Sonic has been around for ages. Ages and ages...or since the Megadrive/Genesis days, either way. Sega was in a slump when the NES came out. The company had some good games to their name, but the juggernaut we call Nintendo was set to engulf the companies legacy completely. Then there came the Megadrive (or Genesis in America), with BLAST PROCESSING! Oh yeah! Blast processing was, accoring to Sega, the reason "Sega does what Nintendon't", along with a catalog of big name games and superior graphics. For some time, this held true to some extent, and what cemented Megarive's place among the console greats was their new-spangled icon, Sonic the Hedgehog. Their icon for some years had been Alex Kidd, a little hero with odd sideburns and a confident smile. His first game on the Megadrive was a disappointing flop, and Sega had to therefore come with a brandnew mascot, which, as previously mentioned, became the blue hedgehog we all know today.

-What would've happened if this were Sega's mascot today? Not good.

Sonic was something new at the time. Something fast, but instantly familiar at the same time. The gameplay was simple, jump, roll and dash through levels, trying to survive the chaos that is constantly streaming your way. No game at the time was exactly like it. The rush and adrenaline that flows through your veins when bursting through levels at the speed of sound is still exhilarating to this day. The levels yourbuilt for speed, and you had the need...for speed.

-Zoom!

Adding to that is the fact that you always have to be alert. Enemies will appear all of a sudden to take you off balance, and you will need fast reflexes to survive. The games of the Megadrive are tough, and you will need an equal amount of speed and precision to persevere. That is the essence of Sonic games, though unfortunately, they didn't exactly stay to the formula all the time, like in some of the 3D Sonic games. Sad, but the legacy stays the same. Sonic is a true hero, and if project Needlemouse works out, we might get some of the good, old Sonic back in our consoles. Rock on, Sonic!

-Oooooh. Aaaaaah.

I don't blog often about the day-to-day occurences in the gaming world, but I feel this is worth talking about: the console wars. I honestly don't understand thereason extreme fans of a console (aka fanboys) have to say everything they can think of, true or false, to prove that their console is, after all, "the best".What especiallyboggles my mind are the infantile comments from all sides that prove nothing but the speakers overall stupidity. I'm lucky enough to be in a Reviewer's Union with no bias whatsoever, but this is, in fact, such a rarity that it's scary. The System Wars forum, home to the worst and best of arguments, is a good example of the flora of varying amounts of ignorance and common sense the gaming community possesses. However, the prime example is the hotbed of absurdness and irrationality: Youtube. I love Youtube as a site, some very funny videos, a great source of VGM and a number of video game-related awesomeness, but 90% of the users...oh dear. Type in anything like "PS3 vs. 360" and you'll get the most heated and ridiculous arguments you'll ever find in a coherent community. Outside of the generally stupid (every video on racist comment is habituated by raving racists (aka idiots)), there are also the delusional. LOL, teh PS3 sux, 360 is rubbish, Wii is for kidz etc. These comments make me grate my teeth more than anyone can think imaginable. Please, raging fanboys, stop this stupidity. It's like they are incapable of honoring the slightest amount of subjectivity, only their opinion matters for them.

-Best way to describe it, really.

OK, I'll come with my opinion first. Of the three home consoles, I like the PS3 the best. Varied exclusives, backwards compatibility (launch version ftw!), a great online service and the endless potential of PSN. Then comes the Wii. The first party games are absolutely brilliant, and motion control is still the closest thing to next-gen we've got at the moment. There's also the VC, which gives a 5th generation gamer like mea chance to play the cla$$ics. In the respectable third in my personal opinion is the 360, for a few personal reasons:

1. I'm not paying for something that should be free (online service, that is)
2. RRoD. Icelanders don't have a repair service here that I know of, so if it would break, I'd have to ship it out to the UK or something. A software failure is inexcusable.
3. Lack of variety in exclusives. This is more personal, but most of the exclusives are undeniably either shooters or RPGs (and the most important RPGs are later ported to the PS3, so...).
4. Unlike with the PS3, personally, the XBOX platform doesn't have an interesting legacy. If I haven't said before, than I'll say it now: I felt theleast impressive consoleof last gen in regard to game quality and variety was the black and green hulk, the XBOX. Even Microsoft admitted it was a blueprint for the 360.

