Filed under: BitByteBlogs
Rockstar.
Almost everyone who has ever held a game console controller these days knows the name. After all, they were the daddies of the one of the most controversial game series yet, Grand Theft Auto and it sequels and spinoffs.
So far, I’ve sampled 2 of their offerings, GTA:Vice City and Bully. I don’t really buy the hype of them being controversial for promoting violence and organized crime. I played the game because of the gameplay.
Let’s take for example, Bully. Sure enough, the game’s premise of a rebel kid in an uptight but corrupt school ain’t your typical game plot, even though the violent stuff has been watered down to warrant a T rating in ESRB (as opposed to an M rating in GTA), the game still allows players to engage in “mischievous” behavior, which many special interest groups hate.
But I’m 21. I’m not dumb. I know it’s just a game, and it’s a game that’s fun to play. Bully follows a sandbox-type of game play which allows players to roam around as they please. Rockstar vancouver stuffed the town of Bullworth with lots of mini games and customization options for your character, and you practically never run out of stuff to do. And doing them never feels like a chore, since if you don’t like one of the sidequests, you can skip it. Now that’s some pretty novel gameplay. And the story itself is fun. It’s full of tired cliches, but it’s still entertaining and gives you a sense of accomplishment as you progress.
I don’t really believe that banning these kinds of games will make our world much better. What’s important that the gamers know that this is just a game, and what happens in vegas, stays in vegas. A little maturity in our part is all that’s required, leave the immaturity inside the game.
Filed under: It may be Life...
What’s the title? It’s “I’m Working! I’m Working!” in Russian. If you can read it, and it’s wrong, blame Babel Fish. They did it. If you’re asking why the title is in a foreign language I can’t even read, don’t ask. I don’t even know myself.
Gremlins in the PC or not, I still have tons of work to do. It’s not the “I have to do it” type of work, but rather the “It’s better than sitting around gathering lard in my butt” type.
First up, if I ever want to get a job position with the words “Web” upfront, I need to be proficient in web technologies. So for the most part, I’ll be hitting the books. I finally left college just to study again. Heh. But I’m not enrolling in any short courses or anything, just some self-study. I hope that effort amounts to something useful.
The next thing is that I’m porting over the action figure reviews from the blog into an archive somewhere else. Just to keep the mind sharp in maintaining a website. I haven’t touched my personal website in years, because, frankly there’s nothing much to write about, and that’s why I have this blog. At least with action figures, there’s plenty of materials to update and maintain. But of course, I’ll still post recent reviews here first, then port them over to the web archive. The “Songs for the Plastic Muse” section won’t be deleted.
And I wonder if I’m cut out for game development, not big-time, blockbuster games like Final Fantasy, of course, but the small, cottage-industry freeware ones. I know I have limits to what I can do. Square-Enix has server farms for cg renders, I have a old rusty pc with cobwebs in it. But I don’t think now is the time to do it, since I still have other stuff to do, and I don’t much skill to depend on yet.
But drawing a comic book, which I have been drafting for more than 10 years now, has to be done. I kept stopping during my work, since I believed that my drawing skills sucked. It’s true, but still, I can’t wait forever for my skills to improve, so whether my art looks like it’s been scrawled on paper or not, I must press on. I don’t want to be like Stephen Tennant in regards to novel Lascar. It’s the most infuriating thing to die without leaving a legacy. Which may vary depending on how you interpret the word Legacy. I leave it to you and your colorful imagination.
Call it fate, karma, destiny, hoohoomajoojoo, or whatever.
But I’m pretty sure some unknown force in the heavens is giving some “subtle” hints. Some really subtle hints. Anyway, it all began when a college buddy which I go job hunting with, invited me to play the MMORPG Ragnarok Online. I had a history with that game- it drained lots of money out of my wallet (internet cafe rental bills, game prepaid cards, ISP prepaid cards), not to mentioned wrecked my scholastic performance during my 2 year (I sometimes think it was three, maybe four?) addiction. Thankfully, I’m clean of the MMORPG drug now, since collecting action figures and toys is no joke (financially). So you could say I traded one drug for another. Or whatever.
Said college buddy was one of online guild members back in our pay-to-play days. Now that Ragnarok Online (RO for short) launched a free server, he proposed we log back in again for some casual fun. I mean other than internet load, it’s far more cheaper than it used to be. Since we aren’t that lucky yet in terms of jobs, it’s a good way to kill some pent-up frustrations of being jobless. I was hesitant for a while, since I eventually got tired of the game 2 years prior, and it’ll eat up my action figure money (which is getting scarcer the longer I remain unemployed). But a co-op game of Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven changed my mind. Playing with other real people is fun (Ohh, what a really dorky quote this one is). And my brother has a dsl line, so I could filch some internet time for free. So, fine, I said. Let’s log in again.
