Gaming Reverie

An old favorite is coming back.

And no, I haven’t been bitten by nostalgia. But a nibble or a peck would be quite apt, as the game in mention is absolutely adorable. Charming, timeless, and beautiful. The game is Chrono Trigger — a true labor of plentifully lavished love. It’s being ported to the DS, for a ridiculous $39.99, with not a change to be seen aside from a “new” dungeon that was originally meant to be included.

Have you heard the game’s music? It’s charming, quaint, and simultaneously experimental. It’s hard not to love, especially with a nice pair of headphones in tow. And like the rest of the game’s development, the music didn’t happen spontaneously — composer Yasunori Mitsuda ended up with a stomach ulcer from pouring his talent into its score. Oh, and you pirates out there? Take note: music is often cruelly butchered in the process of emulation, and Chrono Trigger is no exception. And likely you don’t have an original copy in hand. Keeping that in mind, it’s important to note that Square Enix does (often) wonderful work in the audio department when it comes to the DS.

There is a chance, yes yes, that I have been tainted by nostalgia’s sweet love bites. In that case, I’ll be willing to reconsider the validity of this RPG’s high acclaim. But I’m pretty sure it’s still dreamy.

Tick-tock.

Anyone still playing the WiiWare version of XGen Studios’ Defend Your Castle?

Most likely not.

The game is ironically meditative in the constant destruction required on the player’s part. You constantly are tossing foes up into the air, allowing them to plummet to their doom; and within this gimmick lies the bounce.

That’s right, the bounce. The tossing mechanic involves rhythmically “bouncing” the controller up and down (while holding onto it, of course). It’s a bit soothing, really. When things get more chaotic, they also get more Zen.

Three friends and I huddled in my apartment today, “bouncing” with the bright, tender sun patiently waiting outside. It was nice. I suggested the game because, well, I’d only played it once. And that’s the thing about the game: it’s meant for one or two looonnng stretches. Otherwise the tedium would surely get to you.

Not that this is bad; there’s a thrill in playing that’s reminiscent of old-timey arcade romps like Galaga and Space Invaders. Yes, it’s another endless game that demands you play until you get the high score with your eyes, hands, and brain straining after the first hour stretch. I love all of it.

But there’s a difference here. Those other games (as well as the browser-based iteration of Defend Your Castle) did not include a rhythmic bouncing of a Wiimote. The time we all spent playing the game today totaled in at 2 hours and 37 minutes. That’s insane. We rotated playing, yet our hands still felt pained, cramped, and ridden with carpel tunnel. Ouchie.

But the game is a blast! It really is. And get this version of it, too; the homespun look (buttons for faces, tongue edit: depressors for battering rams) is an original delight. Just have ice ready for the pain. In the meantime (erm, you are on a computer, right?), click here and enjoy the prequel, Pillage the Village. It’s actually more complex, allowing for more upgrades and strategy. And! You get to drop houses on people. I bet you haven’t done that in a while.

Trophies? Achievements? Meh? A challenge in a game that doesn’t unlock anything? Un-fucking-precedented! UNFAIR! UNREAL!

But wait… you recieve a thingy. And this is good.

That’s right: I’m referring to the perks of purchasing either an XBox 360 (featuring Achievements) or a PS3 (featuring Trophies). Really, it’s all the same. Both systems have the same shtick. The thrill behind these doodads depends on your intentions. And there are likely at least one of them. But here are three of them (Read on, dear reader, these are insights into life itself, albeit obvious ones):

• Some of us humans are competitive. I, for one, wasn’t born with such a proclivity. But if you are, then trophies/achievements allow continuous bragging rights. And if the arbitrariness of it all seems absurd, keep in mind that this is nothing new. This is really just an advanced version of the high scores people would shoot for in arcades (remember those?). Except now, you have a picture to associate with your number, and a gamercard to post on your self-indulgent blog or your favorite social network.
• The second main intention is possibly the most overlooked by most gamers. That of challenging yourself. This is always how I’ve operated. All that matters to me (in any goal I pursue) is raising the bar (or score, hee) continually. Stretching myself.
• Third, exploring every nook and cranny of the (game) world in which you’ve been placed. Immersing yourself in it, pushing the world itself to see all that it can do. It’s funny. There’s a curious thing happening in gaming these days, in which gamers feel the need to play everything before them. And it’s understandable, yet somewhat shocking. There’s a great gaming podcast you may have heard of, 1up Yours, in which there’s a section called “Whatcha’ Been Playin’”. It’s a weekly podcast, and every week the people on the show are playing something new. And not only that, but they’re playing multiple new games. And, sure, they’re game journalists, but isn’t there still a heart piece hidden in their copy of Zelda? A hard mode on Bionic Commando: Rearmed that hasn’t been played? Again, trophies and achievements remind us that there are still ways to push the limits of our games.

Maybe, after reading this, you are unconvinced: thinking awards are arbitrary in nature. But I’ll be damned if I can’t get you to admit (possibly in the comments) that you’ve never smiled when receiving one.

