Well, the time has finally come. After years of sitting in the den, stewing in the sauce of regretful-purchase marinara, Sonic the Hedgehog, known better as Sonic '06, has finally entered the PS3 for play. For the longest time, that game remained the only game purchase I ever legitimately regretted. After some time, my view has slightly changed. Maybe all those YouTube review that try to find the positives or are slightly deluded helped that out, a bit.
Anyway, I recently finished watching the Game Grumps play-through of the game and was inspired to do likewise. Play the game, I mean. Not record a hit LP and achieve millions of subscribers. (Although, that would be pretty rad.) Naturally, my play session began with the Blue Blur himself.
Uggh. Sonic controls weird. But I'm sure you've heard that in 99+ reviews and videos already. OK. How about this: you can't revisit levels on the world map. I know, Sonic's campaign makes you play the first level almost twice (Once as Sonic, with a little section as Tails, and again, partly through, as Tails.) but in Sonic Adventure, you could return to most levels from the adventure field to get a second and third objective. I know there's a speed trial option or something, but it's still a little annoying.
Or, at least, it would be if I wanted to play the levels again. Which I don't. It's hard for me to think of things that other reviews hadn't covered. I could point places where the game tries to be Sonic Adventure but fails. (Oh, side note. I'm probably blinded by nostalgia for Sonic Adventure. However, it is a B-/C+ effort in 3D platforming, where Sonic '06 is more of an D-)
For example, Sonic's first level features a segment in which he runs away from a whale, much like Adventure's first level. The last level, Robotnik's base, has some hallways that (it might be a bit of a stretch) remind me of some segments in Robotnik's Adventure base. Much like Adventure, '06 also forces you to play other characters, consisting of Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Silver. No Amy yet, but that's later. Sonic's final boss taunts you and goads you into attacking it much in the same way that Sonic's final boss in Adventure did. (Some of the lines are verbatim the same, even!)
I beat Sonic's campaign/story/thing having gotten 9 Game Overs total. Not too bad, I think. The biggest drain was probably the mach speed sections. I just couldn't steer Sonic!
I suppose I can't close up and finish my "review" since I haven't played either Silver or Shadow yet. I'm not looking forward to the Silver fights, either side. That bit of the game harkens back to Sonic Shuffle - unfair CPUs. Or maybe Adventure 2's VS fights that give the other character powers that you never get to use yourself? Well, let's not get too afield here.
Sonic '06 - One third done. Let's see what the next part brings...
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Friday, December 5, 2014
Gaming Life - New Game (System) Blues
Why do I retrogame? A few months ago, I'd have a giant list of reasons, from aesthetics to nostalgia to music appreciation. Now, it's because I just plain can't afford games. I was willing to drop 50 dollars for a solid title. I got Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door and Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness at (or around) that price and did not regret it.
But apparently I've been out of the new-game-buying loop for too long. I logged on to my store account with Sony to see what kind of games I could direct my mother to get me. And when I saw the titles, the prices were there too: $59.99.
This might be a first for me. My first "that seems a little steep for a game" moment. This, unfortunately, will inevitably lead to the "when I bought new video games" moment. Indulge me for a moment, though.
I started buying my own games in earnest, I suppose, when I used my checks from Abrakadoodle to get mad loot during discount sales at Blockbuster. We had a particular Blockbuster nearby that had a pretty decent video game selection. (I've written about this store before, I believe.) I even got an N64 there as the systems were being phased out for the Gamecube. That N64 was not more than 50 dollars. (I can't remember how much exactly, but I was used to jockey lot and thrift store console prices, if that tells you anything.)
I got an entire console for less than a single modern game. Anyway, my "when I bought new video games" moment (if it even was that) is over. Back to today:
I wouldn't be so annoyed if it weren't for the recent rash of crappy games pushed out by AAA companies. Sonic Boom, supposed to be a big, hopeful event for the blue blur, turned out to be a buggy mess. Case in point: the character Knuckles has a move than can be exploited to reach otherwise inaccessible areas. Assassin's Creed: Unity saw major glitches and errors.
In the Playstation Store, Assassin's Creed: Unity, the game that has been panned for being buggy and full of glitches, is still $60.00! The real kicker is that the listing is for a download version of the game. Maybe I'm being too harsh, or don't understand the costs behind releasing digital versions of games, but it seems a little ridiculous to have a rushed game, download only, and not discount the price somehow.
Maybe I want too much out of a game for a 'mere' $50. After all, I want story! Maybe some action! And great music, too.
In short, I'll be keeping to emulators and my old consoles for now. To be honest, there's a giant backlog of games I still haven't played. Most recently, I've felt some pull in the Saturn and Dreamcast direction. And I still have to complete the Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword! So while my friends buy and enjoy next gen games, I'll be discovering classics on the Dreamcast or the SNES.
But apparently I've been out of the new-game-buying loop for too long. I logged on to my store account with Sony to see what kind of games I could direct my mother to get me. And when I saw the titles, the prices were there too: $59.99.
This might be a first for me. My first "that seems a little steep for a game" moment. This, unfortunately, will inevitably lead to the "when I bought new video games" moment. Indulge me for a moment, though.
I started buying my own games in earnest, I suppose, when I used my checks from Abrakadoodle to get mad loot during discount sales at Blockbuster. We had a particular Blockbuster nearby that had a pretty decent video game selection. (I've written about this store before, I believe.) I even got an N64 there as the systems were being phased out for the Gamecube. That N64 was not more than 50 dollars. (I can't remember how much exactly, but I was used to jockey lot and thrift store console prices, if that tells you anything.)
I got an entire console for less than a single modern game. Anyway, my "when I bought new video games" moment (if it even was that) is over. Back to today:
I wouldn't be so annoyed if it weren't for the recent rash of crappy games pushed out by AAA companies. Sonic Boom, supposed to be a big, hopeful event for the blue blur, turned out to be a buggy mess. Case in point: the character Knuckles has a move than can be exploited to reach otherwise inaccessible areas. Assassin's Creed: Unity saw major glitches and errors.
In the Playstation Store, Assassin's Creed: Unity, the game that has been panned for being buggy and full of glitches, is still $60.00! The real kicker is that the listing is for a download version of the game. Maybe I'm being too harsh, or don't understand the costs behind releasing digital versions of games, but it seems a little ridiculous to have a rushed game, download only, and not discount the price somehow.
Maybe I want too much out of a game for a 'mere' $50. After all, I want story! Maybe some action! And great music, too.
In short, I'll be keeping to emulators and my old consoles for now. To be honest, there's a giant backlog of games I still haven't played. Most recently, I've felt some pull in the Saturn and Dreamcast direction. And I still have to complete the Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword! So while my friends buy and enjoy next gen games, I'll be discovering classics on the Dreamcast or the SNES.
Saturday, November 1, 2014
Gaming Chronicles - Earthbound... Finally.
Apparently, this RPG doesn't push the envelope for what RPGs could do. However, having grown up with limited RPG experience (Paper Mario 2, then Final Fantasy in college) that point doesn't mean much to me. Similar to my interest in Final Fantasy, I was playing Earthbound mainly for the music and story. And the dialogue wasn't that bad either!
So instead of reviewing the game, or writing a typical "Gaming Chronicles" about my progress in it (I'm almost to the final "dungeon.") I'll just share some weird/funny bits I found while playing!
One of the best parts of the game are the many zany enemies you'll encounter. For instance, upon arriving in the sunny city of Summers, you might be assaulted by a Mad Taxi! Even previously stationary objects, like lamps or even street-signs:
 |
| Not their "real" names - these guys are Ness, Paula and Jeff. |
Giygas' power isn't just limited to just stray animals or random people, apparently!
I also appreciated the self-awareness present in the game. That is, the game will acknowledge that it is a game, and play it up for either humor or plot purposes. That trick can get a bit annoying, if it is used too much. There does come a point where there's too much "Hey hey, this is a game," but Earthbound keeps its fourth-wall-breaking to a tasteful level. For example, this sign outside of a building in the city of Fourside:
 |
| Soooo meta. |
I don't know if this is a bit of humor from the developers or the translators, but a sequel to Earthbound eventually came to be. (Unfortunately, this game, known as Mother 3 in Japan, was never *officially* translated to English.) Also, Earthbound did multi-layer dreams decades before Inception:
 |
| *cue loud fog-horn sound* |
The dream-within-a-dream situation reminds me of the general trippy-ness (pun intended) of the game. All the battles feature undulating, colorful backgrounds. The picture above (with the attacking Crazed Sign) does not accurately illustrate this point. Some enemies, like Sanctuary bosses, feature their own unique battle screens. Eventually, I'll have to face the nightmare-inducing battle screen of Giygas. But not for a while!
.png) |
| I sure don't! |
Earthbound has been an entirely enjoyable experience. I did have to grind once or twice, but various circumstances in-game made it enjoyable, like PSI Teleport and the lack of random encounters. In a genre where most main characters wield swords and wear chain armor, Earthbound is a different take on the conventions of said genre. Ness is just a kid (who happens to have a terrible, terrible neighbor - more on that in Mother 3!) who is thrown into his adventure by a meteor and the arrival of his terrible neighbor, the total Jerk with a capital J, Porky.
