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T-Hybrid

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Blog Entries posted by T-Hybrid

  1. T-Hybrid

    I Call Shenanigans

    By T-Hybrid,

    So I built my annual Pa-Tahi Toa (this gen would be the return of Khultak and Rangi), and I've run into a problem. I want to buy replacement Toa...but the Phantoka at most stores have had their prices increased to $12.99 to match the Mistika.
     
    Seriously? That's so not cool LEGO. Wal-Mart still has them at the old $9.99, but they only have Pohatu and I also need a new Kopaka. Onua's not as much a problem, but for them to up the price on sets that have been out for months? I was in the Lego Imagination Center at Mall of America a few weeks ago and the Phantoka were still only $9.99. Are they being INSTRUCTED to increase the price as the new sets in...or are store just being ##### about it? And yes, I did check the shelf space. The tag says "Phant" as opposed to the "Misti" tags, so it is being repriced.
     
    I've thought about doing...things...that would be slightly dishonest. Like buying two Pohatu's from Wal-Mart and then returning one to Target in place of a Kopaka. I'm not proud, but at the same time...it's just riddiculous. I bit on the $12.99 for the Mistika. But now you want to take old sets and increase their price by almost 30%?
     
    Very uncool.
  2. T-Hybrid

    Husky'll Like This One

    By T-Hybrid,

    Boy, it's been a long time since Nintendo annouced any new characters for Brawl. Heck, I haven't done so in almost a month. But I haven't forgotten. As I said earlier, HH may appreciate this one!
     


    Midna
    Franchise: The Legend of Zelda
    First Appearance: Twilight Princess (NGC/Wii)
    Why?: In her one appearance in the Zelda universe, Midna has already established herself as a strong supporting character. She had more personality than Navi and Tatl combined, and did more than the shout "Hey!" and "Listen!" until gamers wanted to gouge out their ears. Standing her ground against enormous odds, she showed no fear, and served a key role in Link's fight to save Hyrule. Midna has an electric personality, and is a welcome change from the traditional Princess roles that Peach and Zelda typically fill.
    Appearance: There are a few looks Midna could take on. I personally prefer her more widely known one. I'd even go so far as to seperate her from Wolf Link so that she could shine as her own character (you know Nintendo would label it "Wolf Link! (w/ Midna)"). There'd be an alternate appearance, but I don't know if I should go into that one. It could be quite spoilerific.
    Moveset: Midna would move by floating, simliar to Mewtwo. Her attacks would be energy based, including the ability to throw a charged ball of twlight energy. She'd also be able ot use the hand on her head to grab and throw her enemies, or to latch onto nearby platforms. I'd also find it fun to be able to summon various objects from inside her head to throw at enemies. He recovery move would see her breaking up into particles similar to how twilight beings teleport, and then reconstitute nearby. In a way, it'd be like a cross of Mewtwo and Zelda.
    Final Smash: I like the idea of Midna using the Fused Shadows to turn into the massive beast that ends up becoming a key turning point in Links endevors. I would probably make it controllable by the player, giving them the ability to stampede throughout the level hurling energy bolts. (Think of it like Giga Bowser in that respect).
     
    This is a shorter entry, as I can't go into more about Midna without ruining some aspects of the game. But as I said, it'd be a pretty cool blend of Mewtwo and Zelda. I wouldn't mind also seeing Wolf Link, but again...it'd be cooler for Midna to strike out on her own.
  3. T-Hybrid

    Talk About Timing!

    By T-Hybrid,

    So go figure, I return to the blogs after a long hiatus...and what should happen but two days later I come across the full assortment of Mistika, Takanuva, and vehicles sitting on the shelves in Wal-Mart.
     
    The Makuta Mistika look amazing. Excellent variety in design. But judging from the containers for the Toa...not so much there. Now, I've only purchased Onua Mistika at the moment. I would've bought more, but I'm a bit short on fun money this time of the month (rent and car payment come due about this time). They also had Leader Megatron, Supreme Optimus (both from TF: Animated) and several new Classics 2.0...so I had to grab Onuva, Takanuva and run before I ended up blowing over $100 on toys.
     
