I found a great review of FFVII: Advent Children. Yeah it's a little out-of-date, but a good read no less. Find it here.

In video game news, I've been enjoying two of my favourite games from the last generation, Super Mario 64 and MegaMan Legends. What this has to do with any thing, I can't really tell you. What I do know is that I'm a little surprised at how much better those two games can hold my attention than most from the current generation. I even spent 6 straight hours playing Castlevania: Symphony of the Night some weekends ago, and I can rarely play a single game for two hours straight these days. I bought MGS3:Subsistence a few months ago, and I'm still not even halfway through it. Even the oh-so-lovable Katamari Damacy can keep me occupied for about an hour at a time. Are games really getting less interesting? It can't be me, because I can still sit down for hours with the classics and most handheld games. Who knows? Maybe it's just a phase. I can very much see myself not leaving the house (my room?) for long periods of time once that Wii thing makes its way into my living space. End ramblings.

So I need you to go check something out. It's called The Amazing Screw-On Head, and by gum, it's damn near fantastic. No, wait. It is fantastic. Seriously. Go watch this "pilot" as it were, and I assure you won't be disappointed. Once you're done that, take the survey to tell them how much you liked it. I know this is a call to a relatively tiny audience, but damn it, every little push counts. Even if you don't take the time to watch the show, fill out the survey and tell them you liked it. I want to see more of this. If they made more cartoons this good, maybe I'd use my TV for more than video games.

You're not gonna like what I have to say, but I'll say it anyway: I don't really feel like writing an article this week. To make up for that, I have thrown together a new page for the CD collection (it's been ages!) and we'll call that this week's article. If you don't like it, tough. That's the way she goes.

Also, I've neglected to do my obligatory BotM post all month, so I guess i'll sum it up now, just so I can say I did it.

Loverboy. Classic Canadian act. Maybe not as classic as, oh, let's say Rush, but pretty classic no less. I've never really been in tune with how much Canadian music those Mexico-touchers get, but I'm fairly sure that "Working For The Weekend" was big enough to get play down in them States. Either way, I still hear them a lot on the radio up here. Plenty of great songs by these guys ("Notorious" being my personal fav), and as always I give a hearty recommendation. Of course, commanding as much radio presence as they do, you're probably already well-acquainted with a bunch of their music. If not, where the crap have you been? Radio can be pretty good, if you listen to the right stations. I guess there's plenty left that can be said, but I'm really not up to it. Go poke aorund their website if you really care.

I was gonna skip today, but then I saw this: Biker Mice on DS!!!! Holy cow this is awesome! I loved* the SNES Biker Mice From Mars game, and the cartoon even more. Ah, what a wonderful little system that DS is. How anyone could not love the thing is far beyond me. At least I'd never smash a PSP. Geez, what a dork.

*liked, a little

Fun weekend, but don't really have much to talk about. Guess another article's gonna be due soon too, eh? Well I guess I'd better go start on that then. Aiming for Thursday.

That damn compilation of the last few blog posts is up and running. Plus it's got some neat (half-assed) exclusive content to make it worth looking at. So... yeah. I'm going out to the cottage for the weekend, so nothing doing here until Moday at the earliest. There should be some smallish updates over on Coozy For Hire this weekend if you really need something to grasp onto. And of course, by that "should," I mean if Edwin decides to add in the new pages that I sent to him. It's not much, but it might get you through the rough times. Laterz.

DADADADA DA DA, TURTLE POWER!

In other news, I discoverd that they sell Pocky down at the local supermarket, and since it seems to be all the rage with the internet nerd crowd, I figured I'd best give it a try. I'll admit that I was a little wary of it at first, but I picked out a pack of strawberry-flavoured Pocky and decided to giv'er. Turns out it's actually pretty tasty. I wouldn't say it's worth all the hype behind it, but it is pretty good. That said, let's move on.

Another game that was brought to my attention by 1up's "101 Free games" article, Akuji the Demon is another great little title that you'll find looming around on the internet. I have no idea who this comes from, as I have no understanding of crazy-speak (Japanese), but that matters very little in the long run.

I talked about Cave Story fitting more or less into the Metroidvania sub-genre, and Akuji the Demon is a definite Metroidvania title. It's all about exploring the game world, searching for your next power-up/ability. The only real difference is that you collect a number of crystal skulls to increase your life, rather than simple energy tanks or the like. Now I love Metroidvania titles more than pretty much anything, so I'm very happy with this title. The graphics are pixely, colourful and cute, and are rather entertaining. Just look at little Akuji! Whee! The music sounds like they just stole some midis from RPG Maker '95, which is sad, but it's something I got over pretty quickly.

