Semjaza

It's amazing reading all these reviews of this game in professional magazines... They complain about the gameplay and how badly it's set up, but then give it an 8.5. Something weird is going on.

I had bought a new HDTV a while back for my room... Mostly for games and movies. However, I could never get the reception right and I couldn't watch my favorite TV shows: Simpsons, Futurama and so on. So basically, other than a few episodes here or there (I'd say max, 3 a week) I have not watched TV shows. And the funny thing is, I don't miss them at all.

Wait... They want better medical insurance, so how is that [i]bad[/i]? That's just how these things work, and unless I hear that they have great insurance and are just greedy, I bet they're in the right. I think you guys can survive without soda for a couple months (which is probably the max this would take if they actually go into a full on strike, which I doubt).

Sonic Heroes is the next Sonic game, it's mentioned in my E3 thread. It's for all the major systems: GC, PS2 and Xbox. Looks like another Sonic Adventure style game... but the levels seem a bit more like the Genesis Sonic games' look. Instead of just controlling one character at a time, you control 3 at once. They all run together and you can switch characters at the touch of a button to take care of certain tasks that might require them. Tails can fly and carry the other two... Sonic is the fastest and has some wind attack and Knuckles can glide, climb and throw things/characters. I believe there will be 14 levels when it's all done. I can't find any shots I can direct link.

I think she is referring more to games with job systems almost... So I'll just list those. Technically there are classes in most any of them, for example Strago is a Blue Mage in FF6. I don't know all the classes for all of them though. So I'll just list what I know. This is way too big of a question I think. There are like 25 parts to it once you list every job. FF1 - Monk/Blackbelt, Fighter, Thief, Black Mage, White Mage, Red Mage FF3 - Onionkid and like a bunch of others. FF5 - Lots of others FF Tactics - Even more FFX-2.

Alright, I'll listen to you. I'm surprised you read that post way up there :p He seems more like a [i]dork[/i] than a dork (which is a different thing!), but perhaps I'm wrong lol. I've honestly not seen him sing alone... The thing on TV was about Kimberly, and they only showed her and Ruben sing. Clay sung with them at the same time, so I couldn't really hear him.

I don't get calling something jpegitized... lol. If you do a raw JPG at 100% quality, you won't get that problem at all. You can get that blocky color problem from any format really, it's known as artifacting. And it's a pretty nice. The colors are well done. The only thing that kind of brings it down is that the circles on the characters are slightly off, but I assume you did the original drawing by hand... so it's easily excusable. Nice job.

It doesn't concern me. When I die, I die. Not a long life at this point, but I have no real regrets. So, likewise, I very rarely think what comes afterwards. Enjoy what you've got and worry about that crap if and when you wind up going wherever the hell it might be when you die. One thing at a time.

I've never really understood while people post that anyway. They always follow a comment like that with "I don't care about it though" or something to that extent. Even in the thread about your friend. If you don't care, why the hell do you post? Especially something so needlessly negative? I have a lot more I could say about that sort of stuff, but I'll keep it to myself lol.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by GinnyLyn [/i] [B]Personally, I feel SquareEnix should have set this FF apart from the rest, as in, not one of the numbered FFs. The question is, where will FFXi be in 5 years? It took me just that long to get ahold of FF7 (late RPG bloomer, heh), and that was for the PC. Do you really think the server (or whatever they call it) for this game will still be around? [/B][/QUOTE] Before Square merged with Enix, Square said something about closing the servers down in like 2004 or something like that I believe. This was long before it was announced for US release, or even before the game was making a profit... so things may have changed.

