The Blue Haven

Title: .hack//G.U. Volume 1: Rebirth
Type: Action RPG
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T
Available Files: Depends on the size of the memory card.
Special Notes for ESRB Rating: Fantasy Violence, Language
Summary: The first of a trilogy, Rebirth starts off where its animated counterpart - .hack//ROOTS - left off. CC Corporation - which published a popular MMORPG called “The World” from the other series of the franchise - released a new version of “The World” after its servers were damaged in fires. Rebuilding the game from the ground up (but still with elements from the past) with new character classes, new areas, new monsters, CC Corporation and its customers believed the game to be safe and fun… But, that wouldn’t make a very interesting story, would it?

“The World R:2″ became a haven for “PKers” (Player Killers) which were previously frowned upon in “The World R:1.” The main character, Haseo, first starts playing the game but was PKed. His troubles with the game begin as he logs in for the first time…

A Disclaimer to all the readers: I have NOT finished the original four (Infection, Mutation, Outbreak, and Quarantine) games yet. I have played enough for SOME comparisons however.

My Ratings:

Graphics: 8.5/10
The full-motion videos/animations were very well done. The style had a touch of cel-shading. The areas have shown graphical improvement from its predecessor and even resemble the areas seen in .hack//ROOTS. However, the character animations while not in a full motion video are a touch subpar.

Story: 6.5/10
Alright, so for most of the .hack fans, story is of utmost importance. For those who have watched .hack//ROOTS, this series will seem like a continuation/finale. In that respect, it does not disappoint. However, after playing a bit, and players falling into comas again, the not-so-hardcore fans are more than likely to think, “Great… this **** again.” However, the way in which the gameplay is integrated with the story is better executed than its predecessors, as you will read in the following section.

Gameplay: 8.0/10
Alright, so gameplay. Those who have played the old games will be somewhat relieved that the gameplay isn’t QUITE as repetitive as before. The areas will at times seem repetitive, (I lie. They ARE repetitive.) but they throw in several “Arena” battles and “Sidequests” as part of the main storyline to further develop the bonds and characters that show the growth of Haseo. To this end, as Hiroshi Matsuyama - President of Cyberconnects2 - wanted to “create a ‘coming of age’ story… for a very long time,” they successfully plant the seeds for character development/coming of age.

Music: 9.0/10
I’ve been listening to the soundtracks in my car and iPod for a few months now. Doesn’t that tell you enough?

All joking aside, Chikayo Fukuda has done a great job with the music, developing a rather unique flavour to the environment of “The World R:2″ with a variety of choral, electronic, easy listening, metal, and many other genres of music.

What prevents me from giving this a 10, however, are the “Mecha-Grunty” and “Piros the 3rd!” tracks. I cannot even stand to listen to those for the first few seconds. There are also a few tracks that seem reused (only because they were remixed, slowed down, or sped up).

Overall: 7.5/10

This is an okay game for the casual gamer and a definite for those who are fans of the series. The story is better integrated and told at a better pace in THIS VOLUME than the IMOQ games. However, although the main theme of the trilogy is of “growing up”, it is still told under the same circumstances of players being put into comas, of which some will undoubtedly be getting tired of.

Disclaimer: .hack//G.U. and all content associated thereof are the properties of BandaiNamco Games and CyberConect2.

Title: Transformers
Genre: Action/Adventure/Sci-Fi
Director: Michael Bay
Release Date (U.S.): 3 July 2007
MPAA: PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action violence, brief sexual humor, and language.

Plot: On a planet known as Cybertron, a war occurred between the Autobots and the Decepticons. As a result, their main source of power and life was lost into the far corners of space, landing in our world many years before. And now, they come to reclaim what is theirs.

Review:

“This movie is so good, it must be Japanese.”

No, I’m not saying the Japanese have better movies than us (though sometimes they do). This is an edited joke from the movie itself (”It’s a robot. You know, like a super advanced robot. It’s probably Japanese.”)

My impression, until I watched it a second time, was that I was probably extremely pleased with the movie as I went in believing it would be a flop. I was thoroughly disappointed with X-men 3 and my impressions of movie adaptations of things from my childhood was dwindling. So when I found it as an enjoyable movie, I refused to believe it. And so I watched it once more. And even trying to pick at the bad parts, I still enjoyed it.

