Difficult(y) Discussion

Not to long ago I stopped by my local game store to browse. While there the clerk (who is also the owner) and I struck up a conversation. We talked for a while about my upcoming wedding, and the stress around that. Then we started talking more about my gaming habits. Obviously he wanted to make a sale, so he had to know my taste to make some suggestions.

I played it off as just that and told him I don't have a particular genre, that I play everything. He then asked what systems I owned. I rambled off the full list and he instantly thought me a Sony fanboy, though I was quick to correct him. I avoid the fanboy thing like the plague. I'd get a 360 if I had the disposable income, sony's exclusives just suit me better.

After a while I decided to pick up Brutal Legend, because Tim Schafer made it and it was cheap (plus its been on my list for ages). As I was purchasing it a discussion began about how the game was critically received. I plan on doing my own review of it when I get a chance to play it (which won't be for a while, sorry). He mentioned that it's really only worth playing on the hardest difficulty because in his opinion if you're a hardcore gamer that's what you do.

Now, he's a great guy, but I really have to disagree with him. First and foremost, avoiding the excellent discussion made by Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw of Zero Punctuation fame the we should not use the term gamer (read it here seriously it's amazing: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/columns/extra-punctuation/8031-Extra-Punctuation-Dont-Use-the-Word-Gamer ). I disagree with him on the merit that what you enjoy out of games makes you better or worse. This is, of course, generally speaking, but hardcore gamers use the term hardcore amongst themselves to describe… well… themselves.

It's like there's this pseudo hierarchy in video games now that is dependent on you gamer score, trophy level, or hours spent in Smash Brothers. While I'll admit I think trophies are a fun distraction they don't really add anything to the core experience of the game. It's all just fluff for the completists. So why is such value placed on something that is essentially useless beyond face value? For that we need to dive into the fragile psyche of those who identify themselves with video games.

I enjoy playing games because I find them entertaining. I do not play games because they are challenging. To me that is not the point at all. Why would I play something on the hardest difficulty so that it becomes controller tossing levels of frustrating. That's not fun. I'm a very patient person but to me it seems silly to play a game like that. Again, that's just my opinion. So yes, the difficulty you choose to play a game is just personal preference. I don't like to watch gory movies, that doesn't make me any less of a movie goer, nor is the person who doesn't like artsy films. The point is it's just all taste, one mans trash is another mans treasure. Your "core" is not made "hard" by what you do.

Honestly, I would prefer it if we could just toss out the term Hardcore along with gamer. I mean, think about it, just like the term gamer is now irrelevant, a term describing gamer is in the same boat (I'm looking at you too, Casual, though that term holds more water than hardcore). You don't call a person who reads a book a booker, and you certainly don't call a person that reads difficult books, or long books a hardcore booker. Gaming is normal, it's mainstream, and that's not a bad thing.

A problem does however arise because now that gaming is mainstream the people that want to be unique need a new descriptor. Thus, the hardcore gamer was born. Now, I don't mind if you like playing a game on the hardest difficulty. But honestly, do you think it makes you more of a gamer? While you were busy wasting hours playing God of War III on insane mode for the 8th time I was busy playing another game, then another, and so on.

I don't want it to sound like its quantity over quality, because it really isn't, and that works both ways. A game is an experience, and people will all have different views and opinions of the best way to experience it. There are the OCD kids that will find everything, the ones just in it for the gameplay, or maybe only the story.

So here's the new vocabulary word, if one should insist on being a "HardCore Gamer" then please start identifying them as an "Elitist Gamer" because that's what they are. They want so badly to identify themselves above the average video game player. It's ok to love video games, but don't try to put others on a lower pedestal. This isn't Xbox Live, it's real life. Let's keep our polite hats on.

Alas, I know terms like Gamer, Hardcore, Casual and others will exist for many years to come. There is no way to eliminate them from the conscious of the people, especially the ones who choose to identify themselves as such. As for me and mine, I will say I'm person who enjoys many things, video games chief among them. But don't call me HardCore, or Casual, or indifferent.

Back in my day: Gamerzines

No that thing in the title is not a disease. It's Gamer Magazines, todays subject, after a brief shout out...