FF4 was FF2 here, and no, there was no profanity in it. Nintendo wouldn't allow it back at that time. The PSX version has a new translation, which is why there might be some on there now. Nintendo used to be huge on the censorship, but ironically they are probably the most lax about it now. Companies have the most problem with Sony currently with actual censorship (despite it having more M rated games). I've been playing games since I was a very small kid. I've grown up with these things, and while games have gotten more graphic... I don't know that most are really any more violent. Saying that Doom (god, that's out of date... but everyone names that in violent game suits and such lol) makes me want to shoot people is the equivalent of saying playing Super Mario Bros. makes me want to jump on animals, eat bizarre mushrooms and jump off cliffs. It's nonsensical. A lot of older people just do not understand games. Instead of thinking, oh this kid had problems in his life with family and friends... they see these violent games and explicit lyrics CDs and blame them instead. It's an easy scapegoat. Especially games, because they have very little backup in congress unlike the music and gun industries. As for the banning... Why should kids under that age be able to buy them? Technically, stores are supposed to card you for M rated games anyway. It's no different than R rated movies. Just because places don't bother to do it doesn't mean they aren't supposed to. Anyway, I have met very few small kids who just walked into a store and bought a violent game. Generally, guess who is actual buying it? The parents. If they can't see the huge wanrning on the box, or the fact that most violent games are rather obvious from the boxart (hell, how can something called Grand Theft Auto not be violent?), that's their problem. In fact, most stores have ESRB explanations all over the game cases now even. I still think it's in the parents hands. If they don't know enough about their kids to know they are playing these games that they consider so horrible, then I don't think they are good parents. I remember a lady saying she bought Conker's Bad Fur Day for her 12 year old kid not knowing how bad it was. Hello? It has an M rating, the squirrel is drinking beer on the cover and there are at least two other labels on it saying it's for 17 and older only. Yet she still can't figure that out? I just think the parents don't care until they realize they can get something out of complaining about it. So, while I support not selling them to a random 12 year old or something... I think this should be the parent's problem and not the store's.

I don't know about any of these... Fire: People don't seem good at reading me on a deep level, but I'm hardly quick tempered or a remotely good leader... mostly because I can't even get myself in gear to do things that would simply benefit me. Air: I don't think I'm ditzy or carefree, although in some instances there are things that really don't concern me that it seems others think about all the time... such as dying or love or marriage. Earth: Perhpas the quiet, intelligent, and observant part is true. However, I don't feel I'm a follower. I stand up against people I don't agree with all the time. Water: I don't make myself fit to everything. I don't care to do people's "challenges." I tend to be there for people when they need me, but other than that... no. I compromise all the time. "Water" is a bit too extreme in this description for me to agree with it. Ether (stars, heavens): I don't know. Maybe. I tend to shut up until I have something pretty heavy to say about someone. At the same time, I'm hardly like this even a majority of the time. Depends on the person. Some deserve it, and you have to wait for the proper time to strike. Cold and calculated I suppose. --------- So no, I really don't think I am any of these things. Maybe small parts of each, but that's about it.

GBA's best game is Advance Wars and there is no arguing that allowed. There are quite a few others I'd say to get as well, so I'll just edit them in here later.

The directing is not what were used to, simply because that style is generally regulated to amateurish films where the director isn't really thinking about that sort of stuff. There are very few effective camera angles in any of his films, and I don't think something stationary makes anything feel more realistic... especially given the subject matter. If others think it works, that's cool... but I've watched too many movies to for me to believe that it's effective lol.

I thought this was going to be about pop songs people like for some reason or another when they normally loathe that style of music. Guess not heh. I have no problem with sex in songs. Sure it sells, but many bands are able to convey it in ways I wouldn't imagine. I always find it interesting when a song is deceptive in the sense you described... although generally it's not a dirty song with cheerful music... it's more like a song with metaphors and well placed lyrics that make the song seem like it's about something else if you don't really pay attention. A good example of that is The Toadies. There are songs that make it seem like the guy truly loves the girl in them, but if you listen close enough... they are incredibly morbid and almost satirical. It's just really well done. Possum Kingdom and I Will Be with Her Tonight are good examples. They both come off as general love songs, but pretty much involve something pretty violent. A lot different from your example though... plus they weren't a pop band. I guess with pop bands, there is a reason for this deception. Firstly, sex does sell. Secondly, if it sounds cheery perhaps the parents of the kids buying this stuff won't realize what it's truly about. I think the second one is the most likely reason honestly.