As I spent hours readying up my PC for the game, the first ominous signs appeared. ANTS. On my keyboard. I know, it’s stupid. Go ahead and laugh. And as dozens of ants waltzed around my keyboard (they avoided my cpu and monitor, thank God) I persisted on with the game. Which turned out to be a frustrating lag experience. Every 5 to 10 minutes I was kicked off the server due to time lag issues (Damn Bots). But still, I was beginning to re-enjoy building up my character again, and I persistently logged in over and over.
The next day, the PC was disassembled for ocular inspection. Thankfully the ants just feasted on the keyboard (which had to be dismantled) and left the other parts intact. With a crappy generic keyboard thats giving me wrist pains with its hard, clunky buttons, I went back online to adventure again, ignoring the signs fate has bestowed upon me.
Oh, woe unto those who paid no heed.
For a while, the game was fun, until suddenly, the PC restarted on its own. When the boot up screen finished it displayed this ominous message:
BAD BIOS CHECKSUM
For those less-pc savvy, you could be forgiven for panicking at this point. But if you knew your way around a PC, you know that a probable cause to this is that your CMOS battery is wonky and needs to be replaced. But no, I had the dumb-assed misfortune of rewriting the bios file using the motherboard support cd. Twice. Several resets later, the system was so unstable that I can’t get any response from the computer.
Ah, the hand of fate has already left its mark.
And here comes day three of misfortune. After a few consults with a local PC guru, I did realize that maybe a battery replacement was all that was needed. Thankfully, the motherboard bios chip resets its settings when there is no battery power present. So I plucked off the CMOS battery and let it stand for a few hours. Testing with the weak battery from before, the system was working again. So, being convinced it was okay, I went to bed to prepare to buy a battery the next day.
But I awoke with a fever of unknown origin, and I was not able to set out for the battery. By some twist of fate, another pair of college buddies informed me that they want to visit. So ignoring the weary state I’m in, I let them come, but asked them to purchase the battery for me. As they arrived, I snatched the battery from them and quickly went on installing it. After a few wonky starts, it worked again. It worked so damn well that I was able to burn a few files for them and even let one of them surf the web with it. Eventually, they left, and after a small nap, I went back to the PC, with an intention of playing again.
God, I want to slap myself in the face sometimes for being this thickheaded.
As usual, things go FUBAR, and this time the PC entered a perpetual cycle of bootups followed by soft resets. After gathering help, I tried switching and removing memory modules from my mother board, then tried repairing my OS with the installer disk. But the installer stops with an Unknown Hard Error. So if the current version won’t work, try an older one. But I don’t have one, so I had to procure a copy, and by the time I was working, you couldn’t waltz out of the house and buy one. So I had to wait.
Day five. Despite the fever, I went out the mall to find an older version of the OS. Thankfully, I got it, and luckily enough I scored an old figure that I’ve been hunting for so long (DCSH’s regular no frills Superman ) and so I thought things were turning up. Oh, what wishful thinking.
As I went back home, and tried the disk, it also chokes up midway with the same error. So a few more hours of frustrated head-to-wall smashing, I tried changing a BIOS setting in the hard disk section, which allows 32 bit filtering. By some grace of God, the PC suddenly worked! I rebooted it three times and it still worked! I almost cried back then, you know.
But, the OS installer still screws up, which means I need to find a way of fixing it for the inevitable moment that I need to reformat and re-install. Thank God I make back-ups of everything, so save for a few large, unimportant files, I can restore the files just in case i need to nuke my system.
So there. If those five days don’t mean nothing yet, I don’t what it means. But I’m not going to be online gaming for a while, that’s what I’m sure of.
Filed under: BitByteBlogs
Oh, poor poor me, left behind by the times.
By now, next gen is PS3 and XBox360, and PS2 is oh, soo, few years ago. Unfortunately, I have the case of the “late luck syndrome”. By some odd turn of fate, a video game console pops unto my awaiting hands. However, that is, when something better is out there. I got my Playstation as the PS2 came out, wore it for 5 years until it broke down, sated my gaming addiction on the PC until I landed my own PS2, just when the 3rd version came out. Granted, on both cases I didn’t pay a dime, so why complain?
