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Pahrak Model ZX

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Blog Entries posted by Pahrak Model ZX

  1. Pahrak Model ZX
    I looked through some old stuff and apparently I’ve had the idea for this fanfic for at least a year now, it’s kinda surreal I can’t believe I actually got to it.
     
    I’ve just begun Shooting Star Sonia, a rewrite of the first Mega Man Star Force game with Sonia/Harp Note as the protagonist instead of Geo/Mega Man. There are a few other things I’m reworking to keep it fresh and not feel like just replaying the game, but you’ll have to wait and see exactly what those might be!
     
    Chapter 1 is dedicated to Sonia and Lyra’s first encounter. I’m not sure how I feel about it, but I get that way about a lot of my stuff, so it’s up, I did my best, tear it apart. Most future chapters are going to be “[insert FM-ian Here] Attacks!” so they’ll probably be a little longer than this one; won’t know for sure until I get to them, though. Like I mentioned before, I have 12 chapters on the outline right now, and I’m going to post them as I write them. I can’t promise a regular schedule, but I’ll do my best to make it so you’re not waiting too long between chapters.
     
    Okay, I think that’s all I have to say. I hope you enjoy the story, and I look forward to any feedback you might have for me!
  2. Pahrak Model ZX
    Reflection Part 2 is up, and that completes my bit of Distortion!
     
    It was great getting to work alongside these talented authors, and an honor to be part of this series! I hope you’ll enjoy what my colleagues have waiting for you as the anthology continues!
  3. Pahrak Model ZX
    It didn’t take too much effort to get to Ever Grande City. What was a little harder was getting through Victory Road. Omega pressed deeper and deeper into the dark cave, fending off wild Pokémon and powerful Trainers, primarily with Groudon. When at long last he emerged on the other side, he was surprised to see Wally there to greet him. The young Trainer impressed Omega with his newfound resolve, so Omega threw everything he had at the boy. After Wally’s Mega Gallade fell, he congratulated Omega and vowed to get stronger, giving Omega a Dawn Stone as he headed into the Pokémon League.
     
    Though their levels might have seemed a little low, the team fought valiantly against the members of the Elite Four. Sidney, the Dark specialist. Phoebe, the master of Ghost. Glacia, with her command of Ice. All but Gadunka rightfully earned the title of “Elite Slayer” among just these three. Gadunka plans to claim this title in the near future, however. Omega and his team are resting now, but soon they will continue on to the final member of the Elite Four, and beyond that, the Champion. Maybe the world isn’t at stake if they lose, but they still don’t see losing an option. These battles will prove just how close they have become and how much they trust each other, and proving that, to them, is even more important than saving the world.
     
    NEW TITLE AQUISITIONS: For Omega, “Elite Two”; For Metagross, “Elite Slayer”; For Falzar, “Elite Slayer”; For Armstrong, “Elite Slayer”, “Wall Armstrong”; For Cygnus, “Elite Slayer”; For Groudon, “Elite Slayer", "Avatar of the Land”
  4. Pahrak Model ZX
    It is with great pleasure that I announce a new epic, Out of Bounds!
     
    This story takes place roughly 200 years after the Reformation of Spherus Magna. When Turaga Nokama becomes frustrated with the limitations of Noble Kanohi, Vhisola goes looking for a way to work around the strict mechanics of the masks of power. Her best bet comes in a job offer from Nuhrii, and so she and Ehrye set out for the Northern Frost, where rumor has it they’ll find a lab with lost technology that just might be what she needs.
     
    (This story is technically connected to one I wrote a few years ago, A Mind in Darkness, but there aren’t any explicit references to it—I made sure to write this story so that you could read one without needing to read them both. It’s more a spiritual successor than a straightforward sequel. Though, hey, if you enjoy Bounds, you might like Mind as well!)
     
    I rather like how this one turned out. As I went I felt like I was finding more ways to make the story thematically cohesive, which is one of the many things I struggle with, so that’s promising. I’ve tried a few times to write a new Vhisola story but it never quite materialized until now. Of course, it started out involving all the Great Disk Matoran going on a heist of some kind, but I didn’t want to balance so many characters and ended up narrowing the scope. Tehutti almost made the cut, so I’m hoping to find something for him to do soon. I’ll keep you posted.
     
    Speaking of posting, expect new chapters on Tuesday and Thursday, next week and the week after. There are five parts in total with a final word count of about 20k, so it won’t take too long to get through it all, but I wanted to space it out at least a little for dramatic effect. I hope you enjoy!
  7. Pahrak Model ZX
    Unchained X has been out for a while now, but I finally managed to activate Guilt for the first time!
     

