Video Game Industry Is Becoming A F'N Joke

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L.A. Noire will have retailer exclusive DLC.
Really...Really... as the Miz so eloquently put it. Now this isn't a new thing but the "cute" trend has turned nasty this time around.
Rockstar announced that depending on where you pre-order the game will determine what dlc you get. We usually hear about a Gamestop bonus ie:Pre Order Split Second and receive a Gamestop car(who cares) but this time five..count them five retailers are involved. Gamestop, Walmart,Best Buy, Amazon & Rockstargames.com .

Pre-Order from
Gamestop: "Naked City" Mission
Walmart: "A slip of the tongue" Mission
Best Buy: "The Sharpshooter" detective suit
Amazon: "The Broderick" detective suit
Rockstargames.com: Free t-shirt (not as bad)

Where do we draw the line? I want to experience the WHOLE game when i spend my $60 not portions. If I don't preorder look how much I will miss out on wtf. I don't mind the little outfits but missions....MISSIONS!! Sorry I'm pissed.
I'm sure the extras will be sold as DLC later but why should I have to pay for something that was done when the game went gold. DLC ripoffs are another post for another day.

Dragonball Kai: Ultimate Butoden Review

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Dragonball is back with another game on the DS. This time the game returns to it's fighting roots. This new installment is called Dragonball Kai Ultimate Butoden, right now it's only out in Japan. Is this game worth the import?

Story - The story is what you are use to seeing in a Dragonball game. The story follows all the major events of the Dragonball Z series. The game also includes some what if scenarios like other previous installments. It's told through in game cut scenes and it's told very well.

Gameplay - The gameplay consists of 6 modes. The modes go as follows, Story, Challenge Mode, CPU Battle, Wireless Battle, Training and Customize. The fighting mechanics is the best Dragonball for the DS. Y button is for weak attacks, X button is used for strong attacks, A button is to grab and throw your opponent. The R button is use for the Ki blasts. The offensive side works very well, combos are easy to pull off, once you get used to the combinations. The defensive side of the game is also well put together. B button is used to dodge. X is used to counter attack while dodging. A,B,X and Y can be used to break falls. The game also includes a mini game when it comes to counter attacks. The mini games in story mode are beam struggles and the ring push. Ring push is pushing the ring in the circle when the timing is right. Other mini games include collecting blue and red dots for energy. Selecting a Dragonball shown on the screen. Others like moving an energy ball into a can and etc. The game feels wonderful and the mini games get a little getting used too, but rest assure the gameplay is the best Dragonball game for the DS. Another huge addition to this game is the customization. First time ever you can customize your Z fighters or Villains attire. You want to put the a hat on Goku's head, go ahead. You want to have Android 18 with an eye patch or something silly go crazy. It's a nice addition and fun to see what you can make your character. Hopefully one day Bandai will give us a create a fighter feature. Overall the gameplay is refreshing and a blast to play. The learning curve is easy to normal and it's very fun to play.

Gameplay Video


Graphics - The graphics is one of the best on the DS. The best Dragonball game on the DS. It is a beautiful to see and look at. The destructive backgrounds when you send your opponent flying. The look of the facial expressions when Vegeta does Final Flash is amazing. It's like a DS version of Budokai 3 graphic wise. All the locations are intact and the in game cut scenes are great. I didn't experience any framerate issues during my play. Awesome graphics.

Sound - The music is pretty cool, it captures the feel of the DB universe. You even get the Dragon Soul instrumental when the game starts which is pretty cool. Voice acting is great as well, but don't expect full blown voice over cut scenes. Whatever bit of voice used in the game is great.

Replay Value - There are tons of stuff to unlock and the game is very addictive. If you are fortunate to have a friend who imported the game, then you will have even more fun. Also the customization is going to keep you busy. The combinations of how much you can put on a character is funny.

Final Grade B+/8.5 - Dragonball Kai delivers on what it was going for. It is an enjoyable fun fighter with your favorite characters from the Dragonball Universe. The A.I. can be a little easy to hard and the mini games are a refreshing addition. However no online play really stings, but it's not something you will miss. The game gives you plenty to do, so you won't bored. Final Grade B+/8.5.

My Favorite Anime Couples (Anime Angel's Choices)

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Now it's my turn to tell who I think the top 5 anime couples are So here we go.

