Planet Saturn: Saturn 3D Pad

I've been curious about this controller, the Saturn 3D Analog Pad, for a long time, as far back as 1996 when it was originally released alongside Nights into Dreams. I finally caved last week and ordered one from Japan, it arrived last night and I was able to spend some time with it. I am usually pretty skeptical about additional accessories for consoles such as steering wheels, light guns, etc. due to their limited scope in terms of the games they support. 

In the case of the Saturn I was pretty skeptical about the 3D Analog Pad because of mixed opinions regarding its necessity. The standard Saturn controller is pretty excellent, albeit a tad uncomfortable with fully 3D titles in my opinion, in particular games like Burning Rangers, Sonic R, Sonic 3D Flickies' Island, and a few others. Now the pad was primarily designed for Nights into Dreams (initially they were both released together as a bundle pack), and honestly, I was puzzled by this as I never had any problems playing the game with a standard Satrurn pad, hence the main reason why I was hesitant to get the 3D pad. However, last night when I finally got to use it, I realized that I had no idea what I was missing all this time.

I tried several games with the pad, the first was Sonic R and immediately I was able to appreciate the analog stick as it made turns and general movement so much smoother and fluid than before. I played several races and found myself enjoying the game a lot more than I did before. I actually had gotten very accustomed to using the standard pad after hours upon hours of playing the game, but now with the 3D Pad I look forward to pouring some more hours into it.

Sonic 3D Flickies' Island was next, easily among my least favorite Sonic games, I didn't like it one bit on the Mega Drive but I suppose the Saturn version is a far superior game for many reasons (superb exclusive soundtrack, 3D half-pipe special stages, better visuals and effects) but still suffers from cumbersome and sluggish game mechanics and controls. The 3D analog pad actually makes it significantly more playable and smooth from a mechanical standpoint, as it remedies virtually all of the control issues that always prevented me from enjoying the title (the game concept is still dumb....).

Next up was Nights into Dreams, and boy this is where the 3D Pad truly feels special! I couldn't believe I was playing the same game as the difference between the 3D Pad and the standard controller when playing Nights into Dreams is unbelievable! I didn't expect it at all. The 3D Pad and Nights into Dreams are a match made in heaven, easily surpassing my experience with the HD remake of the game using the Xbox 360 pad by a landslide. The game becomes 1000% more fluid, effortless, responsive, and completely dream-like with the 3D Pad. Sounds like bad advertising I know, but it needs to be experienced to be believed. The game just felt so much faster and better paced, it was almost like I was playing the game for the very first time in my life. I now feel like I've experienced Nights into Dreams the way it was always meant to be.

The 3D Analog pad itself is pretty nice from a design and ergonomic standpoint. It's quite big but it fits into your hands comfortably, with the face buttons and analog stick nicely laid out. To my surprise it's pretty light too, as I was expecting it to be a bit bulky and heavy. The analog stick is interesting, unlike contemporary analog sticks and nubs you see today but it works quite well, in particular it feels perfect when playing Nights into Dreams. The switch at the bottom lets you switch between the D-pad and the analog-stick controls, would have been nice if you could use both simultaneously but I guess this was among the earlier analog pads. My major gripe with the pad is the noticeably unresponsive and uncomfortable START button, it's made out of this weird rubber substance and I can't understand why when all of the other buttons are plastic. 

Worth picking up if you own a Saturn? I would say yes because it allows for the absolute best Nights into Dreams experience, which is obviously a game you MUST own if you have a Saturn. Other than that, it supports a wide range of games, in particular it makes 3D titles on the Saturn much more enjoyable, games like Sonic R, Sonic 3D Flickies' Island, Burning Rangers, and some of the First Person Shooters that were pretty huge on the console. I was able to find a boxed 3D Analog Pad for $30, a little steep but worth it if you still play your Saturn regularly.

Random Musing: Guilty Gear Xrd

It's finally happening....the third official entry in the Guilty Gear fighting series (ignoring the multitude of expansion packs that were released over the years). I couldn't believe it when I saw an email this morning which had the subject:

GUILTY GEAR THREE!

This email was from Ben Shambrook, a good friend of mine and also the art designer of this blog.  Guilty Gear fans all over have waited for this day for far too long. It's official now, Guilty Gear Xrd is the long overdue and true sequel to 2002's Guilty Gear XX: The Midnight Carnival.

