Merry Christmas.Happy Holidays. Or whatever the current version is.
It is so nice that this shit is almost over. The stores will go back to normal. People will start acting... well less terrible. Things will in general calm down. Well almost. There is one place things won't be calm at for a week or two still.
That place is the return counter at stores. While the stores have calmed down. The return desk will be clogged. People returning gifts they received. Most of who are pissed to be standing in line.
Sunday, December 22, 2019
Sunday, December 1, 2019
November Games and Black Friday
- 11/1/19 3ds Azure Striker Gunvolt
- 11/3/19 GBA Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow
- 11/3/19 PC The Outer Worlds
- 11/6/19 DS Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
- 11/9/19 DS Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
- 11/13/19 PSP Lumines
- 11/15/19 GBA Super Mario Advance
- 11/28/19 XB1 Darksiders 3
Sunday, November 24, 2019
Black Friday, Now Starting Thursday.
I might be the first to say Thanksgiving sucks, but I have never said we should ski it. Retailers, feel otherwise. Why have a day off to rest, when you can go to a store and get in a fight over a slightly better sale than usual?
Retailers have been starting earlier and earlier each year. The last few years retailers started opening Thursday night around 8pm or so. This year some are opening as early as 5pm on Thursday, meaning the sun won't even be down yet.
All I ever wanted to do on Thanksgiving was NOTHING. I never wanted to see any extended family. I don't like turkey. I just want to take a real day off. Wake up, hangout in bed watching TV or maybe Youtube these days, eat something good, nap, shower, call it a day. But instead as a kid, I had to go eat a terrible meal, with people I hate. Sure, I could just stay home, enjoy a day of rest, but I do like deals.
So yeah, I will end up shopping. Not for any "door busters" those are a fools bet. Instead I will be after the usual stuff that just happens to get a good discount. At the end I won't be rested, and the next day everyone will wonder why I still look like I need a day off.
Retailers have been starting earlier and earlier each year. The last few years retailers started opening Thursday night around 8pm or so. This year some are opening as early as 5pm on Thursday, meaning the sun won't even be down yet.
All I ever wanted to do on Thanksgiving was NOTHING. I never wanted to see any extended family. I don't like turkey. I just want to take a real day off. Wake up, hangout in bed watching TV or maybe Youtube these days, eat something good, nap, shower, call it a day. But instead as a kid, I had to go eat a terrible meal, with people I hate. Sure, I could just stay home, enjoy a day of rest, but I do like deals.
So yeah, I will end up shopping. Not for any "door busters" those are a fools bet. Instead I will be after the usual stuff that just happens to get a good discount. At the end I won't be rested, and the next day everyone will wonder why I still look like I need a day off.
Sunday, November 17, 2019
Raspberry Pi at Target
Target sells raspberry pi computers now. It is a weird sight to see. Just feels out of place. Not just in "educational" kits either.
You can get the pi, various cases, the power supplies, on/off switches, etc. Literally all everything you need to get one up and running. These can be bought ala carte, or in bundles.
However, you can't buy anything other than the basics. No where to be found are the various add on cards for the pi. Nor is there any of the items needed to make a pi more than a toy.
Still, kind of cool, but weird.
You can get the pi, various cases, the power supplies, on/off switches, etc. Literally all everything you need to get one up and running. These can be bought ala carte, or in bundles.
However, you can't buy anything other than the basics. No where to be found are the various add on cards for the pi. Nor is there any of the items needed to make a pi more than a toy.
Still, kind of cool, but weird.
Sunday, November 10, 2019
The Outer Worlds
The Outer Worlds is an open world RPG FPS developed by Obsidian. It is currently on Playstation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
The game is overall very good. It is however rather short, taking less than 40 hours to complete. If you are a fan of the modern Fallout games, you will definitely enjoy this game. That is the short of it, it is good, from here on there might be spoilers, this is your only warning.
The story is not overly complex. You are saved from suspended animation aboard an abandoned space ship by a mad scientist. The scientist wants you to help save all the other people from your ship still trapped, and save the colony that you will be having adventures in. Of course you can get through this a number of ways, being helpful, being greedy, being a complete asshole, and many other options beside, all depending on you and your play style.
The world is slightly different than most open worlds. As the game takes place on several worlds that you can freely travel between. So rather than one large sandbox, you are given a series of relatively small sandboxes. Most of them have a few quests do. Oddly despite being different worlds, many of them have the same wild life.
Your character progression has some twists too. You gain level as you might expect, but you then put points into categories that give you improvements to multiple skill, to a certain amount. After a certain point, you must then level up each skill individually. Lots of varibles effect your skills, nearly every piece of equipment will modify your skills in some way, and the NPCs you choose to take with you in your travels will also effect your skills.
The NPCs are well voice acted. The ones you get to follow you will give you bonuses. Each one also has a very short quest. Some of them are better written than others.
The gameplay takes several forms. Out in the world you are mostly shooting things. In towns you are mostly talking, and in nearly every conversion you will find a way to apply one of your characters skills, assuming the skill in question in high enough. You get quest, you turn in quests, you get experience, and maybe another piece of the story.
The game is overall very good. It is however rather short, taking less than 40 hours to complete. If you are a fan of the modern Fallout games, you will definitely enjoy this game. That is the short of it, it is good, from here on there might be spoilers, this is your only warning.
The story is not overly complex. You are saved from suspended animation aboard an abandoned space ship by a mad scientist. The scientist wants you to help save all the other people from your ship still trapped, and save the colony that you will be having adventures in. Of course you can get through this a number of ways, being helpful, being greedy, being a complete asshole, and many other options beside, all depending on you and your play style.
The world is slightly different than most open worlds. As the game takes place on several worlds that you can freely travel between. So rather than one large sandbox, you are given a series of relatively small sandboxes. Most of them have a few quests do. Oddly despite being different worlds, many of them have the same wild life.
Your character progression has some twists too. You gain level as you might expect, but you then put points into categories that give you improvements to multiple skill, to a certain amount. After a certain point, you must then level up each skill individually. Lots of varibles effect your skills, nearly every piece of equipment will modify your skills in some way, and the NPCs you choose to take with you in your travels will also effect your skills.
