⇒ SSFIV: my thoughts

the focus-attack-cancel-dash system is the strong part, but the the implementation/execution of the actual 'focus attack' itself is in my opinion, flawed; inferior to 3rd strike's parrying system, too.
I'd say the SSFIV's fighting engine as a whole is close to SSF2T and SF alpha 2's alpha counter

Focus-system Pros:

• easy to execute (just MP + MK when not getting thrashed)


• EX-cancel leads to alot of possibilities


• about abstractly controlling the 'space', like SF2 series


• juggling & target combos from SF3 series

Cons:

• slow to execute (3rd strike's parrying is a simple tap towards or down)


• no air countering (?) -- very poor indeed. This translates into jump in the air and immediately get killed by opponent. What is the countermeasure for when airborne? I can't see it anywhere in-game


• small 'dash' -- why is the dashing in this game so inefficient? It takes about 5 dashes just to cross the screen!


• extreme fireball vulnerability -- 3S' parrying nullified fireballs completely, SSFIV makes spamming fireballs effective again


• somewhat defeated by quick jabs -- jab to activate opponent's counter attack then jab again to interrupt all but fully charged focus attack, and even then you'll see it coming miles away


• no rock-paper-scissors; in 3S it was strike-parry-grapple, what is it in SSFIV?


• Focus attack closer in resemblance to alpha-counter. Also, why does it crumple the other guy? Parrying leaves the other guy wide open without effectively 'freezing' them, making for more fluid and exciting matches. If you successfully parry, it doesn't guarantee damage to the opponent.


• can you successfully use Focus attack/counter with zero health? Watch the Daigo vid again (embedded below) and tell me, could something this exciting and insane happen under SSFIV's Focus-attack system? I think you get KO'd if you try to focus attack with zero health...


• What is the distinction between a Super Combo and an Ultra Combo? Amount of damage? Why even have both in the game, now you've got regular moves, command moves, special moves, EX special moves, Super combos and Ultra Combos? Not enough distinction between them. Don't call it 'strategic' because the EX-bar has only one use, I mean, what else are you going to save the EX bar for? Having both in the game, you could pull off a Special, then Super immediately followed by an Ultra, whereas in 3S you had to plan ahead and maybe you'll have enough meter to get you an EX attack followed by a Super Art. Additionally, the input for Ultra combos (typically involves PPP or KKK input) feels so ham-fisted.

other cons:

• no beautiful 2D frame-by-frame animation (in-game)


• comical tone; 3S was about kicking ass and breaking faces


• unenthusiastic vocal performances -- compare soundbytes (same goes for Tatsunoko vs. Capcom). Same with the music--not memorable or on par with SF2, 3S, Alpha 2 or even MvC2.


• weak storyline animation -- 3rd Strike had moving art; IV feels so cheap


• lacking originality -- the 3 series was all about reinvention via new characters and overhauled fight system (only Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li and Akuma are from other SF games, making for a 16:20 originality ratio) while SSFIV only has a 8:35 originality ratio (Gouken, Seth, Abel, Rufus, Viper, El Fuerte, Juri and Hakan), and Seth and Viper suck.


• Seth = the suck. What a cheap basterd. 3S's Gill could be taken to town by mastery of the parrying system (even without, he's still quite beatable), while Seth is just a lazy 'has-every-character's-moves' character. Just cheap without redemption.


• grading system only after vs human match. The grading system in 3S kept me coming back for more!


• no 'bash the other guy for a bit after KO' -- how else am I supposed to rub salt into wounds; to enjoy sweet victory?

You would have called me a hypocrite for bagging the SFIV games without having thoroughly played before; I held out for 12+ months but now with all the buzz, I had to see for myself. I've played a fair amount and must say, for me, 3rd Strike's still the best. I'll give SSIV more time to reveal it's depth though. I can already see the EX-focus cancel is the door to crazy combos.

Why is everyone praising SSFIV so much? I appreciate that it revived fighting game interest but really feel this is a step backwards--the 3D just don't feel 'right' and the fight mechanics are closer to SF2 than 3S. I'm not saying remake 3S (just release it on PSN in Australia, pixellation and all) but I really feel the engine, though not broken, it ain't right. One thought I had was to implement a combo breaker of some type--an evolution of red-parrying, if you will. I know it sounds cheap but why not reward those good enough to execute it? Red-parrying isn't easy, either.

