Paint it Black

Over the weekend I got Ninja Gaiden Black for the Xbox. This is basically a souped-up, everything-on-it version of last year's uber-action game starring Tecmo's superninja, Ryu Hayabusa. The original NG got top marks, often cited by gaming websites as 'the best action game ever', and I would concur that it's pretty awesome. The graphics and animation are DOA3-quality, Ryu is so incredibly bad-ass with an arsenal of killer ninja moves, enemies are killer and the barely-there-plot serviceable thanks to some cool cinematics. NG was also HARD AS FRICKING HELL- even the first enemies you face are dangerous and can kill you if you're not careful, and it only gets harder into the long game. From apprentice ninja you move onto samurai horsemen, assorted monsters, heavily armed commandos, elite assassins, demons and oodles more adversaries just ready to cut down your life bar to zero. The good thing is that Ryu has all the skillz- defeating any of the enemies in the game is never impossible, never unfair... you just have to know what to do.

Well, that doesn't make it any easier. Superninja or no, you shouldn't have to face a fully-loaded TANK on foot. Well, not without a tank-busting RPG. Or a man-portable particle disruptor cannon. Or a Vanishing Ray.

Anyway, NG Black adds in a ton of stuff, including all the recent add-on packs, or Hurricane Packs, that were made available off Xbox Live after the original game was released. Black also adds in new missions- in fact, about 60 of them- which basically concentrate on what Ninja Gaiden does best- combat. Add in some new cinematics for the story mode and you indeed have an even better version of the best ninja action game yet released on a console. And best of all, there's a new 'Easy' mode for all us who failed to start playing videogames when we were three. Heh. Anyway, action fans should check out Ninja Gaiden Black asap for pure ninja-fighting fun.

On the Way to a Smile

Attention FFVII fans! If you haven't already, I really recommend reading On the Way to A Smile, a series of FFVII novellas. While stuff like this is usually never seen outside Japan, english speakers like us are fortunate that some talented dudes and dudettes took the time to translate the multi-chapter stories for all to enjoy.

On the Way to A Smile comes in several chapters, all of which bridge the gap between Final Fantasy VII and its movie sequel, Advent Children. So far, four chapters have been released and translated.

The first three chapters center on Denzel, the orphaned boy who lives with Cloud, Tifa and Marlene Wallace in Advent Children. While not starring any of the popular FFVII heroes (though Reeve appears in the story with a surprising revelation), it's an interesting read and shows the world of Midgar through the eyes of 'normal' people.

The most interesting chapter of course for fans will be Chapter Four, or Tifa's Chapter, which basically fills in the gap between the end of the FFVII game right up to the start of Advent Children. It explains just what happened after Meteor got swallowed up by the Lifestream, how the heroes separate, how they cope with their losses from the war and how they all try to get their 'normal' lives back together again. It's a great read and shows in great detail the relationship between mopey Cloud and his long-standing martyr childhood friend/maybe-maybe not girlfriend Tifa. I highly recommend it. And best of all- it's canon, not some fanfic. This is the real deal, people.

You can check out the chapters of On the Way to A Smile at Advent Children.net. You can check out the Tifa Chapter here. Enjoy!

Immortal MTV Version 2



Here's a new edit of my Final Fantasy VII My Immortal MTV. This new and final version uses better-quality video sans subtitles. While the scenes used are mostly the same, there are a few changes particularly towards the end and in the ending itself (which I think is a lot better than the original edit). This edit gives the ending a bit more of a happy, hopeful bent than before... at least as happy as you can get with FFVII. Heh.

You can download either this WMV Version, or this AVI Version specially made for Pocket PCs (Betaplayer) but also playable on updated Quicktime players. Enjoy!

Komik Biz

GYAAAAHHHH!!!!

I've been so busy lately that I've been neglecting my comics. No, not the stuff I filch from The Blood Bank each week... I'm talking about the stuff I actually write and draw myself. Darn it. Anyway, I've got pressing deadlines like the Cover and pages for Project: Hero, which is due very soon. Just how soon remains to be seen though.

Also pressing is the upcoming Komikon, which I really really really want to attend. I plan to have at least an ashcan ready for giving away (which will hopefully contain at least a K.I.A. story and snippets of the under-development Last Angel Ace Story inside it). I'm also planning on selling K.I.A., at a discounted Komikon-only price.

We'll see how much I can pull off before the deadlines hit. Stay tuned to this panel.

Inu Yasha Movie 4


More dog-boy action.

Yeah, I'm still an Inu Yasha fan. Even though they killed off my favorite character in the manga, even though the anime series is on indefinite hiatus, even though the ever-there cast is still nowhere near getting close to defeating their ultimate enemy, the seemingly unkillable Naraku. Well, it seems that offing the big Heavy isn't really a priority, and there are endless sources of evil and mischief in Feudal Japan.
Inu Yasha the Movie 4: Fire on Mystic Island is yet another filler Inu Yasha adventure that happens in a limbo-esque time after the last few episodes of the anime, since Dogboy already has his Diamond Spears attack. Anyway, the movie starts off with a mysterious island that appears once from the fog into the real world every fifty years. On this island are a bunch of hanyou children- half-youkai/half human kids who are now orphaned and apparently under some dire circumstances. The youngest of the brood, since she is unmarked by the mystical claw-marks that imprison the rest- is told to escape the imprisonment of the island.
Of course, it doesn't take long for the kid to get pursued by the bad guys- or in this case, bad fireball-hurling Giant Dragon Turtle thing. In the nick of time, the Inuyashagumi arrive to save the kid from being fried or flattened. After the initial battle, it soon is revealed that the kid knows Inu Yasha, and soon the whole gang is more or less drafted into helping free the hanyou kids and defeat the evil Four War Gods of Mystic Island.

Okay, this has action and more action and some more action thrown in for good measure... but seriously... I was bored. This pretty much follows the apparent template the Inu Yasha movies tend to follow- new threat appears, beats up Inu and company, the gang fights back to save whomever being oppressed, then eternal hangers-on Kikyo and Sesshomarou do their share helping the heroes 'unintentionally' and then moving off again. The only thing that changes are the excuses for lots of KAZE NO KIZU action, using the BAKURYUHAAA and whatever new super attack of the moment.
The villains in this case however are pretty boring in design and motivation- and even when they get their FULL POWERS back, they're still pretty lame. Sango and Miroku are once again trapped in the expected butt fondle-slap combo joke, Kagome does her 'Osuwari!' several times, so on and so forth.

In short... yeah, too late... it's a run-of-the-mill Inu Yasha movie... trapped in the 'Monster of the Year' monotony. In this case, I'd say that newcomers will probably enjoy this a lot more than longtime Inu Yasha fans like me, who will probably be seeing Menoumaru or Kaguya or the Evil Sounga in the bland Four Gods of Hourajima. Meh.

Well, that's probably the bitter Kagura fan in me talking. Anyway, it's not glaringly bad... just un-exceptional. There wasn't even enough fan service- not even the appearance of a Kikyo clone spiced things up. Bah. I can see it now. Inu Yasha the Movie 7: Attack of the Generic Demon Lord. Guh. Progress, Takahashi-san! Progress! Feh.

Fresh from Japan

Just got my original copy of the Japanese DVD release of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. As expected, the movie is crystal clear and awesome in terms of picture quality, though there are no subtitles except for default Japanese (which will only be of use to deaf Japanese people, I guess). The extras are pretty sparse- there's a section called Reminiscence of FFVII which is basically a half-hour's worth of scenes from the FFVII game, both CG FMV and In-game scenes that take you through the story of FFVII. Of course, the words are all in Japanese. Then there's the Compilation of FFVII which are a collection of trailers from the FFVII games/features due out or already out- this includes the Japan-only cellphone game Before Crisis, the upcoming FFVII FPS Shooter Dirge of Cerberus (which is pretty cool since it shows off a lot of stuff I haven't seen before), the enigmatic Crisis Core (which has anime segments from the FFVII Last Order anime) and of course, Advent Children itself. That's about it for extras.

Aside from that, the original DVD is just basically my support to Squaresoft for giving me AC. And a nice souvenir piece, albeit a bit pricey. Still, I think it's worth every centavo. Yay!

Nuts

I went off this afternoon to Greenhills with the pretense of getting the latest anime and some new games, but what I was really hankering for was a box of Gonuts Donuts. Unfortunately, I got to the Promenade's branch and there was no stock of my favorite kind of holed treat- Chocolate Cake and Vanilla Frosted. Apparently they don't prepare certain variants every day. Darn it.
So what could I do but go off and drown my loss with some new playthings.

Got several PS2 games: Urban Reign, yet another street-based multi-fighter out this time from Namco (Tekken, Soul Calibur), Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects, the fighting game based on the new Marvel Comics title about some new, hardcore superhumans busting into the Marvel Universe and finally, Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks. The final game is a fighting-adventure hybrid set in the MK Universe, bridging the gap between the first two games.

Nice stuff. But I wanted donuts. Bah.

Surprise Birthday Bash

Last night we had a surprise birthday party celebration- only it was the celebrant, Charles, who surprised us. Now that's a turn. Anyway, we had a nice meal at Chili's before we saw the birthday boy home and Vin and Andrew went off to go Karaoke Krazy with the Alfars. Thanks for the libre, Charles.

Game Bits

Metal Gear Solid 4 has been shown in trailer form at the recent TGS2005 Gaming Expo in Japan. The footage shows a grizzled, aged and one-eyed Solid Snake still fighting even though he seems pretty sick (he needs drugs to keep him going), and STILL smoking his health-reducing cigs. The old soldier is shown in some kind of deserted village, hiding from a large number of troops accompanied by what seems to be bipedal battle armor. Snake is also accompanied by a tiny Metal Gear- a wheeled droid which serves as a monitor for Snake's brainy comrade, Otacon (who doesn't seem as old as Snake himself). The graphics look on par with CG cinematics, though there's no word about story yet. Will we indeed be playing as a Dark Knight Returns-old Snake? Will other characters like Revolver Ocelot and Meryl Silverburgh be showing up? We'll just have to wait. Metal Gear Solid 4 is headed for the PS3. Still a ways to go...

