FORT90

Man, it’s been exactly a month since last checking in. Just goes to show how busy 2013 has been thus far!

And because it’s still a new year, I’m going to try and stick to the resolution I make each and every time, and that’s to have somewhat manageable sized update. Which is why, instead of covering everything that’s happened over the past month or so, I’m just concentrate on…

Las Vegas. So, how was it? Well, more than anything, I was blown away by how stunningly accurate the various depictions of the place, from movies and TV shows, all honestly were. It was equal parts bizarrely fascinating and morbidly depressing. Actually, it wasn’t always equal. Far from it.

After spending an entire week at the place, was expecting to come back home with a ton of wacky Vegas. But alas, was mostly busy with the reason why I was there in the first place: the 2013 Consumer Electronic Show. Actually, not so much busy, but overwhelmed. Will get to that in a bit (and I do have at least one anecdote).

But first; almost immediately after touching ground, and realizing that there are slot machines everywhere, and how everything costs a goddamn fortune, I quickly checked into my hotel and took a cab to where the rest of the TechRadar crew was, to get down to business. Work, on day one, took place here…

Day one was actually day zero, aka the day before CES officially kicked off, which meant covering pressers. Nothing terribly exciting to report here. Once those were finally done and over with, had some down time to play around with, before a shindig in the evening, so I decided to explore.

As I would quickly learn, there are opportunities to gamble everywhere. This is the casino that was just around the corner from the press area…

Here’s a fun fact I also discovered early on: people don’t like it when you take pictures of them gambling. On my first day, almost got kicked out of a casino because of this picture…

Thankfully, the elderly are the exception to that rule; though most were too busy throwing away their pensions to even notice me. Also, in this case, the Michael Jackson game was pretty engrossing…

Speaking of old, most casinos were a jarring mishmash of classic gambling staples ….

And their modern equivalents (which a lot like Beatmania)…

The one thing that never failed to impress me was the architecture of most hotels/casinos…

While some were quite magnificent, others were quite cheesy…

Even funnier was how things were randomly clumped together…

Sorry, but it’s every visiting New Yorker’s job to point and laugh at this sight…

Say hello everybody to “Killer”…

A partial view of the Las Vega strip, way at the southern end, looking north…

You know what I dig a lot, but which you never see around here in NYC, and which therefore got me super excited? Palm tress. Why? I’m pretty sure it’s Sega AM2′s doing…

So my first night in Vegas was spent at this pre-CES party that had all these vendors who, for whatever reason, didn’t have a booth at the show proper. And, funny enough, that’s where I came across the coolest piece of tech from the entire week: the Oculus Rift…

It’s that Kickstarter funded VR headset that you may have heard about. All I can say is that it is quite simply the God’s honest future of video games. Without question, end of story. It’s basically the Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s Holodeck, version 0.001. Even now I can’t get over how amazing the experience was. And this coming from a dude who could care less about virtual reality, or did.

Most amazing part is how I didn’t instantly vomit all over the place in the very first instant! Granted, it is supremely perplexing and disorienting at first. It’s almost like you’re learning to walk for the very first time. But eventually I was able to get the hang of things, and was simply amazed by how I was walking around this virtual environment, and able to look around, with a total free range of motion.

Unfortunately, the Asian part of me eventually kicked in. Still, I hung in there for a good ten minutes, which was much more than I had expected (it usually takes far less time for me to start feeling dizzy with most FPSs). The funny thing is how it has a different effect on different people; some people, like those who never suffer from motion sickness, can’t handle more than ten seconds (like Mike, apparently).

Another highlight of the party was the abundance of tiny hamburgers, tiny hot dogs, and tiny pizzas. Hey, I love finger foods! Also tater tots. Lots and lots of tater tots…

The next day was CES proper and, I have to say… speaking as who considers himself a vet of conventions… I was completely taken aback (and at times, flat out flummoxed) by how massive the entire thing was. It’s like San Diego Comic Con, yet somehow bigger.

So, was there any cool stuff? Well, I mostly stuck to the things my editor ordered me to report on, and thustly had precious little opportunity to really explore on my own. And when the chance did arrive, there was so much sensory overload that my brain basically shut down. Anyone familiar with all my other show reports should know already that this was highly unusual for me!

