Monday, September 22, 2008

Call of Duty 4 vs. Battlefield: Bad Company

First of all, Battlefield: Bad Company doesn't escape the common expectations gamers have for any game the developers expect them to pay $60 for; which entails to offer at least, a decent single player experience, and a stellar if not substantially entertaining multiplayer experience, with constantly replayable maps, as well as a widely diverse variation in outcomes of each round.



Now I say Battlefield: Bad Company in particular because I feel the developers invested little to no effort in creating a tactically-based combat experience; as it all boils down to is mindless killing by any means possible- exploitations and all. The only aspect that makes Battlefield: Bad Company outstanding is simply by the destructible environments. Battlefield: Bad Company also potentially could provide strong and quality level design, just as its PC predecessor, Battlefield 2 did, but instead substituted it for what they, or DICE thinks is dynamic destructibility. Yes, in fact, this destructibility is an enormous aspect that will potentially revolutionize the video game battlefield, but that doesn't necessarily make it any better.

There have been multiple attempts by lesser developers at making destructibility a core component of first person games. DICE has tried, and for the most part, achieved what they set out to do on that front. But there is one problem: it's not paired up with good gameplay!

Here I express my truest dislike for my experience with Battlefield: Bad Company; the gameplay is garbage.

If you have ever played Battlefield 2, I am sure you are an expert at knowing when to go automatic, and when to go burst. That understanding, rule, fact, law, mentality and perfectly fine feature a game had to offer was destroyed to bring to life a terrible new baby- Battlefield: Bad Company's overly severe deviance. In Battlefield 2, for example, the deviated rounds were handled in a way that didn't even show them going to the intended target- but rather, as if they were a dud- (Which would only happen with Sniper Rifles). But in Battlefield: Bad Company- You're better off hiding in a hole, putting C4 encompassing your soon to be corpse and waiting, because the gunplay is utterly unbearable. For example, in BF:BC, when you're looking down your iron sight, and you can see your intended target only a few meters away, you can see the incredible amount of deviating rounds, as if fleeing from the intended target- it's inconceivable people put this crap in a game, and people still play it to this day.

I gave Battlefield: Bad Company a fair chance -- in fact, I reached the Major rank and had an overall slightly less than decent experience with it doing so. It can be fun- but can be EASILY enraging by the fact that though you were firing what appeared to be that man's head off, resulted you with a red-blood screen, displaying your killer and the particular tool he used to end your life.

Additionally, the health system will never achieve what DICE had intended it to achieve- a health system such as that on a console is bound to fail. You simply don't need so much to worry about- and especially not to mention the likelihood of winding up losing your life because of a previous firefight- the experience can be incredibly unrewarding, unsatisfying, unentertaining, unappealing; and thus seemingly intended to be played calmly, and casually.

Battlefield: Bad Company’s Y-Axis look speed is also too slow; as is the transition between running, stopping running, and aiming down the sights of your rifle to fire at a nearby enemy -- both of which can easily get you killed, and may very well repulse you from ever playing the game again. Not to mention the absolutely broken sniping system that has you outrageously trying to lead your target, only to miss invariably for reasons unknown. It is as if there are a number of factors that play into the overall broken sniping mechanic; they are unapparent, and insensibly difficult to coicidentally please, which are ultimately unlikely to ever reward you with a satisfying kill.



On the other, very much better hand, sits Call of Duty 4- a rational, not so torturous type of fun that makes sense when you see your target, and you understandably kill your intended target. If you don’t think there isn’t a tactical experience within the excellence that is Call of Duty 4, look again. The controls are spot-on, show absolutely no defects, and represent your own fault if you die- not the game’s. The customizability of the classes and weapons is definitely an up that exceeds all of Battlefield’s classes. If you crouch as you move- you are silent; yes this may seems a minute and worthless feature that does nothing, but try playing Search and Destroy, where your single life is as vital as your beating heart. You can also lie down, which strangely was impossible in Battlefield: Bad Company, though the Battlefield series is the father to most of these features and conventions, but apparently not on consoles.

