A BLOG draws near!

Ok, so I know we should probably view another topic for this post, though having somewhat of a one-track mind, I like video games. This being said, what could be more exciting than the ensuing war betwixt Nintendo and Sony? Now we're all aware that the Playstation has absolute dominion over the console market, but is this because it's hardware and titles are better? I think not. Perhaps we should take a look at both of these systems, and see what they have to offer.

Nintendo are innovative, and fresh when it comes to marketing ideas. Think of them as a team of Japanese gnomes who just invented a new Gyrocopter. Yes, it might be brilliant, it's true that it could soar amongst the clouds, and they would most assuredly make the machine affordable; but through their enthusiastic disposition it never seems to be taken into account that some are afraid of heights, while others would rather just travel via a conventional airline. In mundane terms, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".

As a gnome would oftentimes have his creations explode through bad planning, this is not to say that it was due to stupidity. Blind optimism? Maybe. Though Nintendo is not a company to be deemed as inferior, for it was through such virtues that the gaming industry was spared from ruin during the mid-80's. Many claim their development is aligned towards a pre-teen audience, but I'd say this is being confused with Nintendo's desire to make a family entertainment system accessible to anyone from casual, to dedicated players of all ages. Well that, and innovative gameplay is not as widely acceptable nowadays as say, garnishing bonus points via beating hapless pedestrians with a rusted crowbar. A fine example of this grevious turn of preference can be found in the wrestling industry. Though once an age-inclusive, cheeky dispay of Redneck Mellow-Drama, it has become nothing more than uninspired gateway debauchery, complete with bad acting. Now I understand that behind every Little House on the Prairie there's a ghetto; but does this mean that crime-based games, and mindless violence should reign with an iron gauntlet? Again, I think not.

Nintendo proves that playing with your Wii could never be more exciting!!

For reasons unknown, Nintendo enters the fray with their latest creation, a console as diverse in application as it is oddly named. The Wii, much like all NES offerings before it, boasts a unique concept. Although Nintendo's primary focus more than ever previously, is to obliterate the border between "gamers" and "common folk" by introducing the system's key feature; a hybrid-physical approach to traditional controls. Otherwise known as the Nunchuk, the Wii's controller is an obscure device that looks very much like a television remote, and operates as a core peripheral for the majority of the system's launch titles. Nintendo claims it is the next logical step in designing a new solution admist a market lacking unique concepts, even showcasing those of the well-aged persuasion optimistically flailing the controller about in an excitable fashion; but will the Wii really prompt the elderly to pivot their Rascals towards the Hi-Def?

Claim that which is olde...

Possibly one of the most exciting features we'll be seeing in the coming months, is the introduction of what Nintendo calls the "Virtual Console". Taking backwards compatibility to a new level is a drastic understatement here, as not only will the Wii offer a plethora of titles from the NES, SNES, and N64 platforms, but will also include a first ever cross-console library reserve consisting of Sega Genesis, and as if you didn't think them eccentric enough, Turbo Grafx 16 offerings! Seriously though, what other reason do you buy a 56 inch Hitachi plasma, than to play Splatterhouse? Combine this with the absolute compatibility of all previous Gamecube discs, then you have a system of unsurpassed selection, or the very incarnation of electronic nostalgia if you will.

These fragments of history can easily be downloaded from the virtual console through use of an internal 512 megabyte SD flash card, which serves as the system's storage medium, and will be available for a paltry sum of 4-10 dollars each. There will also be USB ports on the back of the console used for storing data to external cards, should you want to backup your archived library. Oh, and for those like myself who might feel alienated by using the Nunchuk to play these games, a classic controller peripheral will blessedly be made accessible to us as well. I don't know if it will be packaged as standard issuance, but the two devices were shown together at E3.

All other gaming bliss aside, the main reason I find the Virtual Console to be particularly note-worthy is because for the first time ever we'll be seeing most, if not all of the Dragon Warrior series on one console! There are even rumors circulating that future installments of the series will see their release as a Wii exclusives, in addition to Dragon Quest: Swords, a launch title that promises to turn your Nunchuk into a fanboy blade of smiting. Enix is by far my favorite company when it comes to quality RPG's, with outstanding titles such as Actraiser, and the aforementioned Dragon Quest even serving as inspiration for this blog. You see, my friend and I both possess an innate disposition towards liking the random monster encounters found in the series, and I named our project here based upon a tattoo she and I designed together one night after a considerably scrupmtious banquet of bacon-cheese Krystals. Anyway it's not done yet, but below is the conceptual sketch.

