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Chapter 1, digimon seekers

Digimon Seekers: Chapter 1-10

May 8, 2023 josechurape Leave a comment

While we wait for Sunday’s chapter, I’ve decided to revise the Seekers story to fix some of the story’s awkwardness. I will keep the story the same but will try to make it sound nicer. This isn’t my story, so please make sure you check out the original chapter. Let me know if this is something worth continuing. Make sure you start at chapter 1-1

Eiji loses his senses as the room melts away into darkness. He no longer has control of his limbs as the darkness consumes him. Eiji loses consciousness and wakes up in a world full of bright colors. The colors spin around him as he falls quickly into the unknown.

Suddenly, a memory from his childhood flashes before him.

Its summer. The day he and his family spent by the river. He remembers how refreshing the water felt on a hot day, the sound of the river crashing over the rocks, and the games he and his friends played.

“Eiji!” his friend Leon calls to him as he gets out of the water. Eiji turns his attention to Leon, but he’d unknowingly walked in too deep. His foot slips him into the deep part of the river. His feet search but find no ground. He tries to swim, but the force of the river is too strong. He can’t find the surface. The river bubbles around him as his limbs desperately search for air.

Eiji isn’t in the river, but his senses are overwhelmed by the familiar sensation. He tries to calm himself. The bubbles start to settle and quiet. A new world begins to unfold before Eiji. Eiji finds himself overwhelmed by the sudden rush of stimulation.

A bright light. It blinds him, but he can’t close his eyes.

What’s going on here?

Disoriented. Confused. Anxious.

Eiji tries to piece it together but can’t understand what he sees. His eyes continue to adjust, but he can’t seem to focus. Everything is a blur of color and light, zooming and changing as he attempts to make sense of it. His ears fill with a strange static buzzing in his ear, and the air fills with a putrid animal smell.

Is this a bad dream?

But it’s not a bad dream…

Over the static, Eiji can hear a voice speaking clearly to him.

Who…Who is it?

CRASH!

The sound of something being kicked over. Eiji hears someone running towards him.

Eiji’s eyes begin to adjust. He sees a small pink rat Digimon quickly scarring towards him. It clutches a piece of data in its hands as if it were cheese.

“Chuumon, child, beast, virus type,” his heads-up display reads.

Where am I?

Eiji’s eyes continue adjusting. He can see more clearly. He finds himself in an empty dirty room made of concrete.

Suddenly, another Digimon appears. Another rat, but this one is made of cloth like a puppet.

ChuuChuumon, puppet, child, virus type.

It rides on the back of metallic poo-shaped Digimon. It carries a tonfa and chases after the pink rat.

Damemon, mutation, adult, virus type.

Eiji is confused by the scene unfolding before him. He is overwhelmed by the excitement of seeing real Digimon but takes the moment to compose himself. This isn’t a theme park he reminds himself.

“How brave of you to try to steal from my family,” Says Damemon in its metallic voice.

“Squeak! Don’t let him do this ChuuChuumon! I beg you! For the love of all rats!” Chumon pleads.

Chuumon stole Chuuchuumon’s food and is trying to escape.

“Not good, not good” Chuumon mutters to itself.

Damemon readies the tonfa for an attack.

“Is that a dog?” ChuuChuumon says suddenly, looking towards Eiji.

Huh, a dog? The Digimon is talking?

Damemon stops its attack. ChuuChuumon continues “I haven’t seen you around here before. The Wall Slum’s Sixth Street is our turf. You better turn tail and run if you know what’s good for you!”

“A rat picking a fight with a wolf? Don’t make me laugh?”

The strange familiar growls in his ear. Out in front! Eiji isn’t in control.

“This is my turf now”

“Do your worst!” ChuuChuumon yells, accepting the challenge. “Damemon! Gun Vulcan!”

Bam-Bam-Bam-Bam!

Character design/illustration illustrator: malo

The Vulcan gun embedded in the tonfa erupts with fire. Bullets explode into the walls and floor. Chuumon zigzags, desperate to escape.

Whaaa?