Note: if 3rd strike were on PSN (or my Dreamcast still worked -- RIP good buddy), I'd still be playing it and probably wouldn't have bought SSFIV. Yes, I think 3rd Strike is that good. Played it regularly from 2002-2006 and intermittently in other years. I got Guilty Gear and BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger-review forthcoming. 3rd Strike, my great white buffalo...

end rant, as promised Daigo vid:

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⇒ AVATAR

just saw it in 3D.

Good: Technology, stunning visual effects, 3D, Stephen Lang, Zoe Saldana, hardcore action moments.

Bad: Sam Worthington, cheesiness, corny lines, cliched elements, super uncomfortable 3D glasses, admission price. Lucky I wore contacts today otherwise I might not be able to have seen the 3D! Also James Horner's score didn't do it for me.

Should have been better: Sigourney Weaver, James Cameron's dialogue (though Weaver's numbnuts line was full of win).

other thoughts:
CG/technology: Amazing, previously unseen visuals. photorealism at its best. CGI is so good, feels more like you're watching tall people in prosthetics--the avatars retain some human DNA. The visuals/3D are kind of like those holographic stickers you used to buy. You know, the silvery ones, only this time it's photorealistic and this time it's a full movie, with a very definite foreground and background.

General press speak of a jump in 3D graphics and it's true, everything 'til now has been a gimmicky trick. This makes the screen more like a pane of glass; you're looking through a window and on the other side the movie is being played out.

Also creates a deeper depth of field--you don't just watch the screen, you can scan different parts of it in the foreground and background.

Sometimes I'm pulled out of the fantasy by my brain's unfamiliarity/adjustment to what i'm perceiving. It's difficult to process that most of what you're seeing doesn't exist. Careful craftsmanship by Cameron and crew have managed to confound your sense of perception. I think it made use of polarisation or parallax, or both. I definitely get the sense that parallax was involved, which is why I made the sticker comment.

I really like the sensible use of haptics, augmented reality and user interfaces/displays in the movie. Very practical and realistic, none of that excessively stylish yet impractical to use crap flooding movies now.



Story: Ambitious, corny and slightly cliched. Alot of time has passed since Cameron had his ideas for this movie, and since then, other projects (particularly sci-fi or environmental fantasy), have tread the path. e.g. transfer of consciousness into an avatar (the Matrix); natives and profiteers clashing (pocahontas, fern gully); an outsider joining a clan (dances with wolves, last samurai); it goes on.

One thing that really bothered me: Jake's branded as fearless but I think he's more like reckless and stupid. Initially, being in an avatar would be like playing a video game for him, there's very little physical peril--if his avatar dies, he's still alive.



Design: resembles some of his previous work, particularly the mobile suit and military compound (Aliens). There is something Egyptian/American Indian about the Na'vi.

I thought the Thanator was underwhelming. It's supposed to be more badass than the Xenomorph, but I'm not convinced.

For all of Cameron's soaring accomplishments in creating realistic motion-capture characters and his deft handling of the new era of 3D, "Avatar" feels both familiar and overlong. You've traveled this road before, even if now you're doing it in a blinged-out luxury vehicle with personal seat-warmers and a dozen cupholders.

ifc.com

...James Cameron is releasing his first feature since "Titanic." Yes, "Avatar" is a big, big movie, but is it the cinema game-changer the studio is touting it as? Yes and no. From a technology perspective, absolutely. For all the times you've been told that you've never seen anything like this, this time, for reals, you've never seen anything like this.

moviejungle

from mtvsplashpage:
@MykeNorten Saw Avatar. Good movie. Don't like 3-d experience. Worthington worst US accent ever. Saldana cuter as cgi catmonkey.
-Mike Norton, Artist ("Blue Beetle," "Gravity")

I agree about worthington and saldana remarks.

