Sink or Swim


Revy and Rock from Black Lagoon.

I finally got to watch Black Lagoon in its entirety over the past couple of days that I've been stuck at home sick. Watching this gritty action anime has ups and downs, one 'up' being that I finally get to write another anime review!

Black Lagoon has so far seen 2 seasons, at 12 episodes each. It's basically about the exploits of the Lagoon Company- a small but exceptional band of delivery experts plying the dangerous mercenary trade in the waters and lands of Southeast Asia. Yep, OUR neck of the woods. While BL is supposedly set centrally in a fictional island within Thailand, places in the Philippines are regularly mentioned, and one episode even happens mostly in the war-torn island of Basilan.

Lagoon consists of Dutch, the big black brother never seen without his shades and fatigues who serves as the group leader and proprietor; computer whiz and Jewish-American Benny provides the occasional tech skill and hacker know-how; super semi-psycho gun-wielding Chinese American hottie Revy is the main muscle. Bringing up the rear is the ultimate fish-out-of-water, former Japanese salaryman Rokuro Oyajima AKA Rock. To make a long story short, Rock was a former hostage of the Lagoon crew, but ends up joining his captors after his former employers labelled him expendable in order to safeguard their unsavoury secrets. From there on, Rock abandons his corporate life of kissing up to higher ups and pen-pushing and casts his lot with the fickle but generally merry Lagoon gang in the sleazy city of Roanapur.
He never really becomes a pirate himself (insisting fervently to keep wearing his short-sleeved white shirt and tie) but works alongside them as an account manager, translator, occasional errand guy and negotiator. In a way, he acts as the human heart and often unwelcome conscience of the mercenary outfit, the only truly sane mind in a place where money, power and the gun hold sway over everyone and everything. For us, the viewers, he is the anchor to reality and morality. His earnest and principled character allows him to slowly change his dubious pals- including the volatile Revy- to the slightly better. It even allows him to gain a bit of a toehold with the more dangerous players in Roanapur, including the leader of the seemingly invincible Russian Mafia- scar-faced superbitch Balalaika.

The anime has a lot of action- pretty much happening when the Lagoon crew go up against rival pirates and gangs. While pretty few in number, the Lagoon gets by thanks mainly to the deadly talents of Revy, who wades into combat with her two Berettas blazing, somewhat resembling Lara Croft with her double-handed, somersaulting, run-and-gunning fighting style. On the other hand, Lara Croft probably doesn't fight with an insane grin and dilated pupils, but what the heck. Revi is literally a one-woman army, and seeing her walk into storms of bullets without a scratch on her flawless skin thankfully never really gets old thanks to the animators taking the effort to make every fight scene new.

One thing that you'll notice early on is that everyone in the series, from the main protagonists to recurring characters to one-time antagonists and cannon fodder- are criminals to some degree, from dubious hoods to truly black-hearted souls that would not be out of place in Goodfellas or The Godfather movies. Sure, the Lagoon crew themselves are sympathetic bastards- Benny really isn't too bad, and Dutch is a nice guy for the most part... but Revy, cute and attractive as she can be, is remorseless, cold and downright scary when she's in her killing moods- at least she seems to mellow out as the series runs. On the other front, while Balalaika and her army of former Soviet troops-turned-gangsters may be allies and sympathetic comrades one moment, they can also be chillingly brutal and bloodthirsty murderers the next. The occasional flashback and revelation may make these bad-asses slightly more human and interesting, but make no mistake- they'll be at your throat in an instant if you get mushy on them.

Blood flows in this series, and a lot of it- though usually it's despicable arseholes who get fragged- from backstabbing pirates to Neo-Nazis to slimy Mafiosi and Cartel soldiers.
The most 'fun' arc in Black Lagoon is definitely the 'Mad Dog Meido' storyline late into Season One, where the Lagoon crew are tasked by the Colombian Cartel to watch over a kidnapped young boy- the only son of a down-on-their-luck noble family in South America. It turns out that the boy's father can only afford one servant- a maid named Roberta who soon is revealed to be a cross between a French maid and The Terminator. When the seemingly unstoppable, glasses-wearing Roberta clashes with Revy... you do the math. In the end though, there's a tearful reunion and pretty much everyone goes home happy- something rare in this gritty series. The anime is careful to keep the action grounded, never really straying too far into frivolity or caricature. Violence is a way of life for these characters, and they thrive in it since they have accepted what they are- killers and soldiers in underworld wars. It's not pretty, but it's fascinating at least.

Pushing the series' color to it's darkest though is the series' most memorable story arc, the Second Season's Hansel and Gretel Arc, where Roanapur is terrorized by a pair of gothic, vampire-like child assassins. A brother and sister team of interchangeable identical twins with indeterminate gender (though for the most part we do consider Hansel male and Gretel female), these two young villains don't just kill, they butcher, and do so with ghastly brutality. Eventually, they meet their own bloody ends with the same level of violence at the hands of Balalaika's Russian mob, and even though they're presented plainly as horrific, irredeemably twisted killing machines, they're still kids- and kids getting shot and slaughtered is never something you enjoy seeing (unless you're a sicko).

In retrospect, while the idea of Goth-Loli munchkins running around slaughtering people may be something only an anime would cook up, the stark truth that child-soldiers is a reality is pointed out in the show, by Balalaika herself to her subordinates as they grimly hunt down the young murderers of their comrades.

Despite the obvious unsavoury aspect of the arc, it's easily one of the best in the series, and ends with a fittingly dramatic finale. I liked the emotion Rock showed when faced with the twisted life view and bleakness of the child-assassin he finds before him, and how he breaks down and hugs the demonic child in a valiant attempt to exorcise her evil away and somehow save her from her self-inflicted doom. There's horror shown here in Black Lagoon, but somehow they manage to inject, through a 'normal', humane character like Rock, a warmth that keeps the series from going totally off the deep end.

Unfortunately, more often than not, characters are set in their ways, unable to alter their path often to their own destruction. As was the case with the Twins, this is also the case with the tragic Yakuza princess Yukio, whom Rock encounters during the final major arc in the Second Season.

All said and done, I would recommend Black Lagoon to fans of serious action-drama with liberal fan service and quite a bit of blood and violence- something like an anime version of Bad Boys, save with no cops and all criminals. It's a very mature title with all greys- interesting characters you'd love to watch and see in action, but wouldn't want anywhere near your home. Not a frivolous title, and while there is humor, it's all grounded and gritty like few other shows. Definitely an action anime that's a cut above the usual, and a rewarding watch.

Like Rock, watching this anime is like a walk on the wildside, but we're glad that while we dabble with the shadows and shades of grey in the bullet-riddled world of Roanapur, we can always pull back and enjoy the sunlight afterwards. Check out Black Lagoon for yourself at your favorite anime dealers in the Metro.

The New Face of MADness

You may be wondering what was going on for the past day or so, as the blog seemed to have a bit of an identity crisis. Well, it turns out that my old page's layout wasn't compatible with the new Blogger, which basically restricted access to my archives. So, rather than lose classic posts like The Ants in the Scanner and 10 Ways to Creating Your Own Manga, I screamed for help from Webmistress Cyn to get things working properly. Hence, the new look.

Now, looking back at more than five years of entries, I got to thinking of how to get back the old MADness that has in one way or another got kinda watered down. Starting now, I'll be trying my darndnest to get back the old MAD blogging flave. Stay tuned till then. For now though, thanks Cyn! I missed that burning sensation in my eyes when reading my blog. Heh.

The Sounds of Gaming


8-Bit Tunes in Orchestral Sound.

How much have videogames grown from their humble beginnings? These days, the videogame industry makes more money than Hollywood, and the origins of the gaming world are currently the topic of Discovery Channel's I, Videogame series. Here's another way of showing how the kids of yesterday are now today's adults and videogames are part and parcel of their being. Here's a nice video of the Videogames Live Orchestra, which plays classic videogame music as part of their repertoire. Nice stuff!


Marvelous pianist Martin Leung performs a beautiful medley of the music from Final Fantasy.


Metal Gear Solid's epic score gets the Orchestral treatment.


Super Mario Brothers!!!

Gibberish



There are two kinds of local comics for me. One is the exceptionally good kind- those that are well-written, have great art and stories which push the envelope. Thankfully there are a lot of these- Elmer by Gerry Alanguilan is thoroughly unusual and refreshing. The recent issues of Cast impress with the gorgeous art of Arnold Arre greatly helping the long-running series along. However, for every well-written, well-illustrated and exciting piece of local grafiction, there always seems to be a counterflow- an antithesis. Comics that make your eyes pop and have you laughing for all the wrong reasons.

That's where Necomics Fables and Neocomics Epics fall under. I've posted about these titles before- and I wasn't very encouraging about them, since I found their art amateurish and inconsistent, the stories and titles of both anthology books as derivative of other anime and videogames as they come and the writing plagued by bad grammar and panelling. Well, I picked up the latest issues (Issue 3 of both titles) recently, and I have to say- THEY HAVE GOTTEN WORSE.

