MusicBox Lives - The Blog of Mike Crichlow

Greatest. Sign. Ever.

2010-07-17T20:41:00.000-07:00

Just...wow. I wonder where this sign is... :)

Mike C

Hello world... again. :)

2009-11-11T19:34:00.000-08:00

Hey, all. This is Mike. 'Tis been a while since I actually used this and I was wondering if people were actually still subscribed to it. I used to use this to post stuff not particularly suitable for DA; a place for my own, ya know? However, it's difficult to keep two places updated. Will try and be better about that.

If you're still following, drop a line and show me some love, yeah? ^_^

Check out the trailer for Kick-Ass below. Yes, that is McLovn — Christopher Mintz-Plasse — as 'Red Mist'. Love it! :D

Kick-Ass

Trailer Park | MySpace Video

Workin' on stuff...

2009-09-10T09:56:00.001-07:00

... but can't share any of it right now. Let it be known that I'm still alive and rockin' and rollin'. I beat SHADOW COMPLEX (Wah-hoo!) and not I'm thinking about other games to go to. I think Batman: Arkham Asylum is next.

Anyway, just passing though and saying a quick hello. Much love, and I should have stuff to post soon. Cheers!

-Mike C-

I'm still here...

2009-09-01T23:26:00.000-07:00

... just been busy/distracted from posting. How's everything with y'all? Let me know! ^_^

Been workin' on some stuff. Will post it soon. Much love, y'all!!

Don't forget to comment and subscribe! ^_^

-Mike C-

I am SUPER-busy...

2009-08-17T09:23:00.000-07:00

...so I won't have time to do a Drawing Night this week. Thanks for all the love and support, y'all. I'll be back heavy posting here soon. Hope you're doing well. :HUGZ*

Cheers! :)

Don't forget to comment and subscribe! ^_^

-Mike C-

Mech Suit Love

2009-08-12T11:28:00.000-07:00

Hey, all. Found these pics online and I just thought I would share. Hope y'all are doing well and lookin' forward to the Drawing Night next week. Cheers!

Much love, y'all. Talk to you soon!!

Don't forget to comment and subscribe! ^_^

-Mike C-

Howdy, Y'all ^_^

2009-08-11T10:36:00.000-07:00

Hey, everyone. No pic today, 'Twas just wondering if you had any ideas about the Drawing Night for next week. Please share any ideas that you have, as well as other fun things I could do over here (that maybe I can't do on DA) :)

Hope you're doing well. Talk to you soon.

If you like the blog, tell you friends~!

Don't forget to comment and subscribe! ^_^

-Mike C-

Takashi Murakami Sculptures

2009-08-10T09:57:00.000-07:00

For whatever the reason, the sculptures of Takashi Murakami have been on my mind lately. I believe the two main figures here 'Hiropan' (the girl jumping rope with her breast milk) and 'My Lonesome Cowboy' (the guy making a lasso out of his semen) premiered in 1999. They are still used in exhibits, though and continue to be a fascinating tribute/mockery of the Japanese anime culture. Also, just to let you know that this is serious business, in May 2008 'My Lonesome Cowboy' sold for $15.2 million. How do you like that! :)

Maybe I should get into sculptures... Ha! Talk to you soon. :)

Don't forget to comment and subscribe! ^_^

-Mike C-

Sometimes...

2009-08-08T14:35:00.000-07:00

... I freakin' REALLY wish I had a girlfriend. The love and companionship that a relationship like that brings is just... amazing. It's hard (after experiencing a loving girl) to return to "normal" life. It just feels so empty. That's why some say exposure's a bad thing. It makes you discontent in situations where heretofore you would have been fine.

Ah, well.

Life goes on... and I hope to find another love one day.

Hope y'all are doing well. Talk to you soon. Much love!! :)

Don't forget to comment and subscribe! ^_^

-Mike C-

Sharon Stone poses topless on cover of French magazine...

2009-08-06T16:24:00.001-07:00

... and she's 50 years old. Wow. You go, girl... um... I mean, woman. :)

You can find out more information about it here and here .