The improvements Call of Duty 4 has made on the clean slate of multiplayer first-person shooters I think of as Battlefield 2 are infinite, intrinsic, and inexpressibly improve the overall gameplay of even the original greatness of Battlefield 2. I promise you, you will never by any circumstance find a better, more entertaining, more enthralling, more exhilarating shooter experience on a console, whether you're considering the accuracy of hit-detection, or plainly the fun you'll get out of such an experience, I think I can definitively claim Call of Duty 4 as timeless, and the only improvements shooters will ever see are based off of the excellence provided by Call of Duty 4, not Battlefield: Bad Company.

Like what you may, I just don’t Battlefield: Bad Company.

And if you’re simply too obstinate to try Call of Duty 4 because of all the fags playing it now, I suppose I’m a fag too.

-Michael Lenoch

Saturday, September 20, 2008

How does this make you feel?

I'd like to open this up to discussion- how do you feel about the fact that Toonami is coming to an end, even though it has been the providing factor for the past 11 years to some of the greatest anime such as:



Anime with which this company was involved:
.hack//Legend Of The Twilight (TV) : Broadcaster
.hack//Roots (TV) : Broadcaster
.hack//SIGN (TV) : Broadcaster
Akazukin Cha Cha (TV) : Broadcaster
Animal Yokocho (TV) : Broadcaster
Astro Boy (TV 3/2003) : Broadcaster
Astro Boy (TV 1/1963) : Broadcaster
Bakugan Battle Brawlers (TV) : Broadcaster
Bedaman (TV) : Broadcaster
Beyblade (TV) : Broadcaster
Bleach (TV) : Broadcaster
Blood+ (TV) : Broadcaster
Blue Dragon (TV) : Broadcaster
Blue Gender (TV) : Broadcaster
Blue Submarine No.6 (OAV) : Broadcaster
Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo (TV) : Broadcaster
Cardcaptor Sakura (TV) : Broadcaster
Case Closed (TV) : Broadcaster
Castle in the Sky (movie) : Broadcaster
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (TV) : Broadcaster
Cowboy Bebop (TV) : Broadcaster
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie : Broadcaster
Crayon Shin-chan (TV) : Broadcaster
Cyborg 009 The Cyborg Soldier (TV) : Broadcaster
D.I.C.E. (TV) : Broadcaster
Dai-Guard (TV) : Broadcaster
Death Note (TV) : Broadcaster
Demashitaa! Powerpuff Girls Z (TV) : Production
Dragon Ball (TV) : Broadcaster
Dragon Ball GT (TV) : Broadcaster
Dragon Ball Z (TV) : Broadcaster
Dragon Ball Z Movie 1: The Deadzone : Broadcaster
Dragon Ball Z Movie 2: The World's Strongest : Broadcaster
Dragon Ball Z Movie 3: The Tree of Might : Broadcaster
Dragon Ball Z Movie 4: Lord Slug : Broadcaster
Dragon Ball Z Movie 5: Cooler's Revenge : Broadcaster
Dragon Ball Z Movie 6: Return of Cooler : Broadcaster
Dragon Ball Z Special 1: Bardock, The Father of Goku : Broadcaster
Dragon Ball Z Special 2: The History of Trunks : Broadcaster
Duel Masters (TV) : Broadcaster
Escaflowne: The Movie : Broadcaster
Eureka Seven (TV) : Broadcaster
FLCL (OAV) : Broadcaster
Fullmetal Alchemist (TV) : Broadcaster
Gatchaman (TV) : Broadcaster
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (TV) : Broadcaster
Gigantor (TV) : Broadcaster
Hamtaro (TV) : Broadcaster
Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi (U.S. TV) : Broadcaster, Distributor, Production
Idaten Jump (TV) : Broadcaster
Immortal Grand Prix (TV) : Broadcaster
Immortal Grand Prix (TV 2) : Broadcaster, Original story, Planning, Production
Immortal Grand Prix (TV) : Production
Initial D (TV) : Broadcaster
Inuyasha (TV) : Broadcaster
Inuyasha Meguri Au Mae no Unmei Koiuta (special) : Broadcaster
Inuyasha the Movie 2: The Castle Beyond the Looking Glass : Broadcaster
InuYasha the Movie 3: Swords of an Honorable Ruler : Broadcaster
Inuyasha the Movie 4: Fire on the Mystic Island : Broadcaster
Inuyasha the Movie: Affections Touching Across Time : Broadcaster
Jubei-chan - Secret of the Lovely Eyepatch (TV) : Broadcaster
Kakurenbo (movie) : Broadcaster
Kaleido Star (TV) : Broadcaster
Kikaider (TV) : Broadcaster
Kikaider (OAV) : Broadcaster
Lupin III: Part II (TV) : Broadcaster
MÄR (TV) : Broadcaster
Martian Successor Nadesico (TV) : Broadcaster
MegaMan NT Warrior (TV) : Broadcaster
