I went on a short trip to Lyon, a city where I have been studying. I dropped to one of my favourite Chinese shops in Guillautiere and found that PSP does not only mean Playstation Portable, but...
...Fortune Cookies!
...Fortune Cookies!Monday, March 19, 2007
Monday, March 12, 2007
Bears of War
Although I don't have any next-gen console (unless you count PSP as one), I have been an avid fan of Xbox360 ever since I saw it on Tokyo Game Show 2005. I don't own one yet (due to lack of time, not money) but I regularly check the games I find interesting on the system. One of them is definitely Gears of War.
Now, I have just discovered Bears of War - a parody of Gears, as you may probably guess. It is a webcomic drawn by young Polish author Michał "Śledziu" Śledziński (his nickname loosely translates to English as "Mr Herring"), author of many different comic books, strips and graphic novels, such as Osiedle Swoboda. Be sure to visit his Bears of War page on Blogspot.
I thought I'd bring it to your attention, since I consider Mr Herring to be one of the best young Polish graphic artists and authors, unfortunately underappreciated and practically unknown outside of Poland. Among the other ones are Robert Adler and Tobiasz Piątkowski, whose cyberpunk Status 7 series (Overload and Breakoff) is discontinued and also not really known in the world, which is a shame.
On a side note, expect a post about my favourite online comics soon.
Crush
Some time ago I wrote about new Sega game that I got a crush on (ha, ha, we are all very amused by this extremely original joke of mine). There are new information on the game surfacing every now and then. And since I really like both retro gameplay style slightly reminiscent of my 8-bit adventures (such as Jet Set Willy) and trippy atmosphere that makes me recall Dark City movie, I thought I'd share another two pieces of animation that have appeared on the net.
I really feel like it is worth waiting for. And although I do not agree that there are no original titles on PSP, I think that one more will definitely be welcomed, especially such a stylish one. Sega loves your PSP? Well, so it seems.
New trailer
First level gameplay
I really feel like it is worth waiting for. And although I do not agree that there are no original titles on PSP, I think that one more will definitely be welcomed, especially such a stylish one. Sega loves your PSP? Well, so it seems.
Thursday, March 08, 2007
"Me and 3D"
The recent post about Blender release reminded me that I used to dabble quite a lot in the three dimensional graphics. I was of course never very good at it (mainly due to the lack of patience), but I have created a couple of images and animations that I was very proud of.
Well, you can see one of them that I have dug out from the depths of my backup drawers. It was supposed to show a human skull on some distant planet and a broken spacecraft, thus suggesting that some expedition went terribly wrong (now I feel like a three years old kid, explaining to their parents what his drawing is all about). The original idea was by my friend, Grid, who was much more into everything 3D (hopefully, I can manage to convince him to share some of his creations here).
If you want to have a look at my early renders (more or less from 2001), you can have a look here at DeviantArt. Not that it's anything special, but hey, we all start somewhere.
Well, you can see one of them that I have dug out from the depths of my backup drawers. It was supposed to show a human skull on some distant planet and a broken spacecraft, thus suggesting that some expedition went terribly wrong (now I feel like a three years old kid, explaining to their parents what his drawing is all about). The original idea was by my friend, Grid, who was much more into everything 3D (hopefully, I can manage to convince him to share some of his creations here).
If you want to have a look at my early renders (more or less from 2001), you can have a look here at DeviantArt. Not that it's anything special, but hey, we all start somewhere.
Saturday, March 03, 2007
One line reviews - part II
One (ahem...) line reviews continued.
Tales of the World : Radiant Mythology
I have just played the Japanese version and I didn't follow the story for too long, so this is really just a brief impression. The fight sequences are all 3D and pretty, environments are mostly 3D as well (and also very nice), but the story seems pretty generic and navigation in the town is 2D option selection, which made me think of Amiga game Moonstone. Also, putting in this game the characters from other "Tales of..." series somehow spoils the mood for me.
Me and My Katamari
I have mixed feelings concerning his game. It has nice graphical style, merry atmosphere, does not contain violence (thus making it ideal for younger audience) and original idea. Yet controls just kill it for me and after I failed a level again because of struggling with the controls I told myself that I had enough of the game. I don't usually feel that PSP is lacking second analog stick, but this is exactly the case where it is indispensable. Nevertheless, King of the Universe is cool!
Archer MacLean's Mercury
Since this one is not officially published in Poland and therefore imported and prohibitively expensive, I have to admit with shame that I have been playing it in ISO version up until last month when I finally managed to buy it in States (I disapprove of piracy). For me it is one of the best of the first batch of PSP games, very original and with lots of geeky charm. Wobbly mercury blob with neat viscosity effects adds a whole new dimension to the Neverball-like mechanics. It is a little difficult and it is easy to get stuck on more complicated levels, but the its abstract sci-fi atmosphere is absolutely great. I highly recommend to have a look at the YouTube trailer, because it looks so much better in motion than on static screens!
