The Top 5 Songs To Kill People To (Part 2)

Ladies & gentlemen, right now.....I’m pissed. I just recently read an article over on Destructoid about Diablo 3 for the PS3 & PS4, wherein it says that they’ll be offline mode for local multiplayer........AARRGG!!!!!!

I’m.....I’m......I’m at a level of angry that I haven’t felt in a long time! Yet again, this is another example of loyal PC fans being used as nothing more than guinea pigs so that consoles can get special bonuses.........AAARRRGGG!!!!!!!!!

So, for a surprise post to relieve some stress, here’s a sequel to my original post: The Top 5 Songs To Kill People To. I must apologize if this list seem a little more rushed, but given my mental state at the moment, I don’t think you’ll mind. I was originally gonna post this a month or two from now, but again....circumstances!

(Note: Nowhere at any time during this post do I actively encourage violence towards people. This post is just a dark joke, and is meant to make people who haven't been having a good day feel a little less stressed & happy.)

5) Lordi - Blood Red Sandman

If someone were to ask who Lordi was, I’d say that they’re the Finnish version of KISS.....minus the commercialism, and more on just pumping out some damn good metal. On top of that, take a look at the costume the lead singer uses!

As for Blood Red Sandman, I can say that this is something you’d hear in a good horror film, especially one from the 80s & 90s. It’s dark, brooding, and it’s just the kind of thing you’d hear during a massacre. The only reason why it’s at the number 5 spot is that the song occasionally sounds a little goofy. Not enough to ruin the song (The song shows off the essence of metal, and has a badass beat to it), but enough to make it sound slightly silly.

4) Type-O Negative - Xero Tolerance

Have I mention that I like Type-O Negative, because I have!

It’s really such a shame that they never really got the respect they deserve (With the exception of their last album, but that’s for a later review). Their skill with guitar, drums, and some surprising keyboard, not to mention Pete Steele’s unearthly voice, make for an incredible. Within this song, that’s very apparent.

The guitar & drums go from slow to fast, then fast to slow, in about the blink of an eye. The effects of the keyboard & other noises create a very eerie background, and one that will haunt your dreams. Then there’s Pete Steele’s singing: you can hear him yell, scream, howl, and froth at the mouth in this song. Couple with some of the most violent lyrics ever written for a song, and you have something that a mass-murdering psychopath would put on his I-Pod.

3) Echo & the Bunnymen - The Killing Moon

At first, I though this was another goofy sounding song. Coming from 1984, you expect such kind of music, right? However, my foot has been shoved straight into my mouth for expecting such!

Instead, we’re given quite a sinister song. Forgoing heavy guitars, Echo & the Bunnymen opted for a smart usage of string, and a soft but still loud set of drums. The lyrics themselves are just as sinister, and are actually open to interpretation for some. Is this song about the death of others, or is it about the death of the listener. The Killing Moon is so open on this, it’s kinda hard to tell, but perhaps that was intentional?

2) Amon Amarth - Bloodshed

There’s really not much to talk about in this song. All you need to know is that it involves the following:

- Vikings
- Mead
- Norse Mythology
- Bloodshed & carnage

Need I say more?

1) Suicide Commando - Hellraiser

When I wrote the original list, I placed this song at the number 2 spot. The only reason that Maxwell’s Silver Hammer passed it, was because it wasn’t what you’d expect for a violent song. Since that song is nowhere near to be found, I figured that it was time for Hellraiser to shine!

This is perhaps one of the most sinister, violent, and downright bloodiest songs I’ve ever listened to. Johan Van Roy, aka Suicide Commando, has always been know for making aggressive and dark music, but Hellraiser has to top that cake. The keyboard & electronics used paint a highly uncomfortable atmosphere, almost to the point where you might want to turn off the song. On top of that, he also selected a equally uncomfortable and bloody selection of words. If you don’t believe me, take a look below.

“You are condemned
I've put a spell on you
The smell of death
Has got all over you
Like a disease
I will control your mind
Get on your knees
You won't survive the night

Hellraiser
Hellraiser

You are possessed
I am your living pest
Put you to rest
Tonight, you'll be my guest
You are oppressed
Abused on my request
Get ready for
The final inquest

Hellraiser
Hellraiser”

He repeats some of the lyrics in the rest of the song, but make no mistake: Hellraiser is one of the most violence-inducing songs ever created!

See you all next week. Until then, stay Otaku!

* To see the original list, click on the link below:

http://simpleanimereviews.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-top-5-songs-to-kill-people-to.html

Arcade Gamer Fubuki Review

Once again, ladies & gentlemen, I’ve jumped off the deep end. I’ve watched something so batshit, apeshit, friggen insane, I can’t recover from it. Here’s the thing: this time around, I didn’t quite mind as much. Granted, this show has it’s problems, but at the same time, the positive aspects balance out the bad. So, let me bring back the free-flowing review style I created last year, and give you my review for Arcade Gamer Fubuki.

Let’s begin with the story, taken from the IMDB page:

“Fubuki Sakuragasaki is a Japanese Jr. High school student and an avid player of arcade games, known far and wide for her skills. However, during the Japanese BAG tournament finals, an evil organization rears its ugly head, and for some reason, it's targeted Fubuki as a threat! With the help of her friends, the stranger known only as Mr. Mystery, and special underwear that increases her gaming prowess, Fubuki takes on all challengers as she fights for gamers everywhere!”

