Saturday, August 18, 2012

WORD OF THE DAY! 8/18/12.

man [man]
noun
1. A miserable little pile of secrets.

EX.  " Richter Belmont: Die monster! You don't belong in this world!

Dracula: It was not by my hand that I am once again given flesh. I was called here by humans who wish to pay me tribute.

Richter Belmont: Tribute!?! You steal men's souls and make them your slaves!

Dracula: Perhaps the same could be said of all religions...

Richter Belmont: Your words are as empty as your soul! Mankind ill needs a savior such as you!

Dracula: What is a man? A miserable little pile of secrets! But enough talk... Have at you!"

-Castlevania: Symphony of the Night


Friday, August 17, 2012

WORD OF THE DAY. 8/17/12. SHARK DUMP.

Carcharodon [kahr-kair-oh-dahn]

noun
1. Man-eating shark.

EX. I don't think sharks deserve their own weeks, but I won't argue that people aren't obsessed with these Carcharodon. I blame Steven Spielberg. Ever since Jaws (1975), nerds and common folk alike have been obsessed with sharks. I find Batman fans and Batman writers are especially obsessed with sharks.


Thursday, August 16, 2012

WORD OF THE DAY! 8/16/12. THE VERY FIRST POKEMON COMMERCIAL!

marketing [mahr-ki-ting]
noun
1. The act of buying or selling in market.
2. The totals of activities involved in the transfer of goods from the producer or seller to the consumer or buyer, including advertising, shipping, storing, and selling.

EX. Alright, alright, time for some grown up talk about today's subject; the very first Pokemon commercial.


It begins with the title "Strategy". A clever ploy because of dual-meaning; this trailer is under the guise of teaching you about the "strategy" of enjoying all the new Pokemon media about to slam into your face via television and stores but, more importantly, is about marketing strategy. Nintendo, 4 Kids Entertainment, and all other companies involved in the marketing of the Pokemon product, because merchandise is really the key to financial success here, did a genius job from the start to sell children on the idea of Pokemon.

Heck, I remember my first Pokemon experience. I remember getting this book at Walmart, while shopping with my Mom one day (my parents usually bought me a book when we went shopping). I had already taken an interest in animal books, monster books, and some of my earliest books/experiences were anime/manga related (I lived in Japan for two years when I was very little), so Pokemon was an obvious franchise to win my attention. I sat in the car and read the whole thing. I read the book so much that, after becoming ruined by wear and tear, I ended buying a second newer copy with information on Mew, the Elite Four, and Togepi in the back.

The important part of this story is that from the moment I read the book, I was hooked. I bought a few Pokemon cards, some Pokemon toys,  and you bet your bottom dollar that I watched all of the episodes on TV, when I could catch them, and bought/played all the games. Heck, I would go so far as to say Pokemon was my first RPG and/or Strategy game experience. Not only had Nintendo won me over, again (they had me with Mario and Zelda), but with Pokemon they made me a loyal and lifelong customer.




If anything can be said of Pokemon; the marketing was genius. Over fifteen years later and we're still talking about Pokemon, still playing Pokemon games, and still buying Pokemon related products; and the marketing machine isn't done yet, every time they release a new Pokemon game or show they snag more Pokemon fans. And that's okay. Pokemon has become a staple in childhoods across the world and I think we're happier for it.

P.S. You gotta love the cheese of that commercial.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

WTF WEDNESDAY! QWOP & CLOP!

WTF WEDNESDAY PRESENTS
QWOP & CLOP
Today, we're looking at two flash games; the original and the spin-off and comparing the fun to be had in these two weird and often disturbing flash games that challenge the conventions of bad controls and physics to create two truly unique experiences.

QWOP sees you playing a ragdoll model of a human being, or more correctly, playing as that ragdoll human being's thighs and calves (the games only needs four keys to play) and simply trying to get the body across the 100 meter finish line. The game requires finesse; simply try to sprint and you will flip over and the race will be finished.

In QWOP, slow and steady wins the race.

CLOP is the exact same premise as QWOP, more or less, but with a little bit of a twist; you're a unicorn trying to climb up and over a hill to meet a virgin lady (unicorns are weirdly into virgins, don't ask me why). The only problem? A little butthole has cursed your legs and you can barely even sort of gambol. This game is a little more compelling and twisted; after getting pretty far up this hill...my unicorn's leg's broke.

In CLOP, slow, steady, and variation win this uphill race.


WORD OF THE DAY! 8/15/12.


ghastly [gast-lee]
adjective
1. Shockingly frightful or dreadful; horrible.
2. Resembling a ghost, especially in being really pale.
3. Terrible; very bad.

EX. Well, that was just ghastly.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

WEEKLY ROUND-UP! 8/6-8/12/2012.

WEEKLY ROUND-UP PRESENTS

 I got to admit I've been getting pretty slap-happy with all the Zelda content this summer but, between Skyward Sword and my discovery of Omo Cat and Zac Gorman, I have a ton of content to dish out on the blog. On the plus side, at least its interesting.

