23 Feb

The Playstation Vita: One Year On

Posted by vagrantesque in Console, PS Vita. Tagged: , , , , .

Two posts today, methinks.

It’s hard to believe that it has already been one full year since the launch of Sony’s latest and greatest dedicated gaming handheld, the Playstation Vita. 366 days ago I was quivering with excitement at the thought of a shiny new piece of tech and, aside from hours worth of initial setup, I was not disappointed. You can read my day one impressions of the system here and my first month impressions here.

Now wouldn’t it be nice if I could write a lovely piece about all the ways the system has moved ahead in leaps and bounds since launch, building on its rather strong start to etch out an authoritative corner of the gaming space, in doing so announcing itself as a must-have piece of hardware?

Yes, yes it would. However, this simply isn’t the case.

Apt.

Don’t get me wrong, I adore my Playstation Vita and in the last two months, I haven’t played any other console nearly as much. This is mostly due to the excellent Persona 4 Golden, which I am very nearly finished and very nearly ready to review, but I digress. Aside from that Atlus gem, there has been precious little gaming content to write home about. To put things into perspective, though the Vita did have a very compelling launch lineup, in the space of a year the amount of Vita-specific games you can buy for your handheld has barely doubled. There are some worthwhile titles there, such as Gravity Rush, Assassin’s Creed Liberation and LittleBigPlanet, but outside of games you can also buy on your PS3 the list doesn’t go on much farther than that.

This isn’t the last you’ll hear from me about the Vita for the conceivable future, as I’m thinking of doing a comparison article with the 3DS for the benefit of people trying to toss up which system to get. But as for a standalone anniversary article, there just isn’t enough content to fill one out, sadly. Happy first birthday Vita. I hope by the time we get to your second there will be a lot more to celebrate.

20 Feb

A Hole Filled

Posted by vagrantesque in Movies. Tagged: .

Credit to deviantart’s alicexz

A few days ago, after over a decade of sporadic chances to do so, I finally watched Disney’s “animated classic” Mulan for the first time. I watched it on the big screen no less, as part of Event Cinemas’ Disney Princess festival. It was all kinds of awesome, which wasn’t entirely unexpected, but watching it at my age, with my catalogue of film watching experience (*adjusts monacle*), made me notice some interesting stuff. Here I shall rant a little about them. There might be spoilers here, but come on, who in their right mind wouldn’t have seen this movie by now?

1. It looks amazing.

I did experience it in a cinematic atmosphere, so that is probably a factor here, but I flat out did not expect to be so floored by Mulan‘s visuals. I mean, this is a 14 year old movie we’re talking about. It reminded me of how good Disney’s hand-drawn craftsmanship can look and, perhaps more surprisingly, its liberal use of the kind of CGI seen in the famous Wildebeest scene in The Lion King didn’t actually look that dated (probably because it’s combined with said craftsmanship). The film’s city finale in particular really made an impression on me. Continue reading

19 Feb

The VR K-Pop Starter’s Guide

Posted by vagrantesque in K-Pop, Music. Tagged: , , , , , , .

So we are now a week and a half into the Year of the Snake (the year in which I was born, incidentally). To celebrate the Lunar New Year I thought I’d post something with an East Asian flavour and I had this in the pipeline for a while, so here goes. Took me way too long to compile, this one.

So you’re aware of this whole K-Pop thing. You’ve seen Gangnam Style a hundred times and maybe you think there’s something you might enjoy in the genre. Perhaps you have a friend who listens to the stuff and you’re interested in what the fuss is about. Or, perchance, you’ve read my own reasoning for being a fan (a guy can dream) and it has piqued your interest. Regardless, you might be wondering where to start. Well, look no further.
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THE ESSENTIALS

Before you read anything else, watch these clips.

Gee – Girls’ Generation

WHY IT’S A BIG DEAL: This 2009 mega-hit was the most viewed K-Pop video on Youtube before PSY decided to riff on the Korean elite. It was partially responsible for the whole phenomenon of easily accessible Youtube K-Pop, plus it was the first K-Pop song to make any significant impact on the Japanese charts (the second-biggest music market in the world, apparently). It established Girls’ Generation (also known as SNSD) as a group at the very forefront of Korean pop music. Suffice to say they haven’t looked back.
LIKE IT? Check out some of Girls’ Generation’s other hits, such as Genie, Run Devil Run and Hoot. If you like the cutesy style of the clip, well, welcome to like a third of all K-Pop. You’ll be right at home.

I am the Best – 2NE1

WHY IT’S A BIG DEAL: Just compare this to the previous video. 2NE1 are K-Pop’s most successful “attitude girls”, going for a look and style that inspired a shift in girl group presentation back when they debuted in 2009. This is their biggest hit thus far, released in 2011, and its meticulously crafted swagger is truly something to behold.
LIKE IT? For more 2NE1 ‘tude, have a look at Fire and Hate You. If you’re after more of this kind of devil-may-care style, head the way of Miss A and GLAM.

