l'Cie Tattoo Finally Real: First Gamer Known to Get the Arm Ink

Yes, the day is here.  The L'cie tattoo has left the world of fantasy and entered the realm of crude matter.  Major kudos to Crawlerbasher for making this totally airwolf ink happen.  Follow this link for the full pic.

Related articles by Zemanta

• In Japan, Getting A Tattoo Means You Can Never Go Home [Final Fantasy XIII] (kotaku.com)

Top Five Final Fantasy Characters... on MSNBC?

What about me?

Apparently we live in a society in which mainstream news outlets care about Final Fantasy.  MSNBC recently posted a list "the top five greatest" FF characters.  My feelings are mixed.


Pro: Hey!  FF on MSNBC!
Con: Isn't "top five greatest" redundant?

Pro: Vincent Valentine!
Con: Tidus?  I mean... Tidus?  The crybaby?  Not Auron?  Or Yuna?

Pro: Balthier!
Con: Why aren't there any characters from before 6?


Pro: Sephiroth!
Con: Sephiroth?  Obvious much?

While I am glad to see a big news site taking an interest, I am disappointed in the choices.  How were these characters selected?  Perhaps something more specific than "top greatest" would have been helpful.  Most memorable?  Coolest? 

The stories of Final Fantasy are certainly complex enough to merit actual literary analysis.  If you're going to say "greatest", I want to see a PhD involved.

Related articles by Zemanta

• The grumpy history of Cid (destructoid.com)
• Small Differences Between Japanese Final Fantasy XIII and International FFXIII [Square Enix] (kotaku.com)
• Contest: Win this Thousand Needles shirt from Teextile (destructoid.com)

Final Fantasy XIII Music -- Will You Preorder?

Image by GogDog via Flickr

Now this takes giant balls of manufacted nethicite.  Square Enix sent a polite missive today, declaring that we now have an opportunity to preorder the soundtrack for FFXIII.

Experience the music from the latest chapter in the FINAL FANTASY series in a world filled with unlimited possibilities.

Composed by Masashi Hamauzu, the soundtrack is comprised of 85 tracks on 4 CDs, and includes the Japanese theme song "Kimi Ga Iru Kara" and additional song "Eternal Love". *English theme song not included song not included

Directly imported from Japan, this is your chance to own the distinct FINAL FANTASY sound that the world has been waiting for.

Seriously?   They want us to buy a the soundtrack for a game we haven't even played yet?  Their dominance over the minds of the gamer world is hard to question, but this smacks of hubris, even for them.  Have they realized they have become Shinra?

Related articles by Zemanta

• Final Fantasy XIII's soundtrack, now on vinyl (joystiq.com)
• Preorder Final Fantasy XIII's Epic Soundtrack [Square Enix] (kotaku.com)
• Final Fantasy XIII composer leaves Square Enix (destructoid.com)

Gamer Tattoo Tuesday: l'Cie Tattoo

UPDATED 3/29/10 -- Somebody got the tattoo.  Check it here.


Any mention of the plot of Final Fantasy XIII sends me into a fit of ear-holding and "lalalalala"-shouting.  Really trying to hold out for the full experience.  But screenshots?  Oh, they're just fine, of course.  Hence my knowledge of the l'Cie brand.

Like... ow brah. Totally

Found a different version over on the gamefaqs forums.

 

I think it can see you, Ray.

Fantastic.  I can only assume people all over Japan have this symbol tattooed on their forearms already.

Sarto Sunday: Final Fantasy XIII Jewelry Et Alia

I'm not really a jewelry guy, but if I win the Square-Enix members Final Fantasy XIII Stylish Sweepstakes, I might consider it.

In the cold of winter, a sweater vest is tempting.  And why not an SMB sweater vest?

And can anyone explain to me why I don't own a pair of RIVER RAID MITTENS?!?!

The Phoenix Down Plaque

In case of emergency, break glass.

For a gamer, Christmas does not change from youth to adulthood.  Each wrapped package holds a potential game -- like Schroedinger's cat, it both is and is not until opened. 

This season, one of the gifts in my home was a glass ornament containing a single feather.  "How pretty!" the masses exclaimed as they saw it on the tree, but in the deep recesses of my heart I knew better.  This would not be relegated to the attic when the tree came down.  This gift was to be co-opted. 

A single feather protected in glass?  This could only be Phoenix Down, the ubiquitous Final Fantasy item which revives the dead.  A quick stop at Michael's and a bit of time at the workbench and we've got ourselves some new decoration.

How to Catch Up on the Final Fantasy Series

AKA - How to make up for those afternoons you spent outside as a kid.


With Final Fantasy XIII on its way, surely you're curious about the other twelve. (Let's just pretend all the off-shoots don't exist for a second). Many of these have been revamped and re-released for the GBA or DS, but some still have to be found in the original release. This list will start you on your way to knowing the difference between a moogle and a chocobo.

FFI and II -- Collected as Dawn of Souls for the GBA. So, if you have a pre-i DS, you're in good shape.

FFIII -- Re-released for the DS.

FFIV -- Also re-released for the DS. Or pick up FF4 Advance for the GBA.

FFV -- FFV Advance for the GBA.

FFVI -- Now we're starting to get into the challenges. You can find this in the PS1 disc Final Fantasy Anthology (V as well). So pull out a backwards-compatible system and load 'er up.

FFVII -- You can find this, the game that changed the world, for download in the Playstation Store for the PS3. Now you'll finally know who Aeris is and why gamers get misty-eyes when her name comes up.

FFVIII, FFIX -- Find them for the PS1.

FFX -- A PS2 Greatest Hit. Let's blitz!

FFXI -- This is the online one, so don't worry about it.

FFXII -- Pick it up for the PS2.

Now, if you manage to squeak all these in before the release of XIII, I'll be impressed. Amazon links to all below.

Nav was curious.

So, I checked out the hydroball mod for JK2. I have issues with it.



#1 - No bot support. When I loaded up the map and threw a few bots in, they tried to kill each other at the spawn points outside of the arena instead of playing. At a couple points, one of them wandered into the tank and flopped around, unable to figure out the throw-the-ball-into-the-goal strategy. So, if I want to play, I need to find a multiplayer server. This is a dangerous game indeed, as people seem to go completely loco when online. Either that, or as people discuss their lives instead of playing the game we're all here to play, it comes out that they're twelve. I did try to find a server, but it looks like the hydroball scene has moved to Jedi Academy.



#2 - It's only barely blitzball. There's no stopping and picking your action by the numbers, just swimming around. Pbttthtt. If I can't use a venom pass, I can't be bothered.



So, looks like I'll have to borrow Greg's copy of JA and go from there. Again with the keeping you posted.