More Photo's!

Just letting you all know that I have started using www.flickr.com. What does this mean? It means all those of you who have been bugging me for photo's can get them yourself at http://www.flickr.com/photos/tangledcontrolpads/ and see all the latest handpicked pics from my hard drive. I'm currently trying to get as many pics from our Japan China trip in there. So far there are only 20 odd pics but I purchased the unlimited option so watch that number grow!

 

 

RIP Snoopy - 1991(?) to 2006

Today just before heading off to work I learnt of some news that I knew would come some day soon. Our family dog, Snoopy, has passed away. This old boy lived two lives. One as a family dog in Menai with us as Wayne and I were finishing up high school. The other as a guard dog with the parents as he headed up with them to Wellington. He managed to even have a litter with Patch which is where my old dog, Kimba, came from. When he first entered our lives I was just starting off work in Sega, no internet was mentioned in public and mobile phones were those ridiculous things you saw on Miami Vice. He survived freezing nights and boiling hot days at Wellington and was as active as a pup almost to the end.

 

The last time I saw the old boy was Christmas last year but I kinda felt that it was to be the last time. I did hope to catch up with the dog in a few weeks time to see him off but not to be. I remember teaching him how to look for the tennis ball, catch a footy in the backyard and chase off rogue dogs out of the street! He impressed Mamiko and Megumi (my Japanese pen pals) with his athletic abilities as he somersaulted his way to catching balls and he was a permanent figure in the back yard. It’ll be hard to think of the back yard without him.

Japan (In a Chestnut Shell)

I have always had an unhealthy appetite for video games. My first game I ever played would be Space Invaders to risk sounding like a cliche but for those not around at the time of Mi-Sex's hit "Computer Games" Spacies WAS big. Space Invaders even had it's own hit song back then which was heavily played on the radio while we spent obsene amount of hours shooting away at the MYSTERY BONUS. But way back then in 1980 in a corner milk bar standing in amazement at the new "colour" edition of Space Invaders I had no idea of the culture that spawned those addictive 20c coin gobblers.

 

I've been accused of liking Japan simply for it's creation of the video game industry. At first this would have been a fair statement. But after serious time spent sifting through Japanese text filled magazines to find the screen shots of what games will hit Mega Drive next you can't help but notice that behind the amazingly standardised but creative media that was gaming stood a culture that was as intriguing as the very games that were exported from it. But it wasn't till a game called Shenmue for the Sega Dreamcast gave this meatpie munching Aussie who came from an area that looked like a scene from Skippy the Bush Kangaroo an insight to the culture that is Nippon Japan. The game allowed the player to "live" the life of a Japanese teenager as he woke up, worked, explored and lived the life of a typical Japanese local in the 80's in extrodinary conditions. I've read complaints from some saying why would you wanna play a game where you do everyday stuff in real time. My answer would be to experience a life style that would normally elude you. Now some years after first experiencing Shenmue 1 & 2 I have come to appreciate the attention to detail Sega were to bless this title with.

 

My first moment in Japan was spent greeting the many people gathered to meet us for our arrival. After the initial nicities were exchanged I noticed the amount of blinking warning signs, audio auto annoucements and dependancy on order that was present at the airport. I was to later find this to be constant in my travels around Japan as I journeyed to my friends house 2 hours North East of Narita. Even the convenience shops were nothing but orderly and arranged in an efficient manner. The first of many comparisons to Shenmue were being made.

 

But later in the night life of Tokyo the comparisons came to an abrupt halt. My time in Tokyo was to be brief. This was a sad fact that I was not happy with but decided that I simply must absorb as much of the atmosphere as possible. But walking under one of the many Japanese JR train over head bridges I saw a site that you'd only be able to appreciate if you are there for yourself. I noticed in the mild conditions a homeless guy lying on the footpath. Every city has their homeless issues to deal with. But how many have homeless that read Japanese Anime comics? This is probably no big whoop for a local to see but as a westerner with something of a sketchy understanding of their culture I was not prepared for an image like that!

 

9pm on local roads in Sydney would be quiet and eerie. But Japan is a buzz of energy as local shops stay open to take advantage of the swarm of possible customers who negotiate every traffic light like obediant masses. Even though shops are closing up the crowds still seem to meandre about looking for bargains, gifts and prize gifts to add to their hull.

 

A dinner under a busy Japanese subway brings out the nicest aspect of Japanese lifestyle. The Japanese's drive to keep the customer happy. The Japanese have a saying. It's not "the Customer is Always Right". Instead it reads simply "Customer is King". Enter any shop and you are welcomed by a collective scream of "WELCOME!" (in Japanese of course) and if you have a query you'll either have the staff member readily accomodate you or frantically find someone else who can.

 

<<MORE TO COME>>

We're Back!

After a month long journey to many strange places OS we finally returned back to the land of "no worries" early morning last Wednesday. Now I'm getting the jet lag out of my system and getting all my stuff sorted out at home. There's tons of pics and videos to show everyone and loads of crappy momento's from every street haggler that managed to twist our arms into a sale!

 

My personal highlights of the trip would have to be the Great Fall of China (I slipped on the bloody wall while watching some turkey wandering into the bush off the wall!), the Tomb Warriors near Xian and the crazy Japanese night life. Oh... and having a Chinese hooker try to make a deal with me was funny while I was drunk in Tainjin! Check out the pics as I upload them all soon!

