A Mustering of 'Muchness'

Over the weekend i bought the Almost Alice CD which is basically the "music imspired by the motion picture" CD, and not the original soundtrack, which would be all Danny Elfman songs anyways (not at all a bad thing).

Personally i love it. mind you i dont love EVERY song because well, quite frankly compilations are almost always hit or miss, but most of the album is actually quite good.

There are definatly some things you should know about it however before you purchase it if thats what you were thinking about. if you werent thinking that then theres really no need to read this however if you dont i will be sad and you certainly don't want that.

you wouldnt like me when i'm sad.... wait.

songs in the good category are Avril's track "Alice" which is the song that plays in the end credits of the movie, AAR's "The Poison", Owl City's "The Technicolor Phase", Robert Smith (of The Cure)'s "Very Good Advice", 3OH!3's "Follow Me Down", Motion City Soundtrack's "Always Running out of Time", and Valora's "Extreme" (although i have NO idea what it has to do with Alice in Wonderland).

Falling into the cool yet weird category is Franz Ferdinand's "The Lobster Quadrille" which is a musical performance of an actual poem from the book. Also in this category is They Might Be Giant's "" for the same reason. And of course the CD wouldnt be complete without a cover of Grace Slick's (and the rest of Jefferson Airplane) "White Rabbit". The cover version is pretty decent but the original is still better (Don't worry though, this one doesnt have a 7 minute hippie solo at the end)

And now for the bad. Ironically enough the songs i thought i would love, i ended up not liking. go figure. Pete Wentz and Mark Hoppus's "In Transit" leaves much to be desired. Same goes for Wolfmother's "Fall Down a Hole", and Shinedown's "The Name is Alice". As for another of the CD's singles, "Tea Party" by Kerli I give her points for enthusiasm but i didn't like the song much.

The rest of the songs not mentioned are decent at least but not really falling in any of the above categories.

Its not as good as Nightmare Revisted which was literally an awesome CD but i definatly don't regret my purchase.

And a word to the wise, the iTunes version comes with the Danny Elfman main theme as well as the They Might Be Giants song, where as the Hot Topic version comes with 3 extra tracks including the Velora track.

All in all i'd give the CD a Bandersnatch scratch/10!

The Absolution Monthly, Vol.1 Nov 2009 -PREVIEW-

Funny ain't it?

Har-Har-HeartGold!

Ok, i didnt actually get HeatGold, i just thought it would be funny if that was the title. What i did get is SoulSilver:



Now you may be telling yourself, Self, this is just a remake.

i'm here to tell you thats retarded.

Ok yes it is a remake, but its vastly different. the storyline has been beefed up, graphically it takes full advantage of the DS's graphics.

functionaly it takes full advantage of the DS system. you can actually use the touch screen for 99% of the games input. thats basically everything but moving your character.

Its also completly compatible with other generation IV games and you can use the pal park to transfer Pokémon from your generation III games.

It has a full online mode if you have wi-fi access that includes mini-games, trainer battles and other things like doodling and "spinning" (that im pretty sure that has nothing to do with bottles). they even have something called the pokéthalon which if the name is true sounds something akin to pokémon olympics.

and if that wasn't enough to get your blood pumping they have the Pokéwalker.

remember that annoying Pokémon Pikachu tamogatchi thing? its like that but better. it syncs to and from your gamepack directly, earning exp for the pokémon you choose for every step it counts in real life. and just like that older Pikachu one, it converts every 20 steps you take into 1 watt which can be used to buy more routes to walk on, encounter other pokémon in a minigame that can allow you to catch these pokémon and transfer them back to your game, or find hidden items along your route that can also transfer to your game. and when all is said and done take your pokémon from the walker back to your gamepack and choose another to walk with you instead.

if that wasn't enough if you meet someone with a pokéwalker also, you can connect to each other via infared and earn an item to transfer back to your game. from what i understand they can also battle via the pokéwalkers simplified battle system. (much like rock, paper, scissors)

now if you aren't a pokemon fan this probably sounds mediocre to you and i guess theres no helping that. but for anyone who was left hungering for Gold/Silver because of the games incompatibility with newer handhelds and gen III and on games, this is your time to shine.

and the icing on the cake is all the cool interconnectivity between it and Diamond/Pearl/Platinum. Already in my SoulSilver game i have an exclusive pokéwalker route (via Jirachi trade), a SoulSilver special sprite pokémon (via Pikachu-colored Pichu trade), and when i finally make it to the area in the game, my Arceus trade will get me a lvl 1 Palkia, Giratina, or Dialga.

all in all it leads me to spending another gross amoun of time playing another Pokémon game while anxiously awaiting new Generation V

HG/SS Bonus Events!

