End of an Era in Brazil, 2013

The threat of rain kept drivers, engineers and audiences around the world waiting for an upset that Brazil can often throw into the mix. Unfortunately, it was only the threat we got. Sebastian Vettel got his record, and Mark Webber came away with a good result to end the season with another Red Bull one-two finish. Not only that, it is the end of Webber’s F1 career, Massa’s time at Ferrari and the era of the V8 engines. While there was more tension than usual in this race, it still wasn’t the most exciting of the year.

Tribute to a legend

Some will agree and others won’t, but Webber is, in my opinion, a true legend of the sport. His number of podiums and wins may not be as high as Vettel’s, and he may not have a world championship but compared to almost every driver on the grid today – and in the years that he has been racing in F1, there is no more honest and respectful driver out there. There are always bad days and incidents but his honesty on pretty much everything will be sorely missed. I’ll be keeping an eye on how he goes in endurance racing from next year and wishing him all the best!

We saw another rare chink in Vettel’s luck today. It wasn’t enough to keep him off the top step of the podium but a late call for a pit stop had him sitting there a bit too long – but didn’t affect Webber too much. On the first lap, there was the hope that Nico Rosberg could give Vettel more of a challenge but now, we’ll have to wait for next year for a serious challenger.

Racing incidents

The Lewis Hamilton & Valtteri Bottas incident was very curious. It must have been a tough decision for the stewards, but it came back quite quickly. Lewis was moving back from his original position but there was space on the other side – not much, but some – and it wasn’t like he was forcing the Williams driver off the track. Again, it was harsh but as Bottas ended up worse off, and Lewis was the one making the direction change, it had to be his responsibility in the end, I guess. I’m still not convinced though.

I felt very sorry for Felipe Massa. The decision to give him a drive-through penalty was harsh, and it did spoil what was turning out to be a great battle between himself and Hamilton. We’ve seen those battles in the past often end badly but Massa crossed the wrong lines on the track and that does incur a penalty. After the race, he commented that he wasn’t the only doing it, but the only one to get a penalty. Whether that is true, I don’t know but you can see how it would feel to him, on his final race at Ferrari. Hopefully he won’t dwell on it too much.

Summary

McLaren had a great weekend, considering the form they’ve had all year.  A fourth for Jenson Button is the best result of the year for them and his experience will be invaluable with their rookie driver coming through. Fernando Alsono will have to think about his future if Ferrari still can’t deliver a car. The Mercedes team have done well this year – better than anyone thought – and Romain Grosjean has really grown this year. Let’s not forget Max Chilton, who did finish EVERY race this year, in his first year in the sport. A great achievement, and this all makes next year much more interesting!

Results

1 – S. Vettel (Red Bull)

2 – M. Webber (Red Bull)

3 – F. Alonso (Ferrari)

4 – J. Button (McLaren)

5 – N. Rosberg (Mercedes)

6 – S. Perez (McLaren)

7 – F. Massa (Ferrari)

8 – N. Hulkenberg (Sauber)

9 – L. Hamilton (Mercedes)

10 – D. Ricciardo (Toro Rosso)

11 – P. Di Resta (Force India)

12 – E. Gutierrez (Sauber)

13 – A. Sutil (Force India)

14 – H. Kovalainnen (Lotus)

15 – J. E. Vergne (Toro Rosso)

16 – P. Maldonado (Williams)

17 – J. Binachi (Marussia)

18 – G. van der Garde (Caterham)

19 – M. Chilton (Marussia)

20 – C. Pic (Caterham) – DNF

21 – V. Bottas (Williams) – DNF

22 – R. Grosjean (Lotus) – DNF

No. 3 – Final Fantasy VI

Of all the Final Fantasy titles I’ve played, which is most of them given an international release on some platform, I enjoyed VI a lot. It has to be said that my top 3 were very close together and I’ve had to really pick at things I really found annoying to differentiate them.

One thing that really stood out to me from this title was the story/narrative/plot – whatever you want to call it. As a writer, I choose story and FFVI has the best story out of all the games in the series. The characters are diverse, and this title features the most playable characters in any of the numbered titles – and quite possibly any Final Fantasy game, but I am open to information showing otherwise – with fourteen characters that are available throughout most, if not all, of the game and several secondary characters that make regular appearances.

