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Ethereal music is human nature for Erutan
FLAREgamer staff catches up with singer/songwriter Kate Covington whose emotionally charged music causes shivers. She's best known as Erutan on YouTube, where she rearranges songs from everyone's favourite 16-bit and 32-bit JRPGs into hauntingly beautiful renditions.
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The Messages Behind Dead Fantasy
With convention events, fan videos and a wiki dedicated to the subject, Dead Fantasy has become one of the hugest phenomenons in gaming fandom. If you don't know what Dead Fantasy is yet, you're 2007 and late.
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Tales of Graces f
After a three-year wait and a troubled production history, the new and improved Tales of Graces has finally made it to Western shores with a new PS3-exclusive arc that continues the story after the events of the main game ("f" stands for "future"). But does the future look rosy for Graces f, or does it end up in a rather graceless heap?
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Xenoblade Chronicles
Monolith Soft's Xenoblade Chronicles is one of a triplet of Wii titles originally not slated for release in North America. Upon its eventual arrival, it certainly caused sparks, charming even the staunchest of critics out of their 9s and 10s. But is this the tale of a sword that pierces the heavens, or just a wild stab in the dark?
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The Last Story
Mistwalker’s The Last Story, from the pen of the “Father of Final Fantasy†Hironobu Sakaguchi and the second title in the Operation Rainfall campaign, has garnered rave reviews in Japan and inspired considerable hype for its journey to the West. But is it a tale worth holding out for? Or a story better left untold?
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Pandora's Tower
Pandora’s Tower is the last remaining title in the triumvirate of Wii games that Nintendo has been steadfastly refusing to publish in North America. While Xenoblade Chronicles and The Last Story have secured a release date, the fate of Pandora's Tower continues to hang in the balance.
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Echoes of Final Fantasy with Eiko Ishiwata Nichols
Canadian composer Eiko Ishiwata Nichols has been making waves as this generations' Nobuo Uematsu. Since 2002, her compositions have evoked a nostalgia only possible through her experience as a sound-engineer and ability to play 20 different instruments.
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First impressions of TERA from a FF11 player
Last weekend, I finally got into The Exiled Realm of Arborea during the first closed beta test for North America. This high fantasy MMORPG touts action-based combat and - more importantly - sexy designs. If you're tired of playing a bland looking character with boring armor, you need TERA in your life.
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FLAREgamer Style: Holiday Party Outfits
Going to a holiday party? This season, digitalFLARE members have put together several unique character-inspired outfits that aren't anywhere near your average cosplay.
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FLAREgamer Christmas Traditions
There's no better season than the holiday season for getting the community together! Read on for what the digitalFLARE members have been up to over the past decade.
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Tasteful Gamer Wedding Ideas
Getting married? Looking for some geeky video game inspiration? FLAREgamer staff picks fun ideas from their own weddings and beyond, ranking them from the subtly sophisticated to wonderfully whimsical.
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Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY
Arnie Roth and Nobuo Uematsu were back in Canada last Saturday for a concert where we got to enjoy the music of Final Fantasy, performed by the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony and the Tallis Choir of Toronto. Thanks to a generous boyfriend, I was able to attend with a stomach full of crêpe!
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Joey Ansah's vision of Street Fighter: Legacy
When FLAREgamer staff caught a glimpse of Street Fighter: Legacy, our hopes for an accurate live action adaptation of the game were instantly rekindled. Within the confines of a short trailer, director Joey Ansah showed the world that a labor of love is what it takes to do Street Fighter II justice.
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Video Game Fashion Victims: Wrong and Right On
Sometimes the fashion in videogames is so much fail it's a win. Whilst sitting around a pot of chocolate fondue and raspberries, the FLAREgamer staff blamestormed the topic that originally brought us together...
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Bayonetta Demo
Although it's a slightly inferior port of a game built for the Xbox 360, I downloaded the Bayonetta "First Climax" demo from the Japanese Playstation Store. The result? I came.
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(Under)statement Pieces
Accessorizing like your favourite characters shouldn't have to look like cosplaying. These FLAREgamer finds will inspire you to look for the parts to look the part - outside of convention season.
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The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Let's not mince words: the realities of aging and dying are not exactly the loveliest topics you could be thinking about. This is why The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is such a quietly remarkable and heartfelt story about exactly those two things, told through the eyes of a man who finds one impossible and the other inevitable.
