Sunday, September 23, 2007

Picture

Ok, I'm basically just putting my picture on here so I don't have to make people go on messenger to see mah pretty face. So yeah, enjoy I guess.

Monday, June 11, 2007

UPDAAAATE!!!

Yeah, I've been gone WAY too long. For those of you waiting on a review for Pokemon Diamond/Pearl, forget it. I've gotten to the point where I'm at the last gym, and I've completely lost interest in it. Basically, the best parts of the game START after you beat the elite four, and frankly, I'm too lazy to get that far. Nothing significantly new has been added to the series (apart from the awesome wireless innovations), nearly all of the pokemon look crappy, and it's the same style that you hated about Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald. Level-up your guys and beat the next person. After that, level yours guys some MORE, THEN get to the next level. Basically, the entire game comes out to; level, beat challenge, level, beat challenge, level, beat challenge. Most of the competetive-friend factor has been negated. You know, the factor that's like, "Hey look man, check out my awesome base!" "Dude, where the crap did you get that!?!?" "Oh yeah, and check out my mad team!!" "Aw, fer rel!?" "Cha man!!". Now it's just... you have to be a hacker to get some of the best stuff. Either that or toil away for countless boring hours. Apart from being able to trade pokemon wirelessly (the BEST thing to ever happen to pokemon), I think Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald were better.

So there's the pokemon review in a nutshell (don't ask for a score, I'm too lazy to add up a score for this game). In other news, I've been promoted at Tim Horton's! Get a little raise, and a little more respect. Yay. Oh, and I've fallen in love with Super Paper Mario for Wii. If you have no Wii, GET ONE! If you have one, GET PAPER MARIO! If you have it, GOOD! PLAY IT!

In other news, YC King 2007 was a bummer. I stupidly spent $650 (not including tickets), KJ-52 wasn't there, and I got sick for most of the duration of it. The shining star was tobyMac's concert. ILU TOBYMAC!!! And I bought all of his CD's, a poster of him, a couple buttons, a hat, and a sticker. $75 at the tobyMac booth, hahah. It would've been a MILLION times better if he was signing stuff, and if some jerk didn't spill root beer all over my poster, ruining it on the ride home. Oh well.

Oh, and if listening to a tobyMac CD and then ejecting it just as tobyMac was on the radio on the same day as playing DDR to a tobyMac song wasn't coincidence enough, I log onto Whyville to find there's a tobyMac concert!! tobyMac-mania!!! Of course, a lot of people on Whyville are all spazzy about Christian artists on Whyville, and how they want more Fall Out Boy and My Chemical Romance and junk. Honestly, do they think most parents would enjoy seeing offensive artists on a kid's site? Just goes to show that Christian music is one of the final frontiers in acceptable music. Heck, I don't even like music all that much, and I can see it's effects on society. I'm not really into Christian music, but KJ and tobyMac are my exceptions. Props to other Christian artists for being in the industry, and boo sucks on the secular artists... well, most of them. Black Eyed Peas has a little of my respect, since they aren't as sick as most other bands. Meh, that's the music industry for ya, and my view on it.

As a final bit of news, for all that stuff I posted on that Heartbreak series, you guys can forget about it now. I'm so far over that hill, I'm climbing the mountain that's like, 5 hills after that hill. Besides, summer's coming up and I'm gonna be one of the few chaps who's not having fun in the sun. Maybe I'll reduce my hours at Timmy's. There's an idea!! Well, hope this update will hold you guys over until the next time I'm around. Sorry about that wait folks, I'm swamped. I'll get back to you soon though, that's a promise. Until then, ciao.

Saturday, April 28, 2007

Heartbreak; Part 2.

Yes, I'm finally putting it up; the conclusion of the heartbreak.

In the last article (Part 1, which I'll admit was probably as interesting as a bar of soap), I went over the best route to take during the first stages of a heartbreak. Well, this is the rest of it. After a week from the date which the horrible incident occurred, the victim should be back on their feet. But be warned, that sense of recovery may or may not be fake. Don't try and be superman(/woman), but at the same time, don't live in the depressing slum. Get up, take a breath of fresh air, look in the mirror and do the Rocky Balboa thing. Seriously. Play the music if you have to. Yes, you know what I mean (throw punches and dance with your fists in the air). Tell yourself life is good, which it is. Yes, you'll still think every day of that person for the next while, but remember, time heals all wounds. Some just take a flipping whammy of time to heal.

