My Decision about Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier

Earlier today I just got my December issue of Playstation the Official Magazine in the mail (and sexy Bayonetta is on the front cover…but it’s just an advertisement, not a cover feature :'(  ).  In this issue I came across a preview of one of my most anticipated titles Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier.  I squeal. :D

     But reading the preview helped me make a particular decision about this game; that I want to get the Playstation2 version, rather than the PSP version. Why? Cuz I don’t want to worry about the PSP’s battery power when I think I might be playing this game for about two-and-a-half hours at a time. That’s an average amount of time that I spend on the PS2. I’d have to limit my time on the PSP for no longer than an hour and a half average (for Sonic Rivals 2, I have enough patience to give it 45 minutes). I will have Dissidia: Final Fantasy to eventually get for the portable unit and still, there is also that Sonic Rivals 2 and some of the old retro games like Ristar and Vector Man from the SEGA Genesis Collection.

     Heh…^.^;; I only got to those two older games once ever. They are fun, though. I gotta get back to ‘em. Maybe because Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII is my go-to game for the portable unit. And then hopefully when the price of Dissidia is lowered, so will that game be my next Final Fantasy goodness.
     Anyway, I am used to playing the Jak and Daxter series on the TV screen, so I'd rather go with the tried and true after all.

On feeling nostalgic with Sonic Mega Collection Plus: Sonic 3-D Blast music

   After playing Sonic Chaos yesterday from 11:30pm to almost 1am, I had to indulge myself in Sonic music goodness that is the Sound Test for Sonic 3-D Blast.
     I got the idea when I was browsing through the video game manual section of the Sonic Mega Collection Plus, and I happened to look at the one for Sonic 3-D Blast and I had this sudden urge to listen to my favorite songs from that game, so I went to the Games menu and selected it right away.  I listened to and danced to these Sonic tunes:

• level 2  Rusty Ruin Zone, act 1  (Makes me nod my head and dance.  Love the beat.)
• level 4  Diamond Dust Zone  (This one brings me in a cheerful, upbeat mood.)
• level 5  Volcanic Valley Zone, act 1  (I love the bass!)
• level 6  Gene Gadget Zone  (I love the bass here too.)
• Final Fight  (I love the percussion in this one!)
• Robotnik fight music #2  (Like it better than the #1 Robotnik song here.)
• level 1  Green Grove Zone  (A happy tune.)

     I had to sing along with the melody of the Green Grove Zone just to see how closely I remembered it after not hearing it for so long.  "It pays off to listen to the music over and over again while playing, GOL."     GOL= giggle out loud , by the way.
     I actually remember all the music to this game and can remember which level each song belongs too.  It's a nice experience to hear it again with my ears, rather than only my mental iPod (aka brain).  I ended up listening to the music from 1:10am to 1:45am.
      I love early Sonic music. :)