With Pokemon Heartgold and Soulsilver coming out there are 2 new Pokemon events going on that you should know about.

The first is the Draco Meteor Jirachi. This event is at Gamestop only, so make sure you head there. Jirachi is availble from Feburary 27th-March 13th.

All you have to do is go to Gamestop and turn on your DS and Diamond, Pearl, or Platinum Pokemon game.

From the main menu (where you select your game save, or start new game) go to recieve gift, then to "Via wireless connection".

Jirachi should pop up as a gift right away so if not ask the Gamestop clerk if the station is turned on (it may not be, bastards!).

Then simply recieve gift, start your game, then head to the Pokemart in Jublife city (with at least one slot open in your party!) and viola, you have a level 5 Jirachi that knows an exclusive move, Draco Meteor!

From there, when HG/SS comes out you can transfer this Jirachi to that game (make sure it still knows Draco Meteor!) and you will unlock a special cutscene in the game as well as an exclusive new path on your Pokewalker!

The other promotion is the Pikachu colored Pichu availible via the wi-fi connection so you can do this from anywhere you can connect to the internet via nintendo wi-fi connection. (Be warned although the DSi supports WPA and WPA2 encryption type networks the Pokemon games DO NOT so you will need to find a WEP or unencrypted connection to use)

The Pikachu colored Pichu promotion runs March 5th-March 26th

To get this one simply go to Jublife T.V. in Jublife City and go to the 3rd floor.

Talk to the producer and give him your opinion on T.V. (Say: Everyone Happy)

Then give him your feedback on T.V. (Say: Wi-Fi Connection)

The producer will confirm you're "in the know" and says he will arrange for something for you. SAVE YOUR GAME (important!) then restart.

From the main menu (where you select your game save, or start a new game) go to reviece gift, then to "Via Wi-Fi". (Make sure you are currently configured to whatever access point you're using.)

It might take a few moments but the Pikachu colored Pichu should appear.

Then simply recieve gift, start your game, then head to the Pokemart in Jublife city (with at least one slot open in your party!) and you'll get the shiny level 30 Pichu!

And of course when HG/SS comes out you can trade this Pokemon to that game to unlock a special cutscene in Ilex Forest Shrine in which you befriend the "Spiky-Eared" Pichu, a Pichu with a special design based on the Pokemon movie "Arceus and the Jewel of Life". From there you can catch him as well!

Concerning the World of Warcraft TCG

you know card games are a shaky business, its so easy to fail making a new card game. you can have a lack of organized play, bad marketing, hell you can have a bad game period. even just trying to create a player base when other games dominate the market is difficult. that being said, probably my second favorite card game out there is being put on hiatus.

the World of Warcraft TCG, which you may have read me praising for its wealth of gameplay types, great player inscentives, price, and all around good game design is being put on hold for quite literally the dumbest reason ever.

bad press.

seriously out of everything that couldve pulled the game it had to be that?!

now i dont claim to know the whole story but let me explain. I first saw this post on WoW.com (not to be confused with the official site worldofwarcraft.com)

http://www.wow.com/2010/02/17/upper-deck-comments-on-loss-of-wow-tcg-license/

my first reaction whats "AWHHHHAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTT?"

thats right complete with sideways head turning.

why the hell would Upper Deck do anything like counterfeiting? apparently, at one point they held a liscence for Yu-Gi-Oh, to what extent i don't know but in some capicity. after this liscence was lost, they continued printing cards allegedly and Konami sued them.

well after following the chain of articles the picture began to clear up a bit

http://www.wow.com/2010/02/12/blizzard-wow-tcg-will-come-back-better-than-ever?icid=sphere_blogsmith_inpage_wowinsider

http://www.wow.com/2010/02/12/upper-deck-and-wow-tcg-parting-ways?icid=sphere_blogsmith_inpage_wowinsider

and the even older post (over 92 days old -- thats 3 months!)

http://www.wow.com/2009/11/15/rumors-of-wow-tcgs-demise-greatly-exaggerated?icid=sphere_blogsmith_inpage_wowinsider

after all of this its hard to see how this wasn't comming, but all in all it basically points to several factors, and despite which are true and which aren't, it seems like the WoW TCG was destined to get away from UDE no matter what.

