Happy Holidays!

Now, I know this is a little late, but I would still like to wish everyone happy holidays! Merry Christmas and Happy Kwanzaa! Happy holidays for everyone!
Read more!

Portal 2 DELAYED

Valve has just released some saddening info on their new game, "Portal 2." They announced that the game will now be released in April, 2011, instead of February 9th, 2011 for the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.
Read more!

CSN Stores

CSN Stores is a huge Boston-based company that sells anything from TV stands to gaming chairs. Their variety is really quite amazing. I have recently found a nice bean bag gaming chair for a good price on one of their websites. I will be ordering this chair soon and I hope to have up a review for it in the next couple of weeks. Do you know what this means? Yes! Anime Forever is, once again, widening its categories of topics to review. This is the first step into reviewing furniture used for gaming. I hope to also review gaming accessories and consoles in the future too. Anyways, CSN Stores is a huge reliable company that can be used to buy almost anything. Here, check out their 200+ websites. ^^

P.S. "Read more!" on this post does nothing significant. Read more!

Top 5 Games of 2010

Originally posted on The Media and Computer Blog by Brad.

With 2010 coming to a close, I am going to go over what I think the top 5 games of 2010 are. Feel free to comment about what you think the top 5 games of 2010 are.




5- Halo Reach (Xbox 360)


Although I am not a huge fan of it, Halo Reach deserves to be on this list because it is evident on how much work was put into the game. Halo reach is a great first person shooter, that can keep anybody interested with it's online play for hours.





4- Fallout: New Vegas (Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PS3)


Fallout: New Vegas is a great addition to the Fallout series. It combines great graphics with fun and addictive gameplay. If you are interested in knowing more about Fallout: New Vegas, you can check out my full review here.



3- God of War 3 (PS3)

The final installment in the God of War series is an incredible game with a fair amount of replay value. God of War 3 has stunning graphics and really puts the player into the shoes of Kratos (main character). God of War 3 is a must buy for anyone with a PS3 who doesn't mind violence.




2- Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty ( PC, Mac )


Starcraft 2 is probably the best RTS (real time strategy) out right now. It combines challenging, tactical gameplay with very intense battles. With all of the options that the player has, this game should definitely not let anybody down. You can check out my full review of Starcraft 2 here.


1- Call of Duty Black Ops ( DS, Mac, PC, PS3, Xbox 360, Wii )


The Call of Duty games have always been intense first person shooter games that will get many players hooked. Call of Duty Black Ops is no exception. It mixes a great story with an even better online experience. If you don't have this game, you're really missing out. You can check out part one of my full review here.   




P.S. Happy Holidays! Read more!

THE GAME

Now, I know that this doesn't exactly fit into the categories of anime or video games, but it does play a significant role in the lives of most anime fans. If you don't yet know what THE GAME is, then prepare to be cursed.

THE GAME was created in the 1970's by a group of scientists in Britain. It was actually created as a study. The goal/purpose of THE GAME is to get everyone in the world to play. Here's how it works:

- Once you find out about THE GAME, you become cursed.
- Once you've been cursed, you're always playing THE GAME thereafter.
- Whenever you think about THE GAME in any way, you lose.
- When you lose, you must announce to everyone around you that you've lost THE GAME. (Causing others to lose)
- After 30 minutes is up since you lost, you resume to play THE GAME until you remember it again.
- The ONE AND ONLY way to win THE GAME is to have the Prime Minister of Britain announce on National TV that he/she has lost THE GAME... At that point, THE GAME is over and everyone is set free.

P.S. - I LOST THE GAME!

More info here. Read more!

Sorry for the Delay

I'm very sorry that it has been almost a week since something has been posted.  As I mentioned in the previous "Updates" post, I have written a post about Team Fortress 2.  I have now also written a post about THE GAME.  Yes, THE GAME.  Right now, either you are pretty angry, apathetic, or confused.  I will explain more of this later.  Once again, I'm sorry for the inconvenience.  I will not be able to post until tomorrow, but I will definitely post then.  I hope to get this blog back on schedule with daily posts.  I am lacking things to blog about, so any help would be appreciated.  If you know a good deal of information on anything related to Japanese culture, anime, or video games and you would like to write a minimal of 1 post for Anime Forever, please contact me (Contact button ^).  Thank you for your time,
Sincerely,
Zangetsu

P.S. - I lost THE GAME. Read more!

Infinity Blade

Originally posted on The Media and Computer Blog by Brad.

Infinity Blade is an RPG fighter using the Unreal 3 game engine.


Story ( 7/10)
When the game starts out there is a cutscene of a battle between the main character's father and the King of Gods (I know... it's a lame name). The main character's father loses the battle against the King of Gods, and 20 years later his son comes back for revenge. Getting to the King of Gods isn't too hard, but chances are that you will die the first time you fight him. Once you die, you come back as the son of the main character, which starts a new bloodline (basically just restarting the game). Every time you die, you come back as the previous character's son. This system does feel very repetitive, but is still enjoyable.

Gameplay (10/10)
The gameplay is great, especially for an iPhone game. The Unreal 3 engine makes the game especially enjoyable. You can swipe the screen to attack. You can also block attacks with the shield or dodge them by pressing the dodge or shield button at the right time. There are power ups, such as magic and an ability that makes your attacks stronger. The better armor you get, the more powerful your character becomes.

