I was reading IGN's review of Generations and I found this video of Sonic battling Perfect Chaos.
It's really cool how this boss fight draws from the battle against Chaos in the original Sonic Adventure, yet mixes things up a bit. I'm impressed by how they added platforming segments in addition to the parts where you just dash forward to inflict damage. Visually, this looks incredible.
I'm still not entirely sold on the gameplay or the story. However, I ordered a copy of the game today and I intend to try it out myself. Hopefully I enjoy it because I do not take money lightly.
October 28, 2011
I wasn't expecting you to spoil THAT much!
I'm a glutton for punishment. I said I wasn't going to watch any new Skyward Sword footage, but I went an did it anyway when I found out that GameTrailers released another video.
I take back what I said about the Lyre Trailer. This is my favorite piece of footage for this game. To be honest, I kind of regret watching it; it spoiled the creation of the Master Sword. Yes, I know, we all knew that this game would detail the origin of the sword since it was announced, but the trailer actually showed it happening. I think that was too big a spoiler to just release to the public like that. It's like showing Midna's Fused Shadow form in a teaser for Twilight Princess.
Aside from that, the trailer just got me more excited for the game. It showed a little of the Fire Sanctuary, where we caught a glimpse of a fiery, red, serpentine creature swimming in the lava. I don't wanna jump to conclusions right off the bat, but... Volvalgia, perhaps? I mean, Ocarina of Time did state that the dragon had been alive since ancient times, and that Ganondorf merely revived it. I'm really keen on the idea that Volvalgia will return as a boss for this game.
I always praise this game's visuals, but the footage we got here just blew me away. Everything about the aesthetics is amazing in my opinion. I had to pause a few times just to admire the colors and the lighting. The Fire Sanctuary scenes stood out especially well. I just love the atmosphere. This game's art style really looks like a blend of OoT and the 2D games, honestly. I'll never understand the people who say it's a mix of Wind Waker and TP.
We saw the Sheikah woman again, but there was nothing really new on that front. Just some extra context added to clips we've already seen. I'm still fully convinced she's Impa, and if I turn out to be wrong them I'll be sorely disappointed. I'm already miffed that my theory about Skyloft being Ordon Village was disproved. And then there was another character in the trailer--an elderly woman. Not sure about her, but I don't think I can handle any more spoilers anyway. I'll probably just wait and see. For real this time. Maybe.
Another glimpse of the flying eyeball whale, too. Lots of people think it's the Wind Fish, but I dunno. Looks a bit too evil.
Faron annoys me. I'm hoping he isn't intended to be the same Faron from TP, because they're nothing alike. Giant glowing ghost lemur = terrifying water dragon? I'm guessing they just share a name and nothing else.
Well, that's about all I've got to say. Oh, one more thing--I noticed that there seemed to be a pixel motif at several points in the video. Kinda like that of the Twilight Realm. Just thought I'd point that out.
I take back what I said about the Lyre Trailer. This is my favorite piece of footage for this game. To be honest, I kind of regret watching it; it spoiled the creation of the Master Sword. Yes, I know, we all knew that this game would detail the origin of the sword since it was announced, but the trailer actually showed it happening. I think that was too big a spoiler to just release to the public like that. It's like showing Midna's Fused Shadow form in a teaser for Twilight Princess.
Aside from that, the trailer just got me more excited for the game. It showed a little of the Fire Sanctuary, where we caught a glimpse of a fiery, red, serpentine creature swimming in the lava. I don't wanna jump to conclusions right off the bat, but... Volvalgia, perhaps? I mean, Ocarina of Time did state that the dragon had been alive since ancient times, and that Ganondorf merely revived it. I'm really keen on the idea that Volvalgia will return as a boss for this game.
I always praise this game's visuals, but the footage we got here just blew me away. Everything about the aesthetics is amazing in my opinion. I had to pause a few times just to admire the colors and the lighting. The Fire Sanctuary scenes stood out especially well. I just love the atmosphere. This game's art style really looks like a blend of OoT and the 2D games, honestly. I'll never understand the people who say it's a mix of Wind Waker and TP.
We saw the Sheikah woman again, but there was nothing really new on that front. Just some extra context added to clips we've already seen. I'm still fully convinced she's Impa, and if I turn out to be wrong them I'll be sorely disappointed. I'm already miffed that my theory about Skyloft being Ordon Village was disproved. And then there was another character in the trailer--an elderly woman. Not sure about her, but I don't think I can handle any more spoilers anyway. I'll probably just wait and see. For real this time. Maybe.
Another glimpse of the flying eyeball whale, too. Lots of people think it's the Wind Fish, but I dunno. Looks a bit too evil.
Faron annoys me. I'm hoping he isn't intended to be the same Faron from TP, because they're nothing alike. Giant glowing ghost lemur = terrifying water dragon? I'm guessing they just share a name and nothing else.
Well, that's about all I've got to say. Oh, one more thing--I noticed that there seemed to be a pixel motif at several points in the video. Kinda like that of the Twilight Realm. Just thought I'd point that out.
October 27, 2011
It's like a psychoactive drug, man...
