"When I joined the Corps, we didn't have any fancy-schmanzy tanks. We had sticks! Two sticks, and a rock for the whole platoon—and we had to SHARE the rock!"
- Sgt. Major Avery Junior Johnson, Halo 2
I shall address the comments in the next post. For now, however, I shall treat you to even more pieces of music that I enjoy.
Once again, they come from video games.
The main battle theme, played whenever you come across an Invid attack in Robotech: Invasion. The game this comes from is average at best, but the music that goes along with it is phenomenal, and could be tied into just about any situation.
Sagat's theme has remained consistent in most of the Street Fighter games he has appeared in - sans Alpha 3. This is a remade version that does not appear in any specific games, but is in the Street Fighter Tribute album. This remade theme strikes me as being "epic", as a theme that perfectly describes the former god of Muay Thai.
Alex's theme, from Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike. It has a nice, "groovy" tune to it, and the beginning of the theme strikes just the right chords to get someone pumped up for anything - be it a fight or what have you.
King's theme from Tekken 2. Just like the beginning of Alex's theme above, it gets one pumped up, but unlike Alex's theme, it keeps one that way.
Aquatic Base - Level 1, from Sonic the Hedgehog for the 360 and PS3. This is a peaceful tune that I would not mind if someone were to stumble upon me listening to.
I would only have a problem if they thought I was a depressed, self-mutilating individual as a result...
And I shall end this entry here. This is Redgrave, signing off.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Sunday, December 5, 2010
The Melodies of That Which the Mind Embraces
"Good. Bad. I'm the guy with the gun."
- Ash J. Williams, Army of Darkness
---------------------------------------------
Well, I am currently unable to obtain a notion of what to write about, so I shall merely post a few pieces of music that I enjoy listening to; one (or several) pieces has already been placed, underneath the moose.
Be warned, however: most of them come from video games.
Taste The Blood - The main battle theme for Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening. This theme sets the perfect mood to go on an "ass-kicking" spree, and demands that you do it in a flamboyant, or "stylish" manner; in fact, that is how most of the game goes. In the special edition of this game, the other playable character - the antagonist - had a remixed version of this theme. Same name, but in a style that is more suited for fast, punishing combat.
The Strongest Iron Arena - The final boss (sub-boss in some character's scenarios) music in Tekken 4. This piece of work is rather appropriate for a fighting game's final fight. It almost demands that the player powers on through with combo after combo, heavy hitter after heavy hitter, and claim your final destiny. It demands that you not only beat the boss, but you destroy him.
It is a shame that Heihachi is clad in a diaper...
Fear - Also from Tekken 4, played in the Laboratory stage. It has a dark ambience to it, one that holds the tale of a fallen warrior - or demon - brought back from the dead, whom is bent upon reclaiming his original prestige. If one knew about the characters Kazuya Mishima and Bryan Fury, they would see that this theme fits them all too well. It is one of my personal favorites.
Neo VIP - Created by Hive. I am not certain if this piece appeared in the Matrix, despite the obvious ties to the trilogy. It has a dark vibe to it, and it also utilizes Drum and Bass, a genre I recently discovered having a liking towards. There are a few other variations to this, I believe - one of which is the Dom & Roland mix.
Rhythm and Balance - Played during the White Jungle stage in Sonic Adventure 2.
... I have no explanation for this. It is simply awe-inspiring.
To the Garden of the Moon Butterflies in the Moonless Night - Merciful Lord, that was quite the mouthful...
This piece comes from Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean, for the Gamecube. I am very well aware that just about NO ONE would have expected me to listen to this kind of music. Of course I do not usually listen to this kind of thing in public... although it certainly is not one of the worst pieces I have...
Destroyer's Invocation - Falling Up - Infected - Shudder - Part of the Mausoleum suite in Halo 2's second soundtrack; these pieces are played during the levels "The Arbiter" and "The Oracle". I like Halo quite a bit, including the music and the universe extending outside of the games - the comics, the books, all of those I show a great interest in.
This in particular, however, I greatly enjoy - once again, because of its dark tones.
Heavy Price Paid - Played during the "Uprising" level of Halo 2, located in the first Halo 2 soundtrack. This earns a special mention, due to the circumstances of which I first heard this. It was the first time I had played Halo 2, and I was so infatuated with the game and its music, that I would leave the menu screen running while I regressed into slumber. That, plus the fact that it was playing during a rather significant moment in my life, makes this music very, VERY special to me.
