derpycalamity

If you’re familiar with my tastes in video game literature, you know that I highly recommend the Boss Fight Books series. The books discuss various video games, usually because the author has a special relationship with the game they’re talking about. Of course, the books aren’t just about a person’s experience with a game–they are often chock-full of interviews, game development, and philosophical considerations.

The most recent entry in the BFB catalog is Mega Man 3 by Salvatore Pane. Mega Man 3  describes Pane’s experience with not just ‘Mega Man 3’ for the NES, but also his experience with video games. For instance, Pane talks about his game-collecting that became more than just a hobby, where he drew solace in playing and collecting games when he was unable to keep up with his friends and family from travelling and teaching. Personally, my two favorite aspects of nonfiction are anecdotal insights into the author’s life and research/information. If you also enjoy this of nonfiction, you’d really enjoy Mega Man 3.

Regarding research and learning about new topics, Pane also talks about the development and reception of the ‘Mega Man’ games, not just of ‘Mega Man 3.’ There are several interviews in the book, one of Brave Wave with ‘MM2’ director Akira Kitamura, and a few with Pane himself with the Angry Video Game Nerd, James Rolfe. If you are more interested in learning about the histories of games and their development, don’t worry: Mega Man 3 has plenty of that.

Pane also discusses the metagame community, specifically of collectors and purveyors of nostalgia. Being an ex-collector, with friends who are also interested in buying and collecting games, I enjoyed looking at Pane’s analysis of why game collecting has become so focal for people (and in some cases, lucrative!). However, I must admit, as much as I enjoyed these sections, I found them a bit stale, particularly because most of Pane’s points (as insightful as they were to the uninitiated), were either “common knowledge” or not as ground-breaking as I expected them to be.

(Note however, this might be user error: I personally have a lot of experience with collecting games, so much of what Pane says in these sections were facts I already knew, and several of my friends could speculate. A person who isn’t as experienced in collecting games, or for those who don’t realize game collecting is an genuine lifestyle, might actually really enjoy these sections, as they would learn a little more about the metagame community of more than just playing games in new lights. My gripes are my own fault.)

 

Regardless, I would highly recommend Mega Man 3 by Salvatore Pane. Pane’s writing is enticing and charming, and even if you don’t have any investment in ‘Mega Man’, you would still find a way to sympathize with (and learn from) Pane.

 

You can find a copy of Mega Man 3 here. (A hard copy is 15$, and the digital version is 5$. It’s definitely worth it!)

 

Being a graduate student in philosophy, I don’t actually have a lot of time to do some recreational reading. Most of the time, I spend my time doing homework, reading philosophical articles and excerpts (and of course, playing video games, much to my professor’s chagrin). Very rarely does a book or text come into my life that I can postpone my current priorities and devote time to it.

However, one such book did just this. Guardians of Life by Evan Butler (generously gifted to me by the author). Since the copy that was sent to me was a PDF, I actually didn’t know what to expect. I wasn’t sure of the genre or prose, or even if it was a work of fiction or nonfiction (perhaps this would’ve been the exception to the “don’t judge a book by its cover”). I had originally thought it was a generic work of fantasy, but I was glad to be proven wrong. What resulted was that I devoted half of a Saturday simply reading the entire book, when much more pressing matters were to be done.

Guardians of Life is a nonfiction piece that explicates the author’s experiences being a lifeguard (hence, the title). It features episodes which detail the misadventures that he and his coworkers had gotten into, from deceiving a safety inspector to causing a diabetic person to lose their insulin and faint (they revived him, don’t worry).

What you’d probably expect from something like this is some autobiographical details about a job, some life lessons, yada yada yada. However, this book excels in  three particular ways. One, and fundamentally, it is hilarious. Very seldomly do I laugh out loud when I’m by myself, and even more rare is when I am reading a book. However, Guardians of Life crosses the threshold of books that made me laugh aloud. There’s so many great scenes, all without having to resort to raunchiness or forced comedy. It’s genuinely funny. (I particularly found it funny as I had myself worked in customer service, and could empathize with the characters described in the book).

Second, this book is, believe it or not, educational. Not in the sense of some academic textbook that’s dry and merely an instrument of memorization. Rather, there are several parts which show that Butler had studied chemistry and forensics. Moreover, he is able to describe these things in a down-to-earth manner that even the uninitiated (such as yours truly) would be able to understand these concepts. If the term “educational” unnerves you, don’t worry about it. It’s educational in the sense that you’ll learn something about science and chemistry without route memorization expected in a class. It’s worth your time.

Finally, and unexpectedly, this book does a great job offering life advice. I was actually surprised when I read it and in between the humor and education, there are heartfelt instances of empathy and connection. Understand, I have never been a lifeguard. However, I still found inspiration in what Butler writes, and I’m sure most would as well. Even if you don’t agree with everything that Butler says, I think that you could find something that you could take with you.

