Day CLIII: Game

My little brother, Erick, had a white Xbox 360 that he never let me play. Funny, right, that power dynamic? Not often does the younger brother keep fun and games and exciting possessions from the older sibling. Still, that seemed to be the case between Erick and I. His room was always full of thrilling, interesting goods. And mine? Books, a few stray photos, and a box of speech medals. Nothing nearly as exciting as a stereo, cigarettes, and a snowboard.

But when I purchased a game for the system--Namco's Eternal Sonata--I was granted permission to play the game as long as Erick was not in need of his space or didn't want to play games of his own. They were rare moments, but they existed. And, eventually, I made it through the game, some 40 odd hours later.

And though I'm not sure how it happened, I believe that's when I fell in love with the Xbox 360. Which, I suppose, is to be expected. That's how love works, after all: creeps up on you like a thief, steals bits and pieces of your valuable heart, and, suddenly, you realize you've been losing yourself all along.

Day VI: Ni No Kuni

143 hours later...

This calls for celebration! 

Does anyone else even know what that icon is? Or what it stands for?!

That, my friends, is a platinum trophy. Such trophies are awarded for fully completing every objective set by publishers for any given video game. When you have completed each set objective, you are awarded the game's platinum trophy. And, at the risk of tooting my own horn (gross expression, by the way), such trophies are only awarded after immense patience, skill, and ability.

Today, I have accomplished this feat. I have obtained Platinum status for my favorite game of 2013, Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch. So, yeah, praise me.

The Wizard Wars 

Not everyone who reads this blog is likely aware of my love for video games. I find them to be exceptionally relaxing. They're rewarding and exciting, too. Plus, some make me cry. And ANYONE who knows Josh Plattner knows he loves a good sob fest. And while some games only contain some aspects of the things I love in a great game, I found this one to be particularly powerful.

Ni No Kuni chronicles the adventures of Oliver, a young boy who loses his mother after a frightening accident stops her heart. Led to another world by a powerful little creature named Mr. Drippy--ish, I know--Oliver finds himself in a hot bed of political unrest and on the losing side of the battle between good and evil. As the story progresses, Oliver learns to tame familiars, or powerful little creatures to help him in battle. He also meets three troubled allies in his quest to rescue the strange new world and bring his mother back to life.

Developed by Studio Ghibli, Ni No Kuni is one of those adventures that's just as much fun to play as it is to observe. The animation and visual direction are unparalleled. It's completely charming and devastatingly heartfelt. There wasn't a sliver of time that I felt I could be doing something better with my life. And, girl, 143 hours isn't a small chunk, okay?

Toward the end of my journey for 100% completion, Kyle asked what I was up to while playing. In full honesty, I responded, "I am searching for bubble pipes that you can only steal from Fuddy-Duddies just south of Jack Frost Island. I keep running into these goddamn Baatenders and Potties though."

Seriously. Those are all real parts of the game.

Japan is weird.