Don't forget to comment and subscribe! ^_^

-Mike C-

Mike's Drawing Night II - Superman Posts

2009-08-06T11:53:00.000-07:00

Hey, all! Lookin' forward to seeing what pics are shared. It's all part of a larger plan to get better and have fun. I took a while deciding the angle and perspective of my pic. In the end, I think it turned out alright. Hope you like it. Cheers! :)

Done with pencil and copic markers. (gotta love 'em)

Much love, y'all. Show me what ya got!!

Don't forget to comment and subscribe! ^_^

-Mike C-

Queen's Blade OVA 2 - Mini Gallery

2009-08-05T22:34:00.001-07:00

Just as the title says, here's a few pics from this near-hentai show. Very funny episode this one. Hope you like it! :)

I *still* haven't drawn my Superman pic. *sigh* Hopefully, it'll be done by tomorrow.

Much love y'all. Talk to you soon!!

Don't forget to comment and subscribe! ^_^

-Mike C-

Mike's Drawing Night II

2009-08-04T10:43:00.001-07:00

Hey, all. Time for some more drawing! Yay! The theme for this week is.... SUPERMAN!

Draw your take on Superman (or a variation of that name) and post it all for the world to see. Deadline is Thursday, August 6th. Happy drawing!

Much love, y'all!

Don't forget to comment and subscribe! ^_^

-Mike C-

Random Girl Love

2009-08-03T11:06:00.000-07:00

Hey, all. I've been *really* busy over at my DA page so I was kinda at a loss at what to post over here. Thus, a pic of a random girl. Ha! I know. I gotta start doing more over here.

I'll announce the character for this week's Drawing Night tomorrow. Hope y'all are doing well. Cheers! ^_^

Don't forget to comment and subscribe! ^_^

-Mike C-

Sneak Peek

2009-07-31T11:32:00.000-07:00

Hey, all. This is a little sneak peek at a pic I'm workin' on now. Hope to color it and everything soon. See? I do special stuff for my loyal blog followers. Can't you just feel the love? :) Hope you like it!

Much love, y'all. Happy Friday!! ^_^

Don't forget to comment and subscribe! ^_^

-Mike C-

Princess Lover II

2009-07-30T11:06:00.000-07:00

Hey, all. Just a quick pic today. I'm loving Princess Lover, so I just thought I'd share more of it. Hope you like it! :)

Much love, y'all! Talk to you soon.

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PS: If you have any more ideas about the Drawing Night, please share them.

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Don't forget to comment and subscribe! ^_^

-Mike C-

Mike's Drawing Night II

2009-07-29T12:03:00.002-07:00

Just a question: Who do you think we should draw for next week? I have some ideas, but I want to hear what you think.

Let me know!

Talk to you soon. :)

-Mike C-

Tilted Hat Cutie - Pencils

2009-07-28T09:52:00.000-07:00

Hey, all. Just sharing the pencils of my Tilted Hat Cutie pic. Hope you like it! :)

Talk to you soon. Much love!

Don't forget to comment and subscribe! ^_^

-Mike C-

Figures I wish I had...

2009-07-27T09:32:00.000-07:00

...but I have no idea where I would put them. Ha! Happy Monday, y'all.

More here . :)

Talk to you soon! Much love!

Don't for get to comment and subscribe! ^_^

-Mike C-

I want this figure!!!

2009-07-25T14:04:00.000-07:00

I love this figure! I gotta see if I can get it. Oh yeah...life. Yeah, that's not gonna happen. Hahaha!

Oh well, a guy can dream, can't he? :)

Hope y'all are doing well. Have a great weekend!

Don't forget to comment and subscribe! ^_^

-Mike C-

Internet Love ^_^

2009-07-24T03:07:00.000-07:00

This is why I love the internet. Where else could you find cool, random stuff like this? Haha! Happy Friday, y’all. :)

Hope y’all have a great weekend. Take care!

Don’t forget to comment and subscribe! ^_^

-Mike C-

Batgirl... to the rescue!!

