Monday, November 20, 2006
Tanksgiving
The holidays are coming... I can't wait to go hoooooooooooome!!! Friends! Family! Wine! Women! Song!
Wii.
Bren stayed out all night waiting outside Circuit City in West Nyack with a friend on Sunday. Apparently they all huddled together in blankets like a caveman gaming clan and bonded over Mortal Kombat, Smash Bros., Gears of War and all sorts of other games. Then they all got Wiis and Twilight Princesses.
I gotta say, I'm a little jealous.
Though I spent my Sunday playing Final Fantasy 12 which seems good enough on its own, like I don't need Wii or Zelda.
...
WHAT AM I SAYING?!?!
I ALSO attained Animal Crossing DS today, used for $20 at a second-hand gaming hole-in-the-wall in NYC here. MUCH better deal than the ridiculous $30+ they still charge at Gamestop. What's the deal there? The game's more than a year old and it's still charging full price (give or take five bucks?) Bollocks I say. Though the the kid at the store did almost tempt me with a $25 used copy of Contact. But I want to plant PEARS and draw T-SHIRTS.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Rogue Tomato: VANQUISHED
So I began Final Fantasy 12 tonight. I was impressed from the start. The familiar Final Fantasy prelude and main theme were wholly unexpected, and quite a surprise, considering their unorthodox inclusion in the past traditional installment, Final Fantasy 10. There, the prelude was a beatbox electronic pump-up BGM for Tidus' pre-game show-off scene. It was different and I liked it but completely unlike the epic, sweeping "Hello! Remember how awesome RPGs can be?" Final Fantasy 12 offers right at its beginning.
The cutscene direction and the writing is, so far, BEYOOOOND THE BOUUUUNDS. Frankly, it beats the everliving POOP out of FF10's mannequin arm-flailing. And Alexander O. Smith continues his mastery over the videogame localization with uncanny entries like:
"Being a manner of vile and verminous beastie, much favoring the fetid stench of the sewers and making their nests therein. Past attempts at eradication to contain the plagues these pests are known to carry have greatly reduced their numbers, yet a preternatural rate of reproduction has kept the strain from extinction. And so they remain, an ever-popular subject for natural philosophers keen to fathom the secrets of their indomitable constitution."
And that's just an excerpt from the bestiary for a fat rat enemy you fight very early on. The dialogue between characters is equally eloquent and flavorful.
Phoenix Wright, ANOTHER GAME I'M LOVING, is written by the same guy.
Also playing a lot of Starcraft and I'm good at it. I'm beating people! So enjoyable.
Now I just gotta stop ignoring my mudkip. =(
