Dr.Flintlock

Well here's a hypothetical situation on how I think cheats might pay off in a situation today. Say I'm playing the game Lost Odyssey for the 360, and I really like where the story/character development/world created for this game, but I find the battles in the later parts downright frustarating and don't really want to spend hours grinding my characters to obscene levels. If I had the ability, I could cheat through the fighting so that the battles were made much easier and I could effectively skip through what I don't like about the game, and enjoy what I do like. This way, I'm still spending the money on said game, and I'm getting the entertainment I want. And for those of you who declare that beating a game like this strips the challenge from it, what I'm trying to demonstrate is that some people don't want a challenge. They want to sit back, chill, and enjoy a good story or get to a really good boss fight. There's no bigger killjoy in this regard than fighting an enemy you've almost got nailed, only to have it spam some ridiculously powerful technique at the last moment, thus wasting all that time you've spent. Also, for the arguement of replayability, I don't know about you, but I replay games that many individuals don't find to have a lot of replayability. In my opinion, playing through another game's story or whatnot is similar to watching your favorite movie, reading your favorite book, or listening to your favorite album. Some things grow better over time. Ranting aside, I think cheats are what you make them. Some will love them, some will think they kill everything that makes gaming what it is. I just wish there wasn't such a "right-winged" approach on the matter.

This has serious rock opera vibes going all over it. The Doc approves. Also, the little solo around 2:26 makes me grin. I can see the Sixto similarities, but you guys effectively made this mix all your own I think.

This is some good listenin' here bois! I have to say I really like the vocal hits in this monster of a mix. They really add some unique flavor to bLiNd's already fantastic repertoire of electronic music skills. Sweet stuff. Sold.

So I'm looking at submitting something for the first time here and I just wanted to make sure I got everything straight. -I know it has to be poetry under the specified word count, but does it have to be just one poem? Or can it be a series of short ones? -Is any kind of poem, regardless of style or genre, accepted by the deadline? -I know fanfiction and directly ripping someone elses work is a big negative, but are tributes or takes on another poet's ideas and themes accepted? Ex: One likes some of Lovecraft's poetry dealing with 'Night-Gaunts' and chooses to write something that may take place in a similar world or style, but still be their own creation entirely. I'm a pretty avid practitioner of creative writing and am looking forward to seeing what's sent out for our viewing pleasure. Perusing over some of the previous stories/writings/etc, I like what I'm seeing.

Well that's all fine and dandy, but I believe 'The Red Wheelbarrow' came from Pound's school of thought, in which certain pieces of literature sheer point was to communicate a single thought or image, the whole idea of "less is more" sort of thing. In the case of work like that, its more about the mood or tone depicted and the types of words used. Its not like Frost or Yeats, but I think it offers a different sort of depth if you're willing to think about it. That being said, I've played a small bit of The Path now (friend of mine picked the sucker up a few weeks ago; he's into these sort of 'artsy games') and I have to say it kinda emulates that sort of theme of focusing more on mood and atmosphere. It definitely does give off a certain vibe or feel when you've put it down. I think in the end, that's kind of the point. Or maybe I just look into these things too deeply and should consider a hobby...

Actually, after looking at pics of Earthbound characters, I'm pretty certain the only way to pull it off would be claymation. Earthbound the anime might have potential, but for some reason, I saw glimpses of the four heroes doing a dance during the end credits of each episode like the choreography to Haruhi Suzumiya. *shudders*

I saw videos of that new boy and his blob game and I will agree. It looks pretty stellar. I'm liking this string of remakes that have been coming lately. I think we're finally getting people that realize the games themselves don't really need to be changed. They just need to be updated a little bit. Well, unless you're referring to Mega Man 9. But I'd argue that was still an updated title since the retro style was intentional.

I suppose I can see that from your angle, and I'm trying to make it clear that I don't want the ability to cheat all the time. I just miss the days when it was an option. I mean, I'm pretty sure some of us wish we could have another "Konami Code" to use on occasion for today's generation of video games.

This. I've never understand how you have to pay $200+ to take a class and there's the possibility that it may all be for naught because you may fail, having to pay for the class again. Unless you cheat- BUT ITS WRONG!!! (Isn't it?) But that's why I like the option to cheat in video games. I don't see any lack of moral integrity in cheating in a game. Cheating on anything else (School, sports, significant other) usually has some lasting negative effect on you. Oh well, to each his own I suppose.

