The Shame of Geeky Cat and Day Six

I... I can't do it... I can't... Call me a quitter all you like, but I'm done. Finished. I cannot continue playing this game.

Round and round we go...Where we'll stop, nobody knows! 

Its not just that I think Jet Force Gemini is bad, as a matter of fact I didn't want it to be bad. I read great things online, and the sheer number of save files Aaron created over the years all testified to it being quite a good game. The (main) problem is it can't make me care. I don't care. Not even a little. About any of it. Not the characters, not the game play, nothing.

The combat isn't fun, primarily due to abysmal aiming capabilities. It can be awkward and dizzying if there are too many enemies, doubly so if those enemies are flying, as in the case today. Even if I stop running in circles like an idiot and stand still to aim properly, the only thing to change is that the combat goes from vertigo inducing to enemies playing the 'hey look at the people-shaped pinata just standing there for us to eviscerate!' game.

But, you see, that running around in circles is kinda necessary sometimes, as the camera is shit.

The story is the gaming equivalent of using a tv as a baby sitter. Sure its there, but its more background noise than substance and it sure as hell won't do anything to stop me putting a fork in the light socket.

...I'm sick of running 'round, just let me kill you already!

I mentioned before I didn't feel the game aged well, a statement I'm sure leads most people to believe I'm a spoiled gamer who can't handle a little Old School. But that's entirely untrue. I played the Nintendo 64 'back in the day', and I rather liked it. Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask are two of my all time favorite games regardless of system, and I can remember many other games I played and enjoyed over the years.

Oh buuuuuuuuuuuunneeeeeeeehs

So I'm done, you see. A game is to have fun with, and I am not having anything remotely resembling fun. 

But until I decide a new game to take it's place I think I'll blow off a little steam with some Guild Wars 2. Arena Net has recently (like today recently) revamped the world bosses like the Shatterer and Tequatl the Sunless, and while I'd like to go check them out immediately I don't think my poor PC has it in her. Put that many other players within 50 feet of each other while unicorns and flowers explode all over a giant dragon and my frame rate slows to the speed of tectonic plates. Oh well, I can find plenty of other ways to faff about. 

Speaking of faffing about, it's Thirty Day Anime Challenge time!!!

The Thirty Day Anime Challenge: THE SIXTH DAY

What anime I would like to see but haven't

*If I spoil anything it's pure talent*

Now this one's rough simply because the majority of my 'would like to see' urges come from surfing Hulu, Crunchy Roll and Netflix, generally a "meh, that looks cool *click*" kinda thing. If I want to watch something, I do. One of the joys of adulthood, I guess. Some animes, like One Piece and Case Closed (Detective Conan), are ones I'd like to finish, but seeing as I've already started them I don't feel they qualify. 

Hell just to complete this post I'm surfing Hulu for inspiration. Lets see here...No, no, no, maybe, no...Why so many high school and harem animes? Ugh.

Oh! I know! Blue Gender! Years ago I saw it advertised for a few weeks leading up to its premier on Cartoon Network, but for whatever reason I never actually watched any of it. I think it's about some guy who gets cryogenically frozen, only to thaw and find the world overthrown by bugs. Or something. It looked cool. 

Whelp looks like I know what I'm doing tomorrow, how about you? What anime would you like to see?

Oinking Ants/ Day two

I will be strong...I can't quit out of two games in a row...I-will-be-strong...

The opening cinematic to Jet Force Gemini made me dizzy. No, really. Between the oddly close camera, it's wildly erratic and quick movements, and the already blurry graphics, my head started spinning and it spun fast.

Oink oink SHREIEEEEEK!?

The heroes, near as I can tell, are two twits and a dog. In a space ship. One of the twits has terrible blue hair. The other one might. Not sure, he's wearing a helmet. The enemies, near as I can tell, are giant blue ants. They squeal like piggies when you shoot them. It's hilarious

From what I can see it won't be a bad game, just severely dated. I received zero information in the beginning (something that could be rectified had I had the manual that came with the game, an assumption I'm sure the creator's had in mind). Instead a random voice steals the camera for a while, explaining things I hadn't seen yet, but not what I had already seen. It looks like it'll be awesome after a while, I just hope my assumption is correct.

I hope to make this a swift play through.

Anime Challenge: THE SECOND DAY:

My favorite anime so far

*spoilers DUH*

This answer is a bit trickier, in that it requires an explanation.

My favorite anime of all time is a combination of the original Fullmetal Alchemist and Brotherhood.

