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CanisMax

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  1. CanisMax
    Well, if there’s one thing I’ve learned from working at a McDonald’s for the last few weeks, it’s that people are massive jerks. As such, I’ve decided to provide you with a handy-dandy little guide on how to not be a complete imbecile when you go to a McDonald’s.
     
    1. KNOW WHAT YOU WANT BEFORE YOU START CROWDING THE COUNTER
    The people working the front counter registers have several jobs, but one primary function: to get people in and out of line as quickly as possible. People who walk up to the counter with no idea what they want are a great way to completely derail this goal. Each order is supposed to be taken in under a minute unless it’s an exceptionally complicated one. So, please, if you don’t know what you want, then stand back and let somebody else order.
     
    2. ORDER EVERYTHING YOU WANT AT THE SAME TIME
    This one irks me more than any other thing on this list. DO NOT TRY TO CHANGE YOUR ORDER AFTER YOU’VE ALREADY PLACED IT. The order taking system is mostly computer-based. The folks working grill get an order and immediately start working on it, so if you suddenly decide that you don’t want onions on your Quarter Pounder, then in all likelihood, it’ll have to be completely remade and we’ll have to throw the original sandwich out. In other words, we may as well be throwing away literal money. In short, for the love of God, say you don’t want salt on your fries while you’re still ordering.
     
    3. DON’T THROW OUT CIGARETTE BUTTS/STRAW WRAPPERS/GUM/ETCETERA IN THE PARKING LOT
    You probably don’t realize this, but there’s actually a lot of effort put into trying to portray McDonald’s as being exceptionally clean both inside and out. When I get into work, the first thing I do after I punch in is sweeping the lot. In other words, I go around the entire property with a broom and dustpan and pick up any garbage I see on the ground. The most common things I see? Cigarette butts and straw wrappers. But, honestly, I never really know what I’m going to find laying around. I do know that it will consistently be unpleasant, though. So please, do me and my fellow McDonald’s employees a favor: throw your trash away where it’s supposed to go.
     
    4. DON’T OVER-COMPLICATE THINGS
    You don’t like mustard? Hey, I get that. It’s cool. Just a press of a button and voila, no mustard on your burger. That sort of thing is fine. What isn’t cool is trying to get a McDouble with a billion different things added to it. Sure, it’s a minor inconvenience, but it still means your order taker has hunt down whatever it is you want in the computer program and add it. Then the people working grill have to waste extra time making it. So, please, KISS your order (“Keep It Simple, Stupidâ€).
     
    5. DON’T BE A WHINY %&$#! ABOUT PRICES
    We have no control over prices. That’s corporate’s problem. Take it up with them. If you don’t like how much something costs, go eat somewhere else. There is absolutely nothing we can do about that.
     
    6. DON’T BE A WHINY %&$#! ABOUT MISTAKES
    We’re only human. Sometimes, we screw up. Sometimes, you get pickle on your Big Mac when you didn’t want any. It’s okay. Just calmly go up to the counter and politely ask for a new one. We would be happy to fix it. Yes, we lost money, but it’s our fault, so you’re in the clear. As long as you’re cool about it, then it’s all good. What isn’t alright is acting like a crybaby just because you were inconvenienced a little bit. Don’t be that guy. That guy is a moron.
     
    7. DON’T BE A WHINY %&$#! IN GENERAL
    You know what? Just a general rule: don’t get all up in arms about anything that happens in a McDonald’s. It’s not that big of a deal. If someone is a jerk to you, just take it up with a manager. If a manager is a jerk to you, take it up with the owner. There’s always somebody higher up on the food chain. Had to wait longer than you’d have liked to? You’re an adult, friggin’ act like it. Anything I missed? DEAL WITH IT. WE ARE NOT PERFECT. We’re trying our best here, but people acting like imbeciles make us a lot less willing to help you out.
     
    8. DON’T HOLD UP THE DRIVE-THRU
    The drive-thru is meant to be fast. As fast as possible, in fact. Don’t mess around. Don’t be flippant. Don’t do anything that might potentially hold up the place. That’s just not cool. Do us all a favor and help keep things moving. If you need a minute to decide what you want, that’s one thing. But don’t do anything stupid.
     
    9. CLEAN UP AFTER YOURSELF
    Nobody expects you to do a full cleaning. But at the very least throw away your trash and try to clean any spills. Just as a common courtesy. Yes, it’s our job to clean the lobby. That isn’t an excuse to trash the place.
     
    10. HELP US HELP YOU
    Speak clearly and concisely and loud enough that we can hear you. Try to keep things moving. Just be polite and everything’ll be fine. Nobody wants any trouble.
     
    And that, more or less, is how to not be a jerk at McDonald’s. In short, just be nice. Or better yet, don’t eat at McDonald’s. Seriously. Even I don’t know where that stuff has been.
  2. CanisMax
    Yeah, I'm back, more or less. Hopefully a good chunk of you remember me. For those of you who don't... Hi. I'm Canis. There's virtually nothing to like about me.
     
    Anyhow, I have now returned. I'll leave you to decide whether or not it's a triumphant return. Meh. Sooooo.... yeah. I've noticed the site's gone through a complete overhaul, so can somebody please 'splain to me if there's anything I need to know? That'd be greatly appreciated.
  3. CanisMax
    A while ago, I explained my absence with illness. Now, I come and blame it on my computer.
     
    See, my usual activities around here are done via my laptop. Show of hands, now, anyone got an idea why this might be a bad thing?
     
    ...
     
    Time's up. If you said something along the lines of, "you have a really crappy laptop with a history of acting ridiculous", then you'd be absolutely right. (this is the same reason I haven't done anything on DeviantArt, not that anyone cares)
     
    In other words, to be on EF, I have two options: 1). Use the family computer, or 2). Use my phone. Since my mother is a major computer hog, I'm forced to use my phone. Now, don't get me wrong, I have an iPhone, so it's not like I'm dealing with poor Internet. It's just that, well, quite frankly, I cant stand typing things out with the iPhone keyboard. Even right now, I'm having to withhold my frustration.
     
    That having been said, I'm making an early new year's resolution to try to be around here more, even if I'm risking tendinitis, or some such. There will, hopefully, be a greater involvement with the site as a whole on my part, including the continuation of the SHOWdown and yes, Marvel Man, more Irritation Thursday.
     
    In conclusion, Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, and have a great whatever-the-heck-else! I love you guys!
  4. CanisMax
    Well, here I am, folks. A month's hiatus and the best you're getting is a quick blog entry. I tend to doubt many of you really noticed my absence, but I still feel the need to explain myself, since I was signed up for a couple of things.
     
    I've been pretty sick the last month. I won't bore you with the details, but suffice to say, don't ever catch anything that causes your life to come to a grinding halt. I missed a bunch of tests at school, which I had to make up, an on top of everything else, I had exams at the end of the month.
     