Casting pt 1: @robertliefeld Dear 20th Century Fox, Please sign Steven Lang as Cable and put him in your next X-men film. Thanks, Rob
-Rob Liefeld, Writer/Artist ("X-Force," "Onslaught Reborn")
Casting pt 2: @robertliefeld Steven Lang's performance as Quaritch in Avatar was brilliant. Just attach a cyborg arm to him and presto! he's Cable. Perfect age too.

YES! Stephen Lang as Cable would kick ass. But a new X-Men movie probably wouldn't.



Final thoughts:
1. Cameron shoulda gone full hardcore and filmed the whole movie in the alien native tongue, like Mel Gibson did on Apocalypto (which was another kind of mind-blowing).

2. I passed by a remark that called Avatar the 'Holy Grail' of 3D. I disagree, while the tech is very impressive and reaches new heights, the movie could have still been made without it. But that's like having the Matrix without Bullet-time, LOTR without Gollum, Wizard of Oz without the flourish of colour. If you ever make a movie that cannot exist/be shown in any other form except as a 3D feature-presentation, that's the Holy Grail.

Way better than the last movie I saw (Watchmen). That piece of sh!t put me off cinema 'til now.

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⇒ Machinarium's out

don't stop get it get it.
Read RPS' writeup here.

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⇒ star trek (2009)

My friend got me into a 'mystery screening' last night--I'm shocked at how good it is. Tight storyline and amazing visuals. I'm not a big Star Trek fan, rather I'm a sci-fi fan and will see almost anything sci-fi, but this is a strong movie! More accessible than any of the previous movies, better pacing, far more epic and interesting too.

Not perfect, some things felt too little or too much (more hand to hand combat than all ten previous movies combined?), and some characterizations didn't work for me. On the plus, Spock, Uhura, Bones, Checkov and Scotty were very good (Checkov and Scotty's accents and delivery were tight).

Go see it, it's really good!
[ NOT NORMALLY A STAR TREK FAN ]

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⇒ watched watchmen

From a very respected 'graphic novel' comes a very mediocre movie. Had this been made 20 years ago it might have been slightly better. Poor direction, mostly poor performances, characters I don't care about, sloppy or uninventive action scenes and a garish, awkward soundtrack really sunk this movie for me. I think an original soundtrack would have really aided in lifting this movie beyond it's telemovie feel--better yet, an intrumental-only original soundtrack. Nena Hagen's 99 red balloons felt so out of place in the middle of the movie and something about hearing pop music while watching big blue Dr Manhattan attend a funeral makes me wanna break out in fits of ridiculous giggles.

I understand Snyder's trying to respect the source material but he's so chicken or uninventive that he pretty much lifted the script and cinematography from the panels of the source. Some things which work in print don't work on film. Same goes for Snyder's 300. And Rodrigues' Frank Miller's Sin City. Although Rodrigues' came right out and said that's what he aiming for. Action-wise, Snyder's whole schtick seems to be 'slo-mo'..."Hey, I think I'll slow this scene down...". Yeah great, what else you got? Snyder seems to be the opposite end of modern action-direction spectrum. Either too much shaky-cam and action edited too quick, or Snyder's slooooooooooooooooooo-mooooooooooo...Action cinema needs a reboot.

What worked for the me:
the visual effects were pretty ok I guess...
the cast really looked like their graphic novel illustrations (save for 'Ozzie')...
Billy Crudup's detachment? Though that might have been him experiencing all time at once and realizing this movie blows chunks.

What really broke my suspension of disbelief:
-overlong intro to 'times they are a changin' '
-excessive use of bloodstained smiley badge...we get it...it's iconic, it's merchandise...
-Patrick Wilson's Nite Owl. Half the time he talked just like that evil dude in Cinderella Man or he was Clooney-Batman. You know what I mean.
-Blue wang. If you're going to cut out the explanation as to why he's sometimes clothed/undressed/commando, why even show it?
-That thin, Zoolander-esque be-nippled, toupee wearing douche dude is THE smartest man alive? Gimme a f#ckin' break. I'm not the smartest anything but at least my password isn't plain english or the very publicly known object of obsession. Why was he giving us 'blue steel' the whole time?
-Silk Spectre. What was her superpower? Did she have one? So this 90lb ho goes around kicking ass in skintight latex with no powers at all?
-Intelligence--it had none.


