“This September: Original Unaltered Trilogy on DVD”
Original untainted Star Wars on DVD AND Lego Star Wars II? What more could anyone ask for!
Category Archives: Games and Game Development
Thoughts on games and game development
2005 Review
Year-end Review:
I must admit, 2005 started off pretty grim. I was unhappy up north and disappointed in theatre as a whole. I was miserable doing something I loved. After juggling over whether to stick it through or call it quits, I decided that it was the best course of action to end things at Long Wharf and head back home to initiate plan B, which meant ceasing the dating of Carleton as well. It was a hard time.
There were some highlights to ease the rough edges, though. A visiting trip to New York, ending my internship on a decently-run play, and confirming my adventure to Japan that would happen later in the year. My birthday was a pleasant one with the Coffrins, through which I acquired my GameCube, which has been a wonderful addition to my console repertoire.
My sacrifice for Lent of 2005 was irrational fear. Every time I felt the fear creeping in, I pushed through it and did whatever was causing it. This led to several good things, one of which was visiting Steph, and thus strengthening a friendship. I am very happy to know Steph better, and I hope to continue the trend!
The emotional blow of coming home from Connecticut was softened by welcoming arms of friends and family. The spring months were rough, though. I was job-hunting in addition to freelance web work, and anyone who’s ever been in the jobhunting phase knows how it can run you into the ground. I recall healing sleep at Brendan and Maria’s for not being able to sleep at my own home.
But there were plenty of good times to balance it all out. Playing Nobilis was a wonderful creative outlet. I got to foster mom two wonderfully loveable ratties. I started working with Will on ARG! Productions stuff. I strengthened small acquaintenceships into blossoming friendships, and got over timid fears to turn people into huggable buddies: Wheeler, Will, Ian, Yale.
The year swelled up to a high point with three events: Acquiring a job, going to visit Andrew in Japan, and moving out of the house into my own place. The Japan trip is like a dream now, and I still haven’t gotten all the pictures up from it. It was a magical place.
More lows and highs. Fish, my beloved pet, passed on that summer. On the other hand, there was much to be done with animating and learning and working on the JamJams trailer. Ken was back and Wheeler got to visit. Having an income through a job I enjoyed was a tremendous relief, but at the same time the mysterious illness crept in and took its toll on me.
Adventuring to Atlanta to play with new friends, discovering my knack for cooking, Tuesday night basketball, visits from D Flo–all wonderful. Weird emotional burdens, the loss of Mr. Laguna—not so much.
The year ended off in the best possible way. Christmastime was refreshing, especially among friends. New Year’s itself was a positive time–I got to spend time with the people I love the most, and we rang in the new year with Guillotine, The Great Dalmuti, Donkey Konga, Mario Party, and Munchkin. I am so very blessed to have such wonderful people in my life.
It has been up and down, yes? But I try so very hard to be grateful for the wonderful things I have. There continues to be things inside of me that I have to work out, but perhaps this year I will stop being a dragon who thinks she is a rabbit, because the rabbit hole is too small.
Year of the dog, that’s my year!
Santa
Wertle1: Hi Santa!
SantaClaus: Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas! I’m here on AIM! Everything we talk about here is between you and me! If you want to know more, you can type “privacy”. Now, streeeeetch that window and let’s get started.
So, have you been naughty or nice?
Wertle1: nice, of course
SantaClaus: Outstanding! Everyone on my Good List gets a special free gift, so come back on Decmber 22nd to find out what it is. Type menu to enjoy the fun and games the elves have here on AIM for you.
Wertle1: will it be an Xbox 360?
SantaClaus: Hmm. Why don’t you type, music, maybe that will put you in the Christmas spirit
Wertle1: I…I really would rather have an Xbox
SantaClaus: Mm hm, now we are getting somewhere.
Wertle1: right
SantaClaus: Interesting. Type menu.
Wertle1: So, I guess that’s a no on the video games, then?
SantaClaus: O.K. then. Well, have a merry Christmas in any case.
Wertle1: You know, the merriest Christmases I can recall were the ones in which I got a game console
SantaClaus: I’ve got a billion children to keep track of — so could you ask me something a bit more manageable? I’d very much appreciate it.
Wertle1: fine, what about a football?
SantaClaus: It’s not so much the ‘what’ as it is the ‘why’.
Wertle1: ….that’s too deep for me, santa, I’m outta here
SantaClaus: May I ask you a question?
Wertle1: yes
SantaClaus: Would you like to see some links to other things to help put you in the Christmas spirit?
Wertle1: no
SantaClaus: Mm hm. Such negativity. You are in need of some Christmas spirit!