Dead or Alive 4 for the Xbox 360 will appparently have quite a few changes, including the addition of new animations for knockdowns which basically make the fighting more fast-paced. All the characters will have new counters and moves over their last incarnations in DOA Ultimate for the Xbox. Aside from the so far revealed new characters- Kokoro the long-haired kimono girl, Eliot the blonde kung fu boy and veteran fighter Gen Fu's apprentice, and the masked female luchadore wrestler/kickfighter La Mariposa (we suspect she's Lisa from DOAX)- there appears to be room for up to SIX more competitors. New characters? Team Ninja has hinted that there may even be a guest fighter from a non-Tecmo title appearing in the roster.
On the Story Mode, much emphasis seems to be placed on the events within DOATEC, the evil corporation that's been holding the DOA Tournament. Opera singer Helena Douglas has apparently become the head of the company, and is now in the thick of the conspiracies that are running inside it. Ninja brethren Hayate and Kasumi have FINALLY linked up and are set to take out DOATEC directly for the corporation's experiments on both of them, with the help of ally Ryu Hayabusa. As for the game's final Boss, a mysterious female figure known only as Alpha 152 is said to be the new heavy awaiting competitors at the end of the game.

Darn. I can't wait. DOA4 has been given a release date along with the launch of the Xbox 360 in November or December of this year.

While Soul Calibur 2 was pretty forgettable, the third game in the series looks pretty awesome. Soul Calibur 3 will feature oodles of goodies when it comes this October/November. In fact, SC3 looks to show every other fighting game how things are done- from an interactive and cinema-laden Story Mode, to an ultra-awesome Character Creation Mode, to lots of minigames and even an RTS-style Conquest game.

Great games for the existing consoles and the debut of the first next-gen platform should make Holiday 2005 something for gamers to look forward to. HAZZAH! Better start saving...

Retro Batman

They’re showing Batman Forever on HBO. This was infamous director Joel Schumacher’s first Batman tryout, and while it isn’t as horrible as Batman and Robin (which should have been entitled Batman and Robin and Batgirl and Alfred), it approaches the gaudiness of his sophomore caped crusader flick. I remember when I first watched it, I kinda liked it, kinda didn’t. Val Kilmer was a solid Bruce Wayne, though his delivery of some dialogue seemed too stiff. His Batman DID have some nice catch phrases (“Chicks dig the car.”). Chris O’Donnell’s Robin wasn’t as irritatingly stupid as he was in the next movie, while Nicole Kidman as the token love interest was pretty hot.

There were quite a bit of crappy things in this as well- such as Tommy Lee Jones’ Two Face- what could have been a pretty intense and cool villain (as portrayed in the Batman Animated Series) turned into your generic babbling, giggling, cackling, raving madman villain that tries too hard to emulate Jack Nicholson’s Joker. Then there’s Jim Carrey’s Riddler- on one hand, it’s great to see the rubbery one do a villain (other than his Cable Guy character), and he basically is given a lot of room to steal the show with his antics. However… he just turns out too GAY in some of the scenes… well, it’s a Schumacher film…

Well, all in all, Batman Forever ranks as the fourth best Batman for me… well, for me, the Burton Batman is still top, then Batman Returns (thanks to Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman), then the recent Batman Begins, then Batman Forever. It’s still pretty cool to watch these older Batman flicks every now and then. But I’ve had more than enough Schwarzenegger Mr. Freeze to last me a lifetime.

Farewell

In the space of a few months, The Salt Mines has lost another member, but thankfully under very different circumstances. Our art director and friend Hegel Ganias and his wife, our former Strategic Planning Head Teye will be heading off very soon to their new jobs and life in the country of Dubai. Incredibly enough, an ad agency there had an opening for both an art director AND a planner- it was pretty perfect, so they went for it. Well, not so perfect if you hate sand and sun. Oh well.

Good luck, Heg and Teye! Keep cool. Heh.

Fantastic Sales

UPDATED: In just over a week, the Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Japanese dvd has sold over 420,000 copies- that's 93 percent of all available stock.

And rightly so. Like everywhere else, Final Fantasy VII fans have been waiting so long for this movie. I, for one, am overjoyed that not only has this proper finale and closure to FFVII been accepted... it may be the key to further adventures into the world of Midgar.

Unfortunately, us english-speaking fans will have to make do with the fansubs as Square has yet to even announce a proper date for the US english release. Oh well. At least we have super-clear fansubs to suffice for now. Heh.

Age of Empires

Last night, I was able to catch this incredibly cool new show on Discovery Channel called Battlegrounds: The Art of War. This series of one-hour long specials takes into detail a decisive battle in history, recreating the events and the tactics that led to a glorious victory for one side, and terrible defeat for the other. What makes this special, well, special, is the apparent use of some graphical engine- perhaps similar to the MASSIVE program used in the LOTR flicks to recreate the battles as they looked back then.
The first episode was about Alexander the Great, and his decisive battle at Gargamela (if I'm not mistaken)- the final battle between him and the Persian Emperor Darius (which I find out after all this time to be pronouced as Dar-eye-use, not D-ahr-ee-you's). The odds seem incredibly off-balanced; the Persian army stands at about 200,000 men, supported by deadly scythe-bladed chariots. The Macedonian army on the other hand, consists of about 40,000 men.

However, while the Persian army is vast, it is also made up of various factions from all over the place, with different languages, weapons and leaders. Most of its soldiers are also un-armored conscripts and levies. On the other hand, the Macedonians are professional troops- disciplined, armored and totally dedicated under a charismatic, brilliant leader. They also have the Phalanx, a seemingly invincible battle formation that is basically a meatgrinder on the battlefield. It's pretty incredible to see how Alexander's new tactics work- ranging from a special formation that totally renders Persia's scythe-chariots useless... to a brilliant cavalry movement that opens up a gap in the Persian army's lines enough for a charge at Darius himself.
The battle of course ends with Alexander winning for himself forever the title of 'the Great'. Even today, the young conqueror (who basically mastered the known world before he turned 30) is seen by military tacticians as perhaps the greatest military mind of all time. Whoa. How's that for a resume?

The special continues throughout the week. Darn, I'd love to have this series on VCD or DVD. Pretty cool history. Heh.

Sobra Talaga Overtime

I'm STILL at the office, bleary-eyed and STILL at my computer, typing away when I should be snoring my head off at home in The Sanctum. But noooo... The Salt Mine crew has been working on stuff for a big pitch since the weekend, and last night (which was a few hours ago) was the last stretch. The presentation is after lunch, but we still have materials to finish and put together, and there just isn't enough time to go home, get rest, get back and do stuff. So here in the office I stay, until everything's done, including the darn presentation. I may have to try and get some shut-eye sometime before then, or I may conk out on the way there, or draw a blank while presenting.
Hopefully after this there will be some rest... I hope to take tomorrow off, if I can. Body clock's all frazzled. Crossing fingers... gonna need luck to get through this one. Hoping we win so all this wasn't in vain. Sigh.

FFVII Advent Children MTV



Okay, watching Final Fantasy VII Advent Children got me all emotional and inspired again, and I had a bit of time on my hands in the early morning hours. So I whipped up this MTV with scenes from the CG movie to the music of Evanescence's My Immortal. You can download the MTV in Windows Media format here. Nothing really fancy, but I think the scenes and the music work well together, especially considering the story behind the images. Have to warn you people though- the scenes contain BIG SPOILERS, so anyone who hasn't watched the film and don't want the ending or crucial elements of the story revealed just yet may want to pass for now. For the rest though, download away and enjoy the glorious melancholy. Heh.

Ultimate Fan Service: A Review of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children


The best game-to-movie flick EVER.

Eight years ago, Squaresoft released Final Fantasy VII on the Playstation, a defining chapter in the mega-popular RPG series. A groundbreaker in more ways than one, FFVII captured the hearts of countless gamers for the epic story, the endearing characters and the surprising emotion once thought unheard of in a videogame.
Gamers laughed and cried along with hero Cloud Strife, his allies and companions in the battle to save the planet against the depredations of a power-hungry mega-corporation and worse, the threat of total destruction by a mad, would-be god. In the course of the quest, lives were lost, and sacrifices were made. The ending of Final Fantasy VII left a lot of questions unanswered, many things unsaid, many feelings bottled up. I should know, since I myself wrote my first and only attempt at fan fiction for FFVII, moved by the story and wanting closure for the embattled heroes.

Eight years after, Squaresoft finally delivers that closure, with what is probably the most awesome ending to a videogame. For that is what Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children is… a long overdue epilogue and reunion in the world of Final Fantasy VII.

Two years after hero Cloud Strife and his companions defeated the Shin Ra Electric Power Company and it’s rogue creation, Sephiroth, the world is in flux. With the stoppage of the use of Mako Energy, the very Life Stream of the planet, the world has had to sacrifice the luxury and easy life of the past. Furthermore, a new threat has appeared in the form of an incurable disease called Geostigma (Star-Scar Syndrome), which is said to be incurable.

Despite this, everyone is rebuilding and pitching in to put the world back together- everyone, it seems, except for Cloud himself. Sinking once again into depression, Cloud has begun to withdraw from those who love him- his childhood friend (or perhaps more than a friend?) Tifa Lockheart, his comrades and the orphans they’ve taken under their wing. This bout of melancholy is brought about by two things- the return of a feeling of guilt for having failed to save someone very dear to him, and the fact that Cloud has himself contracted Geostigma.