    This is the reason why I didn't come up with an entry forthe October character challenge. It's the reason why I haven't participated in Ellrisa's steampunk RP. It's the reason why I haven't been blogging, and it's the reason why I just have not been around at all. I'm sorry, folks. I just haven't had the energy to do much of anything around here. Sorry.
     
    Anyway, I'll do the best I can to be more active around here.
     
    Until next time,
    -Canis Minor
  5. CanisMax
    Welcome to an all new segment of The Philosophy of Nerdism. Despite what you may have thought when you clicked on this, there will be no actually depiction of a fight. Sorry, folks.
     
    SHOWdown!!!! is where I will compare and contrast two 'shows'. By this, I'm referring to movies and television. With each entry I'll pick two movies, two TV shows, or perhaps one of each and I'll break them down and tell you which one is better.
     
    I'll break down each competitor into five key elements. Whichever gains the upper hand in at least three categories wins! Today, I'll be focusing on the 'Big-G' himself: Godzilla!
     
    Our first competitor was released in the States in 1954. Starring Raymond Burr and Takashi Shimura... give it up for Godzilla: King of the Monsters!

     
    Our next competitor was released to U.S. home video in 1999. Starring Takehiro Murata and Naomi Nishida, here is Godzilla 2000!

     
    (Note: The following pieces may contain SPOILERS. Reader discretion is advised, especially for those who may not have seen these films.)
     
    Category 1: The Plot
    Godzilla films, and frankly, kaiju films in general, are known for being fairly campy. This is due to any number of things; poor dubbing, bad acting, dumb concept, heck, the film could just in general be a piece of crap.
     
    Our first competitor, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, was released in the mid-fifties: a time many consider to be the birth of the science fiction film. Several great movies were released in that era, as well as several not-so-great movies. King of the Monsters, to me at least, is the former. The plot revolves mainly around a reporter (Raymond Burr) who is investigating reports of a giant monster attacking a small island. The monster (obviously Godzilla) ends up attacking Tokyo, Japan and the rest of the movie revolves around efforts to get rid of the monster. In retrospect, the plot actually bears quite a bit of resemblance to King Kong, but I feel like this is more coincidence than anything else. At the end of the film Dr. Kyohei Yamane (Takashi Shimura) lets himself die along with Godzilla at the hands of his own creation, the Oxygen Destroyer. This scene really gets to me. The film itself was, in typical fifties style, an allegory. It was a manifestation of the fear and angst still held by the Japanese people after the atomic bomb drops on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The film moves slowly at times, at least for a fifties sci-fi movie, but overall, it's a good story and well-made.
     
    In contrast, Godzilla 2000 makes itself out to be more of a modern b-movie. It focuses on the efforts of a scientist and his daughter who spend all their time chasing around Godzilla and the reporter who won't leave them alone. The plot is little more than, 'A giant rock is brought up from under the sea. The rock turns out to be a giant monster bent on conquering earth. Godzilla shows up and they have a big fight. Godzilla wins. The end.' Obviously, there's more to it than that, but most of the scenes involving humans could be edited out and you'd have the core plot. I like this film, but there's not much to it in terms of story.
     
    ROUND ONE WINNER: Godzilla: King of the Monsters
     
    Category 2: The Monster
    This is a difficult category. I'm literally comparing Godzilla with Godzilla.
     
    Honestly, there's not a whole lot of difference besides the fact that the Godzilla 2000 version is sleeker. From that standpoint, it could be argued that the newer version is better. Simply put, it looks better.
     
    Here's the thing: Godzilla 2000's version may look better, but that's not the only thing I'm looking at. The way that Godzilla: King of the Monsters was shot is great for the same reason that movies like Jaws, Predator, and The Thing From Another World are great. You don't see the monster until it's too late. Granted, it's pretty hard to keep such a large creature hidden in the same way as some classic horror flicks. Nevertheless, it's pulled off nicely. In contrast, in Godzilla 2000, there's monster action every few minutes. The Big G is stomping around from the very beginning. There's not much horror in that.
     
    Nevertheless, after much consideration, I can't help but give this to Godzilla 2000. Why? Unfortunately, King of the Monsters was made on a small budget (worse than American b-movies at the time). The old costume looks sloppy.
     
    ROUND TWO WINNER: Godzilla 2000
     
    Category 3: The Acting
    When you pick up a Godzilla flick, you're probably not expecting the acting to be superior. There are exceptions (namely GMK), but more often than not, you're not expecting Oscar-worthy acting.
     
    These two films, surprisingly enough, hold their own pretty well in this category. King of the Monster stars Raymond Burr, known for his role as lawyer, Perry Mason. He was in his prime at the time and you can tell. He has a knack for making things dramatic, but in a good way. The whole film might have been dubbed, the acting is, well, believable. Godzilla 2000, doesn't necessarily fall short either. It was released in the U.S. for home video viewing, so the dubbing isn't exactly the highest quality, nonetheless it's done fairly well. Unfortunately, there's a few seriously cheesy bits. From what I understand, the distributor was having a conflict with Toho at the time, so some of the corniness might have been vengeful. King of the Monsters has some odd bits as well, but overall, it's well-acted.
     
    ROUND THREE WINNER: Godzilla: King of the Monsters
     
    Category 4: The Action
    When it comes right down to it, this is probably the motive most people have when they watch a Godzilla movie. Both of these films definitely deliver in terms of action.
     
    Godzilla: King of the Monsters is very story-driven, but when Godzilla is on the screen, you're definitely in for a ride. Honestly, King of the Monsters is more violent than your average Godzilla film; impressive considering the fact that Godzilla's only opponent is the military.
     
    Godzilla 2000, however, is very action-driven. There's very rarely a slow moment. In all honesty, it could almost be said that 2000 was made in more fifties-style sci-fi than King of the Monsters was. Everything is constantly moving. There's monster action from the beginning until the end, unlike King of the Monsters which required some buildup to it. It may not be as brainy as King of the Monsters, but in terms of raw action, it's pretty high up there.
     
    ROUND FOUR WINNER: Godzilla 2000
     
    Category 5: The Subtext
    Almost every film, even lousy ones have some sort of subtext. An underlying influence; perhaps what the film is trying to play off of. This is common in horror and sci-fi films. Fantastic, impossible storylines meant to play off of very real fear.
     
    In Godzilla: King of the Monsters, the subtext is clear. It was meant to play off the fear of an atomic end of the world. In this film, Godzilla is born of atomic weapons testing. World War II was long over, but the scars remained. There's a lot of meaning to this film just under the surface. It's one part science-fiction, one part tragedy, one part disaster, and one part preaching. The world is faced with a threat that it created, but doesn't understand. The only way to kill Godzilla is to use the Oxygen Destroyer, a weapon deemed unbearably horrible by its own creator. This subtext might be a bit of a guilt trip for the U.S., but it still holds up nicely.
     
