Random J blog | A blog from a game loving UK boy born in the 80's.

The Backsteet boys new music video reminds me of home...

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:30:00 +0000

With it being a year since I last visited Japan, I was not looking to be plunged into depression by wishing I was back there. But Backstreet boys went and released a brand new music video that I just happened to stumble across. There is a connection between these guys, Japan and my love for the place, honestly!

I shed some tears as I watched this. I must have watched this shit (oh, I dunno...) about seven, eight, ten times! The boys looked like they had an amazing time shooting the video, which echoed how I felt when I was over there. Amazing. I gotta make a note to myself to check out a maid cafe the next time I'm in Japan. I can't believe I went to Akihabara four times and not once did I hit one up! It was probably because the girls handing out flyer's to the cafes were bitches (yes, I said it) and wouldn't give one out to any of us. They gave my chugokujin mate one though. Chances are they thought he was a local.

I can't say I've liked any of Backstreet boys' previous songs. But this "Bigger" song ain't half bad. In fact: I think it's a pretty damn good tune!

I got to visit a couple of the locations which cropped up in the music video. Aint' no mistaking them. I remember them well...

Where the maid was strutting at the start | Akihabara
The place with the big red lantern in the background | The Sensō-ji temple

First impressions: Left 4 dead 2

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:11:00 +0000

I was a bit pissy when I first heard about a sequel to Left 4 dead. Especially as I'd only bought the first game a month before the sequel was announced. I huffed, puffed and stood firm I wouldn't touch Left 4 dead 2 with a barge pole. But I'm pretty weak and succumbed to downloading the hell out of the demo. There is no denying if a game is good. And Left 4 dead 2 seems pretty alright to me.

Left 4 dead 2 feels instantly familiar. So those who have played the first game need not worry about having to re-learn everything. Left 4 dead 2 gets major love from me for this alone. Accessibility is key, and it's clear from the offset that Valve are up on this. Whether you're new to the game or hopping into it from the original: you'll be able to get right stuck in and start killing some infected sons of bitches.

Valve's sequel isn't a great deal better looking than the one that came before, but the improvements are noticeable. The lighting is taken up a notch, and is something that is played with quite heavily now that some campaigns are set during the day. There is a much starker contrast between light and dark. Out doors during the day everything is hazed in a blanket of oranges and golds. But inside houses and buildings, it's lights off. Pitch black. Shot damage is much more evident on the infected that it was before. Shotguns blasts rip open backs and expose rib cages, head shots show the ol' cranium, limbs can be seen flying off as they're shot away - making things look a bit more realistic, and serving up fun times to see the various way you can blast a hole into an infected.

Left 4 dead wowed and set the standard with its intensity and the sheer overwhelm of enemies. But if you thought the first game was bad, the second is worse. The game feels seriously intense. It's like playing the survival mode within a campaign at times. I was not prepared for just how many infected would swarm my team mates and I. Valve did an amazing job heightening the tension this brings, and I shudder to think how bad things will get in later stages on higher difficulties. Then you have the new special infected. They aren't as iconic or as memorable as the originals, but they can f**k shit right up for you just as bad.

Many had doubts about the new crew, but they're a great bunch. Seriously. Why did we doubt that Valve could bring us another likeable bunch of characters!? Just as Zoey was the weakest link in the first game, new girl Rochelle's position ranks lowest. She's the least vocal and drops the least memorable lines. But Coach, Ellis and Nick are all great, and the banter between them is gold.

Left 4 dead 2 is what you'd expect really. It seems to have just enough going for it that fans will be more than happy with it. Yet, feels different enough from the first game that it doesn't negate it in anyway, and will still have the first game getting plays from fans every now and then. Based on the demo, I say Left 4 dead 2 is a pretty worthy sequel and will make fans happy. Even those boycotting sods will eventually give in and buy this game. You just can hate the game when it's as fun as it is.

Wii remote TV rape

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:39:00 +0000

Now, if that were my TV, I'd want to kill somebody with the same Wii remote that raped it. So my heart goes out to the owner of this Wii damaged HD set.

I hope the person that did this had insurance... ASS WHOOPIN' INSURANCE! Because they'd be getting a beat down and then some after this.

You would cry if this were your TV. How could you not!? A 70 inch HDTV with a hole in it! There'd be tears, and there would be blood and a house arrest.