Without getting into the details, this story, despite all it’s wackiness, is basic in it’s implementation. We have the underdog & her best friend, a rival that later becomes her friend, other gamers that become her friends, and the evil organization that constantly fails, and in the end obviously loses. This basic setup works quite well, but at the same time, it is exceedingly predictable. Hell, even the twist at the end I could see from a mile away, although to be fair, I didn’t completely see it coming.

Next up are the characters. Much like the story, the cast is predictable. Fubuki is the stereotypical shy, innocent, but happy & hopeful girl that just wants to enjoy gaming in piece. Her friend is nuts but means well. The stalker character is there just to get his ass kicked & produce fan service moments (more on this in a moment), and everybody else fits the standard niche that they’re assigned (Ditzy girl with big boobs, rival that becomes friend, etc). The good guys are likable (Except for one, but that’s in the fan service section), but things fail when the bad guys come around. I can say for certain that while they may be comical, they’re incredibly stupid (It’s never explained about how their plan to take the world will work), even when one of them has a glimmer of cleverness in a scene. The only bad guy I like is the leader of the organization, as I can kinda sympathize with him. I can’t reveal who the leader is, but many of you might see who it is a mile away.

Now we get onto an element of Arcade Gamer Fubuki that can get creepy at times, and that’s the fan service. Usually I like fan service (Girls Bravo corners the market on this), but most of the fan service either doesn’t work the way it’s supposed to work, or it doesn’t work at all. Case in point: there’s a scene in the 2nd episode where Fubuki is questioning herself, when Mr. Mystery (The one good guy that I don’t like) jumps right through the window of her house to try a bring hope back to her. I can’t describe how awkward & creepy this scene is, so take a look at it below (Apologies for the off-sounding audio):

“***”

As you can see, Mr. Mystery is one of the creepiest anime males ever (Even his clothing options are bizarre). Even if that scene wasn’t in there, the biggest aspect of the fan service in Arcade Gamer Fubuki that just makes me go “Huh!?” is the so-called “Passion Panties”. Right now, I believe I’ve heard all of your jaws collectively hit the floor, so let me explain. Basically, Fubuki wears this special pair of white panties, and when her skirt is blown around to reveal her underwear-covered bottom, somehow the energies of the world’s gamers travels to her, and she becomes a gaming god. Unfortunately (At first), Fubuki comes across a girl that wears an identical pair of black panties, and the battles these two have are absolutely bizarre. To reveal what goes on will ruin the experience.

Luckily, to balance out the WTF-ness, Arcade Gamer Fubuki has some of the nicest animation I’ve ever seen. Everything is bright & colorful, and nothing looks ugly. The faces seems strange sometimes, but in the end the people move around alright. The world also happens to be a place that I want to go to, especially since there doesn’t seem to be hate towards gamers & gaming. Kudos!

Voice acting is also a plus. With the exception of one character (The voice actor is trying too hard to replicate a southern accent), all of the primary & secondary characters sound like they’re done by people who want to be there. In fact, the voice actor for Fubuki was also the voice actor who voiced Amelia from the Slayers series, as the fun yet shy voice shines through on a frequent basis.

Lastly, depending on how you look at it, Arcade Gamer Fubuki is a cheap show to buy, but it can be a little difficult to find. Released by the US Manga Corps (Which closed in 2009) in 2004, Amazon is the only place that I’ve been able to buy the show, but as I said, the show is very inexpensive. New copies start at $3.44, and the used copies start a $3.17. If you decided to buy this show, your wallet won’t feel a thing. 

I’m giving Arcade Gamer Fubuki a 5.5 to 7 out of 10, but seeing all the hate towards this show, I’m assuming that some of you give it a far lower rating.

See you all next week. Until then, stay Otaku!


*
To see the original review that started this style, click “***” to read it.

**
In this show, BAG stands for “Best of Arcade Gamer”. Yet another aspect of the show that just makes you go “Huh!?”

***
Quick apologies to posting this up a day late. I simply lost track of time, and hopefully it won't happen again anytime soon!

Paradise Lost: Draconian Times Review

Hi everyone! For many people, February is a time for couples to get even closer to one another, and for chocolate to fly all over the place. For most of the single people, February is one of the most depressing times ever. It’s in these times that I know just the right kind of medicine that can possibly cure the pain. So, with out further delay, here’s a review for one of Paradise Lost’s most recognizable albums, Draconian Times.

Much like Katatonia’s Dance of December Souls, Draconian Times was release a couple times since the original CD. Some additions over the years have included live concert tracks, previously unreleased songs, and demo editions. Also like Dance of December Souls, I will be focusing on the original core tracks for this review.

Background

Considered to be the first band that coined the phrase “Gothic Metal”, Paradise Lost has the distinction of creating music that has transcended the decades. Consisting of singer Nick Holmes, guitarists Greg Mackintosh and Aaron Aedy, and current drummer Lee Morris (The position of drummer is the only spot that has ever changed in the history of the band, and has happened twice so far), Paradise Lost has toured the world, releasing a collection of albums, and enthralling hordes of fans.