Well, character design seems to be quite the topic here lately. Extra Credits (a fantastic game commentary series that is right up there with Zero Punctuation) just did a video on characterization (watch it here: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/extra-credits/1946-No-Redeeming-Value). They really did a great job of deconstructing Kratos from God of War fame and showing both his strengths and weaknesses as a character.

That aside, I would like to move on to the topic at hand. I miss magazines. Now I know there are still quite a few publications out there for gaming, but the fact of the matter is the internet has come in and destroyed this industry. Gamers just don't buy magazines anymore because you can get the information sooner and for free on the World Wide Web. So what's the problem you ask? Perhaps it's just personal preference but honestly I miss the soul and personality the magazines had.

I suppose a lot of this is based on nostalgia, like opening up a booster pack of Pokemon cards, eagerly flipping through them to see if there was a rare card. There was just something incredible about getting a PSM (The unofficial and wholly awesome Playstation Magazine) in the mail every month. Flipping through, reading the articles that interested me first, then going back till I had read the entire thing cover to cover. It helped me learn not only about the games I was interested in, but also ones I had never heard of before (which is a chore online).

Sadly, magazines have gone the way of the Dreamcast. Back in the day you had your choice of magazines: Official, Unofficial, Multi Platform, Cheats. It was a renaissance for people like me, who adore the printed word. I could go to the grocery store several times a week and come home with a different magazine every time! Though in that case, perhaps it is a good thing that gaming magazines have slowed down, because I doubt I could have woo'd my bride while buying EGM, PSM, or OPM.

The current power house is Game Informer, which I must admit, I plan on subscribing to after the wedding. I want that little bit of nostalgia, but I know that GI doesn't have nearly the same heart and soul (nowadays) as the old rags. It doesn't help that it is owned by GameStop (or a subsidiary) gamings poison well that for some ridiculous reason we continue to drink from.

For the time being game magazines are dead, but perhaps not gone. The Escapist (http://www.escapistmagazine.com/) is a web magazine, it feels more like a rag then say IGN.com but again, it's just not the same as the thought and process that is put into a real magazines layout and design. Perhaps e-readers and tab computers will bring a resurgence into this industry. I wouldn't mind paying a fee for a well built and edited article hub. Alas, that seems quite far off at the moment. Until then I'll just have to flip through my back issues of PSM and EGM and reminisce about the good 'ol days, when every game that had an article seemed awesome.

A brief end note while I'm on the topic of nostalgia. A favorite game store of mine is under the gun. Games 4 U has long been a part of my gaming life, (and has gotten infinitely better since new management). It's a one stop shop for everything gaming related, old and new. A Game Stop is opening up across the street, let's show the suits they can't tread on us. Here's the website: http://www.games4uoc.com/ If you live in the OC then show your support! Shop local and avoid GameStop like the plague.

Characters with character

My recent foray into character design got me thinking about characters in general. I made a statement something to the tune of "most space marines suck because you can't see their face." That really got me thinking about characters, and how we come to care for them, because a face isn't everything.

Lets try an exercise. Picture a game with great facial animation, say Heavy Rain. There are some spectacular moments in that. It was a game that's real purpose was to make you feel the emotion. I can say that I grew attached to most of the characters over my play threw. Now think further back, picture a game from your childhood that resonates with you, like an early Final Fantasy (if you were into that). NES and SNES games had a very limited emotional range, yet we could still get attached to the characters.

Only one of these characters can suplex a train

There is a simple answer to why we resonate with these pixelated jumbles, it is the relatable humanity injected into each character. The game uses our experiences to guide us through this fantasy world emotionally. That said, this relies heavily on characterization. If the character doesn't have a clear face, give them a voice, no voice? give them emotion. A good Dev could make you care about a tiny square by giving it relatable a quality.

This really fascinates me, we are such emotional creatures. We want things to connect, feel, and in the end be right and happy. Give that square a problem and the player will want to solve it. Make the square experience something that by chance the player has, say, heartbreak, and you instantly create a report. As humans we tend to want to project our emotions onto just about anything, and we can if the person/animal/object etc lends itself to this.