Ultimately, I had a better time watching the first Watchmen trailer--you know, the one with Smashing Pumpkins' on it. Now give me back my two and a half hours.

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⇒ new phone!

comments about the c902 (thus far):
fantastic handset, very slim, sleek and classy design. .
The design also has a

Pros: 1.Shape--such an upgrade from the K750i. I barely feel it in my front pocket of my flat-front trousers. Additionally, ever since the boom of 'sliders' and now 'touch' style phones, it's becoming increasingly difficult to find a really special 'candybar' phone. This model strangely enough still manages to incorporate some features of both 'sliders' and 'touch' phones. I picked the c902 over the g900 or most others
2. Operating system--again, an enormous leap between this and the K750i. They've reorganized everything into slightly more coherent categories. The software plays VERY NICE with Mac OS X 10.3.9, while K750i didn't. Add to that, it's got flight mode and can set multiple profiles (USB mass storage, phone mode, etc.) and it's a winner.
3. Media player--very pleasing to the eye and simple interface which doesn't sacrifice control.
4. Feature rich--alot of functions and capabilities, and keep in mind this isn't a 'smartphone', but it will do more than I'm probably capable of using. For comparison, I probably only used about 70% of the features on my K750i, as compared to 90% on the Samsung E700 and 99% on the Nokia 8310.
5. Processor--fast enough to throwdown 5MP photos in 1s. Powerful enough to run 3D gaming. But of course, I'm greedy--I want more speed, more power! MOAR!
6. Everything in the box--charger, booklet, support CD, USB connector, hand's free, the gang's all here. Straight out of the box, you get everything you need. Only need to spend if you really want to kick it into wireless headset/8GB memory/etc. Did I mention the charger has a pass-thru port so you can plug in more than one thing at a time? How about a standard 3.5mm jack included in the handsfree? Sweet. Oh and the box itself is super sleek--they've really outdone themselves in terms of product design.

Cons: 1. No dedicated 'media' button--K750i could start playing music with a single touch without looking at the device. I gotta go thru 3-4 menus to start music now.
2. No flashlight function (or I haven't figured it out yet). Really? Why remove one of the best/most practical functions of a LED-bearing phone? People tout 'Xenon', but I can't miss it if I've never had it.
3. Dust collecting flaw: the planes where edges meet always and very easily collect a lot of dust. Beats the K750i though--the gaping hole around its 'joystick' let dust run rampant into the unreachable areas of the phone's screen.
4. Numeric buttons are almost too 'tight' though--should've used smaller buttons and given breathing room in-between, like the K810 or perhaps W890i

in-between: 1. The touch interface is a very nice gimmick, but I don't feel I'll be relying on it too much.
2. Battery cover. WTF?!? Why is it so gddmn hard to remove? Sure, the battery won't be falling out, but I can't quickly switch my SIM without using a watchmaker's toolkit!
3. The camera. Being branded a 'Cyber-shot' brings certain expectations, especially on the back of K750i's goodwill. The camera thus far has been both good and bad. The good? FAST. 5MP snaps in 1s. It's about 5-10s faster than K750i's 2MP shooter; more control over settings; faster processing and playback. the bad? photo resolution somewhat blunt--it lacks the sharpness of the K750i I'm accustomed to. I rarely fiddled with K750i's settings to get good-great photos. I guess there's a learning curve to getting good pics with this 5MP shooter (I hope!)

To be realistic, we are talking about a camera phone (I guess the K750i was f#cken exceptional in it's time!), and that the phone is 10.5mm thick, yet houses a 5MP? Crazy!

Keep in mind this is my experience with it THUS FAR (3 days). Maybe my opinion of certain things will change as time goes on.

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⇒ mid-week high

monday flew right by...asshole public commuter prick on train from St Leonards to Town Hall repeatedly pushing my back, then when I turn around to see if I'm imagining a human being that annoying, he's got the gall to tell me 'mate, we gotta get off'. No sh!t, sherlock! Put your hands on me again, I'll throw you on the tracks, mfukka! What an unbelievable asshole!

tuesday flew right by...dad a bit ill, but should be ok...I don't think it's kidney stones.

