Wii Fit: Do I Detect A Little Someone?

No, I'm not pregnant!

So I've just got back from the gym and figured I'd see if I lost anything (hah! Desperation, I know). I didn't but on a whim I decided to pick up the Ginger One (that's my tom cat Jerry to anyone who doesn't read my blog regularly), recalling Miyamoto-san's comment that the Euro/US version of Wii Fit would feature the ability to weigh your furry feline/canine/leporidae-ine (that's rabbit, BTW) friends by holding them.

So I held, stepped on and the Balance Board exclaimed: "Oh, do I detect a little someone or something on me with you? They weigh 11lbs. Brilliant!'

Cool.

Cue cute pic of the Ginger One on the Balance Board!

Wii Fit: Impressions

I picked up Wii Fit this morning on impulse after seeing it in Woolworths and lugging it home was half the effort as it's a heavy beast (yes, Balance Board, I do mean you) but that's half the fun right? I'm embarrassed to admit, I had to check with the cashier (in a baggy Wii Fit T shirt) what the weight limit on the machine, not just for my benefit, you understand, but also for the two women behind me. As it happened I need not have worried: 23st 8lbs (150kg) is not a bad limit at all and much higher than I would have suspected. People were actually queuing to pick these up, the sleek Nintendoesque boxes calling around to shoppers across town and they weren't just buying one either, it seems Wii Fit is the new must-have accessory..

£70 later, I got the thing home, unboxed it and dumped the manual somewhere (I think the cat may well be eating it). Synching the board took seconds once I figured out to press the synch button on the Wii, not the remote - d'oh and it was boot up time. Pleasingly, the Balance Board wasn't the light piece of plastic I imagined it to be but a hefty white slab of ergonomic goodness, complete with a handy on/off button within reaching distance.

In keeping with Nintendo's ethos of making gaming fun and family orientated, Wii Fit turns a taboo subject into something a little less boring. Take the Balance Board, equiped with a high pitched voice it tells you when to or not to stand on it, offers hints and appears in glorious 3-D next to your Mii.

After entering my date of birth and height, the Balance Board cheerfully told me it was going to calculate my Body Mass index (BMI), Wii Fit Age and weight.

Yes, it's a bathroom scales in disguise - oh Nintendo, we didn't see that one coming!

A second later, the lovely Balance Board informed me without harshness or mockery that my Wii Fit Age was 37, my BMI was 54.85 and my weight of 21st 6lbs. My Mii instantly changed to take this into account (suddenly looking a lot more like me!) and the Balance Board asked what I'd like to aim for in terms of loss in two weeks time. Some folks might be shocked by these figures but as someone who has had a gastic bypass and suffers from an eating disorder, I was prepared. It's easy to guesstimate my weight even though I avoid scales like the plague so I had a good idea what it would say.

Next it was time to try some of the games and exercises. Split between yoga, aerobic exercises, balance games and muscles workouts, I - in a moment of insanity - picked jogging. Talk about leaping in at the deep end! Now, partly because of my eyes, partly because of sheer laziness, I do not 'jog' (yogging - as Ron Burgundy might say). Hell I only run if I'm going to miss the bus and that never happens. Anyway, your Mii does the running and movements are worked out not by running on the Balance Board but by using the Wii Remote as a pedometer. I merrily started running, thinking how easy it was then hit The Wall and nearly died .....

I quite like the yoga exercises, simply because they are a lot more sedate, although I can't find the Meditation exercise anywhere. Hopefully it'll be unlocked at some point, it looks a lot of fun. The balance exercises can be anything from walking the tightrope to doing a ski jump but I do really enjoy the step exercises, it takes a couple of goes to get the hang of but is a lot of fun.

Regardless, I'm joining the gym five minutes down the road. If I'm going to track my weight, it's going down, not up!

Back to Hanyuda: Siren: New Translation Demo Impressions

This morning I was woken to scrabbling and 'miaow, miaaaaaooow, mow, mow, nyah' which I'm sure was the Ginger One's way of going: 'Oi, Food Source, get up! The Siren: New Translation demo is up on PSN!' Needless to say I was quick to download it (although someone has kindly uploaded footage seen below) and have a go.

