Pokemon Emerald - OMG WHAT?

*~~//SPOILER ALERT...I THINK?\\~~*
I'm not sure what I'm about to say will be considered spoiling the plot, but it may be. Just warning you.

After a nice, hard nap in my extremely warm room (thank you, 8 floors below me for blasting your heater), I am at extreme lack of desire to play Pokemon, so I shall give a little status report.

Here's my current team:
Bruja (Taillow) ♀ - L17
Topaz (Aron) ♂ - L17
Twiggy (Nuzleaf) ♀ - L18
Kenny (Combusken) ♂ - L18
Captain (Ralts) ♂ - L18

I've come to quickly find out two things in the game after having only played through the first two gyms just recently:
1. I tend to try and put my team together as close to the beginning of the game as I can. Who wouldn't, though? Well, some people might if they saw the type of Pokemon I add to my team so early in the game. My Ralts and Nuzleaf were once so small in level, my Nuzleaf having not evolved yet from a Seedot, and these two were my only counterparts aside from my then Torchic. So basically, I had two virtually incapable-of-fighting-back Pokemon who hid behind a Torchic for a good portion of the beginning of the game. This cost me VAST amounts of time in leveling them up to where they got actually decent attacks. It's been worth it so far - my team's now unstoppable, albeit it's still not complete, but I'm happy with it right now.
2. I have come to find that after having only played Pokemon Sapphire for a looooong time and having lost my copy of Pokemon Emerald back in my childhood early in the game, playing it again has left me slightly off. Emerald is a lot different than Ruby or Sapphire, I'm realizing. Not necessarily in a bad way, but in a way to where I am slightly unsure of what is happening. This might not end well...but I have faith!
I can do this! (ugh)

I'm really not sure how to begin what I want to say.
After having played for a bit in the Game Boy and Game Boy Color era, my mind was blown once again since childhood, playing this for the first time. There's just so much different about it! You Pokemon are now such complex beings at this point!

Here are just some added features that I can think of off the top of my head:

Nature - your Pokemon is now given a personality of sorts. The Blaziken above has a sassy nature, which will automatically mess around with both its stats and preferences. What I mean by preferences is now there are these little things called PokeBlox, that you will feed to your Pokemon to make them grow in different ways, which I will cover in my next blog. There are, however, natures that don't affect your Pokemon at all, but they are few. Docile, Serious, Quirky, and Bashful natures in a Pokemon will not affect your stats or preference in any way. But hey, that's no fun!

Abilities - As above, you'll notice that Blaziken has the ability Blaze. This is one of 77 that were introduced in the third generation, and every Pokemon had one. They did all sorts of things during battle, from preventing accuracy loss to preventing 1-hit knock outs to raising stats during weather conditions to even copying the abilities of others. Of course certain Pokemon have reservation for certain abilities, but it's surprising which ones you discover in the heat of battle when you use Sand Attack on your opponent and nothing happens to their accuracy.

Happiness - This standard will continue to grow in importance throughout the generations up to the fifth and most recent one. Escalating from the second generation, however, making your Pokemon happy has more depth to it, as the game introduces the Soothe Bell and the Luxury Ball.
I personally find these two items a bit on the cheating side, but they work well in the event that you want to up your Pokemon's happiness quickly.

There are more, but they'll be in the next blog I have.
...Now that I have the game on, though...I might as well play it some more.
See you next time!

- Cheryl-Buddy

Pokemon Crystal - After the Credits

*~~//SPOILER ALERT\\~~*

The following blog post will expose plot segments for the game Pokemon Crystal Version. Don't want, don't read. You've been warned.

Yup, I've beaten Pokemon Crystal, fair and square.
Heeeeere's my Hall of Fame Team:

Venus (Victreebell) ♂ - L46

Buzz (Magneton) - L47

Cora (Crobat) ♀ - L48

Clipper (Feraligatr) ♂ - L48

Aurora (Arcanine) ♀ - L50

Trunks (Donphan) ♀ - L52

I'll be honest, I was kinda surprised I was able to beat Lance with my team in such a current state. Regardless, Champion title was handed over, but the game wasn't over. Oh no, sir, there is more to be had.

Though I didn't actually play through this next part, for the sake of my personally intended schedule, there is more to do after the credits, per say. After you beat the Elite 4 and become the Johto Champion, you are given a ticket to go for a little ride on a cruise ship. Of course you have trainers to beat and whatnot, but after the ride, your character finds his or herself in...Kanto! Though graphics are altered a bit, it looks pretty much the same as it did in the first generation. Now you're able to travel Kanto and take on its gyms, allowing you access to having 16 gym badges by the end of it all. When I was old enough to get my thoughts about me long enough to actually get to Kanto in the game, this greatly excited me. Especially one extra aspect.

As you have plowed through the Pokemon League, you are also given access to a place called Mt. Silver.
Mt. Silver, I must confess, is a bitch to climb, but the climb is actually not the best of it. Once you climb to the top of Mt. Silver, you are led onto an icy cliff. After walking the thin platform of this cliff, you see someone - someone that if you speak to, you are plunged into the most difficult battle yet. No words are spoken between you or your opponent. You fight this guy:

Do you recognize him? You should. This is Red, your character in Pokemon Red, Blue, and Yellow.
I must confess, in all the years that I've played Pokemon, I have yet to beat Red in Mt. Silver. It makes me very ashamed, though I still plan to accomplish it, one of these days.
Any others who have not yet experienced the power that is Red in the second generation beware. His team is fierce and HIGH in level. He is not an easy opponent to defeat.

Well, now that Crystal is done, I'm on to Pokemon Emerald. I think I'll make this generation a bit more interesting, though.
I'm going to attempt to play both Pokemon Emerald and Pokemon FireRed, for reasons that you'll soon find out. One of these days I'll remember that I'm just a college student and actually get a life. Until then, however, see you next time! Thanks for reading!

Pokemon Crystal - Pokemon Abuse

(This apparently didn't get uploaded when I thought. Sorry...)
So...
What do you do when you find out an organization is using animals not as animals, but as tools to do dirty work, in a manner you would find a bit appalling?
That's easy - you call PETA.

Okay, well what do you do, then, when the same thing is happening to Pokemon in Kanto and in Johto?
That's also easy - you BEAT THEIR ASSES.

I meant to do this little segment back when I was playing Pokemon Yellow, but it occurred to me later that Team Rocket, your main antagonist, is in both Pokemon Yellow and in Pokemon Crystal.

Meet the team:
Aurora (Growlithe) ♀ - L36
Trunks (Donphan) ♀ - L36
Buzz (Magneton) - L37
Venus (Weepinbell) ♂ - L37
Clipper (Feraligatr) ♂ - L37
Cora (Crobat) ♂ - L38

There's not a lot to say about Team Rocket. They're an organization that started back in the first generation and used Pokemon to capture and strike fear into the hearts of other trainers. Sometimes, more frequently in the anime, they would steal people's Pokemon, or force them to bring the pain to other Pokemon.
After disbanding from having been obliterated by the power of a certain Trainer named Red (yourself, a generation back), they finally make a comeback in this new generation with the same motives.

As stated above, you can't just call PETA when something like this is happening in the world of Pokemon.
Pokemon aren't necessarily animals. After having thought about this for a moment, this interested me. Pokemon are beings, 'Pocket Monsters', if literally translated from Japanese text. Once caught, they are under your control. These Pokemon under reign of Team Rocket don't know that what they're doing is wrong. Their  masters are simply giving orders and, like any other Pokemon from a better-hearted trainer, they obey these orders.
It saddens me...
Especially when you get the same filth from your rival in this generation.
Meet Silver:

This little snot actually becomes a decent trainer as time through the game progresses, but at the beginning, his motives are to become the best Pokemon Trainer ever. How? Why, by stealing rare or strong Pokemon and calling all the others 'weak' or 'useless.'
One reason I love this generation of Pokemon is not that I see Pokemon getting mistreated, used, or hurt through the plot, but because of what a down-to-earth aspect on what the world gives us this generation portrays. You won't find a rival this dark in any other generation of the Pokemon games to date, I can promise you that. Nor will I ever consider any other rival to be my favorite. I love Silver because of what a role he discreetly plays in Pokemon Gold, Silver, and Crystal. He eventually becomes a very caring individual who raises his Pokemon right and allows them to develop as Pokemon should. Still, it's a bit enlightening...

