Suikoden V

So I'm a little bit late to the party when it comes to the most recent chapter of the Suikoden series, but I finally managed to get up to speed.

Suikoden V was released in 2006, and now, 4 years later I managed to finish the game. Ironically this is a game I bought when it first came out, but didn't really play until December 2009 simply because I took about 5 years off from gaming, and had to finish playthroughs of Final Fantasy 12 and Suikoden 4 first.

Now, I guess the question becomes was the 4 year wait between purchase and playthrough worth it? I have mixed feelings on that. While I certainly enjoyed the game, I can't help but feel a bit let down by it. Part of that goes back to the hype and build up that I had going into this game. I browse a few gaming message boards, and based on the opinions of people I respect and long-time series fans, I thought this game was going to end up as the be all to end all in terms of RPG's. With hype like that, it's easy to see why I ended up disappointed.

So where does my disappointment stem from? Ultimately it's in the gameplay, however I feel I should discuss the aesthetics of the game first. I am not the type of person who often looks at a games graphics and makes judgment based on the that alone. I didn't do that with Suikoden V, but I can honestly say that the graphics of this game certainly hurt the game. The graphics look like something out of the late PSone early PS2 era, and do a poor job of conveying emotion from the characters as well atmosphere from the locales in Falena. In the modern era of gaming aesthetics matter and are important to a game developer's ability to tell their story and help the gamer connect to the characters, events and locales in the game world. Suikoden V does a good job considering what they had to work with, but it should have been better.

Then there's the gameplay, which is again, a mixed bag. I can't fault the gameplay as a whole because there are some really great elements to it. For example, the combat system is deep and allows fairly substantial depth for turn based battles. There are multiple formations that the player can choose from and each one provides different stat bonuses, and favors different types of weapons. With nearly 60 playable characters, there's a lot of different formations, parties, and battle techniques to test out. The other phenomenal thing about the battle system is the skills assigned to each character. Each character can develop competency in a set of skills they can equip in battle and raise certain stats. This also adds to the depth and flexibility of the different battle teams the player can put together. For a turn based system these are all good things.

Now onto the bad, and what in my opinion prevents Suikoden V from being a great game - the pacing. For one, at my age I have no tolerance for RPG's that take 15-20 hours to develop the main story. Suikoden V takes at least 15-20 hours to develop the main story, and it's almost that long before you are even going into a dungeon. In today's world that's unacceptable. The only way I can tolerate that sort of build up is if the game world is massively explorable, engrossing, and there's some sort of nostalgic charm to it. Dragon Quest VIII is an example of this as the game is slow, plodding, and old school, but it has a massively explorable overworld, lots of charm, and drew me in. A great deal of that though was based on the aesthetic presentation of Dragon Quest VIII, something Suikoden V suffers from. Aside from the slow build up to the story, I also was disappointed in how the game played. The random encounter rate was a bit too high for my liking, and traveling through Falena took much longer than it should have, even when players gained the freedom to teleport to different locales in the game. The characters just moved slow, and that is something that made recruiting the Stars of Destiny as much a test of patience as it was a test of skill. My big issue here is that when I sit down to play a game, I sometimes only have 30-45 minutes to play. I couldn't sit down and play Suikoden V for only 30-45 minutes because I either wouldn't be able to accomplish anything because of the slow pacing of the game, or the slow movement of my characters, or there was a significantly high probability I wouldn't come across a save point during my session. That's another one of those things that in today's gaming world just simply is not tolerable. Kudos to Square-Enix because the one thing they tend to do in their games anymore is oversaturate them with save points. I am appreciate of that as a gamer who can sometime only devote 30-45 minutes at a time to a game.

As a whole I found the game to be around a 7.5/10. The storyline is compelling and engaging. The battle system is fun, and I love the Stars of Destiny system in the Suikoden games. But the slow pacing, and just slow movement of the game in general detract enough from the game for me as a whole. I'd recommend the game to anyone who wants to play an old school JRPG, but if you're new to JRPG's, or the RPG genre as a whole, try Mass Effect or some of the PSOne Final Fantasy games to get a flavor for the genre. You'll be far more satisfied than if you stick with Suikoden V

Boise State

Today is the day of reckoning for the Boise State Broncos, and it might be a lose-lose situation for them.

Tonight Boise State plays Virginia Tech in a game that could very well be Boise's key to the BCS title game. After tonight the toughest game on the Boise State schedule is their game against Oregon State in a couple of weeks. After that, there's a very high probability that they will go undefeated over the course of the season. But if you're a college football fan you already know that.