The art is still inconsistent and has the quality of fan art; which may be good for appearing in fan art pages but NOT for the whole comic. Production value is bumped up by full color pages, but the art is so bad, it just doesn't matter. But never mind that again, every character is derived from pretty much every manga/anime/videogame stereotype and cliche out there (androgynous bishonens with fur-lined jackets and girls (or cross-dressers!) in skimpy Japanese sailor outfits is the norm), the panelling and structure of every page is such that often you CANNOT FIGURE OUT WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON. Honestly, even reading slowly we just could not comprehend what the heck the stories were all about. Usually nothing is happening in any page of consequence- just seemingly random duels of both verbal and physical nature were blowing out for some reason, and characters were greeting and meeting here and there, spouting dialogue that tries to sound anime or manga-ish (lots of '...' ) but fails every time.

And the writing... My GOSH. A lot of pages are freaky displays of horrible grammar. It's so funny, it's fricking sad. You can't figure out what's going on, you can't identify or distinguish characters, you can't tell what they're trying to say or what's happening from one page to the next.

Okay, so they're bad. What can they do to improve?

First, never mind getting artists who can draw well- just get artists who can tell a visual story, since the current artists can't draw two panels which communicate coherent thought.

Second, get writers with good, or at least comprehensible stories because so far ALL the stories are cliched carbon copies of existing stuff. Worse, they're cliched copies that makes no sense, or waste tons of pages and panels without really saying anything.

Third, get an Editor because the sad excuse of one that they are using CAN'T DO HIS JOB FOR SHIT. This incompetence is leading to the proliferation of bad grammar in our youth. SERIOUSLY. Too many kids and young people can't speak or write straight english already. Let's not be part of the problem.

It's stuff like this that really gets my grain. BUT, on the bright side, as bad as they are, there is a positive in all this for me- nothing inspires me to make comics again more than badly-done comics. So if I produce a new issue sooner rather than later, I can thank the Neo Crew for that, at least.

Moving on... Moving on...

True Asian Horror

Last night, I watched the second episode of the True Asian Horror specials on Discovery Channel. I think it's an offshoot of the series True Horror hosted by Anthony Stewart Head since Giles is also narrating this show. TAS focuses mainly on the recent wave of Asian horror films that are taking cinemas all over the world by storm. The first episode took up mainly Japanese films like Ringu, Ju On and Audition, with a smatter of Korean films like Phone and Tale of Two Sisters.
This week's episode took up the films from Southeast Asia, namely the creepy The Eye, Shutter and this Indonesian film about a cursed/possessed doll (forgot the name).

Lots of creepy footage and scary shit, but the most chilling thing that I took away from the show was the realization that while we, the Philippines, have a great wealth of scary myths, legends, beliefs and other creepy old wives' tales, we still haven't been able to produce a world-class creepy horror film like our nearby neighbors in Hong Kong, Bangkok or Indonesia. Perhaps the problem is with the current crop of directors and writers (and to an extent, actors)- apparently none of them have that vision or idea or concept of scaring people aside from piling on prosthetics, cheap CG and tired shock tactics.

A really creepy and scary horror film need not slather on the gore, nor does it require a big budget or anything we don't already have, as seen by how other Asian directors have gone about stuff. I won't venture to say that I know what needs to be done to make a good horror film- it's about the farthest thing from my stuff- but I do enjoy good horror flicks every now and then, and it just frustrates me that we don't have our own Ringu or Eye or Shutter. Just too bad. Let's see some good scares, people. Do we have what it takes or don't we?

Bleach Blanched Part One

My current favorite anime, Bleach, has it all. This ongoing series about supernaturally-gifted humans caught up in a war between powerful forces in the spirit world has cool and likeable characters, exciting fight scenes, humor, drama, a bit of horror, a bit of romance, dashes of intrigue. What it doesn't have, however, is a clear reason WHY THE HECK IT'S CALLED 'BLEACH'. Well, there have been many speculations. One is that 'bleach' refers to the bright orange-colored hair of lead hero Ichigo Kurosaki. One of my favorite notions that the title actually means 'Breach' (Japanese don't have L's), which makes sense since this series is all about travelling through dimensions. But, in the end, the reason behind the title seems to be a pretty silly one. Apparently, manga-ka Tite Kubo noted in one interview that he is a big fan of the band Nirvana, and thus named the series after his idols' first album (and then later made up the thing about it all being about Ichigo's hair). So there. GYAH!

Anyway, moving on. One of the most important factors for me liking anime is, of course, characters. Bleach, to put it lightly, has plenty. There are, of course, the main heroes- Ichigo Kurosaki and Rukia Kuchiki.



