The Negative Edge News Report 08.30.07
Posted by Tommy Coloma on 08.30.2007
This week I talk about the all-important reset option, the releases that mark the end of the summer game drought, and the bread-baking goodness of Yakitate!! Japan!
Since I'm a contractor, my employment status is in constant flux. Unless I'm on a long-term project, I have no idea whether or not I will have something to do a week from now. I usually have a lot of flexibility when it comes to the projects that I choose to do. However, every once in a while I'll get an opportunity that's too good to pass up. Taking advantage of those opportunities often results in me having to make changes to my immediate plans. Something like that happened last week and as a result the time that I was supposed to spend putting this column together was instead used to design and implement some interactive Flash piece. This has happened several times this year so you shouldn't be surprised by now since I've used the same excuse a few times already. As usual, what I was able to put together during my free time after work wasn't really good so I thought that it would be better to not turn anything in and use whatever I had as the basis for my next column. Things usually come together when I do that, but this time what I ended up doing over the weekend was trying to salvage the remains of a column that was complete crap to begin with. I was still working on it this morning when I just decided to cut my losses and start over. Thanks to that one decision, I was able to move past something that was beginning to take the joy out of writing this column. I was finally able to move on and do other things with my free time. Like me, you'll encounter some situations where it might be easier to start from scratch than to continue on. Not just in life, but in video games as well (of course). Maybe you have a really crappy build in an MMO. Maybe you didn't level your team up the right way in an RPG. Maybe your style of play in a fighting game is not conducive to winning. Or maybe you're half way through a game but the fact that you haven't touched it in a year makes playing it unappealing. It may seem like a waste of time to start from the beginning, but trust me - there are times when hitting the reset button really pays off in the long run.
The Week In Releases (Week of August 27)
Breath of Fire II (Wii VC)
The Virtual Console is starting to become the place to go to for gamers who wish to experience all the classic RPGs that they ignored back in the day. We still need some Phantasy Star games though.
Guild Wars: Eye of the North (PC)
The first and most likely last Guild Wars expansion pack. You'll need a copy of any of the previous campaigns and a level twenty character. I had a chance to check this out at ArenaNet earlier this month and I have to say that it does have some interesting additions that make it a worthy purchase.
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Wii)
It feels like this game just came out of nowhere. I haven't seen a single advertisement for this title and it seems like almost nobody talked about it until this week. Regardless, this is the only first-person shooter that I'll be picking up this month. BioShock? What's that? Nya!
MetropolisMania 2 (PS2)
Metropolismania was highly underrated game (according to some people) for the PS2. The goal is to build a city and get people to want to stay in it. I know that at least a few people out there can't wait to get their hands on this once it comes out. That tells me that there must be something about it that the rest of the world missed. It's a budget title so I might pick it up just to see what it's all about.
Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix (Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Store)
I shouldn't have to tell you what this is. It's out this week. Yay!
Wild Arms 5 (PS2)
Another RPG series that I've been meaning to check out. I've heard some good things about the Hex battle system that was lifted from part four. Anyone want to share their thoughts on how well the system works?
The Week In Releases (Week of August 20)
Well, everyone is saying that BioShock is super awesome cool, but I'm sure that you already knew that. Am I the only one that isn't too excited about this game? I played the demo and it was cool and all, but I know in the back of my mind that I'll be getting another first person shooter later this month. Can you guess which one?
Super Metroid (Wii VC)
With the release of Super Metroid, both games that epitomize the Castleroid experience can now be downloaded and enjoyed by all. It's a wonderful day indeed.
America won't officially be getting this until late October. However, thanks to the forward thinking people at Capcom in Japan, English-reading fans of this series can enjoy the newest Phoenix Wright earlier by importing thanks to the always appreciated English option. You can get it from Play-Asia for pretty much the same price that you'd pay here, only you don't have to wait two months like everyone else. This is a remake of an early GBA game that was never released in America. Of special note is the fact that Mia Fey is playable for the first time. Guess who she gets to defend!
Dragoneer's Aria (PSP) Jeanne D'Arc (PSP)
Is it me or has the PSP been getting a steady stream of decent RPGs recently? If the newer PSPs really do have better battery life (like if they last more than four hours on a single charge) I might actually pick one up. I need something to do while on the train. And yes, I do have a DS, but sometimes I want to play console games on the go too.
