The Mystical Lazer

Why no updates since December?

2009-03-11T16:07:00.004-04:00

It certainly has been a while since I wrote anything or updated my blog. Why? Chalk it up to a combination of job hunting, more job hunting, video games, even more job hunting, and not writing for GotGame anymore.

That's right. I've stopped writing for GotGame since about January. They decided to focus more on PC gaming - something I'm not that interested in or familiar with - and I needed to focus on finding a paying job. Which I have, and haven't had much success with. Stupid economy.

This is, in a nut shell, what I've been doing or trying to do as well:

Considering going back to school for...something.
Considering going back to school to study physical therapy.
Exercising at the YMCA.
Taking a Fiction Writing Class.
Wanting to get into Green Lantern.
Loving the American adaptation of Kamen Rider Ryuki - Kamen Rider Dragon Knight (more on this in a future post).
Trying to figure out how to (humanely) get rid of a squirrel in my attic.
Writing one book and working on another.
Listening to the latest DragonForce album.
Eagerly going to see Watchmen, trying to read the graphic novel before I see the film.
Glad my mom is out of her neckbrace.

Well, that's about it. Later.

First GotGame Posts from December

2008-12-06T15:11:00.002-05:00

Here's some of my recent articles published for GotGame that have been released this month.

Fewer Nazis, More Dinosaurs: Ending Video Game Generics

Sex Game Company Says "Screw You ESRB, Console Industry"

People We Wish Would Design Games: Jeff Dunham

Finally, UPDATES.

2008-12-06T14:23:00.002-05:00

I've been very bad at updating the blog, but busy in the real world.

My Mom broke her neck back in October just before Halloween, so a lot of what I've been doing has been helping and taking care of her. She's doing relatively well now, all things considered, for those who are wondering.

Anyway, I'll be trying to update my blog more regularly. So let's start with some GotGame articles that were published in November:

DDR The Musical Promises Soap Stars, Free Beer, and Maybe Some Dancing
Just a weird bit of news I wanted to share, especially after the article I wrote on the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Musical. Found it originally on Geekologie.

Whatever Happened to Virtual Reality Gaming
Just something I was thinking about one day that became an article.

Sam & Max Hit the Wii, Wii Files Restraining Order
I picked up the game because I love Sam & Max, hadn't played the games on the PC, and needed SOMETHING to play on it. Plus, it was kind of a pleasant surprise. So I just figured I'd review it.

People We Wish Would Design Games: Hayao Miyazaki
The first of a series of articles I'm doing, and I'm hoping that other GotGame writers will do some as well.

Obama Appoints Gamer to Co-Chair FCC Transition Team
Another piece of news I thought I should share, especially since it involved gaming and President Elect Barack Obama.

That's all from November.

Awwww...Shiba Inu Puppies LIVE

2008-11-13T22:04:00.006-05:00

Shiba Inus are Japanese breed of dog. They're kind of like huskies or malamutes.

Click this link for more info.

Because I can't figure out how to put a direct video on my blog,

Here's the video link:

SHIBA INU PUPPIES LIVE

Thank you Geekologie, who knew you loved puppies.

Three More GotGame Posts

2008-11-12T22:35:00.004-05:00

Companies That Could "Console" You
I wrote about five companies I thought could build video game consoles. Hasn't gotten nearly as many hits as I was hoping. I was even expecting some hateful remarks, but nothing. Looking back, probably could have used a better title.

ENGL 1337: Classic Literature Made Video Games
Tried to make a joke about English lit. with 1337 = LEET. Did get the chance to totally rip on the worst piece of literature I've ever had to read: Voltaire's Candide.

Time Hollow is Full of It (But in a Good Way)
Tried to make a pun on "hollow". Hollow=Empty, as in opposite of full. Only fifteen diggs, but I appear to have peaked the interest of several others into playing the game. Not bad.

He Did It

2008-11-05T22:04:00.004-05:00

He made Jesse Jackson cry...oh, and won the election for president. He will be known as the first African American President, and hopefully be a great dog owner. Of course I'm talking about Barack Obama...sorry, President Barack Obama.

I didn't create this blog to talk about politics, but it's hard not to talk or write about all that's happened. Now I don't know much about economics, politics, and what have you, but if there's one thing Barack Obama has and will continue to do for this country is inspire us all to do what needs to be done and what can be done.

As those rallying cries of, "Yes we can. Yes we can. Yes we can," went out all I could really think of was the Little Engine That Could. I know that's kind of childish, but it is a timeless lesson that does seem to fit the attitude we'll need for the challenges we're facing.

I actually thought the market might do better today, but sadly that wasn't the case. Oh well, tomorrow is another day and it's looking all the better.

I just keep wondering what kind of dog Obama's two girls will be getting. Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, sure have had to deal with a lot these past few months, and daddy O looks like he's going to keep his word:

"I love you [Malia and Sasha] more than you can imagine, and you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the White House."

I was surprised to learn that one of Obama's daughters has allergies, and that this is effecting their choice. Also, I didn't know poodles were so hypoallergenic. I guess a poodle wouldn't be so bad for them. I just hope it's better behaved than the dog that bit me the other day (didn't break the skin though, I'm fine). I honestly haven't known too many "friendly" poodles, but these two little ones look awfully cute.

Also, did you know that Obama's girls will be the youngest residents of the White House since Amy Carter (at age 9) in 1977? Or that there's a Presidential Pet Museum in Virginia?

I think we've all learned something over these past few months, especially about ourselves. It seems like a lot of barriers have been broken down, and lets hope we'll continue to break down more. I kind of envy African American people; while we both have witnessed an amazing and wonderful moment in history, as a white man I may never experience or know what this meant to them. I voted for Barack Obama, and I'll support him as much as I can. It's a heavy load Mr. President, but I believe you can do it. Especially if we all do our part. Whatever IT is, YES WE CAN.

Three New GotGame Posts

2008-10-29T21:00:00.004-04:00

Yeah, yeah, I'm a terrible blogger. What can I say, I've been working. Here are three of my latest GotGame posts.

Lego Video Games That Could Have You 'Laying' Bricks

So Your Roomate's a Gamer?

Yoichi Wada's "Japan Alliance": Great Game Potential or Corporate Greed?

If you read this blog, enjoy the articles.

Latest GotGame Posts

2008-10-22T19:31:00.002-04:00

Here's my latest GotGame publications. One's kind of late, since I've been working so much, and the other just came out today.

Old One: How to Pwn Stress (Caused By, And With, Video Games)

New One: Still Two Screens or Back to One? What's Next for Nintendo?

Please ignore Dr, Steve's comments(that's not a typo, that's how he typed it). I don't think he's even a real doctor.

Latest GotGame Publications

2008-10-08T22:05:00.004-04:00

I have been so sick and tired lately that I haven't been posting.

These are three articles that recently got published on GotGame:

Pheonix Wright: Ace Attorney (the musical?) Inspired by the same blog post (mine and others).

Worst Case Scenario: If Pokemon Were Real

The Limits of Video Game Movies

New GotGame Article - Politicians, Princesses and Dragons: Lets Get It On!

2008-09-30T23:47:00.005-04:00

Another article I wrote was posted on GotGame just a day or two ago. I had a lot of fun with this one; it was about what kind of fighting game we would create.

Politicians, Princesses and Dragons: Lets Get It On!

After sorting through Diney Princess stuff I was inspired/annoyed by them to come up with a Disney Princess fighting game I called Melee in the Magic Kingdom.

The second was a mythical creature fighting game. I was thinking about a dragon fighting a unicorn and just went from there. I wanted a cool name, and Dragon vs. Unicorn didn't really cover all of the creatures I thought of including. I kind of pulled Other Realm: Survival of the Fittest out of the air. I still can't think of anything better.

The last one I just thought of after all the election coverage, and several cartoons featuring Washington and Lincoln fighting each other I thought it was time. Political Kombat.

Saddly it hasn't yet broken even 10 diggs, and I thought it would do better. Kind of sad about that.

Oh well. I did just turn in an article about the Phoenix Wright musical. Hope that goes well. Haven't seen any other news about it other than what I cited previously.

GotGame Post: Why PS3's Blu-Ray Player Might Be Worth It

2008-09-24T20:15:00.003-04:00

I'm trying to include posts about my latest articles on GotGame as a way to hopefully get more people to read them. So if you're reading this it means there's a new article up there.

Why PS3's Blu-Ray Player Might Be Worth It

It's actually gotten more diggs in one day than I thought it would overall. So that's a good thing. YAY!

You've Got to be Kidding: Phoenix Wright the Musical

2008-09-24T19:20:00.007-04:00

Okay, I know firsthand that Japan and the US are different in a lot of ways, good and bad, but who knew we both had a penchant for bad ideas for musicals. But a musical, based on a video game, about law? That's right folks, we're talking Phoenix Wright: The Musical.

