Friday, March 13, 2015
Tuesday, June 07, 2011
Playing Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Father in OS X - Short Version
Here are the steps I took to play Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Father on my Mac. This tutorial is specifically for running the version of the game from GoodOldGames.com, NOT for the original CD or for other versions obtained via the net.
Step 1: Get the game
Purchase and download Gabriel Knight from GOG.com. Install the game onto a PC. As far as I know, this can't be done using a Mac without emulating Windows on the Mac. Find the directory called "Gabriel Knight" containing all of the game files and transfer them to your Mac, probably via a portable hard drive. Make a new directory in your "/home" (or "/username") folder and name it something like "dosgames". Save the "Gabriel Knight" folder to "/home/dosgames".
Step 2: Get DOSBox
Download DOSBox for OSX to your Mac and save the application in your Applications folder.
Step #3: Configure hardware settings
Open DOSBox and enter the following commands one at a time:
This will bring you to Gabriel Knight's hardware configuration screen. The best options for me were "VGA or IBM PS2 - 256 Colors" for graphics, "Sound Blaster Pro" for Music, and "ThunderBoard" for audio, but different options may work better for you. Just make sure to select options that have check marks next to them.
Step 4: Optimize DOSBox for the game
Open "/home/Library/Preferences/DOSBox 0.74 Preferences" with TextEdit. At the very end of the document, beneath where it says "# You can put your MOUNT lines here." write:
Save the document and exit. Now when you open DOSBox, it will automatically start Gabriel Knight. If you don't want it to start automatically, delete "sierra" from the "DOSBox 0.74 Preferences" document.
This is what worked for me; hopefully it's of help to you!
Step 1: Get the game
Purchase and download Gabriel Knight from GOG.com. Install the game onto a PC. As far as I know, this can't be done using a Mac without emulating Windows on the Mac. Find the directory called "Gabriel Knight" containing all of the game files and transfer them to your Mac, probably via a portable hard drive. Make a new directory in your "/home" (or "/username") folder and name it something like "dosgames". Save the "Gabriel Knight" folder to "/home/dosgames".
Step 2: Get DOSBox
Download DOSBox for OSX to your Mac and save the application in your Applications folder.
Step #3: Configure hardware settings
Open DOSBox and enter the following commands one at a time:
mount c ~/dosgames
c:
cd gabrie~1
install
This will bring you to Gabriel Knight's hardware configuration screen. The best options for me were "VGA or IBM PS2 - 256 Colors" for graphics, "Sound Blaster Pro" for Music, and "ThunderBoard" for audio, but different options may work better for you. Just make sure to select options that have check marks next to them.
Step 4: Optimize DOSBox for the game
Open "/home/Library/Preferences/DOSBox 0.74 Preferences" with TextEdit. At the very end of the document, beneath where it says "# You can put your MOUNT lines here." write:
mount c ~/dosgames
imgmount d ~/dosgames/gabriel_knight/GK1.gog -t iso
c:
cd gabrie~1
sierra
Save the document and exit. Now when you open DOSBox, it will automatically start Gabriel Knight. If you don't want it to start automatically, delete "sierra" from the "DOSBox 0.74 Preferences" document.
This is what worked for me; hopefully it's of help to you!
Playing Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Father in OS X - Long Version
The concept was simple enough: purchase Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Father from GoodOldGames.com and play it though the Mac OSX version of DOSBox. Unfortunately, the process was filled with setbacks. Below is the documentation of my trials.
Firstly, here are my computer's specs:
Mac OS X 10.5.7
PowerPC G4
Problem #1: setup_gabriel_knight.exe
The download from GOG.com is a executable (.exe) file called "setup_gabriel_knight.exe" that can only be run on Windows. It automatically installs the game on the user's Windows OS and can't be run on Mac OSX.
Solution:
I downloaded and installed the game to a serparate PC, then went to the directory it installed to (in this case, C:\Program Files (x86)\GOG.com) and copied the "Gabriel Knight" folder and all of its contents to a thumb drive. Then I transfered the files from the drive to my Mac.
Problem #2: Learning to use DOSBox
In order to access a DOS game to run it, you must enter a series of commands into the DOSBox interface (after opening DOSBox, of course). The first step is to tell DOSBox where the game is -- that is, which directory (aka folder) the game is located. This is done using the "mount" command, which designates a directory as a C drive for DOSBox.
