Gunbuster

First a moment of remembrance: Ed McMahon, Farah Fawcett, Michael Jackson and Billy Mays all left this world this past week (Fawcett and Jackson on the same day, even). A sad time for television and music lovers...or, well, everyone really. Please, no more! :(

Today it's two in one. Gainax's Gunbuster and Diebuster (or Gunbuster 2).

You'd hardly know the shows were meant to accompany each other at first glance. The original is serious and emotional (if cheesy and a little campy at times), but the second series is far more comedic and pretty perverted. The first is very old school, the second looks a lot like FLCL and Eureka Seven in terms of style and design. They're entirely different creatures. About the only things tying them together are the Buster music theme, the giant robots, and their fight against the space monsters. Though once you get to the ending of GB2, the two series are finally tied together, and quite nicely. There are some nice throwbacks to the original series throughout the show (and some clear inspirations from both Evangelion and FLCL), but they're far more in your face and obvious during the last episode. At that point you're left going "Ooooh sweet! Now it feels like Gunbuster all over again." They're definitely meant to be watched together. They did make "movie" versions of both, but all they really are is shortened versions of each series. And at just 6 episodes each, cutting them down cuts too much out (leaving out important things like, oh I don't know, character development).

They pack an awful lot into each series' 6 episodes, though I really think the original GB has more character development than DB. The story also flows better (though it's not any less confusing). In DB there are several time jumps that suddenly bring the characters into different situations without much explanation.

Gunbuster follows the journey of Noriko Takaya and Kazumi Amano, two Buster pilots trained under the watchful and caring eye of Coach Koichiro Ohta. Kazumi is the star pilot, Noriko is, well...clumsy is a decent term. Yet it is the two of them that are picked by Coach Ohta to leave their training school (they're high school aged) and join the Exelion crew in space to fight the space monsters. The two of them (and Noriko specifically) are being groomed to pilot the advanced Buster machine known as Gunbuster (a combined, two person super robot). Kazumi is out to prove herself, Noriko is out both to prove herself and to get revenge for the death of her father (a ship captain killed several years ago by space monsters; Coach Ohta is the only surviving member of that crew), and Ohta is out to groom them to save the human race. Like any anime directed by Hideaki Anno, the characters of Gunbuster are tortured and must overcome their self-doubt in order to save their friends. The show is good, if a little cheesy (it's from 1988), drawn well, written well, and put together well. The final episode is in black and white for some reason, with some stock and static images, so I was left wondering if they ran out of money or time at that point, or if it was a style choice.

There's a lot of "we're traveling at light speed so the people on Earth will age X amount of time while we're in LS," which has always bothered me. It's not something I understand. I mean, you're just going really really fast though basic space. So I don't understand how that makes you jump forward in time. I mean, if I'm in a car going 70 miles an hour, and someone is walking to the same destination at 3 miles an hour, I'll get there first, but the same amount of real time would have passed for both of us. Or is it just the fact that they're traveling at LS that does it? Science just doesn't agree with my brain, I guess.

In Diebuster (GB2) there's a whole new set of characters. The story takes place thousands of years later. A robotic girl named Nono, obsessed with becoming a Buster pilot, runs away from home and eventually comes across a Topless named Lal'C. Though unable to pilot a Buster because she is not a Topless (she can't be, as she's a robot), Nono follows Lal'C and becomes a member of the Fraternity - a group of teenage Topless who pilot Buster machines and their backup members and crew. The group fights off the space monsters, working to uncover exactly why they exist and what their true purpose in the universe is as the human race once again faces extinction. It's hard to describe what a "Topless" is exactly. It seems to be influenced by FLCL, in that their powers emanate from their foreheads. It's some sort of psychic energy, I think, that allows them to control a Buster machine until their expiration date (when their powers cease functioning all together). Nono takes it very literally in one episode, thinking that it means she has to BE topless, and removes her shirt to fight. Unlike their Gunbuster counterparts, the Buster machines in DB are more than mere robots - they are sentient beings that occasionally disobey the orders of their pilots, and only awaken to pilots whom are ready.

When you know that Hideaki Anno (director of Evangelion) directed Gunbuster and Kazuya Tsurumaki (assistant director for Evangelion, director of FLCL, director of the recent Evangelion film remakes) directed Diebuster, the inspirations and references are obvious. Gunbuster came 7 years before Eva, but you can see some of the ideas for the popular show already beginning to form. And the FLCL style is all over Diebuster.

Both series come on 3 discs, and neither of them have English voice overs, so be ready to read the subtitles. 6 episodes on 3 discs is less of a problem for the original series than the more recent one. If that's they way there were broken apart on the original VHS, I can see how it would be easier to just leave them that way. But there's little excuse for a show from 2004/06 to come that way (unless it's some sort of legal or marketing issue). Both are licensed by Bandai in the US. Diebuster also has a manga, though it's currently only available in Japan. DVD extras included for the original GB: interviews with cast and crew, promotional animations, and Science Lessons (a series of short omake that discuss the science and mythology of the series). The DB DVDs also had some interviews with the show creators and a trailer for the movies.

Well, I'll be watching Texhnolyze next. Hopefully I can get through that before I have to go on vacation. I also recently ordered the second half of Black Lagoon and also AIR TV, so I may review those in the coming weeks.