Even more new Skyward Sword footage has recently been released. This time, we get more footage of the Silent Realm, as well as a closer look at the Imprisoned--the mouthy black monster that I like to call Francine, in honor of Martha's mom from Doctor Who.
Now, at first, I was skeptical about the Silent Realm. When I originally heard about it, it sounded like a lame knockoff of the Twilight Realm, only with less interesting scenery--while I often criticize Twilight Princess, I could never deny that the Twilight Realm was beautiful and hypnotic. It initially seemed like the Silent Realm would just be the normal overworld with a boring blue filter. However, this footage has somewhat changed my opinion of it. This was my first time hearing the music (which I heard sounded like something out of Silent Hill), and it really does do a great job of giving the Silent Realm a spooky, haunting sort of atmosphere. And I love the way everything turns orange when you're spotted by a Siren Sentry.
By the way, will they even be called Siren Sentries in the English release? I'm pretty sure the Silent Realm is called the Siren World in the Japanese version, so here it would make more sense to call them Silent Sentries or something. Eh.
Franc--I mean, the Imprisoned is kind of derpy-looking if you ask me. If it's truly the sealed form of Ghirahim's master as people have been speculating, I would expect a more... intimidating appearance. Its legs sort of remind me of, well... Barney's. Buuut that's just me nitpicking. Apparently, you will fight the Imprisoned several times over the course of the story. I'm guessing it'll take more than one form throughout the game.
On that note, I forgot to comment on the Ancient Cistern footage that was shown a short while back.
This definitely looks like my favorite of the dungeons we've seen so far. Normally, no one likes water dungeons in Zelda--the dreaded Water Temple of Ocarina of Time comes to mind--but the Ancient Cistern just looks incredibly gorgeous. I can't really comment on how fun it looks, but looks like it has some of the best visuals in the game. The water in Skyward Sword is beautifully rendered, and I can't get over how vibrant and golden the whole place looks. The Buddhist (or Hindu, as my boyfriend insists) theme is a breath of fresh air. The dungeon seems to feature Kargorocs as enemies, and it looks like they've been redesigned to look more like Chinese phoenixes, which is an excellent touch.
Man, I can't stop gawking at how pretty those pillars of water are.
Another thing that looks cool is how the Ancient Cistern seems to double as this game's shadow-themed dungeon, what with the zombie Bokoblin and the darker atmosphere seen later in the video. The purple is rather nice to look at. But it's kinda weird how in Zelda, wells are always haunted.
I really should avoid spoilers from now on, since the game is literally weeks away and I don't want to ruin it for myself. But I'm finding it pretty hard to look away. Everything seems to be coming together awesomely so far, and I'm really eager to get my hands on it.
Now, at first, I was skeptical about the Silent Realm. When I originally heard about it, it sounded like a lame knockoff of the Twilight Realm, only with less interesting scenery--while I often criticize Twilight Princess, I could never deny that the Twilight Realm was beautiful and hypnotic. It initially seemed like the Silent Realm would just be the normal overworld with a boring blue filter. However, this footage has somewhat changed my opinion of it. This was my first time hearing the music (which I heard sounded like something out of Silent Hill), and it really does do a great job of giving the Silent Realm a spooky, haunting sort of atmosphere. And I love the way everything turns orange when you're spotted by a Siren Sentry.
By the way, will they even be called Siren Sentries in the English release? I'm pretty sure the Silent Realm is called the Siren World in the Japanese version, so here it would make more sense to call them Silent Sentries or something. Eh.
Franc--I mean, the Imprisoned is kind of derpy-looking if you ask me. If it's truly the sealed form of Ghirahim's master as people have been speculating, I would expect a more... intimidating appearance. Its legs sort of remind me of, well... Barney's. Buuut that's just me nitpicking. Apparently, you will fight the Imprisoned several times over the course of the story. I'm guessing it'll take more than one form throughout the game.
On that note, I forgot to comment on the Ancient Cistern footage that was shown a short while back.
This definitely looks like my favorite of the dungeons we've seen so far. Normally, no one likes water dungeons in Zelda--the dreaded Water Temple of Ocarina of Time comes to mind--but the Ancient Cistern just looks incredibly gorgeous. I can't really comment on how fun it looks, but looks like it has some of the best visuals in the game. The water in Skyward Sword is beautifully rendered, and I can't get over how vibrant and golden the whole place looks. The Buddhist (or Hindu, as my boyfriend insists) theme is a breath of fresh air. The dungeon seems to feature Kargorocs as enemies, and it looks like they've been redesigned to look more like Chinese phoenixes, which is an excellent touch.
Man, I can't stop gawking at how pretty those pillars of water are.
Another thing that looks cool is how the Ancient Cistern seems to double as this game's shadow-themed dungeon, what with the zombie Bokoblin and the darker atmosphere seen later in the video. The purple is rather nice to look at. But it's kinda weird how in Zelda, wells are always haunted.
I really should avoid spoilers from now on, since the game is literally weeks away and I don't want to ruin it for myself. But I'm finding it pretty hard to look away. Everything seems to be coming together awesomely so far, and I'm really eager to get my hands on it.
October 21, 2011
Nintendo, you're hellbent on spoiling this game, aren't you?
