Today's review: Pacific Rim
Huh. This movie looks cool, and everyone seems to be hyped. I guess I better go see it.
Wonder if my date will get here. Oh there's this social link I gotta do. Better get to it.
$25 if I get it online? Fuck that. Better wait in line... well that was short.
Wonder if she'll get here (7:10p.m) Oh good you're here.
Date: What's this movie about?
Me: Giant robots vs. giant monsters
Holy shit! Nice! OH COME ON! DQ ON THE KAIJU WITH THAT MOVE!! Oh damn! Seismic Toss into the city! Charlie Hunnam?! Nicholas Nickleby? What a career move this guy did. Ooh, Rinko has some nice blue streaks in her hair. Chain sword slice! Nice. They do look almost all the same. It's almost as if... -knifed-
2.11 hours later
Damn. That was a great movie. Wonder what my date thought?
Date: OMG THAT WAS AWESOME!! Guillermo del Toro?! What a twist! I owe you for this great time.
Me: (How do I respond to this?)
Glad you had a good time
That can be arranged
>How about Wolverine?
Date: I do love to oggle at Hugh Jackman, so you better bring a bucket.~
Me: Jokes on her I'll actually do just that.
Overall, this was a slobberknocker of a film. Transformers ain't got shit on this. Action was incredible, the human drama was great, and it felt absolutely satisfying watching it. It's as simple as giant mechs vs giant monsters (Kaiju). However, since it was a full house when I went to see it, I wonder how many pants people brought after shitting themselves watching this?
And since I am now obligated to see Wolverine, I better bring 2 buckets in case of emergency.
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Rarefindit's Top 25 Rare Games (Part 2)
Welcome back. By now you know how this list goes: I got rare games, I got a list of them. If it isn't even of interest of you have a better collection to gloat, please refrain from any wielding. Everyone has their own collection and it's my list. With that here are the rest.
15. Tales of Symphonia
This beloved prequel to the Tales series was met with much praise and highly regarded as the best Tales game out there, next to Vesperia. Pfft, it doesn't beat Phantasia on the Super Famicom in my opinion. In any case, this will be a bit of a challenge to find if you want to experience the game itself. I liked it, kinda pissed off about a heel turn, but that's the whole emotional investment in the game. That's how it hooks you. Currently Tales of Symphonia is available in the second hand market complete for about 36.00. I would pick it up as well as a Gamecube to experience such a great game. Bamco announced that there will be a release known as Tales of Symphonia Chronicles on the PS3 in September which will include Symphonia and Dawn of the New World. Europe goers will get the Japanese audio track...lucky.
14. Vagrant Story
One has to wonder why Jrpgs are a bigger investment than their Western counterparts? Vagrant Story was a complex RPG that had a complex story with a steep gameplay learning curve and some mythos behind it. Plus the music composed by Hitoshi Sakimoto was an intense treat as you as Ashley went up against Wyverns and Ifirit. Like most Square RPGs back then, they went up in demand and price. Unfortuntely thanks to PSN and emulation, the value of Vagrant Story went down.
13. Super Mario RPG
I have a personal love for this game as it was the first in a legacy of Mario based RPGs that went on to bigger things. Back then this was a joint effort by Square and Nintendo and back then it was a huge success. Fun, funny, and self impose challenges galore, this brought a plethora of love to the table. The one part of the game which is hard is the optional boss Culex. He is not easy. 12396 HP to be exact in total with the 4 crystals. Of course with the VC and emulation practices all too common these days, the value of the original cart has reduced. It's still a collector's gold mine for a sealed copy worth $715 on average. It's that good! Super Mario RPG can be obtained for 800 points on the Virtual Console. Definitely worth every virtual cent. On a special note: Yoko Shimomura, Koji Kondo, and Nobuo Uematsu composed the music. And it's awesome. There's also a Let's Play of this done by both Chuggaconroy and NintendoCapriSun. Both are well recommended.
12. Final Fantasy Anthology (Black Label)
This compilation game marked the debut of Final Fantasy V in the States as well as VI with an added fmv and extras such as a jukebox to listen to all the tracks, a bestiary, and concept art. (VI was originally 3 to us). The major difference between this and the Greatest Hits version released years later is the soundtrack included. I thought the soundtrack was nice, but ultimately half assed. As I said, small trinkets like that raise the rarity of the item. Since then, you can pick up both games separately for pennies on the dollar with the VC and PSN. Both are available for 800 wii points/9.99. If you are searching for the Anthology itself, the Greatest Hits version can still be found for about $15, but the Black Label will set you back $40 for a complete version. Note: FF All the Bravest is out on IOS and not worth your money. Do not get it!
11. Final Fantasy Chronicles
Basically the same as Anthology above, but with a retranslated Final Fantasy IV and Chrono Trigger. This version of IV however was tweaked from it's SNES counterpart in that it's a bit tougher, the way it was supposed to be. And Chrono Trigger because why not? Also included were new fmvs for both games. However, both Anthology and Chronicles suffered from long loading times which came with the territory of the Playstation, but if you have the patience like I do, it's worth it. Unfortunately, both FFIV and Chrono Trigger are easily found everywhere, including IOS. I wouldn't support the IOS because nothing beats a physical copy of the game in your own console.
10. Gitaroo Man
You might be wondering, what the hell is this doing here? This, fellow reader is the reason why I got into rare games. What started as a curiosity found on Xplay back in the humble year of 2004 became a lifelong journey into a cult classic. This was a rhythm game that has an ass kicking soundtrack with the quirkiness of Japan mixed in. By rotating the analog stick and pressing the Circle button to the lines shown on screen, you basically created gitaroo bliss as you fought against aliens with the power of gitaroos. Once you, and in U1 (Yuichi) collected all the legendary gitaroos, he became the legendary gitaroo man. Everybody got that? What makes this a personal favorite was that it was the first time that a game like this was even brought to US shores. Eventually falling into obscurity or absurdity, it reached it's peak in price at $150. I found it twice for $17 each. Since then there was a remake on the PSP called Gitaroo Man Lives, but it doesn't beat the original.
9. Conker's Bad Fur Day
This is the dichotomy of all the N64 titles. When you compare the past titles and how they are rather kid friendly to some extent, this basically takes all that, and takes a crap on them and the N64's reputation. Of course it got controversial because of the content and the sales weren't that great. However, because of the raunchy black humor Conker's Fur Day reached cult status, in fact the #1 cult classic. There was a remake released on the original Xbox and is readily available on the XBL marketplace, but it's inferior to the original that censors the infamous Great Mighty Poo song. Since Rareware, not me was bought out by Microsoft their quality has never reached it's former shine ever since. The latest they ever did and will ever amount to now is Kinect games. Oh how the mighty have fallen.
8. Final Fantasy XII Collector's Edition
Final Fantasy 12 is a great game and also the second best recent FF game next to X. The collector's edition is a semi sought out piece because not only does it include a DVD which tells the history of Final Fantasy as well as shows a small preview of the future and polarizing 13, but it comes in a steelbound PS2 case. That alone will be worth $45 alone while the regular version is part of the Greatest Hits lineup. I'd pick this game up anyway.
7. Legend of Mana
Many claim that Secret of Mana as the Magnum Opus of the Mana series, but I'm going to point to the right and say Legend of Mana. The beautiful storybook like graphics, the incredibly somber music, and the branching storylines equal to an amazing experience. Sure the AI wasn't the sharpest and the weapon/armor crafting was limited, but that doesn't deter from what would be a personal gem. Currently Legend of Mana is available on the PSN for $5.99, and for you enthusiasts can find a complete copy for $65. Completionists out there take note that this will be a bit of a challenge.
6. The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword (Gold bundle)
I'm giving this a bit of leeway since this is commonly available anywhere, but the version that I'm talking about comes with a golden controller. What is considered the prequel that started the series chronologically, Skyward Sword proves it still has the chops despite the mixed reactions to it. At first I was skeptic to the position of Link's sword as he was originally a southpaw, but I've gotten used to it. Plus the dungeons and the puzzles are very well created. Might I even say I got a kick out of one of the bosses in the game. Depending on your opinion of Skyward Sword, it's still worth picking up. The gold bundle is worth on average $100, so prepare to pony up the mad ruppee for this great game.
5. The Last Story Collector's Edition
This one is a recent find and a rather special one in it's lineage. What started as a fan project turned global demand named Operation Rainfall The Last Story was part of a trio of games that at first were not being planned to come to the states. A couple of years later, the fan's demand was met with great celebration as this game along with Xenoblade Chronicles and now Pandora's Tower all have reach us shores. I decided to not open my copy because something like this deserves to be preserved. Besides, I got a used copy anyway. Although The Last Story was released to general praise, sealed copies are going up in price at about $67 on average and will soon rise up. Pick up the game regardless of edition. It's still a great game from Mistwalker.
4. Brave Fencer Musashi
This action/RPG is rather an oddball in the Square lineup. It's an action/RPG with full voice acting in a weird food named setting Allyoucaneet with Miyamoto Musashi looking for 5 wall scrolls so he can return home. However it's the silly setting that makes it stand out among the other action/rpgs released at the time by Square. Not only does Musashi have two swords (Lumina and Fusion, but he can assimilate his enemies attacks via Megaman. If the enemy has a shot attack, he can take that shot attack. Musashi also has a few other gameplay mechanics. Not only does he have to sleep to gain BP, but his performance will hinder if he doesn't have that, by eating food he can gain back that BP. There's also a day/night mechanic that affects the environment by what day it is and if it's night or not. Also based on the numbers of factors including wakling, fighting and overall performance, Musashi can gain levels. All this with a soon-to-be all star cast of Mona Marshall, Sandy Fox, David Lucas (Steven Blum), Barbra Goodson, Crispin Freeman etc, Brave Fencer Musashi is worth seeking out.
