Enough about memories and story, let’s talk about what makes a video game great; the game play.
By just glancing at the surface “Breath of Fire 3” looks and feels like a generic JRPG. The player selects a party of three characters and encounters enemies at random while walking across the game world. Select an attack command or defensive strategy and continue to do so until you level up. Repeat these processes until you are in a comfortable position to trounce all over the corpses of the next horde of minions within a dungeon or until you feel confident enough to defeat the next boss encounter by merely breathing on them.
True, “Breath of Fire 3” does borrow heavily from tried and true methods but it manages to spice things up with several unique characteristics that are entirely distinctive to the game.
When walking around the world map the player does not encounter enemies at random. Instead the game allows the player the option of entering an instanced battle area where they can walk about and engage with enemies. From here it’s pretty basic, although within each of these personal battle areas awaits a free item for the player to pick up outside of combat as well as several rocks and trees that they can abuse for some spare coin. As soon as the player grows tired of the constant murdering they can choose to leave the area and even set up camp before continuing on with their quest. The camp allows for a quick rest to restore health and mana while also providing the opportunity to communicate with party members to see what they have to say about the current circumstances that surround them in the story.
These options are immensely satisfying as they allow the player to control the game at a level that is comfortable for their play style. While dungeons still demand that the player engage the enemies, on the map field it’s totally up to the person holding the control pad whether or not they want to kill a few more baddies for that extra experience needed to level or snag up some spare money to purchase that shiny new shield. Also, allowing for a spot to rest without the need for an inn and giving the PC the chance to sit down and learn a thing or two about the various stragglers that are picked up on the adventure is an interesting feature that gives a bit more heart to the overall experience. When you as the player are capable of taking a moment to speak with your squad mates, it gives an uncanny sense of intimacy that is often sorely lacking in these kinds of titles. Of course in this post-Bioware world, the idea of talking to your various party members is a staple rather than a far cry; however this was something unheard in the late ‘90s console market that offered a whole new level of play for the person who was interested in the various roleplaying aspects of video games.
When the player wasn’t fighting baddies, setting up tent to satisfy a quick late-night s’mores craving, or entering the next plot point destination, they could also try their hands at fishing. Fishing and hunting was always a feature that had been implemented into previous “Breath of Fire” titles, but here they went the distance. Regrettably, the developers elected to remove the hunting feature all together but in its place they beefed up the fishing game to a level that still holds up today as one of the best mini-game time-sink exercises.
Upon entering a fishing spot the player would have to select a particular rod and bait. Each rod had its own strengths and weaknesses ranging from how far it could cast to how much tension the line could hold before it broke. The bait did various things: some would float while others sank. Certain fish were attracted to specific kinds of bait. If the angler was inclined to truly master the art of reeling in the catch of the day, they could also memorize movement patterns that would entice the fish by moving the bait in very precise motions. Different locations around the globe had different fish so it was important to try them all.
For the most part the fish themselves weren’t all that useful. Some could be eaten for health, while others were poisonous and could debilitate the enemy. The most common use for fish was currency. There just so happened to be a savvy fish merchant in the game that would shell out fantastic equipment in exchange for a handful of rare fish. As a result, fishing became incredibly addictive as the rewards were oftentimes better than what could be purchased or found anywhere else. This is a rare phenomenon in games when the mini game offered such a substantial benefit to the player; usually mini games are nothing more than an annoying method of diverting the player’s attention away from the core game mechanics to fool them into thinking they are getting more value from an otherwise shallow 40 hours of play.
Fishing and world travel aside the developers over at Capcom also provided a pretty elaborate and complex level of character development to the game as well. Many of the characters had unique powers that no other character could emulate: Peco could regenerate his health and had a high counter-attack rate and Rei could transform into an almost uncontrollable weretiger. The show stealer however was Ryu, the main character. Sticking to tradition, Ryu could transform into a dragon during combat but with “Breath of Fire 3” they offered a whole new level of customization to this feature.
While traveling the world the player would discover dragon orbs, small spheres that would bestow power to Ryu during a dragon fusion. Some would add electrical damage to his attacks, others would bolster his ability to defend or attack. Whenever Ryu wished to perform a transformation he could select up to three of these artifacts and depending on the combination it would change both Ryu’s abilities and physical appearance. A player could for example junction together a fire orb with the warrior orb and magic orb to create a melee character that could channel fire magic through his attacks. Of course with all this power at the tips of the fingers comes a cost. Remaining in dragon form constantly requires mana upkeep which is removed at the end of each turn of combat for an amount based on which orbs were assigned to the transformation. Once the mana was gone, Ryu would revert back to normal. This is easily one of the cleverest ideas for combat diversity seen in any game and it was balanced enough to still challenge the player by requiring the right combination of dragon abilities for each boss encounter.
The final element of the game that truly deserves mentioning is the master system. Throughout the game the player encounters legendary fighters who are willing to train each of the characters as they advance in level. Before receiving any tutelage from these great sages, the player must first perform a task for them like giving a charitable donation or becoming a legendary fisherman. Once the master opened his doors to the idea of training an apprentice the game picks up in a way that can only be matched with MMOs in the scale of character customization.
When training under a master the player’s stats would be altered. Whenever they level up they gain a benefit to specific stats while also possibly taking a penalty to others. The great lumberjack Bunyan can teach a player to be hardier by bolstering attack, defense, and maximum health but comes at the cost of lowered intelligence and mana pool. After leveling up several times under one master’s discipline you can return to them and have them teach you a new trick or power to be used in combat. Once learned they can be swapped between party members provided you have access to your journal and have a spare skill ink handy.
At the time, this level of character progression only existed in “Breath of Fire 3”; even today most console RPGs shy away from such tricky methods of manipulating the statistics of the playable characters. MMORPGs allow various tweaks and modifications to the player’s avatar, but for a console title this is still a radically original concept. Being able to bolster an already proficient magic user’s magic score OR augmenting their weaker physical stats is a brilliant concept that gives the player a true sense of ownership, making each play through unlike any other.
“Breath of Fire 3” was a game made for the obsessive compulsive. By opening the flood gates and setting the player loose in an open room filled with all the tools they needed to create a truly unique experience, they were setting the standards for all RPGs to come. They even managed to make all the various game play features fun to boot! After all, what’s the point in catching some fish if it ain’t fun? Especially when there is no booze involved.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
"Breath of Fire 3" - part 2
The heart and soul of most RPGs is the story. Many fans of the genre will argue that it’s the story that compels them to continue on through the lengthy 40+ hours of game play. Long before I was able to write in cursive or even tie my shoe laces for that matter, critics proclaimed that RPGs were the equivalent to watching a movie in which you had complete control over the actions of the heroes. In today’s gaming market, RPGs have less of a stranglehold on the cinematic department, in fact most games factor in story before beginning development. However, we mustn’t forget that RPGs were the brave pioneers of strange frontiers well over a decade ago and it was their impact that shaped the paradigm of things to come.
“Breath of Fire 3” is no light-weight in the story department, although at first glance it can come off as a bit unimpressive when compared to other classics being released at the time such as “Final Fantasy 7”. Many have dismissed “Breath of Fire 3” as nothing more than junk food fiction. The characters are basic and even return to a primitive level of old-school game design which seemed to be the very anti-thesis of the Playstation era model. For those who look deeper and see past the subtle narrative imperfections, what will be revealed is a clever title that screams the word “epic” in every sense of the word.
As is par for the course, “Breath of Fire 3” has the player in the shoes of the eponymous Ryu, a blue haired silent protagonist who just so happens to be the last remaining dragon on earth. Given the unusual situation Ryu finds himself in, he of course sets off on a quest of discovery to learn a bit more about himself and a little bit about the nature of the world in which the story unfolds.
From a very myopic vantage point, this all sounds cliché and generic, and that’s partially because the game IS a redundant retelling of several tired role playing themes. What set “Breath of Fire 3” apart from the rest though are its tone and the way it subtly shifts focus as the player progresses.
From the beginning, the character controls Ryu as a little boy and in these early adolescent hours of play time he comes across as a timid, vulnerable, and completely directionless. When in battle he swings his sword in a cowardly way, he is reluctant to engage in anything that may potentially be dangerous, and he’s a completely believable and sympathetic character for doing so.
Ryu starts off as an orphan who only manages to survive because he is discovered by two other orphan boys who take him in and show him the ropes of rogue survival tactics. While living with the boys named Rei and Teepo, the audience is treated to a capricious little misadventure revolving around the unethical yet ultimately harmless actions of a group of childhood thieves. Not willing to completely commit itself to this ethos and as a slight foreshadowing to the audience of things to come, there are decidedly dark moments that call into question the moral ambiguity of law, the balance of nature, and the things people do in order to survive. Despite these lukewarm proceedings, the game plays it all fairly tongue-in-cheek, perhaps in an effort to soften the player’s emotions in time for the first major plot twist to occur.