Eiji is overwhelmed with nausea. A putrid smell fills his nostrils. The bullets Damemon fires aren’t particularly strong, but they release a foul odor, almost like a poisonous gas.

“Hahahaha! That attack must be torture for a dog. Digimon battles are all about exploiting weaknesses!” ChuuChuumon taunts.

“Not good, not good!” Eiji lets out.

“Shall we get rid of this stray Damemon? Finish it off with Boo-st Atta…”

But before ChuuChuumon could finish his sentence, strange energy begins to swirl around Eiji.

What is this feeling?

-Howling Fire!

A fireball erupts from Eiji’s snout and flies toward the enemy ChuuChuumon. Before Damemon has a chance to react, the flame engulfs the pair. The flame eats away at the room around them.

“HOT! HOT! HOT!”

The force of the impact knocks Damemon off balance.

“Just one shot?! But how?” Chuuchumon rolls out of the Damemon’s cockpit and onto the floor. The flames continue to smolder. ChuuChuumon begins to short-circuit. It stares up as the wolf looms over it. It begins to tremble “Lo…Loogamon?”

Loogamon? Eiji asks himself as he looks down at the cowering ChuuChuumon.

“So you’ve returned to the Wall Slums?”

ChuuChuumon’s tone suddenly becomes more respectful.

Eiji is at a loss.

“You’re looking good..”

Loogamon turns away for a moment. ChuuChuumon attempts to make its escape.

Eiji regains his composure. “Loogamon? Can you hear me? Loogamon!”

video game reviews

Game Review: Breachers

May 7, 2023 josechurape Leave a comment

If you have been enjoying my content and want to support what I do, please consider buying me a coffee

I was sent Breachers as a review code, and while I am very grateful for the opportunity, I will keep my review honest.

Breachers is the Rainbow Six: Siege VR port you’ve been waiting for. It is a bit more simplified, there aren’t any classes, but it certainly scratches an itch. Games are 5v5 matches where you either play team death match or bomb maps. Games are played on tight quarter maps where the emphasis on victory is teamwork.

The community for Breachers seems less toxic Seige, at least from the games I played. My general performance was average, but I never got kicked out of a game or flamed for being bad. Kids are playing this game already, so prepare yourself for some high-pitched screaming. It never got so bad that I needed to mute players, but the option is there if you need it.

I only recommend muting if it’s absolutely necessary. If you want to win games in Breachers, you need a strong understanding of the game’s mechanics and clear and effective communication with your teammates. Games where teammates communicate strategically about loadouts, traps, and enemy locations will go a lot smoother than those where the lone wolf goes for the highest kill count. I recommend unmuting your mic, but there are buttons you can press for nonverbal communication if you prefer.

Breachers are easy to pick up, but some mechanics aren’t intuitive. Make sure you complete the tutorial to gain the required foundation, and maybe do a couple of bot matches if you need some added reinforcement. I was fortunate enough to find teammates who would give me tips, but the mileage may vary. FNH8iT has a nice video on his YouTube channel if you need an additional resource.

If you are looking for a good VR first-person shooter, buy Breachers. There is a lot to like about this game. If you care about performance, the graphics are nice, the matches run great, and the gameplay is a lot of fun. It has cool maps, interesting mechanics, and a healthy community. There are also the standard features you find in any FPS like the ability to make private matches and clans.

You can buy Breachers for $29.99 on the Meta Quest and Steam. If you like FPS games, it’s worth it for the number of hours you’re about to sink into this game.

Make sure you follow the Breachers socials to stay up to date on all the news: Discord, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok

Chapter 1, digimon seekers

Digimon Seekers Chapter 1-9: The Interview

May 6, 2023 josechurape Leave a comment

I’ll be rewriting the novel to fix some of the awkwardness of the translation. My version comes out the Monday after the official release, but make sure you always check out the original. If you’ve been enjoying this project, make sure you like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends.

