Now Playing: Impressions

Here's a list and brief look into what I'm currently playing:

1. Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor
I love love love this game! I love how the battle system is a prefect mix of SRPG and RPG. It combines the best of both worlds. I also adore the demon fusing. It's very addicting trying to see what new demons you may end up getting through fusion. Fusion taps right into my gotta catch em all pokemon obsession, although I'm not too focused about getting all the demons, more about seeing them all. XD

Story is pretty interesting. Although, the gameplay and character interactions are what really keeps me playing. I must say, Midori is my favourite character at the moment. She's cute, funny, and strong. I love how she thinks she's a magical girl saving the earth~

Also love the role playing that is peppered throughout the game. Some of the responses are pretty funny (like telling other characters that so-and-so is your girlfriend). The game is also pretty challenging. I had to really try during the third day's fight with Beldr. Overall I am really enjoying my time with Devil Survivor, and I'm wondering which ending I'll end up getting. =D


2. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky

I picked this up because I love pokemon and Amazon had a killer price on it (24.99 CAN as opposed to the regular 39.99 CAN). I also wanted to try an easy rogue-like. First off, this game is adorable~ It's so charmingly cute that I can't help but feel all warm and fuzzy inside playing this game. Second, for a pokemon game, it's got a pretty interesting story. I was thinking that because it's a spin-off, the game would not have a great story, but surprisingly the story is pretty good.

Also this game is perfect for collecting fanatics like me. You have the opportunity to recruit all 492 pokemon (correct me if I am wrong). There is something insanely addicting in trying to collect all the monsters. The game can get a little challenging, like when you run into monster houses, but usually a bit of leveling or the right items will be enough to work your way through. I like that the game isn't too easy (of course for a rogue-like it is easy). In the end, I am very satisfied with it and I look forward to the rest of the game.

-interesting tidbit: I got cast as a Totodile. I never much liked the pokemon, but now I'm warming up to it and I plan on making my starter for SoulSilver a totodile now. XD Picked Charmander as my partner because I love the Char-family.


3. Wario Land III
I never got around to finishing this, so now I am trying to do that. While I got really close to the end, my game file was wiped clean and I had to start over. Strangely enough the game still saves and I've almost made it back to where I was before the save file got erased. I'm really enjoying myself, I love the blend of platforming and puzzle solving. I wish I could get the other Wario games that I missed out on. Plus Wario is just too lovable~ hehe.

4.Golden Sun: The Lost Age
Doing a complete run of The Lost Age for my backloggery buddy Phoenix's marathon and also because Golden Sun DS is being released this year!!!!!!! I'm currently at Gaia Rock and almost done with it. All I need to do is go to Mikage dragon and fight it. The game is just as fun as I remember it to be & the music is awesome, but I'm amazed at how much I forgot with regards to the puzzles. ^^;;; But that is ok, it makes the game more challenging.

5. Shining Force
I made it to the second last battle, but I'm really taking my time with it. Part of the reason is that I am attempting to level all my units to 20, but the other reason is that I've been busy playing the games listed above. ^^;;; Anyway I hope to finish it soon (yeah right) ^^;;;

Mini Updates:
-I'm on scene 44 of Knights in the Nightmare.
-I'm on the last level of Super Mario Advance, but I can't seem to beat Wart. :/ (currently on hold)
-I finished all the Challenges for Professor Layton and the Curious Village. I am now currently working on the Wi-Fi puzzle. Week 12 Puzzle has me stumped. (currently on hold)

~Joanna.

Impression: Fairy Cube 2

Loved the first volume of Fairy Cube, so I picked up the last two volumes together. I'll be reading the final volume and posting my impression right after this volume.

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Summary

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Volume two starts off right where volume one left off. Eriya's grandmother tells Ian and Rin about her connection to the Fairy realm and gives Ian her blessings.

The next day, Rin decides to head back to school, thinking after what happened before, Tokage won't be back. Unluckily for her, he is, and he proceeds to violently mark her with his Salamander mark. Ian notices the strange aura around the school and comes to rescue Rin. Unfortunately he is too late, and now the Salamander mark causes Rin to burn whomever she touches when she has strong feelings, thus burning Ian when they reunite. Ian furious, begins a duel with Tokage.

During the duel, Tokage recollections his cursed life and tells Ian how much he hates him for being loved by his mother and father. Ian tells Tokage that he cannot believe their mother abandoned him. The battle is dominated by Tokage and Kaito arrives to save Ian. Raven tries to prevent Ian from fleeing, but Rin musters up all her hate to burn him and allow Ian time to escape. Rin decides she can help Ian by infiltrating the enemy base and tells Raven that Ian will come for her and to take her to his boss.