Ed x Winry
Probably the most well known couple of anime, Ed and Winry have more downs than ups in their relationship but are still a great couple. Ed is still looking for a way to get his brother Al's body back while Winry is at home working on automail. In the end, these two have a history together that no one could break. Who knows, maybe in the future they will get together. For right now you guys have to watch Brotherhood to find out. ^-^





Inuyasha x Kagome


These two lovers are in a constant battle for love. Inuyasha still has feelings for Kagome, but also has feelings for Kikyo. Kagome has grown to love Inuyasha but can't help feel jealous of the love relationship Kikyo and Inyuasha had (since Kikyo shows up through half of the anime). Anyway these two throughout the whole anime show such strong love but also shows how to fight for your love.

"Why does have to feel like a battlefield?..."-Jordan Sparks "Battlefield"






Kiba x Cheza

One of my favorite anime shows and anime couples. Kiba and Cheza are two different species. *Spoilers if you haven't watched Wolf's Rain which you should* Cheza is a flower and Kiba is a wolf. Cheza is the key to go into a place wolves call Paradise, a utopia for wolves. The relationship between the two is very sweet and from the moment they meet, you can tell this relationship will last.


Zero x Yuuki

Yuuki and Zero have such of a complex relationship. The fact that Yuuki is in love with Kaname Kuran, makes Zero very withdrawn especially with Yuuki. I could tell that Zero has such love for Yuuki around the middle of the show. Yuuki, in my opinion loves Zero too but there is something about Kaname she needs to figure out. Instead of putting the love triangle, I just put Yuuki and Zero. To me Yuuki should be with Zero. You'll understand why when you watch both seasons of Vampire Knight (which is on ITunes).




Chrono and Rosette


Last and certainly not least we have Chrono and Rosette. Chrono and Rosette have been with each other ever since they met. We get the feeling of a great love connection with these two right off the bat and that feeling gets stronger throughout the series. That's my choices Anime Rules!!!


Final Fantasy VII Fan Art

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I haven't showcase fan artist in a while. Today I will show you some great Final Fantasy VII fan art that I found doing a Google search. Let's check them out. Final Fantasy Rules!!!!

This is a really cute work of art. I love it shows everyone having a good time, even Sephiroth looks to be having a good time. Unfortunately I don't know the artist, but it's a great job.













This is done by a girl name Kimmie. This is a joke on how Cloud dressed up as a girl in Final Fantasy VII. Looks like Cloud has gotten comfortable with it.

















This next photo is a portrait. This is wonderfully done and has great detail. I love Vincent's facial expression the most. The artist name is Kamizuki and you find their Deviant Art page here Kamizuki Deviant Art













This is one is a really good fan art by a girl name Michelle. I love how she did this. I would love to see this a poster, every character has their stance or pose. Aeris has her hands folded, Cloud has the sword, Tifa is punching. Her fan art page is here Michelle Deviant Art





Finally the last one is Sephiroth looking at the Jenova tank. I love the color use in this picture and his facial expression.

Legend Of Zelda 25th Anniversary

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The Legend Of Zelda is 25 years old. Wow Zelda has come a long way. To celebrate Zelda's huge milestone check out the History Of Zelda. Check out the music, the dreadful cartoon and the History Of Zelda.

The History Of Zelda


The Legend Of Zelda Cartoon Ep 1 "The Ringer Pt.1


The Legend Of Zelda Cartoon Ep 1 "The Ringer Pt.2


Legend Of Zelda Medley


I Sprout EARS ... Often!

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I'm getting up and ready for Katsucon, and my favorite part is going to be putting on my cutesy cat cosplay ears. Above ALL things I could accessorize any outfit with, these are by far my FAVORITE accessory. I usually break them out when I wake up in the morning feeling like it's going to be a superbly GREAT day ... if I'm feeling like I'm sitting on top of the world, gonna create some awesome art, or just want to be amused by the people watching the girl in her ears I throw 'em on & keep it moving.

Here are some random pics of my MISS-Adventures with my ears >^.^<

My ears & I first met at NYCC 2010

We're doing our own "rally time" for the SF Giants :: World Series 2010

 
representing Art Whino :: Live painting at The Hudson 2010

  
We decided to meet Frank Cho on Hallow's Eve :: And evoked the wonderful spririt of my character/ alter ego, Indian Pussy, in a photo shoot

Just chilling around the shop playing hostess to our guest videographer, Artemus Jenkins

I evoked Indian Pussy again for a murder mystery dinner to bring in the new year 2010/11

Let's see what MISS-Adventures my ears & I get into this year!

Next week :: Confessions of a Lolita as she shares how she dresses to cope with her geeky fashion.
If you want to share your favorite geeky fashion/ cosplay, accessories & all, feel free to shoot me an email :: ipbrand@artistic-sole.com
Until next time cats & kittens.
~je t'adore!

