Friday, November 4, 2011

Chris's Top 5 Things that He Wants to See Nintendo Do at Their Next E3 Press Conference

       Recently, Nintendo revealed that their final design for the new Wii U console would be unveiled at next year’s E3 conference. However, they’re going to need more than a spiffed-up new console (that’s already been announced) to win over next year’s E3 crowd. Here’s why.
       There’s a disturbing lack of games coming out in 2011 and 2012. In 2011, Nintendo’s releases include “Skyward Sword”, “Mario Kart 7”, “Super Mario 3D Land”, and... that’s pretty much it. Next year looks a bit better, with “Luigi’s Mansion 2”, “Kid Icarus Uprising”, and “Paper Mario” (my most anticipated game of 2012), but again, that’s still not a lot of games for the Wii or 3DS. If Nintendo wants to post profits next year, their going to have to have a pretty damn good press conference at next year’s E3. Remember E3 2010? In that press conference alone, Nintendo announced more games than have actually been released for the Wii this year.
       So here’s what I want to see at next year’s E3 press conference:

#1: METROID’S 25TH ANNIVERSARY
       Actually, that’s wrong: by Nintendo’s press conference next year, Metroid will be 26 years old. Still, they’ve made practically no acknowledgment of Metroid’s 25th anniversary this year, aside from maybe a stray Twitter post. Metroid Database and even IGN (you know, those letters that you can’t spell “ignorant” with, har dee har har) have done more to celebrate Metroid’s birthday than Nintendo has. At next year’s press conference, this needs to change. Bring in Metroid Metal. Announce a “3D Collection” for the 3DS. You can announce a sequel for “Other M” for all I care, just do something.

#2: ANNOUNCE MULTIPLATFORM TITLES FOR WII U
       I agree, Nintendo, exclusives sure are cool. But you know what else is cool? Having games like “Red Dead Redemption”, or “Fallout 3”, or “Battlefield 3”. These games were (almost) just as good as a lot of your exclusives, and the only reason they weren’t ported to the Wii is because the Wii can’t handle current-gen titles. Those Nintendo fanboys that only stuck to the Wii this generation have been left out of the dust, and unable to play a lot of really important games this generation. In fact, it must’ve really sucked to be a Wii-only player this year because the only new games they’d play are “Return to Dreamland” and “Skyward Sword”. Sure, those games are really good, but fanboys won’t be getting “Arkham City”, or “Battlefield 3”, or “Skyrim”, all of which are really important games this year. Let’s fix that with the Wii U, hm Nintendo?

#3: POKEMON STADIUM 3DS
       I doubt that “Pokedex 3D” was created just for giggles, and seeing all these pretty 3D models really, really implies that a “Pokemon Stadium 3DS” of sorts is in the works. For those who don’t know, “Pokemon Stadium” was an old N64 title that let you hook up your old Game Boy “Pokemon” games to your TV and see your Pokemon come to life and duke it out. There were two “Pokemon Stadium” games for the N64, as well as “Pokemon Colosseum” for the Gamecube, and “Pokemon Battle Revolution” for the Wii, that let you transfer your handheld Pokemon from the ages to fight on the big screen. There’s been one for every generation, except for “Black and White”, and I think we can all agree that a new game like this is in the works. It seems like an ideal game for the 3DS, since we’ve seen that it can render the newer Pokemon beautifully in “Pokedex 3D”. So make it happen, Nintendo.

#4: ANNOUNCE A BETTER ONLINE SYSTEM FOR WII U
       Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection sucks. We all know that. Sure, it was pretty cool to play “Mario Kart Wii” and the aforementioned “Pokemon Battle Revolution” online, but when compared to services like Xbox Live and PlayStation Network, NWC really just sucks. They remedied a good bit of problems with the 3DS, such as having to enter a friend code for each game, but having to rely on Wi-Fi to connect online is still a royal pain, especially for consoles. It’s just quicker to plug your consoles into a switch, and if you’re in a family with multiple members online at once, Wi-Fi really starts to bog down unless you pay enough for a faster and bulkier internet connection.
       The Wii U is Nintendo’s chance to reinvigorate their online ecosystem. I understand Nintendo wanting friend codes, and that problem was fixed with the 3DS. But take it to the next level. Offer a more robust online shopping service. Offer demos, and patches for when games are released unfinished (an all-too-common problem this generation). And give the Wii U a larger hard drive: having to stick to the Wii’s 256MB of internal memory sucks.

#5: REALIZE THAT GAMERS ARE YOUR AUDIENCE
       Those people in the audience at your press conferences are not there to listen to you jabber on about the Wii Vitality Sensor, or to hear you talk about a game that was leaked to the public as if it was a brand new surprise. We all knew about “3D Classics: Excitebike” by the time you talked about it at your last conference, so the surprise was kind of worn on us. We’re an audience who is constantly absorbing gaming news through sources like Kotaku and IGN, so you need to surprise us with news we’ve never heard before. Remember the audience’s reaction to “Metroid: Other M”? I knew I just about jizzed my pants (right around the point where Adam uttered “Any objections, lady?”), and though the game itself didn’t go as well as predicted, gamers were still mad with hype. That’s what they want to feel like both going in and coming out of your conferences.
       And don’t talk about crap like the Vitality Sensor. Gamers don’t care about that kind of stuff. That’s why Microsoft has been doing so poorly at their E3 conferences: they care too much about Kinect and not enough about their target audience. The reason Ninty’s 2010 conference was so awesome is that it delivered what gamers wanted to see: new games, previously announced games, a new system... Try and reinvigorate that spirit again next year, Nintendo. I can’t wait to see how you do.
  

