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Muttpop Bob's musings and rants for all things Muttpop, toys, videogames, hip-hop, and whatever else he's thinking of. |
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Zone of Enders Second Runner
Having recently beaten GODHAND (a great game, through and through), I've continued my commitment to playing and beating the many Playstation 2 "classics" that I have purchased over the years and never finished playing. Zone of Enders 2nd Runner was the next game I intended to conquer (on "Easy" mode so don't give me too much credit!); a snazzy looking robot mech action game.
Zone of Enders 2nd Runner is one of those cult favorite PS2 games. It's made by Kojima/Konami (the same guys that developed the uber-popular METAL GEAR SOLID series). Many praise the game for its sexy graphics (supposedly some of the best seen on the PS2), slick controls, and intelligent updates to it's predecessor, Zone of Enders.
If you're a METAL GEAR SOLID fan, you may be familiar with the first Z.O.E. game. In a bully-like move to piggyback Metal Gear Solid hype onto the, at the time, newly developed game series, Konami packaged the first Zone of Enders game with a preview version of Metal Gear Solid 2. Many people liked the look of the first Z.O.E. game... but HATED the whiny teenage boy protagonist and complained that the game was both short and repetitive.
Second Runner replaced the whiny kid protagonist with a cool white-haired male character. Although still comparatively short by typical gaming standards, Second Runner gave the game a bit more variety and a slight upgrade to the graphics.
So far, I'm probably half way through the game and must admit I'm a bit disappointed. For all the praise the game gets in the play control department, I found maneuvering very awkward and tiresome. Many of the levels are intentionally designed with large open rooms to hide the wonky controls but when you're trying to maneuver your mech into a small doorway you quickly realize that the controls aren't all that great.
The game has a pretty nice cel-shaded look to it... but the style of combat detracts from a player's ability to appreciate the details. Similar to the problem I have with shooter games like Halo, I found the style of combat incredibly impersonal. From a strategic standpoint, you're able to defend yourself way more by shooting enemies with plasma blasts from a distance. The problem is you can't really see your enemies from that distance. You end up just shooting at white dots with circles around them until they explode. Your close range plasma sword attack is way more exciting, but it opens you up to significant damage. So you can either progress through the game by boringly shooting at little dots on the screen or get your ass handed to you by jumping into battles with your plasma sword and getting destroyed by the enemy. Its a disappointing conundrum.
The coolest thing about the game is it's attempt to connect the Zone of Ender universe to the Gradius Universe. One of the major supporting characters is a robot mech called Vic Viper that transforms into a ship that looks curiously similar to the Vic Viper spaceships in the Gradius shoot-em-up series.
After all the hype and years of sitting on my personal copy of Z.o.E. 2, I'm a bit disappointed that the game doesn't meet the high expectations. I'll be sure to beat the game, but once I do it'll be going up on eBay.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Tikitis Diecut Hardcover
Here's a look at Fabien M and Jerry Frissen's final design for the TIKITIS hardcover collection. Jerry came up with the idea of a die-cut hardcover after he got his hands on Fantagraphics beautiful collection of POPEYE comics. The main elements that Jerry encouraged Fabien to utilize are a Tiki-inspired outside cover with a cut-out that revealed the cast of the Tikitis. I don't think Jerry had an idea of how beautiful and far Fabien would go with the idea.
It may be a little hard to imagine since this isn't the print sample of the book... but the Tiki's mouth will be cut out to reveal the image on the first page of the book. I look forward to seeing how it will look in it's final printed form.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Paul Grist Comics
I recently reread Paul Grist's KANE comic. Boy, are those good. At it's best, they're the finest examples of comic narrative pushed to its effective limits. Grist has a way of telling stories in a manner that reminds me a bit of a puzzle. Visual cues suggest clues or foreshadow integral parts of the story that pay off later at the story's conclusion. It's like a mix of Frank Miller's Dark Knight and Daredevil narrative with an artistic style that mixes Alex Toth with Snoopy.
Paul Grist's been working steadily on his JACK STAFF comic but, for me, his KANE comics are way better. Grist can sometimes underscore the drama of his work with silly humor. Since KANE is more of a cop/crime book it forces Grist to scale back the humor a bit and showcase his amazing storytelling. Volume 3 (HISTORIES) is probably my favorite complete TPB collection. My favorite single issue store is the first one in Volume 4 (Thirty Ninth) as it tells a complete story from the singular perspective of a Police Patrol car.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Jeremy Lin Asian American Answer to the NBA?
I'm disappointed in my Bay Area buddies! Why oh why are they not talking about Jeremy Lin? This 22-year-old Asian-American basketball player will be a walk-on rookie on the Golden State Warriors this up-coming season. The majority of my college buddies happen to be both asian and avid sports fans and yet NONE of them have given me the heads up on Jeremy Lin. C'mon fellas!
After discovering his brief co-interview with teammate Udoh on ESPN's series of NBA rookie interviews, I had to do a little digging to find out a bit more about Lin. This 6' 3" guard took his high school team to a Division II state title. Despite that, none of the top colleges cared. He ended up going to Harvard University where he majored in Economics and played for their Basketball program. Even though he was chosen to the All-Ivy League First Team he was undrafted by all NBA teams.
Fortunately, the Dallas Mavericks invited him to walk-on and play for their summer league team. In the summer league, Lin proved he could compete on an NBA level with his efficient play. The highlight of his Summer Play was an impressive performance against the #1 pick, Wizards' John Wall (highlight clip below).
At the end of the summer league, Lin got contract offers from a few teams including the Mavs, Lakers, and Warriors. Jeremy Lin ended up signing with his childhood favorite team: the Golden State Warriors.
It'll be fun to see if Jeremy Lin will be able to make his mark while playing for the Warriors. Coach Don Nelson isn't really known for playing his rookies much... but Lin's quick play could fit in really well with the fast paced 'Run-N-Gun' Warriors game.
Being half-Japanese, I learned to play basketball for a Japanese-American Community Center league at the age of 5. The Asian in me is cheering for Jeremy Lin's to find success in the NBA game and prove that it's possible for an Asian to ball with the best of them!
Monday, September 20, 2010
Jean Inspired Air Force One
I love, love, LOVE this Air Force One sneaker designed by Bespoke, a fashion retailer in Japan. Everything starts with a strong idea. But what takes a strong idea and makes it a great final product is in the implementation of the details. The way Bespoke took the key materials and visual cues of a jean pants and implemented them into the classic form of the Air Force One sneaker is an excellent example of that. I'm not all to sure that they'd look good with a pair of jeans, but damn they're might sweet on their own!
Monday, September 13, 2010
King Katch Box Design
Fabien M. took things to a whole new level with his King Katch box design. It's so beautiful on its own that we'll be adding nothing to the design. Here's how it looks as one flat image:
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Muttpop News
12-10 : LAST King Katch Signing At Stuart Ng Books
12-01 : King Katch Original Signing Schedule
11-18 : Pasadena DesignerCon 11/20
10-07 : NY Figure Sneak Peak
02-08 : Ocran Ocinatas Tequila In Stores Now
11-19 : Table 45 At Pasadena DesignerCon
