Gundam Unicorn 06: Two Worlds, Two Tomorrows

If you haven't heard already: the 6th OVA of Gundam Unicorn is out and available, so go on the interwebz and watch it. I just finished watching it myself, so I thought I'd talk about it. To be honest, I was waiting for the continuation of this series so I could watch the Sinanju and Unicorn kick ass in uber-HD. I was also waiting to hear the epic Unicorn theme, but unfortunately, neither of these things happened. Episode 6, entitled "Two Worlds, Two Tomorrows", was mostly set-up for the next episode, which is scheduled to be the series finale.

So, out of the entire hour, you'll only be getting about 5 minutes of action. This was slightly disappointing, but I'm not complaining. I'm just excited about how amazing the series finale is going to be. We even get a short glimpse of the Full Armour Unicorn at the end of the episode. Anyway, most of the episode involves Full Frontal and Mineva arguing about their views and philosophies in classic Gundam fashion. It was tolerable at first, but it got a little excessive after awhile. We learn a little more about their characters, however, and we see some rather emotional scenes involving Zinnerman. He was definitely the highlight this time around.

I'm honestly not liking the sudden evil turn that Riddhe Marcenas is taking. He was a mildly likeable character at first, but he really does not make a convincing villain. He is now the pilot of the Banshee, and we see him about to engage Banagher near the conclusion. We'll see how his character development concludes; I'm not expecting much. Anyway, don't expect anything titanic when starting this episode. You'll mostly watch the characters bicker about pseudo-intelligent nonsense. It'll leave you wanting though; I can't wait for this series to conclude so I can properly view it as one of the best Gundam animations I've seen in a long, long time.

To the Moon [Indie Game]

You probably know "To the Moon" as the game that makes people cry. I found out about it from various gaming sites because its story is constantly praised for its originality and its ability to tug your heart strings. I dismissed it for quite awhile, but I finally decided to give it a try yesterday. And...

Yeah, I totally teared up. Cried like a bitch. I'm usually prone to emotional things, but this game was especially sad. Sometimes it felt like the game tried too hard to make us cry, but I appreciated how interesting and dramatic the story was. It is definitely original, and filled with shocking twists.

The game is kind of tedious to play, however. At times it felt like the game wasn't even necessary; all you really end up doing is move from one point to another. You solve the occasional puzzle, but most of your time will be spent watching the story unfold. While I didn't mind this, it was definitely a bit of a drag at times.

The graphics are typical of RPG Maker 16-bit games, so don't expect much. The music is excellent, however. It's one of the highlights of "To the Moon"; there's even a vocal song made just for this game. If you're into excellent, emotional stories, then you should definitely give this game a try. It's only a 4 hour game, and you'll be coasting along the way. Just don't expect anything more than that, and be prepared to shed some manly tears.

5 Unsolved Mysteries in FFVII

I'm going to turn this into a series of posts, considering how much I like to write about Final Fantasy. As I mentioned in my previous post, I have played Final Fantasy VII dozens of times and still play through it every now and then. I'll probably be making more of these so stay in touch. Anyway...

Every popular game has its share of urban legends and myths; just look at the GTA series. You wouldn't expect a story-driven RPG to have a bunch of random mysteries, but Final Fantasy VII is actually filled with them. These mysteries have existed for years, and despite the theories and rumors being all over the place, nobody has been able to agree on a conclusive answer for any of them. Here are 5 of my favorite mysteries in FFVII. After describing them, I'll give you my 'probable explanation' as a way to try and debunk the myth in a way. Feel free to give your own theories as well!

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance Demo

I just finished playing the Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance demo. My initial impressions? Honestly, I'm very disappointed and bit worried about how good this game will be when it comes out. Most people won't be very quick to write a game off because of its demo, but I think its issues stem from the overall design, not menial things like lag or glitching.

I first thing I noticed from the moment I moved Raiden was that it feels very old-school, and that's not in a good way. The movement feels clunky and limited, like a PS2-era Capcom game (Devil May Cry). I expect more fluidity from a game coming out at the end of a console generation. Jumping up obstacles was a complete mess, and this was further hindered by a frustrating camera. None of the controls seemed to work like the designers imagined.

Thankfully, I got excited by this game for the flashy Platinum Games-style combat. Unfortunately, its a bit lackluster and hack-n-slash. Normally, I love hack-n-slash games and I feel that it can be very exhilarating when done right (DmC). In the demo, the combat was easy and one-dimensional. Any semblance of a challenge was overshadowed by an over-emphasis on flashiness. I'm not distracted by flashy visuals anymore, I want gameplay.

There wasn't too much to set this game apart from any third-party action game. Blade mode is interesting, but I found that it was just frustrating and put a dead stop to the combat. The demo didn't do a very good job of showing us why this mode is interesting, or even necessary.

In the back of my mind, I was thinking that if the gameplay failed, I would look forward to the legendary story-telling of Kojima and the Metal Gear series. To my utter disappointment, that was nowhere to be found either. Again, everything felt third-rate and lackluster. Raiden's one-liners were cringe-worthy, and the overall presentation was cheesy at best. I feel that there isn't much for Metal Gear fans to be excited about.

Hopefully, the final product will be a little better. The thing is, most of its issues are things that are basically set in stone. None of the criticisms that I mentioned will be addressed to a great degree. Don't let my ranting bring you down though, try the demo out and tell me what you think about it.

Thoughts on G Gundam

G Gundam is probably one of the most controversial entries in the Gundam franchise, and the reason is obvious: it does not follow the real-robot, war-drama scheme of most Gundam shows. Instead, it opts for a complete super-robot feel. In a sense, it is Gundam only in name. 

The series revolves around Gundam fights, where pilots use their bodies to fight each other in giant robot ring-fights. Characters yell out special moves in an over-the-top fashion, and the overall feel of the series is lighter and goofier. This is the reason a lot of fans find it hard to take G Gundam seriously. 

Though, if you can look past all of these things, G Gundam can be a rather entertaining romp. Domon and his God Finger technique are always exciting to watch, and he can really be a breath of fresh air if you are not very fond of the traditional whining teenager. In the end, opinions will be very divided. Fans will either learn to appreciate a deviation from the traditional formula, or reject it completely, considering it a blemish on the franchise. 

So, what do you think? Is it an unnecessary entry in the series, or is it an acceptable change of direction?

5 Most Tedious Moments in FFVII

I'm not ashamed to say that Final Fantasy VII is one of my all time favorite games. It's the only game I've played through more than 20 times, and one of the only games I've done a complete 100% run-through of. I go back and play this game pretty often, and while I thoroughly enjoy every experience, there are a few small moments I dread playing through.

This is my list of the 5 most tedious moments in FFVII. Note that these moments aren't necessarily bad for the game; some people might downright enjoy them. I'm just trying to point out some sections of the game that I grew to dread after playing through the game a hundred times.

Ecchi CG Set: Girls of Gundam 00

Gundam fans, I present to you the largest collection of fan service in Shinkan Crossing history. I randomly stumbled upon this entire collection and decided I may as well contribute to the Ecchi Gallery. This CG set is dedicated to Gundam 00; you'll find plenty of Soma, Nena Trinity, Sumeragi, Marida, and so on. Anyway, enjoy~