Links of the Week

This was a very rich week in terms of finding interesting articles in the huge Internet, and I felt it was my duty to share the best ones.

The first one is a huge pile of nostalgia: http://hg101.classicgaming.gamespy.com/megaten/megaten.htm

In this page you find an in depth article about the history of the megami tensei series of RPG’s . Even though it’s not totally up to date, missing references to some of the most recent games of the series it’s still one heck of an article. Plus if you go to the home page you will find a big number of other articles about other classic series of video games.

Second is one that made me smile in the morning: http://powazek.com/posts/1655

Programmers are tiny gods ? Yeah I agree heh.

Third is a perl for anyone planning to go to Japan and wants to get some gunpla stuff over there: http://americansalaryman.wordpress.com/2009/01/29/shopping-for-gunpla-and-more-in-japan/

This article is but the first of an ongoing series where the author ( Rob ) , shares his first hand experience with Japanese stores that sell gunpla and related merchandise.

This last one is a bonus : http://geraet040.web.infoseek.co.jp/tokyo_hobby_shops/

This was my main guide to hobby shops when I went to Japan last year. It features a ton of info as how to get to the stores with maps for you to print and all.

Ryougi Shiki (両儀式) – 1/7 PVC by Good Smile

My first PVC figure. I’m not really into this sort of figures since I prefer having to assemble and paint them myself (robots mind, the techniques to painting figures is something that eludes me), but once in a while a figure is produced that really calls out to me. This is one of those and it was almost by chance that I got her.

While speaking with my usual supplier of Japanese merchandise (Jikai), I knew that someone had given up on a pre-order on this figure, and curious as I am I googled some photos to see how she looks like. I already knew her from the movie adaptation of Kara no Kyoukai, but I didn’t expect such a beauty. I couldn’t resist.

I will refrain judging her quality as a figure, there are plenty of reviews made by people with much more knowledge than me, so let me just write a little on the character and why this figure is so compelling.

First thing to strike me, a cool looking woman in a Kimono carrying an unsheathed Japanese Sword. There is a lot of win in just that, but there is a allot more to it.

I can’t really describe her personality,to be honest. It changes quite a bit through the story and is quite complex (I would have to re-watch the already edited movies to understand a little more), but even so, I really feel her character in this figure, Good Smile did a wonderful job of capturing her essence.

To top everything the detail is just stunning. I don’t know if it’s usual for PVC’s to have this sort of detail, but I can’t help but be impressed with details like the sword tsuba, or the embroidery on the Kimono and Obi.

Plus she’s fully clothed so there is no need to hide it

Photos after the jump (sorry for the lousy photography skills):

Persona 4 First impressions

Been a long time since my last post, but between laziness and stuff occupying me it’s been hard to post !

Anyway, I managed to get an imported copy of Persona 4 a game I was anticipating since it was announced, and like its predecessor is one heck of a JRPG.

Iaido and Jodo European Championship 2008: Results

The championship is over and overall Portugal had a good participation.

Iaido results were ok. Having 3 people passing to the elimination rounds is good, but I was hoping for a couple more flags. In the team competition, Portugal didn’t manage to get a single a flag and was unable to proceed beyond the group phase.

João Maia (Zenshinkan-ICL), João Pires (Zenshinkan-ICL) and Pedro Nunes (ICP) where the members that managed to pass the group phase.

Maybe more important, the memebers proposed for shodan examination, all succeded, so congratlations to António Costa (Zenshinkan-ICL), João Pombo (Zenshinkan-ICL) and Pedro Nunes (Zenshinkan-ICL).

Jodo went allot better, with the team managing to reach the quarter-finals after defeating the Austrian team in the group phase. In the singles tournament João Maia reached the playoffs.

These results are very significant to us, since Jodo only started in Portugal 2 years ago and where not expecting such results.

Congratulations to everyone.

Full results and pictures at the web site of the event.

Guitar Hero World Tour

Last week the latest Guitar Hero game was released here in Europe, and of course I did the same as with the previous titles and bought it !

This time the game goes Rock Band style with the “band” mode, including drums and vocals besides the guitar and bass from previous games.

Iaido and Jodo European Championship Portuguese national team

In the first week of December this year’s European Iaido and Jodo championships will take place in Swirtzland, and for the first time Portugal will field a Jodo team, fruit of the work done in the past years to promote the growth of the discipline in the country.

There has been a growth in the international participation of Portuguese Iaidoka and Jodoka and I hope that this tendency is maintained for years to come.

The Portuguese team members list, after the jump:

Results of the UK Japanese Sword Ban

As I reported some months ago, the UK are implementing a new law which restricts the importing of Japanese swords. In practice this completely bans the cheap imitation swords (usually made in China) while it would restrict the importing of genuine swords.

Me and most people are very much in agreement that this regulation can be positive, the comedy comes from this site where it states that anyone that can afford them can buy a genuine Japanese sword (the kind that can actually cut people), but to purchase an Iaito, a blunt sword used in martial arts practice that can cut as much as a broom stick, you need a martial arts license.

Makes sense ?

HGUC RX-93 Nu Gundam : Snap Review

My first 1/144 kit. I definitely don’t favor this scale, but I was in Japan when it was released and the size of the box and great price made it a good souvenir, besides, people all around where praising the kit for it’s quality and I got curious about it.

Like the last article on the Blue Frame I only snapped this kit, painting and detailing will come later, but for now I can check the quality of the kit itself and the areas that will need work.

Thoughts after the jump.

My Top 10 Anime Op and Ed List

Belela-san and his latest post made me remember about my favorite openings and endings from the anime shows I saw . Quite hard to get just 10 since there are many memorable ones, either because the show was great or just the opening was just really well done, but somehow I managed. Below the list in no particular order.

This one is undoubtedly the one that first pops out. Turn A is, in my modest opinion, the best Gundam show ever (by far), and this great opening makes me remember the great time spent watching the show.

The next 9 after the jump.

Starcraft 2 divided in 3: Clarification

If you’ve been following the development of Blizzard’s anticipated RTS, Starcraft 2 you should know by now that they decided to split the game into 3, shipping the terran campaign in the first game, followed by the Zerg and finally the Protoss. This announcment, stirred allot of confusion and cries of outrage, which is comprehensible.

Giant Bomb had a talk with guys from Blizzard to clarify some misinformation that was going around. The main point are:

• The game will indeed be split into 3, with each containing the campaign for each faction.
• The first game will include the full multiplayer experience, which means all units for all 3 factions, and each game thereafter will include new units upgrades and the usual expansion stuff.
• Multiplayer units and upgrades will be different from the solo campaign ones. They basically want the freedom to add stuff to the campaign without restricting it by multiplayer balance constraints, and want to stir away from the “solo campaign is a multiplayer tutorial” thing.
• Solo campaing seems to include about 30 missions for each faction (last starcraft had like 8-9 for each).
• They are adding considerable complexity and depth to what they call the metagame. In case of the Terrans this refers to the rpg elements and economy outside of each mission. For the other races it will be.
• The games will have at least one year between them.

Well even though I still fell a bit sad by not being able to play my favorite Zerg, it seems that something good may come out of this. You can see the full interview here.