You may have noticed that I have another new avatar (when it updates of course). This is Lord Dantes, the one I talked about in the previous blog who I wanted to originally be my new avatar. TL-97 (a user on Gametrailers) found a pic of him for me, and I really appreciate that ^.^ It's only been one week, Hero, but unfortunately you have to go. I don't know why you got so many complaints, but you did. Don't fret though, those who know you will still love you.

Yes it would nice if Dantes' head was bigger, but below is the full size pic, so I don't think I could have did anything to make it better given the quality.

I made two nice purchases a couple of days ago. The first is Valkyria Chronicles for $20

I don't have a PS3, but whenever I do get one I'll be prepared

And the other is The Dark Spire for $5

Very hardcore, and just looking at it makes me cringe O.O

This blog is titled what it is for two reasons

1. I couldn't think of a title
2. I stopped my quest of getting all the titles in Half-Minute Hero

Yes, I'm a quitter. As I was once again defeating the 16th evil lord of probably the best game this year, I decided that I should just leave the game where it is. I feel that if I did actually achieve the highest rank on all four modes, and gained every title for every level, then I would somehow like the game less. A completion task such as this is what takes away the love I have for certain games (Half-Minute Hero being one of those games). So, I'm done. Not only are there no walkthroughs online for some of these titles, but some of them are also very difficult. Besides, the only thing I would get is a hilarious reference to the Valhalla Knights series, which I am not familiar with so I wouldn't understand it anyway.

Overall, Half-Minute Hero left me wanting more. I wanted more of each mode, and some enhancements would be nice, so...sequel, anyone? But seriously, get this game if you have a PSP; it's a must, not a maybe. It's by far one of the most unique, ironic, and fun experiences I have had in gaming in a very long time. Both my brother and I did practically everything in the game (other than what's mentioned above) and both of us miss it already.

All I can say is - Opus, keep doing what you're doing (and get your name on the freakin' box next time xD)

That's all for now. I'm done with Christmas shopping. I got my brother Ninjatown and Shining Force Neo and got my sister New Super Mario Bros. Wii (which was very difficult to find). For Christmas Eve I am going to my grandma's house on my mom's side of the family and we'll be celebrating over there as we always do. Then on Christmas day we'll be picking up my other grandma and aunt (meaning on my dad's side) and go back to the same grandma's house that we were at on Christmas Eve to celebrate once again, just with less people. It should be nice; it always is, and I'm fortunate and thankful to have it that way.

I said I wasn't sure if I would post another blog before Christmas, but this time I'm positive this is the last before December 25th. Happy holidays everyone ^.^

First and foremost, yes I have a new avatar. Who is he? You'll find out later in the blog (but I'm hoping somebody out there knows already -.-). I hate to see Hazama go, but it had to be done xD

For the record, I really wanted Lord Dante as my new avatar, but apparently he is so awesome that even the Internet doesn't have a picture of him O.o

There were a lot of blog ideas I had in mind, but nothing gave me the patience and effort to sit down and type it all out. I was going to talk about developers vs. publishers when it comes to recognition in videogames, Naughty Dog and guns, end of the year awards and their main focus being for promotional purposes for the wrong games, and a bunch of other stuff. But here I am again with just another update on what I have been doing...meh, better than nothing, I guess. I'm going to try to keep everything brief, but you know how it goes sometimes

^Yep, my new avatar is Hero, right there on the cover^

Anyway, this little game has been taking a lot of time lately, and I'm glad it is. I can ramble on and on about this one, but all you need to know is that Half-Minute Hero is like no other game, and is worth everyone's time. It is innovative to the RPG genre (which is unfortunately rare), and is full of charm that is hard to let go. The 8-bit graphical styIe blends so well with some current graphics, and the soundtrack is extremely impressive. It's kind of like a mix of c@ssical and metal (with some other genres of course). Sound familiar? Well it should because Baten Kaitos does the same thing. Except Baten Kaitos likes to combine the two genres, while HMH keeps them seperate. Another thing to note about the soundtrack is that it reminds me of a lot of other games. Just a few to mention - Okami, Final Fantasy (specifically VII), Dragon Warrior/Quest, Guilty Gear, and The Legend of Zelda.

Agh, I'm going on longer than I should. Okay, long story short, the gameplay is something fresh and original, and the most fun I have had in a very long time. The story is simple, but very satisfying, and the characters are a lovable bunch with outgoing personalities. It also has a good amount of humor put into the clever dialogue and visuals. By the end, you feel like you really did accomplish something and truly are a hero. I am not entirely done with the game though. I beat Hero, Evil Lord, and Princess mode, but still have to go through the Knight's story (which is awesome so far). I plan on going for 100% completion too.

For those of you who own a PSP:
BUY IT NOW...(if you have a soul of course)

^I didn't know The Tick became a knight^

I don't know about you guys, but Cl@ssic Dungeon looks like it's similar (or at least has a similar goal). This is probably my most anticipated game next to Fragile, but a Western release is not likely to happen at the moment
Trailer

Here we go, I hope all of you know about this Tim Schafer masterpiece by now. I am so glad I found a copy because I have been looking for this game ever since...well ever since I realized it was a huge mistake to let it pass me by. Everything about it is worth it. I'm a sucker for these kinds of games, but that's beside the point. It's just an outstanding 3D platforming and action game. So far the story is interesting, and the concept behind the gameplay is unique. The character design is nicely varied, and the voice acting for each is top notch. Ford Cruller is my new favorite character. Everything about that guy is just plain awesome (he isn't the one below)

It also brings back memories of one of my favorite under-appreciated games, Dual Hearts. Going into people's minds is as fun as it sounds. Something I already found surprising is that this game is deep...and emotional. I can't wait to finish it, and maybe I'll feel like completing this one 100% too (I say that a lot though...and then I feel it's too hard xD). The real shining moment of the game for me was the humor. There are many laughs to be had with this one, and that's what makes it such a joy to play. I shouldn't have to tell you to check Psychonauts out, but please do; you will not regret it.

