A Bit of Geek

Throwing in the towel.

2015-01-18T18:30:00.001-08:00

A Bit of Geek was a good run and a good effort. It's done now though. I've transferred all of the content from the past two years back onto this blogspot account from Wordpress. I didn't want to lose anything and good ol' Google is here to save the day for me.

Thank you to Rachel, Zach, Tom, Eve, and Caleb for their contributions. At least this will be here for when we want to revisit what we've written, and we can always write something new for old time's sake!

-MJ

Sculpt Video - The House from My Neighbor Totoro

2014-12-26T00:00:00.000-08:00

I am proud to present the House from My Neighbor Totoro! This was a commission from my friend to his lovely wife. She, too, is enchanted by the amazing home in this Studio Ghibli classic :)

-MJ

When the Creator of a Beloved Game Sees Your Fan Art

2014-12-10T00:00:00.000-08:00

Life is funny. If you had told 8 year old me that someday she would get to have a personal email exchange with one of the co-creators of Toejam & Earl and ask him questions about the game, she would have been excited at the idea, and hopeful probably, but wouldn’t have thought it was possible.

Well 8 year old me, it happened, it was awesome, he’s super nice, he likes your art, AND you got one of your burning life-long questions answered: Are they saying, “Whoa, shit!” when they’re about to fall off the cliff?!

Sadly, no.

But onward to the story!

Some photos from a recent play through of Toejam & Earl for the Sega.

In January of this year (fabulous 2014) I completed a Toejam & Earl paper art piece. I was proud of it and thrilled to have made it. Toejam & Earl is a childhood and life-long favorite game of mine and my sister’s. If two video games defined my early years, they would be Mario 3 and Toejam & Earl. There were other games of course but those two were played the most, and they continue to be played by my sister and me even to this day. The first time we beat Toejam & Earl I was about 18 years old; we had been whole hog dedicated to that title for a solid 10 years!

The week before Thanksgiving I had a day like any other day. That is until I received an email alerting me to the presence of a new comment on my Toejam & Earl paper art photos. I checked it out and discovered that someone claiming to be one of the co-creators of Toejam & Earl had found my art and really liked it, and posted it on their official Facebook page. He invited me to check out the page and to e-mail him if I liked.

Now, I like to think I’m optimistic but I also don’t like to be fooled, and the internet is chock full of liars. So, I proceeded with caution. First I looked for the Facebook page, which I found, and sure enough there was my art! I scrolled for a bit and discovered that it was totally legit, and then I may have cried a little? But then I got it together and sent him (Greg Johnson) an email expressing my thanks for the comment and his compliment, as well as my unending love of the game series.

What followed was a very pleasant e-mail exchange where I was able to tell him everything I loved about Toejam & Earl and I got to ask any questions that had been on my mind for the last 20 years. He told me about the most recent game he’s made, Doki Doki Universe, and even gave me a download code so I could play it on my PS3. On top of that he offered to send me some signed Toejam & Earl art as a token of appreciation. Talk about a crazy nice guy!

(Note: I plan on writing a little about my experience with Doki Doki Universe once I've had a chance to dive into it!)

He had such wonderful and encouraging things to say about my paper art, and it was a wacky ass dream come true to get to talk to one of the people responsible for SO much happiness and gaming in my life.

A nice shout out to my sister from an email exchange from Greg.

Greg is currently working toward a new Toejam & Earl title and personally I could not be more excited. His Facebook page is promoting interest in the quirky series and he’s also hosting a lot of game-based quizzes with signed art up for prizes! He wants to hear from people on what they love and hate (who could hate any of it?) about the games, and what they hope to see in a new release. Any Toejam & Earl fans owe it to themselves to get in on the fun and have their voices heard!

So that’s my story. It was an honor to hear from him and a total thrill to have my art seen by one of THE creators of the game. He was also so kind and genuine, which is a rarity in my experience. I’m thankful that the internet exists and allowed this crazy thing to happen!

-MJ

People Portraits - My Sister's Family

2014-11-28T00:00:00.000-08:00

This is the last practice commission that I did and it was for my sister. She requested a portrait of her and her entire family (pets included!).

-MJ

TMNT Pizza Time Paper Sculpt!

2014-11-21T00:00:00.000-08:00

This was commissioned by a friend for her husband for their anniversary!

-MJ

Final Fantasy 8 Diary - Entry 24

2014-11-10T00:00:00.000-08:00

My Top 10 Horror Films

2014-11-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

I know, I know. Halloween was LAST week. But A) My articles come out on the first of the month and B) Who cares? Scary movies are great all year round. So let's dig into this.

I love horror movies. Ever since I watched my first horror film as a kid(It was “Child's Play” and to make matters worse, I had one of those buddy dolls in my closet at the time), I've been enthralled with them. There's something so thrilling about watching a film that inspires true terror in you that it causes you to think about it in the darkness of your bed. As a filmmaker, it's a difficult feat to accomplish and one that depends on the individual viewer. But if it is achieved, it stays with that person and lingers in their psyche. And I love it.

I've watched my fair share of horror films, some good, some terrible. I wouldn't call myself a horror film connoisseur, but I do pride myself on having seen some truly horrifying films.

So here at A Bit of Geek, I'd like to present to you my own personal list of the top scary films.

*I preface the list with the claim that this list is subjective to my personal opinion. If you do not find these films scary, that's fine. But I do and I think they merit praise.

So without further delay, I present

MY TOP 10 HORROR FILMS

10. The Blair Witch Project (1999)

You'd be hard pressed to find anyone who hasn't heard of this movie. It was a big hit in its time and is arguably the predecessor of the “Found Footage” horror genre of movies.

And while I will openly admit the movie doesn't have a satisfying payoff, the build up is still terrifying to watch. From the fearful frustration of the filmmakers as they wander through the woods to the subtle torture by the Blair Witch, it's a fright to watch unfold. You can almost feel the fear of these filmmakers. Definitely worth a viewing(even if you can cut out the last 10 minutes of the film)

The Scariest Scene of the Movie:

At this point in the film, the filmmakers have been lost for some time and been harassed by the Blair Witch each night. So they decided to make their tent and try to sleep out the night, hoping for peace....

9. Dead Silence (2007)

There are some things that are inherently scary to us as human beings: clowns, spiders, the dark, Beliebers and, of course, puppets. It's hard to say why we have such a fear of puppets. Maybe it's their lifeless eyes or the fact that they can't tell a lie, but something about them unnerves us.

Which is exactly the kind of fear that Dead Silence drives into us as viewers. It starts as a simple ghost story: a barren old woman crafted puppets in lieu of children but when some children went missing, the townsfolk blamed her and killed her. Now her spirit lingers as vengeful ghost story the people tell their children. It's a simple concept that I feel the film pulls off wonderfully, if only because of the grim creep factor of the woman and her puppets. Don't watch this one in the dark.

The Scariest Scene of the Movie:

During a recounting of the legend of the woman, one of the townsfolk recalls an incident when he was a boy. His father was the mortician and had worked on the woman's body. But when the boy went to see the body at night, he accidentally knocks the coffin over....

8. Evil Dead (2013)

Now don't get me wrong: I'm not saying this remake was better than the original series. As a huge fan of the originals, I can say they are a marvel to watch and a testament to the horror genre. But it's not the scariest of the series. The remake is.

Sure, the first Evil Dead was purely a horror film. But while it was great, the effects had a tendency to break the immersion of the film. Milk-blood and claymation just doesn't quite make the cut.

But the remake upped the production value and brought the feel of the first film to a better quality.

The grisly scenes of gore looked authentic but never over-saturated the horror of the film. It was, in my opinion, perfectly balanced between the two. One of the best remakes I've ever seen and I'm glad they did the original series justice.

