Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine Beta goes Public!

(Re-post from Beetstro.com, keeping a beet on things...)



A few months ago, Aeria Games opened a Beta test for the online MMORPG “Imagine,” available to a select group of people that had applied for a download code. Unfortunately with the selection process, some of us were unable to jump into the Beta that time around.

Today, however, Aeria Games has opened the Imagine Beta to the public. The time to download and participate in this Shin Megami Tensei beta testing is now! With the popularity, and rarity, of Shin Megami Tensei games on console systems, passing up the opportunity to play a masterpiece is a silly thing to do.

Join us...By downloading the Beta for free now, just click here: to download, or any of the other links on this page, then select “download.” Simple, right? So, what're you waiting for? It's free, afterall!

The Seven Deadly Sins of Christmas

Disclaimer: None of this is meant to be taken seriously. Otherwise, enjoy.

Gluttony:

Aside from the primary reason for Christmas (see; loot) the holidays other primary attraction is food. And, oh! The food that will be had. Many people attending multiple social events, or simply massive feasts with family and friends. Some Christmas songs will even demand food;



"Oh, bring us a figgy pudding;
Oh, bring us a figgy pudding;
Oh, bring us a figgy pudding and a cup of good cheer

We won't go until we get some;
We won't go until we get some;
We won't go until we get some, so bring some out here",

Either way, food is a theme for Christmas, the holiday of sharing and receiving and gorging.

Wrath:

Remember the mothers that got into fistfights/trampled over Tickle Me Elmo, or Furby? Christmas shoppers are the most angry, scary people on the planet. Either as a fellow customer, or especially as a retail slave - they will mow you down, steal parking places, dive in front of you for that perfect gift, and point the blame if they waited too long and missed out.



Lust:

One word: Mistletoe.



Greed:

Its the holiday of gifts, and easily the most commercialized holiday there is (tying in with Wrath nicely) – children are bribed to behave for fear of Santa Clause, and the result of that bribery is usually horribly spoiled children that kick and scream and always want more.

Companies will absolutely cash in on this holiday, releasing movies, books, and games just in time. Creating hype for things that may or may not be any good, convincing people that their children, siblings, and friends will cease to exist if they don't buy whatever-it-is-they're-selling right this second.

Envy:

Holiday television/magazines/newspapers will advertise one of three things; loot, food, and sex. If you're not snuggling by the fire with somebody, or getting gifts by the truckload, or eating a gigantic dinner with loving family and friends (emphasis on loving,) then you're a lonely worthless person. This causes massive amounts of unnecessary spite from people who are normally good natured.

Pride

National Lampoon started the tradition of going above and beyond the necessary amount of Christmas lights on ones house. The tradition of tacky overdecorating to show up your neighbor just to inflate your ego is not going anywhere anytime soon.



Nobody needs 5 Santa's. There can only be one.

Sloth:

One of the odd traditions for Christmas is to park the family in front of a television to watch a good ole game of Football, after an evening of gorging and greed; maybe a boarder-line sin – but I'd like to see you think of something better!

I'm not a scrooge, I'm just drawn that way – and I could go into a rant about how much “we've lost sight of the true meaning...” blah, blah – but instead, I'll say: Happy Christmahannakwanzika!

Marvel Limited Series: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz:



Publisher: Marvel
Release: Issue 1 of 8 in stores now!
Writer: Eric Shanower
Artist: Skottie Young

Marvel takes on classic literature in this Limited Series comic release, leaving author Eric Shanower, and artist Skottie Young in charge of retelling the original L.Frank Baum classic tale of Oz in 8 issues. Issue 1 finds Dorothy and her little dog, Toto; caught in a twister, transported to the Land of Oz, adored by Munchkins, and just beginning the long journey down the yellow brick road, with her new tag-along friend, Scarecrow.