After several hours of goofing around and experiencing the world through the eyes of an innocent scoundrel, a harsh repercussion emerges as a direct result of their earlier actions. The boys are attacked and left for dead with only Ryu being discovered the following day. Suddenly the world becomes dangerous. In the blink of an eye, the world goes from limitless joy to crushing despair. Being burdened with the difficult realization that it was his own actions that caused this catastrophe, Ryu must walk away from this tragedy fully aware of the fact that his presence in the world will alter the lives of those around him. Never the less, persistent in his belief that they are still alive and well he sets off to find them; alone but none the less wiser.
This first stage of the adventure is structured to give the player a sense that things will change and to remind them that they are in for a grandiose quest. By starting off with the young Ryu and having the player live through the aimless stages of youth it allows the game ample time to set the stage for dire reasoning to thrust the hero into action.
As Ryu takes for the road in search of his friends his dragon powers slowly begin to manifest themselves. Suddenly, the journey to uncover the whereabouts of his friends takes a back seat when his secret dragon heritage can no longer remain concealed. He becomes an enemy to the world and the target of many people who would use him to gain fame and fortune. But he is not alone.
As he wanders from location to location he discovers new friends who do not judge him for what he is. Other kind spirits who want to help him learn the truth about his powers and why the dragons went extinct in the first place.
The adventure continues in this fashion well up until the end of the game, but it does so at a remarkable pace. With each new locale and destination set before the adventuring party, new discoveries and mysteries unearth themselves that surround the unusual circumstances of both Ryu’s Dragon ancestry and the people of the world in which they live.
Surprisingly, the game spans a time of about 10 years from start to finish. Unlike a lot of stories that focus on a very narrow time frame, “Breath of Fire 3” gives the player the sense that you are actually playing through the characters’ entire lives. By beginning with innocence and slowly compounding the plot with additional layers of complexity and having that mirror the actual development of the characters as they age and mature naturally causes the player to become deeply and emotionally invested in their outcomes.
To punctuate the brilliance of the story’s architecture, the game bombards the player with hints of things to come and constantly feels a need to question the actions of all sentient beings, including the gods, and force them to confront the decisions they make. In no ways is “Breath of Fire 3” a story that a person can play from start to finish and walk away from without having their own ideology be challenged.
The final confrontation of the game is cleverly bitter sweet. Regardless of the outcome, the player is faced with the painful knowledge that what they have done will in fact hurt the world, while still insisting that it was in fact the right thing to do all along. Rarely are stories able to produce such an interesting dichotomy of conflicting interests, yet here it is. For what it’s worth, “Breath of Fire 3” succeeds because it knows what it’s asking of the audience. The game is well aware of the unusual request it demands from its player, but it also knows how to make you care. By having the player experience the entire life of Ryu, from fledgling naïve boy to battle-hardened determined adult, the player is given every reason to empathize with Ryu’s plight and fully support his decision while simultaneously calling into question their own moral standards.
“Breath of Fire 3” is no light-weight in the story department, although at first glance it can come off as a bit unimpressive when compared to other classics being released at the time such as “Final Fantasy 7”. Many have dismissed “Breath of Fire 3” as nothing more than junk food fiction. The characters are basic and even return to a primitive level of old-school game design which seemed to be the very anti-thesis of the Playstation era model. For those who look deeper and see past the subtle narrative imperfections, what will be revealed is a clever title that screams the word “epic” in every sense of the word.
As is par for the course, “Breath of Fire 3” has the player in the shoes of the eponymous Ryu, a blue haired silent protagonist who just so happens to be the last remaining dragon on earth. Given the unusual situation Ryu finds himself in, he of course sets off on a quest of discovery to learn a bit more about himself and a little bit about the nature of the world in which the story unfolds.
From a very myopic vantage point, this all sounds cliché and generic, and that’s partially because the game IS a redundant retelling of several tired role playing themes. What set “Breath of Fire 3” apart from the rest though are its tone and the way it subtly shifts focus as the player progresses.
From the beginning, the character controls Ryu as a little boy and in these early adolescent hours of play time he comes across as a timid, vulnerable, and completely directionless. When in battle he swings his sword in a cowardly way, he is reluctant to engage in anything that may potentially be dangerous, and he’s a completely believable and sympathetic character for doing so.
Ryu starts off as an orphan who only manages to survive because he is discovered by two other orphan boys who take him in and show him the ropes of rogue survival tactics. While living with the boys named Rei and Teepo, the audience is treated to a capricious little misadventure revolving around the unethical yet ultimately harmless actions of a group of childhood thieves. Not willing to completely commit itself to this ethos and as a slight foreshadowing to the audience of things to come, there are decidedly dark moments that call into question the moral ambiguity of law, the balance of nature, and the things people do in order to survive. Despite these lukewarm proceedings, the game plays it all fairly tongue-in-cheek, perhaps in an effort to soften the player’s emotions in time for the first major plot twist to occur.
After several hours of goofing around and experiencing the world through the eyes of an innocent scoundrel, a harsh repercussion emerges as a direct result of their earlier actions. The boys are attacked and left for dead with only Ryu being discovered the following day. Suddenly the world becomes dangerous. In the blink of an eye, the world goes from limitless joy to crushing despair. Being burdened with the difficult realization that it was his own actions that caused this catastrophe, Ryu must walk away from this tragedy fully aware of the fact that his presence in the world will alter the lives of those around him. Never the less, persistent in his belief that they are still alive and well he sets off to find them; alone but none the less wiser.
This first stage of the adventure is structured to give the player a sense that things will change and to remind them that they are in for a grandiose quest. By starting off with the young Ryu and having the player live through the aimless stages of youth it allows the game ample time to set the stage for dire reasoning to thrust the hero into action.
As Ryu takes for the road in search of his friends his dragon powers slowly begin to manifest themselves. Suddenly, the journey to uncover the whereabouts of his friends takes a back seat when his secret dragon heritage can no longer remain concealed. He becomes an enemy to the world and the target of many people who would use him to gain fame and fortune. But he is not alone.
As he wanders from location to location he discovers new friends who do not judge him for what he is. Other kind spirits who want to help him learn the truth about his powers and why the dragons went extinct in the first place.
The adventure continues in this fashion well up until the end of the game, but it does so at a remarkable pace. With each new locale and destination set before the adventuring party, new discoveries and mysteries unearth themselves that surround the unusual circumstances of both Ryu’s Dragon ancestry and the people of the world in which they live.
Surprisingly, the game spans a time of about 10 years from start to finish. Unlike a lot of stories that focus on a very narrow time frame, “Breath of Fire 3” gives the player the sense that you are actually playing through the characters’ entire lives. By beginning with innocence and slowly compounding the plot with additional layers of complexity and having that mirror the actual development of the characters as they age and mature naturally causes the player to become deeply and emotionally invested in their outcomes.
To punctuate the brilliance of the story’s architecture, the game bombards the player with hints of things to come and constantly feels a need to question the actions of all sentient beings, including the gods, and force them to confront the decisions they make. In no ways is “Breath of Fire 3” a story that a person can play from start to finish and walk away from without having their own ideology be challenged.
The final confrontation of the game is cleverly bitter sweet. Regardless of the outcome, the player is faced with the painful knowledge that what they have done will in fact hurt the world, while still insisting that it was in fact the right thing to do all along. Rarely are stories able to produce such an interesting dichotomy of conflicting interests, yet here it is. For what it’s worth, “Breath of Fire 3” succeeds because it knows what it’s asking of the audience. The game is well aware of the unusual request it demands from its player, but it also knows how to make you care. By having the player experience the entire life of Ryu, from fledgling naïve boy to battle-hardened determined adult, the player is given every reason to empathize with Ryu’s plight and fully support his decision while simultaneously calling into question their own moral standards.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
"Breath of Fire 3" - part 1
Nostalgia is a strange mistress. We all love to reflect upon her with our own past experiences and joys; Holding them up on some imaginary pedestal of immaculacy while systematically excluding any sort of scrutiny or honest criticism of the subject in question. As a result we tend to have polarizing opinions regarding the issue and focus less on verifiable proof and instead chose to either love it or hate it based solely on what epoch it fell into when it made its influence on our lives.
As a nerd I struggle with this. Looking into the nearest Hot Topic store will shed some light even to the biggest neophyte of geek culture that there is a borderline disturbing amount of praise and worship given to the classic video game era of the ‘80s and ‘90s. I too love this time in gaming history because when put under the microscope there was a lot of ingenuity and creativity that emerged from the natural byproduct of the limitations in hardware.
Take classic series like “Super Mario Brothers” or “Mega Man”. The reason people put so much weight and reverence into these titles is because they were very original and are still immensely enjoyable today. The game play was quick, exciting, and still unique in the current age of gaming that has spawned in the 21st century. Give me a copy of “Mega Man 2” or “Super Mario Brothers 3” and I will still gladly sit down and be thoroughly entertained for hours as I replay games that somehow managed to master the quintessential elements of 2D platform gaming; setting the mark of excellence for future games while also remaining entirely unique and authentic to their own core design principles 25 years later.
However, being the hardened realist that I am, I also have to accept the reality that nostalgia brings with it an unhealthy level of stragglers. Icons that never were all that interesting or fun to begin with. Plastic diamonds being tossed into a pile of precious gems to confuse us into thinking they had some noble qualities. Sadly, aside from 2D platformers, one of my all time favorite genres of games simply were not that good in their infancy. Time to face facts, old school RPGs were awful.
