N.B.
The reason I'm posting in such short measures is because Blogger only seems to accept posts of a small length. Bah.
Wednesday, March 20, 2002
Whole Again
I’ve finally returned home for the Easter holidays after another tumultuous term at Uni. I promised I’d blog more often this term just gone than I did last term and I think generally, I stuck to my promise I as I actually did manage to make a few posts. However, it still wasn’t good enough and I shall strive to do better next term. I had a pretty good term overall, nothing out of the ordinary happened, but I still enjoyed it. I was sick once (which has left a big purple stain on my carpet) and I’m still single but there’s still a term to go this year. I also got all my work done on time, which I was very pleased with and I also chose all my modules for my second and third years.
Home is where the heart is
Anyway, I’m home and at the moment I really have nothing to do. I’ve got exams when I go back so I really need to do some revision over these 5 weeks, but apart from that I have nothing else to do. One thing I really ought to do is get a job, and thus some money. However, I’d only be able to work for 5 weeks and I don’t know if I can be bothered putting the effort into getting a job just for a month or so. I am tempted to go through a temping agency but as of now, I don’t think I’ll be getting one.
I’ve finally returned home for the Easter holidays after another tumultuous term at Uni. I promised I’d blog more often this term just gone than I did last term and I think generally, I stuck to my promise I as I actually did manage to make a few posts. However, it still wasn’t good enough and I shall strive to do better next term. I had a pretty good term overall, nothing out of the ordinary happened, but I still enjoyed it. I was sick once (which has left a big purple stain on my carpet) and I’m still single but there’s still a term to go this year. I also got all my work done on time, which I was very pleased with and I also chose all my modules for my second and third years.
Home is where the heart is
Anyway, I’m home and at the moment I really have nothing to do. I’ve got exams when I go back so I really need to do some revision over these 5 weeks, but apart from that I have nothing else to do. One thing I really ought to do is get a job, and thus some money. However, I’d only be able to work for 5 weeks and I don’t know if I can be bothered putting the effort into getting a job just for a month or so. I am tempted to go through a temping agency but as of now, I don’t think I’ll be getting one.
Sons of Liberty
The game that many people bought a PlayStation2 for, Metal Gear Solid 2, was released a couple of weeks ago, and I diligently went out and bought it because I’d finished my work and had nothing to do for my last week at Uni, despite my financial situation. A weekend and 14 hours of gameplay later, I had finished the game and now I can share my thoughts on it with you. MGS2 was probably the most-hyped game on the PS2 if not on any system ever. I tried not to listen to the hype too much but after played through the first game and having completed the demo you get with Zone of the Enders many times, my expectations were admittedly high. After finishing the game, I wouldn’t say I was disappointed with it, but I did expect more. I can’t really give away many details without ruining the plot but I thought the storyline was nowhere near as good as the original Metal Gear Solid’s on the PSOne. In fact, it was downright confusing and I’m still not entirely sure what happened. The plot was very similar to the first game and was doing okay until you get towards the end of the game (it was kind of like A.I. in that respect). It just got a little weird and I’m not entirely sure what it all means. Like the original game, the voice acting is generally pretty good but some characters are worse than others (*cough*Raiden*cough*). The actual game itself is more or less unchanged from the original and includes several parts that are virtually identical to bits from MGS, however this is partly explained (I think). Some of the new bits are pretty cool including using the excellent first-person viewpoint, coolant to defuse bombs and holding up guards to get their dog tags.