Anyway, Iron Man started showing last April 30th, and I feared I was gonna miss out on playing the video game of my most favorite superhero (As if 11 Iron Man figures weren’t proof enough). While Shellhead has his main games on PS3 and XB360, the comic gods graced their less fortunate supplicants with a PS2 version.
Analyzing the guides over at GameFAQs (kudos to those guys), I’d say that the PS2 version is a somewhat toned down versions of the high-end games. While simplified, the PS2 game somewhat mimics the features of its PS3/XB360 brothers, but does so in its own unique way. And of course, the PS3 graphics are way kewler that the PS2’s can ever hope to be.
As for gameplay, it’s your run of the mill action adventure game- you control Shellhead, make him fly, walk and blast through enemies to meet objectives. Unlike Spiderman 2, which featured free roaming -ala- GTA, IM is stage based.
Iron Man, well being a guy in armor, looks and plays like one. You can walk, hover up and down as you like, dash with your foot repulsors when you need a quick aerial sidestep, and when you really need to go fast, tear through the skies in afterburner mode.
As for ordnance, IM comes with more than his trademark repulsors. He is also equipped with a mini gun on his wrist (which conceals itself after use) and a micro rocket launcher. He’s not War Machine yet, but not quite the old Iron Man that I’m used to seeing.
Sure, the stuff above seems pretty standard as of yet. In order to give more variety, Iron Man can customize his arsenal. And this is where the different console versions deviate. In the PS2, you could only assign what weapons would be loaded into the minigun and microrocket bays of the suit. What stinks is that there are only two choices for each weapon type, which just upgrades with experience. Yes, experience. In a lame throwback to RPG features, you can upgrade your minigun and rockets by continually using them. The two different loadouts for the weapon types have 4 stages of development. The repulsors and armor technology upgrades as well, but they’re passive upgrades and you don’t even need to set them up.
From what I’ve read in the XB360 guides, their customization system is a little bit more involved. You buy the upgrades with points, which means you can customize IM’s growth as you please, unlike the linear progression offered by the PS2. Plus, the XB360 has a bigger selection of upgrades, including stealth. Boo-hoo!
Complaints for weapons aside, Iron Man has one more customization feature available- the energy rerouting system for his suit. Basically, you can opt to distribute the suit’s energy to three different subsections, Propulsion, Armor and Weapons. The first one makes Iron Man’s flight in afterburner mode go faster, and eventually he can use himself as a huge bullet and punch a hole through enemies. The second option increases his max life bar. The third option changes his default arm repulsors, he fires his famous chest unibeam instead (slower, needs to charge first, but deals damage like hell). The catch is, if he reroutes his power to one subsection, the other two take a hit in performance. Sweet. There’s strategy right under there.
But, no matter how nice the armor and its features are, if the rest the game sucks, the armor goes down with it. Level design, is well, meh. Some levels feel linear and drab, while some are a wee bit better in keeping my interests (Like a flying fortress. No it’s not the SHIELD helicarrier. You’re assuming too much.). Each level has a specific sub mission that will keep you on your toes, some of them are time-limited missions that ask you to destroy an enemy, or reach an area.
There are a few bosses placed here and there, which are typical “find the weak point and then strike” battles, except for one where you don’t need to fight at all. I won’t spoil who or what exactly you’ll do to win. And oh, this isn’t really a spoiler, since if you’ve watched the movie , you already know it, if you don’t, the merchandise has already given it away already- Iron Monger is still the last boss.
Despite the abundance of bosses and enemies for every level, the game is short, and ridiculously easy. I sat down and finished it in a day, breaks included, in normal difficulty. In fact, the game doesn’t let you die that easily. When your armor reaches critical state, Tony Stark’s heart stops, and you are tasked with reviving him. Just press a series of buttons as they appear on screen, and bam! Tony’s back up as if nothing happened. And even if you screw up with the button pressing, you just use up a backup battery system and the game continues as normal. (There are 5 packs in easy, 3 in normal. Not sure in hard.)
The game also has bonuses included with it, and is the subject of my harsh geekboy whining about version differences. The PS2 comes with an armor select feature. Before entering as stage (starting from stage 2), you can choose what armor to wear. I’m not pretty sure whether the changes in the PS2 one are purely cosmetic or not, but for the other versions, it has an effect in gameplay. In the PS2 one, you get a total of 6 armors to choose from. In the XB360 one, seven. And all of the PS2 ones are also present in the XB360 ones, while the other version has 2 armors exclusive to their own. You might be thinking my math is wrong with the previous sentence, but actually, the XB360 has 8 functional armors, but only 7 are unlockable. As for the PS2 all of the 6 armors available can be unlocked and used. Hah! Revenge tastes so sweet.