It's an experience I would recommend to anyone with an SNES or Wii U. I'm not sure that I can endorse emulators, but I'll just say that Google will lead you to some solid ones which can be made to support joysticks.
Anyway! It was pretty easy to write about Earthbound, as it is a very good game. Its predecessor, Earthbound Zero, or simply Mother, is a different story entirely. And an article for another day!
See you later, for now.
[Disclaimer: I'm never good at these, but here goes: piracy is bad, games are good. Emulators are fun, as some games are too rare/over-priced for me to get the actual cartridge. But, if you have a Wii U and want to try a fun game, please consider buying Earthbound. That's all!]
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Life - The Era of Soundtracks; or, The Wicked Phantom of La ABBA, Who Never Dies
Whenever I try to remember something in my past, I think in terms of three areas: church, Co-op, or Boy Scouts. Each area had its own good and bad memories, events, people, etc... However, another way to organize would be pre-car-CD-player and post. It was a pretty big deal for us when we finally got a vehicle with a CD player in it. Additionally, the same year we got the van was my first year of college, at Greenville Tech. Driving back and forth between home and school (especially the one semester at Brashier campus) we heard quite a bit of soundtracks. And what soundtracks they were!
First of all, there was Man of La Mancha. Instead of an actual CD of the Broadway recording, we had a CD recording of a tape of the classic. This meant we listened to the musical straight through, beginning to end whenever it came up. Favorite songs included Dulcinea, Man of La Mancha, We're Only Thinking of Him, etc, etc... Because it played ALL of the songs, we had to turn it down whenever it got to the... slightly awkward/inappropriate songs.
Another favorite was Love Never Dies, sequel musical to Phantom of the Opera. Odd as it is to have a sequel musical, and regardless of opinion of it in general, we enjoyed Webber's work. I think we also had Phantom floating around too. Oddly enough, we didn't really skip any tracks for Love Never Dies, even the explicitly inappropriate ones. I suppose we expected as much, owing to Phantom. This musical, and its predecessor, followed me into my college career. One of the first things I learned how to play on the piano was the signature opening, and main theme, of Phantom of the Opera. Had we not had a CD player, I might never have heard the musical, started playing piano, taken a music class, etc... I even started my experience with Erskine's pianos by playing that theme.
(On a side note, I attempted to learn one of the songs from Love Never Dies. "Til I Hear You Sing" was my favorite solo piece from the musical. I got the sheet music, only to find that it went to a crazy high note. Some kind of a B, I believe. However, I inspired another musical aficionado and music major to perform it in his recital, so that's my consolation I suppose.)
The key album, though, was the soundtrack of the musical Wicked. Maybe the library ha just gotten it in or something, as it had been out for a while, unbeknownst to us. It was, and still is, a definite favorite of mine. It also stands on the border between pre-college and Erskine: on at least one trip from home to Due West, we got through almost all of the soundtrack.
Other varied albums played roles, like an ABBA disc, or a CD of classical trumpet music. However, those three (five technically) were the key ones.
Anyway, this is all to say that I can't listen to some songs on those albums without remembering driving around in our van, either through town or on the way down to Erskine. Just as smells and scents can be strongly nostalgic because of how fast we take them in, so too does music because of its emotional impact. The music itself and its context affects how we perceive it.
Before this turns into a paper on musical psychology, I must conclude. The long and short is that our CD player introduced me to new music, such as the examples listed above, and many others. Part of my impetus to do music during college came from inspiration by Phantom of the Opera and Man of La Mancha. I just wanted to "Dream the Impossible Dream."
First of all, there was Man of La Mancha. Instead of an actual CD of the Broadway recording, we had a CD recording of a tape of the classic. This meant we listened to the musical straight through, beginning to end whenever it came up. Favorite songs included Dulcinea, Man of La Mancha, We're Only Thinking of Him, etc, etc... Because it played ALL of the songs, we had to turn it down whenever it got to the... slightly awkward/inappropriate songs.
Another favorite was Love Never Dies, sequel musical to Phantom of the Opera. Odd as it is to have a sequel musical, and regardless of opinion of it in general, we enjoyed Webber's work. I think we also had Phantom floating around too. Oddly enough, we didn't really skip any tracks for Love Never Dies, even the explicitly inappropriate ones. I suppose we expected as much, owing to Phantom. This musical, and its predecessor, followed me into my college career. One of the first things I learned how to play on the piano was the signature opening, and main theme, of Phantom of the Opera. Had we not had a CD player, I might never have heard the musical, started playing piano, taken a music class, etc... I even started my experience with Erskine's pianos by playing that theme.
(On a side note, I attempted to learn one of the songs from Love Never Dies. "Til I Hear You Sing" was my favorite solo piece from the musical. I got the sheet music, only to find that it went to a crazy high note. Some kind of a B, I believe. However, I inspired another musical aficionado and music major to perform it in his recital, so that's my consolation I suppose.)
The key album, though, was the soundtrack of the musical Wicked. Maybe the library ha just gotten it in or something, as it had been out for a while, unbeknownst to us. It was, and still is, a definite favorite of mine. It also stands on the border between pre-college and Erskine: on at least one trip from home to Due West, we got through almost all of the soundtrack.
Other varied albums played roles, like an ABBA disc, or a CD of classical trumpet music. However, those three (five technically) were the key ones.
Anyway, this is all to say that I can't listen to some songs on those albums without remembering driving around in our van, either through town or on the way down to Erskine. Just as smells and scents can be strongly nostalgic because of how fast we take them in, so too does music because of its emotional impact. The music itself and its context affects how we perceive it.
Before this turns into a paper on musical psychology, I must conclude. The long and short is that our CD player introduced me to new music, such as the examples listed above, and many others. Part of my impetus to do music during college came from inspiration by Phantom of the Opera and Man of La Mancha. I just wanted to "Dream the Impossible Dream."
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Gaming Chronicles - Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past - Let's Try This Again
One of my earliest memories of gaming is playing the SNES in my aunt's basement whenever we made the trek all the way to Michigan. For the most part, I played the staples: Super Mario World and Mario Kart. There might have been some Arkanoid thrown in. Eventually, I came to possess that very SNES for my own collection. At some point, I can't remember if it came with the system or if I got it at a later date, I got the game Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.
I had tried to play it before now. My problem was, I didn't know where to go. At all. And I kept dying. Seeing that this was just the beginning of the game, the situation presented an impassible situation for me. So, it sat on my shelf, with the other SNES games, going ignored.
Ignored, that is, until now. Thanks to my magnificent mother, I received a 3DS XL for a gift. (Birthday? Christmas? I can't remember now.) Not just any 3DS, though. The Legend of Zelda one, complete with Link Between Worlds. I cannot say enough how amazing that game is. This new game, and a Let's Play done by one of my favorite YouTube channels, lead me to look at my other Zelda games again. One such game was Skyward Sword. Another was A Link to the Past.
Now that I had seen some of the obstacles to come, maybe I was ready. Maybe I could actually beat the game! Well, I wasn't completely wrong. I have managed to get the Lens of Truth and one or two other items. However, I can't, for the life of me, get through Death Mountain!
Other things keep cropping up. I grew accustomed to the fluidity of motion available in Link Between Worlds. I don't expect that from the SNES precursor, so I still struggle to avoid enemies and get around in general.
Maybe I'm just terrible at games? Link Between Worlds is by no means easy, but it's a breeze compared to the likes of the original Zelda and its direct sequel.
Anyway, I'll try again eventually. There's always the save file I can go back to!
I had tried to play it before now. My problem was, I didn't know where to go. At all. And I kept dying. Seeing that this was just the beginning of the game, the situation presented an impassible situation for me. So, it sat on my shelf, with the other SNES games, going ignored.
Ignored, that is, until now. Thanks to my magnificent mother, I received a 3DS XL for a gift. (Birthday? Christmas? I can't remember now.) Not just any 3DS, though. The Legend of Zelda one, complete with Link Between Worlds. I cannot say enough how amazing that game is. This new game, and a Let's Play done by one of my favorite YouTube channels, lead me to look at my other Zelda games again. One such game was Skyward Sword. Another was A Link to the Past.
Now that I had seen some of the obstacles to come, maybe I was ready. Maybe I could actually beat the game! Well, I wasn't completely wrong. I have managed to get the Lens of Truth and one or two other items. However, I can't, for the life of me, get through Death Mountain!
Other things keep cropping up. I grew accustomed to the fluidity of motion available in Link Between Worlds. I don't expect that from the SNES precursor, so I still struggle to avoid enemies and get around in general.
Maybe I'm just terrible at games? Link Between Worlds is by no means easy, but it's a breeze compared to the likes of the original Zelda and its direct sequel.
Anyway, I'll try again eventually. There's always the save file I can go back to!
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Gaming/Psychology - The Legend of Hilda: The Dark Triad
(Part three of three in a series of articles on Zelda, psychology and literary criticism)
Yes! It's finally here. The article you've all been waiting for! Or not. But here it is! The Legend of Zelda and literary criticism! Psychology and Princess Hilda! The Dark Triad! And it's completely chock-full of spoilers! Let us begin.
As I've stated before, Hilda exhibits all of the traits of the Dark Triad in spades. Throughout the text of A Link Between Worlds, Hilda shows her narcissism, psychopathy and Machiavellianism through her actions and words. Let's take a look, shall we?
