Failed mission: Lumines does not exist

(tags game, PlayStation Portable, failure, crack)

Although the PSP firmware 3.50 downgrader doesn't work with JP yet, I tried looking for a copy of Lumines around Nipponbashi and Kobe. No luck. Its as if it doesn't exist.

The following online shop and auctions are one week after the announcement:

10000 yen for a domestic JP copy even though the crack is not confirmed for it yet.

Bids reached 3_0000 yen for imported US versions.

And I was in the States just a couple of weeks ago! (sob) Hahahah.

I will visit some more out of the way shops in Kobe tomorrow, I don't expect to find it.

Haruhi hits PS2, of course for the cash cow

(tags game, PlayStation 2, anime)

Yes, of course I'll get this PS2 version of Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu (涼宮ハルヒの憂鬱) along side the PSP version. I knew a PSP only release was too good to be true. (thanks Kotaku)

Coming up empty: Lumines and Slitherlink

(tags game, Dual Screen, PlayStation Portable, puzzle, crack)

After the whole hubbub with the PSP demo crack for firmwares 3.10-3.50 on Sunday, I knew I should have gone to Sofmap quickly, but was only able to go today. And of course Lumines is nowhere to be found. Not that it would help, because even though the downgrader was announced, it only works with the EU and US versions.

Slitherlink was nowhere to be found either. I shouldn't buy it now, though, I still need to finish Sudoku 2.

Lack of desire

(tags telephone card, anime, purchase, EC site)

None of the telephone cards in the new Animate "Summer AV Matsuri Fair" (2007年 アニメイト 夏のAVまつり) interest me, so I won't go crazy like I did last time.

Downgrade a 3.10-3.50 PSP just around the corner?

(tags game, hardware, PlayStation Portable, crack)

A crack seems to have been found for the uncracked PSP firmwares 3.10-3.50 (2007/01 to present). Although no downgrader is yet avaiable, it is inevitable. Now you can pick any hardware of your choosing, instead of just silver, muhahah.

The demo for the crack seems to require Lumines US or EU for right now. Perhaps the JP version will be developed soon. In any case, I need to get my copy of a Lumines soon. It seems other people are thinking the same thing.

Death of a client: Emacs in the Google world

(tags emacs, editor, Google)

I was thinking that Emacs was going to be left out of the Google vision. The way I see it, Google is just an implementation of idea of centralized computing, making computing cheaper for everybody. I have come to like/love/depend on Google even though I am aware of the privacy concerns. For instance, I use the Google bookmarks even though I'm a del.icio.us user. I also use the notebooks and gmail, etc.

So what do I mean emacs is going to left out? Well for one, Emacs is not a first-class supported browser in Google's eyes. All those fancy Web 2.0 interfaces support IE first, then Firefox at a close second, then the rest of the PC interfaces third, then mobile phones, etc. Another one is that Emacs doesn't have a JavaScript implementation. Lastly, Google may not publish APIs for every service.

Then I remembered what emacs is. It's a programmable programming editor. Some inventive people have already picked up where Google left off, for example, those user-developed emacs libraries for Google services, "g". They of course take advantage of the published Google APIs.

Still, there is a lag. For example, there's no library for Google Notebook (beta). Unfortunately, there is no Google API to edit the data in this service. Well, what do I expect for free.

Sudoku-killer? Slitherlink

(tags game, Dual Screen, puzzle)

When I mean "-killer" I mean just for me. I still haven't finished the Sudoku 2 for the DS. However this catchy post "Father of Sudoku says Slitherlink is the next big thing" by Joystiq is out there and it's got my purchase instincts started.

Slitherlink for the DS by Hudson

No closure for Puzzle Quest

(tags game, Dual Screen, failure)

According to a New Gamer review (via Joystiq), the Puzzle Quest game that I have put 30 hours plus on doesn't have a satisfying ending. I've been feeling guilty for not finishing this game, but now I think it's best just to put this one on back burner.

