception of the DS game. Fun conquers all, so the little gripes don't add up to that much.

4 Stars (out of 5)




Nintendo knows what they are doing when they go back to their roots. This is a fun game that can last a good 20-30 hours. The Wii functionality was more forced than a neccessary addition (this was originally for GameCube, not Wii) and I think the game would have played better on the GameCube when all is said and done. Some of the other complaints about too much dialogue is true for the first few hours, but gets better as the game progresses, but the script for the game is extremely well done as well, with the exception of too many mustache jokes. There are a lot of in-jokes (I AM ERROR) and plenty of fan service too.

Fans of platformers should definitely pick this one up. There are some annoying quirks that get in the way of making this a perfect game (does one exist?) but the amount of fun you'll have when playing will making you forget about the little stumbles along the way. Highly recommended, go out and play!

Overall score: 4 Stars (out of 5)

(images courtesy Nintendo)

GameStop Service: Part II

Super Paper Mario was released today for the Wii (review coming soon!) and Circuit City had a great deal! If the game was not on their shelves by 2pm, then you got a $20 gift card and they would call you when the game came in. You can read all about that story by CLICKING HERE!!!

I called Circuit City on my lunch, and the game was already released, plenty of units available. No need to go there now, so I decided to go to my local GameStop, because I am a glutton for punishment. I walk inside, and am greeted by "the boobs" girl from last month. (For "the boobs" girl story, CLICK HERE! ) "How can I help you" she asks in her intentionally bouncy way? "I am here to grab a copy of Super Paper Mario" I tell her. "Oh, did you reserve a copy" she asks, again, with the same obvious bounce. "No, I did not." Most of you who know me, and/or know GameStop, already know what is happening here. "Oh, I'm sorry" she frowns, "but I don't know if we have any extra copies to sell if you didn't pre-order. I will have to count them out and see if there are extras"

I had had enough. I am sick of this "pre-order everything" deal at GameStop. I got upset. "OK, that's fine" I snorted, "I will just walk across the parking lot to Wal*Mart and grab a copy there. OR, I could go a half mile down the road and grab a copy at Circuit City. OR I can drive to Best Buy a mile north and grab a copy there! Thanks though!" I turn around, big grin, and start to walk off."

"WAIT!" I seemed to have hit a nerve with "the boobs" girl. Bad choice of words.... regardless.... "WAIT! I should have enough! You can have this one!"

"Ok, ring me up." What? I didn't ACTUALLY plan on leaving unless they wouldn't sell me a copy. I WANT to support my local game store. I just wish they taught their employees differently! I actually wouldn't mind if they JUST asked "is there anything you would like to reserve today" while ringing me up, but they don't do that. They ask as soon as I come in (welcome, are you here to pick up a reservation?), when I ask about a specific product (did you know you can reserve the sequel today?), when I MENTION an upcoming game (you should reserve that today, so you are guaranteed a copy!) or when I even LOOK at "the boobs" girl (would you like to reserve the new DOA game?). I am constantly barraged by their pre-order antics!

"The boobs" girl didn't actually ring me up at first. She said her coworker (the idiot from last month) would get me. He ended up being a little too busy harassing his customer though. He would not ring this girls order up! "For only $7 more you can get the membership and the subscription to the magazine! Your total would be $102 instead of $95! Only $7 more!" 5 times he asked, in a row, with the girl flat out saying no every time. He just stood there asking again "for only $7 more" with me, and another customer, standing their with product in hand, not caring that other people needed to be helped. I gave "the boobs" girl a dirty look (not THAT kind of dirty look), and she finally conceded and rung me up personally.

"Is there anything you would like to reserve for the Wii while I am ringing you up?" The bouncing distracted me, but naught only for a second. "No, thank you."

"Ok, enjoy your game! See you again soon!" I have a bad feeling she isn't wrong...

Buffy Season 8 Comic: Issues 1 & 2 Review

SPOILER ALERT! THAR BE SPOILERS HERE!!!

When you were a kid, did you ever have a best friend, or a pet, and one day, that friend moved away or the pet passed on? Yeah, you knew it was coming. The friend told you months in advance, or the pet was very sick. It didn't make it any easier though.... Well, did that best friend or beloved pet every come back!? No, because Steven King taught us resurrecting animals never turns out well.... or something like that. But for me, it has happenned! My once lost best friend slash cuddly animal (not a bunny) has returned, and that pet's name is Buffy!