    Godzilla: 2000 takes a little more dissection. The film was released in 1999. As we all know, that was a time of mild hysteria. The film subtly plays off of the fear of the Y2K scenario; in the film, the 'Mysterian' alien hacks into a system of computers to steal information about Godzilla. Playing off our dependence on technology is a common theme, especially in recent years. Unfortunately, this is a concept that is only briefly addressed in the film, and is fixed by blowing up the building where the computer is located. Suffice to say, there's not a whole lot of food for thought in this flick.
     
    ROUND FIVE WINNER: Godzilla: King of the Monsters
     
    FINAL SCORE:
    Godzilla: King of the Monsters: 3
    Godzilla 2000: 2
     
    So that's it, folks. The original has taken this one. I like both movies, but in the end, you can't beat the classics.
     
    Have two movies and/or TV shows you'd like to see compared? Leave a comment with your suggestion! If I like it, it just may end up here!
  6. CanisMax
    Heya, folks. According to a small newsletter sold in coffee shops and other such establishments, playing the MMO, World of Warcraft may have finally benefited someone's life.
     
     
    So this Norwegian kid saved his sister by imitating WoW. Great, just great. Whatever works I guess.
     
    It does beg the question: how threatening can a moose actually be?
     
    "Hey, Rocky! Watch me pull a rabbit out of this hat!"
     
    quotes taken from 'The Coffee News' August 22, 2011 edition (Great Lakes area A) used without permission. If at any time a representative of said publication wishes for usage of this article to be removed, all he or she must do is make the request, and I will comply.
  7. CanisMax
    Yeah, yeah. So, I was busy yesterday and couldn't update. Big freaking deal. It's not like anybody reads this crap.
     
    ...
     
    Meh, well people should read this crap.
     
    If I didn't know I was a genius, I wouldn't listen to the trash I write.

     
    Anyway, down to the business at hand. What's been irritating me?

     
    I remember the days when the Disney Channel was a semi-respectable TV station. It was never great, but it had its moments. I remember the days when they actually aired genuinely creative shows. The days of Toon Disney and its lineup of shows whose themes drilled themselves into your head for the rest of your life. The days when they were their own thing and didn't have to imitate what was popular.
     
    Those days are long gone. Disney sold its soul to Miley Cyrus and the days of respectable children's programming are over.
     
    That having been said, I recently walked in on my younger sister watching an episode of the recent Disney show, 'Shake It Up'. This show is dumb enough as it is, but they made a remark that irks me.
     
    The wholesome, seemingly child-oriented show made a joke about puberty.
     
    Don't get me wrong, I like the dirty, edgy jokes as much as the next guy. And throwing mature humor into a children's show is usually pretty funny, heck it helped make shows like Animaniacs legendary. But this is just sad. First off, Disney's target demographic tends to lean towards six to thirteen-year-olds, and for this show, primarily girls. Come on, Disney. I've come to expect this out of a channel like Nickelodeon, but this is just sad. I thought you were better than this.
     

     
    *sigh*
     
    On a side note, as I write this, 'Conquest of the Planet of the Apes' is on the TV. It really isn't very good.
     
    Feel free to leave comments with your own irritations and irks. It's Irritation Whatever-Day-It-Is!
  8. CanisMax

    Irritation Thursday

    By CanisMax,

    "And now for something completely different"
     
    As we near the end of the first month of the new decade, I would like to rant about something. By this time, most video-game magazines, websites, etc. have put out their various best/worst lists. One game that has come to my attention is Metroid: Other M. Now whether you hate this game or love it, I don't care. Honestly, I haven't played it. What bothers me is... well to quote GameSpy.com...
    Now why did this bother me? The "hasn't been completely over-sexualized" part. This is the opinion of most gaming article writers (namely X-Play). It seems to me that they've been hung up on the Metroid Prime series. Why do I say this? Because the Prime series was the only sub-series that didn't let Samus show off.

    Even the NES game, with its primitive 8-bit graphics did its best to exploit the fact that Samus is a chick, and a hot one at that. The sex-appeal of Samus has been being milked since day one, Nintendo just used to make it harder to access. Besides, I'm rather enjoying the ease of access at this point.
     
    Moving on, today I was in the car, minding my own business. The news is playing on the radio, the broadcaster is in the middle of a sentence... BAM a commercial interrupts him. I'm sitting there thinking, "Are you kidding me?"
     
    Anyways, feel free to post your own irritations. This is IRRITATION THURSDAY!!
  9. CanisMax
    Hey guys! Long time, no see, I guess. Well, I'm finally giving in and allowing you to have another place to bug me. That's right, Canis Minor now has a DeviantArt account!
     
    You can visit the page here.
     
    So, if you want to see a bunch of crappy drawings and such that I've done, and maybe even a fic or two, head on over.
  10. CanisMax
    Hi, guys. Some of you may have noticed that I haven't been around on the site for a while. Most of you probably didn't give it a second thought. I just wanted to say that, yes, I am still alive and intend to begin contributing to Electric Ferret once again (time permitting).
     
    I suppose I'll explain my absence, just in case somebody was actually wondering where I was. Primarily, my school's baseball season began. I enjoy playing baseball, and have been spending hours at practices/games. This has prevented me from doing much of anything, as I usually get home around 8:30 and by that time, am completely worn out.
     
    The second thing that has kept me from the site, thank goodness for the anonimity of the Internet, is being diagnosed with clinical depression. I don't know how much anyone has heard about the condition other than what they see on TV commercials for medication and I don't intend to bore anyone with the details. Long story short, don't ever develop it; it sucks. I'm not asking for pity, or anything else for thatt matter, but I'm trying to say that I've spent a lot of time dealing with it and that has prevented my being on here.
     
    Anyway, everything is starting to slow down again. My school year is ending, so I'll have a great deal more time to spend on this site during the summer. Good to be back, guys.
  11. CanisMax
    Anyone who watches anime regularly can tell you that most of the shows are pretty good. But the fact of the matter is that it's just a form of TV show. There's crummy anime and more importantly, there's weird anime. Here are my top ten picks for the weirdest anime ever. Please keep in mind that this list is purely subjective, so if one or more of your picks didn't make it, feel free to make a friendly comment, but try to avoid ranting.
     
    Without further ado...
     