Friday, October 21, 2011

Movie Review: Moneyball

      Let me get this out of the way: I am not a fan of conventional sports. Football, baseball, soccer, hockey, and basketball all bore me, and the amount of enthusiasm from both sides leads to obnoxious levels of noise. And speaking of not being a fan of conventional sports, I also dislike all those “inspirational” sports stories, like “Remember the Titans”, “Friday Night Lights”, “Warrior”, etc. They’ve become cliché with their uplifting endings and struggling teammates, and I’ve found that I’m able to safely predict the outcome of any of these movies whenever my folks drag me along to see one. Mostly, anyway.
      And I say “mostly” because I’ve found a movie that has broken these cliched conventions to rise above the rest. You’ve seen ads for it, and you don’t have to take my word for it: other critics have been raving about it for weeks. That movie is “Moneyball”, and despite my resentment for the sports genre of movies, it’s become one of my favorite movies of the year.
Brad Pitt plays Billy Beane, the general manager of the ailing Oakland Athletics during the 2001 MLB post-season. We are informed before the film begins that the Athletics make a paltry $30 million or so a year, compared to the New York Yankees, who make about $140 million. Billy meets a young man named Peter Brand (Jonah Hill) who, using statistics, helps him build a winning team for as cheap a cost as possible. In this process, the Athletics lose several star players, while hiring players with questionable abilities. His scouts and coach disagree with Billy and Peter’s methods, and don’t think that team creation should be left to machines and the web. Billy’s idea appears to fail at first, but with a little effort and good coaching, the A’s gather a whopping 20 consecutive wins, an MLB record. Their streak is capped at that, but Billy is satisfied with his victories and methods. At the end of the movie, Beane is offered an opportunity to become the general manager of the Boston Red Sox, but he declines. Soon after, we are told that the Red Sox won the World Series in 2004, using the methods that Billy pioneered.
       The acting in this movie is superb, and really, can you expect anything less from Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill? I must say though, that I’m used to seeing these actors in relatively more comical roles, in movies like “Superbad”, “Inglourious Basterds”, and “Snatch”. This is the first time I’ve seen Jonah Hill in a serious, dramatic role, and he performs it quite well. His character is a soft-spoken, computer-loving nerd, and while that’s similar to his role in “Superbad”, he is more expressive and contemplative here. And Brad Pitt, as always, is phenomenal, and perfect for the role. I sense an Oscar nomination next year for ol’ Brad.
       To me, a sports movie with an uplifting, happy ending has become somewhat cliché, and it’s a trend that I really dislike. But “Moneyball” bypasses this by having an ending that, while satisfying, still leaves the audience with mixed feelings; joy and pride for the A’s, but disappointment in their loss and in Beane’s poor decision at the end.
       There have been complaints from some of my friends as to the film’s inaccuracies, but as a non-sports buff, I really couldn’t care less. Movies aren’t meant to stick exactly to the source material, because otherwise they would have no business existing in the first place. This film is an interpretation, not a recreation. Sure, knowing the source material well can detract from your viewing experience (after reading McCarthy’s The Road, I knew the movie was going to disappoint), but movies are more than adaptations. As someone who could have really cared less about the 2002 baseball season back in the day, I really, really enjoyed it. Coming from someone who hates conventional sports, you really should go check it out.

Rating: *****

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Chris's Top 5 Most Tear-Jerking Moments in Gaming and Film

      One of the things that lets films and games become art is their ability to (purposely) elicit emotions from the viewer or player. Senses of humor, fright, frustration, confusion, and our subject today, sadness, all allow the film and gaming mediums to truly soar. As I mentioned, I’m writing this article on the subject of a film or game’s ability to elicit sorrow and sadness. There have been many tear-jerkers in these mediums, but I’d like to tell you which movies and games have jerked the most tears out of me. So let’s begin.

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

#5: ANAKIN’S TRANSFORMATION (STAR WARS EPISODE III)
       First, let me get this out of the way: Hayden Christiansen’s acting is terrible. He’s either far too melodramatic and over-the-top, or too boring. However, it’s the circumstances of the film, and the effect his transformation has on the other characters, that makes this truly tragic. Padme and Obi-Wan both react as if they’ve just lost a family member. He truly does become a different person. The effect of the turning is so great that it turns the tide of the entire Clone Wars. Almost every Jedi, young or old, is slaughtered, and the very few who do survive Vader’s onslaught are left to mourn and struggle with this great loss of life.
       I think that the ending of “Episode III” is the best and most powerful of the entire saga. You’re left to see what Vader has done to the galaxy. The Jedi Temple is in ruin, Padme is dead, the Death Star has begun construction. And yet, there is still a glimmer of hope, as baby Luke and Leia are delivered to their respective families on Tatooine and Alderaan. Even today, the ending (and the movie as a whole) sends shivers down my spine.

#4: BOBBERY’S TALE (PAPER MARIO: THE THOUSAND-YEAR DOOR)
       The story of Admiral Bobbery, one of the many partners in “The Thousand-Year Door”, is a surprisingly dark and tragic one, especially for a Mario game. Essentially, while Bobbery was sailing the high seas, his wife Scarlette died of a fatal illness. And because of what happened, Bobbery swore to himself to never sail the seas again. Later, when Mario and company need to find a navigator to sail to Keelhaul Key, they are directed to Bobbery’s residence after a local bartender tells them his sad tale. After some puzzle-solving, they finally directly reach Bobbery, and after some persuasion, he gives a final prayer to his wife, and joins the party.
       It’s a very simple story, but the game adds a lot of emotion to it. It’s a tale of a Bob-omb who loses a loved one, mourns her, and then finally moves on with his life, which is something that we all do at some point or another. We’re able to connect with Bobbery as he struggles with the loss, until he finally finds the courage to move on and maker his wife proud of him. Even today, I almost shed a tear, and when Aerith’s death in “Final Fantasy VII” fails to emulate that, you know “Paper Mario” succeeds as a game.

#3 “WILSON!!!” (CAST AWAY)
       Robert Zemeckis’ directing in “Cast Away” was incredible, and that was evident in the way that Hanks, and ourselves, connected with a volleyball that he simply drew a face on. It was the only thing keeping him sane, and he would occasionally speak to it, or even pretend to listen to and sympathize with it. It became his only friend in his years alone on the desert island, and when he is lost to the waves, Hanks just breaks down. We didn’t witness the loss of a volleyball, we witnessed the loss of a close, close friend. His only friend. His only source of support and encouragement. Now dead and gone.
       Wilson is an example of how one can turn an inanimate object into an imaginary friend, when there are no more real friends. Zemeckis draws us in, and Wilson becomes our friend, too. Like any other character, we connect with him and, just like Hanks, we pray for his survival. Zemeckis created a very unique character with Wilson, and when he was lost, it felt as if we lost a part of ourselves as well.

#2: CELES’ ATTEMPTED SUICIDE (FINAL FANTASY VI)
       Speaking of deaths in the “Final Fantasy” series, let’s talk about what I believe is the saddest, most emotional moment in the entire main series. After Kefka uses the power of the goddesses to essentially become God, he basically destroys the whole world, and the player’s party is broken up. After witnessing the calamity, we come back to Celes, who is being taken care of by her grandfather, Cid, on a deserted island. After she wakes up, we see that Cid has become ill, and Celes decides to fish for some food for the both of them. What happens next is entirely up to the player: if she catches fast fish, then Cid will become healthy again, and he’ll lead Celes to a raft to escape the island and find her friends.
       However, if you catch slower fish for Cid, then he will succumb to his illness and die. After realizing what she’s done, and that she’s now alone in this desolate new world, she finds a nearby cliff, and leaps off.
       Just as I was wiping the tears from my eyes, though, her fall is broken by a seagull (somehow) and she finds that one of Locke’s headbands has washed up on the beach. Realizing that her friends are still alive, she finds the raft and sails off.
       This is one of the most powerful moments in the entire gaming medium. Unlike poor Aerith, who was backstabbed by Sephiroth in an attempt to shock the player, Celes witnessed everything in her life crumble around her, and decided that life was not worth living anymore. I think what happened next is a little hokey, but this was an early SNES game, and Nintendo didn’t take death and suicide too well at the time, so that’s excusable. The entire moment moved me to tears when I first played the game.

