'Quantum Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner, Vol 2'

Three years. I've been biting my nails in anticipation for this book for three bloody years.

And now I have to wait for the translation of volume three. And this book ends on an even more nerve-wrecking note than volume one. I love this book so much that my anxiety for volume three's translation and publication might kill me.

While it has been a long time since I last thought of the five-volumed Quantum Devil Saga and its spiritual older brother the Digital Devil Saga duology, I easily jumped back into the narrative and world without feeling like a day passed since I last read about Serph, the Embryon, and the denizens of the mysterious Junkyard. I rarely felt that connected to a story's world, and I cannot praise everyone involved in the games and this book series enough.

Before reading further, I suggest checking out my thoughts on Quantum Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner, Vol 1 from 2014. Also, as I went down memory lane to prepare for this post, I remembered Kevin Frane informing me that the guys at Bento Books read my review of volume one and liked it. Supposedly. I-I'm still kinda in denial about it. *fans self to prevent fainting*

Anywho, enough about silly me. SPOILERS AHOY!

My Research Idea Revealed! Ethnography of MegaTen Fans

NOTE: as of November 12, I have closed my survey. Thanks to the 700+ participants who helped me with this project! :)

In my last post I mentioned that I am currently taking a research class, where I learn about methods in conducting research and where I start a project on my own. Because October was such a busy, nerve-wrecking month, I admittedly have fallen behind in gathering data. So to catch up, I'll just say it.

I'm doing online ethnographic research on the Megami Tensei fanbase. In plain man's speak, I'm studying the people who play games in the MegaTen franchise. What games do they generally enjoy playing? What do they enjoy about MegaTen? How did they get introduced to the franchise? Why is MegaTen's popularity growing outside of Japan? What games helped to spread MegaTen love and why?

If you say Persona 4 Dancing All Night as an answer to every single question, I'm gonna smack you.

'Quantum Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner, Vol. 1'

There have been numerous reasons my blog hasn't been updated lately, and this is one of them. For the past several months, I have been really, really excited for this book. I sat on pins and needles, watched a few interviews with the translator Kevin Frane, helped hold a small contest to promote the book, and pre-ordered this as soon as I could. Now that I finished it in just a day a week ago, I have no regrets.

Quantum Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner is a five-volume novelization of a story Yu Godai created when approached to create a scenario for Digital Devil Saga. Though she didn't work with Atlus long enough to finish her work for the RPG (although she is still credited), she planned to write her own version of the story, as it was her original idea. The fact Quantum exists has fans of the Megami Tensei franchise who adored Digital Devil Saga squeezing with delight.

And it's translated into English. Well, volume one at least, thanks to translator Kevin Frane and Bento Books. Since I want the other four volumes released outside of Japan as soon as possible, I owe it to myself to stand on my podium and rant away on this tiny little blog.

Spoiler: I really, really, REALLY love this book. And some spoilers are here, sort of.

'Shin Megami Tensei IV', Part II

This review ended up being pretty short, considering how long-winded I can get over the silliest things. Perhaps I need to beat more Shin Megami Tensei games before I can go on for seven parts. Maybe then I can overanalyze every fault in characters, gameplay, plot, and theme that I come across.

I do like this game, but I don't feel the desire to deconstruct and reconstruct the game's basic elements from start to finish. Not yet at least. There is an unfortunate reason for that.

Superior being[s], I fricking hate that one picture so much. So, so, so, so very much.

So let me get the gigantic, stubborn elephant out of the room briefly before I continue onward. Oh, and possible spoilers.

'Shin Megami Tensei IV' Part I

It feels great having beaten a mainline Shin Megami Tensei game. This may not be the hardest game in the entire franchise - spin-offs included - but the fourth installment is still pretty difficult. It's a fact by this point that Atlus likes torturing gamers as frequently as possible. Beating it means I feel less like casual filth and demon chow and feel more... mediocre. Or a masochist. Or both.

Anywho.

I'll accept this registered quest.

...

Before I begin, just as a very brief note, I will refer to the protagonist as Flynn. You can create a name for him, but I want to simplify this and minimize confusion.

And uh, I hinted at if not outright discussed spoilers in this part. I tried keeping it to a minimum. I apologize in advance.

March 2014 Update: Me and Video Game Difficulty

Exams and homework and Spring Break and DDS-Net and Skype stole my attention from this blog. ...My bad. ^_^'

By this point, just assume there will be a month or two per year when I suddenly vanish or provide no content. It doesn't help if I have writer's block. Like I do now. It's not just Rants From a Fangirl; my fanfic hasn't grown much in terms of length. Maybe I'm still burned out from the October 4th subplot ordeal or maybe I'm pretty close to the worst part of the original game: the horrible November-December angst festival of awful pacing.

Anywho.

To combat my everyday laziness and persistent afflictions of writer's block, I've made tons of progress in Shin Megami Tensei IV. My play hours sat at 15 for so many months, but now I've added another 17 or so in the span of a week. It's not a bad game, but the first several hours were just... frustrating to put it mildly.

Either Medusa - or Minotaur depending on your luck - can be a lot harder to fight than this video makes it look. I was not lucky enough to have as many useful skills for my demons. (Plus, my Flynn is more oriented to physical rather than magic attacks.) Then add my unfortunate luck in recruiting and negotiating with demons, often to the point I would run out of items, macca, HP, MP, or all of the above. I died... many times. I lost count. But if I can make a humiliating estimate, I died at least twice per hour. For twenty hours straight.

"FANGIRL, PLS! Y U SUK SO MUCH!!!!"

This game is the reason I can never go back to Persona 4 Golden. This game destroyed whatever faith I had in my already minuscule abilities and skills as a gamer. Shin Megami Tensei IV made me commit to forever starting off at the lowest or second-lowest difficulty setting in a video game. No exceptions.