    10. Chrono Crusade
    Kicking off the list is ‘Chrono Crusade’, an anime I discovered only recently thanks to the SciFy channel’s anime featuring. In short, it’s a show about a group of nuns who fight off demonic threats to the earth. Is it weird? You bet, but it’s pulled off nicely, which puts it at number 10 on this list. While it’s a strange concept, that’s about where the weirdness ends. Aside from the fact that, apparently, nuns are a deadly supernatural fighting force, the anime is a fairly normal “future-apocalypse†type anime show. It’s not particularly one of my favorites, but it merits mentioning if for no other reason than it’s difficult to describe.
     
    9. School Rumble
    High school drama anime are a dime a dozen. There’s a million variations on the theme and every one of them is different. What sets ‘School Rumble’ apart is the sheer absurdity of it. First off, from the outside it looks like your average shoujo (girls’ anime). But upon further inspection, I’ve decided that it could go either way. There are elements of shoujo, to be certain, but for the most part, these only come out to play when the plot’s focus is on the female protagonist, Tenma. When the story focuses on the male protagonist, Harima, the style shifts to a much more shonen (boys’ anime) style. This provides for a strange, albeit entertaining, viewing experience. All in all, ‘School Rumble’ is a fun little anime. There are times when it gets pretty mushy, but for all intents and purposes, it’s entertaining.
     
    8. Inuyasha
    One of the most recognizable anime on this list, some may be asking, “and what, exactly, is it about ‘Inuyasha’ that merits its place on this list?†Well, let’s think about this for a moment. It’s a show about a teenage girl who falls down a well and is transported back in time to feudal Japan where she meets a half-demon with dog-ears. They go on many adventures with their various friends and meet many strange and insidious creatures. Obviously there’s more to it than that, but by the (I think) fifth episode, they fight a girl who uses her hair as a weapon. Now admittedly, Japanese myths, fables, and folklore are going to be a bit hard for American audiences to follow. ‘Inuyasha’ pulls the transition off pretty well, but from where I’m standing, it’s still weird. On a side note, my mom watches this show. Seriously. She’s a bigger fan of it than I am, but that’s not to say I don’t enjoy it. Albeit, I’m still dealing with the fact that my mother watches anime.
     
    7. Nyan Koi!
    As a sufferer of severe allergies to dogs, I can tell you that they’re (I can’t believe I’m actually going to say this) nothing to sneeze at. But in all seriousness, I can relate to the main character Junpei’s troubles. Allergies suck. So when the plot of ‘Nyan Koi!’ develops and reveals that he becomes cursed to not only have the ability to talk to cats, the very thing which he is allergic to, but to have to help them with whatever problems they might have, well, I felt for the guy. ‘Nyan Koi!’ is strange, but it’s interesting because the story is frequently seen from the cats’ point of view. ‘Nyan Koi’ is pretty funny. The story can get pretty strange, but hey, it’s a show about a guy who talks to cats.
     
    6. Samurai Pizza Cats
    The world of ‘Samurai Pizza Cats’ is inhabited entirely by talking animals which also happen to be cyborgs. Seriously. The main story takes place in a city called Little Tokyo. Little Tokyo is constantly threatened by the villainous Big Cheese (a rat), his partner-in-crime Geri Atrick (a crow), and their army of evil birds. The only defense against these guys are the Samurai Pizza Cats: Speedy, Guido, and Polly. That pretty much sums up the entire show. Every episode has the Big Cheese attacking and the Pizza Cats fighting back… and it’s awesome. ‘Samurai Pizza Cats’ is one of the stupidest anime ever created, and I’ve loved every second that I’ve seen. Weird? You bet. Silly? Absolutely. Fun? No question. But if you want the full experience, go eat a pizza pie.
     
    5. Yu-Gi-Oh
    Without a doubt, this is the single most recognizable anime on this list. Even people, who barely know what anime is, know what ‘Yu-Gi-Oh’ is. Some people have accused it of being a Pokemon rip-off. It’s hard to say, since they were released at about the same time. Let’s cut to the chase. Admit it, ‘Yu-Gi-Oh’ is weird. Almost everyone plays the card game, it claims that the Egyptian gods were real, and some of the characters are supposed to be reincarnated. Interesting concept, I suppose. Nevertheless, ‘Yu-Gi-Oh’ can’t seem to shake its own strangeness. It tries to be serious, but usually ends up just looking even sillier. Admittedly, I don’t much care for this show, but LittleKuriboh’s “Yu-Gi-Oh: The Abridged Seriesâ€, which pretty much started the abridging anime craze is worth checking out.
     
    4. Ranma 1/2 & Kampfer
    Before you say anything: it’s my list and I can put two different shows at one position if I want to.
    What do these shows have in common? They both involve the main protagonist randomly changing from a male to a female.
    ‘Ranma ½’ is a fairly popular anime, but I’ll explain anyway. It’s about a martial artist named Ranma Saotome who falls into a magic pond and is cursed to change into a girl whenever he comes into contact with cold water. He changes back when exposed to hot water. There are a few other characters who have suffered similar fates, most relevantly his dad, who changes into a panda (oddly enough, he spends most of the show in this form) and Ranma’s rival, Ryoga who changes into a pig.
    ‘Kampher’ centers around a guy who acquires a bracelet which causes him to become a ‘kampher’, a female warrior fated to do battle with other kamphers. Most of the other kamphers are girls naturally, so he’s pretty much the only one who changes gender, though most of the others go through physical and/or mental changes.
    Another thing these anime have in common is that they present some interesting romantic storylines. Ranma has several girls who want to marry his male self and at least one male who wants to marry his female self. ‘Kampher’s’ main protagonist, Natsuru, is in love with a girl who is interested in his female self. Both are complicated shows and both are pretty fun anime.
     
    3. Hell Girl
    This one is really a piece of work. ‘Hell Girl’ is about a group of supernatural beings who run a service that allows humans to send other humans straight to Hell, in exchange for their souls, or something to that extent. The thing that confuses me the most about ‘Hell Girl’ is the imagery. I imagine that most of it is symbolic or something, but it’s very hard to follow. The first time I watched it, I went away feeling emotionally drained, but I’m not sure why. In all honesty, I’m not entirely certain how this anime is supposed to make you feel. It is one seriously messed up show. I wish I could say more, but thinking about this show makes me want to go sit in dark room and mumble to myself.
     
    2. Rave Master
    On a lighter note, we’re nearing the end of the list with ‘Rave Master’. This is another one that’s hard to follow, but it’s about a trio of heroes who try to destroy some sort of evil stones. Honestly, I think if you spent an hour playing the last five or six ‘Final Fantasy’ games while on an acid trip, it would look pretty similar to ‘Rave Master’. The show is wacky on purpose, but while it’s usually fairly tame, there are times when you have to sit back and say, “OK… what just happened?†It’s that weird. Admittedly, most of the time it’s a fairly normal ‘swords-and-sorcery’ anime in the vein of ‘Slayers’ and ‘Full Metal Alchemist’. What pushes it over the edge is the indescribable weirdness that permeates the series. Don’t take my word for it. Go check it out. You’ll never think the same way again.
     
