Paper Gems

The value of free time.

2012-01-24T14:57:00.000-08:00

Recently I've been sick with vertigo (something that I've been dealing with, off and on, for a number of years now) and I found myself with a lot of free time on my hands. Well, maybe the "free" part of that is a bit exaggerated, because when you have vertigo, there are not a lot of things you can do without setting the world spinning and giving yourself a severe headache and nausea.

So, for the first time in a very long time, I've been confronted with an unusual thought: "Hmm, what should I do now?" And why do I call that thought "unusual"? Read more past the jump.

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Back it up or lose it. It's as simple as that.

2011-04-03T11:52:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'll admit it -- I can be a bit of a stickler when it comes to urging people to back up their data. (And by "stickler" I mean "annoying, repetitive jerk".) I've made repeated posts on my Facebook wall, advising friends to set up a backup system so they don't lose their valuable files, and I don't hesitate to bring it up in conversations if it seems appropriate. I'm sure some of my pals are tired of hearing my usual diatribe.

But there's a very good reason for why I keep harping on this topic: I can't travel through time. In other words, when your hard drive fails and all those precious, irreplaceable photos of your family are lost forever, I can't go back through time and fix it for you. All I can do is try and convince people to set up a backup so they'll be prepared for the inevitable.

And it is inevitable.

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How to get stuff for free.

2011-03-13T15:30:00.000-07:00

Mmmmm, free stuff. I love getting stuff for free, and I thought I’d share some of the tips I use to get stuff – like movies, eBooks, comics, groceries, video games, electronics, and more – without paying for them. Legally, that is – I’m not advocating stealing here.

And yes, I understand that not all of this stuff is “free”, especially if you consider that you have to provide personal information for a lot of them. But the main point is that you don’t have to pay any money to get stuff you want. And that’s awesome.

Click past the jump to get all the tips.

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Beauty that hides right in front of your eyes…

2011-03-04T21:40:00.000-08:00

…or ears, in this case.

You're probably somewhat familiar with the song “Vincent (Starry Starry Night)” by Don McLean, the folk singer who is probably best known for his classic ballad “American Pie”. I’ve always liked “Vincent”, but I never really paid attention to the lyrics or what the song’s about. It was just a nice, melodic tune about a night sky filled with stars – or so I assumed.

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I share, therefore I am.

2011-02-02T22:00:00.000-08:00

Continuing my thoughts on smartphone etiquette, I stumbled upon this great TED talk from a couple of years ago. It's only three minutes long but it holds up a mirror to us and shows us what we're saying through how we use smartphones.

My favourite quote: "When you're standing with someone, and you're on your mobile device, effectively what you're saying is, 'You are not as important as literally almost anything that can come through this device.'"

Kinda makes you think, doesn't it?

Mind your phone or mind your manners?

2011-02-01T21:55:00.000-08:00

I need your help with something.

I’m trying to figure out how I feel about a certain topic. I mean, I think I know how I feel about it, but maybe it’s not as simple as I think it is.

The topic I’m dancing around is smartphone social etiquette. It’s a simple question: is it rude to use your smartphone while you’re hanging out with your friends?

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It’s time to fight for fair Internet billing.

2011-01-31T20:23:00.000-08:00

Signing a petition is a quick and easy way to add your voice to any particular issue, but I always question how effective they can be, especially if they’re done online. It just doesn’t seem as effective as making a complaint directly to the people in power.

If you have something to say about usage-based Internet billing, then speak up! It only takes a few minutes to email key people in the government, like those listed past the jump.
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Hungry for unlimited Internet? Might be time to go on a diet.

2011-01-24T20:59:00.000-08:00

Hey you, broadband Internet user. You love that all-you-can-eat package you’ve signed up for, don’t you? Unlimited web video, streaming music, and file downloads, all for one regular monthly price – it’s like an all-you-can-eat buffet, but with YouTube and Facebook instead of mashed potatoes and roast beef.

Well, you’d better enjoy it while you can, because it looks like Canada’s Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are looking to raise their rates, so you might soon be paying more for the privilege of watching Netflix and downloading those, um, legal files.

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Sure, they don’t exist – but I still totally want them.

