Chaos Raiden
Avid Gamer & Reviewer
Thanks to VeeBee for participating in this interview.
General Questions
1) What is your current occupation?
Erm, how to put this without even more people hating me… well, at the moment (due to my Doctor), I don’t have one. Technically (in certain ways) my mum cares for me. I have depression and other problems (i.e. anxiety, social-phobia) which some people on the forum have picked up on. I know on the forum you wouldn’t really know that I have problems but I’m very different in real life. (My doctor says that I have mild Aspergers but won’t ‘test’ me for it.) Past all of that, I do have aspirations and things that I want to do with my life (see goals).
2) What are your hobbies?
Collecting Vergil pictures, obsessing over Vergil, gaming, listening to music, football/soccer (I’d play it if I could, but I mostly support my local team, and by support I mean listening to their matches on the radio)
3) How did you come across with this forum?
I know the forum says that I joined in 2008, but I thought I joined in 2009 not long after I had lost someone close to me. Um…but I think I was looking for Devil May Cry stuff on Google and came across the forum, signed up and 10,000 posts later, here I am.
4) Have you ever joined other forums?
I’m signed up to two other Xenforo forums, Resident Evil and Fable. I’ve also been signed up to a couple of football/soccer forums which are mostly full of men. It got to a point where I couldn’t be bothered to argue. There are other forums but I feel more comfortable here where I ‘know’ people and have some great friends.
5) What do you like about this forum?
Obviously that has to be the people. I’ve had conversations (probably mostly on PM’s) to some really great people on here.
Love the ignore list.
I also love the fact that I can obsess over *who-know-who* and I’m not treated like some idiot because people have no idea what I’m going on about.
6) What do you dislike about this forum?
Hmmm, not much, conflicts between members. After DmC’s release, I still can’t believe we get trouble. If there is trouble I TRY and stay away from it and if someone tries to wind me up then I walk away. If I’m honest, there are some members that I don’t like, and I know there are some that don’t like me, but I would just be an idiot to think that everyone likes me because that just isn’t true and to be honest, I don’t have a problem with that.
7) What movies do you like and why?
One film I love is Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Ricardo Montalban who played Khan just portrays (for me) the perfect Star Trek villain. He’s kind of descended into madness by being marooned on a planet by Captain Kirk. His people have experienced catastrophe (the planet next to them blowing up and turning theirs into a wasteland), his people being killed by the only surviving species on the planet, his wife dying and plotting his revenge on Kirk. By the end of the film, Khan is so mad that the only way left to destroy Kirk is to also sacrifice himself.
Event Horizon: I’m not a big fan of horror movies these days, it’s either too much gore, or too much boob on show. Its sci-fi and horror. It’s got eye gouging, disemboweling, suspense and a ship that’s ‘alive’. It was given pretty bad reviews, but I love it.
Dracula: Dead and Loving is utter madness. I’ve always been into vampires. I suppose I like this film because it is just full of stupidity. One of the best scenes though is where Leslie Nielsen’s Dracula is dancing with Mina at the ball, they unveil this huge mirror and you can see Mina dancing around, but not Dracula. I had the film on video (which I got rid of when my VHS player stopped working); I’m still looking for it on DVD.
Van Helsing: Probably another film that got bad reviews. I love the action. Plus, I thought the guy that played Dracula was great.
8) What music do you like and why?
I mostly love 80’s music. I was born in 1987 and I suppose I’m one of those people that say they were born in the wrong era.
I love a group called Duran Duran. They are legends and one of the main sounds of the 80’s.
Somehow, their career has lasted just over 30 years. Granted that they haven’t always had the same line up but they’re still here. (Plus, if it wasn’t for Duran Duran, I would never have been inspired by their song ‘Nite-Runner’.)
(They also formed another group called Arcadia which was pretty good.)
Another group (which I’ve definitely mentioned) is Tenpole Tudor. They aren’t so well known, and I’d class some of their stuff as ‘cheesy’. They only ever wrote one ballad called ‘Tonight is the Night’ and it has to be one of my favorite songs ever. The lead singer of Tenpole Tudor is a guy called Edward Tudor-pole, and he presented my favorite show as a kid called ‘The Crystal Maze’. He was nuts, yet epic at the same time (I know there are others who don’t share that opinion though).
To be honest, I like most 80’s music, but not all.
I just love listening to music. I loved listening to it as a kid. It gets me through rough times and it blocks out the silence that I absolutely hate.
Looking at my MP3 player I also listen to Lady Gaga, Michael Buble, Pussycat Dolls, Take That,
Neil Diamond, Roxette,U2, Spice Girls, Blue, Elton John, Red Hot Chili Peppers, My Chemical Romance, Fleetwood Mac, Sex Pistols, Pink, Rihanna, Katy Perry, Amy Winehouse, Maroon 5, Olly Murs, Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music and an artist that started my love for music, a guy called Barry Manilow (there are a lot more artists, but that’s just a chosen few). Okay, some of those are embarrassing to admit to, but it’s what I love and like I said, it blocks everything out.
9) What is your future goal?
To find out how they created Rocky in the Rocky Horror show and do the same by making Vergil :lol: Failing that, I’d love to have a male mannequin (like they use in shop windows), buy Vergil’s cosplay outfit, a wig (style it like his hair) then print off a mask of his face, then use him for cuddles.
Seriously though, firstly, I would like to get better. Lose the depression and other problems that I have with my life, find someone nice who doesn’t treat me like some sort of joke or just wants to be friends…. (Gee, that was open and pretty honest.)
Plus, I would love to own a video game store (which I’ve already decided on a name for.)
10) What do you think about the negative trends of current generation, such as excessive gambling?
Gee, if I’m honest, it’s not something that I feel qualified to have an opinion on as I don’t know much about it.
I think all problems our societies face have been, and will always be there, drinking, drugs etc. I think it’ll take someone who is bold enough and brave enough for something drastic to happen for current problems to be eradicated.
