Charles

[quote name='Semjaza Azazel']I've never understood what could be "gay" about a game in the first place, unless it features scantily clad men thrusting towards eachother.[/quote] Don't waste your time. If he can't see the obvious appeal of Animal Crossing underlying the childish veneer, then it's too late for him anyway. Especially with that wonderful analysis of his.

[quote name='ScirosDarkblade']Strangely, I didn't much enjoy Paper Mario. It was too simplistic for me, perhaps. I didn't like the battle setup. I loved Mario RPG, on the other hand. It's my favorite SNES game. It's too bad that they're not making a sequel to Mario RPG for the GCN (I think they're doing something for GBA).[/quote]Yeah, I hope they allow more than two characters to partake in battles this time around. I wouldn't mind that change too much. On the other hand, it would be great if they took a cue from Superstar Saga, kept the two party system, and assigned each character to a button. For those of you who've not yet played the GBA game, it's extremely fun and intuitive. The battles never get old, require reflexes, and always keep you on your toes. You can't just get away with mashing buttons for the most part if you want to be successful. Also, for those of you mentioning a direct sequel--although not developed by Square, wasn't the original Paper Mario considered the official evolution of the franchise? I've always thought it was one cohesive series. And anyway, the follow-ups to the original Super Mario RPG have more effectively retained the spirit and charm of the Mario franchise in comparison to the Square developed game. At least in my opinion, they have.

[QUOTE=Semjaza Azazel]The DVD coming out first is apparently bare bones and contains little beyond the movie. I guess after Vol 2 is out they plan on making a set and that would be what you should pick up if you're interested in extras. Eh. I'm looking forward to this movie quite a bit. I loved the first part.[/QUOTE]Yeah, the DTS track basically seals that. :rolleyes: Anyway, I too loved the first part and can't wait to see the second half of the movie. It's supposedly more of a western themed romance story that'll reveal the past of The Bride, which should be interesting to say the least. I loved the character definition in Vol. 1's flashbacks sequences. The anime scene was slick, and hands-down, one of my favorite sequences in the film. So, I really want to see how it's executed in Volume 2.

Well, I'm excited--and that's an understatement. Not only has the direct sequel to one of the best RPG franchises in existence been announced for the GameCube--but with a plethora of accompanying media as well. Check out this link: [url="http://game-science.com/news/000528.html"]http://game-science.com/news/000528.html[/url] And, if that's not working: [url="http://videogamesmedia.com/gcn/papermario2/1.jpg"][color=#0000ff]http://videogamesmedia.com/gcn/papermario2/1.jpg[/color][/url] [url="http://videogamesmedia.com/gcn/papermario2/2.jpg"][color=#0000ff]http://videogamesmedia.com/gcn/papermario2/2.jpg[/color][/url] [url="http://videogamesmedia.com/gcn/papermario2/3.jpg"][color=#0000ff]http://videogamesmedia.com/gcn/papermario2/3.jpg[/color][/url] [url="http://videogamesmedia.com/gcn/papermario2/4.jpg"][color=#0000ff]http://videogamesmedia.com/gcn/papermario2/4.jpg[/color][/url] [url="http://videogamesmedia.com/gcn/papermario2/5.jpg"][color=#0000ff]http://videogamesmedia.com/gcn/papermario2/5.jpg[/color][/url] [url="http://videogamesmedia.com/gcn/papermario2/6.jpg"][color=#0000ff]http://videogamesmedia.com/gcn/papermario2/6.jpg[/color][/url] [url="http://videogamesmedia.com/gcn/papermario2/7.jpg"][color=#0000ff]http://videogamesmedia.com/gcn/papermario2/7.jpg[/color][/url] [url="http://videogamesmedia.com/gcn/papermario2/8.jpg"][color=#0000ff]http://videogamesmedia.com/gcn/papermario2/8.jpg[/color][/url] [url="http://videogamesmedia.com/gcn/papermario2/9.jpg"][color=#0000ff]http://videogamesmedia.com/gcn/papermario2/9.jpg[/color][/url] [url="http://videogamesmedia.com/gcn/papermario2/10.jpg"][color=#0000ff]http://videogamesmedia.com/gcn/papermario2/10.jpg[/color][/url] [url="http://videogamesmedia.com/gcn/papermario2/11.jpg"][color=#0000ff]http://videogamesmedia.com/gcn/papermario2/11.jpg[/color][/url] [url="http://videogamesmedia.com/gcn/papermario2/12.jpg"][color=#0000ff]http://videogamesmedia.com/gcn/papermario2/12.jpg[/color][/url] [url="http://videogamesmedia.com/gcn/papermario2/13.jpg"][color=#0000ff]http://videogamesmedia.com/gcn/papermario2/13.jpg[/color][/url] [url="http://videogamesmedia.com/gcn/papermario2/14.jpg"][color=#0000ff]http://videogamesmedia.com/gcn/papermario2/14.jpg[/color][/url] [url="http://videogamesmedia.com/gcn/papermario2/15.jpg"][color=#0000ff]http://videogamesmedia.com/gcn/papermario2/15.jpg[/color][/url] [url="http://videogamesmedia.com/gcn/papermario2/16.jpg"][color=#0000ff]http://videogamesmedia.com/gcn/papermario2/16.jpg[/color][/url] [url="http://videogamesmedia.com/gcn/papermario2/17.jpg"][color=#0000ff]http://videogamesmedia.com/gcn/papermario2/17.jpg[/color][/url] [url="http://videogamesmedia.com/gcn/papermario2/18.jpg"][color=#0000ff]http://videogamesmedia.com/gcn/papermario2/18.jpg[/color][/url] [url="http://videogamesmedia.com/gcn/papermario2/19.jpg"][color=#0000ff]http://videogamesmedia.com/gcn/papermario2/19.jpg[/color][/url] You'll find that these screens look absolutely stunning, despite being scans. We're talking screen-filling boss characters, dozens of high resolution characters on screen at once, and the evolution of an art direction I loved to begin with. As you'd expect, everything is just oozing with vibrant personality. I can't get enough of the Mario RPG series and still consider the GBA iteration one of my favorite in the genre, so this just shot up to the top of my "most wanted" list. Thankfully, it seems to retain the core gameplay of the original Paper Mario, while expanding on the experience with new mini games and the ability to turn into a paper airplane.

