I got tipped to check out this video on a site called Funny Or Die. Now I've never heard of the site before, but if the video that follows is any indication of how things are done over at FOD, I'm going to be visiting more often.

Hit the jump to see what I'm talking about. Just know that due to language and Will Farrell funniness, this clip has been rated NSFW by the ESH Crew.

Finish What You Start...

Just a quick question about the WoW trading card game.
Hey guys, I just recently picked up my first few boosters of the WoW TCG and I gotta admit, I am a bit over my head. I wanted to know how many of you played and what was a good ratio to use as far as the different card types. Any input would be much appreciated! =D

(Off to watch Epic Movie and see just how worthwhile it is!)

Finish What You Start...

In a story that is blazing its way through the bloggernet, GameStop has allegedly expanded its policy regarding M-rated videogames that are sold to minors. The bottom line is that we could be seeing a brand new version of The Revenge of the Nerds.

GameStop has long had a policy regarding M-rated games that are sold to minors. You can read it right here. It's pretty simple -- an employee sells an M-rated game to a minor, the employee gets fired.

But that was all changed in a recent conference call of GameStop employees. According to a writer for kotaku.com, not only does the employee get fired, so does the manager. That adds a whole new dimension to employee-management relations at GameStop.

Work at GameStop and hate your manager? Get him fired! Just sell an M-rated game to an underaged kid and tell the kid to tell his parents where he got the game. After all, being fired is nothing to a 20-something kid. Heck, GameStop can't even tell future employers why the kid no longer works at GameStop -- all they can do is tell the hire date and release date. The manager, on the other hand, is probably some 40-something geezer with a failing marriage and a couple of unappreciative kids. Getting fired could make him go right over the edge into drugs, drink or maybe even suicide.

And wouldn't that be entertaining?

Kudos to the folks at GameStop who put their most vulnerable employees directly in the line of fire as they pander to the desires of a few loudmouths who want everybody to live by their rules.

Finish What You Start...

This years Macworld brought news of what is sure to be one of the hottest gadgets of 2007, Apple’s iPhone. It was also announced that Cingular would be the only cell phone company carrying the phone for a long time. Douce is here to fill you in on what Cingular has planned for its release.

I’m sitting at CC’s drinking a cup of coffee and pecking away on my laptop when I hear a guy and a girl sitting one both over from me talking about Apple’s new iPhone. I’m going to use fictitious names because even though I was eavesdropping, I have no clue what their names are. I hear Pete tell Sue that he can’t wait until the iPhone comes out in June. Sue says she’s seen it and she can’t wait to pick one up either but she’s not sure if the phone will work with her T-Mobile service because the phone will be exclusive to Cingular. Pete assures her that if she just goes in to a Cingular store and purchases one at retail price then he can get it unlocked for her. Pete goes on to say that he has Cingular service but isn’t eligible for an upgrade until the end of 2008, meaning that he renewed his Cingular contract at the end of 2006 for two years and received a discount on a new cell phone. He will not be eligible for another discount for two years.

As I listen to Pete and Sue make plans to get the iPhone in June, I can’t help but snicker to myself for a number of reasons. There are a few kinks in their plans that I wanted to make them aware of but I didn’t because it was so darn funny. Here is what Pete and Sue will find out about the iPhone sooner or later, but hopefully sooner.

1. Cingular is not allowing the purchase of the iPhone WITHOUT a two-year contract. In other words, you no get Cingular service, you no get Cingular iPhone from Cingular store.
2. Even if you currently have Cingular service, if you are not eligible for an upgrade then you cannot purchase the phone. Again, no two-year contract, no iPhone. Retail purchase is not an option.

Cingular may decide to change these regulations as the release date gets closer, but as of right now, all I can do is snicker at Pete and Sue and shake my head.

Poor Pete. Poor Sue. Cingular raised that bar even higher. I hope you can jump.

Finish What You Start...

Now you can. Although Verizon has nothing to do with this post, it's appropriate to use the Can You Hear Me Now guy. You see, we have gotten a new tool to help our podcasts sound better. You can hear it in action in our newest podcast (Episode 33) and in a podcast from mid-November (Episode 26).

The technical stuff: Since our podcasters (usually NinJaSistah, Pandalicious and MagicMysticGrl) are in different locations, they use Skype to connect with one another. This results in a problem with volume that can't easily be solved. Typically, Pandalicious is too hot and NinJaSistah is too light. Now hotness and lightness wouldn't normally be a problem with beautiful, young girls, but it's a real problem in audio production.

Since we don't have the voices on separate feeds, there's been no easy way to adjust the volume -- until now. A great little free, open source program called Levelator fixes the audio problems, bringing Pandlicious down and NinJaSistah up. We appreciate the hard work of GigaVox Media, who created this great program.

If you haven't listened to Episode 26 because of NinJaSistah's light sound levels, we urge you to try it again. We think you'll like what you hear.

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What do you get when you cross hardcore Star Wars fans with a camera and some special effects? If you think you know the answer or have no idea whatsoever, then brace yourself. This is one of Douce’s Jewels that will make your jaw drop wide open.

If there’s one thing the internet has not been lacking in the past year or so, it’s Star Wars parody videos. They’ve ranged from kids pretending to be Jedi Knights while playing with sticks to parents dressing their asthmatic kids up in Darth Vadar costumes. We’ve laughed, cringed, and maybe even cried at some of the vids floating around but you ain’t seen nothing yet.

I’m pretty sure that ESH has some Star Wars fans even though the recent trilogies did leave something to be desired. The storyline may not have been what we were expecting but you have to admit that the special effects were top notch. Some of us couldn’t wait for it to end and some of us screamed for more. After watching this video, I immediately dusted off the old light saber, threw on the Jedi robes, and continued my fight against the dark side.

I’m calling this jewel Star Wars: A New Generation Born.

Enjoy!

Finish What You Start...

Cooking Mama for DS Review by Geek Woman

Cooking Mama is a cooking sim that teaches you Japanese cooking techniques and recipes. You are given real recipes and they can actually be made after you are done playing the game. I recommend this game for everyone that wants to improve their cooking skills. It is not just a game for little girls. A cook or gamer at any level can enjoy this charming game.

You play as a chef's apprentice. You need to learn the skill sets for preparation. Then you are able to test those skills and make the dish. The game not only teaches you valuable kitchen skills but it is fun, thoroughly addictive and tasty!

The learning process begins with mini-games. You learn how to chop onions neatly and quickly. You get a lesson on how to remove the shells from shrimp, and you are taught how to fold dumplings. You are given an allotment of time to complete the tasks and you are scored on speed and skill.

The mini-games are cleverly designed. You are given challenges for doing things such as mixing. Believe it or not there are plenty of people that don't know how to do that. However in this game you are shown "how to" in surprising ways. The game takes you through each step chopping, then adding ingredients, shaping and combing the food, and then frying and serving.

There are three modes to play: "Let's Cook" is where you are graded. "Let's Combine" is an area where you can make up recipes. Then the "Use Skill" is a practice mode. You begin with a few recipes then the more you cook the more you get.

You do the cooking on the touch screen. To chop you tap the "knife". To grab ground ingredients you circle the stylus around. The controls are easy to do. You get gratification from the ratings. The bronze medal is given for a score of 60-79 points. The silver medal is given for score between 80-99. For getting the gold you need to get a perfect score of 100 points which isn't hard to do.

Graphics aren't anything fantastic. But they are very well done. The game has plenty of color. It is playful while being educational and the graphics of food is accurate without being yucky looking.

This game is lots of fun. It has appeal as re-playability. It is addictive, but it makes you hungry. If you don't have a clue what to make for dinner this will help. I learned a faster, safer and more efficient way to chop onions that I have been using ever since. It doesn't matter if you think you are an Iron Chef (like I think I am) or if you are a beginner, you can find something to love about this adorable little game.

This is very obviously a game that was designed for little girls. It is a fine 'marketing to women' accomplishment, with no trace of sexism.. It is something that both girls and ladies will enjoy. There is no avatar so there is no character to select. It is for women, while being inclusive enough to be fun for everyone. Cooking has become ultra popular with people of all ages and genders. Asian cooking is fantastic and healthy. People from all walks of life can enjoy the cuisine. There are a few American recipes too. I can see just about anyone playing this game and having fun. College kids that are going away from home for the first time could use this game to learn the basic skills.

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Soul Calibur 3 Review by Geek Woman

Soul Calibur 3 is a fighting game that is an exclusive on the PS2. That was a big disappointment for many people. On the whole it is a truly great fighter. There are some problems with it, as there are with any game. It is a quality offering considering that we are in the twilight days of the reign of the PS2.

Games that are vast and that have achieved a level of praise from gamers on previous installments, have a rough time of it when something like a third sequel is finally rolled out. That can go several ways. The game could just be terrible for many reasons. Sometimes a sequel isn't finished, and it doesn't have the depth that early versions of game had when the developers were trying to curry favor. This is not the case with SC3. It is almost too vast this time. It falls into that trap of trying to be the "everything for everybody" game. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, because it means they are trying to give you more stuff for your money. The good intentions don't always translate well. The addition of a real time strategy (RTS) game into the mix largely failed.

Not all game play modes are available from the start of the game. Many of the characters move lists have been changed which apparently has p'oed the hardcore fans to no end. Why would the developers of a much loved franchise do something like switch up the moves? It would seem that since the game is exclusively for PS2, that it was directed mainly at an existing fan base. Why mess with them?

OK counter to most reviews that you read which tell you the good stuff first, we've gotten the only two bad points about this game out of the way. First of all there is tons of content. Some of it is lousy granted, but still you won't run out of things to do. There are several new characters. Three of them are introduced right off. Access to the other new characters is gradual. There is new game-play, and the new modes too. If you have played Soul Calibur before you won't really be disappointed. If you haven't played any Soul Calibur games yet, get it or rent it.

Soul Calibur 3 has some of the most fun and interesting female characters in gaming today. Each one has a complete move-list. They have a selection of weapons that upgrade. You can buy more weapons, and armor. There are several costumes for each avatar.