The Scariest Scene in the Movie:

By this point, the evil book(Necronomicon in the originals, “Naturon Demonto” in this one) has been read and the evil is creeping into the cabin-dwellers. After being barfed on by a possessed friend, one of the girls goes to clean herself up in the bathroom. But there's more than cleanliness waiting for her there....

7. Event Horizon (1997)

I really love this movie, not only for its dark and gruesome horror, but also for its premise. The story goes that in the distant future, an experimental spaceship(named “Event Horizon”) designed to warp space vanished on its test flight. Now, seven years later, it reappears with only the haunting message of a distress signal. So a research team is sent to investigate, slowly learning that the Event Horizon did indeed warp space....with a small detour into Hell. Now the ship has a dark will of its own as the crew try to escape the horrors of Hell in space. Brilliant concept, in my opinion.

The Scariest Scene of the Movie:

When the Event Horizon sent its distress signal, a lot of the video was garbled and not a lot could be made out. But when the research team finally unscrambles the video, they suddenly wish that they had left it garbled.....(Warning: the video is not for the squeamish)

(Side note: Laurence Fishburne's line at the end? Perfect response.)

6. Jeepers Creepers (2001)

I'll admit, this movie is a bit of a nostalgia pick. When I first watched this movie, I was a teenager and my friends and I gathered around to watch it in the dark. But even today, this movie still holds some terror for me. It tells the story of two siblings, Darry and Trish, as they make their way cross-country to their mom's house for break. But on the way, they catch the notice of a grim figure who they quickly learn is anything but human. It stalks them as they unravel its dark handiwork from sewing people onto walls to cutting out whole parts of body parts. And it never stops. Not until it has one of them...

The Scariest Scene of the Movie:

The scariest part to me comes near the beginning of the movie. On the road, Darry and Trish had nearly got ran over by a large truck with the vanity plate “BEATINGU”(Which you learn later on stands for something else..). They siblings continue on the road until they see a house on the left. And BEATINGU....

5. The Conjuring (2013)

When I first went into The Conjuring, I'll admit I was a little skeptical. It was made by the James Wan, the director of the Insidious movies and like Insidious, even starred Patrick Wilson as the lead. And while the Insidious movies were fine in their own right, I went into The Conjuring thinking it was just going to be an Insidious-clone. But I was wrong. It actually had a compelling story about two paranormal investigators as they looking into a family's haunting. It quickly begins to escalate and soon, all hell breaks loose(so to speak). It exceeded my expectations and left me feeling satisfied as a horror lover.

The Scariest Scene of the Movie:

Funnily enough, the scariest scene of the movie for me didn't have actually have anything to do with the main story. It was the opening sequence, where the investigators are looking into a demon-possessed doll named Annabelle. And yes, it was just a setup for the spinoff movie, but the scene was actually a great little horror story within a bigger horror story. It started off the movie on a good note and kept that level of quality all throughout the film.

4. Slither (2006)

I was hesitant to add this film to the list because a lot of times, it's almost a comedic film. But it left me with a such a sense of disturbance and terror at the mere premise of it that it merited a rank on my list.

It's a classic alien-in-the-hometown story: an alien crashes near a home town, terrorizes it and then the heroes of the film have to figure out a way to kill the creature. Simple stuff, right?

Wrong. Slither takes that premise and runs wild with it, making the alien create such nauseating horrors that they will haunt your mind even after you're done filming. Things like worms infesting your brain, mutations that force you to eat until you explode or giving your body to become part of a hive-mind of human body mass. It disturbed me, but not in a gruesome way, which is how it should be. Would definitely recommend this movie(And it's got Nathan Fillion in it!)

The Scariest Scene of the Movie:

The scariest part for me was what the alien does to some of the townsfolk: implanting a special slug that forces them to eat and eat. One of main characters, who had survived until the end of the film, meets this fate and begins to eat people against his will. Eventually, he is mercy killed but the thought of this fate haunts me even today.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find a clip of this, so instead, here's a clip of a bloated-infected woman bursting at the seams!

3. Paranormal Activity (2007)

I really liked this film. I know a lot of you have probably already seen it and have your own opinions on the movie, but I for one really liked it(the first one, at least). For those not aware, the story follows a young couple as they video tape their experience of being haunted from what they at first assume to be a ghost(but later learn it is a demon...muhahaha!). What I really enjoyed about this film was the natural progression of the terror and how the escalation felt natural. In the beginning, there's not much. A few doors that open on their own or sounds coming from other areas of the house. But then it intensifies, eventually leaving the young couple crippled in terror. And while the ending had as much satisfaction as any other Found Footage movie, I felt like as a stand alone movie, Paranormal Activity was excellent. One of my favorites.

Scariest Scene in the Movie:

It's near the end of the film, when the demon has become overly aggressive in its hauntings. The demon enters the bedroom and, seeing Katie's overhanging foot, decides to have a little fun. I remember being the film, watching this scene, and knowing that that's when the shit really hit the fan. Best scene, in my opinion.

2. The Fly (1986)

This movie is one of my all-time favorite horror films. It took an old film's concept(scientist accidentally crosses himself with a fly) and brought it to a gruesome and repulsive level. With better production value and a more modern take, this version brings real terror as you watch the gradual change from man to fly-man hybrid. Not to mention Jeff Goldblum's performance was beyond superb. And the effects? Breathtaking. I myself am more of a practical effects kind of guy and this movie nails it on the head. Watching Goldblum's devolution into the fly-man is grisly and fascinating at the same time. Definitely worth watching if you love horror films.

The Scariest Scene of the Movie:

I know I am doing the movie a discredit by showing you this, but really the best(and scariest) part of the film is the ending, when you finally see the full transformation of the Brindle-Fly. Not only this, but his twisted plan is appaling and terrifying to consider and poor Geena Davis is helpless to fight it. Really fantastic. But if you want to watch the movie, skip this scene for right now because the build up makes this scene all the more powerful.

1. The Thing (1982)

To those whom know me, this comes as no surprise that my all-time favorite horror film is John Carpenter's “The Thing.” The movie is such a brilliant film in so many ways that I can only scratch the surface in this review. To those not familiar, the movie focuses on an American research station in Antarctica as they come under attack by a shape shifting alien. It's a being that can perfectly replicate an organism as the researchers soon learn when some of their own are replicated. From then, the movie is all about the paranoia of the researchers as they abandon their trust of one another and try to survive the deceptions of the Thing. Not only is this compelling storytelling at first impression, but the effects are fantastic, even for an 80's film. When the Thing is caught on occasion, it transforms into a form to fight off its attackers, assuming whatever shape it deems necessary. And it's disturbing.

I've seen this film nearly a hundred times and it still enthralls me. If you can only see one film from this list, make it John Carpenter's “The Thing.”

Scariest Scene from the Movie:

One of the best scenes in the film comes after the Thing has already imitated some of the researchers. While in a squabble amongst themselves, one of the researchers has a heart attack. So they pull him into one of the rooms and the doctor attempts to restart his heart with a defibrillator....

So that's my list, ABOGers! I hope you enjoyed it and make a point to go out and give these films a try.

If you have thoughts on the movies listed or want to add some favorites of your own, leave a comment below or say so on our Facebook page.

Until next time,

Tom

Firefly Serenity Paper Art Video

2014-10-31T01:00:00.000-07:00

The fourth practice commission that I made! The background was supplied by my friend Chavid (the piece was also for him).

-MJ

Final Fantasy 8 Diary - Entry 23

2014-10-27T01:00:00.000-07:00

2D Paper Art - The Legend of Zelda Dungeons

2014-10-24T01:38:00.000-07:00

Here's a little something I made for Zach for the Zelda subreddit gift exchange a few months ago. It was fun! And challenging. And you know. Maybe it wasn't that fun. There are so many geometric shapes, you know? But I think it's pretty cool, and I think the recipient really enjoyed it.

