Final Fantasy XI: Seekers of Adoulin New Trailer & Release Date

Time draws near for adventurers of FFXI to discover a whole new world. The first true expansion in 6 years, Seekers of Adoulin seeks to bring FFXI back to where it was 6 years ago. SoA will bring us a new world to explore, lots of new enemies, two new jobs, and what we are hoping is an expansive storyline with fun quests.The following is both the most recent trailer as well as the original trailer showed back at FanFest 2012.

Seekers of Adoulin Prologue

As the eight century came to a close, so did
the islands' old regime. The royal family,
in partnership with the eleven knightly orders, agreed to abolish
imperial rule...from which arose the Sacred City of Adoulin.

The rate at which it developed astounded all.
In the blink of an eye, Adoulin had become a maritime metropolis,
its mercantile prowess rivaling even Jeuno's.

The hustle and bustle of the commoners' district in the west--Adoulin's
center of trade and pioneering hub--serves as a stark
contrast to the refined, stoic castle in the east.
It is upon the urban landscape that adventurers will first
leave their mark...in the next chapter of the Vana'diel's history.

 Check out the screenshots below! 

Another pretty girl to follow.

A large beehive for you to run from.

Another fountain for you to mule by!

New Crabs for your to EXP off of!

The expansion will be released as a download for PC & Xbox on March 26th for $29.99. For any returning players who need the rest of the expansions, there will be an anniversary download off the entire game and all expansions for $39.99. The expansion itself will go live on the 27th. So much fun to be had - I cannot wait. ^^

Merry Christmas 2012

We've reached the end of another year and only have a few more days to say that we survived 2012. I want to take this moment to say a couple things concerning my blog, my followers, and the people who support me.

First and foremost I would like to thank my followers - If it wasn't for you guys, I wouldn't be keeping up on this blog. I appreciate your comments no matter the size or depth. Thank you for reading the blog and checking out the website. Please look forward to much more in the new year for both Hunters-guild.org & Kaji's blog. Be ready for some more anime and game reviews, top 10s, some collaborations with other bloggers, and a more.

Finally, I would like to thank my friends and family who support me outside of the internet. Cable, Kamui, and Lilz just to name a few. I would also love to thank my fiance, Yopo - You've always supported my ideas and wild adventures. You've always been honest, loving, and generally a fantastic person to know and love. Thank you everyone.

No matter what religion you worship, which holiday you celebrate, or even if you don't - stay safe this season and remember the ones you love as well as the ones who love and worry about you. See you all in 2013.

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn - Alpha Video 4: Crafting & Collecting & 5: Levequests & Party Battles

We've twice visited the city-state of Gridania and then traveled through parts of  the Black Shroud. We've gotten to look at how the new Quest system and battle system works. So what's left to tease us with? Crafting and gathering! How exciting is that? Honestly, I'd rather be nuking some mobs. ^^ Check out the video below to see some of the new things you can do in the world of FFXIV.

The next video shows off Levequests. Short quests that tell you to destroy a set of monsters. It is very reflective of Fields of Valor from FFXI. Also shows some great battles against some huge monsters that I look forward to slaying!

VS: Rurouni Kenshin - Soujiro's Breakdown in 4 Laungues

Spoilers Ahoy For Anyone Who Has Not Watched the Kyoto Arc of Rurouni Kenshin. The following post spoils a major plot point in the final few fights of the Kyoto Arc. Please read with caution if you don’t like spoilers. If you know what happens or don’t care, enjoy!

From our first expression of Seta Soujiro we meet a happy-go-lucky kid who is able to catch up to a speeding horse-drawn carriage and assassinate the passenger without even breaking his innocent smile. Throughout the he manages to match Kenshin at Battou-jetsu, Kill fellow members of Shishio’s army, and become a major threat to our heroes – All while smiling like an innocent boy. The fact of the matter is that Soujiro shows zero emotions at any time. This poses a problem for our hero Kenshin whose skill relies on reading emotions to detect opponent’s moves. During their second battle, Soujiro states that the strongest live and the weak are meant to die. Kenshin argues the opposite, that all beings deserve life rather they are weak or strong and that anyone that Kenshin can save, he will. This causes Soujiro to dislike Kenshin to the point of hatred. This hate causes him to unearth his past that was severely traumatizing to the young boy. Suddenly, Soujiro displays an emotion that he held in along time ago. The young innocent face now becomes the face of hater and agony.. and thus we get one of the best mental breakdowns in Anime, no, in any medium.

