James

[quote name='Gavin'][SIZE=1]That one.[/SIZE][/QUOTE] [font=franklin gothic medium]Oh, no wonder I didn't see it. I think it's almost too lame to qualify as an actual pun. :P Haha. Joking, joking. Kind of. Anyway, yeah, I just figure if people want to make threads that are specific for something...they will. If anything, the PRP just provides a spot for that random discussion which we wouldn't otherwise have space for. Meh.[/font]

[quote name='Gavin'][SIZE=1]Pun intended ?[/SIZE][/QUOTE] [font=franklin gothic medium]What pun?[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Man, do we ever over-think our own site. Haha. Basically I think that people are using it for what it was intended for. Members are enjoying it and that's what OB is all about. So I don't see a problem with it at all. For me, I'm not very interested in random chit-chat, so I just create a thread or join a thread about a specific subject if that's what I want to talk about. So in other words, I think there's room for everything. Let's just have fun. :catgirl:[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Oh yeah, that's what I forgot to mention: Soul Calibur. I own that as well. It's one of the few fighting games I really loved, as I'm not really a big fighting game fan in general. Having said that, I [i]loved[/i] Power Stone. Apparently Power Stone 2 is much better and there are copies around, but PS2 seems harder to find than the original. If you do get the chance to buy another Dreamcast, I strongly recommend importing Shenmue II. It's going to be a bit more expensive than other titles, but I think it's well worth it. Shenmue II is really bigger and better than the original. There's just a whole lot more to do. The actual geographical area is much larger and you can walk into most buildings/stores, which is pretty cool. The only downside is that there are also a lot more loading points as you move from district to district. I find this frustrating at times, but I have to remember that this is because I'm used to games like GTAIV, which stream everything dynamically. One thing I like about Shenmue II is that there are many more options for making money. In the original game you were sort of funnelled into one particular job, but in Shenmue II you have a few different things available depending on what you prefer. The downside, though, is that you'll [i]need[/i] the extra money. There are more maps to buy and you have to pay board (at least in the early part of the game). I've just ordered Daytonua USA 2001 and it's just been shipped. It's the Japanese version and I haven't yet received my DC-X thing yet, so I hope the latter arrives and I can actually play it! Has anyone played Daytona on Dreamcast? I heard the controls were crappy. I'm hoping they aren't too bad. Oh, and also, if you like Dreamcast artwork...try this out: [url]ftp://segapr.segaamerica.com/SEGA_ARCHIVES/Dreamcast_Games/[/url] I saw a link to it on a Dreamcast blog and there's some pretty awesome stuff in there.[/font]