From a personal standpoint I am torn on this game. Part of me wants to see Boise State lose and get brushed aside from the national championship picture. I just don't think they match up against the more "elite" programs in college football like Texas, Oklahoma, LSU, Ohio State, USC, and the Florida's. It's easy to go unbeaten every year in the WAC when you recruit better, and are coached better than the rest of the league. That being said, their run, even in the WAC, deserves credit because teams like Fresno State have been known to put out highly ranked, competitive teams every few years. For Boise State to do what they've done as long as they have is nothing short of remarkable. But that doesn't mean it entitles them to a shot at the national title.

The other part of me wants to see Boise ride this out simply because it will throw a wrench into the BCS. I am not someone who hates the BCS. I think the system works fairly well for the most part. I get the argument that it doesn't determine a true champion because there's no playoff and teams have ups and downs over the course of the season. However, I would argue that every team knows going into the season that, with the way the BCS is currently constructed, they have to bring their A-game to the stadium every week. At the end of the year, the team that does that most consistently typically ends up as your national champion. But the system discriminates against teams like Boise State for not playing in stronger conferences. So, as much as I'd like to see the hype behind Boise State go away once and for all, I wouldn't mind watching an inherently flawed system crash and burn once and for all.

Tonight will be an interesting night in the world of college football. This is a game that's been hyped up for the past year. Boise has performed well on the national stage like this before. It's those performances that have put them in this position tonight. But the pressure tonight will be unmatched to those previous experiences. Boise State has their shot at a national title on the line tonight. I think Boise State will win tonight if only because Virginia Tech isn't exactly known for performing well in big games. If that's the case, it will be an interesting ride through the rest of the college football season

Chris Jericho Walks Off Into the Sunset.....again

It's starting to look like the upcoming Night of Champions PPV will be the last time that we see Chris Jericho on WWE programming for at least a little while. As of today, the WWE and Jericho have not reached an agreement to extend his contract, and Jericho himself is looking to take time off to tour with his band Fozzy. Based on these known factors, and Jericho saying in a kayfabe interview last week on RAW that he'd quit the WWE if he didn't win the WWE Championship at Night of Champions, signs point to Jericho taking some extended time off from the company after the September 19th PPV.

My only hope is that this isn't an extended absence from the WWE like we saw from Jericho after he left the company in 2005, only to return more than two years later. While 2006 and 2007 were great years for WWE programming, Jericho has more than proved his worth and held his own during his three year run since he returned. He's held multiple World Title's, set a record for the most Intercontinental Championships held ever, had one of best runs as a tag team champion we've seen in recent memory with Big Show, and literally held RAW together when most of the roster was hurt or taking time off. All the while he finally evolved his character into what I thought it should have been back in 2003-2004 when he was first being pushed a main event talent - an ego driven man so blinded by his own beliefs and values that he truly believes everything he says and does is for good. It really has been a remarkable run for Jericho.

All that said, Jericho isn't a guy who can carry a wrestling promotion on the big stage. He isn't a guy that will reinvent the wheel with his ring work. But what is is a guy who fits in all over the card, can step into the main event when needed, and really anchor the upper mid-card/lower main event scene for a company. Yes, Chris is getting up there in age, but he's still performing at a level that most dream of. Truthfully, I think he's at a higher level, performance wise, than Shawn Michaels was when he was Jericho's age. Which leads me to believe that Chris Jericho has at least a few good years left in him.

That's what I am hoping for. A few more years from Chris Jericho. The fans love him. The WWE loves what he can do for them. The industry loves, and needs, guys like him. So Chris, here's my request to you. Enjoy touring with Fozzy. I get that you love your band. I also get that you have a lot going on in your professional life outside of wrestling that could keep you financially secure for years to come. But, I'm hoping you still have enough in the tank to give us one more run in the WWE. You've been too good for too long to walk away after your contract expires. I hope you have enough passion left for one more run. Best of luck to you, and I hope we get to see you in that ring again sometime soon.

College Football is Here at Last

It's finally here! College football season. My favorite sport. Tonight was the first night of many I plan to sit down, prop up my feet, and just watch college ball all night long. And what a great way to start off the season. I know that it's hard to really take a lot away when a team with the talent, history, tradition, and athletic ability of Ohio State plays a team like Marshall. But there are some things worth noting from tonight's game. For one, the offensive line looked vastly improved. Again, I realize they played Marshall, but they held the pocket and opened up holes for Brandon Saine that they weren't opening up against teams like Purdue and Toledo last year. The real test will be if they are capable of doing the same thing against a team like Miami or Wisconsin. We'll find out next week.