To kind of break character for a moment, I apologize again for the late post. I had this made earlier, and thought it was up already.

Thank you anyway for reading, and I'll see you next time!

- Cheryl-Buddy

Pokemon Crystal - BABIEZ!

Hi, guys! Today I'm going to talk about Pokemon....specifically.
I'll be honest, I was kinda hesitant to do so for Pokemon Crystal, mainly because I'm very disappointed in how few new species were introduced in the second generation. As a child, it really didn't bother me, because I was used to seeing Gen. 1 Pokemon running around, and seeing them, along with others was just icing on the cake for me. Now I come back a few years later to play the game and think "I'm going to self-consciously make an effort to put together a team that is strictly made from Pokemon of the second generation."
I'm not saying such a feat is impossible, but it's difficult, mainly because of how spread out the good species are throughout your gameplay, and how...weak - frankly - some of your choices are. You've got great ones like the Bug/Fighting type Heracross and the Flying/Steel Skarmory, but you can't find them toward the beginning of the game, where I normally like to put my team together. Not only that, but they don't evolve. I like Pokemon that evolve, I'm just prejudice like that.
Also, if you want to play the second generation games, Crystal has a better story line, but it features less actual Pokemon, or at least, you can't get them earlier in the game like you can in Gold in Silver (i.e. - my favorite Pokemon, Dragonair, cannot be caught until nearly the end of the game in Crystal, unlike G/S.)
ANYWAY, enough about me complaining; there are still good advances in Pokemon that are featured here!

Say Hi!:
Clipper (Croconaw) ♂ - L21
Venus (Weepinbell) ♂ - L22
Trunks (Phanpy) ♀ - L21
Buss (Magnemite) - L22
Aurora (Growlithe) ♀ - L22
Cora (Golbat) ♀ - L23

Firstly, you'll notice that I now add a gender symbol to the end of my party's names. Back in the first generation, Pokemon didn't have genders. They were just creatures. Like I've mentioned before, the game was simple. As the new generation was introduced, however, the ability to breed your Pokemon came to be. That's right - your Pokemon can be placed in the Pokemon Daycare Center and have BABIES, if they're compatible.
...-chuckles-
In fact, as time went by, the third generation was introduced, and different variations of breeding came about, a sort of cult idea spread for awhile between these two later-named Pokemon:

     

Wailord and Skitty

What I personally find both hilarious and disturbing about this is that these two are compatible for breeding.
Skitty is a normal type, and one of the smallest Pokemon, being a mere 2 feet tall.
Wailord...is obviously water type, and is currently the largest recorded Pokemon there is, ranging at 47 feet.
And these two can make babies...let that sink in for a moment.

Another new aspect that began in the second generation was species variations. What I mean is the introduction of shiny Pokemon and Pokemon infected with 'Pokerus.'
Shiny Pokemon are simply extremely rare Pokemon that you can find in the wild and catch, just like any other Pokemon, only they look slightly different, and sparkle when seen in the wild or cast into battle.
For a visual example, let's take Gyarados, a first generation Water/Flying Pokemon:

This is a Gyarados

This is a shiny Gyarados

This species is actually the only Pokemon that you can catch as a shiny in the wild without looking for it - it is required to either catch or defeat it in order to progress in the Gold/Silver/Crystal game. Otherwise, you go hunting in the wild for it, and pray to God you happen to find one.

The other variation is what's called 'Pokerus,' which basically describes a Pokemon that you find in the wild that is infected with a virus. It even indicates it clearly when you encounter the Pokemon. In fact, it just looks like a status ailment:

This virus is actually quite helpful, though, as it does no harm to your Pokemon. It spread to your party when you catch the wild Pokemon, and allows your party to grow better. The virus does, however, fade with time. It is less popular in the Pokemon world than shiny Pokemon, possibly due to it being even more rare to find in the wild than a shiny Pokemon. (Which is odd, as I've only once encountered an infected Pokemon, but other than Gyarados, I haven't ever seen a shiny Pokemon in the wild.)

Regardless, I think I'm progressing much more quickly in this game, and I hope to be able to talk about what I originally wanted to ages ago. I'm not sure, though, I'll have to find out.
Thanks for reading, and I'll see you next time!

- Cheryl-Buddy

Pokemon Crystal - Against the Elements

FINALLY. Midterm week is OVER.
And after a week of trying to balance my studying with thinking of what to post first, I have experienced hardships that should never be experienced again. These hardships include, but are not at all limited to:
- dropping my SP and freezing the game after a 2-hour period of playing without saving and getting reeeeeeeally pissed off
- putting the still-on game in my bag and forgetting about it for about half an hour as a fire forced me out of my dorm for a bit, also freezing it after a 2-or-so-hour period without saving and nearly giving up on hope
- having the game randomly glitch up after I had just beaten the 3rd gym leader and was unable to exit the gym and was unable to pull up the start menu to save. I'M NOT KIDDING, PEOPLE.
So, the moral of the story? Save your game - a lot. I'm really hoping that this glitch doesn't reappear when I get to the 3rd gym again...

Anyway, welcome to my favorite generation of Pokemon. This, I will admit, is not my favorite game of the three, as it features less Pokemon, I think. Still, it has a more involved storyline, and is the third release of the generation, so I think I'll stick to it.

Say hello to my new team:

Cora (Zubat) ♀ - L11
Venus (Bellsprout) ♂ - L12
Clipper (Totodile) ♂ - L13

As a side note - from here on out, I nickname my Pokemon. It just seemed a bit too bold in the previous generation. Anyway...
Aside from the fact that this generation introduced 100 new Pokemon into the light, lots of changes began to happen. It really blew my mind as a child. Let's call this, for my own personal aspect, the building block generation of Pokemon today. The old Pokemon will forever be the original building block, but it was very simple. There was very little that it had in common with generation 2. With that said, I didn't remember it as much. 

Today I'll talk briefly about one of the new aspects that excited me the most: 2 new elements.

Dark Type

(From Bulbapedia)

I LOVED this type. There were only a select few Pokemon released in this generation to go with this debut type, but I wanted ALL OF THEM, regardless how difficult to me it seemed to catch them at the tender age of less-than-10.

Dark type brought spice into the Pokemon realm. The dark type Pokemon were always the most shadowy-looking, yet in battle, their move set was the most strategic and powerful to me. From the debut, forward, I wanted a Pokemon in my team that if it wasn't Dark, it would at least be able to know dark type moves. Thus, I came to respect Zubat, regardless of how many buggers are still out there in the games.

Steel Type

(From Bulbapedia)

This type, unlike Dark, was one of those that I FEARED. Like, the fear that your afraid of, not the fear that you respect. It took me ages to figure out what took steel type creatures down. It was bad enough having to learn what type of Pokemon to use against a Rock type. Now you have a gym leader who uses Steel as well to worry about. Not only that, but a particular Pokemon I had known just to be an Electric Pokemon (Magnemite) was now part Steel, part Electric.
Even today, now that I've known and have gotten used to Steel, I don't like this one. It's irritable...but great when you have a steel type Pokemon.

Next time I'll be focusing my attention to the Pokemon themselves - they've changed quite a bit, too, my friends. Thanks for reading!

- Cheryl-Buddy

Pokemon Yellow - Let's Skip Ahead to the End

Yeah, so I said in my last blog that I would be doing a philosophy spread for my last topic in Pokemon Yellow.
I didn't lie, and I'm still planning to do it - just wait. I've found what I think it a link in the first two games.
I've finished Pokemon Yellow, as far as what I consider having finished the game.

Meet my Hall of Fame team:

Blastoise - L58

Charizard - L58

Marowak - L60

Venusaur - L60

Pidgeot - L62

Hypno - L63

Yup, switched my Fearow for a Pidgeot. I had forgotten how helpful they were.

Anyway, I'm already starting in the next generation of Pokemon with Pokemon Crystal. From here on out, I'll be playing by the rules - even though you don't get a Pikachu in the second generation, I won't be getting any rare Pokemon to give me the upper hand.
Let me also get out of the way the fact that is is MY FAVORITE GENERATION OF ALL TIME. I'm not joking. I might fangirl a bit in this game. Thank you all for bearing with me, though. It's been fun.
Now then.
Let's turn to the next chapter!