Sydney Weather bureau f#cked up 3 times in a row: monday and tuesday thunderstorms predicted during the day. I carry my brolly the whole day and not a drop of water touches me. Today, prediction: no rain. Guess what? It rained! Bastards. They're embarassing themselves. I make better weather predictions from another country! Get your act together, guys!

Rode the bus home sitting next to a super-hottie today...not enough chutzpah to talk to her though...I swear she's like a 20 on a scale of 1 to 10. She was reading some weird serial-killer book though...yeah, kinda creepy.
If you're reading this, I'm single, employed, clean and not crazy (unless you want it like that, rowr).

More Indy-4 backlashing:
warning: Indy 4 spoilers within, but since it made 300+ million in 5 days, I'm going to assume you've seen it.

we’re treated to at least six reaction shots from a random prairie dog, and oh hey did I mention that at one point Shia LeBeouf swings through the trees and attacks Spalko with an army of monkeys? Because yeah, that totally happens.

Sounds ridiculous incendiary and yet it's surprising truthful! Sh!t, that tells you how bad Indy 4 was. No? Ok, one more, this time a quote of a quote:

"A cgi car chase killer ant gopher monkey double agent but not really waterfall interdimensional alien time lord of a film."

from http://www.filmdrunk.com/post.phtml?pk=1800

listening to:
Usher feat. Beyonce, Lil' Wayne - Love in this club part 2

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⇒ mixed reviews

movies released this year that should have been awesome but ultimately ended up mediocre:
The Forbidden Kingdom (2008)
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)

Forbidden Kingdom should have been a HK production directed by the likes of Sammo Hung, Yuen Woo Ping, Corey Yuen or Tsui Hark. It should have been wall to wall Jackie/Jet double teaming/battling. The end battle should have been more difficult/epic. It should have had Jackie's insane stuntwork, and been made over 10 years ago, while both were still in/close to their prime. And it should have been planned, filmed, completed and done in a ridiculously short time-frame, like the rest of Jackie and Jet's great movies. I felt that getting peed on was extremely disrespectful to Jackie. Almost as much as having a white, no-kung fu chump babysit two grandmasters of asian kung-fu cinema.

For the record, I do like Jackie more than Jet (not that I don't like Jet). It's because Jackie is creatively superior--he choreographs, directs and stars. He's come up with insane/unbelievable and physically real moves no one's even dreamed of attempting. He invented Kung Fu comedy. And he made Armor of God, Million Dollar Heiress, Police Story, Dragons Forever, Young Master, Drunken Master, etc. Jackie is the Man!

another rivalry I called:
Michelle Williams def. Katie Holmes (began with Dawson's Creek, concluded with Williams' Oscar nod)

about Indiana 4--someone said it first, and said it best:
I tried to like Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, really, I did. But in the end, I just couldn’t do it - my nostalgia was no match for George Lucas and his stupid sci-fi storyline. You won’t get any spoilers from me if you haven’t seen the movie yet, but even though Lucas, Spielberg, and Ford tried to give you everything an Indiana Jones fan could want some 20 odd years later, they ultimately missed the mark.

Sure, there were moments when Harrison’s easy charm made you forget all about the alien mumbo-jumbo (seriously, half my problems with the movie would’ve been solved by taking this crap out), and a few scenes that would have definitely given my 10-year-old self nightmares (hey, I scared easily). But after it was over, I just wanted to go home and watch the original trilogy again to wash the bad taste out of my mouth. Because when a simple adventure with all our old pals would’ve done the trick, the Big Three tried to do too much, and ended up giving us too little instead. What a shame.
source:http://tunaflix.com/?p=1819

main things I disliked about Indy 4:

• CGI animals. WTF?!?!? Monkeys? Gophers? Ants? Aliens? Don't gimme that sh!t about not being able to do it practically...Spielberg would have found a way!
• Tarzan mode...you'll know what I mean. So what, is this a Spider-man film? How'd he keep up with the car?!?!
• Somewhat weak script/dialogue.
• time period. The 50s ain't the 30s. The result is movie that is similar, but just not right.
• Lame villains. It's not the same without a Nazi scum throwdown.
• No Jones senior or Marcus Brody. Had the filme been made in the early 90s, this would have been possible, and likely.
• Not enough whip cracking.
• Sci-fi over mysticism. I personally feel that the Holy Grail and The Ark of the Covenant trump the Crystal Skull. Come on, these were gifts from God!

