Happy New Year

Well, it's another year, hasn't really dawned on me much until now. Hopefully this will be a good year for everyone. I've been pretty busy doing all sorts of things with Christmas, besides that I have just been sitting back playing video games and trying to enjoy what I have left of my break.

Started playing Lineage II recently too, been pretty awesome. Only game I have seen that can compete with FFXI so far.

Anyways, I don't have much to say at the moment, just wanted to state that it's a new year. Hope anyone reading this has a good year.


- Austin

Selling My Alienware Laptop

Well, I am selling my Alienware m5750 laptop if anyone is interested. It has been a very good and very very fast laptop for me. I have recently bought a desktop computer for myself and need to sell this in order to pay it off!

This his actually been the fastest computer I have owned so far. Very nice laptop for gaming enthusiast! Here is the link to the Ebay auction:

Selling my Alienware Laptop

If you are interested, feel free to leave me a message over Ebay or on my website!

戦場のヴァルキュリアの新しいビデオ

A new video of 戦場のヴァルキュリア has been released recently, describing more in detail the gameplay mechanics of the game. The video describes the ”BLiTZ” system. Each character / vehicle will have action points that allow the player to control the squad. The player will have to take control of a certain amount of control points to win the game.

I really want this game, I downloaded this video the day it came out over the Japanese PSN network. I'm defintly importing this, moreover, I hope this ends up with a English release.

Heres the full video for you to watch, fresh from PSN:

ビデオ：
http://www.gametrailers.com/player/28226.html

なかないで Tragic 「どうぶつの森」

みなさん、こんにちは

私はほんといそがしいですね・・・ごめんね。College is ending soon for the semester, so things have been getting more intense. I do not have much of an update today either, but once things calm down, I will update more. Right now, I am dealing with attempting to register classes, but I got the bad end of the deal.

Anyways, I found an video that has been going around the web about Animal Crossing. It is a story about a kid and his mom. It is something that needs to be looked at rather then explained. どうぞー

ちょっとみて：
Animal Crossing Tragedy

If too fast for 日本人:
どうぶつの森の悲劇のテキス

かんがえごとしてた・・・


じゃあ、またね

アルトネリコ２公式解放 (Official Release)

As of today, アルトネリコ２ (Ar Tonelico 2) has been released in Japan. Though, apparently retailers received this game a few days early, so some people have already been playing it for a couple days. It seems the game has received a pretty warm reception so far, and it seems to be exactly what you would expect for a good sequel from Gust.

The battles seem to be a little more faster and action packed now, there are new systems for almost everything, including hymns. Apparently, with Hymns, as you are charging them you may press different arrow buttons, and make different combinations of songs for more focused attacks and so on. There is a lot of new stuff, but not enough to alienate you, it still has that great Ar Tonelico feel to it.

Heres a summary of the story from NCSX:

"Embark on a new adventure where a lad named Kuroa Vatel and a lassie by the name of Cocona Vatel (not related) team up with Revatails in a bid to free their world from oppression and infection. A centuries old disease dubbed "I.P.D." still lingers and afflicts the Revatails and the general populace with its killing malaise. As a result of the spreading contagion, the governing body known as the Daishudo has commanded its knights to slay anyone infected with I.P.D. in a "take no prisoners" policy of mass extermination.

As the story begins, Kuroa Vatel is under the employ of the Daishudo and he indiscriminately kills a young woman who's infected with I.P.D. to the horror of the victim's mother. As her cries break through the air, Kuroa reflects on what he's done and begins to have misgivings about the Daishudo's tactics and ways of handling the disease. Kuroa's introspection eventually leads him on an adventure of exploration and discovery as he fights alongside Revatails to find a better solution to the I.P.D. problem. While the new Ar Tonelico's storyline bears no ties to the first game, the game systems, song magic, and nocturnal "dives" return for another go." (more info here)

So far there is no information regarding Ar Tonelico 2's release date in other countries, thought the question has been brought up to NIS America. I'm pretty positive that the game will be released in English as well, it's just a matter of time.