I did come across a lot of stuff that could be considered cool by some. Like the 4K TVs that made their debut at the show. But, sorry, I honestly couldn’t tell the difference between them and your “average” HD display…

Also, those familiar with my TechRadar output is well aware of how cell phones are my jam. Was really looking forward to groping some sexy new Android handsets, especially since (like so many around these parts) I’m suffering from iPhone/iOS fatigue.

Yet there honestly wasn’t anything: no Galaxy S4 as hoped. Hell, even BlackBerry and their new devices were total no-shows. The best thing going was the latest from Sony. Can say I’m the biggest fan of their Xperia line…

Again, there was so much stuff to process that I almost couldn’t handle it. Making matters much worse (and which was easily the worst part of the entire show) is how I had to cover all these Windows 8 laptops that were impossible to make heads or tails of.

The lowest point was at the Intel booth, where I got pissed at a rep who got pissed at me for pointing out how silly it was that he couldn’t figure out how to use Windows 8 (which, sorry, is kinda insane). At least they had this cool looking tree in which all the foliage was made out of Windows laptops, and that was pretty cool…

The end of day one was the TechRadar after party. It took place at a swanky hotel, which is a bit silly to say, since every hotel in Vegas is swanky. Actually, it took place at a club within a hotel; here’s the ceiling that everyone starred at while waiting to get inside (though since I was staff, I didn’t have to actually wait)…

The club itself was some cheesy Asian fusion type of deal, a weird hodgepodge of Japanese, Chinese, and Korean. One could easily describe the entire city as just one big, goofy jumble of “things” as well…

Due to it being such a hot ticket, the doors were closed fairly early on, and Mike plus other pals weren’t able to make it in. So I ended up getting drinks at the bar (which was open, at least for myself), and taking them outside. Best part is how no one cared. Granted, we weren’t technically out in the streets, but even then, it would not have been an issue. Pretty much everyone drinks and smokes, all over the place. No one give’s a rat’s ass. It truly is Disneyland for adults.

Speaking of, and for those wondering: no I did not go to any strip clubs, despite having plenty of opportunities to do so. Like after the party; I declined on joining a bunch of folk who wanted to keep the night going. Afterwards, a colleague who was part of the action told me how he ended up accidentally blowing almost two grand at one such place. Holy sh*t indeed. Not that I would ever dare part ways with that much money… which would have been a big issue.

I hate to knock Vegas, but my biggest irk was how aggressive everyone was. Walking down the street, people are literally yelling at you to go to whatever strip club that they shill for. Like the one dude’s attempt at courting me, whose line kicked off this entry. At least that guy was somewhat funny; others, including some working the show… I’m talking about security guards, bartenders, even the people that were supposed to give information… were just flat out dicks.

It makes sense I guess; the entire city is built around being an alpha male, so that mindset naturally permeates everywhere. Though that wasn’t the only reason why I was skittish about exploring the city, well into the night, as I had planned on. Another issue was how my hotel was relatively far away from the strip (arrangements were made pretty late in the game, and it was the best I could get). Which meant, unless I wanted to blow an additional $40 a day on cabs (and I didn’t), I couldn’t drop my stuff off at the end of the day, i.e. my laptop, before going back out for adventures.

Not that I was afraid that I was going to get into any trouble, but my entire life is on it. Plus a MacBook Pro does get kinda heavy after about 15 hours. Ultimately, having my laptop on my at all times was somewhat essential, since I plenty of work to do in the evenings as well, which also allowed me to explore the fantastic architecture that was one definite highlight of the trip…

One after show soiree took place at Caesar’s Palace, which legitimately blew me away the most. This sounds so cheesy, but walking towards the entrance, alongside many others, really felt as if I was in Rome circa 100 BC!

