A Love Letter- Super Mario Odyssey- Review

  Wow, what can I say. I don't often agree with unanimous  praise, but every now and again, it is warranted. I've also been a Super Mario fan since childhood, and the series has never once disappointed. I believe both Super Mario Bros 3 and Super Mario World, deserve their GOAT stamps. I played very little of the Galaxy series on the Wii, but I do recall that it was an unsung great series. When I heard they were releasing Mario Odyssey for the Nintendo Switch, I was salivating, and to be honest, that is partially what sold me on the system. I still can't believe the quality of a handheld that Nintendo has produced. I commend them for their effort. It's almost contradictory, but very uncharacteristic of them historically. In fact, growing up a Nintendo handheld fanboy, I grew to resent the way they shut competition down without ever raising their own standards- just using their name.

  In fact, if you go online, and look at the sales figures, the Nintendo DS is second behind only the Playstation 2 in global sales. That is absolutely ridiculous. And all the console did was under perform, and release a one-sided library, including horribly watered down knock-off ports of console games. That still blows my mind. Anyway, they have turned over a new leaf as a company. I still support the fact that the Playstation Vita is a legendary handheld that is console quality and well supported by the Indie community. And for all the tech heads that dispute that, I have one simple fact for you to analyze- Why would PS2, PS3, and PS4 take direct ports from the PSP and Vita to release as full fledged titles, if they were incomplete and not console worthy on the handheld? Enough said. However, the Switch is truly breaking ground with the scope of things that it can do. It even has an HD rumble feature built into the game pad itself.

  In the preview videos, Mario was shown running through what looks like New York City, and everyone was completely stoked about the release. One of the main new features is the ability to take control of certain enemies using a special hat accomplice that Mario meets in his adventures. Aside from that, the mechanics from Super Mario 64 have been brought back. Every move besides Mario's punches and kicks, is back here again. The swim mechanics have been changed however, and now Mario just falls in order to dive, and cannot swim as long. I guess his conditioning is failing in his old age. There is still the ability to take control of a fish enemy, however, to swim indefinitely during water levels.

  In this game, Bowser has kidnapped Peach yet again, and this time, aims to marry her, with the assistance of a Bridal crew, that help him acquire items from various worlds for the wedding, such as a cake, a soup, and flowers. With the help of his new friend, who's sweetheart has also been kidnapped, Mario chases Bowser across all of these worlds, trying to stop him. You face various bosses and challenging enemies, in beautiful, and lush worlds. Each world has several levels and areas, that become available as you complete major missions. The maps themselves are quite big, which was very refreshing. It's as if each world you travel to, is it's own huge sandbox game.

  There are puzzles to solve at various points, and bosses to fight, to collect power moons, which are used to power Mario's ship in his pursuit of Bowser and Peach. One thing I have to get out of the way right now, was the criticism I heard about the game, despite its perfect 10's across the board. Most people keep saying that the game's one flaw, albeit forgivable, is that it is too easy. I was relieved to find that they are completely wrong. Whether they are trolls or just autistic, that accusation is way off base. The game's difficulty is perfectly fine, and even has harder levels upon completion. In fact, the game got downright frustrating at times. It's way harder than Super Mario Sunshine, and that game was decent difficulty-wise. They criticized this along with a supposed lack of platforming in the game being the culprit. That is also completely wrong. You will be using the transformation ability often, and you will have many huge structures to platform across. I totally don't understand that criticism, because it isn't even remotely right, so it feels like trolling to be honest. But these same reviewers gave the game a perfect score.

  I really enjoyed how musical the game got. The soundtrack is amazing, but moreso, they really paid tribute to classic Mario games in so many ways during the levels, especially the later levels. I heard about surprises later in the game, and at the end, and let me tell you, they are just as amazing as they are said to be. Between the last level/scene's music driven gameplay, and action, and the way it all came together, I was actually fighting back tears at the very end, just for how gorgeous it was, and how special of a game it is. It pays tribute to the series in a way that feels like a perfectly written love letter. And just like Ratchet and Clank on PS4 was a grand tour with more to offer, so does Super Mario Odyssey offer tons more gameplay after you are done with the main story. I will definitely be playing this game indefinitely.  During the credits, the song that plays sounded like a remix of an old Mario tune, but as I kept listening, it sounded like the Monster Hunter theme, and then a Zelda theme mixed in. I'm not sure if I'm hearing things, or it it was a combination. Anyways, perfection.10/10

Capcom, I Salute You!!- Street Fighter V -Review

 Okay, I'm finally ready to write this review, and the timing couldn't be better. This marks the 30th anniversary of the release of Street Fighter. That's right going back to 1987, when I was a toddler, and only watched street fighter curiously over the shoulders of older siblings- the game was born. Pioneers like James Chen, would go on to compete in the very first tournaments in 1990, and still be commentating today. I can understand why he breaks down in tears over the game. It truly is beautiful to see something survive for so long, continuing to evolve, yet keeping the core structure that makes it what it is. And I feel privileged to have been both an active and involved kid, and gamer very early, and consistently over the years to see it all unfold. This is the review of Street Fighter V.

  It wasn't until recently that I discovered that the same man just happened to make what I thought were rival franchises growing up as a kid. Street Fighter is a Capcom game designed by Takashi Nishiyama in 1987. It pitted the player as the lead character Ryu against a horde of opponents in a street fighting tournament, where you made your way to the final boss- Sagat. It was one player mainly, but supported a type of co-op where you played as his friend and rival Ken. It was actually quite deep, and ahead of its time in my opinion. It was the sequel- Street Fighter 2, that most people remembered, which was released in 1991. This was a full fledged fighting game, with a roster of 9 characters. The premise inspired so many games. You toured the world and fought opponents in various countries and with various cultures. I still think that is one of the biggest strengths of the game. Each character depicts their country and culture so well and memorably. And the core gameplay mechanics varied. Yet at the same time, it was very simple, and was the kind of fighter that the casual player could jump into and compete. Personally, that began to turn me off after a couple of years. We used to play the game incessantly at friends' houses and have fun on the weekends, but there wasn't much depth to it in my opinion.

  Around that time in the early 90's SNK had a slew of fighting games that they released, such as the King of Fighter series, which was a yearly release, and Fatal Fury. There were others, such as Samurai Showdown, but the former 2 were the big titles. I had no idea that Nishiyama left Capcom, and was responsible for every last one of those competitors from the rival company SNK. And it makes sense. That game cured every itch that Street Fighter didn't for the savant. It has super combos, EX specials, textbook combos, juggles, etc. And the roster of characters was always huge in King of Fighters. The main thing, was that there was variety in the character mechanics. It wasn't charge or quarter circle all the time. It was also directional inputs for some characters. I admired that, and spent the bulk of my arcade days as a kid playing those games.

  Street Fighter tried to improve it's mechanics with some of the things they did with Turbo, and the Alphas, but to me, they were still a step behind when it came to depth, when compared with what SNK was doing with both movesets, and rosters. I played and owned Alpha 3, but really didn't get back into Street Fighter until 4. Even then, I played just a bit. It was after debate over some time, that I purchased a PS4, and I did so for one game specifically- Street Fighter 5. I remember seeing the trailers, and the tournaments, and I liked the fact that they were refreshing the approach completely. I was very interested, as fighting games seemed to be in a fog. When I purchased it at first and loaded it up, I was blown away by the detail and color palette. Ultra 4 was gorgeous as well, but there is a certain vibrance to 5 that I love. Characters animate well, and the setting seem very alive and interactive.

 It had a tutorial, and it explained the system of fighting, with your standard normals, command grabs, and EX specials on 3 levels. Then you have a V Trigger system, with a V-skill that builds it's meter.  Damage is scaled accordingly for combo streams, but each character has an Ultra, known as a Critical Art that can be executed on full meter, which is often augmented marginally when in V Trigger. This allows for set ups that can lead to triggering into a lengthened combo with a CA at the end for huge damage. Set ups also allow you to chain normals into combos, as well as set up combos with Crush counters, which are fierce and roundhouse counters on whiffs.When I saw the combos possible and how it worked. That peaked my interest. The game received much criticism for its roster and catering to new players, and I understand that. This review is prior to a release of an Arcade edition that everyone is looking forward to. I personally like the roster as it is now. When Balrog, Guile, Ed, and Akuma were released, I felt like the roster became legit. Also, movesets were tweaked to allow for smoother resets and transitions. The key is that the game allows the kind of depth in combat that I always sought, yet still keeps its tradition.