My first high school closed Junior year, so I lost touch with most of them. My second high school was more or less a blow off for me, and it was full of some really uptight white proper kids... never really went so well. I'm a lot more of a freak in real life than I'm able to convey on here thanks to my typing/writing style. Anyway, I wound up graduating in 2000. There are friends you keep, friends you don't. I think for the most part, you'll start to realize that a good deal of high school friends weren't worth the time anyway. It seems to happen to a good deal of people I know somewhere along the line. Just keep the good ones and you'll be good I guess. As for graduation, I was just glad to get it over with. I somehow managed to graduate with National Honors Society and some other awards... so it wasn't that bad I guess. It was in a massive church downtown too, which was nice. Beats the gym at my old school (both were Catholic). So yeah, congratulations to those graduating this year. I should have had my Associates by now, but I'm a slacker heh. Soon enough :D

I don't see what there is to hold back, mod or otherwise. The main complaints I've seen against Clay in here are all based on his being "gay" based on some moronic perception about how gay guys should act. How could that opinion possibly be defended in any intelligent manner?

I've done this before, but what the hell. I hope people realize there is more outside of pop punk lol. I'm surprised how many here listen to it, not that that's a bad thing. Anyway... [b]Pixies[/b] - Simply the best band ever. I understand many people not liking most of their songs, but there are several that I feel anyone could really like. It's a shame that so few have heard of them now, when recent Top 100 lists in music magazines have had their CDs as high as #2. [b]Nine Inch Nails[/b] - Been a favorite of mine for years, and I'm still surprised how many people don't seem to know much of his/their work. There's better stuff out there than the singles. Wish they had something new already. [b]Marilyn Manson[/b] - If you can get past the stereotypes and image, you could see that this is a very solid rock band. Mechanical Animals is one of the top few CDs ever recorded in my opinion. [b]Tea Party[/b] - Just simply excellent in every facet. Amazing vocals and instruments, especially some of the drum pieces. The fact that they can go from blues to something more industrial-influenced at the drop of a hat and still feel like the same band is amazing. [b]Millencolin[/b] - Just a fun band to listen to. Most of the songs aren't incredibly deep, but they are very fast and well written. I recommend this to anyone here who listens to stuff like Mest and Good Charlotte and whatever else... because this is a punk band anyone could and should enjoy, regardless of the stupid "this is punk, this is not" mentality. [b]Apocalypse Hoboken[/b] - Favorite punk band ever. Not many people I show them to wind up liking them, but they still have a rather rabid fanbase considering. Microstars is one of the best CDs I've heard in several years, once you get into. Best described as snotty punk when they came out, they kind of shifted gears into more of a fusion-style band... mixed quite a few things together for their own sound. [b]Cibo Matto[/b] - Really, only released two LPs... but thankfully there are side projects such as Butter08 to help it out. I love both CDs, but if you don't like Viva! La Woman, be sure to check out Stereo Type A. It's much, much different and a really great disc. [b]Scarling/Jack Off Jill[/b] - Jack Off Jill broke up. The singer, Jessicka, is now the vocalist of Scarling... a somewhat simliar band, but a bit more dark I'd say. I actually prefer Scarling at this point, and I've only heard 4 songs heh. Jack Off Jill itself is a pretty straight forward metal band music-wise... but the vocals and lyrics stand apart. [b]Deadsy[/b] - A band I've been following for about 5 years. They finally got their CD released by Elementree last year. Some of it is pretty weak, ESPECIALLY the single The Key to Grammercy Park. It feels like they were forced to sound somewhat poppy in it and it has no appeal to me or any Deadsy fan I know. Most of the disc otherwise is really interesting, and has some incredibly good lyrical content. [b]The Pillows[/b] - I can't find much information on them in English, but I bought the CD anyway... based on a few songs I had heard. It cost me nearly $30, but definately worth it. They seem to have mostly Korean fans online, but are apparently a Japanese band. I really, really like these guys. The songs are upbeat and just nice to listen to. Somewhat like the Pixies, without the weirdness. They did a lot of songs for FLCL, for those of you who have seen it. [b]Flaming Lips[/b] - We had a thread here a while back. Just good, interesting music. Yoshimi is