The other bonus for the PS2 is a gallery mode, which is a good fanservice treat, but hardly worth fussing about. The other version gets a sub-game, with its one man army mode, and has an achievement record where you can brag how you beat the crap of everyone else without losing a life.
Graphics and audio wise, it’s fine. Obviously, the other high-end versions trumps this one in terms of pretty pictures, but Iron Man’s graphics here is serviceable. Kinda irritates me that he looks pudgy in the Mark 2 and 3 suits, though. As for audio, the music is forgettable, but the banter of the characters isn’t lacking, and brings the game to life.
And now for the final verdict. As much as I hate to say it, Iron Man for the PS2 is a rental game. If you have a better system than PS2, might as well try the high-end versions than this one. But if that’s not possible, then rent this first and play through it, with such a short game, I’m sure you’ll finish it before the return date. If you like it, then good, go get a copy. Otherwise you won’t be regretting you paid some big bucks for something that’s not to your liking.
Filed under: It may be Life...
Just recently, my brother applied for DSL. And, yours truly, being the shameless freeloader, is now using the said line to surf. And boy, do things feel faster. I mean I’ve been using the rickety-old 56kbps line. While not much, 100mbps is a big change. I can now watch YouTube and visit NewGrounds.com!
Ah, progress! (Please don’t laugh and spoil my moment.)
Anyway, as for you those wondering why my blogging is as rare as good news lately, I’ve been busy hunting for a job. SERIOUSLY. It’s not as I’m kowtowing my brother’s PS2 and playing Suikoden V with a character guide in one hand, am I? …*cough*. Yes, I’m a real freeloader lately. So bite me. I’ve got a few calls here and there, and a few exams and interviews. But I’m definitely still in the “hunting” stage.
I’ve been meaning to review action figures again, but my brother lent out his digicam and I… you know, I’m starting to embarrass myself with this freeloading crap. Anyway. No figure reviews for now. Just when I completed the Iron Man triumvirate: Mark 1,2, and 3. Funny, since I skipped the movie but greedily gobbled the merchandise. Heh. Anyway, that’s what the DVDs are for…
Filed under: Songs for the Plastic Muse
Honestly, I don’t know much about G.I. Joe. I wasn’t even born yet when the series launched in 1982. But when you have a brother and a cousin who are die-hard fans of the series, it’s inevitable that I’ll learn about them sooner or later.
I remembered playing with hand-me-downs of the original figures, playing with Snake-eyes, Storm Shadow, Scarlett, Destro, Firefly and a cobra trooper. A lot of them were missing equipment, some were broken, but I didn’t care that much. And I didn’t know who the heck those guys were anyway. So I grew up and eventually forgot about them.
Then sometime along, the SIGMA 6 line appeared, and I thought it was cool, with chock-full of accessories and Centurion (remember that cartoon) –like body armor, and I was in G.I. heaven back again… for a while. Then the uber-large figures felt chunky and cumbersome. They take too much cabinet space, and they changed most of the characters. I mean, what the heck did they do to Tunnel Rat? So I gave up on them again. (But now, I think they’re still cool, though. Too bad the line was canceled.)
Fast forward to 2007. Hasbro revived the old 1980’s line, but this time, with Marvel-Legends like detailing and now standing tall at 4 inches (rather than 3 ¾). Correction: Some figures are 3 3/4 (like ninja Snake Eyes), while some are 4′. I never expected that I’ll be one of the rabid fans looking out for this line. Must be the old childhood memories, and that little old 1984 sticker-book of the animated movies stashed somewhere in my file cabinet. Plus that 1990’s G.I.Joe and the Transformers featuring Snake Eyes comic book. And the Sigma 6 influence. And of course, the old figures themselves.
Ah, nostalgia bites.
Anyway, I’m still starting up my collection, and I only have 6 figures. I’ll review them one-by-one every issue. But in this case, I’ll review 2 almost identical figures:
COBRA ELITE TROOPER: CRIMSON GUARD
(Single Carded and Comic Pack versions)
Crimson Guards or “siegies” for short (a play on CG, get it?) are the elite infantry members of the Cobra Army. One of the requirements of being one is that you have to have a degree in law or accounting. Somehow I knew lawyers were scheming to take over the world, but accountants too?
Siegies are not the usual cannon fodder troops that Cobra Commander just chucks away towards the Joes. They are sent to subvert governments and institutions and make them vulnerable to Cobra control. All undercover, of course. Like their namesake, they don a cool red costume and a full helmet that conceals their entire face, which is faithfully represented in this action figure.
