120 Minutes of "Funny, I didn't think the wolf would eat me..."

Today's feature: Folklore for the PlayStation 3.


Folklore is a seemingly little-known game for the PlayStation 3 that released in 2007 to not a lot of critical acclaim. The game can easily be found in stores even now, however, clarifying that the game either makes money, or doesn't sell at all. I'm inclined to lean towards the latter, since I've seen very few proponents of the game, despite it being absolutely wonderful.

The basic gameplay of Folklore is relatively simple. There are two areas: the real world, specifically the village of Doolin, and the Netherworld, where the devious Folks live. It should be noted that almost every single bit of the exotic mythology surrounding the game is exactly that: mythology existing in our own world. For example, you have everything from mermen to fairies to animated scarecrows. Even the town of Doolin itself is present in folklore.

Oh dear, I got sidetracked. The gameplay: basically, travel in the real world as either Ellen or Keats (thus far it seems almost identical travels, but considering I'm only about halfway through the game and recent plot developments seem to be aiming to split the two routes...), gather information and/or a memento of the dead to open a portal to the Netherworld. Enter said Netherworld, defeat the Folklore, a powerful boss Folk, and obtain access to the memories of a deceased person, all in an effort to solve a mystery of a murder that happened as Ellen and Keats arrived and also one from seventeen years ago...

It's all very mysterious, intriguing, and extremely interesting to anyone who's even slightly interested in fairy tales. I highly recommend the game to those who have PS3s, or are picking them up now thanks to games like Grand Theft Auto IV and Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.

120 Minutes of "Oh God, they're eating me!"

Today's blogged bit: Pokemon Platinum.



Recently featured in a number of Japanese magazines and now crossposted on several websites, including the American Kotaku.com, the newest installment of the main storyline of the Pokemon franchise has been revealed. Last year in April, the first traditional Pokemon RPG games for the DS, Diamond and Pearl, were released to much acclaim and sold millions of copies.

The new game, following in the footsteps of earlier tried-and-true methods, is an enhanced remake of Diamond and Pearl, called Pokemon Platinum (personally, I would have thought Opal would be a better name), releasing for the Nintendo DS in Japan late this summer.

The details are scarce at the moment, even this close to launch, but there are some interesting tidbits:

• September release (may or may not be subject to change)
• The male trainer has apparently gotten outfit changes
• The Underground is now Wi-Fi compatible
• Battle Island "revealed", serving a similar purpose to Battle Frontier from Pokemon Emerald
• No new Pokemon, but some alternate forms for others. Confirmed: Giratina's Origin Form (Giratina will serve as the cover Pokemon), Regigigas's Sky Form, and Shaymin's Another Form
• In addition to being the cover Pokemon, Giratina replaces Dialga/Palkia at the Spear Pillar when Team Galactic is confronted (opening up the possibility that Giratina's former location will house both Dialga and Palkia)
• Volkner is no longer the Sunyshore Gym Leader

For more information, refer to the official site:
http://www.pokemon.co.jp/special/platinum/02.html

I'll be buying this, as I'm a die-hard fan of Pokemon, and working to transfer all my Pokemon from Diamond and Pearl into this one. Yes, I know, it's a little sad to do it, but I don't care.

120 Minutes of "I swear, officer, I've never seen her before in my life!"

What better way to start off a new blog than by jumping right into content?


In 2006, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (localized as When They Cry) aired on Japanese television. Based on a visual novel style game, the anime took after its predecessor and is a murder mystery (though definitely atypical, and by about the sixth or seventh episode you'll see what I mean). In 2007, a sequel, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai, aired and was the subject of a bit of controversy, as was School Days, etc. for portrayals of violence. The show was apparently censored slightly as a result.

I've been watching Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai, and have to say that it is captivating despite being more talk and slow-moving than the original Higurashi (as in, fewer murders, as well). This surprisingly works in its favor, however, because one just keeps wanting to see more. Even the opening song seems to fit the new feel of the series more than a creepy murderous song would, as in the first season.

Of note is news that cropped up recently for a third Higurashi anime (this is discounting the one episode special Nekogoroshi-hen, or Cat-Killing Chapter, which oddly enough had no cats in it). Instead of being a full fledged series like the past two anime, this is planned to be a single OVA two episodes in length, taking content from a promotional fan-created disc based on the Higurashi series. The tentative title is Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei.