Well, I guess I’m due for another update. What’s been going on? Not much…
All Hail Our New Sun King
Okay, that’s kind of a lie. For starters, we finally have a black guy in the White House so to speak (well, half a black guy if you want to get technical about it). Today was the day we’ve all been waiting for, the inauguration of President Obama, or the coronation of the sun king as Mike put it. Not sure if the term is his creation or not, but it sure is pretty awesome.
Because I never drank the kool-aide, can’t say I’m exactly ga-ga for our new President like so many of my peers (as some might recall… which perhaps I shouldn’t be mentioning, but my two cents back in November resonated with quite a few friends; I’m guessing the lack of any formal comments is due to a need to avoid any uncomfortable situation with certain individuals and the like). While I can certainly appreciate the historical significance of it all, I simply can’t muster up the same level of enthusiasm that everyone else shares (which isn’t inherently bad mind you; truth be told, seeing so much optimism at a time when everything is so gloom and doom has been rather refreshing). I just know I’m going to get a ton of flack for exhibiting negativity on a day such as this, which is pretty laughable given that a good deal of those with this newfound patriotism were probably also the ones that basically did nothing these past couple of year and allowed things to get as bad as they are now (and I’m talking about doing something constructive, so frivolous nonsense like complaining on blogs doesn’t count). Kudos again to Obama for inspiring people to bring about “change” … despite the fact that it was always there to begin with… but that’s simply politics for you. And a prime example of the power of rhetoric.
So whatever. There’s absolutely nothing wrong in acknowledging the simply fact that we have nothing to justify such inflated expectations. Especially when it can be so counter-productive (dare I also say destructive?) in the end, enough to do harm for the man everyone views so dearly. Yet make no mistake, I’m not going back on my word shortly after his win; I’m still very much hopeful that he can indeed help “remake America” and turn things around. I’m just not expecting miracles anytime soon; best case scenario is that a few good initiatives manage to get through the pipeline and not be completely gutted or ripped apart thanks to politics as usual, like most truly great ideas. For those hoping that everyone will put their political and philosophical differences aside for the greater good, even during such dire times… sorry, ain’t gonna happen. As for worst case scenario, Obama turns out to be just another douchebag politician, which at this point I get the sense that he’s not, but if he is, I will not be colored surprised. But yeah, people not only have to be realistic but calm the f down; being annoying as hell as most diehard Obamamaniacs have proven to be may not appear to be the worst thing in the world, but it can definitely sow the seeds of serious problems later down the road. As stated many times, Obama’s greatest supporters will also be his greatest enemy at the end of the day.
Today also marks the final day of the Bush regime, which I’m also delighted is at an end. Though the sad truth is, his absence will be sorely missed by those who hated him the most. Folks who blamed him for every single stupid problem in their lives, the greatest of all scapegoats is at last gone. What happens next for them? BTW make no mistake, I do believe in the “worst. president. ever.” sentiment, I’m just wondering what hipsters and the like will do, who will they make fun off in their crappy political blogs and screen-printed shirts? Perhaps they will still hold on, such as how so many folks in NYC still hate on Mayor Giuliani many years after the fact. Or maybe they will simply move onto to Obama? After all, some have already voiced “betrayl” over his choosing of Hilary for the Secretary of State position.
Actually, they have moved on, as evidenced by all the “Boo Israel!/Free Palestine!” sentimentality that’s popped up in recent weeks. For a while there I was a tad bit confused and thought that there was gonna be some huge pro-Palestinian protest earlier this afternoon, which I was concerned would impact my own plans to celebrate Obama’s inauguration, which was taking advantage of the free celebratory hot dog special at Papaya King. Alas, I was mistaken and it went down earlier this weekend. Again for the record, I’m not Jewish or anything like that (though many seem to think I look it), I’m simply willing to acknowledge that situation is extremely complicated, enough to know that choosing a side flat-out is just plain dumb. Oh, for anyone who actually wants to know the real deal should simply look at all the facts. Anyhow, I guess it’s just like what my Fitz recently noted, “Anti-Israelism is the new Che T-shirt”.