3. Bust a Groove
Released in the 90s as a quirky Music/Fighter by Enix at the time and 989 Studios (where did they go?), Bust a Groove was a groovy game with a killer soundtrack and a unique fighting system. Here's how it goes: While the music is playing, the beats of the song guide you. You input what appears on the screen in 4 beats. The first 3 prep you for the 4th one as you press the right combo of buttons. The better you get, the closer the camera gets to you. You can also use special attacks to catch the opponent off guard which will mess up their groove. It sounds complicated, but it's really simple. There were changes to the US version that were left behind of the Japanese version. For example in Hamm's theme, the female singer said Nigga in the middle of the song. By today's standards there's a certain double standard that some people can say it, but are still offended by it. Regardless, this is a fun game that should be sought out.
2. Lunar 2 Eternal Blue Complete
The Lunar series is the most underated jrpg series of all time. Compared to Final Fantasy, World of Mana, Tales of, not many remember it. But back when Working Designs (R.I.P) came around they localized and published it for the US market. They went all balls out with the Playstation version. Both Eternal Blue and Silver Star Story was one of those holy grails that many people thought was hard to find. Not only did they include the game, but other premium extras such as a hardbound leather instruction booklet, a soundtrack, and an omake box that included paper standees and a replica of Lucia's Pendant. Back then I found it for 50 bucks, but as time goes on that price has skyrocketed that collectors sought it out online and sellers were selling it for at max 300 bucks for a sealed copy. Years later, XSeed re-released Silver Star Story as Silver Star Harmony on the PSP which also had a special edition that is worth checking out. Oh and you can pick it up for 20 bucks on PSN.
Before I go onto number 1, a few honorable mentions. The rare games that could have made it, but weren't worth it's value as much as many hardcore collectors would believe.
* FireFighter F.D.18
This is a strange game in that it's a full blown action game that plays kind of like that movie Backdraft. You play as a fireman who has to trench through drenching fires and save people. You even get to fight against boss monster fires. Silly sounding but are worth the challenge with names like Inferno, or Blaze. I know, it sounds crazy, but it actually works. The controls take getting used to as they are kind of tank-ish, but this game is still fun. It's only worth $24.00 on average, but I'd pick it up just because it's quirky.
* Incredible Crisis
I can't really explain the premise of this. So here's a video. It's worth at least $27.00 on average.
* Muramasa the Demon Blade
This game features 2 story campaigns, beautiful 2d visuals by our friends at Vanillaware and it's stunning. Unfortunately it was slightly Bowlderised due to either the text limitations of the Wii, or some lines that were too risque for the T rated crowd. Such as after the fight with Raijin and Fuujin in Momohime's campaign, Fuujin says, "I'm rather fond of you." However in the original version he says to her along the lines of, "but I love your fat ass." Yeah, that won't fly well with Nintendo. Also, it's worth $31 and MarvelousAQL formally Ignition Entertainment announced a Vita version of Muramasa. The Limited Edition will set you back 50 or 60 bucks and will go up just like all LEs do. I'd pick either the Wii version or the Vita version, both should keep you going until Vanillaware releases another game (Dragon's Crown)
* Mana Khemia Alchemists of Al-Revis (Cool intro music by the way)
This series is a spin off of the Atelier series where you create items and fight with them. Only this time around you play the role of an amnesiac named Vayne Aurelius and his mana cat Sulhper. Vayne is found by one of Al-Revis' professors and is invited to join the academy of Al-Revis. The game follows his attempts to fit in (complicated by the fact that his timidness and desire to help others make him a doormat) and the slow discovery of his personal past. What makes this special among the other JRPGs within the Atelier series is that it's taken place in a school where you do tasks to gain grades to advance the plot. Plus if you do well you can have more free time to do whatever. There is a PSP version of Mana Khemia, however it suffers from long loading times which you can fix by downloading or installing. Still trying to figure the latter.
1. Persona 4 Golden Solid Gold Edition
This one is a personal one because I actually did the insane thing and preordered the game for the Vita even though I haven't gotten the handheld. Unfortunately, due to some "issues" with the preordering process and Gamestop being Gamestop, they cancelled my preorder and took my money on top of it. Now why is this important? Well, because I love Persona 4 and it's a fantastic game that I did a whole month on how awesome Persona 4 is. Since then, the aptly named Going 4 Gold edition has long gone up in price. I paid 14 more than the regular price which at the time was $69. Now it's going up as high as $500. Five Hundred Dollars! Holy hell! The standard version of the game is still regularly available for around $30 and if you have a Vita it's worth having and telling those naysayers that the Vita actually has games.
15. Tales of Symphonia
This beloved prequel to the Tales series was met with much praise and highly regarded as the best Tales game out there, next to Vesperia. Pfft, it doesn't beat Phantasia on the Super Famicom in my opinion. In any case, this will be a bit of a challenge to find if you want to experience the game itself. I liked it, kinda pissed off about a heel turn, but that's the whole emotional investment in the game. That's how it hooks you. Currently Tales of Symphonia is available in the second hand market complete for about 36.00. I would pick it up as well as a Gamecube to experience such a great game. Bamco announced that there will be a release known as Tales of Symphonia Chronicles on the PS3 in September which will include Symphonia and Dawn of the New World. Europe goers will get the Japanese audio track...lucky.
14. Vagrant Story
One has to wonder why Jrpgs are a bigger investment than their Western counterparts? Vagrant Story was a complex RPG that had a complex story with a steep gameplay learning curve and some mythos behind it. Plus the music composed by Hitoshi Sakimoto was an intense treat as you as Ashley went up against Wyverns and Ifirit. Like most Square RPGs back then, they went up in demand and price. Unfortuntely thanks to PSN and emulation, the value of Vagrant Story went down.
13. Super Mario RPG
I have a personal love for this game as it was the first in a legacy of Mario based RPGs that went on to bigger things. Back then this was a joint effort by Square and Nintendo and back then it was a huge success. Fun, funny, and self impose challenges galore, this brought a plethora of love to the table. The one part of the game which is hard is the optional boss Culex. He is not easy. 12396 HP to be exact in total with the 4 crystals. Of course with the VC and emulation practices all too common these days, the value of the original cart has reduced. It's still a collector's gold mine for a sealed copy worth $715 on average. It's that good! Super Mario RPG can be obtained for 800 points on the Virtual Console. Definitely worth every virtual cent. On a special note: Yoko Shimomura, Koji Kondo, and Nobuo Uematsu composed the music. And it's awesome. There's also a Let's Play of this done by both Chuggaconroy and NintendoCapriSun. Both are well recommended.
12. Final Fantasy Anthology (Black Label)
This compilation game marked the debut of Final Fantasy V in the States as well as VI with an added fmv and extras such as a jukebox to listen to all the tracks, a bestiary, and concept art. (VI was originally 3 to us). The major difference between this and the Greatest Hits version released years later is the soundtrack included. I thought the soundtrack was nice, but ultimately half assed. As I said, small trinkets like that raise the rarity of the item. Since then, you can pick up both games separately for pennies on the dollar with the VC and PSN. Both are available for 800 wii points/9.99. If you are searching for the Anthology itself, the Greatest Hits version can still be found for about $15, but the Black Label will set you back $40 for a complete version. Note: FF All the Bravest is out on IOS and not worth your money. Do not get it!
11. Final Fantasy Chronicles
Basically the same as Anthology above, but with a retranslated Final Fantasy IV and Chrono Trigger. This version of IV however was tweaked from it's SNES counterpart in that it's a bit tougher, the way it was supposed to be. And Chrono Trigger because why not? Also included were new fmvs for both games. However, both Anthology and Chronicles suffered from long loading times which came with the territory of the Playstation, but if you have the patience like I do, it's worth it. Unfortunately, both FFIV and Chrono Trigger are easily found everywhere, including IOS. I wouldn't support the IOS because nothing beats a physical copy of the game in your own console.
10. Gitaroo Man
You might be wondering, what the hell is this doing here? This, fellow reader is the reason why I got into rare games. What started as a curiosity found on Xplay back in the humble year of 2004 became a lifelong journey into a cult classic. This was a rhythm game that has an ass kicking soundtrack with the quirkiness of Japan mixed in. By rotating the analog stick and pressing the Circle button to the lines shown on screen, you basically created gitaroo bliss as you fought against aliens with the power of gitaroos. Once you, and in U1 (Yuichi) collected all the legendary gitaroos, he became the legendary gitaroo man. Everybody got that? What makes this a personal favorite was that it was the first time that a game like this was even brought to US shores. Eventually falling into obscurity or absurdity, it reached it's peak in price at $150. I found it twice for $17 each. Since then there was a remake on the PSP called Gitaroo Man Lives, but it doesn't beat the original.
9. Conker's Bad Fur Day
This is the dichotomy of all the N64 titles. When you compare the past titles and how they are rather kid friendly to some extent, this basically takes all that, and takes a crap on them and the N64's reputation. Of course it got controversial because of the content and the sales weren't that great. However, because of the raunchy black humor Conker's Fur Day reached cult status, in fact the #1 cult classic. There was a remake released on the original Xbox and is readily available on the XBL marketplace, but it's inferior to the original that censors the infamous Great Mighty Poo song. Since Rareware, not me was bought out by Microsoft their quality has never reached it's former shine ever since. The latest they ever did and will ever amount to now is Kinect games. Oh how the mighty have fallen.
8. Final Fantasy XII Collector's Edition
Final Fantasy 12 is a great game and also the second best recent FF game next to X. The collector's edition is a semi sought out piece because not only does it include a DVD which tells the history of Final Fantasy as well as shows a small preview of the future and polarizing 13, but it comes in a steelbound PS2 case. That alone will be worth $45 alone while the regular version is part of the Greatest Hits lineup. I'd pick this game up anyway.
7. Legend of Mana
Many claim that Secret of Mana as the Magnum Opus of the Mana series, but I'm going to point to the right and say Legend of Mana. The beautiful storybook like graphics, the incredibly somber music, and the branching storylines equal to an amazing experience. Sure the AI wasn't the sharpest and the weapon/armor crafting was limited, but that doesn't deter from what would be a personal gem. Currently Legend of Mana is available on the PSN for $5.99, and for you enthusiasts can find a complete copy for $65. Completionists out there take note that this will be a bit of a challenge.