Anyone, any age, that has a love for the Land of Oz will enjoy this fresh adaptation - true to the original, with a brand new Marvel comics makeover. Skottie Young's beautiful pencil work, along with brilliant dialog and story by Eric Shanower, has me securing my silver shoes for the next journey down the Yellow Brick Road. One issue off the press, and I'm hooked.

Issue #2 hits stores January 14, 2009 don't miss it!

(Now imagine me, only not in Kansas anymore.)

Interview: Lead Concept Artist of Red Fly Studio, Frank Teran, talks Mushroom Men.

When art, satirical humor, Mushrooms, and Nintendo collided earlier this December, we were given the beautiful independent game: Mushroom Men, developed by first timers Red Fly Studio. I explored the game thoroughly, and enjoyed it more than anything I'd played on the Wii in over a year (or, ever.) I then took notes, and dropped my two cents into the vastness of the Internet, which was magically picked up by someone at Red Fly Studio.

This gave me the opportunity to interview Red Fly Studio Lead concept artist, Frank Teran (also known for his artwork on Vertigo Comics.) Along with co-founding the independent studio with Dan Borth (CEO) and Kris Taylor (Art Director), He was primarily responsible for giving life to these Mushrooms through his drawings and paintings, cover art for both games, and (in his own words) “extraneous gameplay ideas/concepts”. I was excited to sit down (on-line) and learn something about this game from an insiders perspective, and have quite a bit to share on the experience.



I would imagine there's an interesting story here, so I have to ask: Why Mushrooms?

I think I'd really have to ask my friend Dan that same question, since he was the one that thought of the whole mushroom angle. I'd say my part was making the mushroom viable as a character the players could ultimately latch onto, and I think the fact that a fungus would be in the lower spectrum of the totem pole, it'd make them the ultimate underdog. They're kinda given life, but at the same time hamstrung with having to deal with the huge world that surrounds them.

I also think Dan and Kris focused on mushrooms as a nod to the gaming roots of the Mario universe.

While the final product is very original, including the humor, music, and story - what would you say inspired the development of this game the most? What inspired you, personally, while working on this project?

I think the inspiration for me were the things I remembered most from my awesome childhood. The sense of wonder and things that I embraced and loved, like Harryhausen movies and old sci-fi flicks, as well as humor that gravitated to the mad magazines, e.c comic books and wacky package trading card types of satire...you'll see glimpses of that thru out my concepts and hopefully in the game as a result...it's like a bizarre amalgam of my nostalgic brain-seepage that makes its way to the digital canvas when I work on ideas.



My initial draw to the game came from a pack of promo-cards a game store employee gave me, with incredibly interesting visuals. My question then would be: is Red Fly doing anything additional to use the art to it's advantage?

Haha - well, I'd love for them to compile an art book, but I'm pretty biased. I leave that up to the fans of the game to request, power to the peoples. I also think the 'lil resin figure was a great idea.



With the darker art style, twisted sense of humor, and the advertisement with “Teen+” rated comic books, what specific demographic would you say this game is targeting?

I'd hope it appeals to those within the range of a gamer that can handle the stuff we toss at 'em. The humor is pretty much in line with stuff I grew up with,in old cartoons and mad magazine, like i had mentioned. Hopefully no one is truly disturbed by the artwork, being a bit creeped out I'll take though - since I like making the gamer feel something emotionally when they encounter anything I had imaged out.

Do you think they'll ever let you take the art to comic books, perhaps for a miniseries, or one-shot of Mushroom men, to maybe include your old crowd?

I would be more than happy to visually narrate any type of prologue for those who think it'd help round out the story. I think we're going to add a lot more into the next adventure to help answer some questions, but also up the ante with more stuff. I can't tell you how amped I am for the next chapters to unfold, hopefully that'll happen.



What sort of feedback did you, or Red Fly, expect on the “users” front? What has the reception from gamers been thus far?