Check out the videos below and let me know which one you think sounds best. ^^

English

 Japanese

While I do prefer the Japanese voice, the English voice does do the part some justice. That is my opinion of course. ^^

One Piece Pirate Warriors 2 Announced

The newest issue of Weekly Shonen Jump (Japan) announced the release of One Piece: Kaizoku Musou 2 (a.k.a. Pirate Warriors 2) for PS3 and Vita. No release date has been announced yet. The new game will cover the New World Arc probably starting with the trip to Fish Man Island. Of course there will be plenty of new characters and stages for your ass-kicking needs. I'm hoping that we'll see another US Release but this time maybe they need to release a physical copy and not a download only version. I can't play my copy at my friends house and that takes away from the fun. Oh well, more news as it comes in. ^^x

Update: Europe has announced a release for the PS3 version but not the Vita. Most likely we will be getting it in the US but probably as a downloadable game. Sad Panda.

New Rurouni Kenshin ~ New Kyoto Arc licensed for domestic release.

Sentai Filmworks, a.k.a. People who used to be known as ADV, has licensed the new Rurouni Kenshin ~ New Kyoto Arc films for U.S. release sometime next year. It will be released digitally first then on bilingual blue-ray and DVD. I'm looking forward to seeing how they pull together a dub cast as the original Kenshin TV series had different voice actors from the OAVs and film. If there are returning cast members it will most likely be the ones from the OAV and film due to Sentai Filmwork's connections with the former ADV. 

Check out my original review of the first part here. Thanks to AnimeNewsNetwork.com for the good news.

FFXIV: A Realm Reborn Alpha Video 4: Quests and Combat!

Another trailer has been uploaded and it's finally showing us what we want to see: Combat in FFXIV: RR. Check it out and let me know what you think.

I'm loving the new overlays and the display. Hoping I could get an invite to the Alpha or maybe the next test run. I'm in desperate need of some FF time and XI hasn't been helping the thirst.

Walking Dead Season 3.5 Teasers & Pictures

Season 3 of the Walking Dead is now on it's mid-season hiatus. It's as if all of the fans cried out then suddenly silenced. The silence represents the rage of having to wait till Feb for more episodes. Till then, check out some pictures from SpoilerTV a couple of YouTube clips. I am looking forward to seeing how this progresses. ^^

"The Governor pits brother against brother in a fight for their lives."

"Debate among Tyrese's small group of survivors."

Rick seems to be comforting Carol. Probably something about Daryl not being with him. Either that or he's saying "Bitch, back off."

Reunited, but for how long?

FFXIV: A Realm Reborn 3rd Alpha Trailer

More adventures in The Black Shroud in the 3rd video from FFXIV:RR Alpha. Let me know what you old FFXI players feel like when you see this video. ^^

Nintendo Wii Mini Preview

With the release of a new console sometimes often comes with a rerelease of an old console. We've seen it with the original NES and SNES and more recently we saw it with Sony's PSone & PStwo rerelease. Usually when released the system is released it doesn't loose to many of it's features. Unfortunately that isn't the case for the recently announces, Canadian Only, Nintento Wii Mini.

Could of even included a game, but no~

Smaller and sleeker back and red design with a Wii Motion Plus controller and a nunchuck to match.Unfortunately, they removed the GameCube backward capability as well as the WiFi. Does this mean the system can't even access the internet? Priced out for $99.99 Canadian ($100.48 US if you want to be anal like that.) Even though the system itself looks great, the lack of WiFi really takes away from the system. The $100 Price Tag is a little higher than I would expect as there were Wiis being sold for $89 at Walmart.com this past weekend.

Black and red.. does it run 3 times faster than the original Wii?

I wouldn't of minded it so much if they kept the WiFi and maybe added something else to it. Oh well. Still a good looking machine that I will eventually have to find to place in my game museum.

Preview: Berserk - The Golden Age Arc - The Egg of the King English Trailer

Check out the English trailer for the upcoming Berserk movies. This first movie covers the early days of Gatsu and Griffith hanging out together and relaxing all cool and slashing some people outside in the woods. When a foursome of demons, they were up to no good, starting making trouble in me neighborhood. I got into one little fight and Caska got r... oh, sorry. Didn't mean to take this joke that far.

Just check out the trailer below.

Anyone else hope there will be outtakes like the Media Blaster's release of the TV series?

Review: Wii U

All of Nintendo's thoughts and dreams are now in one system. Except for 3D.