[img]http://www.cagames.co.uk/images/gamecube.jpg[/img] Typically, I only bother with well-renowned GameCube exclusives. As a direct result, of not going out of my way to spend money on cult titles I haven't run into too many problems. So, some may find the games I mention a bit surprising in this context. The first would be [b]Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes[/b]. I was a huge fan of the original PSX version, and I can't fault the GameCube iteration for offering many sweeping, detrimental changes, but Twin Snakes was just average for me. The production values were [i]incredible[/i]---at first. But, as I progressed deeper into the adventure, I became stricken by the total lack of innovation in direction. I swear, almost [i]every single[/i] action scene exploits slow motion, Matrix-inspired bullet-time effects. Again, it was cool at first, yes. However, by the time the end credits roll, I felt almost drained from watching the same redundant tricks and over exaggerated acrobatics time and time again. Yes, candy is good--but when you stuff yourself with it, you only end up feeling sick later on. Also, Silicon Knights should have made modifications to expand the gameplay. This doesn't necessarily involve making any far-reaching changes to the story, but c'mon. Add new hallways and rooms, change item placement, add structural deviations that make use of Snake's newfound MGS2 abilities. Hell, throw in a new enemy solider type or two. I welcomed the vastly improved enemy A (although it was certainly absent during boss battles)I, that was nice. There just should have been more of it to balance out the poorly illustrated, outdated Codec narrative. Staring at the same unimproved, pixelated Codec screens from 1998 or whatever for the majority of the game was not my idea of a good time. Lastly, the story wasn't as impressive as I remembered it, which isn't anyone's fault really. Way back when production value limitations just didn't normally allow the voice acting and presentation found in Metal Gear Solid, the plot was breathtaking--and it still is to a point. Now, I just find more of the dialogue sappy and cliché' ridden than compelling. So yeah, I probably tend to look down on Twin Snakes harshly, primarily because of the fond memories I have of the original. Yet, I won't attribute nostalgia to all of the game's problems. Another poor GameCube game is [b]Resident Evil Zero[/b]. A huge in-depth analysis isn't necessary here. Everything is wonderful until you get down to the fundamentals. Capcom didn't introduce anything new to the gameplay (it actually took several steps back from the Resident Evil remake). Sure, you can still change characters, and that was enough to keep me interested for a bit, but halfway through the game, when I was still collecting cranks, pushing boxes, and finding elevator batteries, I became bored and never touched the game again. I traded it in and never regretted it. [img]http://www.smsgewinnspiele.de/images/xbox.jpg[/img] I made the unfortunate mistake of playing [b]Tao Feng: Fist of the Lotus.[/b] Big mistake. That's not to say it was a complete wash. Some interesting elements were brought to the table--body limb damage, interactive environments, and visible damage to the models being the most notable. Also, it was certainly an impressive-looking game, technically speaking. It pushed a lot of polys, that's for sure. Sadly, Tao Feng was one of those cases where nothing came together properly. Those impressive looking characters? Well, the generous polygons being thrown around didn't help when the art direction was abysmal. Everything about the design was just terrible. Mediocrity was apparent on both the characters and the environments. It was impossible to identify with any of it or choose a favorite. The character-types and environments were outright boring, and interchangeable with those found in any other generic fighting game. The gameplay? Fuhgetabouddit. Tao Feng was literally an unplayable mess. Were the insanely cheap computer opponents at fault or was the unserviceable combo system suspect? Both. But, even multiplayer matches weren't fun. They were just double the misery. Instead of one person cursing at the game, you had two. It's a universal fact: Tao Feng sucks. So does [b]Fusion Frenzy.[/b] I received my XBox as a gift, and with it came that atrocity. I can't offer many opinions because after playing it for ten minutes I knew it was super poor and returned it. [img]http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:TiQ-ZOLELTsJ:hogwild.net/images/Misc/playstation-2.jpg[/img] Now, I bring to mention, [b]Devil May Cry 2. [/b] Take the original, strip away every inkling of Dante's personality, replace the beautiful gothic architecture of the original with vapid, ugly, lifeless locales, eliminate the mythical boss characters with mutant helicopters, tone down the frequency of the action, remove a tangible plot, pull the camera very far away from what little action there is, and add an uninspired new sidekick--bam--you have Devil May Cry 2. It's that simple. I was never more disappointed with a game. To be blunt, I can't believe Capcom allowed it to be distributed. I'll be more than wary of the next entry in the series. Hopefully they'll just pretend that Devil May Cry 2 never happened and release Devil Never Cry. [img]http://www.cagames.co.uk/images/psone.gif[/img] Now, I'll take the opportunity to mention a classic: [b]Bubsy 3D[/b]. [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/games/coverg/17/635717.jpg[/img] [img]http://www.maniac.de/oldhome/reviews/ps/af/bubsy3d/b3b.jpg[/img] Mario 64, look out! Bubsy was nothing more than a "clever" attempt to market a "sassy" mascot during the 16-Bit generation. And, apparently a degree of success was achieved because it saw some sequels. Bubsy 3D, somehow, managed to bring the concept of a bobcat who wears an exclamation mark T-shirt and collects balls of yarn, to new lows though. Can a game get any more ugly? Yes, I played this game (it was rented for me) and I managed not to cry. Somehow, I consider myself a better person for it. That's the only positive I pulled from this game though. I'll have to think about the others. I did play [b]SuperMan 64[/b] so that eliminates the need for a N64 entry by default. heh