Rin meets Shira, who turns out to be a girl. Shira is surprisingly nice to Rin, but warns her never to go into the room with the red door. While looking around, Rin hears a strange song. When she comes to the source, she sees a little girl singing surrounded by fairies. The little girl asks if Rin has seen her son Ian. Rin knows without a doubt that the girl is referring to her Ian, but cannot understand how Ian's mother could be this small child in front of her. Before Shira arrives, the girl gives Rin a pine cone and tells her to cheer up.

When Shira arrives, she is furious. She tells Kureha to go back to the room with the red door; Kureha seems to believe Shira is Ian. Shira then proceeds to kill all the fairies and when Rin tries to stop her, she attacks her with her powers and tells her that if she doesn't behave she will die. Rin is then taken to a room and locked up. In the room, it turns out the pine cone was really Derek the fairy. Rin met Derek while talking with Kureha. He's a strange little fairy that says the opposite of what he means. Rin asks Derek to convey a message to Ian. Once Derek does so, he mentions that he was able to find Ian thanks to a man with black wings.

Kaito watches the whole exchange from above, while Raven comes forward. Kaito tells Raven he will tear to shreds everything Raven wishes to protect because Raven is his. (This scene gives off a shounen-ai vibe). Afterwards Kaito discusses their past together, where both boys were taken to a kingdom from different parts of the fairy world. Raven was a slave, while Kaito was the Queen's Page. However, while Kaito lived comfortably, he had to swallow his pride, but Raven was able to keep his. Eventually, Kaito is kicked out of the Kingdom for sleeping with the Queen and Raven for telling the King that the Queen forced Kaito and not the other way around. When they are confronted bt a Beast from the Desert of Death, Kaito looses his eye and Raven's seal is broken, allowing him to teleport both of them to his village.

During Kaito's stay there, he seduces Raven's fiance and drives her mad. The villagers and Raven ask him to remove the curse. Kaito agrees under the condition that Raven pay back his left eye. Raven agrees and gives Kaito his left eye. The reminiscing ends there, and Ian and Ainsel happened to see Kaito with Raven and hear the story.

Later, Eriya's grandmother pulls a few strings and gets an invitation to project Elysium for Ian. When he runs out to go, Ian sees the advertisement for the face of the Elysium project and Rin happens to be one of the contestants. Kaito comments on how this is a trap Ian will be unable to avoid.

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My Thoughts

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We see a very frail and vulnerable Rin this volume. However, Yuki-san still manages to give Rin an amazing backbone and spirit. Granted, she isn't kicking any ass, but Rin has the strength to stand up to any adversary, regardless of having no special powers, which makes her a great deal more stronger emotionally. For example, when Tokage is threatening to rape her, Rin puts up quite the fight, scratching and biting him. And when Shira gives Rin the most threatening glare, Rin still speaks up and tells Shira she shouldn't harm innocent fairies. Rin is one of the few unconventional damsels in distress because she really isn't in distress. She wanted to be captured (much like another damsel in distress that I like, Rukia).

Ian isn't the focus of this volume, but he still shows a bit of character growth. First, he tries very hard to become stronger for Rin, without considering what kind of strength he seeks. He later realizes, thanks to Ainsel, that the strength he was lusting after wasn't the kind he needed. We see Ian's short fall from grace and him regaining himself this volume. I'm interested how his character will finally be resolved. Kaito, Raven, and Shira are still mysteries, albeit Kaito and Raven's interesting past has now been revealed, but we still have yet to learn each one's true goals. I'm hoping we learn a bit more about Shira and her goals next volume.

Story-wise, this volume was just as good as the last. The pace has continued at a nice quick pace. Back stories were given to spice things up a bit, and a few hints were littered here and there. For example, we see a little girl who appears to be Ian's mother, then Kaito's proclamation to Raven hints at his darker goal. Furthermore, back stories confirmed much about the characters personalities and motives, rather then puzzle the reader, the back stories did what they should do, tell the reader more about the characters. Overall, it was a very enjoyable read and I cannot wait to see the conclusion next volume!