#1: THE DEATH OF MUFASA (THE LION KING)
       This scene hurt me on the inside. I’m pretty sure that it hurt everyone else too. The movie establishes that Simba and his father, Mufasa, share a close father-son bond. Mufasa is Simba’s role model, and he also embodies what children see out of our dads: stern, proud, humorous, and fun all at the same time. He is also a responsible king, and he holds the kingdom together. However, all it took was one jealous brother to bring it all crumbling down.
       Scar, Simba’s uncle, invites Simba to a nearby canyon, where he promises Simba that his dad has a wonderful surprise for him down there. He then triggers a stampede of wildebeests, which puts Simba directly in danger. When Mufasa hears what’s going on, he rushes to the rescue, and runs in the middle of the stampede to throw Simba out of trouble. It gets complicated when he tries to escape himself, though, and he has trouble gripping the cliff. He asks his nearby brother for assistance, but Scar instead throws Mufasa right back into the stampede, where he is run over and dies.
       After the stampede ends, Simba goes to his father’s body, desperately asking him to wake up. Scar finds Simba, tells him that he’s responsible for his father’s death, and tells him to “Run away, and never return.” Simba promptly leaves into exile until adulthood, leaving the kingdom to rot under Scar’s rule.
       Even seeing “The Lion King” in 3-D about a few weeks ago, I still shed a tear over Mufasa’s death. It’s the effect that it leaves on every single character and event in the film. Simba’s reaction is especially tear-jerking, because he’s thinking what we’re thinking: This is the king of the jungle! He can’t die! ...Can he?
       The proud figure that was Mufasa left a considerable impression on the audience, and his death turned “The Lion King” into much more than a simple children’s movie. It’s the reason Disney still thrives today: it’s able to create timeless stories that anyone, young or old, can enjoy and appreciate.

Friday, September 30, 2011

Game Review: Team Fortress 2 (PC)

       A few years ago, I had a fairly competent computer. It could run Valve’s Source engine without systematically crashing. But then my dad accidentally static’d the whole thing, and while it still worked, it’s USB ports went kaput. That meant no mouse, and unfortunately, no more gaming (It was a laptop, so I could still technically use it, but who wants to play “Half-Life 2” with a laptop’s touch pad?).
        Back when the laptop was still working, I played a fair bit of “Team Fortress 2”, a class-based FPS (or should I say the class-based FPS) that came bundled in Valve’s “Orange Box” package. My favorite classes were the Spy (a stealth-based class that can cloak, disguise as other players, and most importantly, assassinate important targets), and the Engineer (a defensive class who builds sentry guns, teleporters, and health/ammo dispensers to assist other teammates). Man, those were the days. But they all came to an unfortunate end.
        Thankfully, I received a new laptop recently, and since “Team Fortress 2” recently became free, I decided to give it a download, and man, has the experience changed.
        The core gameplay is the same as it’s always been, and I was easily able to get back into my old sneaky-Spy ways again. However, there are now much more options. New weapons and items can be unlocked (or bought as DLC), and while they aren’t necessarily better or worse than the default weapons, they do add variety to a playstyle. For example, I can play the Engineer as I always have, or I can equip him with the Gunslinger weapon, which in exchange for losing his tight defense, offers the Engie a more interesting, offensive playstyle.
        Also, since the game is now free, a lot more friends of mine are joining in. The community is a lot larger than it’s been in my prime, and with the new weapons, it seems like there’s an infinite number of different styles to each player. There are more maps, players, weapons, and features than most games I’ve ever played, and it successfully emulates a community in a video game, something I’ve very rarely seen done.
        And of course, I can’t praise the game’s cartoonish art style enough. It’s exaggerated enough to make every class look completely different, and in a game like this, that is a very good thing. It’s also insanely quotable, as every class spits out a lot of humorous dialogue upon killing or assisting other players. Back in the day, every map looked about the same, but now there’s a lot more variety, from the old typical “Wile E. Coyote” setting, to snow-capped mountains, to evil Bond-villain style hideouts. The music (which disappointingly only plays in the menus) is awesome in a super-villainous kind of way. (http://bit.ly/pYVhsq)
        So how does the game hold up compared to today’s modern war shooters? Really well. In fact, it’s still one of the best online experiences out there for PC, FPS or not. It’s replay value is off-the-charts (without having to rely on the sort of “Skinner Box” style shenanigans of the “Call of Duty” series). It proves that when you have an amazing art style, graphics don’t mean crap, and that an FPS doesn’t need to be dark or drab to be excellent. Does this mean that it’s the best multiplayer FPS out there? In my opinion, you bet it does.

Rating: *****

Friday, September 23, 2011

Chris's Top 5 Most Hated Trends of the Gaming Industry

      Don’t get me wrong. There are many recent trends in gaming that I really love. Aiming down sights? It makes kills more accurate and satisfying. Sandbox worlds? Under the right circumstances, they allow you to get totally lost in a game. But the thing is, there are way too much trends in our industry, new and old, that just absolutely need to go. For example...

#5: DIGITAL RIGHTS MANAGEMENT
       Those not familiar with DRM can go here (http://bit.ly/4GiiiG), but to the anyone else, the three above words make up one of the ugliest phrases in the entertainment industry. Of course, piracy doesn’t do much good to any industry, and I’m not a huge proponent of it, but with DRM, it seems like big companies like the MPAA just want to punish everybody instead of making the effort to focus just on pirates. Nobody likes DRM (except all the industry bigwigs), and it’s really, really high time it got up and quit. In fact, many media companies (like Apple) claim that their games/videos/songs are “DRM-free” just to rack up more sales. It’s no wonder those services are more popular than those with DRM. Sorry entertainment industry, but DRM has got to high-tail it out of here.

#4: THE GLUT OF SEQUELS
       How many of you actually got excited when the words “Halo 4” flashed on the screen at Microsoft’s E3 press conference this year? I didn’t. I didn’t get excited for “Gears of War 3” either. Or “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3”. Or “Dance Central 2”. Or “Kinect Sports Season 2”. Or “Forza Motorsport 4”. Or “Fable: the Journey”. Or “Halo Anniversary”. Or... well, you get the idea.
       You see how bad this is? Even Hollywood doesn’t churn out as many sequels. There were very, very few original games at E3 this year, and the gaming industry doesn’t realize that if all we get is sequels, sooner or later gamers are going to get sick of all these games. After all, wasn’t that what happened with the “Guitar Hero” franchise? I’m not saying we should abandon sequels completely, but I am saying that we need to cut some of them down and just get some original ideas going.