I don't really think it's wise to house a discussion here about your past experiences being banned. Generally speaking, most people simply don't have a vast record worth discussing that can compare to your own. Secondly, I'd like to believe that all banned members who were granted a clemency of sorts have chosen a fresh beginning upon their return. So, instead of rethreading over past mistakes and possibly venturing into a hostile discussion, I say that members, such as yourself, should move forward with the knowledge of their past errors in mind. And, just to set the record straight, you weren't even banned [i]just [/i]as a result of creating multiple accounts. Let's not have any confusion surrounding the issue. You've always had a nasty habit of creating irreverent posts and ignoring many of our other rules. Bearing that in mind, I highly suggest you consider the value and substance of what you put up from now on. You should also improve your maturity level; pulling silly stunts with your signature certainly isn't going to help you earn redemption. I really don't want to see any more added to that history of yours, so get it together kiddo. [i]You can dew it[/i]. :smirk: [b][size=2][color=#808080] [/b][/color][/size]

Once upon a time (actually, it was a rather recent change), OtakuBoards dropped its picture forum. Now, we encourage you to use your profile picture or myOtaku account to post these. Thanks, and nice picture by the way.

[QUOTE=wrist cutter]Not really. In an atheist view, Jesus was just another person, was he not? So therefore he wouldn't be born religious either. In a Christian view however I think it's pretty obvious that Jesus would be an exception. My statement wasn't made in jest. Anyhow, to go back to what I said, Mel Gibson has not always led a religious life, clearly. I don't see what your point is. So, because he starred in Braveheart, it therefore wipes out all ability for him to become religious?[/QUOTE] My point is that he's obsessed with violence. Everything he's done has been saturated with graphic content. Just look at the old Simpsons episode he guest starred in, where Homer changed his movie into a bloodbath. It was a brilliant satirical depiction of what one can expect from a Mel Gibson film--over-the-top violence strong enough to disgust people. The only purpose I had for making this off-hand comment was to reflect on how silly, to me, people like sublime2004 sound coming out of the theater basically saying "See! I don't know how anyone can't believe now," as if it were fact onscreen coming from this man. Obviously, anyone can parade disturbing violence around onscreen and nothing but, yet I only see that as a way of manipulating the audience instead of moving them in an earnest way. That's simply because it's the easiest way to invoke emotion from people. You know, just like how [i]I Am Sam[/i] used movie shortcuts (i.e. exploiting a handicap and cute kids to move people in a cheap way instead of relying on good writing). Xander Harris, I don't know what you're disagreeing with me about. I find myself in agreement with many of your opinions.

[quote name='wrist cutter']Nobody is born religious.[/quote] I'll only say that's the most ironic comment you could possibly make in a thread about Jesus. It's very funny! More importantly, however, regardless of whether anyone is born religious or not, it sure pays to be when there's a movie to be made. And, [i]Semjaza Azazel[/i], the point of the Lethal Weapon reference, wasn't to scourge Gibsons' directorial choices, but to merely point out that his supposed ideals haven't guided him in a very religious way in his choice of roles. He's never exactly carried himself as a dedicated religious person--at least from what I can tell. For people to look at his film as if it's fact drawn straight from divinity only makes me raise an eyebrow.