    Takanuva is a solid design, though he has a pinhead. It's a huge turn-off that distracts from the rest of what's a REALLY good set. I could do with more gold and less generic silver/black...but I guess there's a story reason for it all. It's funny seeing him absoltuely dwarf Toa Ignika.
     
    Onua is a great set...but definately not worth $12. At all. He seems less "fancy" than the Phantoka, and I really don't "feel" Onua when I look at him. Kopaka, Pohatu, and Lewa don't suffer from this...but Onua's not recognizable at all. I could say the same for Gali and Tahu. I'll eventually get them...but I may wait for sales/coupons. And I haven't bought villian canisters since the...oh man...was it the Vahki? I bought Irnakk, but I don't count that since I didn't buy the other Piraka. I'm tempted to do that with the Mistika (maybe even Phantoka), but at that price?
     
    The big question though, what do I do about Khultak and Rangi? Traditionally I've purchased an extra white, black and brown/orange Toa to build them. But they're split between the two lines this year (white and orange are Phantoka while black is Mistika). If I mix in parts from the Makuta I'll be tempted to buy them all, that wouldn't be good in the least.
     
    Once I finish the Mistika collection, I may end up reviewing them in more detail.
  4. T-Hybrid
    Yeah, it's been a LONG while.
     
    I've been busy with a combination of Tuesday volleyball leagues and the beautiful summer weather. A buddy of mine also got married earlier this month. I was in the party, which meant I got to help out in the proceedings. There's pics in certain "books" if you catch my drift, not many of them.
     
    Lots of movies. Here's a quick recap...
     
    The Dark Knight: Awesome. Best movie I've seen this summer. Heath Ledger's portrayal of The Joker is incredible. Nolan has managed to really dig Batman out of the gutter that was the last two movies before Batman Begins. Even going back to watch the much more grounded Batman and Batman Returns doesn't seem the same these days.
     
    The Incredible Hulk: Again, an upgrade over Ang Lee's debacle from earlier this millennia. But comparred to fellow Avenger Iron Man, it's just not the same. Bruce Banner's not nearly as interesting as Tony Start. But Edward Norton does a good job as Banner. But if they're able to actually put together this Avenger movie using the original cast members from the different films...I'm going to be there on opening day!
     
    Get Smart: I like Steve Carrel, and I loved Get Smart when I was growing up. Together they make an entertaining film that manages to bring back fond memories of the original series. The plot was a bit predictable, and it suffers from "Hey is that Patrick Warburton?!" Syndrome...but only at the end.
     
    In other news, and cause for even further delays in enjoyment...I am currently fighting to have my car exchanged under Minnesota Lemon Laws. Brake issues have been ongoing since February, and after getting pushed around by one dealer and then leaving a second with the issue still present, I now have to start this long and incredibly taxing process. Because they're more than eager to help you when you buy the thing...but once something goes wrong they're nowhere to be found.
     
    Updates as they become available. I'll try to keep them fairly upbeat and profanity-free.
  5. T-Hybrid
    Looking back at the calendar, I haven't been updating or writing much lately. Things have been a bit hectic at work, with a release going out to customers this past weekend. I'm well into my next set of projects, and am getting caught up a bit, so I'm mentally exhausted as well as physically these days when I get home (working out is tough...but it's gotten a bit easier thanks to having some music to listen to rather than nothing).
     
    Couple of updates though since I have a chance. One is that I'm in a volleyball league at a local establishment. Co-ed, every Tuesday evening. It's not too much physical activity, and will hopefully help me continue to adjust to being in social situations (getting out of the "gaming mindset" has been interesting, that's for sure). Hopefully I'll have good things to report from that as it goes on.
     
    In other news, picked up Mario Kart for the Wii. Initially plugged in the wheel just to try it out, fully intent on switching over to the Wavebird once the novelty wore off. Well it hasn't yet, and I've gotten pretty good at steering. It's more intuitive than I thought, and I've found myself enjoying actually being able to will the kart to turn my moving my body.
     