a great CD, but is still topped by The Soft Bulletin I'd say (which I think was the disc right before Yoshimi). Old Flaming Lips is substantially different from the new, somewhat Radiohead influenced stuff... so it's worth getting a mix. [b]Bad Religion[/b] - Been around seemingly forever, and still one of the best bands of its type I think. Even the weaker discs have some incredibly good songs on it, and The Process of Belief (which marked the return of a member... who was responsible for a good deal of the lyrics before heh) was a step in the right direction compared to the last few LPs, even if it was a bit more pop-tinged. Just a great overall band with a lot of energy. [b]Curve[/b] - If you even somewhat like Garbage, you will most likely like this band. Curve is the band that Garbage basically ripped its sound off of and popified (Butch Vig was friends with Curve before Shirley Manson was even known... not a coincidence in my opinion). They've really developed over the years, and the most recent disc is a bit more Garbage-styled than the others but still is excellent. Toni Halliday has some of the best vocals out there right now. [b]Queens of the Stone Age[/b] - In my opinion, the best straight out hard rock band there is right now. Rated R was pretty weird and hard to get into at times... but Songs for the Deaf is just incredible, and I can only think of one song on it that I feel isn't worth listening to. The video for Go with the Flow makes it even better heh. [b]Down[/b] - A really solid metal band composed of Pantera members and a couple other guys. Feels like a cross between Pantera and Black Sabbath, and definately worth the time if you're into that sort of sound. There's only two discs by them, but they shouldn't be hard to find. [b]Van Halen[/b] - I'm not really into the Sammy Hagar stuff, or whoever the last guy was... but David Lee Roth was amazing. I love that guy to this day. Their first album, Van Halen I, is just a freaking excellent disc that I could listen to for hours on end. So many great songs when he was the vocalist, and he really put this energy and excitement into it that few can compete with. [b]David Bowie[/b] - To me, this guy is the god of rock. He influenced so many other bands that I'm sure they don't even realize it at this point. So many just beautiful, solid rock songs... all of which tell a great story. He's still putting out some really great CDs even today. Pretty much my main idol, if I had to pick someone I looked up to lol. [b]The Doors[/b] - Until I got heavier into Bowie, The Doors was always my favorite classic rock band. It figures they had to go away before my time, although they are touring now as The 21st Century Doors (with only two original members, and the vocalist from the Clash). I've heard good things though. Anyway, Morrison is another one of the people I look up to. The writing is just amazing, poetry and otherwise... and any song I don't really like on a studio LP simply rocks in any live recording (Five to One is a great example). Crystal Ship is probably my favorite song of theirs. [b]The Cure[/b] - Another great rock band... Always been a pretty big force, but somehow still remaining somewhat underground in a sense (although they obviously had some big hits). Bloodflowers is their best CD I think, and it's definately worth a purchase. I'm really glad I took a chance on that one. I only wish all Cure albums were as emotional as Bloodflowers. [b]Modest Mouse[/b] - Great band. A strange style, but some excellent songs. I particularly like The Moon and Antarctica, but all their CDs are great. [b]Sonic Youth[/b] - Anyone that doesn't listen to this band is crazy and is really missing out. I'm sure most people have heard of them, but they are another huge influence few think about. [b]The Toadies[/b] - Another great rock band. They got big mostly thanks to Possum Kingdom, a b-side for their single. Had a few popular songs, and then disappeared... only to come back with another CD years later. Of course, the label screwed around and the band wound up breaking up. I'll miss these guys. Favorite song of theirs is I Will Be with Her Tonight. Other bands I like but don't feel like writing about... Ramones, Beck, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Nirvana, Sigur Rós, godhead, 12 Rounds, The The, The Music, The Datsuns, The Breeders, Opeth, Rammstein, Handsome Boy Modeling School, Deathcab for Cutie, Weathermen, Watchmen, Matthew Good, Radiohead, Massive Self Indulgence, Telefon Tel Aviv, KMFDM, Massive Attack, Dog Fashion Disco, Mr. Bungle, Faith No More, Fantomas, System of a Down, Ozma, No Use for a Name (although they have a LOT of wreak tracks), tweaker, Mars Volta, Freezepop, And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead, Our Lady Piece, Filter, G-Love and Special Sauce, Cardigans, Calexico and At the Drive-In.

