Link goes to Sahasrahla where he finds out the elder's son, Osfala has gone to the Old Eastern Palace that is now presumably older than the Old Eastern Palace from A Link to the Past. In order to gain passage to the Palace, Link must borrow a bow and arrows from Rafio. Rafio gives them for free but with certain expiration fees (aka when you die you have to buy the arrows back). He then sends Link away to the Palace.
Link reaches the Palace to meet Osfala, but Osfala is confident in his abilities as a Sage to take down whatever evil lies inside. The lore and games in the series are a little vague on the purpose of sages in times without heroes, so Osfala's confidence may do itself some justice. Of course if Osfala dealt with the villain here and now, there wouldn't be much of a game. Naturally, Osfala gets turned into a painting, and after Link gets done dodging several large steel balls rolling down the hallway, he fights Yuga.
Yuga uses magical attacks. Link outfoxes Yuga with the bow and arrows, and Yuga doesn't think Link is worth his time. Yuga goes ahead and turns Link into a painting as well. With Link detained in the wall, Yuga declares nothing will stop him from getting the remaining sages and finally Zelda. As Link remains motionless as a painting on the wall, the hero's bracelet he got from Ravio begins to glow. As it shines a purple color, Link is freed from the wall.
Link finds he is now able to turn into a painting and interact on flat surfaces by the power of the bracelet just like Yuga. Using this power, he escapes from the Eastern Palace to find Sahasrahla waiting out front.
Sahasrahla recognizes that all of the sages are in danger, but then an earthquake strikes. Following the earthquake, Link and Sahasrahla find a dark force field has surrounded the Hyrule Castle. Sahasrahla attempts to break it but realizes the only magic that can break the barrier is the Master Sword of legend. To get the Master Sword, three pendants are required to awaken the sword. The first pendant is the one Zelda gave to Link before all the business at the Old Palace. Sahasrahla sends Link to retrieve the other two, and the game opens up to a much greater degree of free choice.
I'll talk about this choice in the next post.
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Monday, December 16, 2013
The Princess and Her Castle: A Link Between Worlds part 3
By order of Ravio, Link heads out to the castle to warn about the magician who has been turning people into paintings. He is stopped by the palace guards who think Link is being ridiculous and is looking for an excuse to see the princess. When it seems like Link won't get into the castle, Impa, the adviser and protector of Zelda, intervenes and lets Link in.
Link waits in the great hall of the castle where he looks at the paintings that represent the events of Link to the Past (if you'd like a recap, you can read the post from part 1 that explains it). Meanwhile, Impa goes before Princess Zelda to pass on Link's warning of the magician. After looking at the paintings for a while, Link is summoned by Impa to come before Princess Zelda.
As Link enters into the throne room, Zelda immediately recognizes him. Zelda believes she's seen Link before, but she does not recognize his name. She does mention that she shared the dream Link had at the beginning of a monster putting Hyrule in darkness. It's important to note that this Link has never met Zelda prior to this encounter. This is almost always the case (with the exceptions of Skyward Sword, the Minish Cap, and the Four Swords Adventure). There is usually some degree of familiarity since the two have been bound by fate for possibly thousands of years. In much the same way Link knows how to use a sword simply by picking one up, Zelda's knowledge of Link comes from her many lifetimes of planning for the days in which Hyrule is in danger.
Zelda gives Link the Pendant of Courage for reasons not yet explained, and she sends Link to an old sage named Sahasrahla. I'm not expecting you to have to remember that name, but his deal is that he was a descendant of the same Sahasrahla from Link to the Past who was the descendent of a sage from Ocarina of Time (the sage of light if I had to guess of course there were six sages in OoT and seven in LttP so maybe there is no correspondence).
I write all of this to say that if you don't know these games that well, Zelda will get captured or kidnapped some time between now and the end of the game. Some critics have said some very strong remarks on how this objectifies Zelda in some manner in that she is frequently kidnapped and doesn't really exhibit much personality. Let's get the record straight on one thing. Link just does things because he's told to do things. I'm not saying he doesn't have some interest in the well-being of Hyrule, but he is not the strategic mind who knows how to stop the forces of evil. Zelda is the master planner. Throughout all of time, Link receives the Triforce of Courage whereas Zelda receives the Triforce of Wisdom. She always delays her capture long enough to allow Link to have the necessary means to defeat whatever evil he must face (usually Ganon). It's also important to note she is the only apparent form of government in Hyrule, which may sound like a foolish means of governance, but it actually makes sense given past attempts at shared power usually lead to the person that isn't Zelda to try and take power over the land in one form or another.
In this sense, it is sort of like a queen in a game of chess. The queen holds the most mobility on the board, but the queen is best used when positioned to thwart enemy mobility. It is the other pieces that take advantage of the queen's position by catching and cornering the enemy pieces to open a way to take the king.
I will also go ahead and say things don't go perfectly according to plan, but the pieces are picked up by someone who has also been planning. We shall see this other planner later. For now, Link must go to Sahasrahla's house in the village.
Link waits in the great hall of the castle where he looks at the paintings that represent the events of Link to the Past (if you'd like a recap, you can read the post from part 1 that explains it). Meanwhile, Impa goes before Princess Zelda to pass on Link's warning of the magician. After looking at the paintings for a while, Link is summoned by Impa to come before Princess Zelda.
As Link enters into the throne room, Zelda immediately recognizes him. Zelda believes she's seen Link before, but she does not recognize his name. She does mention that she shared the dream Link had at the beginning of a monster putting Hyrule in darkness. It's important to note that this Link has never met Zelda prior to this encounter. This is almost always the case (with the exceptions of Skyward Sword, the Minish Cap, and the Four Swords Adventure). There is usually some degree of familiarity since the two have been bound by fate for possibly thousands of years. In much the same way Link knows how to use a sword simply by picking one up, Zelda's knowledge of Link comes from her many lifetimes of planning for the days in which Hyrule is in danger.
Zelda gives Link the Pendant of Courage for reasons not yet explained, and she sends Link to an old sage named Sahasrahla. I'm not expecting you to have to remember that name, but his deal is that he was a descendant of the same Sahasrahla from Link to the Past who was the descendent of a sage from Ocarina of Time (the sage of light if I had to guess of course there were six sages in OoT and seven in LttP so maybe there is no correspondence).
I write all of this to say that if you don't know these games that well, Zelda will get captured or kidnapped some time between now and the end of the game. Some critics have said some very strong remarks on how this objectifies Zelda in some manner in that she is frequently kidnapped and doesn't really exhibit much personality. Let's get the record straight on one thing. Link just does things because he's told to do things. I'm not saying he doesn't have some interest in the well-being of Hyrule, but he is not the strategic mind who knows how to stop the forces of evil. Zelda is the master planner. Throughout all of time, Link receives the Triforce of Courage whereas Zelda receives the Triforce of Wisdom. She always delays her capture long enough to allow Link to have the necessary means to defeat whatever evil he must face (usually Ganon). It's also important to note she is the only apparent form of government in Hyrule, which may sound like a foolish means of governance, but it actually makes sense given past attempts at shared power usually lead to the person that isn't Zelda to try and take power over the land in one form or another.
In this sense, it is sort of like a queen in a game of chess. The queen holds the most mobility on the board, but the queen is best used when positioned to thwart enemy mobility. It is the other pieces that take advantage of the queen's position by catching and cornering the enemy pieces to open a way to take the king.
I will also go ahead and say things don't go perfectly according to plan, but the pieces are picked up by someone who has also been planning. We shall see this other planner later. For now, Link must go to Sahasrahla's house in the village.
Friday, December 13, 2013
Get Out of My House: A Link Between Worlds part 2
Ok, so back to the regularly scheduled adventure.
After going unconscious in the chapel, Link wakes up back in his house. He looks around to see everything in its place until a man in a strange purple rabbit costume comes out.
He introduces himself as Ravio, and he is apparently the guy who dragged you back to your house. He has a small winged bird friend named Sheerow. When he finds out from Link about the magician turning people into paintings and how Link tried to fight him, he declares Link is a hero with great cheer. He states that he is a merchant who sells items to heroes, but he is in need of a place to set up shop. He then passively coerces Link to let him stay in his house and offers a musty old bracelet thing as rent. To add extra worth to the bracelet, he calls it the Hero's Bracelet.
He then admits it does absolutely nothing, but it's too late because you already agreed to let him stay. Before Link can object, Ravio sends Link out saying the kingdom is probably in danger, and he needs to warn Princess Zelda because that's what heroes do. So Link leaves the house and goes to the castle to warn of coming disaster and the true nature of the vandalism as told to him by his mysterious friend in a rabbit costume.
After going unconscious in the chapel, Link wakes up back in his house. He looks around to see everything in its place until a man in a strange purple rabbit costume comes out.
 |
| There's some major spoilers on this guy, so I wouldn't recommend looking him up if you don't know his deal. |
He then admits it does absolutely nothing, but it's too late because you already agreed to let him stay. Before Link can object, Ravio sends Link out saying the kingdom is probably in danger, and he needs to warn Princess Zelda because that's what heroes do. So Link leaves the house and goes to the castle to warn of coming disaster and the true nature of the vandalism as told to him by his mysterious friend in a rabbit costume.
 |
Even though Ravio may seem like a handful now (and he will only seem like more of a handful in very little time) circumstances will reveal near the end why he's probably one of my favorite Zelda characters. Generally, my most beloved Zelda characters are the ones that are helpful but also some definitive character flaw. Tatl is bossy, Midna has ulterior motives, and Ravio likes your money and your property. In the end, your uneasy alliances with these characters work out, but at first they seem questionable. I feel like this makes them more memorable since you constantly find yourself guessing what they're all about. We will return to Hyrule Castle next time
(also, if you know Link to the Past and what it had to do with rabbits, that will help you learn something about Ravio)
(also, if you know Link to the Past and what it had to do with rabbits, that will help you learn something about Ravio)
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Ocarina of Time, The Poet's Tale and the Legend of Life
I'm taking a quick pause from A Link Between Worlds for exam week (especially since we're about to address my favorite character in that game). However, I wanted to write something in light of having beat Ocarina of Time yet again recently.
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is considered by many to be the greatest video game ever made. On metacritic, it holds a rating of 99 for universal acclaim. If you know me personally, I've never been much of a fan of representing quality by a quantifiable number, but I think it is a start in the beginning of understanding this game's impact and what it means for the art and industry of video games.
At the beginning of my series on Majora's Mask, I briefly described the world of Ocarina of Time when it first came out. It moved the two dimensional world of Zelda into the third dimension and took the traditional alongside the new and exciting. There was mystery and fear and love and life and death and power and weakness and responsibility and everything that makes a legend legendary. However, this is merely the sum of its parts, and Ocarina of Time exceeds these qualities. While the polygon world of Hyrule has long since been exceeded graphically, Ocarina of Time was a piece of art extending beyond its story and its gameplay. Ocarina of Time is a symphony and an epic told by a poet's look upon the universe.
And by poet, I mean this poet.
Sheik is one of the defining features of Ocarina of Time. He shows up shortly after Link's gone to the future where everything is terrible and guides Link on his quest by discussing the fate of the world and the truths of life. Sheik usually appears when Link is off to see someone or do something that involves his past in light of the present. Finally, Sheik does so through poetry and music using the harp that has made him famous.
Sheik teaches Link:
The Prelude of Light
The Minuet of Forest
The Bolero of Fire
The Serenade of Water
The Nocturne of Shadow
and The Requiem of Spirit
With each song Sheik says these words before teaching it.
Minuet of Forest
Sheik teaches Link:
The Prelude of Light
The Minuet of Forest
The Bolero of Fire
The Serenade of Water
The Nocturne of Shadow
and The Requiem of Spirit
With each song Sheik says these words before teaching it.
Minuet of Forest
The flow of time is always cruel
Its speed seems different for each person
But no one can change it.
A thing that doesn't change with time
Is a memory of younger days
In order to come back here again
Play the minuet of forest
Prelude of Light (technically taught after Minuet of Forest)
There really isn't anything too poetic said with this song, but it is where Sheik gives Link his quest and tells him that the Master Sword and Ocarina of Time will give him what he needs to succeed.