Mission Objective: Search for the Others

The demo (which includes two missions) introduces one of the main protagonists an American named Sam Monroe. He wakes outside the Gojaku Mine to find red liquid falling from the skies and it's pitch black but for a slight reddish tinge to the clouds. He's been separated from a woman - who from their later interactions I'm guess is his (ex-)wife - named Melissa Gale - and a little girl, his daughter Bella. Sam is initially convinced this is some kind of trick or TV stunt until he sees a Japanese man beaten to death by a seemingly rabid woman. A few seconds later, the man gets to his feet, in the same state as the woman.

Sam sneaks past the man, snags a plank of wood from the wall and returns to beat the ... thing to death so he can take his pick axe before heading into the mine where he hopes to find his companions. The woman is inside and it takes a few moments to dispatch her before Sam finds a shack, breaking the lock with the axe, he walks inside, only to be hit on the head by Melissa. He walks up a few minutes later and the pair talk; she admonishes him for bringing Bella to Japan (obviously without her permission, it seems) before the pair decide they need to get out of the mine and find Bella.

Mission Objective: Escape to Hirasakai with Melissa Gale

The second objective sees Sam and Melissa trying to escape from the mine, unfortunately the exit is guarded by Shibito so you need to divert them in order to get past then deal with each, one by one, rather than all together. Killing a Shibito by chucking them down a lift shaft also gives Melissa a weapon and that instantly doubles their chances of survival and they eventually make it to Hirasakai at which point the demo concludes.

A cut scene then introduces sight-jacking and Sam gets a vision that shows Bella with a bald American man, trying to escape from Shibito. He sacrifices himself so she can escape and we eventually see her huddling in an abandoned room, trying to convince herself that the monsters aren't real.

Impressions

I'm hardly biased when it comes to Siren, I adore the franchise and so was eagerly awaiting this demo. First things are the intro screen, the logo has changed drastically and I believe this is to make the game a little more acceptable to international markets - which would seem to agree with the inclusion of American characters rather than ones who are Japanese.

The game looks gorgeous, retaining the oddly realistic photo-models (no doubt based on the actors who play them). All the Objectives are in English and Japanese along with the screens displaying the character you'll be playing, their location and the time in-game and, while all the tutorial instructions and subtitles are in Japanese, it's obvious this game has been created with English-speaking audiences in mind.

The leap from Siren 2 to New Translation in terms of graphics is stellar and yet it's hard to see as the game is very dark, even with Sam's flash light. This of course makes navigation damn near impossible as visibility is down to a metre in either direction, in turn enhancing the chills and thrills factor which makes horror games so deliciously playable.

Sight-jacking wasn't enabled in the opening level, although there were an Archive (Bella's diary) to be found. However if you get to near, the Shibito will sense you prompting a strange blue like almost like a muddled reflection on your eyeball. It's different to the early games but remarkably effective. The D-pad controls other actions like turning the torch on and off or yelling to attract attention while the shape buttons allow you to engage in melee or sneak by.

Siren: New Translation looks to be a fantastic game, it's not easy but it's not impossibly hard either. A little lateral thinking and you're off. For fans like me, there are plenty of references to the original game from a calender in the mining office, identical maps (as far as I could tell) to the reuse of the creepy ending theme from the original Siren. My only complain - well nit-pick - is Sony's choice to mistranslate Hanyuda once again, rendering it as Hanuda in English but you can;t have everything I suppose, at the least the English voice acting is a thousand times better.

Siren: New Translation is released on 24 July in Japan. UK and US release dates are yet to be announced.

The Road To Comic Con: Flights, Check! Premium Economy, Check! Disability Assistance, Check!

After weeks of researching and comparing prices, Friday was the day I'd chosen to sort out my flights. My mother (my personal fianancial advisor - hehe) met me in Norwich to trawl the travel agents for the best flights.

While I'd originally been won over by American Airlines (the lowest fare was £550 return), it became clear that saving money also meant sacrificing comfort. Thompsons were helpful but didn't have any AA business class seats so - after hearing my brother's tales of Premium Economy with Virgin - we headed round the corner to see what Richard Branson could offer me.

