The End Of 2011

Well, we are hours away from 2012, and it's time to look back at what memorable things I have done this year! I need to refer to my Facebook to remember certain stuff!

-ORD!!!
- Start of University life
- Tangled in a triangle
- Met an awesome girl, but somehow things didn't work out
- Dyed my hair blue
- Took my first (and only) puff of cigarette
- Team Fortress 2, Battlefield 3, Blackshot, Dota, so many games...
- Still single for V-day again...
- Chiong-ing anime! Hanasaku Iroha, Sket Dance, Tiger & Bunny, The World God Only Knows 2, Oreimo, AnoHana, X-men, Gosick, etc.
- Learn to DJ!

...and that's all I can think of. And what do I want for 2012? Well, mainly to get a girlfriend, I guess. Oh well...haha

Awesome

Just had awesome BBQ, today gonna play cards whole day, tomorrow is Bangkok. HELL YEAH!

See This?

This is what I want. I want that. 

Persona Music Live

Went to download the video of Persona Music Live ~ Velvet Room in Akasaka Blitz, which was a concert held in 2008, and it's damn cool! All the Persona 3,4 and Trinity Soul songs being played live is just amazing! There are favourites like Burn My Dread and Suicides Love Story! Also, I was impressed with Your Affection, where the singer can suddenly go to high pitch during the chorus. And the guitarist is wicked! Man, I wish I could attend it!

The Best Part

Half the December holiday has passed, and the best part has yet to come! Friday is the BBQ gathering for the usual gang, Sunday is Christmas family gathering, Monday is my accountancy group Christmas gift exchange, Tuesday is dueling, Wednesday is BANGKOK! Woots!

First semester results out? Whatever. Not like seeing it will change anything. Well, except my mood. So why check? Enjoy!

Gonna get iPhone 4S next month, and I'm so going for the black 64GB one! Excited!

The blue of my hair is getting lighter. Noooooooooo!

As for the Weiss Schwarz card game, I'm so loving it! And I realize there are some super rare cards, and ther's one I'm dying to get! Although the chances of finding anyone selling it is rather low...

And what anime am I catching this season? Thought I'd update a bit on that!

1. Persona 4 The Animation
Honestly, the only reason why I decided to watch it was because of the awesome Persona 3 game. And the anime is pretty good. Gonna wait for the PS Vita version of the game to be released!

2. Bakemonogatari
I watched this because my friend uses a Weiss Schwarz deck involving this anime. And I have to admit, it is quite a different anime from the usual, and it's quite interesting! It's pretty old already though.

3. Bakuman season 2

4. Sket Dance

Guess Which One I'm Getting? :D

iPhone Covers

I was at a site today which allows you to make your own custom iPhone cover with any image you want, as long as the resolution of the image is acceptable. I made around 20 different covers to decide from, and I feel like getting all! But that would be crazy. So I'll just choose one first. If the quality is good, I'll get more! :D

Funny thing. I don't even have an iPhone, yet I'm looking at covers. Yes, I'm pretty sure I'm getting myself an iPhone 4S next January, but don't count your chicks before they hatch, right?

I realize I've a lot of catching up in my blog to do. Here goes...

Why am I suddenly talking about iPhone? Well, recently the internal screen or whatever of my Nokia phone cracked, and apparently Nokia says that it is stated in the warranty that such damage is not covered. Does exterior kind like chipped off corners are covered, but internal damage and wear and tear of the components are not? Seriously, Nokia is a bloody joke. I am 100% sure I'll never use Nokia phones again. Just go back to Finland.

And it seems my blue hair is starting to get lighter, according to my dad. And I might be noticing it a bit too, specifically the fringe part. Ah well, gonna make it a darker blue once this dye fades away!

So addicted to that Weiss Schwarz card game, even though my deck never won a single time on Friday! I just want to go back for more and make my deck more powerful!

Can't believe I didn't know that The Mentalist season 4 is out! I've got a lot of downloading to do!

Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows! Want to watch it!

BBQs are around the corner. Gotta prepare!