After about two weeks, you'll feel normal again (for the most part), but certain songs/images/things will remind you of the pain. Now, most people will tell you to ignore that. Ignore the pain, think of something else. Don't. Confront the thoughts. Confront the memories. You are in charge of your thoughts. You are in charge of your memories. Challenge them, pit yourself against the pain. Then when you overcome them, the next time you're confronted with the memories, you'll be that much stronger.

After the one-month mark, you'll either be completely back to normal, or you'll be at a state in which you still have the painful memories, but you can handle them easily. Congrats, you've survived a heartbreak.

I'd personally like to dedicate this fairly short series (ok, REALLY short series) to everyone who has endured through a heartbreak, or more than one heartbreak. All of you truly are special.

Thank you.

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Gotta Catch 'Em All!!

I know it's been forever and a day since I updated my blog (story of my life...), so I thought I'd finally get around to it and make an announcement.

Today (ok, a few days ago), I sealed my fate as one of the biggest nerds of all time. I not only got Pokemon Diamond for Nintendo DS, I got Pearl as well. And guess what else? I pre-orded them. Both. Oh yeah. I went there. And yes, I got them the day they came out too.

Yes sir, it's the return of the pokemon curse. Some of you will surely flame me and tell me how horrid I am (sue me, I'm 16 and still love this stuff), and others might join me in my very lame joy and love with this series. Whichever you are, expect a review coming soon. That is all.

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Heartbreak; Part 1.

Ok, so you might know by now, I'm going through a heartbreak. However, I'm finally getting over it, and I feel like doing something other than feeling bad. So, I'll share some advice with all of you about this really bad thing; Heartbreak.

So many people (vast majority being teens) experience heartbreak, and it's a really hard pill to swallow. Heartbreak can take a major hit on your pride, your self-esteem, your will to live, you're will to do anything, your work ethics, your morals, your physical health, and many other factors of your life. The saddest part of all this though, is very few people know how to handle heartbreak. Hopefully, you'll read this and know a little better next time you or a friend of yours goes through this inevitable evil.

First, when the heartbreak strikes, the victim goes into a state of denial, followed immediately by complete loss of sanity. The victim wants to die, or wants desperately to talk the accused into reconsidering (which of course, rarely, if ever, happens). At this point, if you are contacted by the victim, simply listen to the story, reassure the victim that they are not worthless and that you would do anything for them, and that if they want to talk about this, you'll gladly listen and do anything else the victim wants. If you are the victim, call a friend. This is the absolute BEST thing you can do. Watching a movie, watching tv, playing a game... all those things will end after a little while, and you'll feel just as bad as you did before you did it. If you don't have a friend you can call and talk to or cry with (like myself), then you'll just have to bear it. Take a shower, cry your absolute heart out. Have a magnificent pity party, scream your anger, take it out on a pillow, pound the floor, release your madness on things that you won't later regret. You'll feel a little better afterwards, but keep in mind you still have a road of recovery ahead of you.

In the following few days, you're life will definitely be different, unless you have someone else you can latch onto and grow on, like you were with the accused. You'll feel fidgety, depressed, and overall bad. You won't want to go to school, work, out with a friend, or anyone else. This is normal, but it's not good. The best thing you can do is get out. Get up, get out, and enjoy yourself. Beg your folks for some money and have a night on the town. Pamper yourself, spare no expense. Tell yourself you deserve it, and it'll help you through this early road to recovery. If you have someone else you can use to replace the accused, then go with them. Although keep in mind as this does help you feel better almost immediately, it also greatly increases your chance of further heartbreak, and the next one will be even harder on you. Use caution when making such a decision. If your friend is going through these days, call them up, hang out, and remember to give them special treatment. Remember, the person feels horrible, worthless, and rejected. The best thing you can do is put them first and make as many sacrifices as possible. When they see you selflessly giving yourself to their happiness, it will impact them and greatly help. If they want to go to the mall, go along, and shop wherever they want to shop. If they want to hang out and play video games, play whatever game they want to play (and if you're really good, go easy on them and maybe even let them win without them knowing).