Kick arse 8-bit rap music video

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:12:00 +0000

Swedish rapper Pato Pooh has gone all old skool retro for his "Follow me" song AND music video. 8-bit video game nostalgia never looked and sounded so good.

The coolest music video I've seen since watching that one where a Korean girl group swing hips and get titty caressed. I couldn't identify a great deal of the games that made their way into this video. But I managed to tag Starwing, Donkey Kong, Ice climbers, Mega man, Super Mario world, Yoshi's island, Punch-out and Street Fighter alpha 2. Okay, so I lied. So I managed to identify quite a few. It's cool to see Nintendo got shown so much love. Rightly so. They pretty much were the 8-bit generation.

The dude that created this music video is named Maceo Frost. Goes without saying the dude has a serious talent. And dude at the age of 19, he's bound to get bigger and better. You can check out his showreel over at his official website. With skills like his and the popularity of this music video; he's bound to catch some worldwide attention. I'm betting 'retro, colour, original, up 'n coming' loving rappers such as Kanye West, Kid Cudi, Lupe Fiasco and Pharrell Williams will soon want this kid to a video for them.

Cosplay of the day: Asuka Kazama

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:56:00 +0000

Let's all be thankful that those straps are holding up that top. Because spillage would have been disastrous and made doves cry.

Christopher Walken: The "Poker face" king

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:38:00 +0000

You're about to witness one of the best, and completely unlikely renditions of Lady Gaga's "Poker face" in the world...

I thought Christopher Walken was cool in Batman returns and Sleepy hollow. But he just levelled up some with his version of "Poker face". He needs to release this on iTunes and tour jazz clubs with this shit. I'd buy into it.

I was never a huge fan of the original song "Poker face". The bloody thing got on my nerves. But Christopher Walken's version, I can go for. It's quite scary how much more sexy this version was than Lady Gaga's. I think it's the way Chris worked the "Oh"'s.

Lady Gaga? Take some damn notes.

New creppage!

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:30:00 +0000

I'm as fussy as arseholes when it comes to trainers, because they aren't things I just buy on a whim. I'm fortunate to own several pairs. So I don't ever have to go out on an emergency shop to buy a pair because my ye ole faithfuls have started talking, gargling water and slushing like shit with every step I take in the rain.

I really am too specific when it come to footwear I want, which makes it a nightmare for me to buy trainers - because there really is no guarantee I'll even find what kind of style trainer I have conjured in my mind. I'm realistic with my desires though. It's stuff I know could be found, and nothing stupidly obscure like 'A trainer that looks kinda like Link's boots from Twilight princess, with an air bubble and white sole'.

Every now and again a trainer style catches my eye when I'm not even looking for it, and it's just everything I want. The pink and black Nikey's above, was such a pair. I just had to have them!

Despite my penchant for black and pink where my blogs are concerned, they're not a colours I wear all the time and have in abundance. I've only recently started wearing black jeans again and I only own two pink T-shirts, and one other pair of Nike's with a lil' bit o' pink on 'em. So it wasn't a desire to have a pair of pink and black trainers. It was a case of just plain liking everything about the trainers and just having to have them.

I'm going to have to contain my trainer buying urges. Because I've seen quite a few pairs that I like and fit the mould of exactly what I want.

Tweet Bob

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:54:00 +0000

Tekken 6's Bob (who I occasionaly refer to affectionately as My n***a Bob) has a Twitter! Yes, you heard me. Bob has a Twitter account!! I'm already following him, and you should too. I love the man. Watching a fat, rotund man roll across the floor, do fly kicks and somersaults without even breaking a sweat just blows my mind. Bob is what every larger sized man should aspire to me. Shoot - I feel to go put on 200 pounds and buy me a red shirt, some jeans and some sling braces!

I'm on a mission to get Bob his own spin-off game on PSP and an extra seven outfits for Tekken 6 via downloadable content. You could make him some new outfits with Tekken 6's customizing feature. But I feel Bob deserves seven new defaults outfits.

Bob now needs to set up a Facebook, myspace and Xbox LIVE account. I'm not even sure what it is about Bob that I love so much. I just do. Best. Tekken character. EVER!

Tweet at Bob: Bob @ Twitter
Game review: Namco's long awaited Tekken 6

Wii 2!?