[QUOTE=AzureWolf][font=Georgia][color=blue]I wish the successive play was like DMC, where you kept all your upgrades. You can't even change the difficulty. Yeah, the only thing that comes over are the scarabs you had. I had a total of 45, so I'm assuming that there's 50. I wonder what that blacksmith gives you when you get fifty... Haha, I don't think I'll ever find them all.[/color][/font] [/QUOTE]He gives you the first Ninja Gaiden. Which, of course, you need to unlock the other two. If I completel "successive play" as opposed to experimenting with a harder difficulty level, it will only be for the scarabs. I was intensely disappointed to find that weapon upgrades don't carry over. What a waste. Especially if you bothered to fully upgrade the wooden sword.

For some reason, when I look at [i]Hell Boy [/i]trailers, I experience terrible LXG flashbacks. There's not much I can say about the film and I can't reference the comic books, so I'll have to take a wait-and-see approach with this one. Hopefully the plot--even if it's not spectacular--will come together cohesively much unlike the aforementioned LXG's. As of this moment, I don't find myself necessarily captivated by the character designs. They look like generic [i]X-men[/i] base types. Hmm. Time will tell.

[QUOTE=sublime2004][size=1][b][color=darkred][/b] [b]For those of you who say that the gore was over done, you are wrong. If anything, it was under done. Jesus' body wasn't even recognizable as being human when they put him on the cross.[/b] [b]People get this image of Jesus' crucificion as being this clean man wearing a thorny hat. Maybe a little blood running down his face. Maybe a cut or two on his back. And a three-inch scratch on his ribcage. Wrong.[/b] [b]His flesh was hamburger.[/b] [/color][/size][/QUOTE]I'm glad that you were there so that you could report this. Otherwise, you would be unjustifiably dismissing [b]opinions[/b] as wrong. [b][size=1][color=#8b0000][quote][b]And to anyone who compares The Passion of the Christ to The Lord of The Rings: there aren't enough words in my "Colorful Words" dictionary to express my anger at these statements. There is no way in hell that Christ's story could possibly be told, in full, and accurately in a movie theatre. It would take twenty movies to even come close to being completely accurate.[/b][/quote][/color][/size][/b] [size=2]That would be me. If memory serves me correctly, my claims weren't intended to be broad statements. I was addressing someone about one particular issue I pulled from their post. Now please go back and read, really [i]read[/i], my post instead of simply seeing [i]The Lord of The Rings[/i] next to [i]The Passion of the Christ[/i] and you will find that there are no direct comparisons involving content. I wasn't demystifying religion. I was simply illustrating a valid point: It is possible to translate large [older] texts to film in such a way that everything is retained and people will care despite knowing the outcome. [/size] [size=2]I can see that you, the religious zealot that you are, have become embittered over negative criticisms facing this film and try to combat these opinions by falsly interjecting faith in place of logic. Consequently, your post is laden with religious fervor and all that jazz. But, before you grant anyone your uncompromising pity, I should clarify something: This is a film crafted by a man whose film ventures are far from holy. Review Gibson's film history and you'll see why I find it laughable that religious fanatics are looking at him, all of a sudden, as a reliable source of biblical integrity. [/size] [size=2]Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go say 3 "Hail Marys" and watch [/size] 3 [i]Lethal Weapons[/i].

