It's probably best to post a notice like this. My mind always has tons of unfinished ideas swirling about, and in that batch of ideas are some blog topics. The problem is that I don't get the urge to write about them as much as I used to. Rather than complaining or getting frustrated, I think it might help if I just forget about them and get into a "non-blog idea" state. I've learned that over-analyzing something has me tend to dislike it more and more, and right now I just want to enjoy what's there and quit the criticism. That doesn't mean I'll think every game is "TEH GREATEST GAME EVAR!!1!". It just means that I won't look too deeply into what I'm experiencing.

...

Actually, scratch that, I can't play games with complex storylines and have a simple-minded attitude. Basically what I'm trying to say is that blogging about my entertainment experiences seemed to be more of a phase, if anything at all.

I watch anime at school and play games back at home, but I have not felt like writing a blog about either of them lately. I could always make editorials, but I feel like I should do something more productive with my time...or at least more entertaining. As for reviews, I wrote a big rant about those (which has obviously been removed). To keep it short, I don't plan on writing any more game reviews, but might continue the anime reviews.

---

So I'm taking a break; it could be permanent or possibly temporary, who knows?

By no means am I leaving the site though. I'll still be around, commenting on many blogs and replying to messages. I disappeared for the past couple of weeks because I got out of the habit of coming here everyday and was enjoying a ton of games with the extra time. I don't know if that will always be the case when I am home during the breaks, but it just might be. Anyway, I noticed this has gone on long enough, and it's all text, pretty boring. Oh well, you probably won't be seeing much of that anymore...except for my comments :P

'til then,
~Vari

You may have noticed that I have another new avatar (when it updates of course). This is Lord Dantes, the one I talked about in the previous blog who I wanted to originally be my new avatar. TL-97 (a user on Gametrailers) found a pic of him for me, and I really appreciate that ^.^ It's only been one week, Hero, but unfortunately you have to go. I don't know why you got so many complaints, but you did. Don't fret though, those who know you will still love you.

Yes it would nice if Dantes' head was bigger, but below is the full size pic, so I don't think I could have did anything to make it better given the quality.

I made two nice purchases a couple of days ago. The first is Valkyria Chronicles for $20

I don't have a PS3, but whenever I do get one I'll be prepared :P

And the other is The Dark Spire for $5

Very hardcore, and just looking at it makes me cringe O.O

This blog is titled what it is for two reasons

1. I couldn't think of a title
2. I stopped my quest of getting all the titles in Half-Minute Hero

Yes, I'm a quitter. As I was once again defeating the 16th evil lord of probably the best game this year, I decided that I should just leave the game where it is. I feel that if I did actually achieve the highest rank on all four modes, and gained every title for every level, then I would somehow like the game less. A completion task such as this is what takes away the love I have for certain games (Half-Minute Hero being one of those games). So, I'm done. Not only are there no walkthroughs online for some of these titles, but some of them are also very difficult. Besides, the only thing I would get is a hilarious reference to the Valhalla Knights series, which I am not familiar with so I wouldn't understand it anyway.

Overall, Half-Minute Hero left me wanting more. I wanted more of each mode, and some enhancements would be nice, so...sequel, anyone? But seriously, get this game if you have a PSP; it's a must, not a maybe. It's by far one of the most unique, ironic, and fun experiences I have had in gaming in a very long time. Both my brother and I did practically everything in the game (other than what's mentioned above) and both of us miss it already.

All I can say is - Opus, keep doing what you're doing (and get your name on the freakin' box next time xD)

That's all for now. I'm done with Christmas shopping. I got my brother Ninjatown and Shining Force Neo and got my sister New Super Mario Bros. Wii (which was very difficult to find). For Christmas Eve I am going to my grandma's house on my mom's side of the family and we'll be celebrating over there as we always do. Then on Christmas day we'll be picking up my other grandma and aunt (meaning on my dad's side) and go back to the same grandma's house that we were at on Christmas Eve to celebrate once again, just with less people. It should be nice; it always is, and I'm fortunate and thankful to have it that way.

I said I wasn't sure if I would post another blog before Christmas, but this time I'm positive this is the last before December 25th. Happy holidays everyone ^.^

First and foremost, yes I have a new avatar. Who is he? You'll find out later in the blog (but I'm hoping somebody out there knows already -.-). I hate to see Hazama go, but it had to be done xD

For the record, I really wanted Lord Dante as my new avatar, but apparently he is so awesome that even the Internet doesn't have a picture of him O.o

There were a lot of blog ideas I had in mind, but nothing gave me the patience and effort to sit down and type it all out. I was going to talk about developers vs. publishers when it comes to recognition in videogames, Naughty Dog and guns, end of the year awards and their main focus being for promotional purposes for the wrong games, and a bunch of other stuff. But here I am again with just another update on what I have been doing...meh, better than nothing, I guess. I'm going to try to keep everything brief, but you know how it goes sometimes :P