Ever since the dawn of the current hardware generation back in 2005, I pretty much took it as a given that there was going to be a new Guilty Gear fighting game powered by the new technology. Unfortunately, due to legal issues over the IP that didn't quite happen, as instead we got the BlazBlue series which is pretty incredible in its own right, if not the premier 2D fighting game of the generation. Guilty Gear 2: Overture doesn't exist to me, but last year they at least released a HD port of Guilty Gear XX: Accent Core Plus R  with online multi-player functionality. I was quite pleased with that release last year, at that point even a HD re-release of a tried and tested PlayStation 2 title was good enough to pacify my Guilty Gear thirst. I still play the game fairly regularly.

It's funny because a friend was telling me about Arc System Work's big 25th anniversary celebration, and how they were going to do this grand concert for Guilty Gear and BlazBlue music, as well as some competitive tournaments. I jokingly said how it would be nice if they announced a new Guilty Gear game....and they did!

The first trailer shows off plenty as you get to see some actual gameplay. My first surprise was seeing the Unreal Engine logo, but then I see character models that look like high resolution 2D sprites, and so I thought that maybe the 3D stages and special effects were powered by it, but no...suddenly the camera rotates...the character models were not sprites...they were fully 3D cel-shaded models! It looks incredibly unique and impressive. You can't even tell that they're 3D or 2.5D like you can in Street Fighter IV, the illusion of fluid hand-drawn 2D sprite animation is really something special.

I am very pleased that they decided to create a whole new engine and look for Guilty Gear Xrd instead of recycling the BlazBlue engine. For one thing the look is unique and a positive step forward for the 2D fighting genre. The trailer also featured one of the songs that will make up the soundtrack of the game, a fully vocal metal track called Heavy Day, and it sounds pretty rad. Guilty Gear always had some amazing hard rock music, and I can't wait to hear the all new material composed for Guilty Gear Xrd. The gameplay looks tight too, the trailer shows Guilty Gear mainstays, Sol and Ky, in action with all their combos and signature moves, and we also see Millia Rage in her brand new look as well as a glimpse of Eddie/Zato. 

I'm pretty excited for it already, might be a while before we get to play the game on a console, until then the soon to be released home version of BlazBlue: Chronophantasma will keep fans occupied. 

Check out the debut trailer below, all aboard the hype train!

Reflections: Caladrius

Caladrius is yet another game that joins the already vast and still growing library of 2D scrolling shooters available for the Xbox 360, primarily in Japan. There are plenty of great shmup titles for both the North American and PAL Xbox 360, but if you're an avid fan of the genre willing to go the extra mile, then a Japanese Xbox 360 is an essential investment. The library of exclusive shmup titles for the Japanese Xbox 360 is amazing, and joining this nice lineup is Caladrius, a game that is easily among the best shmup offerings on the Xbox 360 or otherwise. A lot of shmup offerings on the Xbox 360 tend to be a little on the old school retro side in terms of visuals and core gameplay, featuring a ridiculously challenging bullet-hell style of gameplay. Still, there have been just as many shmup titles on the platform that are refreshingly modern in appearance, sound, and game design. Games like Cave's Akai Katana and Suda 51's Sine Mora are some recent excellent examples of more modern shmups. Caladrius too succeeds at offering an experience that belongs on modern console hardware.

The game kicks off with a stellar and nicely presented anime-style opening, complete with a cool Japanese rock song blaring in the background. The presentation is cool, and it's nice that all menus are in English, so you can play around with the various options and settings with ease. The story is presented via artwork and animation stills, featuring solely Japanese text with plenty of Japanese voice-work, so the only thing that you're going to miss out if you're a non-Japanese speaker is the story, but everything else about the game and its mechanics is in English, so you still get a highly import friendly shmup experience (not that the language barrier is a problem with these type of games).

I'm not the biggest fan of the character designs to be honest, the art style comes from the same talent who did the character designs for Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor. It's a unique and highly distinguished art-style, but it doesn't really appeal to me personally. The game also has this silly gimmick where the clothing of the female characters tear up as they take more damage, gradually revealing more skin. It's a bit silly, and honestly the game has so much going for it that this little fan-service gimmick was completely unnecessary. Still, it's inconsequential to the overall gaming experience so no harm done I suppose, but even so the incredible game itself will easily distract you from the character designs and cheap fan-service tactics.

The best way to describe Caladrius as a whole is that it's like Castlevania the Shmup. Visually and aurally it has so many similarities to it. The game has a rich European medieval goth art-style to it, and the soundtrack is pure symphonic heavy metal that seems to have come straight out of Finland. The diverse visuals and the energetic soundtrack come together to create a uniquely vivid ambiance that instantly grabs your attention and leaves a lasting impression.  I can't stress how great the soundtrack is, especially the music that plays during the second level. 