    1. Requiem from the Darkness
    What happens when you take a series of Japanese horror novels and turn them into an anime series? You get ‘Requiem from the Darkness’, and in my opinion, a lot of confusion. The show is apparently about an author who wants to write a book of 100 ghost stories, so he travels from town to town looking for ideas. Well, as it turns out most of the stories he hears are more than stories. Now, the concept is sane enough, there have been weirder ideas presented. But the actual product is just…
    “Beyond description†is the term I’m looking for. The same thing that caused ‘Hell Girl’s’ weirdness causes its weirdness: the imagery. Interestingly enough, ‘Requiem’ never had a manga as a base. The entire thing is an original anime. It’s dark, gritty, and all-out strange. The visuals look like some sort of modern art at times. ‘Requiem from the Darkness’ is hard to follow, but I’d recommend checking it out. It’s fun to watch in a weird sort of way.
  12. CanisMax
    I'm going to try something new. I'm going to start reviewing video games, but not necessarily new ones. You see, I'm the kind of person who loves 'retro' games. Don't get me wrong, I love the newer games, but you can't beat the classics. There's the ones we all know, sure, Super Mario Bros., Street Fighter II, Doom, Tetris, the list goes on and on. The point is, I'm going to look at ones that you may or may not have heard of.
     
    That having been said, here is today's Game In Review:
     

     
    Virgin Group Ltd. has dabbled in just about everything imaginable. Cell Phones, Comic Books, heck, even hot air balloon flights. Back in the nineties, they released the video game, Robocop Vs. The Terminator. Now, cross-overs are a big business, Alien vs. Predator, Godzilla vs. King Kong, Freddy vs. Jason, etc. So you'd think that this would be just as big.
     
    Maybe I just wasn't around at the time when this thing came out, but a few quick web searches have turned up little. While it seems to be somewhat popular among the two titular characters respective fanbases, there's not much to be heard about this game. So when I picked it up at a Salvation Army, I figured four dollars wasn't going to be that bad of an investment even if the game sucked.
     
    So did it suck?
     
    Happily, I can say "No, the game did not suck." Granted, I have definitely played better, but overall, it's not horrible. Graphically, this game is pretty decent. I love the Genesis, with its sixteen bit graphics, but this game is about average fare. The game is difficult, but not to the point of being rip-your-hair-out-of-your-head difficult. The controls are a little bit slippery, but the game is far from unplayable. The music is nothing special.
     
    The story in essence is, from what I gather, something along the lines of, "Terminators go back in time to take of the world so Robocop decides to fight back." There may be a bit more to it than that, but the game implements basically none of it, especially since most of the time you seem to be shooting a bunch of average thugs (although, if you put in a code, they become leather-clad and rather buxom thugs).
     
    What I really enjoy about this game is that it's violent. While it's not as violent as Mortal Kombat, which was released a year before Robocop vs. Terminator, it's still got a bloody edginess to it. I couldn't help but giggle like a schoolgirl the first time I saw one of the bad guys explode into a fountain of blood.
     
    Fun? Check. Violence? Check. Scantily clad baddies? Check. The game will never be a classic, but if you happen to have a Genesis and find it at a deal like the one I got, then go for it. I give this game 7/10.
  13. CanisMax
    If you are using any of the following reasons to vote on a CBUB match, please, for your own sake, rethink your methods.
     
    1. "I didn't read the setup, but I like Character X more than Character Y, so I'll vote for him."
    It's not a popularity contest. Consider the setup and the powers.
    2. "I haven't read the setup, but I'm sure that Character X will win no matter what."
    Read the setup. I cannot stress this enough. It doesn't always happen, but the setup can determine who would actually win.
    3. "I don't care about Character X, but I hate Character Y, so I'll vote against him."
    Vote based on powers, abilities, armaments, etc. and the setup. Never vote just because you don't like a character.
    4. "I don't know either of these characters. I'll vote for the one that looks cooler."
    Never vote just to vote. If you don't know the characters, then either do some research, or better yet, just don't vote.
    5. "I read the setup, but I like character X more than Character Y."
    I reiterate: the CBUB is not a popularity contest. Never vote based on who you like more.
    6. "I'll vote for character X just because everyone says he'll win."
    A lot of the people who post comments on matches have legitimate opinions. Don't let that influence you. Vote for who you think will win based on all the factors.
    7. "I'll vote for character X just because everyone says that Character Y will win."
    No. Just no. Being contradictory solely for the purpose of being contradictory isn't funny. It's stupid. Don't do this.
    8. "Nobody is voting for character X. I'll vote for him out of pity."
    This goes along with number 8. The comments may be in favor of one character, but that doesn't necessarily reflect the votes.
    9. "I hate Company X, so I'm voting for Character Y."
    You may hate DC, but that doesn't mean that Batman will lose to the Spanish Inquisition. Base your vote on the characters.
    10. "I don't really care one way or another. I just like pressing the 'vote' button."
    If you listen to nothing else, listen to this. This isn't funny. This isn't cool. This is dumb. The vote button is not there for you to play with.
    ***
    Alright, guys, before you comment, I want to say that I'm not pointing fingers at anybody. I'm not saying anybody is doing this. But after thinking about it, I figured that these would be the ten most likely reasons for ridiculous match results.
    Just throwing my two cents in.
    -C.M.
  14. CanisMax
    The Expendables is a movie that can be summed up as, "mediocre storyline, decent acting". If you haven't heard of this film, it has some pretty big name actors in it, namely Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, and Mickey Rourke. Bruce Willis and Arnold Shwartzeneggar also appear in what is probably the best scene in the entire movie. Anyways, let's take a look at this film.
     
    Eye: Visually, this film is very good. The special effects are excellent and the sets are good. Generally, the camera work was good, although it's shaky in a few places towards the beginning, it quickly evens out. 8/10
    Ear: If you're looking for a film with a great soundtrack, this isn't it. The music could be described as, well, unmemorable. Maybe it's because there's so much noise and dialogue, but as far as I could tell there really wasn't all that much in the music department. This film could have had none at all, and I wouldn't have known the difference. That having been said, the other sounds are done well. Explosions sound good. Bullets sound good. No complaints in that department. Ear: 4/10
    Head: In terms of outright plot...there's not a whole lot there. Actually it's a fairly generic storyline. A group of mercenaries is hired by an undercover CIA agent to take out the leader of a small nation. In reality it's practically being run by a rogue CIA agent who uses Steve Austin as his bodyguard. I think anyone who's ever seen an action film can figure out the rest. It's a very generic plot, but it's a lot of fun. Head: 5/10
    Heart: The characters are fun even though they're generic anti-heroes. The story is fun even though it's generic. 'The Expendables' will never be considered a classic, but who cares? It's one of those films you just watch because it's fun to watch. It's ultra-violent. It's got car chases, explosions, severed limbs, water boarding, and Sylvester Stallone getting beat on by yeat another pro wrestler. Plot? Who needs one? This movie is an action fest. Heart: 7/10
     
    Final score: 6
  15. CanisMax
    OK, folks, it's time for another rant. The obvious choice would be all those laws concerning the Internet, but I have nothing to say that hasn't already been said. So, instead, I present you with a different complaint I've been dealing with of late: chronological confusion in video games.
     