I have little to no idea what the game is about, since it's all in symbol-babble and I didn't bother to find the translation patch (though it does exist out there somewhere). This was kind of a good thing, because I had to experiment every time I got a new item because I couldn't read the help signs which would tell me what to do.

While the gameplay is pretty spectacular, there are some huge issues with the game. And when I say huge, I mean "you'll get frustrated a little by them." Firstly, you can't change direction while jumping. This is a pain in the ass, especially if you've got a tendency to overshoot smaller platforms like I do. Secondly, the game is real short. To be fair, all of the games in this article are rather short, but you kind of expect more than an hour of gameplay from a game like Akuji. At least Cave Story takes between two and three.

In the end, though, Akuji the Demon is a darn fine game, and I recommend giving it a go. It's not quite as awesome as Cave Story or as novel as Narbacular Drop, but it should do the trick. Go here and hit the second download link to, well, download it. You might also want to do a search for the translation patch, as I'm damn well not going to go find it for you.

There isn't really anything I need to bring up or elaborate on today, so let's just jump straight into today's review, shall we?

I was aiming to get games from five different sources, but that seems impossible now. Game number four is another Studio Pixel effort, and easily their most popular offering. Play it and you'll see just why.

Cave Story is very much the same as Glasses in some ways, and very different in other ways. The main similarities would be the graphics and music. The game is drawn in a style that resembles maybe a GameBoy Colour at best, but exudes enough personality and charm that it really doesn't need to look any better. The music is also pretty aged, but entirely awesome. There's even a little jingle when you pick up power-ups that will bring back memories of Metroid.

And speaking of Metroid, Cave Story is not quite, but very close to being Metroidvania. (For the uninformed, "Metroidvania" refers to a game with open-ended exploration, where gaining power-ups gives you access to new areas. Like the Metroid series or any of the more recent Castlevania games, hence Metroidvania.) This is where it differs ever so greatly from Glasses. You've got a whole world to explore, treasures to find, secrets to uncover, and a plot to follow. And the best part of all, you play as an adorable little robot!

So basically what we've got here is run, jump and shoot. But as far as I'm concerned, that's the best kind of game. As I mentioned, you're a little robot, and you wind up having to stop some demented Doctor. HOLD TEH FONE IS MEGAMANS! Well, not quite. I won't spoil the story or anything though. Along the way, you'll acquire a sizeable collection of weapons and power-ups, navigate many, many tunnels, and go up against some monstrous bosses.

I don't have much else to say. I could start rambling and go into heavy detail about everything, but I think we'd all prefer if I didn't. the final word though, is that Cave Story is a very sweet game, and God damn you're missing out if you're wasting your time reading this instead of playing it. Go download it right now. Or maybe later, when you've got some free time. Either way is fine with me, really.

Ooh! And one last little tip for if you do actually go play it. Once you find the machine gun, get it to level 3, then jump and shoot downwards. You'll never have to worry about anything again!

The ol' router isn't doing any better today. If anything, it's actually getting worse. Damn thing's cutting off internet access to whoever it wants whenever it wants. It never gave me any problems before, and at this point, I'm thinking the best solution would just be to reinstall Windows. That always fixes everything. But there's more than the bitchy router going on today! Let's take a look.

I learned about the next game from one of my new favourite blogs. While he was more talking about the game that will be included with Half-Life Episode 2, Portal, he linked to a similar game called Narbacular Drop, which was apparently the base idea for Portal. Obviously, I downloaded.

Simply put, I very much liked what I got. While Narbacular Drop is a DigiPen student project, meaning it's rather short, it's an incredible game. Hell, it's an incredible experience.

So what's the game all about? You play as a princess who's been captured by a demon. With the help of some Mountain God or something, you can create doors in the walls of a room that link to each other. It's a little hard to explain, but I'll try. Assume you put one door on the north wall of a room, and one on the south. If you were to walk into one, you would come out the other. Well, maybe that wasn't so hard after all. It's pretty simple, but it's enough to keep you entertained for a long time. Just the idea of being able to bend space is pretty enticing, I think. The ways that the level designers used the ability in the various rooms is pretty good, and there are a good handful of traps to avoid and puzzles to solve before you escape the dungeon.

