March has always been a hectic month in terms of both gaming and schooling. March is the month that game publishers love dumping all the games that were not ready for the holiday. It is also the month, universities love dumping projects, tests and presentations on students as the semester comes to an end. Much of this month has been spent studying for a test or working on a project in between classes and shifts at work for yours truly. Even with all the craziness, I have luckily made time to relax by playing a game or watching some television. Although, relaxation was sometimes mixed with school work as I would do my anthropology readings during commercial breaks. While March is almost over, April will be just as crazy for this writer as things ramp up for final exams. Before we move on to the next month, let us look back at the month that was March 2014.
TV Show of the Month
Well, I spent the majority of my game time playing Bravely Default this past month. As it took up the majority of my time, it is easily my Game of the Month yet again. Instead of repeating myself by talking about Bravely Default (I will save it for the review hopefully), I wanted to share another facet of my passions this month--television shows. As I have grown older, my time watching television has cut down to just the shows I want to watch such as Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Persons of Interest and Reviews on the Run. I barely spend time endlessly surfing through channels anymore. As I gravitate to the shows that interest me the most, there a few I do not get to watch when they first run or they never make it to television in the first place. One of those shows is Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is an anime which adapts the story of the original Fullmetal Alchemist manga into glorious 2D animation. Brotherhood follows Edward and Alphonse Elric on their quest to acquire the legendary Philosopher's Stone in order to restore the bodies they lost when trying to resurrect their deceased mother. Ed and Al's journey is not an easy one as they get caught up in a conspiracy that engulfs the entire country of Amestris. I watched the first half of Brotherhood years ago when Funimation started releasing them as 13-episode DVD sets, but never got the second half of the series because how expensive each set was. Then I got the second season of the 2003 Fullmetal Alchemist series for Christmas. After watching that series over again, I got this huge urge to finish Brotherhood. When I found the Complete Collection Two for 30 dollars at The Beat Goes On, I did not hesitate to buy it. A week and a half later, I watched all the 31-episodes included in the set and it was well worth it. While I already knew the entire story of Fullmetal Alchemist from reading the manga, watching the same story play out in motion was just unbelievable. The mix of excellent voice acting, superb music composition and incredibly beautiful animation just made everything feel brand new. The devilish twists and turns of Fullmetal Alchemist's endgame were perfectly adapted for the animation. There were moments in the anime that just work better in motion than in the panels of the manga. I was literally blown away by Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. While I do not watch many animes, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is among the best I have ever seen and I highly recommend watching it.
Most Anticipated Game of the Month
I have shared my love for Mega Man here on Silver Bit on multiple occasions. Among the many Mega Man series Capcom has created over the years, the Mega Man Zero games are some of my favourites. Considering Capcom would rather keep the Mega Man franchise dormant than develop new titles starring the Blue Bomber, Mega Man fans have had to look elsewhere. In particular, they have gone to the Father of Mega Man, Keiji Inafune himself, to get their fix with Mighty No. 9, but it is not the only Mega Man-like title Inafune has in the works. Announced at the beginning of March, Azure Striker Gunvolt is a new 2D action-platformer from Comcept and Inti Creates coming to the 3DS Nintendo eShop this summer. Azure Striker Gunvolt looks very similar to the fast-paced action of Mega Man Zero just with a brand new character to control, psychic powers to acquire and crazy bosses to battle. As somebody who has fond memories of the Mega Man Zero series, I am really looking forward to what Comcept and Inti Creates has in store for Azure Striker Gunvolt.
Video of the Month
Ken Kutaragi was a dashing young man with a dream to revolutionize gaming. That dream was the PlayStation, but Kutaragi's dream was challenged by the corporate powers of Nintendo. The short film Kutaragi's Way from Mega64 chronicles the totally true personal story of Ken Kutaragi's trials and tribulations in becoming the Father of the PlayStation entirely filmed with classic 80s film grain. Enjoy.
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