Dragon Quest: The definitive Casual Role-Playing Game

To those of you who aren't familiar with the earlier Dragon Warrior titles, allow me to further elaborate. Long ago, heroes were not genetically engineered, self-absorbed, or incessantly whiney, nor did storylines revolve around pointless dramatics and multi-dimensional variations of one's inward conflictions. Usually there was a person that decided that owning the world would be more beneficial than say, scheming efficient ways to pay bills or obtain tax write-offs, and someone else would sojourn about hitting ambient fauna until they were beefy enough to foil their nefarious plot. Many things in life should be taken seriously, or are complicated as people like to assume. Dragon Quest tells us that a normal person makes the best formulae as a hero, and as such presents it's character roster in a casual light. The castle gate guard who thwarts his tax-hungry king for the good of local peasantry, a barkeep that provides his customers extra mead with a smile, or perhaps a serving wench that gives her nightsworth of tips to needy vagrants. Each of these people have shown aspects of goodly virtue, and theoretically could join eachother in a collaborative effort to cease the wide-spread influence of corruption.

I stumbled upon Dragon Warrior in the late 80's, while browsing the rental selection at a gas station. Admittedly I knew nothing of the genre at the time and leased it for 3 days based upon the cover art alone, which dramatically illustrated the age-olde depiction of a virtuous knight pitted against a gigantic fire-breathing reptile. What would all this entail? Obviously there would be awe-inspiring creatures, gilded virgins in disarray, and abominations erupting from the very depths of Hell to rob townsfolk of their infants. Knowing that only my avatar could stifle their baby-snatching antics, I made haste to my room in preparation for the ensuing adventure.

After a brief introduction, our story starts with an emotionally distraught king and his elected charge, a blue Viking who also happens to be a descendant of the famed hero Erdrick. In ages past, this warrior had managed to seal away all manner of demonic presence using a mysterious orb of light, which had recently been stolen by the nefarious Dragonlord. Without this artifact in their possession, evil was no longer denied passage, and monsters once again inhabited the countryside terrorizing the populace. Obviously the good people of Alefguard needed a champion to defend their cause, and the task of slaying this fiend was appointed to Erdrick's next of kin, whose role the player assumed. After obtaining a meager club from a portly shopkeeper I prepared to set forth, and immediately following my leaving the safe confines of Tantegel castle, came the first and most memorable encounter I had ever faced in an RPG.

"A most feared encounter is the slime, take heed brothers and be not beguiled by it's gelatinous innocence. I shan't forget the ominous slurping..." ~ Erdrick, 1272 A.D

From the moment I witnessed the unique character design, strategic combat system, and non-linear exploration of this series, role-playing games became the distinctive cartridge of choice in my NES library. This genre was very popular at the time, and was given an significant boon to it's circulation due to the emergence of a new sect of individuals most appropriately deemed as Fundamentalist Christians, who strangely enough, adopted the groundless theory of a multi-thousand year olde fallen angel being associated with full-dress Dungeons & Dragons campaigns. I don't know, the idea of Satan sitting in a basement pretending to be an elf is somewhat lacking. At any rate, after two weeks of nearly incessant play sessions I sought out and defeated the Dragonlord. The moral of our story you ask?

Evil is not synonymous with proper grammar...

It seems fitting that the Dragon Quest saga has made it's way back to Nintendo, whereas Final Fantasy XIII is slated for release under Sony's banner. Casual fun, as opposed to high-budget production. I believe that video games are an art form, and as with that industry, those that make enough profit tend to become abstract in their execution. Such is the experience when playing a Square-exclusive title, which is visually potent, but entirely uninspired. Many people will buy their systems based on stock in Square's titles alone, and I'll admit in all fairness that their earlier games were quite good, it's just that two years of whimsically playing Final Fantasy Online makes one realize just how troublesome Square can be, and ultimately how significant their reliance on name recognition is overtly. Should you be considering joining this subscription-tactic in the future however, I would first suggest you observe a recent evaluation conducted by the Better Business Bureau. Otherwise, if you happen to run across a summoner by the name of Illyswrith on the Ifrit server, feel free to emote a greeting of sorts.

At a local press conference earlier today, Square/Enix representatives told an eager press in Wisconsin about their anticipated "Network Down version 1.1 notice". "Players expect alot from us" said SE's co-production manager Yushigi Forimaru. "Network connectivity is an important issue, and we want players to feel that eventhough they will not be able to actually play our MMO very much, we will strive to give them increasingly entertaining error messages." The new notice is reputed to have 16 random color-changing backdrops, and an animated chocobo/mog border. Square promises it's players at least 15% of uninterrupted play per month in the future, and plans to incorporate fanboy musack during updates. This is Connie Coker, CBS news....