Androidify Review

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Google Creative Labs has made a very cool app for the Android Market. This app allows you to create a customize Android as yourself. Now you can't take a picture of yourself and let it transform you into an Android. What you can do is select from clothes, hair, and accessories. You can change their shape, size and have tons of fun. Right now the clothes, hair and accessories are limited. Also you can't change the color of the droid to colors like blue, red, etc. You can however set the droid to color of your ethnicity. Unfortunately you can't change the colors of the clothes, accessories either, but it is a nice app to help pass the time. The app also allows you to save your pictures and share them with friends, social networks and more. Check it out! Final Grade B-/8.0.

Here is an Androidify of Anime Angel and Myself.

Justin (Androidify)


Anime Angel (Androidify)

Jurassic Park The Videogame Trailer

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Jurassic Park is coming back to the gaming world in April. The company Telltale Games will be releasing the game. The game is set during the first events of the movie. Honestly I'm really not sure what to think about this. Here is the trailer below. I love JP so I'm not sure what to think of this.



Top 5 Batman TAS Episodes

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I've been watching a lot of Batman TAS (The Animated Series) lately. I have come up with a list of my top five favorite episodes. Tell me your list in the comment section below.

5. House And Garden

Synopsis - Poison Ivy appears to have gone straight and become a suburban homemaker, nevertheless Batman suspects her of a series of plant based crimes in Gotham City.

Justin - This is in my top five for a couple of reasons. The first reason is that you get a very creepy invasion of the body snatchers feel. When Poison Ivy just takes someone's family and recreates it on how she sees fit, it's spooky. The second reason is we finally see what Ivy is truly after. She's after love and acceptance of who she is. In the episode we see Ivy living a normal life. We see the human side of her and it was refreshing to see her of who she wants to be. The final reason I choose this episode is the ending. The ending sums up everything, when Ivy is on the plane looking at the photo album. She glances at her wedding photo and begins to cry. Batman's narration of that scene makes it even more heartbreaking. "Ivy lost everything, everything she said she ever wanted. For what it's worth I believe her, when she told me for the first time in her life, she was happy."

4. Almost Got'Im

Synopsis - The Joker, Penguin, Two-Face, Poison Ivy, and Killer Croc play cards and tell stories about the time each one almost got Batman only to have the revolution of Batman being there the whole time listening to their stories.

Justin - This is one well written episode. I loved the concept of this episode. For an episode with a lot of villains it's amazing that everyone shines. Each story is enjoyable to watch and the surprise of Batman at the end really seals the deal.

3. Two Face

Synopsis - Harvey Dent has a secret that ends up costing him half his face.

Justin - This is another great episode and one of the best Batman villains. This episode was so good it took two parts to complete. I really love these episodes because it's another character study on a Batman foe. Here we see a once good man, go into the darkness. Harvey Dent is a tragic story and the way the TAS showed it was great.

2. Mad Love

Synopsis- Harley recounts how she became involved with the Joker, and is determined to prove that she is still useful by trapping Batman.

Justin - If you haven't notice by now. I love the Batman episodes with character study. Mad Love is a character study on the Joker and Harley Quinn's relationship. Here we see how Harley fell in love with the Joker. We see the human side of Harley and even the Joker when he tells a story about his dad. Even though the Joker makes up his origin every time, you still feel for him the way Harley did. Also Batman actually laughs in a sadistic way in this one.

1. Growing Pains

Synopsis - A young girl is on the run from a dangerous man and Robin tries to protect her. But Batman discovers there is something much more dangerous at work.

Justin - This is my favorite episode. You're probably asking yourself why. Out of all the episodes what makes this one so special? The reason "Growing Pains" is my favorite episode because of the reality of the theme. Batman says it at the end "Sometimes there are no happy endings." Here we have Tim Drake (Robin) meeting a girl who is a runaway. He develops a crush on her and finds out that she's a part of Clayface. Clayface needs her so he can be at 100 percent. Robin can't face that fact that Annie isn't real. When Clayface finally gets her, he snaps and it's only when Batman steps in that he calms down. Also what I love in this episode is the musical score. The song play when Robin is walking through the slums of Gotham and he see's a homeless family is heartbreaking. Finally it's a character study on Tim Drake. He meets someone like him, who had the same situation that he had and he wants to protect that person. The ending is a dose of reality that Robin needed to learn and this is why it's called "Growing Pains." Reality bites and it's not always a happy ending.