I’ll give you all a moment to storm off to your private message boards to write a flame or even allow you the chance to vomit into your precious Boba Fett Collector’s helmet, a natural evolutionary response to eject all possible toxins from your body when in the presence of something unpleasant. Now that you’ve collected yourselves let’s get back on topic, shall we?
Early RPGs were nothing to really write home about. Unlike platformers which had a solid formula from the get go thanks to several creative genius’ working in the field at the time, RPGs tended to be nothing more than derivative, grind-happy regurgitations of Gary Gygax’s immensely revolutionary Dungeons and Dragon’s pen and paper role playing game. Instead of sculpting an ingenious adventure filled with constant perils from the young and over productive imaginations of adolescence, you had a new system of games that were constrained by what could be programmed into a computer. There were suddenly boundaries, but rather than finding safe passage and navigating around these limitations many of the earlier entries simply extracted all that didn’t work and left the disheveled remains of the gaming experience for the player to pick through like some starved wild dog.
The first titles to emerge in the “Ultima”, “Final Fantasy”, and “Dragon Quest” series all had this problem. They were much too obsessed with grinding levels with primitive combat systems and were more fixated with a character’s level than any other factor.
To be fair, the character’s level is still the ultimate defining factor in determining a player’s over all power, but I’d like to think that as the years progressed we discovered many alternatives to this that have only since grown to legendary feats of creativity. An RPG enthusiast can now appreciate the complexity of micro managing and min/maxing their character’s various attributes. We now understand that there is a level of game play hidden to most of the uninitiated buried within the menu systems. There is choice to truly do whatever we want, and while it will never trump the power of one’s own imagination and the zero boundaries approach that a tabletop RPG can deliver, we did learn that there are alternatives that a visual presentation can afford us that are sorely lacking with dice and miniatures.
This isn’t how everyone sees things though. Sometime around the end of the 20th century there was a slow movement of a boulder that would soon pick up enough momentum to avalanche the entire geek community into laboring under false impressions of geriatric titles. Whenever a new entry in the “Final Fantasy” series is released people will often pine for a return to the classic formula. The sad truth is that no matter how awful some of these modern RPGs tend to be, they are still light-years ahead of the Nintendo standards of the ‘80s. In fact, I suspect that many of the early RPGs are mistakenly lumped together with the SNES titles of the ‘90s. “Final Fantasy” 1-3 are, without a doubt, the weakest entries in the series. However, a strong argument CAN be made that perhaps the series was at its apex sometime in the 16-bit era with “Final Fantasies” 4-6, with 6 being the poster child for almost near perfection in capturing the very nature of the “Final Fantasy” experience. When you wash away all of the pretty memories it becomes clear that the real rose amongst briars was the Super Nintendo age leading into the Playstation era, a brief moment in time, but one that echoes loudly even today.
I could spend all this time recounting all the clever innovations that emerged from the mid to late ‘90s but I simply don’t have the patience to do so. Instead I will talk about a series that meant a lot to me and still does. This was a series that seemed to generate the very image of the scale being tipped from banality to cleverness; “Breath of Fire”.
The original “Breath of Fire” game was one that I recall renting at some point in elementary school. Having waded out into the waters of RPGs and dipped my feet to see whether or not it was inviting, I began braving deeper and deeper out into the pools of sword and sorcery until I was sucked into the undertow. These hackneyed, exceedingly boring titles were changing. With “Breath of Fire” I noticed a heavier emphasis on story, similar to several other RPG titles at the time. They weren’t overbearing, but they did have a lot more depth to them than the traditional “defeat evil forces to save kingdom” scenario. Furthermore, the combat was changed up. Each of the heroes had their own personalities and character traits. Gone were the mindless drones who accompanied you because you needed a healer in the party or someone to do extra spell damage, these individuals were being presented to us with a loving care. You could tell the creators wanted for the player to bond with them and bond we did.
To further emphasize this relationship, the characters played differently too. Beyond traditional RPG class structure, each character had access to abilities that utilized several key techniques which blurred the traditional expectations of character roles. The main character could turn into a dragon for Pete’s sake! Even outside of combat the various player avatars could perform signature field actions on the world map, something that had rarely been explored on console RPGs until that point.
“Breath of Fire” was great fun for its time but since it was on the cusp of the RPG climate change it mistakenly got lodged into the side of the older games and was therefore never truly remembered with much fondness. It wasn’t until years later when the game was rereleased on the Game Boy Advance that I had any interest in purchasing it. Even then the purchase was more or less done to round out my “Breath of Fire” collection and to erect the proud geek banner that proclaims I had beaten each entry in the series. Still, the seeds were sown with that first one and what grew was an obsession that showed potential once the sequel arrived.
I definitely remember it was Christmas time and by now the Super Nintendo age of video game classics was well on its way to becoming the stuff of legends. While reading an article in my beloved “Nintendo Power”, I was suddenly reminded of the existence of “Breath of Fire” when a sequel was announced. Being immersed deeply into RPG fanaticism I requested a copy from dear old Sandy Claws and I couldn’t have been more thrilled.
Games like “Earth Worm Jim 2” were put on the backburner as I tore through “Breath of Fire 2” with great love and appreciation. In many ways it still carried many of the flaws from the first one, but all the revolutionary aspects of that first title were carried over and multiplied tenfold with the sequel. My expectations were shattered.
I was now playing a game where the characters had unique abilities, some of the characters were optional or hidden, picking the right gear wasn’t always as transparent as buying the newest stuff from the item shop or “Use water axe on fire demon” sort of thing. Players could micro manage a village with their spare time, go fishing, hunt some wild animals for spare resources, and even alter the events of the game by performing pivotal actions within the game’s major story events. The kind hearts over at Capcom even had the brilliant idea of introducing a system that allowed the player to fuse the spirits of shamans to their characters which not only altered their abilities but could radically change the characters’ overall play style and physical appearance if done properly. Best of all, it was challenging. Not challenging in the sense that older RPGs required the player to slay 1000 monsters and level up several times before beating the next boss. This game made you think, it made you bring the right party members for each encounter and it made you actually use the items in your inventory or be consciously aware of what trinket you had equipped and whether it was appropriate for the current battle. Even if you grinded a few levels you wouldn’t be guaranteed a victory if you played sloppy.
Perhaps the most intriguing element of “Breath of Fire 2”, an important factor in shaping the rest of the series, came from the plot. Unlike any game that I was familiar with at the time, this was a game focused on something taboo. The game openly criticized organized religious institutes and even questioned the behavior of gods. For a young boy with a frail mind, this was deep. Gone were the symbols of good and evil and in their place were moral ambiguities.
Needless to say I was floored. Never had I experienced something so great in my youth. I was completely enveloped in that game for a short period of my life and it meant a lot to me.
Years later when I finally got a Playstation (mostly to play the new RPG arrival at the time, “Final Fantasy 7”), I heard that a new “Breath of Fire” game was being released. I saw early shots and was confused. Despite the Playstation supporting 3D graphics, “Breath of Fire 3” relied on archaic sprites and had a classic design template that openly admitted to being a throwback to classic role playing, according to one add I saw in a game magazine.
Being naïve I had my doubts at first. After all, we lived in a post Final Fantasy 7 world where the savvy RPG was about breaking the envelope with futuristic steam-punk settings. As if I had a moment of clarity, I removed any sort of preconceived bias and decided to try it out. Call it sentimentality being stirred up from “Breath of Fire 2”, but I knew that I had to play the game.
I waited anxiously for my birthday to approach so that I could unwrap that gift and crack open the jewel case. What I played would forever haunt me as one of the greatest games I ever experienced.
As a nerd I struggle with this. Looking into the nearest Hot Topic store will shed some light even to the biggest neophyte of geek culture that there is a borderline disturbing amount of praise and worship given to the classic video game era of the ‘80s and ‘90s. I too love this time in gaming history because when put under the microscope there was a lot of ingenuity and creativity that emerged from the natural byproduct of the limitations in hardware.
Take classic series like “Super Mario Brothers” or “Mega Man”. The reason people put so much weight and reverence into these titles is because they were very original and are still immensely enjoyable today. The game play was quick, exciting, and still unique in the current age of gaming that has spawned in the 21st century. Give me a copy of “Mega Man 2” or “Super Mario Brothers 3” and I will still gladly sit down and be thoroughly entertained for hours as I replay games that somehow managed to master the quintessential elements of 2D platform gaming; setting the mark of excellence for future games while also remaining entirely unique and authentic to their own core design principles 25 years later.
However, being the hardened realist that I am, I also have to accept the reality that nostalgia brings with it an unhealthy level of stragglers. Icons that never were all that interesting or fun to begin with. Plastic diamonds being tossed into a pile of precious gems to confuse us into thinking they had some noble qualities. Sadly, aside from 2D platformers, one of my all time favorite genres of games simply were not that good in their infancy. Time to face facts, old school RPGs were awful.
