Time for an update.
Wow, it’s been some time since my last entry. Only really big news with me lately is that I gave in and signed up for college. It’s nothing fancy, just our local community college, but still, that’s something. Being the picky bastard I am, I had to opt for the Associate in Liberal Studies degree. Basically, this enables me to pick a whole lot more electives than any of the other degrees offered. It’s pretty cool. I’ll be taking web design and video production this fall, among some other somewhat more mundane stuff.
I would be curious to know what’s been up with the other hosts lately since I haven’t really communicated with them in a while. When we branched out, there was a lot of distance placed between us, even though three of the hosts still reside in the same city as far as I am aware. Just one of those little things in life that’s interesting. But…not very.
I tracked down a leaked copy of the Phantasy Star Portable demo for PSP(acronymic irony, har har). Aside from a glitch that basically renders multi-mode unplayable, it’s a pretty great conversion. The lobby system has been almost completely revamped. No longer do you run around the space station, going to shops or things like that in 3d. It’s all been streamlined into a 2d, menu-based interface. Now, I can see why Alfa Systems did this, and it does make sense for a portable system, but honestly, it doesn’t quite feel right. It doesn’t feel like Phantasy Star(not counting the earlier RPGs). The gameplay itself is spot on and the controls are pretty tight. One gripe is that the player is forced to use the analog nub for character movement. Again, I can understand why the developer did this, considering how every entry since the first Phantasy Star Online had analog movement, but what a hell of a cramp this can induce. No doubt this is offset by 5-15 minute missions rather than the, admittedly, somewhat grueling grind-fests of old. I’m not quite sure how to feel about that yet. Still, i’ll buy a copy if it ever comes stateside.
That’s good for now. Take care, folks.
Ricky Coulter
Writer, Gamer, Caveman.
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