Silent Hill

[PhantasticSanShiSan]

At least 20% of my life revolves around a single obscure Japanese video game. I'm weird, I know.

Do you mean game, or series?  Are you saying you can spend that much time on SH2?  How long does it take to get all the endings?  I thought it was kind of short, but it's been awhile.  BTW, favorite part - Killing the fat kid. Eddie, or whatever his name was. (Actually, it was seeing P-Head "doing his business" with the nurse or mannequin-thingy, but killing the fat kid came right after - crazy little shit.)

[Pirate King Atomsk]

I'm still confused. What are you saying? If that is some way to say your self esteem is low, then IT SHOULDN'T BE. You're young, you're cute, you're bright, you know your way around a computer...if you wrote all the things about you that are right and all the things about you that you would like to change, I'm sure the pro would FAR outweigh the negatives.

Thanks for the kind words Spike,  but I don't have low self-esteem per se as much as I don't have expectations for what other people should think of me. If anything, I'm an elitist. I just don't let what other people say or do get to me because I don't build myself up for anyone. Online, or IRL. I know who I am in my ego. That's what really counts I think.

Do you mean game, or series?  Are you saying you can spend that much time on SH2?  How long does it take to get all the endings?  I thought it was kind of short, but it's been awhile.  BTW, favorite part - Killing the fat kid. Eddie, or whatever his name was. (Actually, it was seeing P-Head "doing his business" with the nurse or mannequin-thingy, but killing the fat kid came right after - crazy little shit.)

Oh! Well, I mean..it revolves around the series, but..SH2 is by far my favorite.

As for the endings, it took me awhile to get all of them. The dog/control panel (weird) ending was my favorite. I also did "Rebirth", which was kinda hard to get but not too much.

And actually, I was going to dress as Eddie at a local convention, just to see how many people would get it. Lol. Funny you mention that. He was an annoying character, but thankfully (like you said) you get to eventually kill him.

And that Pyramid Head scene forever changed my life. It was almost the same sick thrill of watching Hellraiser for the first time. I was like.."is he doing what I think he - HOLY SHIT HE'S RAPING THAT TWO-LEGGED THING! AND THAT MEANS...IT'S GOT TWO VAGINAS!!! WTF!!!??"

[PhantasticSanShiSan]

Thanks for the kind words Spike,  but I don't have low self-esteem per se as much as I don't have expectations for what other people should think of me. If anything, I'm an elitist. I just don't let what other people say or do get to me because I don't build myself up for anyone. Online, or IRL. I know who I am in my ego. That's what really counts I think.

I share the same sort of outlook.

Oh! Well, I mean..it revolves around the series, but..SH2 is by far my favorite.

As for the endings, it took me awhile to get all of them. The dog/control panel (weird) ending was my favorite. I also did "Rebirth", which was kinda hard to get but not too much.

And actually, I was going to dress as Eddie at a local convention, just to see how many people would get it. Lol. Funny you mention that. He was an annoying character, but thankfully (like you said) you get to eventually kill him.

And that Pyramid Head scene forever changed my life. It was almost the same sick thrill of watching Hellraiser for the first time. I was like.."is he doing what I think he - HOLY SHIT HE'S RAPING THAT TWO-LEGGED THING! AND THAT MEANS...IT'S GOT TWO VAGINAS!!! WTF!!!??"

That Pyramid Head scene was awesome.  I really liked SH2, but I wish it had gone more in-depth into the background of the story, like the prison history etc.  I like that in video games - plenty of reading material.  I have the SH4 too, and it's kind of cool, but I hate not being safe @ your ROOM/HQ.  Haven't played 3 yet.  I look for it when I go to GSTOP, but those trips have been rare since my 360 blew it's "exhaust" system.

[Pirate King Atomsk]

That Pyramid Head scene was awesome.  I really liked SH2, but I wish it had gone more in-depth into the background of the story, like the prison history etc.  I like that in video games - plenty of reading material.  I have the SH4 too, and it's kind of cool, but I hate not being safe @ your ROOM/HQ.  Haven't played 3 yet.  I look for it when I go to GSTOP, but those trips have been rare since my 360 blew it's "exhaust" system.