#3: THE OVERRELIANCE ON GRAPHICS AND “HARDCORE GAMING”
       Wanna know what my favorite console was this generation? Hint one: It’s not the PS3. Hint two: It’s not the 360, either. Hint 3: IT’S THE WII. Wanna know why? It’s because it was original. Unique. The games on it were actually intriguing. Games like “No More Heroes” and “Red Steel 2” (which is an actually good sequel, just so I don’t look like a hypocrite) couldn’t have been possible on 360 or PS3. Games were actually interesting, original, and most importantly, different. You also had first-party games like “Super Mario Galaxy” and “Metroid Prime 3” that also couldn’t have been done on any other console. Sure, PS3 and 360 had traditional controllers, and better graphics, but many of the games were just the same old, same old. My point is, what game companies need to understand these days is that at this point, graphics aren’t everything. I don’t think they can get much better than this anyway.

#2: LIVES AND GAME OVERS
       I just know that I’m going to sound like a huge sissy for saying this, but hear me out. Lives and the phrase “Game Over” have always been a part of the video game lexicon. But now we have no excuse to have them now. Nothing. Zip. Nada. A game with a finite number of lives and continues is no longer called “hard”, it’s now called “frustrating”. The only reason I ever tried to play “Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels” is because it was the SNES “All-Stars” version and you could save anytime you wanted.
       For an example of how the game industry could do it right from now on, let’s look at a popular indie game called “Limbo”. In “Limbo”, whenever your character dies, you start again right before you died. That’s it. No lives, no game over. Just the game. It’s perfect, and helps draw you into the experience. Now if only we could get every new game to do this, then gaming would be less of a chore, and more of, well, a game.

#1: BUGS, CRASHES, PATCHES, GLITCHES, ETC.
       This is this gaming generation’s Achilles Heel. I can understand if a PC game crashes or has bugs, because everyone’s PC is different. But everyone’s console is the same. We know what parts are in it. We know how to optimize games for it. So why do we need to release a console game to the public if said game is nearly broken in every way? It’s just f***ing ridiculous.
       The PS3 versions of “The Orange Box” and “Fallout 3” were all but unplayable when they first released, and they had to be patched a few weeks after their releases. But why couldn’t you playtest it first and make sure everything works on day one? Your customers are not testers, they are actual consumers paying you good money for a finished game, not an incomplete one. Hell, that’s part of the reason Nintendo’s online experience isn’t as robust as the competition. They want to make sure only good (or at least complete) games are released on Wii, DS, and 3DS.
       We shouldn’t even have to ask the industry to do this for us. Imagine if you went to see a movie, only to find that that there was no sound in two or three scenes. Imagine if you went to grab a burger from a fast food joint, only to find that it hasn’t been cooked. Seriously, our industry really needs to get their act together on this one, more than any of the other issues on this list.
  

Saturday, September 17, 2011

(Classic) Movie Review: The Lion King (1994)

      When “The Lion King” originally came out, I was a wee baby, at just barely a year old. Until this weekend, I have no memory of ever seeing it in theaters. My parents liked the movie a lot when it first came out, as with most of the past and future films in the Disney Renaissance, so they bought most of them on VHS at the time (remember, this is before DVD). I still have all the old tapes of those 90’s Disney movies. So why did I even bother seeing it in theaters this weekend?
       Well, there are two answers to that question: A) because my “Lion King” cassette tape got a lot of usage back in the day, and now it looks like crap on my huge HDTV, and B) because it was in 3-D. I was curious how Disney was going to turn a traditionally, two-dimensionally animated film into a 3-D spectacle. These aren’t computer-created models, they’re drawings. Computers were barely used to create movies back in 1994. Applying 3-D must have been an ambitious and tricky project, and I was worried that, like “The Nightmare Before Christmas”, it would look unnecessary.
       Fortunately, my worries about the 3-D were quickly shattered. “The Lion King” is truly enhanced by the 3-D effects, especially in moments like the “Circle of Life” number and the final battle between Simba and Scar. There are many scenes that simply look awesome in 3-D. One of my major complaints about 3-D has been that you stop noticing it unless it either screws up, or looks really spectacular. Thankfully, for this movie, the latter is true, and although it’s an older film, it’s one of the best uses of 3-D to date.
       And of course, you have the movie itself, which has always been incredible. The story, which is essentially Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” with anthropomorphic animals taking the place of humans, is great as it’s ever been, as is the acting and writing. The songs are catchy as all hell, being a Disney movie. However, Timon and Bumbaa, as the film’s obligatory comic relief characters, have not aged well, and are simply not as funny as I thought they were when I was a young lad. The kids in the audience all laughed at the slapstick, but I wasn’t really as amused as I remember being. But that is a very, very minor drawback, and it’s a great movie not only for kids, but for adults as well.
       So if you can afford the huge price tag (Twelve bucks!? Are you crazy?), then by all means go for it. Those who’ve never seen the movie, or never forgotten it, will be very pleased, especially with the amazing 3-D effects.

Rating: **** 1/2
  

Friday, September 9, 2011

My Thoughts on the Star Wars Prequels and Special Editions

      This is a really controversial subject among nerds everywhere. To many “Star Wars” fans, the prequel trilogy, and the new special editions of the original trilogy, represent George Lucas’s greed and inability to settle on one single concept or story. The prequels ruined the franchise, with horrible acting, a bland script, and of course, the ever-annoying Jar-Jar. At least, that’s their opinion. My opinion is a bit different.
      When I saw the original trilogy, back when I was, like, six, I watched them alongside the prequels as well. The first Star Wars movie I ever saw was Episode IV, but the second movie that I saw was Episode I. Unlike most SW fans, the entire saga holds immense nostalgic value for me. Looking back, sure, the prequels were not as good as the originals, but they still hold up remarkably well. When I first saw Episode I, I had no idea who this Anakin kid was, or what he would become in later movies. Only when I was a little older, and I had seen more of the movies, did things start to click.
       Maybe it’s because I grew up with the prequels as well as the originals, but I don’t think the prequels are nearly as bad as everyone makes them out to be. Sure, looking back, Jar-Jar is annoying as hell, and the dude they hired to play Anakin in Episodes II and III was an awful actor, but the story and effects, and the world that Lucas has created, shines through in the best possible way. The monsters, space battles, and epic lightsaber duels captivated me when I was very young, and now that I’m older, I’m able to understand the surprisingly deep story, and notice the subtle references the newer movies make to the older ones. They truly hold up well.
       Now, part of that is because Lucas has released these newer, enhanced special editions of the original trilogy. I definitely agree that Greedo most certainly did not shoot first, but otherwise, most of the changes are truly made for the better. They let the saga expand to a new audience who wasn’t around back when Lucas and the crew had to rely on puppets, models, and stop-motion. They let the prequels flourish and connect with the originals.
       So even though the prequels and remakes get a bad rap, I actually think they’re quite good. Of course, that’s just my opinion, but I don’t mind the changes, and besides, it’s Lucas’s work. He can change it however he pleases.