     
    Well, the English version calls it Special Attack Bonus or something, but that's long and generic. So, Guilt. See that little purple crystal thing? That's active Guilt!
     
    Man, that took a while. Lots of Munny, lots of Medals--EXP, evolution, Goofys...Guilt is difficult. I have another Goofy I might evolve and merge onto this to try for a new Guilt percentage, but since this Medal is Low Guilt it can't increase much anyway.
     
    This might be all I do with Guilt for a while. Most of the Medals I'm using come from the Shop, so I really can't Guilt them unless I spend a lot of jewels and get really lucky. But, eventually they'll be adding that Fantasia Mickey and Brooms Medal which lets you add one orb/activate Guilt on any medal...
     
    Oh, also, Adamant Ore Quests are up. The one now advertises Lady Luck, and one of the objectives requires it (for Avatar Coins), but heads-up: you can use that Adamant on any Keyblade. (Except Olympia.) Lady Luck +21 isn't bad, but the only Medal type boost it gets is one Reverse Medal boost, which I cannot use so I kind of regret it. You may want to do some research to pick which Keyblade you want to get to +21 first!
  8. Pahrak Model ZX
    I don’t think I ever said anything about the early demo, but it was something I picked up as soon as I got my Switch. I had already watched someone play through it as one of the available characters, but even if I hadn’t, I probably would’ve gone for this right away—a free demo of a JRPG with gorgeous pixel art from a big name like Square? Yeah, doubt I’d miss that. Anyway, I don’t think that original demo is available now that the new one has gone live, but it really grabbed my attention. Not just because it had an interesting, engaging battle system, but because after completing your chosen character’s story, not only can you keep playing, not only can you recruit the other character to start getting a feel for how they work together, but there’s also a hidden dungeon you can only access after “beating” the demo. A free demo with a post-game dungeon. That impressed me.
     
    Anyway, I’ve also picked up the new Prologue demo: on the plus side you can choose from any of the eight characters, the game has some nice improvements since its original showing, and the save data will transfer to the full game once you get it! On the down side, there’s only one save file, and once its time reaches 3 hours you won’t be able to play any more. You can just keep doing New Games with the other characters and just not save (or rely on the separate autosave file), but still, I feel like that time limit is a bit unfortunate. (I mean, if you wanted to do the full 3 hours with all 8 characters, that’s still 24 hours of gameplay, but…anyway.) Now that I’ve checked everyone out, here are my thoughts.
     
