Give a sales pitch for that game/anime/movie/book/anything you like.

[Vyse]

Link to original post: [drupal=2157]Give a sales pitch for that game/anime/movie/book/anything you like.[/drupal]



There's a lot of games/anime/movies/books that I, and likely you like, that hardly anybody else does. But the thing is, you'd very much like for others to like it, or you think others will, but there's little motivation for them to go experience them.

So I'd like to give a sales pitch of my own. This is a game I posted about a long time ago, but I didn't get much of a response.

Anybody who's seen my sig (Er, my old sig) about the place knows I have a thing for this game. Ever17 is a (Non-H, G13+ rated) Science Fiction Visual Novel game developed by KID in 2002 and last year I picked up a deluxe PC version. Being the self-confessed otaku type person I am, I couldn't help but want to add everything a true Otaku needs to their collection of stuffs, one being my very own visual novel.

I managed to dodge through the 'vampires and werewolfs' and other exotic titles and came across this charming little box. I almost didn't buy it, but I took one look at the blurb.

The plot goes a little like this:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Wikipedia
Ever 17 is the tale of seven individuals who come to be trapped within the underwater marine theme park, LeMU, 153 feet below the surface. During an apparently normal day at the park, a massive accident happens, placing almost half of the facility underwater. The path to the surface and the communication lines are cut off. In addition, LeMU is under constant assault by severe water pressure, limiting time to find a means of escape to 119 hours. Escape is not the only concern, however; many questions arise as to the legitimacy of the accident and whether or not those trapped there were brought there for a purpose.

I'm a fan of the survival genre, I bought Day of Destruction for the Wii, and I also have SOS: The final escape in my collection (Next I'm going to play all three 'Lost in Blue' games). So I was pretty much sold. A Visual novel game in the Survival genre.

Visual novel games are very text heavy as well, you're pretty much reading a novel length picture book, but I think it's more dynamic than that.

What I like about visual novels is that unlike an anime, it is something you are meant to enjoy again and again. Each time you play through it, it is possible to alter your course through a story, changing it into a completely new one, whilst with anime you can't change it at all.

Ever17 may be the only visual novel I ever buy, but, it was definitely worth it.

Watch the PSP Opening, it's different to the PC version, but it's even better (despite the PC version having a better song...in my opinion lol):

<object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/I4jzrOQEZCo&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/I4jzrOQEZCo&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>

 

[Pink Reaper]

My urge to post Billy Mays is monstrous right now. Your title almost demands it.

 

[deepseadiva]

The blurb is really catching. PSP you say? I'll definitely give it a shot if I come across it.

Though I won't do it justice, here's mine called Locoroco:

In a nutshell, the game is about you rotating the world until one little blob collects into one gigantic blob.

It's a budget PSP game with raving reviews. You don't directly control the Locoroco, but the world around them. Do you know how to combine groups of Locoroco?

You hold a button to start an earthquake which frightens the Locoroco into grouping together. They scream in terror.

Do you know how to break apart a combined Locoroco?

You quickly tap the same button to create a thunderstorm which freaks the large Locoroco into a bunch of small Locoroco. They make this exact face: D:

Isn't that ****ing adorable?

It's under $20, there's several free demos available, kids and girlfriends will love it, it's a massive game that you'll spend hours on, and there's also a great sequel for the same price. If you have a PSP - this is the game you need.

BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE

There's also a stupid PS3 interactive screensaver spin-off thing.

 

[Browny]

BLAST CORPS

Its amazing. You have to play this game.

You have to drive a Dump truck, on the Moon, while swerving into buildings to destroy them. Who knows why? But its an experience you cant miss if you want to call yourself a gamer

 

[Red Arremer]

Magical Starsign for the Nintendo DS.

Oddly enough this little game has been published by Nintendo... ever wondered what those odd trophies with the trumpet-like robot and the block with the face are from? Well here's your answer.

It's an RPG, and a very neat one on top of that. You take control of the main hero (you can choose between boy and girl), who has a special elemental allegiance (Light or Dark, again, you can choose - playing with Dark is a little harder than with Light, though). You go on an adventure with your classmates (each having another element - Fire, Water, Air, Earth and Wood respectively). You travel to all planets of the solar system you live in, and each planet has their own element.

Every character and enemy is a magician and can cast spells bound to their element.

The battle system is really innovative, and implements astrology. Every of the 7 elements has their weaknesses. Depending on the daytime for Light and Dark and the position of the respective element's planet for the other 5, your character becomes stronger, dealing more damage. For instance, having a Water spell cast on a Fire-typed enemy will cause double the damage, but when doing so while the planet is in the right position you can deal even the quadruple damage! Yea, it's a bit hard to explain. :v

It apparently also has a multiplayer mode, but I never got to test it, so I can't tell you about it.