Now I thought Spiderman and Legally Blonde were bad ideas for musicals (Spiderman especially, Legally Blonde I really don't give a crap about), but the Japanese have once again managed to out do us in something. A musical is in the works based on the Nintendo DS game we know as Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, a video game about a lawyer who defends his clients and solves murder mysteries. If you've never played the game, it's actually more of an interactive novel where you have to find clues, solve puzzles, and find the lies in witness testimony in order to find the truth and progress in the game. The stories are addictive, even challenging, and have always left me eagerly anticipating the next game in the series. It's kind of like a Japanese take on a young Matlock with some mysticism thrown in. The musical is supposed to be based on the first game.

The play is set to be performed by the Takarazuka Revue, an all-female acting group with a long an interesting history in Japan. I highly recommend reading up on them, the Wikipedia page on them alone is very interesting. In fact, it says that the god of manga Osamu Tezuka grew up in the city of Takarazuka, his mother was close friends with some of the actresses, and he grew up knowing them and watching their performances. This apparently influenced some of his work, especially Princess Knight (the first manga targeted/made specifically to/for girls). I never would have guessed, of course before this I didn't really know what Takarazuka plays were. I had heard of plays where women play the parts of men, but wasn't sure what they were or how they fit into Japanese culture. I have seen a Kabuki play though. I think in that all the actors are men.

Most interesting of all, about this story any way, is that they are choosing to go with the lead character's English name of Phoenix Wright instead of the original Japanese name of Ryuichi Naruhodo (which I think loosely translates as "No. 1 Dragon, I see"). I guess Phoenix Wright is catchier than Ryuichi Naruhodo.

From DarkDiamond, who got it from Kotaku.

Transformers 2 Info

2008-09-23T15:31:00.008-04:00

According to Superhero Hype! leaked images of a tank-form of Megatron are indeed real, and that this is how Megatron will look in the sequel, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, accompanied apparently by a little hummel boy.

Also confirmed:

Jetfire is in the movie, as an Autobot and not a Decepticon (apparently as previously believed), and will...wait for it...this is so cool...COMBINE w/OPTIMUS PRIME!

Sideswipe is the Chevy Corvette.

On the Decepticon's side, Ravage and Devastator will be in the movie, too.

While I found it on Superhero Hype! a lot of this information comes from Transformers World 2005, who have an apparent exclusive but definitely inside look into the film with it's script writer Roberto Orci. They're also where I got the Megs and Corvette pics from.

2 articles in 2 days, both over 20 Diggs

2008-09-23T00:17:00.005-04:00

Two articles I wrote recently for GotGame have been published recently, one following another.

Both of them even have over twenty diggs. For a GotGame article that's better than average, for mine and those of others.

As added goodness one of them, Video Games as Tools of Charity, got over twenty diggs in it's first day. Though to be fair I was writing about a pretty cool group of gamers, and I did pick on Jack Thompson. I just had to include my thoughts on what he'd do if he heard about this. Read the article to find out.

Gemu Starto: Anime Game Hoshi hasn't gotten the diggs I was hoping for, but probably more than I guess I could have expected. I am considering doing a part 2.

Toonami, you will be missed

2008-09-22T21:28:00.010-04:00

Saturday, September 20, 2008 officially the worst day of my life so far. For reasons more than just this (reasons that connect to today). After a lot of denial and heavy drinking, I've got nothing. All I can offer is this quote I got from BrainyQuote

"Everything that is new or uncommon raises a pleasure in the imagination, because it fills the soul with an agreeable surprise, gratifies its curiosity, and gives it an idea of which it was not before possessed."

-------Joseph Addison

Eleven years is a true triumph, at times it was rocky but still brought me and millions of others great joy.

Thank you. Thank you, Toonami. Cartoon Network, while you aren't dead to me we are not on friendly terms.

Revolution: Complete

Revolution 2.0: Waiting and ready

Update: One More Nominee for Brawl's Sequel

2008-09-18T22:46:00.009-04:00

I've got one more character to nominate for the next Super Smash Brothers. I actually was considering this character before, but didn't really know enough about him* to really say anything. But after reading some stuff online, including Wikipedia, I've got enough to work with.

Nights: This flying jester/harlequin of dreamland is one resilient character, managing to survive the Sega Saturn and finding a place on, of all systems, the Wii with Nights: Journey of Dreams. Nights into Dreams, the original Saturn game, was even re-released on the PS2 in Japan back in February of this year. Considering Sega's Sonic appeared in Brawl, it's no stretch to think Nights (also from Sega) could appear in the next SSB. Nights may be the Liberachi of video games, but with the ability to fly and change shape he* sounds like a really fun character.
Final Smash: Nights transforms into his* dragon form and moves across the screen under the control of the player with the capability to pass through solid surfaces, giving him* the potential to hit any character anywhere on screen.

* - Most of what I read about Nights suggested "his" gender was androgynous, meaning Nights could be male or female, and depended on the dreamer Nights merges with. I just used "he" because it's easier to type than "she".

My Nominees for the Next Super Smash Brothers

2008-09-14T22:42:00.029-04:00

If there's one thing that this election has taught me, it's that you can never start campaigning too early. With that in mind, there are probably some matters gamers are looking forward too more than the election, and one of those is the line-up of the next Super Smash Brothers game. While details about the next SSB game are pretty much hush hush over at Nintendo, we can always start to guess and nominate new characters.

It's highly likely that many of SSB's classic characters will be returning, although what new tricks Nintendo may have up their sleeve can only be guessed at this point. Personally I think some kind of co-op/tag-team final smash-type move would be cool. While Knuckles and/or Tails is/are likely to join Sonic if he is to return, there's still no telling what characters Nintendo is considering for the next SSB. But if the sequel to SSBB is anything like it's predecessor (Final Smashes included) and they are looking to have some new characters, I have a few ideas on who I think will be or at least could be considered.

Bomberman - He's had a large number of games and has been tight w/Nintendo in the past. Plus, past games show that different colored Bombermen are easy to do. Besides, SSB can always use more explosions.
Final Smash: Something involving either a large number of bombs or one really big explosion, maybe even with a countdown. Basically, BOMBERMAN GO BOOM!

Donkey Kong Junior - With just DK and Diddy representing Donkey Kong they could use some reinforcements, but there aren't too many other Donkey Kong characters that could make the transition to a fighting game. Dixxy Kong maybe, but going back a little further I think Donkey Kong Jr. would be a lot more fun. Combining Diddy's quickness with a smidge of Donkey Kong's strength, DK Jr could be a tough little roller and puncher, and the toughest hombre ever to wear a onesie.
Final Smash: Junior could be like his daddy and play the bongos, possibly releasing some of those annoying crocodiles from the original arcade game. However he could go through a sudden growth spurt and become more powerful, looking kind of like his daddy, for a certain amount of time. He could even possibly throw barrels.

Banjo-Kazooie - Even though they are set to appear on the Xbox360, they got their start on the N64. So it stands to reason they could make an appearance in SSB, if anything as crossover guest stars like Snake and Sonic from Brawl.
Final Smash: While I've only played a little bit of the original game, I'd imagine something like Kazooie turning into a phoenix and giving off an aura of flame that damages opponents and heals him and Banjo.

Paper Mario: Link is the only character to have had other versions of himself in a Smash Bros. game. This needs to change, especially since Nintendo's poster boy Mario hasn't had one (and no Luigi doesn't count). Paper Mario also offered great and unique game play, and material that would make for a cool move set (ex. temporary flight by folding into an airplane). He could replace Mr. Game&Watch though.
Final Smash: Paper Mario folds himself into some form of weapon (throwing star, knife, something), basically showing just why paper beats rock. Behold the power of origami.

Amaterasu (Okami): Making the transition to the Wii, Okami proved itself to still be a great game. Amaterasu might prove to be a difficult character to control, but fun to play as and possibly even beautiful to watch. It would be nice if Ami left a trail of flowers behind her like in the original game, but that may be asking too much. It might even be interesting to fight as a four legged character. More than anything, it'd be a way for us to play as Okami one last time. CURSE YOU CAPCOM!!!!!
Final Smash: Random strokes from the magic paint brush cause status effects, damage, or blows opponents off the stage. Maybe even causing food to appear like Princess Peach. Some plants and flowers appearing on the stage might be nice too.

Midna (sans Wolf Link): Not too many other characters from the Zelda series have stood out or been as big a part of a game like Midna has. Also, with her sinister smile and hair for a weapon she'd make for an interesting character to fight with. Besides, you can forget having Twinkle as a fighter as far as I'm concerned.
Final Smash: Midna transforms into her true form...beyond that I got nothing except she unleashes dark energy. What this would do I have no idea.

