minna ni naisho dayo

Enter the Next-Gen

As if I didn't have enough distractions already, now I've got this baby to keep me occupied:

It feels like Christmas in November. I am a happy man.

I think I've been very realistic about the 360 thus far. I haven't seen any games that really epitomize what I'd consider to be "next-gen" just yet, but I do think the system has loads of potential. And now that I actually got my hands on one, I have to say, apart from the gargantuan power supply, I really like the design. It's a bit bigger and heavier than I expected, but it's surprisingly sexy and sensibly designed, and looks great in both horizontal and vertical positions. The wireless controller is fantastic, and I love the fact that you can use it to turn on the system (yes, I'm lazy).

I haven't actually bought any games yet, but I've got a copy of PGR3 on the way from New York right now, and I'm contemplating picking up Call of Duty 2, as it's already on sale in the import shops in Akihabara. PDZ and Kameo I'd like to at least try, but aside from those, there's not a whole lot I'm excited about from the launch lineup. At least there's Xbox Live Arcade to keep me company while I wait for more software to show up. :)

One thing that DOES scream next-gen to me is the infrastructure they've put together for the 360. The dashboard is just awesome, and I'm already really digging some of the new features they've implemented and the way everything comes together so seamlessly. It's all very forward-thinking in design, and judging from my limited experience with it so far, it seems like they've done a bang-up job. It really blows the doors off of anything we've seen thus far, and gives me great hope for the future potential of this machine.

How about you guys? What do you think about the 360? Anyone planning to get one? If so, which version (Full or Core), and what games are you looking forward to the most?

Wander and the FFXII Demo

Last night, I was up until dawn finishing off the last three colossi in Fumito Ueda's latest epic, Wander and the Colossus (Shadow of the Colossus in the US and Europe). In the end, my game clock was at 13 hours, 17 minutes and 42 seconds.

I think my thoughts on this title mirror that of most players who've already completed it -- it's an astoundingly beautiful game that, while a bit too technically ambitious for the PS2 hardware, is every bit as captivating and enthralling as its spiritual predecessor, Ico. I'm not sure if I actually prefer it over Ico, but it's definitely close. Ico left me with more of a bittersweet feeling at the end, most likely because of my feelings towards the two main characters (Ico and Yorda). Wander's story, on the other hand, was a bit too predictable; that morally ambiguous feeling that crops up when you slay the first colossus never really dissipates, and I think that made it harder for me to feel compassion toward the main character during his journey, knowing all along that he was eventually going to have to somehow pay for his sins. When all was said and done, I felt closer to Agro (the horse) than either Wander or Mono. But that was just another part of this game's beauty, I think. It defies nearly every conventional aspect of modern game design to deliver what is, in my opinion, one of the most majestic, awe-inspiring and defining games this generation.

In other news, I also played through both sections of the Final Fantasy XII demo earlier today, which, while short, were pleasantly surprising. I haven't thoroughly enjoyed a Final Fantasy title in years (VI was the last one to really grab me), but XII seems very promising. I can't stand Tetsuya Nomura's designs at all, which may be one reason why XII seems more appealing, but I also love the fact all battles take place right there on the main playfield in real-time. I'm not a big fan of Ivalice, or Judges, or any of that other FFT-inspired stuff, but I still get the feeling this is going to be a very epic, well-designed game, and I'm definitely looking forward to it more now than I was before I played the demo.

Now, if you'll excuse me, it's time to pick up where I left off in Dragon Quest VIII two weeks ago. So far I'm about 17 hours in, and enjoying it quite a bit, though it's not without its faults. More on all that after I finish the game, which hopefully won't take me 112 hours like Dragon Quest VII did!