"Now you're playing with power..."

As with all consoles, the initial launch library is an inevitable shortcoming. However, during it's press coverage at this year's E3, Nintendo announced that they were able to showcase 27 Wii games on the floor, not including those available through their online service. It was not specified how many of these would constitute as launch titles, but it was confirmed that the system would be debuted alongside The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. It is considerably rare that a console would be released with such an established franchise. Regardless of the fact this will probably sell numerous Wii's in itself, the sequel I am most prompted to jeer over is none other than Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Yes, the nex-gen edition of old school bitch-slappery shall arrive post-haste, featuring none other than Pit, and a mysterious cardboard box by the name of Solid Snake. Metaknight is also a decent mention, although I must state that Zero Suit Samus has to be the absolute worst idea as an addition that could've been implemented. It's rather dis-heartening to see Nintendo's original bounty hunter, who just so happened to be female, being turned into another mundane power-chick. Ah well, at least the original Samus will still be a playable option in spite of the lewd portrayal given us via her alter-ego. Also I hear-tell that all the music will be professionally composed and conducted through recorded orchestration. Is this good? No, it's not. Super Smash Brothers is a confrontation of classicaly renown characters, and embodies a sense of nostalgia that can only be fully appreciated by the elder of geeks. Thus, having various stages with 8-bit music really does help the experience. Evenstill, the addition of Pit and Solid Snake compensate for these short-comings, and as a full selection has not been confirmed, I hope to see such entries as King Hippo and the Eggplant Wizard, or in greater-hopes, the acquisition of classic Capcom characters.

That being said, Wii Connect-24 is another promising feature, which helps to improve our chances of receiving such additions. No longer are games limited by source material alone, as Nintendo promises a dedicated server to continually push content and updates to their system, perpetually enhancing that title you'd thought beaten the night before. Now that Super Smash Brothers will be made online capable, waking up to increasingly robust character selections is a very serious possibility. Not only will all this be thoroughly innovating, but it should also allow community influence to improve games on a gradual level, and further justify the rising cost of software purchases.

To summarize, with it's accessible price, unique design, and host of differing applications, the Nintendo Wii should be a viable solution for those that seek something new, while still being established on the principle of video games and the people that play them. Let's just hope they don't attempt marketing another Power Glove.

X the cost of traditional consoles...

Aristocrisy. That's what comes to mind when purchasing this juggernaut. At $500-600.00 U.S, Sony promises that this is no mere gaming system, but a fully-featured computer capable of the most demanding applications. What this means to you, the consumer, depends entirely upon your grasp of technological advancment to this point. For many the PS3 will be the centerpiece of their domicile, due to it's quick deliverance of visual splendor and multi-purpose entertainment solutions. Others shall treat it as a console because of it's inability to truly compete against a PC in terms of overall function. Personally, I prefer to look at this bastich as a glorifed DvD player. Why you ask? Blue Ray support, the industry's new standard in high-definition video will be included as a standard feature in both versions of the console, and can hold 50 gigabytes of data at maximum capacity. What this means in game terms is a whole new level of detail to game environments, otherwise thought impossible. Imagine walking into a medieval village, and seeing each inhabitant going about different tasks. Some wandering aimlessly, others disposing the contents of pales out their windows, children playing between houses, or perhaps a public execution complete with gathered masses..... It can all be processed now simultaneously, even while maintaining high FPS! An example of this will be seen in the upcoming title, Assassin's Creed, wherein the player assumes the role of a cut-throat during the 3rd crusade. For those of you who don't have a degree in Theology, this was when the Europeans sought to shift control of the Holy Land from Saladin. All stated, smiting in such ancient locations as Jerusalem or Damascus will be standard fare, and seem like an original departure from the epic, though historically inaccurate adventure games offered presently.

As it stands, we can expect to see two configurations of PS3 at launch. At their base, both machines perform identically, but to those who can actually afford the system, it would be better spending the extra $100.00 for 40 more gigs of memory, Wi-Fi connectivity, and integrated HDMI inputs. The "standard solution" includes only a 20 gig hard drive, but otherwise can be provisioned similar features with the aid of external peripherals to compensate for it's lack of the enhanced ports or internal hardware. Of course you'd wind up spending just about as much in the long run, and aftewards have a mass of power cords strewn about, which of course leads us back to the aforementioned logic. Chrome trimming, and plasti-gloss are also additional cosmetic features found on the greater-model, but otherwise the two are exact in structure.

