Review: Fable III (360)

Genre: Action-Adventure, RPG
Designers: Peter Molyneux (Creative Director), Josh Atkins (Senior Design Director)
Developer: Lionhead Studios
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Console: PC (not released yet), Xbox 360
Release Date: Oct. 26, 2010 (NA/AU), Oct. 29, 2010 (EU)
Age Rating: M for Mature

Lionhead Studios' Fable empire is built on the innovative notion of how selfless and selfish choices affect storylines, main characters, and bystanders. Moral choices in Fable I are obvious and easy — to kill or not, to steal or not — and rewarded as expected. Exemplified early in its Bowerstone Old Town region, Fable II ups the ante by adding surroundings to the list of things that are affected by moral decisions. Economics also plays a developmental role, as the amount of gold spent at shops and going rates for their goods contribute to the displayed degree of community affluence as well as shopkeepers' perceived purity. Fable II also makes select moral choices a bit more ambiguous, but they are still pretty clear in terms of consequences. Enhancing all of the above, Fable III tells a story that takes place 50 years after players put down their controllers and shelved Fable II. Within this gap, the then hero-turned-monarch gives birth to Fable III's hero, who has a brother crowned king and a servant from Monty Python's Flying Circus. Despite the latter, many call Fable III heavy-handed ... and for good reason. The story is one of revolution and thus focuses on conditions that lead thereto: crippling poverty, exploitation, and abuse of power.

In the eyes of Albion's citizens, the king has grown corrupt. He neglects or exploits the majority of the land's people and allows industry to determine morality. There are but two thriving towns, one of which can be likened to an open-air mall, while the others are either in shambles or on their way there. As if to exemplify this, beggars, while naught but a scant novelty in Fable II, are prevalent in just about every town, very vocal, and heartbreaking. In fact, the very first heroic act players are tasked with performing is simply to engage the disheveled Dwellers of Mistpeak. The heavy-handedness comes into play via the oppressive atmosphere, lent to by an impressive array of one-liners from the downtrodden, their general aesthetic and manners of motion, and the sight of houses falling into disrepair. Thus the hero's first role is that of the people's savior, a goal that must be reached by accumulating public and military support. To this end, Fable III puts forth decision after decision (almost immediately and most definitely substantially) that affects the story's hero, the people that surround him or her, and the places all of Albion's citizens inhabit. After players oust the king, it's their turn to play sovereign and prove that they can do better.

It may seem a bit odd that a tale about inspiring then leading a revolution made possible by personal interaction takes place via a video game – a medium which stereotypically attracts one-on-none interaction between those with skin sensitive to natural light and some type of TV or monitor – but it is exactly that medium which can inspire the dichotomy the game is attempting to emulate. For example: Fable III is solely available on Xbox 360 and PC. On large, those playing the game presumably have the disposable income with which to purchase the disc as well as a computer or game console that supports it. Thus, being self-aware, introspection should result in gamers feeling one of two ways when confronted with depictions of poor people delivering over-the-top expressions of their desperate situation: humor over the absurdity if they cannot feel any guilt or connection, or pangs of sympathy via understanding of the vast difference in social situation.

The effects of players' actions on the characters of Fable III and the contrast betwixt them and players' lives aren't the only means of fostering sympathy. Little things, like Demon Doors that require you to work with someone online (friend or stranger), achievements for marrying someone online, and the fact that the online co-op portal facilitates random hero match-ups, fosters the same interaction the game preaches as an instrument of positive change. These sorts of details may not exactly be the same as twirling a random citizen about in a two-step or clucking to evoke the laughter of children, but it is coerced interaction (mandatory, even, if the solo player chooses to try and complete 100% of the game).

Of course there are also subtle detractions from the effectiveness of having to interact with villagers. I'm not generally a people person to begin with, so the amount of yokel persuasion required by Fable I & II worked just fine for me. Fable III however, makes you pay attention. Whether the intent is to greedily acquire more guild seals or earn trust to further a quest, constantly shaking hands, dancing, and playing pat-a-cake gets tiresome and downright burdensome despite the efforts of programmers, writers, and voice actors, who do their best to bring a decent amount of diversity to reactions to such interaction.

