Illusion Knight

Um...I'm surprised no one's mentioned the new Fire Emblem game for the Wii yet. I've seen a Japanese review that put it on par with Twilight Princess... I can't wait for Super Mario Galaxy and Super Smash Bros. Brawl to come out. For me, that's about it. (Not a lot of money right now...) Oh, and by the way... [quote name='silpheedpilot']Where is the essential online gaming? Where are my downloadable demos?[/quote] The online gaming is there. The Wii has a wifi connection (which I've already used), which is another reason it's NOT a repackaged Gamecube. And have you heard of the Virtual Console? The Wii Shop Channel sells games that were originally for the NES, SNES, N64, and even Sega Genesis, and gives downloadable demos for FREE (such as the Metroid Prime 3 demo that's up right now). So there's your answer.

I've had this idea for a manga for a while now, but I think I need help fine-tuning it, or maybe just a critical analysis from someone other than myself. Please bear in mind this is my first manga, so it's probably not the best you've ever seen in your life. Oh, and the names are entirely made up (I'm not very good with names and don't know Japanese well so they probably are where I need help the most). Any help at all would be appreciated. PS: I just made a huge edit on this summary so it's shorter and more to-the-point. The main point of the story is that in a Spirit Realm, where all spirits go after their bodies die, mysterious beings called Kinalians judge a spirit's deeds in its life, select and design an appropriate body for this spirit in its next life, and finally send this new body back down to Earth once one of the appropriate species conceives a child; the placement into a new body is enough to seal the spirit's memories of its prior life on Earth. But in the case of the Spiritualists, essentially humans who are entirely pure of heart and therefore have dense spirits, the Kinalians cannot fully seal the memories. But they don't realize this, and the being with partially sealed memories is sent down to Earth along with all the others. When their scouts realize the existence of a Spiritualist, the Kinalians do everything in their power to permanently seal it by deliberately killing the body and splitting the soul. The main character of the story is a 16-year-old girl living in Japan named Tsukina Remoki, who is very tough (she takes out three gangsters, each of whom has a knife, as though it were child's play at one point) and hates acting sexy in any way. She is very cool and calm, nearly always thinking rationally and almost never truly angry (she believes that anger or any other strong emotion is the downfall of a great warrior). Her two closest friends are Miki Kunago, who is a year older than Tsukina and had helped her through school, and Koichi Sairu, who Tsukina once saved from almost certain torture and death. But Tsukina constantly worries about her dreams, in which she inhabits the body of one of her past lives (though she doesn't realize that the meaning of them is that she is a Spiritualist). Eventually a Kinalian named Shigetoshi appears before Tsukina and tells her about the Spiritualists. He tests her strength, and when she cleanly defeats him, he tells her that he has been planning a coup in the Spirit Realm for quite some time and that she can assist him. He also tells her about the special abilities within the Kinalians, known as Soulseals, and teaches her how to use Soulseals (anyone who has seen a Soulseal can use one, and since Tsukina - as a Spiritualist - remembers the Spirit Realm, she can use them). Eventually, Tsukina (along with Miki and Koichi) go with Shigetoshi to stop the evil King and Queen Kinalians.

