Hot Pot


The best Potter yet.

The Harry Potter movie series is a pretty special franchise for me. While I have to say that I am an on-and-off reader of the books, I have enjoyed the film translations immensely from day one. Up till now, my favorite has been film three, Prisoner of Azkaban, which was exceptional thanks to the darker look given by director Alfonso Cuaron, more sophisticated crafting in general as opposed to the more pedestrian handling of the first two films. When Cuaron was replaced by director MIke Newell (Four Weddings and a Funeral) for Goblet of Fire, I had the slight worry that things might take a step back.

Thankfully, my worries were unfounded and after watching HP4, I can honestly say it's my favorite of the series so far and perhaps the best Potter film yet.

SPOILERS AHEAD

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire brings back the entire cast for the titular wizard boy's fourth year at Hogwarts School for Witches and Wizards. This year starts with the grand event of the World Quidditch Finals, a glorious contest marred by a subsequent attack on the gathered spectators by a group of masked wizards known as the Death Eaters, otherwise known as the followers of 'You Know Who.' Soon afterwards, a mysterious wizard casts a fiendish and sinister sign onto the sky, the Dark Mark- You Know Who's symbol and a message to all that The Dark One, Voldemort is about to make his terrifying return.
Well, that said, it's all back to Hogwarts for Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), his best friends Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) and the rest of the young wizards and witches of their generation. But this year isn't just any year, as shown by the spectacular entrances of entourages from two other wizarding schools- the fierce Cossack-like boys from Durmstrang, and the graceful girls from the French college of Beauxbatons. As Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) informs them all, this year will see the holding of the latest Tri-Wizard Tournament, a long-standing competition of wizards for everlasting glory.

Of course, Harry is quite happy to just watch and enjoy the precedings, especially since the 14-year old wizard is far under the required age of 17 to join. However, his name inexplicably appears from the Goblet of Fire, forcing him to become the unprecedented FOURTH entrant in a contest between three wizards- something that readily puts Harry in hot water. As anyone can probably tell, there are dark forces at work in Hogwarts, and not all is as it seems.

Prior to the release of GOF, many readers expressed worry at how good a translation of the book would be, since the fourth book is a very thick chapter. Fortunately, the script is pretty tight and skims over events such as the opening World Quidditch Finals fairly quickly. From there on, it's a pretty well-paced story through to the somewhat dark ending.
And the film is dark- GOF makes Prisoner of Azkaban look like a comedy. The film starts in a shadowy and gothic graveyard, then quickly shows a magical murder of a hapless Muggle. Along with the intense action of the Tri-wizard Contests, there's the climactic confrontation between Harry and You Know Who which results in another character's demise.

Still, this all goes hand in hand with the book, and while Harry Potter 4 is definitely the darkest so far, it's also the best in many ways. Visually, it's positively SPECTACULAR. I read somewhere that director Newell chose the effects crew of the earlier two films instead of the team employed by Cuaron in Azkaban... and while there aren't as many camera works as in HP3, Goblet's use of visuals and the sheer wonder of the sights shown are nothing short of magical. Sights like the World Quidditch Finals, Harry's breakneck chase with the dragon and more are easily the most impressive in the series so far.

Aside from the effects, I have to give props to the script by Steven Kloves, which is the clearest and most concise of the Potter films, expertly cutting out extraneous plots and leaving still a gripping, well-flowing narrative. Other than being the darkest, HP4 is also paradoxically the funniest- I can't count the times I found myself just chuckling and laughing out loud at moments onscreen- Newell is able to bring out moments of good-natured humor readily, whether it's from the eternal foibles of Ron Weasley, the antics of the two elder Weasley brothers Fred and George (who are pleasantly given quite a lot of screen time to provide much of the film's comic relief), the somewhat overgrown matching of Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) and Beauxbaton's headmistress Madame Maxime (Frances de la Tour).

The cast of the movie certainly has that homey, familiar feel- something that has borne fruit thanks to the so far more or less consistent appearances of the actors. Of course, the three leads- Radcliffe, Grint and Watson- ARE Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, literally. I truly can't picture anyone else stepping into their roles down the line, so I really hope they stay on for the duration. HP4 gives them more dramatic chops to take on, and a bit more angst into their roles. I found Radcliffe's Potter in Goblet his best performance yet, whether it's in the physical events or just being Harry. Ron gets to have a bit of angst along with his humor, while Hermione positively blooms in an evening gown during the Hogwart's Yule Ball.