However, interactivity isn't the only impressive thing about Fable III. A simplified inventory and more streamlined gameplay greatly improve the overall experience. Early on, the most noticeable improvement is with the quick d-pad selection during fights. No longer are the suggested health items and potions randomized; players, when engaged in a fight, are offered 3 types of potions, two of which were formally Will capabilities (Slow Time and Raise Dead), and one food option. Also, there is no more random food or drink, as players can only carry around one type. Similarly helpful, all experience orbs are now automatically collected during a fight instead of requiring players to hold down a button at the end while losing some of them due to evaporative time.

Regarding actual battle, the range of enemies keeps the action on the interesting side of almost challenging (if only a tad redundant). There's a decent diversity among the malicious, with each class usually comprised of three types: brute, ranged, and "special." Examples of the latter include twin-bladed, will (shock)-using hollowmen; fireball-tossing mercenaries; and necromancing hobbes. Combat is fluid and pretty mindless, which can be excused due to the focus of the game being on personal interaction instead of hack-and-slash/shoot/burn action. Still, weapon diversity and morphing capabilities, along with the range of Will types and COMBINATIONS, make even the most repetitious battle fun. Personally, I like creating tornadoes of fire that sweep up and twirl the enemy around me as I shoot them with my rifle. No mercy. The only real drawback to the action aspect of gameplay is blocking. As a Will- and Skill-heavy user, I don't rely on blocking much, but whenever I held the X button (also used for flourishes), the enemy's attack seemed to get right through anyway. Would mapping the block action to a separate button really have been that hard?

The last thing that deserves mention is the start menu. Personified as "The Sanctuary," this ever-evolving hub connecting a series of four rooms is said to have served as the secret base of operations for the Fable II hero during those 50 years between Fables II and III. The current hero uses it likewise for changing outfits, outfitting weapons, basic accounting (you heard me), and viewing trophies. It also offers a portal to online co-op and an in-game, romanticized Xbox Live Marketplace. Aside from the specialty rooms, The Sanctuary offers an interactive map of Albion that integrates fast travel and quest identification capabilities. The only issue I had with it was the lack of detail. Otherwise, the map was an inventive addition that blended in perfectly with the atmosphere.

Some players might find the theme heavy-handed or dislike the repetition involved with the garnering of support, and RPG fanatics might dislike the fact that there aren't 50,000 potion and food choices. However, Fable III's compelling story line with two-part plot, exhilarating climaxes, and myriad options for replay make this game an astounding and well thought out addition to the series that actually manages to carry over its effects into the real world. More than a few moments made me get choked up, and every gameplay session was so absorbing that none lasted fewer than a couple hours.

[Highly Recommended]

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This review is based on a retail copy purchased by the reviewer.

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New Staff Welcome: Mehket

I mentioned a long while back that we were looking for a new gaming writer, and though I was still looking through applications as recently as this summer, we finally decided on a new contributor to add to the ranks of Ani-Gamers: Hayley Myer, a.k.a. "Mehket."

She is a longtime video gamer and anime fan who began her gaming life on the Sega Genesis with titles like Crystal Ponies and the original Sonic The Hedgehog. Now Mehket focuses most of her gaming time on Japanese RPGs, a topic that she will be covering extensively here at Ani-Gamers. We're excited to have her join the team, and I hope you'll all enjoy the new perspective she brings to the table.

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Review: Hydro Thunder Hurricane (XBLA)

Genre: Racing
Designer: Matt Small (Creative Director)
Developer: Vector Unit, Inc.
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Console: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: Jul. 28, 2010
Rated: E for Everyone

Hydro Thunder Hurricane, available on Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA), is definitely worth the $15, or 1,200 MS points, it costs. Two words: rubber ducky. Never mind that there are several levels, each with enough shortcuts and secret passages to keep even single-player races interesting, this game is entirely about playing with friends and strangers via Xbox Live or otherwise ... and with a rubber duck!

Although I never played the original arcade game upon which this version is based (Hydro Thunder), I downloaded the demo on XBLA, discovered how smooth the single player was, and after discovering the frustrations that came from the allotted collectible boats and tracks therein, switched over to my permitted 10 minutes of Xbox Live time (wherein you get to explore any track with any boat — including my favorite, the infamous rubber ducky).