Haruhi coming to the PSP

(tags game, PlayStation Portable, anime)

Its about time this book-turned-anime got a game release. But what a surprise, Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu (涼宮ハルヒの憂鬱) will be heading for the PSP. (thanks DarkMirage) No PS2 version? No DS version!? Is Bandai Namco trying to make less money?

Doki Doki Majo is the 2D Dead or Alive

(tags game, Dual Screen, sexy, telephone card)

According a demo-movie review by Akiba Blog (more than 10 days ago), that otaku oriented DS game Doki Doki Majo Shinpan (どきどき魔女神判) has animated bouncing breasts. They are as bad (good?) as the original Dead or Alive phenomenon. Greatest!

edit: corrected to "shinpan", and added picture of telephone card from NGC France article via DS Fanboy. Also checkout the rest of the telephone card designs as exposed by Dengeki Online.com via DS Fanboy.

StarCraft beating

(tags game, real-time strategy, failure)

I'm playing single-player campaign StarCraft. I'm about 30% done, playing the Terran missions. All but the last Terran missions have given me no trouble. I basically try not to read the strategy guide before the mission, but if I fail, I go to the guide.

I haven't failed until now.

This last Terran mission, "Hammerfall", is something else though. It's hard. My StarCraft enthuiasm seems sapped now. Well I only failed two times but it takes a hour to get a result. Ugh.

Fear GameStop: How to sell a pre-order

(tags purchase, U.S., game)

Game stores in the States seemed to have resolved into "GameStop". Well, that is my limited sampling.

The GameStop people are the friendly, push-more-sales-but-not-in-your-face lot. I bought the Robotech: Battlecry without label or manual and the counter guy said, "It's a good game." I should have asked him what was good about it, but I was in a typical Japanese "shut-up-and-ring-me-up" mode. I went to another GameStop and the guy greeted me courteously on the way out. Whoa. Then again he said, "Thanks for coming, sir." Ugh, I am a sir.

I was at another GameStop and I was overhearing a conversation between GameStop Counter-Guy (GSCG) and a loving mom of an Xbox 360 man-child (said child was not present). The woman was first asking about getting a game, then mentioned her son's games.

GSCG: He's got Gears of War? There's no other better game out there right now. Does he like realistic shooting games? How about Call of Duty?

Through the conversation, GSCG proceeded to thumbs-down the Sonic the Hedgehog Xbox iteration and recommend other games. I think they were talking for around ten minutes, while I was trying to find something interesting to buy. At the end GSCG moved the conversation to Halo 3. First I think the woman said, "I won't forget to pre-order." meaning she wasn't planning on pre-ordering. Then more buttering from GSCG. Then I heard the woman say, "What's Legendary?" and though the details were lost on me, she finally said, "Go ahead and put Legendary on pre-order." This was on top of the purchases she was planning on getting! In short, GSCG added the $20 pre-order for this plus $100 game with the omake helmet! 10 minutes of shmoozing will get you another sale?

This GSCG has technique to be feared. Do not send your moms to GameStop. On second thought, if you like games, go ahead.

Stuff your suitcase with video game spoils

(tags game, travel, U.S., anime, purchase)

When I visited the States for a week, the only game related things on my mind were to give a Nintendo DS to my sister and find a StarCraft game. I succeeded in both, but there were bonus missions:

I bought the StarCraft for regular price at a military base store. It was the regular (wide) box "Battle Chest" set. It turns out there was another type of box set that I confirmed at Walmart, with the same contents I think but its not big enough to hold the fold out "tech-progress" poster. Then I managed to go to a rarely travelled GameStop and I found the blowout sale an #insertcredit member told me about: SC: BC for $9.99. I bought another copy. So I have two legit CD-keys now. I can play guilt free.

There's a US/Canada region PlayStation 2 in the picture, right? I wasn't planning on getting a PS2 but I couldn't stop the madness. My sister uttered the fatal words: "You don't pay sales tax at the base." $129.00 without CA San Diego tax rate 7.75%? Uh, its not heavy so let's do it. Along side that I saw Jak X: Combat Racing for only $20.00 so... Right beside it was the Xbox version of Unreal Championship 2: Liandri Conflict for only $20.00 so... And I went to the GameStops (3 or 4 different ones, multiple times), and found some cheap US/C region only games like Robotech, so...