Megaman Star Force (TV) : Broadcaster
Metropolis (movie) : Broadcaster
Mobile Fighter G Gundam (TV) : Broadcaster
Mobile Suit Gundam (TV) : Broadcaster
Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket (OAV) : Broadcaster
Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory (OAV) : Broadcaster
Mobile Suit Gundam F91 (movie) : Broadcaster
Mobile Suit Gundam Seed (TV) : Broadcaster
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing (TV) : Broadcaster
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz (OAV) : Broadcaster
Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack (movie) : Broadcaster
Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team (OAV) : Broadcaster
Moribito - Guardian of the Spirit (TV) : Broadcaster
My Neighbor Totoro (movie) : Broadcaster
Naruto (TV) : Broadcaster
Naruto Special: Battle at Hidden Falls. I am the Hero! (OAV) : Broadcaster
Naruto The Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow : Broadcaster
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (movie) : Broadcaster
Neon Genesis Evangelion (TV) : Broadcaster
Ninja Robots (TV) : Broadcaster
One Piece (TV) : Broadcaster
Outlaw Star (TV) : Broadcaster
Paranoia Agent (TV) : Broadcaster
Pecola (TV) : Broadcaster
Pilot Candidate (TV) : Broadcaster
Pocket Monster Crystal: Raikou Ikazuchi no Densetsu (special) : Broadcaster
Pocket Monsters: Diamond & Pearl (TV) : Broadcaster
Pokémon (TV) : Broadcaster
Pokémon - Destiny Deoxys (movie) : Broadcaster
Pokemon - Jirachi Wish Maker (movie) : Broadcaster
Pokemon 2000 - The Movie : Broadcaster
Pokemon 3 - The Movie : Broadcaster
Pokemon 4Ever (movie) : Broadcaster
Pokemon Advance (TV) : Broadcaster
Pokemon Chronicles (TV) : Broadcaster
Pokemon Heroes - Latias & Latios (movie) : Broadcaster
Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea (movie) : Broadcaster
Pokemon: The First Movie : Broadcaster
Pokémon: The Rise of Darkrai (movie) : Broadcaster
Popolocrois Monogatari (TV) : Broadcaster
Princess Mononoke (movie) : Broadcaster
Rave Master (TV) : Broadcaster
Read or Die (OAV) : Broadcaster
Reign: The Conqueror (TV) : Broadcaster
Robotech (U.S. TV) : Broadcaster
Ronin Warriors (TV) : Broadcaster
Rurouni Kenshin (TV) : Broadcaster
s-CRY-ed (TV) : Broadcaster
Sailor Moon (TV) : Broadcaster
Sailor Moon R (TV) : Broadcaster
Sailor Moon R Movie: Promise of the Rose : Broadcaster
Sailor Moon S (TV) : Broadcaster
Sailor Moon S Movie: Hearts in Ice : Broadcaster
Sailor Moon SuperS (TV) : Broadcaster
Sailor Moon SuperS Movie: Black Dream Hole : Broadcaster
Saint Seiya (TV) : Broadcaster
Samurai Champloo (TV) : Broadcaster
SD Gundam Force (TV) : Broadcaster, Production
Shaman King (TV) : Broadcaster
Speed Racer (TV) : Broadcaster
Spirited Away (movie) : Broadcaster
Star Blazers: The Quest for Iscandar (TV) : Broadcaster
Super Milk-chan (TV) : Broadcaster
Tenchi in Tokyo (TV) : Broadcaster
Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki (OAV) : Broadcaster
Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki OAV 2 : Broadcaster
Tenchi Muyo! The Night Before The Carnival (OAV) : Broadcaster
Tenchi Universe (TV) : Broadcaster
The Animatrix (OAV) : Broadcaster
The Big O (TV) : Broadcaster, Co-Production
The Prince of Tennis (TV) : Broadcaster
The Super Milk-chan Show (TV) : Broadcaster
Thundercats (U.S. TV) : Broadcaster
Transformers: Animated (U.S. TV) : Broadcaster
Transformers: Armada (TV) : Broadcaster
Transformers: Cybertron (TV) : Broadcaster, Internet Streaming
Transformers: Energon (TV) : Broadcaster
Trigun (TV) : Broadcaster
Trinity Blood (TV) : Broadcaster
Voltron (TV) : Broadcaster
Witch Hunter Robin (TV) : Broadcaster
Wolf's Rain (TV) : Broadcaster
Wolf's Rain (OAV) : Broadcaster
Yu Yu Hakusho The Movie: Poltergeist Report : Broadcaster
Yu Yu Hakusho: Ghost Files (TV) : Broadcaster
Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monster GX (TV) : Broadcaster
Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (TV) : Broadcaster
Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Movie (U.S.) : Broadcaster
Zatch Bell (TV) : Broadcaster
Zoids (TV) : Broadcaster
Zoids/ZERO (TV) : Broadcaster
Zoids: Fuzors (TV) : Broadcaster



