Otakon 2006

[lbd_nytetrayn]

Thanks for the welcome-backs, peeps.

Got plenty to catch up on, including LJs, and if I should seem ignorant about something later on, please forgive me, as I doubt everything is going to sink in.

Once Red digs out the camera, I'll perhaps do some pictures later.

In the meantime, recapping the experience, and divided up for easy returning, since it's a lot to take in.

Our tale of sorrow and glee begins on Wednesday, August the 2nd in the mid-morning. Day -1, I believe, were I to go by jackscarab's numbering system.

I believe we were to be at the train station between 7 and 7:30, and so we were. Things went rather smoothly, but little did we know that we were about to step onto
"The Trainride From HELL!"

Seriously, all manner of delays pretty much wrecked our path of travel, from being stopped at the border to fucking COWS, man. Two of the spotty bastards at that.

Not to mention the fact that a man running the snack car on a train coming out of Toronto couldn't figure out why we wanted to purchase his wares using Canadian money. I'll just be over here starving while you try and crack the case, ok Detective Gumshoe?

Sheesh. He would conceed to some sort of conversion, but it meant 15 American dollars for 20 Canadian. Earlier tonight, I related that story to my mother in law, who arrived at the same conclusion I did:

Fuck that shit.

We arrived in NYC Penn Station late as hell, and it was a miracle there was still stuff there to eat. Sadly, the late-night KFC did not have any of the honey BBQ Snackers available. All we have here are regular and spicy, for 60 cents more than in the US. Wankers.

But, I did get to try the most incredible thing(despite this being a US KFC, which is leagues beyond the Canadian retarded cousin thereof), and I want to know if any other KFCs have it, because I've NEVER seen it before. But it's called a "KFC Bowl," if memory serves, and consists of mashed potatoes, topped with corn off the cob, then popcorn chicken, then gravy, then cheese.

Yes, I realize it sounds horrible, but it was the most substantial thing I had in and for quite some period, like a whole meal in one dish. So it helped me recover from virtual starvation and kept me afloat for some time until we got to Baltimore.

So some time later, now Thursday, we board our train for Baltimore from NYC. During the TO-NYC trip, I played much Nintendo DS, mostly Tetris, solving puzzles. Some Mario Kart and other goodness as well. Oh, and reached the end of MMBN5 for the DS, and MMZ2. I'll rant on those later, and why Capcom needs an enema with a power drill. Think I watched Day of Sigma and played a little MHX as well, which I brought for those who didn't have PSPs/MHX to enjoy, but really saw little use. All good, but I'm probably leaving that at home next year.

So anyway, despite all lateness, and even our departing train from NYC arriving late, we actually arrived in Baltimore an hour earlier than we were supposed to. As it happens, I managed to collapse into a sort of cramped sleep on the second train, and Red had to wake me so we didn't miss our stop.

So we're there at around 7am or so, and decide to walk the 12 blocks to our hotel, generously funded by friend Lyra(on a "pay me back later or I'll hunt you down" plan, plus travel from my parents. It is as close to a miracle as it can be that we got to go without divine intervention), as spending over 24 hours without much movement can really make you want to walk.

We get to the hotel, well ahead of when we're supposed to meet the rest, and miraculously, were let in around 8am when we arrived, which we were told might actually be as late as 3pm. Tired as we were, we were VERY happy about this.

So we got in a little swimming time and a small breakfast of overpriced cream-cheese bagels, and slept a few hours, until we were supposed to start meeting people.

Oh, and our room featured overpriced coolness. The TV had a special N64 controller attached that could be used to order N64 games on a pay-to-play basis, with some choice N64 titles available. Sadly, 5 or 6 bucks an hour just isn't worth it for two-generation old choices. I'll just wait for Virtual Console, thanks(though some WERE rather tempting).

Poor jackscarab. He arrived in the neighborhood of 1pm, but knowing that the meeting time wasn't supposed to be until around 2 or 3, hung out in the lobby. Meanwhile, Red and I were kind of wondering where others were...