Graphics (10/10)

The graphics in this game are astonishing for a game developed for the iPhone. The graphics make the game very exhilarating and it looks like it was developed for the PlayStation 2 (I know that's outdated for a console, but for the iPhone it's amazing). Even with the great graphics, there are still almost no frame rate issues. You will not be disappointed with the graphics in this game.

Overall, if you want to buy a new app and you have an extra $5.99 to spare, then I highly recommend buying this game. The game is great and very addicting. The average score is a 9 out of 10.  Thanks for reading!

More info here. Read more!

Air

Written by: Key
Directed by: Tatsuya Ishihara
Developed by: Key
Studio: Kyoto Animation
Aired in Japan: January 6, 2005 - March 31, 2005 (excluding specials)
Length: 13 episodes + 2 specials

(9.3/10) Summary: Air is a fantastic anime centered around a man named Yukito Kunisaki. He travels from town to town as a performer to earn enough money to survive. You see, he's actually searching for the winged girl in the sky. Now, I know what you're thinking, " What? -_-; " … I know it sounds pretty lame, but it really is amazing. Anyways, he carries around a doll with him that he is able to make move without any strings attached. Most people are amazed, and they pay him for the show. Once again, " What? -_-; " … Don't worry, because by the end, everything makes complete sense. However, when he arrived in this one town, nobody was interested in his show. He was starving and alone, but that's when he met Misuzu Kamio. At that moment, his life was changed forever.


Characters: (10/10)

Yukito Kunisaki - Cool; irritable.  Pretty funny to watch.

Misuzu Kamio - Sweet; innocent.  A big klutz.  She's alone and is ill with a strange sickness.

Kano Kirishima - Sweet; high spirited.  Has some strange connection to the supernatural.

Minagi Tohno - Smart; clam.  She's very kind and is even the president of the astronomy club!

Kanna - The last one. (Watch to find out what I mean)  Alone; afraid.

Ryuya - Brave; kind.  Kanna's personal bodyguard.

Uraha - Kind; mischievous.  Also protects Kanna.

Haruko Kamio - Very intricate.  Watch to learn about her. (My favorite character)

Hijiri Kirishima - The older sister to Kano.  Protective; shrewd.

Michiru - Energetic; playful.  She's best friend's with Tohno.

Potato - Kano's pet dog.  As you can see -> very cute.

Sora - ??? Very important.  Must watch to find out about.

I apologize for the minimal amount of information on each character, I just don't want to give anything away before you see it.

Art: (8.5/10)
This show is very well colorized, and almost everything seems well done. However, some characters have some pretty large eyes that might seem annoying to you. Another thing is that the characters' eyes are very low for an anime. Now, this didn't bother me, but it might bother some people.

Overall, this show was definitely worth watching. At first, it seemed a little strange, though. However, as I previously mentioned, by the end, everything in the story made complete sense. The plot was especially very well thought out and very creative. In fact, right now this show has the potential to stand up against CLANNAD, my favorite anime. I definitely recommend watching this. Thanks for reading! ^^

More info here. Read more!

Updates

So, right now I have written a post about the anime "Air", and a post about the video game "Team Fortress 2".  I am sorry to say that I won't be able to upload them today, but I hope to upload at least "Air" tomorrow.  I'm sorry for the inconvenience.

Sincerely,
Zangetsu Read more!

Portal (PS3)

Developer: Valve Corporation
Publisher(s): Valve Corporation, Microsoft Game Studios, (XBLA)
Composer(s): Kelly Bailey, Mike Moraski, Jonathan Coulton
Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Playstation 3, Xbox 360
Genre: Puzzle-Platformer
Mode: Single Player

Portal was released in 2007 for several platforms (usually sold with The Orange Box).  It was a huge success at the time, and it's still widely respected to this day.  You play as a human named Chell, who must complete several tests for the company Aperture Science.  She soon becomes equipped with some sort of gun (Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device) that can shoot two different colored portals: Blue and Orange.  When she shoots a certain color portal somewhere that she can reach and the other color somewhere else, she can jump into the first one and come out of the other.  It sounds pretty basic, right?  Well, this simple concept can be used to carry out very complicated tasks.  Here's an example of what would be considered a 'simple' task:

This game consists of 19 different levels, which become harder as the player progresses throughout the game.  The game is fairly short, and I beat it in several hours.  Although it is short, the game is very well made and it's very addicting.  I enjoyed it very much, and I recommend that anyone who hasn't played it yet to go play it now.  Overall, I'd give it a 10 out of 10 for the gameplay.  However, because the game is so short, I'd have to give it a 9 out of 10.  This is still quite a good score, though.  I hope you all enjoyed this brief review! ^^

Oh, and one more thing… Portal 2 comes out February 9th and I highly recommend looking into buying it.  As of what I've seen of it so far, it looks absolutely fantastic!

More info here. Read more!

