436 - Monday Blog.
HELLO and welcome to another Monday Post. Another week has flown by. Are you ready for a new portion of my ramblings about the sorry state of the modern entertainment industry? Or maybe you're just scrolling down to the "WORK" section in search of some Reporter Trainer news? Well, whatever the case, I am happy you found the time to check out my Monday Post this week. Thank you. (And feel free to drop a like as well if you're feeling generous! :)
SHOP. This week's new shop item is another old drawing based on a TMNT birthday idea. For more information, check out the description in the shop. All I am going to say here is that I am really happy the pencil scan survived. I wish I had been more careful with my WIPs over the years. So much has been lost to time already. T_T
I'M OLD NOW. A few months ago, I dug out my Japanese language school diploma and framed it. It's funny how, when I was young, I had this "I'm too cool for school" mentality and couldn't care less about all those ceremony papers, certificates, and diplomas. And now I look at it and think to myself, "Hey, that's pretty cool." Time is a cruel mistress. We all seem to follow the same pattern of mental development. First we turn into our fathers, then into our grandfathers... 0_0
MODERN GAMING NEWS. Stellar Blade is one of those games that doesn't appeal to me visually at all. I am not a fan of the hyper-realistic Unreal Engine look. At the same time, from what I have seen, I think it is a fantastic game that absolutely deserves its success. Anyway, from what I understand, a new DLC (or something along those lines) has been announced for the game, and if nothing else, it was entertaining to see all the memes that announcement generated. ^_^
MORE MODERN GAMES. Persona 6 has been announced. Since I didn't like Persona 5, I doubt I'll be playing this one. It's pretty obvious to me where things are heading. I also want to add that whenever a game announcement consists of nothing but a logo, it's a bit concerning. To me, that usually means they don't have much of a game to show yet and are simply trying to generate hype. There was also a trailer for the Persona 4 remake. To me, it looks terrible. Just like with the Persona 3 remake, I feel zero creative spark behind it, and I honestly feel sorry for the people who had to work on it, creating what I consider to be an inferior version of a game that already exists. I know this is an unpopular opinion, but I think remakes are generally unnecessary and are, for the most part, just cash grabs.
PLAYSTATION 2 MAGIC. Completely by accident, I found out that the PS2 version of Persona 4 had much more atmospheric fog and weather effects. I suppose they had to tone them down in P4G because of the PS Vita's hardware limitations. It sucks. I really love the look of the original PS2 version. P4G added a ton of story content, so it's still the superior version overall, of course... But man, that fog. T_T
EVEN MORE MODERN GAMES. A new Crazy Taxi has been announced. What's next, Space Channel 5? Ugh, I hope not. Imagine them trying to turn SC5 into the same hyper-realistic style as this new Crazy Taxi. I know I represent a fringe minority here, but you can't tell the heart what to love (or what to dislike), and I really dislike the Unreal Engine look of the new Crazy Taxi. At the same time, they made the characters behave like cartoons, which only makes the ultra-realistic visuals feel even more unnecessary. It's like they wanted all the benefits of a stylized art style but didn't have the courage to actually commit to one. That being said, they at least seem to have captured the fun, energetic mood of the original game.
