More Demon's Souls, it might be true love

So today I'm gonna talk about Demon's Souls more and I'm gonna pick up where I left off from yesterday. Look up to the previous post if you need to catch up. So I just defeated the first boss and I have my body back which is awesome. So this is where you officially can start doing some multi player. In the room where you fight the first boss you can see another hallway that keeps going and that's the next part of the first level. So the whole first world is all connected without loading which I think is absolutely awesome! It's at this point that I noticed blue writing on the floor and when you examine it you get the option to summon another player to your world. So I go ahead and click on the writing and get another person in my world. This kinda reminds me of Phantasy Star Online a little bit. I used to play a ton of Phantasy Star Online on the Dreamcast when that came out. I really loved that game but let's get back on track with Demon's Souls.

So the other person and I are killing stuff for a little while and then I suddenly see the message that a Dark Phantom has entered my world. I just kinda said "That is probably bad" since the text was all red. Shortly after that I saw a red silhouette of another player run toward me and just utterly murdered me. So I died and I was in spirit form after that (you don't stay alive very long it seems in this game). The interesting thing to know is that the person that was with me and the person that was against me are near my level range. The game matches people with others in the same soul level range as you. So I'm assuming that you don't even see the summon option for people that are out of your level range. So once I live again I started making a habit of putting the blue eye stone down near the entrance. When I finally got summoned into another player's world we  made it all the way to the boss and sadly didn't kill it. But when you die in another person's world you don't lose any souls. You can't pick up items in their world but you still get souls. More after the break.

I've fallen in love with Demon's Souls

So I'm gonna open this up saying that I am just go on and on about Demon's Souls because it is exactly what I wanted in a game recently. Castlevania HD was doing a good job of filling that role but now I have found exactly what I wanted. What is frustrating is that I could have been loving this game about a year ago and I have no clue why I didn't get it then. Demon's Souls scratches this exact itch that I have in games. It's actually more like a full body massage on that itch to be perfectly honest. I don't think this game has anything that I don't like in regards to game features. It has New Game+ which is one of the best thing that any game could add. Who doesn't want to play through a game again as a powered up version of the character you have worked on for so long? Chrono Trigger was the first game that I played with that feature and it was the best thing ever! I'm a huge advocate of keeping progress in games even after the game is finished. The kicker for this one is that once you beat it the game gets harder each time. This game is no walk in the park either, it has a reputation for being really hard. I am not joking when I say that I have lost lots of progress due to difficulty but I really don't mind. It feels like whenever I die it is somehow my fault for being too hasty in attacking a enemy or not properly blocking. I never feel like it is really unfair which is very interesting to me.

When you first boot up the game you get to make your character which is not uncommon for games to do especially since it is a RPG. You get to choose from 10 classes and unlike other games this is just a starting location not a destination of where your character will go. In most RPGs you pick a class and that's what you are for the rest of the game. In Demon's Souls you pick something that you want to do when you start. All characters can do everything in this game, what you start with is just that and nothing more. I actually really like that concept in a game especially since your character is the only one you get for that save. When you make your character you go through a short tutorial to get used to the basic mechanics of the game (which is normal). The first thing that will strike you when starting this game is that you will see "ghosts" of other players running around. These are actually other people playing the game and this game is online all the time. At the end of the tutorial you meet a boss and he kills with about 1 hit and you die (if you play this game get used to dying). You go to this place called the Nexus which is basically like a hub world for the game. More about the game after the break.

Netflix is amazing also bandwidth limits suck

I'm sure a lot of you already know about the joys of Netflix instant streaming. But I'm gonna talk about it anyway. I think it's about the best deal ever in regards to watching movies or TV shows. To have unlimited streaming it is only $8.99 a month (which is amazing). They have tons of shows and movies available to watch instantly. I have been watching Weeds quite a bit recently which is a pretty good show about a suburban mom who sells marijuana to make ends meet after her husband dies. The show gets really crazy and the joy of it to me is wondering what she is gonna get herself into next. It is just kinda spiraling out of control in regards to what is happening to her and how deep she seems to be getting into the drug business. Very good show, I would highly recommend it if you have Netflix. I should probably mention that the show is not for kids, there is sex and drugs (not surprising since it is put out by Showtime). Another show that is on Netflix from Showtime that I watched fairly recently is Californication. That show is about David Duchovny who plays a writer that is having writer's block. Yet again this is another show that isn't for kids since it has a lot of sex in it.

