asymmetry (illustration).

doodling aimlessly always brings the weirdest things to light. i was procrastinating earlier today (i'd hoped to design a cover for a playlist i need to make for a mix cd exchange this coming monday), and this is what happened. my guess is that this came about because i was feeling insecure about my hair (which has been asymmetrically cut for a while now); i haven't had a haircut in months and have recently resorted to just pulling my hair into a quick ponytail.

anyway. enough procrastinating! i need to create that playlist AND a cover for it. it's not even like it's a difficult topic -- we're supposed to make a "nineties songs that are important to me" mix. here's to hoping that i'll finally get down to business later today.

catan: die erste insel (ds).

my friends and i play tabletop games often (in fact, we have a group blog called GABLETOP TAMING), and one of the games that got us started down this path is the settlers of catan and its expansions (cities & knights and seafarers of catan). prior to finding and playing the nintendo ds version, i'd been playing this game's original tabletop incarnation AND the pc version for over a year.

to be honest, the ds version of the game can seem a little uninteresting to people who aren't familiar with the settlers of catan. germans have a knack for making really enjoyable tabletop games, but the playability and the popularity does not always translate to other mediums. for example, the pc version was a straight up conversion, and was very dry -- it was hard to sustain interest. however, the ds version ups the ante a bit. there is additional content; the game developers added a storyline to frame the tutorial and the subsequent game play. to familiar gamers this is a thoughtful addition, but to other people i suppose the story might seem flimsy and unnecessary. to be very objective, the cons are these: lackluster sound and visual design, and a very no-nonsense approach. it's like the game developers just focused on making a game for people who were already familiar with catan (i wouldn't be surprised it that were the case, actually).

the pros are few -- when playing against computer opponents (as compared to humans), negotiation is fast and aids in keeping game time to a minimum. the scenarios also help to change up the game, keeping it interesting and challenging. and finally, the best thing about catan: die erste insel is the nintendo wi fi online play option. nintendo ds owners can play catan anywhere without having to lug around boxes containing tabletop games and worrying about surface space or setting up / fixing / losing small game items.

the bottomline? i like this game very much, but i can't see a casual gamer picking this up and enjoying it off the bat. overall, i'm going to give this game a 6/10. -2 for the sound and visual design, -1 for the lack of anything substantially new and -1 for the lack of effort to get new players interested in catan.

atelier annie: alchemists of sera island (ds).

knowing virtually nothing about this game, i tried playing it when my fiance suggested that i try it because he thought i'd like it. he was right! atelier annie: alchemists of sera island is the type of game that you play when you don't want to be too stressed and you want to be able to stop anytime. my go-to game during times like that is usually pokemon diamond, but lately this game's been taking over.

the whole idea is for annie (the progtagonist) to learn how to be a great alchemist AND develop an island into a resort in three years (in-game time). that in itself doesn't sound too interesting, but the game does suck you in. atelier annie: alchemists of sera island IS disappointingly easy in some areas -- the turn based battles are a joke (just keep pressing A, and flee if the monsters seem too aggressive), and the quests not only give you fame (which add to your island/resort development) but money (which you can use to upgrade weapons/armor and buy items for healing/synthesis) as well. there are also three save points, so even if you mess up terribly, you can always go back and fix things. the game is so short that it won't be too much of a both to go back even if your last save point was way before the time you messed up. i should know -- i went back a whole year last night.

this is not to say that atelier annie: alchemists of sera island is a bad game. not at all! i do enjoy the character development (annie makes friends on the island which can be invited to her battle party or asked to manage her resort); each character has unique back stories and their own strengths and weaknesses. and in true NIS america fashion, although the main plot is almost an afterthought, the dialogue is funny and the characters all participate in the telling of the story. also, even though the game is easy, there is one element that separates it from others of its kind -- the time limit. annie has three years to transform the island into a resort AND learn how to be a great alchemist. time management comes into play because EVERYTHING in this game takes up time. synthesizing items can take anywhere from one day to one week, and moving from place to place (from the town to item gathering spots or resort buildings, for example) takes days. the quests (which you get from the adventurers' guild in town, every resort building AND sometimes from other characters in the game) also have time limits. i've missed more than one deadline taking too long to gather items to synthesize for a quest. you really have to look at the date at the upper left corner of the screen constantly, as the date rolls over even during the gathering period. this is the real hard part of the game.

overall, atelier annie: alchemists of sera island seems a little bit too short for me, although you can play a new game+ (which i'm thinking of doing). right now i'm halfway through annie's third year in my first game. i'm going to give this game a solid 7/10. -2 for the lack of difficulty (it really is that easy) and -1 for the game length (or lack thereof; i figure if i had played this game straight through i'd have finished it in less than 48 hours).

coming home.

i haven't been staying at home for the past few weeks; i've been at my fiance's. today when i came home i was greeted by a postcard from christa (see picture)! awww. thanks, i love the postcard. you should totally do this whole poster/postcard thing for a living.

my dad also talked to me about our plan for me to move to the united states; he seems genuinely excited and happy for me. i know i shouldn't push too much, so i'm just waiting for the details to be ironed out. it's weird when your parents have empty nest syndrome. they do want you to grow up and become your own person, but it's difficult for them to let go. that i'm the last child to leave the house probably makes it worse. in any case, i'll be out of here soon.

right now my time is spent looking through old books and clothes, and trying to figure out what i'll bring and what i'll leave behind. merry christmas, everyone. this is going to be my last one here.

the world ends with you (ds).

this is a game that needs no introduction. almost every nintendo ds player/owner i know has played the world ends with you -- most of them either love it, or at least admit that it's a great game even if it's not their cup of tea. square enix really hit a home run with this one. i'm not even a fan of action RPGs (i prefer turn based strategy), and i played this game nonstop until right before the last bit. the world ends with you is not just a game, it's an experience.

what a feat, coming from square enix! with the final fantasy series, the dragon quest series, and the kingdom hearts series, you'd think that they'd be content with just continuing those series. that square enix offered up a completely modern and completely original game is a little surprising. first off, the soundtrack and the visual design are original and topnotch. the presentation is amazing already, and coupled with the great contemporary storyline (set in modern day japan), this makes the game truly a rare gem. the story isn't just passable, or good. it's genuinely GREAT, so much so that you really do feel for the characters and become attached to them.

the game play and the mechanics follow the lead of the soundtrack and visuals -- the whole shebang is very innovative, to say the least. this was the first game that i played which made full use of the capabilities of the nintendo ds, from the touch screen to the wi-fi. the combat system based on the different pins is also a great call. it allows collecting (which i love, as evidenced by my long time pokemon game addiction) and also playing a side game called tin pin slammer, aside from the main combat purpose. combat itself is very enjoyable, with both nintendo ds screens being utilized. the battle style is highly customizable (depending on the pins you use), although sometimes the screen can get hectic and i end up being so excited that i scratch the screen with my stylus. i get particularly panicky when i attempt to control both screens at the same time; i sometimes forget that the game does reward you for elegant gameplay -- that is, switching from screen to screen with little effort and maximum gain.

this game is so good that i still haven't played it to the end, because i don't want the game to be over! it's funny but it's true. i can find no fault in this game, other than that my bottom nintendo ds screen is now a little more scratched up because of the battles. i would definitely recommend this game to everyone. i'm giving the world ends with you a solid 9/10, with just a -1 because of my personal bias (i don't really like action RPGs, remember?).