Figures: Chrono Trigger Formation Arts
Chrono Trigger, an RPG masterpiece developed by Square-Enix (then just Square) for the SNES, is one of my all-time favourite games. I’m certainly not alone in that regard, so it’s quite surprising that Chrono Trigger figures are so scarce. In fact, as far as I can tell this set in Square-Enix’s Formation Arts line of blind box/trading figures may well be the first. We can only wonder as to why Square-Enix, a company who’s no stranger to milking all sorts of merchandising out of their franchises, has taken so long to grace us with these, but in any case they’ve now rectified the problem and have thankfully done a pretty good job of it.
Figure: Momohime (1/8 Scale by Alter)
From Muramasa: The Demon Blade – a Wii game with a gorgeous hand-painted visual style – comes the possessed princess Momohime, now lovingly crafted as a 1/8 scale figure by Noritaka Fukumoto for Alter. I’ll admit that I’m yet to complete Muramasa but I’ve really enjoyed what I’ve played so far and it’s just such a beautiful game to look at, so when I saw the previews for this figure I was pretty quick to make a pre-order. It looked incredible in Alter’s official promo shots, but those can often be misleading as certain elements become too difficult to mass produce or, more simply, quality control isn’t quite perfect. As a figure collector, you come to expect those differences and, within reason, accept them. With Momohime, Alter have managed to deliver a work of true craftsmanship that has absolutely no trouble living up to its promise.
Video: “Lost” in Just Cause 2
I picked up Just Cause 2 last week and have been having a blast with it. One of the cool things about the game is that it has a built-in recording function, though unfortunately it’s exclusive to the PS3 version (the game is also available on 360 and PC) and the output is quite low-res. Still, it’s nice to be able to save anything cool that might happen – which is pretty much most of the time in Just Cause 2 – or export the videos to edit them on your computer, and it’s prompted me to launch a video channel for autaku; something I’ve been thinking about for a while. I’ll talk more about where that’s going in another post, so for now take a look at the inaugural video featuring a surprise in Just Cause 2 for fans of the TV show Lost.
Games: Game Boy and Game Boy Pocket
A recent clean-up uncovered a few old treasures, including my sister and I’s Game Boy collection. I had been playing computer games before I got a Game Boy, but I didn’t get a home console until the Nintendo 64 so this was my first dedicated video game device. I can’t remember exactly when I got the Game Boy – probably sometime in the mid-90s – but I do remember playing a lot of Donkey Kong Country and Pokemon Red (my sister had Blue). For a while we shared one system, but eventually we got a Game Boy Pocket so that we could play at the same time; Pokemon was probably a factor in that.
Games: Mass Effect 2 N7 Hoodie
If my love for Mass Effect wasn’t clear enough in my feature article, this new arrival should crystallise things. This official Mass Effect hoodie from the Bioware store features an “N7 armour stripe” design based on Shepard’s default armour from the games.
Games: Heavy Rain Collector’s Edition
One of the main factors in my decision to buy a PS3 earlier this year was the impending release of exclusive title Heavy Rain, so it was with great excitement that I received my copy of the collector’s edition today. The game – when it’s being called a video game, at least – has generated a fair bit of interest due to developer Qauntic Dream’s focus on creating realistic “digital actors” and the somewhat unconventional approach to gameplay. Perhaps more appropriately called an interactive movie, Heavy Rain tells the story of four people investigating a criminal known as the Origami Killer. The collector’s edition – available in Europe, the UK and Australia – includes a code for the game’s first downloadable episode (which will be available as paid content at a later date), a dynamic XMB theme and an “official” soundtrack (would any other kind come with the game itself?). Like the recently released collector’s edition for Mass Effect 2, this package is relatively light on features but strong on presentation and appropriately priced. Read on for a closer look at the content.
Feature Article: On Engaging With Mass Effect 2
I’d like to start this article with some thoughts on the ethics of reviewing videogames, to explain why the word “review” is absent from the heading above. The question of how much of a game one should play before being in an adequate position to review said game has been raised more than a few … Read more
Games: Mass Effect 2 Collector’s Edition
Mass Effect was one of the first games I played on Xbox 360 and remains, in my opinion, one of the finest reasons to own the console. The sequel – the middle of a planned trilogy – has finally arrived, and this morning I picked up the collector’s edition. It is somewhat more modest in … Read more
Room Upgrades
You may remember that a bit over a month ago I showed you the results of my room redecoration (check it out here if you missed it). Well, I’ve made a few more changes since then that I’m very pleased with. Some are pretty obvious, but one may be a little harder to spot at … Read more
Eminence Symphony Orchestra @ Wai-Con 2010
Last night I had the pleasure of seeing a seven-piece ensemble from Eminence Symphony Orchestra perform live as part of Wai-Con, one of Perth’s major anime conventions. Most gamers and anime fans will probably be familiar with Eminence, if not by name then through their body of work. They are a Sydney-based group that mostly … Read more
