OK, so it's technically not Halloween yet but it would be boring to just celebrate the holiday on the day itself. So, I'll be blogging soon about the most disturbing enemies I've seen in a game, both in horror games and out of them. Get ready for chills and thrills, with Calvinsora as host!

I've also changed my avatar for the joyous occasion, Joker from Monster Rancher 2. Disturbing :P

Halloween is so awesome. Icelanders don't really celebrate it officially (instead, we have Ash Day in February, WEAK), but me, my family and a few other families who have lived in the US celebrate it every year. It's my second favorite holiday ever (Christmas is, after all, the most wonderful time of the year), so I'm psyched. I hope Gamespot has something planned, the last feature was very cool.

Anyway, toodleoo for now.

-Calvinsora

Bonjour, all you GS subscribers. If any of you have been reading my blogs, you will know I'm writing a list of all the things I think are awesome about video games. Now, this blog is about one factor of the music entries in my list.

Now, in most parts, I am limited to the games I've played over the years, but music is an exception. If I see a good song, it requires recognition no matter what. So, what to do? I'm here to announce that anyone that has some interesting music at hand that you think I either don't know about or have forgotten, you are more than welcome to PM me about it or comment on it in my blogs. This will make my list that much more varied and overall fun to read. Don't be shy, just let loose! I know some obscure gems, but not nearly all of them. Not even close.

Anyway, hope everything is all right with you people. Peace out!

-Calvinsora

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAhAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! See what I did? I made you HAVE to click on the blog button to see what it contained. Ingenious, yes?

Anyway, I didn't, in all honesty, do this just to be annoying. This is my tenth entry in my blog over awesome things in video gaming and I have decided to showcase my favorite VGM EVAR (yes, with an a). What is it? Guess. What is my favorite game? What is my favorite instrument (actually, you shouldn't know this)? It's Kingdom Hearts! It's the piano! What does this mean? Anyone who has played KH knows of what I speak. It plays on the intro screen. It is in both games. It is Dearly Beloved.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3SmD61UGoo

This is the first song I actually listened to in a game simply to listen to it. I used to just leave the menu screen on and listen to the calm piano lull me into a state of complete serenity. Words cannot describe the beauty and pure emotion in this song. After playing the game over four times through, and listening to this song more often than I can count, this song still gives me goosebumps every time I hear it, and not figuratively. Literally. A wave of uncontrollable nostalgia flows over me, sending me back to the sweet days of childhood, when nothing could seperate me from Kingdom Hearts and all the hidden beauty and depth to be found within.

-Man, I just love this game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D9aS__W07Q

What's this? Another link?! Yes, there's another version in the game, this time in the form of a music box. And it is just as beautiful. The clinks and clanks are filled with both sadness and hope, beckoning a faint chance to succeed in hardships. This version plays in the more serene moments in the game, and is implemented brilliantly. It is reminiscent of a lullaby you heard a thousand times in your past, and it is engraved in your memory.

-Heart-shaped moon and Disney characters aside, this is one of the most human games out there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0H8YHAuaNg

Wait, more? Yes, of course there's more! This is the Kingdom Hearts 2 version of Dearly Beloved. It is more orchestral, and adds a number of different instruments to the fray. It is no less brilliant, adding more depth to the already oceanic one of the first version, though it sacrifices pure simplicity in the process. Still, genious.

-So close to the first game, so close!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfAso4OPmWc

There's more? This is the 358/2 Days version, or Roxas' Dearly Beloved, whatever you choose to call it. Gee whiz, does the composer know how to use the same song but always make it sound different. I've never played the game, and is this the first time I've heard this version. Only one word: Beautiful.

-Couldn't they have come with an easier name? Regardless, I want this game so bad!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oe5WV17WyLs

You thought this was over? Haha, not yet. This is the Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories version (Rebirth, to be more exact). It's more like the first version, albeit a longer and more ethereal one. Beautiful, as always, and works well in creating a feeling of amnesia, which is really prevalent in CoM.

-Chain of Memories: a game disliked by many, but not me! I loved it!

Finally, just a few links with devoted people playing the song in their own way:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amOdUX1Afkg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YI3_6IJXTk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpiqMbGXitQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPmDBVyX4Ek
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1cty6cjCec

Well, there you go. If you haven't noticed my love for Kingdom Hearts, you'll get well acquainted with it in the future. Until then, I bid adieu.

Please, comment and tell me: What is your favorite version?

