Wednesday, April 30, 2014

History of Swick's RPG Extravaganza (part 3)


Need a refresher? - here's PART 2
Want to know what the hell I'm talking about? - here's PART 1

After experiencing Final Fantasy 7, I, like many other Americans who were unfamiliar with the series beforehand, became a large Squaresoft (now Square-Enix) fan, and purchased Final Fantasy 8 and Final Fantasy 9 when they came out. The plot of FF8, especially with the other lives and characters who looked the same as other characters, really confused me, and the roles of the characters seemed parallel to the characters of FF7 so I wasn't entirely impressed with the game as a whole (plus, while Chocobo raising was fun in FF7, the card game in FF8 just seemed mundane...) In fact, I'm not sure I ever completed FF8. Perhaps it deserves a replay from me. I will credit that the soundtrack and cutscenes from the game are absolutely splendid. I was glad of the more realistic effects rather than the awkward polygon figures of FF7.




Final Fantasy 9, on the other hand, has won a place in my heart. Maybe not among the best games I have ever played, but certainly in the list of games that I have a real fondness for.


This poor installment was originally just going to be a spin-off game. I'm really surprised because the Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu got so enthusiastic about this particular installment- he was only to write about 7 pieces, but ended up writing over 100 pieces, he liked it so much. It is the most musically diverse Final Fantasy game out there. I own a copy of the soundtrack and several other CDs relating to it. I think what really struck a chord with me about this game was that Final Fantasy finally went back to its traditional fantasy roots with just a little bit of a scifi twist. FF7 and FF8 were so heavy in the scifi realm that drawing the fantasy essence out of them was sometimes hard. I also liked the most cartoon character designs... and the underlying theme in the game of 'what does it mean to be alive?' (as evident through the characters of Zidane, Vivi, and Kuja) ... the other characters illustrate 'alive' by certain social statuses and gender roles. Perhaps it is just the 'English major' in me that read so much into what was intended to be a simple game. Nevertheless, I grew very attached to the characters in FF9, and from this game spun my first fanfiction... none of which I am proud of, nor will I display. If I'm lucky, those abominations are dead, lol.

Few other RPGs caught my interested in this period of gaming. I did not own a Sega Saturn or Genesis, and Super Nintendo was primarily for Super Mario World... the Nintendo 64's Zelda games are worth mentioning, but I have never been a big a Zelda fan as my sisters M and A are. In every playthrough I tried of Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, I managed to fuck up somewhere in the infamous Water Temple and rage-quit before resetting my entire save.... there are only so many times you can sit through the Great Deku Tree bullshit. I didn't even touch Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask... and my sisters say that I missed out.


We're coming to the end of my experience with PS1-era RPGs, and in the next post, I'll talk a little bit about my early experience with PS2 RPGs. There is one other game I want to mention thought that I feel bad gets overlooked so much, because it really is a great game, it just came out at a really really bad time...



It unfortunately came out RIGHT when PS2 was launching and didn't stand much of a chance. The game is absolutely beautiful for its time-period, but suffers a little story-wise, and the combo system requires immaculate timing. Considering what a cult following it has, especially since it was released to PSN for download, I'm surprised that no one has tried or attempted to make a sequel to this game or a remake. Perhaps it is better left as it is though.




Monday, April 28, 2014

In Swick's Bookbag : Hell Phone

So, I went to Dad's house to do some laundry and ended up finishing the book I had been reading. Since his internet there is slow as fuck, I didn't bring a laptop to game on... and I still had two loads left to wash and dry. I decided there was only one thing to do : go to the library and get a new book. Because I have no social life on Sundays. I'm already there five days a week; why not make it six? After six, it'll be seven, and then we can just convert part of the basement into an efficiency for me to live in full-time lol. I wish. That would be so awesome, but that's besides the point.... I decided I needed a new book to read, and my sister M wanted to get out of the house, so I took her with me. After we went to the library, we got fruit smoothies and did the catty sister chatting. It was delightful, but I am getting ahead of myself.

I wasn't sure what I wanted to read. I thought about getting some sequels to series that I had started but of course, they were all checked out. I perused the fiction for horror books, the scifi, the youth, and found nothing to satisfy my reading hunger. In the meantime, we played a fun game where we read the titles of books and then try to, based on the title alone, turn the book into a porno (lol, because we both have the humor of teenage boys apparently) After much lulz, I then went over to the dreaded YA (young adult) section where everything there is a hit or a miss (seriously... everything the teenagers like is generally bad, and the things they avoid are really good... but then the good ones get discarded because the teens think they are bad and they don't really know what good is) and we found this little gem ....