South Park Season 10 (DVD)
Not a game of course, but this season does have the dubious distinction of having three video-game related episodes -
"Make Love, Not Warcraft"
"Go God Go"
"Go God Go XII"
I've used the Samus Aran Open Hatch image before, but it's good enough to warrant another plug. Samus in Morphball is made by the same artist that made Open Hatch. He admits that both pieces don't really depect how Samus' suit is supposed to work, but does it matter? They still rock!
The Anime Circle
There are a lot of Anime series out there that don't get the attention that they deserve. Everyone knows about Bleach, Melancholy, and Naruto, but what about older series like Tenshi na Konamaiki or newer ones like Nodame Cantabile. Since I watch a lot of this stuff anyway, I thought that I might as well write about some of it. It gives me a chance to reflect, and it gives you a chance to find out about some of the shows that you wouldn't normally watch. I'm not going to be doing full-on reviews; I just want to pass on enough info to spur interest. I'm always open to suggestions, so if there is a series that you think that I should take a look at, feel free to email me about it.
Before I get started, I'd like to mention that Sean McCabe talked about The Devil Lady (or Devilman Lady) the other week in his Retrospective column. It was good enough to convince me to give the series a shot. If you're looking for something else to watch, you might want to take a look at what he wrote here.
Yakitate!! Japan
Yakitate!! Japan, or Freshly Baked!! Ja-pan, follows a young baker named Azuma as he tries to fulfill his dream of making a unique type of bread that can hold its own against some of the already established types of bread that are known around the world. French bread? German bread? Why doesn't Japan have its own well-known bread? Azuma wants to be the one who introduces the world to Ja-pan (Pan means bread in Japanese. Get it?). As luck would have it, Azuma has what are known as Solar Hands. Essentially, his hands are significantly warmer than those of normal people, allowing the dough that he works with to ferment faster. Solar Hands aren't enough to guarantee victory in baking competitions so he has to rely more on innovation and imagination and the creative ideas that result in order to defeat his rivals.
Why you should care:
An Anime that focuses on competition between bakers doesn't seem like it'd be all that interesting. I was pretty skeptical myself when I first started to watch it. However, just like Hikaru no Go, Initial D, and Nodame Cantabile, this show takes a subject that people aren't usually interested in and spins it in a way that makes it fun to watch even if you know nothing about the subject matter. The play on words with regards to the different types of breads that are created are some of the more notable aspects of this show. These puns usually come into play during what most consider to be the best parts of the show - the reactions of the judges once they taste the bread. Sequences often go on for a few minutes just to prove a point, especially toward the end of the show. If someone asked me to find them an Anime series that's a smart comedy, this is the one I'd point to without any hesitation.
Status of the series:
- Manga
Once again, the Manga is licensed by Viz in the US. As of now, only six of the total twenty-six volumes have been released. Volume seven will be released in September and volume 8 in November. Yeah, it's gonna take them a little while to release the whole thing over here.
- Anime
The Anime is not licensed in the US. The sixty-nine episode series ended last year. I have no idea whether or not it will make it here any time soon. Until that happens, you can get the complete series here.
I watched the entire series and read some of Manga. From what I've seen, the events in both are relatively the same. There are a few differences of course, including the last story arc in the Manga which was shortened in the Anime. I don't know if the endings are the same since the Manga ended after the Anime. Regardless, you'll have fun no matter which one you check out.
Here are some examples of the types of reactions that you can expect from the series as well as some of the outlandish things the competitors do to gain an advantage in the competitions -
The 411:
Like other series such as Hikaru no Go, Initial D, The Prince of Tennis, and Nodame Cantabile, Yakitate Japan took a subject that a lot of people generally do not take an interest in and presented it in a way that is not only tolerable, but also quite enjoyable if given a chance. If you want to see a smart comedy that can be both serious and outrageous at the same time, you owe it to yourself to check this out.
Note: I didn't really dig the first episode since it is essentially a flashback episode. If you're going to give the show a chance, at least watch the first two episodes before deciding whether or not you wish to continue.
To be continued...
That's it for this week. A letter that I just dipped in some water revealed the numbers 747. If I can figure out what that means, I'll be back next week.