^Yep, my new avatar is Hero, right there on the cover^

Anyway, this little game has been taking a lot of time lately, and I'm glad it is. I can ramble on and on about this one, but all you need to know is that Half-Minute Hero is like no other game, and is worth everyone's time. It is innovative to the RPG genre (which is unfortunately rare), and is full of charm that is hard to let go. The 8-bit graphical styIe blends so well with some current graphics, and the soundtrack is extremely impressive. It's kind of like a mix of c@ssical and metal (with some other genres of course). Sound familiar? Well it should because Baten Kaitos does the same thing. Except Baten Kaitos likes to combine the two genres, while HMH keeps them seperate. Another thing to note about the soundtrack is that it reminds me of a lot of other games. Just a few to mention - Okami, Final Fantasy (specifically VII), Dragon Warrior/Quest, Guilty Gear, and The Legend of Zelda.

Agh, I'm going on longer than I should. Okay, long story short, the gameplay is something fresh and original, and the most fun I have had in a very long time. The story is simple, but very satisfying, and the characters are a lovable bunch with outgoing personalities. It also has a good amount of humor put into the clever dialogue and visuals. By the end, you feel like you really did accomplish something and truly are a hero. I am not entirely done with the game though. I beat Hero, Evil Lord, and Princess mode, but still have to go through the Knight's story (which is awesome so far). I plan on going for 100% completion too.

For those of you who own a PSP:
BUY IT NOW...(if you have a soul of course)

^I didn't know The Tick became a knight^

I don't know about you guys, but Cl@ssic Dungeon looks like it's similar (or at least has a similar goal). This is probably my most anticipated game next to Fragile, but a Western release is not likely to happen at the moment :(
Trailer

Here we go, I hope all of you know about this Tim Schafer masterpiece by now. I am so glad I found a copy because I have been looking for this game ever since...well ever since I realized it was a huge mistake to let it pass me by. Everything about it is worth it. I'm a sucker for these kinds of games, but that's beside the point. It's just an outstanding 3D platforming and action game. So far the story is interesting, and the concept behind the gameplay is unique. The character design is nicely varied, and the voice acting for each is top notch. Ford Cruller is my new favorite character. Everything about that guy is just plain awesome :P (he isn't the one below)

It also brings back memories of one of my favorite under-appreciated games, Dual Hearts. Going into people's minds is as fun as it sounds. Something I already found surprising is that this game is deep...and emotional. I can't wait to finish it, and maybe I'll feel like completing this one 100% too (I say that a lot though...and then I feel it's too hard xD). The real shining moment of the game for me was the humor. There are many laughs to be had with this one, and that's what makes it such a joy to play. I shouldn't have to tell you to check Psychonauts out, but please do; you will not regret it.

I'm telling ya, when a game lets you set squirrels on fire, you know it's good.

--
In other news, I am still playing Warriors Orochi 2 with my brother. Proficiency takes so long to get! It's a ton of fun though, and I don't think we'll ever get tired of it. I also started Breath of Fire III, but I can't say too much about it yet because I am not that far. My brother was watching me play it, and both of us noticed something - it looks and sounds like Chrono Trigger. So that's a definite plus. Psychonauts has had me turn away from it though, but I hope I can come back soon.

Oh, and I played Riviera for 15 minutes XD

I got tempted to start another anime series before finishing Saiyuki, but I didn't. Saiyuki has gotten significantly better, and I don't feel like I have to push through it anymore. The payoff is worth it, for the most part, but we'll see if I get the feeling this is one that other people need to check out (so far not really, just a pleasant anime). That second opening has become one of my favorites :o One Piece is still awesome of course, but I feel like picking up the pace. Before I only wanted it to be something I would watch every now and then, but now I want to be up-to-date with it (meaning being at episode 430), and also because I really want to play the Unlimited Adventure game, but don't want to start it until I am that far in the anime.

I'm not sure when I will blog next, but I don't think I will post one before Christmas, so I hope all of you who celebrate it have a very merry Christmas ^.^ (err, I guess Happy Holidays would have been easier :P)

Shorter blog today (EDIT ~ not really, never goes as planned :P). Just wanted to give some of my final impressions on Persona 2.

A couple of weeks ago I finished watching Persona 2: Innocent Sin and wrote a blog saying how top-notch everything about it was (other than the gameplay, since I couldn't judge that). Well, I just finished the second and final part - Persona 2: Eternal Punishment, and I must say that I am impressed. Again, I watched both of these because I do not have them, and suspect that I will never get them (because of money and availability). And even if I do, I still would want to play them because it's fun to go through something you already know. Some day I am going to watch the Tales of the Abyss anime, even though it's exactly the same as the game. I think it's enjoyable to go like "oh I remember this!" as if it's nostalgia, but not that far into the past.