Continue reading

7 Feb

Movie Review: Silver Linings Playbook

Posted by vagrantesque in Movies. Tagged: , , , , , .

Saw this two nights ago. The Oscars are closing in!

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Starring: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert de Niro
Director: David O. Russell (Three Kings, The Fighter)
Rating: M
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Duality

I’ve gone into Oscar season a little darker than usual this year. Perhaps due to the Academy’s rather off-putting snub of Skyfall, The Dark Knight Rises and even, where it matters, Django Unchained and Argo, I wasn’t in the mood to do the research. So I went into Silver Linings Playbook without the knowledge that it had a nominee in each of the major acting categories, with only half a trailer and the name of a rather skilled director to give me any idea what to expect. This happy combination set me up to be sucker punched by a film that may just have done to romantic comedy what the excellent The Cabin in the Woods did to horror: prove that daring to shake things up can really work as long as you have the talent to back up your bravado.

Continue reading

30 Jan

When will it end?

Posted by vagrantesque in Games.

It’s a new year for games!

That’s definitely something to get excited about even at the worst of times, as there’s nothing like a new annum when it comes to entertaining speculative dreams of potential. However, this particular year will see things get interesting a lot more quickly than, well, arguably any year before it. Not even considering the fact that we will probably find out about Sony and Microsoft’s new home consoles this year, or that online services like Steam are odds-on to keep churning out fantastic indie titles, just take a look at this line-up of games set for the first quarter of 2013 alone:

How long can 24 hours be?

DMC, reboot of the beloved  Devil May Cry series, is already out, I’m playing it, and it’s awesome. Tomorrow sees the long-awaited release of Japanese developer Level 5’s collaboration with one of the most beloved anime studios ever, Studio Ghibli, in the form of Ni No Kuni. A week later, Dead Space 3 will chill millions of players to their core, and I won’t be one of them. No thank you. Slightly less scary but no less atmospheric is Aliens: Colonial Marines, an ultra-polished canon sequel to James Cameron’s famous Aliens movie, which hits less than a week later. The 21st of Feb then sees a blockbuster double release: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance and Crysis 3, both of which will stun with their visuals and intense commitment to action. The normally quiet month rounds out with the exceptional-looking platformer Rayman Legends.

For all February’s power, March positively dwarfs it. Its first week will no doubt be dominated by one of the most anticipated series reboots in recent memory: the new, grittier Tomb Raider. The same time period will also see the release of Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3, which fans of the anime will lap up, and the new Sim City, which will doubtless send millions of players into fits of obsessive micromanagement. Mid-month features a sequel to one of this generation’s real sleeper hits, Sniper Ghost Warrior 2, but it’s expected to be overshadowed by a gargantuan “exclusives battle” between Sony and Microsoft. In the red corner, God of War Ascension. In the green corner, Gears of War Judgment. Sporting similar-sounding names, both titles are prequels set before their respective trilogies and both are expected to make lots of money. For all the late-month intrigue of co-op fest Army of Two: The Devil’s Cartel and the cloud save-enabled Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, The last week of March really belongs to only one game: Bioshock Infinite. Delay after delay has kept gamers from playing the viciously hyped juggernaut, but we will have it for real… very soon…

I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a stacked non-holiday period. It seems my wallet is headed for some more discomfort.

26 Jan

Movie Review: Django Unchained

Posted by vagrantesque in Movies. Tagged: , , , , .

Time to kick off a new year of reviews. The latest from one of Hollywood’s most successfully quirky directors has finally been released in Australia – two days ago in fact.

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Starring: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio
Director: Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction, Inglorious Basterds)
Rating: MA15+
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A new Quentin Tarantino movie is usually something of an event these days. The infamously subversive lover of genre film only has eight full directing credits to his name, and each one of those movies tackles a different pocket of cinematic history with an enjoyable brashness that only fleetingly conceals a deep reverence for the medium. His eighth, the recently released Django Unchained, is no different in this regard. While it may be flawed, the film ticks all the boxes that make a Tarantino flick so unique and so enjoyable. In my book, that makes it a winner.

Continue reading

25 Jan

A New Year

Posted by vagrantesque in Misc.

So, somehow, it has already been a month since Christmas. 2013 is already tearing past us.

I’ve had a surprisingly rejuvenating month, though it hasn’t been nearly as quiet as some past Januarys. Fans of movies, music and videogames have already been treated to a slew of high-profile and exciting announcements, with a smattering of quality releases to go along with them. Once February hits, both Oscar season and the looming promise of enigmatic new game consoles will ensure entertainment media of all kinds rolls along with rapidly increasing momentum. It’s going to be plenty crazy and I’m terribly excited to write about it all.

Thanks to all you wonderful Vagrant Rant subscribers for your support!

YeahHistoria

Not a bad way to start the year at all.

30 Dec

Best of 2012 Closer

Posted by vagrantesque in Best of 2012, Lists. Tagged: , , .