The best show that Showtime has put out so far in my opinion is Dexter (the first 2 seasons are available for instant watch). The show takes place in Miami and it is about a blood spatter specialist who also happens to be a serial killer. He only kills people that the police aren't able to do anything about so he has some morals. But this is by far the best show that I have seen in a long while. As expected it isn't for kids either. I have watched a ton of movies instantly that I would have never seen otherwise. There are a lot more now because Paramount and MGM signed a deal with Netflix to have their movies streamed. A lot of the old Star Trek movies are available to watch now. What I really like is that it streams to all the current game consoles without a disc. The Wii and PS3 just got the downloadable application about a week ago (you used to need a disc to stream) but the Xbox 360 has had it for a long time. With me being crazy about games this works really well for me. More after the break.

Summers in Monterey also some games

Writing about the Edgewater Packing Company made me think about when I was younger and spent summers in Monterey at my dad's house. I would spend a lot of time with my friend Jovette during those times. We would ride around on the bike path and go from Pacific Grove to Seaside. I also had a charter membership to the Monterey Bay Aquarium (it was the aquarium in Star Trek 4) so I would hang out in there a lot. Not only did I get in for free with that membership but it was only like 10 blocks away from my dad's house. I have really fond memories of the aquarium since I spent so much time there. I used to wander around listening to Chrono Trigger music and to this day I still associate that music to the aquarium. I haven't been to the aquarium in about 5 years but I really like it every time I go. Riding around on our bikes was a common occurrence for us and we would also go down the the fisherman's wharf. When we were there we would always get the free samples for clam chowder (which was fantastic by the way). There was also looking around in the various shops down there.

Another place that we would hang out at was the Del Monte Shopping Center. We would go into all the shops and just look around (we were probably kinda annoying since we didn't buy a lot). Electronics Boutique (later EB Games then even later it was Gamestop) was a regular stop and we used to talk with the workers there a lot. I guess I got my payback later in life since I had to deal with the same kind of thing when I worked at a Game Crazy / Fun N Games. It sounds kinda lame but we would hang out at parks a lot when not playing video games. Both of them were really close to our houses. These parks were Oak Newton and Archer park. Not much exciting to say about parks there was really no craziness involved, we would mostly just talk about games and stuff like that. During the summer I was actually quite active when in California. Read more after the break?

Ranting about arcades

There is something in the world of video games that I really miss and that's a good arcade. I completely understand why arcades are gone right now (for the most part) but that doesn't mean I can't mourn the departure of good arcades. Arcades are gone because honestly the home experience is much better than the arcade experience. The only real thing that arcades have to offer now are gimmick games (ones that have some crazy accessory to play). But what I really miss are the arcades that I remember in the late 80s and early 90s. One that I went to a lot was a place in Monterey, California that I remember being called the Edgewater Packing Company (from what I understand it is closed now). There was a carousel in the building which was neat and I have memories of my grandma taking me there and riding the carousel. But the main attraction for me was the arcade. I have always loved arcades which is not surprising since I love video games and pinball.

I remember being so happy every time I went in there seeing the new games (usually with my friend Jovette). We would go in there and just have tons of fun spending time at the arcade. I remember playing Dragon's Lair and just getting owned so hard which is not a uncommon occurrence with that game. I briefly remember there being a holographic game at the arcade about time travel called Time Traveler. I don't think I ever played it but I remember it capturing my imagination when I was young (I was 9 when it came out). The game I remember playing the most when I was younger was the Simpson's arcade game. That game was a great value when I was young because you could usually play quite a while with a quarter. I'm surprised that the Simpson's arcade game hasn't come out for home consoles yet. It is probably a licensing issue but I would love to see it on the Xbox Live Arcade. More after the break.

Lost Odyssey and old west zombies

Upon having a craving for a Japanese style RPG I started up Lost Odyssey again. My old save was lost in the horrible USB memory stick incident earlier this year. I decided that I wanted to start using a USB memory stick instead of my memory card for my 360. I got a little one that was 2GB, I moved all my files over to it and then a few days later I took it out of the system. When I did that apparently something went horribly wrong and everything was gone. All my saves and all my hard work on my game progression was completely gone. Turns out this was kinda a good thing since I have ended up playing games again after this had happened. But back to Lost Odyssey I was on the 4th disc of the game which is near the end I believe when my save was gone. So now I'm back at the start of the game and I'm excited about playing it again.

There is something special about a decent Japanese RPG. Recently there haven't really been too many good ones since the system for JRPGs is kinda tired. I mean even Final Fantasy has drastically changed over the years but because of that I have lost interest in that series. But a lot about Lost Odyssey is very much like a JRPG from the early PS2 days, It has a great old school type feel to it (it's weird to think that the PS2 is old now). Though what I really long for is a game like Chrono Trigger or Final Fantasy VII to be revamped with updated graphics but the same gameplay system. I don't want them to muck with the systems of the games but I would love to see them updated in regards to graphics. Another game that kinda scratches that specific itch is Dragon Quest VIII. The Dragon Quest games haven't really changed much over the years and I don't think that is a bad thing by any means. More after the break.