There isn't a whole lot to say about Eternal Punishment. It was not what I was expecting. I thought the story would have a huge similarity to Innocent Sin, but it doesn't (sorta), and it works. The character design is just as before, complex and superior. It was awesome to see characters from Innocent Sin come into play (and some with much bigger roles, like Katsuya), and also to see some very cool new characters as well. The overall story is impressive and engrossing. Graphics are about the same but slightly improved upon it's predecessor. The soundtrack is about the same too. Not top 10 soundtrack material, in my opinion, but it's very nice, and Maya's theme is as memorable as ever.

Now that the voice acting is in English, it's...well, not too bad. I think they did an okay job with it, except for Tatsuya. It seems like he has a different poor acting voice every time, and I still don't know why they made him always wear a red jumpsuit (that's what it looks like to me anyway O.o) I hear the final boss is very disappointing, but of course I couldn't tell you. The ending is bittersweet to a point where you just want to force the writers to change it. Actually, the whole Persona 2 universe is like that, and I loved it. I can split the ending into two ideas, which I won't talk about to avoid spoilers, but basically I really liked how they handled one, but not so much for the other. Overall, I found it very satisfying.

^P2 also has the best Velvet Room^

As a whole, Persona 2 is something truly amazing. Both parts intertwine nicely, but still hold their own weight. I like how both of them seem to take a governmental and police/mystery approach (more so in Eternal Punishment), and then turn that into a supernatural one. Looking at Persona 2 has me disappointed with how Persona 3 and 4 turned out though. When comparing them, P2 feels like the grander one to me. There is also a lot of unique ideas and gameplay elements that would be so cool to have in P3 and P4, but Atlus decided not to use them. Also, Persona 2 has a clear moral. It actually teaches you something, and I can't say the same for P3 and P4. Let's hope Persona 5 puts them back on the right track. Not that they're doing a bad job right now, but it's wasted potential.

Oh, and I like the nods to the first Persona. That was pretty cool :P

Anyway, I should be playing games again when I go back home for break. I have two finals to take, one on Tuesday and one on Friday, which is a pain because I'd rather just have both on Tuesday so I can leave earlier -.- As for anime...haven't watched any One Piece or Saiyuki in over a week, but the busyness has died down for now, so that should change.

Actually, there is something a little bit interesting that I'm doing. I downloaded DOSBox (something I should have did a long time ago), so I'm using DOS and playing some great cl@ssic PC games. These really take me back. Right now I'm playing Alien Carnage (Halloween Harry) and Bio Menace, both are awesome of course :D Funny that I can start playing these games instantly, and I still have games like Dungeon Siege 2 that I haven't touched and are just sitting there. Say what you will about 3D Realms, but they offer some of their amazing games (back when they were known as Apogee) legally for free, and it just doesn't get better than that. I told my dad to find all the floppy disks and CDs of those DOS games so that I can put them on my computer during break. There's a lot :lol:

^Alien Carnage (Halloween Harry)^

^Bio Menace^

So I guess that's it. For everyone in school, I wish you luck on the finals and hope you enjoy break ^.^

Hello everyone ^.^ I would have posted this sooner, but I had a really big project to work on.

Thanksgiving break was pretty good for me, and I hope all of those in school had a great one as well. Thanksgiving itself was nice. Just the usual, but I liked it. Anyway, on to games...for once.

I played what I should have played over the break, and that is Golden Sun: The Lost Age. Well, I finished it, and here are my final thoughts:

-it's definitely better than the first one
-good relation between both games, but bad in the sense of only playing one of them
-graphics got even better!
-music enjoyment was about the same as its predecessor, very impressive though
-still not a fan of the Djinn cl@ss system, but meh, it works
-puzzles in RPGs are still something I don't find necessary, but they didn't bother me too much in this one
-great ending (maybe a little too happy)
-overall a pleasant RPG, just like the first
-again, just like the first, doesn't give me the feeling of being one of the "best ever"

Sorry guys, but I just don't see it. I'm not too hyped for Golden Sun DS still. I'm fine with just two Golden Sun games, especially since they closed the story. However, if it has Alex in it, it might gain my attention.

I was lucky to find this one. I loved playing the first Kessen. I might even go as far as it being my favorite kind of strategy system in any game. Sure it's not that strategic. Actually, it's about as simple as you can get, but it was so easy to pick up and was immensely entertaining. You see, this is how you make an RTS on a console (not Halo Wars or Command and Conquer).

Anyway, didn't play it yet, but I got it for $7, which is probably much less than what it's worth. Something related to this - I played some Warriors Orochi 2 co-op with my brother, and yes, it's still a blast. We're shooting for 100% completion (even beyond all 1000 achievement points). We're getting there, slowly but surely.

My brother and I are huge Sting fans, so it's kinda obvious we would enjoy this one. Knights in the Nightmare was an early birthday gift for my brother. He is the one playing it, and it looks so cool. It also looks extremely confusing, but that's part of the fun. I probably won't play this one until I get a new DS, since my touch screen is screwed up. It's not to the point where a touch screen game is unplayable, but it can get kinda annoying and I just try to avoid using the touch screen whenever I can.

Only one save file though, what a drag -.-

My brother bought Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor with some of his birthday money from relatives. This one caught me off guard because it was not what I was expecting. I thought it was just a regular SRPG, but nope, it's more of a traditional and old-school RPG covered up with SRPG mechanics. I played a little bit of this one, but only skipped through the beginning to get a feel for the game (I do this often).

Again, what is up with the one save files?! Come on Atlus, it's so annoying...

I bought Phantom Brave: We Meet Again for my brother on his birthday. He played so much of the first Disgaea game on the PSP, so I know he would enjoy this. It's still not opened, so I can't really give an opinion on it yet. Glad we didn't get the PS2 version.

Another thing my brother got for his birthday. I was watching him play some of it, and this looks like our kind of game; it was awesome. I don't know why, but a lot of these kind of games that people hate (Koei's Warrior franchise, action Shining Force games, and now this) are the ones that we really enjoy.

What's funny is that sometimes the graphics look really bad, and other times they looked downright Price of Persia breathtaking. It's so werid.

My dad bought us Rock Band 2 over the break. But the thing is, we already had Rock Band 2. Well this is just another reason why my dad is crazy, heh. Anyway, our instruments were kinda faulty (well, not really the guitar or microphone, but the drums had that yellow note foot pedal problem, and the foot pedal broke soon after that). I figured that when Beatles Rock Band came out, we would just get all the instruments over again and it'll be all good. This was before I knew much on the Beatles one though. Now I know they're not really new instruments, and $250 is way too much. So I figured we would just get the value pack version, but then I learned that it includes the Rock Band 1 instruments, which are much more annoying than RB2's instruments. So buying Rock Band 2 was the best thing we could have did (okay, I guess buying new drums would have worked too, haha), and it just so happened that was the decision my dad made.

We really lucked out on this one, but for some reason I just don't see us paying $60 for only the game. Feels like a waste, but I hope we get Beatles Rock Band some day. I'm also really interested in Guitar Hero 5's accessibility features. Even though I find GH to be worse than RB, GH5 has caught my interest, so I want to get that one too.

Anyway, I played a good amount of RB2 over the weekend. I found out that Rock Band skills go away over time XD

The last gift my brother got. I started playing this one, and I couldn't stop. This game deserves an award, seriously. The RPG genre rarely changes, and here comes something that's actually new and original to the genre. Half-Minute Hero is amazing, and something worth everyone's time, even non-RPG fans. It's just pure fun and has all the creativity and uniqueness that's missing from many games.

Oh, and the music rocks. Definitely check this one out.

Overall, while I didn't play that many games, I still did do some gaming so that counts. Honestly, I think this is something everyone should try. Playing my DS for the first time in 3 months was amazing. It felt like I was a little kid again, playing for the first time. These relatively large breaks from gaming are the best thing that could have happened to me. We miss those little things when playing daily or even weekly.

It was fun, but now it's back to work (for two weeks).

A couple of things before the review:

-I have been watching One Piece. I said before that I wouldn't watch any ongoing series, but I just couldn't resist with One Piece. I'll be watching it every now and then, but probably won't get the point where I'm waiting for each new episode. If you don't like One Piece, I recommend trying again because I used to hate it. Now I realize how much of an enjoyable show it is and how likable the characters are.

-I have also been watching Saiyuki. At first, I wasn't so sure about it. It seemed like a regular anime with nothing special. Now I realize that it just took some time to get going. It's growing on me and I love the characters. Also, the visual styIe is extremely unique. It has such a special way of presenting itself by using close-ups, multiple viewpoints, and various filters.

-Thanksgiving break is coming up, and I will be back at home during that time. This means I will finally be playing games again. I don't know what I'll be playing though. Golden Sun is a big possibility since I want to finish it up. I'll probably post a blog after the break saying what I did.

-The Namco Bandai game was a new Digimon RPG. I like Digimon...and RPGs...and I've played two of those kind of games before (Digimon World 1 - oh the horror! and Digimon World 3 - wow, this is really good), but...meh.

Death Note is known far and wide as one of the most popular and highest rated anime series out there. The concept it introduces is something fresh and original, and it brings levels of suspense that I rarely experience. It has some superior character design in realistic settings, which just add to the intriguing, if controversial plot. However, the big question is whether or not Death Note deserves all this fame, despite all its strengths. The simple answer I can give you is no, but that does not mean the series fails. Death Note can be described in one word - inconsistent.

