Valkyrie of the Battlefield

That's the original title for Valkyria Chronicles for japan release. Well..it's not entirely bad in the first place. As for today will be marked as the day i finally FINISHED playing VC on my PS3...after bought it in January this year. Hahaha...Turn based Tactical RPG it not a game you can finished in 2 days(well..it depend). I prefer to play it slow & steady as the story itself is the true gem.

I keep saying over & over again that this game manage to pull off every single human emotion from the time you start the game until you see the ending. Not all game manage to do that and not all manage to executed it perfectly. Compare to any other game that used war as a foundation for the storyline, nearly all of the character in this game dont have "GRRR...I WANT TO GO TO WAR & KILL PEOPLE" kinda attitude/motive which pleases me to a great degree.

Some of the main attraction for this fine game are:

1) Water coloured art direction
The game is rendered using SEGA all new CANVAS engine which make it look like a water coloured painting on a canvas which is beautiful.

Yerp..you also get the "RATTA RATTA" word FOC

2) The Storyline
Set in the center of Second Europan War, a tiny country try to fend off the attack by bigger nation and Squad7 is the star in here. Instead of showing Atlantic Federation as a good guy, this game show that there's no 'good' guys in war..all there is a greedy & selfish people who trying to take advantage of others problem. Well..it's the same with the real world we live in anyways.

3) The Emotion
Every moment in this game is full of emotions. Sadness, happiness, envious, hatred, determination, love, unsure and others will accompany from start to finish. Some of the moment will make you shred your tears(or even cried). I wont spoiled this part as it's a part of the main storyline.


4) The Lovely Selvaria Bles

Aside from he big..urm...melon, she really a great character in VC. Eventho inside the game we didnt see much of her, an expansion pack dedicated to her Mission really worth the money tho i must say Empire unit is lame & weak. From he profile, it seem she enjoyed cooking. No scene in game showing about this but in the Anime (yup...VC also got anime) durign the ending credit, i can see clearly chibi Selvaria is cooking something.


Ah yes...the official poster of the anime. A bit different from the games sequence, i hope the anime touch some part of the war that not inside the games.

Just a random pic.. i didnt know Edy is quite famous among VC fans

Colour of Happiness

I really love this song..it keep my head up whenever i feel down as the lyric itself always reminded me of something that i always held precious in my heart. The translation credit goes to the orginal author as i cant even read Katakana & Kanji yet. hell..even Hiragana i still have some trouble to read. Talked about Beginner 1 student of Japanese language LOL

Taken from http://hobbit-hunter.livejournal.com/271412.html

Aa! Megami-sama - Shiawase no Iro
Aa! Megami-sama: Sorezore no Tsubasa - Shiawase no Iro (Color of Happiness)
Opening Song translation - Ishida Yoko
Shiawase no Iro (Single)
Translated by me

この広い世界の中
出会うべき人たちが
窓の向こう　虹の向こうに見える
気づいてるはず　
Kono hiroi sekai no naka
Deaubeki hitotachi ga
Mado no mukou, niji no mukou ni mieru
Kizuiteru hazu
In this vast world
There are people you should meet
They are seen beyond the window and beyond the rainbow
You should recognize them.


見上げた空は今でも
あの時と同じ色で
雲はカタチを変え
今日もあなたを見守っている
Miageta sora wa imademo
Ano toki to onaji iro de
Looking up at the sky
Kumo wa KATACHI wo kae
Kyou mo anata wo mimamotteiru
Even now, looking up at the sky
It's still the same color as before
The clouds change their shape
Today, as well, I watch over you


きゅうくつなおもりを脱いで
気持ちをゆるして さあ　耳をすまし
その瞬間（とき）を待って
今　目覚めなさい
Kyuukutsu na omori wo nui de
Kimochi wo yurushite, saa mimi wo sumashi
Sono toki wo matte
Ima mezamenasai
Take off that restraining weight
Those feelings are forgiven, now listen carefully
Wait for the moment (moment)
Now, wake up!


大空に描いた　小さな夢をいつも感じて
通り過ぎる人波に 疲れてしまったときも
うつむいたり　投げ出したりしないで
羽根を休めて
Oozora ni egaita chiisa na yume wo itsumo kanjite
Tooisugiri hitonami ni tsukarete shimatta toki mo
Utsumuitari, nage dashitari shinaide
Hane wo yasumete
Always admire those small dreams that you paint in the sky
When you grow tired passing through the crowd
You look down, don't fall
Rest your wings


信じる気持ちの強さが
あれば聞こえるでしょう
まっすぐあなたを想い　歌うわたしの声が
Shinjiru kimochi no tsuyosaga
Areba kikoeru deshou
Maasugu anata wo omoi utau watashi no koe ga
Believe in your strength of your feelings
You will certainly hear them
Direct your feelings to my voice