Image: (Left) Gunbuster, Coach Ohta, Kazumi, (Center) Noriko, Nono, (Right) Dix-Neuf, Lal'C and Tycho.

Mushi-Shi

The cure lies in the curse.

If you like shows like Kino's Journey, Haibane Renmei or
Natsume Yuujin-Chou, then you'll probably enjoy Mushi-Shi (also spelled Mushishi interchangeably, so I'm not sure which is exactly accurate). Much like Kino's Journey, Mushi-Shi follows a lone traveller from place to place as he interacts with various people of different beliefs and backgrounds. It's a very slow paced (in a good way), gently woven, mysterious and supernatural tale of a Mushi Master (a Mushi-Shi) named Ginko who travels the land studying mushi and helping humans deal with mushi problems. Mushi in this series are supernatural creatures connected with the essence of life. So, they're not exactly ghosts, but they behave like spirits and come in many different forms. Most people cannot see Mushi, but Ginko is even rarer in that he actually attracts them. Because of this he has become a traveling Mushi Master, unable to stay in one place for too long. Most mushi are harmless, but even harmless mushi don't always live in harmony with humans, and some others cause great trouble (and even death). So many people will call upon Ginko to aid them with their mushi troubles, which range from mushi that live in a person's eye, causing them to become extremely sensitive to light; to a fungus that uses a human woman's womb to birth its spores.

Most of the episodes are unrelated to each other, episodic, without an underlying connecting story line (much like Kino's Journey, again). However there are a couple of episodes which explore Ginko's past, explaining his odd white hair, his green eyes (and why he is missing one of them), and how he became a Mushi Master. Occasionally a character will reappear, notably another Mushi Master named Adashino and Nui (who physically only appears in one episode, but narrates many of the others), but other than Ginko, there's typically an entirely new cast of characters in each episode.

Ginko is a rather calm, laid back character. He has a clear passion for learning about mushi, and is one of the rare Mushi Masters who prefers to work with the mushi rather than destroy them. He is constantly seen smoking a special type of cigarette (really I think it's only out of his mouth when he's sleeping) which gives off a special smoke that keeps mushi at bay and helps him control them to an extent. He firmly believes that mushi are not evil, and does his best to help humans live in peace with them. Unfortunately, not everyone always agrees with his methods, and sometimes not even Ginko knows the answers to a problem. Often he is forced to search for an unknown cure through the mushi's curse itself.

The 26-episode series is based on the manga series by Yuki Urushibara, which has been published by Del Rey in America. The anime covers about half of the stories in the manga (up to volume 5 or 6). FUNimation produced the English dubbing of the show, and it's excellent. The lovely Travis Willingham (Roy Mustang, Takashi Morinozuka) voices Ginko, and Jennifer Seman is the voice of Nui and the narrator. The animation for the show is really lovely and sets a great tone for the series (though unfortunately the character designs for all but the "main" cast are rather generic). As does the opening theme (though there isn't much to the animation there) "The Sore Feet Song" sung by Ally Kerr. The endings are different instrumental pieces for each episode.

Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo

This one is good, and I mean really good. It's very intense, even for someone who already knows the basic story. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas is a pretty famous story, and most people know of it at least in it's simplest form. Basically it keeps the main themes and central plot of the book - and by that I mean, there's a guy named Edmond Dantes out to get his revenge against the people who stole his life away from him. Otherwise it's been anime-fied. The Count is some kind of demon/vampire creature now (the Gankutsuou), and the story is set in the 50th century (in a sort of period future, meaning the clothes and architecture are very 19th-20th century France, but then there are fancy space ships flying around). The story also focuses less on the Count and more on Mercedes' son Albert and his friends. I often judge the value of an anime based on the emotion it elicits from me as a viewer, and I have to admit that the fifth disc of this series (there are 6) had me bawling.

The show is beautiful. On the fifth disc there is an art gallery (and another, different one on the sixth), and you need to look at this. It's a massive collection (perfectly paced with music) of background art, environment art, and paintings. You will never again doubt Gonzo's ability to produce something visually stunning (not that you should have doubted them to begin with, when they've done amazing work on shows like Last Exile, Trinity Blood, Saikano, and Basilisk). It's a very unique style of animation that you don't see very often, and it does take some getting used to. After a couple of episodes you'll just be mesmerized by the beauty, and that'll be that. Admittedly the show has some very bizarre elements near the end (like old fashioned sword duels inside giant mechs). Yet even as you sit there being weirded out by the flying mechs and devouring demon, you're still astounded by how amazing it all looks. You can't help thinking "This is so bad ass."

