Great Staches From Videogame History
Posted by: j_john
My mustaches are up! I found this great videogame art down in LA last month at the I Am 8-Bit show, from the gifted Shawn Smith. Shawn was at the show, so I made sure to let him know his art was going to someone with a unique appreciation for both mustaches and videogames. While I may currently be clean-shaven, let's not forget the power of this face.
Mr. Smith used to be the best editor for Electronic Gaming Monthly, but got out of the (writing) game to try his hand at art, and it turns out the man is all-around talented.
Here are the mustaches proudly displayed at the Hott Denn:
I made a legend for the non-gamers:
From: December 13 | Comments (4) | Permalink
Game Thumb entry--Dragon Quest 8 demo
Posted by: j_john
Two video-game related posts in one day! Check out what I have to say about this highly anticipated upcoming title over on Game Thumb.
From: December 13 | Comments (0) | Permalink
I ♥ Wikipedia
Posted by: j_john
Found recently on the front page:
From: December 13 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Game Thumb entry--Ape Escape
Posted by: j_john
I blogged about my current gaming love for Ape Escape: On The Loose on Game Thumb.
From: December 13 | Comments (0) | Permalink
PSP Day
Posted by: j_john
Yesterday I awoke to the UPS guy dropping off a package that contained a PSP--I had yet to try this new piece of gaming hardware since its release in March, and I had my doubts about what I would think of it (especially since there are so many good DS games right now that I'm into--Nintendogs, Meteos, Castelvania DOS, etc.). However, one look at the big, bright screen and the allure of browsing the internet and customizing this new toy had me hooked. Also, I'll be honest--I wanted to see if I could figure out how to play emulated games on it. After some frustrating times configuring my airport password (big thanks to these dudes) I was up and running...
And then I came to a screeching halt. So pleased to have found my way online with my PSP I automatically upgraded the Firmware to the latest version - 2.1, which basically makes it impossible (for now) to downgrade to an emulation-ready version. Oh well, I guess my big accomplishment will have to be leaving a comment on Mike's blog that took about 10 minutes to "type" out. Oh, and I figured out how to make a Björk desktop image.
From: December 13 | Comments (2) | Permalink
Wario Ware Video
Posted by: j_john
Hey, I made new video (thanks to Mike for camera work)--check it out on
Game Thumb.
From: December 13 | Comments (0) | Permalink
GM*
Posted by: j_john
I'm totally in deep with my video gaming zone, and I just went through another spurt of total addiction--completing the latest Grand Theft Auto (San Andreas) at 100% and then a week later making it through Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.
Mike and I wrote about the GTA experience on Game Thumb and I recently posted some musings about the Metal Gear series as well.
I'm excited to play through MGS3 again to try some different strategies and find some of the secrets I missed my first time around. After that I will continue to tackle my list of unplayed games:
1. Final Fantasy X-2
2. Beyond Good and Evil
3. Onimusha 3
4. Viewtiful Joe 2
5. Skies of Arcadia Legends
6. Animal Crossing (how much I play this might depend on getting Mike interested in developing his own character so we can interact virtually).
*Gaming Master
From: December 13 | Comments (1) | Permalink
Not The Sexiest
Posted by: j_john
It appears I am not the
sexiest indie gamer of all time.
Although I never thought I deserved to win (mostly because I am not someone who plays many indie games) I must admit I'm slightly disappointed. Initially I entered the contest at Mike's enthusiastic encouragement--never thinking I would be listed as a finalist. My decision to write an incredibly confident essay with maximum emphasis on sexy appearance and little mention of my indie gaming credibility seemed like the smart thing to do, but kind of made me stand out as an imposter. Other entries featured much more elaborate and heartfelt descriptions of independent gaming dedication, while my gaming background only referenced retro and/or cult games.
However, somewhere along the way I actually decided that I might have a good chance. Perhaps it was the public encouragement at the blogfest, or the fact that I knew some of the judges. It seems pretty stupid now, but I guess it comes down to the irresistible fun of "winning", regardless if I cared about the prize package (I think there was a free game and a Panic shirt).
My consolation will have to be this quote from one of the judges:
"Not only is he a handsome bastard, he exudes confidence without cockiness, chose some good classic games for his favourites, and he claimed to be making a Greatest 8-Bit Mix CD. How can you say no to that?"
This experience reminds me of the time I was voted "Sno-Daze King" my junior year of high school and was carted around the gymnasium floor in front of the entire student body while someone sang a romantic Elvis song. It was mostly terrifying and shallow, with just enough absurd thrill for me to laugh about later.
Maybe I'll have a chance to win another competition sometime. Anyone know of any "prove why you love John Sayles" or "show your dedication to Björk" contests?
From: December 13 | Comments (4) | Permalink
16 Years Later
Posted by: j_john
Posted about my Castlevania accomplishment on Game Thumb.
From: December 13 | Comments (0) | Permalink
GBA Halloween
Posted by: j_john
I posted about my love of the Castlevania series over on GameThumb.
From: December 13 | Comments (0) | Permalink
The Surreal Life
Posted by: j_john
While simultaneously playing the new Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and watching a PBS special on the history of video games, I captured some amazing footage:
Click on Cop Killer.