On playing Sonic Chaos on Sonic Mega Collection Plus

Does anyone remember the SEGA Game Gear?
I do...but I never played on one, let alone owned one.
    So when Sonic Team at SEGA came up with the Sonic Mega Collection Plus a few years ago for the Playstation 2, it made it possible for other Sonic gamers like me to experience those old games.
     This time, instead of going to my usual favorite Sega Genesis Sonic games, I wanted to try a video game from the collection that I've never tried before, which is the Game Gear retro Sonic Chaos.  This was a game that starred Sonic and even his friend Tails.  In this game, Tails can fly.  But since it was my first time playing this game (and on a bigger screen at that), I wanted to play as Sonic.  Okay, here goes...
     Of course, the music sounds very old, retro for a game that was for the Game Gear.  I call it "Nintendo-ee."  There was an intro that showed Sonic chasing after Robotnik, and after they go off-screen, Tails runs on-screen to follow Sonic.  Then when the Title Screen comes up and I "Press Start," I have to chose between Sonic and Tails.  I chose Sonic and I pushed the X button, and nothing happened.  I pushed the O button, nothing happened.  I pushed the R2 button, nothing happened.  I pushed a bunch of the buttons one by one, and my choice was confirmed.  Somehow.
     I started out at the Turquoise Hill Zone.   It is a typical colorful/nature-like enviroment that all Sonic games start with.  At the end of the act, he passes the post with Robonik's face and it turns into Tails' face or a blue bird's face.  Then the screen says "Sonic Has Passed 1."  Uh...one what?  The first act.
     At the start of the next act, as Sonic runs I said, "For a hedgehog, he has pretty big feet."
     After I fight the boss for this zone, Sonic automatically runs away, soon off-screen, and I shouted, "Sonic runs away from the crime scene!"
     The next level was the Gigapolis Zone.  This was the first level that I start losing lives.  I was down to one life, and there are NO Marking Posts, so if Sonic loses a life, he has to begin at the start of the act.  Then somehow I came across an area full of rings, and I picked them up until I got 100 of 'em.  This took Sonic to a Special Stage.   He picks up rocket shoes, and then gets as many rings as possible.  I picked up about eight extra lives.  But usually in a special stage you get a Chaos Emerald, right?  I didn't find one...yet, probably.
     Sigh, long post...
     I didn't have to finish the act because it took me to the next one.  The boss one  :O  Sonic died two times fighting this ball-worm boss.  So then I say, to my sister watching me, and I quote myself: "The beauty of Final Fantas--er, Sonic Mega Collection Plus for the PS2 is that you can save (sic...I meant load), WHEN YOU SCREW UP!"  lol.
     In reaching the next level, the Sleeping Egg Zone, I came to a conclusion that "there is a motivation to getting a hundred rings:  You not only get extra lives, you are entered in a Special Stage."  I was able to get a blue Chaos Emerald in this second attempt in the Special Stage, and I realized that the Chaos Emeralds can in fact be found in the Special Stage after all.  They are somewhere;  you have to find the one for that stage before the time runs out (I think it's about one minute).  I got two Continues too.  Yay!
     Then I left off at the Mecha Green Hill Zone.  The boss is a tough one...I lost life after life so had to leave off there.  Not a powerful start, but so far so good for my first try of Sonic Chaos .
    
     Other notable exclamations :

• After finishing an act, I didn't move Sonic for a few moments, so he looked at me: "Sonic looked at me like, 'You can do better than that, c'mon!"
• As Sonic waits for me to move him, he taps his foot and looks at me, then glances at his wrist, then looks back at me: "You don't have a watch, Sonic, c'mon!"

                                           *,*    

Using an mini audio cassette recorder as I play...

In finding a way to take my gaming notes and save time while playing, I came upon an idea I should have used a long time ago.  Like, from the beginning.  Heh heh.
     I will occasionally, if not frequently, be using a mini-cassette audio recorder to record:  the areas of the game that I reach (or names of Sonic game levels), items my character acquires, funny things that happen, my exclamations while playing, and more things that I otherwise would have to pause the game and write on a piece of paper as the clock ticks.  It's an Olympus Micro-cassette Recorder, and I've had for at least five years now.  It was a holiday gift; I wasn't sure how often I'd use it or for what, until now.
     This would especially be helpful for when I play Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, because when I pause the game to take notes, the PSP's battery power decreases as I stop playing.  I only want to put it in sleep mode when I need to stop it for five minutes or more.  Recording my exclamations (that is, my comments/reactions to things that happen in the game as I play) will save time, and I can play without much interruption.
     Most of the time when I do use it, I can just record for five or ten minutes at a time, so that I don't have too much to listen to--maybe just for something that I think I want to expand on.  It may be as long as a half hour, if I forget to pause the recorder.  With the recorder, my blog posts can be more detailed, and hopefully, more entertaining.  ;)