 The music and sound effects are there. It's amazing to see so much attention paid to the history of the game. The story that began with M. Bison using his Shadoloo company to capitalize on the participants of the tournament is right in sync with the canon. Apparently, the story for 5 fits in between 3 and 4, or slightly before 3- I can't recall. It's cool how they take every move into consideration, and it feels as if an old player from the 90's can pick up their character again, and feel like they are playing the exact same game, just with added dimensions. That means a lot to me, and it really adds weight to the universe of the game itself. Many strikes against the game were fixed over time. I would probably slam the vanilla version, but we got many more needed characters, and where there were no single player modes at all, we got a cinematic story mode, to accompany the individual story modes, which tie in cute little details to the mission mode that continuously updates. And importantly, we got survival modes that push the player. That is the heart of fighting games- worth its weight in gold. I can't tell you how many hours I spent playing and enjoying Dead or Alive 3 survival mode. It was the same here, with its own supplement system, similar to King of Fighters. When the environments  and aesthetics are designed well, you will throw most of you time into those modes,  and that's why it's so important to have them.

  I played online for some time, and I don't like how victory points are scaled. I feel as if you can win most of the time and still lose points for losing 1 or 2 critical matches. But where Capcom really brings it home, is in the same place every time. Just like Megaman, and Monster Hunter, Capcom has a way of evolving you as a player through a painful gauntlet of failure and growth, where you emerge on the other side, a completely enlightened player. When I played Monster Hunter, and found that I was completing hunts with relative ease, that I couldn't hope to survive earlier in the game, it became clear that every little mechanic and technique I was taught, was for a distinct reason. The same applies to Street Fighter V. It's like learning martial arts, which I can relate to. That's the beauty of it all. When you go to the dojo, you learn basic moves and set ups and techniques, that seem idle, or bland in the early goings. It isn't until later on, when it is all put together that you see how beautiful it is.

  One example is the most important mode- Survival. As I went through training mode, I  saw how difficult it is to master the timing and  coordination of some of the complex combos and techniques. Then after trying over and over again, you slowly see your muscle memory developing, until you get the move down, and it isn't about getting 1 execution. It's about developing the ability to do it at will. And you see that in the process, the game is developing your ability to transition to moves and maneuver on the battlefield. So when I went to survival, an awkward character, slowly became a weapon. It's a very basic fighting game concept, but SFV executes it so well. I didn't feel right writing the review until I completed my quest of finishing Survival on Hard, which not many can do. In the process, you become a more comfortable player, and I now see, that's what the purpose of the game is. It has been, and always will be, a franchise that welcomes newcomers into the genre of fighting games and makes them grow. And with that, I salute your efforts Capcom! 10/10

Petition for Equilibrium!!!-- The FGC and Nintendo

  Okay! So instead of making meaningless rants with a blog update, I will use this platform, however small, to address what I feel is actually a significant issue in the gaming industry, that I feel needs to be rectified. The thing about it is that it is easy to fix. It's simply a matter of industry developers and major console companies being out of touch with gaming on a deep level.

  This has largely to do with Nintendo's relationship with the FGC- The Fighting Game Community, for the uninitiated. As you may or may not know, I've been an avid supporter of fighting games for a brief while now, but have been involved with the FGC, technically going back to the late 90's. I've been in official and unofficial tournaments on 1 or 2 occasions. However, I never, and still don't consider myself a professional FGC member. I'm not. I do realize how huge the community has become though. And when I look at its evolution, I notice that, aside from the Smash Brother acceptance which took over a decade, Nintendo is still an outcast. And this is partly their fault.

 Whenever I meet gamers in real life, I always ask them what they play and the genres that they prefer. Personally, I love a wide variety. I started with RPG's, and love Action, Adventure, Puzzle, and Fighting Games. As kids, we were raised on Action Arcade games, and fighters. Games like Fighting Force, Nights into Dreams, Tekken, Streets of Rage and Street Fighter were staples in my childhood. I was drawn more to RPG's then and played Final Fantasy 1,2,Mystic Quest, 7, 8, and 9. I played many, many others that I could go on forever on.

 When it came to fighting games, I appreciated them a bit more in my teens and onward, as I realized how deep they could be, along with the interwoven stories, and endless possibilities. One thing that I noticed, is that Nintendo went from the forefront, to out of the picture. If you think back, during the Street Fighter 2 era, Super Nintendo was the head honcho of consoles, and had every relevant fighter back then. It was during the days when more casual people played fighting games. Every console company continued to support that genre but Nintendo after that. From the N64 to the Gamecube, to the Wii etc. there was no attention really paid to mainstream fighters. Yet PS1, Sega Saturn, Neo Geo, all kept feeding that niche. In reality, many people do not play video games. And at the same time, many do. I used to feel that the FGC was small and insignificant, until I actually looked into it. Now, after years of following the enormous following that it has, I can see the value in supporting their passions. Go look up any SF tournament, or even Smash tournament. The crowds are huge. The pot is huge. And these days, the only platforms that seem to be aware, are PC and Playstation.

  The fighting game community, and overall E Sports community, is a totally different culture from the average-hardcore gamer. FGC and competitive E Sport inclined gamers, including myself, enjoy playing all games, like any other game, but like to dive into the mechanics and science of fighters, studying them, and mastering them. We also like fighting games and versus games that facilitate that. These games can include the very foundating games that I mentioned earlier going back to the 90's- Tekken, Street Fighter, King of Fighters, Soul Calibur, and Smash Brothers. The deep fighting systems in current and previous gen games, were designed for competitive play and depth. And when I say competitive, I'm not just talking about tournaments and other people. I meant within the game, and against your own personal best. That's what drives an FGC gamer. That's why it's annoying to us when a fighting game is too easy, and has not survival and training mode options. We love deep back story behind our characters as well, but also to be driven and eternally challenged by the game. The average gamer may be more inclined to pretty aesthetics and just clearing a game, and trophies.


  Street Fighter is a household name and fighting game. Nintendo has had no real involvement with it since the Super Nintendo days. Gamecube did well to support the Capcom vs SNK series, but the issue is the controller. It was not designed for games like that. The Pro controller for the Wii and now Switch, was pushed forward for those who played Smash Brothers Competitively. It was direly needed in order to play effectively. But that is the one title the pushed Nintendo into the FGC arena. It seems that aside from that, they have scampered right back out. Smash is an amazing game. I love it, and still play it online competitively. But other mainstay fighters can be supported. Many FGC members don't even play smash brothers. They might be more inclined if they were more endeared to Nintendo as a whole, but think of how many traditional fighters you see on Nintendo's consoles.... Exactly. None.

  With the Nintendo Switch, a new era has been born. It is Nintendo's next great console and next great handheld all at the same time. That is revolutionary. It also allows for custom controllers since they are wirelessly mapped. They've already opened up use of the Pro Controller. Why not open up lane for fighting games for a change. The support they would gather, would tip the console race in their favor tremendously. There are so many FGC gamers who don't play Nintendo consoles, because they feel like they're childish and don't support hardcore or fighting games. Nintendo's entire marketing campaign was behind the idea that those days are over. Why say that, and then do the exact same things that you've always done? Look, I love Nintendo. As a morally sound person, I personally leaned towards that company for many years because of their standards. It is not going to change Nintendo's identity, to embrace traditional fighting games. And I mean truly embrace. Not just a nod release hear and there. I mean peripheries like a fight pad, and arcade stick support.

   Street Fighter 5 is a Playstation exclusive. It is also raking in huge money for Sony, and is at the center of the competitive fighting game scene right now, along with Marvel vs Capcom Infinite. And you know what else? It sucks in the eyes of many key FGC Pro players. If you follow what's going on behind the scenes, you'd know that many of them have gone back to the superior Ultimate Street Fighter 4 from last generation. That game is not locked to a platform, and is not only respected, but lauded as a traditional fighting game staple. 3DS released a copy of Super Street Fighter 4 at launch. The only thing that held back hardcore gamers who were interested, was the fact that the controls didn't match the game. To play fighting games, you need serious, comfortable, and accurate controls. You need peripheries that care and thought goes into the design of. Nintendo would find that it is more than worth it to put for that effort. Just the release of USF4 today, on a powerful unit like the Switch, which has the capabilities of making good and solid arcade controllers, would skyrocket  its support. So many gamers would gain respect for the console and the company.


