Here are some “Anime inspired” videos that I did back in the day. The first “Gameface DSA” is inspired by the series Mezzo DSA (Danger Service Agency) along with K-Ci & JoJo’s song called Gameface. The second is my best attempt to make the anime Da Capo go along with Andre Benjamen’s “Good Day, Good Sir” skit.
Click through for videos, Enjoy!
A few stories that are off the beaten path, and of course the big news from Google. Check out the LinkDump below!
Check out the Techpedition Podcast for our weekly ramblings on technology news, television, and gaming.
I’m sure at this point we’ve heard more than our fair share of Apple iPad news, but I thought it may be worthwhile to give my brief thoughts after actually having a VERY LIMITED time with one.
Okay, let’s be clear, the iPad is nothing more than a big iPod Touch/iPhone. We know this. This is the argument that most people supply when giving counter points as to why the iPad is such a horrible device. To that I say, SO WHAT if it’s just a big iPhone? Is that such a bad thing? What Apple has basically done is made a huge extension to what they have been building with the iPhone OS platform and given us something we are all familiar with, hence instantly creating a wide user base that know how to use their product. In other words, if it ain’t broke, don’t try to fix it, or if the formula is working, don’t change it, just tweak it!
Upon picking up the device, you can feel the superior ascetics that Apple is known for in their devices, sleek feel and design. I only had time to briefly run two apps, Pianist Pro and Real Racing HD.
Again, proving the case that bigger is better is Pianist Pro. The iPad has instantly taken the touch screen apps on their platform from useless to useful. On the iPhone you can do nothing more than peck away at piano keys on these types of apps, but on the iPad, I was actually able to make full cords pretty easily. The keys are not quite full size, but close enough to where it’s enjoyable. On to gaming, with Real Racing HD.
Like I just said, more of the same here, but, bigger is better. I’ve played countless racing games on the iPhone. Some enjoyable, and most just downright unplayable. Using the accelerometer in racing games has not always translated to fun. There is a tedious balance that has to take place between control sensitivity and precision. Since the iPhone is such a small device, almost all movement on these type of games are jerky and abrupt, and most of the time this balance isn’t achieved. To that point, seems that a lot of these issues may be fixed by the iPad. I’m not sure if it’s just superior hardware or the actual size and weight of the device, but Real Racing HD seemed much easier to control on the iPad versus its iPhone racing counterparts. I’d like to test this more when I have the chance, but so far, I love the gaming aspect of the device.
*I had a slight issue with the volume of the device, but I’m going to chalk that one up to the noise Apple Store I was in. I haven’t heard many complaints here, so I’m sure that’s the case.
Here’s a repost from my website of my initial thoughts of what I wanted from the iPad. And though I’ve not actually been able to test it, it seems that my plea for a superior comic book app on the iPad has come in the form of the Marvel application. I have seen a few video demos, and it definitely seems promising. Also I’ve been reading many tweets about this being the ideal in-home media device, which makes they case for another one of my points. I guess the jury is still out as to how this device could be used in-car, but I’m sure in time we’ll see some interesting use cases for this also. The best is yet to come!
Okay, it’s been a while since the Apple iPad announcement and most of the noise has died down awaiting the retail release next month. I have had some time to take-in the hoopla and come to a resounding conclusion. I want the iPad!
Let me be clear, I wasn’t too hyped about this product when first announced because I’m not a huge book or non-tech news reader (shame). Most of the reading I do is either technical jargon or my daily consumption of technology media, which for all intents and purposes, is better suited for viewing on a computer. So yes, I was ready to write off the iPod until I heard a few interesting takes on possible uses for this device.
Best Comic Book Reader Ever. Okay, I pondered this idea when I originally got my iPhone 3G. And to some extent, it works. But as you would guess, the main problem here is screen real estate. Yes, on a iPhone the touch operations are more than great for standard comic book viewing, but the ultimate problem is there is simply not enough screen space for this concept to truly be great.
The iPad would quickly solve this problem and also provide all the great features that we get from the iPhone. And unlike other electronic readers out there, the experience would be in full color and with excellent potential of expansion.
For example, imaging reading a comic that eludes to some reference that only the die-hard fans would get or even understand. You could easily provide a popup link that explains the reference in detail. Sort of like the enhanced version of Lost! Honestly, the possibilities are endless and ultimately this lends to making comic books more assessable as a whole.