Well, that is all I shall do for tonight. This is Redgrave, signing off.
- Ash J. Williams, Army of Darkness
Addressing the comments...
Myles Jay: Cartoon excellence, indeed. Toonami is what got most of our generation into anime - not to mention that reminiscing upon the glory days tends to make me cry.
Yoku-kun: I was not much of a Miguzi fan, to be honest. And 4Kids... well, at least Yu-Gi-Oh! was somewhat passable...
That aside, I agree with you. Television has indeed regressed into something... far from entertaining and intellectually stimulating.
---------------------------------------------
Well, I am currently unable to obtain a notion of what to write about, so I shall merely post a few pieces of music that I enjoy listening to; one (or several) pieces has already been placed, underneath the moose.
Be warned, however: most of them come from video games.
Taste The Blood - The main battle theme for Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening. This theme sets the perfect mood to go on an "ass-kicking" spree, and demands that you do it in a flamboyant, or "stylish" manner; in fact, that is how most of the game goes. In the special edition of this game, the other playable character - the antagonist - had a remixed version of this theme. Same name, but in a style that is more suited for fast, punishing combat.
The Strongest Iron Arena - The final boss (sub-boss in some character's scenarios) music in Tekken 4. This piece of work is rather appropriate for a fighting game's final fight. It almost demands that the player powers on through with combo after combo, heavy hitter after heavy hitter, and claim your final destiny. It demands that you not only beat the boss, but you destroy him.
It is a shame that Heihachi is clad in a diaper...
Fear - Also from Tekken 4, played in the Laboratory stage. It has a dark ambience to it, one that holds the tale of a fallen warrior - or demon - brought back from the dead, whom is bent upon reclaiming his original prestige. If one knew about the characters Kazuya Mishima and Bryan Fury, they would see that this theme fits them all too well. It is one of my personal favorites.
Neo VIP - Created by Hive. I am not certain if this piece appeared in the Matrix, despite the obvious ties to the trilogy. It has a dark vibe to it, and it also utilizes Drum and Bass, a genre I recently discovered having a liking towards. There are a few other variations to this, I believe - one of which is the Dom & Roland mix.
Rhythm and Balance - Played during the White Jungle stage in Sonic Adventure 2.
... I have no explanation for this. It is simply awe-inspiring.
To the Garden of the Moon Butterflies in the Moonless Night - Merciful Lord, that was quite the mouthful...
This piece comes from Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean, for the Gamecube. I am very well aware that just about NO ONE would have expected me to listen to this kind of music. Of course I do not usually listen to this kind of thing in public... although it certainly is not one of the worst pieces I have...
Destroyer's Invocation - Falling Up - Infected - Shudder - Part of the Mausoleum suite in Halo 2's second soundtrack; these pieces are played during the levels "The Arbiter" and "The Oracle". I like Halo quite a bit, including the music and the universe extending outside of the games - the comics, the books, all of those I show a great interest in.
This in particular, however, I greatly enjoy - once again, because of its dark tones.
Heavy Price Paid - Played during the "Uprising" level of Halo 2, located in the first Halo 2 soundtrack. This earns a special mention, due to the circumstances of which I first heard this. It was the first time I had played Halo 2, and I was so infatuated with the game and its music, that I would leave the menu screen running while I regressed into slumber. That, plus the fact that it was playing during a rather significant moment in my life, makes this music very, VERY special to me.
Well, that is all I shall do for tonight. This is Redgrave, signing off.
Friday, November 19, 2010
A Memorial to the Greatness that was Toonami
"Everything that has a beginning has an end, Neo..."
- Agent Smith, The Matrix Revolutions
The first order of business shall be to address the commentators...
KimberlyStephens: I thank you for acknowledging my use of slightly more advanced vocabulary. You will find that I will say much more on this blog than I do in reality.
As for your question, it is not really a "traumatic experience" as it is a simple lack of effort on Hollywood's part. These days I find many of the movies to be rather bland and/or generic, and they fail to offer something spectacular and memorable, unlike the movies of the years prior. So it is merely a matter of personal tastes rather than anything debilitating to my psyche.
RaMaSot: Thank you for the compliment, dear reader.
I am more of a casual gamer, though I can become a bit of a "hardcore" gamer is given enough time. I am somewhat of a perfectionist at heart, and I always find myself going back to replay certain games in order to obtain absolutely everything said game has to offer. My preferred genres are first-person shooters such as Halo and Call of Duty, adventure games like Dead Space and Soul Reaver, and fighting games such as Tekken and Street Fighter.
squeakzz: I like the name. Simple as that.