Despite these faults, I still am very interested in getting a 360, seeing as there are some high-quality games to be found there. You see what I did there? I posted my opinion, noting very thoroughly that it IS my opinion. Finally, I accept the fact that those that don't share my PoV are subject to disagree with those points, and if I haven't said so, I'll say it now: these points are only relevant to me. This method of analysis is, unfortunately, rarely ever used. Instead, we have ugly comments stating that one console sucks, another rocks without explicating further on why. All consoles are terrific. That is how it stands right now. Each console has a strong fanbase, and that wouldn't be so if there weren't a reason for it. The PS3 started off horrendously, with barely any exclusive to its name and an exorbitant price, but its sales are rising, and the number of fantastic exclusives is only growing. The Wii has gone slow and steady for a long time, and seems to be picking up slowly but surely. Let's hope it stays that way. The 360 is consistent with its number of great exclusives and new content, and has stayed its course for some time now. Let's all stop debating on which is better, and just conclude that they all rock. Period. End of story. Quad erat demonstratum!

-Calvinsora

Well, it's finally here. I will now start my list of all the great movies I've seen through the years. You can also look at these posts as reviews of the movies themselves, though I am, unlike in gaming, horrible at rating movies. I tend to be way too optimistic on everything.

Anyway, I know of no film that will start this off better than one of my favorite films made from one of my favorite books: To Kill a Mockingbird.

-Gregory Peck at his finest.

This 1962 film is without a doubt a timeless cla$$ic. Having read the book and seen the film twice, I am at a loss at which is better, and that is saying much, since the book won a Pulitzer prize at the time of its release. The social and mental reflection on society, the focus on segregation and poverty, the scrutiny of the different creeds and color of skin in the society of Maycomb, Alabama (a fictional town); all of these superb studies in the book were perfectly transferred to the film and showed true knowledge of not only the book's moral code, but also its deepest intricacies. The actors portray there roles with superb skill and feeling, and you feel you can either identify with or deeply despise every character, based, of course, on how they are supposed to be taken by the audience. The story revolves around Scout, a young girl and narrator of the story, and her brother Jem, and their experience over the years in Maycomb. To Kill a Mockinbird is as much a coming-of-age story as a story about the harshness of the world, and how you can never take it for granted. Traumatic events shift these children's lives to the core, making them change their overall look on the world as they grow older. The character of Scout is especially noteworthy andis faithfully played by Mary Badham. It is her tomboy aura and attention to the finer points of Scout's character that makes the narration of the film particularly entertaining and enlightening. The spotlight, however, is reserved for the late Gregory Peck in his Oscar-winning role as Atticus, Scout's father. Gregory Peckportrays the character so well that you will never doubt his sound judgement, his calm attire and soothing presence. You will automatically identify with him, trust him and feel sure that his choices will always be sound. Atticus is a lawyer who, despite what it seems like, despises the practise of law. Atticus is the paragon of virtue and righteousness, believing in the equality of man as a species, asa whole. The scene where he speaks to the jury is among the best in cinema history.

-Mary Badham in her role as Scout Finch

To Kill a Mockingbird went on to be nominated for 8 Academy Awards, like Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress (Mary Badham as Scout) and Best Music, Score. It won 3: Gregory Peck won the Oscar for best leading actor, the film won the award for Best Art Direction and also the Best Writing Adapted Screenplay. Not only that, the American Film Institute named Atticus the number one hero in American cinema of the 20th century, beating out household heroes like John McClane and any role acted by Arnold Schwarzenegger, and if you've seen the film, I think you'll know why. To Kill a Mockinbird is the epitome of the prime values of life: tolerance, compassion, justice, maturity and perseverance in face of hardships. The title sums it up nicely: the main lesson the book tries to teach us is that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. They don't do nothing to nobody, just sing and make the world a happier place. However, metaphorically, two "mockingbirds" exist in the story, and the fate of them both shape one of the best books ever, and in effect, one of the best movies to ever grace the silver screen.

