Don’t hold back your true potential! Win 10 Ranked Matches in a row!
Well, after a few failed attempts at trying organise a boosting session for it on TrueAchievements, I managed to win it legit. It was so different to how I won the win-10-ranked-games-in-a-row Achievement in regular Street Fighter IV. There, I was flitting between ranked and custom games, not really paying much attention to what type of match I was winning and what type of match I was losing. When it popped I was both amazed, confused and a little relieved that I didn’t have to stress over winning it.
So, there I was, just playing to pass some time, waiting for Jane to come home from work and luckily I kept getting matched against poor players – only one or two of the people I played were actually any good and threatened to break my streak. I thought I had a 7 win streak just before I went for tea, but it said in my stats that my highest streak was now 8 (before this it was 7, thanks to T.Hawk). After tea I went back and got lucky again – a rubbish Shoryuken-happy Ken and a Dee-Jay with 130 BP who I don’t think knew what he was doing. It helped that I was absolutely on fire with Adon.
It got a little bit tense towards the end, and although there were some very reckless shenanigans going on (repeated full screen Jaguar Tooth which no-one seemed to want to block, ridiculous amounts of cross-ups into full combos which no-one punished me for, all out offence, very little regard for defending), it all seemed to go my way!
Even at this early stage, I think I’m preferring Pokémon Emerald to Pokémon Leaf Green. I played Blue to death when it came out, and more than once. I took to transferring over all my Pokémon to Pokémon Stadium on the N64 and then playing through it again, it was insane. This is probably why Leaf Green felt so familiar, and dare I say it, a bit dull. The nice new graphics were excellent, and some of the new features were very welcome, but it was just a bit too much. By contrast, I played Pokémon Ruby when it came out in the US, but didn’t get very far at all. I had other things on my plate at that time as I was no longer a lazy student with loads of free time. This Pokémon Emerald seems new and exciting, even though I’ve played through the first half of Ruby.
The Pokémon are unfamiliar and interesting, mysteries waiting to be unravelled by level ups. The Pokédex is nicer, and easier to navigate, the Bag is split into more manageable sections, and berries are handled better in this game too. No longer do you randomly find them in shadows on the ground, you can actually plant them to grow more. I spent about two hours trying to make a Seedot appear the other night, and am currently trying to get everything up to level 20 or thereabouts before I go on, but some things like Sableye (which don’t evolve) and Beautifly and Dustox (only really good for beginners) I’m leaving as they are. I think I’m going to go with Linoone for my HM slave (Cut, Surf, Strength, Rock Smash – I think that’s the four I need to progress through the game).
The one thing I do miss is the VS Seeker from Leaf Green. That thing was excellent. Just hold it up and any trainers nearby decide whether they want a rematch, great. This PokéNav thing seems a bit less precise. I’ve had someone phone me up and tell me they nearly caught a Wingull (WOW FUCK REALLY???), but so far no-one has offered a rematch. Even when they do, if I’m off half-way across the region, am I really going to want to traipse all the way back to where they are, beat them in a few seconds, then go all the way back to where I was and carry on? Oh, I also love how if you time it right, two unrelated Trainers can challenge you at once.
I don’t know why everyone slates Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald as having the worst Pokémon designs – there are some really good “Pokémon-ey” ones in there. I’ve made a collage of some of my favourites (yeah, maybe Plusle and Minun are Pikachu rip-offs, and Feebas is a different take on Magikarp, but still, I think these Pokémon are pretty well designed).
Do you agree with my selections?
More fucking Zubats and Geodudes though. Those things must proliferate and spread like there’s no tomorrow. A Wild Zubat appeared. Run. Take two steps. A Wild Zubat appears. Repeat ad nauseum. Profit. (I lie, there is no profit).