YouLoveIt

This is it, the last day of 2012 (in Australian time at least – stupid WordPress date numbering system). It has been a pretty awesome year for me personally and a pretty important factor has been the support my first ever blogging attempt has received, both from my friends and from people I’ve never met before, through Facebook, Twitter, the WordPress community and beyond. I am truly grateful to you all. 78 posts in 12 months! Woooo!

If you missed any of my top ten top tens of 2012, here are some conveniently arranged links for you!
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1. Top 10 Game Cases

2. Top 10 Movie Characters

3. Top 15 K-Pop Singles

4. Top 10 Annoying Videogame Experiences

5. Top 10 Songs

6. Top 10 Movie Scenes

7. Top 10 Gaming Moments

8. Top 5 Albums

9. Top 10 Games

10. Top 10 Movies

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HAPPY NEW YEAR!

29 Dec

Best of 2012: Top 10 Movies

Posted by vagrantesque in Best of 2012, Lists, Movies. Tagged: , , , , .

YouLoveIt

Somehow we arrive at the end of ten days of top ten lists, one hundred “things” in all. This is the last one; the ten absolute best movies I have seen this year. It was a fantastic year for the big screen, as while there were plenty of indie efforts worth writing home about, many of the blockbusters really stepped up their game in a big way. The unexpected, record-smashing success of one film in particular may have altered the way big studios think about their intellectual properties and release schedules for good.

I don’t profess to having seen all the movies that came out in 2012; heck, I didn’t even see all the movies I wanted to see in 2012. But I did see more than enough of them to make this list a tough one to put together. One thing I noticed about the list after I had finally decided on an order is how weird it looks to see so many movies on it that came out in the first two months of the year; that was so long ago it almost feels like they didn’t release this year at all. The odd thing about living in Australia is that we usually only get movies released late in any given year Stateside early in the next one, which means the majority of movie websites on the internet would have already discussed some of these big screen gems 12 months ago. But I’ll take what I’m given and I was given a lot of good movies in 2012.

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VR BEST OF 2012 DISCLAIMER
This list represents my opinion only. I am not asserting any kind of superiority or self-importance by presenting it as I have. My opinion is not fact. If you actually agree with me 100%, that’s scary. You have been warned, fanboys.
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10. Hugo

The golden world of Hugo won much attention during last year’s award season for its brilliantly understated use of 3D (look how far we’ve come in 12 months – where is the talk of 3D now?), but that isn’t what made it stand out. Hugo is a heartfelt story appropriate for all ages and its affection for Hollywood’s early history is palpable, particularly in the second half of the story. The sentiment never comes off as cheesy, which could easily have been the case, and the whole film is all the more remarkable given it was directed by gangster film veteran Martin Scorcese.

Continue reading

28 Dec

Best of 2012: Top 10 Games

Posted by vagrantesque in Best of 2012, Games, Lists. Tagged: , , , , .

YouLoveIt

This is where things get serious. It’s the home stretch of my top ten lists covering 2012’s finest entertainment media.

Of all the lists I put together in my head for posting on Vagrant Rant, this one was the least clear-cut. Partially due to the motivation of having a blog to write, I finished more games in 2012 than I have in any calendar year before, which gave me a pretty sizeable pool of experiences from which to draw. Ordering them was a real headache. Seriously, I adore every one of the games in the “Honorable Mentions” section at the bottom of this page and it’s hard to believe I had to cut any of them. Of course, there were some critical and commercial gems I didn’t play at all in 2012, which is a bit of a shame. Sorry, Farcry 3, Mass Effect 3 and Journey.

Unlike when I review a game, I decided not to let the fact that I haven’t finished a certain title stop me from including it on the list. This is ultimately a list of games I enjoyed playing this year, after all. However, to make the list a little fairer, at least in theory, I decided to disqualify any game I haven’t played for at least five hours of game time. That gets rid of some truly high-quality 2012 titles, most notably Uncharted: Golden Abyss, New Super Mario Bros U, Dishonored, Paper Mario Sticker Star and, yes, Call of Duty: Black Ops II. Regardless, it does mean that I’ve had at least a half-decent look at everything you’re about to read about.

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VR BEST OF 2012 DISCLAIMER
This list represents my opinion only. I am not asserting any kind of superiority or self-importance by presenting it as I have. My opinion is not fact. If you actually agree with me 100%, that’s scary. You have been warned, fanboys.
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10. Kid Icarus: Uprising

Uprising was fighting it out with Mario Tennis Open for this spot on the list, but despite all the multiplayer fun I had with the latter, it was just too hard to discount the entire package that the latest Kid Icarus title offered 3DS owners in 2012. Combining some of the best graphics and craziest stereocopic 3D available on the portable with a clever difficulty system, addictive multiplayer and a host of content aproaching Smash Bros levels of ridiculousness, Kid Icarus: Uprising is a marvelous game, even if its controls take some getting used to.

Continue reading

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