Some new voices, NEW AWESOME TOON underway.
Saturday, March 28th, 2009
Hello my neglected friends.
It’s very interesting how I don’t update this even though I have things to say. I guess I never feel like I can relax and just pour my heart out here, some stigma or something. But in this post I will be doing it, because I feel like it. I’ll be separating subject matters so it makes it easier to manage.
First thing’s first, a new Awesome Cartoon is in development! I’ve been taking a break from Awesome Toons lately, just to give myself some breathing room since I have so many unrelated projects I’ve been slaving over. You may have already seen Girlchan in Paradise, which is one of those projects, but represents only a small fraction of a much bigger group of heavier loads for me. At any rate, this awesome toon will probably feel a little different than the others, not in attitude, but probably in visuals. Since I’ve been delving into these more serious projects, I can’t help but apply the same kind of love to the awesome toons as well. It’ll be interesting to see how long this one takes me, but it’s coming along rather smoothly.
The other day I was watching old awesome toons from beginning to end and it’s really fascinating how my style of delivery and sense of humor has changed. I do believe there is a pattern, and it kind of gives me hope that I can continue making funny stuff without running out of ideas. I really appreciate how the awesome series has garnered so many loyal fans, especially with the difference in humor over the years, and I don’t think I’ll disappoint. I actually have another toon planned in the future, and I’m nervous about how it will be received since it’s DRASTICALLY different than the toons before it. I think it’s funny though, so I’m hoping that tried and true measurement tool will come in handy this time too.
On a side note, it definitely intrigues me how I would go about writing Metal Gear Awesome 3, if I ever do. Metal Gear Awesome and Metal Gear Awesome 2 were written relatively close together, but it’s been 3 years now (god, seriously?) since MGA1 and I look back and wonder how I ever came up with jokes like that. CAN EGORAPTOR SALVAGE THE TATTERED SHARDS OF HIS BROKEN SOUL?!
Also I have been incredibly terrible at making announcements about movies I’ve done voices for, especially considering I’ve been doing a bit more of it lately than usual. Movies that I can recall that I’ve been in recently are:
Press Start: Lament of Ineptness
I’ll also be in a cartoon I’ve been waiting for super patiently, Champions of the Game-o-Verse! It’s Ross o’ Donovan’s (Rubberninja) newest baby, and I love the hell out of it. It’s going online NEXT TUESDAY. You heard it here FIRST. I will make an announcement DEFINITELY when it gets released.
I really need to release a new demo, my character demo is really out of date, and I’d love to start doing voices for flashes again. I kind of miss it. I did release a new Commercial Demo recently, but it doesn’t show my strength in both acting or variety very well. Also needs new music in the background of it. 
Lastly, I’d like to talk about some games I’ve been playing recently. First one I’d like to talk about is Flower for the PS3.
Wow. If ever I enjoyed myself completely and utterly during a play experience, it was during Flower. Everything in the game is so satisfying, and it’s a game where it doesn’t need cutscenes to progress the story. The game experience immerses you into the game and lets you experience the pleasures and hardships of the world these flowers float around in. There is one level in particular that contrasts heavily from the fluidity of the rest of the levels and really gives you this utter feeling of hopelessness, remorse, longing, and frustration. But you feel, after all you’ve been through, you really have a duty to return the world to the beauty you once enjoyed so deeply. And you do, you do it so righteously. Everything you became frustrated by you’re given the opportunity to destroy and regain your sense of flow and motion, almost to an extreme extent. That is true game design, a game that can give the player a real sense of emotion, rather than an empty frustration with lack of depth or control issues. No fallen comrades or 30 minute cutscenes can achieve what really good game design can by giving the player these very real feelings.
I’ve been hesitant to buy a PS3 for a loooong time, but Flower alone has given me enough reason to save up. It’s only a little over an hour of playtime, but is so worth it, I’d play it day after day and never get bored. It’s phenomenal.
I’ve also played a ton of Persona 3, though I realize I’ve only (ridiculously) scratched the surface at about 12 hours in. It’s an interesting game, but not without it’s myriad of issues. Where to begin. What I like about the game is mostly the social link system, wherein you interact with your classmates in high school by spending time with them and what not. You have to learn about your friends very carefully so that you will know what to say to the characters at the right times. Typically the idea of dialogue choices gives me a headache but Persona approaches it differently than the “good/neutral/bad” system that Bioware usually employs poorly. You’re usually given 2 or 3 choices that are simply different approaches to a common problem, each with their own merits, but only one that is truly “correct.” You can deduce the correct answer almost indefinitely just by paying attention to everything you’ve observed about this character in your time with them. Getting the right answer is truly satisfying.
There are a ton of issues I have with the game though, but I’ll try not to dwell on them too much. The game also contains an RPG battle system that is directly but indirectly connected to the social link system. Leveling up your social links levels up your “personas” which is a fancy way of saying movesets. You can switch personas on the fly in battle in order to adapt to a specific battle situation. This idea is commonly lost because it is so unbelievably detached from your school life, it’s unreal. I’m always very absorbed in the advancement of my character on a personal level that I never stop to realize what the benefits of my social links in a battle scenario are. Why connect them, really?
Also, I felt a very real sense of pressure from the idea that I have to manage my time with my social links, but later found out I was invincible simply because it doesn’t matter if you neglect your social links, only that you build upon them. So, instead of struggling to make decisions, I simply had to make one, stick with it (and ignore the others), and move on. It became very quickly one tracked minded, and my struggles became more going-through-the-motions aka grinding. While I was still interested in each individual’s stories, I became disenchanted knowing that anybody else who’s played persona has experienced this exact same story. I, as a player, made no difference.
I hear Persona 4 actually expands upon the social link system and allows you to branch out into different categories of friends. You can date a girl, or become friends with her based on how well you do in the social link interactions, which is very intriguing. Still, though, I wish neglect was a factor, and I also which the rest of the game acknowledged my hardships. I soon came to realize that doing anything else in the game that wasn’t exactly what I was working on was pointless.
It does give me tons of ideas for a dating game, though…
At any rate, I’ll slow it down a bit by talking about two DS games I’ve been playing, too. Big Bang Mini, and Moon. Big Bang Mini is pretty fun. It started out slow, and I hate how it’s hard to concentrate on both screens at once, but I was relieved to realize that each world expands upon new ideas that make the game drastically different. It’s a simple game where you fling fireworks up into the top screen, hitting enemies. If you miss, though, the fireworks rain back down on your, putting you at risk of getting hit.
Moon, however, is a first person shooter controlled with the stylus. It’s very easy to play in every sense. Your gun has infinite ammo, the objectives are beyond simple, but the challenge involved with each one is very real. Very early on you’re given the ability to control a remote device, which seemed intimidating at first, but soon realized it’s one of the easiest things to do. You can switchback and forth if your avatar or your remote device are under fire. It’s a neat mechanic and it sets Moon apart from any FPS, particularly since it’s on the DS, too.
Have any of you played these games? What are your thoughts?
I’m glad we had this little chat. Badger me about updating, please. I need it.
Okay so I’m back from Megacon.