    It also helps you can unlock yourself as a racer. Though after four months of working out I'm a bit disappointed that my virtual self has been designated as a "heavyweight". He's surprisingly good though. Look for my MKWii code to be added in the "Vital Links" tab sometime in the next day or so.
     
    That's about it from me for now. Hopefully I'll have some good stories to tell once volleyball starts up.
  6. T-Hybrid
    A buddy of mine invited me to go "Geocaching" with him this weekend. The idea is that you can go online and download coordinates of various caches to a GPS. Then you can drive to some place that's public property (such as a park) and start searching for it. It's government sponsored, and is incredibly popular apparently.
     
    Of the 8 he had loaded up for the day, we were able to find 5 (3 of which I spotted thank you very much!). When you find them, you open them up and look at the various trinkets people have put in them. Each one also has a log you can sign before putting it back for the next person. Looking at the logs, there were some caches that were as old as 3 years, which is amazing considering some of the places they've been hidden.
     
    I'm slowly trying to get back into shape, so for me the idea of a 4 hour, 7-mile hike was rather daunting. Though my feet were burned out and are STILL sore today, it was a lot of mine. The weather's been beautiful the past few days, which made the hike enjoyable. Saw a few swans hanging out in a lake...but the coolest part was the bald eagle we spotted perched on a log. We were able to get a good look, and I think my friend got a picture. But the coolest part was when it spread its wings and flew over us so we could get a good look at it.
     
    I dunno if it's something I could get into on my own, but as a way of just hanging out with people and checking out what nature has to offer...it's a great experience. And the coolest thing is, there are caches hidden all over. Over our 7-mile hike, we never got more than a few miles from a major road or house...yet were in the middle of the woods the hole time!
     
    If you ever get a chance, give it a shot. You'll be surprised how interesting it can be just spending some time out in nature.
  8. T-Hybrid

    The Cats Are Back!

    By T-Hybrid,

    I was worried for a few days that all the Vice Katz had fled amidst the chaos of Maj. But thankfully they're all back now. And before Maj explodes again from the awesomeness of my new feline army, let me introduce them all.General: Harris & Duftmon (Leopard Mode) Gaming: Bertrum & BanchyoLeomon Bionicle: Jonesy & AncientSphinxmon Inuva: Trixie & Bastemon Apollomon's Blog: Wilson & Baihumon Fiction: Bucky & SaberLeomon Creations: Mac & Mihiramon The new arrangement is great. I haven't seen a mouse in days, not to mention the slowly declining insect population. Now if only I could train them to stop using their newly aquired powers to harass the neighborhood dogs.
  9. T-Hybrid
    Here it is, the 3rd day of April and majhost.com continues to suffer some sort of mysteriously non-foolish shutdown. How am I supposed to share pictures of my new cat army with the masses?
     
    I tells ya, there's nothing that ruins a good April Foolin' like your entire collection of images going down for the week. I oughta go over to Maj and give them a piece of my-
     
    Ooooh is that a ball of yarn!
     
    *runs off*
  10. T-Hybrid

    Full Throttle

    By T-Hybrid,

    I went to a Twins game, and on the way out they were handing out free cans of Full Throttle. It's an energy drink I guess. So tonight, having run short on pop I grabbed it out of the fridge.
     
    I'm drinking it right now, and I can tell from the taste that it's pure sugar plus some caffine. Mostly because I'm vibrating in my chair at the moment. Excuse me for a second, I'm about to phase through my keyboard...
     
     
    ...
     
     
    Okay, it was probably a bad idea to drink one of these at this hour. I have a feeling by midnight I'm going to be reduced to a heap on the couch. It's tasty, but I dunno if these things are for me.
  11. T-Hybrid
    T-Hybrid is currently trying to wrangle 7 digitally enhanced cats for litterbox training. While he fights for his life, he has asked his newest guest writer to fill in.
     
    This is Apollomon: checking in for my first shift here at the newly renamed Scratchin' Post. Due to some unfortunate majhost.com errors, the place currently has more red x's than actual images, but I assure you the new look is incredible! T's gone all out hiring some new help in the form of the Vice Katz, but I think he underestimated the effort it would take to actually, well, control them.
     