Whenever I pick up a new game, I used to sometimes start on the easiest difficulty. Now, it will be a mandatory standard.

Feel free to call me a wimp, a weakling, a little girl, and a child crying over a video game that a manly man can handle but I can't. Considering this is how the video game culture can be at times, I'm not shocked anymore. I am well aware that I'm not the most competitive, the strongest, or the brightest tool in the shed, but for me, entertainment and immersion is my preference. If getting get used to a game's mechanics involves asking for help, consulting a guide, or lowering the difficulty, I'm not ashamed to do so. Besides, the guys on DDS-Net have scolded me for my newly cemented approach.

Now that I'm more interested in playing MegaTen games, I've started to notice that many fans in the fanbase have admitted to going online or asking friends for help on boss battles, negotiation techniques, and demon fusion. Sure, there is still some mocking and teasing going about to separate the chosen elitists from the demon chow, but I have not met one MegaTen fan who said, "Oh, yeah! I totally beat the demi-fiend in Digital Devil Saga in one try without any guides!" or "You can't beat Persona 2 Innocent Sin without a guide for persona fusions? You really suck!" If you are such a person, most people would assume you are lying through your teeth.

I once suggested on Skype for someone to play Nocturne on Hard Mode without dying once. One person - who first played Nocturne as a child - nearly started crying. Another told me to stop taking so many crazy pills. The rest said to leave that idea by the curb, run VERY far way, and never look back. Because... need I say anything more than check TV Tropes for the short answer?

Torturously stupid ideas aside, once I scaled down the difficulty of SMTIV, I enjoyed the game so much more. I went through normal mode for twenty hours before finally giving up my masochistic crusade. I sacrificed my pride and vowed to beat the game, even if everyone mocks me over "EASY MODO". So, believe it or not, I may review the game not long after I complete it! From what some friends told me, I'm at the halfway point and coming closer to the alignment lock. Whether I will be Lawful, Chaotic, or Neutral will be revealed soon.

My overall feelings of the game will be saved for once I review it. I don't want to cause a big stink like I did for Persona 4. But I will say that I'm enjoying SMTIV FAR BETTER than P4 overall.

Call me an elitist all you want, but I have more experience in school kids saving the world. Fighting through the demon apocalypse is still pretty new for me. I ain't a full fledged member who's committed to either side of the fence.

Once I'm done this game - and either Strange Journey or SMTI - I may have my answer.

Now excuse me, but I just ran into my archnemesis while wandering around Tokyo. And I'm at level 44.

LET THE BLOODBATH BEGIN!!

SMTI for iOS Gives Me a Reason to Finally Use my iPod

I'm still in the stone ages of tech. My all-in-one device is a laptop. My phone and iPod are separate and neither are my places to check email. And I sure as heck don't write essays or play app games on my iPod. It is just a music machine for me.

And then Atlus announced the North American release of Shin Megami Tensei I for iOS this March. For like $8.00.

And I said, why the hell not?

It's been over twenty years since it first came out, and there are a bunch of ports of it already only in Japan. A version of it (maybe the PS1 port, or just the music from the PS1 version will be used) will finally be available without turning my computer into an emulation machine or learning Japanese to play an old Famicom game. If the port sucks b/c most RPG ports on iOS seem to turn out bad, then... at least it's eight bucks. As iffy as this made some people who relied on emulation and ROM hacks, I'm happy about this. Officially, this game will become localized and will be released to the North American public. This is a sign that Atlus might send their Japanese-only stuff over here in the future. 

A-Anywho. *sniff*

Regardless of the port's quality, I'll still support it. The game will be obscenely hard and dated, but having it for the sake of giving it a chance never hurts. I'm not sure how soon I'll tackle it, but I'll make time. My backlog is pretty big, but manageable.

Well, for once I don't have to save up pennies. Sweet. If I end up hating SMTI, I can drown out my sorrows with some new music. 2013 was a good year for heavy metal apparently. I should check to see what bands I like released new material...

Celebrate with Nostalgia: February 2014 Update

今天是情人节！(1)

Happy Valentine's Day to those who celebrate it! For the rest of you, happy February 14! Or... February 15 if you're in Asia... or Europe... 'cause by the time I'm posting this... yeah, never mind.

Just goofing around. Listening to music. Preferring blue to red...

Thankfully I am becoming less and less bothered about this particular day of the year. The pressure to have a boyfriend and give out cards to people just because you have to doesn't exist much anymore. Or maybe I hang out with too many people who think that way. Regardless, the fact I'm letting some things roll off my back is a sign of maturing. The superior being(s) know(s) I'm neurotic over everything else.

Other than indulging too much in my music listening, I'm continuing to cool off from my last project here. Nothing else needs to be said about that for a long time. Let me move to other things... like one of the most controversial games of 2012. Or one of the most underrated games of 2013. Or TV shows who use Marilyn Manson's version of "Sweet Dreams" for their pilot episode. (BTW, The Following is pretty awesome. Nothing beats House, but crazy cultists are pretty whacky too.)

I Won the Lottery...

Oh, I sure do wish. It doesn't help that BOTH of my parents buy tickets occasionally. It's just so out of character for them, but then again, the economy has sucked since 2007. After six years of this mess, I'd consider spending twenty bucks a ticket to win superior being(s) know(s) how many millions of dollars. Graduation from college is gonna suck.

Anywho, onto more positive things.

That was me in real life yesterday... seriously.

I finally found a Gamestop that wasn't trying to rip my limbs off. The selection of new and used games was much larger than I was used to. That meant a greater possibility of finding games I once claimed "rare". And boy, my day was made.