The graphics are clearly the best of any game in this feature, not quite current-gen quality, but definitely a few steps above the N64/PS1 era. Textures are nicely done and put Super Mario Sunshine to shame, but the lava is unconvincing to say the least. There's only like two music tracks in the whole game, and I can't say that I can recall whether they were any good or not. But that's not the point! Defying the laws of the universe is more than enough to satisfy me!

so yeah. Narbacular Drop pretty much rocks, and you can bet that I'll be getting me some Half-Life Episode 2 just for Portal. You can check out the ND website and download the game here. High recommendation in this corner.

I can't explain why, but suddenly my router decided to go absolutely nuts and cut off the internet. So I'm going to have to work off the family computer until I can get it back to good. Sadly, that computer's been getting a lot of use out of the rest of my family, so I'll be lucky just to get on. And of course this happens when I've promised to make a post every day this week. Very inconvenient indeed. So if you see a lack of posting any day this week, now you know why. Now onto the review!

The second game on my list is another less-than-complicated title called Seiklus. I'd made by some dude who goes by the name of clysm. I found this one thanks to the "101 free games" article that 1up.com ran some time ago.

Seiklus is a very simple game. You play as a little white guy, and you pretty much jump and climb around the world. There aren't any real enemies to deal with, and obstacles don't hurt you or anything, so you don't really have to worry about anything. The game is really just based around exploring and adventure.

So what purpose does the adventuring serve? Well, there's a small cutscene at the beginning, in which your little guy gets knocked off his star(?) and separated from his supposed girlfriend. He then lands in a grassy field, and so begins the quest. So I'm assuming that your objective is to return to the star. But there's a snag. You've gotta collect these multi-coloured bubbles to open a door, which I assume leads home. I haven't been able to find all the bubbles yet, so I'm not entirely sure. There's a second door as well, but I have no idea what that one's for. There are also a handful of little "artifacts" scattered all over the place, which seem to have special effects of some sort.

Overall, the game has a very peaceful way about it, just letting you explore where you want when you want. It doesn't really force you to do anything, and the map is pretty huge, with many different paths to take. The places you wind up are pretty varied, and the few events that take place are kinda neat. Plus, since I haven't finished it yet, you can tell that it's not as easy as it is laid-back. Sure, I've only logged in about three hours max, but people have flown through Metroid Prime in two hours. There's some kind of logic in there somewhere, but I can't be bothered to try to explain it.

the graphics are rather plain, but I doubt the game would be as charming with any more detail. Besides, there are some neat little effects here and there. The music also fits it to a tee, working very well with each area. I think the best way to describe it is "Earthbound meets Relentless." But then again, I doubt many of you have ever played the awesome game that is Relentless. I'd review it, but I don't have a computer old enough to run it...

Like Glasses, I totally recommend this one. You'll need a little more free time to fully enjoy this one, but there's a handy save feature, so you don't have to get it all done in one run. Though you likely will if you've got the time to spare. This one can really suck you in. Download it here.

Hopefully you're up to speed on what starts today. If not, shame shame double shame on you. You should check out the previous post if you need a rundown. Long story short though, today I kick off a week-long review of "indie" video games. One a day until Friday. Let's go!

Our first game comes courtesy of Studio Pixel. To be completely honest, I actually found out about this company on Last.FM. Odd, no?

Anyhow, this game is called "Glasses" and is about as complex as a Game & Watch title (on the surface...). As the little man, your job is to catch the falling glasses with your face. The better aligned the glasses are with your giant head, the more points you score. You even get a bonus point if you get a jump catch. It works in three "heats," so to speak. Each time, the pair of glasses falls a little quicker, and at the end, your points are totaled and you get a comment based on how well you do.

And that's pretty much the extent of the game. It literally takes about a minute to play. So why do I choose it to review? Maybe because I don't have to exert any effort to get it done? Nope! I choose it because as simple as it is, I found it damn addictive. Seriously. If you're anything like me, you'll play it over and over again until you have a perfect score, and then keep playing it over and over again because it's rather fun for a game that doesn't really amount to anything more than a minor distraction. And I do recommend that you keep playing until you get a perfect score (or at least 30 of a possible 33), not only because some of the comments are slightly funny, but also because there's a little something for those talented enough to do really well... I won't spoil it, but it is pertty wicked sweet.

High recommendation for this one, not only because it's a fun little distraction, but also because the music is just as kickass as the gameplay. Possibly even moreso. You can find the English version on this page (god knows there isn't much to translate) or since it's so damned small, download it directly from me.

Because lately, my fascination with homebrew/independant games has been growing, I've decided that this week's article will be a little different than usual. Here's how I see it going down: I pick five indie games, and then review one a day on the blog. On Saturday, I'll compile them all into an article for redundancy's sake. Sound good? Well that's my plan so far. If I change my mind before the first post, I'll tell you, but as it stands, I like my idea. I might even add in a sixth game to the article.