I finished Leaf Green – well, beat the Elite 4 at any rate. I went off to try to catch Mewtwo, but it told me I had to do a great deed before I could get in. I thought you only had to beat the Elite 4 (that’s how it was in the original games – it was foolish for me to think it’d be the same to be honest) but upon researching it on the internet I saw that there was a whole other sub-plot on those little islands and you needed the National Pokédex…
Now, I was only really catching things I knew I’d use, (and the Legendary ones for the fun/challenge of it) so at the end of the game I only had 55 caught. Oak only gives you the National Pokédex if you have caught 100 or more! I didn’t realise there was a bit more to the adventure after you’d become Pokémon Champion, like that one of the Legendary Beasts from Gold/Silver appears and roams the lands, loads more Pokémon from Gold and Silver become available to catch and that you can go back and re-battle the Elite 4 and they’ll have different and higher level Pokémon.
I really can’t be bothered to go back and catch things and evolve them, so I’ve started on Emerald instead. I’ve never played this version before, so most of the Pokémon will be a mystery to me but I’m going to try to catch everything I see and evolve everything I can. I’ll learn the hard way – only dipping into guides when I’ve got 6 or 7 badges so not to spoil the plot. Wait, there’s a plot in Pokémon? You know what I mean.
…and I’m still thoroughly enjoying it. I’ve just beat the final Gym and am gearing up to the Victory Road/Indigo Plateau finale. I enjoyed the three little islands that weren’t in the original Red and Blue, although it was a pretty slight diversion. I’ve caught all three Legendary birds, defeated Team Rocket but probably still need to do a bit more grinding.
In terms of my team, well, Mankey turned out ok in the end! I saw an Abra and thought it’d be a perfect replacement for it, so I persevered and eventually caught one before it Teleported off, then I remembered I can’t trade it to evolve it into an Alakazam, so he’s sitting in my box, gathering dust. I stuck with Primape because he is quite fast, and his attack stat is lovely for all those physical moves he uses. I evolved that Eevee into a Jolteon and it continues to be awesome. He’s got those Dark Glasses on so Bite is boosted, and because his Sp.Attack is so high and he gets the same type advantage his electric attacks OHKO pretty much anything. I broke one of my own rules: Not to use any Pokémon I used on my original Pokémon Blue run – I’m using a Starmie. But it’s so fucking cool, and so strong. I love Starmie. It’s voice in the anime was superb. “HRRGH!”
I’m trying to bring a Nidoking up to 45 to see if his stats will be better than my level 45 Nidoqueen. I use it for Cut, Rock Smash, Strength and Surf. Damn you Pokémon and your stupid insistence on having HM’s. As far as I can see, being forced to use Hidden Machines to teach to your Pokémon decidedly average moves is a universally loathed system – it’d be much better if certain badges just enabled Pokémon to use their natural talents. For example, big burly Pokémon like Snorlax could naturally use Strength without it taking up a move space, any Flying Pokémon big enough for you to sit on could Fly you to other towns (same with Surfing, any Pokémon that’s big enough for you to sit on could Surf you around), and any Pokémon with electric or fire moves could light up dark tunnels.
The one thing my team was lacking was a fire Pokémon. I eventually found a Magmar but it was too high a level for my liking, I don’t know if you can breed in this one but even if you can I can’t be bothered to breed some Magmars so I can raise it earlier so it’s stats will be higher, so I thought fuck it, I’ll just use Moltres as my fire type. I don’t consider it cheating to use a Legendary against the Elite 4.
I’m going to play Pokémon Emerald after this. I would play one of the DS ones, but I shudder at the thought of emulating a DS on the PSP. I know it can be done, but my mind boggles at the concept.
Sorry Dan, but my time with you is over. Adon is my new all time favourite now, he’s just so awesome. He works well delivering constant pressure, or sitting back and snuffing out any incoming attacks. I’m still working out the best ways to use the Rising Jaguar – it’s just not possible to use it as a Shoryuken-type attack, but it’s pretty useful in cross up combos and cancelling it into an FADC to set up an Ultra.
Watch this video of me taking on a Makoto over Xbox Live.