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Interview with Tara Strong: The Voice of Rikku
Canadian voice actress and singer Tara Strong discusses the popular character Rikku from Final Fantasy X. She describes how the character was brought to life and one of the secrets of the Al Bhed language.
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I Am Legend
Last night was the early screening of I Am Legend and Sheila, along with the CTV/SPACE crew went to check it out. Legend adaptation comparisons aside, this movie was a riot to watch... at first.
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Scoring videogames with Laura Karpman
Laura Karpman has been providing scores for film and television for over eighteen years. It wasn’t until a few years ago that she branched out into the world of videogame music, a surprising move on her part. Read on as FG talks to the award-winning composer about her experience in scoring videogames among other things.
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Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles
Resident Evil and first person shooting is a combination that has historically produced less than favorable results (See Resident Evil: Survivor). Umbrella Chronicles improves upon previous spin-offs and provides plenty of replay value in the form of unlockables and an improved co-op mode.
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The Angry Video Game Nerd Is Back
"Never heard that one before." That's what you'll say after watching any of the Angry Video Game Nerd's videos. Next thing you know, some of the Nerd's vocabulary has weaseled itself into your own. Read on as Sheila and the Nerd take a trip back to the past.
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Five Reasons Why You Should Play Mass Effect
Earlier this week, Sheila & the SPACE/CTV crew checked out the launch party for Mass Effect, BioWare's ambitious role-playing game. Mass Effect not only pushes the Xbox 360 to the limit but it redefines our standards for character interaction and development within a game.
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Super Mario Galaxy
Shake, tilt, shoot... whoohoo! I refuse to classify Super Mario Galaxy as a platform game. The clever gameplay and controls are out of this world. Even if it has a thick helping of straight-up platforming stages, I say the game deserves its own new genre.
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The Art of Assassin's Creed
I knew we weren't crazy for thinking that Altair belongs on our long list of hot menfolk. Last night, Sheila and the SPACE/CTV gang checked out the launch party for Assassin's Creed. The event took place balls deep in the heart of Toronto's distillery district.
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In the Shadow of the Moon
To many of us, the first moon landing was some inconspicuous event that occurred long ago. It was something only seen in brief footage or movie re-enactments. This is why In the Shadow of the Moon is what could be called the first true documentary of the Apollo missions.
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Stardust
A star falls from the sky; a young man searches for love. A prince seeks his crown, and a witch chases after her youth. All these things and more converge in Stardust, a fantasy-romance-adventure of swashbuckling proportions. Does this movie adaptation of Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess’ illustrated novel shine – or does it bite the dust?
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Granado Espada 2.0
Community Manager Hrin Danielle Kuek tells us everything we ever wanted to know about the latest Granado Espada client. Also in an exclusive interview, Hrin will address beta tester concerns and show us what else is in store for the MMORPG's English premiere.
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Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Reunion Files
The first bilingual book released by Square-Enix finds success with Japanese and English speaking fans. With exclusive artworks and staff commentary not found on any other product, Reunion Files has everything you need to know about the Advent Children movie.
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300
A whole lot of blue screen aint so bad anymore. Toronto's premiere screening of 300 was last night at the Scotiabank Theatre and Sheila, along with the AnimeXtreme gang, was there to see it.
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Phantasy Star Universe
My own story of why the highly anticipated Massively Multiplayer Online component of Phantasy Star Universe was a massive failure.
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PLAY! A Video Game Symphony
For most of us, listening to game soundtracks and fan remixes is the only way to enjoy game music. In Japan, concerts with game music happen all the time. Lately both Canada and the U.S.A. have been getting game concerts, and I was lucky enough to attend one with a friend!
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Kingdom Hearts 2
Perhaps the hardest game one can be assigned to review is Kingdom Hearts. When you?re in your mid twenties like me, attending graduate school, thinking about marriage the last thing you want to write about is a morality tale involving an overgrown mouse and a duck with a sailor shirt.
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Drakengard 2
As one of the few original RPG titles published by Square-Enix at its release, Drakengard took flight with a roar, anticipation riding high on its wings. Today, interest seems to have faded with barely a whimper. Now its sequel has swept onto the stage. Will it be love ? or will it be ambivalence?
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What Season Color Are You?
Ever felt you resembled a person or game character but couldn't figure out why? It's possible you shared the same season. Knowing what season you are can help determine what colors look best on you and what you resemble most in this beauty related article.