Megaman is a character most gamers know. Throughout the years, Megaman has been the poster boy for devilishly difficult but endlessly rewarding games that have defined those who are willing to work at improving their game. However, Megaman had slowly started to appear in lacklustre, and eventually, plain bad games (*cough* MM X7 *cough*). I, unfortunately, haven't gotten into the old games, though this is definitely near the top of my (extensive) To-do list. I most recognize Megaman from the actually good Battlenetwork games, though they are both spin-offs and non-canon. However, I thank those games, because otherwise, I would never haveknown who Megaman is.

-Hero, saviour...legend.

But as previously mentioned, Megaman's days (especially in 2D) as king had all but disappeared. Luckily, Capcom knew how to address the problem, how to get back to form, how to restore Megaman to his former glory: go back to square one; literally. Sporting graphics and sound like right out of the 8-bit era, gameplay à la Megaman 2 and a difficulty that would make Mirror's Edge blush, Megaman 9 is everything a retro-lover could ask or. I won't go in too much detail, as that is what reviews are for, but Megaman 9 is a game that no-one with more than a passing interest in tough but awarding gameplay should miss out on.

-Even the box art goes back to the controversial, nonsensical '80s

Rarely has last-gen been so sweet, yet so wonderfully nostalgic. This is the epitomy of how to revive a character from its doom (Sonic, I'm looking at you). I must say that I applaud Sega here as well, as they are coming out with a new hi-def Sonic side-scroller on consoles. I'm actually psyched.
Anyway, that's all I have to say of the matter for now, but Megaman 9 is one of the quintessential games of this generation of gaming. Get it, or be square!

-Hornets: yellow, stripey, deadly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8ZubcNyUPY

Now, the next entry in Awesome things in video games! I felt this VGM fitting after my last musical entry. This is, to put it simply, disturbing. This is on the limit of actually being music, but I consider it barely makes it.

-Ugh, disturbing.

Like I previously stated, I haven't (yet) played Earthbound, so I don't know much about Giygas or the prelude to the battle. All I know is that the battle comes right after the fight with Porky. However, I do know that this boss was partly inspired by a certain violent scene Shigesato Itoi (producer and director) saw in his childhood. Therefore, the disturbing aspects are amplified further. The song is in tune with the amount of fear that this battle is supposed to invoke. Static, weird ambiant noises, other stuff you have simply never heard before. All of these things can be found in this chilling song.

I could not find any goodpicture of the last form of Giygas, but I can say with much certainty that it is in the form of a fetus. Some have tried to oppose the idea, but the image of its last form is no coincidence. Thisbattle is an unusually scary part in a pretty much incredibly innocent (albeit weird) game, and the music cements that fact. I really want to play the game :cry: .

I brought this upon myself; I brought this upon myself; I brought this upon myself.

Well, after that mantra, I'm ready! Because I failed in naming the meaning behind each and every acronym he had posted, I have to post a blog (I've never even heard of C.O.P.). Anyway, pika's awesomeness transcends what is considered normal awesomeness. He is awesome in both the old meaning of the word (something that invokes awe) and the new meaning (something incredible, cool etc.). He is the God of War, after all, and according to his rants, he is also Bozo. I'll leave it to him to find out which, but either way, the awesomeness can't be beat. For each 100000 awesome people, there is 1 person with the awesomeness of pika. I believe that is everything I can say.
I feel so.......wrong.

Anyway, on to other things. I have changed my avatar once again, and will do so frequently. This time, it is Durahan from Monster Rancher 2.

After blood, sweat and tears (well, not blood) I have managed to get access to the PSN store and all the goodies that are there within. The story behind this accomplishment is too long to tell here but lets just say it has taken a long time. The first two games I've bought are Megaman 9 and FF7. It is high-time I play these games and I am psyched to play them.

Anyway, hope everyone is doing good. Bye for now.

-Calvinsora

Ah, this is a bit more niche. Monster Rancher 2 is a PSX game released 1999, and was actually critically acclaimed, getting a 8,7 from Gamespot. However, it didn't become as popular as it should have been, and therefore isn't very prominent when people talk about good PSX games. So this is not just an entry in my blog about awesome things in video gaming. This is also me informing you of the game's existence, and hoping you will someday experience the joy of playing this superb game. My new icon is from the game, if you were wondering.

-See that armored pink ball and triceratops? Yeah, they're not in the game at all.