I used Personal Action 9 to evade Makoto’s Ultra, although I didn’t strictly mean to. I thought he was going to use a fast punch or EX fast punch, I’d evade over it with the taunt, then he’d be in the corner and I’d hit him hard with an EX Jaguar Tooth. I hit Hard Punch and Hard Kick, vaulted over, paused in amazement for a second because I didn’t expect him to do the Ultra, or Adon to evade it, quickly regained composure and finished him off.
Went to see Jasmine (and Mum, David and Katie as well) yesterday, got to give her her belated birthday presents. We got her this turtle thing that plays little tunes while roaming around launching little plastic balls out of it’s back that’ll encourage her to crawl after it. Well, we put some batteries in it and as soon as it made noises and started moving, she was terrified of it! She was initially terrified of me as well, but by the end of the day she was all kissy and cuddly. We went to Bella Italia for lunch (I had the meat-megamix pizza) and she got a hold of someone’s slice of lemon from their drink. David took it off her before she could get it in her mouth, but she threatened to get stroppy, so he gave it back and she tried it… I don’t think she was expecting such a bitter taste!
i got a lemon i gonna eat it
actually, this is a bit bitter
mmm, quite nice though!
Then, when I got home, everyone was in a jolly mood and we ate some fish and sang some songs. All in all, a great day.
Just a quick one to say that I got an Infinity rating on Lips last night, singing Viva La Vida by Coldplay. Then, immediately after, Jane got an Infinity rating on “a song I can’t remember which I’ll edit in when I’ve asked her later tonight”. None for two months, then two in a row! Awesome! The Avatar Award didn’t unlock though, which is mildly annoying. Still, I’m sure we can get the Infinity rank again at some point.
I’m also still enjoying Pokémon Leaf Green. I went all the way to the top of the Pokémon Mansion in Celadon the proper way, got confused as to how I got into the other room, then remembered there was a back way in, went all the way back up, and was utterly gobsmacked that I had forgotten there was an Eevee just left there unattended in a Pokéball. This game is great because it is surprising me with things I once knew but had forgotten!
On the left is the original Pikachu graphic. On the right is the Pikachu graphic from Leaf Green on the Game Boy Advance - and how I saw it in my mind back when I was playing Blue on the Game Boy!
This week I finally got around to enabling homebrew on my PSP. It was very easy, mostly thanks to my PSP being one of the old “Phat” models. I eventually found some suitable emulators and some questionable software – It was a bit tricky thanks to the gamut of sites that are mostly keywords designed to send you round and round in circles, hopefully luring you to click on their adverts for some revenue. But still, as the title says – I’m currently playing key Nintendo franchise Pokémon Leaf Green on my Sony PSP. It’s funny – I know this version is enhanced, I know the original ones were on the black and white Game Boy (I played Red and Blue when they first came out in the US), but this full colour one is exactly how I remember the game! I’m told that the graphics used to be that horrid shade of “Game Boy green” and black, and the monsters themselves were ugly, pixelated things, but I generally remember them as vibrantly coloured, beautiful creatures.
It’s been a delight so far. I’ve went with Bulbasaur as my starter, caught a Pikachu, beaten Brock, bought a Magikarp, beat up Misty, put the Magikarp in day-care (by the time I get back it’ll be a Gyarados, surely), traded a Nidoran♀ for a Nidoran♂ and am still wondering what to replace my awful Mankey with. Something will turn up. Other classics I picked up are Sonic, Sonic 2 and Sonic 3 & Knuckles, Bubble Bobble, Wario Ware and some lovely Megadrive shooters: Biohazard Battle, Thunderforce III and Thunderforce IV, but none have grabbed me in the same way as Leaf Green has. When I do get a job, I may well pick up a DSi XL and one of them new Pokémon games – I hear there are Black and White versions, packed full of new features on the way.
I’ve finally achieved my dream of being number one on a leaderboard on an Xbox 360 game!
Yesterday we downloaded Build Me Up Buttercup by The Foundations for Lips, and after our first go we saw that we could easily get to the top spot. We sang it a few more times, each time getting closer and closer until finally:
My Diamond Cup
Jane’s Diamond Cup
Leaderboard Face
This song will always have a Diamond Cup next to it now!