   The thing about it is that Nintendo recognizes the truth in everything I just stated, but only partly. You can see the attempts that they are making with the realeases of Syberia, Doom, Skyrim, and Zelda. They want to be relevant to all platforms and groups, but they are leaving the FGC out, and that may no be their intention, but it is a grave mistake. With so little effort, Nintendo could win over so many gamers, who just want legitimate, tight, and challenging, competitive fighting games that they can play and hone their craft on. FGC gamers are honest. If you make a solid fighting arcade stick, fight pad, and traditional fighting game on any console, if it's good, they will acknowledge, support, and compete. All they want is to like it, and play it. They don't play the finnicky games that the casuals do, where then next minute, they loathe what they just finished asking for. FGC gamers are loyal and would support for an indefinite amount of time.

  So in conclusion, I just want it to reach Nintendo's ears, or at least Indie developers, that fighting games have not been given the proper console attention, by Nintendo in over a decade, and it is time for that to change, because it would be easier than ever at this point. If they release fighting game peripherals and Ultra Street Fighter 4 or a Tekken or similar fighter, I guarantee an overnight surge in support, before they even drop Smash Brothers. Remember when Soul Calibur was release on all  major home consoles back in the mid 2000's? Everyone respected the Gamecube at that time, because they were right there with the Cap vs SNK series, and Soul Calibur, which were major franchises in fighting game scene at that time. They didn't even release any other major traditional fighting games beyond that, and it didn't matter, because when it comes to fighting games, a system only has to have 1 or 2 of the major multi-platorm staples to be considered a worthy success. I'm not asking for Nintendo to chase every major fighting franchise. They don't have to. If they release the sticks and pads, and just USF4, they could rest on that and the other 2D fighters they have trickle through the Eshop like Art of Fighting 3 etc. It would  not be seen as a waste.

  At the very least, I hope they work on a major Smash title that raises the bar.

The Age of the Troll!!!

  Yes, it's a term that has come up often and increasingly so in many circles. I don't want to beat a dead horse, as I discussed earlier with a friend, but the purpose of this discussion, is to drag out people who hide behind duplicity, into the light. What is a troll? Well, as it's understood today, it's an individual, who literally lives to get a reaction out of someone or some people by being idiotically negative and contradictory. It is also someone who instigates through actions for self titilation. These are the people who make discussion boards, and interaction with professionals and figure heads, basically impossible. People like Mike Ross, who does video game competition and color commentary, to sports analysts like Shannon Sharpe and Steven A. Smith, would be great for discussion, but are pretty much barred by the trolls from interaction.

  The thing about trolls, is that they are far more numerous than they are given credit for, and many of them hide behind believing that they aren't one. Just to start this off, I will illustrate an example. You see, some trolls can't even explain why they do what they do. They just act off of their idiocy blindly, as if possessed. This particular incident is the reason why I couldn't do an audio podcast of this, as improper statements would pop out. That's the level of disgust I have for them.


 I go to a Gold's Gym in Fishkill, NY. I have been going for a couple of years now. I usually go at night, to avoid crowds and get a good workout. Over the time I've been there, I notice the people who frequent the gym at night. One of them is this red-haired, bearded trucker looking dude (I'm refraining from calling him what he really is). Apparently, he fancies himself a trainer of sorts, as I would see him instructing people from time to time in the corner. In fact, in the video I did recently, as I'm deadlifting, he was to my left. Not only that very day, but whenever he passes me in the gym, he gives me an ice grill, then walks on. I will say that at least he doesn't stare for a long time like some other suspect people. But regardless, I don't know who this person is, and he doesn't know me. The funny thing is that, he pretends to be this mature socialite. From time to time, you will hear him scolding people for taking extended breaks, or getting distracted during workouts. And he will linger at the front desk at times as well, talking to the counter worker.


   I let the ice grills slide, and just give him the benefit of the doubt, and ignore him. However, like I always say, actions reveal, and people do things for a reason, especially when it's constant. This past Tuesday, I went for a late workout, and met up with a couple friends. As I walk in, he's there at the counter talking. I greet the guy to me left, who says hi, and as I swipe my card, I greet the night worker, who is an older lady who is always there. There has been a problem with the steam room at the gym, and I wanted to use it, so I quickly and politely say to her, "I'm sorry, I just had a quick question. Is the steam room running?" Before she can answer, the ginger barks over, "Yeah the steam room is working. Yeah!" He nods sarcastically with a grimace, and I simply say thank you, thinking nothing of it. Then the lady cosigns and says it is working, moreso just agreeing with him. As I go to the locker room, the steam room is still clearly down like it was before. I go back, and bring it to the lady's attention.


   Now, at this point, it's clear that he did what he did as a mere snub. The point is, if you dislike someone, why do you feel the need to interact with them? He likes to fancy himself mature. In what way is what he did noble? And what was the need for it? The thing is that he will act like that, and then flip his behavior the next minute. Explain to everyone your justification in what you did, and in why you seem to despise me to high heaven. You can't! Your just an ignorant troll, addicted to finding cowardice ways at lashing out at those you fear. I miss the days when men were men, and would shoot the 1 D with someone they didn't like, and get it over with. Today, in this creampuff generation, people want to scold and antagonize, but no one has the heart to confront. The thing is that they don't realize how I'm letting them live. Where I'm from, I would have already dropped him at the first ice grill he threw, with no need for confirmation.


  It is very much the age of the troll, because this behavior isn't isolated, it has become glorified and extremely common. I frequently watch a certain program on Youtube, where a young black gamer, who is an aspiring actor, is constantly trolled by viewers, to the extent that they steal his content, and follow him around, even in real life. Back in the day, people like that were flamed by the public and stomped out. Today, they are considered cool, and one of the crowd. What they do is considered a necessity. What I'm asking contributors to do, is not give these clowns the respect they don't deserve. Don't give them shout outs by name, and don't spend hours of you video feed responding to and addressing them. For a change, listen to and engage those who actually respect you. People like that deserve nothing more than the boot.

  Anyone you see, in or out of your circles, who considers themselves to be respectable and mature, may not be who you think. Watch people completely. If you are a person with self respect, don't bolster the pride of these people with your association. Even if they aren't trolling you, you are exonerating their actions by mingling with them. Trolls should be ostracized and ignored. They need to be exposed and put to shame for their existence, and it has to start somewhere.

Beauty Covered in Pain- Nioh Review

  I know that the title of the review might seem like a pretty solid statement or opinion, but this is a review that the reader must hear out, because there is both a point to this angle, as well as another side to it. This is a review of the hack-n-slash Adventure game- Nioh, from Tecmo's Team Ninja. These are the same folks who brought us the original Ninja Gaiden all the way to the last one, as well as the Dead of Alive fighting game series, which I still contest is one of the most underrated fighting franchises of all time.

 This game is in the same genre as the Genji series that I love so much. I never really played much of these games over the years until after 2005. There were a couple of series in this genre on the PSP, one of them being Warriors of the Lost Kingdom that really drew me in. The stories in these games tends to be quietly deep and amazing compared with most games. I'm not sure why that is, as they tend to cover historical events. Warriors of the Lost Kingdom dealt with the deep backstory of Marcus Aurelius, Ceasar, and the events going on in the government during those times of war. It actually is contiguous with the story of Gladiator Begins, which was an awesome Arena fighter RPG for the PSP as well. I strongly urge you to play both games in sequence, as you will be treated to a great story, great gameplay, and a storyline that flows like one large epic.

  Nioh focuses on the life of real English samurai- William Adams. It covers a fictional backstory that weaves in fantasy elements with real historical events that took place in a wartorn Japan during the fall of the Edo period. Much history is covered in the game, and the cinematics were plentiful and filled with pivotal events.