That said, looking at today's market it's pretty pathetic. I mean, by those standards over half the games on the store shelves have characters that are complete and utter failures. Characters so hollow and devoid of life the only thing they can do is let you puppet them and kill things vicariously through them. Sometimes it's because the writing falls short, other times it is literally all the developer is shooting for (no pun intended).

I do not think the industry really needs to grow past this, honestly there is mindless fun to be had (look at the movie industry). What I want to see is the games industry to try harder, and I want to stop hearing fanboys talk about how amazing their favorite Space Marine is (yeah, looking at you Halo fanboys). There will always be that immature aspect to gaming, just like in film. I really want to stress that, games and movies share many elements and honestly games aren't going to rise above and be placed on some holy artistic pedestal. We just need to work on the ratio. How about this: for every Expendables let there be a Scott Pilgrim, for every Piranha 3D let there be an Up, for every Last Airbender let there be an Inception. The movie industry has balanced itself, now its time for games. The important thing is not to step backward but to keep striving forward. Find new ways to make people connect with characters in games. The industry can't rely on Gordon Freeman forever.

Weighty Precipitation

Life has been quite busy lately, with the wedding only 16 days away (!) I've had little time for games. When I did get a chance to play I devoted myself to Heavy Rain, and I've finally finished it. My feelings are quite a mixed bag, so lets dive right in shall we.

Heavy Rain often has trouble being defined. It wants to be called an interactive drama but it's also a game (like two sides of the same coin), so I think I will dissect both facets. That out of the way, Heavy Rain is a great interactive drama, and a pretty good game. Honestly if you haven't played it and you like your games to have a good story then stop reading and get Heavy Rain. No seriously stop reading because there will be spoilers.

As an interactive drama Heavy Rain is a magnificent success. The mechanics are better implemented then they were in Indigo Prophecy (or Fahrenheit depending on where you live) and the story doesn't debunk into a great silly mess. The conversations flow better and the characters feelings come across easier. I enjoyed being able to hold L2 and listen to what they were thinking, but ultimately, it ended up tedious because I wanted to hear all their thoughts. That's because I couldn't quite shake the knowledge I was playing a game, and getting trophies, and I had to "collect everything".

As for the story, the main attraction, it is… good. It contains elements of all the popular crime shows, and again, the emotion conveyed is great. There are some problems though. I've only played through once, so I need to go at it from a few more angles, but basically they set up the story as though the father is the Origami Killer. Ethan, one of the four main characters is the father of the kidnapped boy the story revolves around. He has to go through these Saw like challenges to get clues to find his son. Ethan was my favorite character to play as because he was the most frantic, and there was actually a sense of urgency, but his story line also had the most plot holes.

Now as I said I have only played through once so I've only seen one story line possibility. In the beginning it is shown that Ethan experiences these blackouts, he can't remember what he did or where he was, but he'll come to somewhere else and even has an origami figure in his hand. About half way through the story they literally just drop this. It's like the writers forgot they had even set it up in the first place. There might be some B.S. about it coming from the fact he was in a coma but was that whole thing honestly a Red Haring… really?

Another… not quite problem, but annoyance, I had was with the reveal of who the killer really is. I don't think the identity changes based on play through but here it goes SPOILER the private detective Scott Shelby ends up being the killer. My only thought was "What?" and not in a "How could he?" way, but more or less a "how is that possible?" The way they connect the dots and reveal everything that happened behind the scenes was just weak. Scenes I was actually involved in were now completely changed. Honestly, it felt like a cop out, as though the writers couldn't mask the identity AND give you clever hints. They had to alter things YOU experienced and forced it to make sense.

All in all it was still a great story though. I did get a laugh out of how quickly Madison throws herself as Ethan, I mean, he straight tells her he probably is the Origami Killer and she doesn't even blink… I suppose it's like those women who right men in prison convicted of murder and such…

On the gameplay side it works sometimes, and other times gets frustrating. Heavy Rain is essentially one big QTE. The choices you can make have this really neat effect where they shake and move fast depending on how stressed you are. This is awesome in conversations, however, during gameplay if you are fighting someone and things are moving fast it is sometimes very difficult to tell if you are supposed to press a button, hold a button or (the most commonly hard to tell apart) press a button rapidly. It's a minor complaint really, and I was still able to make it to the end without a problem. The other thing that takes some getting used to is the camera and movement. To walk you hold the R2 button and almost drive the person like a car. I honestly don't see the point of this. There is nothing more immersive about it, if anything it removes you from the game because of how clunky it is. The camera does a great job for the most part, though sometimes will crowd the character and you will be unable to see the choices floating around their head. Also finding things in the environment can sometimes be quite a challenge. Honestly, these are the only mechanics in the game and they should just work better.