While the story is a little cheesy at times but has some extremely funny lines, and the game overall is very well-done, and while short and a little on the easy side, it's a great RPG that outclasses the Mario & Luigi RPGs easily. Even I as someone who doesn't like RPGs that much had a lot of fun with this little game, and everyone having a DS should get Magical Starsign.

Oh and... you fight against pirates. Otter pirates. And they have an own song. How cool is that?

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWVV2rT7g5A

 

[j0s3ph]

Crysis for PC

This game is awesome. You get to play some bad*** with giant guns who shoots not only North Koreans, but also giant freaking aliens. You even get a mini nuke launcher.

What? You want to know about actual gameplay? Who cares. I was too busy looking at the explosions and shooting up giant freaking aliens to notice if it was any good.

 

[Clownbot]

Quite possibly one of the most underrated games ever, Yoshi's Story was panned by many critics and gamers alike due to its childishness. At first glance, it seems nothing more than an easy, simple, baby-fied platformer for the N64, but at a closer look, there are many things to do before you become bored of the game-- collecting all the hearts, melons, unlocking every level in Trial Mode-- all of these can keep you interested, and some may even be a little difficult for the less experienced.

Yoshi's Story is something of a cult classic among Nintendo fans, and a treasured one at that (at least, by me). It's probably fairly easy to find (and probably very cheap, as well), so if you still own an N64, order it online, or go to a used game shop. If not, you can always get some Wii points and buy it for the VC.

....I'd be more elaborate if I were more experienced with stuff like this. :embarrass

This'd be a pretty cool topic for Media Metropolis, btw. Sticky?

 

[Asdioh]

I'm totally not gonna pay any attention to your guys' stuff (Yoshi's Story was cool though, I think I used to own it...and sold it. T_T)

BUT

If you don't mind violence and confusing storylines (until the end) watch Higurashi no naku koro ni.

BECAUSE IT'S GOOD.

The end.

edit: let my amazing GIMP skills (or was it paint?) show you how awesome this anime is:

 

[Fuelbi]

One of the best games for the PC.

First you start out as a tiny little cell but you eventually step up your way to being space overlord... kinda.

You get to control alot. What you do, what allies you make along the way, how your cute little creature looks like, etc.

The game also has good online interactivity. You can send your creatures online and people can look at them and give ratings for it. You can also face creatures that people have made in the final stage.

There are 5 stages in all: Cell Stage, Creature Stage, Tribal Stage, City Stage, and the Space Stage.

In the cell stage all you must do is eat whatever you can: Meat or Plants... unless you make your creature omnivore, then you can anything youd like. Along the way you get to customize your cell. Once youve eaten enough and grown you go to the Creature Stage

Creature Stage: You grow legs and arms and must either eliminate or befriend enough creatures to go to the next stage

Tribal Stage: You cannot customize your creature anymore. Instead you can customize the tribal clothes you wear. You must again either go to war or ally with all the tribes to go on to the next stage

City Stage(I think thats what its called Im not sure): You make your city or country and must conquer or again befriend all the other places to go on to the next stage. I forget if you can customize your clothes or not again but I think you can. You can also customize all your buildings and vehicles you use for war.

When you conquer everything you go on to the Space Stage: There you make your space ship and must either conquer or befriend enough countries to form an empire. Now here it is impossible to conquer the whole galaxy because there are thousands and thousands of planets inhabiting the galaxy. Instead your main goal is to try to eliminate these creatures called the grox. They are really hardcore so it is really hard to defeat them. Once you defeat enough of them to at least get a sly opening you can head on to the center of the universe to win and gain a special prize. After that you can keep on playing and conquering or allying planets.

If you like games that are AS interactive as this then this is the game for you. Here is an example of a spore creature from google so you can get an idea

Right now it is in the creature stage. The player is editing it to change whatever the player wants to change.

Also if you dont like the game enough you can get patches and add more content such as more planets or more space elements like for example you can get asteroid belts that there wasnt in the game

 

[Vyse]

I really should play Spore.

I wanna see more reviews on random things. Could be a random sport or activity, and link youtube videos too!

 

[Lythium]

I officially love Meno for picking LocoRoco. SO GOOD.

 

[Red Arremer]

Okay, then I'll review...