The inclusion of so many characters gives the player a chance to experience a deep, thoughtful and complex story that will take you from one end of the emotional spectrum to the other – and it really doesn’t disappoint. I enjoy the replay factor of this game almost purely for the story, which is expertly crafted. Some characters could be left out or replaced with large parts for others but the balance is very good and if you haven’t played FFVI, I’d recommend it just for this.

However, that’s not all!

Compared to modern games, the graphics are outdated – how I prefer the term ‘classic,’ ‘retro’ or ‘vintage.’ Different people use their own terms but whatever you call it, this is a blast from the past – and it doesn’t look half bad. Every so often, it’s nice to see where our games have come from. The artwork is still popular online today and that makes it an enjoyable experience.

Most importantly, as with many older games, I found this one of the most challenging titles to complete. It was a much longer and more expansive world and story, with a number of things to do and explore. I’m generally the kind of person who likes to explore first and complete the story later, and it has annoyed me about some games, especially more recent Final Fantasy titles (naming no names).

If I could see more, I’d love some even more challenging dungeons and boss fights. As with any game, you can find ways to make yourself almost unbeatable with the right team and abilities. Options to fight more powerful bosses that rely on you being at this level would be quite fun…or maybe I’m just asking for trouble? Both are equally possible.

Having seen the poor voiceovers as well as the “good” ones, I’d always pick the original version over any remake – don’t get me wrong, I’d buy and play a remake if it came around – purely because I have a lot of memories. What I enjoy about it is also what VI rank only number three. It’s a bit confusing at first, the tutorials aren’t that great and the world is very overwhelming at first. On replays, this is actually quite nice because I already know but it makes it more daunting to get to grips with on the first try. It’s also something that subsequent titles learnt straight away.

The fact that I still own a PlayStation copy of FFVI is a testament to how much I love this game. I am working on actually getting a PlayStation again at some point too, or at least a PS2.

A Predictable Result in Austin, 2013

I love the track at Austin; it looks like it will be exciting every time. Unfortunately, it didn’t live up this time, partly due to Sebastian Vettel’s continued domination, and partly due to the conservative tyre choices. Let’s face it, Pirelli cannot catch a break – they either pick too durable tyres or too weak tyres but the problem they face is the compounds are just wrong this year. This is something that really needs to change next year or they will continue to fail in their given target: create unpredictable races with more pit stops.

Grosjean’s form continues

I’ve said this a few times, but Romain Grosjean is getting better! Compared the incidents he had last year, the man racing now is completely different – I could almost be convinced it was his twin brother. Everything he’s doing is working, and if Lotus can keep up with Red Bull, Mercedes (and you could argue Ferrari and hopefully McLaren again next year), you’d have to say he has a chance at being in that championship hunt.

It’s a welcome back to the grid for Heikki Kovalainen as well. Not the best result in the race, but overall his weekend was good, and if he can keep it up next week, is there a chance he’ll actually get a race seat again? I hope so.

Mixed fortune for Williams

It’s obvious, now more than ever, that Pastor Maldonado and Williams are not on good terms. Signs have been there for a while but this weekend it came to boil when the drive publically said he thought the team might have altered his car. That’s crazy, right? Why would they do that when they NEED points? He has options, mostly due to his funding as I don’t think he’s a fantastic driver. Yes, he has a win, and I’ll give him that but compared to Sergio Perez, Esteban Gutierrez, Nico Hulkenberg and others, I don’t rate him.

Valterri Bottas, on the other hand, had a fantastic weekend and got a points finish for the team. It was a great drive and result from the rookie and proves he’s got talent. Whether he can turn that talent into something exceptional, we’ll have to wait and see.

Taking the good with the bad

The whole weekend was full of mixed fortunes for many teams other than Williams and Lotus. McLaren had a bit of a strange one with Jenson Button finishing just inside the points after a penalty and Perez in seventh – it’s ironic since he’s been let go. Ferrari as well, with Massa also outside the points compared to Alonso’s result, despite being injured. Mercedes got a decent result from Lewis Hamilton which cemented their place in the Constructors Championship ahead of the final race as well, but Nico Rosberg could only manage ninth.

