Da Nu’s (Video Gaming Edition): Mega-Evolution in Pokemon X/Y, MLG drops SC2 from Columbus, HiRez Studios shafts the Tribes Community (again), and more!

Reignbeauxdash here with some of the top stories this week in news from the video gaming world.

• Leaks from the upcoming issue of CoroCoro magazine have indicated that there will be a new form of evolution for select Pokemon in X and Y dubbed “Mega-Evolution”. It doesn’t seem to be a new type of evolution entirely, but instead a way of changing the looks and Abilities of existing Pokemon temporarily. — http://serebii.net/index2.shtml
• Sundance DiGiovanni, the founder of Major League Gaming, unceremoniously dropped a bombshell on Twitter earlier today: there will be no Starcraft 2 at MLG Columbus this November. It’s sad to hear about, but not entirely unexpected. — https://twitter.com/MLGSundance/status/365456087677284355
• HiRez Studios has decided to shift community discussion for Tribes Ascend from their own forums to other platforms, reddit in particular. They did so with only a days notice (and have subsequently deleted their own forums), and without informing the reddit community beforehand. Understandably, the community for the game (or what’s left of it after HiRez gave up on the game and moved entirely to Smite) is frustrated. — http://www.reddit.com/r/SubredditDrama/comments/1jt5o7/games_developer_hirez_with_a_less_than_stellar/
• The International 3 DOTA 2 Championships, the largest eSports event to date, got underway yesterday. Give it a look-see. — http://www.dota2.com/international/home/overview/
• King of Fighters 13 will be coming to PC through Steam sometime in the future. It was leaked through a trailer that is currently unavailable on Steam. — http://www.eventhubs.com/news/2013/aug/07/king-fighters-13-making-its-way-pc-trailer-leaked-steam/
• Lastly, here’s something to crush your hope in humanity. Snoop Lion’s Snoopify app has a sticker that looks like weed selling for 100 dollars. People are actually buying it. — http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2013/08/06/snoopify-app-sells-99-99-digital-sticker-people-actually-buy-it/

From the Vault: Twenty Full List Revealed

From the Vault: Twenty Full List Revealed

Wizards has finally released the entire list for FTV: 20 and it’s … a Jace reprint cleverly disguised as 20 years of Magic history! Good luck getting one at MSRP ($39.99) when it releases on the 23rd of August. Other cards of note include Dark Ritual, Thran Dynamo, and Gilded Lotus. The entire list is below, in order of year relevant to Magic’s history:

1. Dark Ritual (1993)
2. Swords to Plowshares
3. Hymn To Tourach
4. Fyndhorn Elves
5. Impulse
6. Wall of Blossoms
7. Thran Dynamo
8. Tangle Wire
9. Fact or Fiction
10. Chainer’s Edict
11. Akroma’s Vengeance
12. Gilded Lotus
13. Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni
14. Char
15. Venser, Shaper Savant
16. Chameleon Colossus
17. Cruel Ultimatum
18. Jace, The Mind Sculptor
19. Green Sun’s Zenith
20. Kessig Wolf Run (2012)

Flickering Interest: Three Dimensional Maneuver Gear

I found this as I was surfing the web. I think it’s quite interesting to see that someone took the time and effort to make this. Next thing you know; Batman.

You don’t have to be a fan to think this is really cool. In fact, if I didn’t know what this was, I think I’d still want one.

Chou Henshin! Ore Sanjou!

Well I’ve finished watching Kuuga, and it does drop a lot of knowledge on you as far as the implications of Heisei era riders go. It’s quite a bit to take in, but with patience, it’s quite understandable, and the story is detailed enough that you shouldn’t have difficulty finding the answer to a question. My friends know me very well for making the following statement, but “this looks a lot like Kamen Rider Den-O”. I mean, you have the six different forms of Kuuga, the white form that does nothing, the red fist form, the blue staff form, the green bow form, the purple sword form, and the black ultimate form. Den-O on the other hand has a red sword form, a blue rod form, a yellow axe form, a purple gun form, a white form where he does nothing, and (though he has several other forms) an ultimate form that utilizes all the prior mentioned forms. Where in Kuuga’s case Red is Standard, Blue is Speed, Green is Senses, Purple being Strength, and Black being Super, Den-O’s Red is Standard and Senses, Blue is Speed and Smarts, Yellow is Strength, Purple is Speed and Sudden, and his Ultimate form is Super.