curious about all this i went to the Upper Deck site for the WoW TCG, no mention there of losing the liscence (big surprise), but on the Upper deck main page i did find these:

http://www.upperdeck-international.com/tabid/56/language/en-US/Default.aspx?AnnouncementID=20

http://entertainment.upperdeck.com/ude/en/articles.aspx?aid=7453

I didnt bother checking Konami's site, this confirmed for me all i needed to know. UDE was sued for violating liscencing agreements. is it so hard to believe they might lose contracts because of the negative publicity?

not really.

is it hard to believe they would play the bad ecnomy card to try and save face in light of negative allegations to their comany?

not really.

its also no secret that Blizzard and UDE worked very closely on the WoW TCG, to what extent was the work done who knows, but if it is true that Blizzard has had a majority in the planning and development, maybe they say this as an easy way to bring things in house or to another company of their choice.

at this point anything is possible, but to anyone out there who loved this TCG as much as me, make sure you use any UDE points you have left over, and any unredeemed loot cards. cause theres no telling what will happen to them after march.

im not sure what to make of the crafting redemption issue, i myself was planning on redeeming some just recently, but i guess i have nothing to really lose by sending them in. hopefully theyll be able to honor everything they recieve before a certain date.

there will also probably be a snatch and grab for cards before march, but i think that waiting for sales from either UDE, just before they lose thier liscence or from the distributors they sell what they can of thier stock to before hand. i do expect some good deals for packs and boxes online.

but most of all im keeping my fingers crossed that the game does come back, or that the format of the game doesnt change. Id hate for all my old cards to be useless if they bring the game to a new company and they change it up.

heres to hoping.

James T. Shepard!

and of course as awesome as DA:O is, you know i still had to put it down in favor of (surprise) Bioware's sequal to the awesome game Mass Effect.

cause nothing beats galavanting about the galaxy and screwing alien chicks!

...oh and saving the known galaxy from anihilation

hands down the best thing about the game is you can import your character from the first game.

some people (including me) had trouble importing characters at first but replaying the game from your last save on the first game really quick will fix that (last save is usually an auto save just before fighting Saren's "final form" so its only like 5 mins). but importing your character is so awesome, starting a new character is really kind of a shame. it imports your class and appearance both of which you can alter if you choose too, but most importantly it imports a certain ammount of your characters gained renegade or paragon attributes, and all of your previous games sidequests and backstory info. remember Conrad Verner? oh yeah hes back with a side quest. Reporter on the citadel? prepare to be harrased by her again. Remember the colonists from Feros? you get a side quest after checking up on them! not to mention your character relationships from past games play a role still with extra scenes or unique dialogue lines when you run into those characters again.

the gameplay itself however is alot different from the first. the RPG elements have been scaled down but as much as it sounds like a bad thing its really not. the shooting and action are much more fluid in this game, creating more of a sense of urgency since you dont have to go to the wheel menu ever 5 seconds for a biotic, tech, or weapon power. and while there still are abilities to use, 3 can be mapped to hotkeys for instant use, and some have even been combined (for intance instead of having pistol marksman, carnage, overkill, and assassination, soldiers in mass effect 2 have adrenaline rush, which works for all weapons)

your weapons no longer have to be leveled up individually either, leveling one job specific trait will increase the damage for all the weapons that character can use as well as other things like your renegade and paragon gain rate, health, or biotic and tech powers. this allows for less time contemplating where exactly to put each point but still lets you choose which skills to focus on and which to ignore.

also your weapons are static, no longer can you use an untrained weapon at the cost of your aim and accuracy, you are forced to only have the weapons your character can use period. thankfully each job can have at least 3 weapons including the new heavy weapons, and in some cases the new SMG gun class.

and as much as i loved the Mako im a bit glad to see it go. being the kind of guy i am i tended to explore each and every inch of a planet surface just in case something of real value was laying around. most times there wasnt. but not you drop straight into missions on planets that have them via the new dropship, and for resources (which actually serve a purpose in this game!) can be scanned from orbit and have probes sent to collect them for you, taking less than half the time of a mako tour.

the missions and quests even feel different, the missions are more plentiful, but less long. and considering how i talked about mission length for DA:O im rather pleased about that. you have both a recruitment and a loyalty quest for each character, totalling 18 character related quests, with more side quests availible during missions or from other characters on the normandy, quests are still found while randomly scanning planets, and on occasion from Admiral Hacket or the Illusive Man.

