Sick, Kingdom Hearts, Chobits...oh my.
I have been incredibly sick over the last two weeks, but I’m finally not dead, so yay. Work had some issues with my absence, but they learned to deal. So I’ll be returning to work on Saturday, but now that I’m feeling much better I thought it would be a good idea to kind of update everyone to my nerdy goings on.
Because I’m cool like that.
In terms of writing, I’ve managed to get through about two chapters of my current original story The Black Witch, and have finally hit 90 pages. Awwww yeah, and all that jazz. Having a live-in editor is pretty handy (for the both of us!)
Outside of writing, I’ve also been doing some gaming. I’m not sure if I mentioned it earlier, but I picked up a copy of Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD Remix since I’ve never really played the series, but always been interested in it. (I have the first game for PS2, and watched Schan play it years and years and years ago, but never actually played it myself). This probably wasn’t the best decision I’ve ever had since It meant spending money right before I got really sick and had to spend more money, but I guess hindsight is everything. In the time I was sick I managed to play through KH1 and get through Sora’s story in RE:CoM. I’m going to do a bulletpoint list for funsies.
Ya ready?
Kingdom Hearts Bullet Point List of Interest:
-EVERYONE’S FEET ARE SO BIG
-I recall Donald being next to useless when I watched Schan play the game. Lo and Behold, that duck refuses to keep any MP. At the beginning of nearly every level he would run out of MP in the first battle or so making him pretty much dead weight for the rest of the level. Because of this unfortunate phenomenon, he was usually the one switched out with the Guest Disney Character of the level. But by the time I reached Atlantica, roughly 2/3 through the game, Donald managed to pull his weight. I kept his focus on Support magic as opposed to Attack, and thus he mostly focused on healing and casting Aero on me. That kept his MP around for longer, and actually made him pretty useful. By the time we were going through the final level Donald was no longer a pariah…he just had a really rough start.
-Goofy is awesome and will always be my favorite ever.
-I can’t help but feel really nostalgic of the Disney levels. Especially Agrabah and Atalantica, which were my favorites as a kid. The way the games blends Disney and Square is insane, but works…somehow.
-Sora is not exactly my favorite character. He’s got that annoying shounen hero thing going on, and comes off as a little prat at times. Riku is, in grand RPG tradition, much more interesting. Kairi is okay, she just lacks screen time. I want to like her though.
-I love Cid. So much. His outfit is awful, but seeing him again reminds me how he used to be my favorite character ever. He’s still totally up there.
-Yuffie is a lot less annoying in this game. I think I’m begrudgingly coming to like her.
-Atlantica was not nearly as bad as everyone says. I actually liked swimming around everywhere. Battles are much easier when using magic, and I had a fuckton of MP thanks to choosing the Wand in the beginning. Monstro still sucked though.
-I had every intention of leveling up and facing the optional superbosses…but then I got bored and decided to just go for the gold. I did beat the Hades cup, but the Ice Titan and Sephiroth (and the Enigmatic Man) were just ridiculous. I do intend to level up and eventually beat them at some point, but that’s neither here nor there.
-Hollow Bastion has the coolest parts of the story, but also the most annoying layout ever. Beast is easily the coolest, and best, of the Guest members. (And his movie is like my fav. Don’t judge)
-Maleficent is amazing.
-The game is just fun to play. But I’m glad it’s at the length it is. Any longer and it would just be…too much.
-I hate Winnie the Pooh. No, like seriously. And I really hate his damn level in this game. Worst part of the game, bar none.
RE: Chain of Memories:
-Originally I was like “NUUUUUUUU” because the card system is really annoying. At times I managed to fool myself into thinking it was fun, but…
-Donald. Stop friggin’ healing me when I have full health. Cast Fire, damn it.
-Goofy. Always be awesome.
-Hearing Sora with such an older voice from his kid body is freaky. That being said, his vocal performance is a lot more tolerable. Actually, his character is a lot more tolerable. As he comes to doubt himself and gain false memories he actually becomes a lot more interesting as his single-minded devotion is treated as a flaw, as well as a strength.
-Actually, Sora and his relationship with others is just a lot better. Maybe because it took more of a darker look at things. Also, he totally does forget all about Riku and his other friends, so it’s nice to see him called out on it. His friendship with Goofy and Donald was also stronger, and I could actually believe in them. Kudos to that. I actually kind of dig Sora now, and I hope this growth continues into KH2.
