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Topics - Maverick375

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Anime / Pani Poni Dash!- a basic review
« on: May 01, 2009, 08:51:03 AM »
I picked up the complete set on the cheap from Rightstuf.com's clearance sale. Total for the six disks + art box was about 40 bucks.

Okay... the basics of the story is that Rebecca Miyamoto, half japanese, half american, second child to a family, grew up in the US and graduated MIT at age 10. She decides (for some reason) to become a teacher at a school in Japan.

The classes at the school are filled with the stereotypical types of students, including the bookworm, the mean girl, the creepy class-rep, the overly excited one(maho!), the one that like animals, the so-boring-she's-invisible one, etc..

The teachers aren't much better. One's just called "Old Guy", one's a drunk,Becky (of course), and the fourth is the PE teacher. All commanded by the never-seen and mysterious principal.

If I had to place this on the wacky anime chart, it would fall somewhere between Excel Saga and Puni Puni Poemy, I guess. The humor is not so dark as it is blunt, and the wackiness is under actual control. After settling in, Becky takes to calling the students by their primary qualities (The excitable one is called Cowlick because of the tuft of hair that's always sticking up, the incessant studier is called Bookworm, etc...)

In one episode, the class enters a dark room of the school. Bookworm (gifted with a high forehead that reflects light) turns around and the glare from a light blinds everyone. Becky takes off her sunglasses to reveal the associated sunburn-raccoon mask. Again, not dark humor, just blunt (and freaking funny in context).

Another episode starts with Becky writing on the chalkboard saying "this is your assignment for today." With the subs on you can read the board which has "you kill each other off", a homage to Battle Royale, no doubt. The entire show, every scene, has little things crammed into the background for you to notice. Oh, and it has AD-Vid notes as well, something I learned to appreciate in Excel Saga.

I'm only a part way through watching, but I am really enjoying it. I laugh hard almost every episode. It's definitely worth a watch.

-Maverick

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Games / Zombies!!! The Board Game
« on: January 30, 2009, 02:39:45 PM »
I thought I'd toss in a review of a board game for those who want to create their own "Zombie Appocalypse" excitement.

Zombies!!! is a unique game from Twilight Creations Inc. http://www.twilightcreationsinc.com/zombies/

You and other survivors must make it from the town square to the helipad while fighting off the moaning army of the undead in the streets and in buildings.
Or as the site says:
Quote
Zombies!!! puts you in the middle of the action as you try to escape the ever advancing zombie horde. Players must use a combination of wits and brawn to be the first to the heliport and certain escape. The only problem is, the zombies are everywhere, they appear to be very hungry and your opponents would really prefer if you didn't escape.

We've played this game several times with four or five people and it's freaking fun.

You start out in Town Square with three action/item cards in your hand. The first player draws a city tile from the deck and places it, and inserts a number of zombies, health, and bullets that is dictated by the card. That player then rolls a movement die to proceed that many squares (each card is 3x3 squares, not all traversable). They battle each zombie as they come to them, rolling the other die. 4+ on the die means a victory and you collect that zombie to your pile. Less than 4 means you have to sacrifice a number of bullet tokens to get to 4, or a life token to roll again. After movement, the player rolls a die again to see how many zombies they get to move 1 space each. Running out of life restarts you in town square with half your zombie kills. The first to the Helipad center or to 25 zombie kills wins.

Sound easy? Think again. Since each person draws a city tile in their turn, the city, and consequently the number of zombies, increases rapidly before the helipad is uncovered in the lower third of the deck. Buildings contain health and bullets, but there's only one way into each building, and there are Zombies in there. You have to fight them to get the goods, which more often than not results in wasting more than you get out of it.

Still sound like a walk in the park? Sheesh, you're dense. There are other players all playing for the same goal!!!! To be the one alive at the helipad or with the most kills. They (and you) will move zombies to block their paths, force a combat roll to begin their turn, or play an action card to put the screws to them. This is about survival, after all, and being second place to the heli-pad means a last stand against the hoard while you watch the winner wing their way to freedom.

The action cards range from being able to collect and use a weapon after visiting a certain building to adding 10 zombies to the board at your pleasure, to controlling another player's movement through those zombies. All of the included cards are incredibly well drawn with a small assortment of characters you'll swear you've seen before. Most of them sport a guy who looks just enough unlike Bruce Campbell to avoid suits, doing all of the classic Ash facial expressions. Insert "Workshed" here.

This game is about luck and conniving more than skill. On our first true game night with it, we found ourselves engrossed (quite unintentionally) as character types from zombie flicks. Myself and my friend's younger brother tried the "buddy-system" approach, my friend was the classic "jerk who screws everyone and leaves them to die", and the other two guys played it by ear.
 Incidently, being the jerk sucks because everyone gangs up on you eventually, dumping wave after wave of zombies and cards against you. The buddy system only holds up until one of you dies, then it's everyone for themselves.
Playing it by ear seems to be the way to go.

The basic kit is a bit thin on zombies, so you should also pick up a "Bag-o-zombies" to go with it.

Overall, this game is a great way to spend the evening with friends. A game usually lasts an hour, depending on how the city forms. If you want to make it really hard to get to the helipad, place the Hospital or firestation tile adjacent to the helipad and supply the zombies from there. It certainly makes the game difficult and unpredictable.

On a more personal note, this game is nearly identical to a game my friend and I were developing only a couple of years ago. We were shocked to find that someone had already done it, and done it better. Kudos to them for getting there first and doing it well.  :ehail:

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Manga / Gunslinger Girl Vol 7 (eng) release date?
« on: December 21, 2008, 04:18:38 PM »
Has anyone seen a release date for volume 7 yet? ADV's site is crappy with ads and useless polls, and there's no mention of any GSG volumes at all. I'm guessing that Yu Aida & Co. and ADV have not been on decent terms.

I hate to get the jap version because I can't read it, though I could certainly use the language skills from learning how.

 So... Anyone out there heard anything on the future volumes and their official US releases?

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