Death Note's plot is like a roller-coaster in terms of quality, meaning it goes up and down and is rarely the same. It is very easy to notice this when watching all the episodes in a small number of successions. The beginning is excellent. Seriously, if there was one moment of the series that was perfect, it would be the first couple of episodes. It drew me in and was always suspenseful, something I wish I could say for the entire anime. It slowly loses momentum, and gets to be pretty dull at a certain point. Some characters get the spotlight for a long time, and then seem to lose it as if the writers forgot about them. I wouldn't be surprised if some people dropped it because of some significant plot points. Fortunately the series does get back on its feet, and there were some episodes that I absolutely loved. It's just a real shame it couldn't stay amazing throughout. No matter how much better it got, the suspense and adrenaline from the beginning of the anime never came back until perhaps the very end, and that really bothers me. Not to mention there were countless times where it seemed like the writers took the easy way out, and made no sense in the process.

The characters do help the plot quite a bit though. I would consider many of them to be my favorites, and thought they were designed brilliantly, except for one in particular. Oddly enough, that one is the main character (or at least one of the main characters), Light Yagami. I loved Light in the beginning. He was realistic and someone I could relate to. As many people know, he dramatically changes, and that is the biggest problem I have with his character design. His change is unbelievable when comparing him to the Light we knew from the beginning. The way they depict him is to clearly keep people interested, but I was turned off by it. I would rather have a believable and realistic character rather than an overdone one. I could explain in more detail, but that would require spoilers. Disregarding Light, Death Note has a very memorable and likable cast. Of course L stands out as the star, but the others are interesting too. Their personalities and skills are pretty much set, so we don't see much growth. It works out though, since they are pretty deep anyway. Characters are a definite plus for Death Note.

I was amazed at how artistically creative Death Note turned out to be. It has a very dark tone to it, but it provides vivid color and is always easy on the eyes. The little things like lighting effects and facial features go a long way. It really fit the plot and characters at all times. I honestly had no problems with Death Note visually. Music and sound on the other hand, was completely mixed for me. I loved a couple of episodes before the end when they had some very impressive cl@ssical pieces that felt strange, but so fitting at the same time. I only wish they started that from the beginning. The musical themes played during the anime are usually the same couple of tracks, but they get the job done. The opening and ending are...interesting, to say the least. I loved the first opening and ending, but I really disliked the second ones (though I will admit they did grow on me). That's just a personal preference though. The composer did a great job bringing in the suspense through the music, when it was needed. I didn't have any problems with the voice acting, or at least none that made my ears bleed. Misa was obnoxious and high-pitched, but I know how much people love Aya Hirano, and she did grow on me throughout the series.

Before concluding this review, there is one final point I would like to make. It seems like we don't get anything accomplished throughout Death Note. Without spoiling anything, the concept still remains at the end, which means all of this could just happen again. Is that what they were going for? I don't know, but it just has me feel a little empty inside. They should have revealed more and gone deeper into the plot with a more abstract view towards it. I think it has the potential, and the material is there; it's just not examined enough.

Death Note is a very difficult series to describe. It's excellent, but flawed at the same time. If it was a bit more consistent, then I think it could easily be a contender for the best anime of all time. But right now it's just slightly overrated. However, I will never forget Death Note, and it definitely has more strengths than weaknesses.

Story - 8.8
Art - 10
Sound - 8.9
Character - 9.3
Enjoyment - 9
Overall Grade - 9.1

Well, Kid_Black_Star decided to use his power to tag me >.> Let's get this over with.

Fact #1 - I am afraid of heights and large perspectives

I don't think I have to explain heights part. I fear high places, especially when looking down :P What I mean by the perspective part is basically heights in pictures. It doesn't even have to be vertical though. If I see a picture of a tail of a whale, and then look off into the distance of just the ocean and nothing else there, I get terrified. Or if I'm looking at pictures of the World Trade Center or Hindenburg tragedies, I look away instantly. Not because they're terrible events, but just because the scope and vast perspective of something that large scares me. I hope this wasn't too confusing but it's hard to explain :?

Fact #2 - I am anxiously waiting for Namco Bandai's announcement

For those of you who don't know, Namco Bandai is teasing another RPG. People believe it's Xenosaga because apparently it says "that RPG will return", and Xenosaga did plan on being 6 games instead of 3. I've also heard rumors that it's a new Baten Kaitos game, and I desperately hope they're right. Baten Kaitos and Baten Kaitos Origins are two of the greatest and and most beautiful games ever made, and I would gladly take another. If you don't have either, go do yourself a favor and get them now. I'll wait :P

I would just link the picture to the teaser site, but Gamespot is not cooperating :x Here it is though:
http://www.bandaigames.channel.or.jp/list/RPG_LOST/

Fact #3 - I plan on majoring in accountancy

Now the reason why I don't say "I'm an accountancy major" is because I believe that can give the wrong impression. It kinda sounds like I already graduated then, and what would I say after I actually do graduate :P I guess it's just how I interpet it. Anyway, I was dead-set on engineering before this, but senior year of high school changed that. My AP Calculus cl@ss had me realize I probably didn't want to be doing that for the rest of my life, and my Advanced Accounting cl@ss is where I found my love for the subject. This is only my first year in college though, so I might change during the 5 years (yes, unfortunately accountancy is one of the hardest things to major in and you need 150 credit hours for the CPA test, hence a 5 year college plan). And for those of you who think you need to be good at math for accounting, that's not true. Accounting is literally just 5th grade math skills (although I am good at math still :P).