The Sons of Chaos is an organization full of the strongest code cracking teams, but have come together with the worst intentions. Rumors has it that the Sons of Chaos are planning something big. Something that could shift the balance between the Digital World and humanity. Intelligence agencies and police units from all over are investigating the organization, but Ryusenji has no faith they’ll find anything. Instead of dealing with the tiresome channels of bureaucracy the selfishness of global politics, Ryusenji recruits Eiji to protect the Digital World, and the Digimon who inhabit it.

The job pays very well, but the passion that the professor fosters for the Digital world is what moves Eiji to action. If Tartarus and the Sons of Chaos are allowed to cause havoc in the Digital world, the international community will view Code Crackers and Digimon as dangerous.

“The lives of Digimon will be at stake. People are afraid of what they don’t understand, and if this gets out of hand, it could mean the end of everything. Digimon are alive and we can’t let such a group to be their extinction.” The professors words continue to ring in his head.

Eiji sits on the futon in his cramped apartment. “So I’m supposed to be a spy,” Eiji says to himself. He looks down and finds Loogamon asleep across from him. It rest comfortable on the bed with its belly exposed. Occasionally, the hologram will flicker, but it it emits a steady blue glue into the apartment. “We’ll be dealing with really bad dudes Loogamon,” Eiji says to the unresponsive pup. “They’re hardcore code crackers who are into some really scary stuff. My Tyrannomon don’t stand a chance against them, but you might be alright.”

Eiji stretches out his hand in a feeble attempt to pet the wolf. Loogamon lets out a low growl as it flashes its teeth viscously at the encroaching hand. “I thought you were asleep?”

An alarm goes off. Eiji raises his wrist to shut it off. “It’s time to go to work. Let’s go Loogamon.” Loogamon disappears into the Digimon Linker screen. Eiji puts on his headset. Leaning against the back wall, he scrolls through the different menus in a virtual terminal projected from the watch.

Character design/illustration illustrator: malo

Eiji logs into GriMM. Joining the Sons of Chaos isn’t a difficult. Once you obtain the invitation code from their recruitment page, you join the official channel and apply like any other job. Eiji had already submitted his application and was logging in for his first interview.

A heavily modified voice comes through his headset. “The Sons of Chaos deal with government agencies, corporations… important people with high-level security. We need highly skilled code crackers who aren’t afraid of anything. This is a risky job. It’s easy to apply, but it’s hard to get into the Sons of Chaos. Do you think you have what it takes, newbie?”

“It’s Fang”

“Code Cracker Fang, huh? Are you ready to earn that name?” Eiji looked at the hologram of a generic avatar staring back at him. His username reads “interviewer. His voice was gravelly and sweet, like a cartoonish old man’s.

“Will I get to meet Tartarus?” Eiji asks without wasting a minute on pleasantries.

“You’re interested in our leader?” the voice asks suspiciously.

“Who wouldn’t be?! He’s the legendary Code Cracker Tartarus! He’s my idol.” Eiji feigns excitement.

The interviewer laughs “How old are you kid?”

“That doesn’t matter. Will I meet him or not?”

The voice on the other end remains silent for a moment. “Tartarus is a mystery even to us. Most of us have never seen him. If you are as much of a genius as you say you are, one of the executives will reach out to you. If you get invited into one of their chats, you might be able to talk to Tartarus.”

Eiji smiles. He will take advantage of the organization’s meritocracy and climb up the organization. “So this job, is it a test?”

“That’s one way of looking at it. It’s a semi-A ranked mission…I’ve shared the details on GriMM. I’ve also opened a dedicated channel for the mission. Use it for future comunications.” Eiji begins to read over the mission details. “What do you want to call the mission?” the voice asks.

Eiji thinks for a moment. “How about, Operation Wolf?”

The interviewer goes silent as the name of the channel changes to Operation Wolf. “This isn’t going to be easy,” the interviewer explains. “A Ranked missions aren’t for noobs. You are going to lose some Digimon. We don’t insure Digimon or provide compensation for any losses. Is that understood?”

“I understand, just be ready for my welcome party.”

“Welcome party?”

