Blog on Hiatus until April 2010!

As some of you may know, I am a member of the U.S. Army National Guard, having joined up with the MS ARNG this past November (of 2009).  As I currently have an 09S MOS, I have a long string of training coming up, which will probably consist of most of 2010 and possibly into 2011.  This is because I will not only have to attend Basic Combat Training, but I will have to go to something called Warrior Leadership Course (a leadership course for Non-Commissioned Officers) and then to the three phases of Federal Officer's Candidate School.

Tomorrow, I have to go to the hotel near our Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) and I will be shipping out to BCT at Fort Jackson, SC on the morning of Monday, 25 JAN 2010.  I am scheduled to be there for 9 weeks and 4 days, so I don't expect to be back until the very end of March or the first couple days of April.  Once back, I will continue to post here, though I have to attend WLC in April and will be shipping out to OCS on 10 MAY 2010.  Thus, the blog will be on an off-and-on schedule.

Until next time, though, I hope everything goes well for all of you, and I thank you for reading and enjoying this blog.  So, as always..."Game on!"

10 Years of Phantasy Star Online...And the End of PSU?

It was brought to my attention today that Sega's "Phantasy Star Universe" MMORPG will be ceasing its online functionality (even for the latest expansion) on 31 MAR 2010.  This server closure will only affect the PlayStation 2 and PC versions of the game, but the words "this server / service closure is helping to pave the way for bigger and better things for the Phantasy Star franchise in the very near future" seem to imply that the XBox 360 version will also be closed at some undetermined time in favor of newer projects.


So, that being said, here is the current schedule of events relating to this closure:


29 JAN 2010: The long-awaited "MAG+" events will begin.  No new accounts can be created at this point.  Current subscribers will be able to play for free until the servers close on 31 MAR.


31 MAR 2010: The PS2/PC servers close, but the single-player mode is still functional.  XBox 360 gamers will still be able to play until further notice.


I think that with the closure of the PC and PS2 servers, the game will most likely be picked up by third-party, private-server owners, like SCHTHACK (who runs the PSO private servers).  This will remain to be seen, of course.  If you'd like to know more about this, check out Sega's official message about this matter.

Will the Newest Zelda be a Sequel to "Majora's Mask?"

Ever since it was revealed that Nintendo was working on yet another major installment in their long-running Zelda franchise (this time for the Wii), many people speculated as to what this newest game would be about.  Although Nintendo has been relatively tight-lipped about the game, some information about it was recently leaked.  While nothing is set in stone at this point, certain aspects about the game seem very plausible.  Here's what was revealed, according to Zelda Informer:

• The game will be vary from the dungeon field dungeon method we are accustomed too (nothing new, Eiji Aonuma confirmed that last year).
• You will be able to select right or left handed at the start, and Link will be left or right handed based on your selection
• The gameplay and basic mechanics are complete.
• They are currently polishing up the story and Characters.
• One of the characters they are working on is a innkeeper in Link's home village who has a son that looks up to Link.
• The girl in the art is not the Master Sword, and it appears the Master Sword will not be in the game.
• The girls name from the painting could possibly be Adelle, Adella, or Aderu.
• She is not with you throughout the game like Ezlo and Midna.
• The face in the painting of her is not her real face. It's not fully elaborated on much, but it does say that it was a place holder concept art piece.(assuming the entire art itself was just concept work)
• Link's sword is highly unique in this game, and will have several unlockable abilities. Adelle (or whatever her final name becomes) communicates with you through this sword.
• There will be horseback combat. Epona will avoid obstacles automatically.
• The models for 3 significant characters in the game have been touched up, but no they are not Zelda or Ganondorf. (Google translate gives rough names of Link, Gorons, and Epona, but our translator said it's not specifically mentioned)
• The idea of this version of Link also being The Hero of Time has been highly considered, and may already be implemented.
• Time travel plays a roll in the game.
• The game takes place in more then just Hyrule, and may possibly not be Hyrule at all.

