Sin & Punishment is a third person rail shooter from Treasure games.  Treasure will always hold a special place in my heart for making one of the most awesome, woefully underrated, games for Sega Genesis: Gunstar Heroes.  Gunstar Heroes was a classic of straight up, shoot-em-up console gaming with amazing originality and non-stop chaos.  In many ways, Sin & Punishment is a spiritual successor to Gunstar Heroes, and that’s a great thing indeed.

First though, I have to get the most negative part of the game out of the way.  While S&P is a surreal experience, its most bizarre aspect is found in its character design.  Specifically, its two lead characters are just plain weird.

We have Isa, the boy.  He looks all of thirteen with an atrocious fashion sense.  If he didn’t excell at kicking butt, I just don’t know if I could take him seriously with his shorts, thigh-high boots, and light blue jacket.  Add to this an effeminate haircut, a slight frame, and a general androgeny and you end up with one of the strangest action heroes in gaming history.  I mentioned I would have trouble taking him seriously if he wasn’t so skilled at shooting the crap out of everything, but that’s a lie.  I really can’t take him seriously at all.

Kachi is the girl of the duo, and she isn’t much better.  With a jean skirt, a fluffy shirt, and a tendency to stand pigeon-toed, we’re not exactly talking about an intimidating presence.  While she looks like a refugee from the 80′s, she actually comes across as the less ridiculous of the two, so that’s something.

While I don’t know what inspired these designs and they are unintentionally goofy in America, part of me likes the change from the traditional grizzled space marine that dominates most action games these days so I’m willing to overlook it.  Some “manly” men will take one look at our heroes and turn up their noses.  Too bad.  Their loss.  Because S&P is a hardcore action adventure the likes of which we rarely see this day and age.

The plot of the game . . . eludes me.  There’s something about two worlds, demons, super soldiers, genetically modified guardian monsters, and I don’t know what else.  It’s confusing as hell, but who cares?  Playing a video game for the story is like reading a book to admire the font.   It should get the job done, but not get in the way.

S&P’s gameplay is straightforward.  It’s a rail shooter, meaning the camera carries you through the level as you do your damn best to keep from getting killed while blasting everything in sight.  That’s it.  There’s nothing terribly complex about it.  It’s pure reflexes.  You shoot.  You dodge.  You shoot some more.  Dodge some more.  Then you shoot while dodging and dodge while shooting.  Stand still, you die.  Don’t shoot, you die.

Treasure hasn’t tried to reinvent the rail shooter, but instead has elected to take full advantage of what a home console shooter can do.  The levels are huge.  The bosses complex and rewarding to defeat.  And there’s enough variety of enemies and levels to keep gamers looking for a hardcore shooter interested.

The game supports two players.  The first player controls a character and shoots.  The second player just shoots.  I haven’t tried this yet, but I can see why.  There just wouldn’t be much point to having two characters on screen at the same time because usually the screen is so filled with enemies and enemy bullets that there will only be one safe spot to be standing at any time.  Two characters would just confuse each other, get in each other’s way.

And here comes S&P’s second biggest weakness.  It is tough.  Tough as hell.  Even playing on easy, you’ll find yourself facing defeat at later levels.  Fortunately, the game makes liberal use of checkpoints.  Don’t you hate games where you die and have to walk all the way back from point A to point B, only to die again and go right back to point A?  Well, this is rarely a problem in S&P, which has checkpoints like mad.  In fact, this is one of the only games I’ve ever played where even the boss fights have checkpoints.  Sometimes, they even have multiple checkpoints.  And you’re going to need them.

S&P has some nice gameplay options.  After you beat a level, you can always jump right to it and practice.  It keeps track of high scores, and you can even compare your high scores to other players across the world via the Wii’s internet connection.  There’s something charming about this to me.  S&P is a flashback to a time when scores meant something.  Whether it’s topping your personal best or striving to make your mark, watching your score rise can be an old school  joy.  One of the things I love about the gameplay is that you have a score multiplier that rises the more bad guys you destroy, but falls whenever you get hit.  Even if you’re nowhere near dying, you’ll still wince as you take a hit and watch that multiplier fall.

Let’s just get down to this.  The Wii takes a lot of heat (some of it justified) for being a system that plays it safe with countless Mario games and silly little casual game trifles.  But there are some genuinely hardcore games for it, and this is one of them.  Granted, it doesn’t have the hardcore game look.  It stars strangely garbed children and involves a storyline that is both mystical and absurd.  Nobody is grizzled.  The bad guys all look nearly as weird as our heroes, and most people will probably take one look and label it “gay” or “kid’s stuff” and move on.

But S&P is great and unique.  It’s flaws are forgivable.  This is a game that dares to break the mold, that is both retro and next gen.  So check it out.  You might just be surprised.