And now that the comments have been addressed, I shall proceed onward to the main event.
---------------------------------------------
Late 1990s. Another day in school which, even then, I loathed with a passion. Perhaps I simply had a natural aversion to religious hypocrisy.
In any regard, I was eager, as always, to return home - not only to escape from the torment that was the school of Catholicism, but to once again indulge in the greatness that was Toonami.
Toonami, hosted by the short, chubby, faceless robot named TOM. It was the network that introduced me to the vast world of Japanese animation, though I did not realize it at the time. It aired shows such as Gundam Wing, Outlaw Star, Tenchi Muyo, and the one and only Dragonball Z. It was the one thing I always looked forward to after a dull day at school, and it always brought joy to my dreary thought processes whenever I saw my most favorite show air - I shall let you take a gander as to which show it was.
And then there were those small tidbits that Toonami itself aired. I remember the first time I witnessed it, after yet another mind-numbing day at school. I performed the usual routine: say hi to everyone at the house, sneak into my cousin's room, turn the TV on, tune in to Toonami, and watch some Dragonball Z. Everything proceeded as usual, until a certain commercial aired.
The site that greeted me was shocking, to say the least.
TOM, the host, was running from some kind of sentient red goop. He had a some kind of makeshift weapon with him - it was probably used for maintenance - but it did nothing to fend off the "beast". TOM eventually made his way to an elevator, but just as the doors closed, the goop managed to force open the doors of the elevator and consumed TOM. Soon all that was left of the benevolent host was a single, damaged arm, which was inevitably consumed as well. It was the first time that such an event had occurred, with the host of my favorite network dying at the hands of an unknown entity. Granted, TOM came back - with a new design to boot - but for a while, I was positively shocked.
I was so infatuated with the network, that more than once I went so far as to disobey some of the rules that were laid down by my parents and other elders. My eldest cousin, Shane, always forbade me from entering his room; I went in regardless, because his room had cable and I wanted to watch Toonami. My parents would instruct me and my cousins to take a nap; I would merely wait until they were occupied with something that did not involve being vigilant, and sneak into my cousin's room to watch Toonami.
Toonami was easily the greatest thing that ever existed in my childhood. That single memory is one of the few things that brings tears to my eyes, and it saddens me that the network had to even in 2008. Toonami, its great shows, and TOM will be missed dearly.
- Agent Smith, The Matrix Revolutions
The first order of business shall be to address the commentators...
KimberlyStephens: I thank you for acknowledging my use of slightly more advanced vocabulary. You will find that I will say much more on this blog than I do in reality.
As for your question, it is not really a "traumatic experience" as it is a simple lack of effort on Hollywood's part. These days I find many of the movies to be rather bland and/or generic, and they fail to offer something spectacular and memorable, unlike the movies of the years prior. So it is merely a matter of personal tastes rather than anything debilitating to my psyche.
RaMaSot: Thank you for the compliment, dear reader.
I am more of a casual gamer, though I can become a bit of a "hardcore" gamer is given enough time. I am somewhat of a perfectionist at heart, and I always find myself going back to replay certain games in order to obtain absolutely everything said game has to offer. My preferred genres are first-person shooters such as Halo and Call of Duty, adventure games like Dead Space and Soul Reaver, and fighting games such as Tekken and Street Fighter.
squeakzz: I like the name. Simple as that.
And now that the comments have been addressed, I shall proceed onward to the main event.
---------------------------------------------
Late 1990s. Another day in school which, even then, I loathed with a passion. Perhaps I simply had a natural aversion to religious hypocrisy.
In any regard, I was eager, as always, to return home - not only to escape from the torment that was the school of Catholicism, but to once again indulge in the greatness that was Toonami.
Toonami, hosted by the short, chubby, faceless robot named TOM. It was the network that introduced me to the vast world of Japanese animation, though I did not realize it at the time. It aired shows such as Gundam Wing, Outlaw Star, Tenchi Muyo, and the one and only Dragonball Z. It was the one thing I always looked forward to after a dull day at school, and it always brought joy to my dreary thought processes whenever I saw my most favorite show air - I shall let you take a gander as to which show it was.
And then there were those small tidbits that Toonami itself aired. I remember the first time I witnessed it, after yet another mind-numbing day at school. I performed the usual routine: say hi to everyone at the house, sneak into my cousin's room, turn the TV on, tune in to Toonami, and watch some Dragonball Z. Everything proceeded as usual, until a certain commercial aired.