Got to watch two Korean Starcraft players going at it, check out a 1TB flash drive that costs like a thousand dollars or something like that, and admire this super teeny-tiny PC. Much like the 4K TV pic from above, I wish I had something to give a sense of scale…

Also, the finger foods they served were insanely delicious. Anyhow, was so swept up by the spirit of Vegas at that point (was also mighty drunk at the time), that I decided to actually give throwing my money away a shot as well. I chose the following slot machine…

Why? Take a closer look…

Was totally confused. Even if I wasn’t inebriated, I would have had no idea as to what did what. But hey, at least I made some money (by lining up all squirrels, I think)…

Back to one other not so pleasant thing about Vegas: Carrot Top pretty much owns the place…

Yet another thing from the trip that I was upset over? I really wanted to see Wayne Newton live, and wouldn’t you know, the one time I’m in his neck of the woods, the guy’s not there and instead performing in Atlantic City! Also wanted to see Penn & Teller, and despite the fact that they were performing in my hotel, I couldn’t go. Again, due to my schedule. Which is why, when I heard of Tablet Man, I had to check this guy out…

And I did…

Other highlights from the show floor includes this tiny robot on a tiny bike…

And this rather large wooden drawing model on a not as tiny bike…

Back to robots; one of my favorite finds was this little robotic Android that is programmed and controlled on the fly by any Android device, of course. As well as with iOS…

CES isn’t just about hardware, but software as well. Get this: Vocaloids are finally coming to the US!

So there was this guy, who I wanted to take a picture of, but i also didn’t want to indulge him either, so I chose instead to take a pic from behind, as he was chatting with Elvis (would later find out that the dude in question is someone who goes around calling himself Sir Gaga, real named Gary Fisher)…

Perhaps my biggest disappointment of the entire trip was how I was not able to check out the one arcade everyone told me about, Insert Coin(s). Unfortunately it was too far away, and otherwise, there were no arcades elsewhere, period. So I simply walked up and down the strip, hoping to run into “something”…

… I really wish I had gotten the chance to see Cook. E. Jar. As well as this guy (okay, maybe not)…

The Bellagio Fountains was certainly a sight to behold. If you think this is a beautiful, imagine the water dancing to the tune of “Proud To Be An American” I had a hard time taking picture, due to the water that was pouring from my eyes…

Once CES 2013 wrapped up, it was time for the big dinner with coworkers before heading home. Which was at Planet Hollywood; got there a bit early, hoping to check out some movie memorabilia. Cuz you’d think such a place would have such stuff, right? Nope. At least I was able to run into the throngs of Miss Teen USA participants who were in town (as soon as one event ends, like CES, something else takes its place; alongside the beauty pageant, you also had the porn convention, lol) and waiting in line for some stage show that was happening, one starring Ice T’s wife, Coco (again, lol).

I wanted to ask how they kept their little crowns in place, but A) I’m sure every douche, dork, and Harry asks them that, every single day, and B) each had a handler, to deal with said miscreants. At the very least, was again reminded of how I have very particular tastes in women, and how it does not line up with middle America. I certainly have a type, and they all live in New York City (certain parts at least), Los Angeles (again, not across the board), and Portland (maybe Austin too). And for anyone thinking I’m a creep for eyeballing teenage girls, A) with all that make up, they all looked mid 30s, and B) I still have a thing for Hermione.

While waiting at the hotel bar for everyone else to arrive, it dawned on me … and this is my last complaint, I swear to God… how horrible the go-go dancing is in Vegas. Not that I’m some connoisseur, but I’ve soon way better (I know a really good place, in Park Slope of all places, but that’s neither here nor there). Anyhow, dinner was served and it was awesome. As well as hella expensive; thankfully, the company took care of the bill. Was tempted to make my final night in Vegas an all nighter, but because I had an early flight back home in the morning, opted to head back to the hotel at a reasonable hour…

Yet I was restless, so I decided to check out the casino that was downstairs, mostly for some more stuff to Instagram. Since taking pics of people at the craps table got me in hot water once before, I decided to explore the far end of the casino, which was pretty much deserted (it was 3:30AM after-all). It was there that I noticed a pair of eyes fixated on me…

And because I had a dollar just burning a hole in my pocket, I decided to gamble once again. I also had plenty of options; hardly anyone was playing any of the slot machines that was surrounding me. The one I decided upon was awesome because it was tailor made for cheap-ass, mister no pennies like myself; one could break down the dollar into ten cent bets, insuring much crank pulling.

So I’m sitting there, watching the barrels roll till they stopped, and making them roll again, like a total idiot, when a woman came up to me. Not just any woman, but a prostitute. She asked: “Want some company tonight?”

And I simply replied with: “Thanks, but no thanks.”