Friday, September 2, 2011

Chris's Top 5 Games That Everyone Else Loves, But He Doesn't Care For

There are a lot of games and series that the gamers, the industry, and sometimes even the general public just go ape for. Fortunately for me (and unfortunately for you), there always  has to be a dissenting opinion, and sometimes that opinion belongs to me. So these are five games that everyone else just loves to death, but I don’t really care for. Let’s start with...

#5: THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: OCARINA OF TIME (N64/3DS)
    Yes, I already did a less-than-enthusiastic review of this game (you can read it here: http://bit.ly/o7XLPH),  but TL;DR: I just didn’t find it as good as the plethora of other amazing Zelda titles (“Wind Waker”, for one). The plot and characters have become the standard for future Zelda games, but this unfortunately means that those elements were far more simplistic and average compared to future, and sometimes even past, Zelda games. The game itself, like many other N64 games (but not “Paper Mario”), hasn’t aged well. The graphics, even in the 3DS remake, look outdated. Overall, I didn’t find it that great. It was okay, but not as godlike as gamers make it out to be.

#4: DRAGON’S LAIR (ARCADE)
    Here’s another game that only relies on nostalgia to keep it alive. Don’t get me wrong: Don Bluth is a great artist, and director (sometimes), and I, like countless others, find Princess Daphne quite attractive, but... that’s really all the game has going for it. The game was designed to keep kids plunking in quarters, and that resulted in an antiquated trial-and-error gameplay style that just will not fly in this day and age. It doesn’t have any replay value either; once you’ve beaten the game, you can beat it again really, really easily, and it becomes pointless after a while. Also, the animation looks a bit cheap. Regardless of whether or not you’ve played this dinosaur before, I wouldn’t recommend playing it again.

#3: CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE 2 (360/PS3/PC)
    Before I begin, no, it wasn’t the lack of dedicated servers that landed this game on the list. I usually don’t mind that kind of thing. Instead, I decided to focus on a few other things. For one, the gameplay of the “Call of Duty” franchise hasn’t budged an inch since the original “Modern Warfare”. Most would think of that as a good thing; after all, CoD is one of the best multiplayer games for a reason. And I like the gameplay of the “Call of Duty” games. What I don’t like is that we have to pay $60 for a new one every single year. CoD is following the path of the “Madden NFL” series; release a new game every year, with different weapons and maps, and everything will be right as rain, right? Wrong. This is the gaming industry, and an artistic medium, and we shouldn’t be following the Apple mentality of releasing the same product every year. I can only pray that “Modern Warfare 3” will be the last game in the series for at least a few years. If not, Activision, then I’m moving over to EA. “Battlefield 3” looks really attractive right now.

#2: Wii SPORTS (Wii)
    It’s November of 2006, and I’m waiting in line at the local Toys ‘R’ Us to pick up that Wii preorder I made a few months ago. It’s very cold, but there’s only, what, 10 minutes to go until midnight? Finally, they start handing out Wiis to the public, and I am one of the first in Anchorage to own a Wii. I gleefully head back home, and my brother and I are eager to try this newfangled “Wiimote”. So we pop in the packaged game, “Wii Sports”, and we have a blast!
...At least until we wake up in the morning to find out that our arms hurt like hell.
Unfortunately, that’s not the only problem that “Wii Sports” finds itself with. There are only so many times that you can play all the games until you get really good at them, and playing them is pointless, until you bring your Wii to a party. But even then, you’re so good, that your expertise overshadows everyone else, and all the sudden, no one wants you to play anymore. But even if you do get really good, you’re still going to struggle with the sometimes infuriating controls, especially in games like Golf. I still haven’t sold the game yet, because of family and friends wanting to play, but I rarely find myself ever playing it.

#1: FINAL FANTASY IV (DS)
    First, a disclaimer: this entry belongs to the DS version, and the DS version alone. The SNES release (sold in America as “Final Fantasy II”), I thought, was very fun and enjoyable. It’s no “Final Fantasy VI”, but it has the excuse not to be. It was older, the SNES was brand new when it came out, and the translation was so bad it was hilarious. “You spoony bard!” remains one of the most (unintentionally) classic phrases in the gaming medium.
    Unfortunately, the plot was a total mess, but with the original translation, that was forgiven somewhat. But when you get to the remastered DS version though, the story has less of an excuse to be this corny and stupid. The translation for the DS version makes more sense, it has less, if any, typos, and many of the vaguer moments from the original translation are made a bit clearer. Normally, I would find this to be a good thing, but now the plot loses it’s one excuse for being as ridiculous as it is.
    Also, Square Enix really ramped up the difficulty in the remastered DS release, making the game unnecessarily hard. I only barely scraped by the Dark Elf boss, and after that, I was thrown into a dungeon with even more difficult monsters than the last. Grinding (the process by which you fight weaker enemies for experience and levels) was pretty much useless, since weaker monsters paid very little experience upon defeat, making the game seem more like a chore.
    The SNES version, even with all it’s typos and plot holes, is still the superior version.

Friday, August 26, 2011

Classic Game Review: Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Genesis)

Confession time: the only game in the “Sonic the Hedgehog” franchise that I’ve ever played is the very first one, on the Genesis. It was alright, but it didn’t really thrill me. I felt that the platforming, while great, was still subpar compared to other heavy hitters, like the “Mario” series. The sense of speed that the game was trying to convey felt lost in some areas. Oh, and I really, really hated the Labyrinth Zone. (Sonic should absolutely never find himself underwater.)
Those issues are mostly fixed in “Sonic 2”, however. The sense of speed is improved due to a new move that lets you crouch, charge in ball form, and then go really, really stupid fast. Whoever came up with this awesome new move should’ve received a huge raise. Also, there are fewer moments where you come to an unnecessary stop. Areas like the dreaded Labyrinth Zone are now few and far between.
The levels are also much better than the ones in the first “Sonic”. If you asked me to pick a favorite, I honestly wouldn’t really have an answer. The Chemical Plant, Casino Night, Hill Top, and Sky Chase Zones all stand out among the rest, but it seems like every world was well thought-out.
The soundtrack is also phenomenal. Again, Chemical Plant and Casino Night stand out. Most, if not all, of the songs are very catchy and cool. And the final boss theme stands out as one of the best final boss themes in the industry, right up there with “Final Fantasy VI” and “Mario and Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story”.
But, speaking of the final boss, there is one minor complaint: the difficulty. I was able to easily breeze through most of the game, but there was a huge difficulty spike when the final stage came around. I don’t think I’ve ever been as pissed at a video game as with “Sonic 2” during it’s last stage. I’m not going to spoil anything, but let this be a warning to those who have not played this game before: the final boss will piss you off.
But this is a very minor complaint for what is a huge, huge improvement over the original “Sonic”. If you didn’t really care for the first game, this one just might change your mind. And it’s only five dollars on Steam, so what do you have to lose?