I'm excited to dive back into Heavy Rain again and see what I can do differently. It seems like there is a trophy for just about every decision you can make (and in a very nice touch, the trophies only appear during the loading screen). I'm also curious if multiple play throughs can tie up some of those loose ends. I'll probably write another blog in the future with my final final thoughts on Heavy Rain (and the DLC too). As for now, I am happy with the game. It kept me engaged, I cared about the characters, and I did not want to stop playing. That's the calling card of a good game, and in this case the calling card was folded into a pretty little swan, and left in the hand of the gamer.

On Modern Character Design. Or, Who Needs a Neck When You Have Biceps Like This?

My good friend Jeremy recently wrote an awesome blog about graphics (check it out here: http://vanillabeans320.blogspot.com/2010/08/everything-is-bulky-and-shiny.html ). He touched briefly on the current state of character design and since I just posted a blog on a specific character's design (Cole, InFamous) I thought I might delve deeply into that subject. Plus I don't have any Scott Pilgrim or Walking Dead to review at the moment, and I'm still about two scenes away from beating Heavy Rain.

There is certainly a split when it comes to character design in the industry. You have those in favor of the slender everyman hero, and those in favor of the industrial machinery sized god-like hero. Unfortunately at the moment it seems the majority of studios are saying viva la industrial revolution. The western ideal of macho manly men do many manly things is as hot as Space Marines (but I'll touch on that character gem later).

I know Jeremy and I have had this discussion before, but in case you don't know, the east and west have very different opinions on what makes a guy tough. The east looks at skill, the heroes are often slim, fit, and highly skilled. Whereas in America the hero is big, muscle bound, and relentless (he'll take a licking and keep on ticking). The western image comes largely from 80's and 90's era action films that we are still growing out of. Now the children that watched those movies have grown up, and they're making video games.

When the Japanese dominated the market it was saturated with androgenous leads and wacky hair. Things have changed though, and western developers are starting to dominate the market. You can now walk down the game aisle and see dozens of covers with characters that all looked like they popped straight out of WarHammer.

For a bit of personal opinion on the subject, I hate it. I absolutely loathe the over grown machismo sweating, spinal cord flossing he-men of the current gen. Not only do they look disgustingly disproportionate but the character development is usually somewhere around the lines of KILL BECAUSE SAVE WORLD and KILL BECAUSE REVENGE DEATH. I am much more in favor of the Nathan Drake-esque characters. I find that funny, smart, human sized characters with flaws and fears are much easier to relate to.

This is getting into gamer conspiracy theory but honestly this shift in design is thanks largely in part to Micro$haft. Now, I'm not a Sony fanboy, and honestly I try to avoid that whole fanboy scene like the plague. The 360 has had some good exclusives, but it also has this strange cult like following (like Apple ironically). The console's run away popularity helped bluster the American market. Unfortunately it left us with a huge gap between intellectual gaming and hardcore gaming. Right now, the term "hardcore" is quite a buzzword. Devs want to make an awesome experience but they have to make sure the publisher is ok with it. The marketing team from the publisher won't like it unless they can go to gamestop and see a game with the same character, setting, and mechanics. I swear that's how Triple A titles are made nowadays. The creative Dev might say "It's going to be great, this game is an introspective character piece with a backdrop of a fictional war". The publisher (or even another, more brotastic employee) would say "Nah, let's make it like Call of Duty, that game has such great drama and characters!" No. It has great action and sequences, but that does not lend to story and character, this is not Half Life.