Narcissism
This point becomes evident slightly further into the game. Whenever Link makes his way to a new area of Lorule, Hilda will speak to you, telling you about the area itself and potential dangers you will face. Her narration changes each time, but has a basic formula to it:
I. Greeting: "Welcome back to Lorule Kingdom, Link…"
II. Message: She warns you about dangers and gives tips on how to continue. Sometimes she makes a revelation about herself or the plot in passing.
III. Closing: "So say I, Hilda of Lorule…
The part we're interested in is the closing of each address. Every time Hilda talks to Link about a new area, she begins and closes her address in the same way. "Hilda of Lorule" wishes you to find all seven sages and stop Yuga's evil plans. Here, and in a previous instance, she refers to herself in the third person. The manner she does so could be interpreted as merely florid language. However, she is delivering an important, urgent message. She could have just said "That's it, Link. Go save the world!" or "KTHXBYE" but she instead chose the affected manner. Who else speaks in an affected manner like that? Stereotypes of rich people and actors.
Let's take actors, because I have some small experience with that topic. As an actor, I have a modicum of narcissism behind my presence on the stage. After all, I'm there to be seen, right? I put on a character to entertain or inform (mostly entertain) people. Later on in the game, we find out that Hilda has been manipulating both the hero, Link, and the villain, Yuga, into doing her bidding. Everything she says to you, affected or not, is an act. She believes that she can trick Link into doing her will, and she succeeds in that endeavor. Hilda's ego leads to her downfall, however, at the hands of Yuga-Ganon.
Why does Hilda fall to Yuga-Ganon? She bit off more than she could chew, metaphorically speaking. Ganon was a much more powerful force than she could ever hope to be, at least alone. One key component of narcissism is the belief that the individual is special, or better than other people. Hilda beleived she was important enough to warrant the downfall of an entire kingdom just so she could have her way. Yes. She wanted to remove Hyrule's Triforce, which would potentially result in the same disaster that destroyed her homeland in the first place.
Psychopathy
For reference, here is a description of what psychopathy is: "a particular constellation of antisocial behaviors and emotions, including shallow affect, low remorse, low fear, low empathy, egocentrism, exploitativeness, manipulativeness, impulsivity, aggression, and criminality" (Jonason et al. 2012). Hilda exhibits quite a few of these.
For the most part, whenever Hilda interacts with Link, she speaks and behaves herself in a composed, calm manner. She calmly describes new areas that Link reaches. Even after helping Link escape Yuga for the first time, she maintains a certain cool. (Part of this is because she was manipulating, or at least trying to manipulate, Yuga the whole time.) This is a trait common to both psychopathy and narcissism, as Theodore Millon, in Disorder of Personality, notes that individuals with narcissism exhibit "Insouciant temperament ... a general air of nonchalance and imperturbability;" except "when narcissistic confidence is shaken" (Millon, 2011). (At the very least, Hilda is narcissistic. All the traits given, even the revised ones, fit her perfectly.)
As for low remorse and low fear, she doesn't even stop to consider the potential destruction her actions might cause to Hyrule. The absence of a Triforce caused a tumult that wrecked the ecology of her native Lorule. Ravio has to jump in at the end to remind her of the madness she was seeking to avoid. Prior to that, she showed low fear when she attempted to command the Yuga-Ganon hybrid to hand over his Triforce. Naturally he declines, and absorbs her as well; despite this, she behaved as one without fear of being usurped. She felt she was in control.
Machiavellianism
To speak to Hilda's Machiavellianism is to speak to her narcissism. She felt that she was strong enough to control both the hero and villain of A Link Between Worlds. She wanted to create a new Lorule with a stolen Triforce. She manipulated Link's emotions by causing Princess Zelda to be kidnapped. (This also brings up "low empathy" of psychopathy. In a cutscene, we see Hilda standing before and addressing the very Zelda that Yuga had previously turned into a painting.) Hilda only wanted Zelda for her Triforce.
Her Machiavellian traits also line up with the exploitativeness and manipulativeness mentioned in psychopathy. Link, Zelda and Yuga are merely toys for her to play with. Between the three categories of narcissism, psychopathy and Machiavellianism, there is a lot of overlap, especially in the case of Hilda of Lorule. She is almost a perfect poster child for DT personality; this leads to a final characteristic of DT personality, at least DT in literary characters. That characteristic is:
Redeemability:
Throughout her presentations on DT personality, Jacq emphasized the fact that individuals with DT are in fact redeemable. They are not so far gone that they can't be brought to the light. In literary terms, a lot of DT characters are anti-heroes. These characters are usually the protagonists of their stories, but they don't fit the good guy shoes perfectly. Sometimes they're extreme or break the rules, like Batman. Sometimes they aren't very personable, like Sherlock Holmes in the ongoing British series. Sometimes, however, DT character is a villain. Jacq's example of this was Loki. My example of this is Hilda.
Despite her methods, Hilda truly cared about Lorule and wanted to see it brought back. Her methods were extreme, and somewhat unwise (You can't control Ganon, silly.) She took some missteps from the light. Zelda and Link, however, pick up on this; they use their Triforce-granted wish to grant Lorule a restored Triforce of its own. Hopefully, with Ravio's help, Hilda can further redeem herself and restore her lost kingdom.
----------------
Works Cited/Referenced/Used:
http://www.zeldadungeon.net/wiki/A_Link_Between_Worlds_Text_Dump
Millon, T. (2011). Disorders of personality: Introducing a DSM/ICD spectrum from normal to abnormal. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley.Jonason, P. K., Webster, G. D., Schmitt, D. P., Li, N. P., & Crysel, L. (2012). The antihero in popular culture: Life history theory and the dark triad personality traits. Review Of General Psychology, 16(2), 192-199. doi:10.1037/a0027914
http://zelda.wikia.com/wiki/Princess_Hilda
 |
| Way cooler than Zelda. |
Yes! It's finally here. The article you've all been waiting for! Or not. But here it is! The Legend of Zelda and literary criticism! Psychology and Princess Hilda! The Dark Triad! And it's completely chock-full of spoilers! Let us begin.
As I've stated before, Hilda exhibits all of the traits of the Dark Triad in spades. Throughout the text of A Link Between Worlds, Hilda shows her narcissism, psychopathy and Machiavellianism through her actions and words. Let's take a look, shall we?
Narcissism
This point becomes evident slightly further into the game. Whenever Link makes his way to a new area of Lorule, Hilda will speak to you, telling you about the area itself and potential dangers you will face. Her narration changes each time, but has a basic formula to it:
I. Greeting: "Welcome back to Lorule Kingdom, Link…"
II. Message: She warns you about dangers and gives tips on how to continue. Sometimes she makes a revelation about herself or the plot in passing.
III. Closing: "So say I, Hilda of Lorule…
The part we're interested in is the closing of each address. Every time Hilda talks to Link about a new area, she begins and closes her address in the same way. "Hilda of Lorule" wishes you to find all seven sages and stop Yuga's evil plans. Here, and in a previous instance, she refers to herself in the third person. The manner she does so could be interpreted as merely florid language. However, she is delivering an important, urgent message. She could have just said "That's it, Link. Go save the world!" or "KTHXBYE" but she instead chose the affected manner. Who else speaks in an affected manner like that? Stereotypes of rich people and actors.
Let's take actors, because I have some small experience with that topic. As an actor, I have a modicum of narcissism behind my presence on the stage. After all, I'm there to be seen, right? I put on a character to entertain or inform (mostly entertain) people. Later on in the game, we find out that Hilda has been manipulating both the hero, Link, and the villain, Yuga, into doing her bidding. Everything she says to you, affected or not, is an act. She believes that she can trick Link into doing her will, and she succeeds in that endeavor. Hilda's ego leads to her downfall, however, at the hands of Yuga-Ganon.
Why does Hilda fall to Yuga-Ganon? She bit off more than she could chew, metaphorically speaking. Ganon was a much more powerful force than she could ever hope to be, at least alone. One key component of narcissism is the belief that the individual is special, or better than other people. Hilda beleived she was important enough to warrant the downfall of an entire kingdom just so she could have her way. Yes. She wanted to remove Hyrule's Triforce, which would potentially result in the same disaster that destroyed her homeland in the first place.
Psychopathy
For reference, here is a description of what psychopathy is: "a particular constellation of antisocial behaviors and emotions, including shallow affect, low remorse, low fear, low empathy, egocentrism, exploitativeness, manipulativeness, impulsivity, aggression, and criminality" (Jonason et al. 2012). Hilda exhibits quite a few of these.
For the most part, whenever Hilda interacts with Link, she speaks and behaves herself in a composed, calm manner. She calmly describes new areas that Link reaches. Even after helping Link escape Yuga for the first time, she maintains a certain cool. (Part of this is because she was manipulating, or at least trying to manipulate, Yuga the whole time.) This is a trait common to both psychopathy and narcissism, as Theodore Millon, in Disorder of Personality, notes that individuals with narcissism exhibit "Insouciant temperament ... a general air of nonchalance and imperturbability;" except "when narcissistic confidence is shaken" (Millon, 2011). (At the very least, Hilda is narcissistic. All the traits given, even the revised ones, fit her perfectly.)