Rating: ****

Friday, August 19, 2011

Classic Movie Review: Pulp Fiction (1994)

       I knew "Pulp Fiction" was going to be really good when I first looked at the cast, which is an all-star cast if there ever was one. I mean, you have John Travolta, Bruce Willis, Christopher Walken, director Quentin Tarantino, and even Samuel L. "Bad Motherf***er" Jackson. They are all perfectly cast. If the film was casted any differently, this review would simply not be as enthusiastic.
       "Pulp Fiction" is not just one of the most quotable movies ever made, it IS the most quotable movie ever made. Even "The Big Lebowski" has nothing on this movie. I'm, of course, not going to spoil any of these quotes for anyone who's seen the movie, but rest assured, it's a memorable film. There are many twists and turns, the characters are very well acted, and the different, interlacing stories tie each other together excellently.
       Don't even get me started on the soundtrack. The many different songs are catchy, memorable, and tie with the movie well. Trying to get songs like "Miserlou", "Surf Rider", and "Jungle Boogie" out of your head is hard as all hell.
       There is one thing that bugs me a tad, but I won't knock off points for it: it's hard to classify. Is it a drama? A black comedy? Who knows? And to be honest, who cares?
       It may be obvious to those who have seen it, but this is truly Tarantino's magnum opus. If you want a bloody good motion picture that you'll be quoting relentlessly for about the rest of your life, then this is the film to see.

Rating: *****

Friday, August 12, 2011

Deathmatch: Super Metroid (SNES) vs. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PSX/360/PSP)

There are many genres of gaming that I really love. In fact, I don’t think there’s one that I really dislike. But of them all, one that’s near and dear to my heart is the “Metroidvania” game. This is a game that focuses mainly on exploration, giving you an open map, and power-ups that are used to advance to previously inaccessible areas. It’s named after the two games that we’re comparing today: “Super Metroid”, and “Castlevania: Symphony of the Night”. Both of these games helped pioneer the genre, and are incredibly similar. They do have a few differences though; after all, that’s the entire point of this article. So let’s get down to the nitty-gritty: which is truly better? Let’s find out.


Obviously, there are spoilers for both games below. If you haven’t played these games yet (and I highly recommend you do), stop reading and do so first.



ROUND ONE: STORY
The story of “Super Metroid” is a simple one: after the events of “Metroid II”, Samus recieves a distress signal from the Ceres Space Colony, where she had previously donated a baby Metroid. Upon arriving, she finds the place in ruins, and just as she sees the baby, it is stolen by her arch-nemesis Ridley. Samus follows Ridley back to Planet Zebes, where she finds that the Space Pirates have recovered from Samus’s previous assault on Zebes.
After much exploration, she finds the baby, but this time he’s grown to an enormous size, and he nearly kills Samus before realizing who he’s attacking, after which he flees. Later, Samus encounters the final boss, Mother Brain, who also nearly kills her, until the baby shows up to drain Mother Brain’s health. After draining Mother Brain and healing Samus (Metroids can do that, apparently), Brain gives the baby the old lethal laser beam, and the baby dies. Having been given the last of the baby’s strength, Samus easily kills Brain and escapes Zebes mere minutes before the planet explodes. The galaxy is at peace. The end.
The story of “Symphony of the Night” is more complex. The actual game picks up a few months after “Rondo of Blood”: Richter Belmont has disappeared mysteriously, and when Maria starts to look for him, Dracula’s Castle inexplicably shows up as if to show the way.
Meanwhile, our hero, Alucard (Dracula’s son), decides that there’s no better time to give his dad a good “F*** you” than now, and storms the place. Just as soon as he enters, though, the Grim Reaper shows up and takes away all of his gear, leaving Alucard in an awkward, “Samus at the beginning of every Metroid game” scenario. After getting better equipment and meeting with Maria a few times, he finds Richter working for the bad guys. Depending on how you choose to go about things, Alucard either kills Richter, or frees him from his mind-controlling curse. If you choose to free him, a dark priest named Shaft clears the way for another variation of the castle (this time upside-down), which Alucard also explores. He soon not only meets with the Reaper to get all his stuff back, but also finally encounters both Shaft and Dracula, and they have a final duel to the death.
The story of “Super Metroid” is very simple and basic, but the story of “Symphony” is far more complex, and has themes such as that of the nature of mankind. So I have to give the nod to “Symphony” for this round.


WINNER: SYMPHONY OF THE NIGHT

ROUND 2: PRESENTATION

By presentation, of course, I mean graphics, art direction, and sound.
The presentation of “Super Metroid” is far darker than that of “Symphony”. Instead of a medieval castle, the game takes place on a desolate, mostly isolated planet. Samus is pretty much the only real character, and the game definitely has a sense of isolation and loneliness. The soundtrack adds to this feeling, adding further to the creepiness of the world of Zebes.
The presentation of “Symphony”, however, is much more lively. The setting of a castle allows for much more frivolous environments, characters, and music. Unlike “Super Metroid”, which had darker environments like ruins and caverns, “Symphony” has more areas like libraries, galleries, laboratories, and even a chapel. There were more memorable characters in “Symphony”, too; I’ll never forget the shopkeeper in the library. The areas were more colorful as well. The enemies were quite varied, and looked cooler than the ones in “Super Metroid”. Given the choice between generic-looking aliens and monsters like demons, skeletons, and witches, I think we all know what we would choose. And the music, like any “Castlevania”, is awesome and catchy as hell. Who doesn’t love “Bloody Tears”?
Having read this, it’s obvious who’s going to take this round.