Ok, catch-up time! The 7th and final season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer ended on May 20th, 2003. After moving over from the WB to UPN, the show took a very different turn. The 6th season was very dark, and put the Scoobies into very adult situations involving addiction, sex, abandonment, sex, marriage, sex, and money. And sex. While the 6th season gave us the perfect 52 minutes of entertainment with the musical episode "Once More With Feeling" many critics and fans never really enjoyed this season because of its dark themes and the major absence of humor. While it was not my favorite season (ironically, my 6th favorite overall), there was still a lot to love aside from OMWF. The 7th season was all about changes again. It was a return to the themes of the first season; how hard high school is, pure evil, what it means to be a slayer. The 7th and last season ended with a bang, as Buffy (and thanks to Willow's magic and an ancient slayer weapn, a hundred or new slayers) sealed the Hellmouth and caused Sunnydale to collapse upon itself leaving nothing but a crater behind. The last scene was an optimistic Buffy realizing she has the chance to live a better life, now that so many other Slayers are now empowered. Did I mention Buffy was the Slayer? She is, its true!

The comic is the official 8th season, with the first story arc and overall them for the series written by Buffy creator, Joss Whedon, with different sections and arcs written and inked by different writers and artists. For those of you who do not know who Joss Whedon is, stop reading this right now and stop breathing too, you have no right to live. The first two issues are pure Whedon humor. The dialog is straight from the show, and I can hear the actor's voice in my head as I read. Nothing seems out of place or wrong. This is the Buffyverse on paper. Which is what leads me to my favorite thing about the comic so far: fan service.

Everything about the first two issues screams fan service. Yes, there is a story here that anyone can enjoy, even if they only watched a few episodes, or stopped watching at the end of the 5th season... but why would you do that? What makes the comic work the best is the dialog that is written for each character, and the little in jokes that they say. Xander telling Buffy she is "five by five" or Andrew telling his group of Slayers to never use guns (which there seems to be some debate over this conversation). The best part being Willow appearing at the very end of the 2nd issue, when a witch declares she is unstoppable, and saying "as a good friend once said, 'I would like to test that theory."' Each of these moments is a little gift to the shows biggest fans. Oh, and Giant Dawn? I love Giant Dawn. Dawn always wants to be the biggest thing around, get all the attention, have everyone think about her... and she got that wish granted. Dawn does not learn her lessons very well....


The next best thing about the comics is the delivery of the surprises and powerful moments. Whedon is a master at laying out a comic. When you read something at the bottom of the right page, you will be truly curious or shocked. When you turn the page to see the splash or next part, Whedon proves how creative he is with laying out the panels in the perfect order. He has an incredible sense of framing and creating the right moment, whether it is on the TV screen, or comic book page.

So what is the story with the story? The comic takes place an unknown amount of time after the series ended (2-3 years?). All of the potential Slayers from season 7 now have powers, and most have been split into several teams. Xander and Buffy have a large group in Scottland, Giles has his group, and even Andrew has a team at his disposal. All the teams have high tech gadgetry and weapons, and I have no idea where they got the money and time to get this organized. Hopefully that will be revealed at some point. The story is the same as the TV series; Buffy and the Scoobies dealing with their daily lives, but in a whole new, grander setting. Buffy misses sex (great muppety Odin does she miss the sex!) and wishes Dawn trusted her, Xander is loving being Mr Military/Agent Fury (he acts like he enjoys having to wear the eyepatch), Andrew has a group of people who respect him and want to be around him (even though he answers serious questions with Star Wars metaphors) Giles is being all Watchery in Europe, and Dawn.... is a giant.... didn't we cover that already? You have a horrible memory. And Willow has just appeared on the last page of the 2nd issue. We covered that already too. Did you forget to take your Ginkgo?

There are 2 Big Bads so far; the US Military (or is it?!) and Amy the witch. The military found the Sunnydale crater, and Amy inside of it. They want to take out Buffy and all the Slayers, afraid they are some new terrorist organization. Amy wants to help them. She puts Buffy into a sleep she can't wake up from as thousands of zombies raid the castle (there's a castle now!). The pace has been somewhat slow for a comic so far, but the last 10 pages of the 2nd issue moved things along at a good pace. And each issue ends in a famous Whedon cliffhanger.

The next issue comes out on May 2nd, and I cannot wait. After 4 years of no Buffy, 3 with no Angel, and 2 with no Firefly/Serenity, Whedon steps up and delivers big time in a great new format. While he may not be a stranger to making comics, his brilliant humor and passion shine through amazingly in just 64 pages. I of course recommend reading the series, but those who are going to have already picked up their copies of the first two issues by now (first issue in its 2nd printing). May 2nd never seemed so far away.... ya know, except for on May 3rd, cause then its a whole year and stuff.

5 Stars (out of 5)

(images courtesy Dark Horse)

Dumb Quote of the Day

The following conversation is real. It took place at 7:00am on Tuesday, April 3rd. The names have been changed for the protection of the stupid.