11) Have you watched many television series?
I’ve watched a bit of TV in my sort time in the world. I suppose the most that I’ve watched of any series is Star Trek, but that would only be ‘The Original series’, ‘The Next Generation’ and ’Voyager’.
My dad started me on Star Trek and getting older I started to collect stuff. I love Star Trek, but I’m not like the huge fans that go to conventions in the US.
I also love CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Some of the stories are really over the top but it’s just a great program.
Then (as I’ve mentioned earlier) there is ‘The Crystal Maze’. It’s always great to see how some people cope under pressure (it’s also pretty funny when they get locked in their game cell when the time runs out.)
I also love a TV series called ‘Red Dwarf’. It was set on a mining ship in space where all of the crew (except for one guy called Dave Lister) was wiped out by a radiation leak. He’s three million years into deep space with a hologram of his dead bunk mate (Rimmer), an evolved version of the ship’s cat (Cat) and a neurotic cleaning android (Kryten). Ten series later, and Lister still hasn’t got back to Earth :lol:
12) What animals do you like?
Mostly cats. Thanks to my mum, I’ve grown up around cats (that doesn’t mean I was raised by them :lol: Although the cat we have now that seems to love telling me what to do. )
Devil May Cry Related Questions
1) Have you played all Devil May Cry games?
Of course (all of them at least once).
2) Which Devil May Cry game is your favorite?
DMC3: Special Edition. Vergil should’ve been a playable character in the first release of the game (personally on an extra disc like Lucia’s story in DMC2, instead of having the Monster Hunter demo).
Plus, so far I’ve racked up 40 hours playing as Vergil on Special Edition.
3) Which Devil May Cry game is your least favorite?
DMC4. I’m not a fan of the story and the ‘romance’ involved (personally killing demons is enough for me). Nero fighting for his true love is all well and good, but screaming ‘KYRIEEEEEEE’ every ten seconds just becomes annoying, so I just skip the cutscenes. Dante is pretty much the comic relief of it and had it not been for him, I would’ve hated it even more.
4) Which Devil May Cry character is your favorite?
VERGIL!!!! (I love tough questions :lol: ) He’s the reason that I got into the series. In the fight against Dante in the E3 trailer, I was just ‘WOAH!’
I love his cold persona and his cool and calm exterior (I love his eyes too). He seems pretty intimidating and the sort of guy you could hide behind if you were going to be attacked (if he’d let you). I just love him… *melts* (I bet he gives lovely hugs too… if he were a nicer guy that is. :lol: )
*I also like new Vergil, just not as much as old Vergil (although I do collect pictures of new Vergil)*
5) Which Devil May Cry character is your least favorite?
Umm, Nero would be the obvious. It’s not his fault, that’s down to Capcom. However there are others that I dislike, Sanctus (for being a tough s.o.b. to defeat), Lady (mainly her transformation from ‘Innocent’ to ‘tart with a breast enlargement’ in one game), and Arkham.
6) What do you think about DmC: Devil May Cry?
In the beginning (when it was first announced) I absolutely hated it and the new Dante. It wasn’t until the ‘Hey Bob, put a spin on this’ trailer, that my opinion started to change.
The game is far better than I thought it would be and I found that I like new Dante more than I thought I would. I love the rapport that Kat and Dante have. They seem to understand each other and they’ve both had pretty bad lives up to that point.
The brothers’ turning against each other was obviously going to happen. Also I thought the ending was a bit ‘abrupt’.
But, yeah, I really liked the game.
7) Do you think Ninja Theory is the right choice for the reboot?
I think it’s easy to say that Platinum Games should’ve been given the reboot, but I would’ve love to have seen what Konami (possibly under the supervision of Kojima) would’ve done. It would’ve been interesting to see if they took any influence of Castlevania.
However, I think NT kept to (as best as they could) the over the top action that the series is famous for.
8) Who are your favorite bosses in from the Devil May Cry games?
The obvious would be Vergil, DMC3: Mission 13. Heart of Leviathan is another (I’ve always wondered if he felt Dante running around inside of him). I think it’s one of my favorites because it is so easy (plus two of his organs ironically look like punching bags).
Nelo Angelo’s three fights from DMC.
Dante’s Enchidna fight from DMC4 (and the cutscene before it).
9) Do you think there will be a sequel to the original Devil May Cry series?
I think there will be at some point seeing that NT said Capcom wanted to do DMC5, but I don’t see what direction the series could take now seeing that it has been rebooted. Now that the reboot has happened, Capcom could ‘rewrite’ the DMC timeline (i.e. start from scratch), but, yes, I think there will be a sequel to the original series.
Personally (and I know that people won’t agree or like this), I think the old series should be left alone. Capcom may make other characters appear and make either of the twins their father (because it’s a lazy and easy explanation that needs no thought).
10) What do you think about the music used in all Devil May Cry games?
On first playthrough, I don’t listen to the music (too busy concentrating).
The music really seems to suit the atmosphere in Devil May Cry (the first game), especially running around the castle on Mallet Island with that dark and heavy music.
Devil May Cry 2’s soundtrack is aptly suited to the gothic appearance of the game.
The DMC3’s soundtrack is my favorite. One of the things that stands out for me is the track used for the ‘Lost Souls Nirvana’ area. Heavenly, yet somewhat demonic.
There are only two tracks that I listen to in DMC4 (on the CD anyway). Kyrie’s ‘Out of Darkness’ and the main track ‘Never Surrender’. If I’m honest, I spend most of the time playing DMC4 listening to my MP3 player.
I’ve only played through DmC once. I did like the music used in Lilith’s Nightclub level and I love CombiChrist’s ‘They’.