Was expecting her to just move along with no fuss or muss, like when you decline a stripper’s offer for a lap dance at a strip club. But no, she just stood there, staring at me, with a mixture of confusion and disgust. After about ten seconds… ten very long and awkward seconds… she eventually moved on. And, because I apparently had at least the look of confusion on my face as well, a hotel employee (or at least a guy dressed as one) came up to me and quietly screamed…

“Hey kid, what are you doing here? You want to play the slots? Well play the slots OVER THERE, with everyone else. Because, if you’re sitting here, by your lonesome self, you know what that tells me, and others? THAT YOUR’RE LOOKING FOR SOME PUSSY. And if that ain’t what you’re here for, THEN GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE.”

And with that, I put all my remaining money on one last spin, which was sixty cents, and I was indeed outta there…

So yeah, guess that for me was Vegas for me in a nut shell? Guess that’s it for now; next time I’ll go over what’s been happening since, as well as some stuff to look forward to, as well as… an album review! Till tomorrow (maybe, hopefully).

2 comments

First thing’s first: happy new year.
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As noted on Attract Mode, 2013 was ushered in by the smooth jams of George & Jonathan, at George & Gabe‘s (or is it Jonathan who lives there? I forget). And the one thing that sticks out, other than how I downed an entire bottle of champaign and miraculously did not getting sick, was Mia asking “Did ANYONE have a good 2012?!?!”

And the answer was no. Exactly one year ago today, I noted how much of a shit-sandwich that 2012 was, and wondered if thighs could possible get worse. Which they did!

Unfortunately, 2013 has not had the most auspicious of beginnings either. Was hoping to kick start the first blog entry of the new year with a picture of myself, triumphantly standing on-top of a pile of freshly printed FORT90ZINE4ANSWER (or at least pointing at one). Hence why this end ’12 wrap-up is coming almost a week after the fact. But, I think you know the deal already.

Long story short, was told by the most recent place I turned towards that my InDesign file was corrupt. Thing is, I passed it along a long ass time ago, but was only told of the issue just the other day, because they only checked it the other day. I know I reached out at the worst time possible, right before Christmas, but still.

This latest screw up is being resolved, but the problem now is how I’ll be out of town by the time the proofs arrive; am heading in Vegas for CES tomorrow morning and will be gone all week. To be honest, at this point, I almost don’t want to do give them any business and am currently exploring yet ANOTHER print option (and if that one fails, I’m just going to bite the bullet and do the printing myself).

At least I have further photographic proof that I seriously haven’t been slacking as it pertains to fulfilling my Kickstarter obligations, but first, what Christmas was like on my end…

First you had the traditional Dave and Raina‘s Christmas specials and snacks smackdown. The definite highlight on that end, aside from the hilarious holiday episode of G.I. Joe, was meeting Jerzy Drozd, who is Dave’s partner in podcasting. And we kinda hit it off…

Oh, and here’s a little something from Dave and Raina’s apartment that I never noticed before (or perhaps it’s a brand new addition): a cell from the old Ed Grimley Saturday morning cartoon…

Back to holiday traditions, on Christmas Eve, I have a few of my own; I always start things off with the Pee-Wee’s Christmas Playhouse special, with a side of Christmas NiGHTS…

Feliz Naviblah!

Though the main course is always the copious amounts of holiday cheer, from Melonville…

And finally you have Santa’s Slay, starring ex-WCW superstar, Bill Goldberg…

Chestnuts roasting over an open fire that is Fran Drescher’s skull…

Yet another Christmas tradition are holiday cards, and here’s one I got from Atlus…

Speaking of Persona 4 Golden, the best tradition of them all is holiday sex. And which of the P4 ladies did I bone that evening? Rise-chan, but only because I messed up while attempting to get into Naoto’s panties. Hey, beggars can’t be choosers…

As for the day of, it was spent like every other Christmas, at Dave’s old stomping grounds in Long Island. Him and Raina got me this sweet as hell Asteroids necktie!

Oh, and guess what else Santa also passed along?

Gotta say; it’s pretty weird, watching Miami Connection in high definition. But it’s still worth the purchase, even if you’ve seen it literally 60+ times, like myself. Among other things is the extras, including the Dragon Sound reunion!

But now that Miami Connection is finally out, and being enjoyed by all, my duties as it pertains to spreading the gospel has officially come to a close. Which is why it is now time to focus my energies on something else…

Yup, got a copy. Off of eBay, from some dude in Australia (which makes a lot of sense, if you know a thing or two about the film scene down there). Can’t wait!

