I’ve never really been too keen on the PixelJunk series of PSN titles. However, this particular title intrigued me with its visual and musical styling. PixelJunk Eden is one of those games you either love or hate, and I hated it at first.

Initially the game felt somewhat convoluted, as I thought that the controls seemed a bit clunky and the directive wasn’t so clear. I wasn’t going to buy it like I was hyping. About a week later, I downloaded the demo again, and the game grew on me. It wasn’t love at first sight, but that’s ok. I just wasn’t in the right frame of mind the first time, I suppose.

So, what’s the point of this wonderful game? Each “Garden” has a set amount of Spectra (Odd-shaped glowing things near the top of the stage) and it consists of you swinging around thread trying to pollinate flowers so that your garden will grow, and you can jump up to the top of the stage . Once you’ve managed to find a way to the top, you’ll swing towards the Spectra. That’s how you complete a level. It’s relatively simple, but it can be pretty complex once you start playing.

One of the main draws is the ability to record in-game video while you’re playing. You can hit record while you’re playing, and either save it to your hard drive or upload it directly to youtube all from within the game.

For example:

This game came, it saw, it conquered, and then for some reason it seemed like it got stoned to death. When No More Heroes first came out, it was heralded as one of the Wii’s shining glories. As time went on, people began turn their backs on this game. After seeing all this, I decided that I had some words to say.

It’s a fairly simple game. It’s almost…a casual game for the hardcore-minded. This game has quite a lot to offer me, but I only play it in a casual sense. For instance, I’m not going to sit down with it for hours on end. However, when I do play it, I can really get into what I’m playing.

Basically, you’re this guy who buys a laser sword from the internet, and then you kill this guy. One thing leads to another and you’re killing people in some organization so you can be the #1 ranked assassin. Now, it costs money for each ranking match, so while you go earn money you do stuff in the city, or hub town. So there’s like…weird odd jobs between all of the action. And I suppose some people don’t understand that.

What I get from this game is different from what most people get. When I play No More Heroes, I’m playing a game that I can have fun with. It has style, and it has a head on its shoulders. It’s true to itself, and I can play it without making it feel like a chore. I can play it without feeling like I have to play it daily or it loses its value.

I have yet to beat No More Heroes, and I don’t really play it that often. I pop it in once in a while when I’m in the mood, and damn do I enjoy it when I do, and it even leaves me feeling satisfied for long enough to where I don’t have to play it right away again. It satisfies me to a point where I can just play it once, and I don’t require its services until much later. Is that a good thing, or bad? The game has playability, but it it also something you will want to savor.

It’s rare that I find a manga I like, and it is also rare that I find a manga that actually makes me say “wow.” Tetragrammaton Labyrinth fills both of those requirements. Usually, manga will keep me reading just because I’d like to see all the plotwists. This manga not only has excellent plot, but it also has character, and a unique way of executing things. Most of the time reviewers would say, “It had great ideas, but were executed poorly!” This is one of those few that pulls everything off with ease.

Tetragrammaton Labyrinth starts out with two Gothic Lolita girls, who work for what seems like some sort of fictional church, similar to Chrono Crusade. The premise is that they’re demon hunters (oh how cliche!?) but the unique part comes in with the demons themselves. See, humans get possessed by the demons, and if the two main characters don’t save them, then that demon completely overtakes the person’s “humanity” and then there’s no way to exorcise the demon. So it’s not all hunky-dory and simple like most.

Some of the battles against the demons can get kinda gruesome such as severed limbs, and a whole mess of stuff somewhat reminiscent of something Suehiro Maruo would approve of. I suppose there’s just something captivating watching two cute gothic lolita girls whoop ass, wield scythes, and kill atrocious demons. Now, it’s definitely not as violent as other manga such as Arm of Kannon, but it’s not one of those manga that pretends it is violent without actually showing you anything of graphical importance to lure you in.

As of now, there’s 3 volumes of this one out now being published by Seven Seas Entertainment, who actually publish a handful of manga that I’ve come to enjoy such as Kashimashi, Strawberry Panic, and He Is My Master. You can read the first chapter of most of their mangas at that site. So, don’t take my word for it, go read Tetragrammaton Labyrinth for yourself!

