The Wii: A Tale of Innovation, Apathy, and (Corporate) Stupidity ~ Part 1

4 Replies

Looking at my games library, I see more white cases (and a red one) than I see clear or green cases. There’s no mistaking it, my Wii has gotten the most attention this generation than my PS3 (which I got 2 years after the I got my Wii near launch). A Nintendo Customer Service rep (long story) even looked through my Wii account and said it was the largest account he’d ever seen. “Points redeemed, points redeemed, points redeemed…” is all I heard for about a minute. So yes, you can say that I’m a satisfied customer. I like the Wii, and thank god it came out when it did (the world would be a browner, grayer place if it didn’t). But still, there’s always this niggling feeling that I get; that the Wii is capable of something more. Maybe the Wii does have that “something more.” But with so many problems plaguing the Wii now, and with Project Cafe potentially being revealed at E3, the Wii may never reach that “something more.” And that’s a damn shame.

Continue reading →

Review in Progress #11 : Legacy of Kain : Soul Reaver 2 (PS2)

2 Replies

Status : Finished

After my rave review of Legacy of Kain : Soul Reaver, the one thing that was left open, a proper ending, It was only a matter of time until I would play the sequel.  Thankfully, there’s a big wait for Infamous 2 and Duke Nukem Forever which leaves a lot of time to tackle stuff on my backlog.

Don't let this image fool you, you cannot attack or make this threatening pose while climbing a wall ingame.

My expectations for the first two games were low actually. Blood Omen originally put me off with its terrible load times, and Soul Reaver was such a drastic change, from a top view adventure to a platformer that I worried the game would never capture the atmosphere of Nosgoth as well as the first. Unfortunately, I came into this one with incredibly high expectations.

Continue reading →

Persona 2 Coming to the US, Official Site Launched, Loses Tsumi Character

Leave a reply

Atlus, you cheeky bastards. You had many a Persona fan worried that P2: Innocent Sin for the PSP wasn’t coming out in the US. But we kinda had a feeling that a P2 reveal was imminent after seeing that mysterious little mysterious email sent out to the Atlus Faithful. But now the world is in order, and now all Persona games has seen release in the US. (the PS1 Persona 2 we got was Eternal Punishment. We never got Innocent Sin).

The website was also launched following the announcement. Atlus is already taking preorders for the game. As you can assume from the bottom of the site, it’s still under construction, and only basic stuff like the debut trailer, storyline, and some screenshots (which are in English!). Persona 2 is set to release this fall in the US.

On a side note, I’m sad to inform some Persona superfans that the new logo for the US version has lost its 罪 (tsumi=sin) kanji that was seen in the the Japanese version of the game. Now, I tend to stay quiet when it comes to changes made to US releases, since no one really listens to the concerns of fans anyway. But from a graphic design standpoint, that kanji character gave the logo a unique “foreign” feel that goes well with both the story and the theme. To see it missing for the US version is kinda disappointing. Given, this is really a very small gripe and am grateful that we’re getting the game at all. Oh well, at least we can… what a minute! What the…!? OH C’MON ATLUS! Even Nintendo’s using the damn character! What’s stopping you from using it for the US!?

Video Game Music w/ the James Episode 7 : Ys Seven Soundtrack (Part 2)

Leave a reply

You can check part 1 out over here, where some of the game’s first great tracks were covered.

Settling down from one of the most badass desert themes in existence, we reach the second dungeon of the game.  It feels like a nice, slow rock ballad, particularly toward the end of the loop after the piano section where the guitar sound comes in.  Appealing to my more sensitive side as a gamer, it’s refreshing to hear softer tracks from a series better known for more hardcore sounding tracks.  Also, there’s a lot of instrumental variety going on, a big plus in my book.

Probably the most festive song in the game.  The first thing I think of doing every time I hear this track is getting up and dancing.  Beginning fast and furious, the mood gradually settles to a quiet section which doesn’t last very long.  There’s a little section that serves buildup purposes, and from there the party begins.  A blissful smooth jazz sounding melody takes over and carries the track to a stopping point that just feels too soon.  That’s what the repeat button’s for I guess.

The rhythm section has some cool stuff going on, there’s a touch of harp and some other stuff, it’s a blast from beginning to end!

Continue reading →

Review in Progress Top Ten : Episode 1 (Reviews 1 – 10)

2 Replies

Finally my Review in Progress series has reached double digits.  About 2 – 3 games a month starting from February is not bad considering the amount of school work that went with it.  A number of genres and platforms were covered, some familiar series’ and some entirely fresh games.

Of course, the impact of each game has yet to be quantified, so without further ado, I’m going to list the games I played in order from my least favorite to favorite, as a nice way to condense what games I recommend and in what order.  Depending how well this goes, expect one summary/top 10 like this for every 10 Reviews in Progress.

The sandwich, a classic and easy to prepare meal and an almighty placeholder when no other image applies to the topic.

This one’s a quickie and more of a catalog of articles that might have been missed to newcomers of The Wired Fish, so more detailed information, pictures and video clips can be found in the respective articles.

