This is mostly for kagome_angel, since we had texted each other about games to play on the DS, but if there are others on my f-list who have yet to play this game, DO SO. It's amazing.

BASICS
Game: Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
Platform: Nintendo DS
Year Released: 2008 (NA region) and early 2009 (PAL region)
Publisher/Developer: Konami
Genre: 2-dimensional, action, adventure, RPG

BACKGROUND/GAMEPLAY
Taking place after the events of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (which is the only other Castlevania game I am extremely loyal to), Order of Ecclesia opens with a story of the Belmont clan of vampire hunters who swears to forever defend mankind against Dracula. Dracula rises with the help of dark forces and each time, the Belmont clan is there to stop him with the aid of a holy whip. However, somewhere in the mid 1800's, the Belmont clan disappears and amidst the fear that Dracula could be brought back to life, several organizations are formed to research and develop strategies to defeat him. The Order of Ecclesia is the most promising of these organizations and their leader, Barlowe, chooses Shanoa to bear Dominus (a weapon supposedly strong enough to kill Dracula). Shanoa is highly-skilled in spell-casting and physical combat and her body can absorb glyphs that she utilizes to cast spells or turn into weapons.

The gameplay has RPG elements, like the ability to equip armor and special weapons as well as use healing items. The new battle system called the Glyph System allows Shanoa to collect special symbols called 'glyphs'. Glyphs are usually acquired through defeating an enemy or finishing a challenge. Also, there are a number of glyphs that are used by enemies throughout the game which Shanoa can absorb into her body to cancel the attack. The glyphs are divided into weapons, magic and back glyphs and consume MP when used. Special attacks called Glyph Unions can also be performed that consume hearts (similar to SOTN). The one thing that does set this new installment apart from the previous ones is the world map system. In the other games, everything took place within Dracula's castle (be it in a warped dimension or the inverted counterpart) but this is the first time that the player travels to different locales to finish a quest.

PERSONAL REVIEW
The thing that really struck me about this game was the battle system. Just when I thought that Konami had exhausted itself with possible plotlines for the Castlevania series, this installment came along. The musical score, the action itself, THE DIFFICULTY (seriously, you should expect to die over a million times with this game because it's THAT hard)... It was like playing SOTN but with a female as the protagonist. I loved Symphony of the Night for the plot it had: Dracula's only son and heir rising up to destroy his father, the bitterness he carried in remembrance of his dead mother, siding with the very creatures who had killed his mother just so he could defeat his father... there was a fuckload of wangst in the game that I thought to myself that I'd never love another game as much as I loved SOTN. The concept art (see icon) also sucked me in and pretty much inspired me (that explains my unhealthy obsession with anything Ayami Kojima). And I played the game so many times that our Playstation must have been begging me to stop and give it a break. XD

Order of Ecclesia's story is amazing in its own way. While I first wished that there would be another Alucard, I was pretty impressed with Shanoa. Not only is she really skilled and her moves are awesome but damn, she's smoking hot! XDD It can't get any better than that. 8D;;

If you're still not convinced, here, have the opening sequence. ;D

Because these people obviously haven't dealt with kids. Or heinous bitches. Or abusive friends who drop you as soon as you're of no use to them.

I knew that I'd be bashed for what I was saying, though. :P But it's an opinion and I love my opinions. :P

Also, these idiots can't seem to grasp cultural differences. So we made a segue from Japanese fathers deserving to get equal custody rights to the man used as an example in the article not deserving custody rights because he hit his wife twice and then I say that we'll never know how many times it happened (because ANYTHING CAN BE FABRICATED, THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE DO) and that there are cases where women actually do things that result in them getting hit. Or shoved and then they make up wild stories about being hit.

Case in point, two of my cousins. One nagged too much at her husband until he got pissed and pushed her away and told her to shut up, then she made up a story about her getting punched but there were no bruises to prove it. My other cousin was caught cheating and of course, her husband would be pissed after how devoted he was to her and their daughter. The worst he did was shove her away too.

And did I mention the preachy, holier-than-thou attitude oozing in these fangirls' replies? Apparently, I was wrong to even think that I could have a civil discussion in that comm and that it was okay to express my opinion.


