T-Hybrid

I'm out already. One match. Random characters, items (low), Battlefield, 1-minute. I was Pit, she was Mario. She KOed me with 4 seconds left until Sudden Death. So with a bit time until release, I'm back at my place grabbing my Friend Code. There's a few people there I've got to add, and I definately have to try and get a rematch set up with the person who beat me. Initial feedback: Wii + Nunchuk controls are funky on default. Pit seems like a good character with a slick recovery...but I didn't get a chance to really play as him so that's about all I got out of it. But I gotta run, game releases shortly and I have to get some Friend Codes. I had planned on bringing but was in a rush to make sure I got registered so I forgot. I'll have a full report in the morning, if I'm not suffering from Brawl Lag (midnight release + Spring Forward = Tired T)

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.

73 pieces on Tahu? Wowza.

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?

Yeah...I'm crunching the numbers, and the results are fairly interesting. I'll have some results up either tonight or tomorow. Either way, I'm putting the whole "More pieces = higher cost" baby to bed.

I was toying with the idea of making Miyamoto a tag team with Reggie.

Chocobo! Now that songs in my head...

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*

Inflation isn't 3 bucks in 6 months. And as far as "more parts"....do you think the Mistika will have 30% more parts?

$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.

I was a bit nervous there when I saw Black Cat. The first thing I thought of was the Spider-Man character vs. the manga character. (Didn't even know there was a manga version)

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.

Very interesting. I'm going to read through it a few more times. Quick question though: Are you on the side that FFX/-2 is a prequel to FFVII?

There's a "personality quiz" that's fairly official that breaks down your personality on four seperate continuums. I forget what each one is (except the first was is Intro/Extrovert) though. I rememebr doing them a couple of times back in school. Always came up Introvert and then a few others I bounced between.

I never got into ExoForce, but the sets looked pretty slick. Perhaps they can take some time off of the mecha sets and come back with LEGO Transformers (without the Transformers license naturally...)

Not a game. Product. I'm a software developer, and yesterday was my shift as a release rep. The group I work for had a code release to the customer.

Year of the Rat? Sweet, that's what I was born under. It's gonna be my year baby!

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...

WHAT IS YOUR MOTIVE OF TRANSPORTATION!!!! I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE YELLING ABOUT!

I'd add a Chocobo Assist Trophy to round things out. And the Chocobo theme (without lyrics of course) would be one of the tracks on a stage.

I figured he'd be the best choice. Unique with incredibly versatility.

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.

Is that what they call the step in which they get that juicy "jelly" kinda substance that pours out? I've got five at the moment on VC (but haven't added a new one since The Lost Levels came out), and like 10 DS games. The biggest problem right now is that I'm hooked on Rock Band like it's some kind of sweet sweet addictive candy.

"...scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should." - Ian Malcom (Jurassic Park)

This is a dual topic today. First off, I was going to discuss the new Wii game: "No More Heroes". It's rated M, so I have to keep talks fairly limited. In fact I'm always sorta fuzzy on what kind of discussion is allowed. Basically, the game is awesome. It's also quite violent (with some swearing...or lots I guess). The title for today's entry comes from one of the main characters Devil Modes (I think that's what they're called). He's got different ones, each with it's own advantages. This specific ones lets him move lightening fast and gives one hit finishes. His hair turns blonde (which I'm thinking is a DBZ reference...as he's also an anime fan) when he goes into this mode, and he actually does yell "Strawberry on the shortcake!" Which makes it all the more entertaining. Get your parents permission before buying. Though I guess it doesn't matter since the rating is what it is. The game is fun, and is a welcome addition to my surprisingly limited collection (can you believe it's been a year and I've only got 6 games for the Wii?) On the other hand, Strawberry Shortcake is my all-time favorite desert (followed closely by cheesecake, mmmm). I don't think I've actually had it in years, as it was something my mom would make and I haven't lived there in the last five years. Whipped cream, that strawberry surgery mixture thing, and the shortcake. I should take my shot at making some of that now that I've got a place of my own. Playing this game has gotten me in the mood for some fancy deserts. Hopefully I didn't make you hungry as well.