6. WORD OF THE DAY! 8/9/12. Game genie.

I have been doing a lot of retro gaming over the last couple of weeks between my SNES and my emulator I have played and beaten the following games in the last week: Mega Man X, Mega Man 7, Goof Troop, and Mega Man X 2. Expect some Mega Man reviews very soon and, in the near future, some reviews of some Mickey Mouse Capcom games that seem pretty promising. Any SNES titles you want to recommend? Any other retro consoles you think I need to emulate?

5. MUSICAL MONDAY! BOB ROSS REMIXED: HAPPY LITTLE CLOUDS

This last Musical Monday was another pleasant surprise from melody sheep and really brought the PBS edutainment nostalgia. I wonder what PBS greats they'll be highlighting in their next remix? Maybe we'll see some Reading Rainbow remixes? Or how about Lamb Chop? What was your favorite?

4. MIXED BAG. SMALL TALK #3 STAR WARS THAT I USED TO KNOW

Speaking of artistic integrity, Zach Maritn got me those cleaned up MP3s for our podcasts and we got to post them (even if it was late). The discussion saw us listening to a Star Wars Gotye parody and then discussing our personal experiences/opinions on the prequels, special editions, and artistic rights.

3. MIXED BAG. PODCAST #4 Special Edition: THE DARK KNIGHT RISES!

Some of the opinions in this podcast, being first impressions, were premature but are definitely worth a listen.

2. MIXED BAG. SUPER MARIO SUNSHINE REVIEW.

It was a serious challenge to review a game like Super Mario Sunshine; I've literally started the game and quit about six times in the last ten years but, as I've gotten older and more experienced with video games, I've finally learned the patience to play-through this flawed title.

P.S. FLUDD is a little better than Skyward Sword's Fi.

1. MIXED BAG. BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY REVIEW!

The game that gave the momentum to play through so many titles over the last week or so has to be Batman: Arkham City, a true marvel of modern gaming, that made me crave as much thumb-twitching action as I can handle. Every game maker in today's market should play the game and try to steal as many good ideas from it as they can (stealing ideas isn't bad, as long as you use them in a creative way that helps continue the conversation of game design).

WORD OF THE DAY! 8/14/12.

CRT [see-awr-tee]
noun
1. A cathode ray tube.
2. A computer terminal or monitor (such as a television) that includes a cathode ray tube.

EX.
The soft hum of a CRT television and the glow bouncing off my skin,
pale and crisp, like a cellophane light warming my face in the darkness
and filling my hands with power and my mind with fantasies.

(In the last few weeks I have beaten Batman Arkham City, Super Mario Sunshine, Mega Man X, Mega Man 7, Goof Troop, and Mega Man X 2)

Monday, August 13, 2012

MUSICAL MONDAY! + MIXED BAG. GOOF TROOP (SNES) REVIEW

MUSICAL MONDAY + MIXED BAG REVIEW OF

GOOF TROOP

Developer: CAPCOM
System: Super Nintendo (1993)
Genre: Action-Adventure

WORD OF THE DAY! 8/13/12.

back to the future [bak-too-thuh-fyoo-cher]
noun
1. Science Fiction. Originally referenced in a film of the same name, it refers to when time travelers go the past and then have to return to the present or, at the time they were in, future.

EX. I think its generally agreed that the 80's is a golden age of film entertainment; we got two Star Wars films,  three Indiana Jones films, two Ghostbusters films, dozens of other amazing films, franchises and blockbusters, and of course the Back to the Future trilogy. Here are some question and my own answers (leave your own in the comments) :

What was your favorite moment in the Back to the Future films? 
Mine was probably the "dream" that George has where he meets Darth Vader from the planet Vulcan.

What was your favorite 80's franchise and/or film?
I think mine is probably Star Wars and its too hard to pick one so I'll just pick three of my favorite films of the decade, Conan the Barbarian, Big Trouble in Little China, and John Carpenter's The Thing. 

What was good about 80's films?
I kind of want to say a sense of earnestness or a sense of fun; movies in the 80's were usually a little over the top, a little ridiculous, but there is a sense of film makers telling stories that they want to tell instead of modern films which, sorry to be a negative Nancy, are either obnoxious remakes or half-hearted hackjobs that exist only to make money in the easiest way possible. Maybe that's just me....shrug.

Sunday, August 12, 2012

WORD OF THE DAY! 8/12/12.

stare [stair]
verb
1. To gaze fixedly and intensely, especially with the eyes wide open.
2. To be boldly or obtrusively conspicious.
3. (of hair, or feathers) To stand on end; to bristle.

EX. Few things are more unsettling than a staring cat. A dog? No problem. A cat? A world turns on such stares.

Check out more of this funny, tragic, and heart-felt web-comic at Super Mutant Magic Academy.