Siegie 1, the single carded version, comes with two weapons: a revolver (which I guess is a .357 magnum, I think), and an M-16 assault rifle with a bayonet attached. Checking out the old figure in the web, the revolver was once a sculpted piece on the old version’s leg, but for this new edition, it is a separate element, and you could holster it in its old location. Sweet. However, the holster in Siegie’s leg hardly looks like one.
When we get to review Iron Grenadier Destro, you’ll see why this sucks. Most of the time, the assault rifle’s bayonet or muzzle is bent out of shape, thanks to the evil packaging demons, but it’s no big deal. Just don’t force it to straighten. He also comes with an updated sculpt of his old backpack, which you still plug into a hole in his back. I prefer not to attach mine, though. Just personal taste, nothing else.
Siegie 2, the comic pack version, is essentially the same as the first one, except that you can take off his helmet and reveal his face. You see, the Siegies are divided into different series, and one lucky siegie will become the series template. The other members of his batch undergo plastic surgery to look like the template version, and they all change their names to their templates. This is to ensure that if one Siegie dies, there will be a replacement to take his place in the community he’s infiltrating. The most famous of the different batches is the “Fred” series, which is based on the character Fred Broca (Kamakura’s Father.). This figure belongs to that group. I saw Kamakura in an online database, and he was a red-head. So why the heck is this Siegie blonde?
In terms of ordnance, Siegie 2 has a M1 Garand instead of an assault rifle, and the usual revolver on his side, and backpack in his back. Also, since this figure is from a comic pack, he comes with another figure, the Scarred Cobra Officer or “Scar Face” (which I’ll review later).
As for joints, the figure has gone into a complete overhaul. The construction is now slightly different, first of all, the figures ditched the waist articulation (and removed the o-ring rubberband that held the top and bottom halves of the figure, which had a tendency to break), and replaced it with a joint in the torso. The figure pretty much moves the same in the arms (the joints in the elbows and shoulders are updated but function the same), and the wrists can now rotate as well. For the thighs, they are still held together to the body by a metal joint inside the pelvis, just like the old one. For the knees, some figures (like Siegie 1 and 2), have double joints, while some have the old traditional single-joint. Also, the feet can now rotate and move up and down, allowing more pose ability options. Truly, the figure has gone through a major update.
And to prove that Hasbro is aware of its own faults, the Siegies (and every figure in the series) comes with a small black stand, with the figure’s code name printed in front. The Siegies can stand on their own depending on the gear they have and the pose they’re in, but sometimes they tip over, so the stand is probably a good idea. For cobra troops, the stand has a raised Cobra logo in its center, a feature I didn’t like. I would’ve preferred a flat surface so the figure can stand with his feet flat on the ground. Instead, one of the Seigie’s feet is slightly raised when posed on it. But then again, his feet were uneven to begin with, anyway.
Final word? Cool update of the classic. If you don’t army build, you can still get two Siegies (the single and comic pack versions) and still get two technically different versions of the figure. You could pose them as guards if you have Cobra Commander, or have them follow Tomax and Xamot (the Crimson Guard commanders, available in a comic pack). Cobra still rules even after 25 years.
NEXT ISSUE: IRON GRENADIER LEADER: DESTRO
Filed under: Songs for the Plastic Muse
Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god…
Last time, I was in that blissful nirvana of unemployment, since hey, waking up late in the afternoon, shuffling around in the house sporting unkempt hair and a shaggy beard is a nice change of pace compared to those “I’m late for school” bits. So I really soaked it all in and enjoyed not doing anything.
But, then, it is inevitable that I’ll realize that I need the money, and when you’re a collector, oh, unemployment hurts so much.
There are rumors that come May, there will be hordes of action figures and collectibles for the taking. First up, Hasbro’s Iron Man Movie toys (the first wave of which has already arrived), Marvel Legend’s Two-Packs, and thankfully, Marvel Legends Wave 4 which has been delayed for now. And ever since accidentally straddling around the DC fence, I realize DC Super Heroes and DC Universe figures were good stuff too, and I missed out on their waves 1 and 2. And the best set of them all, DC Universe Wave 3, is due sometime next month. And to complicate matters, I’ve given in to the inner-fanboy in me, and found that those little men with guns, G.I. Joes, are cool, and are beyond my threshold for resisting. Frankly, I think it was a bad time to be playing Metal Gear Solid and Splinter Cell. They made my “military guys are so cool” switch jump-start again. So, I gotta add that to the list too.
Seriously, I need a job. And another display cabinet.
