Virtua Fighter 5 Review


Beating people up has never been this beautiful.

Virtua Fighter 5 is finally on the PS3, and fighting game enthusiasts can now enjoy the elite of beat ‘em ups outside of Japan arcades. But to enjoy VF5 at it’s fullest, you’ll need not only a PS3 but a good, big-screen HDTV as well. But even if the price of admission may be a bit steep, fighting game fans won’t regret a thing once this beauty is running in 720p hi-def loveliness before their eyes. This game truly LOOKS like a big budget brawler. Thankfully though, it also plays like one.
VF5 will be embraced by those who already love the series as perhaps the pinnacle of home brawlers. For those coming in fresh to VF, this is a deep, technical fighter that rewards practice and dedication. A few glaring flaws keep VF5 from being the end-all, be-all of fighters, but this is still one impressive title that is a genuine reason to get a PS3.


The small but slam-tastic newcomer El Blaze is sure to be a favorite.

Graphics
No game looks as ‘Next-Gen’ (well, now-gen) as Virtua Fighter 5. It positively leaves every other fighting game in the dust in terms of looks, particularly with the character models. The fighters are the best yet in terms of lifelike detail, texture and complexity, and this is fitting since the game truly focuses on the fighters themselves. Characters like Shun and Lau are wrinkled and leathery, while babes like Aoi and Pai look like they can star in soap commercials. While not as expansive or interactive as in other games, the stages are awash with detail and bright color. More than one stage shows off cool effects, like individual cherry blossom petals in the Shrine Stage, reflective floors in the Mansion or impressive water ripples in the Ruins Stage.
The fighters also animate pretty much perfectly at a rock-solid frame rate, with fluid martial arts moves and satisfyingly painful reactions to various hits. Fabric and clothing also animate convincingly, even looking damp when a character gets splashed in water.

Gameplay
In terms of fighting action, VF5 is the best of a series that has made realistic fighting it’s main strength. No fireballs or super moves- just painful blows, bone-breaking grapples and dangerous-looking throws that are more or less grounded in real world martial arts. With just three buttons and the joystick, you have access to literally hundreds of moves and combos.
While you can play a shallow game of just blocking and striking hard and fast, the game truly rewards players who take the effort to learn more advanced techniques like evades, throw-escapes, counters, juggles, guaranteed moves and so forth. It will definitely require a lot of practice, but you will see the fruits of your labors with amazing matches and satisfying victories.
What’s great overall about the VF fighting system (and which fans will stand by against) is the game’s balance and fluidity- there isn’t an overwhelming emphasis on counters or dialed-in combos. There are 17 unique fighters and martial arts styles to choose, each with strengths and weaknesses you have to master and compensate for respectively. For the most part though, the best thing about VF5 is that it is far more accessible and playable particularly for newcomers to the game than previous installments. But as always, skill and practice is rewarded- the more you put into this game, the more you get out of it.


Whether you're using slippery ninja Kage or graceful dancing girl Aoi, the balanced gameplay gives every player an even playing field.

That said, in terms of modes, VF5 is, unfortunately, pretty basic. There’s no Story Mode (everything plot-wise about VF is handled off-game) at all, with just a basic Arcade Mode and VS Mode for starters. The Dojo or Training Mode is adequate, but not as helpful or deep as it could have been- more options or a bit more user-friendly options (like the ability to have the CPU demo any of the many moves) would have improved the Dojo a lot. Finally, the VF TV mode is just a glorified Watch Mode which has very limited use or appeal.

The Quest Mode will surely be the single player’s activity for the most part, letting you travel through a virtual Tokyo and challenge various A.I. opponents of varying levels. Success is rewarded with gold and various emblems and items. Still, it’s pretty basic as well- all you pretty much need to do is just beat everyone you find, with no variation of parameters or goals.
VF5’s Customize Mode is much improved from the previous games, and easily impresses as the best implementation so far of this feature. You can give your character a personal touch, radically changing their appearance with dozens and dozens of clothing variants, hairstyles, items and options. But while the fan service in VF has certainly been ramped up (all the girls have been ‘sexed up’), every option and customization is still in line with each character’s style and the game’s relatively conservative stance… if you want bikini fighters, there’s always DOA.


Shiny, sexy Dural is unlockable as a playable character by beating the game with every other character.

Sound
The sounds in VF5 are a mixed bag- each stage comes with an accompanying tune that sets the atmosphere well but is may not appeal to some. You’ll either like it or not, but none of it is bad at least.
The sound effects are the same sounds from previous VF games. Hits like major kicks or big pounce attacks slam hard, while stuff like Akira’s deadly moves boom out like thunder. It’s all impressive and cool, and gives powerful attacks a lot more emphasis.

The voices are mostly well-done, though English lines are often funny if not totally hilarious. The most painful voice samples though belong not to the fighters but to the optional English Commentary, which I prefer turned off due to the seemingly bored, flat and off-kilter delivery.

Replayability and Fun Factor
There are 17 unique fighters to choose from, and it will take hours to even begin to get good with any single one. The single player game is long if you dedicate yourself to unlocking every item and beating every A.I. opponent in the Quest Mode. However, this game shines in VS, one-on-one play with two human players. It’s a big glaring fault though that VF5 has no online capability- no online play is fine, but it would have made VF5 that much more enjoyable and rewarding if you could update the game with new moves and items like the arcade version, or if you could post replay data online to show off your best matches. More modes as well and more detailed options wouldn’t have hurt at all.
That said, there’s more than enough deep, satisfying fighting action here for any beat ‘em up fan, and that at least is where VF5’s strengths count the most.

Final Word
Virtua Fighter 5 is without a doubt the most beautiful-looking and playing fighter out right now for a home console. With the best graphics and animation around, challenging and deep fighting action that only gets better as you do, VF5 is truly a champion among fighters and finally, a great reason to get a PS3 and enter the world of HD next-gen gaming.

Schooltime Shipping


Yes, it's finally happened... Avatar goes Super-Deformed.

Yet another entry into the series of little feature 'appetizers' for in preparation for the Third Season of Avatar: The Last Airbender debuted over the weekend. It's an anime-style short entitled Schooltime Shipping, and features SD (Super Deformed) versions of Aang, Katara, Zuko and a lot of the Avatar Gang in a silly, school situation comedy. Three more shorts will supposedly follow in the following weeks/months, again to keep fans of Avatar marginally sated as they wait for the next installment of the mega-popular fantasy-adventure series.

Another development is the confirmation of the new voice actor for Uncle Iroh, Greg Baldwin, who replaces the late Mako.


To check out "Schooltime Shipping", go here. The password is 'KOH'.

Stockpile

One of the cooler things I've been able to do recently is collect piles of stuff. Piles of games, piles and piles and piles of comics and piles of DVDs and downloaded shows. The only thing is, I haven't really had time to really start on enjoying a lot of them. Scratch that... Almost all of them. I've been collecting the whole 52 series from DC, and I haven't read a single issue. That goes as well for several other titles I'm still collecting. On the digital front, I've been downloading stuff like crazy and I haven't been able to watch any yet, like Heroes and a truckload of anime.

Well, that's gonna change. I'm gonna start actually looking at the stuff I'm downloading and buying. Just this night, I popped in the creepy series Ghost Whisperer starring Jennifer Love Hewitt. I really should have gotten into this series earlier, seeing as how I am really interested by the premise of ghosts and the supernatural. Anyway, GS is all about a girl who can see ghosts, often being approached by spirits for aid in 'crossing over'. Yep, it's pretty much "The Sixth Sense" the Series, but with a babe instead of a little kid. The pilot episode has humor, creepy moments and freaky bits... and of course, moments of sadness. I think I like it, and I'll probably keep watching it. It'll be a good thing to see while I'm waiting for the next episode of Ghost Hunters.

Six


Namco finally shows off its Big Gun.

After mucking about and giving its last installment a Dark Resurrection, Namco-Bandai's Tekken series finally moves on to a REAL sequel. The first time we saw signs of the sixth King of Iron Fist Tournament, it was just a CG 'concept' teaser. The second was an underwhelming trailer with graphics that really didn't impress at all (especially when placed side by side with graphics from competition like Virtua Fighter 5). But now, in a late-breaking development, Tekken 6 has finally reared it's not-at-all-ugly head from development mirk, to show up online in the form of a nifty official website, showing off two brand new characters, some screens and a slick trailer.


Hey! It's Vaan from Final Fantasy XII!

At first glance, Tekken 6 looks really slick, but once you give the trailer a closer look, some things are apparent. For starters, there are CG pre-rendered images along with the actual gameplay stuff. While the actual in-game character models are improved a bit from Tekken 5- mainly by being more rounded and smooth, and sporting lots of nice detail particularly with clothing- it's not a big departure from the last Tekken. There's that bit of 'plasticky skin' syndrome, as well as the usual lifeless eyes.
In short, it's better than before, but actually still inferior to the character models in the competition, AKA Virtua Fighter 5. I think it's mainly a bit of the details of character sculpting- faces are kinda iffy, and even females have HUGE hands. Perhaps it's the 'Tekken-ish' style of being a bit cartoony, still at work. Basically, it's still Tekken, for better or worse. As for animations, that is still up in the air. I hope that Namco went the extra mile and re-did their animations instead of recycling the same movements they've been using since Tekken Tag Tournamnet. We'll just have to see how this pans out when more gameplay footage is revealed.


Zafina brings her slinky fighting style to the table.

As for the new characters so far revealed- Leo looks like he just stepped off the Final Fantasy boat, with his blonde hair and effeminate looks. His overall look brings to mind Rock Howard from Fatal Fury; he definitely has this 'lone hero' feel- is he a new main character? As for fighting style, it's some kind of karate, not unlike Jin's. Probably the most intriguing thing about Leo though is... is he really a SHE? There's a growing suspicion among gamers that Leo just might be a girl in disguise. If so, this is probably a first in fighting games...
The second new face, Zafina, is a sexy female who sports predictably little clothing and, like Lili before her, a fighting style that's about as authentic and probable as Using the Force. She seems to slither, curling up in impossible twists and having some dangerous-looking special effects accompanying some of her major blows (though this may be shared by all the characters). Still, I can't complain about her looks. You can never have enough hot Tekken babes. Never. Heh.

