Chapter 263

This chapter focuses a lot on the relationship between Sima Yi and Liaoyuan Huo. Right before this, Xiao Meng died, and Sima Yi caused her death by telling Cao Cao about Xiao Meng's assassination plans. Naturally Liaoyuan Huo is angry, and not even his duty to Sima Yi is enough to dissuade his anger. This chapter is probably the starting point of Liaoyuan Huo leaving Sima Yi and following his own path. And at the end, Liaoyuan Huo brings up their shared dream, and this time Sima Yi no longer finds the dream amusing. If it is Sima Yi on the throne, then the Handicapped Warrior coming for his life is Liaoyuan Huo, and it would be a major foreshadowing of what could happen later in the story.

Video Game Review: The World Ends With You (DS)

"Listen up, Phones. The world ends with you. If you want to enjoy life, expand your world. You gotta push your horizons out as far as they'll go."- Mr. Hanekoma

One of the best games on the DS, The World Ends With You received high praises for its unique story line and gameplay.

Story- 10/10

Neku, the main character, wakes up on a busy Japanese street. He has no memories of his past, and is suddenly attacked by monsters called “Noise”. A girl comes by and makes a pact with Neku, allowing the both of them to fight the Noise. Neku finds out that he died, and he is now in a game. The only way to win is to make it through 7 days in the game.

At first, I thought the beginning was too generic. But as the story unfolds, the game becomes more like an anime. The twists and turns in the plot are predictable. But, the ending really wraps everything up. It was very satisfying, so good that a direct sequel to this game may ruin the series.

Character Development-10/10

The character development is on par with Chrono Trigger. Everyone had their own background, even the enemies.  You could see how Neku changed from being a loner to a guy that opened himself up to the world. There are even side quests, like Chrono Trigger, to get more back story on Neku and his friends.

Gameplay-9/10

The gameplay is a hit-or-miss. People were turned down by the steep learning curve. You control Neku on the bottom screen with the stylus. Neku attacks with pins, and every pin works in a different way. Some requires you to slash the enemy, and others require you to tap the ground. While Neku is controlled at the bottom screen, his partner will be controlled at the top. The partner is controlled with the D-pad or the A-B-X-Y buttons. Each partner has their own way of fighting, which was difficult for people. Controlling two characters at a time were difficult at times, but the game was nice enough to allow an A.I to control the top character. If the game was getting too difficult at some point in the game, you could lower the difficulty, and change your amount of HP. There is very little grinding in this game. While Neku does level up, his pins are able to level up too. Once the pins reached their maxed level, the pins are mastered, and can evolve into new ones. Sure this all seems confusing, but the game does a well job explaining everything.

Presentation-10/10

This game felt like an anime to me. Maybe it was the story, or maybe it was the art. Everything was colorful and interesting to see. The attention to the details of the surroundings, and the people walking in it is second-to-none.

Music-9/10

Again, another hit-or-miss. Japanese hip-hop songs are played throughout the whole game. I enjoyed the music very much, but some songs were overplayed too much for my liking.

Final Score-10/10

The story is original and unique. Gameplay is hard to learn, but eventually it will be easier after practicing. The anime style drawing with the Japanese hip-hop really sets the mood for the modern day Japan. I really recommend this game because it is perfect in every way.

The Good

-Interesting story

-Beautiful graphics

-Awesome soundtrack

-Very satisfying ending

The Bad

-Some people may find the game too short

-Again, some people may find the gameplay too hard

Anime Review: The Sky Crawlers

If you were expecting an action based anime, like I did, then this film isn't for you. The Sky Crawlers revolves more around the world and how the characters interact in it.

Story-8/10

“Kildren”, young adults that cannot age, fight in an endless war against each other. The film follows a young experienced pilot that transferred into a new air base. It shows how the Kildren reacts to the war and how they endure being thrown into battle every day.

That is all I can say without spoiling the story. The story is really slow. It takes its time to introduce its characters, have development, and hit the climax. If the story was faster paced, it would have received a 9/10.

Animation-10/10

The animation of this film is gorgeous. The way the characters are drawn out, and the environment they interact in, the production team did a good job.

