The Gamer's Quarter

[Lestrade]

That's some hot DP action.

[Lestrade]

I remember the first time I watched this, I almost shit my pants. Sometimes I miss 1994!

[Lestrade]

Gears of War comes out tomorrow, among other things. I want to get new games, which means I have to get rid of old games. I'm hoping to trade a bunch in to get GoW. That being said, is anyone interested in buying Zombies Vs. Ambulances for the PS2?

If so, please post or contact me and let me know!

[Dracko]

I am expecting a lengthy entry as to Gears of Wars' play experience, Mr. Lestrade.
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"This is the most fun I've ever had without being drenched in the blood of my enemies!"

[Lestrade]

Hey guys, what game comes out today? I forgot. Microsoft: Kings of Subtle.

[SuperWes]

I'm pumped! Let's co-op tonight (if I can find the game anywhere)!

And when we're done we can co-op Contra Arcade!

-Wes
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[GSL]

[Lestrade]

I've got it. It's good! Look for me online!

[Lestrade]

I haven't played any multiplayer games yet, but the single-player campaign is great. It's hard too, even on Casual (I tried to play Hardcore but could barely get anywhere!).

I absolutely love how it feels, and how the cover system works. I've had a few control glitches (slamming into a wall on the side instead of diving past it), and there are a few things I would like to see (such as being able to roll backward over cover!), but on the whole it's terriffic.

I think what makes it so good is its focus; here's a level, here are your tools—no bullshit. The only thing keeping you from reaching the end is how well you can master these tools. Each level is a giant puzzle with multiple solutions. Furthermore, because the game controls so well, and gives you such complete mastery over your environment, I find myself thinking very strategically while playing, because unlike FPSes, it actually makes a difference.

In most FPSes, you're tempted to play like some sort of hopped-up SWAT-ninja and use cover, check doors before you enter them, go low around corners, etc. You know, play as if you actually knew what the hell you were doing. But in these games, as a player you're sort of pretending to go through these motions.

In GoW, you can finally do this—play it "right"—and see the results. You can slam up against the wall beside a door, have a quick look to see if the coast is clear, and then break cover in order to roadie-run (which is so much fun) to the next available cover, assess the situation and move on, etc. Thinking strategically pays off, because the Locust are no pushovers, and you can't just run, Doom-style, into the fray and hope you'll make it through.

I also like the "look" button (Y), which helps you see important items (say, that a character is referring to in the background) and find your fallen buddies easily. It takes the frustration out of being in a cinematic 3D world where things are happening all the time, yet avoids the hand-holding.

I also really feel that the game is secretly old-school. There are no tutorials (except for the one optional route at the game's outset, which doesn't feel like a tutorial), no collecting, nothing extraneous. From the moment you hit "start", you're instantly in the game, and you're off. This is my favourite part of GoW; it's got the focus of an NES game with controls that are easy to understand yet difficult to master. Honestly, it's the most retro new release I've ever played!

And yeah, Active Reload adds so much to the experience. As does that big, beautiful chainsaw.

Shit! I wish I didn't have to go to work today. I want to keep playing!

[Lestrade]

I'm a good ways through GoW now. I refuse to look at any information online or off that might give anything away. I'm so sick of letting the internet ruin every facet of gaming for me—from constantly checking game news (damn you, willpower) to the endless barrage of preview coverage, discussion, features, and blowouts that now accompany each memorable release.

Remember when a "preview" consisted of one, maybe two small articles on a game, or perhaps a feature for a particularly large title? Ah, gaming magazines; how I miss thee.

Sorry, rant over.

Anyway, I've been very engrossed in GoW and have been playing for periods of two, three, and three-and-a-half hours at a time. I realized tonight after I turned the game off that I haven't done that in a long, long time. I usually play games for an hour or an hour and a half at most.

And you know what? I think I prefer that. I don't like being in that gamer haze, like when I looked at my wife tonight and thought, "God, I've barely even seen you this week." Meanwhile my head is buzzing with afterimages of chainsawing subterranean creatures in half. Plus, I need to strech out my enjoyment of the game a bit more; I'm not far from the end now, and I only got it on Tuesday!