Viewtiful Joe: Another of Capcom's characters who's possibility for sequels was ended when Capcom FOOLISHLY (I repeat, FOOLISHLY) decided to dissolve Clover Studios (again, IDIOTS!), Joe got his start on the Gamecube before porting to the PS2. With his powers there's some cool move potential. Besides, you can't tell me that you wouldn't want to play as Joe in a video game at least one...last...time. (sniff) I'm sorry I...I need a minute.
Final Smash: Either Joe summons Big Machine to smash opponents with giant robot fists, or he uses his powers to move super fast or slow his opponents down for a certain amount of time.

Golden Sun – Just as SSB took characters from Fire Emblem, the Golden Sun series could be another great source for fighters. Personally, I like the idea of Alex being in the game after his work as a trophy in Brawl. Now I admit that I've never played Golden Sun, but after researching the series it seems like there are lots of other great characters that could be potential fighters.
Final Smash: It would depend on who the character is, but if we're still talking about Alex then I'd say something like his palm move as a trophy from Brawl.

Darkrai: Since another Pokemon character is likely to be added to the already huge roster of Pokemon characters in Smash Brothers and since most other legendary Pokemon might be too big or too small, I nominate Darkrai. He's also become something of a fan favorite with his dark, and somewhat emo-esq qualities.
Final Smash: Darkrai emits an aura that causes all or nearby opponents to fall asleep, at the same time dealing damage with Dream Eater.

Lucian and Aaron (Lunar Knights): LK or Boktai DS has a strong history in Japan, and it's still one of the most unique games available for the DS. Now since Pokemon Trainer and Zelda/Sheik had a "tag out"/change system, this same system could be used for Lucian & Aaron, having them working as a team just like in the DS game.
Final Smash: Depends on who you choose. Lucian might have a dark slash, similar to Link's TriForce Slash, that causes great damage but doesn't knock anyone off screen, while Aaron would have a sun laser blast massive in size but weaker in dealing damage and capable of hitting multiple opponents and sending them off screen. One for distance and one for close range, just like the DS game.

Finally, and probably my most wanted:

Miis - Me, you, and all the other Miis. Your Mii, which is essentially you, could actually be a character in Super Smash Brothers. There are too many possibilities to discuss, but one way this could work is that you set your Mii's move-set up like an existing character model. Kind of like the different colored Alloy Men from Brawl.
Final Smash: Either an alternate form using a different Mii, a Mii parade charge, or Miis just appearing from a dimensional gate, flying and running all over the screen.

Well, what do you think? Oh, and if Nintendo reads this you can thank me for my ideas with a job.

UPDATE - see this post for one more character.

Set to Stun: RAF Radar Chief Says He Saw A Fleet of UFOs

2008-09-14T19:43:00.002-04:00

Not much to say on my part, so you should probably follow the link and read the story for yourself.

Here's the story.

Presley Wins, is the Great American Dog! Proof Boxers Rule!

2008-09-12T14:18:00.013-04:00

I don't watch too many reality shows, but as a dog lover I found myself compelled to watch Greatest American Dog. It was also great when, in the end, one of my favorite dogs won. If you watched the show, or just look at some pictures, it easy to see why Travis and Presley won. These two may have been the most inexperienced (Presley was a puppy compared to some of the other dogs), but they symbolized what I think is this competition was all about. They are a boy and his dog, and who better to symbolize the concept of Greatest American Dog? Besides, the dog's name is Presley, as in Elvis who sang Hound Dog. It's perfect. What's more, after winning and getting all that money, Presley seemed more excited and eager to play with the other dogs than anything else. That's a Great American Dog for the people/dogs. Besides, who could resist that face.

I'm glad I found this picture, because these were the two dogs I was rooting for from the beginning. I love both boxers and bulldogs, so I was rooting for both of them. It's nice to know that one of my picks won. It was sad to see Tillman leave, but he was already kind of famous. Known as the skating bulldog, Tillman is an internet sensation and was even on Oprah. After what I've read about people's love for Tillman I think he'll be okay as long as he keeps up what he's doing, skateboarding and being lazy. Sorry you didn't win Tillman, but you're still a great American dog in my eyes for just being a skateboarding, surfing bulldog. Heck, just for being a bulldog.

Truth be told I've wanted a bulldog or a boxer for some time. I use to walk a neighbors pair, one boxer one bulldog, and people often thought we looked alike swaggering up and down the street with our broad shoulders and chests and our short legs. And again, how can you resist that face.

I've got to give some special props to little Andrew, the Maltese who came in second. Andrew and his mama/owner Laurie had a wonderful relationship that we could all learn from. While a bit of a mama's boy, as the smallest dog in the competition Andrew lived up to the old saying that it ain't the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog. And who can blame him for wanting to make his mommy proud of him. Way to go Andrew.

While I've shed some light on these dogs specifically, I really hope that all the dogs and owners who appeared on Greatest American Dog do well in the future. While this competition may raise the price of some specific breeds of dogs, boxers more than likely, I just hope that people realize that no one breed of dog is better than others and that all dogs are great. After all, chances are we won't be seeing Greatest American Cat any time soon.

Set to Stun: Mysterious Boom In My Own Backyard

2008-09-08T17:34:00.003-04:00

Apparently there was quite a loud noise in a neighboring North Carolina city, described as a loud boom.

Reports from Clayton, Wendell, Selma, and Middlesex state that on Sunday, September 7, 2007 at around 5:45 p.m. a loud noise was heard, and appears to have no explanation as to what caused it. Clayton resident Clint Banks said that it lasted for at least 15 seconds.

Some believe that it was a sonic boom, but surrounding air bases and airports reported no missing planes.

According to officials at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Wayne County, planes are not allowed to produce a sonic boom and that all of the base's F-15s completed landing at 4:15 p.m.

While not intentional a sonic boom is possible, but the recent weather may have been a factor. However, officials at the National Weather Service said they did not know of any events – including an earthquake – that would have caused the noise.

Finally, paranormal event in my own backyard...okay in a city about two or three hours away, but still pretty close.

Here's the official story.

GI Joe: a real time American strategy game.

2008-08-21T23:11:00.018-04:00

I've been trying to backtrack some postings I did on another forum I made about video games we may see in the future, but I'm jumping ahead and talking about one here I made just the other day. Now I don't know the biz or have any more incite in it than the rest of you, I just have a vivid imagination. So let's begin.

If you've been keeping track of events in the worlds of movies, comics, video games, and generally all things geekie, you've probably heard that a GI Joe movie is in the works. Now you can find details about the movie at their website, but rest assured that Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow are very much a part of it. In fact it wouldn't surprise me if Snake Eyes is the focus of a movie tie-in game, either as part of an overall game or for the whole experience. My only question is how is he going to communicate? Text messaging? Steven Hawking style? Etcha Sketch? I kid but while it might be a difficult gaming experience, if anyone can pull it off it's Snake Eyes. This isn't my big prediction, it's just something I wanted to throw out there.

Now my big prediction is about something that I'm surprised hasn't been attempted in the past, at least not that I know of. I've never been a big fan of Real Time Strategy games like Starcraft, Lord of the Rings: War of the Rings, Age of Empires, Command & Conquer, or the original Warcraft and WarHammer games, however I've been thinking lately it is ideal for a GI Joe game.

VS.

REAL TIME STRATEGY

With more than a hanger-full of vehicles on both sides, there appears to be plenty of source material for a game like this. Although it wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing if they made new vehicles or updated old ones. I remember this HUGE vehicle from the toy line and cartoon called The General, that would be cool to see. I didn't have it, but I did have a vehicle called the Battle Wagon. It had this missile launcher, a winch, side lazers and was even motorized. A prominent Cobra vehicle in the game would probably be the H.I.S.S. and I'd love to see Metal Head in the game, that crazy cyborg missile-launcher

Aside from being fun and a fantasy come true, I mostly see it as a good way to get back to your childhood days (or for some of you it might have been just yesterday) when you played with your GI Joes. Only this time you don't have to spend hundreds of dollars on all the vehicles and figures.

I think it would be cool if you could play as GI Joe or Cobra, maybe even have the opportunity to switch sides during the game. Admit it, the prospect of ordering troops and shouting either "Yo Joe!" or "Cobraaaaaaa!" has been a fantasy of your's for years.

What vehicles would you like to see, and would you play as GI Joe or Cobra?
Also, if you happen to be a GI Joe buff, a GI Joe wiki is in the works and needs soldiers to contribute some info.

If you are a game developer and like my idea, just remember who had the idea first.

GotGame Fighter Pole, Discussion

2008-08-17T21:25:00.012-04:00

If you're reading this you either read my article on GotGame, or you've stumbled onto my blog by complete accident. Either way, welcome. I thought it was important to provide more insight and give credit where credit is due for my most recent article on fighting game crossovers.