The key to our victory was activating the Star Stream in unison, and getting those tricky notes we didn’t quite know how to hit the first couple of times we sang the song. We’re not top any more, but we keep our Diamond Cups because at some point we were top of the leaderboard.
Bungie’s Double XP Weekend playlist of choice this last weekend was Grifball. I adore Grifball. Created by Burnie Burns of Rooster Teeth, thanks to the wonder of Halo 3′s Forge map creation tool and the fully customisable game-types, then combined with being able to spread these around via your own personal File Share, Grifball is undoubtedly the most successful user-created Halo 3 experience*. So much so, that Bungie have taken it and added it into the mainstream Halo 3 experience in the form of Double XP weekend playlists. Now, Grifball as a Halo 3 game-type seems quite counter-intuitive: only using mellee weapons in a shooting based First-person-shooter and having such a short fuse on the bomb is nothing like the traditional Assault game-type… But it gels as a “sport”: melee weapons representing blocks or tackles and getting the bomb to a scoring zone results in an instant detonation and thus an instant point in the same way getting a ball over a line or into the scoring zone in real-life sports scores an instant point.
Then there’s the tactics. There’s a kind of triangular Rock-Paper-Scissors dynamic with the Sword/Hammer/Bomb and Overshield weapon set, knowing which to use and when is a key part of winning. Defending can be tricky sometimes, as the bomb carrier is slightly faster than regular players, you really need to spread out and make sure there are no gaps in your line. Of course, when you have the bomb and are attacking, you can sometimes be sneaky and rush through one of these gaps. A favourite tactic of mine is to jump with the bomb just as enemies are rushing in with their Hammers primed – the resulting chaos is usually just enough to take off my Overshield, but the boom from the Hammers makes me fly so high – but only sometimes actually towards the goal.
And looking towards the future, we can probably expect Halo Reach to add even more options to the beautifully brutal game of Grifball. The Sprint Armour ability is the most obvious one – attacking players sprint to support their man with the bomb, while defenders rush back to plug a gap in their line. Removing the restriction on being able to use equipment at the same time as holding an objective, then giving all players jetpacks would literally add another dimension to the game. I’m not just talking about Grifball now, but novel gametypes in general: Could you somehow tweak a version of Invasion to something novel and unexpected? Or possibly play a game of CTF with the added threat of enemies in Firefight 2.0, or even try a game of CTF vs the AI somehow? Or even take Firefight and change it up into something else totally? The potential for interesting gametypes that go beyond what is expected is incredibly high for Reach – I’m expecting Forge to be improved and expanded upon as well, because Bungie’s desire is to make things even more customisable so that more unique experiences can be devised by the infinitely creative players who seek to go beyond the traditional FPS.
*Before you mention Zombie gametypes – this was a Halo 2 invention, added to Halo 3!
This week I signed up to Twitter (about a year and a half after everyone else in the entire fucking world, but there you go). It’s been great so far, and thanks to me being quite selective about who I follow, it’s not been entirely full of inane, pointless chatter. Initially I signed up in the hope that it would keep me informed of things that are happening as I always seem to be the last to find things out (hence “Always late to the party”), but I’ve been sidetracked by my favourite comedians, who now mostly fill my stream with genuinely funny observations or tiny little Twitter-sized jokes. I also follow people I know from the internet like Stu, melatonin and strawdonkey, but having a conversation on Twitter is quite difficult, and trying to follow someone else’s conversation is just downright impossible. Maybe I’m doing it wrong, I’m still new to it after all.
Jane is convinced I had one more football shirt that I gave to her, but for the life of me I cannot remember it. She said it was white with red stripes or it had a white and red pattern, and the badge was blue. The first shirt that came to mind was the white and red quartered Rangers away shirt from the early 90′s. The only drawback to that is that I don’t recall ever having owned it! I am bemused by this, I may have to ask my Mum.