Samus coming from a human colony but being raised by the chozo would probably make a legit backstory. You have her separation from her family at the beginning, and then her growth in a decidedly alien environment. One could even explore how through interactions with the chozo, her mentality on life begins to reflect that of the Chozo instead of that of a regular human. Besides, with Chozo blood being injected into her veins later, she pretty much becomes more alien than human in the long-run. That being said, I don't think Metroid would make a great movie necessarily because a lot of movies rely on character development/interaction. Metroid's always been a game about isolation and adventuring alone. I've always thought the worlds in Metroid were the real draw and not necessarily Samus as a character, but that could just be me. I really don't see many of Nintendo's major franschises translating well to the silver screen. Earthbound might have potential but I think that's stretching it still. Actually, Earthbound as a quasi-high budget Indie film I think would be pretty badass.

You're a selfish asshole. I won't deny it. But it all seriousness, I just don't see why people who cheat on a video game deserve to be penalized for it. The only difference between the person who cheats to get through a game and the person who doesn't is that the one who doesn't can boast about how they were able to work within the rules to beat the system. The other guy just screams *metal slug announcer voice* "Infinite RAWKET LAWNCHAW!!!" There's no difference in the amount of entertainment. Its just a matter of perspective, I suppose.

But I always thought the point of the Red Riding Hood story was that she DIDN'T stay on the path. That's why I heard the whole rape thing was a theme in the story, because if you strayed from the path, you'd encounter different forms and entities that represented the "wolf". I'm speaking off of speculation of what I've read. I guess a more hands-on approach would be in order. Thanks for the input though.

I'd have to say fighting Dark Fact in Ys Eternal (the remake on the PC) is one of the hardest fights I've ever encountered. If you can't nail him good in the first few seconds, you're pretty much fucked for the rest of the fight. Also, Darm in Ys Book 2 (The turbo CD) is almost impossible if you're not maxed out in levels. But I guess this is what you get for going after bosses that have awesome 80s voice actors . Also, Hibachi from the DonDonPachi Series is pretty much a head-splosion, unless you're tight into the danmaku scene. And since Super Mario RPG seems to have some pretty nasty bosses, I'll have to say I had a hell of a time with Johnny Jones. I kept killing all his henchmen, and had to have Mario go One-on-One with him. I was under-leveled and pathetic at RPG's at the time, so he pretty much owned me for awhile.

Jeez Laweez, I think I'm pretty much going to gamer hell with all the shame/sins I've accumulated. Here's a couple -Never completed Link to the Past -Had to cheat to complete Gunstar Heroes the first time (Seven Force when I was 8 was a BITCH!) - Cheated to complete Final Fantasy 7, because I was too young and impatient to figure out the intricacies of the materia system - I actually think the Ys Series is more enjoyable than the Zelda series. - Never played Oddworld. - I spoiled the entire story of Xenogears for myself before actually playing the game. Damn you wikipedia. There's a lot more but I think I should consider annointing myself before I say anything else.

I'd be all over "Tending to my Flock", that's for damn sure.

Wasn't this the one that was a sort of metaphor for the "Little Red Riding Hood" story and the whole goal was to get her raped, thus said controversy? I think I heard about it on a forum a couple weeks back. It certainly has some nice visual flair to it. I liked the art direction at the very least. But seriously, if the game's about getting raped, how much variety can you REALLY have? And would you really want any...

I'm glad I'm not the only one who's considered this perspective on the whole "The Princesss is in another castle" debacle. =P

Bappy Hirthday...I mean...Shit. Nevermind, eat cake and be happy.

Mr. Ron Perlman's going to have to be Professor Oak, narrating the entire thing. Also, dubbed version of the ink spots or it can't happen. Seriously...

I've got 2. "Scott Huckabay-Spiral Eclipse" I know its pretty unconventional how he performs but I love daydreaming to his music. "Abney Park-Airship Pirate" They used to be more goth-oriented, but have changed their image to a more steampunk-esque look. Music reflects that pretty well too. Then again, I'm pretty partial to steampunk as a whole, so my opinion may be a bit biased.

