Haven't been up to all that much lately, really. Just work and stuff. And when I don't work, I sit in front of the computer and surf for nothing in particular.
Well, I guess that's not quite true. I've been doing a lot of webcomic reading and music downloading. I added websnark to my bookmarks which probably helped. And I added websnark because I was switching over to Firefox, so maybe all the thanks should go to Firefox. Firefox really is quite lovely. Yes I know that I really use really and quite quite a lot.
Websnark is just some guy talking about webcomics. Doesn't sound all that exciting, and it isn't really, (there's that word again) but the guy isn't an idiot and has some fairly good points and I have this odd compulsion to read other people's thoughts about things.
Websnark led me to Questionable Content. In addition to being a fairly decent li'l webcomic, the author/artist is always recommending music I've usually never heard of. And I've liked almost all of it. I'm getting all indie and shit. I never would have heard of Deerhoof otherwise. But I heard of The Go! Team via Nintendorks. I love The Go! Team, they're like a great soundtrack to a fantastic 70's movie. Or something. I'm not quite sure of the best way to describe them.
Monday, December 20, 2004
Wednesday, December 15, 2004
TOUCH!!!!
I bought a DS. A few days ago already. My original plan, I think, was to take pictures of me opening the box and all that good stuff. Document this momentous occasion. But I didn't, I just kind of tore into the box and started playing. Pictochat alone kept me amused for over an hour. Dear Christ do I love Nintendo. They just put crazy amounts of thought into everything. Like the startup noises. Starting up a GameCube makes me happy. Hearing the distinctive wash of sound and Bing! that accompanies the powering up of a GBA makes me happy. And now, the discordant and echo-y p-ping of starting up a DS brings me joy. And the pictochat sounds. A lot of developers might have just let it be silent, but not Nintendo, they gave almost everything a sound. The perfect sound. There might be people who find the sounds annoying, well they can just turn down the volume can't they.
I didn't pick up the Mario rehash with my DS, nor Feel the Love. Man, them games is old hat. I'm live in the now, baby, not in last fucking month. I live in Japan, not in North fucking America. Why buy games that can be bought in Canada, when I can buy games that are only available over here? So I bought the Wario DS game.
I can say now, without a shadow of a doubt, that this game is the best game on the DS right now. For me, personally, it was worth buying a DS for. But that's me. I'd also say that the N64 was worth it just for Mario 64. I'm going to assume that we've all of us here played Made in Wario. This game is just like that one, but played entirely with a stylus. It is divine. This is a game you could give to just about anyone and they would figure out what to do. It is the most "pick up and play"able game ever. Except maybe for pong. Hell, I couldn't read most of what was going on and I still beat it. Yep. I beat it. I beat it on the second day of ownership. But that's okay. Shit, I beat Mega Man 2 on the second day and it is still my favourite Mega Man game.
Like I say, it's about the little touches. These Wario games are comprised almost entirely of little 5 second chunks of gameplay. 5 seconds ain't all that long, but Nintendo still manages to cram so much personality in there. The way a toupee shifts slightly, the victory poses, "A Chance Encounter", snippets of old Nintendo game music. It surprised me that I still knew the music from Hogan's Alley and that Skeet Shooting game. It may have been called Skeet Shoot. It's like this game rewards me for a lifelong love of videogames.
I also bought Zoo Keeper. It's your basic move around the different blocks to line up three of a kind type of puzzle game. Nothing mind blowing. But it's well done, and the stylus really helps. You can still use the control pad, but all that does is show you how much faster and easier the game plays with a stylus. And the female announcer has , like, the cutest voice I have ever heard.
I haven't seen my credit card statement yet, but I saved a fair bit of money buying the DS here in Japan as well. The only drawback to that is that the Japanese DS doesn't come with the Metroid: Hunters demo. That kind of bummed me out a little. But then I played some Zoo Keeper and that girl's voice cheered me right up.
I didn't pick up the Mario rehash with my DS, nor Feel the Love. Man, them games is old hat. I'm live in the now, baby, not in last fucking month. I live in Japan, not in North fucking America. Why buy games that can be bought in Canada, when I can buy games that are only available over here? So I bought the Wario DS game.
I can say now, without a shadow of a doubt, that this game is the best game on the DS right now. For me, personally, it was worth buying a DS for. But that's me. I'd also say that the N64 was worth it just for Mario 64. I'm going to assume that we've all of us here played Made in Wario. This game is just like that one, but played entirely with a stylus. It is divine. This is a game you could give to just about anyone and they would figure out what to do. It is the most "pick up and play"able game ever. Except maybe for pong. Hell, I couldn't read most of what was going on and I still beat it. Yep. I beat it. I beat it on the second day of ownership. But that's okay. Shit, I beat Mega Man 2 on the second day and it is still my favourite Mega Man game.
Like I say, it's about the little touches. These Wario games are comprised almost entirely of little 5 second chunks of gameplay. 5 seconds ain't all that long, but Nintendo still manages to cram so much personality in there. The way a toupee shifts slightly, the victory poses, "A Chance Encounter", snippets of old Nintendo game music. It surprised me that I still knew the music from Hogan's Alley and that Skeet Shooting game. It may have been called Skeet Shoot. It's like this game rewards me for a lifelong love of videogames.
I also bought Zoo Keeper. It's your basic move around the different blocks to line up three of a kind type of puzzle game. Nothing mind blowing. But it's well done, and the stylus really helps. You can still use the control pad, but all that does is show you how much faster and easier the game plays with a stylus. And the female announcer has , like, the cutest voice I have ever heard.
I haven't seen my credit card statement yet, but I saved a fair bit of money buying the DS here in Japan as well. The only drawback to that is that the Japanese DS doesn't come with the Metroid: Hunters demo. That kind of bummed me out a little. But then I played some Zoo Keeper and that girl's voice cheered me right up.
Tuesday, December 07, 2004
I Tell You What To Listen To
Use your music finding software and tell it to find songs by the following people/groups: Asian Kung Fu Generation, Bennie K, and Utada. DO IT!!!
Sunday, December 05, 2004
I Always Think of Good Titles When I Don't Need Them
I don't have a DS yet. I tried. And I failed. But, BUT I was a part of this...
This was one of the many TOUCH! displays set up around Osaka, encouraging people to try out this crazy new DS doo-hicky. The way it works is as follows: you go up to any of the cute, mini skirt clad girls and she would place the DS into your hands, lean over your shoulder, show you how to play and then offer words of encouragement. They smelled nice.
Nintendogs is one of the games I played. Basically a pet simulator. Pet dog simulator. You can pet them and play with them and talk to them. It was very cute. A very gimmicky, shallow game but one that compels me to own it.
Since I didn't manage to pick up a DS on the launch day, I am hoping to maybe pick one up on the 12th. That is the PSP launches here in Japan. That's right: Fuck you Sony!
Touch this!!!
This was one of the many TOUCH! displays set up around Osaka, encouraging people to try out this crazy new DS doo-hicky. The way it works is as follows: you go up to any of the cute, mini skirt clad girls and she would place the DS into your hands, lean over your shoulder, show you how to play and then offer words of encouragement. They smelled nice.
Nintendogs is one of the games I played. Basically a pet simulator. Pet dog simulator. You can pet them and play with them and talk to them. It was very cute. A very gimmicky, shallow game but one that compels me to own it.
Since I didn't manage to pick up a DS on the launch day, I am hoping to maybe pick one up on the 12th. That is the PSP launches here in Japan. That's right: Fuck you Sony!
Touch this!!!
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