So another thing I picked up was a Zero Suit Samus state that I’ve had my eyes on forever. And long story short, I’ve become pen pals with the guy who sold it to me! He’s some dude in Japan that asked a bunch of questions, and along with my answers, I shared other bits of knowledge, like my affinity for certain Japanese dishes. In response…

He also shared with me pics from his hometown, which has finally begun to recover from the earthquakes and tsunamis that rocked Japan a few years back. Plus pics of his daughter who just turned 2. What a sweet guy!

Back to the subject of movies, I saw Django Unchained. I liked it! The best part was when Windows 95 crashed, right before show time…

Even though I was unsuccessful in printing up fort90zine #4s by the end of 2012, I was able to produce the final batch of fort90zine #1s. Am retiring the debut issue for one reason and one reason alone: the silkscreen covers are a bitch to produce. Thank God Colleen lent me a helping hand…

BTW, here’s Colleen’s custom-made Nook cozy, which is covered with Space Invaders…

Plus a small taste of Colleen’s book collection…

And here we are, December 31, 2012. As the seconds were ticking down and before George & Jonathan went into action…

Some DEEP notes…

And finally, the moment we had all been waiting for…

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So… 2012. What a year, right? There were plenty of good parts. But there was also plenty of bad ones as well:

- On the game writing front, it was my busiest year thus far. Starting with a fill in slot over at NBC News, my highest profile gig yet, I also began contributing to Kotaku on an official level, as their unofficial video game movie reviewer. I also began writing about cell phones again, for TechRadar, and I also recently became a primary contributor for Gameranx.

A while back, I wondered if I was cut out for full-time, freelance writing. And while I’m definitely hanging in there, I’m also getting a bit burnt out by all the hustle and bustle. In many ways, my writing acumen has improved by leaps and bounds over the past year alone, but at the same time, it’s also hurt it a considerable degree. At least my personal work, with the FORT90ZINE4ANSWER being the primary casualty.

I guess I’m also frustrated by how I’m not able to really explore the game culture landscape as much as I would prefer, but that has more to do with marketplace than anything else, plus I should be happy that I’m working as is. But at the same time, I am now seriously considering a change in direction, career-wise. Which at the age of 35, is kinda scary. Though it’s impossible to deny that I think I might have found another calling…

- After a two year hiatus, 2012 also saw me back returning to curating art shows. Comics Vs. Games was smash success, and Fangamer VERSUS Attract Mode even more so.

On that note, Attract Mode 2.0 also officially launched, and it’s blog has helped fill the void of GameSetWatch 2.0 somewhat. There’s actually a LOT more happening on that front, so stay tuned.

- Spent a decent amount of time outside of NYC, with the highlight being my return trip to Toronto, for Comics Vs. Games/TCAF 2012. It was simply incredible, enough to make me seriously consider leaving the Big Apple for greener (or should I say whiter) pastures! Though their inability to produce anything remotely decent when it comes to Mexican food is a downer.

- Also finally checked out Portland, where I had my love life analyzed by some girl hangs around food trucks and who uses toy dinosaurs.

- Became teaching again. Though instead a bunch of art school kids for students, was dealing with “regular” college kids, which was definitely awkward at times. Though they did a surprisingly fine job when asked to design a dating sim.

- Met a large number of famous folk. Including Boba Fett (I even got to act in a scene with the guy, which was both neat and surreal), Grandmaster Y.K. Kim (don’t forget to check out my interview with him; the link can be found in the list to the right), Danny Choo (who is basically my personal hero), and Nobuhiko Obayashi (whom I hugged, once again).

- Oh, and I also became e-buddies with Ventla and Gary Spivey, plus I had a “moment” with Kanye West.

- Started doing Pilates. That shit is hard, yo.

- My shitload of “creepy” Persona 4 Gold Instagram pics, in the end, got noticed by the very top…

- After being with one girlfriend or another, after 7+ years, 2012 was my first full year as a bachelor. All I can say is that being a single dude in your mid 20s and being a single dude in your mid 30s could not be more night and day different. Add in NYC, and things become decidedly more… “complicated” as well.

