• 3Nov 08

  Bring on the Recession, Bring on the Games!

  During the Great Depression, people needed to escape. The really couldn't go anywhere, be it they were piss poor, so they scraped together some change and went to the movies.

  (of note...this is my LINK HEAVY blog) 

  I really can't say if that statement is true, as I wasn't even a twinkle of a twinkle of my grandpappy's baby eye. What I can say is I have heard about the success of the Marx Bros. and the Universal Monster craze...all products of the dust bowl times.

  
  
  
  
  This article has gots it...

   

  I see the interest in videogames all around me. A DS hovers by, through a window i see some COD 4 rock'in...I can hear the twangs of Guitar Hero mingling with sounds of the city. People need to fill their time and distract themselves from the sucky, economic situation.What better way to spend the wallowing days than blasting some baddies and eating something greasy(...because greasy things are cheap...no?). It doesn't cost an arm and a leg, especially with the bargin bin deals and discount titles. Time will tell how sales hold up for games through X-Mas, but at the rate things are going, such as the Wii sales , it looks as though the gaming industry may be able to weather the economic storm. Of course there are layoffs and cutbacks, but it seems the tech industry is something that has gained some strong roots. The industry is just over 30 years old, but it has grown and evolved into one of the major entertainment sectors in the world today. The video-gaming industry has arguably bested the movie theatres in terms of revenue. Games are a way of life, and an occupier of time. The satisfaction derived from a great game-on experience, acts like a drug. Gamers want more! They will steal from their momma to get's some! Recessesion be damned! Gamers will always find the scratch to get the game. I think the act of gaming on is firmly entrenched in the hearts of gamers, and they are willing to scrape the piggy-bank to get an escapist game-on experience in the security of their homes. At least in the privacy of their own home, joystick in hand, they can selfishly feel sorry for themselves because they have no money. Gaming-On is here to stay!!!
  

  • Posted Nov 3, 2008 10:18 am GMT
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• 5Sep 08

  Game-On Lesson 3

  Girlfriends and Gaming

  

  First things first....be prepared for the fact that after my lesson, your g-friend will be hogging the system endlessly. There is no half-way for women....it is all or nothin'!

  Step 1: Place an Ikea catalogue on the gaming system itself. This will ease her transition to acknowledging the existence of the mass of game-on hardware that exists within your living environment. Her joy at snagging the Ikea (latest edition of course) mag will overwhelm the shocking reality of revealing the game system lounging underneath. This reward-shock tactic will ease her into acceptance.

  Step 2: Be sure the system is tip-top clean. Women hate to fondle filthy things. An option would be to give the system a light spray with rose oil or some other fragrant scent. This will lure her to want to make contact with the game system.

  Step 3: Start her out with a real funnsy. You know...Something like, You Don't Know Jack(one NOT 2) or Guitar Hero. Don't be dumping the Halo's or Disgaea's on her too early. These type of hard-core games can have a long term detrimental effect on your g-friends mind. First Impressions are huge and if she is exposed to the hardcore too early, she will reinforce the cliches in her mind that all games are violent and masturbatory male fantasies manifest. Ease her into gaming, make her feel the fun. They like feeling....most of the time.

  Step 4: Make it a super-fun experience. Maybe feed her some Gin(or black-cherry soda pop....if so inclined) and nice lil' snacks. Make it into a pleasant experience for both of you. This will leave the good first-impression that will stay with her. Throw some romance into the mix. If playing a Wii or a more active game like Rock Band, be sure to give her the 'ole bump rub. You know the move....you gently bump up against her and make a smooth transition to a rub on her side, back, shoulder, arm....where ever. All this bonding while she is gaming will make her want to game-on more.

  You must be consistent in the fun-factor, and hold off on dragging her through hardcore games. A woman watching you try to level up to 9999, will only make her resent the system and cut you off! Women love attention, and if you are focused on a game while not paying mind to her, she will rebel. Show her the good time gaming together can be, and she will want to share that with you on a regular basis.

  I believe you can follow these steps to gaming bliss, but like I mentioned...be aware that you may release a gaming oni. She may take to the whole game-on ness like a louse to a hippie. You are opening up a Pandora's Box, so try to instill in her mind the game fun through co operative play. This will steer her away from becoming a game junkie. If she does become an addict, there is only one joystick in the pad that will get any play.

  • Posted Sep 5, 2008 10:32 am GMT
  • Category: Relationships
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• 17May 08

  NES Memories

  

  Gangs Occupy River City. They Stand in Your Way of True Love. Time to Cause Some Serious Pain!