2009-07-23T11:20:00.000-07:00

Hey, all. Here’s my batgirl pic for the Drawing Night for this week. I think it turned out pretty well! Hope you like it! Feel free to post your own pics so that we can connect and grow from each other’s work. It’ll be fun! :)

BRING ON THE PICS!! ^_^

Done with pencil and copic markers on printing paper. :)

Hope y’all are doing well. Take care!

Don’t forget to comment and subscribe! ^_^

-Mike C-

Soooooo..... Drawing Night not that intersting?

2009-07-22T11:10:00.000-07:00

Hey, all. seeing that I didn't get any feedback on the drawing night idea, I'm not sure if I'm going to do it. I thought that it might be fun to get a bit more interactive. Perhaps you all just like to see pics, though. Here's some of Sora Aoi.

Well, hope you're doing well, and I'll see ya soon. Gotta do some thinking and drawing today. Let me know if you have any ideas and stuff. Cheers! :)

Don-t forget to comment and subscribe! ^_^

-Mike C-

Mike's Drawing Night - Batgirl!!!

2009-07-21T10:56:00.000-07:00

Hey, all. In an attempt to do something different and fun, I'm doing a 'Mike's Drawing Night' here. Just like on my DA page, here are the rules.

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1. I post a topic, and then everyone has 48 hours to do their piece.

Today is Tuesday, so I'll post my piece Thursday (and in the comments section of that post, people can post links to their images).

2. Draw your own interpretation of the theme. Take as little or as much time as you want.

3. It's open to everyone! Have fun! :)

I hope that I can get a lot of participation with this. If people really like it, I'll make it a weekly event. ^_^

Show me what ya got! Talk to you soon! Much love!! *HUGZ*

Don't forget to comment and subscribe! ^_^

-Mike C-

Daiki Kougyo Wonder Festival 2009 Preview

2009-07-20T10:19:00.000-07:00

I think this figure is so cute. If I were really into figure collecting (which I am modestly) I’d definitely hunt this one down. However, with comics, video games, movies, etc, I don’t need to start another hobby. Ha! Gotta love it. :)

You can go here for more info.

Hope y’all are doing well and that you enjoy the frequent updates. Let me know!!

NOTE: Gonna start something cool this week. Look out for it! :)

Don’t forget to comment and subscribe! ^_^

-Mike C-

Dave Chapelle at Portland's Pioneer Square

2009-07-19T12:41:00.000-07:00

Wow.

On Wednesday, July 15th Dave Chapelle stopped in at Portland, OR's Pioneer Square. He told 4 people that he might stop by for an impromptu comedy show at 1 AM. However, through the use of social networking services like Facebook, Twitter and text messaging, the news spread quickly. Imagine Dave's surprise when he showed up at 12:53 AM NOT to see a hundred people like he thought was going to be there, but between five to ten thousand. All he brought with him was a little microphone amp, so things were now in unprecedented, dangerous territory. Luckily, things went over pretty smoothly. After trying to get the sound to improve for about an hour, he left with the promise that he'd set up a proper concert now that he knows there's still tremendous support. Love ya , Dave! ^_^

You can see a bit of what happened below. :)

Dave Chappelle at Pioneer Square

You can read more on it here .

Hope you're doing well. Let me know what you think!

Talk to you soon.

-Mike C-

Help!!

2009-07-18T23:05:00.000-07:00

Hey, all. I have two questions for you. ^_^

1. What do you want to see?

and

2. How can I make this blog more special?

I was thinking that I could take requests (which I don't take on my DA page) and I could post quick 10 min. sketches for people. Or perhaps I could post exclusive videos here. The cute girls and other randomness will continue, but what would YOU like to see? LET ME KNOW!! :)

So, take a few seconds to let me know what you think. I REALLY appreciate it.

Thanks so much! Love ya!! *HUGZ*

-Mike C-

Nozomi Sasaki - Red

2009-07-18T10:38:00.000-07:00

Here’s yet another pic of the lovely and beautiful Nozomi Sasaki. Love her! ^_^

If you like this blog, tell a friend. Help get the word out. :)

That’s all for now. Have a great weekend!