Twin Peaks and Alan Wake

I haven't really talked much about the show Twin Peaks but I think that's gonna change right now. I was introduced to the show through my soon to be ex-wife. I fell in love with the show instantly. The show is full of so much good stuff, excellent characters and a great story. It kinda falls apart half way through the second season but it picks it's shit up and regains momentum near the end of the second season. It's a shame that it didn't get going past that but that's the way the world works sometimes. The show stars Kyle MacLachlan who plays Special Agent Dale Cooper a FBI agent assigned to investigate a murder in the small Washington town of Twin Peaks. Turns out that the murder was that of Laura Palmer who was a popular prom queen type girl. She kinda turns out to be the town bicycle but that is besides the point.

The show has some crazy paranormal stuff that goes on too which is kinda cool (I kinda dig paranormal stuff). Also there is a part in the show that has David Duchovny as a DEA agent in drag and this was before the X-Files. What is interesting is that the show explores that almost everyone in the town has this really weird dark side to their lives. All the characters have a decent amount of depth to them which is always a good thing. There is also the dream sequence with the dancing backwards talking midget which is pretty famous. If you haven't seen the show I would definitely recommend it. I'm gonna have to re-watch it again soon. Thinking about Twin Peaks makes me want to talk about Alan Wake so more about that after the break.

Laundry woes and Castlevania: Curse of Darkness

What is the deal with people being super rude in laundry rooms at apartments? I went to do my laundry yesterday about 4pm and all of the washers were full and they all said 0 minutes remaining. So that means that people used them all and aren't playing attention to when their laundry is going to be done. I get that other people have to do laundry and I'm fine if all of them are going but when they are all full and with no time left is bullshit. I just hate it when people think their shit is so important that they can just leave things there and make it so I can't do my laundry. This makes me angry but I deal with it so I go away for like a hour or so and head back there. Thankfully the washers were empty at this point and I was able to get my 2 loads of laundry going.

Fast forward about 35 minutes (I set my alarm on my phone to go off when the laundry is done since I don't like being a ass) and there is a lady folding her laundry on the 2 dryers that aren't being used. So I say that I want to use one of them and she just kinda turns but has all of her shit still piled high up on the dryer making it so I can't put in coins or start it up. So she moves her stuff off of that one and kinda has a flabbergasted look on her face. I don't really care if she is mad because I think it's kinda rude to do that when there is actually a table in the room that nobody is using. Since I have 2 loads of laundry to do I use the other dryer that isn't being used and she has her shit piled up on that one too and doesn't move it. So I just kinda deal with her crap being in the way then started my laundry and went back home. Am I wrong in being upset about this? Let me know in the comments if I am unjustified about being angry about this. More after the break regarding what I've been up to since yesterday.

Castlevania HD and other stuff

I have been playing a fair amount of Castlevania: Harmony of Despair recently. This one is a downloadable game for the Xbox 360 that allows up to 6 players simultaneously. You can play as 5 Different characters who are Alucard, Charlotte Aulin, Jonathan Morris, Shanoa, and Soma Cruz. Alucard is of course from Castlevania 3 and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Charlotte and Jonathan are from Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin which is on the DS. Shanoa is apparently from Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia which is on the DS (I have not played this game). Soma is from Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow for the GBA and Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow for the DS. Now that I've covered what everyone is from I can start talking about the game.

In Castlevania HD there are 6 different levels (7 with the DLC). In each of these levels there is a boss to kill (my favorite is the one on the 3rd level) and you have 30 minutes to kill them either by yourself or with 5 other people. A really cool thing about this game is that the whole level is being rendered at once. Instead of a map you can actually zoom the camera back so you can see the whole level. This is cool because you can see literally everything that's going on and what everyone is doing. There are a bunch of enemies from a assortment of Castlevania games and when you start Castlevania HD it is going to seem really difficult. Your characters don't actually gain exp like the other Metroidvania style Castlevania games. More after the break!

Droning on and on about Castlevania

Last night I was over at a friend's house and he was playing Castlevania: Lords of Shadow for the PS3 and it got me to thinking about Castlevania in general. The new game looks pretty fantastic, plays like old school Castlevania but in 3d. A lot of comparisons can be made to God of War but on that note God of War is kinda like a old Castlevania game but in 3d. By this I'm not really talking about the Metroid style Castlevania games (like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night) but the old ones like Castlevania, Castlevania 3: Dracula's Curse, Super Castlevania 4, Castlevania Bloodlines, or the amazing Dracula X: Rondo of Blood. I will need more time with the new game to really get a solid opinion of it so once I play it more I'll write more about it.