I don't know whether to be excited, worried or both, but it seems that Nintendo has been unveiling a lot of Skyward Sword footage lately. No doubt, this is to make up for the lack of information about the game following its announcement. I just hope the trailers we've been shown aren't necessarily huge spoilers.
This is without a doubt my favorite trailer so far. A couple of things to talk about here.
First, we have Link meeting Zelda at what appears to be some kind of shrine. It's the same area shown at the press conference a few weeks ago, with that strange purple cog. I'm not sure how far into the game this scene occurs, but I'm guessing it's somewhere near the middle because we see Zelda giving the lyre to Link. Most likely it's her first reappearance after she falls from Skyloft. For a split-second, when Ghirahim bursts in on the scene, you can see a person standing at her side--presumably the Sheikah woman who's appeared in several trailers and screenshots. The "servant of the goddess" who saved Zelda from Ghirahim's first attempt to capture her.
From what we've been shown, I think this woman is Impa. She's clearly a member of the Sheikah tribe, as evidenced by the style, color scheme and teary-eyed motif of her costume. And as we know, over the centuries, Zelda's caretaker has always been a Sheikah woman named Impa. I think this will explain how the Sheikah originally came to serve the royal family.
I'm wondering what Zelda's significance is, though. In this trailer, we see her wearing a white gown, along with purple bracelets and hair decorations. The gear she seems to be guarding in the trailer has the symbols of the goddesses and there is also a statue of Hyrule's crest, featuring the Triforce (unlike the crest of Skyloft, which has only the bird). I'm thinking she's some sort of priestess or medium; perhaps a conduit through which the Sacred Realm can be accessed.
As an aside, I can't get over how the ends of her hair look like giant fingers.
We're also treated to shots of Fi dancing for some reason. She's... really into it, isn't she? Not sure if this has any actual significance or not. But she was sprinkling rainbow glitter all over Link's face, so... I dunno.
One of the most interesting things in the trailer is the strange altar Link and Fi are seen standing on. It has the Skyloft crest, a circle of lights and what looks like a mirror (or a giant magnifying glass?). Link seems to be "activating" it by playing the lyre. My first thought was "OH GOD, IT'S THE MIRROR OF TWILIGHT!" but I quickly realized how dumb that sounded. But I'm still interested in finding out what it might be.
My excitement for this game has just skyrocketed, I swear. Less than a month to wait!
This is without a doubt my favorite trailer so far. A couple of things to talk about here.
First, we have Link meeting Zelda at what appears to be some kind of shrine. It's the same area shown at the press conference a few weeks ago, with that strange purple cog. I'm not sure how far into the game this scene occurs, but I'm guessing it's somewhere near the middle because we see Zelda giving the lyre to Link. Most likely it's her first reappearance after she falls from Skyloft. For a split-second, when Ghirahim bursts in on the scene, you can see a person standing at her side--presumably the Sheikah woman who's appeared in several trailers and screenshots. The "servant of the goddess" who saved Zelda from Ghirahim's first attempt to capture her.
From what we've been shown, I think this woman is Impa. She's clearly a member of the Sheikah tribe, as evidenced by the style, color scheme and teary-eyed motif of her costume. And as we know, over the centuries, Zelda's caretaker has always been a Sheikah woman named Impa. I think this will explain how the Sheikah originally came to serve the royal family.
I'm wondering what Zelda's significance is, though. In this trailer, we see her wearing a white gown, along with purple bracelets and hair decorations. The gear she seems to be guarding in the trailer has the symbols of the goddesses and there is also a statue of Hyrule's crest, featuring the Triforce (unlike the crest of Skyloft, which has only the bird). I'm thinking she's some sort of priestess or medium; perhaps a conduit through which the Sacred Realm can be accessed.
As an aside, I can't get over how the ends of her hair look like giant fingers.
We're also treated to shots of Fi dancing for some reason. She's... really into it, isn't she? Not sure if this has any actual significance or not. But she was sprinkling rainbow glitter all over Link's face, so... I dunno.
One of the most interesting things in the trailer is the strange altar Link and Fi are seen standing on. It has the Skyloft crest, a circle of lights and what looks like a mirror (or a giant magnifying glass?). Link seems to be "activating" it by playing the lyre. My first thought was "OH GOD, IT'S THE MIRROR OF TWILIGHT!" but I quickly realized how dumb that sounded. But I'm still interested in finding out what it might be.
My excitement for this game has just skyrocketed, I swear. Less than a month to wait!
That was an anticlimax...
That 3DS press conference was actually pretty weird. Most of the stuff they showcased were strange-looking eShop titles. Though I must admit, The Rolling Western looked pretty cool. I might give that a try, since I hear it's being localized. There was also a samurai game that I'm not sure if I want or not.
There was a lot of stuff we've already seen, like the Super Mario 3D Land footage that was spliced together from previous trailers. But that doesn't mean there wasn't anything new to speak of--as expected, they talked a lot about Mario Kart 7. Apparently, you can have up to eight players with little to no slowdown. That game is definitely going on my list of must-haves, but that was already a given.