However, the fight scenes are amazing. The perfect use of CG planes and the actual footage of the sky really separate this film from other films about planes.

Awesome dogfight between two large groups of planes.

Music-10/10

Music was really fitting for the film. Epic music for the dogfights and sad music for the emotional moments. So good, I got the OST.

Final Score-9/10

Like I stated before, if you can get over the slow paced story, then this film will be enjoyable. 

Anime and Video Game Characters: Ryu

The Famous Ryu

Sorry, I'm not talking about Street Fighter's Ryu, I'm talking about Breath of Fire 2's Ryu. Yeah, Ryu isn't as buff as the Street Fighter character who goes by the same name, but oh wait, yes he is.

Not the troll in the back, the one with the sword

So no matter how you picture him, the Ryu that I'm talking about is from Breath of Fire 2. Now, each of the Breath of Fire games has two names that are always there: Ryu and Nina. In every single game, the Ryu and Nina are different. In this game, Ryu begins off as a boy living in Gate. He lives with his father and sister, and in the very back of the town, where the mountain is at, there is a dragon guarding a gate. That is Ryu's mother. And when going through the path to that mountain, one of my favorite pieces, Memories, plays.

And at night, a thieving dog-human hybrid Bow comes along and Ryu goes along with him because after sleeping, the whole town has forgotten all memories of Ryu (the reason for this is revealed later in the story). Ryu and Bow find refuge in a cave and meet Barubary, one of the final bosses in the game. They get their butts whooped and the two wake up later in Hometown best friends some years into the future.

And that's the backstory. Ryu is a silent protagonist, so there isn't much he says except yes or no and the occasional nod or shake of the head. At one point Katt likes him, and Nina's feelings for him are ambiguous, but she does say that next to her sister Mina, Ryu is her best friend. And Sten regards meeting Ryu and being friends with him as the event that made himself face his fears. And Bleu is glad that she came out of her sleep to see Ryu because he has made life interesting for her. And if this goes on much longer I'll have to play the game again and get the ending where there is no township because that's where I got this information from.

So yeah, stat-wise, Ryu doesn't have the best magic (belongs to Nina and Bleu), doesn't have the best HP or health (belongs to Rand) or attack (belongs to Sten I think) or speed (definitely belongs to Katt). But his stats are damn good and he has access to the dragon magic....which is pretty amazing except for the fact that it saps all the MP and deals a damage to all the enemies. So it's Awesome but Impractical.

Rating: Best Ryu

FluffyBunnyPwn's Song of the Day: Banmal Song

This song has so much meaning to it. These people are actually two famous Korean singers who got on a reality TV show called "We Got Married" where they simulate a married life. Throughout the show, the girl has a really hard time speaking informally to the guy because he's two years older than her. This song is about how they hope that one day they'll be able to break the "banmal (informal way of talking) wall" and talk comfortably with each other.

Soaringhawk's Song of the Day: What I Wouldn't Do

Well, this is a cover of a song that I do not know, but the song is nice, and the singer's voice is nice and you should at least give it a try.

Anime and Video Game Characters: No Name (Sword of the Stranger)

U Mad?

Aha! I bet you were expecting Nanashi with that title eh? Nope, instead it's another no name person. This guy is my favorite among the Ming warriors (after Rarou of course). His burned face means that he's had a lot of battle experience in the past, so maybe he can be ranked among the best fighters in the movie. Heck, he kills a lot of the Japanese soldiers without much effort (so does everyone else, but gotta give this guy something). And he does it with an entertaining fighting style, combining a double scythe weapon (sorry dunno what it's called) with savage kicks.

No Name runs fearlessly into an army of swordsmen

I mean look at him. He doesn't even flinch at the sight of all these men. Plus he has a cool cape. Everyone knows heroes have cool capes.

Ike is the perfect example.

Who else can do that to their weapons?

And then look at the way he uses his weapon to kill! He shows off and THEN he proceeds to kick ass (literally and figuratively).

See, this guy is not playing around. He'll do whatever it takes to kill his target. And if his target is you....well, just see the next one.

