COMIC BOMBER

rickthehamster@gmail.com — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 04:55:00 GMT

Rebought Demon's Souls.
Got Uncharted 2.
Tekken 6 coming up.

I'm in gaming bliss.

rickthehamster@gmail.com — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 16:51:06 GMT

Tetsuo Hara's CYBER BLUE looks beyond fucking amazing. Jesus Christ, why haven't I heard of this before? And why hasn't it been translated? Check that link out and you'll understand.

Also, POLICENAUTS has been translated. It's pretty cool stuff.

rickthehamster@gmail.com — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 02:36:48 GMT

STEEL BALL RUN 39 - CATCH THE RAINBOW (ON THAT STORMY NIGHT) PART 2

"Gyro. You can't see the stars in this weather, but towards the direction of Ursa Major... the sound of the rain has changed."
"Yare Yare Daze."

rickthehamster@gmail.com — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 02:17:29 GMT

RIKI-OH v12... now that was a manly ending with non-stop manliness.

truly fitting for one of the manliest comics ever made.

rickthehamster@gmail.com — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 04:45:39 GMT

VIOLENCE FINAL: RIKI-OH v12

I haven't read it yet, but I wanted to let you guys know it was out.

rickthehamster@gmail.com — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 06:34:52 GMT

I kinda sorta figured out Raiden Fighters Jet's medal scoring system and how great the SLAVE/IXION ship is. This game went from awesome to fucking awesome.

rickthehamster@gmail.com — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 06:00:48 GMT

I got some games for the Neo Geo Pocket Color. All together, I have: Match of the Millenium, Card Fighter's Clash (CAP), Metal Slug 1, Dark Arms and two Pachislot games. This thing is the greatest. I'm having a massive nostalgia attack from playing Card Fighter's Clash. I can't believe this handheld is already 10 years old.

I somehow got a really cheap Xbox 360. For 65 bucks, I got the system (with no hard drive), Call of Duty 4, controller and some component cables. Not too shabby. So, what are the logical games to buy when you get a 360?

Halo 3? Gears? Hell naw, the first thing I picked up was Raiden Fighters Aces. And let me tell ya, the amount of filter, scanline, and rotation options are mind blowingly awesome. You can make this game look as perfect as you want down to the tiniest details. I thought older 2D games could never look this good in HD. Backbone could learn a lesson from this and maybe improve those half assed ports they make.

Curiousity made me pick up Bullet Witch too. The game is so bad it's almost great. It's one of those games where you would be genuinely upset if you paid full price, but it's not so bad when you get it for next to nothing. I'm liking it mostly for the huge explosions and the bad voice acting. I really wanted to get Earth Defence Force 2017, but I couldn't find it. I hear it's not as good as Earth Defense Force 2, but I still wanna try it out.

rickthehamster@gmail.com — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 01:51:33 GMT

GOOD NIGHT SWEET PRINCE

rickthehamster@gmail.com — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 01:19:05 GMT

so, i bought a neo geo pocket color. i've wanted one of these for ten years and i've been putting it off for far too long.

the d-pad is seriously the best thing I've ever used. holy fucking shit.

i'm a button fetishist. if something has great buttons, i love it. i'm in heaven with this. using your thumb for the a/b buttons is nice too, but it feels even better if you use your index and middle finger. (i find myself doing that a lot with shmups and fighters on consoles)

...and all I'm playing is some goddamn pachislot game (oohanabi).

the only thing i can complain about is the lack of a back light, but oh well.

match of the millenium, metal slug and card fighter's clash are on the way. holy shit at the prices/availability of biomotor unitron and faselei. i'm thinking about samsho2 or the last blade after. maybe a puzzle game. maybe a sports game.

goddamn, almost everything about this handheld is delicious.

rickthehamster@gmail.com — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 14:28:55 GMT

THE WORLD IS MINE 103 - 18-YEAR OLD YOUNG MOTHER LIVING IN AKITA
Shit is getting real. Goddamn.

rickthehamster@gmail.com — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 01:56:13 GMT

E3 2009 IMPRESSIONS:

Microsoft: I honestly don't believe Natal will live up to it's promises.