After around 3 or so days after the heartbreak, they'll start to feel better. The wound will be closing and it will start to scar. Although it may seem like they're better, (they'll act more normal and like themselves), remember they're still not fully recovered. Still pamper them a little bit, but not too much. Remember, if you overplay the nice person role, they'll become dependant on you, and never fully recover. But if you underplay it, they may go back into the heartbreak depression. If you're the victim and at this stage, you should be feeling better. But remember, you're not out of the tunnel yet. You'll want to go out and face the world, but this is mostly because you feel bad for missing the world so much, and want to make up for the time you lost in your depression. This is normal, and don't worry, so was the depression. You needed that down-time to recover, and now you want to make up for it. Don't. Go out and have fun, yes, but don't try and make up for lost time. Go at a good pace, one day at a time, and keep a good attitude. Keep in mind that you're still recovering, so don't try and make yourself feel like you're through it and ready to take on more challenges. You're not. If you do, you very well could end up back at the depression stage. Take it easy, but not too easy. Get out there, but don't go too far. Balance, grasshopper. Balance.

Now I'm not very far past it, so I'll have to continue this with the next entry. Part 2 will be about a week to 2 weeks after date of heartbreak. I hope you look forward to it. Until then, this is James William Walker V, still on the road to recovery. Adios!

Sunday, March 25, 2007

Is it just me? Love

Ok, I know it's been a while, and I apologize, my life has been seriously putting me through he- *voice over* heck (Ba-dum psh!). So to make it up to all you guys who simply love my blog (you know who you are, both of you), I'm opening up my heart to give you something special. A rant about, you guessed it, love.

So what's the deal? Why love? I'll tell you why, so far my life has been all about love. Loving games, loving people, loving life. This recently changed due to a very unfortunate incident involving a (former) dear, dear friend of mine. So, I started asking myself questions; what is love? And no, baby don't hurt me no more isn't a good enough answer. I asked questions, got feedback, and the views of a few people.

"Love is more than an emotion, it's a commitment, a sacrifice." -- Suzanne Walker
"Love is God, God is love. That's an equal sign." -- Wayne Pedersen
"I've seen your face, I've heard your voice and I know your heart. What else do I need to love you?" -- Anonymous

Love can be interpreted as a range of things. Love can be respect, as you love a friend. Love can be lust, as in making love. Love can be romantic, as in loving a spouse. Love can be material, as in loving a hobby. Love can be a weapon of mass destruction, and it can be a weapon of mass healing. Love can bring life, and it can kill. The bible dedicated several verses to love. From "love is patient, love is kind", to "Hope, faith and love. But the greatest of these is love". Why is love so important? Life without love is life not worth living. I've found this out through bitter experience.

The problem with the world is we've lost sight of the importance of love, and we've twisted it. We now only see love as pleasure; lust. Turn on mtv and watch for 5 minutes, and I guarantee you'll see it. Let me remind you, mtv is watched by millions of teens from ages 12 to 18, and this is what they feed from. Is it any wonder why over half of all marriages in North America end in broken families? The lust dissolves, and the bond breaks. True love is a rare sight in today's world. True love is what will tie a family together for all time. True love is a love so pure, that when shared, there is a power emanating from those who share it that can affect the very world outside them. Love is like a deadly sword. In the right hands, it can cleave all fear and bring hope, faith, and joy. In the wrong hands, it spreads destruction and pain.

I see love as being an indispensable piece of life. Although, love in this world is no longer perfect. There was a time when it was, but it is not anymore. So many people say love is perfect, and they base other judgement off that. That's how the whole homosexual marriage thing flared up. Love is not perfect, it's been twisted, beyond the point of redemption. You cannot base a judgement off of love anymore, the only thing you can rely on in today's world is God, absolutely nothing less.

So is it just me, or has love taken a back seat, and let only one if it's forms reign? Think of the three-branch government, and how the country would last with only one of those branches. Is it just me, or is our world eroding because of society's lost sight of the one thing that truly matters more than anything else on this planet? Love. Jesus came not to condemn, but to save, through love. Love is the greatest asset mankind has, not nuclear power or internet, and yet like those things, it's perverted and twisted. Is it just me, or will this only get worse? This time, folks, I hope it's just me.

Saturday, February 24, 2007

Is it just me? Hollywood Pairs

Ok, so I figure my blog has had zero action in it for long enough. I've decided to start a little something called, "Is it just me?".

I'm sure the title says it all, but in case you're just a little slow, here's the 411. These articles/rants will be about amusing things I find that I don't think many other people are aware of. So here it is, the first of the bunch, "Is it just me?"!