We all know it’s true: T&A can only be a good thing. Hurrrr…

My teeth are disgusting.

Not that you’d ever notice it. My teeth are all steadily in my jaw, corrected by braces and relatively white. But the condition they’re in is remarkably poor. Say what you will about fluoride, but at this point I’m slightly jealous that I grew up without it in my water. Aside from lack of fluoride, though, dentists have regaled me with commentary on how, oddly, I have “naturally weak teeth.” Great. But the most damaging aspect of my filthy, rotten teeth was probably the gallons upon gallons of Pepsi I drank as a child. In fact, it was a house standard to keep 24-packs of the poison-water on hand. And when immersed in the latest action figure, movie, or game, I’d be chugging the stuff as if it were a life supply.

Here I am now.

Or rather, yesterday. I had a dentist visit, going in for a deep cleaning. It set me back a few hundred dollars, which I wanted to use for my upcoming wedding. I also have two root canals to go, along with some crowns. Maybe I’ll afford it all someday. Maybe not.

But my appointment was OK. At least, OK in the sense that I like my hygienist — a real, caring professional man.

I was properly numbed for a cleaning on one side of my mouth. The kind hygienist made me feel relaxed. I liked him. The best thing about the horror of dentistry is that you don’t have to look at your tormentor; in fact I believe it’s an industry standard of sorts that you’re not supposed to: you have gunk in your mouth.

But with eyes shut, I was soothed by his mint-cool tone and demeanor.

He started cleaning, and OK OK because I’m used to the dental sounds and bad tastes and awful who-knows-what slipping to the back of my throat and suctioney things and water mixed with spit: all of it. I’m fine.

But then he starts working in fine detail around a tooth that needed a root canal, and at that moment I believe I wanted to cry.

I clasped one of my hands with the other, pretending it was my wife-to-be.

I explained, with a sick panicky desperation, how much pain I was in.

“Hey…” he reasoned, “I’m sorry. I’ll go easy around that part, ok?”

He got to work, and I opened my eyes looking at the bright light because light is the happy thing that people see when they die.

Bllarrrrppp… phhhhuuu….

Then out of nowhere came a deep groan from this man’s lower belly. Or was it something else?

Phhuuu… EEIIIrrrrpppp.

Oh God. Not now.

Brrrrrrrr…. Brip!

That’s right: This man needed to go poo.

I wanted him to say something. To excuse himself. But he didn’t. He just kept working, making these strange uncomfortable noises. I kept trying to console myself and think it’s his stomach, he’s only hungry, but no.

GRRRIImmmmmmph!

Dear LORD! Suddenly he rose, saying that he was done with half my mouth. He recommended I take a break. You know, let the jaw relax. So I did. I grabbed a magazine and saw this:

A Dental Nightmare.

Not my particular dental nightmare, but it was still close-to-the-last thing I wanted to see right then, other than a constipated man heeling over.

He came back. He hadn’t taken care of himself! I understand though. It would’ve been a long break. In the end, he cared about his patients.

He was a good guy.

I’m keeping an eye on this man.

Italo Calvino is the true, bona fide intellectual author of 4th-wall-breaking mindfuckery. I’ve been rereading If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler — an intellectual variation of The Neverending Story for grown-ups, if you will.

“If it be your will…”

A historical look at the classic novel, maybe? Sure. A look at love and literature, spinning and dancing around one another? Yup. Ten narratives with infinite connections and an author that constantly keeps an eye on the reader, page after page, checking in with you but never making you feel too safe.

“From this broken hill/All your praises they shall ring…”

Can a reader make another author’s novel her own? Do we have that kind of power? I can’t explain quite yet how I’m growing from this novel, but the growth is likely to be exponential at this rate, and I plan to read all of his work in the years to come. Next, I’m planning on reading The Baron in the Trees, as it has sold me already on its charming, whimsical title.

Calvino, thank you for taking me under your arm. Or rather, thanks for promoting my own journey, if you will. If it be your will.

“If there is a choice/Let the rivers fill/Let the hills rejoice…”

(Lyrics taken from If it Be Your Will by one, Leonard Cohen.)

Yeah, that’s right. More on Zombies. Remember that Google Maps-based zombie game I mentioned a few posts back? The Last Guy?

In what could’ve been the ultimate real, frightening experience, we are instead assaulted with an avalanche of cheese. Seriously, enemies haven’t looked this bad since Smash T.V. hit consoles over a decade ago. And that music? Not a fan.

Great concept, crap aesthetic.

This designer is learning Photoshop for the first time. Good for him!

In other news, I believe I’ve reached some sort of pinnacle of my stress threshold. Writing a grant, and preparing for a wedding all in two weeks. Even simple tasks like answering my phone appear to be a daunting task this past day or so. I believe a beer is in order.

I’ve finally started toying with the lush, polished and beautiful game Pixeljunk Eden as of late on PSN (Playstation Network). And I say ‘toying’ because my only access to the game is a generously long demo.