Anyway, on to the real point of this blog! Breeding monsters, of course, became mainstream with Pokémon, which everyone should recognize as one of the best handheld series out there. The Monster Rancher series shares many common aspects with the famous breeding series, but lays interesting twist and turns to it. You start off as a young breeder with nothing to your name except a little money and a farm. You then slowly build up your reputation until you become a monster breeder with dignity. You can get monsters either by buying them at the market, getting them off discs (to be explained) or by combining two monsters. There is a large variety of monsters, which can all combine with other monsters to create sub-breeds.

-Four ways to see information about your monster.

The disc system is very interesting. You pop a disc into the PS and let the console read it. Then you put the MR2 disc back in and voila, monster. You then take a monster home and start training it. You can choose from a number of drills which train various aspects of your monster (see picture above). Youwill also have to feed your monster,make it rest and see to itthat iffeels well at all times. You can go onerrantries to make your monster learn new abilities or go on expeditions to find rare andexotic items.Once your stats are sufficient enough, you can enter your monster into battle. There, you will fight other monsters and reap awards if you win.

-A typical battle in MR2 (if you can actually see anything).

This sounds simple, but there is an underlying complexity to it, and it ultimately makes MR2 one of the most fun and addictive games on the Playstation. Everything about it reeks of charm and personality, and MR2 is the record-holder for the most time I've spent on a game, reaching about 300 hours. I love Monster Rancher 2, I really do, and that is why it more than deserves a spot in my ongoing list of awesome things in video gaming.

Spoilers ahoy.

*SPOILERS*

*SPOILERS*

*SPOILERS*

Everyone who's played Bioshock knows this scene, simply because it is the games most memorable. It is also one of the best twists in gaming for a long time. After being dragged around Rapture searching for your enemy Andrew Ryan, with the help of the enigmatic Atlas, you stumble upon a room with a large board, on which there are pictures of a few key people, with you in the middle, a bunch of lines that connect them with explanatory text and written in large red (blood, most likely) letters is the phrase "Would you kindly". You enter the office, confronting Andrew Ryan, the creator, controller and tyrant of Rapture...and your father.

Your mind apacing, things start to make sense. You start to see why you're here, how you ended up here. Yet, you go confused into the next room, which is Andrew Ryan's office. Inside, he is serenely playing mini-golf, and starts addressing you. He talks of your arrival here, and explains that you hijacked the plane, driven by an internal trigger activated by Atlas. He also explains the phrase: "Would you kindly", which is simply a way to control the player, make him do what you want. Flashbacks of Atlas saying the phrase multiple times occurs and Andrew states: "A man chooses, a slave obeys". After demonstrating the power of the phrase, he orders you to kill him with the golf club he was using just moments ago to see whether the phrase would even drive you to kill your own father. You seize it and, with no control over your body, hit him in the head. He falls down and then slowly rises, muttering "A man chooses, a slave obeys". You hit him again, wounding him further, and he only manages to mumble "A slave obeys". He rises again, to only be hit by you once again. Nearing death's door, he rises for the last time, screaming: "OBEY!" before getting the head of the golf club lodged squarely into his head. He crumples down to the floor, and you hear Atlas ordering you to get out of there. You run over to the self-destruct machine and enter the card key you just received, and turn off the device.

Atlas sighs, and then laughs. His kind Irish accent changes to a cold Bronx accent, and Atlas introduces himself as Frank Fontaine. He reveals himself as the puppet master of your entire journey in Rapture, and then leaves you to die. You feel betrayed, hurt and very alone. You now have only one purpose: take down Frank Fontaine.

I've barely ever seen a more powerful or well-written scene in gaming history. It's surprising, brutal and makes you look at the game in a whole different way. You want to play the game again simply to see all the hidden meanings behind each and every one of your actions. It is truly stunning, and is a showcase of how far depth in gaming can reach.

(Sorry, I was going to put a spoiler tag, but Gamespot said my html wasn't well-formed :cry: )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4z82byt5mA

I might change the title of these blogs to awesome music in video gaming :P. There is just so much awesome music in videogaming. Anyway, this song is from the culthit Earthbound. I am ashamed to say I have never played the game, but that is mainly because I don't consider emulation as an option. However, I'm still hopeful that a remake will appear at some time, so I have my fingers crossed. Porky Means Business is a great example of the simple craziness that abounds in Earthbound. It starts off old and retro, with 8-bit music alluding to the good old NES games. Then, the music goes ina completely different direction to more metal motifs. It blends perfectly with the epic battle with Porky, the spoiled brat who's been annoying you throughout the game.

-Psi 255 Ω indeed.

Not only that, but after this battle...shudder.