2011-01-22T23:31:00.000-08:00

Have you ever looked at something awesome, like a Ferrari 458 Italia or a pair of Manolo Blahnik pumps, and thought to yourself, “Man, I would give my left arm and one of my kidneys if I could have that”? (Well, maybe not the Manolo Blahniks – Jimmy Choo’s actually more my style.)

I do that all the time, but the some of the stuff that makes me drool comes from science fiction. In other words, they don’t exist, but I dearly wish they did, just so I could own them. These are just a few of those awesome-filled, currently non-existent things.

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Why walking and texting is a bad idea.

2011-01-21T16:51:00.000-08:00

Texting while driving is serious business. It’s probably more dangerous than drunk driving, and lives could be lost. It’s seriously bad news, so don’t do it.

Texting while walking, on the other hand, can be freakin’ hilarious. Especially when it results in a woman falling into a mall fountain, all caught on video. Watch all the action after the jump.
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When does possibility become reality?

2011-01-20T19:39:00.000-08:00

Imagine a road that can heat up and melt snow and ice, similar to your car’s rear window. This road is embedded with solar cells, so it soaks up sunlight and converts it into electricity, using that power to generate ice-melting heat when needed. This “solar road” can also be plugged into our power grid – with endless miles of road all across the continent it basically becomes the world’s largest solar panel grid, producing enough electricity for all our needs.

It’s not science fiction – well, it’s not just science fiction, I’ve read of similar concepts in sci-fi novels – it’s also the brainchild of an American electrical engineer based in Idaho. It’s just a concept, a twinkle in his engineering eye, but just imagine the possibilities if this came to fruition. It’s an ingenious way to harness the nearly limitless energy the sun dumps on us every day, it would be a great way to provide endless fuel for electric cars, and it’d let us say good-bye to ice-slick roads that send cars skidding into ditches or each other during heavy snowfalls.

I have seen iPad, and it is good.

2010-04-11T20:14:00.000-07:00

So Apple creates a brand new product, designed to be more portable than a laptop but more powerful than an iPhone or iPod touch, and calls it the iPad. They release it in the U.S. on April 3, and it get tons of attention, both positive and negative, from tech enthusiasts and media outlets everywhere.

Apple has positioned the iPad as a great portable media device – wonderful for movies, music, eBooks, photos, and browsing the web – as well as a portable productivity device, good for displaying documents and presentations. But the one question they can’t truly answer is: Will people truly need this?

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Customer service, the Apple way.

2009-07-20T21:50:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago my beloved white MacBook, Abigail, developed a small crack on the edge near the right palmrest -- a crack that was mirrored by the fracturing of my heart when I beheld this egregious marring of Abigail's pure, clean beauty.

I didn't take a picture of it -- I couldn't bear to -- but the image you see above is pretty darned close.

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My geek daydream: The ultimate mobile home

2009-05-30T15:16:00.001-07:00

Way before I ever saw trailers for Pixar's new movie UP (which, I'm already convinced, is going to be ten degrees of awesome, just wait and see),I used to dream about a home that could move. No, I'm not referring to an RV, like those huge behemoth condominium-on-wheels you see lumbering down the freeway or taking up eight parking spots in the local mall.

By "home" I mean my actual house, the two-storey, 3,000 square feet domicile in which I currently dwell. And by "move" I mean fly.

Obviously the technology (or necessity) for this doesn't exist, but in my sci-fi-tinged, non-reality-based imagination (aren't they all?), this is how it would play out:

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Microsoft's second salvo in the latest ad wars

2009-04-04T22:07:00.001-07:00

Microsoft's at it again, with the latest of their "I'm a PC" commercials. This time they're featuring a tech-savvy young man named Gianpaolo who's looking for a machine with 4GB of RAM that's under $1500.

His comment about Macs: "Macs to me are more about aesthetics than computing power. I don't want to pay for the brand, I want to pay for the computer." So then he goes on to buy an HP laptop that fits his needs.

Call me an Apple fanboy if you like -- it'd be easy to criticize the message of this commercial on the issue of whether Macs truly are more expensive than comparable PCs (not necessarily true). One might also find it strange that Microsoft, a software company, is creating ads that focus almost entirely on hardware.

But, like I noted in a recent blog post, these technical points really don't matter. It's all about the cost, and for most people cheaper is better. And that's why these commercials are going to be extremely effective.