-Calvinsora

Hey, it's Cal here with some crackling updates and interesting news!!

Firstly, along with my ongoing Awesome things in video gaming, I will be starting to start a new "series" that also appeals to my great yet undiscussed love of cinema: Great movies of our time. Basically, it's a long list of all movies worth watching that have ever reached a screen of some kind. Expect it to arrive soon.

Secondly, I really want to point to you people the Icelandic TV series' labeled Vaktirnar, which is a series of series (exactly as it sounds), and are called: Næturvaktin, Dagvaktin and Fangavaktin. I'm definitely not a fan of Icelandic cinema and TV, since it almost always sucks. HOWEVER, these three series, especially the last one, are made with such immaculate skill and care, that I think it's a crime to not point them out to you. These are not only the best thing to come out of Icelandic media, but they (especially the last one) are one of the best TV series I've ever seen. Incredible acting, perfect script, wonderful minimalistic setting and brilliant pacing and humor is pretty much unmatched. The first, Næturvaktin, is a comedy series much like the office, about the life of three men working at a gas station in downtown Reykjavik. These are a communist boss with fivedegrees from a college in Sweden, an immature, hopeless guy that knows nothing of the world, and a failed college student with incredible nervous tendencies. The other two series continue their story after turbulent events. Dagvaktin is a little more of a drama, though it is still funny at times. The third and last is brilliance and perfection in cinematic approaches in media. It focuses more on comedy and interesting narratives. I don't condone pirating, so I have a hard time finding a legit way for anyone out of Iceland to watch it. However, I hope you will exhaust all possibilities to see these episodes, and if you manage to find the episodes with English subtitles, then you are very fortunate indeed. Good luck.

However, I also want to bear the good news that Reveille Productions, of The Office fame, is working on putting forth a US remake of Næturvaktin, and probably the later episodes after that. I think that is a good indication of the pure genius of the episodes, when an Icelandic TV show manages to capture the attention of Reveille.

-Pure genius!

Read more here!

Finally, I leave you with two awesome vids with some unexpected special guests:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2ZFA4me4iw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ-xsBZ_Nqo&feature=channel

Enjoy!

-Calvinsora

Homework and gaming don't mix. They just...don't. Anyway, there comes the reason for my delay.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjazC45Qkww

Thanks to gdw for the suggestion. I expect I would've put this up at some point, but this version is truly cla$$ic. I won't go into detail about how good the game is when compared to the other cla$$ic CVs, but I haven't really played it, so I can't judge. It's probably good when you look past the impossible-to-realize ways to progress in the game. Kneel down near a wall for 10 seconds holding a special item? Weird.

-Let's whip it! (ugh)

Bloody Tears can only be summed up as an exemplary song of the Castlevania series' amazing music. It gears you up for the adventure to come, filling you with determination and hope, while forboding a difficult and dangerous journey ahead. This is really a prime example of how to make music in gaming. A catchy tune, some nice twists and intricacies in the tune and the great use of multi-layered melodies to propel the song to a new level. Truly beautiful.

-You will see this text...often

The song also fits great with the name of the song, Bloody Tears. If you have that name in mind, the song reaches an even greater level of depth and meaning. It is a precursor to both the melody and the adventure itself. No matter what you say about Simon's Quest, it is undeniable that it does the music just right.

Once more, suggestions are welcome. I won't do suggestions immediately after they are recommended, but I WILL, at some point, put it up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2cK8mOG4Q8

Continuing my Halloween theme, here comes another creepy theme. I find this song eerily disquieting and equally creepy. It somehow fits the atmosphere perfectly, and is oddly calm at times, despite the general terror you experience throughout the series as a whole.