We got some new-ish footage of Dream Drop Distance, featuring Neku telling Sora about the Game. I've never played a Kingdom Hearts game, but I think I'll try this one out if for no other reason than the fact that Neku's in it.
The biggest reveal was probably the confirmation that, yes, the upcoming 3DS update will allow for video recording. You can take up to 15 minutes of 3D footage, and there's also a feature that enables stop-motion animation. OK, to be honest, while I was hoping for a video recorder... who's actually going to use their 3DS to make stop-motion films? Seems kind of silly to me, but whatever. The update will also allow users to transfer software from one 3DS to another. Unfortunately, though, it seems the previous announcement that the update would be available on November 4 was incorrect. Huge bummer.
Anyway, aside from those things, we got some Monster Hunter footage, the announcement of some new horror game and... Shin-chan. A Shin-chan game. Not sure if want.
There was a lot of stuff we've already seen, like the Super Mario 3D Land footage that was spliced together from previous trailers. But that doesn't mean there wasn't anything new to speak of--as expected, they talked a lot about Mario Kart 7. Apparently, you can have up to eight players with little to no slowdown. That game is definitely going on my list of must-haves, but that was already a given.
We got some new-ish footage of Dream Drop Distance, featuring Neku telling Sora about the Game. I've never played a Kingdom Hearts game, but I think I'll try this one out if for no other reason than the fact that Neku's in it.
The biggest reveal was probably the confirmation that, yes, the upcoming 3DS update will allow for video recording. You can take up to 15 minutes of 3D footage, and there's also a feature that enables stop-motion animation. OK, to be honest, while I was hoping for a video recorder... who's actually going to use their 3DS to make stop-motion films? Seems kind of silly to me, but whatever. The update will also allow users to transfer software from one 3DS to another. Unfortunately, though, it seems the previous announcement that the update would be available on November 4 was incorrect. Huge bummer.
Anyway, aside from those things, we got some Monster Hunter footage, the announcement of some new horror game and... Shin-chan. A Shin-chan game. Not sure if want.
October 20, 2011
Dat Boomerang Flower
Found these two new videos via My Nintendo News. They show off more of Super Mario 3D Land's gameplay.
I'm very excited about this game, because it seems to draw heavily from previous games in the franchise. Unfortunately, I didn't grow up with Mario--I was mostly just exposed to Sony when I was a kid, and didn't really get into Nintendo until middle school. However, I'm still an absolute sucker for throwbacks to retro games. That side-scrolling bit with the original World 1-1 backdrop made me grin from ear to ear.
Speaking of side-scrolling, another thing I like is how this game features a mix between 2D platforming and the Super Mario 64-style 3D gameplay we've been getting lately. 2D Mario platformers are still incredibly popular if their sales are anything to go by, but I think the 3D games are all amazing as well (yes, even Sunshine). So in my opinion, giving players a little of both was probably the best decision.
I'm also looking forward to seeing how the 3D affects the gameplay. We've already seen at least one puzzle where 3D and perspective come into play, so I trust that there'll be a lot more spread throughout the game. While many might consider it an unnecessary gimmick, I believe that the handheld's 3D brings a number of new possibilities to the table. The game looks like pure, concentrated fun as it is, so the addition of a new dimension can only improve things, as far as I'm concerned.
Finally, I'd like to say that I find the setting to be a rather pleasant breath of fresh air. I mean, the last two big Mario platformers have both been set in space. Not that I don't adore the Galaxy games, but it's nice to see another Mario title that's set simply in the Mushroom Kingdom. It's a very back-to-basics sort of thing.
I hope I'll be able to afford buying it once it's released. So far, my 3DS library consists solely of Ocarina of Time, so I've gotta fix that.
I'm very excited about this game, because it seems to draw heavily from previous games in the franchise. Unfortunately, I didn't grow up with Mario--I was mostly just exposed to Sony when I was a kid, and didn't really get into Nintendo until middle school. However, I'm still an absolute sucker for throwbacks to retro games. That side-scrolling bit with the original World 1-1 backdrop made me grin from ear to ear.
Speaking of side-scrolling, another thing I like is how this game features a mix between 2D platforming and the Super Mario 64-style 3D gameplay we've been getting lately. 2D Mario platformers are still incredibly popular if their sales are anything to go by, but I think the 3D games are all amazing as well (yes, even Sunshine). So in my opinion, giving players a little of both was probably the best decision.
I'm also looking forward to seeing how the 3D affects the gameplay. We've already seen at least one puzzle where 3D and perspective come into play, so I trust that there'll be a lot more spread throughout the game. While many might consider it an unnecessary gimmick, I believe that the handheld's 3D brings a number of new possibilities to the table. The game looks like pure, concentrated fun as it is, so the addition of a new dimension can only improve things, as far as I'm concerned.
Finally, I'd like to say that I find the setting to be a rather pleasant breath of fresh air. I mean, the last two big Mario platformers have both been set in space. Not that I don't adore the Galaxy games, but it's nice to see another Mario title that's set simply in the Mushroom Kingdom. It's a very back-to-basics sort of thing.
I hope I'll be able to afford buying it once it's released. So far, my 3DS library consists solely of Ocarina of Time, so I've gotta fix that.