AND EVEN MORE MODERN GAMES!!! The new Fable looks exactly as expected. They just seem to be following the direction established by the trailer they revealed a while back. Also, the new God of War game without the God of War is going to be fun, I'm sure. The sad thing is that all the games I am ranting about here will probably sell well, and the cycle will continue. There may be an occasional flop here and there, but for the most part, this is the direction the industry seems determined to follow for the foreseeable future... -_-
MODERN MOVIES! The release of the new He-Man movie came as a surprise to me, but that's probably because I don't follow Hollywood news anymore. Critical Drinker says it's good, so there's a chance I might enjoy it if I decide to watch it. From the trailer, it looks like they tried to stay true to the original show when it comes to the character designs. Even He-Man looks the way he should in his He-Man form, basically wearing nothing but his fur shorts. But then I saw Teela's costume. Covered from head to toe. So you're telling me they kept all the costumes faithful to the original, but decided to completely redesign the only sexy girl's outfit? Right. You see, it's stuff like that that kills whatever pitiful scraps of goodwill I still have left for the modern entertainment industry. -_-
TO OTHER NEWS. Last week, I had to take a trip to a neighboring city to renew my international passport (something that only needs to be done once every 10 years). All in all, it took me three days to get everything sorted out and return home. It sucks that my work week got cut short because of it, but at the same time, it was a nice change of pace, and now I won't have to worry about it again for another 10 years. :)
ERIN'S CHALLENGE! If you've never heard of Erin's Challenge, it's a brand of sorts created by a Japanese government agency tasked with promoting Japan abroad. There is a TV show, a phone app, a website, and various other educational materials. I watched the TV show for the first time last year. It was filmed during my time in Japan, so it was very nostalgic to see Japan the way it used to be back then. Anyway, while I was on my passport renewal trip, I paid a visit to a local branch of the Japanese Foundation Library, and to my surprise, they had a freakin' Erin chibi cutout there (see the picture). Oh man, I'm not going to lie, I got a bit emotional when I saw that. I'm really happy this program is still being funded, although I think it's kind of pointless at this point since Japan has already become super popular. A bit too popular, if you ask me.
GAMES. I continue to play Luminous Arc 3, and I discovered a cool feature that I didn't even know existed. You can actually pay the school nurse to sleep with you (man, this game is the best XD). It also costs "free time points," so I usually ignored it in favor of bonding events with the female characters in my party. However, in the school infirmary there is a "magical bed" that randomly (and permanently) boosts your stats. It works like this: you give the nurse some money and lie down in the bed. The lights go off, and some sound effects strongly suggest that she jumps into bed with you. A little while later, the lights come back on, and the nurse is seen hurriedly returning from the bed to her station. Good stuff. I love subtle, slightly inappropriate details like this in older games XD.
IMPORTANT QUESTION. Why are PSP and PS2 games so fucking cheap these days? Seriously though, what the hell? I promised myself I wouldn't turn into one of those retro game collector weirdos, but it's getting really hard. Anyway, last week I bought a copy of SSX3 for 2 bucks and a Japanese import of Final Fantasy Type-0 for 4 bucks. Sure, I also had to pay for shipping, but still, those prices are ridiculous.
MORE GAMES. The Japanese version of Dragon Quest XI is a great study tool for language learners since it includes furigana. It was on sale on the Japanese eShop, so I decided to pick it up for study purposes. So far, it's been great. I can actually play it and understand what's going on. The problem, however, came from a direction I didn't expect: I don't like the way the world looks. The environments feel bloated, as if everything is bigger and more spacious than it needs to be. There are also weird details all over the place: buildings clipping into statues, stone fountains resting on wooden scaffolds, windows looking directly into the walls of neighboring buildings, and so on. Everything feels artificial, while the world looks far too photo-realistic for the cartoony characters that inhabit it.
GAMES AGAIN. The 3DS version of Dragon Quest XI is generally considered the more focused experience. Both the characters and the world depiction is much more to my liking, and it has furigana as well. However, the Nintendo Switch version, Echoes of an Elusive Age, has one very important addition: the ability to "marry" any member of your party. And I am an absolute sucker for that sort of thing. So, despite all my complaints, I will probably be slowly making my way through that version whenever I have the time. Apparently, the power of waifus is stronger than my artistic preferences.
THE WORK. Like I mentioned above, I had to take a trip that ate up about half of my work week, so I am still working on the same thing: Kimmy's main story events. Hopefully, I'll be able to make some good progress this week so that next Monday I'll have something a little more exciting to share with you on the development front. And that's all I have to say for now. Thank you for your support, patient bros. I will see you all next Monday. Laterz. ^_^
-Aka-
A few links just in case:
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Comments (20)
The He-Man Movie is a lot of fun, for sure more violent then I expected and Teela gets her proper outfit at the end
OK. I'm sold. Gonna watch it! Thank you for giving me the push! :)
I think the MUTO movie is a good one and still very close to the old cartoon series even that Teela doesn't wear her original outfit most of the time. The movie is funny, has action and Dolph Lundgren.. only much too less Orko.