Well, these are my top 3: 3. The .hack series for the PS2 (Infection, Mutation, Outbreak, and Quarantine). The storyline will keep you guessing until the very end. The battle system is very active - unless you are casting spells, you must actually run up to your enemies and slash at them. Arguably the best part about the game is its variety. You eventually have well over 20 party members to choose from and hundreds of weapons to equip them with. And...I'm not exaggerating this one...over a thousand dungeons to explore! Don't worry, only a very small percentage (less than 1%) of the game's dungeons must be completed to advance in the story. The extra dungeons are mostly for training and scouring for items and equipment. 2. Baten Kaitos Origins for the Gamecube. This has got to be the most overlooked game ever made. This game has so many sidequests that you are actually given a sidequest log just to keep track of them all! The game's storyline is easy to follow (for the most part) but it has some of the most shocking spoilers I've ever seen in any game. The best part is that Guillo, one of your party members who joins very early into the game, is hilarious. Here's one example (I don't consider this a spoiler, but I'll tag it anyway): [spoiler](talking about one of your allies who just knocked out an enemy guard by hitting him over the head with a barrel) "Who throws barrels at people? What are you, some monkey who's run off with a pretty wench?"[/spoiler] The battle system does have a learning curve, but once you get used to it, it is excellent and it becomes very fun to use and abuse the game's EX Combo system along with the spirit draw. 1. Tales of Symphonia for the Gamecube. I'm amazed no one has mentioned this yet. I can say without hesitation that this is the greatest RPG...no, the greatest game ever made. Every character in your party is unique and 6 out of the 9 people who join your party WILL make you laugh more than once. The battle system is the game's second strongest point only to the storyline, and that's saying something for the storyline because the battle system is the best thing you could imagine in an RPG. You have so many options and so many available attacks that sometimes I actually had to change my shortcuts for which button did what mid-battle! You can fight as any of the characters in your party, and each one handles radically different than everyone else. I personally have yet to get a feel for Kratos' style (which is ironic since for many people he is easy to master). You can even give your friends extra controllers and have them control a different character in your party, so that 2, 3, or even all 4 of your battling party are human-controlled and you can have loads of fun killing monsters with style. But that's not necessary for victory, since the AI controlling your allies is very smart, and you can give them specific commands at any time. Oh, and of course there's the storyline...I can hardly say anything past the first 20 minutes of gameplay without adding a spoiler tag. You will be shocked beyond belief by some of the plot twists, to the point that I was shocked by them on my second playthrough (and I have a good memory). That's just too bleeping good.

A friend of mine e-mailed these to me, I thought they were great: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A successful businessman flew to Vegas for the weekend to gamble. He lost the shirt off his back, and had nothing left but a quarter and the second half of his roundtrip ticket -- if he could just get to the airport he could get himself home. So he went out to the front of the casino where there was a cab waiting. He got in and explained his situation to the cabbie. He promised to send the driver money from home, he offered him his credit card numbers, his drivers license number, his address, etc. but to no avail. The cabbie said "If you don't have fifteen dollars, get the hell out of my cab!" So the businessman was forced to hitch hike to the airport and barely caught his flight. One year later the businessman, having worked long and hard to regain his financial success, returned to Vegas and this time he won big. Feeling pretty good about himself, he went out to the front of the casino to get a cab ride back to the airport. Well who should he see out there, at the end of a long line of cabs, but his old buddy who had refused to give him a ride when he was down on his luck. The businessman thought for a moment about how he could make the guy pay for his lack of charity, and he hit on a plan. The businessman got in the first cab in the line, "How much for a ride to the airport?" he asked. "Fifteen bucks," came the reply. "And how much for you to give me a blowjob on the way?" "What?! Get the hell out of my cab." The businessman got into the back of each cab in the long line and asked the same questions, with the same result. When he got to his old friend at the back of the line, he got in and asked "How much for a ride to the airport?" The cabbie replied "Fifteen bucks." The businessman said "Okay," and off they went. Then, as they drove slowly past the long line of cabs the businessman gave a big smile and thumbs up sign to each driver. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A woman got on a bus holding a baby. The bus driver said: "That's the ugliest baby I've ever seen." In a huff, the woman slammed her fare into the fare box and took an aisle seat near the rear of the bus. The man seated next to her sensed that she was agitated and asked her what was wrong. "The bus driver insulted me," she fumed. The man sympathized and said: "Why, he's a public servant and shouldn't say things to insult passengers." "You're right," she said. "I think I'll go back up there and give him a piece of my mind." "That's a good idea," the man said. "Here, let me hold your monkey." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- George W. Bush and his veep running mate, Dick Cheney were talking, when George W. said, "I hate all the dumb George W. jokes people tell about me." Wise Old Cheney, feeling sorry for his old boss kid, said sage-like, "Oh, they are only jokes. There are a lot of stupid people out there. Here, I'll prove it to you." Now Cheney, to patronize George W, took him outside and hailed a taxi driver. "Please take me to 29 Nickel Street to see if I'm home," said Cheney. The cab driver without saying a word drove them to Nickel Street, and when they finally got out, Cheney looked at George W. and said, "See! That guy was really stupid." "No kidding," replied George W. "There was a pay phone just around the corner. You could have called instead." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tired of his low approval ratings, President Clinton called up the head of the CIA and said, "I want your very best agent over here first thing in the morning." Moments later, a call went out to the Middle East, and the most gifted American agent was headed back to Washington. The next morning, the agent was escorted into the Oval Office. The President said, "I hear you're the best in the business. I can't trust what my staff tells me. So I want you to visit every state in the union, every major city. I want you to stay out on the road until you have an idea of what the vast majority of Americans would like to see happen in the Oval Office. Understand?" The CIA agent responded affirmatively. He left the White House and wasn't heard from for nearly four months. Finally, he showed up early on a Saturday morning, and the President saw him immediately. The President said, "Did you find out what an overwhelming majority of Americans want done here in this office?" "Yes, sir." "Well, then, express the will of the people," Clinton ordered. So the agent stood up, pulled out a gun, and shot him. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morris and his wife Esther went to the state fair every year, and every year Morris would say, "Esther, I'd like to ride in that helicopter". Esther always replied, "I know Morris, but that helicopter ride is 50 dollars and 50 dollars is 50 dollars". One year Esther and Morris went to the fair, and Morris said, "Esther, I'm 85 years old. If I don't ride that helicopter, I might never get another chance." Esther replied, "Morris that helicopter is 50 dollars and 50 dollars is 50 dollars". The pilot overheard the couple and said, "Folks I'll make you a deal. I'll take the both of you for a ride. If you can stay quiet for the entire ride and not say a word I won't charge you! But if you say one word, it's 50 dollars." Morris and Esther agreed and up they went. The pilot did all kinds of fancy maneuvers, b ut not a word was heard. He did his daredevil tricks over and over again, but still not a word. When they landed, the pilot turned to Morris and said, "By golly, I did everything I could to get you to yell out, but you didn't. I'm impressed!" Morris replied, "Well, to tell you the truth, I almost said something when Esther fell out, but you know -- 50 dollars is 50 dollars."

