The Obligatory Episode 3 Post

I suppose that, as a self-proclaimed nerd of sorts, it is my duty to dole out the obligatory Star Wars Ep. 3 post. I finally had the opportunity to see Ep. 3 two weekends ago at the IMAX theater in Edmonton. It was a rather spur of the moment type occassion, we were wandering around West Edmonton Mall and Dianne suggested (!!) we go check it out. What ensued was an experience to be sure, but something of a bittersweet one.

I grew up with Star Wars. I owned the action figures, I had the box sets of the VHS tapes, I love the series. I knew what the end result of Ep. 3 would entail, it had to happen after all in order for the Star Wars continuity to exist. That being said, watching Anakin degrade into Darth Vader (if that was a spoiler for you, go read something else) was not something I really think I was prepared to witness. The whole plot behind it strikes me as being so sad, and I walked out of the theater somewhat cursing Lucas for forcing me through that.

The movie itself had its high points as well as its lows. Even I found the opening hour or so to be rather mind numbing, or if not mind numbing, then painfully slow anyway. I have my suspicions that Dianne may have been border line passing out.

The script was rather stunted as well. Particularly the dramatic scenes between Anakin and Padme made my toes curl. You know the feeling when you see someone doing something embarassing and can't help but feel embarassed for them? Sort of like that, but not so much embarassment as painfully stupid dialogue.

Past those two major gripes, I pretty much enjoyed the rest of the film. The exciting action scenes (hence the "wars" moniker) were done up superbly with amazing graphics, sound and pacing. The light saber duals (something I live for) were nicely done and there were some epic battles in there that won my heart (you rock Mace Windu!!!).

All in all I found Ep. 3 to be a rather well done movie with very little room for plot holes, all things considering (yes, I know some exist). Ep. 3 re-ignited my passion for all things Star Wars and I have begun delving into the recently released DVD versions of the originals. All in all a fantastic series that has left me with but one wish. An alternate reality story where Anakin and Padme end up happy in the end with their children (and with no Lucas!). Ok, so maybe its a bad idea, but I can dream can't I?

Comments (0) | Permalink | Lee Babin | 6.1.2005

Wow, it has been a while...

Wow, it has been a while hasn't it? I have been increasingly busy as of late which has only served to annoy me. I figured that once I finished the last chapter (rough draft) in the book I am writing, things would calm down marginally. Sadly, that is not to be the case as I ended up having to take on one last chapter as one of my co-authors is going through some (understandable) personal issues. Normally one extra chapter would not be too much of an issue, but considering I have had a headache for 4 days straight and it is due next Tuesday, I am starting to get a little anxious. Yah, 4 days straight, WTF is up with that exactly?

Anyway, it hasn't all been work for me lately. I took a trip down to Edmonton last weekend and had an absolute blast. The "White Ave" that we went down to in order to party was an absolute gong show and reminded me far more of something like Las Vegas rather than the prairie town that is Edmonton. Many drinks were had and, unfortunately, we now have a fairly hefty VISA bill to account for.

So how was E3 for everyone? In monitoring the coverage I noticed many, many 1uppers attended the expo and I could not be more jealous. I have decided that next year I will be attending (with the wife of course), no matter what. Heck, I am booking off the time now! In any case, my retrospect of the event is that Super Jenn was totally the person for the job (amazing coverage), the Nintendo Revolution looks freaking sexy, the PS3 does not (for some reason), the new GBA mini has me angry (how many iterations do you really expect me to buy Nintendo?) and I really, really want Animal Crossing DS. Now.

On the gaming front I am STILL attempting to finish Baten Kaitos, and I have to admit it is starting to become a chore. I went through a certain boss fight last night that took 2 hours. Yes, two hours. The geniuses at Namco decided that one fight with an extremely hard boss is not enough; they made me fight the exact same fight, with the exact same bosses, twice over! In a row, with no save point. Needless to say, with my headache raging, murderess hatred for Baten Kaitos is beginning to surface. Must.finish.game.soon.

On the handheld scene, I am having a blast with Mega Man Battle Network. I have been meaning to try it out for ages and finally got around to it. Despite some obvious difficulty skewing (I can go from obliterating a group of enemies in one shot to getting killed in 3 seconds), the game still comes across as a welcome diversion. Sporting what is essentially a turn based, action oriented style of battle (huh?), I can always pick up this game for little 10 minute increments and love it.

Well, the monitor is starting to increase the pounding in my skull again, so off I go for more medication as I try to get through what will no doubt be an insane weekend. Take care all, expect to see more updates soon!

Comments (0) | Permalink | Lee Babin | 5.27.2005

A History of Shadow Hearts

Hello and welcome to the very first installment of a set of features I am calling, "The History of..". Throughout the next couple weeks (or months; depending on popularity), I will be compiling histories of some of the more obscure RPG franchises available. I am sure we have all read one too many "History of Final Fantasy", so I will be sticking to the more underground franchises that don't normally get the recognition they deserve. Without further ado, I present to you the History of Shadow Hearts.

