My true life GTA IV experience

Dimwitted Girl 1: Oooo, is that it? Grand Theft Auto.
Dimwitted Girl 2: Is this it?
Dimwitted Girl 3: Yeah, it says here GTA five, yeah.
Dimwitted Girl 1: What does he want?
Dimwitted Girl 3: Call him, yeah.
Dimwitted Girl 2: (calls) I've got Grand Theft Auto here yeah. (pause) GTA five. (pause) Uh, oh, GTA four? (pause - picks up another copy) It says here yeah, GTA one five.
Dimwitted Girl 1: This says GTA 'i' five, yeah.
Dimwitted Girl 3: Is this for PlayStation 2?
Dimwitted Girl 2: GTA six innit.

That's it for my GTA IV experience. Note, that this is my first and last GTA IV related post. No amount of hyped 10s will make me cave, ever! Not even when the inevitable superior PC version gets released!

flOw review

First, anyone who has never played the free flash version of flOw should do yourself a favour and give it a go now. It is a small flavour of what you get in the PSN exclusive version of flOw, available for either PS3 and PSP.

I've never played the PS3 version, but judging from online videos and screenshots, flOw for PSP is almost identical to it - save for the lack of 1080p high definition visuals and SIXAXIS controller support. Even with the lower processing capability of the PSP, the results are nothing short of spectacular. Despite being more aliased, the game plays well though it does suffer from very slight frame rate niggles when the screen gets too crowded. Particle effects are handled well, though it is evident that some of them were downgraded from the PS3 version. Despite that the simplistic visuals lend well with the experience.


In flOw you control an aquatic organism via the analogue pad. Objectives or goals do exists, though it is entirely up to you whether you want to participate in them. After 'winning' each level, you will gain the ability to control other organisms. Each of these organisms has their own special skills invoked through either the shoulder button or one of the face buttons.

Your organism can evolve by preying on food. Levels are divided through planes that you access through eating either blue or red orbs. The deeper you go, the more perilous the level becomes. Larger organisms requires you to strategies by hunting down its weak areas. Hunt a food that your organism can't handle and it will get hurt in return. While there are no game overs in flOw, being attacked would usually cause your organism to return to a previous safer plane.


flOw has a unique and serene soundtrack (relative to video gaming) that changes depending on the creature you use and the depth your organism is exploring in. Whenever your organism chomps down its food, tones will ring out, providing the player with a rather euphoric-like chill-out and tranquil audio experience. It is best to play this with a good pair of cans.

This title takes advantage of the PSP's WiFi hardware by supporting local ad-hoc wireless multiplayer. It is very simple, just switch on the WiFi and while at the creature select level, the PSP will automatically connect to other local PSPs. The seamless connectivity is very well done, though unfortunately the game suffers from atrocious frame rate during multiplayer.


flOw isn't by all means perfect but for the cost of a McDonalds 'meal' does provide, in my very honest opinion, a great deal of amount of gameplay that can last anywhere between 1-3 hours to finish depending on how persistent you are. flOw isn't really classifiable as a video game within its traditional definition as it is more of an experience than a conventional game, though it is more of a game than Electroplankton ever was. Some of its fault can be easily be ignored, wile some like the local multiplayer which sounds fun in theory, it is so blighted by problems that should not be shunned. As such I can only recommend flOw as a single player title, one best experienced at the end of each day.

Second time at Highgate Cemetery

Glorious sunny day yesterday. Images from my second visit to Highgate Cemetery (East). You know, to give Karl Marx and Douglas Adams a nod. No silly Highgate Vampires stopping us.










So simple, and yet so fitting...

Prinny mocks me to learn to cross stitch, dood!

If this and Etna of Disgaea doesn't get me to learn how to cross stitch I don't know what will. But I do know that I would pay good money for one based on Flonne, dood! Check out Jenni Lada's blog for more video gaming cross stitches including the Samba Pig from It's a Wonderful World.

The World Ends With You mini-review

After all the hype, I finally decided to cave in and play The World Ends With You (It's a Wonderful World), the second game this year with characters designed by Tetsuya Nomura (shocker!) after Crisis Core. So does it live up to its hype, or is this another example of a over-hyped game? So what is the appeal of The World Ends With You? For one, it is a new I.P. risk by Square-Enix (another shocker there). Then there is this new real time battle system that is very different. I will come to that later but let's get the storyline out of the way first.