Best of all is the character creation feature. You can design an avatar that suits you perfectly. There are endless combinations of clothing, armor and accessories. You chose a profession, appearance and even the voice of your character. That seems to be the most fair way to settle the issue with nudity in avatars. If you want to wear "barbarian underwear" to fight in - you can. If you want to cover up - you can. There are hoods and headscarves, your character could be clothed from head to toe and layers of armor can be piled on. The character creation capability gives a range of options that not only enhance the looks of your character, but it adds a new component to the game. You get to create your own ultimate fighter.

Game-play
There are about 18 different modes in the game. If you want to be hardcore and get all the unlockables, you would have to beat all of the modes to get absolutely everything. There are many surprising features in this game. Bottom line is it is the best 2 person fighting game out there. Still in all, you can win with button mashing. It's a fighter plain and simple, in spite of all the fancy window dressing. The AI is pretty predictable which can be good or bad depending on how you like to play. They seem to try to push your character into a wall or a corner. If you like a big challenge it is there. If you like to take it easy and see the whole game, you can do that too. Like many games, I can analyze what the game "punishes" you for. If you don't get the opening move right, it is likely that you will loose. If you turn your back to your enemy, or if your attacks fall short you loose. The timid are not rewarded in gaming.

There are around 30 characters to play with in the game as well as a strange random character generator which is fun. Two of the new characters are female. Tira, is a girl fighter who uses a razor sharp hoola hoop as a weapon. Setsuka is a Japanese geisha with a parasol and a sword. Someone must be hearing us. The fighting engine was revamped and improved. The weird Chronicles of the Sword mode enables you to take your new custom players onto a map, where you need to occupy enemy forts by beating them in battles. That was done better in SC2. The Arcade mode is called "Quick Play". The Tournament mode puts you in fictional competition. What is that about? There is no online play for this game which is a terrible shame. I have to say that SC3 beat the pants of Mortal Kombat Shaolin Monks - which I was looking forward to more, but MK Deception has online mulitiplayer.

Graphics
The environments in this game are stunning. There are gorgeous landscapes. Marvelous temples, over flowing water falls and Ivy's over decorated mansion. The camera pans quickly over pink hued clouds in the background, water effects shimmer with some of best eye candy you can see. For a fighting game SC3 has the best looks going. And I am including DOA when I say it is the best looking fighter out there. There is no lack of colors. It is bright, bold and conspicuous.

Sound
The sound is a disappointment. There could have been better music for this game. I would have saved the space on the disk that was wasted on the RTS mode for better music. The voice acting is still very poor, and amusing because of it. The voices and the sound effects have not changed or been upgraded. While other games are integrating song lists and even iPod interfaces into games, SC3's lack there of is a letdown. I guess the developers missed the bit that Morgan Webb did on Xplay where they dubbed the weird grunts and groans from SC2 into suggestive parody skits.

Despite the superfluous extra features the game still is the top of the line fighter for PS2 beating out Tekken 4 with style. Soul Calibur 3 has a lot to offer girl games that like to kick butt. They built this one for us. (Yeah, I know they built it for guys that like to play with sexy female avatars.) I give Soul Calibur 3 a 4.5

Finish What You Start...

The basic plot of Ouran High School Host Club is that Haruhi a studious girl from a middle class family has received a scholarship to Ouran Academy, a high school playground for the rich and bored. One day she wanders into the 3rd music room looking for a quiet place to study, accidentally breaks an expensive vase and becomes a member of the Ouran Host Club by way of indentured servitude. That's not what I want to talk about. Host Club is a harem anime and the gaggle of men make my heart go Doki-Doki.(Japanese sound effect for heartbeats) This post is all about them!

The Host Club consists of disgustingly rich and influential rich-boys with too much time on their hands. Meet the Boys:

Tamaki Suou: The President of the Host Club, he drives all of the ideas to try commoner's food, commoner's games and commoner's lifestyle. He is an airheaded drama queen who overreacts to everything and is completely gullible, falling for any sob story he hears. Tamaki is one of the last remaining true romantics, he possesses an unnatural ability to always remain positive and upbeat, even if it means disregarding reality. He does however have a bit of a bipolar disorder that throws him deep into a depression if he is emotionally hurt, fortunately he always bounces back quickly.

I am a calm, collected pacifist and Tamaki fills me with the intense and totally irrational desire to kill a puppy. I HATE people like this, I just want them to curl up and die. I am the type of person who doesn't like dealing with morons and the overly emotional. I have no problem consoling a friend, acquaintance or random person off the street, so long as they have a good reason to be bawling their eyes out or for looking like someone shot their best friend. If I can't understand why they're sad I get all freaked out and I don't know what to do. If I ever met someone who had Tamaki's personality to the same extreme degree I would probably transform into the worlds biggest bitch and beat the crap out of them verbally and maybe even physically. The only time I have ever been violent with anyone was because a girl just like Tamaki decided she was my best friend and she started following me around EVERYWHERE. Everyone has at least one thing they cannot under any circumstances deal with, well this one's mine.

Mitsukuni "Hunny" Haninozuka: Honey is the loli-shota character. He is short, cute, addicted to sweets and carries around his stuffed bunny, Bun-Bun. He talks in a high pitched voice and acts like a child, despite the fact that he is the oldest one in the club. Takashi is a permanent fixture at Hunny's side and Hunny can always be found climbing on Takashi as if he were a personal jungle-gym, hugging Takashi or riding on Takashi's shoulders.

Hunny has almost the same effect on me that Tamaki does. When I see cute, childish little Hunny, I revert to "preschool bully" Magic and I want so badly to torture him and make him cry. I want to pinch him, I want to steal his sweets, I want to hide Bun-Bun... Writing this I feel like a very evil person, but luckily I put these in order from the characters I hate most to the characters I like most, so I'm less evil as I go on.

Kyouya Ohtori: Now that the loudest and most obnoxious characters are out of the way you'll please notice the guy lurking in the background, scribbling in his notebook. Kyouya is the shadow king of the host club, he manipulates the airheaded Tamaki into decisions, and turns a profit on the club by selling pictures and merchandise of the hosts. Nothing happens without Kyouya knowing and he never does anything that doesn't benefit him in at least some small way. Kyouya is the one who threatened Haruhi into staying with the club to pay her debt. Although his skill at masking his true personality is top notch, he is occasionally revealed as the machinating, slimy and emotionless bastard he is. If you look carefully there are occasional hints in the anime that there is another layer under "Scum-bag" Kyouya that reveals that he is actually a fairly nice guy, but you have to dig really really hard to find it.

Even just thinking about him to write this, I can feel my hair becoming limp and oily, my skin crawls and itches and I'm shifting uncomfortably in my chair. I wish I could peel my skin off and husk into a new body. I really really wouldn't like Kyouya if I met him. He scares me, creeps me out and pisses me off all at the same time, I think if I ever met him I would mostly feel the intense need to be elsewhere. All the guys have impressive connections but Kyouya is the only one who threatens to use his. He mentions a private army at one point and he is somehow able to keep up to date and extensive bios on everyone, complete to the last detail. No secret is safe with this guy, and he won't hesitate to use your secrets against you. I don't care how nice he is underneath, you can't wear a mask of pure evil all day without it seeping into your true personality.

Hikaru/Kaoru Hitachiin: The twins are the tricksters of the host club. They are never serious about anything and they view anyone they encounter as their toy. Watching them with Haruhi is like watching two cats with a mouse. Before the host club they had no friends but each other and they tend to define the world as "Us" and "Those who are not us." Under the trickery and fun they feel some measure of disdain for "Those who are not us" and thus they play the Which one is Hikaru? game where they ask people to distinguish between them. The twins feel that as a unit they are better than anyone else and they ridicule those who cannot guess correctly, but they desperately want someone to come along and see them as individuals.

If they were together, these two would make me cry. I have a scathing sarcastic wit that I picked up from my friends and I can take it as much as I can dish it out, but these two take it to extremes. Having them ganging up together against me would be awfully intimidating, and that's the way they like it. Being outside that frigid, icy wall wouldn't be any fun, but if they let me in and let me get to know them individually it would be a different story. Hikaru is a bit meaner, and much more childish but in his good moment's he can be caring and warm. Kaoru is infinitely more sensitive than his brother and he resorts to childish behaviours only when teamed up with Hikaru against someone. I could easily see myself falling for Kaoru if Hikaru wasn't around.

Takashi "Mori" Morinozuka: The most taciturn and stoic member of the Host Club. Watching the series, I sometimes wondered what Mori was thinking, standing there in the background watching over the antics of the club. I've got myself convinced it was some Freudian analysis of the rampaging personalities of the club members. Mori is the tallest and strongest of the Hosts, and his age is only exceeded by Hunny (They're both seniors.) Mori always acts on his instincts, coming to the rescue of his friends, specifically Hunny. For generations Mori's family has acted as bodyguards for Hunny's family, and despite the tradition being defunct, Mori still looks out for Hunny with great dedication.

Out of all the hosts, I love Mori the most. I really don't know how the animators managed it, but even with his monosyllabic conversations I can see that he is a deeply sentimental and emotional person. Who doesn't dream of a big strong man sweeping them off their feet. By big I mean 6'4", other than Kyouya and Tamaki he is the only club member taller than me, the twins are my height and Hunny is only 4'10". I couldn't tell you what about Mori draws me, I've always said that I like guys who can keep up with me in a conversation, but whenever I watch the anime and he shows up I get a huge smile plastered on my face and I ::SIGH:: lovingly. Eh, who said love was rational.

So, it seems no matter who I choose I have an obstacle in my way (Hikaru/Hunny.) I would love to hear what other people think of the guys even if they like TA-MA-KI ::Said through gritted teeth:: or Kyouya ::ICK::

If you haven't seen it I give Ouran High School Host Club a 5/5. Normally I dislike harem anime, but this series is funny and touching and all around Fab-Tab-ulous. Within the series there is a theme of roses and each character has their own color, so I'll use those colors for the MMs. Dark Blue for Mori, Light Blue for Kaoru, Orange for Hikaru, Purple for Kyouya, Pink for Hunny and White for Tamaki. Because the twins like being a single unit they each get half an MM. If you're wondering why no one gets the red MM/rose it's because Haruhi gets it, being the main character and all. The pictures in this post are all the characters with their rose colors, except for Tamaki. Let me explain: Tamaki is always manhandling Haruhi, whose rose color is red, so it's appropriate that Tamaki is also always manhandling the roses that symbolize Haruhi.