I've only read one other book by the author. It was called The Duplicate, and I was pleasantly surprised by it. So, I got excited and decided to give it a try. My sister and I were both laughing and receiving some weird looks. I mean, look at the title! If that doesn't scream 'B-Movie,' I don't know what does. 

Watch, you're going to come back in a couple weeks and --- "So, Hell Phone, not that bad really!"

... to quote my sister M

Well, it was pretty awful. I'm sad to say.
You can read my full critique here.

Saturday, April 26, 2014

Counting Down Pokemon Favorites (GENERATION 5)

Continuing the Pokemon countdown of my favorites from each generation! 
So, I've selection three Pokemon from each; one winner, and two runner-ups. 
This is taking into account my feelings of the Pokemon's design, stats, and my personal experience with them in battle.

I won't include legendaries in the generations; just normal Pokemon.
Legendaries got their own post.


Today I'm going to touch base with ....

Best Pokemon of GENERATION 5

Runner-Ups

JOLTIK
the Attaching Pokemon

Generation V
BlackJoltik that live in cities have learned a technique for sucking electricity from the outlets in houses.
WhiteThey attach themselves to large-bodied Pokémon and absorb static electricity, which they store in an electric pouch.
Black 2Since it can't generate its own electricity, it sticks onto large-bodied Pokémon and absorbs static electricity.
White 2
Generation VI
XSince it can't generate its own electricity, it sticks onto large-bodied Pokémon and absorbs static electricity.
YThey attach themselves to large-bodied Pokémon and absorb static electricity, which they store in an electric pouch.

Joltik ended up being one of my favorites because of its' unique typing : Bug/Electric. Joltik is also one of the few Pokemon where both its unevolved and evolved forms are insanely cute (especially rare for Bug types) I can't say I've ever effectively played with a Joltik. I had one named 'Livewire' but I didn't play with her long enough for her to find her spot on the team, but I've been working on it. I also like how adorably small Joltik is. It's really like three inches long according to the Pokedex, so it is fun to imagine just like dozens of these things falling out of your backpack or something. It also makes me slightly itchy.

DARMANITAN
the Blazing Pokemon
Generation V
BlackIts internal fire burns at 2,500º F, making enough power that it can destroy a dump truck with one punch.
WhiteWhen weakened in battle, ittransforms into a stone statue. Then it sharpens its mind and fights on mentally.
Black 2When one is injured in a fierce battle, it hardens into a stone-like form. Then it meditates and sharpens its mind.
White 2
Generation VI
XWhen one is injured in a fierce battle, it hardens into a stone-like form. Then it meditates and sharpens its mind.
YIts internal fire burns at 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit, making enough power that it can destroy a dump truck with one punch.

Darmanitan was my favorite Black/White Pokemon for a LONG time simply due to his design. I remember catching a Darumaka in my first playthrough of Pokemon Black, and then agonizing over how hard it was to train Darumaka (face it guys, the little roller monkey is a pain in the ass... not as much as Magikarp or Swablu, but still a pain in the ass to train...) and then when it evolved into a glorious Darmanitan (appropriately named 'Kong' ) it destroyed everything, including Ground types, in its path. Plus, it just looks wacky and cuddly and all of the things I want in a Pokemon.


---- WINNER! ----

HAXORUS
the Axe-Jaw Pokemon

Generation V
BlackThey are kind but can be relentless when defending territory. They challenge foes with tusks that can cut steel.
WhiteTheir sturdy tusks will stay sharp even if used to cut steel beams. These Pokémon are covered in hard armor.
Black 2Its tusks are incredibly destructive. They can easily slice through a thick, sturdy steel column every time.
White 2
Generation VI
XThey are kind but can be relentless when defending territory. They challenge foes with tusks that can cut steel.
YTheir sturdy tusks will stay sharp even if used to cut steel beams. These Pokémon are covered in hard armor.

While Dragon types are incredibly badass, I try to avoid playing with them because they are overpowered. I couldn't forgive myself though if I didn't put Haxorus on this list because Haxorus has battled its way into my heart. I caught an Axew in Pokemon X early on, and it traveled with me through the rest of the game, into the Elite 4, and beyond. I named him 'Sergeant' ... and through Pokemon-Amie, he became more than just a team mate, he became a Pokemon I genuinely cared about. It's funny how interacting with your Pokemon in that way did that for a lot of people. I know I'm not the only one who has a new appreciation for some Pokemon that they overlooked in previous generations. Haxorus is ridiculously overpowered (especially since my Sergeant has a Brave nature), but that just made it SO much more fun to stomp enemies with. After our escapades in the new world, Haxorus has slashed and crushed his way into my favorites.