The NPCs are well voice acted. The ones you get to follow you will give you bonuses. Each one also has a very short quest. Some of them are better written than others.
The gameplay takes several forms. Out in the world you are mostly shooting things. In towns you are mostly talking, and in nearly every conversion you will find a way to apply one of your characters skills, assuming the skill in question in high enough. You get quest, you turn in quests, you get experience, and maybe another piece of the story.
Sunday, November 3, 2019
Sunday, October 27, 2019
Sunday, October 20, 2019
Nintendo Hates Earthbound Beginnings
It is a shame, but it is clearly true. Why else would there be only one place to play it legitimately? It may not be the highest moment in the Earthbound (aka Mother) series, but it is still one worth playing. Sadly, the only way to play it legitimately is on the Wii U. Unless you want to pay a huge price for one of the few prototype cartridges that exist, but that is not a realistic option.
The Wii U was not very successful, not a bad console, but it never really found its place in the market. It is the one and only place you can play the english version of Mother aka Earthbound Beginnings. The Wii U has much to offer besides, but they are getting hard to find, and they won't have online service available forever.
Nintendo seems to have no interest in allowing this game to be played. It was never available on the original Wii, nor was it on the NES Classic, it is not on the seemingly forgotten 3ds virtual console, and it hasn't been made available on the Switch as of yet. All of which which would have been ideal places for it.
The Wii U was not very successful, not a bad console, but it never really found its place in the market. It is the one and only place you can play the english version of Mother aka Earthbound Beginnings. The Wii U has much to offer besides, but they are getting hard to find, and they won't have online service available forever.
Nintendo seems to have no interest in allowing this game to be played. It was never available on the original Wii, nor was it on the NES Classic, it is not on the seemingly forgotten 3ds virtual console, and it hasn't been made available on the Switch as of yet. All of which which would have been ideal places for it.
Saturday, October 12, 2019
Dark Souls Remasted Bosses Fights
Here is footage of my fights with all the bosses of Dark Souls Remastered (PS4). There is no commentary. The video is about 48 minutes long.
I intend to do commentary over this at some point, but I need to figure out a way to keep it interesting for the 48 minutes. Thinking of inviting other voices along for the ride.
I intend to do commentary over this at some point, but I need to figure out a way to keep it interesting for the 48 minutes. Thinking of inviting other voices along for the ride.
Saturday, October 5, 2019
September Games 2019
- 9/03/2019 Xb1 Metal Slug X
- 9/07/2019 SNES Super Mario World
- 9/14/2019 PS4 Bloodstained Ritual of the Night
Sunday, September 29, 2019
An encounter with an old... person I guess.
Sophomore year of high-school I had a teacher that well... didn't much like me. She felt that her position as a teacher made her better than the average person, and I did everything I could to impress on her that that wasn't the case. I never actually broke the rules. I was far more subtle in my approach. I hadn't thought about any of this in years, but it is on my mind because I ran into her. Was shocking to find out she was still alive. She was very near retirement age when I had the misfortune of her class.
I was at a store looking for a good bargain. While looking I heard a very old sounding voice saying "Is that you?". Turning around I saw a very old women, hunched from age, I had no idea who this was. "Um.. who are you?" was all I could respond. There was some back and forth, that lead to her being offended that I didn't remember someone I had driven to retire. She said through look of rage that "I loved teaching, and intended to keep teaching after reaching retirement age, but after you, I only taught for one more year. You made me hate every second in the classroom." She went on more, but that was the important bit. She had clearly spent a lot of time focusing on me as the source of all of her problems, wonder how much was true, and how much was just in her head. Shame I don't have a recording of it.
Once she was done, I had only one response. "Then it would seem I did a favor for all the students you didn't have a chance to teach". She was fighting back tears. It had meant so much to her to tell me off, and it meant nothing to me.
I never did anything to her that was actually mean. All I ever did was treat her as a equal. I think to her the idea that a student would not see her as better was offensive. Maybe she was just from an earlier time, or maybe she hadn't been taken down a peg in years. I will admit, I am a little happy to know I won this one. Took almost two decades find out, but still nice.
I was at a store looking for a good bargain. While looking I heard a very old sounding voice saying "Is that you?". Turning around I saw a very old women, hunched from age, I had no idea who this was. "Um.. who are you?" was all I could respond. There was some back and forth, that lead to her being offended that I didn't remember someone I had driven to retire. She said through look of rage that "I loved teaching, and intended to keep teaching after reaching retirement age, but after you, I only taught for one more year. You made me hate every second in the classroom." She went on more, but that was the important bit. She had clearly spent a lot of time focusing on me as the source of all of her problems, wonder how much was true, and how much was just in her head. Shame I don't have a recording of it.
Once she was done, I had only one response. "Then it would seem I did a favor for all the students you didn't have a chance to teach". She was fighting back tears. It had meant so much to her to tell me off, and it meant nothing to me.
I never did anything to her that was actually mean. All I ever did was treat her as a equal. I think to her the idea that a student would not see her as better was offensive. Maybe she was just from an earlier time, or maybe she hadn't been taken down a peg in years. I will admit, I am a little happy to know I won this one. Took almost two decades find out, but still nice.
Saturday, September 21, 2019
School Drills.
A child of a friend of mine told me that his school is doing drills for what to so if there is a gunman on campus. The odds of that being useful seem rather slim, but it is in school, so I guess it is a fitting place for a pointless task. It made me reflect on the amount of time that was wasted on fire and earthquake drills when I was a boy.
As a child in California, we did earthquake drill a lot. Never mattered. I knew as a child any quake big enough to actually cause damage to the building would likely kill the students too, but at least an earthquake felt like a real threat. It was wasted time. but was better than most of the "education" going on.
Fire drills were another time waster. Never felt like a real threat. Even if part of the school was on fire, odds were that it wouldn't be big enough to effect the whole campus. Always kind of hoped for a fire, as I would of said to hell with doing what the drill had taught, and just ran off campus and back home. If the fire had been in the classroom I was in, I did have a fantasy of trying to kneecap the teacher to leave them in the fire. Not that I would have done it... really.
It all makes me look back at school and wish just one person would have been honest with me. Just once to have had a person tell me that "none of this will matter". I might of found ways to enjoy school. As it was, it was 8 hours a day of psychological torture from the age of 5 to 18.