Bolero of Fire
It is something that grows over time
A true friendship
A feeling in the heart that becomes even stronger
Over time
The passion of friendship will soon blossom into a righteous flower
And through it
You will know which way to go
This song is dedicated to the power of the heart
Listen to the Bolero of Fire
Serenade of Water
(This one's probably my favorite)
Time passes, people move
Like a river's flow, it never ends
A childish mind will turn to noble ambition
A childish mind will turn to noble ambition
Young love will become deep affection
The clear water's surface reflects growth
Now listen to the Serenade of Water
and reflect upon yourself
Nocturne of Shadow
This is the melody that will draw you
Into the infinite darkness that absorbs even time
Listen to this
The Nocturne of Shadow!
(admittedly, Sheik is in a hurry with this one given a demon gets released into the world and the village where he meets Link is on fire. The song itself is very chilling and really stuck out to me this time through.)
(admittedly, Sheik is in a hurry with this one given a demon gets released into the world and the village where he meets Link is on fire. The song itself is very chilling and really stuck out to me this time through.)
Requiem of Spirit
Past, present, future
The Master Sword is a ship with which you can sail upstream and downstream
Through time's river
The port for that ship is in the Temple of Time
To restore the Desert Colossus and enter the Spirit Temple
you must travel back through time's flow
Listen to this Requiem of Spirit
This melody will lead a child back to the desert.
This melody will lead a child back to the desert.
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| The music in this game is fantastic by the way. |
After hearing Sheik say these words, I realized what Ocarina of Time is really all about.
Shigeru Miyamoto, the man responsible for Mario and Zelda and many other famous Nintendo characters made the first Legend of Zelda game inspired by the caves around his childhood home. He revisited those caves as an adult after Mario and Donkey Kong had put him on a track for being the future of video games for the next ten to fifteen years. Ocarina of Time is the culmination of that journey and is a timeless lesson for the target audience of children in the 90s. It is a lesson of life.
Link, who begins the game as a child, sees seven years into his future where all of his friends and loved ones could be one day. His friend Saria and the forest represent his past and all things that remain timeless in the past that give us our beginnings but only carry with us to the present and future in memory. Darunia the brother in arms of the fiery mountain represent the challenges of life that will not be faced alone by the strength of the bonds we build with others. Princess Ruto of the aquatic Zora people represent the love and ambitions of childhood that will either live or be left behind with the passage of time but should be looked upon and celebrated for all they represent. Impa of the destroyed Sheikah people represent the loss experienced in life that all must go through but the resolute strength that must be kept to keep living. Finally, the desert, which has always represented strife and its sands that represent time, recognizes that what we do in the past is not without consequence and we can always remind ourselves of the past to do what must be done in the present. Link saves the thief Nabooru from her mental imprisonment, and she remembers Link as the kid who had helped her seven years ago.
Life is a matter of time, something Miyamoto recognized, and in life all things that were, are, and could be are instrumental in carrying us through. A prelude suggests all that is to come, so the Prelude of Light suggests that though the journey is tough and there will be sacrifices, it will be vibrant and worthy of celebration if we respect the past and work in the present for a brighter future even if hardships seem to be all we are destined for.
At the end, Sheik turns out to be Princess Zelda (y'see, you thought I was making typos this whole time, I know that everyone knows Sheik is Zelda now, but back in '98 everyone thought Sheik was a man. It was a shocking reveal.) Zelda has lived the seven years Link has been absent, and she has learned all the lessons she taught as Sheik. In the end, she returns Link to his childhood telling him to live now that his quest has ended. She gives Link a second chance in life to do all he can for a brighter future following what the two had seen and fought for as adults. Link is a vicarious representation of that first audience back in '98 who have this game as a formative part of their childhood and all the lessons it shared.
I feel this is really what makes Ocarina of Time the enduring title it continues to be.
Saturday, November 30, 2013
A New Link, A New Life: A Link Between Worlds Part 1
Here is the context of this latest installment. If you don't care about the grander scheme of things and just want to know about this game in particular, you can skip this part and pick up at the Green Sentence. This game takes place in the Fallen Timeline. If you have read my post about all the many Links over the years, you would know the Fallen Timeline involves the instance where the Hero of Time (Link from Ocarina of Time) was defeated by the demon king Ganon. Following this, a war was fought known as the Sealing War where Ganon was defeated by the efforts of the knights of the land and its Seven Sages. Ganon was sent back to the Sacred Realm where he sought the land's ultimate power, The Triforce, and in this realm he built his empire that became the Dark World.
Many years later, the court wizard Agahnim staged a coup in the land of Hyrule where he seized the seven descendants of the original Seven Sages as well as this reincarnation of Princess Zelda. The nephew of a veteran soldier for Hyrule, Link, rose up to become the next hero who freed Zelda and the Sages, defeated Agahnim and the demon king Ganon again, and restored peace to the realm. This Link would continue his adventures in other lands in such games as Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons before going on his final adventure in Link's Awakening.
This brings us to the present where a lazy boy named Link is asleep. All Links begin their adventures after waking up, but it is made apparent by his best friend Gulley that this Link is consistently lazy. Link lives alone in a house that is in the same geographic location as the house where the previous Link lived, but such information was many years ago and lost to time. He is an apprentice blacksmith under the tutelage of Gulley's father, but his consistent laziness has made everyone call his future success in this endeavor into question. He runs into the captain of the castle guard who leaves the blacksmith shop without his sword. The blacksmith sends Link on an errand to return the sword as punishment for his laziness. Upon reaching Hyrule Castle, he is told by the guards that the captain usually goes to the chapel north of the castle before going on duty. Link also hears that there has been an outbreak of vandalism all across the castle.
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| Gulley and his parents |
When Link reaches the chapel, the doors suddenly slam shut and the screams of Seres (the chapel priest's daughter) can be heard inside. Dampe, Hyrule's gravekeeper, tells Link there is a hidden entrance into the chapel. After Link gives Dampe a run around on how he's ill equipped to face whatever is going on inside, Dampe threatens to tie the sword to Link's hand on the basis that he's the only one who can be of any assistance present. This marks two differences with this Link from all previous Links. First off, this Link pretty clearly talks as he waves his arms around like he is conversing with another person. Second, he is incredibly reluctant.
After descending through a network of tunnels in the graveyard, Link arrives within the chapel to find a painting of the captain on the wall. The captain is nowhere to be found, but the priest is lying on the ground, and a dark menacing figure is approaching Seres. The figure is a magician named Yuga who holds a flaming scepter that looks like a brush. He talks about permanently capturing Seres beauty and hanging it on a wall. He then creates a picture frame and zaps Seres into it, turning her into a painting. Link recognizes this guy can't be allowed to escape because magicians are almost always causing trouble. He rushes at Yuga head on, but Yuga jumps into the wall as a painting. Link slams into the stone wall and falls over. Yuga thinks Link isn't worth his time, and after he hops out of the wall, he walks off with the painting of Seres.
Link passes out.
After descending through a network of tunnels in the graveyard, Link arrives within the chapel to find a painting of the captain on the wall. The captain is nowhere to be found, but the priest is lying on the ground, and a dark menacing figure is approaching Seres. The figure is a magician named Yuga who holds a flaming scepter that looks like a brush. He talks about permanently capturing Seres beauty and hanging it on a wall. He then creates a picture frame and zaps Seres into it, turning her into a painting. Link recognizes this guy can't be allowed to escape because magicians are almost always causing trouble. He rushes at Yuga head on, but Yuga jumps into the wall as a painting. Link slams into the stone wall and falls over. Yuga thinks Link isn't worth his time, and after he hops out of the wall, he walks off with the painting of Seres.
Link passes out.
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Without Me: A Link Between Worlds Intro
Guess who's back?
Alright, so I wasn't sure if I'd bring this back, in large part due to lack of inspiration, but with the release of Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, I felt I could at least make an effort and see what happens. I'm going to start off by saying my initial goal was to approach games on their story aspects and share it with gamers and nongamers alike, but admittedly this is a sort of difficult endeavor. It's sorta like handing a Wii remote to someone and telling them to "swing it like a tennis racket" and they insist they can't do it because "they don't play games." So this time, I'm going to be a little more reasonable and recognize I can't get everyone to read it but I'll still leave it open for everyone to read.
I also recognize reading takes time (and in the case of my stuff a little effort too). So I'll just throw in pictures so we can all be on sorta the same page.
So why am I coming back now? Wind Waker HD came out last month(?) and I've sung its praises and considered it my second favorite Zelda game just behind Majora's Mask. I wrote about Majora's Mask on the basis that it was so bizarre and outside the conventions of the Zelda series while being full of symbolism. Well, I think I want to do Legend of Zelda A Link Between Worlds in large part because it is so close to the traditional Zelda formula and yet brings something new and exciting that makes it my third favorite Zelda game. I'll have to do it a little differently, so this will probably be a shorter series. By shorter series I mean it will be less than thirty pages.
Without further ado, let's talk about the boy in green.
Alright, so I wasn't sure if I'd bring this back, in large part due to lack of inspiration, but with the release of Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, I felt I could at least make an effort and see what happens. I'm going to start off by saying my initial goal was to approach games on their story aspects and share it with gamers and nongamers alike, but admittedly this is a sort of difficult endeavor. It's sorta like handing a Wii remote to someone and telling them to "swing it like a tennis racket" and they insist they can't do it because "they don't play games." So this time, I'm going to be a little more reasonable and recognize I can't get everyone to read it but I'll still leave it open for everyone to read.
I also recognize reading takes time (and in the case of my stuff a little effort too). So I'll just throw in pictures so we can all be on sorta the same page.
So why am I coming back now? Wind Waker HD came out last month(?) and I've sung its praises and considered it my second favorite Zelda game just behind Majora's Mask. I wrote about Majora's Mask on the basis that it was so bizarre and outside the conventions of the Zelda series while being full of symbolism. Well, I think I want to do Legend of Zelda A Link Between Worlds in large part because it is so close to the traditional Zelda formula and yet brings something new and exciting that makes it my third favorite Zelda game. I'll have to do it a little differently, so this will probably be a shorter series. By shorter series I mean it will be less than thirty pages.
Without further ado, let's talk about the boy in green.
Saturday, June 8, 2013
My E3 2013 Predictions
For all you people who don't follow nerd culture as closely as, well, nerds do, you may be wondering what this is all about. What is E3, why should you care, and why do I care.
For starters, E3, or the Electronic Entertainment Expo, is an event in which people from around the video game and by extension entertainment industry showcase what is on the horizon for the market. I would compare it to the Superbowl or March Madness, but in reality it's nothing like that. If you're political, think of it like a Republican or Democratic National Convention (at times the responding cynicism can be comparable). If you like sports, think of it like an NFL draft. Generally, they set up booths, they showcase technology, and they hold press conferences (sans Nintendo this year, more on that later). The thing that sets E3 apart from other expos like PAX (Penny Arcade Expo, which is owned by two filthy rich web comic guys, you've probably seen them before) is that E3 is exclusively for reporters and the masses aren't allowed the same accessibility as they would at other expos.
So what do I want to see this year, and what do I think will happen. Well, something like this I guess.
1. Sony will tell us more about the PS4
Sony has been keeping just about everything on their console under wraps thus far. You can't really blame them, given everything that's happened to Microsoft and their X-Bones (I'm a pirate yarrr, I know what to call it). What I do know about Sony is that if we look at the performance of the PS3 from day 1 to now, they have learned a whole lot. If you don't remember, the PS3 came out with a price range of $500-$600, put a lot on motion control that prematurely killed the IP Lair and with it all of Factor 5 (the guys who gave us Star Wars Rogue Squadron). Before the motion controller they had the weird batarang/banana controller that nobody wanted. They also had a blu-ray player which later on turned out to be a better investment than anybody originally thought but was iffy in the early days of the console. As they went along, with a few dead ends here and there, the PS3 made an effort to learn from these mistakes making us all wish we bought a PS3 at the end. It still doesn't compare to the PS2, which is considered by many to be flawless, especially the Japanese Market, but it showed improvement from the beginning to the end.