My explanation surely won't be the definitive one in here and others have already gone on at length with valid points. Frankly, here's how I see it: a good writer should know their audience and how to be concise. If someone is so enamored with their own writing to the extent that they lack enough self-control to keep it focused, they're not practicing good writing to begin with. They should realize that burdening the reader down with extraneous detail for the sake of sating their own ego isn't only bad writing, it's bad sparring as well. Lining a biography with all fluff and no food defeats the purpose of posting the information to begin with; it's counterproductive to expect your sparring partner to undertake the laborious task of reading pages upon pages of moot detail. Once again, it?s all about keeping the audience in mind. People don?t post in Battle Arena because they?re interested in reading novella-sized pieces of fiction--they?re there to spar. When posting a biography, one should post what they need in order to define the foundation of the battle and leave it at that. There?s plenty of room for creativity and characterization. But, by the same token biographies should be kept reasonably direct and to the point. Why provide bucket loads of superfluous information that will have absolutely [i]no bearing[/i] on the battle itself? In that sense, [i]yes[/i] it is spam and [i]yes[/i] it is just as bad as skimpy posting because it suffers the same pitfall: it's not serving its intended purpose. It's not preparing anyone for the spar. People itching to write stories should visit the proper forum. If they're entering an agreement to spar with someone, they should be courteous to their partner and place mutual enjoyment over flexing literary muscle. As for members publicly expressing their disapproval of "overly ambitious" sparrers by chastising them within their threads, well, obviously they're in the wrong too. If they have a question, they should simply private message The Harlequin or report the post. They're not moderators and as such, it's not their place to correct others. That only leads to more problems. Yes, the nifty titles aren't there just to look purty fellas.

It's time for the Barbarian at the Gates to put his two cents in. Immediately, I should point out that my opinions will be avuncular to Cyke's--sort of. Thus far, I've seen a hodgepodge of misinterpretation that's lead to a series of spicy "micro-debates." What Cyke's saying is entirely separate from a direct comparison between clashing genres and I can empathize with those views. It's not out-of-the ordinary to prefer something like SSX to SSBM or Halo. If the first entry in EA's successful series appealed to him on a greater level than other launch titles, it's understandable. On a whole, its originality was intriguing and the exuberant polish was commendable given how the game was based on a new engine on a new system (that developers initially encountered problems developing for). Don't get me wrong--I'm not trying to take anything away from SSBM or Halo, but when a system launches, and it's all about the games, there's little else to go on aside from personal choice regardless of how different the software is. Thus, while we're talking about criticism based on individual preferences, it's difficult to say anyone is "right" or "wrong" no matter how much we disagree. Now, where do I stand? I enjoy all three consoles for the unique benefits each offers. But, I'm most satisfied with my Playstation 2. Sony has done a great job of providing online functionability to its audience likewise offering a different kind of experience. Although Sony's online initiative arguably doesn't provide the allure of Microsoft's counterpart from a technical and presentational standpoint, EA's fervent support and the lack of billing makes it more appealing in my eyes. Furthermore, other huge franchises, such as Tony Hawk, only take advantage of Sony's network adaptor by offering a bevy of valuable exclusive content. The best reason to get online, Socom II, still stands as one of the most purely enjoyable games I've played on this generation of consoles. It's arguably superior to any shooters currently available on Xbox Live, as a matter of fact. Otherwise, there's a constant revolving door of fantastic third party software on the Playstation 2 compared to the somewhat dwindling efforts on GameCube and lazy Xbox ports that release considerably later but fail to take advantage of the system. Consider Viewtiful Joe and Killer 7 eventually becoming available for PS2 owners and you have an uncompromisingly superior library. The controller also strikes me as the most comfortable to such an extent that I purchased a converter so that I could use it on my GameCube and Xbox. The GameCube is still a great system to own, and some great publishers still provide their support, but it's more of a novelty than anything. That may leave me open to caustic taunting, but I rarely buy games for it that are also available for the other consoles. As it stands, it's only worthwhile for a handful of quality exclusive titles. And, even these, although not necessarily disappointing, aren't traditionally excellent either (with a few exceptions, such as Metroid Prime). Even Twin Snakes, which Cyke seems so fond of, isn't particularly notable. The redone cinematics were contrived, retreading on the same tired bullet-time effects over and over [i]and over[/i] again until they simply exhausted me. Plus, Silicon Knight's inability to lock the game at a steady frame rate remains suspect. But, when a quality Nintendo title does launch, its charm and polish captivate me thoroughly. I enjoy the Xbox simply because it gives me an opportunity to play many of the third party games I could already enjoy on the Playstation 2, but without wasting memory card space. This is especially useful in the case of sports games that have a tendency to devour room. Also, it's impossible to ignore the growing list of "must-play" exclusive offerings on Microsoft's system. Star Wars: KOTOR is the best RPG I've played in years, and Ninja Gaiden, likewise, usurps even Viewtiful Joe by a clear margin, as the best action title available on any system. The upcoming Halo 2, Fable, B.C., Doom 3, Half-Life 2 and True Fantasy (which I won't be playing) have the potential to give the system legs I never expected it to grow. Currently, it still has the only console version of Rainbow Six 3 worth owning, and the most impressive version of Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow. Lastly, if you want to count the GameBoy Advance, I dearly appreciate it because it gives me something to do while waiting for a bus or something. Mario and Luigi: SuperStar Saga and Wario Ware alone cement my fondness for it. Because I never owned a Super Nintendo, it also gives me the opportunity to enjoy classics I wasn't able to play thoroughly, like Super Mario World and Zelda.

