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Chris Martin- March 31st '01- 12:00 Central Standard Time

Looks like Namco's dropped a pretty big bombshell on us, huh kiddos? For the past year, they've been developing Xenosaga, the sequel?/prequel?/something else? to Square's fan-favorite Xenogears. The same development team complete with Yasunori Mitsuda kicking it old school on the soundtrack. Are you excited? From my perspective, it would seem so. Seeing as how I got about 100 MILLION JILLION UPLITILLON letters from people saying, pretty much, "Joy and Rapture! More Xenogears!". Me? I'm psyched. Despite some of its flaws, I enjoyed Xenogears. Here's hoping that Xenosaga stays true to the original in respect to the intriguing plot, interesting characters, and fresh premise. And here's hoping Xenogears' painfully slow text-speed, poor translation, blocky graphics, and rushed production (You're on Disc 2 now? Ok, this isn't a game anymore. It's "the characters just say what's going on as opposed to you actually playing through it." time now.)

We've seen some interesting releases recently for the PC. 2 games of note are "Black and White" and "Fallout Tactics".

Black and White. Think "SimGod". That's it. You are a god, compete with people to watch over, torture, and bless and an avatar (In the form of an Ape, Cow, and Lion). Basically, it's your job to either be a good God and raise your people to great heights, or be a real jerk of a God and smite people. People and your avatar will react and change depending on your actions. A really complex and intriguing game.

Fallout Tactics A TRPG set in the post-apocalyptic Fallout world. Pretty standard TRPG fare. Send 6 soldiers into a camp, accomplish certain objectives, gain experience, and learn new skills. Kill your enemies by storming in with a semi-automatic weapon, slitting their throats from behind, leaving landmines, etc. etc. I've played the demo. It's good, but it sure as hell is no X-com. Then again, I loved X-com more than anyone should love a computer program.

Two mini-reviews later, it's column time.

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Eat! Drink! Be Merry...
First slot goes to Ms. Xenogears herself
Hey Chesh!
CC:Hay is for horses. Yuk. yuk. yuk.

I nearly went into hysterics when I heard this, so please tell me Project X isn't a hoax (Xenosaga- whatever they call it!). Is it going to be a Xenogears sequal or is that just a rumor right now? It sounds so much alike it! And I went nuts when I heard Mitsuda was going to do the music for it. This will be out on PS2, won't it? ::smiles thinking the whole purpose for her PS2 was for the final fantasy seris and hoping that an XG sequal will be made on it::
Will Xenosaga be released in the US or is it too early to tell? If that's the case, then what's the liklihood of it being released in the US? I'll have a heart attack if it isn't! Thanks ^_^

-Xenochick, -the Xenogears Goddess-

Cheshire Catalyst:
She's so happy. It's kinda cute.

Yes, Xenosaga will be made exclusivly for the PS2. Will it be released in the US? I think there's a fairly decent chance of that. Xenogears did fairly well here in the states, so a US release is pretty likely.

Will it be a direct sequel to Xenogears, or just a game that used Xenogears plot elements and no direct story continuity? (A la Final Fantasy) We'll have to see. July 8th is the day to mark on your calendar. That's the day the game will be unveiled to the public.

That was all the info we have on Xenosaga. Back to your regularly scheduled column normalcy.
Che-shu-sa-MAAAA!!! !

ROFLMAO! http://www.anime-love.f2s.com/main.htm .

A matchmaking service for anime fans. With dating tips and stuff. Beautiful. ^_^

Also, Brad used to be good with these kinds of questions, and I think you're really Googleshng disguised as Brad disguised as Thor disguised as Gin disguised as Chesh, so I'll ask you.

1-- How does one go about removing dust from a PS / Gameshark? My GS port is covered with dust, as is my recently found Gameshark. How can I remove this?
2-- Some little brat coloured over my Serial IO port with an orange coloured pencil. What form of medieval torture should I use on him, and how should I remove the orange stuff?
3-- I suck at Vanguard bandits. I've played through about three times, getting the crappy Kingdom ending each time, as well as not getting any secret mecha. Tips, strategy, etc... give it to me. ^_^
4-- Does Vanguard remind anyone else of Escaflowne? ^^;;
5-- Repeat that Sushi comment you made a while back. It makes me laugh.
6-- There is no number 6.
<cleverly hidden text> Except for SATAN, that is... </cleverly hidden text> ^_^
7-- Brad kicks ass. So do you. Steal the weekday Q&A spot with him as a Guesthost.
8-- Googleshng never updates on time. Punish him!
9-- Use the jellybeans.
10-- Would it disturb you to see an image of Darth Vader in a Sailor fuku?
11-- What about Yoda?

In closing, I must... good god!
You're not Chesh! You're one of the Kung Foo Creatures on a Rampage... Two!

Rabuuri chaami na kataki yaku,
~wonkycyber

"Oh, Sera, don't tell them that... Just as I was building things up to make us sound psychologically superior to them. Damn!" ~Tolone

Cheshire Catalyst:
1.) Well, you can stop being a little wuss and cut the cheating. A more practical answer might be, "Blow on it", "Use a Q-tip", or "Check your local store if they have a game-cleaning kit on hand."
2.) I really don't know. Have you tried using an eraser? Maybe rubbing alcohol would work. Hey, I doubt you can screw it up any further than it already is. Beat the child with reeds, BTW.
3.) Talk to your warriors before battles start. When people ask you questions answer like the altruistic young man that you are.
4.) Young boy must use a suit of medieval-style mecha armor (that only his lineage can use) against an evil empire. Yeah, really.
5.) If I'm going to work in the field of public relations, I better start acting like a shill now. *Ahem* "Sushi is the nastiest thing that I've ever put in my mouth. I'm currently paying off my student loans by working as a male-prostitute in the Chicago projects, so that's saying something." Granted, I only tried one type of sushi. I'll update this comment once I eat more. (Sushi, not....nevermind)
6.) Netscape and IE do not support the <cleverly hidden text> tags.
7.) You couldn't pay me to do this four "school nights" a week. Classes are hard enough without worrying about getting this done 4 nights a week. And Brad? Brad's left and gone away, hey hey hey.
8.) Like I said, doing this on weekdays must be a real pain in the buttocks. Google updates regularly, and I ain't gonna punish her.
9.) Black ones are nasty. You can have them.
10.) That's pretty nasty. Don't think of such things.
11.) See answer #10.

Let's keep the "listed question" format under a million, ok guys?
hey chesh,
1.Do you read the Q&A when Goog does it?
2.Did Goog change hre banner, picture thing at the bottom of the page?
3.I'm sick, do I get my letter posted?
4.What game are you looking forward to most?FFX for me
5.I wish I were at TGS
6.Has the N64 controller ever spoken to you? It is always laughing at me saying,"HAHA, you can't reach the "L" button.
7.Cough
8.Xenosaga....I've never played xenogears, is it really, THAT good, I heard the story jumps around
9. I don't think I can count much higher.
10. Sneeze Curtis

Cheshire Catalyst:

1.) Almost always.
2.) Nope. The banners are under the control of efront.
3.) Ewww. I hope you don't get me sick.
4.) I dunno. Nothing really has me excited right now. Xenosaga might be cool.
5.) Me too.
6.) The n64 controller is pretty damn awkward. The X-box one looks funky too. Will our hands evolve so that we can push more buttons at the same time? Maybe...
7.) Turn your head first.
8.) Some people like it. Some people don't.
9.) That's disturbing...
10.) Ick...

It's our problem free philosophy.
Ok, some real questions.
Couple questions for the chem-a-kitty.

1. You've played Septerra Core, right? Can you tell me what to do once I get the gas masks from the one installation? I thought I was supposed to wear them down in the one poisonous place (all three) but Maya still says she can't breathe. Sorry I can't be more specific, I haven't played it in a year.

2. I suppose Xen and I no longer need an army to force another Xeno game, do we?

3. You seem to be a good person for this next question. Do you know the origin of the word "Paladin"? I've never been able to find it.

4. Hmmm, I forgot 4 again. Why does that always happen?!

Later, my caustic friend.

The Crusader

Cheshire Catalyst:

1.) Ok, here's the deal. You bought them, but you didn't equip them. You equip them in the sme slot that you use for relics.
2.) Nope. Raising an army is too much work, anyway. Be a den mother instead or something.
3.) The word "Paladin" refers to a knight-errant, a strong supporter of a cause, or one of the twelve peers of Charlemagne's court. It comes from the Latin word "Platinus." "Platine" was the most important of seven hills that housed what is believed to be one of the first Roman settlements and the site of several imperial palaces. (Nero's and Tiberius's come to mind) Way back when, a "Palatine" was one of the palace guards of Roman Emperors. Later, the term was used to describe any soldier belonging to a major divison of the Roman army.
4.) Four is hurt, Crusader. You've hurt her feelings.

 
Wheee! Some Bebop fun.
WARNING! Major Cowboy Bebop Spoilers.