Complicating things even more is the appearance of three malevolent and inexplicably powerful young men- Kadaj, Loz and Yazoo- mysterious silver-haired villains who are dead-set on recovering the last remaining trace of Jenova, the ancient source of evil that spawned Sephiroth himself. If they are not stopped, anything can happen… even the return of the fearsome One-Winged Angel himself. To protect what is dear to him, Cloud must somehow find the strength and will for battle… one last time.

What can I say about this movie? I’ve been waiting eight years for this. I had to suffer through that faker Spirits Within flick before I got here. But you know what? It’s worth the damn wait.

In terms of Story, I have to say that the plot of Advent Children is simple and to the point: It’s all about Cloud and his finding redemption. Which is really expected since the movie really is an Epilogue, an extended ending to the long and complex saga which was the Final Fantasy VII game. That said, the only way to truly and fully enjoy this masterwork is by having played and lived through the game that bore fruit to it. Otherwise, it’s simply not possible to really identify with the world, the characters, the story.

How can outsiders understand just who or what the mysterious girl who appears in teasing dream sequences is unless they’ve met her themselves and known her fate? It is the identity of this person that pretty much holds a lion’s share of the emotion and gravitas of AC.
How can anyone not knowing the game understand what Shin Ra was, who the Turks are, and how it is so amazing to see them working to rebuild the planet this time around. Knowing the history between them and the heroes is crucial to the enjoyment of their scenes.
Why is there a red-robed Spawn-wannabee named Vincent wearing oversized pointy shoes? Why is there a talking anthropomorphic cat with a loudspeaker riding on a talking red lion? Who’s that super-cute ninja girl? Who’s the brother with the cool gun for an arm? And why does everyone seem to have super powers?
If you’ve played the game, know the story and the cast, nothing in this movie will puzzle you… you’ll be too busy being giddy with nostalgia, excited at seeing a familiar world and characters come to life before your eyes like never before.


Old enemies and friends get together one last time.

But then, aside from the sheer nostalgia factor and the fan service, there’s the action.

Simply, frickin’ unbelievable.

The action and battle scenes in Advent Children are UNREAL. Part anime, part magical Wuxia cinema, part Matrix, part comic book super action… all mashed together and supercharged to produce some truly awesome fight scenes that simply blow away anything filmed live- Oh, the magic of CG.
What can I say about the fight scenes in Advent Children?
The numerous running skirmishes between Cloud and the Silver-haired Men… amazing ballets of ridiculously overpowered weaponry and oversized blades. After seeing Cloud and company in battle, you WILL believe that huge, man-sized swords are light as feathers and more effective than, say, rocket launchers and guns. Then there’s the jaw-dropping fight between Tifa Lockheart and the burly Loz in the Ruined Chapel- though relatively brief, it stands right up there with the gravity-defying fights in Kung Fu Hustle.
Then there’s the battle for Midgar between the many heroes of FFVII against a MASSIVE, winged Summoned Monster that just has to be seen to be believed. THIS is how superhero comic book action should be done. Suspend disbelief and just WATCH. You will enjoy and you will believe.
And then, finaly, there’s the finale- the awesome final battle between Cloud and… his worst foe. This, I must say, easily puts the equivalent finale from Matrix: Revolutions to shame. WHOA.

It’s amazing to see how AC has progressed from other CG flicks- characters move and look so realistically, and the detail is breathtaking- there’s no more of the dead-eyed blankness and marionette feel of Spirits Within. The way the Japanese do CG is different from the US, such as with Pixar, and it’s refreshing to see the newness of style from things like The Incredibles to this.

There’s eye candy galore in the offering, and for the outsider, that’s sadly the best that AC has to offer. I would dare say that this is a lot, regardless, and the film does try to explain things. Still, while the astute, casual watcher can understand the movie, they probably won’t feel the emotion behind it. Not like the true FFVII fan.

That’s why I say with total conviction that Final Fantasy VII Advent Children is THE ultimate fan service. This was made for us. For me. And darn, I love it.

Is it perfect? Well, if I had control, I’d have asked for a few things. Tifa back in her old outfit. I would have loved to have seen more Yuffie ninja girl action. I would have liked even more of the other heroes. I would have asked for more decisive kickbutts to have been dealt to the Yazoo and Loz from Cloud in the final stretch. But in the end, these are all just nitpicks, really. This is, seriously, as good as it gets.


So does Cloud end up with the lovely Tifa here? Watch and find out.

All the loose ends that matter are tied up. Heroes are reunited and fight together for one more good fight. Goodbyes long overdue are finally said. There are no real earth-shattering changes or developments, but really, that’s not the point. Advent Children is meant for us to see and leave the world of Midgar in a good place, alive and perhaps ripe for a new string of future adventures. But for Cloud and his friends and newfound family, this story, the story of FFVII, has come to and end. And what an end it is.

Thank you, Squaresoft for taking this calculated risk- this incredibly niche, but wonderful project. Thank you, director Tetsuya Nomura, musical genius Nobuo Uematsu for bringing back the sounds and emotion, and all of your team for keeping the world of Midgar alive for us. Thanks for giving us this wonderful gift. I’ll cherish it always.

Gosh, where is my copy of FFVII? I want to play. Again. Heh.

The Wait is Over.



I've got it.

Final Fantasy VII Advent Children. Also got Last Order, the anime short film by Madhouse (Ninja Scroll) about the events in Nibelheim within the FFVII game's story. I can't wait for this weekend's overtime session to be over so I can hie off and enjoy it in The Sanctum.

Review to come soon. WOOHOOO!!!!

Wet Wet Wet

This is the kind of day when you'd just want to spend the whole time curled up in bed, lulled to sleep or half-consciousness by the pelting sounds of rain. On the good side, I was able to spend half the day at home, thanks to last night's overtime. But then, I had to force myself out of my sheet cocoon and hie off to work. Of course, everything seemed to be soaked today- the rain isn't always strong, but it never stops. There are flooded streets, and wouldn't you just know it, I get myself splashed by a son of a bitch's car just steps away from the office. Feh.

Anyway, all I can do is just do my stuff, finish it and brace for more work into the weekend. It's a living. Sigh.

Geddemit!

I haven't been able to do ANYTHING on Project: Hero yet! AAAHHH!!!

Looks like overtime this weekend though... so I can probably scratch Saturday off. Maybe I can get my groove started on Sunday.

Now, it's all a question of what to do first... Nikki's story, my story, or the cover.

Ah, decisions, decisions. Well, whatever. I work best under pressure...

Famous last words.

MAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!!!

Too Many Voices

Internet forums can be cool. You find a nice forum where everyone is polite, follows the rules and contributes to healthy discussions, it's great. You can find great stuff earlier than anywhere else. But then there are the times when TOTAL IDIOTS just appear and you just wish you had a 'PUNCH' button you could press for all those grammatically-incompetent, got-nothing-else-to-do but complain aimlessly Trolls that just seem appear out of the woodwork. I guess you gotta expect Random Monsters to appear sometime.
Damn, I'd probably wear out that Punch Button. Like I wore out my Vanishing Ray. Heh.

Rising Angel


Fallen Angel #1 coming for the Holidays.

Newsrama just posted a preview of Fallen Angel #1 by writer/creator Peter David and new artist J.K. Woodward. To recall, the original FA series was originally released by DC and cancelled after a 20-issue run. However, the loyal fan base has been so vocal and supportive of the title that Mr. David was able to swing a resurrection and give the character of Lee a new lease of life under IDW Publishing.

The pages... well... the pages look incredible. As was said in my previous post, Mr. Woodward's photo-realistic style isn't limited to covers... his interior pages have the same quality and it's pretty awesome. It's like seeing Fallen Angel: The TV series. Anyway, it's good to see that despite the change in art style, the character will remain true to her previous incarnation- from her costume to the creepy, creepy way her feet never touch the ground. Fortunately readers both new and old will finally find the truth about Lee's aversion to the earth and more when the character's origina is revealed in the new series. The new first issue will be a jumping-on point for new readers, as well as giving loyal fans good service. Yayness!


Alternate FA#1 cover by Fernando Blanco.

Fallen Angel #1 comes floating in this December from IDW Publishing.

Final Fantasy Advent Children Released

... in Japan. Yep, the dvd and umd versions of the CG movie sequel to Final Fantasy VII is now widely available. I expect bootlegs and fansubbed-versions to make their way here very soon. Whatever happens though, my own Japanese copy of the dvd is already being shipped to me as I write this (I'll have it in 4-12 days according to the seller).

I'm so hyped for this, and I know a lot of you out there are excited as well. I do know that quite a few of you out there might not have had the pleasure of playing FFVII, and therefore I have to warn you... full enjoyment of Advent Children really is only possible if you played the game. There's so much story, plots, characters and emotion wrapped up in the over 60+ hours of gameplay that a 97-minute movie can barely manifest the richness of FFVII. Much is left to the imagination and the knowledge of the source material to fill up.

All I can recommend to non-FFVII players who want to see AC is to either get a good plot-guide and do your reading, or just grab a copy of the game and start playing. Still, by itself Advent Children is a sight to see. The action and CG quality are worth the price of admission alone. However, the story and revelations, the continuation of what the game left off... for fans, this is priceless.

The next time I write about AC, it will be after I've seen the film myself. Till then, this is the MAD Advent Children report, signing off.

Advent Children Hong Kong

Yeah, we hate the Venetians for being able to watch FFVII Advent Children ahead of the rest of the world. We can now add Hong Kong to the hit list, as the CG movie is now available there, right now. Thanks to HK's liberal trade policies, they can release earlier than Japan (where the laws are more stringent and thus release dates have to be followed to the letter).
Already, spoiler pics and discussions are spreading in various forums. I can't resist taking a look, but then again, how can I even be more spoiled? I just want to see the darn movie already and marvel at the amazing CG, the awesome fight sequences and the pleasure of seeing the Final Fantasy VII cast in living, bigger-than-life motion. Well, I'm expecting my Japanese copy of the film perhaps in a couple of weeks- probably a bootleg will appear soon in local anime shops. Hope, hope!

