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.

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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)