    -Ophilia: Seeing as she’s a Cleric, and even has an action for bringing NPCs along with her to aid her in battle, I wasn’t expecting Ophilia to dish out much damage, but she really surprised me. Granted her first dungeon is catered specifically to her, but I was shocked by how much damage her light magic does. And on the healing side of things, she starts out with an AoE heal, and can immediately learn an AoE revival skill if you so choose, so, yeah, she’s pretty good on that front. She’s an endearingly sweet character, though I could see someone saying she’s about what you’d expect for a Cleric—a matter of opinion, I guess. But either way, she gets top marks for starting off as one very good healer. Also her starting town is the most gorgeous place in the game thus far.
    -Cyrus: After trying everyone out, this is the character I’m starting with. He’s smart, he’s likeable, he’s got just a dash of arrogance, and he firmly believes that knowledge is meant to be shared and that keeping it to oneself is a terrible crime. In short, just an all-around delight. Really, the main reason I want him in the party is because he’s very practical: he begins with AoE fire and ice magic and can immediately learn thunder, and can also learn multi-hit AoE spells of those same elements (very useful for the way the battle system works). More than that, upon entering battle he will automatically uncover one weakness of every enemy on the field, which really sets you up for success without the risk of trial-and-error you usually go through, plus his ability to scrutinize NPCs turns up all sorts of useful bonuses. Definitely recommend giving him a try.
    -Tressa: Going into this, I didn’t have much of an interest in Tressa. I’ve developed an appreciation for her now, but honestly, she’s not really in the running for “favorite” status, and since her goal is so vague I’m not really sure what to expect. Her field action lets her buy items from NPCs, sometimes giving you access to better things than you can find in the shop, and that can be handy. She’s the only character who learns wind magic, and can collect money from enemies in battle—not to mention occasionally finding money on the ground as you travel. (For some reason I find that a little funny, maybe because it’s phrased as being “left behind by some unfortunate soul”.) What’s really nice is that she gets a skill that restores her HP and SP at no cost other than using your turn, so she’s very efficient. She left a positive impression…if not necessarily the strongest one.
    -Olberic: One of the characters available in the original demo, Olberic is an all-around solid choice by virtue of being a knight. Knights are always good in a JRPG. Plus he starts with two weapon types and possesses a physical AoE skill, and his unique field action allows him to challenge NPCs to a duel, allowing you to gain EXP, money, and items at a much faster rate if you’re thorough. One could argue he’s a bit vanilla, but it’s worth trying him out.
    -Primrose: The other character from the original demo. Her story is incredibly dark, not sure I can really go into it here, but if you want a JRPG with serious and mature themes in its narrative she’s the woman you want to go to. She’s the only character who learns shadow magic, and she also learns a variety of buff skills, but the real focus is on using her field action to charm an NPC into following you, and them summoning them in battle as a temporary extra party member. A very neat character, looking forward to seeing where her story goes.
    -Alfyn: Okay, so…Alfyn’s the character of this bunch that just doesn’t really excite me. I mean, there’s nothing wrong with him, and he has a noble goal and all, but…I dunno, he just doesn’t seem as interesting for some reason. Of course, the one time I used his Concoct skill it did nothing, so that certainly didn’t help matters. And he has only a single-target ice spell, and a single-target heal spell, which doesn’t compete well with Cyrus and Ophilia respectively. (He and Cyrus also have more or less the same field action.) He learned a nice support skill that restores a little SP with every attack made, and a status-healing move that also makes you immune to status for a short time, but…eh. Currently my least favorite of the eight.
    -Therion: An edgy thief, yes…but he pulls it off very well. He’s far more entertaining than obnoxious. Stealing NPCs blind is ridiculously fun, and gets you a lot of nice stuff (supplemented by the loot in special treasure chests only Therion can open), making it very easy to prepare yourself for the enemies in this chapter. Plus, he learns powerful double-hit skills that restore his HP or SP by a certain amount of the damage done, making him a very efficient character after only a few upgrades. Quite a tempting choice actually.
    -H’aanit: Kind of a mixed bag. She’s a neat character, to be sure, but it’s difficult to take her seriously when her and her people use Old English to the point that it isn’t even funny. She’s basically a revamp of the classic Beastmaster job from Final Fantasy: she can catch monsters and then release them in later battles to unleash attacks on enemies, but she can store several monsters this way and they each have multiple uses before disappearing. (She also has a snow leopard named Linde who is always with her, so you’re never totally without an animal friend to call on.) Since these monsters all have different attacks that hit a variety of attributes, H’aanit is the most versatile character when it comes to targeting weaknesses—assuming you’re catching plenty of monsters and seeing what they can all do, that is. And the game does encourage you to do this by giving her a field action similar to Olberic, where she can challenge NPCs, but can only use the animals she has with her, none of her other skills. H’aanit is truly a devastating hunter and seemed a little OP at first…but the thing is, she does her best work fighting single foes. You can’t aim any of her animal friends, hampering the versatility they offer, and the only skills she learns that can potentially hit multiple targets are random as well. I like H’aanit, and definitely enjoyed her opening story, but as I gathered party members with her and faced more and more groups of enemies, I found myself using her unique abilities far less. Hopefully this is just down to my inexperience with the Beastmaster job, but I can’t help but wonder.
     
    A criticism I have is that there’s no interaction between the characters. They’ve said there will be at least some in the full game, but right now, you just run to the other characters’ starting areas, meet up with them, and then watch their cutscenes play out without anything changing. Really feels like a missed opportunity, but I guess this is to motivate you to buy the full game.
     
    Also I was bummed we couldn’t mess around with the jobs in the demo. They’ve already shown that in addition to a character’s main job, they can equip another character’s job as a secondary job, plus now we know that characters earn support skills they can equip no matter what jobs they have equipped, and you know I love me some job-mixing! Can’t believe I have to wait a whole month to make Cyrus a Scholar/Dancer…
     
    But anyway, I’m really looking forward to Octopath Traveler even if there are a few things I’m hoping are done better in the full package. If you have a Switch and this game sounds like it’d be up your alley, I’d highly recommend downloading the demo and giving it a shot!
  9. Pahrak Model ZX
    This past Tuesday, something momentous happened...
     
    I finally got a full team of Pokemon all the way to Level 100!!
    (Yeah, I know: what took me so long? Well...I dunno.)
    It was originally my Platinum team, but they were also trained in HeartGold, White, and White 2. The team includes Lucario, Infernape, Giratina (Origin Forme), Floatzel, Garchomp, and Luxray. It's a strange feeling, seeing them "completed" like this...but now I'm thinking it's time to restart Platinum with a new team. So farewell, Pokemon Trainer Khadaz--your team has reached its limit, and now you must make way for a new trainer.
    *sniff*
    N-No, I'm not crying! I just came out of a battle where a Pokemon used Sandstorm, so I've got some sand in my eye!
     