Norwich is filled with travel agents, there must be a dozen of them but this one is tucked next to the Vodaphone store in the Castle Mall, quite unassuming but we were very surprised. After explaining that we were looking into Premium Economy but that I only had around a grand to spend, the lovely agent Vicky explained they had a special on, a Premium Economy flight from Heathrow to LAX for ... wait for it the better part of eight hundred quid! She then looked at a connecting AA flight from LAX to San Diego (return) would be around £260 making the whole trip weigh in at a not unaffordable £1186 and change including tax!

The flight leaves around 3pm GMT and doesn't get into San Diego until 11:30pm PST but knowing I get to travel in comfortable 21" seats makes me a lot happier, plus no screaming kids. We mulled it over for an hour but my gut was screaming: "Go for it! Go for it!"

The way I see it, this is a trip of a lifetime so why not enjoy it? I impressed my mother as I actually paid the whole balance up-front (not using my credit card either!) and still have enough left in my savings to deal with that looming tax return and my accommodation in both San Diego and Paris. Wow, who knew three years worth of saving could go so far, eh?

While Virgin Atlantic doesn't have too much info on Premium Economy, surfing the net is ever so useful (incidentally, this is the kind of info I like, actual experience stuff and blow by blow accounts). Chris and Cheryl flew Virgin on their honeymoon (Upper Class on the way out and Premium Economy on the way back) and he spoke highly of the airline. I like the fact Premium Economy is a touch closer to First Class than simply being Economy with bells and whistles, even if it means china plates, a bigger V:Port and a glass of champagne on take off. In all honesty, it's the seat size and being nearer the front of the plane - yes I get to turn left rather than right! Now I know what to expect though, I'm really looking forward to it. Next was travel insurance, easy enough and oddly Virgin was the cheapest which surprised us.

Finally, disability assistance.

Normally I'm pretty self-sufficient, I have to be but airports are a different matter. Small ones like Norwich are okayish but big ones? Not a chance! Virgin were only happy to help once I gave them a call and explained my needs, a person will meet me at the check-in desk, guide me through, hopefully deposit me in a nice lounge (Upper Class?) and get me on the plane. Vicky called AA on my behalf and here's where it gets odd: they only do wheelchair assistance .... oddness. Although I kind of see their weird logic from reading this page: why shepherd through a busy airport when you sit in wheelchair through? Worst case, I get a free ride through LAX, no problems there although hopefully they will realise that being visually impaired does not actually mean you can't walk - although after the lengthy flight, it could well be a problem!

I was quite impressed to be honest, I thought this would be annoying and stressful but no! Vicky made a note of a good seat for me (my eyes want window, my legs aisle) that I'll be able to book when I pick up the tickets next week. She's even going to find out if I'm entitled to go in a lounge. I am quite tempted to ask, on the day, if I can upgrade but we'll see. Either way, I'm going to America!

So now the waiting, working and saving begins. I just hope the exchange rate stays the same ...

Either way, I'm kind of terrified. After all I'm visually impaired, have never flown out of the country before and am going to a strange land across the ocean. I swear my mother was choked, I suppose she assumed I'd never do it but when have I let anything else stop me? I'm one thing if not stubborn, once I get an idea into my head I just won't let go.

Hmm Upper Class .....

No, no, that's one idea not worth fixating on at all, even if it is nice. I can but hope, eh? I'm still going to dress smartly though, just in case!

Okami: PS2 Vs. Wii

Gorgeous and I can't wait to play this!

Back to Hanyuda: Siren: New Translation Officially Announced!

「２００７年８月３日米国のテレビアクルーが日本の山間部を取村中に突然その消息を絶った」
On August 3rd 2007, an American TV crew in the mountains of Japan found themselves in the middle of a forgotten village and suddenly everything changed ...*

A couple of days ago, I blogged about the announcement of a new Siren game for the PS3, kindly leaked two days early thanks to a copy of Famitsu. Well the scary clock duly hit zero early this morning and the game's teaser site was revealed. There's not much on there at the moment except promise of a demo and a revealing trailer.