So The Punisher is now a Frankenstein-style monster in the mainstream Marvel Comics.  It’s pretty weird, but considering it’s one of the few mainstream Marvel Comics I’m enjoying, I can live with it.  It helps that I am a big monster fan, and that anything with Man-Thing, Werewolf by Night, and The Living Mummy is A-OK in my universe.  The first story arc was a bit bloodier than I would’ve liked, but that’s a ridiculous complaint when we’re talking about a vigilante who is defined by his merciless talent for killing people.

The only downside is that in a few months, The Punisher will be confronting Wolverine Jr., the guy who sliced him to pieces.  I just don’t like Wolvie Jr.  He’s a dumb idea.  And one of his claws comes directly out of his wrists.  Wouldn’t that be awkward as hell?  Of course, he’s also got tribal tattoos, which make him look way too 90′s.  And wouldn’t Wolverine Jr.’s healing ability make tattoos impossible?

I’m not a fan of spinoff characters that are basically identical to the original.  Never liked War Machine for this reason.  Or Venom.  Or Wolverine Jr.  Or Girl Wolverine.  After a while, it just succeeds in making the original character seem less special.  But Wolverine Jr. is especially dumb because he’s the “dark” version.  Isn’t Original Flavor Wolverine supposed to be the dark version of superheroes to begin with?  Or have we become so jaded now that the brutal berserker with the power to stab people isn’t dark enough?  Don’t answer that.  Either answer would just make me sad.

Oh, right.  This was supposed to be a pithier, more positive post.  Sorry about that.

Beta Ray Bill is a spinoff character I can get behind.  For those not in the know, Beta Ray Bill is an alien horseman with the power of Thor.  He’s pretty much Thor, but in space.  Not only does he get his own cool magic hammer, but he also gets a spaceship.  So, yeah, he’s awesome.

Bought a new book today.  Last Call by Daniel Okrent.  It’s about Prohibition.  Haven’t read much yet, but what I’ve read, I’ve liked.

Okay, well, guess it’s time to get back to work.  Catch you later, gang.

Fighting the good fight, Writing the good write,

Lee

The paychecks.

Yes, getting paid to write is just fantastic.  I highly recommend it.

This is not to imply that I don’t love lots of other great things about writing.  I do love making up stories and characters and getting to be creative.  I love it when fans tell me they’ve enjoyed something I’ve written, that it’s enlightened their souls or merely made their day just a little brighter.  I like going to conventions, meeting fellow writers, and hanging out.  I love all these things and more.

But, above all, I love the paycheck.

This isn’t quite as mercennary as it might sound.  I love being an artist, being creative.  But getting paid to write . . . well . . .  there’s nothing quite like it.  This is probably my biggest strike against self-publishing.  Self-publishing can be a rich, rewarding experience.  It has a lot to offer.  But there’s no sense of satisfaction like depositing a check with your name on it that says, “You are a writer, and here’s a few bucks to say thanks.”

You just can’t beat it.

Fighting the good fight, Writing the good write,

Lee

Bottom Line:  I wasted way too much time writing this to just let it go.  So maybe if you’re really bored, you can read it.  Or not.  It’s your call.

I should be writing.  I’m behind in my latest manuscript, and I’d like to get it done soon.  But it’s late.  I’m tired.  And so in an effort to fool my brain into thinking I’m productive, I’m going to write a blog entry instead and then go to bed.

As any regular reader of these posts knows, I’m a skeptic.  In particular, I think ghosts and the paranormal are complete bunk.  Nonsense.  Balderdash.  Foofurall.  You get the idea.

Still, I find myself watching “reality” ghost hunting shows in whatever form they appear.  There’s the pseudoscientific approach of shows like Ghost Hunters & Ghost Lab.  There’s the supernatural evil approach of shows like Paranormal State & Extreme Paranormal.  There’s the scaredy cat, run from spooky noises style of Most Haunted & Ghost Adventures.  The style may differ a bit, but the message is always the same.  Ghosts are real, and these folks have proof.

Sort of.  It all depends on what you consider “proof”.  If a weird sound caught on garbled audio recordings or a shadow you can’t readily identify qualify as “proof”, then they’ve got you covered.  If you want bleeding walls, geniune apparitions, or even a single levitation or bent spoon, then you’re outta luck.

So let’s just assume for a second that there are no such things as ghosts and that the paranormal is just a figment of our collective imagination.  I know.  It’s a stretch, a leap of faith.  So many people believe in ghosts, have had unexplained encounters, have experienced the paranormal on a personal basis.  They can’t all be fooling themselves.  They can’t all be mistaken, can they?

But what if they are?  What if the spooky feeling we get in a darkened room is just a trick of our paranoid, reptillian brain?  What if cold spots are just cold spots?  What if EVP is just our fevered intellect trying to make sense of confusing sensory experience?  And what if every scary “true life” ghost story you’ve ever heard, seen, or read is either a lie or a mistake?

That, to me, is scarier than any ghost or goblin.