Ichigo Kurosaki is the bad-ass, tough-talking, brawling hero. He's got a couple of standout features- one, his orange hair (which is natural, and which gets him often into fights with arseholes), and another, his ability to see ghosts (think, the Sixth Sense). There's a third feature- which isn't a standout- and that's his selfless kindness- something not everyone sees past Ichigo's often scowling face. But nope, Ichigo isn't just a warfreak- he's a warfreak with a heart of gold, always ready to go out of his way to defend anyone getting bullied, or to give a lonely ghost an offering of flowers. That coupled with a will that can break swords makes him the perfect warrior.
Scratch that- he's not at all perfect with his bonafide stubborn streak, but then who is? The fact is, Ichigo's a cool bad-ass and a great hero to follow through this series. Whatever doesn't kill Ichigo only makes him stronger- frighteningly stronger. And it doesn't look like he'll be kicking the bucket anytime soon.



Rukia Kuchiki is the lead heroine, and Ichigo's partner. A slim, petite girl with dark, moody eyes and trademark bangs running across her face, Rukia has a 'Goth' girl attitude which is a refreshing break from the usual genki anime heroine. She's most often serious and bossy, which is a natural fit to reign in the stubborn Ichigo. But aside from the wise and experienced shinigami (death god) warrior, there are goofy sides to Rukia- such as her affinity for cute things, and her insistence on explaining the workings of the spirit world using (badly-drawn) sketches of bunnies and teddy bears (Ichigo's reactions to Rukia's 'art' is a running gag in the series).

Contrary to most anime pair-ups, Rukia and Ichigo aren't romantically connected... at least, not yet. From the very beginning, it wasn't love at first sight (Ichigo's first act toward Rukia is kicking her in the butt). But as they become linked by fate and forced to fight together against the evil spirits of the afterlife, respect and a deep understanding of the other develops; and both are willing to die for the other because of that bond. Whenever one or the other is in a funk or a deep pit of despair, they can always rely on the other to headbutt, kick and slap them back to their senses. Now if that isn't a great partnership, I don't know what is.



Sado Yasutora or 'Chad' is a gentle giant from Mexico. Chad is physically impressive (able to walk away from being hit by a falling STEEL GIRDER), but is inversely as kind as a saint. Chad was taught by his beloved, late grandfather to use his strength to protect others, and he does so- even if it means getting hurt himself. Ichigo and Chad promised to watch each others' backs, and have been best friends ever since. Like Ichigo, he has supernatural powers which manifest themselves early in the series thanks to his continual contact with Ichigo and the growing number of evil spirits in the area. These powers take the form of a cool armored arm which can shoot energy blasts- a nifty power to have when battling evil Hollows.



Orihime Inoue fills in the slot for the upbeat, beautiful but ditzy heroine. Her odd imagination and taste in food are running gags in the show, but this lovely, kind girl is tempered by tragedy in her past. While initialy repelled by Ichigo's tough looks, something deeper evolves as her encounters with him and Rukia continue. Eventually, she gains her own powers- making her a bit of a magical heroine herself. While more of a healer and protector than a fighter thanks to her gentle demeanor, her will and inner strength would do any warrior proud. And damn, does she have a great rack. Heh.



Finally, there's Uryu Ishida, a snobbish intellectual who quickly reveals himself to be a Quincy, a race of humans who battle evil spirits and a rival to the shinigami. While at first at odds with Ichigo, he soon becomes a firm ally even if he is probably unwilling to admit it. Like everyone else, he has his serious side, that of a calm, calculating spirit-archer, and his goofy side- being the odd guy in the craft club who wields a damn fine needle and thread.

This is the main cast of Bleach, and you'll quickly grow to love each and every one of these guys and girls. Aside from them, there's a literal army of supporting characters whom you'll get to know in this addicting series, like Ichigo's oddball family and friends in Karakura High School, the weird crew at the Uruhara Shop and of course, the many Captains, Lieutenants and Warriors of the shinigami Gotei 13- easily the most diverse collection of bad-ass samurai death gods around. So try to get yourselves episodes from your favorite anime shop and get ready for action-packed, humor-sprinkled sword-slashing, ghost-fighting action.

Mobile TV

Recently, local Telecom giant Smart Communications showed off what will probably be the Philippines' first Mobile TV service. According to Smart, Pinoy phoners will soon be able to watch streaming television on their mobile phones through DVB-H, or Digital Video Broadcasting Handheld. DVB-H is a radio-like signal which works a bit like actual TV signals, and can be received by several handsets- such as the Nokia N92. Supposedly, this mobile TV has better video quality than analog and can be controlled by the user. The N92 even apparently allows you to record mobile TV to your SD card, which is pretty slick.