Me: Technical Support, how can I help you?
Caller: Hi, my name is Jenna! I am scheduled for the conference call today. I thought I would get an email with all the info an hour before it starts, and I haven't received that yet.
Me: Yes, you are correct. However, the training does not start until 10am, so the email will be sent out one hour before then, around 9am, so in about 2 hours.
Caller: Ok, but I am on your website now, and it says 10am Pacific/1pm Eastern is when it starts.
Me: Correct, 10am Pacific. On the west coast, where we are located, it is only 7am.
Caller: Oh, no one told me thats what Pacific means.

Nice lady, very kind, but just had no comprehension over the different time zones.

Wii Virtual Console Game of the Month: MARCH

BEYOND OASIS

My favorite game released for the Wii Virtual Console in March was Beyond Oasis. Beyond Oasis was released for the Sega Genesis in December of 1994, developed by Ancient, whose only other game published is the fantastic sequel, Legend of Oasis for the Sega Saturn in 1996 (most members wound up moving over to Monolith Soft, the company behind Xenosaga). I owned the game when first released 13 years ago, and while the locations and characters didn't find a permanent place in my memories, the overall gameplay mechanics are well remembered.

The game has a simple story. Ali, the price of Oasis, prefers to go spelunking and explore, instead of sitting by his father the King's side at the castle. One day, he finds the Golden Armlet that speaks to him, and tells him he has been chosen to go on a journey to stop the evil Silver Armlet. The Armlets were the weapons used by two ancient wizards, one good (Golden), and one bad (Silver). Ali must use the Golden Armlets powers to control the elements (water, fire, shadow, plant, earth) to stop the evil Silver Armlet from being all evil and junk. Ali is given no explanation as to why he is the "chosen one" and simply accepts the task ahead. Tom Sawyer would love this guy....

The conversation went something like:
Armband Wizard Gold dude: ALI! You found the armband and now you are the Chosen One!
Ali: I am?
Armband Wizard Gold dude: YES! YOU ARE THE CHOSEN ONE!
Ali: Ok. That's cool. What should I do now?
AWGD: You.... you don't want an explanation on why you are the Chose One? No questions? You're OK with this?
Ali: Yeah, whatever, mind if I show this gold arm thingie to my dad and some old dude in a stone house?
AWGD: I guess.... no explanation at all? You just wanna go and..... and we're off, alright then....

Flying monkey kick!

The gameplay is pretty simple as well. The A button attacks, B jumps, Y summons an element or uses it's power, R for items, and Y for switching to sub weapons. Tapping A makes Ali jab, and holding it for a second gives a strong slash. Repeatedly smashing on the A button (you could hammer on the button and it will actually make a difference) makes Ali do a long combo move of kicks and stabs. Younger gamers will find the controls tough. The game is in 3/4 perspective (ie: Zelda:LttP) and the Prince can be sluggish when walking, and his attacks do not always hit the mark.

The game was clearly inspired by the Zelda games and their ilk, specifically 1992's Link to the Past. It is a mix between LttP and Prince of Persia. They did not try to hide these homages. This is an action/adventure game, but with a bigger emphasis on action than Zelda. The puzzles are never difficult or head scratching like Zelda, and every screen has a few enemies to take care of. Speaking of puzzles, many are based on the elements you collect along the way. Pressing X sends a burst of magic out, and shooting this burst at an element causes the spirit to come out and fight at your side and aide you in puzzles. Shooting water brings out the water spirit, fire the flame spirit, plants the earth spirit, etc. Every second the spirit is summoned drains your magic meter, which can be replenished with items (and restore health) found in chests and dropped by enemies on random. Enemies also drop large hearts that permanently increase your health meter and strength, but I found no specific reason why and when these hearts are dropped. It appears to be completely random.

Fabio's only video game appearance

The game is beautiful, even by today's 2d standards. The colors are bright and clear, and the enemies well drawn. All the sprites look great. The prince is well animated and most enemies are as well. The game looks great up on the big HD screen. Only bad side of the graphics are that because this is a 3/4 perspective, there are times when you accidentally jump off a cliff and need to retrace your steps, and lining up your attacks can be confusing on some planes.

The game is also a good mix of easy and hard. Overall, the action is easy going and enemies rarely get the best of you if you know what you are doing. When lots of sprites are on screen at once, you need to have some sort of strategy, and it can get tough. However, there are times when you simply don't expect a barrage of bombers and giants (DAMN BOMBERS BLOW THEMSELVES UP CONSTANTLY!) or a boss suddenly hits you 4 times in a row, and you don't get the chance to heal in time.