Finally Returned to Sonic Unleashed

I forgot what I enjoyed about Sonic Unleashed until I returned to this game on Friday the 16th.  The time was from 10:30pm to 12:45am.
      I don't make a big deal out of failing in a light misson.  For example, if the ones where Sonic is supposed to do a task correctly (like avoid breaking items or collect 270 rings in 1 minute 30 secs) doesn't go so well (I fall in the water, in some cases), Sonic shouts "NNOOO!!" and then I am given a choice to Retry or Quit the mission.  But here is what I think is hilarious; the theme song of the game is playing, but it plays in a way that sounds like all the musicians in the orchestra are terrible at getting the right notes.  Kind of a la "Silent Night" in the middle of the comedy Bad Santa.  The first time I failed at a light mission and this happened, I could not stop myself from laughing because I can figure out when the notes are flat or sharp (in other words, the notes are totally wrong).  :p  It makes me feel better about screwing up in the game.  I wonder if the game developers at SEGA thought it would affect other gamers the same way so that we can keep on loving this game.
     I also love that Sonic wipes his nose if you get a "B" grade or higher in the daytime missions (he certainly wouldn't do such an adorable thing as the Were-hog).  So cute.  Gotta love that Sonic.

     Anyway, (light spoilers next?) I had Sonic leave off at the continent of Adabat, and it started out at the nighttime levels.  I hardly got through the first one; I lost all nine of my lives...eight of them just by falling into the water...and Sonic cannot swim.  Of course, I tried again, with two lives to spare.  The nighttime missions in Adabat are difficult; so each new continent has harder nighttime missions.  They test my patience. I am stuck now at the second nighttime mission because again I lost many lives just by falling in the water...or rather, jumping into the water when I meant to land on a moving platform.  So then I just tried to improve my score on some of the earlier daytime  "Reach for the Goal" missions in Chun-nan and Holoska to calm down.  I'll get back to the hard level when I can begin with it.
     I like how Were-Sonic can climb and grap onto some ledges.  My favorite thing about Were-Sonic is how he can run on all fours like a wolf.  It's pretty handy when he comes across a large gap he needs to jump over.

Cyborg Haven Update

The following items have been added to my List of Games I Played:

Paperboy
Duck Hunt (NES)
Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles 2 (co-op play)

Every once in a while I remember some older games I did play that I didn't put in the list yet.  I know there are at least a few more I should put in, probalbly also for my old NES console.

Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier on G4tv.com

The date for the release of Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier is getting closer!  YAAAAAYYYYY!!!

     When I went to check out info on the game at Amazon.com, I found out from there that the release date was on Oct. 31st.  Which is Halloween night.  That was ridiculous, usually new releases of music and DVDs, maybe books too, are on a Tuesday while the 31st of October is on a Saturday.
     I knew it would change.  It would have to be a supposed release date.  So I went to G4TV.com, a video game website I can visit now that the actual G4 TV network is mostly airing Cops and Cheaters and Ninja Warrior. (X-Play and maybe Attack of the Show are the only shows that even mention video games.)  I looked up Jak and Daxter: TLF and I found an article on the PSP version for the game.  Here is the link for a hands-on preview by a G4 TV staff member:
G4TV.com Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier Hands-On Preview
     I know many Jak and Daxter fans have been waiting for a new title.  I have, especially.  Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy was my very first Playstation 2 video game, and I learned all the controller's buttons with it, and the game was so colorful and fun.  (I should do a Reminisce on this game...)
     Anyway, now I know for sure that October 31st is too early for a release date of the latest game in the series, but G4TV.com says it's now on November 3, which is a Tuesday (and now it makes more sense, doesn't it?).
     Yaaaaaaaaaayyyyyy!!! :D

Gotta wake up? Play Bleach!