I’ll give you all a moment to storm off to your private message boards to write a flame or even allow you the chance to vomit into your precious Boba Fett Collector’s helmet, a natural evolutionary response to eject all possible toxins from your body when in the presence of something unpleasant. Now that you’ve collected yourselves let’s get back on topic, shall we?
Early RPGs were nothing to really write home about. Unlike platformers which had a solid formula from the get go thanks to several creative genius’ working in the field at the time, RPGs tended to be nothing more than derivative, grind-happy regurgitations of Gary Gygax’s immensely revolutionary Dungeons and Dragon’s pen and paper role playing game. Instead of sculpting an ingenious adventure filled with constant perils from the young and over productive imaginations of adolescence, you had a new system of games that were constrained by what could be programmed into a computer. There were suddenly boundaries, but rather than finding safe passage and navigating around these limitations many of the earlier entries simply extracted all that didn’t work and left the disheveled remains of the gaming experience for the player to pick through like some starved wild dog.
The first titles to emerge in the “Ultima”, “Final Fantasy”, and “Dragon Quest” series all had this problem. They were much too obsessed with grinding levels with primitive combat systems and were more fixated with a character’s level than any other factor.
To be fair, the character’s level is still the ultimate defining factor in determining a player’s over all power, but I’d like to think that as the years progressed we discovered many alternatives to this that have only since grown to legendary feats of creativity. An RPG enthusiast can now appreciate the complexity of micro managing and min/maxing their character’s various attributes. We now understand that there is a level of game play hidden to most of the uninitiated buried within the menu systems. There is choice to truly do whatever we want, and while it will never trump the power of one’s own imagination and the zero boundaries approach that a tabletop RPG can deliver, we did learn that there are alternatives that a visual presentation can afford us that are sorely lacking with dice and miniatures.
This isn’t how everyone sees things though. Sometime around the end of the 20th century there was a slow movement of a boulder that would soon pick up enough momentum to avalanche the entire geek community into laboring under false impressions of geriatric titles. Whenever a new entry in the “Final Fantasy” series is released people will often pine for a return to the classic formula. The sad truth is that no matter how awful some of these modern RPGs tend to be, they are still light-years ahead of the Nintendo standards of the ‘80s. In fact, I suspect that many of the early RPGs are mistakenly lumped together with the SNES titles of the ‘90s. “Final Fantasy” 1-3 are, without a doubt, the weakest entries in the series. However, a strong argument CAN be made that perhaps the series was at its apex sometime in the 16-bit era with “Final Fantasies” 4-6, with 6 being the poster child for almost near perfection in capturing the very nature of the “Final Fantasy” experience. When you wash away all of the pretty memories it becomes clear that the real rose amongst briars was the Super Nintendo age leading into the Playstation era, a brief moment in time, but one that echoes loudly even today.
I could spend all this time recounting all the clever innovations that emerged from the mid to late ‘90s but I simply don’t have the patience to do so. Instead I will talk about a series that meant a lot to me and still does. This was a series that seemed to generate the very image of the scale being tipped from banality to cleverness; “Breath of Fire”.
The original “Breath of Fire” game was one that I recall renting at some point in elementary school. Having waded out into the waters of RPGs and dipped my feet to see whether or not it was inviting, I began braving deeper and deeper out into the pools of sword and sorcery until I was sucked into the undertow. These hackneyed, exceedingly boring titles were changing. With “Breath of Fire” I noticed a heavier emphasis on story, similar to several other RPG titles at the time. They weren’t overbearing, but they did have a lot more depth to them than the traditional “defeat evil forces to save kingdom” scenario. Furthermore, the combat was changed up. Each of the heroes had their own personalities and character traits. Gone were the mindless drones who accompanied you because you needed a healer in the party or someone to do extra spell damage, these individuals were being presented to us with a loving care. You could tell the creators wanted for the player to bond with them and bond we did.
To further emphasize this relationship, the characters played differently too. Beyond traditional RPG class structure, each character had access to abilities that utilized several key techniques which blurred the traditional expectations of character roles. The main character could turn into a dragon for Pete’s sake! Even outside of combat the various player avatars could perform signature field actions on the world map, something that had rarely been explored on console RPGs until that point.
“Breath of Fire” was great fun for its time but since it was on the cusp of the RPG climate change it mistakenly got lodged into the side of the older games and was therefore never truly remembered with much fondness. It wasn’t until years later when the game was rereleased on the Game Boy Advance that I had any interest in purchasing it. Even then the purchase was more or less done to round out my “Breath of Fire” collection and to erect the proud geek banner that proclaims I had beaten each entry in the series. Still, the seeds were sown with that first one and what grew was an obsession that showed potential once the sequel arrived.
I definitely remember it was Christmas time and by now the Super Nintendo age of video game classics was well on its way to becoming the stuff of legends. While reading an article in my beloved “Nintendo Power”, I was suddenly reminded of the existence of “Breath of Fire” when a sequel was announced. Being immersed deeply into RPG fanaticism I requested a copy from dear old Sandy Claws and I couldn’t have been more thrilled.
Games like “Earth Worm Jim 2” were put on the backburner as I tore through “Breath of Fire 2” with great love and appreciation. In many ways it still carried many of the flaws from the first one, but all the revolutionary aspects of that first title were carried over and multiplied tenfold with the sequel. My expectations were shattered.
I was now playing a game where the characters had unique abilities, some of the characters were optional or hidden, picking the right gear wasn’t always as transparent as buying the newest stuff from the item shop or “Use water axe on fire demon” sort of thing. Players could micro manage a village with their spare time, go fishing, hunt some wild animals for spare resources, and even alter the events of the game by performing pivotal actions within the game’s major story events. The kind hearts over at Capcom even had the brilliant idea of introducing a system that allowed the player to fuse the spirits of shamans to their characters which not only altered their abilities but could radically change the characters’ overall play style and physical appearance if done properly. Best of all, it was challenging. Not challenging in the sense that older RPGs required the player to slay 1000 monsters and level up several times before beating the next boss. This game made you think, it made you bring the right party members for each encounter and it made you actually use the items in your inventory or be consciously aware of what trinket you had equipped and whether it was appropriate for the current battle. Even if you grinded a few levels you wouldn’t be guaranteed a victory if you played sloppy.
Perhaps the most intriguing element of “Breath of Fire 2”, an important factor in shaping the rest of the series, came from the plot. Unlike any game that I was familiar with at the time, this was a game focused on something taboo. The game openly criticized organized religious institutes and even questioned the behavior of gods. For a young boy with a frail mind, this was deep. Gone were the symbols of good and evil and in their place were moral ambiguities.
Needless to say I was floored. Never had I experienced something so great in my youth. I was completely enveloped in that game for a short period of my life and it meant a lot to me.
Years later when I finally got a Playstation (mostly to play the new RPG arrival at the time, “Final Fantasy 7”), I heard that a new “Breath of Fire” game was being released. I saw early shots and was confused. Despite the Playstation supporting 3D graphics, “Breath of Fire 3” relied on archaic sprites and had a classic design template that openly admitted to being a throwback to classic role playing, according to one add I saw in a game magazine.
Being naïve I had my doubts at first. After all, we lived in a post Final Fantasy 7 world where the savvy RPG was about breaking the envelope with futuristic steam-punk settings. As if I had a moment of clarity, I removed any sort of preconceived bias and decided to try it out. Call it sentimentality being stirred up from “Breath of Fire 2”, but I knew that I had to play the game.
I waited anxiously for my birthday to approach so that I could unwrap that gift and crack open the jewel case. What I played would forever haunt me as one of the greatest games I ever experienced.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
New Post Tomorrow
No posts last week as I was busy getting all of my things packed up in preparation for a move. Tomorrow I will be posting part one of a blog concerning one of my favorite video games from my childhood. Which one, you ask? Can't tell ya. Check out the site tomorrow to find out.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Fashionably Late Reviews: "Hot Tub Time Machine"
A group of men are fast approaching their mid-life crisis. Coming to the painful realization that their lives are an endless droning of failures, self-loathing, and inevitable loneliness they get back together to spend a weekend partying at a ski resort where they spent some of their childhood. While enjoying a few drinks and the company of a few prostitutes in a hot tub, some faulty wiring and a wholesome dose of pseudo science sends them hurling back in time to the year 1986, which also happens to be the most pivotal time of their entire lives, one that would herald the future events to come unless they alter the space time continuum. If this plot intrigues you then you are clearly a fan of 1980’s comedies. Congratulations, drink the Cool-Aid and come aboard!
“Hot Tub Time Machine” is not so much a parody of the ‘80’s as it is a complete throwback to the sensibility of movies from that era. If you consider “Weird Science” and “Revenge of the Nerds” two of the greatest examples of cinematic hilarity then you are in luck because “Hot Tub Time Machine” was written for you!
There isn’t a whole lot to talk about here since reviewing comedies tends to lead to a lot of spoilers, so instead I’ll say this: see the friggin’ movie! I’m sitting here kicking myself for not watching it while it was still in theaters, although in my defense I tried but never got around to it. The jokes here are clever, gross, lude, and will go anywhere for a laugh, just the way I like it. Best of all, the movie doesn’t even stop to take a breather, once the hot tub kicks into play and the cast is hurled back in time it’s basically nonstop laughs until the credits start crawling.