Beyond Oasis is a very fun game, but it never quite reaches the level of greatness that Zelda:LttP or PoP achieve. The adventure last a good length and never gets too repetitive. There is always a new element to use or a different location to explore. Nintendo fans should put their Sega-hate behind them and download this title. $8 is more than worth the price of admission. Do not expect to be wowed by this humble title, but do expect an extremely well executed Zelda clone from the 16-bit era. The sequel (Legend of Oasis) takes the game to the next level, and makes me want to find a used Saturn to replay that one as well. If more Virtual Console titles of this caliber keep coming out this fast, I may never play new games again. I would be happy just to replay the "oldies."

4 Stars (out of 5)

God of War 2: A Review

SPOILER ALERT! THAR BE SPOILERS HERE!!!

In March of 2005, a game was released for the PS2 that took my breath away. The game was God of War, developed internally by Sony by SCEA. God of War had it all: amazing controls, lush visuals, solid sound, deep and fascinating story, and the best gameplay around. It told the story of Kratos, a Spartan who asked the God of War, Ares, to give him the power to defeat his enemies. Ares granted Kratos this wish, and used Kratos has his tool on Earth, but then tricked Kratos into killing his wife and child. Kratos begged the Gods to make him forgot his horrible deeds and let him find peace, but instead he found himself forced to kill Ares and take his place as the new God of War.

God of War 2 starts with Kratos using his powers of God to help the Spartans defeat all that oppose them. He has a very direct means of doing this, namely, becoming a mile tall and literally stomping on the Spartans enemies with his feet. Zeus sees this as too interfering with the human’s lives, and attempts to kill Kratos. He is saved by one of the last Titans, Gaia, and goes on a quest to reverse time with the Sisters of Fate, and prevent Zeus from killing him in the past.

It took me about 13 hours to complete the game, and I loved nearly every second I spent with Kratos. The game is a true joy. Kratos is a great character, and while the story was not as strong in this game as the first, it is told exceptionally well, flawlessly going from playing the game, to in-game cut scenes, directly into a CG sequence, back to in-game graphics, and back to gameplay, and all with no loading! So let me break down all the pieces that made this game so great.

Graphics
God of War 2 looks incredible. ‘Nuff Said. This game is gorgeous. This game rivals Final Fantasy XII in the visuals department. Incredibly detailed environments mix with beautiful pre-rendered back drops to create a living, breathing world, and all of the characters, from the tiny dogs that attack your feet, to the mammoth boss characters that fill up the screen will make you forget about this “next-gen” stuff for a few hours.

Levels are big and awe inspiring. Everything in this game feels connected to the other places you have been. It is a great feeling when you see that the level you were playing 3 hours ago is logically connected to the next area that you about to head into. There is not really any back tracking to speak of, but the game makes you realize that everything is happening at the same place, even if you never visit the exact environment again. Even thing that are annoying in other games, like walking across a huge bridge for a full minute, is an event in God of War 2, as you get a chance to see the enormity of the world around you, and take in the breathtaking vistas. The Titans are also a treat. Entire levels are built around, in and ON the Titans themselves. The first time you see the rock Titan in the 2^nd level makes you realize how big this game is, running across the chains holding thousand foot tall horses, and climbing up a Titans face and body is a thrill. God of War 2 delivers some of the biggest wows you will get in a game.

The only 2 negatives I have are that there were 2 or 3 times when the fixed camera angle made it hard for me to see what I wanted to see. It never truly hindered me, and the worst was I got hit an extra time by an enemy, but it was a noticeable hindrance. Also, the ongoing issue with PS2 games and Progressive Scan returns. When the camera rotates, a clear line cuts across the screen on my HDTV. Every progressive scan compatible game I have played on the PS2 has suffered from this, so it is not the developers fault. The original God of War was much worse in this department, Resident Evil 4 being the worst, so it has been improved, but it is a distraction nonetheless.

5 Stars (out of 5)

Sound
God of War 2 sounds incredible. Noticing a pattern here? James Sale has composed a fantastic score that does not distract from the game, but instead sets the right atmosphere for whatever you are doing. You may not NOTICE the music that often, but when you sit back and listen to what is playing, you will realize it becomes part of the experience. The music may not stand out, it blends in, which great game music should do. There are no moving Uematsu or Mitsuda style pieces here, just a perfect score to complement the gaming experience.

The sound effects are also blended perfectly into the action. The *clink* and *squish* never get in the way of the game, and are timed with the utmost precision. As someone who very often turns down the sound effects, and turns up the music in a game, I was extremely happy with the level of the effects. Every hit sounds like you would expect, from a clean killing slice with a blade, to a solid pound with a hammer.