Hollywood Pairs
Is it just me, or is Hollywood dishing out movies under themes? It feels like during one time period, we go through one phase, and then during another, it's another phase. Don't know what I mean? Read on, and you'll get it.

Mid 2003 was definitely Pirate-themed. With the release, of the all-popular "Pirates of the Caribbean; Curse of the Black Pearl" literally setting the bar for this era, we all (Hollywood included) fell into a piraty mood. Of course, Orlando Bloom got his first shining moment in this Hollywood hit, as lead role "William Turner". Another new face in Hollywood making a grand appearance was Keira Knightly as "Elizabeth Swann". But we all know, the sticky stuff that held the movie together was the intoxicatingly amusing, Johnny Depp's "Jack Sparrow", the tipsy pirate who knows what he's doing... most of the time. It would not be until three years later that it's newer, and less popular, counterpart would set sail onto North American shores, with the returned antics of Jack, the returned seriousness of Will, and the returned beauty of Elizabeth. However, is it just me, or did somebody plan the next movie coming out roughly the same time?

Enter Sinbad; Legend of the Seven Seas. Now technically, these guys came first by about a week, but it wasn't until after PotC that they got any attention. Although it may seem mere coincidence, Sinbad's plot may seem unsettlingly parallel to PotC.

As far as Characters go, Sinbad is one of those tales where you remember faces better than names, so let's help you all out. First, we have Depp's more sober counterpart, Sinbad the pirate. While he does have good deep inside, the wily Sinbad knows his stuff, and is definitely not without a humorous side (although if you want a true reflection of Sparrow, try combining Sinbad with Rat the lookout). Coming next would be the shade of Knightly, Maria the noble. Like the PotC version, Maria is torn between two men. Although the parallels stray off when it comes to WHO she chooses, it seems like a familiar tune to me. And another big face in the pot would be the animated, slightly longer-haired version of Turner, Proteus the prince of Syracuse and fiance to Maria. Strange how love-triangles from the maritimes always seem to be between the woman, a noble, and a man much lower on the food chain (pirate/blacksmith). Anywho, around the beginning, you'll see a strange parallel with Proteus willing to sacrifice his life for Sinbad, much like the ending of Curse of the Black Pearl. When it comes to plot, we see the same story with different words. Something supernatural is happening, we have to go and collect something, vanquishing evil at the same time, and we're always in a bit of a hurry.

And although this similarity is more shared between Sinbad and Dead Man's Chest, both have a starring appearance by a Kraken. Odd, no?

Although that's just one example, I could write on a good few more. But I'm sure by now you can pick them off in your head. If you can't, then grab your phone, call up your chum, tell them about this article, and ask them for more examples. I'm sure they'll be able to help ya there.

So is it just me, or is Hollywood shipping themed movies in pairs? Is it just freak coincidence, or are there greater minds at work behind this? Well, only time, and a lot more movies, will tell. Until then, this is James William Walker V, asking you all, is it just me?

Thursday, February 15, 2007

Twilight Princess Review

Ok, this is LONG past due. Heck, I was the first person in my city, and probably even province to beat this game. I think it's time I told you all what I think about it.

I'm going to break this down into several sections.
Story: The game's storyline.
Characters: The characters in the story.
Gameplay: Playing scheme within the game.
Controls: (Wii version) Playing scheme outside the game.
Graphics: The graphics value.
Music: Sounds and music of Hyrule.
Replay Value: How well it is the second-millionth time through.
So without further adue, here it is.

Story
It's been said that a game is only as good as it's story. This has never been truer for games today, and it applies to Twilight Princess. When expectations for a game are so high, it's hard to follow through. But it did, and with flying colors. From beginning to end, you're enveloped in a deep story that compels you to keep playing, and when it finishes, you're left with a sigh, and a "wow".

Whoever came up with Link and a wolf definitely deserves a pat on the back. It's a far leap forward from a pink bunny. And let's face it, who doesn't like wolves when they're on your side?

Something else the definitely deserves mentioning is the addition of Gannondorf. Anyone who's played Four Swords Adventures no doubt felt a little scared near the end when there had been plenty of talk about Ganondorf, but he still hadn't come around. I'll admit, the end of Four Swords Adventures was just pathetic. It was building up to something good, and then spilled it all over the floor. But all fears will be laid to rest. Gannondorf wasn't tacked on, but came through in a way that shocked even me, a Zelda fan of nearly a decade and a half.