~Joanna

Game Review: Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime

Basic Information:

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System: Nintendo DS
Genre: blend of ARPG with Strategic tank battles
Difficulty: Easy
Developer: TOSE
Publisher: Square Enix
Release Date: September 2006
Rating: E for everyone
Retail Price: $ 19.99 US ($ 24.99 CAN)


What it's About:

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Your a young slime named Rocket from the kingdom of Slimenia, and the only slime left. An evil organization named "the Plob" has kidnapped all the other slimes in the kingdom and as the only one left, it's up to you to save your fellow slimes from being locked away in little boxes for the rest of their lives. With the help of the legendary Schleiman tank, you may have what it takes to save the kingdom and become a hero.


Gameplay:

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Rocket Slime is unique in the way it blends strategy with classic Action RPG gameplay. Most of the time you will play the game like any other ARPG; Rocket moves around each area with the control pad and attacks the enemies in real time with his electro stretch (the A button). What is unique to Rocket Slime, is that Rocket can also carry his enemies on his head (along with items and other slimes he rescues). However, he is limited to only three things, and will be unable to carry more. Once he is carrying something on his head, he can throw it onto a passing train cart and the item, enemy, or slime will be taken to Slimenia. Enemies that are picked up will also not attack, but train carts are located in a few specific locations, so sometimes, you will be forced to discard one thing in order to carry another. Of course, like any ARPG, Rocket can also defeat enemies, defeated enemies will leave behind money and sometimes a healing item or a mysterious loot bag. Loot bags must be thrown onto carts, and after Rocket heads back to Slimenia, the mysterious loot will be his.

Now, one doesn't have to grab and throw anything onto the train carts, but doing so is necessary for progression. For one, it is much easier to throw a slime Rocket finds on the cart to take it back to town, rather then backtrack to the beginning of the level to exit that way. Second, items are used in tank battles, and only items transported to town can be loaded onto Rocket's tank. So if you want to win Tank Battles and progress through the game, you are going to need to collect at least a few items. Third, if you collect enough of the same type of enemy (30 to be exact), they will offer their services as a member of your tank crew.

Now, about the Tank Battles. Throughout each area there will be enemies waiting to challenge you to tank battles. You can accept or decline these offers, however there will be a few story related tank battles that you will have to win. Once you are challenged to a Tank Battle, Rocket will summon the Schleiman Tank and the versus screen will appear; afterwards you will find Rocket inside the Schleiman tank. During a tank battle, Rocket will have to pick up the various ammo (namely the items you have loaded onto the tank) from the shoots located in your tank and carry them over to the cannons. Rocket will have to thrown the ammo into the cannon, either the top or bottom one, and then the cannon will fire the ammo. However, your opponent will be doing the same thing and your aim will be to reduce your opponent tank's HP to zero. Once the enemy tank's HP hits zero, the tank will become vulnerable and Rocket will have to traverse into the enemy tank to finish it once and for all; this is accomplished by attacking the tank's heart. Of course the enemy will be able to do the same, but what prevents this part from becoming difficult is the fact that even with zero HP, you can still win the fight as long as you keep the enemy units away from your tank's heart.

Strategy comes into play when choosing which units to take along with you on your tank battles; most units will have two commands you can issue them and once issued, they will continue doing those commands. Commands range from firing ammo to sabotaging the enemy tank. Likewise each peace of ammo is different, some ammo hits strong, some gives lots of protection and some have special abilities. Deciding which to load is very important, especially during multiplayer.

Story & Characters:

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Rocket Slime doesn't take itself seriously and you can tell by looking at the colorful graphics, absurd plot, or wacky characters. Characters don't have much of a story, but they have very distinct personalities. Some of the female slimes will hint at their romantic interest in Rocket the hero and some will outright say it. What I mean to say by this is that the characters are a varied bunch, both in appearance and responses.

The story of Rocket Slime is nothing complex or intricate, but what it lacks in intricacy, it makes up in charm. The developers knew Rocket Slime was a light-hearted adventure, so they gave the story as many absurd but funny situations as possible. The villains are never menacing, but goofy, the slimes often have puns in their names and the princess you rescue at the end is a self centered glutton who happily tells you she is yours.

The story and characters fit very well, as does the overall feel of the game. You will know that Rocket Slime is a light charming adventure the moment you begin to play. The story and characters are there to make the package complete, but they don't go beyond that, because Rocket Slime knew what sort of game it was. Story and characters although charming, take a back seat to gameplay, which is the real hook of Rocket Slime, and the game makes no effort to hide that. This is a good thing because the funny atmosphere actually makes the game much more enjoyable, and the focus is always on the gameplay which is the strongest point of Rocket Slime.