It’s perhaps not in my best interest to share too many highlights (or low points) from my love life, but for those who are indeed interested, try to track down some old tweets of mine, to find the time I went out with a racist chick (had no idea she was, obviously, until a basketball came on the TV at the bar we were at).

- Like I keep saying, 2012 sucked the big one, though I realize that I also haven’t really gone into any real detail. Unfortunately, as cathartic it might be to just spill my guts, I must once again plead the fifth.

Thankfully, I have some amazing friends who all lent their support during some said rough waters. Though super special credit need to be given to those who are due, which includes Dave, Joe, Colleen, and Raina Lee. They are the good guys.

But I will say this: easily the worst part was how four people I have known, of various degrees of closeness, passed away. And in each instance, the circumstances were simply tragic. It’s such a cliché, but it’s true: be happy for the people you have in your lives, because they may not always be there forever.

- Oh, and I’ve mentioned this like a thousand times, but I’m flat-out embarrassed and ashamed that I wasn’t able to successfully produce FORT90ZINE4ANSWER in ’12. While I do appreciate that no one has given me a hard time about it, I still hope everyone understands that it’s a fact that I think about basically every single day, and I want this monkey off my back in the worst way possible.

… When all is said and done, and more than anything, I have begun to wonder if I am long for this place. I love New York and all, I really do. But for the first time, I have begun to wonder if it might be time to finally see what else is out there. On that note, today is the 17th year anniversary of me making the Big Apple my home.

So I’m also wondering how much longer I’ll be sticking around. The goal is to hit the 20 year mark, but you never know right? Basically, it’ll simply take that special thing or one to either make me finally venture forth or stick around! Anyhow, enough of all that. Time to talk about…
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If there was one unequivocal positive of 2012, it’s how it was quite simply the best year ever for video games, IMHO. Never before have so many awesome games been made available in so many ways, and for so many people. Sadly, a good portion of it all went unnoticed, or worst of all, taken for granted (to the point of annoyance). Anyways, starting from the top:

Quite Simply, The Top Five Games Of 2012:

5. Dyad (PlayStation 3)
Long story: it’s basically the game Rez 2, aka Child of Eden, should have been. Period. End of story.

4. Tekken Tag Tournament 2 (PlayStation 3/Xbox 360)
For the past 30 minutes, I’ve been laboring some 150+ word long explanation as to why Tekken Tag 2 is the complete antitheses of what fighting games have become, which also allowed me to take another dig at Street Fighter 4 and the people who like them. One of several, and each more long-winded than the other. So let’s just say that it’s been some of the most flat out, pure fun I’ve had with a game all year and leave it at that!

3. Orgarhythm (PlayStation Vita)
Huh? Exactly. It’s a shame that virtually no one knows of its existence, which is a bit odd, given that it’s the only game thus far (or at least as far as I can tell) to combine Black & White, Pikmin, and Dance Dance Revolution. And quite brilliantly! While definitely not perfect… I don’t like how you have to tap one a specific part of the screen instead of being able to do so anywhere, like in most touchscreen games… it’s by far the most original game I played all year.

2. Gravity Rush (PlayStation Vita)
Another Vita game? Yes. I’m a big fan of super heroes, and yet, I honestly can’t think of a single good super hero game. Ever. Sorry, am not a fan of Arkham City. Everyone’s necks are too thick and veiny and scary to me. Also, Batman doesn’t really fly around in the air, which is the best part of being a super hero, and the one thing that no game has been able to get right. Until now. Oh, and it more than anything gave me faith that Japan still has it when it comes to making games.

Two-Way Tie: Persona 4 Arena (PlayStation 3/Xbox 360) and Persona 4 Golden (PlayStation Vita)
For starters, Arena is simply the impossible: a sequel to a role playing games in the form of the fighting game that feels completely natural and logical, and is also supremely accessible, while also being super deep. It’s also a joy to see and hear, plus it’s vast storylines is an achievement all by itself. There have been countless games to have backstories, but here we finally have one that goes the distance to a redonkulous degree and rewards all diehard Persona 3/4 fans to boot.

Meanwhile, some might protest the inclusion of P4Golden, since it’s a remake of a PS2 game from 2008 and therefore shouldn’t “count”. Whatever. Bottom line is how it’s the one single title I’ve enjoyed most, as well as played the most (even more than Arena, though given the differences in genre, that’s not the most fair of comparisons), despite coming out at the very tail end of the year.