And finally, to list down the pending figure reviews:
G.I. Joe: Crimson Guard
DCU: Firestorm, Superman Blue, Harley Quinn
Iron Man: Iron Man Mark 1, Tony Stark Armor Prototype.
See you in a few.
Filed under: It may be Life...
Whew! How long has it been? Looks like I was gone for a month! By the time of my last article, I was preparing for my university retreat, which was supposed to last for just three days. But actually, my sabbatical lasted for three weeks.
Anyway, within that span of time, I’ve graduated from college, and now in that blissful state of unemployment. One of these days, the reality part will kick in, and I’ll realize I have no money. (Just wait for it…)
Let’s forget about money for a while (*gasp*), and chat about other stuff, like the aforementioned retreat. It was supposed to be a religious experience, I suppose, something to prepare us college people for the real world. Most of us, as I expected (I’ve been to more than one of these before), broke down into sobs. I didn’t though. Not that I didn’t feel for them, but I don’t like crying. Noooo, this is not that Macho image thing, since, one, I’m hardly macho with by big non-beer gut and two… hmm. Wait. There is no two. ANYWAY, I didn’t like the thought of getting emotional in front of others. That’s not just me.
But I was going to share a reflection, with a fun stab at the side. But I don’t think an emotionally charged crowd would react positively to a joke in the opening lines, given the situation. So, I was deciding whether or not to speak, but then, I ran out of time, so I didn’t. But since I’m here, I’ll share it anyway…
During one the retreat event, I fell asleep. Okay, maybe Half-Asleep. Given that it was early in the morning and I sleep like a log, my head was fluttering to the dreamworld every five seconds. The retreat master gave us time to “talk with God”, i.e., reflection time. So we were send away to a find our own niche in the retreat grounds, and thank God, the walking shook off most of the sleepiness.
Off I sat into one of the metal chairs, to get on with the reflection. After a freeform prayer (I was just talking normally, no canned Our Fathers, Hail Marys nor Glory Be’s) I just sat there waiting for some sign. It is kind of dumb when you think of it now, but when you’ve been talking about God and then going emotional for three days straight, it seems perfectly normal.
And of course, no response. No falling leaf, fluttering butterfly, flying dove, none of the things we usually associate with God answering us. Even a thundering voice from the clouds would’ve been nice. Things were perfectly normal. So I just gave a sigh, and relaxed my head, looking up to the sky. The clear blue sky. I said to my self, “The sky looks nice today.”
Okay, let’s stop. Don’t read on. Find a window, look up to the sky too. Even if it’s the night sky, just go look at the moon or something. Do it for a minute, maybe two, and return here.
You done? Good. Let’s carry on.
Then I realized. God was answering me every day. Everytime I fall asleep, I open my eyes again. When I close my eyes and reopen them, I see the sky all over again. I’m still alive.
So think about it. Does the fact that you’re still alive and reading my blog a good thing or not? I mean it is nice to be able to still live when many others have already gone. I always wonder whether that’s the reason when I fret about something, it gradually rubs off and then it’s not such a big deal anymore. That there’s something better yet out there. Something to see, something to live about. Or maybe life is a reason in itself.
So, I ask you, before I duck into hiding again. What have you learned when you opened your eyes?
Filed under: Songs for the Plastic Muse
The DCU wave 2 has come and gone, and I was only able to get a glance of it, so I’m definitely pissed, and my “DC-collecting-bug” hasn’t worn off yet. Funny, if this was a year or two ago, I’d be whining about missing out on the latest Marvel Legends figs. Now that Hasbro is holding off on the MLs, I’m currently on the other side of the collecting fence. Well, at least they’ve got nice figures out there.
Anyway, I was lucky enough to get an Infinite Crisis box set for my pre-graduation gift. Finally, I can convince myself that I have a figure box set that’s in a box. (I used to argue with my cousin that the Marvel Legends Face-Off series doesn’t count as a box set, since, well, it’s not in a box. I know, I’m a nerd. Don’t rub it in.)
This is kinda of a big boost, since I want to have a justice league collection to par with my mish and mash avengers and x-men. The box set offers on the onset the holy trinity of the league: Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, plus a cool secondary character. But is the box set something to be drooling about? Here’s my take:
For those fervent DC Direct collectors, this figure may be familiar to you. Since this is a retooled version of the Batman from the single-carded Infinite Crisis series, wave 2. The original bats featured a battle-damaged costume, since it was taken from an important scene in the comic book, where Batman snapped and pointed a gun at one of the main antagonists, inches away from pulling the trigger. Imagine that, Bats, the guy who’d rather see a psycho like Joker locked up in bars rather than dead, killing a man. What happens next, I won’t spoil for you. Go read the book.