Growing Pains Episode Pt. 1


Growing Pains Pt. 2

Another Code R: A Journey Into Lost Memories (Import Review)

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In 2005 a Nintendo DS game entitled "Trace Memory" was released. It was a pretty fun game. You follow young Ashley Robins as she searches for her father. In 2009 a sequel was released in Europe and Japan only, entitled "Another Code R: A Journey Into Lost Memories." Is it worth the import? Or should this be something you will like to forget.

Story- The game like it's predecessor is very story driven. In the sequel it's three years later and Ashley is now sixteen years old. Her relationship with her father is still on the rocks. However they still communicate from time to time. One day Ashley gets a message from her dad to meet him at a campsite. Ashley reluctantly agrees to go thanks to some convincing from her aunt. When she arrives she is robbed for her bag and has a flashback of her mother. The overall of the story is to find the bag and uncovered the mystery of her mother. The story is well written and the characters will keep you playing. What really makes the story is the relationship Ashley has with her dad. It's a nice theme of how important parents are to the kids. Only thing with the story is that it really starts off slow till chapter 6.

Gameplay - The gameplay is very simple. Players will use the Wii-Mote to control Ashley. You don't do much but solve puzzles and find items. To move Ashley you point the Wii-Mote at the direction she can move too. It's simple and it works for this interactive novel. The flaw with the controls is when it comes to certain puzzles. In the beginning of the game you have to take a picture of Ashley with the DAS. The DAS is how Ashley communicates with her dad and keeps her data. Taking a picture was a chore. It literally took me five minutes to get the controls in the middle. Other puzzles such as getting a bag was also proved to be annoying. The controls are horrible when it comes to solving puzzles. Thankfully it doesn't kill the experience of the game. Ashley also comes equip with a new gadget called TAS. The TAS is shaped like a Wii-Mote and it was created by her mother. It used to unlock doors and it's heavily used in the game. Also heads up pay attention to the story, so when Ashley has to remember you get the correct answers. Overall the puzzles are easy to solve, it's just getting the game to respond to your actions.

Gameplay Video


Graphics - The graphics work well. It stays true with the DS feel. It's nice to see Ashley in full 3D and the cell shaded feel really brings it out. I like the look of the campsite, the trees blowing in the wind and Ashley's facial expressions. The graphics isn't nothing mind blowing, but it is great on the Wii. The graphics does what it's suppose to do, and that's keep true to the original with bringing new fresh elements to the story.

Sound - The sound is very mellow. The music is relaxing and gives you a lighthearted feel. The music reflects Ashley's character the most, kind, sweet but mysterious. There is no voice acting at all. For a game to be an interactive novel, I would of like to see voice acting. I think that some good voice acting would of really help bring the world to life some more. However it's staying true to the series, so it's not a big lost.

Replay Value - Another Code R: A Journey Into Lost Memories is a great story. However this will be a one time play through. It doesn't offer much outside the core story, still you will play it again just to play something different on the market.

Final Grade B-/8.0 - Another Code R: A Journey Into Lost Memories is something different that I hope we will see more of. I would love to see more interactive novels on the Wii. The story is interesting, music relaxing, but the clunky controls might turn some gamers off. Overall it's a nice experience that you should check out. Final Grade B-/8.0.


Final Fantasy Distant Worlds Concert Coming To New York

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On April 1st and 2nd the Final Fantasy Orchestra "Distant Worlds" will be having a concert. The concert will be at BAM Howard Gillman Opera House. Here is a list and tracks that will be played on each night. Also the creator of the this great music Nobuo Uematsu will be there. Tickets are on sale for more info visit Ticket and Info

Music on April 1 includes:
• FF VII: Prelude
• FFVIII: Liberi Fatali
• FFXI: Memoro de la Stono - Distant Worlds
• FF VII: J-E-N-O-V-A
• FF VIII: Fisherman's Horizon
• the American premiere of FF XIV: Answers, featuring Susan Calloway
• FFX: To Zanarkand
• FFVI: Terra's Theme
• FFXII: Kiss Me Goodbye with Susan Calloway
• FFV: Clash on the Big Bridge
• FFVII: Opening - Bombing Mission
• FFVIII: Don’t Be Afraid
• With full Chorus!

Music on April 2 includes:
• FF VII: Aerith's Theme
• FF V: Dear Friends
• FF IX: Vamo' alla Flamenco
• FF VI: Opera "Maria and Draco"
• FF IX: A Place to Call Home – Melodies of Life, featuring Susan Calloway
• FFX: To Zanarkand
• FFVI: Terra's Theme
• FFXII: Kiss Me Goodbye with Susan Calloway
• FFV: Clash on the Big Bridge
• FFVII: Opening - Bombing Mission
• FFVIII: Don’t Be Afraid