Plus it serves as the absolute best example of how adding just the right amount of new content to an already amazing game not only makes it better, but in some ways, almost a different thing. Thanks to the all the new story elements, plus all the new social links added, along with how ranking those up is now easier than before, the new P4 now places more emphasis (and weight) on the being friends with everyone component, which was always the best part.

Yet at the same time, significant improvements made to the how battles are played out, along with how new Personas are created, plus the ability to augment them, has created a far richer, more personal experience, on every level. Also, you simply cannot beat playing a JRPG on a handheld, and when you factor the best JRPG ever made (aside from Panzer Dragoon RPG) on the best piece of portable hardware (and I mean that), you simply have the best game of 2012.

Speaking of…

Game Or Piece Of Hardware That I Loved To Death, Yet Could Not Recommend To People In Good Conscious

The PlayStation Vita
Seriously, I LOVE the Vita. The hardware is simply outstanding (like seriously, I barely touch my 3DS and am so done with the limitations of iOS) and the few games that are available are equally incredible. But the key word here is “few”; there’s barely any support for the device, and Sony is doing the worst job imaginable, marking the dam thing thing.

Plus the OS largely sucks, and their instance on proprietary memory cards is an f’n joke. Also, why the hell can I not play every PSone game available on PSN, plus why do I have to use the PS3 as an intermediary for certain PSP games? Jesus Christ do I hate Sony.

Game I Enjoyed The Most, Even If It Franky Blows

Tokyo Jungle (PS3)
You’ve got second rate visuals, wonky controls, nothing makes sense, plus its hellishly repetitive. Pretty much the only thing going for it is the fact that you get to control a pomeranian as he attempts to take down a lion. But man, what an awesome gimmick! Which is why I kept going back for more.

Game I Enjoyed A Lot, But Not Nearly As Much As Everyone Else

Journey (PS3)
Believe the hype; Journey is every bit the cornerstone for the medium that everyone claims it to be. And playing the game was indeed an awe-inspiring, beautiful, and transcendental experience. That being said, I’ve never played a game that had such an effect on me that I was not interested in giving a second spin. Not immediately after, not many months since. Oh well.

Game I Enjoyed A Bit, But Not Quite As Much As I Had Hoped To

Retor/Grade (PS3)
The concept is brilliant: a shump in which time is backwards, so the gameplay resembles Guitar Hero/Rock Band. Unfortunately the music isn’t quite as catchy as could or should be, plus if you mess up just once, it’s all downhill from there, as you brain struggles to figure out all the space/time continuity business (though it might just be me).

Game I Enjoyed A Lot, Even Though I Literally Can’t Last For More Than Ten Seconds

Super Hexagon (iOS)
Seriously, I cannot get past the ten second mark, no matter what. It’s beyond embarrassing.

Game That Flat-Out Disappointed The Most

Skullgirls (PS3/Xbox 360)
I’m sorry, but as much as I wanted to love the game, mostly because I’m such big fans of those who were involved on the visual side of things (and the game is gorgeous as all hell, there’s no question about that), I found the game to be an absolute chore to play. It’s fine for diehard fighting fanatics, but for the rest of us human beings? Pass.

Game That Finally Turned A Corner For Me

Minecraft (PC)
I finally “got” Minecraft this year, thanks in part to Gerrit for showing me how it’s meant to be played: alongside pals, and while drinking. But also, the brilliant Minecraft: Story of Mojang by 2 Player Productions!

Game That Allowed Me To Tap Into My Love For Early American History

Assassin’s Creed 3 (PS3/Xbox 360)
It’s hardly perfect, but dammit, any game that allows me to be a washed up bartender from Hoboken that gets to relive the experiences of some Native American whose named I can’t pronounce, and who also gets to hang with Ben Franklin, is a thumbs up in my book.

Game Company That Is Doing An Awesome Job Of Pimping Out Its Past

Sega
Last year I made note of how amazing their ports of Radiant Silvergun and Daytona USA were, but this year, they somehow managed to top themselves. I’m actually legitimately upset that hardly anyone has made any real notice of NiGHTS HD. Sadly, it’s missing a few elements from Christmas NiGHTS, while the port of Virtua Fighter 2 is absolutely perfect.