Another great story aspect was the development of Midna. That is something that breaths life into games. I cannot tell you the emotional roller coaster I went on with Midna. From seeing her as an annoyance, to feeling sorry for her, to liking her, to loving her. It was an arranged marriage of sorts that was taken to an extreme that made it worth mentioning.

As well, all the minor storylines and happenings, from helping a longtime friend regain her memory, to saving your biggest fan from a horde of boar-riding bulbins, it definitely had more meat on the bone than one could chew. All in all, the story was phenomenal.


Characters
While Twilight Princess had a horde of memorable characters, none had much depth to them. It was like you have a small handful of people with a phenomenal amount of depth, and the rest are just blank.

A good example of this is comparing Midna to, say, Renado. Midna has so much depth, she could be an ocean. Renado, who although is more than your faceless NPC, still has almost nothing behind him. Of course, they give you SOME character from Renado, but it isn't enough to really satisfy you. All it does is keep you from thinking, "...well that sucked".

Something that scares me, is Zelda herself has very little behind her. She's a princess, she's older than Link, she loves her people and she has a piece of the Triforce. Other than that, she's not much more than a regular NPC. Sure, she's heavily involved near the end. But hey, if she wasn't, that would be just plain rude.

One thing that definitely deserves a whole paragraph of dedication to, is Ooccoo. Frankly, when I first heard about her, I thought, "...well, at least it's just something to get you out of dungeons". I was wrong. Horribly wrong. Little did I know there was a whole race of the ugly little beasties awaiting me in a final dungeon. What's worse is, according to the story, these buggers are superior to Hylians. Now THAT made me spit my root beer. Shame shame. Way to ruin an experience.

One of my favorite characters is Purlo, the comical runner of the S.T.A.R. game in Castle town. Although he has almost nothing going for him, he has a personality that I just fell in love with. Being an actor myself, I have nothing but a vast amount of respect for Purlo, as he does a great display of selling his game to everyone, while quietly snickering his gains to himself. His facial expressions are also something that I find incredible. If he only had more depth, I can only imagine of what the possibilities could be.


Gameplay
This is an area where I think they fell pretty short. VERY short in fact. I could write pages and pages on this, but I'll just share a few disappointments with you here.

One major one I feel is the lack of resources. All of the items (with VERY few exceptions) you have are useless. While a lot of things you get from the dungeons are really cool, you have a couple places outside of the dungeons to use them, and then they end up absent from your inventory for the vast majority of the game.

Take for example, the spinner, or dreidel of death as it's fondly come to be known on the internet. I can't tell you how cool I thought it was to ride up the walls that fast, and do things like that. But once you beat the Arbiter's Grounds and use it in those few places in Hyrule, all it becomes is a key to open switches. The ball an chain was even worse. It had but one use outside of it's dungeon. The bow wasn't without disappointment either. What ever happened to the fire, ice and light arrows that we've come to love? If you think you can sell me off with a bomb arrow to replace those classics, think again. Even the Gale Boomerang wasn't a fraction as useful as the boomerang in Wind Waker.

Another resource I found disappointing was the lack of variety in equipables. You have the Ordon sword, and the Master sword. Two swords. And if you even TRY to call the Light sword a third one, I'll hurt you. You have the Wooden shield, and the Hylian shield. Even as shields go, that's pretty pathetic. I mean, after Wind Waker picked up the ball when Majora's Mask shamed the mirror shield, I was eagerly waiting to see how they'd make it next. The amount of armors was even more disappointing. You have your traditional green tunic, which no Zelda game would be the same without, the Zora armor, which looked rather lame out of the water, but cool and ninja-like underwater, and the Magic armor, which was a flop in my opinion. The ONLY time that comes in handy is in the Cave of Ordeals. It looks dumb and it's not really appropriate for the situations you go through. So in all, we didn't really get a nice bonus bad-ass look from link, like the Fierce Deity from Majora's Mask.

Another thing I found really disappointing were the boss battles. For the most part, I found them much too easy, with one or two exceptions. I mean, even Wind Waker was more challenging. Although probably the biggest disappointment I had from the bosses was the boss of the Temple of Time. From past trailers, we see this HUGE spider chasing Link, and we get the idea that this spider must be pretty freakin' good to have Link running like a little girl. When we get the real thing, we find a slightly easier version of Queen Ghoma from Ocarina of Time. Shame on you, Nintendo. Shame on you.