A good game should last weeks at least, not a few days! I've never been a binge gamer; I'm too balanced by nature. And I really shouldn't rush through the game; after I beat this, I'll be unable to buy anything else for weeks at least.

Blah blah bleee. I'm going to bed.

[Shapermc]

[Lestrade]

So I beat the game with three friends watching; pretty exhiliarating. The game truly is like an NES game in its focus—and in its approach to story. And NES games are like kung fu movies; once the big boss is down, the credits roll.

I played 1-on-1 multiplayer with a friend. I prefer focused multiplayer with friends, rather than all-out matches with strangers. It's fun!

[Lestrade]

I have been working on some hopefully good Gears of War art.

[Lestrade]

A bit drunk. Spent a few hours at a bar with a friend/old boss and an illustrator, so I could talk about transitioning into the illustration business. It was very educational.

[Lestrade]

Fuck all the haters who spoke any shit regarding the new Tenacious D album. It is fucking choice. Dudes, I totally missed you.

[Lestrade]

So I officially have my mother sending me notices via Wii. I also made a pretty cool Mom Mii yesterday, so I could attach it to her messages. Seeing her notes come up on the Wii message board is a bit weird, especially next to Persona's porn-filled notes. :-/

I'm over eleven hours into Zelda and I just can't stop loving the game. The fact that I've played this long and yet not even noticed is a good thing. Despite all the hate it gets, Ocarina of Time is one of my favourite games. It was the first game (because it was 3D) to finally capture the notion of a hero's epic journey for me. It was the first game to realize in my mind that feeling that every RPG strives for.

Twilight Princess is so far beyond that, and though the game seems standard Zelda fare, there so far have been many moments to the contrary. The cutscenes are great, and the occasional branches in gameplay really make the game seem unpredictable. Recently, I thought I was going to enter another dungeon area—you know, cut 'n' dried—when all of a sudden I sprung a cutscene that forced me to abandon my current task altogether and save somebody. It was a quick yet meaningful diversion from the overworld-underworld gameplay. I hope the game has more of this, and continues to surprise me.

(Hell, the game features some bloody textures, so I'm already surprised enough.)

This game is probably the only thing that has ever really made me feel that I am going on an adventure. The headline on the box—"Become a Legend"—is apt. I really do feel like I was this hokey farmboy who's being forced into the world at large, and is dealing with it quite handily, thank you!

I get this odd sensation that once I beat Zelda, I will never want to play a "quest" game again. It just won't compare.

[GSL]

[Lestrade]

WHAT

[Lestrade]

Guitar Hero II rocks, but man—no more games for freaking two months, I swear. Especially not new ones! My piggy bank is on the floor, bleeding profusely.

Went to a chiptunes show tonight. A friend of a friend played a set with a classic brick; it was some pretty block-rockin' stuff. I think he mixed it up with a sweet drum machine he has, so the beats was thumpin'. It was impressive stuff, especially when you consider that he was mixing live. It flowed well, and the adrenaline just wouldn't stop.

The man (TouchBoy) is attending the Blip Festival in New York as the only Canadian participant. Fucking A! I wish I could go.

[Six]

Oh hey, I saw TouchBoy when he opened for Freezepop and the Minibosses here a few weeks ago. Pretty wicked!

Also at the very same show I ran into RavenWorks, the dude who is porting Cave Story to the DS. I recognized his name from doukutsu while doing a little Pictochatting between sets. I had no idea the dude even lived in the same country! Pretty much the most surreal thing ever.

Hooray for technology, it's a small internet, chiptunes is magic, etc., I guess?

[Lestrade]

This weekend certainly was a game-filled one. After Friday's chiptunes show and the subsequent Guitar Hero II party that didn't stop till three in the morning, I figured Saturday would be a b it quiet and somewhat uneventful.

I updated my comic, practised a bit of GHII while the wife was still sleeping, and ran a few errands. Then Nancy and I went to her company's Christmas party (which is obviously jumping the gun a bit!), and I was quite prepared for another mind-numbing evening, as per last year.

In a bizarre twist of fate, I ended up meeting a friend from Comic Convention Land, whose girlfriend happens to work with my wife. That certainly made the evening go more smoothly, but so did meeting another fellow, who is a recent hire at Koei Canada, and is working on the upcoming Fatal Inertia for PS3. We chatted about game design, Miyamoto, and chiptunes for the rest of the night.