Notice the head in the background?

Yeah that's how friggin battle-hardened this guy is. No Name is one of the best fighters in the movie. He has both power and technique. Enough to break another person's weapon in fact.

So much detail in so small a scene.

Remember when Nanashi and Rarou fought in the last battle? It took them minutes to break their swords. But this guy...within seconds he destroys the mook's sword. And don't say that Nanashi and Rarou had better quality swords. Nanashi's sword was older than hell, and the sword that Rarou had....is....actually I don't know. It would depend on the materials used and the methods.....FORGET IT! This guy can break swords. Simple as that. It was just thanks to the Theme Music Power Up that Nanashi won.

Best of Movie Soundtracks: The Classic

Sorry about my long hiatus. Now that I'm back, I hope to step things up a little bit by adding a Best of Movies Soundtrack category. Of course, video games and anime have spectacular soundtracks and it would be such a shame to skip out on memorable movie soundtracks as well. This is The Classic, one of the saddest Korean movies I've ever watched partially because of its soundtrack.

Firefly - While listening to this song, the movie automatically plays in my head. It's that good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeMkpdur4DQ

CH 336-340

Yuan Fang....is a FUCKING GENIUS!

Okay, so Yuan Fang has done some incredibly smart things before, but I think this takes the crown. So before this Yuan Fang made Gongzun San commit suicide, defeated Xun Yu, defeated Guo Jia while outnumbered 10 to 1, and so on. Well this time....this needs a new paragraph. And major spoilers so don't read ahead if you don't want to have the scheme ruined.


So the Yuan army and the Cao army are fighting the Battle of Guandu. And Cao Cao is losing big time. Just before this though, Cao Cao interrogated Xu You and found out that all of the Yuan rations was at Gushi. And then the Yuan army attacks the Cao army at different points and pins them all down in their fortifications. And then the two Yuan brothers figure out what Yuan Fang is planning and takes action to take all the credit. They move in for a good location because Cao Cao is being lured out.



And Cao Cao does move out, and he takes command of his special army. So the third youngest brother is waiting at the right location when he hears reports that the first brother is coming to take the spot. The two armies move close, and then a fight breaks out. The third brother is all panicking and stuff and tells someone to get the troops separated. Then the scene cuts to the first brother (Yuan Tan, I just remembered his name) riding over with an arrow sticking out of his shoulder. They're all confused and then at this point it's chaos and it's obvious that the Cao army stole the uniforms and made the two Yuan armies confused and fight each other.


Then the Cao army attacks Gushi where Yuan Fang is. The Cao army gets inside easily because they have the uniforms, but they Yuan Fang predicted everything. He has Gushi burned, and the rations were already moved out. The Cao army hopes to get away with the uniform to confuse, but Yuan Fang's army already switched out of their uniforms, and arrows are shot. And one of the target is Cao Cao. But of course, I suspect that Cao Cao is using a decoy or something because he is suppose to win Guandu in canon.


And and Wuchao Yuan Shao is miserable but he is happy at the same time. He knows that Yuan Fang had the two brothers killed but he is making Yuan Fang the leader of the Yuan clan this way. Then cut to the two brothers coming into Wuchao with their battered armies and blaming each other for allowing Cao Cao to curbstomp their asses. Yuan Shao is surprise because killing the brothers would have been something that Yuan Fang could have benefited from. Then for some reason the second brother came into Wuchao as well, and then Yuan Shao finally caught onto Yuan Fang's big scheme. Yes, Wuchao is burned as well, with the Yuan Fang army disguised as Cao Cao's soldiers.


So in one move Yuan Fang lures Cao Cao and defeats him, kills the three brothers, and eliminates the head of the Yuan clan. This is quite the scheme, and it is brilliant. Even Yuan Shao is glad that he made his son so competent. At this point, I guess Yuan Fang is the top among the Eight Geniuses.