As for low remorse and low fear, she doesn't even stop to consider the potential destruction her actions might cause to Hyrule. The absence of a Triforce caused a tumult that wrecked the ecology of her native Lorule. Ravio has to jump in at the end to remind her of the madness she was seeking to avoid. Prior to that, she showed low fear when she attempted to command the Yuga-Ganon hybrid to hand over his Triforce. Naturally he declines, and absorbs her as well; despite this, she behaved as one without fear of being usurped. She felt she was in control.
Machiavellianism
To speak to Hilda's Machiavellianism is to speak to her narcissism. She felt that she was strong enough to control both the hero and villain of A Link Between Worlds. She wanted to create a new Lorule with a stolen Triforce. She manipulated Link's emotions by causing Princess Zelda to be kidnapped. (This also brings up "low empathy" of psychopathy. In a cutscene, we see Hilda standing before and addressing the very Zelda that Yuga had previously turned into a painting.) Hilda only wanted Zelda for her Triforce.
Her Machiavellian traits also line up with the exploitativeness and manipulativeness mentioned in psychopathy. Link, Zelda and Yuga are merely toys for her to play with. Between the three categories of narcissism, psychopathy and Machiavellianism, there is a lot of overlap, especially in the case of Hilda of Lorule. She is almost a perfect poster child for DT personality; this leads to a final characteristic of DT personality, at least DT in literary characters. That characteristic is:
Redeemability:
Throughout her presentations on DT personality, Jacq emphasized the fact that individuals with DT are in fact redeemable. They are not so far gone that they can't be brought to the light. In literary terms, a lot of DT characters are anti-heroes. These characters are usually the protagonists of their stories, but they don't fit the good guy shoes perfectly. Sometimes they're extreme or break the rules, like Batman. Sometimes they aren't very personable, like Sherlock Holmes in the ongoing British series. Sometimes, however, DT character is a villain. Jacq's example of this was Loki. My example of this is Hilda.
Despite her methods, Hilda truly cared about Lorule and wanted to see it brought back. Her methods were extreme, and somewhat unwise (You can't control Ganon, silly.) She took some missteps from the light. Zelda and Link, however, pick up on this; they use their Triforce-granted wish to grant Lorule a restored Triforce of its own. Hopefully, with Ravio's help, Hilda can further redeem herself and restore her lost kingdom.
----------------
Works Cited/Referenced/Used:
http://www.zeldadungeon.net/wiki/A_Link_Between_Worlds_Text_Dump
Millon, T. (2011). Disorders of personality: Introducing a DSM/ICD spectrum from normal to abnormal. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley.Jonason, P. K., Webster, G. D., Schmitt, D. P., Li, N. P., & Crysel, L. (2012). The antihero in popular culture: Life history theory and the dark triad personality traits. Review Of General Psychology, 16(2), 192-199. doi:10.1037/a0027914
http://zelda.wikia.com/wiki/Princess_Hilda
Monday, July 7, 2014
Gaming Chronicles - Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword - Metal Gear Spirit?
I've been playing more Skyward Sword recently. I have to admit, the flying mechanic does take a little bit too long sometimes. Wind Waker at least gave you a song to warp between places. One nice thing is that you can go from the sky to whatever bird statues you've interacted with.
After finding some map pieces and whatnot, the traditional three-thing quest to power/get the sword has begun. Visit a dragon, grab some special water, and go back. Now I'm expecting the dragon to give me the flame I need to use on the sword. Nope. He directs me to another dungeon.
Thrown in there somewhere is a battle with the weird armless Imprisoned and a trip into the Thunderhead.
Anyway, in order to progress, Link (whom I named Zelda... hee hee) must complete a trial. This trial involves sneaking around a spirit-y version of Faron Woods known as the Silent Realm. Complicating this are the Guardians who can one-hit-kill you and make you start over again. No fear, however, for the Tears of Farore will make the Guardians pause for 90 seconds.
I know it's nothing like Metal Gear Solid, but I couldn't help thinking that familiar tune as I attempted to gather the tears unnoticed. In my first run, I got all but one of the 15 tears, only to get hit by a Guardian. It was a little frustrating.
However, that's not the main reason I'm writing now. I instead want to point out a connection. A connections so amazing, you'll wonder why you never heard about it before. (Well, maybe you have. I thought it was cool when I saw it, so I'm going to share.)
(Spoilers for both games are to follow, so watch out if you haven't played either.)
Skyward Sword prefigures a major plot point of Link Between Worlds. How does this work?
As I was making my way through the Skyview Temple, one of the switches caught my eye. From what I can tell, they're called "crystal switches." Hitting them unlocks whatever and deforms the original structure. This is what one looks like before you strike it:
It's what could be a simple three-dimensional version of the Triforce. Normally, this wouldn't have caught my attention. However, I've played and loved A Link Between Worlds. The central item(s) of focus is the Triforce and its absent Lorule equivalent.
Of course it's just a slight visual connection between the two games. That still doesn't stop me from saying "They knew!" every time I see one. Anyway, if I were to compare games it would be between this game and Wind Waker. I think.
The point is: THEY KNEWWWWW!!!
---- ---- ---- ----
Images from:
http://zelda.wikia.com/wiki/Crystal_Switch?file=Crystal_Switch_%2528Skyward_Sword%2529.png#The_Legend_of_Zelda:_Skyward_Sword
http://www.creativeuncut.com/gallery-26/lozlbw-triforce.html
http://zelda.wikia.com/wiki/Princess_Hilda
After finding some map pieces and whatnot, the traditional three-thing quest to power/get the sword has begun. Visit a dragon, grab some special water, and go back. Now I'm expecting the dragon to give me the flame I need to use on the sword. Nope. He directs me to another dungeon.
Thrown in there somewhere is a battle with the weird armless Imprisoned and a trip into the Thunderhead.
Anyway, in order to progress, Link (whom I named Zelda... hee hee) must complete a trial. This trial involves sneaking around a spirit-y version of Faron Woods known as the Silent Realm. Complicating this are the Guardians who can one-hit-kill you and make you start over again. No fear, however, for the Tears of Farore will make the Guardians pause for 90 seconds.
I know it's nothing like Metal Gear Solid, but I couldn't help thinking that familiar tune as I attempted to gather the tears unnoticed. In my first run, I got all but one of the 15 tears, only to get hit by a Guardian. It was a little frustrating.
However, that's not the main reason I'm writing now. I instead want to point out a connection. A connections so amazing, you'll wonder why you never heard about it before. (Well, maybe you have. I thought it was cool when I saw it, so I'm going to share.)
(Spoilers for both games are to follow, so watch out if you haven't played either.)
Skyward Sword prefigures a major plot point of Link Between Worlds. How does this work?
As I was making my way through the Skyview Temple, one of the switches caught my eye. From what I can tell, they're called "crystal switches." Hitting them unlocks whatever and deforms the original structure. This is what one looks like before you strike it:
.png) |
| OK, so what? |
Of course it's just a slight visual connection between the two games. That still doesn't stop me from saying "They knew!" every time I see one. Anyway, if I were to compare games it would be between this game and Wind Waker. I think.
The point is: THEY KNEWWWWW!!!
---- ---- ---- ----
Images from:
http://zelda.wikia.com/wiki/Crystal_Switch?file=Crystal_Switch_%2528Skyward_Sword%2529.png#The_Legend_of_Zelda:_Skyward_Sword
http://www.creativeuncut.com/gallery-26/lozlbw-triforce.html
http://zelda.wikia.com/wiki/Princess_Hilda
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Gaming Chronicles - Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword - Hey! Its's that Game I Got that One Time...
A few years ago, my mother purchased me the (then) new Zelda game for the Nintendo Wii: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (SS). It also came with a special gold Wiimote (which I didn't actually get, but eh. I have the Zelda 3DS now, so it's all good.) However, I never made much progress in the game. I can't remember why, exactly. Maybe I got the game during college? I could check the receipt. Maybe I got distracted by Super Mario Galaxy 2 or Super Paper Mario? Either way, I never made progress in the game.
Until today. (Well, late night on the 25th/26th to be exact.) I had just finished showing my brother the Game Theory episodes about the Legend of Zelda. He had recently been playing Twilight Princess. I remembered Skyward Sword and the Wiimote upgrade/replacement it required. Why not play it? I mean, I just beat Link Between Worlds for the 2nd or 3rd time, and I didn't feel like starting into Wind Waker or Twilight Princess again. Link to the Past was out of the question because it was was too hard. However, I hadn't gotten anywhere in SS.
I have seen some stuff on the internet, too, saying it was a pretty bad Zelda game. I mean, nothing near Wand of Gamelon or Faces of Evil levels, but that's still not saying much. I also started into Four Swords Adventures, so I felt generous and curious. So I began playing!
How "not far" did I play? I hadn't even gotten the basic sword. Seeing the cave, rescuing Link's bird companion and transportation (a creature called a Loftwing), doing a race/capture activity and seeing Princess Zelda get lost were all quite new experiences for me.
By the way, I think this Zelda is a tease. And a meanie! She pushes Link off of high ledges twice. And the second time was after leaning in real close to Link. Like, personal bubble close. Like, close enough for Animated Series' Link's desired past-time close. Nope! She expects you to jump off a building and glide down with the parachute-like device she just gave you. Such a tease.