[QUOTE=Theodore]Well me I would have to say that I think Rock is the best because it is so sweet, you can dance to it, and it has been here forever. Also to quote on of my crazy friends "Its The White Man's Music" :tasty: Punkrock is great also just because it has a really cool sound to it. My favorite groups have to be Switchfoot: because they have some awesome singers and I just love their lyrics plus they sing about things that are relevent instead of getting chicks and blah blah Thousand Foot Krutch: they just sound great they have catchy music and lyrics and a lot of the songs you can relate to plus they just have a really catchy beat I dont really know but you can just get lost in their songs theyre so sweet Now how about all you people out there :confused:[/QUOTE]To answer your signature: [size=3][color=red][b]:devil: I can kill what is already dead. And yes, I just did. :devil: [/b][/color][/size]

Hey, Merlin Matrix. What's poppin' bro? I'm glad you didn't argue with your Jewish ex-girlfriend because joining this site isn't the best choice you'll ever make; pretty much ignoring MarkM is! Apparently he's delirious and believes he's a moderator or something. Like, seriously. Not cool. [i][i]Anyway[/i], [/i]although introduction threads aren't permitted (we encourage our members to learn about one another as they post along), your post is one of the best of this type I've seen. So, I'll simply close it, but allow it to remain visible. I hope you enjoy yourself on the site.

[QUOTE=ChibiHorsewoman][color=violet] I'd also try to improve education, but I'm not quite sure how I'd do that. You need some kinds of standardized testing, but you'd also need to have tests for children who learn differently-which adds up to a lot of hard work-but more teahcers which could mean more jobs. But don't rush me in this, because I'm not running for office. [/color][/QUOTE]This is kind of old to be quoting, but people within this thread seem to have some interest with improving education, so what the heck? How about a system where schools aren't funded through property taxes? What we have now is an unbalanced mess where schools in poor areas remain substandard because they're being funded by a low income population, whereas children who attend schools in upper-class areas continue to hold an unfair advantage because they're benefiting endlessly from higher property taxes. One of the ideals the founding fathers had for the United States was a high quality public education system that would produce a well-rounded, cultured society. What a shame it wasn't realized properly. I know it's easier said than done, but concentrate on balancing it out more for Pete's sake. As far as holding the position of President goes, I?m not sure how much I could do; I?m just not a huge fan of the political lifestyle and how it changes people. The President works in a system of checks and balances that?s largely flawed by campaign-finance. The private financing of campaigns for public office is one of the major reasons why political leaders do not reflect the positions that are held by a majority of Americans. Anyone could figure that out. Even someone going by the name of vegeta23000034. I mean, if an industry lobbyist walks into the office of a key legislator and hands her or him a check for one thousand dollars, we call it a campaign contribution. We should call it a bribe. Until the connection between private contributions and public policy is severed, I?d never even dream of becoming President. How can you sway a body of politicians to back your proposals when they?re acting in the interest of some megaton corporation whose hands are planted firmly in their pockets? Even, or especially, the position of Presidency is affected by the task of fulfilling the interests of campaign contributors. Obivously Presidents find themselves in a position where they?ve got to ?return the favor? in one way or another. That is, if they want stable funding come re-election time. That?s why it?s important to consider special interests here--and by special interests I mean business and corporate interests of all stripes and the overwhelming amount of money being contributed directly to legislative leaders. Definitely weigh these facts realistically before entertaining the idea that you, as President, could just make whatever broad, sweeping changes you want, unopposed. It?s not so simple. Maybe in a far-off fantasy land of some sort, but not in the world I live in. If I could go there for a second though, I would push to normalize relations with Cuba. Have it removed from the U.S. list of potential terrorist countries, end the embargo, and end travel restrictions between the U.S. and Cuba. There?s a lot of business to be had there. Honestly, if not, we may as well just end all business relations with China as well.