As for Draconian Times, that’s a story in and of itself. After the success of their 1993 album Icon, the band began creating material for a new release, and on June 12, 1995, Draconian Times was released to the public & became a massive hit. A thing to note about the album is the change of tone. In the early days, Paradise Lost was more of a death/doom metal band, but when Icon came out in 93, their tone changed more into a gothic rock/metal, and Draconian Times continues this as well. By 1997 things began changing again, but that’s for another review.

Songs
Enchantment: Long before I got into Paradise Lost, this was one of the songs that I first listened to. I was enchanted (Pun somewhat intended) by the beautiful piano, the sweeping guitar work, the pounding drums, and Nick Holmes’s voice. In fact, the song’s name is very fitting. There’s a mystical feeling when you listen to Enchantment, as if something wants you drawn into the melody. It really is hard to turn your ears away from this song, as you eventually succumb to it power at some point.

Hallowed Land: When I first heard this song, I laughed a little. If you were to judge this song by it’s instrumentation, you’d swear that Gothic Metal & Punk made out, and Hallowed Land would be the child. The instrumentation feels very punkish a majority of the time, but it still has the dark & serious tones & vibes that Gothic Metal provides. Luckily, when Nick Holmes begins singing, the songs regains it’s standard GM tone & energy. All in all, Hallowed Land is a good song, but a strange song at the same time.

The Last Time: Much like Hallowed Land, the instrumentation here feels punkish. Luckily, this feeling is nowhere near as intense, as the instruments lean heavily towards the metal side of the fence. The guitars are ponderous & loud, the drums carry a steady & thunderous beat, and Nick Holmes’s singing feels dark & methodical. It all melds together into a gothic whole that assaults the senses, and puts a beautiful grey cloud over your head.

Forever Failure: This song is a little bit unnerving to me. Not because of the instrumentation or singing (The instrumentation is top notch, and Nick Holmes’s style of singing in this song is strangely appropriate), but because of the audio clips used at the beginning & end. The audio clips in question are quotes of Charlie Manson, which were in turn taken from the documentary “Charles Manson - The Man who killed the Sixties”. Regardless of where the audio came from, it’s creepy every time I heard Manson’s voice, and just sends chills down my spine.

Once Solemn: If Hallowed Land was a mix of Gothic Metal & Punk, and The Last Time was Gothic Metal with elements of Punk, then Once Solemn is almost pure punk. The fast & somewhat chaotic guitar work is tied together with the equally chaotic yet steady drums, creating a cacophony of pleasant/unpleasant sounds (Take your pick). The only things that relate to Gothic Metal is the vocals, and certain guitar riffs that sound like something that doesn’t belong in a punk song.

Shadowkings: Now here’s something gothic!

You’ve got everything that’s required for a Gothic Metal song: steady and sinister guitars, thunderous & brutal drums, dark lyrics, and vocals that don’t require the use growling. It all comes together into a powerful whole that’s perfect to listen to during a thunderstorm, or during a nice round of Dungeons & Dragons. Hell, Shadowkings is good to listen to at just about anytime of the day. 

Elusive Cure: Of all the songs on this list, I find that this one is the weakest. It’s clear that the band is putting in some work, but I find that the instrumentation feels subpar a majority of the time (The guitar work still manages to come off as strong, if slightly dated), and for some reason Nick Holmes doesn’t sound like his giving his all at parts. In fact, this song sounds very commercial to me, but perhaps I’m pulling something out of my ass.

Yearn for Change: Besides Enchantment, Yearn for Change is one of the songs that got me into Paradise Lost. In fact, I believe that it was this song that I first listened to. I was hooked by the speed of the instruments and the energy they give off, not to mention that Nick Holmes is really putting his voice in to it. I’ll also mention that out of all the songs on this list, Yearn for Change is the fastest in terms on instrument & singing speed. It really gets your heart pumping, and it’s not the least bit depressing.

Shades of God: Much like Shadowkings, Shades of God is a perfect example of why Paradise Lost are considered masters of the genre of Gothic Metal. You have instrumentation that gives you the shivers, singing that leaves you paralyzed by it’s power, and a dark beauty that you can’t quite explain. Shades of God might not be as powerful as Shadowkings, but it can proudly stand beside it.

Hands of Reason: This song gives me mixed reactions. On one hand, the guitar & drum work isn’t lazy, and Nick Holmes lets out some choice lyrics complete with a powerful voice. On the other hand, there’s something weak about this song. Maybe it’s the lack of intensity when compared to the rest of the album, or that this song feels more commercial (Nowhere near as commercial as Elusive Cure, might I add) than the rest of the album. Regardless, it’s isn’t a bad song to listen to, and it’s actually kinda catchy.

I See Your Face: I See Your Face is the last of the three songs that I listened to before I seriously got into Paradise Lost. If I had one complaint about the song, it’s that the guitar work at the beginning, with bits & pieces in the middle & end, sound a bit on the dated side. Other than that, the guitar is fine, as well as the drums, which sound basic but powerful & consistent, and Nick Holmes bringing a rather collected singing voice to this song’s table.