Don’t forget to comment and subscribe! ^_^

-Mike C-

Raging Phoenix - Preview

2009-07-17T10:04:00.000-07:00

These are some of the promotional posters for the film ‘Raging Phoenix’, a romantic, martial arts movie. I think the pics look really cool (maybe just because the girl is cute ^_^) and the trailer looks really cool. It’s by the same makers of Ong-Bak, starring Jeeja Yanin, the actress/screen fighter from the Thai hit movie. Hope you like it! :)

And here’s the trailer. Let me know what you think!

Talk to you soon! Much love! :)

Don’t forget to comment and subscribe! ^_^

-Mike C-

Princess Lover - Mini Gallery

2009-07-16T09:34:00.000-07:00

Princess Lover is a show that’s coming out this Summer Season. Episode 1 was really good, except for the blatant attempts to censor panty shots. “Nooo!!! Don’t look at her crotch or you’ll go blind! It’s like looking into the sun…!!”

So, in honor of this ero-game turned anime, here are a few pics. Hope you enjoy! :)

Hope y’all are doing well. Talk to you soon!

Don’t forget to comment and subscribe! ^_^

-Mike C-

Poison Ivy Concept Art

2009-07-15T09:28:00.000-07:00

I found this recently. It’s the concept art for Poison Ivy for the new Batman game that’s coming out shortly, Batman: Arkham Asylum. I think it looks awesome! Just thought I would share it here. Just google for more info.

Note: I did NOT draw this. :)

That’s all for now! Talk to you soon. Much love!!

Don’t forget to comment and subscribe! ^_^

-Mike C-

Kotobukiya’s Clalaclan Maid Preview

2009-07-14T09:55:00.000-07:00

I love the way this figure is developing. Ohhhh..... I want one. ^_^

You can see more on this here .

Much love! Hope y'all have a great day.

Don't forget to comment and subscribe! ^_^

-Mike C-

Cutie in Maxim

2009-07-13T18:01:00.000-07:00

Just keepin' the cuties comin'. Plan to do some extra drawing later this evening. Hope y'all are doing well. :)

BTW, if you have any requests let me know. I'll see what I can do. :)

Don't forget to comment and subscribe! ^_^

-Mike C-

Cutie Booty

2009-07-12T16:18:00.000-07:00

Not much to say this time around. The models I draw at Life Drawing look strikingly similar to her...

Don't forget to comment and subscribe! ^_^

-Mike C-

More Asian Goodness

2009-07-11T12:33:00.000-07:00

That's all. Just 'cause I felt like it. Ha! Have a great weekend, y'all. ^_^

Don't forget to comment and subscribe! ^_^

-Mike C-

Miyu Watanabe - White Swimsuit

2009-07-10T18:05:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday, y'all!! And what says 'Happy Friday' better than a cute Asian girl? Nothing, my friends. Haha! Enjoy! :)

Don't forget to comment and subscribe! ^_^

-Mike C-

Yua Aida - Cutie

2009-07-09T08:46:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been 4 days already?! Time moves way too fast. Anyway, been busy, so here's another asian cutie. More artwork to come soon. Hope you're doing well! :)

Don't forget to comment and subscribe! ^_^

-Mike C-

Sora no Manimani - Preview

2009-07-05T00:43:00.000-07:00

Hey, all. Been a few days. Hope you had a great fourth of July. :)

The preview clip of 'Sora no Manimani' (try saying THAT 3 times fast) shows a young boy named 'Saku-chan' who recognizes a girl (Mihoshi Akeno) atop the school passionately calling for new members for the astronomy club. Apparently they are childhood friends (wow... we all know where this is going, don't we...) and they are back together again after seven years. So, due to Mii-chan's exuberance (i.e glomping him from a distance of 20 yards) he joins the astronomy club and the wonder and beauty of the stars are discovered.

So far, it looks interesting. Not too much info to go by, really. But I'll give it a shot. Check out the screenshots below (click for bigger pic). :)

Hope you like it! Talk to you soon! ^_^

-Mike C-

Image Testing...

2009-07-01T10:28:00.000-07:00

Just trying out a few things to make the format and pictures that I upload look better. I like the way this looks. Hmmm... :) Test

Fight Ippatsu! Juuden-chan!! - Ep. 1 Review

2009-07-01T01:06:00.000-07:00

Hey, all. So a little while ago I posted a journal on this show: See here! :) It was a preview that kinda gave you a sneak peek at the show. So far, honestly... I like the preview WAY more than the actual show.

So, the show starts out, as all shows should (epic sarcasm) with a gratuitous panty shot.
The main character of the show is named 'Plug' because she, well... uses a big plug to help people. She uses a handy eyepiece to look into people's souls. If they're doing well (F or E) she leaved them alone. But, they are a C, that means they're doing pretty bad. I find it interesting that the method of grading goes BACKWARDS. F is the best, and A is the worst. Then, she electrocutes them with a big plug (by stabbing them through the chest) and they feel better. Wow... I can't believe I just wrote that.

Magically, there's one guy in the show that can see her. She's usually invisible to everyone in this realm. So, upon seeing a cute girl with "bunny ear plugs" on her head, he does the most normal thing -- -- -- beat her over the head with blunt objects for the rest of the ENTIRE EPISODE. I mean, am I supposed to like this? Is this supposed to be funny? I don't get it.

I also really don't like the character design of the main guy. What the heck is up with his nose?

Also.... and I not making this up, throughout the course of the show, girls pee themselves... a lot. Is this supposed to be sexy? I found it rather disturbing, and it kinda tuned my stomach. After the FOURTH (4th!!) shot of a girl peeing herself for some reason or the other, I was like, "Enough is enough!" >_<
At the end, the main guy's younger sister confesses that she loves him (like a lot... so much it's creepy) and decides that she wants to help around the house, and he should let her (so as to not baby her any more). They embrace as they have "grown from this experience" ...or something.

Wow.

This so far has been a pretty bad show, but it did keep my interest, which is more than can be said about other shows as of late (did someone say "Basquash"?) I'll give it a chance. If it improves, I'll be there. If not (and fast!) I'll be on to bigger and better shows.

Final Verdict: C (check out the sand castles at the end. Ha!)

If you've seen it, let me know what you think.

Much love, y'all. Talk to you soon! :)

-Mike C-

Nozomi Sasaki - By the pool...

2009-06-30T18:05:00.000-07:00

... and looking as cute as ever. Love her! ^_^

My favorite song right now...!!

2009-06-28T22:02:00.000-07:00

Jeremiah - Birthday Sex. Love it! ^_^

Echidna - Ryu Moto

2009-06-26T14:52:00.000-07:00

Recently, one of my favorite artists, Ryusuke Hamamoto (or 'Ryu Moto' for short) was taking requests on his blog. I asked for the character 'Echidna' from Queen's Blade and he did a sketch for me! Yay! I think that's SO awesome. Hope you like the sketch as much as I do. ^_^

You can see Ryu Moto's blog here: Check it out!

...and the Echidna post here: Echidna for Mike :)

Don't forget to comment and subscribe! ^_^

-Mike C-

Asian Cutie

2009-06-25T16:19:00.001-07:00

No time to draw extra today... so here's a pretty pic. Yay! (and the peasants rejoiced) Ha! ^_^

Hope ya like it! :)

-Mike C-

No one respects artists anymore?!

2009-06-24T17:47:00.000-07:00

Alright, I'm usually a pretty easy-going guy. I don't let too many things get to me. However, when I saw this today, I just got mad. Furious, really. I mean, I grew up reading comics in the 90's, when artists were respected and loved. The way the 90's are talked about now, it's as if it's something to be ashamed of. I hear so many people saying that comics of the 90's sucked SO BAD and everything. Um... the reason I'm a comic book artist today is because of the awesome work I saw in the 90's. That's when I first discovered names like J. Scott Campbell, Jim Lee, Joe Madureira, Bruce Timm, etc. They opened my eyes and made me wish that I could draw like them. They were superstars to me.

That's why when I saw the two covers posted here today it just made me mad. Artists USED to be the main pull for a book. I STILL think they do WAY MORE WORK than the writer of a book. But today, they are respected so little that their names are way at the bottom in small print, while the writer's name is BIGGER than the the actual title of the book. Ridiculous. This makes it seem as if artists are a dime a dozen, and it really doesn't matter who draws the book since it's the writer that's important. I hope that we can get back to a time when artists are respected and treated as such.