You play as Neku (an"emo" teenager with an awful fashion sense, who hates people in general) who one day finds himself in the Shibuya shopping district (based on the famous shopping district in Tokyo, Japan) in possession of a rather odd and alien looking black pin/badge. Neku is a generic RPG hero, whose spiky hair and short term memory loss does nothing to prove otherwise. With the pin, he has the ability to sense the thoughts of people around him, but the thought of being surrounded by people disgusted him. But for reasons unknown to em, he is not allowed to leave. Neko later finds out that he is part of the 'Reaper's Game', a game that spans seven days. If he or other participants fail - they would be erased. To survive, Neku and his companion pact, Shiki Misaki, has to defeat 'Noise', which are physical manifestations of people's ill feelings, and complete mission objectives issued by the Reapers within seven days.

The gameplay revolves around searching for clues from people wondering around Shibuya, and fighting 'Noise'. Touching the black pin on the bottom screen will allow Neku to read people's thoughts and locate Noise. The game also has an innovative adjustable difficulty level for players who wants to take greater risk. The increased in difficulty is off-set through rewarding the player's risk with higher quality item drops. Customisation isn't a problem here, as Shibuya shopping district proves to be big enough to cater to the average cliché RPG hero, and then some. New techniques can be discovered during the course of the game, which allows Neku and his companion to unleash special attacks and combos depending on the pins (which can be stat boosted) equipped. Foods and clothings can be bought to augment Neku and his partner's stats.

Combat takes place across two screens, with Neku on the bottom controlled by the player via the touchscreen, and Neku's partner on the top screen. Controlling Neku is a fairly obvious process, with the player controlling his movements and attacks using a stylus, like slashing upwards on an enemy to perform an uppercut. Because battles takes place simultaneously, the player has the option to control the top character via the d-pad (lefties can use the face buttons). This takes some getting used, and for the first hour I did think it was a mess and often surrendered the controls to the A.I. (you can select how quick before the A.I. takes control back in the options). But once the initial first few combats, you will likely to get used to it and find a very deep and compelling battle system buried here, often trying to create combos and chaining battles.

The visuals aren't the most impressive technically, but the player is constantly showered in colourful and often psychedelic design giving the game a rather unique look, reminiscent Jet Set Radio. Character designs are generic enough, though more often than not, their vibrant fashion sense does liven up the screens. A bit like Viewtiful Joe and Persona 3. It is too bad that the developers has paid very little attention into creating an intuitive UI, as everything seems to be cluttered. It doesn't help that the colourful menu sometimes distract the player more than it assist them. The soundtrack on the other hand is a mixture of licensed J-pop, again reminiscent of Jet Set Radio. We should be thankful that a global company like Square Enix has decided not to dumb down the soundtrack (like Nintendo did with Elite Beat Agents) to cater for 'local musical taste', as the music provided here is infectiously addictive and catchy.

The World Ends With You does not live up to its hyperbole, but it is still a wonderful game. The imprecise stylus usage may annoy people seeking for a portable experience and the dual screen battle may scare people away, but the learning curve is there to be exploited. One thing I loved about the title is how 'unwesternised' the title is. It is refreshing to play a game infused with a foreign culture - something that is originally intended by the developers. With great style, wonderful soundtrack and a new innovative, fresh and deep immersing gameplay that actually takes advantage of the touchscreen (unlike gimmicky tacked on controls in games like Phantom Hourglass), I believe you will likely to enjoy your trip to Shibuya.

Get it now at Amazon UK or Play-Asia.

Top five racing games

Yay for another filler post! This time the top five racing games that I've played. No, not the top five ever released, top five that I've never played or even the top five that you liked. It is my top five that I've played and like. A celebratory post of sort, to a genre that introduced me to gaming and continues to excite me.