In the GotGame writers' forum I posted the question "What fighters do you want to download/fight with in Soul Calibur IV?" There were two sections for voting, and in both multiple characters could be selected.

Since Soulcalibur is now tight with George Lucas's gravy-train, the first pole asked what Star Wars characters they wanted. Now some characters had been suggested in the original article idea, but with Clone Wars on the horizon I thought I should include some characters from that. The choices ended up being: Darth Maul, Mace Windu, Asajj Ventress, Ahsoka Tano, Count Dooku/Darth Tyranus, Obiwan Kenobi, General Grievous, Kit Fisto, Luke Skywalker, and Other. By now you probably know the staff's top three choices, but it might interest you to know that Ventress, Dooku, Grievous, and Kit Fisto all got the same score. No love for Ahsoka though, with zero votes. I guess nobody saw Clone Wars over the weekend before I turned this article in, then again maybe they did. I haven't yet so it's hard to tell.
Honestly I'm kind of surprised Ventress didn't score higher. I thought some wouldn't know who she was, so I later referred to her as, "the bald alien chick with the two red lightsabers." Didn't really change anything I'm afraid.

Some of you might be wondering why I put Kit Fisto in the vote. Well he kind of stands out among the other Jedi, especially during the Clone Wars, Episode 2 and Episode 3. He's also the only Jedi I know of to have fought underwater. Okay, I think he's cool; he was one of the most recognizable background Jedi for me, and the squid-head dreadlocks just won me over. Plus he roles/rolled with Mace Windu, so you know he is/was tough. I'll never forget you squid-head!Dana, one of our team members, was surprised Grievous didn't receive more votes, but my buddy Graham made a good point in that Grievous, "fights like a lawnmower." I guess that would be unfair.Andrea, another writer I've grown to know, loves furry things, especially when they're also vicious. So I guess when she suggested Ewoks and Chewbacca as possible characters I shouldn't have been surprised. She also first suggested Jar Jar as a character, and all for the sake of, "beating the crap out of him."

The second pole asked what video game characters they wanted. This was a tough one, since there are so many characters and sources to initially choose from. So I had to think of some characters , but I did say I was open for more suggestions. I tried to pick characters with consoles in mind, like in Soulcalibur II, and ones that I knew were both generally and currently popular, so I decided to go with: Dante (Devil May Cry), Kraytos (God of War), Altair Ibn-La'Ahad (Assasin's Creed), Travis Touchdown (No More Heroes), Link (Twilight Princess version), Master Chief (Halo), Ryu Hayabusa (DOA, Ninja Gaiden), Snake (Metal Gear Solid), Other and, since it was hard to pick just one from the franchise or one without the other, Sub Zero & Scorpion and (because it felt necessary) Cloud & Sephiroth as one choice.

The Mortal Kombat rivals tying with the FFVII rivals was a big surprise, mostly because I didn't think Sub Zero and Scorpion would rate as high as Cloud & Sephiroth. I guess people still love those two crazy ninjas. The same can't be said for Ryu though; he only got one vote. Altair and Snake only got one vote, too. Travis tied with Link, another surprise, and Master Chief didn't score nearly as high as I thought he would; two votes. I have to admit I was kind of hoping the votes would show others were eager to see Travis Touchdown in a lightsaber duel, but I was glad everyone else was also eager to see Dante and Kraytos in a fighting game.

Other game characters were also suggested by the voting staff. Adam suggested Prince of Persia, Christopher suggested Nemesis from Resident Evil 3, and Bryan had the idea of Mario with a lightsaber, which I have to admit I thought was hilarious and brilliant. Just imagine Mario in the classic Jedi hood with a plunger shaped lightsaber. Oh wait, you don't have to. Finally, because he made an old school reference to Shenmue, I'm giving props to Danielle. I'll let his post speak for himself:
"Yo how about that dude from Shenmue. Ryo? I don't know. He could wield a cat as his weapon. But seriously, he knows martial arts. Dr. Robotnik could be neat. In a terrible fan service kind of way. Mystical Ninja Goemon would be hella awesome." Still not sure what he means by a "terrible fan service kind of way," but the cat as a weapon made me laugh. You rule Danielle!

Finally, I left other media open for discussion. You can thank Thomas for bringing up Highlander, and my buddy Graham for adding Kurgon to the suggestion. Graham also suggested Mad Mardigan from Willow, calling it "possibly the best roll of Val Kilmer's career." Graham also started the Kill Bill suggestion, but it was Andrea who finally reminded us that the girl with bladed ball-and-chain was named Gogo. Andrea also suggested Skeletor, but you can't have Skeletor without He-Man. I suggested Hellboy since Spawn had his chance already, and after Adam suggested the Prince of Persia, I thought who better to stand opposite to him than 300's Leonidas.

It was a fun discussion, and I really appreciate everyone's input for this article. There are a lot of great people at GotGame, and that's why I wanted to share their insight and their humor with you. I hope you'll continue to check out their articles as well as my own.

Bigfoot press conference dissapointing, but don't stop believing.

2008-08-16T19:44:00.001-04:00

Those of you who might have seen the Bigfoot press conference were probably disappointed like I was; nothing really confirmed as to whether the body is real or not. Well I’d rather not dwell on it and not give Biscardi and his associates any more thought or attention than they deserve until they give us something tangible. If this is in fact a hoax, then I don’t think these guys have even begun to pay for it.

All this buzz over a creature that may not even exist, or just flat out doesn’t if you’re the media. I swear their attitude has been one harsh comment after another, especially from that one guy at Fox News. I don’t remember his name, but he brushed this off saying “we’ve got real news.” Okay maybe it isn’t as pressing as some other stories, but if you knew anything Mr. Anchorman you’d know that legitimate scientific investigations and expeditions have been done to try and find Bigfoot, and that there is some very compelling evidence supporting the existence of a North American great ape. We’re talking recordings of unknown howls, hair, and footprints with dermal ridges (fingerprints). Accredited scientists have staked their reputation on the authenticity of this evidence. At least the Discovery Channel, hopefully out of respect for the true science behind Bigfoot and not a means to capitalize on the news for ratings, showed a program about the real investigations into Bigfoot the night following the press conference held on Friday August 15th. At least some real info about Bigfoot might have reached the skeptics.

So why do people believe in creatures that may or may not exist, often referred to as cryptids? Well in some cases, like Bigfoot, the evidence can be overwhelming or at the very least highly compelling in supporting a creature’s existence. For others it’s a matter of credible witness testimony combined with legend and folklore dating back hundreds to thousands of years. But if I had to sum it up in as few words as possible it’s this: reality sucks. Looking around at the state of the world you can’t help but hope for something to either make life a little more interesting or at least not so very cruel and soul crushing.

We all have dreams as children that are often crushed by reality and some of us try to get some of that hope and magic that we once had back through hobbies and other interests. Humans also have an innate desire to explore and discover things. It’s how North America came to be, and why we continue the push to explore space, and why life isn’t as hard as it was thousands of years ago. Because there’s no frontier anymore and no way to explore other planets yet, some people have to settle for exploring the world around us. Time and again people have found things that the rest of the world didn’t know existed, and discoveries continue to be made everyday: new species, new technologies, all bringing new possibilities. Often what some thought as merely myth and fantasy has been proven to be fact, look at dinosaurs, germs, and the various creatures discovered in the ocean. Not long ago the giant squid was a sea monster, a fairytale. Now the giant squid is fact. Who is to say that the possibility of other cryptids or cryptid-like creatures existing is nil?

That’s why hoaxes are such a pain in the butt; they distract people from the real evidence. Thus anybody who dares to follow the evidence, especially a scientist who puts serious time and effort into exploring such possibilities, is labeled by others as a crackpot on a foolish endeavor. But for every loon there is a genius and for every hoaxer a determined believer. So mock if you will Mr. Anchorman and scoff all you like Mr. Skeptic, because there is always the chance that you are wrong. When vindication comes it makes for a very hard dish to swallow on your part, and a very sweet dish for those who always believed based on more than just blind faith.

UPDATE- As you know, the body was a hoax. This doesn't change my initial feelings. This Bigfoot might have been fake, but I believe it's still out there.

More Gurren Lagann Goodness; English version continues to hit and miss.

2008-08-13T16:00:00.007-04:00

It's time for more on one of the greatest super robot shows to come from Japan and hit our shores: Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. Those of you who follow my blog may remember my previous entry on Gurren Lagann, and for those of you who have just now stumbled on it may want to check it out.

Well I've finally managed to catch more episodes of the English version, thank you Sci-Fi Channel, and was about as impressed as I was originally. The voice acting has continued to hit and miss in some areas, but for the most part it appears to be staying true to the original and doing a decent job.