-Mmmm, hygienic.

From the beautiful shamisen (that is what the string instrument is called, I've heard) strums to the eloquent and flowing melody, this theme sets the sad, lonely mood that is a part of the Silent Hill experience. The inclusion of the electric guitar jumpstarts the theme, and then you are again treated to a more calm shamisen "solo". There is also a slight sob put in there to remind you that all is not well, not even in the melody. All this brilliantly put together and turning it into a surprisingly atmospheric, scary and beautiful tune that sticks with you, whether you want it to or not.

Now, all I have to do is actually play the Silent Hill games...

Here it comes: the most disturbing things in non-horror video games! This will be a big list. I'm gonna try to fit in as many disturbing appartions in games that aren't in the horror genre. Most of these are actually scarier than horror monsters. They're just so...out of place.

I'm gonna skip Giygas, as I have already talked about him. Check my ATiVG blog to learn more about it. Now, here we go!

02 (Kirby 64)

You see that? That's blood. In a Kirby game? Yes! Not only that, it is in an angel form, with wings which seem to be spurts of blood. How far did they go in this game?! The music is also incredible (and sad), adding to the general feeling of dread in the battle. I don't know the backstory (don't want to spoiler it for me), but it's supposed to be incredibly sad as well. Whoa, it just boggles my mind that the super happy Kirby series has blood in it...sheesh.

Tingle (Legend of Zelda games)

No more! NO MORE!! Look at him! LOOK! He's a full-grown man in green tights, who stalks you and wants to be friends with you. He believes in fairies and is an absolute swindler when it comes to selling maps. He is the closest thing to the devil in gaming! I shudder each time I see his smug, criminal face, his obnoxiously weird frame and ridiculous tights. He even has his own game (that I want, actually) but it must be about his control over the netherworld! That must be it!
Ugh, I seriously don't like Tingle. REALLY don't like him.

Missingno (Pokémon Red/Blue/Green)

Yes, I added Green. At first, you might not think Missingno is scary or disturbing. He's just a glitch (Missingno is apparently just Missing No. put together. I just learned that a few months ago), and a really weird one at that. It will astronomically increase the number of items you have in the sixth spot. This thing was really weird when I was younger. I just didn't know what it is. However, when you think about it...when the trainer meets Missingno, don't you think he'll start wondering: "What is this?! A glitch?". The trainer will start speculating, and might find out he's actually just a character in a video game, being controlled by another human. How scary is that? Imagine walking down the street and suddenly seeing a jumble of pixels and fuzz, and whatever you had in your sixth pocket (if you are wearing six-pocket jeans, that is) was increased exponentially! That would just be downright scary.

The Great Mighty Poo (Conker's Bad Fur Day)

Need I explain? Well, it seems I do. He's an opera singing piece of rancid poo. Yum. Not only that, he actually sings a catchy tune. Who'd have guessed? He lives in a putrid pool of poo, and guess what its main way of attacking is? Flinging poo of course. How do you beat him? Throw toilet paper in his mouth? Oh, Rare. So crazy. If you don't know what is disturbing about this, then you are just weird.

Chaos Graham (Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow)

Are you seeing this? This is just disturbing. Two women stuck together through the middle, with one beating heart, a ring through their eyes and a halo of skulls above their head? This is sick...and awesome. Castlevania borders the horror genre, but since it isn't scary, it doesn't fit. Anyway, this is one of the final bosses in Aria of Sorrow, and it is really disturbing. I didn't even notice the true form of the boss until later, but whoa, how could I miss that? Ah, CV, you are awesome.

Gergoth (Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow)

There is more CV! Much more! Next is Gergoth. What is he? A decaying lump of flesh? Most likely. The most disgusting part about him is, however, when he "peels off" his skin for a beam attack.

Illogical picture, yes, but it is the best one I found. Look at that! Disgusting!