*I do have a few tracks from the games on my MP3 player. The title track from DMC3 (Game and E3 trailer versions), Mission 13 intro, boss battle, Lost Souls Nirvana. DMC’s Ultraviolet and Super Ultraviolet (from the second and third Nelo Angelo Battle). Out of Darkness and Never Surrender from DMC4. ‘Room DESPAIR’, ‘Future in my hands’ and ‘I’ll be your home’ from the Anime. ‘Arcade Machine’ and ‘They’ from DmC: Devil May Cry*
11) Do you think future Devil May Cry games should include multiplayer?
I’m sure there are people out there who would love multiplayer in the DMC series, but I wouldn’t. Plus Multiplayer leads to achievements/trophies that can only be unlocked through that method, so no.
12) What are the things that you like about the Devil May Cry series?
Vergil!!!
It has to be the over the top action, the ‘one liners’, story (apart from DMC4) level design, music and character design (that doesn’t include Lady from DMC4.)
13) What are the things that you dislike about the Devil May Cry series?
Sore thumbs and wrists through ‘button mashing’.
Apart from not liking some of the characters, DMC isn’t something that I can really pick holes in.
One thing that I do have a problem with is spreading the games over novels. If you can’t put it in the game, then it shouldn’t be included.
General Gaming Questions
1) What consoles do you own currently?
Current gen, I own PS3, Wii, two Xbox 360’s (I wasn’t prepared to wait two months until I got a new 360 for Christmas. :lol
and Nintendo 3DS
Past generations: Sega Mega Drive II (or Genesis II), Ps1, PS2 (block/fat version of the console and slimline version), Gamecube, Dreamcast, Nintendo 64, Xbox, Gameboy, Gameboy Colour (two for trading between Pokemon games), Gameboy Advance, Nintendo DS and a modern re-release of the Mega Drive by another company (not Sega) which has pretty poor sound quality when playing cartridges.
2) Which console is your favorite?
Current gen has to be the Xbox 360 (even though my old 360 suffered the ‘red ring of death’). I love the achievement system (numbers mean more to me than the idea of collecting trophies on the PS3). With the past generation, I always seem to go back to the Mega Drive. I played games with my parents on that console (always seemed to get beaten by my mum on Columns :lol: )
3) What do you think about next generation gaming?
At the moment, not much. It’s good to know what a next gen console has the potential to do, but until its release it’s just statistics and numbers. Rumors about having to be ‘always online’ is a bad idea and would be a reason that would put me off buying a next gen console.
I also think that a console’s true potential is never truly discovered until midway to three quarters into that generation.
4) Have you ever considered in purchasing any new consoles like PS4, WiiU, etc?
I thought about getting the WiiU just for Tekken Tag Tournament 2, but when I saw Kazuya dressed as Link I changed my mind. Bayonetta 2 also isn’t a strong enough reason to buy it. Although, if it was Devil May Cry, I would think differently.
As for the PS4 and the new Xbox (720) I would like to know more about them before I made a decision. I wouldn’t play any of the games that have been announced for the PS4, so at the moment I wouldn’t buy the PS4, and I couldn’t make a decision about the new Xbox as I don’t know much about it. But, like I said in the last question, if the consoles always need to be online, then I wouldn’t buy it.
5) Do you think current game prices reasonable or not?
On my blog I always write that people should shop around. I think some games are really overpriced. When you think about, it next year, there’s a chance we’ll have two new home consoles (although it’s more likely that there will definitely be one) and in the UK, there’s a huge chance those games will cost from £45 to somewhere around £60-£65.
I don’t get a chance to buy new games because of the prices, so I mainly by pre-owned and even sometimes they’re more expensive than the new versions. You only have to look on the GAME UK website to see that. Once they were selling DmC: Devil May Cry (360) for 24.99 and the pre-owned version for 28.99. I was even in one of their shops a few weeks ago, They didn’t have any new copies of the game, yet they had one pre-owned copy which they were selling for 32.99 In a way, It disgusts me (as a gamer and as someone who mostly has to wait until a game is dirt cheap to buy.)
6) What do you think about current gaming culture?
I was reading up on it earlier because I had no idea how to answer this. I think most of us back in the 90’s had no idea that gaming would be this… huge (well I didn’t).
Thousands of people playing one game at one time. Teams playing each other on games like Call of Duty (even if you do get verbally abused by a 10 year old).
There is too much negativity set by the press and media about gaming.
On a side note, you always hear about people that kill others and the media blame games such as Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto. You never get the media saying someone scored a great goal at a football match because they’ve been playing FIFA or Pro Evolution Soccer. Or (this is a bit stupid) they never blame Sonic the Hedgehog for thieves going into a Jewelers and stealing rings (then again, they would probably have to paint themselves blue).
We don’t focus on the positives like how it brings people together and can help people learn about other cultures from other players. Gaming has certainly broken down lots of barriers.
7) What kind of games do you like?
Third person action/shooter, fighting, puzzle, some RPG’s, platformer’s… most games as long as it isn’t FPS and as long as there is a trial version of a game that is free, I’ll give anything a go.
8) Do you think current generation games have better quality compared to the previous generation games? Why?
If we’re talking the obvious graphics and sounds then they do (at least they should do). However, when it comes down to game play and story, then a game can only be as good as the people who develop/write it.
When I first saw a picture of Dante from Devil May Cry 4, I couldn’t believe how ‘real’ he looked (especially the stubble).
I was playing Soul Reaver on the PS3 (downloaded from PSN) and the picture was pixilated and horrible (that was on a HDTV). If the companies push games for HDTV’s then shouldn’t they adjust them to play on them? It just proved the difference in quality of graphics over the gap of a generation.
9) What do you think about Japanese games?
I was looking at game cases on the Japanese games that I have and noticed that like their anime and manga characters, Japanese game characters have big, wide eyes.