This one goes highly recommended for all you ‘80s fans out there. Even if you don’t like the ‘80’s I still suggest you see this film, hell even if you despise the ‘80s you might as well see it since the better part of the movie is poking fun at the culture. Go ahead and grab a brew, call up some friends, and have a great time as you reminisce about the greatest decade of the 20th century.
Depeche Mode rules!
“Hot Tub Time Machine” is not so much a parody of the ‘80’s as it is a complete throwback to the sensibility of movies from that era. If you consider “Weird Science” and “Revenge of the Nerds” two of the greatest examples of cinematic hilarity then you are in luck because “Hot Tub Time Machine” was written for you!
There isn’t a whole lot to talk about here since reviewing comedies tends to lead to a lot of spoilers, so instead I’ll say this: see the friggin’ movie! I’m sitting here kicking myself for not watching it while it was still in theaters, although in my defense I tried but never got around to it. The jokes here are clever, gross, lude, and will go anywhere for a laugh, just the way I like it. Best of all, the movie doesn’t even stop to take a breather, once the hot tub kicks into play and the cast is hurled back in time it’s basically nonstop laughs until the credits start crawling.
This one goes highly recommended for all you ‘80s fans out there. Even if you don’t like the ‘80’s I still suggest you see this film, hell even if you despise the ‘80s you might as well see it since the better part of the movie is poking fun at the culture. Go ahead and grab a brew, call up some friends, and have a great time as you reminisce about the greatest decade of the 20th century.
Depeche Mode rules!
"Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" Review
The more I think about it, the more I’m beginning to understand just how much I love the work of Edgar Wright. Honestly, I’m about one good movie away from building a shrine in his honor and sacrificing virgins on a bi-weekly basis right after my World of Warcraft Raids. Edgar Wright is after all a director who speaks unswervingly to an audience like me, and he has a fantastic and detailed comprehension on film making that few directors can surpass.
Like most of you, I first became aware of Edgar Wright about half a decade ago when he released the astonishing “Shaun of the Dead”, and for what it’s worth “Shaun of the Dead” is and probably will remain the most impressive zombie movie of the current era of cinema. What made the movie so spectacular was its context. Here was a, movie that is ostensibly a romantic comedy wedged into a zombie apocalypse title. Throw in the ever funny stylings of British comedy, and you have pure cinematic gold.
Wright followed up “Shaun of the Dead” with the highly anticipated “Hot Fuzz”, a bizarre tribute film to all the buddy action flicks of the ‘80’s and ‘90’s that inspired the now unbearable works of Michael Bay and Doug Liman. Similar to “Shaun of the Dead” the strength of “Hot Fuzz” came from the composition; this was an erudite study of the action comedy crammed within the banal setting of a suburban back waters British community with a healthy dash of conspiracy/cultist mystery. For what it’s worth, I will always point to this film as being the most impressive comedy of the past decade. As a matter of fact, I would even go as far as to say this ranks pretty high on the laugh-o-meter when I look at the entire canon of motion picture history.
The reason “Hot Fuzz” and to a lesser (but in no ways insulting) extent “Shaun of the Dead” are some of the best comedies to be released in recent memory is because Edgar Wright is first and foremost of student of film. He gets it. This is a man who will take the time to study a particular genre of film/pop culture and find the most precise and poignant way to both satirize and embrace his subject matter. “Shaun of the Dead” at its heart is a zombie movie, and a good one I might add, that plays the laughs well because it understands what it is that keeps people coming back to zombie films in the first place. “Hot Fuzz” completely lampoons buddy action flicks but also has the time to compile some of the most over the top sequences that other directors can only dream of. Truly, Edgar Wright is a man after my own heart, and when I heard that he would be adapting a comic book based on geek pop culture all I could say was that I was sold.
Based on the increasingly popular comic book of the same name, “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World” is a off-set scanner darkly view into the world of nerds and hipsters as only Edgar Wright can tell us. Following the adventure of the titular character the story in a nut shell is about a directionless douche bag that’s too afraid to latch onto reality and would rather spend his time master the battle theme to Final fantasy II on his bass guitar. Stuck with a group of high school friends in a dead end band, dating an underage Asian school girl, and being so broke that he has to sleep in the same bed as his homo sexual roommate, Scott is not exactly the image of the Renaissance man. Life or rather fate decides to throw him a bone when he encounters the ever mysterious Ramona Flowers, an enigmatic girl with a bit of a cold shoulder. Once the chemistry between the two begins to flow, Scott quickly discovers that in order to make this relationship work he’s going to have to battle Ramona’s 7 evil Exes.
Now if you were following me up until that last sentence then congratulations, you are about as confused as the vast majority of the people who attended the same screening as I did. It’s also at this time you have to ask yourself a quick question. How much do you know about modern geek culture? Do you know what The Legend of Zelda is? Nah, that’s too easy. Do you know what The Warriors is? How about a bob-omb? Ever heard of balloon text or onomatopoeia? How about hammer space? Do you know anything about Flash Gordon? Confused yet, well this movie may not be your cup of tea but I would still encourage you to see it anyway. Why? Because it’s that good.
Edgar Wright is in full form with this movie as he snatches up every bit of nerd pop culture from video games, indie music, and anime and throws them together in a large crock pot and let’s them stew together until you get one of the tastiest eye pleasing experiences you’re bound to see for years. Again, what works here is the complete inundation of knowledge Wright has for the subject matter. Rather than take the easy way out and simply reference something that is popular in the manner that the incredibly untalented and unfunny Friedberg and Seltzer, Wright takes that reference and does something clever and fresh. You are bound to be barraged with so many references, some extremely subtle that you may miss a few, that I would argue it’s impossible to catch all of them even after multiple viewings as you’d have to be some sort of historian on the past 30 years of pop culture to make all the connections. This isn’t a bad thing though, in fact it’s one of the things I really like about Wright’s style of direction. The subtly. He never feels the need to throw a joke in your face and is actually quite comfortable with letting jokes fall in the background for people to scavenge for later. To me this demonstrates a great level of control in regards to the film making process and results in a much more enjoyable comedy.
“Scott Pilgrim” also has the unfortunate task of cramming several years’ worth of comic material into the length of a 2 hour movie and as we’ve seen in the past, this can cause lots of complications. Unlike the aborted messes that were “The Last Airbender” and “Watchmen”, “Scott Pilgrim” instead of mashing every conceivable plot thread into the narrative no matter how uncomfortably it sits, instead does some major surgery on the source material by removing all the parts that are unnecessary in a film translation and keeps the bare essentials. At first glance this may sound dangerous, but the leftovers are then reconstituted into a shape that works well within the movie and simultaneously manages to be radically different and yet completely faithful to the comic. Purists may poo poo this notion, but I can assure you that it has to be done.
Motion pictures and comic books are completely separate mediums; and while we’re at it, so are novels. For all the purists out there, no, it’s not possible to do a directly translation in MOST cases, and you’d have to be out of your mind to think otherwise. Novels are written as novels for a reason, same thing with comic book and movies. If you are going to do a port you need to make revisions to prevent it from being a complete garbled mess. Again, take a look at “The Last Airbender” if you doubt me.
Sadly, there’s also a rather large fringe group of nay sayers and nose turners who are going to dismiss this movie as being nothing more than a hipster flick featuring Michael Cera. Look, I’m not the biggest fan of hipster films either or Michael Cera for that matter, but you can’t let any sort of pre existing biases distort your opinions on a film you haven’t even seen yet. I find it strange that the same people who object to this sort of thing are the same group who three years ago came out of theaters rolling with laughter at “Superbad” and thought “Juno” was really deep. This isn’t anything new, but I’ve always thought it funny how you have the group of non conformists who unite against the popular opinions of the rest of society just so they can be different all while being the same.
Besides, similar to Wright’s previous outings this movie is in love with hipster culture just as much as it is poking fun at it. Regardless of whether or not you love or hate these people and this lifestyle, you’re bound to find something here that you’ll like.
Going back to Michael Cera’s performance I must admit I was surprised. Yes, on the surface he is playing an archetype that he has regurgitated over and over again, but there’s a surprising amount of emotion and depth that we haven’t seen from him in a long time. What makes the character of Scott Pilgrim work is that unlike the traditional nerd romantic comedy where the socially weird and shy guy convinces the attractive female lead to stop dating jerks and awakens her to the nice guy stereotype, we instead are treated to the shy, socially awkward, ass hole. On the surface Scott Pilgrim seems like a nice innocent guy, and deep in his heart he is trying to be that person, but in reality he is a self-centered, delusional kid who cheats on women and complains about everything. Still there is an honest effort at play here and the audience relates to Scott because we all went through that unusual period of our lives when we rejected the world.
In fact, that’s what the movie is really about. Forget the awesome action sequences and comedic timing for one moment and let’s focus on the two leads. This is a movie about emotional discovery; about kids who are becoming adults and essentially being faced with the challenges of “The World”. Scott’s adventure is one where he learns who he really is and what it is that he wants from life. Ramona is a woman who comes across as an ice queen while at the same time is emotionally torn with herself because she realizes that all of her evil Exes are justified in their revenge because she wronged them. This is something that may go over a handful of people’s heads’, but when you have kick ass comedy and visuals, who cares anyways?