Force India didn’t have a great one with a retirement for Adrian Sutil and Paul Di Resta missing out on points. It’s hard to see the Scot not only keeping his drive but even staying in the sport. It’s a shame, because he’s got talent (and I’m being patriotic) but as it stands his past comments and unlucky results and problems may well have killed his F1 career this year. Hopefully not, but I doubt he’ll be with Force India next year either way.

Summary

Not an amazing race but another record for Vettel. The final race could be a bit more interesting, especially if we get rain again, as can very possibly happen in Brazil. I can’t believe it’s the final race next week, but I’m looking forward to new rules and regulations, the confusion, trials and joys it will bring. Until next week!

Results

1 – S. Vettel (Red Bull)

2 – R. Grosjean (Lotus)

3 – M. Webber (Red Bull)

4 – L. Hamilton (Mercedes)

5 – F. Alonso (Ferrari)

6 – N. Hulkenberg (Sauber)

7 – S. Perez (McLaren)

8 – V. Bottas (Williams)

9 – N. Rosberg (Mercedes)

10 – J. Button (McLaren)

11 – D. Ricciardo (Toro Rosso)

12 – J. E. Vergne (Toro Rosso)

13 – F. Massa (Ferrari)

14 – E. Gutierrez (Sauber)

15 – H. Kovalainen (Lotus)

16 – P. Di Resta (Force India)

17 – P. Maldonado (Williams)

18 – J. Bianchi (Marussia)

19 – G. van der Garde (Caterham)

20 – C. Pic (Caterham)

21 – M. Chilton (Maurssia)

22 – A. Sutil (Force India) – DNF

No. 4 - Final Fantasy IV

I haven’t played Final Fantasy IV for a long time but it was always one of my favourites. I was too young for the original release on the SNES, but I did find it on for the PlayStation as part of the Final Fantasy Anthology containing the fourth and fifth numbered titles.

I remember the game well. Other games at the time, and while you can call the graphics and sprites of FFIV classic or retro, they weren’t up to par with other games at the time. That has never been a problem for me – if a game looks great, then that’s an added bonus but it’s not the main thing I look for. Despite this, it is recognisably Final Fantasy, and that was enough for me.

The music in FFIV is probably some of my favourite scores from any game in the series. While there isn’t the same clarity as recent releases, it does still draw quite a lot of emotion and it matches up with the story perfectly. The music has been reworked multiple times over the years as new versions of this game are released – and that’s got to give you an indication of the popularity and how good this game actually is.

No? Well, keep reading.

FFIV is not the most popular or well-known game of the series, but for many people, it offered a first in many aspects of what we consider to be a staple or classic feature of RPG’s. It was released in a different order to other games in the series which had an impact on this, but there are a range of characters to choose from with set job classes, and it brought in more tactical thinking.

The story – which I could write over 3000 words on, so I won’t – is also fantastic. I’ll go so far and say it is one of the better narratives of every Final Fantasy title. It brought the characters to life with very complex issues that still hold up today, but were even more relevant at the original time of release. Play the game and do some research; you’ll see what I mean. The depth and character development are brilliant even by today’s standards, and there is excellent replay value in this title.

The only big downside to the game was the length. Give the release date of the title, I’m not surprised and it was actually quite long back then, but there’s more to the story than what we see in the game, I’m sure and I’d love a version that lasts as long as a current title does.

What’s new?

An updated version of FFIV was released for the Nintendo DS and later for mobile platforms that took advantage of more powerful systems and graphics capabilities to bring this game to life. That is the biggest change of all, how it looked, and it was worth it. Again, compare it to nextgen capabilities, or even late PS3 or Xbox 360 titles, and you would never be fooled at all, of course, but it is a massive improvement and brings a lot more charm and life to the game.