I used to drink tons and tons of soda (we call it pop here, but I'm used to soda now). I wanted to cut it out of my diet because I felt like I was sick all the time. I stopped, and I can't even go back to most of it... but the ones that seem to make me feel bad are the caffeinated ones. So I've mostly cut those out of my diet in particular. I do like this mocha java blast thing at this one ice cream place though... And sometimes mocha and such at coffee places. So I still drink it. Not much of an addiction though heh.

I think the complaint is that you (or whoever) are judging it based on what you think it [i]should[/i] look like rather than what it [i]is[/i].

I refuse to give a number to an image, or anything a person creates. I've never done it here, that's for sure. These numbers are picked from the air for really no reason. I can understand making something a 9 or a 10, but the decimal point stuff is ridiculous. What makes something a 9.7 and not a 9.8? And really, why are so many things stuck in the 9s here anyway? I get the sense that people don't want to hurt others feelings, but I think it's best to be honest with art. For me, I try to say what I like and what I don't. Not "BWEEE that's cool 10/10!!" or "I don't get it." You have to give constructive criticism, because otherwise, what the hell is the point? That's what I think anyway, and it's why I like reading Piro's posts in here in particular. At the same time, I realize that I tend to write more than others here... and people tend to either ignore or gloss over my suggestions anyway. So in short, my point is that these numbers have no meaning behind them and I don't like giving or receiving them. By the way I love the title of this thread and the poll choices. Very nice :)

Ginny, did you manage to fully restore Jurak's area? You get a special weapon if you do, so it's worth the time. I thought the most interesting thing about the story [spoiler] was the fact that no one in the first city had ever even [i]seen[/i] the outside of it.[/spoiler] (Not so bad, but I'll black it out anyway).

I don't think it matters that either of the series have sucked for years. What matters is the question that's as old as both of these movies will finally be answered. Who would win. The first Nightmare on Elm Street was pretty good for its time I thought, especially on its budget. Wes Craven is a great director I think and from what I know, he had very little to do with most of the following films as it is. The original and New Nightmare were both pretty solid movies. And Friday the 13th was always just more fun and unusual than scary. Jason in Space was fun to watch I thought. People go in expecting something sophisticated or some thing I guess. That's never going to happen. Even the people involved in making these films treat them as a joke at this point. I think teaming them up is pretty interesting. For one, Freddy's power is pretty cool... and from what I understand Freddy will be going inside of Jason's dreams, which I imagine will be very messed up heh. Assuming that's true. Anyway, definately won't win any awards, but I think it will be fun. Especially because the film seems to play on the fact that no one thinks Freddy or Jason are scary anymore. Anyway, I'll wait for the DVD.

[IMG]http://www.starspangledicecream.com/images/iraqi.gif[/IMG] Freedom Fries was only a big deal because it was some congressman's idea (or something). This is just some random idiots trying to cash in... nothing new. It's just like those Iraqi playing cards.

Some company in Japan announced this a while back... except they were making some sort of adapter that accepted Smart Media cards (or some other type) with cartoons and shows on it. I guess over here they decided to make them on cartridges, which I think is a good decision. I think Funimation is doing this (I think they own all the rights to those shows here right?), so there should be a good push behind it. I'm not personally interested, but it's a nice idea... especially for people who love the shows and want to see them on the road. Seems like it would be best suited for GBA SP though lol.