Art & Graphics:

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The art and graphics are very simple and lend well to the charming and upbeat mood of the game. They won't wow you with their realism or detail, but they don't need to because Rocket Slime is about pure absurd fun, and the graphics and character designs reflect that. If you play games for graphics, you won't like Rocket Slime, but if you play games for gameplay, Rocket Slime is what you have been waiting for!

Again art is simple, but bright and clear. You will have no problem recognizing enemies and friends. Each slime has a very distinct look (ranging from angelic slimes to the three ninja brothers). Enemies are also taken from the prolific Dragon Quest (from Platypunks to Drakees) . And the bright graphics add to the wacky mood of Rocket Slime. Simple graphics and art done right is the best way to sum up what I think of Rocket Slime in this area.

I don't usually like busy box art, but Rocket Slime is the exception. While the cover is busy, it still has a vocal point, Rocket blasting off, so I don't find it too distracting.

Sound & Music:

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Most of the music is light and simple. There are no majestic orchestral, or ominous tunes, but that doesn't really matter in this game because the whole premise is about brightly packaged fun. And the music fits that description very well. It sets the mood exceptionally, even if it isn't the best music out there. I managed to find one song from Rocket Slime on youtube that had decent sound quality. It's the theme from the town, Boingburg, one of the most happy and light tones. Just listen to it to get an idea of the rest of the music in Rocket Slime.

Multiplayer:

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This is where Rocket Slime really shines! As far as I can tell only local wireless is supported with up to four players (two per side). Multiplayer mode pits you against your friend in a Tank Battle, but before the battle starts, you and your opponent get to choose your tank (from the ones you have unlocked), the HP of each tank, and the backdrop. The ammo remains the same as the ones you have fitted onto the Schleiman Tank. Once the battle begins, hilarity insures as you and your opponent will be frantically picking up ammo and throwing it into the cannons. Once you get your opponent's HP to zero, you must run into their Tank and deal the finishing blow. What makes multiplayer so satisfying is that playing against a human opponent is tougher and battles can last hours before one side manages to overpower the other. I frankly do not put more then 500 HP per tank, otherwise battles get too long.

Another major problem with multiplayer is that both parties need the game. It can get very challenging to find even a single friend who is nearby and owns the game. In fact none of my friends have this game, only my brother has it and I was the one who bought it for him. Multiplayer is thus fun if you can find someone who has the game as well. Furthermore, multiplayer becomes open very early into the game, and while this may be a good thing, it opens the door to some very uneven match-ups. Ammo that one can only have access to near the end of the game can easily decimate a Tank equipped with ammo from earlier in the game. Thankfully because the multiplayer mode is only local wireless, you can easily tell your friend that he or she had or has an unfair advantage and they better make it up to you (via HP decreasing/increasing).

My Thoughts & Recommendations:

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Rocket Slime is a very fun game. The story is plain but humorous, the characters are wacky, and the graphics are bright and vibrant. Although the game isn't too challenging, it is still a good deal of fun and can be enjoyed by players of all levels. If you know someone with a DS, make them buy this game with you, multiplayer is more then worth the 24.99 CAN. You may even find yourself having quite a bit of fun as you proceed through the main single player mode in order to unlock more ammo and tanks. Likewise, those who finish the main story will find lots to do after the credits roll. First there is a little bit more of the story still left to finish, a few quests from the town slimes, monster & ammo collecting, Tank Masters, and multiplayer of course. All-in-all, for such a low price, Rocket Slime packs a lot of value.

I was a little disappointed that there was no gender choice involved. However, since I was playing as a little blue blob, I often fancied that Rocket was a she. The pronouns used to address Rocket brought me back to reality, but it was still fun pretending Rocket was a little girl slime out her save her town. It was especially funny when the female slimes would proclaim their love to Rocket, whom I christened a girl. So Rocket slime does have a bit of role playing if you want to imagine yourself as a little blue slime.

Conclusion:

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Cons:	Pros:
*lacks gender choice *some of the music is uninspiring *Needs multiple carts to use the multiplayer function	*charming story & characters *music fits the mood of the story *bright & colorful graphics *Tank Battles are fun *multiplayer is lots of fun!! *Art is cute

-Overall a very fun game. Highly recommended-

~Joanna

Endurance Anime Test Concluded

So I already posted that I dropped Mermaid Melody, but I recently also dropped Lucky Star. I already wrote why I dropped Mermaid Melody. But I dropped Lucky Star for entirely different reasons. Basically I couldn't get into it. Some of the episodes (like episode 7) were mildly entertaining, but majority were very very dull. Episode 8 was one of the most dull, so I ended up dropping it after 8. I guess I could have tried to watch a bit more, but I figured that if I still found it a chore to watch after eight episodes, there was no point in continuing. Better to use my time with something I find more interesting, especially since there is a lot of anime out there. =)

Anime Endurance Test:
Mermaid Melody: Pichi Pichi Pitch - 24/51 DROPPED
Lucky Star - 8/24 DROPPED

~Joanna.