As a child in California, we did earthquake drill a lot. Never mattered. I knew as a child any quake big enough to actually cause damage to the building would likely kill the students too, but at least an earthquake felt like a real threat. It was wasted time. but was better than most of the "education" going on.
Fire drills were another time waster. Never felt like a real threat. Even if part of the school was on fire, odds were that it wouldn't be big enough to effect the whole campus. Always kind of hoped for a fire, as I would of said to hell with doing what the drill had taught, and just ran off campus and back home. If the fire had been in the classroom I was in, I did have a fantasy of trying to kneecap the teacher to leave them in the fire. Not that I would have done it... really.
It all makes me look back at school and wish just one person would have been honest with me. Just once to have had a person tell me that "none of this will matter". I might of found ways to enjoy school. As it was, it was 8 hours a day of psychological torture from the age of 5 to 18.
Monday, September 16, 2019
Not around.
I am away from my computer and can't do one of these right now. Was a big enough pain to write this much from my phone's touch screen.
Monday, September 9, 2019
Serious Questions: Catholics
Does the pope get a paycheck? If so, how much? Also, what does he spend it on exactly, seems like most of his needs would be taken care of by his minions. Assuming the pay is good, has anyone risen to the rank of pope just to pay off a bookie or something? Not saying something like that has happened every time, just asking if one or two pulled something like that.
How much actual freedom does he have to do as he would like? Betting getting some cocaine and hookers is out of the question. However, could he announce he is in the mood for some burgers and head down to get some? Or like he if he was a foodie, could he go down to the farmer's market to pick his own produce? I know he has minions for this kind of thing, but if he were inclined how much could he take care of himself?
How much corruption is the average pope involved in? It undoubtedly goes up and down as popes come and go. Is it more or less than the average cop? Is it any better than the average politician?
How much can a pope push his own agenda? How much of what he does is just toeing the company line? The current one has made a few comments, and "his people" then claim "he didn't mean that". Doesn't seem to happen as much now, maybe he got a stern talking too. Not sure from who, I thought he was at the top.
How much actual freedom does he have to do as he would like? Betting getting some cocaine and hookers is out of the question. However, could he announce he is in the mood for some burgers and head down to get some? Or like he if he was a foodie, could he go down to the farmer's market to pick his own produce? I know he has minions for this kind of thing, but if he were inclined how much could he take care of himself?
How much corruption is the average pope involved in? It undoubtedly goes up and down as popes come and go. Is it more or less than the average cop? Is it any better than the average politician?
How much can a pope push his own agenda? How much of what he does is just toeing the company line? The current one has made a few comments, and "his people" then claim "he didn't mean that". Doesn't seem to happen as much now, maybe he got a stern talking too. Not sure from who, I thought he was at the top.
Sunday, September 1, 2019
Augest Games 2019
A rather small list this month.Was, and still currently, playing several other games, but they were not finished.
- Mario Kart 7 3DS 8/1/2019
- Mario Kart 8 Wii U 8/8/2019
- Bendy and the Ink Machine Steam 8/12/2019
- Far Cry Primal Xbox 1 8/17/2019
Sunday, August 25, 2019
Writing Frustration
Trying to write fiction. It is harder than I remember. Perhaps I need to collect my ideas more, outline things a bit.
I used to write a lot of fiction, but then other things got in the way. Did everything free writing back then. Usually worked out pretty well. This isn't working for me now. Could be that I have gotten a bit rusty, need to shake off the rust.
Frustration is definitely setting in. However, I can't allow this to defeat me.
I used to write a lot of fiction, but then other things got in the way. Did everything free writing back then. Usually worked out pretty well. This isn't working for me now. Could be that I have gotten a bit rusty, need to shake off the rust.
Frustration is definitely setting in. However, I can't allow this to defeat me.
Saturday, August 17, 2019
Saturday, August 10, 2019
The "I don't care guy".
Ever meet the guy that is constantly shouting, how they don't care, and don't value what people have to say? It seems like for someone that "doesn't care", they spend a lot of time trying to convince others of that fact. It's almost like they care. Mostly because they do, and their insecurities are forcing them too.
You encounter this more with young people. Tend to be people that are adults, but only in a legal sense. They tend to come from bad situations, and their fake apathy is something they cling on to cope. With time they grow out it, or they end it all. Ending it all, is of course the ultimate expression of caring way too much.
You might ask why I am thinking about this. A fair question, I don't really know. It might be that I have not encountered one lately, almost like I am too old to have people young enough for this behavior around me. Feels good.
You encounter this more with young people. Tend to be people that are adults, but only in a legal sense. They tend to come from bad situations, and their fake apathy is something they cling on to cope. With time they grow out it, or they end it all. Ending it all, is of course the ultimate expression of caring way too much.
You might ask why I am thinking about this. A fair question, I don't really know. It might be that I have not encountered one lately, almost like I am too old to have people young enough for this behavior around me. Feels good.
Monday, August 5, 2019
Wednesday, July 17, 2019
MMO Guilds
I have played more than a few MMORPGs in my day. One universal truth of the genre is that at some point in the game you will need a larger group to accomplish something. As picking up random people is rarely a recipie for success, this will lead you to join a guild. A "guild" might gi by another name is one game or another, but the idea is the same, a group of people with goals helping one another in said goals. Raiding usually being one of the biggest aspects of a guild. However, there are many other reason you might be in or even form a guild. Questing, group finding, trade skills, company, etc.
However not all guilds are created equal. Goods ones deal with an even hand. Bad ones generally work by having "haves" and "have nots". It should be noted. that you might be a member of a guild only to find out that the goals of the guild and yours do not line up. Some games have ways to research guilds, some do not. Here I want to talk about my worst, and best experiences with guilds.
