End of an era, here are the last pictures from my old phone, as expected they are of drunk people - very very drunk people.

So, the new phone - the fancy pants Walkman Phone. How's it gone so far? Very well indeed, the music player works very well: let's you mess around with equaliser levels and create playlists on the fly and since it seems to be separated to the phone's main applications you can leave the music playing and mess around with the rest of the phones features without worrying about it. The camera is really good, quite like the panorama shooting mode that let's you join three pictures together, anyway here's a few average quality pictures to show off what it can do:

dicking around with effects
standard picture
even the box is cool
panorama at work
playing with the macro
panorama at home

Any bad points? Well, the games are shite considering this thing should be able to handle Java 3D applications - and I'm damned if I can get it to connect to my laptop via bluetooth (although that is more likely my laptops fault), those are the only ones I'm having problems with.

That's enough attempting to inject some meaning into my life with inanimate objects, back to the site. Anyone interested in videogame soundtracks? I've brought a few recently, samples and opinions over here...

Videogame soundtracks...

Killer7 Original Soundtrack
I haven't exactly hidden the fact that I love this game, I've mentioned the amazing visuals and the fact that it has a really deep storyline several times. Another thing that makes this game is the soundtrack, it really left an impression. It's pretty much all over the place, it has a strange dubby country soundtrack during the Cloudman levels, just before boss levels it leaps into Euro Disco of all things, and there is another level which uses cheesy music from a kids power ranger-esque show. My favorite bits though are the dark brooding cinematic moments though. This song is played whenever you enter a 'TV-room', this is Killer 7's equivalent of a save game menu; A dark room illuminated only by a TV set where you can talk to Iwazaru the friendly ethereal gimp and get Samantha the nurse to save your game (if she is feeling nice that is). This song really does make the atmosphere all the more creepy and dreamlike...

MP3: Multiple Personality

Lumines Remixes
So hands up who is getting a PSP next month, or hands up who has been impatient and already got one. Either way, one game you will want in your collection is Lumines - the PSP's Tetris if you will. It's a simple looking puzzle game where you arrange blocks of 4 squares into different patterns of 4 squares which are cleared from the level by a bar which constantly sweeps across the screen. The music plays quite an important part in this as the speed of the bar is directly linked to the tempo of the song playing for that level. It's not a game to show off the graphic capabilities of the machine, but it's easily one of the most additive games available for the PSP. Anyway, have a listen to this to see what you think. I have to admit the soundtrack is a bit empty on it's own, when playing the game you are constantly adding extra ambient noises by your actions, and some of the best songs aren't on this CD due to licensing restrictions (boo!), still someone may like this tune.

MP3: WORKING IN THE HOLE

Gamer's Guide To Rez
Rez was a fantastic game originally released for the Sega Dreamcast console. Essentially it's an on rails shooter, but the makers made a real point of synthesizing music and imagery with the gameplay. As you progressed through the level the scenery grew and the soundtrack became richer, when it came out on the Playstation 2 they introduced a further physical component with something called a 'Trance Vibrator' (ahem!), a rumble pack which you were meant to sit on to further immerse yourself in the game. And no, I didn't get one! The music was very much influenced by modern techno and electronica with artists such as Ken Ishii, Adam Freeland and Oval (they had a really odd level, it had no end and you couldn't die, the only aim was seemingly to induce a stroke or something) contributing. Mainly what you got was bounding beats as evidenced by this track:

MP3: Rock Is Sponge (Area04)

So, I just phoned up Vodafone to check when I'm allowed to upgrade my mobile phone. Trouble is I phoned up to check on exactly the same day that the fancy pants Sony Ericsson W800i walkman phone is being released, complete coincidence - honestly!

Anyway, to cut a long story short: mines arriving on Monday and yes I did have to pay a bit for the upgrade, but like pr0n if you want quality it's better to pay that little bit extra...

Got a link to a game for you, it's called Golf?

It's a golf game (quelle surprise) with Dali-esque wireframe artwork, it has a golf cart that handles like the buggy in HalfLife 2, and for some reason: alcoholic floating caddies.

I quite like it, doesn't run on my lap top very well, but my work PC seems to handle it - not that I'm playing games at work - no sirree, that would be wrong...

I don't think we need to dwell on the football this weekend do we? I'm talking of the Leicester result of course. *sigh*

I spent a lot of this weekend finishing off Killer 7 so I thought I'd post a few comments as it's quite an important game IMHO. Gameplay wise I'm in two minds, part of me is impressed with the bold decisions they made by stripping the usual action adventure controls to a uniquely minimal set (you move by pressing one button to run - the only other control you have over the character is when you get to a junction and get to choose a direction to move), however I think the first person shooting bits could have been better. You are rooted to the spot when shooting, so the usual circle strafing associated with first person shooting games is thrown out of the window, in fact these bits play more like an old lightgun game - which begs the question why not throw in lightgun support?

As for design you can't help but admire it. From the strange graphics engine with it's unique cel-shading, the way enemies explode in a shower of blood droplets, the bold colours and minimal texturing to the manga sequence which intercut each level - you can see a lot of thought has been put into the visual presentation of the game. The soundtrack is just as well thought out, I'll write about that later though as I've ordered the CD soundtrack from Play-Asia, and I think it warrants consideration on it's own.

Then there is the story, intriguing and clever are two words that come to mind. On the surface it's a surreal tale about an assassin with 7 personalities (each of which can take on a physical form) hunting down a cult of terrorists called Heaven's Smile. But it's so much more than that, there is a whole subtle and clever critique of Japanese American relations since the end of World War II (made even more poignant with the anniversary of the dropping of the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima) lurking in cut scenes , conversations and symbolism buried within the game. It's the sort of thing that I'm not capable of analysis by myself, luckily someone else already has over here - makes a very interesting read if you have completed the game.

Don't think I'll play a game like that for sometime - next one on the list: Nintendogs... It's a puppy simulator *gulp*

The picture of Kinga is troubling me a bit (a whole wine bottle?!), so here's a picture of the new Kid606 album which is less scary:

more details and an mp3 over here...

for his mum...

Kid606 - Resilience
Hurrah! A new Kid606 album, I've been hearing rumours of this album for quite some time, a Kid606 album with proper tunes? Surely not? Well, it's true! This album (dedicated to his Mum - all together now: ahhh!) is full of cute little tunes which sort of swing between selected ambient works era Aphex Twin and modern RnB. There's still plenty of 'Kid606'-ness in here, but it's much less abrasive than some of the things he's done, and it has strings! Strings I tell you! Never thought I'd here anything like that on one of his albums. Anyway, very nice CD - completely pain in the ass to get hold of so it will be criminally ignored as usual. *sigh*

MP3: Spanish Song