Finished watching Yamato 2520

Finished watching Yamato 2520 (1994-1996, Studio Take Off, 3 OVAs?) on 10/23/2015.

This attempt at a sequel is set hundreds of years after the original series. I didn't quite understand it very well, but it seemed like humanity breached out into far space and some colonies settled on different planets. One planet in particular had an immense energy source that was then used to build space battleships to attack other planets' colonies... or something like that. The two first hour-long episodes I watched (apparently there were three but I only found two), start off with a history lesson on those events but I had a hard time following. Also, it was kinda boring and a little confusing. Anyways, the two sides of the war run out of resources and decide on a cease fire until the two are ready for battle. Meanwhile they settle on a planet closely watching eachother's moves. Years pass and a group of rebellious youths stumble upon Yamato, an old, buried battleship which they decide to build from scratch based on the blue prints found in the ship's data disk so they can travel to Earth and live there, far from war. They find an abandoned, automated spaceship factory and build the ship with some improvements of their own. That is as far as episode 2 got me. Unfortunately this show was cancelled due to copyright issues.

7/10 – I thought it was interesting how the artwork was reminiscence of the movie Akira. But let's get to the point. Like I said, the whole history part at the beginning was boring and confusing. A bad way to start any fiction work. The show really only picked up once the main characters were introduced, and once they started their plans to rebuild Yamato I found myself really into it. Even the second episode was really good with the new Yamato finally being complete. I wish they had made more episodes. And apparently mechanical designer Syd Mead and musician David Matthews contributed to this show. Pretty cool!

Finished playing Kirby and the Amazing Mirror

Finished playing Kirby and the Amazing Mirror (2004, Flagship, Dimps, HAL Laboratory, Game Boy Advance) on 10/15/2015.

Gameplay Hours: ~30

The Mirror World above Dreamland has been invaded by something malicious. Meta Knight tries to save the Mirror World but… something caused a change in Meta Knight’s heart as he comes to attack Kirby and divide him into four, different-colored Kirby copies. Curious they jump on a star and follow after Meta Knight into the Mirror World.

7/10 – This game was good. Not much different from the last one I played... Nightmare in Dreamland, I think. But at the same time, it was different. Levels aren't linear. Each level has a map of rooms which adds an exploration feature to the game. Finishing Level 1 doesn't exactly mean you go straight to Level 2. Depending on the paths you take you might end up in Level 5 or 9. I think what really sets the game apart is what its advertised for – multiplayer. If I had played with other friends the experience would've been very different. Perhaps more exciting. I think what I enjoyed the most in this game is the ability to change Kirby into various colors by using spray cans you find by exploring levels and finding treasure chests.

Finished watching Space Battleship Yamato Resurrection

Finished watching Space Battleship Yamato Resurrection (2009, Enagio, 1hr 15mins.) on 10/15/2015.

A couple of years after the planet Aquarius incident, Earth is now threatened by a comet-like black hole. Seeing no way around it, Earthlings decides to move to an Earth-like moon, orbiting an Earth-like planet. On their way there, their colony ships are ambushed by an alien alliance and it's up to Yamato to assure a safe migration for the people of Earth.

7.5/10 - This movie was good and I enjoyed seeing Kodai as an actual captain. It was also interesting to see a new generation of Yamato crew members in their new uniforms. The only thing that bothered me about this movie was how Yuki's role was handled. She only shows up briefly as she dies with her cargo ship in an odd animation. And although Kodai spends most of this movie believing she's alive he doesn't react much when he finally learns she's gone for sure. With Yuki's passing, comes Maho, her replacement character in the Yamato ship. Think of Sasha from Be Forever Yamato. But unlike Sasha, I actually enjoyed Maho and *SPOILER* I was upset when she passed away at the end.

Finished watching Be Forever Yamato

Finished watching Be Forever Yamato (1980, Academy Productions, Group TAC, 1hr 25mins.) on 10/3/2015.

Be Forever Yamato picks up from the first encounter with the Black Nebula Empire. Having been defeated by the Yamato last, the Empire sends to Earth a massive fortress that doubles as a bomb capable of destroying half the planet. From the fortress an army of robots and Black Nebula aliens came out to completely devastate the city they landed on. The Yamato comes to find that the only way to stop the bomb is to destroy its remote control from its place of origin.

7/10 – First thing I noticed was the dramatic art and animation quality improvement from the previous Yamato movies I've been watching. Looked great. The only thing that bothered me the most was this new character, Sasha. Daughter of Starsha and Mamoru, Sasha is half-Iscandarian and half-Japanese, apparently allowing her to grow from a baby into an adult within the span of one year. I felt like she didn’t contribute anything to the story. Like she was just a temporary replacement for Yuki's job in the ship. Also, the fact that she falls in love with Kodai was very… strange for me. Both because she's his niece and she's technically still one year old. Weird, man. Other than that, the movie was pretty decent.

Finished playing Sonic Battle

Finished playing Sonic Battle (2003, Sonic Team, Game Boy Advance) on 10/3/2015.

Play Time: 13hrs 35mins (Skills: 39%)

An ancient robot weapon called Gizoid is discovered by Doctor Eggman but his attempts at controlling it seem futile. Frustrated with this he abandons the robot in Emerald Beach where he is then found by Sonic who friends Gizoid and teaches him fighting moves. After learning about the robot’s ability to use the Emeralds’ power, he gives Gizoid the name Emerl, as he doesn't seem to know his own name, and introduces Emerl to Tails and company. Emerl decides to search for more Emeralds as he continues to learn more fighting moves from his new-found friends… and enemies.

7/10 – This was an interesting little action-RPG game. It had a somewhat deep story despite its shortness, but I really got into the battle skills system which I left at 39% just because I'd like to move on to other games. Even so, I'd like to come back one day and collect all the skills for Emerl. The combat itself can be a little wonky at first, because of unfamiliar camera angles and movement. It can also be tricky to try lining up your character with your opponent before you unleash it on them, but at the same time I found that I quickly adjusted to the game’s mechanics.