Featured Gamer: Fall3n Angelz
03.08.06
Why don't we start by finding out a little about yourself.
I’m a 24-year old comic book writer. I've always liked to create worlds, not just experience other peoples. Plus I believe the comic book industry is the backdoor to the entertainment industry. Make a decent comic book, get a movie! If you get that far, it’s like an unwritten law that EA will swoop in and make a crappy game out of your ideas. That’s the American dream!
When I’m not playing games, watching TV shows on DVD, or working, I’m skateboarding at the beach, playing poker, or snowboarding (depends on the weather).
What is your gaming setup like?
65” Widescreen HDTV (Samsung), a Mini-fridge and a pretty good home theatre sound system some guys in a white van sold me...
We have to ask; What's the story behind your Gamertag?
Ha, long story, I’ll try to make it short. Fallen Angelz used to be the name of my production company. It represented the fact that I (and everyone) have two sides. Sometimes we want to be Frylock, but sometimes we can’t help but be Master Shake. I think a fallen angel represents that duality. It’s like an angel is the purest thing you can imagine, and a fallen one represents the fact that even they can become corrupted. The 3 and the z are just there for teh l337 effect!!!!!1! (editor: We need the Quaker.)
What do you feel is the hardest achievement out there that you've gotten?
Hmm, the 100 wins in survival single / tag in Dead or Alive 4. Not even ST Theking has them, and that’s saying something! Of course, one of my controllers and feeling in my right thumb had to be sacrificed to get it... Actually, I have a 1000 in Dead or Alive 4, but none of the 0 point achievements. NO ONE has that! I got everything legit, except the S ranks, but that was only because it glitched me from an A+ to an F- for no reason!
Pretty much all of my other achievements I just got with persistence.
That you haven't gotten, but know is possible?
This is going to sound retarded, but the Game Complete in Kameo: Elements of Power. I’m missing one freaking fruit, and I don’t know which one it is! I’ve spent so long looking for it, I probably could have played all the way through the game again!
Other than that, Hexic HD and Perfect Dark Zero. For Hexic HD, I was 2 moves away from making Grand Poo-Bah, and a bomb got me. I just sat there for like a day, didn’t move. I think I might have even shed a single tear...
Perfect Dark Zero (perfect / dark agent) is a pain not only because it’s frustratingly difficult, but because I dislike the game so much I don’t have the patience to have it abuse me for days on end.
Be honest; Do you get achievements for fun or bragging rights?
Well, its like I’ve always played games, can’t see myself ever stopping. I enjoy them, probably because I'm good at most of them... But I spent a year on Final Fantasy XI, and I had to quit because one day I realized, even when I hit 75, I’m not going to have anything to show for it. Games use to be about getting to the top, and in the arcades, it was all about having your initials at the number one spot. I think Microsoft has brought back and revolutionized one of the key aspects of gaming’s foundation. Deep huh?
Anyway, when people look back on the 21st century, and they think what was the most addictive drug, it’s not going to be crack, or pre-reduction Lindsay Lohan music videos. It’s going to be that little feeling you get when you hear the popping noise and “Achievement Unlocked” appears on your screen.
If you hadn’t been part of the achievement points race since launch and only just picked up an Xbox 360, how would you feel about gamer points?
Bitter! People who get their 360s now are going to have a very difficult uphill battle to break the top 50. Of course, I stood in line in the cold with sleep deprivation for 12 hours while this trio of nerds sang show tunes, and they didn’t, so...
What achievement are you going after next?
Um, all of them? Well, besides the onslaught of new games this month, I'm doing all platinums in Project Gotham Racing 3 and the rest of Quake 4 slowly but surely. Ill go back for Grand-Pearl Poo-Bah eventually, but only if I have some candles and soothing music and someone to protect my belongings if an impossible bomb comes out.
Would you buy and play through a game you loathed simply for the achievement points?
No, but I'd rent it *cough* FIFA *cough*. On the other hand, achievements have gotten me to play games I normally wouldn’t have, and I ended up liking some of them.
