Playing Rez
Playing Rez I picked up Rez yesterday. I think the easiest way to describe it would be if you were able to actually play a visualization from Winamp or Sonique

You can download a movie(wma) of it here which I suggest you do to check it out or if you have a slow connection you can check out the screenshots. Imagine the end of 2001, Johnny Mnemonic, Lawnmower Man and Tron all rolled into one game.

It's basically a 3D shooter. Think Einhander or Raystorm except that this one is way more abstract and when you lock on and when your shots hit the enemies it's timed to the techno music so most of the time it sounds like you are actually playing part of the music while you play the game.

It's clearly a game for the rave generation. I would suspect my rave friends would enjoy it quite a bit. There's even been a view rave events featuring it and a few more coming up like this one.

The only downside is it's short. In fact as far as I can tell there are only 5 levels. I fininshed in under 2hrs. There are a few more secrets to unlock and I'm not sure what I need to do to unlock them but they appear to be things like special modes like for example playing the game with infinite hitpoints so basically you can just set the stick down and watch the game.

The other gimick which I mentioned before it there is an optional shock pack or Trance Vibrator as they call it. My friend Jake who worked on the game tried to convince them that was a bad name. He thought they should call it the Rezinator. Certainly better than calling it a Vibrator. But anyway, it plugs into the USB port of the PS2 and vibrates to the music. It's about the size of a computer mouse and comes with a fuzzy pouch to put it in. You put it where ever you want. I was watching Gamewave, one of the TV programs here about video games, and the host sat on it as he played.

Comments:

rez...doesn't that mean... [ e ]

'lesbian' in Japanese?

Mike

posted by maikuNovember 23, 2001 at 12:36

Sakura made the connection [ e ]

As soon as I showed her your story about "Rez" she asked "Like the lesbian "lez"?". So, I guess some people will make the connection...

posted by EvNovember 24, 2001 at 10:43

You would be correct [ e ]

It's strange though I suspect not many people see the connection. Maybe because it's out of context. There are so many homonyms in Japanese that often Japanese don't see the connections. For example, I have a friend named Saiko. There is also a word saikou meaning the best, the most, the top. She had never had somebody call her Saikou Saiko yet I think if she was in America and we had similar words she would have been teased all through school. Kind of like being named Dick.

More interesting, the Japanese like to shorten names, Television becomes terebi (tay ray bee), Sexual harassment becomes sekuhara (say coo hah rah) and, just like kids everywhere teenagers have lots of slang.

In Japan there is a popular fast food chain called First Kitchen. It has been shortened by the teens into fakkin (pronounced fucking) as it "fucking e ikou!" Lets to go to First Kitchen.

posted by greggmanNovember 24, 2001 at 15:41

add one more to the list... [ e ]

my girlfriend guessed 'lesbian' too. oh well, if your target group is young males it makes for brilliant marketing.

posted by maikuNovember 25, 2001 at 16:46