Heyo,

I finally got the 6th Cowboy Bebop DVD in yesterday, and I must say that the end was *very* well done and the series ranks as some of the best animé i'd ever seen. Bandai did an awesome job with the dubbing, lip movement, and presentation as a whole for the DVD's, and it really suprised me to see a company actaully "get it right" with a dub.

I have a few questions though, and you being the Bebop Guru I figured i'd ask them...yes, I know this is RPGamer but i'm not playing any RPG's right now, nor is one on my list to play, so here we go: [MASSIVE BEBOP SPOILERS AHEAD! GO WATCH BEBOP NOW BEFORE CONTINUING]

1. What is the connection between Spike/Julia/Vicious and Spike and Vicious' deaths? Spike tells Jet that story about the cat that never dies and all, so it seemed that Spike couldn't die unless Julia did...or am I completly off?

2. Did Spike also want to take over the Syndacite at a time? What I gathered was Spike and Vicious used to be partners in the Syndicate and Vicious wanted to take over so Spike quit...and then Julia comes in there somewhere. =p

3. Is Spike...dead?

4. Know any other animé's that are better dubbed then subbed? Bebop is all i've found so far...

5. Are you eXcited about the new Bebop movie? [END OF BEBOP SPOILERS]

Ok, I think I can come with an RPG question....

6. In Dragon Warrior II, how do I make it through the Cave of Rhode without being slain near the end? It's like a big endurance dungeon and I can't make it.

Well, that's it.

~Raistlin X
"It's a pity you Autobots die so easily, or I might have the satisfaction of killing you." -Galvatron

Cheshire Catalyst:

1.) Spike, Julia, and Vicious all used to belong to the Red Dragon syndicate. Spike and Vicious were partners. One night, Spike met the enigmatic Julia in a pool hall. Spike was attracted to her, and it seems that Vicious had a thing for her too. (We see, in flashbacks, that she's 'done' them both.) Vicious wanted to eliminate the old guard and sieze the syndicate for himself. He more than likely wanted Spike in on the deal. Finally, Spike said "enough is enough" and told Julia that he wanted to get out. As for their deaths, *technically*, Spike could die first, but I think it's heavily hinted that these two are fated to meet each other one last time. Once Julia is gone, Spike has nothing to really live for.
2.) Like I said above, I don't think Spike had the ambition to take over the Syndicate. He wanted to leave with Julia. Vicious threatened Julia. "If you don't kill him, I'll kill you both." In the end, both of them ran away to get away from Vicious and the Syndicate.
3.) Watch as the sky pans up and remember the words of that old man. We see a star wink out of existance. That was Spike's star. He's dead, and it's a much more awesome story because of it.
4.) Bebop is the only anime that I can think of that's much better in English than in Japanese. (That includes Megumi Hiyishabara's piss-poor Faye Valentine) There are some really good dubs out there. Disney even re-drew the mouthes for the Princess Mononoke dub. (Though I haven't actually seen the show to comment on if this was done effectivly) Trigun, Evanglion, and Escaflowne (If you can ignore the grossly bizarre Dilandau) are all excellent pieces of English dubbing. Personally, I think it would be sweet to get some big-name actors for some of these shows. James Earl Jones as Keel Lorenz from Eva? Sweetness.
5.) ooooooh, yes. It's named after one of my favorite songs too. "Knockin' on heaven's door."
6.) Pack lots of potions and level up.

 
Quickies

Welcome to the Tendo Dojo. I trust you are here to redeem yourself and aqurire skills that are neccessary for your goals. But first, let's see if you can challenge my rap.

....What? You think I'm too old to rap?

~Happosai
"Kick, Punch, it's all in the mind."

Parappa the Rapper parody for the unenlightened.
Just a real quick point. Yesterday Goog and Crusader was asked a question about a familiar theme from FF IX at the end after Melodies of Life. Crusader said it was from FF 6, in actuality I believe the theme in question was the Bridge Theme from FF 1. Error! Error, Crusader!
Yeah, re: no music update and all.

My ISP decided to take a dive on me sometime between when I did the fanfic update and 10 minutes ago. I can't even check my mail via their web server so I'm pretty much out of action till Pangeatech can fix themselves. Hopefully when I wake up, this will all just have been an alcohol induced hallucination and my ISP will be breathing and giving me life giving bandwidth.

So, see ya around.

Regards,
Matt Scipione
RPGamer Music Department

Wuss.

The Last Laugh:

That's enough!


Chesh"Crescent Kick!"@rpgamer.com

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