Anyways, first and foremost, many would have watched it for the transforming bots. There is no disappointment there. The CGs make even the unrealistic existence of transformers seem realistic. Only if you’re a stickler to original designs would you be disappointed with them.

Bumblebee is no longer a young VW Bug, but a Camaro. His personality is also somewhat different, and well… he’s just badass. Ranging from his choices of music at the most convenient times… to his attitude, there’s no doubt he takes a star role out of all the autobots.

However, the movie concentrates more towards the human element than the robots themselves. This, I actually did not find a hindrance to the movie itself, as the Transformers came to OUR planet. Not only that, but there is plenty of commentary about humans in general in the movie, that not concentrating on the human element would actually be detrimental.

The camera work, despite filming nothing due to the robots having to be CGed in later, was amazingly well done. The actors were well picked.

If I had to pick a bad portion, it would be the choice of adding a certain sexual joke in the middle. Transformers, as an old cartoon and toy line, would lead one to believe that the movie was made to target the same audience. Of course, there are warnings in the MPAA, but not many moviegoers bother to take note of it. There are adults who may have grown up watching Transformers and believe that by watching this movie with their children, it may strengthen the bond between parent and child. However, it may actually place them in an awkward position, having to explain masturbation.

Oh, and Jazz died in one of the most wasteful ways I’ve seen on film since the death of Nathan Petrelli on Heroes.

As far as giving props to the old series, the movie has plenty. Bumblebee, as a Camaro, was parked next to a yellow VW Beetle, of which he slammed into with a car door. Optimus Prime made his “At the end of the day, one shall stand, one shall fall” statement that was mentioned in the original cartoon movie nearly a decade ago. The “More than Meets the Eye” statement is mentioned numerous times.

All in all, with scattered humour throughout the movie, great special effects, amazingly well blended story for an unrealistic scenario, good voice acting (and acting in general), well developed characterization (for some characters… mostly human), and commentary on our race from an “observing viewpoint”, this movie is pretty much right for anyone, Transformers fan or not.

Rating: 9.0/10.0

EDIT: This is a barebones version. I’m being forced to sleep right now, so I can’t finish. I’ll insert more to this hopefully later today.

Title: Zodiac
Genre: Mystery/Drama/Thriller
Director: David Fincher
Release Date (U.S.): 2 March 2007
MPAA: Restricted for some strong killings, language, drug material and brief sexual images.

Plot: Based off of an actual case in California, a person who takes the nomenclature of “Zodiac” takes part in various, apparently “random” homicides, leaving the officials - as well as a newspaper cartoonist - to capture him.

Review: The first selling point for this movie before I actually went to go see it was that there was a cipher commonly shown in its commercials. No thanks to a certain friend of mine who I must congratulate for getting into the U.S. Air Force Academy, I became a bit… attracted to codes lately (hence the code on the Splash Page). However, I was a bit disappointed. It really played a miniscule part in the movie, and did not carry through the entire movie.

Nevertheless, the plot itself was quite well kept. I have yet to read up on the actual Zodiac murders of the 1970’s, but after this I will likely look it up. There were plenty of twists to keep viewers guessing - an essential part of mysteries. The cinematography was also well done.

A few issues in the movie though. With all the red herrings, I would have liked it if the movie were slightly more condensed. Each time I thought they found the guy, it turned out it wasn’t. If this happened once or twice, I’m more than likely to say it was a good plot device, but seeing as it was done more than that, less time should have been focused. It was too long drawn. However, to make up for the over-extended suspense, there were some light-aired parts (”Are you some kind of Boy Scout?” “Eagle Scout, actually. First Class.”).

All in all, if you have the time to devote to watching a two hour and forty minute movie, this is a must watch.

Rating: 8.0/10.0

Title: Trace Memory
Type: Adventure
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T
Available Files: 2
Special Notes for ESRB Rating: Mild Violence
Summary: As 13 year old Ashley Robbins, you find out that your father, who was presumed dead, is alive and wishes to meet you on your 14th birthday. What ensues follows the memories of Ashley and a mysterious ghost by the name D. You must find the truth of each characters’ past utilizing puzzle solving skills.