Finish What You Start...

We finally got some cash together and figured we ought to hit a big convention/tradeshow and CES was the obvious choice. CES is the Consumer Electronic Showcase, basically anything and everything electronic that companies could possibly want to sell to you [the consumer] make their debut here. CES has been going strong and growing strong since 1967, so to say that we are excited to become part of this rich tech history would be a slight understatement.

Now you might be saying to yourself, "Why is the ESH crew going to CES? Isn't it just a bunch of TV's on display?" It's a valid question to ask, but it ain't accurate. CES is actually the show that COMDEX and even the former incarnation of E3 were modeled after, and while there will be a lot of new TV technologies introduced at the show there will also be lots of home theater setups, sounds systems and components, wireless technologies, and even video game related items that will surface from the show. I think as gamers sometimes we forget that getting our hands on the latest and greatest game stuff isn't limited to just a console, or piece of software.

No matter who you are you have a gaming rig that you use, be it just a 23" TV or an elaborate setup containing a 7.1 surround sound system, 42" flat screen LCD TV, a chain of UPS', several gaming consoles, a harmony remote, and a theater style seating arrangement. [Huge sigh] With that said, one of the things that you will start seeing around ESH will be our takes on different components that you may or may not want to add to your rig, so it only makes sense to us that we start by going to CES. We are going to be looking at different audio setups, home theater systems, peripherals for both computer based and console based gaming, LCD TV's [this will come in handy for those of you wanting to upgrade that tiny little 25" TV to something a little sexier] mobile gaming, and gaming in general. And we can't forget portable media stuff, mostly because they won't let us. We'll be on the look out for the hottest new gadgets at the show that will help you get the most out of your iPod, portable video player... hell we'll even take a look at stuff for the Zune while we're at it. We are committed to covering your electronic needs, but only in the good way.

While CES is not E3, Microsoft and Sony are going to be there, and there is going to be a separate "video gaming" section on the tradeshow floor, so we aren't going to be forgetting our roots any time too soon. It just seems to us like it's time to take that next step forward in covering the whole spectrum of gaming life, that I think sometimes gets overlooked. You can't use a game console without having a TV to hook it up to. You can't hear the games without some kind of sound system hooked up to [or built into] that TV your connected to, and you have to have some place to park your ass in order to play and enjoy those games you are playing... and in January, NinJaSistah and Evermore are going to bring you some first hand accounts of the new toys you'll want to add to your rig from CES.

This will be one time that what happens in Vegas, doesn't stay there!

Finish What You Start...

El fiesta en su pantalones! Holy Bob is my spanish bad, good thing for you this game is not... I'm talking about Viva Piñata from Rare [Microsoft Studios] of course. I've been able to sit down with the game for a few weeks now, and I'm ready to share my thoughts on it with you... because you are my friend, you are special to me.

I'll start by saying that if you don't enjoy games like The Sims or Animal Crossing, this is not the game for you. If you are above the age of 7 and don't relish in the thoughts of how you are going to micro-manage your beings on any given day, you are going to HATE this game. Personally, I LOVE those types of games so Viva Piñata should have been right up my alley... and it is.

In Viva Piñata, you play the guiding hand in growing a piñata plantation. [It's more like neighborhood building, but I like the way plantation sounds better.] You start out with a crummy shovel and a small plot of land that you have to work into something piñatas in the wild will want to give up their roaming ways for. Sounds easy, and in the beginning it is, but as you progress on in the game gaining new plantation residents you'll start finding out that keeping your new little eco-system in tact will be difficult. For instance, in order to get some piñatas to become residents on your plantation you have to let them eat some of your existing residents. Before you start with the, "hey this is supposed to be a kid friendly game, not violent at all..." crap remember that I said they are piñatas. They get broken open [being paper mache] and their carcass floats off into a bright light towards the sky leaving behind candy which is eaten by the conquering piñata. It's so cute you barely recognize that your plantation residents are happy canabals. ☺

As I said, Viva Piñata is very much like a Sims game... you have to do a job [tend to your garden planting flowers, trees, grass, digging ponds, etc.,] and meet criteria in order to get wild piñatas to want to visit your garden. Once they have visited you now have to find out what they need to have happen in order to get down to business. Yeah, you heard me correctly. Once you get a couple of the same species of piñata in your garden/plantation you have to figure out how to get them to reproduce. This usually entails having a house for their species built on the plantation and feeding them one of whatever thing it is that they like to eat. The first piñata that you will get to be resident and reproduce will be the "worm" piñata which are called whirlms. The first time you get your piñata to "romance" [that's what it's called in the game] you will have to guide a piñata through a mini game to the other piñata in order to get them to do the mating dance and make a baby! And when it is the first time that you have gotten a species to "romance" you actually get to watch them do it. The mating dance you perv, not "it" it. Every species has a different dance. Once the dance is completed the piñata leave the house and wait for Storkos to bring their baby egg. It is at this point that the game is nearly too adorable for words. I'm not kidding. It is the most cute thing I've played I think ever. This game is MORE adorable than Animal Crossing... and that's a HUGE statement coming from me. I used to play that game for 8 or more hours a day man! Moving on.

Viva Piñata is actually a challenging game. As night falls you have to defend your plantation resident from wild poacher piñatas by whacking the invaders with a shovel or sprinkling them with water. You also have to break up fights between your residents from time to time, else they may get injured and require you to spend money on having a doctor come and make them better. I'm not kidding. There is a little dude that wears a monkey mask that drives out in a shrinermobile to the aid of your nearly dead piñata. How do you make money to pay for these doctor visits? You can sell the fruit from plants you grow, seeds, flowers, pick up coins during the "romancing" mini-games, or just sell your piñatas that are residents. I recommend breeding the hell out of your "bee" piñata as you get over a grand per bee you sell, and the only things they need in order to get busy are a bee house and any piece of fruit. This is why I refer to the garden as a plantation, because you spend most of your time breeding and selling piñata in order to be able to attract other piñata to your land in hopes of ensaring, I mean, encouraging them to live on your land.

This game is damned addictive. I can't stop playing it. The textures are gorgeous. When piñata come into view and move around their paper hair moves [i.e. rises and falls] in a way that seems natural, but it looks sooo good. I love that all the helper characters that speak in the game have an English accent. It makes it seem like it really is a "goodnight" story that someone is reading to your kid... even if that kid happens to be 27 yr old me. But what I like most about Viva Piñata is that it's a game that parents can actually enjoy playing with their kid or at very least enjoy watching their young kid play. It's light hearted, it teaches your kids how to manage money, and take care of things. All this, and it looks good too!

All things considered I'm going to give Viva Piñata a 4 out of 5. I'm giving it two aqua-green candies because it's definitely a kawaii overdose waiting to happen. One green candy for helping to educate our young kids on the importance of having money and spending it wisely. [No money = no house. No house = no nooky. No nooky = unhappy piñatas.] And one orange one for just being some adorable, yet odd fun. If you have young kids, or are a young kid at heart with an XB360 system you really ought to pick this title up.

Have I steered you wrong yet?

Finish What You Start...

It’s that time again. That’s right. It’s time for me to whip out another one of my jewels and this is one you’re sure to love. I wanted to share this little video with you a few days ago, but it became marked as private a few hours after being posted on YouTube. Well, IT’S BACK ON NOW, BABY!

Close your eyes for a moment and let your memory drift back to your childhood days when things were a lot simpler and there was only one thing that you wanted more than anything else in the world. One day, your parents surprise you with that very item you’ve been coveting. Do you remember how appreciative you were? No? Well allow me to remind you.

I’m going to call this one You Scream. Wii Scream…

This jewel’s for you.

Enjoy

Finish What You Start...

Here I am, the day before the annual "Feast of Overstuffment Day," and I'm still waiting for my Nintendo Wii to arrive. To say that this has been a difficult week would be a gross understatement.

I was actually one of the lucky folks to get in on the Gamestop Wii Bundle Pre-Order, but my billing address is not the same as my current living address... hence the delay in my actually ripping open that puppy and getting my Red Steel on. This has also been the major contributing factor in us not having any first hand accounts with either the Nintendo Wii or Sony PS3. We haven't been able to get our hands on the systems, and neither company has graced us with a demo box... which makes NinJa a sad panda.

Not to rub it in, I was also able to get a PS3 Bundle Pre-Order from Gamestop [those ho's go soooo much of my hard earned cash this past month it's ridiculous!] so I expect that puppy to pop up shortly after the Wii. Then it will be time to start re-assembling the "gaming rig of joy!" [Damn that TV is FINE!!] Moving on. The reason that I'm so excited about having both bundle systems isn't for the greedy reason you may think. Both bundles have some similar game titles in them so I can do a direct comparison of the same title across all of the next-gen systems. That's XB360, Wii, and PS3 for anyone that may forget that the year old XB360 is still a next-gen system. Lots of people say that you can't compare the systems because their individual architectures are so different, it would be similar to trying to compare donuts to dinkleberries. And I will concede to that to a point. But having the same game title, made by the same developer, on each system concurrently I think is a great way to do a superficial system comparison.

So first up on my hit list [once all systems are in, hooked up, and gtg] will be Madden 07. If you have any suggestions for games that are on all 3 console systems that you would like to see on NinJaSistah's Assassination List, let a sistah know!

Finish What You Start...

Tenchi is a great title for anyone who likes roommate drama, space stories or harem anime. But with so many different storylines it begs the question, "Where should I start?" In case you don’t have the time or money to watch all of the Tenchi series, or maybe you just want an intro to the series, I suggest you check out the Tenchi movies. All the same drama and excitement in 3 compact cheap little single DVD packages.

The bare bones basic Tenchi story is that there are two Jurain princesses (Ayeka and Sasami), a space pirate and her living ship (Ryoko and Ryo-Ohki), the galaxy’s most intelligent mad scientist (Washu) and two Galaxy Police officers (Kiyone and Mihoshi) who all crash land on earth, fall in love with a boy named Tenchi and move in with him. Depending on which series you watch, they meet in slightly different ways and the girls have different relationships amongst themselves. In one of the series Washu is Ryoko’s mother and she scientifically created Ryo-Ohki while in another they are perfect strangers. So basically there is a whole house full of girls who love Tenchi… commence with hilarity and drama.