 Graphically, the game's textures were awesome to behold. The characters and environments were smooth, shiny and well animated. However, the game had flaws that this delusional generation turns a blind eye to. Everyone talks about current gen, as if it has left all limitations behind. The same glitches that occured since the dawn of polygonal gaming are here. Your character will tend to glitch through walls on occasion, and items will bleed into one another. Also, there was even a time later in the game that the glitching really became a problem. I was accompanied by 2 NPC's on a mission where we fought monsters that required all hands on deck. There happened to be a big fight at the top of a ladder. No matter how many times I tried, when I ran up the ladder and to the fight, one of the NPC characters would remain at the top of the ladder, walking into the ground in front of the ladder in place, while shaking. This left me with only one helper to take on the extremely difficult enemies. I had to find a way to make due. That was the only near game breaking glitch I encountered, but the fact that it was unavoidable was a huge issue.

  I still enjoyed the lush environments, and navigating the catacombs of caves and seashore towns. I would have appreciated a bit more daylight in the game. The music was also very well done, as it always met the mood. There weren't melodies that stick in your head, but they were well composed. As you can see, I did enjoy aspects of this game. There are a plethora of weapons and armor sets that can be forged and found in this game's vast open landscapes. They can also be refashioned to look like armor that you fancy, so you can have a pretty unique character, aside from the blonde protagonist being set.

 The combat system was very deep. It's difficult to break it down. You have 2 weapons that you can carry with you on hand. You also have an inventory where you can have more. There are different types, such as dual swords, katana, axes, kurasagami, and spears. Of course, as always, I went with dual swords. There are different types and elements that will be attributed to these weapons, as well as affinity for them, which is your skill level with that particular sword that grows with use. I never found a way to manipulate element attributes when forging weapons. I just augmented weapons I liked that had good attributes to them. You have several pieces of armor you can wear, from your helmet to chest plate, leg armor, gauntlets, and boots. All of these can be taken to the blacksmith between missions, and augmented by doing what is called a soul match. This takes a piece of armor and melds the defensive stats of stronger armor with it. You also have accessories that can help with elemental defense. The list in the inventory tended to get very lengthy, as you are constantly picking up items, loot, and weaponry from fallen enemies. This could have been better organized, and the way the elements are arranged in the game, it got very confusing at times knowing what my offensive elements should be. You also may have to switch those offensive traits on the fly between hard enemies in a level, with no real solid way of having all of the needed armor sets on hand.

  Your character has 3 stances. He has a low stance, good for movement, with low attack, a mid stance, which is balanced, and a high stance with low evasion and heavy attacks. In the early goings, it takes a bit to learn the deep mechanics, but you will be mixing it up. Later in the game, with the ridiculous enemies, you will be staying in low stance quite a bit. You also have ninjutsu at your disposal, as well as onymi spells. This is added to by guardian spirits that accompany you, each having its own element. Ninjitsu skills can be anything from bombs, to invisibility, to special kunai, and even poison broths for your weapons. It is a huge list of skills you can learn, and depending on your level of ninjitsu limit and the required level for the ability,  you can bring quite a few into you loadout. Onmyi magic skills also require their own skill points and player capacity. They can be attribute boosters to elemental attacks. There is also a huge list of learnable abilities that expand as you increase in level. Then you have samurai skill points, which are points earned as you master weaponry. They can be used to learn special skills with a weapon such as super slashing techniques or ki blast strikes. This also is a huge list. You have a healthy pool of skills to learn and to have on hand at any given time, as well as an item inventory that can be expanded from 4 items to over 16 by the end of the game if you unlock them via the blacksmith.

  Combat was fast paced, and consisted of blocking, which drained your stamina meter, light and heavy attacks, and evasion. Stamina is consumed when attacking and replenishes with moving or standing still. However, if blocking, it will replenish much slower, which added to the challenge of facing rush down opponents. There are some augmentations that can be learned in the game to mitigate your stamina usage, recovery, etc, but they are very limited, and in the end, you have to be very selective with not only how you attack, but for how long, as dodging away will deplete stamina, and if that should deplete during or after that dodge, you will be rendered winded, which incapacitates your character for a long time, leaving you open for death. But also, you have to be mindful of how you turtle, as blocking combo streams will deplete your stamina and get you winded as well. You also take more damage in that state.

  The game had a number of sub missions on each part of the map, that each felt meaningful, and necessary for gaining experience and leveling up. The level of your equipment is as important as your player's level if not more, as the level menu will indicate. If not adequate, you will quickly be wiped out by the first enemies you see. What I don't like, is that when you start a level, there is no way of quitting unless you have a certain item that can be used for that. I never had issues having the item, but it felt wrong to be in a mission that literally could be unbeatable, and being stuck there, in a game ending situation. There are many items that you can collect in the field, such as bombs, elixirs, ammo for range weapons etc. Before I forget, there are also ranged weapons. These consist of hand cannons, rifles, bows, and even muskets at a point. These can be leveled up as well as given attributes. They are useful in this game, and you will need them at various times.

  When you reach shrines within levels, you heal and replenish ninjutsu skills and spells. However, enemies regenerate when you do this. As you defeat enemies with a guardian spirit equipped, and meter builds, until you can unleash an attack mode with the guardian, and whatever elemental affinity they have, for variable periods of time. Your attack is boosted, you gain the elemental bonus, and your life meter is replaced by the attack mode's meter. Taking damage depletes it faster, and taking out enemies replenishes it slightly. It's best to save it for the right time, as there is a recharge period for it. There are also hot springs at open or hidden locations in the game. They both heal you, and give you a healing ability for a brief time. Use them.

  There were a large number of enemies in the game, and it felt very cheap often. It's already established that this is meant to be a hard as nails game. But it felt different than the rest. With Monster Hunter, there was a sense of fulfillment and victory when you overcame a boss. In this game, that is robbed from you extremely often, by the way they program the enemy AI. Technology still hasn't found a way to replicate authentic intelligent human intelligence. Rather than just give you a tall task like other tough games, this game attempts to simulate outplaying you, and fails in doing so. In the beginning of the game, I soldiered through it, realizing that I needed to be careful, or get overwhelmed. However, as I got better, the AI seemed to hit a wall near the end, and rely on breaking the game's very rules in order to beat me. It is beyond frustrating to outplay a boss, and be killed anyway at the last second by and hit that you dodge. Many times, when a boss had a sliver of life, I would dodge in for the kill and unload a combo, to watch in horror as they survive it, wait for my stamina to be low enough, and unleash a combo that depletes my stamina bar, winds me out, and then kills me instantly. This happened countless times, and you lose vital items that you may happen to use in the process. One of the life saving spells I learned was a spell that gradually heals you over time. Since spells recharge, I had a fresh set of 2 of those spells, going into battle after healing at a shrine. But that still wasn't always enough. You can lose your whole life in an instant.

  I wanted that feeling of triumph, but it seemed that whenever I was poised to achieve it, I would be robbed. It felt like the only time I beat a boss, was when I got overpowered as much as I could, and overwhelmed the boss early. The fights were still hard, but it felt impossible to win close fights with skill. That's what I wanted. It just feels cheap, the way you have to beat the bosses. It's not that you don't want to put in effort or expend items. I'm just used to even the hardest games, having bosses that you can beat with skill if it comes down to it. Not this game. I recall games like Astro Warrior for the Sega Master system. The last boss was insane, but there was a way to beat him with the standard bullets. With this game, expect to abuse every powerful ability and spell at your disposal completely, when you beat these bosses. It felt like I stormed and blitzed the bosses to beat them. However, it was a game so well put together, that you are drawn in by the deep and moving story, as well as the gorgeous visuals. I wish that you could customize your character's look more. They even have a barber shop at the blacksmith's, but the styles are very limited. There is a dojo as well, where you train at times to learn techniques from some of the masters you meet in the game. Those fights were with minimal items, and on neutral ground, where it was more skill oriented. I enjoyed those matches a lot.

  It was definitely a control tosser of a game. After the beautiful ending and credits, there is an epilogue to play through. Once again, I felt disgusted, but also intrigued and eventually completed it. A boss fight that I was hoping would be fair, is yet again, a showcase of the CPU instant killling you, to be a challenge. That is the game's biggest flaw in my opinion. After completing the epilogue, the storyline completes in a beautiful scene of the epilogue, and the game unlocks harder modes as well as expansion quests. I don't know who is that masochistic. Aside from that, I like the game a great deal. I would love it if it weren't so imbalanced. Still a must play, and near perfect adventure 9/10!

A poem

Have a new collection out, but this one missed the edition. Here's .