Do you think easy achievements can boost the sales of bad games?
Yeah, I think if a game is going to get passed on by most customers, they can at least boost their rentals by putting in easy achievements. That’s pretty much EA’s motto. It also gets people to buy some of the horrible arcade games out there...
What is your favorite game on the 360?
Need for Speed: Most Wanted. It was the first one I put in, and it was like love at first sight! That’s the game that made me feel like my standing in the cold for 12 hours at Costco while some freak sang show tunes with a whistle or something was totally worth it.
Least favorite?
Oh man, don’t even get me started on how disappointing Dead or Alive 4 and Perfect Dark Zero are. I think the fanboys over at GameFAQs have lynch squads out for me. Other than that, what’s up with these weak Midway “classic” arcade games? How ‘bout I’ll get to wave 100 when you make a game worth playing!!
Favorite multiplayer game?
For multiplayer, I’d definitely say Marble Blast Ultra. Even if I didn’t win 9/10 times, that’s still the most simple, pure fun you can have without a donkey and a midget getting involved. And that’s what games are supposed to be all about, right? (Fun, not donkeys.)
I have a feeling this will change as soon as Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter and Far Cry come out. Graywolf and I have a score to settle with Crono117 and ST Theking! We'll show them what Americas all a-boot!
What will people find you doing most often on your 360?
Yelling. I yell a lot. The worst is when n00bs spin me out in Project Gotham Racing 3, it’s ridiculous. And, although I don’t like the game too much, having 3 friends play in Perfect Dark Zero with you online is pretty cool.
NOTE: If you get TKed by Fall3n Angelz(1), its my 10-year-old brother! He thinks it’s hilarious when British people cuss me out and give me bad feedback.
Lately though I’ve just been sitting there staring at the screen, looking at all the games I don’t wanna play anymore. My girlfriend plays Zuma and Bejeweled 2, but has yet to unlock a single achievement for me! I thought girls were supposed to be like, smart, or something? (Editor: We are not held responsible for any repercussions on the previous statement. We love girls and think they are super smart.)
Are you a hardcore Xbox guy or do you dabble in the dark arts (re: other consoles)?
I’ve owned every system ever, starting with the Commodore 64, Intellivision, and so on (Turbo Graphx-16 was the best!). Yes, I even had a Virtual Boy and a 32X. I tried to stay a Sega fanboy as long as I could, but when Resident Evil came out, I was like screw this!
It’s all about the games right? Right now, Xbox360 has the most exciting, best-looking games out (which is why I still have 5 unfinished RPG’s going…). So that’s where most of my time goes, but I'm not going to turn my back on games like Kingdom Hearts 2, Final Fantasy XII, whatever David Jaffe (God of War) does next, or that vomit-inducing cute new Megaman PSP game. Plus Nintendo releases one good game, what, like every 5 years? So if Twilight Princess ever comes out, I’ll rent it from Gamefly and tell them it got lost in the mail. Down with the establishment!
Why do you think there are so few Japanese players amongst the top Xbox 360 gamerscores?
Because Microsoft really screwed the Japanese gamers at launch. We had like 15+ games, they had like 3! There simply aren’t enough games to get a high Gamerscore over there. And now no matter how many RPGs you throw at them, they're always gonna remember that Microsoft expected them to pay infinity billion yen for Tetris Grand Master Ace.
Do you have any strategies to share with us for any particular achievement?
Most people ask me about survival in Dead or Alive 4. I usually tell them to return it and buy Tekken 5, but since I'm here...
It’s all about aggressiveness! You know that first split-second when your enemy jumps in off the ropes and has that deer-in-the-headlights look? Put them into the danger zone and don’t let up! 90% of the time they don’t even get a move out before I kill them. I used Nicole and Hayate. It’s not about combos, but about doing the most damage in as few hits as possible without leaving yourself open. If you want points, use Christie and juggle them after they're dead.