    I'd love to help, but I've got problems of my own. As Bouncer, I'm entitled to use the living quarters that come with the position. ViceGreymon was a slob! I have to give him credit for building a lounging chair out of pizza boxes (keeping in mind that both of us are significantly larger than the normal human). But he should've at least thrown out the crusts before taping it all together.
     
    I guess on the plus side there's plenty of mice running around. All this work has made me a bit hungry, but I'll get to that after I finish cleaning this place...and I can't do that until I finish this entry. I had originally baked cookies for everybody here at the Post, but then I ate them.
     
    As far as how I'll carry out my Bouncerly duties, I fully expect it to be a structured yet amusing program from sun-up to...uh...when does this place close again? Whatever the case, I eagerly the promise of tomorow. My first real day on the job.
     
    Hope you all come back and visit!
  12. T-Hybrid

    I Can Has Entriez?

    By T-Hybrid,

    I don't know what VGM was so worried about. Yeah all my pals from college are mostly still an hour away on campus. But that doesn't mean I don't know how to have a good time. And yeah, I may have been eyeing the litterboxes...but what's wrong with having one or two cats?
     
    Or eight?
     
    And I haven't given them names, that'd just be crazy. I did however make sure to assign each of them a formal Digimon partner and functioning Digivice. After all, if you're going to have an army of cats you'd might as well do it right. Right?
     
    Sure, I'm going to have to adjust to the smell of litterboxes...and I never know when their pal Ceiling Cat may pop in to survey the surroundings, but otherwise I look forward to my new feline friends. But, of course, all these pets means I'll have less time for the Blue Vice. VGM will likely get his pink slip by the end of the day tomorrow. I'm expecting my new help to show up around the offices by then. It'd awkward to have the old hand still loafing around.
     
    Oops...I gotta go, Harris (the delightful siamese watching over the General section) just hocked a hairball. Hmm, and Trixie (that smiling cat guarding the Inuva section) has now gotten into the catnip.
     
    Okay, so the transition will make for a shaky April. But I'm no fool, in the long run I'll wonder what I ever saw in a bunch of humans.
  13. T-Hybrid

    Disturbing Behavior

    By T-Hybrid,

    T-Hybrid hasn't been himself lately. His usual guest writer has taken it upon himself to submit today's entry.

    I wasn't worried when T moved out of the Haven. He promised the place would still be bouncin' and that I'd always have work. But he's coming up on his one year anny at work and they've figured out that he's gotten a heckuva lot better at what he does. So there's more work, more pressure, and less time overall. I think he's just drained at the moment.

    I overheard him tellin the family about his first official review and that it went well enough that he got a raise. The next review could bring a promotion, but that's not for another year or so. Way away from now.

    But lately he gets back from work exhausted and just crashes in front of the TV for the night. Dunno if he's just in a creative funk or what's the deal. Frankly I'm kinda worried. He don't go out much these days, and he's gotten sucked into Wikipedia. He was muttering somethin about null edits and "NPOV"....whatever that means.

    I'm thinkin if this keeps up he's gonna turn into one of those weird cat people. You know, the kind that keeps waaaaay too many cats in their apartments and gives them people names like "Bob" or "Steve". He's allergic and all...at least he said he was...but I'm not too sure anymore. He was over at a Target the other day and I swear I saw him cheatin a glance at litterbox prices.
  14. T-Hybrid

    It's Happening Again

    By T-Hybrid,

    I'm watching Fox Sports North, in hopes of catching a glimpse of some Wild hockey before I go to bed. The Wolves game hadn't finished yet, just unde a minute to go.
     
    That minute took four. I kid you not. Furthermore, there was 0.0 on the game clock and the ref called a timeout because nobody touched the ball to officially end the game. And they took a commerical break. They took a commercial break with 0.0 left on the clock! I just died a little inside, as I think I've discovered the 2nd sign of the apocalypse. The other having been spotted earlier this year.
     