I think I've already said most of what can be said about the show itself. It's all about love, friendship, justice, revenge, hope. Many of the same themes that are found in Dumas' novel. So here's the plot of Monte Cristo, which is the same in both the novel and the anime. Edmond Dantes is engaged to marry the beautiful Mercedes. Everything is going well with him - he's getting married, he's inheriting his captain's ship, he's successful and people respect him. When his captain died, he gave him a package and a letter to deliver to two people, who unfortunately had ties with the recently exiled Napoleon. Edmond's jealous friend Fernand (a fellow sailor) and the ship's purser Danglars send a letter to the prosecutor Villefort, claiming that Edmond is a traitor. The innocent and naive Edmond quickly becomes a scapegoat (the letter connects Villefort's father with Napoleon) to save Villefort's career, and Edmond is rushed off to prison without trial. When Edmond manages to escape from prison years later, having had ample time to piece together his unfortunate fate, he vows revenge on those who ruined his life, including Mercedes whom he now finds married to Fernand. Fernand, Danglars and Villefort have all become successful and prosperous in his absence, and disguised as the rich Count of Monte Cristo, he sets about to destroying their lives as they destroyed his. In the book, he meets a man in prison who directs him to a great treasure which he finds after his escape; in the anime he makes a pact with the demon Gankutsuou, though the exact methods of amassing his fortune from nothing aren't really explained.

The book focuses on Edmond himself, but, as I mentioned, the anime focuses on Mercedes' son Albert and Albert's circle of friends. Still it follows the main plot fairly closely; almost all of the major events occur, though usually with a certain flair particular to this retelling's setting and style, and with the emphasis on Albert's development and relationship with his friend Franz, his fiancee Eugenie (a relationship vastly different from that in the book), his mother, and the Count. The ending is also changed quite a bit, but it's powerful, and it wraps everything up very nicely. So yes, it's The Count of Monte Cristo, and while the Count and his revenge is the impetus for the story, he mostly exists to drive Albert and force the young man to mature and awaken from his naivety. So it's also very much a coming-of-age story.

The music in the show is pretty good. The intro is "We Were Lovers," written and sung by Jean-Jacques Burnel. The music and lyrics are wonderful (and the tune is used several times within the show); the vocals...he's kind of all over the place, it takes some getting used to. But it's such a beautiful song, and the animation to go along with it is lovely as well. The end is another by Burnel, "You Won't See Me Coming." Also a stellar use of "Il dolce suono" from the opera Lucia di Lammermoor (the same song is sung by the Diva in the movie The Fifth Element) in the first episode.

The English dubbing is fine. I was only really bothered by the voice for Maximilien Morrel, by Tony Oliver. Yes, Maximilien is a gentle sort of man, but he's also a sailor and a soldier, and the English voice he is given is far too soft. I watched most (probably 90%) of the show in Japanese though. I just liked it more; particularly because Joji Nakata's voice (the Count) is incredibly sexy. And, well, that's important!

This one is definitely worth a watch. It was originally released by Geneon on 6 DVDs, but FUNimation has since acquired the license to the series (like many other Geneon series) and will be re-releasing the series sometime in 2009. The manga is 3 volumes, with the final volume being released by Del Rey in August of this year.

Paradise Kiss

Before I start to talk about Paradise Kiss: This awesome looking game will be coming to America this winter. Hooray! It's Namco/Bandai and tri-Crescendo's (Eternal Sonata) newest title for the Wii: Fragile. Definitely going to have to dust off the Wii for this one.

Jay, over at Toybox, keeps a running tally of all the anime he watches each year. I recently started keeping a list of the novels I read per year (so I can look at it later and scold myself for slacking off), and decided an anime list wouldn't hurt, so I could remember what I've seen. I don't know how accurate my current tally is, but I know the ones on there are shows that I've completed this year, at the very least. I count 24 (which includes a couple films, and a couple of re-watches). Which I think makes me about even with him, actually. :) Working on 25 and 26 right now (Skip Beat! and Gankutsuou). You may notice that there are not 24 corresponding reviews this year. That's because I'm slacking off with the writing...which I really shouldn't be doing (because I'll forget what I thought of the series). I'm going to have to work on this.

Now on to the review!

Paradise Kiss is a sweet romantic comedy (with lots of drama) based on the 5 volume manga series by Ai Yazawa (NANA). Now as the manga was so short, I managed to read it while I was waiting on the 3 DVDs to arrive in the mail, so I may be talking about them intermittently through this review. They stick pretty close together, with some minor changes; the biggest being a slightly ambiguous and rushed ending to the anime (specifically a very important development scene for Arashi; the series could have benefited from just one more episode really) against a better paced and more definitive manga ending, and also a lack of most of the humor that appears in the manga. The sex is also downplayed a bit in the anime, notably a (very) brief S&M scene between George and Yukari, which is entirely absent (it's not superfluous; it is actually important to George's character). But when you get down to it, if you like the story, you must watch the anime regardless; it's really something to see all the clothes on your screen in full design and color. And the clothes are a major part of Paradise Kiss.

High school student Yukari (nicknamed Caroline by her friends) is walking home from school one day when she is accosted by a scruffy looking boy (with safety pins sticking out of his lip and brow, ouch) who asks her to be a model for a fashion show. Entirely freaked out by his passionate approach she attempts to run away but is stopped by a large woman named Isabella, who kidnaps her and takes her to an underground sewing studio. Here she meets Arashi, Isabella, Miwako and George, a group of fashion design students at a near by vocational school. They want her to model their design for a scholarship contest. Taken aback by their bright personalities, strange clothes, and very different life philosophy, she initially declines the offer. To Yukari, the group is wasting their time, piddling away at a hobby, while she studies hard at a top school, trying to get into a good college to please her uptight mother. What she fails to understand, but quickly learns, is that this group of people is following a dream, working hard to become artists in a competitive field, working toward a goal - something that Yukari herself lacks. Yukari studies and attends a prestigious school simply because her mother wants her to; she has no goals or ambitions of her own. When she accepts their request to model George's dress, her entire life is turned upside down, but she grows and discovers her true self, the Paradise Kiss crew her inspiration. A romantic relationship quickly forms with the bisexual, arrogant, cold (he's totally emotionally warped), and intensely creative George that spins her life even more out of control. Somehow, through everything, she is able to convince George, her mother, and herself that she is capable of being independent, making her own decisions, and building her own life.