Slayers

The Slayers franchise is a long-time running series consisting of 52 light novels, 5 anime seasons, 5 movies, 2 OVA's, and various video games, manga series, and radio dramas. The light novel series first began in 1989, with the first season of the anime series released in 1995. In 1996 and 1997 two subsequent seasons followed season one: Slayers Next and Slayers Try (left) respectively. In 2008, the Slayers franchise added a new installment to its then dormant anime series, Slayers Revolution, which took advantage of new animation techniques, including cell-shading, that were not around during the creation of the series' first three seasons. A 5th season, Slayers Evolution-R, was produced in 2009. Currently in the U.S, Slayers Revolution and Slayers Evolution-R are being aired on the Funimation Channel-- Funimation having dubbed all 5 of the series' seasons in English.

I could describe the Slayers franchise as a fantasy-magical-world version Dragonball Z. The series follows Lina Inverse and her unlikely gang of friends as they defeat...evil. Pretty much. In terms of plot, the series is certainly no Code Geass but in its own right it is very entertaining. I find that the English dub is a bit more geared towards teenagers than say, the Dragonball series dub, both being produced around the same time. In general, the series is mostly comedy-action. In fact, it entirely is, but like say, One Piece, the uniqueness of the characters make for an interesting and fun story to follow. Please excuse the excessive references; this is the only way I know how to describe this series. Haha.

The first season introduces the main cast of characters, and it has a rather straightforward plot. Lina and her gang have to find Rezo the Red Priest and defeat the dark lord Shabranigdo. The next season and the third season dawn a more intense plot but keeping with the basic action-comedy theme. The newest installments introduce a new interesting character, and bring back some old characters from the original three seasons. I've been watching Slayers Evolution-R (right, showing the new cell shading) recently and I'm quite enjoying it having watched the earlier seasons. All in all the series is enjoyable if you're looking for a more straight forward action-filled and fun plot.

The theme songs are excellent. The first seasons' opening and ending are performed by Megumi Hayashibara, who voices Lina Inverse, and major anison singer Masami Okui. The subsequent seasons' openings are all performed by Megumi Hayashibara, including their endings excluding the ending of Slayers Next which was performed once again by Masami Okui.

Overall, the series gets a 7 out of 10 (7/10)
The theme songs get a 10 out of 10 (10/10). Freakin' awesome XD Read more!

Music

Kawada Mami 9th Single "No Buts!"
Perfume 17th Single "Nee"
Tamura Yukari's 8th Album Read more!

Technical Difficulties

Dear blog readers,
I apologize if Anime Forever is acting strangely.  We are currently undergoing some technical difficulties and we are working on it right now.
Thank you for your patience,
-Zangetsu270 Read more!

Arakawa Under the Bridge

Directed by: Akiyuki Shinbo

Studio: Shaft

No. of Episodes: 13

(9/10) Arakawa Under the Bridge was a great anime.  Of course, it's not for everyone.  This anime is probably the weirdest one that I have ever watched.  Now, I know that there are probably a lot of even weirder animes out there, but for me, it was strange.  It's basically about this guy named Kou Ichinomiya, who can never owe anyone anything.  He's actually the CEO of a major company, and he was very valuable.  He was raised with that strict rule where he couldn't owe anybody, however, and he was frowned upon by his father if he ever broke it.  So, he had lived his life without owing anyone anything, until he was 21.  He was chased down by a bunch of teenagers and his pants were ripped off of him.  The teenagers flew his pants like a flag up high on a bridge.  He needed to climb up the beam and get his pants down, without anyone's help.  He was just about to grab his pants, when all of the sudden his boxers started falling off.  A girl named Nino saw him and told him that if his boxers fell off anymore, it would be a public offense.  She offered to help him get his pants, but then he would owe her.  So, he continued on, hoping that his boxers wouldn't fall.  Instead, just as he grabbed his pants, the whole beam from the bridge fell.  He fell with it off the bridge and into the river.  He was being dragged down by the weight, and he thought that he was going to die.  Until, Nino jumped in after him and rescued him.  He was happy, but also very frantic.  He owed her more than anything, his life.  So, he offered her everything he could, except one thing.  She didn't want anything, except for him to become her lover.  Going by his rule, he had to accept.  Even worse, he had to live under a bridge with her and all of the other bridge dwellers.  This was looking like an adventure he didn't want to go on. (9/10)


Characters: (10/10)

Kou Ichinomiya - Serious; business-like -> caring & just plain ridiculous

Nino - Oblivious, forgetful, kind, strange (says that she's from Venus)

Village Chief (Mayor)- Thinks he's cool, very ridiculous, thinks that he's a Kappa

Sister - Kind, scary, A MAN

Star (Hoshi) - Can be cool & chill, or overdramatic

Whitey (Shiro) - Kind, can be business-like, but not productive

Metal Brothers - Hyper, playful, easily amazed

P-ko - Nice, dramatic, and a huge klutz

Maria - Cruel, harsh, uses her looks for manipulation

Stella - Cute, scary, mean


+ some more not AS IMPORTANT characters.  Overall, this anime was definitely worth watching.  The second season is airing right now, but I haven't had the chance to watch it yet.  I'm sure it will be worth it too, though!

More info HERE.

Read more!

Call of Duty: Black Ops (1/2) Multiplayer

Originally posted on The Media and Computer Blog by Brad.

