Kingdom Hearts: Re:coded Impression
Sora is back again in digital form but is there anything new to do?
Kingdom Hearts was such a unique title when it first released on PlayStation 2, a mixing of Square Enix and Disney characters and worlds that many gamers wondered how such an odd pairing would turn out. Needless to say the first two titles were excellent gaming experiences with tight combat controls, easy inventory management, outstanding graphics but most importantly a story and characters that gamers could and do care about. Since Kingdom Hearts II the tale of Sora has been watered down a bit with many handheld offshoots, not sequels, but offshoots. From Game Boy to DS to PSP the story continues, the past is told and gaps filled in. While gamers await a true Kingdom Hearts III these portable offerings are nothing to ignore as they continue the tried and true formula established from the beginning. Here in lies the problem as there have been tweaks to the formula but even die-hard series fans have to be feeling the déjà vu.
The most recent offering on the Nintendo DS is Kingdom Hearts Re:coded. This tale sees a digital Sora visiting familiar locations as he sorts out some data issues in Jiminy’s two journals (from KH 1 and 2). Could this story give tips to future Kingdom Hearts as it takes place after the first two games? Game time will tell, but what else does Re:coded offer? Let’s take a look
Gameplay – Take control of Sora (yup, the one and only original … sort of) and prepare for an adventure involving Donald, Goofy and Mickey with appearances by some very familiar faces. The action is third-person and gamers can upgrade attacks, skills, the keyblade and their buddies as they look to clean up the data scrambled world of Jiminy’s journals. That’s the main plot, Jiminy recording of the first two games gets all blue screen of death and it’s up to digital Sora to fix. Gamers get some variety as the various Disney worlds traveled too have different themes (action/adventure based, turn based etc) but the overall formula is Kingdom Hearts classic.
Graphics – The DS can do solid graphics that feel like PS2. The larger XL screen is a god send for gamers and really helps Re:coded shine. The FMV sequences are great and the in-game action does not lag. Some pop-in, loss of location happens but that’s more on the game engine than the overall look and feel. A solid looking title that keeps the sharpness of the franchise going and is on par with the best looking DS titles.
Sound – Surprisingly solid tracks keep the action moving and will feel familiar to fans. The opening sequence is still a keeper but after this many years couldn’t a new theme be found? Even the menu commands are the same, ditto on limited voice work. Great sounding package overall but one that’s gamers have heard before.
Design – Changes to the leveling system keep the computer/program feel going but this new Stat Matrix is more window dressing than true upgrade. There is also the avatar system but unless gamers have friends to exchange with not a lot to speak of here either. Overall the design is familiar and a re-hash of what’s come before. Not a bad thing as the KH formula is solid and works well on every system to date.
Miscellaneous – It’s a digital Sora but its Sora. The recent handheld entries have been filler titles, retellings or back-story but this is the first post-KH II title that stars Sora and takes place after the events of KH II. This will get fans blood pumping in anticipation of the ever requested Kingdom Hearts III.
Overall Re:coded will feel like an old friend that fans of the franchise will be more than happy to visit with again. While the gameplay, sound and overall design remains excellent after all these years the waiting for a true sequel sucks. Re:coded serves the double-edged purpose of showing off how memorable and great Kingdom Hearts was and is while starting up the fires for part 3 yet again.
That Indian "Robot" movie
Look, I know everyone loves the final action sequence with the snake made out of guys, but it's got some really good dance numbers as well. Heck, the one linked above is with the creator of the robot. The one with the robot itself is just mind-numbing.
Phenomenal, really.
This reminds me that I need my own robot.
Beezlebub episode 8 + sub indo
Genres: Action, Comedy, Demons, School, Shounen, Supernatural
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Guinness World Records 2011 Gamers’ Edition Impression
Another year; another round of records. Guinness keeps it rolling and the formula is solid.
With Guinness World Records 2011 Gamers’ Edition the publishers have continued the fine stride achieved with the 2010 edition. The gaming sections put great focus on records by genre with a few featured games while the feature sections are great and could stand on their own with more in-depth coverage. So what’s this 2011 edition offering up? Let’s take a look section by section.
Introduction – Welcome to 2011. What’s changed this year, what’s new and gone … Introduction lays it all out essentially doing what an introduction should.
Page 8-19 – Why am I grouping these sections? Simple; they are round-ups of the entire year, a nice summary but not something to talk about in great detail. Seeing the various awards and sources in one location is nice and a great way to get into the meat of the 2011 edition.