PLEASE take the time to comment to this article. I haven't heard from anyone in a while and I would like to hear your feedback on this. What do YOU think?

Talk to you soon. Much love.

-Mike C-

The Last Airbender - Trailer

2009-06-23T23:34:00.000-07:00

So, MTV put out an exclusive "The Last Airbender" trailer. I think it looks pretty awesome! What do YOU think? ^_^

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

Girls are awesome...

2009-06-23T10:22:00.000-07:00

...and they remain the one thing I don't have to 'wait for inspiration' to draw. Here's another flashback pic. Life is very full right now. Much love, y'all. Hope you like it!

Don't forget to comment and subscribe! ^_^

-Mike C-

The Metal - Tenacious D - 100%

2009-06-22T12:25:00.000-07:00

Hey, all. I recently fell in love with Guitar Hero 3. I know... I'm kinda late. That's alright. The game is still awesome and I LOVE the song 'The Metal' by Tenacious D. I played it so often I can do it with my eyes closed...literally! (I memorized the sequence). I was trying for a long time to get 100% on the song and I finally did it. Yay! Check out the pic!!

That's all for now. Hope y'all are doing great. :)

Don't forget to comment and subscribe! ^_^

-Mike C-

Girl a Day - 12

2009-06-21T14:49:00.000-07:00

Hey, all. Just keeping my hand moving. I think asian girls are *so cute*. Sigh... a guy can dream, can't he? Hope you like it! :) -

Don't forget to comment and subscribe! ^_^

-Mike C-

Fight! Ippatsu!! Jyuden-chan! - Preview

2009-06-20T00:49:00.000-07:00

Well, I think I just found my favorite show of the Summer season. Check out the preview screen shots. Ha! :)

I need to get some other previews. Lookin' pretty good so far!

Don't forget to comment and subscribe! ^_^

-Mike C-

(P.S. I'm still working on this Blogger picture hosting thing. I wish I could get the formatting better. Argh...all in time.)

Flashback Pic - Comfort Girl

2009-06-19T11:13:00.000-07:00

Hey, all. Here's another flashback pic. One of my faves. What can I say? Girls make me feel better. Hope you like it! :)

Don't forget to comment and subscribe! ^_^

-Mike C-

Flasback Pic - No U-turn II

2009-06-18T10:51:00.000-07:00

Hey, all. Quick one today. I find it interesting to look back at recent pics. I don't really draw like this anymore. There's so much pencil rendering here; Now I'd just use copic markers to get some quick tones in. Hope you like it! :)

Don't forget to comment and subscribe! ^_^

-Mike C-

Assassin's Creed - Review

2009-06-17T01:08:00.000-07:00

Alright, so I’ve been playing Assassin’s Creed for some time now. I know it came out a while ago, but I only recently got the game. Also, with ‘Assassin’s Creed 2’ on the way, it renewed my interest in playing the first one. I had heard mixed things about the game, but quite frankly I wanted to try it myself (and I had heard more good than bad).

So, I’m about 20 hours into the game with no end in sight, and I started to wonder why I was putting myself through this. Now, if a game is good, that thought shouldn’t really enter your mind. For example, one of my favorite games is Donkey Kong Country for the SNES. I remember playing that game for HOURS on end (I still pick it up and play it every now and again. J) I never asked myself, “Why am I putting myself through this?” In fact, I didn’t want the experience to end.

Now, with ‘Assassin’s Creed’, there are so many things wrong with it that I don’t know where to begin. *sigh* Oh well, I’ll just start from the beginning.

- TOO MANY THINGS GOING ON; NOT ENOUGH EXPLANATION -

At the beginning of the game, there’s a tutorial

of sorts, but (at least to me) it didn’t really catch you up to speed with the universe the game is in. There’s A LOT of stuff the game is trying to do, and the system by which the game works is so complex that I would have liked a little village or town to play in before I was dropped into the huge, expansive world that is Assassin’s Creed.

For example, there are ‘Templars’ in the game that are trained ‘Assassin Killers’ that attack you on sight.