[quote name='Gavin'][SIZE=1]I hadn't really thought about it to be honest, although I'd probably say threads that were made within the calender year in question, 09 in this case. I don't mind though unless anyone has an objection to it. [/SIZE][/QUOTE] [font=franklin gothic medium]Yep, that's cool. I scrubbed my nomination for that other thread because I wanted to be fair to the actual 2009 stuff, haha.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I also have a general question (and I hope this is the right place to put it). Should we just nominate stuff that was [i]first created[/i] in 2009, or can we also nominate stuff that sort of became prominent or was still active and cool in 2009? Boo pointed out my necromancy in the nominations thread, which I didn't notice at first (because I set the OB filter to 365 days - go figure?), but I just wasn't sure if that was legit. I don't want to confuse you guys when you count up the nominations! :catgirl:[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium][b]Who is it?[/b] Nerdsy [b]Why is he nifty?[/b] He's still here, still cool and still posts in [color=hotpink]pink[/color]. [b]What is it?[/b] [url="http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=59994"]The Graphic Worm 2009[/url] [b]Why is it nifty?[/b] The GW is one of the coolest projects the network has ever seen and it's [i]still[/i] going, thanks to heaps of commitment from our fantastic artists. [b]What is it?[/b] [url="http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=60018"]Put Down That Sea Kitten You Monster![/url] [b]Why is it nifty?[/b] 2009 kicked off with a bang, with PETA sinking to laughable new depths. Come to think of it, I could really go for some sea kitten right now... [b]What is it?[/b] [url="http://www.theotaku.com/worlds/otakuboards"]OB World[/url] [b]Why is it nifty?[/b] Well, for better or worse, we've kept this thing going for around a year now. The format has changed a bit recently, which should actually make it worth visiting too. Yay! [b]What is it?[/b] [url="http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=59441"]lolmembers [Game][/url] [b]Why is it nifty?[/b] Gavin really needs kudos for this one. It's a ridiculously simple concept and yet it's extremely unique and fun. 151 posts later and it became one of our biggest games/events in 2009. [b]Who is it?[/b] ChibiHorsewoman [b]Why is she nifty?[/b] For one thing, quite a few people refer to her via an acronym ("CHW"). This alone is kind of cool and is, interestingly enough, a privilege usually only bestowed on rappers and cult leaders. Aside from that though, CHW was one of the most prolific thread creators in 2009. Not only did she spur heaps of discussion, but her threads were all different and usually provoked us to think more deeply about everyday things (did you ever think much about what you keep under your bed until the CHW thread? I bet you didn't!) [b]What is it?[/b] [url="http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=60362"]Steps to become a superhero[/url] [b]Why is it cool?[/b] This was a very clever thread with some genuinely funny/witty responses. If you ever need a single example of why OB is awesome, this thread should suffice. [b]What is it?[/b] [url="http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=60332"]Actor Mistook Paparazzi for Zombie[/url] [b]Why is it cool?[/b] This was one of the many crazy stories that popped up last year. The fun of these threads is not only the hilarious news item, but the equally hilarious (and very OB) commentary. [b]Who is it?[/b] Rachmaninoff [b]Why is he cool?[/b] Rach has brought so many throught-provoking threads to OB in 2009 that it's a little tough to even remember them all! [b]What is it?[/b] [url="http://www.otakuboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=85"]The Art by Request Forum[/url] [b]Why is it nifty?[/b] I just think this forum is a really special little corner in our community. I love the fact that members create avatars/banners for others simply to help them and to do a good thing for its own sake. I'm sure it helps newer members to feel welcome if they have an older member actually giving up some time to make something for them. The artists who contribute to this forum deserve much praise. [b]What is it?[/b] [url="http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=60511"]Michael Jackson, Forever 50[/url] [b]Why is it nifty?[/b] It's kind of hard to call this one nifty, but I wanted to nominate it because it was (for me at least) one of the biggest events of 2009. I personally felt like it was the end of an era when Michael Jackson died. When I think about his music, I think about my childhood - he was just such a phenomenon. When he passed away, it almost felt like a piece of my own history passed away too. [b]Who is he?[/b] Shinmaru [b]Why is he nifty?[/b] Shin is the gift that just keeps on giving. His World posts are always fun to read and, for me, they're also very educational (especially when he discusses films that I may not have seen). This alone makes him very worthy of a nomination. [b]What is it?[/b] The Watercooler [b]Why is it nifty?[/b] I think The Watercooler was one of the biggest success stories on theOtaku over the last year. I'm not sure how I'd describe them, except to say that they're pretty random, but they do provide a perspective that you just won't find anywhere else on the network. [b]What is it?[/b] theOtaku.com Chat [b]Why is it nifty?[/b] I'm not sure how many people remember our old chat system (the IRC one), but if you do, you'll appreciate how far chat has come since then. The current chat system is one of the best features of theOtaku and it really helps to draw the community together in a unique way. [b]Who is he?[/b] Magus [b]Why is he nifty?[/b] He's one of those members who solidly contributes all the time. He's always friendly and always adds something worthwhile to any thread. [b]Who is she?[/b] chibi-master [b]Why is she nifty?[/b] chibi-master always makes people smile. That's really all I need to say, I think. [b]Who is she?[/b] Sara [b]Why is she nifty?[/b] You know how we have those thread directories in Arcade and such? I almost think we need a Sara Thread Directory. Not only does she never make a bad thread, she never even makes an [i]average[/i] thread. Sara is always full of clever ideas and her threads are among my favourite of all time. [b]Who is she?[/b] Raiha [b]Why is she nifty?[/b] Raiha is my favourite Republican. She is also something like a pet echidna; generally pretty benign, but painful if you rub her the wrong way. [b]Member of the Year:[/b] chibi-master It's so hard to choose just one person for this, but I really have to go with chibi. She's such a great example of a new member coming in and enriching our little community. I know I'm very happy she chose to stick around. :catgirl: [b]Male Member of the Year:[/b] Shinmaru Again, a tough one...and I had a few people in mind for this. I really think I have to nominate Shin because of his consistently awesome updates at theO. It helps that he's a genuinely nice guy as well. [b]Female Member of the Year:[/b] Sara I'm nominating Sara especially because of her fantastic threads in The Lounge over 2009. She just kept coming up with unique thread ideas, which is quite a feat - it's hard to make threads that haven't been done before in some way. [b]Staff Member of the Year:[/b] Petie This one wasn't tough. All our staff work very hard, but I don't think most people actually know how much Petie does behind the scenes. He's been working on a major new site and he has provided a seemingly endless supply of updates and support over the last year. We definitely owe much to Petie and I really want to recognise him for being a quiet achiever. :catgirl: [b]Storyteller of the Year:[/b] Ace Ace O'Turney has almost become as legendary as OtakuBot. For me, that's saying a lot. [b]RPG of the Year:[/b] The Almagest Expedition How could I note vote for this? Apart from the fact that I've enjoyed posting in it, I've also really enjoyed [i]reading[/i] everyone else's work. It's just a beautifully-crafted RPG with vivid characters and an incredibly detailed world. The way it dovetails with The Almagest Legacy (its predecessor) also makes it worthy of note. [b]Thread of the Year:[/b] The Padded Room Party It's hard not to vote for this one. It's almost swallowed OB whole.[/font]

