PS3 and Wii

Taking breaks are great! A new chapter will soon begin for me! 1st August, 1st August! Been clearing leave these few days. Spent the last few days on my 2 new 相棒. PS3 and a black wii!

I am not in particularly into black. It is just that I've got a White Wii already.

I sorta understand the popularity of the 2 consoles now. PS3 is a good bargain in a lot of aspects, one of which is a affordable blu-ray console. Wii, too, being the cheapest console of the three. Nowadays not only the hardcore gamers buy them, even casual gamers dig in. With the above-mentioned reasons, this is a good time for the game industry. But game makers do not laugh just yet. From friends and forums, I realised it might be just a little more than hype, just like iphone. I have friends who bought the PS3 for its blu-ray function, and left it in some corner of the house. So much for future-proofing. Oh well, Singaporeans are generally too busy. Not everyone plays as many games as Miharu-kun haha And for Wii, I pity those who didn't play past Wii sports; and whose knowledge of Wii games is just Wii sports ONLY. Wii Sports is ok, BUT it is just the tip of the iceberg. Sometimes I want to beat those PS3/XBOX enthusiasts who said Wii is for kids. Wii being over-rated is a both correct and wrong. Quoting game designer and The Sims creator Will Wright : "The only next gen system I've seen is the Wii – the PS3 and the Xbox 360 feel like better versions of the last, but pretty much the same game with incremental improvement. But the Wii feels like a major jump – not that the graphics are more powerful, but that it hits a completely different demographic." Which I couldn't agree better! Yeah they can scoff wii for its lousy graphics, yes I can attest to that even. But until Xbox NATAL project materialises, it is the only "next generation" game console as far as I am concerned. Think about it, FF7 to FF13, what has changed(other than graphics)? Nothing much. You just walked with your D-pad, attacked with your 'O' button. DMC and DMC3's the same. It is the Wii who started the "controller-race", for more natural; motion sensing controllers.

Try doing that with your Xbox and PS3 controllers, dudes.

Woo hoo, sorry I got a little carried away. Hehe. And with that I highly recommend the 2 Wii games I've enjoyed immensely, Ironman and Star Wars : Force Unleased. Maybe Bleach : Shattered Blade too. Nothing's better than a demostration video, isn't it?

I'll do some reviewing of the games here, for whoever might be here for it. Ironman