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:23:00 +0000

Wii 2 will have a blu ray drive. Well, according to some specs which hit the net not long ago. The first website I found this on was a gangsta ass website. So I thought perhaps they'd made it up just to make a post. But Googling shows that this shit is ALL over the Internets.

Wii2 will feature a blu-ray disc drive.

Support for 1080p resolution for blu-ray movies and games.

A simultaneous worldwide release slated for the third quarter of 2010.

A trade-in scheme for existing Wii owners to receive a discount on the new hardware.

An announcement set to touch down a mere month before release date, after riding on the back of viral marketing to build hype.

If Wii 2 had the same specs as a GameCube or a Wii (they're both the damn same anyway) then Blu ray space would be wasted. Because the graphics would be of such a played out quality that it wouldn't even need the extra disc space to be stored on. It could be telling that there is nothing what-so-ever in these Wii 2 itd-bits regarding the systems' graphical capabilities. Could you imagine if the Wii 2 was exactly the same as the original Wii, but with a blu-ray drive, HD support and NOTHING else!? This sounds like some shit that could actually fly at Nintendo. Just look at the evolutionary steps from the DS, to the DSi, and then to the DSi LL. Nintendo aren't ones to fully embrace current technology. They always like to creep 5 years behind the competition.

So, what are these 'specs' and bits of info based on? The supposed tellinsg of a Nintendo marketing employee. Until shit is official, this is all fakeness. Plus, the whole thing fell apart spectacularly at the point about the trade-in. Nintendo would never stand for that shit. Any trade-in scheme would be a store thing and not an official Nintendo thing. Nintendo are all about printing their own money. Not helping gamers save it.

But a new Nintendo system with a blu-ray drive would be really cool. Even though Nintendo probably wouldn't allow it to play Blu ray movies without a 16-digit Blu ray movie code.

Leon and Krauser make getting jiggy in South America look real bad

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:02:00 +0000

With Resident evil 4 pretty much having no story at all, and the setup being little more than roping in Leon Kennedy as a glorified bad ass baby sitter. The darkside chronicles features a chapter which will shed some light on Leon's activities post Raccoon city, and just exactly what happened between he and Krauser.

I guess this is as close to Resident evil 5 as Wii owners are gonna get. Capcom threw in some sand, some wood some huts and even a couple of black people to shoot. There's no Sheva, but there is some girl in a white dress.

I was playing Resident evil 5 a few days ago. And after seeing The Darkside chronicles in action like this, I think it looks terrible. Owning an Xbox 360 really does make me see Wii games in a completely different a light. A light that has the games looking like they're running on a mobile phone with a bad resolution and a dying battery. The game looks good by Wii standards. And I know you shouldn't compare PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 games outright, but it's difficult not to.

This new Leon and Krauser chapter is intriguing. We really should have been told about what ever happened between Leon and Krauser in Resident evil 4. But Capcom Punk'd and sexed us with game play so good that nobody bothered to ask questions, and draw out all the if's and buts concerning the story until long after.

The Pac man mobile

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:44:00 +0000

This car is super nasty. It's been pimped to a level that makes Xzibit and the West coast customs concocted pimps look relatively tame. I wouldn't ride in this shit unless I absolutely had to. But it'd be a cool conversation starter. And it'd be fun to see the kind of pick-up lines you could use on the ladies upon stepping out of it. Ones that I can run off of the top of my head include...

1: Yo' girl, you wanna come 'gobble gobble' on this!
2: They cowl me the Pac man, because I gots a big appetite!
3: I'm hungry gurl, feed meh!
4: Be my Ms. Pac man and swallow some o' dis

Any guaranteed low brown, bordering on vulgar Pac man related pulling pick up lines you'd care to add?

Once upon a time, I saw a drug head

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:28:00 +0000

I remember seeing a drug head a couple of months ago. Well... I'm guessing he was one. He was really skinny, kept sniffing, was really fidgety and was just an odd looking man. Oh yeah. And he had white stuff that had been not so subtly and un-carefully wiped from his nose. That was a bit of a clue.

He was walking really fast towards me, which instantly put me on edge. All that was running through my head was "I really do not want anything to happen right now..." I kept walking and when he had gotten right to me, he asked me for 50p. To which I said "No, sorry!" and quickly walked off. If he'd saved the crack for another day, then he would have had 50p to spend on whatever he wanted to spend it on (probably mo' crack). Unless he's one of those crack heads who pays for his fix with 'favours'. And I ain't talking about washing cars and babysitting.