- Cheryl-Buddy

Pokemon Yellow - OMG 8-Bit!

Holy bejezus, it's cold. D:

Say hello again to my team:

Wartortle - L34
Fearow - L34
Venusaur - L34
Marowak - L35
Hypno - L35
Charizard - L36

I was going to freak out inside for a moment if I couldn't find a playlist sharing site that would let me post something up here, because I could easily have a lot of songs to talk about. Thankfully, MixPod had something nice for me. Here you guys go!

Create a playlist at MixPod.com

Thank you, MixPod. Anyway, as you can tell, I'm going to be lightly discussing the musical element of Pokemon Yellow. This could easily  become a complicated subject in my opinion - the music is 8-bit. Why am I mentioning it in a blog post, then? Well, 8-bit was and is the home base of video game music. The first Mario game had it, the first Legend of Zelda game had it, and plenty of other classics had music composed on the silly little chip. Few, however, can comprehend the complexity that goes into its composition, and though I really hate to be borderline judging anyone, few can also truly appreciate what goes into making music with this microprocessor.

Regardless, take a listen to the battle themes above. (For the record, the theme with the artist title 'Unknown' is the Elite 4 Champion Theme.) You'll notice how frantic each of them sound. That was the tactic. Little actually went on in a Pokemon battle during the 90's. If you were to take away the music, the battle would be veeery boring. This frantic music helped wake battle up. In fact, I remember occasionally drifting through tall grass and the wild battle theme startling me - but that was the point.
Not all themes were frantic and fast-paced though. Let me show you Route 11:

My point to make with this theme is what work went into the liveliness of the music. C'mon, it's 8-bit - how can that possibly be lively. Well, with a 8-bit composer's range pallet being so tiny (along with a lot of other aspects in designing a game back then), you really had to think outside of the box and work with what you had. Sounds had to be 'stretched', per say, to make them sound like larger or different sounding 'instruments,' and you'll see that done particularly in this route's theme. And just as a little funfact, 8-bit was also used to make sound effects in video games. You'll notice that they sound very similar to percussion, next time you listen.
Now, take a listen to the remake of this route's theme in the Pokemon remake of FireRed and LeafGreen:

You hear horns, don't you? And drums? Well, that's what you were supposed to hear in the previous video, and you can, to a certain point. But making music dynamic with an 8-bit processor was extremely difficult, and making a theme sound even relatively close to instrumentation was commendable. Next time you're playing the first Pokemon, or any other old school game with 8-bit music, pay closer attention to how the simple broadening of sounds or pitches makes the music come that much more alive.

Give me a little bit of time to get farther into the game so I can talk about my next and last topic in Pokemon Yellow to the fullest - next time we talk about Yellow's philosophy. Don't misjudge me, just wait and see what I have to say.

- Cheryl-Buddy

Pokemon Yellow: Curse You, Snorlax

*~~//SPOILER ALERT\\~~*
I will potentially cover topics in this post that will expose the plot of Pokemon Yellow. You have been warned.

(You'll notice that I've been posting the day after I say I will lately...I'll bet you hate me.)
The more I play this game, the more my childhood memories and alligator tears seem to resurface. (I copy this down from a draft made in a lazy History class, so in advance, don't judge me.)

Anyway, say hello again to my newly-edited team:
Pikachu - L23
Drowsee - L23
Wartortle - L24
Ivysaur - L24
Charmeleon - L24
Fearow - L25

Today I'm going to explore Pokemon Yellow's gaming performance outside of battle. I love Pokemon Yellow, and the first generation of Pokemon, for an entirely different reason than I do any of the others. This game is funny. Unfortunately, it has little room to show it or allow much graphic movement amid the actual characters beyond walking and the little emoticon bubbles that pop up above their heads. Why, then is the game funny? Bear with me here, as I'm about to become repetitive for a moment.
Allow me to use two specific example characters: Professor Oak and your opponent trainers.
As just a small history lesson, Professor oak is a researcher who gives you your first Pokemon in the game, for those who don't know. Anyway, Professor Oak didn't mean anything to me as a child but an old man who provides your adventure and who also lets loose his douchebag of a grandson, Blue, into the world with a Pokemon. After playing now, I find him very...animated. Now, this is Professor Oak in the first generation:

Not very animated-looking, eh? Just looks like an old man in a white coat, doesn't he? Here, let me show you the the conversation you and he exchange as he is giving you your Pokedex:

Oak: Ah, (insert player name)! How is my old Pokemon? Well, it seems to like you a lot. You must be talented as a Pokemon trainer!
...
On the desk here is my invention, Pokedex! It automatically records data on Pokemon you've seen or caught! It's a high-tech encyclopedia! (Player name) and Blue, take these with you! To make a complete guide on all the Pokemon in the world...that was my dream! But, I'm too old! I can't do it! So, I want you two to fulfill my dream for me! Get moving, you two! This is a great undertaking in Pokemon history!

Count those exclamation marks...no, actually, don't - I've already done it for you. There are twelve. Professor Oak is an enthusiastic old man. You can't argue with me; and that personally amuses me, to listen to him throughout the game.
Now, what about those trainers? Oh, they're just as fun to listen to. Those of you who play Pokemon know that if you catch a trainer's eye, you will be plunged into battle. Well, ever since the first generation, trainers always have a pre-statement to engage battle, per say, and a followup statement after being defeated. Trainers in Yellow have some...interesting things to say as they approach you. Here are just a few:

"Hi! I like shorts! They're comfy and easy to wear!" - Youngster (Route 3)
"Eek! You touched me!" - Lass (Route 3)
"Hi! My boyfriend is cool!" - Lass (Route 24)

"Hey, you're not wearing shorts!" - Youngster (Route 9)
"Give...me...your...soul..." - Channeler (Pokemon Tower)

There are many more little snippits that they throw at you, too. People picking fights with me would potentially creep me out with warcries like that...I dunno about you guys, but it always made me laugh and raise an eyebrow to see what people have to say to you, especially Youngsters and their obsessions with shorts.

Now, let me stop my mocking of the social community in the Kanto region long enough to talk for a moment about its landscape. I just completed the Vermillion City section of the map, having earned my third gym badge and gaining access to the Hidden Move Cut. My next destination is Lavender Town, northeast from Vermillion. Many of you know, however, that the way is blocked by a 'giant sleeping Pokemon', aka Snorlax. This forces me to go around my thumb to get to my foot, by way of a really, really annoying Dark Cave. It got me thinking, though - Kanto is big, but its cities are well connected. Why do I say that? Well, there are small sectors that connect routes to cities throughout Kanto. Here's a visual example, since I'm bad at describing:

You could easily roam the entire land mass of Kanto through these sectors. Why take the Dark Cave, the long way, to Lavender Town, then? Well...siding with Snorlax being in the way, this is another inconvenience - your sectors are guarded, and the guards that allow you access to all of Kanto are thirsty, so you cannot currently pass (tragic, ain't it?) THAT is why you must use Dark Cave. Regardless of its frustration, however, Snorlax and the thirsty guards help you as a player to stay on track. If you were allowed access to anywhere, you could easily be jumped by trainers/enemies/gym leaders who are far more powerful than you, and as an inexperienced Pokemon player, someone might lose...all the time. A lost battle not only warps you to a Pokemon Center, but it also costs you money, so losing all the time could get you into some great trouble. I therefore commend the game's irritation in making you actually follow through each city like they want you to.

Well, that's all I have to say about today. Join me again this week as I delve into Pokemon Yellow's music element.
Bye!

- Cheryl-Buddy

Pokemon Yellow: DIE, MOFO, DIE.

*~~//SPOILER ALERT\\~~*
I am possibly going to cover topics in this blog that will expose the plot of Pokemon Yellow Version. You have been warned.

Lemme start by apologizing for my lack of blog post on Friday. I has a life. But I'll try my hardest not to let that happen too often through these posts.
Okay, today I'm actually starting to talk specifically about Pokemon Yellow, after my little rant about the evolution of Pokemon sprites into something worth looking at when I play.