-MJ

Final Fantasy 8 Diary - Entry 22

2014-10-13T01:00:00.000-07:00

Superheroines in Film: The Case for Wonder Woman and Black Widow

2014-10-06T01:00:00.000-07:00

For all the progress comics have made since their inception, there's still many areas where they fall short. Despite its advancement in addressing social issues and its providing of racially diverse heroes, comics are still generally a male-dominated genre.

Sure, publishers are accepting more and more that they have female readers and they're steering away from the misogynistic storytelling of their early comics.

But as I said, for all their progress on the matter of fairness amongst the sexes, there's still a lot more that can be made. The focus of their comics, for the most part, still focus on the male heroes.

For every Ms. Marvel story Marvel puts out, there's six different stories on Spider-man they have on the shelf.

Not only this, but the number of notable female leads publishers choose to focus on is minute at best.

Quick: name me one female super hero!

Did your mind instantly go to Wonder Woman? That's fine, she's a great example of a strong female superheroine.

Batgirl, maybe? Another prime example of a positive superheroine role model.

Now name me 5 other superheroines.

Then 5 more.

If you're struggling to come up with names on the list, then I've made my point.

You could probably come up with a minimum of 10 male heroes to fill the list: Superman, Batman, Spider-man, Ironman, Thor, Captain America, Hulk, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Flash.

There, 10 male superheroes. And I didn't even have to break into the second-tier heroes.

I'm talking, of course, about the Whizzer.

Don't get the wrong impression. I'm not saying there are no female superheroine stories. To say that would be a discredit to the hard working artists and writers who work diligently put their efforts into great, existing titles.

What I'm trying to get across is that even for all that is being done, there could be more.

More focus could be shifted, more creations of superheroines that would inspire.

A prime opportunity of this is in the film industry.

Right now, superhero films are booming. They're thriving more than they ever have in history and the film industry is finally giving us writers and filmmakers worthy of creating fantastic superhero stories.

No longer do we have the “Daredevil”s, but instead are given “Guardians of the Galaxy.”

And yet, despite this, not one good film with a female lead.

Now, you might be saying to yourself, “Tom, there have already been superheroine movies from both DC and Marvel.”

Too true, Hypothetical-Naysayer-I-Just-Made-Up.

DC have had two female-lead films, “Supergirl”(1984) and “Catwoman”(2004).

Marvel, “Elektra”(2004).

And every one of them has been universally hated.

Based on reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, each movie were considered dismal failures that soured the superhero film genre. Supergirl receives an 8%; Catwoman, a 9%; and Elektra bringing up the highest of the three with a 10% approval rating.

One might wonder as to why these films did so poorly. Sure, the finger can be pointed to a lot of things:

Cheesy effects, bad writing, poorly chosen actresses(*Achem*Halle Berry*Achem).

But if you want my honest opinion, I think a major contribution is the times these movies were released in.

When “Supergirl” was released, there had already been three Superman movies, each met with critical success. But superhero movies were still largely a niche genre that only catered to the most prominent of heroes. And they wouldn't receive the kick in the pants from Tim Burton's “Batman: The Movie” until five years later, in 1989.

And then we have “Elektra” and “Catwoman.” Both were released in 2004, just at the dawn of the upswing of superhero movies. I've talked before about how I consider 2000's “X-men” and 2002's “Spider-Man” to be the catalysts of the superhero film fascination, and this remains true.

However, this meant during their wake in the early 2000s, there were a lot of awkward superhero movies. This meant movies that, although having a decent budget and interest, were clunky and/or just bad. Poor director choices, bad actor performances and awkward scripts that tried to maintain the dynamic between comic lore and general fan attraction were all contributing factors.

The film industry was taking their baby steps into the superhero genre, and they were ugly steps.

Two of such ugly steps were “Elektra” and “Catwoman,” who although they featured female protagonists, were still poorly done.

Coincidentally enough, the superhero genre would receive yet another kick in the pants from Batman the following year with “Batman Begins.” Its critical success prompted Marvel to retaliate with its Cinematic Universe, starting with “Iron Man” in 2008.

To me, this is where superhero films really came to head, utilizing proper effects, amazing actors and well constructed writing that brought special attention to character development. The recent surge in ticket sales in superhero movies is a testament to this, which is why I consider this the best time for superhero movies.

....mostly.

And it's also why I consider it time for a good superheroine movie.

This means a battle between Marvel and DC's two prominent female characters: Black Widow and Wonder Woman, respectively.

Before the Marvel Cinematic Universe, not many people knew or cared about Black Widow. She was an alternate character who'd they would bring in if they needed an espionage storyline or some thrilling tale of deceit. But after Scarlett Johansson took up the role in “Iron Man 2” and then her follow-up performance in “The Avengers,” suddenly Black Widow was a somebody. She was standing toe-to-toe with Iron man, Captain America and Thor as an equal and valued member of the team. Not only this, but her portrayal in film was one of genuine character strength. She was a strong woman capable of exceeding expectations and who had complex, compelling emotions and thoughts. I applaud ScoJo's performance for giving us a female character whom fans can look up to as a positive role model (albeit the whole “Being-a-deadly-assassin” part)

I'm really curious how this comes up in the kids' show...

Inversely, DC's trying to match Marvel's success with “The Avengers” by bringing in a setup for the Justice League in “Batman Superman: Dawn of Justice.” This of course means Batman and Superman, but it also means the other members like Aquaman and, above all else, WONDER WOMAN.

H'ooohhhhhh man!

Wonder Woman, finally getting a role in a major film?! We've been waiting for this for forever!

We've had umpteenth Batman movies and so many Superman movies, but never a film featuring the mighty Amazonian princess. And it's about time because, let's face it, Wonder Woman is badass. She rips cars apart, flies, and punches out bad guys just as easily as Superman. She also makes it her business distributing justice to Nazis wholesale.

It really should be on every superhero resume.

However, our victory is shortened by the fact that, despite being considered a member of equal importance to Batman and Superman in the League, her first film appearance is as a support character where the primary focus are the boys in black and blue.

But I'll reserve further criticism until the film is released.

What I will say is that both of these women represent a strong opportunity to bring a superheroine in a featured film, each for their own reasons.

Black Widow has already been established in film and has been shown as a strong woman capable of getting shit done. To me, she's every bit as capable as Captain America, so why not give her her own movie? Take her out as a supporting character and bring her into the spotlight. We've already seen that Johansson can portray her with the dynamic of being badass, emotionally complex, and morally righteous at her core. Seeing more of that would be fantastic. Plus, she's already been integrated as an equally important Avenger, so why not take the chance?

As for Wonder Woman, the waters are still untested. Because the movie she's featured in has yet to release, there's no telling how she'll come across. They could have her only as a supporting character who takes up arms with the boys or she'll be as much of a contender as the title characters.

It's still unknown.

But what is certain is that she's DC's best chance for a superheroine title character on the silver screen. Out of all DC's characters, Wonder Woman is the most deserving for her own movie. And the recent surge in superhero popularity shows that audiences want to see well done, compelling superhero stories. Why can't it be Wonder Woman?

It all depends on how she's portrayed in Dawn of Justice and how the audience receives her in her film debut.

But let's face it: Wonder Woman's been due for her own movie for a loooooooong time.

Now, both Marvel and DC have movies deadlocked well into 2018. This might be discouraging if not for earlier this year, when due to the positive response from leaked footage, the Deadpool movie was finally green lit and added to Marvel's movie roster.

So I say it's entirely possible to add a Black Widow or Wonder Woman movie into this lineup, or any other superheroines they choose to try out.

The future remains to be seen for superheroines in film, but it's progress I hope to see come to fruition in the next few years.