When I look back on it I find it kinda funny. But also really tragic. Mostly the tragic part. To think that somebody could hit such rock bottom that they're asking strangers on the street for money, and having their entire life revolve around a drug: it's pretty heart breaking really. Such irony. The one thing they're living for is the one thing that's killing them. Not just physically, but metaphorically as well. How can you really live at all like that...

Game review: Tekken 6

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:16:00 +0000

Two years and a couple of systems later, we finally have Tekken 6. Namco are fashionable late to the party, but it's better late than never. Especially when the latest instalment marks its debut on more than one system. And console owners get the Bloodline rebellion revision of the game as a result of Namco making us wait so long - something Tekken fans should be grateful for.

Tekken is a game that doesn't set out to try and win over any new fans. But instead keep the old ones happy, in the hopes that perhaps one or two curious souls will want in on what the fuss is about. But for the most part Tekken 6 is very much for the old skoolers who have been rolling with The king of iron fist tournament for years. It's not to say anybody new to Tekken won't enjoy the game. But they probably won't go wet in the pants as fans will when they first boot up the game.

The workings of Tekken is easy to explain. Each button controls the limb of a character, and you work these buttons in sequence to lay a smackdown in a dazzling array of broken floors, shattered wall, dust and pyrotechnic effects. Pressing a specified duo of the buttons will initiate a throw or a powerful attack. It is the logic of this control setup thatmakes Tekken so accessible. But underneath the simplicity lies a deep and intricate game of juggles, bounces, bounds, counters, buffering and shit loads of other stuff that will have players mastering forever. The simplicity is there for those looking for easy thrills, but the depth is there for the hardcore: just as a good beat 'em up should be.

Tekken 6 has a story. It's easily the most story driven game of the lot, but it doesn't do much to colour the game and doesn't impact it one way or the other. It's just there. Characters who were supposed to be dead before Tekken 3 are now alive, yet Jun Kazama still remains dead. There's some ridiculously skank Egyptian monster that has no relevance to anything as the last boss. Yeah. The story sho' is a mess. But it's there for those interested in it. You're treated to some pretty cool endings all the same.

The character roster that Tekken 6 serves up is the best in the series to date. Varied, unique (a palette swap or two aside) and fun to use. Tekken 6 also brings some new faces into the mix. Leo fits in nicely. She doesn't have the most distinct fighting style or look (Rock Howard anybody?) But she has a great move set, is easy to pick up and play as, and feels like a character who been amongst the Tekken cast for a good while. Bob (who I affectionately refer to as 'my n***a Bob') is the absolute shit. Once glance at him on the character select screen is enough to make you think he's some stupid joke, and that he'll be some slow lumbering fool. But the dude is QUICK! He can do somersaults, quick rolls, counters and even attack with his belly. A great character. Lars looks like a Dragon ball Z character and Alisa looks like she who was made using Soul Calibur III's character creation and then ported over. But they're both fun to play as, and have some really cool moves. Miguel and Zafina on the other hand are both boring and forgettable characters, with weird move sets and some pretty strange animations. Tekken 7 could do without them both.

Tekken 6's campaign mode is pretty boring to play. But if you want to unlock the characters' endings and customize your fighters - you'll need to put some serious hours into this mode. It's better than Tekken 4's Tekken force and Tekken 5's Devil within. But you do get bored of it after a while. And Namco seemed to have deluded themselves into thinking that the mode is so fun we could do with 20 plus stages of the same palette and colour swap bullshit. Don't ask for thanks Namco. You won't get it from me. The mode is nothing great. But it does a good job of pushing a narrative for the latest 2 newcomers: Lars and Alisa, and also the relationship between Jin and Nina (it ain't that kinda relationship). It's a shame this mode isn't online co-opp'ed. But Namco plan to release a patch to make it so real soon - which should make this mode a bit more tolerable and fun. Shit is always better with friends and not A.I. Resident evil 5 taught me that in Kijuju delivery truck load.