The English voice over is alright, though I preferred to watch the show in Japanese. Arashi's English voice was too...effeminate maybe? Isabella's voice, in both the English and the Japanese, was too feminine (it is a girl voicing her both times) for a trannie, post- OR pre-op. The English voice for George makes him sound kind of sleazy. In Japanese he seems colder and a little cruel at times. I like that version better. Even though it really makes me feel that poor Yukari is just being naive, and being strung along by George. But it's not that kind of show. His cold manner helps her grow as an individual. He genuinely does love her, that's very clear; but he is extremely cold toward her and there are many arguments and lots of tears throughout. Somehow the cold and overly critical George is exactly what Yukari needs to propel her forward in her otherwise stagnate life. George loves independent women, but the more independent she becomes the further it takes her from George, and if she tries to return to him, he despises her for it; it's a vicious cycle that remains dominant through the entire series.


[slight spoiler here]
The romantic in me wanted so badly for things to work out between Yukari and George but.... The nature of his personality.... The closer she would try to be become with him, the more he would despise her. He wants her to be independent and take responsibility for herself, which means she can't rely on him in any way, blame him for her problems, or choose him over things in her own life. They wouldn't make each other happy. Because in order for him to love her more, she has to become independent of him. And there's no relationship there.
[end spoiler stuff]


Actually Yuraki reminds me a lot of myself, but she's much stronger than I am. She broke away and excelled; I've sort of regressed. I'm just saying that I identify with the character. Though admittedly, my parents weren't as harsh. Or rather, I don't think I had the opportunity to see that, because I had no trouble keeping my grades up. It came easily, so I don't know how they would have reacted if I had been struggling like Yukari. But I can say that when I said "I want to go to college and study theatre," they were behind me 100% from the beginning. But I'm comparing myself with a fictional character built expressly to tell this kind of story, so reflecting on my life in comparison to hers is a little silly.

The animation style reminds me a lot of Mahou Tsukai...Natsu no Sora. But it's actually written by the woman who wrote the Nana manga. It does have the same director (Osamu Kobayashi), so I suppose it comes from there. Because the elements of comparison don't exist in the manga.

The story reminds me a lot of Banri Hidaka's I Hate You More Than Anyone, but I think Paradise Kiss handles it a bit better. More realistic anyway. Where Yukari pursues a modeling career due to the influence of the ParaKiss crew, the lead character of I Hate You... decides to become a hair dresser like the man who is in love with her because she sees the passion he has in creating something with his own hands (which is also one of the reasons Yukari loves George so much).

Paradise Kiss' 12 episodes are available on 3 discs from Geneon/Funimation, and in a box set. DVD extras include interviews with the Japanese cast and crew (including a wonderful presentation where the actress for Yukari, Yu Yamada, wears the realized design of the ParaKiss dress that her character models in the anime), clean credits (and it has a really rockin' intro), and some small art galleries (notably a collection of designs from a fashion design contest). The manga is available in 5 volumes from Tokyopop. Fox International is also considering a live action film adaptation of the story.

E3 09 Roundup

Eee, I've been committing to a few too many things lately, so this won't be as elaborate as I had planned.

Aside from the conferences I watched and summarized, there were other behind doors and non-filmed conferences from the likes of Konami, Capcom, Shigeru Miyamoto, and Square-Enix. This is where things like the next console Zelda title were hinted at. Many trailers were premiered this week, a lot of game play was showcased, and many things received greater explanation. So let's take a look at some of the incredible things that came out of E3 this year. You can also see many of these on the console of your choice.

Many of the major announcements (like God of War 3 and Assassin's Creed) I already highlighted in my previous blogs, so this time I'll be looking at everything else. There are plenty I'm ignoring, but I'm trying to point out the big titles (and will certainly be passing over games like Super Star Petz or whatever).

Here's a quick reference to my other E3 posts:
Sony
Nintendo
Ubisoft
EA
Microsoft

Spore Hero for the Wii. An action adventure game with the full creature creator from the PC game to use to make your hero.

Tekken 6. I shouldn't have to say anything else. If you don't already know what that is, then you probably aren't interested.

Arcania. A new take at the Gothic series. PC, 360, PS3.

Mafia 2. PC, 360, PS3

Demon's Souls A gorgeous looking PS3 RPG from SCEA and Atlus, that will hopefully play as well as it looks.

A Boy and His Blob - a new look at a classic game.

Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time for the PS3

White Knight Chronicles - PS3 RPG from SCE; might be worth getting a PS3 for.