The supporting cast needs some credit as well. All of the Evil Exes are spot on and are a lot of fun. When you have both Superman and Captain America playing a pretty boy who gets his powers from being a vegan and a completely self absorbed movie star respectively, you know you’re in for some great times. Scott’s high school friends and band mates are also quite funny, although their roles are extremely reserved and may not pop out at the audience as they are supposed to be a parody of the 20-something kids with an unhealthy malaise. Jason Swartzman, who gets a criminally short amount of time in this film, is phenomenal as the villain and having him be the king baddy of the ultimate hipster movie is perhaps one of the most poetic and sound decision any casting director has made in years.
The show stealer of the second tier actors has to be the girl playing Knives Chao. Her performance is so convincing that she eerily mirrors that real life fangirl that we all know and love/hate. What’s shocking about her character is that this sort of blind devotion and adolescent stupidity could really come across as annoying, but instead she becomes really endearing to the point that you actually hope she gets exactly what she wants out of life or at least goes through some sort of self reflection or metamorphosis along with Scott and Ramona.
Actors aside, the real treat here as I’ve been saying all along is Edgar Wright. His visual flare and complete command over every single frame of this film speaks miles for his skill as a director. In some strange alternate reality sort of way, this is the best video game, comic book, AND anime movie rolled into one. When you watch the fight scenes its astonishing how well they are framed and choreographed. There aren’t any kinds of frenetic edits that call into question how the shot was compiled; instead we are given glorious full framed battles that do a great job of hiding the fact that we are not actually watching Michael Cera engage in combat. The addition of all the video game and anime visuals woven directly into the film’s visual style help compliment the zaniness and cooky feel of the story we are being served.
I know it’s still a little early but I’ll go ahead and make the argument that this will probably be my favorite movie of the year. Not only is this yet another Edgar Wright movie made with the highest level of care, but it also happens to be focusing on several subjects that I hold dear to my heart. Never would I have imagined seeing such a perfect interpretation of a comic book that pays homage to the video games and anime that I grew up on. If you have a healthy love of music, games, and all things geek go see this movie now, you won’t have much time left as this movie was a commercial bomb opening at 5th place on its debut weekend. Sad times when a movie of this caliber is spurned, but you can make a difference; help support geeks and their ever rising global empire! Watch “Scott pilgrim vs. The World” now (and buy me a ticket too because I really want to see it again)!
Like most of you, I first became aware of Edgar Wright about half a decade ago when he released the astonishing “Shaun of the Dead”, and for what it’s worth “Shaun of the Dead” is and probably will remain the most impressive zombie movie of the current era of cinema. What made the movie so spectacular was its context. Here was a, movie that is ostensibly a romantic comedy wedged into a zombie apocalypse title. Throw in the ever funny stylings of British comedy, and you have pure cinematic gold.
Wright followed up “Shaun of the Dead” with the highly anticipated “Hot Fuzz”, a bizarre tribute film to all the buddy action flicks of the ‘80’s and ‘90’s that inspired the now unbearable works of Michael Bay and Doug Liman. Similar to “Shaun of the Dead” the strength of “Hot Fuzz” came from the composition; this was an erudite study of the action comedy crammed within the banal setting of a suburban back waters British community with a healthy dash of conspiracy/cultist mystery. For what it’s worth, I will always point to this film as being the most impressive comedy of the past decade. As a matter of fact, I would even go as far as to say this ranks pretty high on the laugh-o-meter when I look at the entire canon of motion picture history.
The reason “Hot Fuzz” and to a lesser (but in no ways insulting) extent “Shaun of the Dead” are some of the best comedies to be released in recent memory is because Edgar Wright is first and foremost of student of film. He gets it. This is a man who will take the time to study a particular genre of film/pop culture and find the most precise and poignant way to both satirize and embrace his subject matter. “Shaun of the Dead” at its heart is a zombie movie, and a good one I might add, that plays the laughs well because it understands what it is that keeps people coming back to zombie films in the first place. “Hot Fuzz” completely lampoons buddy action flicks but also has the time to compile some of the most over the top sequences that other directors can only dream of. Truly, Edgar Wright is a man after my own heart, and when I heard that he would be adapting a comic book based on geek pop culture all I could say was that I was sold.
Based on the increasingly popular comic book of the same name, “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World” is a off-set scanner darkly view into the world of nerds and hipsters as only Edgar Wright can tell us. Following the adventure of the titular character the story in a nut shell is about a directionless douche bag that’s too afraid to latch onto reality and would rather spend his time master the battle theme to Final fantasy II on his bass guitar. Stuck with a group of high school friends in a dead end band, dating an underage Asian school girl, and being so broke that he has to sleep in the same bed as his homo sexual roommate, Scott is not exactly the image of the Renaissance man. Life or rather fate decides to throw him a bone when he encounters the ever mysterious Ramona Flowers, an enigmatic girl with a bit of a cold shoulder. Once the chemistry between the two begins to flow, Scott quickly discovers that in order to make this relationship work he’s going to have to battle Ramona’s 7 evil Exes.
Now if you were following me up until that last sentence then congratulations, you are about as confused as the vast majority of the people who attended the same screening as I did. It’s also at this time you have to ask yourself a quick question. How much do you know about modern geek culture? Do you know what The Legend of Zelda is? Nah, that’s too easy. Do you know what The Warriors is? How about a bob-omb? Ever heard of balloon text or onomatopoeia? How about hammer space? Do you know anything about Flash Gordon? Confused yet, well this movie may not be your cup of tea but I would still encourage you to see it anyway. Why? Because it’s that good.
Edgar Wright is in full form with this movie as he snatches up every bit of nerd pop culture from video games, indie music, and anime and throws them together in a large crock pot and let’s them stew together until you get one of the tastiest eye pleasing experiences you’re bound to see for years. Again, what works here is the complete inundation of knowledge Wright has for the subject matter. Rather than take the easy way out and simply reference something that is popular in the manner that the incredibly untalented and unfunny Friedberg and Seltzer, Wright takes that reference and does something clever and fresh. You are bound to be barraged with so many references, some extremely subtle that you may miss a few, that I would argue it’s impossible to catch all of them even after multiple viewings as you’d have to be some sort of historian on the past 30 years of pop culture to make all the connections. This isn’t a bad thing though, in fact it’s one of the things I really like about Wright’s style of direction. The subtly. He never feels the need to throw a joke in your face and is actually quite comfortable with letting jokes fall in the background for people to scavenge for later. To me this demonstrates a great level of control in regards to the film making process and results in a much more enjoyable comedy.
“Scott Pilgrim” also has the unfortunate task of cramming several years’ worth of comic material into the length of a 2 hour movie and as we’ve seen in the past, this can cause lots of complications. Unlike the aborted messes that were “The Last Airbender” and “Watchmen”, “Scott Pilgrim” instead of mashing every conceivable plot thread into the narrative no matter how uncomfortably it sits, instead does some major surgery on the source material by removing all the parts that are unnecessary in a film translation and keeps the bare essentials. At first glance this may sound dangerous, but the leftovers are then reconstituted into a shape that works well within the movie and simultaneously manages to be radically different and yet completely faithful to the comic. Purists may poo poo this notion, but I can assure you that it has to be done.
Motion pictures and comic books are completely separate mediums; and while we’re at it, so are novels. For all the purists out there, no, it’s not possible to do a directly translation in MOST cases, and you’d have to be out of your mind to think otherwise. Novels are written as novels for a reason, same thing with comic book and movies. If you are going to do a port you need to make revisions to prevent it from being a complete garbled mess. Again, take a look at “The Last Airbender” if you doubt me.
Sadly, there’s also a rather large fringe group of nay sayers and nose turners who are going to dismiss this movie as being nothing more than a hipster flick featuring Michael Cera. Look, I’m not the biggest fan of hipster films either or Michael Cera for that matter, but you can’t let any sort of pre existing biases distort your opinions on a film you haven’t even seen yet. I find it strange that the same people who object to this sort of thing are the same group who three years ago came out of theaters rolling with laughter at “Superbad” and thought “Juno” was really deep. This isn’t anything new, but I’ve always thought it funny how you have the group of non conformists who unite against the popular opinions of the rest of society just so they can be different all while being the same.
Besides, similar to Wright’s previous outings this movie is in love with hipster culture just as much as it is poking fun at it. Regardless of whether or not you love or hate these people and this lifestyle, you’re bound to find something here that you’ll like.
Going back to Michael Cera’s performance I must admit I was surprised. Yes, on the surface he is playing an archetype that he has regurgitated over and over again, but there’s a surprising amount of emotion and depth that we haven’t seen from him in a long time. What makes the character of Scott Pilgrim work is that unlike the traditional nerd romantic comedy where the socially weird and shy guy convinces the attractive female lead to stop dating jerks and awakens her to the nice guy stereotype, we instead are treated to the shy, socially awkward, ass hole. On the surface Scott Pilgrim seems like a nice innocent guy, and deep in his heart he is trying to be that person, but in reality he is a self-centered, delusional kid who cheats on women and complains about everything. Still there is an honest effort at play here and the audience relates to Scott because we all went through that unusual period of our lives when we rejected the world.