2006 - Japan & China

Just for those not in the know come this April the wife and I will be heading to Japan and then off to China for our Honeymoon (2.0!) for about 1 month. So we'll be landing in Narita on the 1st April and staying in Tokyo till 8th April when we'll be off to Beijing so I can finally meet the in-laws! That's going to be intresting considering I don't speak a lick of Japanese nor Mandarin! We'll be in China till 1st May and then we'll leave Japan to head back to Australia on the 2nd May.

 

I'm looking forward to all the technology of Japan, the culture shock of China and meeting up with my new family. Also I hope to catch up with Mamiko in Japan now that she has had a child with Hiro. Should be lots of fun and you know you can expect to see lots of pics here on the blog. I've also promised to get pics of me in the Blackouthouse.com shirt for the team site. Want to make it a tradition of sorts since Langy had pics done in London (days after the bombings!).

First Game Reviews in Ten Years!

I am currently attempting to gain my old role back of Video Game Journalist after more than ten years absense from the industry. Long time between reviews I know but I recently have found myself getting interested in the current lot of titles coming out. Although the ideas that are coming out now are not as cutting edge as that of the titles in the 90's we are seeing an umbelievable shift in technology and how it's applied to games. It's got to the point now I believe were it isn't really crucial that a console's specs need to be the best so long as the titles blessing it utilise the machine to get their game across to the public in the same vision that they had when they drafted the original game design.

 

Read my first game reviews in over ten years below and let me know what you think. Admittedly I feel a slight bit rusty but that'll change after a couple more reviews are notched up!

Review: Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogies Revenge (Xbox)

 

Review: Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogies Revenge (Xbox)

Brian Costelloe, Australia

16/01/2006 2:52 AM

 

Being a huge Tim Burton fan since seeing Nightmare Before Christmas for the first time back in the late 90’s (in between sessions on the Dreamcast) I was always suspecting that this movie would perhaps translate into a game one day. The fact that Jack Skeleton pops up in Kingdom Hearts (which will also be spawning a sequel soon coincidentally) further confirmed my hunch that the powers that be will see the marketing potential of the boney pumpkin king. Sure enough a recent visit to the video game store put good to my suspicions and so I just had to get my hands on this one as mortal curiosity got the better of me.

 

You basically pick up where the movie left off as Jack Skeleton wonders off for a spell. His dissapearance worries the already nervous mayor who, in an act of desperation, sets boobie traps all over Halloweentown to make Halloween celebrations evermore deadlier then before! Also the Pumkin King’s absense get’s Oogies faithful junior henchman, Lock, Shock and Barrel performing a rescue mission as they sew Oogie back together again. Now Oogie is running rampant again and Jack finds Halloweentown on it’s head!

 

So how does Capcom tie Jack into a game? Actually they throw in a gimmick to give Jack more of a fighting chance against a whole B-Grade horror movie worth of enemies. Introducing the Soul Robber. Dr.Frinkelstein has chipped in and conjured up this new weapon (which looks suspiciously like snot) which Jack keeps stuck to his wrist handy to unleash on his hapless enemies. Various moves are utilised to inflict damage on enemies as you move through a 3D beat ‘em up style environment. However there are two other costumes that change Jack’s actions. You have Pumpkin King mode where you wreak havoc via fire bombs and flame throwers. Or go for Santa Jack mode for a cold change with Cold Front attacks or hurl presents at your foes. But you may only change costumes once you earn the right to do so.

 

In between the process of wondering about the beautifully illustrated 3D levels looking for the next level you have to face of against the Boss’s in the game. In Oogies Revenge these battles are done via Dance Offs. You have to hit the enemies to gain Soul Notes. Fill the gauge with enough of these and you go into a Parappa the Rappa type mode where you have to hit the right buttons in time with the music to inflict PAIN. Not exactly innovative stuff but considering this is a game based on a musical it must be taken for granted. Speaking of the music it has to be mentioned that the score in this game features most of the original cast of the movie. This is a major selling point of the game as it’s the music that most grabbed a lot of fans of the movie if not the glorious visuals of the stop start animation it contained (and took three years to finish!). However the music maybe the same but the words have been altered to match the story line of the game. You’ll find yourself wanting to off your bosses quickly as the songs repeat themselves during these Dance Off battles and can grate after a short while.

 

Fact: In the soundtrack of the original movie the narrator of the story is none other then Patrick Stewart of Star Trek fame. However he never actually featured in the film itself. Also Jack Skeleton made his first appearance in Beetlejuice (1988)!

 

All the memorable characters from the movie are here in one form or another. And they do re-kindle the love of the movie I have as you get to see new dialogue and animation. But even with the smooth, beautiful landscapes and wonderfully animated characters you can’t help but feel it all seems a bit contrived. It doesn’t flow naturally as a video game. A common problem with movie translation is that there is no real story to necessitate the need for a game. Sure the action is there. The characters are there. Loads of weapon attacks and power ups to grab. But no real grabbing game action to set this one apart from most of the stuff hitting the shelves at the moment.

 

Tis but a shame that this game is nothing more than Jack himself… a vegetable. You’ll find yourself hurting through the actual game parts where you actually DO SOMETHING just to see more of the cinematics on offer and to unlock new music tracks. Worthy of a looking but don’t think this will fly off the shelves on anything more than sentimental value alone.

 

Verdict

Medieval is more worthy of a play than this. Not overly bad. Just not overly good either!

Pros: Faithfully reproduces the cast of the movie into a animated 3D world. Original voice talents here.

Cons: Gameplay involves button bashing. No real drive to want to complete the game.

Score: 5.5/10