Note that each of his ‘gold forms’ does the exact same thing as its corresponding color, just better.

Missing in action; Advent Form, Climax Form, Liner Form, Super Climax Form, and Skull Form

So conversely, Kamen Rider Den-O should actually remind me of Kuuga, and with that Kuuga is actually the father of the ‘form’. Many, if not all of the Heisei riders have some sort of super form, of not simply other standard forms, that they go in to. The Showa riders did not have this; whatever their power was would be all they ever had. However many of the Heisei riders have a variable ability to adapt to the enemies they fight. This makes them more capable not only in crossovers, but also in the potentiality for revivals and spin offs. For example, Kuuga could easily take on a low level Zodiarts by himself (his powers grant him the capability of maiming it that hard), however Showa riders would have more difficulty with them, because they’re one trick ponies. I do like ponies, to keep with the analogy, but it makes it difficult to size them up against each other, let alone future enemies. With Riders like Kuuga and Den-O, it’s much easier to judge their skills and limits are; even if they are very, very similar.

Some new things from Nintendo!

Sorry folks, I’ve been MIA for quite some time.

Nintendo is just exploding with new games for fans. E3 was around the corner and they’ve announced Super Smash Bros 4 (I know that’s their most anticipated game for 2014).

Some games that came across my mind were Super Luigi U, Mario Kart 8, The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, Super Mario 3D World and….

well, that’s all I really want to cover to be honest.

I’ll save my SmashBrosism for another post.

Let’s start with this:

This would be named after OOO’s catchphrase, if he had one.

In continuation of my sentiments towards Fourze earlier, I think I should be clear on who I would delegate as the strongest Rider in Tokusatsu history; Kamen Rider OOO. (Pronounced ‘owes’; as in “Raphnarock owes you an article”.)

Kamen Rider OOO in his Taka Tora Bata (TaToBa) combo.

Kamen Rider OOO is very much like the Showa Riders as far as his origins go. His powers, not necessarily meant to be used for good (quite the opposite, actually) made the previous user of the OOO lose his mind, and seal all the Core Medals (depicted above) for 800 years. Hino Eiji rather stubbornly puts it upon himself to fix every life that was affected by the happenings of the first episode and thus becomes Kamen Rider OOO. Each Core Medal that OOO uses has a different power, and OOO can use three at a time. When OOO uses three Core Medals of the same color, his strength drastically increases, usually along with a slew of additional abilities.  The count of all of his transformations (both Full Combos and Random Combos) is the largest count in franchise history, with the possibility of 129 different forms, and this is doesn’t take into consideration the possibility if the Kangaroo, Panda, Shrimp, Crab, Scorpion and the Orange Core Medals could form Random Combos. This basically means that it is very very difficult for OOO to be in a situation where he cannot adapt to. In fact, and this has happened, Kamen Rider OOO has the ability to use /all/ of the Core Medals after using the Green Medal Combo, Gatakiriba. Not only does this make him a strong Rider as an individual, but it also makes him a strong Rider simply by sheer numbers.

Between Kamen Rider OOO and Kamen Rider Fourze, the possibility for victory is endless. In fact, the two share a rather similar set of interfaces, powers, and overall potential, minus the fact that Fourze’s much larger selection of powers (and therefore possibilities) is dwarfed by the limitations of Cosmic States, whereas Kamen Rider OOO doesn’t have that problem. However to compensate, OOO has much less combinations than Fourze does. So what does this mean? Well, in terms of putting OOO or Fourze against the other Riders shown so far, and putting into perspective the level of power both Riders have, I would dare to say that it humanizes what would be considered the stronger set of Riders that most people hail to. Though perhaps, this is a growing trend; that Riders from here on out will only have more and more potential. I for one embrace the idea, as it gives fans just one more reason to go back and look at previous Riders without having to watch a Rider movie.