In fact, that’s what the movie is really about. Forget the awesome action sequences and comedic timing for one moment and let’s focus on the two leads. This is a movie about emotional discovery; about kids who are becoming adults and essentially being faced with the challenges of “The World”. Scott’s adventure is one where he learns who he really is and what it is that he wants from life. Ramona is a woman who comes across as an ice queen while at the same time is emotionally torn with herself because she realizes that all of her evil Exes are justified in their revenge because she wronged them. This is something that may go over a handful of people’s heads’, but when you have kick ass comedy and visuals, who cares anyways?
The supporting cast needs some credit as well. All of the Evil Exes are spot on and are a lot of fun. When you have both Superman and Captain America playing a pretty boy who gets his powers from being a vegan and a completely self absorbed movie star respectively, you know you’re in for some great times. Scott’s high school friends and band mates are also quite funny, although their roles are extremely reserved and may not pop out at the audience as they are supposed to be a parody of the 20-something kids with an unhealthy malaise. Jason Swartzman, who gets a criminally short amount of time in this film, is phenomenal as the villain and having him be the king baddy of the ultimate hipster movie is perhaps one of the most poetic and sound decision any casting director has made in years.
The show stealer of the second tier actors has to be the girl playing Knives Chao. Her performance is so convincing that she eerily mirrors that real life fangirl that we all know and love/hate. What’s shocking about her character is that this sort of blind devotion and adolescent stupidity could really come across as annoying, but instead she becomes really endearing to the point that you actually hope she gets exactly what she wants out of life or at least goes through some sort of self reflection or metamorphosis along with Scott and Ramona.
Actors aside, the real treat here as I’ve been saying all along is Edgar Wright. His visual flare and complete command over every single frame of this film speaks miles for his skill as a director. In some strange alternate reality sort of way, this is the best video game, comic book, AND anime movie rolled into one. When you watch the fight scenes its astonishing how well they are framed and choreographed. There aren’t any kinds of frenetic edits that call into question how the shot was compiled; instead we are given glorious full framed battles that do a great job of hiding the fact that we are not actually watching Michael Cera engage in combat. The addition of all the video game and anime visuals woven directly into the film’s visual style help compliment the zaniness and cooky feel of the story we are being served.
I know it’s still a little early but I’ll go ahead and make the argument that this will probably be my favorite movie of the year. Not only is this yet another Edgar Wright movie made with the highest level of care, but it also happens to be focusing on several subjects that I hold dear to my heart. Never would I have imagined seeing such a perfect interpretation of a comic book that pays homage to the video games and anime that I grew up on. If you have a healthy love of music, games, and all things geek go see this movie now, you won’t have much time left as this movie was a commercial bomb opening at 5th place on its debut weekend. Sad times when a movie of this caliber is spurned, but you can make a difference; help support geeks and their ever rising global empire! Watch “Scott pilgrim vs. The World” now (and buy me a ticket too because I really want to see it again)!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
What's New With Feudal Cactus?
Glad you asked. Been a little busy over in the homestead but i have a lot of things planned. Tomorrow I'll be posting a review of Scott Pilgrim and Hot Tub Time Machine. I have a lot to talk about with both of those movies, especially Scott Pilgrim in light of some recent events that have come to my attention.
After that I'm going to post a series of video game articles. I realized that I've been devoting way too much time to movie articles and have neglected some of my other passions. Look forward to a comic entry or two as well.
Stay tuned true believers; and remember, for a good time, make it Suntory Times.
After that I'm going to post a series of video game articles. I realized that I've been devoting way too much time to movie articles and have neglected some of my other passions. Look forward to a comic entry or two as well.
Stay tuned true believers; and remember, for a good time, make it Suntory Times.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
With Apologies to Dragon Quest 9
What's with me and all the apologies tonight? Geez, maybe I'm losing my edge. Either way, it's late, I'm tired, and I've been meaning to write this piece for the last couple of days. Also, I have nothing else to write about at the moment. So deal with it, because you ain't getting anything until tomorrow evening or possibly Monday!
If you'll be so kind as to turn your minds back a month you may recall that I wrote a seemingly negative review of Dragon Quest 9. To play the complete wuss I completely bailed out at the end by saying that in spite of my cynicism, I actually enjoyed the game. At the time I didn't really understand why I wrote that, to be blunt the game bored me to tears. However, that tiny blurb managed to pass the second draft of my review for good reason; deep down somewhere in the unholy darkest part of my being, I actually did like Dragon Quest 9.
What rubbed me raw when I first played the game was that similar to many contemporary games, it has a very slow start. Sure its not the 25+ hour tutorial problem that FF 13 had, but in FF 13's defense at least the battle system naturally progressed as the game went along and the developers made sure to gingerly coat each passing hour with more and more battle mechanics. FF 13 managed to look good while doing so too.
For the sake of analogy, Final Fantasy 13 was the gaming equivalent to dating the prudish cheerleader captain. She's pretty to look at but won't put out for at least 10 dates, in the mean time you must resist the urge to forcefully put yourself in a coma as she regales you with tales of shoe buying and the latest episode of "The Hills". The only thing that keeps you involved is the desperate delusion that you'll be interested in her long enough to hold out for the goods.
Dragon Quest has a similar problem but it only takes 10 hours before the ball begins a rollin'. Sadly when you have no eye candy to pass the time, those 10 hours can feel like an eternity in comparison.
For the brave adventurous souls who brave this feat of endurance, there lies a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Once the game decides to dispenses with all the unnecessary baggage you are left with a pretty satisfying fusion of classic RPG game design in a modern packaging.
So yeah, there you have it. Yes, the game is good but next time can we try and speed it up a little please?
If you'll be so kind as to turn your minds back a month you may recall that I wrote a seemingly negative review of Dragon Quest 9. To play the complete wuss I completely bailed out at the end by saying that in spite of my cynicism, I actually enjoyed the game. At the time I didn't really understand why I wrote that, to be blunt the game bored me to tears. However, that tiny blurb managed to pass the second draft of my review for good reason; deep down somewhere in the unholy darkest part of my being, I actually did like Dragon Quest 9.
What rubbed me raw when I first played the game was that similar to many contemporary games, it has a very slow start. Sure its not the 25+ hour tutorial problem that FF 13 had, but in FF 13's defense at least the battle system naturally progressed as the game went along and the developers made sure to gingerly coat each passing hour with more and more battle mechanics. FF 13 managed to look good while doing so too.
For the sake of analogy, Final Fantasy 13 was the gaming equivalent to dating the prudish cheerleader captain. She's pretty to look at but won't put out for at least 10 dates, in the mean time you must resist the urge to forcefully put yourself in a coma as she regales you with tales of shoe buying and the latest episode of "The Hills". The only thing that keeps you involved is the desperate delusion that you'll be interested in her long enough to hold out for the goods.
Dragon Quest has a similar problem but it only takes 10 hours before the ball begins a rollin'. Sadly when you have no eye candy to pass the time, those 10 hours can feel like an eternity in comparison.
For the brave adventurous souls who brave this feat of endurance, there lies a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Once the game decides to dispenses with all the unnecessary baggage you are left with a pretty satisfying fusion of classic RPG game design in a modern packaging.
So yeah, there you have it. Yes, the game is good but next time can we try and speed it up a little please?
With Apologies to the Fans
I realize its been a few days since my last post, but my sister was visiting me and I was busy hanging out with her. Yes, my sister is more important to me than this blog, so sorry faithful viewers, but you lose in this scenario.
Luckily things are back to where they were and I'll be posting again. In fact I've got something to write about right this second. Stay tuned for all the thrilling excitement; same bat-time, same bat-channel!
Luckily things are back to where they were and I'll be posting again. In fact I've got something to write about right this second. Stay tuned for all the thrilling excitement; same bat-time, same bat-channel!
Monday, August 9, 2010
Favorite Fights: Wong Fei Hong Vs Jon, in "Legend of Drunken Master 2"
“The Legend of Drunken Master 2” making its way onto Favorite Fights may be a little confusing to anyone who has been following my blog for the past two weeks. After all, this is the antithesis of everything I have been praising with my previous entries. This is a highly choreographed and stylized battle that throws wind to the idea of brevity, gloating the whole time while banking on the prospect of how intensely satisfying it is to watch two masters of martial arts do battle for around 10 straight minutes. Yes, this scene does run counter to the very ideology I have been rallying against, but there is a huge difference with this film and this particular fight scene that separates it from the rest of the movies in this category which I despise. Raw talent.
Let’s not beat around the bush, this is Jackie Chan’s finest work. His master piece. This film represents the magnum opus of one of the greatest kung fu geniuses to ever grace theaters. Not only that, but we have Jackie Chan facing off against Ken Lo, an ex-member of the Jackie Chan Stunt Team as well as a former body guard to Mr. Chan himself. Prepare to wet your pants in excitement.