The only mark against Guardians of Life that I can actually speak of is that it seems that it could have been proofread one or two more times. You’ll come across the occasional typo, misspelling, or syntax error. Usually these are just merely distracting–it isn’t so bad that the text becomes impenetrable. (Although I will admit, I like looking through texts and finding errors and typos. There’s something charming about seeing authors make mistakes in their books.)

Really, I have to recommend this book. As I said before, I actually decide to spend half my Saturday reading Guardians of Life despite the amount of work that I always seem to need to be doing. I don’t regret it. The book was well-written, enjoyable, and entertaining, that I could overlook a few spelling errors. I think that most people would also appreciate the book, especially if they are interested in reading for pleasure rather than philosophical understanding.

You can check the book out on Amazon (the Kindle version seems to be on sale for 10$) and Lulu (for 5.20$) I don’t know how long these sales last, but even at full price, the book is worth it.

Jasper Byrne is a name that is coming up more and more in the indie game scene. You may know the name from games like Hotline Miami and Hotline Miami 2 (which he had created music for) and Lone Survivor (a game that Byrne had created). I haven’t played Lone Survivor, but I have played HM and HM2, and the music by Byrne from those games are fantastic.

A few weeks ago, Byrne dropped a new album, called Ghost Drives. And man oh man, what an album it is. I’ve been getting more and more into electronic music (incidentally, due to video game soundtracks like HM and HM2!), and it’s cool to see that e-musicians have been pretty active as of late as well. I’ll just start of by saying that if you like electronic music focused on beats and ambiance, you’re gonna dig this album.

Many of the tracks are softer, making it perfect for listening to for ambiance or atmosphere. Byrne doesn’t go for dirty synth sounds like those of Carpenter Brut or Pertubator, but I don’t think that it diminishes the value of the album. If anything, it’s an album you might want to check out if you’re looking for some relaxing but upbeat music.

You might think that I’m saying that Ghost Drives is all about bass and percussion, but really, there are a lot of cool melodies that pervade the songs. The melodies and harmonies are, again, soft and consonant, so this album is perfect if you’re interested in music that you can listen to while attending to something else as well. Some perfect examples of the integration between the bass, drums, and melodies are “Why,” “Untold,” and the title track, “Ghost Drives.” As you could probably guess, these are some of my personal favorite tracks as well.

Other tracks revel in how atmospheric they are. “Last Chance,” for example (which apparently had about 70 different versions!) doesn’t have a notable melody, nor is it a super fast track, but it’s such a chill track that makes you want to sit back and take it in. Similarly, “My Odyssey” uses several lines of bass which gives it a smooth and snazzy feel, giving it an almost swing-like quality to it.

If you enjoy e-music, particularly of the relaxing and atmospheric kind, Jasper Byrne’s Ghost Drives is for you. I picked it up on release day and I’ve been listening to it over and over, especially when I’m working on something. If anything, it’s a great album if you’re looking for some smooth, easy listening.

You can pick up Ghost Drives on Jasper Byrne’s bandcamp here for 10 bucks. You can even sample the songs before you buy it, such that you know what exactly you’re getting. I highly recommend the tracks “Ghost Drives,” “Untold,” “Hot Dreams,” “In The Venue,” and “Vibes.” Seriously, you should check this album out!

Boss Fight Books just concluded their Season 3 Kickstarter which includes games such as Katamari Damacy, Kingdom Hearts, and  Mega Man 3. One book is ready to hit shelves so far from season 3: Super Mario Bros. 3 by Alyse Knorr.

I have read most of the BFB catalog (minus the S3 items) and I can say with certainty and confidence that I have yet to be disappointed by any of these books. Each book is so unique and different from the rest of the catalog (inevitably, as different writers have different writing styles), but nevertheless each BF book is interesting, enjoyable, and thought-provoking.

Alyse Knorr’s SMB3 is a brilliant edition to the catalog for, I think, many reasons. For one, there is much care into the research and information that Knorr puts into the book. My own knowledge of SMB3‘s development is limited and what Knorr has provided has been both useful and education. In addition, Knorr expertly describes what SMB3 is like for those who may not be as familiar to the game. As such, if a reader is worried that they may be bogged down reading SMB3 because she had not played it somehow…have no fear–Knorr does a fantastic job describing SMB3 with such elegance and pleasantness that one needn’t worry about whether or not they had played Super Mario Bros. 3.