Koudelka

The year is 2000 and the Playstation has brutally dethroned the N64 as the RPG system of choice. A slew of mediocre RPGs are streaming out of Japan to test the North American waters. Amidst the more powerful franchises such as Final Fantasy, the room for low profile titles was rather slim.

It was within this time that a little known game called Koudelka snuck its way into my game library. And stayed there. For about 4 years before I managed to boot it up after playing through Shadow Hearts and being interested in where the series had come from.

Koudelka is an odd mix of gaming components. Mix a little survival horror (the setting) with some turn based action (many RPGs), and then stir in a lot of cinema scenes (ala Final Fantasy) and an annoying weapon maintenance system and you have Koudelka.

I still consider Koudelka to be a unique RPG due to its blatant eschewing of the mold. The fact that your weapons can become unusable over time combined with creepy enemy encounters and a dark and macabre environment and storyline and this game feels more Silent Hill than Shadow Hearts.

Little did I know however that this rather average foray into dark themed RPGS would a year and a half later turn into one of my new favorite gaming franchises.

Shadow Hearts

When Shadow Hearts was first released, I must admit that I was not highly thrilled. I had never heard of the series until that point in time and Final Fantasy X was consuming my every waking moment. Then, one fine Sunday afternoon, I became rather bored with FFX and decided to pick up Shadow Hearts on a whim.

Let's just say that I am rather glad that I did. While sporting some of the worst voice acting in the existence of games, Shadow Hearts did a lot of things right. The story, while dark and foreboding, maintained a humorous air to it that truly made you feel connected to its diverse assortment of characters.

The gameplay itself was very reminiscent of the turn based RPG system everyone is used to, but with one unique twist. The entire game is governed by a ring system that forces you to react to a spinning cursor that rotates around a disc. While this may sounds somewhat unexciting, in actuality it gave the battles just the edge they needed to keep me in the heat of battle.

While most gaming franchises are ok to simply start a new game off with no connection to its predecessors, in Shadow Hearts you will find full tie-ins to its predecessor, Koudelka. The locale that the entire game of Koudelka takes place in is a prominent location in Shadow Hearts and the star of Koudelka shows up as an interesting character in the plot.

With decently detailed graphics and cinemas, a well orchestrated yet rather strange soundtrack, and a set of sidequests that would be any masochist's dream, Shadow Hearts endeared itself to all who played it. Sadly, this game would have to wait until its sequel arrived before it would see any wide spread fame.

Shadow Hearts 2 - Covenant

While Shadow Hearts was quite overlooked (mainly due to its release date coinciding with Final Fantasy X), Covenant was received with open arms and grand praise. Reviewers found it to be a charming romp through a very unique world with even more original characters.

Rather than having only slight ties to its prequel, Shadow Hearts 2 is a true sequel. The game, in fact, starts off pretty much right where its predecessor left off. You once again assume the role of bad boy Yuri, but over time you will hook up with a brand new band of rejects to help you on your quest. That is not to say that old faces won't show up now and again...

The gameplay for Covenant remains largely the same as Shadow Hearts. The world is still governed by the same ring system (and a new guardian of the ring to guide you along), but everything about the game has been expanded. There are more secrets, more dungeons to explore, more intense plot points; heck even more hidden, erotic outfits for the female characters.

Covenant's new found success can probably be attributed to three major factors. First off, as a pre-order bonus, you received a free copy of Shadow Hearts, a great game in itself. Everybody likes free games. Secondly, this game was actually marketed. I do not remember seeing a single advertisement for either Shadow Hearts or Koudelka where Covenant was made quite prominent. Lastly, reviews for this game are astounding! Pretty much everyone who has played it has loved it; word of mouth is a great way to move product.

Covenant truly put the Shadow Hearts series on the map and, with such critical (and corporate, I would assume) success, there was little doubt in everyone's minds that a sequel would soon be announced...

Shadow Hearts 3 - From the New World

Little did the general populace know, however, that a sequel would be announced so soon. Not only has a sequel been announced, it actually looks as though it will be ready to go sooner than later (July 28th in Japan).

Subtitled "From the New World", this newest entry in the Shadow Hearts mythos looks to be the first one that will take place on this side of the ocean. While previous games in the series have sported characters from North America, the game has never allowed a trip to good old NA.

From early impressions it looks as though the graphics have been bumped up another notch and the judgment ring system looks to be back and firmly in place.

Early character impressions look as though the endearing, yet vaguely odd, typical set of characters will be returning for the fourth chapter. Typical North American stereotypes appear to be in place and I look forward to some genuinely funny parts in this game as well.

Following in the mold of its predecessors, it looks as though we will definitely be seeing some cross characterization from previous titles as several known characters have already been announced. Will this be the end of Yuri's storyline and finally tie up his tragic past? Perhaps, but only time will tell...

Comments (0) | Permalink | Lee Babin | 5.12.2005

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