When I think of Japanese games, I always seem to think of RPG’s and the likes of Final Fantasy, Shin Megami Tensei and other games that have turned based battle systems. I know they make more than RPG’s in Japan but it’s what I think of and it’s probably the main reason why I give Japanese RPG’s a ‘wide-berth’. To be honest, I don’t notice if a game is Japanese so I don’t really have much of an opinion. (Although I’d love to see a Japanese company create a version of GTA.)
10) What do you think about Western games?
Compared to Japanese characters, Western game characters are more moody and frown more.
I think Western games aren’t hesitant to throw in bucket-loads of violence and gore (with naked women) unlike Japanese games (Japan seems to keep sex/hentai or nipples away from their mainstream games).
I couldn’t see Capcom in Japan creating what Ninja Theory came up with (especially Dante ‘doing it’ with two women in the opening titles, or Dante ‘flying’ across the room naked).
So I think Western games are more ‘out there’ with their content.
11) What video game companies do you like and dislike? Please state few reasons.
That’s very difficult, Namco (now Namco Bandai) have always been a favorite and that’s mostly due to the Tekken franchise. They also created another of my favorite games which is Ridge Racer Revolution (the Soul Calibur series is pretty good too) and it looks like they’ve done a good job in creating the new Star Trek game.
Sega were one of my favorite companies. I don’t get what they’re doing with the Sonic franchise. Sonic Golf?! I didn’t realize Sega were desperate for money. Also what really knocked Sega down in my estimation is when they wouldn’t allow the Streets of Rage Remake fan game to be released.
I’ve never liked Capcom because they’ve always milked the Street Fighter franchise. So it was a pretty big shock when I found out they made Devil May Cry :lol:
Square Enix and Nintendo are pretty bad too, but that’s down to personal experience with their customer service (Capcom’s isn’t good either.)
12) If you are a billionaire, which company would you like to buy and own?
Gee, there are about three that I can think of, Capcom, Square Enix and Sega. I can’t really choose. (I think it would be easier to just a buy a football club :lol: )
Hmm…probably Sega.
13) What will you do once you have owned the company that you like?
Main things are that I’d get in there and violently shake everyone who works on/for Sonic Team, then tell them to ask the fans what they would like for a new Sonic game. If they want the series to go back to its roots, then why not, it’s only one game.
I’d then make them develop a new Streets of Rage game. It’s what the fans want and what they deserve.
I’d also get Shenmue III released. People want it; why not give it to them?!
Then see if we couldn’t develop a new console. Shake up the market. I’d love to see Sega release a new console.
14) What are the best sequels you have played?
Blood Omen 2, Soul Reaver 2, Legacy of Kain Defiance, Fable II, Fable III, Streets of Rage 2, Uncharted 3 (They are the main ones that I can think of)
15) Do you like or dislike to play online, and why?
I’ve had actual internet (not from a mobile phone) since November 2012 and I can honestly say that I haven’t tried playing online (on the PS3 or 360).
I’m playing games on Facebook and all I can think is “I hope this broadband package really is unlimited.” So not really. It’s just that one thing that bothers me. Until I’ve played online (and with someone) I can’t really give an answer.
16) What are the worst sequels you have played?
I didn’t like Tekken 6. Azazel and Nancy were just ridiculously tough. Soul Calibur V felt a little lazy (really disappointed that there was no concept art to unlock, apart from that the character creation was pretty good).
There is a part of me that needs to note Fable III, I love it, but I hate it for two reasons. The Crawler and the easiest takeover of a Kingdom in a revolution… Logan doesn’t even fight for the crown… it just seems like a bit of a cop-out.
17) Do you prefer Japanese games or Western games? Why?
I’ve been looking at my collection and I’d say there are more Japanese games than Western. I don’t really have a preference as I think that no matter where games are made there will always be good games and there will always be bad games. Also, when I buy a game I don’t think, “Ooh, that’s by a Japanese or Western developer”. I just buy it and play.
18) Between gameplay, story, music, replay value, and graphics, please rank each accordingly from the most important to the least important component in a game.
They are all equally important. Looking back, some Mega Drive games have rubbish sound, but a good story and gameplay. Sometimes some gamers probably look back at the graphics on the Mega Drive and laugh (because we see how far gaming has come)
I’d say that gameplay and story are the most important components in a game. It helps if a game has ‘attractive’ graphics and a great soundtrack although I expect most people (like myself) listen to other music and MP3 players.
I don’t think replay value matters to many people (especially those who just unlock achievements/trophies), and then sell the game on. If you have achievements/trophies to unlock on higher difficulties, the game has to be good enough for you to want to replay it.
19) What are the best games you have played?
Besides the DMC series, Legacy of Kain series (especially Defiance), Tekken 2, Tekken 3, Fable II, Fable III, Sonic Mega Collection, Streets of Rage 2, TheatRhythm: Final Fantasy, Rhythm Thief and the Emperor’s Treasure, Uncharted 3, Ms. Splosion Man, ‘Splosion Man, Minecraft (there are quite a few more, but I can’t think of them :lol: )
20) What are the worst games you have played?
Definitely Dragon Age (it just wasn't my kind of game at all). I don’t enjoy the Final Fantasy series or Legend of Zelda. Death by Degrees, Sonic the Fighters and Sonic R was utter trash. Spice World, Popstar Maker, Rayman Rush, Heavenly Sword, and God of War: Chains of Olympus (to name a few).
21) What games that you think are lacking of originality?
Every game that copied ideas from Devil May Cry…
Seriously though, if you look at some game series, they have one successful game that is then a template for every other game that they create. Legend of Zelda series does this with ‘Ocarina of Time’, Castlevania with ‘Symphony of the Night’, Nintendo with ‘Super Mario Bros. 3”. New Super Mario Bros. 2 was exactly like New Super Mario Bros. on the DS, the only difference; collect 1,000,000,000 gold coins to add to the world total. Not really an innovation in gaming. I’m surprised that Sega hasn’t done this with Sonic and collecting rings. Sometimes you can see why games get rebooted.