Perhaps most importantly (at least to me), I think the reason why SMB3 is a fantastic read and excellent addition to the BFB catalog is because, intermixed with bits of research and information, is storytelling. Knorr gets intimate with the reader, discussing her own personal story, experience, and journey–not just with SMB3 but with herself and others. She describes experiences such as how she would watch her father play Super Mario Bros. 3 or how she felt embarrassed when she went to parties and friends would whip out their old NESs with SMB3. In addition, the bits of storytelling that Knorr brings up is the reason why I am such a huge fan of Boss Fight Books in general. Unique and surprising perspectives of individuals in video games have always interested me, and I believe that these perspectives give us new lens to look at video games. Instead of looking at them as toys, we ought to look at them as experiences or forms of art. And reading Knorr’s perspective on SMB3 highlights this shift from games as toys or forms of entertainment to games as important historical artifacts that have the power to change lives and histories. Many Boss Fight books excel in this (one reason why I particularly love them), and SMB3 is no exception. If you are interested in video games being something more than just entertainment, SMB3 is a book for you. Knorr’s writing is so pleasant, her stories are so heartwarming and engaging, and her persepctive so refreshing, that it seems obvious that I have to recommend this book to any and all who care about video games and minorities’ perspectives on them.

Honestly, my only complaint for this book is…that it is too short. I read it in 3 sittings, over the course of 2 days. (To be fair, even if the length was doubled, I still would have thought it to be too short–it’s that good.)

So, if you are interested in reading Knorr’s SMB3, it comes out July 18th, 2016 and can be found here (about $5 for the ebook, but hard copies will also be available). I am confident that if you care about video games you would enjoy it.

(Also, if you want to check out the other books offered by Boss Fight, you can check them out at https://bossfightbooks.com/. I highly recommend them).

 

 

Shadow Warrior has its roots in PC gaming since 1997, when the first Shadow Warrior game came out. The first Shadow Warrior was very much in the vein as games like Duke Nukem 3D, DOOM, and Quake, in which one lone protagonist faces off against an army or horde of aliens and demons. It had the 2.5D graphics of FPSs of old (you play on a 3D field, but everything is consisted of a 2D sprite or image).

I picked up the rebooted Shadow Warrior (2013 from Devolver and Flying Wild Hog) a while ago and decided to give it a try (I was in an FPS mood, I guess!). I didn’t play the original Shadow Warrior, but I played games like Duke Nukem and DOOM. I knew that the game was supposed to be a sort of machoistic action-movie game where you kill everything in sight. Normally, games I think try to take this trope but often fall flat (for whatever reason). I was not expecting to enjoy Shadow Warrior so much, but man, I really like it. Here’s a few reasons why:

First, the game’s combat is badass. As in, I’m-going-to-chop-off-five-demons’-heads-in-one-swing badass. The combat is fast-paced, rewarding, and challenging, offering a person to play how they want (I was particularly fond of using the melee, but would use my firearms sometimes). Shadow Warrior succeeds in making the player feel like he is in an action movie, with the agency of “I’m going to kill these demons how I want to kill them.” When I play an FPS, often I’m not as immersed in it as I would like to be, because I feel as though many FPSs either take themselves too seriously, not seriously enough, or suffer from contradictory narratives (e.g. by making the protagonist be some sort of overmacho masculine guy who is supposed to be a badass but when you play him like a sort of Rambo, he dies easily). Shadow Warrior, on the other hand, does well in making you feel like Rambo, without the silly punishment of dying for doing so.

Another aspect of the game that I particularly enjoyed is the narrative. I initially thought it was simply going to be Demons Have Invaded Earth: The Game but the narrative is a lot more complex than that (much to my delight). Actually, the story is a lot better than one would expect from it (particularly because I was expecting this to be the Chinese version of Duke Nukem). I won’t go more into detail, as to spoil what makes the story, maybe not great, but better than you would expect.

Of course, that’s not to say that Shadow Warrior does everything right. The humor, for example, is kinda funny the first few times, but man, wang jokes get old really quick (the protagonist is named Lo Wang, which is the cause of these genitalia-related jokes). I don’t hold the jokes against the game. After all, it is a reboot of Shadow Warrior series, which thrived on racial and genitalia humor. But, after a while of these, I became sort of numb to them. That may be a personal failing on my part, but after a while I was less interested in the jokes and more in the story and the gameplay. If you get a kick out of fart humor, maybe it wouldn’t get old for you.

Still, Shadow Warrior pushes a lot of “right” buttons. The gameplay kicks ass, the art is fantastic (especially the drawn cutscenes), and the story is enjoyable as well. My last comment will be on the boss fights.

They fucking rule.

After playing Shadow Warrior, I don’t think I will enjoy typical FPS bosses who are basically bullet sponges who don’t die until their (arbitrary) red bar goes down to zero. Shadow Warrior also has this, but it’s less of “Let’s keep shooting each other” and more of what a boss fight should be (Zelda boss fans might particularly enjoy these bosses).

In any case, I really liked the game. That being said, I hope I don’t get your hopes too high up and you expect the next greatest game of all time. Shadow Warrior has flaws, one might say, but it’s still fun. It’s fast-paced, enjoyable, and if nothing else, goes on sale from time to time, so you can pick it up cheap.