“Psssh, I got this.” Top 5 in Manga

Last year I came up with the list of top 5 underdogs; this year I came up with something similar.

Manga readers know that there are always characters in manga that simply eradicate every issue in their path. Some of them do this more than others, and in more or less varying ways.

#5; Nougami Neuro (Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro)

Neuro, bored with his own greatness at solving mysteries in Hell, travels to Earth to indulge in its mysteries. Given that he’s a demon and can’t maintain a physical form; he possesses a human body. Not just some run of the mill human body though…actually no, just that. He finds the most mundane person he can and forces her to solve mysteries with him simply so he can eat like the gourmand he is. Some of his more interesting exploits include playing a victim’s nerve endings like the strings on a violin, solving a murder where the only outstanding clue was that the culprit would leave his victims in a bloody box, turn every murderer he meets into a demon before devouring their ‘mystery’ (or soul, which is what it’s usually called), after which they also become lifeless and boring individuals.

#4; Guts (Berserk)

Guts had a rough childhood. Born while his mother was hanged, he never knew his father, and was shunted wherever he wanted. He joined a militia at a young age, where he was raped and abused. Slaying both his abuser and his rapist, he eventually leaves the militia and joins a guild. This guild easily is so far the greatest cakewalk in his life. He finds a girl he loves and a best friend, with people who like him and he gets to live. Tearjerking. Anyhow, shit hits the fan when his best bro in the whole world Griffith goes Ho Yay for for Guts when he decides to leave; which ends up destroying the very fabric of the Band of the Hawk. This Ho Yay becomes Foe Yay when Griffith joins the God Hand and becomes the series’ antagonist. From this point forward, Gatts almost literally becomes a medieval version of the lovechild of Megaman and Batman, with a bit of Punisher in the middle; complete with a quiverbox on one arm, and an arm that shoots cannonballs on the other. Even his Super Armor makes him look like a giant bat…or dog…which helps the allusion really. Exploits include destroying gargantuan monsters; being friends with fairies like a certain other Hylian adventurer, manages a giant plank like blade in a world where pretty much everyone else’s swords look like toothpicks, and actually SURVIVING a massive onslaught of tentacled with creatures; and the equivalent of a battle with the gods.

#3; Jotaro Kujo (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 3; Stardust Crusaders)

If you watched Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure this year, you probably recognize this face. I won’t say too much about it, in light of the shows newfound popularity; but let me be clear that he’s on this list with good reason in the number three slot. I’ve rarely seen a character gain full scope and control of their usefulness, and maintain stone cold rational the entire time. And that’s just while he’s main character. Afterwards he’s still the character most characters fear, also toting a degree in Marine Biology (for some reason). There is literally nothing that can be done, or has been done (except one thing) that will stop him guaranteed. Either he stops you then and there, or you get curb stomped later on. Either way, there will be a fist full of… fist by the time he’s figured you out.

Cobra before and after his facial reconstruction

 

 

#2; Cobra (Space Pirate Cobra)

A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away, there was a famous space pirate who went by the name ‘Cobra’. Also called ‘the Unkillable Cobra’, his dashing good looks and keen intellect made him the victor of many prizes, monetary and sexual. So infamously handsome that he had to change his face, Cobra erased his memories so that he could live a normal life. That worked for about a year, during which he not only slowly figured out that he was Cobra, but he didn’t suck at it while he was learning either. Cobra gets the job done; no matter what the job is. He’s guaranteed to stumble for two seconds, and then win at whatever he’s doing. It’s like watching a Sean Connery Bond film; you just don’t ever expect him to lose.

