First. Yes, I'm aware that Square and Enix have merged. And no, I don't really care. It means that Square is out of the debt it made for itself with Square Pictures, and it means that people may actually pay attention to the Dragon Warrior/Quest series some day soon. I don't think much else will change, except the logo. And maybe Shounen GanGan may get some Final Fantasy manga or something. I'll believe the rest of the flying rumors when Wada or Honda confirm them.
Back to my favorite topic--ninja games.
See, I've been playing Shinobi on and off for a while. I love every second of it. Other people complain that it's too hard, but... screw that. I could finish the game pretty quickly if I was actually trying to finish the game. But no, I'm trying to master the game. I want to kill everything in a room without ever touching solid footing. I want to slice everyone in half as Hotsuma quietly utters "Kataki ha kanarazu...". I want to get the old-school Shinobi bonus (no shuriken!) as well as the new No Damage bonus (though I haven't managed No Damage yet).
And so, level 6-A is currently kicking my ass. It's so hard to perform tate on everything while not falling into the pits. But it's so rewarding when I hear that good ol' "Yuruse..." or "Gomen!" as Hotsuma sloooooowly slides Akujiki back into its sheath.
So in short, if you don't like Shinobi because it's too hard or too repetitive, bah. It's got style.
As for other ninja-type activities... I'm trying to get back onto my Shadowfist horse after a long layoff due to deadlines and other stress. I am, of course, making a ninja deck. Complete with the Ninja Interior Decorators, who aren't exactly good, but are a damn lot of fun. The 10,000 bullets set is coming soon, so that should probably be a good time for me to hit up the local scene again. Sorry for not showing up on Thursdays lately, guys, it's been hectic.
Let's see what else is going on...
Well, this doesn't exactly have ninja in it, but the first issue of Raijin is finally heading out to subscribers, and will soon be in stores. I recommend this over Shonen Jump USA for the following reasons:
Reason the first: MSG. No, not Mobile Suit Gundam, Mamotte! Shugogetten. I like Sakurano Minene's art better'n most of the stuff in either magazine. As much as I like reading Slam Dunk and Grappler Baki, they aren't exactly easy on the eyes sometimes.
Reason the second: City Hunter. Slam Dunk. Fist of the Blue Sky. Grappler Baki. All series that I would read over the Shonen Jump headliners Yu-Gi-Oh! (which I don't dislike, per se, but I am not an avid fan of) and DragonBall Z (which is just waaaaay too long).
Reason the third: Shuueisha's long-standing grudge with Comic Bunch means that they want Raijin to go out of business. They desperately want to see Raijin die. So, being the perverse being I am, I want to see Raijin fly. And bring Slam Dunk TV and Fist of the North Star TV to the states.
Reason the third: Mokkori!
Reason the fourth: MOKKORI!
Any questions?