Tenchi the Movie: Tenchi Muyo! in Love (1996)
The gang is watching old home movies when the whole world suddenly changes. In this new world the Misaki family has died out and Tenchi doesn’t exist. Luckily, Washu notices a problem and gets a temporal net up just in time and protects Tenchi and the gang from the changes in this new world. Washu investigates and learns that something happened to Tenchi’s mother 26 years ago, that caused her to disappear. The whole gang travels back to 1970 to stop her disappearance.

However, what they don’t know is that the ‘event’ is caused by a demonic creature with unimaginable power. Kain, the galaxy’s most dangerous villain has gotten loose from his maximum security prison cell. One hundred years ago the Jurain emperor joined forces with the Science Police to stop Kain’s rampage through space. Throughout his captivity Kain’s hatred of the Jurain royal family grew. After escaping, Kain used his power to bend space and time to travel to an era when Jurai’s power was weakest. He plans to wipe out those few members of Jurai who exist in 1970 and he’s starting with Achika, a young Jurain woman who would one day become Tenchi’s mother. If the girls let him succeed then Tenchi will disappear forever and their memories will be rewritten.

This movie would be cool for the sole reason that everyone gets to wear sleek Jurain battle suits. But you also get to see Tenchi’s parents when they’re young and you get to see Tenchi actually using his Jurain powers. He doesn’t use them enough in the series. Plus there’s a dragon! Kain turns himself into a dragon, and everyone knows that dragons rock. On top of all that, it’s a story about time travel. Who doesn’t like time travel? All those lovely paradoxes and such... good times. Despite all this, the movie manages to stays true to Tenchi form, meaning there’s lots of bickering and cool space technology.

I give Tenchi the Movie a 3.5/5 because it’s a decent movie, but lacks anything that really makes it stand out as a great movie. I’ll use a Black M&M for a timewarp and a villain with more power than a black hole, Dark Pink M&M for the cute budding love between Tenchi’s high school aged parents and Teal M&M for space aged weapons, technology and battle suits.

Finish What You Start...

The final two combatants in the console war, Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii, have stepped onto the battlefield to stand against the Xbox 360 and all that remains is the verdict on the winner. Right now there are many gamers around the world enjoying their newly acquired systems after waiting in a long line for days, bribery, or paying twice the retail value on an auction site. What about those poor chaps who couldn’t get a system? Who speaks for the little guy that was fifth in line at a store that received four? That would be the Douce.

After getting a tip the night before the Wii release day that the local K-Mart would have about seven systems in stock and ready to sell when they unlock the doors at 7am, I begin the necessary preparations for a 6:30 am stakeout.
Fresh cup of coffee…check
Something warm to wear…check
PSP…check
Money in my account…check
Bulletproof vest…check

The alarm sounds and off I go. I get there at about 6:30am and to my surprise, there’s only one guy standing at the door and two people sitting in a parked car a few feet away from him. Let’s do the math…seven systems and three people here so far including me (I assumed the two people in the car would be picking up one system). “YES!! Douce is getting a Wii today!” you say? No, Douce is not getting his Wii.

To make a long story short, K-Mart got six system in, two were purchased by employees, the remaining four were reserved and sold to customers who got there before me(the two people in the car each got a system), and I was SOL. Being the loyal ESH fan/writer that I am, even though my heart was heavy over not getting a Wii, I sucked it up and interviewed a couple of others who couldn’t get the system. The general consensus was that the whole system launch situation could’ve been handled better and it’s a shame that nowadays in order to get a gaming system you must camp a store before it opens. I asked about the violence that’s been breaking out around the world over people waiting to get these systems and one guy replied, “Things like that just confirm what people like Jack Thompson are saying about gamers. People have been incited to violence over the HOPE of getting a system and haven’t even put a violent game in yet.”

Another customer said that if the stores would have handled the system launch with a little more organization then things wouldn’t have spiraled into violence. “If I’ve been camped out first in line at Best Buy for a week and then a few hours before they open the doors to let us in to buy the system, some employee with a security guard comes out and tells us that we have to form a line at a different location, I’d be pissed too. Employees have been going in and out of this place for days, looking at me stand in this line, probably laughing at me and NO ONE thought to tell me that I couldn’t stand here. Now I stand the chance of losing my number one spot and not getting a system. I’d probably be upset too.”

Could the system launches have been handled better? Was this year’s launches a sign of things to come? Is this what we, as gamers, have to look forward to every launch year? Is getting a system at release-minute worth a possible stick-up or fight? I’m curious as to what you think could have been done differently. Put in your two cents because change has to be start somewhere.

Finish What You Start...

Who knows? It might be a Barbie instead. If you want a chance at a $100 Xbox 360, you're going to have to make your voice heard. Here are the details.

Amazon.com kicks off its Christmas sales Thursday with a special promotion. One of four items is going to be sold at an amazing discount. One of the four items is an Xbox 360 Core System, which currently goes for $299.99 brand new.

Unfortunately, only one of the four items will be available at the special discount. Amazon.com is letting its website visitors choose which package will be available in voting that closes at 9 p.m. Pacific time tonight.

If the Xbox 360 wins, Amazon.com will offer 1,000 units for sale for a mere $100 at 11 a.m. Pacific time Thanksgiving Day. The other three candidates for the turkey day special are a mountain bike (cut to $30 from $139), a $100 gift certificate for only $40 or an interactive dancing Barbie doll (cut to $10 from $50).

So we urge all ESH visitors to head to this link and help your fellow Sistahs out. A $100 Xbox 360 is too good to pass up.

Finish What You Start...

A great friend to us here at ESH, Vichus Smith has put together a guide for parents who are thinking about purchasing a new game console for their kids this holiday season.

Personally, I thought it was a nice little piece to help parents who may not be in the know, get a leg up on what is out there as far as options in order to find the system that is right for their child, and their household... so props to Vichus for putting it together.

So if you are a parent, or just one of those lovely people giving gifts to others this season but are clueless when it comes to next-gen consoles, the console guide that Vichus has put together is a great resource to have.

It doesn't hurt that one of our podcast episodes may have been his muse to get him started on this topic. :D

Peace!

Finish What You Start...

From reading and talking to so many female gamers I had gotten the impression that women have a very different game experience than males do. I set out to see if I was right.Studies do show that women players account for many game - play hours in online games. In my experience as a games writer I have found that women don't have an easy time of finding free time for video games. Often game play time is interrupted. Someone in the house will always need or want something if she sits down at the computer or picks up a controller. If people are not physically present there is the phone, the coffee pot, the micro (or crock pot depending on where you live), and washer / dryer that all will bleep, buzz or bloop for attention at exactly the wrong time.

The Pink Thing and Video Games by Geek Woman

It is no different if she has pets. When there are two small dogs and three cats for example then there are endless possibilities for someone's dish of water or food to be empty. Or they bark because they want "Out!" Or maybe a chew toy has fallen down the steps or a bone has landed behind the couch. Those dramas cause whining from small dogs which sounds like someone is filleting them for Carpaccio. Or the 16 year old cat may become suddenly interested in being on top of the fridge and then on top of Grandma’s TV. Enter the "home chaos factor", which may or may not be limited to one gender.

Where is everyone else in the place when one is playing a game? Perhaps selective hearing is on a different gene than multitasking? No one else can see who is at the door, get the mail or answer the phone, once a character in an MMO is set up to play. In the frequent situation when it takes you over an hour to get ready and arrive at the location where you want to play next, having long blocks of
uninterrupted time is essential.

There has to be some furious multi tasking going on in the background that no one can see. Thank goodness for virtual online avatars. "Wait a second one of the cats is trying to annihilate the curtain..." One of my favorite moments in gaming was when my cat Miroku spelled out "M -I - L -T" when I stepped away from Dungeons and Dragons Online. He made my all character's skills disappear and had her dance merrily while stuck in a wall.

It is at these precarious times that one's character may or may not be safe while left alone to her pre-programed idling animation of
scratching her butt. She may be beaten to a pulp. In many games when the area isn't safe you end the session by dying. Subsequently you lose all your points and items. This will depend on how sensitive the developers were to the million and one things that compete for a gamer's time.

In other games once you are out of the group you will spend yet more time finding a new group when you go back. In some games if you own a house that requires maintenance as in Ultima Online it could crumble into dust. Or you can get past due on your rent in Dark Age of Camelot The livestock in A Tale in the Desert could starve. There are the dreaded weeds of Animal Crossing. The randomness of life means there is going to be a lack of control over the length of our game session.

Not all games will have the content easily available for solo players or even want to. It is more convenient to play games which are instanced or provide content in small chunks. Games which require big clans of people to band together in groups, can achieve larger goals, like changing the landscape and becoming a virtual community. That has other advantages and takes an even greater investment of time.

Women make up 43% of all video game players. The number of gamers in the US is continuing to increase each year. At least four out of ten people play video games in the United States. When you read over all the reports it comes out even with women having a larger share overall. Games that make it easiest to save progress after a session of game - play or the ability to save at any time are assets to female gamers.

Because of what I'm calling a the "home chaos factor" (or office) women play a great deal of the flash based puzzle, games, board games and quizzes which have shorter initial durations. Women also have higher numbers playing children's games on PCs and consoles. Women have stats that double the male numbers in playing dance and music games. Another area where there seem to be more women than men playing are the classic arcade type of ports.

Women are multi-taskers, and the Internet provides quick connectedness, and information about games during game play. Women apparently do have a different game experience than men do. Women surveyed stated they had other tasks going and other media on in the background while gaming, either the TV, radio or MP3's were used no less than 70%. Since males had higher console than PC use than women, then they weren't necessarily able to be watching TV at the same time.

Using my reverse logic - if aspects in real life from travel and shopping markets were implemented in game-play, the experience would be even more immersive. Some new statistics are said to show that women prefer to play games solo. Then they demonstrate that men seem to be more likely to group in an MMOG. Can the "home chaos factor" account for that too? I know that when I am playing an MMO I don't like to spend the extra time it takes to find a group of new people to play with to solve a quest. I've found that many of the women that I play with also try to go solo to save time and avoid the hassle of doing a mission repeatedly because new people don't know how to work as a team.