SH2 was less about Silent Hill and more about James Sunderland. It was all about symbolism. A lot of people argue it doesn't completely make sense, but once you understand James' mind and his past, you can pretty much see everything for what it's supposed to be. Especially after you play Maria's scenario in "Restless Dreams", called "Born From A Wish". It's a short add-on for a re-released version of the game.

As for SH4, it originally wasn't even intended to be a Silent Hill game. Much like Super Mario Brothers 2 was originally something else, but changed into a franchise sequel last minute. It's an AWESOME concept. Many people argue though that it's the weakest game in the series, because the second half is basically re-visiting everything from the first half with a female escort. It was somewhat tedious IMO, but definitely worth it for the ending.

As for SH3, it explains A LOT about Silent Hill itself. It's pretty much a direct sequel to Silent Hill 1. I definitely recommend picking it up when you get the chance. Heather Mason is cute, too. 

But if you really want to get down to the mysteries of Silent Hill, play SH1 and SH:Origins. Origins explains a lot about "The Order"..(the cult Dahlia Gillespie worked with to birth the "God" Samael and bring eternal "Paradise").

By the way, if a mod wants to split this off into a Silent Hill thread in General Discussion, that'd be nifty.

[PhantasticSanShiSan]

SH2 was less about Silent Hill and more about James Sunderland. It was all about symbolism. A lot of people argue it doesn't completely make sense, but once you understand James' mind and his past, you can pretty much see everything for what it's supposed to be. Especially after you play Maria's scenario in "Restless Dreams", called "Born From A Wish". It's a short add-on for a re-released version of the game.

As for SH4, it originally wasn't even intended to be a Silent Hill game. Much like Super Mario Brothers 2 was originally something else, but changed into a franchise sequel last minute. It's an AWESOME concept. Many people argue though that it's the weakest game in the series, because the second half is basically re-visiting everything from the first half with a female escort. It was somewhat tedious IMO, but definitely worth it for the ending.

As for SH3, it explains A LOT about Silent Hill itself. It's pretty much a direct sequel to Silent Hill 1. I definitely recommend picking it up when you get the chance. Heather Mason is cute, too. 

But if you really want to get down to the mysteries of Silent Hill, play SH1 and SH:Origins. Origins explains a lot about "The Order"..(the cult Dahlia Gillespie worked with to birth the "God" Samael and bring eternal "Paradise").

By the way, if a mod wants to split this off into a Silent Hill thread in General Discussion, that'd be nifty.

I played the add-on "Born From A Wish".  I forget it though except that the old man behind the door explains a bunch of stuff.  Now I really want SH3, And I think I'll pick SH1 while I'm at it.  Is origins for PS2 or the handheld or Nintendo DS?  I can't remember.

As for splitting the topic, Ev's gotta do it.  I would, but I'm not sure how and I don't wanna "F" it up.

[PhantasticSanShiSan]

Done, but I didn't know what the link was for the moved message. Anyhow,  Silent Hill........

[Pirate King Atomsk]

Done, but I didn't know what the link was for the moved message. Anyhow,  Silent Hill........

Gratzi!

I played the add-on "Born From A Wish".  I forget it though except that the old man behind the door explains a bunch of stuff.  Now I really want SH3, And I think I'll pick SH1 while I'm at it.  Is origins for PS2 or the handheld or Nintendo DS?  I can't remember.

That's great to hear man. So many people have overlooked "Born From A Wish".

FOR THOSE WHO PLAN ON PLAYING IT IN THE FUTURE, SH2 SPOILERS ARE AHEAD.




And yes, the crazy guy behind the door basically warns Maria about James. He calls him the "Bad Man", I think. There's little explanation as to who the man actually is, or even if he really existed, but MY guess is that he was a repressed part of James' psyche that understood who he (James) was (to some hazy degree), manifesting as a completely different person. Obviously James must have been in Silent Hill at the time, because Maria existed. So I assume this manifestation of James' psyche was aware of why Maria existed and wanted to warn her about James. So maybe he (James) manifested him (the man behind the door) much like Maria? Well..that's just kind of a guess.