Character customization was introduced with Virtua Fighter 4. Copied by Tekken 5. And has been taken to extremes with Tekken 6. The character customization in this game is extensive to say the least. You can change how your character looks drastically to the point they no longer look like their default self, and are only recognizable by their stance and fighting style. What seems like something so throw away on the surface, soon becomes an obsession. It's easy to get lost spending a fair amount of time customizing your character. And just to ensure everybody clocks hours in the Scenario campaign mode - many of the items can only be obtained by playing through it extensively with EVERY character. Punishment certainly reaps the rewards in this case.

The graphics in the game aren't as good as I remembered them to be in the arcade. Maybe its because the game is two years old, or perhaps my TV set up isn't as big as sharp as the arcade systems' I played it on. But something about Tekken 6 looks rough around the edges and little dated. There were times I even questioned myself and asked "How much better does this really look than Tekken 5!" And wondered if a setting had changed on my TV, because it didn't even look HD to me. Everything lacks that flair that Tekken 5 and Soul Calibur III had. Particularly the environments which lack a great deal of artistic licence. The graphics are not bad by any means. But they lack that shine that Virtua Fighter 5 still has (both specular and metaphorical) and its certainly no Soul Calibur IV. Jagged edges. Dodgy hair. Shabby textures on floors. Tekken 6 could have looked better and a little bit more polish could have gone a long way. I won't throw Namco a lifeline by chalking it all down to being a two year old game, because Virtua Fighter 5 and Dead or alive 4 are much older games and they still hold graphically today, and look better in some cases. The scenario campaign highlights the lack of graphical sheen even further. Environments look bland. Textures are non-existent on some surfaces. Lighting is basic. Wii could have pull some of this shit off without taxing itself too much.

What I'm about to say will break some hearts, but the online play in Tekken 6 isn't as wonderful as fans may have hoped. It's great to have it. But the net code for this game is plain shoddy. The lag is just plain awful. Every single match I have played online has been plagued with lag. I sent messages to all my opponents to ensure if wasn't just me experiences lagtastic matches, and they stressed the same thing: there has been lag in all of their matches too. Hopefully Namco will iron this out with a patch update, because if they don't; the online mode will be something that many will give up on. I've already resided myself to the offline modes, because online is damn near unplayable. Every online match is a case of luck, because moves you pull off won't execute on cue. If you're an owner of Tekken 6 and you've not encountered this problem, then count yourself lucky and a source of my envy and jealously.

Tekken was always a series that astounded me with its loading times. From Tekken 1 right up to 5: loading was near non-existent. Now we have game 6 running on better hardware, and all of a sudden we've got gangsta loading times. Both the 360 and PS3 versions allow hard drive installs, which I strongly recommend. Xbox 360's sound like a fighter jets hovering above your house when reading off of discs and the hardware usually decides to scratch the hell out of the disc in the process. So if you value your copy of Tekken 6, you'll install it from the offset. Installs speed up times considerably, but they are still seconds too long. In Tekken 5 you could actually skip the VS. screens and many screens the game threw at you in-between matches. In Tekken 6, you can't. And are forced to sit and wait through them. An option to set the character select to quick select helps loading also. But this doesn't extend to the VS. screen, which still makes you wait for real time character models to load, instead of opting for a VS. screen which simply has the static character artwork.

Tekken 6 is a good game. It's pretty much what you would expect really. The one thing you can rely on Namco to do with Tekken is not really change too much - but change enough that the game does feel new. They learnt their lesson well about changing too much shit unnecessarily with Tekken 4 and have stuck to the formula ever since. And for this, Tekken 6 is a more than decent game.

Tekken 6 is worth buying if you're a fan of the series. But if you're not, then there's not much here to win you over, and you'll probabaly find the game's shortcomings to be much more overbearing than a fan who will have a higher tolerance for them, and even justify them in some cases. Tekken 6 didn't blow me away in the same way that Tekken 5 did. But it is a really good game. The game mechanics are solid and the Tekken foundations are as sturdy as they have ever been. But there is a slight underwhelming feeling that overcomes you when you first play this game. And I couldn't help but think that a little bit more polish and sprucing up here and there, really would have done this game wonders.