Women seem to prefer to travel and game alike with established friends. In fact if you look at those other industries like travel and entertainment women's preferences are much more apparent than in gaming. Those are statistics that could be easily transferred to marketing games that would make the game experience more fun. "Girls travel in packs" it can be said. Games on Xbox Live for instance, make it very easy for ladies to play games together and meet other gals.

In seeing who travel agents say is the average adventure traveler it is not the 28-year-old male that you'd think it would be. Travel agents figures show that a 47-year-old female is the most likely demographic to take nature, adventure, or cultural trips.

There aren't any universal truths about women. However reaching women gamers is more than just making things Barbie pink. Women do process information in a more detail-oriented fashion. Women will notice more and likely expect more. That means we notice amenities, textures, subtleties, and read between the lines.

“Now will you all shut up so I don’t get killed!”

A few weeks ago when Sony / Europe announced that it's dropping the price of the PS2 for Europe and the UK. In addition, they mentioned that they are cutting the price on PS2 memory cards. Then they made another couple of unusual announcements.

Stating that better efficiency has enabled cost savings to be made, Sony says that they are passing the savings on directly to new PlayStation 2 customers who may not want to shell out the $600 US and even more AU for the PS3.

Sony hopes that with over 2,000 game titles another market of PS2 owners will grab up the cheaper console. But that may not be the biggest news. Besides the price cut, they announced a new limited edition Pink PS2, which comes with two pink analog controllers and a pink memory card. The Pink bundle will be available from "selected retailers" throughout Europe starting November 8th, and in the U.K. it'll come with the karaoke game SingStar Pop .

At this time it is unknown if they will follow suit in the U.S. and AU. Some are saying that a comparable price cut will not come until next spring.

Sony is indeed going to offer a pink PSP in association, we're told, with the singer Pink with the intent being to to attract "young women with freedom, confidence and attitude" to the platform. Unlike the upcoming pink PS2 , the salmon-hued portable console doesn't ship with pink accessories, but it is a limited edition, Sony said.

The industry will have to start to think differently if it wants to reach the female customers. Just making things pink is not what we are after. One market study shows that girl gamers like to play during their spare time or when they're mobile. The Nintendo DS users are 44 percent female.

Studies by the US market research firms Yankee Group and Parks Associates confirm the trends that there are several market segments where girl gamers are ahead of males. Mobile phone games are predominantly played by female gamers. In the United States about 60 percent of the people who play games on their mobile phones are women.

David Gardner, chief operating officer for EA's worldwide studios, was speaking to a conference in Edinburgh. When he said the now much quoted line which was

"The game industry has been failing women"

He said the industry had to learn from the film business. And not too long ago this humble jounalist suggested that the games industry look at numbers from the Travel business to find out what girls want.

Mr Gardner got one thing right "They don't want 'pink games'. They are not trying to play girly games where Paris Hilton and Britney Spears go shopping and put make-up on. Those kind of things have not been that successful."

Well duh.

But he said games such as The Sims and websites such as Pogo.com proved there was a market for women gamers.

"Most of the Sims players are girls - 70% are women under 25," he said. The Sims, which is published by EA, is arguably one of the world's most successful game - with more than 40 million copies sold.

Mr Gardner said the industry needed to "create some mega hits in the girl space and that it would potentially add a billion dollars to their revenues. That's not small change. It confirms what we have been saying for years.

Four of our 11 studios around the world are run by women. That's an important start. That is why it is so important for young women to get hired by game development studios now.

Just making a console or a handheld pink doesn't guantee it will seel to women. Making a sinking ship handheld like the PSP in pink may not save it. The games for the PSP just aren't there, and there are more titles that are of interest to female gamers out for the Nintendo DS. Though some women gamers may be interested in picking up a new pink console, it would be as a novelty. I doubt that anyone is going to redecorate their family room which has black or silver components in the entertainment center, to accomodate a loud pink console.

A pink handheld game player is a cute accessory that fits into a purse and can match with outfits. But a pink console is going to become dated and very yesterday very quickly. I just saw a commercial for a large hardware depot store where a teen girl says to her Dad, "I'm grown up now, and I want to repaint my room." The pink poofy stuff is painted over with lime green, mauve and orange. Sorry Sony the new black isn't pink anymore.

Even though we write reviews, and make suggestions, go to conferences and kick butt in our clans and guilds the game developers and the console companies still don’t get it. We are gamers like the guys are. Stop reinforcing the stereotypes. Give us female avatars in games and equality in the industry.

And if you still don't understand what women want - well you can ask me! (For a price.)

Geek Woman is a freelance games jounalist and author of Geek Woman’s Game Guides. www.lulu.com/geekwoman She is the Editor in Chief of the Australian women’s gaming portal Game-Vixen.com. She has given a voice to women and girls who play video games to demonstrate to anyone listening that "We are here!" She lives in the USA with her partner, two pomeranians, three cats, scores of bitchy seagulls and a weedy garden.

Finish What You Start...

Sorry for the delay on reporting on this one folks, but I just now got to it in my email box... so sue me.

As you probably already heard if you've been visiting any video game new websites in the past couple of days Nintendo threw down the gauntlet if you will, the other day, announcing all of the wonderful and kick bootay marketing they play on doing for the Wii here in the U.S.

I gotta be honest on this with you, Nintendo's not playing folks. They are spending millions and millions of dollars in hopes that you'll hear about the Wii, touch it, feel it, lust after it, and buy it. And not necessarily in that order, mind you. Between a bunch of hands on events, web viral marketing, and sweepstakes from your local 7-Eleven, the Pringles potato chip people, and the fine folks at Comedy Central, Nintendo is sparing no dollar to ensure that you people know their name. It's like Nintendo is saying, "Sony has what coming out before us? Oh, cool, but have you seen how WE roll?" Did I mention all the different TV shows that are going to have Wii features? I didn't? I'll get to that.

They already have my attention. I can't lie, I pre-ordered a Wii [finally] and I can't wait to get my little ninja hands on it. My only problem now is I can't decide if I want to play Red Steel or that sweet Zelda: Twilight Princess game. Decisions, decisions... but if you haven't gotten a Wii pre-order just yet, don't fret. Comedy Central will be giving Wii's away like it's Christmas! As a matter of fact, CC will give away one Wii every hour Thursday through Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend. And one lucky sonofabitch at the end of the weekend, will win a Wii console and a Scion tricked out to look like a Wii. I'm not sure what that Scion will look like, but I bet it will be a bitch and a half to keep clean.

Oh, and we can't forget the mall, because we have to get em' where they live! [Sorry, couldn't resist that.] Nintendo is going to have a "mall experience" where basically there will be interactive Wiiosks in Westfield shopping centers with Wiiople, er people, who are trained to use the Wii around it. They will teach you how to play the Wii [or would one use a Wii?] while you're on your way to Cinnabon.

So, if you haven't got a Wii, don't sweat it. Watch TV, eat potato chips, or get a Slurpee... you might luck into one. And if that doesn't work, just go to the mall and walk off all those chips and slurpees!

Finish What You Start...

Anime's Naughty Side by Geek Woman

If you know what a guy smells like who has just been out fishing, doing construction work or playing football then you can guess why women might fantasize about something else. Perhaps a meticulously and metrosexually groomed vampire who elegantly sweeps up to her balcony. Or a deadly but lovely demon who promises her his forbidden world. Or maybe women are just thinking about pretty animé men with long hair.



The anime games and DVD's that are coming to the U.S. recently are a myopic look into the animé subculture of Manga in Japan. There are many animé influenced games in both RPG's and in the fighting genre. This artform is getting very huge over here too. Because animé comes from another culture it reflects a different sort of attitude. It effects the roles of sportsmanship, and sexuality in the future of video games. Animé characters are favorered by women and girls.

Women like males with long hair. Perhaps even before Sampson and Delilah long hair symbolized virility. From back in the 60's when I can remember women saying "he's so beautiful, he looks like Jesus", to today when we have Fabio's famous mane and the sexy Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice, chicks (and some guys) still dig long hair. Guys that work at Rennaissance faires sport long locks from the mideval ages and get descreet double takes from women patrons. Fantasy novels feature wizardly straight and gay men with long hair in various colors. These fictional story books are very popular with women.

In Inuyahsa (yes it is my fav) in the animé and the games, the main character has long white hair and cute dog ears. He is powerful and weilds an over sized magic sword and is in the process of discovering his sensitive human side and love. His brother Seshomaru has even more fantasticly long white hair. He plays the part of a full demon in a stunning white kimono. He seems deep and troubled by "important things in the past". He is the typical brooding unknowable character. Then Miroku the lecherous monk has long black hair that is worn in a ponytail. He wears several gold earrings. He is the most approachable of the three male lead characters, he is funny and sensitive. He makes long insightful speeches about the troubles that arise for the female characters and is often correct.

There are three very different male personalities in the game. All of them are strong and carry several weapons. But they are so cute that many people comment that they can't tell the boys from the girls on Inuysha. That is common with many anime´characters. Inuyasha is wildly popular with women and girls. It has got to be something to do with all the long haired males.

Unlike the animation industry in the U.S. where all the programming is largely aimed at young boys a good deal of Japanese animation also includes marketing to little girls. The teen girls and young adult women are given plenty of eye candy to ooh and ahh over also. Women helplessly find themselves sighing over bishonen with pink hair like Shon Gojo in Saiyuki. There are some Japanese animations that are thought to cater specifically to female tastes.

"Ren'ai" is a Japanese word meaning "romance" novel, and it can be a Japanese adventure game that is mainly point and click. They are mixed-media novels. Minimal player interaction is required. Some but not all ren'ai games contain erotic content. Adult oriented animé dating games are sometimes called a bishoujo game. Those are Japanese video games with sensual anime girls. Some of them contain romance and sexual content.

Animé both ways

Women like to read about sensitive long haired males in complex, dramatic relationship dilemas. The controversial American TV show Queer as Folk which is an adult series on the cable channel Showtime is about gay men and it is said to have had its highest viewership among presumably straight women. Ever enterprising and unabashed, animé capitalizes on this naughty voyuer side to female erotic interests too.