This feels like passive-aggressive American supremacy comments, methinks.

Dear person on my Facebook f-list,

Please do not approach me with your shoddy campaign to support Noynoy Aquino for President. I am not and never will be a supporter of his candidacy. Here are my reasons:

1. I am NOT a sentimental voter. I'm not voting for someone just because his mother died or because his father is supposedly a national hero. MMK does not even move me.

2. If he can't find a way to shut his little sister's stupid maw, then you can consider my vote going to someone else. His little sister is a conniving, manipulative little bitch who has delighted in nothing more than besmirching the family's name with her showbiz antics and her habit of defiant love affairs with married men. (AND OMG PROCLAIMING ON NATIONAL TV THAT SHE GOT AN STD FROM ONE OF THEM! EW!) The fact that she can easily bully her own big brother is a sign that your candidate is weak. So I'll be supporting someone else who I think has the intellectual capacity to take on the job. Who that is, I won't tell. :P Or maybe I will. GILBERT TEODORO

3. WHERE IS THE GUY'S PLATFORM??? He has a glossy website with everything else EXCEPT his platform. Which SHOULD be the basis for anybody's support and not just because of his family name. Jesus, this is why our country's politics continues to be a laughingstock to the international community. Just take a good, long look at the people in our Legislative Branch. Basketball players??? Actors??? Broadcast journalists??? Mutinous soldiers who should have been shot long ago???

4. In that now phantom part of his website, he had incredibly VAGUE promises to stand as his platform.

I [Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino Jr] am determined to continue the fight started by my father and my mother to see that democracy takes root and is strengthened in our country. This cannot happen in a government that serves the interest of the powerful few. We must strengthen the institutions of government so that they truly serve the interests of our people.”

In the light of attempts to weaken our democracy, I therefore stand to;

1. Strengthen the Senate as an independent branch of government;

2. Continue to hold government to account for its excesses and misgovernance;

3. Resist Charter Change if done to serve the selfish interests of the few and if the process circumvents that prescribed by the constitution;

4. Oppose all attempts to impose a repressive government, and more importantly; and

5. Be the voice of the powerless and the oppressed, those who do not have access to our government and are, thus, victims of injustice.

I'm sorry, but WTF? That's something every candidate promises! If I can't have anything detailed, then count me out. Sorry, but I'm being a responsible citizen here and doing my part because after all, I AM PART OF THE GOVERNMENT. That's what a real democracy is like.

5. On that note, WE were the ones who achieved that democracy while his mother was praying.

6. With the kind of Senate we have, strengthening them as an independent branch of government is very likely going to snowball into a catastrophe worse than Katrina with PMS*. We're going to have senators who will probe celebrity squabbles more than get real stuff done. Remember Hayden Kho and Katrina Halili** with their sex scandal video that disappointed the numerous pervs? Seriously, I couldn't see a damned thing and that harpy was screeching about it like there was no tomorrow and actually got the Senate to investigate it. BECAUSE THAT'S PRIORITIZING. [/sarcasm]

7. Your candidate authored 9 bills in the Senate, 2 of which are pending on the President's desk while the others were trashed. You do the math and see what that says about his resume. Even GMA had a better record before she ran for higher office.

8. The fact that all you can gush about is his charisma just proves that your candidate sorely lacks in other areas and he has yet to make a name for himself.

9. In his promises, he used his parents. When he is, in fact, at that age where he should be stepping out of their shadows to do something HE THOUGHT OF, HIMSELF. This is for 2010, not a replay of 1985.

10. I can readily say that whether he wins this election or not, people WILL automatically forget why they voted him in the first place and will attack him for every "mistake" he makes. Just as you will, I am sure. Because that's what you did when Erap was still president and you wanted GMA there.

[eta]

11. Just because he approached my uncle and asked him to run for governor of Cebu under his party does not mean I should vote for him. Voting out of gratitude is something for the politically-backward. And I am not backward. Even if people are sure that my uncle will win, well that's not because of your candidate backing him up but because my uncle's made a name for himself.


