Mayflash F500 and a Magicboot

So I bought this:

I bought this along with a "magicboot" to use with my Xbox One. I did this because of the lack of options for Xbox compatible arcade sticks. I would have preferred to only have to order one item, but that simply wasn't an option. So I have basically made a makeshift Xbox Arcade stick.

This stick usually works by plugging an official controller into via usb. Doing so will let it work with almost anything. However, having another controller tethered to it at all times is both awkward and cumbersome. The magicboot plugs into the same usb port and takes the place of the other controller.  

This works well, and is a quality stick. I plan to get a bat top for it, and get some art going. Very happy with this. 

I do still want to get a stick for the PS4. I could buy a second magicboot, only in playstation flavor, but I dislike the idea of switching them around. Debating between the Qanba Pearl, and the Hori Real Arcade Pro N. Not sure which direction to go.

Xbox Series X

I would like to get one. Even Microsoft's own store doesn't have them. How does your own store not have them? It is getting close to a year since release. Seems like these should be a bit more common place by this point. 

 It is not a real problem, many worse things in the world than not having a new toy at hand. Still, I am a man that loves gaming. I don't care what on, hand me a fancy calculator and I will figure a way to game on it. 

On several resent game purchases I see a tag letting me know that it contains both an Xbox One and a Series X/S version. I am curious to see how big of a difference it will be. I assume it will vary from game to game. Resident Evil Village will likely have a noticeable difference, while I doubt there will be much to notice on Saints Row the Third.

Some 360 and original Xbox games are also said to be enhanced, but I have never owned a 360 as I didn't have the money for one at the time. Still I have a collection of 360 games due to the backwards compatibility of the Xbox One. Backwards compatibility was the main reason I got an Xbox One, to play the 360 games I had missed.

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 

Not a huge number of games this month. But such is life. 

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). 

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.

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.

Powera Xbox One Wired Controller

I was in need of a controller for my Xbox one. I also didn't have interest in paying for an official one. At Walmart I found a cheaper option. 

This is a wired controller made by Powera. It was only 20$. It is a pretty good deal.

It has a good hand feel. The buttons and d-pad are responsive. The analog sticks are accurate. As mentioned it is wired, it comes with a removable 8 foot long cable.

The controller is much lighter than standard controller, and its rumble motors do not seem to be as powerful. Neither of these are real problems, but worth noting.

For 20$ this is a great deal. Good to have around as an extra for player 2, or as a back up when your first party controller runs out of batteries.  It also works perfectly on a Windows PC.

Gaming Wishes

Top 5 Worst Controllers Ever

Job Interview Questions.

We all need to work. To get work, we all need to endure overly long applications, and interviews. An interview is someone trying to size you up, see if they think you will work well in there company, and accomplish whatever it is they are trying for. Sadly, there are certain question asked at an interview for which there is no right answer.

One question that always seems to come up is "Why are you interested in working here?" or some variation on that. You can't answer honestly and say "I need the money", or "Because I want my power and Internet turned back on". Instead you need to bullshit out an answer about how you care about whatever it is the company does. The sad part is if you were to be honest you would never be hired.

Another question that has no real answer is "Where do you see yourself in (insert number) years from now?", as if it you have some grand and detailed plan. Again, honesty will lead to you not getting the position. If you said "Hopefully in a position where I never have to deal with a gentleman like yourself again", or "High enough above you in this company to fire you and blacklist you in this industry". So you need to give a completely made up answer where you  seem ambitious, but not enough to be a threat to the interviewer or the company on question.

The real problem is that you can't really be honest with the interviewer. No one is really excited to start work anywhere. You are working to get money. It doesn't matter if you work for Microsoft or McDonald's, you are there for the pay check. The interview process is about you feigning excitement and motivation about the company in question. You get a job by lying, you keep it by not putting a bullet in your head, you advance by sucking just slightly less than the people around you.