Developed by: Treyarch
Published by: Activision

Multiplayer is probably one of the most important parts of the Call of Duty series and that hasn't changed in Black Ops. Call of Duty: Black Ops Introduces the new currency system in which you can purchase guns, weapon attachments, perks, equipment and much more. Black Ops keeps all the old game types such as Search and Destroy, but it also adds new Wager Matches that allow you to bet money on the games you play. Along with wager matches, they also have training that helps you learn to play the game better. Black Ops also brings back Zombies, in which you basically just have to fight off zombies and advance in rounds, and the higher the round gets the harder it becomes. This game balances the power of many of the weapons, so there is no extremely powerful weapon. The perks also seem more balanced than they were in Modern Warfare 2. Most of the maps seem a little boring, though, and I personally think that Modern Warfare 2 had much better maps. The kill streaks are pretty nice and they have things such as the gunship and attack dogs, but I really feel like they could have added more.
Overall, the multiplayer in Call of Duty black Ops is extremely fun. The Call of Duty games have one of the best first person shooter multiplayer and I think you would be missing out if you didn't get this game.  Call of Duty: Black Ops multiplayer gets a 9 out of 10.

More info here. Read more!

Fortune Arterial: Akai Yakusoku First Impression

Fortune Arterial: Akai Yakusoku is an anime that follows a teenage boy named Hasekura Kouhei. All of Hasekura's life he has been switching schools and moving to new places. He eventually decides to go back to an island that he once lived on, named Tamatsu island. Once there, he meets many of his old friends and discovers that some members of the student council members are vampires. I will admit that coming into this anime I had very low expectations, mainly because vampires are a bit cliche. Although, to my surprise, so far I have found the series to be pretty interesting. This anime has a unique plot for a vampire anime and almost no violence. So, it is really nothing like I expected it to be. This anime seems great so far and if you are at all interested I recommend checking it out.

The read more at the end of this post does nothing. 


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Perfume 17th Single "Nee"

Technopop girl group Perfume released their 17th single, 「ねぇ Nee」, Novemeber 10th, and I must say it is quite catchy. I'm not as fond of it as I am their previous two singles, but overall it was a good release. The song was used as a tie-in to a Natural Beauty Basic apparel company commercial. Earlier this year, Perfume made another tie-in with Natural Beauty Basic, appearing in another TV commercial with their song 「ナチュラルに恋して Natural ni Koishite」. The B-side,「FAKE IT」, is actually a really catchy tune. I think it's rather unique. I like it!

「ねぇ」 (8/10)
「FAKE IT」 (7/10) Read more!

Kawada Mami 9th single "No Buts!"

Kawada Mami released her 9th single, 「No Buts!」, on Novemeber 3. She has done multiple anime openings, including openings to Shakugan no Shana and To Are Majitsu no Index The titular track of the new single is being used as the opening to To Aru Majitsu no Index II. Mami's voice sounds a bit different, a bit more KOTOKO-like; however, it's still a good song with the same rock-techno sound and singing ability we get from Mami. The B-side is a bit mediocre, however. A typical Kawada release.

「No Buts!」 (6/10)
「SATANIC」 (5/10) Read more!

Super Smash Bros. Brawl Gameplay

Super Smash Bros. Brawl - only for Wii.

This is just a post that shows you what SSBB is actually like when you're playing.  The videos below include: every character's Final Smash, & some examples of typical brawls you might have.  I hope you enjoy!
P.S. - I do not own these videos and I do not take credit for them.  I will try to get some of my own videos in the future, though.

FINAL SMASHES


TYPICAL FIGHTS (TOURNAMENT)
Read more!

Shugo Chara!

A rather popular anime in Japan from 2008-2009, Shugo Chara!, is not your average magical girl series (but, it still is). The story revolves around Hinamori Amu, a 5th-6th grader at Seiyo Elementary who's struggling with a rather backwards problem—the kids at school think she's "cool and spicy," but alas, that is not her true self. After wishing to be her "would-be self" one night, she wakes up the next morning with three patterned eggs in her bed of three colors: red, blue, and green. The eggs hatch into Amu's guardian characters (shugo kyara): one a sporty, peppy cheerleader, one a soft-spoken artist, and the other a girly, housewife-like girl. When Amu is invited into the Guardians, her school's student council, things get interesting when they reveal their own guardian characters to her, and Amu is named the Joker, as the only member of the guardians with the ability to perform a character transformation (sort of a fusion with a guardian character) and purify X-eggs, children's eggs of the heart that have been tainted by sadness or by forced means. And so Amu and the Guardians fight Easter, an evil organization bent on finding the Embryo, the legendary egg that will make one wish come true.

Aside from a slightly repetitive storyline, the plot focuses on Amu's relationships with Tadase (the King, leader of the Guardians, and the boy Amu likes), and Ikuto (a loner, and member of Easter that constantly bugs Amu). Although rather obvious who Amu will end up with, the anime's romance is actually quite enticing, if you're into rather cute-ish love stories (XD). The fanbase takes very radical standpoints. Either you're a diehard Amuto fan (Amu x Iktuo) or a diehard Tadamu dan (Amu x Tadase), and there are much more Amuto fans, much to my dismay. Yes, I am a Tadamu fan. In fact, Tadase is my favorite anime character. But anyway...