    To make a long story short, I wouldn't worry to much about your New Years resolution.
  15. T-Hybrid
    Had a dental appointment today. While I was sitting there, I had a few random thoughts.
    Most of the time I carry on a random conversation with the hygenist as they clean my teeth, floss, and other assorted things. But usually I just stare straight up at the ceiling. I've always wondered what would happen if instead of picking a spot up on top...I just stare straight back at them. You know, right in the eyes. The whole time. I wonder how long it would take before they snapped?
    While I was thinking this, I happened to also notice that it took maybe 20-30 minutes to do the cleaning, gum check, flossing, etc. The whole time they asked me about my job, vacations, school, the typical banter. Then the actual dentist arrived (the guy with the ph.D). He said hey, asked how things were, tapped my teeth and checked my bite. He didn't say a word to the hygenist. This went for about 5 minutes, at which point he left. And I was done. So of the two, who just did more work? Is there something else dentist's do I'm not aware of? Can they like fly? I just thought it was funny the big money maker in the place stopped by for five minutes and was gone while the assistant stuck around the whole time. Not much, but a few fun observations. It helps me keep my sanity.
  16. T-Hybrid

    Inuva. Still Interested?

    By T-Hybrid,

    I've been wondering. Is anybody still interested if I were to try and get Rebirth going again? I was reminded today why it's been slacking off in updates when I went to write this entry the first time and had it get blocked by a Board Error. I back up Chapters when I can. But sometimes I try to post them and they just get wiped by Board Errors.
     
    So I store them away, but they're unfinished...and I never get back to them. I can't put all the blame on the board itself, some of it is because I've written myself out of the original outline. I'm sorta at a point where I have to deviate to a point where I need to take some time to figure out if I want to roll with it or try and direct it back where I want it to go.
     
    I've missed a few opportunities with it, and though I'm not disappointed...I'm a bit let down with how it's felt. Te Mutunga and even The Alliance felt fun to write, but Rebirth seems like something where I had a spark but got delayed beyond when it stuck around.
     
    If people are interested, I'll get back into it. But I don't want to keep writing a fic if nobody's reading it. I liked the concept, and think it can go over well if I can find that place where the writing comes easier. I jsut needs to figure out where that is.
  17. T-Hybrid
    What a night. I showed up at the store at 8, and it was a good thing I did. There was already about 15 people wandering around the store waiting for registration. By about 8:30 there were 30+, so they lined us up and did the signup early. At that point, I learned that the nearby Best Buy had put a demo out. So I jumped in the car and cruised over there.
     
    But that's all side stuff. The real fun stared once they lined us up outside and started calling names for the tourney. It's a smaller store, so they only let in the two people who were fighting that round, with the employees serving as the audience. The TV faced away from the windows, so the crowd was left watching reactions to figure out what was going on.
     
    A few rounds in, the crowd started getting into it. Chants of "RAN. DOM. GUY!" started up as people began picking favorites and showing support. Few of us actually got each other's names, which lent itself to finding other things to chant when somebody we had been talking to had their turn. But we didn't really get into it until one match pit two brothers against each other. There was a loud "Oooooh!" as they entered the store. And when the younger brother won, he was greeted by chants of "LITTLE KID! LITTLE KID!", which drew a wide smile.
     
    I lost in the first round, as detailed eariler. At that point I had to run back to the apartment to grab my Wii Code. I got a few of those, and a few Gamertags. So hopefully I'll start building a good list of friends to play against. I could tell one guy was a Melee pro, so I look forward to going up against him. I had some friends that were incredible at Melee, and I only got better by playing against them.
     
    By about 11:30, the crowd was really into it. The group in the front, just ahead of me, started up "100 Copies of Brawl on the Wall!" and showed the dedication to count all the way down to 1. There was one kid in line who kept interjecting "Brawl s--ks!" or "<#> copies of Halo on the wall!" I have no idea why he was in line...but it was interesting to actually witness a troll in real life. I was fully expecting him to start yelling "First", or start communicating in Leet. But in a show of equal dedication (or just outright stubborness) he kept up his yells jsut as long as the singers.
     
    The game came out at midnight on the dot. And by 12:15 I was back home and playing. I was up until 4 (that's counting the hour lost to Spring Forward). I slept until about 11. It felt good.
     