Superheroes and Fairy Tales

Over the past week and this weekend, I watched two cool flicks; Disney's superhero teen movie Sky High and the dark fantasy-period adventure, The Brothers Grimm.

Sky High stars a cast of new and veteran performers to bring a superhero-filled world to life. The film focuses on Will Stronghold, the teenage son of the world's two greatest superheroes (played by Kurt Russell and Kelly Preston. Aside from dealing with the fact that he secretly has NO POWERS, he has to contend with super bullies, finding his first high school crush and the decidedly negative way that his new alma mater segregates people into 'Heroes' and inferior 'Sidekicks'. A long-thought-dead arch villain's return and quite ingenious plot complicates things even further.

For a Disney movie, this is pretty cool. Some parts seem 'TV-movie'-ish, like some of the CG effects and some stage-play acting, but overall I had fun and there were some neat action effects. That and there's a guy named Warren Peace. Heh. Incredibles-lite... and that's really not a bad thing.

Dean and Nikki were raving about The Brothers Grimm, so I was really excited to watch this. Beforehand, I already wanted to see it thanks to the creepy atmosphere and premise which kinda reminded me of Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow. Anyway, BG stars Matt Damon and Heath Ledger as the titular siblings- two wandering con artists who poses as supernatural ghostbusters/witchhunters. Their exploits eventually lead them to being drafted by an evil French General (Jonathan Pryce) to investigate the disappearances of some children in a supposed enchanted forest. Some creepy atmosphere, bizarre manifestations of fairy tale conventions and Monica Bellucci as an evil queen make this a winner, as does the hilarious performance of character actor Peter Stormare (he played the Devil in Constantine and every cool Russian in movies, I think) as Italian psycho/torturer Cavaldi. The minuses are that there are some dragging bits, and the film takes its time to get to the meat of the matter. Otherwise, a happy ending to my weekend.

Both these flicks are showing right now. Catch them while you can!

Antsy

The last time I had problems with ants and a piece of tech, it was with my scanner. But that was perhaps a year or two ago. What a bitter campaign that was. Days and days of hard battle, to smoke out the invaders who had been able to gain a foothold inside the equipment, building what seemed to be the startings of a whole goshdarn colony. Ultimately, I lost that war... I got a new scanner to replace the ant-violated one. This time though, it's another story.

This time it's my laptop. My Mac Powerbook G4 15-inch laptop. I came in and found ants crawling in and out of the keys. Why are they doing this now? Perhaps a bit of food got into the keys? Or is it the heat that draws them in? Well, I got some alcohol and gave the Mac a once over... and then repeated blowings into the crevices dislodged some of the buggers. Thankfully, it seems that I detected the threat early... but now, I may have to store my Mac somewhere safer than just on the table. I don't want another war with these six-legged infiltrators, dammit.

Lolligaging

According to Advent Children Net, Square-Enix, the producers of Final Fantasy VII Advent Children, have announced that the recent rumors of a US release are untrue, and while there will conceivably be a limited/collected edition release in the US, nothing has been confirmed or announced. So far, on the official website, FFVII AC has a 'holiday release', which means probably November or December. Or later.

What the heck? I really can't figure out these guys. There's already an Italian version. The Japanese version is coming out in several days. Why delay the english language version for months?

Well, knowing the way things really work, fansubs of Advent Children will be available once the DVDs or UMDs of the Japanese version are released. There will probably be copies here very soon. I for one have ordered the Japanese DVD... I am not waiting any longer than I really have to. Keep your frickin' english dubbed crap. I just want my original Japanese with subtitles.

Hang delays. I want my FFVII yesterday, damn it.

Luxour

First it was Bubble Trubble years ago. Then it was Apeiron. Then recently, Snood and Bejeweled.

Now, the new game craze sweeping the land (well, The Salt Mines at least) is Luxour, a furiously addictive game on the Mac which can be described as Snood but with all the weird heads and characters turned into rolling marbles which roll inevitably through a spiraling path towards a goal which you must try desperately to hold back. Whew.

Anyway, the sound effects of this Egyptian-themed puzzler/strategy game probably makes up a lot of the enjoyment. A lot of the crew can be seen, playing furiously, mouthing expletives for every step the marbles take closer to the end, a cheer for every victorious setback.

I fear to get into this game. I might not get anything done if I do...

INCONCEIVABLE!!!

I was just about to watch the Disney superhero teen-flick Sky High last night, watching through the trailers before the last full show, minding my own business, when something suddenly flashed and before me, flooring me in utter amazement.

There is actually a SECOND Dungeons and Dragons movie.

Yes, you read that right.

You will of course remember the original D&D film (which we've flogged on this blog multiple times in the past), that horrid piece of orc turd trying to pass itself off as high fantasy but only serving to be a tombstone to the genre if not for the appearance of the LOTR Trilogy. Well, we heard rumors before that producer/director Courtney Solomon had succeeded in using a charm spell to rope someone into funding a second film in the series... well, it turned out to be true.

It started off quietly. I saw what seemed to be an old, or at least, low-budget-looking fantasy film trailer before me, with knights and warriors and elves and dragons. I stared at it in confusion, thinking maybe it was the upcoming Bloodrayne film, or maybe something from Europe. But it wasn't... I stared as suddenly I recognized Bruce Payne, aka the evil warrior Damodar from the first movie, appear. DAMODAR??? Didn't he DIE in the first one? He got thrown off a tower. Well, for some reason, Mr. Payne reprises his role in the sequel, but now has gotten rid of the blue lipstick (heh) and has been bumped up to head baddie (since Jeremy Irons turned into dragon feces at the end of the first turd of a film).
Anyway, apparently Mr. Payne is the only cast member to return from the first film... the new heroes are pretty much unknown actors to me. Anyway, the movie is called Dungeons and Dragons: The Elemental Might AKA Dungeons and Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God, and apparently it is a straight-to-video release in the US. But for us Pinoys, we get it in theaters.

The plot is apparently as follows: The country of Izmir is once again under siege, this time from the black sorcerer Damodar (Payne) and his growing army of gruesome creatures. To save the land, four heroes representing strength, intelligence, dexterity and wisdom (what? No Hero of Comeliness?) must come together, form their own army, and use the elemental might to defeat Damodar before he unleashes the terror of a Black Dragon.

Woah. So how did an evil fighter (Damodar) survive a fall from hundreds of feet, and become a master sorcerer? Class change? What happened to the heroes of the first movie? If this is anything like the first film, it'll probably all be explained offscreen.

Anyway, the trailer was actually put together quite well, despite some cheap-looking special effects. I'm actually curious to see it. I want to see if it's actually possible to make a movie worse than the first D&D movie.

Hey, who knows... maybe it'll be good for a laugh. Another dead dragon to flog. MAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Elemental might... phah...

Visionary

After she had her first eye operation last week (her next one is tomorrow), Mom had to wear a weird transparent eye shield over one eye whenever she goes to bed. The thing is, she has to keep her eye dry, hence the cover. So it was that Mom kinda looks like a retired member of the Universal Soldier project. Or, Cyber-Ma! Anyway, it's really cool to hear her remark about how her vision is sooooo much better now. She can, apparently, now totally appreciate watching TV since she never before noticed how COLORFUL the TV screen was. As it turns out, her vision was washed out and getting progressively blurry before- things she just took as a sign of her advancing age.
But now, she's enjoying things and perhaps seeing everything again for the first time. It's wonderful to hear that.

While she was talking to doctors and stuff, she also found out that apparently, my grade of myopic vision can already be treated (my eye grade is pretty high)... So conceivably I can have my eyes operated on myself to get better vision... if and when I can bring together the money for it. The amount isn't impossible- it's about as expensive as a comic book release like K.I.A.- so perhaps maybe next year or so, I'll be seeing stuff in a whole new light as well. We'll see.

For now though, Mom can see well. That's enough.

Back to School


The Mythology Class is back.

The first time I read Arnold Arre’s Mythology Class was years ago, in parts, even before the comic reached the printing presses. Back then, when me and Arn were in college (UP Fine Arts), I’d immediately go “Pa-Xerox! Pa-Xerox! Pa-Xerox!” whenever he came up with a chapter of his incredible, personal comic project. And being the friendly guy that he was, and is, he’d oblige. I still have those Xerox-copies of the original Myth Class somewhere in The Sanctum, locked away under lock and key, with half-aswang, half-kapre guards ever watchful.
Myth Class hooked me at the time initially thanks to the fact that about 95 percent of the characters in the book are based on real people in and around our college (including me, in a very short, very small role…heh). But while I came for the art, I stayed for the story, and never left.
This new, collected Special Edition of Myth Class is a mix; the ‘Lucasisms’, or revisions, are sporadically sprinkled throughout. They range from different treatments of scenes (and some discreet censorings…), to slight modifications of dialogue, to totally new segments that, thankfully, fit in well with doses of humor and levity to the already light banter of the Class. There’s even some updating of technology- originally equipped with audio cassettes, the techie members of the Myth Class are now packing CDs to make with the times. There’s no texting though, strangely enough. Heh.

For the most part, The Mythology Class is a wonderful re-presentation of Arnold’s classic, easily one of the most impressive local works of graphic storytelling in recent times, and even after more than six years I still consider it my favorite among Arnold’s works. Not because of art, but by sheer volume, depth, detail and the spirit that was infused in every page and character.
At more than 350 pages, it’s a lengthy, immersive read, full of fantastic images, witty dialogue, impressive action and a wide-eyed sense of wonder that Arnold always infuses in his comics.

Arnold’s original, self-published run reached a lot of people, but this new, collected release by Anino looks to reach even more. The only bottleneck is the inevitable high price, since it IS a 350-plus page monster of a book… but it’s still cheaper than any foreign graphic novel, and you’re getting a LOT of bang for your buck. Highly recommended to any fans of local pop culture and comic readers in general. Class is in session. Attendance is a MUST!