OutRun 2006 Coast 2 Coast (2006, PS2)
Developed by Sumo Digital
- OutRun series is unlike any other racing games considering it has its own proper definition of fun, fluidity and style. The updated OutRun 2006 Coast 2 Coast plays and still looks stunning despite running on last-gen hardware, and plays much like the original arcade game. Personally, and I am very serious here, I believe that this is the ultimate arcade style racing game. The PSP and PS2 versions can also share save files via USB link.up giving the player the chance to advance the game whether at home or away on one of the 15 Ferraris. As a bonus an arcade port of OutRun 2 SP is also included within the title, making OutRun 2006 an amazing value racing title for those still racing on the PS2, Xbox and PSP consoles.

WipEout Pulse (2007, PSP)
Developed by Sony Liverpool Studio
- Pulse was one of my first purchases when I finally got hold of a PSP. It serves as a reminder that the WipEout franchise is still relevant. The sequel to WipEout Pure, Pulse introduced the Grid system of unlocking stages, the ability to playback custom music as well as the reintroduction to the fantastic and engrossingly addictive Eliminator mode. Online play makes the whole thing even sweeter, however it does lack free downloadable tracks that Pure had. Even better for PS3 owners is that the upcoming PSN exclusive WipEout HD is based on the gameplay perfected in Pure and Pulse.

Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed (2000, PC)
Developed by EA Canada
- Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed on PC was the most beautiful racing game I have ever played on my second Dell Inspiron (with GeForce 2). Everything I knew of playing tons of NFS III: Hot Pursuit and High Stakes was thrown out the window. The physics were awfully realistic and the gameplay designed to mimic the unpredictable handling of difficult to handle rear engine Porches. At that moment, the sole spin-off NFS game was no longer an arcade racer, but a driving simulation. Visually it was a stunning game (back then) with 14 tracks of beautiful European locales such as the Alps and Normandy. This was the last Need for Speed game that was enjoyable and fun, before the series gone all crap.

Colin McRae Rally 2.0 (2001, PC)
Developed by Codemasters
- DiRT may be the latest and greatest Colin McRae Rally game, but 2.0 is best remembered as my first foray into the world of rally driving (semi) simulation. Much like Gran Turismo series, the gameplay is engineered to force the player to learn how to brake. Coming from someone who loved playing SEGA Rally 2 on his Dreamcast, the realistic handling, damage physics and braking took some getting used to. So while I still enjoyed SEGA Rally's arcady racing from time to time, 2.0 was a revelation in that the game was (then) the closest you could get into simulating a proper rally.

Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit (1998, PC)
Developed by EA Canada
- The first Need For Speed game I ever played was NFS II. It was a mixture of bland 3D graphics and good arcady fun. But it was NFS III that really brought the franchise into the limelight. The refocusing of police pursuits in Hot Pursuit gave the series plenty of reason to keep revisiting it. Spike strips and road blocks were introduced requiring the player to approach each racing differently. The graphics were also revamped giving my Direct3D enabled Dell Inspiron 7000 a chance to show off its impressive ATi power. It had none of the modding bullshit and faux-graffiti "kewlness" that blighted the franchise, it was all about racing.

Honourable mentions:

Daytona USA (1992, Arcade)
Developed by SEGA-AM2

F-Zero (1991, SNES)
Developed by Nintendo EAD

Gran Turismo 4 (2005, PS2)
Developed by Polyphony Digital

Grand Prix 4 by Geoff Crammond (2002, PC)
Developed by MicroProse

Mario Kart DS (2005, NDS)
Developed by Nintendo EAD

OutRun (1986, Arcade)
Developed by SEGA-AM2

Richard & Judy

Richard & Judy will no longer grace mainstream telly from November. Sweet justice!

(b^_^)b d(^_^d)

Buy Okami (not an ad by Capcom, serious)

Now that the Wii port of Okami has been released in the US, there really is no more excuse not to play this especially if you are a hardcore Nintendo fanboy who's never owned a PS2. Obviously my suggestion is to get the original made by Clover Studio version (shakes fist at Capcom). Especially since impressions of the Ready at Dawn port indicates that waggle control does not suit the game much and that despite progressive and widescreen support, some of the special effects were absent (paper filter for example is almost missing). But hey, whatever rocks your boat. Just go play the game. Then buy Beyond Good & Evil (please Michel Ancel, no more ruined classic IPs by Peter Jackson) and Psychonauts and ICO.

Pre-order the Wii version here. And yes I will repost this again when the PAL version arrives. This is better than Twilight Princess, and therefore deserves more hype.