That brings me to my next point. Now that I've touched on soilders I can upgrade to the next pile of slop we are continually served. Space Marines. Space mother effing Marines. They are one of the worst things to happen to games since the advent of the Quick Time Event (Note: Not all QTEs are bad). It's as though they strive toward zero innovation, characterization, and relatablity. The first offense often committed by these grunts is the Face Effect, this is when you can't really attach to a character because they are wearing helmet that masks their face the entire game. Not because they are a robot or have some hideous scar they want to keep covered, no no no, that might actually lend to character development. The only reason they never remove the mask is because… science! or maybe they're just afraid of the helmet hair. Thank you for helping games not be taken seriously as an art form.

Other offenses include: Over population, sequel syndrome, ridiculous body mass index, Star Trek talk that would make Trekkies guffaw, monochrome pallets, pseudo intelligent "sci fi" stories, and making the player (think they) sweat machismo. Honestly that is why I found Resistance: Fall of Man so refreshing. The story was told through narration, as though watching a History Channel special. The colors were monochrome (fixed in the sequel) but that's just the World War 2 we've all come to know and love (or loathe). Insomniac spaces the sequels out pretty drastically to avoid sequel syndrome.

So as it stands it seems as though the industry is going in two different directions, one toward innovation and the other toward shoveling out more guaranteed Triple A titles for the gorillas on Xbox Live. While I love a good triple A title, they generally lack the innovation I yearn for. Honestly it may be nit-picky, but character design plays a huge part in the overall presentation of the game. Look at Gears of War, God of War, even many of Capcom's latest games. The art leaves a bad taste in my mouth. God help the Japanese game industry if the next Devil May Cry stars a steroid ridden Dante. We need to encourage the industry to try to make some more relatable characters, that will lead to better stories and better experiences. Let's try that, and leave the machismo to Arnold and Sly.

InFamous Re:Design

A lot has been said lately about the redesign of Cole from InFamous, so I thought I would throw my two cents in because I think a lot of people are missing the point. IGN.com just did an article with several opinions about the redesign and change back and skimming through them I noticed some of the people had never even played InFamous. While it's good to have an outside opinion in this case I'm calling irresponsible reporting. Shame on you IGN for posting several responses that were just filler. You get enough of that dribble in the comments section, now it has to be in the main article?

OLD VS. NEW

When InFamous came out a lot of people didn't like the character of Cole. He seemed cold and distant (unintentionally) and his ridiculously gravely voice was often lampooned. Sucker Punch took that to heart when developing InFamous 2. They did a complete redesign and even changed the voice actor (still no news if they've switched back to the original voice actor).

Here's the thing, Sucker Punch sold themselves short. The fact of the matter is that the greater majority people who didn't like Cole's original design changed their minds after playing the game. I wasn't a huge fan of the design at first, but when I saw the character in motion I appreciated it more. After I finished the game I had grown attached to Cole the I had completely forgotten I disliked him in the first place!

I think that's what happened with a lot of people, they played the game and grew attached to the morally ambiguous guy. When Sucker Punch announced the redesign they thought it'd be widely accepted but it was instantly picketed against. People wanted the character they knew and loved, not some new pseudo hardcore Nathan Drake rip off.

Sucker Punch developed a fun and engaging game that was absolutely terrific. They are a great dev because they listen to their fans, thats why they did the new cole, and thats why they changed him back. It has nothing to do with folding on their creative vision. I can't wait for InFamous 2, and I am so glad that "original Cole" is back.

Scott Pilgrim Vs The World The Movie

Well the day has finally come and gone, I have seen Scott Pilgrim, and I'm pissed. I'm pissed, not at the movie, but at you, World. How could you let this one pass. Honestly, 10 mil. and 5th place, not what this movie deserved. To get beaten by the expendables and eat pray love. You should be ashamed of yourselves. Scott Pilgrim does what those other films do in one package and it does so infinitely better. Superior action, comedy and romance. So slap your hand, then go buy a ticket and see this movie.

Right then, now that I have that out of my system, onto the review proper. Scott Pilgrim Vs The World succeeds in every element I have listed in my micro reviews. It is certainly made for the kinetic MTV generation with its fast cuts and furious action. There are few flaws to be found in this gem. If you enjoy video games at all you owe it to yourself to see this.