Solution:
Following instructions I found online, I made a new directory called "DOSGames" in my home folder (the one with my user name, in this case "localadmin"). I then used this command line in DOSBox:
The "~" represents the home folder, "localadmin". Also note that while the directory slashes on Windows are backslashes, "\", on Mac OSX they're forwardslashes, "/". Finally, note that CAPS don't matter.
So, "mount c ~/dosgames" identified my DOSGames directory as the C drive. I then told it to take me to that directory using this simple command:
Which caused the "Z:\>" to become "C:\>". Then I typed
"cd" means Change Directory, and "gabrie~1" is the abbreviated version of the directory "Gabriel Knight" (which I renamed "Gabriel_Knight"). So this brought DOSBox to the "Gabriel_Knight" folder, where the game is stored. Finally, I could tell DOSBox to play the game using:
...which is the executable that starts the game. (The .exe doesn't need to be included.)
Problem #3: That takes way too long
Typing all that code is a pain.
Solution:
There is a way to manually set your own options for DOSBox, but it's oddly placed.
Open "/home/Library/Preferences/DOSBox 0.74 Preferences" with TextEdit ("home" being "localadmin" for me). This is essentially DOSBox's options screen. At the very bottom of the document, beneath where it says "# You can put your MOUNT lines here." write:
...which is all the code that had to be written by hand into DOSBox. Upon starting up DOSBox now, all that will automatically happen, and it should automatically start the game. HOWEVER, I had to add something to this code, which is detailed in Problem #5...
Problem #4: No voices, the text is unreadably fast, and the Intro video doesn't work
Upon starting the game, I delighted in seeing the Sierra logo accompanied by a midi tune, followed by the game's menu screen. I clicked "Intro" ... and, after a few seconds of music, the game crashed.
I started it up again and this time hit Play from the menu. The opening scene worked fine ... until the characters began talking. Not only did the voice acting not play, but the speech text flew by too quickly to read.
Solution:
A quick fix for the fast text is to go to Options in-game and turn off voices. When the text flies by, the game is keeping the text up only as long as the voice files play, but the game can't find the voice files, so it just skips them AND the text. Turning off voices lets the text operate on its own time. BUT, this game has MARK HAMILL, TIM CURRY, and MICHAEL DORN in it, so screw that solution! I want my goddamn voices!
Problem #5: That last solution isn't good enough
The REAL problem is that the game can't find the voice file (or the Intro video), so I had to find them for it. After a ton of research and dead ends, I discovered that these files are stored on the game's .ISO file, BUT the files I downloaded from GOG.com didn't have such a thing! ... or DID it? Turns out that the file, "GK1.gog" (in the "Gabriel_Knight" directory) is the missing ISO. GOG had set up their own modification to the DOSBox preferences, which makes the game recognize "GK1.gog" as the ISO, but these preferences are designed for PCs and I was running DOSBox on a Mac. So I had to make my own preferences.
Solution:
After many, many dead ends, I found that the solution is actually pretty easy. In DOSBox, at the "Z:\>" prompt, I typed:
...which made DOSBox and the game recognize "GK1.gog" as the missing ISO. This makes the Intro video, voices, and text speed all work perfectly (and you can customize the latter two in the in-game Options menu as normal).
Of course, that command line can be written into the DOSBox preferences document mentioned in Problem #3 so you don't have to type it all in each time you play. With it included, the amendment to the "DOSBox 0.74 Preferences" document should look like:
Problem #6: Graphic and sound quality
Even after finding the ISO, there were some annoying problems with both the graphics and sound quality when playing the game.
Solution:
From the "C:\>GABRIE~1>" prompt, instead of typing "sierra", type "install". This takes you to the game's install screen, where you can customize your hardware options. I found the best choices to be "VGA or IBM PS2 - 256 Colors" for graphics, "Sound Blaster Pro" for Music, and "ThunderBoard" for audio. Easy!
Firstly, here are my computer's specs:
Mac OS X 10.5.7
PowerPC G4
Problem #1: setup_gabriel_knight.exe
The download from GOG.com is a executable (.exe) file called "setup_gabriel_knight.exe" that can only be run on Windows. It automatically installs the game on the user's Windows OS and can't be run on Mac OSX.
Solution:
I downloaded and installed the game to a serparate PC, then went to the directory it installed to (in this case, C:\Program Files (x86)\GOG.com) and copied the "Gabriel Knight" folder and all of its contents to a thumb drive. Then I transfered the files from the drive to my Mac.