The Mythology Class tells the story of a band of travelers from antiquity, their epic, endless quest, and the wonderful mish-mash of unique youths they gather to join them in the adventure of a lifetime. Story and art by Arnold Arre, soon to be available in major bookstores and comic shops in Metro Manila.

For more information and a view of more art based on the book, visit the Mythology Class Website.

Reunion


Arnold and Cynthia Arre with MY copy of the Mythology Class Special Collection.

Not a rumor. Not an urban legend. Not a myth. Wait a minute, it is. Ah, whatever. Anyway, have you all been hearing that the Mythology Class comic book by Arnold Arre is being collected into a single, mammoth collection? Well, it's true. Now fans of the cult local independent comic book can rejoice in a remastered, refurbished, rejuvinated Myth Class, complete with new pages of art and even new dimensions into this modern komiks classic. And those long-suffering fanboys who've been asking and searching for in vain for elusive First and Second issues of Myth Class can finally see what they've been missing.

I know. Cause I HAVE A COPY RIGHT IN MY HANDS RIGHT NOW. WOOHOO!!!

Arnold and Cynthia passed by today at The Salt Mines, for a chat and to give me my free sample copy. Oh my! The truly monumental Special Collection clocks in at over 350 pages of story and extras that include colored pinup/past cover art, sketches and artist notes, and some nice odds and ends. Arnold took the time and effort to smoothen out some parts of his original masterpiece, along with some all-new pages and some changes to update the Class for the times (the gang now sports cellphones and CDs).

I expect to dive into the book as soon as I can, to see what has changed and what has remained the same of this comic opus.

Anyway, the LAUNCH of the Myth Class Collection will be on September 16, 2005, evening (6-7ish) at Rockwell. Expect to see Arnold and Cynthia there with a boatload of engkantos- er, enchanted fans. Also, you can check out the New Mythology Class Website that's loaded with new pieces of fan art, including a couple of pieces from me. Yay!

Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a Tikbalang to run down. Hoho!

The Mythology Class is released by Anino Publishing. Catch it soon at bookstores and comic book shops everywhere in the metro.

Advent Voices

Just for fun and otaku giddiness, here are some info on the voice actors (Japanese) for Final Fantasy VII Advent Children and info on their previous anime roles. Some interesting stuff.

Cloud Strife, the main man and seemingly eternal imo boy, will be played by Takahiro Sakurai. The actor said in an interview that he really loved FFVII and Cloud in particular, so he was literally floored when he was asked to play the role. His previous anime voice credits include Shun Ukiya from Gatekeepers and Arihiko Inui in Lunar Legend Tsukihime. He's also played a villain, as Kagami Kyouji in Getbackers.

Tifa Lockheart is played by lovely actress Ayumi Itouh, who looks just as pretty as her CG/game counterpart (look for her online). She has been cast in the films All About Lily Chou-Chou and Swallowtail Butterfly.

Yuffie Kisaragi is played by Yumi Kazaku, whose previous anime roles include Aya Mikage from Ayashi no Ceres, and other roles in Full Metal Alchemist, Raxhephon and Initial D.

Aeris Gainsborough is played by none other than Maaya Sakamoto, who's basically a megastar in anime and Japanese music. Her previous roles in anime includes the voice of Hitomi Kanzaki from Escaflowne.

The Wheelchair-bound Man is played by Tohru Okawa, who also voiced Roy Mustang from Full Metal Alchemist. Interestingly enough, Wheelchairman's bodyguard, the red-haired Turk Reno, is voiced by Keiji Fujiwara, who played Mustang's best friend and subordinate Maes Hughes in FMA.

Sephiroth will be given his villainous voice by veteran seiyuu Toshiyuki Morikawa, whose past vocal performances include game characters Kazuya Mishima in Tekken 4 and Heishiro Mitsurugi in Soul Calibur. He also voiced the mega-villain Naraku from the Inu Yasha anime.

For me, the optimal way to watch Advent Children will be with the original Japanese dialogue and subtitles, but that's just me.

I wonder who the english voice actors will be? Speculating on that would make a great topic by itself. Heh.

Advent Reading



In but a couple of weeks, FFVII: Advent Children will be released on DVD and UMD (PSP Format) in Japan. But forget about the Nippon for a bit; if we’re going to be jealous of someone, it should be with the Italians. That’s because the final, 100-minute cut of FF7 AC has already been shown in Venice Italy.

I don’t really mind spoilers, so it was fine for me to read a super-detailed report on the movie, with tons o’ spoilers. And so, without necessarily spoiling details for the rest of us FF7 AC virgins, here are some bits of info.

FF7 AC is Cloud’s show. It’s all about him, his internal conflicts, his ongoing turmoil even after the story in the game. Everyone else is secondary, with most of the cast (including the other FF7 heroes) in roles that are little more than cameos. This is to be expected, as Advent Children originally started out as a 30-minute feature that really just focused on Cloud and little else.
For the most part though, it is apparent from the script that Aeris the Flower Girl will have a huge impact on the story, beyond the simple flashback. Next, Tifa and Vincent will also have good screentime, as will members of Shinra and The Turks.

Bottom line, there are cool moments aplenty for pretty much all the fan favorites.

Expect LOTS of fanservice like signature attacks from the game shown in full CG loveliness. The battle scenes and fights are supposed to be beyond awesome. Well, we’ll just have to see them for ourselves.

The story though is not without flaws- nothing extremely world-changing really happens, and it’s all pretty linear and not unexpected really. However, it should be stressed that you really can’t expect to satisfy everyone; by all indications though, this movie is going to rock. Fans of FFVII should expect to be majorly impressed by perhaps the ultimate in fan service ever. Everyone else who enjoys a good sci-fi fantasy adventure with unparalleled animation, drama and action should be in for a treat.

FFVII: Advent Children takes place a couple of years after the end of the story in the classic Playstation RPG. The heroes and villains of the world of Midgar must now face a new threat together- the deadly disease known as Geostigma, and the dangerous group of Silver-haired Young Men who plan to resurrect the world's most dangerous enemy- Sephiroth. Cloud Strife, fallen hero, must find it in himself to rise up and defend what he values, or die trying.

Damn, I can’t wait to see this movie. NOW. NOW. NOW.

Wild Week

Yet again this week was pretty hectic. And not without a hiccup or two. Well, there's nothing else to do about it but learn from the experience, take it all in stride and move on. All in all though I still count this week as being pretty good, and myself still pretty lucky.
Maybe next week won't be as hectic as this one was, maybe not. I remember a week or two ago, Vin asked me why I was still looking blasted after coming off a hard week of work. It's really not like after a straight run of overtime and finishing a week's worth of Job Orders that your boss will come to you and say, "Marc, you did a great job. Here's a ton of cash. Take a month's off and enjoy yourself!" It's really more to the tune of, "Marc, you did a great job. Here's some more work."

It's not like back in school when you knew when breaks came, and you could look forward to long, long periods of vacation and relaxing. I kinda miss those days, but I'm not the kind of guy who'd like to go back to school. I love working and earning my own money. I like being the master of my ship. I like not having periodical exams. I like not having to answer to some crummy professor who's more bark than real bite. Ooh.

But whatever... I'm still thankful for weekends. Those lovely oasis of calm between these hectic weeks. Without weekends, I surely would go mad. But then again... I'm already MAD aren't I? MAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!!

Eye-OK

My mom had her operation today, and it went well. Thanks to everyone who gave in their prayers and well wishes. I'm sure they all helped a lot.

Things they didn't teach in Roman History


Agrippa knows how to handle the ladies.

Another of the PS2 games I've been playing recently is Shadow of Rome by Capcom (hey... Capcom's been putting a lot of games out recently. Where's Streetfighter 4??!). It's loosely based on the history of the Roman Empire. I say loosely because most probably any history professor who watches the stuff happening onscreen will most likely throw up his hands in dismay at how this game pretty much cuts up historical fact with abandon.

But then again, SOR is all about cutting up stuff- particularly people. Well, mostly enemy gladiators, at least. Set in an alternate Rome which is without a doubt greatly influenced by Ridley Scott's Gladiator movie, the game puts you in the leather sandals of two individuals and friends. Agrippa is a centurion who, after finishing a major campaign against the Germanic tribes, finds his world tumbling into a nightmare when his father is accused of assassinating Julius Caesar.
Yeah, Julius Caesar gets assassinated in Shadow of Rome. But taking a big historical flip, in the game the Roman emperor is killed not by a bunch of senators but by apparently a lone assassin in the shadows of a hallway in Caesar's house. Agrippa only learns of his father's plight after he races home. Prior to that, his friend and the game's other playable character Octavianus (who looks all the world like a Roman version of Metal Gear's Raiden) starts his own investigation into the great lord's murder.

About two thirds of the game is all about gory arena fighting- Soon after he comes home, fate throws Agrippa into the role of a gladiator, in order to somehow save his father. You then take command of the burly Roman warrior as he tries to survive waves of deadly fighters, mainly by turning the opposition into tiny bloody chunks with various weapons and tools of death. Suffice to say that SOR is probably one of the goriest and bloodiest games you'll see; decapitations, dismemberments and severing of limbs is pretty commonplace, and you get high scores for the more stylish kills. Ouch. Well, it's all in good fun (?) and desensitized kids will probably get a laugh out of this... for responsible parents though, keep this out of youngsters' hands.
If SOR was just all about fighting, this would be a solid title. But then, a third of the game consists of sneak-and-hide missions with the fey, effete Octavianus as he tries to uncover the conspiracy behind Caesar's murder. You spend several chapters infiltrating mansions and buildings guarded by patrols of careless legionnaires, occasionally conking some poor buster on the head with a pot or choking them unconscious so you can grab their toga. These missions aren't all that bad, though it kinda sucks that if you're ever seen, all it takes is one hit from any enemy to kill you and end the mission- throwing you back to the start of the round. If you know what to do it's all about getting from point A to point B, but still the action just grinds to a bit of a stop when Octavianus answers the curtain.