I hate that I missed Gurren Lagann's first appearance/first combination, but since I'd already seen it before in the Japanese version I wasn't too disappointed. I did hate missing that first fight with Viral though. Brotherly combination? Okay I know they can't say "Kyodai gattai" but still, wouldn't "Brotherly fusion" or "Brothers united" been better?

Okay but let's get to the characters and their voice actors.

The Black Siblings- Kiyoh, Kinon, & Kiyal: Three femme fatales that are the sisters of the great Kitan. Their roles range from supporting the others in the control room to fighting in Ganmen. The youngest sibling, Kiyal (the one with long, purple hair), has a Ganmen that transforms and becomes a spear and shield for Kitan's Ganmen King Kittan. Kiyoh is the oldest, and has very big...eyes, and blonde hair. She fights in a ganmen as well, but later sits on the sidelines for a very good reason. While Kiyoh and Kiyal later sit back and watch most of the action, Kinon (the one with the glasses) becomes more deeply involved. So keep an eye on her.
The Kiyoh, Kinon, and Kiyal are voiced by three very great voice actresses with very nice voices; Karen Strassman, Stephanie Sheh, and Gina Bowles respectively. It's hard to judge them separately, but collectively they do a great job. It's also hard to compare them to the originals since it's been a while since I've heard the Japanese voices. But for what it's worth, they are doing a great job. EXCELLENT WORK LADIES. A

Leeron, aka Ron: A character that is bound to cause some controversy here stateside is Ron. Why? If the mascara isn't a big enough clue for you, Ron is a guy with a feminine touch. It's hard to say if he's gay or a cross dresser, but his mannerisms are definitely not that of a regular guy. Ron is supposed to be an okama type character ("okama" roughly means crossdresser), or one that is clearly a man but with feminine mannerisms or characteristics. Think Mr. 2 Bon Clay from One Piece. I'll admit that these kinds of characters some times make me a little...uncomfortable...but after seeing Mr. 2 in One Piece and because I was loving Gurren Lagann so much I kept watching, and, wouldn't you know it, Ron became one of my favorite characters. While other characters of Ron's type may be confined to be nothing more then the stereotypical gay guy in other anime, Ron is much much more than that. He is the brains of the Gurren Brigade, with knowledge and expertise equal to the collective might of the entire Brigade. On more than one occasion Ron manages to pull off scientific miracles that even the most manly of men would kiss him for, me included. Unlike other omake or gay characters in anime, Ron's feminine ways quickly become a secondary issue, at least for me, making him stand out more for his brains than what some of his personal preferences may be. This is what makes him one of the best characters in Gurren Lagann and one of the most unique anime characters I have ever seen.
Saddly this is where Ron's greatness ends, at least in the English version. Despite hiring Steven Blum, a very talented and legendary voice actor worthy of such a complex character, he just doesn't seem to work. While he provides a lisp that is somewhat stereotypical, it seems to fit Ron and the over-the-top feel of Gurren Lagann, and in all honesty is something I kind of expected and wanted for his english version's voice (because he rises above this stereotype). While Steven Blum is one of my favorite voice actors, as Ron he sounds like a gay Orochi Maru; not what I would have expected or liked for this character. The original Japanese voice actor gave Ron more charm, while now he just sounds gay. Despite the great Steven Blum's efforts, I have to say I'm a little disappointed. COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER. C+

Rossiu: One of the most complex characters of the series is Rossiu, the young alter boy like character introduced in episode 5. He is a very intelligent person, and really rises beyond his initial role in the series to become one of its most important characters as the series progresses. I can't reveal too much without spoiling things, but what I can tell you is that you should keep an eye on him. Rossiu is voiced by a very accomplished voice actor named Johnny Yong Bosch. Some of you may remember him as the second Black Ranger from the original Power Rangers, as well as the Green Zeo Ranger, but he's also made quite a name for himself as a voice actor for some very popular anime characters: Vash the Stampede (Trigun), Ichigo Kurosaki (Bleach), Renton Thurston (Eureka 7), and many others. I wasn't quite sure who or what kind of voice would suit Rossiu. Frankly his Japanese voice didn't sound quite right to me. But I think a good choice was made with Johnny Young Bosch, especially if he continues to provide the voice. GREAT CHOICE. A+

Gimmy and Darry: While at present Gimmy and Darry don't play much more than the role of kids following the heroes, the voice actors are doing a good job and fit the characters well. I wish I could identify the voice actors, but I can't find any info on who does their voices at the moment. It'll be interesting to see how well they do when Gimmy and Darry are older and contribute more to the story. Any more info and I'd be spoiling things. REALLY GOOD. A

I'll have more when I get to hear more of Kittan, Viral, Lord Genome, the generals, and others.

I say again, if you aren't watching this show by now you are missing out on something great.

"Kick logic and reason to the kirb to achieve the impossible! Pierce the heavens with your soul! We are the Gurren Brigade! Who the hell do you think we are?"

Set to Stun - The First & Biggest Story: Bigfoot body found?

2008-08-12T22:17:00.011-04:00

I've been wanting to do a section of my blog devoted to the paranormal, and just haven't been able to find the right story to start it off with. I guess you could technically call my post on the Vatican the first paranormal post, but this is the first one in a series/section I'm calling "Set to Stun". I've had the title of this particular section chosen for a while. Since paranormal things often leave us surprised or "stunned", and part of the theme of my blog is lasers I thought it would be an appropriate homage to Star Trek and the moment in Star Wars where Leia is captured by the Stormtroopers.

Like I said, it has been hard finding a story that I was interested in enough to write about for my first Set to Stun, but I think I may have finally found one, and what better way than to start off with what may be the biggest story in paranormal news yet. This story is so big that it kind of demanded that I write about it.

According to a press release from Searching for Bigfoot, Inc., a press conference will take place on Friday, August 15 from noon to 1pm that will give the results of various tests, including DNA and photo examinations, of what may very well be the true, genuine body of a real Bigfoot. That's right people, A REAL BIGFOOT!

The "body" is said to have been discovered in the woods of Northern Georgia by local residents Matthew Whitton and Rick Dyer. Credibility of the finding is already being discussed on paranormal websites and forums across the internet. Whitton is a Clayton County police officer, currently on administrative leave after being wounded in the course of duty, and Dyer is a former correctional officer. This would make them somewhat credible, but Whitton and Dyer are also co-owners of bigfoottracker.com and Bigfoot Global LLC, a company that offers Bigfoot expeditions. Whitton and Dyer are working with Tom Biscardi, a well known Bigfoot hunter and owner of Searching for Bigfoot, Inc., to present and conduct scientific study of the evidence and information this body could offer. If it is indeed a body and not a hoax they've concockted to promote their businesses.

These are facts about the "body":

The "creature" is a male, stands seven feet seven inches tall and weighs over five hundred pounds. It's appearance is described as part human-like and part ape-like. It has reddish hair and blackish-grey eyes. It has two arms and two legs, with five fingers on each hand and five toes on each foot. The feet are flat, similar to human feet, and leave footprints sixteen and three-quarters inches long and five and three-quarters inches wide at the heel. It's hands, from the palm of the hand to the tip of the middle finger, are eleven and three-quarters inches long and six and one-quarter inches wide. The teeth are more like human teeth than those of an ape. Most significantly of all - it walks upright.

Apparently it wasn't alone, because several other creatures with similar features were sighted on the same day that the body was found. Pictures of the carcass can be found at Cryptomundo.com, it's a site I frequent for paranormal news. More info about the story can also be found at Cryptomundo.com. Just follow the links.

I REALLY want to believe that this is the real deal, but I also don't want to get my hopes up only to have them dashed by it turning out to be a hoax. What jumps out at me the most about these pictures is how much the face resembles that of an ape mask from the original Planet of the Apes. While this may be due to decomposition, as it has been suggested due to the tongue hanging out, it leaves me with mixed feelings. (1) It could be a hoax, with an old Planet of the Apes mask for a head, or (2) the guys who made Planet of the Apes were closer than they or we realized. There is also this "Cryptids are Real" thing that's been going on, promoting this new show on Cartoon Network that has me suspicious. With this going on and this discovery taking place at the same time makes me doubt it is just a coincidence. But like I said, I REALLY want to believe it. There is one more important fact I've been considering: Why would they arrange a press conference for an obvious hoax instead of just brushing it to the side?

I'll be counting down the hours until the press conference on Friday, and I just hope and pray it's not a hoax. I am so sick of hoaxes distracting people from exploring the real possibilities of creatures like Bigfoot existing. Especially since hoaxers never really seem to face any consequences or the people they fooled. I'd even call it exploitation. However, if this is real, then anyone who has ever believed will soon be vindicated. It could even be the start of a plethora of paranormal subjects being confirmed. Get ready to come out of your Loch Nessie, and prepare for your close-up ET. I can't wait to see what happens.