Tekken 6 will supposedly feature the biggest character roster in the series, so Leo and Zafina won't be the last new fighters we'll see. Another feature is Character Customization, which will allow you to totally alter your character's look- the trailer shows Asuka transforming into a wild, punk ninja hybrid, while Gun Jack is seen with various parts that make him look like a humanoid tank. Hopefully Namco will take a page from Sega's book for some really cool and sexy custom characters. As for the actual fighting, I wasn't able to see much to judge whether Namco just recycled their animations again or if things are totally new. We'll just have to wait and see, but I'll just say that I'm hopeful. And I'll also say I want to see Soul Calibur IV too.

The website says that Tekken 6 will be out '2007', so we can only hope that Namco doesn't take too long to bring out this much-awaited new brawler. Let's see if it holds a candle to the reigning PS3 fighting champ. Round two in the battle of next-gen fighting juggernauts has begun.

To see what the next-gen of Tekken looks like, go to The Official Tekken 6 Website.

Home Arcade


My new toy, the Hori Real Arcade Pro Stick 3, with a Sixaxis controller as a size reference.

My first-ever specialized game accessory ever, an arcade-style stick controller called the Hori Real Arcade Pro Stick 3 (say that 3 times), arrived early today. Of course, the first thing I did once I got back home from work was plug it into the ol' PS3 and start playing Virtua Fighter 5. The stick works well, with a nice feel- though I have to admit it took a bit getting used to. Some characters seemed to take easily to being controlled by the stick, while some took a bit more work.
I should be getting used to the thing soon after a day or two of use. I'm still quite amazed at the size of the thing- it's quite substantial, able to cover up my whole lap with its size. It will be interesting to see how my VF5 game improves with this bad boy. Another thing this may be kinda cool to use with would be for driving games- the responsiveness seems to work well there. I should try to use this thing at every opportunity to get my money's worth from it. But what the heck- live a little, my friend always said. Heh.

Let loose the Cogs of War



Though I may be neck-deep into Virtua Fighter 5 on the PS3 these days, I got a bit of time to take a break from hand-to-hand martial arts combat and get into some relaxingly bloody firefights on my Xbox360. The game on point, Epic Games' gritty and bleak futuristic tactical third-person shooter, Gears of War.
Now, ever since it's release last November, GOW has been carving a name for itself as perhaps the Xbox360's best game- never mind Oblivion or Halo 2 or whatever... this game suddenly spread like wildfire, seemingly overnight becoming Microsoft's BFG in the war with Sony and the PS3. I got into this title late (not really a fan of shooters), but even just a couple of hours in, I can tell why.

Gears of War is set in the future, on a human-colonized planet called Sera. After a devastating war, mankind further gets pushed near total extinction during the event known as "Emergence Day", when a race of subterranean creatures known as The Locust Horde invade the surface. Ranging from brutish humanoid warriors to gigantic insect-like monsters, the Locust all have but one goal- to wipe out humanity from the face of the planet. The player takes the role of Marcus Fenix(who bears a striking resemblance to WWE Superstar Batista), a disgraced former soldier who is drafted back into the fray as the conflict reaches a turning point. With just your old friend Domingo Santiago or 'Dom', and two other members of the crack Delta Squad, you're tasked to save your race through a bloody, action-packed, multi-part campaign. Think Platoon or Full Metal Jacket meets Independence Day/War of the Worlds with a smattering of Starship Troopers and you get GOW.

What separates GOW from being a simple FPS (First-person Shooter) is that it is mainly played in Third Person, switching only to your characters' perspective when firing your weapon. A big part of the gameplay (in fact, integral to it) is the use of team tactics and cover. It is imperative to find cover and snipe at enemies from safe or at least less-dangerous vantage points, and to move into positions to outmaneuver your crafty enemies. Rushing in like Rambo is a no deal- you have to take things smartly, duck-and-shoot, roll-and-shoot, hide and outsmart the Locust as often as you'll face them. This is because for the most part you'll often be outnumbered and even outsized, and even short exposure to open enemy fire will result in death. Luckily, the game's intuitive controls make going from cover-to-cover easy, (everything is done with just one button) and soon after you begin the game you'll be moving like a seasoned vet in no time. Also important, and a minigame in itself, is the simple act of reloading your weapon. Press the reload button at the right time when an onscreen meter flashes and you'll reload extra fast- miss your mark and your weapon will jam for a bit, which just may be the difference between life or death. Ouch.

Visually, the game looks quite amazing- easily the 360's best-looking game, and it even outdos most PS3 games as well. Whether it's on standard TVs or HD TVs, GOW looks smashing, with hyper-detailed character models and environments communicating perfectly a ravaged earth being fought over tooth and nail by human and monster. That translates to sound as well, with guttural bellows and grunts mixing with your characters' cusses and cries, over rapid gunfire and explosions. War may be hell, but it's damn interesting to hear.

There are two images I'll easily remember of GOW right off the bat- seeing your character do a 'roadie run', where the camera takes a behind-and-beneath the character point-of-view as he makes a mad dash for the next bit of cover; it captures perfectly the look and feel of a handheld camera, as if some unseen war correspondent was hobbling behind Fenix as he runs. It's an iconic image that just characterizes this game perfectly.
The other trademark GOW image is that of taking out an enemy (or getting taken out yourself) with a CHAINSAW- GOW's answer to bayonets. It's gory (blood splattering everywhere) and messy but quite satisfying (heh). I'm just a few hours into the game and I have to say I'm impressed. I think I'll be seeing this Game of the Year to the end. I still hold Oblivion to be my favorite 360 game so far, but GOW is right up there with it.

If you get yourself an Xbox360, make sure this one's locked and loaded in the package.

Fetching a Stick



Even though I was able to get my copy of Virtua Fighter 5 several days ago (and have been enjoying myself immensely ever since), a little mishap prevented me from turning The Sanctum into an arcade. The specially-made Virtua Stick High Grade arcade-style controllers made by Sega specially for VF5 turned out to have a defect, causing their recall from production and an indefinite hold on any release. And so, I was up a creek without a stick. For a while, I decided to forget about getting an arcade stick, but really- the Sixaxis controller, while adequate, isn't the best thing to use with VF5's motions. Even some moves, like simple evades (just tapping up or down on the pad) is difficult, which is really cramping my style. And so, I decided to think about getting a stick again.

This time, I'm getting the Hori Real Arcade Pro 3 Stick, which came out about the same time VF5 did. It's the other PS3 arcade-style stick controller released recently, and it's supposedly quite durable and of very high quality. What the heck. It's not like I'm going to spend my dough on an expensive Valentine's Day date or anything. Heh.

Round One... Fight!

I've spent most of the weekend playing Virtua Fighter 5 and all I can say is... the damn weekend is too short. Anyways, it's been excellent so far. The game is UN-freakin-believable in terms of visuals; I have seriously never seen a fighting game this beautiful. NOTHING in any arcade in this country can compare to what I have right now in The Sanctum on my PS3. I'm enjoying a videogame that only the Japanese have had the privilege to play in arcades for the whole year it's been out, and it's great. I'll see about writing the final review soon... perhaps after I log in some more hours of serious gameplay and get into the meat of this must-have PS3 title. Well, back to playing then.

Something Wicked this Way Came


The long wait is over.

After almost four months of tortured waiting, my ordeal of counting the days away have finally ended. This morning a FedEx courier arrived bearing the package I have been waiting for such a long time. Yep, my copy of Virtua Fighter 5 for the PS3 is in The Sanctum, and I couldn't be happier. I simply have not wanted a game this much ever before... or perhaps, it was because I haven't felt this way in such a long time is the reason for my extreme euphoria. In any case, my most-awaited fighting game is here, so now I can throw away my now-useless copy of Dead or Alive 4 (okay, not really).

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to play much since I had to go on off to work. I was able to create a VF5 game file on my PS3 Hard Drive (which took several minutes), create my first custom character save file and try out some of the modes, particularly Arcade and Dojo. What can I say? The game looks absolutely amazing on my TV even though the set resolution right now is just 480p (since my Archos AV700 cannot record video in HD ). I'll be enjoying VF5 in the crispy clarity of HD once I finish recording some videos for posting online.
Anyway, my first attempts to play met with the usual result- while I beat up the first few opponents handily, later stages saw my poor Aoi flat on her back. I'll need to spend some time in the Dojo Training Mode before I start taking names with consistency. But this early, I could sense the increase in speed, the easier manueverability of the characters and the tightness of the controls. For now I'm using the regular Sixaxis controller- once my VF arcade stick arrives (God knows when), this should get even better.

I wasn't able to check out the other modes- VFTV or Customize- as much as I wanted to, so I'll save that for later tonight. Expect a full review as I strap on my fighting gear and get ready for a fabulous VF5 weekend.

It Came from Comicspace

One of the coolest things to happen lately in comics, at least online-wise, is Comicspace. It's like Myspace, but for Comics Creators/Writers and Illustrators. So now, us people with weird pictures and stories running around in our heads now have a place to compare notes, make friends and recently, show off our comics!

I've had My Comicspace Page up for a while, but until recently all it had was a short summary of who I am and a small friends list. With the addition of a Comics Gallery, I have now uploaded a couple of comics- a K.I.A. story and issue one of Kunoichi Boy! Nothing horribly new though- that'll come later. But for now, it's a great start for the webcomic presence I've been planning for a while.

Check out my page here. Be my Comics Friend! Heheh.

Ready to Rumble



Virtua Fighter 5 is OUT! The Asian and Japanese PS3 versions of Sega's latest and greatest started shipping out today from online stores like NCS and Play-Asia today, though lucky bastards in Hong Kong have apparently been playing it since Friday. Of course, this irks me to no end as I've seen one guy post a vid on Youtube of VF5 and he knows NOTHING about it. No meaning to him. Probably just picked it up because the box art is nice. GAH! I SHOULD HAVE THE GAME. I SHOULD HAVE IT NOW.