How much fun you'll have, truly the value behind any game, depends on your predisposition towards high-speed, high-stakes racing and lording your own victory over the collective failures of your competitors (or the general determination to win despite the looming laughter of finish line-wading winners). Like the automobile racing game GRID, one slip-up can mean the difference between a lengthy lead and a laughable last, promoting great tension during any race. There is also a good sense of humor through the courses, be it from either the announcer's (all too repetitive) comments on whatever you’ve just collected or backgrounds featuring mighty Thor creating waves in Asgard and alien ships dominating what appears to be Willy Wonka’s version of Mars. It should also be mentioned that the graphics are good (particularly the reflections in the water and water itself), but nothing that’ll turn a mariner’s head away from an albatross.

The physics engine lends great variety to the gameplay in terms of in- and out-of-water maneuverability (both of which come in very handy) throughout not only individual levels but level types as well. All in all, there are three game modes: Race, Ring Master, and Gauntlet. Championship courses combine all or some of the former into multi-event ... events. In addition to keeping things interesting, these different modes unlock various in-game goodies, such as new boat skins, new boats, and more tracks. OK, it’s actually mostly the points earned per event that add to your bank, but the more you play on tracks with which you’re not bored, the more prizes you earn, right?

Whenever I play online (King Ink), I host all rubber ducky races, and the squeaking from the "boats" is only barely audible over everyone's laughter. Even if you only work a minimal wage job, isn't two hours worth of pay worth infinite enjoyment and adrenaline of online boat racing? You know it is!

[Recommended]

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This review is based on a digital copy of the XBLA game purchased by the reviewer.

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Anime Secret Santa 2010: Our Choices

You may remember last year, when I took part in the Reverse Thieves' "Anime Secret Santa" project — each participating anime blogger gave another blogger a list of three titles to review without revealing their identity, and the recipient had to choose one of the titles and actually review it. Well, despite my harrowing experience with A-1 Pictures' moé comedy Kannagi (2008) last year, I've signed up yet again, and Ani-Gamers writers Ink, Elliot, and Evan (Krell) have also thrown their hats into the ring. It's gonna be a crazy Christmas this year!

The three choices I received were considerably less dire than last year's moé buffet (Air, Kannagi, and True Tears), with the Read or Die OAV (2001), Akiyuki Shinbo's The SoulTaker (2001), and Last Exile (2003) from studio Gonzo. R.O.D. is out of the question because I've already seen it, so I decided to go with Last Exile. Gonzo did pretty well with Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo (2004) despite their bad reputation, so I'll give them a shot on this steampunk adventure with character designs from the talented Range Murata.

[Read on after the break for Ink, Elliot, and Evan's choices.]

Meanwhile, Ink had to choose between Kanon (2006), sola (2007), and Fate/Stay Night (2006), and since he's already seen Kanon, he will be watching and reviewing Fate/Stay Night.

Elliot received Eden of the East (2009), Baccano (2007), and Kino's Journey (2003). He's already seen Kino's Journey and Eden of the East isn't out in the UK yet, so that leaves him with Baccano (previously reviewed on our site by Uncle Yo).

Finally, Evan Krell — who is writing a review each for Ani-Gamers and Insert-Disc — had to choose between Ocean Waves (1993), Pale Cocoon (2006), and Umi Monogatari (2009), and he's going with Pale Cocoon for his Ani-Gamers review.

Our reviews will be on the site during the week before Christmas, with the last one coming out sometime early in the day on Christmas Eve (December 24). Watch our Twitters (@VamptVo, @Poetic_Ink, @elliotpage, @bakatanuki) if you want to keep up with our opinions as we watch through these series — or hear about that fantastic bagel we just ate.

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Review: Viz Media iPad App

Medium: Digital Manga Application
Publisher: Viz Media
Release Date: Nov. 2, 2010 (North America)
App Store Link

The first thing that popped into my head when I heard of the Viz app was, honestly, "aw, man, another discrete app? I already have half a screen of various comic reading apps!" Thankfully, the app more than makes up for this minor complaint, as I will outline in this review. The reason for this appears to be that Viz wants to tie the user up with a vizmedia.com account rather than putting its inventory on one of the other comic book marketplaces — presumably in order to collect market data and directly monitor usage.

Signing up for such an account is the first thing you have to do in order to view any of the manga, adding yet another login and password to your life. Thankfully the process is very swift, asking a minimum of questions and requiring only an e-mail activation to complete.