One more thing I'll complain about here is the lack of a couple more things. First is the magic meter. What did we do to have them take away our magic meter? Sure, there's the oil lamp meter and the oxygen meter, but that's it. Sure, you'll probably say that it's easier without having to worry about magic, but the magic meter was what separated Zelda from other lame fantasy games. Zelda INVENTED the magic meter. I took this loss personally. The other absent item is something very subtle, but it made a huge impact on me. For the past couple games, there was some kind of potion or something that was like a god of all drinks. In Majora's Mask, it was Cheatue Romani, and the infinite magic it gave you. In Wind Waker, it was Elixir soup, and all the wonderful perks it had. In Twilight Princess... there was nothing. I don't even want to call Great Fairy's Tears and rare chu jelly special in any respect. They were like seriously watered down Elixir soup. They had one dose, you could only carry ONE of each at a time, and the double attack left you a lot sooner than when you needed it. When you look at them, you find that blue chu jelly is better. And that is sad.

Of course the gameplay had it's ups. I particularly loved the final battle with Gannondorf and it's many stages. You couldn't help but gape in awe at the size of the pool where you faced Morpheel. And I'll never forget that awesome battle you have with that dragon in the sky temple. On the note of temples, most were good and challenging, and I HAVE to mention the Snowhead temple in particular. A dungeon that's a home AND a castle? And I thought the ruins of Castle Ikana from Majora's Mask was awesome. As well, after beating a game with horse-riding mechanics like Twilight Princess, I almost fainted when I tried riding Epona in Ocarina of Time again.

In all, although it was disappointing, the gameplay had it's shining moments, and I can't help but appreciate them.


Controls
Note, this section is for the Wii controls only. Although they were tacked on near the end of production, they were near flawless. I'll admit, shaking the wiimote to swing the sword took getting used to, it soon became second-nature, and honestly, it just felt really cool. On horseback, I was flat out impressed. It was smooth, and you could definitely feel the difference between controlling a beast of burden and a teenager. As well, I don't even want to think of how badly I'll do in the gamecube version without my instant spin attack, courtesy of a shaken nunchuck. Although, the spin attack takes a little getting used to, it soon becomes second nature as well (and of course, just feels really cool too). Another aspect of control that cannot go unmentioned, is the projectiles. The slingshot was an amazing piece of work. But as cool as it was to get used to, once you get the bow, you're just never the same again. You cannot describe that feeling you get when you literally point at the screen and peg a monster halfway across the map with an arrow. One more thing I have to mention is the awesome extra feature, Rollagoal. In Hena's Fishing hut, you can find this minigame only on the Wii. It's basically an upgrade from the classic Labyrinth game that many of us (and even some of our parents) enjoyed so long ago. Moving a marble across a maze by tilting the wiimote? Genius.

However, it wasn't flawless completely. Pressing the A button to get out of the inventory got in the way fairly often, since B is the universal "Back" indicator. As well, the hawkeye was definately an item of the gamecube. It didn't feel right on the Wii. But other than that, the controls were incredible.


Graphics
Now, I don't care what anyone says, the graphics in this game were PHENOMENAL. This is probably the first game that I can say that I'm truly proud of the way Link looks. As well, Zelda finally looks dang hot, and Epona looks like a horse you'd die to own. Gone is the cartoony (but lovable) style of Wind Waker and the pointy polygons of the N64. And this is just the Gamecube. One word, Nintendo. Wow. Just, wow.

Of course, you hear a lot of complaining about how some areas look too brown. In my response, let me just ask you how often you see brown in real life? Trees, dirt, chocolate, coffee, cloths, books, and buildings are just some of the things you can find this wonderful color in. If it were excessive use of an uncommon color, like pink, then I'd understand. But brown?? Good God, just stop there. I didn't see anything in terms of graphics worthy of complaining about, and if you've been reading thus far, you'll know I'm good at being picky and complaining.