    ...Anyway...
     
    More news on TWEWY -LIVE Remix-: more playable characters will be made available in the future, presumably by DLC (Joshua and Beat were specifically mentioned). We've also been told that we'll see Minamimoto someday. (Vague, yes, but now we have hope!) Also it's been officially confirmed that Live-chan and Hype-chan are not the same person--I guess some people were afraid the Solo Remix artwork was only hinting at Live Remix? More hope for a sequel!
     
    Been working on Kako, may be able to get Chapter 33 up this week if I can finish my homework. Progress on Chapter 34 has been delayed a bit, but it's a big battle and I want to put some thought into it. I've also been putting some thought towards a couple of side projects, like a preview-type thing with Aile, Zempyst, and Xyla...not sure if I'm going to type it up or just wait to use it in the story. I did finally get Aile and Zempyst's appearances (more or less) finalized, though, so that's something.
     
    Sigh, November...the month where you start to really run out of time to procrastinate on those final projects you've known about the entire semester. So guess what I'll be trying to get myself to focus on this week?
  10. Pahrak Model ZX
    Okay so I was writing The Comedy of Our Generation and it wasn’t really working out. Turns out, I’m just not funny. Or in possession of the analytical ability to really pick apart G1 like I wanted to. Sucks, because I really liked the ending I had in mind. The Boneheads of Voodoo Island were going to be there and everything.
     
    I might try to revisit it later, but I should probably redirect my energy towards things like more Okoto fanfiction or the Mega Man Star Force rewrite featuring Harp Note. You know, things people actually asked me to write. (And maybe do stuff like homework and that novel-type-thing…and video games…)
     
    But speaking of those two other things, the tentative titles I’m thinking of using are In Our Bones and Shooting Star Sonia, both of which are pretty generic but get the point across at least. And since I usually end up using tentative titles as actual titles, those are probably here to stay so I just need to let them grow on me.
     
    As for when to expect them, well…that’s a little trickier. With In Our Bones, I want to complete and edit it before serializing it (so I can do so on a regular schedule); for Sonia, I’m thinking I might just post each chapter to OTC as I write it. I’ll certainly try to keep up a decent pace, but that one will be longer (12 chapters?), and I want to get feedback as I go if possible. Chapter 1 is…coming along, and I’m trying to funnel all my spare creativity towards it for the time being. (A lot of it goes to potential sub-plots and developments, but I guess that’s still good?) All I can say for now is “Stay tuned!”
  11. Pahrak Model ZX
    Mahou Shoujo Mega Man was the only display name option that more than one person said I should go with, so here I am! I also changed my blog title to fit with the name, plus I was beginning to feel like the old one was too "pretentious 12-year-old"-y.
     
    I don't need to change my avatar though, it actually fits better now. In case anyone's still not aware, I got the name from the Mega Man Star Force series, which is basically a magical girl series and totally awesome you should all play it now. At least the first game.
     
    So yeah. When the name expires I'll probably go back to the list, but for now, in the name of the moon, Wave Battle! Ride On!
  13. Pahrak Model ZX
    First off, I should tell you I've updated the Spirit Index. It's not quite complete as of this typing, but there's only a handful to add and I should get to that soon. I haven't gotten a chapter up yet, and while I'll try to get that up by the end of the week you just might have to wait until next week...sorry.
     
    But! Since I am now writing Sekai's final arc, I decided now would be a great time to give you all a preview of just what's in store! I'm giving you brief previews of the rest of Draco-Isle, Lost Continent 12, Sekai's Ending, Book 3, and BIONICLE: The Forgotten Bond! No excerpts, sorry, but it should be enough to get you excited! These stories should all be up in 2011, although some may be pushed into early 2012. Previews included excerpts, like those I posted for Book 2, will be posted for Book 3 once Book 2 is complete!
     
    Bioni-Lords Book 2: Sekai
     
    Draco-Isle:
    The remaining members of the group fight for their Dragon Medallions! Can they pass Aile's test?
    Twisted with madness, Kadsura comes after Dranes and Azara! Is there hope for their departed friends?
    The Cueveracios temple awaits! A surprise foe, a risky Double Fusion, and...the Enterprise?!
     
    Lost Continent 12:
    Death vs. Nuvakuta! The Deathtalon and his minions challenge Librum's power!
    Zenrei's battle skills! Darkaea tests his final corrupted Frere!
     
