Conquer the Day

Afternoon, everybody. It's a Friday, and you know what that means? Absolutely nothing because I work in retail! *cries*

Despite that, I have a feeling today's going to be good. Don't know how, but I think it will be.





CURRENT MUSIC
Hitoshi Sakimoto - "Main Theme"
Valkyria Chronicles Original Soundtrack

Yesterday as I was driving home I had my iPod set to shuffle through my entire music collection. As I crossing county lines, this heroic and militaristic piece began to play. While I had listened to the whole of the Valkyria Chronicles Original Soundtrack before (and listened to several of the tracks numerous times as well), for some unexplained reason I was drawn to listen to the "Main Theme" once more.

People who know me know that the two things that sell me for any form of visual media (i.e.: video games, movies, television shows) are the story and the music. Valkyria Chronicles' story definitely did its job with the story (an alternate World War II-era Earth with mythological warrior women and no flight? The WWII buff in me loved it!), and the music just helped to seal the deal.

Anyway, the "Main Theme" proudly plays drums and fanfares in what I call the "Valkyria Chronicles motif." Like any good theme, it drums in a musical beat that has you swell with pride and determination as you prepare to take on whatever is in your way - be it your day at work, your trip to the Department of Motor Vehicles, or even a nation of soldiers who want your rich mineral reserves.

What really grabs my attention each time I listen to this piece is the intricate use of the strings and brass. As the drums give way, the brass begins to play the motif as the strings back them up. The motif repeats itself, but the roles are reversed - the strings play with the melody while the brass backs them up. The woodwinds play a brief segment before the motif begins playing again - this time with the backing of the militaristic drums. The strings play the melody once more (with the brass backing), and then they switch places one last time as the closing fanfare takes over.

So, start your day well. Get some drums and an orchestra. Fight battles for your country. Fight battles for yourself. And while you do all that, have this theme play through your heart.





I'll be frank with you and admit that there's not much to talk about today. At the same time, I didn't want to leave you with some abysmal short entry that will probably force you to rip out your hair. (Or worse: rip out my hair.) So, let's just get to it and see what little things I have to say.

So far today's been good. Not much in terms of major events or what not, but I'm determined to make it interesting somehow.

This is how you make good mornings if you're a bachelor and you're hungry.

Breakfast was good. Cooked up some nice food for myself and relaxed while watching The IT Crowd. Cheesy garlic toast, bacon, eggs Marshall, and a cup or two of Tang. Mmm. Morning well-spent, I'd say, chaps. (Delicious, too.)

The game case for my copy of Pokémon Conquest.

Gaming-wise, I've been focusing on one single game thus far: Pokémon Conquest for the Nintendo DS. I'm not that far in the game just yet, but so far it's totally got my attention. To those of you not in the know, imagine Koei's Nobunaga's Ambition series with Pokémon in them.

Or for those of you who still can't picture that: imagine your typical Pokémon game set in a world similar to feudal Japan. Instead of focusing on one specific battle with up to six Pokémon per trainer, imagine if a bunch of trainers were organized as soldiers in an army you're leading. Other territories have their own armies of soldiers, and your objective is to recruit and conquer these territories using your soldiers and their Pokémon.

Congrats: you now know the basics of how Pokémon Conquest works!





Well, that's it for today. Indeed, this entry was a short one, but at least I was able to make something of it and make it livelier than the other short entries that don't warrant mention.

Well, I'll be seeing y'all tomorrow. Take care until then!