It's much better to just kick butt with Agrippa, sometimes fighting sexy gladiator babes, most of whom sport thongs and a couple, high heeled shoes which are probably years ahead of their time. It could easily turn into a mindless button masher (which has good points), but there are techniques to master which will turn you from a simple killler to a virtuoso of gore.

Historical blunders aside, Shadow of Rome is a fun, mature action title for the PS2 that those looking for some bloody stress relief would do well to check out. Et tu, Brute?

Superhero Students and Fanservice-laden Car Chases

I just said in a recent post that there seemed to be a shortage of nice films to watch in recent weeks. Well, that may change this week. Just opening today are a couple of fun-looking flicks: Sky High and The Dukes of Hazzard.

Sky High is about a high school for would-be superheroes, and has the cool casting of Kurt Russell as a superheroic dad and Linda 'Wonder Woman' Carter as the school's principal. The main plot is about Kurt's son who is still trying to find his niche either as the next big superhero or as a second-class sidekick. Though this is released by Disney, it looks pretty slick with cool special effects and a storyline that just oozes comic book appeal.

The Dukes of Hazzard is a movie remake of the old 80s TV series about some car-riding outlaw brothers (this time around played by Sean William Scott and Johnny Knoxville), their hot sister in cut-off jeans (this time played by Jessica Simpson, who looks DAMN fine) and their continuing tussles with the local sheriff and his evil boss, Hogg (now played by Burt Reynolds). Lots of car chases, Miss Simpson showing off skin and white trash humor.

Hoho! I'll try to catch Sky High soon. As for the Dukes... maybe the DVD's out already?

Phoneman


The Sony Ericsson W800i.

A friend at The Salt Mines just got herself a spiffy new Sony Ericsson W800i, more popularly known as The Walkman Phone. I got to see it (after grabbing it from her with grasping hands like claws) and it’s pretty neat.

The gadget can’t be any larger than the older, classic T610 but darn, it’s got tons of goodies and functions up the wazoo- a great camera (2 megapixels make for great shots) with video and of course the much-touted musical functions. Unfortunately, while the phone is supposed to play great through earphones, sound through the phone itself isn’t too loud (‘cept when there are rings or text tones… pretty cool) for music. I expect though that, like an I-pod, it would suffice as a pretty decent music source if you plug it into a good sound system. And with about 15 or so hours of playtime, that’s a lot of music to enjoy.

Anyway, the reviews have said that the W800’s good enough as a music player against real, stand-alone mp3 players, and that I can believe. It’s compact, gives you a really nice camera, videocam, gaming device (though the two pre-loaded titles are pretty blah) and music jukebox. And the 512mb Memory Stick (included) is pretty cool.
Still, I’m not budging a centimeter from my lovely O2 Mini (hehe). The screen’s far too small, there’s no OS for me to run my apps and Betaplayer videos, and no phone Java game beats 32-bit Playstation 1 games. HOHO. As for music, I have Windows Media Player and ultra-small WMAs. It was nice to see the new device, and feel a bit of the giddiness of something new. But, well… it’s beneath me.

To anyone else not into smartphones though, the Walkman phone’s highly recommended. Run, don’t walk… to your nearest store for your own.

Interesting Times in the DC Univers

I FINALLY got to read a good-sized chunk of the new comics I’ve been purchasing. The stuff consists of DC Comics, particularly those in the direct OMAC Project and build-up to the Infinite Crisis storyline. Now, Vin and Dean have been raving about this, and I guess I have to agree.

The more dangerous atmosphere of the DC universe these days makes for gripping reads, what with villains coming together to form super-syndicates, heroes learning dirty secrets that lead them to mistrust each other and an army of secret anti-superhuman agents ready to pop up anytime to zap anyone, bad or good. Dangerous times make for great comics.

Though I have to say I’m not totally convinced by some of the story elements- such as the whole issue with (SPOILERS) Dr. Light and the big SIN the JLA members did to him and in the course, Batman. Yeah, it makes it all more human and gritty and raises issues of morality but come on… they’re villains. Expect bad things to happen when you call yourself a baddie. Anyway, I like it, and I guess I’m in for the ride. I’ve been a DC fan ever since the original Crisis (on Infinite Earths), and this new hullabaloo coming for Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and their ilk looks to be a humdinger.

Anyway, I don’t want to be the only one out of the loop when the gang starts talking about the latest Infinite Crisis buzz. Heh.

Dead Air

Is it just me, or there just no good movies anywhere right now? I mean, after watching Mr. and Mrs. Smith and The Fantastic Four, things just kinda... stopped. There's nothing much to look forward to in the next couple of months, I think. Perhaps everyone is saving their eggs for the holiday season. That's when stuff like King Kong and Chronicles of Narnia come out. Still, they're nowhere in the league of a LOTR or any similar movie event. The only things that tempted me to even consider watching recently was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Great Raid. I guess it's just as well... don't have much time to go to a theater these days. Hopefully that, and the fare in cinemas, will change soon. Sigh.

New Challengers


Singer/martial artist Lili joins the Tekken crew.

More info on Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection. The two new playable characters are named Dragunov and Lili. Dragunov is a decidedly evil-looking man in a militaristic uniform who is described as a 'human weapon'. Lili is a singer who uses her dance moves to fight. Meanwhile, aside from the newbies, all of the characters will be getting more costumes and accessories. Now, if we'll be getting bikinis for Nina and Asuka, I'm sold. Heh.


Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection is set for a late 2005 release in Japan arcades. No telling on a home version yet, but we'll just have to see first whether it's worth taking home or not.

The Haunted

’
Fiona Belli, the heroine of Haunting Ground, performing one of her special moves- laying unconscious and helpless.

Capcom has given us a lot of survival-horror games, primarily through their flagship series, Resident Evil. Usually though, it’s not so much horror as it is monster-fighting action as you take the roles of various take-no-prisoners, kick-butt heroes who take on mutant beasties with both eyes open. And so it was with a bit of surprise and refreshment that Haunting Ground for the PS2 appeared.

Similar to the Clock Tower series, Haunting Ground puts you in the boots of 18-year old Fiona Belli, a lovely (if deathly pale) young lady who wakes up one dark night in a cage, dressed only in a bed sheet and surrounded by the sprawling expanse of a creepy castle. Soon afterwards, she finds herself being chased by a hulking man-monster named Debilitas, and encountering an eerily beautiful maid named Daniella. A mystery voice calls out from the walls, telling her that she will be his. Fiona doesn’t have a clue why she’s here, what this castle is all about and why this crew of freaky denizens are after her… all she wants is to get the hell out of Dodge.
Unfortunately, Fiona isn’t a veteran special forces agent, or even a member of the local martial arts club… she’s just an ordinary college student, home from university before a frightful event that caused her to get into this mess. She can’t really fight save for a weak kick and tackle- the best thing she can do is RUN… and hide, given that there are tons of places to huddle behind, under or against in the shadowy castle. But if things get really hot, her panic level gets bad and things go blurry and wild and then Fiona’s in real deep goo as she’s practically helpless.

But then, not all’s dead roses- assuming that Fiona survives her first hour or so in the castle, she’ll hook up with Hewie, an odd and intelligent albino dog that soon becomes Fiona’s best friend, guardian, constant companion and fellow escapee from this gothic madhouse. Only by befriending and building a relationship with Hewie and using his abilities to help her can Fiona have a chance of defeating her pursuers and unlocking the secret of the nightmare she’s in.

Now, a game where the heroine you play isn’t a deadly femme fatale who can do high kicks and kill with her thighs is different for me, but it’s actually cool. Haunting Ground especially strikes a pretty good tone as a survival horror game, with a refreshing new way of keeping tension and mystery.
First of all, the game is freaking gorgeous. Apart from the incredible CG cinemas, the real time graphics are simply exquisite, with the characters appearing and moving better than most other PS2 games you’ll ever see; Fiona herself is animated incredibly well, and will please fanboys as she’s as bouncy as the DOA girls.
The castle itself is a great gothic maze to explore for some scary fun. And the mechanic of the game being pretty much a deadly game of hide and seek- is pretty slick. Best of all, the cool relationship-building game between Fiona and Hewie, and how you can use the dog to fight back, is just awesome. Haunting Gorund gives back a bit of replay value with unlockable costumes, extra endings and surprises that make going through the adventure multiple times desirable.

Haunting Ground’s graphics and gameplay are simply superb- it’s a great contrast to most other Survival Horror games out, and I highly recommend this to gamers who want a mature adventure romp with suspense and quite a bit of fanservice on the side. Don’t be scared away by the Damsel in Distress scenario; this is a scream of a good time.

I AM STILL HERE!!!

Whew! The storm that was This Week is finally over. I can finally breathe a bit.

It was touch and go early this morning, as we fine-tuned the presentation and waited for the minutes to tick by. After the client meeting (and pretty much half the day) I was freeeeeee....

My first act of freedom was to hie off to the nearby Subway's and have myself a late lunch (at 4:30PM). Next was to start blogging a bit, seeing as how I've been neglecting the web community for a while.

On my plate.

To start reading the pile of DC Comics Vin recommended to me.

To get the new stocks of comics stuff for this week.

To grab a copy of Haunting Ground for the PS2 and any other new game that catches my eye.

To keep playing Darkwatch.

To watch some anime and dvds over the weekend, including the Kim Possible movie.

To start doing art and pages for Project Hero.


Darn... I'm just as busy in the break as I am at work! WAAAAHHH!!!

Dark Resurrection

Woooooh...