Counting down to Bangkok trip!!!

Money's really, really tight. Sian :(

Sayonara Desktop!

I think I shall move my desktop out of my room! Means less gaming for me!

All About Weiss Schwarz

It's funny. I saw this card game around since STGCC this year, and I was wondering what was so fascinating of playing a card game involving all the anime girls. Sounds like some... fetish to me. Because all the cards seemed to be just the little girls from anime, posing and being cute and what-not.

Then I saw some card game involving Persona 3 recently, and I just had to buy it. I didn't know what card game it was, nor how to play it. It's just... PERSONA 3. Buy first, ask questions later. And I did. Turns out it was the same Japansese TCG as the one I have seen many people play.

So I went home, tried to understand the 30-page long manual, and search for translations for all the Japanese cards, but I still understood nothing. So yesterday I dropped by the shop at Dhoby Ghaut card shop and asked two guys there to teach me! And wow suddenly the game seemed much simpler! In fact, I'm enjoying the game more than Yu-Gi-Oh!, mostly because this is a balanced game and you get to form your deck around specific characters you like!

I decided to download the PSP game for it, Weiss Schwarz Portable, and give it a whirl even though it was Japanese. Unfortunately, after 5 minutes of trial and error, I still can't seem to play a single card battle. Just loads of talking that made no sense to me.

I started watching Guilty Crown, and I actually enjoy it! I think the main reason why I got hooked to it is the fact that the main character is actually pretty flawed. He is cowardly, lost, and plain noob. But as the main character, and with a wicked cool sword, I'm sure watching him transform into a real hero will be interesting. Been catching up with a lot of anime too! Like Bakuman season 2!

And somehow the screen of my phone is spoiled. It's like, one moment it was fine, next moment it's screwed. I had the phone in my hand the whole time, and I didn't drop it or anything, yet it became like that. Nokia, you disappoint me.

The Sibling You Never Knew

Yesterday my mom told my sister and I during breakfast that she actually had a miscarriage before conceiving me. Apparently, it was one-month old, and probably due to stress or the roller coaster rides she and my dad took, she had a miscarriage during the 20-hour flight from U.S. to Singapore.

To know that you actually could have an older sibling is just... shocking. I could've been a second child. I could have an older sibling to look after me, who I could look up to. The older brother/sister that I would never know of...

But then, if that child was born, I may not have been born. Which means, in a way, my unknown older sibling died for me to live. I now feel like I'm alive at the cost of another's life.

Or maybe I'm just disturbed by how my mom can tell us about this so casually.

Either way, this news shook me up pretty badly.

Weiss Schwarz?

Apparently, Weiss Schwarz is the name of the japanese card game I see people playing quite often. I remember seeing at card shops and even this year's STGCC. It's all anime girls, which is kinda like a fetish. Until today. Today, at the new Katong Mall, I was at a game shop and there I saw was a card game with Persona 3 characters. It seems that this Weiss Schwarz card game not only does anime characters, but those from games too. So I went to buy whatever that was left of the Persona 3 booster packs from the shop.

Also, remember the Persona 3 Portable Collector's Edition I bought some time back from a shop at Orchard? Well, the shop I was at is the same shop, and the guy remembers me. Even with my new blue hair! LOL

Oh ya my new hair. It's really nice, and I realize it is REALLY blue under bright light.haha A bit too bright at times, but overall really satisfying! :D

I finished the drawing on Excel! I still trying to perfect the face, though. Excel is so cool!haha

Bummer

Well, I didn't get into the exco for Stereometa. I have to admit, I'm quite shocked about it. I was looking so forward to being part of the exco and giving my ideas. Plus, exco means I could access the room anytime I wanted. But the results were out yesterday and I didn't get in.

Feeling really bummed out about it right now.

Succeed Or Dye Trying

Well, my hair got pretty screwed. Yesterday's dye was quite fail, because even under light, the blue was so unnoticeable. As good as not dying. So my mom made another appointment for me today at that same place, and this time I had a photo of the kind of blue I wanted to have for my hair. I wanted the blue to be visible even indoors. And it seems like they actually understood.