Overall, the manga is much much better than the anime. After season one, the anime strays very far from the manga and gets extremely repetitive. I suggest reading the manga if you were to dive into this series. It really is a good series, combining elements of magical girl, innocent romance, comedy, and a pretty good storyline (the whole concept is really great though). I would rate the anime's first season a 7/10, the second season, Shugo Chara Doki!!, a 5/10, and the manga a 9/10 (but I'm kinda biased). The theme songs are extremely poppy, and all are done by Hello!Project units formed specifically for the purpose of the anime. All of the endings are by Buono!, a 3-member H!P unit, and all of them are simply amazing in my opinion. I'm into the cute-pop songs though (although Buono! adds some rock), ahaha.

I recommend this manga series strongly. It ended, and is only about ten volumes long, so it's a quick read that is definitely worth it. 9/10. Read more!

1,000 DIFFERENT VISITORS!

Woohoo! Anime Forever has finally had 1,000 different people visit it! This is a moment of celebration! I hope that you (the blog readers) tell people about Anime Forever and that it will always be gaining more popularity! I look forward to the future of Anime Forever!

Hmmm.... now it just needs 1,000,000 different people.... xD

Note: "Read More!" doesn't do anything significant on this particular post.
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LittleBigPlanet 2 Release Date... DELAYED!

Sorry I hadn't posted this sooner, but Media Molecule decided to delay the release date of LBP 2 till January 18th, 2011. This saddens me, but I'm glad that they're fixing whatever was wrong with it. Here's what they said:

"LittleBigPlanet 2 is a crazy dream, a dream to allow players to make whatever kind of game they want, but also to play though a great adventure of drama and excitement, power-ups, and cinematics. But like all of the most ambitious ideas, it can be a considerable challenge to turn these dreams in fun games. We’ve all been working like powered-up space ninjas and we’re almost there, but because we love what we’ve made, and we love our little sack-friends, and most of all we love all our fans out there, we couldn’t let you all get together until we knew we were giving you the best experience imaginable. Which is why we’ve taken the hard decision to delay the worldwide release of LittleBigPlanet 2, originally slated for later this year to January 2011.
We know this will come as disappointing news for all you LittleBigPlanet fans, and believe us, we are disappointed too. We are a tight-knit team and we take enormous pride in our work, so to raise the bar we’ve set with the original LittleBigPlanet, a game that has been so embraced by all, we’ve agreed to allow ourselves a bit more time to deliver the experience that our great fans and community deserve. We are truly sorry, but hope you understand that we have to build the best possible game, as it is the foundation of our community.
On the upside, we are going to find a way to give more of you a taste of LBP2 prior to launch, so stay tuned.

Thanks for your continued love and support, it won’t be long – we promise.

Lots of love from all at Mm"

Hmmm.... well, I guess it sounds alright. Now I'm looking forward to it even more! ^^
Read more!

Maintenance Finished!

Hello, readers,

Thank you for waiting while I worked on the blog a little bit. As you can see, now the lists of anime and video games are organized into alphabetical groups. Please ignore the posts on the homepage about the groups. After 2 more posts, they will be off the homepage and won't interfere anymore. I hope you like the new system! Thanks again,

Zangestu

P.S. The "Read More" button does not do anything significant on this post.
Read more!

ALL Video Games

Alchemy for the Android phone
Animal Crossing: City Folk (1/4) Introduction
Animal Crossing: City Folk (2/4) Hobbies
Animal Crossing: City Folk (3/4) Events & Holidays
Animal Crossing: City Folk (4/4) Decorations
Call of Duty: Black Ops (1/2) Multiplayer
Call of Duty: Black Ops (2/2) Campaign
Chopper 2
Fallout: New Vegas Overview
Fat Princess
FIFA 11
Infinity Blade
LittleBigPlanet (1/4) Character Design
LittleBigPlanet (2/4) Play Mode
LittleBigPlanet (3/4) Create Mode
LittleBigPlanet (4/4) Extras
LittleBigPlanet 2 (PREVIEW)
LittleBigPlanet 2 Release Date... DELAYED!
Mafia II (1/4) Missions and Story
Mafia II (2/4) Money
Mafia II (3/4) Weapons
Mafia II (4/4) Vehicles
Pokemon Heart Gold & Soul Silver
Portal (PS3)
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2 - First Impression
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2 (1/3) - Story
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2 (2/3) - Characters
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2 (3/3) - Gameplay
Super Smash Bros. Brawl (1/4) Characters
Super Smash Bros. Brawl (2/4) Multiplayer
Super Smash Bros. Melee
Super Smash Bros. (N64 Ver.)
Team Fortress 2 (1/4) - Basics
Team Fortess 2 (2/4) - Classes

Top 5 Video Games of 2010 Read more!

ALL Anime

Air
Angel Beats!
Arakawa Under the Bridge
Arakawa Under The Bridge x Bridge (2nd Season) 
Bakuman. First Impression
Bleach: Story Arch 1 (Anime & Manga)
CLANNAD & CLANNAD: After Story
Code Geass & Code Geass R2
Death Note
D.N.Angel
Dragon Ball Kai
Elfen Lied
Fullmetal Alchemist- 2003
Gakuen Mokushiroku: High School of The Dead
Hakuouki: Shinsengumi Kitan
Hellsing
Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni
Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni Kai (2nd Season)
Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni Rei (OVA)
LittleBigPlanet (1/4) Character Design
LittleBigPlanet (2/4) Play Mode
LittleBigPlanet (3/4) Create Mode
LittleBigPlanet (4/4) Extras
LittleBigPlanet 2 (PREVIEW)
Queen's Blade: Utsukushiki Toushi-tachi First Impression
Shugo Chara!
Slayers
Sola
True Tears
xxxHOLiC Read more!