Wertle1: I’m leaving!
SantaClaus: I’m sorry? I’m new to this whole IM thing.
Halo 2 oddities
Atlanta Adventure
The perk of working at a school is that I get most of their breaks for myself, so I plotted to give myself a for-real vacation over fall break. I flew down to Atlanta for some good fun times and adventuring.
I came in Friday night and met up with Marji and Hanna, whom I met through Will via the not-so-secret-anymore-secret-summer-project (that being JamJams, which Will outlines a bit in his journal). They are good awesome folk and made me feel right at home.
On Saturday Will and Cari drove up from Savannah, and the group of us went trouncing around in the city. Most of it was idle wandering, but we did at least get to the Center for Puppetry Arts and had a good look around. They have some Lion King mask prototypes there, as well as a skekse from the Dark Crystal. It was a fun place and I’m glad I was able to go (in spite of the terrifying “Puppet Storeroom” exhibit). Our former plans of also visiting the Coke museum were thwarted by the infrequency of the MARTA, so we headed back to Marji and Hanna’s for video games and cooking. Pie also happened.
Sunday was mostly lazy napping (on my part), homeworking (on Cari’s part), and visiting Cartoon Network while Hanna went to pick up work stuff (on Will’s part, much to his enthusiasm). We all reconvened for video games, which was very fun, and Will and I beat yet another Dynasty Warriors campaign. That night, we accompanied Marji to a Radical Axis party for the opening of Squidbillies, on which she works. I was fearful of a major social event at first, but fortunately for me it was an evening of exhausted animators all watching cartoons, with little to no need for mingling. Hooray! (yes I know, I’m a social cripple).
Monday, while Hanna and Marji were at work, I spent the day with Wheeler, who has conveniently relocated from Sante Fe to Atlanta. We went to the zoo, and then spent the evening at the arcade. We played quite a bit of DDR, and I’m proud to announce that my former panicky “I CAN’T DO ANY MORE THAN 3 FEET!!” bar has been raised to 4 feet, comfortably. Strother would be so proud! *tear*
We also played a bit of pool, Time Crisis 3, and then I had a go at Ms. Pacman. I immediately regretted this, for I had forgotten that Ms. Pacman is actually a VERY stressful game, most of which I spent panicking. Also, I affirmed the fact that I’m good at those light-spinny ticket games by winning the jackpot of 316 tickets, which I used to buy Marji and Hanna thank-you presents for being good hostesses. Anyways, it was great to hang out with Wheeler again.
That evening I cooked dinner for Hanna and pie happened a second time. All in all it was a fantastic visit, and I hope to make another one in the future. I feel very rested and ready to spring back to work. Boing!
(note, i haven’t forgotten about the activity i posted last entry, I’ll follow up on that soon)
Homecoming
Well, I’m back home in Louisville. It was a long drive but not entirely unpleasant.
Mom planned to have a gathering the evening I got home (probably so I didn’t slip into a depression, which was a good idea). My brother and sister-in-law came over, plus Brendan and Maria, as well as a few friends of the family. We had chili and played WarioWare and MarioKart, swiftly taking in Eric and Mary Beth and getting them appropriately addicted.
Since Dave couldn’t make it last evening, I went over to visit him tonight. We went to the all-famous Pie Kitchen, where I engaged in my endless struggle to decide which slice of pie to get, or maybe just get 2 slices, 1 of each flavor, or maybe I should get ice cream. Anyway, Evan was there!!! So exciting! I haven’t seen him in forever. It was nice to catch up with everybody.
In the meantime, I’ve been unpacking and cleaning, moving back in the home. I will admit, it is good to be home, although I will miss hanging out with Carleton very much. He and his brother, Scott, have promised to come visit this summer, though, which should be exciting and fun. Right now I’m just drained at the prospect of job hunting, but I have unloaded a ton of art projects onto myself to keep me busy in the meantime.
Massachusetts Visit
I just got back from a weekend visit with Steph and it was a blast and a half! Or no, make that 2 whole blasts.
After a tasty lunch, we went to this awesome candy store. You can pick out your own assorted chocolates, so it’s like getting a box of chocolates, only just with the kinds you like, and no scary surprises. I also got a sucker in the shape of a lobster (don’t worry, it was not lobster flavored)
Steph showed me around Salem, MA, and we went to some dinky-but-fun history museums about the witch trials. We also hit up a comic store, where I *finally* indulged myself in snagging the last volume of Bone, only to see the new color reprints! Now I want the whole set all over again. We also rooted through a secondhand bookstore, snagging children’s books with inspiring illustrations out of the 50% off box.