We can do it!

-Tom

Header Image Source, Source

Midna - Twilight Princess Paper Art Video

2014-09-26T01:00:00.000-07:00

A paper piece made for the lovely Rachel for her birthday! Enjoy watching Midna fromThe Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess come to life!

-MJ

Final Fantasy 8 Diary - Entry 21

2014-09-22T01:00:00.000-07:00

Final Fantasy 8 Diary - Entry 20

2014-09-08T01:00:00.000-07:00

The Perfect Horror Game

2014-09-01T01:05:00.000-07:00

I've always been a fan of horror. I enjoy scary movies, frightening books and just about every other form of medium that horror slithers itself into. There's just something so enthralling about that fear, dread and nausea that specifically comes from horror. Video games, too, are just as captivating. So it makes perfect sense why horror and video games have blended so well together over the years. Sometimes for good, sometimes for bad.

I myself recently picked up a horror game I've long been meaning to play: Dead Space. For those unfamiliar, either because you don't play many games or you're like our wonderful Miranda who cringes at the thought of horror, Dead Space is a game that takes place on a space station that's gone quiet. You play as a character sent to investigate its mysterious silence when you run into Necromorphs, horrible abominations that infect human hosts and mutant them into grisly abominations.

But enough about Rosie O'Donnell...

And while I can certainly gave it a good try, I can't say I was a fan of Dead Space.

Now before you start flooding the comment boxes with Dead Space defense, know that I can see that the game has merit. Visually, the game looks good and the atmosphere is definitely on par, but somehow the game just didn't click with me. It had a lot of good things a horror game should have, but it just wasn't quite there.

This failure to click got me thinking: what do I consider the qualities of a good horror video game?

So, for your consideration, I present my personal take on what makes the perfect horror game.

1. Type of Horror

The first thing to consider when building a horror game is decided what type of horror it's going to be. This doesn't mean picking whether it's a horrible monster that you dread, a horrible monster that disgusts you or a horrible monster that eats you.

Last one, I promise.

What this means is the type of scare you're going to bring to the player. Basically, I can say there are three types of horror:

1 Jump Scares, where the horror pops out at you when you least suspect it.

2 Visual Scares, where the horror is presented to you in the open for you to see at length.

3 Combination Scares, which take elements from both the Visual and Jump Scares.

Jump Scares are a great way to cause a player to initially feel unsettled, not knowing when a scare is going to leap out at them. This is a good way to get the player's heart pumping and is primarily the horror that Dead Space employs. And a lot of games use it themselves, including this clip from Bioshock Infinite:

But while it has its uses, Jump Scares have their limit. Relying on them too much causes the player to begin to expect them and, even worse, suck the horror from a game. This is mostly because Jump Scares are just surprises meant to break the sense of safety. But this isn't true horror, it's just a normal human reaction when we're forced to react to something quickly.

Visual Scares try to take this onto a deeper level, appealing to your psychological fears. A good example of this type of horror is the F.E.A.R. series, where they put all the horror on display and just let you take it all in. They let it creep into your mind and scare you on a deeper level, where you're dreading what you'll find around the next corner.

This is a good type of horror to put into a game, but even it isn't perfect. The perfect horror game, in my opinion, is one that finds the balance between the two, the Combination Scares, as I like to call them.

These type of horror games are ones that blend the psychological impact of Visual Scares with the jarring disturbances of Jump Scares. They're the games that present you with a horrific visual and sound but throw a few Jump Scares every now and then to keep you off balance. Not so much that it becomes predictable but enough to keep the player from knowing what's going to happen next. This is the balance, where the player is so filled with dread from the game that it feels like genuine fear.

2. Atmosphere

Now it probably goes without saying, but without a good atmosphere, you can't have a good horror game. You can't exactly build a horror game using the Hello Kitty universe(or rather, you can, but it'd be hard to do). So you're going to have to create a game where the atmosphere reflects the horror that you're trying to instill in the player.

Now I can't get that pitch out of my head. Somebody, get on it!

This is often done by creating a setting that strikes at our most basest fears as human beings, such as the dark, confinement, the decay of death, or even our fear of predators. That's why you'll find a lot of horror games that share similar patterns to one another: small corridors shrouded in darkness, gore that signifies mortal frailty and enemies that are inhuman, beyond our rationality to fight.

A man we can fight, a monster is different.

For an example of how atmosphere can affect a game, I'll turn to Half-Life 2 as an example. A great game in itself, it's a first-person shooter where you fight mostly armed soldiers and aliens. But there is a great part of the game where the genre deviates into horror and you can see the visual change in style and presentation.

Here's how the atmosphere of the game usually is:

And here's when they shift to Ravenholm, the horror portion:

Notice the change? The change from bright, open areas to darker, more crowded alleys? This wasn't done on accident. The designers changed this intentionally to give Ravenholm a greater sense of uneasiness and dread. And it works, too. Ravenholm is one of the more terrifying parts of the game.

Good atmosphere can make a great horror game.

3. Immersion

If you're a gamer, than I can bet you've already experienced immersion in a game. That feeling when you're so engrossed in the game that you feel yourself disconnect from reality and connect to the events that are happening in the game. It happens a lot in most games but in horror games, it's essential.

Immersion is how you really scare a player because if they are enthralled into what's happening, then they momentarily feel it happening to them, as if they were the character experiencing the horrors.

This can be achieved through a number of ways.

Often, horror games will be in the first-person perspective instead of third-person. Of course, there are third-person horror games but I find the best ones are usually in first-person. The focus of first-person not only lets the player look through the eyes of the protagonist to simulate it in themselves, but it also gives them a bigger visual to view said horrors. The more you can see, the more fear can be pumped in.

Another good trick of immersion is in the audio of a game. Creepy sounds, random shrieks and primal drumbeats are great ways to get the players deeper into the game by not only appealing to their visual sense but their auditory as well. Playing a silent horror game is much less involving than playing the same game with appropriate horror sounds.

However, immersion is a fickle bitch. It's hard to achieve and even harder to maintain. It can be broken at the top of a hat, either through glitchy game mechanics or even poor design. And once you break a player's immersion into the horror game, you snap them back to reality where they're safe in their homes. Nonetheless, immersion is important to strive for and should always be a necessity of a great horror game.

4. Player Power

This last point is one that I believe has one of the strongest influence in horror video games: how powerful the player is.

Like we've talked about before, horror games are about simulating the fears of the player through the game. Fear that comes from a weak state, a state of helplessness against that which threatens us.

And the best possible way to destroy that fear is to give you a giant gun with unlimited ammo so that you may blast said fear away.

See, a lot of games have the problem of associating first-person with first-person shooters and think that the only way of making a horror game is to also give you a gun to fight the terror. But what some designers fail to realize is that the terror they want to induce in their players would be best by taking away their means to fight, to be completely helpless against the horrors they face. Having them hide and run away might not seem enthralling, but the reason their running away is because they're helpless and scared.

Take DOOM 3 for example. A good horror game, in my opinion, but which gives you plenty of weapons to shoot the horrors you face:

On the inverse of this spectrum, I'll give you Amensia: The Dark Descent, which basically only gives you a lantern:

Which would you suppose, if you were in the place of the protagonist of either game, would you choose to be in? The one where you have a gun or the one where you have a lantern?

Of course you'd choose the gun because it's a means to fight, a means to survive.

And that's exactly what you want in a horror game: to make the player feel vulnerable against the horrors.

Playing Dead Space, this was something I found to be a problem with because they tried to find the middle ground. They gave you a lot of guns that did very little against the enemies. And while this may seem like a way of creating helplessness, it's a cheap out. To the player, they've got all this fire power but none of it works. It's basically pointless and that's what breaks them out of the game.

The key is pick one of the extremes, either very powered or very underpowered, preferably the later.