    I've added my Brawl friend code to the Vital Links section to the left. I probably won't take it online until I've unlocked a few of the characters I used in Brawl. And I may toy around with Stage Builder a bit too. But I look foward to seeing you on the Battlefield!
  18. T-Hybrid
    I was flipping through channels tonight and landed on Nancy Grace. I had always just assumed she was on CNN, but I was mistaken. She's on the CNN offshoot "CNN Headline News."
     
    Wait a minute...
     
    A 24-hour news network needs a second station to cover headlines? So wait. If the headlines are all on CNNHN, then what does that say about whatever's being covered on the original CNN? Wouldn't whatever their talking about be the headline? I guess I'm confused.
     
    I suppose the next step is MTV launching "MTV For Music" and ESPN spinning off "ESPN Sports".
     
    *pfft*
  19. T-Hybrid
    Well, Brawl launches tomorrow at midnight. And Gamestops around the country are holding the first round of a nationwide tournament. There's one in my area, and you can bet I'm going to take a shot at it. It's cool, if by some luck I make it through the first round...the next two are both at the Mall of America, which is like a 10 minute drive if even.
     
    Other than that, anybody else picking this up? I'd love to get some Friend Codes and start brawling online with some of fellow BZPers.
  20. T-Hybrid
    Since the revelation that the MSRP of the Mistika would be $12.99...there's been talk back and forth as to just how crazy LEGO may have become. The argument I hear is that the price is justifed by the "ever rising price per piece". Another is that sets have been increasing in piece, thus the need to adjust the price.
     
    So I got to thinking, just what exactly has the average price per piece been for the various Toa? And how does the overall piece count compare from year to year? I found the results to be quite surprising.
     

    I'll make an important note: These prices are not adjusted for inflation. Which means the average price per piece has hovered at a very normal price range (between 16 and 20 cents per). Taking inflation into account, the price per piece has comparitively decreased comparred to the number of pieces steadily increasing. I'd like to take inflation into account to make the numbers more accurate...but I think the idea that the price per piece has hovered around the same area even BEFORE inflation is interesting.
     
    When the Inika were released at the then staggering $9.99 price point, it was justified with the explanation that they were the first sets to use electronics as part of their gimmick/feature. It's interesting to note the following year was the Mahri. A significant increase in pieces (averaging 13 more pieces per set) at the same price. The Phantoka dropped the piece count, but maintained a fairly close price per piece.
     
    So with that information, let's take a look at some "projections" I've laid out regarding the proposed $12.99 Mistika price point. These piece counts are purely speculation, used for the purpose of analysis and estimation.
     

    In order to check in at even the highest price per piece we've ever seen...the Toa Mistika would have to weigh in at a record 65 pieces per set. Keep in mind that it's an average as well. As you can see from the previous years of Toa, there's always a variance between sets (LEGO appears to favor Toa of Stone...could it be they're beefing it up to make up for the color?).
     
    The other columns show what it would take for the Mistika to check in at the price per piece from earlier in 08 (a colossal 75 pieces per), and what it would take to match the lowest price on record (80 pieces? Seriously?)
     
    In summation, do I think LEGO can hit the 65 piece per set mark? It's possible. I need to take some closer looks at the Mistika, and I think for "only" having 58 the Phantoka turned out that well. All in all, it's still going to be tough to justify $13 on a set.
     
    Thoughts?
  21. T-Hybrid

    Mistika Or Mistake?

    By T-Hybrid,

    $13 for the Toa Mistika? Uh, ouch!
     
    I was with them when they became $8, then defended $9. But I said a long time ago $10 was pushing my limits. And now they've not only hit my limit, they've surpassed it.
     
    The "canister' sets are supposed to be like action figures. And $13 for an action figure (even if I can build it) is a stretch. Even DLX sized Transformers are only $10.
     
    Wow...I was not expecting this. Hopefully my fellow Bionicle collectors share this concern and will stand by me as I postpone my purchase until they hit the clearance prices. Or at least go on a sale for a few bucks.
     