My worst guild experience was with the first guild I was ever a part of, in the first MMORPG I ever played. The game was Everquest, the guild went by "Free Norrath". I joined because several real life friends I was playing with joined. This guild talked a lot about working together, and being more of a family than a guild. That should have been a warning sign to me, but I was new to this and maybe a little naive. Frequently there was talk of doing big events, such as raiding, and these would generally not happen. If you went on their forum to ask about what happened, you would be told "you shouldn't be complaining, we are not a serious raiding guild". Which is fine, but when you schedule and event, it is reasonable for members to expect it too happen. There was also a lot of members that expected people to drop everything to help them, but would never return such favors. Also, voicing any dissenting opinion was meet with harsh reprisals This included most of the officers. This left a very bad taste in my mouth. I eventually found a good guild by the name of "La Catena". It ended poorly, but that is a story for another day.
The best guild experience I ever had happened on World of Warcraft. It was guild named "Red Ribbon Army", which I joined only because of liking the Dragon Ball reference they were making. When I joined, I joined only to have one character with the tag on them, mostly for my own amusement. I soon found that they were all very nice people. Almost all willing to work toward goals, and have a good conversation while doing it. Events that were scheduled always happened, in one form or another. If something did get canceled it would be made known in advance. You could voice your thoughts without fear of anyone trying to stump it out. Easily the best guild I ever spent time in. It is a shame that this guild came to an end. Not because of drama in game, or real life tragedy. No it came to end due Blizzard, and their apathy toward making worthwhile content. While I don't really miss World of Warcraft, I do miss the people of the "Red Ribbon Army".
There are many other guilds I have been a member of, even a few I have been an officer in. No need to go into all of them. At the moment I am without an MMO to play, and not really looking to find one. If I do, I hope to find another good group, but that is hard.
However not all guilds are created equal. Goods ones deal with an even hand. Bad ones generally work by having "haves" and "have nots". It should be noted. that you might be a member of a guild only to find out that the goals of the guild and yours do not line up. Some games have ways to research guilds, some do not. Here I want to talk about my worst, and best experiences with guilds.
My worst guild experience was with the first guild I was ever a part of, in the first MMORPG I ever played. The game was Everquest, the guild went by "Free Norrath". I joined because several real life friends I was playing with joined. This guild talked a lot about working together, and being more of a family than a guild. That should have been a warning sign to me, but I was new to this and maybe a little naive. Frequently there was talk of doing big events, such as raiding, and these would generally not happen. If you went on their forum to ask about what happened, you would be told "you shouldn't be complaining, we are not a serious raiding guild". Which is fine, but when you schedule and event, it is reasonable for members to expect it too happen. There was also a lot of members that expected people to drop everything to help them, but would never return such favors. Also, voicing any dissenting opinion was meet with harsh reprisals This included most of the officers. This left a very bad taste in my mouth. I eventually found a good guild by the name of "La Catena". It ended poorly, but that is a story for another day.
The best guild experience I ever had happened on World of Warcraft. It was guild named "Red Ribbon Army", which I joined only because of liking the Dragon Ball reference they were making. When I joined, I joined only to have one character with the tag on them, mostly for my own amusement. I soon found that they were all very nice people. Almost all willing to work toward goals, and have a good conversation while doing it. Events that were scheduled always happened, in one form or another. If something did get canceled it would be made known in advance. You could voice your thoughts without fear of anyone trying to stump it out. Easily the best guild I ever spent time in. It is a shame that this guild came to an end. Not because of drama in game, or real life tragedy. No it came to end due Blizzard, and their apathy toward making worthwhile content. While I don't really miss World of Warcraft, I do miss the people of the "Red Ribbon Army".
There are many other guilds I have been a member of, even a few I have been an officer in. No need to go into all of them. At the moment I am without an MMO to play, and not really looking to find one. If I do, I hope to find another good group, but that is hard.
Monday, July 8, 2019
June Games Finished
Another month worth of games. A few more than in previous months.
- 6/5/2019 Final Fight, Arcade
- 6/6/2019 Splatterhouse, Arcade
- 6/13/2019 Xenoblade Chronicles X, Wii U
- 6/14/2019 Picross E2, 3ds
- 6/16/2019 Shin Megami Tensei VI Apocalypse, 3ds
- 6/17/2019 Guacamelee 2, Xbox One
- 6/20/2019 Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus, Xbox One
- 6/22/2019 Mario Tennis Ultra Smash, Wii U
- 6/29/2019 Gato Roboto, Steam
Sunday, June 23, 2019
Final Fantasy 7
I didn't intend to play more of Final Fantasy 7 then it took to make my video. I got it cheap on Xbox 1 during there E3 sale. Yes, I do own the original PS1 version (a very rare time I pre-ordered a game), but I have no way to record footage off a that.
I didn't really intend to play more than that first hour or so, however, I find myself being drawn in. This is the first time playing it in about a decade, and I find myself wanting to play more. I just finished the bit where you visit Red XIII hippie commune.
Not sure what is drawing me in, as I have many times in the past expressed that I think Final Fantasy 7 is one of the lesser entries in the series. However, I find myself driven to play more.
Also I find it odd, as I seem to have forgotten the order of events. I had in my mind, the hippie commune part happening very soon after leaving Midgar. Like it was just one town after Cloud tells his (wrong) story. I guess 10 years between playing will do that.
I didn't really intend to play more than that first hour or so, however, I find myself being drawn in. This is the first time playing it in about a decade, and I find myself wanting to play more. I just finished the bit where you visit Red XIII hippie commune.
Not sure what is drawing me in, as I have many times in the past expressed that I think Final Fantasy 7 is one of the lesser entries in the series. However, I find myself driven to play more.
Also I find it odd, as I seem to have forgotten the order of events. I had in my mind, the hippie commune part happening very soon after leaving Midgar. Like it was just one town after Cloud tells his (wrong) story. I guess 10 years between playing will do that.
Monday, June 17, 2019
Saturday, June 8, 2019
May Games
This is a short list, and a puzzle heavy one. The list is short because was and still am playing Xenoblade Chronicles X on Wii U, and I am still not done.
- 05/01 Star Fox 64 3D for 3DS
- 05/11 Bomberman Panic Bomber for Turbo Graphics 16
- 05/17 Dungeons and Dragons Chronicles of Mystara for Wii U
- 05/19 Super Puzzle Fight 2 Turbo for Playstation 1
- 05/19 Picross E for 3DS
Sunday, June 2, 2019
My Dream List For Playstation Classic.