Well anyway, my copy is, as I write this, on the way. Unless anything horribly goes wrong, I should be playing it tomorrow evening. It's still a bit of a wait (isang tulog na lang) but I guess I'll just have to cope... at least I have it better than gamers in Europe, who have to wait possibly until JUNE before they get their VF5. Ouch! So expect a full review soon once I log in the hours on what is perhaps THE game for me this year.

Avatar: Escape from the Spirit World

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While Avatar fans all over the world wait with eager anticipation of Season 3, the producers of the Nicktoons mystical martial arts adventure have come up with a fun little way of bridging the gap between the disastrous end of Season 2 to the next chapter of Aang's adventures.
Avatar: Escape from the Spirit World is an online animated webcomic which tells the story of what happens to Aang after he gets fried by Princess Azula at the end of Crossroads of Destiny. Apparently, as many fans have feared, Aang's near-death experience (or probably actual death, if not for Katara's intervention) caused his former lives to scatter to the ends of the earth, denying him the use of the Avatar State (his version of the Tactical Nuke) and trapping him in the Spirit World.
In the intro to the comic, Aang is greeted by Princess Yue, the lovely Water Tribe royal from Season 1. She tells him that he must find four of his former lives and speak to them in order to become whole again. But to do so, he will cross paths with the evil Koh, the Face Stealer, an old enemy. Of course, what can the young Avatar do but go and take the challenge head on...

With some neat flash animations and simple games, the webcomic takes viewers into the world of Avatar again in these short but sweet chapters, which reveal more info behind Aang's mysterious past personas. The first chapter focuses of Avatar Roku, the Firebending Avatar who was Aang's last life. The next chapter deals with Avatar Kyoshi, the towering female Earthbender. Nick will release the rest of the chapters in succeeding weekends.

It's pretty cool and any Avatar fan should take a look at the Avatar Escape site. All you need to do is sign up for a Nick 'nickname' and you're off. Still not a substitute for Season 3, but I'll take it. Heh.

Sticking it to the Opponent

I just made perhaps the purchase that pretty much proves that I am OBSESSED with Virtua Fighter 5. It's the Virtua Stick High Grade, an arcade-style, arcade-quality controller made specially for the PS3 by Sega for use with it's upcoming high profile beat 'em up sequel. You can order the thing along with a copy of VF5 at a nice reduced price, so I ended up cancelling my previous preorder for just the game and went for the combo offer.
I'm a bit giddy... It's my first real game accessory ever- never bought a wheel or Guncon myself in all my years of gaming. On the good side, I should be able to use the thing for other fighters in the future, perhaps even on the Xbox360. So I'll try to get my money's worth of fighting action from it.

So now, The Sanctum really is turning into an arcade, complete with Hi-def LCD TV, PS3, latest hottest fighting game and a frickin' joystick controller. I'm counting the darn hours away to this game, which is set for release in Asia and Japan later this week on February 8. If nothing goes wrong and FedEx continues it's winning streak with me, I should be enjoying a Virtua Fighting Weekend very soon.

Just Chillin'

The past week or so, Metro Manila has been enjoying some exceptionally cold weather. This kind of cool is usually associated with the 'Ber' months of the last quarter, not usually at this time. Chilly breezes have lots of people dressing a bit warmer in the business district of Makati. Open a faucet, and the water is chilled, like it was coming from a cooler or from the fridge (making for particularly jumpy showers in the morning).
I love this kind of weather. It's nice and calming to come out of The Salt Mines to a pleasantly chilly evening. It's not enough for me to put on a jacket- just enough to make me shiver in a good way. I hope it goes on for a while longer, but it'll probably fade in a week or two. Better enjoy it while it lasts, I guess.

War on Widescreen

Tonight I popped in a dvd of War of the Worlds (the Tom Cruise flick) and watched it on the new LCD TV. It was pretty cool, to say the least, to see the flick almost in the same way I first saw it in a theater. Great picture, great sound... sweet. Unfortunately I had to turn down the sound a bit, to keep the neighbors from thinking there's a real alien invasion going on. Maybe I should invest in some nice surround-sound earphones.

Anyway, I still like the Steven Spielberg megged-survival horror action flick. Like the effects- awesome deathrays- like the desperate feel, like the creepy moments and all-out devastation scenes. I still HATE THE FRICKIN' KIDS. BAH. I totally identify with Tom Cruise's character. The aliens didn't scare me as much as those two freaky kids. Oh well. Good movie night anyways. Heh.

Taking Leaps

It's only about ten days to the release of Virtua Fighter 5 for the Playstation 3, and I'm suffering in the tormented state of gaming obsession. I've been waiting for this game for months. I bought a PS3 and an LCD TV just so I could play it the way it should be played, which pretty much makes it my most expensive game purchase EVER. That's okay though- you know it's a momentous game when it moves you to make the leap into new technology. Years ago, Diablo 2 moved me to purchase my first PC. I played the game to death, and when I finally moved on, the PC had become an invaluable, indispensable tool for me. I fully expect to play VF5 for a long time- perhaps up to when Virtua Fighter 6 becomes available, at least. But even now, I am really appreciating and enjoying the hi-definition visual goodness I've gotten along the way to acquiring the game.

It's these little things- things that drive us- that often push us forward to embrace new technology, or take a leap from our safety zones into new frontiers. Which brings me to the thought- what game will get me to someday have a brain jack installed?

Blood and Guts



The second and third episodes of Afro Samura from GONZO Animation and actor Samuel Jackson have come out recently, and as promised they ramp up the blood, gore, violence and sex far up from the opening episode of this 5-part series.
Episodes 2, entitled The Dream Reader, follow the titular vengeance-seeking swordsman and Number Two warrior in the world after he is sent hurtling off a cliff by an explosion. Alive but seriously wounded, he is found and tended to by Okiku (voiced by Kelly Hu), a beautiful woman who isn't all that she seems. In and out of Afro's Subconscious and Unconscious, we see his bloody past- the taking of the Number Two headband from him by some brigands, as well as the desecration of his father's remains; to his joining a kendo school and finding other children to call friends, to his first kill on his road of revenge. In between the somewhat lullish moments of the episode Afro manages to have a bit of lovemaking just before the inevitable reveal and attack at the end.
The episode ramps up the violence quite a bit with Kill Bill-esque fountains of blood spouting from more than one character in the course of the 20+minute show, the circumstances made even more dark by the sheer youth of the protagonist at the time. Yes, there's sex before the finale, though not really enough to make this a hentai feature. It's all wrapped up neatly by the end and Afro's off to continue his quest.

I guess I failed to mention the continued presence of Ninja Ninja, Afro's tag-along companion who's about as talkative as Afro is silent. I have to say that while the role gives Jackson (he voices Ninja as well) room to perform more lines in the show (Afro's dialogue wouldn't fill half a page), the character is just wrong. He's irritating and doesn't bring anything to the table aside from being annoying. The lines aren't funny or helpful, and the only mystery I am seeing in Ninja Ninja is WHY THE HELL IS AFRO ALLOWING HIM TO FOLLOW? And for someone named Ninja NInja, you'd think he'd be kinda kick-ass... but he's not. But he is hard to kill though. Does he actually have a use aside from not-comedy relief? We'll just have to see.

Anyway, Episode 3, titled Clan of the Empty Seven has Afro taking on the evil order of monks that has been following and harassing him from the start of the series. The baddies send out their big gun- nothing less than a robotic copy of Afro (apty called the Afro Droid) to take him out. Afro wins the first round and promptly thereafter starts taking out the clan one by one in fights which, while not being too exciting or slick, are certainly very bloody and gory. A return engagement with the Afro Droid follows, with a look at Afro's next opponent (a swordsman wearing, of all things, a huge Teddy Bear mask) ending the episode.

While Episode 2 was a lull and a bit of flashback, Episode 3 is all action. There are some cool animations and some wild fight scenes, perhaps a bit overblown even for this series but still quite cool. Again, blood spurts in disturbing (and by now monotonous) amounts, and Ninja Ninja once again is utterly irritating and useless. Just two more episodes to go and this one is done. Will the last few opponents ramp up the blood even more after all the carnage in the first 3 installments? Get your barf bags ready.

All in all, I have to say I'm not totally impressed by Afro Samurai. Midway in, I haven't been blown away by any revelations, any coolness to the villains (aside from Justice himself in the first episode) or any twists (no twists are coming by now, I guess... this is all a one-trick, one-track simple story). The animation is consistent at least, and the action intense as heck. I guess I am disappointed by the lack of real humor (Ninja Ninja is not funny at all) or any depth to Afro aside from the occasional glass of lemonade.
Despite all the flaws, I guess I'm seeing this to the bitter and bloody end. Maybe there's a surprise at the end. Maybe not. But I do know someone's going to die. Next ep's up in a day or two, so we'll see then.

Blizzard at the Box Office

For those who play PC RPGs, the name Blizzard is synonymous with addictive, epic gaming. Responsible for hits like Starcraft, Diablo and Warcraft, Blizzard is actually the reason why I got my first computer (I wanted to play Diablo 2. Another thing the company is known for is their incredible CG cinematics which usually bookend their games, lavish and obviously big budget mini-movies that set the tone and mood for the countless hours of gameplay ahead. These CG movies have been so good that many fans have wondered, will Blizzard ever actually do a full-length movie?

Well, apparently they ARE. Well, that's according to one preview where a Blizzard producer goes on record saying that they are indeed working on a movie project (live-action though) that fans of their games will no doubt recognize and get excited about. Most probably the first film will be based on the present focus of Blizzard's efforts, the MMO World of Warcraft, which is currently enjoying mobs of players crowd the servers with the recent release of WOW's expansion, The Burning Crusade. Perhaps once the hubbub over the actual game has sorta died down, we'll be hearing more about the Blizzard movie. Maybe. Probably. And hopefully it won't suck. Expect it to burn into cinemas by next year or so.

