The Dark Abyss of My Soul

10:13. Since 10:13 this morning I've been jumping through hoops to get the new Seventh Circle website up. I'm fed up! I'll futz with it some more tomorrow! *throws hands up in disgust*

I think I've figured out how to get my posts on lj to go up on my webcomic as the news posts. If this works it will make updating the news sooo much easier.

I am not dead. ( I am testing something )

Well, I just finished Mario Galaxy! 242 stars FTW!

This is just fucking awful. Heath Ledger was found dead today in his Soho home. I... really haven't seen much of his work, but what he was doing as the Joker quickly turned him into the most interesting actor in Hollywood for me. This sucks... really, really sucks.

To anyone that still checks LJ, I think it's down to just me o_O I'm updating my webcomic again! Yay! With a MWF update schedule.

Edit: It seems the Official Nintendo Magazine of Italy gave Mario Galaxy an 11 out of 10. Sweet!

Sooo, Mario Galaxy is less than a week away! And the reviews are pouring in. Now I'd like to clarify something real quick, I don't put much stock in online reviews, or reviews period for that matter, for games. But, I'm going to use them here to illustrate a point.

Up first 1up.com: 9.5/10 pretty good, huh? But not when you realize they had an article up a few days before uploading the review called "10 reasons Mario Galaxy should get a 10" and the after their review was put up they renamed the article "10 reasons Mario Galaxy could be incredible." Not to mention the fact that they gave no, NO, negatives to explain the less than perfect score. They went so far as to say that having challenging(note: not frustrating) levels was bad.

Relevant quotes:

Pros: "In short, Galaxy is one of the most impressive, engrossing games in recent memory -- and quite the contrast to the rest of this year's triple-A gaming crop, which tends toward the dark, the M-rated, and the first-person perspective."

Cons: "Only in the latter half of the game does the design falter -- a copy-and-paste level here, too much doodad collecting there, all topped off with a mind-bending final level that might be a bit too demanding for neophyte players who cut their teeth on Nintendogs and Brain Age."

Next up is Computer and Video Games: 9.5/10 Hey, another 9.5 still doing pretty good. Except yet again they say in the review that this is one of the best platformers they had ever played even going so far to say that the graphics and gameplay were perfect while offering no cons and still no perfect 10.

Relevant quotes:

Pros: "Nintendo said all along that it went for gameplay over graphics with Wii. But with Mario Galaxy it got both perfect. Not only is Galaxy a worthy successor to one of the best games ever made, but it's one of the most entertaining platform games we've ever played."

Cons: No mention of any.

And heeeeeeere's Game Informer! With their long history of unwarranted Nintendo-hate Game Informer gives Mario Galaxy a 9.75 out of 10. And again... well do I even have to say it?

Relevant quotes:

Pros: "But I think you’ll agree, once that nostalgic music rings out and Mario leaps into the air, all your complaints instantly vanish. This is, in my opinion, the best Mario game since the NES classic, Super Mario Bros. It innovates in a genre that we had thought we had seen everything from, and in doing so delivers some of the most entertaining gameplay to date."

Cons: n/a

(And I swear there was somewhere that gave Mario Galaxy 95%/100% and that Spong gave it 9.5/10 but I can't find the sources now.)

Now this whole thing might seem kind of bitter... well it is. I admit it. But, in all honesty I would be just fine with these scores, I mean they're really good, but, well, take these reviews for comparison:

1up gives Halo 3 a 10!

Computer and Video Games give Halo 3 a 9.7

Game Informer gives Halo 3 a 9.75"

Out of these three reviews two gush over the game while skirting around details. (such as saying the game is great, but not without flaws... OH LOOK OVER THERE! ->) While one freely admits the flaws:

"However, Halo 3 does have a few small problems that are primarily located in the campaign. First off, full on boss battles are noticeably absent. Sure, you’ll fight a few massive enemies, but none of them really feel like a true boss. And the last major fight is more like a quick interactive cutscene than a knock-down, drag-out fight. This is especially disappointing because there is one obvious candidate Bungie could have used and didn’t. Also, there is plenty of trudging back and forth through the same environments in addition to the whole 'Okay, we deactivated this tower. Now let’s take care of the next one with the exact same layout.'"

But then goes on to say:

"There are a few other nitpicky issues I have, but these are all relatively minor when you look at the big picture."

(That is from the Game Informer review BTW, surprising I know. Game Informer acknowledging flaws in a non-Nintendo game? Le gasp!)

This is just an example of the double standard Nintendo games are held to and why I'm a little bitter.

P.S. I would like to point out that I was mislead into believing Halo 3 had gotten perfect 10s across the board which is what prompted this rant. Needless to say that was incorrect information, but I still think it's wrong that "The best Mario game since the NES classic, Super Mario Bros," "one of the most entertaining platform games we've ever played," and "one of the most impressive, engrossing games in recent memory." Is getting the same or lower scores than a high profile, over-rated, but, above-average at best game.