Well, some people asked, so I guess I will answer. This is the 20 games I would have put on the Playstation Classic. This is just my list, I have no idea how attainable any of the games would have been. This is also just what I would have wanted, my list has no interest in what would have been marketable.
You can see I tend toward RPGs much more than other genres. I would be shocked if anyone else liked this list.
- Mega Man Legends
- Mega Man Legends 2
- Final Fantasy 9
- Kings Field 2 USA
- Armored Core
- Armored Core: Project Phantasma
- Castlevania Symphony of the Night
- Mega Man X4
- Tekken 3
- Tail of the Sun
- Wild Arms
- Gran Turismo 2
- Intelligent Qube
- Saga Frontier
- Suikoden 2
- Chrono Cross
- Metal Gear Solid
- Azure Dreams
- Alundra
- Breath of Fire 3
You can see I tend toward RPGs much more than other genres. I would be shocked if anyone else liked this list.
Sunday, May 26, 2019
The Playstation Classic
You can get a Playstation Classic at Target for 28$. It is well worth it at that price. Actually, having had it for a week now, I think it is worth a bit more than that. Might go as high as 50$, but glad I didn't have to.
The games on it are as follows.
The games on it are as follows.
- Battle Arena Toshinden Meh
- Cool Boarders 2 Meh
- Destruction Derby Meh, but I remember playing it with friends.
- Final Fantasy VII Pretty good.
- Grand Theft Auto Meh
- Intelligent Qube Amazing
- Jumping Flash! Good for an early PS1 game
- Metal Gear Solid Good
- Mr. Driller Decent
- Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee Amazing
- Rayman Decent
- Resident Evil Director's Cut Good, but takes getting used to these days.
- Revelations: Persona Good
- Ridge Racer Type 4 Meh
- Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo Amazing
- Syphon Filter Decent
- Tekken 3 Good
- Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Meh
- Twisted Metal Good
- Wild Arms Amazing
Sunday, May 12, 2019
Sunday, May 5, 2019
April Games Finished
Instead of two blogs, one where I list the games, and one where I post the video, there will be one with the content of both. The video will tell you what I thought about the games. The list will be here if you are only interested in the games and dates.
Red Dead Redemption 2 PS4 4/10/2019
Shadow of the Colossus PS4 4/14/2019
Captain Toad Treasure Tracker Switch 4/15/2019
Gravity Rush PS4 4/21/2019
Bloodstained Curse of the Moon Xbox One 4/21/2019
Splatterhouse Turbo Graphics 16 4/25/2019
Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess HD Wii U 4/26/2019
R-Type Dimensions EX Switch 4/27/2019
First ever Turbo Graphics 16 on the list.
Sunday, April 28, 2019
No idea.
Ever had a good idea, but then by the time you can record it in some fashion it is gone? That is what happened to my topic today. It is frustrating to say the least.
I was at the gym, and something happened. I don't remember what it was. However, I know I thought well there is a topic I mine for some humor. Sadly, being the gym, I had no pen or paper, and I don't bring my phone to the gym. Then I got home, and was greeted with some other bullshit. Which lead directly to now. I got nothing folks.
Trying to think of ways to prevent this from ever happening again. I can't bring a pad of paper with me to the gym, as it would get sweat soaked. I don't bring my phone, because I am there to workout, not talk to anyone, or play with the other functions of my phone. Could bring a pen, and write it on myself, however the sweat again becomes a problem.
So now instead I stuck posting this.
I was at the gym, and something happened. I don't remember what it was. However, I know I thought well there is a topic I mine for some humor. Sadly, being the gym, I had no pen or paper, and I don't bring my phone to the gym. Then I got home, and was greeted with some other bullshit. Which lead directly to now. I got nothing folks.
Trying to think of ways to prevent this from ever happening again. I can't bring a pad of paper with me to the gym, as it would get sweat soaked. I don't bring my phone, because I am there to workout, not talk to anyone, or play with the other functions of my phone. Could bring a pen, and write it on myself, however the sweat again becomes a problem.
So now instead I stuck posting this.
Saturday, April 20, 2019
Red Dead Redemption 2 Part 2
I didn't expect to have more to say about RDR2. However, having now finished it, I have a few more thoughts. Not so much on the main campaign, it resolves about as a fan of Rockstar games would expect. Rather, there is a very long "Epilogue".
The epilogue follows John Marston, the protagonist of the first game, and serves to show directly what led up to his situation at the start of the first game. It last 6 to 8 hours, and is the kind of thing most companies release as DLC. It shares the map of the main game, but has its own random encounters, and a few new characters.
It takes place in two parts. One dealing with John Marston and his family adjusting to an honest life, and one with John buying and setting up his farm. It also settles a few loose ends left over from the main story.
Overall, I enjoyed more than the main story. While i felt it was a bit long to be called an "epilogue", it was well worth playing.
The epilogue follows John Marston, the protagonist of the first game, and serves to show directly what led up to his situation at the start of the first game. It last 6 to 8 hours, and is the kind of thing most companies release as DLC. It shares the map of the main game, but has its own random encounters, and a few new characters.
It takes place in two parts. One dealing with John Marston and his family adjusting to an honest life, and one with John buying and setting up his farm. It also settles a few loose ends left over from the main story.
Overall, I enjoyed more than the main story. While i felt it was a bit long to be called an "epilogue", it was well worth playing.
Saturday, April 13, 2019
Sunday, April 7, 2019
Red Dead Redemption 2
I am currently playing Red Dead Redemption 2 on the Playstation 4. A game made by Rockstar, with nice graphics, an interesting story, and a lot to do. I am about half of the way through the game at this point.
The world of the game is a fictionalized version of the American West. Both using and satirizing the the cliches of "Western" media. This makes for an inconsistent tone, as the same cliches are played straight at times, only to be used for satire at other points.
You play as the member of a outlaw gang. The gang has many members, all of which have backstories if you are interested in getting to know them. Your gang is multiracial, and has men as well as women. In an anachronistic twist, the members of the gang all seems to be treated equally. Throughout the game you are meant to give money to your gang to maintain and upgrade the camp. Other members of the gang will also donate, but not much.