I'd say from my perspective, we really don't have any expectations. I'd hope that the fans would embrace something like mushroom men; the weirdness, the satire, the retro feel, all that stuff I would hope the players could dive into and dig. The feedback thus far has been great actually, the enthusiasm in the comments from those who have played the game are really, really encouraging. It's one of those magic moments where you get to see what others get out of what we wanted to get across. It's funny seeing the wide range of what folks get out of it.

So you're finding a lot of Internet feedback?

Yes indeed, and I love all of it! Even the harsh, dismissive, cynical stuff. I basically use that as fuel. It's what I feed on in the wee hours of the night when I work.

Basically, you feed off the Internet “trolls?”

Yes. I flip it and use them to my advantage. Bosses grow more fangs, and become more fierce as a direct result.



This game seems to defy most expectations of the Wii fan base, so the question here is: Why Nintendo?

I don't wanna speak for the folks who were directly involved in that decision making, but I think we possibly chose Nintendo because the style of platforming game we were aiming for seemed to dovetail perfectly with the platforming/adventure gaming base that's already established there, as well as the innovative tech/controls that the Nintendo offered. I'm personally still fascinated with the Wii-mote, and the potential gameplay uses. Mind you, I was raised on the joystick and trackballs for innovation, so this is like...THE FUTURE.

To expand on that, why split up the two games to the two separate Nintendo systems? Would it be beneficial as a player to play them “in order”?

Splitting up games sure is a risky venture, yes. But then again, we're a 3rd party developer who's 1st IP is a platformer on the same system that Mario is on, some would say that's a risk as well. I think if you want to have more insight into the mushroom men universe, playing both would offer some more narrative prologue, and offer different gameplay at the same time - but that's a decision we leave up to the gamer.

So, you'd say they're relatively independent games from one another?

Relatively. there are aspects that connect them, but not to the point where one is dependent on the other. I actually had painted 50+ illustrations for the DS versions cut-scenes, so there are aspects in basic storytelling within, they are a nod to my career in comics. That's what made the experience so rewarding, taking my storytelling love and applying it to the mush universe.



While trying to generate mini-buzz about the game on my level, the reaction I got from people was; well, not great. I'd heard this game called “Just another platforming game”, What then, would you say to this - what distinguishes Mushroom Men from the rest of the platforming games?

Well, I think that we bring a new angle to the genre that didn't exist before. Artistically I think we didn't mimic anything, so we're going to maintain that type of sensibility and just build on top of it. The gameplay will start to expand and bloom into something folks have never quite experienced, but that will be up to the gaming audience. Hopefully the audience will want to see the further adventures of Pax, since I'm already in full steam concept mode for the next step in Pax's future. I am confident that even at this stage, it's going to be one heck of an adventure.

I think Red Fly Studio is Pax - there is a parallel. We're brand new to this game, it's our first, we're goin' head to head with the monoliths of gaming, we'll take our lumps, but we'll keep fighting.

Tiny is the new big, and I see Red Fly making a big splash with a very tiny hero. Experience Mushroom Men for yourself, or gift it to someone who could use some quality time with their Wii.



A few handy reference links;
The official site,
Red Fly Studio developer blog,
Tatertotco @ wordpress - basically the Mushroom Men faux tabloids.

Twitter

Hello, my name is @ShadokatRegn, and I have a problem. This is always the first step, right? Admitting there is a problem in the first place, then generating curiosity so others try it, too?

Twitter. A revolutionary way to connect with people, stalk celebrities, and advertise your whereabouts in brief, 140 character, format. "What are you doing?" They ask me, and whenever my Browser opens, I can't resist telling them.

Since websites like Myspace, and Facebook have given us brand new ways to network on the web, copycats with their own take on this idea have been popping up all over, including Twitter. Not that this is a bad thing, anyone who's taken a marketing class knows networking is the best way to advertise, or feel loved.