According to Smart, channels available will include Cable channels like CNN, BBC, Jack TV, CNBC, MTV, Fashion TV, Basketball TV and others. I dare say that this is pretty much a no-brainer; I mean, who would pay for the local crap that passes for free TV? Give me Discovery Channel,

Am I interested? To tell you the truth, I am intrigued. It would be pretty cool to just bring out your mobile and immediately watch Discovery Channel or Animax. Real-time media is different from stored media content you load onto your mobile yourself, but both have their perks. If the service was very affordable, had great reception. ease of use and has the channels I want, I'd get this. However, I would need a mobile that can still have the features I have today (MPEG/MP4 video, large memory storage) along with the mobile TV. And there's also the fact that I'm a Globe subscriber, and switching to Smart just for this isn't practical. I'll probably have to wait for Globe's equivalent service.

It's intriguing, but not world-changing... yet. For now, I'm happy with my stored anime, movies, videos and music. Mobile TV may seem to be a novelty at best right now, but darn... being able to just bust out your phone to watch the news, a movie or a show that's playing right now on real TV is pretty neat. We'll just have to wait and see how this progresses, I guess.

300


Gerard Butler as Leonidas, the most Bad-Ass Warrior King in History.

The first time I saw the trailer for 300, I was at once hit by hungry anticipation and quiet dread. I mean, this movie looked like the most awesome thing since LOTR, but then again, how could it possibly live up to the magnificent taste this little morsel gave us? Could the final film truly deliver what the trailer promised? Few movies really did. Well, I've finally seen the film myself and I have to say... YES. It frickin' does deliver.

Based on the graphic novel by Frank Miller based on the real-life Battle of Thermopylae, 300 isn't going to win points for realism or accuracy to ancient history, nor will it win any points with hardline Eastern/Asian/African/Ethnic groups- the 'bad guys' in the film after all are from Asia and 'everywhere else' aside from Greece. But then again, the Persian Empire in the film doesn't as much resemble real-life history as much as they do the Forces of Mordor. I mean, you've got masked Immortals standing in for Orcs and Uruk-hai, grotesque giant warriors substituting for Rock Trolls and even some War Elephants making for sawed-off Mumakils. Like the visual style of the graphic novel, 300 is told in solid, broad strokes telling of the classic theme of the few facing the many, men standing for their freedom and their loved ones even in the face of overwhelming odds. In that way, it's universal and less about nationalities or race and more about one's devotion to his or her country, loved ones and principles.


History and Fantasy mix to form one bloody good epic.

Now, after all that mushness aside, 300 just KICKS ARSE. And does it again and again. Gerard Butler rules the screen as Leonidas, the Spartan king who looks into the face of death with both eyes wide open. Behind him are 300 bad-asses; mostly nameless and faceless death-dealers save for a couple of recognizable faces- David Wenham once again dons armor (albeit a lot less than he wore before as Faramir in LOTR) as Dilios; Vincent Regan as the Spartan Captain, last seen with sandals and sword in the Brad Pitt-starrer Troy. There are a couple more notable Spartans- the guy who gives the classic "Then we'll fight in the shade" line, and the Captain's inexperienced son, Astinus.
While mostly about bad-ass men, the home front is the battlefield for one bad-ass woman; Queen Gorgo, played by Lena Heady. While she's no warrior, she does shed her share of blood in the movie, in perhaps one of the most satisfying scenes in the flick.


Lay off the drinks to keep from missing any striking moments.

Visually, this film is a unique visual experience. Filmed fully against green-screen backdrops and rendered in CG, the film evokes indeed a graphic novel, even more so than Sin City did a couple of years ago. Slow motion cuts to Fast Motion and back again is often used to punctuates scenes like a comic book, in widescreen (as the comic does), and the many battle scenes are both in seen in grand scale and in close, with long scenes of choreographed brutality that will have you holding your breath as you watch in thrilled silence. Yes, there is blood and plenty of it, quite a few decapitations and limbs flying... but thankfully it's more stylized than gory or excessive. These many scenes of violence along with sensuality and grotesque images are amazing for us adults and grownups, but young kids will probably have nightmares, so keep 'em away.

In the end, I came away from the movie exhilirated and satisfied... not something you'd expect given that there is a fixed and inescapable ending to this battle- however, the final scene has that glorious Braveheart-ish tone to it, just nowhere near as sad and about a hundred times more bad-ass. I wanna see this flick again. My score for this flick? 300!!!

Grab your buds. Find the best theater you can get to and watch this on the big screen. And get ready for one hell of a ride.

Bleached


Ichigo and Rukia from Bleach.

