Like A Turtle

Like a turtle, I withdraw into a safe place of comfort. 

Though I want nothing more than to explore my horizons, 
The world outside is too hard to face. 

I endeavour to soar with the eagles. 
I attempt to swim with the dolphins. 
I try to run with the cheetahs. 

But in the end, I am ostracized, 
And must hide away from the pain. 
I must hide away 
From the inevitable sting of defeat. 

For though I want nothing more than to have a friend, 
The safe shelter of my shell is the only thing 
That can protect me from the harshness 
Of the things I can never have, 
And the failed opportunities I dare not face.

A Flash Of Blades

Steel

The sword floats in the air,
Its silvery blade gleaming.

Hungry

The razor-sharp edge glistens
As it slices through the air,
Missing its mark by inches.

Thirsty

The ornate handle shows elegance,
Reflecting the weapon it adorns.

Beautiful

The clang of metal meeting metal
Rings like a toll of the Grim Reaper
At the end of days.

Deadly

Scratches and dents adorn the steel,
Remnants of battles long past.

Experienced

Crimson red liquid runs down its length
As it finally reaches its mark,
And leeches life from its victim.

Victorious

Worst Video Game Series: The Sims

Let’s face it, for every good videogame you’ve played in your life, you can probably recall a dozen that you’ve played that simply weren’t up to par. Every aspect of life has its duds, and video games are no exceptions, whether it’s the result of poor controls, bad writing, or just a really crappy independent company that has no business making video games in the first place. We can all recall plenty of games that are just horrible, but which game SERIES is the worst? In my opinion, it’s got to be The Sims. I know this will probably seem like a strange choice to many readers, due to its popularity, when there are so many other games out there that are universally hated. And I’ll admit, there are a few things that The Sims does well which can make it “fun” to play. But if we’re talking about it in terms of series, The Sims comes out on top because of the fact that more universally hated games are usually a single game without a series because they were so bad that the developers dropped it immediately, or because they are a lone dud within the midst of a successful and well-done franchise. For me, The Sims matches neither of these criteria, so let’s jump right into the fray.

Favorite Video Game Character: Ratchet, from Ratchet and Clank

Every good game needs good characters. A great plot, great gameplay, doesn’t mean anything if your protagonist is an annoying jerk, your villain is shoddily put-together, or you’re playing a FPS. (No offense, HALO fans) If the characters in the game aren’t relatable or likable, then the player won’t want to play the game, since the essence of the game is following these characters around and how they drive the plot forward. So while I’m preparing for finals this year, I thought I would introduce you to my favorite videogame character: Ratchet, from the Ratchet & Clank game series.

Final Fantasy Favorites: Gameplay

Arguably the most important aspect of any game is, as the name suggests, gameplay. Beautiful graphics, wonderful stories, everything else becomes pointless if the interactive portion of the game isn’t interesting to the gamer. Otherwise, you might as well just read a book or watch a movie. I’m not talking about the battle system here, however, since I feel that deserves an entire post to itself, but I will be going into as much of the interactive experience of Final Fantasy as I can, including things like World Maps, minigames, transportation, and even simple things like controls and talking to NPCs. Let’s get to it.

Final Fantasy Favorites

One of the more common video game blogs I’ve seen online have at one point or another done their own take on the Final Fantasy video game series, ranking them from worst to best, so I thought I’d join the club and contribute my own list to the internet. I find it really difficult to pick an absolute victor in the game series, however, since each game is so different from the others in so many different ways. So instead of a list, I’ll compare and contrast the games that I have played, which sadly is a rather short list, based on certain elements of the games, with a personal favorite in each category. Because this review list would otherwise be insanely long otherwise, I have decided to split it up into several separate posts, each detailing a different element. I’m excited, and I hope you are too!

First up: Gameplay

Maniacal Monday: Frieza, from Dragon Ball Z

Dragon Ball Z is one of the more well-known manga/anime to come out of Japan, and certainly the most well known of its creator, Akir Toriyama. The sequel of the manga/anime Dragon Ball, it follows the chronicles of Goku as he defends the universe from all things evil with his fists, and massively unnecessary explosions. While the series has its ups and downs, one cannot deny that it has some of the most entertaining and terrifying villains ever created, even if they can sometimes look ridiculous (See Majin Buu). This week is none other than the tyrannical overlord known as Frieza.