Trigun

Anime, I say the word and it probably conjures up some image in your mind, and it may be very different than what I think of. I see Anime as an art form, and as a medium for telling amazing, high quality stories.

But as with all other mediums for telling stories there is lots of crap you have to sort through, and I mean a lot of crap. Anime is notorious for lots of subpar shows, crappy animation, sexiest interpretations of women, and lots of shows you should just NEVER watch. Really a lot of this stuff is unavoidable, now you might be saying "Well why the heck would I ever watch Anime?" Well because sometimes when shoveling through the sea of crap you may well find a gem mixed in with it all. Really gross analogue aside, I'm here to help you find those gems by taking about all of my favorite Anime. So enjoy the ride.

The Story:

Taking place on a distant desert planet, this space western begins with Meryl Stryfe and Milly Thompson who are sent by the Bernardelli Insurance Company to evaluate claims regarding Vash the Stampede.

The Humanoid Typhoon (aka Vash the Stampede,) has a 60 Billion double dollar ($$) bounty on his head for the destruction of an entire city and all of it's inhabitance. Because of the amazingly large bounty on his head everyone is gunning to catch him. But when Meryl and Milly finally catch up with him, they find that Vash the Stampede is nothing but a smiling, kind-hearted idiot, who wants nothing more than to promote love and peace!

But trouble always seems to find him, as Meryl and Milly follow him on his journey. Along the way, they will meet the down on his luck priest who carries a giant cross on his back named Wolfwood,

and the sinister villain named Legato.

But the question remains is this the real Vash or is there something else going on?

The Anime:

Trigun is a really awesome show, you don't even have to go very far to see why. While it may look like a simple westren, Trigun is an action science fiction series. There are crazy gun fights in this show, and lots of fooling around on Vash's part.

He always gets into these ridiculous battles were he is outgunned and you think: Oh man there is no way he will make it out of this one, but then he does! It feels a bit like he is always in control, and he is just toying with whoever he is fighting. This often leads to some very comical moments, where he might end up dropping something and make someone trip, and then it sets of some chain reaction. If fact you might say that Trigun is more of a comedy than anything,

I mean the show opens with a whole Saloon getting literally destroyed.

But no Trigun really isn't a comedy because the are a lot of sad and serious moments, and when they hit they hit hard. Vash himself may look like a fun loving, pervy, womanizer, but its really just a cover for something else. Don't get me wrong he is like that, but he is a character that suffers from a lot of pain, and grief of the past.

While we are on the subject of characters in Trigun I say that they are all really well done. Meryl and Milly may look like plain damsels in distress type characters,

but Milly carries around this big honking gun which she "accidentally" beats people up with.

Meryl is sort of there to deal with Vash's antics, and while it may not always seem like she has that much of a character, she has a great friendship with Milly, and she does have some awesome moments. And who knows she might just end up falling for Vash.

As for the rest of the cast I really don't want to say much as to not spoil anything, but the villains are really cool.

Oh and Wolfwood is the best.

The Music and Presentation:

Trigun's world very much resembles that of the wild west, and if I didn't tell you anything about the show before you watched it you would probably think it was just a western. But then there are these crazy characters that almost look like monsters, and creatures, and they carry giant space guns.

The planet that it is set on is never named but it is completely made up of desert, and they do a good job making it look like it.

The action in Trigun is very top notch, and the animation still looks really good even 14 years later. And there is very little repeat animation, thank goodness!

As for the music it is pretty varied. Some of the music sounds like the music in a western, some of it sounds like heavy metal, and then some of it sounds like Jazz. It is a very weird mix, but it works quite well, I feel like it is all Trigun.

As for the theme song it gets me all pumped to watch the show, it is awesome. Check it out.

Final thoughts:

Trigun is a wild ride of a show. It tells a well constructed story that keeps you guessing. At the beginning it seems like it isn't really going anywhere and doesn't know how to end, but then it comes from left field with an ending that you realize could only have been thought up at the beginning, as it was setup pretty well. And while the show would have still been great if it was just about Vash helping people, but it is the ending that really makes this one worth watching, and then rewatching. Go out and enjoy this great anime. You won't regret it. Oh and watch it in Japanese.

LOVE AND PEACE!

The Unspoken Rules of Everything.