The first thing you’ll notice about the game is its arresting art style, with curls and swirls reminiscent of art nouveau, along with the thumping bass of pulsating ethereal techno rhythms — all likely to put you in a chilled out trance, a relaxing game-meditation where the usual stress associated with games will quickly fade away.

The artist responsible for most of the art direction and the music? Tomohisa Kuramitsu, A.K.A. Baiyon.

I’d describe the gameplay, but I’m not so sure it’s relevant. I mean, it involves collecting spectra and building a garden… but any further description will just sound strange until you play it. I suppose what you really need to know is this:

• It’s beautiful
• You swing from one thing to another thing
• You collect stuff
• Your friends can pick up a controller and play with you

Truly, this is high entertainment.

Image courtesy of Kotaku.

You’ve come here, as a new or old visitor, casually but eagerly scrolling through my site’s contents. It’s the best part of your day. Like most people, you look forward to doing nothing. How was your weekend? People ask. You scrounge up some menial facts about this or that trip to the market, some date you went on, some stiff drinks shared with good friends.

But you truly enjoy weekend-bits like this. Sinking deep into the recesses of your couch, you have an ice cold beverage in hand (and how does it taste, may I ask?), with a dozen or two blogs, television shows, movies, and books that you plan on viewing without an ounce of attention. You aim for the pinnacle of relaxation. But no, you insist, interrupting my blog assertively, I did not come here only to relax. I am here for a true, bona fide intellectual massage.

And here you are, arriving cozily at my blog. You’re not sure how you feel about the site; the stiff, lifeless blue color theme is remarkably dull. And where are all those pictures? You like pictures. Still, you’ve decided that my blog is in fact quite good. The visual aspects are likely to change for the better. And if anything you feel a sense of coziness here. Warmth. Indeed, you say, it is time for me to be a regular customer. But of course, you’re prone to talking about doing things without actually doing them; inadvertently, you’re a subliminal liar.

But let’s not worry about that now.

Like all good things, the blog you see before your half-open eyes is steadily gaining momentum. It’s becoming a real living organism; the blog is beyond the author’s control. The blog, you see, is gradually becoming part of you. And you couldn’t be happier.

The true glorious monument to 8-bit aestheticism.*

* Picture taken from Mega Man 2, Bubble Man’s stage.

I’ve been sitting at an odd-smelling coffee shop, idly, for something like an hour now. It feels good: I’ve been getting some quality space-out time and I just received a free toddy because I was told the last was too “watered down” (though, to me, it tasted perfect). The current barista is a good chap in that he’s my kind of guy. The music is medium-loud, the sub is not too abrasive, and his taste is impeccable and eclectic. I’ve heard everything from Lou Reed to Ween to Louis Prima. And it’s being “djed” all hyperkinetic-like, with 8-minute epics being cut off at the halfway point, and obnoxious songs being quickly replaced. Three cheers, my friend.

The spacing out is allowing ample time for blog reflection, as well. I’ve been having thoughts such as: it’s silly to think of what constitutes a “good” blog. And this is very, very true in the most annoying way. I recently read a blog design site to get some ideas for, you know, design, but instead there was a Top 5-style list of “dont’s” for your blog. One of the top ones mentioned the importance of leaving out the mundane: Don’t tell us about your lunch, your walk to the bank, or your dental appointment. To me, this is silly. As a friend pointed out to me recently, many of the best writers allow a type of voyeurism. Bukowski, Fante, and Harvey Pekar came up. The three all write about the little details in ordinary life, just like the supposedly “worst” blogs do. Thing is, though, they write about these details beautifully. Voyeurism at its finest. It really makes sense, too, to write about these things. We can point out what is not apparently interesting about them. If someone takes a trip to Rome then, well, that’s obviously interesting. You don’t need to prove that to me. You need to prove that it can be written about in an interesting way. The topic can’t hold its own, bloggers.

If there’s any true blogging advice it should probably be something like this: Be you. Write yourself. Write Well.

But let’s talk about zombies, because they’re truly more important than something as trivial as blogs. A friend recently declared his dire need for some kind of zombie-based MMO (Massively-Multiplayer Online game). Luckily, the universe is well on its way to facilitating that need. Two luscious options have manifested themselves in the gray, unwelcoming mist of gaming:

The Last Guy

Expected to be released in North America sometime this year on PSN, The Last Guy is realistic in a very odd sense: it incorporates the magic of Google Earth. You’ll basically be killing zombies with a top-down view of the world itself. And that’s all I really know. That and it might just be an online multiplayer game.

Resident Evil 5

The next incarnation of the series looks exactly like the last, but that’s a good thing. Plus: there’s a co-op mode. An online one.

Yeah, neither of those games are MMO’s. But they do make me want to kill zombies. And they’re clearing a path towards a more complex game of the sort. Yes, I do believe we’re well on our way to kill the undead before we become unalive.