Fact #4 - I prefer cooperative multiplayer over competitive multiplayer

Pretty self-explanatory, I am just such a nice person that I like to work together and help everyone :D Okay, maybe that's a stretch :P But I just really enjoy co-op play. It saves pretty much any game for me, and there are some games I decide to play only because they have co-op. Maybe it's just because my brother and I have so many memories from playing all these games together (even if they're single player), but I will always prefer co-op over competitive...unless it's like co-op competitive, where you have teams against other teams, then everybody wins :lol:

Fact #5 - I am not a movie person

Yeah, they're just not my thing. I like to watch something longer that is broken into parts. I'm not saying that stories cannot be told in 2 hours, but I just prefer the format of a TV show or anime. There are some exceptions though, like Pixar, Studio Ghibli, and the Asian action movie industry. Other than those though, I'll usually have to be pushed into watching a movie rather than just wanting to watch one. Oh, and it's even rarer for me to see a movie in theaters. I like the comfort of my own home :P

Fact #6 - My favorite Internet Flash games website is Orisinal

^Click on the image to go to the site^

You will get addicted though; don't say I didn't warn you! Orisinal is everything I love about music, art, and addictive gameplay all meshed into one site of awesomeness. Words cannot describe the heartwarming feeling I get when playing, or even just looking at the games.

Fact #7 - I love "casual" games

And the quotes are there because who's to say a game is for the hardcore or casual (and how do you even determine if someone is hardcore or casual)? Anyway, going by what most people say is casual, I love them. I don't see what's wrong with playing Wii Sports, Tetris, or any random PopCap game. They're great games to play on and off every once in a while. Simply put, they're fun. And that's what gaming is supposed to be about, at least for me.

Note - I haven't actually played Peggle yet :P

Fact #8 - I am a very clean and organized person

Yeah, laugh it out if you want. What's funny is that my roommate is pretty messy. There's a clear difference between his parts of the room and mine :P I wouldn't call myself a "neat freak", but...my brother can tell you that if the game box on top of the system is just 1 degree off center, then I'll go up and fix it :lol: (I'm really not that bad though, it's just with games...I think).

Fact #9 - My favorite "Internet Celebrity" is Storm Dain

Storm is just flat-out awesome. He does a great job combining humor with actual reviewing skills. I don't know what it is about Storm, but he is just a very likable gamer that I can definitely see myself getting along with. He also reminds me of my cousin :P He is a member of Destructoid, but unfortunately I don't think there's a separate page with all his reviews on there, so his YouTube channel is the best way to see them.

Fact #10 - I have recently been addicted to top RPG music lists

^Click on the image to hear my new favorite piece^

If you're listening, then I hope the tune sounds familiar. It's the tune of possibly my favorite game opening ever (and one of my favorite games too; sorry this had to turn into Wild AMRs 2 rambling :P). I don't know why I find it so fun, but I'll pick out a list of something like the top 100 RPG battle themes on YouTube and just listen to it throughout the day. It really has me remember how awesome some of these games are, and also has me want to play the ones that I haven't gone through yet.

And I tag no one (again :P). Sorry, but I'm not going to spread it any further :lol:

I wanted to post this right away because I'll be posting a review of Death Note in a couple of days, probably on the weekend. This turned out so much better than I thoguht it would :o I'll conclude with something for Tales of the Abyss fans:

I just finished watching Persona 2: Innocent Sin, and I must say, this game really stands out. Not only does it have the most powerful and evil villain I have ever seen, but also has the biggest focus on a "supporting" character I have ever seen. Seriously, you would think he is considered the main character. Actually...all the characters seem to be like that too. Innocent Sin likes to break all the rules, in many other ways than just this, hehe. But seriously, the character design is top notch and the storyline is so much deeper than most RPGs out there.

I'm glad I wasn't actually playing the game though, because that final boss battle looked impossible. Everyone who played it says it's one of the most difficult bosses in any game. Maybe that's because it's like fighting 5 bosses at once, so intense! The ending is so difficult to describe. It's depressing and bitter, but also has a sense of hope. It's cut-off too, so I couldn't even imagine playing this game and having to wait for the sequel (or jumping right into the sequel and not knowing all the events from before, which is what the countries other than Japan had to do). I don't even know that much that happens in the second part (Persona 2: Eternal Punishment), but I do know that Innocent Sin's storyline is vital to fully understanding it.