#10 – Okamiden (Review in Progress #4)

No, I never went back to playing Okamiden from where I was at the time of review.  As a fan of the original, some of the changes were actually cool, such as the inclusion of partners that you could use to solve various puzzles.  Unfortunately, most of the time you walk them around by drawing a path, it’s a slow hike to an out of reach treasure chest, and another line to return.  Going for all the treasure in the dungeons was more tedious than it should have been as a result.

In short, the additions are poorly executed and elements carried over from the original were nowhere close to keeping my interest.

A second opinion was given by Steven offering different, and a more positive look on the game, check it out!

Continue reading →

Review in Progress #8 : Final Fantasy IV : The Complete Collection

1 Reply

Status : Main game and Interlude cleared.

The title Review in Progress is a bit misleading. I prefer my first impressions in separate articles, and typically start the Reviewing at around the 80 – 100% mark of a game’s story. My very first RiP was for Final Fantasy II, a game that the format worked perfectly on because it had two different story modes. I finished one campaign, wrote what I thought about it, and saved the second part for a future update. I loved it although most of my later Reviews would just be “in Progress” by name, cause there’s only one campaign. Somebody clearly understood my pain as Final Fantasy IV : The Complete Collection contains not two, but three different stories for me to play through.

 Actually, it really only has one new story for me. I beat FFIV in that collection with Chrono Trigger for PSX and I religiously played Final Fantasy IV : The After Years when it came out episodically on the Wii (I dread eventually having to replay Edward’s chapter). I also tried the DS remake and fucking hated it. For completion’s sake, I started with the original, so let’s get on with the review!

Square Enix sure loves using interesting color schemes for the boxes of their remakes... this time it's a nice white and grey.

 Part 1 : Final Fantasy IV

 Clear time : 24:49 (at least 2 of those hours were leaving the PSP idle though)

 Stats : Cecil Lv55, Rosa Lv54, Kain Lv56, Rydia Lv51, Edge Lv55 Continue reading →

Persona 2: Innocent Sin’s localization hinted by email from the past

1 Reply

Update: It’s been confirmed, Atlus now has a website up for the game where you can learn about title and pre-order it.

Atlus recently sent out an email modeled after a newsletter dated June 23th 1999. The news coverage, giving off a feeling as if one has traveled back in time, is quite charming as it discusses things such as Y2K and Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. But the important thing to notice is the rather conspicuous line that states that absolutely no new games were released that day in Japan. In fact, a little research shows that Persona 2: Innocent Sin was released for Playstation on that date.

While not an official announcement, this could hint of a localization for Innocent Sin’s PSP port in the US. Personally, I can’t wait if that proves to be the case. I played some of Persona 2: Eternal Punishment, which is the second part of the Persona 2 duology, but sadly never finished it. Since I’d like to pick it up again, playing Innocent Sin would be a good start. At the very least, Atlus knows how to tease its audience with style. Check out the whole retro newsletter after the jump.

Continue reading →

Review in Progress #10 : L.A. Noire – PS3(playing)/Xbox360

1 Reply

Progress : 21/21 Story Cases Complete, 80.6% overall progress, 22h 41m 17s – logged game time.

Part 1 : Early Impressions

 My relationship with Rockstar Games is a strange one. I am not a GTA fan at all, but that’s not to say I don’t enjoy my sandbox game every now and then (Impatiently waiting for Infamous 2). Red Dead Redemption, turned out to be one of my favorite games of last year surprisingly enough. Not knowing what to expect, L.A. Noire for the past few months has been not much more than a growing curiosity. Would it be like GTA? Would it be like RDR? The anticipation lasted until the copy landed on my doorstep three days ago.

Nothing screams catchy logo like classic yellow neon lights. Nothing.

 The tutorial investigation was admittedly a pain in the ass. It took me a while to get the controls down in RDR and it took me probably longer this time around. Roaming around the alleyway, figuring out the run button from the search button, looking around for something to climb while my partner refuses to shut the fuck up… it was a nightmare. The control gets more comfortable over time with a single exception : the climbing. You have to be spot-on if you want to climb a pipe or ladder, otherwise you’ll be running into wall for a few seconds while trying to realign yourself. Usually this happens when in pursuit of a fleeing suspect making things harder than they should be. Because there is no jump or climb button, any action that involves leverage happens automatically by running into the proper obstacle. By doing this, you climb the ladder, hop the fence, jump across the rooftop, etc…

Continue reading →

Catch Mitsuko Yoshitomi and Honomi At Dance Parade 2011

Leave a reply

Image courtesy of BronxNet

Several weeks ago during my internship, dancers Mitsuko Yoshitomi and Honomi performed on the Open show set. You can catch their performance on the BronxNet Open site (it starts around 50:32, followed by an interview with them around 55 minutes in). The video does load slowly though. But fret not, you can hit the jump and see that same performance in the youtube video below (you’ll only be missing the interview). They will be performing this Saturday (May 21) at the Dance Parade in NYC, which starts at 1PM. Continue reading →

Parent Freaks Out Over “Portal 2” Joke, Hachi Further Loses Faith in People

4 Replies

Source: 1up.com: http://www.1up.com/news/portal-2-adoption-jokes-controversial

WARNING: SPOILERS FOR PORTAL 2 AWAIT!