Anyway, she gets swept away by a tornado after asking you to fly with her. The following evening, your companion (Fi, the spirit of the Skyward Sword itself) leads you to the sword, to obtain it and a map to aid your quest to find Zelda. But not before leading you past a cute cat-thing which promptly attacks you. And does a whole heart each attack! And I wanted to carry it around during the daytime! For shame, little cat-thing, for shame.
At this point, you're given knight's clothes (which are the iconic green tunic and pants that allow Link to simultaneously stay true to his roots while also dressing decently.) Here's where I decided to quit for the night.
The flying mechanic is a little weird for me. I kept finding myself going down for whatever reason. Fortunately, the ceremony at the beginning is not as bad as the fancy-flying I thought it would have to be. I just had to chase down another bird guy!
Oh, and Groose is a jerk. Something like a cross between Guy Gardner of Green Lantern Corps and Gaston from Beauty and the Beast. He's a jerk, and he thinks the main character's girl should be with him, the coolest guy in town. Actually, at this point, he seems a lot like Gaston. Fi says he has a good heart, but I'm not so sure right now. He stole my bird! What a jerk.
Starting off, I kinda like it. Swinging/moving the remote to do precise sword slashes is nice. However, the flight mechanic requiring me to hold the Wiimote up got a little tiring on my arm. But now I'm suited up and ready to journey to the mysterious surface!
Tune in later! I may continue to write about this game! Or not!
Until today. (Well, late night on the 25th/26th to be exact.) I had just finished showing my brother the Game Theory episodes about the Legend of Zelda. He had recently been playing Twilight Princess. I remembered Skyward Sword and the Wiimote upgrade/replacement it required. Why not play it? I mean, I just beat Link Between Worlds for the 2nd or 3rd time, and I didn't feel like starting into Wind Waker or Twilight Princess again. Link to the Past was out of the question because it was was too hard. However, I hadn't gotten anywhere in SS.
I have seen some stuff on the internet, too, saying it was a pretty bad Zelda game. I mean, nothing near Wand of Gamelon or Faces of Evil levels, but that's still not saying much. I also started into Four Swords Adventures, so I felt generous and curious. So I began playing!
How "not far" did I play? I hadn't even gotten the basic sword. Seeing the cave, rescuing Link's bird companion and transportation (a creature called a Loftwing), doing a race/capture activity and seeing Princess Zelda get lost were all quite new experiences for me.
By the way, I think this Zelda is a tease. And a meanie! She pushes Link off of high ledges twice. And the second time was after leaning in real close to Link. Like, personal bubble close. Like, close enough for Animated Series' Link's desired past-time close. Nope! She expects you to jump off a building and glide down with the parachute-like device she just gave you. Such a tease.
Anyway, she gets swept away by a tornado after asking you to fly with her. The following evening, your companion (Fi, the spirit of the Skyward Sword itself) leads you to the sword, to obtain it and a map to aid your quest to find Zelda. But not before leading you past a cute cat-thing which promptly attacks you. And does a whole heart each attack! And I wanted to carry it around during the daytime! For shame, little cat-thing, for shame.
At this point, you're given knight's clothes (which are the iconic green tunic and pants that allow Link to simultaneously stay true to his roots while also dressing decently.) Here's where I decided to quit for the night.
The flying mechanic is a little weird for me. I kept finding myself going down for whatever reason. Fortunately, the ceremony at the beginning is not as bad as the fancy-flying I thought it would have to be. I just had to chase down another bird guy!
Oh, and Groose is a jerk. Something like a cross between Guy Gardner of Green Lantern Corps and Gaston from Beauty and the Beast. He's a jerk, and he thinks the main character's girl should be with him, the coolest guy in town. Actually, at this point, he seems a lot like Gaston. Fi says he has a good heart, but I'm not so sure right now. He stole my bird! What a jerk.
Starting off, I kinda like it. Swinging/moving the remote to do precise sword slashes is nice. However, the flight mechanic requiring me to hold the Wiimote up got a little tiring on my arm. But now I'm suited up and ready to journey to the mysterious surface!
Tune in later! I may continue to write about this game! Or not!
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Gaming/Psychology - The Dark Triad, or, Cool Jerks
(Part one of three in a series of articles on Zelda, psychology and literary criticism)
One of my favorite topics, besides music, literature and video games, is psychology. I almost majored in it in college. I got to learn about a variety of cool things, like different weird psychologists, attempt at self-monitored behavior modification, and learn about interesting mental disorders.
Generally speaking, the disorders that get all the attention are limited to a small percentage of the population. However, psychology also looks at personality traits and internal psyche. One of the most interesting topics I learned about in psychology was related to me, and the others at the presentations, by way of characters in popular culture. The topic was the "Dark Triad." The presenter was my friend Jacq Strowd, a psychology major and future criminologist. Who were these figures in popular culture?
James Bond, Loki and House. These characters may seem disparate at first. However, she showed that they all shared certain behavioral and psychological traits. The very traits that cause them, or at least James Bond, to be written about in several academic journals. No doubt, these very articles fueled the research behind Ms. Strowd's presentations. (Strowd 2014).
What is this "Dark Triad" about which these psychologists have been writing recently? It is a particular set of traits that represent some bad (read: cool) dudes. And some not so cool dudes. Let me explain: Dark Triad individuals use their talents, abilities, traits, etc... to manipulate others around them into doing their bidding. Loki is a particularly good example for this, as any of the Marvel movies in which he's featured depict this penchant for puppet-string-pulling. However, this is only one of three distinct traits that make up an individual of this nature.
In the introduction of their paper, "The antihero in popular culture: life history theory and
the dark triad personality traits," Peter Jonason et al. note that the three components of the Dark Triad (DT) personality are narcissism, psychopathy and Machiavellianism (Jonason et al. 2012). Narcissism and Machiavellianism are both relatively self-explanatory. The DT personality seeks out his or her own good above that of others, and is willing to manipulate other people, things and situations to get what he or she wants. Psychopathy threw me off the first time I read about DT. However, that is simply "a particular constellation of antisocial behaviors and emotions, including shallow affect, low remorse, low fear, low empathy, egocentrism, exploitativeness, manipulativeness, impulsivity, aggression, and criminality" (Jonason et al. 2012). This trait is not only its own category, but a reinforcer for the previous two.
Now you might be saying, "That's nice. You know a gal who likes Loki and psychology. Dark Triad? That's nice. But this article was billed as 'Gaming/psychology.' Where's the 'gaming' part, huh?"
Well, that brings me to the point of all of this. After her second presentation, a particularly meaningful senior presentation, I asked Jacq about instances of the Dark Triad in women. She informed me that it was more common in men than in women. Or was it that she hadn't found many examples? Either way, some of the articles I've read seem to point that way, especially on the psychopathy category. It was only a few weeks later, while playing through one of my new favorite video games, that I stumbled upon a game-changing character.
The game was The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. The character, Princess Hilda.
However, before I get to that fascinating hypothesis, I'd like to take a little look at psychology and literary criticism. After all, how can I point out whether or not Hilda is a Dark Triad without exploring a text, the text here being a phenomenal Zelda game? I should mention, that despite numerous times of frustration, I found A Link Between Worlds to be my new favorite Zelda game. Anyway! I want to talk a bit about how psychoanalysis got involved in the world of literature. Because this will be heavily literature-based, it will be on one of my other blogs.
However, that's an article for another blog, and another time!
Tune Log in next week for the continuation:
Psychology and Literature, or, When Disciplines Mix
Or, skip ahead if you just can't wait/don't care about literary criticism!
The Legend of Hilda: The Dark Triad
----------------
Works Cited:
Jacqueline Strowd (2014). Senior Seminar Honors Presentation. Senior Seminar 2014. Erskine College.
Jonason, P. K., Webster, G. D., Schmitt, D. P., Li, N. P., & Crysel, L. (2012). The antihero in popular culture: Life history theory and the dark triad personality traits. Review Of General Psychology, 16(2), 192-199. doi:10.1037/a0027914
One of my favorite topics, besides music, literature and video games, is psychology. I almost majored in it in college. I got to learn about a variety of cool things, like different weird psychologists, attempt at self-monitored behavior modification, and learn about interesting mental disorders.
Generally speaking, the disorders that get all the attention are limited to a small percentage of the population. However, psychology also looks at personality traits and internal psyche. One of the most interesting topics I learned about in psychology was related to me, and the others at the presentations, by way of characters in popular culture. The topic was the "Dark Triad." The presenter was my friend Jacq Strowd, a psychology major and future criminologist. Who were these figures in popular culture?
James Bond, Loki and House. These characters may seem disparate at first. However, she showed that they all shared certain behavioral and psychological traits. The very traits that cause them, or at least James Bond, to be written about in several academic journals. No doubt, these very articles fueled the research behind Ms. Strowd's presentations. (Strowd 2014).
What is this "Dark Triad" about which these psychologists have been writing recently? It is a particular set of traits that represent some bad (read: cool) dudes. And some not so cool dudes. Let me explain: Dark Triad individuals use their talents, abilities, traits, etc... to manipulate others around them into doing their bidding. Loki is a particularly good example for this, as any of the Marvel movies in which he's featured depict this penchant for puppet-string-pulling. However, this is only one of three distinct traits that make up an individual of this nature.
