Disturbing Advertising

A while back I blogged about an item available on NewEgg during a valentines sale. It was odd and humours at the very least. However the item has returned in their most recent sale for... Mothers Day.

Ok, I know that husbands buy gifts for their wives for mothers day, but I think MOST people think of their MOM on mothers day. Which made me nearly rip my brain out when I saw the item in NewEgg's advert.

I am Disturbed
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Pixelated Heroics

In my youth just at the dawn of the internet, I was caught up in the rolling tidal wave which was the first generation of fully 3D console video games. I was armed with a Nintendo 64 and I found my first solid videogame addiction, "The Legend of Zelda Ocrina of Time". Not too long after completing the game I moved on to mastering it, and subsequently played through all other Nintendo produced Zelda games. This addiction, though not as strong as it once was, still continues today. I successively dedicate my time to any new Zelda games that come out, and a thorough play through of fresh releases is an activity I still engage in.

With such a long running love affair I can't overlook games that clearly parody or spoof the original series. For that reason in addition to the unique visual aesthetic, I look forward to playing the game "3D Dot Game Heros". A current gen idea with a throw back feel to the classic eight and sixteen bit games of the 90s. In addition it takes an unbelievable number of cues from the Zelda series.

Watching the video below will explain a WHOLE lot more.




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Rendered Youth

Hopefully one day I'll be able to achieve the quality that this video has in my own productions. Until then I guess I'll just have to watch this video in awe.



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Trip

I know I don't usually post about things that pertain to my professional intrests here but I couldn't help myself in this case.

As a graphic designer and motion graphics artist I'm always looking at thins in such a manner so I can get new ideas. As a result I often browse youtube for interesting videos and am suggested unorthodox design videos.

Well recently I was advised to view the video below from a company call E-spaces. The video gives me some great ideas and also I feel really retro when i watch it for some reason. On a side note though I don't understand how any of that footage could be considered useful, even as a background for blue screen.



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The thirteenth time

Finally beat Final Fantasy XIII (64 hours of play time), and I'm not really certain of what to say. This instalment is so similar to Final Fantasy X it's unbelievable.
First off the world is similar, the fashion is similar, the battle system is similar to the one in X2... I could just keep going. However as much like X, XIII is by no means as good as X. How do I put this, it's like they didn't put enough effort into the proper development of the story.

Honestly there's a massive conflict. The protagonists are great, strong, and very well fleshed out. However the purpose driving them over all is very poor, and even now I'm puzzled for as to why they had to do what they did. Sure they have their own individual reasons of starting the fight, but not all of them have a good one at the end of the game. That's not the only problem either.
Directly linked to the lack of overall motivation is the fact that it is devoid a properly defined antagonist. There are a few larger bad guys here and there. Yet the one you fight in the end is never given enough screen time to feel like he fills those big bad guy shoes sufficiently. Aside from that the world design is done in a way that make you feel like your the only one in it. No real towns, social hubs, and the full lack of a traditional mini-game makes the world feel desolate. You can also throw in bad pacing, awkwardly timed character emotions, and a slew of special terminology that can only be understood after reading the in-game encyclopaedia; and you have yourself a game that just doesn't come off right.

The only problem with all that is how the combat system is very well done, and fun. I don't know why but it hits a lot of keys in the right ways. If you've ever played FF X-2 then you know the VERY basic idea of how the battle system works and looks. However all the problems and timing issues have been removed. Proper strategy makes a difference, and thinking before the battle is just as important as having fast reaction time during combat.

It's a give and take scenario really.
++ The main characters are VERY well defined, yet lack proper opposition and a unified reason to continue their quest.
++ The game looks fantastic, but lacks NPCs to populate it, and feels empty as a result.
++ The story is poorly paced with many puzzlingly awkward moments, yet it has some very good and rock solid gameplay.

Though I think it has more cons than pros the gameplay is what really masters since it IS a GAME. So In the end I think that I'm pleased with my purchase, and just hope that the nest one is... somehow better.

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Other than L and N

I just don't know what to say about Metroid other M, it's weird to see Samus with a face, a voice, and above all a story to go with them. The metroid games have never been known for having a strong narrative, or for even having a narrative at all for that matter. Naturally for that reason the most recent trailer for Metroid Other M kind gives me a fish outta water feel.

It's odd too, because the way that Samus sounds and looks is very familiar to me. I personally feel that the developers are trying to make her more like Deunan Knute from Appleseed.

I just don't know what to think.
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du-du-du- Dunst!

I just don't know what to say, Kirsten Dunst (Mary Jane from Spider-Man) did a video to the song "Turning Japanese". In order to do it she danced around Akihabara in a pink skirt with a blue wig on. Who would have guessed she's that type of person...

WARNING: NSFW


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