Graphically the game looks stellar and polished, it really looks like it belongs on the Xbox 360. The backgrounds have a lot of detail and color to them, the enemy designs have a nice crisp look about them, and the special effects look nice too. It's all 3D here as there are virtually no pix-elated 2D sprites. It doesn't look as impressive as Sine Mora but there is still plenty eye-candy, especially when you face the behemoth bosses. 

Caladrius even offers a distinct gameplay experience from contemporary shmups, for one thing it does away with the insane bullet-hell design and instead offers a more well defined shooting experience, but even so it is a wickedly challenging game where the game design and difficulty progression is sound. The level design and progression is addictive, and you get a nice variety of locations and enemy types/layouts. You get to choose between three distinct battle ships offering very varied play-styles. Each ship has three distinct type of attacks, with the usage of each limited by a gauge which recharges when not in use. You can even mix and mash these three attacks for some useful combinations, and apart from those three you have the standard screen-filling bombs and other special attacks. The gameplay mechanics are certainly more varied than your typical shmup, and all the attacks make intuitive sense as they meld nicely with the way the game and bosses are designed.  

The biggest highlight in the game are the incredible bosses. I drew comparisons with Castlevania earlier with regards to the musical style and visuals, but the bosses of Caladrius have an apparent similarity to the timeless bosses of Castlevania, both in terms of visual design and combat design. What's great about their design is that you don't feel like you're fighting a typical shmup boss, as it almost feels like you're playing an action game. Much like the bosses in Sine Mora, the boss battles in Caladrius offer something special in terms of their attack patterns and also how they go through various phases/stages. The first boss alone is a giant ax swinging knight, and it only gets more interesting from there as in one boss battle there are some environmental hazards even.

Caladrius is a great game, easy on the eyes and ears, and an incredible gameplay experience to boot. It may never ever get a local release...unless Rising Star Games decide otherwise. For now, the only way to play the game is on the Japanese Xbox 360 as the game is tragically region locked (boo). Is it the best shmup ever? not really no, that honor still belongs to Ketsui as in my view no shmup has ever been more perfectly and flawlessly put together than Ketsui. Caladrius is still however among the best new offerings of the genre, joining the ranks of Akai Katana and Sine Mora as one of the best new shmups of this gaming generation.

Reflections: Ayako

Osamu Tezuka is a man who is viewed as the god of manga/anime. He is the man who built the house where the manga and anime industry currently resides. While I never had the chance to really truly experience his work in the past, I always felt his influence in many other great works that I've cherished over the years. His breakthrough manga/anime series, Astro Boy, is a name that is recognized all over the world, and this is perhaps the single most inspirational manga ever created, as you can trace so many things back to it, like Mega Man for example. That said, I never really sat down and read his manga in the past, but his name and influence would come up so many times over the years. Metropolis (2001) is an anime film that I hold in very high regard, and was surprised to  learn that it was based on Tezuka's manga series of the same name from the 1920s.

May 4th was free comic book day, and sure they handed out a couple of free comics, but they also had an enticing 20%-off sale and as I was browsing the store I stumbled upon a hardcover Ayako manga book. The price was too good to pass up. Several reasons why I bought it on the whim, for one thing the hardcover book looked pretty classy, and of course the prestigious Osamu Tezuka namesake, but above all I was curious to experience something really mature and meaningful. My original impression of Tezuka was someone who created heartwarming manga inspired and influenced heavily by Walt Disney, but with a unique touch of his own. This is largely true if you consider something like Astro Boy or Unico. However, a friend of mine would tell me how Tezuka was also known for some truly dark, mature, and even twisted stories. I was curious to experience some of his more mature work, and the premise of Ayako seemed interesting as it wasn't really over the top science/fantasy fiction, rather it was a slice of life drama with all kinds of interesting elements to it. It was a purchase made on the whim, but I had a strong hunch it would be something special. As it turned out I was right, but was there any doubt to begin with? we are talking about the father of manga/anime here. 

Ayako takes place during post war Japan, covering the time period 1940-1980. It is primarily a drama, but at the same time it is also a political thriller, a slice of life story, a murder mystery, a history lesson, and so much more. It has so many unique plot devices that are all well developed and wrapped up convincingly by the end of it all. The story primarily focuses on the Tenge family, a wealthy family in rural Japan who own vast farmlands, with their influence over the farmers and local community being akin to that of a royal family. The Tenge family maintain this appearance of being a highly respectable and honorable family, but as you'll quickly learn they have some seriously messed up skeletons in their closet, and for them the greatest struggle is to prevent their dirty laundry from being aired. 