I'd like to take the time to thank the Phantoms & Monsters blog for bringing this issue to my attention, and way before any of my other preferred paranormal news websites. Way to go man! ;)

UPDATE - Body was a hoax.

People of Barbados argue with scientist over...a snake? Eww!

2008-08-09T13:01:00.011-04:00

Barbadonians?...Barbadians?...Barbarians?...The people of Barbados (it was getting too confusing) are angry that a scientist has named a new species that's native to the Caribbean island after his wife. What strikes me as odd is that the new species they're arguing over is the world's smallest snake.

The Barbadians (I checked, this is what they prefer to be called) are justifiably angry, since most of them have grown up with the snake being a familiar sight long before science knew of it. Therefore, in my opinion, they do have some claim as to what the snake should ultimately be called. The locals refer to it as the thread snake, and full-grown adults typically grow to be less than four inches (or 10 centimeters) long.

The scientist, Penn State University evolutionary biologist S. Blair Hedges, has been making a BIG name for himself by discovering the smallest of creatures, including the world's tiniest lizard in the Dominican Republic and the world's smallest frog in Cuba. I guess he does deserve some props, I mean he obviously took the more difficult road of looking for the harder to find tiniest animals than the more obviously easier to find bigger ones.

Hedges told The Associated Press on Friday that he understands why the Barbadians' are angry, but according to "established scientific practice" the first person to do a "full description of a species" is considered the one to discover it and gets to give it a scientific name. He named it Leptotyphlops carlae, after his wife Carla.

Damon Corrie, president of the Caribbean Herpetological Society, acknowledges that Dr. Hedges is the first to "scientifically examine and describe the snake," but feels that the so called discovery makes locals seem ignorant.

"It gives the impression that people here ... depend on people from abroad to come and show us things in our own backyard," Corrie said.

I have to say that is a valid way of looking at it, and I have to support the Barbadians on this one.

If it makes the Barbadians feel better, I'm pretty sure Dr. Hedges isn't seeing much peace at home. I mean I'm guessing his wife married him knowing he worked with snakes, but if she's like any of the women I know she probably doesn't care for them. I can just imagine what it was like when he told her:

"You named a snake after me? What did you really mean by that? My mother was write about you. I should have married the proctologist, but nooooooo. How about you work on discovering how to put the seat down, or how to mow the lawn! Nyeh nyeh nyeh nyeh nyeh."

Oh wait, according to this she's a herpetologist. Huh, fancy that.

Dr. Hass, I apologize for my previous remarks and assumptions. I mark this as the first official making-a-fool-of-myself moment on this blog. Congratulations, Dr. Carla Ann Hass. Unfortunately you win no award, trophy, or prize money. But you do earn the title of coolest women I've ever heard of.

I guess when she really heard the news, it was really more like:
"You named a snake after me? That is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me."

Sorry Barbadians, looks like you should be mad after all.

What strikes me as the most odd thing here is how people are arguing over the naming rights...of a snake. People don't usually show this much interest in the naming of other snakes; people don't usually show this much love for snakes period. Then again I guess since it's so small the Barbadians aren't afraid of them. Ironically though, if they keep playing tug-of-war over what to name the snake, it won't be the world's smallest snake anymore.

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. Not watching it? Who the hell do you think you are?

2008-08-08T15:15:00.006-04:00

The American media has finally loosened it's tightly clinched...fist, is what I should probably say...and given a show about a genuine super robot a chance to be on American TV that's not [adult swim], and they couldn't have picked a better one than Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. For those of you who don't speak Japanese, it means Breakthrough Heaven! Gurren Lagann. If you haven't seen it before or on the Sci-Fi Channel yet, then, while paraphrasing one of the show's catchphrases, I say to you, WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?

I followed this show...well...let's just say I followed it, and I loved it. Not since The King of Braves: GaoGaiGar have I seen a giant robot anime that I could say I loved this much. It comes from the great team of animators at Gainax, the same team that brought anime fans such favorites as FLCL and Evangelion.

Now if I had to sum up what Gurren Lagann is about, without spoiling anything, I'd have to say: Drills. In the arsenal of super robots there are some standards: rocket propelled fists, big laser beam weapons of some kind, big swords, but there is one that never really got a lot of recognition or praise, the great big mega drill. And that was part of the inspiration and reason Gurren Lagann was made, or so it's creator said in an interview with Otaku USA. All of Gurren Lagann's weapons are drills of some kind: drills on its hands, missile drills, drills like swords, drill lazers, and this one really really really REALLY big drill just to name a few.

In fact the main character, Simon, was a digger in his home village, and he used a drill (he's even said to be the best digger). His friend and "brother" Kamina try to escape from their home town deep underground. (the term is translated from the Japanese word "aniki" [a-ni-ki] which can mean brother or what one might call an older, respected male associate) When a strange giant-face-with-arms-and-legs robot called a Ganmen crashes through the roof, it's followed by the sexy, rifle-wielding girl Yoko. Together Kamina and Simon combine (in somewhat half-assed fashion) Kamina's stolen Ganmen, Gurren, and the smaller Ganmen Simon discovered, Lagann, to become the mighty GURREN LAGANN. With Yoko and others they meet along the way, they form the Gurren Brigade and fight the oppressive Beastmen. I could tell you more, but then I'd be spoiling it and I just can't and won't do that to you.

There's so much great stuff here that I don't know where to begin. The action is great, about the same if not better than most other giant robot shows. Lots of explosions, screaming, grandiose speeches, manly battle cries, but it still has a comedic style with hilarious events. The music rocks, even if you can't understand Japanese. There's a lot of heavy rock and roll, but there's also some lighter, almost pop-style music and even a little Japanese rap.

If you grew-up watching shows like Voltron, Power Rangers, or Transformers, you're probably familiar with the concept of gattai or combination, when multiple vehicles or robots combine into one large robot. ("gattai" [ga-tai] is a Japanese reference to the sound of metal hitting metal, and genuninely used to describe machines combining) While the robots in these kinds of shows are usually made of 3, 5, or more separate parts, Gurren Lagann uses a seldom used minimal form of gattai for Super Robots by being made of only 2 separate units. Kamina's Ganmen Gurren, for you Voltron fans, forms the feet, legs, arms and torso, while Simon's Lagann forms/is the head. It's kind of like Headmasters, those transformers who had the little robots that became the heads of the larger robots.

I should point out that I've only seen the first episode of the English version at this point, so I can only really comment on the three central characters' voices. I have to say that they did a pretty good job of casting. Simon's original voice was timid yet could also be bold, and the voice actor they chose, Yuri Lowenthal, has been good at voicing this kind of emotional range as Sasuke (Naruto), both Supermen from Legion of Superheroes, and more recently as Ben Tennyson in Ben 10: Alien Force. Not quite as good as the original, but still VERY VERY GOOD. A-

Yoko is a character that a lot of people, both fans and non-fans of anime, could have misconceptions about. Yes she wears a bikini top with short/hot pants and carries a big gun, but she is far from being the token big breasted ditsy anime girl. On more than one occasion she shows herself to be extremely smart, resourceful, skilled, and one of the bravest members of the Gurren Brigade, and that's what makes her such a great character. She doesn't talk or sound like a dits in the Japanese version; "dits" shouldn't even be in the same sentence when describing her. That quality has been preserved in the voice casting. Michelle Ruff has provided the voice for other intelligent (and in some cases very sexy) ladies of anime like Fujiko Mine from Lupin III, Rukia Kuchiki from Bleach, Kluke from Blue Dragon, and Ryoko Ibuki from Tokko, now she's doing the same for Yoko. Absolutely PERFECT casting in my opinion. A+
It's when we come to Kamina that things get slightly bad. In the Japanese version Kamina's voice was bold, deep, and strong; when he talked, you listened. His was the voice you think of when you imagine the names of giant robot attacks being shouted. This is not quite the case for the English version, where he sounds more like a quaterback leading the high school football team to victory than the pilot of a super robot. This is probably one of those things that gets lost in translation, and it's not like Kamina's voice actor, Kyle Herbert, doesn't have tough guy credentials. He's probably most well known for doing the voice of the grown-up Gohan from DBZ and DBZ:GT, but he's currently doing the voice of Kiba Inuzuka from Naruto, as well as Sosuke Aizen and Ganju Shiba from Bleach. I got nothing but love for Herbert's efforts, but I just can't help but wonder if there could have been a better choice. VERY GOOD, BUT NOT GREAT. B+

I'm eager to see and hear how else Gurren Lagann has been adapted into English, especially concerning some of the show's other great characters. I hope that a lot of the central issues of Gurren Lagann still carry over. Part of what made these characters great is that you could identify with them, or you knew someone like them, or maybe you always wanted to be like them or to have someone like them in your life. Simon is easy to identify with if you've ever gone through that awkward phase where you feel like you don't fit-in anywhere. With Simon we get to see his evolution and change from a timid boy into a strong and determined adult, man, and hero. Kamina is the kind of guy every guy wants watching their back or that they want to be; confident, strong, good looking, brave, does what he wants with no regrets but still has a strong moral code. It's kind of appropriate that he tells Simon to call him brother, because he's kind of like the big brother you might always wanted to have. Like I said earlier about Yoko, she's not the typical big breasted ditsy anime girl. She is attractive but she is also smart, which is what really makes her sexy. Of course, the rifle doesn't hurt either. She also doesn't freak out when a mole hides in her cleavage or when Simon ends up touching her boobs after they fall from the sky following a fight with a Ganmen. I guess she figures, "I'm wearing a bikini top, and after what just happened it's not the worst thing that could have happened. I'm in an anime, this stuff is bound to happen."