The anime series Bleach isn't really new- it's been around for a while (the series is, at last count, on it's 116th episode). However, it's only this past weekend that I was actually able to hunker down and watch the episodes- and you know what? It's a pretty cool show. Took me long enough though to find that out.
Bleach is about the adventures of Ichigo Kurosaki, a gruff and tough-talking but generally well-meaning orange-haired Japanese teenager who can, apparently, see ghosts. One day, his path crosses with that of Rukia Kuchiki, a shinigami, or 'Death God'- a being tasked with the responsibiliity of ferrying souls from the real world to the afterlife (a place called 'Soul Society') and defending humans from malevolent beings called 'Hollows'. While searching for a Hollow, Rukia enters Ichigo's room and gets injured when the Hollow attacks, attracted by Ichigo's great spiritual energy. To save his life, Rukia transfers her powers to Ichigo, turning him into a Shinigami and thus beginning their adventures together.

What first starts out as a 'ghostbusters'-type anime except with samurai swords soon turns into a more complex saga as more characters enter the fray- Ichigo's family and friends soon develop powers of their own (or reveal themselves to be more than they seem to be), and the world of Soul Society and the many Death Gods is explored. Ichigo steadily becomes more powerful as a Death God, growing in power as he and Rukia and their comrades both in the human and Soul Society worlds continue to battle various evil forces that threaten the balance between the worlds.

Bleach is my current anime fave, since Naruto Shippuuden is still beginning and the action/animation kinda disappointing. I'll be surely watching this whenever I have time at home (or if I can load episodes on my mobile). 36 down- 80 more to go. Heh.

Resurrected Game


Back from the grave to the PS3.

Last night, Tekken 5 Dark Resurrection became available for download on the US Playstation Network Store. The game comes with 1080p-scaled graphics, a playable boss (Jinpachi, whom I'll probably never touch) and... that's about it. The game has a few modes- Arcade, which is your usual ladder match to the final boss, Ghost Mode, which puts you in a never-ending string of fights against various CPU A.I.-controlled fighters (much like the Kumite/Quest mode in VF5 and the PSP version of Tekken 5), a VS Mode and a Gallery Mode for viewing CG movies (of which there are just three) and a bunch of Tekken art, all of which you have to unlock using game money you earn while playing.

Well, I downloaded the game and it's right now in my PS3's Hard Drive, and I'm quite happy with it. Yes, it's a pretty bare-bones affair, but hey- it's only a 20-dollar download (you'll need a credit card and an account in the PSN Network), and it looks quite nice on the HDTV. Not as good as Virtua Fighter 5, but hell- what is? It's a better-than-arcade-perfect translation for the home of a pretty excellent fighter (albeit one that has been out for several years), and that will satisfy fighting game fans like myself. At the very least, it's a nice game to chew when I need a break from VF5. And a nice little reminder that Namco-Bandai owes us PS3 gamers Tekken 6.

Spicy Hot


Something to look forward to: Satoshi Kon's Paprika.

Here's a trailer to the latest work of visionary anime director Satoshi Kon. It's all about attractive 29-year old Atsuko Chiba, a doctor in the cutting-edge field of psychotherapy. A new invention can now allow scientists to enter the actual dreams of patients, in order to discover what's behind their anxieties and neurosis... or to totally destroy that person's mind. When one of these devices is stolen and people start dreaming themselves into absolute madness, the task of saving mankind from falling prey to literal nightmares is Atsuko's stunning alter ego- a vibrant, 18-year old 'dream detective' named Paprika.

What can I say except, this looks totally AWESOME, which is exactly what I expect from Satoshi Kon. The animation looks off the wall and the premise of entering dreams should make for some creepy-fascinating-far out seemingly imagery. I can't wait to see this, as I have enjoyed Kon's past works like Perfect Blue and Paranoia Agent. Official trailers for the US release can be viewed at the official movie site. The movie is due out in US theaters in late May 2006.

Truncated Oscars

Is it just me, or is this year's Oscars the WORST when it comes to videoclips? I mean, when you watch the presentation of nominees for the various acting awards, the clips are like, 3-second one-line snippets. Whatever happened to the clips that actually gave you a sense of that person's performance? Is it because of the premium on airtime? I watch the awards mainly for the clips, darn it.

I also didn't like Ellen Degeneres' stint as host- there seems to be a lot of dead air in between her gags, and it just feels like a bigger version of how she does her own show. Her schtick seems like adlibbing her way through the night, which was entertaining to a point, but it got kinda old fast as the spontaneity wasn't quite there- it was just awkward and silly. But to be fair, EVERYONE seemed to be off, everyone fumbling with dialogue or spiels and off-kilter jokes. One particularly weird moment was when the Devil Wears Prada girls did a gag with Meryl Streep in the audience, and it was just... off. Whatever. In any case- this year's Academy Awards- the most awkwardly-scripted and executed Oscars in recent memory for me. Not even worth remembering.