Nostalgia - a great looking RPG for the DS from Tecmo

Rogue Warrior - PC, PS3, 360; Bethesda game based on the books by Richard Marcinko.

Muramasa: The Demon Blade - Nintendo Wii, very stylized JRPG.

Tatsunoko vs. Capcom - Wii

Magna Carta II - from Atlus for the 360

Alpha Protocol - think Mass Effect but with spies instead of aliens

Soul Calibur: Broken Destiny for the PSP, now with Kratos fighting action!

Warriors Orochi 2 for the PSP

Bayonetta - sexy female gun slinging action

The Agency - MMO espionage for the PS3

Saw - You know, of intense horror torture is your thing

Batman: Arkham Asylum - one of the most anticipated games of its genre, complete with Mark Hamill Joker

Overlord II: the first was a lot of fun, but very clunky. I played the demo last night and while they certainly fixed some things (they added a much needed mini-map), there are still some problems with the controls. Also I got stuck on a DEMO, which is not a good sign. In this one you topple the Roman Empire and club baby seals to death.

Astro Boy - DS, Wii, PS3, PSP

Quantum - action adventure game from Tecmo

Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier

Fat Princess - Never has there been so much controversy over a "save the princess" game; rescue your overly large beloved princess and capture your enemy's.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - PS3 and 360, with help from Hideo Kojima.

DC Universe Online - the other highly anticipated title of its genre.

Ace Attorney Edgeworth - Aaaah I can't wait! I hope it's out in time for my birthday, or at least Christmas.

Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 - all those boobs are just for the PS3

Heavy Rain - mystery thriller for the PS3

Alright I think that about does it. Most of the rest I've already talked about in my conference posts. Hopefully with everything you've found plenty of games to look forward to! I know I have!

E3 2009 - Sony

Sony now. I have to be honest here and say I don’t give a crap what Sony’s showing. I don’t have a PS3 or a PSP, and have no near or future intentions of getting either. The only thing I have an interest in is Team ICO’s next title, which might be enough to make me want to get a PS3, but it won’t be out for a while anyway. I don’t even care about God of War 3; I enjoyed the first 2, but I’m kind of tired of it personally.

And here it goes. Montage video to start with. Overlord, God of War, Little Big Planet, Ratchet and Clank, Singstar, FFXIII, Batman, Brutal Legend, Ghost Busters, Saw.

Please welcome Jack Tretton, CEO. “Wow. Thank God you guys showed up.” He’s joking about the leaks. Saying they won’t be outdone by anybody with press leaks. 364 games coming out on PS platforms this year. That is a BIG screen. Apparently it’s not worth watching anything unless it’s shown that big. He’s going over figures and history. 30% of total sales in 2008 were from Sony. Modern Warfare 2, FFXIII, Ratchet and Clank, Batman Arkham, Heavy Rain, Rock Band Beatles. But at least 3 of those will also be on the 360 Jack.

Talking about the PS2 now and how it’s still kicking ass 9 years later. Mine is still kicking, surprisingly. PS2 will get 100 new titles this year. “Today’s PS2 owners are ultimately tomorrow’s PS3 owners.” More facts and figures. More figures regarding PSN.

What consumers really care about – great games. Haha he says some of you have bags under yours eyes because you’re playing Infamous. It’s one of the more than 35 exclusive PS3 titles for this year.

Naughty Dog and Uncharted Drake’s Fortune. Co-Pres of ND is coming out for Among Thieves. Multi-player beta starts tonight. Demo – nice graphics. He’s scaling a building. Big sweeping view of the gorgeous environment. Showing off different player abilities. He’s shimmying across a wooden beam and a helicopter shows up and starts shooting at them. Big shoot out, and an explosion. It’s a really good looking game, fast paced, pretty intense.

Jack is back. Says “Only on Playstation” means not only exclusive, but because it’s only possible to make on Playstation. He’s talking about MAG now. They talked about this last year. It’s a huge massively multiplayer FPS game. 256 players fight each other on a single map. They’re pulling a bunch of people to show off a full 256 person battle live. Ground vehicles, air strikes, ground assaults. Squads are assigned objectives. A LOT of stuff is going on. It looks like there’s a bit of tactical strategy type stuff going on as well. It’s great that you can play with so many people, this massive battle, but the game itself (graphics, gameplay, etc) isn’t blowing me away or anything (it’s not bad, it’s just not OMG amazing).

Jack is back to talk about the PSP. It’s for gamers looking for a richer, deeper portable experience he says (a shot at Nintendo). Dissidia Final Fantasy on Aug 25, Assassin’s Creed Bloodlines in November, and a Rock Band title. Tween girls again. Hannah Montana with a Lilac PSP. People cheered, haha.

Kaz Hirai, CEO Sony computer entertainment. He’s talking about making the PSP better. I’m assuming this a lead up to the PSP GO, which was leaked last week. Wow it’s tiny; he pulled it out of his pocket. LOL “We call it the worst kept secret of E3.” It will not replace the PSP 3000 or the UMD. So they will still support the UMD format. PSP Go, by the way, is digital only. 50% smaller and 40% lighter than the original PSP. 16 gigs of internal flash memory (pretty good). The controls slide out, has Bluetooth tech and an M2 memory port. Media Go, used to access the Playstation Store. Sense Me – analyzes your music library to create a play list based on the mood you select. That’s neat. PSP toolkit price is being lowered by 80% to help developers. All future titles will be released on UMD and digital. So you can have either and still play all games. Available for $249 on October 1st.