As for the system's CPU, it uses a 3.2 Ghz cell processor, capable of speeds 3-12 times faster than equivalent chipsets found in PC's, and uses flash-cards as it's storage medium, similar to the Wii. Indeed the only drawback according to the industry, is the innane difficulty of developing on said hardware. USB ports shall also now take the place of controller plug-in's, and a freely provided network service has been promised to the masses to compensate for the machines insidious price. I must admit, non-subscription online access is a very intelligent marketing strategy.

When considering the new controller itself, suffice to say, Sony "understood the old, to appreciate the new", and will provide a near identical box-in of it's PS2 counter-part. The only differences I can note is that the device is slightly larger, features wireless connectivity, and possesses a motion sensor which makes it a "wii" bit like the competition. Really my only gripe is the disclusion of the otherwise standard rumble pack, as this causes a significant decrease in weight, and robs us of our force feedback we had previously taken for granted. The good aspect of all this however, is the inclusive compatibility of our beloved PS2 variant, combined with complete accessibility to all titles from Sony's previous consoles.

Speaking of games, Sony also promises to rival Nintendo in providing an equally varied host of launch titles, although I find myself expressing a distinctive intrest in one particular offering, "The Eye of Judgment: Conquerers of Nine Fields", by Sony Science Laboratories. Following upon the premise of card-based battle games such as Magic, or Yu-gi-oh, both of which I never really pursued an active interest in, this innovative concept uses a combination of the disc itself, provided alongside a physical 3X3 grid and Sci-Fi inspired stand for mounting an next generation Eye Toy. When cards are placed beneath the camera they are registered via information encoded upon their surface, thusly causing the image to erupt from the card on screen. The objective of the game is to capture 5 of the 9 grid squares using monster and spell cards, each representing one of the following elemental principles: Earth, Water, Fire, Sky, and Mecha. Yeah, it's been done, but rarely has a game been executed in such an original fashion.

<------ H.R Giger's Desk Lamp???

Anyway, the initial purchase includes a deck of 30 assorted cards, and can be expanded upon via booster packs of 5-10 cards each, the amount of which has not been decided. Otherwise the only thing you'll need to buy seperately is the PS3 eye toy, although the mount for it will be bundeled with the game itself. The actual price of the unit and accessories has not been disclosed at this time unfortunately, but I'm assuming no less than $100.00, despite the fact Eye of Judgment is slated to make it's debut alongside one of the two most expensive consoles in history.

Dragon Quest 8 ~ Should you draw near??

Visage: 10 (Superior) - Outstanding. The use of cell-shading accurately emulates a distinctive emphasis on the boundless creativity found in the monsters, and characters of the series. This also happens to be an unique approach, as earlier Dragon Quest games did not boast graphics comparable to industry standards.

Ambiance: 10 (Superior) - From fully orchestrated music, to hours of voiced dialouge provided by competent British actors, the sound quality of this epic is top-notch. Spell explosions, footfalls, the methodic jiggling of slimes, it's all here governer.

Design: 10 (Superior) - Minimal screen clutter, quick and percise menu system, player-selected statistic advancement, and transportation spells to avoid empty travel time means simply that everything was designed from the ground up to promote unobstructed enjoyment.

Control: 10 (Superior) - As this is a more traditional RPG, control is not exactly an easy aspect to implement incorrectly. Movements are basic, and spells or abilities can be accessed via the directional pad. Really no way to mess this up without apathy in the purest sense of the word.

Immersion: 10 (Superior) - With the aforementioned British Voice acting, and exquisitely animated characters, Dragon Quest 8 features an incredibly robust storyline combining dry humor with mild drama. Expect dark gods, eccentric squids, and demonically-possessed dobermans to oppose your path to victory.

Perpetuation: 10 (Superior) - Journey of The Cursed King has enough hidden surprises in it's own right, but a most warranted mention is the monster arena battles. This feature allows players to scour the landscape in search for notorious creatures to add in their team roster. After naming their group, two opposing parties of 3 creatures each face off in a battle foreran, and proceeded by exstensive commentation. Hilarity ensues!

Verdict: Superior

Well, as this post has become a bit "long-winded" in it's application, I should probably cease my proverbial chin-wagging, and go drink some....

Warmest Regards, Pseudo-Hermit

Oh, and as for the consoles themselves, expect to see more in-depth details regarding development upon their release, around Halloween of this year.

Hope to see you next post!!

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