Page 20-35 – Two page recaps of each major system and handheld including smart phones and the iPad. Each section highlights 3-4 of the top games per system and some fun facts from 2010. The games are great for debate but a very nice, concise look at the changes, accomplishments for the systems where our favorite games live.
Feature: Making Money Playing Videogames – Five ways to make some duckets in the world of gaming. Pro-gamer or professional gold farmer this is not always the fun world of family friendly games. While this section does not go into detail on actually getting into these arenas at least it’s a head-start for gamers wondering if there is a career in this … or even just a distraction with some money involved.
Feature: The 3D Revolution – Look back on this section in a few years to say ‘wow, this was the beginning’ or ‘what a crock that was.’ 3D on a handheld such as the 3DS could work but how will the new genre play out on consoles especially for a low buy-base of 3DHD TV’s?
Feature: A Touch of Class – Starting to touch on the popularity of iPhone and iPad based games this will be a new section in years to come. Tables and smart phones gain in power and complexity and the games featured are no longer just simple puzzlers. These are deep games, many of which exist online also and are making a play on consoles also. Plants vs. Zombies and Angry Birds on PSN anyone?
Feature: Collectors & Cos-players – There are whole volumes of books based on cos-playing (dressing in costumes folks) as well as over the top collections of content. These two pages wet reader’s appetites but leaves gamers handing with so little content. Again, not a knock on the section but readers are encouraged to go check out some of the collections of books out about cos-playing.
Feature: Indie Gaming – User created, small studio created? Yes on both and much more. Odd that as the systems and consoles get more complicated budding developers can get more titles into the public eye. As major studios and publishers focus on titles that will turn a nice ducket the indie community is there to fill in the gaps with tight, addictive games that would never see the light of day in the old world of games publishing.
Feature: Pro-gaming Tables – These guys and gals make money gaming. Are they the best? Maybe not but they do make money doing this so they are the best at what they do.
Shooting Games – A look at first-person to shooter to light gun games. The focus moves away from looking at specific games as in the past a takes a look at records in a number of categories. Well there is one exception, a little deeper look at the Halo franchise.
Sports Games – More than just Madden folks. This section follows the newer format of looking at records and not by sport by rather type. Madden and football get their own sections but extreme, European and American are all group and really the genre has been reduced in recent years.
Racing Games – Simulation, arcade, cart and street racing records covered with a look at the long running series of Mario Kart games. For all its simplicity it’s one of the most addictive, fun to play with friends titles ever.
Party Games – A newer genre that groups the music games (dying?) with other get up and move titles such as the featured Wii Sports. The groupings are make sense with Mini Games (Wii Sports, many Wii games), lifestyle games (think exercise) and three rhythm based games; karaoke, instruments and dancing. Look in 2011 for Kinect and PS Move titles to make it into this grouping.
Action-Adventure Games – A large grouping as both action and adventure games could very well live on their own. Featuring The Legend of Zelda is a no-brainer and for this gamer the section brings back so many memories. The section feature a variety of groupings from open world to narrative, stealth, survival horror, 2D and 3D platformers as well as graphic adventures. Again a lot of information here, heck in the past survival horror received its own category, but one that does a great job of capturing many records with looks at a few titles in particular.
Fighting Games – Leading off with Street Fighter and going from the relevant 2D fighters to 3D with some newer combat sports and hand and slash thrown in. Nobody can argue with the content and the records are grand. Ever wonder about the most expensive fighting game controller? Just take a look.
Puzzle Games – This has to be the section most influenced by both mobile devices as well as downloadable content. Tetris is the granddaddy of them all and leads off with a nice feature before jumping into records for block, spatial, physics-based, logic and word puzzles. Yes a title like Angry Birds is also seen here but can be tied into the touch of class future.
Role-playing Games – Not sure about Fallout being the featured RPG but no arguing with its acclaim as an awesome game. That said the world of RPG’s has grown so much thanks in large part to the addictiveness of MMORPG’s. Readers get Japanese, Western and action RPG’s as well as MMORPG for Fantasy, Sci-fi and social. A second feature takes a look at WoW, World of Warcraft.
Strategy & Simulation Games – The power of consoles increases making this genre more accessible to non-PC (powerful ones) owning gamers. Civilization is one of the grandest strategy titles of all time and deserves its feature and a quick look at turn-based, real-time and simulation titles shows off an often neglected genre.
