Andrea: I just recently finished my last semester as an undergrad at UCF. I plan to go into the dentistry field as a hygienist or a doctor. I’ve always had a great love for animals, and I’ve always had numerous pets. I have a particular fondness for reptiles, cats, and orcas. I have two snakes and a gecko right now, as well as a cat and a tarantula. Sometimes, I volunteer with tigers when I have the time. I’m pretty passionate about conservation, recycling, and basically keeping our earth as beautiful as it is, and I was very sad when Steve Irwin passed.

I have a deep passion for music, and I played piano, trombone, and cello throughout my school years. I started getting into anime and other Japanese-related things when I was 10-years-old, but I believe I got my first game system (Genesis) when I was 6. I love different languages, and I can speak and read Japanese, though I am not fluent. I have a minor in Asian studies from my university.

I love cars and I love driving very fast, an incurable disease I developed from my father. [laughs] I don’t have any real fears; fear just seems like a silly thing to me. I’ve been sky diving without a second thought and I used to go on numerous adventures when I was young while camping. Actually, I thought I was being like Tomb Raider, and that thought made me very happy. Just like any other girl, I like spas and getting my hair done, and buying new clothing and makeup, but at the same time I won’t get freaked out by little buggies or spiders; perplexing to be sure.

What exactly got you started in cosplaying?

Andrea: It’s hard to say exactly… (recognize the Tomb Raider quote?)

I remember before I even knew about cosplay or conventions, I’d be planning out how to make a Sailor Moon costume during class in middle school! I cosplayed at my first convention, Jacon 2002, and I don’t really remember anything specific that got me into it.  It just seemed like a natural thing to do!

How often do you get to work with costumes? Is it mostly for events scattered here and there, plus any extras you can squeeze in for fun?

Andrea: My new costumes are usually inspired by events and friends that I would be seeing at those events, though I always have a huge list of costumes I’d like to make!  The events are usually conventions, but they can also be photo shoots; I will usually fix up something costume-wise for a photo shoot, and initially make it for a convention. I’m usually always working on multiple costumes at the same time. That way, if I get stuck on one, I can move onto another one until I realize what I need to do for the first. The time I have allotted to the costumes I’m making usually has to do with my school work load and money.

How long does a costume such as your Midna costume or Rosalina costume usually take to make?

Andrea: Midna specifically took me a month to make; I think I decided last minute that I would go along with it because I found some actually good reference shots! Rosalina also took me about a month! It all depends on if I’ve made a costume similar to what I’m doing or not. All of the patterns on Midna I made from scratch, but I had a little help from patterns for Rosalina, though they were heavily altered. On the other hand, I can make a Katara costume in a few days.

You’ve made a lot of costumes. Do you have any favorites?

Andrea: Midna is definitely one of, if not my number one, favorite costume. It is not my favorite to get dressed in though… it takes about 4.5 hours. Rosalina is actually one of my favorite costumes too. Katara is always fun because it’s comfortable and I like to wear Utena because I feel like I can do anything in it. Both Katara and Utena are very comfortable.

Are there any previous or upcoming events you’ve made and wore costumes for that our readers might have seen or get to see you at?

Andrea: I wore Rosalina to Jacon and Megacon 2008; I’ve worn Midna to NYAF, Janicon, and AX 2007, as well as Megacon 2008.

I will wear both of them at Anime Expo 2008 which is coming up very soon! I also plan to be at Otakon and AWA this year, as well as some Florida cons, probably. At Otakon, I plan to debut some Bulma costumes.

(Continued on Page 2)

Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page has turned down offers from both MTV and Activision for access to the band’s master recordings. He’s basically not comfortable granting that access to outsiders. According to Page’s manager:

It ain’t about the money.

No Zeppelin this time around. Maybe in the distant future.

Wall Street Journal
via Wired

Flickr user iVolkswagen snapped this photo. Yeah, it’s meant to be a Triforce… or at least, that’s how iVolkswagen interpretted it. No idea what that is that’s projecting it though. Maybe it’s some new-fangled candle or lamp, one of those novelty ones that obvious can’t light up the whole room.

Flickr

Are modders running out of ideas? They’re sticking NES consoles inside NES cartridges now, apparently. I guess the Classic NES edition of the GBA SP with all those Classic NES series games wasn’t adequate enough. My only real concern, though, is where the start and select buttons are. There’s no sense in portable if you have to complete every game you start in one sitting!

Wii Fanboy

Sure there isn’t much gameplay, and yeah nothing really blows me away in the trailer, but it is still a Chrono Trigger trailer. That is enough for me I think. It’s nice to have a quick run down of characters too; nothing like good a trip down memory lane.

My one concern is the art style and music that Squeenix was bragging about in their press release. I wasn’t thoroughly impressed by what was in the trailer, not that it carries too much weight, but I would at least like the music to be epic.

Gametrailers

Some new details regarding Sonic Unleashed are coming in from a Polish magazine, and depending on how you received certain aspects of Sonic ‘06 and Secret Rings, you may or may not be happy.