    Ending:
    6 Dark Knights, 5 Squires, 5 Shade-Gang Commanders, 2 Third Favored Pages, D7, and an army of servants! Can Khadaz and his team defeat them all?
    Kharuun and his friends must infiltrate enemy territory! Their foes hold the advantage!
    The Gahu Magna Spell is cast--Element-Lords lose their power?!
    The highly anticipated return of Project Stained Glass!
    The foe you least expected rises to battle?
    Shadow Knight's student, Konpaku's goals, and Kytan Ikhav revealed!
     
    Bioni-Lords Book 3: Kako
     
    20 years before Book 1, the saga truly begins! What caused the 10th Level Bioni-Lord to rise to power?
    Genakex Ikhav, Steel specialist! On a quest without his parents' approval, Khadaz's father uses Gurren Lagann's ability to combine with other Steel types to create unbelievable powers!
    Xyla Pahrop! Khadaz's mother was an Air specialist? She carries a family heirloom which will draw her into a secret conflict! She seems to prefer someone else over Genakex...
    Les Quatre Freres de Lame are gathering again! Is there a traitor among them?!
    Yume was bothering people even back then!
    Bohrok beyond Kal, those who inherited the will of the Bahrag Queens! What are the King Bohrok?
    Before the Shade-Gang, a more sophisticated criminal organization reigns supreme!
    What does Kytan have to do with any of this?!
     
    BIONICLE: The Forgotten Bond
     
    Aonther world, a different time! The four successive buildable action figure lines united at last!
    Slizers! RoboRiders! BIONICLE! Hero Factory!
    A connection no one remembers? A villain with forbidden knowledge!
    After the 2001 story, things take a sharp turn! The Alpha Team on Mata-Nui? The Toa banished from their planet?!
    The true history is revealed!
     
     
    All this and more, COMING SOON!
  14. Pahrak Model ZX
    I was thinking that maybe I was too hard on April Fool's Day and that maybe I should give it a chance.
     
    Then I see these people crafting the most heart-destroying "there's a TWEWY sequel" prank they can possibly come up with.
     
    And I remember why I hate this holiday.
  15. Pahrak Model ZX
    If the title doesn’t make sense don’t worry.
     
    So, I can change my name again, and I have a few ideas but I’m not really sure what to go with. Since the cool kids always make blog entries about this sort of thing, I figured I would copy them and see if anyone has an opinion or however this works.
     
    Ideas so far:
    -Pahrak #0579 (It stuck really well, I might go back to it)
    -Pahrak Va #0579 (With a Scouting Legion avatar because the Bohrok Va are scouts I’m sorry it seemed funny at the time)
    -Greninja #0579 (I kinda miss this one too)
    -Cyberman #0579 (I like Cybermen okay)
    -Name Change #0579 (No I still haven’t forgotten that)
    -Master Pahrak (To go with the reboot and everything)
    -Professor O’Pahrak (A while ago on Tumblr I got into a discussion about my middle name, O’Patrick, and someone combined it with my URL to create that. Tumblr URLs can’t have apostrophes though, but I still like this and sort of want to use it?)
    -Mega Pahrak (I love Mega Evolution SO MUCH)
    -Pahrak III.7 HD ReMIX (I feel like there should be a Kingdom Hearts reference on here somewhere)
    -Super Smash Bohrok (Oh why not)
    -Mahou Shoujo Mega Man (I still love the sound of it)
    -Onepu Nuva (This was a name I used way, WAY back in the day, and I have now repurposed it to be a nickname for Protector of Earth; most likely will come with blog title “A Place That is Totally Not Onu-Koro”)
    -Lab Member 0579: Pahrak (It took me a while but I thought of a Steins;Gate reference woo)
     
    I might think of more later, if I do I might edit it. And if you have suggestions I guess you can give those?
  16. Pahrak Model ZX
    And the words of the Skull Grinder continued to echo in the Protector’s mind:


     

    “Even a fool can see why you lowlanders are destined to fall before us. Put plainly, you fight only if you need to. You think battle is something that finds you, something you can wait out and endure. Even when raising a weapon you think it a shield or a tool. All your villages, your very position, ‘Protector’, is based on this delusion.


     

    “My people are different. For us, fighting is like breathing. Our lineage is a combat record, a family tree whose roots entangle and tear asunder whomever we can call an enemy. We find battle, and then we conquer it. The will to fight, the unstoppable thirst for blood, is what our souls are made of. Should it not be obvious? You inherently peaceful villagers can never truly win a war with we of the City. For us, war is essential. War is everything.


     

    “War is in our bones.”


  17. Pahrak Model ZX
    The second part of Beyond Ruin has been posted, this one focusing on the Queen of Nature!
     
    Prior to this, all I had really said about Nature was that she wanted her queendom, Arbolana, to be as independent as possible, and that she brought her pet bird wherever she went. I figured I should try to come up with reasons for these traits as a starting place for developing her. I’d say her character’s starting to come together now, though I’d like to do a little more work. (Even though she might not appear in the novel as much…)
     
    This is also the first time I’ve written a description of one of the Ruinous. I might change it around a bit, but I think I do want to keep to the basic idea of them being bizarre amalgams. Gosh, I hope I don’t cross the line into ridiculous.
     