Michael Gambon's Dumbledore, for me, is solidified in this one. Others may find the more energetic Arch Wizard not as gentle or as grandfatherly as portraryed by the late Richard Harris, but I really like the more crafty, more human but certainly the more forceful Dumbledore as acted by Gambon. If I'm going to have someone to watch my back against Voldemort, I want someone you can feel has the craftiness AND the strength to back it up.
And speaking of Voldemort... Ralph Fiennes. The Potter movies have always had great choices for casting, and having Mr. Fiennes is just as inspired as the choice of Gary Oldman as Sirius Black. Fiennes gives Voldemort the character and the menace he was missing (he WAS a CG character after all in the first film, and a snotty teen in Chamber of Secrets) in previous installments. After seeing the incredibly dark and scary climax of Goblet, I can't wait for him and Harry to cross wands again in the next movies.

As for the rest of the cast, they're all truly in fine form, albeit some have seriously reduced roles. Severus Snape (Alan Rickman) gets at least one scene to harass Potter, and has a hilarious classroom scene. Sadly, Sirius Black is limited to one scene, and in CG at that. Still, it's great to see that characters like Ginny Weasley (Bonnie Wright), Neville Longbottom (Matthew Lewis) and even Moaning Myrtle (Shirley Henderson) are given their moments.

The new characters also pull through well- veteran actor Brendan Gleeson makes for a suitably MAD Mad-eye Moody, and he's alternately scary and hilarious to see onscreen. Miranda Richardson's Rita Skeeter loses a LOT of her teeth in the film, but she does get to be a pain for the moment she's there. As for the young 'uns, Katie Leung's Cho Chang is suitably charming and lights up the screen when she appears, while Robert Pattinson as the pivotal character of Cedric Diggory is handled well enough for the character to have the impact needed later in film's climax. Victor Krum (Stanislav Ianevski) and Fleur Delacour (a lovely Clemence Poesy) don't get as much lines or screen time, but at least Mr. Krum gets the best girl on the dance floor, while Fleur gives Ron his reason to smile.

After watching Goblet of Fire, I honestly wish to see it again in theaters, something that I didn't feel with previous entries in the series. This is certainly the most satisfying, most enjoyable Potter film yet.

As the 'Empire Strikes Back' chapter of the Potter franchise, Goblet of Fire opens the door to the more mature chapters beyond. And given the excellent quality of this latest movie, I can't wait to see Order of the Pheonix and Half-blood Prince in theaters.

Watch Goblet of Fire in theaters. NOW. While it's HOT.

Cover Girl


Tales to Amaze!

Here's the long-overdue 'cover' (or page 1) of my Samurai Sis story for our group's upcoming Project Hero comic anthology. I'll be finishing it all up tonight and turning in the stuff to the editors tomorrow. The art's sketchy, pencilled look is cool, but I wouldn't want to do it all the time since I'll get rusty with ink pens. I had fun with Samurai Sis, but only time will tell if I delve deeper into the story of the young Sobek siblings and their nasty Noodle Nemesis. We'll see.

After this, I'll finish up the Comic Quest release of Kunoichi Boy 1, and then it's on to other titles. Stay tuned!

Welcome Back, Potter

Today, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire hits local cinemas. I'll try to catch it within the week since I won't be able to watch it on the weekend since I'll be heading off to Cebu for the awards night of this year's Ad Congress. Luckily, I wasn't a delegate so I only have to go off on an overnight stay in the Crown City of the South. The homebody in me is retching at the lost weekend, but whatever. It should be an experience since this will be my first time going to Cebu.

Anyway, back to Potter, the latest HP film looks to be at least as good as the previous entry, Prisoner of Azkaban. It's a lot darker, and having read the book I'm looking forward to seeing the storyline unfold. I'm hoping that the series regulars- Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson- stay on for the rest of the Potter series of movies... I just can't imagine not having them for the later films in the series. After four films, I've grown attached to the Hogwarts trio.

A review to come as soon as I see the movie.