Best of Video Game Soundtracks: Animal Crossing: Wild World

"Aw crap! Tom Nook better not close!"- domodragon53

Animal Crossing, made by Nintendo, plays out a lot like Harvest Moon. But the only difference, you don’t have to farm. Animal Crossing is my personal favorite “stress-reliever” game. The fact that Animal Crossing is so peaceful is the music. Here are my favorites, in no particular order, from Animal Crossing: Wild World (DS).

Title Screen (Extended)

This track is really relaxing, perfect for a stressful day. I love the use of string instruments, and the pauses from this track. Perfect for a summer stroll in a field, this track is a must for those lazy days.

The Roost

A tune that can differentiate from person to person, The Roost is a café in Animal Crossing: Wild World. Some people find this track sad, others find it romantic. I find it relaxing for the hot summer nights, just gazing at the stars.

2 AM

Animal Crossing: Wild World had a 2 minute track for every hour of the day. From 6 AM to 5 AM, my favorite is 2 AM. Just staying up late, fishing for fishes, shaking and collect fruits from trees, collecting bugs, 2 AM is a track that is just reserved for the player to walk around the night, and enjoy the silence. Perfect song for thinking on a stressful day.

There are plenty of songs from the game that are soothing. I recommend you to check them all out.

Best of Video Game Soundtracks: Resident Evil 3

"Aww F*&K!! Ran out of ink ribbon!"- domodragon53

Resident Evil 3 is one of the best games in the survival horror genre. I am currently playing RE3, and I love the soundtrack for the game. The music is very dark and scary which sets the mood for the game very well. From the eerie police station hallways to the intense boss fights, RE3 delivers an amazing array of music. Here are my personal picks, in no specific order, from the RE3 soundtrack.

The City of Ruin/ Raccoon City Up-Town Theme

Cars are on fire. Dead bodies littered on the ground. The stench of rotten flesh in the air.  This track basically says “Everyone’s dead. You are all alone. And… there’s a zombie behind you.”A very depressing theme and makes me feel empty inside, which makes this track a good example of the game setting the dark mood.

Nemesis’ Theme 1

“Jill...Jill..”-wounded Brad slowly walked toward Jill.

"Brad?" Jill walked up to Brad.

"We gotta-“

Jump sound-Nemesis came from the rooftop of the police station.

“Rahhhh!!!" Brad quickly runs to a corner while Jill quickly back up.

"Jill...Jill help! NOOOO!!!"-Nemesis picks up Brad by his right shoulder,

smashes his tentacles vein through Brad, killing him as Nemesis tosses Brad aside.

"Brad…?" Jill walked towards the dead body.

"S.T.A.R.S." Nemesis walked toward Jill.

-“Fight the monster.”

-“Enter the police station.”

Nemesis’ first appearance and you already crapped your pants, good job. When you hear this track for the first time, you knew you were dead because you had nothing bigger than a pistol. This track set the mood for the battle and his first appearance.

Free From Fear- Save Room Theme

Well hearing this track puts me at ease because I know that Nemesis can’t break into this room. This track is not only a safe haven, but it sets the tone of imminent danger that lies ahead. Another memorable track from the game.

Staff and Credits

Well from hearing this amazing track, I was surprised that there was such an uplifting song in the game. This track gives a feeling of “Ah… it’s over. It’s finally over…”. Many RE fans agree that RE3 “credit” music is one of the best in the series. Perfect song to end a fantastic game.

The Doom City/ Mercenaries Theme

After the game is finished, a “mini” game will be playable, The Mercenaries. You can play as the mercenaries Jill met throughout the game. A badass theme for a badass group of people.

-

Game Preview: Solatorobo: Red the Hunter

"That's not a sword, it's a stun gun..."

Synopsis-The floating islands of the Shepherd Republic houses two different race, humanoid cats and dogs. A male dog, Red Savarin, boards an air ship to retrieve stolen files, but instead, Red finds a medallion. The ship is attacked by unknown beings, and forces Red to escape. During his escape, Red rescues a cat, Elh Melizee. As Red uncovers the mystery about the medallion, Red also discovers more of Elh’s hidden past.