Mercury Meltdown
I have made a mistake of underappreciating this game, mainly because at the beginning I didn't like its cartoony presentation style (preferring the previous Mercury's graphical style over this one). Still, with some casual games, vivid colours, easier progression scheme, bonus systems it is more approachable for the general public and since at its core it remains the same game, I won't complain. I finally decided to buy it as well. For me it is more or less the same case as Lumines I vs. II - I prefer the style of the first part, but I accept the second one nevertheless, if only to have more levels to play through.
Tales of the World : Radiant MythologyI have just played the Japanese version and I didn't follow the story for too long, so this is really just a brief impression. The fight sequences are all 3D and pretty, environments are mostly 3D as well (and also very nice), but the story seems pretty generic and navigation in the town is 2D option selection, which made me think of Amiga game Moonstone. Also, putting in this game the characters from other "Tales of..." series somehow spoils the mood for me.
Me and My KatamariI have mixed feelings concerning his game. It has nice graphical style, merry atmosphere, does not contain violence (thus making it ideal for younger audience) and original idea. Yet controls just kill it for me and after I failed a level again because of struggling with the controls I told myself that I had enough of the game. I don't usually feel that PSP is lacking second analog stick, but this is exactly the case where it is indispensable. Nevertheless, King of the Universe is cool!
Archer MacLean's MercurySince this one is not officially published in Poland and therefore imported and prohibitively expensive, I have to admit with shame that I have been playing it in ISO version up until last month when I finally managed to buy it in States (I disapprove of piracy). For me it is one of the best of the first batch of PSP games, very original and with lots of geeky charm. Wobbly mercury blob with neat viscosity effects adds a whole new dimension to the Neverball-like mechanics. It is a little difficult and it is easy to get stuck on more complicated levels, but the its abstract sci-fi atmosphere is absolutely great. I highly recommend to have a look at the YouTube trailer, because it looks so much better in motion than on static screens!
Mercury MeltdownI have made a mistake of underappreciating this game, mainly because at the beginning I didn't like its cartoony presentation style (preferring the previous Mercury's graphical style over this one). Still, with some casual games, vivid colours, easier progression scheme, bonus systems it is more approachable for the general public and since at its core it remains the same game, I won't complain. I finally decided to buy it as well. For me it is more or less the same case as Lumines I vs. II - I prefer the style of the first part, but I accept the second one nevertheless, if only to have more levels to play through.
Friday, March 02, 2007
One line reviews
...okay, maybe two lines.
I have bought and played so many games recently that I won't be able to properly review all of them. I'll only share my impressions on them briefly then.
Ghost Rider
Yet another mediocre movie franchise game. There are some nice touches (flaming chains, gothic backgrounds, combo system), but dull oponents, repetitive fights, limited levels and only so-so motorcycle sequences bring it down. Not really worth playing, unless you have completely nothing to do.
Modified Air Combat Heroes (M.A.C.H.)
M.A.C.H. looked cool on trailers and that's about it. Dogfighting is shallow, racing is repetitive. Nothing fancy and the disappointment is so much stronger because I expected something way more cool. Can play if you're bored, but there are better games on the PSP. Still, it is very pretty.
Lumines II
Yes, I know I was bitching about Lumines II. I still think that the first part had more pronounced sense of style and consistent feel to it. Yet when I saw it for 20 bucks, I didn't hesitate for a second. Why? Because the core gameplay remains the same, there are a couple of great new skins, some slight enhancements of the formula and there is no artificial limit of 999,999 points, which becomes a sort of a glass ceiling when you've played Lumines for over a year non-stop. With all its faults the sequel is well worth twenty dollars.
Gurumin : The Monstrous Adventure
The game is actually pretty sweet. The character design is great - a little abstract, slightly reminiscent of Hayao Miyazaki's style. Gurumin is not a perfect game (frequent pauses for loading times, some repetition in fights, some backtracking), but overall merry atmosphere and stylish story make it a solid title. I didn't have time to really get drawn into the tale of Gurumin, but I liked what I saw there. If you have a couple of hours and like optimistic and slightly childish tales - do not hesitate.
Whoa, there's more of them then I thought. Expect another batch soon and I'm off to sleep now.
I have bought and played so many games recently that I won't be able to properly review all of them. I'll only share my impressions on them briefly then.
Ghost RiderYet another mediocre movie franchise game. There are some nice touches (flaming chains, gothic backgrounds, combo system), but dull oponents, repetitive fights, limited levels and only so-so motorcycle sequences bring it down. Not really worth playing, unless you have completely nothing to do.
Modified Air Combat Heroes (M.A.C.H.)M.A.C.H. looked cool on trailers and that's about it. Dogfighting is shallow, racing is repetitive. Nothing fancy and the disappointment is so much stronger because I expected something way more cool. Can play if you're bored, but there are better games on the PSP. Still, it is very pretty.
