Obsession(s) of the Week: 01/24/2010 - 02/08/2010

Lucky Star

After J-List decided to throw all things Lucky Star at me as part of my Lucky Bag, I decided that I should go ahead and watch the series. It's a slice of life themed anime but the content is so RANDOM. I really enjoy it though and look forward to finishing it. So far all the characters have something endearing about them.

Update: I stopped at episode 8.  Note to self to finish this, really.

No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle

I haven't truly played much of this yet but so far, my first fight was amazingly gruesome and the arcade style side jobs are fresh even if they invoke your 8 bit gaming day memories.  Sometimes, it's all about the classics! Travis is pretty angry this time around being hell bent on revenge but um, he's still pretty stupid.  He's still a loveable otaku 2 years later (a loveable otaku? There's a concept! Ha). 
  
Final Fantasy Tactics

I began playing it in earnest i.e. not dying in the swamp. Now I'm being slaughtered all over the world map in Ivalice...great. In all seriousness, 12 years after the fact, this game remains a masterpiece. It's not without its flaws in camera-turning mechanics or the often frustrating job building career choices or who to tailor to be awesome but I cannot remember the last time a story was this deep and engaging and in a language I could follow without being a convoluted headache (FFXII, you failed me there). Also, graphically it's impressive and the actions of the sprites are shocking and full of heart. 

Update: I finished it and wow.  This just shot right up there in my top 10 games ever played.  I admit it I may have expected something 'more' at the end and was surprised when it just up and ended but what an amazing experience.  I'm really happy I finally played this series even if I was too late to snag some swag and will be hard-pressed to try to find a Ramza figure now.

White Collar

Two days ago I was wondering when it was I became a USA Network Junkie. I attribute that to my constant need to watch L&O: SVU, which used to always run marathons on that channel. Then came "Burn Notice" and now "White Collar". Last season was interesting enough for me to warrant picking it up again when it began three weeks ago. The continuation has been ramped up and the show has found its niche. It's smart and funny with interesting characters and the right amount of humour. My favourite character has to be Peter (even though he's straight-laced and that is unlike me) though I find Moz really coming into his own as a support. Fun stuff! Now, how do I convince the rest of you to watch? 

Nerd Post: Complete With Non-Zombie Rage and a Dash of Fan-Service

I, for one, am very much looking forward to March.

No, it's not that Spring is upon us in a matter of weeks.  As I have stated before I do not like Spring for it reminds me that Summer is right around the corner.

It's that the first week and a half of March will bring with it Muse @ MSG, the release of Gorillaz' new album, and the release of Final Fantasy XIII.

I was really happy until last week and now I am less so.

Why?

For some reason, Square Enix thought it was okay to eff over the US Sony PS3 users.

Why, Sony?

Why would you ass-effery have the release of a Limited Edition bleck...argh..xbox..cough...meh FFXIII console and not release A THING special edition wise for the PS3?

W.
T.
F.

How many evil Microsoft dollars did they throw at you, Square?!?!

As a child of the Commodore 64 and Atari, I never had the 'fortune' of owning an SNES, NES or Sega.
The PS was the first 'console' owned by The HOchieS when that beautiful dirty grey little thing was released so many years ago.

Since then, I've been a Sony Girl and yes, I've dabbled in the arts of Nintendo too because you know, Link just screams 'luz me'.

I suppose this is a little of what Nintendo users felt when Final Fantasy VII was released for the PS.
Oh, so this is what a slap to the face feels like.

Ohhhh.

And might I say, "OW" while I'm at it?

As each day marches closer to March 9, I hope that Square will surprise me by dropping that awful "Enix" from their name, return "Soft" in its stead and with it, bring some dignity back to Sony when the PS ruled (although in Enix's defense, you guys may put out solid games that I've not played so I cannot be dismissive of you).

I cannot believe I bought an effin' PS3 JUST for this game only for it to be released 3 years after the fact and without two postcards as the UK version's getting.

I almost feel a boycott coming along especially since I have no towns to visit, with no bars to get sloshed in or play the piano, no houses to go into and steal elixirs from unsuspecting grandfathers and gil from wee ones.  Who am I supposed to make fun of now?!

It only hurts all the more after having finally finished Final Fantasy Tactics, after a personal fear of that game like no other for 12 years.

Now there was a game: an amazing story with so much deception and murder that those sprites shocked me with their 'stabby' behaviour, penchant for poison and heretic-branding rhetoric.

The music was nothing short of brilliant and the characters were many to keep track of but who cares? My little Zarnyx/Ramza was the cutest.

Although. he was a little, umm...too...defined in the ass for a sprite.

I'm certain those white pants didn't help the situation any either.

White pants never do.

They never do.

Observation(s) of the Week: 01/24/2010 - 01/30/2010

On the Wii:

There should be a warning in the manual for the Wii usage that states "Do not play around cats".

I know there's one to be mindful of people and objects around you and Jazzie was already a victim of the wiimote.

But where's the warning that says, "if you play the wii and your hand/cursor is spotted by your cat, be warned - cat may attack moving cursor"?

I really hope there are no scratches on the TV.  The sad part is is that I found it so amusing too until I realised the true menace Pumpkin was being to the flat panel.

On Final Fantasy Tactics:

Story wise, this game is amazing.  I am still having a few difficulties playing after all these years.  It's challenging and downright hard at times but I'm scraping by somehow.

However, I must remember to not go to bed with a battle weighing on my mind because all I can see in my dreams are ninja monks and the tiles on which they should be placed.  Ugh.

Nerd Quote of the Day:

"My Powerhouse of a Ninja Monk with his dual-wielding sword action is much more superb than your Ninja Monk! Unless of course you have better swords equipped..."

This Week(s) Obsession(s): 11/26/2009 - 12/06/2009

Final Fantasy Tactics

Back in 1998, while I was still a young, inexperienced gamer , with Final Fantasy VII under my belt and a new found love of FF and RPGs, I decided to play FFT. One bomb and one chocobo later in a marsh, and it was game over. Daunted by my pitiful defeat having 'never played' a Tactical RPG before (Yeah, I failed at D&D: Pool of Radiance, too), I shamefully returned my rental and regretted that day since. With the PSN in full swing, FFT was looming for $9.99 and I, figuring 12 years and 3 recently played Tactical Rpgs conquered, I could take on the monster once more. Oh how wrong was I. One bomb and one chocobo later in a marsh, I'm still finding myself D-E-D. Ded!!!

Hitman Reborn

Again I stopped watching and collected. Still loving it! Even the filler was decent and that's rare. Now to stop watching again and wait another 3 months before picking it up again only to be sucked in.

Amazon

I've never been a fan of Black Friday. I have however, always been a fan of Online Shopping. Amazon combined the two to make me poor, I'm sure. I have put a ban on myself because I'm out of control. I missed some good deals and got great ones too but I will feel so sorry for myself when that credit card bill comes. Oh woe is me. Curse you, Amazon! You know I have obsessions!