That said I can see how some might dislike the movie, it moves at an incredibly brisk pace, giving you no time to catch your breath as Scott jumps from one crazy situation to the next. Also there is no explanation for the insanity, we are expected to take it at face value. This didn't bother me at all and honestly I loved the insane vibe of Scott's world. The people who will have a problem with this are the same who cried fowl when Nolan didn't explain how the dream machine works in Inception.

I've said it several times before this but I adore the irreverent, surreal and referential humor in the books, and this translates beautifully into film. You can tell Edgar Wright had a blast making this. The editing also plays out wonderfully, and as fast as this film is that's really saying something. Jokes and references are played out with absolutely perfect timing.

Michael Cera plays a terrific Pilgrim. I'm a fan of his and was thrilled when the announced that he'd be the title character. First of all he's Canadian, like Scott, and second he is an incredibly sincere person, the character he's continually typecast as, yeah, that's him. It's gotten really popular to dis Cera, which sucks cause he honestly is a talented actor. Will people be so vocally disapproving of his regular awkward anti-lead when Arrested Development the movie happens… I doubt it.

Ramona is also great, she's mysterious and aloof. That hard exterior shines through, you can tell she doesn't want to get hurt but that she also cares for Scott. The movie takes the same arc as the book here, she starts as cold, but slowly you can start to see her true feelings for the Canadian slacker.

Scott Pilgrim is absolutely one of the best films of the years and instantly became one of my favorite films of all time. I was afraid it might spread itself to thin, but it balances all of its plates equally. Much in the vein of Shaun of the Dead (Rom-Com-Zom) SP V TW is a Vid-Rom-Act-Com. This movie was practically tailor made for me. A slacker romance with terrific action scenes, all built on a world of video game references and jokes.

I can't say enough good things about this movie, and I'm going to see it again soon. Hopefully I'll be able to better organize my thoughts after another viewing. So I may post another review, but if I don't then take these words to heart. Scott Pilgrim is both a good movie, and an awesome movie. This is a must see, please pass the Expendables and stay away from Eat Pray Love. WATCH SCOTT PILGRIM NOW.

Scott Pilgrim and the Infinite Sadness (Volume 3)

Volume 3 of the Scott Pilgrim Saga (sure, I can call it a saga, apparently now-a-days you can get away with calling just about anything a saga) brings the action and the awkward. This book revolves mainly around Scotts ex that he was depressed about for a year, Envy Adams, who happens to currently be dating Ramona's 3rd evil ex.

Todd (3rd ex) is a great character. He is vegan so he has psychic powers. The book doesn't even try to explain it, you just have to go with it. With Todd's ridiculously arrogant attitude it really works though. O'malley lampoons vegans so well you can't really tell if he loves or loathes them, which is parody at its best.

This book plays heavily with flash backs. They are neatly woven throughout the narrative. In book two we were treated to these scenes in large chunks for the most part. but in Volume 3 the come fast, maybe 2-3 pages of flashback then its back to the present. I found this to be a very nice way to keep the reader engaged.

Ramona is fleshed out a lot more in this book, she actually gets quite emotional. At one point she even pulls out a giant hammer (with +2 against girls) and goes toe to toe with Envy Adams. Alright, it was because Envy was getting on her nerves, but at least some portion of it was for the pain she caused Scott. It was just good to see that she does care for him, and that it's not just a one way obsession.

Knives Chao is now dating Young Neil, Steven Stills roommate. He genuinely cares for Chao but all she really wants at this point is to make scott jealous, though by the end of the book it seems as though that might have changed, if only a little.

One thing that became obvious after reading Volume 3 is that the film Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World is going to have a very different timeline. I figured that would be the case, and I still have confidence that it will be awesome (after all, it couldn't be a 6 hour movie). It is going to be a film adaptation of the book, its basically Edgar Wright interpreting the comic (and O'Malley was there to help). Things take their time in the comic, for instance, Scott fights Todd 3 times over several days. I doubt Edgar would want to do everything as a montage so (according to the trailer) it seems as though its been compressed to one fight (in the trailer, when Todd does the awesome 'dust' line he says Scott will be dust because he's going to pulverize him in 2 seconds, whereas in the book its pulverize you tomorrow). So I expect things in the movie to move fast and furious, which will be awesome.