He’s talking about a video delivery service. Now you can use it with the PSP. More content being added to PS store. He’s naming off a bunch of networks that will add content (Starz, G4, Showtime, Manga, E).

Kazunouri Yamauchi for Polyphony Digital. Introducing Gran Turismo for PSP. Full scale Gran Turismo (60 frames per second). 800 cars, 35 tracks with 60 layouts. Everyone’s got a new racing game this year I guess. Single player mode and mission challenge mode. Emphasizing that this is a full game, not shrunken down. 4-player racing. Trading and sharing of cars with other players. Video of the game in action. Great graphics. October 1.

Kaz again. Quality and authenticity. It’s a Metal Gear announcement. So here’s Hideo Kojima. Poor guy; will they ever let him make anything else? Does he want to? Oh, his translator is kind of cute. Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker for PSP. 10 years after MGS3 in the 1970s. Kojima is writing and producing and the MGS4 team is working on it. “It’s not a spin off or a side story.” Trailer. Takes place in Latin America (Costa Rica specifically). Has all the elements of a MGS game. “The legendary ‘missing link’ in the Metal Gear Saga,” the trailer says. “Monstrous foes incapable of feeling pain.” Uh, there are 4 Snakes here (clones?). LOL @ cardboard box; two Snakes hide under it and then run off.

Jack is back again. Resident Evil again, for the PSP. Little Big Planet, Socom, Monster Hunter, Motorstorm, Hannah Montana and Harry Potter, all on the PSP. Video of PSP titles. LBP, Ratchet and Clank, FF Dissidia, MGS, Soul Calibur, Tiger Woods, Persona (!!!!), Warriors Orochi, Tennis, Fat Princess, Rock Band, Petz.

Jack is back to talk about the PSN. Facts and figures. 51 PS1 classics are being added, starting today with FFVII. Talking about Home now. Talking about the poor saps who bought millions of virtual items.

PS3 montage now. Uncharted, Infamous, Madden, FF XIII, Batman AA, Brutal Legend, Ghostbusters, White Knight, Ninja Gaiden, Buzz, Ice Age, Tekken, Tiger Woods, something with a hamster, Overlord, Fat Princess, Singstar, DCU Online, LBP, Saboteur, Bioshock 2, Ratchet and Clank, God of War 3.

Jack is back, talking about Rockstar. Agent, PS3 exclusive. It’s an espionage game, set in the 70s.

Assassin’s Creed 2. Sebastian and Patrice from Ubi to show the game. Demo! Ubi showed a glorious cinematic, this is gameplay. Says it picks up right where the first left off. Beautiful. This guy isn’t an assassin at first, but becomes one, working with people like Leonardo Da Vinci; Ezio is using the flying machine to sail across Venice. Wow look at him go. Action slips right into a scene perfectly. Ooooo I can’t WAIT for this. Ezio has new techniques, like jumping from a tower and stabbing a guy, and double stabbing two guys next to each other. Now he stabs a guy while hiding in the hay. 30 different weapons in the game, 6 additional if you played Bloodlines on the PSP and connect it to the PS3. Wooooow. He has smoke bombs now. And he can SWIM. Oh wowowowowow. AC2, this holiday (Bloodlines too). Too bad I’ll be getting it on the 360, Sony. But thanks for getting me excited.

Jack is back to introduce Square-Enix. Here’s a video for FFXIII. Beautiful. Cinematics, in game scenes and gameplay, all look amazing. Boy Sony it trumping MS with all the extra footage they’re showing. Now he’s showing FF….WHAT? 14?????
Is he serious? Oh…no he’s not. That is not a nice joke. It looks really good. It’s NOT a joke. FFXIV Online. 2010, only on the PS3. I haven’t heard of this before. “So there’s one that didn’t leak out, huh?” I didn’t even know they were working on that. It’s not clear what it is; another MMO? Have to look it up later. It's just a cinematic, but it seems to be a new MMO. Not sure why they're making another one and not just adding to the one they already have. And I wish they'd stop putting them in the numerical series; they should be separate, like the Crystal Chronicles and Tactics games.

Jack is talking about motion control now. It’s a new controller. He’s assuring everyone it’s just a prototype (it’s kind of tacky). Live tech demo. 1:1 tracking. It’s basically a Wii mote for the PS3. It looks like it’s using the camera to track motion. The eye cam or whatever it’s called. So it tracks your movement as well as the object you’re holding in your hand. VERY early stage of development. Now he’s using it as a pencil to write on a piece of paper within the game. They’re just showing off various uses of the tool. As weapons, paintbrushes, with strategy games, and character control (he’s using two controllers, one as a sword one as a shield). It’s very sensitive and precise. Talking about this coming out by spring 2010. Would have been more impressive if MS and Nintendo hadn’t already shown of theirs (and theirs was in more advanced stages as well).