He eventually called, we met up, laughed a bit, and soon zaphy joined the party, whom Scarab and I went to meet in the lobby. Lyra "deathtosocrates" Silverblade arrived a bit later, and Scar and I went to meet up with her, while our final associate, makzu, didn't arrive until sometime after midnight, when several of us had fallen asleep.

Well before that happened, though, we finally got some presents to some people. Everyone in the room was able to salivate and enjoy the delicacy known as Lay's Curry potato chips, while I finally was able to give Zaph her present of an NT Warrior Bass figure, in return for a MM figure she sent years ago(when I couldn't afford one), and in addition, a mini-figure set of Wood Shield MegaMan fighting one of her faves, ElecMan.

We went to get our tickets, but knew better than to get in line early. Last year, Red and I did that with lostexperiment, and found that it's effort wasted, as when the doors open, the line moves rather swiftly.

The added benefit this time was that we got to see a guy in a pink jumpsuit and Little Mac mask running around the building accompanied by another guy(who looked nothing like Doc, sorry) running with a boombox playing the training theme from Punch-Out!! What more could you need?

That night, Lyra took us out to Edo Sushi and treated, which was damn awesome. Excellent stuff, my only regret was that the tuna on the Dragon Rolls I ordered wasn't like I'm used to on sushi, more a solid piece, but rather was like some sort of patte', really minced. So I ate it without it. A little more swimming as a group, and we readied ourselves for the 'Con itself.

Ah, Day 1. Full of opportunity and excitement.

I guess I can start off by saying that I was VERY active over the three days of the 'Con, and I've still not quite recovered. I think the others went back to the hotel on occassion, but I rarely if ever did, and never slept, except way late, or when we went for dinner. But I was pretty much on the move and having a blast. Otakon is like my third home, the one place I feel like I can be me and not be an absolute freak, arguably being subdued by comparison. It is the greatest.

So I got a late start at the Con, which opened at 9, but I went to the "Sentai: It's Awesome!" panel at 11. Not too bad, really. For some reason, I think it was lack of anything to do specifically for several hours, I stayed for the Mobile Suit Gundam panel.

And I'm really quite glad I did. It was quite an educational and entertaining panel, and I'd love to drop a line to the guys who did it, if I knew who they were. It ran for two hours, the longest panel at the show, even longer than 4chan's. And they weren't rabid fanboys, either, they seemed rather fair and balanced, calling a spade a spade, and even acknowledging various faults and pretenses(like the yaoi stuff, to a degree) in the series, and just had fun with it.

And now I know what "Gundam" means. Not to mention I was exposed to "Doozy Bots." Look it up on YouTube. It's... something else.

It was partway through the Gundam panel that I got a call from shinkuu, and stepped outside to call him back and told him where to meet me. Kind of a bad call, mostly because I lost my seat, though I later reclaimed it. Active as I was at the 'Con, seems there were others who were yet even moreso... and three times faster(if you were there, you'd get it). Whatever, I had a blast.

So after the Gundam panel, I talk to Shinkuu, who I hadn't seen since Red and I got married(he was in attendance), and got to meet Shelby as well. Imagine my surprise when the man has GIFTS for me. I now stand in possession of Mario Party 7, Animal Crossing for the Cube, and Super Mario Bros. the movie on DVD. Mario Party 7 we've yet to play, but I started up AC earlier, and it's interesting the differences so far. And I finally got to see SMB after so long, and unlike our SF DVD, it's not scratched or anything! Thank God. Too bad the only DVD specials are subtitles and scene selection, the ads might've been nice. Oh well, that's what special editions are for. I'm just happy to see it again. More on these later.

So from there, I decide to take in the MegaMan NT Warrior showing. I hung out with Shinkuu and Shelby outside the room there for an hour before the show started, and passed off my Mario Kart DS to him. Red and Max met us there, and we soon parted ways, with Max and I taking in the toon. The schedule said "1-3" referring to the eps, but instead, it showed the volume 10 DVD, which started with one of my favorite eps, the Net Mobile Grand Prix(which Max and I discussed how it could be applied to a game), followed by two eps of the whole "Grave(gag) Virus Beast" shebang.

Sort of pissed me off that they essentially cut it off one ep short of the big finale of the "Grave" arc, though.