I imagine Sony has taken notes on the response to the X-Bones and if they had similar plans for their new console (which isn't out of the question given they have said nothing about it) they will respond to the best features that aren't in the X-Bones and change anything it shares with the X-Bones (like when they changed their batarang/banana controller). Since they are finishing out with the exclusive Metal Gear Solid Legacy Collection and The Last of Us (two more reasons I wish I bought a PS3), I trust they will give us some pretty spectacular games this E3. If not, then at least they gave us the MGS Legacy Collection and The Last of Us. The new Killzone looks pretty good, so we can at least go in with a bit of hope.
2. Microsoft will try to trick us into buying X-Bones (Xbox One for those who respect it, Xbox Juan, Xbox 360 minus 359, Xbone, Skeletor/Starscream/Stalin, the Why Microsoft Should Stick to Software, and of course Steve Jobs Last Laugh for those who don't)
Microsoft has a lot of weight to throw around. It's a really big company. Assuming this X-Bones doesn't go over as they planned (and let's be honest, I haven't heard a single person who's been paying attention who wants it) they can still give us Windows that will be good one year and bad the next (luckily Windows 9 has landed on a good year, so there's that I guess).
This thing looks terrible and everybody knows it. Since the initial press release, Microsoft has been backtracking in all the weeks following, having just recently put out their policy on used games which saves Gamestop but threatens online services like Gamefly (nobody saw that coming). They specifically said they would only focus on games at E3. Anyone who follows politics knows that when a politician drops a bombshell and tries to cover it up with broad general statements that are agreeable to everyone, it's not because they've reconsidered their bombshell statement, they're just trying to turn the public's eyes away from it. Microsoft knows all the things everybody wants, and they have gotten everybody's attention with the more-than-likely true rumors about a new Banjo-Kazooie game. As much as I want to play that Banjo-Kazooie (and I really really reeeeeeeeaaaaaally want to play that game), I'm not going to be able to due to the knowledge it will come with a terrible console for a single good game. There are certainly other games that will be good for the X-Bones, but is it really worth all the other hoops that must be jumped on a daily basis with this thing? Banjo-Kazooie or not, I'm still not excited for the X-Bones and will not be buying one.
Instead, I will be looking forward to the title made by all the former Rareware employees, which they've specifically been thinking of selling to Nintendo.
SEGUEEEEEEEE
3. Nintendo will live to fight another day.
Ok, I'm biased. Nintendo is a market fueled on nostalgia, and I and everyone who held Nintendo dear as a child wants to see it do well even though it looks like Belgium in World War I. If my 30 page Majora's Mask series doesn't say anything, you should read it over there on the right. So naturally, I'm gonna spend a lot of time talking about this. If you don't care at all about Nintendo, you can go to the next point, because we're gonna be here awhile.
Specifically for me, Nintendo's handheld market has meant the most to me since the first thing I got that played video games (besides a PC) was a Gameboy Color. From what I've seen with regards to what they've been talking about, they are all things I really want. Real-talk, Pokemon X and Y could be the best game in the series yet. All the Pokemon they've debuted look excellent (except for Froakie, but I wasn't gonna get him anyway, best thing about Pokemon: variety) My only question is how will they transfer pokemon from 5th generation to 6th generation. The inability to do so ultimately killed the third generation titles although they were otherwise just as good as all the others. The transition from Gameboy Advance to DS handled it well with the separate GBA/DS slots, but upon examining the 3DS, there is only one slot. I'm not sure how they are gonna do it, but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.
Of course there will be more Mario games, because just like there are still Sonic games, Mario will exist forever in some form or another. These include another Mario Kart, another RPG, and another Super Mario game. Not too excited about all those things, although I do like the Mario and Luigi RPG series aside for the lengthy tutorials that explain obvious things (they were pretty bad in Partners in Time).
Ok, next on my secret docket which isn't really secret is Pikmin 3. This is the only reason I need to buy a Wii U, and if you've never played Pikmin before, you are missing out on one of the best video game experiences. From what I've heard, this one will follow a new bunch of space Robinson Crusoes from a new world as they discover the Pikmin world (a.k.a. Earth). The new grey and pink Pikmin look excellent and look to add new mechanics which will lead to better puzzles to solve. It's gonna be good, you should check it out.
Smash Bros: Smash Bros, Smash bros, Smash bros. I feel like this one's a given. The question everyone wants to know is who's gonna be in it. We'll probably find out this upcoming week, but in this post on speculations and predictions, I'm gonna give a few of my own.
1. megaman
2. megaman
3. megaman
4. megaman
5. ryu
6. megaman
7. megaman
8. megaman
9. megaman
10. megaman
Ok, those are very narrow prospects, but the creators did say they were going to try and tighten their focus so as to not lose the spirit of the games even though the introduction of Snake and Sonic was very well received. More so than anyone else, Sonic and Snake have been in enough Nintendo games to still be considered ok in a Nintendo exclusive title. The only other character I can think of that would fit the bill would be Capcom's very own mascot-whom-they-neglect-at-every-mention-except-to-sell-statues-on-the-25th-anniversary-with-no-games-and-yes-i'm-kinda-peeved-about-that. Put megaman in it please?
Not sure what this Wonderful 101 thing is, but it could be interesting so I'll see what they have in store for it this upcoming week.
Bayonetta 2 is complicated. A lot of people loved the first one and for those people I hope the second one is everything and more than they asked for. How Nintendo landed Bayonetta is a huge question that will never be answered for me. Of course all thoughts of Nintendo being a kids only company were thrown out when the brilliant little gem No More Heroes came out (for those who don't know what that is, think Scott Pilgrim with decapitations and a female lead who has all the imperfections of Ramona Flowers and is completely morally debased). I'm just gonna say, I kinda like Dante from Devil May Cry (with all his flaws including being remade) better. Best wishes to the people looking forward to Bayonetta.
Of course I'm not going to say all this without mentioning Legend of Zelda. For all who haven't heard, Link to the Past 2 is coming to the 3DS and it looks absolutely fantastic. Seriously, it's all the best features of the pre-Ocarina of Time series put in 60 frames per second (which is a good thing in the video game world, not so much in the Hobbit world). It features the return of Tom Baker Link (which I started calling him at the end of my Majora's Mask series) in the events between the first Link to the Past and the Oracle games. Some people don't consider the handheld Zelda games to be real Zelda games, and to that I say the Oracle titles and Link's Awakening are now available on the 3DS virtual market so you should play them and then come back to me before you say that again. I feel like this game further solidifies that the things Nintendo has going for their handheld market is really impressive and kinda holds its own for the people who are really interested in it. There has been the discussion about Nintendo not having a press conference as per the norm at E3 and this has made people worried, but I have some confidence in their approach since they shouldn't need a political rally to sell their games so long as the games are good. While Nintendo won't ever be the size of entertainment giants like Sony and Microsoft who have their fingers in so many different pies, Nintendo can make sure it has its best fingers in the pie best suited for its consumers. I myself don't really know what that means, and I just imagined Shigeru Miyamoto and Reggie shoving their hands in an apple pie with a creepy smile on their faces. What? back to Zelda? Well alright then.
As for console Zelda, the big new title won't exist for a while as they show us more on the Wind Waker remake. I'm not sure what's going to be new in this Wind Waker remake, perhaps they'll have a booth about this and then they can talk about it that way. Probably what is new in it will decide whether or not I buy it, because the original Wind Waker can still be played on the Wii and still looks as brilliant as it did when it first one came out (unless you don't like cel-shading, in which case I pity you because I really like Wind Waker's art style). Wind Waker taught us we could have a fresh new exciting game without a color palette of nothing but brown. I'd like for something new to come out of the HD Wind Waker remake, but I might end up passing on it since I already own the original. With that, I think this concludes our look at Nintendo.
Oh but Atlus, I see you're gonna be at E3. I hope that means a Persona title for the 3DS. k thx.
4. Squenix
I'm not sure I'm really one to talk about what Square Enix is up to. I'm also not sure I'm a reliable source for anything related to business trends or cold hard facts given I have a tendency to embellish information for the sake of humor and clever turns of phrase. Doesn't matter how many feels I've got stacked up in the corner, that doesn't bail out companies and decide success or failure. However, I don't care, and I'm gonna talk about Square anyway. The president of Square jumped ship earlier this year due to poor sales of Tomb Raider and Sleeping Dogs. It looks like they are preparing to show new games from old IPs. There is the reboot of Thief, which has some people excited, and then there is Lightning Returns which I'm guessing is the conclusion of Final Fantasy XIII. Apparently they are also going to announce a new title in Final Fantasy.
So now, about Final Fantasy. If it's not considered the best series in video game history (and it's not), it is at least considered one of the most influential and important titles. It was a series born from a risky gamble and has since been a strange balance of playing it safe but also having the riskiest of gambles. I really like this quality, because people who have seen my poetry and fiction know I don't strive for what is safe, conventional, or guaranteed to be enjoyed. For the longest time I had not played a Final Fantasy game until recently when I purchased a used copy of Final Fantasy IV for the DS. I had played Chrono Trigger in the past, and before playing my new purchase I was afraid Final Fantasy IV would not be able to hold a candle to the excellence that is Chrono Trigger. Upon starting Final Fantasy IV, (which I chose because no one ever mentions it) I found myself surprised and amused again and again although it was quite slow going for a little bit. I could probably give it the same treatment I gave Majora's Mask, but will have to complete the game beforehand so I successfully organize a plan of attack and so I don't mess up like I did with Snake Eater. I'm straying from the topic, so back to E3
Not really sure what to think about Lightning Returns, but I have heard many things about Final Fantasy XIII 1 and 2, most notably how mixed the reception is, which of course draws me straight to it. It will probably be a while before I get to take a closer look at this, but it does have my attention. The fact that Lightning gets as much attention as she does is odd given her reception is about as mixed as that of the games. Still, I'm curious what this game is supposed to be, and I'll take a look at it.
As for the untitled new game, I hope it's Final Fantasy XV, because for some reason I've got good vibes about that number.
5. SEEEEEEGAAAAAAAA (you gotta say it like the little intro chime for the Genesis though)
Ok, new Sonic game that is a Wii U exclusive. Despite my initial disapproval of Sonic on the basis that I really don't like the series all that much, the game looks pretty good and I'd be interested in seeing more about it. From the trailer, it looks like all the things people hate about Sonic games, (taking itself seriously, real people next to cartoon animals, and terrible, untested mechanics) are not in this game. There are a host of new characters that look kinda ok, but it looks like Sonic will never get enough of that. Sadly, there will not be a Humphrey the Stegosaurus since Sonic: Lost World does not imply Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's or Michael Crichton's Lost World.
What I'm really interested in is Rome 2: Total War. I'm going to eventually start putting the money together for a gaming PC because the PC market has been getting the most love and probably has more of a future than all the consoles. Every Total War game I've played has been impressive and my biggest grievance with the first Rome Total War was the diplomatic AI, this has since been fixed so I'd really like to see it in a refit design. Seeing what they do with this game will be pretty spectacular, but the challenge will be ponying up the means to be able to play it.
Other than that, Grant Kirkhope (of Banjo-Kazooie fame) is apparently composing the music for some Disney game Sega is making. I hope that's good.
6. Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start
The Konami pre-E3 show was about what everybody expected from it, except for on Metal Gear, but we'll get to that. The Castlevania Lords of Shadow 2 game looks much better than the first one which I'm playing right now. I'm not saying Lords of Shadow 1 is bad, but it's been testing my patience with its fixed camera and that Shadow of the Colossus rip off boss. Lords of Shadow 2 looks like it has none of that except for a Shadow of the Colossus boss. I think I saw Alucard somewhere in that trailer, and he was in Mirror of Fate as Trevor Belmont (yeah, i stopped asking questions a long time ago). Alucard is cool; I like Alucard.
Now for the question everybody wants to know. What do I think about Metal Gear?