October 19, 2011
3DS firmwear update
There's been talk of an update for the Nintendo 3DS for a few weeks now. Today, at an event in Munich, Nintendo of Europe announced that the update would be available for download as early as November 4.
Apparently, this update is going include 3D video recording. Which is neat, because when I got my 3DS a couple weeks ago, one of my first thoughts was that it should really have a video recording feature. Seems Nintendo is going all-out in loading their handheld with features.
The firmware update will also feature a new StreetPass game, as well as improvements to the Mii Plaza and eShop. Definitely looking forward to it.
Apparently, this update is going include 3D video recording. Which is neat, because when I got my 3DS a couple weeks ago, one of my first thoughts was that it should really have a video recording feature. Seems Nintendo is going all-out in loading their handheld with features.
The firmware update will also feature a new StreetPass game, as well as improvements to the Mii Plaza and eShop. Definitely looking forward to it.
3DS press conference on Friday
Looks like Nintendo's going to be holding another 3DS press conference this Friday. As most people know, there was a conference just a few weeks ago, where Miyamoto showed off some new footage of Skyward Sword. I didn't watch the whole thing, so I don't remember everything that was covered. However, there was some awesome new gameplay footage of Luigi's Mansion 2--a game which, in my opinion, is an absolute godsend--as well as Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7.
The specifics of Friday's conference are currently unknown, so I'm interested in seeing what kind of juicy new info is unveiled. Iwata's supposed to be revealing a few things that he didn't talk about at the previous conference, and there's going to be some Mario Kart 7 coverage as well. With the recent Pokemon Gray website registration (by Melbourne IT Digital Brand services, who made the original Black and White website), I'm hoping there'll be some stuff about that as well.
I'll be covering the conference here after I watch it. Here's hoping they finally announce a sequel to The World Ends with You.Fat chance.
The specifics of Friday's conference are currently unknown, so I'm interested in seeing what kind of juicy new info is unveiled. Iwata's supposed to be revealing a few things that he didn't talk about at the previous conference, and there's going to be some Mario Kart 7 coverage as well. With the recent Pokemon Gray website registration (by Melbourne IT Digital Brand services, who made the original Black and White website), I'm hoping there'll be some stuff about that as well.
I'll be covering the conference here after I watch it. Here's hoping they finally announce a sequel to The World Ends with You.
October 18, 2011
Talk about a crappy day...
Since I'm such a freaking perfectionist, I've spent three or four days trying to make my resume/portfolio's format look PERFECT. Anything less would be a FAILURE.
So naturally when the document refused to convert into a clean-looking PDF, I was enraged. Spent all of last night and this afternoon trying to fix that, but to no avail. So I decided to just give up and post the portfolio directly onto the blog. It looks less fancy now but whatever.
Anyway, now that I'm done with that, I can focus on adding actual content to this blog.
So naturally when the document refused to convert into a clean-looking PDF, I was enraged. Spent all of last night and this afternoon trying to fix that, but to no avail. So I decided to just give up and post the portfolio directly onto the blog. It looks less fancy now but whatever.
Anyway, now that I'm done with that, I can focus on adding actual content to this blog.
That was fast...
Seems my dinky little resume and portfolio have already scored me a part-time editing gig. Well, maybe. I haven't been officially appointed to the position yet, but I sent a few samples and I'm being considered. Editing is perhaps easier than doing the actual writing, obviously, but it can still be a little daunting. It's hard to come up with just the right combination of words when revising a sentence or paragraph, even when dealing with my own writing.
Still, the mere fact that I my resume even got a reply sort of added some confidence points. Hopefully things continue like this for me.
Still, the mere fact that I my resume even got a reply sort of added some confidence points. Hopefully things continue like this for me.
October 17, 2011
Blah...
Spent two days creating and organizing my writing portfolio. I hope it's sufficient. I found there was a lot of stuff I couldn't actually add to it because I was asked to keep it anonymous. I also fear that there isn't enough variety.
So to fix this I'm thinking about making a second blog and linking from this one. I'll use it to host my main portfolio PDF, and then I'll post other articles I write as well. That way people who just want a sample can refer to the PDF and people who want to see more can freely browse through the blog posts.
Or maybe I'll just post some articles on this blog and tag them so they're easier to find. That works.[/lazy]
So to fix this I'm thinking about making a second blog and linking from this one. I'll use it to host my main portfolio PDF, and then I'll post other articles I write as well. That way people who just want a sample can refer to the PDF and people who want to see more can freely browse through the blog posts.
Or maybe I'll just post some articles on this blog and tag them so they're easier to find. That works.[/lazy]
October 15, 2011
The part where I talk about Sonic Generations
Since I already discussed Skyward Sword with all my nonexistent followers, I think I should talk about the perhaps less popular Sonic Generations. I don't really feel like opening this post up with a long-winded summary of the rut the Sonic series has been in (as many are wont to do), so I'll just get to the point and talk about what I'm expecting out of the game.