6. The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword (Gold bundle)
I'm giving this a bit of leeway since this is commonly available anywhere, but the version that I'm talking about comes with a golden controller. What is considered the prequel that started the series chronologically, Skyward Sword proves it still has the chops despite the mixed reactions to it. At first I was skeptic to the position of Link's sword as he was originally a southpaw, but I've gotten used to it. Plus the dungeons and the puzzles are very well created. Might I even say I got a kick out of one of the bosses in the game. Depending on your opinion of Skyward Sword, it's still worth picking up. The gold bundle is worth on average $100, so prepare to pony up the mad ruppee for this great game.
5. The Last Story Collector's Edition
This one is a recent find and a rather special one in it's lineage. What started as a fan project turned global demand named Operation Rainfall The Last Story was part of a trio of games that at first were not being planned to come to the states. A couple of years later, the fan's demand was met with great celebration as this game along with Xenoblade Chronicles and now Pandora's Tower all have reach us shores. I decided to not open my copy because something like this deserves to be preserved. Besides, I got a used copy anyway. Although The Last Story was released to general praise, sealed copies are going up in price at about $67 on average and will soon rise up. Pick up the game regardless of edition. It's still a great game from Mistwalker.
4. Brave Fencer Musashi
This action/RPG is rather an oddball in the Square lineup. It's an action/RPG with full voice acting in a weird food named setting Allyoucaneet with Miyamoto Musashi looking for 5 wall scrolls so he can return home. However it's the silly setting that makes it stand out among the other action/rpgs released at the time by Square. Not only does Musashi have two swords (Lumina and Fusion, but he can assimilate his enemies attacks via Megaman. If the enemy has a shot attack, he can take that shot attack. Musashi also has a few other gameplay mechanics. Not only does he have to sleep to gain BP, but his performance will hinder if he doesn't have that, by eating food he can gain back that BP. There's also a day/night mechanic that affects the environment by what day it is and if it's night or not. Also based on the numbers of factors including wakling, fighting and overall performance, Musashi can gain levels. All this with a soon-to-be all star cast of Mona Marshall, Sandy Fox, David Lucas (Steven Blum), Barbra Goodson, Crispin Freeman etc, Brave Fencer Musashi is worth seeking out.
3. Bust a Groove
Released in the 90s as a quirky Music/Fighter by Enix at the time and 989 Studios (where did they go?), Bust a Groove was a groovy game with a killer soundtrack and a unique fighting system. Here's how it goes: While the music is playing, the beats of the song guide you. You input what appears on the screen in 4 beats. The first 3 prep you for the 4th one as you press the right combo of buttons. The better you get, the closer the camera gets to you. You can also use special attacks to catch the opponent off guard which will mess up their groove. It sounds complicated, but it's really simple. There were changes to the US version that were left behind of the Japanese version. For example in Hamm's theme, the female singer said Nigga in the middle of the song. By today's standards there's a certain double standard that some people can say it, but are still offended by it. Regardless, this is a fun game that should be sought out.
2. Lunar 2 Eternal Blue Complete
The Lunar series is the most underated jrpg series of all time. Compared to Final Fantasy, World of Mana, Tales of, not many remember it. But back when Working Designs (R.I.P) came around they localized and published it for the US market. They went all balls out with the Playstation version. Both Eternal Blue and Silver Star Story was one of those holy grails that many people thought was hard to find. Not only did they include the game, but other premium extras such as a hardbound leather instruction booklet, a soundtrack, and an omake box that included paper standees and a replica of Lucia's Pendant. Back then I found it for 50 bucks, but as time goes on that price has skyrocketed that collectors sought it out online and sellers were selling it for at max 300 bucks for a sealed copy. Years later, XSeed re-released Silver Star Story as Silver Star Harmony on the PSP which also had a special edition that is worth checking out. Oh and you can pick it up for 20 bucks on PSN.
Before I go onto number 1, a few honorable mentions. The rare games that could have made it, but weren't worth it's value as much as many hardcore collectors would believe.
* FireFighter F.D.18
This is a strange game in that it's a full blown action game that plays kind of like that movie Backdraft. You play as a fireman who has to trench through drenching fires and save people. You even get to fight against boss monster fires. Silly sounding but are worth the challenge with names like Inferno, or Blaze. I know, it sounds crazy, but it actually works. The controls take getting used to as they are kind of tank-ish, but this game is still fun. It's only worth $24.00 on average, but I'd pick it up just because it's quirky.
* Incredible Crisis
I can't really explain the premise of this. So here's a video. It's worth at least $27.00 on average.
* Muramasa the Demon Blade
This game features 2 story campaigns, beautiful 2d visuals by our friends at Vanillaware and it's stunning. Unfortunately it was slightly Bowlderised due to either the text limitations of the Wii, or some lines that were too risque for the T rated crowd. Such as after the fight with Raijin and Fuujin in Momohime's campaign, Fuujin says, "I'm rather fond of you." However in the original version he says to her along the lines of, "but I love your fat ass." Yeah, that won't fly well with Nintendo. Also, it's worth $31 and MarvelousAQL formally Ignition Entertainment announced a Vita version of Muramasa. The Limited Edition will set you back 50 or 60 bucks and will go up just like all LEs do. I'd pick either the Wii version or the Vita version, both should keep you going until Vanillaware releases another game (Dragon's Crown)
* Mana Khemia Alchemists of Al-Revis (Cool intro music by the way)
This series is a spin off of the Atelier series where you create items and fight with them. Only this time around you play the role of an amnesiac named Vayne Aurelius and his mana cat Sulhper. Vayne is found by one of Al-Revis' professors and is invited to join the academy of Al-Revis. The game follows his attempts to fit in (complicated by the fact that his timidness and desire to help others make him a doormat) and the slow discovery of his personal past. What makes this special among the other JRPGs within the Atelier series is that it's taken place in a school where you do tasks to gain grades to advance the plot. Plus if you do well you can have more free time to do whatever. There is a PSP version of Mana Khemia, however it suffers from long loading times which you can fix by downloading or installing. Still trying to figure the latter.
1. Persona 4 Golden Solid Gold Edition
This one is a personal one because I actually did the insane thing and preordered the game for the Vita even though I haven't gotten the handheld. Unfortunately, due to some "issues" with the preordering process and Gamestop being Gamestop, they cancelled my preorder and took my money on top of it. Now why is this important? Well, because I love Persona 4 and it's a fantastic game that I did a whole month on how awesome Persona 4 is. Since then, the aptly named Going 4 Gold edition has long gone up in price. I paid 14 more than the regular price which at the time was $69. Now it's going up as high as $500. Five Hundred Dollars! Holy hell! The standard version of the game is still regularly available for around $30 and if you have a Vita it's worth having and telling those naysayers that the Vita actually has games.
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Rarefindit's Top 25 Rare Games (Part 1)
The art of collecting is a rather strange craft. Whether it be movies, games, music, comics, or media etc, people put a lot of effort and time in something to either preserve it for future generations, or shill it for a quick steady buck. Most may do it for the latter, but some may do it for the sentimental value that it had in their early years. Then there's myself included.
Lately I've been watching seldom videos of people showing off their Game collection on Youtube, and while I do appreciate the effort they put in to continue their dedication to what they love to do, many others don't share that same love. It's through the thought that if something is completed it's sacrificed for half or less value of what it was supposedly worth. Basically junk.
Over the past 9 years or so I've been working on gaining a reputation of being a Rare Game Hunter. The difference between that and collectors is I seek out these rare games for others more than myself. I've expanded to comics and TV as well in the past, but games are my forte. It's also taught me a bit about the business in which these are priced the way they are (Read: Gouged prices) and how much they are sought out. That's why I would like to present a top 10 rare games that I currently own. It maybe a list done over and over and compared to other games that are chump change compared to what I have, I don't care! You don't like it, look at some other generic top 10 list.
Here's Rarefindit's Top 25 Rare Games I Currently Own!
First, some guidelines. I will list the details on the rare games based on how much they are worth price wise, sentimental wise, history, and rating of rarity. You can probably find it on Rarityguide.com, but do note that some games aren't listed there yet. Also, the farthest I will go back to is at least the 3rd generation. I am from that era, you know. Also, no sports games. Those are a dime a dozen, and I don't play them. Lastly the prices are listed based on inflation of the market. So one thing may go up in terms of limited print run, or go down with the announcement of a remake on the IOS. Let's hope it's not for the latter because that's a cheap gimmick to entice smartphone users. If there is something I missed with these games, please let me know. Also, emulation devalues any potential for future rare games. Whether it be on the PSN/XBLA/VC/EShop/Hackers.
25. Silhouette Mirage
This obscure 2D run and gun action game has been lost to the annals of time and not many people remember this one. But what I do remember is that this one was published by Working Designs before their untimely death in the 90s. They are known for releasing Lunar on the Playstation and Sega CD. It's quite a shame that this fun game has not gotten enough love among collectors or there's not much of a demand for it. Currently it's worth 27.00. I'd still pick it up, as long as you can endure yourself from hearing "reflector" alot.
24. The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time Golden Cartridge
Ocarina of Time is a timeless classic that has withstood the test of time and is always a blast to play. When it was released in 1998, Nintendo released 2 versions. The standard grey cart version and the gold one. The one major difference between the two is that Ganondorf's blood was changed from red to green. There was also a golden console version to go with the gold cart of the game. Unfortunately with the advent of the virtual console and emulation as well as a remake on the 3DS, the demand for this has gone slightly down for a loose copy at $29.00. That shouldn't stop you from picking up this game no matter what version it might be.
23. Persona 3 Limited Edition
I'm quite ashamed at myself that I didn't pick this up upon launch nor Fes. This is what brought in new fans to the Persona series and partially to Shin Megami Tensei. P3 refines the RPG and turns it into a turn based instead of strategy. Instead of recruiting demons and using cards of the arcana to make your own personas, the demons are the cards and you fuse them to make more. Also introduced from then on is the Social Link aspect where you interact with the NPCs to gain levels to level up your personas. Sure in the original P3 you had no control over your character and that one of the characters acted like a bitch in fes (Yukari), but with the release of P3Portable, you now can enjoy the same game, but with a different female aspect and controllable AI partners. If you still want the original with an artbook, it's still obtainable at $30.