P.P.S. Words words words (Wow, what a wall of text!)

So, yeah, I'm getting my wisdom teeth cut out tomorrow... woo. /sarcasm/ I can't wait. /sarcasm/

Also, I've got the Handcannon Paul and it's awesome.

And for something completely different, I really dig the news that Dumbledore is gay, and who better for him to be gay with than Gillard Grindelwald? I mean, did any of you read his description in the book? He was hot. (during the time Dumbledore knew him anyway) I stopped going to 4chan a few weeks ago as part of a plan to better myself, along with other things, but I really wonder what wonderful and horrible thing are in /cm/ an /y/ right now because of this revelation.

A seven minute long The Dark Knight prequel, featuring the Joker, will be shown before I Am Legend screenings in IMax theaters. This is sooo AWEsome!/a pile of crap! I can't wait to see it!/waste my money on a crappy movie I don't want to see. This is gonna ROCK!/SUCK!


Edit: I just opened a bottle of Jones Soda. Those who drink it know that the lids usually have something funny written on the underside. This one is only funny when applied to me. "You were born with the skill to easily communicate with people."

Andrea's birthday was Sunday! Hooray! I don't have a present ready for you yet, but I think you'll like what I have for you when I finish it.

I beat The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass today. It's an okay game, not great, okay. One of my biggest problems with the game is even though it is supposed to be a sequel to the Windwaker (my favorite Zelda game) aside from the opening it seems to ignore the Windwaker's history, lore, and story. This caused me to not like the game very much until the ending when that was rectified. I can only hope for a more deserving sequel for one of the best games of all time to come around in the near future.

Huh? What's that I hear? It's the internet breaking in half. Sonic in Brawl confirmed! http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=14564

MOMMY'S DEAD.

DADDY'S DEAD.

BRUCIE'S DEAD. I SHALL BECOME A BAT

I saw Transformers at 8:00pm on Monday July 2nd with seven non-Transfan friends. When we left the theater a few hours later we were Transfans every one. The movie was really, really good. Not deep, or well written, but good. I want to see it many, many more times. Autobots... transform and roll out!

Kuro Hana, the subbers I've been getting Death Note from, just got a cease and dissist order from Viz media. That means episode 35 will be the last one we get from them. Sucks. And it's not just them, a bunch of the other subbers got one as well. I guess I'll have to wait a year or two for Viz to release the DVDs to see the end. Shit.

I've had a few days to mull over the new Joker, but all I can say right now is: agsabazbsngsnnhxnhnh! Squeeee! *e'splode*

OH, MY GOD!!!!

*spooge*

THE JOKER!!!!!!

More later.

*faints*

47 Days 04 Hours 30 Minutes 42 Seconds

OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!

A new trailer was released today. It. Is. Fucking. AWEsome! I can not wait for this movie. It is going to be so awesome. This trailer will be attached to Pirates 3... I am going to see Pirates at midnight for this reason alone. (Johnny Depp notwithstanding)
There is a very high possibility I will be dancing in the aisle.

Bonecrusher fucking hates buses so bad.

Cation! Don't read any farther if you haven't seen it yet! There be spoilers!




So, I've had a couple of days to decompress and think about it, so here is what I thought of Spider-man 3. The first third was fabulous. Peter being a nerd, Mary Jane and his relationship, Sandman's "birth," Harry and Peter's fight scene (oh, God it was great.) and the bit with the ring. But then, the super selective amnesia? The pointless character of Gwen Stacy? The lack of anything resembling characterization for Eddie? The... the... Oh. My. God. HORRIBLE dance scene? The "Hey, even though we just met and you aren't really a bad guy and don't want to hurt anyone, let's team up and kill Spider-man together," part? The "Hello, my name is Venom." *BOOOOOOM!!!!!!* *Dead* part? Also the "Lol, I'm Harry Osborne and I'm evil!" "Wait! Now I have amnesia and am a good (if not slightly slow) guy!" "Hold up! Now I remember for no reason compleatly rendering the whole amnesia thing pointless. Also, I'm evil again." and "Lol, you blew up a pumkin bomb close enough to my face I should have been disintegrated (but I wasn't) So now I'm a good guy again and will help you defeat the Sandman and Venom." "Whoops! Now I'm dead, sorry." I'm not even going to comment on how hard Toby failed at being "drunk with power Peter," and that awful "emo Peter" look. And ending the movie with everyone on the roof while they cry and the sun sets? Yeeeeaaaah...

In short I think it wasn't very good. It should have been like three separate movies. Spider-man fights Harry as the Green Goblin II/Hob Goblin and the Sandman is set up. Spider-man fights the Sandman, acquires the black costume and meets Eddie Brock and Gwen Stacy. Spider-man fights Venom. Like that.

Holy shit! Fight Club is a good movie! I am utterly surprised by this. I am flabergasted. There are no words. All I have to say is that Brad Pitt and Edward Norton are both very yummy. I should have listened to Andrea, she told me it was good.

Edit: Just as planned!