Latino Heat



When I saw an montage of WWE footage of wrestler Eddie Guerrero set to sad music on Jack TV, I knew it wasn't good. When I saw the date underneath- 1967-2005, I suddenly realized that one of professional wrestling's contemporary stars had passed away.
Eddie Guerrero was found dead Sunday in the bathroom of his hotel in Minneapolis. The exact cause of his death is still unclear, though heart failure may be a possible cause.

I've been watching the adventures of 'Latino Heat' for the past couple of years on the WWE, laughing at his antics and being thoroughly entertained by the wrestler's over-the-top character. Recently, after a long heel (evil) turn which set him on a fierce fued with luchadore Rey Mysterio over custody of the latter's son, Guerrero was put in a semi-face (good) turn as a questionable good guy on the side of current WWE Heavyweight Champion Batista.

It was fun watching you perform, Eddie. Rest in peace.

Fine Dining

Several weeks ago, our office building's main canteen area closed down for financial reasons, which was funny since I always found the place full during lunch. Well, it was really no loss for us since we all didn't like the place as it was- it was dimly lit, the food quality ranged from average to old-tasting, and the place made you smell of food after you ate. And so it was pretty cool that weeks later, the nameless food center has been replaced by Triple-V Express.
Now we have a food center to be proud of. The place already has us impressed and coming back for lunch and dinner for nice meals from Japanese to Filipino to pasta and other stuff. Plus, it's all a work in progress- even more eateries and better furnishings are coming within the month.

Now we look forward to eating in again. Yay!

WWE Civil War

I love the current Raw vs Smackdown feud in the WWE shows. It pretty much is like a live-action war between two comic book universes (DC vs Marvel?). Personally, I like both shows- I like both current champions (rapper chief John Cena and half-Filipino powerhouse Batista) as well as various members of each locker room/roster. It will be cool and interesting to see how this all culminates in the upcoming Survivor Series. For now though, it's fun to see members from the opposing shows 'invading' the enemy program. Gosh, I love Jack TV.

LOST and MAD

Last night I caught an episode of Mad TV on Jack TV and they were doing a spoof of the series Lost. It was pretty hilarious in that they really got people on the show to look like the Lost characters. Of course, with MAD twists, like making old man Locke a psycho survivalist who picks his nose with his knife. Pretty cool, and a blast for fans of Lost to see. Given how Jack TV loves re-runs, they should re-air it soon. Mad TV is shown I think every other day, or every day.

Jack TV has easily become my favorite channel these days, for my WWE fixes and the occasional mature comedy skit. It's good that they seem to have new episodes of Mad TV and The Daily Show, but I'm still pissed that they are STILL re-running the old episodes of their G4 shows, X-Play, Cheat and Filter.

Gamez

If you've already picked up the EXCELLENT Soul Calibur III (which, I believe, is the finest fighting game package out right now), you may want to check out some other titles which are either on or coming soon to videogame stalls locally.

Shadow of the Colossus (PS2) is from the makers of the enchanting PS2 classic Ico. This time around, it's not about a boy leading a wispy girl around. Nope. This time, the girl is DEAD, and the boy has been charged with bringing her back to life by hunting down and defeating 16 monstrous colossi... basically, the whole game is a series of Boss Battles, each one different from the last. All you have is your magical sword, bow and arrow, your loyal horse Agro and a good deal of physical agility, and you'll need them all to defeat some of the most amazingly huge enemies ever seen in videogames. A totally unique gaming experience not to be missed.

The Matrix: Path of Neo (PS2) just may be the better-late-than-never game that actually makes great use of the ultimately disappointing sci-fi trilogy. Instead of casting players as forgettable side characters, MPON puts you in the role of The One himself. WHOA! This game goes through the whole story and all three movies, from Mr. Anderson's feverish escape from agents in his office building right to the final battle with the Super Smith. A lot of things are now more detailed and in-depth, such as training levels to build up Neo's fighting skills, to branching paths from the original films (what if Neo escaped with Trinity in the office scene?). There's even talk of an alternate ending to the depressing wind-down of Matrix: Revolutions. So far, this game looks incredible, and the prospect of being able to be the real hero makes for an interesting notion. Look for this very soon.

The Movies (PC) is the latest from game god Peter Molyneux, and puts you in the seat of Studio Head for a film company, and you're tasked to produce the next blockbuster. For the sim enthusiast, you can play the game from the ground up, building your studio from empty lot to star-studded stable. Or, you can just go into sandbox mode and just film the movie you've always wanted to do. The scope and stuff you're supposed to be able to do with this game just blows me away, and I'm certainly going to try and get this and try it when I can.