Well, let's see, where to start... - I'm a black belt, but I still consider myself in training. I am willing to admit that although I am stronger than a lot of people, I'm nowhere near invincible. I'm proud of the fact that I have the experience to acknowledge my own weakness and not think my training is over because I've achieved a high rank. To me, it's only just begun and there is no end. - I'm extremely proud of my skill when it comes to video games. In competitive video game play, my lifetime win-loss ratio is approximately 20 wins to 1 loss. In SSBM, I was able to achieve over 400 KOs in Endless Melee without hacking or using DK or even using a heavyweight character; in fact, his third recovery move was horrible! I was able to complete Ocarina of Time in 2 days with perfect records in everything, and those 2 days include breaks for eating, sleeping, etc. Need I go on? - I'm a virgin and I've never smoked, drunk alcohol, or done non-prescription drugs (except cold pills) in my life. And I'm VERY proud of that. - I'm proud of my insane skills in English. I learned it WAAAYYY too quickly. I was doing high school vocabulary in elementary school and was reading before I could talk! And I know spelling and usage like the back of my hand - vocabulary tests were basically easy 100's for me. - I'm proud of having intelligence, wisdom, and so-called common sense. So-called because very few people seem to have it these days. Everyone seems to think of me as a total weirdo, but I really don't even mind anymore. In fact, I'm now proud of being weird. I'm proud of being what everyone else strives so hard to be - someone who isn't part of the crowd, someone who stands out. I don't really even care what others' opinions of me may be, as long as I'm true to myself. - Last, but certainly not least, I'm proud of the fact that I can understand the fact that truth doesn't dwell in any set place, and that society and the media can very easily deceive. I can see through people. And I can see past stereotypes. I don't guess people's personality based on whether they're a man or a woman, their religion, or their "race" (which is in quotation marks because I consider that term "racist", ironically enough). I learn who they are partially through what they say and primarily through how they act.

Well, there's quite a few like that, but I'd have to say Kare Kano. I'm not really a fan of romantic stuff, but the comedy parts were great, such as... 1. The entire first episode. I was practically rolling on the floor laughing. 2. In Episode 5, Miyazawa's response to Asaba [spoiler]threatening to take Arima from her.[/spoiler] And this exchange near the end of the episode: Arima: [spoiler]SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP![/spoiler] Miyazawa: [spoiler]We've made a new friend![/spoiler] 3: In Episode 10, when Miyazawa [spoiler]becomes almost demonic and chases Tsubasa around the school.[/spoiler] Also, the scene with the picture of Arima, and the scene near the end when Miyazawa [spoiler] teaches Maho the 'proper technique'.[/spoiler] 4. In Episode 13, when Tsubasa gets angry. I'm not saying more than that - if you've seen it you know exactly what I mean...