[quote name='Boo'][font=lucida fax]I am afraid to start watching the Thief & the Cobbler, out of fear that it might be less freaking almightily awesome than I remember it to be.[/FONt][/QUOTE] [font=franklin gothic medium]If you do watch it, you'll have to let us know if it's still awesome. I have pretty fond memories of it from my childhood, but I almost need someone to test the waters after my TMNT experience. (Speaking of TMNT though, watching the old live action film actually underscored how solid the newer CGI movie was - if you think the new one is lame, just go back and compare it to the old ones!)[/font]

[center][img]http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/3970/dreamcastthread.jpg[/img][/center] [font=franklin gothic medium]After seeing just how many Dreamcast fans are still around on OB, I thought I'd [i]finally[/i] start this thread. I figure this would be a good place to discuss all things Dreamcast, but it might also be a good place to discuss imports and things like that. Dreamcast is recognised as being pretty much the ultimate hardcore console. It's gained that reputation over the years, but I really think it lives up to that. And if you're unfamiliar with the console - or if you just never owned one - there's never been a better time to buy. Given how cheap they are now and the fact that there are still plenty of games and accessories available, you have plenty of choices. It's hard to describe exactly why Dreamcast is so loved among gaming enthusiasts, but I think there are a few obvious examples that make it clearer. For one thing, the period between 1999 and 2001 was possibly SEGA's most creative period. Games like Jet Set Radio, Space Channel 5, Seaman, Shenmue and even the still-rare Segagaga were all born in that period. SEGA also pioneered in a number of fields, including online gaming (by being the first company to introduce an in-built modem in a mainstream platform release) and voice recognition software (Seaman was entirely voice controlled). Unfortunately the Dreamcast died a premature death and there are a number of reasons behind that (I won't go into 'em right now though). Still, we can look back and enjoy the Dreamcast for what it was - especially now that it's in its tenth year of life (er, well...second life, maybe). Dreamcast's uniqueness was not only exhibited in its brilliant games, but even in its marketing. In Japan, for example, many of the TV commercials actually featured the company's president Hidekazu Yukawa, also known as "Mr. SEGA" (at one point you could even purchase a bobble-head figure of him). Here are a couple of Japanese Dreamcast ads, which kind of show why Mr. Yukawa developed such a cult of personality (and just look at how personally Mr. Yukawa takes criticism from a school kid about Dreamcast being out of stock): [center][youtube]IaRWBBIPFfA[/youtube][/center] I actually don't have many Dreamcast games, probably by virtue of the fact that the console wasn't well-supported here in Australia. At the moment I only have Jet Set Radio, Sonic Adventure, Sonic Adventure 2, Shenmue and Shenmue 2. I've only just bought Shenmue 2, which I imported from the UK. I posted a bit about that at [url="http://www.theotaku.com/worlds/otakuboards"]OB World[/url], but when I finish it I might actually attempt to post a longer article just about Shenmue. Anyway, I'm now in the process of setting up a room just for retro gaming stuff and Dreamcast comes first. I've just ordered a [b]DC-X[/b], which is basically just a disc that allows you to play all-region software. I've also ordered a "new" copy of Daytona USA 2001 from Japan. Other than that, there are a ton of games I want to get. I thought this thread would also be a great place to post recommendations (and maybe even reviews?)[/font]