Well, just from the story, I can already sense a couple of generic RPG plot elements. But putting the plot the game aside, Solatorobo: Red the Hunter plays out like a 3D platformer. When I first saw the trailer, the first thing that came into my mind was Tenga Toppa Gurren Lagun. Instead of using a drill, Red’s robot, DAHAK, throws enemies around. The player can chain combos by throwing enemies into the air and at others. Solatorobo: Red the Hunter is supposed to be the spiritual sequel to Tail Concerto, for the Playstaion. The graphics on from this game is amazing well done. I’ve been waiting for a good DS game, and I believe Solatorobo: Red the Hunter will keep me occupied for a while.

Trailer

Opening Scene

Best of Video Game Soundtracks: Secret of Mana

Secret of Mana is one of the most memorable games for the SNES. Easy gameplay, unique storyline, and a great presentation, Secret of Mana have drilled itself into the hearts of many gamers. But the number one thing that keeps gamers coming back for Secret of Mana is the music itself. The music from this gem is magical.

Fear of the Heavens/Title Theme

One of the most recognizable music in Secret of Mana, Fear of the Heavens is played at the title screen, foretelling what the game has in store for the player. Due to its popularity, Fear of the Heavens also has an orchestral version. I believe the orchestral version is the more powerful version, but due to nostalgia, many gamers prefer the 16bit version.

Original

Orchestral

Danger AND Mana Beast Battle Theme

Both are epic pieces of music that really sets the mood for a boss battle.

Danger

Mana Beast Battle Theme

I Won’t Forget

Maybe the saddest piece in Secret of Mana, I Won’t Forget is another version of Fear of the Heavens, but slower. This music piece leaves the player the memorable adventure they experienced in Secret of Mana. If anymore is said, the story would be spoiled.

Best of Anime Soundtracks: Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva

The first movie of the best selling game, Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva is an animated film that takes place after Professor Layton and the Last Specter, but before Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box. For the first movie of the series, Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva received high praises for being faithful to the plot of the series, unlike many other movies that were based off of video games, the animation, and most importantly the music. Here are my personal favorites from the movie in no particular order.

Puzzle No. 001

Like the video games, the movie had well thought out puzzles. Also, Puzzle No. 001 is similar to the games due to its “musical box” tone.

Puzzle No. 003

As the movie progresses into a serious tone, so does the music. The later puzzles that Professor Layton has to solve are through life and death situation. I like how the music of the puzzle changed from a happy tone to a darker tone.

Overture to Destruction

As Professor Layton and company advance further into the mystery, the stakes are raised. I really like this piece because it seems to be comparable to the Professor Layton Vs Phoenix Wright game that is coming out.

Final Battle

What? It turns out that not only is Professor Layton is a gentleman, but he is excellent at sword play. Nearing to the end of the movie, Layton fights of Descole on a giant robot that is headed towards an ancient city to destroy it.

There are many other pieces that I enjoyed, but these are the pieces that stuck into my mind the most.

Best of Video Game Soundtracks: Final Fantasy Adventure

From my review of the game, I enjoyed the soundtrack of Final Fantasy Adventure. In no particular order, here are my favorites!

Endless Battlefield: This is Final Fantasy Adventure’s overworld theme. From playing the game, the title of the song really tells a lot about the game. There is an endless amount of enemies, which turns the land into an Endless Battlefield.

Battle 2/Fight 2: Played for the later bosses, and it should be played for the later bosses, because this music makes the battles tenser. The boss battles are already hard enough, and Battle 2/Fight 2 only makes your hands sweatier than before.

In Sorrow- This music just makes the emotional piece sadder. The song tells about the sacrifices made to prevent evil from rising.

MonkeyKidd's Song of the Day : JS - Somewhere

So I came across this song by recommendation aha...epic meal time recommended this to me? lmao. But I like the song, the beat and it's in english.

Tekken: Blood Vengeance

"Better not be crap, like the live action one!"

Synopsis: Tekken: Blood Vengeance follows Ling Xiaoyu as she infiltrates a school in Kyoto and gathers information on a suspicious student, Shin Kamiya. Things turn for the worse, as Shin is kidnapped and Ling Xiaoyu joins with Alisa Bosconovitch to learn that Mishima Zaibatsu.