I don't want to be one of those people who judge things before they even experience them for themselves, but I'm pretty skeptical about this particular game. I've actually enjoyed a lot of the recent Sonic games, including relatively unpopular ones like the Storybook series. I'm also a huge fan of the Riders games and I thoroughly enjoyed Unleashed and Colors. But Generations seems to have fallen short of my expectations already.
My main problem with the game so far has been the stage selection. Generations has been advertized as sort of a "best of" title. It revisits numerous locations from previous games in celebration of the franchise's history. So I thought careful stage selection should have been one of the biggest priorities for the development team. In my opinion, a really good list would consist of stages that don't seem redundant, and which epitomize what made each of their respective games memorable. But here are the stages that made it into the console version of Generations:
On their own, these are all great stages (except Crisis City, some would say). However, it seems like none of the developers were really paying attention to how well they fit together in the context of the game. A lot of them are pretty similar--Seaside Hill was directly based on Green Hill, so it seems odd to have it in the game when there were more iconic stages that could've been used (such as Hang Castle or Egg Fleet, to name a few). And the only real difference between Speed Highway and City Escape is that Speed Highway takes place at night and is based on New York rather than San Francisco. I personally think Lost World would have been the best stage to represent Sonic Adventure, because it displays the Aztec motif that is so prominent in that particular game, and that sets it apart from all the others in the series. A city-themed stage is something almost all the games have in some form.
And Crisis City is a strange choice for several reasons. Some would say it's a mistake to include a stage from the nigh-universally loathed 2006 game at all, while games like Sonic CD are delegated to a single boss fight. Then there's the fact that Crisis City doesn't even canonically exist and shouldn't be in the game from a story perspective, but I'm sure very few people care about continuity in a Sonic game. Aside from me, of course, because nerd with no life.
Another thing that worries me about the outcome of Generations is that I've heard from multiple people that Sonic Team still hasn't got the physics down properly. I can't say, since I haven't played it, but it honestly wouldn't surprise me. Sonic Team struggles with physics a lot lately, and it's been one of the fanbase's main complaints. Just look at Sonic 4. It's kind of disappointing, because numerous fan-made games seem to have virtually flawless physics. You'd think Sonic Team would be able to do so too, with all its resources.
But that doesn't mean I'm not excited for the game. I'm currently trying to think of a way to buy it at launch, which is currently looking impossible since I'm low on cash. A recent boss trailer was released, and it got me even more excited for the game; there were a few glimpses of Perfect Chaos, and from the looks of things, he's received a pretty badass redesign. I didn't like his new look when it was first shown, but now that I've seen more of it, I'm pretty much sold. He looks like he could capsize whole fleets of ships with a flick of the wrist--err, tentacle. And the 360 and PS3 do a superb job of rendering water, because he really looks like a massive, amorphous liquid beast now.
Yes, I'm buying this game almost solely for Perfect Chaos. Sue me.
So yeah, even though I'm a bit disappointed, I'm still interested in seeing how things turn out. With luck, it'll exceed my expectations and still be a great game. The success of Colors helps make me a little more optimistic than I might be otherwise.
The boss trailer, by the way:
Gaze upon Chaos' awesomeness. Iblis ain't got nothin' on that.
I don't want to be one of those people who judge things before they even experience them for themselves, but I'm pretty skeptical about this particular game. I've actually enjoyed a lot of the recent Sonic games, including relatively unpopular ones like the Storybook series. I'm also a huge fan of the Riders games and I thoroughly enjoyed Unleashed and Colors. But Generations seems to have fallen short of my expectations already.
My main problem with the game so far has been the stage selection. Generations has been advertized as sort of a "best of" title. It revisits numerous locations from previous games in celebration of the franchise's history. So I thought careful stage selection should have been one of the biggest priorities for the development team. In my opinion, a really good list would consist of stages that don't seem redundant, and which epitomize what made each of their respective games memorable. But here are the stages that made it into the console version of Generations:
- Green Hill
- Chemical Plant
- Sky Sanctuary
- Speed Highway
- City Escape
- Seaside Hill
- Crisis City
- Rooftop Run
- Planet Wisp
On their own, these are all great stages (except Crisis City, some would say). However, it seems like none of the developers were really paying attention to how well they fit together in the context of the game. A lot of them are pretty similar--Seaside Hill was directly based on Green Hill, so it seems odd to have it in the game when there were more iconic stages that could've been used (such as Hang Castle or Egg Fleet, to name a few). And the only real difference between Speed Highway and City Escape is that Speed Highway takes place at night and is based on New York rather than San Francisco. I personally think Lost World would have been the best stage to represent Sonic Adventure, because it displays the Aztec motif that is so prominent in that particular game, and that sets it apart from all the others in the series. A city-themed stage is something almost all the games have in some form.
And Crisis City is a strange choice for several reasons. Some would say it's a mistake to include a stage from the nigh-universally loathed 2006 game at all, while games like Sonic CD are delegated to a single boss fight. Then there's the fact that Crisis City doesn't even canonically exist and shouldn't be in the game from a story perspective, but I'm sure very few people care about continuity in a Sonic game. Aside from me, of course, because nerd with no life.