The game that many people bought a PlayStation2 for, Metal Gear Solid 2, was released a couple of weeks ago, and I diligently went out and bought it because I’d finished my work and had nothing to do for my last week at Uni, despite my financial situation. A weekend and 14 hours of gameplay later, I had finished the game and now I can share my thoughts on it with you. MGS2 was probably the most-hyped game on the PS2 if not on any system ever. I tried not to listen to the hype too much but after played through the first game and having completed the demo you get with Zone of the Enders many times, my expectations were admittedly high. After finishing the game, I wouldn’t say I was disappointed with it, but I did expect more. I can’t really give away many details without ruining the plot but I thought the storyline was nowhere near as good as the original Metal Gear Solid’s on the PSOne. In fact, it was downright confusing and I’m still not entirely sure what happened. The plot was very similar to the first game and was doing okay until you get towards the end of the game (it was kind of like A.I. in that respect). It just got a little weird and I’m not entirely sure what it all means. Like the original game, the voice acting is generally pretty good but some characters are worse than others (*cough*Raiden*cough*). The actual game itself is more or less unchanged from the original and includes several parts that are virtually identical to bits from MGS, however this is partly explained (I think). Some of the new bits are pretty cool including using the excellent first-person viewpoint, coolant to defuse bombs and holding up guards to get their dog tags.
Looks are Everything
The graphics are great, the weather effects are spot on and some of the set pieces are really good. The attention to detail is astounding – ice cubes melt in real time, you leave wet footprints when coming in from the wet and condensation steams up the camera. The cut scenes are all rendered using the game’s graphics engine and they all look superb and many of them could have come straight out of a Hollywood action film. Speaking of Hollywood action films, the music from the game is done by real-life Hollywood composer Harry Gregson-Williams, who has done scores for The Rock and Enemy of the State among others. The music fits perfectly and it’s hard to believe that Gregson-Williams didn’t have anything visual to work with – he only had lists of adjectives. The music too adds to the whole Hollywood feel of the game, which creator Hideo Kojima was aiming for. So, in conclusion, MGS2 has great graphics, great music, good voice acting and excellent gameplay. The only downside as far as I was concerned was the plot. And yet for me this still makes it a disappointment. The fact that it only took me 14 hours to finish didn’t bother me too much, even though I skipped Very Easy and Easy modes and went straight onto Normal because the game has lots of replay value. No, the only real downer was the storyline. Yet, because of the nature of MGS, this is exactly what makes it such a great experience. I don’t know, the plot just seemed a little clever for its own good and ended up just confusing me. At the end of the game I didn’t really feel like I’d achieved anything and that it hadn’t particularly been worth all that effort. It was worth the money and I’m glad I bought it but I just can’t help feeling that it could have been so much better. I’m not saying it’s a bad game, in fact it’s a great game, but still there’s just some intangible missing. Of course, things were left open for another sequel but right now, I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.
The graphics are great, the weather effects are spot on and some of the set pieces are really good. The attention to detail is astounding – ice cubes melt in real time, you leave wet footprints when coming in from the wet and condensation steams up the camera. The cut scenes are all rendered using the game’s graphics engine and they all look superb and many of them could have come straight out of a Hollywood action film. Speaking of Hollywood action films, the music from the game is done by real-life Hollywood composer Harry Gregson-Williams, who has done scores for The Rock and Enemy of the State among others. The music fits perfectly and it’s hard to believe that Gregson-Williams didn’t have anything visual to work with – he only had lists of adjectives. The music too adds to the whole Hollywood feel of the game, which creator Hideo Kojima was aiming for. So, in conclusion, MGS2 has great graphics, great music, good voice acting and excellent gameplay. The only downside as far as I was concerned was the plot. And yet for me this still makes it a disappointment. The fact that it only took me 14 hours to finish didn’t bother me too much, even though I skipped Very Easy and Easy modes and went straight onto Normal because the game has lots of replay value. No, the only real downer was the storyline. Yet, because of the nature of MGS, this is exactly what makes it such a great experience. I don’t know, the plot just seemed a little clever for its own good and ended up just confusing me. At the end of the game I didn’t really feel like I’d achieved anything and that it hadn’t particularly been worth all that effort. It was worth the money and I’m glad I bought it but I just can’t help feeling that it could have been so much better. I’m not saying it’s a bad game, in fact it’s a great game, but still there’s just some intangible missing. Of course, things were left open for another sequel but right now, I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.