Jaded: We conclude Draconian Times with Jaded, a rather slow & sinister sounding song. Jaded is interesting in that it’s slow pace is very consistent, with the guitar & drums crawling along, but leaving a nice melody in it’s way. Nick Holmes’s singing voice acts much like the instrumentation: slow & consistent, but creating a good melody.

Overall Impression & Rating
Somehow, someway, Draconian Times manages to still sound current & fresh, like it was released just yesterday. Sure there are some moments where the instrumentation feels dated, and the vocals are annoyingly consistent (Nick Holmes doesn’t vary much from song to song as far as tone is concerned), but this album was fun to listen to. Though their previous album, Icon, birthed the phrase “Gothic Metal”, Draconian Times continues to prove to the world why Paradise Lost are at the forefront of the Gothic Metal genre.
               
Paradise Lost: Draconian Times gets a 7.5 to 8.5 out of 10.

See you all next week, when we’ll hang out with a cool arcade gamer. Until then, stay Otaku!




* The video version of Forever Failure. Click "***" to enjoy.

Painkiller Review

Hi everybody. Well, it’s Valentine’s Day, and for anyone who doesn’t have a significant other, it’s a sucky holiday. Luckily, I know just the thing to get us out of these Valentine blues, so here’s a surprise bonus review for the cult classic, Painkiller!

                                       
Story
On a stormy night, Daniel is taking his wife Catherine (Not that Catherine!!!) to dinner for her birthday. Tragically, the storm makes it hard to see, and the car crashes into a truck, killing both Daniel & Catherine instantly. Afterwards, it is reveal that Catherine ascended to Heaven, but for some reason Daniel was sent to Purgatory. An angel by the name of Samael comes to Daniel to tell him that there’s something within his soul (Which is never revealed) that’s preventing him from ascending to the heavens above. In order to purify his soul, Daniel must travel all over Purgatory and kill the four generals of Hell. When these generals are dead, then Daniel will be allowed to ascend to Heaven, and be reunited with Catherine.

To me, this is a badass story! Granted, the very, very beginning is incredibly lame, but past that it feels like it’s a story from an epic book. A soul in need of redemption, wandering all over the land between Heaven & Hell, fighting all sorts of abominations, this feels incredibly epic. It would even make for a good movie, if it was used properly, and the story wasn’t mangled (At least not massively mangled).

Setting
Not many games can lay claim to producing a vivid afterlife (Doom 3 & Dante’s Inferno are other good examples), but Painkiller can. In this case, the developers created a unique version of Purgatory, and to anyone who’s read the second part of the Divine Comedy, that name is quite familiar. Whereas in that book Purgatory was the neutral ground in the afterlife where souls went to cleanse themselves, in this game Purgatory is still neutral ground, but it has become a battleground for the forces of Heaven & Hell. Already that sounds awesome, but this awesomeness is increased when each of the levels feels like a timewarp. As you travel through the episodes (there are 5 in total, excluding the Battle Out Of Hell expansion), you wander through the ancient Middle East, the Crusades, and all the way into modern times in some levels (Two words.....Military Base). The levels look & feel very realistic, and even the more fantastic locales seem real somehow. I can’t really explain it.

Characters
Like Duke Nukem 3d and many of the other character-lacking games I’ve reviewed, this is one of Painkiller’s weaknesses. While there are some characters in the game, there’s not much to them. The main character, Daniel, is somewhat angsty & tragic, but there isn’t much else. You only get a glimpse of Daniel’s wife Catherine, Samael the angel comes in as a dark & mysterious guide, but you’re rarely given any advice from him, and Eve (A character that appears right after you kill the first boss, and it’s never really said whether she’s the Eve or not), has a sultry & mysterious vibe, but like Samael you’re not given much else (Although, she does have a little more screen time during the cut scenes). Even the devil, who you discover towards the end (Spoiler!), has just about nothing in terms of personality. Now in Duke Nukem 3d a lack of characters was a strength, in Painkiller it is a big weakness, given how grand & epic the story is.

Gameplay
What made Painkiller such a hit, and still continues to make it a hit, is how basic yet fun gameplay. It harkens back to the old days of first-person-shooters, where the mechanics came down to the following: you’re in a area with enemies, you kill them to move on, you look for weapons/ammo/health & armor/secrets, repeat. Considering that this was released in 2004, the gameplay still manages to feel fresh. Whereas a lot of older games, and some modern games, that follow this formula feel slow & dated, you & the monsters move around swiftly, and the action is top notch.

Speaking about the weapons, Painkiller has a motley collection of destructive devices for you to use. You first weapon is the Painkiller (Hence the game’s name), a staff-like weapon with blades that unfold in the front, and the blades can also shoot out to form an energy beam. There’s also a shotgun, a wooden stake launcher, rocket launcher, and a gun that shoots shurikens. While the primary fire modes have their place, each of the weapons have secondary fire modes as well. The shotgun can also fire ice rounds, the stake launcher can lob grenades, the rocket launcher can become a chaingun, and the shuriken launcher can unleash a small stroke of lightning. To add to this variability, two of the weapons have a 3rd attack option, with the Painkiller shooting out the blades in a fan & the shuriken launcher creating a electro-mine when the left & right mouse buttons are pushed together.

