Finals

Okay, so finals week is almost over.  And even though I'll be having a summer class starting next week I should be able to start contributing to the blog more often.

... now if I could just stop playing Winterbells and start my 2,500 word paper due tomorrow...

Read, and Be Amazed

I have in my possession a link that may very well shock you to the core.  The discovery of what is to be unveiled is not only amazing, but monumental as well.

Behold: the possible defense we have been looking for.  For those who do not understand what this article means (read the title, maybe?), scientists have discovered "junk DNA," which we humans used to actively employ, that was a defense against diseases like HIV.  And it goes on to say that it is possible to reactivate this junk DNA in the fight against AIDS.

That's all for now, everything else is going swimmingly.

Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection

I submitted this review to the Escapist a few weeks ago and have not yet received any sort of reply on whether or not it would be published there, so I'm just going to publish it here.

Game Title: Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection

Developer(s): SEGA/Backbone Entertainment

Publisher: SEGA

Platform: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 (Xbox 360 version reviewed)

 

I don’t consider myself a “retrogamer.”  Mainly because I do not like the term, and I don’t like the term because it implies that said gamer only ever plays retro games (but we call those people “emos”).  You wouldn’t call someone who watches movies that all happen to be from a period before 1980 a “retrowatcher,” would you?  Movies are movies and games are games no matter what time they’re from.  Besides, “retro” is such as arbitrary term.  I consider Super Mario Bros. 3 to be retro, but someone else might say that Majora’s Mask is retro, which I disagree with.  I see no reason to have more than two main categories of gamers anyways: mainstream and core.

But all my qualms with the labeling of gamers as such did not stop me from being very retro after picking up Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection.  I saved up about $60 dollars, purchased Sonic’s UGC and immediately went out to procure some supplies with the extra cash.  Upon returning from the grocery store I moved my Xbox 360 to the analog TV set in my bedroom, hooked up the appropriate AV cables and proceeded to plop down on the floor.  Just like the old days.  With a 6-pack of Mondos, a box of Dunkaroos and a whole mess of Bagel Bites I was set to enjoy my childhood days all over again. 

Given that this game is just large collection of other games I’ll just review how polished everything is and how well the games translated over to those newfangled controllers.

There is definitely one thing about this compilation that no one can disagree with: it’s packed the brim with content.  However, it’s basically an expanded edition of an earlier compilation, SEGA Genesis Collection for the Sony PlayStation 2 and PSP. There are 49 games by my count (including the 9 unlockables) along with histories and artwork for each game and interviews with SEGA of Japan.  Even Dynamite Headdy, a game from the geniuses at Treasure Co., makes an appearance.  The inclusion of DH, however, only made me question why Gunstar Heroes, also from Treasure, was not incorporated as well.

As with the last collection there are still some games that seem to be included just for the hell of it (Who really wants to play Flicky again?).  And what’s worse is if you only have the Xbox 360 gamepad to play with.  Sure, some of the games, like Streets of Rage and Golden Axe, translate well to the analog controls, but most deserve the d-pad treatment.  I have not played the PS3 counterpart, but I imagine the d-pad on the Sixaxis/Dual Shock 3 controller is much more manageable.  Luckily, I have my trusty arcade stick.  If you have the Street Fighter IV fightpad, then that might be the best solution.

If memory serves, the audio and graphics are perfectly emulated from their Genesis, Master System and arcade counterparts. I have heard that the PS3 version only supports HD up to 720p while the Xbox 360 supports up to 1080p.  Honestly, I don’t see that being a problem because I doubt that there is much difference between the two settings if all you really want is to see some pixilated graphics.  The menu music is nice, and graphically it looks very sleek.

The main menu is well formatted.  The user is given the ability to rate the games and sort them according to the alphabet, ratings, genre and year released.  It sounds trivial, but that option is very satisfying for whatever reason.

Bottom Line: It’s a solid collection with gems like Shining Force II, Dynamite Headdy and Ristar.  I was disappointed to not see the inclusion of Virtua Fighter 2 Genesis, but that didn’t stop me from really enjoying everything else.

Recommendation: Rent it first to see if the amount of games you’ll actually end up playing is worth your $30.  Other than that, I wholeheartedly recommend that all gamers pick up a copy.  And if you have a 360 and PS3, pick up the PS3 version solely for the d-pad.

Is it 1995 again?!