So there you have it! All the proper elements I believe make a great horror game. It's not necessarily a how-to, but it is something to think about when you're playing your next horror game.

And heck, if you decide to design your own, all the better! Because now you'll know how to truly strike fear into the hearts of your players.

-Tom

Header Images Sources: Source, Source

Roadster Sculpt Video - Vroom Vroom

2014-08-29T01:00:00.000-07:00

A paper sculpt of a friend's real roadster! This was a total challenge for me since cars aren't really my thing. It was difficult to know what I was looking at in the reference photos. Hurray for challenges!

-MJ

Final Fantasy 8 Diary - Entry 19

2014-08-25T01:00:00.000-07:00

Why Captain Picard is a Great Role Model for Anyone

2014-08-22T01:00:00.000-07:00

When I was little I didn't have any heroes. There weren't any famous figures that I looked up to, or that I used as a guide for right and goodness. Except for my mom. I happen to have a mother with a strong moral and ethical compass, but not all children are so lucky. They look around themselves to determine how people, adults especially, should be acting. With the prevalence of TV shows, movies, books, and comic books in the lives of children, I believe that creators have a responsibility to make characters that can be idolized. In the absence of strong adults in person, they deserve strong adults in media.

Personally, when encountering complicated and confusing scenarios in my teenage years I would ask myself how my mom would feel about my decisions. Would she be proud? Would she think I did the right thing? Or would she be disappointed in my lack of judgment, or in my treatment of others? Who is a good role model for children?

Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the USS Enterprise, of Star Trek: The Next Generation fame, is just such a person.

Captain Picard on the bridge of the Enterprise.

In starting my Star Trek: The Next Generation journey I have come to one absolute conclusion: Captain Picard is an excellent role model. He is confident, compassionate, and respectful. He exhibits patience and understanding, and expects to see those same qualities in others. He encourages everyone around him to be their best selves possible, and he is never above seeking the advice of trusted friends and colleagues.

Let's talk about some of Picard's finest moments! And, uh, spoilers, I guess? Oh, and I'm currently half-way through season 6, so this list doesn't include any of season 7 or the movies!

1. Convincing Wesley Crusher to admit his Starfleet squad tried the Kolvoord Starburst (S05E19)

In this tension filled episode, Picard and the Enterprise crew are at Starfleet Academy and discover that Wesley Crusher is acting oddly after the death of a classmate. It is revealed that Wesley and his squad members tried an extremely dangerous, and banned, maneuver called the Kolvoord Starburst which resulted in the death of a squad member. Wesley and the rest of his group have decided to lie about the circumstances of their friend's death to avoid punishment for attempting the taboo flying formation. Captain Picard corners Wesley and reminds him of his duties to Startfleet and what it means to be an officer aboard a starship. He also threatens to reveal the secret if Wesley doesn't do so himself.

This was a touching and uncomfortable encounter between the two characters. Picard expects goodness and honesty from the people that he cares about, and everyone else, and doesn't fear backlash or people disliking him in his more blunt moments. Ultimately Wesley confesses the truth, and is better for it. Consequently he is made to re-do his final year at Starfleet, but it's a small price to pay for causing the death of a classmate, and in confronting his mistakes he learns a hard lesson about what fellow Starfleet members will expect from him in the future.

2. His horror at accidentally killing the new, unknown species (S04E16)

Star Trek: The Next Generation 'Galaxy's Child' alien creatures.

The crew of the Enterprise encounters a strange new being floating in space, and Picard's fascination at the discovery of a brand new life form is written in the wonder and excitement on his face. When the creature begins to attack the Enterprise, he orders a low power beam to be shot at it as a form of non-fatal defense. Unfortunately, this kills the creature on impact. The camera cuts back to Picard, who now looks absolutely distraught at the accidental destruction.

His value and appreciation for life of all kinds knows no bounds. Even after being attacked he wished only to defend, and not to harm in response. In his immense respect for alien beings he is constantly putting himself and his entire crew in danger, because there is no telling how the unknown will respond. And yet, he continues to give them the benefit of doubt, not only because their mission is to seek out new life, but because the lives aboard the Enterprise are no more important than those of undiscovered creatures.

3. Fighting for Data's right to autonomy and preventing his being disassembled (S02E09)

A member of the cybernetics department of Starfleet visits the Enterprise, intent on learning more about Data's positronic brain. He wishes to dismantle Data in an effort to learn about his construction, and to create more androids like him. Data refuses, opting to resign from Starfleet rather than disobey a mission command, but is then told that he is not sentient and is therefore mechanic property of Starfleet and has no choice. Picard steps in and demands an official hearing to decide whether or not Data has autonomy and a choice, and through a series of events is forced to defend Data against Commander Riker, who has been commanded to stand in as representative for the opposition.

We see an amazing display of compassion and rights activist qualities from Picard, who is adamant that Data deserves all the considerations that every other member of Starfleet is granted. He has to give his all against Riker, his Number One, and not be angry (or take personally) when Riker throws in convincing, and damning, arguments to prove that Data is not sentient. Picard values equality and justice, and didn't hesitate to protect Data from what he viewed as a gross violation of rights, no matter the cost or who he had to fight against.

4. Asking the time traveling human for help (S05E09)

When Captain Picard and the rest of the crew meet a time traveling historian from the 26th century, he encounters an ethical dilemma; the Enterprise's current mission is in assisting a planet from an accidental Ice Age, and he needs advice. There is one option to save all of the planet's inhabitants, but one slight miscalculation could end up killing everyone instead. Picard pleads with the time traveler to reveal the outcome to help decide on what they should do. The time traveler refuses to discuss any information about the event, saying he's not allowed to alter the time continuum. Normally Picard takes the Prime Directive very seriously, but he also believes that certain circumstances allow for rule breaking measures. He views this event as one of those times, and flatly asks for help in making a decision.

Picard has such great respect for rules, and decorum, and following them to a T. He also knows the value of breaking them, though. Not every situation is a one-size-fits-all, and he's not so prideful as to refuse a chance to get help when the opportunity is presented. Breaking the rules from time to time opens up new possibilities, and can lead to new information and exciting discoveries, but should be done only after careful considerations of the potential repercussions.

5. Stopping Lal from being handed over to Starfleet (S03E16)

Captain Picard and Commander Data discussing Lal in 'The Offspring.'

Lieutenant Commander Data creates an offspring that he names Lal, who is android like him, but is capable of advancing speech like a human, and can feel emotions. Picard reports the event to Starfleet command since it is technically a new life form, being not quite like Data. Admiral Haftel arrives on the Enterprise and demands that Lal be handed over for further investigation, since Starfleet has much to learn yet about Data's advanced android status. Data moves to comply, seeing as it was a direct order, but Picard steps in and orders Data to stand down and to not give Lal to Haftel. Admiral Haftel reminds Captain Picard that he is at risk of losing his ship and his rank for interfering with a direct order.

Captain Picard is able to repeatedly pair logic with emotion in his decisions. He knows that it is wrong for Lal to be given up, because she is, for all intents and purposes, Data's child, and no other member of Starfleet would be commanded to hand over their child for study. He also knows that Data is defined as sentient and has his own rights, giving Picard greater traction for his argument. Even though he risks losing his rank and his ship, he cannot stand by and allow injustice to take place on the Enterprise, or to one of his crew members.

6. Crying to his brother about his Borg encounter (S04E02)

Picard and his brother Robert after fighting in 'Family.'

In this follow-up to a two parter about Captain Picard being kidnapped and assimilated by the Borg, Picard visits his home in France and spends some time with his brother and his brother's family. While there, continually insisting that he's fine, he gets into a fight with his brother that culminates in Picard finally collapsing and allowing the trauma of his experience to show. He cries out about not being strong enough, and how vulnerable and powerless he felt in being assimilated and stripped of his identity, and eventually finds comfort from his brother Robert.