The good
+ The best selection of characters to grade a beat 'em up since Marvel vs. Capcom 2
+ Fun to play
+ A solid amount of replay value
+ Brilliant character customization

The bad
- The graphics could have been tarted up a little more
- The environments lack the artistic flair of Tekken 5 and Soul Calibur III
- The online play is some lagge dout bullshit

J in Japan: The gardens of boredom

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 02:25:00 +0000

One of my mates got to check out Tokyo tower (something I didn't get to do, but is on the list for J in Japan: 2010). From there he saw the imperial garden, and reported back to the rest of us how cool it looked and that we should go there. Waking up one morning with nothing to do, it seemed to make perfect sense to go check this garden out. What a waste of flippin' time.

I'm sure whatever my buddy saw from the tower looked spectacular. But the views we had from the groud weren't as amazing. You get to walk around all the cool looking buildings, but can't go inside any of them. Every time we tried to walk into one, an M. Bison gave us the X-arms symbol - which means "No!" Splendid. So we had to make do with lots of grass walls. More grass. Walls. A swan. Some shrubs. More grass, and more walls. Oooo!! And gravel.

The imperial garden seems to like to play pranks too. Not far from the Tōkagakudō music hall was this incredibly steep hill. One of the sign posts at the bottom had stated there is a structure at the top. Only, when you reach the top - you find there's nothing there except for a plaque that says "There used to be a building here, but in the [insert relevant era here], it was [insert appropriate term for the buildings demise here]". I could have spat in somebody's face I was so pissed off. So back down the hill I went: moving down it faster than my legs could carry me. I feel sorry for any old people that brave that hill. Although most of Japan's elderly are probably spring chickens and more chipper than I am. They probably could have ran me up the hill on piggy back and then ran me down again without breaking a sweat (or a rib).

The imperial palace was boring. I honestly felt like I wasted a whole day at the place. One of the guys (the one who suggested we go check it out) did apologize for the suggestion. It was a 5 month late apology, but he did apologize. There are some nice sights, but nothing looks as spectacular up close as it does from a distance. The only cool thing I can say about visiting about the place is that one section of it looked like Taki's stage in Soul Calibur II. But other than that...

DSi LL: The larger DS for users with shitty eye sight and big hands

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 02:12:00 +0000

It's a DSi. Only bigger. It's not much. But just enough to have it sell like crazy. Surprisingly, this won't be hitting Europe, the America's or our mates dahhhhn unda' until sometime 2010. I thought Nintendo would roll it out worldwide in time for Christmas. But I guess Nintendo know that it doesn't matter when a DS re-release drops, because it'll speed print that money every time regardless.

To Tekken, or not to Tekken? Not even a question.

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 03:33:00 +0000

Who am I kidding. I'm so gonna buy Tekken 6 tomorrow. I've had a bit of a weird relationship with Tekken 6 since Namco first debuted it in a trailer. I went from hating it, to thinking it was completely stupid. To kinda liking it. To loving it. To hating it again. To loving it and wanting it badly like sex from Hikaru Utada. To then feeling doubtful again.

Reviews for Tekken 6 haven't been awful. But they're not as glowing as I thought they would be. Things that get flagged up across the board are the games' pretty iffy net code which plagues online matches, the graphics not being the best and it essentially being a 2 year old game and showing.

Tekken is one of those games that is strictly for the fans. If you've not been up on Tekken before, then there's nothing that's going to entice you now. I'm a self confessed fan. I own several of the the games. Game 6 looks and plays better than Tekken TAG and Tekken 4, so I know I'll be buying it.

And for those wondering what the hell that image is above. It's of my n***a Bob's right titty. I love that man. Best Tekken character...EVER! I used to be all about Nina Williams and Asuka Kazama, but they got sidelined like ho's for my n***a Bob.

Oooo, she's a sexy beee-yitch!

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 02:35:00 +0000

I have a bit of a love / hate relationship with Bayonetta. On one hand I think it looks amazing and hella fun. But on the other hand, the game just stinks of Devil may cry. And I'm no fan of Devil may cry.

Despite Bayonetta essentially looking like Devil may cry with different characters, I'm a little drawn to it. Maybe it's the lead character being a female who can do flips, open her legs, make orgasmic moans as she impales the undead and strips off as she summons demons. Or perhaps it's the flair the game has. Hmmm... It's probably the female part. But Bayonetta is a game I'm now beginning to keep a keen eye on. I even downloaded the Devil may cry 4 demo thinking it'd be tangible. It wasn't, for the record. It was a waste of my bandwidth.