S for Will

To have a mind like he once had,
Is bound to go amiss
The regal air of ancient ones
Confused in naive bliss

It isn't the thought that counts for much
But how you see the world
The pain I have from worlds like Mars
Endears me to unfurl.

Where he went once, I went all over again
Planting and picking these flowers for you
Hearts he once mended, I burrowed through.
How could I be but beautiful?

I hated it all, and yet I loved some too
It's always prettier now than then.
I was born so long ago, without a time,
But if not now, than when?

Kneeling for the Anthem

  I was going to stay quiet, but I just got nudged over the edge. I asked myself if I had enough to say on this to bother with a blog, and I still don't really know. But I have to say something. Another article I just skimmed past is talking about how the most qualified to speak on how wrong or right kneeling for the anthem are army veterans. This one talks about a former Steelers player who says that the protests never should have gotten this far. This whole thing is beyond missing the point, and it is on my last nerve. I'm not a protester at all myself, but I do have sense, or what used to be sense.

  There are many people who do not participate in, or stand for the anthem, perhaps at one time or another. Some of them are even patriotic, such as Jerry Jones. The point that one person made is that disrespect to the veterans is an oxymoron, because they fought for the very right to do that.

   This anger and backlash at the protest has nothing to do with respect for military and flag, and I'm sick of that scapegoat. I've listened to countless debates on ESPN and FS1, where they continue to dance around the topic. The most honest people I've seen thus far, have been Shannon Sharpe, and Max Kellerman. I'm talking about calling it down the middle. The thing is that this whole situation has revealed 2 things in America. 1 is how deep racism still is in this country, and 2- how much American citizens worship the flag without realizing they do. When you say that the flag is worshipped, people will tell you that you are off-base to say that. Now, the fact that it IS an object of worship is clearer than ever. The sacredness of a ceremony of reverence for it is being placed high above respect and dignity for a race of people.

 For you to take such aggregious offense at players respectfully choosing to kneel during an anthem, due to issues that are being ignored by the heads of the government it represents, speaks volumes about what you are hiding in your chest. People keep spewing nonsense about veterans, wars, and respect for the people, and it has nothing to do with that. I can observe that myself from third person perspective. It is the same thing that minorities did in the 60's. And the sad truth is that, with all of this fire spitting going on, just think- if those protests weren't done, society would still consider it the norm to treat blacks like chattel, and everyone would accept it.

  Protest, as I understand it, has to cause disruption and uncomfortableness.  That is how the players are using their platform. No one is burning flags, or holding up profane signs aimed at any race or select people. And yet, the response to the protest is as if that was the case. Stop talking about how veteran are the ones who should speak on this. This has nothing to do with them, or their service. Every article tries to put pressure on military personell to comment on their stance. Obviously, they have an obligatory answer to that question. That still doesn't dismiss the protest itself. And it's very disrespectful and demeaning, to see  those engaging in the protest to be labeled as misfits doing something nonsensical in order to insult and raise discord. That in itself, speaks of the racism at hand. So many people I've heard in stores and at local places, talk about how these players are causing trouble and it's bothering their  viewing of the games. Come out and say the truth. It is bothering your conscience. Because you are now being reminded of things that are wrong, that you agree with.

  I personally know of a few people I've dealt with in the past, who are flaming racists, but cheer for black stars on the basketball court and gridiron. This protest makes it harder for them to slide through the shadows, while participating in hateful acts and envying those they oppress at home on the television. That's what it's about. They all know good and well that it has nothing to do with feeling disrespected. No one seems to want to come out and say that, so I felt I had to .

  At first, I will make it clear, I was just as confused about the protest as the next person. Like I said, I don't protest myself. However, the more I've seen these events develop and play out, I notice it has been invaluable how much the protest has revealed. Without it, we would never have seen the sides of people that we are seeing now.

Not Finished- Just Reloading

 I haven't been taking too much of a break lately, though it may seem so. Actually, I may be doing so shortly, as I am expecting a child in the coming months. Just found out yesterday. Thanks in advance for the congratulations. Anyway, I've been working on literary works. It takes quite a bit more time to get books done compared to albums or art pieces. I'm still getting over the shock of the coming baby, who I hope is a boy, but I'll try to stay focused to get the other news out.

  Youtube seems like it's been dead lately, which I find odd. I've actually been going back and watching some of my favorite uploaders in the years past. It's entertaining watching entertainers when they were younger and had a bit more energy and drive. Another thing I've gotten to do finally, in the past few weeks, is to go and see live music at a local venue here in upstate NY. It really bothers me when I get to a point in life where I don't have time to smell the roses. To me, that's the point when something has to change. I noticed that I was getting out my my spiritual and physical workout routines lately, and just sleeping to work, and that was very depressing. Most likely I've been doing too much.

  I recently had a great trip to Europe, where I saw my mom's family in London and Birmingham, England, and also got see a brand new country in Barcelona, Spain, with my younger sister and older brother. It was exhausting, but fun. I think we probably walked about 15 miles in my estimation, if not more. Either way, I had a good time seeing the parks and museums. Particularly the London Museum, which had a ton of history. I saw more there than some other museums actually. One thing that bothered me, is that the African exhibit was buried in the basement, away from the others, and had no tie-in. My brother said that it's just indicative of England's history to do that, but it still bothered me. I've never been a master historian, but I am a fan of studying it, and so much is misconstrued, often on purpose. Africa has such a rich history, and often, "blacks" and "Africans" are simplified and separated from humanity, like a bunch of meaningless people who just mingled amongst themselves throughout history, until they were brought out of Africa by benevolent slavers and civilized in other countries. That notion disgusts me, and it's more disgusting that blacks in this era accept that proudly. There was a documentary that my father-in-law and I were looking at some time ago, talking about the African culture that can be found in Europe and other countries like Indonesia. Also there are other countries besides Europe that have a rich history with African countries, such as Asian countries. And I don't mean the exploitation events with exports and resources that goes on today, which is what your mind most likely goes to as I say that. I covered this briefly in an essay a while back. Myself being a prime example, as I come from Sicilians and Asians who migrated TO Africa. Not just Africans who moved out.  Likely, they would associate me with Moors, but I'm sure it's much more than that, even thought Moors have a loaded history themselves. Anyway, that was my take on the museum. None of that was mentioned or eluded to in the exhibits. Other than that, it was mind-blowing.

  We saw an incredible Flamenco show, that turned me on even more to the culture of specifically the Catalan region and history of Spain. We also got to see a famous Monastery in Monseratt, Spain, which had a bunch of history as well. It was a great trip, that was worth the cost.

  When I came back, I made it to a evening music show at a spot near me. It just so happens that a drummer I've heard a few times, and followed, had a show that night. I wasn't super thrilled, because I was hoping to hear something new at first. But I did, as he had a solid bass player, and a very good Sax player on with him. I spoke with the sax player between sets, and spoke about jamming. I bought a couple of his CD's and stayed for the entire show. I went alone, and had a good time. The thing that got me, was when I listened to the $20 of CD's I brought from him the next day. One disc was a recomp of a famous Avante Garde piece, and the other was an original album. The Avante Garde piece was "I Don't Hear Nothing But the Blues." It was 45 minutes, and included no bass. I have a deep respect for experimental music and listened to about 25 minutes of it, listening for ideas. I then put in his original record, and listened to the first few tracks. I have deep respect for the musician, as he was a very nice person. But I couldn't help but wonder what happened to listening, yet again.