You’ll need this weapon variety, as the enemies in Purgatory are numerous. You have monks with axes & torches, zombies that throw their own flesh, bikers with miniguns, and a huge assortment of demonic & undead baddies. In an interesting twist, many of the monsters can interact with each other: for example, the biker units can be taken by the skull bikers, and be used as temporary meat shields. There are plenty of other monster interactions, both between other creatures, and with themselves. An example of a monster interacting with itself is the mummy-spider (That’s not it’s real name: that’s it’s description), as it can kill itself & release a small swarm of spiders that attack the player.

The multiplayer was a big hit when the game first came out, and it’s still pretty fun. Although the modes are standard (Free-For-All, Team Deathmatch, Capture The Flag, etc), it’s just as fast as the singleplayer (It might be faster), and it incorporates dedicated servers, which are rapidly disappearing from PC games in this time.

Graphics & Sound
This time around, I’ll be starting off with the sounds. One thing that makes Painkiller great in this regard is the music. You essentially have two tracks for each level: you have a song during combat, and you have a song for when you’re out of combat. The combat songs tend to be louder & bombastic, and the calmer music is more mellow & steady. Regardless, the songs provide for plenty of atmosphere, and a lot of work was put into them. Even if there wasn’t any music, Painkiller still has plenty of audio atmosphere, as many of the levels have noises that you hear every so often, such as rain, thunder, tumbling rocks, and all other sorts of sounds that create tension, suspense, and awe. It also helps that the monsters & weapons have some good noises behind them as well.

Graphics are another matter. With the selected levels in the HD remake, they look absolutely incredible, thanks to the power of the Unreal 3 engine. With the original graphics engine, we still have some great looking levels & enemies, but time has caused them to age with an imperfection or two. Occasionally when the enemies die they clip on themselves (As an example, the hoods of the Dark Monks will clip into their bodies if their heads were shaking), and blood splatters sometimes seem weird on multiple surfaces (A blood splatter on a flat wall can trickle down sometimes, and if there’s a diagonal/angled surface below a wall, then it looks like the blood splattered directly on the diagonal/angled surface). If these flaws were around when the game first came out (It was released in 2004), then I didn’t notice them then.

Finally, the last thing I’ll talk about is the physics. While it really doesn’t relate to graphics or sounds, it’s unique enough that it at least deserves to be mentioned here. The physics, while not incredible or even remarkable, do add a little more to the game. When the enemies dies, sometimes their limbs fly all over the place & bounce off surfaces, or their bodies fly back against a wall, or a small selection of other things. As far as the environment is concerned, you can cause a chain explosion of wooden TNT barrels, shoot down object to crush enemies, or you can shoot down object to clear your path. Again, the physics aren’t remarkable, but at least it’s entertaining.

Overall & Rating
It’s not the most perfect game by any stretch, but Painkiller is a fun game. There’s a kickass story, some great gameplay in both the singleplayer & multiplayer, great sound effects, and fair graphics. It’s a shame that the cast of characters is incredibly weak, and the otherwise nice graphics have a flaw or two in it. Again, it’s not the be all & end all, but Painkiller is the game for those that simply want action & fun.

Painkiller gets a 7 out of 10.

See you all next week. Until then, stay Otaku!





*
If you were wondering: Yes, I do know about the HD remake from a couple months back. I don’t consider it a real remake for two reasons: There are only a handful of levels from the original & mission pack (In total, there’s 14 out of the 35 levels available), and some of the mechanics have changed enough that it doesn’t quite feel like the original game. I might review it if someone sends it to me for free, but more than likely I won’t even get near it.

Devil Hunter Yohko (Revised) Review

Hi everyone. Back in June last year, I had reviewed ADV Films’s (R.I.P.) first show, Devil Hunter Yohko, in two separate reviews. About a few weeks ago I acquired a newer (But still used) collection of the show that contained both volumes at the same time, and after finally watching the 6th episode, I’m ready to do a proper review. What I mean by proper review, I mean that I’m combining the original reviews together, complete with some revisions & spelling fixes. It may sound like a cop out, but I really can’t say anything different when compared to the original two reviews. So, without further delays, here’s a revised review for Devil Hunter Yohko.

Created by Studio Madhouse with directing from Akiyuki Shimbo, and produced by Toho, Devil Hunter Yohko was eventually released in the US (with subtitles) by ADV Films in 1992, a dubbing in 1995, and a DVD release in 2002 to celebrate 10 years of operation (There was also a 2005 & 2008 re-release, complete with the bonuses from the earlier releases). The story of this show couldn't be cheesier, and counts as the show's first positive. For many centuries, the Mano family has been keeping the world safe from demons. Yohko Mano, the 108th devil hunter of the family. Her mother, Sayoko, was originally going to be the 108th devil hunter, but as Yohko's grandmother Madoka put it: "She couldn't control her hormones, and she gave birth to you!". You see, in order to be a devil hunter, one must be pure and virginal in order for her mind to remain clear. This is a bit of a problem, as Yohko is a 16-year old in high school, is crazy for a number of guys, and her mother is constantly trying to push her into having sex, and thus losing her virginity. Even if she had her hormones in check, she’s got to deal with some of the most vile entities on the planet, from a demon that controls time, to an identical twin that wants to replace her.