Famitsu recently reviewed the game and gave it a perfect 40 score. Well, the Xbox 360 version got a perfect 40 score. The PlayStation 3 version got a score of 38. Graphical differences and frame rate issues caused the Fammy reviewers to knock a couple of points off.

Bayonetta's gone from looking like a clone, to a stand out in its own right. Will I buy this, or won't I? I'm still on the fence on this one. But Bayonetta is a game I do genuinely want to play.

Once the demo hits the UK Xbox LIVE marketplace, I'll be sure to download it, and then take it all from there.

J in Japan ~ a random moment: Super jump star

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 02:22:00 +0000

Odaiba beach was an amazing place that my mates and I were fortunate enough to catch at sunset and immortalize in many pictures. We goofed around on the beach and each took a shot of one another jumping with the sun-setted skyline as our backdrop. I gloat in the faces of the other guys. Because mine came out the best.

The island that mesmerized: Odaiba...

Wii 2: More compact and less expensive

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 02:14:00 +0000

The God on earth who has living Pikmin in his garden and a Bow Wow on a chain outside his front door to keep fan boys and sales men at bay that is Miyamoto-san, has already spoken on the successor to Wii. Many are already speculating that Nintendo will need to release one sooner or later. Saying that Wii 2 is premature would be an understatement. But it's clearly on Miyamoto-san's mind, as he had some words to say on the matter.

While we don't have any concrete plans for what we'll be doing with hardware in the future, what I can say is that, my guess is that because we found this interface to be so interesting, I think it would be likely that we would try to make that same functionality perhaps more compact and perhaps even more cost-efficient.

More cost efficient than what? The Wii!? Because I won't be buying into another system of Nintendo's if the graphics are only marginally better than the Wii's and Nintendo still refuse to go HD with it and sling in a hard drive. High definition output and hard disk space didn't seem like much of a necessity 3 years ago. But a lot can and HAS happened in 3 years. Consoles have hit a stage where HD, hard disk and unrestricted online play is now a norm. Almost a standard. So unless Nintendo keep up with the gaming Jones' and their HD loving - they WILL get left behind. I can't see them pulling out another paradigm shifting peripheral / gimmick that will be able to mask a systems shortcoming again.

Wii has done amazing to have penetrated the market the way it has and shift expectations. But Microsoft and Sony's systems are in full swing, with the triple-A software releases steadily rolling out. And all the while, nothing really substantial and head turning is releasing for Wii. Unless Barbie and the 3 musketeers, Scene it! and 101-in-1 party megamix floats your gaming boat.

I read over at endgadget that with New Super Mario bros. Wii the Wii processor is being pushed to the limit. Not Super Mario Galaxy 2. New Super Mario bros. Wii! That shit that looks exactly like the DS version. This sure bodes well for future titles...

Cosplay of the day: Oerba Dia Vanille

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 02:04:00 +0000

Can't knock a good cosplay, and I certainly can't knock this. The hair, the outfit, the pose. Even the girl herself actually looks a bit like Oerba dia Vanille! I wonder what Tetsuya Nomura's thoughts or muses were behind Vanille's design and outfit. It's almost like Raquel Welch in One Million Years B.C. ran threw herself into a stand Accessorize.

Oerba is a sexy looking character. How can you not find her cute?! Just look at that face, them legs and the boots with just enough heel for her to strut the sex. But I can see her being annoying. She reminds me of Penelo from Final Fantasy XII. Only legal, and with more style. Although Penelo wasn't so much annoying as she was pretty invisible. I often forgot she was even in my party. With how crap she was and how Vaan made no effort to put the game on her she so desperately wanted.

Day in, day out

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:34:00 +0000

Have you ever had days where you feel like you're marked? So much bad shit happens to you at the worst possible time and begin to ask "Why me?", "Why the f**k now?", "What the hell have I done!?" Is that a resounding "Yes" I hear? You fixate. Become so consumed in these thoughts and feelings that you start to feel jaded. Oblivious to anything else. But somewhere along what feels like a long road to hating your life, you begin to somehow see the silver lining around the cloud that rained shit on you before hand, and what was a long road seems like a short journey with a diversion. And glimmers of goodness come to you through out the day in different forms and guises. It can be seeing a friend's face. Taking time out with a close cousin you've not seen in ages. Buying a pair of trainers you really love. Helping a lady with a pram up a flight of stairs at Bond street station and having her give you biggest smile and the most sincere thank you. Or somebody you love taking the account of your shitty ordeal(s) and spinning it in a way that makes you smile and feel almost grateful.

