I Played it Once and That’s It! , the Dragonball Evolution [PSP] Review

Dragonball Evolution

When I first looked at the screenshot, I thought maybe this is the game that may fulfill my thirst for the ultimate fighting games for PSP after Tekken and Def Jam. Due to my undying search for it, I searched the scattered information for the probability that the ‘perfect’ fighting games will arise from somewhere. When I first tested this game for the first 2 minute, the overall score was 8.0 (because of the smooth movement of the character; punch, kick, run). :p

But then, the catastrophe occurred. Why so simple? Why the movement is easily mastered by triggering only punch plus up arrow to make Kame Hame Ha?

I don’t watch the movie because I know exactly how it will end up. Since that is true, I thought the game would be more interesting than the movie. Damn! I ended playing it for not more than 1 hour (forgot to calculate and jot down the time I played, sorry). After I finished playing the game, I don’t feel any emotion of happiness bursting out as usual (where celebration party will be held upon my success of finishing the game by my roommate). The only thing that makes me mesmerized is the Kame Hame Ha animation sequence.

What I found out about the game:

• Combos can be done by pressing KICK button or PUNCH button simultaneously.
• You can finish the opponents by recharging and using ONLY Kame Hame Ha, seriously!
• Super Combos can be done by pressing UP, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT plus KICK or PUNCH.
• The character design is so simple.
• Shallow and simple storytelling.

When I hastily ran towards the bed crying for the imperfection of the Dragonball Evolution, my mailbox rang for something that I’m surely be dumbfounded in coming months. Soulcalibur Broken Destiny will be released for PSP. Can the game quench my thirst for the fighting games? We’ll see.

Banzai!! Kaela Kimura New Single

Banzai

Last week, I’ve been taking my time off from life and maintain my comfort position in front of my PC watching Asian movies. While switching to my email checking for any job available and watching the movies, I’ve been called upon my memories when I accidentally recognized my girlfriend, Kimura Kaela (ehem!:p), in Paco and the Magical Picture Book. Ahh! There she is…covered with bandages.

When I checked Wiki page to find something new about her, she did released one new single called Banzai. Then, I searched in Youtube for the video (usually, the audio preview is being attached to the still pictures as OMV). It’s an OK song…-silence-

When the single was released, I’ve been listening a lot to her side B track. Hocus Pocus was more appealing than her A side track, Banzai. It sounded more like Memories (OST for Paco and the Magical Picture Book). The song may vary with other personalities, this is just my opinion.

First Glance on Buono’s Co.No.Mi.Chi

Cover album for co.no.mi.chi

Japanese music seems to enjoying their industry by spending every last copper on singles rather than albums. In other countries, only 1-2 singles will be released while the full albums will be their main marked profits. At first I don’t quite understand on what purpose a single album stand in the market; what happens when the great song been released on singles? Does that mean people won’t have to buy full album if they can afford and efficiently saving money from that practice by buying singles only? In Malaysia, I don’t find any singles been made. Well, maybe it only came from Cat Farish with his group about 1-2 years ago. Some of the artists may distributed it to… let’s say, “relatives” of their own (I received one from my friends who gave me Raihan singles as promo CD). The newly common practice here is the making on Mini Album, regardless the costly development on full album.

Since Buono! had released 4 singles; “Gachinko de Ikou”, “Kiss Kiss Kiss”, “Rottara Rottara” and “co.no.mi.chi” (by which all of it were excellent), I’ve been more than pleased after they managed to make it on full album plus some unreleased songs. Aside from the singles which are defined as the best, full album provide another slot to be fulfilled. Yet, I tend to find my appetite still unoccupied if any of the unreleased songs in the album were not good enough. It could form a scar to the Buono!’s reputation I guess…how to define what’s good and what’s not? Individuals have their own opinions…

Here’s my quick review (as I said earlier in Force Unleashed entry, I won’t give a definitive guide or details on review as I certainly don’t want to disturb your… own evaluation of music itselfJ These are my opinions):

Co.no.mi.chi:
A rock-style song with some Jpop-cutie touch. Their PV was not that good enough but critical hit points were achieved on that cute pointing finger in dance routine and that wonderful black and white mini skirt…yay!

Early Bird: Light, happy tune and it even sounded more like Anime song.

Kira Kira: Common sound with the other Jpop artiste; happy and light song.

Goal: Slower and orchestrated song with a taste like Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida”.

I Need You:
The fast tempo is good; the drum. The guitar play sounded more into Hawaiian beach song. I’d loved to hear it more heavy, or more rockishhhhh!! Is this word really exist?