    I believe I want to try a chapter focusing on the Queen of War next. She already got a close look in the piece Goddess of Evolution, but I feel she would be finding herself in a very difficult position at this point in time, and it’s something I’m eager to explore a bit. Stay tuned for that.
  18. Pahrak Model ZX
    Back to school! That's right, now I need to try once again to balance my mental focus between the stuff I give you guys and the stuff I'm actually being graded on! This semester I'm taking an Intro to Creative Writing class, so hopefully that'll have some results on Kako.
     
    Oh, yes, Kako...well, I'm still waiting on a few bits of information. I COULD move further without it, but I think I'm going to hold out a little longer to see what I can get. I may still get it up in February, but even if I do delay it I'll still be sure to get it in by March or April, I promise.
    I'm wrapping up the Po-Isle 'incident' as we speak, and after that there's just some more Orb Battles, some character development, and maybe a scene in Shadow Consortium HQ...
     
    Also, I recently found out that the cycle is now complete. Bioni-Lords was originally an imitation of Pokemon, and now Pokemon has an imitation of Bioni-Lords. (This page makes it even clearer.)
    I was a little ticked at first, but...meh. From what I've read it's actually not that bad, and who knows, it could give me some new ideas/inspirations for Bioni-Lords.
     
    And speaking of cycles, remind me to share a list of cycle-type things in the Ikhav Trilogy at some point. I need to write them all down so I don't forget any, but...might have it ready by next week. I wouldn't say that it has spoilers for Kako, but...
     
    On an unrelated note, is anyone else seriously ticked that Lego Shop @ Home STILL doesn't have the new Breez listed?! She's the last one from this wave that I want!!
     
    So anyway, even though I'm back in school I'll still do my best to stay on top of Bioni-Lords and stuff. That stuff usually ends up taking priority, actually...but, God-willing, I'll still be posting Forgotten Bond chapters every Tuesday and Thursday, and blog posts every Friday. Also, I'm going to try fine-tuning VioletRose and HonoredSoul so that I can have them finalized by the time the semester ends. We'll have to see how that goes.
     
    EDIT: Okay, I'm having a fan attack and need to do something...feel free to ignore this.
    I've been keeping up with news on the next Kingdom Hearts game (surprise surprise), and it turns out that you'll be able to have a triceratops fight alongside you. There is so much win in this fact that I'm nearly having a heart attack.
    So yeah, expect this to become a Bioni-Spirit once the game is released, along with who knows how many other things from the game.
  20. Pahrak Model ZX
    But first, obligatory Bioni-Lords update: Kako 29 was posted earlier this week, currently typing Kako 30 and will probably get it up either today or Monday, and I've started writing Kako 31.
     
    Also, I must call to your attention that this November, Square Enix is holding a The World Ends With You concert in Shibuya. Since I cannot put how awesome this is into words, that is all I have to say.
     
    Okay, Tokyo Game Show news! (If there's anything else relevant to my interests revealed later today or tomorrow, I'll be updatin' this post.)
     
    -First off, Muramasa: The Demon Blade is being ported to PS Vita! Not a whole lot of news on it yet, but they've said it will have some kind of new content. Muramasa is hands-down my favorite Wii game, so getting a portable version I can play without hogging the TV is a blessing.
    -By now I imagine you've all heard of Mega/Rockman Xover, Capcom's attempt to celebrate Megaman's 25th anniversary. The concept is great--put all the different Megamen in one game--but it's actually an iOS game where the playable Megaman just keeps moving right automatically, ending in a turn-based boss battle. I'll let you draw your own conclusions...oh, but they did publish a pretty cool piece of artwork with all the Megamen!
    -Yeah, I'm moving on to Kingdom Hearts now, heh. There was some new merchandise being shown off, including more formation arts figures for KHII and the new play arts figures for KH3D. (On a side note, why did we not get any BBS play arts?! Let me love you, Aqua! D: ) The KH3D figures shown were Sora and Riku in their basic and Grid forms, and a selection of Keyblades were also shown. This selection did not include Skull Noise, the TWEWY-themed Keyblade, so I am disappoint.
    -The big KH announcement was "Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX," which will apparently put KH Final Mix (now with Japanese voice acting), KH Re: CoM, and scenes from KH 358/2 Days on one disc for the PS3...in HD, obviously. See, this is where I have to go into an unpopular opinion: I really don't get HD, so I just see this as a placeholder to fill the "one game a year" quota for 2013. I mean, we already played these games...they're just being given slightly better graphics and trophy support. Also, I'm sick of looking at Sora KH1 version; after seeing it in KH1, CoM, and Re:coded, I'm anxious for them to do more with his KHII or 3D clothes, or a new outfit. Not to mention I don't have a PS3. Still, if they're not going to add in any new features, I won't be going out and buying a PS3 just for this.
    -What interests me more is the vaguest announcement: a Kingdom Hearts PC browser game that appears to be set during the Keyblade War (!!). We haven't been given a lot of info--just a brief overview of the setting, confirmation that Wonderland and Keyblade Graveyard are worlds, and that it uses KH Mobile/Theatrhythm Final Fantasy character avatars (which I, personally, have never been a fan of). It's also been said that this is a basic 2D action game and uses cards in battle, but, again, details are scarce. Looking forward to this one...
     
