Woo! Another game finished. Although I’ll probably still be playing it and it’ll occupy my secondary DS for the rest of the year. Continue reading ‘Game Down! Game Down! Yu-Gi-Oh World Championship 2010′
So I woke up this morning in a surprisingly energetic mood. While Eriko took a shower I got the dishes done and as soon as she was out I got in and out in record time. I was ready for work today before 7:00, meaning I was ready in record time. I drive to work, sit down at my desk and my energy and mood is completely changed.
Beneath a Steel Sky has such an awesome name. Ever since I heard the name I felt like I was missing something by not having played it. That’s quite a powerful effect considering I really knew nothing about the game. After finishing the game I wanted to play another point and click adventure game right away, and that basically summarizes what makes a game good. When you’re finished with it you want more of it. It’s only three dollars on the iTunes store so if you’ve got an iPhone or iPod Touch and a few bucks left in your iTunes account it’s more than worth your time.
If you’ve not played the game, my following paragraphs might have some spoilers, so beware. But I think all you really need to know is that it is a good Point and Click with a great story that is more than worth your time. Spoilers from here on out. Continue reading ‘So I finished a game! – Beneath A Steel Sky’
Today, or perhaps yesterday depending on your time zone, Apple announced the iPad. Now, if you are getting this news from me I feel bad for you, as I am hardly the fastest source of information. In fact, the truth is I only know three things about it.
1. It has a funny name.
2. It is a larger iPhone that is missing features people wanted.
3. You will buy one.
Let’s talk about each in turn, shall we?
1. Funny name, Turd Fergison
If you can recall The Simpsons episode featuring Homer in the B-Sharps, when deciding on the name it was said that the name needed to be funny at first but less so each time you say it. Nintendo struck gold with this method because talking about playing with your Wii is now socially acceptable. The iPad will get its fair share of menstrual jokes but at the end of the day it is a good name. It flows with the Apple iThing naming standard, of course, but also describes it perfectly. It is a fancy notepad. Some have said they preferred the name “iSlate.” Now, I got a C in marketing but even I know that sounds like a rock.
2. It sucks.
I’ve only been a fan of Apple for the past six years, but I cannot recall a time when Apple has made an announcement and the Internet has not had a hissy fit. I’ll be honest, I’ve not looked at the specs of the iPad, but do I really need to? Apple has had a trend of not putting in things that seem obvious but in the end I end up not missing them. This has happened over and over again with Apple products that I’ve bought that it almost frighteningly feels as if Apple knows what I want more than I do. It seems Apple realizes that we as people are much more flexible than technology. We develop our patterns and around technology and not the reverse. What we want and what we actually need are so similar and thus so hard to distinguish. I almost feel that whenever something is left out, after us of the product I find myself wondering why I wanted what I did in the first place. It’s bizarre to be sure, but it has happened far too often at this point to simply dismiss. Were it only Apple products I could dismiss it as fanboyism, but that hasn’t been the case. Whatever it is Apple packs under the hood of the iPad, I’m sure it will deliver the experience Apple wants me to have and the product and I will work out to find the pattern of usage that works for us.
3. You’re gonna buy this thing, like it or not.
I say you and not I because I am poor right now and cannot afford the thing. Now, you may be the kind of person who absolutely refuses to buy Apple products and do not hesitate to tell anyone that you don’t while you boast your Linux running toaster and open software fueled hat. And I’ll never understand you, but I suppose it just wasn’t meant to be. But I say “you” to mean the general public because this will be purchased. The iPod taught us that simplicity is key, and the iPhone has taught us that simplicity can be poweful. And while I will not proclaim the iPad to be a smash success, I am confident that it will, like many Apple products before it, change the way many people do certain tasks.
I was doing real well with my writing up until yesterday when it just didn’t happen.
I don’t know why. I just wasn’t feeling up to it. I guess I don’t have to dedicate every day to writing, but I want to. In fact, there’s just so much that I want to do that I’ve overloaded myself to the point where I’m not sure where I am. I need to get my shit organized, but I can’t force myself too hard in my hobbies because otherwise I won’t get anywhere. Or something. I need to get some sleep, I think.
So a challenge was issued to all gamers in Japan. Spend ¥1000, and only ¥1000 and get as many games as you can. Games you’d want, mind, but games nonetheless. They’d be cheap, some of them shitty, some of them amazing. I made it a bit late to the party, but hell, this is a party found in the bargain bins of every game store and the heart of every retro gamer. I’m ecstatic to share the list with you because what I’ve added to my collection for under $10 is a set of games that I’ll happily be playing even if they are bad. Because, hell, games are games. Continue reading ‘The Thousand Yen Challenge’
Picked out the curtains, the table, the tv stand and the cupboard. And that’s it! Sure, there will be a bunch of little things that we will realize we need as time goes on but as of now everything we need for the apartment has been picked and is ready for delivery. It’s stills kind of dream at this point but soon will be a reality.
Well, we picked everything out. Washer, fridge, vacuum, rice cooker, electric range. Holy shit. The price came out a lot less than I was expecting thanks to an awesome sale going on. It will still hit my wallet pretty hard, or should I say our wallet. That’s a new way of thinking that I’m going to have to get used to.
We’ve still got a few thing to pick out for the new place but the big ticket items are done. That is a huge weight off my shoulders, to be honest. It is also nice since I have always bought second hand. Moving into a fairly new apartment and getting new goods which should hopefully last us a long time is really exciting in a way. Hard to believe that a year ago I was dreaming of these sorts of things. I may be worse off in the wallet but o couldn’t be happier.
Eriko and I went to to see Up! today which is known in Japan by the much longer name “Grandpa Carl’s Flying House”. First time I cried in a theatre in a long time.
What was pretty brilliant about the movie is that they front loaded the tears. Sure, there was a part later on that got me a little misty eyed, but the beginnig was pretty damn powerful. Especially since I’ll br married myself in a month’s time. Unfortunately the rest of the movie wasn’t as brilliant as the opening, but it was still an enjoyable flick.
I haven’t seen many of Pixar’s films, but due to their general acceptance I’d assume most films fall under the “a little bit for everybody” category. I don’t know if Up! falls under this category, but I do know it is a film that any couple in love should go see.
Went out with John tonight to do some poking around at the card shops. Found a bunch of good stuff for good prices. Very happy with getting the leftmost card for around a dollar considering that I’ve usually seen the card go for around approximately $10.
The rarity of the cards in Yugioh is still something I haven’t gotten used to. Magic The Gathering had three. Common, uncommon, rare. Then they introduced foils and they were harder to get, but still the same concept. Three different types, common, uncommon and rare.
Yugioh has about 500 rarities as far as I can tell. First Editions, Special Editions, Common, Rare, Super, Ultra, Ultimate, Fuck you it’s expensive because it is. Some cards could only be gotten in certain ways like buying a book or a game or a $60 toy. And maybe sometime later Konami feels like printing the card again to make it easier to get but often not. It’s confusing and leads to some cards being pricy as fuck, and I’d like to stay away from said pricy as fuck cards.
I get the idea of rarities. It gets people buying more cards. What I don’t get with this game is the popular cards that were only available in limited ways. Put them in a pack and people will buy that pack to get the cards. The secondary market suffers but I’m not sure how that would hurt Konami as they don’t make money off that. And if people are buying packs, the stores are making a bit of profit, albeit not as much. Could keeping the secondary market healthy mean stores are willing to buy more product? Perhaps that’s the key.
Either way, I think I’m going to keep my deck ideas steered away from those $40. Thanks, but no thanks.