You know, if nothing else, I just realized that this is a good way to get people checking back each day, even if only for a week. Oh, and the Rockman ZX soundtrack is worth checking out. Tons of other soundtrack rips there too...

It's just a rumor, but the idea that we might get an Earthbound compilation makes me sqee with joy.

Also, Dragon Quest IX might be Wii-exclusive. You can't tell, but I'm crying tears of happiness.

Sweet-ass Twilight Princess art.

Cactuar might be reason enough to get Mario Hoops 3-on-3.

Article up sometime tonight. Sometime. Don't know when yet. Whenever I get bored, I guess.

Hey all. Sorry about the lack of article so far this week. I've got at least 3 topics, but between Steambot Chronicles, job hunting/interviews, and learning to drive (Again. Yeah, I'm pathetic) I've been somewhat preoccupied lately. I might have to resort to posting another Comedy Napalm Classic (I think it's the last one) to keep my weekly streak going. Let's just all remember that I officially have until 11:59PM on Saturday to get it done. Other than to mention that I survived the heart-attack-on-a-bun, I don't really have much more reason to be posting.

Oh snap! I forgot Band of the Month! (fix0red)

Here's the official site of The UK's premier newspaper "The Sun". You're probably thinking something like "Why would anyone want to check out a site about a newspaper?". The answer is simple: Page 3!. That's why!

Couldn't help myslef. I read Mike's post today and couldn't resist a parody promoting boobs. Here's more for those disappointed with that link (boring chicks).

"Where's Waldo" movie trailer

Best. Blog. Ever.

XE in Disney: Part 3

Inside The Gamer's Studio

They're making a Castlevania movie. I hope it's awesome and spawns enough sequels to get up to a Curse of Darkness story...

You know what else pleases me to no end? Mario Hoops 3-on-3. I don't care at all for basketball, but the fact that Squareenix is developing it just makes me giggle. Also, it looks rather pretty too.

And last for today, check this out. Neat marketing scheme, no?

I finally got around to checking out last week's Potoshop Phriday, and I nearly burst laughing at this particular submission...

So last week I watched Hostel. Frankly, I was quite disappointed. To be fair, I guess I was just expecting too much. I mean, there was plenty of gore and flinchy moments, but to tell the truth, it was rather boring. The whole first half of the movie was establishing plot and whatnot, and by the time it got to the good stuff, I had already picked up my DS and was halfway immersed in New Super Mario Bros. Like I said, I was expecting a lot, and it just couldn't live up to the magnificent movie I had imagined. I don't want to completely badmouth it though, because it was pretty fucking depraved and bloody, and I was quite pleased with that much. The characters were pretty flimsy for how much time they tried to spend building them up, and as such you really don't care who dies or not. That, I think, was what really ruined it for me, because I like having someone to root for. On the upside, a bunch of kids beat a man's skull in with a rock at one point, and that was pretty cool. I also watched The Hills Have Eyes, and that was an awesome movie in all respects. More on that one some other day though.

A little later than I'd predicted, but the article is up. It's another Comedy Napalm Classic, so you may have seen it before. But I guarantee you've never seen the banner. Or so many corrected typos. God knows I probably still missed a few though.

I'd love to get an article up tonight, but I squandered my afternoon, and now I won't be able to get on the computer where it resides until mucho later. It'll probably be up tomorrow around noonish, but maybe overnight?

Anyway, did everyone have a sweet Canada Day? I know I sure did. We went out to Lac du Bonnet for a (craptastic) parade, a (a good as you can hope for) fair, and (very good) fireworks. Since we were out there already, we spent the day at the cottage, and there plenty of drinking, shooting, and steak ensued. What more could you hope for? I also managed to snatch a great little item that will be reviewed in a week or two. I won't say what it is, but I'll say this: It's definitely a site staple.

I also need to tell you a little about the aforementioned fireworks. You see, we go out there every single year on Canada Day for the fireworks (only recently have we made the fair a yearly thing), and normally they're pretty average. This year was darned impressive, if I might say so. And you must realize, I've seen all the fireworks spectacluars that Disney World has to offer. So this year they decided that to amp up the excitement, they'd integrate music into the show. It was poorly done, to say the least. Firstly, there was no coordination at all. That's the whole reason for music. Secondly, the songs seemed to be plucked straight from my personal library. Among the various bands included were Loverboy, Nazareth, Heart, and Styx. It's all music I love, but it's not fireworks music. Not in the least. Music issues aside though, it was a great show, and the bar is definitely raised.