Thinking back at my history of Castlevania, I have realized that I have played a good majority of the games. So join my on my recollection of the Castlevania games that I am familiar with. The first that I really remember playing was Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest. When I was really young that game was crazy to try to figure out. It was the first Castlevania game where you could just explore and try to figure out what you should do on your own. Since it depended on exploration so much I got super confused on where to go and what to do. I have since played it more and it is much easier for me to comprehend now. It is pretty fantastic when I go back to it now. When I was young I remember getting to Dracula somehow but I didn't have all the things I needed and he just kept beating me up. I would definitely recommend playing that game since it is pretty different than anything else on the NES. More Castlevania talk after the break.

Sonic Adventure and various stuff

So yesterday I finished Sonic Adventure (in regards to the main storyline). I still have to get like 70 more emblems to actually complete it. The game is still fun but there are definitely some problems. The controls and camera are not so good at points but it's not like this is a new thing, it was that way on the Dreamcast as well. The portions of the game where you play as Sonic are definitely the best part of the game. The levels are fast and fun as Sonic, no BS collection levels or moving super slow. I still think the first level of the game is super fun even after seeing / playing it hundreds of times. I worked at a game shop for years and we had a Japanese Dreamcast in the shop before it came out in the US. Sonic Adventure was on display for at least 6 months if not longer, during that time I think I heard Sonic Adventure (in Japanese) in my sleep.

In this game you can play as Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy Rose, Big the Cat, and E-102 Gamma. So the game is really good when playing as Sonic and Tails. The Tails levels are basically just racing a CPU controlled character. So a good majority of Tails levels are the same as Sonic levels which is not a bad thing. Knuckles levels are basically scavenger hunt levels where you find pieces of the Master emerald. The levels for Knuckles are open and you have a radar that shows you if you are getting close to the pieces. Most of the time this is just kinda clunky and not very fun in my opinion.

I think Amy Rose is my least favorite of them all though. She moves so very slow and her levels are just running from a robot named Zero. They aren't fun just because Amy moves so damn slow. I am under the impression when you aren't going fast in a Sonic game that something is wrong and I don't think that I am wrong being under that impression. Big the Cat levels are basically a fishing game which is not so great but there is a good fishing boss battle which is kinda neat. When playing as E-102 Gamma it is kinda like a shooter while running at a moderate speed. I actually enjoy these levels fairly well, they move at a decent speed and you get to shoot stuff. More after the break about Sonic Adventure and more!

Let's talk about video games

So time to get to the fun stuff! I'm gonna talk about games in this post. I have currently been playing a lot of Halo Reach which is honestly pretty fantastic! I'm not usually too crazy about competitive multi-player but in this game it is just too much fun. Typically I play the game with a group of friends online and that makes it much better than shooting random people online by yourself. Usually lots of laughs are had playing online. The game itself is very solid and I love the armor abilities that are in this game. My favorite of them is by far the armor lock function since you can get hit by a plasma grenade then armor lock and take no damage which is freaking amazing. It also allows you to have a few seconds of survival in hopes that some of your team comes and helps you out.

Of course there are functions other than the armor lock but the times that I use them are few and far between because that few seconds of invincibility is just amazing. I'm starting to like the DMR (which is the battle rifle in this new Halo). Once you get into the groove of it that gun is amazing. We usually just play the team death-match modes which suits me just fine but every once in a while we decide to mix it up and play some team objective modes. When that happens we usually just kinda hate our lives but it puts things into perspective. I'm gonna talk about the single player some and maybe some other games after the break.

Starting up the blog again - the story so far

Hello good people of the internet, I come in peace. Let me tell you all a bit about myself. I have now spent 28 years in the realm of the living. I have a strong passion for video games and most things electronic. I have played games since I was 4 years old and haven't really slowed down on them since. I like all variety of games (even some sports games). Music is another interest of mine with my favorite bands being Nine Inch Nails, Primus, and Daft Punk. I have dabbled with C++ and C# programming but I don't know enough to do much with it yet. I also do like reading as well, Philip K. Dick is one of my favorite authors.

I own a great little mini-Dachshund and her name is Sukoshi. She is one of the most friendly little dogs that I have ever encountered. She is quiet now after training her not to bark in the house. Most of the time she will just lay down in blankets and sleep the day away or cuddle next to you. Whenever guests come by the house she gets super excited and depending on who it is will just cling to them the whole time they are there. When a guest is there that she likes she seems to view them as the best person ever. If you want to read more about me click the read more link below this post!