In what is undeniably an emotionally charged, heart wrenching moment, we see that no one, not even the great Captain Jean-Luc Picard, is above feeling the tug of despair, sadness, and vulnerability. The audience sees that even the strongest of people can feel pain, and can feel like they aren't good enough, and also that it is healthy to open up to those that love and care for us.

7. Admitting to Q that he was wrong about being prepared (S02E16)

Q appears to play with the crew of the Enterprise once again, and is angered by Picard not listening when Q insists that there are dangers in the universe that Starfleet isn't prepared for. Picard insists that they are ready, prepared, and able for whatever they come across. Q, as a lesson, propels them farther than they've ever been, to an unexplored area of space where they immediately encounter the Borg. It is quickly proven to the Enterprise that they are no match for the Borg, and will be destroyed in very short order. Picard angrily calls for Q's return, admitting arrogance and pride, and agreeing that they aren't ready for what lies beyond the Federation's reaches.

Even though Q went too far in this instance, seeing as his charade cost the Enterprise 18 lives and caused the Borg to begin pursuit across the universe, he did have a point. Picard was arrogant, and wrong in his assertion that they were prepared. After being returned to their original coordinates in space, Picard reflects on how far the Federation has yet to advance. It was an extreme situation, but Picard was able to admit that he was wrong, one of the most difficult things for people to do. What's more, the experience stayed and humbled him. He didn't return to arrogance once he and his ship were back to safety.

8. Defending Tarses when he is accused of being a traitor because of his Romulan heritage (S04E21)

When a member of Starfleet Command comes to the Enterprise to investigate possible sabotage after an explosion occurs in engineering, a crew member named Simon Tarses is accused of being in cahoots with a Klingon officer who was smuggling information to Romulans via amino acid sequences. Tarses insists that he had nothing to do with the explosion, but is further targeted and put on trial because of his Romulan heritage, which he lied about on his Starfleet application instead indicating that his appearance was from a Vulcan background. Captain Picard tries to put an end to the investigations, asserting confidence in Tarses, and is instead put on trial and accused of also working with the Romulans.

From the beginning of the investigations, Data and Geordie are certain that the explosion was a legitimate malfunction, and not external forces. Picard has trust in all of his crew members, and is confident that further trials and interviews are unnecessary. His trust and confidence in everyone who is aboard the Enterprise is wonderful. He has no reason to distrust two such respected officers, and he works hard to surround himself in that company. Everyone would benefit from friends and colleagues who embodied the traits that they highly value, as they do tend to rub off and influence us. While being questioned by Starfleet Command, he remains calm and points out that Tarses is being accused simply because of his heritage, demonstrating a profound dislike for prejudice and racism.

9. Paying the hotel owner before leaving 1800s San Francisco (S06E01)

Captain Picard assures the hotel owner that he and his entertainer friends will soon have money to pay for their stay in 'Time's Arrow, Pt. 2.'

While Picard and company work to return to the 24th century and the Enterprise, meanwhile simultaneously stopping an alien race from feeding off of sick inhabitants in 1800s San Francisco, they take up residence at a hotel. Through the episode we repeatedly see Picard talking with the hotel owner, a kind but agitated woman who is insisting that she be paid for their stay. Picard insists that they'll have money for her soon and manages to continually shoo her away while not raising suspicions. At the end of the episode, before departing for the 24th century, Picard acquires money and tells his 19th century companions (who happened to be Guinan and Samuel Clemens) to pay the woman for their stay.

The entire ending scene is a total whirlwind, and Picard has a lot to think about. He's facing a dodgy time rift, and an alien race slowly destroying Earth's inhabitants. Guinan is injured, and nearly everyone around him is in peril. And yet! He finds the time and means to make sure the owner was paid properly for his stay at her hotel. I was completely floored by this move, because it further demonstrates Picard's sense of justice, fairness, and ethics. He was never going to see the woman again, didn't need to trouble himself with her life at all, yet he knew that losing out on her hard-earned, and deserved, payment would have meant hardship for her and her family. He is able to see past his own needs, and make sure those around him are cared for.

10. Tasha Yar's eulogy (S01E23)

Captain Picard approaches the funeral for Lt. Tasha Yar.

After the sudden and sad death of Tasha Yar, the Enterprise holds a touching funeral that is headed by Data. Tasha had pre-recorded messages for all of the senior crew members for use in the event of her death while on duty. In her address to Captain Picard, she states that of all people, she most wanted him to be proud of her.

In watching Star Trek: The Next Generation, Captain Picard has become another person who I think of when making decisions. What would Picard think? Would he approve? Would this make him proud? I agree completely with Tasha's sentiments, because Picard is a man to admire, to want to emulate, and certainly someone whose approval one would desire.

What do you think? Do you agree or disagree that Picard is a great role model? What are your favorite Picard moments? What are your favorite lessons from Star Trek?!

A happy Captain Picard. (via Trekcore)

-MJ

*header image source

*preview image source

Outlander Viewing Parties!

2014-08-15T01:00:00.000-07:00

My mom, sister, and I (and grandma, and aunt, and many others in the family) are huge fans of the 'Outlander' book series by Diana Gabaldon. I've written about them before (anticipation of the Starz show and the Outlander Fan Retreat in Seattle), and now the show has finally premiered! You can check out my thoughts on the first episode too, if you'd like!

I've read about people who do Game of Thrones viewing parties, and my family and I decided that viewing parties would be necessary for Outlander. The show officially aired last Saturday, August 9th, but Starz did a free multi-platform early viewing on Saturday, August 2nd. The show is actually in swing now, so I thought I would share what we've decided to do to enhance watching it!

Food:

Homemade bridies, hot from the oven!

Meat Pies (I know this is technically an Irish recipe, but it sounds too good to skip!)

Bannocks

Corn Dodgers

Stovies

Bridies

Fresh bread

For the early premiere I made bridies and stovies for dinner, and my mom made bread and my sister brought homemade jam for dessert. The stovies took about an hour, and the bridies about an hour and a half. I made the crust from scratch, which was a lot of extra work but totally worth it. It really felt like a party, and event, to have people over, talking and laughing, while making delicious themed food. It was a first, and I hope we do it for future episodes! Food is mentioned a lot in the books so it's easy to find relevant recipes online.

Drink:

Scottish whisky from the collection in Edinburgh.

Whisky (something Scottish, preferrably!)

Wine

My mom and sister are big wine fans, but I'm more of a whisky person. While many of our party sat down with wine, I poured myself a nice glass of Bunnahabhain Scottish whisky, which I brought back with me from my trip to Scotland in the spring! If any of you want to try whisky because of Jamie and Claire, but you're unsure if you'll appreciate the taste, I recommened drinking it on the rocks and allowing the ice to melt a bit before sipping. It's a legitimate, and tasty, way to enjoy whisky! If all else fails, grab some Coke as a chaser ;)

Music:

Bagpipe music on youtube

'Outlander' soundtrack!

We didn't have any music at our premiere party, but I would love to incoroporate traditional Scottish melodies into our cooking adventures. There are samplings of Bear McCreary's 'Outlander' tracks on youtube to enjoy as well.

Ambience:

Getting into the spirit with my Fraser tartan and Pocket Jamie!

Wear something tartan

Bring a sword!

It was about 80 degrees in the house from our roasting summer and the fact that I was cooking up a storm, but I still managed to don my Fraser taran (from Scotland!) and pose for a festive photo. Since it's a split season and we won't get the second 8 episodes until early next year, there's plenty of time to figure out warmer themed outfits for future parties!