22. Persona 2 Innocent Sin Collector's Edition.
Persona is a cherished and highly praised series. P4 is one of my favorite games of all time and 3 is up there to. However, not many know about it's turn based strategic origins on the Playstation. Atlus however released a remake on the PSP with a mini soundtrack. Innocent Sin is the forgotten half to Eternal Punishment and I'm glad it was released stateside. If you were to try and find Revelations Persona on the Playstation, you'd be paying a heft sum for it since it was remade on the PSP a couple of years ago and the localization of the original was not very good. I'd pick up Innocent Sin because the story is pretty good and if you have the patience, it's worth your time. Just try to not pay attention to the H.E.R (High Encounter Rate) as it's too damn high. Oh, and you fight space nazis. You can pick up the Innocent Sin remake for $30.
21. Koudelka
A precursor to the Shadow Hearts series, this origin game was conceived by ex Square developers and is a combination of survival horror and turn based RPG (wait what?). Koudelka the titular bratty gypsy is sent to a monastery in 19th Century Wales to find out about the psychic disturbance that she keeps hearing about. There he meets an adventurer named Edward and a priest named James. Oh and they meet Roger Bacon. Yes, that Roger Bacon. If you are an RPG enthusiast like myself, then you might enjoy this. A complete copy will nab you 60, but a loose copy is worth 32 on average.
20. Star Ocean the Second Story
I hated this game. Not because of the story or being the first Star Ocean game to reach US shores before the 3rd one. No I hated it because of it's difficulty. Star Ocean marks for the first time that real time combat is used in an RPG. As well as the aspect of gaining romantic relationships with NPCs and who you can recruit based on your choices. Too bad my choices sucked and I ended up not finishing the game. Later on Square remade Star Ocean the Second Story as Second Evolution for the PSP in 2009. But the original sequel is still worthy of being sought out at $32. Bonus: Incarnation of Devil is awesome.
19. Dark Cloud 2
Dark Cloud 2 is the sequel known outside the US as Dark Chronicle developed by Level 5, which is a spiritual successor to Act Raiser. Basically you are rebuilding the world after an evil being seals up all humans into spheres. It also has a rogue dungeon-like aspect in that most of the dungeons are randomly generated as you gain more and more objects to restore the world and rid of the evil Dark Genie. Oh, and Scott Menville plays a Time Hybrid (Man of the past has a child with a woman of the future). The first one is alright, but the sequel is a little harder to find. Currently Dark Chronicle is priced at $34.00.
18. Elemental Gearbolt
Now I know what you are thinking: What the hell is this? First, it's a rail shooter, but it's also an obscure rail shooter with RPG elements. Oh, did I mention that it had anime cutscenes done by Madhouse? It was also quite difficult for non guncon owners and LCD TV users. But that didn't stop it from being very hard to find 10 years after it's release. I found it for 20 bucks, and the price for it jumped to double. If you can find it, I'd give it a try.
17. Threads of Fate
This action/rpg known as Dew Prism elsewhere was pretty forgettable, but fun. The game offered 2 storylines with 2 different characters. One involved Rue, a boy that could turn into his enemies, the other was a girl named Mint who used magic and fought with a giant chakram. I picked this up a long time ago for $6 and was surprised that it's rarity jumped significantly online. Threads of Fate will set you back $36 for a complete and much more for a sealed copy.
16. Fate/Extra Special Edition
For those who moved onto the Vita at the time of this game's release, Fate/Extra is a turn based RPG/Visual Novel released for the PSP by Aksys. Why is this on the list? Well, the collector's edition has the extra incentive of including a hardback artbook and soundtrack to the game. Now every potential rare game hunter should take note that these small trinkets sometimes increase the value of the item. Don't know why, it just does. About the game itself, Visual Novel meets turn based rpg meets rock paper scissors. I'll give it a shot one day. You can pick up the game new for about $50 at Fry's, but a complete copy will run you at least 36.00. I got mine for $6.66... uh oh.
Lately I've been watching seldom videos of people showing off their Game collection on Youtube, and while I do appreciate the effort they put in to continue their dedication to what they love to do, many others don't share that same love. It's through the thought that if something is completed it's sacrificed for half or less value of what it was supposedly worth. Basically junk.
Over the past 9 years or so I've been working on gaining a reputation of being a Rare Game Hunter. The difference between that and collectors is I seek out these rare games for others more than myself. I've expanded to comics and TV as well in the past, but games are my forte. It's also taught me a bit about the business in which these are priced the way they are (Read: Gouged prices) and how much they are sought out. That's why I would like to present a top 10 rare games that I currently own. It maybe a list done over and over and compared to other games that are chump change compared to what I have, I don't care! You don't like it, look at some other generic top 10 list.
Here's Rarefindit's Top 25 Rare Games I Currently Own!
First, some guidelines. I will list the details on the rare games based on how much they are worth price wise, sentimental wise, history, and rating of rarity. You can probably find it on Rarityguide.com, but do note that some games aren't listed there yet. Also, the farthest I will go back to is at least the 3rd generation. I am from that era, you know. Also, no sports games. Those are a dime a dozen, and I don't play them. Lastly the prices are listed based on inflation of the market. So one thing may go up in terms of limited print run, or go down with the announcement of a remake on the IOS. Let's hope it's not for the latter because that's a cheap gimmick to entice smartphone users. If there is something I missed with these games, please let me know. Also, emulation devalues any potential for future rare games. Whether it be on the PSN/XBLA/VC/EShop/Hackers.
25. Silhouette Mirage
This obscure 2D run and gun action game has been lost to the annals of time and not many people remember this one. But what I do remember is that this one was published by Working Designs before their untimely death in the 90s. They are known for releasing Lunar on the Playstation and Sega CD. It's quite a shame that this fun game has not gotten enough love among collectors or there's not much of a demand for it. Currently it's worth 27.00. I'd still pick it up, as long as you can endure yourself from hearing "reflector" alot.
24. The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time Golden Cartridge
Ocarina of Time is a timeless classic that has withstood the test of time and is always a blast to play. When it was released in 1998, Nintendo released 2 versions. The standard grey cart version and the gold one. The one major difference between the two is that Ganondorf's blood was changed from red to green. There was also a golden console version to go with the gold cart of the game. Unfortunately with the advent of the virtual console and emulation as well as a remake on the 3DS, the demand for this has gone slightly down for a loose copy at $29.00. That shouldn't stop you from picking up this game no matter what version it might be.
23. Persona 3 Limited Edition
I'm quite ashamed at myself that I didn't pick this up upon launch nor Fes. This is what brought in new fans to the Persona series and partially to Shin Megami Tensei. P3 refines the RPG and turns it into a turn based instead of strategy. Instead of recruiting demons and using cards of the arcana to make your own personas, the demons are the cards and you fuse them to make more. Also introduced from then on is the Social Link aspect where you interact with the NPCs to gain levels to level up your personas. Sure in the original P3 you had no control over your character and that one of the characters acted like a bitch in fes (Yukari), but with the release of P3Portable, you now can enjoy the same game, but with a different female aspect and controllable AI partners. If you still want the original with an artbook, it's still obtainable at $30.
22. Persona 2 Innocent Sin Collector's Edition.
Persona is a cherished and highly praised series. P4 is one of my favorite games of all time and 3 is up there to. However, not many know about it's turn based strategic origins on the Playstation. Atlus however released a remake on the PSP with a mini soundtrack. Innocent Sin is the forgotten half to Eternal Punishment and I'm glad it was released stateside. If you were to try and find Revelations Persona on the Playstation, you'd be paying a heft sum for it since it was remade on the PSP a couple of years ago and the localization of the original was not very good. I'd pick up Innocent Sin because the story is pretty good and if you have the patience, it's worth your time. Just try to not pay attention to the H.E.R (High Encounter Rate) as it's too damn high. Oh, and you fight space nazis. You can pick up the Innocent Sin remake for $30.
21. Koudelka
A precursor to the Shadow Hearts series, this origin game was conceived by ex Square developers and is a combination of survival horror and turn based RPG (wait what?). Koudelka the titular bratty gypsy is sent to a monastery in 19th Century Wales to find out about the psychic disturbance that she keeps hearing about. There he meets an adventurer named Edward and a priest named James. Oh and they meet Roger Bacon. Yes, that Roger Bacon. If you are an RPG enthusiast like myself, then you might enjoy this. A complete copy will nab you 60, but a loose copy is worth 32 on average.
20. Star Ocean the Second Story
I hated this game. Not because of the story or being the first Star Ocean game to reach US shores before the 3rd one. No I hated it because of it's difficulty. Star Ocean marks for the first time that real time combat is used in an RPG. As well as the aspect of gaining romantic relationships with NPCs and who you can recruit based on your choices. Too bad my choices sucked and I ended up not finishing the game. Later on Square remade Star Ocean the Second Story as Second Evolution for the PSP in 2009. But the original sequel is still worthy of being sought out at $32. Bonus: Incarnation of Devil is awesome.
19. Dark Cloud 2
Dark Cloud 2 is the sequel known outside the US as Dark Chronicle developed by Level 5, which is a spiritual successor to Act Raiser. Basically you are rebuilding the world after an evil being seals up all humans into spheres. It also has a rogue dungeon-like aspect in that most of the dungeons are randomly generated as you gain more and more objects to restore the world and rid of the evil Dark Genie. Oh, and Scott Menville plays a Time Hybrid (Man of the past has a child with a woman of the future). The first one is alright, but the sequel is a little harder to find. Currently Dark Chronicle is priced at $34.00.
18. Elemental Gearbolt
Now I know what you are thinking: What the hell is this? First, it's a rail shooter, but it's also an obscure rail shooter with RPG elements. Oh, did I mention that it had anime cutscenes done by Madhouse? It was also quite difficult for non guncon owners and LCD TV users. But that didn't stop it from being very hard to find 10 years after it's release. I found it for 20 bucks, and the price for it jumped to double. If you can find it, I'd give it a try.