From: December 13 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Metroid: Zero Mission Complete
Posted by: j_john
Wow, what an awesome game--an outstanding update to an old classic, and it made me want to explore every little bit, forcing myself not to come up for air until I hit 100%. I'm beginning to believe the Metroid franchise may be a slight favorite over Zelda after these latest GBA adventures, not to mention the all-around excellence of Metroid Prime for the cube. I can't feel my thumbs right now, so I'll have to take a break before moving on to Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga.
From: December 13 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Playing on the Pitch
Posted by: j_john
Two of my greatest joys in life, namely videogaming and soccer (football), have made for some memorable moments. I remember fondly the summer a few years ago when my roommate and I recreated our high-school squads (Mounds View vs. Tates Creek) and battled it out on FIFA 2000 for the PlayStation to see who was the best. In 2001 when the PS2 arrived I was quick to pick up the latest version of FIFA and promptly get schooled by the quick skills of Mr. Brian J. Silver. Then there was the epic tournament staged by Steve and I last year on our respective FIFA 2003 game discs, the loss of which has haunted me to this day.
Well folks, a new era of footy gaming has arrived in the form of "WORLD SOCCER WINNING ELEVEN 7 INTERNATIONAL." Designed by the folks at Konami who brought you "INTERNTIONAL SUPERSTAR SOCCER" this new breed proved to be quite the test of skills for Mr. Schrodo and myself, as we played multiple matches with few goals scored last night. I can only hope that this time around I might be able to be better adapt the things I know about the sport and carry them out via my thumbs. If not, I'll at least be able to enjoy all the adidas sightings in the game.
From: December 13 | Comments (4) | Permalink
Deepest Gaming Zone
Posted by: j_john
Just returned to the land of the living after an intense gaming session, wherein I took about 6 cumulative hours to pass a boss on Viewtiful Joe. Over the course of the past day I tried about 40 times to finish off a fire-breathing lion-man, aptly named "Fire Leo", enduring severe hand cramping, sweaty palms, and an endless desire to fling my (2nd) Wavebird wireless controller into my full-length mirror. Having now completed this mission I think I'm due for a run.
From: December 13 | Comments (0) | Permalink
On Assignment
Posted by: j_john
Mike sent me an intresting business-related link regarding Nintendo's latest hardware design, the Nintendo DS . Sure, I'm one of the die-hard Nintendo fans who owns (or did own) every system (excluding the Virtual Boy, which may prove to be particulary prescient considering this new device's similar early impressions), but I understand the general skepticism surrounding this new announcement--especially when it looks like it might make me nauseous.
Anyone familiar with the portable gaming industry knows that Nintendo has enjoyed a unique, unprecidented ride at the top. While Lynxes, GameGears, and Nomads all attempted to gain a foothold in the arena, they all fell to the mighty GameBoy and it's initial incredibly limited black and white screen. After finally releasing a worthy update with the GameBoy Advance a few years ago, Nintendo seemed to possibly be threated by Nokia's now infamous N-Gage. Anyone who has seen sidetalkin.com can tell you how well their marketing strategy turned out. People didn't want a handheld gaming, music, phone device that sold for $300 and looked incredibly ugly. Ok, maybe people didn't care so much about the design as they did the price and the awkwardness of exchanges game cartridges, but I'd like to think that ugly dimpled colour scheme had something to do with the continuing poor sales.
Getting back to the "DS", it appears that Nintendo is trying to steal some of the thunder from videogame industry leader Sony and their somewhat recent announcemnt of their own portable gaming device, the PSP. While Nintendo maintains their line as a company devoted solely to the gaming industry (in contrast to the multi-functional DVD-playing XBOX and PS2, and of course the multi-whatever N-Gage), they are exploring interesting ways to link their GBAs and GameCubes (main hardware). Although the DS seems to be an extension of their creative energy, I can't help but feel it is misguided. Even though I appreciate the example they use of playing a soccer match and being able to see the whole pitch on one screen and your specific player on another, I find myself agreeing with the guy who says it seems like it will create a bunch of cross-eyed gamers and the mockups of GBA SPs with two screens don't help matters much. Oh well, I reserve final judgment for the finished product...
From: December 13 | Comments (1) | Permalink
The Legend of My Youth
Posted by: j_john
I'm currently playing (FOR THE FIRST TIME) this videogame you may have heard of: The Legend of Zelda. This news might be difficult to believe for someone with a NES-themed blog, and a reputation for being a Final Fantasy-playing RPG nerd. It's cool now that everyone loves Tolkien and I don't have to hide these interests, but to admit that I'd never played Zelda is another matter entirely--this is my story, and I had to think real hard about why I could have missed possibly the most influential title of my youth. Here's what I came up with:
When the game was released it was the summer of 1987, July in fact. I had just moved to Minnesota from New Jersey and didn't yet own this "Nintendo Entertainment System". After I started school in the fall I soon realized how much I was missing out--everyone had a NES (except for that rad kid that had a Sega Master System, but back to the story), and I was incredibly envious. After school I would head to my friend's house and we would play classics like Kid Icarus, Metroid, Contra, and Double Dragon.