Sandwich porn

2009-03-28T18:20:00.001-07:00

You like to look at pictures, and you love sandwiches. Put them together and you get: Scanwiches!

The sad truth about Twitter?

2009-03-28T00:04:00.000-07:00

Absolutely hilarious and, as a Twitter user, I have to admit it's depressingly true.

Microsoft's latest ad sucks -- or does it?

2009-03-27T23:48:00.000-07:00

Have you seen any of Microsoft's "I'm a PC" ads lately? I actually think it's a pretty smart campaign -- instead of trying to attack Apple (who produces superior products), they're taking "the high road" and trying to establish a personality of their own, focusing on their own strengths.

Then their latest ad comes along, and on the surface it's a smart, effective ad -- but when you dig a bit deeper, you start to smell the stink of deception.

Watch the ad above, then keep reading for my take on the whole thing. Go ahead, I'll wait.

Okay, done? Now here are my comments:

- So the first place Lauren hits is the Apple store. Great, because like a lot of regular people she's been exposed to Apple's clever marketing and probably appreciates their smart design. Oh, wait, it turns out that she's actually an actress. So much for "regular people".

- When she walks into the Apple store, you'll notice a man walking by wearing a black jacket and holding what looks like a camera tripod in his right hand. Then, when they cut to Lauren leaving the store, the same guy is still walking by. The obvious fact is that Lauren couldn't have spent more than a second or two inside the store, unless the guy just so happened to be walking by again right when Lauren is leaving. Lauren must be the fastest shopper in the world, to look through all the Apple products and get all the info she needed in the space of two seconds. I smell a setup. (Whoo! Stinky!)

- Lauren finally ends up with a Windows-based laptop for only $699 (and no sales tax, apparently). She's giddy as a schoolgirl, having finally found a computer that meets all her needs, and for under $1000! Too bad it's not a very good computer, and running a resource-hog like Vista on it will probably slow it down to a crawl.

Okay, I've taken a bunch of shots at this latest ~~lame, crappy piece of marketing~~ advertisement, but I think it's actually going to be pretty effective on 90% of the target market. Computer nerds like me enjoy poking and prodding, teasing out all the little hidden secrets and details, but most people will see the simple, basic message of the ad, and it's a good one: You can get a Windows-based computer for a lot less than a Mac, and it looks like a damn good deal. Of course, when you look at all the cold, hard facts, it probably isn't quite as good a deal as it first seems, but then, most people won't see those facts.

All they'll see is that they can save money on a computer, and that's more important than ever in this financial climate.

Well played, Microsoft. We'll see how effective this move is, and I can't wait to see how Apple responds.

Wearable sixth-sense technology

2009-03-21T11:09:00.000-07:00

A while ago I blogged about a TED talk about an amazing new breakthrough technology that is reminiscent of the gesture-based computer interface in Minority Report. You can now view that TED video here, and I highly recommend you do -- it's amazing stuff.

Link: TED talk: Unveiling the "Sixth Sense"

It gets me every time.

2009-03-15T09:51:00.000-07:00

For some reason I recently felt an itch to revisit one of my favourite movie trilogies of all time: Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings. I have the extended version of all three movies on DVD, complete with extended and added scenes, and this would be the first time I'd actually sat down and watched all three extended versions all the way through.

Unfortunately I didn't have the time to do this all in one marathon session -- what a great 12 hours that would've been! -- so I was forced to do watch portions of the movies here and there, whenever I could find a few spare hours. But I just finished watching the third movie, and man, even six years after the last movie was released, I'm still amazed at how incredibly good and satisfying these movies are.

I never cry during movies, even if they're really touching and poignant. I sometimes wish I could, but I just don't. However, there's one moment during The Lord of the Rings that really gets me, and I come as close to crying as I ever will during a movie. It's the scene near the end of The Return of the King, right after Aragorn has been crowned.

The War of the Ring is over. The Fourth Age of Middle-Earth has begun with the crowning of the new king of Gondor: Aragorn, heir of Isildur. Hand-in-hand with Arwen Undómiel, Elven princess and his one true love, Aragorn walks through the teeming throngs of the people of Gondor, who have gathered to honour their new king and the ushering in of an age of peace, after so much war and bloodshed.