Anyway, I'd like to introduce you to my Pokemanz (so far, anyway):
Pikachu - L 21
Charmeleon - L 21
Diglett - L 22
Ivysaur - L 22
Fearow - L 23

I'm currently chilling on the S.S. Anne in Vermillion City after having gotten my second Kanto gym badge. Something's beginning to hit me - I haven't played this game in a long time. I've had to recall by experience all the little aspects of the game that made me ill with it whenever I would play as a youngster.
I'm going to try not to do any contrasting between generations, as the point of these posts is to expose Pokemon's 'evolution' through time, but this I must rant about.

Trainer and gym leader battling is very dry - not dry in a bad way, but dry as in simple. Let me show you:

This is your simple standby screen in mid-battle. You'll notice that there's no EXP bar. You'll also notice how simple your HP bar is. When your Pokemon/Opponent develops a status ailment, such a poison or paralysis, your current level is covered up by the status ailment. That personally is a distraction to me. Why? Because there will be occasions in battle where an opponent is about to sent a new Pokemon onto the field, and I cannot remember my Pokemon's level, as it's covered up. In order to find that out, I am forced to switch to the PKMN selection to see its level. It's not a big deal, but it's still an extra step.
Also, battle techniques are rather simple. The example I'll use comes from your first gym battle with the rock-type user Brock. He uses the Pokemon Onix.

Fast-forwarding the video to the one minute mark, Onix begins to use the move Bind. Bind and Wrap are very similar, and are used by Pokemon who possess long appendages of sorts, or a serpent-like body. I've grown used to the attack being like any other move; here, it's not. You'll see in the video that Onix can hinder your ability to attack as long as the move of Bind is underway. This proved to be a very scary move, especially in the heat of battle when your Pokemon is low in HP.

Regardless, I'm beginning to remember how things work in Pokemon Yellow, and hopefully no more surprises are going to come my way.

Join me on Monday, where my discussion of Pokemon's gameplay will take me into it's performance outside of battle.

- Cheryl-Buddy

Pokemon Yellow: Ugly Little Sprites

While I can't say that the first generation of Pokemon was my all-time favorite, I will always have a soft spot in my heart for it. Why? I grew up with it! I used to watch the television show before I went to school every morning in order for my life to remain complete. I owned the figurines. When fast food restaurants came out with the toys, they were the only places I had the desire to eat, just for the toys.

Now, you'll notice I'm playing Yellow instead of Blue or Red. I own Blue, but...let's just say I like Yellow better. It follows the television show more accurately, and the sprites are more pleasant to look at. What I mean by the sprites, by the way, are the images of whatever Pokemon you're using/battling with on-screen. Blue and Red's sprites unnerved me as a child, and looking at them again, I don't feel much of a difference. Here, let me show you:

Golbat

Used to freak me out as a youngster

Mewtwo and Mew

 

Were not nearly as epic sauce as they appeared in the series, and frankly, I never wanted to catch them.

(Mew's sprite is actually taken from the Japanese Red and Green versions - he looks more amusing.)

Blastoise

...Blastoise just looks obese, poor thing.

These are personal nit-pickings on my part, yes; but after Blue and Red, Yellow's sprites became way more accurate to what I was used to seeing on television, and they were more attractive in general. It wasn't just color (Red and Blue had more reddish and blueish tones to them until Yellow came out and brought color to the Kanto Region) that made me happier. It was the fact that they no longer looked like wild animals on steroids - they looked like mythical creatures. They looked like Pokemon, and they looked more in-action.

You see? :D

This is a short segment for the beginning of my epic journey through Pokemon, but there's no telling how much I'll have to say for Friday's segment. Here's a sneak peak: I'll be discussing Pokemon Yellow's difficulty elements.

Also, starting Friday I'll have a spoiler alert of sorts at the top of each blog post. If you're one of those few people in the dark about the old-school Pokemon games, be wary. You've been warned.
Anyway, thanks for reading, and I'll see you Friday!

- Cheryl-Buddy

Cheryl Used Phoenix Down!

Alright, let's start this baby back up.

I was greatly disheartened when I found out that my DS was malfunctioning, and it still is, at least until this weekend, when my most trusted source of technological maintenance - my older brother - will have hopefully found the problem and fix it. I STILL PLAN TO BEAT CHRONO TRIGGER.
In the meantime, I'm a Freshman in college now, and that means a lot of things for me:
1. I get to live away from home (YES), and I currently have a dorm room to myself.
2. I am learning how to live as a true adult. Y'know, washing my own clothes, getting to bed/waking up at a decent hour, doing my homework without being told, etc.
3. Having limited access to random games that I miss.
^
Note that, please.

Back at home, I could go to whichever gaming system I pleased, but now I have to request them personally.
With that said, I've turned back in time a few years to earlier handheld games. Yes, I'm now entertaining myself with the GameBoy. With THAT said, an idea popped into my head one evening. I can't currently finish Chrono Trigger, but I have access to most of my old GameBoy games. I am currently playing Pokemon Yellow (such a classic), and I've come to find personally that it doesn't get much positive attention these days, what with the shadowing over of the Pokemon world, the number of "catch 'em all"s sky-rocketing from 151 to 649, and if profits are decent enough, I can see more in the future. I can understand that people are no longer interested in these games as they used to be, but with the idea beginning to form in my head, I begin to wonder what truly happened behind the Nintendo and Game Freak scenes that caused Pokemon to fade into the background like it did.

So! Here's what I'm going to do - I'm not very far along in this game of Yellow. Using my intense fangirl powers, I am going to analyze Pokemon's progression from 1998/1999 to the present day, if not for my blog, then for me personally.
My journey will either start Wednesday or Thursday. Wish me luck!

It's the weirdest thing, guys..

My Nintendo DS is malfunctioning. (No, Felix, I haven't bitten it. D:< )
I'm afraid I no longer have access to Chrono Trigger until I can remedy the problem on my DS or mooch from one of my brothers.
Until then, keeped tuned in to my boyfriend's blog to see how things are faring with him.
Hopefully my DS isn't dead yet. :C

- Cheryl-Buddy

Chrono Trigger 9 - City in the Sky

Well, it's about time that Chrono Trigger's massive enemy destruction counter is laid off to the side for a bit and we now focus our attention a tad more on the plot.
Rightly so, at that. After restocking on potions, revives, and whatnot, the crater in which Lavos landed in the Prehistoric period seemed to open up a time gate, which brings our heroes to 12,000 B.C., more easily put, the Magic Kingdom.

The Magic Kingdom is a peaceful little region in the sky with luxurious, palace-like buildings inside little domes. The inhabitants seem rather whimsical - not necessarily in the whole elf, woodland creature, Middle Earth type thing, but...just the way they speak to you, the way they live, the added background music in the area, for God's sake. Plus, they can use magic, so your team (well...minus Ayla and Robo) can relate to them a tad more, with them not being an enemy and all of that.

What I find rather interesting is that the inhabitants are also quite idealistic. There are plenty of them to talk to - while some speak of landmarks and people I've never heard of before, whom I'm assuming are very great in power, others will flat-out ask you, "Do you think that we are predestined in our lives?", to which you can answer. Really makes a person think, when you get deep into the question.
What really is predestination? Does it pertain to life, or life after death, or both...or neither? Is it a path that is laid out before you, and you are to walk along it like a marionette? Is it a path laid out before you, and your free will then decides if you walk the path or not? Or is there no predestination? Are we given a mental paintbrush as a child, and told to make our own path?
One can never tell, I suppose.

Regardless, the Magic Kingdom is ruled by a queen who apparently isn't in the best of moods as of late. After breaking into her chamber via special door using a pendent fueled by Lavos' power that I found in a place called Kajah, the queen sicks her pretty little Golem on me, and kills me. The rumors are true, eh?
After being released from the palace, one of the queen's authorities banishes me from the region, sealing the time gate, and leaving me and my team to figure out how to break the seal. I currently reside back in the future, rummaging through the wreckage that is 2300 A.D. to find more of these special doors, and using my little pendant to discover something that I'm not quite aware of yet.

Take a look at my boyfriend's blog - I'm sure he may have better idea as to what I'm looking for than I do.

- Cheryl-Buddy

Chrono Trigger 8 - Whoops!

I have not posted a blog in three days. Here is my excuse.
Magus is a bitch to defeat. I don't think I've ever once had to use an ether in the game until now. Such complicated magic use and foreboding attacks that man uses.
Anyway, the point of my excuse is I spent an hour of one of my days trying to defeat him, failing, and going back through the castle to level my team up a bit more. The other day, I played my hour, but honestly forgot to blog about it (sorry!).
So now I'll be blogging about my previous two hours on Chrono Trigger.