[quote name='Grey Aurora']This said, I like to approach people on equal footing when I'm online. I would hate to mistake someone's gender as it is also unpleasant. Besides, I treat everyone equally, I'm just trying to avoid trouble and somehow I found it again...how odd. And I'm sorry for provoking any unwanted emotions. Regard me as nothing more than an ignorant new member.[/quote] Worry not, my friend! Charles is here for you. This sort of unpleasant confusion is easily avoidable. Any OtakuBoards member worth their weight in salt has a registered myOtaku account attached to their profile. Visit the page by simply by clicking the appropriate link located directly beneath a member's user name and titles. An individual's gender should be included with their [b]Vital Information [/b](on the left-hand side of the page). In the case of particularly androgynous posters, this will prove to be your most reliable avenue outside of directly asking someone their gender. Anyway, don't feel upset over asking a simple question; this isn't a serious situation. No one is going to beat you up over it. :p

I hope that Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas isn't a direct prequel. I would much rather see the introduction of new characters and fresh plots. A new narrative direction would only be beneficial to the series as opposed to rethreading on an already established character's backstory--at least in the long run. This series doesn't need to rely on its main character's marketability to sell copies regardless because the name alone will move them off shelves. With the advent of this genre, and a sea of Grand Theft Auto clones, I think it'll be interesting to see what adjustments Rockstar North makes to keep the series from stagnating. Although the Grand Theft Auto series still has a mastery over the style it first introduced (in comparison to admirable, albeit flawed attempts to replicate or trump it), some major renovations will be needed gameplay-wise. Because, quite frankly, the high fun factor is what's going to keep people coming back at this point. Shock-value just isn't going to cut it anymore. Especially with games like Manhunt floating around that push the envelope as far as it's going to go. So, I reserved my copy last week when I picked up Twin Snakes. We'll see what happens. Personally, I would like to see a stronger physics engine and an expansion of depth in regards to the property system. From a character standpoint, I?d love to play as a dirty cop in the seventies who eventually gets thrown off the force. With 50 Cent and possibly Eminem contributing towards the musical facet of the game, I doubt it's going to be set in the past, however.

The individual performances of the actors were commendable. The material they were working from was not. When I saw the movie was based on a Stephen King novella, I immediately knew that originality would be scarified and that it would be left to the cast to instill the depth into the film that the source material would ultimately throw out the window (no pun intended). For the most part, they succeeded. You get a sense of tension and realism in their relationships, not so much because of the lines they deliver, but because of how they?re delivered. [b]Secret Window [/b]is both watchable and entertaining despite the overriding predictability of everything that unfolds. I was never scared or surprised, which is the basis of a film like this. At the same time, I wasn't bored. So, take from that what you will.

My opinion of this game is higher than I originally expected it to be. If I had to classify it, I would place it among the greatest games I've played in this generation of consoles. It was easy enough to assume that a Team Ninja game would capitulate refinement in most every area outside of visuals but that's just not the case at all with Ninja Gaiden. It looks like they put their gracious development cycle to good use and their vision was realized, uncompromised. Like Viewtiful Joe, Ninja Gaiden sort of pays homage to the 16-bit days of yore by offering a satisfying difficulty level that makes the gamer feel rewarded just for progressing to the next area. At the same time, it offers an exciting sense of exploration that should be familiar to fans of the original Tomb Raider (or Metroid Prime). Every environment is so rife with detail and elaborate that I feel compelled to see what lies ahead. I'm still surprised that they've been seamlessly interconnected. The illusion of one, huge, epic landscape is pulled off rather effortlessly. It's primarily cool to revisit old areas that have been altered due to waves of destruction that took place during a cut scene. One landed area, for example, was completely submerged in water when I returned to it. At the outset of the game, the control scheme and camera can be disorienting, even overwhelming, because of Ryu's lightning fast, fluid movement. Once I adjusted though, the sense of satisfaction the gameplay yielded was more than enough to justify the maelstrom of hype and praise surrounding this one. The battles are the best I've experienced in any action game. Their complexity and sheer depth give them a feel akin to a full fledged fighting game. Especially considering the large number of weapons and your disposal and the robust move lists attached to each. I'm also fond of the game's emphasis on mastering the block and dodge techniques. Too many titles allow gamers to ride one button from beginning to finish. Not here though. The exuberant sense of grandeur during the boss battles is the exclamation point on it all. I definitely believe Ninja Gaiden is a more complete overall package than Devil May Cry. Whereas Capcom's placed most of its emphasis on combat, and everything else suffered to an extent, it's difficult to pigeonhole Ninja Gaiden as an action title or a beat 'em up, because it pulls off so many different styles of gameplay extremely well. I'm happy with it.