The Tenge family is one full of scandal, tragedy, deceit, betrayal, murder, illegitimate children, oppression of women, incestuous relationships, deep seeded resentment, and a frightening power struggle over the family wealth. However, even in the midst of all the darkness and madness, there are still glimmers of humanity, family love, and pure honest intentions. I've never seen a manga depict questionable acts in such a grey and unbiased manner, it does not in any way justify them as those questionable actions are viewed in negative light as they should, but even so there is a glimmer of remorse and good intent hidden within, almost to the point where you feel pity and sympathy. There is also a strong element of revenge and redemption, and what this manga does so well is show just how bittersweet and far from ideal those things can be, and more often than not there is a heavy price to pay.

The main character Ayako takes center stage in this story, a child born with a terrible curse and destined to experience hardship, a child who has to pay the price for the sins and mistakes of her family. It's one of those tragic tales where you see someone seemingly destined for a life of misery that they simply did not deserve, a tale where pure innocence is destroyed and taken advantage of. Ayako is a remarkable protagonist, her character development is filled with pain as you see her take all the punishment for the wrongdoings of her family, and witness how she learns the meaning of love, friendship, family, and humanity. Perhaps the most tragic aspect of this tale is how her understanding of these things, things that are common knowledge and taken for granted, are just so jarringly distorted. Her perception and understanding of life, family, love, humanity, and the world is perhaps the greatest tragedy of all. 

How valuable is pride and how far should someone be willing to go to protect it? can even the gravest and most questionable of sins have an element of innocence and sincerity? why do truly good and innocent people become destined for a life of pain and misery? why do the mistakes of others sometimes fall on everyone but the wrongdoer? These are all questions that this mature and gripping manga seeks to address.

As negative as it all sounds, it is never outlandish or exaggerated, in fact it's almost discerning how believable the dark themes of the manga are. If anything some of the dark family issues and politics that this manga explores isn't that far off from what happens in the real world today. A lot of the disturbing actions are things that are still happening in the world, in particular rural communities that are still stuck in a time capsule. The manga sometimes feels like a social commentary on the madness and outdated (or lack of) human values/rights in some rural communities.

The art-style is brilliant, it hasn't aged a day since it was originally released during the 70s. Tezuka has a very refined art-style, the way he draws facial expressions and characters is unlike anything in the medium still. The facial expressions are just so convincing and the way he draws set pieces and action sequences, they have a certain fluidity and timeless quality to them. The story pacing and structure is addictive, the manga covers a wide time period and as you read it you'll feel like you're really experiencing a grand journey, and witness the characters grow and develop in a believable manner.  Also what's really cool is that you get a very nice insight into the contemporary lifestyle of that era, and seeing how investigations and intelligence operations were conducted without the power of electronic media and the internet was quite interesting.

The translation is excellent, probably among the best English translations I've ever read. They did a fantastic job in capturing the various Japanese accents and dialects, as well as the tone of speech and the weight of emotion. It needs to be read to be appreciated.

Ayako is a prime piece of literature that belongs on the shelf of anyone, manga fan or not. It is a thoroughly engaging, mature, and thought provoking manga, which ends on a jaw dropping and decisive finale that will surely get etched into your memory.

   

Reflections: Black Sabbath at the Allphones Arena in Sydney Australia (27/04/2013)

The greatest moments in life are ones that go by so fast that they feel like a crazy vivid dream. You don't realize you're there until it is all over... and the memory that remains after it is all over feels like (to quote a friend) a moment of euphoria condensed into a second of thought. It feels like a very distant memory, I mean you don't remember the exact moment perfectly, but you never forget how amazing it felt.

I recently experienced these feelings when I saw Black Sabbath perform live, in the flesh, at the Allphones Arena in Sydney Australia (27/04/2013). I was anxious as hell a week before the concert, having all this crazy paranoia of not being able to make it. I was anxious because I thought seeing Black Sabbath perform live would always just be a dream, I've been a fan for nearly 11 years and seeing them in person was always one of my greatest boyhood dreams. The concert in Sydney was a big deal, historic even, as this was their first gig here in nearly 40 years. On my way to the concert, I ran into all these elderly fans who were saying things like "once in a lifetime, mate!". They were right, and everyone there felt extremely fortunate that they had perhaps this final opportunity to see the band perform.