My Ratings:

Graphics: 8.5/10
The surroundings are well done, and the illustrations and animations are well done as well. However, the bottom screen, in which you play with an overhead view lacks the refined touch (no pun intended) that the still image areas you investigate have.

Story: 10/10
Really, this is the best aspect of this game. The more you play into it, the more you want to continue. I started playing at night and proceeded til I finished.

Gameplay: 9.5/10
The usage of the DS’s features is nearly unparalleled by other DS games as of right now. The microphone, touch screen, the fold cover… Everything was utilized. However, it is minimal, because the game is fairly short. Though fun, it doesn’t last long as the game doesn’t last long.

Music: 5.0/10
Not very impressive. At times, it is quite… annoying. Kind of distracting sometimes. There are points where the music suits the moment, but most of the time, it’s just… “there.”

Overall: 8.0/10
A slight brain teaser. Something that most games lack nowadays. Although the game would have been one of the best games out there, it was sadly rushed too much. The game is barely even 3 hours long. Way too short for a game of its potential.

Disclaimer: Trace Memory and the pictures associated are properties of Nintendo and Cing Inc.

Title: Nintendogs (All three versions)
Type: Simulation
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E
Available Files: 1
Special Notes for ESRB Rating: Comic Mischief
Summary: You own a pet puppy of the breed of your choice, which will never grow old. You can train it for competitions, teach it tricks, take it on walks.

My Ratings:

Graphics: 8.0/10
When you first play it, you might be impressed by the “realism” of the dogs. And perhaps you may be impressed by the surroundings as well. But after a while, you’ll notice a few graphical glitches, and that the dogs… don’t really have “fur”…

Story: NA/10
Story? This is a freaking simulation! YOU MAKE YOUR OWN STORY

Gameplay: 6.0/10
If you’re a fan of this game, don’t kill me for this score here. It’s fun at first, but after a while, the activities seem more and more limited, and also tedious… after winning the competitions 20 times in a row with a few dogs… it sort of gets old. Not to mention, the commentators comments just get overused. When it gets down to the nitty-gritty… this isn’t really a good simulation of having a pet. In real life, they’re full of surprises… here, it really does get old… I do have to admit that it was innovative though.

Music: 5.5/10
Not a very impressive aspect of the game. Even the records that you find as items don’t really sound that good.

Overall: 5.5/10
Fun for a while, then it just gets old. I only played for about two weeks before I just started to stop playing it. Not worth the money. If you’re wanting a pet, get a real one. Or, if you just want to try it, just rent it. It’s a much better investment in this case than to buy it.

Disclaimer: Nintendogs and the pictures associated are properties of Nintendo.

My Ratings:

Graphics: 7.5/10
The graphics seem a bit… GBA-ish. However, the color choices and background make up for it. There is also a detailed map on the top screen.

Story: 5.0/10
… Has there really been a Kirby game out there that has an excellent storyline? I mean, come on, Dreamland is in trouble, Kirby has to save it. Sure, Mario games are practically the same, but meh. At least there’s a new boss than Dark Matter…

Gameplay: 10.0/10
This is the first “full game” (as opposed to smaller applications like Yoshi Touch n Go) that has fully utilized the touch screen functions of the Nintendo DS. The controls with the Stylus, although one must get used to using one if they haven’t already, are very smooth and easy to work with. The only “working buttons” are the power switch and the start button.

Music: 7.0/10
The music in this game are comprised of remixed versions of the “newer generation” of Kirby game music. Many are recognizable from Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland. I can’t help but be a bit biased in this one, because I mainly played the “older generation” of Kirby games, such as Kirby’s Dreamland 2, or Kirby’s Pinball Land, etc. For those like me though, after collecting enough medals, you can unlock the classic songs in the Sound Test menu.

Overall: 9.5/10
Simply a fun yet challenging game. A must have for Nintendo DS owners. The first full length game for the platform that fully utilizes the touch screen and the dual screens. A lacking storyline, but like most Kirby games, the gameplay and sheer fun of the game make up for it.

Disclaimer: Kirby Canvas Curse and the pictures associated are properties of Nintendo and Hal Laboratories.