Instant Gaming – Fire up the iPad, Android, iPhone or whatever and get to gaming in an instant. No water needed for this instant mix, just a need to game on the go in a simple and quick way. Classic arcade, mobile gaming and social network gaming are featured as is Farmville. These games lives not only on the go but also on social media platforms such as Facebook and as downloadable content on every console. Old games come to life, live again and the quick addictiveness (and simplicity) are all present.
Top 50 Games Characters – Sales records based … nope and this section will spark a lot of debate. 13,000 votes cast and some placements will surprise (Shadow, really Shadow made the list) but the top 10 rocks, period.
Twin Galaxies Scoreboards – Twin Galaxies keeps the official records and these pages list such records with some great snippets about games decorating the page borders.
Overall Guinness gamer’s edition offers up a lot of great content and makes 2011 a year for the records. This may sound odd but the focus in this edition is less on individual games and their records. The focus on pure records by genre allows for more content, a much broader range of data to digest. Rock solid and cannot wait to see how games change by the time 2012 hits.
"Iskandar" is Persian for "Alexander"
For some reason, I always see "Star Blazers" in my head when this track plays.
But then, I have some massive plots in my head.
Zabuza and Haku Anime Gallery
Zabuza and Haku Anime Wallpaper
Zabuza and Haku Picture
Zabuza and Haku Poster
MSN-04 Sazabi Papercraft
Spotting Scope
A spotting scope is a small portable telescope with added optics to present an erect image, optimized for the observation of terrestrial objects. It is used by people who love birdwatching. It is also used for hunting and surveillance. If you are shopping for one, opticscale.com offers a wide variety of scopes from different manufacturers like Appen, Barska, Bushnell, NcSTAR and Nikon.
Chrome Shelled Regios DVD Part 1 Impression
A fight for survival that feels like a refreshed E’s Otherwise meets Blue Gender
Chrome Shelled Regios from FUNimation is solid. The characters, design, story is all solid but not spectacular. This series of survival keeps the mood lighthearted but mixes in the action and an intense storyline for one solid anime. Let’s take a look at a bit more of the story then pass a wee bit more judgment.
Humanity is mobile, living in large domed cities and on the watch for monstrous Contaminoids that prey on humans. These large insect like creatures swarm and attack if not avoided and the only line of defense are soldiers with military arts powers. One such fighter is a young boy named Layfon who finds himself enrolled in a military academy. His abilities are incredible but he hides them for some reason, a past reason that will catch up with him. Layfon has a past with these Heavens Blades is quickly coming to the fore but as a new student, a member of the 17th platoon and a few young ladies with a crush on him, Layfon not only has to deal with the past but the very real present. Battles, special missions, desolate cites and pools all await Layfon.
The story in Regios does no real explaining of the mobile cities, military arts users or Contaminoids in this first volume but rather its focus is on Layfon. Viewers will explore parts of his past mixed into his current enrollment and member of the 17th platoon. The school portions feel like a typical anime school series but with action thrown in. Full Metal Panic anyone? Layfon has fled something and the fun is finding out what. The awkward situations are great fun, heck there’s even a maid café in here, but the action is what will get viewers jazzed. There is a lot of promise in this first volume but so much more to see as anyone paying attention to the opening theme (decent song) and animation will notice. There are a lot more players to be introduced. So volume 1, solid story about Layfon, a very likeable character, and his platoon/schoolmates but not enough about what the heck happened to the world. Even a quick intro would have been nice, but no, all viewers get is a bunch of mobile cities and big-ol-bugs.
The animation is solid (liking this word today). Each character is very shonen cookie-cutter down to their not-overly spiky hair. The personalities from tech wiz to playboy are all present but this formula never gets old. Each character and setting will feel familiar to fans of the genre, even the desolate settings feel familiar (hi Desert Punk). Also with FUNimation fans can be assured they will get outstanding voice work and background music.
Overall Chrome Shelled Regios is not a revolutionary, ground breaking anime but what it is translates into a great purchase. A solid story and characters that has great pacing in revealing just enough to get viewers back to the next episode. How will volume 2 play out? From the looks things are going to get serious very fast now that the groundwork has been laid. The past will crash into the present and viewers will take pleasure especially if the nasty bugs get explained a bit more.
Free Naruto Anime Wallpaper
Naruto and Sasuke Best Animation
Naruto Anime Wallpaper
Best Anime Naruto Picture
Biomega vol. 3 Impression
A Sci-fi Horror manga short on words, long on action and style
Tsutomu Nihei crafts and continues and interesting story with Biomega volume 3 from Viz but it’s not a tale for the faint of heart or lacking in concentration. The action is great but the story fairly detailed and not easy to just jump into. Start with volume 1 then head over for some volume 3 love. What does volume 3 offer up, let’s take a look.