    $13...yikes.
  22. T-Hybrid

    The Final Draft

    By T-Hybrid,

    After two delays, and a number of surprises...Brawl is finally arriving on American shores in a few weeks. As such, I figure it's time to bring the Brawl Draft to its ultimate conclusion. (Stop celebrating you!) And what better way to wrap it up than with one of the least demanded but likely coolest possible addition to the brawl roster than to bring in one of the most well known faces of Nintendo. Ever.
     
    ...This guy may give even my character a run for the money.
     


    Shigeru Miyamoto
    Franchise: Nintendo
    First Appearance: ...He's Miyamoto
    Why?: For as long as I can remember, Miyamoto has been the face of Nintendo. From his speeches at E3 and the GDC, to his random appearances in fan videos...he's always struck me as one of those millionaires that doesn't have to remind you he's a millionaire. I mean, look at that pic up above for the perfect of example of the kind of guy he likely is. When building a roster of gaming icons...what better addition than the guy who we have to thank for many of them?
    Appearance: Buisness casual. Pretty much as you see him above (sword and shield optional of course). He'd be styled similar to Snake and Zero Suit Samus so he'd look more realistic than Mario and those types of characters.
    Moveset: Miyamoto would use a number of Wii Accessories in his moveset. His standard combo would be a series of Wiimote + Nunchuk attacks, while his standard B would be a charged blast from the Wii Zapper. Miyamoto's side Smash Attack would make him pull out the Wii Wheel from Mario Kart and quickly blast forward (as though he were on a Kart). His Down Smash would be a quirky pose that sends a shockwave out in a small radius. His Up Smash would be a quick strike with the Nunchuk that drives his opponents into the air. I have no idea what his Up+B recovery would be. I can picture him using the Wiimote with a grappling hook attached instead of the Nunchuk.
    Final Smash: I've always had a theory that Master and Crazy Hand are somehow connected to Miyamoto. With him in my fantasy Brawl, I'd give him a Final Smash that transforms him into at least one of the two hands (Master Hand sounds right). Players would be allowed to control Master Hand temporarily, and have access to a number of his attacks. This would include the lasers, missles, and grab/toss attack. I dunno if Master Hand is back for Brawl, but it'd be cool to finally give the mysterious boss a backstory.
     
    The idea of controlling the very creater of some of Nintendo's most beloved franchises as he fights against his own creations just gets my thumbs twitching. I've seen some of the spoilers coming over from Japan regarding rosters and other unlockables, so I know a few things that have let me down...but there's also a lot of stuff to look forward to.
     
    Hope you've enjoyed the Brawl Draft. If anything, it's hopefully opened your eyes up to some other lesser known classic characters. *Poo...snicker*
  23. T-Hybrid
    Back when I got my first CD player (to put a date on it, "Weird Al" Yankovic's Bad Hair Day album had just hit stores), my cousin let me borrow a truckload of CDs to try it out. Included in that collection was The Guess Who, The Beatles (which contained a catchy German rendition of "I Wanna Hold Your Hand"), and the gem of the lot...Creedence Clearwater Revival's Chronicle.
     
    It quickly became one of my favorite CDs. Then I had to give it all back to him.
     
    Flash forward to a few days ago. Having played Guitar Hero and Rock Band enough to actually wear out my controller (it's under warranty), I've gotten my taste back for various types of music from my childhood. CCR was one of them.
     
    So when I was randomly strolling through Best Buy looking for new music (grabbed Foo Fighters' Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace along the way) I happened to see Chronicle on the rack. I picked it up, brought it home, and now I'm wondering why I ever let my cousin take this one back. So many classics, all so dang catchy! "Fortunate Son", "Run Through the Jungle", "Lodi", "Susie-Q", and of course "Bad Moon Rising"....it's all here.
     
    The cool thing about some stores is they let you scan the CD ahead of time and sample some tracks. Sometimes they even suggest other albums. The artists that came up led one to another:
     
    The Outlaws
    Lynyrd Skynyrd
    .38 Special (didn't know they were considered Southern...)
    Allman Brothers...
     