(Normal guards leave you alone unless you bump into them or aggravate them.) There are VERY difficult and every time I’ve run into one, I’ve died. The only way to kill them is not in a head-on fight, but a stealth assassination. However, these Templars are not marked in the game (or discussed at the beginning at all). If I could check my map for them and plan a way to take them out one by one before they see me, I’d be all for that. However, the only way to see where they are in the game is to stumble across them, by which time they’ve spotted me and I’m running for my life. This gets old after a while and I got in the habit of slowly peeking around every corner before I explored a new part of the game. Which takes me to my second point…

- DOES NOT REWARD EXPLORATION; IN FACT DISCOURAGES IT -

One of the things that I love about a game like

Donkey Kong Country (or Spyro; Ohh! I love that game too. ^_^) is the fact that you are rewarded for exploration. Instead of going in a straight line to a destination, you could say, “Hmm. I’ll go down this path and see what’s over here… Oh, wow! A box of treasure! (or extra health or something to that effect). It was literally FUN to just explore the world and see what you would find (that was “off the map”). In this game, however, all that awaits you “off the map” is death. Like the Templars for example. After a while I DIDN’T WANT to explore the game less I run into a Templar that kills me on sight. Why should the developers make such a big and pretty world (and it’s freakin’ HUGE; going from town to town felt like I was pl

aying an MMORPG) if they didn’t want me to explore it? If I start running in a city, the guards might become suspicious and attack. So, although I have the ability to run, I have to walk ON PURPOSE. It’s like they’re trying everything in their power to make the game NOT fun.

-DOES NOT REWARD PLANNING AHEAD-

So, having lost interest in the actual goals of

the game because they’re pointless and not fun, I started my own missions. One of these missions was “Take out all the guards”. This is the most fun I had in the game… and it’s not even an objective. While the city streets were filled with people, the rooftops were empty except for guards scattered in certain spots throughout it. It was great fun to systematically go after the guards, looking for a blind spot, hiding in the darkness and then jumping out and killing them one after the other. THIS is what the majority of the game should have been. There are also throwing knives that you can take guards out with (in case you can’t get too close enough for a stealth assassination). “Oh!” I said. “I’ll take out all the guards in this area, so when I come back I’ll have a clear path on the roof. Yes!” So, I did just that. I took like an hour to “clear a path” on the rooftops for myself. I even blew my cover a few times and had to fight them off man-to-man. I didn’t care. It was fun and I felt I was making great progress. Imagine my horror when I left that part of the city, saved, and came back… only to see all of the guards that I had taken out back at their positions. This. Is. Not. Cool. I had actually FOUND a fun thing to do in this mess of a game… and it took that away from me.

What’s the point of killing guards if they come right back? W

hat’s the point of saving citizens that are yelling “Save me!” if I have to blow my cover and afterwards have to fight for my life EVERY SINGLE TIME. After a while, I just stopped caring.

-TAKES ITSELF TOO SERIOUSLY-

Good grief…I’m an assassin. I know. You don’t have to remind me by making it so (seemingly) everyone in the game hates me. In actuality, this is probably very close to what it was like being an assassin. If that’s so… being an assassin SUCKS. I mean, a game centered on the fact that you kill people for an organization that believes in the “the greater good” is heavy enough. I need some humor/wit to keep me interested. ‘Metal Gear Solid’ for example, had very intense and serious moments. It also has blatant fan service (boobies!) and silly stuff like hiding in a cardboard box. The levity balances out the violence to make an experience that’s actually enjoyable. Quentin Tarantino does this quite well in his movies. Brutal violence alone is horrible, and no one is going to sit through it just to be “entertained” (at least I’m not). There’s’ virtually no wit in this game, and that’s just inexcusable.

-COLLECTIBLES ARE NOT FUN TO GET-

In a game like Fable (which I loved) I went out of my way to get everything that I could get in that game. It was a joy to hunt down things and add them to a collection. J All there is to collect in this game is flags. Just…flags. You can’t even do anything with the flags (like sell them or trade them for better weapons). This is stupid. There’s no reason for me to hunt these things down, especially in a world that I don’t like exploring.

