As a birthday/Christmas gift to myself, I finally put in an order for a PSP 3000. I’d been putting it off because first, they hadn’t come out with a black one yet, and second, I was nervous after reading the reports of scanlines and interlacing issues.
However, I figured that since I’d never owned a 2000 model, I wouldn’t know the difference. And besides, no one else seemed to notice until that one guy made a stink about it. Before that, everyone raved of its beauty.
I was hoping that once the 3000 model had been released, stores would start installing them into their demo kiosks, but no such luck (maybe they’re also waiting for the piano black Core bundle?). I knew that ultimately, I would probably be getting the 3000 model, however in the spirit of “caveat emptor”, I wanted to best understand what I was getting into.
Then I saw this video of Final Fantasy: Dissidia:
Major kudos to whomever captured and converted this video, because it’s the clearest I’ve ever seen. Depending on the clarity of your monitor, you can actually see the scanlines in the video. So I feel I can assume that this is a fair representation of what I’ll actually be seeing once my PSP is in my hands.
I gotta say, I don’t mind! The scanlines are noticeable, but everything else going on in the picture compensates well for it. At worst, it looks like you’re viewing the action through a screen door, but for now it’s forgivable. If this were a computer monitor or TV screen, I wouldn’t tolerate it, but for a portable video device, maybe it’s safer that there be something maintaining that “fourth wall” so that I’m not too distracted.
I’ve pre-ordered the black version of the Ratchet & Clank bundle, which means I have about two weeks to wait until I get to play with my new toy. Times like this are what make me feel like a kid again!
People are often surprised that I appear to have such a hate-on for Marvel Vs. Capcom 3. I guess the biggest reason is that I just don’t get the demand. I loved MvsC2, but it walked that very fine line of being devastatingly broken and retarded. With the trends originally set by Capcom’s “Versus” series, MvsC2 was pretty much as far as they could (and I feel should) have gone. And as much as I enjoyed the game, I think that it’s since grown to be extremely overrated.
Truth be told, I wouldn’t mind a MvsC3. After giving it some thought, I would actually love to see them follow someone’s suggestion that they take the look and gameplay of the licensing nightmare, Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom, and replace the Tatsunoko characters with those from Marvel. The cast may be a fraction of that found in MvsC2, but I would deem that to be a worthy current-generation installement of the series. But because I felt so satisfied with MvsC2, I’m also not as excited about another sequel.
I’ve asked people to help me understand, and I’ve never gotten an explanation that wasn’t based on the sheer novelty of the title. So I guess what my true position on the matter is not so much my resistance toward the game itself, but what the fanbase is demanding of it. The MvsC3 that I describe above is not what most fans are asking for, and since they are the consuming majority, Capcom would most likely listen to them.
So here’s the dilemma I face with MvsC3: The game I feel it should be to be god would be unappreciated and not sell. Yet the game that everyone wants would be utter shit. It’s a no win-situation for me. In the meantime, I continue to bitch, remind dorks to be careful what they wish for, and preach that we should focus on continuing our support of MvsC2 and the other “Versus” games that we fell in love with in the first place.
I was watching the new ScrewAttack video of the Top 10 Games That Need To Be Made, and at first I was digging it. Especially halfway through when they made a BASEketball reference. (Best. Movie. Ever.)
But then I saw their #1 choice and I screamed, “NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
I’ve had a hankering for a new game, but this is the time of year when it would be a bad idea to buy anything for myself for fear that it may be a potential Xmas gift. So I’ve had to dig into my library to try to make what’s old new again.
I needed something fun and challenging, but short since my gaming time is already so limited. So I decided to finally replay Full Throttle via ScummVM. It’s been over 10 years since I’d last played it, so I don’t remember much, except that it was funny. And since most sites that mention it remark that it only takes a few hours to complete, that fit my time restraint perfectly!
As I’m playing through it, though, I’m finding myself resorting to walkthroughs pretty frequently. I don’t remember the game being this hard! Maybe the past decade of games have spoiled me and twisted my video game “common sense” because some of these solutions have dumbfounded me.