Lumines IIYes, I know I was bitching about Lumines II. I still think that the first part had more pronounced sense of style and consistent feel to it. Yet when I saw it for 20 bucks, I didn't hesitate for a second. Why? Because the core gameplay remains the same, there are a couple of great new skins, some slight enhancements of the formula and there is no artificial limit of 999,999 points, which becomes a sort of a glass ceiling when you've played Lumines for over a year non-stop. With all its faults the sequel is well worth twenty dollars.
Gurumin : The Monstrous AdventureThe game is actually pretty sweet. The character design is great - a little abstract, slightly reminiscent of Hayao Miyazaki's style. Gurumin is not a perfect game (frequent pauses for loading times, some repetition in fights, some backtracking), but overall merry atmosphere and stylish story make it a solid title. I didn't have time to really get drawn into the tale of Gurumin, but I liked what I saw there. If you have a couple of hours and like optimistic and slightly childish tales - do not hesitate.
Whoa, there's more of them then I thought. Expect another batch soon and I'm off to sleep now.
Pandora - the best internet radio there is
I never was too much into listening to the radio. All those so-called DJs who thought they were funny, all these commercials cutting into the music, the fact that if I ever heard any original tune noone would tell its title - all that stuff strongly discouraged me from ever trying to listen to it. Maybe that's why I was so effective at work and while studying?
As for the internet radios, I somehow didn't really feel the need to listen to them either. However, I started working in open space environment and sometimes one simply has to create a sound boundary between him and the rest of the crowd. A friend recommended Pandora to me, advertising its ability to chose the music I like.
After trying it, I have fallen totally in love with it. The process is simple - you create a station based on your favourite song (or group) and Pandora then suggests the following songs that are similar to the initial selection. You can then bookmark favourite songs, rate them as bad (thumbs down) or as preferred (thumbs up). These choices will narrow down the attributes of the songs you like, so that the radio station will become shaped more and more into your taste.
Pandora interface
At the beginning I was a little skeptic. I started with Rammstein, one of my favourites. Then, after a couple of songs, Pandora suggested Rob Zombie, then Megaherz, then KMFDM. Since these are the bands that also were on my hard drive in the folders right next to each other, I was astonished that Pandora would be able to chose so well.
The only downside to people from outside of the States is that this service is available to US residents. But since the check is based solely on the postal code number, you can always get a little creative with it. I use my company's postal code (as our headquarters are located in United States).
Thanks to Pandora I have found some music gems that I wouldn't otherwise ever come in contact with. I provide you the little excerpt from my list of bookmarked titles. If you click on the images below you will get to the pages with the backstage information about the song, artist and where you can listen to the sample of it that song (which I thoroughly recommend, if you want to get a glimpse of my musical taste).
As for the internet radios, I somehow didn't really feel the need to listen to them either. However, I started working in open space environment and sometimes one simply has to create a sound boundary between him and the rest of the crowd. A friend recommended Pandora to me, advertising its ability to chose the music I like.
After trying it, I have fallen totally in love with it. The process is simple - you create a station based on your favourite song (or group) and Pandora then suggests the following songs that are similar to the initial selection. You can then bookmark favourite songs, rate them as bad (thumbs down) or as preferred (thumbs up). These choices will narrow down the attributes of the songs you like, so that the radio station will become shaped more and more into your taste.
Pandora interfaceAt the beginning I was a little skeptic. I started with Rammstein, one of my favourites. Then, after a couple of songs, Pandora suggested Rob Zombie, then Megaherz, then KMFDM. Since these are the bands that also were on my hard drive in the folders right next to each other, I was astonished that Pandora would be able to chose so well.
The only downside to people from outside of the States is that this service is available to US residents. But since the check is based solely on the postal code number, you can always get a little creative with it. I use my company's postal code (as our headquarters are located in United States).
Thanks to Pandora I have found some music gems that I wouldn't otherwise ever come in contact with. I provide you the little excerpt from my list of bookmarked titles. If you click on the images below you will get to the pages with the backstage information about the song, artist and where you can listen to the sample of it that song (which I thoroughly recommend, if you want to get a glimpse of my musical taste).
BARTS' BOOKMARKED SONGS
As a post scriptum, I'll only note that Pandora is not perfect. There are cases when it suggests music totally different from the station profile, there are occasional hiccups when listening (rarely, but sometimes they happen), I also spotted a couple of bugs in their vast databases (see the image below for example), which I immediately submitted (their time of reaction and customer service is incredible, by the way).
Double entry in music database
Still, it is the best internet radio for me and I stand by this opinion. Oh, I'd almost forget - it's totally free!
Double entry in music databaseStill, it is the best internet radio for me and I stand by this opinion. Oh, I'd almost forget - it's totally free!
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