So Volume 3 ends on a bit of a good note with the 3rd evil ex down. Scott wanted a bit more closure with Envy, but he seems like he'll be able to make it along just fine. He remains ever-likable and flawed, but this issue also showed us how damaged he was/is. Ramona also remains quite a mystery. Several more clues are dropped in this book that there is a large possible devious backstory to her. Also, as a nice nod we're given a brief glimpse at who appears to be Gideon, the final ex. Book three had good energy, action, drama, and of course comedy, so with that we move onto Volume 4.

Scott Pilgrim Vs The World (Volume 2)

Well the excitement continues to build. Yesterday I purchased the Scott Pilgrim Vs The World The Game. I'll do a full review of that once I finish but my opinion thus far… It is amazing! The folks at Ubisoft really capitalized on the retro feel and graphics, the soundtrack is great 8-bit, the gameplay is classic scrolling arcade with RPG elements and the over-world map made me Nostalgia hard.

A lot of people are complaining about the fact that there is no online co-op and while it is a bummer they didn't include that, it doesn't change my opinion at all. But I'll get into that in my full review. For now let's continue on with Scott's printed adventures in Volume 2: Scott Pilgrim Vs The World.

This book begins with a flash back. It's neat to see Scott in High School, and his first meeting with Kim Pines, the drummer of his current band the Sex Bob-ombs (yes, Mario reference). In the flashback we see Scott's "history of violence" as the first thing that happens when he arrives as a transfer student is get in a fight.

He makes quick friends with a girl who starts crushing on him but he falls for, wait for it, his english project partner Kim Pines. That's right, this flashback not only establishes Scott as a fighter, it shows that he and Kim P have a history. This begs the question of the fall apart, how this will affect future events, and why is Kim so bitter. Also, the other girl in the flashback leaves some questions un-answered…

So Scott has to fight pretty boy Lucas Lee this time around, and uses his brains rather than his fists. In classic literary style Scott tricks Lucas to attempt an insane skate boarding trick based. Pride gets the best of ol' Lucas and he fails. Hard. Hard enough, infect to dissipate into coins. Before the fight is the really interesting part though, as Lee basically contradicts everything Ramona told Scott. He says that Ramona cheated on him, broke his heart, and left him for the first pretty boy that came by (R. said the exact opposite). Lucas also explains the "League of Exes" and how he almost didn't make it in, but did because he was an important part of Ramona's past (because of the cheating thing). This could lead to an interesting development, perhaps the evil exes are really more of a psychological threat then a physical one. That often proves true in real life, and it would be a fun play on standards in Scott's world.

Another great scene has the recently heart broken Knives Chao chopping and bleaching her hair and picking up a pair of (what else) knives. She proceeds to *attempt* to kick Ramona's booty at the local reference library. The fight scene is fantastic and it was fun to finally see Ramona in action. Looks like she isn't the only one with homicidal baggage.

What started out as a very normal story is quickly taking a turn toward the surreal and fantastic and it's absolutely great! The quirky referential humor is pitch perfect and the story is continuing to flow at a brisk pace. This book certainly hasn't come down with "Manga syndrome" and I don't see it waring out its welcome at only six volumes, we're 1/3 of the way through it! Next up is Volume 3 Micro review, let's see if we can get some questions answered in Scott Pilgrims most exciting adventure yet!

Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life (Volume 1)

I'll be honest, I'm way to excited for this movie. Like honestly, there is almost no way it can live up to the hype I've generated in my head (even more than Kick Ass). This is set up to be my favorite Comic-to-Movie ever. So yeah, to excited...

If the trailers are any judge (which lets be honest, they usually are NOT… but lets go with it) Scott Pilgrim is well on its way to becoming the most pixel perfect translation of comic to film ever. Now I'm sure they will have to cut a few corners here and there, adding and subtracting, but the fact that Brian O'malley was on hand for most of the filming bodes well. So in anticipation of this hopefully awesome film I decided to toss up a few cliff notes on the books.

