Attention

Hey loyal readers (and those of you who just stumbled in here)!

This blog is moving over to the WordPress platform. After 4 loyal years on Google Blogger the lack of updates and problematic posting has forced me to get modern. Come visit the beautiful, new, responsive site at Gamedae.com. Please update your bookmarks accordingly.

Hope to see you there!

Netflix Anime Picks

Craving something new on Netflix? Are you looking to get back into anime but not sure where to start? I've got you all set with some picks from the Netflix streaming service. All of these shows are pretty SFW although there is violence and some mild fan service. Hit the jump for some colorful, big eyes and great hair.

A Disney State of Mind

People seem to think Summer ends after Labor day, truth is, Autumn doesn't start until September 22nd or 24th pretty sure. What PS2 journey would be complete without tapping into the Kingdom Hearts series, the unexpected combination of characters from Disney and Final Fantasy. Just enough time for one more in the Summer of Playstation 2 and I’ve committed to finishing this sucker.

I know kung fu

Forget what you know about video games based on movies for just a minute. Now imagine a movie that you loved (or in this case a trilogy). Wouldn't it be great to continue that experience in game form; to relive those awesome moments with you controlling the action. I believe that was always the intent with movie games but it almost never seems to work out. Perhaps game developers should take a look back on some PS2 era games because The Matrix: Path of Neo is a great game.

More Summer of Playstation 2

A loan from good friend and contributor to the Gamedae blog, B-Real. B-Real was nice enough to help me continue my Summer of Playstation 2 with some of his favorites from way back. A pair of popular adventures that I'll be playing for the first time! 

NEW GAMES
Kingdom Hearts (1) (March 28, 2002)
The beginning of the Disney and Final Fantasy mash up. Published by Square Enix (Formerly called Squaresoft)

Kingdom Hearts II (December 22, 2005)
The sequel to the original action, role-playing game

+ Check out B-Real's post from 2010 Kingdom Hearts 358/2

TRAILERS BELOW

Taking a dip in the protoculture

Halfway through writing this post for Robotech Invasion, Harmony Gold, the company that owns the rights to Robotech, launched a Kickstarter campaign for a new animated series. It's exciting to think there is a chance for a new series. Robotech the animated series was one of, if not the first, successfully ported anime from Japan and near and dear to my heart. It was in my early childhood when I first saw it on TV, very early in the morning. All it took was a glimpse of the mecha and I was hooked. Flash forward 30+ years, here I am probably the only person playing through Robotech Invasion on the PS2 recently.

Recent Netflix picks

 

It's the middle of the hot summer, and you're looking for a movie to watch while you enjoy some well-earned AC. I've sorted through a bit of the rubbish to find you some nice Netflix Picks to sooth your heatstroke.

Hit the jump for the list below

Summer of PlayStation 2

Today, the day of the summer solstice, it is most evident to me that this will be the Summer of PlayStation 2 (for me anyway)!

NEW GAMES
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (November 8, 2004)
A single-player, shooter title published by Sony, Bandai and Atari based on the anime series of the same name.

The Matrix: Path of the Neo (November 7, 2005)
An action-adventure game based on the movie trilogy, published by Atari

TRAILERS BELOW
 

Sum and Substance

Before you is the first post in new series, a format of indefinite length and regularity called Sum and Substance. It's and attempt to catalog games and “gamerly” things I’ve been up to between posts. To capture some of the things slipping away in this fast-paced, ever-changing hobby.

Late to the Party

In this awkward time of the new-Next Gen, with the looming game expo of the year around the corner, you might think I’d be playing the latest and greatest game titles right now. I’m not. I’ve been in a funk lately, not responding well to some of the best “AAA” games I’ve played. I’m also getting tired of the so-called indie games for the Next/Current Gen systems. Without even knowing it I think I was looking for something simpler and more fun to get into, then, as if the by the grace of the Gods, God of War lands at my feet.

Dragon's Crown :: Questing on the go

Dragon’s Crown is a hack and slash, beat ’em up, with some RPG elements mixed in. The eye catching artwork is the bait but the fast and furious gameplay is the real draw. Prepare to fight your way through horizontally, scrolling worlds, building up your experience points and weapon stash as you progress. The combination of proper preparation and button-mashing resonates with me.