Thursday, April 24, 2014

History of Swick's RPG Extravaganza (part 2)

Want to know what the hell I'm talking about? - here's PART 1

After playing the three games mentioned in PART 1 of this series, I went into my 'Working Designs' period where I fangirled and obsessed over everything that came out of the now defunc- Working Designs studio. They are most noted for their Lunar series, and the Arc the Lad series. These series were both J-RPGs that were remastered for the states on the Playstation, and since the collector release have stayed in my heart and in my possession for two very different reasons. Both of them share the same anime style graphics that Japan is so well-known for, and this was my beginning ventures into the world of anime. After watching characters on Toonami, I went to the local video store and bought my first animes.... Legend of Crystannia and Magic Knight Rayearth... but we'll talk about those in a different history series.

The first official venture was the famous Lunar: The Silver Star 

Lunar: The Silver Star was memorable for me due to its very light-hearted characters and uplifting gameplay. Granted, there were moments where you felt like the heroes weren't going to success, there was always 'hope' driving the gameplay and the music emphasized that the heroes would indeed succeed in the end. I was a little in shock having just tailed from Final Fantasy 7 where good and bad blur to this very linear game where there's an obvious good and bad, and a more traditional story plot. The second thing that made this game memorable was its soundtrack. This was the first game I had purchased that included a soundtrack with it, and I remember listening to the short instrumentals over and over again. There were vocal tracks too; the lyrics seemed genius when I was a kid, and I was afraid to listen to it as an adult for fear that it would be too corny... and it is a little corny, but it's also translated from Japanese. Any song in English translated from Japanese is going to sound a little weird. The third and final memorable part of this game are the anime-like cutscenes. There were times where it really enveloped you in its story; it feels more like playing a movie than a game in some parts, and I began to realize what I like so much about RPGs. In the beginning, it wasn't about gameplay and making my own choices, it was about listening to a good story.

I eagerly snatched up a copy of the sequel to this game, Lunar 2: Eternal Blue, thinking that it would be another adventure with the same characters that I had grown to love in Lunar: The Silver Star, but I was wrong.

Lunar 2: Eternal Blue takes place in the same world as Lunar: Silver Star except that it is several hundred years in the future where the gods present in Lunar: Silver Star are assumed to be dead. As the storyline would have it, this isn't the case and once again a teenage hero and a band of misfits are relied upon to save the world from total annihilation. I will give the sequel one thing; it did a much better job of character development than the first game did. Lunar: Silver Star was plagued with stereotypes where Lunar 2: Eternal Blue, the characters feel more organic and even the unimportant characters have more organic dialogue and add more to the story as a whole. There were brief cameos of the first game's characters, but they were only spoken of as if they were a legend. It wasn't what I expected, but I certainly had a good time playing it. Like its predecessor, Lunar 2: Eternal Blue's overall theme is 'hope.'

As I hoped in vain for a Lunar 3, I snooped around until I found out that Working Designs had another series of JRPGs released for the Playstation : Arc the Lad Complete Collection, and after an argument with my mother (since it was rated M for mature), I was able to get it, and went at once to playing it. My memories of the first and third Arc the Lad games are very vague, but my memories of the second one are a little clearer.


All of the games have the character 'Arc the Lad' but the protagonists are all different dudes.
My biggest memory of this series is that the battle system was much different than other JRPGS I had played at the time. In Final Fantasy and Lunar, it was simply these guys vs. these guys, point and click which one you want to attack when it is your turn. But Arc the Lad has a much more tactical battle system. This was the first game I played with a grid where you selected where to walk on the battlefield and which enemies were in range determined what you should do.... area attacks, vantage points, weapon range. All of these things taken into account. As a preteen, I was a little overwhelmed by this. I had been playing RPGs for story but now in order to get story, I also had to have strategy??? - I also remember being able to tame monsters and breed them and fight them which was also cool. This game came out just a few years after Pokemon Red and Blue were released, so I was pretty excited about anything monster related, but more on that genre later.


.... see the thrilling third installment in History of Swick's RPG Extravaganza 3!
Rated B for blog. Only on PC.




Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Tabletop Madness

Oh gosh, you guys, so the tabletop RPG games are a little out of control for me.... I haven't joined more groups; I'm still in just two... but I am just chomping at the bit to get to these weekend sessions. It makes the weekdays even more unbearable than they already are.