An arcade upgrade to Tekken 5 has been announced for release in the next couple of months. It's called... of course, Tekken 5 Dark Resurrection and will feature some newly-rendered stages, customization items and, oh joy, two additional playable characters. But wait- don't expect anything earth-shattering... most probably one will be a playable Jinpachi Mishima, the hulking, demonic end boss with the screen-high fireballs and automatic-dizzy moves (which makes him totally cheap and unbalanced). As for the other, who knows? Rumors are of course flying around at who may be added to the roster- from female ninja Kunimitsu to Armor King (who is deceased so probably no go) to the Ogre from Tekken 3.
Anyway, it's not confirmed if Dark Resurrection will make it to home consoles- or even if it's worth getting for the home if all we get is a cheap playable boss and some spiffy new background effects. We'll just have to wait for the release for the truth.

You can't handle the truth!

Sprint

I'm still at the office. The fastbreak-nonstop rush of work that has been going on all month climaxes tonight and tomorrow. On the bright side though, I'm looking forward to a good rest over the weekend, to read some comics and enjoy a couple of new games. But I still have to get through tonight. Geh.

Passing

An officemate of mine, one of our graphic artists, passed away early today. It came as a shock to the department since he seemed to be doing fine the last anyone heard from him (through a text... yeah, in this day and age last words can come through text). I didn't particularly know him that well, but I work in the same area as him, and often I've hovered at his shoulder looking over copy for final artwork and rendering. Now that he's suddenly gone, it feels odd. I can't say I'm too affected, at least not as much as people who really knew him were. But then again, when death hits near you just can't NOT be totally unfazed. That's what makes us human and humane, I think.

I didn't know him that much, and anyone else reading here not at all. But I think he's worth mentioning here.

Paalam, Onat. It was nice working with you.

Grasping at the Future

Last night, after the gang's farewell dinner blowout from Jason at North Park, we all spent the night at UCC Coffee having our palms and fortunes read by Andrew.

My results? Well, I'll most probably be spending the rest of my working life in advertising, which is very likely (unless I someday give up on the Philippines entirely and move to the States and become a Star Comic Book Creator... Feh). I'll live to middle age, which is likely given that I don't eat much vegetables, love softdrinks and don't engage in regular exercise but at least don't smoke or drink. I've met one of the two GREAT LOVES of my life- which was probably not a real person (it's a matter of interpretation, fortune reading). We all seem to agree that the first great love of my life was Angel Ace, my own creation and first ever original printed comic book character... which is kinda sad since she's not real, and kinda nice since Angel's the perfect girl. Sigh.
Furthermore, I'll be having an eventful life, and while I'm be in a lot of confusion about relationships, apparently when I do find a person I love, I'll stick with them to the end (which will probably be middle age).

Eerie stuff, and pretty much dead on I think. Well, whatever. I don't think the future's set in stone (I hope), so things may change... a little. Maybe I can just start living a little healthier and maybe I can push my life to late middle age or early old age. Whatever. We play with the hands we're dealt.

Sight

Eyesight is perhaps the most valuable sense. Really. There are so many things you can appreciate with sight that taste, hearing, smell and touch just can't capture or appreciate. Perhaps it's because I'm nearsighted and astigmatic with eyes murkier than Manila canal water that I seem to keep awake as long as I have to, devouring eye candy like I have an eternally-itching eye-sweet tooth.

Well, I learned recently that my Mom, the light of the family, has some trouble with her eyesight. She's got cataracts in one of her eyes, and it's been steadily giving her trouble. Lately, her vision's been getting blurred in that eye, so that she's now practically blind in it at night. She had it checked today with my sister and we found out that it's not a problem that's going to go away. In fact, it can only get worse. If untreated, her eye could go totally blind in several months. After that, her other eye may be affected as well.
So she's getting an operation. I heard how much it will cost and I am flabbergasted. Fortunately though, the insurance of my sister and I will help a bit, at least. I think that we can all handle this thing no problem, no matter what. I just hope everything goes well and this will all pass shortly. I just can't see anything else happening other than that. I just can't.

Prayers and well wishes will be appreciated.

GGRRRAAAAAAAHHH!!!

I've been frickin' busy all week. All MONTH seems like. Haven't been able to go to Mega and chill at all this whole time. And it looks like the darn load will spill into the weekend and not let up until mid-week next week.

Yikes. On the bright side though, things, while hard, seem to be proceeding smoothly. Gotta just keep things under control, keep all the bases covered and not let anything sneak up on me. Sheesh.

Have to start work on Project Hero stuff soon. Gotta read that pile of DC Infinite Crisis stuff Vin made me buy. Gotta relax and play. Gotta rest.

Soon. Soon. SOON. I hope.

Appetizers

Recently, I discovered a cool little program for the PC called PSXVideo that lets you view (and convert to AVI format) CG movies and FMV in various Playstation 1 games. Now I don't have to play through games like, oh, Parasite Eve (which I played years ago) just to see the pretty CG. Speaking of pretty, it's funny to watch the videos of intros and endings of classic PS games and see how nicely (or badly) they've aged. These days, CG intros to games are about as complex, detailed and epic as full-blown movie trailers (check out the Tekken 5 and DOA Ultimate intro movies)... but there are still classic intros that still stand up to the test of time and make me want to dust off the old PS1 discs for a re-play.

Soul Edge


The Soul Edge intro. Still as sharp as ever after all these years.


The best scene: Siegfried escaping a crushing fate.


Sophitia's nudity was censored in the US version.


Taki kicks demon butt while showing off hers.

The opening CG movie of the original Namco weapons fighter is, in my book, perhaps the greatest intro movie of the PS era. No other PS1 game can equal the rocking opening movie- a series of various scenes showing the game's cast of warriors, assassins and weirdos engaged in battle or in bathing (as in the case of Sophitia). Set to a rocking, fast-paced song, the video just gets your heart racing and your hands aching for the controller. Too bad the game's sequels (Soul Calibur 1 and 2) ditched CG intros for realtime demos... Oh well. This is a great vid to just watch every now and then.

Tekken


Law being assaulted by fireflies, looks like.


The original Nina Williams in action.

Yeah, these days the Tekken series is known for great CG. The series' intros and endings from Tekken 3 onwards pretty much solidified Namco's claim to fame as masters of the videogame movie. However, they weren't always like that... The original Tekken intro really looks first-generation CG. But hey, to get to where they are now, artists and videogame creators had to pass by these stages, right? For me though, the original Tekken intro has a cool nostalgia factor which I love even to this day. Really.

Suikoden II



No fancy CG here, except for some simple scenes... most of the intro to arguably the best chapter of this beloved RPG series is made up of various character art. But still, the direction of the scenes and the GREAT music just makes for a rousing opening for an epic quest. This is one of my favorite intros, and the game itself is one of my favorite RPGs of all time. Recognize.

Ehrgeiz
We took fighting game intros for granted a lot during the days of the PS1, since there were so many of them. Still, not every game is a Tekken or a DOA, and some of the less-known brawlers had cool CG. One of the better ones was the intro for Ehrgeiz, a free-moving fighter from Squaresoft (Makers of Final Fantasy). Showing off the various fighters in cool situations made for an awesome introduction to a pretty cool game overall.

Final Fantasy 8
While I still believe that Final Fantasy VII is the best FF ever, and that the sequel FF8 is a piece of trying-hard, unadulterated pap trying to capitalize on the previous chapter's thunder, I have to admit that the CG movies in the 8th Final Fantasy game are pretty incredible. The battle between Seifer and Squall, the lovely Rinoa Heartilly, and the promise of an epic story of love, magic and adventure was excellently set by the intro movie... unfortunately the game turned out to be more teenybopper than epic, and the story incomprehensible. Aaaah, what the heck. The intro was awesome. Moving on.

There are tons more cool PS intro and CG movies worth mentioning... the cinematics of Final Fantasy VII, the great creepy videos of Silent Hill... ah, those were the days when it was like Christmas every week and coolness resided in every CD. They don't make 'em like they used to anymore.

Perhaps these days we're all a bit harder to please, or maybe we've seen it all. It takes a lot more to please us these days, but whatever happens, the gamer in me will always love and enjoy a good intro. Whether or not the game after it is worth the bucks we paid for them. Heh.

Advent Figure


FFVII AC's Tifa action figure.

Over the weekend me and my college friend Pot went off on our occasional Sunday jaunt to Greenhills, and our general agenda was looking over the various model and hobby shops. In one of the places we went to I saw the new Tifa Lockheart action figure as she looks in the upcoming Final Fantasy VII Advent Children movie. You know what? I really like the characeter but come on... why did they have to change her duds? I mean, lots more skin shown in her old outfit aside, Tifa is the only character apparently who had to change her look... everyone else looks the same, from Cloud to Yuffie to Cid to Barret and Vincent. And why the frumpy overalls? In fact, her present look just makes Tifa look too similar to Rinoa Heartilly from FF8. My secret hope is that when Advent Children actually hits, Square changes Tifa's duds back to her REAL costume. Oh well. We can dream. Or play FFVII or Ehrgeiz to see the real Lockheart look in action. Heh.

Darkwatch

Picked up a game over the weekend- the brand new first-person shooter Darkwatch. This supernatural, western-themed action game puts players into the boots of outlaw Jericho Cross, train robber extraordinaire who gets in waaaaay over his ten-gallon hat-topped head when he jumps on board a strange train for his last score. For inside the armored boxcars isn't a load of gold... it's a force of ultimate evil known as Lazarus. Thrown together with a young lady named Cassidy, Jericho soon finds himself afflicted with vampirism, in danger of losing his soul and hot on the trail of a devil on earth. It's gonna take tons of bullets, dynamite and lots of killing undead hordes before Jericho somehow saves or damns his soul... which will it be?
I'm not really one for shooters, but this is actually a pretty good game. Thankfully, it has a 'greenhorn' difficulty level which lets a total FPS spacecase like me to wade through enemies and continue when I die (a lot). The story seems pretty cool and it's getting me to keep going on even though the odds seem insurmountable. And I am finding it pretty fun to engage skeletal bandidos in gunfights... though often I just wade in and take their heads off with a well-placed rifle butt. The controls are pretty slick, though there are some irritating jumping segments that are maddening to navigate- good thing there aren't any one-hit deaths... so far.