One would like to think that over time, the “plebs” would become more comfortable with the concept of video games as more than just blippy “shoot this, blow up that, save the princess” affairs, and have in fact come to realize that they are viable forms of entertainment for older audiences. Games nowadays have wonderful, intricate gameplay systems and are filled with complex, fascinating characters and riveting storylines to match the best Holywood or literature has to offer. Not all games are like this, mind you, but that’s the same for all forms of media. For instance, try to tell me that all books have wonderful storylines or fully justified existences, and I’ll direct you to any number of teenage-skewed dreck or faux “informational” books that clog our bookshelves like plaque in the arteries of the worlds collective intelligence.

Now I can make that herpes and heroin burger I've always wanted! Thanks, Morbid Chef!

However, no matter how far we seem to go, we always end up with alarmist morons who want to raise a big deal because a game engages in something other than “wholesome, family entertainment”. This incident is relatively minor, but is so symptomatic of the mental Dark Ages that people lock themselves in that I can’t help but get annoyed. The issues with this situation are manifold, so let’s start from the top.

Continue reading →

Anime Theater: Requiem From the Darkness

1 Reply

From left to right: Nagamimi, Mataichi, Ogin, and Momosuke.

The anthology series is certainly an interesting creature. Relying on smaller, bite-sized stories, usually with little or no connection, this type of show relies on writing more than possibly any other type of series. In anime, the problem is exacerbated by the smaller episode counts (usually 12-24) and smaller budgets than most TV shows. Because of this, several shows of this type (most recently for me, “Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales”) tend to be decent, but not amazing. Some of them are downright awful.

But Natsuhiko Kyogoku’s “Requiem From the Darkness” is a unique gem even in this unique category. It is, ostensibly, an anthology of horror stories, each connected by a central cast of four characters and each one focusing on the myriad of awful things people are capable of doing. But unlike most of its ilk, Requiem carries itself with an interesting sense of style (and, dare I say it, a bit of swagger) that elevates it from “a solid horror series” to an altogether unusual experience all its own.

Continue reading →

Sony Rolling Out PSN Restoration

2 Replies

Kaz Hirai has just announced that the PSN restoration process has begun. Right now, most users will be able to update the firmware of their PS3 and change their passwords. As for a nationwide restoring of the service, that will happen from on a state by state basis. Sony currently has a map on its blog that it will use to indicate which state has service restored. The first service to be restored for PSN will be online multiplayer. He hasn’t stated when the Playstation Store will be up and running again.

Kaz Hirai Restoration Announcement

Restoration Map

Update 1: So far I can confirm that I was able to update to the latest firmware. I wasn’t able to change my password. It did give me a message , however, stating that my password is now invalid, so Sony is serious when they say to change the password. It was followed by a message stating that the Network is undergoing maintenance. So in due time, I’ll be able to change the password.

Update 2: After seeing that Sony has updated their restoration map (see link above), and that New York’s PSN service is on, I checked again to change my password. The first attempt game me the same message as before. But the second attempt brought me to the password change screen. And so I can confirm that PSN is up and running for the Northeast US. It’s still a bit rough though. I have yet to play a game though. I checked the PSN store, but it’s still down. I’d imagine that’s the last thing that will be turned on most of the transaction activity happens there.

A Few Catherine Cutscenes… In English!

4 Replies

I wish I could go ahead and post these suckers as embeds, but GameSpot’s crazy ass coding ain’t cooperating here. So I’ll just link you guys to them. Be cautious though, as some of these might be spoilerish, especially the first one. But this is pretty early in the game so it ain’t that much of a spoiler. Also, that first link is NSFW

Making a Mistake

Can’t Chain Him Down

Cheating Discussion

So far so good. The voice acting seems pretty good. It’s a bit rough, and kinda jarring to hear Akihiko’s voice as someone else, but it’s all good. Also, I’m certain the syncing will be worked on afterwards (as most Japanese games getting English voices get the sync work done when the acting is finished). As a reminder, Catherine is getting released in the US on July 26th for both the PS3 and 360.

Mighty Milky Way Trailer

Leave a reply

Well, what do we have here? I had totally forgotten that Mighty Milky Way was even being made. I knew WayForward was making something, but I kinda forgot. From the looks of the gameplay, it seems to be a 2D Mario Galaxy, but with more of a puzzle aesthetic. The trailer has music being sung by the main character, Luna, in vocaloid form. The sprite work is top-notch as always. The game is available now on DSiWare.

via Tiny Cartridge

And Here Are Your Picks For The Smithsonian Videogame Art Exhibit

Leave a reply

After many months, and after many votes, the Smithsonian has chosen what games will be shown during their Art of Videogames exhibit. There are some obvious choices, and some surprises. Since this list is long, you’ll have to hit the jump to see them. Okay? So here we go.

Continue reading →