I just get so excited about the stories and the characters, and it's like I REALLY want to know what's going to happen next - not to just the characters I'm playing, I'm legitimately interested in everyone's characters! I get frustrated because I'm one of the youngest in the group and this is my first campaign, and I'm so INTO IT, you know? ... it makes me feel really childish when I'm sitting next to these people and it's old-hat for them, so they aren't as interested in the story and playing as I am. Like, we took a week off from playing, and I was like a junkie going through withdrawal, lol.

I suppose this is what is like when you are really interested in a TV show that only airs once a week, and you have to be patient between new episodes. I seriously have never felt that because I don't watch a lot of TV ._. ....

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Read THIS not THAT! - YA Zombies

The big trend in young-adult horror literature right now is zombies and the zombie apocalypse (as obvious by copious movie adaptations like The Walking Dead TV series, World War Z, Warm Bodies, etc) ... the young adult and adult sections are just overflowing with them the same way the vampire trend hit about five years ago, and you know what, just as every Interview with The Vampire has a Twilight, so zombie literature have its ups and downs. It's my job to weed the good ones from the not-so-good ones so you don't have to waste your time with it, and worry about you arsenal and supply hold for when the apocalypse actually happens...

NOT THESE!



20 Years Later - Honestly wasn't sure why this was billed as a zombie apocalypse novel. Yeah, there are zombies, but the zombies don't play a central role to the story. Most of the novel is brutal gang wars between survivors in a society that has completely collapsed in twenty years. As you are reading this book, the storyline just feels 'off' ... like it would make more sense if the story was 50 Years Later or even 30 Years Later... but it isn't, and maybe my idea of civilization completely collapsing is completely off-key 

ZOM-B - This new series comes from a big name in YA horror literature who has already tackles vampires, werewolves, demons, and more- Darren Shan. His stand-alone novel The Thin Executor took me by storm, so when this new publication came out, I was pretty excited. I'm happy he tackles controversial issues- having a racist main character (and then the racist character is confronted herself with discrimination against zombies)- but the story is poorly poorly plotted. 90% of the first book is bullshitting around angsty high school drama-llama. Granted, there is copious amounts of gore and violence, but for the majority of the series, the zombies barely meet the definition of zombies. Yeah, they crave brains, but they aren't always mindless killing machines. What's the fun in that? Sorry, Shan. 

Quarantine: The Loners - This one combines 'Lord of the Flies,' high school, and an illness that turns students into flesh-eating zombies. Sounds like a winning combination, right? Well, unfortunately, that's not the focus of this book at all. Instead of being a super awesome zombies survival adventure, Lex Thomas uses zombies to simply get all of the adults out of the school building so the students have to govern themselves. The story quickly becomes more about disaster-survival and gang wars than anything else. This in itself isn't bad. Quarantine: The Loners is a decent 'Lord of the Flies' high school story, but if you go into it expecting to read about zombies, you will be sorely disappointed. Nothing worse than a book that bills zombies, but doesn't provide zombies. 


READ THESE!



Rot & Ruin - There are some hilariously weird elements to the story. For example, trading cards? We still care about trading cards in the zombie-apocalypse world? ... but if you can swallow that, then you will see another side to zombies. Most zombie literature deals with the zombies being inhuman monsters.... Rot&Ruin reminds us that the zombies were once humans and were once loved by people, and how turning into an undead is harder for family members to cope with than simply death itself. There are several beautiful moments in this story of this, and it is expertly handled. This is one of those zombie novels that needs to be read to get the full experience.

The Zombie Survival Guide - THIS is the book you need to be reading, rereading, memorizing, and taking to heart because it seriously takes every possible horrible zombie scenario you can imagine and gives you a logical answer as to how to deal with it and survive. The best part is that Max Brooks takes this book very very seriously too, and if you email him a question, he will tell you the answer as clearly outlined in the book or give you his 'scientific' answer. It is seriously that much fun to get into and then get into the roleplaying of it all.

The Enemy - Perhaps I am a little biased but this is my favorite zombie series of all time. Initially, it was because of the gross factor. These books are very graphic. Then it was the 'Lord of the Flies' factor where kids are governing themselves.... and then so much more happens on a political, religious, romance, OH MY GOSH this book has so many levels of depths. There is so much going on in one city at the same time and so many memorable characters. The zombies even begin to evolve in this book, and in a logical progression.If you are going to pick up one zombie series at all, it NEEDS to be this one. No questions asked.


Friday, April 18, 2014

Counting Down Pokemon Favorites : GENERATION 4

Continuing the Pokemon countdown of my favorites from each generation! 
So, I've selection three Pokemon from each; one winner, and two runner-ups. 
This is taking into account my feelings of the Pokemon's design, stats, and my personal experience with them in battle.