Toa Heavy Industry agents Zoichi and Nishu continue on separate paths both heading for conflict with the Data Research Foundation. Armed with their AI enhanced bikes the two agents face off against N5S Virus created drones while peeling away the layers of a grand scheme that involves the transformation of humanity … but for what? The conflict moves to the Maximum Security Containment Facility 3 where the important Eon Green is being kept. What secrets does Eon hold and how does a talking bear, Kozlov, figure into the conflict? As a dangerous polymer is introduced into the infected drones causing them to break down the true plans of the DRF take shape but will Zoichi survive his conflicts to see the end game?
Cryptic in my explanation I am. I’ll fess up, I missed volume 2 but saying this I still got volume 3. See even in volume 1 the true plot, details, is lacking as Biomega is light on explanations so it require a few readings to get but it works and in large part thanks to the detailed, action packed art. The style is unique and reminds this reader of many a graphic novel from the 90’s that broke the perception of comics being just for kids (whose perception, a lot of people ok, who still considers anime just kids cartoons?)
Ok, forget that mini-rant, here’s the point. Biomega has a very heavy story that really requires paying attention to and filling in the gabs mentally. It’s a manga with an awesome art style that would look plain sick as an anime. Would I love to see more story; yes. Do I love what Biomega offers up in story and art; hell yes. So if you’re looking for a more mature story, futuristic with tons of action and very creative bad guys and corporations then checkout Biomega, its art is hot.
Research geek in me goes "Squeee!"
Photograph of Jesus by Laurie Hill in association with the Getty Images Short & Sweet Film Challenge from Hulton Archive on Vimeo.
This won the Animation Grand Jury Prize at the SIFF 2009 Short Film Jury Awards.
Bakuman episode 20
Japanese | Subtitle: English | 0:24:30 | 704 x 400| AVC1 (24fps) | MKV | 60 MB
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance, School, Shounen
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Beezlebub episode 7
Genres: Action, Comedy, Demons, School, Shounen, Supernatural
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Think about that crazy rhythm....
What you're looking at there is an explanation of how this piece is performed. I only thought about it because of this.
More...
BONUS: Here's some Jim Henson and Ken Nordine. I'm feeling kinda Beat tonight.
And then I remembered this video. I only know about those guys because someone one sent me this very addictive track.
Now, while I'm typing all this, I hear another rhythm and think about typewriters and printers. Even animated printers can be cool.
This also makes me think about tap dance and that sound.
And I also think about the little musical numbers from Zatoichi and the rhythm of daily life.
But honestly, it reminds me of this.
So. Many. Remixes.
BONUS: Here's some Jim Henson and Ken Nordine. I'm feeling kinda Beat tonight.
What I do with myself
So I was watching this video and playing the track below and I was very pleased by the results. There's something very William Gibson about it.
Meat Beat Manifesto - "She's Unreal"
(Start the song, then the video. Mute the video.)
I do this: watch videos with the music off and play music. I'm tellin' ya, watch "The Backyardigans" and listen to old skool rap. YOUR LIFE WILL NEVER BE THE SAME.
Call of Duty: Black Ops on PlayStation 3 Impression
Not for the faint of heart, this call to duty is one amazingly polished ride.
War games are violent and bloody with a realism in HD not seen on this level before but they are always just a game, until now. Call of Duty: Black Ops is an excellent first-person shooter and follows very well in the path set by the Modern Warfare entries but it jacks up the disturbance just enough to make most gamers take pause. What is this fine line in gaming warfare that’s close to being crossed? Let’s take a look.
Gameplay – You are Alex Mason, former CIA, solider, patriot (?) and you are being tortured. No opening training course level here, its right into the fire and a world of brutality not seen in Call of Duty. The core mechanics remain as this is one of the most polished, solid first-person shooters on the market. The single player story sees games, as noted, assume the role of Alex Mason as he must relive memories to figure out a grander mystery that spans decades. Like flashbacks in a movie but playable and pulled out quite well. Add to Alex’s story the inclusion of 14 multi-player levels with more ready for download and gamers get one incredible package.
