935 Meat Boys.

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It’s kind of hard to tell who’s making a deal with the devil in this scenario. Reggie actually has a healthy respect for how dangerous Carol can be, at least in so far as he is capable, but he underestimates her much like he underestimates everyone.

Finally saw The Avengers. Enjoyed it in spite of seeing it on the worst screen ever. I look forward to seeing it on my television which, though it has no brain to speak of, is capable of flawlessly displaying any media I give it. I like that the kicker wasn’t clear at the end of the credits. Having to wait for one while the whole place is emptying out is annoying. I don’t see much point in talking about it further because, based on how much money it made, chances are you’ve all seen it twice already.

I’ve been watching Game Center CX while I work. Every so often they show a Japan only game that looks so neat I can’t understand how it didn’t get ported over here. I guess they suspected that America wasn’t willing to play most of them. It’s a shame though. These days a person can fairly easily import even old games, but I’d rather play them in my native tongue. Not that I’ve never imported games and been able to get the gist of things. It just seperates you from the narrative.

I still have 2 import games that I can think of. One of them is a Dragonball Z game that eventually got translated durring the craze that swept America when Cartoon Network finally started showing the dubs. Ultimate Battle 22 I think it is. I actually really liked it because it really captured the feel of the fights as they happen in the show. I don’t know if they ever managed to get it right in the new games, but they hadn’t in any of the ones I played. There was about a new one a week there for a while. I really disliked the randomness of some of the leveling stuff in those. They seemed like a way to force you to play the game long after you were sick of it. Which, for me, was about 30 minutes, if I’m kind.

The other is one of the Ranma 1/2 games. I actually altered my original SNES to play it. Which only ammounted to cutting off 2 plastic tabs, but still, for me that was quite a leap. I really took care of my stuff when I was a kid. Anyway I think it was Ranma 1/2: Chougi Ranbu Hen, which I did not like as much as Hard Battle. It’s my understanding that they intended to release a sequel to Hard Battle in the states, but it was cancelled when the first game sold poorly. Not hard to see why since most people look at you funny if you bring it up. I still don’t think I’ve ever met a person who played it. I actually got the first Ranma collection by sending away for it with a form that was in the box. Which seems so old fashioned now, even to me.

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You know there were two kickers, right?

I heard as much, but I wouldn’t have been able to see shit anyway. The crappy theatre turns the house lights up 2 seconds after the credits roll. I could barely even see the first one. It’ll be on the DVD anyway.

Aww, it’s lame that they do that! Well, it’s not a story-revealer at least, just for fun. We also had an entirely empty theatre – either no one knew or no one cared that there were extra bits at the end. I always feel like standing up and making an announcement or something, but I never do.

That’s alright. I go to a pretty decent theater and they still turn the house lights on once the credits start. It’s like nobody told them that the credits are actually part of the movie.

A few years ago, the theatre I frequented turned the house lights up as the credits rolled. I loudly proclaimed I was headed for the manager for a refund. About 20 people followed me. I told the manager that for the price they charged for tickets, I paid for the whole movie including the credits. We all got refunds. That was the last time they turned the house lights up before the credits finished. Last thing a theatre manager wants is LOUD unhappy customers. It’s your money. You’ve got a say in your theatre experience.

I still don’t know why the rest of the world didn’t get the second kicker, but we didn’t. I’ve seen it on YouTube now though – the first one was the important one.

I loved Ranma ½ Hard Battle. I think it was the first fighting game I ever played that had characters with double jumps. I’m a big Rumiko Takahashi fan, mostly because of her work in Ranma, which led me to discover Urusei Yatsura & Maison Ikkoku.

I’m adamantly studying Japanese for purpose of playing a few games I’ve yet to see translated as I’d like, for new games that won’t come here, and for the value of learning more things, so I certainly understand the irritation of good games not sent here (Like that the Wizardry series, rather unpopular in America now, is still going fairly strong in Japan… it’s in fact my first import (Wizardry: Empire) in which I’m learning to read a bit.)

As a side note, I despise a lot of things about Japan, and it’s frustrating that people think I’m a japanophile, because I really dislike collectivist societies…

So is Hard Battle a good game? I saw it recently at a used game shop and was thinking of getting it. I was kinda surprised, actually….I didn’t think Ranma 1/2 had come over to the states in any form to warrent a game on the SNES back then.

For some reason, Autopager turns this comic into an endless loop. Not complaining. ” Quiet as a kitten’s paw and twice as soft.” Talk about a mental picture. Unlike a kitten, I hope she can sheath her claws occasionally.

Local game shop has a copy of Hard Battle. I was tempted to get it, y’know, for nostalgia’s sake. Of course the first place I heard of it was in a gaming magazine, which mentioned Ranma, which lead to my never being able to find a copy anyway, which lead to my eventual forgetting it for the most part.

Incidentally, they also have an NES Metal Gear in pristine condition.

Vintage, baby!

Well. I’ve been rationing the archives and it took me nearly four days to read all the way through. Now I have to wait like everyone else. I love your writing – you have great insights for someone that sounds pretty young. I look forward to following always…

I really hope the “for someone that sounds pretty young” didn’t strike you as condescending. I’m pretty OLD, myself, and seeing your wisdom expressed through your characters is most impressive.

BTW .. I’m a little in love with Brooksie.
..and Nina.
..and Carol.

Didn’t bother me at all. I’m in my 30s actually, so I’m young or old depending on what side of that divide the person commenting is on. I’m very immatire for my age though.

Anyway, having a crush on the girls is natural. They are adorable.

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