The layout of the app itself follows the normal mold for iPad comic apps that has now been established by comiXology, with a grand total of three viewable tabs, one each for the store, your library of content, and the settings. The app feels greatly streamlined with very few settings available to the user, although it must be noted that I did not find myself wanting for anything and found the app easy to navigate.

The library itself is also very streamlined, with six titles available, each with one to two volumes available at present. These titles are Viz's biggest, such as One Piece, Dragon Ball and Naruto. Each series also has the first chapter available to preview for free, which is a welcome feature. The title-browsing interface is very simplistic and I hope that this is developed further as more titles are added — while the interface works fine for six series it could quickly become cluttered and difficult to navigate as more are added.

As a gift, the first volume of Death Note is available to download for free to users who sign up for new accounts (at the time of writing). Downloading is as simple as pressing the appropriate link and letting the data come to you — however sadly this is marked with a few problems. First of all, there is no downloads menu — the only indication that anything is happening is a sluggish blue bar pasted at the bottom of the volume cover which you can sit and watch creep across the screen. You cannot view a volume that is being downloaded, something that is easily possible on other (sadly less scrupulous) manga viewers. You are still free to navigate around the app, but the experience is noticeably slower and there is a lack of anything else to actually look at while you wait. Exiting the app causes the download to reset, which is irritating but is perhaps more due to the fact that iPads are still running iOS3.2-OS4.2 and multitasking will not be available until some time in November according to Apple. Re-entering the app automatically restarts the download, which is a nice touch, but as downloads don't show up in your library until they are finished and there is no downloads pane, it’s a rather long-winded process to determine how your download is doing. For my part, I went and played with my cats while the download was ongoing.

One thing I want to quickly praise here is the error messages. This sounds like an odd thing to mention, but each time I ran into an error with the app (not often), the message presented was clear, direct, and to the point. When I bought and downloaded Volume 1 of Bleach to test the purchasing system there was an error with the download. The message that appeared reassured me that all was well, nothing was lost, and I only had to restart the app. This extra effort is greatly appreciated, as when errors of this sort occur it can be bewildering as to where your money and content have gone.

So, enough of all of this infrastructure stuff — what about the actual comic-reading part of the app?

First of all, the image quality looks fine. Even when zoomed in the pages look clear and legible with no artifacts in sight. Holding the iPad in landscape mode creates a two-page spread that mimics a physical manga volume, while holding it portrait gives you a view of a larger single page. Both work well and are comfortable to read — the biggest compliment I can give is that I happily read the entire first volume of Death Note and Bleach with no major issues.

One nice thing that made me laugh is that the generic "you are reading the wrong way!" advisory message you find on the last page of manga volumes pops up when you try and turn the first page as if you would a western book. These touches show Viz has been thoughtful when constructing the app.

There are still small niggles with the presentation, however — reading landscape introduces a small time lag in-between page turns as the app renders the next two pages ahead of you, and skipping to a distant portion of the volume causes the app to tick over for a noticeable amount of time before displaying the desired pages. However, It should be noted that this behavior was only apparent when I stress tested the application.

Another small complaint with the manga viewing, at least with Bleach, is the massive size of the spine margins present on the pages — in either landscape or portrait view they take up a not-insignificant portion of the screen and once you see them you can't help noticing that they are there. Cropping these would really benefit the reading experience.

Prolonged reading was comfortable on the eyes, but sadly not on the arms — the iPad is still just a little too heavy to be fully comfortable as a reading device, but this is a fault of the hardware and not Viz.

A quick note here on the price: US $5 a volume at present. This feels, to me at least, a very fair price to charge with the caveat that I expect purchases to carry over onto other digital platforms as they become available. I see no reason why not as your purchases are tied to the Vizmedia.com account you have to create when you start using the app.

All in all, the app does what it says on the proverbial tin, in an approachable and streamlined manner. I have no real complaints that would prevent my continuing to use the app, other than a frank request that they port it to other territories ASAP — if this was available natively in the UK I would gladly use it to finally buy and read One Piece. The series is just too big at present to buy in physical format due to the sheer bulk of the books.

I hope Viz continues to improve the app; adding more and a greater variety titles would be a great start, but adding in community interaction such as forums, reviews and such would really boost interactivity and provide something to do while waiting for downloads to complete. For now, though, it’s a great start.