Problem #2: Learning to use DOSBox
In order to access a DOS game to run it, you must enter a series of commands into the DOSBox interface (after opening DOSBox, of course). The first step is to tell DOSBox where the game is -- that is, which directory (aka folder) the game is located. This is done using the "mount" command, which designates a directory as a C drive for DOSBox.
Solution:
Following instructions I found online, I made a new directory called "DOSGames" in my home folder (the one with my user name, in this case "localadmin"). I then used this command line in DOSBox:
mount c ~/dosgames
The "~" represents the home folder, "localadmin". Also note that while the directory slashes on Windows are backslashes, "\", on Mac OSX they're forwardslashes, "/". Finally, note that CAPS don't matter.
So, "mount c ~/dosgames" identified my DOSGames directory as the C drive. I then told it to take me to that directory using this simple command:
c:
Which caused the "Z:\>" to become "C:\>". Then I typed
cd gabrie~1
"cd" means Change Directory, and "gabrie~1" is the abbreviated version of the directory "Gabriel Knight" (which I renamed "Gabriel_Knight"). So this brought DOSBox to the "Gabriel_Knight" folder, where the game is stored. Finally, I could tell DOSBox to play the game using:
sierra.exe
...which is the executable that starts the game. (The .exe doesn't need to be included.)
Problem #3: That takes way too long
Typing all that code is a pain.
Solution:
There is a way to manually set your own options for DOSBox, but it's oddly placed.
Open "/home/Library/Preferences/DOSBox 0.74 Preferences" with TextEdit ("home" being "localadmin" for me). This is essentially DOSBox's options screen. At the very bottom of the document, beneath where it says "# You can put your MOUNT lines here." write:
mount c ~/dosgames
c:
cd gabrie~1
sierra
...which is all the code that had to be written by hand into DOSBox. Upon starting up DOSBox now, all that will automatically happen, and it should automatically start the game. HOWEVER, I had to add something to this code, which is detailed in Problem #5...
Problem #4: No voices, the text is unreadably fast, and the Intro video doesn't work
Upon starting the game, I delighted in seeing the Sierra logo accompanied by a midi tune, followed by the game's menu screen. I clicked "Intro" ... and, after a few seconds of music, the game crashed.
I started it up again and this time hit Play from the menu. The opening scene worked fine ... until the characters began talking. Not only did the voice acting not play, but the speech text flew by too quickly to read.
Solution:
A quick fix for the fast text is to go to Options in-game and turn off voices. When the text flies by, the game is keeping the text up only as long as the voice files play, but the game can't find the voice files, so it just skips them AND the text. Turning off voices lets the text operate on its own time. BUT, this game has MARK HAMILL, TIM CURRY, and MICHAEL DORN in it, so screw that solution! I want my goddamn voices!
Problem #5: That last solution isn't good enough
The REAL problem is that the game can't find the voice file (or the Intro video), so I had to find them for it. After a ton of research and dead ends, I discovered that these files are stored on the game's .ISO file, BUT the files I downloaded from GOG.com didn't have such a thing! ... or DID it? Turns out that the file, "GK1.gog" (in the "Gabriel_Knight" directory) is the missing ISO. GOG had set up their own modification to the DOSBox preferences, which makes the game recognize "GK1.gog" as the ISO, but these preferences are designed for PCs and I was running DOSBox on a Mac. So I had to make my own preferences.
Solution:
After many, many dead ends, I found that the solution is actually pretty easy. In DOSBox, at the "Z:\>" prompt, I typed:
imgmount d ~/dosgames/gabriel_knight/GK1.gog -t iso
...which made DOSBox and the game recognize "GK1.gog" as the missing ISO. This makes the Intro video, voices, and text speed all work perfectly (and you can customize the latter two in the in-game Options menu as normal).
Of course, that command line can be written into the DOSBox preferences document mentioned in Problem #3 so you don't have to type it all in each time you play. With it included, the amendment to the "DOSBox 0.74 Preferences" document should look like:
mount c ~/dosgames
imgmount d ~/dosgames/gabriel_knight/GK1.gog -t iso
c:
cd gabrie~1
sierra
Problem #6: Graphic and sound quality
Even after finding the ISO, there were some annoying problems with both the graphics and sound quality when playing the game.
Solution:
From the "C:\>GABRIE~1>" prompt, instead of typing "sierra", type "install". This takes you to the game's install screen, where you can customize your hardware options. I found the best choices to be "VGA or IBM PS2 - 256 Colors" for graphics, "Sound Blaster Pro" for Music, and "ThunderBoard" for audio. Easy!