Well, my parents really have no problem with it. My mom doesn't like it much, but she just turns the other way when I watch it. My dad's more understanding and on VERY rare occasion (maybe once or twice a year) he'll sit down and watch it with me. On the other hand, I have a 15-year-old younger brother who seems more like the ignorant parents who think it's all garbage...which is very ironic because he loved Yugioh and DBZ when he was a kid...

[QUOTE=Kirra][COLOR=RoyalBlue][FONT=Comic Sans MS] I don't know if I'm going the right way on my game. After the 3rd Gym Battle, I headed south and found myself at this beach resort looking place. Is that where I'm supposed to be?[/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE] Yes, that is where you're supposed to be. Anyway, these are my stats: Badges: 7 (only just got it) Seen: 113 Obtained: 34 Team Level: 43 (yes, they all have the same level...creepy, huh?) Team: Torterra - Earthquake, Rock Climb, Wood Hammer, Synthesis Staraptor - Close Combat, Aerial Ace, Quick Attack, Fly Skuntank - Flamethrower, Night Slash, Toxic, Strength Octillery - Signal Beam, Psybeam, Aurora Beam, Surf ...and an Egg. What? Were you expecting 6 or something? Lol.

My prom's going to be on the 29th, but I am not going. I can think of 10 good reasons off the top of my head not to go: 1. Too expensive 2. Friends aren't going 3. Too expensive 4. No date 5. Too expensive 6. Can't dance 7. Too expensive 8. Hate dressing up 9. Too expensive 10. See the odd-numbered reasons

If I had to pick just one, Edward Elric from Fullmetal Alchemist. He's very funny. but a deadly opponent, though he's still a kid and never wants to kill. He's the most human character in the show despite being one of the strongest state alchemists. I also have a bunch of runner-ups though, such as... - Kusanagi from Ghost in the Shell. She's incredibly smart, very tactful in her dealings with people, and has skill no one else could ever hope to match. I mean, she parried a bullet! :eek: - Hyuuga Neji from Naruto. Rock Lee described it perfectly when he called Neji "the man who is perhaps the most powerful genin [I]ever[/I] to come out of the Hidden Leaf Village." Byakugan with the gentle fist style taijutsu makes every hit from him battle-ending, even if they have excellent health, and allows him to see almost 360 degrees with beyond perfect vision. And then you factor in his 8 trigrams abilities... - Roy Mustang from Fullmetal Alchemist. This guy's always in control of everything. With him, it always seems like there's something he's not telling you. Even when he spells everything out very clearly, it still seems like he deliberately left something out. He does [B]everything[/B] for a reason. - Renax from Kurau. Well, okay, I've only seen the first episode, but from what I saw I already think she's an awesome character. She enjoys being mysterious, and jumps at the chance to carry out the most dangerous missions. She gives the same sense of not telling you something that Roy Mustang gives, and I've always loved that in a character. And of course her ability to use the magical aura helps a lot.

If you don't have Tales of Symphonia for GCN, and have even the slightest taste for RPGs, GET IT NOW!!! I've played all the Final Fantasies up to and including VII and all but a few Zelda games, and despite all that competition, Tales of Symphonia is still by far the greatest RPG I've ever played. Nothing else even comes close.

One time my history teacher was really annoyed with a certain kid in the class and said to him near the end "I hope you're the last one out of the room. That way there'll be no witnesses." That gave us all a good laugh. Oh, and my history teacher from the year before that got a kid who complained to him about 1 word in his answer making a difference. His response was "I will kill you." "What?!" "I will [I]not[/I] kill you. Now tell me, did that one word make a difference?" The only meaningful quote I can think of is from a video game, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, when Goldoa's King Deghinsea said "Blood leads only to blood, and violence begets violence. Nothing more. Revenge is simply another name for murder."

Fullmetal Alchemist - When Nina [spoiler]as a chimera says "You promised you'd come play with me" and then gets blown apart by Scar.[/spoiler] Also, that episode when Lust [spoiler]kills her apprentice and wipes out the entire village[/spoiler]. There was another time, but it should go without saying. Naruto - When Zabuza [spoiler] starts crying over Haku and dies next to him while it's snowing, and Kakashi says "he was as pure as the snow"[/spoiler]. Bleach - When Ichigo is fighting the Grand Fisher and [spoiler]his mother appears to him and tells him never to lose his smile[/spoiler]. Princess Mononoke - When San says [spoiler]"The forest is dead"[/spoiler].