Here's what we know:

1. It's not a strict retelling of the original, rather a follow up set in Hanyuda four years (starting 3rd August 2007) after the events of Siren.


2. There are Americans in it but don't worry, they seem to be a television crew and a family so they should die quickly. The include a mother and child and some teenagers so maybe a family who got a little lost?


3. The English voiceovers don't sound too bad, neither do the Japanese.


4. Kajiro Miyako makes a reappearence, as does a little girl looking suspiciously like Yomoda Harumi.


5. There's a new souped-up techno version of the ending theme Hoshingoeika.


6. The Shibito are back, baby!

* This translation is mine and is based on text found in the trailer. It's not perfect.

World of Warcraft: Nice Horsey .... ARGH!

Tonight saw my second outing in Karazhan and we started from the beginning with Midnight and her creepy owner Attumen. We came, we wiped, we conquered :D Best of all, I got another [Badge of Justice] to add to my collection and my first proper epics: [The Handwraps of Flowing Thought] - SWEET.

Siren: New Translation Is Coming!

I love my Japanese horror, be it games or movies. As long as there's a Japaneseness to it, I'm happy. Siren 3 has long been on the horizon and is the reason I bought my PS3. A couple of days ago, SCEJ launched this creepy countdown with a tell-tale clock which will be more than familiar to fans of the game.

And Famitsu has ... well ... stolen their thunder a bit by featuring the game in its latest issue. Now titled Siren: New Translation, it looks to be a remake of the original game and is nearly complete (about 90%). A demo is due to hit the Japanese Playstation Store on April 24th with the full game hitting stores in Japan on July 24th.

Guess what I'm going to be pre-ordering?

PiQ - May 2008

While I admit to not liking this cover (or Sam and Max for that matter), the offerings this month are pretty amazing. I'm especially pleased with a certain six page offering on Torchwood including exclusive interviews with Naoko Mori (Toshiko Sato) and Burn Gormann (Owen Harper) by yours truly!

Yes, living in the UK and writing for an American magazine does indeed have the odd perk.

Anyway, the issue is out now so go get it, people!

World of Warcraft: Of Karazhan and Clangers

Determined to see more endgame action, Serisa has joined The Demi Gods and is loving every second of it. As the guild's sole boomkin, she's dedicated to gearing up which means only one thing: Karazhan, Medivh's fabled tower located in the depressing Deadwind Pass.

I'd never been into the instance before but now the attunement has been dropped, only one member needs [The Master's Key] (although Serisa is still going to get it, if only for the prestige and Violet Eye rep, besides you never know when the key might come in handy). So we gathered on the assigned raid evening (Saturday) outside the tower where half of Daggerspine seemed to be congregating.

Cue ganking.

And more ganking, oh and some raid group issues but eventually we stepped through the portal into the tower. I'd been expecting to face Midnight and her master, instead we jumped straight into Moroes and then finished the night with the Maiden of Virtue. The tower itself is truly immense and something really special, it's beautiful but in a seriously creepy way. The walls are painted and gilded and the inhabitants (ghostly spectres of their former selves) dance to the music of a harpsichord. Oddly though, the most prominent sound-effect is Clanger-like but still manages to sound fitting.

At the same time, it's not a walk in the park. Serisa died three times, once from Moroes, the second by jumping in the wrong place and the third at the Maiden's hands. Raiding with ten other people is a lot of fun, the pressure to kick arse and not die is still there but the sense of achievement (and four [Badges of Justice]) make any personal danger worthwhile.

The Road to Comic Con: Press Pass A Go-Go!

Press registration for Comic Con finally opened this morning, which seems like an age ago. I'm not a patient soul so I actually rang on Wednesday to find out when registration would be opening up and the method of delivery used for the letters/features/mastheads that they required for verification.

Once I explained to the PR folks that I was UK based (and found out that they used snail mail) they gave me the OK to send the bits and pieces over - which I'd made a point of getting beforehand - via email. So when registration opened up, it was a simple matter of filling in the forms and waiting. This afternoon my validation email pinged and five minutes later I have a press pass and the validation barcode.

Fantastic.