Even though entirely different dynamics are involved in real Japanese society and culture than what is reflected in animé, some obvious patterns of behaviour could be identified as distinctly Japanese. There are values such as conformity, marriage and loyalty that are plain to see. The Harvest Moon series notably added a female character to the recently released new RPG title. But the game guides the female player to marriage as a foregone conclusion in that simulation of life.

Subtle themes crop up in characters that are uniquely Japanese which turn the tables and reverse the roles of exploitation as Americans know it. Animé objectifies men. Male manga artists offer themselves up for the derision. They portray themselves as dogged, nose bleeding, worshipers of the truly oversexed female demi - goddesses that they have created. The men unashamedly admit that they are whipped. Is it a vicious cirle or a happy medium? Then they reinforce the pattern of the implausible by drawing males with gorgeous long hair in fantastic styles and who wear amazing costumes. All of which only a dedicated cosplayer can emulate. They make images of men that are just as impossible to attain as the air brushed silicon female pin ups that are the complaint of western women.

Many animé that are available in the U.S.A. now have some sexual under tones. Saiyuki has an ambiguous homoerotic subtext. Descendants into Darkness does so openly. Colorful and the Excel Saga are a raucious funny lampoon of animé that have very adult content. The males in Colorful are the typical nosebleeding, obsessed male stereo types who will endure anything to get a glimpse up a girl's skirt at her panties.

Sony and Mocrosoft have banned adult games from their consoles. Which I think is a shame. In my own improptu study I went shopping retail for a newly released game rated "E". I rarely do that, but my partner wanted it. We went to Kmart, Walmart, EB Games, and finally Kaybee Toys on our search. These stores have had the games kept behind glass in as long as I can remember. At all four of these retailers we adults were unable to access games without a key and an attending store employee. I don't see how adult titles are "getting into the hands of children" as some have claimed. I don't see why adult games would be so hard to integrate into a system that all ready is under lock and key.

If the right wing was worried about the Sims which is a game that is engineered to be bland (to inspire imagination) and it's sort of the Lego building blocks or Webils of video gaming, wait until they get a load of animé. I was reading an ebay story about how a Christian Mom took away the Yu-Gi-Oh collectible cards that her daughter had in her purse. The woman went through the daughter's purse regularly. Yu- Gi-Oh animé is very tame there is no sexual content in the games or shows. It teaches a litle ancient Egyptian mythology. All the Japanese animé card games, either on cardboard or for Gameboys, most noteably Pokémon teach children about competition, following rules, and being poilite and how to loose like a good sport. They are completly benign. Pokémon has no references to "magic" or spells of any kind. Yu -Gi - Oh and many others do. Magic and Wizards in animé may raise some eyebrows the way it has with Harry Potter.

Another twist that shows up often in animé are characters of unknown gender. In Cowboy Bebop "Edward" is a girl. We don't know this for sure until the plot unfolds more. In .hack//sign tv series and PS 2 games Tsukasa the wave master is permanently logged into "the world" as a male player. But again gradually as the series goes one we discover many secrets about Tsukasa are revealed. Eventually it leads to a very moving and unexpected ending.

A funny game with adult content that reminds me of Leisure Suit Larry, is the Lupin the Third Games for Game Cube. Those have the sort of slapstick funny approach to sexuality. The artstyle exagerates the female figure of the characters.

One of the most visible ways that animé characters have come to be loved by a large American audience is in the Dead or Alive series. Kasumi is a very well known and favored character. Her background story and a search for her brother are part of the game's back story. Granted Kasumi's character and background story is underdeveloped in the games. The game is infamous for the jiggliness and not the seriousness of her character. In game play her moves are great and she is a tough character to play with and to beat. But there is no doubt what her assets are. The graphics in Dead or Alive 2 are good. The characters are depicted in a fair amount of detail. The facial expressions look realistic. The characters' movements and clothes flows realistically, except for the pronounced bounce.

Animé is popular because it is bringing fresh artwork and ideas to a tired jaded American entertainment market. Women like it because it offers a variety of roles to play and exciting personas to get to know in a fantasy world. Males like it because there is more lassitude in the appearance of the female fantasy characters. Puritanical America can use to loosen up and enjoy themsleves. There are worse things than a little risque art and pass times like games.

Finish What You Start...

It's Launch Week for the PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii and there's nothing but rumors of riots in Japan, where the PS3 went on sale this past weekend, and rumors of folks being thrown out of Best Buy waiting lines. Here's some more stuff you might have missed...

• If you're camping out in front of a Best Buy, a Target, a Wal-Mart or wherever for a PS3 or a Wii, you'll want to know just how many they have on hand, eh? Here's how to get those numbers.
• Some PS3 die-hards have more money than sense. That's evident from these current Yahoo Japan auctions, which, as of late Sunday night, have bids on single PS3 systems of more than 2 Billion Yen. Comparatively, things were much more civilized in the U.S., as a top-of-the-line PS3 went for a mere $9,100, according to this eBay auction.
• The PS3 case is beautiful and black -- as long as you keep it in the box. The Gizmodo guys discovered to their dismay that it doesn't take much to mar the surface of the case.
• Bungie is adding a female voice to Halo, according to Frankie on the Bungie website: "Anyway, one of the things we're looking at for Halo 3 multiplayer (Master Chief is all man) is adding a female voice to the Spartan character should you choose it as part of your custom character."
• USA Today says you might be better off just waiting to buy a next-gen console until next year. Awwwww, whadda they know?
• Defying the laws of economics, it seems that, according to this article, the Xbox 360 is actually becoming more expensive to manufacture as time goes on.
• HD takes a big step backward on Xbox Live, as one of the first games to be released in 1080p resolution will be a modernized version of Atari's classic Missile Command.
• Already have a PS3 pre-ordered and just waiting on it to arrive? Time to RTFM! Sony has its PS3 online manual just waiting for you by clicking here. Enjoy!
• Some people were upset about last week's GameStop online Wii preorder, which required the purchase of six games, an extra controller, an extended warranty and a magazine subscription, pushing the total to nearly three times the cost of the console alone. Well, GameStop's got nothing on CompUSA, which according to this ad will allow you reserve a PS3 -- as long as you purchase a 40-inch or larger Sony HDTV first.

Finish What You Start...

Bandai Games has finally scored big with the RPG "Inuyasha: Feudal Combat" for the PlayStation 2. The game is based on Inuyasha, the top-rated TV series from VIZ Media that airs on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim. "Feudal Combat" the game has undergone an engine overhaul. It is now a genuine fighting game with a variety of moves and combos. You can play as Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku and Sango. The story mode has actual resemblance to the game. Thankfully the new battle system includes the ability to play along with a friend as a partner character in the cooperative mode.

Game play commences as you choose which team that you want to play as. In this way it becomes a two player game, or you can even choose a female lead character almost all the way through the game -- Inuyasha and Kagome or Miroku and Sango. Kagome has her bow and sacred arrows that purify negative energy. Sango has her heracos and Ki La La by her side. They all have special bonus moves that you have to let charge up, much like many RPG games of the past have.

The loading screens are a little slow but the artwork makes up for it. The graphics are much better this time with 3D renderings of the 2-D manga characters. The environments look pretty, and they are well drawn. Environments that have been on the TV series appear in the game. You play against familiar enemies such as Kikiyo, Koga, Kohaku, and Naraku.

The game takes place in ancient Japan. It is set in a fairy tale-like setting where demon oni and magic priestesses practice their sparkling skills in feudal Japan. It features 12 playable characters. Inuyahsa is a half-human, half-dog demon. Naraku is an evil shape-shifter. The combat system is new and original and a big improvement from Inuyasha: the Cursed Mask.

The environments are interactive which can give players an advantage in battle depending on what element or spells they can cast. There are three different game-play modes, including the mission, story, and two-player versus modes, which create a variety of ways to play the game. The game advances as characters are given the chance to develop more upgraded, Increased compatibility with partners to improves attacks.

The game is beautiful -- the backgrounds and other screens are nice watercolors. The characters themselves look much better in the updated 3D format. The whole game seems more in keeping with the style of the artwork and level of production that the DVD Inyusha movies have. The music and sound effects are good.

Inuyasha is my favorite animé. This game has it all down, the supernatural story line, the romances and the tragedies. The gameplay has been improved to match the show's exemplary art style and deep plot line. I am satisfied. I give Inuyasha Feudal Combat a long awaited 4.5 out of 5.

Finish What You Start...

When most people think of American comicbooks they think of individual issues that are only 20 or so pages long and superheroes dressed up in tights with their underwear on the outside. That's like thinking manga only comes in the monthly magazines and characters only dress in sailor uniforms. Comics are also released in graphic novel form and depending on the story can be hundreds of pages long on any and all topics. Comics are where I got into sequential art, they were my gateway drug to the addiction that is manga. It's high time I got back to my roots.

Comics are completely different from manga, and not just in the art style. Manga tends to be a minimalized art form, often with little or no background, colored only with screentone; comics have more detail in the characters and background and are usually published in full color. The way the story flows is also different. Manga have a story that contains a beginning, middle and end, the series are often fully planned out and have a specific number of volumes. Comics don't.

A comic is created around a basic concept and it is designed to continue perpetually until something happens to end it; readers loose interest, the writer decides to end it, the publisher goes bankrupt or an apocalypse destroys the world. Even then it is usually dusted off a few years later and revamped for a new generation's entertainment. Over the course of it's life a comic will usually have many writers and artists associated with it. Comics are arranged around story arcs that are often entirly self contained stories with only the characters linking them together. New villians or problems arise in each arc. A reader can jump in at the beginning of any arc and get most of the information they need to understand what is going on. You can start to see these same traits in some of the longer running manga, such as Inuyasha and Naruto.

for instance. He's one of the oldest and most famous superheroes out there. He was created in 1932 and has had a littany of writers and artists working on his story since then. The character has been reinvented again and again, and placed in every concievable situation. He has had tv shows, movies, radio serials, video games and all manner of memorabilia designed and based on him. Comics trade on the fact that people want to read stories about familiar characters, not accustom themselves to new characters every time they want to read something. A comic called Witchblade had an anime based on it. Imagine if you could continue to read new stories about your favorite manga character for the next 74 years, rather than having to come to terms with the fact that their story is over and you will never see them again.