And then there's that shitty feeling when, after another round of bleaching and dying, the hair looked the same as before. Barely any change. WTH. And the lady said that she used the same dye, just that she rinsed it off faster or something. Either way, it was a waste of time today. Fortunately the hair salon my mom frequents can dye my hair the way I want it, and I've already made an appointment on Wednesday. Hopefully, third time's the charm.

Forever 21

Well, my 21st birthday has come and gone, and I must say, it was pretty fun!haha

Thursday I met with some friends to watch Immortals, play L4D and pool, then Hangover 3! Immortals reminded me of 300, and it was not what I expected it to be. The poster showed the 4 gods( Zeus, Athena, Ares, Poseidon), so I thought the movie was about them. Turns out the movie was about some mortal. And the movie is rather gory! 3 movies in 3 consecutive days!

Hangover 3 was better than anticipated! The music and crowd was good! I got chased down the street by my friend, and I heard someone guessing that there was going to be a fight.LOL Anyway the night went well, except for the last part... and the DJ was not that good, I feel. The transition between some songs were abrupt or poorly done, but his choice of songs for the night was pretty good! Got less high after 3am, and finally decided to go home. And I didn't drink any alcohol! So proud of myself! Nearly decided to smoke though D:

Today I went to dye my hair. My mom was making such a big fuss about bleaching that I expected the hair to be really bad after bleaching. Turns out it looked damn nice. In fact, it looks better than my final colour, which is supposedly dark blue but is barely visible unless under bright light. And how does that look Korean? First thing that came to my mind was: Ah Beng! Went to meet my Asoc group mates and they surprised me with a cake! Damn touched! :)

I had another celebration at home with my family before meeting the gang for supper, which turned out to be another surprise for me! Although I kind of suspected after that afternoon incident. Still, it was a really thoughtful gesture and the fact that we got caught in the rain makes the night more memorable! We ate chicken rice and played LAN which was really entertaining!

4 cakes during my 21st birthday. Sure I may not have got what I planned, which was a yacht party, but then I got to spend the day with my family and friends, having loads of fun, so it is still a birthday worth considered special as a 21st birthday!

The Start Of The Holiday

Well, holiday is here! December is just in a few days and I'm so happy! Really appreciate having a break after a long semester! And imagine, I am going to be like that 7 more times in my 4 years in SMU!

Today is the last paper for quite a lot of my friends, so I can kind of openly talk about enjoying the holiday already! I've been trying to tell myself not to stay home and play computer, considering I bought Battlefield 3 and Batman: Arkham City. I wanted to go out and hang out with my friends rather than rot at home. I'm making sure I'm going out almost every day if I can!

Went to run on Sunday night, which followed by Battlefield 3! Monday I went to school to DJ a bit before meeting my friend to play Yu-Gi-Oh! It's been a long time since I played it, and it feels great to have another friend to play it with me! Tuesday I met Sihua to watch Breaking Dawn: Part 1. And it was quite draggy. Some parts I found ridiculously funny, and I covered my eyes during the part where Bella gave birth. I bought a popcorn combo which gave the Puss In Boots cup, but I left it at Topshop! :( I went to shove it onto a railing while waiting for Sihua to try on some clothes and I totally forgot about it! Only remembered when we boarded the train home D: Sad ttm!

Today was another movie! This time Puss In Boots! Cute cat!!! haha Went Orchard with my friend before that in search of Yu-Gi-Oh! cards but to no avail. Met our LTB group for the movie and dinner and the pub opposite my school.

Tomorrow is going to be another movie!!! And Hangover 3! I shall not drink. I shall not drink. I shall not drink. I shall not drink. I shall not drink. I shall not drink. I shall not drink.

I got quite bored of Battlefield 3 quite fast. And I'm now into drawing on Microsoft Excel, which CR taught me. So cool! But it needs a lot of patience. Drawing a detailed gun took me the whole night! But, I love it!