   Here he is, a respected horn player, who has won prestigious awards for his ability, which he does deserve. Yet, the records clearly sounded like a musician exploiting a reputation they already have, while flailing wildly on a recording. There is no sense of, "Let me give this all I got," on any of it, because there doesn't have to be. He has a cult following, and while maybe not having monster sales, he sells.Yet, the albums didn't come close, in my opinion, of conveying his actual ability and creativity, from the beautiful solos I heard during the session. I wondered, "How is he getting away with this." I even listened to my own last 2 records, Standing Still Symphony X, and Religion, wondering, what I was missing. I gave copies to my brother, and to my first music teacher and close family friend. The feedback I got from them, was neither respectful or disrespectful. It was as if the records aren't worthy of a serious opinion. My teacher just said she couldn't hear it, which blew my mind, because, I'm like, "Uhh, did you turn the volume down before playing?" And my brother did give extensive feedback on a bunch of the tracks, but it seemed more of a case of what he was used to hearing versus, what I wasn't doing on the record. I'm like, "Just to be clear, I am doing everything on there on purpose, and for a reason." It's just so hard, being in this game for over 11 years seriously now, for me to get past this perception of a rookie hobbyist. I mean, I know of quite a few friends and family who do things other than clock in each day at a job, and there is some merit tied to their ventures. At this point, even if you can't follow what I'm doing on record, I should get some kind of respect as a pro, just based off of how long I've been at it. On a good note, I have been getting royalties and stuff lately, so there is some movement of CD's

  The thing is that, not to sound jaded, but I was eyeing going for a musical award of some kind, from the moment I started polishing Standing Still Symphony X. I knew it was a daunting task, but I felt I was up to it, at least as an experimental composer. I didn't go to Manhattan Music School or Juliard, but I've had a decent enough residency and teaching to where I can convey and compose. I would of course, like to get better all the time, but I'm not hampered to the point that I'm still in school mode. I've been a composer for quite some time professionally. Education never stops, but it was only to enhance what I was already doing over the years. And when I go back and listen to Religion especially, I don't see why I shouldn't get some kind of merit. I wonder if it just hasn't reached the right people or what. But I've heard quite a few albums and work from indie artists, and experimental giants, and I think a lot of things come down to perception and notoriety. Religion, I'm not going to say, is the greatest thing since sliced bread, but just listening off of the ear test, deserves some place in mention. I wanted to win a downbeat award. I used to think only the most schooled musicians get it, but I found that isn't true. Many experimental artists get those awards yearly. I haven't had more than 1 review for Religion yet, but if anyone knows of a way to get it heard by people like DownBeat Magazine, I'm all ears.


  Other than that, I've been cleaving through my backlog of games, when I can. I'm trying to get to a professionally good level in Street Fighter 5, and I now realize the insane time that it takes. Developing the muscle memory and skill to compete is a tall task. But it does feel good to get good enough in fighting games to pull of impressive combos and school good players. There's something about being on that level that is fulfilling. I think that's something that has changed over the years. Specifically fighting games have sort of ostracized the casual gaming community. Every fighting game player, is either a pro in training, or eventually being pushed out of playing altogether, due to the inherent difficulty, and high level of online competition. I respect that, but I have mixed feelings. Back in the day, I can remember things from the other side of the fence. When we were kids growing up, me and my brother always loved fighting games to the max, and went to sleep overs at friends houses playing them for whole weekends. But we weren't that good. We used to lose, but everyone lost. Everyone struggled. But the mechanics were simple and universal. The timing of attacks and simple combos were completely under your control. It made the game fun, and I think Smash Bros is the only fighting game today that somewhat maintains that.

   Fast forward to today, and as time went by, a select few of us looked to compete on some kind of level. I was privileged enough to have been one of the kids who cut his teeth in the heart of the arcade era, amongst tournament players, in games like Fatal Fury, King of Fighters, Capcom Vs. SNK, Smash Brothers Melee, and Marvel vs. Capcom 1 and 2. I participated in a Smash Brothers Melee tournament, before the online and social media era began, back in the early 2000's. So my roots were set. But I don't think I would enjoy fighting games the same if that wasn't the case. Today, they have changed fighting games tremendously. For instance, in games like Injustice and Street Fighter 5, as well as SF xTekken, you cannot time things the way you want to. The combo systems are now super intricate, and the timing for each character is convoluted and specific, not intuitive and rhythmic. Because of that, it takes hours, days, and weeks of grinding, to get solid with a character on any level. Then you have the difficulty of the games being set for tournament players. Even the modes and content of these game, aside from Injustice, are tailored for people who are going to eventually compete in some capacity. Most people I meet who game now, used to play fighting games. Now, just those who are serious do, which is sad.

  Aside from that, I've been trying to get back into using my brain for a change. I haven't had time to really shed on my instrument in a while, and I'm getting rusty. I also haven't read a book in far too long. It's surprising how your vocabulary, and brain processing skills diminish insidiously, without use. But I mentioned that in my martial arts manual several years ago. Without use the body atrophies. And it's so easy to do, and so common. I now realize why so few people do you come across, who are sharp and involved and skilled in later years. I've watched as many people I know, even in my age group, have less and less drive and energy. The goals and stuff get dismissed over the years, being called childish. The truth is that you've become too weak and tired physically and mentally to keep chasing them and reaching them. It's like physical fitness. People keep it up in the early goings, but what happens. You get around 35-40 years old, start to realize you have to work harder, and slowly develop a gut. You accept that as the way things are, and you actually begin to rationalize it as some kind of prestigious existence, even mocking those who still have drive. I've seen this mindset time and again. And it's so easy to fall into it.

   Then health problems set in, and children come along. Before long, you're another balding, bloating layman, who's brain and muscles have shriveled to prunes, beyond the point of repair, and at that point, you don't care anymore, because you figure, what does it matter anyway, in the grand scheme of things. And to a degree, you have a point. But that's the danger, because then you see the 70 year olds later on, healthy and free, and reaching new heights. Most importantly, they have their faculties, teeth, and are enjoying the life they have. At that point, you start with the "I wishes." Don't let that happen to you.

  Anyway, enough rambling. here are the links to the 2 latest books, released under the J-Team Inc. banner- "Food with Friends," and "It's Good." Please check them out and pass along if you can.

Food With Friends

Actually, my apologies. The novel, "It's Good," is not released yet. It is still in production, and being proofed. I will have more info soon. Stay tuned for that.

Passion on a Battlefield- Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment Review

  Many of us have watched the anime for Sword Art Online by this time. In fact, the show has received a cult following, and with good reason. After the first season, many were a bit disgusted at one of the details of the plot, and I also was one of them. There are a few games that follow the story line, and they have mixed reviews. This is a dive into the very first of them- Hollow Fragment, released on the Playstation Vita.

  Hollow Fragment started what would be a series of 3 sword art games, and then a mashup title with Accel World vs. Sword Art. I don't count the initial Sword Art game on the PSP from 2013, due to the fact that it was a very low key, and limited release title, even by the series' standards, as well as the fact that its content is in Hollow Fragment. The storyline of Sword art follows one similar to the Dot Hack series from over a decade ago, with a community of online gamers being trapped in an online game, where death in-game translates to the real world. The difference, is that this plight was caused directly by the creator of the game itself, Akahiko Kayaba. Also, while Dot hack had a deep story behind a gaming system that turned on the players, Sword Art has what I feel is even more depth, with much of the conflict being swept up in government experimentation, with somewhat genuine, but sinister intentions. It really makes you pause with some of the arguments that occur.

 The art style is some of the new age cel-shaded graphics, like other titles, such as Black Rock Shooter, God Eater Burst, Gravity Rush and Freedom Wars. I really like how technology has improved this. I remember the first Cel-shaded game, back near the turn of the millennium. It was a game called Cel Damage, that came out for all 3 major consoles at the time- Xbox, Gamecube, and PS2. It was literally rough around the edges, and it sucked somewhat as a game, but it intrigued gamers. Now, it has been polished so much, that it is used often for anime-based games, often looking better than using traditional sprites.

 You spend much of your time in the one hub town of Arc Sophia, which is on the the 75th floor of the games over arching tower. The game starts with you completing the 74th floor, with the players left alive, and taking refuge in the town. In the anime story, it was just after the 75th floor, that Kirito- the main charater, and a few friends, were confronted unexpectedly by Kayabe and challenged to a duel. Kirito defeated him, which ended the game prematurely. In the game, you play out the remaining 25 floors before facing Kayaba and his constituents. There is a ton of dialogue and plot development, which is appreciated, but extraneous.

  You have a main floor boss, that you try to gather intel on for each floor. Along the way, there will be 3 or so missions that allow you to gather materials, and intel on the way. You will face increasingly difficult enemies, and battle with a real time combat system, with customizable special attacks, and a Just system, that allows you to use well timed evasion, and techniques to boost attack, and replenish special meter. Mastering that is essential to beating the game. The combat system flowed very well, and never got overly stale. However, Kirito is naturally, a dual sword user. I chose to main the Rapier technique. I feel as if the game punished me for that. By the time I was near the end of the game, between the damage output, and the defensive liabilities, I had to switch back to the dual swords to be formidable against the field. You also start with techniques unlocked, and the game really turns you off with the fact that you are continuing a high powered character, rather than building your own.