General Questions
1) What is your current occupation?
Erm, how to put this without even more people hating me… well, at the moment (due to my Doctor), I don’t have one. Technically (in certain ways) my mum cares for me. I have depression and other problems (i.e. anxiety, social-phobia) which some people on the forum have picked up on. I know on the forum you wouldn’t really know that I have problems but I’m very different in real life. (My doctor says that I have mild Aspergers but won’t ‘test’ me for it.) Past all of that, I do have aspirations and things that I want to do with my life (see goals).
2) What are your hobbies?
Collecting Vergil pictures, obsessing over Vergil, gaming, listening to music, football/soccer (I’d play it if I could, but I mostly support my local team, and by support I mean listening to their matches on the radio)
3) How did you come across with this forum?
I know the forum says that I joined in 2008, but I thought I joined in 2009 not long after I had lost someone close to me. Um…but I think I was looking for Devil May Cry stuff on Google and came across the forum, signed up and 10,000 posts later, here I am.
4) Have you ever joined other forums?
I’m signed up to two other Xenforo forums, Resident Evil and Fable. I’ve also been signed up to a couple of football/soccer forums which are mostly full of men. It got to a point where I couldn’t be bothered to argue. There are other forums but I feel more comfortable here where I ‘know’ people and have some great friends.
5) What do you like about this forum?
Obviously that has to be the people. I’ve had conversations (probably mostly on PM’s) to some really great people on here.
Love the ignore list.
I also love the fact that I can obsess over *who-know-who* and I’m not treated like some idiot because people have no idea what I’m going on about.
6) What do you dislike about this forum?
Hmmm, not much, conflicts between members. After DmC’s release, I still can’t believe we get trouble. If there is trouble I TRY and stay away from it and if someone tries to wind me up then I walk away. If I’m honest, there are some members that I don’t like, and I know there are some that don’t like me, but I would just be an idiot to think that everyone likes me because that just isn’t true and to be honest, I don’t have a problem with that.
7) What movies do you like and why?
One film I love is Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Ricardo Montalban who played Khan just portrays (for me) the perfect Star Trek villain. He’s kind of descended into madness by being marooned on a planet by Captain Kirk. His people have experienced catastrophe (the planet next to them blowing up and turning theirs into a wasteland), his people being killed by the only surviving species on the planet, his wife dying and plotting his revenge on Kirk. By the end of the film, Khan is so mad that the only way left to destroy Kirk is to also sacrifice himself.
Event Horizon: I’m not a big fan of horror movies these days, it’s either too much gore, or too much boob on show. Its sci-fi and horror. It’s got eye gouging, disemboweling, suspense and a ship that’s ‘alive’. It was given pretty bad reviews, but I love it.
Dracula: Dead and Loving is utter madness. I’ve always been into vampires. I suppose I like this film because it is just full of stupidity. One of the best scenes though is where Leslie Nielsen’s Dracula is dancing with Mina at the ball, they unveil this huge mirror and you can see Mina dancing around, but not Dracula. I had the film on video (which I got rid of when my VHS player stopped working); I’m still looking for it on DVD.
Van Helsing: Probably another film that got bad reviews. I love the action. Plus, I thought the guy that played Dracula was great.
8) What music do you like and why?
I mostly love 80’s music. I was born in 1987 and I suppose I’m one of those people that say they were born in the wrong era.
I love a group called Duran Duran. They are legends and one of the main sounds of the 80’s.
Somehow, their career has lasted just over 30 years. Granted that they haven’t always had the same line up but they’re still here. (Plus, if it wasn’t for Duran Duran, I would never have been inspired by their song ‘Nite-Runner’.)
(They also formed another group called Arcadia which was pretty good.)
Another group (which I’ve definitely mentioned) is Tenpole Tudor. They aren’t so well known, and I’d class some of their stuff as ‘cheesy’. They only ever wrote one ballad called ‘Tonight is the Night’ and it has to be one of my favorite songs ever. The lead singer of Tenpole Tudor is a guy called Edward Tudor-pole, and he presented my favorite show as a kid called ‘The Crystal Maze’. He was nuts, yet epic at the same time (I know there are others who don’t share that opinion though).
To be honest, I like most 80’s music, but not all.
I just love listening to music. I loved listening to it as a kid. It gets me through rough times and it blocks out the silence that I absolutely hate.
Looking at my MP3 player I also listen to Lady Gaga, Michael Buble, Pussycat Dolls, Take That,
Neil Diamond, Roxette,U2, Spice Girls, Blue, Elton John, Red Hot Chili Peppers, My Chemical Romance, Fleetwood Mac, Sex Pistols, Pink, Rihanna, Katy Perry, Amy Winehouse, Maroon 5, Olly Murs, Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music and an artist that started my love for music, a guy called Barry Manilow (there are a lot more artists, but that’s just a chosen few). Okay, some of those are embarrassing to admit to, but it’s what I love and like I said, it blocks everything out.
9) What is your future goal?
To find out how they created Rocky in the Rocky Horror show and do the same by making Vergil :lol: Failing that, I’d love to have a male mannequin (like they use in shop windows), buy Vergil’s cosplay outfit, a wig (style it like his hair) then print off a mask of his face, then use him for cuddles.
Seriously though, firstly, I would like to get better. Lose the depression and other problems that I have with my life, find someone nice who doesn’t treat me like some sort of joke or just wants to be friends…. (Gee, that was open and pretty honest.)
Plus, I would love to own a video game store (which I’ve already decided on a name for.)
10) What do you think about the negative trends of current generation, such as excessive gambling?
Gee, if I’m honest, it’s not something that I feel qualified to have an opinion on as I don’t know much about it.
I think all problems our societies face have been, and will always be there, drinking, drugs etc. I think it’ll take someone who is bold enough and brave enough for something drastic to happen for current problems to be eradicated.