-THE MAIN KILLS OF THE GAME ARE NOT FUN-

After you work through several smaller missions,

you unlock the “main assassination” for that particular city. These are generally huge events (and if I could plan ahead and do things like take out guards to make my mission easier, I’d be all for that). However, what the game does is drop you in a place FILLED TO THE BRIM with guards, so a stealth kill (an unnoticed kill) is virtually impossible. So, for the last few assassinations, I’ve had to kill the guy and then run for my life. Running for your life SUCKS. First of all, the controls seem to get like ten times worse in a high stress situation. I’m pressing up (for him to climb up a wall) but instead he jumps backwards into the crowd of angry guards. Huh? Also, trying to find a hiding spot is barely possible. The guards spot you all the time. Since this situation is VERY STRESSFUL and UNFUN, there should be an option if the assassination did not go as planned. If you didn’t perform a stealth kill, the game SHOULD give you two options like “Try again” (in which you’d go back to you last checkpoint and restart the mission) or “Try to escape” (if you want to feel the adrenaline rush of running for your life and hiding, which can sometimes take as long as 20 minutes to find “safe spot”. (Very stressful and not fun at all to me). As it is, I HAVE to run for my life after a kill… which makes me dread a kill, not look forward to it. Where’s the fun in that?

-FINAL THOUGHTS-

I really wanted to like this game. I kept on playing after the initial badness just to see what else the game had. I also wanted to add it to the list of games that I had beaten. In the end though, it’s thorough lack of fun and seemingly endless, uninteresting story got the better of me. I do not plan to finish this game. In fact, I do not plan to play it ever again.

Final Verdict: D- (unfinished)

Well, what do YOU think? Have you played it? Let me know! ^_^

That’s all for now. Much love! *hug*

-Mike C-

Girl a Day - 11

2009-06-16T10:09:00.000-07:00

Hey, all. Hope you're doing well. Keepin' the series going. Not much to say today. Hope you like it! :)

Don't forget to comment and subscribe! ^_^

-Mike C-

Anime Girl - Pen Sketch

2009-06-15T00:33:00.000-07:00

Hey, all. Here's another pen sketch. I saw the design online and I just had to try my hand at it. I think it turned out alright. Hope you like it! :)

Don't forget to comment and subscribe! ^_^

-Mike C-

Nozomi Sasaki - Cutie :)

2009-06-14T09:07:00.000-07:00

Hey, all. No drawing today. Just felt like posting a pic of one of my favorite models, Nozomi Sasaki. I'll pick back up daily drawing on Monday. Hope you like it! :)

Don't forget to comment and subscribe! ^_^

-Mike C-

Flashback Pic - Female Ranma

2009-06-13T01:26:00.000-07:00

Hey, all. Just sharing one of my pics I drew a little while ago. I'm sure many haven't seen it, so I'm sharing it here. Pen sketches are a great way to get ideas down. They also help you to improve (since you can't erase). Ha! Hope you like it! :)

Don't forget to comment and subscribe!

Talk to you soon. Much love!

-Mike C-

Girl a Day 10

2009-06-12T16:39:00.001-07:00

Hey, all. Figured I do more of a painting practice today. I think it turned out alright. Still have a lot to learn with the whole painting thing. Hope you like it! :)

Don't forget to comment and subscribe! ^_^

Have a great weekend!!

-Mike C-

Girl a Day 9

2009-06-11T14:13:00.000-07:00

Hey, all. Just keepin' my hand movin'. Thanks so much for the support. Let your friends know I'm here now. Much appreciated! Also, please take the time to leave a comment or two. It really does help. :)

Much love, y'all. ^_^

-Mike C-

Back on the Net

2009-06-10T20:13:00.000-07:00

Hey, all.

Well, DA found it right to ban me without so much as a warning notification. Thus, I've moved on. Ha, I say.... Ha.

So here's my last pic again, just catching up to where I was. Hopefully, the shift over to this page will be as smooth as possible. If you watched me on DA, please take a second to subscribe to this new page. Subscribe, please!! ^_^

Much love, y'all! Talk to ya soon. :)

-Mike C-