The Scott Pilgrim Comic (yes, I'll refer to it as a comic, not a manga) runs a brisk 6 volumes and actually just recently concluded. I know what you're thinking, that means they were done filming before the books were finished. Luckily as I said just one paragraph prior, the creator of the series was on set for most of the pre-production and production, so the story was in good hands.

Volume 1 picks up with Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life. This book is really a lot of set up. We meet Scott, his roommate, friends, bandmates, his "girlfriend", and Ramona. Several future events are eluded to such as Scott's previous jobs and girlfriends. This is all just a window into Scott's very normal, slightly self absorbed life. We get to know him as a character.

Things start getting weird when he begins dreaming about a girl on roller blades, Ramona Flowers. Eventually he meets her in real life, scores a date, and she tells him he has an inter-dimensional gateway in his head that's a wicked short cut. This quirkiness is very reminiscent of FLCL and I absolutely loved it.

When I picked up this book I figured Scott would be the all around righteous hero who must fight for Ramona Flowers love. Instead what I found was a much more realistic twenty something slacker who was dating a high schooler (to both cheers and jeers). O'Malley wrote Scott to be an under achiever and honestly in most cases it would be an uphill battle to are about Scott.

He's basically leading on a teenager while falling for Ramona and then ends up in a tight spot. What's really cool is that all the characters are so likable. Knives Chao (Scott's other high school girlfriend) comes on a bit strong, but you can tell she earnestly cares for Scott. Poor Mr. Pilgrim thinks he likes her, until he sees Ramona skating through his dreams. He doesn't want to hurt Knives, which is fairly obvious, so he tries his best to work awkwardly around the situation.

Scott is a flawed character in many ways, but also redeemable. O'Malley did a great job writing him through his mis-adventures in Volume 1. At times the quality downgrades a bit to almost "web comic" humor, but it still works. The book keeps up a brisk pace so when I say downgrade its really more of a jog, honestly still funny stuff. So onto Volume 2 we go!

Flower Power

I've been wowed by demos before. I can recall back to the PSX days, getting the Official Playstation Magazine just for that demo disc. Even getting Zone of Enders for the Metal Gear Solid 2 demo alone (though ZOE is a great game… and the MGS2 demo was awesome). Yes, I've had a long history of playing and loving demos. Last night though, for the first time ever, I was moved by a demo.

I downloaded a demo of the game Flower off PSN. I'd heard good things about it so I figured it was worth a try. It's a difficult game to pin down because much like Heavy Rain its not quite a conventional game. In Flower you control, well, flowers. Specifically it's a flower petal that floats along on the wind which you control via the six axis. Basically all you do is fly past other flowers to make them bloom and make a dead area green again. This mechanic is terrific and you actually get a sense of soaring through the air. For a downloadable title the game is incredibly detailed on the technical side, each blade of grass is individually rendered. It is almost jaw dropping to see an entire field blowing in the wind. I never thought I would say this but… I would absolutely love to play this in 3D IF they could keep the colors vibrant.

The vibrant colors are essential to this game. You start off in a dark and dingy apartment with a sad looking flower in a pot on the windowsill. The atmosphere is just awesome. There's no real narrative but you are pointed in the direction that your character is the person living in this apartment in the city. At night while they dream they help the plants grow (as evidence by the blinking eyelids when you enter the dream or plant world). I know, it sounds cheesy, and honestly it is. Still, there is a lot of beauty and power behind all the imagery.

Flower has you working to bring beauty to the world, both in the dream and out. Even games where you're the good guy you tend to do the opposite. Inside the dream world you make it green and full of life. While outside in the real world you add flowers to the windowsill. It's a very simple concept and a simple game all around, but much like World of Goo, it never limits itself with its premise. Now while I am a fan of action packed games, I am quite capable of taking a break from that and enjoying something a bit more intellectual.

Flower is an esthetic experience, but it can be something deeper. There are far worse things you could do with $10. This game is relaxing and beautiful, almost like Rez. That said though, I would avoid this if you're the type of gamer who has a seizure when you go 15 seconds without killing something. So yes, I was moved by this demo, enough to write this little snippet. I intend to get this game as soon as possible, and I suggest you download the demo.