Coming around the corner, waving and smiling at the people all around, Aragorn's eyes fall upon four diminutive figures standing in a row in front of him. Small of stature, with rotund builds and wavy, curly hair, they look like children compared to all the Men standing around them. These are the Hobbits: Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin, whose reduced sizes belie the crucial parts they played in achieving victory over the dark lord Sauron. The smallest members of the Fellowship of the Ring, these four Hobbits ended up being the true heroes of the war.

As Aragorn and Arwen come closer the Hobbits start to bow in respect for the new king. But Aragorn stops them, gently, reverently, with an outstretched hand. "My friends," he says, respect and love shining in his eyes, "you bow to no one." He kneels and bows his head, and beside him Arwen mirrors him without hesitation. Then, like ripples in a pond, all the gathered people around them, thousands strong, kneel as well, to pay tribute to the four Hobbits, for all their sacrifices and great deeds during the War of the Ring.

Yup, gets me every time.

"I don't have a gun, but I do have an iPhone."

2009-03-15T09:15:00.000-07:00

Well, actually I don't have an iPhone, but I can imagine an iPhone owner making that statement while wearing an e-Volve Gadget Shoulder Holster.

I can picture this as a geek version of a John Woo action movie:

Dan: "Quick, when's the next showing of Watchmen? I need to know now, dammit!"

Charlie: "I'm on it!"

[Camera switches to slow-mo as Charlie whips open his suit jacket with his left hand and reaches into his gadget shoulder holster with his right. Pulling out his iPhone with one smooth motion, he holds it up in front of his face and hits the Flixster icon with his finger. Camera tightens on the iPhone, still in slow-mo, as his fingers dance across the screen, pulling up the crucial information. And just to look cool, he does all this while holding the iPhone sideways.]

Oh yeah. I need one of these. (And an iPhone too.)

Source: eHolster via Gizmodo

Ryan Vs. Dorkman part 2

2007-03-03T11:03:00.000-08:00

These guys are the envy of Star Wars geeks everywhere. This is the sequel to one of the best homemade lightsaber duels I've ever seen, originally posted on my blog here.

Love or gaming?

2007-02-25T10:49:00.000-08:00

No, this is not an accurate description of my love life. I just find it funny. Really.

Someday, I will Wii

2007-02-17T17:31:00.000-08:00

Right now, the wife and the nearly-empty bank account prevent this from happening. But one day, I hope to experience this for myself. One sweet day...

(Click on the image to enlarge it.)

Link - Rudy Park website

'Nuff said.

2007-02-16T07:40:00.000-08:00

I actually played that game when I was a kid.

Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba's Forty Thieves

2007-02-10T22:07:00.000-08:00

My wife and I were at our friend's MaxiMom's house, celebrating another friend's birthday, when MaxiMom (probably not her real name, y'think?) asked, "What's your favourite cartoon of all time?"

As a fan of cartoons, animé, and animation of almost all kinds, this was a difficult question to answer. But one cartoon popped up in my mind, a classic that entranced me as a child, even as I was watching it around 40 years after it had first been created. And thanks to the magic of YouTube, I (and you) can relive my childhood memories.

Link - Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba's Forty Thieves from Wikipedia

"What is love? (Baby don't hurt me)..."

2007-01-26T09:00:00.000-08:00

It don't get much funnier than this.

Link - original source, My Extra Life

Animated gif by DenmarkLarry

Blast from the Past

2007-01-21T22:39:00.000-08:00

"Take On Me" by A-ha.

One of the best music videos ever created. Instantly familiar to any true child of the Eighties. Hair gelled up four feet high, leg warmers, and pastel-coloured clothes...ahhh, sweet memories.

Happiest baby in the world...?

2006-11-03T18:29:00.000-08:00

Check out this hilarious video of a baby who laughs at the slightest sound. Just watching it made me guffaw, which proves that laughter truly is contagious.

This baby reminds me of a friend (you know who you are) who laughs as a reaction to excruciating pain. One time a car door accidentally closed on her leg, and she burst out into gales of laughter. Her boyfriend hadn't seen the door close on her leg and he didn't know what was wrong, because she couldn't talk, she was laughing so hard.

Laughing in response to pain -- sounds like a pretty good reflex, to me.

[Via Digg]

You've lost that excited feeling...