 The mention of the Hero of Time has led many people to (correctly?) assume that this latest installment will be a follow-up to 2000's "The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask."  Nintendo has yet to reveal entirely what happened to the Hero of Time (or the Heroes of Time depending on your theory about the time-line), and being as OoT was perhaps their most popular installment, it would make sense for them to continue that storyline.


So, what are your thoughts about this?  Are you excited yet?

"Lufia" Series is Getting a Reboot on the DS!

Many of you RPG enthusiasts will no doubt recall the ever-popular Lufia series, which made its debut on the SNES back in 1993.  The series, known as Estpolis in Japan, revolved around a world in which the gods fought out their games of destiny.  The "Sinistrals" - god-like beings sent by Lord Arek - were the center of most of the games' storylines.

The series contained two titles released on the SNES, "Lufia and the Fortress of Doom" and "Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals" (which takes place about 99 years before the events of the first game), in 1993 and 1996 respectively.  The series went on to feature two more games, released in 2000 and 2002 for the GBC and GBA.  Aside from a couple Japanese-only side-stories released for mobile devices, the series has been on hiatus ever since.

That is, of course, until it was announced late last year that the series would be getting a reboot on the Nintendo DS.  This "new" title, called "First Estpolis: The Lands Cursed by the Gods," will be a remake of "Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals," the first chronological game (and perhaps the best) in the series.  The folks behind this remake are at Square-Enix, who purchased the original developer, Taito, back in 2005.  The remake will be done in a style similar to the Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest remakes on the console, with one major exception: the game will be more of an action/adventure/RPG than its predecessors!  While the original games featured some Zelda-like action, they were seen from an overhead perspective and featured standard RPG-style enemy combat.  Yet, this new title will be Zelda-like in nearly every aspect, with players exploring dungeons, using their skills (in the game and at gaming) to defeat powerful monsters, and much more!

This all excites me because the Lufia series was one of my favorites on the SNES, and I did enjoy the two portable follow-ups.  It was a series I always thought deserved more, and I was, in a way, sad back in 2000 when "Lufia: Ruins Chaser" was canned in favor of a GBC version.  Yet, as the old saying goes, it's better late than never, and I will certainly be looking forward to this title.

The game is due out on 25 FEB 2010 in Japan, and although no official word has been given regarding a Western release, the series' large fan-following leads me to believe that we will be hearing more about this title as 2010 progresses.

In the meantime, you should watch this promotional trailer over at The Save Points! and let me know what you think!

Rockman Zero Collection coming to Japan in April!

At this year's World Hobby Fair, Capcom announced the impending release of the "Rockman Zero Collection" for the Nintendo DS.  The game, which will contain all four "Rockman Zero" games on one cartridge, along with bonus material, will be heading to the DS on 22 APR 2010.  There aren't many details about the title out there yet, but the game will contain a "Collection Mode" which will, no doubt, contain a gallery of artwork from the game.

If you'd like to know more about this title, you should check out the game's official website.

Operate Shooting Star not-Western Bound?

On this thread over at CapcomUnity's Ask Capcom, folks were inquisitive as to the status of "Rockman.EXE: Operate Shooting Star" (released 12 NOV 2009 for the DS in Japan).  However, Christian Svensson replied with a short, simple response: "For the moment, no plans for a Western release."

While opinions regarding this title have been mixed at best, this isn't too surprising of a move on Capcom's part.  The game itself almost is an enhanced remake of the original "Rockman.EXE," including some cross-over features between the EXE series and the SSR series.  While many fans would love to see this game released outside of Japan, it probably won't happen unless the game sells very well in Japan and fan-demand is high

Thanks for pointing this out, Protodude!

Even More Information about the "Mega Man 10" Robot Masters!

Now that the proverbial cat is out of the bag, IGN has written a very detailed article regarding the eight new robot masters in "Mega Man 10."  What's more, they have a nice album of new screenshots of the game that can be viewed on their site.

So, what are you waiting for?  Check it out today!

Thanks for pointing this out, Protodude!