11) Have you watched many television series?
I’ve watched a bit of TV in my sort time in the world. I suppose the most that I’ve watched of any series is Star Trek, but that would only be ‘The Original series’, ‘The Next Generation’ and ’Voyager’.
My dad started me on Star Trek and getting older I started to collect stuff. I love Star Trek, but I’m not like the huge fans that go to conventions in the US.
I also love CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Some of the stories are really over the top but it’s just a great program.
Then (as I’ve mentioned earlier) there is ‘The Crystal Maze’. It’s always great to see how some people cope under pressure (it’s also pretty funny when they get locked in their game cell when the time runs out.)
I also love a TV series called ‘Red Dwarf’. It was set on a mining ship in space where all of the crew (except for one guy called Dave Lister) was wiped out by a radiation leak. He’s three million years into deep space with a hologram of his dead bunk mate (Rimmer), an evolved version of the ship’s cat (Cat) and a neurotic cleaning android (Kryten). Ten series later, and Lister still hasn’t got back to Earth :lol:
12) What animals do you like?
Mostly cats. Thanks to my mum, I’ve grown up around cats (that doesn’t mean I was raised by them :lol: Although the cat we have now that seems to love telling me what to do. )
Devil May Cry Related Questions
1) Have you played all Devil May Cry games?
Of course (all of them at least once).
2) Which Devil May Cry game is your favorite?
DMC3: Special Edition. Vergil should’ve been a playable character in the first release of the game (personally on an extra disc like Lucia’s story in DMC2, instead of having the Monster Hunter demo).
Plus, so far I’ve racked up 40 hours playing as Vergil on Special Edition.
3) Which Devil May Cry game is your least favorite?
DMC4. I’m not a fan of the story and the ‘romance’ involved (personally killing demons is enough for me). Nero fighting for his true love is all well and good, but screaming ‘KYRIEEEEEEE’ every ten seconds just becomes annoying, so I just skip the cutscenes. Dante is pretty much the comic relief of it and had it not been for him, I would’ve hated it even more.
4) Which Devil May Cry character is your favorite?
VERGIL!!!! (I love tough questions :lol: ) He’s the reason that I got into the series. In the fight against Dante in the E3 trailer, I was just ‘WOAH!’
I love his cold persona and his cool and calm exterior (I love his eyes too). He seems pretty intimidating and the sort of guy you could hide behind if you were going to be attacked (if he’d let you). I just love him… *melts* (I bet he gives lovely hugs too… if he were a nicer guy that is. :lol: )
*I also like new Vergil, just not as much as old Vergil (although I do collect pictures of new Vergil)*
5) Which Devil May Cry character is your least favorite?
Umm, Nero would be the obvious. It’s not his fault, that’s down to Capcom. However there are others that I dislike, Sanctus (for being a tough s.o.b. to defeat), Lady (mainly her transformation from ‘Innocent’ to ‘tart with a breast enlargement’ in one game), and Arkham.
6) What do you think about DmC: Devil May Cry?
In the beginning (when it was first announced) I absolutely hated it and the new Dante. It wasn’t until the ‘Hey Bob, put a spin on this’ trailer, that my opinion started to change.
The game is far better than I thought it would be and I found that I like new Dante more than I thought I would. I love the rapport that Kat and Dante have. They seem to understand each other and they’ve both had pretty bad lives up to that point.
The brothers’ turning against each other was obviously going to happen. Also I thought the ending was a bit ‘abrupt’.
But, yeah, I really liked the game.
7) Do you think Ninja Theory is the right choice for the reboot?
I think it’s easy to say that Platinum Games should’ve been given the reboot, but I would’ve love to have seen what Konami (possibly under the supervision of Kojima) would’ve done. It would’ve been interesting to see if they took any influence of Castlevania.
However, I think NT kept to (as best as they could) the over the top action that the series is famous for.
8) Who are your favorite bosses in from the Devil May Cry games?
The obvious would be Vergil, DMC3: Mission 13. Heart of Leviathan is another (I’ve always wondered if he felt Dante running around inside of him). I think it’s one of my favorites because it is so easy (plus two of his organs ironically look like punching bags).
Nelo Angelo’s three fights from DMC.
Dante’s Enchidna fight from DMC4 (and the cutscene before it).
9) Do you think there will be a sequel to the original Devil May Cry series?
I think there will be at some point seeing that NT said Capcom wanted to do DMC5, but I don’t see what direction the series could take now seeing that it has been rebooted. Now that the reboot has happened, Capcom could ‘rewrite’ the DMC timeline (i.e. start from scratch), but, yes, I think there will be a sequel to the original series.
Personally (and I know that people won’t agree or like this), I think the old series should be left alone. Capcom may make other characters appear and make either of the twins their father (because it’s a lazy and easy explanation that needs no thought).
10) What do you think about the music used in all Devil May Cry games?
On first playthrough, I don’t listen to the music (too busy concentrating).
The music really seems to suit the atmosphere in Devil May Cry (the first game), especially running around the castle on Mallet Island with that dark and heavy music.
Devil May Cry 2’s soundtrack is aptly suited to the gothic appearance of the game.
The DMC3’s soundtrack is my favorite. One of the things that stands out for me is the track used for the ‘Lost Souls Nirvana’ area. Heavenly, yet somewhat demonic.
There are only two tracks that I listen to in DMC4 (on the CD anyway). Kyrie’s ‘Out of Darkness’ and the main track ‘Never Surrender’. If I’m honest, I spend most of the time playing DMC4 listening to my MP3 player.
I’ve only played through DmC once. I did like the music used in Lilith’s Nightclub level and I love CombiChrist’s ‘They’.