Pre and Post Party:

Discussions of what we think the episode will cover based on the synopsis

Discussion everything we loved about the episode! Plan food for next week ;)

There was plenty of pre-episode chatter and preparation, especially since over half of our party hadn't read the books before! Afterward we talked a bit about the new additions (scenes that weren't in the books), and asked everyone what they thought. We also reminded them that pilots are slow, and that because it is an especially faithful rendition so far, they can expect things to pick up rather quickly.

We're definitely not alone in our enthusiasm. Outlander Kitchen has many great ideas for hosting viewing parties, (and tons of recipes!) if you need more ideas! I hope this post has encouraged you to throw wee food celebrations of your own to bring your favorite TV shows to the next level!

-MJ

A Tribute to Robin Williams

2014-08-14T03:00:00.000-07:00

How do you begin to eulogize someone who you've never met? It's a conundrum I'm currently facing, but I can't shake the feeling that I have to put into words how I feel about the loss of someone whose presence I've never been in. On August 11, 2014, humanity as a whole lost one of the most beautiful examples of a human being that there ever will be. Robin Williams was a man unlike any other in terms of comedic wit, acting ability, and more heart than anyone could handle.

I've grown up with Mr. Williams. Not in the sense that we grow up with siblings, cousins, or friends, but Robin was always relevant through film, so much that he was a household name for many people. Through his work, he taught many lessons, made us laugh, made us cry, and caused us to ponder things we may never have considered before. It was almost like having an uncle who you'd never met, yet he was accessible at all times through your VHS.

Whether it was any of the 52 (as counted by James Lipton) exuberant Genie personas in Aladdin, the playful alien Mork in Happy Days, or the courageous Peter Banning in Hook, each role was played with such finesse, and his comedy executed with such blinding speed that the rest of us could never hope to keep up. Robin Williams had such a wide spectrum of ability that he could make any role his own.

There are many of his works that are endlessly important to me. It seems that every one I think of, there was always something I could learn from and use somehow in my life. Mrs. Doubtfire was an impactful movie for me, having had parents who had gone through a divorce myself. Interestingly enough, the movie came out before my parents separated, so watching the movie both before and after yielded different results. If this makes sense, before the split, I could feel sympathy for the children in the movie, whereas after the divorce, it was more of an empathy, being able to identify with the characters. One thing was for sure, Robin's character, Daniel Hillard, was the kind of man I took my father for; someone who would do absolutely anything for his kids, even if it meant donning drag.

In Patch Adams, he enlightened people about compassion, and the power that laughter has to heal. Jack shows us that life is short enough as it is, you need to live it to the fullest. The Birdcage brought to light the struggles of the (at the time) non-conventional family, and the importance of acceptance. Good Will Hunting taught us about embracing potential and accepting loss. Jumanji taught us to never trust a board game.

His appearance on Inside the Actor's Studio was one of the most renowned events in television history, and is heralded as one of the greatest episodes in the series because of his honesty, passion, and improvisation. This and his appearance on the PBS series In the Wild where he hosted an episode about dolphins were two of the most prominent appearances of his that my father and I have bonded over and discussed multiple times. Each are fantastic in their own ways, but you get to see Robin Williams in his element, firing off jokes as if it were nothing. No one else in the world has ever demonstrated such natural ability.

I could sit here and list things that Robin had taught me, but one of the most important roles he brought to life was John Keating in Dead Poets Society. Mr. Keating shook up a private school by encouraging his class to embrace poetry, pursue greatness, and to seize the day. To act outside of your comfort zone, shatter boundaries, and make statements. His performance was one of the reasons I chose to pursue teaching as a career. The feeling I got after viewing that movie, being given that knowledge of language and how to break away from the norm, these were things that I wanted to give to others.

When I heard the news, it was like the wind had gotten knocked out of me. I was devastated, half-convinced that it had to be some sort of hoax. A quick bout of research confirmed my fears. I always felt that one of the saddest days would be when Robin left this world, and I can confidently say that my intuition was spot on. The first thing I did was call my dad, as Robin and his performances were things we bonded over regularly. I got him on the phone at work and said "Did you hear the news? This is bad." When I told him, he was silent for what felt like forever. "Are you kidding me!?" He was just as thrown as I was, and it has been a rough couple of days for the both of us.

Everyone grieves in their own way, and I have never felt like I do it right. While it might seem silly to most people to grieve over a celebrity, I honestly feel like I've lost a mentor, friend, and family member. It is stunning how hard it is hitting me. The coping process has me on a marathon of his performances, and there is plenty of material I haven't seen yet that should keep me going for quite some time. Where most of us the world over may feel the same way, there can be no comparison to what his family is going through. My positive thoughts go out to them.

There is no shortage of wisdom he could impart on us. Though the words he spoke may not have been entirely his, it was he that delivered them, and he that added his own personal emotion and flavor to every word. The world is a little bit darker without him.

Rest in peace, Robin. There will never be another quite like you.

-Zach

If you or someone you know is struggling with depression, please reach out. There are many resources available to help you get through this, and it is absolutely worth it to keep living.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255

Final Fantasy 8 Diary - Entry 18

2014-08-11T01:00:00.000-07:00

Outlander - First Episode Thoughts

2014-08-08T01:00:00.000-07:00

After years of being a fan of the 'Outlander' books, and after a full year of high anticipation of the show premiering, the first episode has come and gone. Simulcast across multiple platforms, for free, courtesy of Starz, one week ahead of time (to draw in new viewers and subscribers, I'm sure, but it was still nice of them), I can finally breathe a sigh of relief having seen the show.

But, how do I feel? What did I like? What didn't I like? How does the casting fair? Was the production value, costuming, and acting really as good as Twitter and Facebook hyped it to be?

The short answer is: yes.

But here's the long one!

"I'm going on an Outlander adventure!"

It is a beautiful, thoughtful adaptation. As with most TV show pilots, it was slow paced and not particularly action packed. I'm not bothered by it, and no one else should be either, because it's important to establish setting, story, and characters before you launch into the exciting madness.

What did I like?

An opening shot from S01E01 of 'Outlander'.

The cinematography was gorgeous. It is thrilling to have the show set in Scotland! Every shot is pure art. And the actors are all completely wonderful. Many of them are nothing like I pictured in my mind but that sort of thing I don't feel is worth even a passing thought. There is literally no way that they could resemble my imagination. What's important, though, is that the casting department obviously put in heavy consideration - they are near perfect emodiments of Diana Gabaldon's writing. Basically I liked practically everything.

What didn't I like?

If I had to pick something, it would be the opening credits and some of the music. I feel that the images in the opening credits are lovely, and I think the song is pretty, but their combination as the opener to 'Outlander' displeases me. I don't feel that it captures, or prepares the viewer for, the immense excitement, adventure, and visceral feel of the story. To me, the opening feels far too flowery and ethereal, like some sort of early '90s high fantasy made-for-TV movie. It's really my only complaint, and I don't plan on bringing it up ever again.

As for the music... I know that a lot of people were very excited for Bear McCreary's compositions, but I'm left feeling wishy washy. There are one or two thrilling moments in the premiere episode that required upbeat/fast paced music, and I feel that he rose to the occasion wonderfully! The bagpipes kicked in and it was awesome. But some other parts were slow, quiet, and soft, and something about his choices just rubbed me the wrong way. It's similar to how I feel about the opening credits: it didn't "fit" in my mind. Of course, I don't know what I would have done differently, and this simply my opinion. It's also not going to ruin the show for me.

Production Value

A flashback to Claire as a nurse in WWII. Note the gory, open leg wound.

As far as I can tell, they pulled out every stop possible! The sets, the costumes, the makeup, the blood! The beginning of the episode shows us Claire in bloody action during WWII, frantically working on a man with a torn up leg. It was gruesome, and horrifying, and amazingly done. In addition to being necessary for the audience to get a feel for what Claire is capable of, it was a fantastic preview of what's to come (because 'Outlander' is chock full of gory, medical goodness).