    Let me start at the beginning. I have a buddy who is a major Legend of Zelda fanboy; nice guy, but has an unhealthy obsession with the series. He, like many other hardcore LoZ fans, has developed his own timeline for the series, since there isn't exactly a concrete one. Recently, I engaged in a discussion about his timeline (I didn't have much to add, though, having played only four games in the series). This quickly expanded into a much larger discussion about video game timelines in general.
     
    Take for example the Pokemon series. I've recently started playing Black version (the official DS version, not the earlier hack). After playing for only a few minutes, I realized how much of a victim this series is to the chronological confusion. Does this game take place in the future? The past? Is it contemporary? There are sub-games in the series (i.e. Pokemon Snap, Pokemon Colosseum, etc.) that don't seem to fit. Then, you have the re-releases of Gold and Silver: older games which at the time of their initial release were definitely the second game. But now, with the re-release, the games included elements from generations three and four. Where does that fit in? If there's any hardcore Pokemon fans out there, feel free to help me out.
     
    Then I realized: most of the games I have a problem with are Nintendo games. Heck, while we're on it, how does Mario's timeline work? His games seem almost interchangeable! Even games like Metroid that are supposed to have much more concrete timelines have issues (in Super Metroid, Zebes was destroyed. In Metroid Prime, it has inexplicably returned. Again, hardcore fans, feel free to correct me). 
     
    To make matters worse, Nintendo has their Super Smash Bros. series, which features a massive crossover among random characters from their franchises. Do the characters all exist in the same time?!? That can't be; how could you have Link from Twilight Princess and Link from Wind Waker together? To confuse matters further, Sonic the Hedgehog and Solid Snake appear in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. How does that work out? Not to mention, the Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games series which combines two characters, previously thought to have existed in different worlds and places them both in modern-day earth.
     
    Ugh. I could go on forever, but I try to keep this thing short. Feel free to add folks. IRRITATION THURSDAY!!!
  16. CanisMax
    I love the Salvation Army. They sell a bunch of trash that I don't need but will buy anyway for reasonable prices. As a matter of fact, the last time I was there, they were selling VHS tapes for 10 cents a piece. Now, I know what you're thinking. "VHS?!? Why would you want any VHS tapes?!?", maybe if some of the teenyboppers happen to be here they might not even know what a VHS tape is.
    Ah, VHS, I remember you from my youth. The constant rewinding, the leaving them out on the floor where they would get stepped on and ruined, the tape malfuntions...
    Anyways, I happened to pick up two tapes of what I'm assuming are OAV (that's Original Anime Video for those of you who are clueless). One was called "MD Geist" which I've done no research on and haven't watched yet.
    The other was "Gunsmith Cats". This is an anime about two girls who, for whatever reason, own a gun shop called (appropriately enough) Gunsmith Cats. The main protagonists are Rally Vincent, the gun expert and Minnie May Hopkins, the bomb expert.
     
    Eye: A lot of time was spent searching for locations for GSC and it shows. It's visually very well done. The animation is fluid, though typical of 90's anime. Now, I don't favor Japanese animation to American animation or vice versa. But I've got to say that the Japanese seem to put more effort into making their cartoons look good. There are exceptions, but that's the case for the most part. Overall, GSC looks good.
    Eye score: 9/10
     
    Ear: I love the theme song. It's a very upbeat jazzy tune which captures the essence of the show rather nicely. Most of the soundtrack is done in either jazz or soft rock. The thing about GSC, though, is that there's a lot of gunshots and explosions. A LOT. Like, in every other scene. Normally this wouldn't be a problem, but there was just something weird about the way they sounded. It was probably just my imagination or perhaps my particular copy, but nonetheless. GSC's sound is about average. The theme song is above average.
    Ear score: 8/10
     
    Head: Oh, boy... my brain was having a field day with this thing. Why do these girls even own a gun shop? Why the heck does Minnie May have so many bombs? What the heck is the Russian chick's coat made of that makes it bulletproof? And so on, and so forth. Dissecting GSC to its very roots would completely ruin it. It's a blatant action film so I'll let it slide, though. One thing I did notice was that a few times the laws of physics seemed to have been bent ever so slightly to allow for (dare I say it?) fanservice.
    Head score: 7/10
     
    Heart: From an intelligent standpoint, GSC makes no sense. But the fact of the matter is, when dealing with a movie, a book, a tv show, or anything other form of storytelling, the heart wins over the head. I don't care that half this stuff would never play out the way it does in reality; it's fun! And sure there's a lot of fanservice going on; so what? Gunsmith Cats is just fun to watch. It's a cartoon for crying out loud, why does it have to make sense? That having been said, despite all my over-exaggeration that GSC makes no sense, it really isn't so bad. The plot is fairly easy to follow, and for the most part it's only tiny elements that confuse me.
    Heart score: 9/10
     
    Overall, Gunsmith Cats is a fun little OAV. It's about an hour and a half in running time so I managed to kill an afternoon watching it. If you can hunt down a copy for a reasonable price, I'd recommend it.
    Overall score: 8/10
  17. CanisMax
    If there's two things in the video game universe that have been argued to high heaven, they are the best game ever and the worst game ever. In today's GIRE, I'll reveal what I think is the worst game ever. Hold on to your hat, because here it comes:
     

     
    Never heard of this thing? You're not missing much. As I've said before there's much debate about the worst game ever. To me there's a difference between the 'worst' and the 'most unplayable'. The worst game ever needs to be playable, and The Black Bass is certainly playable... if you have about six free hours. The game brings the exciting [sarcasm] world of competitive sport fishing to the NES. This game is slow. Really slow. And I don't mean it lags, I mean it takes forever for anything to happen. The entire game consists entirely of moving from spot to spot on various lakes, casting, reeling in, and occasionally landing a fish. In fact, the game pretty much covers everything that goes on in actual bass fishing... minus any of the fun. I like bass fishing. It's relaxing and there's no feeling like reeling in some freaking monster fish. This game takes all the elements of bass fishing and removes any of the interraction. There's no sun, no water, no boat, nothing. Anybody could pick this game up and play it, but nobody should. There's a good reason why you probably haven't heard of this game; it's the most forgetable game ever. You spend forever playing it for virtually no payoff whatsoever. The graphics are ok, I guess. The music is generic for the NES era. There's simply nothing to see here.
    But don't worry, folks. My next review is coming soon. I'll be checking out a Genesis game that could be the weirdest game ever made. Stay tuned.

