Barnestorming- Mythotopia in Review, New 3DSXL, Narnia, Visage

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So what you're saying is that Aquasphere is a GIF of Feld's face barfing colored cubes while a MIDI file of Satriani's Surfing with the Alien plays in the background then?

Edit: if I was near photoshop suite at the moment, I would totally make that happen.

Bottomless depth doesn't begin to describe Monster Hunter. There's stuff in the game I'm still learning, and I'm well over 500 hours in the series. Which makes me a novice lol. 4U is the best I've seen the series, though I kinda miss the water fights I used to hate.

Gunlance is one of those weapons I haven't used much, like the Hunting Horn and Bow. I'm a Hammer, Greatsword, Bowgun guy, mostly Bowgun. Rolling with Charge Blade, Switch Axe and Lance this time.

I hate Family Guy, but by jingo I want to see what GF9 does with it.

Is this really what they're supposed to be doing next?

Black Sails is next then Family Guy.

Great review.

One thing I want to say, that is completely irrelevant but bugs the shit out of me: "The Witch and the Wardrobe and that was ten years ago. I didn’t like it at the time (largely because I am not a very big fan of CS Lewis’ whole “Jesus lion” schtick) but I actually enjoyed them this time out as lighter, family-oriented fantasy fare."

I hate it when you use parentheses instead of commas. HATE.

I don't think it's awful. I do, however, appreciate proper grammar. Not that I'm perfect.

Yeah, I try to avoid parentheses as much as possible in my reviews/articles but in these Barnestorming things, I knock them out in like 15 minutes. Don't really go back over them or anything. Working without an editor and all that.

I'm only about 100 hours all told into the MH world, almost all on MH3 for Wii. I love that sense that there is always something to discover...it makes things like fighting a Great Jaggi 20 times- but in 20 different ways- so rewarding. I think the reason that the series has never taken off in the west is because it has such a looooooong reward curve...most of the game is not fighting those big monsters, it's getting ready to do it. The preparation- training, crafting, observation, experimentation- is what really matters. Back when I reviewed MH3 at Gameshark, I compared it to the movie Dragonslayer...he prepares to fight the dragon by making weapons amd armor out of dragon parts, and the real quest is getting ready to fight rather than the fight itself.

The underwater stuff, I can definitely say goodbye to that with no regrets. It was really cool, fighting a big ass monster underwater, but the controls on the Wii at least were just not really up to it.

I don't get the hunting horn...I think that's definitely a weapon for folks that want something a little quirkier and complex. I love that each weapon set is TOTALLY different with completely unique parameters, combos and tactics.

Love that charge blade...I spent most of MH3 with the switch axe and the great sword, trying to switch it up a bit. I never really got into the gunner weapons- they just don't pack enough punch for my tastes. I like to get up close and wrassle 'em.

Yeah, I try to avoid parentheses as much as possible in my reviews/articles but in these Barnestorming things, I knock them out in like 15 minutes. Don't really go back over them or anything. Working without an editor and all that.

I'm only about 100 hours all told into the MH world, almost all on MH3 for Wii. I love that sense that there is always something to discover...it makes things like fighting a Great Jaggi 20 times- but in 20 different ways- so rewarding. I think the reason that the series has never taken off in the west is because it has such a looooooong reward curve...most of the game is not fighting those big monsters, it's getting ready to do it. The preparation- training, crafting, observation, experimentation- is what really matters. Back when I reviewed MH3 at Gameshark, I compared it to the movie Dragonslayer...he prepares to fight the dragon by making weapons amd armor out of dragon parts, and the real quest is getting ready to fight rather than the fight itself.

The underwater stuff, I can definitely say goodbye to that with no regrets. It was really cool, fighting a big ass monster underwater, but the controls on the Wii at least were just not really up to it.

I don't get the hunting horn...I think that's definitely a weapon for folks that want something a little quirkier and complex. I love that each weapon set is TOTALLY different with completely unique parameters, combos and tactics.

Love that charge blade...I spent most of MH3 with the switch axe and the great sword, trying to switch it up a bit. I never really got into the gunner weapons- they just don't pack enough punch for my tastes. I like to get up close and wrassle 'em.

Oh, the charge blade is freaking amazing. After watching gaijinhunter's tutorial video it was all I could do to make myself play a different weapon. Though I've been experimenting with the gunlance and have been really liking that. Oh, and I'd like to try out the hunting horn. And the insect glaive seems crazy!

Ugh. I can't even say that I've even scratched the surface here. I've barely even *looked* at the surface, let alone scratched it. And this is after having 300 hours into 3U. I may never get to play Majora's Mask...

So, just to be clear, the new 3DSXL has exactly the same part number (3DSXL) as the old one.

So super easy to get ripped off then?

I read the first issue of Knights of Sedonia and have read a lot of Nihei's older work, Blame and Biomega. Not seen any of the tv show. If its like any of his other work expect things to get a bit weird. He tends towards huge horrific monsters eating everything. Likes character death quite a bit too. Blame and Biomega both stall out on their plots about 5 issues before they end though.

Bowgun doesn't pack a punch and isn't all up in the monster's grill? You ain't playing it right man lol. Some ballsy gunning can drop many monsters faster than anything, but the double damage in G-Rank is a helluva risk. Hunting horn is useful as hell with those buffs, but it takes a while to learn and demands a ton of awareness and adaptability.

Mythotopia has the most embarrassing province/area names of all time. I think they're all from fantasy books? Maybe?

(which I would enjoy, no doubt, but doesn't make the names any better)

They're from an Englishman's sense of humour. The game is apparently a less obtuse version of A Study in Emerald, mechanically.