Ironman first. Released in 2008. Ironman for Wii, a third person shooter, the story starts with Tony escaping his afghan's captors. The first mission is rather stupid, but during the play of the second mission, you will begin to realise how fun this game can be. Basically mission 2 is training. In the comfort of Tony's company grounds, you learn to maneuver, and all the controls you need to know. The 'A' button for propulsion (and you will love to fly around), the 'B' button to fire repulsors, the 'C' button for hover, the 'Z' button to land/cut off your propulsion repulsors. As I've just mentioned, the beauty of this game is flight, one second you are in the ground shooting enemies, the next you are up in the air making your way to the other side of the map. YOu will feel you are so in control of the game! The combination of camera(wiimote) and movement(nunchuck) is so simple and intuitive, I wonder where is Wii all these decades? Fancy playing a FPS or 3PS with a analog sticks? Oh please. No thank you. I would stick with the wiimote anytime! It is really, really a shame multiplayer-FPS didn't take off in the Wii like the HALO series. Difficulty in the game options simply is the number of lives they give you before the game over/restart screen comes out. If there are any gripes, I would say it is the graphics, and the game is too short! Graphics are ..ehrr PS1? This is the Wii, what do u expect? I myself replayed the game several times, for the sheer thrill of punching off tanks and jeeps. With regards to most (somehow negative) reviews, if this doesn't make you feel like a superhero, I don't know anything that can. Although it always can be better! One thing I would like to add, some of my friends got some motion-sickness from playing this, so please play with care. A Gamesradar review ||| A CNET review The CNET review is fairly accurate. Ironman 2 Cardboard figure narration! Damn Sega, give me back my Ironman(1) controls! Where it used to be 'B', it is now 'A' for repulsors. And Shit, I can't even fly over low walls or buildings? I feel so crippled, this is IRONMAN grounded! Puzzle game to 'hack' the computer? Am I playing Mario now? To be fair, I'vbe not finished the game yet. I'll come back to update more on it. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi ⇑ Dragonball gameplay video above ⇑ Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi(? I don't know if it is 2 or 3, it is not with me right now, I lent it to my friend.) After playing Ironman and this, the first thing that struck me is, the controls are the same! Even though it is of a different genre and made by different companies. I could dive into the game straight away! Then I though, hmmmm maybe there is a standard controls for shooters. It was a really great idea if it is true! Imagine every shooter on the PC uses different buttons/shortcuts and no way to change it, it will be hard on the player. It does look silly(and funny) to do Hame Hame Ha with the controllers, but it is still an experience different from before, ha! Actually not much here, I don play it often, but it looks like a great game for fans. Star Wars : Force Unleased ⇑ Force Unleashed gameplay video above ⇑ Not everybody can get into the Jedi Academy(ok, nobody does), but this is the closest you can get to being a Jedi. As the guy in the video said, YOU control the lightsaber with your right hand, and your Force powers with your left. Force push (Flick your nunchuck) and see storm troopers fly like ants. Throw your lightsaber at enemies, then watch it come back like a boomerang(Press and hold A while you swing your Wiimote). Lift and strangle an enemy and watch him struggle in mid-air(Press and hold Z). Electrocute him with your dark powers(Press and hold C), OR impale him with your lightsaber(same as throwing lightsaber), OR slam him onto the ground(twist the nunchuck) OR throw him at other enemies(swing your nunchuck towards the direction while releasing Z). YOU DECIDE HIS FATE. Move at light speed with Force Dash(Press A while running or in the air). Dash into the thick of battle and do a 360 force push!(Hold B and Z while swinging down both controllers) Shinra Tensei! Opps wrong universe. (I've googled another controls' guide) Do note the controls for Shinra Tensei is holding B and Z, not A and Z as stated in this control guide You've seen and heard the best parts from the video and the abovementioned paragraph, now I would just like to butt in to tell you it is not that rosy in the game. You thought you willl be invincible in the game huh, well what good does a game do if it doesn't give u a challenge at all? The auto-lightsaber-deflecting-lasers don't work if it comes from behind, so always keep your enemies where your eyes can see them. Another thing, the period of time when you are 'grabbing/strangling' a crit in air, you don't have your "auto-deflecting" too. In a nutshell, you can generally only use one power at a time. You have only a few seconds(before another enemy gets you) to throw the person into the direction you want him to go at. Well I don't recommended doing it during battle, unless you are experienced enough(ahem, ahem, clears throat), that you can pull it off in that short period of time. Actually on this matter, I don't know if it is a bug or what - Normally when you throw the object, you need to gather some inertia/momentum, but strangely sometimes it doesn't. This strange feeling in the game. I AM THINKING IT MUST BE MY DORMANT POWERS AWAKENING! Coming back, Force push is my most-used technique, it doesn't drain too much of your "force-gauge", easy to execute, and is perfect for most creeps. My priority technique that I upgrade to max whenever I have points. But it doesn't work too much against level bosses. Most(and many of the later creeps as well) have immunity to 'it', but that just makes the game more enjoyable, doesn't it? The Force Repulse's radius isn't too wide, and as I've said before the creeps' immunity so don't count on it too much in the later part of the game too. It just gets harder... Once you get the level bosses's life to critical levels, you will be rewarded by a cool finisher(executed by following simple Wii controls displayed on the screen), each one unique to the different bosses! Force Unleased 2 is coming late this year, I hope it doesn't change for the worst, like Ironman 2! YOU ARE A JEDI, BELIEVE IT! THE FORCE HAS ALWAYS BEEN WITH YOU. Wii Sports series Wii sports - The flagship title of the Wii console. As what the wiki page said, the game is popular at social gatherings(it is simple enough for non-gamers to start picking up the controller). One of the earliest game, it serves as a demo of the capabilities of the Wii console, what it can do. But haha, with 5 games, it quickly grew weary. A very basic game. Wii Play - Wii Play's games are slightly more fun than Sports. This game is another record, being the the best-selling console game of all time (among games not packaged with a console), with 26.71 million copies sold worldwide as of December 31, 2009.. The re-playability of this title is slightly more than Sports. Buy a gun accessory and (sadly), the Shooting Range might be one of the best shooters in the Wii console[citation needed]. Sidetrack a little, it could be my gun accesories's fault, the controls feel stiff in Resident Evil games, marring the experience of what might really replace the arcade feel. And when they ask me to shake(to break free from monsters), the first time, the Wiimote flew out of the accessory! . Why do I say Wii Play's shooter is better? I figured the reason may be a psychological one. The WiiRange gives you a very loud 'bang' sound for every shot. Before you dismiss me as stupid, think about it. The 'bang' sound is the emphasis here. It lets you, somehow forget the crappy feeling of the controller, that you MIGHT ACTUALLY BE FIRING a gun. It is more immersive, because the game is very simple, there are fewer things that might catch your attention(i.e. bring u back to reality). To capitalise on the easiest human sense, that is our ears, is what the game(and movie) developers have been doing all these years of digital entertainment. The sound of the tennis racket hitting the ball, if it isn't there, would WiiTennis be what it is? Wii Sports resort - The most significant advancement might be the Wii motion plus. The additional adapter promises improved accuracy on the wiimote movements, improving gameplay experience. Hehe frankly, I can't tell the difference The arrow range is cool, added Basketball, Power Cruising and etc. And a flight sim(in the air extreme sports section). Woo.. I would really want to try the canoeing in multiplayer with friends! (You know, Nintendo should really pay me for all the advertistments I've done.) And Wii being a overrated console. Yes, there is also truth when they say Wii is just hype. BTW, Wii sports is the BEST SELLING VIDEO GAME OF ALL TIME. Hardcores may have a hard time swallowing this. Well, it is mainly because it is bundled with the Wii console(all territories except Japan). I don't know if it is the cost factor that it is the choice of parents/families. It's low-end hardware (and the only console out of the 3 to not sport a HDD) is the contributing factor for its low cost, which spurs take-ups. Lucky break for hitting the right note? Now that Nintendo has successfully regained market share, Wii2 is highly anticipated. Now Wii2 (or whatever its name will be), could very well be Microsoft and SONYs' nightmare. The main reason Wii is still not in favour with the more serious gamers, can be summed up with one word - graphics. It is no excuse, by how far Nintendo has come, and with the established "infrastructure" in place, to neglect the 'power' factor. If it have graphics like the other 2, it is quite obvious who is the winner. (Side Track a little) Oh yeah, something I just knew about, that PS Dualshock . Another friend who bought the PS3 with me, told me he downloaded a game (Rub a dub) which u tilt the controller to play the game. Huh, I was skeptical until I tried it, yes he was right! On the other hand, games exclusivity is hardly holding, with PS losing a lot of exclusive titles to 360. Now we wait what can come out of it, and SONY's and Microsoft's counters. The Wii console, out of the 3, it is still the prettiest, I think.