Nintendo: NOW YOU'RE PLAYING WITH POWER.

If Golden Sun DS is by Camelot, I'll probably pick it up. That MAKE YOUR OWN WARIO WARE game looks kinda cool, and the DSi animator program was something that I've always wished was included with Pictochat. I wish the rumours were true about the DSi getting a Virtual Store for GB/GBC games.

Sony: The Uncharted 2 trailer. THAT FUCKING TRAILER. This shit looks too fucking good. Out of the three conferences, this was the most entertaining.

...and Atlus with this. THIS.
SHIREN THE WANDERER 3

JESUS CHRIST. LOOKS LIKE SOMEBODY IS PICKING UP A WII IN '10.

"YOUR LOVE IS AN ACT OF VIOLENCE."

rickthehamster@gmail.com — Sun, 31 May 2009 03:12:11 GMT

So I came across some scanlations by our boy, Takayuki Yamaguchi (SHIGURUI) and a series he did back in the mid 90s called APOCALYPSE ZERO.

It can basically be summed up as this:

or by this insightful description from the start of volume 2

"IN THE BEGINNING OF THE 21ST CENTURY, A GREAT EARTHQUAKE RAVAGED HUMANITY. NEO TOKYO HAS NOW BECOME A RUTHLESS LAND. KAKUGO AND ZERO FIGHT TO PROTECT THE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN WHO STRUGGLE TO SURVIVE THE HAND OF EVIL!"

Trying to upload to Mediafire, but it's being PRETTY GAY ABOUT NOT WANTING TO UPLOAD. If you can settle for a torrent, then hit this up.

rickthehamster@gmail.com — Tue, 26 May 2009 18:55:35 GMT

SHIGURUI 58: GREAT SERPENT
"NO MATTER WHO, THAT MAN WILL BE FOUND DEAD WITH HIS NOSE AND LEGS CUT OFF".

Spore also released #59 if you haven't read it before when whatshisface did that chapter ahead of time.

rickthehamster@gmail.com — Mon, 25 May 2009 11:30:23 GMT

SHIGURUI 57: SCAB
"YOUR BENT LEGS ARE SO UNSIGHTLY... YOUR NOSE IS TOO LOW."

rickthehamster@gmail.com — Sat, 23 May 2009 15:00:57 GMT

SHIGURUI 56: BATTLE
"AND THE CELLS OF HIS BODY STIRRED WITH MONSTROUS STRENGTH!"

rickthehamster@gmail.com — Thu, 21 May 2009 20:03:10 GMT

So Viz and Shogakukan are teaming up for an online English version of Monthly IKKI.

"Now, in partnership with VIZ Media and its "VIZ Signature" line of graphic novels, IKKI is bringing the works of some of its top creators to the English-language audience. Each month, new chapters of featured manga series will be offered online in their entirety. After the completion of the online serialization of a volume, that volume will become available as a VIZ Signature graphic novel, subject to reader demand. Also, each month new content—such as creator interviews, feature articles, news, and giveaways—will be posted on the site.

The full site will launch in August 2009. We hope that you look forward to it."

Can't say I'm not excited. Especially since Children of the Sea hasn't received any new chapters in a long time.

rickthehamster@gmail.com — Mon, 18 May 2009 03:06:57 GMT

SHIGURUI 55 - HELMET
"IM-IMPUDENT WRETCH!"

and now for our regularly scheduled (?) comic update

rickthehamster@gmail.com — Sat, 09 May 2009 19:45:14 GMT

RIKI-OH - VIOLENCE 58-59
"STEALING PEACEFUL REST FROM A DEAD MAN... AS HIS BROTHER, I WON'T FORGIVE YOU!!"
VIOLENCE 59 was a really good chapter. The typical over-the-top bullshit I expect and love from RIKI-OH.