"America's Cartoon Network has reportedly revealed at Georgia's Anime Weekend Atlanta convention this morning that it will end its Toonami programming block tonight after 11 years. The official announcement will be made during tonight's final run, with an "important message" during the 10:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. ET/PT timeslot. Naruto has been the only Japanese series in this Saturday evening block recently, but Toonami used to host a variety of Japanese-animated programs when it began as a weekday afternoon block in 1997. Among those titles were Voltron, Robotech, Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball, Ronin Warriors, G-Force: Guardians of Space, Blue Submarine No. 6, Tenchi Muyo!, Cardcaptors, Zoids, .hack//SIGN, Yu Yu Hakusho, Rurouni Kenshin, The Big O, Outlaw Star, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Cyborg 009, Duel Masters, Astro Boy, Gundam, Rave Master, Zatch Bell, One Piece, Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo, Pokémon, MÄR, The Prince of Tennis, Megaman Star Force, Bakugan Battle Brawlers, and Blue Dragon. The Toonami Jetstream online streaming service will reportedly still continue, and Cartoon Network is working to import the Japanese-animated Demashitaa! Powerpuff Girls Z spinoff that is based on its own Powerpuff Girls series.

Two episode of Naruto are currently scheduled for tonight at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT. The 2002 live-action Spider-Man film will run instead of Toonami on September 27, although most television listings have not been updated yet. Batman: Gotham Knight, this summer's Japanese-animated video tie-in to The Dark Knight film, will then run on October 4 at 8:00 p.m. After Batman: Gotham Knight, an episode of Naruto, "Powerful Helper," will run at 9:30 p.m., but there are no other episodes scheduled yet."

Thank you to Starks for the news tip.


I loved everything on Toonami from Beast Wars to Machine Wars to conceivably all the Gundam series and especially Dragon Ball Z- Saturday has lost its essence, its definition. No, I haven't watched Toonami every Saturday, and that's largely due to all the crap they shovel onto it (BEN 10), but the thought that Toonami was on every Saturday- I would always be reminded of it; whether it be that I played video games for a certain amount of time, went over to a friend's house or anything else- I always knew Toonami was on.