What else? Oh, then there was plane crash from last week, which went down somewhat near me. It’s not like I saw it go down or anything, yet I do live a few blocks away from the Hudson (which is a very long stretch of water, I realize). Anyhow it was a super crazy situation that I’m just as glad as everyone else ended well enough. Though I’ll bet you anything that the one person or persons that was happier about the news, more than anyone else, has to be the MTA. Why? Because just the night before they held their first public forum to address the subway fare hike, which needless to say, was an absolute circus. But I’ll save my ranting and raving about the oncoming $3 a subway ride once it rears its ugly head closer…
Here Comes The Judge
Otherwise, not much else going on. Just working on “stuff” as usual, though for the most part, been kinda lazy. Okay, another lie. Then again, I guess you could say it was laziness that kept my ass at home this past Saturday night instead of hitting the UCB Theatre for some new video game-centric show called “Game Bros. LIVE! Actually, it was less laziness and more not wanting to freeze to death. Hopefully the show will get at least one more run (you never know with those Saturday night at midnight shows). Anyhow, in addition to wrapping up a proposal for a fairly big project that, if approved, will see me making games once again instead of just writing about them, which would be pretty neat, I’ve also been helping the new NEW person in charge of e-gaming at ICON for this year’s show. I believe I hinted last time that I was somewhat done and over with Long Island’s sci-fi/fantasy nerdgasm, but else can I say? It’s simply nice to be wanted, especially since I was unceremoniously dumped by the upcoming New York Comic Con. And yes, this marks my third time bitching about it, so maybe the less said the better from this point on. Perhaps I should take a cue from the Anime Fest and have a whole panel bashing gays as well, hmm?
Back to ICON: as for what to expect this time around, how about what NOT to expect? I’m pretty much done and over with top ten lists, at least for the time being (actually, I had been working on a reworked and revised one of the NYCC, but you know… maybe the folks at Otakon might be interested instead). In its place will be decidedly different, but still offer plenty of chances for angry gamer dorks to yell and scream to their heart’s content. I?ve got two words for you: Gamer?s Court. Also, no more panels on girl gamers or erotism in gaming. In the case of the latter, just sitting around for an hour and going “lol Japan” grew old pretty quick, and that was like over two years ago. The flamewars and trolls topic will also be mothballed, since it’s been nothing been downhill ever since that guy who ran the Battlestar Galactica message board (and dressed up as Doctor Who) made such an epic train-wreck of himself, also a few years back. I just hope my “groupie” makes their return, since last year all those kids were graduating college.
Other than all that, it’s been kinda chill, but that won’t last long. Back to the NYCC: plenty of game companies will be in town, either for the event itself or around the same timeframe, to take advantage of all the press that’ll be around, including Sony, Sega, and EA. Pat Lewis is also be coming to New York for the show, and will be crashing on my couch, as will Phil Fish, not for the con this time around like last year, but for some chiptunes thing the weekend prior. Oh, I guess it doesn’t also hurt to mention that I just got a new writing gig, for Anime Insider, though that has nothing to do with the con, just a bunch of couple of articles. As for the show itself, I’ll be doing the usual: soaking in the show floor, maybe checking out a panel or screening, taking plenty of pics of cosplayers, toys, and reporting on whatever the hell else crosses my path.
Oh, two other brief highlights from the past week or so include getting into an argument with some crazy middle-aged woman in the middle of the street (who had q-tips sticking out of her hair, or so says Katie) because she was offended by some of my choice comments regarding the opposite sex that she had overheard (sorry, but is it wrong for a guy to voice his objection of women with mustaches?), and how I now have a bona-fide furry on my message board (!!!), but since I want to stay on the topic of games…
Three Versus Four
So what have I been playing as of late? Well I know this might sound crazy, but because I spent so much time with Persona 4 near the end of 08, I found myself really missing it as 09 got underway. Hence why I decided to give Persona 3 another shot, but this time utilizing all the lessons learned from its sequel. So how’s that going? Well, as noted in my review, P4 is pretty much the best thing ever, though not a radical departure from P3, which was quite excellent. It simply took what worked and made things even better. That being said, it’s been hard going back. Yet, P3 is not entirely without its charms!