I am personally trying to get my “product” out to the general public; that is, my writing. Obviously, having somewhat limited funds, and time, I am hard pressed to come up with anything I can sell just yet. “I do the best with what I have” is what I'm supposed to say, and really – I hope I do come up with interesting ways to make mundane things readable.

Oh, dear, I seem to have gotten sidetracked – now, where was I? Oh, yes, Twitter.

What is "Twitter?" Well, Twitter is a fun way to stay connected to people around the world, by networking from other websites, or just browsing posts as they happen. Think micro-Myspace, that is less likely to be blocked at work or school. Instead of calling someone to say “hey, I just posted a new article”, Twitter gives one the option to connect to a larger group of people. Give them all a general heads-up when you've accomplished something, wish to share you-tube videos, or something relatively pointless but may spark interest. No pressure, just information.

Twitter even allows users to interact with one another very easily, with "@ replies". If someone says something interesting, you can add your two cents for that persons post (called a “Tweet”).

You may now be curious about that first sentence. Why would I possibly need to introduce the world of twitter, using a well known opening speech for Alcoholics Anonymous? To put it briefly, Twitter is addictive. I find myself checking the website almost constantly to see what my friends and acquaintances are reading, eating, playing, watching or feeling at any given time.

Join the ranks of the Twitterverse, and tell us all what you're doing.

Now imagine me, only Twitterpated, minus the romance.

Mushroom Men: The Spore War (V)

In the spirit of judging things by their cover, I stumbled on Mushroom Men: The Spore War based on a small pack of artistic cards promoting the game – they must have made some impression, because I was instantly intrigued. Being a new franchise, I wasn't sure what to expect beyond the pretty cover, but I decided to give the little guys at Red fly Studio a chance to knock my socks off.

During my preliminary research, I noticed a lot of the art and humor style seemed to be influenced by the Oddworld series - one of the heavyweights (and my favorites) in artistic "indie" gaming. These are pretty big shoes to fill, and I was curious to see how Mushroom Men would hold up. So, I put down the one-and-only preorder on the game at my local store, and after dusting off my neglected Wii (not my fault...) here's my experience.

System: Nintendo Wii (prequel on the Nintendo DS)
Genre: Adventure, platforming
Rating: Everyone; just enjoy yourself!
Suggested For: Anyone who enjoyed Mario Galaxy and would enjoy something similar (minus the motion sickness,) the next generation of Oddworld fans, or anyone who really needs an excuse to power up their Wii.

The story begins, as so many do, with a meteorite crashing on the Earth. This meteorite doesn't appear to have impacted our world at all, at least - not on our level. However, the world of mushrooms and other plant life are brought to our level of thinking, talking, and warring. Once peaceful Mushroom tribes begin warring over pieces of the meteorite, a few tribes grew strong, and more peaceful tribes went underground.

Now, follow the hero Pax on his adventure to find where he belongs, after his tribe was completely wiped out. He'll meet up with plants, and other mushroom tribes who will assist him along the way, but he accidentally absorbs a meteorite from a peaceful tribe. His quest for companionship turns to a promise to quest and find this particular tribe a new meteorite – one that Pax can't absorb. Mushroom Men: The Spore War is this quest.



Being a mushroom, Pax has a very different point of view of the world – it's still our world he's walking around in, it just looks much, much bigger. This makes house-hold items that one might discard or lose, very useful as improvised weaponry. Pax will collect specific prerequisites (called "Scav") to create a simple, yet effective, weapon. For instance, a Pencil, Zip Tie, and Toothpick create a very unorthodox stabbing weapon, and a Match, Thread, and Exact-o knife create a useful slashing weapon.

Defending oneself in time of war, even small-scale war, is very important. Aside from the improvised Weaponry, Pax is armed with special powers he gains from his accidentally-absorbed Meteorite pieces. "Sporekinesis" allows Pax to use his will to move, throw, and activate objects without touching them. "Will of Spores" allows Pax to control plants that may be helpful, and "Spore Punisher" gives you a special direct attack on weak or injured enemies. Really, the "Sporekinesis" is the most useful of the spore powers, and you should use it to bowl for moles whenever possible. Trust me.