The preview revealed that, like in Sonic and the Secret Rings, Sonic’s abilities will be able to be improved through experience points gained throughout the game. The magazine also confirmed that Sonic’s other friends, including Tails, will be playable during mini-games throughout the game. Other locales that will be present in the game will New York and China. In their impressions of the game, they were impressed with the camera and how the Hedgehog Engine handles the transitions between 2D and 3D, but they noted some noticeable slowdown at some points.

New York and China? …and RPG elements are back to start you out slowly? Wonderful. At least the camera is sounding promising. That’s the best thing I’ve heard about this game yet.

NeoGAF (pic)

Looks like Matrix Software won’t be following up their pair of 3D Final Fantasy remakes on the DS with Final Fantasy V or VI - at least not anytime soon. The developer has been announced to be working on a brand new game for Tecmo called Wind of Nostalgia. The game is shown in the latest Famitsu magazine and should be arriving in Japan later this year.

Not surprisingly, the game is an RPG. I’m pretty sure Matrix Software has been well-trained in that area, so this should be one to look forward to. You can check out more scans of Eddie and Co. after the break.

Gamekyo

My, my… the things people create just to avoid having to do “real” work. Flickr user adam16bit managed to come up with the idea, search through all his LEGOs to see if he had all the necessary pieces, and create this LEGO version of Simon Belmont (from Simon’s sprite in Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest on the NES) during one of those moments. I wish I had that sort of free time.

It’s all 8-bit lovin’ these days. Check out the full shot of the LEGO creation after the break, and more at Adam’s Flickr page!

Flickr

Same exact stuff. 300 points for the Infinity Spire, which keeps adding a level for each pass, 200 for the Library (or rather, the ability to unlock a library), and 100 for the Castle Renovation. And yes, the summer outfits are still available for Leo and Chime for 100 points each.

You can read the full press release after the break, including all the details on these fabulous items, which together cost the same price as Super Metroid. Ahem.

FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: My Life as a King NEW CONTENT NOW AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD

London (4th July 2008) – Square Enix Ltd., the publisher of Square Enix® interactive entertainment products in Europe and other PAL territories, today announces that new downloadable add-on content for FINAL FANTASY® CRYSTAL CHRONICLES®: My Life as a King™ for WiiWare™ is available from today.

The additional features provide additional dungeons and challenges for your adventurers, the chance to earn the new library building and additional outfits for Chime and the King.
The full list of new content is as follows:

Infinity Spire
300 Wii Points™ / Blocks Required: 8
Adds two dungeons to the game, such as the Infinity Spire. The spire gains levels every time it is cleared, presenting a challenge to even the bravest champions of your realm.

Castle Renovation
100 Wii Points / Blocks Required: 8
Adds a dungeon to the game which adds a jukebox and the ability to rename your adventurers in the castle once cleared.

Library
200 Wii Points / Blocks Required: 8
Adds a dungeon to the game which adds libraries to the building menu once cleared. Libraries teach adventurers race-specific abilities.

Fresh King
100 Wii Points / Blocks Required: 3
Purchase an additional costume for the king-a casual outfit designed for warmer seasons. You can change costumes in the castle immediately after downloading.

Summer Chime
100 Wii Points / Blocks Required: 3
Purchase an additional costume for Chime-a cool outfit suited for tropical climates. You can change costumes in the castle immediately after downloading.

For more information about FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: My Life as a King, please visit the official website at http://www.mlakgame.com

About FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: My Life as a King

FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: My Life as a King is a simulation game for all ages that places you in the role of a king of a once great kingdom. Your goal in the game is to build structures and fulfil your people’s desires in order to restore the kingdom. What you decide to focus on each day is, of course, up to you.

The construction of new building types allows you to advance your kingdom into achieving greater heights through research and new discoveries. Selecting adventurers and their quests also brings riches and rewards. In order to succeed with the increasingly challenging quests, new items, spells and magic are all obtainable with the right planning and kingly wisdom.

Features

- The first SQUARE ENIX title to be developed exclusively for the WiiWare service
- A FINAL FANTASY experience like never before!
- You have complete control your kingdom, choose what to build, research and what quests you want your adventurers to pursue
- Plan your kingdom by selecting from a variety of building types, choosing location and ensuring there is space within the city walls
- Complete new buildings to allow for the creation of new services within the kingdom
- Create new items, spells and abilities for your adventurers by funding research and building academies and training halls
- Keep your kingdom happy by interacting with the population. Each citizen is unique, with a name and a relationship with his/her family and neighbours
- Grow your population to over 100 citizens with good management
- Purchase and download Extra Content to enhance your play experience

Hardware sales in Japan are getting closer to what we’ve become used to seeing these last few months. The DS and Wii got boosts compared to last week, thanks to games such as Band Brothers DX, Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World, and… Derby Stallion DS.

• PSP: 58,861 (-490)
• Wii: 48,480 (+7,443)
  
• DSL: 48,884 (+12,285)
• PS3: 17,973 (-2,363)
• PS2: 7,673 (+1,327)
• X360: 5,104 (+2,549)

I might update this post in the near future if I get better info, but I’m a little skeptic about this week’s reports. Media Crate and Famitsu’s data for the week varies by a wide margin, especially in Wii and Tales of Symphonia sales. Media Crate even lists the Wii as in second place for the week despite reportedly selling less than the DS. So…yeah.

Media Crate