SLEEPING

Sleeping is an incredibly awesome activity. If you're tired or worn out, or just want to get some rest, sleep is the first thing you might want to consider. Usually, it is performed in a horizontal position called laying or at least in a position of sitting in a bed, on a couch or a similar place, although some people are known to be able to sleep in the oddest places and positions.
Sleep also is very healthy, as without it, you would die. However, the human IS able to run some time without sleep, despite that being very bad. Also, too much sleep can be not too good, as well. But sleep can help your body recover faster from injuries and illnesses.

In some cases, sleeping also causes the subconsciousness to start and create a random puzzle of imagination, memories and so on. These chains of images and sometimes sounds is called dreams. There can be really cool ones, but sometimes they're sad, painful or scary, then they're called "nightmares".

There's nothing better than having a nice and tight sleep on a soft bed with a warm blanket when it's dark and ice-cold outside. <3

 

[Jam Stunna]

About a year ago, I walked into my local library and requested a selection of short stories. I was given The Best American Short Stories 2003, guest edited by Walter Mosley. Since then, I've been hooked.

The Best American Short Stories series is a yearly anthology of the "best" (of course, always a subjective term) short stories from that year. The series editor reads thousands of short stories published across the country, from college-sponsored journals like Blackbird to world-renowned magazines like The New Yorker. The series editor narrows that list down to 100 stories or so, and then the guest editor, a different well-renowned writer every year, chooses the best 20.

I've read the collections from 2003; 2007, which was guest-edited by Stephen King; and 1999, which was guest-edited by Amy Tan (God, it was awful. I'll never read any of her work, not if it's as boring as her selection of stories). And the edition from 2008, guest-edited by Salman Rushdie, is by far the best edition I've read.

There wasn't a single bad story in the entire book, and all I have to do is glance at a few words in any given story and the memories of the characters and their predicaments come back to me instantly. They say that a good short story stays with you long after you've finished it, and this collection is full of those kinds of stories. It also contains two of the most amazing short stories I've ever read, Miroslav Penkov's Buying Lenin (my favorite story of the collection) and Steven Millhauser's The Wizard of West Orange.

I admit that my reasons for initially picking up that first collection of stories was a cynical one: I want to be published someday, and I figured I should read the best of the published stories to find out what publishers are looking for, and to copy what successful authors do well. I'm glad I did, because now I read the stories for pleasure, for their own sake, not to further my own goals. And I'm especially glad that I picked up the latest edition; it is the Best of the Best American Short Stories.

 

[Asdioh]

Will you really die without sleep?

:O!!

 

[Fuelbi]

Watch what could be one of the best shows on TV ever: Robot Chicken. Made by Family Guys Seth Green. These short 15 minute stop animation episodes will range from hilarious sketches to some of the more random ones. If you are one of those people who loves referances from old shows then this the show for you. They have featured from the Smurfs to the Dukes of Hazard. As the people from the show are nerds they also feature lots of sci fi like Star Trek to Star Wars. Alot of people hate this show because of the randomness but thats what makes up the show. So if you dont like it go to hell. Also when the show is over they have a changing gag with the stupid monkey. At times they have it in the bathtub with a toaster or it putting a fork in a plug socket

 

[Omnicron's Baklava Enterprises]

One of the best games I have ever played.

Also,

Another game filled with an incredible storyline. Old but loved.
Do not be fooled by the game cartridge looks, the whole game is in Anime-esque sequences.

 

[Paff]

Clever thread idea, Vyse. Some of these games look really good. Here's my plug:

(This plug turned out much larger than I'd intended. tl;dr is that Oni is a really good PC game that's pretty much abandonware so you should torrent it if you don't have money.)

Intro:
Oni (for PC and also apparently PS2) was Bungie's last game before Microsoft bought them and had them make the Halo series. In my opinion it's the best game they've made so far, and it seriously needs a sequel.

It's done in an anime style, and significantly influenced by Ghost In The Shell. You play a badass technology police officer named Konoko (who bears a striking resemblance to GitS's Motoko), and basically run around killing bad guys in a dystopian future. There is an actual plot of course, but it'd be best if I don't spoil it too much. And actually the plot itself isn't that great; it's the gameplay that makes Oni so wonderful.

Gameplay:
For the actual gameplay, it's a cross between a third-person shooter and a 3D fighting game, with strong tactical aspects.

For the fighting elements, it uses a Smash-like simple input scheme were your various fighting moves are performed by pressing buttons with optional directions added in. Instead of A moves, B moves, and L/R moves, however, you have left-click moves, right-click moves, and shift-key moves. You have different moves available depending on whether you're standing, crouching, jogging, dashing, or jumping. And of course it has basic fighting-game aspects like the rock-paper-scissors between regular attacks, blocks, and throws. It also has hitstun-based combos.