 

 

#1; Kenshiro (Fist of the Blue Sky)

Kenshiro Kasumi, profound bookworm and professor. Sensory powers great enough to smell someone’s presence from a piece of chalk; and gets away with all the ladies. Quite literally all. In addition to great eyesight, photographic memory, and other such marvelous feats, it would be wise not to get in his way. Oh, I also forgot to mention, he is a master of Hokuto Shinken. What probably makes him even more interesting is how human he is. Extremely moved by the actions of any man, especially the actions of his friends, Kenshiro will not stand to see anything bad happen to them; using his powers to either the smallest extents, or the greatest extremes. Aptly fitted with the nickname “Demon of Hell”, he is known across China and Japan as a force to be reckoned with; a man that no man with evil intentions should ever tempt, let  alone come across. With a technique for every occasion, and a large foray of pressure points to choose from, Kenshiro can (and probably has) light a cigarette on a man’s forehead, and kill him before breathing in a draft.

Otaku Talk 1; “Major2Hand”

Actual Photograph of interviewee

Recently I had the esteemed pleasure of sitting down with a gentleman who was willing to share with me some of his thoughts and experiences on the anime and manga fandom from the eyes of someone recently inducted into the subculture. Major2Hand (who will hence forth be referred to as M2H) is no stranger to anime being introduced to it like most of us through Toonami and other basic cable programs, however, he only recently got into the wide and wonderful world of the anime fan community about three years ago and there was much about his experiences and his initial impression of the entire subculture that he was more than willing to share with me. Now, with his permission, I shall like to share these experiences with you as well. Please enjoy what I hope to be the first of many Otaku Talks, with my friend Major2Hand.

“I have yet to find a swing that mimics the absolute perfection of Mio Isurugi’s swing in the opening of MM! Just thinking about it makes me hard!”

Major2Hand is a self-proclaimed Baseball anime Otaku with a solid appreciation for Rom-Com and Slice of Life anime as well. Some of his favorite titles include Mitsudomoe, Major, Ano Hana, FLCL, Black Lagoon, High School Of The Dead and DBZ.

Interview Begins after the jump

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Comics of the week

You know what, from now on I’mma just do two random comics a week.

The first comic on my list of comics this week is ‘Sandra and Woo’ by Powree and Oliver Knörzer. My take on Sandra and Woo is that it’s a more video game-centric, less kiddy version of Calvin and Hobbes. So for those who love standard comics, this is a great gateway drug comic for you to read. I personally started reading it on Friday, and have been reading it like wildfire since.

The second comic to which I will refer is Dageki Joi Saori, or Batting Dr. Saori. It’s a medical (hardly) gag manga revolving around a female doctor who beats a cure into her patients. Literally. The art is very well done, and the jokes are very physical so their hard not to get.

That wraps up my post for this week, and by the end of the week on my own blog, I’ll have my half-season’s reviews up. See you!

Manga/Manhwa of the Week x 2

I was planning to post a recommendation for a manga or manhwa every week since last week. But I was so head over pants last week that I didn’t get a chance to write either here, or on my my own blog.

Manwha recommendation from last week.

Dr. Frost is a manwha by Lee Jong-bum about professional psychology. The beginning has a very interesting angle that starts off in a bar scene. If you don’t like it there, you may not like the rest of the series, but I’d stick with it anyway simply to see if the rest of ‘Gregory-House-type’ psychology appeals to you.

The second manwha on the list is an oldie, but rather goodie

Veritas is a collaborative fighter manhwa by Joon-shik Yoon, and Dong-hoon Kim. Ma Kangryong was a normal middle school student in a one sided fight, when all of a sudden, a martial arts master comes from no where to save him. Psyched, Kangryong tries to bolster the man into taking him in as a disciple. He does so almost half heartedly, and takes Kangryong in as a student of the Embodiement of Lightning and Thunder, (painfully abbreviated from the first chapter on as EOTL). Kangryong eventually masters the basics of his training only to learn of the death of his master. Kangryong sets off to a school called Reunion, full of high level fighters in order to avenge his master’s death.

Both of these, to me, are great reads. Dr. Frost is good for those who love comics that don’t always have to do with fighting, but export the same amount of drama. Veritas is good for those who read comics like The Breaker, and get pissed by how slow it updates. Either way, they’re both good for something, and worth the time, in my opinion.