5 Stars (out of 5)

Controls/Gameplay
Here is where God of War 2 shines the brightest… other than the literally shining visuals. Kratos controls like a dream. If there was a car that controlled as well as Kratos, then we would need no roads and we could simply maneuver around our environments and avoid all accidents. The controls are so tight in this game, that I could conceivably avoid every single enemy attack, and never take a single ounce of damage. By the time I fought the final boss battle, I had no fear that I would lose, as Kratos has become like a 3^rd arm. I had total control of what happened on the screen and never thought an enemy got a cheap hit in, or did something I couldn’t avoid. Every hit feels meaty and solid. Most games make you tire of fighting the same 20 enemies over and over again, but I was happy to fight the same huge enemies and speedy demons repeatedly.

The timed button presses are back, and work even better than before. When I first read about these types of sequences before God of War 1 was released, I assumed they would be boring filler sections and slow the pace of the game down. God of War 2 proves my wrong yet again, by throwing in some truly exciting sequences. Even if I only had to press the X or O button once every 4 seconds, I still felt like I was controlling Kratos as he pulls a hulking Minotaur towards the beast’s own weapon, and impales him on it, killing the creature instantly.

I was not as enamored with some of the new features implemented. The best new edition was the Golden Fleece, which lets you repel an enemy’s attack back at them. The Icarus Wings were also quite fun, but not used to their full potential. Kratos is also given 3 new weapons to use besides the Blades of Athena. Kratos did not use them. I switched to the hammer and the spear once, just to try them out, but always went back to the standard Blades of Athena, which, in my opinion, are one of the best weapons I have ever used in a game. It was also very easy to fully upgrade the Blades (1/3 thru the game) and magics (of which I only leveled up the Quake ability). While not really a complaint, I found no use for all but power ups in the game. I was quite content to stick with my Blades/Quake combo for half of the game. None of these things made the game any less fun or degrade the game in any way. They were just there, not being used.

5 Stars (out of 5)

In the end, God of War 2 is an incredible game. While not as groundbreaking as the original, I enjoyed playing it just as much. The first level alone is an epic adventure, and it only gets better from there. This isn’t the best game I have ever played, and will not be remembered as much as the original, but it is one fantastic game. The ending is a cliffhanger (LITERALLY!) and makes you wish there was more right now. Great job Sony! Sequels can so easily be mundane, but you made God of War 2 just as great as the original. I will be waiting in antici…. (say it) pation for the next in the series.

Overall score:

5 Stars (out of 5)

(images provided by Sony)

Dave Matthews Band and The Fray concert review

We went to see the Dave Matthews Band and The Fray last night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. I have been waiting to see Dave Matthews Band since 1994. They would play in Philly every year, and usually had to add shows because the tickets sold out so fast and the demand was so high. I was never able to go, either because of schedule or money. I have watched videos of their concerts in Philly, listened to the CDs people burned of the shows, and read reviews of the incredible shows they put on. Dave Matthews Band is one of my favorite bands (top 5) and I have been waiting for this concert since I bought the tickets in November of last year. Yes, I had high expectations. And yes, I was expecting the greatest rock show I have ever seen. And yes, I was extremely disappointed.

The performance itself was terrific. The show was an incredible 2 and a half hours. The band played incredibly well and the sound was fantastic. Dave is definately a showman, dancing around with guitar in hand. The songs they decided to play, however, left me wanting. I was very disappointed with the set list. When I go to a concert, I know that the band will play lots of songs from their newest album and mix the classics in there. This show was a mix of 2 songs from the latest album, 5 singles, and the rest a random assortment of songs. I can honestly say I have never heard several of the songs. I have listened to all of Dave Matthews albums (live and studio) and found myself at a total loss during several of the songs, having never heard them before. During at least 3 numbers, a few hundred people would get up and leave to get drinks or use the bathroom all at once, because they had no idea what was being played.

Here is the set list:
Pantala Naga Pampa
Rapunzel
Satellite
When The World Ends
Time Of The Season
Hunger For The Great Light
Dream Girl
Say Goodbye
The Idea Of You
Louisiana Bayou
I’ll Back You Up
Down By The River
Crush
The Maker
Jimi Thing
Stay

Encore:
Sister
Everyday
What You Are

No Ants Marching, no Crash Into Me, no Don't Drink the Water or Ants Marching or So Much to Say or Grave Digger or Space Between or Grey Street or Where are You Going or Ants Marching or I Did It or Tripping Billies or What Would You Say or Ants Marching. Did I mention they did not play Ants Marching? I can think of at least 10 other tracks from Crash or Before These Crowded Streets that I would have loved to hear. Billy Joel has a library of 10 times more songs than Dave Matthews, yet when I saw him last year, he played 2 lesser known numbers, and the rest were the big hits. There was so much potential here, and it was not realized.

When I go to a concert, I expect to hear some of the big numbers, the songs that made you famous, the songs that people know you for. Satellite and Crush are literally the only 2 BIG songs they played. Out of their entire set list, Crush was the only song I actually got excited for.