Well, I haven't watched many movies lately, and incredibly enough, none of this year's big winners (not even in the animation films). So maybe that's why I'm kinda off on the awards. Maybe it just means I have to get back to watching movies. And soon. Sigh.

The 'e' in eBay stands for...

...EEEEVIL... That's the best word I can describe to this conglomeration of temptation that resides in the worldwide web. It dangles all these wonderful toys and things before your eyes... and then lets you so easily purchase these said toys and things with simple presses of a button (oh, and the existence of a verified PayPal account)... EVIL I tell you... I walked away from all of this a long time ago. But like the mafia... they just pulled me back IN... Aaaaaaah... Credit sapped... money vanishing... but wonderful toys... so wonderful...

Astonishing

One of the few comic titles I am still collecting AND reading immediately is Astonishing X-men by Joss Whedon and John Cassaday. The writing of every issue is trademark Whedon, with sharp, snappy dialogue and gorgeous art that is ripe with great facial expressions to hard-hitting action. For a series that gets pretty serious and bleak at times, things can suddenly go in a totally different direction in a heartbeat, and I also found myself laughing out loud at several points in some really good gags and humorous moments. I really love the return of Colossus, having Kitty Pryde be a kick-arse heroine and the portrayals of Cyclops, Emma Frost, Beast and Wolverine. Love the new character of Hisako AKA Armor.

The arc, and Whedon's run with the series will apparently end with issue 24, but I hope that he continues with the title (and Cassaday with him) indefinitely. This book is just that good. I seriously want to emulate the writing and characterization in Astonishing- it's so entertaining and tight. I guess I should really seriously consider actually writing SCRIPTS for my comics. Heh.

Paper Cuts

If you're a fan or watch the Inu Yasha series, there are some SPOILERS ahead in case you haven't been keeping up with the manga.

While I'm more of a fan of the anime version of Rumiko Takahashi's Inu Yasha (the anime ended quite some time ago at episode 167), I did make it a point to look at updates to the manga online... at least until about a year ago. Imagine my surprise to check out Wikipedia on some charactes only to find out that there have been a couple of significant character deaths in the ongoing fantasy-adventure series.


Gone long after her time.

The more important recent death is Kikyo, the undead miko/priestess and ancestor of series' female protagonist Kagome Higurashi and former lover of Inu Yasha. After several close calls throughout the series, Kikyo finally, truly bites it after losing to her longtime nemesis Naraku, ultimately failing in her extended mission to try and stop the demon lord and his designs on the Shikon No Tama (Sacred Jewel). While this is a heavy blow to Inu Yasha, Kikyo is able to share a final moment with her first love before she finally gives up the ghost, her soul finally departing for the heavens amidst a promise to protect her beloved even after her (second) death.
The second significant death is Kanna, the child-like Youkai of Nihility who has been around for quite a long time (even longer than my personal fave, Kagura), a silent but very menacing presence. In recent issues of the manga, she stepped up her attack on the heroes, but finally succumbs after an extended battle. While she has been dismissed as soulless and totally obedient to her master, Naraku, her final parting message to Kagome- a revelation of what can destroy Naraku- reveals that there was more to her than met the eye.

I have to say though that neither death really affects me as much as Kagura's did years ago- Kikyo's a surprise, but I can't really feel bad for her seeing as how she's been dead for years anyway and this is actually a release for her- her absence though from now on in the series will surely have a big effect on things from now on, as she won't be the 'ace in the hole' for Inu and the gang. As for Kanna- well, as an enemy character you know she was going to die sometime- she went as understated as she lived, and that was at least fitting.
With Kikyo's death, the Inu Yasha manga is surely headed for it's finish, though Takahashi has stated that she wishes the series to progress and even surpass the 500-chapter mark (it's just shy of 480 as of now). Further anime installments have been speculated, but none yet confirmed. I'll probably try to grab the manga if I can soon, seeing as how things seem to be moving significantly. I want to see this story finished, at least. I wanna see how it all ends...

Pinoy Comics on the Tube



Here's a snippet from a feature on Hero TV's G3 about Nautilus Comics. It has appearances of Jaime Bautista's Cast, the Siglo series, Arnold Arre's Andong Agimat and an appearance of my own K.I.A. comic! I really want to get started on comics again, and I will... soon. Very soon! Just stay tuned. Meanwhile, you can check out my Comicspace Page, where I've uploaded pages of a lot of my past comics works- nothing new, really, but we'll fix that up soon.

