People and Their Dogs

Recently I was taking some photos behind my school. It's nice with a dense forest and a brook running through it. I was doing my thing when suddenly I hear crazy barking just behind me. Turning around I see two (I forget what breed) dogs running up to me and a woman a little ways down the path.

While I adore dogs, small ones always seem to put me on edge. I stopped what I was doing as they were advancing on me somewhat and I had the fast running brook behind me. They of course weren't on a leash.

The woman down the path, calmly walking passed, is calling to her two dogs.
"Sorry! Your tripod must have scared them!" she says to me, I quickly smile (nervously) and wave my hand.

"A-ahh! It's ok! I just didn't hear them coming and they surprised me. No worries!" Of course a normal person would at least come down from the path to leash their dogs and continue, perhaps with another brief apology. But of course, she must continue.

"They were abused before I got them. They thought your tripod was probably a stick to beat them with." Yes that's fine just get your dogs away from my personal space, please, it's making me uncomfortable. Yet this woman felt the need to say this another couple of times, you know, to really let it sink in so I get it.

Lady, Ma'am, Miss...

I understand that your dogs may have had a traumatic experience. You're a wonderful person to have taken them in and given them (presumably) a better home. However, don't you think that if your dogs are so dodgy around strangers that you should have them on a leash? This isn't a dog park.

Rather than blaming me with my tripod, or blaming the dogs' past owners, don't you think you should look at yourself and consider that perhaps you're the one who should adapt? Your dogs are skittish. Skittish dogs will attack if they feel threatened. This is a busy path.

Luckily the dogs found a ball in the sand beside me and decided that was more interesting than my tripod. The woman never did come down from the path...

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate

So it's been a week since Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate came out and I'd thought I'd share me thoughts. Sadly, there's no in-game screenshot function (that I know of), so prepare yourself for a) crappy image quality or b) ripped images from Google.

Immediately I noticed that this game had some major similarities to Tri (Wii). The home area is the exact same and the basic story line is the same. Really, the only differences that can be seen are through the addition of the streetpass features (and general online play) with the 3DS and the addition of many new monsters (which bring their own weapons and armor sets). The new online modes also included a new area called Marina Port, where you can team up with passerby at the Tavern and go hunting together. This method is nothing new to the Monster Hunter series.

Another thing that carried over from Tri is the Resource hunting area (Moga Forest). It's really handy when trying out new weapons and makes improving your farm and fishing resources more meaningful. To improve, rather than simply progressing naturally like in the old games, you work for those improvements! It can take you a while if they need rare parts, but it makes the game last longer and keeps you going.

Initially I was a little disappointed because (in my attempt to keep things as unspoiled as possible) I didn't realize that this game was different than the recently released Japanese version, in which there is a completely new area that features a gorgeous traditional setting. Oh well, that's just my fault for not reading articles before hand!

Yukumo Village... We didn't get this :'(

There are some new features added of course: the target lock-on (to help with the tricky touchpad controls), a semi-customizable touchscreen for a more dynamic view and a second companion named Kayamba. I'm likely forgetting things. One thing I was ecstatic about was the inclusion of all the weapons that were excluded in Tri. So now we can have our Dual Swords and Bows, as well as the Tri weapons like the Switch Axe.

Overall, I'm satisfied with Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate! You can say this series is like Pokémon in that it's more of the same, but you still crave the experience. It improved on my Tri experience and I'm ecstatic about being able to play with WiiU users even though I have the 3DS! There's nothing more frustrating than cross-platform exclusion. This game will tide me over until 4 comes out (Japan's is released this Winter, so we'll likely get it a couple years after) which will apparently feature all new areas and monster to kill!

In case you're wondering which version to get, consider this:

Standard View

Dynamic View

The 3DS screen can get a bit cramped. With the companion chat boxes popping up, the health and stamina meters, the map and the item menu, there isn't much space left for your and the monster's models! It doesn't really come up during fights, but while gathering it's a little frustrating when trying to find things like mining spots (especially with tricky water controls). You'll obviously have more space when using a TV screen. Of course, there is the option to switch to the dynamic view, but some quick option that were available in one view doesn't carry over to the other. It's rather give and take.

The WiiU also let's you use wifi for online play, while the 3DS only has local (but the obvious benefit of being mobile, whereas the WiiU is not). Owners of both the 3DS and WiiU get all the goods via shared saved data, but then again you have to purchase the game twice, don't you...

Happy hunting!

Oboro Muramasa - Momohime 1/8th figure

This past Valentine's I was gifted this amazing figure from my boyfriend! Momohime was recently re-released by Alter (first release in 2010) and I have been coveting it for years but it never showed up in the dealers' at conventions and was just so expensive online that I had to bite my tongue and have it pass me by.

It's a very popular figure for good reason! The Muramasa games have stunning artwork and interesting, dynamic combat so it's wonderful that they've managed to capture Momohime (the protagonist in a sense) in such an interesting pose.

She's in mid-flight, with interchangeable parts where she can have her sword already drawn, or in the midst of being drawn as I've shown here. Personally, I like the sheathed option as it lends more movement and anticipation to this figure. You can imagine her running through the enchanting scenery in the game while drawing her sword in a flash to smite her foes.

I also love the intricate details on her obi and hair ornaments.

And that base! I'm a sucker for interesting bases and the running water goes perfectly with the rest of the theme here. I like how even the rocks are gritty and has motion as well, that they aren't smooth and ideal. I think the base should be treated as an extension of the figure; not separate! It drives me nuts when I see figures with a slab of dull plastic as a base. It's a wasted chance to create something interesting.

I'm so happy I've finally got my hands on this figure!