In the introduction of their paper, "The antihero in popular culture: life history theory and
the dark triad personality traits," Peter Jonason et al. note that the three components of the Dark Triad (DT) personality are narcissism, psychopathy and Machiavellianism (Jonason et al. 2012). Narcissism and Machiavellianism are both relatively self-explanatory. The DT personality seeks out his or her own good above that of others, and is willing to manipulate other people, things and situations to get what he or she wants. Psychopathy threw me off the first time I read about DT. However, that is simply "a particular constellation of antisocial behaviors and emotions, including shallow affect, low remorse, low fear, low empathy, egocentrism, exploitativeness, manipulativeness, impulsivity, aggression, and criminality" (Jonason et al. 2012). This trait is not only its own category, but a reinforcer for the previous two.
Now you might be saying, "That's nice. You know a gal who likes Loki and psychology. Dark Triad? That's nice. But this article was billed as 'Gaming/psychology.' Where's the 'gaming' part, huh?"
Well, that brings me to the point of all of this. After her second presentation, a particularly meaningful senior presentation, I asked Jacq about instances of the Dark Triad in women. She informed me that it was more common in men than in women. Or was it that she hadn't found many examples? Either way, some of the articles I've read seem to point that way, especially on the psychopathy category. It was only a few weeks later, while playing through one of my new favorite video games, that I stumbled upon a game-changing character.
The game was The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. The character, Princess Hilda.
However, before I get to that fascinating hypothesis, I'd like to take a little look at psychology and literary criticism. After all, how can I point out whether or not Hilda is a Dark Triad without exploring a text, the text here being a phenomenal Zelda game? I should mention, that despite numerous times of frustration, I found A Link Between Worlds to be my new favorite Zelda game. Anyway! I want to talk a bit about how psychoanalysis got involved in the world of literature. Because this will be heavily literature-based, it will be on one of my other blogs.
However, that's an article for another blog, and another time!
Psychology and Literature, or, When Disciplines Mix
Or, skip ahead if you just can't wait/don't care about literary criticism!
The Legend of Hilda: The Dark Triad
----------------
Works Cited:
Jacqueline Strowd (2014). Senior Seminar Honors Presentation. Senior Seminar 2014. Erskine College.
Jonason, P. K., Webster, G. D., Schmitt, D. P., Li, N. P., & Crysel, L. (2012). The antihero in popular culture: Life history theory and the dark triad personality traits. Review Of General Psychology, 16(2), 192-199. doi:10.1037/a0027914
Friday, May 30, 2014
Gaming Chronicles - Wild Arms: Well, Excuuuuse Me, Princess!
Wild Arms: Well, Excuse Me Princess! or Cecilia's Burgers
(Disclaimer: I discuss foodstuffs with meat, so no offense to my veggies out there! Or all the offense. Whichever you prefer or find more amusing.)
To kick off the summer, I've decided to start into another game/game series. This time, it's the RPG "Wild Arms," developed by Media Vision. Thanks to YouTube, and the series called "The Completionist," I found out about an interesting RPG that I wouldn't have otherwise known about. I may have watched another series, by the same guy, that was a complete play-through of the game... Maybe that says something about the game, that despite seeing the whole thing played out, I still want to explore it. (With videos, you're at the mercy of the person playing. There were a lot of things that they didn't look at or read during their play-through.)
Anyway, I finally made use of my Playstation Network membership to purchase Wild Arms (and also download a free game I had gotten for PSP, years ago. That game warrants an article. Maybe later!) and promptly downloaded it to my PSP. Now I finally have a game to play on it, after all this time! Then I boot the game up.
First off, they give us a cool anime sequence to begin the game. I saw in the play-through that all the things featured here show up later, so there's a nifty bit of foreshadowing. Once the game proper begins, you have the choice of three characters: an impatient looking blonde dude, a blue-haired guy, and a blonde female, dressed in white-magey clothes. Because the LP I watched were slightly antagonistic to Cecilia, I decided to play as her first.
And I chose correctly. She may be the "white mage" of the group, but after exploring the abbey in which her story begins, I feel that I can relate to her, a lot. This is because of my recent graduation from college. Similarly, Cecelia's part of the prologue finds her finishing up her magic studies. She faces the prospect of leaving the abbey and returning to her home, Adlehyde, and continuing her duties as princess.
OK, so I'm not a prince, let alone a princess. However, the theme of figuring out one's future speaks to me at this phase in my life. As it is, my immediate plans are decided. Likewise, Cecilia's plans are also decided, if in a slightly negative way, by the end of the overall prologue.
On an amusing note, Cecilia is apparently a big eater. Well, that's what a bunch of her classmates and the cook's help all say. Not only before I went to the first "dungeon" of the game, but after that and when I was supposed to switch to one of the other two characters, a lot of the NPCs talked to me about it. Specifically, hamburgers. I, too, enjoy a good hamburger, especially a bacon cheeseburger. From what I can tell, the trope of a small female who eats a lot is widespread in anime, and apparently video games too!
So far, Cecilia is my favorite character. She faces the challenge of figuring out her own life, and really likes hamburgers. And she does the magical arts! Which is almost the same as the liberal arts (Totally).
Now I have to figure out which guy I want to play as next. Hmmm...
(Disclaimer: I discuss foodstuffs with meat, so no offense to my veggies out there! Or all the offense. Whichever you prefer or find more amusing.)
To kick off the summer, I've decided to start into another game/game series. This time, it's the RPG "Wild Arms," developed by Media Vision. Thanks to YouTube, and the series called "The Completionist," I found out about an interesting RPG that I wouldn't have otherwise known about. I may have watched another series, by the same guy, that was a complete play-through of the game... Maybe that says something about the game, that despite seeing the whole thing played out, I still want to explore it. (With videos, you're at the mercy of the person playing. There were a lot of things that they didn't look at or read during their play-through.)
Anyway, I finally made use of my Playstation Network membership to purchase Wild Arms (and also download a free game I had gotten for PSP, years ago. That game warrants an article. Maybe later!) and promptly downloaded it to my PSP. Now I finally have a game to play on it, after all this time! Then I boot the game up.
First off, they give us a cool anime sequence to begin the game. I saw in the play-through that all the things featured here show up later, so there's a nifty bit of foreshadowing. Once the game proper begins, you have the choice of three characters: an impatient looking blonde dude, a blue-haired guy, and a blonde female, dressed in white-magey clothes. Because the LP I watched were slightly antagonistic to Cecilia, I decided to play as her first.
And I chose correctly. She may be the "white mage" of the group, but after exploring the abbey in which her story begins, I feel that I can relate to her, a lot. This is because of my recent graduation from college. Similarly, Cecelia's part of the prologue finds her finishing up her magic studies. She faces the prospect of leaving the abbey and returning to her home, Adlehyde, and continuing her duties as princess.
OK, so I'm not a prince, let alone a princess. However, the theme of figuring out one's future speaks to me at this phase in my life. As it is, my immediate plans are decided. Likewise, Cecilia's plans are also decided, if in a slightly negative way, by the end of the overall prologue.
On an amusing note, Cecilia is apparently a big eater. Well, that's what a bunch of her classmates and the cook's help all say. Not only before I went to the first "dungeon" of the game, but after that and when I was supposed to switch to one of the other two characters, a lot of the NPCs talked to me about it. Specifically, hamburgers. I, too, enjoy a good hamburger, especially a bacon cheeseburger. From what I can tell, the trope of a small female who eats a lot is widespread in anime, and apparently video games too!
So far, Cecilia is my favorite character. She faces the challenge of figuring out her own life, and really likes hamburgers. And she does the magical arts! Which is almost the same as the liberal arts (Totally).
Now I have to figure out which guy I want to play as next. Hmmm...
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Gaming Chronicles - Lightning Returns: I Got to Play Again!
Warning: This article is spoiler-heavy for the game. You have been warned.
Like the title says, I finally got to play a bit more of Final Fantasy: Lightning Returns. Fortunately, I remembered key things - like Lightning having to save everyone and seeing a mysterious figure in the shadows. Like the previous installment there was a handy recap. (Which I didn't need, but it is a nice touch.)
Upon starting the game again for the first time in weeks, I was almost immediately put on a stealth-follow mission. Fortunately, there was no major penalty for being spotted a few times, which I was. This lead into a lengthy (for me at least) session of hunting down four secret numbers to access the hideout of the villainous followers of Etro. Just who is this mysterious Shadow Hunter? Why does he want Lightning dead? More importantly, where is Caius? Welp, by the end of the gaming session, I had a clear answer to at least one of those questions.
It was fun to explore Luxerion for a bit. I even dallied around the North Station because of the great track that plays there. However, as some events (like entering certain places) are time-dependent, I couldn't do too much. Or could I? I found myself with a bit of time, waiting to enter the hideout of the villains. Well, I say villains, but I should probably just say antagonists for now. Who knows what crazy twist might happen down the road...
Anyway! Finding the first two numbers was easy. I simply found one, and got one from a kid in a side-quest. I must admit, I had to consult a walk through to find the last two... After entering the lair, and running past some really scary looking monsters, Lightning was finally able to prevent an innocent pink-haired girl from being murdered. And who is the Shadow Hunter, you may ask? None other than Noel, deuteragonist of the previous game.