Another thing that worries me about the outcome of Generations is that I've heard from multiple people that Sonic Team still hasn't got the physics down properly. I can't say, since I haven't played it, but it honestly wouldn't surprise me. Sonic Team struggles with physics a lot lately, and it's been one of the fanbase's main complaints. Just look at Sonic 4. It's kind of disappointing, because numerous fan-made games seem to have virtually flawless physics. You'd think Sonic Team would be able to do so too, with all its resources.
But that doesn't mean I'm not excited for the game. I'm currently trying to think of a way to buy it at launch, which is currently looking impossible since I'm low on cash. A recent boss trailer was released, and it got me even more excited for the game; there were a few glimpses of Perfect Chaos, and from the looks of things, he's received a pretty badass redesign. I didn't like his new look when it was first shown, but now that I've seen more of it, I'm pretty much sold. He looks like he could capsize whole fleets of ships with a flick of the wrist--err, tentacle. And the 360 and PS3 do a superb job of rendering water, because he really looks like a massive, amorphous liquid beast now.
Yes, I'm buying this game almost solely for Perfect Chaos. Sue me.
So yeah, even though I'm a bit disappointed, I'm still interested in seeing how things turn out. With luck, it'll exceed my expectations and still be a great game. The success of Colors helps make me a little more optimistic than I might be otherwise.
The boss trailer, by the way:
Gaze upon Chaos' awesomeness. Iblis ain't got nothin' on that.
October 14, 2011
New logo
Went and made a logo to replace the old header. I might change it in the future--I've been told it looks incredibly tacky--but I think it works fine for now.
I really need to get better at using Photoshop, though. That little thing should not have taken me all day to make.
I was going for a Mirror's Edge sort of thing with the flat, pastel colors against a white background. Looks a lot better than the placeholder, in my opinion.
EDIT: I've been playing around with the logo's design since I made it. Most of the people I showed it to couldn't even tell it was supposed to be a bird. Also, tried making the colors clash a little less. I'm just gonna make several versions because I'm a perfectionist.
I really need to get better at using Photoshop, though. That little thing should not have taken me all day to make.
I was going for a Mirror's Edge sort of thing with the flat, pastel colors against a white background. Looks a lot better than the placeholder, in my opinion.
EDIT: I've been playing around with the logo's design since I made it. Most of the people I showed it to couldn't even tell it was supposed to be a bird. Also, tried making the colors clash a little less. I'm just gonna make several versions because I'm a perfectionist.
Just over a month 'til Skyward Sword!
This seems like an appropriate place to start.
So The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword comes out in the States in a while. I've been looking forward to this game for quite some time now and I'm interested in seeing how it turns out. I've been a huge fan of the Zelda series ever since I first played Twilight Princess--yes, TP was my first Zelda game. Bite me. However, there was something about that game that just didn't grab me. Oh, yeah, it was enough to keep me playing the games, but it didn't really feel like a Nintendo title.
Does that make sense?
What I mean is, when I think "Nintendo" I think of all manner of surreal, trippy and incredibly Japanese series. Twilight Princess just didn't have that sort of wacky appeal I've come to expect from Nintendo. Something about its atmosphere seemed kind of generic to me. It didn't have enough charm or stylization. In 2006, I happened to buy Wind Waker together with Twilight Princess. I could tell they were vastly different games just by looking at them; while Twilight Princess had this brooding, somber atmosphere that was apparent in its very art style, Wind Waker was bright and vibrant. A Nintendo game if you ever saw one.
Then it came time to play. When I first popped Wing Waker in, I was immediately grabbed by it in a way that I wasn't when I played Twilight Princess. I could tell the game would have this lasting feeling of adventure, which appealed to me much more than the vibes Twilight Princess gave off. Yet the game was often criticized for its "childish" art direction. Apparently, only children like cartoons. The art direction was one of my favorite things about the game, though; it didn't shy away from having dark content, and the vibrant art style helped make those moments stand out.
OK, but back on topic. Skyward Sword. This game has been receiving a lot of the same complaints from a few people. Like Wind Waker, it features a very brightly colored art style. It seems like its look was in part due to complaints that Twilight Princess wasn't colorful enough--a complaint I happen to agree with, but I digress. I think it's looking to be a beautiful game so far, and I don't just mean visually. From what we've seen, Skyward Sword incorporates a wide variety of content that's never been seen before in any Zelda title. The dowsing feature is really cool, as is the ability to upgrade items. Personally, what I'm looking forward to the most is exploring the overworld. Although Hyrule will be divided into multiple chunks instead of being one big, connected space, it seems like each region is massive all on its own. Plus we have a series of floating islands in the sky to visit. Hopefully some of them will have their own mini-dungeons. Basically, this means Skyward Sword's going to be having multiple overworlds, in a sense, and that's something that has me practically drooling in anticipation.
Another thing I'm excited to see is the role of Zelda herself. I'm not sure how popular this opinion is, but I think Zelda is one of the most interesting characters in the entire series. She's always been my personal favorite, and one of the things I disliked about Twilight Princess was that she had a very small role. She appeared in three scenes and there wasn't really much to her. One of the things that draws me to Zelda is that she started out as a blatant expy of Princess Peach, but over time, she grew into an entirely different entity. I'm always eager to see where each new game takes her. Spirit Tracks is one of my favorite Zelda titles, and is notable for being the first time Zelda herself was actually playable. And she took such a great, active role in the story, to boot. I think some of the Spirit Tracks staff are working on Skyward Sword, so I hope that means Zelda will have a large presence in the story.