P.S: With the new song emerged, still my favorite was “Rottara Rottara”…

Late Enthusiast on Loveholic

Loveholic 3rd album Volume 3 Nice Album

I feel calm when I listened to it…
I feel like I want to fall in love… for the first time…
I feel like there is a bright light or wonderful sound resonates distant from far away…
Waiting to be embraced…

It feels tiresome and exciting when you’re digging, extracting, analyzing comments and recommendations, exploring and surfing the internet listening to various music from other regions, from self-proclaimed MySpace artist page, Youtube and even some informal information about music that burst out from nowhere; rumors (it is some sort of viral marketing, I guess). By these actions, I’ve found The Pipettes (from the video I downloaded from Divx Stage, once), Dido (performance on Donnie and Marie, the talk show), Yuna (Malaysian-based talent found on MySpace), Kimura Kaela (first appearance on Ueto Aya’s “Attention Please!”), Halcali (from Anime Getsumen to Heiki Mina opening theme), Epik High (duet with Younha on “Oosan”) and Loveholic (their lead singer, Ji Sun paired up with Epik high on “One”). I have a lot of list, but I think you already figured it out…

The band’s name was Loveholic. Maybe it represents addicted-to-love theory, a bit like addicted to alcohol (alcoholic). As the group first album released on 2003, I just thought that I’m a late boomer. But, it can’t be avoided since I don’t even have an Internet line at that time. As I’m browsing the Wiki page right now, Ji Sun already left the band. It’s in 2007… So, am I a truly devotee to the disbanded band? It happens to me once on Do As Infinity. As I’m listening to their music all along, the band actually disbanded 2 years earlier when I started to like them. Damn! Why am I being left behind when it comes to good music from Asian??!!

Their first album entitled “Volume 1: Florist” was a major album which I listened to, a lot. Most of their songs were mellowish (think Coldplay) with beautiful voice from Ji Sun. I think I’ve heard their songs on Korean Drama or somewhere else…

Their third album called “Volume 3: Nice Dream” which was released on 2006 was my next admiration. Most of my favorites were in this album including “Iryoil Malgeum”, “hwabun”, “One Love” and “TV”. “One Love” reminds me of The Innocence Mission’s Bright as Yellow from Empire Records OST. If you loved love songs with details guitar string and some finely-tuned-orchestrated sad melody, you should try listening to their songs…

Since the band no longer holds their feet on Korean music scenery, I wanted to thanks for Loveholic for making great music (if they ever read this or any Korean who can send my regards to themJ).

Kaela Kimura New Single, Doko?

The new single

After 4 months absentees of updates, news or status, Kaela Kimura will be releasing her 13^th single entitled Doko. Even her PV for this single has been published on Youtube. The release date would be on 28^th January 2009. From what I’ve heard and saw on Youtube, this time she makes it more ballade.

P.S: I do missed her after her 12^th single, Moustache/ Memories.

Experimenting music by pipettes, The Pipettes Small Chunks of Late Review

the album cover

I’m quite attracted to this group by first impression during the Rocknacht concert I watched a month ago on the Internet. They brought “Really that Bad” with a stylish and a bit of 70s song in mind. At first I thought they paired up or maybe, mix and match the modern and oldies song. But the information on the net stated that they’re trying to hasten the tempo on the oldies and make it more modern. What a superb accomplishment! The first track on their album, We Are the Pipettes, is some sort of an interesting introductory on who they are. Its sound looks a bit like 60s or 70s TV show in terms of spies, espionage or some old Bond’s movie jingles. I’ve listened to their album, but Pull Shapes really makes me to groove, baby! It is the best song in the album, I assumed. I found it more interesting when someone posted the Pull Shapes dance lesson on Youtube. Aaaahhh…my hands keep misplaced from the actual dance routine, damn! Let’s give it a try…again. :p

One of their songs, “Tell Me What You Want” sounded more like the siblings; Karen and Richard in The Carpenters. I guess, I’ll be needed some injections from mixture of modern and oldies songs from now on. Other tracks to look out for includes We are the Pipettes, Judy, Your Kisses are Wasted on Me, Tell Me What You Want… aaaaannnnddd the list goes on.

The previous members of the group

When I visited their official website at thepipettes.co.uk, they were now upon completion of their last song to record for their 2^nd album without the presence of Riotbecki and Rose Dougall (they left the group). By the way, I managed to find Rose Dougall on Myspace with 2 songs ‘attached’ to it; Another Version of Pop Song and May Holiday.

Most of The Pipettes’ songs are wonderful and I stumble on its significance as a mean of escapism from some not-so-interesting music I previewed on Yahoo! Music. I just can’t cope with them at all…maybe it is time to change ‘channels’, a bit taste of European music.