静かに色づく街
朝の光..
そして今日という一日が
ページをめくるの
Shizuka ni iro zuku machi
Asa no hikari...
Soshite kyou to yuu ichinichi ga
Peeji wo mekuru no
This town turns red and yellow calmly
In the morning's light...
And today is just one day
I turn the page


大空に包まれ　今日も歌うわ　心をこめて
終わらないこの道　
行くため　窓を開けて　歩き出す
そうすれば　もっと虹に近づける
きっと...
Oozora ni tsutsumare kyou mo utau wa kokoro wo komete
Owaranai kono michi
Yuku tame mado wo akete aruki dasu
Sousureba motto niji ni chikazukeru
Kitto...
Wrap yourself in the sky and put today and your song in your heart
This city will never end
Go and open the window and begin to walk
If you do this, then you'll surely find more rainbows
Surely...


大空に描いた　小さな夢を大切にしよう
そうすればいつも幸せになれる
きっと ...
Chiisana yume wo taisetsu ni shiyou
Sousureba itsumo shiawase ni nareru
Kitto...
Always value the small dream that you paint in the sky
If you do this, then you'll surely be happy
Surely...

Translation Notes: This is one of my favorite Japanese/Anime songs ever. Aa! Megami-sama: Sorezore no Tsubasa transaltes to Ah! My Goddess: Everyone Has Wings. Many lines (ex. Maasugu anata wo omoi utau watashi no koe ga) were tricky to place into English, but I think it worked out.

All credits goes to this person: http://hobbit-hunter.livejournal.com/271412.html



There' alot of shitty thing happen in our life everyday..but that doesnt mean we SHOULD get depressed over it. There's still alot of other thing that can make you happy or better, make people around you happy. All we need i to find it using our own way. Thinking too much on depressed thing wont make you a better person, but thinking about happy thing will will definitely make you a great person....well, at least that what i thought of when listing to this song.

The Song of the Wind

I found it. The feeling has been away from me fo quite a long time...and now i finally found it again after a long 'meditation'. She give me a reason to smile...a reason for me to continue this life...and the best of all, a reason to love & appreciate everything around me.


Thank you again......

Sacrifice.

Since Aidiladha is tomorrow, i suddenly got the urge to insert my MGS4 and re-watch the ending...again. I dunno...previously i can hold my tears during the ending but not this time. Maybe it's because i just realised that there's alot of similarities between Me, Old Snake & Big Boss in term of sacrifice we all made.





Well...im not going to elaborate it one by one(and to prevent any sympathetic reply) but to think it back again, it surely hurt like hell. And i pray ALOT that nobody will notice the sacrifice i made because i think that the best way to enjoy my life. and yeah...im quite happy with it.

Big Boss giving his final respect to The Boss & her great sacrifice

P/S: Im sorry...I always has the urge to hum the following MGO tune in my head.

*Na Naaa Na Naaa...Na Na Naaa Naaaa Na Naaaaaaa*

Malaysia Official PS3 Launch Event

This is indeed a great new for PS3 gamer in Malaysia. Sony FINALLY launch the PS3 in here. While most of people in here get their PS3 from parallel importer which either the US, HK or SG console and NO warranty, new owner will get the console WITH 1 year warranty from Sony Malaysia. No need to send the PS3 to SG or HK for repair if something happen. We're not talking about the infamous 'dead lens' problem here, we're talking about HDMI port not functional and WiFi went kaput kind of problem. So instead posting it back to that PS3 original country, we just need to drive to our local Sony Style and dump the console there. End of story.

Anyways, this is the bundle(with price) you can get on the Launch Event:

PS3 Bundle Promotion

1x 80GB Sony PlayStation 3 Console
1x Soul Calibur IV
1x PS3 Game (selected titles)
1 year warranty

Price: RM1699

Quite a steal huh?. Take note this 80g is not the old 80g with backward compatibility with PS2 game. This is the 40g model with extra 40g of HDD spaces that was announce during the last E3 back in July 2008. and dont worry, the 'selected title' is surely a crappy game :P. You can pre-order thru Sony Style Online and will get:-

- Limited Edition PS3 bag
- Soul Calibur IV CD holder

For the enthusiast fan, you can queue in the line during the Launch event.


Now for the big question:

Did we get our own MALAYSIA PLAYSTATION NETWORK STORE?

I want to buy things with RM, not SGD or USD



Oh before i forgot, this is the detail of the launch event:

Official Malaysia Sony PS3 Launch

Venue: 1Utama Shopping Centre (New Wing), High Street Ground Floor, Main Entrance
Date: 20th September 2008
Time: 11:30 a.m.