The Fray did fantastic. They played for 50 minutes and did exactly what I expect from a concert. They played about 4 songs from their current album, 2 new songs, but then closed with their 4 big hits. Admittedly, they have a far smaller list of songs, but they knew that people didn't come to hear songs they have only heard twice, they came to hear the big numbers.

Dave Matthews put on a show for the super devoted fans, and no one else. Unless you have been to a Dave Matthews concert before (and often) and listen to all their albums non-stop, you would have been lost. When there is a notable "awww" at the end of the show because other songs weren't played (people were shouting "ANTS MARCHING!" during the encore) then you could have done a better job.

When someone pays good money for tickets, you should play the music they want to hear, not songs only the most devout fan will know. This was a 500+ seat venue, spanning 2 nights, its not like this was a small show where only the major fans would be coming. My only other compaint (notice how this hole review is a single complaint) is that the five idiots 2 rows in front of us didn't understand that not EVERYBODY wants to spoke pot at the concert. They literally smoked CONSTANTLY for 2 hours. I am all for legalizing the stuff, but smoke it on your time, not when surrounded by 100 people trying to enjoy themselves. Oh, and my hand got crushed in the metal seats and its all swollen.

If I had to rate this show, I would give Dave Matthews Band 4 stars out of 5 for the technical side of things (lighting, sound, performance) but only 2 stars out of 5 for the overall show. The Fray get 4 out of 5 stars for their show.

C'mon DMB! I want to see your big numbers performed live, and now you've scared me away from possibly buying tickets next time you come to town.

UPDATE:
Apparently this is a European tour and Vegas was one of only 2 stops or so in the US. It appears that this set list was designed for the European audience, where singles and hits may be quite different than in America. Still not happy....

This one still makes me laugh....

Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal Comic (click to link)

Spamalot: A Review, or, "It's Only a Flesh Wound"

I went to see Spamalot this weekend at the Wynn in Las Vegas. It was still considered a preview showing, but you would have never known considering how well put together everything was. From the amazing set pieces to the actor's themselves, everything was top notch. I would have thought I was on Broadway and not in Vegas if the show wasn't retooled a bit to give it some more Vegas style.

Spamalot is the stage adaptation of the classic 1975 film "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." It tells the tale of King Arthur of the Britons, on his quest across England circa 900A.D. to find knights to join him at the round table, and search for the Holy Grail. Along the way, he recruits Lancelot the Brave, Sir Robin the not-so-brave, Sir Dennis the filthy, and Sir Bedevere the flatulent. He is also joined by the Lady of the Lake, and his loyal assistant Patsy. A fantastic assortment of characters is met along the way, including Price Herbert, the Knights who say Ni, The Black Knight, the French Guards, and a very angry bunny.

Happily, the acting was not too hammy (or spammy...). King Arthur is played by John O'Hurley (J Peterman from Seinfeld). He gives the King the perfect amount of pride, stupidity, and courage. I would even say he played the part better than Graham Chapman in the original movie! I would still have loved to see Tim Curry in this role (one of my favorite actors of all time). The Lady of the Lake was played by the voluptuous Nikki Crawford. She has an incredible voice, and did a wonderful job of going from diva to comidienne to love interest. The King's loyal servant Patsy was probably my favorite character though, played by Justin Brill. Besides having the funniest line in the show, he is on stage just as much as the King and his role mainly consists of reacting to others, but he easily steals the spot light away from others with some of his reactions and body language.

The set pieces were huge and ever changing. The set truly looked like something right out of the Monty Python universe, with enormous cutouts of clouds, castles, a faithful remake of the Excalibur castle for Camelot, and God's feet. I thought I was watching the opening to the show on TV at some points. The costumes were just as good and clever. The Knights who say Ni looked amazing, and they were even able to pull off the ENTIRE Black Knight scene on stage! Yes, it is possible to cleave off someone's limbs in a stage show.

The music was fantastic. Some of the musical highlights include "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life," "Fisch Schlapping Dance," "Not Dead Yet," "Song That Goes Like This, The" and "You Won't Succeed On Broadway (without a Jew)." The show even ended with a sing-a-long for "Always Look..." with the words bouncing along the clouds overhead.

The show lasted a good 90 minutes without intermission, and I would have loved to sit and watch more. This show was clearly changed a bit for the Vegas crowd with lines like "this is Vegas, baby" and the aforementioned Excalibur/Camelot set. Even the lobby and entrance to the theater was an event with full suits of armor, pictures from the movie and TV show, and signs offering to sell all of the decorations (see below). I was also VERY impressed how this 30 year old story was redone to be modern, with current jokes added about Britney Spears, Laker girls, and other 21st century references.