VIdeo Games P - T

Pokemon Heart Gold & Soul Silver
Portal (PS3)
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2 - First Impression
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2 (1/3) - Story
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2 (2/3) - Characters
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2 (3/3) - Gameplay
Super Smash Bros. Brawl (1/4) Characters
Super Smash Bros. Brawl (2/4) Multiplayer
Super Smash Bros. Melee
Super Smash Bros. (N64 Ver.)
Team Fortress 2 (1/4) - Basics
Team Fortess 2 (2/4) - Classes Read more!

VIdeo Games F - J

Fallout: New Vegas Overview
Fat Princess
FIFA 11 
Infinity Blade Read more!

VIdeo Games K - O

LittleBigPlanet (1/4) Character Design
LittleBigPlanet (2/4) Play Mode
LittleBigPlanet (3/4) Create Mode
LittleBigPlanet (4/4) Extras
LittleBigPlanet 2 (PREVIEW)
LittleBigPlanet 2 Release Date... DELAYED!
Mafia II (1/4) Missions and Story
Mafia II (2/4) Money
Mafia II (3/4) Weapons
Mafia II (4/4) Vehicles Read more!

VIdeo Games U - Z

Read more!

VIdeo Games A - E

Alchemy for the Android phone
Animal Crossing: City Folk (1/4) Introduction
Animal Crossing: City Folk (2/4) Hobbies
Animal Crossing: City Folk (3/4) Events & Holidays
Animal Crossing: City Folk (4/4) Decorations
Call of Duty: Black Ops (1/2) Multiplayer
Call of Duty: Black Ops (2/2) Campaign
Chopper 2  Read more!

Maintenance

Hello readers,

I am sorry for the inconvenience, but right now the blog is under some maintenance. This will not last long. Thank you for your support,

Zangetsu

P.S. The "Read More!" button does not do anything significant on this post.

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Anime U - Z

xxxHOLiC Read more!

Anime P - T

Queen's Blade: Utsukushiki Toushi-tachi First Impression
Shugo Chara!
Slayers
Sola
True Tears Read more!

Anime K - O

Kaichou wa Maid-Sama!
MM! First Impression
Nyan Koi! Read more!

Anime F - J

Fullmetal Alchemist- 2003
Fortune Arterial: Akai Yakusoku First Impression
Gakuen Mokushiroku: High School of The Dead
Hakuouki: Shinsengumi Kitan
Hellsing
Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni
Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni Kai (2nd Season)
Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni Rei (OVA) Read more!

Anime A - E

Air
Angel Beats!
Arakawa Under the Bridge
Arakawa Under The Bridge x Bridge (2nd Season)
Bakuman. First Impression
Bleach: Story Arch 1 (Anime & Manga)
CLANNAD & CLANNAD: After Story
Code Geass & Code Geass R2
Death Note
D.N.Angel
Dragon Ball Kai
Elfen Lied Read more!

Author Mark's Youtube Channel!

CLICK HERE.

Hello all,
I would just like to inform you that our fairly new author, Mark, has a youtube channel. I have a video sample here of what kind of things you will find at his channel. This video is simply just his "Top 10 飛蘭 (Faylan) Songs". I hope you like it! And more importantly... check out his youtube channel! It's very impressive. ;D



Description: "My top 10 飛蘭 (Faylan) songs based on her major discography. This does limit the selection, and so you will notice quite a number of songs from her latest album, 「Polaris」 (which thankfully some good songs made the album-- such as 「Dark Side of the Light」). A newer version of this list will be uploaded after a few more releases.

TRANSLITERATIONS:
8. Hishou no Koku


DISCLAIMER: All songs and images used are property of 飛蘭 (Faylan) and Lantis. This is a fan-made video."

Note: The "Read More!" button on this post does not extend the post at all. Read more!

Super Smash Bros. Brawl (2/4) Multiplayer

Only for Wii.

Now, I know what you MIGHT be thinking. Why is he writing about multiplayer already? Shouldn't he focus on the story mode? Well, honestly, I never got very far in the story mode. I have all of the characters, but I did that simply by playing many multiplayer brawls. Well, actually I kind of tricked the game. Some might call what I did "cheating". But anyways, I've played so many brawls now that I would have all of the characters anyways. If you want to know how exactly I "cheated", just leave a comment.