Despite what some of the Internet is saying, the next generation of game consoles have arrived. Nintendo's Wii U console hit store shelves worldwide this month and already has sold 400k in units. (That is 100k more then the original Wii did in it's first week, if you're keeping tabs.) This will be my first main console review on this blog, so to celebrate I will be using a slightly different format. Another thing I should point out is that at the time of this post, I only have one game. Sense I don't have a couple games to really test to power of the Wii U, I will focus on the console its self. Design, presentation, online capabilities, backwards compatibility, and the overall system. So let's start with the first thing everyone notices:

DESIGN:

The Wii U is possibly one of the prettiest systems I own, pushing my newer XBox360 into second place. Very slick black plastic will keep your fingerprints forever though. (OR at least until you wipe off your system.) Power, ejection, and disk drive are positioned in the same place as the original Wii. The sync button now hangs out right next to the expansion slot as well. It's a little design improvement, but the back of the system holds the most important piece of new equipment: HDMI port. Let me take this time to thank Nintendo for including an HDMI cable. Thank you. So much.

Koopas and Goombas now come in small, medium, large, and holy-shit large.

The new controller is the selling point of the system as most know. At first it looks just like a tablet built into a controller, but as this review goes on you will find out that it is so much more. The controller itself comes with standard button layouts, directional pad, two nipples (or control sticks/dual shocks/whatever you want to call them), four trigger buttons, a microphone, stereo speakers, a camera, motion control, and a button designed to interact with your TV. I'll get into this magic button later though. Despite the fact that the touch-screen, it still functions very well.

So far it's all and all a damn good looking console. Maybe at a later date I need to do a top 5 vs top 5 again. Prettiest consoles VS ugliest. I'm looking at you Atari for all 5 of the ugly. 5/5

PRESENTATION: The first thing you will notice one you power up your Wii U is that alot of the focus is drawn to the controller. There is a very good reason for this as the controller will now be your ultimate tool for gaming on the Wii U. You'll set up the system's usual set up like time and t.v. settings. The controller will eventually ask you for the maker of your TV and your cable or satellite provider. After you give the controller this information, you will be able to control your TV with only the use of the GamePad. It may sound stupid, but once you mess with it for a bit it becomes an amazing little add on. Like the Wii & 3DS, you will be asked to either make a user account and select or create a Mii to go along with it. From here you can also set up your Nintendo ID for online services. I strongly suggest you do this as the online capabilities will be something to talk about. Of course accessing online will also require you to do a system update. A rather large one as well.

After the set up you'll be able to access a majority of the Wii U's functionality including the new Miiverse, whatever video streaming you like to do, the Internet, and of course play some damn games.

The only gripe here is the loading for a handful of the programs on the Wii U. Sometimes it seems like it'll take forever to get into System Set-up. On the other hand, games and other applications load quickly. Hopefully they can fix this with a system update. This should of really been fixed before release though. Docking you a partial point for that one, Big N. 4.5/5

Imagine if Cloud say this instead of the other hand at the end of FFVII. ^^

ONLINE: I want to call the Wii U's online community by the name "Online community." Alas, it's missing the things that usually make an online community what it is. There are no trolls. No group of kids looking to ruin your game. There are no perverts, camwhores, or complete dicks. Mind you, there are probably plenty of men with female Miis. The Miiverse is a friendly and well monitored community that allows you to post a sort of tweet or small facebook-like post on a game's board. Either by typing it our or drawing a witty picture, you can leave messages for fellow players as well as screen shots of something happening in game to them as they are playing. This makes for a very amusing and fun community. People finding and taking pictures of awkward moments in games such as a horse staring intently at a wall in Assassin's Creed III make a great time online. I've only had the system for a week and I already have more friends then I did on Xbox Live or PSN. Making friends is easier then it was on the Wii as well. No more Friend Codes, people. The online community itself is my favorite part of the system. 5/5

BACKWARDS CAPABILITY: Sorry kids, no GameCube games for the Wii U. Wii games work fantastic with the system though, as do all of the Wii's controllers, balance pad, and classic controllers. You can even transfer everything from your Wii over to your Wii U with the minor cost of formatting your original Wii. (I plan something special for my original Wii. >.>) Here is where my biggest bitch comes in though: To access Wii games and virtual console, you need to open the Wii application. It's not convenient compared to playing GameCube games on the original Wii. I'm hoping in the near future Nintendo does a nice system update that will allow you to play all Wii games right from the Wii U desktop. 4/5

COD:BLOPS2 (I like that name) is a port of the 360 version.

OVERALL: The Wii U is going to be a great system. High definition, great sound, fantastic operating system, and an epic online community could see the system hold out for years to come. The concerning fact is of course, the games. The fact that I can turn on the gamepad without turning on my TV to check to see what friends are online or if anyone has made a witty new post is a dream come true.