    Well, that's it for now. Can't wait to see what else we get out of TGS!
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    Sorta. It was mostly a heads-up, I guess? Plus a pre-announcement that might have been overshadowed a little.
     
    Nomura was interviewed and, after some talk about the new Dissidia for arcades, said Kingdom Hearts III was going well and there will be some news at the D23 Expo this November. I was just wondering when they’d make the next announcement…but, does this mean they won’t have anything to say about it at E3? Seems a little weird.
     
    He also said that D23 would have news on a new smartphone title to be announced soon. It seems to have been stated pretty casually, but that’s kind of big! Maybe announcing this will be Square-Enix’s big KH-related E3 move? Time will tell and all that.
     
    To be honest, I still had that instinctive “ugh smartphone” reaction, but then I reminded myself that that is stupid and Steven Universe: Attack the Light is a fantastic game. (You should go play it.) I just hope it’s on Android…and cheap. Also this means Square might be able to keep the “one new game a year” resolution a little longer, though it is also possible this might not be out during 2015. Anyway, I wasn’t really sure what to expect (I have some ideas on games I’d like to see, but I’ll post those later), but then I saw people suggesting it might be a new version of Kingdom Hearts X, possibly a localized version, and I became excited. Square has been trying to get X localized, and moving it to smartphones might make that more doable than its current browser incarnation. If so, hopefully it remains free to play.
     
    Since X hasn’t gotten that much publicity in the West, here’s some reasons we need it to get you excited for this possibility:
    -The game is set during the Keyblade War, the origin myth of the KH universe. We’re getting to see where it all began! Things are pretty calm right now, but from what we’ve been told, it’s going to get really, really intense…
    -You get to make your own custom Keybearer. That self-insert OC we all have can now be canon!
    -You have a few different Keyblade options, and each of them can be upgraded—it’s still the same Keyblade, but new elements get added to its design to make it look a little cooler. It’s sort of reminiscent of Aqua and Terra getting Keyblades that look like stronger versions of their default Keyblades. Some of these Keyblades are also old favorites, meaning you can get newer, updated versions of Keyblades like Olympia and Three Wishes!
    -Players choose from one of five Unions to join; each Union is headed by a Foreteller, and each Foreteller has their own unique super-awesome Keyblade that is so cool just to look at. Seriously, look at these things.
    -Related to that, there exists a popular theory that Master Xehanort’s Keyblade is tied to the Keyblades of the Foretellers, and given they made special mention of that Keyblade in II.5, we might find out something really special about it, and possibly the origin of Keyblades in general.
    -Just seriously X is already so important to the lore I mean come on we really need to play it
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    The Time of the Mask Makers, The Fourth Swing, is now live!
     
    This chapter serves mainly as transition from the backstory that was the first three chapters towards how things are in the 2015 animations. Also, after a few passing mentions in previous chapters, Makuta actually visits the Temple of Time in this chapter, and something peculiar happens...
     
    Next week: the climax!
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    (Yeah, that title is definitely gonna grab attention, heheheheh…)
     
    A new update for Right of Law is up, but before I get to that: in the time since the last update, this story was actually featured on the home page! This really floored me—it’s a huge honor to know that someone on the staff read this story I’ve been working so hard on and thought it was worth letting other people know about it! I’ll continue doing my best to make this story a good read, and hopefully I won’t drag my feet about it since this is looking so, so much longer than I was originally planning…
     
    Which brings us to Section VII! The drones finally reach Bitil’s outpost, and the battle to defend it begins! I wanted to do this all in one chapter, but it’s already decently-sized and there’s a good amount more I want to do, and combining that with how long it’s been since Section VI went live, I think I’m going to go ahead and post what I have right now. With any luck, this means Section VIII is not far away!
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    I decided to pick up Megaman Zero Collection on a whim. My knowledge of the Megaman franchise is mostly limited to the series that came out in my youth (Battle Network, Star Force, and ZX), and every now and then I feel I should really try to expand that, and an entire four game series for $20 seemed like a good way to put a dent in that backlog.
     
