Tokyo Jungle......What?

As gamers, we sometimes take a look at something completely different and unique (which aren't mutually inclusive) and generally those things are looked upon favorably if just for not being 'yet another (genre) game', as we often express disinterest in.    Just one of those things we (we as a broad, general term, obviously not indicative of us all) think we know better about and may or may not be correct about.  (Specifically 'trends'.)  Sometimes deservedly so, sometimes not, but that's a whole other conversation all together.  And I'm going to admit that this isn't the first time I've heard of Tokyo Jungle, but it's the first time I've taken a look at it, at least in a trailer and I'm going to be completely honest with you here:  I don't even know what the fuck.

I mean, its concept is pretty obvious from everything it's shown so far:  Civilization as we know it is gone and nature is taking over in our stead.  Nary a human in sight means the animals roam free and take to the natural order in unfamiliar environs to just try and get by.  Which is, by all means, a pretty neat concept for a video game and is genuinely interesting; so much so that if/when Tokyo Jungle comes out over here I would be willing to take a look at it, much as I have said I would be interested in getting my hands on Afrika at some point.  Of course, the games are worlds apart, but are generally 'different' games with a main cast starring completely of animals, hence the loose comparison.  Since I'm not really all that sure what else it -could- be compared to without knowing more.

However, for as cool as the concept is, I don't know just what to think of this trailer.  For one the graphics, and this is coming from someone who doesn't really care a lot about graphics, are horrible.  I mean, even in 720p, the textures and models range from only 'decent' to 'what the -hell-', which is really unfortunate.  I mean, I guess I should understand given that this is a niche game even by niche standards, but at the same time it just looks poor and doesn't give a good opinion of the game, given that we only have looks to judge by.  I can't even suggest that the game is still in an alpha build since, until just recently, it was slated for release in 2011.  I mean, even in that trailer right there it says '2011'.  Of course the official site has since changed the date to '2012' because, and I'm just guessing on this, the game hasn't gone gold yet which means releasing in the next, uh, week is not going to happen.

Of course, that's not the only thing that's a bit wonked in the trailer, which I'm sure you noticed well enough on your own.  I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that maybe, just maybe, the tone of the game isn't going to be as entirely serious as you might think on premise alone.  Throughout the entirety of the gameplay trailer you see:  a dog dressed in....uhh....I don't know what that is, specifically, something with a giant rope and robes, a hyena wearing a hardhat, PANDA COMBAT, a dog mounting another dog, a kangaroo punching a tiger, and dogs(again, this game must really like dogs) fighting a hippo (and winning).  Which for some reason, for me, doesn't really tickle my "so absurd it's awesome" senses so much as it just bewilders me.  If I didn't know better, I'd swear the folks behind the Disaster Report games were behind this as their not-always-spectacular graphics, yet insanely-attractive ideas (with equally insane execution) is a very particular brand of crazy that seems to intersect with this game based on what I have before me.

Regardless, this is a thing that obviously exists, though in what fashion is quite unsure for now.  Being that it was announced in 2010 and looks like this in the year it was supposed to release doesn't instill one with a lot of confidence.  However, as we all know, games should not be judged by graphics alone and this has the potential for being something special if only on merit of being so out there.  Animals in a large, broken-down version of our world is a sight worth it to see as is, and if things get silly on top of that, then perhaps it's all the better.  Hopefully they tighten it up a bit before they announce an actual release date, though, as I'm looking forward to this, albeit a little reluctantly.

Nobunaga's Ambition to Catch 'Em All or Something

So, if you were looking at some more Japan-centric news sites yesterday, (specifically Siliconera) you would've seen as the collective of the internet had their minds blown by a surprise Pokemon announcement that was, get this, an actual surprise.  Mostly because you couldn't make this stuff up, and mostly because even after being told, you don't know what to think.  A partnership you'd never expect (Tecmo-KOEI and The Pokemon Company) throws together two franchises you wouldn't think would mesh (Nobunaga's Ambition, the Wargame/Conquering Game about taking over Sengoku Era Japan as a warlord of your choice and Pokemon) means the game, creatively named Pokemon + Nobunaga's Ambition, is just something out of left field.  So it's definitely surprising, but the question to be asked directly thereafter is:  But will it be good?

That's a hard question to answer right off, but the tentative answer would, of course, be "probably".  There's nothing but a couple minutes of actual footage from the game which, surprisingly, looks nothing like either games involved with the franchise, but more of a turn-based tactics game.  (Nobunaga's Ambition falls -just short- of what is classically known as RTS for battles)  Still, there manages to be a theme from the Pokemon games directly intermingled into Pokemon + NA in that the main character appears to be fine-tuned to be little more than an avatar for the player (as in Pokemon games) and can be either male or female, though both will get an Eevee all the same.  Which is....again, also appropriate given that Eevee is either a blank canvas or the perfect expression of self with evolutions depending on your perspective.  Unless you like Ghost, Dragon, Steel, Flying, Poison, Bug, Rock, Ground or Fighting types, then you're kind of screwed.