I won't include legendaries in the generations; just normal Pokemon.
Legendaries got their own post.


Today I'm going to touch base with ....

Best Pokemon from GENERATION 4

Runner-Ups

ABOMASNOW
the Frost Tree Pokemon


Generation IV
DiamondIt whips up blizzards in mountains that are always buried in snow. It is theabominable snowman.
PearlIt blankets wide areas in snow by whipping up blizzards. It is also known as "The Ice Monster."
PlatinumThey appear when the snow flowers bloom. When the petals fall, they retreat to places unknown again.
HeartGoldIt lives a quiet life on mountains that are perpetually covered in snow. It hides itself by whipping up blizzards.
SoulSilver
Generation V
BlackThey appear when the snow flowers bloom. When the petals fall, they retreat to places unknown again.
White
Black 2They appear when the snow flowers bloom. When the petals fall, they retreat to places unknown again.
White 2
Generation VI
XIt blankets wide areas in snow by whipping up blizzards. It is also known as "The Ice Monster."
YIt lives a quiet life on mountains that are perpetually covered in snow. It hides itself by whipping up blizzards.

Abomasnow became one of my favorites after its mega-form was announced. It looks so big and cuddly. Granted, I know that Abomasnow is far from cuddly (being a pine-tree... and covered in ice... brrr!) ... I think one of my biggest attractions to it is actually its unique typing. I'm already in love with Grass types, and I had a stand-offish attitude about Ice types in general, so this was my chance to play to all of strengths and FINALLY have something that can hold its own in a fight against Dragon types. This didn't work out the way that I had planned because of Abomasnow's quad-weakness to FIRE >_< .... a staple on most Dragon-type Pokemon... so I'm still trying to learn to use this Pokemon effectively, but I still really like it!


STARAPTOR
the Predator Pokemon

Generation IV
DiamondIt has a savage nature. It will courageously challenge foes that are much larger.
PearlThe muscles in its wings and legs are strong. It can easily fly while gripping a small Pokémon.
PlatinumIt never stops attacking even if it is injured. It fusses over the shape of its comb.
HeartGoldWhen Staravia evolve into Staraptor, they leave the flock to live alone. They have sturdy wings.
SoulSilver
Generation V
BlackIt never stops attacking even if it is injured. It fusses over the shape of its comb.
White
Black 2It never stops attacking even if it is injured. It fusses over the shape of its comb.
White 2
Generation VI
XThe muscles in its wings and legs are strong. It can easily fly while gripping a small Pokémon.
YWhen Staravia evolve into Staraptor, they leave the flock to live alone. They have sturdy wings.

Staraptor is hands-down my favorite Flying Pokemon and for only one good reason... Starly was my first ever shiny Pokemon. For those of you who aren't aware, shiny Pokemon are extremely rare. The chances of you running into one in the wild are like 1 in 10000 (which sound like good odds, but trust me, not so good. In all of my years playing the Pokemon games, this is the ONLY shiny I have come across. Ever.) ... you can reduce the odds to like 1 in 5000 through a special breeding technique, but to be honest, ain't nobody got time for that. I was too busy being the very best to patiently wait for shiny hatches. 


For reference, this is what a Shiny Staraptor looks like.

Needless to say, I insisted on using my shiny Starly and he (his name is Boss) has become a permanent member of my Pokemon team. It's fast, it's strong, it learns killer moves - why wouldn't you want a badass bird?

---- WINNER! ----


STUNKY
the Skunk Pokemon

Generation IV
DiamondIt protects itself by spraying a noxious fluid from its rear. Thestench lingers for 24 hours.
PearlIt sprays a nose-curling, stinky fluid from its rear to repel attackers.
PlatinumIt sprays a foul fluid from its rear. Its stench spreads over amile radius, driving Pokémon away.
HeartGoldThe foul fluid from its rear is so revolting that it can make people feel queasy up to a mile and a quarter away.
SoulSilver
Generation V
BlackIt sprays a foul fluid from its rear. Its stench spreads over amile radius, driving Pokémon away.
White
Black 2It sprays a foul fluid from its rear. Its stench spreads over amile radius, driving Pokémon away.
White 2
Generation VI
XIt sprays a foul fluid from its rear. Its stench spreads over amile radius, driving Pokémon away.
YIt protects itself by spraying a noxious fluid from its rear. Thestench lingers for 24 hours.

Did you really expect me to pick something different?
Everyone who has heard me talk Pokemon knows that Stunky is my favorite Pokemon of all time... that if Stunky were a starter, I'd choose it in a heartbeat over every other Pokemon in the game. 

Stunky is adorable.