Hello interbloggospherenetweb, how are you? I'm quite alright thanks. I've just started a blog in fact.
There's not much more to me than is in my About Me, so I won't ramble about memememe. Instead, I'll try and make a constructive blog post and talk about a few things I'm finding interesting lately!
Musicwise, I've been listening to The Real Group a lot lately, which is typical, as they're one of my favourite bands in my favourite genre. The Real Group are a swedish a cappella group, meaning all the music is made with their mouths! They're a SSATB group, 2 girls and 3 guys, and they just make brilliant music! 99% of their songs are just brilliant, and each of them are fantastic singers. The top Soprano lets out some fabulous incredibly high notes, whereas the Bass is like a 5 string Bass guitar! Fantastic stuff on both ends of the spectrum, and in between too.
They do all their own arrangements, and there are some incredible harmonies there, and some songs that trick you into thinking that they're just a normal band playing instruments! If I have to reccomend a couple of songs to check out (I have three albums' worth of their stuff!) I'd have to reccoment "It Don't Mean a Thing," which is a really quite insanely great bit of jazzy music, that really showcases the talent of their singers. "Gøta" is a simply beautiful arrangement, which is brilliant in its apparant simplicity. Its dynamics are, well, dynamic, and though the melody is relatively simple, an astounding piece of music is built around that. I also have to give a shoutout to "Chilli Con Carne," because that's a piece that I performed in my Choir, looking at a piece from the inside makes you realise how complex it is, and for me, just how deep that Bass' voice is!
I really recommend that you give them a listen, even if the a cappella genre isn't your thing. They are truly something else, and I intend to create an a cappella group, partially for the purpose of performing some of their music!
On a different topic, a game that I've been hooked on lately, to no embarrassment, is Pokémon Platinum! The Pokémon series has supplied great game after game for several generations of handhelds. I can't personally say the same for the console games, having never played those, and I won't say it for the card games either, as they're past their peak for me! But the handheld games I enjoy thoroughly. They just have the right balance of story, railroading, freedom, action, strategy, fun and coolness! Of course, it's not without flaws, but it's still brilliant.
The main thing that irritates me when I sit down and play Pokémon Platinum, in fact any of the games other than Red/Blue/Yellow, is how there are just too many of them nowadays! I do get rather nostalgic whenever I see one of the ones from the original 150/151, simply because of how even the most common of Pokémon previously are now rare, because of the sheer variety! Even annoyingly common ones from Red and Blue, such as Pidgey and Rattata, make me smile when I see them now. Sure, there are some cool new ones, my Lucario and Luxray are pretty cool I find, but they all lack a certain awesome factor! You can't help but love a Psyduck or a Slowpoke for their slightly dim-witted nature, Pikachu is THE iconic Pokémon and wow, Metapod and his harden is the most feared thing in the land. The other problem with the Pokémon games is the grind. To non MMO players, 'grinding' is the act of killing enemies to level up. When playing, you're expected to fight a lot of wild pokemon and trainers between gyms, so that when the next boss battle comes up, you're ready. I think there's a bit too much of a grind in Pokémon. It might be for the purpose of stretching out the lifetime of the game, but as I bore easily, I find myself loading up on my Repels and loving the Rare Candies.
Now onto the things that I like about Platinum. You have to think a bit, but you're not required to think too fast. Really, all the battle system is is a slightly more complex Rock-Paper-Scissors game, you triumph by using the Pokémon with the right type to take down the enemy's type. There is more to it than that, but this is the integral part of it. As you get more into it, you start thinking about the specific stats of the Pokémon, and you plot the combat a few more moves ahead. It's definitely a prime example of "Easy to Learn, Hard to Master." It's possible for an average player to lose a battle or two, though a beginner probably won't lose much more, and a pro will find the game a piece of cake. It's a good, easily accessible, game.
Has a good little story component too, a few funny quips here and there, but it reeks of cheese, with its very blatant morals throughout the game, but I guess it's better than indoctrinating kids to be violent. The game does a good job of making the player feel like the hero though, in a slightly patronising way. There is nothing sad in particular about the story, so it's a fun game for a pick-me-up, especially with all the cute Pokéfaces about!
In technological news, I've got an iPod Touch! Huzzah! I could spend hours scrolling through my albums on the cool cover screen. It really is off the scale of Very Nifty Gadget Things™ just for the cool factor whenever you use the touch screen. I've only got a few apps, mostly games and my IM/social network stuffs, but there is so much potential in this bundle of bolts, I need to get me some great apps though, and see what the iPod Touch can REALLY do before I make a proper opinion. But it is definitely so much more than an mp3 player, it is just like a mini media computer. Soon, Apple will have released gadgets for ALL of our day-to-day needs. Just you wait. I'll be using my iToothbrush, before I put on my iShoes and go out for a walk down the iRoad. It will happen. Oh yes, it will happen.
That's just some stuff I've been into lately, I look forward to blogging at YOU soon. Hit me up on twitter at Edible_ed if you want, or e-mail me, or post a comment! I'm very open to feedback!