From the first day they announced Metal Gear Solid V as Metal Gear Solid V, they said Kiefer Sutherland would be in it. There is no one better for this franchise than Kiefer Sutherland, and Kojima has been working towards this for quite a while now. From introducing Phil Lamarr as Vamp in Metal Gear Solid 2 and voice acting legend Steve Blum in Peace Walker, it was only a matter of time before a big Hollywood actor like Kiefer Sutherland would be chosen for this series. The shocking thing was that Kiefer Sutherland would be voicing Naked Snake (or Big Boss) and David Hayter, the voice of Snake for 15 years would not. It is very important to note the game will be set in 1984. This means we are getting closer and closer to the original Metal Gear, which was set in 1995. In 1995, Solid Snake (clone of Big Boss) went on his first mission as part of the special forces unit FOXHOUND. This doesn't mean it was the first time Solid Snake had any combat experience. I think this means Kiefer Sutherland will be Big Boss while David Hayter will be Solid Snake. In this case, this will be the bridge that shows how Big Boss encountered his cloned son(s). To further support this, Kazuhira Miller and Revolver Ocelot show up (and they're awesome so far). Miller knows Solid Snake and helps him out and Ocelot, known for his infiltration tendencies, will probably be helping Big Boss get revenge on whoever destroyed his Private Military Contractor.
Now for my biggest theory yet, which strays entirely from E3 but since I didn't deliver on Snake Eater, I feel like this is deserved. My theory is that Master Miller never was a real person, but instead has been Liquid Snake this whole time. It just seems strange that Miller -never- takes off his glasses, when that was the big reveal in Metal Gear Solid when he does to reveal he is liquid and the real Miller is dead. This theory really goes out on a limb and I'm 65% sure it's completely wrong. However, Hideo Kojima has shown us in this whole viral marketing affair that theory makes for excellent marketing. The entire game has been about conspiracy theory since MGS2, so this is all open for speculation. Also, if David Hayter is so upset about not being in Metal Gear, either he's terrible at sarcasm, or he knows all the interviews and tweets he's been putting out are promoting this game in their own way.
7. Final Thoughts
Call of Duty: yeah. but I never liked the character Ghost
Assassins Creed 4: yay?
Elder Scrolls Online: It better not be World of Warcraft
Batman Arkham Origins: I should play that series, shouldn't I?
Dark Souls 2: ...
Quantum Break: Remedy, but X-Bones, so don't bother
Destiny: Subscriptions? no thanks
Natsume: ok internet, don't tell anyone I said this, but I really like games made by these people. They made Harvest Moon, which is about farming. It's pretty fun. This new game isn't about farming, but if it's like Harvest Moon, then I'll give it a shot.
Deadpool: KATANARAMA!!! If they play it well, I may like this game a lot. Looks like Cable is in it too, haven't read anything from the Deadpool & Cable era (except for Chris Hastings' Fear Itself storyline), but I've heard good things.
Lego Marvel Super Heroes: Haven't played any of these since Indiana Jones, I hope they went back to the Lego Star Wars formula since then. I hear Deadpool is in this one too. Seeing how that plays out is worth the price of admission.
Watchdogs: it looks really good
Valve: Where are you guys, and would you like to share anything with the class?
Final Conclusion: Yeah, not sure how much of predictions this turned out to be, but I'm happy with the finished product. A little on the optimistic side, but optimism doesn't hurt on the internet.
Working on something big for this blog, I'll catch up with you all next time for that. 'til then.
For starters, E3, or the Electronic Entertainment Expo, is an event in which people from around the video game and by extension entertainment industry showcase what is on the horizon for the market. I would compare it to the Superbowl or March Madness, but in reality it's nothing like that. If you're political, think of it like a Republican or Democratic National Convention (at times the responding cynicism can be comparable). If you like sports, think of it like an NFL draft. Generally, they set up booths, they showcase technology, and they hold press conferences (sans Nintendo this year, more on that later). The thing that sets E3 apart from other expos like PAX (Penny Arcade Expo, which is owned by two filthy rich web comic guys, you've probably seen them before) is that E3 is exclusively for reporters and the masses aren't allowed the same accessibility as they would at other expos.
So what do I want to see this year, and what do I think will happen. Well, something like this I guess.
1. Sony will tell us more about the PS4
Sony has been keeping just about everything on their console under wraps thus far. You can't really blame them, given everything that's happened to Microsoft and their X-Bones (I'm a pirate yarrr, I know what to call it). What I do know about Sony is that if we look at the performance of the PS3 from day 1 to now, they have learned a whole lot. If you don't remember, the PS3 came out with a price range of $500-$600, put a lot on motion control that prematurely killed the IP Lair and with it all of Factor 5 (the guys who gave us Star Wars Rogue Squadron). Before the motion controller they had the weird batarang/banana controller that nobody wanted. They also had a blu-ray player which later on turned out to be a better investment than anybody originally thought but was iffy in the early days of the console. As they went along, with a few dead ends here and there, the PS3 made an effort to learn from these mistakes making us all wish we bought a PS3 at the end. It still doesn't compare to the PS2, which is considered by many to be flawless, especially the Japanese Market, but it showed improvement from the beginning to the end.
I imagine Sony has taken notes on the response to the X-Bones and if they had similar plans for their new console (which isn't out of the question given they have said nothing about it) they will respond to the best features that aren't in the X-Bones and change anything it shares with the X-Bones (like when they changed their batarang/banana controller). Since they are finishing out with the exclusive Metal Gear Solid Legacy Collection and The Last of Us (two more reasons I wish I bought a PS3), I trust they will give us some pretty spectacular games this E3. If not, then at least they gave us the MGS Legacy Collection and The Last of Us. The new Killzone looks pretty good, so we can at least go in with a bit of hope.
2. Microsoft will try to trick us into buying X-Bones (Xbox One for those who respect it, Xbox Juan, Xbox 360 minus 359, Xbone, Skeletor/Starscream/Stalin, the Why Microsoft Should Stick to Software, and of course Steve Jobs Last Laugh for those who don't)
Microsoft has a lot of weight to throw around. It's a really big company. Assuming this X-Bones doesn't go over as they planned (and let's be honest, I haven't heard a single person who's been paying attention who wants it) they can still give us Windows that will be good one year and bad the next (luckily Windows 9 has landed on a good year, so there's that I guess).
This thing looks terrible and everybody knows it. Since the initial press release, Microsoft has been backtracking in all the weeks following, having just recently put out their policy on used games which saves Gamestop but threatens online services like Gamefly (nobody saw that coming). They specifically said they would only focus on games at E3. Anyone who follows politics knows that when a politician drops a bombshell and tries to cover it up with broad general statements that are agreeable to everyone, it's not because they've reconsidered their bombshell statement, they're just trying to turn the public's eyes away from it. Microsoft knows all the things everybody wants, and they have gotten everybody's attention with the more-than-likely true rumors about a new Banjo-Kazooie game. As much as I want to play that Banjo-Kazooie (and I really really reeeeeeeeaaaaaally want to play that game), I'm not going to be able to due to the knowledge it will come with a terrible console for a single good game. There are certainly other games that will be good for the X-Bones, but is it really worth all the other hoops that must be jumped on a daily basis with this thing? Banjo-Kazooie or not, I'm still not excited for the X-Bones and will not be buying one.
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| sigh |
SEGUEEEEEEEE
3. Nintendo will live to fight another day.
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| Miracles happen, right? |
Ok, I'm biased. Nintendo is a market fueled on nostalgia, and I and everyone who held Nintendo dear as a child wants to see it do well even though it looks like Belgium in World War I. If my 30 page Majora's Mask series doesn't say anything, you should read it over there on the right. So naturally, I'm gonna spend a lot of time talking about this. If you don't care at all about Nintendo, you can go to the next point, because we're gonna be here awhile.
Specifically for me, Nintendo's handheld market has meant the most to me since the first thing I got that played video games (besides a PC) was a Gameboy Color. From what I've seen with regards to what they've been talking about, they are all things I really want. Real-talk, Pokemon X and Y could be the best game in the series yet. All the Pokemon they've debuted look excellent (except for Froakie, but I wasn't gonna get him anyway, best thing about Pokemon: variety) My only question is how will they transfer pokemon from 5th generation to 6th generation. The inability to do so ultimately killed the third generation titles although they were otherwise just as good as all the others. The transition from Gameboy Advance to DS handled it well with the separate GBA/DS slots, but upon examining the 3DS, there is only one slot. I'm not sure how they are gonna do it, but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.
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| I just need an excuse to put this here |
Of course there will be more Mario games, because just like there are still Sonic games, Mario will exist forever in some form or another. These include another Mario Kart, another RPG, and another Super Mario game. Not too excited about all those things, although I do like the Mario and Luigi RPG series aside for the lengthy tutorials that explain obvious things (they were pretty bad in Partners in Time).
Ok, next on my secret docket which isn't really secret is Pikmin 3. This is the only reason I need to buy a Wii U, and if you've never played Pikmin before, you are missing out on one of the best video game experiences. From what I've heard, this one will follow a new bunch of space Robinson Crusoes from a new world as they discover the Pikmin world (a.k.a. Earth). The new grey and pink Pikmin look excellent and look to add new mechanics which will lead to better puzzles to solve. It's gonna be good, you should check it out.
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| seriously, who wouldn't want this? |
Smash Bros: Smash Bros, Smash bros, Smash bros. I feel like this one's a given. The question everyone wants to know is who's gonna be in it. We'll probably find out this upcoming week, but in this post on speculations and predictions, I'm gonna give a few of my own.
1. megaman
2. megaman
3. megaman
4. megaman
5. ryu
6. megaman
7. megaman
8. megaman
9. megaman
10. megaman
Ok, those are very narrow prospects, but the creators did say they were going to try and tighten their focus so as to not lose the spirit of the games even though the introduction of Snake and Sonic was very well received. More so than anyone else, Sonic and Snake have been in enough Nintendo games to still be considered ok in a Nintendo exclusive title. The only other character I can think of that would fit the bill would be Capcom's very own mascot-whom-they-neglect-at-every-mention-except-to-sell-statues-on-the-25th-anniversary-with-no-games-and-yes-i'm-kinda-peeved-about-that. Put megaman in it please?
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| Samus clone? what? no no, totally different |
Not sure what this Wonderful 101 thing is, but it could be interesting so I'll see what they have in store for it this upcoming week.
Bayonetta 2 is complicated. A lot of people loved the first one and for those people I hope the second one is everything and more than they asked for. How Nintendo landed Bayonetta is a huge question that will never be answered for me. Of course all thoughts of Nintendo being a kids only company were thrown out when the brilliant little gem No More Heroes came out (for those who don't know what that is, think Scott Pilgrim with decapitations and a female lead who has all the imperfections of Ramona Flowers and is completely morally debased). I'm just gonna say, I kinda like Dante from Devil May Cry (with all his flaws including being remade) better. Best wishes to the people looking forward to Bayonetta.
Of course I'm not going to say all this without mentioning Legend of Zelda. For all who haven't heard, Link to the Past 2 is coming to the 3DS and it looks absolutely fantastic. Seriously, it's all the best features of the pre-Ocarina of Time series put in 60 frames per second (which is a good thing in the video game world, not so much in the Hobbit world). It features the return of Tom Baker Link (which I started calling him at the end of my Majora's Mask series) in the events between the first Link to the Past and the Oracle games. Some people don't consider the handheld Zelda games to be real Zelda games, and to that I say the Oracle titles and Link's Awakening are now available on the 3DS virtual market so you should play them and then come back to me before you say that again. I feel like this game further solidifies that the things Nintendo has going for their handheld market is really impressive and kinda holds its own for the people who are really interested in it. There has been the discussion about Nintendo not having a press conference as per the norm at E3 and this has made people worried, but I have some confidence in their approach since they shouldn't need a political rally to sell their games so long as the games are good. While Nintendo won't ever be the size of entertainment giants like Sony and Microsoft who have their fingers in so many different pies, Nintendo can make sure it has its best fingers in the pie best suited for its consumers. I myself don't really know what that means, and I just imagined Shigeru Miyamoto and Reggie shoving their hands in an apple pie with a creepy smile on their faces. What? back to Zelda? Well alright then.