For this set, the DC direct guys retooled the figure back to the normal, undamaged bat-suit. Which made the figure lose its original purpose. He still has that crazed snarl on his face, and the stance he had when he was pointing the gun, but, now, it’s kind of hard to explain why he looks so angry.
They did a good job of covering up all the damaged parts from the original, and the suit looks crisp and clean. But there is one glaring error that’s easily noticeable. The fix they did on the tattered cape shows. Look at the pic below and start from the right, and then slowly gaze to the left. See the difference? It gave the impression that the retooling was made in a hurry. Boo-hoo.
Bats, disappointingly, doesn’t come with any accessories. Again. Back on the original figure, fanboys were furious since the angry bats didn’t come with the pistol he wielded in the story. On this new version, I don’t think a gun would be appropriate, but a batarang or any tool bats uses would’ve been a nice touch. But granted, he couldn’t hold it, since both his hands are open. Tsk.
Overall, the fig is okay, Bats looks really ripped, he’s got a mean look on his face, and he looks like he’s gonna dive on somebody to clobber them to a pulp. He comes with a stand, but I didn’t use it, since he can stand on his own, although he tips over from time to time, like when I bump against my figure cabinet by accident. The stand was also a letdown too, since the small peg that is used to hold the figure on the surface, was either too lose on one end and too tight on the other to fit. As a result, it didn’t make much difference whether I just prop the figure up on the stand or just let it stand on its own.
If Batman was retooled to fix his costume, Supes was retooled to the damaged version. Again, another re-issue from IC wave 2, with minor changes. The main changes you can all see from the pic- a damaged sleeve from his left arm, a large hole on his left thigh, and a tattered cape. It’s okay, it looks tattered all right, although sometimes it looks fake to my eyes. But then again, it is hard to reproduce battle damage.
This Superman was made to be posed in mid-flight. You should’ve figured it by the picture now, since, let’s admit it, his stance is awkward. He comes with a metal pole to prop him up on the included stand, alongside with aforementioned plastic peg if standing him up is your thing (like me). What I liked most of the metal stand is that it has a small, square plastic peg attached to its end, and it fits into a square hole on supes’ back. Now a word of warning, before you ram that metal pole to the stand, make sure you’re really decided in keeping him in flight position, since when you force the metal rod into the hole in the stand, the small toothed end actually expands the hole.
And for the love of God, do NOT turn the rod around while it is stuck into the stand. Figure the best angle first before you stick it in, the figure will tip over and take the stand down with him if you put him in the wrong angle.
But if you’d rather see him standing up instead, good luck finding a decent pose. I call mine “The Pugilist”. He can stand up okay, but honestly, he looks like an idiot when his legs are so damn straight. I tried to pair him up with my DCSH bizarro (since that’s why I bought the bizarre guy in the first place) but realized that Supes dwarfs his counterpart. Wait a second- isn’t it supposed to be the other way around? Maybe this Superman is too big for the 6-inch scale, or Mattel made bizarro too small. I don’t really know.
I have to admit, this is one of the main reasons why I wanted the box set. Sam Greenwell’s sculpt of Diana is so drop-dead gorgeous! I could’ve bought the figure alone, since there was a wave 2 single carded figure of Wonder Woman in the store where I bought it, but the box set was er, well, cheaper when calculated piece by piece…since…ehem… the box set was on sale. *coughs* In my defense, it’s practically hard to find a battle damaged batman today anyway.
There are also a few differences between this figure and the first one. First of all, this Wonder Woman ditches the cape she was wearing in the single carded version. Damn cost-cutting measures! And if the images from DC Direct’s website were accurate enough, this Wonder Woman gets in exchange, drum roll please… a small hook on her waistband. Uh-huh. Scream in anger. I feel for you. The hook is used to hold her Magic Lasso, which is actually, nothing more than that gilded thread thingy I’m used to seeing in christmas decorations. Tsk. I haven’t tried out whether the lasso is removable, since the hook is so small, and I’m scared of breaking it. But I guess it’s possible.
If I were to list down the best and the worst features of this figure (based on the one I have of course), I would say what I liked the most is the sculpt of her face, since I’m an anime addict and I dig bishoujo girls (not the stories, just the girls). While distinctly American, I find that sculpt exudes an eastern allure that makes it attractive for me. The part I hated is Diana’s knees. Since she isn’t standing straight, her legs aren’t posed stiff like Superman’s. But the joints look horrible, and it gives the impression it was bent by accident.