    I recognized those bands from the various instrument games. But at the same time, I started to recognize songs I had heard back when I was a fan of the oldies station. Things like "Tuesday's Gone", "Ghost Riders in the Sky", "Whipping Post"... I didn't know the titles 15 some years ago, but I remembered how much I liked them.
     
    So now I'm browsing online, and in stores, to try and track down some of these CDs. And it's all thanks to RB and GH. So even if you're not a gaming fan, take a listen to the soundtracks from these games. You may find yourself exposed to music you may not have otherwise have known about.
     
    My favorite band's still the Foo Fighters, and currently my favorite song is "Paralyzer". But with memories of my childhood slowly coming back...my favorite Genre's has apparently always been Southern Rock.
  24. T-Hybrid

    Release Night

    By T-Hybrid,

    Part of the job requirements of a software developer (you'll find this is most any company) is the "on-call" shift. Each team member has a pager, and rotates weeks to serve as the first contact for any issues that may be discovered during off-hours.
     
    Also on the job description: Release night. That is, the evening when a new version is rolled out to the customer. Each team has a representative at the office to perform testing when the release hits. These are done on rotation, so each member usually only has one about once a year.
     
    Tonight is my first turn as a release rep. Which means I'll be showing up at the office when most sane people are just leaving, and I'll likely be leaving around midnight or so. I think I'll take notes on what it's like being in the office at that time, it could make for an interesting story at some point.
     
    Thankfully they're providing food, and it sounds like the atmosphere is pretty light-hearted. I joked about bringing my DS to squeeze in a few rounds of Mario Kart. I hear the office has WiFi available...
  25. T-Hybrid

    The Magic Hour

    By T-Hybrid,

    So another Brawl delay. I hadn't planned on having to cover another month of suspense, but I think I've got a couple more draft choices up my sleeve. This week's entry once again steps into the realm of third parties. But I think it'd be a perfect.
     


    Black Mage
    Franchise: Final Fantasy
    First Appearance: Final Fantasy I (NES)
    Why?: Final Fantasy started on the original Nintendo, and since then has seen many of the older FF's come back on the GBA and DS. And through it all, no one class has stood out more than the Black Mage. With it's distinct hat and glowing yellow eyes, to me there is no more recognizable character. Forget Sephiroth and Cloud, or Tidus...or Squall...or any of the modern FFs, this is the guy who's been with the franchise since day 1.
    Appearance: The above picture isn't the "original" Black Mage, but rather Vivi from Final Fantasy IX. I couldn't find a good pic of the 8-bit original, so I went with this instead. Game & Watch has the market covered on 2-d characters, and its what sets him apart. So Black Mage would be similiar to the above picture, minus the split in the cap.
    Moveset: Black Mage would go into battle with a wide array of magic based attacks. To simulate the different levels of spells (ex: Fire/Fira/Firaga), all of this spells would be chargable by performing the button combination and holding down the attack button. His standard B would launch a ball of Fire. Up+B would use Aero to recover when knocked off (high charges would also temporarily deflect attacks and do more damage if it hits an opponent). Down+B would cast a Thunder attack similar to Pikachu's Thunderbolt. His Up smash attack would cast Blizzard to launch foes upwards with sudden ice growths, while his Down smash would make us of his Gravity spell to slam enemies to the ground. His side Smash would cast Water, shooting a jet of water out in front of him. His throw...I dunno. I think it would be interesting if it was a different spell every time, but that would likely be too much work for one character.
    Final Smash: Ultima. It's been around in one form or another since the beginning, and has always been one of the most powerful black magic spells in the game. Black Mage's would be no different, filling the screen with bursts of magical energy. Difficult to avoid, but not impossible.
     
    There are a lot of people clamoring for a Final Fantasy character to enter the Brawl, but the typical requests have been Cloud and Sephiroth (who honestly have been in EVERY game for as long as Create-A-Character has been around). Black Mage showed up on the original NES, and has also made appearances on the DS (shooting hoops in Mario Basketball).
     
    This will probably be the last choice until the new release date gets closer. I've got one last character...and I have one last character I'd introduce...and I want to save it for a bit.
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