Recognizing Avatar

Despite the great fanbase and fanatical devotion of fans to Avatar: The Last Airbender, I actually find it quite irritating that the series is lambasted a lot by misguided folk who more often than not probably haven't even seen an episode. These cretins mostly see the show as crap simply because (A) it's from Nickelodeon and (B) it has anime influences, making it an obvious 'Anime Rip-off'. Poor fools.

Well, it's great for me to see that at least in the entertainment black market known as Ain't It Cool, Avatar has actually found recognition from one of the writers, who after watching the second season DVD has remarked that the show is 'smartly written' with a continuing story that's going somewhere, and monumental action.

Recognize, people. Avatar is the best animated show (I would say best show, PERIOD) out right now on US Television and it just deserves to be seen. Find the episodes, watch it and get enthralled by this awesome series. Now, when is that darn Third Season coming out???

Comics Thoughts

It's the new year and a new beginning for me in comics. I know that I've been very much into gaming these past several months... and I still am. But once I get the gaming juice out of my system- or at least, sate the raging beast within for a while- I'll be looking to return to the gutter... comic gutters, that is.

As I've mentioned in the past, I've decided against closing the book on Angel Ace. I'm still deciding on whether I should go into the BIG BATTLE story sooner or later. But even after that, I am seeing Angel's adventures continue- whatever form it takes, she'll always be around. I've realized that Angel isn't just one of my comic characters- she's my Muse. So whatever happens, I'll always keep Angel around.
Then there's my dark favorite. Kai will continue to stalk and sneak around in her adventures, though I am thinking to jump-start the title to make it easy to jump into. Perhaps shorter stories, smaller releases instead of big little anthologies is better. Short but sweet stuff in the vein of the recent Afro Samurai anime or the older Spawn cartoon from HBO. I want a continuing plotline but also individual little stories of mayhem, martial arts and fan service. That'll go down soon. A webcomic is also a possibility. We'll just have to see.

Kunoichi Boy continues as well, and I want to see it go through. I'm targetting the next Komikon for the next major release, so I'll have to keep chipping away at the pages of the next issues.

And finally, there's a new project I am aiming for. Nothing solid yet. It's totally new and I have just the smallest kernels of ideas for it. We'll see what happens as I nurture that little grain of rice.

More on this soon. Stay tuned for the next episode...

Feeling Blu

Last night, I tried out my first Blu-ray movie. Blu-ray is Sony's latest try at a digital medium- kinda like DVD but not, it has many times the storage space of regular dvds, with a single-sided BD-rom having 25GBs of space. The Blu-ray disc is the medium being used for PS3 games, and for Hi-definition movies coming from, of course, Sony. Well, since I had a Blu-ray player in the form of my new PS3, I decided to see what all the fuss was about. Instead of getting some expensive but mediocre PS3 game, I'd be better off getting a Blu-ray disc of a good movie and seeing the loveliness of HD cinema.

Well, I got X-Men: The Last Stand or X3, the final chapter of the Marvel Mutants series of films. I had originally planned on getting Underworld Evolution, but the store didn't have it on stock. Well, naked Rebecca Romjin is just as good as a naked Kate Beckinsale, so why not. The movie, as expected, looks incredible... there is crisp detail in everything, more so on a fine HD TV. Scenes seemed to be more 'alive' than on regular TV or even on the DVD version of the film, with deeper colors and finer detail in stuff like hair and characters' skin. The movie still ends the same though. Unfortunately, the pounding bass of the soundtrack was lost on my non-5.1 speaker TV... hopefully I'll be able to hook up my components to take full advantage of the multi-channel sounds. Someday.

Disappointingly, the 25 Gigs of Blu-ray space wasn't taken up by any extras that weren't in the DVD version... a couple of commentaries and a gaggle of deleted/alternate scenes was pretty much it. But well, it's a fine film to show off great visuals and really, X3 is a pretty cool movie to have a HD copy of.

Will BD take over the world, or will it fall to HD-DVD and go the way of Beta? Only time and the PS3 will tell.

Return to Rome



When last we saw the toga-wearing cast of HBO's swords and sandals mini-series Rome, Julius Caesar (Ciaran Hinds) was being turned into a bloody pincushion by Brutus (Tobias Menzies) and his fellow senators as his friend Marc Antony (James Purefoy) was but yards away. A betrayed Lucius Vorenus (Kevin McKidd) watches his wife Niobe commit suicide for deceiving him, while Titus Pullo (Ray Stevenson) finds a little piece of heaven with his slavegirl, Eirene (Chiara Mistalli).
The first episode of the series' second and final season starts just mere moments after the last blow has felled the great Caesar. From here on, those loyal to the deceased tyrant and those who murdered him are set on a bloody war to the finish. Meanwhile, Titus Pullo tries desperately to help Vorenus recover from his grief. The episode has two funeral pyres, quite a bit of sex, politicking, conspiring and quite a few bloody corpses before the credits roll. Most of the loose ends from the earlier season seem wrapped up (and thrown in to the river...) and a couple of characters bite the dust in this one.

As interesting and gripping to watch as ever, Rome continues to keep me entertained with it's exceptional cast and the gratuitous violence, sex and language we've come to expect from this HBO title (Italy DID spawn the Mafia, after all). Historical correctness be damned, it all makes for entertaining television. As always, the duo of Titus Pullo and Lucius Vorenus are fun to follow, and once again prove in armor or out, they're the two most bad-ass legionaries ever to swing a gladius. What their part will be in the bloody chaos that will surely come in this season remains to be seen. For now, I give the first episode of Rome's Season Two a hearty (and bloody) thumbs up.

Who Got Game

Not me, apparently. Well, I do have ONE game for my PS3, Fight Night Round 3. To be fair, the game's got great graphics, intuitive and intriguing gameplay and depth, lots of modes and tons of real-life boxing greats to bash heads with. Unfortunately, none of that is worth jack cheese to me. Geh. What's the use of incredible and detailed graphics if they all just portray sweaty, pug-faced, bleedy boxers? What's the use of depth and technique when it's all about swaying and hitting people in the face with your fists (now, hitting people with your fist after you lock their head with your left leg and twisting them into the air with the other leg- now THAT is cool). What's the use of tons of modes when the fundamental game just doesn't do it for you?

Thanks to the PS3's online capability, I've been able to download three (count 'em) demos which give me a couple of levels to play with. One is Genji: Days of the Blade, the samurai fantasy hack-and-slash adventure; next is Gran Turismo HD Concept, the latest version of the popular driving game, and finally there's Resistance: Fall of Man, the 'best' game available right now on PS3- a WWII-meets-aliens FPS. Now I'm pretty glad that I was able to download these demos- while I do like to be able to play a bit of Genji and Resistance, I don't see myself playing the whole game (I especially don't see myself plunking down almost 4K for EACH game), and at least now I know how they play and am secure that I won't be missing much by not getting them.

But now, aside from the demo games, I have looked over the rest of the available PS3 games locally, and NONE of them interest me. One that does, Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom, is unfortunately a generic swords-and-sorcery action game that is not worth the price for the repetitive gameplay. After that- NOTHING. There IS a possibility of Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection becoming available for download soon, but that's all conjecture for now. I find myself aching to buy Blu-ray discs instead so I have a use for the PS3 aside from playing jaggy PS2 and PS1 games. But I guess I'll do a bit more research before delving into that.

Virtua Fighter 5 can't come soon enough. It's still three weeks away, but darn... once I have it, I need little else. Next Gen is here, but the best is still a ways off. Oh well.

Stark Raving Fantasy

Whoa! It seems that HBO is on the way to adapting the very popular fantasy novel series A Song of Ice and Fire by author George R.R. Martin. The projected series, which will be co-produced by Martin himself, is intended to adapt one novel per season, starting of course with 1996's Game of Thrones. Seeing as how HBO did such bloody fine work on Rome, I'm pretty intrigued at how this will turn out.

A high-stakes play of power, conspiracies, sex, love, betrayal, politics, war, old magic and very flawed heroes and villains, the Song of Ice and Fire should make for a very long and colorful piece of mature fantasy television viewing. Just don't ask how long it will take to finish the whole damn series (Martin has estimated 18 movies would be required to tell his whole tale). I might well be in my forties before the war between the Starks and the Lannisters and the whomevers finally ends. Oh well... something to look forward to, I guess.

On a related note, the second season of HBO's Rome has started, and the blood runs freely in the first installment. Set moments after the end of the first season (which ended with Caesar's murder), the stage is set for a final battle between the opposing factions in the embattled empire. Meanwhile, former legionnaires Titus Pullo and Lucius Vorenus continue their travails in between the pages of history. Good, bloody fascinating stuff. Don't know when local cable will show this though... thank goodness for the internet. Hoho!

Who You Gonna Play?

There's a rumor going about online (and quite a few videos on Youtube as well) about a Ghostbusters videogame in the works. There's been no official announcement from anyone- it's all coming from some 'leaked' videos showing what seems to be a GB-themed shooter, complete with Gears of War-type handheld cam-POV shots as your character is running across open ground in a ghost-ravaged New York. Like a shooter, the Ghostbusters use their proton packs to take down ghosts, which is pretty different from the movies/cartoon (the proton streams paralyze ghosts but can't actually destroy them). Aside from shooter gameplay, a clip shows the iconic Ecto-1 zooming down a street, and yet another shows a CG-rendered Peter Venkman (Billy Murray) delivering the classic Ghostbuster pitch.

It's unknown if this is a real game in the works or just an elaborate hoax, or perhaps a sign of an upcoming sequel to the beloved movie franchise. If it's a trick, someone had a LOT of free time on their hands and quite a bit of programming skillz. Still, a comedic supernatural shooter would be something fun. We'll just have to wait and see if this proves to be legit or not.

