TPA 14

Let's jump back to 2002 or 3 when I was in middle school. I recall getting a Gamecube for my birthday and one of the games I got, besides Super Smash Bros. Melee, was Sonic Adventure 2 Battle. It was better game than the first Sonic Adventure (no more wandering around or Big the Cat fishing) but I hadn't played the first one yet and wouldn't untli many years later. 2 is the obvious superior game but what drew me back, as what did with many plyaers was the Chao Garden. In between levels the player could visit a garden filled with a few eggs. Hatch the eggs and little creatures called Chao pop out that you can raise. The player had the ability to give the chao these energy drives they found or animals they picked up on while playing the action levels. Like many players, I was obsessed with raising these little creatures to the highest level I could find. Each animal or different colored energy drive upgraded a different stat for the chao. Based on what you gave them, the Chao would evolve into different creatures ranging from having wings to beaks to animal paws to bunny ears. And a variety of tails included. But the problem was that the chao were too much work to raise. Sonic games always have this problem of Sonic running too fast. He clears levels way faster than Mario which kills the player's ability to enjoy and explore. Replay is an important aspect to the Sonic series but after a while the level's lose their luster. It's annoying to play the same stages over and over to get the right animal or drive to level up your chao. The problem is that it takes A LOT of drives and animals to level up your little critters and Sonic games are all about "going fast," not slowing down. Don't misunderstand, I loved the gardens but there needed to be more things to do in the main game to keep things fresh. You also had to buy stuff for your chao which was a neat way of using all the rings you collected in game. Too much work for too little pay off. And waht did you do with all these chao? You raced them and had them duke it out in sumo matches. A strange way to use the creatures you've raised by hand but cute nonetheless. I have fond memories of the chao garden, especially the great music that played in each section but I doubt I'd ever revisit the series ever again. Sonic Adventure 2 just isn't fun enough to warrent a return to it. Oh, I forgot to mention, you could take your chao with you on your game boy. The original games were on the Dreamcast which meant you had to take them with you on your memory card which you could interact with while on the go. But the Gameboy stuff was always more interesting. I remember that Nintendo and Sega had these huge meetups where people could download special chao and items during these events. Stuff I never got to experience because I'm not in New York or California. Being in the midwest before the full use of the internet kind of sucked. Today, the only thing those events would give out is something physical like a key chain or something. Hackers have created ways to access these handouts but the thrill from twenty years ago is gone. I still see vids of people on Youtube playing chao games so there's still a great love for them after all these years. It reminds me of what I mentioned in a previous essay, the game within the game. 

Back to the Chapters. I think I'll paraphrase alot more as the chapters go on. I lost interest about half way in since the plot seems to have lost it's edge. I'll have to analyze that and figure out how to fix it so my own story doesn't suffer the same fate. That reminds me. I need to analyze Higurashi and Dandadan as well. They have elements that I want to look at. 

Glepinri Chapter 11: Change

This chapter opens with the title page. Shuichi looks off into the mountains where the coins wait to be found. Back at school, Shuichi is lost in thought and bumps into another student. The student gets mad and tries to grab Shuichi. Shuichi grabs his hand and twists it. We close in on his face which has a cold expression on it. The student is surprised the Shuichi is so strong. Another student butts in and stops the fight before it gets too serious. I know I need a confrontation like this but how? Back in class, the girls are discussing how Shuichi has changed. He's been quieter. One of Shuichi's friends asks Shuichi about his glasses. Shuichi explains that he switched to contacts. In reality, that drug he drank has fixed his vision. This is Shuichi realizing that his life has changed. He can't hide as much anymore. "I think that right now...I might be blocking my emotions." He reflects on how he's lost his head, almost, and killed someone. I think this might benefit him more if he took death more seriously. I know that the author is trying but the way they killed that girl seems to be ridiculous and show-offy. Maybe I'm thinking of death too seriously like Attack on Titan. Shuichi stands on the school's roof and Mifune comes to him. She's surprised that he knew it was her. Shuichi claims that he saw her coming up the stairs. I think he could smell her with his powers but he's hiding it. Mifune says she wanted to give back the notes he lent her. She notices the scar around his neck and freaks out. Shuichi claims that a cat scratched him although Mifune doesn't believe him. They move on from that conversation and Mifune says that the girls think he looks cooler recently but to her he looks sad. Mifune tries to cheer up Shuichi as Claire, looking depressed, walks up to the same spot but doesn't interupt them. Shuichi asks Mifune what she would do if the world was ending. He clarifies and asks what if there was a bad person who had a lot of power. Enough to destroy the town without warning. He asks what she would do. Mifune says that she'd try to stop the bad person. Shuichi smiles and says he agrees with her. Cut to Shuichi leaving school. He narrates that another story is taking place out there on the mountain and he's likely not the main character. I like this depression he's feeling. This pessimism that he can't get over. I hope the series works with this and shows him overcoming his depression/pessimism. Shuichi thinks "Most likely, I'm not the main character of this story...but I'm done running away." Shuichi and Claire meet at the mountain and decide to look for the coins. Claire says that he won't die because he has her with him. The two head into the mountain. 

I'm definately getting my pages in but I want to work on my tooth story. The problem is that I want to read too so I think I'll do that for now. I wonder if I'm getting better at this?