As you can see, this story sets up a lot of comedic moments, and they all hit the mark...at least for me, anyway. We got fanservice jokes, sex jokes, age jokes, and all other sorts of jokes. There was nothing I didn't watch that wasn't funny, and even the rare moment that something wasn't funny, I was at least chuckling for a second or two.

However, comedy isn't the only thing that Devil Hunter Yohko has going for it. The show's second positive is it's other genres, and how they mix with the comedic moments. In addition to comedy (and to an extension, the ecchi and fanservice moments), we also have a show that contains horror and magical girl moments. An anime fan in this age wouldn't believe that this combination of genres would work, yet it somehow does. Hell, the first few moments has ecchi, comedy, and horror all working together at once to create a hilarious opening. Not a lot of modern shows in this day & age can claim this feat (Though older shows & OVAs, like Call me Tonight, can do this surprisingly well).

Up next for positives is the voice acting...for the primary characters. Although they all do a great job, the two voice actors that stand out the most are Amanda Winn Lee and Tiffany Grant. Amanda does an incredible job of bringing out Yohko's youthfulness, her craziness for boys, and just connecting with her strange form of naive nature. Tiffany Grant, who was a relatively established actor at the time of Devil Hunter Yohko's dubbing, performs well as Yohko's best friend Chi, who's both caring yet tricky at the same time.

Unfortunately, Devil Hunter Yohko has some blemishes on it's otherwise nice face. For starters, we have one story element that irks me. Throughout the first episode, the viewer is told that there can only be one devil hunter at a time, and Yohko is the current devil hunter. However, when episode 2 rolls around, we're given a new main character by the name of Azusa (who's voiced by Kimberly Yates, and actually does a good job. Should have put that in the good voice acting section.), who's come to Yohko to train as a devil hunter. Wait, what!? If she's supposed to be a new devil hunter, then was all that was explained in the first episode just nonsense!? Don't get me wrong, the character is likable, but with her coming in as a devil hunter in training, it just throws off the rest of the story.

This all leads into the second negative of the show. This one is actually more of an annoyance than a actual negative, but I believe it needs to be addressed. In the first episode, we're treated to a nice looking show, complete with some surprisingly good visuals. When we reach the 2nd & 3rd episode, the visuals change slightly, and actually look a little better. This also happens in the 5th & 6th episodes as well, with the last one looking the best out of the others. It’s not the animation quality that I have a problem, but rather the fact that each of the episodes have a slightly different look & feel to them, and thus ruins any visual consistency.

However, the next negative for Devil Hunter Yohko is a little more damning. As I said above, there's some great voice work for the primary characters, but there isn't quite so hard work put into the secondary characters. They do an okay job, but they really don't feel like they're putting their all into their respective role. To make matters worse, none of the side characters are really memorable, regardless of voice or because of themselves.

This next negative is perhaps the strangest I’ve ever come across so far in any of my reviews. The fourth episode isn’t actually an episode, but instead is a collection of music videos. Titled “4-Ever”, this episode is nothing more than music from the show put to scenes and artwork from the production and final edition of, you guessed it, the show. It’s nice and all, but I found that it actually broke up the pace that the episodes had setup. I wanted to see more Yohko, not music videos!

Speaking of episodes, the 3rd episode is the next negative. Compared to the rest of the show, this episode is the weakest in terms of plot. To simplify things, Yohko has a dream one night about an otherworldly man (That she develops a crush on), and through some weird process I can’t remember at the moments, she gets transported to this man’s world. She eventually learns that he’s imprisoned somewhere in the dimension, and the rest of the episode (Well, most of it anyway) basically devolves into a series of fight scenes, with only a scene or two devoted to Yohko’s friends in the real world. I will give this episode one thing, and that’s the twist ending. I can’t actually reveal what it is, but I guarantee that you won’t see it coming in the slightest.

The final negative of Devil Hunter Yohko is perhaps the hardest to cope with: there aren't many copies of the show left around. Amazon has a few copies, both on tape and on the DVD release, but they're a bit on the pricey side. You're best bet is to simply buy them used, as the used prices are far more easier on the wallet. If you're hardcore however, then dive on in! Either way, you're making a smart purchase.

Devil Hunter Yohko gets a 5 to 6.9 (To maybe a 7) out of 10.

See you all next week, when we’ll enter some draconian times. Until then, stay Otaku!   



* If you’d rather look at the two separate reviews instead of this one, then click on the links below.

Part 1

Part 2

My Top 10 Games

Hi everybody! Late last year, Bennett The Sage did four videos about his favorite games, musicians, anime, and movies, and they’re pretty entertaining, as well as informative. After watching them all a couple times, I figured it was about time for me to show you what my top 10 movies, games, musicians, and anime (as well as my top 10 books) are. So, from February to June, I’ll put up one post about the above mentioned topics. February will be games, March is anime, April will be devoted to movies, May will be the music month, and June will be devoted to books (The books post will be the hardest to make, since I’ve read a lot of books, and it’ll include some manga series, so it’ll take a little planning). So, without further delays, let’s take a look at my top 10 favorite games.