-Speaking of Donald and Goofy, the fact that they actually have character arcs and character growth is pretty neat. Donald actually gets the most- he goes from being kind of petty and solely focused on the mission to actually really caring about Sora and trying to stick with him through thick and thin. He’s kind of the smart and cynical one, which I like. Goofy’s devotion and closeness with Sora is also really sweet. He’s got kind of a brotherly thing going on, and I love it.
-The Organization is very interesting. Despite the fangirls initially creeping me out, Axel is pretty likable in a swarmy way, and I loved Larxene’s characterization. She was kind of scary, but amazing. And fighting them was a pain. No, like a serious pain. Axel’s second battle really pissed me off because he was so friggin fast and nearly unavoidable. There was a lot of fury.
-Unfortunately, the majority of Sora’s story is really really boring. The parts in Castle Oblivion are interesting, but the rehash of the old Disney worlds feels really stale. Only Traverse Town and Hollow Bastion even seem interesting. Hollow Bastion, because the story is actually radically different, and I have a soft spot for the Disney characters involved (Beast, Belle, Maleficent) . After was also cool, with the focus being on the false memories and the Organization. Marluxia was another cool villain, while Vexen was kind of just annoying.
-Marluxia’s first battle was rough, but his other two forms were actually easy and kind of fun to fight.
-I’m on Riku’s mode now, and enjoying it quite a bit more. The Disney levels feel like padding, IMO, but I’m sticking with it.
And so that’s my Kingdom Hearts notes, as of now. What else have I been up to, aside from the Disney/Square shenanigans? Well, I downloaded the entire series of Are You Afraid of the Dark, which makes my inner child so very happy.
I also sat and watched a new anime of my own volition for the first time since, well, Persona 4: The Animation (Black Butler doesn’t really count. I watched that on recommendation.) I watched Chobits for the first time. Yeah, most everyone else has already seen it heh.
It was…okay. Sometimes it was funny, and Chii was really adorable. Hideki was likable, and I enjoyed some of the characters even though sometimes the drama felt a little…forced. There were a lot of really cool mysteries that I think kind of got left in the dust, especially in regards to the “antagonists” who didn’t really do all that much. I’m not sure I’d recommend it to everyone, but I did find some things I liked about it, and I couldn’t help but finish it. So that’s a good point.
Also, on recommendation from Bex, we started a new horror series together. We played through Fatal Frame which Joe has for the PS2. Scary game, with some issues. I’ll get into a more detailed post in the future, methinks.
And that about wraps it up. I’ll hopefully be posting a bit more frequently now thanks to, y’know, not being dead.
Because I’m cool like that.
In terms of writing, I’ve managed to get through about two chapters of my current original story The Black Witch, and have finally hit 90 pages. Awwww yeah, and all that jazz. Having a live-in editor is pretty handy (for the both of us!)
Outside of writing, I’ve also been doing some gaming. I’m not sure if I mentioned it earlier, but I picked up a copy of Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD Remix since I’ve never really played the series, but always been interested in it. (I have the first game for PS2, and watched Schan play it years and years and years ago, but never actually played it myself). This probably wasn’t the best decision I’ve ever had since It meant spending money right before I got really sick and had to spend more money, but I guess hindsight is everything. In the time I was sick I managed to play through KH1 and get through Sora’s story in RE:CoM. I’m going to do a bulletpoint list for funsies.
Ya ready?
Kingdom Hearts Bullet Point List of Interest:
-EVERYONE’S FEET ARE SO BIG
-I recall Donald being next to useless when I watched Schan play the game. Lo and Behold, that duck refuses to keep any MP. At the beginning of nearly every level he would run out of MP in the first battle or so making him pretty much dead weight for the rest of the level. Because of this unfortunate phenomenon, he was usually the one switched out with the Guest Disney Character of the level. But by the time I reached Atlantica, roughly 2/3 through the game, Donald managed to pull his weight. I kept his focus on Support magic as opposed to Attack, and thus he mostly focused on healing and casting Aero on me. That kept his MP around for longer, and actually made him pretty useful. By the time we were going through the final level Donald was no longer a pariah…he just had a really rough start.
-Goofy is awesome and will always be my favorite ever.
-I can’t help but feel really nostalgic of the Disney levels. Especially Agrabah and Atalantica, which were my favorites as a kid. The way the games blends Disney and Square is insane, but works…somehow.
-Sora is not exactly my favorite character. He’s got that annoying shounen hero thing going on, and comes off as a little prat at times. Riku is, in grand RPG tradition, much more interesting. Kairi is okay, she just lacks screen time. I want to like her though.
-I love Cid. So much. His outfit is awful, but seeing him again reminds me how he used to be my favorite character ever. He’s still totally up there.