The shooter aspect is a bit more typical - you can hold one gun at a time, and of course you can shoot it at will. You have limited ammo and need to reload and so on, and if you you wish you can holster your gun and use barehand attacks instead.

The real beauty of it all is how they force you to mix shooting and barehand combat:
- While you are holding a gun, you may fire the gun and may also use a limited set of your barehand attacks.
- The guns, generally speaking, are not nearly as powerful as real guns.
- The guns are also generally very unrealistic and have very situation-specific limitations.
- You can only hold one gun at a time, so in situations where your only gun isn't very effective, you have to fall back on fighting barehand.
- All characters may perform "disarm" attacks where they knock another character down and take their gun. (They may then fire the gun at the opponent, who is now lying on the ground trying to get up.)
- Ammunition is limited, so you can't fight with only guns even if you're careful not to get disarmed.

So in certain situations, such as if you're worried about getting disarmed, or if you wish to disarm an opponent, it's actually best to go in unarmed. However, there are many situations where you can keep your distance from your opponents and use guns to your advantage, and some situations where you want to switch back-and-forth between guns and barehand attacks, so in all the combat is quite mixed.

Structure:
It's singleplayer-only (unfortunately they weren't able to get multiplayer working properly before the release deadline or something), and sets you up in a series of factory-shipped levels (unfortunately there's no level editor) in which you must explore large, complex environments and engage the various bad guys you encounter. The levels are the same each time - nothing is random; this is both a bad thing in terms of limiting the variety of situations you encounter, and a good thing in terms of allowing you to approach the same situation many times and experiment with different possible techniques.

Depth:
Despite the singleplayer-only-ness and the structured-ness, the actual gameplay is very, very deep in terms of keeping its fun - I've been playing it off and on for several years now, and I still enjoy it and regularly develop new techniques.

Each area with bad guys, of course, has different numbers of bad guys, some of whom have guns and some of whom do not, and the types of guns they have vary widely, and the terrain varies widely, and you may or may not have some type of gun when you encounter them. This means that playing well requires a lot of tactical decisions, rather than just point-and-click with the guns and being good at the fighting aspects.

Additionally, there aren't any restrictions on the methods you use, and there are a variety of basic ways to approach different areas. Sneaking around is possible, so in many cases you can avoid a fight if you wish, or you can set up an ambush. You can also choose between gunfighting or kung fu for each engagement, and you can choose how intensely you wish to fight your enemies (charge in and take them all at once, versus divide and conquer, versus knocking them down and running past before they can recover, versus any number of things). It's great fun to try to find as many valid ways as possible to defeat the bad guys in certain areas, particularly if one puts artificial restrictions on oneself (no guns, guns-only, lay the best ambushes possible, always charge in like a madman, et cetera).

And of course it has some great shenanigans. Aside from disarming opponents and shooting them with their own guns, you can also throw them off of ledges at great heights (no midair jumping means they fall to their deaths), can break their backs, can one-shot them with the grenade launcher, and generally can abuse the AI in all sorts of silly ways.

Videos:
Here's the main trailer for the game: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLZ2hJZvrmo .

Also, I was surprised a few weeks ago when I discovered an Oni combo video of sorts, so if you want to take a look at some reasonably-high-level gameplay, here you go: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXgjyY7wxv0 .

Modding:
As I understand it Oni, somewhat like Brawl, is somewhat hackable, and some people have created mods for it. I haven't looked too thoroughly into the mods yet, though.

Conclusion:
I fear I may have gone on at too great a length, but then again this game is one that I'm pretty serious about. Seriously, it's an incredibly good game. Also as far as I know it's abandonware at this point, and torrents for it can be found, which means it's free! So yeah, if you like action games, you should seriously consider giving Oni a try.

 

[Red Arremer]

@Jam:
<3 Salman Rushdie, he's such a good writer.

@Omnicron:
Oh my, Phantasy Star IV... Someone else knows it? Epic. The best RPG I've ever played.

 

[Omnicron's Baklava Enterprises]

@Jam:
<3 Salman Rushdie, he's such a good writer.

@Omnicron:
Oh my, Phantasy Star IV... Someone else knows it? Epic. The best RPG I've ever played.

The whole series of Phantasy Star is phenomenal, yet IV brought me the best of times. Phantasy Star Universe, sorrowfully, does not add to the true storyline at all, quite sad to see such an incredible series for the Genesis end.

 

[Xiivi]

This is one of the greatest video games in existence. It's the super smash bros of snowboarding games.

If you have not played it and have no intention of ever playing it, there will forever be a small part of your life missing. You will feel the whole in your heart grow wider as your life grows shorter and your precious time is wasted while you perform other menial tasks, going through the motions of the real world, forever missing out on true happiness.