Just the flights left now and I'm so torn, economy flights will set me back £645 but my eye can't help but fall on business class (which also involves first class oddly enough) but a round trip will cost £1998, that's an amount I just can't really afford (not with the other things I have to do with this year) or justify. All I can do is hope I get a window seat at the front of the plane and that there are helpful attendents to get me from A to B.

I've been in 'I'm going to America' hyperactive mode for half an hour, quizzing G (who knows San Diego and the US rather well, thanks to his frequent travels - apparently Coke tastes palatable and you can get anything at a 7-Eleven). I've been wanting to go since I was eighteen so finally going and for such a huge event is a big deal for me.

San Diego, here I come!

Doctor Who: Partners in Crime (Episode Review)

Series four of Doctor Who kicked off earlier tonight with a bang: comedy, peril, mime, adorable aliens and a real twist in the tale as well as reintroducing loud-mouth Donna Noble as the Doctor's latest companion. Since the conclusion of The Runaway Bride she has been hunting him down, determined to capture a lost opportunity when she refused the Doctor's offer of travelling with him in the TARDIS.

To this end, Donna has been investigating Adipose Industries, a company selling a new kind of diet pill; one which really works. Of course all is not as it seems when the Doctor realises that the weight isn't just disappearing, it's also walking away through the front door! The stereotypically nasty Miss Foster is actually an alien nanny charged with fostering a few million babies in the form of adorable living blobs of fat. Unfortunately, this can have some deady side-effects - as Donna discovers - and the Doctor is forced to 'deal' with Foster when she refuses to stop what is an illegal activity according to the much-mentioned Shadow Proclamation.

The nice thing about this episode is not just the instant rapport and (for once) none-sexual chemistry between Donna and the Doctor it's the light-hearted feel; yes there's peril but for once the little baby Adipose aren't the source, they're just cute. Doctor Who is family friendly again, if only for this week with it's 6:20pm time slot appealing for all. This is a fantastic way to start the new series and Donna herself seems to have mellowed; her family background gives a hint as to why she is so bossy and while there are moments reminiscent of her behaviour in The Runaway Bride, she has matured quite a bit.

While predominately a bit of fun, Partners in Crime does have some action-packed sequences. The main one involving a window-washer's cart and a sonic pen. It's certainly different. For me, though, the episode's high point was its closing twist. This shocking revelation had the same impact as Captain Jack explaining his nickname was 'the Face of Boe' in the finale of series three.

Donna, who has nipped round the corner while the Doctor moves her numerous pieces of luggage, asks a random passerby - a girl with blonde hair - to let her mother in know which bin she dumped her car keys. When she goes, the girl turns - and it's Rose!

Looking ever so sad and almost world-weary, she simply gazes into nothing for a moment looking like she might cry then walks away and vanishes, the first bars from 'Doomsday' playing as she goes. It's an incredibly atmospheric moment which really has an unsettling impact and the musical cue has to be one of the most apt in the series' history, providing both that note of impending doom and familiarity. Rose may have returned but she is not the same person we last saw at the end of series two, something is wrong and it's sure to have an effect on the on-going story arc.

This instantly raises questions and I have a feeling that, rather than a word being the common theme (as 'bad wolf', 'Torchwood' and 'Saxon' were for the previous series) that it will in fact be Rose who - I think - will finally run into the Doctor for the climatic final episodes which will see the return of Martha, Sarah Jane and Captain Jack for an all-out battle against .... something (my money is on Davros and the Daleks).

I know I said I wouldn't watch series four but Partners in Crime had enough to remind viewers disgruntled with Catherine Tate of what makes the series. It's not the companions but the Doctor so watch away without fear, this is going to be the best series yet.

If you live in the UK, you can watch the episode via the BBC's iPlayer by clicking here.

Eastenders: Jackson 5 Trailer

Ahh, it's that time of year when the scriptwriters run out of ideas between the perennial nightmare that is a Walford Christmas and throw some old faces back into the mix - by killing Frank Butcher.

We've had Claire, Diane, the evil Janine and now it's Ricky and Bianca's turn, hence this rather good trailer. Not bad but ye Gods has Bianca got a pair of lungs on her.