Glossing over many fine points for one reason. Call of Duty, especially since Modern Warfare, has nailed it on every level. The game is a thing of mature beauty that fans of this genre and franchise should already know about. Played Halo, Medal of Honor, Doom, etc then that’s the basics folks. Black Ops does to perfection single and multi-player in the same package.
Graphics – To quote Vader, ‘impressive.’ Everything about Black Ops looks good and realistic. This in turn makes some of the torturous choices all the more difficult. The environments look outstanding and upon close up views are quite detailed. Customizations lose no detail and as the body parts fly … well let’s just say its good 3D TV is not that widespread now. It looks real folks, it looks very, very real.
Oh wait, there is 3D but it does not look that great and loses a lot of the texture, frame-rate seen in the solid non-3D game.
Sound – Outstanding voice work brings the game to life and the sounds of war are spot on (coming from a non-vet like me). The soundtrack is excellent as needed and silence is put to great use. For a title like Black Ops the sound aspect is not the reason to purchase but it really shines.
Design – The formula has been set and is polished to near perfection with a great blend of single player and multiplayer options. Upgrading in multi-player, needing to unlock/buy equipment keeps it fresh and can help gamers get better faster. The moments of brutality lead some to question this design aspect but there is zero arguing that Black Ops is not dang near FPS perfection.
Miscellaneous – Moral choices in a game will make gamers pause. Being tortured and doing the torturing. Picking the type of brutality to inflict on victims that look so real will hit home on many gamers. These are not aliens or some funny mini-game, these are very realistic feeling moments that show just how close games are now to reality. An escape or not, these in-game moments will stick with gamers.
Overall Call of Duty: Black Ops is solid. There are plenty of review sites that delve into the multi-player aspects but for this gamer just know this; Black Ops plays great, looks outstanding, sound incredible and is a joy to play. There are faults but it’s nitpicking when hours pass by without knowing it. Black Ops is a keeper and should not be missed by FPS fans.
Harry Potter Papercraft
Acne Solution
Acne can be on of the worst things that can happen to our face. When we have it, we look for acne solutions that can get rid of it but which actually works? That’s a tough question to answer. That's why the guys from AcneSolution.org ranked each acne solution based on the following six criteria, safety, ingredient quality, side effects, acne fighting power, customer feedback and overall value.
Valentine Bear Papercraft
All Natural Diet Pills
There are so many different diet pills out there that promise one and the same thing, to reduce your weight. You have diet pills, all natural diet pills, weight loss pills, appetite suppressants, carb blockers, fat burners, liposuctions, lap bands, etc. but which is the best and which do not work? There's so many questions that's why the guys from dietpillcritic.com reviewed and ranked the top ones to help you choose. Make sure that you consult a doctor before you try out these products though.
HydroxyCut
HydroxyCut is recognized as one of the most popular weight loss products on the market and it has been well regarded as America’s #1 weight loss supplement for several years. However, within the last few months, there have been breaking news regarding the safety of this product. does Hydroxycut work? hydroxycut review has listed a list of alternative products you can use. But make sure you do your own research before you try out these weight loss products.
So bad it's.....bad.
I Am Here....Now (trailer) from Cinefamily on Vimeo.
Remember what Matt said about The Worst Movie Ever Made and then ask yourself why they're religious. Or about trains.
Actually, thinking about it, an ellipsis should only be three dots.
10 Free and Addictive Games for Your Droid
Gaming on Droid; as good as iPhone?
iPhone has been written about time and time again when it comes to applications, especially gaming apps. Now, like in every other aspect, Droid is catching up so let’s check in with Online Certificate Programs (I know right) and read their 10 Free and Addictive Games for Your Droid.
What’s nice about this list, besides being an easy read to the point, is the inclusion of video to show off some of the games. Seeing is believing especially when the controls can only get so complex. Who missed the list? Which Droid game was overlooked? Chime in and let your voice be heard.
Oh, I love me some top 10 list, who doesn’t?
Beautiful Anime Girls Wallpapers
Beautiful Anime Girls Wallpapers
Beautiful Anime Girls Picture
Beautiful Anime Girls Image
Preview Bakugan: Mechtanium Surge 2011
Plot Summary: It is about Drago getting new powers from Code Eve, he evolves to Titanium Dragonoid, and can' t control his sacred orb like powers. As the ruler of all bakugan he makes a huge mistake! He accidently releases a Mechtogan! And it wreaks havoc whenever he battles. Dan must control these powers and battle a new evil using 'Dark Bakugan'! I got this info from the last episode of the third season and the rest from the Bakugan wiki and from Nelvana's official website.
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