I went to check out a little of the dealer's room, and a short time after, I met with most of the roomies for the AMV Contest. We arrived early to secure seating, and got to see some of a premiere of a movie-type thing, live-action, called Densha Otoko 3, which I thought was kind of neat. Sadly, after that, they fucked us all over by kicking us out to get in line for the AMV Contest, which filled the lobby, and went outside and around the building. To which I said "fuck that." I mean, AMVs are cool and all, but I was doubtful it'd be worth it for the line. And the thing would either have to run late or start while people were still entering for all the people there were. While waiting, Scar became generous, and I scored a big-ass Ultraman Tiga figure, and a small put-together TransFormer figure from the Headmasters lot, this figure being Trainbot Combiner Raiden, who now adorns the top of my desk. Love the Chromedome art on the front, as he was a fave of mine as a kid, wish I still had him. Scar said he didn't have the room for the stuff, which mystifies me as to why he got them, but I won't complain. I think Ultraman is helping defend Red's breakables shelf from Dante now. Can't beat that deal. I'll have to find some way to repay him someday.

Anyway, I decided to do other stuff, which included meeting with Cheetimus "Cheets" Primal from The Allspark. We returned to the dealer's room when he told me he saw some of the Rockman X8 figures, and I got a couple of X8 figures as I'd promised for maqqy96, but unfortunately, they were blind-packed, and the one she needed wasn't there, and so she gave them to be, and now I have Axl and Alia, waiting to be assembled. She also generously paid me for the trouble. I wish I had more money, I'd have just bought them all and given her the Zero if it were in there. As it was, I don't think either of us could have really left it up to chance.

Didn't spend too long in the dealer's room, as Red called me and I got to meet Quickman behind Maqqy's table in the Artist's Alley, with whom I talked, also with tabbykitsune there. Maqqy packed it in early, and the lot of us(plus Zaph) went to get something to eat at the Harborfront.

I jokingly suggested Hooters. Much to my amazement, everyone went for it. Not that I was opposed, mind you, but you don't suggest that as a place to eat to a group of some five girls and expect "yes" as an answer.

And many hot dogs were eaten.

A bit noisy, but good food. And now Tabby hates me because she got more catcalls than the waitresses in her ProtoMan.EXE costume. She has made it very clear that I am on "the list" right next to thenekomancer, as well as the fact that it's called "Hooters" and not "Asses."

After that, I had to pass on going back to the OtaRockman group's rooms, as I'd already passed on "Friday Night Parodies," "Lunar," "I Can't Believe You Haven't Seen This!," and the DBZ movie 13 premiere. I didn't want to miss the Metal Gear panel, though, and in hindsight, there was only one especially good part at the beginning, where they were setting up this game from a Japanese bonus disc from MGS3 where you have to find Snake hiding in one of nine panels. One of the hosts likened it to "Where's Waldo?" when a guy(who I later found out to be the famed Rabbi Wolfwood in a new outfit) dressed as Waldo said "No, THIS is like 'Where's Waldo?!'" Everyone laughed quite a bit. Made the panel worth attending, fo-sho', though I do sort of wonder if it was worth missing out elsewhere.

Of course, part of my plan was to stay after for "Your Favorite Anime Sucks," where basically you call out the name of an anime, and the panelists insult it in the character of someone who hates anime.

Sadly, I stepped outside as the MGS panelists were chased off to make room to ask a question or two, and turns out that "Your Favorite Anime Sucks" is a rather popular piece. Quite so. So much so, that when I saw the line, I decided "screw it." Maybe next year.

At least I'm a bit wiser for it now. If there are two shows running concurrently you want, DO NOT STEP OUTSIDE.

I just wish these people would give more contact info during the presentations.

Heading back to my room, I came across the room for the panel organizers for Otakon, and had some words with the guy in charge. And for the time being, that's all I'll say.

Back at the hotel, we watched a little MST3K, and Max came in later.

And so ended Day 1.