The map of the world is very large, almost to a fault. As there are times you will start a mission near one corner of the map, and have a goal that is set in an opposite corner. This is annoying in any game, but worse here as you are limited by the speed and stamina of your horse. Fast travel options are very limited, and mostly unavailable during missions. This can make a very simple mission last for over an hour, the vast majority of which is travel time.
The story is relatively simple: your gang is on the run, and your gang keeps moving form camp to camp as they keep having various crimes go wrong. Bigger and bigger risk keep getting taken, and more and more of the cast slowly dies off.
There are a huge number of things to do other than story missions. You can play cards, do some bounty hunting, robs home, steal stagecoaches, cook, and many other things. Most of which involves more time spent traveling than doing the activity.
The actual game play is repetitive. Most of your time is spent riding a horse to a place, then shooting up the place. Sometimes there is a stealth element. Sometimes there is a fist fight. Most of the time you take cover, and you shoot.
The best part of the game is the protagonist. Arthur Morgan is a good character. He spends most of the game clearly conflicted. I won't spoil the story. I will say he is complex and well written.
Overall, there is a lot about this game I don't care for. Most of what this game does was done better in the first game. However, the character of Arthur Morgan compels me to keep playing. I would say it is a worthwhile game to play, but is not likely to be on that will be replayed.
The world of the game is a fictionalized version of the American West. Both using and satirizing the the cliches of "Western" media. This makes for an inconsistent tone, as the same cliches are played straight at times, only to be used for satire at other points.
You play as the member of a outlaw gang. The gang has many members, all of which have backstories if you are interested in getting to know them. Your gang is multiracial, and has men as well as women. In an anachronistic twist, the members of the gang all seems to be treated equally. Throughout the game you are meant to give money to your gang to maintain and upgrade the camp. Other members of the gang will also donate, but not much.
The map of the world is very large, almost to a fault. As there are times you will start a mission near one corner of the map, and have a goal that is set in an opposite corner. This is annoying in any game, but worse here as you are limited by the speed and stamina of your horse. Fast travel options are very limited, and mostly unavailable during missions. This can make a very simple mission last for over an hour, the vast majority of which is travel time.
The story is relatively simple: your gang is on the run, and your gang keeps moving form camp to camp as they keep having various crimes go wrong. Bigger and bigger risk keep getting taken, and more and more of the cast slowly dies off.
There are a huge number of things to do other than story missions. You can play cards, do some bounty hunting, robs home, steal stagecoaches, cook, and many other things. Most of which involves more time spent traveling than doing the activity.
The actual game play is repetitive. Most of your time is spent riding a horse to a place, then shooting up the place. Sometimes there is a stealth element. Sometimes there is a fist fight. Most of the time you take cover, and you shoot.
The best part of the game is the protagonist. Arthur Morgan is a good character. He spends most of the game clearly conflicted. I won't spoil the story. I will say he is complex and well written.
Overall, there is a lot about this game I don't care for. Most of what this game does was done better in the first game. However, the character of Arthur Morgan compels me to keep playing. I would say it is a worthwhile game to play, but is not likely to be on that will be replayed.
Sunday, March 31, 2019
Sunday, March 24, 2019
Hey, join this discord.
https://discord.gg/CuVrJzN
It is a fun casual server. It is not mine, do not come to me with question or complaints.
It is a fun casual server. It is not mine, do not come to me with question or complaints.
Monday, March 18, 2019
Sunday, March 10, 2019
Problems With My Games Finished List
A few people have asked if my list is all inclusive, and truth be told it is not. As the list only include games one they are finished, and not all games have definitive "ends". This is a flaw in the system, and one I have yet to find a way around. Suggestions are welcome.
Tetris 99, Lumines Remastered, Cities: Skylines, Overwatch, are all games I play frequently. None of which have a logical ending. Yes there are modes in games like Lumines that have an end, but there aren't necessarily the main modes, and there is still much content to be had outside of these modes. Is Overwatch over once you have gotten every loot item? How does one count an MMO, it is having the best gear at a given moment, or is just seeing that (current) last raid enough? I don't know.
So, from time to time I will mention other games I playing that don't "end" in a traditional sense. It is far from a prefect solution, but it is the best one I can think of.
Tetris 99, Lumines Remastered, Cities: Skylines, Overwatch, are all games I play frequently. None of which have a logical ending. Yes there are modes in games like Lumines that have an end, but there aren't necessarily the main modes, and there is still much content to be had outside of these modes. Is Overwatch over once you have gotten every loot item? How does one count an MMO, it is having the best gear at a given moment, or is just seeing that (current) last raid enough? I don't know.
So, from time to time I will mention other games I playing that don't "end" in a traditional sense. It is far from a prefect solution, but it is the best one I can think of.
Saturday, March 2, 2019
Games finished in February 2019
Yes, I am keeping up with this. Much shorter list this month.
Super Mario Land 2 - Game Boy 2/4/2019
Dragon Quest 11 - PS4 2/14/2019
Super Mario 3d World - Wii U 2/21/2019
Fry Cry 5 - PS4 2/22/2019
Crackdown 3 - Xbox 1 2/23/2019
This month brings us are first Xbox 1 and Wii U games of this year. More will come from both.
Currently I am playing Resident Evil 2 Remake (PS4), Shadow of the Tomb Raider (Xbox 1), Octopath Traveler (Switch), and Paper Mario Color Splash (Wii U).
Super Mario Land 2 - Game Boy 2/4/2019
Dragon Quest 11 - PS4 2/14/2019
Super Mario 3d World - Wii U 2/21/2019
Fry Cry 5 - PS4 2/22/2019
Crackdown 3 - Xbox 1 2/23/2019
This month brings us are first Xbox 1 and Wii U games of this year. More will come from both.
Currently I am playing Resident Evil 2 Remake (PS4), Shadow of the Tomb Raider (Xbox 1), Octopath Traveler (Switch), and Paper Mario Color Splash (Wii U).
Monday, February 25, 2019
More Crackdown 3 and Far Cry 5
So I finished both of these games. While both were enjoyable experiences, they were also extremely short. The two combined took less than 20 hours to complete. Crackdown 3 being a worse offender taking only about 7 hours.
In both games, I was taking my time, trying to do all that could be done. I thought both games maps looked large enough that just exploration would take while. Sadly, this was not the case.