[quote name='Sara'][font=helvetica]Whatever you do, don't rewatch [i]The Neverending Story[/i].[/font][/QUOTE] [font=franklin gothic medium]Funny you mention that. I saw a bit of it on TV a few weeks ago. And yet, somehow, it didn't shatter my illusions as much as Ninja Turtles 2 did. Maybe that's because it's not filled with cringe-inducing 80's jokes? I suspect these jokes were bad even in the 80's, though. :smirk:[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I had an experience this weekend, which I wouldn't wish on anybody. It shattered my illusions and crushed my long-held beliefs... To explain how this came about, I need to go back to mid-last week. I was in Coles (a big supermarket chain here) and I stumbled across the cheap DVD section. Usually this section seems to hold nothing but lame movies from the 90's that were never popular to begin with (for the bargain price of $8). But then I saw something that made my heart skip a beat: [center][img]http://airtimes.webs.com/2cr3kle.jpg[/img][/center] "Ninja Turtles 2? Oh yeah, I remember this!" I exclaimed with glee. "And for only 8 bucks? Why not!" *sigh* When I was a kid, Ninja Turtles was everything. It was a religion. I watched the cartoon series religiously and going to the movies to see the live-action versions was something akin to a pilgrimage to Mecca. Having not seen these movies in years, I sort of expected them to be a bit goofier, but I really wasn't prepared for how much Ninja Turtles 2 actually annoyed me when I tried to watch it on the weekend. It annoyed me so much, actually, that I turned it off after 15 minutes or so. It wasn't like, say, Ghostbusters, which I could easily watch again and again (and where the conspicuous signs of its era are actually charming and humorous rather than outright annoying). Have you ever gone back and watched a movie or played a game or [insert childhood hobby here] and found that your nostalgia was completely shattered? I'd love to read some other nostalgia-busters! :catgirl:[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Another book I've read recently is Christopher Hitchens' [b]God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything[/b]. Hitchens is a far more aggressive and colourful critic of religion than, say, Richard Dawkins, but he's also really attacking a slightly different point. Although he argues against a personal God, the primary basis of his book really revolves around the question "Is the world better off [i]with[/i] religion?" Whereas Dawkins isn't quite so much interested in religion itself, but more the central question of both a personal God and the fallacy of creationism (or "intelligent design"). Apart from the fact that Hitchins' book also betrays my own general thoughts about the subject (which have actually changed somewhat over the last few years), I'm also finding that I really enjoy much of Hitchins' writing. I also regularly read columns by Greg Sheridan of The Australian, who is easily one of Australia's foremost experts on foreign relations (and his writing is enjoyable to read too, thanks to his fantastic command of English). Since this thread doesn't seem to specify works of fiction, I might as well ask, what non-fiction writers do you guys read regularly (if any)? I also love reading David Attenborough's writing, although I've only ever read one of his books. His books are actually just as good as his brilliant television documentaries.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I'd love to play this, but I got the dreaded Red Ring of Death (finally). So my Xbox is collecting dust while I focus on my PS3 instead. Bah.[/font]

[quote name='Allamorph'][FONT=Calibri] The thing about Tolkien is that he will tell you everything at all so long as there is nothing else going on, and in a setting where the characters are journeying across a large distance mostly on foot, there's not much else to do besides look at the scenery. Problem with that is that, pretty as the scenery may be, it's mostly good for looking idly out the window from a moving car, and maybe the odd irrelevant conversation that doesn't even develop a character, so naught else to do really. In fact, that's what got me about the first time I read it. But I was about thirteen, then, and boy was it boring. Now is a different story, of course, because I can manage the slog (spend most of that time watching technique), and I enjoy the trilogy a lot more. I do recommend starting with [U]The Hobbit[/U] for anyone, really, because it's a lot softer introduction to the writing style of a professor of literature. And I will recommend [U]The Silmarillion[/U] only to huge history buffs. [I]That[/I] was a heck of a slog. :animestun[/FONT][/QUOTE] [font=franklin gothic medium]Yep, bingo...you described the problem precisely. I was always waiting for these moments of activity that, when they happened, were actually quite enjoyable. It's interesting that you mention The Hobbit. I've asked a few people about it and they've all told me that they found The Hobbit to be even more convoluted and dry than Fellowship of the Ring. I don't remember their reasoning now, but it's good to see a different perspective.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I think the only book I've been tempted to throw at the wall was [b]Fellowship of the Ring[/b]. I did attempt to read it, but it was just too muddy to wade through. What is disappointing for me is that there are moments of life where the wording is beautiful and where you become completely engrossed. In between "events", however, the novel seems to spiral into nothing but overly-florid descriptions of landscape. Sometimes I felt that Tolkein was so carefully creating this briliant universe that he regularly got carried away with that goal, rather than the need to maintain some kind of consistent pacing that will keep the reader interested. I did want to continue reading because the novel really had some fantastic moments, but I didn't want to keep having that feeling of needing to skip pages to get to the good stuff, so to speak.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Thanks for the recommendations, guys. Much appreciated. I'll definitely check out Lord of the Flies now. It's sad to hear about The Lost Symbol, even though I'm already getting the feeling that it's more fomulaic than its predecssors. The main reason I've enjoyed it is because of the secrets of Washington D.C. (which was made more fun by the fact that I got to actually visit D.C. while reading the book!)[/font]