Oh, and (thankfully) you can get Origins on PS2 now, yes. The fans got pissed when it initially only saw a PSP release (as many of us don't own one) so they eventually ported it to the PS2. And I'm so glad they did because for an originally handheld game, it definitely deserved a full console release.

As for SH3, you may want to make sure to play SH1 and fully understand it first because 3 doesn't make much sense without it. Origins will help to explain 3 in even further detail.

[Pirate King Atomsk]

Here's a 6-minute video for those unfamiliar with the franchise called "The History of Silent Hill". No plot spoilers, just basically covers the series game-by-game so you can get an idea of what it's all about. This is a slightly old video so it doesn't show Silent Hill:Origins or Silent Hill 5: Homecoming.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGIqi8MA-H0[/url

[PhantasticSanShiSan]

 I would like to play 1 first, although I spent a lot of time reading plot analysis for the games @ GameFAQs.  It's what I did during downtime at work - read the plot analysis for games.

After watching the movie, I might be too scared to play SH3, though I like the part where the subway is taking off and THE siren is going off in the background.

[Pirate King Atomsk]

I would like to play 1 first, although I spent a lot of time reading plot analysis for the games @ GameFAQs.  It's what I did during downtime at work - read the plot analysis for games.

After watching the movie, I might be too scared to play SH3, though I like the part where the subway is taking off and THE siren is going off in the background.

I played the first Silent Hill when I was about 13. At the time, it was a life-altering experience, but looking at the graphics and controls now is difficult after you've played the rest of the series. Still, it's an amazing game. I replayed it a few years back on a PSX emulator (PSEMU), and the graphics are a lot smoother on PC. I'd say if you have a decent PC for gaming, just do a little research online and you should be able to "acquire" it in no time.

By the way, what did you think of the movie? I think it wasn't disappointing but could have been so much better if Team Silent were directly involved. I also think it should have been an animation, or CGI. But, Silent Hill 2 (the movie) is on the way, so maybe (as with the game series), the sequel will be the big hit. 

[PhantasticSanShiSan]

I played the first Silent Hill when I was about 13. At the time, it was a life-altering experience, but looking at the graphics and controls now is difficult after you've played the rest of the series. Still, it's an amazing game. I replayed it a few years back on a PSX emulator (PSEMU), and the graphics are a lot smoother on PC. I'd say if you have a decent PC for gaming, just do a little research online and you should be able to "acquire" it in no time.

By the way, what did you think of the movie? I think it wasn't disappointing but could have been so much better if Team Silent were directly involved. I also think it should have been an animation, or CGI. But, Silent Hill 2 (the movie) is on the way, so maybe (as with the game series), the sequel will be the big hit. 

As far as playing consoles on PC - I'm at the NES stage right now, literally.  That's what kind of games I have.

As for the movie.... I think we had this discussion before.  I thought it blew.  I wasn't bad for the first half or 2 thirds but totally petered out at the end.  I think it could have been much better if Team Silent was involved, and if it wasn't so much about the stars.  I felt that they failed to create a better story then was available, and therefore should have not muddled around with a new "interpretation" or story.  The aspects that made the movie cool, IMO, were the things that were  kept the same, or roughly the same, as the movie.  I hope #2 will be better and retains all the good in #1.

I hope that origins isn't crappy on the PS2 like GTA: Liberty City Stories was.

[Pirate King Atomsk]

As far as playing consoles on PC - I'm at the NES stage right now, literally.  That's what kind of games I have.

As for the movie.... I think we had this discussion before.  I thought it blew.  I wasn't bad for the first half or 2 thirds but totally petered out at the end.  I think it could have been much better if Team Silent was involved, and if it wasn't so much about the stars.  I felt that they failed to create a better story then was available, and therefore should have not muddled around with a new "interpretation" or story.  The aspects that made the movie cool, IMO, were the things that were  kept the same, or roughly the same, as the movie.  I hope #2 will be better and retains all the good in #1.