In-Car Device You’ve Been Craving For. One of the most disappointing things that I’ve seen amidst the whole iPhone, smart-phone craze lately is that in-car stereo systems haven’t taken similar leaps and bounds forward. Okay, of course I know that Ford and other companies have made profound updates with their built in stereo/GPS units, but we haven’t seen anything similar in the after-market space. And let me be clear, there have been a slew of manufactures out there that have tried to hit it out the park on this, but most just seem half-hazard, and way off from what you’d expect compared to what we are seeing in the smart-phone space.
That being said, the Apple iPad would be an in-car stereo wet dream. The iPhone or iPod Touch almost hit’s the mark here, but the number one problem is, once again, screen real estate, and using iPhone for GPS is often nerve racking. The huge screen of the iPad easily solves this problem. And with a thirty dollar monthly price tag for 3G coverage, it should give you all the connectivity you need on the go. Also, there is arguably no better mobile music player than Apple’s iPod. These two points alone could easily make this an excellent in-car device when you take into account Apple’s superior user interface. Of course there are devices out there that have these functions, but user experience makes all the difference.
Home Media Device. As many people do with their iPhones or iPod Touch, this device will easily become the device that people use around the house. Why? It removes you from being tethered to the desk for quick tasks that should feel more like relaxation than work. Do a quick check of your email, read a few passages of a book, check out the latest news, update your social networking sites, check the weather for the day, must i go on? And like I said, most people can do these things with their phone now, but once again, user experience is everything. The huge screen of the iPad will make these experiences more enjoyable, and truly make them feel like leisure. More relaxing than having to be at your desk or haul a huge laptop around, and more enjoyable than viewing the tiny screen on your phone.
Conclusion. In conclusion, I’ve pointed out just a few great uses of the iPad and why I’m sold on it. Though I’m not sure I’ll be getting one anytime soon based solely on price, I do feel this device is going to quickly find its niche in many markets. The Wi-Fi models, which start at $499 will be shipping in late March, with the 3G models (the one you want) starting at $649 being released sometime in April. Save your pennies!
Every gamer has a soft place in their heart for the games we play, and also for the music that comes from them. For many of us, these tunes make up the very foundation of our musical palette. Hearing a certain tune can instantly take us back to a time when we were young, care-free, and doing what we loved, gaming. And although hearing a song in its original 8-bit or 16-bit rendition is nice, hearing it recreated in full musical tone adds so much more to the love and nostalgia. Enter the Descendants Of Erdrick!
Dedicated to re-creating classic NES and SNES instrumental music with a rock/progressive-style, The Descendants of Erdrick have come onto the Austin, TX music scene and have quickly made their mark. Members include Amanda Lepre and Mike Villalobos on the guitar, Chris Taylor on the bass, Lauren Liebowitz on flute, and John Pike on the drums.
I recently caught up with the “D of E” for some background information on how they got started, the name, and the influences that have made this band one of my favorites.
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Amanda – I was very fortunate to meet Chris a couple of years ago at a show we both played. We instantly started talking about video games and music — so it was only a matter of time until we did something about it.
Chris – I asked her about her Chrono Trigger tattoo and that got us talking about old Super Nintendo RPG’s. I happened to have a bass on me and played the bass-line for her and that was that.
Amanda – I had been toying around with the idea for Descendants of Erdrick as far back as 2007, but it was never a solidified idea until around mid-2009.
Chris – Amanda and I were invited to play a few shows at Game Over Video Games during their “Classic Game Fest”, where they were having an outdoor NBA Jam tournament on a gigantic inflatable TV. We quickly put together a half-hour set, with a friend helping out on drums. The crowd was very understanding.
Amanda – We really wanted to get a full band going. So we put the word out and found Mike “Lobos” Villalobos by a stroke of luck. “Fortune smiles upon thee! Thou hast found a guitarist!”
Chris – We also found John. He turned out not only to be an amazing drummer, but a sound engineer as well; so that was nice. I’ve always said that every rock band needs a flute player, so we were doubly fortunate that Lauren found us as well.
Who came up with the band’s name? It’s a Dragon Warrior reference?
Chris – It was Amanda’s idea, she wanted to call it Descendants Of Erdrick before there even was a band.
Amanda – I’m a loyal fan of the original Dragon Warrior/Quest trilogy and wanted to create a name that was both unique and meaningful. In the first Dragon Warrior, you’re a nameless hero with no identity, except that your bloodline is believed to be from a legendary hero named Erdrick. After the lineage is proven, your nameless hero sets out to explore new lands, establishing new heirs to the order to come together in times of crisis. I wanted to play on this idea and create a scenario where we are ALL “Descendants of Erdrick.” And we were brought together by fate. . . TO ROCK!