With the number of characters that come and go, one update was being able to take the abilities of these characters and give them to permanent ones. While this is more fun, it does make the game easier – and it wasn’t the hardest game to begin with – but you can get some pretty good abilities and become unstoppable although new difficulty settings were included for more of a challenge. Finally, voice acting was included but, much like it is with many English versions of this series, it was disappointing, this time even more so, with the acting detracting from the dialogue and story of the game. Only the music remains the saving grace in these situations.

If you see it for a handheld or mobile device you own, or find it on the PlayStation Network – buy it right there! You won’t want to miss out on this fantastic game, whether it’s the original classic or the updated version. Trust me on this.

Plenty of Action in Abu Dhabi, 2013

While the Abu Dhabi race has not always been an exciting one, we have seen before it is possible to overtake here, if a little difficult. Unlike other races here, there was plenty of action going on, but Sebastian Vettel was clear of it during the first lap as he recorded another win.

A weekend to forget

Kimi Raikkonen had the worst weekend of his season. After the outburst in India, he almost didn’t show up – and missed the media events on Thursday. He only just made it to the first session and the pace wasn’t there. After a decent qualifying, he was demoted to the back and in the race, retired on the first lap. Financial issues have also come to light again and Kimi threatened not to race for the last two races if it wasn’t fixed. Safe to say he won’t miss Lotus next season!

The Britons Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton didn’t have the best race either. Lewis got stuck in traffic and had no grip at points throughout the race, and had to settle for a points finish when, realistically, he should have been fighting for the podium. It’s not the first time he’s had problems in Abu Dhabi, but let’s hope it’s the last. Button suffered front wing damage at the start again and that ruined his race but Sergio Perez salvaged a couple of points for the McLaren team.

Ferrari’s performance returns?

This was a good event for Ferrari – and boy, did they need it! Their poor run of form recently has raised many questions about the team, he decision to bring back Raikkonen and on Fernando Alonso’s future. They had poor pace in the practise sessions but the differing conditions make those largely redundant. Qualifying brought an improvement but the race was where we saw what Alonso and Felipe Masssa are capable of in a poor car.

It’s a shame, because Massa was brought in first when he was running ahead of his teammate but given the structure of the Ferrari team, and the speed Alonso had afterwards, it’s not surprising. Where Massa will go next year has yet to be confirmed but I hope he’s around for a while yet.

Plenty of action

Paul Di Resta managed a decent result again to help counter his run of bad form and increase hope for his future in F1. While I definitely saw more of his teammate, Adrian Sutil, Di Resta got the better result with his one stop and gives him great momentum in the final two races.

Nico Hulkenberg was once again in the thick of it. It was another strong showing that will increase his chances of getting the Lotus seat for 2014. However, the drive through penalty ended his hopes for a strong finish. It had to happen – the release was not safe, proven by moving away from the tarmac with the McLaren just behind.

It was looking good for Romain Grosjean to get another podium, but this time, the one time he needed the one stop strategy to work, it didn’t. Still, fourth is a brilliant result and keeps my hopes alive that he can maybe scrape a win before the season ends.

Summary

There wasn’t much need to see or hear much about Vettel throughout the race after the first corner. It was a dominant race from him once again and shows why he already wrapped up the championship. Two races left this season and if he wins both he equals more records. It was a good weekend, more exciting than we’ve seen for a while!

Results

1 – S. Vettel (Red Bull)

2 – M. Webber (Red Bull)

3 – N. Rosberg (Mercedes)

4 – R. Grosjean (Lotus)

5 – F. Alonso (Ferrari)

6 – P. Di Resta (Force India)

7 – L. Hamilton (Mercedes)

8 – F. Massa (Ferrari)

9 – S. Perez (McLaren)

10 – A. Sutil (Force India)

11 – P. Maldonado (Williams)

12 – J. Button (McLaren)

13 – E. Gutierrez (Sauber)

14 – N. Hulkenberg (Sauber)

15 – V. Bottas (Williams)

16 – D. Ricciardo (Toro Rosso)

17 – J. E. Vergne (Toro Rosso)

18 – G. van der Garde (Caterham)

19 – C. Pic (Caterham)

20 – J. Bianchi (Marussia)

21 – M. Chilton (Marussia)

22 – K. Raikkonen (Lotus) – DNF