I have no real complaints about this show. The only minor complaint is that during some larger songs, with many people singing, the lyrics were a bit harder to understand. This is true of many musicals, and this was still only a preview showing, but I hope they can clean up the group numbers slightly where the sound of the lyrics is concerned. Other than that, 2 minor technical issues (set piece was stuck on stage for 2 seconds too long, and one of 6 trees did not light up like the others) were the only negatives of the whole night.

I cannot recommend this show more. If you like musical comedy, don't mind a British accent, and don't mind some cheesy, tongue-in-cheek moments, this show will have you laughing the entire time. Go buy tickets today.

5 Stars (out of 5)

Tales from Tech Support- Part 1

For years, I have helped people pick out the right computer to run the software that I support. One method is using quotes directly from a specific computer manufacture, quotes I personally put together to meet and beat all of our system requirements. For years, I have never had a single complaint about one of the machines purchased from a quote. I have heard many compliments and thanks, but no complaints. Until this week.

I have had 2 separate companies contact me to complain about the machine(s) they purchased. Their complaints? Let me break them down.

First complaint was the computers were completely wrong for their needs. Not enough RAM, too small of a hard drive, running Vista Home Premium (instead of Business or XP) and that it only had a CD burner, not a DVD burner. The price we sold the computers for was approximately $1200-$1300. To use the same components on a retail website and build the machine from scratch (dell.com or gateway.com) , it will cost between $1500-$1800. Thats a pretty good discount if you ask me. Their other complaint was that we FORCED them to buy these computers. How you can FORCE someone to spend several thousand dollars by phone is beyond me. They had the order forms, and then faxed them over 3 days later.

The second complaint was that the computer was installed with Vista Home Premium instead of XP. He had the original order form, my confirmation email, the manufacturers email confirmation, and the shipping confirmation email.

My point with both of these complaints is that the order forms were in these peoples hands for a good period of time. The order forms broke down every component of the computers, including what software was preinstalled, what hardware is included, warranty information. Everything. They could have asked to upgrade components or changed the features, but they did not. They had a complete breakdown of what was being offered, purchased it, then said they wanted something else. I can understand if they were not happy with the machine's performance, or if something was broken or missing, but they knew exactly what they were ordering, received the product, then blamed ME for referring to them an inferior product that had features they did not want. The first company acted as though they believed this was the ONLY machine in the world that would run our software, and we forced them to purchase this machine. How can you purchase something, knowing full well what is included, then complain to the store that it doesn't have what you want?!

The 2nd guy ended up being really nice and understood it was his mistake for not reading the order form (Vista is listed as the 3rd item down). However, the first company still believes we peddled them a crappy product, despite the fact they were told over and over again, by phone, in person, and on paper, exactly what was being purchased. One person redeemed themselves with me by realizing it was his mistake, but the other company still thinks we did something wrong. It wasn't even our product we sold, it is a referral to another product.

I just got off the phone with another person, asking about that exact same quote, and she said "I like this model but want some more RAM and a larger hard drive. Can we do that?" "Yes," I told her, "we can. And thank you for asking."

300- A Movie Review

SPOILER ALERT! THAR BE SPOILERS HERE!!!
Some small and large and awkwardly sized spoilers will be contained in this post!

I went to see 300 last night with a coworker. It was good. Go see it. End post.

"The Phantom of the Opera is there, inside your mind...."
(click to enbiggen)

Seriously though, definitely a "must-see" movie for any fans of action, drama, fantasy (yes, I know its based off of actual events, but any movie that has a 9' tall giant, an 8' tall God king, a hunchback who's hunchbacks have hunchbacks, and immortal Asian warriors falls into the fantasy category) and action again. Instead of a showing a bloodbath like most directors would have done, Zack Snyder instead made a movie that is more like a ballet than a war. Yes, the ballet is about 300 Greeks shoving spears thru their enemies and lobbing off limbs left and right (hehe, left and right limbs) but it is a ballet nonetheless.

So what is this movie about? 300 tells the story of King Leonidas (Gerard Butler, aka, the Phantom from the 2004 Phantom of the Opera movie), the king of Sparta (Greece) taking 300 soldiers to fight the oncoming Persian armies, in what will eventually be known as the Battle of Thermopylae. It is the story of how 300 men stood against entire armies, and the story of their battles. It is based off of Frank Miller's graphic novel from the 90s and directed by Zack Snyder, who also directed Miller's "Sin City" movie. This is in theory a remake, as Richard Egan starred as Leonidas in 1962's "The 300 Spartans" (http://imdb.com/title/tt0055719/). Have not seen it yet, but want to hunt it down.