Also, if one of your throws or moves misses, spam the punch button. Do NOT spam counters if you get caught in one of their ridiculously cheap combos. It will just make the damage you take even worse, and you won’t get out of it. Just take your beating and hope you live through it.
Leave food alone if you don’t need it. You might get knocked into it later and have it save you. And if you think the enemies get tough right before you get a new medal, it’s because they do! They will block more and counter more. Also if you haven’t unlocked Tengu, he won’t appear in survival. He isn’t very hard usually, but he's also the guy who beat me at 99 wins so... If you want some of the earlier achievements, try putting it on smaller life gauges. Just remember; one mistake and its game over. Plus if you die in the 90’s, no one will believe you because it wont upload your score onto the leaderboards.
Other than that, try to stay calm, it took me quite a few tries for single (tag wasn’t so bad). And if you want, I have Itagaki’s home address...
What 360 title are you looking forward to next?
Without a doubt, Mercenaries 2! I know I'm supposed to say The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, but I think people have impossible expectations for that game. But I play EVERYTHING, so it’s hard to name just one game, so I won’t! Half of the games coming out this month (Ghost Recon –which I refuse to call “GRAW”-, Far Cry, *cough* Rumble Roses Double X *cough*) are pretty exciting. Plus I can’t wait for some really great next-gen RPG’s. But if they ever put Tekken: Dark Resurrection on the 360, I think I might literally evaporate!
Wolfenstein will be great as well, and I know they haven’t been announced yet, but Killer Instinct for Live Arcade and F.E.A.R. are definitely on my ‘would-kill-Oprah-for’ list.
How do you feel about ST TheKing’s gamerscore?
I play with ST Theking sometimes and even though he's going to get rocked at Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter, he's a pretty skilled gamer. He has pulled off nearly every possible achievement there is so far, and even if he hadn’t boosted some of them, he’d still deserve the top spot. He just needs to work on his social skills!
Got a personal or favorite website you want to share?
I guess your site is pretty cool, but I'm guessing most people reading this already know that! So this one is pretty great too: www.ImagineArtCafe.com.
Have fun, and keep up with the greatness.
Thanks, and thanks for making a site like this. I’ve been on here more than I’ve been playing games lately!
Shout-outs to all my message board peeps! 
I’m a 24-year old comic book writer. I've always liked to create worlds, not just experience other peoples. Plus I believe the comic book industry is the backdoor to the entertainment industry. Make a decent comic book, get a movie! If you get that far, it’s like an unwritten law that EA will swoop in and make a crappy game out of your ideas. That’s the American dream!
When I’m not playing games, watching TV shows on DVD, or working, I’m skateboarding at the beach, playing poker, or snowboarding (depends on the weather).
What is your gaming setup like?
65” Widescreen HDTV (Samsung), a Mini-fridge and a pretty good home theatre sound system some guys in a white van sold me...
We have to ask; What's the story behind your Gamertag?
Ha, long story, I’ll try to make it short. Fallen Angelz used to be the name of my production company. It represented the fact that I (and everyone) have two sides. Sometimes we want to be Frylock, but sometimes we can’t help but be Master Shake. I think a fallen angel represents that duality. It’s like an angel is the purest thing you can imagine, and a fallen one represents the fact that even they can become corrupted. The 3 and the z are just there for teh l337 effect!!!!!1! (editor: We need the Quaker.)
What do you feel is the hardest achievement out there that you've gotten?
Hmm, the 100 wins in survival single / tag in Dead or Alive 4. Not even ST Theking has them, and that’s saying something! Of course, one of my controllers and feeling in my right thumb had to be sacrificed to get it... Actually, I have a 1000 in Dead or Alive 4, but none of the 0 point achievements. NO ONE has that! I got everything legit, except the S ranks, but that was only because it glitched me from an A+ to an F- for no reason!
Pretty much all of my other achievements I just got with persistence.
That you haven't gotten, but know is possible?