Anyway, since I didn't play the game, I can't really give a recommendation other than referring to what I have been told by people. I don't know anyone who despises this game. It looks like a really solid RPG, maybe one of the best. From a story perspective, it is definitely worth it. The story gradually grows into something pretty complex and as I have mentioned before, it has a nice twist on history. I was engrossed from the start and it has all the bizarreness and disturbing parts to expect from Atlus. It's a shame it wasn't released outside Japan, but I can see why (very controversial).

One last thing, I loved the music, the voice acting was really good (although only found in battles), and this game probably has the funniest character animations ever. Oh, and P2 has the best velvet room out of the series; yes, I said that.

And now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to start watching part 2 - Persona 2: Eternal Punishment.

Now what might this be? Well, it's another anime review. This time on a movie called Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heaven's Door. What does this have to do with Halloween? Well, the movie takes place on Halloween, and it's an important part of the story, so I say it counts :P

Also, I threw in a review of the special Cowboy Bebop session. So yeah, all done with Cowboy Bebop now.

Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heaven's Door

Anime movies always appear to be there as an obligatory part of a series. It seems that every popular anime is going to get a movie eventually, or perhaps a ton of movies on some occasions. I never really thought about seeing them before because I am not much of a movie person, and I think the series is the real deal. Knockin' on Heaven's Door changed my mind though, as it entertained me from beginning to end and proved to be a worthy addition to Cowboy Bebop series. It's arguable where it fits into the time-line, if it does at all. I would say it occurs some time in between the anime's beginning and end, but that's not too important.

The story holds its own nicely, and it felt a little bit like the TV show 24 to me. The excellent character design is still there, and some of the new characters are very nice additions, especially the villain. Vincent is as heartless as Kefka from Final Fantasy VI, and that says something. I found some of the concepts were hard to follow since the movie likes to jump around all over the place, but I eventually caught on. It covers a lot within about 2 hours, but I would say it all comes together nicely, in a somewhat bitter way. This storyline gets to be quite deep, and has all the twists and turns in the right places so that it never gets old. However, the ending could be the only problem with the story, as it lacks some impact.

The film is visually stunning. Whether it's the highest quality of 2001, I have no idea, but everything was so smoothly animated that it's pure eye candy. Not to mention it was nice to see shadows and lighting effects that I never noticed in the original series, if it had them. The fight scenes were violent and some of the best I have seen, and always kept me at the edge of my seat. The music is, once again, superb. This time around I found that I liked the entire soundtrack. Every piece was put where it should be to appropriately fit the tone. Every aspect of the movie was top notch and had me going "Now that's what I'm talking about!". It is definitely not a disappointment, especially if the ending of the show had you wanting more. I didn't get the backstory I would have hoped for, but I can settle with this just fine.

Simply put, Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heaven's Door is a must-see for fans of the original series, and in my opinion, surpasses the series in practically every way. A pleasant surprise indeed.

Story - 9
Art - 10
Sound - 9.5
Character - 10
Enjoyment - 10
Overall Grade - 9.6

Cowboy Bebop XX: Mish-Mash Blues

Some people may not know this, but Cowboy Bebop was canceled halfway through the series (after episode 13) because of how violent it was, and also because of the increase in violence in Japanese schools. Of course we now know that it eventually came back to finish, but when they canceled it they made Mish-Mash Blues as the "final" episode. It is split into 24 small parts that show clips from the past 13 episodes to teach life lessons.

The whole episode is clearly an excuse to preach morals and the right thing to do, but it is still a nice clip-show that is organized appropriately. It reminded me of how much I enjoyed some of the beginning episodes, and the monologues that each character gives fit nicely into the content. It is all recycled material except for the ending which has a nice song. I really wonder if we needed to have this though, because everything they say is already implied in the original series. Now they're just flat-out telling us instead of making us think about the metaphors and deeper meaning behind each episode.

Is this worth watching? Not really, but if you love the series and want a little recap, or just want to think about life and what lessons you might have missed from watching the show, then it's worth a look.

Oh, and I got a kick out of the commercials because it's apparently sponsored by Kellogs and Bandai.

Overall Grade - 6.5/10

Hope anyone who's celebrating Halloween has a good time :) I'm not doing anything special for it, but I never really was a fan in the first place.

That's right. After wanting to get into it for a long time, I am finally starting to watch anime. This is basically because I don't play games during school anymore (since I'm not at home and didn't bring any games with me), so the game part is replaced with anime, and I'm fine with that. I never really watched any before, other than maybe one or two series and a couple of episodes here and there of mainstream anime.

I have done a lot of "research" and looked up so many animes that I've become somewhat of an expert on them (as far as popularity, basic info, and reputations go). You know me, always have to see everything and not leave anything out. That's why my "Plan to Watch" list is, well, quite large, hehe :P

Will all my blogs be anime blogs from now on? Who knows, but I probably won't talk much about games until I go back to them in December. First thing I'm going to do is finish Golden Sun: The Lost Age. I really hate it that I left it unfinished when I was so into it before my departure. I think I forgot what I was doing too, oh well, I still like it.