SFIV Fightpad Review (360 version)

About a week or so ago I picked up Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection for the Xbox 360.  My main complaint while playing that compilation was that the method of control most popular on the system, the 360 gamepad, was not at all designed for 2D games.  It’s the wanky d-pad.  Anyone who’s ever played with that controller knows exactly what I’m talking about if they’ve ever tried pulling off some of the more complex combos in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3.

Anyway, when I picked up Sonic’s UGC I also attempted to pick up a Street Fighter IV Fighterpad from MadCatz, but they did not have any in stock.  Big surprise.  At that point I had still not grasped one in my hands let alone actually seen one.  I was super bummed because, even though I had my EX2, I would not have a proper method of input for Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Dynamite Headdy or Ristar. 

As luck would have it I caught sight of a pair of fightpads in the Best Buy my cousin asked me to stop at.  One was Blanka and the other being Ryu.  Of course I had to pick up the one with Blanka emblazoned on the face of the pad (‘cause if you have no electrical powers, then you’re lame). 

I immediately opened up the packaging and just held it for a good thirty seconds or so.  The shape of the pad feels so familiar, yet so fresh.  It feels almost as if someone compressed the Xbox 360 pad into some sort of pancake, removed the control sticks and rearranged the buttons a little bit.  That’s the fresh part.  The familiar part is this unmistakable reminder of the Saturn pad that so many people know and love.  Every fighting pad that was released after it tried to mimic the greatness of that pad, but none really ever came close to recreating the sensation of playing with the doomed console’s top quality controller (except for maybe the ASCII FT) until SEGA re-released the Saturn pad on the PS2 and PC/Mac, but that doesn’t count because it was the same controller.  This controller ends the cycle of mediocrity.

First off, is the quality of the controller up to par?  At the beginning I couldn’t quite figure out if I approved of the plastic used for the casing of the controller, but I do understand why they chose the smooth, almost tacky, plastic.  I imagine that it cut costs and allowed for the character portraits to be printed on the faces.  It’s a nice presentation having Blanka glare menacingly at me while I play games that he isn’t in.

Next on the list would be the comfort.  I would venture to say that this pad might be even better than my favorite 2D pad of all time: the original (Model 1 in the US) Saturn pad.  There are rubber grips on the either side and a rubber backing that more than make up for the slipperiness of the controller’s plastic once your hands start to get sweaty.  The d-pad is far better than the Xbox 360’s standard controller, but that isn’t saying much.  It’s a loose, floating d-pad that is very reminiscent of the SEGA d-pads of old, but a little spongier.  And the face and shoulder buttons have just enough throw.

The features are pretty much exactly what you’d expect.  There are the 6 face buttons, 2 shoulder buttons, 8-way d-pad, the 3 “Xbox buttons” and, most importantly, the turbo button.  I haven’t had a turbo button on a controller of this quality, aside from arcade sticks, in a long time.  And I gotta say, it feels like the awkward meeting of 2 good friends after years of separation.  That being said, it’s just amazing to finally have a turbo feature again.  Another cool feature is the ability to flip a switch on the bottom of the gamepad that allows the d-pad to function as a normal d-pad or emulate either the left or right control sticks.  It’s very useful for games that may not support the d-pad inherently.

So what about usability?  As of current I have used the pad w/ Soul Calibur IV, Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection (all titles), Virtua Fighter 5 Online and a few XBLA games like Pacman C.E., Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, Super SFII Turbo HD and R-Type Dimensions.  The controller functions perfectly w/ all of those titles and had me remembering the good ol’ days of Genesis and Saturn.  Just for the hell of it I decided to try the Fightpad out w/ Halo 3 and Sonic Unleahsed.  As it turns out the d-pad does function adequately as both the right and left control sticks, but I would not recommend it for games that either require both sticks (duh!) or games that might need more precise 3D control (also duh!).

Bottom Line: It’s an awesome controller the likes of which I’ve been waiting to see for a long time.  If you have it, I’m sure you love it.  If you don’t, I’m sure you will love it [if you ever pick one up].

Recommendation: Buy it if you play a lot of XBLA titles and fighting games and don’t want to shell out for a high quality arcade stick or think that arcade sticks are too bulky.  I don’t think I would’ve bought it if I hadn’t found it for $40 at Best Buy.  I searched on eBay for it and could only it for $80+s/h.  To me, it’s not worth that much because I have my EX2, but to each his own.

The Dealio-yo

So right now I'm working on school stuff for final projects and exams.  Other than that I'm working on a new podcast.  Not really new, to tell you the truth, it's more of a do-over of the first one.  

Also, confidentially, I have a little secret side-project.  More on that later.

Podcast?

So I decided to do this podcast as an experiment.  It's a bit rough and if I do another, then I'll strive for better quality and a less boring experience.