Some fan live action parody...

Nice effects, if only the acting are better it could actually look decent maybe..

Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou

Major spoilers.

The opening theme song: "REALOVE:REALIFE" by Sphere. This song has got the 80s electric-rock feel. The only thing about this song is: I can hardly hear Aki-san's voice, got overpowered by the other girls! Ahh!!! Only from the full song(see video below), do you hear a part with her distinctive voice. Great song, can't stop listening to it! Nice first step, way to go! You have got to see the AV below! Minna Kawaii!

reall A. | MySpace Video

Woo I almost couldn't recognise Aki-san. She grew and dyed her hair back in this AV. And look at the popularity of the CD/DVD! Shit I can't get it from the 2 sites. ( CD-Japan まで! ) Shit, I can only hope it'll be available again soon       :(

Both wiki and animenewsnetwork reviews for いちばんうしろの大魔王 are rather short. Well I do some research before writing anything nowadays. But we have otaku Miharu-kun here to point up any mistakes, I can rest easy, anytime! Oh yah, here is a test for you to earn a PHD, Miharu. I know you can do it! It is those short 12-episodes series, its theme similar to a lot of the shows before it, Kage Kara Mamoru; Omamori Himari. Fan service here is made a little more palatable by those cute-censoring-small-signs found in Hayate no Gotoku. Fan service, as I've said before, can be OK if you introduced it cleverly. These little small signs adds some intelligence (or at least fun) to the ecchi-jokes.

I am curious about the title, why the "Ichiban" n "Ushiro"? Hehe, sounds a little ecchi.. Well, Daimaou can be lossely translated to Demon Lord. Oh wait, rewatching the first episode, THERE is a reference. After Akuto gave his introduction to the class, he is assigned the seat furthest to the back. Hmmm.. How relevant it is up to the great detectives among the viewers to guess.