SHIGURUI - 54+59
"IRAKO SEIGEN-TONO WILLS A CEREMONIAL REMATCH. THIS IS AN IMPERIAL DECREE."
Some guy named NOTANONYMOUSSPORE translated these chapters and decided skipping 55-58 was a good idea. I've heard elsewhere a while back they were pretty boring chapters. But who knows, I've never read or even looked at 55-58 to say. All things considered, you have to love Gennosuke's MAD DAWG FACE in 59.

THE WORLD IS MINE c92-94
"YOU DIDN'T ASK FOR PERMISSION."
What can I say, this is still my #1 favourite comic and it hasn't let me down. I love where this is all heading.

LIVES OF ECCENTRICS
Hox is a pretty cool translator. You have to be a cool guy to translate something cool like Hitoshi Iwaaki's Historie. You also have to be a cool guy to translate something that Hirohiko Araki (partly) wrote. It was a good read. He recently started translating GAMBLING EMPEROR LEGEND ZERO by Nobuyuki Fukumoto. If you've checked out Fukumoto's other stuff, this shit looks like it gonna be twice as absurd as Kaiji. Can't wait for more. I need to get caught up in Ten.

This is what I've been doing instead of reading comics for the past week

rickthehamster@gmail.com — Sat, 09 May 2009 19:09:13 GMT

This is the greatest fresh breath of air gaming has received in years.

So far I've beaten 1-1, 1-2, 2-1, and 3-1. Fighting the TOWER KNIGHT for the first time was a PANT SHITTING EXPERIENCE. You walk into this courtyard and you're suddenly up against this huge SHADOW OF THE COLOSSUS sized motherfucker, and if that wasn't enough you have squads of archers on both sides readying their crossbows on you. The level design is gorgeous. The atmosphere is so thick you can cut it with a knife. Demon's Souls puts you against dire odds and you either come out dying or you come out kicking ass and feeling awesome. This feeling of tension, whether it be by from walking down a dark hallway into an even darker room or fighting enemies is beautiful. Video games have a lot to learn from this game.

I also traded in my DS lite for a DSi. I'm really digging the new d-pad.

rickthehamster@gmail.com — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 23:09:53 GMT

RIKI-OH - VIOLENCE 55-57
"NOW YOU'RE GOING TO REALIZE JUST HOW FRIGHTENING THIS WOLF TRULY IS!"

rickthehamster@gmail.com — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 21:14:28 GMT

DOKURO v01 by TETSUYA SARUWATARI.

One of Saruwatari's more recent series (2005), the art is a lot cleaner compared to RIKI-OH. It's about this guy with a giant wolf scar on his back fighting an insane religious organization. Old ladies getting beat up, child abuse and people generally getting their ass kicked can be enjoyed here.

rickthehamster@gmail.com — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 02:40:27 GMT

NOBY NOBY BOY... Jesus Christ... THIS GAME. THIS FUCKING GAME.
This is the alpha and omega of sandbox gaming.

rickthehamster@gmail.com — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 21:15:38 GMT

RIKI-OH VIOLENCE 54: GARBAGE
I WILL DEFINITELY COME BACK UP FROM THE BOTTOM OF HELL. A-AND WHEN THAT TIME COMES, YOU WILL DIE!

Recent haul

rickthehamster@gmail.com — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 02:56:04 GMT

MGO, because I decided I was weeaboo enough to try out the Japanese servers.
SF4, because it was an impulse thing. I'm having fun, but goddamn I fucking suck.
DQV, because it's motherfucking Dragon Quest.

PSN is trampsintrouble if you wanna hit me up and kick the shit outta me in SF. I haven't really messed around with any of the old characters. After playing against KEN KEN KEN RYU KEN RYU ZANGIEF KEN KEN KEN for a bit I wanted to see how the others were. I'm liking Rufus and C.Viper so far.

EDIT: I need to GIT GUD at fighting games
# of Fights - 23
Wins - 4
Win Rate - 17.39%

rickthehamster@gmail.com — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 07:16:36 GMT

RIKI-OH - VIOLENCE 52-53
"NOW IT'S TIME FOR ME TO FINALLY CLEAR AWAY MY MOTHER AND MY ADOPTED FATHER'S REGRET!"