Below are some links that I promised I would include:

Metroid Metal

VertexGuy

Here's the podcast, please enjoy if you can.  Click here. (right-click and click "Save As" or whatever it says to download the MP3 file)

The Lowdown

So here's the sitch, my friends:  I'll have at least 2 comics up before midnight on Monday (tomorrow).  I've been busy writing papers and going to Indianapolis for no good reason other than to go.  

I also plan on doing some videos on YouTube as well.  Keep your eyes peeled for reviews and such too.

Catch y'all later!!

My Heroes

For a very long time now I've had certain heroes that I look up to because they represent a lot of things that aren't present in the rest of humanity.  As a gamer this also sometimes meant that I would admire video game characters.  It makes a little sense considering characters can be everything that most individuals can't be in real life.

I'd frequently assert that my heroes were Ted Nugent, Bobby Knight and Duke Nukem; w/ Bruce Campbell as my god.  The Nuge is awesome not only because he's from Michigan, but also because he never backed down from his beliefs, which is something I can't claim I've been steadfast in.  Knight is awesome because of his discipline.  I don't think I need to explain why I idolized Nukem and Campbell.

Andrew WK and Sonic the Hedgehog are probably my most prominent heroes right now (Sonic has been a hero of mine since I was 4 years old).  Simply for the fact that I wish I could be like them (sans the species change).  All they seem to want is to have fun and let people live their lives happily.  Sonic saves the world time and time again for what?  To let all the assholes go on for another day?  I don't know if I would do that. 

For those of you who do not know me, I hate people.  I'm what's called a misanthrope.  I don't have any real problems w/ a good amount of individuals, but it's difficult for me to not hate groups of people.  And I'm not so extreme that I want to kill all humans or anything.  But I can only really say that I actually care about one person on the face of the Earth.  It's not even that I hate my family, because I don't hate them.  But I think I could cope fairly well if they died.  

I do not think I could cope if this one person died.  This person is everything to me: my greatest hero, my inspiration and my reason to live.  I have no clue what I would do if this person died.  It kills me every time I have to go away from this person.  Never have I been so invested w/ emotion like I am w/ this person.  All I could ever reasonably want is for this person to be happy, but I still get pissed when I know it's not me making her happy.  Which brings me to another point: after a lot of meditation on the matter I came to the conclusion that I hated people because they embody everything I hate in myself.  And my jealousy involving this person only serves to further my own justification that I should hate people.

I realize jealousy is a natural feeling, but if I really just wanted this person to be happy, then I should just let her be happy w/o these feelings of anger regarding the assholes she hangs around w/ who seem to make her happy.  This all comes down to selfishness.  I fucking hate seeing myself being selfish.  I just wish I could be like Andrew WK and just have fun.  But I think I may have ranted enough for today.  

I'm gonna go brood or something for the rest of the day.  Thanks for reading, if you made it this far.

Found Some News

Found some big news just before I about to leave for bars tonight.  Enjoy!!

No Comic this Week (Spring Break)

So, for the record, the reason I didn't post a comic last night was because I'm in New Jersey right now over spring break.  Just saw Motley Crue, Hinder and Theory of a Dead Man last night at the Garden.  The Last Vegas played too as an opener, which I believe was the same band that opened for the Foo Fighters when I saw them over the summer.

Anyway, I'll post 2 comics this coming week to make up for this week.  And I'll try to get in a video on YouTube as well.  Until then, Happy St. Patrick's Day to all!!

If there's any big news I'll post it when I get around to it.

N. American Alco.

I'm posting this a bit early tonight because I have a lot of homework and such to get done. Wish me luck!

First Vlog Entry

First vlog is up.  Just click here or on the YouTube link to the right.  Sorry about that taking so long; lots of homework and tests and shit.  I redid the vlog entry from before because I didn't like it.  Not that this one is much better.

Comic #2 and News

So here's the second comic strip:


Apparently, the director of the critically panned Sonic Unleashed has announced that the Werehog will return in another game. Before I go into the problems that would pose for the gaming community that said both the Werehog and Chip were bad additions, I'd like to note that the main problem w/ this is in the plot: the Werehog is Gaia-driven and Gaia (both Light and Dark) were sealed away for millions of years at teh end of Unleashed. So for the Werehog to return w/ the stretchy arms Gaia would need to be released again, which means copying the plot from the first game. Now that's pushin' it even for a Sonic plot. Sonic games follow a formula, not a Xerox.