Music
For the most part, the music was awesome. We all know that, although the basics of the music will always stay the same, every game has their variations on it, making each tune same, yet unique. Twilight Princess does a great job with their sounds and music. One of my favorites is Kakariko Village. Many will disagree, but although it's a far cry from the original Kakariko track, I could sit and listen to it for hours. My favorite sound on Twilight Princess is by far Midna. I don't know who did her voice, but man was it great. I actually loved her more as an imp than... ok, I won't spoil it for you guys. In any case, I must admit that I was greatly impressed with all the tracks on Twilight Princess.

Of course, there are always things that are less than pleasant when it comes to music. One definite thing I'd like to mention is the "bad guy" music from the Twilight Realm. Although I can see it working with the Twilight Realm, it just wasn't a nice tune to listen to. As well, listening to the horn cries of the Twilight birds could make your ears bleed after just a few minutes. But all in all, it was a good job done for what it was worth.


Replay Value
This is where I definitely have heartbreak. In fact, I wouldn't even mind the loss in gameplay so much if the replay value wasn't this bad.

In nearly every memorable Zelda game to date, there has always been a near-impossible task for anyone who wants to make an ultimate Zelda file on the appropriate game. In Ocarina, it was the bloody Golden Skulltulas. In Majora's Mask... well, it was just everything. Masks, heart pieces, stray faries... trying to get everything was just as bad as the golden skulltulas. And just when we thought it couldn't get harder, Wind Waker brought us the figurines. Now THAT was something that took commitment! But when it comes to Twilight Princess, the best thing I can think of to compare is the Poes. Although they're definitely not easy to find, they're not half as much of a challenge as past Zelda games. I'm starting to see a pattern of lower-level difficulties here. Maybe Nintendo wanted to appeal to a stupider audience? In any case, they accidentally made a game that doesn't require a whole heck of a lot to complete.

And what is replay value without minigames? This is another part where Twilight Princess tried hard, but came in sub par. Although the minigames were definitely fun while they lasted, once you complete them, they just don't have that spark of fun like past ones do. Mostly because they don't take much skill to complete, and if you're not noticing the pattern by now, get your eyes checked. An example of minigame failure is the S.T.A.R. game. You can play it all you want, but no matter how much skill you have, you won't get far. You need an item. And once you have that item, it takes no skill at all to beat it. And once you beat it, you're given a harder level. Wow! A challenge!! At least it seems so, until you realise you need another item to continue. The only real minigame that demanded skill was Rollagoal (see Controls for more information on that).

In the end, although it's a good thing to pick up and play once you've left it unplayed for a good long time, the replay value isn't very good here. At all.


Conclusion
Although Twilight Princess had a good deal of faults and disappointments, I mostly blame that on the amount of time it spent in production. Mind you, I have nothing wrong with taking more time to make a good game, but when the next-gen consoles are coming out, you'd better hurry the crap up. Before you know it, although you made a great game, in the time it took you to make it, you've been technologically 1-upped. I guess the moral of the story is to only take your time when you have the time to take. I bet Twilight Princess would have made an awesome farewell game to the gamecube, but although it's a great Wii title too, there was a lot of room for improvement. Here's hoping that the true Zelda Wii will be all that Twilight Princess was, and even more.

Story: 10/10
Characters: 7.5/10
Gameplay: 7/10
Controls: 10/10
Music: 10/10
Replay Value: 5/10

Total: 8.25/10

Remember, this score is as Zelda games go. I personally think Zelda games are above any other game out there, so even though I might give this an 8.25/10, and hypothetically, give Halo an 8.5/10 (not that I'd give it an 8.5), Twilight Princess would still beat it. If you want an accurate scale, just add 3/10 to Any Zelda game I rate compared to any non-Zelda game anyone else rates.

Well, there's my review. If you want my personal thoughts on Twilight Princess, I believe it was an incredible game. It had the story, it had the art, and it made you want to keep going. One of the biggest complaints I can make is that it wasn't longer. Twilight Princess is just one of those games that you don't want to put down. It's a gem in itself, and although I know I can complain a lot, it's a game I'll never forget.

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Why Whyville?

Ok, if you've come on my blog and are wondering why I have a little kids site called "Whyville" as an approved link, here's why.

I joined this site when I was 12. I also joined neopets at around the same time. Yes, I was as much a nerd then as I am today. Frankly, I didn't like neopets. It had no soul. You have these lame little pets who, although may be cute, are nothing more than icons. You slave daily to feed them, take care of them, go to a bloody tree for stuff that you never get thanks to ghosts and around a few million other cheapskates, and rely on a stupid dinosaur egg to feed your lame little pets.