*I do have a few tracks from the games on my MP3 player. The title track from DMC3 (Game and E3 trailer versions), Mission 13 intro, boss battle, Lost Souls Nirvana. DMC’s Ultraviolet and Super Ultraviolet (from the second and third Nelo Angelo Battle). Out of Darkness and Never Surrender from DMC4. ‘Room DESPAIR’, ‘Future in my hands’ and ‘I’ll be your home’ from the Anime. ‘Arcade Machine’ and ‘They’ from DmC: Devil May Cry*
11) Do you think future Devil May Cry games should include multiplayer?
I’m sure there are people out there who would love multiplayer in the DMC series, but I wouldn’t. Plus Multiplayer leads to achievements/trophies that can only be unlocked through that method, so no.
12) What are the things that you like about the Devil May Cry series?
Vergil!!!
It has to be the over the top action, the ‘one liners’, story (apart from DMC4) level design, music and character design (that doesn’t include Lady from DMC4.)
13) What are the things that you dislike about the Devil May Cry series?
Sore thumbs and wrists through ‘button mashing’.
Apart from not liking some of the characters, DMC isn’t something that I can really pick holes in.
One thing that I do have a problem with is spreading the games over novels. If you can’t put it in the game, then it shouldn’t be included.
General Gaming Questions
1) What consoles do you own currently?
Current gen, I own PS3, Wii, two Xbox 360’s (I wasn’t prepared to wait two months until I got a new 360 for Christmas. :lol
and Nintendo 3DSPast generations: Sega Mega Drive II (or Genesis II), Ps1, PS2 (block/fat version of the console and slimline version), Gamecube, Dreamcast, Nintendo 64, Xbox, Gameboy, Gameboy Colour (two for trading between Pokemon games), Gameboy Advance, Nintendo DS and a modern re-release of the Mega Drive by another company (not Sega) which has pretty poor sound quality when playing cartridges.
2) Which console is your favorite?
Current gen has to be the Xbox 360 (even though my old 360 suffered the ‘red ring of death’). I love the achievement system (numbers mean more to me than the idea of collecting trophies on the PS3). With the past generation, I always seem to go back to the Mega Drive. I played games with my parents on that console (always seemed to get beaten by my mum on Columns :lol: )
3) What do you think about next generation gaming?
At the moment, not much. It’s good to know what a next gen console has the potential to do, but until its release it’s just statistics and numbers. Rumors about having to be ‘always online’ is a bad idea and would be a reason that would put me off buying a next gen console.
I also think that a console’s true potential is never truly discovered until midway to three quarters into that generation.
4) Have you ever considered in purchasing any new consoles like PS4, WiiU, etc?
I thought about getting the WiiU just for Tekken Tag Tournament 2, but when I saw Kazuya dressed as Link I changed my mind. Bayonetta 2 also isn’t a strong enough reason to buy it. Although, if it was Devil May Cry, I would think differently.
As for the PS4 and the new Xbox (720) I would like to know more about them before I made a decision. I wouldn’t play any of the games that have been announced for the PS4, so at the moment I wouldn’t buy the PS4, and I couldn’t make a decision about the new Xbox as I don’t know much about it. But, like I said in the last question, if the consoles always need to be online, then I wouldn’t buy it.
5) Do you think current game prices reasonable or not?
On my blog I always write that people should shop around. I think some games are really overpriced. When you think about, it next year, there’s a chance we’ll have two new home consoles (although it’s more likely that there will definitely be one) and in the UK, there’s a huge chance those games will cost from £45 to somewhere around £60-£65.
I don’t get a chance to buy new games because of the prices, so I mainly by pre-owned and even sometimes they’re more expensive than the new versions. You only have to look on the GAME UK website to see that. Once they were selling DmC: Devil May Cry (360) for 24.99 and the pre-owned version for 28.99. I was even in one of their shops a few weeks ago, They didn’t have any new copies of the game, yet they had one pre-owned copy which they were selling for 32.99 In a way, It disgusts me (as a gamer and as someone who mostly has to wait until a game is dirt cheap to buy.)
6) What do you think about current gaming culture?
I was reading up on it earlier because I had no idea how to answer this. I think most of us back in the 90’s had no idea that gaming would be this… huge (well I didn’t).
Thousands of people playing one game at one time. Teams playing each other on games like Call of Duty (even if you do get verbally abused by a 10 year old).
There is too much negativity set by the press and media about gaming.
On a side note, you always hear about people that kill others and the media blame games such as Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto. You never get the media saying someone scored a great goal at a football match because they’ve been playing FIFA or Pro Evolution Soccer. Or (this is a bit stupid) they never blame Sonic the Hedgehog for thieves going into a Jewelers and stealing rings (then again, they would probably have to paint themselves blue).
We don’t focus on the positives like how it brings people together and can help people learn about other cultures from other players. Gaming has certainly broken down lots of barriers.
7) What kind of games do you like?
Third person action/shooter, fighting, puzzle, some RPG’s, platformer’s… most games as long as it isn’t FPS and as long as there is a trial version of a game that is free, I’ll give anything a go.
8) Do you think current generation games have better quality compared to the previous generation games? Why?
If we’re talking the obvious graphics and sounds then they do (at least they should do). However, when it comes down to game play and story, then a game can only be as good as the people who develop/write it.
When I first saw a picture of Dante from Devil May Cry 4, I couldn’t believe how ‘real’ he looked (especially the stubble).
I was playing Soul Reaver on the PS3 (downloaded from PSN) and the picture was pixilated and horrible (that was on a HDTV). If the companies push games for HDTV’s then shouldn’t they adjust them to play on them? It just proved the difference in quality of graphics over the gap of a generation.
9) What do you think about Japanese games?
I was looking at game cases on the Japanese games that I have and noticed that like their anime and manga characters, Japanese game characters have big, wide eyes.