Gun (multi-console) is a western shooting and action game that should be in vogue right now given the popularity of the recent HBO series, Deadwood. Players step into the boots of a revenge-seeking cowboy out to take down a rogue's gallery of villains with his six-shooters. From deadly poker games to quick-draw gun battles to breakneck horse chases, this is sure to be chock-full of action.

Check these titles out! I know I sure will. Heh.

Voices

As an anime fan, I'm often familiar with names of Japanese seiyuu (voice actors). But interestingly enough, I don't know too much about US animation's vocal greats. I grew up watching series like G.I. Joe, Thundercats and Superfriends, so maybe I should. Well, on a whim and a random thought, I looked up some voices on Google and this is what I found...

Michael Bell is one of the more recognizable voices in cartoons during the 80s, as the voice of main man Duke in G.I. Joe, and also as evil COBRA henchmen Scrap Iron, Xamot(Strange that Tomax seems to be another actor) and Major Bludd. He also appears often before the camera, notably as an alien in the pilot episodes of Star Trek: TNG.

The dangerous Destro, as well as heroic Joes Iceberg and Stalker were given their distinct voices by Arthur Burghardt

Most people may not know who Peter Cullen is, but he's the man behind the sinister voices of Venger from Dungeons and Dragons, the heroic Optimus Prime in The Transformers and K.A.R.R, the evil A.I. car in the original Knight Rider. And yes, he does those movie trailers with that deep voice, though not as many as we all would think.

EVERYONE who watched 80s cartoons without a doubt knows the acidic voices of evil Starscream and Cobra Commander. The voice that gave them venom belonged to actor Chris Latta, who unfortunately passed away in 1994. Oh, those were the days when evil sounded... EVIL.

Actress B.J. Ward voiced the lovely and deadly Scarlett, as well as the Princess Allura on the Voltron series (gah). She's also Velma in the newer Scooby Doo movies and has worked on series like Gargoyles and The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest.

Frank Welker is familiar to me, and no wonder- he's the voice of Megatron from The Transformers, Fred in Scooby Doo, Ray Stantz and Slimer in The Real Ghostbusters and gobs more roles. He also unfortunately starred in the Macaulay Culkin magical adventure The Pagemaster. Geh.

Amazingly enough, the Thundercats series was voiced by just a few actors, who also did double duty on sister-show Silverhawks. Many of the actors did double duty, playing both heroes and villains throughout the show. Despite the use of vocal acrobatics, you could tell that the sexy Cheetara and space cop Mandora were one and the same (Lynne Lipton. Actor Larry Kenney gave the heroic Lion-o his voice.

And of course, America's Top Ten Casey Kasem did roles from Robin the Boy Wonder in the Superfriends to Shaggy from Scooby Doo.

Sigh. Too many voices in my head. But they're all in there, squabbling away and I'm glad that they're there. Mad, it is. Mad.

Back to the Salt Mines

I'm back to work after a whole week spent cooped up in The Sanctum. I'm really not the travelling type, as most people who know me can testify. I really just love vegging out at home with a supply of chichirya, the latest PS2 games, a pile of new mags and comics and a new internet card. Basically, I just stayed in and rested ('cept for the days I was sick... then I was convalescing), not venturing out even for food long after my cache of junk food and sodas was exhausted (had stuff delivered until I ran out of funds). Good thing I was so engrossed in Soul Calibur III that food actually became a non-essential. Well, it's not often that I get to just chill like that, so it was great to do so, having no cares in the world except how to unlock so-and-so hidden character or beat the frickin' cheap-ass end boss.

Unfortunately, staying home too long also started to get me to start watching the daytime soap mini-series my mom watches at lunch, so I guess it's better to get back to work. Too much of a good thing is never good.

Besides, staying at home all that time made me neglect shaving and the next thing I knew, I could see my own stubble moving over my lip as I chewed my food. Hmm.

Anyway, it's back to work and life goes on to keep earning and learning.

Angel Ace the Fighting Game!