So Firefox 3 has been out for a little while, and I’ve had some time to sit down with it and try it out as a full version. Now, I hadn’t actually used any beta versions of Firefox 3 since it was known as minefield, which was a long time ago, of course.

Firefox, has always been a pretty fun browser, but the new version just doesn’t seem as revolutionary as Firefox 2 was when it first came out. I can’t imagine a browser without a spell check nowadays. Firefox 2 changed a lot of things, and felt pretty solid. Whenever I load up Firefox 3, I feel like a lot of things have changed just for the sake of change. And some things aren’t even that big of a deal, such as the page you see when a website is down. Along with the fact, clicking on a favicon gives you a message about security instead of highlighting the URL words, so I can erase them. It’s not a big thing, but all of it can start to add up, when you’re used to the old ways.

A lot of things can be changed if you know how to mess around with the about:config options, though. Firefox 3 is decent, I suppose. I think they’re starting to get too dependent on add-ons though. It’s good enough for the average user. I think though, I’m going to just make Flock my main browser. It’s based off of Firefox, and is just as solid. However, it comes built-in with a lot of social networking stuff. I can post my blogs, photos, facebook status, twitter status, and all that from directly inside the browser, and it’s not a resource hog. Granted, I’m sure you can do that with Firefox. It’s just that Flock comes with that built-in, and it’s sleeker and cleaner than any of those add-ons ever would be.

Most people are under the impression that Firefox is loads better than Internet Explorer. And while that may be true, there are quite a few browsers out there that you may find a little better than firefox. If you’re a windows user, you could try K-meleon. It’s very similar to Firefox, except it runs off certain components of Windows instead of running extra processes. There’s also Opera of course, which was one of the first mainstream tabbed browsers available, and also scores higher generally on those web standards tests such as acid2 and acid3.

So while Firefox is great and all, there are other, better options available as alternatives to Internet Explorer. Firefox/Mozilla was the main alternative for a while, but there’s more browsers that are just as viable now.

So yeah. Firefox 3 is pretty good. I mean it’s usually always pretty good, but there are other options available as well, you know.

I’ll be honest with you guys. Pornography can be a dangerous thing. I for one, have a love of my life that I am very devoted to. However, I don’t allow it to consume my life. Almost every guy has probably looked at that sort of thing. Right? I mean, that’s what the internet is for. I mean, it’s not really an information superhighway. We all know what boobs are by now, we don’t need to be informed. Really, we don’t.

In my opinion, pornography can be an art form. Something that is an expressive outlet of certain individuals. Stuff you don’t see every day. Stuff you never thought about thinking of. That’s just the first part though. Some of my friends that say they don’t understand pornography feel that watching pornography is similar to an act of cheating. I’m somewhat inclined to disagree. For me at least, pornography is just an added stimulus. I don’t feel like there should be added social connotations. It’s just another venue in which you can exacerbate arousal between both parties.

Metaphorically speaking, it’s kinda like lubrication. You can be perfectly fine without it, but with it…it adds something special to the mix. I love my girlfriend, but we both are victims to the “horrible horrible” sensation that is pornography (which has been around for ages)…

I usually don’t write these sort of blogs, but what the hell. I mean, this is blog is “a little bit of everything” so, I feel the need to discuss this semi-pertinent issue!

It’s not like the pornography is even a real person, it’s not like it can actually satisfy me. That’s like saying that I have a crush on my bottle of astroglide. It just doesn’t work out that way. So, for those of you who are scared of porn. I suggest that you try it a little. Try it together. Try it by yourself. Just don’t let yourself become a victim to it. It’s just entertainment. It’s just another form of stimulus. If you’re cool with that, then fine! If not, then that’s cool too. Everyone has different sort of beliefs on this sort of stuff, and it’s not really my place to change your mind. I’m just saying that all the negative connotations our culture puts on pornography isn’t exactly warranted, and if you have a certain amount of maturity and self-control, I reccomend you give it a shot. If not, then I’d rather you wait. Apparently, good things come to those who wait.