     Tuesday afternoon it was raining here in Southern California.  I felt like napping but I knew I shouldn't, or my body will think I need to stay awake during the night.  So.  I did what I do sometimes when I want to wake up and get my heart rate up: play Bleach: Shattered Blade for the Wii.  It's based on one of the japanese anime shows I watch with my sister.
     It's a fighting game, which means, if I really want to win the fight, I have to be alert.  I play this game standing up, so that I can feel like I'm in the battle.  I unlocked a bunch of characters already.  The one I most recently unlocked last time, and then played this time, was the character Kaname Tosen.  I thought I'd unlock another character by playing him in the Arcade Mode, where you choose a character and it semi-randomly puts your fighter through eight battles--matches, if you will--in a row.  After you finish those eight matches, you hear main character Ichigo Kurosaki say "Congrats!  Way to go!"  and you earn some currency to buy goodies for the game like character voice samples or images for its gallery.
     Well, the first time I played Kaname Tosen I wasn't familiar with his fighting style (in the game, anyway), and so I played him in a practice Versus Mode against the Soul-Reaper Renji Abarai.  That Renji is a fierce fighter, which is why I had Tosen go up against him in case other fighters are as tough.
Unfortunately for the Arcade Mode session, I forgot to write down the characters and the order in which they appeared, including the ones I lost to on the first two tries.  My bad, I should've.  The first two Arcade Mode games I lost on the fourth or fifth match and didn't retry. The third time was the charm, though I didn't unlock anyone.  Among these opponents were Gin Ichimaru, Sajin, Yorouichi, Chad, and Yumichika (who I won against with maybe 2 health points left).  Oh, and Shuhei.  I like him, he uses melee attacks as well as his Zanpakto.
     Speaking of Bleach the anime, I just watched episode 152 last night taped on VHS.  It's in the middle of the Arrancar season.  How many episodes does this show have anyway?  Now I know that Arturo Plateado, the Bleach: SB exclusive character, is one of those types of villains, an Arrancar.  But in the game it is unknown what kind of enemy he is.  Little did I know there would be more like him in the anime...

Vincent Valentine B-Day October 13th :)

Gosh darnit, I'm late.  I wanted to do this on the actual October 13th this past Tuesday but other things got in the way, so I'll do this now before too many days pass by:
     Happy  Be-lated Birthday, Vincent Valentine!  ^,^
     Sorry, I had to do that.  He's my #2 Final Fantasy character so I have a thing for remembering stuff like this.  He's cool and he's a bad-ass:

• wearing that long red cape that's ripped on the ends (one reason why I want to crossplay as him someday),
• wearing gold-colored steel hand armor,
• gold-colored steel shoe armor,
• the Cerberus gun that shoots three bullets at a time,
• he has red eyes,
• his body was experimented on by mad scientist Professor Hojo,
• he wants revenge,
• he's a man with inner torture because of his "sins", which is also why he is hardly smiling at all (awww...),
• his Chaos form (he really looks like a vampire here; check this out, it's the first image on the webpage),
• voice actor Steve Blum lending him his voice,
• he's Vincent Valentine!

Too bad I wasn't blogging in August; I could have given Cloud Strife a post about him on his birthday.  But then I'd be seen as crazy or worse.  I'd write paragraph after paragraph after paragraph... (lol?)
     And for those fans who remember Vincent for being the intriuging character that he is rather than for the gameplay in Dirge of Cerberus: FFVII, I applaud you. 

Zack Fair Running Around...The Wagon Episode (spoilers?)

Running...running...and running again...
     Today I played Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII from 12:45 to 2:30 in the afternoon.  In the story I left off with Zack trying to find two more materials for the "flower wagon" he'd make with Aerith (I thought it was spelled "Aeris", like in the original game.  Now instead of Aeris it's Aerith. It never ends...).  Those materials are the worn tires and the instruction manual for building a wagon.  I thought the tires would have to be in the Shinra Building's Exhibit room, where there are a few vehicles on display.  Where are they, where are they?   Where are those tires?  There wasn't any store selling just tires or materials for a car, right?  I made Zack run all over the place; the Shinra Building, Sector 5 Slums, everywhere there.
     Finally I did find the 'worn tires'; in Loveless in Section 8 this man stands by an old car and seems to be waiting, and I had Zack go up to him, and wouldn't I know it, I came to the right person.  Ha, some items are either lying around or otherwise have to be aqcuired by talking to someone who might know something.  So the man gave Zack the tires, and then the little boy who was helping Zack find the wagon materials comes back and says he has the instructions.  Then he says he doesn't have it, and must have left it somewhere.  Ohh no!
Sigh...more running around for Zack :O
      But Zack is Zack, so he can run during the whole game without stopping if I make him. ^,^   Soon, I kinda figured I'd have to return to the Sector 5 Slums if the boy left the instructions there (and that's his home).  It's less frustrating for me if I know where to go; otherwise I'm making Zack run without aim.  When Zack does find the instructions, he can go back to Aerith and start that wagon.  Then soon, leave it to Sephiroth to spoil Zack's little break.  He's just a phone call away.  Poor Zack...  I won't disclose the details of Sephiroth's call here.  I probably shouldn't.
     Oh well, at least I'm moving along in the game a little more.  Know I know how Aeris Aerith started selling flowers. I might play through a few of the side missions the next time I get to Crisis Core, to level up, get gil, materia, and um...make Zack run.  I dunno what is the highest level Zack can reach in this game, but it wouldn't hurt to be prepared for what may happen later.