In some ways, Day 2 got off to a rather lousy start. I passed on the Amateur Voice Acting bit, as I was too exhausted for a 10am panel, and the description said it was more for fandubs anyway. I didn't get to see TMNT Fast Forward's second ep due to the noise level of the others, but I really didn't mind. They're rerunning the eps when the season officially starts, and this is a once-in-a-long-time thing, so seeing it wouldn't have even really been gravy, so much as an extra sprinkle of salt.

But trying to get to the bathroom to get cleaned up so I could meet with the OtaRockman group was a bit more trying, as I think everyone else claimed the shower before I could get to it. By the time I FINALLY got there, the photoshoot was over, and I was a little irate, partly because I couldn't reach anyone on their phones. So I'm not even sure I'm in any photos, even though a few were taken after I got there. I get ahold of Red, and so Scarab and I are supposed to meet Red and the rest at the restaurant at our hotel, but when we got there, the breakfast buffet was closed and they'd already gone ahead and eaten. If I'd known THAT was going to happen, I'd have kept my ass back with the OtaRockman group where numerous people had no clue who I was.

I don't know, I'm just not convinced that adding a number to the shirt would make a difference, as some have suggested. I mean, if it was "69" or something, maybe, but hell, he doesn't even keep the same number in the anime. So as a result, I don't think Mr. Famous is going to make a third Otakon appearance, unless I decide that I want to spend the money to see if an arbitrary number suddenly does it.

So anyway, yeah, early Saturday left me cranky, and as word gets to me, grenzenlos was there and getting my REAL name wrong on top of all that, and I probably didn't respond well, even if I didn't say/do much, and I apologize for that. All I can really say is that it was a bad time and I wasn't quite ready for that sort of humor.

But at least I got to see some of the posing. The Four Guardians were fucking awesome in their costumed splendor, weapons, robes, and all.

Oh, and I got to finally give Terra her NumberSoul in exchange for the TorchMan she gave me awhile back. :D On top of that, I finally got that Tron Bonne w/Servbot figure(alternate color scheme) from ryoneko and Mega Man Zero 1 and MegaMan Battle Network 1 from wolfshadow, so things turned around a bit.

Going to the OtaRockman gathering, I decided to forego the Powerpuff Girls Z showing(I figure I can find it online easy enough, it was just a sub) and the Geneon Premiere(I think Viewtiful Joe is all I'd have cared to see, and I somehow doubt that whatever they'd have shown during the two hours would've made up for the time expenditure).

There was also the BN5 tournament, which I couldn't partake in due to my weakness for value and higher tech. i.e. I had the DS version, which didn't go in the tourney. I arrived too late last year for the BN4 tourney due to the Scott McNeil signing. I guess it just wasn't meant to be. :\ Still, cool matches were to be had.

After that, I hit the dealer's room for awhile, and rested a bit before meeting back up, sans costume, with terrastardroid GMing a MMClassic RPG. I even got a souveneir die, dark blue with white dots, and "Rockman RPG-Otakon 2006" stamped around the 1-side.

Basically, we each picked a Robot Master(for the most part; there were odd choices from Forte and Gospel to Videoman to a talking chinchilla), and Terra GMed the other stuff, and Mega Man. Me, I called dibs on Turboman. That in itself lead to a few interesting bits, including a rivalry that ignited post-haste with myself and Quickman(though I think Videoman was asking for it, too ;P )

Some moments I got to partake in included:

Terra: "Is there anything you need to do before you leave the base?"

Me: "I need to rotate my tires."

*laughter breaks out*

Me: "I also need to change my oil."

Got me a Starburst, it did, the game's equivalent of an extra chance, many of which were tossed around by others with humorous results.

I could have used one when I failed my jump between rooftops and landed in a dumpster, but I decided to go with it, and left the group to hit a 7-11 for some air fresheners. Turns out the cashier was stoned, and I wound up rejoining the group with air fresheners hanging from my helmet spikes, a black #3 cap on, a case of beer under my arm, a cigarette sticking from my faceplate, about 250 in unmarked bills from the register, and a custom license plate hanging around my neck that read "ELEC*SUX," with an NES sprite of Mega Man shooting in place of the asterik.

I impressed ALL the pimps on the street, lemme tell ya'.