Chris – Initially we were worried that the name would be difficult to remember, much less spell (it seems there are two accepted configurations for “Descendants”). We kicked around a couple of other names, but we just loved D of E so much we kept it and sure enough, people have had no trouble remembering it.
Why video game music as opposed to any other genre?
Chris – When the band was started, it had to be video games. Everyone in the band had the experience of growing up in the 8-bit and 16-bit eras. So to an extent, our interest in video games predates our interest in performing music. There’s also something uniquely thrilling about rebuilding a tune that originally existed only on a tiny sound processor and then playing it on real instruments. It’s almost like we’re getting to hear what was in the composers’ minds when they wrote the tunes.
What games influence your band the most?
Chris – Ninja Gaiden, the real deal; none of this newfangled Xbox nonsense.
Amanda – Of course, Dragon Warrior was one of my first influences, with its Baroque-styled 8-bit composition. There was also the epic sounds from Legend of Zelda series, the Final Fantasy series, and other classic RPG’s — right down to the eerie atmosphere of the Metroid series.
Lobos – The ever memorable tuneages of Mega Man 2 and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.
Lauren – Musically? Since we play 8-bit and 16-bit music, Yatsunori Mitsuda (Chrono Trigger) and Nobuo Uematsu, especially FF6. And Metroid has the best atmospheric music. More recently: Suikoden, Prince of Persia: the Sands of Time, and Beyond Good and Evil.
John – For me, it was the action/adventure type games with Legend of Zelda II: Adventure of Link being my absolute favorite as a kid.
How do you decide what to record/perform, because there is so much great video game music out there? Do you decide by popularity, nostalgia, or focus on a particular console?
Chris – Indeed, there is so much great music out there in the world of game that we frequently run into trouble trying to take too much on at the same time. “Popularity” and “nostalgia” are certainly deciding factors, but I think the main driving force behind what music we play is the music itself. We’ll play music from a game hardly anybody knows or remembers if we like the song enough; a good example is T & C Surf Design: Wood & Water Rage, which is a surfing/skating game released by LJN that (some may say) is not a very good game. The game practically has only one song, but that song has a guitar solo that is so rad we just had to do it. Lobos is really great for that because the dude is a force of nature on the guitar; he often learns the most complicated part of any song within a few hours of hearing it.
Do you do any original music also?
Chris – Not within Descendants Of Erdrick. We all have our creative outlets for original material, but D of E is very much a band that plays video game music. We do try to add our own spin to things, but there are groups that do great original music *about* video games; check out Man Factory in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. We played a show with them, and they have this amazing rock opera dedicated to Street Fighter II. Amanda’s songs are very video game inspired though, I know that much.
Amanda – Video games are definitely an inspiration for my own material. I have several songs that draw subtle cues from games I love.
Do you take request? I want some Halo and Sonic tracks.
Chris – Yes, we are very request friendly! We might have otherwise missed some of our favorites had they not been passed to us via request. Little Nemo: The Dream Master is one of those. A friend invited us to play a party and simply asked if we knew the game, and though I did, I hadn’t even considered the music. It turned out that the first and last stage tunes are amazing. So not only did we learn the songs for the party, they’ve become a mainstay in our regular performances because we just love them.
Sonic is certainly on the “to do” list. We’ve had quite a few requests for it, and it’s really about time we gave the Genesis some love. I’m not personally familiar with Halo, except for LAN parties where the only music was the incredulous shouting of friends. But we’ll look into it!
Where can we find or buy your music? Also where can we catch your live shows?
Chris – We have so far recorded one EP, called But Thou Must, which can be found on our website (descendantsoferdrick.com), Myspace, Facebook, Reverbnation, and at our shows. John Pike, on top of being our most excellent drummer, also did a fantastic job engineering and producing those songs. We also have a few videos up on YouTube, and we’re working on getting an iTunes presence together. Being in a band that appeals to a lot of internet users, we’re trying to spread out as much as possible.
Right now, we’re gearing up for a show at a metal club, called Elysium, on April 8th in Austin, TX. We’re also playing a day-time benefit show at Encore, on April 17th; more information will be provided on our website. We are open for booking for all of your video game related parties, weddings, bar mitzvahs, chili cookoffs, quincenearas, and funerals.