[Highly Recommended]

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Note: This review is of the first publicly available version of the Viz Media iPad app, and thus the app itself is liable to change via updates and patches. Please also note that this app is only available at present within the US and Canada — being in the UK I had to obtain the app via gray market means which, while relatively easy, should only be attempted if you are fully aware of the possible drawbacks of such an approach.

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Preview: Black Butler (Dub)

Ahh, Black Butler, also known as "Kuroshitsuji" in Japan. Infamous for its perpetually squealing teenage girl fanbase, it can be difficult for male fans to actually give it a try. However, after my stint with the surprisingly funny Axis Powers Hetalia (also known for its prepubescent female fans), I thought I might as well give Black Butler from A-1 Pictures (Kannagi, Welcome to the Space Show) a fair shake.

In the two dubbed episodes that I received on FUNimation's preview disc, however, I found myself giving Black Butler much more than a fair shake. You see, this series is in fact a shōnen (boys) manga, even though it clearly aims for a female demographic with its pretty-boy main characters and vaguely homo-erotic situations. This combination of demographics, now quite common in the manga world, means that Black Butler can provide an experience that's fun for more than just the core girls audience. Go figure!

Sebastian is a demon butler, bound to his master, Ciel Phantomhive, by a devilish contract — he must obey all of his master's orders, but Ciel has also agreed to allow Sebastian to consume his soul after the contract has ended. Following along with this delightfully Faustian setup, the series is defined by a dark, gothic style, complete with classic ornamentation in both architecture and fashion.

Plus, FUNimation's dub uses some surprisingly accurate British accents to help geographically and historically place the story in Victorian England. The voices don't always work — namely Brian Mathis, who weaves in and out of an Italian accent for the villain of episode 2 — but even some of the weaker performances like Monica Rial's Cockney accent manage to produce moments of comedy.

These two (predictably) self-contained episodes center around Sebastian's dazzling butler abilities, as he shows up all of the manor's servants with his masterful preparation of dinner and ... fighting prowess. In fact, the inclusion of fight scenes highlights the most important thing about these first few episodes of Black Butler — they combine straight-up visual gags with black comedy, creepy gothic macabre, light drama, and A-1 Pictures' best imitation of BONES-style (Fullmetal Alchemist) action scenes. The result is a fun, creepy, and exciting pastiche that never leaves you without a dull moment, despite its tendency to careen between styles.

Granted, this is just based on a limited preview, so the show could easily let me down after more than two episodes. Regardless, the beginning of Black Butler is undeniably entertaining; it may feature a pretty-boy butler being pretty, but his Golgo 13-esque ability to effortlessly complete any task, no matter how gruesome, makes for fun times, and the variety of comedic styles is sure to please nearly anyone.

Look for Black Butler on DVD from FUNimation Entertainment on January 11, 2011, and check it out with English subs right now on FUNimation's video portal, Hulu, and Anime News Network.

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This preview is based on a complimentary screener DVD provided by FUNimation Entertainment.

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Review: Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii)

Genre: Platformer
Director: Koichi Hayashida
Developer: Nintendo EAD Tokyo
Publisher: Nintendo
Console(s): Nintendo Wii
Release Dates: May 23, 2010 (NA), May 27, 2010 (JP), Jun. 11, 2010 (EU), Jul. 1, 2010 (AUS)
Rated: E for Everyone

Super Mario Galaxy 2 was certainly an unexpected announcement from Nintendo, considering the series past releases. On N64 we had Super Mario 64 (SM64) and on the Gamecube we had Super Mario Sunshine. Super Mario Galaxy 2 breaks the trend both by releasing another main series 3-D Mario on the same platform, and by making it so closely related to its predecessor Super Mario Galaxy.

The most obvious aspect of Galaxy 2 is that it is built completely off of the original Galaxy's engine. Thus, instead of reinventing the wheel for their newest title, the development team was able to focus completely on making improvements and crafting the best game possible. Now, the level design is more focused, interesting, and varied than ever before — the best aspects of Galaxy have been amplified, the lesser portions revamped or tossed aside, and new gameplay mechanics have been introduced that show off the skills of the team. The player is thrown enough gameplay mechanics to keep the game constantly interesting without any one element sticking around too long.