Back to the gaming community. I realize most of my peers detested Sonic's latest entry into the market, but I did not have such hatred for it. There were parts I could've done w/o and parts I really enjoyed. While it's true that the nighttime levels are far too long, it's also true that the daytime levels are gorgeous and feel much like the previous 2D entries in the series. The daytime levels are what you would get if you mixed Sonic Adventure 2 w/ Sonic Rush. For those of you who haven't played Sonic Rush, I reviewed it and it's under the "reviews" category to the right. All that said, I defended the Werehog simply because they tried to take the series in a new direction that wasn't compltely flawed, it just wasn't very polished. I cannot bring myself to defend another attempt at a failed experiment unless the majority of the players and critics agreed that it had a good amount of potential and deserved another chance.

I plan on doing a full review of Sonic Unleashed just so I can express my opinion more thoroughly. But that'll be later, once I've done all my school papers and such.

EDIT: OK, so strip's still too large when you click on it. I'll figure it out and fix this problem. My bad.

Okay, Here's the Deal

My webcam is busted apparently, so I can't do the vlog just yet. I'll figure this out. Give me until tonight (Thursday night). Meanwhile, I'm Quakin' it up mutha-uckas!! Feel free to join me; my username is joystickjunki3. Hopefully QL won't break too much anymore.

EDIT: OK, so I can get the webcam to work, but now I'm having trouble loading the video onto YouTube.  It will be up soon enough, though, as I believe this to be a connection issue because the campus internet connection can be a bit slow at times.  I'll be back at my apartment to load it up soon.

EDIT EDIT: Based on the troubles I'm having w/ this whole thing I might just postpone my video from this week until next week.  Apologies to all, if any, who cared.

OMG OMG OMG!!!!1

Taking a real quick break here from QL just to post something extremely important. Quake Live is finally live. Public beta open to all!!!!!!!!!!1

Click here to get to the homepage.
The URL is http://quakelive.com in case the above link didn't work.

It's free and all it requires is an internet connection and for you to download a plugin for your browser that will install on it's own. The program then takes you through a tutorial and then you can jump right in.

EDIT: This is old news by internet standards, but there's a new Xbox 360 due out on March 13th. It's actually kind of cool. Check it out here. It's a special Resident Evil 5 edition. It come bundled w/ a red wireless gamepad, component and HDMI cables, a black wired headset, 120 GB harddrive, a copy of RE5, and Live cards redeemable for Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix and a Resident Evil 5 premium theme. That's a great deal considering that it's being sold at the $399 price point of the regular Elite systems. And my guess would be that they're all Jasper chipsets too. If I didn't have my own trusty Lincoln (my 360's name, after his chipset - the Zephyr), then I'd totally buy this... that red looks damn sleek.
... if only they had a version w/ white trim instead of black so I could have a Red Wings themed box.

Weekly Comic #1

Scanner's acting all funny. Give me a just a few more minutes.
...


There we go. Stay tuned for my vlog on YouTube tomorrow (Wednesday); I'll link to it.

EDIT: Ok, so clicking on the comic makes it a bit too large. I'll remember that for next time and scale it down a tad. And I'll also make more time to shade and properly ink the comics from now on. My b.

Sonic Rush: A return to form? (DS review)

Ok, I know this review is a little over 3 years late, but give it a chance. And I'm sorry, this review looked a lot shorter and less cluttered when viewed in Word.

Game Title: Sonic Rush

Developer(s): Dimps/Sonic Team

Publisher: SEGA

Platform: Nintendo DS

In short, Sonic Rush is not a return to form, but I say that for different reasons than one might assume. Sonic Rush is fun. Like “OMG, I feel like I’m six again and playing my Game Gear” fun.

As per the last few years of handheld Sonic games (namely the Sonic Advance trilogy for the Game Boy Advance), Dimps has developed this installment with some oversight from Sonic Team, the creative house behind the original games on the Sega Genesis console. Dimps is known mainly for their Dragonball Z: Budokai series of games. A series that has mostly proven critics wrong about whether a video game based on an anime has the ability to be an enjoyable experience. In addition, Dimps is also the co-developer of the highly anticipated, recently released, Street Fighter IV.

Sonic games take a lot of heat from the gaming community nowadays, and with good reason. Since the demise of the Dreamcast in 2001 we have seen a plethora of games that seem to prove time and time again that Sonic should be put to sleep. These include, but are certainly not limited to, Sonic Heroes and Sonic the Hedgehog (2006). Sonic Rush aims to educate those masses with a real Sonic experience.