This is a pretty cool game, although a bit on the mature side. Want some gunslinging action with a supernatural twist? Join the Darkwatch and see if you've got what it takes to take on your dark side.

Pocket Arcade


This is how dates work in the Fatal Fury world.

PS games now installed on my PPC Phone: Dead or Alive, Tekken, Star Gladiators, Ehrgeiz, Real Bout Fatal Fury, Time Crisis: Project Titan, Tactics Ogre, Suikoden II.
It’s no Street Fighter III, but Fatal Fury Real Bout is a darn pretty 2-D fighter, and I love the characters and the action. The fact that you can assign special moves to single buttons makes this totally playable.

YES, Suikoden II. Is it actually playable? You’d be surprised. Will I actually play it on the dinky little screen? Not for long (eyestrain will kill me and battery power is limited), but you can’t beat an addictive RPG for time killing if you’re not in the mood for mindless fighting games. The best thing is, I’ve installed it with a save from the original Suikoden, so NOW I can probably try to unlock a certain sidequest that I wasn’t able to do before. Hoho!

Want MORE PS games to rip… more… gotta catch them all…

Rainy Weekend

It’s been raining and raining and raining and raining all week. All I want to do is just lie in the dark and the cold and just snuggle in and sleep. It’s the expectation of having this desire fulfilled that I look forward to the weekend. Most of the gang will be heading off to windy Tagaytay for a break, but I’ve elected to stay for now. Just want to rest and vege out. Maybe do some drawing. I’ll probably post more art for Samurai Sis very soon, and some other odds and ends. We’ll see. If I can tear myself from the bed, that is. Heh.

Seven Swords


Epic.

What is it with the number seven? Apart from the number five, there's no other number for a group of heroes as heroic as seven. It all started with Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, which probably was the template for every other seven-man army film since; from cowboys (The Magnificent Seven) to space warriors (Battle Beyond the Stars), the group of seven has been seen in epic struggles of the few and courageous good versus far greater numbers of evil.

Well, yet another epic film of seven heroes comes to the screen, via Tsui Hark's Seven Swords. The film is an adaptation of the first part of a series of Chinese novels, so we can expect more to come if Mr. Hark has his way. Anyway, Seven Swords is the director's answer to the past wave of Wuxia films, which includes Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Hero and House of Flying Daggers (each of which have varying levels of goodness for me...).

Seven Swords' premise is classic- in ancient China, the emperor has decreed that martial arts will be banned to preserve the peace. To enforce his edict, armies of mercenaries have been empowered with the freedom to kill and pillage as they please, to bring the heads of any known martial artists (bodies not necessary) to the emperor. Of course, this is not something that can just go about without getting people rightly angry, so seven heroes soon come together to protect a village being threatened by a madman and his army of bloodthirsty killers. Each of the heroes wields a weapon of power- a sword, each with a name like 'Celestial', or 'Dragon'. As you can imagine, these swords can kick butt and they will see a lot of evildoers sliced to ribbons before this epic first chapter of the series is over. Given that Tsui Hark has directed stuff like Once Upon a Time in China and other martial arts classics before, Seven Swords should be something to see.

The film hasn't been released stateside yet, but with the recent successes of Asian films, it's sure to make it over here soon. Look for this in the DVD bins... this looks pretty cool.

Winners

Congratulations to my good friends Dean and Nikki Alfar for winning in the 2005 Palanca Awards! Dean won the Grand Prize in the Novel category, for his work Salamanca, something he wrote in 30 days last November as part of the NaNoWriMo. Nikki, on the other hand, won the 3rd prize in the Short Story for Children in English category for her short story Menggay's Magical Chicken.

And to think I meet these people usually every week and just goof around with them. Heh. Congratulations again, Alfars!

Stylus Shooting


Time Crisis on my Mini (actual screenshot).

Recently I finally got myself a working copy of Time Crisis (or to be more exact, Time Crisis: Project Titan, the PS-only sequel to the original TC) and then ripped and converted it to the ISO format for my mobile phone. And what do you know? It works like a charm. Years ago, I struggled to play Time Crisis on my PS using only the standard controller (I was too scrimpy to shell out for a Guncon), and ultimately failed. Now, I can get back at Time Crisis' pixel perps with my deadly stylus (or just with my finger if I'm too lazy). The game's excellent to play, and despite this seeming to be ultra-easy given that all you have to do is touch the screen to shoot, there's actually a challenge due to the need to be accurate and quick. So far I haven't actually progressed that far yet, but I look forward to those little downtimes when I can step into the shoes of Richard Miller, the Time Crisis hero and kick butt with my pistolus. Well, perhaps after I finish unlocking everything in Dead or Alive I'll have more time. Heh.


There's nothing quite like blowing away shady terrorists with your finger.

TV Viewing

These days I find myself 'jacking off' to Jack TV's lineup of raunchy shows and wrestling programs. It's irritating to watch re-runs every so often, but I also find myself pretty fond of Mad TV, but alienated by the more 'American' comedy shows/stand-up comics. I love Drawn Together and Stripperella (though these short series are soon exhausted), and watch an episode of South Park every now and then. I'm still mystified that they're actually showing some of these shows- some of them are pretty raunchy.
ETC provides more 'classy' fare; The Tonight Show and Late Night with Conan O'Brien are now my nightly stapes- I only wish that Entertainment Tonight had more stuff about movies and showbiz than tabloid-style bits, but hey... learning about so-and-so star's new cancer makes for gripping TV, I guess.
Animax continues to mix some gems with their schedule. I should really like Samurai 7 but for some reason I find it slow and would rather think about it and feel that it's nice instead of actually watching the show. That's also the exact same way I feel about Lost- I know in my heart it's a great show, but I can't actually bring myself to watch it for some reason. Oh well.
Discovery Channel and National Geographic have had a bit of a tussle recently- on Tuesdays Discovery showed True Horror with Anthony Stuart Head (cool while it lasted) and later NG countered with a series on The Mafia. Hmmm. Monsters vs the Mob... tough call. The Mythbusters are still a favorite when they appear, and the ever-reliable New Detectives and a default watch on weekends.

Ah, the idiot box these days is pretty interesting. Which is just as well since I don't have any big game right now to keep myself off the channels, nor do I find myself going out of my way to get any new DVDs lately. Still, it could all be better... if only Sky Cable got Discover Travel and Leisure back, I'd be happy as a clam again with Globe Trekker and A Chef's Journey. Sigh.

Samurai Sis


Samuraisis is a lover and a fighter.

Here are the first character designs for my new title, Samurai Sis, which will be coming out in our group's upcoming comic project. It's been awhile since I've drawn stuff, so I hope I still have it... Feh. Whatever. Anyway, Samuraisis, or 'Samurai Sis' as she will be known more, combines the classic 'Isis' look (from the old TV series and the new comic adaptation) with elements of a Japanese ronin, or shugenja (warrior monk). She's not only packing martial arts skills but demi-goddess-ish powers over the elements. That and she packs several magical weapons- her katanankh (shown held) and her longer naginatankh (not shown). She's a tough cookie, but of course deep inside she's just a teen who is struggling to keep it together even with problems like missing parents, high school angst, a bratty kid brother and a noodle-wrapped undead warlord trying to take over the world.


Ramen Hotep. A villain who can really use his noodle.


Part shadow, part ninja, part snake, part paper... all EVIL.

Look for our new heroes and heroines later this year. Heh.

Anticipation

It's August, and that means we're a lot nearer to the release of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, the long-awaited, much-drooled over CG movie that will hopefully fulfill the dreams of countless fans and wipe away the smudge that was the Spirits Within movie. Recently, several new trailers were supposedly premiered at some of Square-Enix's events promoting their upcoming games and products.

Aside from FFVII AC, there's a lot more adventure in Midgar to be had with Dirge of Cerebus, the shooter/action-adventure starring mysterious Vincent Valentine. The latest news on Dirge's front is that there will be many cameos and appearances from other characters in the FFVII world, such as Barret, Cid and Yuffie the ninja. Also appearing is Caet Sith, the mascot-type character who was originally controlled in FFVII by Shinra exec Reeve. Just what Sith's role in DC is remains a mystery, deepened even more so by Reeve's apparent death (or at least, being gunned down) in the latest trailer.
Also figuring prominently is FFVII Crisis Core, which will feature anime cut scenes including some never-before-seen visualizations of some of FFVII's most dramatic scenes- such as the first meeting of arch-villain Sephiroth and his alien mother Jenovah, and the battle between Seph and Zack, Cloud Strife's mentor.

Advent Children has already been confirmed for a September 8 theatrical release in Japan, and even now I can imagine the screams and gasps of countless otaku at seeing this fantasy epic come to life finally in complete form on the BIG screen. I hope that anime shops here will have the Advent Children DVD as soon as they can... if only AC would be shown here in Manila in theaters as well. Fat chance of that happening, but DAMN that would be cool. No, that would be AWESOME.

One more month to go...

Pocket Playstation

An addendum to the earlier post... I finally discovered how to get the sizes of the files down with another freeware app. Now I don't have to compromise space and having my PS fighters along for the ride. My favorite Dead or Alive is now at an itty-bitty 42.1 mb size, making it no longer a bother to put in my card (previously, it was a humongous 422mb, which is almost half of my 1 gig storage space). Also, I was able to rip the original PS Tekken and now the Iron Fist fighters are sitting alongside the DOA girls in my SD card (the Tekken rip came to about 101 mb). Still trying to find copies of PS games to convert, a priority being Time Crisis which should be a riot to play with a stylus. Heh.