Beelzebub (Castlevania: Symphony of the Night)

More decaying flesh, but in a whole other form. This is basically a huge, rotten corpse hanging on a number of hooks, and flies are constantly bursting out of the body. This is just incredibly graphic, and it is also worth noting the name: Beelzebub, aka Satan. Just saying...

Legion (or Granfalloon) (many Castlevania games, originally Symphony of the Night)

For sake of simplicity, I will be referring to it as Legion, though technically, it started as Granalloon. Really, Granfalloon? Anyway, a bunch of featureless, naked bodies stuck together in a sphere, covering a core and tentacles that spit out beams. That is Legion. It has become somewhat of an ongoing boss in the series, appearing in many other games in differnent forms. It's always scary, though. And deeply disturbing.

Spoiled Rotten (Wario Land 4)

Aww, you're fighting a cute, pink eggplant. So cute! NO!! Once you start whittling down its HP, it will show it's true form:

What is this? That is one spoiled eggplant. This really scared me when I was younger. It was just incredibly scary. The sudden disappearance of the initial innocence is staggering. Snivelling monstrosities are always disturbing.

First boss in Altered Beast (Altered Beast)

Wise fwum yoh gwave! Altered Beast is an awesome game, no-one can deny that. If you do, then you are WRONG (or havea differentopinion, either way). The first boss is especially noticable. I don't know its name, and I don't know what it is exactly either (flesh again). However, how it attacks is what is most disturbing. It just throws its head at you again and again and again and again, and it always grows back...I wish I could do that. Regardless, that is very disturbing indeed.

Tonberry (many Final Fantasy games)

If you know nothing of the creature called the tonberry, you might think it isjust a little weakling. Well, that is not the case. Tonberries are one of the most notorious and dangerous Final Fantasy enemies. They walk ominously toward you for three turns, and counters with Karma, which hurts you more and more depending on how many monsters you've killed. Then, when it comes close, it will attack you with its kitchen knife of DEATH! For being intimidating with a lantern and kitchen knife, the tonberry deserves to be on this list.

*SPOILERS* (Persona 4)

SPOILER WARNING!

READY

Shadow Mitsuo (Persona 4)

What's scary about a computer game-like character as a boss? It's what's inside:

Darn it! No pictures! Well, basically it's like an angel baby. AN ANGEL BABY! It's very creepy too. It's one of the toughest battles in the game on top of that. What else do I need to say?

Oh, those vacant eyes. So scary. Still, most of the bosses from Persona 4 could be here. Check 'em out. They are funky.

....aaaaand that's it! Thanks for reading. I probably misseda lot of enemies, characters and bosses, but I hope this suffices. Enjoy and happy Halloween (still a way off, sigh)!

Before I present the linky and other stuff, I will point out a few things. Firstly, staying in the Halloween motif, I will be posting some scary music in the next few ATiVG, no gameplay or other stuff. Also, I'll be checking the recommendations (gdw, thank you) after the 31st, so look forward to it. I would also like to point out that any recommendations are welcome, at any time, so don't hesitate to point music out to me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsuTC1yGqng

WHAT IS THIS!? Seriously, this is so un-Mario, that it isn't even funny. It plays when you plunge yourself into the river Twygz (reference of the river Styx, of course), where paper hands will seek you out and drag you down. I....seriously don't know how to explain it...............................................................................................................................

-Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto! Oh...wait.

This can only be described as satanic cries of anguish, for help. Just scary. And in a happy-go-lucky game like Super Paper Mario! Insanity.

I have nothing more to say. Just...disturbing.

The blog's title says it all. Hmm...ten things about me...