Nintendo is going to need to continue to push 3rd party developers as well as it's own to continue to keep the games flowing. Don't worry about pulling people from other consoles to play the same game. You won't pull someone who has been playing COD for years on the Xbox to play COD on the Wii U, unless you can tempt them with something a little more. My other concern is system shelf-life. I know Sony and Microsoft are both working on their next systems, but how long until we see those? How much better can graphics get? Do graphics even matter anymore? I grew up during the time that having a system that said "16-bit" on the cover made other kids want to mug you. Nintendo, I see your finally making good success with the 3DS. Show me you can do the same with the Wii U, and get the Nintendo name back into the console war at full power. 4.6/5

Zelda MiniGame Included in Nintendo Land. Harder then it looks.

There is one thing I would like to point out to the people who may ask "Well, is it stronger or weaker then PS3 and Xbox?" I will say this - despite a little bit of frame rate issues, I've heard no problems with the Wii U's graphics. A majority of the issues that people are discovering are in the games that are ports from other consoles such as COD or Batman. Don't listen to what other people say though - try the system yourself. I think you'll be glad you did.

If you've got a Nintendo Wii U or plan on getting one, hit me up online under the Nintendo Network ID name Kajimaru. See you guys online.

FFXIV: A Realm Reborn Alpha Trailer 2

    SE has released the second trailer from FFXIV: A Realm Reborn's Alpha Testing. This video features an area called The Black Shroud. The Black Shroud is located outside of Neo Windurst/Gridania. We previously say Gridania in the last Alpha trailer. In this video you will see lush green hills, hidden pathways behind waterfalls, and even dark caves surrounded by Imps. FFXIV:RR seems to be coming along nicely. Let's just hope that SE learned from all of their past mistakes. I dearly hope that this will be the return of Final Fantasy in mainstream gaming as well as MMOs.

Trailer: The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia Book

Dark Horse Comic's English release of The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia is still about two month's away but IGN has given us a trailer to sink our teeth into. Check it out below:

The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia is a hardcover encyclopedia that will contain 248 full-color pages. It will feature a full history of the franchise, concept art, chronology of the Zelda game series, making-of the series, a comic by Zelda Manga-ka Akira Himekawa, as well as an introduction from Shigeru Miyamoto.

Nintendo & Dark Horse Comics will release Hyrule Historia on 1/16/13 with a sticker price of US$34.99. Worth picking up for any Zelda lover.

Final Fantasy XIV: End of an Era Video

The official FFXIV YouTube channel has posted a video of the end of XIV's current world. This video also represents the end of the original FFXIV's world to make way for the Realm Reborn coming early 2013. Check it out.

FFXIV: The End of the World

Image curtsey of FFXIVPRO.

The moon is falling and the final hours of FFXIV are at an end. When we see this world again, we will see the world reborn. Here is great hopes that SE's development team put their heart and soul into this new world we're about to see. Until we meet again, see you soon adventurers!

Review: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2012 Series

Ninja Turtles, now under the Nickelodeon flag, return for an all new animated series. Borrowing a little from each of it's previous incarnations will the new turtles be ready for some pizza time or is the new series going to be flushed down like an unwanted red slider back in the early 90's? (Was that joke too tasteless?)

THE STORY:

The origin doesn't vary far from the original. Thankfully the Turtles are mutants still and not aliens. Hamato Yoshi makes his way from Japan to New York where he adopts 4 baby turtles. On his way home he runs into some suspicious looking people fighting over an item. This item happens to be the slime that transforms him into a rat and his turtles into humanoids. Trains them as Ninjas, They grow to become teens, and you know the rest. Thankfully we're not here for a new origin, we're here for some new turtle action!

 3/5 Average.

THE AUDIO:

The music in the new series is fantastic. Upbeat songs are nice and catchy while the lower key music doesn't sound like it's taking itself to seriously. Sound effects are perfect with each moment. Even the new opening song is catchy and fun. It's a addicting and fun rap song that calls back to the original T.V. series as well as some of the other incarnations with lines like "The Secret of the Ooze" & "Heroes in a Half Shell." A killer soundtrack indeed. The voice acting is also fantastic - each Turtle's voice suits their character well. At first I had Don (who's VA played Ralp in the 87' series) and Mikey's sounding a little too kiddy, but once I got about half way into the premier I found that these voices suited them extremely well. Even the random bits of Japanese that Splinter and Leo toss out sound great. 5/5 for the Turtles!

THE VISUAL:

I was a little concerned when I found out that the new series was being made with CGI. I find that CG animated series don't have the same charm as hand drawn/computer drawn animation. This series is definitely making me feel otherwise. The animation is smooth, fluid, and expressive. The characters them self have alot of emotion to them. There are some great moments where they use some very comic book/manga like facial expressions that gives the series a charming look. Even the backgrounds are done well. They did a great job keeping the comic/manga look with CGI. 5/5 Excellent!