So, starting on Monday, in the podcast, I will be reviewing American graphic novels. I'll be bridging the gap between manga and comics with Death: At Death's Door a manga based on the Sandman comic series.

Finish What You Start...

I've been watching Inuyasha since 1994. Back then it was only on once a week at 1:30 AM. Now I see it on Cartoon network on weeknights On demand and on Netflix. tonight I am watching the disk with the last of the Band of Seven on it. The whole Mount Hakushin and the mummified saint are pretty deep stuff. Kikyo has a big role and she is still acting as a priestess in the final chapter of the Band of Seven. It is her spiritual power that in the end purifies one of the biggest "bosses" if you will. A saint turned to the dark side by Naraku.

I was watching some other episodes and I wrote this other blog when I was watching these. Inuyasha is a series that can be enjoyed by people of different ages and walks of life. There are so many things to find in it. There is the character of Kagome who is a student priestess and archer for young girls. Inuyasha is an action character with a big sword for the boys. However there is this whole other cultural layer to it. Inuyahsa can be appreciated on a deeper level too. I often think about all the philosophical interpretations and spiritual information in it.

A while back my other half went out to a toy con and brought me back an action figure of Kikyo from Inuyasha. Since my partner only occasionally watches the show, and so picked up Kikyo for me without knowing her significance. Kikyo is the most enigmatic character and my favorite. She is a priestess who was deceived by a demonic monster called Naraku. Kikyo and her lover Inuyasha were turned against each other by the demon's lies.

Later in the story Kikyo is conjured up by a sorceress from her bones and graveyard soil. This resulted in Kikyo's walking the earth as an undead priestess. In life she had unusually strong powers of purification and spiritual strength. In death she is a formidable shade that wanders the earth. She seeks vengeance for her betrayal. But through her undead journeys she contemplates the yin and yang of her existence. She says that "Dark is light, good is evil, love is hate." Her "life" as an undead spirit in a cold body countermands everything she believed in as a priestess, however she lives and still attempts to carry on good works. Yet her existence is cursed and anathema by the very tenets that she once believed. Her life is a paradox.

I'm watching the pivotal two episodes On Demand where Kikyo finds out who betrayed them, and discovers that Inuyasha was not the one who killed her. The origins of the sacred jewel are discussed and there are many references to Shinto mythology. The series touches upon much of the animism and demonology that I find out more and more about every time I studied Shinto.

When I was in college, my "inner voice" kept whispering Shinto... Shinto in my ear. It's like an "ear worm" of a song when it happens, sometimes my intuition comes to me in that way. At the time I didn't "get" Shinto. I had been studying Wicca with all the long winded spells and elaborate altars and robes. Maybe back then I thought that was more powerful. At this point in life I feel closer to Shinto, closer to just the Earth and maybe even closer to understanding Zen. I have studied so many different paths and boiled them down to just the essence that is left. I even have my own huge pink rose quartz sacred jewel in front of me here.

Kikyo is an interesting role model. She is there to teach us that we are not supposed to become a captive of time like Kikyo, no matter how bad we are hurt, no matter who it is that betrays us. Kikyo is forced to be a living dead girl that can never escape her past. It doesn't have to be that way for us

Finish What You Start...

In today's news:

• Just like razors... or ink jet printers
• Free, as in beer
• Winners galore
• Playing the Game Name Game
• Being popular has its price

How to spend $700 for a Nintendo Wii: The great thing about the Nintendo Wii is the cheap price, right? You won't think so after hearing about tonight's sale on the GameStop.com website. Tonight you can buy a Nintendo Wii Bundle in a GameStop online-only sale for the low, low price of... $694.88, which doesn't include tax and shipping. What do you get for the extra $450 you're spending on a $250 machine? Six games (Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Trauma Center: Second Opinion, Red Steel, Marvel Ultimate Alliance, Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz and Madden NFL 2007), an extra controller, a 1GB memory card, a 12-month product replacement plan and subscription to Game Informer magazine.

How to get a Wii for free: GameFly is giving away a Wii each day through Nov. 30. If you're a current GameFly subscriber, just go to the GameFly website and click on the link to the contest. Not a subscriber? You could sign up for a trial subscription or just go to this link. The official rules are right here.

How to win more stuff: While we're on the subject of winning game-related stuff, here are some more current giveaways: Enter here to win a $3,000 package of consoles and games, including the PS3, Wii, Xbox 360 and PSP from RewardTV. Enter here for an Xbox 360 package, including 27-inch HDTV and a copy of Gears of War from GamePro. Enter here to win a Wii and a copy of Red Steel from 7-Eleven. Enter here to win a Wii, the games Excite Truck and Legend of Zelda and an extra remote controller from Nintendo. Enter here to win a Wii from Pringles.

Just don't call it E3.1: Some are calling it the successor to E3, but whatever it is, it doesn't have a name yet. IDG, which owns GamePro and many other tech-related magazines, will be conducting a consumer-focused gaming event at the Los Angeles Convention Center Oct. 18-20, 2007, according to the GamePro website. What to call it? IDG has started a contest through Nov. 20 for that very purpose. Grand prize is a free trip for two to the thing.

Negima, Vol. 3: Magic 301 - Practical Application of Magic (Limited Edition): Life at Mahora Academy is anything but predicatble, a theorem which Negi Springfield and the girls of Class 2-A seem determined to test! When a class project incurs the wrath of one of their own, what follows is a virtual, digitally-enhanced popularity contest, no holds barred. How about a little war, World Wide Web style? I understand this Limited Edition version contains a collectible Negima figure.

Finish What You Start...

In the run-up to the launch of the PlayStation 3 and the Nintendo Wii, there's going to be lots of rumors out there. At ElectricSistaHood, we're in as much of a fog as you are, so you can just take or leave these latest bits of information coming at us from all directions. It's all talk, and it's mostly crazy.

• There's controller confusion for the Wii version of Fire Emblem. It can't use the Wii-mote, but it can use the Classic controller? That's just crazy!
• Circuit City didn't get the memo. In this ad on their website, they give Nintendo's new console a very different name. Perhaps it's a crazy tie-in with Life Savers candy.
• Proof of the ever-expanding Xbox 360. Here's a screenshot that lists the greatly expanded capacity of a machine at an Xbox Live event. Is it a sign of crazy things to come?
• How to push all the fanboys' buttons. This photo spread from FHM explains graphically why we can't get Morgan Webb interested in talking to ElectricSistaHood. She's crazy busy at the gym.
• What do you call Guitar Hero without a wireless guitar controller? Smashed Xbox. There appears to be a problem with producing a wireless guitar controller for the Xbox 360 version of Guitar Hero. Playing without one is just crazy.
• It takes ONE to play Zelda. After all those rumors of a multi-player Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, one blogger has found proof on a Japanese website that the game will allow only single-player mode. That's crazy sad.
• Thus Spake Mr. Chuck E. Cheese. Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari and the Chuck E. Cheese restaurant franchise, doesn't have kind words to say about Sony, according to an interview in Red Herring magazine: "With the PS and PS2 it was timing. They had the right pricing at the right time [and were] almost the accidental winner. It would not surprise me if a year from now they’ll be struggling to sell 1 million units. [Factoring in the PS3’s price], I think in the U.S. the number of early adopters you have is actually around 300,000." Crazy, man!

Finish What You Start...

There's just not enough hours in the day for the Sistahs to play all the videogames out there, so every once in a while we will present the views of others on the new games out there. Here's the first batch...

Family Guy: Matt Slagle of the Associated Press (courtesy of the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette) says: "But there’s just not enough variety or originality to make the interspersed comedic nuggets worth mining." Get it here.

Destroy All Humans! 2: A writer from the Scripps Howard News Service says: "While not as original as the first game, there is plenty of enjoyment to be found here. You can never go wrong getting to zap all those pesky humans." Get it here.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07: Chris Campbell of the Scripps Howard News Service (courtesy of the Navy Compass) writes: "Sadly, there are still too few courses to play on the 360 version. Only 12 are available, and while that is double last year's count, there are 21 courses on the PS2 and regular Xbox versions. Jealousy reigns." Get it here.

Scarface: The World Is Yours: Alex Thornton of AllHipHop.com writes: "There's no shortage of open-ended crime simulators on the market, but what Scarface lacks in originality, it more than makes up in attention to detail and a comprehensive use of the franchise." Get it here.

Phantasy Star Universe: Lou Kesten of the Associated Press writes: "The story doesn‘t offer many surprises, and the combat is lackluster, for the most part requiring no more than rapid button-mashing." Get it here.

Spyhunter: Nowhere to Run: A writer for Chicago's Courier News says: "Without the driving and at least some of the classic gameplay thrown in for good measure, this game is at best worth a rental, and even then, it's disappointing." Get it here.

Finish What You Start...

Wanna see something purdy?

Looking through the email box, now that I had a moment to myself to collect my thoughts into a coherent block of text... nice of me to do huh?


I got an email from AnimeNation about a new Okami artbook they got in, and I have to say, it looks really interesting. According to the description,

This massive 296 page full color illustration collection archives the beautiful art of Okami, including early, prototype production design sketches, character and enemy monster designs, background art, and promotional illustrations.

Go on, give it a gander... and if you like artbooks, pick it up.

**Electric Sista Hood is an AnimeNation Affiliate**

Finish What You Start...

Calling all WoW gamers! Calling all WoW gamers! Now here this: Pandalicious wants to come to your server!

Hey everyone, Panda here. I've been experimenting on different servers, and I felt that you all got a great idea of what Ninjasistah is like from our interview on AllGamesInteractive... but, what about the Panda? Don't you wish you got to know me better?!

Well now you can. I propose a little contest of sorts not one formally introduced because this is not a contest. All those who are interested, comment to this post. Within you comment give me your toons name, whether you fight for the Horde or Alliance, and your server. When we record this weeks show, I will randomly draw a person's toon and server, and I will personally create a toon on that side and on that server.