 

(I didn’t take any good pictures. My bad!)

 

So I’ve been negligent despite saying I was going to try hard to keep my blog updated. I keep forgetting/not posting regularly and I said I was not going to do that.

Sorry.

But! I’ve been a writing kick, and I want to keep this thing alive. Here are things that are keeping me busy:

• Work
• Researching stuff for my master’s thesis
• Researching stuff for a book (currently, it’s a secret…to everyone)
• Researching stuff for a conference submission about games
• Playing games (not enough of them, however!)
• (Re)learning how to play guitar
• Revising papers/writing
• Reading

 

So yeah. It’s a lot.

But! All of this is productive in my life (yes, even playing games is productive). I’ve got a hold of a few books that I’ve been meaning to check out, from David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest to Mark Danielewski’s House of Leaves. I’ve been working on writing, which was the point of this blog, so my neglect wasn’t the worst thing that could have happened.

What to expect from over the next few days/weeks: I’ve got three things to review–2 games and a book. I hope to bring them to you over the next few days, so look out for them. In addition, I’ve been working on a book (like…actually working on it). I don’t want to give too much away too quickly, so every so often I’ll bring up or show what I’ve been working on (and if you have thoughts, opinions, or suggestions, I would love to hear them!).

I also have been putting a list together of things I’ve been wanting to check out. This includes music, games, movies, and others. If you have any recommendations, I would love to hear them.

In any case, I hope you stay tuned for more randomness that comes out of my keyboard!

 

 

 

The most intimate we get is when we start swearing at each other.

I opened my cup, removing the lid which revealing the tea occupying the cup. I had six packets of sugar with me,  and began adding them to the cup, slowly. One by one, I ripped a corner of each packet, letting the contents fall into the cup, pinching thoroughly as not to waste any sugar. As I finished each packet, I put the corpse on a napkin and grabbed another one until I finished all goddamn six packets. As I was mesmerized by this routine–opening a packet, spilling it, pinching it, and discarding it onto a pile of other empty packets–I began thinking how much time I’ve wasted doing so. It must’ve been a solid minute and a half, or even two minutes, and so I’ve wasted about two minutes just with adding sugar to my tea, which would have been fine even without the sugar. I began thinking about how I will die someday, and I could have had an extra two minutes of life if I didn’t have the six packets of sugar, which then had to be added to the tea (I couldn’t have walked around with six packets of sugar in my pocket!), and in order to be less wasteful, I was thorough with each packet, making sure no grains were wasted in this process. I finished this ritual, still thinking about how much time it wasted, and how I will die one day, and I could have had extra time had I not wasted it on something as trivial as putting sugar in my tea (which once again, did not need the sugar–I could have enjoyed the tea with or without the sugar, but I didn’t have any honey, and I wanted it to be sweet, but again, did not need to add it: it was merely because I had six packets and didn’t want to walk around carrying them). Eventually, this process was completed, with the six empty packets lying on top of each other haphazardly, I realized how long this was taking, and that I had to throw them away. I eventually did so, realizing that I had been paying too much attention to this process–opening the six packets, the pinching, the laying down (as not to cause an awful mess), and most importantly, that I became aware that this was taking too long and that I began thinking of my own death, and how wasteful I became with time, especially in this case. Yet, as I became aware of this fact, I grew strangely happy with myself, aware that perhaps this experience wasn’t so wasteful as I thought.

Perhaps the greatest gift others can give to us is to take us seriously.

Heya folks!

I apologize for not keeping up lately! The reason is mostly because I’ve been pretty busy with school and such, but also because I’ve been having trouble keeping up with pertinent and interesting topics. I don’t want to just talk about whether games are good or bad, but rather why I think games are important. It’s kind of difficult to do, especially trying to convince people who don’t share the opinions as you.

I guess the purpose of this update is to pretty much say that I plan on trying to keep up with this blog. That being said, I’m finding myself more and more interested in talking about stories and ideas that I get from people, and the import I get from it (and maybe import you can too!). It’s kind of a weird update, to tell someone that I’m going to be telling stories and reciting ideas I’ve heard from other people. I don’t know exactly what I mean to do with them, other than to collect them and post them here. We’ll see how that goes.

That’s not to say I won’t make original contributions! I’ll definitely be putting up my own thoughts, rants, complaints, compliments, ideas, etc. Basically, I’ll try to make this a little more informal so it’d be easier for me to write up  here.

Lastly, I plan on doing National Poetry Month where I write a poem every day for the month of April. Maybe I won’t post my poetry, but maybe some ideas if you’re interested in reading or writing!

And of course, if you have any ideas or anything you want me to think about, let me know! I’m sure to give it some thought!