The addition of Yoshi is much more than Mario fan service, as he plays an important role in the game; his abilities are interesting and the control tight. Yoshi's presence in New Super Mario Bros Wii felt tacked on as he had too few appearances; I actually remember talking to someone who had played the game, but forgot that Yoshi was even in it. Here, the dinosaur gets plenty of exposure, but not enough to make the game too Yoshi-centric. The only Mario power up that I could really do without is Spring-Mario; awkward controls and its small role in the game could have been better used giving other powers more time in the spotlight.

Thankfully, the difficulty has been kicked up since Mario's last 3-D outing, as the easiness of the original Galaxy was one of my main issues with it. The only times it was very hard were when you were searching around for purple coins, but the platforming itself was too simple. While much of Galaxy 2 isn't very different from Galaxy, there are plenty of challenging spots. Purple coins, timed challenges, and stages populated by these infernal mini-Mario enemies can be delightfully tricky, but the hard parts are not reserved for such bonus areas. The difficulty in Galaxy 2 is comparable to Sunshine, besides a few of Sunshine’s infernally hard platforming stages.

One interesting aspect of the game is the attempt at expanding the audience through gameplay help. When this was first announced, gaming blogs and forums were already making a huge fuss over it, but honestly in the game it is completely unobtrusive. If you are continually dying in one stage, Roselina asks if you require assistance. That is it. There is no hand-holding or dumbing down the gameplay at all. If you wanted some help then the option is there, but completely ignorable. While I never used the feature, I read that stars collected by having the game play for you are not in the usual gold, but instead a bronze star to differentiate between legitimate victories.

Galaxy 2 has stronger gameplay diversity that the preceding game- There are the stages built around collecting purple coins, often with time limits. There are timed challenges given to you by a chimp with shades. There are ball rolling levels, flying levels, and all kinds of different gameplay. Often timed and collecting stages in games feel like distractions from the main quest in a game, but Galaxy 2 manages to blur this line by keeping everything fun and nothing feeling extracurricular from the normal play. Even simple concepts such as timed speed-runs of previous missions or single HP boss fights come off as completely legitimate and entertaining additions to the game.

An atmosphere of delight has been achieved in Galaxy 2 that I have not felt since Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island for SNES. Everything about the game contributes to an overall aura of joy and whimsy. The music is beautiful with even more studio pieces and high quality synthesized compositions, and while the arrangements of classic Mario music are present and fantastic, they don't overshadow the impressive new scores. I'm also personally very happy with the upbeat big band influence on the soundtrack. The graphics are the same as the original Galaxy, but with certain visual flourishes that make this game stand out even further. It may not have that HD goodness of the other consoles, but the creativity and aesthetics stand out as something more appealing and inspired than a lot of what is out on the market.

The game has a certain energy and excitement to it, thanks to the masterfully crafted level design, well-focused linearity, and appropriate music and visuals. Certain moments are especially captivating — blasting through the star-lit sky toward the next planet, turning the watery world of “Cosmic Cove” into solid ice and looking down at the now-frozen world below, navigating the dangers of “Supermassive Galaxy”, watching the flowers grow underneath Mario's feet ... There were many moments in the game that I just had to pause for a moment, forget about the mission, and just appreciate the spectacle.

I know many will disagree, but I can't help but question the inclusion of “Throwback Galaxy” — a SM64 stage slightly remixed but enhanced with Galaxy graphics. It is gorgeous and an interesting look at how the game would look if made today, but I dislike that kind of obvious fan pandering. Having arrangements of classic Mario music is great, but duplicating entire levels is a little too nostalgia-fueled for my liking. It isn't a big deal though, as most people will love it, and it's too unobtrusive to be that offensive to cranky gamers such as myself. If I wanted to play SM64, though, I would be playing SM64.

The story of the game is hardly worth mentioning, but people seem to find it enjoyable to make fun of its simplistic tale (as if anyone plays Mario for the plot). The important thing is that it fits right at home with the atmosphere of the game, and doesn't have any significant standout cheesiness. It gives a reason for the gameplay without any annoying intrusions, and that is all I require from most platformers.