Today I finally bought something I searched high and low for; and was nearly going to give up looking for it. But today I went to this game shop, which sold a lot of PSP games, including special editions, and I went to try my luck. I couldn't find it at first, and was about to give up, but then I saw another section beside it also displaying PSP games and I finally found it!!!!! Persona 3 Portable Collector's Edition!!!! Even though I've completed the game twice(and playing a 3rd time now) and recently did a very long review about it, I wanted to buy it for collecting sake! Such an awesome game should be bought! So happy! It's like a birthday present to myself! :)

Don't ask me what I want,
Because I know I can never have.

Persona 3 Portable: The Review

Firstly, all the photos shown here are taken from my gameplay. None of them are taken from websites or anything.

Secondly, this post is merely a review done by me, my honest opinion of the game, and may hold spoilers for those who never played to the end of the game.

Thirdly, this review is done recently after finishing the female main character (FeMC) route.

Enjoy this photo-filled review!

**********************************************************************

First Impression

I'm not too sure how I ended up playing this game. As in, the particular reason of why I even put this game into my PSP to try. It was last year, during my second year serving NS. I saw one of my friends playing this game, and I remember the screen being something like that:

I asked him what kind of game that was. He said it was some RPG game, and honestly I was never really a big fan of RPG games, especially on PSP. I played Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth a long time ago, and I did not like it. And that kind of made all RPG games an instant turn-off for me. So there I was, looking at the screen of the classroom, and wondered what kind of lame game that was. I mean, you are not even controlling a character in there. Moving your analog merely moved your cursor around the screen. What kind of stupid game was that? My friend told me there would be fights and stuff, but I didn't stay long enough to even check it out.

And I think I ended up taking the game from him. Or maybe I downloaded it myself. Either way, I put it into my PSP, gave it a try, and I never stopped until I reached the end. Because I realized that this game was really, really awesome(for lack of a better term). It was just...perfection. No flaws I could possibly think of.

The Story

I recall the first cutscene. It showed a girl pointing a gun at her head, probably trying to commit suicide. And the first thing that came across my mind was, this game has a suicidal bitch? What kind of twisted game is this? Is everyone going to start committing suicide? But I persevered. And played on.

The game starts with your character reaching Iwatodai, some town in Japan. The clock strikes midnight, and suddenly the world turns creepy. Then you head to your new dormitory to bump into the suicide girl and the other tenants. Soon, you are thrown into the world of Persona, learning about the Dark Hour and shadows. Basically, there are 25 hours in one day, the Dark Hour being that extra hour after midnight that only you and certain people remain awake in. You go to school, meeting new friends, yet trying to take out the 12 big shadows that appear, one at every full moon. You learn about the origins of the Dark Hour and that tall, weird building called Tartarus that appears only during that time.

I have to admit, the game has a pretty flexible and interesting storyline. While most of the fun tends to lie in the gameplay in games, the story in this game is just as good. You experience romance, friendship, death, school life... and of course there are unexpected plot twists that really impressed me. The story is really rich, and it keeps you going, not wanting to stop. And like all games, this game has a rather happy ending!

Gameplay

It's interesting how this game brings you through almost every single day of your main character for one whole year, which is how many days? That's a lot of days. Which is pretty cool. And since you're a school student, there are exam periods and holidays too. You even get to celebrate Christmas in-game.

This game is kind of divided into two. By day, you are just a student who has to worry about everyday stuff like exams and friends. By night, you are part of the S.E.E.S. team, exploring Tartarus and killing shadows. So, in a way, this game is like a simulation and dungeon-crawling game. Two-in-one, huh?

During the day, you attend school 6 days a week, going for CCA activities and hanging out with people to maximize your social links(I'll cover that later). There is one for each of 22 Arcana. There are days when everyone wants to find you, and a few days when you have nobody to hang out with. By hanging out with people, you get to learn more about them and, in a way, go through a mini-story regarding them. One example is a student who is in love with a teacher in school, and by hanging out with him you kind of see how it all turns out in the end.