The film (not a movie, but a film!) has a gorgeous artistic style. Miller's graphic novel is brought to life on the big screen in all its glory. This looks like art, not like film. While not quite as powerful in the visual department as Sin City was, the artistic direction in this film rivals Pan's Labyrinth or Moulin Rouge. Almost everything was shot in front of a green screen or blue screen, so all of the backgrounds are vividly detailed.

As stated above, blood does not flow like wine. No, that is not because wine is expensive. Heads roll and limbs fly, but the actual BLOOD that appears on screen is not overly gory or disgusting. No horror movie blood here. Don't think that I am saying this is not a violent movie, oops, film, because it is violent and very graphic, but not gross-out graphic.

Faramir loved sweatbands, but 480's B.C. was not ready for 1980's fashion.
(click to enbiggen)

My complaints? Weird nipples (women should have nicer nipples than men, not the other way around) , other characters outside of Leonidas and the Queen were not very developed (you only get to know 5 of the 300, and only 2 have more than 2 lines), and.... and.... thats basically it! Not much bad here. This isn't so much a complaint as a humorous take on things. A few times I thought I was watching Lord of the Rings: 400BC. The first time that thought popped up was when I saw David Wenham playing Dilios. Wenham played Faramir in the LotR trilogy. Mind you he was also in Van Helsing and that didn't distract me there because he played a much different part. He also said a line about "losing brothers" that almost made me chuckle (poor Boramir). Also, for the first 30-45 minutes, the 300 are being followed by a strange deformed creature, and their leader (Leonidas/Gandalf) knows they are being followed. The creature offers to help them, is rejected, and ends up causing buttloads of trouble for our heroes. And if I want to get REAL technical, the soldiers also wore capes held on by gold clasps.

So go out and see this incredible film. Do not bring your girlfriend/wife (unless she has a strong stomach) and no one under 16. Bring a buddy, bring your dad, bring your coworkers. This may not win any awards for acting or story, but is the best 2 hours I have spent in a theater this year.

4 Stars (out of 5)

(images courtesy Rotten Tomatoes)

GameStop = Bad Customer Service

At 10:30am, I called the nearby GameStop and asked "has God of War II been released?"

"Did you reserve a copy" the young employee asked?

"Yes, I did" I told him.

"Then feel free to stop in anytime today to pick it up!"

Off to lunch I went at 11am. (On a side note, the $2 I spent at Burger King for a double burger and soda was the best food I have had in weeks.) On my way back to work, I stop at GameStop.

"Hi! I am here to pick up God of War II!"

"Sorry, that won't be out until tomorrow" replied the clearly soulless employee.

"Well that's odd" I responded, "because less than an hour ago I was told to stop by to pick it up. "

"Nope, tomorrow. Want to buy something else instead?" His eyes were bright and cheery, his greasy hair matted down into thick waves, and his brain had clearly shut down.

"No, I came in to buy the game YOU told me an hour ago was here."

I promptly left. I am sure the moron continued to smile long after the door closed, no idea what was going on, no comprehension on why he exists or what customer service is supposed to be.

Good job GameStop! Thanks for continuing to further propagate this stereotype!


UPDATE! THE NEXT DAY!
To make a long story short, I went back the next day to pick GoW2 up. Couldn't go to another store, had to go to the one where I reserved the game. I was in a bit of a huff....

Very cute young woman wearing a revealing, low cut store shirt rang me up. Not conventinal cute, but very nerd cute. Lisa Loeb glasses, soft white skin, very much my type. Still, couldn't believe they let her wear that.... most places would yell at her to cover up.

The manager asked if everything was OK, and I decided to spill on him what took place the previous day. He chuckled a little when I told my story.

"Yeah," he said, "we all have different roles that we play at this store. I am the nice and helpful guy, my coworker here (pointing to a scruffy young boy) is the fanboy, can argue with anyone about anything. The guy from yesterday is the idiot. We are all good at what we do."

I looked at the pretty young lady behind the counter. With an obvious bounce, she smiled and said "I'm the boobs."

I tried to suggest that "the idiot" should not work there if he is an idiot, but instead the fanboy starting arguing with me over the merits of the rechargable Wiimote accessory packs I was looking for. I smiled at "the boobs" and tried to escape, "the fanboy" on my tail, constantly talking, not letting me leave.

Apparently my new role was "the captive." If it was just me and "the boobs" I wouldn't mind, but I was on a schedule (when am I not?!). After 3 more minutes of "agreeing" with "the fanboy" I was finally able to make it out. God (of War) help me if I ever go back there again....

About this blog....

The old blog went bye-bye. Let's hope this one does not suffer the same fate.

I will be using this blog for several things. Everything from video game, movie, and TV reviews/impressions, the daily life of a tech support representative, love, life, and anything else that pops into my mind.