(10/10) So, in the multiplayer dimension of SSBB, basically you choose any character out of the playable characters listed in the first post and brawl against other characters with him or her. The combinations seem endless. The greatest, greatest, greatest thing about SSBB is that every brawl is different. Every fight is a new experience. There are always new combos to think up. But please, if you actually play SSBB, DO NOT CORNER SPAM. Or actually, JUST DON'T SPAM. Basically, an example of spam (cringe) in SSBB is:

Falco standing on the opposite side of the stage, firing his gun over and over and OVER AGAIN.
Trust me, don't spam and people will respect you more. Plus, spamming makes people angry, so the chances of you surviving lessen. xD

Anyway, the multiplayer in brawl is fantastic. One personal pet peeve of mine is when I play a brawl with items on. Now don't get me wrong, items are great and make the game more exciting. BUT, the better you get at the game and the better your opponents get, items just end up getting in the way. For example, if you and your opponent are pretty evenly matched and you're fighting and intense battle, would you like it if all of the sudden a ray gun fell and you're simply repeatedly shot and killed? You would be enraged, trust me. You could have won that brawl, and now you're friend thinks that he or she is waaaaaaay better than you. Just take my advice on this one, don't use items in intense brawls with players of a high skill level.

So, overall, SSBB's multiplayer is something that can't be missed. You can even brawl online with friends or with other players around the world! Every brawl online is a normal one, though. What I mean by "normal" is that offline you can play "special" brawls. These brawls are combinations of certain modes. For example, you could play... a giant, metal, light brawl. This will make you and your opponent's characters:

1. Giant
2. Metal (heavy and capable of taking hits)
3. Light (can jump higher - more floaty)

So the multiplayer in this game is very flexible and easy to use. I really recommend buying this game is you don't have it already. Once again, this game is only for the Wii.

More information here.
And here.
And don't forget here. Read more!

Tamura Yukari's 8th album

Tamura Yukari released her 8th album,「シトロンの雨 Citron no Ame」, early last month on the 9th, and since I'm a budding Yukarin fan I decided to review the album.

A quick overview of Tamura Yukari: she's a singer-seiyuu (voice actress) who voices in various anime, most notably as the lead character, Takamachi Nanoha, in the magical girl anime series Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha. She is known for her interest in lolita fashion and upbeat, cute songs, so she's definately not for everyone. But if you're into typical Jpop and say, Hello! Project material, and like the anison style, Yukarin is for you.


Now onto the review...


These are my first impressions, first listens of all but two of the songs (which are previous singles).

1. Heavenly Stars
The rock theme throughout the song is really different from the Yukarin I've heard so far, but the cuteness she adds definitely works well with the rock elements. Overall, it's a good song but a bit too bland. 6/10

2. Gratitude
This next song seems to tie well into the last song. So far the album has pretty good flow. Let's hope this continues. Unfortunately, this song sounds too much like the last song to really stand out. It's a little more interesting, but not by much. 6/10

3. 神様Rescue me!!
TRANSLITERATION: Kamisama Rescue me!!
A change in style from the last two songs. Tropical. Heh heh. Not all into the song, but it shows a bit more originality than the last two. Still, I give it the same rating. "Kamisama onegai desu~" awesome XD 6/10

4. ラブラブベイビーハッピースター
TRANSLITERATION: Love Love Baby Happy Star
It reminds me of 「You & Me」 (a song later on the album), but it's different in its own right. Really good. Synth heavy and upbeat is really my style. 7/10

5. You & Me feat. motsu from m.o.v.e
And what do you know, it's 「You & Me」! This song originally pulled me into Yukarin's music and it's been stuck in my head for months now. Motsu is the rapper from m.o.v.e, a pop/dance-pop group. His rapping seriously compliments the song's beat and Yukarin's voice. My second favorite song on the album. I love it. Ahaha. So damn catchy! 9/10

6. Love Sick feat. motsu from m.o.v.e
Wow, this is so unique. Yukarin's even singing differently. An R&B-like song with motsu? That's cool. Change isn't always a bad thing. This song is actually pretty good. 8/10

7. Tiny Rainbow
This song was the B-side of her single 「My wish My love」, and was used as the ending theme to the PSP game Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's -THE BATTLE OF ACES-. It's a nice song but it doesn't compare to the video game's opening theme, sung by Yukarin's friend and counterpart, Mizuki Nana (who plays Fate Testarossa, another lead character, in the Nanoha franchise). Anyway, overall a decent song. 6/10

8.砂落ちる水の宮殿
TRANSLITERATION: Suna Ochiru Mizu no Kyuuden
Unfortunately, I can't find a sample of the song anywhere. It's the first ballad-esque song on the album that's a bit forgettable and reminds me of a slower version of 「裸足のプリンセス Hadashi no Princess」, although that song'd really good. For this song, ehh, it could be better. 4/10

9. 神聖炉
TRANSLITERATION: Shinseiro
Another unique song that sounds epic like a Mizuki Nana song would be, except more fantasy-esque. The violins are beautiful and Yukarin's deep singing really set the tone. It may take some getting used to but for now I really like this. 7/10

10. レゾンデートルの鍵
TRANSLITERATION: Raison d’Etre no Kagi
Again, I can't find a sample. Funny how this song is a ballad too. This song is actually quite pretty. Not much else to say. Yukarin's voice sounds nice. Easy listening. 6/10

11. My wish My love
This song was a previous single of hers released in January, and used as the ending theme for Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha THE MOVIE FIRST. Quite a pretty ballad, but I find it a tad boring. It was a nice transition from the last song though. This whole album has excellent flow. Anyway, a decent song, but not my style. 5/10

12. おしえて A to Z
TRANSLITERATION: Oshiete A to Z
Another single! My favorite Yukarin song! It's also the opening to the anime B Gata H Kei, which from the looks of it appears to be a romance/harem anime. Anyway, I think it's songs like these wheee Yukarin shines the most. 10/10