What makes this series truly great is that the characters really fuel the story; each character that joins, backstory or none, is more entertaining or wilder than the next. You can't help but love them all. As such, when certain events happen you may not know how to feel; you may even cry. More than anything, you genuinely care about what is going to happen to all of them.

******SEMI SPOILER ALERT******The only thing worse then when a character you admire dies, is when a character that makes you laugh dies. (Think Colonel Hughes from Full Metal Alchemist or Wolfwood from Trigun.) In the case of some of Gurren Lagann's characters, it's both. It kind of ruins the ride if you're watching it again, but it only adds to the drama if you're watching it for the first time. Still, I feel like I could watch this series again and again and again and enjoy it every time. While the ending may not be completely satisfying it's still more satisfying than some other animes, especially those of the giant robot variety. It even has a giant robot that's measured in light years...let me repeat that, light years...making it the biggest super robot EVER.*****SEMI SPOILER ALERT OVER******

Who the hell do I think I am? I think I'm a fan of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, and if you aren't watching it then you are seriously missing out on something great. Come on, say it with me:

"GURREN LAGANN, SPIN ON!
WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK WE ARE?"

Update: Spore Article up and ready

2008-08-07T16:08:00.004-04:00

This is just an update to the previous post.

My article has been published on GotGame.

It can be found here: Understanding God through Spore

Enjoy.

One More Update: Turns out Jillian didn't edit this article, instead it was Carlos. Thanks for the help Carlos, you rule buddy.

The Finger of God, God cries "Objection!"

2008-08-06T01:14:00.010-04:00

I had another picture idea. This one I came up with for an article that's due out in a couple of days for GotGame.

If I remember correctly, I was searching google for images under "God" and I came across this portrait:

Now I don't know who painted it or where I originally found it, but apparently I'm not the only one who has used it. I found the same image on some other sites. If somebody does know who painted it and what it's called, please let me know.

Any way, so I found this picture and what immediately came to my mind was the famous Phoenix Wright finger pose.

So I did another search, found the "Objection!"...word balloon, I guess...and cropped it, colored it, cut out some of the excess from the picture and got this:
It's going to be in an upcoming article of mine about an already controversial subject, God and the upcoming video game Spore. It'll have some other pictures I've done, and I wrote it with the help of my editor at GotGame, Jillian. The changes she made were great, only made it better. Thanks Jillian, you rule!

I was particularly proud of this picture. I even named it "God Finger" after my favorite fighting move from one of my favorite animes, G Gundam.

For those of you who actually read my blog or just happen to come across this image, I hope you like it and enjoy this sneak preview of my article. Just be sure to check out the article through my blog or at GotGame.com.

I'm not so bad after all.

2008-08-04T18:22:00.002-04:00

I took this internet quiz on how evil are you, and this was the result:

How evil are you?

I guess I'm not such a bad guy after all.

Cool Transformers Video

2008-08-03T02:39:00.004-04:00

I've always been a Transformers fan. I still buy a figure every now and then that I really like. In fact I just bought some new figures from a new line and decided to check out the website. That's where I found this video:

They Were Always Real To Me

While this movie captures one of the most amazing, and dark moments in Transformers-cartoon-history, it is extremely cool to watch. And the title is pretty cool too, kind of even touched the heart of my inner child.

Apparently it's meant to promote a new line of Classics figures, now being called "Universe" or "Classics Universe". Classics had some really cool figures, both as collectibles and toys. It got back to what made Transformers great, before the gimmicks that started with Transformers: Armada. They even had those old school insignias you pressed and the Autobot or Decepticon symbol became visible.

If you're a Transformers fan like me, you need to check this out.

Real Lasers

2008-08-01T23:27:00.014-04:00

As a bit of a change of pace, I figured I'd talk about real lasers. After all, without real lasers for inspiration we wouldn't have the Mystical Lazer. (I know I never spelled it right, but that's because "z" makes it cool. Everybody knows "z" is the coolest letter in the alphabet.) Now as much as I would like to school you in the ways of real lasers, and as much as I wish I was smart enough to do so, I figured instead I'd tell you about some of the coolest real lasers out there.

Meet THEL. He may look like your common everyday spotlight or bat signal, but in actuality he's a laser. THEL stands for Tactical High Energy Laser, and it was designed by the Israelies and funded by the US. THEL's purpose, other than being the world's first awesome mega laser, is to be used to counter short-range and medium-range threats in combat and provide cover for soldiers. This baby could do a number on your enemies, and probably even melt a tank. It has proven itself in live tests against live mortar shells as well as 28 Katyusha rockets and five artillery shells in flight (that is some serious firepower). Here's a video.

THEL's low cost-per-kill(or hit) of about $3,000 per kill is matched only by its capacity for 60 shots without reloading and, if design goals are met, a nearly 100% probability of a kill at a range of 5 km. Now a mobile version is in the works, about the size of three large semi trailers. The ideal size for THEL's developers, the Northrop Gruman Corporation, is to downsize it to a single semi trailer size.

Fortunately we already kind of have a mobile laser, and this one can fly. The Boeing YAL-1 Airborne Laser uses a COIL or Chemical Oxygen Iodine Laser, and was designed to shoot down airborne tactical ballistic missiles. It has succeeded (careful this one's a PDF) in numerous tests in shooting these types of missiles down, even with a low powered version of the laser called the Airborn Laser Laboratory (ALL).

The laser is mounted on the front of the plane, right on the nose cone, and looks reminiscent of the Death Star's planet-destroying laser cannon. It can be rotated to fire in almost any direction, and can fire about 20 to 40 shots. The Boeing 747 was used to house the laser because it needed the room for all of the laser's components; there's not much leg room on this flight, no peanuts or in-flight movie either. Here's a link to a website featuring videos of what it can do and some pictures of it's layout.

Neither of these is the world's most powerful laser, but you've got to admit that they are pretty cool. If they can just find a way to add these on to a giant robot, which they should also be working on, then two of my favorite geek dreams will have come true. The third will be if I get to pilot the robot.

Signing off.

Inside the Voice Actors Studio

2008-07-30T13:43:00.005-04:00

My most recent article for GotGame hasn't really gotten the attention I thought it would. I know, depressing. I'm not going to let it get me down though, but I thought maybe if I posted on my blog it might generate more hits (if anybody reads my blog).

The article I wrote was titled "Inside the Voice Actors Studio", spoofing of course Inside the Actors Studio(which I don't really watch except for that one episode with HellBoy). Voice acting is kind of an aspiration of mine, especially since cartoons, anime, and video games use them so much, so I'm familiar with some voice actors. As such I felt like I had a fair background to write the article.

In retrospect I guess the actors I listed anybody could have found information about with a google search. I just tried to list a combination of my favorite voice actors (VAs) ones that gamers might recognize from either anime, video games, or elsewhere. I also tried to show a few VAs I thought were hot. I don't know, maybe I crossed a line. Then again maybe it's just that the article isn't about a popular subject.

My other goal was to illustrate how VAs aren't always recognized for their talent, underpaid, and often lost in the shadow of the characters they play. I also gave props to Mark Hammil's Joker, and Peter Cullen, aka Optimus Prime.

I don't know if any VAs are bloggers or come across GotGame, but if they read my article I hope they like it. To the VAs of America, keep up the good work. A lot of you guys are just as good as any Hollywood actor, in some cases even better.

Vatican okays belief in aliens, Astronaut says they're already here

2008-07-29T13:30:00.003-04:00

I've come across two stories recently that really surprised me, mostly because of how closely related they are to each other and both about the existence of aliens. What's most surprising is the sources aren't guys in tinfoil hats, but a former NASA Astronaut and the Vatican.

According to the above link as well as several other websites I've looked at, the director of Vatican Observatory, Jesuit Father Jose Funes, has stated that it is within the realm of possibility that alien life exists. His reasoning comes from a foundation as both a scientist and as a man of God.

"As an astronomer," Father Funes said. "I can say that from the observation of stars and galaxies there emerges a clear evolutionary process. This is not in contrast with the faith, because we cannot place limits on the creative freedom of God."

If someone like this is in the Vatican, then there may be hope for humanity after all.

But what's eerie is that not long after this story, another story emerged in which a former NASA astronaut stated that aliens are in fact real and they've been here.

Former astronaut Dr. Edgar Mitchell is a veteran of the Apollo 14 moon mission, one of the very few men to have walked on the moon. He claims in recent interviews that extraterrestrials have visited the Earth on numerous occasions and that the government has covered it up for nearly six decades.

"I happen to have been privileged enough to be in on the fact that we've been visited on this planet and the UFO phenomena is real," Dr Mitchell said. "I've been in military and intelligence circles, who know that beneath the surface of what has been public knowledge, yes - we have been visited. Reading the papers recently, it's been happening quite a bit."

Dr Mitchell's claims would almost be outrageous if it weren't for his credentials. Along with his status as an astronaut, he has a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering and a Doctorate of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics. Why would he suddenly claim that Roswell was real and alien visits are happening and continue to be investigated? Either he is going senile, or he is telling the truth. Either way, I doubt a man would willingly taint his reputation with talk like this.

"This is really starting to open up," he said. "I think we're headed for real disclosure and some serious organizations are moving in that direction."

One of these groups that I am familiar with is The Disclosure Project, who are working to fully disclose the truth about UFOs, extraterrestrial intelligence, and energy technology that the government may be hiding.

Mitchell's most chilling claim is that "had they been hostile...we would have been gone by now," because our technology is "not nearly as sophisticated."

Are we heading towards learning that we are not alone in the universe? Are they already here? I don't know, but you can bet that I'll be watching with eager anticipation.

Imagining the Tenth Dimension

2008-07-25T13:24:00.005-04:00

It's official, I'm not the best blogger. I'm still waiting on the results for worst-blogger, but hopefully that won't be me.

Anyway, an associate of mine shared a link with me to a video that talks about imagining higher level dimensions. The scary thing is, I actually understood some of it.

Imagining the 10th Dimension.

Have a look at it, who knows what it will inspire in you. It really makes me think about the power of God, if God created more than just our planet, universe, dimension. I guess the scariest thing it made me think was that what we know as God may just be a being on a higher dimensional level. But then I think, isn't that kind of what God would be; existing on a level that we can't perceive, understand, or even comprehend.

For the record, I didn't make the video.

Dragonball Z MMO? Why no .hack MMO?

2008-06-29T18:02:00.003-04:00

There have been rumors and now video of a new MMO in the works based on the popular anime series Dragonball Z.

For those of you who don't know, let me sum it up for you.
Guys do martial arts, shout, yell, scream and become stronger. Throw energy blasts at each other. Humans, aliens, robots, and other wierd creatures. People die, but sometimes come back. Stuff and planets blow-up. Some times they get these ball shaped jewels that summon a dragon that grants wishes.

If you need anymore info, do an internet search.

Now according to what I've read, they're either currently doing beta testing or its coming out some time this year.

How successful could this be? Among the 8 to 15-year-old market, probably really successful. All others, I'm not so sure. Mostly because I haven't found anything on the mechanics of the game, at least nothing that makes it clear what kind of game this will or may be. Also, converting the world of DBZ into typical MMO fashion seems impossible to me.

Personally, I don't understand why the creators of the .hack series try to make at least something close to the MMO game they set their series in. Especially considering all the hard work they put into creating the game and the game world this series is set against, it just doesn't seem right that it sits in relative obscurity or as the backdrop for what to me seems less than popular series.

I mean I don't know much about the .hack games, manga, or any of the animated series, but I think I know enough to say that the game itself would make for a cool game. The classes and the races are familiar but unique enough to make it appealing to all kinds of gamers.

If this isn't already being considered or worked on, I'm pretty certain it will be. I believe this game will be available sooner or later.

To the creators of the .hack series I implore you, if you aren't already working on it then please give serious consideration to making a .hack MMO that at least resembles The World that the creators spent so much time creating.

That's all for me, now what do you think.

Stewie vs. Brian

2008-06-29T17:54:00.006-04:00

I am really not doing a good job with this am I?
But for some it might be worth the wait.

Here's a picture I doctored for a recent article. The article wasn't about Stewie vs. Brian, but I had this idea, made a picture, and thought it would be funny.

I know my buddy Quinton is gonna love it.

The Monsterpocalypse has begun

2008-06-22T13:13:00.006-04:00

Out of the way Heroclix, and while we're at it screw you D&D Miniatures, because there's a new miniature game out there that's caught even my interest, and I gave up on these kinds of games years ago.

Battle with giant monsters, giant robots (my personal favorite), and other giant creatures set in miniature form with (bum bum bum bum bum):

Check it out at http://www.monsterpocalypsegame.com/

For the record I didn't do any of the art, I'm not an employee of whoever owns Monsterpocalypse, each and everything is the property of the original owner and not for profit blah blah blah.

Better late than never.

2008-06-22T12:46:00.001-04:00

I'm really not getting off to a good start with this blogging thing am I? It's been over a week since my last post. I'm a baaaaaad blogger :(

Well better something than nothing, right?

I guess first things first. I've had my second article published on GotGame, which is great and makes me VERY happy. I even got kudos for it from some of the higher ups.

Saw the Hulk last weekend. I don't care what others say, it wasn't that bad. It was better than the first Spider-Man and it left room for a sequel with one of my favorite Hulk villains. I just hope we see some Hulkbusters in the sequel.

I've also been working on some ideas for a comic strip with some of the other writers in the internship program w/GotGame. We've got a lot of great ideas going and everybody seems to like what I've contributed and come up with, I just wish we'd pick an idea and run with it. But true greatness takes time, so it might be a while before it's done.

In the meantime, I figured I'd just fool around with some pictures I found from Metal Gear Solid 4 (MGS4) on Megaton news (http://www.megatonnews.com/category/video/page/3/). Thanks to them for putting these up. Have a look and tell me what you think?

Well that's all folks. Until next time.

The Game Predicter #1

2008-06-17T13:37:00.000-04:00

Now I'm not clairvoyant, psychic, or able to see into the future, but what I have been thinking about lately is possibilities in the videogame industry. Specifically titles and franchises that may produce games in the near future. So without further ado, here is the first of what I'm calling The Game Predicter.

Lego games have been a very popular idea lately with games like Lego Star Wars, Lego Indiana Jones, and the upcoming Lego Batman. Chances are that any franchise popular enough to be done in Lego will find its way to a game.

Harry Potter has been lego-ized in the past and has a Lego Creator game for the PC, so its no stretch of the imagination that a Lego Harry Potter (based on the movies) may coincide with the release of the next or a future Harry Potter film.

Lego Spiderman sounds like a potentially fun game, but even with talks of another film the chances still feel slim.

Guitar Hero is one of my favorite games, and the sequels have been just as good continuing to providing the experience of playing some of my favorite songs. Aerosmith even has their own Guitar Hero game. I'm also a big fan of Adult Swim's Metalocaplypse and the music of the band Dethklok. Considering their song Thunderhorse was playable on Guitar Hero 2, and that Adult Swim has already produced a game based on Harvey Birdman, I'd love to play a Guitar Hero Metalocalypse game.

Finally, like so many other gamers I played the first Pokemon games when they came out. While it was somewhat innovative then, the basic gameplay hasn't changed. The fact that each Pokemon can learn only 4 abilities is something that I still find a little annoying. Since Pokemon shows no signs of going away any time soon, the best way I think to take the game to the next level would be a way of increasing the number of abilities that you can raise your Pokemon to do. Given the memory that this would probably require, the best solution would probably be some kind of Pokemon MMO. In addition, a special pokeball shaped controller that you can connect to your PC would be a good addition to the experience. However, this is something that might only find success in Japan and not here in the US.

That's all for now. I'll try and make this a weekly post.

The Mystical Lazer has been launched

2008-06-17T12:08:00.001-04:00

So this is blogging. Weird.

I guess I'll start with why I chose the name Mystical Lazer. I think I was watching an episode of Digimon or Yu-Gi-Oh! and I heard them calling out attack names and I just tried to think of one I'd use. Somehow I came up with mystical lazer, I liked the way the two words kind of clashed (lazers being a product of science and not magic) and it just stuck with me.

Well I don't know what you guys will be expecting, but I'll try to keep it interesting.

Through this blog we'll explore anything and everything that makes life just a little bit more interesting.

I'll be talking about things like cartoons, videogames, anime, technology, the paranormal, and any and all things that I think are just cool.

Also, if you happen upon my blog and you're a parent with a question about something your kids might be into that's related to what's above and want some help understanding it, send me a question and I'll see what I can do. I can't tell you how many parents and grandparents have asked me for help in picking videogames and other stuff for their kids or grandkids, and I've been really glad to help them out.