The first 3 people in the line to buy a Sony PS3 on the day of the launch will get a RM1000 cash voucher that can be used for their next Sony product purchase.
4th - 20th - RM500 cash voucher
21st - 50th - RM350 cash voucher
51st - 100th - RM150 cash voucher


Sony 24-hr Gaming Marathon

How many game wins do you think you can rack up in 24 hours? Take part in the Sony 24-hr Gaming Marathon and you might win for yourself a Sony BRAVIA TV and a Sony PlayStation 3! For 24 hours, try to win as many sets as possible in Soul Calibur IV and at the end of the 24 hour gaming marathon, only the top 8 winners will qualify for the Semifinals and Finals! Interested participants must register online at Sony Malaysia's website before 18th September 2008 and must be above 18 years old to take part.

Reward:

Champion – Sony BRAVIA TV + 1 unit of PS3

2^nd prize – 1 unit of PS3
3^rd prize – 1 unit of PSP
Consolation – Lots of Sony goodies to be won!

Sony PS3 Game Girl Competition

Ladies! If you think you have what it takes to be a Sony PS3 girl, then take part now and you may win yourself a trip to Hong Kong! Register before 10th September 2008 and on the day of the event, showcase your talents to the crowd and you may represent Malaysia for the Asia Game Show 2008 and win a PS3!

Reward

Champion – 3D2N flight & accommodation to Hong Kong to represent Malaysia in the Asia Game Show (AGS) + 1 unit of PS3

1^st runner up – 1 unit of PS3
2^nd runner up – 1 unit of PSP
Consolation – Lots of Sony goodies to be won!

*Picture & Details are courtesy of www.GameAxis.com, you can read it all in here

News News News

It's hard to catch up with news especially if you're working in a place where Internet connection is limited. Well, cant blame them..it just for security purpose. It seem only 3 news im interested over the past week and they are :

1) Phil Harrison Quit SCE.













The first thing i said when i read this news is "WHAT THE F**K???" Now a man who responsible making me buy PS3 leave Sony?. I must say he is a damn good speaker and know what he was talking about instead of bullshitting about the sales number. I dont know what is Sony thinking and how Sony gonna replace him but 1 thing i know for sure, Sony lost one of the best PR people in the world. Anyways Phil, Good Luck & All the best to you

2) MGS4 Got a Released Date.







The Banner above is worth than a 1000 words. I already marked on my calender for June 16 is the most anticipated date in 2008. Metal Gear will rule the world!!!!...*ahem*, just kidding. Anyways, Konami has setup MGS4 to be worldwide release which means, all territories will get MGS4 on that date.

















To make thing more sweeter than a can of Vanilla Coke, they planning a Special Edition Box set which you can see the picture above. MGS4 game + Metal Gear Saga 2.0 video + Tin Can Box. So far, this one is intended for Japanese market. For US market, Konami still didnt give any feedback yet. Hopefully the US & Euro version also get the Limited Edition. Speaking of Disc, MGS4 will use 50g Blu-ray Disc but from recent interview with Kojima, it seem 50g is not enough for HIS VISION of MGS4. WTF? Someone give him the prototype 100g blu-ray disc now!!!!

If you guys has been wondering "why 50g is not enough?", it's because he dont want to compress the data (texture, sound & etc). For Hideo Kojima, No Compression = Top Quality. Well, it seem he's a perfectionist and sometime having a perfectionist as a Game Designer is great because we can assure the quality of the game they deliver will be a top class.

Just for laugh, 50g BD is not enough for MGS4. If they come out for Xbox360, maybe we will see this boxset :P




















Dont even think about compression. I already said before, Kojima dont want to compress his game. In the mean time, keep an eye on the Countdown time at the upper right of my blog


3) MGS4 + 80g PS3 US Bundle.

















The biggest news and i somehow expected it, Sony will released MGS4 + PS3 bundle. The best part is, it's the 80g version...not the 40g like Devil May Cry 4 bundle. Im planning to get the US bundle but it seem one of the supplier said it may cost RM2000+.

F**K the price, i'll get it no matter what!!!. In fact, it's the NTSC U/C version, so i can play MGS Essential Collection on PS3. having 2 PS3 is not a problem at all. Now where can i find extra money for this :D

Morally Gray

This term mainly used to show that there's no good or evil. In fact you dont know which one is good or evil. You just do the thing you think right . I can bet most of us has been in this situation before and we just do what we think right and hopefully the thing will so on as smooth as possible. I used to get some feedback from people saying "you cannot do that..you should do that...bla bla" but at the same moment i also thought that what im doing is for my myself. It doest matter whether it will do good or bad to you..all the matter is me. And thus putting me into the 'Morally Gray' situation. Infact im already in this business for a long time pushing back to my secondary school year.

Taken form the PS2 game poster below titled Shin Megami Tensei:Nocturne (Shin Megami Tensei means Reincarnation of True Goddess), the question is...

what IF the road to salvation & path to hell are both paved in blood? Which one will you take?


Or maybe you didnt follow any of the given path, you just make you own path and destroy anything that try to stop you. MegaTen series always deal with moral choices and it's a great way to test out your real character.

As quoted from Kamen Rider Kabuto,
"Even the devil's whispers can sometimes sound like an angel's voice".