2006-11-01T16:48:00.000-08:00

Do you remember what it was like when you were a kid, and you wanted the newest, latest, greatest thing that had just come out, and you just couldn't wait until you got it in your grubby little hands…? I was reminded about this feeling just yesterday, in the Wal-Mart electronics section.

I walk through a Wal-Mart on my way to work every morning, because it's the most direct way to get to the SkyTrain. If I happen to be a few minutes early, I'll sometimes pop into the gaming section to check out the latest releases or see if there are any good bargains.

Yesterday, while I was standing there perusing the selection of DS games, a young boy dashed up beside me. He was maybe around 12 years old, and his dad slowly trailed along behind him. The boy was positively abuzz with energy, he was hopping from one foot to the other. I could practically feel the excitement emanating from him, like a field of electricity.

He said, "Is it here? I don't know…I don't see it, maybe they don't have it…"

His father suggested that maybe it was a Gamecube game. The boy disagreed. "No, it's for DS." After scanning the shelves anxiously for a few seconds, he concluded, "They don't have it, only Best Buy has it…" He was so pumped that he had to repeat that last sentence a few times, as if to try and get his father to understand this difficult concept. "They don't have it, only Best Buy has it…"

It turns out he was talking about the new Pokemon Ranger game that just came out for the DS. I wouldn't be surprised if he was entirely correct that Best Buy had the game while Wal-Mart didn't -- I don't know if this is symptomatic of this particular store, but they usually end up stocking games about a week or so after they initially come out.

It put a smile on my face, though, to witness the pure, unbridled excitement of a child for whom nothing else in the world mattered except getting this new Pokemon game. It didn't take much effort for me to remember when I was younger, and I just couldn't wait for that new Transformers toy that my parents promised to get me for my birthday. (And no, that wasn't just last week. Very funny.)

I don't tend to feel that level of excitement anymore. Sure, I'm totally looking forward to upcoming games like Yoshi's Island 2 and Final Fantasy III for the DS, but the feeling of anticipation isn't as electrifying or all-encompassing as it used to be when I was a child. It's probably better that, as a 34-year-old adult, I don't tend to go overboard in my emotional reaction to getting new things. Call it the cynicism of age, or the wisdom of experience (although I hesitate to apply the term "wise" to myself), but things just feel different when you've "grown up."

I discussed this with my lovely wife, and we wondered if it's because children seem to feel emotions so intensely, so overwhelmingly powerful, for the good emotions and the bad. While it's great to be on a giddy high when you're excited or happy, it can be devastating when you're feeling disappointed or sad. Maybe that's why, as adults, we tend to temper our emotions and emotional reactions to things, so we don't feel quite so low when things don't go our way.

Still, I do miss that can't-sit-still, just gotta have it now excited feeling. Hopefully I can feel it again sometime soon.

On a similar, yet different note, check out these photos of a boy who was photographed standing in front of famous landmarks all around the world. In every photo, he's glued to his Gameboy Advance SP, looking not excited at all to be witnessing wonders like Stonehenge or Buckingham Palace. My question is: What game is he playing? If it's so good that he can ignore such wondrous sites, I want to play it too!

Link - Game Boy around the world (flickr)

Portable Gamer's Manifesto

2006-10-26T16:45:00.000-07:00

Finally, a testimonial that hits so close to home it makes me want to shout, "Da, comrade, da!"

On portable gaming website Modojo, Philip Jones has written a wonderful manifesto about the joy of portable video games, especially in terms of the Nintendo DS Lite, Gameboy Advance, and Sony PSP. I actually share a lot of his opinions, especially in terms of this quote:

I read recently something along the lines of 'The older you are, the more cash you have for games, and the older you are, the less time you have to play those games."

This definitely applies to my current lifestyle. With a full-time job, a house to maintain, a lovely wife to spend time with, and various other tasks and obstacles that life tends to throw at you, I often don't have time to sit down for hours to play a home console game. But I ride the SkyTrain to and from work, I take an hour for lunch at work, and I sometimes just have to sit and wait for something -- those are the times when I can whip out my Nintendo DS Lite and enjoy a few minutes of WarioWare Touched! or Magical Starsign.

Don't get me wrong, I love to play home console games too. I'm currently working my way through the Ratchet & Clank series for the PS2 -- I've recently finished the second one, Going Commando, and I'll be launching into Up Your Arsenal soon...as soon as I get some time. And until I get that time, well, I always have the DS Lite to tide me over.