The other story tonight was Terrelle Pryor. He looked like the quarterback we saw in the Rose Bowl a year ago. Actually, he looked better than the quarterback we saw in the Rose Bowl a year ago. He kept his eyes downfield, made multiple reads, didn't panic, didn't get happy feet, and made tough throws when he needed to. He missed a couple of passes (he had DeVier Posey wide open for a 50 + yard score in the first half he overthrew by about 5 years) and had a few dropped balls (again, Posey was the guy I noticed dropping a couple of balls), but his numbers were great. 17/25 for 247 yards and 3 TD's. I'm still not ready to say TP is going to contend for a Heisman Trophy, but I will say he's made progress as quarterback. Much of that progress can be attributed to the offensive line playing well tonight, and Pryor therefore not having to run for his life, something which could change against a team like Miami. So again, we have progress. Hopefully it continues.

Then there's the defense. I feel it was hard to get a read on the defense tonight. There seemed to be something missing from the defense tonight that made them special last year. I can't quite put my finger on it, but there was something that just didn't feel right. It could be breaking in new guys and new rotations, and the fact that Chimdi Chekwa didn't start and played sparingly, or even the fact that after the first quarter Ohio State had scored 3 TD's and was basically playing a soft zone. I'm hopeful I am reading too much into things, but something there just didn't feel right.

Last but not least, Tyler Moeller. Tyler Moeller was attacked last year and suffered severe head injuries. He missed the entire season recovering, and at some point I think there was doubt he would ever make it onto a football field ever again. Tonight Tyler Moeller was back on the football field, and he played well. He made plays in the backfield and was a ballhawk as the Nickel corner. I don't know if his play with continue the rest of the year, but I don't care. I'm just glad Tyler Moeller got the opportunity to play football again in an Ohio State uniform.

So the first one is in the bag, and the next one will be a bit tougher against Miami. I'm ready for it. Bring it on. I can't wait. College football season is here.

And Finally, the Top 10!

The countdown continues, and the season is even closer. In two days I will be watching the Buckeyes against Marshall. I can't wait. Seriously, college football makes me giddy. I enjoy the NFL game, but the passion and emotion of the college game can't be duplicated by the NFL. So as we prepare for the season, I'm looking at the AP preseason top 10. Overall, I can't disagree too much with the rankings. There are a couple of teams in the top 10 that are probably a bit overhyped, but I think you will have that every year. So with that said, let's start with number 10:

10. Virgina Tech - Every year the Hokies are seemingly ranked in the top 10 or top 15 and get on a roll and the hype machine gets behind them and Frank Beamer and they end up in the top 5 at some point. Then every year at the end of the season when you look at the final polls, Virginia Tech has 3 or 4 losses on their record. Sometimes even 5, and the cycle repeats itself. This year should be no different. Although I have no passion for this football program (and honestly probably resent it a little due to undeserved hype), I am looking forward to their game against Boise State on September 6th. Boise State is a team that I think is overhyped as well, but in reality Virginia Tech has superior athletes to Boise State. It'll be interesting to see how Boise State holds up.

9. Iowa - A lot of people are high on Iowa this year, but I am not one of them. They have a ton of talent coming back on defense and on offense, but I am still not a believer. It is basically the same team that last year squeaked out wins in every game and ultimately lost to Northwestern. Maybe another year will mature the team, and having a senior quarterback leading the team will be the difference. I think Iowa is more likely to end up as a team ranked in the top 15-20 when the season ends.

8. Nebraska - In my opinion, Nebraska should be the favorite to win the Big 12 this year. Texas is breaking in a new quarterback and has some turnover on defense, and lost one of it's biggest playmakers not named Colt McCoy. Nebraska has some problems on offense, most notably the quarterback, but they make up for it with their defense. The Big 12 North is once again soft so they should have an easy path to the title game. They proved last year they could hang with Texas. I think this is the year for them to get over the hump. And what a way to exit the conference.

7. Oklahoma - While I think Nebraska is better than Oklahoma, I also believer the Sooners will bounce back this year. While last year's injury to Sam Bradford was devastating and ultimately cost Oklahoma a chance at a national title, it may help the program over the next couple of years as Landry Jones got some great experience and proved he could play at the college level. Ultimately I expect Nebraska to be a 10 win football team headed into their bowl game.