and completely new are renegade and paragon actions... at certain times during normal diologue sequences you will be given the ability to press either the right or left triggers for an awesome actions-speak-louder-than-words moment that changes the course of the conversation. for instance growing tired of listening to a low level eclipse boss give me attitude as to why he wont give me the info i want i literally kicked him through the window of a 50 story building. now he'll have time to think about why he shoulda cooperated with me on the way down! LOL

also new this time around is the Normandy itself, there are now 5 decks, your captain's quarters, the command information center (CIC), crew's quarters, the engineering deck, and the cargo bay. and THANKFULLY its not a 10 minute elevator ride between them. there is however a loading screen but it can go as quickly as 15 seconds if you load the game to and play it from your hard drive.

and the final mission is so totally epic its almost perfect, depending on all the missions you ran pior, your upgrades, and who of your team is loyal to you the mission can go tons of different ways. youre even given choices on who to let handle certain situations. with your choices determing not only the success of the mission, but whether or not your characters live or die.

and theres more love insterests to choose from too. i wonder what Tali looks like under the suit...

*ahem*

and of course the game as lovely as it is cannot escape my criticism :(

one thing i miss is the Mako (wait didnt i just say i liked it being gone? wait for it....) missions (oh!). driving around on certain planets was actually pretty cool, Noveria especially and nothing beats the feeling of driving around in a tank with a kinetic shield. there are obviously no longer any driving missions in this game and i kinda wish there was. now thankfully the rumor mill suggests there will be one coming in a DLC featuring an upgraded Mako but i'll have to cross my fingers and see

and aside from the cliffhanger ending my really only other gripe is the lack of time with Legion. i wont go into details cause itll spoil it for ya, but you get him at the end of the game and you dont really have much time to try him out before the end.

also theres no worthwhile lesbian love intrest! WHHHYYYYYYY? well you can bang Kelly Chambers as a female Shepard but she wont net you the paramour achivement. BLAST!

this game gets a bangin' Tali/10

Dragon Age: Outstanding!

I'm alive.

no really, i've just been a hermit...

as usual.

Its been video game time for me since the release of 2 incredibly awesome video games.

first i was derailed by is Dragon Age: Origins.

i have to say, screenshots or trailers for the game didn't really make it look amazing. they focus more on showing a couple short FMV sequences and some gameplay, which normally would be a good thing, but RPGs dont have the same kind of flashy gameplay as other games.

but trust me the game is awesome. you can definatly play it a few times cause the replay value is amazing. each main quest can have at least 2 ways to go through it, sometimes more, with 2 different outcomes which heavily impacts the game's endings.

and with character creation you can pick one of 3 races, each with a choice of backstory, and without that job select up to 2 unique specializations. my rough math says theres 72 different characters possible counting only combonations of race, backstory, job, and combos of 2 specializations. thats not counting choices of gender, positive or negative alignment, different choices made during the main quests, the side characters you choose to join you, or any of the multiple endings you can get.

i'm not good enough at math to figure that out.

if that doesnt impress you maybe the fact that there is a varitable cornicopia of love instrests, tons of sidequests including character specific sidequests given to you by your companions, and some very challenging optional bosses. not to mention theres already 3 DLC already out one of which includes a fully integrated new character. not to mention blood dragon armor for this and Mass Effect 2 if you bought the game (which you should you pirating ninnies)

if that wasnt enough March brings us Dragon Age: Awakening, a full game expansion with 5 new companions, a new main story line, new areas and an all new origin story.

phheeeewwwww... sorry gotta take a breath there. lol

theres only two things i dont like about the game. first its bloody hard sometimes. i really suggest taking the time to completely reprogram certain characters tactics (its a series of cause and effect senarios for the ai to prioritize during battle) to make them more effective. the spirit healer character you can recruit has such a horrible tactics set its a miracle she gets off a single healing spell. that ones got to go. also any tanking character you leave to AI should also be reprogrammed. doing this makes battles go smoother but there still plenty of frustrating "Your journey ends..." screens. in fact, i actually had to lower the difficulty on some fights after dying 10+ in the same situation.

the other thing is the length of some of the main story missions. im not a 15 yr old kid with hours and hours with which to play games anymore, and i like to usually play a quest or a mission straight through before turning it off, so on some of the missions the length was a little much. the mages circle in particular was a little too long for my taste as that one mission can take a couple hours if you let it. so stock up on potions and get all the extra inventory spaces you can, cause thats a doozy. keep in mind the length of the game itself is actually quite good, its really just the length of certain missions that gets a bit tedious.

all in all i love the game and cannot wait to get Awakening. i'm sure ill talk about that plenty when it comes out.

i give this game a solid fuedal lordship/10