Nov 302012
 

No, dammit! TIS NOT CHRISTMAS YET! I refuse to do Christmas movies until December 1 hits, and that’s not til tomorrow! NO CHRISTMAS MOVIE REVIEWS FOR YOU!

Sadly, this also means my choices for relevant movies are equally as tiny. I mean the only thing playing that would even remotely fit the category of this respectable column would be the last Twilight movie or Life of Pi. If you don’t already understand why that first one isn’t an option, please go outside and interact with the world so you can see why people think it’s a “classic love story.” If so, warning, be prepared to be shocked. While Life of Pi isn’t as intellectually insulting as the first,  doesn’t seem like my cup of tea. There’s also The Collection, but come on guys, I need to be able to sleep to write these things, and I can’t do that while I’m plagued by nightmares!

So what did I choose to fuel my horrible dreams instead? Why the first half decent thing I could find on Netflix. Paranormal Activity 3 it is. 

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Nov 292012
 

Silverwolf: Hello everyone! Silverwolf here for another awesome edition of Objection! Today, the wily Kaushik and I will debate the merits and shortcomings of the Nintendo 64, one of the most popular gaming consoles of the mid-90s through early 2000s. Nostalgia aside, I’m still of the opinion that the N64 is one of the best consoles ever made.

Kaushik: Kaushik here, and I will defend to the death that the N64 is Nintendo’s worst home console.

Silverwolf: Well, Kaushik, why do you think it’s the worst of Nintendo’s consoles?

Kaushik: For starters, it encapsulates all the design issues that plagued the gaming world just as videogames were going 3d. This issue is shared by the PS1, but the N64 gets the short end of the stick primarily because its software library was by and large worse and had little to no third party support. So let’s start with the software.

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Nov 292012
 

Superman has starred in dozens, if not hundreds, of iconic stories in his 75 year history. Arguably, the most well-known tale took place in the early 90s and involved his death and inevitable resurrection. I’ve known the bare bones plot of this story for awhile, but finally decided to read through the three volumes comprising this story (specifically: The Death of Superman, A World Without a Superman, and The Return of Superman). With almost twenty years of hindsight to help us out, let’s take a gander at The Death and Return of Superman.

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Nov 282012
 

It’s funny to me that I spend so much of my writing space discussing handheld games, considering how little I used to care about that area of video games. Yet in the last year I have catapulted my playtime with both the 3DS and Vita to nearly eclipse that of home consoles and PC games. Several key games have helped contribute to my newfound fascination with gaming on the go, and it’s likely that my current college student lifestyle easily facilitates this form of play.

That being said, I am clearly the exception to the rule, the rise against the norm. While I may be enjoying my Vita wholeheartedly, there appears to be a vast majority who find themselves disappointed by its slim offerings or disinterested in buying one altogether. That’s really too bad, because the Vita was and still in many ways is a console with great potential. But what’s ultimately true is that the Vita faces a substantial uphill battle if Sony truly desires to see it succeed. Conservative implementation, marketing, and game development will not save it from its many visible woes. No, the Vita will have to see some great changes if it wishes to do even marginally well.

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Nov 272012
 

I’m back this week with another visual novel review. This one is a spin-off of the popular VN Clannad, and it’s called Tomoyo After: It’s a Wonderful Life, and it has recently received an English translation patch. Unlike Clannad, which gives you multiple heroines to choose from, this game is smaller and shorter, and features only one heroine, which is Tomoyo. This game, like Clannad, is done by Key and again features the writing talents of Maeda Jun, who does a lot of the popular Key works such as Kanon and Little Busters. So if you’re familiar with any of those, Tomoyo After will be a somewhat similar experience in terms of themes. So let’s jump into what this game’s all about, shall we?

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Nov 262012
 

Greetings everyone, welcome back to my modest campfire, where I talk about video games and stuff.  Last time, you may recall me talking about free-to-play games and the pay-to-win elephant in the room.  Though I talked about PlanetSide 2 almost extensively in that article, I wasn’t able to determine whether or not PlanetSide 2 was pay-to-win or not.  Well, rest assured, I can give you a clearer answer on that now.  With that, I believe it’s time to drop into the hot zone that is PlanetSide 2.

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Nov 262012
 

Though comics themselves are still a niche market, superheroes have exploded in popularity thanks to television shows, movies, and, of course, video games. Batman’s Arkham Asylum and Arkham City are great examples of not only superhero games, but also video games in general. When playing, you almost feel like Batman. There are, however, thousands of heroes out there, many of whom deserve their own games. Others have appeared in terrible or mediocre games, but still should’ve had a great solo title. I’ve selected only heroes who have never starred in a quality game and I think could easily be given an exceptional title. Who do I think should make the cut? Read on to find out!

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Nov 252012
 

So a while back I was pretty darned excited for Dreamwork’s Rise of the Guardians and, after watching the film on its opening day last Wednesday, I have to say it was a fun experience. But did it live up to the expectations, hype, and hope I had for the film several months ago?

This film definitely falls into the “Nice” list — in terms of visual style

Well, there’s the rub. That or maybe I’m a bit picky when it comes to “holiday” films (And yes, this is very much a seasonal kind of film). Either way, there’s no denying that Rise of the Guardians is a beautiful film that deserves to be lauded for its stunning visual work.

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Nov 252012
 

Ah, Christmas time. Yes, once November 1st rolls in, Christmas preparations begin. But while we go out, shop for presents, and stress about non-denominational wrapping paper, the pop world puts out lots of Christmas/Winter Wonderland themed songs. And the Japanese pop industry is no exception. So when I saw that one of the only singles that have recently come out with full music videos was all Christmas and snow themed, you can bet I jumped on it to start off the holiday season.

So, hey, let it snow, and have yourself a merry little end-of-November, and let’s take a listen to Samui Ne, (It’s Cold, isn’t it?) by S/Mileage.

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Nov 242012
 

All of you are such casuals…

Wii Sports Resort Island

Oh boy do we have a bit here. Today the Inverseman will dissect the “recent” phenomenon of casual gaming that has emerged over the past five or so years, and  does he have a bone to pick.

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