If this was any consolation, Diana (still) comes with a second pair of hands, which are opened. With enough work, you can make her hold the lasso, if you did dare to take it off the hook. Or you can stick with the default fists and pose her in typical Wonder Woman fashion (see the box art below).
OMAC is the interloper of the set, and is the only antagonist in the box. The name actually stands for One Man Army Corps, and the original OMAC was the brainchild of comics legend Jack Kirby during his stint in DC. I didn’t really like the original OMAC, he was a bald man with a wicked mohawk and the customary spandex suit, but this new version, I practically worship. The new OMAC is made of nanomachines and can take over humans Agent Smith style. Kewl.
OMAC is cast in translucent blue plastic. Whether he is translucent in the comics is hard to tell, but I guess the closest description I could come up with is that the OMACs (there are many OMACs, defeats the “One Man” in his name) look like they were made up of energy. I guess the translucent thing works for him, since he doesn’t have any features to brag about, anyway. My first impression is that the figure will be soft, but the translucent plastic is rock solid. Just don’t try tossing it to the floor to test its strength. I can’t make any guarantees.
OMAC sports a mohawk (or a fin?) on his head as a throwback to the Kirby original, but it becomes a detriment to the figure’s poseability. The mohawk extends all the way to his back and is glued there in place. But, he has a neck joint. If you turn his head around, you bend the fin. No thanks, I’d rather have a stiff neck in this case.
OMAC is practically featureless, save for printed circuit patterns all over his body, a “Brother Eye” logo on his chest, and a huge red monoeye where his face should be. Creepy. And since the guy is made of nannites, he can morph his arms into weapons, if the need arises. He comes with the weapon arms (a small sword and a a two-pronged weapon that resembles a tuning fork) attached, and has a spare set of regular hands ready for swapping.
As for the stands, OMAC comes also with a metal flight stand, but unlike superman, both of the edges are metal. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather have him standing instead. He can stand well enough on his own, but the one I got has loose left foot which sometimes causes OMAC to tip over. Your mileage may vary.
And, as this is a box set, you also receive a issue #1 of Infinite Crisis, printed in the same high-quality paper you find in regular comics (unlike Marvel Legends, hehehe). It has been slightly modified (all ads are from DC Direct), but it didn’t carry those annoying NOT FOR RESALE marks that toybiz loves to plaster on their freebies.
Well, the despite its blemishes, the box set is a good buy. But if you already have the wave 1 and 2 figures, you won’t be missing anything, since this is basically the same figures from those sets, with minor modifications (In OMAC’s case, none at all). So I’d recommend these to people who missed out on the earlier runs.
Filed under: Songs for the Plastic Muse
Yep. You guessed it right! It’s another “whining” article.
Now that school’s almost out (be it I graduate or not, hehehe), I realize money isn’t going to be easy to come by these next few weeks. As embarrassing to admit, I live on lunch money *cough, cough* and I sometimes go on wild episodes of penny-pinching. But now that vacation’s coming, so no more money. Boo-hoo.
Bad thing is, I’m now one of the victims of this sudden-spreading epidemic called the “Must-Have-DC” (or MHDC) disease. Symptoms of this include uncontrollable urge to find and buy DC Universe action figures. Funny thing is I seemed to be cured of my other disease, the “Must-Have-ML” (or MHML) sickness. Strange. But whatever the reason is, I want DC figures so badly, and Mattel has released DC Universe wave 2 to sate my zombie hunger.
Problem is, Mattel is such a tightwad when it comes to distributing, and their piles of DC-goodness came in such small amounts, that it barely reached store shelves. Those that do reach the stores are gobbled up by those slobbering victims of the “MHDC” virus.
So I’m depressed. One: DCUs are soooo rare. Two: I have no money. So Depressed.
By this point, I figure most of you are probably laughing, and whatever prospect I have of getting a girlfriend has gone down the drain. Whatever. I don’t care. I feel like whining now, so here it is:
WHY, MATTEL? WHY? WHY DO YOU HURT ME SO? ~whew.
Anyway, my hunt for those DCUs hasn’t been totally fruitless. So far I’ve nabbed figures from the line’s older brother DC Superheroes: Darkseid and Bizarro, (2 figs in a span of 2 days, that’s why I have no money) and one from their distant cousin: DC Direct Armory Batman. I also found an old store near my usual haunts that was opened again, so I have new figures on my hit list: Black Widow and Rogue. Oh wait- so my MHML disease is still within me after all. It was just dormant.
So anyway, looks like the next few weeks will be figure review weeks. So many things to do with toys.