17. Threads of Fate
This action/rpg known as Dew Prism elsewhere was pretty forgettable, but fun. The game offered 2 storylines with 2 different characters. One involved Rue, a boy that could turn into his enemies, the other was a girl named Mint who used magic and fought with a giant chakram. I picked this up a long time ago for $6 and was surprised that it's rarity jumped significantly online. Threads of Fate will set you back $36 for a complete and much more for a sealed copy.
16. Fate/Extra Special Edition
For those who moved onto the Vita at the time of this game's release, Fate/Extra is a turn based RPG/Visual Novel released for the PSP by Aksys. Why is this on the list? Well, the collector's edition has the extra incentive of including a hardback artbook and soundtrack to the game. Now every potential rare game hunter should take note that these small trinkets sometimes increase the value of the item. Don't know why, it just does. About the game itself, Visual Novel meets turn based rpg meets rock paper scissors. I'll give it a shot one day. You can pick up the game new for about $50 at Fry's, but a complete copy will run you at least 36.00. I got mine for $6.66... uh oh.
Part 2 will come soon. Also if you are interested in checking out Rarefindit, I'm also part of The Geek Spectrum. So everything here will be featured there as well. Check out both when you get the chance.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Rare's Soapbox Losing the Game
Normally I don't let politics get to me and the here-say that leads to nowhere. No matter which side says someone suffers in the grasp of their own follies. However, due to recent events, I couldn't help but feel that this is something that is not only pointless, but rather close to hitting the beehive.
Lately I've glanced on the tragic events of the Sandy Hook Massacre back in December. That is not what I'm aiming for right now, but rather the blame put on video games that were somehow related to this. If you allow me the soapbox that I'm not standing on, please hear me out.
Video games are not the cause of or was there any connection to them to the massacre. If you were to tell me the assailant was a gamer, you are just barking up the wrong tree. No one knows if there was any connection to him and games at all other than the fact that he played them. Thus assuming he used games to plan out his horrendous acts on the elementary school is just uninformative (read: stupid) to assume.
To everyone who reads this, please understand: This whole spending millions on a case study to see if video games are the cause of violent behavior is none other than what utter bu-silliness.
And to the congressmen who say in laymen terms, "shut up the grown ups are talking!" you are treading on thin ice with no evidence to your claim about games and the connection to violence. Choose wisely your words Congressmen, for they will change the fate of a future reelection.
As a former gamer and upright law abiding college student, I can give you unmitigated evidence that games are not what makes people violent.
All kinds of media including music or comics or games do not make someone violent initially. Sports do. It is nothing more than entertainment we use to give us pleasure. The visual that we see on games does not influence one to start shooting. We are still humans, and humans are naturally violent. Do you condemn an animal from biting someone because of their master? No, it's because they too are violent because it's nature. We consume what we see including sports to which many of us are dedicated to a sports team that represents our territory. In other words we are territorial creatures.
As for "violent video games", as I said they are not the cause, because it is only a medium in which we as a consumer pay for to have fun. To those who can not differentiate real and fiction suffer from what is known as "Diminished Sense of Reality". Do you know where I learned that? a "violent video game". Also, not all games are "violent". It is through the mass appeal that you see something so popular that you should use it as a scapegoat to cover up the real truth.
If you wish to fully understand the meaning behind something, you must look at the source. The assailant was not mentally stable nor did we understand their motives. Look into the mental health of someone before you pass judgement. You don't need a case study for that.
The truth being is that the recent tragic events have no connection to games and is nothing more than just nasal grazing and over picking something that many do not understand. Does the music we listen to influence us to beat up our girlfriends, divorce them and make a song about how he misses beating up his girlfriend? No, it's because we take none of what we see and half of what we hear out of context. My dad once told me we should take half of what we see and none of what we hear to heart.
Where is your evidence stating that games are the cause for violent behavior? Where is your evidence that proves that the man who caused the Dark Knight premiere shooting that he was right in the head? Not all of us are violent creatures. We donate money to charities like Child's Play and help those in need. If there is one thing that games have taught me is be more civilized and that I don't need a stinking reason to help others. If there is one thing connected to these along with other past massacres and tragic events is the guns or weapons the assailants used. That is your real culprit: Gun owners and the mental well being. TAKE THAT!
There is a positive side to games as they teach us things that we normally don't see in textbooks or what teachers don't teach. Reader Rabbit teaches more than reading, Math Blasters teaches math (what a shocker huh?) Elmo's Number Journey shows an epic fight against a monster where putting 2+3=5 destroys it. And other games have a more beautiful setting that gives us better perspectives, like Eternal Sonata, a JRPG about Frederick Chopin in his fever dreams. Or just by personal preference Persona 4 which taught me about relationships with people and a little about social psychology with the Personas and Shadows being both one and the same. Heck even the weird games gives us a better perspective on other cultures. We all do not consume the same thing, we are different from the sports guy to the role playing lady (if that exists).
I implore you who read this, take what I say to heart and not place the blame on a medium that shouldn't be banned. Blame the parents that let them do this. I saw an 8 year old buying an M rated game with their mother's consent. If you really want to try to stop the sale of these "violent video games", then you would have made a powerful enemy with not just me, but with every single citizen who invests in the medium. So to all the soccer moms or hockey moms or positive health lifestyle teaching First Ladies, put those fingers down, out of noses and lay off the games. It's your fault you let them. Show some backbone and say no.
You are the biggest influence to children and you only have one chance to make a lasting impression. Don't screw it up.
If you have any questions, suggestions, possible hatemail for me, fell free to email me at rarefindit@gmail.com.
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Rare's Movie Thoughts of 2012
Welcome back. Since Christmas has past and all the holiday festive jollies are out of every one's system, I thought I give my year end review on what movies to check out and which ones to avoid. They are most likely already on DVD, available for streaming or hasn't been released yet. Check your local movie info sites such as IMDB or Wikipedia, Movies.com or Coming Soon.net to see more.
First up, The Secret World of Arrietty. I admit this was the first Studio Ghibli film I have seen in a long time. The last couple I saw were My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service as a kid. Then again I was not in the right mindset to watch them when I was a kid. I saw this with a friend for my birthday before things went sour. It wasn't any fault at all, just something that happened. Wish I can say I forgive them, but better to let them come back when their ready. Anyway, Arrietty was a pleasant film that hit all the right buttons. The animation was nice, the voice acting was good, and the story, albeit inspired by the Borrowers felt original. Plus Arrietty was voiced by Amy Pohler who I have some respect for being an ex SNL writer. Sure it might have ended on a bit of a downer, but at least it was good enough that the boy would go on to a full recover. At least I hope. The Secret World of Arrietty is available on bluray and DVD..
Marvel's Avengers Assemble - The much beloved film of 2012 and the one that made the most. I went in with not much to expect. I know people are going to hate me for saying this, but I just thought it was OK. Not bad mind you and not Peerless, but OK. I think it's probably because the story spent too much time on Robert Downey Jr. and his smart ass role as Tony Stark. In fact with the 3/4 of it being an all-out action fest that's what most of the interaction with the characters felt like: Nick Fury explains the dilemma, the rest speak, Tony has a quip here and there and then ass kicking time. Maybe it's just me, but Tony Stark reminds me a bit too much like myself. I did laugh at the Hulk's retort to Loki. But honestly the fan crossovers are the aftermath in which I don't want any part of. I guess that makes up for the quickie review I did for this movie. The Avengers are out now on all platforms.
Battleship - OK, I admit it. I did not see Battleship, but do I really need a reason to? My review should tell you all there is to know about it. Dare I even make a comparison to what I thought of Infinite Stratos? Like that show, this movie is shit. There I said it, now go watch the asylum film!
Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter - Well what did you expect the Spanish Inquisition? It's Lincoln versus vampires and it kinda works despite the stupid premise. I would think such a parody of this and Pride and Prejudice with Zombies are within a subgenre of novels where they take an existing literature classic and put their spin on it. In that case, I eagerly await for Great Expectations with robot monkies in it. Wait, that happened? Oh yeah. It's out on DVD.
Brave - Again, I didn't see it until a couple of weeks ago, but it doesn't matter. Merida is a rebellious princess bride-to-be and in the far off wondrous land of... wherever the hell this Scottish land is, as her father and mother sets up a tournament to see which man would be the chosen one to take Merida's hand in marriage. Too bad Merida won the damn thing and pissed her mom off. Soon she comes across a witch's hut and is given a potion to turn her mom into a different creature. Her mom then turns into a bear. Ok? Soon, it's a race against the daylight as Merida tries to find a cure for her unbearable curse as a bear. Man, Merida is kind of a bitch. You seriously think a princess like that would sell well among the Disney Princess lineup that is there just for show? I think not. The movie was ok. It did have some nice backgrounds and the mother getting along with her daughter is a nice touch. but Pixar try a little harder next time huh? This isn't Mother Bear you know! Brave is out on DVD.
The Dark Knight Rises - It was alright. It didn't have the same punch as the Dark Knight did, but it was OK. Yes I may be a sucker for violence and I did feel that this needed more spice in it's violence, but that's just me. Bane wasn't as menacing as say the Joker was. Joker was in it for the chaos while Bane was in it for new order and anarchy (irony alert). I didn't feel the same for the citizens who at that point should have rose up against Bane's tyranny, and that mask makes you sound like Sean Connery! It was unfortunate that this movie premiered at the same time some a-hole went in and caused chaos in a theater the exact same time the movie was playing. Whoever that guy is, wherever that guy is, someone needs to wipe that smug smile off his face and cut his ginger hair off! (with apology to all gingers who read this) The Dark Knight Rises is available on all platforms (bluray, DVD, ultraviolet, digital and 3D.)