6. TCU - Another small time program ranked up at the top with the big boys. I like TCU more than I do Boise State. In fact, I like TCU more than anyone out of the Big East. I really believe that the Mountain West is better than the Big East. Now is TCU's chance to shine. If Boise State or another top 5 team falters, and TCU runs the table they could be playing for a national title.

5. Texas - While I really believe that Garrett Gilbert, the quarterback stepping in for Colt McCoy, is going to be a good, possibly even great, college football player, let's not underestimate what Colt McCoy did for this Texas program. He is the winningest quarterback in college football history and had Texas playing for a national title last year. I think the loss of McCoy, Jordan Shipley, and Sergio Kindle (among others) will hurt the Longhorns a bit this year. Top 5 is a bit too high for me. Texas takes a step back and is a 9 win football team this year. 10 wins if everything breaks for them.

4. Florida - Really this should say see Texas. Losing Tim Tebow should not be understated. Tebow is arguably the best quarterback in college football history. You don't lose a player like that and automatically rebound. Granted, the program is filled with talent and John Brantley will probably step in and be a nice player. But he's not Tim Tebow. Much like Texas, I see Florida as a team that's probably top 10, and a 9 or 10 win team if everything breaks their way this year.

3. Boise State - This is the year Boise State has their chance to play for a national title. Everything is set up for them. They've got out of conference games against Virginia Tech and Oregon State. They play in a weak conference. They have an incredibly generous preseason ranking. So we'll see what happens. If they lose once they are done and the talk about Boise State as a perennial power will forever be gone. That said, they are a talented team. Kellen Moore is a great quarterback and Chris Peterson is a great coach. Personally speaking I actually expect Boise to be in the national championship game. They perform well when they have substantial time to prepare for an opponent and they still play a WAC schedule. They're ranked in the top 3, and either the Buckeyes or Alabama will probably slip up at some point.

2. Ohio State - As a lifelong Ohio State fan I am happy to see the Buckeyes ranked in the top 3 to start the season. Terrelle Pryor holds the keys to success for the Buckeyes. The national media seems to think that Jim Tressel was holding back the reigns on Pryor last year and that his play in the Rose Bowl is what we've been missing out on. Anyone who watched this team last year knows otherwise. Pryor had the reigns taken off him early in the season and was a turnover machine (see Purdue). If The Rose Bowl Pryor shows up, or even 70% of that TP, then the Buckeyes play for a national championship and should win one.

1. Alabama - It's hard to argue with Alabama as number one seeing as they won it all last year and have their quarterback, star running back, and star wide receiver all coming back. They'll get nicked up in the SEC, but should play for a second straight national title if Boise State or Ohio State slip up along the way this year.


College football is in the air. I love it. Starting Thursday I will live, breathe, and sleep college football. There's nothing better. The countdown continues.

Top 20 and Counting

So with college football season right around the corner I'm going to keep looking at the AP top 25. So without further ado let's take a look at the top 20:

20. Florida State - I am not sold on the Florida State turnaround post Bobby Bowden. Christian Ponder may be a good quarterback, and he may even make Florida State an 8 win team by himself, but I can't see the 'Noles doing much more than that. Jimbo Fisher has essentially been running the ship at Florida State for the last few years, even though Bowden's been called "coach". I expect another disappointing season from Florida State

19. Penn State - I am not sure what to think about Penn State this year. I think the ranking of 19 in the AP poll is more accurate than the 14 they got in the Coaches Poll. Penn State lost their quarterback and will have to replace him. Evan Royster comes back which will help break in a new quarterback, but I'm not sure it'll be enough for Penn State to do what they've done the past few years in the Big Ten.

18. North Carolina - Consider UNC out of the top 25 after week 1. With allegations all over Butch Davis that agents are paying players, and that his personal nanny was tutoring players in order to help them become academically eligible, UNC is in trouble. A few of the players caught up in this scandal won't be playing either. With that said, UNC will take a big hit and likely end up just average in the ACC.

17. Arkansas - I like Arkansas because I like Ryan Mallet. He's arguably the best quarterback in the country (the same Ryan Mallet Rich Rodriguez didn't want up in Michigan). However, their defense will have to improve if Arkansas wants to be a legitimate force in the SEC. This may be the year for it though. With Florida reloading after the Tim Tebow era, and the heat on Les Miles at LSU, Arkansas could be poised to make a big jump in the SEC.

16. Georgia Tech - I'm a big fan of Paul Johnson, but my opinion of him and his gimmicky offense slipped a bit after Georgia Tech faltered against Iowa last year in the Orange Bowl. They're probably still the best team in an incredibly overrated and overhyped ACC, but that may not mean much.