* - the hurricane, of course (and also the recent typhoons in the Philippines that brought worse damage and more deaths than Katrina)
** - a local sexy actress who got entangled in a sex video scandal with a guy who just happened to be the boyfriend of her reliable plastic surgeon. The boyfriend is also a plastic surgeon. Hee!

-- And isn't it funny that both events had a Katrina involved?

Well, it had to be done.

Cleared my filtered groups again so I wouldn't have to read certain journals that have done nothing but leave a bad taste in my mouth every single time I read my f-list. Already I'm feeling better. :P

Got 12 invite codes to Dreamwidth. I'm not kidding, I wake up and find ten were given to my other account and I still have 2 from my first one. O__O Anybody want one? :P

If you get offended by this post, then I don't give a fuck. Because I am only going to say this ONCE.

It's true that the typhoon's caused a lot of destruction and it always feels like forever before help arrives. But guess fucking what? You're not contributing to the solution by sitting on your fucking asses and complaining about it. "Where is the national government?" you say? I'll tell you where it is! *POINTS AT SCREEN* IT'S RIGHT THERE, YOU FUCKING UNGRATEFUL BASTARDS.

Isn't the Philippines supposedly a democracy? Don't we all just love preaching about a democracy being a government "of the people, for the people and by the people"? So what the fuck are you, as people, DOING?! You say you're part of the government as much as the leaders are? Well, then get off your fucking asses and go out there and HELP instead of updating your stupid facebook statuses or tweet about the shit that's going on or plurk your stupid complaints! DON'T TELL ME ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT NOT DOING ANYTHING! I have a brother who works for the Court of Appeals (YES THAT'S A GOVERNMENT AGENCY!) and he's out there risking his neck in volunteer work to help other people and he doesn't say a fucking word about the ingrates that whine and bitch and complain!

I should be asking you sick fucks what you're doing to help! Don't act all high-and-mighty and preach about how stupid our leaders are for not helping and believing clearly biased journalism when you don't even have the fucking balls to go out there and help them yourselves! Go out there and feed them, bathe them, be among them before you start complaining! Our soldiers who are helping with relief operations are part of the national government, just so you fucking know. And since you're just as able-bodied as they are, GET OUT OF YOUR HOUSES AND HELP.

Once in a while, stars are born. Some argue that stars these days are made but very very rarely, there are stars that are born that shine the brightest. Michael Jackson was one of those stars who shone brightly for five generations before his light was suddenly extinguished. It is very difficult to describe how I feel now, especially after watching the memorial service and seeing his casket. It's difficult for me to bid farewell to a man whose music and lyrics and performances became like our comfortable family couch and helped shape me in many ways as a person and as a fan.

Growing up during the height of his career made me feel even more privileged to be his fan. Though I only had glimpses of him from TV or read about him in news articles, his songs made me feel somehow...closer to him. I suppose I could credit my Dad for introducing me to the music of the Jackson 5. He told me how sweet Michael Jackson sounded as a kid, singing songs that were written for older entertainers with a maturity that even surpassed these entertainers. I remember singing "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" and giggled when I listened to "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" and it made me wonder if Michael ever got to experience that kind of Christmas.

Then I listened to his solo albums and fell in love with Thriller and Bad almost instantly. There was just something extraordinary about this man's lyricism that blew me away and even more so when he danced. I remember that, as a little girl, I wanted to learn how to dance like him and even dreamed of one day being able to ask him to teach me how to moonwalk. And of course, I saved like mad for my own Thriller jacket. I never got that jacket, but MJ was instrumental in influencing me how to curb my spendthrift ways. It seems like such a small thing to other people, but at that time, it was a pretty big thing for me.

Seeing how he'd inspired so many artists from both older and younger generations and how he'd touched the lives of millions of fans around the globe makes it even harder for me to believe that he is truly, physically gone. What has become like a permanent fixture of my childhood, like that old, familiar family couch is now gone. And I am sad.

His life was painful to watch, and as it continued to unfold through the barrage of controversy, I hoped that he would someday find peace and be able to make the biggest comeback in entertainment history like the man he worked hard to become. He's one reason why I can never let go of my inner child and perhaps, will not let go of it forever.