- I guess I didn’t realize how ridiculously emo the story was until I gave it a second spin, after its sequel. Persona 3 is nowhere near as offensive as the fodder that Final Fantasy and the like continually serve up, but still… And while I still prefer the small town vibe of Persona 4, I’ve also come to appreciate the metropolitan atmosphere of 3, especially as reflected via its wide variety of supporting characters, like the gothic lolita that happens to be a cutter or the monk that’s a drunk. Who both seemed a bit over the top the first time around, but come to think about it, there’s plenty of weirdos in the Big Apple that one certainly doesn’t even think twice about simply because that’s just how it is in the city.
- Oh, and P3′s city also offers far more places to go and see, as opposed to P4 where there just isn’t that much. Much like the boonies in the real world. Which in turn provides more interesting set pieces. Granted, Persona 4 also had a lot of variety as far as combat was concerned, by offering numerous dungeons instead of one gigantic tower to scale. But it’s the non-combative action around that I enjoy the most, like roaming around the beach with your male buds, in search of some ladies and some action.
- Back to supporting cast: I also totally love how interconnected everyone is in wild and wacky ways. Such as how [SPOILER ALERT] the girl you meet online and play alongside in a MMO turns out to be one of your teachers at high school, who along the way gossips about a coworker that’s been banging a student, another friend of yours that previously claimed to have gotten it on with a teacher, yet one has assumed up till that point that he was just blowing smoke up your ass. Which again is just another aspect of that big city feel, where there’s a million people, yet it still feels like everyone knows each other.
- Yet the core cast of characters, your in-game pals in Persona 4 are ultimately far superior; I can’t figure out if it?s because they’re more realistic, again due to the far more down to earth setting, or if they’re just simply better written. More the latter come to think of it; most of the folks in P3 is hardly as developed in P4, which sometimes works with the ultra vague nature of things. And sometimes it doesn’t. The bottom-line is that the kids of P4 are so damn charming. Also, the girls are mostly cuter (glasses ftw). Yet, there’s certainly something very appealing about a robot bodyguard sworn to protect you that looks like a hot chick.
- The shift in narrative tone is also different, though not necessarily better or worse. Simply worth mentioning, if we’re talking about key differences. Whereas everything in Persona 4 revolves around you, in Persona 3, the story will sometimes cut to other characters some distance away, doing stuff that drives the overall action forward. Which for a RPG where you play some anonymous character, P4′s approach, for whatever reason, just makes more sense to me.
- Combat is where I miss the refinements of the sequel the most. Not being able to directly control your party is both frustrating, due to some stupid moves that your AI controlled will invariably make, which you have absolutely no means of avoiding, as well as seeming boring, since you’re forced to just sit and watch. At least it’s far easier to attain money to buy supplies afterwards or grab new weapons. Aside from P4 being so stingy that you were dirt poor the majority of the time (which is especially good in FES since there’s plenty of goofy outfits to adorn your female companions with… the best part btw is easily hearing all the complaints), but the absolute best stuff was always locked away, which then leads to the annoying hunting down of keys.
- The ultimate saving grace is being able to exit dungeons at will, and how one’s health and magic are immediately replenished once stepping outside for a bit. The latter of which felt like a semi-transparent means of extending the sequel. True, you have to monitor your team’s health, which is the game’s means of preventing a player from grinding too much so the rest of the game isn’t a cakewalk, but with a little bit of planning ahead, it barely becomes an issue later down the road. Speaking of, the combat in general is far less punishing at first, unlike in part 4 where you die pretty often early on. Though on the flip-side, the difficult gets cranked way up all of a sudden near the half-way mark.
- And the one thing that practically kills the entire experience is the poor interface believe it or not. It’s more than fine, but nowhere as near as sexy as Persona 4′s. Though the actual game breaking part is how it simply doesn’t explain what your various Personas’ abilities are like in the sequel, which in the heat of battle, where one tiny choice can make a word of difference, is beyond frustrating. In the end, you’re forced to memorize all these goofy terms that the game utilizes. This, along with how much of the action is out of your hands, makes one not care as much about digging deeper, like being ultra involved in the evolution of one’s Personas. Thank God I remembered most of the ultra arcane names meant from all my time spent with P4.