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| back to the basics |
As for console Zelda, the big new title won't exist for a while as they show us more on the Wind Waker remake. I'm not sure what's going to be new in this Wind Waker remake, perhaps they'll have a booth about this and then they can talk about it that way. Probably what is new in it will decide whether or not I buy it, because the original Wind Waker can still be played on the Wii and still looks as brilliant as it did when it first one came out (unless you don't like cel-shading, in which case I pity you because I really like Wind Waker's art style). Wind Waker taught us we could have a fresh new exciting game without a color palette of nothing but brown. I'd like for something new to come out of the HD Wind Waker remake, but I might end up passing on it since I already own the original. With that, I think this concludes our look at Nintendo.
Oh but Atlus, I see you're gonna be at E3. I hope that means a Persona title for the 3DS. k thx.
4. Squenix
I'm not sure I'm really one to talk about what Square Enix is up to. I'm also not sure I'm a reliable source for anything related to business trends or cold hard facts given I have a tendency to embellish information for the sake of humor and clever turns of phrase. Doesn't matter how many feels I've got stacked up in the corner, that doesn't bail out companies and decide success or failure. However, I don't care, and I'm gonna talk about Square anyway. The president of Square jumped ship earlier this year due to poor sales of Tomb Raider and Sleeping Dogs. It looks like they are preparing to show new games from old IPs. There is the reboot of Thief, which has some people excited, and then there is Lightning Returns which I'm guessing is the conclusion of Final Fantasy XIII. Apparently they are also going to announce a new title in Final Fantasy.
So now, about Final Fantasy. If it's not considered the best series in video game history (and it's not), it is at least considered one of the most influential and important titles. It was a series born from a risky gamble and has since been a strange balance of playing it safe but also having the riskiest of gambles. I really like this quality, because people who have seen my poetry and fiction know I don't strive for what is safe, conventional, or guaranteed to be enjoyed. For the longest time I had not played a Final Fantasy game until recently when I purchased a used copy of Final Fantasy IV for the DS. I had played Chrono Trigger in the past, and before playing my new purchase I was afraid Final Fantasy IV would not be able to hold a candle to the excellence that is Chrono Trigger. Upon starting Final Fantasy IV, (which I chose because no one ever mentions it) I found myself surprised and amused again and again although it was quite slow going for a little bit. I could probably give it the same treatment I gave Majora's Mask, but will have to complete the game beforehand so I successfully organize a plan of attack and so I don't mess up like I did with Snake Eater. I'm straying from the topic, so back to E3
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| The only thing I know about Lightning is that people say she's Cloud Strife as a woman. Is this accurate? |
Not really sure what to think about Lightning Returns, but I have heard many things about Final Fantasy XIII 1 and 2, most notably how mixed the reception is, which of course draws me straight to it. It will probably be a while before I get to take a closer look at this, but it does have my attention. The fact that Lightning gets as much attention as she does is odd given her reception is about as mixed as that of the games. Still, I'm curious what this game is supposed to be, and I'll take a look at it.
As for the untitled new game, I hope it's Final Fantasy XV, because for some reason I've got good vibes about that number.
5. SEEEEEEGAAAAAAAA (you gotta say it like the little intro chime for the Genesis though)
Ok, new Sonic game that is a Wii U exclusive. Despite my initial disapproval of Sonic on the basis that I really don't like the series all that much, the game looks pretty good and I'd be interested in seeing more about it. From the trailer, it looks like all the things people hate about Sonic games, (taking itself seriously, real people next to cartoon animals, and terrible, untested mechanics) are not in this game. There are a host of new characters that look kinda ok, but it looks like Sonic will never get enough of that. Sadly, there will not be a Humphrey the Stegosaurus since Sonic: Lost World does not imply Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's or Michael Crichton's Lost World.
What I'm really interested in is Rome 2: Total War. I'm going to eventually start putting the money together for a gaming PC because the PC market has been getting the most love and probably has more of a future than all the consoles. Every Total War game I've played has been impressive and my biggest grievance with the first Rome Total War was the diplomatic AI, this has since been fixed so I'd really like to see it in a refit design. Seeing what they do with this game will be pretty spectacular, but the challenge will be ponying up the means to be able to play it.
Other than that, Grant Kirkhope (of Banjo-Kazooie fame) is apparently composing the music for some Disney game Sega is making. I hope that's good.
6. Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start
The Konami pre-E3 show was about what everybody expected from it, except for on Metal Gear, but we'll get to that. The Castlevania Lords of Shadow 2 game looks much better than the first one which I'm playing right now. I'm not saying Lords of Shadow 1 is bad, but it's been testing my patience with its fixed camera and that Shadow of the Colossus rip off boss. Lords of Shadow 2 looks like it has none of that except for a Shadow of the Colossus boss. I think I saw Alucard somewhere in that trailer, and he was in Mirror of Fate as Trevor Belmont (yeah, i stopped asking questions a long time ago). Alucard is cool; I like Alucard.
Now for the question everybody wants to know. What do I think about Metal Gear?
From the first day they announced Metal Gear Solid V as Metal Gear Solid V, they said Kiefer Sutherland would be in it. There is no one better for this franchise than Kiefer Sutherland, and Kojima has been working towards this for quite a while now. From introducing Phil Lamarr as Vamp in Metal Gear Solid 2 and voice acting legend Steve Blum in Peace Walker, it was only a matter of time before a big Hollywood actor like Kiefer Sutherland would be chosen for this series. The shocking thing was that Kiefer Sutherland would be voicing Naked Snake (or Big Boss) and David Hayter, the voice of Snake for 15 years would not. It is very important to note the game will be set in 1984. This means we are getting closer and closer to the original Metal Gear, which was set in 1995. In 1995, Solid Snake (clone of Big Boss) went on his first mission as part of the special forces unit FOXHOUND. This doesn't mean it was the first time Solid Snake had any combat experience. I think this means Kiefer Sutherland will be Big Boss while David Hayter will be Solid Snake. In this case, this will be the bridge that shows how Big Boss encountered his cloned son(s). To further support this, Kazuhira Miller and Revolver Ocelot show up (and they're awesome so far). Miller knows Solid Snake and helps him out and Ocelot, known for his infiltration tendencies, will probably be helping Big Boss get revenge on whoever destroyed his Private Military Contractor.
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| Seriously, what's he hiding behind those glasses he won't even take them off on an operating table. |
Now for my biggest theory yet, which strays entirely from E3 but since I didn't deliver on Snake Eater, I feel like this is deserved. My theory is that Master Miller never was a real person, but instead has been Liquid Snake this whole time. It just seems strange that Miller -never- takes off his glasses, when that was the big reveal in Metal Gear Solid when he does to reveal he is liquid and the real Miller is dead. This theory really goes out on a limb and I'm 65% sure it's completely wrong. However, Hideo Kojima has shown us in this whole viral marketing affair that theory makes for excellent marketing. The entire game has been about conspiracy theory since MGS2, so this is all open for speculation. Also, if David Hayter is so upset about not being in Metal Gear, either he's terrible at sarcasm, or he knows all the interviews and tweets he's been putting out are promoting this game in their own way.
7. Final Thoughts
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| See, you're supposed to fall in love with it. That way when it dies, you'll feel bad. It's called forced empathy, you'll love it. |
Assassins Creed 4: yay?
Elder Scrolls Online: It better not be World of Warcraft
Batman Arkham Origins: I should play that series, shouldn't I?
Dark Souls 2: ...
Quantum Break: Remedy, but X-Bones, so don't bother
Destiny: Subscriptions? no thanks
Natsume: ok internet, don't tell anyone I said this, but I really like games made by these people. They made Harvest Moon, which is about farming. It's pretty fun. This new game isn't about farming, but if it's like Harvest Moon, then I'll give it a shot.
Deadpool: KATANARAMA!!! If they play it well, I may like this game a lot. Looks like Cable is in it too, haven't read anything from the Deadpool & Cable era (except for Chris Hastings' Fear Itself storyline), but I've heard good things.
Lego Marvel Super Heroes: Haven't played any of these since Indiana Jones, I hope they went back to the Lego Star Wars formula since then. I hear Deadpool is in this one too. Seeing how that plays out is worth the price of admission.
Watchdogs: it looks really good
Valve: Where are you guys, and would you like to share anything with the class?
Final Conclusion: Yeah, not sure how much of predictions this turned out to be, but I'm happy with the finished product. A little on the optimistic side, but optimism doesn't hurt on the internet.
Working on something big for this blog, I'll catch up with you all next time for that. 'til then.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
What now: Snake Eater Conclusion?
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| Yeah, we've gotten to this point. |
I'm just going to come forward and say I honestly don't have a clue where to take this next. That in large part has been the limitation in writing more blog posts here. It's not that there aren't things to say about this game. I'm not scraping the bottom of the barrel for ideas, but how to say it has been the challenge. Going in the same linear manner as I did for Majora's Mask hasn't really been effective, but I'm not going to shy away from addressing several themes in the overarching story of Metal Gear.
If you are looking for a summary of the story, I'm sorry to say I will be discontinuing my summary of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. If you have not played it and want to hear the rest of the story, you can get this game for the PS2, Xbox 360, PS3, Nintendo 3DS, and this coming July in a bundle with every Metal Gear title as a PS3 exclusive. If you don't want to take the time to play the game or have already played it once, I will link the dubbed series by BroadSpectrumStudios of cartoonist Hiimdaisy's comic series "Let's Destroy the Shagohod."
As for what is next, I will give a list of a number of themes or motifs I am willing to address in posts about the Metal Gear Solid series. I would appreciate some feedback in the comments either here or on my twitter @RodeothePirate as to the top 5 themes or motifs you all would like to read. I will give a list to name a few potential topics.
Women in Metal Gear
Life and Death in Metal Gear
National Identity in Metal Gear
War and Peace in Metal Gear
Technology in Metal Gear
Betrayal in Metal Gear
Multigenerational Conflict in Metal Gear
The Supernatural in Metal Gear
Genetics and Metal Gear
Meme Theory and Metal Gear
Raiden and Snake
Metal Gear in Metal Gear
Pop Culture and Metal Gear
History and Current Events in Metal Gear
Metal Gear and Film
Anything I did not list is fair game as well. I will be taking a little time off to brainstorm on topics and write more articles for my other work at culturemass.com since I am running out of silent protagonists. I would also appreciate if you could give suggestions for future titles you would like me to discuss. The list on this post is a good starting point for suggestions. I would prefer not to do a series I have already done (so, that's only two of them). Your participation is greatly appreciated. Without further ado, I present to you "Let's Destroy the Shagohod".
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Pain in the Dark: Snake Eater part 3
Snake begins his journey through the forest to reach the base in which The Boss and Volgin are using. EVA, by way of her reckless driving, has made it back to the base before her cover was blown. Snake calls EVA on the radio to ask why anyone would defect from their country. EVA explains that she spent her entire life in a small American town. Communication to the outside world was limited, and she did not know any other way of life. When she joined the NSA, she had the opportunity to see many different cultures and ways of life from around the world that affected what she thought of the life she had once lived. Her defection resulted in the new identity she found in the Soviet ideals.
I feel like too often beholders of this conversation take it for granted. The awareness that other countries exist is hardly any incentive to defect by any modern standards. However, you have to put this in terms of an era before mass communication, counter culture, and the Berlin Wall. The United States is defined by the ideals of a white middle class capitalist suburbia, and the Soviets are the enemies. The NSA deals specifically in codes and communication. If there's anything we've gathered from EVA's character thus far, she doesn't really fit into the 50s-early 60s housewife archetype. The whole paradigm of the traditional has been flipped as stated in a previous post. This is just another way in which Snake's understanding of what is and isn't is being challenged.
Snake continues toward Volgin's base when he is stopped at a ravine by Ocelot once again. In the time that it has taken Snake to get to this ravine, Volgin has replaced his ornate Colt .45 with two more pratical Colt .45s. Stating that he has 12 shots as opposed to the 6 that had caused him folly, he wants to challenge Snake to a showdown like those in Westerns. He has also gathered many soldiers in his unit to watch, and only to watch. If they shoot at Snake, Ocelot gets pissed and sometimes takes shots and them. Snake agrees to fight Ocelot, because really the last two times were hardly an issue.