Tearaway

Owning a PS Vita has been bitter sweet. On one hand it’s a powerful, sleek handheld console and in the other hand it gets as much action as a paperweight. You can count all the great Vita games on one hand. The launch titles were a mess and can all be found rotting away in a marked down bin at Gamestop. The droves of titles that are available are mainly ports from PS2. Then came a system-saving title from the geniuses at Media Molecule, Tearaway.

Figma Link Action Figure

Welcome to your new home Link! While it may not be as adventurous as living in Hyrule, I'm sure you'll fit in just fine.

The Figma figure from The Legend of Zelda is now sitting nicely in my collection between some X-Men and Robotech Mechs. Link is based The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, the popular action adventure Zelda series' newest addition. This is a product from China distributed by the Good Smile company. The fine people at Chameleon Comics in lower Manhattan were nice enough to find it for me. They may still have one in stock if you're lucky.

Game of the Year :: Ni no Kuni

My Game of the Year is the title that brought me the most joy and kept my attention the longest. This early January 2013 title stayed in my thoughts throughout the day, and tugged at my heart strings throughout my time with it. It’s a game that took me to another world while still keeping me grounded with another “real world” to relate to. It gave me the chance to “collect ‘em all” and has kept me a little bit younger.

Knack :: The little bits

The launch game Knack is a bit of a hit and miss. It’s a fantastic concept and brings some classic platforming style to the PS4. Knack himself is adorable, made up of bits and pieces of “ancient relics”, but just like his body, the game has some transparent faults. With all the new console, next gen and launch game madness Knack falls short of the hype.

PS4 :: First Impressions

This may be the first of a few posts on the new PlayStation 4 console. There is way too much to go over in a single journal entry, and ideally, this is something that we are going to be discussing for years to come. I’m fully aware that the PS4 is “just a game system”, however it is also, IMO, THE next generation console to own. It’s the dawn of a new era of gaming, how the future will unravel remains to be seen. Read on to hear my first impressions.

PS4 Releases on My Radar

With less than five days left until the PS4 arrives at my doorstep, it was time to make some decisions on games. The games I’m most interested in for the PS4 are not being released until 2014. Although disappointing, 2014 will be here before you know it. I imagine that many gamers will still be shopping searching for a next-gen system for quite awhile.

New on my Netflix List

Often frustrated searching through the Netflix Instant library, I offer you some recent picks from my own Netflix List. I've gone quite dark with this batch. You'll notice many of the selections lean towards the grimmer story lines. There is a nice variety of the supernatural, science fiction, comedy and even some torture. Let me know if you like one, I'd say the best of the bunch is probably The Brass Teapot.

Also, I wanted to share this link that really helps with finding something to watch on Netflix. The site offers "Most Popular" and "Recently Queued" lists, giving you an idea of what other people are watching. Check out instantwatcher.com for all your Instant needs. 

Proceed below for my list

Trevor doesn't care about my other games

Yea, so that whole post last month about finishing up my unfinished games went out the window, I have been binge-gaming Grand Theft Auto 5 (GTA V). The insane amount of marketing for this game combined with the influence of friends that picked it up finally pushed me to break my game buying hiatus. I’m really glad I did too, because I’m hooked.  

To be really honest here, this will be my first real GTA experience. I played GTA III when it came out, but I didn’t own it. Owning it, is a big difference. Only playing for an hour or two at a friend’s house basically means: I had time to run from the cops and eventually get shot. Some loyal readers may recall a Gamedae GTA III review which I only played on my phone or iPad. I stand by that review because the game is really fun but the tablet novelty wore off quick.

Returning to the Citadel

It’s been awhile since I’ve been captaining the space vessel known as the SSV Normandy SR-2. There is a lot of love shared between me and the Mass Effect series. I’ve spent over a 100 hours with some of these characters. With the PS4 release looming in on November 15, I’ve been feeling some pressure to finish off some of my unfinished and (sadly) still sealed games. This time, I’m finally playing the very popular Mass Effect 3.

I got the Mass Effect Trilogy box set back last December. The trilogy box set was the first chance for PS users (the original Mass Effect was an XBox exclusive). I tried playing through Mass Effect (1), let’s just say I wasn’t really blown away. ME1 is after all a game from 2007 and more the “clunkier cousin” in the franchise. I’ve stoked the fires and even watched the Mass Effect Paragon Lost anime again to get all ready to play ME3.