  18. CanisMax
    With this film coming out on DVD tomorrow, I figured I'd give anyone who's interested a head's up on it. The film's plot is fairly simple. An evil scientist bent on acquiring the status of el numero uno super-villaino decides to steal the moon. In the process he adopts three little girls so he can steal a shrink ray from his rival (it's a long story and would require spoilers). This film is a lot of fun. So here it is. My review for 'Despicable Me'.
     
    Eye: Fifteen years ago a film called 'Toy Story was released. The film revolutionized the animation industry and gave birth to a new breed of film-making. Fifteen years ago 'Toy Story' looked incredible. Flash-forward to today. Today's technology is giving life to animation that is looking better and better with each year and making 'Toy Story' look like nothing. 'Despicable Me' looks incredible. While the animation is not as good as some of the more recent films, it holds its own. Excellent use of lighting. This being possibly the first film Illumination Entertainment has released (under the distribution of Universal), it's looking very good.
    Eye score: 9/10
     
    Ear: The thing about animation is that if you're judging the sound, you have to include the voice acting. This film genuinely stands out in the wise of voice acting. Steve Carell was excellent as the voice of Grue, and is the definite standout in the cast. Jason Segel (Vector) was also excellent and managed to give an extremely humorous performance. The other standout in my opinion was Grue's mother, whom I was shocked to learn was played by Julie Andrews. The other big name in this film was Miranda Cosgrove (Margo), who did fine, but not exceptional.
    Now, in the wise of a soundtrack, I'm satisfied. It's rare for me to find a soundtrack I genuinely don't like, but it's also rare for me to find one that stands out. The music fits the film.
    Ear score: 8/10
     
    Head: The pseudo-science in this film is simply awesome. I'm not sure what world the characters live on, but I wish I lived there. The bad guys steal everything in sight. The bigger the better. In terms of a story, sure there's one or two things that could have been better, but for the most part, I felt like this film was excellently with all the various plot-points covered. A genuinely original idea and well-executed as well.
    Head score: 8/10
     
    Heart: I really like movies like this one. It's one that's obviously targeted at kids, but has a lot of stuff that older audiences will enjoy. In one sense it reminds me of those great cartoons from the nineties; the ones with a lot of humor that kids love, but with plenty of subtle 'inside' jokes that they won't get until they're older. The characters are done well, and it's easy to connect with many of them. There are times, however, that I felt like it was hard to relate to some of the characters, for example, why Grue's relationship with his mom is so good, when she was a complete jerk to him as a child. There were one or two characters that I just didn't get, for example, Dr. Nefario, who I'm convinced was only even in the film so a few jokes could be made. Not that I'm complaining. Emotionally, this film is done well. I can sympathize with what's going on. Admittedly, I'm not entirely convinced that this movie wasn't loosely based around my uncle's life, but whatever.
    Heart score: 7/10
     
    Overall score: 8/10
  19. CanisMax
    My last entry was filler, and I apologize for that. Unfortunately "The Black Bass" is a game about which I have little to say. Today's game, however, has left me both speechless and unable to stop talking about it.

    I present to you "Shadow of the Beast". I own the Genesis version of this game, but it was released on multiple other formats such as Commodore 64, Lynx, and Turbo Grafx CD. Essentially, you play as some sort of mutant creature named Aabron going on an epic quest of some sort. Actually, the plot line makes no sense to me, so I'll leave it to you to decipher. According to MobyGames:
    Huh... Anyway, this game is probably the strangest game I have ever played. What makes it so weird? First and foremost, in the first level there's this inexplicable blimp flying around in the background.

    Right off the bat, that confused me. Then I noticed the enemy design. It ranges from strange to mind-numbingly weird.
    The strange:

    The really strange:

    The borderline disturbing:

    See what I mean? This game is weird.
    But the question which may or may not be on your mind at this point is, of course, "Is this thing fun?".
    The game is essentially your basic sixteen-bit (or eight-bit, depending on the format) adventure game. You have a few attacks and you get one or two weapons. The controls are simple; one button to jump, one to attack, and it works pretty well. The game is challenging, but not to the point of pulling your hair out in a blind rage. The problem is, this game is just well... not particularly interesting.
    Now, I know I said it was weird. I know I said it was the weirdest game I've ever played. But 'weird' and 'interesting' aren't the same thing. Shatow of the Beast just doesn't carry with it any particular hook that makes me want to sit down and play it regularly.
     
    I'll give it a 5/10. It's kind of a cult classic, so if you happen to find it cheap, then go for it, if for no other reason than the weirdness.
  20. CanisMax
    This segment is a little different than its predecessor. Right now, I'd like to discuss a problem I have with modern video games. A little background: My friend recently got my NES working. It had sat in our basement for years before we even discovered it, and even then we couldn't get the stupid thing to run. Finally, this guy just fooled with it for a few minutes and it runs fine. As a result, I'm now currently searching for a decent gaming rehab facility to battle my addiction to Dr. Mario.
    Anyway, my point is this: I see a big difference between most modern games and most old games. I can't help but think that a lot of the games that are the most popular currently are nothing more than a quick flash in the pan to make a quick buck, and I realize that I'm not the first person to say this.
    Okay, for example, if you asked me what the most popular game series on the Xbox was, it would probably be something along the lines of Halo or Call of Duty. Now, I don't own an Xbox, but another friend of mine does, so recently he let me try playing Halo 2 (it might have been 3). This is what I had to say about it:
    "Meh...whatever."
    It was just an FPS. I will probably be shot down for saying this, but it wasn't even an original game. It was just another first person shooter. It's almost like the fighting game boom. Back when Street Fighter 2 came out, everybody jumped on that bandwagon. Everybody. Some of them were good, sure, but a lot of them were awful. This is the situation I see with the FPS today.
    Originality, people (by people I mean the industry, in general). Is it necessary that so many games look the same? Sure you've got plenty of good ones, but I'm actually wary to spend the money to buy an Xbox 360, because it seems like every other game is something about people with big crazy guns. Not that I have a problem with big crazy guns, heck I don't have a problem with FPS's in general, heck, I don't have a problem with any genre of game. But when you get a bunch of games together that frankly, look the same, I don't know what to say. How do you tell the good ones from the bad?
    Then you have the Wii which is full of original games that frankly, suck. Hard. Originality is nothing without the ability to play the stupid thing. Not only that, originality isn't always a good thing. Just because nobody has ever made the game before doesn't mean that it's a good idea.
    So then how do you get the best of both worlds?
    At the moment, you don't. Ten years ago, sure. But at the moment the number of truly original and playable games is slim. There are exceptions sure, but they're a small percentage of the market.
    The only solution rests on the shoulders of both the industry and it's customers. The industry, first of all needs to get off its rear and put some actual effort into the games. There are some companies who genuinely seem to put effort into their games, but they're spread fairly thin.
    The consumers are just as responsible. This has been said a dozen times before, but if crap keeps selling, then crap keeps being produced. People need to stop buying every single piece of crap that comes out just because it's there. Somebody MUST be buying the bad games because they still exist. People seem to buy games blindly, with no research whatsoever, and everyone eventually suffers.
    Well...that about wraps it up. Questions, comments, complaints, and concerns are greatly appreciated.
     