Wednesday, June 09, 2010
More like vague-deo games.
Tim Rogers' articles on Kotaku are rants. You click the link to open the article and you're faced with 20 pages or so of text. It's intimidating, but for them brave enough to read through there is usually a gem or two of game philosophy that Rogers has worked from every angle, polishing and polishing the thought until it shines like a star. Of course, you might not agree with his point, but I've always found the articles entertaining and rewarding. Still, I haven't bothered to seek out his other works, so yeah.
Anyway, this most recent article is, I think, brilliant. In it, Rogers has attempted something that I haven't heard of anyone else trying to do. Whenever I talk about a game, it can be difficult to describe the more abstract parts of it. I think everyone has this problem. It's like, you know, how Luigi kind of skids a little bit more when you stop than Mario does. It's like when the action slows down in Arkham Asylum and the camera changes angle when you do a really cool move. It's like how the old Sonic games are awesome, but the GBA games suck.
What Rogers has done is defined those abstract concepts. The buzzword he's made up is friction and he's made a dictionary of video game friction: A Frictionary.
This is important! If everybody used these terms when describing a video game, entire sentences, paragraphs, ESSAYS could be avoided in attempting to explain what until this point have been vaguely terms "game mechanics." Finally, we can start using solid, dependable words, instead of floaty descriptors like "the gameplay is good." We can use this Frictionary to make a better world!
Let's do, everyone. Together.
Anyway, this most recent article is, I think, brilliant. In it, Rogers has attempted something that I haven't heard of anyone else trying to do. Whenever I talk about a game, it can be difficult to describe the more abstract parts of it. I think everyone has this problem. It's like, you know, how Luigi kind of skids a little bit more when you stop than Mario does. It's like when the action slows down in Arkham Asylum and the camera changes angle when you do a really cool move. It's like how the old Sonic games are awesome, but the GBA games suck.
What Rogers has done is defined those abstract concepts. The buzzword he's made up is friction and he's made a dictionary of video game friction: A Frictionary.
This is important! If everybody used these terms when describing a video game, entire sentences, paragraphs, ESSAYS could be avoided in attempting to explain what until this point have been vaguely terms "game mechanics." Finally, we can start using solid, dependable words, instead of floaty descriptors like "the gameplay is good." We can use this Frictionary to make a better world!
Let's do, everyone. Together.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
The Beardian Blog
Since about September or October I've been playing Dungeons & Dragons weekly with some friends from work and, golly, it's been a blast! My unsatisfactory previous excursion with the game lead me to found a group. I'd only played once before at CCS and the game only lasted a short time before many of the other players got bored, unfortunately. Suspicious that this might be a symptom of 4th Edition, which is the version we played, I opted to try the 3.5 rulebooks, a choice validated by the fact that this was the only set of rules my local library had.
Happily, I ended up renewing the books and even keeping them overdue for several weeks. (Luckily, my mom used to work there, so I kind of have it in with the crew.) Because I was trying to start up a game, I took it upon myself to be Dungeon Master, meaning I had to spend a couple weeks studying the Player's Handbook and DM's Guide before the first play session could even begin. The work paid off, though, as the following weekly play sessions were really fun!
The group started off pretty small, but, as word spread, a few folks at work revealed themselves to be former D&D players. Soon we were seven strong: Adam, Andy, and Chauncey had never played before, while Sarah, Nigel, and Brian had varying degrees of past experience. Learning the game has been nearly as much fun as playing -- I'm blessed to have players patient enough to wait for their DM to look up the rules.
And DMing, though a daunting role, is a hell of lot of fun. In video gamer's terms, you basically get to create your own multiplayer game. You have to make up the story, the NPCs, the monsters, the level design, all of that. But the best part is putting your game before your players and having them choose how to play it. It can lead to consequences you couldn't possibly foresee and the game feels alive and elastic when you encounter moments like that, moments when you have to suddenly change your plans and figure out how these players, these anomalies would realistically affect events given the new circumstances.
In celebration of this phenomenon, and to keep a record of in-game events, I've been keeping a new blog, The Beardian Blog, where one can read up on my group's adventures. I tend to go into needless detail in each post, but that's just a sign that I enjoy writing them.
And now a few players have penned their own campaigns, meaning I get to relax and be a player! We've already played through an adventure by Nigel, and Brian and Andy both have awesome-looking campaigns lines up. But right now we're still in the midst of my game, and I'm loving the DM's chair. My stories tend to have a flair a la Pratchett, since I read the Discworld books practically nonstop through high school, and my players seem to enjoy the mild silliness as much as I do.