-Yuffie is a lot less annoying in this game. I think I’m begrudgingly coming to like her.
-Atlantica was not nearly as bad as everyone says. I actually liked swimming around everywhere. Battles are much easier when using magic, and I had a fuckton of MP thanks to choosing the Wand in the beginning. Monstro still sucked though.
-I had every intention of leveling up and facing the optional superbosses…but then I got bored and decided to just go for the gold. I did beat the Hades cup, but the Ice Titan and Sephiroth (and the Enigmatic Man) were just ridiculous. I do intend to level up and eventually beat them at some point, but that’s neither here nor there.
-Hollow Bastion has the coolest parts of the story, but also the most annoying layout ever. Beast is easily the coolest, and best, of the Guest members. (And his movie is like my fav. Don’t judge)
-Maleficent is amazing.
-The game is just fun to play. But I’m glad it’s at the length it is. Any longer and it would just be…too much.
-I hate Winnie the Pooh. No, like seriously. And I really hate his damn level in this game. Worst part of the game, bar none.
RE: Chain of Memories:
-Originally I was like “NUUUUUUUU” because the card system is really annoying. At times I managed to fool myself into thinking it was fun, but…
-Donald. Stop friggin’ healing me when I have full health. Cast Fire, damn it.
-Goofy. Always be awesome.
-Hearing Sora with such an older voice from his kid body is freaky. That being said, his vocal performance is a lot more tolerable. Actually, his character is a lot more tolerable. As he comes to doubt himself and gain false memories he actually becomes a lot more interesting as his single-minded devotion is treated as a flaw, as well as a strength.
-Actually, Sora and his relationship with others is just a lot better. Maybe because it took more of a darker look at things. Also, he totally does forget all about Riku and his other friends, so it’s nice to see him called out on it. His friendship with Goofy and Donald was also stronger, and I could actually believe in them. Kudos to that. I actually kind of dig Sora now, and I hope this growth continues into KH2.
-Speaking of Donald and Goofy, the fact that they actually have character arcs and character growth is pretty neat. Donald actually gets the most- he goes from being kind of petty and solely focused on the mission to actually really caring about Sora and trying to stick with him through thick and thin. He’s kind of the smart and cynical one, which I like. Goofy’s devotion and closeness with Sora is also really sweet. He’s got kind of a brotherly thing going on, and I love it.
-The Organization is very interesting. Despite the fangirls initially creeping me out, Axel is pretty likable in a swarmy way, and I loved Larxene’s characterization. She was kind of scary, but amazing. And fighting them was a pain. No, like a serious pain. Axel’s second battle really pissed me off because he was so friggin fast and nearly unavoidable. There was a lot of fury.
-Unfortunately, the majority of Sora’s story is really really boring. The parts in Castle Oblivion are interesting, but the rehash of the old Disney worlds feels really stale. Only Traverse Town and Hollow Bastion even seem interesting. Hollow Bastion, because the story is actually radically different, and I have a soft spot for the Disney characters involved (Beast, Belle, Maleficent) . After was also cool, with the focus being on the false memories and the Organization. Marluxia was another cool villain, while Vexen was kind of just annoying.
-Marluxia’s first battle was rough, but his other two forms were actually easy and kind of fun to fight.
-I’m on Riku’s mode now, and enjoying it quite a bit more. The Disney levels feel like padding, IMO, but I’m sticking with it.
And so that’s my Kingdom Hearts notes, as of now. What else have I been up to, aside from the Disney/Square shenanigans? Well, I downloaded the entire series of Are You Afraid of the Dark, which makes my inner child so very happy.
I also sat and watched a new anime of my own volition for the first time since, well, Persona 4: The Animation (Black Butler doesn’t really count. I watched that on recommendation.) I watched Chobits for the first time. Yeah, most everyone else has already seen it heh.
It was…okay. Sometimes it was funny, and Chii was really adorable. Hideki was likable, and I enjoyed some of the characters even though sometimes the drama felt a little…forced. There were a lot of really cool mysteries that I think kind of got left in the dust, especially in regards to the “antagonists” who didn’t really do all that much. I’m not sure I’d recommend it to everyone, but I did find some things I liked about it, and I couldn’t help but finish it. So that’s a good point.
Also, on recommendation from Bex, we started a new horror series together. We played through Fatal Frame which Joe has for the PS2. Scary game, with some issues. I’ll get into a more detailed post in the future, methinks.
And that about wraps it up. I’ll hopefully be posting a bit more frequently now thanks to, y’know, not being dead.