Wrestlemania
The highlight of the Wrestling calendar took place last night but for those of you who haven’t seen it, I’m going to leave my discussion on it for a couple of days (so that I get time to watch it too!) The main event was Jericho against Triple H, but the showstopper was undoubtedly what I’ve called the “legends” matchup – 80s icon Hulk “Hollywood” Hogan against the latest living legend The Rock. Hogan and Rock aren’t the two best workers in the WWF but with the crowd behind them it isn’t so much about the wrestling side of things as the psychology and the spectacle of the match. And maybe D’lo Brown could enter the fray and make it a triple-threat legends match? Or maybe not. And in the future we can see what I consider an even bigger match-up:Southport vs. Everton Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Hogan; 80s vs. 90s; old school vs. the attitude era. I can’t wait.
The End?
I think that’s all for now. After venting my frustrations about MGS2 I can’t remember what else I wanted to talk about. Oh well. I am still playing MGS2, despite its plot, just to try and show that maybe I was wrong about it. Wishful thinking.
Quote of the Day
“Respect for the truth comes close to being the basis for all morality” - Frank Herbert
The highlight of the Wrestling calendar took place last night but for those of you who haven’t seen it, I’m going to leave my discussion on it for a couple of days (so that I get time to watch it too!) The main event was Jericho against Triple H, but the showstopper was undoubtedly what I’ve called the “legends” matchup – 80s icon Hulk “Hollywood” Hogan against the latest living legend The Rock. Hogan and Rock aren’t the two best workers in the WWF but with the crowd behind them it isn’t so much about the wrestling side of things as the psychology and the spectacle of the match. And maybe D’lo Brown could enter the fray and make it a triple-threat legends match? Or maybe not. And in the future we can see what I consider an even bigger match-up:
The End?
I think that’s all for now. After venting my frustrations about MGS2 I can’t remember what else I wanted to talk about. Oh well. I am still playing MGS2, despite its plot, just to try and show that maybe I was wrong about it. Wishful thinking.
Quote of the Day
“Respect for the truth comes close to being the basis for all morality” - Frank Herbert
Friday, March 15, 2002
Saturday, March 09, 2002
random scousers joke
A Leeds fan, a Man United fan and a Liverpool fan were all in Saudi Arabia, sharing a smuggled crate of booze. All of a sudden the Saudi police rushed in and arrested them. The mere possession of alcohol is a severe offence in Saudi Arabia, so for the terrible crime of actually being caught consuming the booze, they were sentenced to death! However, after many months and with the help of very good lawyers, they were able to successfully appeal their sentence down to life imprisonment. By a stroke of luck, it was a Saudi national holiday the day their trial finished, and the extremely benevolent Sheikh decided they could be released after receiving just 20 lashes each of the whip.
As they were preparing for their punishment, the Sheikh suddenly said: "It's my first wife's birthday today, and she has asked me to allow each of you one wish before your whipping." The Leeds fan was first in line (he had drunk the least), so he thought
about this for a while and then said: "Please tie a pillow to my back." This was done, but the pillow only lasted 10 lashes before the whip went through. The Leeds fan had to be carried away bleeding and crying with pain when the punishment was done. The Manc was next up (he almost finished a half a bottle), and after watching the scene, said:" Please fix two pillows on my back, under my
shirt." But even two pillows and one shirt could only take 15 lashes before the whip went through again.
The Liverpool Fan was the last one up (he had finished off the crate), but before he could say anything, the Sheikh turned to him and said: "You are from a most beautiful part of the world, your city has some of the best bars, nightclubs and restaurants in Europe, your city and football team is known throughout the world. For this, you may have two wishes!" "Cheers mate, your Most Royal and Merciful Highness", The Liverpool Fan replies. "In recognition of your kindness, my first wish is that you give me not 20, but 100 lashes." "Not only are you an honourable, handsome and powerful man, you are also very brave." The Sheik says with an admiring look on his face. "If 100 lashes is what you desire, then so be it. And your second wish? What is it to be?" the Sheikh asks."Please tie the Manc to my back."
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