Some confusion sets in, now. No, Noel hasn't gone so bad as to kill innocent people, and the fanatics took things too far. But why is he giving in to the prophecies that he previously flouted? Five-hundred years is a long time, but Noel managed to stay positive in the face of being the last person on Earth. Why give in now? He departs, reminding Lightning that they would face again in a mortal battle. Also, where is Caius?
I've also remembered the fact that side-quests are what actually make you "level up." We'll see how that mechanic works out for me.
Stay tuned, but don't hold your breath. It might be a few weeks.
Like the title says, I finally got to play a bit more of Final Fantasy: Lightning Returns. Fortunately, I remembered key things - like Lightning having to save everyone and seeing a mysterious figure in the shadows. Like the previous installment there was a handy recap. (Which I didn't need, but it is a nice touch.)
Upon starting the game again for the first time in weeks, I was almost immediately put on a stealth-follow mission. Fortunately, there was no major penalty for being spotted a few times, which I was. This lead into a lengthy (for me at least) session of hunting down four secret numbers to access the hideout of the villainous followers of Etro. Just who is this mysterious Shadow Hunter? Why does he want Lightning dead? More importantly, where is Caius? Welp, by the end of the gaming session, I had a clear answer to at least one of those questions.
It was fun to explore Luxerion for a bit. I even dallied around the North Station because of the great track that plays there. However, as some events (like entering certain places) are time-dependent, I couldn't do too much. Or could I? I found myself with a bit of time, waiting to enter the hideout of the villains. Well, I say villains, but I should probably just say antagonists for now. Who knows what crazy twist might happen down the road...
Anyway! Finding the first two numbers was easy. I simply found one, and got one from a kid in a side-quest. I must admit, I had to consult a walk through to find the last two... After entering the lair, and running past some really scary looking monsters, Lightning was finally able to prevent an innocent pink-haired girl from being murdered. And who is the Shadow Hunter, you may ask? None other than Noel, deuteragonist of the previous game.
Some confusion sets in, now. No, Noel hasn't gone so bad as to kill innocent people, and the fanatics took things too far. But why is he giving in to the prophecies that he previously flouted? Five-hundred years is a long time, but Noel managed to stay positive in the face of being the last person on Earth. Why give in now? He departs, reminding Lightning that they would face again in a mortal battle. Also, where is Caius?
I've also remembered the fact that side-quests are what actually make you "level up." We'll see how that mechanic works out for me.
Stay tuned, but don't hold your breath. It might be a few weeks.
Monday, March 24, 2014
Gaming Chronicles - Lightning Returns: Final Hallway XIII, Part 3?
Let me preface this by saying that I enjoyed the games Final Fantasy XIII and XIII-2 (the latter, more so than the former). I realize that a lot of "true" Final Fantasy fans don't like them. But hey! It's just my preference.
Anyway, I was really excited to hear about the exciting conclusion to the XIII series. I pre-ordered the game, and set about waiting for it to be released. Well, the time has finally arrived. I now own the game and have begun into main story. It is quite interesting, to say the least.
Therefore, I have decided to write on/about my experiences with the game, as I play it. Be warned, however, as I already want to like the game, so I probably won't be as critical as I could be.
As a warning, there might be/will be spoilers, so don't read this if you don't care for plot points to be spoiled for you. Also, for my first play-through will be for story, so I opted for easy mode. (Which, some people might argue that the previous to games were entirely, but I digress...)
Starting into everything, we see the opening cinematic. As I am playing on our HD TV (We finally got one, a few months ago!) the visual presentation is amazing. I'm getting pumped to play. Lightning perches atop a tower, and dramatically pulls off some sunglasses. However, the opening scenes, and beginning stages of gameplay, are almost too heavy with pure exposition. At one point, Lightning flashes back to a previous conversation, and I say to myself "Exposition!" because it's a little too obvious at that point.
The visuals are what I would expect from a system like the PS3, and more importantly, from a Final Fantasy game. (It makes me long for the opening of FF VII to be made in stunning HD. A wild dream, but one can always dream.)
After some exposition, and finding out what the heck happened while Lightning was away, the game allows us a chance to explore and begin learning how to battle with the new system. As we chase the apparently now evil Snow, some basic monsters confront us. The battle system, in my opinion, is an answer to an unrealized wish.
What unrealized wish, you ask? In the previous two games, every action was queued up and then performed at a set pace. (And, actually, in older FF games, you still just commanded the action, rather than doing it yourself.) Pressing X over and over, while it made me feel like I was doing more, actually did nothing. Here, the actions are mapped to particular buttons. Pressing X over and over finally does something! While this is a departure from the traditional RPG style of control, it seems to be the logical development from the battle systems of the previous XIII games (And, to some extent, from XII). So far, I find it engaging and enjoyable. We'll see how it fares over time.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I began playing the game on our living room TV, and it was a little awkward/uncomfortable at first. At one point, Evil Snow is presiding over a party in which there are what seem to be a few (clothed) pole-dancers. Yes, it wasn't overly indecent, but it's still a little awkward to show up, when your mother is sitting next to you on the couch.
The other point is Lightning's new role as "the savior." Now, before the god Bhunivelze wakes up and replaces the current world with a new one, Lightning must save the souls of as many of the remaining people as possible, before time runs out in 13 days.
Previously, XIII and XIII-2 had similar issues: XIII with the Fal'Cies' control of Cocoon, and XIII-2 with Caius' plot against a goddess. However, Lightning Returns' language is a lot closer to home. At many points, Bhunivelze is simply referred to as "God."
Now, I can enjoy a fictitious world with its own fictive theology. Greek myths are great. Lord of the Rings and Chronicles of Narnia are, to some degree, both imaginative fictions and creative allegories. I've even read and watched "modern" literature and movies. However, I couldn't help but be a little off-put when Lightning criticized the plan and workings of Bhunivelze, referring to him as God. My primary motivation in playing the game (besides wanting to have all the "main" FF games) was to see the resolution of the conflict started in XIII and XIII-2. I wanted to see Cocoon's final fate. I wanted to see how/if Serah would be saved. Most importantly, I want to see a final confrontation between Lightning and Caius.
Besides the major sticking point, I'm actually liking the game so far. A new character (who some might argue is another unnecessary complication) arrives and torments Lightning. Who is she? What role will she play? Why does she look like Serah?
Well, hopefully I will find out soon. Before spoilers are posted everywhere. Uggh.
Anyway! Here's hoping the rest of the game lives up to my high expectations!
Anyway, I was really excited to hear about the exciting conclusion to the XIII series. I pre-ordered the game, and set about waiting for it to be released. Well, the time has finally arrived. I now own the game and have begun into main story. It is quite interesting, to say the least.
Therefore, I have decided to write on/about my experiences with the game, as I play it. Be warned, however, as I already want to like the game, so I probably won't be as critical as I could be.
As a warning, there might be/will be spoilers, so don't read this if you don't care for plot points to be spoiled for you. Also, for my first play-through will be for story, so I opted for easy mode. (Which, some people might argue that the previous to games were entirely, but I digress...)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Starting into everything, we see the opening cinematic. As I am playing on our HD TV (We finally got one, a few months ago!) the visual presentation is amazing. I'm getting pumped to play. Lightning perches atop a tower, and dramatically pulls off some sunglasses. However, the opening scenes, and beginning stages of gameplay, are almost too heavy with pure exposition. At one point, Lightning flashes back to a previous conversation, and I say to myself "Exposition!" because it's a little too obvious at that point.
The visuals are what I would expect from a system like the PS3, and more importantly, from a Final Fantasy game. (It makes me long for the opening of FF VII to be made in stunning HD. A wild dream, but one can always dream.)
After some exposition, and finding out what the heck happened while Lightning was away, the game allows us a chance to explore and begin learning how to battle with the new system. As we chase the apparently now evil Snow, some basic monsters confront us. The battle system, in my opinion, is an answer to an unrealized wish.
What unrealized wish, you ask? In the previous two games, every action was queued up and then performed at a set pace. (And, actually, in older FF games, you still just commanded the action, rather than doing it yourself.) Pressing X over and over, while it made me feel like I was doing more, actually did nothing. Here, the actions are mapped to particular buttons. Pressing X over and over finally does something! While this is a departure from the traditional RPG style of control, it seems to be the logical development from the battle systems of the previous XIII games (And, to some extent, from XII). So far, I find it engaging and enjoyable. We'll see how it fares over time.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I began playing the game on our living room TV, and it was a little awkward/uncomfortable at first. At one point, Evil Snow is presiding over a party in which there are what seem to be a few (clothed) pole-dancers. Yes, it wasn't overly indecent, but it's still a little awkward to show up, when your mother is sitting next to you on the couch.
The other point is Lightning's new role as "the savior." Now, before the god Bhunivelze wakes up and replaces the current world with a new one, Lightning must save the souls of as many of the remaining people as possible, before time runs out in 13 days.
Previously, XIII and XIII-2 had similar issues: XIII with the Fal'Cies' control of Cocoon, and XIII-2 with Caius' plot against a goddess. However, Lightning Returns' language is a lot closer to home. At many points, Bhunivelze is simply referred to as "God."