THE CHARACTERS:

The characters basic attitude have not changed much from previous entries into the series. The twist in the characters lies in something that is often ignored in previous incarnations despite the fact that it is in the title: They are teenagers. I'm not talking 17-19, I'm talking about that socially awkward age of 15. Leo remains the leader who can't completely control his teenage brothers. Between Ralp giving him a hard time and Mikey breaking rules, he enjoys reenacting his favorite T.V. series. Ralp remains the smart-ass who enjoys giving his brothers a hard time. Mikey still loves skateboard but still acts like the little annoying brother you never wanted. Splinter has a new design that makes him more foreboding as a parent and teacher. (He is also my favorite Splinter to date.) April returns this time as a teenager but with few lines and being nothing more then a damsel in distress I could not judge her well. Hopefully she becomes much more. The enemies for the premier are the Kraang - Brain-like aliens the resemble the Utroms from the comics and the 2003 series take their look and name being closer to the 87's Krang. 5/5 - Even though these characters are not perfect, the have a lot of room to grow!

OVERALL:

Welcome back Ninja Turtles. That sums up my feelings. The series itself has provoked me to start purchasing the figures and that is saying something. The new series does one thing that I think they learned from the Turtles Forever movie - Don't take yourself too seriously. These turtles give us the right amount of action and comedy to keep my eyes glued. I'm already DVRing the series as new episodes that are giving Saturday Morning Cartoons a serious comeback. I can't be the only one who feels this way - Season 2 has already been confirmed. 4.5/5!

Pizza Time!

FFXIV: A Realm Reborn Alpha Trailer

SquareEnix has released a trailer featuring the revamped Gridania as a little teaser for returning XIV players. Remember kids, XIV goes down this weekend to make room for it's revamped 2.0, aka A Realm Reborn. Check out the trailer below!

Wii U: Top 5 Announced Games I am Looking Forward Too.

With Nintendo's newest console only a week away from world-wide release, I thought I would take a moment and go over the top 5 games I am looking forward to. Let's not screw around and get right to the list.

5.) Nintendo Land

Nintendo Land places itself as number five on this list. It is meant to be the "killer app" game of the Wii U much like how Wii Sports was for the original Wii. The game features 12 mini games that use you and your friend's Miis. A copy of Nintendo Land will also be packed with every Wii Deluxe Edition making the extra $50 on the upgrade worth it.

4.) All 3 Party Games

Finally, Nintendo can get some decent 3rd party games. I hope the Wii U's life carries over to the next generation for this same reason. Mind you, I have a 360 & a PS3. Usually I choose my 3rd party games by what type of games they are. Family, Party, & Multiplayer games were always bought on my Xbox360 previously but sadly I think my Wii U will replace my 360 in my living room. My PS3 will continue to be my single-player console. I can't wait to see websites doing 3 panel comparison shots for all three systems.

3.) Zombie U

Originally I wasn't excited about this title until I found out one disturbing feature. When you die, your dead. It's over. You want your items and gear from your dead body? Better find your zombie-past self and kill 'em. Another great feature is that the game takes place in London. It's not often I get to roam the streets of London and definitely even less often that I go to London to fight zombies.Hopefully the difficulty will be high on this one. I could use a game to put me in my place.

2.) Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate

Speaking of being put in my place: Monster Hunter is back and on the Wii U. Hopefully the online features will be seamless. I can't wait to spend hours hunting some huge beast just to have it pick me up by the neck and fling me across the zone like an unwanted rag doll.

1.) New Super Mario Brothers U

Another New Super Mario game? I'll take it. This time you can not only have 3 potential enemies (or friends as Nintendo calls them) but a 5th player using the game pad to help Mario & friends along the way. This game will also have a boost rush mode where you need to finish levels as quickly as possible without getting killed & a challenge mode for single or multiplayer. You can even share your best times or scores with your friends online.

There you have it. I probably won't get a Wii U until after Christmas but at least I'll have some great games to look forward too. Hopefully Nintendo keeps pushing them out as well. ^^



New Evangelion Unit: Comes in Pink!

With the newest Evangelion movie, You Can (Not) Redo, out in Japanese theaters the Internet is exploding with spoiler images and summaries from those who have seen it. We know Kaworu and his unit were set to appear in this movie as we got a tease of him coming at the end of 2.0. There is also another un-numbered unit. I'm going out on a ledge here to say it's probably Mari's new EVA Unit. Check out the picture and let me know what you think. Radical theories are welcome.

Toonami - More New Shows OTW!

So I completly forgot to post about the last Toonami change, where they added the 2012 Thundercats and Symbionic Titan to the midnight lineup. Before I move on, I'd like to point out a few awesome things about the new Thundercats series.

I still hope for season 2.

1. Voice Acting & Animation is top-notch!

2. Bringing the new Thundercats is a call back to the early days of original Toonami -when they shows the original Thundercats!

3. Great story, I don't care what you people say about the Petal Leaf Episode.

Now, let's move on to the new new changes: 

"Grr, we have to watch more reruns again?"

Tonight 's Toonami will not only show the end of the Luke-warm Casshern Sins but also reintroduce Inu Yasha to the late night Adult Swim audience. Maybe if Inu Yasha becomes popular again, we'll finally get the final act. Inu Yasha isn't a great to me as Ramna 1/2 was, but it'll do for now. As for the next new show..

Trust me when I say you'll enjoy it even if it is a spinoff!

Remember earlier when I mentioned how cool it was bringing the new Thundercats to the revived Toonami as the original played during Toonami's original run? Well, it's time for another Toonami classic to return in a new form - Tenchi Muyo is back. Well, Sorta. The Tenchi Spin-Off Tenchi Muyo GXP will start airing next week. This side story features a young man named Seina Yamada who becomes mistaken by the Galaxy Police as another main character. He ends up having all sorts of fun that would normally be reserved for the son of Jurai himself. Check it out if you're a Tenchi fan or not: It's a blast.

3DS: Charizard 3DSXL

Pokemon Japan is releasing a super limited Charizard (known as Lizard in JP) 3DSXL. This isn't going to be a wait in line all night type of thing either, as they will be sold via drawing. Damn do I wish I could get to Japan for this bad boy!

In other news, I'm a terrible blogger this month. XD I'll have some good posts coming soon!

Final Fantasy XIV: A Look at the New Shortcut System

One of the biggest gripes I hear while playing FFXI is that the PC version is bogged down by the PS2 version. That SE's obsession with making the game for both consoles and PC continues to make the PC suffer from the same limitations as the PS2. Not wanting to make the same mistake, SE announced a new HUD menu system for the upcoming release of FFXIV: A Realm Reborn. This new overlay will not only affect the PS3 release but will be available for the PC as well if you're one of those freaks who uses a controller on the PC. (Just a freak, like me~)

The new menu system that will feel very familiar to anyone who has played a PS3 or PSP as it's basically an altered version of Sony's "Cross Hot Bar." Very basic and very simple. As for gameplay, abilities and spells will be mapped across the front of the controller allowing you to set up 8 (4 on buttons & 4 on directional pad) abilities or spells. You will also be able to cycle through different sets using the R2-L2 buttons. This new system aims to become a new standard for console based MMOs. (Us controller lovers aren't insane, we're just.. ahead of the game.) Check out the screen shots below and take a gander for yourself.

Check out the screen shots as they are from the PS3 release.

I have to say I am looking forward to the born-again FFXIV release. I will just had to find time to play it between FFXI & PSO2. >.>

Utada Hikaru wants to be your friend.. in the new Animal Crossing.

Japanese music icon Utada Hikaru may be taking some time off from the music industry but that doesn't mean she's fallen off the face of the planet. The Kingdom Hearts songstress and popular Jpop icon also loves to talk about her video game addiction. She can kick your ass at Tetris, but soon she may need a little help from her friends.

Utada is looking forward to playing the new 3DS Animal Crossing game, and is also in need of some friends to play it with. Maybe you could play with her and help her obtain items that only friends can give to you. It's probably the equivalent of playing those Facebook games that require you to have friends send you stuff to help along the way.

The link to her Twitter account is here. Works well if you read Japanese.

FFXI Update: September 25, 2012 Overview

Another FFXI update is ready to be downloaded and explored. This update introduces some well needed ingame fixes, some new endgame content that hopefully wont just be rehashed endgame, and some new things that have gotten some adventurers excited.

Event-related

• Meeble Burrows—all new dungeon content—has been added to the game.

  

  Meeble Burrows seems to be more about accomplishing goals instead of kill all monsters. Is this the new NNI?

  
  

  Meeble Burrows is all-new dungeon content in which intrepid players sneak into underground caves and participate in various research expeditions, delving ever farther until they best the dreadful beasts in the far recesses of the caverns.
  
  * The Wings of the Goddess expansion is required to venture into Meeble Burrows.

  Eligibility
  • Parties must be comprised of between three and six players.
  • There is no level restriction.
  • There is a time limit of fifteen minutes.
  
  

  See more info about Meeble Burrows continent here.

  Seems like it will be something slightly different then what is currently out for endgame. Hopefully it wont be as painful as VoidWatch started to become and perhaps be a little fun in the process. What's that Kaji? You want fun in your MMO after 10 years? Yes. Yes I do.