As my boyfriend has probably already mentioned in a blog previous blog post of his or so, Lavos actually arrived in the Prehistoric period, which is where my team ends up going, after finding out that Magus is not the real threat toward the world (though, ends were definitely met between him and Frog, with the awesome sauce that is the Masamune), thus dragging us into some more Reptite quarreling.
...Maybe I shouldn't say quarreling. Perhaps heated affection would be a tad more on-the-mark. (not in the erotic way, mind you) Ayla is the main chief, therefore making it her responsibility (along with her natural prowess) to deal with the Reptites.
Azala, head Reptite, is not a force to be reckoned with. Though he sits at the shoulder of his most powerful beast, Black Tyrano, he served as quite a difficult enemy himself. Yet Ayla still offers him refuge as Lavos begins to hail down from the sky via space comet. Poor little guy should have gone. :C

But that pretty much sums up my previous two hours. Lavos has landed, our team was able to escape on the backs of Dactyls, and after I go forward in time just a tad to stock up on some potions and whatnot, I'll be taking a closer look as to who this Lavos really is. Or something..

To learn more, check out my boyfriend's blog, as he just accomplished three straight hours.
(-mumbles-)
I'll catch up with him, no worries.

- Cheryl-Buddy

Chrono Trigger 7 - Reality Check

I have little excuse for having waited so long to post a blog...
But here's my loose explanation: Due to the weekend of the Final Harry Potter movie (-teardrop-) and my days being slightly mixed up in going to bed at nearly 4am as a result (I had never been to a midnight premier before), I completely forgot to play my hour for two days in a row. Shame on me! But I suppose it's for good cause. My poor boyfriend seems to be having a tad of bad luck with his chargers these days, and now his 3DS charger is malfunctioning. He will, however, be returning to Taipei soon, so hopefully this malfunction will only be from China. Until then, here's my most recent hour of Chrono Trigger.

At this moment, I have plowed my way through the majority of the Fiendlord's Castle. After having retrieved the rare stone from Prehistory, the Masamune was reforged and given back to Frog. We then find out why Frog is Frog - poor guy was cursed by Magus, our current arch nemesis, once a guy known as Glen. He has grown much since this curse, however, a 'blessing in disguise', he calls it. I tend to agree. Anyway, after joining up with Frog and entering the Fiendlord's Castle, things get a bit real for me, personally.

I've always been quite fascinated by the horror and suspense features that some movies, video games, television programs and other forms of media are able to conjure. It's an odd and hard-to-explain feeling of mine that I often cannot accurately share with others, but Chrono Trigger certainly knows how to make the chilling feel of horror really stand out to me, especially in the Fiendlord Castle. Horror - to me - strips away the colorful cake icing and loving feelings that characters share in a video game, and makes the world naked, it makes the world vulnerable, and it makes the world as true as it possibly can be. The world's a scary place - I've been told this for years - and when these aspects are thrown into a game in the right place, at the right time, I'm shaken to the very core, as it gives me a true reality check of where I am. It may be a fictional land that I roam in this game, but it's still a world, like the world that I live in.

Chrono Trigger does this in many ways - the silence factor of the Fiendlord Castle, the roaming of souls who resemble characters in the game that you already know who are truly shape shifters, out for your blood, a vast amount of enemies that roam and the teasing feeling of very few save points...I won't go into too much detail, as not to make this blog post too long, but I often found my vision blurring from my sheer concentration on every given element.
It's hard to explain how honest and eerie this Castle has been to me. Watch a walkthrough or two on Youtube and you might then know what I mean.

Regardless, the Castle was absolutely crawling with enemies, including a few high-ranking followers of Magus, such as Slash, Flea and Ozzie. Slash and Flea were formidable enemies, difficult yet rewarding (except for Slash - this fighting was kind of douch-y), but Ozzie...not so much. He's a coward. I spent more time chasing him through the castle than I did actually fighting him, which he didn't even put up one. I rushed conveyer belts with guillotines, ran halls filled with creatures, fell down countless holes that took forever to resurface from, just to find him an easy target.
(No spoilers, since my boyfriend hasn't gotten that far yet.)

Anyway, with all three servants defeated, I gave Magus a shot. I cannot deny it, Magus is a tough son of a bitch. I'll have to do some practice rounds on him before I actually take him on.
Hopefully my next hour will be lucky on my part.
But for right now, I'll take a small break, so I can let my boyfriend fix his charger and have a chance to catch up and surpass me (like he usually does).

- Cheryl-Buddy

Chrono Trigger 6 - Prehistoric Partying

Thank goodness my boyfriend is back in business. It's not as fun blogging with someone when you're the only one blogging. X3;


Not all that much to say about this hour. After reaching the summit of the mountains, my team came across a couple of tan alien-like creatures.They produced quite a fight for the treasure they were protecting - a fragmented blade called the Masamune. Bringing it back down, we also find out that this Hero that everyone is talking about is a little kid. Cute little kid, for being naïve enough to pick up the Hero's badge randomly, but shameful for what he's done, of course.

After reuniting with Frog for a moment to take his fragmented sword hilt of the Masamune, we find out that the sword can be reforged, only with the help of a rare red stone.
This takes us to Prehistory, where we add Ayla to our team. She's quite strong, which I like, though she has an interesting beast-like walk - y'know, on all fours and whatnot. This happens as a result of a huge party that is thrown, with dancing, drink, music, food, the whole shebang. With partying, of course, comes the crashing of people's consciousness. When the team wakes up, our Gate Key is stolen, so with my team now consisting of Crono, Lucca and Ayla, I'm now off to seek out the thief.
(Little Chrono has spend quite enough time being the only male in the team, poor thing.)

I'm quite fascinated by Chrono Trigger's progression thus far, particularly in enemy combat. I hate to consistently compare this game to Final Fantasy, but I always considered it similar before I actually started to play it, and I must say, without going into too much detail with the structure of Final Fantasy (as there are entirely too many to go into detail with), it's proving itself to be a bit better.
Enemies differ in different areas. As I've now entered the Prehistoric period, I now much adjust my strategy in defeating the creatures I must face. Back in the Middle Ages where I was climbing the mountain, I had to knock large hammers from Orgons' hands with fire before I took any swings at them. Here in dinosaur territory, enemies are a lot more straight-forward. They have a higher defense, yes, but their HP isn't very high, whether I use magic or physical combat. I find it very interesting, shaking things up a bit in my battles, keeping them doable, but changing perspectives with every turn of the head I make.

I'm looking forward to see what my team will end up facing in Prehistory. In the meantime, see what my boyfriend is up to.

- Cheryl-Buddy

Chrono Trigger 5 - Mindless Mountain Climbing

Well, my boyfriend no longer has immediate access to the internet with a malfunction of his laptop charge plug, but he's still updating on paper until things are sorted out, so I'll follow suit, I suppose, in the same way I always have been.
Your prayers, please, not just in the case of his laptop, but as he travels tomorrow.

Anyway, hour five.
Y'know how I said that things were calming down a tad in Chrono Trigger? Well, that certainly didn't last long. An extreme source of evil in the form of a creature named Magus is responsible for unleashing that lava monster upon the world and allowing it to spiral into chaos, and so our team travels back in time once more to the Middle Ages to seek this Magus character out and rid the world of him before he wreaks havoc.

This little hour of the game was perhaps my absolute favorite so far. First of all, it had the slightest of Lord of the Rings essence. There's this epic battle on a bridge between small continents, between 'fiends' and humans, and with human defenses hardly sufficient to hold the enemy back, it's up to my team to help out. Doesn't seem very LotR-esque, I know, but it is, trust me. It's more of a slightly brother-to-brother love moment that makes it seem that way.
Regardless, after plowing my way across the bridge, keeping the enemy at bay and running off one of Magus' generals, he sends out a tough little creature named Zombor, or 'Junk Dragger' in Japanese.