10) Diablo 1/2/3

The Diablo franchise is one of the oldest gaming franchises I’ve been devoted to, as the first game came out in 1996. True be told, I wasn’t able to play the first game until at least 6 months to a year after it cam out, because my Mom was mostly against me playing violent games back then. When I was a little older, she finally let me play the original game, and it was worth the wait! It was dark, gritty, gothic, and very action packed despite not having much of a story to it. Even today, I still play the original Diablo & Hellfire mission pack for nostalgic purposes, as well as the fact that it holds up quite well today.

Even though it still holds up today, Diablo 2 blows the original game away. Stronger player classes (Necromancer & Druid for life!), bigger world, better graphics, and a fleshed out story brought more players into the fold, and any players that may have been disenfranchised by the original Diablo. When the mission pack came out, the game was given new classes (Druid & Assassin), new items & monsters, a new land, a new part of the world to explore, and some addition to the story. Yes, Diablo 2 has perhaps surpassed the original game, and is still played today by fans. However...

This leads me to Diablo 3. When I did my review of the game back in July last year (Click on “***” to read), I basically said that while I hated most of the changes, I couldn’t bring myself to hate the game. My opinion on the game has slightly changed (I’ve begun to hate the game, but only slightly), but I still manage to enjoy the game. I still find that the classes bring something to the table, despite getting fixes (For better or worse) over & over. Again, read my review of the game to get a better understanding of my views on it.

9) Torchlight 1/2

Unlike Diablo, the Torchlight series has only been around since 2009, and thus is far more fresh in the minds of gamers. What really makes this game fun to play is that it’s gameplay (Regardless of whether it’s the 1st game or 2nd game) harkens back to the first two Diablo games. It’s very fast paced, tons of monsters swarm you & their corpses explode with loot when they died, the worlds are big (More so in the 2nd game than the 1st game), and the graphics make the world come to life (Like I said in both reviews, they’re rather colorful, but the 2nd game doesn’t have as much of a cartooney look to it). Still gotta get back to finishing up Torchlight 2 with the other characters (I got the Embermage, Outlander, and Berserker to finish up).

8) Dante’s Inferno

So far, I’ve never really talked about console games on this blog. The reason is simple: when I was growing up, my father used to be a computer engineer, and he believed that it was pointless to have a console when you already had a PC that basically did the same thing. I still subscribe to this philosophy, but in 2009, my dad asked for a PS3 for Christmas, and a couple months before, I was keeping watch on what was perhaps one of the few games on a console that entranced me. Plus, it was a loose version of one of my favorite books (There’s a hint for you for that list).

Though I haven’t turned the PS3 on in a while, I enjoyed Dante’s Inferno when I played it. Though it’s a bit of a God of War clone, there was enough of a difference in terms of combat that it felt separate from that game series. Also, the depiction of the nine circles of hell was impressive & beautiful in a dark sort of way. Not to mention the fact that the denizens of hell (both normal & boss monsters) were equally imaginative & dark. Hell, I even enjoyed the story of Dante’s Inferno, as it twists & turns the original story into something that feels different, but doesn’t completely stray from it’s source material. It also helps to have a kick ass website that rewards interactivity.

7) Call of Duty Franchise

As I said in my Modern Warfare 3 review (Click on “***” to read), the Call of Duty franchise has lost a lot of respect among PC players, and console gamers to an extent. With that being said, it’s safe to say that Call of Duty is incredibly popular, as well as incredibly profitable. The first two games on the PC (Call of Duty 1 & 2) were a good change of pace from Medal of Honor, which took the slower paced action-packed route. As sequels kept coming out, the franchise became more & more popular, eventually delving into modern times & beyond. Though the respect heavily vanished with Modern Warfare 2, it’s slowly come back, and I sincerely believe that respect has come back greatly with Black Ops 2.

If I can say one thing, I think that the Call of Duty games released by Treyarch tend to more adventurous that the games made by Infinity Ward (More so after Infinity Ward was weakened by departures & Activision’s actions toward the group). With Treyarch’s games on the PC, we went to the Pacific & Western Europe, various hotspots during the Cold War, and finally towards a possible future in 2025. With the games made by Infinity Ward, we’re still in this one world, and while things do move on, too much of it stays the same for it to feel truly new

6) Lego Island

Now, I was going to put this game somewhere in the 4-to-1 spots, but there’s two things that prevent me from doing so. Number one: graphically, while nice & colorful, haven’t aged all that well. Number two: while a fun game to play, is much more geared towards kids & young teenagers, and will come across as childish & repetitive in terms of gameplay & humor.

Having said that, this game is a blast to play. As I said, the world is a bright, colorful place where you just want to hang out in and have fun. The activities, while few & repetitive, are absolutely fun to do (Build & race cars & jet skis, drive an ambulance to do some rescues, etc), and you can customize just about anything on the island. Even the characters you come across (Primary & secondary) can provide you with some nice chuckles & laughs, as you don’t always know what they’ll do. As you can tell, fun is the word in this game.

5) Borderlands 1/2

I’ve gushed nothing but praise about these two games, and I’ll continue to do so until the day I died. Regardless of which game, you were put down on one gaming’s most fascinating worlds, which contained some of gaming’s most interesting & bizarre characters. What really makes both games great is the fact that nothing is taken seriously, and the gameplay is just pure unadulterated fun, whether it’s by yourself, or when playing with others. It also doesn’t help the fact that both games had ungodly amounts of guns, an equal amount of oddball humor, and a game company that genuinely cares about it’s products & fans. 