I imagine Tecmo-KOEI's main contribution here is the general idea of the Nobunaga's Ambition concept (for all I know, they're pulling from an older game than the -one- we got over here) as well as their imagining of the Sengoku Jidai main players, since there's obviously no copyright or anything of the sort on them and Pokemon could technically make one on their own if they wanted.  However, using KOEI's versions makes it easy as hell to identify just who has what, which I can share.  Obviously, Oda Nobunaga's at the forefront with Zekrom from Black/White, his sister Oichi has Jigglypuff, Toyotomi Hideyoshi has Infernape (I believe), Akechi Mitsuhide has Articuno (Possibly for being an Ice Cold killer), Uesugi Kenshin has Mewtwo for some reason and finally (for now), Takeda Shingen has Groundon from Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald.  I'm going to be completely honest here and say that there's little to no reason that I can discern why anybody has who they have (Especially Kenshin and Shingen - being the Dragon and the Tiger respectively, I would have thought they'd get something more thematic) but I'm not really about to argue with it.

Of course, here's the rub here as it's completely impossible to tell whether or not this will release in the west, so there's a very real chance any excitement I could have for this would have to be kept in check.  I mean, it's a pokemon game for the DS, it should come out here, right?  But at the same time, it's a Pokemon game that -isn't- pokemon as well as being a KOEI game, so that throws any reliability or firm standing out the window.  It could be just me, but I think there's a lot of 3DS push out there which has already started to rapidly phase the DS out, probably more than is necessary, so by the time this comes out in Japan and the time you'd have to add for localization, it just might not be feasible at all to release it over here.  Which I think would be a damn shame, since this could honestly be pretty neat.  It'll certainly be bringing new life and ideas to both franchises, that's for sure, and if you ask me, Pokemon is in dire need of a few.

What the Balls is This?

Now, I've never claimed any particular affinity for the Final Fantasy games that don't have Tactics in the title and this is a well-documented fact, but it's not that I wish the series ill or anything.  It exists outside of my particular tastes and that's fine, that's totally understandable and acceptable.  I mean, I have partaken in a few entries that I do genuinely enjoy, but overall I don't love the series and that just happens.  But when something really really awkward and strange happens, you have to point it out and say "Wait, no, no."  And this is quite possibly what has happened with Final Fantasy XIII-2.  I mean, not the whole game, but at least this one aspect of it:  The Chocobo theme.

I must first stress this, that this isn't from an official channel and is most likely a fake, but I'll get to why I could be persuaded to think otherwise later.  Regardless, it's made its rounds and I can't find anything else to really talk about but this, so here it is.  The video I'm about to embed is apparently going to be the Chocobo Theme from Final Fantasy XIII-2 and it....just sounds terrible.  I mean, I could forewarn you with everything that it entails, but I figure that just prefacing it with terrible and then letting you experience it yourself is the best course of action here.

Now, the obvious first instinct after listening to that is that it is, in fact, entirely not possible to be a thing what is real.  That's what I thought, but people more well-versed in Final Fantasy matters than I seem to be able to believe it, in fact citing another seemingly out-of-place song as a defense to it being a chance.  Again, will get to that in a moment, but I'm focusing on this.  There is honestly nothing that is not terrible about the Chocobo theme except for the laughs you get at listening to it.  And the fact that it kind of grows on you because of that.  I've been listening to it as I write this so my opinion is, well, fresh, and I started off being nearly offended by it and now I can't help but laugh at everytime he yells "Do you think you can ride this chocobo?!"  I don't know, this might be one of those times where my opinion sways directly -as I'm writing about it-, which is a rare event.

Regardless, that being an actual, official song in Final Fantasy 13-2 is an entirely possible reality (which is getting better by the minute for the above-mentioned negative to positive-in-a-bad-way reaction I've had) because, well, who knows anymore?  Final Fantasy 13 was a real departure from a lot of the 'conventions' of a normal Final Fantasy which is why a lot of people were turned off to it, and I can only imagine they're going to continue to press that for 13-2 for the people out there that actually, genuinely enjoyed 13, since they'll obviously be the ones buying this up.  I know that I personally still need to give 13 a good shot before I can comment on it one way or another (despite my whingings about the names which are certifiably dumb.)

The reason why this was presented to me as an absolute possibility is because there is a clear, definite example of an already existing Final Fantasy game getting a song on the soundtrack that is far, far beyond the scope of what you'd expect.  You probably know of it already, but the example is "Otherworld" from Final Fantasy X which has instantly rekindled anything resembling interest I have in FFX (alongside of the PS3/Vita versions).

Sounding like it's straight off of.....well several soundtracks that is not for a Final Fantasy game (and almost along the lines of Rammstein, again told to me before I heard it which I have to agree with), this was apparently undoubtedly in Final Fantasy X even though I don't remember its inclusion.  Supposedly it's more or less "Jecht's Theme" which makes perfect sense for how in-your-face awesome it is.  I don't know if it's 'okay' to like this song or not, unironically, but I do, since I do enjoy me some rock and Rammstein.  Regardless, the point is that it is fairly atypical for a FF soundtrack as is "Crazy Chocobo".  This might not be an entirely bad thing, all things considered, but it's certainly a thing worth mentioning and talking about.