Instead of training actors for several months on the basics of ass kickery, we have hardened veterans, people who have devoted their lives to this sort of thing strutting around and flaunting their stuff on the big screen. There is no CG, no wire-fu, nothing but raw talent put to the test. The choreography here comes across as a mere template, a basic instructional guide to set the scene into motion. Unlike other fights in the modern era that rely on tricky camera work or pin point precision and editing to make amateurs seem like pros, we have the real deal. Maybe it’s my imagination, but when watching the fight between Wong Fei Hong and Jon it comes across as a natural organic expression of their mastery over physical combat.
That’s not to say I’m ignorant of imperfection, there are bound to be mistakes here and there in the filming of scenes this complicated but I’m willing to bet that a lot of it is also improvised. When a kick fails to land or an unintentional jab connects, the actors simply make do with what they have and keep on filming. Sure, everyone makes mistakes, and we’ve seen enough blooper reels from Jackie Chan movies to understand this, but there’s no mistake that these two men make even the smallest error seem intentional.
That is the heart of this fight. Their motions are highly tuned but also coordinated in a “motor reflex” sort of way. As a result, the scene does not come off as being too stiff or fake.
Skill aside, the length of the fight must also be recognized. This is a 10 minute sequence that never manages to become boring; it’s constantly shifting fighting techniques, theme, and tempo to keep the audience on the edge of their seats. With each passing second we are treated to a completely new maneuver or joke that hasn’t come into play yet and keeps this stamina the entire duration. Without trying to speak in any sort of hyperbole, I dare say that this is perhaps the only movie I am aware of that has ever managed to pull off such a feat.
Defense is also an important element in the Drunken Master battle. Unlike some of the previous fights I have discussed on my blog, this is a fight that’s not afraid to play the protection card. Rather than going back and forth with offensive one sided beat downs, a large portion of the fight deals with blocks and evasive maneuvers. This helps prevent the action from slowing down and is a fair trade off that allows a fight to go on for as long as this one without drying up or going stale.
Of course there is also Jackie, the man for whom this movie would be nothing without. Sweet lovable Jackie. The man who is actually willing to crab walk across actual burning coals for our entertainment. A heartwarming goofball that always plays himself up for laughs. There’s no exception here to that fundamental Jackie Chan rule of physical comedy. After all, this is the Legend of DRUNKEN Master, and when the magical spinach that saves Wong Fei Hong’s life is industrial grade alcohol for machinery, you know hilarity will ensue.
So there you have it, this fight is just insane. When your jaw isn’t touching the floor from sheer awe, it will be pulled tightly back up to your face as you giggle at all the silly antics of a stumbling drunk laying waste to his opponents. Jackie Chan is so very committed to this performance that it’s impossible to ignore. Easily one of his best fights ever, and that’s saying a lot for the guy who is a living legend of Hong Kong Theater.
The Fate of Favorite Fights
Much like the odor of the gluttonous awkwardly shaped kid who used to sit near your table at lunchtime playing “Magic the Gathering”, the Favorite Fights segment on the ol’ Feudal Cactus blog have begun to overrun the site. Truth be told, I like these story segments a great deal. They’re short, take little effort on my part to put together, and they revolve around a subject matter I deeply enjoy. Still, as a mother bird must boot their beloved child from their nest once they are old enough to fly, I too must say goodbye to Favorite Fights – momentarily.
No, Favorite Fights isn’t going anywhere, but I will be cutting back on them. As I took a step back and analyzed the whole bloody mess I realized that there are A LOT, let me stress that again, A LOT of fight scenes in movies I can talk about. Furthermore, the last entry was sort of cheap. Rather than talk about separate Guy Ritchie films I lumped them all together to avoid having to make separate articles for each individual film. This is something that I want to steer away from. So rather than turn this whole blog into a shrine devote towards the worship of movie battles, I will be taking a break from Favorite Fights. Just a reminder, these segments are not done away with, they will return but will do so sporadically on days when I have nothing better to talk about.
In the meantime I will be posting one more movie fight before I go skipping off into the wilderness to have a gay old time with other topics. I feel this one needs to be a part of the initial Favorite Fights run. So enjoy the next Favorite Fights, it may be a few weeks before you see another one.
No, Favorite Fights isn’t going anywhere, but I will be cutting back on them. As I took a step back and analyzed the whole bloody mess I realized that there are A LOT, let me stress that again, A LOT of fight scenes in movies I can talk about. Furthermore, the last entry was sort of cheap. Rather than talk about separate Guy Ritchie films I lumped them all together to avoid having to make separate articles for each individual film. This is something that I want to steer away from. So rather than turn this whole blog into a shrine devote towards the worship of movie battles, I will be taking a break from Favorite Fights. Just a reminder, these segments are not done away with, they will return but will do so sporadically on days when I have nothing better to talk about.
In the meantime I will be posting one more movie fight before I go skipping off into the wilderness to have a gay old time with other topics. I feel this one needs to be a part of the initial Favorite Fights run. So enjoy the next Favorite Fights, it may be a few weeks before you see another one.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Favorite Fights: The Guy Ritchie Fight.
Quickie.
Admittedly, this is cheap. But what can I say? This is what fighting is all about. Guy Ritchie is an unusual director and has made his share of bad films, but when he hits the mark he does so in a very big way.
When he first burst onto the scene many people compared him to Quentin Tarantino for good reason and in many ways this has been his curse. Ritchie’s movies are all about clever word play and fast edits, but below the surface they are about as shallow as a kiddy pool. Despite his broken record approach to film making there is one element to his craft that I don’t mind seeing over and over again and that’s the bare knuckle boxing.
I’m not sure what it is about these sequences but they’re a lot of fun. Perhaps it’s some sort of deeply rooted homo eroticism that entices men into watching these things but for reasons unknown to me the spectacle of two men throwing haymakers at one another in slow motion as their flesh ripples from the force of each impact is strangely satisfying. And yes, I realize how strange that last sentence sounds but I’m going to roll with it anyways.
There is no explanation to this, it’s just cool. These are some of the manliest fights to hit celluloid and each one of them will be replaying in your mind hours after the movie ends.
Again, this one doesn’t have a lot going for it, but some things in life are best left a mystery.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Favorite Fights: Dae-Su Vs... Well - Everybody. From "Old Boy"
Extended shots; god do I love these. Whether they are used to establish a false sense of security like the tracking car shot in “Children of Men”, the painfully amateurish and delightfully naïve folly of the panic scene from “The Evil Dead”, or the pure distilled mastery of the hospital shoot-out from “Hardboiled” these kind of moments are the ones that make your jaw drop and send yet another pair of pants to the dry cleaners.
For those who have no idea what I’m talking about I’m referring to those moments in film when the camera doesn’t edit or cut away during a scene; rather than frequently shifting focus to allow from smoother transition or exposition the director decides to just do it all in one take and move the camera accordingly. To the uncaring or uninterested this probably means nothing, but to movie lovers this is that rare moment of watching art in motion. To see all the pieces fall neatly together to form one gorgeous image is beyond impressive, it’s the stuff of legends.
Extended shots are even more impressive when they have fighting involved. Take the Korean film “Old Boy” for example. Rather than do a single extended cut of two men trading blows, we are shown an entire legion of thugs swarming together to kill a single man as he defends himself with a hammer. Now, with that description alone, I dare you to tell me that’s not awesome.
Going against the grain, “Old Boy” adopts to abandon fast edits, which are the bread and butter of stitching together most action scenes, in favor of something more visceral. By doing the whole fight in one take we notice all the tiny mistakes that each actor makes. With each nervous step and awkward hesitation, we get the impression that we are watching a real fight play out. Instead of blindly charging in and trying to dispose of Dae-Su, each actor must move around one another and negotiate their movements. Never has there been such realism in a fight and the end result is a major pay off. Despite the caution at play, the realism captured here generates an eerie sense that these people are really trying to kill one another. This single take removes all the synthetic emotion created unintentionally from artificial choreography and instead delivers unsympathetic tenacity. Each actor throws their entire being behind their attacks and it results in a brutally realistic portrayal of a man determined to escape from an inescapable feud.
My favorite portion of this shot arrives at the halfway mark. By allowing for this extended cut, the film makers were also able to drop in a rest period. Few people appreciate what downtime affords for pacing. By doing it the traditional way and incorporating a series of shots edited together, any moment where the action pauses may seem jarring and out of place. In an extended cut it becomes necessary and allows for the audience to let their minds settle down, pacifying them right before things heat up and go over the edge.
More films should try these shots, but honestly I can’t blame directors and cinematographers for not trying. This is tough work and requires a very skilled visionary to pull off. When it works it works, and here it works wonders.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Boy Is My Face Red
I realize that yesterday I promised a new Favorite Fights, but due to some problems in real life it will be postponed until tomorrow, 8/4/2010. Again I apologize for the inconvenience. I can tell you this much: tomorrow's entry is a Korean film.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Blargh
New post tomorrow. Sorry, was going to get something written up today. Expect to see another Favorite Fights on Tuesday and a movie review on Thursday. Scouts' honor. I swear... stop looking at me like that!
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