One of the coolest things about Soul Calibur III for the PS2 is the Character Creation Mode. As I’ve mentioned in my review, it’s more ‘dress-up’ a character than anything else, since you can’t actually set moves attacks. However, it’s still a blast to try and make up a fighter based either on your personal preferences or other titles/franchises. Online, I’ve heard that players have been creating everyone from Sephiroth to Abraham Lincoln in the mode. Well, I went off and created my own original comic book characters!

Angel Ace

Hi there! Wanna spar?

Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be any aviator goggles in the medieval ages… what with flight being non-existent and all... the closest I could get was a futuristic visor-thingie that the programmers put in as a way of recreating another Namco character in the game. It’s a little odd looking, but the effect works, I think. I would have wanted to give her a long trailing scarf, but that one in the game unfortunately covers up half of her face, so I opted for the smaller scarf. No billowy cloth, but in the end it works, I think. Again, it’s even better to see Angel in action in the game, especially when she does some of the more high-flying, gravity-defying attacks and moves in the game. Pretty cool.

Agent K

There’s no mistaking that fierce, determined expression. Or that nice gap in her top.

Kai was easy to do, thanks to some specific parts like the leg bandage which just nails her look. The short hair with the bangs is also spot on. But if you think she looks great in a still, she’s even more dynamite in action. Give her a katana and she’s ALIVE. It’s quite thrilling to see Kai in full color and animation, and this is probably the closest I’ll get to seeing a live Agent K… unless I put my plan to have a live-model Kai cosplayer ready for the next K.I.A. comic release. Heh.

Vanya (from K.I.A.)


Vanya, as K.I.A. readers should know, is the cruel commander of KALI, and Kai's boss. The scar probably isn’t on the right eye, but what the heck… even I can’t remember where it is exactly all the time. Heh. The coat and dress she's wearing up in the pic is a bit too conservative for me... it's probably not a 'combat' outfit, which should be more in the line of what Kai wears (mmm). It should be cool to see her and Kai taking out their stress on each other. Maybe I can even do other K.I.A. characters, like the love-smitten Shikage or other SIVA or KALI agents?

Gregor the Wolf

I'm getting too old for this...

And then. where there’s Angel, there should be Gregor. It would be cool to see them actually sparring together, I thought. So here he is! He probably wouldn’t approve of the balding hair though… but it’s really the closest thing aside from really cropped. Couldn’t find a trechcoat, but I think it works. Heh.

I could have gone on and tried doing Mike and Rip, but they’re strictly non-combatants. Maybe one of these days I’ll do Kunoichi Boy CAS characters too. So, what’s the best thing to do with Angel and Kai in Soul Calibur III? Pit them against each other and finally see who’s really the better fighter, of course! Heh. What can I say? Soul Calibur III ROCKS! Heh.

Okay, back to work…

Sick as a Dog

I've been down for the past few days all week. Haven't been out of The Sanctum at all, be it for work or play. My body clock got all weirded out, then I caught a bad bug and my muscles got sore. The result? Haven't been able to do much save just sleep. I haven't been able to finish stuff, and that sucks. I'm going to have to pedal faster to finish requirements. Well, what can I say? I'm only human. Well, I hope there's still time to do what has to be done. All I can promise is to try my best.

Initial Dub

I've never really liked cars... not that I don't appreciate them, of course, but I've never really gotten that thrill of seeing a new car for the beauty or the desire to own one. I just see them as a means to go around. But if someone gifted me with a car, I'd be pretty happy. Heh.
Anyway, the point is that as a non-car lover, I would probably NEVER like the car-racing anime series, Initial D. Even just seeing the show for a few seconds doesn't do it for me... the art is UGLY (perhaps it is fitting that the cars look nicer than any of the people), and looks count a lot in anime for me. Then, there's the recent much-hyped release of the title on local Animax. The show had been dubbed by local talents- particularly young racing champ Matteo Guidecelli (who plays the lead guy) and Angel Locsin, actress and former 'Darna' star. The result? As far as everyone in an anime group I know is concerned, the local dub is horrible.
It's not that tagalog isn't good... a totally Filipino dub would not suck- I have heard shows on the new anime channel Hero dubbed in tagalog and they don't come off bad or jarring at all. What makes the Initial D dub suck is that its in TAGLISH. Irritatingly, droningly so. Everyone seems to speak like some monotone, robot kolehiyala, alternating between Filipino lines and 'high-sounding' english. It really sounds so fake, or just bad. Mr. Guidecelli may be a great driver, but that doesn't necessarily make him a fit voice actor. And as for Angel Locsin... well, someone on a mailing list put it best... Miss Locsin is better seen than heard.

