GZ News Archive - 20010101

PS2 DVD bitc^h^h^h^h update.
^{[ posted by: R.I.P ]}

Well, I got the DVD of "Princess Mononoke" for Christmas and I excitedly fired it up in the PS2. Beautiful! The movie was awesome. Although I'll have to say that I can understand now after watching it why Disney screwed the U.S. over on the theatrical release. Animated + over two hours + blood, guts and decapitations + general statement against people destroying nature = movie that adult U.S. movie goers wouldn't understand, nor would most of their kids be able to sit through. Sigh... it's to bad, because the movie is really good.
But enough of that... now my main point. Chapter 16 of this movie. That's where the PS2 decides it can no longer play the disc correctly. I was pretty pissed, you can guess, when C16 starts the movie starts skipping in a big way. Grrr... I start the movie over, I play through the credits (no skipping there), go back to C16 and... it's skipping like nobodies business. So after spending 15 minutes messing around, I finally hit the power switch in the back and take the system completely off-line. Now, fire it up and try the movie again. This time C16 plays through with only two super tiny hick-ups right at the start of the chapter... and the movie finishes correctly.
So... anyone want to tell me what's special about this chapter? Layer change? Poor data through-put? To much data through-put? I don't know, but now I know the skipping is not only related to surface damage to the media.

First post of 2001.
^{[ posted by: R.I.P ]}

Welcome to 2001, and a Happy New Year to all.
As for what's happening here. Well, E.Phoenix has indicated he's going to start his old column "Refuse From The Matrix" back up on his personal page. I did some digging though and it looks like the only previous copy we have is his last edition he wrote back in 1995. Everything before that looks like it was part of a HD crash we had in 1996. Sad, but that's life I suppose. Anyways, he has indicated he will probably start writing again as soon as January 10th, so keep an eye on his homepage for more information.
On the review front, I finally have reviews for six PS2 games, three DC games, and five N64 games written up. I should have them posted within the next couple of days. Whew...
As for what's being played right now. Salamander has finally solved Majora's Mask with everything but three hart containers (wow, the final level/boss isn't to bad if you're prepared). I've completed almost all of Fantavision (I'm lacking a top score in Chain mode), SSX except for a couple of tricks in my trick book, playing as either Moby and Zoe (whom I think is the best character in the game), and now I'm in the middle of playing both Skies of Arcadia and Beyond Oasis (yeah, on the Genesis!). The rugrats at home got Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards for Christmas and solved it in two days! Doh... now they're onto Hey You! Pikachu, and Pokemon Gold/Silver.
There's other stuff being played as well... but that's the main stuff... So, keep an eye out. Keep reading the comics (now updated regularly since Jan/2000)... and check back for reviews.
Cheers...

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