UPDATE
Well, it seems that the rumor WAS indeed true... a Ghostbusters game was in production. Unfortunately, the operative word is 'was'... the title has been indefinitely delayed due to licensing issues. So I wouldn't hold my breath for this one. Whether it actually rises from the game purgatory it's in right now or stays in limbo remains to be seen.

The Circle is now Complete.


Impressive. Most impressive.

Today, out of the blue, I finally got the last piece of the ongoing puzzle that is The Sanctum... a shiny, black, Darth Vader-like Sony Playstation 3. I got the console from a different seller, since my previous source had backed out on me. I had to rush a bit to beat any other prospective buyers, but otherwise it was an easy buy at the best price I could get at this point in time for the still-hard-to-find gaming device- 28K, which is about the same amount I paid for the Xbox360.

I lugged the thing home- DAMN it's heavy- and it was out of the box in no time. Looking sleek and shiny with the jet-black casing, the PS3 does indeed look as expensive as it is. On the plus side, it's actually a pretty simple thing to put together, as all of Sony's consoles have been. Installing it is as easy as plugging in the power cord and TV connections, and that's that.

Out of the box, the PS3 can get connected online via a LAN cable, so you can play online (gaming is free) or conduct business at the online Playstation Store (download demos and videos, buy games, etc). But once again the current weird internet situation struck, preventing me from updating the System Firmware (required to get online, apparently). Hopefully I'll be able to remedy that soon. But even without my wanted game and just sitting there beneath the TV, the PS3 just impresses. It's one impressive bit of kit. That much I'll give the thing.

After about an hour of using the thing and getting acquainted, I can give some remarks about it.

The Sixaxis controller ROCKS. No, there's no rumble or vibration function, but the ultra-light, wireless controller otherwise looks like the Dual Shock we've come to know and love. You can connect it to the main unit via USB2 cables in order to charge up the power source. From the controller you can do everything including turning off the system, which is just too cool.

The PS3 buttons are touch-sensitive; no more pressing deep. Just pass your finger over the button to turn it on or off, or to eject a disc. It just feels so... futuristic. The future is here, now! Whooo.

The Blu-Ray disc looks just like a DVD, but supposedly houses many times more storage space- like, up to 50 Gigs. That's a lot of space to put in lots of game. It's supposedly slower than DVD though, but working along with the PS3's Hard Drive should alleviate these concerns.

The packed-in game I got, Fight Night Round 3, initially didn't interest me. I mean, come on... BOXING?? No slick martial arts, no wild characters, no hot babes... nothing but battered guys in trunks punching each others' faces to bloody pulps. I wanted to sell or trade this off at first. But after playing a couple of rounds with Filipino champion Manny Pacquiao, I changed my mind. There was technique and depth to the gameplay, and this would be an awesome 2-player game. So, I guess, it's staying in the PS3 library. Okay, Library-to-be.

I tried some of my old discs. Japanese PS1 and PS2 games play, but as I've read and heard, the graphics are less than perfect with jaggies aplenty. I won't be throwing away my PS2. But still, it's pretty cool to see the PSOne Dead or Alive playing on the PS3. Heh. All-region DVDs play fine, but once again, the region-protected discs are useless... once again, I cannot play my LOTR Extended Version discs... DAAAAAMN.

So, now, I guess, my ride into the Next Generation of Gaming is indeed here. All that's left is a suitable Destination. Virtua Fighter 5, Metal Gear Solid 4, Final Fantasy XIII... The future beckons. See you there!

May 'K'



When I first heard about the much-talked about Krispy Kreme donut shop finally opening its doors in the Philippines, I was excited to say the least. I've been hearing of the delicious, addictive hole-pastries for years, from friends who've actually tasted the things in the US to movies. Gonuts Donuts was touted as being a 'Filipinized' version of the original KK, though for a while I was actually sated with the substitute. Anyway, it took me several weeks but I finally got my chance to grab a couple of boxes.
I made my way to the Megamall branch, and despite it being several weeks open, the store is still serving lines of customers who take out boxes of the sweet donuts. I got a dozen of the 'nuts, two boxes with 6 glazed and 6 of other variants.


The basic Glazed Donut.

So, how was it? Was it all that? Did it cause me to hallucinate heavenly visions ala Cooking Master Boy? Well, nope. But I have to say, my first bite of the basic glazed donut was impressive. The dough was soft and chewy, the donut light, slightly spongy and sweet with the light layer of glaze. Compared to Gonuts Donuts, the glazed donut of Krispy Kreme tastes better, but is also a lot lighter. Another donut, a chocolate iced donut with custard filling, was good but a bit too sweet (the local Bavarian or Boston Creme is preferable). I stopped eating after the second... have to stop...


Small, spongy and light. A bit too small and too light for the 30-peso price. But darn, it does taste pretty good.

Well, at about 30+ pesos per donut, a Krispy Kreme is pretty pricey- perhaps the priciest donut yet, and it's not that big or filling. It tastes so good though, I could probably quaff six glazed donuts before realizing what I had done in horror.

Anyway, I was just happy to finally taste the popular pastry. I won't be buying this regularly... perhaps a box of glazed donuts every month or a bunch of assorted do's to the occasional party would be swell.

Well, with that over, it's time to move onto other things. So, when is Whitecastle coming to Manila? Eh?

iPHone Video

Feeding the flames of gadget lust... here's a CBS report on the upcoming iPhone... I want it... Must haves it... My Preciousssss...

iWant.


The Next Big Thing?

Apple has no doubt rocked the online world today with their announcement on their website of their upcoming new iPhone. A slim, sleek and oh, so gorgeous-looking combination of iPod Video/Touchscreen Phone/Internet Browser/Pocket Mac, without a doubt this gadget already has Mac addicts all over salivating. With almost exclusive touchscreen operation, the iPhone's fascia looks quite minimal and elegant (much like the iPod). There will be hi-tech features up the wazoo in the thing, and it will come with the Mac OSX to get things moving. As for storage space, there won't be a 30 or 60 GB iPhone out just yet... the phone will come with a Nano-esque 4 or 8 GB storage capacity for your videos, music, photos and files.

Am I interested? To be honest, I am. It's a gorgeous-looking device, and Apple makes great gear. But basically, it does things I already enjoy on my own Pocket PC phone right now, only with the Apple style and flourish. And of course, the Ooh Aah factor. I have to admit, I'll probably queu up along with the Mac Addicts for this one, when it becomes available.

Which won't be for a while... the phone's slated for release in US/Europe in late 2007, while Asia gets it 2008. So there's more than enough time to start saving up. You can check out the phone, it's specs and capabilities at the Apple Website.

Early Signs

An intriguing bit of news passed onto me by Jamie Bautista, that is now circulating.
It seems that Paramount Pictures and director M. Night Shyamalan have signed a deal with Nickelodeon to produce three live-action films based on the critically-acclaimed and mega-popular animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender. Not much information yet other than this. There's no telling how deeply Avatar creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino will be involved in this venture. At the very least, it's pretty intriguing. With the series as far along as it is right now, perhaps these films will tell the further adventures of the Avatar? Let the speculation begin, I guess. Will the Avatar films be slightly spooky or have a big twist at the end? Will M. Night do another one of his infamous cameos?

For now though, I'm on an Avatar fast... no word yet on the Third Season. I'm keeping my eyes, ears and fingers peeled on the Web for any sign. We'll just have to see.

Eye Candy Dispenser



In case you didn't take the time to read through the entire previous post/novella, here's the short version. I was able to save a bundle of money last year since I stopped going out Saturdays, so I bought a kick-ass HD-ready LCD TV. Unfortunately, I had to go through the proverbial wringer before I got it. But all's well that ends well. It'll take time to get used to the functions and fix up how my whole setup will settle in (I'll have to wait for the PS3 before setting things permanently). But right now, I'm feeling tingly all over. I tested several Xbox360 games and seeing them in HD resolution in widescreen pretty much got me giggling like a school girl. Can't wait to see PS3 graphics on this monster.

The Home Theater setup (DVD, speakers, sub-woofer) is pretty sweet too... the player has some regional limitations, which disallows me from playing ANY of my original LOTR DVDs (Damn), but it does play DIVX files, which is awesome since I've got a ton of those ready for playing.

All the coolest game consoles, a DSL connection and now an HDTV. Okay, all I need is a cache of rations and ammo, and I never need leave The Sanctum ever again. HOHO!

Caveat

As I've mentioned before, I've been itching to leap into the HD Era for some time now, seeing as how the Next-Generation consoles like the Playstation 3 and even the Xbox360 can only be truly appreciated and enjoyed through the use of HD or High Definition TVs. And so, with a purchase of a Playstation 3 looming, I decided to finally bite the bullet and shell out the hard cash for an LCD TV. With my savings from the past year, I finally had the moolah.

I'd love to give a nice, happy and problem-free account of how I bought my soon-to-be darling at The Sanctum, but that would be lying. To be honest, my experience with purchasing my HD-ready LCD TV was an infuriating encounter with crappy, unscrupulous salespeople and a sobering parable of the need for consumers to look before they leap.

Last Friday after work, I found myself in Cubao, at about a quarter before 9PM. I had just gotten off a bus and entered the seedy structure known as Farmer's Plaza. I had previously been looking over HDTVs over at Megamall, and of course was turned off by the high prices in the relatively posh SM establishment. Perhaps here in the bodega that was Farmer's, I would get something cheaper. I passed by one shop, where a no-name brand LCD widescreen TV beckoned to me. It was the right size, and the right price- I just had to know one thing about it. But as I headed for the door, the security guard stopped me, giving me a brusque "We're Closed, Sir." So I turned the heel and left. YOUR LOSS.
The dim corridors of Farmer's soon gave way to the more brightly-lit, fancier environs of Gateway Mall. This new shopping center had one branch of Automatic Centre near the top floor which had a gallery of HD TVs on display. I made a beeline for the shop to continue my search. There, a couple of items caught my eye. One was a Philips 32-inch Widescreen LCD TV which was in my price range. It basically had everything I needed, including HD-readiness up to the sublime 720p and 1080p resolutions (translation: Kick Ass visuals). But I really just needed to know one thing. Did it have a Video Out?
As I've mentioned, I require a Video or AV-Out in my TVs since that's the way I can capture video (through devices like VCRs or my trusty Archos AV700.