“We’re celebrating the birth of the Sons of Chaos’ newest executive.” Eiji is confident that Loogamon and his raw ability as a Code Cracker were more than enough for anything the Sons of Chaos threw at him.

The interviewer laughs. “Please check the file for the mission details. Good luck, I’m praying for you.”

“Thanks!”

The interviewrer logs off, leaving Eiji alone in his small apartment. He lets out a sigh of release as he looks down at Loogamon. He remembers the Professor’s words. Digimon are alive!

Eiji scrolls through the watch’s menu. His finger hovers over the word “Minlink“

Eiji stares at the word for a moment and takes a deep breath.

“Well then…” Eiji presses down on the screen.

Mindlink!

Chapter 1, digimon seekers, Uncategorized

Digimon Seekers: Chapter 1-8: The Assignment

May 5, 2023 josechurape Leave a comment

I’ll be rewriting the novel to fix some of the awkwardness of the translation. My version comes out the Monday after the official release, but make sure you always check out the original. If you’ve been enjoying this project, make sure you like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends.

Code Crackers make up a community of anonymous individuals whose goals are to create a free Digital World, one not bound by the traditional social construct. Within this group exist multiple factions, each with unique beliefs of what a free Digital World should look like. Sometimes these beliefs clash, creating a healthy amount of infighting.

Code Crackers exist on the wrong side of the law, made up of misfits with nowhere to go. Whatever goal of dream they chase now, all crackers owe their roots to the original code cracking team.

“I’m a bit hazy on the details. I got into code cracking when I was a young kid in high school. One of the seniors talked me into it. Told me there was decent money in it, and it was at first. It definitely is a good side hustle for a high school kid, but I wanted to do something more serious. I want to use my skills to make a living.”

“You can do whatever you want” the professor replies, “But code cracking isn’t a stable profession. You’re always going to be breaking the law because the government doesn’t understand the Digital World yet.”

“Yeah. The DigiPolice make things…difficult” The DigiPolice is a secret organization only known to code crackers. They’ll stop at nothing to catch all code crackers, regardless of their intentions.

“Are you also trying to forge a free Digital World?” asks the professor

Eiji shakes his head “Shallow of me right? I just want a job so I can eat, and a clean record”

“And where will that lead you? What are your goals Eiji?”

Eiji thinks for a moment. “I…I want to win” he responds sincerely.

Ryusenji is taken aback by the response “Win? What are you trying to win?”

“It’s hard to explain. I can’t really do it in real life, but online….I’d like to be something so big that it changes reality. I want to make money, evolve Digimon, and become the best Code Cracker ever. I want to have a team of my own and be a boss”

“Do you have to be a code cracker to do that?”

“Yes!” Eiji startles himself with his sudden outburst. He composes himself before continuing. “For me, the Digital World is the only place where I can make a difference” Eiji pauses for a moment as he looks over the professor. “I want to be on your level professor. I want to be able to experience the Digital World with all five senses, not just through a monitor. That’s what I want to do.”

Eiji’s words make Ryusenji smile. “The Digital World can change a person”

Eiji thinks about his life. He pictures his small cramped apartment and about his empty fridge. He’s a high school drop out without a steady job. Eiji has nothing, and as he looks onto the world’s wealthiest man, he wants more. Eiji makes up his mind. He has no intention of being a lowly code cracker anymore. He was going to learn everything he could from Professor Ryusenji, and finish training Loogamon no matter what.

Ryusenji murmurs something unintelligible.

“Professor?”

“You passed the test.”

“Again?”

The professor nods his head. “I needed to make sure you had the right intentions. If you were some run-of-the-mill code cracker kid drunk on freedom and ideology, I wouldn’t have offered you the job”

A familiar symbol flashes on the screen. It is of a gear wraps around a skull creating a radioactive halo. Under the symbol the words read “Sons of Chaos”

Illustration illustration: PLEX

Eiji lets out an involuntary sigh.

“Do you know them?” Ryusenji asks

“Of course I do. They’re a pretty infamous group of code crackers”

“What is your honest impression of them?”