Yesterday was a crap day. But today was a good one.

VGM remix: Street Fighter Alpha 2 - Sakura's theme

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0000

I remember the first time I remixed Sakura's theme. It had this really ethereal R&B vibe to it. I loved it. I still play it to myself now and again. But it didn't really reflect Sakura's personality. Not that the piece had to. But I did think to myself "Maybe I should do another remix that has that fun, effervescent charm that Sakura has..." Something you could imagine her 2 stepping and flashing her panties to. So create a 2 stepping pantie flashing remix I did...

Listen: Sakura's theme: The cherry blossom

New arrangements & production by Random J
© Capcom

The switch at the end wasn't intended. I was messing around with bass lines and then in the midst of my messing around thought "Oooo, that sounds kinda hot!" And the proceeded to give the song a full breakdown. It's completely different from the main part of the song, but I like it so much that I left it in. I'm thinking about Sakura folks! She can get her bubble gum step on to the first part of the song, and then grind up on her senpai and get sexy to the last part. I did have my thinking cap on when I did this remix. It was a bit wonky, but I was wearing it.

Miss Yun Fang, the young thang

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 22:24:00 +0000

That Australian sounding chick in the last epic to the eye balls trailer of Final Fantasy XIII? Her name is Oerba Yun Fang. Oerba is sexy in a mysteriously exotic kinda way (that drape shit exposing the leg and the clevage also helps!) But that name is a joke. It sounds like a Korean delicacy. Kimchee would've been a better name, seeing as I'm briefly on the subject of Korean delicacies. I wouldn't be mad if Square Enix went and gave Sazh a line like: "Oerba Yun Fang!? Oooo, she a young thang!?" I rather hope they did.

Oerba shares part of her name with Vanille. Square have disclosed no details on if there's a connection between the two. I'm not going to read into it too much yet. They could be blood related. Or Oerba could just be a name given to people of a certain race, colony or tribe within the word of XIII, and the two of them just happen to both be a part of it.

Yun Fang's Eidolon (as shown in the lovely image above) is Bahamut. Who looks a bit iffy. But Bahamut's looks have gone to shit from IX onwards. In Final Fantasy X he had some stupid wagon wheel on his back, now he looks like something that's been made on a Sunday epiode of Scrap head challenge. I wonder what he's going to transform into... A gundam? A Honda Civic with a spoiler, 45 inch rims and mounted gun turrets? I'm just assuming he'll transform into something given how mecha-esque he looks.

Bayonetta on Wii? (^ o ^)

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 22:00:00 +0000

I bet if Platinum games were to port Bayonetta onto the Wii, this is what it'd look like. Judging from what I've been reading, the PlayStation 3 version of Bayonetta's frame rates aren't much better than those in this prototype video.

It would be pretty cool if the game featured a mode where you could beat down men in karate suits. It'd be so weird, and so random. But so damn cool.

Seeing the karate suits and knowing Sega are publishing this title had thoughts of a new Shenmue game flood back into my mind again. Oh Lord... Do NOT get me started on my desires for a Shenmue 3...

Like an Ocarina

noreply@blogger.com (Random J) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 21:19:00 +0000

The clocks went back yesterday... Or this morning... Whenever! But the clocks went back an hour. It felt rather nice for me, given that I'd conked out around 4 'o clock on Saturday evening and didn't wake up until around 11. The power nap sho' felt good. But as was to be expected it kept me up all night. So when it hit 6, I was glad to receive a text from the mother (no idea why she was still awake!) that the clocks had gone back. At first I was all "Yay! An extra hour!" But it made no difference as I got so caught up in what I was doing all morning, that before I knew it it was 7 'o clock in the morning and daylight was breaking.

As for what I was caught up doing on my computer? No. I wasn't workin' it out with the porn. I was up all hours of the morning working on another video game related remix. I (thought I'd) finished it months ago. But listening to it this morning I was overcome with the urge to tweak this, tweak that, and change huge sections. Once I'm on a roll with the music gig, I just have to ride it out. So I did. Right up until the wheels fell off at 7 'o clock in the morning. Non VGM enthusiasts mightn't not care. But I'll be posting the remix up later in the evening.