Snake comes close to defeating Ocelot by shooting down a load of beehives on him as well as shooting his red beret off his head which Ocelot apparently can't function without. Overtime, more and more bees start showing up. They scare off all of Ocelot's soldiers, and Ocelot is too busy killing all the bees by spinning his revolvers to resume his fight with Snake. Snake gets chased by all the bees down into the ravine.
The ravine runs so deep that no light can be seen. If I haven't mentioned this before, it is important to note now that Snake just like his son has a serious smoking problem. In this case, Snake's smoking may save his life. He uses a cigar to light his way around the ravine until he can find a proper torch. After travelling through the darkness and at times swimming in these depths, Snake reaches a large cavern with some small islets. A figure materializes out of a swarm of bees, he is The Pain.
If the instance with Sokolov being lifted from his feet by bees and Volgin's lightning powers were not enough to convince you, this character right here might cue you that realism is a relative concept in this series. The Pain has control over bees. As far as super powers go, I would hope for something more along the lines of super speed, invincibility, flight, psychokinesis (although that one is already taken in this series), fireballs, or the capacity to summon bears with prayer like Elisha from the Bible. The power to summon and manipulate bees is a terrible power. There is a point in this fight where The Pain takes off his mask to reveal blisters and welts all over his face. He then spits bee bullets that can eat through Snake's flesh. The Pain can further protect himself from Snake by forming a barrier of bees around his body. To attack Snake, The Pain can surround a live grenade with bees to airlift it to Snake and create a tommygun out of bees. I should also mention he is wearing bee colored camouflage. Had he built a Wickerman with Nic Cage in it we would have the full package.
It just so happens that this guy along with the rest of the Cobra unit were responsible for ending World War II. Despite bee powers being stupid, this fight is actually pretty fun. The advantage against The Pain is that while there aren't many places to attack him given there are only small islands around, there is a lot of water. The principle still stands from that episode of Doctor Who with Agatha Christie and the giant bee that bees can't swim. When The Pain is defeated, he explodes. Yep, he just explodes.
Shortly after this, Snake manages to leave the ravine for a sort of wetlands area that puts him near the Soviet base.
I feel like too often beholders of this conversation take it for granted. The awareness that other countries exist is hardly any incentive to defect by any modern standards. However, you have to put this in terms of an era before mass communication, counter culture, and the Berlin Wall. The United States is defined by the ideals of a white middle class capitalist suburbia, and the Soviets are the enemies. The NSA deals specifically in codes and communication. If there's anything we've gathered from EVA's character thus far, she doesn't really fit into the 50s-early 60s housewife archetype. The whole paradigm of the traditional has been flipped as stated in a previous post. This is just another way in which Snake's understanding of what is and isn't is being challenged.
Snake continues toward Volgin's base when he is stopped at a ravine by Ocelot once again. In the time that it has taken Snake to get to this ravine, Volgin has replaced his ornate Colt .45 with two more pratical Colt .45s. Stating that he has 12 shots as opposed to the 6 that had caused him folly, he wants to challenge Snake to a showdown like those in Westerns. He has also gathered many soldiers in his unit to watch, and only to watch. If they shoot at Snake, Ocelot gets pissed and sometimes takes shots and them. Snake agrees to fight Ocelot, because really the last two times were hardly an issue.
Snake comes close to defeating Ocelot by shooting down a load of beehives on him as well as shooting his red beret off his head which Ocelot apparently can't function without. Overtime, more and more bees start showing up. They scare off all of Ocelot's soldiers, and Ocelot is too busy killing all the bees by spinning his revolvers to resume his fight with Snake. Snake gets chased by all the bees down into the ravine.
The ravine runs so deep that no light can be seen. If I haven't mentioned this before, it is important to note now that Snake just like his son has a serious smoking problem. In this case, Snake's smoking may save his life. He uses a cigar to light his way around the ravine until he can find a proper torch. After travelling through the darkness and at times swimming in these depths, Snake reaches a large cavern with some small islets. A figure materializes out of a swarm of bees, he is The Pain.
 |
| Not the bees |
If the instance with Sokolov being lifted from his feet by bees and Volgin's lightning powers were not enough to convince you, this character right here might cue you that realism is a relative concept in this series. The Pain has control over bees. As far as super powers go, I would hope for something more along the lines of super speed, invincibility, flight, psychokinesis (although that one is already taken in this series), fireballs, or the capacity to summon bears with prayer like Elisha from the Bible. The power to summon and manipulate bees is a terrible power. There is a point in this fight where The Pain takes off his mask to reveal blisters and welts all over his face. He then spits bee bullets that can eat through Snake's flesh. The Pain can further protect himself from Snake by forming a barrier of bees around his body. To attack Snake, The Pain can surround a live grenade with bees to airlift it to Snake and create a tommygun out of bees. I should also mention he is wearing bee colored camouflage. Had he built a Wickerman with Nic Cage in it we would have the full package.
 |
| One man's love for bees, unparalleled. |
It just so happens that this guy along with the rest of the Cobra unit were responsible for ending World War II. Despite bee powers being stupid, this fight is actually pretty fun. The advantage against The Pain is that while there aren't many places to attack him given there are only small islands around, there is a lot of water. The principle still stands from that episode of Doctor Who with Agatha Christie and the giant bee that bees can't swim. When The Pain is defeated, he explodes. Yep, he just explodes.
Shortly after this, Snake manages to leave the ravine for a sort of wetlands area that puts him near the Soviet base.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
The Snake and the Ocelot: Snake Eater part 2
Snake wakes up the next morning to EVA warning him that the Reds are coming. She hops into a trap door beneath the bed and notes that Ocelot is leading these soldiers. Since this game isn't about cover based shooting, the possibilities of how to dispatch the enemies are pretty widespread. This was at a point when military games weren't merely whackamole in gritty dystopian environments with steroid space marines grunting and sawing each other in half (no hard feelings, Cliffy). Snake has access to a shotgun and a machine gun at this point as well as the gun he got from EVA, just so long as he remembers to equip the said weapons. He has probably found a fair number of grenades at this point and could also resort to sneaking up and getting them with his knife, which if difficult but doable.
I chose to jump into the trap door and then when they went into the room doing all the proper breaching procedures and stuff, I went outside and cleared them out from the back ducking in and out of cover with a shotgun (it's still not really the same as cover based shooting because they recognize their advantage in numbers and can quickly turn the situation around if you don't think on your feet). As far as stealth goes, I have nothing against the Splinter Cell games, but they don't really let me do this.
After dealing with all these guys, EVA (w/ motorcycle helmet on to hide face) is being held at gunpoint by Ocelot. Ocelot does everything to get Snake's attention to show him his "cool new revolver." He also keeps Snake at a distance so that Snake doesn't beat him in CQC again. Snake doesn't have to attack Ocelot in combat, because he knows he can just attack Ocelot's ego. Snake tells him that the revolver is a nice gun but more for gun shows and collectors and not for durability or use in war. Ocelot gets upset about this and tries to shoot Snake only to realize he's out of ammo. Snake points out that the Colt Single Action revolver holds only six bullets while the Makarov holds eight. This exchange gives EVA enough time to take down Ocelot and then back flip off of his face with her motorcycle.
With Ocelot's ego thoroughly destroyed, he runs off to get better with guns and probably get more cheerleaders since Snake killed them all. EVA takes aim at Ocelot, but Snake tells her to let him go since he's still young and stupid (and in all the non-prequel titles). She then does some crazy motorcross stuff to get back to the Soviet base in time so that Ocelot doesn't blow her cover upon realizing that she would be missing. Her psychology when driving is discussed much further down the road, but basically she loses all inhibitions when driving which usually results in her doing death defying acts.
So why does Ocelot suck so much? He's supposed to be this special forces guy leading an entire squad and yet he and his team get defeated again and again by a single soldier. Well, to be fair, I don't know much about higher ups in the military. I've never been on a battlefield, or in a military base, and I've never seen the few soldiers I know in action. What my best guess is at Ocelot's deal comes from the philosophy of the samurai. This is a military game made in Japan. It's bound to show up sooner or later.
Snake is an honor bound soldier. He almost fits the mold of the legendary heroes of Japanese folklore perfectly. He is well trained, completely loyal to his country, and has a deep bond with his mentor. Like many of the samurai of legend, who by social order only held the title of samurai by representing and protecting a shogunate or in this case country, he is put at odds with his own understanding by being forced to challenge his teacher who has deserted the land she was sworn to protect. Through all of this, he faces almost mythical adversity in the members of the Cobra unit which finally comes to a climax in his upcoming battle with The Boss. Despite the challenge against everything he thinks he understands, he doesn't compromise his ethics or his place as a soldier.
Ocelot is pretty much the antithesis of everything Snake is. His rash behavior and massive ego are considered two of the greatest vices a warrior in Japanese culture and folklore could have. Everything he does is very showy, and it has proven and will continue to prove to cause nothing but trouble. The fact he keeps failing suggests he has been taught how to fight and not how to be a soldier on the deeper metaphysical level. It's apparent at some point between MGS3 and the rest of the Metal Gear series this changes as he becomes worthy to be the major antagonist of the series.
It should also be noted that rivalry is a huge trope in just about every story coming from Japan in the 20th century. For further reading refer to Ash and Gary (or Red and Blue), Goku and Vegeta, Yugi and Kaiba, Takumi and Keisuke (if you're a hipster), Kamina and Kittan, Mega Man and Proto Man, X and Zero, Sonic and Shadow the Hedgehog, Raiden and Vamp (also from MGS), Godzilla and King Ghidorah, Ryu and Ken, Raiden and Shao Khan (different Raiden), and the list goes on and on. To be honest, I'm shocked I could list that many.
I chose to jump into the trap door and then when they went into the room doing all the proper breaching procedures and stuff, I went outside and cleared them out from the back ducking in and out of cover with a shotgun (it's still not really the same as cover based shooting because they recognize their advantage in numbers and can quickly turn the situation around if you don't think on your feet). As far as stealth goes, I have nothing against the Splinter Cell games, but they don't really let me do this.
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| For those who know my common greeting gesture, it comes from this. Not exactly the best character to borrow anything from, but whatever. |
After dealing with all these guys, EVA (w/ motorcycle helmet on to hide face) is being held at gunpoint by Ocelot. Ocelot does everything to get Snake's attention to show him his "cool new revolver." He also keeps Snake at a distance so that Snake doesn't beat him in CQC again. Snake doesn't have to attack Ocelot in combat, because he knows he can just attack Ocelot's ego. Snake tells him that the revolver is a nice gun but more for gun shows and collectors and not for durability or use in war. Ocelot gets upset about this and tries to shoot Snake only to realize he's out of ammo. Snake points out that the Colt Single Action revolver holds only six bullets while the Makarov holds eight. This exchange gives EVA enough time to take down Ocelot and then back flip off of his face with her motorcycle.
With Ocelot's ego thoroughly destroyed, he runs off to get better with guns and probably get more cheerleaders since Snake killed them all. EVA takes aim at Ocelot, but Snake tells her to let him go since he's still young and stupid (and in all the non-prequel titles). She then does some crazy motorcross stuff to get back to the Soviet base in time so that Ocelot doesn't blow her cover upon realizing that she would be missing. Her psychology when driving is discussed much further down the road, but basically she loses all inhibitions when driving which usually results in her doing death defying acts.
So why does Ocelot suck so much? He's supposed to be this special forces guy leading an entire squad and yet he and his team get defeated again and again by a single soldier. Well, to be fair, I don't know much about higher ups in the military. I've never been on a battlefield, or in a military base, and I've never seen the few soldiers I know in action. What my best guess is at Ocelot's deal comes from the philosophy of the samurai. This is a military game made in Japan. It's bound to show up sooner or later.