I asked one of the salesmen the question. He looked at the Philips TV and said, to my relief, that YES, it did have a Video Out. I was hopeful. Was this the one? But at about 80K, this was pushing my funds to the limit. Perhaps I should look to something cheaper. My eyes wandered to another, albeit smaller (26") LCD TV with the brand Syntax. I looked over the Syntax catalog and found that they had a 32-inch model which was at a comparatively cheaper 70+K price. I called back the salesman and asked if they had the 32-inch Syntax in stock. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), they didn't- it had to be ordered. The impatient git that I am, I balked. The salesman, who introduced himself as Manuel, then went on to sell me on getting the Philips TV instead. I then found out that if I got the Philips, I'd be getting a Home Theater System free along with it. This was pretty slick- it was the whole package; DVD player with DIVX capability, Sub-woofer and 5-piece Speaker system and all the wires. Nice! Manuel then went on to sell me instead to another Philips model.

This newer, more advanced model, he told me, had a value of 95K (and came with all kinds of perks including Philips' much-vanted Pixel Plus feature and everything AND the Kitchen Sink), but he would be willing to sell the LAST STOCK they had of it to me for only 79K. That would come with the Theater System, as well. Though I was awash with glee, the first thing off my lips was of course, "Did it have a Video Out?" Manuel nodded, saying that the outputs and inputs of the newer TV was identical to the other TV. So, it had an AV Out. Coolness! So I readily said "Sold!" and made ready. Even better, the price was further reduced since I was paying in cash. I made the downpayment, signed the papers and the deal was done. I was so happy. It was like Christmas except it was January and the first week of work.

The next day was a blur of anticipation. On the dot, the deliverers came and brought my new LCD TV just after lunch. But I had some doubts. By checking online the stats of the model I was given, I failed to find a Video Out in the specs of the model being delivered. But perhaps it was just a mistake. Manuel assured me that the TV had a Video Out... he wouldn't LIE to me, right? I looked at the box of my new acquisition and checked the diagram of the TV's input panel.

There was NO VIDEO OUT. Maybe it was a mistake on the box. I unsealed the TV and brought it out, then looked at the actual TV's panel myself.

THERE WAS NO VIDEO OUT.

What the eff? What was going on? I got on the phone and called Automatic Centre. I asked Manuel about my problem. Almost palpably, his aura had changed from being an ingratiatingly helpful seller to someone who sounded irritated that you were still bothering him after he had already gotten what he needed from you. "I'm sorry..." he said, "I guess I misunderstood that when you said you wanted a 'Video Out', I thought you meant 'Audio Out'. (WTF?) He then went on to say that 'all the new and latest TVs DO NOT HAVE A VIDEO OUT anymore.

All this was nonsense, obviously. The guy was making every excuse to make me give up on the feature that I had specifically asked for up front from what I was getting with my hard-earned money. Eventually, he told me to wait for the Philips technician who was going to install the TV... HE would know how to get past my problem about recording video from the video out-less TV. Oh-kay.
When the Philips Technician, a nice guy named Gio, arrived, I told him my problem. Immediately, he made a rueful smile and pretty much said what a BASTARD that salesman was, for promising me stuff that was beyond his capability. There was no way he could magic the output-less TV to be compatible with my Archos. And that stuff Manuel said about new TVs having no Video Outs? Nonsense, according to Gio, whose job it is to examine and service thousands of these TVs. Wonderful.

Apparently, this very salesman, Manuel, has caused some problems before of this nature- taking advantage of customers and placing his want to sell something over the specific need of the customer. Wow. Did I pick a lemon or what?

So I had him call back the Automatic Centre to try and get Manuel to fix the problem. I thought, since the other TV had a Video Out, maybe we can just return the TV I had and exchange it for that other model. But Manuel was stone-walling us; obviously, he didn't want me to return the other TV since he would look bad. So he was doing everything in his power to make me give up on getting the TV I wanted. "Sir, if you return that TV and exchange it, you will probably have to forfeit the Home Theater System." he said. I bristled at the veiled threat and was basically shouting now. I would NOT be returning the Home Theater System and he had to give me the TV I required OR ELSE I would storm back to Automatic Centre dragging the fricking TV and demand the model I require.

Unfortunately for the stubborn bastard, this whole sad affair reached the Philips' Head of Engineering, who was positively PISSED OFF at this salesman who was giving his customer a hard time and his products a bad name. After some words with him, I finally persuaded them to get Automatic Centre to swap the TVs, let me keep my Theater System and have it all sorted out in a day or two. All of this reached only after I got myself worked up with raised voices, threats and borderline expletive language. Sigh. WHY WAS THIS HAPPENING TO ME? I paid what was due. What I wanted was pretty simple and clear. WHY was I almost screaming at people I hardly knew when I should have been enjoying the pleasures of High Definition gaming and cinematic enjoyment? Well, it was simply because there are some salesmen out there who put themselves before their customers.
In the end, I got the TV model with the Video Out I needed, and this Manuel guy would be getting his ass kicked (if not outright kicked off his job for being either a deceiving son of a bitch or an incompetent who doesn't know his products' features) since his hard-headedness forced the issue to reach not only the head of Philips but the head of his branch of Automatic Centre. Unfortunately, I would have to wait a bit before the proper TV reaches The Sanctum- as I type this, it has already been delivered to the house and will be installed tonight when I go home.

The moral of the story is, curb your excitement when buying big expensive things. Try to shop with a sober friend who has experience or at least a good opinion. Don't pay in cash- if possible, pay with a check so you can cancel it if you get a lemon. Ask to see and test the product as much as possible. And always be on the lookout- smiling faces and welcoming salesmen are really just there to sell stuff to you- they're NOT your friends. Oh, and BE CAREFUL IF YOU HAVE TO SHOP AT AUTOMATIC CENTRE. Not recommended that you buy stuff there. Cut-throat bastards. On the other hand though, I have to say that the guys from Philips- Technician Gio to his boss (whom I yelled at over a cellphone... sorry)- were totally sympathetic to me and invaluably helpful in solving my dilemma. Gio is even a gamer himself and an apparent kindred enthusiast in Hi-Def TVs (I mean, you have to being a technician of these sweet gadgets).

I did a dozen things wrong in this instance, from withdrawing thousands and thousands in cash from an ATM to paying in cash to trusting someone I didn't know completely. But somehow, perhaps with help in a higher power and a bit of luck, I was able to come through and get what was due to me in the end. I may not be shop-savvy, but damn... don't make me angry. You just don't want to see me when I'm angry.

Well, hopefully with this whole sordid affair behind me, I can finally start talking about how happy I am with my new TV and how sweet watching movies and gaming will be. That is, when I actually get to watch stuff or play games on it. Whatever happens, it should be fricking sweet. And well that it should... considering what I had to go through to get to this point. Oh well. Moving on. Moving on...


The Light at the End of the Tunnel.

One Bad Mutha of an Anime


Samuel Jackson makes his animated debut in Afro Samurai.

Last night, I was able to acquire and watch the first episode of Afro Samurai. Originally a manga by Takashi Okazaki, the title has now been adapted into a 5-episode anime featuring the voice of Samuel "Bad Mutha" Jackson as the titular big-haired hero. Also lending their voices to the show are Kelly Hu (Deathstrike in X2) and Ron Perlman (Hellboy). Fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender may also recognize the voice of Grey DeLisle(Princess Azula) in the cast. The musical score was produced by Wu-Tang Clan member RZA.

The story is simple, seemingly. A legend states that there are two headbands in contention by all the greatest warriors; one is marked with the symbol for 'Number One', and whomever wears this can rule as a god. The only one who can challenge the Number One is the wearer of the cloth headband with the symbol "Number Two"... the problem is, ANYONE can challenge Number Two. The titular character, Afro Samurai, is the current bearer of the Number Two headband, and he's on a mission to avenge his father's murder at the hands of the current Number One- a demonic gunslinger named Justice. Of course, he has to face hordes of rogue bandits, mercenaries and other unsavoury dudes along the way, many of which are packing some serious firepower. All Afro has on his side is a very talkative tag-along named Ninja-Ninja (also voiced by Jackson) and his trusty sword.

As to be expected, Afro Samurai is a pretty bad-ass piece of animated action, featuring some graphic violence in the form of lethal swordfights and skirmishes aplenty, with lots of the red stuff flying around (which gives a bit more color to the often black-and-white or dull general grey tones of the visuals), along with decapitated heads, severed limbs and what not. It's very much like the anime portion of Kill Bill, very stylized violence which is at least quick enough to be artistic and not totally gruesome. Aside from the blood, there's a wee bit of titillation, some colorful language and quite a bit of smoking done by several characters of what suspiciously looks like pot. Well, at least Afro only drinks lemonade, it seems.

The first episode of Afro Samurai ends with a cliffhanger, and generally this leaves me wanting to see more. I'm still hoping for the story to get deeper, more intriguing characters to be introduced (at least give us a hot babe fighter) and funnier (or more colorful) Sam Jackson lines in the next episodes. For now, you can try to find your Afro Samurai online or at your favorite anime dealers.

Tekken Defection?

Akira and the Virtua Fighter 5 crew have already defected to Microsoft's Xbox360, but now an even heavier hit to Sony's Playstation 3 is supposedly in the works. Rumor has it that the next King of Iron Fist Tournament game, Tekken 6, is yet another title to break out of the usual exclusivity contract with Sony to make it out onto Microsoft's uber-console.

Given that Namco has already announced that they need to sell like, a gazillion copies of their games if they expect to make a profit. With PS3's about as rare as honest politicians, it's only natural that they go for the console that already has a large installed user base... the Xbox360.
The same source has also stated that even before any announcement of Tekken 360 comes to light, we'll probably be hearing about Soul Calibur IV coming out on the Microsoft box. WHOA. Now THAT is good news. More Soul Calibur is happy-happy-joy-joy for me.