[quote name='Desbreko'][color=#4B0082]I sent you a PM about how to change the link styles. Did you not get it?[/color][/QUOTE] [font=franklin gothic medium]Oh yes, I just saw it - I didn't get the pop-up. Thanks Des. [/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Actually I always sort of found Ryo to be a bit dim. Admittedly most of the game involves asking questions of random strangers...but somehow it's still oddly satisfying. Shenmue seems to cater to a paticular taste though. I definitely wouldn't recommend attempting Shenmue 2 without playing the original, as well.[/font]

[quote name='Desbreko'][color=#4B0082]I worked a little CSS magic to make link styles in posts editable without affecting the rest of the site. You can see the results with the Caramelldansen skin. The other skins haven't been changed yet since I don't know what James wants to use for them.[/color][/QUOTE] [font=franklin gothic medium]Oh, does that mean I can now change them in the styles options? Or is this going to be a manual process for other skins?[/font] :catgirl:

[font=franklin gothic medium]Sometimes it's great to back to the older consoles and play games in their original format. Some games I definitely would rather play as downloadables (games like Rez are definitely better in HD). But sometimes I just want to play the original product. At the moment I've just got the Dreamcast and GameCube set up, but I'm looking to eventually buy one of those all-region Saturns I mentioned. And maybe, just maybe, I'll chase down Panzer Dragoon Saga, which was never released in Australia.[/font]

[quote name='Desbreko'][color=#4B0082]I would recommend hunting down the GCN version of Skies of Arcadia rather than the Dreamcast version. From what I've heard, the Dreamcast version has OVER 9000 random battles. The GCN version got rebalanced to have less frequent battles and it still had quite a lot.[/color][/QUOTE] [font=franklin gothic medium]Oh, I had no idea about this. I was thinking of grabbing Skies of Arcadia as well, so that sounds like a better option. For that matter, if anybody wants Shenmue 2, you probably are better off with the Xbox version. Apparently it's a bit smoother and runs a bit faster, with less pop-up. I also think you start with more items in your inventory (whereas the DC version relies on your old Shemue save game for this). I don't have an original Xbox though, so I just imported the DC version from the UK. Even the prices for that are still pretty decent I think, given its rarity.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]If you visit OB World, I've just made a post along these lines. I really want to get some anime and gaming blogging happening over there. Dreamcast had a ton of great games, but some are pretty hard to find these days (I guess it's a bit like Saturn in that respect). I think I'll go ahead and create that DC thread, unless someone else gets to it first. :catgirl:[/font]

[quote name='Sangome'][FONT="Microsoft Sans Serif"][SIZE="1"]I never owned a Dreamcast, sadly. D: I want one, though. However, I do have fond memories of playing the snot out of the Sonic Adventure demo at Sam's Club. / You know what I REALLY want, though? A Sega Saturn. Why? [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nights_into_Dreams..."][U]This[/U][/URL]. I've played the Wii sequel with ample knowledge of the first game, but I still wanna play this sooo bad. [Why it's not on the Virtual Console, or even as WiiWare, I have no clue.][/FONT][/SIZE][/QUOTE] [font=franklin gothic medium]How awesome! You really should get a Dreamcast if you can; it's well worth the investment. There's actually a growing Dreamcast scene out there now (the system has really never died in the eyes of fans). I have a Saturn lying around somewhere, but I want to get another one. You can buy - relatively cheaply - Japanese Saturns with multi-region switches. I highly, highly recommend Nights. It's still one of my favourite Saturn games and it's still just as fun as it used to be. I actually own Christmas Nights, which is even weirder. o_O (We really need an official Dreamcast thread in the Arcade, I think. I didn't know we had so many eager Dreamcasters on OB ~_^)[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I'm going through a Dreamcast rennaissance at the moment. I'm thinking of actually posting about it at OB World (it'd be nice to actually post stuff that isn't just about specific threads, too).[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I've just finished reading [b]God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything[/b] by Christopher Hitchens. Fascinating book, although a bit too dry at times. I'm still in the middle of [b]The Lost Symbol[/b] by Dan Brown, too. It's not bad, but very formulaic - almost moreso than the previous two novels in the series. Lately I have been thinking of reading [b]Lord of the Flies[/b]. It's one classic novel that I've never read. Has anyone here read this one and if so, what did you think of it?[/font]