Snake is an honor bound soldier. He almost fits the mold of the legendary heroes of Japanese folklore perfectly. He is well trained, completely loyal to his country, and has a deep bond with his mentor. Like many of the samurai of legend, who by social order only held the title of samurai by representing and protecting a shogunate or in this case country, he is put at odds with his own understanding by being forced to challenge his teacher who has deserted the land she was sworn to protect. Through all of this, he faces almost mythical adversity in the members of the Cobra unit which finally comes to a climax in his upcoming battle with The Boss. Despite the challenge against everything he thinks he understands, he doesn't compromise his ethics or his place as a soldier.
Ocelot is pretty much the antithesis of everything Snake is. His rash behavior and massive ego are considered two of the greatest vices a warrior in Japanese culture and folklore could have. Everything he does is very showy, and it has proven and will continue to prove to cause nothing but trouble. The fact he keeps failing suggests he has been taught how to fight and not how to be a soldier on the deeper metaphysical level. It's apparent at some point between MGS3 and the rest of the Metal Gear series this changes as he becomes worthy to be the major antagonist of the series.
It should also be noted that rivalry is a huge trope in just about every story coming from Japan in the 20th century. For further reading refer to Ash and Gary (or Red and Blue), Goku and Vegeta, Yugi and Kaiba, Takumi and Keisuke (if you're a hipster), Kamina and Kittan, Mega Man and Proto Man, X and Zero, Sonic and Shadow the Hedgehog, Raiden and Vamp (also from MGS), Godzilla and King Ghidorah, Ryu and Ken, Raiden and Shao Khan (different Raiden), and the list goes on and on. To be honest, I'm shocked I could list that many.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
The Serpent and The Woman: Snake Eater part 1
We return to the story in which the world is on the brink of widespread turmoil. Major Tom gives a briefing of the situation as Snake, patched up after a week in the best ICU the West could muster, flies inside a sort of shuttle pod (a D-21 to spy plane fanatics) attached to a Lockheed M-21 (precursor to the SR-71 Blackbird reconnaissance jet and variant of the A-12. for those who don't know planes, it's the thing that the X-men get around in). Basically, FOX unit looks awful because the mission that should've been a quick easy in n' out has brought the Cold War closer to eruption into World War III. The events that occurred were unforeseeable and as a result Snake and the FOX unit are given a second chance. Operation Snake Eater.
A phone call between Khrushchev and President Lyndon B. Johnson involves the two world leaders piecing together what all has occurred on this mission. The issue of The Boss' defection to Volgin's side has frightened the Soviet establishment and as such they need Snake to assassinate Volgin, The Cobra Unit, The Boss, and destroy the Shagohod. Since the nuclear assault has been interpreted as American aggression, Snake will not be welcome in Russia, and he will still be hunted by Russian soldiers. Not leaving Snake completely helpless, the Reds agree to send in two former NSA operatives who defected to the Soviets and have infiltrated Volgin's ranks. These operatives are under the codenames ADAM and EVA. Also, Snake has the support team of Major Tom (now called Major Zero because he mistakenly chose the first one after one of the discovered tunnels in the movie The Great Escape), Para Medic (who is about to lose her medical license if Snake Eater fails, she also really likes movies), and Sigint (the new guy, a black man who specializes in R&D of weapons and equipment).
The D-21 detaches from really high up in the atmosphere as it passes Soviet air patrols undetected. Snake deploys into just about the same clearing he landed in for the Virtuous Mission. After sneaking around some, he hears a horse in the jungle. After approaching the horse, The Boss comes out. She is displeased with Snake and the fact he holds onto the past (as represented by the bandanna he wears that he took from her after he plummeted off the bridge). She shoots the D-21 that landed nearby enough times that it explodes. After disassembling Snake's gun (seeing how Snake is an amazing soldier and how this is the second time The Boss has destroyed his gun, it says something about how unstoppable she is), she rides off on her horse, but not without stomping on Snake's hand. She vows that she will kill Snake the next time they meet.
Snake is pretty upset about this, but he continues with the mission because that's the only thing that makes sense (spoiler: not for long). Arriving at the place he found Sokolov the first time, he encounters an individual on a motorcycle. Having been told this was where he would meet ADAM, he requests the password. The person on the motorcycle doesn't give a password, nor does this individual turn off the light or motor of the bike. It draws a lot of attention as you could imagine. As Russian soldiers come out to get them, the person on the motorcycle pulls out a Chinese pistol and kills all of the Russians. After this madness, the person is revealed to be a woman as she removes her helmet and for good measure unzips her combat uniform down to her navel. I know that sounds incredibly unprofessional and probably gets at the claim that video games have sexist elements, and it might be just a little, but I swear if you haven't caught on already the developers going for something here. Her name is EVA by the way.
She asks Jack whats his code name, to which he says Snake. She then follows up with "So have you come to tempt me?" You see, the grand irony of it all is that although she is supposed to be on his side, she is doing pretty much everything in her power to get his attention away from the mission. There is also the Biblical irony that it is the woman that is tempting the snake in the garden. It presents this idea that all conventional wisdom has been turned on its head. It should also be noted that Snake is incredibly meek for someone who is supposed to be crawling on his stomach, sneaking around, and killing some crazy terrorists. It almost gives a sense that an angel fell (HALO jump) to become a Snake (Naked Snake) to set straight a Garden (the jungle) seized by pandemonium (the mission). At least the Snake encountered the woman first, that lines up (spoiler: not really)
In the face of such temptation, Snake manages to resist. He just ran into The Boss, whom he worshiped, and she pretty much gave him the shaft. However, EVA does give Snake something that would help with the mission, a gun. It's pretty much a case of love at first sight when Snake beholds the gun. He praises all of its qualities as though it was handcrafted for him. He accepts the gun and consequentially accepts EVA as well (I could write pages about the character of EVA. There's a lot of to be said for and against her characterization with regards to feminism, misogyny, and the video game industry. Maybe I will later. If Anita Sarkeesian should stumble upon this, I'd be more than willing to share all my thoughts on this matter, though I bet she could say it a lot better than I can.)
By way of Para-Medic's request, Snake decides to get some sleep (by saving the game). EVA wanders off to do something that we will address next time.
 |
| Cold War had awesome planes, that's for sure. |
A phone call between Khrushchev and President Lyndon B. Johnson involves the two world leaders piecing together what all has occurred on this mission. The issue of The Boss' defection to Volgin's side has frightened the Soviet establishment and as such they need Snake to assassinate Volgin, The Cobra Unit, The Boss, and destroy the Shagohod. Since the nuclear assault has been interpreted as American aggression, Snake will not be welcome in Russia, and he will still be hunted by Russian soldiers. Not leaving Snake completely helpless, the Reds agree to send in two former NSA operatives who defected to the Soviets and have infiltrated Volgin's ranks. These operatives are under the codenames ADAM and EVA. Also, Snake has the support team of Major Tom (now called Major Zero because he mistakenly chose the first one after one of the discovered tunnels in the movie The Great Escape), Para Medic (who is about to lose her medical license if Snake Eater fails, she also really likes movies), and Sigint (the new guy, a black man who specializes in R&D of weapons and equipment).
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| Zero and Paramedic. They must live in a movie theater or something. |
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| Anyone who can wear a white combat uniform at night is inviting you to get destroyed. |
She asks Jack whats his code name, to which he says Snake. She then follows up with "So have you come to tempt me?" You see, the grand irony of it all is that although she is supposed to be on his side, she is doing pretty much everything in her power to get his attention away from the mission. There is also the Biblical irony that it is the woman that is tempting the snake in the garden. It presents this idea that all conventional wisdom has been turned on its head. It should also be noted that Snake is incredibly meek for someone who is supposed to be crawling on his stomach, sneaking around, and killing some crazy terrorists. It almost gives a sense that an angel fell (HALO jump) to become a Snake (Naked Snake) to set straight a Garden (the jungle) seized by pandemonium (the mission). At least the Snake encountered the woman first, that lines up (spoiler: not really)
In the face of such temptation, Snake manages to resist. He just ran into The Boss, whom he worshiped, and she pretty much gave him the shaft. However, EVA does give Snake something that would help with the mission, a gun. It's pretty much a case of love at first sight when Snake beholds the gun. He praises all of its qualities as though it was handcrafted for him. He accepts the gun and consequentially accepts EVA as well (I could write pages about the character of EVA. There's a lot of to be said for and against her characterization with regards to feminism, misogyny, and the video game industry. Maybe I will later. If Anita Sarkeesian should stumble upon this, I'd be more than willing to share all my thoughts on this matter, though I bet she could say it a lot better than I can.)
By way of Para-Medic's request, Snake decides to get some sleep (by saving the game). EVA wanders off to do something that we will address next time.
Monday, March 18, 2013
ooooh yes the bees!
Before I get back into more Metal Gear, I want to talk about a mod I think you all should know about.
Do you like Majora's Mask? I suppose you like it enough to have read any of the previous series.
Are you aware of Nicholas Cage's existence, for better or for worse? I certainly hope so.
Wouldn't it be great if somebody combined the two? No, it would not, but who cares what you or I think?
Thanks to the work of popular youtuber Criken and his friend Shane, we now have access to this abomination
By way of this all new texture pack, you can reenact the movie Face Off. The best part is, it's less John Travolta and more everyone else. You will question whether or not the horrors of Termina can ever be reversed past doomsday. Skull Kid doesn't turn Kafei into a boy, he turns him into Nic Cage. The mask was created by Nic Cage. Link IS Nic Cage, and all transformations still look like Nic Cage. Truly this is the devil's work.
Critics have already been calling this new take of an old title a guaranteed Call of Duty killer. Now, every Mountain Dew chugging prestigionado can set CoD Blops Zombies aside and live their favorite nightmare by becoming the most enthusiastic actor in the world.
Check it out, test your nerve, and let the nightmares and ruined childhoods begin.
You've met a terrible face, haven't you?
Certainly brings new meaning to the scene where Link drops the bees on the pirates.
You can also run the streets of Clock Town shouting "I'M A TREE PERSON! I'M A TREE PERSON! AAAAHHHHH"
Because face it, one day, every day, every where, somewhere out there, somebody wakes up one morning to find they have been turned into Nic Cage, and then you realize what you had. You realize that you truly did want that cake that your wife ate. (women included, you all become a Nic Cage when you transform) You will shout "TA DAH" and have everybody look at you like a crazy person. And then you will find yourself breaking down in Las Vegas with your only daughter when you should've gotten a hair cut, and you give her the bunny that you insisted should stay in the box. You're gonna go far, kid. You're gonna go far.
Do you like Majora's Mask? I suppose you like it enough to have read any of the previous series.
Are you aware of Nicholas Cage's existence, for better or for worse? I certainly hope so.
Wouldn't it be great if somebody combined the two? No, it would not, but who cares what you or I think?
Thanks to the work of popular youtuber Criken and his friend Shane, we now have access to this abomination
By way of this all new texture pack, you can reenact the movie Face Off. The best part is, it's less John Travolta and more everyone else. You will question whether or not the horrors of Termina can ever be reversed past doomsday. Skull Kid doesn't turn Kafei into a boy, he turns him into Nic Cage. The mask was created by Nic Cage. Link IS Nic Cage, and all transformations still look like Nic Cage. Truly this is the devil's work.
Critics have already been calling this new take of an old title a guaranteed Call of Duty killer. Now, every Mountain Dew chugging prestigionado can set CoD Blops Zombies aside and live their favorite nightmare by becoming the most enthusiastic actor in the world.
Check it out, test your nerve, and let the nightmares and ruined childhoods begin.
You've met a terrible face, haven't you?
Certainly brings new meaning to the scene where Link drops the bees on the pirates.
You can also run the streets of Clock Town shouting "I'M A TREE PERSON! I'M A TREE PERSON! AAAAHHHHH"
Because face it, one day, every day, every where, somewhere out there, somebody wakes up one morning to find they have been turned into Nic Cage, and then you realize what you had. You realize that you truly did want that cake that your wife ate. (women included, you all become a Nic Cage when you transform) You will shout "TA DAH" and have everybody look at you like a crazy person. And then you will find yourself breaking down in Las Vegas with your only daughter when you should've gotten a hair cut, and you give her the bunny that you insisted should stay in the box. You're gonna go far, kid. You're gonna go far.