His success in breaking so many racial barriers and uniting people in the MJ Fever is what makes him legendary. I was surprised that he'd made it to the Guiness Book of Records for the most charitable institutions supported by a celebrity. I didn't know that. But that was probably because he had never been one to brag. During all his public appearances, interviews and such, he appealed for nothing but global healing and love for children. At that time, I was a little girl and when he had started his mission to bring more smiles to children, I felt like maybe I could believe in the world a little more.

Some might think I'm exaggerating, but a lot of what he did for the world made someone like me feel happy. I never got to see his concert in Manila, but he went out of his way to visit sick children in the hospitals in Manila and make them smile. It showed on his face how much joy he took in a child's laughter. And that was one reason why I held on to my belief throughout the controversies that Michael was innocent. Indeed, he was proven innocent but the damage had been done and my heart went out to him in the days that he was mocked and ridiculed by people who just refused to understand.

Others may say that he doesn't deserve this kind of tribute, that there are others who deserve much more, but I say that this was a fitting farewell. It was the best kind of send-off for someone who shaped so many lives by moonwalking and creating a form of escapism for us through his music.

Few are privileged to see such a star shine so brightly up close, but Michael made it possible for us to see him shine from every corner of the world. And for that, I thank him for all the music.

I love you, Michael Jackson and I will miss you.

"Smooth Criminal" tops the list as my favorite music video, but I love "Black or White" for the lyrics and how it was so ground-breaking in uniting racial divides. Or at least helped to make people more aware of racial discrimination. And "I'll Be There" sung by little Michael will always be one of those songs that tugs at my heart.

The tributes to him made me cry, which is probably silly of me, but I loved his music as a little girl. I feel like a huge part of my childhood is gone forever, because I had all his albums (and unfortunately, also had neighbors who ran off with them) and memorized his songs. And in spite of the child molestation allegations, I still stood by my belief that MJ was innocent. The man went through great lengths to protect his children from the paparazzi, it doesn't add up how he would molest a child. To me, it felt like greedy opportunists taking advantage of his money and how he was free with it. But of course, people choose what they want to believe.



Hotlinking is okay for this, I don't mind. Post it in your LJs or whatever. He deserves a salute...

And I would also like to say "FUCK YOU" to the ignorant skater punk idiot who was standing behind me in line at the bus terminal earlier when he said he was "happy that the sick child molester was dead." FUCK YOU. You may not like him, but disrespecting the dead is something that I would never forgive. See how you like it if someone close to you died and other people said they deserved it and spit on their grave.

Make a list ten things you want for Christmas, doesn't matter how impossible, so long as they're things you really, really want. Post the list to your journal with contact information. Who knows, maybe Santa will feel generous this year.

1. Ayami Kojima's Color Kingdom 3 artbook. I've always loved her artworks and I was shocked when I found that she was self-taught. And she doesn't use computer graphics in her artworks! This is the process she uses.

2. Nick Bantock's Griffin and Sabine Saga. Books are always a good gift, yes? =P

3. New boots. xD I like boots. Nothing too high, I don't want to kill my feet. xDD

4. One of Puimond's corsets. I can dream, can't I? Also, I was told by one of my favorite corset models that you get a 20% discount when you mention "Morganalovespuimond" at the check-out. *__* I love her, seriously. ♥

5. A trench coat. xPP Feel free to ask for my measurements. =PPP

6. 500 GB external. Because I'm running out of space. ;__;

7. Digital SLR camera. I'm so frustrated that I can't take pictures because whenever I do go out, there are way too many things I could take pictures of and it drives me crazy that I can't.

8. Knee-high socks/stockings. Because if you expect me to wear a skirt or shorts, I won't unless I have these. xDD

9. Cards. Creative, plain, crazy, cute, whatever. XD I don't mind getting cards in the mail and I WILL try to send out cards to those I have addresses of. xD;;

10. Fic. I'm not picky and for those who've RPed with me or have read my fic LJ, you know my fandoms. =P

( CONTACT INFO )