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If you’re loving the Descendants Of Erdrick, and I know you are, visit their website, friend them on MySpace, fan them on Facebook, and fan them on Reverbnation. “Thou Must!”
First and foremost, let me be clear. Before buying my XBOX 360, which was bundled with LEGO Batman, I would have never even considered playing one of the LEGO themed games, let alone buying one. And of course my initial reaction to the bundle was, “Thanks, but no thanks.” Seems as if the LEGO family-oriented appeal is more than enough to drive away even the remotely hardcore gamer. That being said, being in the XBOX 360 bundle’s has certainly extended this game beyond its target audience. And with the release of LEGO Harry Potter on the horizon (and all the fan fodder Harry Potter demands), it certainly deems necessary to take a second look. LEGO Batman: The Video Game, bundled bliss? Let’s find out!
LEGO Batman is the latest in the line of LEGO adventure games developed by Traveler’s Tales. Like each of the other games in this line, it follows three chapters (three hero and three villain) , which are played out in a LEGO world. LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game was the first in the line, which has since covered the complete Star Wars Saga. The success of the Star Wars themed games has led to two Indiana Jones iterations and more recently, a Batman iteration. And while Traveler’s Tales has stayed away from the adventure genre for just a bit to do LEGO Rock Band, the launch date for LEGO Harry Potter is soon approaching.
In LEGO Batman: The Video Game, The Dark Knight and Robin take on an array of the classic villains that are staples in the Batman franchise. Look to take on Batman’s notable foes like The Riddler, Two-Face, Penguin, Catwoman, Harley Quinn, and of course Joker, as well as a few you may know little to nothing about like Killer Croc, Man-Bat, and Mad Hatter. Sufficient to say, this game is packed from front to back with enough characters to certainly keep you interested, which adds the boost the game needs since a true storyline is non-existent.
Okay, let’s talk game play. For all intents and purposes, this game is a beat ’em/slasher, spattered with puzzle elements. Yep, you hack, slash, and slam your way through each level, all the while solving puzzles which the average gamer should be able to handler with little or no difficulty. The puzzles are solved by a combination of building LEGO’s, moving objects, and suit switching, which brings me to the shining star of LEGO Batman, The Batsuits.
This is easily the best part of this game. If I may, “there’s a batsuit for that!” Okay, pardon my pun, but this is what makes this game even remotely fun to play. The puzzle solving, coupled with batsuits/robinsuits has allowed for developers to create some really unique puzzles which give something cool that’s not really seen in the other TT LEGO games. That being said, this is extended even more when you’ve completed the game as hero and villain and are able to play through a second time in “Free Play” mode, with the villain characters and on-the-fly character switching at your disposal.
Now on to the ugly. At least one level within each chapter is a vehicle level, which lets you take on foes in one of the many Bat Vehicles that are at Bruce Wayne’s disposal. Each focuses on the different vehicles types of land, air, and water. This is easily the worst part of the game. While the driving chapters offer some semi-challenging puzzles, the controls are simply just broken by being oversimplified. Of course they work, but the idea of not having a throttle or brake kind of made it “not fun”. And while this could have been a shining complement to the game, it simply seemed like it was thrown in just to say it’s there. To that point, it almost seems like the licensing Batman franchise execs probably made them add it in there because Batman’s vehicles are so important to his persona.
I wish I could say this game has little to no replay-ability, but I have to at least give it credit in the achievement (XBOX 360) category. If you are a completionist, like I like to think I am, you are going to find yourself putting in a little more time to get all 360 achievements. Of course there a few one off achievements, but some of the more lucrative ones are obtained by becoming a “Super Hero” or “Super Villain” in each level, collecting mini-kits, or by obtaining special blocks for each level in a chapter. One hundred percent can be achieved, but not without a bit of work.
Okay this isn’t a truly “great” game by any stretch of the imagination. LEGO and non-hardcore games that are Batman fans should love it, while Batman hardcore gamers that also love batman, would more than likely find it laughable since they most likely will want to be playing Batman: Arkham Asylum. And although Traveler’s Tales seems to be a whore for the LEGO franchise right now, I would love to see them make an adventure game without the constraint of the LEGO world or some weird licensing agreement (take a look at their game history to see what I mean). I think they really could do something great if given the chance to create something original. And while LEGO Batman may not be good enough to stand on its own two feet, it’s a great value as an XBOX 360 bundle, which should keep the console owner busy until he can shell out some dough to buy something better.
Verdict: Bundle Only.