- Yet on the flip side once more, I really appreciate the added complexity involved when it comes to dating women. In Persona 4, it was a total cakewalk wooing girls, figuring out what lines worked best, and there was zero consequence for having multiple honeys. Not in Persona 3. Whereas I found it frustrating that one could never predict what little comment or action would scare off or totally infuriate a girl (hence why all that stuff was dropped for the sequel) the first time around, I guess at this point I enjoy the challenge. And the very best moments of the entire game thus far has been when three girls I’ve been making on at the same time all cross paths. Also worth noting is how the girls in Persona 3 simply have more “issues”. Again, just like in real life!
- For the most part, the Personas that your pals control, not the ones you collect and use yourself, are much cooler looking in 3. I also prefer the look of the silent protagonist (that’s you) in 3 as well. Sorry, but I’ll have to go with blue hair over gray. Though have I mentioned that the girls are better in 4? Despite being ?ber hotties in their own right, both Yukari & Aigis still can’t beat Chie.
… Oh, so another game I’ve been playing a bit for some time now, along with Katie, plus with Hilary just this past weekend, has been Lips.
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Review: Lips (Xbox 360)
My initial impression of the karaoke game by iNis (the creators of Gitaroo Man and Ouendan/Elite Beat Agents) at a Microsoft press event last summer was largely a positive one, and not just because I managed to impress all the PR folk on-hand with my rapping skills, via Young MC’s “Bust A Move”. So how is the same game, many months later, at the comfort of home with some friends? Well, there’s a problem, and its name is Rock Band.
Here’s the deal: the game comes with about 40 or so songs, and the selection flat-out sucks. The game tries to account for everyone’s tastes, with virtually every single genre represented, which is admirable, but with only about two or three songs dedicated to each, its not nearly enough. So in the end, that high number of 40 is pretty damn paltry. Perhaps if the scope was narrowed, with less genres represented, but twice or three times as many songs dedicated to each that remained, the result would have been far more satisfying. Granted, doing so would have undercut its appeal to certain market audience, but seriously now, go to any karaoke joint in the country and you tell me which gets sung more, a song from Cheryl Crow or Duran Duran? Also, despite the fact that certain artists make total sense, the song they bring to the table doesn’t. Like REM and “The One I Love”. Huh? Plus, when was the last time you heard anyone try to belt out a Nirvana tune?
I guess the primary solution is to grab new tracks from the XBLA marketplace…. that’s how Rock Band has managed to hang in there way after the main game has been completed. But whereas RB has tons and tons of songs, enough to make someone happy, even if they only like one particular genre, the stuff available for Lips is downright laughable. There’s just nothing. Around Christmas time, a bunch of new songs were released, but that was more or less it. Oh, you could also import songs from your Zune (lol… I also recall the same plans for songs from an iPod, which I have yet to hear about since), but the lack of any lyrics support makes that far more trouble than what its worth.
Then there’s the issue of the game itself. If you’re a hardcore karaoke type, or simply one that can actually sing, Lips is right up your alley. But if you’re like me and can’t sing worth a damn, and when it comes to actual karaoke, are more concerned about having a fun time than making the effort to actually sing, you’ll definitely want to pass. The game’s method of keeping track of the player’s vocal talents are pretty dead-on… hence why both Katie and Hilary had absolutely zero problems kicking my ass, points-wise (though the “pretty” part is from our perceived notion that one of the two supplied microphones was not picking up stuff as well as the other). Though I was able to make come backs here and there, only because I noticed the on-screen cues to move the mics a certain way, which is supposed to add an element of performance, but in the end is completely unnecessary. Speaking of the microphones, they’re very neat, yet far too complicated for their own good; set-up took me, no joke, about half an hour to figure out if they were properly paired up to my system.
The three of us spent maybe 45 minutes on Lips total, and most of that time was wasted on looking over the same paltry selection over and over again, trying to figure out which song to bother with next. Till we finally said “screw it” and turned on Rock Band. Without about 400 songs I had available, needless to say, we had zero problems trying to figure out what to play next.