I was admittedly skeptical at first towards Super Mario Galaxy 2. Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy were very different from each other and worked together to create a franchise that could vary wildly across the games. I was worried that the magic would deteriorate with Galaxy 2 being a rehash of the first. Fortunately, I was wrong; sure, it's the same assets and engine, but if that allows for more creative design and attention to detail then I welcome it. After all, was not my favorite Zelda game — The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask — even more guilty in that regard? The game not only ran on the same engine, but re-used character models by giving them new names! What the game delivered was an adventure with more exploration, more character interaction, and a more sophisticated overall production. If it allows for games such as Majora's Mask and Galaxy 2 then I hope the next platform's big series get a second game using the same engine.

Unfortunately, Galaxy 2 was unable to launch with the same impact and excitement that surrounded Galaxy. With its strong similarity to the first game, it isn't revolutionary, but it is certainly an evolutionary title in that it expands and fine-tunes what Galaxy started. Many gamers have either skipped out on Galaxy 2 or at least put the purchase on hold, unable to get enthusiastic over a second serving of “Mario in Space”. I hope that it will be remembered, though, as not the “other” Galaxy, but the “better” Galaxy.

[Highly Recommended]

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This review is based on a retail copy purchased by the reviewer.

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Monthly Snapshot: The Birth of Evil Ohno

EDITOR'S NOTE: Welcome to our newest feature here at Ani-Gamers — the "Monthly Snapshot." In this article, published at the beginning of each month, one of our writers will detail a particular moment that made an especially large impression on them. It can be an anime, manga, or video game, and the scene can be anything from a hilarious comedy bit or a serious monologue. This month we begin the series with a Snapshot of the Genshiken OAV from Ink.

Near the end of the first of 3 OAVs that link Genshiken's first and second seasons, there is a scene that involves Ogiue walking into the empty clubroom, where Ohno's "homo dōjinshi" is spread across the main table. The material is meant as a trap designed to expose Ogiue's hypocritical loathing of yaoi. To the dismay of Genshiken members Sasahara, Madarame, Tanaka, and Ohno watching from across the quad, Saki innocently shows up and accidentally ruins the scheme by making Ogiue self-conscious just as she was reaching for a volume. What is seen as a detriment to the plan quickly becomes more effectively subversive to Ogiue's core character as Saki starts her not-so-rhetorical reflections on why girls would want to read magazines like those.

Feeling the situation at a standstill, Ohno — somewhat forced into action by her own ineptitude at telling lies and Saki's powers of remote manipulation — relinquishes a passive role of observation for an active one of instigation to get results. My anime moment of the month comes when Ogiue cracks from being harangued by the relentless Saki-Ohno tag team. The snowball effect thereafter, which stems from Ohno's intimate admission that made me laugh so hard as to miss the next minute or so of dialog, is a complement to how well the series can betray its characters' nominal traits for a belly laugh.

If the line of gunpowder is traced back from the erupted barrel, it starts with Sasahara recognizing "the birth of Evil Ohno," who is depicted as maniacally obsessive in her attempt to ensnare Ogiue. In addition to being shown as the primary binocular-holder, the usually shy and quiet Ohno makes outlandish suggestions, such as putting a bug in the room as to eavesdrop on audio, and bubbles over with maddened giggles that border on demented laughter ... the surgeon mask only adding to the effect.

Later, the confrontation itself is a betrayal of Ohno's character. In fact, Bizarro Ohno's characteristics are taken to such lengths that her constant pressing and egging-on is depicted as akin to Saki's usual behavior. And to top everything off, once Ohno starts acting like Saki, Saki starts getting a little more defensive and wallflower-ish. This shrinking back contrasts Ohno's sudden boldness for even more layers of subliminal laughter. The scene continues to steamroll, with Saki acting kinder to the nigh-exposed yaoi lover by defending her honor against the intrusiveness of Kuchiki's surveillance (and then pressing Ogiue about it herself) and a sadistic Ohno punctuating the intensely personal prodding with an example of Ogiue's shame. This pushes Ogiue over the figurative and literal edges. It is here that Saki prevents Ogiue from jumping from a third story window out of embarrassment while Ohno dances gleefully in the background, pleased as proverbial punch at the shade of red in Ogiue's cheeks.

This episode is all about introducing Ogiue, and the story structure manages to bring this about humorously by a long setup involving the reversal of key characters' weaknesses and strengths.

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