WINNER: SYMPHONY OF THE NIGHT



ROUND 3: CONTROLS
I’m not a huge fan of nitpicking on control schemes, based on the fact that I can get used to pretty much any control scheme, no matter how clunky. Nevertheless, these two games control very differently.
In “Super Metroid”, Samus can aim her arm cannon in any direction. She can crouch, go into her Morph Ball, shoot missiles, lay bombs, wall-jump, and even “Shinespark”. (Look it up. It’s awesome.) The SNES controller makes doing all this very easy and natural, and the controls feel perfect, no matter how familiar you are with the series, or the controller.
The controls in “Symphony” are excellent as well, but I have several complaints. First of all, I dislike having to constantly go into the menu screen whenever I want to heal. In “Metroid”, health power-ups just naturally appear whenever an enemy dies. But in “Symphony”, you have to unequip either your sword or your shield, replace it with whatever your healing item is, exit the menu, heal, and then re-equip your sword or shield. That, in my opinion, was a disaster.
Also, Alucard’s sword is difficult to aim at low enemies. Using sub-weapons, while not uncomfortable by any means, is unconventional.
“Super Metroid” takes this round.

WINNER: SUPER METROID



ROUND 4: THE GAME WORLDS
I’ve already lauded the environments of “Symphony” as being graphically and artistically better than those of “Super Metroid”, but aesthetics are never everything.
Both Planet Zebes and Dracula’s Castle are huge game worlds, there’s no denying that. However, when you compare the two side-by-side, there’s no denying that compared to the castle, Zebes is absolutely huge. The size of the world in “Super Metroid” is absolutely humongous. Brinstar, Norfair, and Maridia, when combined, could easily match the size of Dracula’s entire castle. And that’s just half of Zebes.
And then you have the Inverted Castle. Sure, it increases the size of the world of “Symphony”, but it just feels like the developers got lazy. All it is is an upside-down version of Dracula’s Castle.
Bottom line: there’s simply more to do and more to explore in “Super Metroid”. While the world of “Symphony” looks and sounds amazing, in actuality Planet Zebes is much more varied.


WINNER: SUPER METROID



FINAL ROUND: GAMEPLAY
And here we arrive at the most important aspect of any video game: gameplay. The deciding factor in any gaming grudge-match.
The gameplay in “Symphony” is far more complex than that of “Super Metroid”. It borrows a lot from not only “Metroid”, but also from a lot of JRPGs. You have experience points, armor upgrades, a shop, and magic. Hell, if not for the glaring similarities to the “Metroid” franchise, I would’ve mistaken it for yet another action-RPG.
But does this system work well for a Metroidvania style game? Not necessarily. I mean, it works well, but I believe that for this genre of this depth, an RPG-style system only makes it more confusing.
Also, as I previously mentioned, Alucard’s sword(s) are not as fun to use as Samus’s arm cannon. The ability to easily aim, as well as easily hit targets at a distance, is immensely more satisfying than swiping at a nearby enemy.
Another thing to point out: even though “Symphony” tells a better story, and has a better artistic direction, the presentation and story of “Metroid” ties together with the gameplay a bit better. That sense of isolation and loneliness really helps improve the already stellar atmosphere, which in turn helps improve the gameplay.
Just to reiterate: “Castlevania: Symphony of the Night” is a brilliant and amazing game, and is easily my favorite in the “Castlevania” series. But what “Symphony” does really well, “Super Metroid” does far, far better. The gameplay round goes the “Super Metroid”, the superior game.



WINNER: SUPER METROID

Friday, August 5, 2011

Classic Movie Review: A Clockwork Orange

       This is a very interesting movie. It's a classic, to be sure, but it's also very hard to watch. It's about a kid who loves the ultra-violence, rape, and of course, the Ludwig Von. It's a film about justice, free will, and torture. It's story asks a lot of questions that you're left to ponder once the movie is over.
       The movie centers on Alex DeLarge, a teenage boy who loves drinking drugged milk, listening to Beethoven, and participating in ultra-violent acts with his friends, including rape and murder. After finally getting caught by the cops, he is submitted into an experimental treatment, where he is given pain-inducing drugs while being forced to watch violent and sexual films, thus associating violent and sexual acts with pain. He is released a few weeks later an upright citizen, where he becomes an outlet for the anger of the other "civilized" people that he had wronged in the past. He is eventually tipped over the edge, and attempts suicide, after which he is sent to a hospital where he is "uncured", and he becomes violent again.
       If it sounds complex, it's because it is. As I said, it leaves a lot of questions. Is it better for the government to rob people of their own free will for the sake of safety and security? Did Alex really deserve all of the hatred and rage that his victims inflicted upon him? And is Alex's savagery truly that different from our own?
       I also said that it's really hard to watch. In the beginning of the film, you see some of Alex's acts of violence, some of which are truly brutal. At one point, you watch him gag and rape a young woman whilst singing "Singin' in the Rain". He truly knows no bounds.
       "A Clockwork Orange" is an amazing film. Brutal, and philosophical, but amazing.

Rating: ****

Friday, July 29, 2011

Classic Game Review: Chrono Trigger (SNES/PSX/DS)

       Last week, I posted a less than enthusiastic review of "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time", stating that I didn't care for it that much and that nostalgia was the only thing keeping it alive. If there were a word to describe it, "timeless" would not be it. However, that word describes "Chrono Trigger" quite well. A timeless game is one you can experience any time, one that ages really, really well, and one that I could recommend to anyone today, regardless of how old it is. "Pac-Man", "Donkey Kong", and "Paper Mario" come to mind (although that last one might be more nostalgia talking). And "Chrono Trigger" fits the bill just as well.
       When I was surfing the Wii Shop Channel to download "Final Fantasy VI", I noticed another game, this one, that I was meaning to try out for a while. After finishing the grand epic that was "Final Fantasy VI", I decided to give "Chrono" a spin. I had never played it before, and after finishing it for the first time, I can safely say that I thoroughly enjoyed it and can recommend it to any video game fan, young or old.
       The aesthetic, designed in part by "Dragon Ball Z" artist Akira Toriyama, fits the game perfectly. The story involves a young man, aptly named Crono, who, along with two of his friends, are sent back in time, and forward in time, and everywhere in between. They find themselves in prehistoric times, medieval times, and even in the far-flung, post-apocalyptic, Terminator-ridden future. The multitude of settings expands the game's world very well. The story was nowhere near as good as "Final Fantasy VI", but then again, that game's story is one of the best told in the gaming medium. The story of "Chrono" works well enough for the job.
       The game's battle system is pulled straight from the "Final Fantasy" series, but that's not really a bad thing, because the system works really well. In fact, much of the gameplay is identical to "Final Fantasy", with very few exceptions. For example, there's no more random encounters. That's a huge win in my book.
       I do have to nitpick at a few small issues, though. Battles initiate like they do in "Paper Mario", in that they start as soon as you touch an enemy. However, the battle menus can get in the way of the enemies, making it hard or even impossible to see the enemy or how much damage you're doing to it. Also, later in the game, some important items become prohibitively expensive, adding significantly to the games challenge. And the dual- and triple-techs, as cool as they look, and as strong as they are, often throw strategy out the window in favor of using brute force. But these are just small problems that I can easily overlook.
       Unlike "Ocarina of Time", I can recommend this game today, to any gamer, of any age. For a sixteen-year-old game to hold up this well for that long is an incredible achievement. This game is truly timeless.