Paranorman - One of the most surprising and great movies I've seen in a while. Not only was it a breath of fresh air to see a stop motion film outside of Coraline, but a rather dark one too. Norman is a boy who has the ability to see ghosts. When he learns of a curse on the town he lives in it's up to him to stop it. However, he brings along his shallow cheerleader sister Courtney, his surprisingly (perverted) fat schoolmate Neil, his Jockey and ambiguously something brother Mitch who Courtney tries to hit on, some idiot savant Casanova wannabe bully Alvin, and the book that his uncle the crazy late Prenderghast had. Turns out the book was just a storybook and Norman had to read the "incantation" (read: fairytale) to the witch's curse. It wasn't until the 3rd act where things got intense with the witch who turns out to be a little girl. It was probably her ghost form or as I will call her Shadow Aggie that made it pretty dark. I know she isn't a Shadow nor does she have a Persona, but damn it it should count! Sure it may have had a strange message about bullying, but I didn't mind. Plus the reveal at the end will have you laugh at least once. (Mitch is gay) At least I did. Oh and could someone tell John Goodman and Alex Borstein to not eat all of the curtains next time they act. I swear you actors have to eat everything when you make a scene. Paranorman is available on all platforms (bluray, DVD, 3D, Ultraviolet) Oh and if you are wondering what ultraviolet is, it's the digital format. Pretty much I buy a copy of it and play it on my old ipod.
Looper - Set in the future where sliders become criminals and Joseph Gordon Levitt is a slider killer, he finds out that something bad will happen in the future that will change if he influences someone in the past not to turn bad. Too bad Bruce Willis is willing to kill the bad person who he won't exist in the future. I wasn't a fan of time traveling movies and InFamous left a bad taste in my mouth for them. However, Looper was a surprise for me. Yes it was difficult to keep track of everything until Bruce Willis came out with a shotgun and went to town. I need not say anymore. Looper is available on all platforms.
Hotel Transylvania - Genndy Tartakovsky is a prolific animator and sort of an Ensemble Darkhorse when it comes to animation. Samurai Jack was a great piece that needn't any dialogue to tell a story, Dexter's Lab, Star Wars the Clone Wars which if you still love Star Wars you'll like this; and Symbiotic Titan which had a fantastic first season but was cut short due to no to poor toy sales has seen a rise in recent cult classic status. Now in his first debut as a director is Hotel Transylvania. Dracula has a hotel for monsters, and his daughter just turned 118 (She's legal guys). Mavis wants to explore the world now that she is of age, but Dracula says no because humans might be evil. Cue the only idiot human traveler to stumble upon the titular hotel Jonathan who becomes bat crazy over Mavis. So Dracula tries to make him into a Frankenstein's Monster which should have fooled Franky. This movie has a lot of bite in it's comedy. And no, it's not because it has Adam Sandler in it, but you really can't notice him. It does have Fran Drescher which you can notice right away (am I right fellas?) Also, the animation is smooth, slick, and downright gorgeous. I was glad to see this movie with a friend because going alone to see an Adam Sandler movie would have been awkward. Either that or go see the Oogieloves. Hotel Translvania will be available on bluray and DVD on January 29th. I know you want to see it in 3D, but 2D is much better, honest. Oh, and buy the artbook. It's pretty damn good.
Ted - Now this is your curve ball here since I didn't see it last year, but rather a few days ago. It was sweet, but has inconsistent mood swings. John receives an adorable teddie bear as a kid and makes a wish for it to talk. It freaks out his parents, but it talks. Decades later at 35 John and Ted are washed up pot smoking lewd immature slackers who like doing the same stuff over and over. John's girlfriend Lori might think that Ted is a bad influence on John and Ted thinks she will come between their relationship. He's right, you know. This movie has a lot of heart and plenty of spice in the comedy. The only problem I see is not the fact that Ted is played by Seth MacFarlane who sounds like Peter Griffin, but the fact that Ted is played by Seth MacFarlane who sounds like Peter Griffin. But then again it's his film and if you like 1980 references fly over your head and the fact that they got Flash Gordon to make a story relevant cameo is nothing short of hilarious, oh and Ted and John get shitfaced with him. And Tom Skerrit. Look him up I don't know. Ted is available on DVD and other platforms. I'd pick it up.
Frankenweenie - If there is a word that best describes this movie's production history it would be Irony. Why? Because this movie was what got Burton fired from Disney back in the 80s for being too dark and too macabre. Cue to decades later where he tries again and they said OK. Rounding out the animation tri-fecta is Frankenweenie which was a nice noir stop motion homage to horror movies in the 1950s. From Sparky the lovable dog who is brought back to life after getting hit by a car, to the Mummy, to even Gamera for some reason. It kinda ends without any resolution, but then again Burton wasn't that great with endings (Corpse Bride). I still had a great time and it's nice to see something good out of Burton unlike those other, movies, he, did. Frankenweenie is available on DVD.
Lincoln - ZZZ... Huh what? Oh yeah 13th amendment passing. Well that was boring. I thought it was OK, but truth be told history is not my best subject. I only saw this with my dad and brother and I appropriately crashed due to eating too many orange tic tacs (my "drug" if you will) and not because the movie was funny in small parts and with it's "liberal" tone. Lincoln is up for an Oscar and will probably see a DVD release soon.
Wreck-It-Ralph - "I'm gonna wreck it!" Set in the video game world, Ralph is a villain of the Donkey Kong expy game Fix it Felix who can't catch a break. He's getting sick of being treated like shit by the Nicelanders. So Ralph sets out to find a medal so that he can prove to them that he can be a hero. However, Ralph's face turn and "going turbo" leaves the arcade in havoc as Ralph ends up in Sugar Rush, a new racing game where he meets Vanellope von Schweetz. Like Ralph, she suffers from being the odd racer out as the other racers and King Candy leave her out because of her ability to glitch. Soon Ralph and Vanellope find themselves in a convoluted mess involving the Cybugs from Sergeant Calhoun's game and Fixit Felix jr. returning Wreck it Ralph from Sugar Rush to prevent a horrible thing that happened in the past and "Going Turbo". First off, Sugar Rush, Strawberry Shortcake called. She wants her world back! Second, this was pretty good. It supposedly uses video game characters to lure in unsuspected parents and kids thinking that Disney made a movie with video game characters that they know and love. Naive perhaps, but sadly they are there as a marketing ploy. Sonic is there yeah, but he's not there for the story. Neff from Altered Beast? Nope, he's there on the movie poster because... I have no idea. Mario? Not even in it! Yuni from Dance Dance Revolution? how much did Konami shill for her cameo again? This is supposedly Ralph's story, but it turns into Sugar Rush which it was originally supposed to be. In fact in Japan the movie was called Sugar Rush. Why else did they use AKB48 for the theme song? All nitpicking aside this was a fun movie to see with a group who grew up with you during that childish time of video games. Some may hate Sarah Silverman for her nasally voice, but if you spend 1 1/2 of listening to Fran Drescher and her voice, maybe you'd reconsider. Wreck-It-Ralph is still highly recommended and there's plenty to fun for everyone...if you are of the gamer type. Wreck-It-Ralph will be released on March 5th on all available formats. Definitely pick this one up.
Breaking Dawn Part II - Let's not mince words here, this is a piece of shit and is popular for all the wrong reasons. Now that that's out of the way: Hey guys, how was that epic fight with the werewolves and vampires and...oh wait! It didn't happen! Honestly, I don't give a crap about Twilight. I don't care for the fans it's garnered. I care not for thy loyalty towards thine foul curse bearing beast. Twilight is a terrible terrible story and those are horrendous movies. No matter how much you say to me that the fight in Breaking Dawn Part II is worth it, or the Rifftrax enhances the movie, you are just in denial. And to my brother who bought Breaking Dawn Part I for his girlfriend out of spite of what I said: If you ever do that shit again, I swear I will punch you, and break your DVD. You can obviously tell I didn't see it and the fact that I just spoiled the movie. It shouldn't matter really. Twilight is a blight on cinema and standards are so below the bar that I worry about the fall of man. If my girlfriend tells me she wants me to take her to see it, it's the equivalent to a Dear John letter. Breaking Dawn Part II will be out on DVD eventually, but don't get it. It's not worth it. If you have a bonfire on a beach and you want to burn something, take any Twilight merchandise you find and set it asunder! The world needs less literature pollution such as this and add 50 Shades of Grey while you're at it. Nothing worse than a horrible book than fanfiction of a horrible book. That and it's pretty much porn. Get 50,000 Shades of Grey by Mr. Stuart Ashens instead. It's better.
And those are my thoughts on the movies of 2012. There was more mediocre than good and the good were outlandishly overshadowed by the bad. Here's to 2013. Let's hope it doesn't turn into Line Simulator the year. (FFXIII joke, people hate it)
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Rare's Anime Streaming Recommendations 2.0
It's that time again! The year is fast approaching it's end, finals are drawing near and the fall season is almost done. Time to see what shows I recommended from this past year that you should check out.
2012 was a strange year in terms of shows. You had your share of moeblobs, parodies and forbidden romance. As well as your widget shows and mind boggles that involve robotic suicidal loaves of bread, and your intentionally funny horror. From space pirates to wizards to zombies to socially inept boys and the alien blondies who join them. It's sort of "unique" to find something different and ironic about the rest. But then again this year has certainly been showy, but has been following a theme of irony. At least from my part.
Same rules apply from last year: I'm giving my opinion to what I saw this year and glanced at at others. For some I saw the whole thing and others the 3 episode rule. I'll even include Sentai and tokusatsu; Yes it may seem cheating, but it's worth to give them a chance. Who knows, you might like something you see. Also note that some of these shows are either readily available at your participating streaming sites or licensed. Check your regularly updated website to see which got picked. Here's the lineup from last year:
Papa no Iukoto o Kikinasai! (Listen to me girls, I'm your father) - 19 year old Yuuta Segawa just entered college as a freshmen at the literature department of Tama University, which is a big thing for him. Until a few years ago, Yuuta lived with his sister Yuri who was the only motherly figure to him since their mom died while he was a kid and her in high school. Since then both of them lived together sharing a bond that only a mother and child can share. Enter Shingo Takanashi who went and married Yuri and had 2 kids from previous marriages, Miu and Sora as well as their own daughter 3 year old Hina. One day while on a trip Yuri and Shingo went missing and after 6 months were presumed dead. During their a quick funeral, Yuuta's relatives argued and debated over who gets custody over the 3 girls. Yuuta jumps at the call and says that he will take care of them to which his aunt vehemently refuses. So Yuuta takes the girls to live with him, but juggling a college life, raising 3 girls, and a job shouldn't be that hard for him would it? Would it?