Oh well. Whatever. Let the show go as it will, and just go another road.

High Calibur


The Soul still burns!

Over the weekend I got a copy of Soul Calibur III, and DAMN it's pretty cool. The latest and greatest chapter of Namco's best-selling weapons fighter mixes in lots of new stuff into the tried-and-tested recipe, including new fighters and new modes of play aplenty.
Yet again, the evil Soul Edge is endangering the midieval world. Even though the sword of darkness has been sealed by its former host, the cursed knight Siegfried, a new Nightmare is walking the land and sowing terror. Behind the scenes, sinister forces are working to free the power of Soul Edge. As before, the familiar cast of warriors, assassins, martial artists and freaks of nature engage in battle to tip the scales of balance to either good or evil ends.

As before, SC3 gives you a large roster of fighters- pretty much everyone who has appeared in Soul Calibur's previous chapters. There are three totally new players: Revenge-seeking Setsuka is a fierce woman dressed in an ornate kimono and platform clogs who wields an umbrella with a concealed blade. The cute but creepy Tira can be described as a sprite from hell- this razor-hula hoop-wielding assassin serves Soul Edge with great gusto, searching for a body for the evil sword to control. Finally, Zasalamel is a scythe-wielding mystery man who is trying to move the events around the War of Swords to his own enigmatic agenda. All three are pretty cool and fit right in with the old crew.

The other new stuff in SC3 are the Modes of Play; there are tons of these, though the most important are Tales of Souls, Chronicle of the Sword and Character Creation.
Tales of Souls is, basically, a revamped Story Mode. What distinguishes it from other games' prime modes is a lot of text, a 'Choose your own adventure' type of interface which leads you to various fights and paths, and several interactive cut scenes which may directy impact on your upcoming fight or even on the ending you see.
While it sounds great on paper, there are flaws in this new execution- many of the story scenes are shared between many characters, so it may grow repetitive fast. Sometimes, the scenes or text just get in the way of you wanting to get to the next fight fast. Still, the text does make the mode feel like a journey for the characters instead of just a succession of fights. All in all, a great way to freshen up the old Story Mode.

Chronicle of Sword is an all-new animal: It's a game-within-a-game, an RTS (Real-time Strategy) game crossed with the regular SC-style of combat. You create characters who start off as cadets in the army of one of three warring nations, and then see their destinies through in various campaigns where you move mostly on a large map. You send your tiny warriors around to assault enemy strongholds, duel with enemy soldiers and generally try to take over everything on the board. What keeps this from being epic is the fact that you only control several 'units', each of which is really just one person (hardly a vast army). When units meet, they start hacking away at each other RTS style, but you can zoom in and actually engage in the usual round of SC combat (often this is required).
Despite the Suikoden-like story, this is really just a novelty, and not perfectly executed. There are jarring loading times and awkward bits which just throw off the pace of the game, and it's really just the Story Mode where you actually have to wait for your guys to run to a fight before you actually get to fight. Still, you have to like the mode for it's ambitions, and you really have to play it (since you need the money you earn in it to unlock stuff).

Did I mention money? Yes, you earn a lot of gold from playing through TOS and COS, money that you will use to unlock stuff in the game's 'shops'. These unlockables include stuff to customize your Created Characters, alternate weapons, illustrations, videos and other goodies. There are literally hundreds of things to find, so you'll be playing the modes a LOT.

As for the much-talked about Character Creation mode, it pretty much rocks. Yes, it's not really 'Create-a-character' as it is 'Dress-up-a-character' though. There are several designated or set occupations for characters, and you build either a male or female character from these jobs. This is fine though... it's cool to recreate characters from other games or titles, or just make the warrior of your dreams. All the Custom Classes have their own moves and strategies, although most, if not all, are based on the skills of the regular SC cast (Samurai are of course a variation or extension of Mitsurugi, Ninja are based on Taki, etc). Still, the new classes are sufficiently different to make for interesting battles. And of course, the animations and new attacks are a treat to see.
Yes, you can dress up the girls as skimpily as you want... and the guys too, if that floats your boat. No, I haven't tried making a female bikini fighter using Voldo's style... yet.