All of these games were great, but I didn't realize I was missing out on something as innovative as Zelda. When the summer of 1988 rolled around I had saved up enough money to buy my very own NES (despite my mother's wishes), and I picked up a copy of Castlevania to accompany my purchase.
My library grew quite slowly during those times since cleaning the pool and doing house chores wasn't quite raking in the dough. If only I'd been smart enough to get a paper route I might have had more games, but that would have required a bike, and I was possibly too embarrassed to show off my old school Huffy. So, instead of buying games I waited patiently for Christmas to roll around, and eagerly awaited a new game under the tree...
Which turned out to be "Zelda II: The Adventure of Link." Huh? Wha? Why would I all of a sudden feel the need to ask for a sequel to a game that I had never played? Well, I think I have it figured out. You see, ZII was released in December of 1988 to make the NES holiday shopping season joyous to all those who had played the first Zelda and fallen in love with its fantasy elements and deep gameplay. Apparently falling victim to the marketing of the hot new game to get, I asked for ZII. I remember playing it and really getting into it, especially those beginner RPG elements, which seemed to be an interesting counterpart to the side-scrolling action bits. I would compare maps with friends at school, and it was rewarding to finally be able to finish the game after many months.
The story of ZII was pretty run-of-the-mill "help out a princess and fight stuff with your sword" thing, so I had no problems picking up despite it being a sequel and all. Interestingly enough, the main villian of the first game, Ganon, was nowhere to be found in the sequel...so I guess I felt no real connection with the series yet, and most importantly, I had no desire to play a game that had been released more than a year before. It was all about what was new and upcoming, and what game did I want to get to impress my friends. In summary, playing an already ancient game like The Legend of Zelda was not cool in the early months of 1989. Therefore, I am now having to admit, that in the late stages of the year 2003, I am, for the first time, playing this most amazing of games.
From: December 13 | Comments (0) | Permalink
War Games
Posted by: j_john
Nearly 7 months since the latest Portland Open Tetris Tournament, I have completed the official 2003 POTT documentary video. (I edited down about an hour's worth of footage to less than 5 minutes of intense button presses.) Hopefully this work of mine will help promote an even greater tournament next year.
Speaking of Russian videogames, anyone remember that amazing Cold War game by Konami, "Rush'N Attack"? Just found out it was retitled "Green Berets" outside of the US. I wonder if those Desert Storm games are selling well this holiday season?
From: December 13 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Night Games
Posted by: j_john
Fun Friday Night started out with a trip to the
Rose Garden along with Blazers superfan Josh Berezin.
The Houston Rockets were in town, so it was a good time to check out the progress Yao Ming is making, especially now that his team has shiny new uniforms. Lots of cute asian girls in attendance as well...oh, and the Blazers won. Go Z-Bo! (Check out what he has to say about video games.) I took a rare photo with my T610, at least you can kind of tell what it is.
The good times continued with four-player Mario Kart action on my new TV. Quite frantic and fast paced, it should prove to be a multi-player mainstain in my lineup. Now, if I could only find some decent competition...
From: December 13 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Old school side talkin'
Posted by: j_john
Don't know if I'll ever make it to the esteemed pages of Totally Sidetalkin', but hopefully Tommy Vercetti would be proud.
From: December 13 | Comments (0) | Permalink
A Viewtiful Update
Posted by: j_john
A few frustrated days and a dead Wavebird (i.e. destroyed) later, I have made it past the first level of
Viewtiful Joe. THE FIRST LEVEL. Ugh.
As I made the purchase of a new W-bird yesterday, I tried to get some sympathy from Gamestop employee and fellow gaming enthusiast Bryan, only to discover that he had advanced to the third level already. A feeling of shame came over me as I lied and said I was "stuck on the second level"...
Which is now entirely true! Yes, I have made it to LEVEL: THE TWO....onward and upward on the wings of my new Wavebird--I believe it will carry me to unforseen videogaming greatness.
From: December 13 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Try, Try, Try Again
Posted by: j_john
I remember commenting awhile back about how easy new videogames seem to be. Completing the latest Zelda this past spring was such a breeze, I don't think I died once during the whole quest. Metroid Prime was a bit difficult mostly due to getting used to the first-person perspective, and all of my GBA games have been extremely fun yet far from a challenge. Now I have my latest purchase for my beloved Nintendo Gamecube console--the intensely creative Capcom game Viewtiful Joe.
Once I was all ready to go I tried my hand at it a few times, taking time to learn the controls and follow the storyline. I proceed to try it a few more times and progress further each time--a pretty standard process when it comes to a new game. Well, last night I decided to "get serious" and I tried my hardest to get past this helicopter mini-boss on LEVEL ONE and I still couldn't complete that aspect of the game.
Wow, I think I have become accustomed to being given a lot of slack with other, easier games that I am having a difficult time adjusting to one that is actually a challenge to play. Hopefully this one won't be another Super Ghouls 'n' Ghosts-type experience, an old SNES game from Capcom that I never made it very far in...
From: December 13 | Comments (0) | Permalink