Eiji takes a moment before responding “They’re on another level. They’re the best at what they do.” Eiji admired their skill, but the Sons of Chaos were right-wing extremists. They were almost militant in their organization. If you wanted to live a good and carefree life, you stayed away from them.

“They’re a group of code crackers known for using Digimon for crime,” Eiji continies. “They’ve made a name for themselves through extortion, theft, and terrorism. They’re bad news.”

The Sons of Chaos are run by the legendary Code Cracker Tartarus. No one knows Tartarus’ true identity, but he’s extremely popular on GriMM. Over the years, Tartarus has built a following of crackers who have adopted his ideology and created havoc in its name.

Ryusenji looks at Eiji “The Sons of Chaos are breaking the delicate balance between the Digital World and humanity. They are abusing Digimon and their ecosystem for personal gain and interfering with my research.” Ryusenji takes a moment to compose himself “It would be a shame if the Digital World and ours became isolated because of the misdeeds of a few punks. Wouldn’t you agree Eiji”

Eiji shrugs. “Can’t you just ask the government to help”

Rysenji shakes his head, “they don’t understand enough about Digimon yet. The Prime Minister only wants to use government resources to study them, and the police are too focused on stopping Code Crackers to care about one individual…There isn’t enough being done!” Ryusenji’s voice is filled with anger and frustration.

“Is that why you hired me?”

The professor calms down and nods his head. “You can say no. I know I’m asking for a lot”

“No, it’s not that at all. I’m here to help, whatever it takes!” The offer is too exciting to pass up. Eiji has been searching for meaning in his life. He knew he was meant for something more than simply collecting Digitama and training Digimon. This was his chance to do something real. To start winning.

“Good!” Ryusenji exclaims as he clasps his hands to gather loudly. “For this job, I want you to infiltrate the Sons of Chaos and find out what Tartaros is up to.” The professor walks over and gently places his hand on Eiji’s shoulder “This isn’t just another job Eiji off the message board. The stakes are real, and much bigger than both of us in this room. This is for the sake of all Digimon. This is for the sake of the Digital World”

Tech Reviews, video game reviews

I’ve had Digimon Vital Bracelet BE for a Couple Weeks now…

May 4, 2023 josechurape Leave a comment

I’ve been using the Digimon Vital Bracelet for a couple of weeks, and I’ve got some things to say about the experience. Make sure you check out my initial impressions for some context that I won’t be repeating in this update.

If you buy the Vital Bracelet, get a screen protector. I was incredibly careful and still managed to get some notable scratches after the first few days. I didn’t expect to get gorilla glass with this toy, but I did expect something a bit sturdier for something meant to encourage fitness. You can get reasonably priced screen protectors on Amazon, but I’ve been using tape. It won’t protect the face from serious impacts, but it will help mitigate the scratches. If you want this device to last you a while, I recommend investing in some added protection.

I have a smartwatch that I use to track vitals, so I wore two watches for about a week before I was told I couldn’t. You are going to notice how cheap the bands feel, but that feeling goes away after a bit of use. They work well enough, and you don’t have to worry about them coming randomly undone. You can buy nicer sturdier bands on eBay, but I can’t vouch for the quality. As a fitness tracker, it’s not accurate. The watch does a good enough job to track your vitals for the game, but I wouldn’t rely on it for an accurate assessment. There is a specific market for this game, and if you like vpets and enjoy the IPs, it’s a fine watch with a cute little character you can interact with. The design is subtle and won’t look out of place if you decide to take it around people.

After a week, I removed the bands and carried them around like a key chain. I put a piece of clear tape over the sensor to trick the device into thinking it was still reading my vitals. This setup isn’t as accurate as wearing it as a watch, but the difference is negligible. If you have the means and want to spend a bit extra, you can find special cases online that do the same and provide a bit more protection. I haven’t looked into these options too deeply, but I’ve seen some cool stuff. Always make sure you read the reviews and buy from reputable sources.