Graphically, the game is pretty gorgeous; it's not a great leap from the previous SC2, but it's really something that pushes the PS2. The character models are finely-detailed and smoothly animated, though there is a noticeably less quality given to the Custom Characters than to the regular SC cast. Still, this is probably the nicest-looking Create-a-character mode in any game, including all those wrestling games. I hpe this sets a precedent for other future fighting games (Mmm... create your own DOA girl...)

In terms of sound, SC3 is special in that all the voices are in english (we got the US version first). The voices are generally well-done, though the occasional odd delivery is there, including a really bad new voice for fan favorite Ivy. The music is your usual Soul Calibur- lots of heroic scores aplenty.

Oh and one more thing... the game, at normal level, can get fricking HARD. Every now and then, the CPU A.I. throws a fighter at you that just blocks everything you throw at it, uses every powerful combo and rings you out at every opportunity. It CAN get hair-tearingly frustrating, especially if you're going for that all-perfect streak to unlock the secret end boss. Well, it does challenge you to get better at the game, but come on... it's not unusual to go 20-to-nothing against some of these CPU opponents.

All in all, Soul Calibur III pleases with its abundance of new modes, tons of unlockables, great base graphics, sounds, animation and gameplay, and all-around high quality of gaming. This should keep players busy for weeks and weeks, and deserves to be in every PS2 gamers library as the console's last great fighting game. What are you guys waiting for? Dust off those katana and start slashing!

Happy Halloween!

It's that time of the year again, when kids go around the subdivision dressed in crazy costumes, when the movie channels show all scary movies, when all thoughts turn to the creepy. Yep, it's Halloween! Well, actually it all just means a nice short break for me. Thanks to your crappy government, we don't have the whole week off- the break will be interrupted by two days of work, then another long weekend. I'll try to finish up Samurai Sis today and tomorrow. In the meantime, I'll also be getting some playtime on some new gaming acquisitions. Heh. Anyway, I've shacked up in The Sanctum with sodas, Gonuts Donuts and some chips to last a short siege. All the better to keep the spooks out. May you all have a frighteningly good Halloween!

Tiger, Tiger



Here's a pic of my new Dashboard program on my G4 Mac Powerbook. It's a cool new treat given by the new Tiger OS, to which I just upgraded thanks to The Salt Mines. I know it's all about better programs and running, but the Dash, along with the cool widgets, is what I am appreciating right now. Widgets are these tiny, funny little freeware programs that you install and keep ready on the Dashboard. These widgets range from the teeniest functions, from flipping a coin, to bringing you the latest Dilbert comic strip, to entertaining you with cool arcade-type gaming. One of my fave widget games is IM Alien Hunter, which is a variant on the classic Space Invaders game but with an anime twist- this means that instead of a pixellated space ship, the player is represented by a sexy, laser pistol-packing anime babe. Coolness!

I'll be accompanied by my laptop over the weekend and into the break, so it's nice it's gotten some new tricks. HOHO!

Personal Time

While I wasn't looking, or perhaps while I was busy doing stuff, things seemed to have changed around me. I guess I have to rethink how I go about my time. I guess I should be glad that I'll have more time to myself- hopefully I'll have more money too, but seeing the latest bill I have to pay, I doubt it.

I'll be using the time I have on the Halloween-All Souls' Day break to finish up requirements. I still have Project Hero pages to finish over the weekend, and then I'll work on the regular release of Kunoichi Boy issue 1, and start on the next issue for release by mid or late December.

It won't be all work though- I'll make sure to give in time for good stuff- like making a dent in the pile of comics I seem to have been stockpiling all these weeks. I'll also be spending some time with Resident Evil 4 on the PS2, and pick up new stuff at Greenhills tomorrow- hopefully Soul Calibur III will be available, along with some new anime.

Happy All Souls' Day, everyone!

That didn't sound right.

I Po'ed



Here's an update to my earlier post about the new Apple I-Pod with video. Apparently, while the mp3 music player nature of the gadget remains unassailable, it seems that the video side isn't all that's cracked up to be. While comments on reviews about the small screen don't put me off too much, I am kinda disappointed by the supposed only 2-hour battery life of the thing if you play a movie straight on the machine. Well, this doesn't really kill the Pod as a video jukebox- I'm sure that shorter video playing will be maneagable for what battery life it has. And the huge memory is still a big plus.