It was one of those things I couldn't picture or imagine in my head, and even as I was there and waiting for them to make their way to the stage, it just felt so unreal and so surreal. I had to constantly remind myself that I was truly there in attendance, and that I was going to be in the same arena as the band I admired so much for the past 11 years.

What Black Sabbath means to me personally is a whole other story, hell I could probably dedicate a good chapter or two to my Black Sabbath fandom if I ever wrote my biography. Their music really got me through life, the ups and downs, and every single day for the past 11 years. Their music spoke to me on so many levels. The fateful day when I listened to The Headless Cross album, it started started a whole chain of events that would cumulate to me attending their historic Sydney concert.

I had no idea what I was going to be like at the concert, I had never attended a real concert prior to it apart from some small gigs, so I had no idea what was in store for me, and honestly no Black Sabbath live album could have prepared me for the amazing experience ahead. After a solid opening performance by Shihad, the stage was set for Black Sabbath.

The moments leading up to their performance was intense, the curtains were down and the whole arena was silent in anticipation. There were some teasers as we could hear them test their equipment. The wait felt so long, every second felt like an hour to me, and I couldn't believe I was moments away from experiencing my first Black Sabbath concert.

Once in a lifetime.

The curtains went up, the sirens started blaring, and the concert began with War Pigs. In an instant the arena erupted with energy. I started singing in unison, I sang my heart out, all my inhibitors and barriers immediately broke down, and I went absolutely crazy with excitement. I was making noise, I was in the zone, and I was completely lost in the moment. The crowd was amazing, 23,000 strong all in unison with the band. You can hear all the live album CDs as many times as you want, but they honestly do not capture the true concert experience...not one bit. It's one of things where you simply just have to be there to understand and appreciate. To me it felt like being in another dimension, completely disconnected from our world.

I never appreciated the song Black Sabbath on live albums, but experiencing that song in person is a whole different story. The performance was chilling and atmospheric, it left me in awe. Similar to it was their new song God is Dead? which too was a very similar atmospheric and haunting performance. During those performances I sat there in silence, taking the music in.

The truly electric performances that had the entire crowd in one united and relentless frenzy were songs like War Pigs, Iron Man, Fairies Wear Boots, and of course the thunderous encore performance of Paranoid. With those performances you really felt like you were a huge part of the music, almost like the crowd was the 5th band member, as without their involvement the performances would not have been the same.

Another highlight was hearing the new song, The End of the Beginning, for the very first time. The single isn't officially released until May 15, so that live performance was the very first time I had ever heard the song. I was in silence because I had no idea what to expect, I just wanted to take that song in. Like God is Dead? it was a 9 minute epic, it was very complex and adventurous in its musical style and structure. It starts off in a dark gloomy manner, has some very unique guitar riffs and solos that I've never really heard from Iommi before, and the final part of the song is surprisingly uplifting and energetic. Once that performance was done, I simply looked at my friend and said "I could not have dreamed or imagined that song, not one bit". I thought the song was marvelous, very ambitious and epic. I cannot wait to hear the studio version on May 15.

The band was great, Geezer Butler almost destroyed the place with his monstrous bass, in particular his perfect solo intro to N.I.B. Tony Iommi carried every song admirably with his one of a kind playing style. Tommy Clufetos was hitting those drum skins like boulders and his drum solo was not human, he truly belonged there with the band. Ozzy Osbourne is easily the greatest showman and performer in metal, he can work a crowd like no other and had everyone in the palm of his hand. They all came together as one thick cloud of doom.

Paranoid had the loudest reaction that evening, because we all knew that was going to be the end and so we expended every inch of energy we had. After the huge standing ovation, the band left the stage and the arena was left in sheer awe and silence. A very deep and profound solemn feeling kicked in, I felt like I had awaken from the best dream I ever had. I was speechless, it took me a while to articulate the words to describe to my friend just how much the entire performance meant to me.

The next few days that followed, I felt really damn good and I still do. One of my biggest boyhood dreams, that Black Sabbath concert experience was so much more amazing than I could ever have fathomed. To me it was a life fulfilling and life changing experience.

As much as I wanted the moment to last forever, I'm back to the daily grind of life, but the experience and memories of that night will always remain with me, giving me that positive drive and motivation to soldier on. In any case, I got possibly my biggest bucket list item crossed off, and in 5 weeks time I will get to listen to Black Sabbath's upcoming album, 13, in its entirety.

13 isn't such a bad number after all.

*All photographs are personal and belong to VirtuaMuser.