Category: Otaku

Nintendo Baby

March 16, 2008

I apologize this post has been so long in coming, especially since I know everyone has been on the edge of their seats waiting for…the 2007 game collection year in review!

2007 saw me buy a total of 98 games, which is a 17% reduction from the previous year. Dollar totals increased though (by about 10%), mostly due to the purchase of the PS3 and PSP Slim. Discounting hardware, the average cost/game of about $20.50 was almost identical to the previous year. Here’s a chart summary of both totals:

The above is a breakdown of games per system. Unsurprisingly, the DS is far in the lead. 2007 saw my DS game collection pass 120 games – this year will see it pass 138 (my GBA total) to become the system for which I have the most games. 2007 also saw the ‘retirement’ of the Gamecube, as I doubt I’ll ever buy another game for it. The one Gamecube game I bought in ’07 was Odama, the microphone-based pinball simulator (which I played for about an hour and put away…). One pleasant surprise in 2007 was the re-emergence of the PSP as a viable system. I was ready to write it off at the end of 2006, but the good games finally started coming and it had a good year. This will continue in ’08, which has already seen some stellar releases for the system (Patapon, Final Fantasy 7: Crisis Core, R-Type Tactics).

The dollar totals are above. Please don’t add them up and make rash judgements about my spending 🙂

Excluding gifts (which I value as zero in my database), the least expensive game I bought in 2007 was Piyotama, the download-only game from the Playstation store, which cost a mere $2.99. The least expensive packaged game was Quick Spot, a DS puzzle game bought brand new at a CompUSA closing sale for $4.98.

The most expensive game purchase (excluding hardware) of 2007 was World Of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade Collector’s Edition which was purchased shortly after midnight on the day of release and cost $80 and nearly much more, since I fell on ice on the way back to the car and landed painfully on my wrist! The game on which I spent the most in 2007 was easily World Of Warcraft, since my account was active for 6 months (about $90) on top of the cost for the expansion.

The best game of the year, at least that I bought? That’s a tough call, and depends on what mood I am in. Contenders would certainly be World Of Warcraft (PC), Osu! Tatakae! Ouenden 2! (DS) or Monster Hunter Freedom 2 (PSP). I’ll leave you all to decide which one I enjoyed the most 🙂

Winter Sonata

February 5, 2008

Whilst in Australia I picked up a copy of the Korean 2003 TV drama called Winter Sonata. Back when we were in Japan in 2004 it was all the rage among the housewives, and we’d been curious about it since. Florence, who had seen it, highly recommended it so it was a no brainer to get the entire 20 episode series for $15 at one of the chinatown shops in Sydney.

Shortly after returning we started watching. Ten days later we had finished it.

It was magnificent.

Winter Sonata is a love story between Yujin Jung and Kang Joon Sang, who meet during high school only to be forced apart. Years later they reunite, only Joon Sang has lost his memory and is going under a different name. Drama, pathos and near ceaseless heartbreak follow.

As KLS so skillfully put it “The show uses every last cliche ever used in a soap opera, but does it so well.” She’s right, this is edge-of-your-seat material that pulls the heartstrings in every one of its 20 episodes. There is no ‘filler’ and it never gets boring – no matter how unbelievable things sometimes may get, it’s difficult to stop watching.

The shot above is our lovers at age 18, and below at age 28

The story is complemented by great scenery (including many scenes shot at a beautiful ski resort in the Korean mountains) and a wonderful soundtrack. One song in particular (‘My Memory’, by a singer named Ryu) is used at least once every episode as a sort of queue for the viewer: here’s where you start to cry 🙂

The actor who plays Jong Sang is named Bae Yong Joon and went on to become a bit of an international superstar after the show. His character is extremely likeable (even I fell for him…) and it’s probably impossible for female viewers not to swoon during his most romantic moments. KLS certainly did 🙂

< Bae Yong Joon His fame grew to such levels that merchandise of him exists (dolls, sheets, socks). But the best I've seen makes me wish that even once during our three Japan trips KLS & I thought to set foot into a Pizza-La restaurant:

Yes, that’s a Bae Yong Joon fridge magnet 🙂

Perentie Controls

January 27, 2008

Seconds (joke!) after returning to America I renewed my World Of Warcraft account. There’s still a lot to do in the game for me, and I still enjoy playing. Doubly so since I’m in a FF (Friends & Family) guild now, and helping others level their characters.

JBF is almost 70 on his Paladin. We’re at the point where we can 2-man the level 60 dungeons with ease:

I also stuck my head into The Temple Of Ahn’Quiraj the other day so I could die to the first boss 🙂

< Skeram Anyway, since this game is so fiendishly addictive, for the first time I enabled 'Parental Controls'. I have now prevented myself from being able to play the game except for Friday afternoons and weekends. Removing such restrictions requires a password that is entrusted to KLS. Apparently my trust of my own ability to resist the urge for the occasional Tuesday afternoon WoW binge is not high enough... In short, I have taken the first step toward treating an addiction: recognizing that the addiction exists. And if you're wondering, this is a Perentie:

Robot Claw