Realistically, even I don't really watch 2-hour flicks on my O2 Mini a lot, or even regularly- usually it's just the odd video clip, or at most an anime episode or two. I once tested the Mini though, by playing FFVII Advent Children from end to end, a feat which took off about 40 percent from the battery power (which actually is not bad at all; I estimate the Mini's video playing life at about four hours or so). This doesn't really make me turn away from the I-Pod, but especially after learning this, it's not really that much of a 'must buy' for me anymore. I guess I'm perfectly happy with my video capability right now. Only time will tell if I change my mind and spring for a Pod later... or if my cousin Jeremy brings his this Christmas and I find myself getting techno-envy. Heheh.

Possessed by EVIL


Leon Kennedy takes on homicidal hicks in Resident Evil 4.

How appropriate is it that after our Halloween Party, I go home and enjoy a rousing time with the PS2 conversion of Resident Evil 4? Very appropriate, and it was with gusto that I jumped into the latest survival-horror blockbuster. As mentioned, you play as RE2 hero Leon Kennedy six years after the Racoon City incident. A short prologue with Leon's voiceover reveals (SPOILERS AHEAD) that soon after the T-Virus breakout, the government 'cleansed' Racoon City via a nuclear strike (good thing they all cleared out of there fast). Afterwards, the Feds clamped down on Umbrella (the uber-corporation behind the whole mess), locking down its properties and privileges. Umbrella stock fell, and, in short order, the mighty Umbrella Corporation ceased to exist. Which is kinda anti-climactic considering that the first four (including Code Veronica) RE games had all the heroes working overtime to take out the company. Perhaps this was all press release- maybe the Redfields (Claire and Chris), Jill Valentine, Barry Burton and Leon had roles in ultimately bringing down Umbrella... but of course, the government took the credit. Oh well.

Anyway... Leon got kinda-sorta promoted after the whole shebang. Remember, he WAS the worst cop in Racoon City (One day on the force and the whole city gets killed) despite being a hero. Leon becomes a special agent attached to the government, and he's assigned to protect the President's daughter. Unfortunately, the girl gets kidnapped and vanishes into the countryside of what appears to be rural (deep rural) Spain. So, instead of sending Seal Team Six, the Prez sends Leon. Oh, and two goofball Spanish cops who'd rather stay in the car than work.
These weird circumstances aside, RE4 is a brilliant game in terms of gameplay and atmosphere. The controls are precise, effective and very cool. Targetting enemies and fighting is pretty easy and awesome to do, though you'll probably have to keep the inner Rambo in check unless you want to find yourself out of ammo while surrounded by crowds of snarling, sickle-throwing villagers. Unlike previous RE's, going up stairs and moving about is pretty easy and often seamless- the 'opening door' animations and stilted stair-walking animations are minimized here.
The enemies for the most part are pretty creepy- though so far I've only encountered the villagers. It's pretty cool to be able to precisely target body parts, and it's great to shoot someone in the face, then walk over to kick their asses. The trickier parts happen when enemies start throwing stuff at you... like sickles or sticks of dynamite. I wish I had a duck move or a dash-the-hell-away's move. Still, Leon is a bad-ass agent. Another cool aspect is the in-game shopkeeper, who lets you buy new guns or upgrade your old boomsticks.

I'll likely be playing through this one over the weekend (and hopefully Soul Calibur III too), in between pages of Samurai Sis of course. Now, if you'll excuse me... I've got some possessed farmers to ventilate. Heh.

Salty Halloween



One of the cooler things about The Salt Mines is that every Halloween, the office really makes it a point to dress up the joint and invite kids to come trick or treating. There's lots of party food like melt-in-your-mouth spaghetti with hotdogs, fishballs (cooked right in front of you), street-style ice cream and more. Every department sets up their places as scary and as fun as they can. This year, the competition was especially hot- Our Creative Department set up a menagerie of life-sized monsters (as seen in the image above), each of which actually contains the image of one of the personnel- for the record, I was turned into the Cave Troll from LOTR. Heh.

Anyway, it was cool to see the kiddies running around in their costumes, and it was nice that the day was pretty light in terms of work- all I did was basically sit around and wait as I had my laptop upgraded to the new Tiger OS.

Happy Halloween!