I'd greatly encourage anyone who's never played the game to try it. I think it's particularly easy for a video gamer to pick up, especially someone who likes RPGs or games with good stories. It might be difficult to find people to play with, but if you ask around, you might be surprised who's dabbled with dice in the past and would like to play again. If this happens, you might not even have to take on the responsibility of DM; on the other hand, if you've the constitution to read through the many, many rules, DMing can be a surprisingly rewarding experience.
I should note that we technically no longer play D&D. We abandoned the 3.5 rules recently to start playing by the Pathfinder rules... It gets kinda complicated, but from what I understand, while D&D 4th Edition completely revamped the rules from 3.5, the Pathfinder rules (which are published by Paizo, not Wizards of the Coast) are an improvement and the successor to 3.5. From my experience, this is the case -- Pathfinder is more fun and more concise than the 3.5 rules, and my, admittedly brief, experience with 4E did not end so well. So, now, we play Pathfinder, but really, at heart, we're playing D&D.
Oh, and Happy New Decade, internet!
Happily, I ended up renewing the books and even keeping them overdue for several weeks. (Luckily, my mom used to work there, so I kind of have it in with the crew.) Because I was trying to start up a game, I took it upon myself to be Dungeon Master, meaning I had to spend a couple weeks studying the Player's Handbook and DM's Guide before the first play session could even begin. The work paid off, though, as the following weekly play sessions were really fun!
The group started off pretty small, but, as word spread, a few folks at work revealed themselves to be former D&D players. Soon we were seven strong: Adam, Andy, and Chauncey had never played before, while Sarah, Nigel, and Brian had varying degrees of past experience. Learning the game has been nearly as much fun as playing -- I'm blessed to have players patient enough to wait for their DM to look up the rules.
And DMing, though a daunting role, is a hell of lot of fun. In video gamer's terms, you basically get to create your own multiplayer game. You have to make up the story, the NPCs, the monsters, the level design, all of that. But the best part is putting your game before your players and having them choose how to play it. It can lead to consequences you couldn't possibly foresee and the game feels alive and elastic when you encounter moments like that, moments when you have to suddenly change your plans and figure out how these players, these anomalies would realistically affect events given the new circumstances.
In celebration of this phenomenon, and to keep a record of in-game events, I've been keeping a new blog, The Beardian Blog, where one can read up on my group's adventures. I tend to go into needless detail in each post, but that's just a sign that I enjoy writing them.
And now a few players have penned their own campaigns, meaning I get to relax and be a player! We've already played through an adventure by Nigel, and Brian and Andy both have awesome-looking campaigns lines up. But right now we're still in the midst of my game, and I'm loving the DM's chair. My stories tend to have a flair a la Pratchett, since I read the Discworld books practically nonstop through high school, and my players seem to enjoy the mild silliness as much as I do.
I'd greatly encourage anyone who's never played the game to try it. I think it's particularly easy for a video gamer to pick up, especially someone who likes RPGs or games with good stories. It might be difficult to find people to play with, but if you ask around, you might be surprised who's dabbled with dice in the past and would like to play again. If this happens, you might not even have to take on the responsibility of DM; on the other hand, if you've the constitution to read through the many, many rules, DMing can be a surprisingly rewarding experience.
I should note that we technically no longer play D&D. We abandoned the 3.5 rules recently to start playing by the Pathfinder rules... It gets kinda complicated, but from what I understand, while D&D 4th Edition completely revamped the rules from 3.5, the Pathfinder rules (which are published by Paizo, not Wizards of the Coast) are an improvement and the successor to 3.5. From my experience, this is the case -- Pathfinder is more fun and more concise than the 3.5 rules, and my, admittedly brief, experience with 4E did not end so well. So, now, we play Pathfinder, but really, at heart, we're playing D&D.
Oh, and Happy New Decade, internet!
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Philanthropy
This is ... just ... wow.
Metal Gear Solid: Philanthropy is a fan-movie created by Italian filmmakers, Hive Division, about one of Snake's adventures in Philanthropy, the anti-Metal Gear group that he and Otacon founded. Normally the term "fan-movie" suggests a few silly teenagers, a digital camera, and a Youtube account, but like Purchase Brothers' Escape From City 17, Hive Division's offering is a lot more impressive.