I love most of the experience with the Vital Bracelet so far. It might be a symptom of the novelty, but I’ve found it easier to convince myself to be more active. I understand this alone won’t make me fit, but I have been a lot more active since. This only works for me because I love Digimon, and there is a meaningful incentive. If you aren’t a fan of Digimon or any of the available IPs, you won’t get the same kind of drive from something like this.

The worst part of this whole experience is the official companion app. The app is slow, clunky, and buggy. I was able to upload my first Digimon to test things out, but I haven’t been able to get her back. I know there are workarounds and an update I’ll need to look into, but it is frustrating to have a portion of this game not work out of the box. Before getting the Vital Bracelet, I saw a lot of user frustration online surrounding the app’s performance. I brushed it off as gamers being resistant to change, but there is some truth to how terrible this app is. It doesn’t work, and when it does, it is frustratingly slow. If Bandai wants the Vital Bracelet to be successful, they need to work on making this app more seamless and smooth. At the moment, the app is the biggest barrier to entry, and I find it hard to recommend it to people who aren’t that invested in Digimon.

That said, I am still hopeful about the Vital Bracelet’s future. There seems to be a healthy population of people who play the game regularly despite the app’s flaws. Bandai recently dropped an update that people seem to be happy about, and there are some workarounds I need to look into to set Jellymon free. That said, it is hard to recommend a game that isn’t exactly polished. I don’t mean to say that to discourage you from buying a Vital Bracelet. If you like Digimon or any of the supported IPs, it’s a cute thing to collect. There are enough forums and discords out there to make this product usable, but it is frustrating to buy something that isn’t perfectly usable out of the box.

If you want to buy the watch, the BE is the latest edition. You can get them on Amazon without a Dim in Bl a ck and White. The VV version does include a dim if you don’t mind the red. Your other option is to have them imported from Japan through either eBay or a trusted online retailer. I’ve seen Zenintcg thrown around a bit, but I haven’t bought from them. Always make your own research.

Movie Reviews, video game reviews

Game Review: Mia and the Dragon Princess

May 4, 2023 josechurape Leave a comment

If you have been enjoying my content and want to support what I do, please consider buying me a coffee

I was sent Mia and the Dragon Princess as a review code. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I will be honest with my review.

Mia and the Dragon Princess is an interactive action movie you can play on Android, IOS, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, and PC via Steam and Epic games.

Mia feels trapped in a boring job and wishes for some excitement. Her wish comes true when a mysterious woman ends up in her alley. Before Mia can find help for this mysterious woman, a group of thugs barge in and threaten her friends. What will Mia do?

Occasionally while watching this movie, viewers will be given choices that will affect the outcome. The movie has ten endings and different storylines. The timer for each choice gives this movie its urgency, and some choices will be tricky to make. By the end of your first playthrough, you are going to want to play for a different ending. You skip scenes you’ve already watched to make the experience less tedious, but they are available if you need a refresher.

Mia and the Dragon Princess is a solid action movie.The story is a bit cheesy in parts, but it is a lot of fun. The acting is fine, the action is well-choreographed, and the stories are well done. I do have to warn you that the stories do get dark. There is death and violence in this movie, but nothing too gruesome. I loved all the small jokes sprinkled throughout, but I have a soft spot for cheesy movies. I want to keep this review a bit vague because I don’t want to spoil the story. I suggest you go as blind as possible for your first playthrough.

I was surprised by this title because I didn’t know what to expect. I loved it, and see myself returning to the title a few more playthroughs. It was a unique experience with a solid and fun story that I recommend to everyone. That said, it is a bit of a niche title. If you are someone who enjoys b movies or cheesy ones, this is a fun title. Otherwise, I would wait for a discount. I wouldn’t call this a game because of how easily you can earn all the endings, but it is also a bit more complicated than a movie. Mia and the Dragon Princess is a cool concept with an impressive execution, and I recommend you try it at least once with friends.

You can buy Mia and the Dragon Princess for $12.99. You can play it on Android, IOS, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, and PC via Steam and Epic Games. You can also try out the demo on Steam. Get your copy today!

Loogamon, child, dark beast, virus type

Loogamon, child, dark beast, virus type

Exit mobile version

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