The man, Craig, has a site under the name Superbrothers, and does some very specific sort of illustration and animation. (Dess, if you're reading this, check out his animation; I think you'll like it.)

Yesterday I had several hours of freelance work to do, so I cranked the tunes and got down to business. Nearing the end of my web-production onslaught, I made some phone calls to the regular crew. A couple hours later, we were all reunited for another five-hour Guitar Hero jamfest.

My god, competitive mode is so excellent, words fail me.

I woke up this morning and after my little exercise routine, I logged on to the CBC's website to see if we were all going to die today. As if I needed more video game-related topics to read, I saw this. I didn't know Mark Rein was Canadian, or that a Canuck firm is responsible for not only the handwriting recognition in the DS, but the typing functions in the Wii as well.

There's a lot of Canadian talent in games, and I'm now gurgling at the mouth to find a way to tap into this. Considering initiatives like the Great Canadian Video Game Competition, I should hurry up!

A pretty insightful way to start the week!

[Persona-sama]

You Canadians are secretly going to conquer the world. :/
You're all already born with an artistic x-factor that I spite greatly. Don't make me mark you guys on my hit list next...
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[Lestrade]

Oh shit, my JLPT test is this Sunday! Wish me luck whilst I try the patented Lestrade Last-Minute Cram™ technique!

[Nana Komatsu]

[Lestrade]

[Lestrade]

Shit, I've started buying things from iTunes. This is the end of me.

[RedLightning]

Lestrade, how are you getting to York on Sunday? Last year I took the first northbound train out from Osgoode and the first bus to York from Downsview and yet still arrived after most of the other test takers for some reason. I'm still trying to figure out how everybody else managed to get there earlier than I did.

[Lestrade]

'Sup, Ed! I was thinking of that route, or going to Finch and then taking the express west across Steeles. Do you want to meet?

I am so not looking forward to Sunday! We have to be there at 8:40, don't we?

[RedLightning]

As long as you get there by 10:15 you should be good. Though last year taking the first train out (Sunday service starts at a bullshit time like 9am or something) still only got me there at around 10:20. I still took the test fine and all, but shit. The scheduling is biased against TTC riders or something. The bus out to York from Downsview was fun though, an entire bus full of test-takers doing their last-minute cramming.

I'm currently trying to bum a ride off somebody which hopefully will go through, but if it doesn't I would most definitely want to meet, yes! I'll keep you updated. If the ride falls through the person I was trying to bum the ride off would most likely have to bus it up himself, heh.

[SuperWes]

Hey Lestrade, you're needed in the super-secret hidden Technical Forum. I want your designer advice on something.

-Wes
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[Lestrade]

So I created a five song "Mad World" EP:

[Shapermc]

I kind of want a copy now . . .
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“The average man has a secret desire to be a swaggering, drunken, fighting, raping swashbuckler.”
-Robert E. Howard in a letter to a friend circa Decmber 1932

"There is no place in this enterprise for a rogue physicist!"

[Persona-sama]

Wait, what is this "Mad World" you speak of?
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[Dracko]

That album should be the Tears for Fears version played five times, followed by their full discography.

Nicely done.
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"This is the most fun I've ever had without being drenched in the blood of my enemies!"

[Nana Komatsu]

I want to make a commercial for some simple and uninteresting game using the choral cover of "When Doves Cry" that the Romeo+Juliet remake from the 90's used.

[Shapermc]

[Lestrade]

I love how the Wii Virtual Console has made the notion of swapping media seem bizarre and antiquated to me. If I have Wii Sports in my console and I want to play Zelda, now I think, "I have to swap games? Why?" There's something about quitting a game of Sonic, only to paw through my (meagre) selection of classic games via Wiimote and then click on one.

Because I'm buying games one at a time, instead of (ahem) downloading them in bulk, there's a value to each game. I'm not hording tonnes of ROMs, but rather I'm accumulating games for a reason. I like being able to see all those little menu screens at once, to see my entire collection right there.

Super Metroid and Super Mario Bros. 1–3 can't come quickly soon enough!