Things came to an end as time for the TransFormers panel neared, and I believe our final roll was against the chinchilla's "dance fever," which Mega Man failed. Oh, and this is after I made the first strike against him, a mistake I may regret as Bass saw it, but then again, he has his own problems...

I met with Cheets and other Allsparkers(I think I voted we call ourselves the "Otabots" or "Otacons") for the TF panel, but we got sort of broken up somehow, and I wound up by myself there. We were going to heckle together, but we wound up doing so on our own. I had fun, anyway, and the guys around me sure got a kick out of my lines.

Afterwards, I tried to figure out what to do before the 4chan panel started. Cheets and the rest went to "Do It Yourself Bukakke," but bailed as soon as they found out it was a drawing panel. I already knew, as I had to investigate after wondering who the hell would need a panel for THAT.

So we met up for the 4chan line, and it was a good thing we did so early, because they had to close it off. People attending got these neat badges that read "Anonymous 08/05/06(Sat)23:30" on them. They were also selling t-shirts with similar printing, but I didn't have 15 bucks for it.

Truth be told, the line was more fun than the panel, as various memes were passed out and called around, and Pictochat on DS was in full force, too. I believe I amused Cheets a few times there as well. But the panel was still entertaining, had a few stats, other things, but I think the sermon with Rev. What's-His-Name was the best part, with Raptor Jesus nailed to a cross that they wheeled out behind him.

But for some reason, the damn thing ran half an hour short, and they threw in some panel that wasn't on the schedule. I was a little disappointed.

Back at the hotel, around 1am or so, I got my first taste of FLCL. And let me just say, it's very aptly named. I'll need to try watching again sometime when I'm not so exhausted.

Max and I were hungry, and so we ordered pizza after a lengthy search for a place that delivered. And with a 2L Coke, at that. Good pizza, which lead to some jokes being made that I choose to keep within our little circle. I just hope Lyra and Scar don't mind. ;)

Day 3 was short. Literally. Otakon closes shop at 3pm. I was too tired to catch Astro Boy, and that saddens me, because I feel like I let the little guy down somehow. :( But Astro Boy is fucking King, I'm sure he'll survive, overcome, and forgive.

I decided to hit the dealer's room again, to see if there were any good deals, as some people mark some stuff down so they don't have to ship it back. Nothing I wanted was, however. And as it turns out, they sold through these cheap Japanese TF Hot Rodimus figures that came with a buttload of "abundant accessories" from the movie, including a visored head. All for five bucks. Stupid of me not to buy it when I saw it, perhaps. I failed to heed my mantra, "he who hesitates is lost."

Really, I'm surprised by my "restraint," for lack of a better term. I don't think I bought a damn thing for myself at the 'Con, though I did come away with quite a bit, as noted above. At some point the day before, I think before the Rockman RPG, I gave Shinkuu a Toad plush, and a pink thing from Gundam Seed for Shelby, which he passed on to her. I grabbed a four-dollar "Sonic X" Rouge keychain for storm_wolfe, so I'm sure he'll never lose his keys again. But I passed on all sorts of stuff, but saw a lot of neat stuff. 8-bit SMB mice for Windows, one of those Famicom remote controlled Marios(a bit pricey for the size, when I'd rather have Fire Mario), a $35 Flame Convoy(Scourge here is at least $40 before 15% taxes), Masterpiece Convoys, G2 Laser Primes, some UK TF comics, all kinds of stuff.

Rooster Teeth even had a booth there, with a ton of neat shirts and DVDs and stuff. But overall, I'd say last year's Dealer Room was better.