(Did you know airline check-in baggage limits are falling from 70 lbs to 50 lbs (22kgs)? If you buy games mostly and not books, you should be in no danger, right?)

edit: moved the "How to sell a pre-order" part to a seperate post

Do less. Disengage.

(tags organize)

Organize life using ...? (in this case, "Emacs")

Just do less.

Disengage.

Wanting to read Harry Potter

(tags book, fantasy)

I did start reading the fourth Harry Potter book, The Goblet of Fire, a couple of weeks ago. I stopped around the time I started the Puzzle Quest for DS. But when I decided to go to the States I brought the book instead of the electronic gaming. Though in the middle of the book was slow going, by the time I got to the endgame it was a page-turner. Romance, finally. Now I can't wait to continue reading the rest of the books.

I do have the fifth book already from my Europe trip from two years ago, and now I know that I have to obtain the sixth book. Finally I noticed the countdown at the Barnes and Borders stores for the seventh book. Only about 50 days or something.

I am not watching the movies if I can help it.

Back from USA (I could forgo Japan?!?)

(tags travel, purchase, anime, manga, food)

I'm back from the USA, and despite my "letting go" stance I couldn't quite escape the anime and games purchasing. More about that later (pictures please).

I was surprised at how most of the anime I wanted was now freely purchasable at stores like Suncoast and Fry's Electronics (in spite of the translation and licensing time delay). I was also surprised at how big the manga section was getting. Even one of my favorite all time manga stories, Kiseiju (寄生獣), is finally being translated into English as Parasyte. Perhaps I could deal with the time-lag (Japan to U.S.) now.

The things I miss about the States are pretty simplistic: Mexican food (with lard), Filipino snacks, (pop) country music. I got enough tastes of my favorite foods to last me until the next time I go. In fact, I ordered food without intending to eat them all or take them home, which is strange for this plate-finisher here. For (pop) country music, I bought one of those celebrity gossip magazines going home. No mention of Trisha Yearwood, but I saw her on Wheel of Fortune on the TV while I was there, go figure.

When I got back home, my desktop PC was frozen and inoperative. I suspect the Japan summer will be spent replacing parts due to heat failure. I already have to take out one hard disk with "SMART status: BAD". I got some stuff that will make me use the computer more, ha ha.

Finally, I lived without reading feeds or Famitsu for a week. I dread clicking those 100+ post feeds, ugh it's like work. The Leah Dizon PR machine finally attacks Famitsu for cover page damage and now I know she's photoshopped. Still I may purchase her second foray into J-pop. Heck even my J-lang sensei said she sounded pretty good for the first single.

Letting go

(tags travel, game, hardware, anime, DVD region 1)

I am going back to the States on a unplanned trip and the theme is "letting go".

I decided to give my sister some gaming things: a Love and Berry DS Lite. What, my Love and Berry DS Lite? No, another one that I bought from Sofmap new. I didn't post about it back then because I was embarassed. Anyway, since I know she doesn't go buying games at all, I'll give her Electroplankton and Elite Beat Agents. The truth is that I haven't played the latter games for more than 15 minutes. I hope that the quick (music) gaming will appeal to her.

Also she mentioned she wanted to get Robotech DVDs which was a bit of a shock so I'm going to give her my incomplete set (7 part set first released on 2002) which is missing the first part of the Second Generation. I think she wants it because of the "Perfect" soundtrack I "lent" her.

No big loss right?

Yeah.

I am dying from cute: Pika Pika Yukai

(tags anime, dance, video, parody, kawaii)

I got my Pikachu quota for this month already.

"Pika Pika Yukai" (thanks Kotaku).

Telephone and Quo card catch up

(tags DVD region 2, telephone card, character goods)

I wasn't planning on getting Mizuki Nana (奈々水樹) concert DVD "NANA MIZUKI LIVE MUSEUM× UNIVERSE", but it came with a pretty good telephone card and card backing (台紙). That is, until I had the idea to put that card in plastic. Now I see it's scratched where the paper holds it in. Ugh. I really like this picture of her, though, smiling. The otaku blogs are giving this DVD release some serious lovin' (thanks senakablog, akiba blog).