Now, I can enjoy a fictitious world with its own fictive theology. Greek myths are great. Lord of the Rings and Chronicles of Narnia are, to some degree, both imaginative fictions and creative allegories. I've even read and watched "modern" literature and movies. However, I couldn't help but be a little off-put when Lightning criticized the plan and workings of Bhunivelze, referring to him as God. My primary motivation in playing the game (besides wanting to have all the "main" FF games) was to see the resolution of the conflict started in XIII and XIII-2. I wanted to see Cocoon's final fate. I wanted to see how/if Serah would be saved. Most importantly, I want to see a final confrontation between Lightning and Caius.
Besides the major sticking point, I'm actually liking the game so far. A new character (who some might argue is another unnecessary complication) arrives and torments Lightning. Who is she? What role will she play? Why does she look like Serah?
Well, hopefully I will find out soon. Before spoilers are posted everywhere. Uggh.
Anyway! Here's hoping the rest of the game lives up to my high expectations!
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Life - SCSTA
This past month, I had the opportunity to travel with my school's theatre kids and compete at SCSTA. SCSTA, or South Carolina Speech and Theatre Association, has a festival competition each year. This year, it was held at Newberry College, so we all piled into Mrs. DeVault and TJ Ellis's vehicles and "boogied on down the road" to get there.
It's pretty simple what SCSTA actually is. The real question is "What is SCSTA to me?" So I think back on that Saturday:
I didn't know what I was getting myself into: part of me was afraid that I wouldn't be allowed to go. With such actors as Rebecca Pearson and TJ Fisher in one's group, one tends to be overwhelmed. Fortunately, I was not the only one going for the first time. We had at least 4 people with us that hadn't gone before.
My pieces were two monologues performed for the "audition monologue" category. I was initially expecting to perform on some stage, in front of at least a moderate crowd. However, most of the activities were held in small classrooms, some the same size as ones here at Erskine! That was actually a point I really liked. Being close up to the actors made the experience more personal. For instance, when I watched duet acting during the first round, one group used a table and chairs, and addressed both sides of the tables surrounding them. There was even a splash zone for that scene! (Well, a thrown glass, but still...) One group even asked for feedback on their performance. (Although, maybe that was a bit much like aiding the enemy? Anyway, it felt nice to be helpful.)
During the second round, I went to audition monologues for my performance. Our group had about 4-5 people, and ended rather early. I wasn't as intimidated as I thought I was going to be.
Without going into extensive, dull details, the rest of the day was pretty nice, too. They had karaoke while the judges made their decisions, and Erskine walked away with 5 trophies.
SCSTA was a learning experience for me. One thing I could say is that determined minors and amateurs can beat professor-compelled majors any day. However, that goes without saying. More importantly, though, SCSTA was a real opportunity to enjoy theatre with many other people, even people who aren't going into it as a profession. Being at theatre at Erskine is nice (Getting lead roles is actually a possibility for me here!) but there's only so many of us here. Seeing so many other people at SCSTA was great. It's all about the shared experience in theatre.
That is what SCSTA is to me: a common experience; sharing the joy of theatre and speech.
It's pretty simple what SCSTA actually is. The real question is "What is SCSTA to me?" So I think back on that Saturday:
I didn't know what I was getting myself into: part of me was afraid that I wouldn't be allowed to go. With such actors as Rebecca Pearson and TJ Fisher in one's group, one tends to be overwhelmed. Fortunately, I was not the only one going for the first time. We had at least 4 people with us that hadn't gone before.
My pieces were two monologues performed for the "audition monologue" category. I was initially expecting to perform on some stage, in front of at least a moderate crowd. However, most of the activities were held in small classrooms, some the same size as ones here at Erskine! That was actually a point I really liked. Being close up to the actors made the experience more personal. For instance, when I watched duet acting during the first round, one group used a table and chairs, and addressed both sides of the tables surrounding them. There was even a splash zone for that scene! (Well, a thrown glass, but still...) One group even asked for feedback on their performance. (Although, maybe that was a bit much like aiding the enemy? Anyway, it felt nice to be helpful.)
During the second round, I went to audition monologues for my performance. Our group had about 4-5 people, and ended rather early. I wasn't as intimidated as I thought I was going to be.
Without going into extensive, dull details, the rest of the day was pretty nice, too. They had karaoke while the judges made their decisions, and Erskine walked away with 5 trophies.
SCSTA was a learning experience for me. One thing I could say is that determined minors and amateurs can beat professor-compelled majors any day. However, that goes without saying. More importantly, though, SCSTA was a real opportunity to enjoy theatre with many other people, even people who aren't going into it as a profession. Being at theatre at Erskine is nice (Getting lead roles is actually a possibility for me here!) but there's only so many of us here. Seeing so many other people at SCSTA was great. It's all about the shared experience in theatre.
That is what SCSTA is to me: a common experience; sharing the joy of theatre and speech.
Monday, February 17, 2014
Numbers - My Own Personal Math "System"
One of my pet peeves is when a professor gives handouts, but they are sloppily arranged or difficult to make out. I understand that they have busy lives; at the very least the syllabus should be clear. Anyway, one of my hobbies is formatting documents and organizing information. It may not even matter what the information it is that I'm organizing. For example, I have a catalog of the video game systems I have and many of the games. Perhaps it is destiny that I should be a librarian one day.
Now, to the topic at hand: since I care so much about formatting, my college lecture notes are also formatted. Class title, date and type of notes are usually what I indicate in the header. One thing that I like to do, if I can, is make a simple equation out of the numbers of that date. Today is a good example: 1-13-14 becomes 1+13=14. It is a small thing, with no relation to the topic at hand (which is usually literature of some kind or psychology) but it got me thinking: How many ways can I create these equations? For that matter, how many can I make? Finally, an excuse to be able to write a math-related article!
Before I begin, I must establish some parameters. One is that I am using a simple format: MM-DD-YY, as I would write in a date for notes. It is good to limit the year to two digits, as YYY and YYYY would seem to complicate matters (They don't add as many numbers as it would seem: one is still limited to a maximum of 12 * 31 as the highest multiplicative operation. However, I have no need to write out 2013 or 2014 as I am fairly confident that I have no written notes from 1914.) Results too must be limited: for the sake of simplicity I won't use operations that result in negative numbers or fractions.
Oh yes, I cannot forget: I am also staying within the years AD. BC/BCE goes back too far, and to a over-contested beginning date. 2014 years is still a lot of years.
Even with these four limits in place, there is still a great deal that one can do. First, one can look at the four basic operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Then, one can consider exponents.
I began by making a table to determine the lowest and highest possible combinations for each of the five operations. Multiplication and exponentiation were a little bit more complicated: the former had a separate category for highest possible month and highest possible year, while there were several highest possible exponents for the latter. It too featured a month-year dichotomy.
At this point, I must pause from writing for the compiling of tables and research. After all, could not there be an equation to figure out the number of "operative dates" within the last 2014 years? Alas, I do not have the ability to formulate such a thing.
To conclude, I found that there were approximately 28 operative dates for 2014. Most months only had two. (Reading back, I must make a confession: I had to allow for negative results, as in 3-15-12.)
What does this mean for you, the reader? I'm not sure, actually. I just wanted to work some of these out myself. And, I haven't posted an article in so long. So! Be inspired! If I can find a fun little math problem to work out, then so can you!
Now, to the topic at hand: since I care so much about formatting, my college lecture notes are also formatted. Class title, date and type of notes are usually what I indicate in the header. One thing that I like to do, if I can, is make a simple equation out of the numbers of that date. Today is a good example: 1-13-14 becomes 1+13=14. It is a small thing, with no relation to the topic at hand (which is usually literature of some kind or psychology) but it got me thinking: How many ways can I create these equations? For that matter, how many can I make? Finally, an excuse to be able to write a math-related article!
Before I begin, I must establish some parameters. One is that I am using a simple format: MM-DD-YY, as I would write in a date for notes. It is good to limit the year to two digits, as YYY and YYYY would seem to complicate matters (They don't add as many numbers as it would seem: one is still limited to a maximum of 12 * 31 as the highest multiplicative operation. However, I have no need to write out 2013 or 2014 as I am fairly confident that I have no written notes from 1914.) Results too must be limited: for the sake of simplicity I won't use operations that result in negative numbers or fractions.
Oh yes, I cannot forget: I am also staying within the years AD. BC/BCE goes back too far, and to a over-contested beginning date. 2014 years is still a lot of years.
Even with these four limits in place, there is still a great deal that one can do. First, one can look at the four basic operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Then, one can consider exponents.
I began by making a table to determine the lowest and highest possible combinations for each of the five operations. Multiplication and exponentiation were a little bit more complicated: the former had a separate category for highest possible month and highest possible year, while there were several highest possible exponents for the latter. It too featured a month-year dichotomy.
At this point, I must pause from writing for the compiling of tables and research. After all, could not there be an equation to figure out the number of "operative dates" within the last 2014 years? Alas, I do not have the ability to formulate such a thing.
To conclude, I found that there were approximately 28 operative dates for 2014. Most months only had two. (Reading back, I must make a confession: I had to allow for negative results, as in 3-15-12.)
What does this mean for you, the reader? I'm not sure, actually. I just wanted to work some of these out myself. And, I haven't posted an article in so long. So! Be inspired! If I can find a fun little math problem to work out, then so can you!
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