Anyway, met Shinkuu again and hung out with him for a bit in the dealer's room, breaking away briefly to give some stuff back to Ryouko from Red. Hoped to meet up with Maqqy again, but sadly, that never happened. I was supposed to get some pics from her, too. :( I went back to hang out with Shinkuu a bit, after chatting briefly with the OtaRockman group in Artist's Alley, and getting a couple of CrossFusion ProtoMan milk cartons as well. I was going to meet with the lot later, and rejoined Shinkuu, who did what he set out to do: he unlocked ROB on Mario Kart DS for me. Now I'm actually a half-decent racer. I might even go back on WiFi just for kicks, if anyone's up for it. Even got to unlock Waluigi using ROB. :D

Shelby met up with us, and she had been working at the Geneon booth, snagging a freebie Viewtiful Joe figure from the booth for me. :) It's a neat piece, and let's just say it appears to be typical Jazwares quality. I love the piece, and it'll look good on display here, but I'm bugged by the fact the V-Watch, as I'd been told, is removable. We're talking a piece of plastic that, were it flattened, might be no bigger than a clipped fingernail.

Just doesn't seem like a good idea to me. But since I don't plan to get too active with it(legs are unposable, so resisting temptation to have him V-kick the cat will be easy), it hopefully won't be much a problem, so long as he doesn't get knocked over or anything. In fact, I fumbled with the watch in package so it clipped to the arm, and it's still there, so all's well in that regard.

Tabby called, and basically the arrangement was that they were going out for lunch, and my group was invited along. So a few back and forths, and so Red and our roommates met up with Shinkuu, Shelby, and myself, and we all got to go eat at a mall and be discriminately harassed by some mall security with a stick up her ass. We met with the OtaRockman group at the lobby of the Days' Inn across the street, and said good-byes to those departing then. Somehow, I missed out on Maqqy leaving. :( Sounded like whatever happened was pretty urgent, though.

After a while there, Shinkuu and Shelby had to part ways, and soon, our group(guess just calling us "The Teahouse" after our chatroom is easiest) parted from the remaining OtaRockmans(I'm still on Tabby's list, btw), and Lyra and Scar went back to the room, while Zaph covered Red and myself as we, along with Max, went to the Aquarium for a few hours.

When we got back, we watched V For Vendetta, and then Red and I had to make preparations to pack and catch a cab to the train station...

I think I managed a bit of sleep on the train to NYC. Sadly, not so much on the NYC train. Worse, there was little in the way of food to get or time to get it at Penn Station, so we were pretty much at the mercy of the snack car's prices. Funny that a KFC that was open at 4 in the morning just a few days prior would be closed around 7am. Truth be told, it was hard to figure out a lot of what was open and what wasn't in the damn place.

Fortunately, the lady in the snack car was much more tolerable than Mr. "What's A Round Peg Doing In A Round Hole?" before. Sadly, not as much sleep to be had this time, so it was mostly gaming and trying to sleep for brief spells during the trip. At least the delays seemed fewer, though I think we were a little late getting back.

Beyond that, not much to speak of. We returned, I unpacked(Red's stuff remains), checked a few things, and promptly collapsed asleep.

Unfortunately, over the course of the trip, Red picked up something at the Con, and so needed a bit of medicine and rest to keep her through the trip, and she's still not over it. Truth be told, she seems worse now after we've gotten home, but on the bright side, we're back over the line where we're insured now.

Not much happened yesterday except the retrieval of Dante, and me catching up a bit on some things. Mostly recovering. Me, I think I might've started to pick up something of hers, or maybe I'm just exhausted, but a few days to recover may be swell, though we do have to do some things later today.

And so went our trip. I definitely am looking forward to next year's, and am hoping we're doing a lot better financially for it. I'd like to return some favors...

Really, Otakon feels like a third home for me now. It went far better this year than last, I guess since I was more familiar with things. Here's hoping next year is even better, despite coming earlier. As it is, I have my own agenda, yes...

Now I need to catch up on happenings from while I was away. I guess I'll have to LJ-cut a huge post there...

LBD "Nytetrayn"

Comments

[shinkuu.livejournal.com]

Phew. What a trip!

I guess train rides just aren't as glamorous as they make it out to be... No spacious, comfy rooms, no people coming by selling jelly beans and chocolate frogs, no dining cars filled with ghosts... I honestly thought they'd make it more comfortable than that, but it sounds more like a faster version of the Greyhound bus. And don't they have cow catchers to just scoop the buggers away?

And yes, all KFCs have that bowl thing! I must admit, it looked very strange yet appealing at the same time, though I've yet to try it. And it sounds like KFC is really bad about keeping their entire menu in stock. We've had a hard time getting those spicy boneless wings here, but they had the honey BBQ ones...