  As a lad, I would spend several hours exploring old factories, wooded fields, construction sites and the general industrial areas of North Edmonton. Refinery Row was about a dozen miles away from me and the smell of crude oil being refined into fuel permeated the environment. As the sun would set, my partner in exploration and I would head back home to game-on with the mighty Nin. We had mastered Super Mario, struggled through Clash @ Demon Head, bet lunch money on Bad News Baseball and quested through Hyrule. My buddy's older bro worked at the now defunct video rental shop of Jumbo Video, which had quite a wall of NES rentals. Every night we took on a different title that his brother had smuggled home after finishing his shift. The excitement of discovering the next big title motivated us to stay up way too late and have thumbs that were strangely blistered and calloused. During this time of exploration and discovery we came across a game titled River City Ransom. To our mutual joy we had uncovered a jewel, and it didn't require the extraction of ancient rot juice from mother earth to feel rich from the discovery.

  

  River City Ransom. Part brawler, part RPG. This game worked(and works...) on so many levels it occupies its own specialized genre. The story concerns young Alex. A resident of River City with good intentions and love in his heart. When the troublesome sounding "Slick" decides to abduct the love of Alex's life, you know there is gonna be hell to pay. Alex goes on a frenzied mission to cause pain, learn new skills and explore River City to liberate his damsel in distress, Cyndi. Alex does have friends to assist him on this noble mission. His equally rage filled bud, Ryan, can join the fray and contribute to the rescue of Cyndi, ensuring Alex can some day get some. When two players game-on you can do combo moves which are exciting to pull off and cause destruction to the gang members that attempt to deny Alex his heroic quest. The game is simple enough indeed, but along the journey you will encounter shops, secret bookstores and floppish bosses and sub-bosses that are in need of retribution. The mission can be lengthy if one decides to explore River City from top to bottom and acquire all the skills offered by books and products that must be purchased. Money is received after one of the many gang members is beat down and sent to the "other" plane. Some baddies give more money than others and bosses really give up the goods. The gangs that await our heroes are legion and the titles vary from the "Squids" to the "Frat Boys". All gangs are not equal. Some are far more aggressive than others, while some will flee from your presence. Learning the gang dynamics is a crucial part of playing the game. Following the action like buzz on a fly, is the banter in text form on the bottom of the screen. Enemies can taunt you, drop hints or even scream in pain as they meet their maker. Constantly ticking away on the lower screen and usually humorous, the dialogue is an important part of the game as well. Scattered throughout River City are Shop areas where no fighting occurs. It is filled with peaceful city folk that only wish you the best and want your money. Doorways lead to a variety of shops from Bookstores to Desert Cafes. All items add to the players stats in varying degrees. Some items increase agility, speed, strength, to name a few; while other shops sell items that give Alex(or Ryan) new skills. The learned skill of Dragon Feet is always a pleasure to greet charging gang members with, and it is a must to pick up these tricks to combat the increasingly tough opponents that come your way. All these layers combine with little touches like naming your character , password saving, interacting with the inhabitants of the city and using any items lying around as weapons, giving River City Ransom a broad and deep foundation to play on. You can even pick up a dazed enemy and use him as a weapon. The humour of the story and the complete wackiness of the entire game give it personality and flavour that separate it from anything else out there.

  

  The look and feel of River City Ransom may ring some bells. Developed by Technos, this is the same team behind Super Dodge Ball, the original Double Dragon and the old school arcade fighting game Karate Champ. Their uncanny ability to meld violence and humour are real standouts in the industry and give anything they develop a distinct Technos identity. River City Ransom was released in North America in 1990, and while not taking the gaming world by storm, it has achieved a strong cult status and is respected internationally. The blend of outrageous fighting and ability building make this game multifaceted and garner it quite a broad fan base. A GameBoy version was released, minus the Technos crew. Developed by Million and released by Atlus, this updated version got favourable reviews and may be of interest to former River City dwellers. The original has been re-released on the Wii through the Virtual Console and is highly recommended to anyone able to access it. The story is silly, the moves ridiculous and the characters are mental. That said, it is a perfect distraction and an oddly complex beat-em 'up that works. Tight control, simple yet effective NES sounds and clean, crisp graphics combine to create a pleasurable gaming experience.

  My urban explorer friend and I played River City Ransom non-stop in the Summer of 1990(the late charges must have been in the triple digits...) and it has left such an impression that every so often the adventures of Alex jump into my mind like an Acro Circus spin. Anyone mentions a gang, I instantly think of the Generic Dudes. I see an older metal garbage can, I envision Ryan smashing a Frat Boy in the melon. A great game stays with you for a long time, an amazing game stays with you forever. I am sure I can use the brain cells designated with River City Ransom info for something else, but why would I. In my youth I spent a summer in River City and I love going back every so often to the memories of that wacky place where heroes read, smiles are free, baddies run away and the good guy always gets the girl.

  little secrets:

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  eSz2wcsRdru ..........SYCoVdOMfPV
  Y6oXzilclnY............ bQTUkbUvUyJ

  • Posted May 17, 2008 10:53 am GMT
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