The original series was created before the manga from which is was based had finished, leaving the show's writers to fill in the story themselves (something the author, Hiromu Arakawa, specifically requested), while Brotherhood follows the (now completed) manga. Both series start off the same, breaking off from each other into radically different paths after the death of Maes Hughes.

Now what do I mean by combination? I loved the overall much darker feel in the first show. Watching Roy Mustang's descent into despair after the death of his closest friend was incredibly powerful. I also loved the Homunculi's origin in the original, although only parts of it (keep that they're made from failed human transmutation, nix the part about Trisha being Sloth, because what sense did that make?). I also really liked the identity of Envy and his final showdown with Edward, and the tie-ins with war torn Germany.

From Brotherhood I would take Von Hohenheim and everything included in this incarnation's backstory. Original Hohenheim was kinda...awful. Also, anything coming out of Fort Briggs (General Armstrong wooooooo!). And finally, watching Mustang utterly obliterate Lust was just...wow.

Whats your favorite anime?

Hectic Hexen

A week or so ago I announced the Nintendo 64 as the winner of the 'next console I play' poll, listing three potential games to play for the system. Of the three, only two were requested by readers, resulting in a tie (at one vote a piece), so I decided to play the odd man out: Hexen.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this game. The cartridge art told be little more than the game's name, and a quick online search told me it was a sequel to a game called Heretic for the PC.

First things first: I have to hook up my 64 before I can play it! A quick investigation of the back of my TV told me I would need a little assistance, lest I blow up the entirety of the house trying (yes, I am every bit that untalented with technology). With Aaron home for lunch we finally got it working, requiring 10 whole minutes  of fiddling and a trip to the cord closet to work. With the 64 up and running, further digging was needed to find a working controller. Try one controller, unplug it, plug it back in. Take it out and plug in another. Wiggle the connector a bit, take the connector out and blow in it a little, plug it back in. Unplug that controller and plug the first controller back in. Turn the system off and on again. Hey, it works now!

*Memory card full, unable to create Hexen save file*

Wait, memory card? I forgot those were a thing! It's hard to believe how far games have come today, no longer requiring things like memory cards. Several weeks ago I was surprised (or shall I say livid) while playing a game that, unlike modern games, didn't autosave, requiring me to redo about three hours worth of work. *Chuckles* we modern gamers sure are a spoiled lot!

Eventually plugging in a memory card that didn't trigger the error, I could finally start playing. I had a choice of three classes and several difficulty settings, naturally choosing the 'Stick Jockey' class and 'wailing little girl' setting.

The game looks a helluva lot like Doom. It plays like trying to control a large boulder traveling down hill. It was also dark. So dark. Rather than handing me a sword with which to demolish my two-headed S&M wearing foes I was instead left to punch them to death with nothing more than spiked gauntlets and comically over-muscled arms.

Monster to kill? PUNCH IT. Beautiful Gothic stained glass window? PUNCH IT. Hey a door...PUNCH IT!!!!!

Hmm, nothing happened. I wandered aimlessly for about 10 minutes, punching things, running into walls, always coming back to the huge door with the emerald lock no matter what direction I left in. With Aaron's prodding I do finally find a new place inside what I assume is a temple or shrine of some kind. Punch a few Bad guys, punch a few windows, ooo! Here's a lever! PUUUUUUUUNCH!

Hey, I'm punching, why isn't anything happening...Why do you fail me Fists-o-Death? Oh, you activate levers and pulleys...By jumping. Intuitive!

I get the emerald key, open the emerald door and run around some more, with little to zero clue about where I'm going or where I've been. I eventually do figure out what button is the map, but I'm pretty sure that knowledge hurt my progress more than anything. I guess I better save.

*Pause screen*  *Select save game* *G-e-e-k-y-C-a-t*. Now what button do I push to finish and save? Not that one, now I have to re-enter the name. *G-e-e-k-y-C-a-t* still nothing. Aaron tries a few times, with far better results. You have to scroll past all of the letter and number options and select 'end'. INTUITIVE!

*Error. Could not save file*

Huh?

*Error. Could not save file*

Balls. Thankfully there IS an option for a 'temporary save', but according to Aaron it means I have to beat the game in one play through. So what, is it used for temporary checkpoints for when you die? Nope, as I discover 30 minutes later. It isn't. Whelp I'm done.

But you know, I do have a little extra time today...And the 64 is already hooked up...

I can't heeeeeeeeeear yooooooooooooooooou

Tomorrow's Jet Force Gemini kids. Stay tuned!