I often feel like I live in a completely different world from the one other people live in. I feel constantly alienated by the people around me. How could people be so dumb? I'm not necessarily talking about people I know, but more about random people around me. I mean how am I suppose to enjoy Big Hero 6 if the little kid next to me leans over and says something to me?

So I have decided to make a list of "The Unspoken Rules of Everything." Not that I am going to be able to make a list of every rule of all time that people should follow, but here is a list of things I have just been thinking about recently.

#1. When in a Movie theater, or a live theater and the show has already started, please be quiet and courteous and silence your cell phones. And Shut Your Yaps People!!!

#2. When posting on Facebook please refrain from posting more than a maximum of 3 posts at a time, as to not flood the notifications of your friends.

#3. When reading this blog, comments are a good way to tell me what your thoughts are about it, as well as a good way to tell me what you would want me to review in the future. So please use them.

#4. Also tell all of your friends to read this, and then it will become popular and then and can turn this into a job, and I can stop washing dishes.

#5. No one likes spoilers, so warn people if you are going to spoil something.

#6. Don't automatically go ballistic on someone if they spoil something, because this leads to lots of fighting. And what the told you might not even be a spoiler as it my appear in the trailer, or might just be speculation.

#7. If you are more of a "Nerd" than somebody, (know more about a particular movie, comic, or videogame, than someone else.) Don't rub it in that persons face, or assume that they don't know anything because you know more. It is just mean, and you shouldn't do it.

#8. When watching Anime or a movie that was originally in a foreign language, watch it in that language with subtitles. A lot of people worked really hard recording, and acting to make the original version so you should honor them by watching it as it was originally intended to be seen. That and it is almost always a better experience.

#9. When watching Anime or any other TV show watch at least the first three episodes, if you aren't hooked, or don't care to see what happens next, then the show is not for you and you can stop watching.

And now I given you some great rules to follow when/if you decide to watch the Anime I am going to start recommending to you.

Ulterior Motive Man away!   

SHOVEL JUSTICE! (Shovel Knight review)

(While writing the beginning of this review I was singing the Shovel Knight theme song in my brain.)

Shovel Knight, it is really good! Go play it now you dumb fool! Okay that was rude... sorry.

The Story:

Shovel knight, and Shield knight, were a really awesome pair of knights, who fought for right. 

Then one day in the Tower of Fate Shield knight fell away, sad day. Depression, mixed with yard work, but then OH SNAP, bad guys, time to go fight.

EPIC QUEST, FUN GAME, TEN OUT OF TEN IS MY AIM: TO GIVE THIS GAME!!!!!

Gameplay:

Sorry about that. Anyway Shovel knight! Yay!

Shovel Knight is a tribute to the 8-bit classics of the 80's. It is easy to notice this because it borrows lots of elements from games like Castlevania, Duck Tales, Zelda II, and Megaman. But unlike other indie games that are just collections of references, and gameplay copied from the good old days of gaming, Shovel knight is it's own game. It stands on it's own instead of relying on the legacy of the games that give us nostalgia. There is enough gameplay here that is original that it doesn't live in the shadow of any other game.

The gameplay is solid, I have loved it every minute that I played. I feel that I am in complete control of my character when I am playing. If my finger so much as lifts from one of the controls, Shovel knight will stop what he is doing. This makes dying in this game your fault. If you miscalculated a jump, or used the wrong move on an enemy, your death is all on you.

Shovel Knight himself has a fair amount of maneuvers available to him. He can jump, attack, and downstab bounce on and off enemies, this is also used for platforming purposes. He can also gain more abilities in the form of relics which you get from the particular stages, as well as upgrades.

In each level of Shovel Knight you jump, and fight your way to the end, where you will be able to fight one of the games many bosses. All of the levels are themed to the particular boss i.e. so Spector Knight's stage is a giant graveyard. Each level also has it's own unique mechanics, and enemies that change up the gameplay. On Mole Knight's stage you will bounce of a giant beetle as it makes its way across the screen. And on Propeller Knight's stage you will have to deal with the way the wind that flings you around.

Tinker Knight's stage has conveyor belts, and a scrolling tower section.

Each boss is pretty tough, I died a lot. The reason they are tough is they don't have attack patterns. In games like Megaman it was always about memorizing the pattern of how the boss attacked, and then exploiting that pattern. In Shovel knight however this is not the case. Each boss has several attacks, and uses them depending on what is happening in the battle, rather then just in a set order.