Misunderstandings in anime is so fun to watch. We love misunderstandings! Almost every action that Akuto do {btw Akuto(not his real name translation but sounds like): a bad guy :) }, Hiroshi 'helps' interprets it to something evil! Ha. Wrong choice of words at wrong timings is so common in Anime, a source for comedic situations and more importantly (many times) sets the premise plot of the whole story. It is WTF, the whole show started because of this/that? Hayate no Gotoku starts with Hayate's kidnaping quote: "Boku wa tsukiatte kure nai ka? Boku wa, kimi no hoshiin da". No matter how I see(or hear) it, it is a confession! LOL. These are also (I guess) headaches to translators trying to come up with appropriate subs haha. Come on, give them some slack sometimes instead of complaining every little thing everytime..

On the characters side, we have Junko(my fav), the serious Iga kunoichi. Yes, the 2 famous medival japanese ninja clans are also featured in the show, Kouga and Iga. "Brave" is a interesting addition to the story. Normally, there will be the usual follower to the main character, but there is a twist this time, actually a masked hero(not those lame ones - quite powerful even!). Oh I just noticed Hiroshi has a slight Kansai-bei acccent! And Keena, the mysterious class-skipping; rice-loving girl is voiced by... tada... our lovely Aki-san.

Back to the main plot(hey there is a plot, ok!), when Akuto was young, he viewed GOD as a system, a belief that many takes, in the name to do good. Haha the rich guy, trying to act humble, said to the children to thank GOD for his donation. But Akuto only wanted to thank him. Probably because he is an ophan, he doesn't want to believe in GOD (for landing him parentless?). Or maybe he is just being realistic; scientific; analytical. And for that matter/belief, he would to become the earnest student/worker, to strive to the top. Even Junko is impressed at their first meeting. Not a bad thing in all. So who could defy GOD? A DEMON LORD of course!

The story slowly introduced Akuto to some training, which he handled quite well. With each episode, we are let into thinking he is slowly but certainly progressing to the Maou the show is promising. Learning to control over his dormant powers, gaining a dragon... Now at its 9th episode, it kicked into high gear, with Keena being the GOD-controller, and terms like dimension-severing... woo hoo..

It has its meaningful portions too, "It's better to live and trust in those who care for u, than spend your time searching yourself or following some faith." (by Junko's granny when she is faced with making the decision to fight Akuto) WOw what words of wisdom. My quote of the moment!

2 more episodes more before it ends! お楽しみ に!

A related blog I've visited.

Support the anime industry! Watch it at The ending theme: Everyday Sunshine Line by Natsuko Aso

Who is that girl?

Been bothering me. Who is that girl in the closing theme? An alter ego of Mio??

Anyway, the costumes for the 2 closings, side by side.

Bisei Tokei

I don't need/want an iphone, but suddenly the urge can't be any greater! Haha I'm beginning to tremble at the decreased productivity all over the world, doing nothing but looking at time, every pic changes every min! Click on the pictures to hyperlink to the sites.

Demin Mouse Pads

It is not an anime one, hehe, sorry to disappoint. Denim, the rugged cloth most commonly used by jeans, make great mousepads, as I've found out. One of them now sits beautifully on my table.

I really couldn't use those normal plastic, ugly thick crappy ones. Not just for aesthetic reasons, I can't really put it in words, I just don't feel good with my mouse sliding on it. My aging 'FELT' Acer mousepad is showing its age, it is coming off at the edges. So how much that cost? S$2! Bought it at Daiso Sembawang Shopping Centre. Recommended!

the MSI Wind Pad

The keyword this year is "tablet". Taking over "netbook", there are quite a few of these attractive toys at Computex 2010. I knew the tablet is gonna take off, I just didn't expect it to be almost a decade later. Strange sometimes, it shows how senseless, herd-heading people(in general) are. Apple, has perfected its herd heading ability. It is something everyone can take a leaf out of. But Microsoft still has a trump-card, that is Windows itself, which might be its last. For most people, Windows is still the preferred OS. It is a total culture-shock when I tried to maneuver through Snow Leopard. Yes if there is time to spare, it is a nice adventure getting to know the cat, a lot of nice features(with multi-touch, you won't want to use a mouse - I am serious!). But a newbie would feel crippled, even finding or creating a folder can sometimes be so deceptively difficult! Boot Camp and a Windows7 install later, I almost forgot I had that cat before. I'll be back to the cat one day, when I have the time... Here is Wind, which looks like a XXL PMP. P.S. I am not saying the OS is bad, I am just too used to Windows! :)

my little comment on "You Versus the Information Age"

Atlas

It doesn't hurt to dream. A geek's paradise, my kind of place! ATLAS. I must really go visit this place someday.

A gorgeous lamp!

the original hardwarezone article.