From Nibelheim to Midgar

Isn't technology a wonderful thing? Now that it's been a few years since Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children's release, by the time Square Enix gathers enought momentum to make a remake of Final Fantasy VII, the technology they would need to arrive at a product of the quality of Advent Children would be several times cheaper than when Advent Children was in production.

Talk about profits. I mean, noit that Advent Children wasn't made with technology, that at the time, was already two years old. Given that they've laid down a certain CG-Anime style already, they don't really have to push anything technically. They'll have more time to focus on recreating the gameplay elements and they'll have more time to think about the profits, and the marketing.

Note: Dirge of Cerberus, Last Order, and Advent Children double as extended marketing material, aside from being franchise products in their own rights.

People will gobble it up and throw their savings at the thing, if the remake ever gets done.

Speaking of technology, I found two videos on YouTube that build-up on the effect that the FFVII PS3 Tech Demo did.

You see, Crisis Core, apparently properly ends it's tale with it's hero's death. In the ending, you see Zack and Cloud in that heartwrenching moment near Midgar. Yep, it's that tradgedy where they were short of the safety of the Midgar slums by about a few hundred yards. Here's that moment as it was originally presented to in classic 32bit PS1 FFVII:

Then here's that moment in the ending of Crisis Core with spangly Advent Children graphics.

Also, here's a follow up "secret ending" bonus in Crisis Core where you see Crisis Core cut to FFVII proper. It may look like the tech demo at first, but watch it until the end. Psycho, crazy, I'm-still-messed-up-from-Nibelheim-I-think-I'm-Zack Cloud actually speaks in this.

FMVs like these, along with Advent Children, and that opening in Dirge of Cerberus that looks like Advent Children (the evacuate Midgar from Meteor-fall scene), makes it hard for any geek who's played through the first one to not hope in his heart-of-geeky-hearts that an FFVII remake be made.

Now if only they made ruby slippers for geeks.

Whodda Thunk? PS3 outsells Xbox 360 and NDS

After months of bashing, and recieving it's fair share of intertube lulz, the PS3 is finally managing to make a dent on the competition. Would you believe that last January, after the holiday smoke settled, the PS3 actually outsold the DS and the Xbox 360?

The DS I can understand why, after all everyone and their dog/hamster/object of affection already has one, the sales has to slow down some time right? As for the Microsft, man they must be seething right now. Especially since some group claims to have nailed the actual figure of the Xbox 360's failure rate: 16.4%. That means that if you purchase an Xbox 360, you've got more than a one in ten chance that what you're gonna get is a dud.

I think I know why PS3 sales went up. It's 2008 already. People are already preparing of Metal Gear Solid 4 and Final Fantasy XIII. I mean, what other reason would you spend that much on a console? Loco Roco 3 you say? Well, yeah, maybe, but still.

Weekend Manga: Creepy Organs

Look, a lady!

You know what Magic: the Gathering needs right now? Female professional players.

Not that there aren't any already. It's just that they don't really have a presence. In quantity I mean, not in quality. After all, American Player Melissa DeTora beat Gabriel Nassif during the 8th round of ProTour Kuala Lumpur; that's a sign of quality right there if there ever was one.

Honestly, I'm really starting to root for Melissa. If anything, Magic needs another breakout celebrity. Kinda like the Sliver Kids (Chris Lachmann and Jacob Van Lunen) of Two-Headed Giant fame. You know, the zero-to-hero type cinderella story. WotC really needs the good press, since they haven't been handling player relations very well lately (tournament cancellations and all that).

So, that said, good luck Melissa! Win Kuala Lumpur!

Timmy: Overrun!

About a week ago, I read on the Bennie Smith's column over at Starcitygames that green hero, Jamie Wakefield, had a problem with the power level of elves in the new standard.

Laugh as much as you want, you can't really blame the guy. As Mr Smith said, Wakefield isn't really a hundred percent into the game, so being aware of tournament results is something that I'd expect to come in last in Wakefield's list of priorities.

Anyhow, all you Wakefieldian players out there, yes, all you Timmies, if you'd allow me a few seconds of your time and listen to me for a while, I'd like to tell you a few things. I'd like to ask you to stop testing all your RW Giant decks for a moment, and go back to the color that Timmies love the most: Green.

We all now that G/X Warrior builds will be something that Spike will love for it's lightning fast aggro capabilities, and the space the Deck skeleton has for spot removal. However, there's a mono-green build that managed to be competitive and it has not a single bf removal in it. It's solution? Overrun.

Here's GPT Shizuoka 7th placer, Shuhei Nakamura's List:

Lands: 23
14x Forest
4x Treetop Village
3x Mutavault
2x Pendelhaven

Creatures: 31
4x Boreal Druid
4x Bramblewood Paragon
4x Chameleon Colossus
4x Civic Wayfinder
4x Imperious Perfect
4x Llanowar Elves
4x Wren's Run Vanquisher
3x Wren's Run Packmaster

Spells: 2
2x Overrun

Artifacts: 4
4x Obsidian Battle-Axe

Sideboard: 15
4x Serrated Arrows
3x Seal of Primordium
3x Tormod's Crypt
2x Cloudthresher
1x Elvish Champion
1x Viridian Shaman
1x Primal Command

Nothing but green, and nothing but smash-face. Timmy enough for you?

Okay, if it isn't, here's what could happen: If you've got a Bramblewood Paragon out, along with an Obisidian Battle-Axe, your Chameleon Colossus is a 7/6 hasted, trampling beat-stick for 4 mana. If you have 4 mana extra you can pump it to 14/13.




If the 14/12 isn't enough to wet your Timmy pants, how about this: if you've got the Paragon out, along with a Perfect, you can create an army of 3/3 trampling Elf Warrior tokens. Cast Overrun a turn later and you're one happy puppy.

Amusing isn't it that the monetarily cheaper Overrun is actually better than Garruk in this deck? More than that, the Packmaster's in the deck! w00t!

Death Note Special One-Shot Out

This week's weekly jump included a special one-shot of Death Note. Having said that fortuitous bit of news, can I get a "squee" from all the Death Note fan-people out there?

The issue is a must read for folks as it's a continuation of story. Of course, since it's a one shot, you might be left moist and wanting. Anyhow, I personally like the issue for this super-genius character who has an obsession with Tarot card tower making.

He's fun.

The Boiling Rock gets a deadline.

Good news from TVshowsonDVD.com. According to one of their articles, the third volume of the Season 3 DVD set of Avatar: the Last Airbender will be out by the 6th of May.

This means that "The Boiling Rock: Part 1" and "The Boiling Rock: Part 2" should air on TV before then.

This is basically a confirmation from another source (aside from Amazon.com) of the DVD's release date. Still late, yes, but at least the estimates for the wait for the new episodes is now before mid-May.

Yes, the wait still sucks.