These are both AAA big releases. It seems to be a game that goes for 60$ should be a little longer.
In both games, I was taking my time, trying to do all that could be done. I thought both games maps looked large enough that just exploration would take while. Sadly, this was not the case.
These are both AAA big releases. It seems to be a game that goes for 60$ should be a little longer.
Sunday, February 17, 2019
Crackdown 3 and Far Cry 5
So I started playing two games on the same day: Far Cry 5 on the PS4, and Crackdown 3 on XB1. These games have a surprising amount in common, which I really didn't expect.
They are both sandboxes centered around freeing parts of the map to take on the lieutenants of an "evil" organization. How do you free parts of the map in both games? Killing NPCs. Go to place, remove all the NPCs in it, and it is now yours. This is the main activity in both games, while one allows for more stealth, and the other for more direct assaults, both are possible in both games.
Both games handle vehicles in deeply flawed ways. In Crackdown 3 they serve virtually no purpose, as the player character has more speed and mobility when on foot. In Far Cray 5, you can start flying a plane with literally no speed build up or runway.
NPCs characters are often around to "help" in both games. And in both games, they never really seem to actually do anything. They show up, they are firing their guns, but none of the opposing NPCs ever seem to be killed by their actions. Making the inclusion in both games pointless.
Evil organizations have taken over the maps of both games. One is a morally corrupt business, the other is a religious cult. I guess both could be described as Apple.
They are both sandboxes centered around freeing parts of the map to take on the lieutenants of an "evil" organization. How do you free parts of the map in both games? Killing NPCs. Go to place, remove all the NPCs in it, and it is now yours. This is the main activity in both games, while one allows for more stealth, and the other for more direct assaults, both are possible in both games.
Both games handle vehicles in deeply flawed ways. In Crackdown 3 they serve virtually no purpose, as the player character has more speed and mobility when on foot. In Far Cray 5, you can start flying a plane with literally no speed build up or runway.
NPCs characters are often around to "help" in both games. And in both games, they never really seem to actually do anything. They show up, they are firing their guns, but none of the opposing NPCs ever seem to be killed by their actions. Making the inclusion in both games pointless.
Evil organizations have taken over the maps of both games. One is a morally corrupt business, the other is a religious cult. I guess both could be described as Apple.
Sunday, February 10, 2019
Snakebyte Game: Pad S Pro Controller Review
This is a wireless controller for the Nintendo Switch. I got this one on sale for 20$. My expectations were low, as an official controller cost around 70$. This however turned out to be a great controller, and a great deal.
This worked great both 2d and 3d games. Playing Hollow Knight and Dark Souls for several hours each, never had a problem. While the plastic used is not the best, the buttons, sticks, and d-pad all feel pretty good.
It also was superior for playing NES classic games. Having the D-pad in a better position than the official pro controller. It also has the option to use turbo on all the buttons, which is very nice for many NES games.
It does lack a few features. No gyro control. No amiibo support. It also cannot be used to turn on the system. None of these are all the important, but worth noting.
Definitely worth getting.
Saturday, February 2, 2019
Games finished in January 2019
This year I have decided to keep a list of which games I finish. So this is what I did in January. It is important to note that most of these were started in 2018.
Spider-Man - PS4 1/2/2019
Link's Awakening - GBC 1/4/2019
Soma - PC 1/4/2019
Spider-man DLC - PS4 1/9/2019
God of War (2018) - PS4 1/18/2019
Super Mario Land - GB 1/19/2019
Binding of Isaac - Switch 1/20/2019
Shipwreck - PC 1/21/2019
You can see this was a PlayStation heavy month. Been working Dragon Quest 11 (PS4) since the last entry. So That will likely make the list for February.
For anyone that needs it: PS4 = Playstation 4, PC = Personal Computer, GB = Game boy, GBC = Game Boy Color,
Spider-Man - PS4 1/2/2019
Link's Awakening - GBC 1/4/2019
Soma - PC 1/4/2019
Spider-man DLC - PS4 1/9/2019
God of War (2018) - PS4 1/18/2019
Super Mario Land - GB 1/19/2019
Binding of Isaac - Switch 1/20/2019
Shipwreck - PC 1/21/2019
You can see this was a PlayStation heavy month. Been working Dragon Quest 11 (PS4) since the last entry. So That will likely make the list for February.
For anyone that needs it: PS4 = Playstation 4, PC = Personal Computer, GB = Game boy, GBC = Game Boy Color,
Sunday, January 27, 2019
Authority.
"Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority: still more when you superadd the tendency or the certainty of corruption by authority." - John Dalberg-Acton
Never have I ever meet someone in a position of authority that was truly deserving of respect. It doesn't matter how small the power they have been given, the result is always the same. As a child, I saw this over and over, and at the time I didn't know why this was the case. As an adult I now know it is the weakness of the people that seek to have control.
It started with my father. He was a terrible man. He desired to control every action and thought of everyone around him. Self-centered, narcissistic, bullying, he has always been my example of what kind of man not to be. However, this was an early warning of what to expect of people that might hold authority over you, and sadly I have yet to be disappointed in this.
My second lesson in the nature of authority came from school. It was here I found that teacher are sad, bitter, self-hating people, that take every ounce of their misery out on the children in there care. I get that teaching is not the first choice for anyone, but there unfulfilled dreams aren't the fault of the children. It seems that at some point they start seeing hope and they feel they must crush it. As a child, I didn't know what I might do in the future, but I knew I couldn't become like these poor bastards.
Now as an adult you deal with less direct authority, but you still deal with it. The cop that got 34 "C-"s in high-school. The middle manager that knows he will never advance. The guy at the any government office. The moderator on any given internet forum.
Never have I ever meet someone in a position of authority that was truly deserving of respect. It doesn't matter how small the power they have been given, the result is always the same. As a child, I saw this over and over, and at the time I didn't know why this was the case. As an adult I now know it is the weakness of the people that seek to have control.
It started with my father. He was a terrible man. He desired to control every action and thought of everyone around him. Self-centered, narcissistic, bullying, he has always been my example of what kind of man not to be. However, this was an early warning of what to expect of people that might hold authority over you, and sadly I have yet to be disappointed in this.