Before I go onto the number 4 spot, I have one thing to say....................................TORGUE!!!!!!!

4) Duke Nukem 3d/Manhattan Project/Duke Nukem Forever

Much like Diablo, I had to wait a little before I could play Duke Nukem 3d, though not quite as long. Even when I had permission to play, my mother added the condition that I could only play it downstairs where she could see me (My father didn’t care, but went along with it anyway). Despite that catch, Duke Nukem 3d was a totally different experience when compared with what came before it. Gone was the side-scrolling, and instead we were given a 3d experience, lead by one of the most foul-mouthed (at the time) characters ever to grace gaming. Like some of the older games, there’s still a big enough community for the game, and said community continues to make levels for it.

So it came as a surprise when Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project was released in 2002. Originally tied into the main universe of Duke, it became a standalone game when it was realized that it might become connected to Duke Nukem Forever, which was still in development at the time. More surprising was that the gameplay mechanics were a throwback to the original Duke games, but it contained enough new material to keep it separate from those games. The graphics were a big improvement over those games, including DN3d, but they haven’t aged well over the years. The gameplay, despite being fun (It still is fun), gets repetitive rather quickly. This was the only game we got that dealt with Duke back then, and when DNF supposedly got canned back in 2009, many gamers though it was the last game that would ever have Duke Nukem. However...

2011 came around, and Duke Nukem Forever finally came out!...to mixed reactions. Diehard Duke fans enjoyed it, but the majority of gamers slammed it, citing graphics, dated humor, and Duke Nukem himself as the main problems of the game, not to mention the fact that some reviewers tried to compare DNF to Call of Duty (WTF!!!). It’s really tragic that the game has problems, because despite them, Duke Nukem Forever is a lot of fun to play. Despite the new setting, we still have the sexy, the machismo, and the cheesy one-liners fans expect from a Duke game, though I should say that Duke vocabulary was toned down somewhat in Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project.

3) Epic Pinball

Now here’s a game that ancient!

Coming in at almost 20 years old (It was released in November of 1993), Epic Pinball was one of the best PC pinball ever made. It’s really tragic that Epic Games hasn’t been re-released as a free download on their website, or as a cheap buy over on steam, because Epic Pinball is a easy game to pickup & play. While there’s no overall story (Makes sense, considering the game subject), each of the 13 tables have their own theme to them (Android has you building a...android, Crash & Burn puts you in a Formula 1 race, and Pangea puts you in the time of the dinosaurs, etc), as well as their own difficulty.

I really recommend this game. If you can somehow find the complete collection online as a download, or find the Wizardworks collection somewhere, go for it!

2) Jazz Jackrabbit

Yet another game that’s ancient!

Originally released on July 30, 1994, Jazz Jackrabbit is a hybrid of Sonic the Hedgehog style speed, coupled with frantic side-scrolling shooting action. Perhaps the funniest thing about this game is that it’s story is a fantasy version of Aesop’s classic fable: 3000 years after that incident, Devon Shell (The evil leader of the turtles) has captured Eva Earlong (The long-eared princess) of Carrotus in an effort to conquer the galaxy. The king of Carrotus sends it’s greatest hero, Jazz, on a journey through the worlds that Devon has conquered to get back the princess, and save the planet. It’s incredibly cheesy, but it’s a lot of fun at the same time.

Just like Epic Pinball, if you can find the entire file online, or somehow locate the CD that has all the episodes, go for it!!

1) One Must Fall 2097

Taken from “Seeds of Geekdom: My Father”:

“Let's rewind the clock a bit: it's the early 90s. 1993, to be more specific. We're living in a small house in Clinton, New York. At the time, we weren't poor, but we didn't have a lot of money. We didn't have a lot of full PC games, but we had plenty of demos. One of them was for a fighting game called One Must Fall: 2097, published by Epic Megagames (long before they became the popular Epic Games). OMF: 2097 was a fast paced games where two giant robots went toe-to-toe against each other, with the only goal of tearing each other apart. It was a fun demo, but the only problem was that it was...a demo. There wasn't any multiplayer (against another computer, that is.), there were only 5 out of the 10 pilots available, and there were only 3 of the 10 robots available. Despite that, me and my Father (sometimes my Mother) spent a lot of time playing against each other, and basically having a good time.”

“Forward to 1994, and we're still living at the same place, or so I believe (It was so long ago, I can't remember well). I believe I came home from school, and after doing my homework, my Father calls me into the computer rooms and asks if I wanted to play a game of OMF with him. Without batting an eyelash, I said "Sure!" I got over to the seat, and my Dad starts up the game. Both the demo and the full game start up the same, so I didn't know what was in store. My Dad selected the two-player option, and the first thing he said was "Well...let's see. I think I'm going to be...Raven." It was then that I knew that something was different, and when he selected a robot that was previously unavailable, I was bouncing off the walls in joyous celebration. I couldn't believe that he did this for me, especially at a time when we had to be careful with our money. Although I was never certain, I could have sworn that my Mom was in on this as well, so props to you Mom if you were.”

I don’t think I could say anything else about this game. Nope, can’t say anything else.

See you all next week, when we’ll look at a familiar devil hunter once again. Until then, stay Otaku!