  Also, in the new trend of perversion, there seems to be a constant stream of needless dialogue leading to the girl characters hitting on Kirito in different ways. They all want him desperately, and try to act as if they are being coy, while fawning over him incessantly. It was nauseating at a point.  And the thing about it all is that he is married in the game. In fact, that was one of the beauties. The relationship between him and his wife, and their struggles and passion, was very well translated into the game.There was an aspect of the anime that was kept at bay in the game. In the anime, Kirito's sister, who plays the character Leafa, wants him badly in real life. They are actually cousins in real life, which she doesn't think Kirito knows at first, although they are raised as siblings. Somehow, she not only justifies loving him, but actually attacks him in the anime, in disgust, that he won't drop his wife and love- Asuna, and take her instead. It was infuriating, especially considering the deep love Kirito and Asuna have. Many viewers complained about that annoying and disgusting debauchery after the first season. She never really gives up either. But eventually she accepts things to a degree. The game did a good job minimizing that nonsensical part of the story. I remember tear jerker moments in the anime series, and this game has its own as well. Sometimes, you will have a side quest that completes a mission that draws Kirito and Asuna closer. On one of them, you have to repair the wedding ritual that mysteriously gets deleted, effectively divorcing them. The mission confuses them, but ultimately draws them closer to each other. It was very romantic.

 When it comes to aesthetics. the game was sorely lacking in the cutscene department. It was actually ridiculous for an RPG. In the very beginning, you got a couple, and at the end you got a couple. One huge issue with the game, is that during each and every cutscene, the game skips like crazy, as if it wasn't designed to run them. That was very off-putting. The game also felt a bit linear for my taste as well. You had just enough missions to advance the plot, with a few dialogue initiated sidequests. There wasn't much exploration to be done. Also the cutscenes of the game were 98% dialogue segments. They were extremely long, and annoying, and it seemed like the developers put the most time into that aspect of the game. The translation is also loaded with errors. At a point towards the end of the game, I started avoiding them like the plague, because you will literally spend over 20 minutes trying to get through the dialogue.

 Ultimately, like the show's plot, I loved the intrigue, and the passion of the main protagonists. However, it was in a very rough casing. This game feels like a rushed title, that is bare bones, with nothing to offer an individual gamer. It feeds off of the namesake, and was meant to jump off of the shelves on that alone. It feels cheap, and under developed, which is sad, because it has a good gaming engine to work with. The will just wasn't there to do that. In fact, one thing that jumped out to me, was that certain aspects like cooking, and equipment augmentation, were relegated to cutscene talk and side-quest scenario shenanigans. None of those elements are in the game. This mimmicks the anime show, but completely disregards the fact that this is a game. In the game, those elements would exist, like they do in the Monster Hunter series. There were things like that which could have elevated the game, that were completely ignored. It literally felt like playing a show.


 Good combat system aside, it was stale without the dialogue plot development. They were better off just making an interactive graphic novel like the Daganronpa series. Almost none of the bosses were very challenging. This is because as long as you did the 3 required mission between bosses, your squad was automatically more than strong enough to tackle them. And after the 3 missions were complete, there were no more for entire floor. And you could not grind too far, because the current enemies quickly become too weak to give much experience at all. There really wasn't any room to excel or fail in your own way. It just isn't a game that I would play for enjoyment. The great story, and very solid combat system carry the entire game. The rest is a glitch filled disappointment. To its credit, there is the Hollow area, which is one huge all-encompassing map, which can be explored and unlocked systematically, to complete missions that give perks to your powers if the requirements are met. I tried to explore it as much as I could, and got to a point where I was blocked by a gate, with no explanation on how to open it. It was a journey that took longer than expected. In fact, at one point, when I saw how long it took to clear 9 floors and get to floor 85, I began to think it might take over 100 hours to get to the last floors. I wasn't that far off. The dialogue expands the time quite a bit.

  In all fairness, it was a captivating game experience in its own weird way. I even have the sequel- Lost Song, on tab to play in the future. I would have to say the game is at least serviceable. I would score it a 6.8/10

What is Boxing- GGG vs Canelo

  You've all used the adages. Styles make fights. The art of hit and not get hit. We have rulesets of standing 8 counts, a 10 point must system, ring generalship, and a foul system. Why do these exist. This is talking about the sport of boxing. This was created long ago, and given structure under the Marcus of Queensbury ruleset. Every fight fan, even though they love slugfests, always used to bow to these rules of the sport. However, suddenly, in an age of low intellect, there has been a complete abandonment of the logic that the sport is built on.

  Boxing is designed to be won in different ways. They don't end in only KO's, nor do they have to go to decision. You have 12 rounds, in championship bouts, to execute your gameplan. Robinson did it, Leonard did it, Mayweather did it. And it has become respected less and less. Styles make fights right? Do we just recite that like an old song that we learned from our grandparents? Where is the understanding of that. Mayweather once said, "I may not be the strongest, or the fastest. But I'm the smartest." That used to be the trait we admired in the quintessential boxer.

  You can go to any ballroom on a Wednesday night, or a Friday night, and you will find rugged Mexican or Russian fighters who have chins of steel and fists of iron, that stalk their opponent, and are dangerous for the entire fight. Sometimes their opponent is just like them. But what is the intrigue in seeing fighters like that at the championship level? Seeing a style that can neutralize them!! You have never seen a boxer of any note, who spent their entire career without having to adjust. Why? Because different opponents pose different challenges. And I've noticed that this is an area where everyone is off time and again. If one fighter has an insurmountable edge in power and fortitude, it's ignorant to expect his opponent to fight on his terms. People consistently resort to calling it running, when it is the weaker fighter making a calculated attack. A head on assault would be and ignorant and foregone conclusion. The same works in reverse. Recall what advise all of you gave Maidana, and Mcgregor on their approach to fighting Mayweather.


   GGG is a tough and skilled Khazakstan boxer. He has sparred with Kovalev and Canelo in the past. Before he fought Canelo last night, he came off of 2 wins, where he showed the inability to adapt. He won the first by KO, and took the second controversially. He has 1 mode only. He stalks, cuts the ring well, and walks through fire to deliver thunder. To be intrigued by that is natural. To be blinded by that is pathetic. I have a friend who honestly believes they are a boxing purist and scholar. And there are many who are just like him. Too many. You are all casual fans with no understanding of boxing's science at all, and your voice has become so prevalent, you actually believe your nonsense. When Mayweather fought Pacman, and the fight was much closer than anticipated, the media controlled everything you saw. When Ward defeated Kovalev the first time, the media controlled everything you saw. When GGG was exposed again and again, your emotion were validated by the ignorant media.

  You call yourselves fans. But what does a true fan expect from their champion, but greatness. In this fight between GGG and Canelo, boxing got a gem. Canelo started sharp and fast, and sustained a creative flow of combinations and brilliant defense. He went far beyond what Danny Jacobs achieved. And Golovkin was himself. He was relentless and a dangerous typhoon storming the ring the entire night with his presence. Golovkin only showed brief flashes of effective boxing in a few later rounds, as Canelo tired. And the reason it is so foreign to him, is because he and his trainer have become intoxicated with his power and chin. Tight defense and switching looks is not in their repetuar. But danger was in the air. It was everything you could have asked for and more. But it flew over your heads as a disappointment. Why? Because of a inept judge? No. Because it was a chess match. Commentators like Stephen A Smith are giving you people too much of a pass. It isn't the score card that has you outraged. You can't process what you saw, but you know you saw a fighter stalking, so you feel he should have been the victor. Just say it admit it. You saw him stalking, and you saw him missing, hit in the face and body, and resetting over and over again.

  But rather that get all over that, I'm going to put it to you simply. We all know by now, that no one south of light heavyweight, is capable of moving or even slowing GGG. Whether it's due to cheating, or not, I won't debate at this time. The bottom line is that once again this is boxing. Canelo is a counter puncher and boxer. Everyone talks about the intrigue of a Tiger versus a Lion. We don't anticipate it because we want to see the Lion overpower the Tiger. We know they can't. We want to see how the heart and agility of the Lion can win in its own way. Boxing is the exact same. Everyone wanted GGG to fight Mayweather before this fight. Did any of you expect to see him stand toe to toe with GGG and overpower him knocking him out? No! You want to see how his defense and counterpunching could neutralize GGG's stalking and pressure. Danny Jacobs and Canelo have both done it, and you villify them. Canelo has power. It was clear after the first 3 rounds, that he wasn't going to stop GGG. He moved, maintained control and stamina, and ripped combinations often, while GGG stalked.