The site that greeted me was shocking, to say the least.
TOM, the host, was running from some kind of sentient red goop. He had a some kind of makeshift weapon with him - it was probably used for maintenance - but it did nothing to fend off the "beast". TOM eventually made his way to an elevator, but just as the doors closed, the goop managed to force open the doors of the elevator and consumed TOM. Soon all that was left of the benevolent host was a single, damaged arm, which was inevitably consumed as well. It was the first time that such an event had occurred, with the host of my favorite network dying at the hands of an unknown entity. Granted, TOM came back - with a new design to boot - but for a while, I was positively shocked.
I was so infatuated with the network, that more than once I went so far as to disobey some of the rules that were laid down by my parents and other elders. My eldest cousin, Shane, always forbade me from entering his room; I went in regardless, because his room had cable and I wanted to watch Toonami. My parents would instruct me and my cousins to take a nap; I would merely wait until they were occupied with something that did not involve being vigilant, and sneak into my cousin's room to watch Toonami.
Toonami was easily the greatest thing that ever existed in my childhood. That single memory is one of the few things that brings tears to my eyes, and it saddens me that the network had to even in 2008. Toonami, its great shows, and TOM will be missed dearly.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
A Simple Introduction to Satisfy the Questions of the Mind
"History Abhors A Paradox."
I will be perfectly honest; I am far from being a good conversationalist. At the time that this post was written, nothing else could come to mind as to what to discuss, so I shall just start off with a simple introduction.
My name is Roger, but here you shall know me simply as "Redgrave". I am 17 years of age, and I live in Massachusetts. I go to Boston Latin Academy, a college preparatory public school; it was originally known as "Girls' Latin School" back in around the 1800s or so. I would like to say that I am an interesting individual, but more and more I am beginning to realize how incorrect that statement is. What was once a strength for me back in the elementary and middle school days are now quickly becoming overshadowed by my colleagues' works, and I am beginning to question whether I even have anything to truly offer to society at all...
... But I digress, for this is not what I want to talk about just yet. I currently have a couple years until I successfully graduate from my school, so until then I must endure back-straining backpacks, mind-numbing lectures, and overall boredom. There is simply no incentive for me to truly care about school in general, with the exception of actually wanting to attend certain classes that catch my interests...
And once again, I must digress. If I am not careful, then this post will become needlessly convoluted and elongated...
In any case... My hobbies usually involves drawing, writing stories, or browsing through the Internet. I hope to become involved in the gaming industry in some way; I still require some computer skills under my belt, however. I enjoy watching anime - japanese animation - playing video games and watching movies, though Hollywood has been disappointing me greatly ever since '08.
That is all that one needs to know about me, and yes my life is rather dull. However, should everything go well in my future life, that issue may be rectified. Until then, this is Redgrave, signing off.
- Raziel; LOK: Soul Reaver 2
I will be perfectly honest; I am far from being a good conversationalist. At the time that this post was written, nothing else could come to mind as to what to discuss, so I shall just start off with a simple introduction.
My name is Roger, but here you shall know me simply as "Redgrave". I am 17 years of age, and I live in Massachusetts. I go to Boston Latin Academy, a college preparatory public school; it was originally known as "Girls' Latin School" back in around the 1800s or so. I would like to say that I am an interesting individual, but more and more I am beginning to realize how incorrect that statement is. What was once a strength for me back in the elementary and middle school days are now quickly becoming overshadowed by my colleagues' works, and I am beginning to question whether I even have anything to truly offer to society at all...
... But I digress, for this is not what I want to talk about just yet. I currently have a couple years until I successfully graduate from my school, so until then I must endure back-straining backpacks, mind-numbing lectures, and overall boredom. There is simply no incentive for me to truly care about school in general, with the exception of actually wanting to attend certain classes that catch my interests...
And once again, I must digress. If I am not careful, then this post will become needlessly convoluted and elongated...
In any case... My hobbies usually involves drawing, writing stories, or browsing through the Internet. I hope to become involved in the gaming industry in some way; I still require some computer skills under my belt, however. I enjoy watching anime - japanese animation - playing video games and watching movies, though Hollywood has been disappointing me greatly ever since '08.
That is all that one needs to know about me, and yes my life is rather dull. However, should everything go well in my future life, that issue may be rectified. Until then, this is Redgrave, signing off.
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