This is great news and a rousing start of the year for fighting game enthusiasts like me. And this is just the first round. WOOHOO!!!

Happy New Year!

HELLO 2007!!!

2006 wasn't the worst of years, but I am, for one, glad it's over and done with.

Now we can all look forward to better things. For me, I can look forward to another year of Salt Mining, a renewed spirit of Comic Book Making, a colorful new era of Anime Watching and Frustrated Movie Reviewing, a Hi-Def entrance into the World of Next-Gen Gaming and of course, even more MAD Blogging.

May you all be with your Loved Ones and Family as the first seconds of 2007 roar in a hail of fireworks and food. Just remember... the year you start off with all your fingers intact is a GOOD Year. Stay safe, stay healthy and stay happy, everyone!

It's all about the Money... Dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb...

That's apparently what's in with the Filipino audience these days as the masa fantasy comedy Enteng Kabisote 3 won Best Picture in this year's Metro Manila Film Festival. Quality isn't so important these days in Filipino films as box office receipts. On a related note, sadly the comic adaptation Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah didn't fare too well, coming in only at 7th place in terms of ticket sales. Director Quark Henares' superhero team flick Super Noypi did better at 5th place.

Yeah, the movie moguls are happy, but this basically sends a message to filmmakers and directors... stick to what sells. What a blow to creativity and innovation.

What can you expect? The masa are the audience for our local film industry. Those expecting or wanting high quality films and movies go for foreign movies or are limited to niche releases like plays or experimental film. Does this mean that anyone wanting to tell stories above the usual sordid dramas, cheap scare tactics or usual tired comedy veins is fighting a futile battle? That there's no room for anything new or different in Juan the Streetwalker's brain? Hopefully not. Perhaps it's just knowing your venue and your market better. Perhaps it's about marketing your stuff better. Or maybe, yeah, the Pinoy just doesn't want anything new or different. He just wants something dumb and easy.

Oh well.

HDTV a.k.a. Hassle and Disappointment TV

As I've probably mentioned before, I'm thinking of getting a big-screen HDTV to go with my upcoming Playstation 3. Well, today I actually got a step closer to my 1080p dream, but then suddenly jumped three steps back. While affordable LCD monitors are available now, I discovered a distressing property of the Samsung Widescreen LCDs I am eyeing for The Sanctum... THEY HAVE NO VIDEO OUT.

This is a pretty big turn-off for me, considering that I love to record video with my lovely Archos AV700. Is there a way at all to capture video on the Samsung sets? Or must I look to other brands? I guess I have to do more research into this before I take the leap into the HDTV pond. For now though, I guess my ol' Sony Wega will stay for a while longer for my viewing pleasures. Oh well.

PS3 Bound

I've more or less committed myself to getting a Playstation 3. I've decided on getting the 20GB version- the 60 GB version is considerably more expensive for simply having 40 more Gigs of HD space, built-in card reader slots, WiFi and a spiffy chrome trim.
I can always upgrade the Hard Drive myself and use a separate USB card reader, plus I don't really need the WiFi. Not having the chrome trim hurts though...

Considering that PS3s go for upwards of 40 to 50K in malls these days, I'm getting my console quite cheaply. At least I maintain my record of keeping console purchases under 30K.
My shiny new console will hopefully arrive just after the New Year's. No hurry in any case, since my main reason for getting a PS3 is still due in February. Still, I can't say I'm not pleased... I already have the spot dusted off and ready for the new console in The Sanctum. Everything comes to him who waits. Even one who hates waiting.

Roll Out!



Here's a good look at Optimus Prime from the upcoming Transformers movie from director Michael Bay, courtesy of Empire Magazine (issue out this January). Looks a lot more complex and spiky than the Optimus we knew in our childhood, but at least the shape of his head is recognizable... and he'll sound right since voice actor Peter Cullen will once again be voicing the Autobot leader.

I've seen the trailer, and it looks more horror movie/ID4-esque alien invasion drama than action-scifi with giant transforming robots. Early impression has me thinking it's going to delve a lot more into the human characters and how they deal with the gigantic metal warriors rather than the way the cartoons presented the Cybertronians. Still, color me curious and intrigued. Of course, since it's from Michael Bay, expect lots of explosions, bad-ass slow motion walks towards the camera and monumental pans of the heroes. Heh.

Transformers, along with a shipload of other cool flicks, will be out in mid-2007.

Playing it Safe

It's about a day after Christmas and already, it looks grim on the nightly news. During dinner we watched TV Patrol report on multiple fires all around the country and several hold-ups in the Metro. It's both saddening and infuriating that quite a few Filipinos will be homeless just after the Holidays, and that there will always be degenerate individuals who are willing to knife you in the ribs just to get themselves money for a frickin' DRINK. BASTARDS. The Vanishing Ray is too good for these turds. A rusty axe would be better. A DULL rusty axe. Feh.

It's a good thing I've become more of a homebody now... It's far better to stay indoors and to keep your eyes on your home and loved ones, than to go out in crowded malls where predators are likely to be on the lookout for hapless people loaded with Christmas money. Still, I'll try to catch Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah and perhaps Super Noypi before the vacation ends. Let's try to make each hour of our break count for something other than getting back lost sleep.

An Epic Fantasy Adventure in 11 Parts



If you're a regular reader of SRM, you probably know that I absolutely LOVE the RPG series Suikoden from Konami. I love it even more than that OTHER big RPG from Square. Even if the structure will usually be the same (hero must find and bring together the 108 Stars of Destiny to defeat a great evil), the telling of the epic adventures has always been full of great stuff- conspiracies, political maneuverings, personal and large-scale conflicts and lots of great characters. With the exception of Suikoden IV, I've loved pretty much every one of the games, with Suikoden II and V topping my list.
A close third is, interestingly enough, Suikoden III. While I admit I have not finished the game, I really have fond memories of this game thanks to the great characters and the cool story. And so, I committed to collecting the manga that re-tells the story of the RPG. It's been several years but FINALLY, finally, the manga adaptation of Suikoden III is complete.

Manga-ka Aki Shimizu has done an admirable job of translating the complex story of a war between various factions and nations within the embattled Grasslands, a conflict whose viewpoint is seen through not one, not two or even three sides of the story. While the main characters of Hugo, Chris and Geddoe are retained as the leads, you still find yourself caring for their comrades and families, who are themselves given good exposure. In fact, Shimizu tries and pretty much succeeds to give pretty much every 108 Star of Destiny some role in the manga... not an easy feat.
The story is complex but not that hard to follow thanks to extensive notes and recaps in every book. The art as well is quite excellent, capturing for the most part the style of the source material and even expounding on the characters. The action scenes and battles are exceptionally well done as well, with lots of cool magic and clashing weapons making for much drama.

I've not seen any other RPG given such detailed and faithful adaptation as with Suikoden III, perhaps due to the difficulty of adapting the often twisting stories in such games. Shimizu however succeeds in bringing a work that not only captures the plot and feel of the game but stands on it's own as a wonderful fantasy adventure enjoyable not only by fans of the game, but by manga lovers in general looking for great art and story.

Suikoden III manga is an 11-volume series from Tokyo Pop. Look for it at Comic Quest and other good comic book specialty stores or shops.

After reading the manga, I suddenly have the urge to bring out the old PS2 disc and start playing again. Vinay Del Zexay, here I come. Heh.

Merry Christmas to One and All

This year wasn't the best of times. The country has had its share of devastating natural calamities and the continued depradations of corrupt politicians. Somehow though, the Filipino people have to keep the faith, stay the line and keep walking on. Stronger storms and even more corrupt politicians will come, without a doubt, but we'll manage, somehow, with God's help and mercy. The strength of the Pinoy probably is in their resilience to keep finding humor and happiness even in the most dire situations. And in no other time does the Pilipino shine than at Christmas.

Hopefully we all find pause tonight with the people we love and have, for one night, peace and happiness.

Merry Christmas, everyone.

A Howling Good Time

Last night, I got together at Vin's place for the yearly Christmas party with the Quest gang. It was a simple affair with good, solid food (KFC, Christmas Ham and really good Tapa from Andrew's Lola) that was made incredibly entertaining by the company. Dean and Nikki of course had us laughing to tears with their amazing stories about their... interesting relatives. Meanwhile, Jamie and fiancee Iyay made it even after getting lost... on EDSA (That's a neat trick).

After the anecdotes and fables, the group eventually settled on a rip-roaring game of Werewolf; that kind of whodunit-mystery group game that can only be entertaining and fun with the right people- and in this case, it was pretty awesome what with Dino "IT'S DEAN!!!" Yu and Iyay the Hysterical Woman giving voluminous performances in stereo (they were seated on opposite sides of the room). Just good, clean, LOUD fun.

It's that kind of party that you just remember for years to come. Next year again, Quest Gang. Seeya then! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

"Holy 180 Degrees, Batman!"


Akira goes multi-platform in 2007.

As I've previously posted (a lot), my prime reason for wanting a PS3 is the uber-fighting game Virtua Fighter 5, which you can only get on Sony's next-gen black monolith. Well, that was then. This is now. Sega announced yesterday that their flagship fighting game will be coming to the Xbox360 in late Summer 2007.

Hordes of Sony loyalists no doubt went ballistic on the news that another 'exclusive' game has slipped out of the cracks to Microsoft's console.(previous defectors include Assassin's Creed and Grand Theft Auto IV). It was inevitable though- with the PS3 being woefully undersupplied to the populace, any videogame publisher would be out of their minds to ignore the potentially lucrative and large installed base of Xbox360s.

It remains to be seen just how good a port the Xbox360 version of VF5 will be- obviously, it will look great, if not arcade perfect, and it will have all 17 characters, all the moves and the customization options from the arcade version. Some articles have mentioned that the 360 version will be based on an upcoming 'Version C' of VF5 (the PS3 version is based on the current Version B). With the 360 having comparable graphics to the PS3, I have no doubt that the game will look great- I just hope it comes with all the trimmings.