When I think of Japanese games, I always seem to think of RPG’s and the likes of Final Fantasy, Shin Megami Tensei and other games that have turned based battle systems. I know they make more than RPG’s in Japan but it’s what I think of and it’s probably the main reason why I give Japanese RPG’s a ‘wide-berth’. To be honest, I don’t notice if a game is Japanese so I don’t really have much of an opinion. (Although I’d love to see a Japanese company create a version of GTA.)
10) What do you think about Western games?
Compared to Japanese characters, Western game characters are more moody and frown more.
I think Western games aren’t hesitant to throw in bucket-loads of violence and gore (with naked women) unlike Japanese games (Japan seems to keep sex/hentai or nipples away from their mainstream games).
I couldn’t see Capcom in Japan creating what Ninja Theory came up with (especially Dante ‘doing it’ with two women in the opening titles, or Dante ‘flying’ across the room naked).
So I think Western games are more ‘out there’ with their content.
11) What video game companies do you like and dislike? Please state few reasons.
That’s very difficult, Namco (now Namco Bandai) have always been a favorite and that’s mostly due to the Tekken franchise. They also created another of my favorite games which is Ridge Racer Revolution (the Soul Calibur series is pretty good too) and it looks like they’ve done a good job in creating the new Star Trek game.
Sega were one of my favorite companies. I don’t get what they’re doing with the Sonic franchise. Sonic Golf?! I didn’t realize Sega were desperate for money. Also what really knocked Sega down in my estimation is when they wouldn’t allow the Streets of Rage Remake fan game to be released.
I’ve never liked Capcom because they’ve always milked the Street Fighter franchise. So it was a pretty big shock when I found out they made Devil May Cry :lol:
Square Enix and Nintendo are pretty bad too, but that’s down to personal experience with their customer service (Capcom’s isn’t good either.)
12) If you are a billionaire, which company would you like to buy and own?
Gee, there are about three that I can think of, Capcom, Square Enix and Sega. I can’t really choose. (I think it would be easier to just a buy a football club :lol: )
Hmm…probably Sega.
13) What will you do once you have owned the company that you like?
Main things are that I’d get in there and violently shake everyone who works on/for Sonic Team, then tell them to ask the fans what they would like for a new Sonic game. If they want the series to go back to its roots, then why not, it’s only one game.
I’d then make them develop a new Streets of Rage game. It’s what the fans want and what they deserve.
I’d also get Shenmue III released. People want it; why not give it to them?!
Then see if we couldn’t develop a new console. Shake up the market. I’d love to see Sega release a new console.
14) What are the best sequels you have played?
Blood Omen 2, Soul Reaver 2, Legacy of Kain Defiance, Fable II, Fable III, Streets of Rage 2, Uncharted 3 (They are the main ones that I can think of)
15) Do you like or dislike to play online, and why?
I’ve had actual internet (not from a mobile phone) since November 2012 and I can honestly say that I haven’t tried playing online (on the PS3 or 360).
I’m playing games on Facebook and all I can think is “I hope this broadband package really is unlimited.” So not really. It’s just that one thing that bothers me. Until I’ve played online (and with someone) I can’t really give an answer.
16) What are the worst sequels you have played?
I didn’t like Tekken 6. Azazel and Nancy were just ridiculously tough. Soul Calibur V felt a little lazy (really disappointed that there was no concept art to unlock, apart from that the character creation was pretty good).
There is a part of me that needs to note Fable III, I love it, but I hate it for two reasons. The Crawler and the easiest takeover of a Kingdom in a revolution… Logan doesn’t even fight for the crown… it just seems like a bit of a cop-out.
17) Do you prefer Japanese games or Western games? Why?
I’ve been looking at my collection and I’d say there are more Japanese games than Western. I don’t really have a preference as I think that no matter where games are made there will always be good games and there will always be bad games. Also, when I buy a game I don’t think, “Ooh, that’s by a Japanese or Western developer”. I just buy it and play.
18) Between gameplay, story, music, replay value, and graphics, please rank each accordingly from the most important to the least important component in a game.
They are all equally important. Looking back, some Mega Drive games have rubbish sound, but a good story and gameplay. Sometimes some gamers probably look back at the graphics on the Mega Drive and laugh (because we see how far gaming has come)
I’d say that gameplay and story are the most important components in a game. It helps if a game has ‘attractive’ graphics and a great soundtrack although I expect most people (like myself) listen to other music and MP3 players.
I don’t think replay value matters to many people (especially those who just unlock achievements/trophies), and then sell the game on. If you have achievements/trophies to unlock on higher difficulties, the game has to be good enough for you to want to replay it.
19) What are the best games you have played?
Besides the DMC series, Legacy of Kain series (especially Defiance), Tekken 2, Tekken 3, Fable II, Fable III, Sonic Mega Collection, Streets of Rage 2, TheatRhythm: Final Fantasy, Rhythm Thief and the Emperor’s Treasure, Uncharted 3, Ms. Splosion Man, ‘Splosion Man, Minecraft (there are quite a few more, but I can’t think of them :lol: )
20) What are the worst games you have played?
Definitely Dragon Age (it just wasn't my kind of game at all). I don’t enjoy the Final Fantasy series or Legend of Zelda. Death by Degrees, Sonic the Fighters and Sonic R was utter trash. Spice World, Popstar Maker, Rayman Rush, Heavenly Sword, and God of War: Chains of Olympus (to name a few).
21) What games that you think are lacking of originality?
Every game that copied ideas from Devil May Cry…
Seriously though, if you look at some game series, they have one successful game that is then a template for every other game that they create. Legend of Zelda series does this with ‘Ocarina of Time’, Castlevania with ‘Symphony of the Night’, Nintendo with ‘Super Mario Bros. 3”. New Super Mario Bros. 2 was exactly like New Super Mario Bros. on the DS, the only difference; collect 1,000,000,000 gold coins to add to the world total. Not really an innovation in gaming. I’m surprised that Sega hasn’t done this with Sonic and collecting rings. Sometimes you can see why games get rebooted.