I hope that origins isn't crappy on the PS2 like GTA: Liberty City Stories was.

Ahh, NESticle perhaps? That's my favorite NES emu. Well all those emulators really work the same. It's not too much to learn if you already understand that much.

And trust me mang, Origins is a fine port. IGN gave it a 7/10, which is more like an 8/10 for most magazines. You won't be disappointed by anything but it's length. It's unfortunately slightly shorter than most Silent Hill games..(around 10-12hrs of linear gameplay is average for a Silent Hill game, while Origins takes about the minimal 10.)

Oh, and I beat Silent Hill 5 a couple days ago if I forgot to mention that. I'll write a full review later for another board I post on and copy/paste it here, but the short version is: I give it a solid 8/10. 

[PhantasticSanShiSan]

Ahh, NESticle perhaps? That's my favorite NES emu. Well all those emulators really work the same. It's not too much to learn if you already understand that much.

And trust me mang, Origins is a fine port. IGN gave it a 7/10, which is more like an 8/10 for most magazines. You won't be disappointed by anything but it's length. It's unfortunately slightly shorter than most Silent Hill games..(around 10-12hrs of linear gameplay is average for a Silent Hill game, while Origins takes about the minimal 10.)

Oh, and I beat Silent Hill 5 a couple days ago if I forgot to mention that. I'll write a full review later for another board I post on and copy/paste it here, but the short version is: I give it a solid 8/10. 

I just got back from EB (believe it or not, they've got a sister GStop just down the corridor in the Mall).  They had SH3, but I didn't wanna pay 29.99 used for such an old game, and I'd rather play 1 first like you suggested.  I know I've seen it cheaper somewhere else.  I ended up getting Yakuza 2.  One of the dudes there was telling me that SH1 is the best, and that 5 is almost as good, but not quite. He also said that SH1 is really expensive online - $50 to $60.

[Pirate King Atomsk]

AH! I beat the first Yakuza. It was awesome. How is 2 so far? (If you've tried it yet, I mean.)

[PhantasticSanShiSan]

Backtrack - I'm rocking NESten right now. Used to rock NESticle.

Yakuza 1 was really cool to me.  I liked the Shenmue style of evironmental interaction.  Just started 2 and it seems cool so far but I've just watched movies mainly (for 25 minutes) with a little fight tutorial.  No "dubbing", all in Japanese & Korean w/ subtitles.  Supposedly there is a lot more stuff as far as lockers and side missions and games(bowling, mahjong, arcade games, etc.) I'm expecting to have the "Don Quixote" store jingle in my head by next weekend.

[Pirate King Atomsk]

Backtrack - I'm rocking NESten right now. Used to rock NESticle.

Yakuza 1 was really cool to me.  I liked the Shenmue style of evironmental interaction.  Just started 2 and it seems cool so far but I've just watched movies mainly (for 25 minutes) with a little fight tutorial.  No "dubbing", all in Japanese & Korean w/ subtitles.  Supposedly there is a lot more stuff as far as lockers and side missions and games(bowling, mahjong, arcade games, etc.) I'm expecting to have the "Don Quixote" store jingle in my head by next weekend.

Ahh, Nesten. That's a good one as well.

Anyways, as for Yakuza, I don't mind subtitles. And lol, I love that store. Remember in the first game when you could buy stuff for the cute kid? It's been awhile but I remember a lot of cool stuff like a SEGA-based UFO catcher. That was a really great game that kinda flew under the radar..at least until it got a decent cult following. 

[PhantasticSanShiSan]

I played it a bit more.  Had to do a UFO catcher set of side missions already.  The game is good.  There are 2 cities this time. The more I play it, the more I'm getting into it.  When I finished the first one, I went on a Yakuza movie binge.  I feel it coming on again.


BTW, don't know why I'm asking ( actually I do) but didn't you ever watch the series Bartender?