Here's an animated clip from the game. Obviously, because it's an animated gif, it's not silky smooth. It gives you a good indication of how good the game looks in motion without downloading anything though. I've included some scans from Famitsu people were sharing They don't offer up a lot of significantly new imagery, but the quality is nice. [url="http://cwb.250free.com/biohazard.gif"]http://cwb.250free.com/biohazard.gif[/url] [font=Tahoma][color=red][size=1] I edited the img codes out of your post. That GIF is over 1 MB in size and forcing people to automatically download it every time they enter this thread is a bit much... - Semjaza [color=blue]Hm, :shrug: They shouldn't complain considering they don't have to download the video itself. :o [/color] [color=#0000ff]But, good idea; I didn't know the file was that large.[/color][/size][/color][/font]

[QUOTE=RPCrazy]Yes, Charles, because we all [i]really[/i] advocate the going out and getting a gun and shooting someone to death...or hiring people to kick the *** of an offending ex boyfriend. Though, I definitely think Mitch has put too much thought into this... -worries-[/QUOTE]I was referring to the post that encouraged her to make threatening phone calls and slash his tires. I wasn't targeting anyone who was being playful in their response.

You're being a tad compulsive. I hope you don't seriously consider silly revenge plots. What childish behavior. You'll only make a fool of yourself if you take that course of action. You could even get yourself in trouble. He may have been your first, but he's not the last. Your relationship didn't sound strong to begin with judging from how you presented it here. Use this opportunity to move on to better things, with someone you connect with on a higher level. Meet other boys; stop obessing over him. Use your experience from this relationship to make the next one stronger. Problem solved.

I came across this new media for Metal Gear Solid 3, so I decided I may as well post it up. As most of you know, Kojima is always uber-secretive about its new Metal Gear projects, so even a trickle of new information or screenshots is a big deal. Especially when they're this gorgeous. I would say that even in this still-early state, this is the best-looking console game I've ever seen (with the[i] possible[/i] exception of Resident Evil 4). The sheer ambition alone involved with producing a game successfully in this setting staggers me. [img]http://media.metalgearcentral.com/screens/mgs3/168.jpg[/img] Check out the detail on each individual blade of grass. Or the moss and foliage creeping up the tree trunks. Even a detail as miniscule as the leaves commands attention. I'm only left wondering if each individual branch and hanging vine in the backdrop is being produced in real time or is painted. [img]http://media.metalgearcentral.com/screens/mgs3/166.jpg[/img] Here, you can see that the ground textures could still use a bit of work. Also, dynamic lighting hasn't been fully implemented yet. "Snake" still doesn't cast a shadow. This shot does give you the opportunity to scope out another form of camouflage though (which incidentally seems to be ineffective according to the meter). Note the face paint too. Cool stuff. [img]http://media.metalgearcentral.com/screens/mgs3/165.jpg[/img] This is probably my favorite shot. The detail on "Snake's" character model is amazing. The individual wisps of hair, the creases in the uniform, the smeared face paint, the buckles, the wires--somebody pinch me. [img]http://media.metalgearcentral.com/screens/mgs3/167.jpg[/img] This shot impresses me because of sunlight's radiance being casted onto the grass in the form of a soft glow effect reminiscent of Ico's presentation. There you have it. Despite Metal Gear Solid 2 breaking my heart (only to a certain extent), I'm confident that this latest installment will not only be the strongest in the series, but a revolutionary step in gaming. At least as far as tactical espionage games are concerned, that is. The scope is just out-of-this-world. Aside from some low resolution textures and a lack of shadows playing off the environment onto the characters or vice versa, the visuals are seeing a level of polish few completed games can claim. It should prove interesting to see how they pull everything together in such a "free" setting. You know, you could easily get lost in a forest atmosphere no matter how ambient or beautiful it looks due to the lack of variety in an environment like this. It's definitely a feat to look forward to.