  My friends argument is that GGG won convincingly because he stalked and pressured, and no punches hurt him. We've established that his pedigree is toughness. What I pose to all of you who side with that thinking is this- where is the burden on the champion? Boxing is about a vacuum, where the odds are split down the middle. You are forced out of you comfort zone and asked to deliver victory with what you have. You have power? Okay maximize it. You have movement? Maximize it. What you saw in the ring for 3 fights now, is a Russian fighter, frustrated, and out of answers, unable to do anything but continue a set formula. Where the heck is the accountability?! I pose this to all of you, including my beloved Teddy Atlas. Let's all step into the shoes of Golovkin for a moment. Imagine you are a slugger, with an iron jaw. No one can take sustained punishment from you, nor move you with punches. You get into position to challenge for the world title and defend it. You know the rules of boxing require you to control the action, and adjust to your opponent. You've always been able to avoid that by getting a KO. Suddenly, this guy in front of you is hitting and moving, and won't go. You know he can't stop you, so you keep pressing him. You manage to get a shot in once in a while. You try combinations, but you can't seem to set any up, that are able to connect well against a slick defensive fighter. Your head is a stationary target, and you eat shots continuously. But you know they can't hurt you. You run out of answers, and the fight ends.

   Do you honestly think its fair for a befuddled fighter like that to have their hand raised again and again in title fights, simply for being the toughest. Everyone knows GGG will not be stopped. He will not be hurt, or slowed down. Is that where the burden stops? Treat every champion like a champion. If a fight goes to decision. find a way to take a decision by BOXING! Marciano was a knockout artist. He never lost. But you know what he had to do? When he faced guys who wouldn't go away, he adjusted, and found a way to apply pressure with precision and outbox his opponent. Don't cheapen the sport by giving that crown to GGG when he has done no such thing. Walking forward, and being unfazed is not the art of boxing. And you should all be ashamed of yourselves for glorifying that nonsense, and calling yourselves fans of the sweet science. And you aren't fans of GGG either. If you really love a fighter, you want to see them be asked a question and answer it,  just like the politician you trust. To see him run from question after question, and to call his shoulder shrug, a definitive answer, makes both him and YOU a fraud, and disgusting disgrace to the sport of boxing.

  The headlines are reading, "Boxing's corruption rears it's head at the wrong time again." The selling point- an inept judge who scored it 118-110 for Canelo, in a fight that was ultimately a draw. The event was scintillating. But completely missed. One judge, and a sea of articles, will once again spin the picture you retards see in your minds. And you will turn around with your half-baked ideas and consider yourselves the true connoisseurs of boxing. Just think about it. Even the biased crowd and commentary were forced to adjust their statments the entire fight, because again and again, Canelo blasted GGG over and over again, with what would normally be knockout punches, to gasps from the oddly pro-GGG crowd. Towards the middle rounds, the mindset was that any other fighter would have already been out of there. And that entire clear picture is altered, simply because a boxer was tough enough to take it. And you know the sport huh?

Getting Jumped Across Platforms- Ratchet and Clank Review

 Ratchet and Clank is a action platformer series by Insomniac, that has been a mainstay on Playstation consoles for well over a decade. I recall not really paying much attention to the series in the past, as I was formerly anti-Sony consoles for a bit in the early 2000's. That was a brief period of time, as I did own a PS2 for a short while. I didn't, however, appreciate the genre of Action Platform games at that time, or the series itself. One thing I recall, was that my friend's father was a huge fan of the series, and at times would bloviate about his exploits in it. One thing I must admit, was that I immensely respected my friend's father, because he was a very cerebral and fun loving dude, who seemed to have good taste in things. I knew the game had to be solid for him to like it so much, but I was anywhere near a Sony console at that time.

 Years later, I got my first Ratchet and Clank game on the PSP. It was the Size Matters game. That game was extremely solid and fun, with stiff difficulty. In fact, if I recall correctly, I reviewed it when I completed the game. One thing I must say off of the top is that I still feel as strongly as ever, that the disparity between the console and handheld experience is highly overrated, if not flat out wrong. I played the New Ratchet and Clank game, which is a Grand Tour game, taking the gamer along the overall story arc. While I am going to compliment this game, I must say that if I had to hold both the PSP Ratchet and Clank game against the new PS4 game, there is absolutely not a world of difference in either quality, fun factor, or content. That is totally wrong. In fact, the PSP game may have actually been slightly longer and more cinematic, believe it or not.

  Ratchet and Clank on the PS4 is a typical millenial title of today, with no fancy artwork, or creative manual differentiating it. However, the ingame quality is awesome. You start the game at your home base on planet Veldin, where you work in a garage for Grimoth, a bulky elephant looking alien. Ratchet is a Lombax, who is unassuming, but aspiring to become a space Ranger, and work with the famous captain Quark. This game covers the events that lead to Ratchet meeting Clank, and the exploits they go on, becoming a team.

  Captain Quark is telling the story to a fellow inmate, as he is the prisoner in a jail for crimes he has committed after falling from grace as the Rangers' leader. He tells the story along with funny banter throughout the entire game, and the humor keeps the game light, which helps when the difficulty gets annoying. After competing in a hoverboard competition, and going through a Ranger training course, Ratchet finds himself being a candidate to join the team. Clank, who is a defective robot that escaped the villains factory, lands on Ratchet's planet, seeking assistance in toppling the evil regime.

 The levels are well designed, and the graphics are lush and beautiful. You have a weapon wheel to select your weapon, and a quick menu mapped to the control pad. You get so many different weapons, that do essential and different things, that it can get hard switching in combat, especially as you run out of ammo. Each weapon can be leveled up with usage, and expanded using currency with the merchant, across several factors, including blast radius, damage, range, ammo capacity, and coin generation. The game is so loaded with options, that you really have to settle down to choose what weapons suite your play style. I liked the Sniper rifle. It requires aim, but gives a good damage bonus, and allowed me to pick off enemies before entering a room, which helped in levels where they clearly set you up to get jumped.

  Ratchet has a double jump, Clank as his gliding jetpack, a grappling hook, and even an oxygen mask you can get if you meet certain requirements. I got it, so I could swim and explore the depths of some water planets without drowning after 3 seconds. It's one of those games that it feels good to find the secrets in. The only thing is that you can get so close to getting a secret item, but be unable to find the last few required pieces. It was so much fun exploring the huge planets, taking in the scenery, and engaging in intense gun fights with the forces of Dr. Nefarious. Ratchet even has sequences where he can glide on rails to access parts of levels. Those are so much fun! And you get a jetpack at a point in certain levels, and can literally fly around the entire planet, as long as you recharge the battery.

  Difficulty wise, I must say the game was controller tossing at times, but it really wasn't that memory scarring difficult. You will be using your fingers on this one. You have to switch weapons often, and watch your ammo, while jumping and strafing to avoid enemy fire. I love the weapons that spawn helper bots, because they can be powered up, and really help you when you are outnumbered. The battles in the game, require you to be on point, and proactive. In the later portion of the game, they will literally send the kitchen sink at you, and if the enemy gets in on you, with some of them respawning from pods, you can get decimated. I found the last boss to be a pretty classic last boss fight. When you fight Dr. Nefarious, he is in some kind of mech suit, with enemies on several platforms. The weapons he has in his suit are pretty sick, on top of the mech helpers he has, being both powerful and durable. You have to use every ability, and skill you learn over the game to beat him. Be first, be sharp, and be aggressive. He uses these nasty mines that such you in  unless destroyed manually. You have your jetpack, so you can choose to go aerial, or stay grounded and intercept his mine attack as well as the respawning mechs. Ammo becomes an issue in the last battle and throughout the game. In fact, there were times I found myself praying for the merchant station to pop up, as I needed health and ammo.

 After beating the game, the ending was goofy, but funny, and as a typical Ratchet and Clank game, marks only the beginning. I loved the game, and the challenge mode that you unlock upon completion. This is definitely a game to own on PS4. Dive in!!    8.5/10