Rating: ****

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Classic Game Review: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64/3DS)

       I'm going to be brutally honest in this review. Whenever discussions with fellow gamers shift to "Ocarina", I always get uncomfortable. They laud this game as "the best game of all time". They talk about it's genius gameplay, it's wonderful characters and story, and of course, it's many memorable moments. But, to be honest, past and future Zeldas have done it far, far better.
       That's right, I never cared much for "Ocarina of Time". It was okay. Passable. Satisfactory. But definitely not "best of all time" material.
       You have to understand, though, that I never had "Ocarina" back in the N64 days. I was too busy having fun with games like "Paper Mario", "Super Smash Bros.", and "Super Mario 64". The GameCube rolled around soon after, and I was engrossed in games like "Metroid Prime", "Super Mario Sunshine", and "Wind Waker". I hadn't gotten around to "Ocarina" until after I had beaten all of those games, and by then it felt bland and uninspired. Not bad, by any means, but not great.
       I had loved other Zelda games. "Majora's Mask" was fantastic. "Wind Waker" was phenomenal. "Link to the Past" was amazing. "Ocarina of Time" was just okay.
       Maybe the reason I don't care for it so much is that it's way past it's prime. The only quality backing it up now is nostalgia. I never played it back when it was considered "new" and "refreshing", adjectives that simply don't apply to it now. It feels outdated. The story is cliche by now. The controls feel a little clunky without an N64 controller, which is a pretty funky controller to begin with. The characters are uninspired and don't have much personality. And the whole time travel schtick is far too similar to other Zelda games that execute the "dual worlds" concept far better.
       If you grew up with this game, I'm not saying you should drop it and move on. I'm just saying that I never got into this game, and if you've never played it before, perhaps you can let it pass.

Rating: ** 1/2
     

Friday, July 15, 2011

Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2

       What a journey it's been. Ten years ago, the first Harry Potter film entered the cinema, and blew me and my childhood friends away. Almost every year since, Harry matured as we did. There have been twists and turns, and we are finally at the end, what I consider to be the best movie in the series.
       The local theater was jam-packed with avid, die-hard witches and wizards, all ready to give Harry and the gang a fond farewell. I went to a double feature showing, where they showed both Part 1 and Part 2 at once, which is how I think the films should be viewed. I wouldn't consider them separate, standalone films at all; neither is complete without the other. If you missed out on Part 1, you will be left completely in the dark if you go see Part 2. They tie each other together like the Lord of the Rings trilogy, which I think was a wonderful decision.
       But this is about the second half of the story, and it is a wonderful send-off to the boy who lived. Characters both new and old make appearances, and nods and references to older Potter movies abound. This is a movie for the fans, and it shows. The dedication that they gave to the film is amazing.
       The actors themselves give excellent performances. In particular, Ralph Fiennes plays a chilling Voldemort, alive with anger and evil. Alan Rickman's performance as double agent Severus Snape is just as well-done. Of course, our leading characters put up brilliant performances as Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Even the supporting characters are well acted; Neville Longbottom, for example, has grown from a cowardly little dork to a brave warrior worthy of battle.
       For those of you who have not yet read the book, I'll dare not spoil anything. The plot will leave you on the edge of your seat until the very emotionally-satisfying conclusion.
       For Harry, this is the adventure to end all adventures; the end of an era, really. As a kid who read and watched Harry Potter almost religiously, I simply must recommend this movie to anyone who grew up at Hogwarts. It surpasses all other Potter movies, and is truly a classic among classics.

Rating: *****

NOTE: Although Part 1 was in 2-D, the theater gave us these neat little 3-D glasses shaped just like Harry's, for Part 2. The movie isn't worse with the 3-D, but it isn't really much better either. I'd say just save your cash and see it in 2-D; the movie is dark enough as it is.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Classic Game Review: Final Fantasy VI (SNES/PSX/GBA)

       So I'm going to tell another story, since I know you all love them so much. Unlike others, though, this took place rather recently.
       Wanting to get caught up in the whole Final Fantasy phenomena that was building during the release of "Final Fantasy XIII", I asked a friend, who was a FF fanatic, what would be a good starting point in the series. I already knew a bit about the series, like how each installment was a separate story from the other games, etc. So my friend recommended that I just walk into Gamestop and pick up the first Final Fantasy game I see, so I walked in, and boom: "Final Fantasy III" for the DS. I picked it up, payed for it, and after I got home to play it, the game proceeded to kick my ass relentlessly. It definitely wasn't a good experience, so I decided to say "F*** it" to the series and move on.
       Many months pass, and the friend tells me that there's a new Final Fantasy on the Virtual Console that I just have to try, just to give the series another chance. Feeling forgiving, I hopped on the Wii Shop Channel to see none other than... "Final Fantasy III". Confused, I talked to my friend later to ask why he had recommended the very same game that I disliked a couple years ago. He explained the whole 16-bit renaming fiasco that had went on in the early 90's, and told me that it was in fact, "Final Fantasy VI". So I sucked it up and spent the 800 Wii Points, and guess what?
       I loved every single minute of it.
       It was almost like a cross between Pokemon, Lord of the Rings, Mass Effect, and Miyazaki's "Howl's Moving Castle". I don't think I need to explain the story or premise at all, and if you don't know, well, that's what Google is for. The story, without spoiling it, is grand, epic, twisting, sad, funny, and very dramatic. I really found myself attached to these small sprites of characters. Kefka, in particular, steals the show as the villainous Imperial general, and he may well be one of the greatest villains in all of gaming, if not any medium.
       The gameplay was good too, but it did have a few flaws. The Active Time Battle system is a genius concept that certainly felt fresh in the eyes of a guy who was only used to the simple turn based systems of games like "Paper Mario" and the Pokemon series. But if there was one thing that was a constant thorn in my side, it was the random encounters. It's like every single square inch on the map (with the exception of towns) is filled with Zubats. Granted, the monsters looked really cool, but seeing them over and over was kind of a pain.
       Not a huge complaint by any means, but the second half of the game felt very open compared to the first. The change felt kind of sudden, almost as if I had switched from a simple, laid-down path to a Metroid game. The circumstances behind the change are understandable, but it was just a bit sudden.
       Still, this is one of the best RPGs ever. I really enjoyed it, and I can't wait to try some of the rest of the series.
       "Final Fantasy IV" is next, if you're wondering.

Rating: **** 1/2