Also, she sings in the intro. That is just cute.
Oh, and Link. He wasn't very expressive in Twilight Princess, where he had about two or three facial expressions. Pretty weird considering how animated he was in Wind Waker. One of my concerns with this game early one was that, since Link's model resembles the one in Twilight Princess, he would be just as dull. But, recent cutscenes quickly set me straight. The character animations in this game bring everyone, even Link, to life. This is surely the most cinematic Zelda to date. I've seen people make comparisons to Pixar, and I think they're pretty much spot-on.
The game is gorgeous and I can't wait to play it. Luckily a friend was kind enough to order me a copy, so all I've gotta do now is wait.
It's the wait that's killing me.
So The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword comes out in the States in a while. I've been looking forward to this game for quite some time now and I'm interested in seeing how it turns out. I've been a huge fan of the Zelda series ever since I first played Twilight Princess--yes, TP was my first Zelda game. Bite me. However, there was something about that game that just didn't grab me. Oh, yeah, it was enough to keep me playing the games, but it didn't really feel like a Nintendo title.
Does that make sense?
What I mean is, when I think "Nintendo" I think of all manner of surreal, trippy and incredibly Japanese series. Twilight Princess just didn't have that sort of wacky appeal I've come to expect from Nintendo. Something about its atmosphere seemed kind of generic to me. It didn't have enough charm or stylization. In 2006, I happened to buy Wind Waker together with Twilight Princess. I could tell they were vastly different games just by looking at them; while Twilight Princess had this brooding, somber atmosphere that was apparent in its very art style, Wind Waker was bright and vibrant. A Nintendo game if you ever saw one.
Then it came time to play. When I first popped Wing Waker in, I was immediately grabbed by it in a way that I wasn't when I played Twilight Princess. I could tell the game would have this lasting feeling of adventure, which appealed to me much more than the vibes Twilight Princess gave off. Yet the game was often criticized for its "childish" art direction. Apparently, only children like cartoons. The art direction was one of my favorite things about the game, though; it didn't shy away from having dark content, and the vibrant art style helped make those moments stand out.
OK, but back on topic. Skyward Sword. This game has been receiving a lot of the same complaints from a few people. Like Wind Waker, it features a very brightly colored art style. It seems like its look was in part due to complaints that Twilight Princess wasn't colorful enough--a complaint I happen to agree with, but I digress. I think it's looking to be a beautiful game so far, and I don't just mean visually. From what we've seen, Skyward Sword incorporates a wide variety of content that's never been seen before in any Zelda title. The dowsing feature is really cool, as is the ability to upgrade items. Personally, what I'm looking forward to the most is exploring the overworld. Although Hyrule will be divided into multiple chunks instead of being one big, connected space, it seems like each region is massive all on its own. Plus we have a series of floating islands in the sky to visit. Hopefully some of them will have their own mini-dungeons. Basically, this means Skyward Sword's going to be having multiple overworlds, in a sense, and that's something that has me practically drooling in anticipation.
Another thing I'm excited to see is the role of Zelda herself. I'm not sure how popular this opinion is, but I think Zelda is one of the most interesting characters in the entire series. She's always been my personal favorite, and one of the things I disliked about Twilight Princess was that she had a very small role. She appeared in three scenes and there wasn't really much to her. One of the things that draws me to Zelda is that she started out as a blatant expy of Princess Peach, but over time, she grew into an entirely different entity. I'm always eager to see where each new game takes her. Spirit Tracks is one of my favorite Zelda titles, and is notable for being the first time Zelda herself was actually playable. And she took such a great, active role in the story, to boot. I think some of the Spirit Tracks staff are working on Skyward Sword, so I hope that means Zelda will have a large presence in the story.
Also, she sings in the intro. That is just cute.
Oh, and Link. He wasn't very expressive in Twilight Princess, where he had about two or three facial expressions. Pretty weird considering how animated he was in Wind Waker. One of my concerns with this game early one was that, since Link's model resembles the one in Twilight Princess, he would be just as dull. But, recent cutscenes quickly set me straight. The character animations in this game bring everyone, even Link, to life. This is surely the most cinematic Zelda to date. I've seen people make comparisons to Pixar, and I think they're pretty much spot-on.
The game is gorgeous and I can't wait to play it. Luckily a friend was kind enough to order me a copy, so all I've gotta do now is wait.
It's the wait that's killing me.
October 13, 2011
First
After looking at several different blogging services, I finally decided to settle on Blogger. I tried WordPress (.org and .com) and found the interface a little too stuffy for my tastes. Tumblr was completely out of the question, of course.
Hopefully I can get some actual content on here soon. I plan to be pretty active with this blog when I settle into it. The current template is a placeholder until I can make a new one.
Hopefully I can get some actual content on here soon. I plan to be pretty active with this blog when I settle into it. The current template is a placeholder until I can make a new one.
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