While we didn't get prolonged or well-lit views of the attire of 1743, the kilt-y bits that we saw in the darkened forest were incredibly detailed. Based on the stills that Starz has released, and the praise from the actors, I am in high anticipation of fabulous period-accurate clothing in upcoming episodes.

Final Feelings

'How you doin'.'

It is a GREAT time to be an 'Outlander' fan! With the recent release of the 8th book in the series (Written in My Own Heart's Blood), the premiere of the show, and the graciousness and interactvity of the stars and producers of the show (not to mention the author!) on Twitter, we have a lot to be pleased about and thankful for.

The premiere left me happy, satisfied, anxious for more, and highly approving of everything that was added that wasn't in the book. Ronald D. Moore was clearly the perfect choice for a TV series, and I thank him from the bottom of my fandom heart.

Now go watch the premiere! What are you waiting for?!

-MJ

*header photo source

Why it's a Great Time to be a Geek

2014-08-04T00:30:00.000-07:00

Part of appreciating what you have is about taking stock of how far you've come. It's a way of honoring the steps you've taken to get where you are and the ones who've helped you get there.

So without a hint of doubt, I can say this: there hasn't been a greater time to be a geek.

I mean that in all seriousness. Right now, in the 21st century, is the thriving time of the geek.

Now, I was born in the late 80's. Which means that by the time I had arrived, a lot of well geeky foundations such as comics, video games, television and film were already pretty well established. A lot of phenomenal contributions had already been made, but I would argue that being a geek hadn't quite hit its stride.

Liking Star Trek, reading comics or playing video games was still somewhat looked upon as juvenile interests or, at worst, the strange hobbies of the geek outcast.

But I would argue that that sentimentality really started to change in the 90's with the rising advancement of technology, more specifically in the refinement of computers and the enormous connecting power of the internet. Suddenly, everything was different.

With better and better computers, mediums across the board were growing in quality.

Video games went from this:

To this:

Witnessing this from nearly the start, this was huge. I remember playing through Zelda or StarFox on the Nintendo 64 and being amazed at the graphic world I was presented. At the time, it was the most advanced, immersive worlds I could conceive. But if you had shown me the things that were to come, I would have been blown away at your wizardry.

And I was not alone in this excitement. Millions of other people joined me in this wondrous process, following along each step of quality progression. This staggering amount of people did not go unnoticed, which is primarily how the video game industry has continued to grow.

As more and people paid attention to video games, seeing them no longer as childrens' fancies, so did the production companies, who in turn started producing better quality games for the masses.

But video games were not alone in this. Films and television, too, were growing.

The introduction of CGI(Computer-Generated Imagery) in the 90s brought a whole new world of world creation that brought deeper immersion to audiences.

The Lion King, considered a masterpiece in animation and visuals, was the direct result of computer animation. It became so popular, it still holds the record for third-most grossing animated film.

Another major contributor to the geek film culture was the introduction of superhero movies.

Now, Superman had already come out in the late 70's, followed by Tim Burton's Batman movies in the late 80's. And while these were necessary predecessors to superhero movies, I would go as far to argue that they never really hit their widespread popularity until the 2000 movie, “X-Men.”

In its opening week, X-men grossed $54,471,475, convincing Marvel Studios to begin making adaptations of their other products. Eventually, this would lead them to begin their expansive Marvel Cinematic Universe, starting with Iron Man and culminating in The Avengers(where they brought in all the characters/actors from the previous movies and grossed $1,518,594,910 by itself worldwide).

My inner 9 year-old is STILL freaking out.

In response to Marvel's success, DC launched their own modern film series with the 2005 movie “Batman Begins,” Christopher Nolan's take on the Batman legend. His triology(“Batman Begins,” “The Dark Knight” and “The Dark Knight Rises”), is widely considered one of the best film adaptations of Batman with an average rating 0f 92% on Rotten Tomatoes and grossing nearly 2.5 billion dollars.

It's Bat-tastic.

These two titans of superhero films, Marvel and DC, would create a culture of popularity in geek films, spawning other adaptations from other mediums, such as “Hellboy,” “Scott Pilgrim” and many more.

Suddenly, not only was it popular to be a geek but it was profitable for the industry as well. And while they gained off exploiting our interests, it also led to more numerous, better quality productions.

All by the dawn of the 21st century and the rise of technology.

All of this growing technology, while it may not have seemed like it at the time, was all cultivating the culture of the geek. Everything that we as passionate fans hold dear started in these early beginnings at the start of the century. The growing availability of computers and the staggering connecting power of the internet brought us closer together as a species, bringing our unified interests to light.

This brought a whole new level of acceptance to geek culture as we found kindred spirits in our respective interests all over the world. Online gaming, geek sites and more united us together, creating a global culture of gamers, comic enthusiasts, crafters, writers and everything else under the sun.

What was once considered obscure interests is now commonly accepted, even celebrated for its uniqueness.

Comic-cons are more popular than ever.

Fans are able to tweet their favorite creators.

Films and television are streamed online.

Digital comics are on the rise.

And Joss Whedon rules us all.

The geek is at his most thriving time. It's truly a great time to be alive.

The future only holds greater promise and I cannot wait to see what it yields.

-Tom

Seiken Densetsu III - In Defense of the ROM

2014-07-30T01:00:00.000-07:00

I want to talk in defense of the ROM and emulator. I don't mean using them to play current games, that I have some moral qualms with. But to play older games? Absolutely.

One of my favorite games, Seiken Densetsu III (or Secret of Mana 2), was never released in the US. It was in Japanese on the Super Famicom only. The one reason I know of this game and have played it is because of a Japan fanatic friend I had in junior high. I have no idea how her journey lead to ROMs, emulators, and Seiken Densetsu, but it did and she thought I would enjoy it as well.

Start your game and choose three of the six players to carry you through the storyline, each with their own unique backstory!

As a result, I spent many happy hours on my computer loading up the Seiken Densetsu III ROM into the Super Nintendo emulator icon. Being 14 and aware of what 'illegal' meant, I sometimes did feel guilty. I would push this aside by insisting that the only legal way to play this game was to import the Super Famicom and the game, then learn Japanese. It seemed like an absurd amount of effort to put in for just a game, and why bother when some kind souls had already made a perfectly translated version that I had access to?

Over the course of my junior high and high school career I started a file three to four times. I would always reach a lapse in play, forget what I was doing and have to start over, or I would switch computers and lose my original save file. I haven't gone back to try and find a new emulator in years now, but I still look on those days fondly with the belief that I'll never get to finish the journey.

Had I really resigned myself to never visiting another golden statue in my entire life?

That is, until a few weeks ago.

My birthday gift from Zach came in late, and it was a real doozy: a fan translated, Super Nintendo cartridge copy of Seiken Densetsu III, proudly displaying the label 'Secret of Mana 2.' When he handed it to me I had just finished an 11 hour journey from London back to Seattle and was in that loopy mental space that traveling across the world elicits. I blinked down at the cartridge, registered that it said 'Secret of Mana', then smiled and thanked him. My brain kept working though, rolling over the '2' in my mind like a tiny fascinating stone, and amid the sea of thoughts I realized, 'They never released a second one in the States. What am I holding?" It was then that I looked closer at the label and realized that I recognized the characters as being from Seiken Densetsu III. That's when everything came together, and I managed to spit out more enthusiasm toward him for the incredibly awesome and thoughtful gift.

Very soon I will be starting yet another journey into Seiken Densetsu III, a journey that began 14 years ago, and this time it will be on a console the way it was intended. I can't wait!

Sound off! Which amazing games did you get to play via ROM and emulator that you couldn't have experienced otherwise?

-MJ

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