Simply put, the movie looks professionally made. The film work is excellent in its own right, but also pays obvious homage to the cinematography of Kojima's lengthy cutscenes, even to the point where you might think you're playing one of the games. Special effects are used frequently to full cinematic effect and provide some honestly breath-taking visuals. The score is perfect as far as I can tell, the post-production makes the film feel ever more professional, and the acting is solid. Pun intended.
There are some choppy bits: The special effects aren't the most advanced and I could easily pick out the shots where green screen was used. The animated models looked somewhat primitive too. Furthermore, since all or most of the actors are Italian, an English dub was commissioned and even though the actors DO speak English on film, the timing on mouth synchronization is off just enough to be noticeable. But actually, this is something of a historical practice used for decades' worth of spaghetti westerns. In any case, none of these technical hiccups are enough to distract from the enjoyment of the film.
Still, good production value can never hide bad fan fiction. Luckily, this is another of Philanthropy's strengths. Rather than going overboard on cameos from the author's favorite characters, Giacomo Talamini -- the movie's writer/director -- chose to create a story only loosely based on the franchise. Snake is the only recurring character, with a short cameo from Otacon and the mention of institutions like Armstech. Meanwhile, Talamini places Snake in command of a team of infiltrators, original characters every bit as intriguing as some of Kojima's best, who present a new challenge for our usually silent, solitary hero. Metal Gear fans will also recognize the necessary inclusion of memorably awesome villains, also original.
Unfortunately for us, only "part one" of Philanthropy has been released so far and the movie left me hungry for more. It's a wonderful watch for a Metal Gear fan and I highly recommend it.
Note: There no plans for the making of the second and third parts of MGS:P (reference). If you, like me, find yourself starving and unfulfilled at the end of the film, there are a couple of things you can do. First, stay through the credits and watch what happens after. And second, check out these interviews with the voice actors Phillip Sacramento, Lucien Dodge, and Laura Post.
Metal Gear Solid: Philanthropy is a fan-movie created by Italian filmmakers, Hive Division, about one of Snake's adventures in Philanthropy, the anti-Metal Gear group that he and Otacon founded. Normally the term "fan-movie" suggests a few silly teenagers, a digital camera, and a Youtube account, but like Purchase Brothers' Escape From City 17, Hive Division's offering is a lot more impressive.
Simply put, the movie looks professionally made. The film work is excellent in its own right, but also pays obvious homage to the cinematography of Kojima's lengthy cutscenes, even to the point where you might think you're playing one of the games. Special effects are used frequently to full cinematic effect and provide some honestly breath-taking visuals. The score is perfect as far as I can tell, the post-production makes the film feel ever more professional, and the acting is solid. Pun intended.
There are some choppy bits: The special effects aren't the most advanced and I could easily pick out the shots where green screen was used. The animated models looked somewhat primitive too. Furthermore, since all or most of the actors are Italian, an English dub was commissioned and even though the actors DO speak English on film, the timing on mouth synchronization is off just enough to be noticeable. But actually, this is something of a historical practice used for decades' worth of spaghetti westerns. In any case, none of these technical hiccups are enough to distract from the enjoyment of the film.
Still, good production value can never hide bad fan fiction. Luckily, this is another of Philanthropy's strengths. Rather than going overboard on cameos from the author's favorite characters, Giacomo Talamini -- the movie's writer/director -- chose to create a story only loosely based on the franchise. Snake is the only recurring character, with a short cameo from Otacon and the mention of institutions like Armstech. Meanwhile, Talamini places Snake in command of a team of infiltrators, original characters every bit as intriguing as some of Kojima's best, who present a new challenge for our usually silent, solitary hero. Metal Gear fans will also recognize the necessary inclusion of memorably awesome villains, also original.
Unfortunately for us, only "part one" of Philanthropy has been released so far and the movie left me hungry for more. It's a wonderful watch for a Metal Gear fan and I highly recommend it.
Note: There no plans for the making of the second and third parts of MGS:P (reference). If you, like me, find yourself starving and unfulfilled at the end of the film, there are a couple of things you can do. First, stay through the credits and watch what happens after. And second, check out these interviews with the voice actors Phillip Sacramento, Lucien Dodge, and Laura Post.
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
Those crazy rocos.
Loco Roco 2 is one of the best platformers I've played in a while and my favorite game on the PSP. Now a sequel, Midnight Carnival, is being released. Here is shit what needs buying.
Why couldn't they just call it Loco Roco 3, though? Why do so many series insist on using silly subtitles?
Why couldn't they just call it Loco Roco 3, though? Why do so many series insist on using silly subtitles?