Of all these powers and weapons, though, I really have to say my favorite "item" in the game was the grappling hook. Actually, it's a child's sticky-hand toy, the kind I personally used to put sticky "hand" prints on the television as a kid, to drive my parents crazy – Pax uses it much more constructively while exploring his surroundings. I even enjoyed the grapple-points, which were things like "Vote for..." campaign buttons, or quarters stuck to various surfaces with chewing gum. Brilliant.

On this scale, the attention to tiny detail becomes increasingly important. Fortunately, I don't have to tell Red Fly that, as all the nails, woodwork, mold, and scattered debris were just as I would imagine them being, were I the size of a mushroom, which I think about regularly. Though they may be only aesthetics, detail is the kind of thing a lot of people seem to be looking at most with games, and where much of the criticism against the Wii lies – so, do not fear, Mushroom Men is still beautiful, and is even accompanied by very unique music.

One aspect I am always worried about with the Wii's unconventional controller, is the movement control and gameplay. For anyone who has played Super Mario Galaxy, I can tell you the way the wii-mote works is very similar – which is to say; not too bad. Moving Pax around the screen is fairly straightforward, battles work smoothly, and aiming your interactive cross hairs on the screen works as well as any other Wii game.

It's once you incorporate the camera into this equation that things are a bit more frustrating, as I ended up standing still, taking much more time than I would have liked to center the camera where it needed to be. But, this camera issue was only bad in especially tight areas, while free-roaming, and fixed-camera areas, the game works best.

Humor and character design is very important in a game where the primary storyline is searching for rocks, and you're a mushroom. Mushroom Men measures up to the clever giants of gaming by utilizing a slightly askew idea of the way things work. For example, the enemies fit an array of different pint-sized animals, most of which are rarely considered a threat – unless you're a plant. The Rabbits are the first to come to mind, with their bunnicula presence, the plant kingdom (called “Kudzu”) fear the Rabbits above all others, and request help from Pax to defend them. This species is even taken a step further with a very odd Jackalope enemy; a pretend species of Rabbit with antelope horns.



Another example of very off beat humor is the health-bar system – as Pax takes a hit, a piece of his mushroom cap goes missing, and his radioactive brain is exposed, until no cap remains. Even regenerating health comes from an odd place, when you have to beat dead rats that have fungus growing on them, to retrieve the fungi-spore health bits. Sounds disgusting, right? How many kids tend to favor disgusting things? Exactly.

In many action-adventure and platforming games, some of the most memorable characters are the side or alternate characters you run into on your path. Whether you loathe them, or they made you feel guilty for all the times you abused them, or they freak you out a bit, you're bound to remember these characters. Unfortunately, I felt that aspect was a bit shallow for Mushroom Men. While Pax is adorable...in a fungus-sort-of-way, there weren't many quirky characters to banter with, or anyone particularly memorable.

This isn't to say the character design is completely lost, as the different mushroom tribes each has it's own social personality and traditions – I'd personally like to see at least one sequel, since the gameplay and design is just right, they can maybe focus on the writing aspect a bit more. Or, perhaps I missed enough storyline by not playing the prequel, which is on a different game system altogether – probably not the best idea, guys.


That is, indeed, a cactus riding a lizard. It definitely makes sense.

While this game may not fall into the "all-time favorites" list, it was certainly a wonderful experience, and a welcome change from the music-sims and mini-games that seem to be Wii's primary focus. If I were you, and you happen to enjoy a fun, mildly twisted, platforming game – I'd definitely recommend at least a once-over, especially if your Wii needs a bit of exercise as mine did.

Now, imagine me, only trying to figure out where this fits on a rating scale of 1-10. (8/10, or an A-? Almost great, with a few kinks that held back great potential.)