Moving on to the top right, Gamers had another telephone card / Quo card "festival" (a thinly-veiled exclusive time-limited sale of TCs and Quo that moves from each chain store). This Kamichama Karin (かみちゃまかりん) design is on a pencil card (下敷) already, but I am the telephone card freak so I got this as well. In the same "festival" there was a old-school Galaxy Angel with Vanilla H making an appearance, but unfortunately I didn't pick it up before it was sold out.

Finally, in the middle is a Quo card with a design by Hiromu Minato (湊ヒロム) of Blue☆Wind. It's a gothic lolita style blond gal with requisite zettai ryoiki in front of Kobe Tower. Definately a thumbs up for me! I don't have many anime/doujin telephone cards with backgrounds inspired by real places. Anyways, I could have got the Quo card yesterday, but I mistook yesterday for today. When researching Hiromu Minato for a link, I came across her webpage, but it announced that she passed away a few months ago at the young age of 29. Her art was featured in otaku/bishojo magazines like Elfics and Dengeki Hime (電撃姫).

Game catchup: Puzzle Quest

(tags game, Dual Screen, hardware, puzzle)

I am only playing Puzzle Quest right now. I've been concentrating on beating the game, which means skipping optional stuff.

For a while there was one boss that was kicking me to the curb but I managed to clear it. Then from there it was smooth sailing. I think it's because I found a weapon that gives me extra damage because of my level and also I equip a ring that regenerates health. The enemies rarely regenerate health and they hit wimpy, so I am cleaning up.

Or I was until the final boss. That guy just owns me, with arbitrary spells and bonus. I ran away with my tail between my legs. I have no idea how I'm going to clear this guy, because frankly leveling up doesn't seem to do any thing.

There is part of the game that I am still unsure of, and that is the resistance points. How do I accumulate them and use them to my advantage?

I'm going to keep playing this game until I beat the end guy. It's proper.

Anime DVD catch up

(tags anime, DVD region 2)

I complained about not finding the Card Captor Sakura Movie Collection two weeks ago. But I got my copy at Sofmap in South Nipponbashi. Actually, after a weekend it was available everywhere. It wasn't really limited in quantity at all.

One thing that frustrates me is that Kaleido Star (「カレイドスター アンコールDVD-BOX」) was re-released onto DVD one more time, as the "encore" edition with a new soundtrack CD. Buy it again for another 80000 yen! No thanks. That is, if you can find the first set of two new. It's sold out everywhere!

I have been reluctant to continue buying the DVD series Otogi Juushi Akazukin Fairy Musketeers (おとぎ銃士赤ずきん) and Fushigi Hoshi no Futago-Hime Gyu (ふたご星のふたご姫ぎゅう！). I have up to 5 and 4 respectively, but I haven't been watching them. As far as Akazukin is going, the first edition DVDs aren't being sold out so I think I can pick them up whenever I want. Remember the first edition DVDs come with a booklet with illustrations by moe moe Pop-sensei.

I forgot to mention one other frustration. At Tora no Ana store there's a telephone card gift for those who buy Manabi Straight DVDs 1, 2, and 3. Since this is the anime DVD release that I am concentrating on, I feel frustrated by missing this. Granted my eggs are in the Gamers' basket, since they also have a telephone card tokuten gift, but only if you buy all seven DVDs. Guess I'll have to pick up the telephone card pre-owned somewhere.

Mei-chan check! Manabi Straight! DVD 3

(tags anime, Manabi Straight, DVD region 2)

Gamers had my Manabi Straight DVD 3 one day early. Lucky me! This time the two episodes are about friendship. Manabi is conspiciously absent, but Mikan-chan is the main character here.

So far, I'm a Mei fan, ha ha.

A Pikachu DS Lite!

(tags game, hardware, Dual Screen)

OMG, a Pikachu DS for purchase! (thanks DS Fanboy)

I am going out now to secure my raffle ticket to enter to win a chance to purchase. Ugh.