Tom was my man every Saturday night





Tom throughout the years of reiteration



Tom now



Was always better late at night than what became Adult Swim



(Everything in Italics is not my own writing)

-Michael Lenoch

Archaic Language

JUST A THOUGHT:

The English language spoken in the colonial and time periods prior seem far more eloquent and articulate than the common, weak, and worthless vernacular we all casually partake in today. Though the language spoken then could inversely be perceived to sound unnecessary in comparison to the aforemention 'weak and worthless' vernacular of today. My one lasting thought is; is language's contemporary brilliance the simplicity it achieves through its easily understood and sensible expressions that lie within the heart of the language that are used daily?


-Michael Lenoch

Money? Who said money?

In defense of a few of your points:




Seeing as though the world, along with seemingly every other serious country runs on money and the desire for more money; wouldn't you too, if you were Sir Alex Ferguson, consider the fact that Manchester United is undoubtedly England's most prominent, most successful, and most capable group of players that indicate what can be achieved with a football: the hearts of millions, spanning the globe's limits, while winning countless silver wear across the world. By the way; you barely grasped my point. There is absolutely no drama in American Football, as every game is seemingly inconsequential. It doesn't amount to anything, or even matter if you're the absolute worst disgrace of athleticism ever to shear the eyes of people everywhere; the NFL will keep you in the league. As opposed to The English Premier League- where there is a constant struggle of avoiding the relegation to a lower league, where then the club suffers the consequence of being forced to build themselves back up.

Though Barclays and their entrepreneuring hoard of purchasing have bought out the rights to the name of the Premiership, do you think anyone will stand by that and call it that? And if you didn’t notice, the NFL is by far the least modest company to ever exist, and couldn’t care for the meek amount of money to purchase the rights to the NFL name that would dwarf their inestimable amount of other sources of revenue.


-Michael Lenoch



Oh and this is a testiment of how dedicated Football fans are even when there isn't something on the screen; American Football fans are easily impressed, and casually spectate, as the lion's share of American football's success is the food that millions of overweight fat American retards gorge themselves over each game.

American Football Sucks ass.

American football has an incredible amount of distractions merely to capture the retards' who watch it attention- clowns, idiots, and fools during half-time- all of which are perfect examples.


-Patrick MulchroneTM

Not to offend, but it's purely my opinion

Notice how seemingly every young boy, growing up, aspires to a certain college; whether it's due to his father or mother is an alumni, he likes the school's college, or he's retarded enough to assess his favorite team by choice of colors and a pretentious clothing line.

Regardless, unfailingly, it seems every one of those young boys, whether they may have been you and your friends or not always cling to the absolutely most distant college scattered throughout the United States, and never support any local colleges, unless they currently attend a local college; in which case no longer would be a "young boy". Furthermore, that seems a testament to how crappy America can be-everyone seems to want to be or otherwise seem different to support a different team.

That's why I personally love real Football; European Football. There's no manufactured drama, no over-exposed internal struggles within each club or advertisements. There are true supporters who will stop at nothing to see their club's game; and there is no truer emotion presented than the emotion that Football induces. There is cultural pride, national representation; where I can feel that a language can represent a nation. Football is also monumental and instinctive- a cave man could understand it- yet it compels the world to this day. And by its monumentality, there is a fine distinction when a goal is scored, and the time that leads up to that crescendo of skill, talent, and a little luck. The fact that goals are scored so infrequently only justify the time investment even more, as the buildup to such as shining star of a moment is inconceivably rewarding and nigh indescribable.

That is solely why Football is the world's sport, and decimates American football; I don't think I can name a single other person I know that can react so strongly, so passionately, so devotedly, so intensely, so enduringly, so lovingly to the spirit, the game and the experience;

God Bless the REAL Football.

-Michael Lenoch

He who which is now missed

JUST A THOUGHT:

Shawn Elliot- To a certain degree seems to me, at least, similar to a soldier. By his latest appearance on 1up Yours, he has expressed himself incredibly eloquently, yet has retained to render himself funny. That said; a solider can joke with the guys, drink a bit and have some fun, while dedicate all his senses as total warfare slowly consumes the attention of him and his comrades. And by that; he is innately very competent at his craft, and carries a considerable amount of charisma along with it.


-Michael Lenoch