Of course, when school's out you actually get to explore Iwatodai. You can choose to head to the police station to claim your rewards for saving people and purchase cool weapons and gear, go to the shrine and pray for good fortune, or simply head down to the karaoke to sing your heart out and boost your confidence.

As you go through your year in Gekkoukan High,  you also need to build up your character. Studying helps increase your intelligence, you need to work up your courage in order to do certain stuff, and a certain "someone" needs you to be charming enough to hang out with her.

When the clock strikes midnight, you enter the Dark Hour. The shadows come out and play, and so do you. You will head down to your school, which is now the really tall Tartarus building, and that's where your dungeon-crawling begins. In a team of four, you and your allies explore the building, constantly going higher to reach the top. Along the way you meet small shadows and some bigger ones that are like "mini-bosses". That's where the fighting begins.

Now, you fight shadows with two things: your weapon and your persona. Think of it as Pokemon, just that Ash can choose to use his Pikachu or the weapon he is holding(maybe a Pokedex?) to attack the wild pokemon. Your choice of attack depends on your enemies' weaknesses. Each shadow and ally have their own weakness and strength elements. For instance, some enemies have a weakness for fire attacks which I can exploit, while some actually can absorb your fire attacks and use the damage to heal instead.

Because your character is "special", he has a total of around 170 different personas open to him. But new personas can only be obtained either through shuffle time or fusing multiple personas that you have. This is where your social links actually come in. By progressing in a particular social link, you are able to make more personas of that Arcana. In this game, Arcana is a "category", like Fool, Empress, Strength, Fortune, Hanged Man, etc. As mentioned earlier, there are 22 different types Arcana. Fusing your lower level personas will bring about bigger, stronger ones to do your bidding.

I have to admit, I initially did not like the personas. They didn't really look cool or anything, and some looked quite revolting. One even looks like a giant penis. Like, seriously. But I got used to them eventually... by using those that looked nicer.

You can teach your personas new skills, and make them wield the right skills you want. Each persona can carry 10 skills with them each time, so learning a new one required replacing a current one. Which reminds me of Pokemon... In fact, while you can carry 6 Pokemon with you each time, you can carry up to 10 personas each time in this game. But have some space available in case you pick up some personas while exploring Tartarus.

With you and your allies being able to reach a maximum level of 99, it is up to you whether you want to grind you way to that level, or simply play to the end of the game without caring about that. You don't actually need to be level 99 to complete the game, but at level 99 your health and stamina bar will be 999! Compared to the prior highest of 500(?) at lvl 98.

Oh, and there are really funny costumes you can equip your characters with! Maid outfits, swimwear, tuxedos... equip them to your team and chat with them in Tartarus for some amusement! Heck, even the team you choose has some funny conversations!

While this game can be action-packed and fun, some of the fun lies in the daytime storyline itself. One instance is the hot spring incident, which you players would enjoy. You can also have romance, if you decide on who you want to chase. I ended up chasing Yukari, who was that suicide girl in the beginning. Who would have guessed? But there are at least 3 other romance options I know of in the game, which means it is up to you who you want your character to get into a relationship with.

The End?

When you complete the game, you can choose to start a new game using your completed game, which means your equipment and personas would be brought over. You can choose to tackle the game at a higher difficulty, or try the female main character route. The FeMC is a new feature only for Persona 3 Portable, and there are various changes in the gameplay and storyline itself which makes it worth playing for people who completed the male route and want to experience new characters and possible storylines.

After completing the game the first time, I wanted to play the game again using the FeMC, but I ended up playing another game that came out at that time: Valkyria Chronicles II. And that is another f***ing awesome game that I shall do a long review in future, because it deserves it. It was only this year that I decided to play the FeMC route, probably because of the Persona 4: The Animation and also I missed the game. Played it, got level 99, went to unlock as many new personas as possible, and trained my members to all be level 99 too. Hardcore, yes. So?

If you ever have a PSP, or PS2, do grab this game if you like RPG, dungeon-crawling, or dating simulation games. Or if you simply want a really good game. Play this, and you won't regret it.