• The following adjustment has been made to the Grounds of Valor:
  • Objectives have been adjusted for the following individual training regime:
    • Toraimorai Canal: Page 4

• [dev1136] Certain existing super kupowers will be replaced by new ones.
  
  

  Thrifty Transit	Outpost teleport sites will operate free of charge!
  Martial Master	As an added Signet effect, battle skills will increase more rapidly!
  Blood of the Vampyr	The effect of Signet will be boosted with the abilities of Regeneration and Refresh!
  Treasure Hound	Signet will grant you the Gilfinder and Treasure Hunter abilities!
  Artisan's Advantage	The chances of losing ingredients due to failed synthesis will be significantly lowered!
  Swift Shoes	Adventurers who are fully rested and healed will temporarily be able to run with great speed!
  Ease of Exploration	A teleport service connecting the towns of Mhaura and Selbina to the three nations will appear!
  Myriad Mystery Boxes	Treasure Caskets will appear more frequently around the three nations!
  Dilatory Digestion	Food effects will last twice as long! (Need this in RL)
  Boundary Buster	The amount of Conquest Points received from defeating enemies will be doubled!
  Bountiful Bazaar	All regional merchants in each of the three nations will be open for business! (Awesome for crafters who don't want to travel!)

• The following change has been made to fellow bonds.
  • Actions that strengthen the bonds between you and your fellow will now do so at an even greater rate.

Now if I would ever get to that first limit break quest for Henrietta..

Battle-related

• Recast times for summoning magic have been reduced to five seconds.
  *Odin and Alexander will be unaffected by this change. (Nice for when ADL one-shots my Ramuh)

• Blood Pact: Ward abilities will no longer be interrupted if the monster you are targetting is defeated. (Years of Carby looking like he was about to explode are finally gone!)

• Enfeebling magic resistance for the following monsters has been adjusted:

  Nergal / Bata / Aeshma / Thalesek / Pyrrha / Arch-Omega / Arch-Ultema / Odin (Odin's Chamber II)

Item-related

• New items have been introduced. (I AM THE MONKEY KING!)
  

• New synthesis recipes have been added.

• Icons for the following items have been adjusted:

  Lungo-Nango Jadeshell / Rimilala Stripeshell / Montiont Silverpiece / Ranperre Goldpiece / 100 Byne Bill / 10,000 Byne Bill

• [dev1123] The following items are now storable with the Moogle Porter service:
  • Moogle Storage Slip 11:

    Marine Gear, Woodsy Gear, Creek Gear, Riber Gear, & Fune Gear can be stored with Moogle Storage Slip 11.
    
    System-related

• [dev1127] PC Collision Adjustments
  • PCs who have not moved for thirty seconds or more are no longer subject to unit collision.
  • PCs who have been healing or sitting for thirty seconds or more are no longer subject to unit collision. (No more running out of your Jeuno Moghouse as quick as possible!)

• The Seekers of Adoulin expansion logo has been added to the start screen.
  

Resolved Issues

• The following issues have been corrected:
• An issue with Trial of the Magians wherein skillchains performed with pets did not count towards trial objectives requiring one's pet to strike the final blow.
• An issue wherein the Paladin ability Fealty and the Blood Pact Perfect Defense would not block status ailments if the player's elemental resistance value dropped below zero.
• An issue wherein the Abyssea-Uleguerand monster Isgebind was completely resistant to paralysis effects.
• An issue in Promyvion wherein the items dropped by ice and water Empty-type monsters were reversed.
• An issue wherein player shadows would display improperly when using the Ark Scythe weapon's costume feature.

Not a lot of new stuff but I'm already a pretty busy person in game leveling and gearing THF, working on Amano, helping LS, ect. So I probably won't even get to Meeble Burrows for a couple of months unless someone in the LS wants to try it out. Hoping to start using THF with Yopo's RDM for Dynamis to score some more currency. Until then I will have to rely on my SAM/DNC soloing in Qufim. See you guys ingame!

Capcom/Sega/Namco Bandai's Project X Zone Opening

Check out this opening to Project X Zone (Pronounced Project Cross Zone.) It's a collaboration of Sega, Capcom, and Namco Bandai characters working together in this JRPG like Xover. Song by Yoko Takahashi.

Game comes out in Japan on Oct. 11th, my daughter's birthday. Game director Katsuhiro Harada has promised a legalization version to be released in the future. Time will tell. ^^

Trailer Attack!! One Piece Pirate Warriors & FFXIV's new Trailer

Here is a couple of new trailers for your viewing pleasure. First up is the newest One Piece: Pirate Warriors English Trailer. Check it out!