But you know what I think a major problem with Otakon is? Line management. I mean, all anime cons will have huge lines, but I've NEVER seen them as bad as at Otakon. It's gotten to the point where you can no longer say, "Well, that looks cool," then just spontaneously waltz on in. You have to plan all your favorite events out hours in advance! I think Otakon's simply outgrown that convention center...

If you liked Otakon, I'm sure you'd enjoy a smaller con even more. Not as congested, though the attendees are just as colorful and lively. You also seem to get better cosplayers at a small con. Things just seem to go a little more smoothly, I guess. A few years back I attended one called Shoujocon, which really was not any more disposed towards shoujo stuff at all. Just the name, I guess. But it was cancelled forever due to assmunches. I can't remember whether it was complaints from the hotel, or complaints from ungrateful attendees, or a combination of both, but they shut their doors permanently. It was a real shame!

[lbd-nytetrayn.livejournal.com]

Phew. What a trip!

I'm surprised at how well I recalled it. Must've really left an impression on me.

I will have to check out a smaller con sometime, when I can afford to go. I still want to go to the one with Capt. Lou.

And as far as KFC goes, I hate Canadian ones even more now.

Yeah, line management at Otakon sucked. :P

And I don't get the train thing at all.

LBD "Nytetrayn"

[shinkuu.livejournal.com]

Haha, the train thing was a silly joke about Harry Potter and Final Fantasy VI. But really, movies in general make train rides seem much more glamorous than you've made it out to be here... Space to walk around and stretch, nice views, etc.

People are saying that they're building a new convention center in Maryland, I think near Baltimore. Maybe if Otakon could move to someplace larger, or maybe even span two convention centers (I believe Anime Expo in CA used to span two hotels), they could accomodate more people and have less line glut.

Oh yeah, and that security guard at the inner harbor that told us we couldn't sit there? I think all the rent-a-cops in the area are like that. Shelby and I got some drinks from the convenience store near the Burger King, and we attempted to sit on the floor since all the seats were taken. We got the same response!!

What I want to do is form my own religion, where one of our core beliefs is not giving up our seat unless we voluntarily choose to. That way, if someone makes us move again next year, we can claim they're infringing on our right to practice our own religion.

[lbd-nytetrayn.livejournal.com]

Haha, the train thing was a silly joke about Harry Potter and Final Fantasy VI. But really, movies in general make train rides seem much more glamorous than you've made it out to be here... Space to walk around and stretch, nice views, etc.

Oh, that part I got, I just don't get why they're so lousy IRL. God, keep a cowboy on board if it's a problem.

People are saying that they're building a new convention center in Maryland, I think near Baltimore. Maybe if Otakon could move to someplace larger, or maybe even span two convention centers (I believe Anime Expo in CA used to span two hotels), they could accomodate more people and have less line glut.

Maybe, though I think it's a matter of how big the panel and video rooms are, as opposed to merely the center itself. 4chan had the second-biggest room in the place.

I like the religion idea. Though these days, who knows where that'd go...

LBD "Nytetrayn"

[shinkuu.livejournal.com]

And oh, about Mario Party! As I've mentioned before, I prefer some parts of the other Mario games a bit more, but Mario Party 7 definitely seems the most well-rounded of them all. Plus it's the only one you can find in stores anymore! One of my favorite things to unlock first is the "taunt mode" or "annoy mode." Once you have it, then you can play any board and tap the L button (I think) when it's not your turn to make your character say something. And some of those are really annoying! It's a feature that's been around for a while, but lately you've had to unlock it...

Man. I have to see if you can play the original Mario Party sometime! I miss those mini-games where you had to furiously spin the N64 analog stick. Too many people got injuries, though, so they've dropped them forever... And man, I remember having some hilarious times just playing with the computer. One time I got severely screwed over by the computer at EVERY turn. It'd always flip a switch or do something just in time to screw me over royally. Man!