1. For one, I'm Icelandic. Icelandic Gamespot users: I'd guess around 20.
2. I'm 17, a '92 kid, and have been gaming since '97 (that will be really cool after 20 years)
3. I'm very serious when it comes to school, and always finish my assignments.
4. Gaming is my only real past time, but I read books, manga, comics, watch movies and TV as well.
5. I reada number ofgaming magazines: PSM3 UK, OPM UK, GameInformer (aren't available here, anymore, though), NGamer and PCGamer, even though I'm not a PC gamer. I just like reading about games :P
6. I own three dogs, have had two in the past and also one budgerigar. They've sadly passed.
7. I'm a avid fan of animals, I just love them. I still eat meat though, which makes me feel a bit like a hypocrite. Oh well.
8. I'm very tall, 6'4" or 192 cm for the metric people (comme moi)
9. I play pretty much all gaming genres except for modern sports games, which don't appeal much to me, and MMO's, which I greatly dislike.
10. My favorite music genre is VGM (video game music), simply because it is so vast. I love it.

Anyway, I'm supposed to tag three people...how do I do that?

Muhahahahaha! Are you ready for ultimate terror? The kind that makes you quiver in your boots (if you're wearing boots)? Then get ready for it. Bracy yourselves.......here we GO!!

Seriously, here's the list over the most disturbing monstrosities I've seen ina game. EVER. Now, let's start this thing.

Regenerators/Iron Maidens (Resi 4)

Oh dear, these things. What are they? Not completely sure, to be honest. But boy, do they scare you. You might just think ashotgun head-shot would do, but NO! His head just grows back after being blown to bits. Take off a leg? Grows back. Take off an arm? Grows back. So, what are you to do? Use the most constricting and slow weapon in the game, the rifle. You have to use a infrared scope to seek out concentrated weak points all over their bodies, and shoot all of them. You have to do this while this freak slowly approaches you. Grrr...
But regenerators pale in comparison to...the Iron Maidens.

Look at these things! Sick! Luckily, these more lethal versions of regenerators are rare, and you don't fight many of them, but when you do...get ready for DEATH!

Pyramid Head (Silent Hill 2)

Would any list of disturbing entities be complete without the king of gaming horror, Pyramid Head? No, it wouldn't. He is, hands down, the most disturbing thing I've seen in a game. Let's look past his painful looking pyramid head, humongous butcher knife and bloody apron. The things he does with those dolls takes the cake. I can handle blood, violence, even torture, but sexual offence is something that has always made me feel uncontrollably bad. Ugh, for that Pyramid Head more than "deserves" to be on here.

Guardians (Dead Space)

Pretty much every enemy from Dead Space could easily get onto this list. The guardians, however, manage to stand out in my memory for the simple pain they experience throughout the battle. These are necromorph-infected humans that are unlucky enough to be grafted to the wall, skin and all. Not only that, but they're intestines have become tendrils that lash out of the large cavity in the abdominal area. To add to the excrutiating pain that must cause, the guardians also "spit" out of the cavity larva-like pods that spit acid at you and are lethal. While all of this madness is happening, the guardian just screams out in pain, high-pitched, uncontrollable screams that will send chills down any person's spine. They can also OHKO you if you get to close, so they are mean in every way. And yet, you pity them as well, leaving no other option than to take them out of their misery. Permanently.

Dr. Salvador (Resi 4)

Another Resi 4 entry, but for a whole other reason.
People with bags on their head are always creepy. They give off this vibe of...deformity. You know they have something to hide, and that make's it just more disturbing. Add to that the brutal chainsaw he weild and the OHKO's it deals, and you've got one bad customer. There's also Super Salvador, a super fast version of Dr. Salvador with a double-bladed chainsaw ON FIRE! MADNESS!

Well, that's it...for now. As you can see, there are not many entries here. That is mostly because I haven't played that many horror games. But rest assured, I've got more stuff up my sleeves. My next list will be the most disturbing enemies in non-horror games. I know there are non-horror games out there that still deal with disturbing motifs (Castlevania), but it is in a different surrounding, and it is more interesting to see the plethora of things that are actually more than meets the eye. Well, adios for now, people, and keep on looking forward to Halloween.

-Calvinsora