My second lesson in the nature of authority came from school. It was here I found that teacher are sad, bitter, self-hating people, that take every ounce of their misery out on the children in there care. I get that teaching is not the first choice for anyone, but there unfulfilled dreams aren't the fault of the children. It seems that at some point they start seeing hope and they feel they must crush it. As a child, I didn't know what I might do in the future, but I knew I couldn't become like these poor bastards.
Now as an adult you deal with less direct authority, but you still deal with it. The cop that got 34 "C-"s in high-school. The middle manager that knows he will never advance. The guy at the any government office. The moderator on any given internet forum.
Saturday, January 19, 2019
The Highest Praise You Can Give... Vol 1
What is the highest honor you can give something? It almost certainly must vary from thing to thing. As the highest praise you might give a song will undoubtedly be different for a movie, or a television show, or a person. This also will most definitely be different from person to person. However, here I will tell you the highest praise I can give to various things.
Music. While I am not huge into music, I do know what I like. And the highest praise I can give a song is staying in the car to hear the end of it. I have already reach my destination, but I enjoy this song so much that I will let the car run a few more minutes to hear it till the end. This doesn't happen often for me.
Video games. I am a collector of games. Whatever the system, I tend to amass large libraries of games. However, I will almost never buy a game for more than one platform (of the same generation). Yes, it does happen with remakes across hardware generations, but I am not talking about that. Hollow Knight has received this honor from me, as I first owned it on Steam, but liked it so much that I bought it again on Nintendo Switch, so that I could play it on the go. Payed full price for it the second time too.
A person from the internet. Ever meet someone on a forum, or a comment section, etc? How often have you been interested enough in that person to stay in contact with them out side of that website? Well for me, only once. I won't name them here, but there is one person that having meet online, I have gone out of my way to stay in contact with them.
There are of course many other things that need praise. However, I can only handle so much positivity at one time. So, this will serve as the first part of a series.
Sunday, January 13, 2019
Retrofitting a story.
So Borderlands 2 tells is meant to be a direct sequel to Borderlands. Except, all the story elements, and personalities of the characters are pulled from no where. Which is fine, it is used to make the game more interesting, and make the player care about the situation.
If you play the original Borderlands, it is made clear that all playable characters are only here for money. They have little to no personality, we get a few words of backstory, and now they are "vault hunters" and are here for fame and fortune. It is not exactly deep. The various antagonists get much more in the way of story and personality, but they are all dead by the end of the game.
Then you start Borderlands 2, you have 4 new characters, this time with backstory and personality out the ass. Which is good. However, you the meet all the playable characters from the first game (now as NPCs), and suddenly they are acting far different then what you would expect. Now the old characters have distinct personalities, and apparently are not just here for money, they want to protect the poor people of Pandora. Where did this come from?
No where. These personalities came from no where. There wasn't much to work with to base a sequel on after the last game, they had to make some up. The second game was more popular, and many of its players never played the first game. So, they get a pass on this.
If you play the original Borderlands, it is made clear that all playable characters are only here for money. They have little to no personality, we get a few words of backstory, and now they are "vault hunters" and are here for fame and fortune. It is not exactly deep. The various antagonists get much more in the way of story and personality, but they are all dead by the end of the game.
Then you start Borderlands 2, you have 4 new characters, this time with backstory and personality out the ass. Which is good. However, you the meet all the playable characters from the first game (now as NPCs), and suddenly they are acting far different then what you would expect. Now the old characters have distinct personalities, and apparently are not just here for money, they want to protect the poor people of Pandora. Where did this come from?
No where. These personalities came from no where. There wasn't much to work with to base a sequel on after the last game, they had to make some up. The second game was more popular, and many of its players never played the first game. So, they get a pass on this.
Saturday, January 5, 2019
Link's Awakening Questions.
I did a play through of Legend of Zelda Link's Awakening recently. It is a game I have played through many times, and is likely my favorite of the 2d Zeldas. While playing I got thinking about what is happening in this game, and how there are many unanswered questions concerning the events of the game.
We are told through the course of the game that the island it take place on is a dream of a being known as the "Wind Fish". The rules of this dream are unclear. We are told that all that exists (other than Link) are all parts of this dream. The bosses at the end of each dungeon all mention being part of this dream, and work toward keeping the "Wind Fish" asleep. However, none of the people (or talking animals) of the island mention any knowledge of being part of a dream. So do these people actually breed, and age, and die? We see children as well as old people, there is a graveyard to be found, but did all of these things just appear when the dream started, or did they develop over time? Have the children all been children for possibly hundreds of years as the "Wind Fish" took its nap?
More over we see ruins on the island. Here again, have they always been ruins, or have there been civilizations they have risen and fallen over time on this island? In one ruin we find literal writing on the wall that the island is a dream of the "Wind Fish". Did the first people as part of the dream know this, and write it down, or did this ruin materialize with the message already in it?
We also see an odd level of civilization on this isolated island. We see a guy running a shop with a huge mechanical arm that gives out prizes, but no where else do we see this level of technology. We see that there is a library, and telephones throughout the island, but we see no evidence of any carpenters or electricians.
We are told through the course of the game that the island it take place on is a dream of a being known as the "Wind Fish". The rules of this dream are unclear. We are told that all that exists (other than Link) are all parts of this dream. The bosses at the end of each dungeon all mention being part of this dream, and work toward keeping the "Wind Fish" asleep. However, none of the people (or talking animals) of the island mention any knowledge of being part of a dream. So do these people actually breed, and age, and die? We see children as well as old people, there is a graveyard to be found, but did all of these things just appear when the dream started, or did they develop over time? Have the children all been children for possibly hundreds of years as the "Wind Fish" took its nap?
More over we see ruins on the island. Here again, have they always been ruins, or have there been civilizations they have risen and fallen over time on this island? In one ruin we find literal writing on the wall that the island is a dream of the "Wind Fish". Did the first people as part of the dream know this, and write it down, or did this ruin materialize with the message already in it?
We also see an odd level of civilization on this isolated island. We see a guy running a shop with a huge mechanical arm that gives out prizes, but no where else do we see this level of technology. We see that there is a library, and telephones throughout the island, but we see no evidence of any carpenters or electricians.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)