Plot is usually one of the points I stress in games, but this is a Sonic game. The core elements of any Sonic storyline are always the same with little deviation: Robotnik, currently known as Eggman, is doing something bad and it’s up to Sonic to stop him while simultaneously collecting the Chaos Emeralds. This time around, that little deviation is the addition of another playable character, Blaze the Cat, and a second Robotnik (aka, “Eggman-Nega”). This results in two separate storylines, which really just translates to playing the same levels twice in varied order. It also means collecting fourteen Chaos Emeralds instead of the normal seven.

The graphics in Sonic Rush are remarkable. Up until the release of this game all sidescrolling Sonic games were comprised solely of two-dimensional elements. With this release we see the inclusion of some three-dimensional elements. This all comes together to give the perception of a 2.5D experience during gameplay. “2.5D,” or “two-and-a-half dimensional,” is a camera perspective which places all action on a two-dimensional plane while also rendering certain objects in three-dimensions. In this case, Sonic, Blaze and the bosses that appear at the completion of every two stages are all rendered in three dimensions. The “badniks,” or enemies, and environments are all hand drawn illustrations. A few of the environmental aspects are also rendered in 3D as well, in particular the boss levels and some of the springs that lunge Sonic and Blaze into the foreground. It all has a very polished look and feel to it, and fits seamlessly into the environments and gameplay.

The audio for Sonic Rush is outstanding. This is not because of the sound effects, though. It’s because of a soundtrack that has been composed by Hideki Naganuma. Those familiar with Naganuma have probably played either Jet Grind Radio or Jet Set Radio Future. His style of music is unmistakable and vastly mimicked due to the high quality of his work. The extremely catchy and upbeat tunes fit right into the mindset the player is supposed to have when playing a Sonic game and inject a freshness that might otherwise feel dated at times during slower gameplay.

The most important part of any game is its gameplay, and Sonic Rush has some pretty solid footing in that department. The “spin dash” makes a return as almost every traditional Sonic game has included it since it first debuted in 1992. A new novelty that has been added to Sonic’s moveset is the title-move “rush.” Your rush is a finite ability that is determined by the checkpoints crossed, and the amount of tricks performed and enemies destroyed. Activating rush causes Sonic to move at blazing speeds that are faster than what players have previously experienced. There are two major complaints regarding gameplay that I’ve become aware from reviews and other players. One of those criticisms is the placement of obstacles and bottomless pits in the levels. I have found, however, that this really isn’t that serious of an issue. The other main complaint, and one I tend to agree with, is the format used for boss battles. The style implemented during boss encounters doesn’t seem to fit with the rest of the game, and, on top of that, these fights appear to be much less refined. It’s understandable, really, when you think about what a Sonic game is supposed to consist of. I play Sonic games specifically for the fast-paced levels, with which this game is packed, and the boss fights tend to be more of an afterthought.

So is Sonic Rush a return to form? No, because I would argue that Sonic never stopped being the Sonic I grew up with. If you look at the main series of games in the franchise, either handheld or console, you’ll find that the number of good games outnumber the mediocre ones. It’s only when you include all of the ill-conceived spin-offs that you see a downward trend in quality. For every Sonic Rush you have two games like Sonic Riders, and that’s unfortunate.

Bottom Line: Sonic Rush is a great game that almost anyone can enjoy. It takes some practice to get used to the dual screen gameplay (which was not implemented in the boss fights), but it’s well worth the adjustment. Once you’ve acclimated to that style of presentation, then you’ll be blasting through levels like the Devil knows you’re dead.

Recommendation: I recommend it to anyone who appreciates the old school art of 2D platforming. Be ready for the learning curve, though, this isn’t your dad’s Mario game.

First Post

This is my new blog. I have decided to start over after my previous attempt, which was a webcomic-blog hybrid. That failed because I lacked the motivation to dedicate a significant amount of time to it.

So here I am with GMR. The title is a reference to my favorite magazine of all time: GMR. To this day it's the only publication I can read from cover to cover without becoming bored.

The topics that will be posted and relevant to this blog are as follows:

- Games (news, rumors, reviews, etc.)

- Movies, Music, Books (news, previews, reviews, etc.)

- Current Events (informational and commentaries)

- Vlogging, because sometimes things need to be heard and not read

- Webcomic (strips, character bios, and so on)

- anything I feel is important enough to mention

As always, posting will mostly be about the realm of gaming. Not just gaming, because gamers do more than just game. We eat, drink, sleep, socialize (sometimes), and have mostly normal lives. Be on the lookout for Tuesday's comic.

For now, that is all.