We spent the rest of the evening playing various video games, with a brief break for sushi. After a bit of gaming the next morning, we went out for lunch, and then adventured on the shore (we did not find any critters, only a shoe-full of cold water, oh well!)
I’m really glad I got to visit! It was good fun, and I also got to see a bunch of Steph’s art up close, including her in-progress raven thief sculpture. I also got to meet her sweet little rat, Oreo, who is adorable and has inspired me to add rats to my “potential pets” list Yay for visits!
Birthday Madness
My parents sent me a cast iron teapot with 2 matching cast iron cups. It’s reeeeeeeeeally cool looking, and holds a lot of tea. I guess I’ll have to expand my tea horizons beyond Oolong now. It also has a dragon on it, and since I got a dragon teapot last year for my birthday, and another dragon themed teapot a few years ago for Christmas, I guess I might as well say I’m collecting them now ^_^
I also got, from my parents, money that was specifically intended for me to buy myself a Nintendo DS. This was great, because it’s been a long time since I’ve been excited over getting a toy for a present. Plus, I haven’t had a hand-held console since the original Game Boy and the Sega Game Gear. I went to the game store with Scott, and discovered they were selling Game Cubes for $60! This was highly tempting, because I’ve always said I’d like to get a Game Cube for cheap, for the sole purpose of getting Warioware and MarioKart, which would probably be the only two games I’d play for it. Tempting, yes, but I stuck with my original plan and got a DS. I’ll need something to keep my occupied on that flight to Japan!
Today at work, the prop shop threw me a little birthday party, complete with donuts and video games at lunch time. Then the most surreal thing happened. Billy the props carp showed me this crazy game for the PS2, Katamari Damacy, which is very silly and quirky, and great fun. I thought it’d be a fun game to get, and I almost considered asking to borrow it to show Scott and Geoff at home. Well, when I got home, Geoff started leading into a story about this crraaaaaaazy game he got for PS2, and I thought “Oh man, it’s going to be the same game.” Sure enough, Katamari Damacy. I think this is an omen telling me to go out and buy it.
So we had a birthday dinner at the house, and then Carleton’s family surprised me with a gift! Not just any gift…Scott sneakily heard my temptation lament at the game store, and the whole family went out and bought me one of those $60 gamecubes, along with the my 2 coveted games. SO EXCITED!
It’s been a very long time since I’ve gotten so many fun toys for my birthday, and I don’t think I’ve been so excited about video games since that Christmas when I got my Sega Genesis. I am endlessly grateful!
Food and Fun
Last night I had my annual/semi-annual gathering with Jaime, Laura, and Becca. We ate at Maido on Frankfort avenue, and it was AWESOME. Among the generic hibachi grills/sushi bars, it is the only “for-real” Japanese restaurant in Louisville. A little pricey, but for the amount and quality of food you get it is well worth it. I’ll be dragging people there for dinner on my visits home for quite some time now, I suppose.
We then went back to my house for a night of video game fun. We eventually played a bit of DDR, then decided to be innovative and attempt to play other games using the DDR pads as controllers.
Crash Team Racing worked very well. You could sit on the mat and hold your foot on the accelerate button, using left and right to steer and easily punching the fire button when you needed to. The difficulty came in the lack of the R1 and R2 button, so no secret hopping-over-ledges-to-get-a-boost and such.
Spyro the Dragon proved to be much more difficult. One person breathed fire, one person charged, on jumped/flew, and the other steered. Steering was really the most difficult part, and we often rotated positions to give the steerer at hand a break. We managed to clear the first world, though it took some time to do it. It is definitely something people need to do as teamwork activities at those terrible business retreats.
Lastly, we attempted Soul Caliber II. That mostly involved 2 people flailing and beating the DDR pads like the ape people in 2001: A Space Odyssey. But if you think DDR is good exercise…
All in all, it was a very fun evening. I’m mostly glad that I still see some highschool friends on a regular basis (even though it may turn out to be only as regular as once a year), it’s always a joy to gather again.
A New Beginning!
Well, I finally gave in to Brendan’s many praises of NewsBruiser and decided to give it a shot. Upon realizing that I have no sense of design or color scheme, I’m still working on customizing the look. Default theme for now ^_^
In other news: Halo 2 is awesome, but I’m sure everybody knows that already. It is bittersweet, though, as waves of longing for old Halo friends wash over me every time I play. I miss you guys so much!!
First show at Long Wharf was a success, now we are putting up a show that we got shipped in from Hartford Stage. The Mystery of Irma Vep looks like it will be quite funny. Stay tuned.