My theory on human behavior (which I assume is hardly original and has probably been thought up ages ago by people far smarter than me) is that most of us are incapable of accepting the possibilty of self-deception.  Not just in ourselves, but in everyone.  Especially anyone we trust or who seems trustworthy.  We believe people can lie.  We know people can lie.  Because we lie.  All of us.  All the time.  Most of these are harmless, and that’s no big deal.  But we do know that people can lie and do so regularly.

But the idea that someone might think they’re telling the truth and just be wrong is different.  It’s not something we like to think about.  On a primal level, I think it’s because we have to trust our senses because, for the most part, they keep us on track.  It’s my sense of sight that lets me see the words I write right now, and my fingers feel the keys as I type.  I don’t usually walk into walls.  I know if my milk has gone bad after a taste.  And while I have a lousy sense of smell, if something catches on fire, I’ll usually smell the smoke.  Without our senses, we’re just a lump of fat squished in a stumbling, bumbling cage of meat.

But let’s talk about something deeper than just a trust of our senses.  What we’re really worried about is trusting our judgment.  Because without judgment, how can we really trust anything.  A failing of judgment is what separates fears from phobias.  If you get put off by spiders, you’re normal.  If you huddle in the corner and shriek at the mere sight of one, then you’re not.  If you believe that Jesus loves you and going to church is good for you, you’re normal.  If you think Jesus loves you and wants you to kill French Canadians, you’re not.

We do understand crazy people because there are enough examples.  Extreme, bizarre, and unconventional behavior distinguishes itself in the looney category.  It’s weird, sometimes unsettling, but since it’s clearly looney, it’s no big deal.  If you’re best friend came to you and said he was King of Atlantis and was preparing to wage war on the USA with his magic spatula, you’d probably back away slowly.

But what if your friend told you they saw a ghost?  Not so easy, is it?  Because even if your friend is mistaken, they’re not really acting crazy.  Until they start blowing themselves up or drinking poison or wrestling bears for kicks.  Then they cross a clear line.  It says, “This person is unstable, confused, and dangerous”.  And it’s easy to identify.

But when I watch the ghost hunting shows, I find myself thinking more and more that these people are just a little looney.  They have convinced themselves of something that isn’t there.  Perhaps it’s because they place too much faith in their senses and the senses of others.

Rarely in these shows does the possibilty of self-deception ever come up.  The usual course of investigation is to ask yourself if someone or something you know caused the phenomena (I use the term loosely).  Then you ask if someone is faking it.  But hardly ever is the question asked, “Are we misinterpreting this data?”

Watch a ghost hunting show.  Really.  Do it.  Just once.  Even if you don’t believe in ghosts (and even if you do).  And notice how rarely the participants ever suggest this possibility.

Because to believe that is against our natures.  More importantly, to believe that is to question our judgment at its core.  If ghosts are not real and merely a shared self-deception of most of the terran species, even otherwise perfectly sane and functional human beings, then all bets are off when you think about it.

Most everyone on these ghost hunting shows seems normal.  They are normal.  In most everyday situations, they function fine.  The Ghost Hunters are plumbers with families and homes and ordinary lives outside of their ghost hunting activities.  The demon fighters of Paranormal State seem like nice, congenial kids.  The Ghost Adventures dudes are goofballs, but they aren’t dangerous goofballs.  And if they weren’t lucky enough to get paid to run around empty buildings, jumping at shadows, I’m sure they could be productive members of society.  Well, not willing to bet on it, but let’s just assume they could hold a job and manage not to walk into traffic.  The people who believe in ghosts, tarot, astrology, psychic powers, and holistic medicine are a varied lot, and in most situations, they are indistinguishable from people such as myself (aka The Skeptics).

But what if they’re wrong?  What if in this one area, they’re mistaken?

And just to play my own devil’s advocate, what if I’m wrong?  What if astrology works?  What if germ theory is incorrect?  What if evolution is just a big wrong track?

I don’t believe this to be true, but this belief is only as sound as my judgment.  And the one thing my judgment can never really judge is itself.  Whoa.  I think I just went zen there.

My point (and I do have one finally if you stuck with this long enough) is that a healthy questioning of our own perceptions is important, even necessary to be a functional person.  We must never take our assumptions for granted, always be ready to discard old ideas, no matter how sacred.

If you think about it, this is a constant process throughout our history.  The religions of today are not the religions of yesterday.  The science of old has been replaced with more up to date knowledge.  Theories of government, biology, human behavior, astronomy, etc., etc., etc. have all evolved.  This is undeniable, even if you don’t believe in evolution.  And this is a good thing, and the world is a better place (overall) for it.

Skepticism is important.  Skepticism works.  But it works best when we’re willing to admit that we have to even be skeptical of ourselves.  Unless you take it too far, I suppose and refuse to take anything for granted.  In which case, you’re a looney.  Or living in the matrix, although for that to make any sense your body would have to produce enough energy to power a giant robot and that would violate the laws of thermodynamics.  Personally, I find that harder to believe than ghosts.

But that’s just me.

Fighting the good fight, Writing the good write,

Lee