I was at the part where Ben had to siphon the fuel from the cop car at the gas tower and it never occurred to me that I had to hide in the shadows in the background. Most games these days would have something highlighted to give some kind of visual clue that something in the background was not only significant, but accessible. Otherwise, I just take for granted that the scene is just a backdrop to the game’s main stage in the foreground. Am I just not as sharp as I was when I was younger? Were game puzzles back then just that heady that they required you to think outside of the box? Or am I just making excuses for poor game design?
In either case, if work my way through Full Throttle sooner than expected, I might blow some dust off of Day of the Tentacle and Sam & Max.
The holiday season has always been a favorite time of year for Animal rights group, PETA, as America consumes meat en masse from Thanksgiving through to the new year (assuming you have Christmas leftovers).
One of their campaigns against an otherwise joyful season this year has been the release of a spoof on a beloved Nintendo DS game series, Cooking Mama. In their version, Cooking Mama: Mama Kills Animals, you work along side a bloodthirsty, knife-wielding Mama as you prepare the holiday feast. But it’s not as simple as sticking a Butterball into the oven; you’re guided through the entire process of how the poor, weeping turkey is brutally tortured, mutilated, murdered…all but raped (though I haven’t played very far into the game) before being cooked and devoured.
PETA has made the game free to embed, which I’ used to have here, but the lack of a mute button got incredibly annoying. You can also download the game (for PC and Mac), which I highly recommend grabbing up before somebody done gets sued!
It kinda caught my eye earlier this week when it was announced that Circuit City had filed for bankruptcy. I remember about 10-15 years ago, that chain being fairly awesome because they were basically a super-powered Radio Shack. I guess they weren’t satisfied with being a big fish in a small pond, so they tried to become the next Best Buy. In fact, I remember seeing a funny video online once (though I can’t find it again for the life of me) that made the joke that if you want to find a Circuit City, simply look across the street from any Best Buy.
What Circuit City (or Jerk-It City, as I affectionately refer them) became most known for are their employees. In order to increase revenue, Circuit City adopted the adamant policy of emaciating their human resources; the very people that interact with their customers. The few knowledgeable people that they do have on the floor never last long because their skills quickly send them to better pastures. After the turnover, all that’s left are the incompetent new-hires that don’t know a damn thing about what they’re selling. I should know; I was one of those idiots for a Christmas season.
I guess what gets me thinking about this whole thing was something I remembered when I interviewed for that seasonal job. The manager who interviewed me noticed that I’d previously worked for Montgomery Ward, shortly before it too shut down. He made a point to tell me that after Montgomery Ward went tits-up, their CEO became the new CEO for Circuit City. Well, good job, fellas… That’s your sign! Next time, hire on someone who’s carried a business upward, not run it into the ground.
Who can I high-five for getting Unico in the Island of Magic on the Animazement video room schedule? 5 hrs ago
Oh, what the hell... We now have an Official Alpha Counter Facebook. If you like us, please Like us! https://t.co/Jkdh7wAO6 hrs ago
Hey, Method to Madness listeners: Out of curiosity, what's your favorite episodes of the podcast so far? For reference: http://t.co/Hi3DPOFp8 hrs ago
I had a dream that a fan offered to get the @AlphaCounter crew into a convention but we couldn't afford the travel expenses. #NIGHTMAREBOAT1 day ago
Maybe the reaction to my name is like a trigger word. It works in the same way as MK-Ultra sleeper cells, only benign. 3 days ago
Maybe my name is some unknown glitch in the English linguistic code. Like there's a percentage of folks just wired to have that reaction. 3 days ago
Is "Sean" registering in peoples' minds as a title? Like "Sir", "Doctor", or "MC"? Do some people not know "Sean" IS a name? 3 days ago
There's gotta be some kind of mass hysteria or something that creates that phenomenon; rendering "Sean" invisible to sight and consciousness 3 days ago
I have to know... What is it that--despite everything I do being plastered with "Sean Ryan" or just "Sean"--people think my name is Ryan. 3 days ago
I dreamed I was the meat in the cuddle sandwich between Detective Kate Beckett and @Labantnet while watching Vampire Diaries. #NIGHTMAREBOAT3 days ago