So, I have two reviews to share today (spoiler free of course). Don't worry though, I made them brief. Just a little insight on my thoughts of the series as a whole. I could definitely ramble on each for much longer, but I think this size is good enough. Let me know what you think. The ratings are the system that MyAnimeList.net has me use. I know they only allow whole numbers, but I can break it into tenths over here.

Cowboy Bebop

Ah yes, one of those "cl@ssic animes" that tons of people love. I'm finding it difficult to express what I think of Cowboy Bebop, but I'll try my best. Cowboy Bebop seems to be one of those animes that everyone needs to watch, no matter what they like. I came into it with relatively high expectations because I heard so many great things. What can I say after seeing all 26 episodes? Well, I was not disappointed, I can at least say that much.

Cowboy Bebop has an episodic plot, which is usually a turn-off for most people. However, it's the exception to the rule. While it's true that each episode can stand alone, and some do outshine others, they actually connect together. I believe its greatest strength is the characters. They develop throughout each episode and are probably the most likable bunch I have ever seen. I loved each and every one of them. One of my gripes with the series is the final two episodes. Don't get me wrong, I loved those two episodes, but it left me feeling like something was missing, and I can't talk about it without having spoilers (message me if you want to discuss, I would prefer to not have them in the comments because we all know how tempting those spoiler tags can be). Other than that, each episode just builds up the tension for the very explosive and emotional finale that's worth every second.

The animation is fluid and impressive for its time, so no problems there (unless you only care about current anime visuals, which I don't know why you would, but whatever). Cowboy Bebop is often praised for its music, and I can see why. Tank! and The Real Folk Blues are two of my favorite opening/ending themes, but the rest of the music is a mixed bag. Some of it is really good. Actually, it's always really good, that is, when it's focused on the jazz/blues theme. The problem is that it does mix it up sometimes and bring in a different genre. This is when I notice that the music is not flowing with the vibe as much as it should. I'm sorry, but I have to say that the soundtrack has some masterful tracks with an occasional annoying track here and there. Perhaps I noticed it so much because they did such a great job with the jazz. Oh, and about the voice acting, I watched it in Japanese, which was excellent, but I hear the English cast is one of the best anime has ever had.

Overall, I enjoyed Cowboy Bebop and it's a very well-rounded experience. It was a fun, if somewhat disjointed ride.

Story - 8.8
Animation - 8.6
Sound - 9.4
Character - 10
Enjoyment - 8.8
Overall Grade - 8.7/10

Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu

First, I would like to say that Full Metal Panic! is one of my most cherished anime experiences, perhaps because it was the first series I ever watched all the way through. It's one of my favorites and had such a good blend of action and comedy that never failed to entertain. So here we are with the spin off Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu, that blends comedy with...well, more comedy. Okay okay, so it does have some action and a bit of romance, but this is not an anime to watch unless you want some good laughs.

The series is basically episodic, but characters from other episodes pop up quite often. There is some good fanservice for those who have seen the original series too. Each episode revolves around a typical school situation turned into a disaster because of Sousuke Sagara's extreme military procedures. They all tend to be creative and very enjoyable. Out of the 12 episodes, there was maybe only 1 that I found to be subpar. The characters from the original series are as good as ever, and the new side characters are actually quite interesting and humorous. Because FMP?F is only 12 episodes long, it goes by fast, and nearly every moment is worth it. I found the final episode to be pretty clever and could be my favorite one.

The animation fits the humor perfectly. I can't really say if it's the best of its time because I'm not really sure, but everything is pleasant on the eyes. The voice acting is, as expected, awesome. Sousuke's calm attitude contrasts with Chidori's violent rage quite nicely. I have only heard the Japanese voice acting though. Music is a little bit on the dull side. It's not bad, per se, but it's certainly not going to win any awards. Most of the time the same tracks are recycled throughout the episodes because they represent a certain mood. This isn't bothersome, but you would think that it would make them more memorable for hearing each one so much, but nope, I actually don't remember most of the music. The voice acting and cool sound effects makes up for that though.

I loved Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu. It was hilarious, memorable, and always a joy to watch. I believe it could have gone on for another season or two and still not become tiresome, but we may never know...

Story - 8
Animation - 9
Sound - 8.8
Character - 9.2
Enjoyment - 9.7
Overall Grade - 9/10

Not really anything else to say. My brother and I have been checking out the PS3 version of Tales of Vesperia, and I really hate it that they keep doing this (360 game comes out, then PS3 game comes out a year later with a bunch of extras), but I really want to get the PS3 version if it ever gets localized. It looks so awesome :o I mean, seriously, just look at this!

Anyway, hope everybody's lives are looking positive. Thank you for reading ^.^