Oh, you mean the original one from back in the day! Thank you for reminding me of it. I knew it existed, but I never actually watched it. I need to fix that! :)
I think PS2 games are coming up cheap because the system was SUPER popular, so people have tons of them kicking around they are just getting rid of as the OG player base is hitting their 40's and 50's, so they're hitting midlife crisis potential. Just a guess. And I'm right there with you man, remakes are such a waste of time, but everyone these days grew up hearing about actually FUN games and they are so afraid of missing out there's a market in 'make a whole new game nothing like the original but then slap in a few memes and make the characters look the same'. I've had people tell me they loved Resident Evil 1 and then found out they haven't ever seen a PS1 disc, sigh.
Agreed. Some of those games sold a lot of copies, which means there are still plenty of them available for purchase on eBay, for example. Well, I'm not complaining. :) Although, if I had nothing better to do, I would probably start slowly buying up multiple copies of those games, because their prices are only going to go up over time. All in all, I'm glad you support me in my constant rants, Trevor. Thank you. :)
U cute
No u
I admit I did not scroll directly to the WORK section… but I did arrive there with great discipline and dignity after enjoying the weekly dose of modern entertainment despair. XD About your three-day passport trip, did you still find yourself thinking about Reporter Trainer and getting new ideas for April, Irma, Avy, Kimmy, Tiffany, or the story? Or was it more of a proper mental break, the kind that lets you come back to the project a little more rested and refreshed? Good luck with Kimmy this week!
I would expect nothing less from you, sir. You are truly a shining example of a seasoned man of culture. o7 As for my trip, it was really refreshing. Yes, my brain did try to jump back to work at every opportunity, but there were too many distractions. All in all, I was able to recharge my creative batteries a bit. :)
Damn where did you find ssx3 for 2 bucks? I gotta order myself a copy and do some tricks with Kaori.
I got lucky. Most of the other items on the seller's account were articles of women's clothing. I think some lady was selling this disc just so she wouldn't have to throw it away. I appreciate that approach, though. Thanks to her, this game found a new home with me. :) Also, every once in a while (about once a week, whenever I feel like it), I pick up the game and play as Kaori. My main character was always Elise, for obvious reasons, but Kaori is a lot of fun too. (I play on an emulator). I'm hoping there's a school uniform among her unlockable outfits, but at the same time that might be too much to hope for. XD
Akabur, what happened to your glorious art style? :( Why is kimmy looking so.. lifeless? Jameson is normal, but kimmys sprite doesnt match anything youve ever done.
That’s not April - it’s Kimmy, like he mentioned in the post. She’s a junior reporter side character.
I’m happy we’re getting a Persona 4 remake, but honestly I would’ve preferred a full 3D remake of Shin Megami Tensei IV. Also, what dark gods do I need to bargain with to get akabur to make a Fire Emblem or Disgaea style tactics RPG where the MC gets kicked out of the Demon Lord’s army, is forced to live as a normal person, then joins a mercenary company? From there you could choose to profit from the war, pick a side, or take over everything yourself. It feels like it could be an fun porn RPG. The real question is: what would it take to convince to make it? Ps also check out Vampire the Masquerade: Eternal Whispers I've got a feeling it might be fun.
"The real question is: what would it take to convince to make it?" The real answer: MONEY. If I ever figure out a way to increase my income, I could start thinking about doing something like that. For the time being, I'm still a one-man team, and even creating a visual novel-type game takes a lot of time. -_-
May be Akabur spends way too much time looking at modern games/movies. We all know they suck. I'm very glad several years ago I just stopped following any social media - I have no idea what modern games or movies come out. 👁️👄👁️
Lately, I've been trying to train myself to reach for my DSi instead of my phone whenever I have a moment to scroll. It's been working for the most part. You are living my dream. I only check Twitter, and every time a day goes by without me opening that app, I feel proud of myself. XD
This was a full post, I renew my DNI this month, almost the same, and well, also the GoW that is also announced, many day will rock but I don't see a GoW with no Kratos
I hope your DNI renewal went well. I always worry that I've forgotten to fill out some form whenever I have to deal with things like that. ^^ My favorite God of War games are still the PS2 and PSP ones, where there was always a fun little sex scene in every game. :)