All that Jiggles isn't Gold

Tecmo's sexy sequel, Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 is out in the US, and gaming sites have so far been uniformly blasting the fan service title with low review scores. Reasons cited include the game not addressing issues from the previous game, and in some cases worsening the already scant amount of actual gameplay. The newly-added minigames are described as one-shot ponies and the new main game of Jetskiing didn't live up to the hype. The volleyball, which returns from the first release, has been made a bit harder- in the views of several reviewers, more frustrating.
Still, the reviews all still concede that if you're looking for digital divas to ogle as they cavort about in bikinis, this is THE game to have. I'll see it myself though, when my own copy arrives. Oh well.

The Adventure Continues...

Work is going well on the 2nd issue of Kunoichi Boy. I'm on the pencilling stage, with more than half of the pages done. I'm targetting the issue to finish by mid-December, so I can release copies of both Issue 1 and 2 back in Comic Quest and other comic shops, hopefully. I'm thinking of finishing at least 4 issues before working on compiling them all into one trade paperback release that should be in time for the next Kon.
Kunoichi Boy follows the journey of Jin, a travelling artist, and his reluctant bodyguard and companion Mikoto, a buff female brawler, through the strife-ridden land of Tao. Along the way, they cross paths with the mysterious Pink Ninja, who may or may not be Jin in drag...

Issue 2 has Jin and Mikoto entering a quiet little village... which would be kinda boring if not for the band of bandits and rogue ninja who are holding the whole place hostage. Expect the new issue of KBoy out by mid-to-late December. Just keep on tuned to the blog for further developments.

Go, Go, Gadget!



Thanks to a sudden windfall, I got a new gadget. It's the Sony Ericsson W700i, the latest itineration of Walkman Phone. The lovely little mobile comes with 2 Megapixel camera with flash, all the Walkman music features, Memory Stick Pro Duo support (up to 4 Gigs), FM radio and lots of other perkies. Plus, it comes in Titanium Gold. WOOHOO!

Okay, you'll probably say, why downgrade? Yeah, it's a downgrade from my present O2 XDA IIi. But hey... no problem! It's not for me... it's for my Mom, a sort of early Christmas gift. I give her this, and I basically give her a new phone, an mp3 player and a nice digicam- three gadgets that she has expressed interest for.
The phone looks quite slick, with the metallic exterior being a world away from the candy-white and orange colors of the original W800i Walkman Phone (which I learned is by now being 'phased out' at the legit cellphone shops). Placing the Sim card and setting up the phone was pretty easy, but then it's my Mom who has to come to grips with the thing, not me. This is her first phone with a joystick, so she'll have to get used to that. Still, even this early she is really enjoying hearing her tunes and being able to get her favorite radio station with her phone.

I really like the phone myself, but really, it's not for me. I tried putting a video on it, and the viewing experience is... not good. The 3GP video isn't at all nice to look at, and the dinky screen is just far too small. I'd miss all my Pocket PC perks if I downgrade to a 'normal' phone, even a smartphone like the Nokia N73 (which caught my eye a bit) or the Sony Ericsson P990i. I guess I should be happy that I have at present everything I need in a mobile. Still, it was nice to feel the aura of newness with a new device... even if it isn't mine. Heh.