I'm telling ya, when a game lets you set squirrels on fire, you know it's good.

--
In other news, I am still playing Warriors Orochi 2 with my brother. Proficiency takes so long to get! It's a ton of fun though, and I don't think we'll ever get tired of it. I also started Breath of Fire III, but I can't say too much about it yet because I am not that far. My brother was watching me play it, and both of us noticed something - it looks and sounds like Chrono Trigger. So that's a definite plus. Psychonauts has had me turn away from it though, but I hope I can come back soon.

Oh, and I played Riviera for 15 minutes XD

I got tempted to start another anime series before finishing Saiyuki, but I didn't. Saiyuki has gotten significantly better, and I don't feel like I have to push through it anymore. The payoff is worth it, for the most part, but we'll see if I get the feeling this is one that other people need to check out (so far not really, just a pleasant anime). That second opening has become one of my favorites One Piece is still awesome of course, but I feel like picking up the pace. Before I only wanted it to be something I would watch every now and then, but now I want to be up-to-date with it (meaning being at episode 430), and also because I really want to play the Unlimited Adventure game, but don't want to start it until I am that far in the anime.

I'm not sure when I will blog next, but I don't think I will post one before Christmas, so I hope all of you who celebrate it have a very merry Christmas ^.^ (err, I guess Happy Holidays would have been easier )

Shorter blog today (EDIT ~ not really, never goes as planned ). Just wanted to give some of my final impressions on Persona 2.

A couple of weeks ago I finished watching Persona 2: Innocent Sin and wrote a blog saying how top-notch everything about it was (other than the gameplay, since I couldn't judge that). Well, I just finished the second and final part - Persona 2: Eternal Punishment, and I must say that I am impressed. Again, I watched both of these because I do not have them, and suspect that I will never get them (because of money and availability). And even if I do, I still would want to play them because it's fun to go through something you already know. Some day I am going to watch the Tales of the Abyss anime, even though it's exactly the same as the game. I think it's enjoyable to go like "oh I remember this!" as if it's nostalgia, but not that far into the past.

There isn't a whole lot to say about Eternal Punishment. It was not what I was expecting. I thought the story would have a huge similarity to Innocent Sin, but it doesn't (sorta), and it works. The character design is just as before, complex and superior. It was awesome to see characters from Innocent Sin come into play (and some with much bigger roles, like Katsuya), and also to see some very cool new characters as well. The overall story is impressive and engrossing. Graphics are about the same but slightly improved upon it's predecessor. The soundtrack is about the same too. Not top 10 soundtrack material, in my opinion, but it's very nice, and Maya's theme is as memorable as ever.

Now that the voice acting is in English, it's...well, not too bad. I think they did an okay job with it, except for Tatsuya. It seems like he has a different poor acting voice every time, and I still don't know why they made him always wear a red jumpsuit (that's what it looks like to me anyway O.o) I hear the final boss is very disappointing, but of course I couldn't tell you. The ending is bittersweet to a point where you just want to force the writers to change it. Actually, the whole Persona 2 universe is like that, and I loved it. I can split the ending into two ideas, which I won't talk about to avoid spoilers, but basically I really liked how they handled one, but not so much for the other. Overall, I found it very satisfying.

^P2 also has the best Velvet Room^

As a whole, Persona 2 is something truly amazing. Both parts intertwine nicely, but still hold their own weight. I like how both of them seem to take a governmental and police/mystery approach (more so in Eternal Punishment), and then turn that into a supernatural one. Looking at Persona 2 has me disappointed with how Persona 3 and 4 turned out though. When comparing them, P2 feels like the grander one to me. There is also a lot of unique ideas and gameplay elements that would be so cool to have in P3 and P4, but Atlus decided not to use them. Also, Persona 2 has a clear moral. It actually teaches you something, and I can't say the same for P3 and P4. Let's hope Persona 5 puts them back on the right track. Not that they're doing a bad job right now, but it's wasted potential.

Oh, and I like the nods to the first Persona. That was pretty cool

Anyway, I should be playing games again when I go back home for break. I have two finals to take, one on Tuesday and one on Friday, which is a pain because I'd rather just have both on Tuesday so I can leave earlier -.- As for anime...haven't watched any One Piece or Saiyuki in over a week, but the busyness has died down for now, so that should change.

Actually, there is something a little bit interesting that I'm doing. I downloaded DOSBox (something I should have did a long time ago), so I'm using DOS and playing some great cl@ssic PC games. These really take me back. Right now I'm playing Alien Carnage (Halloween Harry) and Bio Menace, both are awesome of course Funny that I can start playing these games instantly, and I still have games like Dungeon Siege 2 that I haven't touched and are just sitting there. Say what you will about 3D Realms, but they offer some of their amazing games (back when they were known as Apogee) legally for free, and it just doesn't get better than that. I told my dad to find all the floppy disks and CDs of those DOS games so that I can put them on my computer during break. There's a lot

^Alien Carnage (Halloween Harry)^

^Bio Menace^

So I guess that's it. For everyone in school, I wish you luck on the finals and hope you enjoy break ^.^