Naruto Shippuden


From a pervy ninja kid to a grown-up pervy ninja!

I was able to watch the first three episodes of Naruto Shippuden last night. This is the Second Stage of the ninja-themed action-fantasy series, set about five years after the end of the last 'real' storyline of the title. When I mean 'real', I mean based on the original manga story on which Naruto is based- from episode 120 or so onwards, the anime diverges into dreaded 'filler' storylines and sidequests that really have little or nothing to do with the main plotlines. Fillers usually occur when the anime catches up to the manga version, so to give the manga time to finish, the animators go on their own paths... which is not always good. Particularly horrible filler episodes were resposible for the downfall of the Rurouni Kenshin anime (Black Knights... Feng Shui Assassins... Agh...), and could have also brought down even this mega-popular series.

I mean, delving into stuff like the backstories and experiences of the other ninja characters in Naruto isn't half bad, really- but when Naruto and company start fighting Ninja Cooks out to get his favorite Noodle Kiosk Chef, it's really scraping the bottom of the barrel.

Well anyway, after the original Naruto anime reached episode 220, the Naruto Shippuden series finally started, getting back onto the real nitty-gritty of the main plot.
Set several years after Sasuke Uchiha left Konoha Village to train with the evil Orochimaru, Shippuden sees a grown-up Naruto Uzumaki coming home after a prolonged training period with legendary Sannin, Jiraiya. In his absence, the other Gennin have not been idle. Sakura Haruno particularly has become a force to be reckoned with, not only having superior medical talents but the monstrous strength of her teacher, legendary Sannin and current Konoha Hokage, Tsunade. Everyone else has also been promoted to Chunnin, or even Jounin rank... leaving poor Naruto the only one who is still a lowly Gennin. To get them ready, Sakura and Naruto are immediately sent into a challenging test of skill... and they'll need all their new powers in the trials ahead. Far away, in the Village of the Sand, the evil Akatsuki are already moving, seeking to capture the Tailed Beasts to use for their own purposes... and their first target is Gaara of the Desert...

Watching Shippuden was a mixed bag- I love this world and the characters, and the story and action is tops. There's even a bit of tongue-in-cheek humor as the Shippuden characters occasionally interact with their younger, original series versions during chapter breaks. However, the animation of the episodes is a bit disappointing- in fact, it's downright embarrassing at parts and nowhere near the quality of the original series. Also- another thing that is consistent with the original series- it looks like the action is going to be dragged out as always. In the first three episodes, little really happens. It really gets you pumped to watch the next installment, but darn- I wish they were able to squeeze in more in each episode. Oh well.

As I said, I'm neck-deep into Naruto already, and thankfully I haven't really watched many fillers to get tired of this title. This will hopefully make up for in innovative action and cool plots and characters where it is lacking right now in animation quality.

Now to get back to my ninja training...

Aftermath

SPOILER WARNING

Okay. I got to read Civil War #7 last night and my first reaction was... WTF?

WHERE did those guys come from?? Heroes clashing left and right, people getting their HEADS caved in, power blasts flaring all around and a bunch of police and firemen appear out of nowhere to save Tony Stark's butt? EH? Man, after 9/11 these firemen and police are just stepping up to the fore, aren't they? Pretty hokey to me but what the heck. The art in the issue was consistent and cool, though I was kinda disappointed that the visual in the previous post was actually the cover, and not an interior panel. All in all a satsfactory end to the Civil War storyline- not exactly the slam-bang ending I would have wanted, but it'll do.

That said, the new status quo is intriguing and I guess there was really no way to go aside from here. I can only hope it translates well to future issues.

War's End



Marvel Comics' Civil War event has been a great ride for me, easily the best thing to happen to comics since... well, since Secret Wars. Yeah, I liked Infinite Crisis over at DC, but the resulting 52 series and the fiasco of One Year Later confusion came off a bit heavy-handed. Yeah, I'm collecting 52 and will hopefully read it all once it's complete, but for instant gratification and hard-hitting action and great art, Civil War delivers. While it was pretty clear that Cap and the Anti-registration Side are the more 'heroic' and have that underdog vibe that us Pinoys love, I must admit that I actually find some of Iron Man's arguments not too hard to swallow. Well, no matter which side wins, it's pretty sure that this issue about Super Hero Registration won't rest in peace after this issue, but will continue to work it's way throughout the Marvel Universe of titles. I have to admit I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next.

In the meantime, if that single panel above is any indication, Civil War #7 should be pretty awesome. I can't wait to get my hands on my copy (tomorrow, damn it). War may be hell, but darn... this war was pretty cool.

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!