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Serenity
aka Firefly the Movie. You can't stop the signal. Serenity is a movie based on the television show Firefly both of which are the pet project of Joss Whedon.
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Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song
Artwork for the SaGa series always has an unmistakable otherworldly touch. Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song's instruction book depicts timeless watercolor works by Tomomi Kobayashi. So where is all that beautiful art in the game?
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Dragon Quest VIII
Dragon Quest VIII takes several old and new concepts, blending them into a game that's not without its flaws. The crisp cel-shaded graphics by developing studio Level-5 paint the illusion of a perfectly modernized RPG.
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Final Fantasy XII Demo
It's about damn time. The Japanese FF12 demo was last seen during E3 over a year ago, after which FF12 inexplicably disappeared off the American map. Now packaged with Dragon Quest VIII is an English version of the demo with the Japanese voices.
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Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 4 does away with all preconceived notions of the Survival Horror genre. Fast moving, intelligent enemies who can adapt to your every move replace the series' staple of slow moving zombies. The action varies from careful sniping to in-your-face, and the way you choose to deal with any encounter is up to you.
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Castlevania: Curse of Darkness
Curse of Darkness is the sequel to the much loved Castlevania III and is the second 3D Castlevania game released by Konami for the Playstation 2. Despite having the building blocks for an excellent Castlevania game – Ayami Kojima's artwork and Michiru Yamane's music – Curse of Darkness failed to meet the high expectations that its marketing campaign had built up.
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The Second Coming
Five years after our first Tetsuya Nomura article, we once again celebrate his birthday by looking back on the making of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. Interviews with staff are translated by guest contributor Yam.
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Densha Otoko
電車男 Densha Otoko aka The Train Man can without a doubt, be labelled as the new diamond in the rough of modern love stories, not only in Japan. After the big success of Densha Otoko - the novel, Fuji TV started broadcasting a 12 episode long drama series and Densha Otoko - the movie was recently shown at local theatres. But is the hype really justified?
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Batman Begins
Already being hailed by many as the movie of the year, Batman Begins can also take a bow for being the best live action film featuring the Caped Crusader. Was there ever any doubt? Director Christopher Nolan and a superb cast have delivered. The indecisive will believe! Note: No bats were harmed during the making of this film.
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K.O.F. Fighting Evolution 10th
King Of Fighters: Fighting Evolution 10th commemorates the 10th anniversary of a game series perfectly. If any part of the KOF series has a special place in your heart, get this book!
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Granado Espada
The Korean market is constantly flooded by cookie cutter MMORPGs and it was Kim Hakkyu's dream to evolve the genre by developing a new MMORPG geared to fire interest in even the most fickle of offline RPG players. FLAREgamer is here to give readers the first and only english preview of this highly anticipated import game.
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Sin City
If you haven’t seen Sin City yet, forget whatever it is you’re expecting from the film. The trailers and the hype will not prepare you for what is one of the best films of 2005 (and I have no problem saying that when half the year has yet to pass).
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All I Want For Christmas Is ...
It’s that lovely time of the air again, for boys and girls, rampant fans and the more quietly obsessed alike. Despite (or maybe because of) the festivities, it can be hard to think of the right gift for that special someone, especially now that the important day is drawing near! But never fear. The FLAREgamer staff have a few picks of their own to share with you, and with any luck it’ll be just what your loved ones have always wanted.
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The Hungry Gamer
When playing a lengthy game, the player needs to re-fuel. I don't mean "going into town for supplies and heals" or "finding a piece of BBQ'd chicken" conveniently on the forest floor. (You geek!) I mean actually eating something like Lasagna with Meat Sauce in under 6 minutes.
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Little Shop of Horrors
Everyone knows about Godzilla, King Kong, and their ilk. Monsters of mammoth size, trampling everything in their path. Indeed, it is what most people automatically associate with the term "scary monster". But should they? Perhaps not. In the classic words of Yoda, "Size matters not."
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Shadow Hearts: Covenant
In the world of Shadow Hearts: Covenant, history and mythology meet and make one really crazy baby. Mary explores the latest title in the best series you’ve never played.
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FFXI: Chains of Promathia
Still doubting XI's ability to be a part of the Final Fantasy series? Most people believed that a game being online meant that good a story can't be conveyed. The XI myth is finally busted.
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Star Ocean: Till the End of Time
Even diehard fans of the series joked that the game title indicated how long we’d have to wait for it to come to North America. But finally, Star Ocean: Till the End of Time has arrived, in a shiny Director’s Cut edition, no less. It didn’t take Mary long to remember just why we were willing to wait almost three years for this.