Currently Watching: Impressions

Ojamajo Doremi
This show has really grown on me. I'm really enjoying it. The wacky predicaments that the characters get themselves into always put a smile on my face. Some episodes are really emotionally charged, like the one about Aiko's mother (even with the ridiculous gender bias, aka little Aiko says, "Who will take care of dad if you leave? Who will make him dinner? Do the laundry? etc." and Aiko's dad saying to Aiko's mom, "You should quit your job to take better care of Aiko" I'm serious, these were the words each one said, well roughly). Excluding these little hiccups, the show is lots of fun. Doremi can still get a little annoying, but the funny results make up for it. The only character that really gets on my nerves now is Pop. God, she is so annoying and stuck up. Every time she talks I want to strangle her, Doremi is right, she is the unluckiest girl because she has Pop as a sister. Episodes with very little Pop are the best episodes in my opinion. Of course, I love to point out annoyances, but really I am enjoying this show a lot. I'm glad there are like six seasons all with 40-50 episodes; means I'll be enjoying Doremi, Hazuki and Aiko's hijinks for quite some time. =D

edit: Finished season one. The ending was very sad, but season two cheered me right up. But I got to say, Hana-chan is getting more annoying than even Pop! Yeah, I know I know, she is a baby, but my dear god, her wailing is annoying and loud. Maybe if the first three episodes didn't portray her as crying every few minutes, I wouldn't get so annoyed every time I heard her crying. Onpu was also not a favourite of mine, but she grew on me a little in the last episodes of the first season.

KARAU: Phantom Memory
The description sounded interesting, and it is, but it's been dragging lately and interactions between Karau and Christmas are not those of equals, which was the premise of the whole story. The two beings can only exist in pairs, yet Karau dominates Christmas, and refuses to let the her into her heart. Christmas is also very passive, often not saying anything when she wants to, for example the fact that Karau doesn't tell her things. However, some stories have evolving characters, and relationships, so I'm willing to continue on with this one to see where it will go.

Konjiki no Gash Bell!!
After the last arc with Zofis and Koko finished, I decided to take a break until now. The new arc now focuses on a strange demon structure that appeared and then disappeared in the human world. The Gash look-alike also made an appearance, so I'm guessing this arc is going to finally be about him. A new pair was also introduced, Ted and his human partner Jido, while the two are mostly shown as comic relief, it looks like they will become a part of the growing group that Kiyomaro and Gash fight with. The episode where Mizuno interpreted Megumi to be Kiyomaru's girlfriend was very funny. Overall, Gash Bell continues to be a wacky anime with a good chuck of action. I am looking forward to the new arc.


Mermaid Melody: Pichi Pichi Pitch
It has finally happened, I dropped it. After episode 24, I couldn't bother to watch it any more. Episode 24 united everything I hated about the show. First Kaito decided to pretend to marry this little girl (who is in fact a mermaid from Hannon's kingdom). By doing this he is not only being insensitive to Lucia but also to Meru; he is basically disregarding her feeling because he feels she is a child and thus her feelings aren't real. A good person would have explained to Meru that he has someone else he loves instead of toying around with her because she is a child. My god, what the hell would anyone see is a jerkface like Kaito! Second is Lucia, who, instead of spying on Kaito and Meru, should have told Kaito exactly how she felt or dumped his dumb ass! Finally, what is this business of weddings being a girl's dream?! Sure girls, just as much as boys, dream about finding someone that can love them, but a wedding being only a girl's dream and just this one dream is ridiculous and sexist. This is why this show drives me crazzzzy. I know that I dreamed of falling in love when I was little (who didn't), but I dreamed of a lot of other things as well (like being a veterinarian, adventurer, etc.). I hate when shows do this, making it seem like getting married is the only thing girls want, and it's only girls who want it. Agh. I am so glad I dropped it. I think if I continued I would have died of a heart attack brought about by extreme stress at how foolish the characters and the show are.

~Joanna