Recently (as in a couple hours ago) I checked out the first two episodes of Black Lagoon with a buddy of mine through netflix. Three words to summarize this sucker. Hyrdoplaning PT Boat (eh, technically four words) It kinda reminds me of Outlaw Star, only with the aformentioned boat instead of a space ship. Neat.

Looking back on it, I realize its not necessarily the lack of cheats I miss so much. It is true that many games are created so that practically anyone can complete them (Although I think schmups are still pretty much designed for a niche audience). No, my issue is that if I spend my money on a product and its basically for my own personal enjoyment (ex: a single player game), I should be able to play it the way I want to, cheats are otherwise. Saying I have to spend X-amount of hours on a game to get to a certain part of it just seems kind of unnecessary these days. Don't get me wrong, I like a good challenge occasionally, but I play games out of enjoyment. I don't really get a sense of accomplishment from completing an area or defeating a boss. I'll play a game and complete it because I enjoy the experience and entertainment I receive out of it. Like I said before, technically you don't have to read every single paragraph of a novel to get to the parts you really enjoy or even the ending for that matter. You aren't forced to watch a movie from beginning to end (Unless you're in a theater/cinema). Why shouldn't a game be the same way? As long as you're paying the people making them, I don't see why you should have to play by their rules in the comfort of your home. It sounds almost tyrannical if you ask me. I swear I'll assassinate the bastard who came up with the idea of a point system whose only purpose is bragging rights. Basically, we've gotten rid of cheats, but we can't get over the "High Score" board apparently. Can you believe I actually know people who play games for NOTHING but points?

I've always wondered why there was a sudden fallout in cheating in video games. I remember in the 80s and 90s, cheat codes were a staple of gaming overall, and you could go so far as to beating a game using infinite lives, ammo or what have you. But over time, these features seem to have been omitted from the current games that are released today, and to be honest, it kind of irks me. I know there may be some of you who cry foul at the idea of cheating in order to complete a single player game, but for me personally, I liked the idea of being able to enjoy a shooter without having to worry about ammo or reloading. It was nice to be able to play an RPG without having to grind through levels, instead launching my characters to level 99 and enjoy the story as I saw fit. I'm not saying I was into cheating all the time, but I did like the option. If you spend $25 (average) on a movie, you pop it in, come across a scene that you may find too graphic or intense, you hit the fast forward button. You enjoy the movie as you want to. If you fork over $15 for a book, you sit down to read and you come across a chapter that has nothing but tons of description and fluff. You need to find out what happens to your character quickly, so you choose to skim over the chapter and get to what you want. Again, you enjoy the book as you want to. Now if I fork over $50-$60 for a game, I start to play, and I get to a part that's unnecessarily difficult and I want to get to the next stage, what can I do?... ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! Because for the most part, cheating is a lost pleasure in the video game industry. Some developers may include a few easter eggs here and there, but for the most part, its a big negative. My point is, if I'm going to pay my hard-earned money for a video game, I think I should be able to play it as I want to and not within a developer's constraints. That being said, I find cheating during multiplayer to be pretty low because in that regard, you do ruin the game for others. I understand not everyone likes cheating and so I don't mean to confuse this matter with multiplayer gaming. So I don't know if I'm just being a blow-hard, but I was curious if anyone felt similar about the state of cheats in video games today?

Speaking on the topic of anime that's only around 26 episodes long, I finally got around to seeing The Vision of Escaflowne after having it recommended a few times by various people. I have to say that for only having said number of episodes, this one managed to craft a pretty compelling story with nice character development and a nice amount of quasi-knight mech action. The fact that Yoko Kanno collaborated on the music was another plus to this series. I'm mostly into classics like this and was curious if anyone could recommend any others along these lines. As an aside: If anyone's seen this series, is it just me or do the mechs in Escaflowne share a startling resemblence to the ones from an RPG on the PS One called "Vanguard Bandits"? I find the likeness between the two pretty uncanny.

Despite my claims about finding Gordon Freeman as a character a little nonsensical, I'd pay bookoo bucks to play an entire half-life campaign as Father Grigori. Left 4 Dead: The Father Grigori Edition? But now I think I'm getting off-topic. Halo is from the devil's womb!! Begone melee attacks that can level city blocks! Ahem