I'm sure I'm not the best prize ever but this will also allow me to get to know all of you better. Well, thats all I've got for you today.

Finish What You Start...

Oh great here it comes for all to see. What do I have for you all this time?
You know...Now that I've cracked 60, and have begun my quest for attunements and tier armor and gaining faction, I've noticed that I still have lots of work to do in this game. Now that I'm sixty, I can't be called a "n00b" anymore, but now there is a new word for what I am. Now, I'm "underequipped..." meaning that I am not decked out in any complete set of tier armor.

But my thought is this...

With BC [Burning Crusade, the WoW Expansion] coming out, most of the work that we will do to acquire tier armor will be for shit. There will be greens [Uncommon pieces of armor,weapsons and the like] that will have better stats than tier 0 through 2. Apparently lots of people still plan to keep their tier 3 [which, if I do manage to get, I will hold onto mine as a symbol of PRIDE!!!]

But what do you think about this hussle for tiers that won't really matter once the expansion come out? What do you think about the attunements and the like?

Calling all WoW gamers, I seek your wisdom and knowledge thank you.

Finish What You Start...

In case you hadn't picked up on it before, I am a hardcore gamer. Gamer to the core. I saw this proudly, if there was a patch that said "Gamer to tha Core" I'd have it on every pair of jeans and t-shirt I own.

Have I played every game on the planet? No. I don't own a PC to play any PC games on, I haven't even installed World of Warcraft trial that I've been given. So you might ask, on just what grounds I can state that I'm a hard core gamer. It's because I take gaming very, very seriously.

I care about the well being of my consoles... they are my ticket to a momentary vacation from reality when I need it. As such, I have to make sure that they stay clean, safe, and in proper working order at all times. To help make that happen, I have done something that I think any gamer worth their salt needs to do: I have all of my important gaming related electronics on Uninterruptible Power Source backups. That's UPS' for the uninitiated. A little too nerdcore for you? Well it shouldn't be. A UPS is the best way to show your deep admiration for games and I'm going to explain why.

Nothing will fry your gaming box faster than a power surge. Having your system on a surge protector is a good start, but it may not be enough to save that HD drive if the power surges while you're in the middle of a hot and heavy capture the flag match. Many people know that it's a good idea to have your computer on a UPS to make sure you don't toast the machine that has a lot of your sensitive data on it... well, your console is at it's core, just another computer, so why would you treat it any differently than your bill-paying box? You shouldn't, and from now on your won't. Seriously, go home tonight, and tell your consoles you are not going to treat them like second class citizens in your home any longer.

Ok, all jokes aside, it's really a good idea to put your consoles on a UPS system, especially if you have more than one active gaming console in your home. But don't stop at your console, think whole picture. In my gaming rig, which I am slowly but surely tricking out, I have my 42 inch LCD, digital cable box, XB360 and PS2 on a UPS battery backup. Some people might think this is overkill but let me explain. In a previous rig setup I have everything including my wireless router on a surge protector. It was a very highly rated surge protector, so I felt comfortable in the knowledge that my electronics would not be fried like an egg in a skillet. Then the lightning storm hit, and my surge protecting surge protector FRIED my wireless router like a shot of H to the head. Fuck! Then I called the manufacturer, no replacement coming... didn't matter that it was on a surge protector. "You should have put it on a battery backup..." was the line I was given. That's when I had my "ah doyee" moment. It's all going on UPS systems.


I stress to all of you, put your systems on UPS battery backups... but do the research first. Find out what the energy requirements of the systems and TV in your rig that you are going to put on the UPS and then find the UPS that will support that requirement with ease. For instance, many battery backup systems have a certain amount of outlets that run off the battery, and some that are merely surge protected. I purchased the Belkin F6550-AVR system for my rig because it offered 4 outlets that were surge protected plus battery backed up, and then 2 more outlets that were just surge protected. This covers my main systems. I then bought an additional F6550 unit for the AV rack that houses my PS2, Wii, and wireless router. In this way, if the power goes out, I have plenty of time to safely save my games, power down my systems... no fried electronics... and all at about the cost of a new game. Not a bad deal, If I say so myself. If they could, my consoles and TV would thanks me.

Every major electronic system in the house is on a Belkin or APC UPS backup system. I've opted to not go with some systems that say they are specifically designed for the consoles themselves because they are designed specifically for that one system. Many of those systems are in the same form factor as the console itself, and are meant to rest underneath the system. For my rig space, this does not work. It would mean a single back up for each system and a power outlet for each. Unfortunately for me I don't have 6 outlets on the wall where my rig is, so this is an unfeasible option for me, and I think for many other people.

I am hardcore. I am gamer to tha core. Are you?

Finish What You Start...

I seem to have a Demon Diary Dilemma, AKA The Case of the Mysterious Bunny Girl. In August of 2000 writer Lee Chi Hyong and artist(s) Kara, an art duo, teamed up and started publishing a manwha series called "Mawang Ilgi," released in the US as Demon Diary. Several years later in March of 2002 Kara finished the 7th book with another writer, Lee Yun Hee. The question is did Lee Yun Hee finish the same story Lee Chi Hyong started?

Chi Hyong only completed the first of the 7 volumes, the rest were written by Yun Hee. Kara has a brief artists' note at the beginning of the second volume that explains the transition. In short, the note said Chi Hyong left the book to study for his high school exams and the rest of the story was in Yun Hee's capable hands.

There isn't much to indicate where Chi Hyong wanted the book to go. Most manga and manwha graphic novels are 200 pages or more, Volume 1 was only 144 pages of actual Demon Diary content with two additional stories, Crystal Heart and Terra. Three of the main characters, Raenef, Erutis and Eclipse are introduced and that's about it. I wasn't there for the transition so I don't know how much guidance Yun Hee got from Chi Hyong. He may have had an outline of the story for her, or he may have left it entirely up to her to decide the future of the characters.

The story itself transitions beautifully. If it weren't for the artists' note from Kara and the change of the writers name on the cover of the book I never would have guessed that the series was any different. I was initially going to write a simple review of the Demon Diary series and talk about how cool it was, but when I picked up the first volume to start re-reading it, I realized that there was one last loose end that Yun Hee missed. At the very beginning of the first chapter there is a scene that is never explained.

It looks like it is supposed to take place far in the future of the events in the series. The chapter title is My Time Remaining, a mature and older Raenef is leaning up against a busted concrete wall, his chest is bandaged and he's wearing what looks like space age clothing. The only text is Raenef speaking and he says, "I wonder what he's doing right now? It's been almost a year... You know, I can't wait any longer... I'm going to go find him. Hey... are you listening? Don't worry... you're coming too." It's only a 4 page scene and it's mostly shots of Raenef or the wreckage of the building he's sitting in/near, but the last image shows who he's talking to and it's this cute little girl with bunny ears and wires sticking out all over her body. She's got those Chobits eyes, the ones with the information streaking across them, so I think she's a robot. But that's it. There is no further information and when you get into the story there are no electronics and it's the usual fantasy story set in 'medieval' times.

So here's the question, what the heck did Lee Chi Hyong have in mind when he wrote that first scene, and do you think the Demon Diary Yun Hee finished and Tokyopop published is the Demon Diary Chi Hyong imagined?


Oh, by the way, Demon Diary is an awesome manwha and you should all read it. I'll give you the whole plotline in one sentence...

Demon lords are powerful, evil beings of chaos and destruction, so what happens when the newest of the Demon lords is a fluffy airheaded pacifist.

Pure fun, that's what. Kara is a great artist, and the Lees are great writers.

Finish What You Start...

In today's news:

• Xbox Live gets 85 enhancements
• EA awards NBA title early
• Nintendo doubles Sony on launch titles
• Gotta travel? Here's help
• It's back to nature with the Nature Girls

Xbox Live introduces 85 enhancements: Yesterday Xbox Live users were able to download a system update that gives them 85 new features and enhancements, including support for native 1080p games and movies, faster Xbox Live Arcade game list display times and even more choices when it comes to video playback options. The update requires no disc or hard drive. Read more here.

Mavs win E(B)A title: The NBA 2006-07 season is just beginning and they've already crowned the new champion: the Dallas Mavericks. At least, that's according to EA, creators of the NBA Live 07 video game. According to a story on the Canadian Broadcasting Company's website, the Mavs win in six games over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki is the MVP of the championship series. Losing in the conference finals are San Antonio and Miami. Last year's EA simulation correctly predicted Miami would advance to the NBA finals, but chose the Heat to lose to San Antonio.

Nintendo wins war of launch titles: Nintendo's Wii will start its life with 32 new launch titles, almost double the number that the Sony PlayStation 3 will have out before Christmas. The initial Wii titles will be: Call of Duty 3, Marvel Ultimate Alliance, Rapala Tournament Fishing, Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam, World Series of Poker: Tournament of Champions, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2, Trauma Center: Second Opinion, Madden NFL '07, Need for Speed: Carbon, Elebits, Happy Feet, Rampage: Total Destruction, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, The Ant Bully, Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz, Metal Slug Anthology, Super Swing Golf, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Barnyard, Cars, SpongeBob SquarePants: The Creature from the Krusty Krab, Far Cry: Vengeance, GT Pro Series, Monster 4X4 World Circuit, Open Season, Rayman Raving Rabbids, Red Steel, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double Agent and Ice Age 2: The Meltdown.

Anime gypsies get help: Traveling to Anime Expo in Long Beach next June? Now you can get help traveling to a variety of anime conventions through the AX Travel Store. The store provides discounted airfares, hotels and auto rentals on trips to anime conventions. Surf here for details.

Green Green -- Nature Girls (Vol. 3): Midori has one final chance to make Yuusuke fall in love with her. She bets it all on one kiss, and Yuusuke's memory returns! They are finally together, but fate has decreed them unhappiness no matter what. As the guys prepare a special farewell party for the girl's class, violent thunderstorms shake the school. Influenced by his old memories, Yuusuke's personality changes completely. Ignoring his friends, he becomes blunt and decisive. He begins to wonder if the real Yuusuke is actually a good person. Midori has overcome fate to get this far, but Yuusuke's real personality maybe what finally sends her back to the future. Back to the future? I loved that first movie.

Finish What You Start...