The PSP battery use

In the short few months I owned a PSP, I know now that after about two hours of playing on the unit, I check the battery settings and it indicates that around 40% of the battery power was used.
     In fact, I had to charge my battery recently, two days ago.  When I played on my PSP today, the charge level went from 100% to 62% for the 1 hour and 50 minutes or so that I used it.  This means that one hour equals about 20% of the PSP's battery power--that is if you are using a UMD (that's pretty much the only way I'm using my PSP now.)
I'm hoping I won't have to replace the battery pack too soon, though;  if it gets too warm where I live, the charge level decreases on its own.  It's how from September 29th to October 9th the charge level of my battery went from 33% to...well, it didn't turn on, which means it was 0%.

So how is it for everyone else?  Do you keep track of how much battery power is used when you use your PSP?  It may depend on the frequency of use and the length of time, wouldn't you agree?

My PSP is starving...

What's this?
My PSP is still sitting in my bedroom with its battery uncharged!  I tell myself that I want to finish Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII before I am too tempted to buy Dissidia: Final Fantasy (before its price goes down to $29.99).  Why am I not charging my PSP's battery?
    Maybe I put off charging my unit because it takes over two hours to charge and I only remember that I have to charge the battery just before I go to bed.  Well, I'll try not to forget this time.  Cuz I wanna know what happens next for Zack Fair.  Are Zack and Cloud ever gonna have that lunch together?  Poor Cloud.  [Sniffle]

Playing Jak 3

     On Saturday I returned to playing Jak 3. The game indicated that I was done with 60% of it already. That's much sooner than the first time I played it.
     Anyway, I put Jak through hell on three-and-a-half "missions":  Break Barrier with Blast Bot (after which he received the Peace Maker gun), Race for More Artifacts, Defend Spargus' Front Gate, and Take Out Marauder Stronghold.  Before this, I tried one of the side missions, a racing time attack against Kleiver's time record. I tried again and again and my thumb became sore keeping it on the X button all the time.
     Well, the last three missions mentioned above all needed a Dune Buggy to do the tasks Jak was asked to do, and I said,"Again with the dune buggies?" Geez, my thumb needed a break (and so did the X button, right?).  I'm really going to enjoy the missions where I make Jak run around and shoot stuff rather than drive a dune buggy in a desert.  I had to stop in the middle of the last mission of this gaming session because my thumbs had enough and I was already frustrated and cranky.  And hungry; hey, that explains it!   It was after 4:30pm  and lunch wasn't in my belly yet.  Ha haa?
Sigh. :<   I still love this game, though. :)
     Waiiiiting for Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier...

Dreaming about NiGHTS

Yep. It can happen.

     I dream about NiGHTS too. Sometimes in pink outfits. It was especially after I started playing NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams that I dreamed about NiGHTS more often. There has to be a reason. Why? I am just fascinated by the fact that NiGHTS doen't have a gender. Purple is a combination of blue and pink, anyway (or blue and red). With purple being my favorite color, it was strange and exciting seeing that there was a Sega video game character who dressed up in almost all purple and can fly.

Kingdom Hearts goodness!

     I want to thank the writer of the Kingdom Hearts blog What's in a Heart? for listing the websites KH Insider and KH-Vids.net  on the sidebar, and bringing us Kingdom Hearts fans some Kingdom Hearts goodness.  I visit these websites almost every time I go online on my computer.  I visited KH-Vids.net for the very first time this afternoon, and I have to say I am so thrilled that I can see some of my favorite scenes from Kindgom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II without having to search for years-old game files or play the game all over again to see them.  It's awesome!! ^.^
I gotta start a blogroll...seriously.