Tekken: Blood Vengeance will be in CG, unlike the other live action movie. Directed by Youchi Mori (Tekken 5/6 CG openings), with the screen play by Dai Sato (Cowboy Bepop and Ghost in Shell: Stand Alone Complex), and the production by Digital Frontier (Resident Evil: Regeneration). From these names alone, I have high hopes for this movie. Just from the trailer, I know the fight scenes would be epic. I just hope they also show Asuka Kazama.

Coming out in the summer of 2011.

Final Fantasy Adventure (Game Boy)

 Final Fantasy + The Legend of Zelda= Final Fantasy Adventure

What a very misleading title. Final Fantasy Adventure has nothing to do with the Final Fantasy RPG from SquareSoft, but it is the first installment of the Mana series, such as Secret of Mana(SNES) and Legend of Mana(PSX). Final Fantasy Adventure had a remake for the Game Boy Advance called Sword of Mana.

Story-9/10

For a GameBoy game, Final Fantasy Adventure’s story was well done. Hero, whatever name you named him but will be referred as “Hero” in this review, is a gladiator that fights for the Dark Lord’s enjoyment.  Hero escapes from the fight one day, and he overhears Dark Lord and Julius talking about the removal of the Mana Tree. Hero is knocked off a waterfall, and realizes that he must protect the Mana Tree. Hero makes friends that help him fight on his quest to the Mana Tree.

There are a couple of twists and tragic moments that gives the story a high score. Minus one point from the awkward dialogue exchanged between Hero and others.

Gameplay-10/10

Imagine, from the gameplay of the Legend of Zelda mixed in with RPG elements, and the result is Final Fantasy Adventure. Final Fantasy Adventure has an overhead perspective like the Legend of Zelda, with the hack and slash system. From the hack and slash system, the player is given a power bar, or. The power bar fills up overtime, IF the player does not attack. When the power bar fills up, the player can execute special attacks with each different weapon given to the player. Unlike the Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy Adventure allows the hero to use magic, which is pretty simple. Magic is used by “equipping” it from the menu, and by pressing “B” the magic is used. Magic can only be obtained after certain events in the game.

As the player fights monster, experience points and gold are given. Eventually the player will level up, allowing the player to upgrade one of four stats: 1) Power, increases attack. 2) Wisdom increases MP. 3) Stamina, increases HP and defense. 4) Will, increase the speed of the power bar.  If, say power is selected, the power stat will be given 2 points, going from 1 to 3, while the other stats will be increased by 1, going from 1 to 2.

Presentation-8/10

For a GameBoy game, Final Fantasy Adventure looks better the other games for the system. Each enemy could be distinguish from an other. Some of the sprites are taken from the Final Fantasy game, such as the white mage and the moogles. Final Fantasy Adventure’s music was well done and catchy. Just like the Legend of Zelda overworld theme, Final Fantasy Adventure’s overworld theme was pretty good.

The Good:

-Familiar gameplay mechanics

- RPG elements

-Story that sets up Secret of Mana

-Implements the usage of the different weapons

The Bad:

-Way too easy if the player level grinds

-Some people may find the game too short

Overall score: 9/10

New Head

Well, I guess it's time for me to say that I am now head of this blog. A long time ago, it used to be a competition between FluffyBunnyPwn, domodragon53, and me for supremacy. But now, those two are gone, and our new recruits are nowhere to be seen. The island of FluffyBunnyPwn officially belongs to me. Although, I would like them to have some posts again because it is a damn hard job. Notice how the number of posts have declined by half every month. And this month is no different. It's the 10th of July and we only have 4 posts (including this one). So I'll jsut leave off with some pictures of emperors/lord looking people to show by how much I won. Yes, it makes me feel like the Conqueror of West Chu (Xiang Yu).

Superman - Last Son

Un joven niño aparece en Metropolis, y sus increíbles habilidades desconciertan a la ciudad. Clark y Lois se hacen cargo del niño, sin saber que el mismo es hijo de uno de los mayores enemigos de Superman. Y todo esto nos llevara a la invasión Kriptoniana de la semana!

 Last Son