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The Village
Many people think M. Night Shyamalan has a Sixth Sense for movie-making. He’s raised the bar for story-telling through such works as Unbreakable and Signs, and is well-known for leaving a trail of wicked surprises that stump fans and critics alike. Mary Huang returns from her visit to The Village, his latest work and one of the most awaited summer movies of the year.
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Mario Party 5
It's been five games, they've been fun. Nintendo finally realizes that players are getting tired of the same old formula and that it's got to go.
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The Concept of Fan Art
What is fan art? It's easily answered as art done by a fan or a particular subject, such as video games. I think the tougher answer is to the question "what isn't fan art?"
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Troy
Depending on whom you talk to, you’ll receive positive or negative feedback on Troy. Is this a a flick the gods would smile down upon, or spat at? Michelle recaps one of the most anticipated films of the summer.
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Hellboy
Michelle goes through hell and back (ok, not REALLY) and tackles the newest movie adaptation of a comic book series. Highly entertaining and wickedly funny, Hellboy is a riot (in a good way), and Michelle loved it so much that she's considering naming a kitten after a certain caustic demon hero.
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Street Fighter Eternal Challenge
The first on a string of import gaming book reviews to come. If you are or ever were an SF whore, this is the book for you; it's not just an artbook, it's a history book!
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Gamer Bites
Not much of a chef? Finding yourself constantly going out to grab some fast food? Just bored and want to try something new? The staff here at FG understands and have dug up some recipes for you to try. Whether you are ready to dig into dinner or just craving a snack, you can find (or become inspired by) some of the following recipes. Welcome to the first installment of Gamer Bites.
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So, you want to make your own comic book?
"Hey! You should do a comic!" Something I hear often said to the fan artist. Because of the more recent influx of translated anime available, it looks like there are a lot of budding fan artists out there.
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Northern California Regionals
Held on November 15-16, players from all over the West Coast and East Coast (come its NorCal) came and showed their l33t skillz in single and team tournaments for MvC2, CvS2, SvC, GGXX, 3S, A3 and ST.
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Hosting a Videogame Tourney
Tonight I'm having a chat with my friend Kris Abel, Technology expert for Canada AM. He recently hosted a small HALO tournament which was also his very first. Having been there to see it happen, I know it was a learning experience for him as well.
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Tetsuya Nomura's 20s
Ever since the Final Fantasy series has gone 3D, the characters have become the moving force at the front of each story. Behind the character designs of Final Fantasy 7, 8 and 10 is a name which is soon becoming a household one to Final Fantasy fanatics: Tetsuya Nomura.
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.hack//series
It first burst onto the scene with its ambitious goal of revolutionizing the RPG world. It's been nearly a year since the first .hack game was released, and now it's three down and one to go. Did it spread like a virus or is it just a fad soon to be erased? The journey so far ...
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Tales of Symphonia
The Tales series makes the jump to the Gamecube, and to 3D (sorta)...How does it hold up?
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Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance has been highly anticipated since word got out about it, and words flew. Constantly. As much as I myself loved FFT - and quite a few friends - we had apprehensions about FFTA. Were they unfounded, or did Square Enix pull through for us?
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FFXI: Vision of Zilart
An avalanche of changes or more of the same? A firsthand review by an importer who has been playing FFXI since its release last summer.
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X2: X-Men United
Trent reviews one of the most anticipated movies of the year, Bryan Singer’s “X2: X-men Unitedâ€, starring Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Brian Cox and Halle Berry. He explains why this is what X-men fans and movie-goers alike have been waiting for since the characters first outing.
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Daredevil
Trent shares his thoughts on the latest Marvel Comics superhero to cross over to the silver screen. Released February 14, he explains that although there are a few saving graces, it’s basically a barely passable crowd-pleaser and not much more.
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Final Fantasy X2
Sheila's take on Square's slap it up and call it a day game. Did she get around to fully finishing the game? No. Does that make her review any less valid? With this game? Hell no!
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About FLAREgamer
The secret angels of the gaming industry
During the early 1990s, many female gamers gathered as members of the Video Game Girl Ring – if they had a website. When the winter of 2000 came around, a forum for them named digitalFLARE was created.
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Terms of Use
General
1.1 FLAREgamer ("FG") may from time to time change the terms that govern your use of the site.
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