Jack is back to talk about LBP. And introduces Mod Nation Racers. “Play, create, share.” It’s a cutesy car racing game. You can create racers and race tracks. Well he just drove through a tree trunk, so it doesn’t seem super realistic. Will appeal to people who enjoy stuff like LBP more than people who like racing games. Good track creation tools, quick and simple, you can even change the weather. You can upload your tracks online.

Jack is back for a sneak peak at another title from TEAM ICO! Finally (though this was leaked, too). The Last Guardian. In Ico you climbed around a bunch of ruins with a girl. In Shadow of the Colossus you took down gigantic bosses. A big monster is chasing a kid through a hall in some ruins, and the kid drops off the ledge. The monster picks him up; it’s his friend. The boy climbs up onto its head and looks out over a ruined landscape. Absolutely beautiful. It’s this HUGE pet dog/bird looking thing (like a giant griffon almost), and it’s carrying him around everywhere, helping him up on ledges, swimming with him under water. Now THAT is worth buying a PS3 for.

Gran Turismo 5 teaser. Cars racing. Whatever. Still giddy over Last Guardian.

Here’s another franchise. This is likely GOW3. Yup. Design director is going to do a live demo. Kratos takes down some nasties in classic Kratos style. I assume if you liked the others you’ll like this one as it’s more of he same. Kratos is using harpies to fly across large gaps. A huge Titan approaches in the distance. Kratos glides across a smaller gap with some dark wings that come out of his back, then kills some stuff. And some more stuff. The Titan is still fighting its own battle in the background. Button combos for special attacks are back. I guess this is Apollo flying around on a flaming chariot, fighting the Titan. A big nasty chimera sneaks up on Kratos, and Kratos precedes to take him out. LOTS of blood. He rips the things horns off and stabs it in the head with them. March 2010.

Good spot to end things. Jack is back. Again with the “not just exclusive to the PS3 but only possible on the PS3.” “Other companies imagine the future of gaming, we show you the future of gaming.” Sony is always so snarky. And he wraps it up.


Come back later this week for a posting of various trailers and games that weren't announced during the big conferences.

E3 2009 - Nintendo

Nintendo is first this morning. Finding it hard to get excited. Last year they were so disappointing. I don’t really know what they’ll have this time. There’s supposed to be a core announcement (ie: a Mario or Zelda…and hopefully not just the new Zelda DS that’s already been announced – Spirit Tracks).

It was stormy all morning, but it’s calmed down now. If it gets nasty again later, I can just unplug the laptop and keep going.

Watching some G4 blabber.

Is the Nintendo DS(i) going to remain the dominant handheld? What’s going to beat it, the iPhone? Hahahaha. I think Nintendo is safe. iPhone may have good games, but it’s not a gaming platform.

Silent Hill 1 is getting redone for the Wii (also PS2 and PSP). Developer assures that it won’t just be a port or something, but will be a different game.

“Stop announcing stuff for soccer moms and 5-year-olds” G4 says. No kidding.

They’re running some trivia up on the screen, which you can see over at Kotaku. Some are really easy, some are a little hard.

And here it goes. Here’s Cammie, all in white (she was in black last year, yay fashion). She’s talking about how big video games are (as big as home video, etc). Now she’s mentioning that gamers aren’t the only players anymore, but your uncle or some random lady play games too now. Leap forward in game control and surprises in places you thought there wouldn’t be any left.

Talking about the biggest game icon now, sounds like Mario. Yup. Video showing the history of Mario…sort of. Really short. Moving Mario into the 4th dimension is the next surprise. New Super Mario Bros for Wii.

Treehouse Group guy mentions it’s not just more levels, etc, but more players. Four people are playing Super Mario. You can run around on your own or do cooperative actions (like carrying each other to reach higher places). It’s classic Mario, just with co-op play. Some new items, like a propeller suit. If the lead player gets too far ahead, everyone else…falls off the screen? Not clear if that’s a “death” or something. Cammie didn’t do so good: “This is why I make my living selling games not playing them.” Holiday 2009.

She says even Mario isn’t big enough to attract all consumers. Talking about Wii Balance Board/Wii Fit. Wants to make Wii fit easier to use – Wii Fit Plus. Helps develop a work out routine (sounds like what Ubi and EA were talking about yesterday with their programs) with a personal trainer. Adds some new activities. Choose programs to target specific body parts (like Ubi’s), and keeps track of calories (like EA’s). There’re also some fun games to play too. So Ubi and EA answered with their products, and Nintendo is basically countering with similar programs. Fall 2009.

Here’s Reggie Fils-Aime (Pres Nintendo of America). He’s talking about mainstream appeal just like Cammie was. Interface is the primary component. OK he’s talking about motion plus. Makes a game feel and play more real, not just look more real. Getting gamers off the couch (which the regular Wii mote didn’t really do). Fancy video that isn’t really showing anything. Ping pong player, basketball player, and a swordsman are waving a Wii mote around like a paddle/ball/sword; now an archer, golfer. Basically it’s showing that it’s like you’re doing the real thing. Microsoft’s Natal, if it works, will take this a huge step further.