This is going to sound retarded, but the Game Complete in Kameo: Elements of Power. I’m missing one freaking fruit, and I don’t know which one it is! I’ve spent so long looking for it, I probably could have played all the way through the game again!
Other than that, Hexic HD and Perfect Dark Zero. For Hexic HD, I was 2 moves away from making Grand Poo-Bah, and a bomb got me. I just sat there for like a day, didn’t move. I think I might have even shed a single tear...
Perfect Dark Zero (perfect / dark agent) is a pain not only because it’s frustratingly difficult, but because I dislike the game so much I don’t have the patience to have it abuse me for days on end.
Be honest; Do you get achievements for fun or bragging rights?
Well, its like I’ve always played games, can’t see myself ever stopping. I enjoy them, probably because I'm good at most of them... But I spent a year on Final Fantasy XI, and I had to quit because one day I realized, even when I hit 75, I’m not going to have anything to show for it. Games use to be about getting to the top, and in the arcades, it was all about having your initials at the number one spot. I think Microsoft has brought back and revolutionized one of the key aspects of gaming’s foundation. Deep huh?
Anyway, when people look back on the 21st century, and they think what was the most addictive drug, it’s not going to be crack, or pre-reduction Lindsay Lohan music videos. It’s going to be that little feeling you get when you hear the popping noise and “Achievement Unlocked” appears on your screen.
If you hadn’t been part of the achievement points race since launch and only just picked up an Xbox 360, how would you feel about gamer points?
Bitter! People who get their 360s now are going to have a very difficult uphill battle to break the top 50. Of course, I stood in line in the cold with sleep deprivation for 12 hours while this trio of nerds sang show tunes, and they didn’t, so...
What achievement are you going after next?
Um, all of them?
Would you buy and play through a game you loathed simply for the achievement points?
No, but I'd rent it *cough* FIFA *cough*. On the other hand, achievements have gotten me to play games I normally wouldn’t have, and I ended up liking some of them.
Do you think easy achievements can boost the sales of bad games?
Yeah, I think if a game is going to get passed on by most customers, they can at least boost their rentals by putting in easy achievements. That’s pretty much EA’s motto. It also gets people to buy some of the horrible arcade games out there...
What is your favorite game on the 360?
Need for Speed: Most Wanted. It was the first one I put in, and it was like love at first sight! That’s the game that made me feel like my standing in the cold for 12 hours at Costco while some freak sang show tunes with a whistle or something was totally worth it.
Least favorite?
Oh man, don’t even get me started on how disappointing Dead or Alive 4 and Perfect Dark Zero are. I think the fanboys over at GameFAQs have lynch squads out for me. Other than that, what’s up with these weak Midway “classic” arcade games? How ‘bout I’ll get to wave 100 when you make a game worth playing!!
Favorite multiplayer game?
For multiplayer, I’d definitely say Marble Blast Ultra. Even if I didn’t win 9/10 times, that’s still the most simple, pure fun you can have without a donkey and a midget getting involved. And that’s what games are supposed to be all about, right? (Fun, not donkeys.)
I have a feeling this will change as soon as Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter and Far Cry come out. Graywolf and I have a score to settle with Crono117 and ST Theking! We'll show them what Americas all a-boot!
What will people find you doing most often on your 360?
Yelling. I yell a lot. The worst is when n00bs spin me out in Project Gotham Racing 3, it’s ridiculous. And, although I don’t like the game too much, having 3 friends play in Perfect Dark Zero with you online is pretty cool.
NOTE: If you get TKed by Fall3n Angelz(1), its my 10-year-old brother! He thinks it’s hilarious when British people cuss me out and give me bad feedback.
Lately though I’ve just been sitting there staring at the screen, looking at all the games I don’t wanna play anymore. My girlfriend plays Zuma and Bejeweled 2, but has yet to unlock a single achievement for me! I thought girls were supposed to be like, smart, or something? (Editor: We are not held responsible for any repercussions on the previous statement. We love girls and think they are super smart.)