This makes the battles WAY more challenging than in other games. Now you have to learn to recognize an attack, rather than a pattern.

There are even traveling boss fights on the world map that change things up a bit.

Unlike the other games of it's kind Shovel Knight relies a lot on loot. Money is everywhere, and you need it all! Everything costs money, boosts to your health and magic, upgrades, and the relics that are found in chests.

But Shovel Knight does have many ways of acquiring money on his journey. He can dig in dirt piles, defeat enemies, and find chests. There are secret areas EVERYWHERE in this game, these usually have the most loot. The other thing is that the upgrades you buy are more useful, and unique than just boosting your attack damage. One makes it easier to use magic, at the cost of you taking extra damage. And another lets you have a super swing after two successful downstabs.

As I mentioned before there are numerous relics you can get from the different levels of the game, such as a Fire Rod which shoots projectiles, a Locket which makes you invincible for three seconds, and a Dagger which allows you to fly a short distance. Each of these are useful, and you will quickly find your favorites, but you will also use each throughout the game.

One of my favorite parts of the game is the way the balanced the game for newbs, and experts alike. Each level has several checkpoints making the game easier for losers. But if you are pro, (or an idiot) you can destroy the checkpoint for money. If you do that checkpoint is gone for the rest of the time playing the level. And if you die you start back farther back in the level. You also lose money when you die, which you can get back as long as you don't die again. This adds this extra dilemma to the game: more money, or restart further back.

I think that the only thing I dislike about Shovel Knight is just how hard it is. This game is frustrating, hard, and makes you want to break your computer screen some times. But I kept playing because it is really fun, and I never shy away from a challenge. Well and the music, and visuals which I haven't mentioned yet help too.

The Music and Presentation:

Visually this game looks amazing, crisp, and beautiful. This game really does look like it was from the 80's, granted it couldn't have some of the graphics that does if it was from that time. But if you sat someone down who had never heard of this game before they might mistake it for one of those games.

Each level of this game has a distinct look to it, and I really feel like I'm in these places when playing the game.

Okay now for the music. I love the music... for the most part. I feel like it either falls into one of two categories:

#1 Really smooth, epic, and immersive.

or

#2 Grating on the ears.

Don't get me wrong when it is good, it is really good. It fits well, makes you want to keep playing, and is just plain awesome. But when it doesn't I just don't like listening to it. This could really just be a matter of opinion because I know people swear by the music in this game, and I do too, just the good tracks. Take a listen and see for yourself.

The Verdict and Final thoughts:

Shovel Knight is one of the greatest Metroidvania platformers ever made. It has great gameplay, amazing visuals, and while its music isn't always the best, Shovel Knight more than makes up for it with the rest of the game. If you aren't a fan of platformers, then don't expect this to change your mind, but if you are then buy this game now. I'm giving Shovel Knight a Ten out of Ten, it is a "Masterpiece."

Shovel Justice!

Meaningful choice in Papers Please. (Papers Please review.)

This review has been a long time in coming. I've been a little worried about talking about this game because of how dark it is, but here it is. I hope you enjoy my review of Papers Please.

The Story:

Congratulations.
The October labor lottery is complete. Your name was pulled.
For immediate placement, report to The Ministry of Admission at Grestin Border Checkpoint.
An apartment will be provided for you and your family in East Grestin. Expect a Class-8 dwelling.
Glory to Arstotzka

Gameplay:

In Papers Please, you play as the border control officer of the fictional communist country of Arstotzka, and it is your task to view the passports of the people who wish to enter the country and decide whether or not to let them enter. Gameplay consists of you dragging paper, and passports around your small desk, checking for any discrepancies in the information given to you, and then using the appropriate stamp to either let the person into the country or not. It's weird because somehow the developer has managed to make a quite addicting "game system" out of one of the most mundane jobs known to humankind. I mean it's really fun, but man does it get hard later on!

People start giving you extra pieces of paper, they forge IDs, try to smuggle contraband through, not even to mention the fact that your government changes its rules concerning immigration every single day. Luckily you have a handy-dandy notebook to help you remember all the rules, a discrepancy detector for the IDs, and a full body scanner for the really androgynous people to if they are the gender they say they are. (BTW if you plan on playing this game, turn nudity off. That way you won't get any unwanted questions.)
       The problem is Papers Please lasts about five hours, and halfway through that fun Gameplay I mentioned before starts to feel like actual work. And if you are playing the game in one sitting, (like you should,) you start making the stupidest mistakes due to how hard the game gets. This is where you will want to throw your mouse across the room, punch your computer screen in a fit of rage, and wish to the heavens that you had never bought this forsaken game!