Friday, March 15, 2013
Skyfall, Paradise Lost: Snake Eater Intro
So I'm taking us back to square zero, before the cyborgs, before the clones, before the private military contractors and even before the namesake Metal Gears. Our story takes us back to 1964. It begins as pretty much all historic films begin, white words on a black background. "After the end of World War II, the world was split into two -- east and west. This marked the beginning of the era called the Cold War." It's nice to know in a story about crazy science fiction and terrorists, we can begin with something we are familiar with. Or so we thought, and as we shall soon see, so our hero also thought.
Once upon a time, over the skies of Soviet Russia, a single plane flies through the night. The plane flies over the lonely clouds, and it is an American plane. Within, a sort of mission control preps for a combat deployment, and below the plane sits a single soldier smoking a cigar. His name is Jack, and he suggests his name is John Doe (whether or not this is truly his name is up to the audience, as are most things in this series). As the plane flies over the drop site, Jack reluctantly puts out his cigar and puts an oxygen mask over his face. As the the door opens for Jack to prepare his dive, the sun rises over the clouds. Jack is the morning star rising from the uniformity of the drab clouds. He takes his dive from the plane, performing the first HALO (High Altitude-Low Opening) jump in history. As he falls, his British commanding officer explains the gravity of the coming mission. Jack was selected for a special forces unit called FOX and he will be embarking upon its virtuous mission (a sort of maiden voyage/proving ground in the intelligence community).
He is informed that the VIP he will be recovering is Russian rocket scientist and weapons engineer Nikolai Stephanovich Sokolov. This scientist (in fiction of course) was responsible for the Sputnik rockets, launching Yuri Gagarin into space, and countless other projects for the USSR. When pressured to design something terrible, Sokolov and his family defected to the United States. This resulted in the Cuban Missile Crisis, in which the nukes in Cuba would be dismantled under the condition that Sokolov be returned to the Soviet Union. America consented, promising Sokolov they would rescue him again.
Jack touches down in a forest around the research facility. He pulls away his parachuting equipment and oxygen mask to reveal a face too familiar to the series.
The commanding officer (codename Major Tom) gives Jack the codename Naked Snake (not Solid Snake, this is the 60s). The codename is Naked because Snake cannot bring anything on this mission that would suggest his ties to America. Although he is the only man on the ground, he has a support team up in the plane. Major Tom keeps him updated on the mission objectives, Para Medic is the team doctor to instruct Snake on nature survival, and finally The Boss. The Boss, perhaps the most influential character in the series, is the mother of the special forces, the woman who won WWII for the allies, and Snake's personal mentor when he was in the Green Berets. She practically created the world in which the series is set. Snake is quite upset that it has been so long since he heard from her (ya gotta understand, they're soldiers and there's a war, the characterization in these games is pretty serious even though the series doesn't always take itself seriously). The Boss tells Snake that he should not be upset in the absence of his comrades. She mentions that today's allies could be tomorrow's enemies and a soldier's virtues are dependent upon how well they keep the mission first and foremost. Snakes doesn't really understand what she is telling him, but he gets the part about following the mission. Major Tom tells Snake that the Boss is presently in a submarine in the Arctic Circle. The Boss reminds Snake that since he doesn't have weapons beyond his tranquilizer gun and knife, he must resort to the CQC (close quarters combat) training she taught him.
Snake gets through the jungle after evading Russian guards and crocodiles in a swamp (its a research facility, so there's gonna be a lot of flora and fauna from around the world. also, Hideo Kojima, the creator of these games has a thing for animals as you will soon see). Upon reaching the place the Russians are holding Sokolov hostage, he finds Sokolov burning pages of a tank he calls the Shagohod. He tells Snake that he is too late and that the weapon he was designing is almost complete. Snake had only come to recover Sokolov and by taking him the Soviets will not have the means of successfully operating the Shagohod. The Shagohod is a treaded tank armed to the teeth with weapons for any situation. Its crowning weapon is the ability to launch nuclear warheads anywhere in the world (but it is not a Metal Gear, so you know). As Snake is leaving the facility with Sokolov, a Russian guard catches sight of him.
As it turns out, the Russians are not looking for Snake, because another Russian with an oddly American accent shows up. This Russian kills all seven Soviet Guards. Sokolov tells Snake this is Ocelot, commander of the special Ocelot unit of an ultranationalist party (think like the Nazi SS but in Soviet Russia). When he sees Snake and realizes he is American, he tries to show off how cool he is by spinning his Makarov pistol like a gunslinger would (did I mention this series doesn't always take itself seriously?) and then trying to shoot Snake. The bullet jams in the chamber and Snake proceeds to beat up this guy with the CQC tactics he knows. With his ego wounded, the Russian summons the soldiers under his command. Snake basically tells Ocelot that he would suck less if he used a revolver instead of a Makarov based on how he shoots the pistol. This is the first chapter of the awkward humble beginnings of the series main antagonist, Revolver Ocelot.
Snake avoids Ocelot and his soldiers (which basically get reduced to cheerleaders under the crushing weight of Ocelot's massive ego), he arrives at a rope bridge. As he begins to cross the rope bridge, he sees another figure coming from the other side with two crates. The figure drops the crates, blocking all passage across the bridge, revealing to be no one other than The Boss (who for the record is not in a submarine in the Arctic Circle). Suddenly a swarm of hornets come with such ferocity that they lift Sokolov off the ground to a helicopter above. Two freakish soldiers look down at The Boss and a third is flying the helicopter with a parrot on his shoulder, she says they are her friends and that everyone has come together. A silent man in a hood with glowing red eyes transparently floating behind The Boss materalizes. Only The Boss seems think something is up, but then this feeling goes away. We'll get to him later. A Russian with a strange mark over his face shows up. This marked Russian is Colonel Volgin, leader of a radical communist faction looking to overthrow Khrushchev. It is at this moment that The Boss reveals she is defecting to the Soviet Union and will fight with Colonel Volgin.
Volgin cannot let the Americans stop his insurrection, so he orders that Snake be killed. The Boss sees to it since Snake is her student. The scene is perfectly set like something from a samurai movie, where student and teacher must fight to the death on a bridge to gain passage. The Boss dislocates Snake's arm at the elbow, breaks some ribs, and then flings him off the bridge to the river below. Snake only manages to grab the bandanna around her forehead. The Boss gives Volgin the crates, which prove to be two recoilless nuclear warheads known as Davy Crocketts.
As the helicopter flies away with The Boss, her allies(known as the Cobra unit), Volgin, Ocelot, Sokolov and a young woman claiming to be Sokolov's mistress, Snake washes up somewhere down the river. He catches sight of The Boss in the helicopter as they fly away as well as The Shagohod which is being moved to a new facility. Volgin then takes one of the warheads and, to the shock of Ocelot, nukes the research facility full of Russian scientists. Snake somehow survives the resulting explosion without a refrigerator and passes out after making an effort to patch himself up.
It is at this moment that the James Bond-esque theme and intro sequence kicks in. This is Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater.
Once upon a time, over the skies of Soviet Russia, a single plane flies through the night. The plane flies over the lonely clouds, and it is an American plane. Within, a sort of mission control preps for a combat deployment, and below the plane sits a single soldier smoking a cigar. His name is Jack, and he suggests his name is John Doe (whether or not this is truly his name is up to the audience, as are most things in this series). As the plane flies over the drop site, Jack reluctantly puts out his cigar and puts an oxygen mask over his face. As the the door opens for Jack to prepare his dive, the sun rises over the clouds. Jack is the morning star rising from the uniformity of the drab clouds. He takes his dive from the plane, performing the first HALO (High Altitude-Low Opening) jump in history. As he falls, his British commanding officer explains the gravity of the coming mission. Jack was selected for a special forces unit called FOX and he will be embarking upon its virtuous mission (a sort of maiden voyage/proving ground in the intelligence community).
He is informed that the VIP he will be recovering is Russian rocket scientist and weapons engineer Nikolai Stephanovich Sokolov. This scientist (in fiction of course) was responsible for the Sputnik rockets, launching Yuri Gagarin into space, and countless other projects for the USSR. When pressured to design something terrible, Sokolov and his family defected to the United States. This resulted in the Cuban Missile Crisis, in which the nukes in Cuba would be dismantled under the condition that Sokolov be returned to the Soviet Union. America consented, promising Sokolov they would rescue him again.
Jack touches down in a forest around the research facility. He pulls away his parachuting equipment and oxygen mask to reveal a face too familiar to the series.
 |
| The man who would be boss. |
Snake gets through the jungle after evading Russian guards and crocodiles in a swamp (its a research facility, so there's gonna be a lot of flora and fauna from around the world. also, Hideo Kojima, the creator of these games has a thing for animals as you will soon see). Upon reaching the place the Russians are holding Sokolov hostage, he finds Sokolov burning pages of a tank he calls the Shagohod. He tells Snake that he is too late and that the weapon he was designing is almost complete. Snake had only come to recover Sokolov and by taking him the Soviets will not have the means of successfully operating the Shagohod. The Shagohod is a treaded tank armed to the teeth with weapons for any situation. Its crowning weapon is the ability to launch nuclear warheads anywhere in the world (but it is not a Metal Gear, so you know). As Snake is leaving the facility with Sokolov, a Russian guard catches sight of him.
As it turns out, the Russians are not looking for Snake, because another Russian with an oddly American accent shows up. This Russian kills all seven Soviet Guards. Sokolov tells Snake this is Ocelot, commander of the special Ocelot unit of an ultranationalist party (think like the Nazi SS but in Soviet Russia). When he sees Snake and realizes he is American, he tries to show off how cool he is by spinning his Makarov pistol like a gunslinger would (did I mention this series doesn't always take itself seriously?) and then trying to shoot Snake. The bullet jams in the chamber and Snake proceeds to beat up this guy with the CQC tactics he knows. With his ego wounded, the Russian summons the soldiers under his command. Snake basically tells Ocelot that he would suck less if he used a revolver instead of a Makarov based on how he shoots the pistol. This is the first chapter of the awkward humble beginnings of the series main antagonist, Revolver Ocelot.
Snake avoids Ocelot and his soldiers (which basically get reduced to cheerleaders under the crushing weight of Ocelot's massive ego), he arrives at a rope bridge. As he begins to cross the rope bridge, he sees another figure coming from the other side with two crates. The figure drops the crates, blocking all passage across the bridge, revealing to be no one other than The Boss (who for the record is not in a submarine in the Arctic Circle). Suddenly a swarm of hornets come with such ferocity that they lift Sokolov off the ground to a helicopter above. Two freakish soldiers look down at The Boss and a third is flying the helicopter with a parrot on his shoulder, she says they are her friends and that everyone has come together. A silent man in a hood with glowing red eyes transparently floating behind The Boss materalizes. Only The Boss seems think something is up, but then this feeling goes away. We'll get to him later. A Russian with a strange mark over his face shows up. This marked Russian is Colonel Volgin, leader of a radical communist faction looking to overthrow Khrushchev. It is at this moment that The Boss reveals she is defecting to the Soviet Union and will fight with Colonel Volgin.
 |
| Colonel Volgin and The Boss |
Volgin cannot let the Americans stop his insurrection, so he orders that Snake be killed. The Boss sees to it since Snake is her student. The scene is perfectly set like something from a samurai movie, where student and teacher must fight to the death on a bridge to gain passage. The Boss dislocates Snake's arm at the elbow, breaks some ribs, and then flings him off the bridge to the river below. Snake only manages to grab the bandanna around her forehead. The Boss gives Volgin the crates, which prove to be two recoilless nuclear warheads known as Davy Crocketts.
As the helicopter flies away with The Boss, her allies(known as the Cobra unit), Volgin, Ocelot, Sokolov and a young woman claiming to be Sokolov's mistress, Snake washes up somewhere down the river. He catches sight of The Boss in the helicopter as they fly away as well as The Shagohod which is being moved to a new facility. Volgin then takes one of the warheads and, to the shock of Ocelot, nukes the research facility full of Russian scientists. Snake somehow survives the resulting explosion without a refrigerator and passes out after making an effort to patch himself up.
It is at this moment that the James Bond-esque theme and intro sequence kicks in. This is Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater.
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