I don’t really play shooting games, nor do I really pay attention to the Metal Gear series. Sure, I played Metal Gear Solid on the PSone, but I had a gameshark so I would never die. I cheated! I am NO GOOD. I don’t know what it is, but I had an urge to play Metal Gear Solid 4, and I was able to get a copy for dirt cheap.

I suppose I don’t like these sorts of games for various reasons. Besides the fact that it’s like…aiming and generally having to be attentive there’s also the fact that I have to actually be active and dodge things and such in such a way. I’m not used to it, I suppose. At least, not in this format.

So I picked up Metal Gear Solid 4. Is it everything everyone says it is? Hell if I know! I let my friends play the story mode, and I want to watch them play it so I don’t have to focus on all of what’s going on. Too many things going on at once, and I’d get distracted. So, I don’t play story mode.

Metal Gear Online though, is what I enjoy. I can die over and over again and it’s not like there will be anything I’m missing. There’s no important progression, or any items to miss out on. It helps ease my tendency to explore, and just go kill things.

Were you looking for a review of MGS4? Meh. It’s fun. These aren’t my style of games, though. I really like playing it, but this just isn’t my cup of tea. If you’re into this sort of thing, I can guarantee you’ll love it. It’s pretty much everything a Metal Gear fan could want, and more.

This game isn’t worth a rental. This is just one of those games that just needs to be in your library for all intents and purposes. Oh, and if you get killed by a user with the name hannahmontana, that’s me!

So we’ve succumbed to the dark side and have joined facebook. If you’re reading this, and you know you are please be sure to join!

It’s been a few years since I last saw this movie, and recently I decided to give it a second viewing. You know, to see if this 1974 nunsploitation film stood to the test of time. Unlike most movies of this nature, School of the Holy Beast (Seiju Gakuen) actually does stand up to the test of time. At least when it comes to entertainment purposes.

School of Holy Beast is a movie about a girl, Maya, who ends up in a convent. Now, in this convent they believe you should be punished for various different things, and it sure is entertaining to see the different sorts of things that happen. I suppose you could say this movie is tame compared to other exploitation films, perhaps it is the subject matter that makes it intriguing. There’s quite a bit of lashings in this film, but also scenes where Maya is tied up with thorns, among other things. Now, unlike certain other films “School of  the Holy Beast” actually does contain a plot. Aside from all the nefarious torturing that instigates a laugh riot, there’s also the whole underlying plot for Maya to find out more about her parents, and possibly a plot for some sort of revenge.

But I mean, do people really watch exploitation films for the plot? Not really, but it does add in a nice twist to keep you watching in between the beautifully crafted punishment scenes. Given the style of this movie, I dare say that it can hold its own. If you’re into this style of film, you will probably enjoy it as I have. Often times movies like these bore me after watching it once or twice, and I can’t really feel any connection with the film. Though this film still continues to entertain me.

So do you like nuns? Do you like torture? Do you think revenge is dish best served with the Lord your savior? Want more than just a slap on the wrist with a ruler? Then this one is for you!

What’s the first thing you think of when someone says “Bollywood”? Degrading film quality, out of pitch singing, over the top acting, and general craziness sprinkled throughout. Well, me too! However, this movie proves me wrong in quite a few ways. Don’t get me wrong, this is definitely a bollywood film with awkwardness aplenty. I usually don’t watch these sorts of movies, but this one stood out because well…it didn’t look like it fit that usual bollywood mold that I’ve experienced.

Taking its story from Dostoevsky’s “White Nights” Saawariya is actually a very beautiful film that breaks a lot of the stereotypes you’d think about when you see most bollywood movies. Yes, there’s weird singing, weird body movements, and all that usual stuff. But damn! Is this movie very well-made. Everything just falls into place. Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to see the blu-ray version of this film although I can imagine this would look absolutely stellar on that particular medium.

From a Western standpoint, it’s definitely different. If you’re into musicals, and you can handle some cultural differences involved mostly with the film-making I’m sure you’ll find some enjoyment out of this film. It’s not one of those typical bollywood flicks that you’d watch only to laugh at. This can be a pretty serious film, and has quite a bit of merit.