Are you a hardcore Xbox guy or do you dabble in the dark arts (re: other consoles)?
I’ve owned every system ever, starting with the Commodore 64, Intellivision, and so on (Turbo Graphx-16 was the best!). Yes, I even had a Virtual Boy and a 32X. I tried to stay a Sega fanboy as long as I could, but when Resident Evil came out, I was like screw this!
It’s all about the games right? Right now, Xbox360 has the most exciting, best-looking games out (which is why I still have 5 unfinished RPG’s going…). So that’s where most of my time goes, but I'm not going to turn my back on games like Kingdom Hearts 2, Final Fantasy XII, whatever David Jaffe (God of War) does next, or that vomit-inducing cute new Megaman PSP game. Plus Nintendo releases one good game, what, like every 5 years? So if Twilight Princess ever comes out, I’ll rent it from Gamefly and tell them it got lost in the mail. Down with the establishment!
Why do you think there are so few Japanese players amongst the top Xbox 360 gamerscores?
Because Microsoft really screwed the Japanese gamers at launch. We had like 15+ games, they had like 3! There simply aren’t enough games to get a high Gamerscore over there. And now no matter how many RPGs you throw at them, they're always gonna remember that Microsoft expected them to pay infinity billion yen for Tetris Grand Master Ace.
Do you have any strategies to share with us for any particular achievement?
Most people ask me about survival in Dead or Alive 4. I usually tell them to return it and buy Tekken 5, but since I'm here...
It’s all about aggressiveness! You know that first split-second when your enemy jumps in off the ropes and has that deer-in-the-headlights look? Put them into the danger zone and don’t let up! 90% of the time they don’t even get a move out before I kill them. I used Nicole and Hayate. It’s not about combos, but about doing the most damage in as few hits as possible without leaving yourself open. If you want points, use Christie and juggle them after they're dead.
Also, if one of your throws or moves misses, spam the punch button. Do NOT spam counters if you get caught in one of their ridiculously cheap combos. It will just make the damage you take even worse, and you won’t get out of it. Just take your beating and hope you live through it.
Leave food alone if you don’t need it. You might get knocked into it later and have it save you. And if you think the enemies get tough right before you get a new medal, it’s because they do! They will block more and counter more. Also if you haven’t unlocked Tengu, he won’t appear in survival. He isn’t very hard usually, but he's also the guy who beat me at 99 wins so... If you want some of the earlier achievements, try putting it on smaller life gauges. Just remember; one mistake and its game over. Plus if you die in the 90’s, no one will believe you because it wont upload your score onto the leaderboards.
Other than that, try to stay calm, it took me quite a few tries for single (tag wasn’t so bad). And if you want, I have Itagaki’s home address...
What 360 title are you looking forward to next?
Without a doubt, Mercenaries 2! I know I'm supposed to say The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, but I think people have impossible expectations for that game. But I play EVERYTHING, so it’s hard to name just one game, so I won’t! Half of the games coming out this month (Ghost Recon –which I refuse to call “GRAW”-, Far Cry, *cough* Rumble Roses Double X *cough*) are pretty exciting. Plus I can’t wait for some really great next-gen RPG’s. But if they ever put Tekken: Dark Resurrection on the 360, I think I might literally evaporate!
Wolfenstein will be great as well, and I know they haven’t been announced yet, but Killer Instinct for Live Arcade and F.E.A.R. are definitely on my ‘would-kill-Oprah-for’ list.
How do you feel about ST TheKing’s gamerscore?
I play with ST Theking sometimes and even though he's going to get rocked at Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter, he's a pretty skilled gamer. He has pulled off nearly every possible achievement there is so far, and even if he hadn’t boosted some of them, he’d still deserve the top spot. He just needs to work on his social skills!
Got a personal or favorite website you want to share?
I guess your site is pretty cool
Have fun, and keep up with the greatness.
Thanks, and thanks for making a site like this. I’ve been on here more than I’ve been playing games lately!
Shout-outs to all my message board peeps!