I also never thought that I would ever see an arcade perfect version of Fighting Vipers as well, but here we are. Plus, they bent over backwards to get the best songs in the re-release of Jet Set Radio, something most publishers would simply skimp out on. True they can’t seem to make any halfway decent new games these days (though I hear Binary Domain is pretty decent).

Game That Makes Me Wonder If Suda 51 Has Jumped The Shark

Lollipop Chainsaw (PS3/Xbox 360)
Sorry, but it seems like more like the invention of a Suda fanboy than Suda himself. But hey, Grasshopper also published Sine Mora, that time bending, furry rape shump, so I’m still a fan.

Game I’m Finally Happy To Be Able To Play, For Fuck’s Sake

Two-Way Tie: Katawa Shoujo (PC), Spelunky (Xbox 360), and La-Mulana (WiiWare)
Especially the crippling girl dating sim! I also love how not just one, but TWO early awaited titles that are inspired by Indian Jones finally made their appearance. BTW, Retro City Rampage was also quite fab, but I’m waiting for the WiiWare version to really sink my teeth into that game.

Game I’m Looking Forward To The Most

Three-Way Tie: Metal Gear Rising: Revengance (PS3/Xbox 360), Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes (PS3/Xbox 360), and Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain (???)
Duh.

Game I’m Looking Forward To The Most, But Which Will Probably Not Happen

Meta Gear Solid: Peace Maker (PSVita)
Come Kojima-san! Make it happen.

Game That I Finally Got To Play Because Of A Mac Port

Barkley, Shut Up and Jam: Gaiden (PC)
To live the impossible dream, which this year was to finally woo WNBA superstar Ivory Latta, has finally been achieved.

Game That I Couldn’t Play Due To The Lack Of A Mac (yet)

Miami Hotline (PC)
Sure I could have just fired up Windows 7 via Bootcamp, like all of Cactus’s other games, but it’s just a major pain in the ass.

Game That I Dislike To Show Everyone Who Cool I Am, Feigning Ignorance And Disinterest In A Triple A Title

Dishonored (PS3/Xbox 360)
But if you like it, more power to you!

Game That I Really Enjoyed To Show Everyone That I Don’t Only Care About Indie Titles

Halo 4 (Xbox 360)
Of what little I enjoyed (due to the whole motion sickness thing), I enjoyed a whole lot!

Worst HD Re-Release

The Zone of the Enders HD Collection (PS3/Xbox 360)
While it’s not nearly as offensive as the Silent Hill HD Collection, I’m still annoyed how the high def re-release of one of my favorite PS2 games (I speak of Anubis; never really games ZOE1 much of a try, and the HD Collection was meant to fix that) is slightly slower than the original. WTF.

Best Use Of Hot Dogs In A Video Game

Heads Up Hot Dogs (iOS)
Again, duh!

Oh and because I didn’t get the chance to re-post ANYTHING from my random repository Tumbr at all last year (which I hope to fix in 2013), please enjoy…

Ten Random Videos That I Really Enjoyed In 2013

10. Hi, my name is David, and welcome to my anime superstore.

9. Reason #3,549,072 why I love professional wrestling.

8. An excerpt from Possibly in Michigan.

7. Anime Star Wars is simply the best.

6. Miami Vice X Jade Dynasty

5. Party time, excellent! (warning: NSFW)

4. “I walked on the sidewalk… when it belonged TO THE PUBLIC!”

3. It’s a way old YMO music video, but I’ve never seen it until now!

2. Worf getting shot down, again and again.

1. The trailer to GETEVEN.
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Real quick: now that we’re almost a week into 2013, is there anything to report? Well, aside from not having any fort90zine no.4′s handy, yes. On the positive front, my first date of the new year was actually really, really good! It’s way too early to say anything, though I will mention how I’ve been watching Doctor Who all weekend as a direct result.

Though on the other hand, just found out a really good person that I’ve had the pleasure to know has suddenly passed away. His name was Daniel Craft, and he was a core member of the New York Asian Film Festival, which is how I got to know him.

He will be sorely missed, but at least it’s good to know that J.J. Abrams of all people was able to fulfill his dying wish. For more details, please refer to this Reddit thread.

K, that’s it for me; next stop, Vegas! And hopefully, by the time I return, I will have proofs for 4ANSWER waiting for me. God willing.

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