Whyville, although makes about as much sense, was surprisingly a lot better. First off, it's free. And although you can buy something called a "Whypass" for extra benefits, you're not pressured half as much as you are on other sites to buy them. In other words, you pay, you get a gift basket of extra goodies, not an exclusive 70% of the site. You go on, and you have a floating head that you get to create. Your head is your character, that you can take to chat rooms and talk to other characters. You have a "face mall" where you buy face parts, like eyes, noses, mouths, heads, hair, upper bodies (They don't have lower bodies, hence the floating), and the like. There's nearly two million people on Whyville, active or not, so it's still a crumb compared to neopets. But don't let that make a hater out of ya, brudda. Although it sounds just as complicated as neopets, it really isn't. You can mail other people with a system called "Y-mail". Using Y-mail carries no viruses and it's hard to spam on them, making them pretty good. The only real downside is you can get flagged for using bad language on them. The currency there is "clams" (now that sounds much more familiar than neopoints, no?), and getting clams is (THANKFULLY) much easier than neopoints. All you do is play these "educational" games. Mind you, even though they're educational, they're not the typical lame educational junk you'd find from leapfrog and other places. They can be a pain, but here's the catch. You play them ONCE, get them to their maximum level, and they'll stay there. So now, depending on the game, you'll make a certain amount of clams every day that you log on. This is called your salary. If your salary is 20, and you log on Wednesday, you get 20 clams. Log on Thursday, you get another 20 clams. No having to play pointless games over and over daily or relying on someone to buy you're pathetic 1/3 omelet. Playing more games to higher levels raises your salary, and thus, getting you more clams per day. And if your salary isn't making you enough, you can always do some amusing sorting games for extra cash.

And once you get past the menial task of raising your salary, you can enjoy the perks, like using those clams to make your face look pro, head down to a popular chat room and brag about your salary. Or use those clams to buy bricks and paint, and build yourself a house. Or better yet, make your own face parts and sell them for some good profit. Join the WhyEat program so you can eat some junk and get even more clams (although, you gotta eat healthy for that one. It takes a little getting used to, but it's worth it). Once you're really wealthy, buy a scion (car), and show it off. And it doesn't stop there. Write an article for the times, trade stuff at the trading post, become a Y-mail Helper to help other newcomers and have extra options, run for the position of Whyville Senator, research the Whyville disease Whypox, join the Street Team, Buy a membership to the exclusive Club Why, see if there's any events going on at the Whyville Greek Theatre, chuck projectiles at people, get into debates in various BBS's, make a few random friends, or just hang out. There's so much to do at Whyville. Trust me. I've tried to leave it. I can't. At least not completely. I've made too many friends that I'll probably keep for life, and it's grown too much on me. It's not a pointless game that you keep playing because more pointless updates are added, it's like another world you can visit when the one you're in leaves you bored. As I approach the late stage of teenagerism, I'm still addicted to this kid's website, and I'm not even the only one. I still talk to my friends, who are also in their latter teen years, who still come onto the cherished site. If you're wondering by now what my username is on Whyville, it's proudly LoZTP (to all you folks from ZU checking this out, hahah). Is it lame? First impression is always yes. But once you start, it grows on you like a pet hamster.

So Why Whyville? It's no Runescape or Maplestory, but it's just as good in many respects. Whether you're an 8-year-old, an adult, or anywhere in between, I'd recommend you give Whyville a shot. It's an investment that will last you a lifetime. You have my word on it.

Saturday, January 27, 2007

EMPLOYMENT!

Yeah, that's right. I've been employed at Tim Horton's. I haven't officially started work yet, but the starting wage is good, and the hours hopefully won't be as long and as hard as they sound.

After a long consideration in the fast food industry, I figure Tim Horton's is a great place to start off. Once you got some skill under your belt, it's good to move onto bigger things. Though watch closely, because one day I'll own a Tim Horton's.

And in other news, I think I've finally figured this rotten thing out. Curse you blogger, you're so complicated.

Friday, January 19, 2007

Now up!

Yeah, it's up. My official blog. So, if you're here then you probably know me...? Well, if you do, great! Not many people do. So I'm not sure what to do here... once I get this whole thing figured out, I'm sure it'll be more interesting. Bear with me for now!