But then something beautiful happens, you start to see the real point of Papers Please. The thing that saves this game is the element of meaningful choice.

I can see you all looking at this post and saying, "But Vollmain, there are tons of games that do that.
This isn't that unique of a thing!" And my reply is "Yes, yes." There are lots of games that give the player the ability to make choices that change the narrative as a whole: Mass Effect, The Walking Dead the game, etc.

And while I do love Mass Effect for obvious reasons;

 (Liara T'soni: strong, smart, attractive, and an Archaeologist. She's that cool!)

I feel that Papers Please takes the cake on this one. Thing is in other games, the decisions you have to make tend to make huge changes to the story, and they also make a big deal out of them by pausing the game and making you choose between two options.

Papers Please doesn't really do that. The choices you make are part of the actual Gameplay, and they aren't going to be made into a big spectacle, or one of the selling points of the game. Let me try to explain this as best I can:

Your job in the the game is to ONLY let in the people have the proper paperwork, and not those who don't. And you are penalized for messing up. If you let in someone you are not supposed to, the all-seeing-eye of your superior will tell you how you messed up, and then will give you a warning not to do it again. If you slip up three times they will begin to dock your for every mistake you make for the rest of the round, and you NEED that money. In between rounds of the game, you will go home and will have to pay the bills in order to make sure that your family of four stays healthy, warm, and well fed. You will also have to pay rent for the house you are living in.

So there comes these times in the game where a family of two will be trying to enter the country, but only one of them has a passport. Do you split up the family in effect saving your own, or do you let them in knowing that you might be sending your family to their deaths? Some characters are trying to escape the violence and poverty of their own country, and if you send them back they'll die. You sometimes get the option to detain people. If you do detain them, you send them to a building that people enter, but never seem to leave, and there is an incentive to doing this. Suddenly the faceless paper pusher that you are playing will begin to become human, as you realize that the characters you meet in the game aren't really characters at all, they represent real people who you may well be sending to their deaths.

Music and Presentation:

The pixel art style of Papers Please and the seemingly limited color pallet make the world of Papers Please seem dark and hopeless. While there are some other colors in the game, the majority of the world is very, very grey.

But the game isn't without it's funny and lighthearted moments. About twenty minutes into the game you meet Jorji Costava, who will show up through out the rest of the game.

I won't spoil anything, but just know that Jorji is the kind of person I would want to hug.

In between each level of the game, The Anthem of Arstotzka plays. It isn't the only song in the game, but it is the only one you will hear until the end of the game. It also conveys a sense of hopelessness, but it also marches along like an anthem should. I like it a lot.

The Verdict and Final thoughts:

It starts off as a game that's fun to play, but after awhile Papers Please shows its true mission: To show a satirical allegory about a post WWII era by putting you, the player, in the middle of it. It baffles me that the type of things in this game actually happened, and continue to happen in the real world. Papers Please is a game that deserves to be played, not only because it is a fantastic game, but because of its insight into our world.

I'm giving Papers Please Nine out of Ten stars. Papers Please is a "Must Play" game.

"The Order Knows."

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News update for you!

Hey guys, I've been in Europe for the past month so that's why you haven't seen a whole lot of new posts. But I'm happy to announce two new things I'm going to be doing here on the blog.

First off I'm thinking of having a new style of post. Some of you may have guessed but I'm really into anime. I like it a lot, so I thought I would start talking about it! These posts won't exactly be reviews of the shows, as they are just me recommending anime I like to you. So that should be fun.

I will go in depth into the story, the history of the particular anime, the animation, and the music as I try my hardest to get you hooked to some of the best shows the art form has to offer.

I will also be talking about some of the anime that changed that genre of anime as a whole. I'm pretty excited for this myself!

This piece of news should be even more exciting for some of you! Starting sometime in September I will began publishing posts three times a week, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. And if I can't post them on those days I will post the day afterward. And if I really mess up and miss a whole week or something, I will post extra on the following week!

I hope you guys are as excited for this as I am!

See you Space Cowboy... (Crap I actually have to start writing!)