Zombor looks a little something like this:

Intimidating? Yes, I think I would agree. Fighting this guy was my favorite battle in the game up to this point. He's rather tough, but not tough to the point of where I lose my cool in trying to heal my team and fight him at the same time. But man, he was a challenge, and he was pieced together in two parts. Certain types of magic healed his top or bottom half, while others took a nice amount of damage, but I had to find all of this out in the midst of him chipping away at my team's HP. It was difficult, and I'm honestly surprised that I succeeded in defeating him in one try, but it was worth it. It put a real smile on my face to have completed such a feat. I hope to come across something similar to him in the future, as I love games that require quick and efficient battle technique.

Anyway, after defeating Zombor, I reached the southern continent, where apparently this Hero resides, and is here to save everyone. I am currently trying to find him, at least...I think I am. I'm just wandering around in the vast landscape of a mountain at this point. I wonder where it'll take me.
At this point, I'll stop posting links to my boyfriend's blog, at least until he is able to get online, but keep an eye out for when he is able to update again.

- Cheryl-Buddy

Chrono Trigger 4 - The Frustrations of using an IPod

I'll be out of the house for pretty much the entire day, so I'll be posting today's blog post from my iPod touch, and any grammatical errors on my part as a result from my fast typing are worthy of apology. In other words, sorry for any mistakes on my part due to autocorrect. I'll probably correct these mistakes next time I'm at a computer.

-ahem- ANYWAY, things in Chrono Trigger are beginning to slow down, plot wise. I was able to makeover my team through the a nice little factory filled, of course, with enemy robots and floppy little creatures that peeve me just a tad with how resistant they are to physical attacks. I swear, there was a moment or two where I was almost confident that I was going to lose Robo to his own kind, which would have greatly disheartened me, as I had just added him to my team. Regardless, things were made well once again, concerning the return back to the present.

It's kind of funny, how the game makes a dimension called the End of Time. Never really thought that the end of time could be considered an actual place, instead of a void in time. Regardless, it's pretty neat. It even allowed me to learn magic from a cute little White troll. I now reside in a village named Medina, where I am honing my magic skills, as I've never had the ability to use them all that much before. Well, my iPod touch is acting up, so I'll have to stop here. Seems my boyfriend may actually be catching up to me in progress. See what he has to say.

- Cheryl-Buddy

Chrono Trigger 3 - With Antici...pation

My goodness, only three hours into the game, and already I'm having a tad of trouble staying within the hour's time limit. This game is pretty wonderful, and now it's finally beginning to get some shape.

I was correct in my assumption that my team was currently in the future, and what a bleak future it is. People living in broken down domes, bundled in corners in rags, looking as though they've all starved and passed on. Makes me feel so sorry for them...
But things in the actual gameplay are beginning to take shape as well. I finally have come across enemies that require more than simply waiting for your metre to fill up before you whack at them with your handheld weapon. I finally have a chance to actually look at my options and use them to overcome enemies, like using magic or combos. Stuff like that, yes.

I'm glad, however, that I stocked up on healing supplies while still residing in the present, as these lands in the future are pretty rough to maneuver through - plenty of robots who take quite a few hits to defeat and whatnot, and take a nice dent to your HP.
Chrono Trigger has, however, also satisfied my intense sorrow upon losing Frog. In the attempt to warp back to the present, the team came across Robo. I'm not nearly as fangirlish about robots as my boyfriend is, no doubt, but it makes me happy to have a high-defense team member finally along for the ride, as that's my preferred fighting style, defense.

I'm pretty excited to see what happens as we finally make our way back to the present to take on an unknown evil that is apparently responsible for the destruction and languid state of the future, but I'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out.

Keep my boyfriend in your prayers, if you would, during this season of monsoons. His updates are just as important.

- Cheryl-Buddy

Chrono Trigger 2 - Amateur Stealth

 So my boyfriend decided to post an extra blog post for his second hour due to expected bad weather, so here's mine, a tad afterward.
I'm unhappy. My little family of fighters has been broken into pieces.
...Well, maybe not literally, but it always pains me for a member of my team to leave, whether they are switched out for someone or not. Poor Frog has left my team after we're able to find the real Queen and return her to her rightful place in the Middle Age Guardia Castle. My strongest team member, gone. ; n ;

Fortunately, access to the present is quickly achieved afterward, and as narcissistic as it may seem, I feel like I should be praised for not wasting more time in the fair, as I was required to pass back through it in order to return Marle/Nadia home.

I found it rather interesting to be arrested so hastily upon returning the Princess, and even more interesting that the game kept a record of all I had done, or hadn't done, during the fair, such as returning a girl's cat or eating an old man's lunch. I'm curious as to what would have happened to me, had I been more guilty than I was considered during my trial after arrest, but regardless, I was sent to jail, as close to 'not guilty' as I was. Which brings me to my currently favorite part of this game - your ability to move around your enemies.

I have always been so used to walking about in a dungeon in Final Fantasy games and simply waiting for that inevitable "WOOOOOOOSH" that comes when you have an enemy upon you. Those moments used to more-than-often scare the living shit out of me, and occasionally pissed me off, as I was sometimes not prepared to fight, or simply didn't wish to, so this feature literally made me smile from ear to ear when I found out I could sneak past guards and giggle as I was making my breakout from the dungeons instead of having to battle each and every one of them - alone.

So yes, I was able to to escape from prison, met up with Lucca, who had come to save me, just a tad too late in the game, and defeated their dragon tank.
I must say - The Guardia royalty are quite brash, allowing their princess to run away and chasing after her and her team with the intent of double re-arrest. Because of this, my team was forced to travel through time again to a place that I would presume to be the future, and quite a bleak future at that.
That is where I left off my journey.

So far, this game might just prove to be worth the summer.
We'll see how things go.
Check out my boyfriend's blog for his own updates.

- Cheryl-Buddy

Chrono Trigger 1 - Like a Little One in a Candy Store

For the record, here's where I'll put my spoiler alert, because I'll obviously be talking of the game's plot, and don't want to anger anyone who's interested in playing it, so here - you've been warned.

**SPOILER WARNING**

(The following blog post includes the plot of Chrono Trigger. No desire, no read.)

There we go...now.
I imagined that this game would have a very similar approach as Final Fantasy has in the past. I was wrong. I feel as though I will truly enjoy this game. You start off in actually a way more juvenile aspect than what I would imagine for such a game. You're actually more like a kid, going to the Millennial fair and whatnot. This fed into my inner child, as I love fooling around in places where you can bet on racers for free and get free rewards for betting right, defeating easy enemies for more rewards and free experience points, et cetera. I'll be honest, I spent quite a bit of time at this fair.
I can't help it, it reached my soft spot!
I'll be honest, I didn't do that much exploring around the rest of the land, because I do love a good fair, and that seemed the most important to me at the time.
Anyway, the game was introduced smoothly, had an unconventional approach to introducing the beginning conflict, but I don't mind that, and I'm enjoying the game so far.

One question, however.
Merle...I'm not sexist against women in games - no, not at all. But why, why, why must she represent the little bimbo that I so often see in teenage RPG's? You don't know her. You have no responsibility for her. You bring the conflict upon yourself. You're a brave man and all, playing Crono, but she doesn't necessarily treat you very kindly during your day at the fair. She chuckled at everything you do, with a:

Or a:

Had someone treated me with such manners, I would have thought twice about traveling back in time to save them.
But that pretty much sums up my first hour of playing Chrono Trigger. I currently am trudging through the Cathedral with Crono, Lucca, and - whom I find to like very much - Frog.
I suppose we'll have to see what becomes of my Chrono Trigger experience.
In the meantime, see what my boyfriend has to say about his first hour in this lovely game.

- Cheryl Buddy

Genesis

Alright, so today marks the embarking of my boyfriend across the Pacific ocean to Asia where he will no doubt see sights that I could only dream of seeing, being the travelphile that I am. With that, however, will come a time of hardship - 12-hour-apart time zones will mean a very limited communication line between the two of us, so we won't get to speak to each other much.

We have, however, mutually agreed upon starting to blog over the rest of the summer, and what better way to spend your time blogging that with video games?

 This is the game that we will be playing. It's a nice little RPG for the Nintendo DS that will surely keep us busy as we wait out the summer. The rules of the game are simple, I suppose: We'll each play for an hour at a time, and blog about that hour's experience. There's no doubt to be plenty of harmless mud-slinging and moments of fanboy/girl-ism, so there might be reason to feel nervous.
The game starts this evening, so make sure you stay tuned here and my boyfriend's blog, Fins of Air, for frequent updates.