When I first saw the title, I instantly thought of this. Secondly I heard about this through an article that this series was one of those banned titles according to media hater and Former Governor Shintaro Ishihara. The reason why is because of some fear of incest overtones and loli fanservice that this would be made into a raunchy fanservice harem. Well, cast your fears aside because the anime adaptation averts for the most part the incest and most of the raunchiness of the light novel and turns it into a very sweet family drama. If this had an equivalent it would kind of be like Full House, you know, except done right. There were times where I felt some paternal pang kick in. It wasn't the moe kind either, but more of the "I feel sorry for them, I wish I could help." If I had an award for most adorably cute 3 year old it would go straight to Hina. Even though she's polite and cute as a button, she retains her innocence despite the complications that Uncle Yuuta and her family struggles with. There was one scene where she was yelled at by the landlady when Hina called her Auntie. Geez lady! You don't yell at a 3 year old because of your age! Not cool! There were other times that I didn't really feel much for the supporting cast. There wasn't much about Shingo that I knew other than this guy who married Yuri and had Miu and Sora. Raika is my favorite of the cast because she's so wacky and deadpan, but also very loving and supportive of the girls. You can tell she can be a motherly type that is lacking thereof in the Takanashi family. Sako himself creeped me out in the whole, "cause I like young girls, that's why." motif and is there just for comedy relief and getting hit with a fan by Raika. Papa no Iukoto o Kikinasai! is currently licensed by Sentai Filmworks and available to stream on Crunchyroll.
Baby, please kill me! - Sonya is an assassin, Yasuna is her not so smart friend, they go to school together. There's also a Ninja named Agiri. They have wacky jokes and adventures together. That's it. Yeah, I can't help but find this show harmless. If you are familiar with a Boke Tsukomi style humor this is kind of it. Yasuna says something stupid, Sonya retaliates and Yasuna says a punchline. Agiri is there as a Ninja who looks like she's stoned or something. Wait, wasn't there another character? Aw who cares, she's not important anyway. I'd give it a shot. Sure the show is inane, but then again it was kind of a slow winter anyway. Kill me Baby is currently unlicensed. Also note, the dance at the ending sequence is catchy.
Nisemonogatari - The black swindler Kaiki Deishu, who once deceived Hitagi returns to town and spreads the incantation which cursed Nadeko before. Koyomi's sisters, Tsukihi and Karen Araragi try to capture Deishu, but... I'll be honest, this show freaked out initially. Why? Toothbrush. Then I sat down to watch the rest of the show and, it's an acquired taste. If you know Studio Shaft, you know they like to use very obtuse and symbolic imagery to tell a story. Their raison d'etre is the use of the tilted neck and almost everyone does it excessively. But I'm sure you know this show from a certain scene involving a brother, a sister and a toothbrush. It's alright, but it's no Bakemonogatari. This makes Escher look like he took happy pills. Currently Aniplex of America secured the rights to Bakemonogatari so it's inevitable that Nise will be taken by them. You can watch both Bakemonogatari and Nisemonogatari on Crunchyroll.
Bodacious Space Pirates - It's Female Pirates in space, what more do you want? Sentai Filmworks has it and it's available to watch on the Anime Network. Give it a shot!
Upotte! - You know how there's a show about girls with guns? Well what if there was a show about girls named AFTER guns? That's Upotte in a nutshell. It's ok. You can catch Upotte! on Crunchyroll and Sentai Filmworks has their hands on it.
Gakkatsu - Eh... I don't know what to make of this short flash style few minute series of shorts where they debate over strange and random topics. That's it really.
Sankarea - Chihiro isn't very likable upon first glance. He loves all things zombies and undead. But he lives with his dad who is a Shinto priest, and her sister is named Mero (Get it? George Romero?) One day he finds a book and tries to make a revival potion because of his obsession to have a zombie girlfriend and to revive his dead cat. Enter Rea who is going through some emotional issues involving her dad and her bitchy mom. I'm talking daddy taking nude photos of her daughter on her birthday issues. Rea and Chihiro talk and chat it up in an abandoned bowling alley. When her dad finds out she's been sneaking out, he confronts her on the side of a cliff next to her mansion, accidentally knocks her off a cliff and Rea dashes her body on a stalagmite. Soon Rea gets up and Chihiro realizes she drank his zombie potion and is now a zombie. Chihiro is ecstatic about this, but soon he will realize that having an undead girl in your house isn't exactly the fun idea. Basically boy meets zombie girlfriend. Let's not mince words here, the pacing is slow as hell. What makes up the sluggish pacing is the development of the cast as you really feel sorry for Rea and the shit she went through, especially her dad who is supposed to be a sympathetic antagonist but just comes off as a really mentally unstable father who is obsessed with preserving his daughter's "purity". The ending is kinda weak as it ends on a cliffhanger, but if it sets the mood right and gives Wanko an excuse to wear more daisy dukes, you're in for an ok time. Funimation has Sankarea and you can check it out on Funimation's site as well as Hulu is the place to be to watch it. Give it a shot, it's kinda romantic in a sort of way.
Tsuritama - In Enoshima, Yuki is a transfer student who's is socially inept at making friends due to his poor communication skills. Haru is a self proclaimed alien who decides to teach Yuki to fish. Natsuki is an irritable born-and-raised local, and Akira is a mysterious Indian who watches them from a distance. These four meet, fish, and find big adventures on their little island. The best thing I can think of with Tsuritama is a Japanese branch of military consisting of men in rubber suits armed with overpowered blow dryers and an alien kid forcibly evacuating an entire island with a squirt gun and oil tankers and ships suddenly appearing on shore with yellow tanks from an organization named duck and... In short, this is psychedelic. It has a certain charm to be taken completely seriously and not so seriously. Also, a duck named Tapioca sitting at a table while men in black guard it while it has lunch with an Indian in front of a group of tourist. I quite like it. Sure it took a while to understand what was going on, but once everything made more sense, it got better and keeps you at the edge of your seat towards the finale. I would watch it again if I wasn't afraid to check if my Gatorade wasn't spiked again. You catch it on Crunchyroll and Sentai may bring it to DVD. I'd get it if I were you. Sometimes, an odd one in the bunch isn't bad.
Mysterious Girlfriend X - Speaking of oddballs! Here's a premise you probably seen before: Boy meets girl, girl drools on desk, boy tastes girl's drool (wait what?), boy finds it sweet, boy has fever over drool, girl finds boy and sticks her drool finger into boys mouth, they start an odd relationship. If you cast aside your fears and cringe past the whole drool aspect, it's actually a very sweet romantic comedy. What's also strange is that the show's animation style kind of reminds you of an late 90s, early 2000s style anime, but it was made in 2012. Now I may not be the right guy to give this a proper review, so here's someone who did. Crunchyroll has it, Sentai has it and there's some talk about how it might come to DVD soon. If you can look past the premise, it might be decent.
Polar Bear Cafe - It's about a Polar Bear who owns a cafe that serves animals and humans! Why aren't you watching this now?! It's on Crunchyroll! Watch it!
Persona 4 the Animation - I'm adding this in because it was airing at the time, but I didn't discover it till after I played the game. I wrote something about the show and to repeat myself, it's P4Outstanding. You don't have to have played the game prior to enjoy this. In fact, it's exactly like the game... minus the level grinding. Sentai has it out on DVD right now and Part 2 will come out Janurary 15, 2013. It's also available on the Anime Network. Get it now, you are in for a real treat. Oh and pick up P4Golden for the Playstation Vita while your at it? It's out now as well. Ooh, and Persona 4 Arena. And there's a true story and a movie. They're all are great! Now has never been a better time to fall in love with the game.
Haiyore! Nyaruko-san Nyaruko saves a boy who is being chased by aliens. Parodies ensue. In case you haven't figured out by now, Nyaruko is basically an Nyarlathotep alien and that has a link to Cthulu. It's not really my cup of tea, but I'm sure you'll like it. Watch it on Crunchyroll.
Natsuiro Kiseki - This is a story of 4 girls who spend their last summer together. Natsumi and Saki had a falling out and it's revealed that Saki is transferring to another schools. Yuka and Rinko try to help them make up so they go to a rock and wish on it. Next thing you see is them flying. This might be a summer they never forget. I'm sorry. I wanted to continue this, but I couldn't keep up. The furthest I've gotten was when the 4 girls switched bodies. Saki was in Natsumi's body and Yuka was in Rinko's body. After some suggestive positions that Natsumi and Saki were in they go look for the other two to wish themselves back into their own bodies. That's it. It was a Freaky Friday episode. Supposedly this show is voiced by the 4 four girls who form the band Sphere. It's alright, but not entirely not the kind of show I watch. It's unlicensed at the moment. But I'd still try to find it and give it a look.
Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger - Space Pirate Rangers! What more do you need? Oh, it's the 35th show in the series and you are going to bring back the past 35 Super Sentai to stop an evil empire from taking over the world to collect the bounty on the Space Pirates? Well, count me in! This was a breath of fresh air as this was the first time outside of Samurai Sentai Shinkenger that I actually got hooked on watching this show. And besides, it's the 35 anniversary. Let's let loose and have fun doing it! But wait, there's more! A crossover with the 40 Kamen Riders and Tokumei Sentai Gobusters? And a movie featuring all 35 rangers at once? Oh boy! This going to be extremely showy! Yeah, I think you can tell I loved this show. It's space pirate rangers and it's about making things showy, but finding the grandest treasure on earth. This was pretty rad.
Hikōnin Sentai Akibarenjā - The first unofficial super sentai that is a parody but also seriously a super sentai. Hell, Kamen Rider G was real and that was unofficial, why not give sentai one? It seriously was a bundle of laughs and I was really at the edge of my seat just laughing.