There are plenty of gameplay videos up on ニコニコ動画, so check them out to get a better idea of the latest Ar Tonelico game!






じゃまた

初音ミク (Hatsune Miku) Vocaloid 2

After watching some videos involving the girl above, voice synthesizers, and anime/video game songs on ニコニコ動画 (Nico Nico Douga) a week or two ago, I started getting curious. Who is this girl? Where do I get the program that everyone is using?

After some searching, I found out quite a lot. Basically, 初音ミク (Hatsune Miku) is the voice (or the first voice released so far...) of Yamaha's new Vocaloid 2, which is a voice synthesizer which allows users to generate singing by inputting the lyrics and notes for their song into the program.

This program has blown away Yamaha's expectations of how it would sell, and apparently they are striving just to make enough copies to go around, it has easily became the fastest selling voice synth on the market in Japan. Due to video sites like ニコニコ動画 and Youtube, Hatsune Miku has sparked interest in many on the internet, including me, which then lead to more purchases of the software.

When I first encountered 初音ミク, I was not sure if liked her voice, but it seems to have grown on me quickly. It is very good for a computer, and with the more musically inclined people out there, it really shines in their hands. I have gotten my hands on this software as well recently, and I am now working with it, seeing if I can make something, though I am no where near as musically inclined as some.

Anyways, here are some of my favorite videos of songs remixed by 初音ミク. You can find plenty more on ニコニコ動画 or Youtube.

はちゅねミクをふやしてみた

I would just like to say that I love the 3D for the movie above as well, I wouldn't mind doing something similar to that in Maya 8.5 sometime...

Amazing remix of Chrono Cross - Radical Dreamers



じゃまた

サクラ大戦

I would like to take a moment to talk about サクラ大戦 (Sakura Taisen). Sakura Taisen was is one of my favorite video game franchises. The first time I ever played サクラ大戦 was sometime when I was around じゅうさんさい (13 years old). My first experience was with サクラ大戦I on Sega Saturn. Of course, I am not fluent in 日本語 (Japanese), so I followed a fan translation that was on the internet, a very good fan translation at that.

Over the years, I have played and beat サクラ大戦Iとサクラ大戦II, and sadly that is about all, except for some games on the GBA, and I have seen the anime. I have been wanting to play サクラ大戦III-V, but my Sega Dreamcast has been dead for a long while and I have yet to buy a new one...

Anyways, I would just like to reflect upon the awesomeness of サクラ大戦. Also, I would like to tell anyone who does not know, that a new サクラ大戦DS game was announced at TGS awhile back, and it is looking good. Though I would much rather prefer サクラ大戦VI or something, though, then I would be even more behind...＼（－－）／ マイッタ

Here is some media about the new DS game as well as some other nice memories:

Sakura Wars DS Trailer

飛天オンラインのぼうけんしょうせつ

Midterms are almost over at my college, and fall break is near. Time to play video games and relax some. Today, I have a day off from my college, so I played 飛天オンライン (DOMO Online) today. My friend and I have been playing for about two weeks now. I am really enjoying the game as it is a very good game, and I am also using it to study my にほんご。

I (Shinjuu, しんじゅう) am almost a level じゅうご(15) thief (どろぼう). My friend (ともだち), Kagamasa (かがまさ) is a Saber Warrior (サーブルぶし), and is also the same level as me. He is my best friend in real life, so we often talk about the game and so on...

Anyways, here is some screenshots of my time on 飛天オンライン up till now. In order of new to old.


またあとでね

戦場のヴァルキュリア!

So, I really want 戦場のヴァルキュリア。。。

I have not seen a game before that is cell shaded anime graphics, with a combination of WWII RTS strategy. It is a very interested concept, and it has me hooked. The graphics to begin with a very nice and fluid, it is the closest I have seen to watching an anime, but playing a video game.

It is being released for the PS3 and has a release date of Sping 2008 in Japan. I will be sure to import this the day it is released. I will leave some media for you to form your own opinion on it.

うれしい。。。