    I’m very glad they put in an option for playing straight through the entire series on Easy mode. Even with that, I struggled a fair amount, so I’d hate to see how badly I’d do if I had to actually be good at the game to progress! Since I played ZX and ZXA the basics came back to me pretty quickly, though the X and Y buttons can’t be used…I guess these were originally GBA games, but still, weird. In any event I’ve made it to the end of Zero 4 and figured I’d try to type up some thoughts on it because why not. And hey, this contains unmarked spoilers.
     
    Since I already knew some spoilers going in, evaluating the plot fairly is a bit tricky, but man oh man, this has got to be the Darkest and Edgiest Mega Man of them all. Not to say that’s bad—I think they pulled that atmosphere off pretty well, actually. The first game felt a little…well, ‘empty’ might be too harsh, but I felt like they could have done more. The fact that Neo Arcadia is ruled by X feels like it’s just thrown out for shock value and not fully capitalized on, though there’s potential for some great angst there that would have made us all the more relieved to find out it’s actually Copy X. Plus it felt like Zero didn’t speak a whole lot throughout the game, so I wasn’t sure how to feel about him. Similarly, I didn’t have any particularly strong opinions on the Four Guardians at this point, aside from “Why are they called the Four Guardians if you’re going to permanently kill off Phantom in the first game?” Anywho.
     
    I started to really enjoy things when I got to Zero 2. Gameplay-wise, I was still terrible so I never got any of those neat-sounding EX Skills, but the Chain Rod was pretty fun even if I never mastered it. (You could just hang from the ceiling and swing back and forth endlessly. Extra fun when you’re doing this right behind Ciel when she’s trying to work.) Elpizo’s arc felt better-paced than the first game’s plot, and Harpuia started to show signs of being a more interesting character, so I’d say it was more engaging on that level. Plus it started to really focus on the lore of what happened between the X series and this one. Who doesn’t love lore? And since it ends with a touch of that and the mention of a mysterious evil scientist, it feels very well-connected to Zero 3, which I also enjoyed. That one delved even deeper into the lore, gave us an abominable arc villain, and gave Harpuia great development. (Poor Fefnir and Leviathin were left in the dust, unfortunately…but they’ve grown on me at least a little.) I already knew about The Twist that is Omega, but I think it was presented pretty well, and even foreshadowed! Plus that was a neat progression of forms during the final battles. And 3’s Easy Mode is even easier thanks to auto-charging weapons—I was even able to snag one EX Skill! 2 and 3 definitely make a good plot together, by that point I was definitely glad I’d bought the Collection.
     
    So, that just leaves Zero 4, which feels…a little different. Not bad, just…different. The absence of the Guardians, Mother/Dark Elf, and even Cyber-elf X probably contributes to that. I was worried at first—Easy Mode starts you off with all the modification chips, so you aren’t exactly weak, but you still have a pitiful amount of health. But after clearing the first mission and getting the new Cyber-elf, I realized this was the easiest by far. Easy Mode lets you apply all of the Elf powers at once with no penalty, rendering you a nearly-invincible force of nature who probably doesn’t even need to attack because the Elf is constantly obliterating enemies for you. Plus you can get EX Skills even when you’re terrible now! Absolute power!! Er, anyway, while it did seem a half-step out of the series’ norm, I do like 4’s plot: it tackles the tensions between Humans and Reploids and has them learn to start moving towards putting an end to that, which seems like a great goalpoint for everything that’s happened from Mega Man X til now. (It sets up ZX, too. Like, I really want to replay ZX now that I actually know the backstory. If only I hadn’t sold it…) I think it ended up being a pretty good way to end an edgy series on a rather optimistic note, if not totally happy since, y’know, Zero dies yet again. Also nice to see Wiel get what was coming to him. His plan this time around, while certainly horrific, does feel a little less original than 3’s “control all the Reploids in the world” scheme, but I guess that contributes to the feeling that he’s been backed into a corner at last.
     
    All in all, I enjoyed the Zero series. I’m probably not qualified to say much about the gameplay, but as for story: while the first game felt a little lacking, 2 and 3 definitely made up for it. 4 felt different but made that work to its advantage rather well. I’m glad I checked it out!
     
    Now I guess I’ll go back to watching people play the Mega Man X series, since those haven’t been collected into one Easy Mode package…yet.
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