The 3-on-1 "Bowser suit" games in the first MP were funny, too. They'd stick somebody in a giant Bowser costume and he'd either wreak havoc or get the crap beat out of him, depending on the game. So wrong, and so funny.

[lbd-nytetrayn.livejournal.com]

I'd love to check more of the others out. I can find some of the other Cube ones around here easily enough, but I figure that the "repetitive/unoriginal" complaints won't really matter to me since I'm new to it all.

LBD "Nytetrayn"

[shinkuu.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I never really thought they were THAT repetitive. Sure, some mini-games are gonna be similar. It's a given. But the collection of games as a whole always seemed fresh enough to me... Except Mario Party 4, which bored me somehow.

If you like the mic games in MP7, I'd recommend checking them out in MP6. Mic games are all unlocked from the start, so you can go into free-play mode and play any mic game you want any time. Otherwise, MP5 is still my favorite for its collection of mini-games.

[lbd-nytetrayn.livejournal.com]

How do you unlock the mic stuff(didn't know they were unlockable. Weird, as it comes with the device...) and the taunt mode?

LBD "Nytetrayn"

[shinkuu.livejournal.com]

Er, sorry, I meant to say the mic games were all available from the start, meaning they require no unlocking.

Here's how it goes for all other minigames... When you play a normal game, at the end of each round, a minigame is selected via roulette. At first, they are all marked as "????????" and you don't discover their names until they've been played at least once. Once you do play a minigame in the regular mode, then it's available in the free-play mode. In free-play mode, you can select any game you've played, and play against the computer or human opponents.

But for the mic games, they're already available in free-play mode, and you don't need to have played them before. Sorry 'bout the confusion!


As for the taunt mode... In MP7, there's a cruise theme, so you need to stock up "mileage points" which you get from just playing normal games. You can get points the fastest through the single-player mode, actually... Then you need to enter the "duty free shop," which is where all the bonus features are unlocked (such as extra characters, game secrets, extra games, and "souvenirs").

[lbd-nytetrayn.livejournal.com]

Cool, thanks. :)

LBD "Nytetrayn"

[tabbykitsune.livejournal.com]

You know I only tease about the hooters thing, right? XD All in good humor.
Heatman, however, will still suffer for the loose comment >:3
Anywho, it was great seeing you and Red again this year /o/ I hope we can go out to dinner again next year! Tho, let's go to the Hard Rock Cafe instead XD;
I'd suggest cheesecake factory, but we'd die of old age before getting in there.

[lbd-nytetrayn.livejournal.com]

You know I only tease about the hooters thing, right? XD All in good humor.

Of course! I'm simply keeping it going in good humor. :)

Heatman, however, will still suffer for the loose comment >:3

Of course. I imagine Red may have something to say about that...

Anywho, it was great seeing you and Red again this year /o/ I hope we can go out to dinner again next year! Tho, let's go to the Hard Rock Cafe instead XD;

Sure, I'm game. :)

I'd suggest cheesecake factory, but we'd die of old age before getting in there.

Heh, the line was pretty intense last year. Maybe we could make a reservation?

LBD "Nytetrayn"

[tabbykitsune.livejournal.com]

The wenches won't take reservations. Trust me, we've tried that before XD It's a shame, I've never ever gotten to eat at that place simply cause it's so impossible to get into @_@

[mhyoshimitzu.livejournal.com]

Oh, and our room featured overpriced coolness. The TV had a special N64 controller attached that could be used to order N64 games on a pay-to-play basis, with some choice N64 titles available. Sadly, 5 or 6 bucks an hour just isn't worth it for two-generation old choices. I'll just wait for Virtual Console, thanks(though some WERE rather tempting).

Every hotel I've stayed at in Baltimore has these. It's a shame, really, because when we were there last year, we couldn't figure out how to hook up any game systems to the TV. There only way to do it would have been through an AC Adaptor, which we did not bring. How did you guys hook up systems when you were there? I heard some people were bringing PS2's and GC's.

[lbd-nytetrayn.livejournal.com]

Dunno, our TV had front AV connections, but we never actually used it, as I forgot my memory card. Our gaming was via DS.

Except the tourney, but they bring their own TV for that.

LBD "Nytetrayn"