I'll probably STILL get a PS3, since I HATE waiting and at the earliest VF5 360 will arrive in late July or August... the PS3 game arrives February. In any case, I'm happy with this bit of news. More Virtua Fighter makes the world a better place. Heh.

Mines Closed

Yesterday was our last day of work at The Salt Mines for the year.

True to form, we were busy to our eyeballs to the last minute, but the day ended with the crew heading off south to a mates' posh home to celebrate a second phase to our Christmas party. LOTS of good food, drink and good company... and it all ended with me screaming out Bohemian Rhapsody at the every end. What a way to end the year.

Salt production continues in January. For now, it's time to rest, vegetate and enjoy a time of pause. Merry Christmas!

Blood, Bikinis and Babes


Sexy girls in bikinis against the Undead. Best. Idea. Ever.

Even though I just got my brand, spankin' new copy of Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, I'm not playing it. That's cause I got another game soon after that made me forget about the Further Adventures of Big Boss. I mean, how can Naked Snake compare against Half-naked Babes slashing Zombies to smithereens?

Oneechanbara Vortex for the Xbox360 is from the infamous publisher D3 of Japan, a videogame company known for their 'Simple' series of games- fan service-heavy videogame titles that pretty much always star scantily-clad anime girls in various activities (from wrestling to mahjong to water sports). The title is a combination of the words 'Oneechan', which means 'Sister', and 'Chanbara', or 'Swordplay'. So it could conceivably be titled "Sisters with Swords" if ever this title makes it across the pond to the US market.
Oneechanbara Vortex is an epic tale of drama, betrayal, sisterly love and... okay, it's actually all about sexy underaged and under-dressed girls slashing zombies and various evil creatures apart with samurai swords. While it may sound pretty hokey to some (I find it... interesting), the game has been popular enough to see multiple sequels. Vortex is actually the third in the series, and the first on a next-gen console.

As I mentioned before, Oneechanbara stars two super-powered zombie-fighting sisters. Aya is the elder sister whose chosen attire for battling evil undead is a bikini, cowboy hat and feather boa. Saki is a jailbait little urchin who wears the ubiquitous school uniform. Both have their own signature styles; Aya can switch between using one or two swords, while Saki seems to favor a quickdraw-one hit, one kill technique. Early into the adventure when the battle against the zombies gets underway, Saki gets kidnapped by some Agents (like, from The Matrix Agents). She's rescued (or at least, aided in escape) by Anna, a female officer in the Zombie Protection Force (who do NOT protect zombies at all). Anna and Saki soon meet up again with Aya, and all three girls join up to fight the menace behind the zombie plague. Thereafter, Anna becomes a playable character and she's quite cool- instead of swords, she comes with guns and lays waste to her enemies from afar... she can make it literally rain with bullets.

All three girls can lay waste to throngs of zombies with their attacks, causing blood to spray in all direction in ridiculous splashes of red stuff. The blood isn't just for show though- it actually affects gameplay. The more Aya and Saki slash, the more blood gets stuck on their swords. If a meter on the side fills up totally with red, their swords become sticky and will then get stuck into the next zombie or enemy they hit- causing them to be vulnerable to attack as they try to wrench their weapons free. A quick press of a button will shake off the blood, so you have to make sure you keep an eye on it at all times. In Anna's case, she just needs to reload her guns whenever they run dry (she has unlimited ammo).

Killing enemies yields yellow orbs which you collect for points (like a bloody version of Kingdom Hearts) that you can use to upgrade your character's skills. This opens up more attacks and combos which make dispatching the undead a lot easier and flashier. Along the way, you also need to collect items like healing crystals, holy fragments which keep Aya and Saki's dark sides under control, and other helpful knick-knacks.

The game comes with a Story Mode, a Free Play Mode (which lets you play stages of the Story Mode you've already finished again and again), Survival Mode and DressesUp Mode. The last one lets you outfit your character with various pieces of clothing- different hats or hairstyles, tops, bottoms, arm accessories and footwear- that you unlock as you play. Horny players will be glad to know that the girls start off just in their undies from the get-go... so that means you actually have to work to get them dressed. What a concept. Hehe. Of course, you can save your costume configurations (or lack of) to use in the other modes.

Even with all the gratuitous gore and fan service, if Oneechanbara Vortex was a crap game, it wouldn't fly. But interestingly enough, it's quite a playable and enjoyable game- I mean, chopping up crowds of gibbering undead is such great stress relief! The whole thing has this offbeat feel like one of those cool live-action Japanese chick-action flicks ( You know... those with the incestuous innuendo and intense glares), which is quite appealing. The story is told mostly through text-screens, but there are several very nicely-done CG cutscenes which are quite slick and cool to watch. The graphics are hi-res and easy on the eyes, with good animation (but not great though) and no slowdown even in scenes with large numbers of enemies onscreen. The controls are pretty responsive and easy, though the camera can get testy in some closed-off areas... this is the trade-off for having a player-controllable camera for appreciating the game's eye candy.

Even so, while I like the game a lot, I can't really recommend it for everyone. For one thing, it's a Japanese import and thus the english is very limited to the main menus. It's not impenetrable though... most of the kanji is in story text which are pretty much unnecessary to the basic enjoyment of the game... you can pretty much understand what's going on anyway even if a detail or two is missed in the meantime.

There ARE some rumors that Oneechanbara Vortex may make it Stateside eventually... no details yet though. For now, this title is only for the Xbox360 owner who loves fan service a lot and can afford the costly import. In that case, this game is a rare gem. It's no Dead Rising in terms of detail and gameplay depth, but darn... I'd rather stare at someone slashing zombies for hours on end, I'd rather it be a hot, scantily-clad babe than some sweaty, hairy guy. Hoho!

Oneechanbara Vortex is now available for the Xbox 360. Check your local import game shop or online game website if you're interested in this bloody fun slasher.

Snake in my Pocket



No, I'm not talking about anything lewd... I'm talking about the latest PSP blockbuster title, Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops. Finally a true stealth-action strategy title, instead of the card battle-based Metal Gear Acid PSP games in the past, MGS PO is a true sequel to the last MGS adventure, MGS3: Snake Eater for the PS2. It's kind of odd that Konami would put such a high-profile game onto a handheld when it would no doubt have been a more complete game on a home console... but still, MGS PO has it's own flavor and gameplay elements which translate well to the handheld.

Set a couple of years after the events in MGS3, PO sees Naked Snake AKA Big Boss captured by some mysterious new faction looking for something called "The Legacy". Unfortunately, Snake doesn't know what the heck the Legacy is (and if he did, he probably still wouldn't talk anyway), so instead of waiting around for the next torture session, he breaks out of Dodge with the help of a fellow prisoner named Roy Campbell. It is soon revealed through communication with old friend Paramedic that Snake has been taken prisoner by the now-renegade Fox Unit, and is even suspected by the US of treason. Now on his own, our lone wolf decides that going solo isn't going to cut it this time. With Campbell in tow, he sets out to form his own army, prove his innocence, take down the Fox Unit and save the world from Nuclear Holocaust. Again. And you're going to do it on commutes, between meetings and during downtime on your PSP. Impossible? Not so.

What makes things a bit hard though from the get-go is the PSP itself. The limited controls/buttons available on the handheld makes for some changes in the way you control your Naked Snake. Movement is done via the analog nub (the joystick), while the d-pad controls the camera. Every button is used for Snake's arsenal of moves, from sneaking to crouching to hand-to-hand combat to shooting weapons. The learning curve is a bit steep, but a few hours of play should have you moving like a pro. Still, it can get pretty frustrating to walk into an area when it's impossible to see if an enemy is nearby or staring at the door you're coming through. The game gives you a bit of leeway to keep from being too deadly, so hopefully you won't be throwing your PSP into orbit after a few deaths.

As mentioned earlier, MGS PO requires you to recruit your own army, which basically entails that you sneak up to individual soldiers, knock them unconscious and drag them to your truck for... convincing. These new recruits can be tech specialists, spies, operatives or grunts, and you can send them off to do missions. Instead of the linear storyline of previous MGS games, PO is mission-based, with key elements of the plot appearing as you do certain missions. These jobs are often short bursts of action, which are perfect for short play sessions on the PSP. There are online multiplayer options and modes where you can pit your soldiers against those of other PSP owners, putting at stake your hard-won recruits should you lose.

Despite the control issues, MGS PO is a must-play for fans of this iconic videogame series. The production qualities are high, though the cinematics are done this time mostly with animated comic book panels, instead of the full-on cinematics from the console games. The story, of course, is complex but gripping, and will easily keep you playing to the bitter, bloody end. At the very least, this should tide us all over till the next REAL MGS game- Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots- finally comes out of hiding on the PS3.

Out of the Box

Today I made a big step and gave away a part of The Sanctum. Specifically, my Xbox and a whole bunch of games. The original Microsoft black box had become redundant- I was no longer playing any of its games, and the two games that were indispensable to me on it- namely Dead or Alive 3 and Dead or Alive Ultimate- are now playable on my new Xbox360 (thanks to an update for backwards compatibility). So it was with mixed feelings that I gave away the big ol' black box as a Christmas present to my nephews. On the bright side, they'll probably bring it to Canada when they leave next year, so at least part of The Sanctum will be going places.

I'll miss Ninja Gaiden (though I can get a new version on the PS3), Halo 1 and 2, Knights of the Old Republic, Jade Empire... I never knew you, but I'll miss the possibility of playing you. Kakuto Chojin, Tao Feng and Stake... I won't miss you too much.

The original Xbox was a cool console. It was big and bulky and heavy, but I liked it. There were a lot of great games, but was just eclipsed into the background by it's younger brother. Still, there are tons of titles out there now available for it, so it's not like I gave my nephews a dead console (the Dreamcast is still in my cabinets, in storage). I hope they enjoy it for a long time to come.

Okay. I'm ready for my PS3 now. Heh.