13. 恋におちたペインター
TRANSLITERATION: Koi ni Ochita Painter
Jazz? Interesting.It definitely stands out but it's missing that punch. For uniqueness, it gets a little bump though. I like this song. 7/10

14. Goody & Happy
Sorry, I apologize for not being able to find yet another sample. The song is upbeat and has an element of bigaband that's definitely kinda cool and I think I hear the banjo. It's a bit childish but then again, it's Yukarin. I can just picture Yukarin with a top hat and cane fro some reason XD . Ahahaha. Kinda funny. Fun song but not for me. 6/10

15. LOVE ME NOW!
The song chosen for a music video to promote the album. This song sounds like a much better version of the first two songs. It's really well done, actually. I like it a lot. Trumpet, guitar, Yukarin: good stuff XD 8/10

Wow, fifteen tracks. Lots of new songs too, so that's really good. Overall, the album is decent, with a few gems (such as the singles), not to mention the album cover is great. This album is quite an introduction to Yukarin. I'll be finding more of her older songs and I think I might become a pretty dedicated fan. We'll see. And again, if you're not into this whole genre of music, just steer clear. Ahaha. Overall, the album gets a 7/10. Good but not outstanding.

-Mark


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Super Smash Bros. Brawl (1/4) Characters

Super Smash Bros. Brawl (SSBB) was developed by the Ad hoc development team, published by Nintendo, and directed by Masahiro Sakurai. This game was released on March 9th, 2008 in North America and is only for Wii.

Official SSBB website here: Super Smash Bros. Dojo!

(10/10) Characters:
In SSBB there are a total of 35 playable characters. These characters are from many of Nintendo's best games, past and new. There are also some guest characters in the game (Sonic and Solid Snake) which were obtained through contracts Nintendo made with outside companies.

Here is the list of playable characters in SSBB:


Newcomers

#1. Diddy Kong - Donkey Kong Country
#2. Ike - Fire Emblem
#3. King Dedede - The Kirby Series
#4. Lucario - The Pokemon Series
#5. Lucas - Mother 3 & EarthBound 2
#6. Meta Knight - Kirby
#7. Pikmin & Olimar - Pikmin & Pikmin 2
#8. Pit - Kid Icarus
#9. Pokemon Trainer - The Pokemon Series - Play as Squirtle, Ivysaur, and Charizard
#10. R.O.B. - Stands for: Robotic Operating Buddy —> Gyromite & Stack-Up
#11. Solid Snake - Metal Gear Solid
#12. Sonic the Hedgehog - The Sonic Series
#13. Wario - The Mario Series
#14. Wolf - Star Fox

Returning Characters:

#15. Bowser - The Mario Series
#16. Captain Falcon - F-Zero
#17. Donkey Kong - The Donkey Kong Series
#18. Falco Lombardi - Star Fox
#19. Fox McCloud - Star Fox
#20. Ganondorf - The Legend of Zelda
#21. Ice Climbers - Ice Climbers
#22. Jigglypuff - The Pokemon Series
#23. Kirby - The Kirby Series
#24. Link - The Legend of Zelda
#25. Luigi - The Mario Series
#26. Mario - The Mario Series
#27. Marth - Fire Emblem
#28. Mr. Game & Watch - The Game & Watch Series
#29. Ness - EarthBound
#30. Pikachu - The Pokemon Series
#31. Princess Peach - The Mario Series
#32. Princess Zelda - Also can become Sheik by transforming
#33. Samus Aran - Also can become Zero Suit Samus by transforming (Final Smash) —>Metroid
#34. Toon Link - The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker
#35. Yoshi - The Mario Series

Overall, the characters in this game are great. There is a huge variety to choose from and every character has it's own unique moves. I hope you found this helpful!

For more information, click here.
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Bakuman. First Impression

Plot Summary: "Moritaka Mashiro, a junior high school student, content to live out a relatively normal life as any other does, is persuaded by his classmate, Akito Takagi, to become an aspiring mangaka when the latter realizes his natural talent as an artist. However, Moritaka is reluctant to pursue his dream as his uncle, once a mangaka with his own serializations, died from overwork trying to regain his lost status. With Akito's help, Takagi gets another classmate and his school crush, Azuki Miho, who is an aspiring voice actress, to voice in the anime adaptation of their future manga once it is completed. However, Mashiro also proposes to Azuki, who surprisingly accepts only on the condition she will marry him when both of them have achieved their dreams. With a goal set before him, Mashiro begins a long and struggling path to become a famous mangaka."
-AnimeNewsNetwork

First impression: Just from watching the first episode of this new anime, I really enjoyed it. I am looking forward to watching the rest of the series and you should be expecting a full review after it is finished airing. So far, I really like the idea of the show. It seems very original and very promising. I hope you check out the show too, I think it's worth it.

Characters: So far I really like the characters. As of right now, my favorite is Akito Takagi because he is a very prestigious student, who happens to love manga and anime! He is very persistent, bold, smart and determined. The other characters have many unique features too, but he just stands out to me. I am excited to learn more about the characters and can't wait for the next episode.

Check out this show, and tell me what you think (comment). I really hope you get as hooked to it as I am. ^^ Read more!