I'll miss you, corazón. Have a good trip. <3

- Cheryl Buddy

Why CB doesn't like Fighting Games

I was at GameStop early this afternoon, asking some questions concerning a few games that I plan to trade in. For the most part, it was a lovely little experience, give-or-take. Some of my games are old, and won't be accepted, but I feel like I'll get a minimum of $10 for my trade-in of 14 'eh' games. But thing is that 2 of my games, Wii games at that, are on the fighting platform.

I think that I may be a magnet to frustrating people when I walk into a game store. I've experienced more n00bs upon approaching the checkout counter at GameStop than I have eating at IHOP at midnight. Maybe it's a sexist thing, with female gamers being scarce in North Carolina (from what I can tell, anyway), maybe it's a sign from God telling me to stop going to the same GameStop every time I want to buy a game, but there reside many a sad/hilarious story of people making small talk with me in the checkout line to discriminate my style.

Today's lovely incident included me standing with a small handful of my games, maybe 5 or 6 of them, waiting to be assisted with my questions. The guy behind me apparently noticed that I had Castlevania Judgment chilling on top of my little game stack. Big mistake on my part, I suppose, because said guy tapped me on the shoulder and said, "Hey, you tradin' that in?"
As I nodded to confirm that I was indeed planning on trading it in, he let me know rather quickly that he had played the game, that he enjoyed it, that he thought it was a bit dumb for me to trade it in, and then asked me if I didn't like fighting games.
Had said guy been a pre-teen/teenager like many of the other people who come up to me with these types of comments, I would have let his words go in one ear and out the other. He wasn't. I'd say he was in his mid 20's.

Well, to answer your question, Mr. Hat Man, no, I don't like fighting games.

I don't find fighting games to have much meat. Lots of blood, yes. But the plot line that each fighting game includes doesn't really seem to be a 'plot.' It seems more to me like a filler content substance used to somewhat distract the player from the mindless violence that really coins a fighting game.
I can't really help it - I like my games to mean something to me. I like the plot line and the actual gameplay to harmonize, not get in the way of each other or distract each other.

Aside from content, however, fighting games have a tendency of being too structured for my liking. It's as though I'm eating a five-course meal, and all five courses are brought out to me at the same time. In a video game, I don't like that. There's no surprise, not much of a goal of becoming better. You may get a power-up on occasions as you progress through your battles, but...the game just feels a bit boxed in, I suppose, if the five-course meal analogy doesn't make much sense.

Now I'm starting to consider finding another close-by GameStop to cling to...
Oh well.

- Cheryl-Buddy

The "Miracle" of Drugs

    I’ve been told by many people throughout my life to stay away from quick fixes; they are very rarely legitimate, those that are legitimate require much time and effort to glean your rewards, and though they may seem perfect for you at first, they lead to destruction in the end. The only road  to true success is perseverance, commitment, and - you guessed it - toil. Now, what do I mean by these ‘quick fixes?’ They appear in many different forms, and come from many different places, like flashing ‘Free Laptop’ ads on your computer, a daily lottery ticket for you to scratch with hidden hope for luck, or - in Eddie’s case, from the movie Limitless - a dose of MDT.

    Limitless takes us into the world of Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper), who can take pride in only two things: a laptop and a book contract. Eddie seems to have hit rock bottom in life - he owes rent, he looks in dire need of freshening up his looks, his relationship with Lindy (Abbie Cornish) is dying, and to top it all off, he has an approaching deadline to finish a science fiction novel, and there is not a word on his manuscript due to writer‘s block. That is, until he runs into ex-brother-in-law Vernon (Johnny Whitworth) and allows the man to introduce a miracle pill called MDT into his life.

    The clear little drug that Eddie takes stimulates his brain beyond anything that a human can imagine. It is said that we as humans can only use a small percent of our brains. With MDT, however, Eddie is able to use 100% of it as long as the drug is in his system, making him utterly focused and utterly aware of every detail happening around him. With the gears in his head turning in overdrive, he is able to finish his book in no time, rebuild his love life, learn a language or two, and move up in society as his job interests shift from novels to the stock market.

    A small pill that can rapidly change your life for the better - a quick fix, wouldn’t you say? Unfortunately, as what comes with all ‘quick fixes’, the pill does have side effects. These side effects may include vomiting, dizziness, constipation, or any other side effect you can name, but there are worse side effects as well - side effects that quickly bring Eddie into a world of chaos and of danger.

    Frankly, I haven’t seen Bradley Cooper since I first watched The Hangover, and I’ve forgotten what I good actor I think he is, especially for a movie like Limitless. Not every actor can portray both of the personas in Eddie Morra as he goes from a street rat to top dog in the world, but Cooper seemed to fit the part well.

    The movie also features Robert De Niro, who plays the character Carl Van Loon, a very authoritative man in the financial world who sees Eddie rise in recognition and hires him. I’ve seen a lot from this actor, and I’ll be honest, I was quite surprised to see him in this film, but enjoyed his appearance in it, nonetheless.

    I loved watching Limitless, especially in the cool darkness of a movie theatre, but I will say one thing: there seemed to be a few holes that were left gaping in the movie. What I mean by this is that I was unable to connect all the dots. I was able to connect most of the dots, but not all of them. Some aspects of the plot seemed overlooked, to me. Regardless of this, I was still left with furrowed brows, intently engaged with the screen as I watched the length of the movie. If you are one of those movie-watchers who enjoys picking out the plot’s predictability, then you may have to pay a bit more attention to Limitless, as there were times where I was taken aback by sudden plot twists, which I thoroughly enjoy.

    Neil Burger has done a wonderful job in directed Limitless, and has given me a wake-up call to the world once more. There are indeed no quick fixes in life, even if they come in the form of a clear pill. However, if you enjoy modern movie twists, Bradley Cooper, progressive screen effects or writers with writer’s block, then you’ll enjoy Limitless.

Haters Indeed Gonna Hate

So. this week I discovered that I'm slightly intolerant.
...No, maybe I should back up and explain a tad more.
I discovered this week that regardless of how people may know me, I have an opinion of everything that I like to stand by. Is this normal? I would say so, but no, really - is it normal? Would you honestly say that because I have an opinion of something, that because I am passionate enough about something that I state a claim toward it, that it is okay?
You still think so? Okay, let us now take my statement into a different lens.

Yesterday I was looking through the local news online, as I am required to in Journalism class, and found another typical burglary case with a man who is not shown in the article. During the reading of online news articles, I enjoy scrolling down past the article and reading what comments the public have to made in regard to the article. I usually find the 'thoughtful' and rhetorical comments that people make, like "Oh heavens, what has this world come to?", comments that I usually think are meant to sound smart, but are obscured in the frustrating forest of SMS Textese, and of course, the troll comments.
I hate to bring discrimination into this, but this particular article that I read had the comments of "I'll be he was black/Hispanic" or whatever ethnicity have you. And, of course, when discrimination is involved in anything, people are there to basically whack the commenter repeated with virtual hammers. I often roll my eyes at this point and continue to scroll down to other more meaningful comments.

This particular time, however, something in me clicked. I began to think. Okay, what if the burglar WAS black? Was if he was white? What if he was Hispanic? What if he were a blue, mutated man with green hair and three eyes? Would either of those people's appearance have made it less of a crime? A burglary is a burglary, in my opinion, regardless of who did it, or what they looked like.

Now, let me try again.
Is it wrong for me to have an opinion? To some people, yes.
For example (and I repeat, example), I believe that all puppies under the height of 2 feet should be kicked repeatedly until dead.
This is my opinion. Is it wrong? Yes. Why? Because it is morally unacceptable.
Does this mean that I no longer can have this opinion that puppies should be kicked? Not necessarily, but because of it, my life will be a living hell of consistent nagging of how I 'shouldn't be so cruel to puppies' and how I 'should think of others before myself.'