Not enough trademark Indy grouchiness/fallibility

A lot of these problems feel like a (George) Lucasian decision (same guy who wrote all that 'memorable' dialogue in the Star Wars prequels).
Mutt Williams. Pair a dog-name with a generic white name. Real clever. How about Rover Jennings? Fido Smith? Sparky Hayes?

Things I did like:

• really felt like the final journey for the man in the hat. And he got a happy ending.
• Some of the humor is still there
• It's Harrison Ford

For me, the true (spiritual) sequel to Indiana Jones and the Last crusade? The Mummy, with Brendan Fraser. I knew it in 1999, I know it now.

It should also be noted that Jackie's character in Armor of God was very Indiana Jones like (purposefully so?)

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⇒ week in review

sun-mon: rough developments at home leave mixed feelings all around...i hate this forced sentimental sh!t...why can't we just be honest and compromise a little?

tues-thurs: not much happening

fri: good day at work...got my business card! Thai for dinner (Pad See Ew Pork--okay, but it ain't Pad Thai!)

sat: Pad Thai for Lunch (that's what I'm talkin' about!)...skipped gym for many reasons, chiefly because I didn't feel up for it and the weather was threatening (honest)
saw Iron Man: not bad...Downey, Jr really carried the movie, the suit/production design/effects work was seamless/beautiful/excellent but was a little spoiled by frigid Gwyneth (even in the 'warm' and 'tender' moments), lack of outright villainy, and garish, trashy rock soundtrack...EVERYONE and their dog has used Back in Black at some point by now...grow some class and put a decent composer on the project.
Followed up with dinner: Chat Thai. Criticisms: small-ish portions, inedible chilli (too spicy!), inedible pork (too tough!), bone-y chicken (too much bone) and forced to share when I can't eat/enjoy the majority of it = spoiled night. wtf?!?!?

sun: haircut, then gym today. Cut the duration, not intensity (cf. Agassi). Still did 5km in 39' (pretty good, my average 5km times are gradually lowering), benched about 80 reps and bike for 15'.
Totals: 370KCALs (run), 105KCALs (bike)

That is all

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⇒ 30

renewed that membership today. 29 visits left...

good weather, adequate preparation (not 'good', but adequate) and low stamina = short gym visit. On the other hand, new benchmark: 1.4km in 7'45" (close to personal fastest time over that distance ever!), then went for a swim too.

Basically, I woke up late, ate a bowl of Pho and didn't give enough time to digest/hydrate so I cramped up abit. But I did run hard though! Good response from my legs, chest felt ok, mouth not too dry, relatively high speed on treaddy...I was makin' waves! And sweatin beef juice! And Pitos...Damn you Pitos!

Watched Elizabethtown the other day...not a good movie. I can see the logic behind the ideas...it all seems good on paper, but the success relies on a charming and personable lead--two things which Legolas is devoid of. The whole time I felt like I was watching him perform a piss-poor Jerry Maguire impersonation. The only moments of whimsy for me were at the end, when Susan Sarandon gave tribute on stage, and when Free Bird was played...For the record, no movie with Legolas in the lead has been successful:
Pirates trilogy - succeeded ONLY because of Captain Jack
Lord of the Rings trilogy - succeeded because of Tolkien, PJ, ensemble cast
Troy - Brad Pitt and Eric Bana were the leads
Kingdom of Heaven - tanked

As much as Super-thetan Level IX Cruise pisses me off, I'll concede he's got more charm and acting ability than Legolas

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⇒ no country for old men

just saw it. pretty good. I don't quite understand it in its entirety but I still enjoyed it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Country_for_Old_Men_(film)
http://www.mahalo.com/No_Country_for_Old_Men
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahalo.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAPTCHA

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