Kankyou Choujin Ecogainder - Oh, I can hear the sentai fanboys freaking out! A super hero that fights the evils of polution. At least it has Masaaki Endoh singing the opening. What else is there to say than the lady who looks like a Doronjo look-alike is from AKB48. Just watch the opening.
Jinrui wa Tsuitai Shimashita aka Declining Man. I wrote about my first impressions about it here. Upon further review, I loved it for bearing it's fangs on social commentary and that it really hits home to how humanity went into disarray and the how each of the mini arcs had something to do with Watashi. There's even a jab at Marimite that outright creeped me out. I pretty much liked this one the most of the summer. Sure it may be a little too talkative, but it really hits home with the connection the fairies have with the pink haired Female I. Sentai has it and is planning a DVD release. You can also watch it on Crunchyroll. Did I mention a suicidal robot loaf of bread? I need not say more.
Joshiraku - Traditional Japanese stand up comediennes shooting the shit and joking around. I thought it was kinda funny. A little culture lesson from yours truly, Japan has a different way of story telling and comedy. In the traditional sense, you have a rakugoka who sits in front of the audience using a fan and a cloth as props to tell some farce story that has 2 or more characters who are differentiated by pitch and tone. The only thing missing from that is those silly sounds you hear in the transition from Seinfeld. It's pretty good at quick paced puns and jokes, but it will fall on deaf ears if you are not familiar with Japanese comedy. Plus, one of the characters is named after a drink. Joshiraku is unlicensed at the moment. Gee, I wonder why.
Yuruyuri♪♪ The second season of Yuruyuri and in my opinion one of the most super homoerotic shows I've ever seen. It makes Cho Aniki look straight. Cute girls doing cute things, except you find more ways to get them into wacky hijinx. For example, did you know that some girls will go crazy and start kissing other girls, including their own sister if they eat too much chocolate? There were times that I actually got creeped out at Chinatsu. Not because she's incredibly horny for Yui, but the fact that her drawings are... avant garde. I'm sorry, I can't help but find this to be a guilty pleasure and that some people might not like Yuruyuri. Though some may have questioned me to why I ask that the show tone down the yuri overtones when yuri is in the freaking title. Plus, the opening is kinda cute. Right now, it's only available on Crunchyroll.
Kamen Rider Wizard - The 41st Rider series, Haruto is a modern day wizard who saves people from turning into monsters by way of losing themselves to guilt. If a human loses to guilt, they turn into a monster. Luckily, with the magic of elemental rings and a group of a supporting cast including a cop, an aspiring magician known unofficially as Goober, a ring maker who makes rings out of magic stones, and a doll, Haruto fights against the Phantoms to prevent evil from rising from the depths of one's soul. There's a running gag about Haruto eating donuts, and sometimes excessive mugging of the camera. The donut thing kind of makes sense because Haruto has to eat sweets to gain energy, or is there something deeper about the donuts than I am leading on. I would give it a shot. Just be prepared to hear please and fabulous a lot.
Unfortunately at the time of this writing, I haven't had time to follow the Autumn lineup due to time constraints. However, I did find Hidamari Sketch Honeycomb interesting. I saw the opening of Chūni-byō Demo Koi ga Shitai! and this came to mind.
And with that those are my recommendations for this year. It's certainly been interesting this year. If you have any recommendations that I didn't talk about here, feel free to leave a comment about it below. Next up is movies, because there have been some interesting movies that I actually took the time to see. Stay tuned for that.
Saturday, October 27, 2012
In Memoriam: Bandai and G4
Death is not a pretty thing to every one's eyes... well to the minute minority that think it's great, go eat a ham you sick bastards. To many things, humans cherish life as a thing that happens and keep on striving to keep that life. However, among the darkness something is going to pull the rug under whatever and eventually it will shrivel up, decay and inevitably cease to be. It's different for businesses, but the philosophy is still the same.
Today I am mourning not one, but two entities who I have acknowledged an existence to which I shared myself with: G4 and Bandai.
First let's get the nitty gritty out of the way. Rumor has it that G4 is dead. The people behind the scenes are planning to restructure it to be more GQ-eque and for the "modern men" of today, but still keep on the "roots" of what it was. In other words, less Spike Jr. MTV and more Style/Bravo. It is unfortunate to me that G4 has lost it's life, but long ago it lost it's soul in my eyes. Sad also that it has to die at times like this.
Back in 2002, I was but a naive 18 year old attending high school. In my small room with but a small black and white TV did I tune to channel 44 in which there was a preview of a new channel hitting cable named G4, TV for Gamers. It was very exciting because as a gamer, I have yearned for programming that catered to my gaming lifestyle. In April 2002 G4 was born with 13 original programs that went to specific parts of gaming that I never explored before. Judgement Day was one of them. If it weren't for G4, I wouldn't have met Tommy Tallarico with his in your face attitude and lineage and wouldn't have inspired me to break out of my shell and become more vocal with my own opinions. A trait that everyone on the Internet now has made some kind of capital off of. The other shows which I checked out such as Blister with The Sindelar, Arena's competitive gaming that exploded in other countries later on, Portal which was about a loosely written story about someone fighting against an AI or villain in certain MMO worlds such as Anarchy Online or Sims, Icons which was like E! True Hollywood Story but with games, and many more. It was a gamer's paradise and I couldn't have it any other way.
Come 2004, G4 was struggling to keep in ratings. Sounds typical of cable TV since nights were dedicated to infomercials. Then comes in TechTV a channel located near my home of San Francisco. I saw it had a better history with a more experienced crew behind it. Adam Sessler was among them who I grew to respect as a journalist. G4 bought TechTV and merged. It was alright to combine both the shows of games and tech since they kinda go hand in hand, but something started rotting from within.
Back in 2004, months after the merging, there was this game which I have had some history with selling called Grand Theft Auto San Andreas. It was a game that popularized the "urban" setting and began a slew of run of the mill games that cashed in on that fad. Not just games, but everyone else too. It got so out of hand that G4techtv started showing something called the Whip Set. Import cars basically. Then came more sad news that more shows began to lose their balance and got cut. Judgement Day/Reviews on The Run was also one of them. After the Xmas rush of 2004, more sad news came in the form of "changes" in the channel's lineup. Every single show that was part of the programming list was scrapped for more "male orientated shows" and in 2006 did it lose me to the now superior Screwattack. For the stragglers that kept on despite the fact that it wasn't the same game anymore, it took you this long to realize this was once a channel about video games?
So with one fell swoop of DirectTV saying gtfo to G4 and a few more people losing interest, I can now purify a headstone with G4's logo on it. I know I joked about having a grave with G4 on the headstone in my backyard, but it was real and it was starting to laugh at me. Good riddance to Network Decay.
It was unfortunate that all those rumors have been confirmed by a few reputable gaming sites and Xplay/Attack of the Show will be canned by the end of the year. One wonders though what the switch to a channel catered towards the "Modern Man" would be. Could it be the Yuppie type? The Redneck...I'm sorry Country Music Star type? The Jock? The people of a certain village in San Franciso who loves the smell of their own farts? The lazy rare game hunter/college student? Those loud "Harley Riders" outside my house who won't shut the hell up? Or are you going for the hipster scene which consists of high brow noses and unironic clothing that make even the most uncouth clothing look more sohpisticated? What about the tomboys of the world? As far as I'm concerned, they are as modernly manly as anyone else. Heck even those who watch Princess Tutu while drinking tea eating a manwich reading Equestria Daily with their pinkies up are a god among the manliest of men. Will I see what this switch has in store, probably not. Dead is dead, best move on.
The other loss for the American shores is Bandai. Rather sad that they decided to cut with the us market and focus more locally in Japan. For over 10 years, Bandai was the place that provided some quality dvds of anime with dubs of "high caliber". It was through this that many voice actors got their start. Through Bandai did many start considering it as an entity rather than a company. You know, like a hypothetical anthromorphized high school student. Some of the acquisitions were great, and then there were some duds *coughcoughTekkenBloodVengeancecoughcough*
Back in the day when I was the innocent naive tender age of... 16, I saw Bandai for the first time at a Suncoast. Back then it was known as Anime Village which has actual VHS releases of shows that briefly appeared on Fox Kids. Shows like Escaflowne were the real deal since I didn't know the show was censored beyond unwatchable, so I thought I check it out in it's entirety on tape. Maybe it was the prudent self inside me that preferred to see things uncut, but watching the show made me appreciate not only the fact that the show was more violent then led on, but Dilandau sounded like a girl in both languages even though he was a guy who was actually Allen's sister... It's been decades, everyone should know it by now, get over it damn it!
Years later Bandai grew as a legitimate company despite having a small presence to a niche market compared to, oh movies and music. On the other hand, anime is no different than any show that appears on TV. It's just a TV show that aired in Japan, and TV shows have their own market of selling box setsand merchandise... that is until now.
In between 2004 till now, even older than that I guess, Bandai had to combat fansubs which became dominant as the go to place for instant gratification of watching anime. Sure the debate of dub vs sub still rages on, though it shouldn't because on this side of the pond someone minor as say Michael Sinterniklaas aka Dean mofo' Venture and... what the! A Lost Child in 13?! Are you serious?! goes on to make a career of his own, and succeeds.
Not only did Bandai have to struggle with pirates and a small market, but it was just too much to invest and they eventually announced earlier this year that the US division is closing it's doors. There's still the toy division and Namco/Bandai is still a thing. It's only at this point in the future that we see some things perish due to negligence, heel turns, and losing the battle against opposing forces (pirates). Why couldn't Bandai fight them with Ninjas or legal ways?
And so as we depart with 2 influential entities to the great beyond, I have this to say to each of them. G4? You done fucked up. You could have prevented this and kept on your original lineage, but you didn't and you mocked Keith Apicary at E3 by booting him out! All he was looking for was the Dreamcast 2 you bastards! I'm glad your dead. Screwattack Banzai! 1 Chinko machine hit to the nads... out of 5
Bandai, it was a fun ride. You bought joy to many and a plethora of politics and debates among the community and fanbase. For that I thank you. This Suzaku Seal of Awesome is hereby yours. See ya space cowboy. Bang.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)