I know you’re out there. I’ll find you. I swear.
Category Archives: gaming
Thoughts on videogames.
Goodbye Productivity
This always happens when I am supposed to be focused on a project. This little application called BallDroppings coded by Josh Nimoy is eating my precious time. BallDroppings is best described as an open ended game/musical physics experiment. The object is to construct panels for your balls to bounce off of. The angle, length, and placement of these panels create a certain sound when a ball bounces off of them. If you have nothing to do check it out. If you are working on something important… stay far away. You will be addicted.
Thrift Stores Rock
Ever the sucker for vintage gaming consoles, I couldn’t say no to an Atari Super Pong console I discovered tucked into a corner of St. Vincent’s Thrift Store. It was $15 and had a tag on it that said NOT TESTED. I bought it anyway and it works like a charm. I also snagged a copy of Art Spiegelman’s Maus for $1.50.
Apple Airport + NintendoDS
It is about time. Mac users typically get left in the dust when it comes to mainstream applications and accessories. For the NintendoDS and online play it is no different. They released a Windows only USB dongle that you can use to tap into your ethernet connection if you don’t have a router for WiFi play. Mac support was officially MIA until now. The great thing about Macs is that if there isn’t an immediate solution, there is always a way. With a little Terminal and an Airport Card, you too can get your ass kicked by 5 year olds with nearly 1000 wins on Mario-Kart DS. I swear to God those little @)#%??*@ have those tracks down to a science.
Dreamcast Lives
By far the most powerful underrated videogame console I ever purchased was the Dreamcast. I bought mine the very first day it was available, 9/9/99, and it blew the N64 and PlayStation out of the water in terms of raw power. Unfortunately, Sega’s fortunes headed south two years after launch and the strength of the system began to wane. I packed it up in 2003 and let it sit in my closet.
…but it continues to live. I have officially wasted 25 blank CD-Rs trying to burn Dreamcast homebrew ISOs with my Mac. It took 3 days of manually learning UNIX to realize that I was working with an outdated binary that wouldn’t burn what I needed. But I got it to work. My Dreamcast is now a Homebrew powerhouse. Atari, NES, SNES, Genesis, and more now live on in one little white box. Perhaps I’ll post a guide for other Mac users who find the information on the DC homebrew scene lackluster. Thank you Sega for not cracking down on homebrew. I wish I could say the same for my Sony PSP. I don’t see myself picking up that thing for a long time… or even after I stuff it in the closet.
Universal Truth
“A” is jump. “B” is attack.
bit Generations
I am a sucker for games that use miniscule system resources to create a gaming experience better than more complex titles. Games like Rez, Lumines, Katamari Damacy, and Electroplankton don’t need flashy graphics or an advanced combo system. They create an immersive environment from their excellent sound, easy learning curve, and difficulty to master. That is why Nintendo’s Japan only bit Generations may just get imported by me. Of the seven minigames that make up the two series title, Orbital sounds the most intruiging. Apparently you begin off as a small planet and use gravity to grow. While growing you begin to collect other celestial objects. Once large enough, you can jump into other orbits.
On a side note, I’m also waiting for the gorgeous Every Extend Extra.
Network Neutrality and You
Let’s pretend that you pay for internet service just to view this website. Yes, I’m that interesting. You check up on my site daily, so much so that your internet provider (AT&T, Comcast, AOL Time Warner, et al) notice. So they call me up and say, “Hey Ken of kenfager.com. We connect a lot of people to your free website. How about you pay us money. If you don’t we’ll slow your site down so that it takes a long time to load or we may even just block it. We’ll also charge your visitors more for their internet just for the privilege of seeing your content.” Large ISPs and Telcos are lobbying Congress to make this sort of extortion legal. It is happening to personal blogs, major businesses such as Google, small businesses too, and even political movement websites. STOP THEM.
Please take the time to call, email, anything to prevent a serious violation of our most valuable freedom, the Freedom of Speech. Information should remain free. It only takes two minutes of your time. There has been a huge grass roots movement behind this legislation. Please inform yourself by visiting one of the following sites. AskaNinja.com on Network Neutrality, Rocketboom on Network Neutrality, ItsOurNet.com, and even the C.E.O of Google asks for your help.
I called Senator Feingold (D-WI) and Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI) with the help of? SaveTheInternet.com. Even if you do not know what to say, they have a short script to help. Every bit helps.
Fear is the Mind Killer
Sega’s Rez is one of my desert island games. I’ve raved about it before several times. It combines the gameplay mechanics of Panzer Dragoon Zwei with music to produce a euphoric synaesthetic experience. The game only has five levels but I find myself coming back at least once a month to play. The last level is especially intense. It is almost unbelievable that someone was able to actually shoot down 100% of the enemies.
Five Sentence Review – New Super Mario Bros.
I just completed New Super Mario Bros. last night for NintendoDS. The gameplay design balance was even though the level design was average. Hidden secrets make up for a game that can be completly run through in one sitting. A good game to own but does not deserve “classic” status. Overall I would give it an 8/10.