15. Pittsburgh - Dion Lewis returns as a sophomore, but Pitt needs to break in a new quarterback. Having a running game in place will only help. Cincinnati is likely to take a step back this year with Brian Kelly bolting for Notre Dame, and Pitt is the other team (aside from West Virginia) to move up and benefit from that move. However, I question Dave Wandstedt's ability to win in the big game and get a team over the hump. That may ultimately be what holds Pitt back.

14. USC - Not ranked in the Coaches Poll because of their off the field troubles, I actually don't have a problem with this ranking of 14 in the AP poll. I think USC is probably the best team in the Pac 10 (take that as you will because the Pac 10 is incredibly bad this year). That said, this ranking is mostly irrelevant because they've been barred from postseason play and won't be ranked in the Coaches Poll. All I can say is - justice tastes good.

13. Miami (FL) - It's hard to get a read on the 'Canes. We will get an idea of where they stand week 2 when they go to the Shoe to play the Buckeyes. There's no doubt that the Hurricanes have a lot of speed, but they ran into a wall against Wisconsin in their bowl game and complained about the weather and the cold. That leads me to believe they're a finesse team which will get them some wins, but not much more than 13 ranking.

12. Wisconsin - One college football preview source (I forget which one) said that Wisconsin would have the best offense in college football this year. I find that a little hard to believe but it is intriguing. They do have John Clay (last year's Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year) and their quarterback returning as well as most of their offensive line. Those things alone should make Wisconsin dynamic on offense.

11. Oregon - Last year's media darling that was exposed by the Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl. Honestly, I'll be shocked if Oregon finishes in the top 20 this season. With their star quarterback kicked off the team, and who knows how many other players in jail or in trouble with the law, the Ducks seem poised for a fall. They were overhyped going into the Rose Bowl last year and exposed after playing a horrible Pac 10 last year. I expect a big drop for Oregon.

Holy Crap! It's college football season!

I can't believe that 1 week from tonight (pretty much 1 week from when I write this) college football will be back in season as Ohio State kicks off against Marshall. As most people who know me know, I am a huge Buckeye fan. I am looking forward to this season as I think Ohio State should be playing for a national title this year. It all hinges on the ability of Terrell Pryor to develop as a quarterback and leader on the football field. The Rose Bowl was a good start, but hopefully it is only the tip of the iceburg. There is nothing I would like more than for the Buckeyes to beat an SEC team for the national championship.

That said, I spent some time reviewing the AP and Coaches preseason polls. After taking a look at them both I debated if I wanted to do my own top 25 poll. But I'd rather provide some commentary on the AP poll. There's more to talk about in the AP poll in my opinion. So with that said, here's a bit of commentary on the top 25. I'm going to start with 21-25 and work my way to the top over the next week, and provide a few thoughts on the teams, their preseason rankings and what I expect from this year. So without further ado:

25. West Virginia - It's hard to argue that West Virginia shouldn't be in the top 25. The Big East is easily the worst BCS conference, and I'd argue that the Mountain West is on par with the Big East. West Virginia could win the Big East depending on what Pitt is able to do this year, and if Cincinnati takes a step back, like expected, with the departure of Brian Kelly and stars Tony Pike and Marty Gilyard. But just as easily they could finish 3rd in an incredibly weak conference.

24. Oregon State - As much as I dislike the Big East, the Pac-10 isn't much better this year. And with that said, I think Oregon State isn't much worse than Oregon. They played them competitively last year and Oregon lost their start quarterback in the off-season. Oregon State is probably the second best team in the Pac-10 (I'm not counting USC since they aren't bowl eligible this year).

23. Georgia - I admittedly don't know a whole lot about Georgia this year, but I think they could be better than people think. Mark Richt is still on the hot seat as a coach, and I think Florida may take a bigger step back this year then people realize. I wouldn't be surprised if Georgia is a top 15 team when the season is over, possibly even top 10.

22. Auburn - Auburn is another SEC team that doesn't really excite me. Granted they have 15 returning starters and a huge recruiting class that should add some depth to their roster. They're a middle of the pack SEC team that isn't that will be more love than most teams because they play in the mighty SEC.

21. LSU - I have forever, and will forever, claimed that Les Miles is one of the most overrated coaches in all of college football. He backed into a national title in 2007 with Nick Sabin's recruits and has been average since then. LSU will win 8 or 9 games this year, but that's still underachieving. Miles will probably get fired if the Tigers only win 8 games, and that's exactly what I am predicting for this offensively starved team.