Bill Trinen is back to demo with Wii Sports Resort (déjà vu, they pitched this last year). A Mii is skydiving and he’s moving him in the air with the ‘mote. A big group of Miis is falling in formation, and the parachutes open and you land in the Resort. Now he’s showing archery. It’s already loads better than Wii Play, which was the last game packed with a remote. Sports Resort will come with the Motion Plus add on. He’s using the ‘chuck as the bow string and the ‘mote is the bow in your hand. He’s bringing Reggie out to play some basketball with him. Bill “You shoot the ball at the hoop; you now that this is, right?” Reggie, sarcastically: “Yes, I do.” They’re being a little snarky about each others abilities. Shooting 3 pointers. You raise the remote and shoot like you would a real basketball.

Reggie is talking about Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10, which will use motion plus (they will be packaged together). So will Grand Slam Tennis (also from EA like PGA) and Sega’s Virtua Tennis. “This new game in physical reality will have you muttering the same bad words you do in real life.” Red Steel 2 will be playable ONLY with motion plus (there ya go, have to have it to play). More 3rd party games were sold for DS and Wii than other platforms (really?).

Talking about RPGs, the story goes on inside your head. It’s a Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles game. The Crystal Bearers. Looks good. Also coming to the DS – oh this is the Kingdom Hearts game. This I WANT. Good looking trailer with Utada singing Passion.

“Bowser really does suck. And I mean that in a good way.” LOL Reggie. It’s called Mario & Luigi Bowser’s Inside Story; it’s for the DS. This fall.

A legendary RPG name is on its way back to portables. GOLDEN SUN DS! AWESOME. It looks great. 2010. Have to get that.

Cammie is back to talk about the DS and innovation. She’s talking about James Patterson (a mystery writer). Women’s Murder Club: Games of Passion – an interactive novel for the DS. I don’t read a lot of modern novels, and I don’t read any mystery, so I don’t know what this will be. But it looks OK.

New intellectual property from Ubisoft – Cop: The Recruit. About an undercover New York cop named Dan. He used to be a street racer, but got arrested, so now he works for the force. Racing and shooting.

*sigh* Girly fashion game for tweens and women in their 20s. Style Savvy for the DS. It’s the Japanese game Girls Mode.

Nintendo DS = diversity, Cammie says. “Something for everyone.” She’s talking specifically about the DSi now. Video of mostly a bunch of girls and a couple guys talking about the DSi. Personalization is the difference between the DS Lite and DSi. People don’t just consume, they create and share. Flip Notes Studio, an animation program, is coming this summer. Mario vs Donkey Kong: Minis March Again will be the first to let players design levels from the ground up. Available only as a download June 8th. Wario Ware DIY lets people design their own games from scratch. Cammie is better when she’s bubbly and smiley; she’s kind of subdued today. This summer you can upload DSi pictures onto Facebook. “No Nintendo DS creation is more anticipated than….Legend of Zelda Spirit Tracks.” She didn’t give a release date for that.

Video “Everyone’s Game.” Another montage of random stuff. And here’s Satoru Iwata (global Pres.).

Aw isn’t he adorable with his heavy accent (he is). Talking about globalization and audience expansion (which he says people think is falling). Talking about targeting “Maybe” players to get new players. 149 people in US, Japan, Europe who “might” play video games. For every 2 people playing there’s 1 more waiting to play, he says. Those who never played games in the past will never play games in the future, he says. He says that people assume games are too complicated (I think that’s what he meant). But if they lower the bar they won’t satisfy skilled players. There’s a big gap between the experienced and the novices. Wants to use New Super Mario Bros, Wii Fii and Sports Resort to help bridge the gap; they’re “everyone’s game.” But he says this might not be entirely convincing. So he has one potential answer. Wii Vitality Sensor.

It’s like a pulse taker you put on your finger. …. So, this is for…what? It goes hand in hand with Wii Fit, I guess. He says it can help with greater relaxation. Traditionally video games give increased excitement and stimulation, but it will not be long before they help people unwind or even fall asleep, he says. Again…what is this going to do? …. Uh well…. Huh. That was…odd. He didn’t really give any real example of what would be done with it.

Cammie is back with more Mario news. For the first time ever, she says, a second full 3D title will appear on a single Nintendo console. It looks a little like Mario Galaxy. Um, OK a lot like Mario Galaxy. Exactly like Mario Galaxy. And it’s called Super Mario Galaxy 2.

Reggie is back. He’s naming off all the things they just announced. “But I’ll be honest, I read the blogs too. And I’ve been a gamer myself for a long time. I know there are still people out there listening: OK great, but I want more.” And he says this is usually associated with 3rd party titles. A new IP from Sega – The Conduit. Retails in 3 weeks. It’s a FPS with aliens. Capcom – Resident Evil The Darkside Chronicles. Leon, Claire, Steve, with some classic RE action. These are all really short trailers that aren’t showing much. Dead Space Extraction from EA.

What about Nintendo itself, says Reggie. Could a new edgy game be coming. A fresh look at a franchise. Team Ninja and Nintendo. That looks really nice. Looks great actually. Metroid: Other M. Samus is kicking some ass. Flips back and forth between 3rd person and platforming. 2010. Nintendo is delivering this year. But…where’s Miyamoto? Big finale? Zelda console maybe?

Reggie is talking about their goals of making everyone gamers again. …. No Miyamoto? A Nintendo conference without Miyamoto???? Wow. That was it. Sony is later.