My favorite NiGHTS:Journey of Dreams level

I'm a big NiGHTS fan and I have yet to write anything NiGHTS related in Cyborg Haven.  So here's one. :D

  My favorite level of NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams is the one in Helen's side of the game, the level in Memory Forest when NiGHTS plays music by flying into the musical notes.  The notes play a version of "Dreams Dreams"  ( I wouldn't have known the title of this song had it not been for NiGHTS into Dreams.com before the site reconstruction).  I've played this level enough times that I went from a "D" to a "C" to finally a "B" grade for the level.  I think it's so adorable when NiGHTS smiles at the screen after the level is done, as if saying "You did it!"   Afterwards, you can hear the notes play perfectly how the melody really goes.  That's how I improved my timing; I had to either make NiGHTS fly faster or slow down so the notes matches the right timing. 
     After at least 5 seconds of getting the notes/timing right, the little Nightopians fly near NiGHTS and sing along with the song.  I almost cried, I was so happy the first time it happened!  I'm always really happy when I play this game.  Then I need to play it more, maybe even finish it if Wizeman will stop being an ass.  <.<

A New Sonic Dream

Here I go again.
     This morning I dreamed I was playing an old Sonic game that I rented.  IN the dream, the media was a disc and it was old and worn, even almost falling apart.  But I put it in [a] Sega console, and it read fairly okay.  The level I was playing was mostly blues or teals, with a sea-green floor.  In this game however, Sonic couldn't do a, whats-it-called...he couldn't jump on his enemies to defeat them, the Badniks.  In fact, I had to avoid touching any Badnik or traps just to not have Sonic lose a life.  I remember thinking, "That's not how a Sonic game should go.  What else is he supposed to do but run to the right?"  I kept getting hit and losing rings, and I remember having Sonic grab some more rings in order to stay alive.
     Sonic seemed smaller.  Was he a kid?  I dunno.  How old is he now, like 17?  I recall in the old instruction manuals that he was 15 years old.  Maybe I'm confused because I 'm going by the timeline for the Sonic the Hedgehog comic books.  I can't argue with how his voice sounds in Sonic Unleashed because it seems to fit well with him.  I can't imagine/hear Sonic sounding any older, really.

I occasionally have dreams about NiGHTS or Kingdom Hearts-related stuff, so I may be updating on those too--if they are not too weird.  And don't forget Jak; when there's a new game coming up, that's what happens...

Crisis Core...again...

Sigh...
     A week ago I played Crisis Core again to play the side missions.  I played for one hour, and I got sleepy in the middle of one of the missions.  Usually I am not sleepy when I play this game, but it was after a busy day and I didn't think it was a bad idea to relax with a favorite game.  When it gets to the point when I make Zack use Cura twice accidentally, or don't defend or use Barrier when I need him to, that is a sign that maybe it's not the right time to play this game.
     I'm not tired of the game at all.  Maybe I should return to another game though, to take a break from it.  I haven't played NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams for a long while, or even Sonic Unleashed.  Ha ha...Sega.

Two more funny Sonic videos on You Tube

Ho HOOOOOOO HAHA HA HA!!!!
  I haven't played a game for a while, unfortunately.  But I do have a couple of recommendations of You Tube videos that are video game related.  Of course, Sonic the Hedgehog again.  I was thinking about the song that was featured on these two videos and it's annoying me but then I laugh.  For those who played Sonic the Hedgehog 3, this will bring back memories AND make ya laugh.  I think they are both entertaining.

Sonic Shorts: Knuckles Sings

You are no longer allowed to enjoy life.

   I don't see why the second video is titled the way it is.  But regardless, see the Sonic Shorts: Knuckes Sings video first, since that one is the original.  Read the info on the video to learn the story behind the making of it.  The second video is the first video with the audio and video both altered.  I have perfect pitch, so hearing the original audio and then hearing the altered audio... I have to try to quiet my laughing so I can hear the rest of it!  As for the visual...well, see for yourself.  ;)