Tomorrow's my JLPT exam. Will I pass? Will I fail? I'll find out in a couple of months, I guess.... I haven't taken an exam since high school—almost ten years ago! I am not a "student" kind of person; I've been out of the education circles for almost seven years, and an examination room is the last place on earth I want to be.

[GSL]

Good luck on the JLPT! I'd love to hear your impressions of the test; I may try for Level 3 on the next go round (I'd love to take a crack at Level 2, but I'm also trying to be realistic, here).

[Lestrade]

It is done. I think I passed! I almost fell asleep during the listening portion of the test. Also, this whole endeavour reminds me of why I hated school then, and I hate it now. Being in that soul-sucking lecture room was torture.

[RedLightning]

I called out to when I saw your retreating form as I emerged out into the open after they FINALLY let us out on our break! But alas, you appeared to not have noticed me.

Around 3-4 people testing for my level apparently did not have their examinee registration numbers and had to head down to the the war room to get it sorted out, delaying the start time. Then the proctors took forever to count the number of test booklets that were collected, so in the end we got shafted with only getting a 5-minute break that started after everybody else had already headed back inside for the listening section. Bah.

The same friggin' thing happened last year too! Plus for some reason I ended up taking the exam in the same room as the one I took level 2 in last year, even though I was in a different level this time. Odd. I think the room is cursed or something.

There was a guy in the row in front of me who, when told to bring out ID and to leave it on the desk in front of him, brought out an honest-to-god Japanese passport. And the girl beside me finished like 20-30 minutes early for every section too.

[Lestrade]

Hey sorry, RL, I didn't hear you at all. I was so eager to get out of that place I even took the wrong bus, and got to experience "the scenic route" through the butthole of Toronto (i.e. Keele St.)

==

So I got hit by a car today!

Well, it was a minivan. And obviously, it wasn't hard, because I'm still here. I was crossing an intersection and a van pulled out to turn, obviously not noticing I was there. Why the driver didn't see me, I don't understand, but he drove right into me. Once he realized there was a man in front of him, he stopped. I just gave him this look—I was stunned—and he looked really scared. I think what scared him the most was that I kept on walking!

So, yeah. My legs and arms are a bit sore, but I'm okay. Very weird start to the week.

EDIT: Adding dramatization of the event:

[Shapermc]

Whoa, I hope nothing long term results of this (but if it does at least you live in Canada!). I almost got hit by a car going quite fast on a rainy day when their breaks wouldn't stop them, they were on the other side of a bus so I didn't see it until it was almost too late and ran like hell to get out of the way. It's scary man, I hope you're all right.
_________________
“The average man has a secret desire to be a swaggering, drunken, fighting, raping swashbuckler.”
-Robert E. Howard in a letter to a friend circa Decmber 1932

"There is no place in this enterprise for a rogue physicist!"

[Lestrade]

Thanks, Shaper. I left my doctor's contact information at home, so I can't call to make an appointment until after work. I'm sore all over now, which is to be expected, but for some reason I'm feeling a bit confused.

I know a low-level concussion results in confusion, but I didn't hit my head! The only comparable "injury" I received was a sore neck from the impact. Reverse whiplash? Anyway, I know I'm still fine, but the pockets of complete confusion are jarring (even for me).

I'm just glad the guy stopped before rounding the corner at all! Things could have been a lot worse.

Anyway, enough of this griping. Have at you! (*turns into demon*)

[GSL]

You should still definitely contact the doctor--sometimes you can end up with a mild concussion even if you don't hit your head on anything. The force of sudden impact can send your brain slamming into your skull and you'll have the same reaction as if you truly did hit your head. It could also be a mild case of shock, but definitely get it checked out.

I hear Canada has a pretty darned cool medical system.

[Lestrade]

[aerisdead]

Lestrade ;_;

Hope you are okay!
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aerisdead

[helicopterp]

I was hit by a car in Atlanta this summer under what appear to be the exact same circumstances! You are now my sworn brother.
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Like you thought you'd seen copter perverts before. They were nothing compared to this one.

[Ketch]

Holy sh!t. Get yourself checked out ASAP. Anyway, I hope you're okay. : )

[Persona-sama]

ITT we make get well soon cards for Lestrade.


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[dessgeega]