While the trailer basically is just the game's opening cinematic, it still is looking great. Hope all my friends in America plan to pick it up on September 25th!

Next on the list is the newest trailer from TGS of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, coming soon to a PC and hopefully a PS3 real soon!

Game is looking great so far, even though much like the One Piece trailer I think this is mostly cinematic. I really have high hopes for this game as the original XIV wasn't terrible, but when a game goes from Beta to release without listening to the people testing.. well, we saw what happened there. Come on, I wasn't the only one who got turned on when the Black Mage castes Comet at the end there. ^^ Hope to be bringing more One Piece: Pirate Warriors and FFXIV news in the coming weeks!

Review: Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance (3D)

The game that bridged Final Fantasy with Disney movies celebrates it's 10th anniversary with the release of Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance. Will this be the spiritual Kingdom Hearts 3 or will it be a spin-off in the wrong direction?

Micky Photo Bomb

The Story: Set up previous by the events of Birth By Sleep & De:coded, Sora & Riku are summoned by Yen-Sid to participate in the Mark of Mastery exam. Despite Sora feeling that he should be able to skip the exam using his battles against Ansem the Seeker of Darkness and the Organization XIII leader Xemnas, the two go into the dream worlds where they are given the task to awaken the worlds that fell into the darkness and remain sleeping. The main story line keeps you very interested if you've been following the games. If you haven't been, you may be very confused as enemies you once felled seem to be returning. Even a special fan favorite returns back in his original form to surprise players at a moment notice.

Unfortunately the Disney characters are less charming then they were in previous games. Even the Tron Legacy level left a little bit to be desired. It's not the characters, it's the way Sora and Riku just don't seem to belong in these worlds like Sora did in KH2. The secret endings are, sadly, predicable. A few of the events in the actual ending were more surprising then the original.  4/5

Can't see where I am with your hair cut blinding me!

The Look: Best looking game of the series hands down. The worlds are colorful and lush and the characters are an improvement from the KH2. Everything from game-play, heroes, enemies, and cut-scenes are some of the best on the 3DS currently. This is also the first 3DS game I've enjoyed in almost full 3D sense Mario 3D Land. An absolute 5/5.

Still waiting for Tron 3..

The Sound: New and old songs sound great coming from the speakers of the 3DS. Even though most of the songs are either remixed or rehashed from older games, the charming music of Yoko Shimomura, Takeharu Ishimoto, and Tsuyoshi Sekito carries on in your heart for most of the game. Voice acting is top-notch with returning actors for the entire main cast. Even Aqua's voice actor sounds better then she did in BBS. 5/5

Mysterious Cloaked Chatacer Number 6

 The Feel: I'm always a little concerned with Kingdom Hearts being on portables as the PS2 controller seemed to be the best way to control Sora, but Square did great at implementing every button they could. Even the circle pad pro could be used if you have one, making the camera easier to control. The new "Flow-motion" system feels like you're breaking the game's boundaries by leaping higher then normal and kicking off walls. Flow-motion isn't just a way to get around but also lets you pull off some great damage on enemies. It's a little bit like the "HIT TRIANGLE NOW!" command from KH2 but with a little more depth. You can feel the difference in a game that was made ground up exclusively for a system. The difficulty seems a little amped up from the previous games. Another new feature is the fighting and befriending of Dream Eaters. The Dream Eaters not only help you in battle, but also help you grow as a character with each one representing a different skill tree for Sora & Riku to gain new powers. 5/5

"I wonder if Sora ever had to deal with this."

The Filling: The main story can be completed in about 20 hours depending on the difficulty. I played on Proud Mode myself, so I had to take some time and grind a few levels in before moving onto the storyline. The Gotta Catch 'Em All Dream Eater system can keep you busy for some time as well as a handful of minigames featuring Sora and Riku's new companions. There is also a Trophey System that rewards players who meet a certain criteria with ingame Throphies. If this isn't enough for you, try to take on the optional boss or the Critical difficulty mode you unlock once you complete the game. The game is still short, even for a spinoff game. 4.5/5

Game should of been called "Riku's Sleepy Fun Time World"

Overview:

I dumped about 30 hours into the game before I completed everything with the exception of collecting all the treasures and Dream Eaters. This wasn't enough for me though: I still felt the game could of been a little longer.. but perhaps that is because I was expecting a full KH game, and not a game created to set up Kingdom Hearts 3. Perhaps this will be our last spin-off until we see Sora team up with his friends to battle the upcoming darkness threatening the worlds. Hopefully KH3 will come out within the next couple years, perhaps intime for it's 15th anniversary. 4.7/5.0