Alright, now let's go back to reality. I do not believe that puppies should be kicked. Only a madman would believe that. I do, however, have other beliefs. To some people, my beliefs would be considered as 'intolerant.'
Let me give an example (and this one is real). I am not a fan at all of reality television, nor am I a fan at all of television in general. These popular TV shows such as Jersey Shore, The Bachelor...they're pointless to me. They have no values, they have no wit. They're simply shows of cameramen invading the lives of once-meager people. When I express these thoughts to other people, however, red flags go up. I apparently 'just don't get the point behind the television show' or 'don't understand how entertaining it is.'
Let me clear something up. I don't form an opinion of something until I've had a taste of it. I don't say that I dislike asparagus until I've tried it. I don't say that I dislike rock music until I've listened to it. This should tell people that I have tried to join the little fad of Jersey Shore by watching a few episodes. I read the first book of Twilight before I claimed that I strongly disliked the series.

Let's look at reality.
I think certain things have no value. I have no use for them. If you find any value in these people, milk it. If you simply enjoy following the popular crowd, be my guest. It's no skin off of my nose. Just don't try to sway me.
If you have a valid argument to make against my opinions, I will listen and consider. I'm not a rebel. But if you're simply going to bash me for my views with no reason but to bring me down to size, then every word shall go in one ear and out the other.
Opinions are not wrong. They're misunderstood.

-Cheryl-Buddy

A new Lent Resolution

My parents have always told me to stay away from Philosophy. Heaven knows why. They've told me that the world has no use for philosophers, and that I would not benefit at all from being a philosopher. Though I do not feel that this is my calling, I cannot help but wonder what causes my parents to be so uptight about such a topic. Is it wrong for a man to sit and philosophy by himself, or with a companion? My parents are frankly not the only people who have advised that I keep away from the topic of Philosophy. These people have not only been teachers and other adults, but even people who are my age, very young. So why, I ask you, should I keep away from philosophical topics? Are there any hidden dangers that lie beneath the finding of deep answers to deep questions? I'm sure that there are circumstances under which being philosophical could prove dangerous, but before I specify those factors, I must clear one question (for my own sake).

What is Philosophy?

Wikipedia (as of right now) calls it "the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language."

Merriam-Webster calls it many things, including the "pursuit of wisdom", or "a search for a general understanding of values and reality by chiefly speculative rather than observational means."

I personally consider it the combing out of the tangled mess that humans like to call reality.

With this provided information, I gather that I am being philosophical when I am in highway traffic each morning, debating over whether or not I should allow my mild road rage to kick in when a lunatic driver decides to pull in front of me in a dangerous fashion. I am being philosophical when I am choosing between celery sticks and toast for an afternoon snack, based on which would benefit me more. I am also being philosophical when the accidental topic of abortion comes up in everyday conversation, and I am offered to speak my mind against a friend's views.
Is there anything wrong with these factors? I personally think not.

But what if I am consistently trying to find the right and wrong in things?

I suppose this where I come to realize something about myself. The world is made of balance. There is no good unless there is evil to accompany it. There is no health unless there is sickness to fight off. There is no light without darkness to push against it. There is no true peace without letting things go. If a man is constantly thinking about what his next action will be 5 minutes after he has made another action-based decision, not only will his life pass quickly before his eyes, but he will wear his brain to the core in the process.

Lately, I've been worried about my actions. I've been worried about my actions a bit too much, it seems. Perhaps it's time to to let things be.
This does not mean that I'll stop being philosophical. But I think I understand now that there are just some things that need to be let go.
Hopefully with some discipline, I won't have to worry about thought to bring me true peace. Wish me luck.

Out,
Cheryl-Buddy

Pickets and Political News - Usually Not My Thing...

Today in Journalism class my classmates and I were each handed a copy of an article printed from FoxNews.com. I mentally rolled my eyes right then. Why? Because I don't particularly like Fox News. No offense to fans out there, but they can to be a bit more subjective in their reporting than other news providers. I don't mind this at all - it's simply that when a topic reported to me in such a subjective tone isn't relatable, my mind tends to automatically shut down. Bad habit? Yes, I suppose. Understandable? I certainly hope so, because I know I'm not the only one out there who does it.

But I digress. As I was saying, I picked up the paper and without much thought, scanned the Ads by AdBlade off to the right hand corner about E-Cigs, demolishing wrinkles, and how professionals hate moms for coming up with these incredible remedies for stuff that I as a teenager don't really care about. Then the teacher began to read, so I followed along. The article was entitled "Westboro Funeral Pickets Are Protected Speech, High Court Rules."

Well, there are now two things that I don't like about this article: it's from Fox News, and it's about picket protesters. Regardless, I continue to read along, for fear of being called on to read. I gather enough info whilst reading the first few paragraphs to know that a church from Topeka, Kansas called Westboro Baptist has been picketing at military funerals, pretty much as the title said.
You can read the article that I draw reference from here.

What caught my eye, however, is not the article itself; there have been protests since the dawn of time, and since our 1st Amendment - freedom of speech - was brought into play here in the US, it's normal for the government to brush them off of their shoulders. Can't be violating our precious Bill of Rights now, can we? So yes, this shouldn't be a big deal at all to America. What caught my eye is their quite offensive signs. Yes, picket signs have offensive sayings on them, but...well, let me give this analogy. I often refer to picket protesters as little Internet trolls. They say these really stupid things in comments, and wait for someone to bite their bait - then they have what they want. They have a reaction (usually an angry reaction) from someone else. These protesters are practically the same. They wave their signs, the signs have crudely-drawn and mildly amusing little hatred phrases on them, and they wait for someone to retort. These people went a little over the top, I think. Just a little.

So this is a church, eh? Heh...that's kind of funny. Last time I went to church, they didn't protest - especially not in this fashion. And they're Baptist? I'm not a Baptist, I'm a Methodist, but I know enough about the stereotypical Baptist to realize that these people missed the mark by a long shot. These people aren't Baptist. I'm pretty sure they're not even a church. I think they're a cult. Come now, they have small children on the streets during their protests, who probably have no idea what's going on, with leaning "God Hates Fags" signs on their chests. What is this? Children don't protest. They're too young. They protest against nap time, short recesses, and putrid cafeteria food. That's not to compare to a military funeral. You could look the church up on Wikipedia and won't have to read a single word. The pictures provide more than enough information, and Wikipedia has plenty of them.

I'll admit - I'm utterly confused with this church. Not only do I feel that they contradict themselves in their signs, along with my powerful belief that they are an anarchist cult, but they seem to be surprisingly serious about what they're doing. Look at these signs.

These are not cardboard signs with white spray paint hastily scribbled to make words. Though I'm not sure, I think these were professionally made, or printed (God forgive the knucklehead who printed these...). These protests could easily have been planned, deeply and thoughtfully. The Internet also makes it pretty clear that this isn't their first strike. And then I read over the colorful backgrounds at the bold, black letters, and I raise an eyebrow. "Thank God for 9/11?" "Pray For More Dead Soldiers?" "God is Your Enemy?"

Please, be clear with me. Is God your Creator or your Destroyer? Do you love Him or not? They even try to be religious about their words with stupid signs like "You Will Eat Your Babies - Lev. 26:27-29." Quoting Bible scripture is not going to make you more religious, especially if your context is off. Just briefly, the story behind the Leviticus scripture is basically God chewing out the people who worship idols. The part about eating babies comes where God tells them not to rebel, or He'll punish them so severely that survival mode will engage within them from starvation, therefore making them want to each their children. You don't mess with God. Just saying. He'll make you eat your babies.

So now comes my response to this utter nonsense. Though I would be glad and willing to send each member of that church to a spiritual therapist, I have nothing bad to say, really. They may be extremely misled, and may prove to be a gnat in people's ears, but they do, unfortunately, have their rights, just like you and I do. If I were a victim of their protests, I'll admit, I might go to jail as a result. But it's not like trying to stop them is going to do any good. It's like the illegal industry of marijuana. Though it might not be smiled upon, people are still going to smoke it. The best thing that people can do is to take their anger out on these people in a non-violent manner, and let them do what they will. They're just a gnat...or a bumblebee...or a hungry parrot on your shoulder. Regardless, the end of the article includes the Supreme Court allowing them to do their thing instead of trying to suppress them. I'm glad the government decided to be rational instead of just. Don't worry, silly people - these hooligans will get their just desserts when they all die to face the Big Man Upstairs. I personally would like a video copy of how He deals with them then.

Don't worry, not all of my blogs will be like this. This article just really caught my attention today, and I felt the need to mentally express how I felt.
As always, I enjoy feedback on how I'm doing as a newbie.
Thanks!
- Cheryl-Buddy