    Canis, out.
    \n/:angry:\n/
  21. CanisMax
    "They Don't Make 'Em Like They Used To"
     
    I enjoy sick days (aside from the being sick part). They're a wonderful opportunity to catch up on all the time wasting crap I usually do. Naturally, with all that free time, I end up with some kind of video game controller in my hands. Be it the Wii, GameCube, Dreamcast, NES, whatever, I'll pick it up and play it. But today I was in a Pokemon state of mind. Call me what you want, but the endless hours I spent playing that game while I was much younger has left me with periodic urges to play it. So, I plugged in my copy of Sapphire Version into my DS and clicked the power on. I had to restart twice, oddly enough, but eventually I got to the main screen and hit 'Play GBA game'. But just as soon as the game loaded I received a message about my game file being deleted and this infamous digital ultimatum:
    "The internal battery has run dry. The game can be played. However, clock-based events will no longer occur."
     
    I wasn't angry, so much as I was agitated. I thought, "How is it that I have NES games that are almost 20 years old and run fine, but this thing that I bought in 2003 won't?!?" I looked up the aforementioned error message online and found that I wasn't the only one. This problem had been plaguing players of this game for years. And then it dawned on me how many games had been having issues. Games today break all the time! Back in the days of the NES it was almost impossible to break a game. You can drop an NES cartridge off of a two story building and it will still run. Try doing that with any game on a disk.
     
    Now I'm not saying that every newer game is breaking. Nor am I saying that all older games were nigh indestructible. What I am saying is this: as technology got newer and smaller, it got easier to break. One or two scratches on a disk and you might be suffering for as long as you keep trying to play the thing. Games today break, get lost, and in general get screwed up far more often then they used to.
     
    The upside is that you can store far more data on a smaller item. You can now fit an absolutely massive game on a DS cartridge less than 1/10 the size of the old NES clunkers. Heck, they fit all of Super Mario 64 onto the DS, and even managed to throw in extra material! Games are smaller, faster, lighter, and have way more storage capability.
     
    So then, what's the solution? Does there need to be a public outcry? Should we return to the days of sturdy cartridges, and use modern technology to improve them? Should we pressure companies to come up with better ways of preventing damage? Is there even a problem in the first place?
     
    Maybe...for now, just put your games somewhere safe when your not using them, and it'll be almost a non-issue.
     
    ...until you get that error message...
    ***
    \n/:angry:\n/ -CM
  22. CanisMax
    Nearly everyone who's ever played a Capcom fighting game will tell you that it's a blast. But what makes them so great? Welcome to Anatomy of a Game, my first blog feature. In it, I'm going to try to disect games so that I can see what makes them tick.
     
    Anyway, back on topic. Little bit of backstory. Capcom basically pioneered the fighting game genre. They did not however, create it. There were multiple, much more primitive fighting games released before it. Few, however have created such a big splash as Street Fighter II. A sequel to the much less popular Street Fighter, Street Fighter II has become an incredibly popular game, to the point where some would say that it is the greatest fighting game of all time.
     
    But what makes it so great?
     
    First, it has the universal appeal feature. This can basically be summed up as 'anyone can play, few can master', and it applies to nearly every game in the series, and almost every Capcom fighter. Anyone can drop a quarter into the machine and button mash their equally untrained friend into oblivion. But try doing that against somebody who actually knows what they're doing. It's a whole new story. It's fun to pound on buttons, to get to see the tar beaten out of the other character, but the game reaches a new level when you practice at it and develop a strategy.
     
    On a side note, no amount of strategy will ever help you if you're still a crappy player. That's what practice is for.
     
    Second, the controls are brilliantly thought out. Capcom devised an excellent six button control system that is very easy to adapt to. You have light punch, medium punch, strong punch, light kick, medium kick, and strong kick, and that's it. Anyone can pick it up and play it. It took me very little time to adapt when I first started playing because it was so straightforward. But that's where the 'few can master' comes in again. When I first started, I had to re-read the instructions a few times to remind myself that the hadouken is down, down forward, forward, punch. But as time progressed, it became second nature. Street Fighter adicts can quote the attack combinations like Castlevania fans can quote the Konami code. Short and simple, combos take a little memorization, but the damage they do is more than worth it.
     
    There's also a great community factor. So many people love these games and so many people know how to play them. This is kind of a sappy story but it makes for a good example. Up here, we have the anual Michigan Pinball Expo. It's pretty simple: a bunch of people who own pinball machines bring them to this thing and everyone comes and plays as much as they want for free (excluding admition price). Anyway, they frequently have some arcade machines set up in the back that play classic arcade games (I'm fairly certain they're all emulators, but I digress). I was standing at one machine that had some four hundred-odd games on it (I think it was around 435), most of which were fighters or beat-em-ups. I was hooked into Street Fighter Alpha 3, when some guy whom I'd never met before comes up behind me and asks, "Care to be challenged?" "Yeah, sure." I reply, "It won't be much of a challenge though, I suck at this." He didn't seem to care as he pressed the button to give him a credit. The next twenty, or so minutes were nothing but me and him duking it out. I lost nearly every time, but still had a great time. Long story short, a grand old time was had by all. The point is that these games, as ridiculous and violent as they are, bring people together. I don't know that guy's name. I don't know how old he was. I don't know a single thing about him, and he doesn't know a single thing about me. The only thing we have in common was that game. I could go on, but I'm saving that for a different post.
     
    Finally, there's the enduring factor. These games have iconic characters whom everyone recognizes. I could mention Ryu, and chances are you'd know I meant the SF character, not Ryu Hayabusa. Even people who've never played the games them. I knew the entire premises behind games like Street Fighter and Marvel vs. Capcom before I ever played them. They have such lasting ability, and I think that if video games are ever considered an art, some Capcom fighting games will be the equivelent of Van Gogh.
     
    Throwing my two cents in.
    Canis out. \n/:angry:\n/
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