Link - The Portable Gamer's Manifesto on Modojo

Beauty is only skin deep...or is it?

2006-10-16T08:39:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love Dove's recent advertising "campaign for real beauty," since the current popular concept of "beauty," encapsulated in rail-thin, anorexic-looking, photo-manipulated supermodels is completely unrealistic and unfair. I mean, come on -- looking that thin and made-up can't possibly be truly healthy.

Check out the video embedded above for a type of behind-the-scenes look at how fashion-industry "beauty" is truly achieved. After you've watched the video, go back to the beginning and look at the model's "original" appearance. If the real model stood next to that final billboard picture, would you even be able to recognize her?

I can only hope that this concept is only a trend, and one that will eventually change. After all, back in the 17th century, larger, full-bodied figures were considered the epitome of attractiveness in women. Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens was a prolific artist, and amongst his many great works he was well-known for featuring voluptuous women in his paintings. The term "Rubenesque" is derived from his last name.

That was about 400 years ago, though, so let's pray that it doesn't take another 400 years before our beauty standards change to someone at least a bit more realistic and healthy.

Link - Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty
Link - Peter Paul Rubens on Wikipedia

"Ass spanky!"

2006-09-30T17:07:00.000-07:00

I'm a big fan of comics in general, and lately I've been totally diggin' online comics. There are a few dozen online comics that I read every morning, and the latest one I've discovered is called Sinfest. It's done by Tatsuya Ishida, and I just love the art style. It's a bit weird and just a little bit rude, and I haven't really figured out what the whole comic is really about, but I'm just loving it so far.

Besides, how can you resist a comic strip where one of the cutest girl characters I've ever seen is shown shouting, "Ass spanky!" and doing exactly that?

Link - Sinfest site
Link - the full version of the comic shown above

Mmmm, bacon...

2006-09-22T22:29:00.000-07:00

Okay, this has got to be one of the best "embarrassing baby photos that your parents will show to your prom date in 17 years" pictures that I've ever seen.

I'd really love to see the kid's reaction in the next shot. "Mmmm, yummy!"

For more cute and funny photos, check out Cute Overload.

Great European Honda commercials

2006-09-21T08:12:00.000-07:00

Now why don't they make cool commercials like this for the North American markets? Aside from the fact that it's about two minutes, which is way too long for the North American attention span...

The original commercial:

A hilarious parody:

Not enough time for geeking

2006-09-13T17:43:00.000-07:00

Being a geek is, basically, a part of my identity, and it's something I'm rather proud of. I like to play with computers and know more about them than most of the people I work with. I collect comic books. I enjoy science fiction books, TV shows, movies, art, etc. I love to play video games. I like keeping abreast of cutting edge technology and neat consumer electronics. The Internet fascinates me, in the sheer volume and variety of stuff that's available out there. I love to geek out!

When I have the time.

I've been thinking about this recently, because it occurred to me that I'm not as much of a geek now as I used to be. For most self-professed geeks, their interests include popular TV shows like the new Battlestar Galactica, Stargate, and maybe even Star Trek: Enterprise (despite its recent cancellation). I don't watch any of those. In fact, I don't watch any TV on a regular basis. The most time I spend in front of TV is when I keep my wife company -- she watches while I play my Nintendo DS.

Reading comic books are, for many geeks, a cherished hobby. I don't buy any regular monthly comics anymore, and the only ones I've purchased lately are a few manga books, which I'm oh so happy to see are becoming more prevalent in "regular" bookstores. Yay, manga!

The last theatre movie I saw was Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man's Chest. Beyond that, I think I've maybe seen 2 or 3 movies in the theatre in the past year. I haven't even seen King Kong yet, even though I own it on DVD.

I do manage to invest some time in video games, but I don't have a lot of time to play them, and don't have much cash to spend on them, either.

And so on, and so forth. Basically, I can look back on my teenage and university years with envy at all the time I had to geek out on my various hobbies. Sure, I could watch Star Trek all day, go to the comic book store every week to pick up my usual titles, stay up all night to play video games on my computer, and go to the theatre just about every weekend to watch the latest flick. But, in those days, I couldn't hug my wife, sit with her for some quiet time in front of the TV, or just spend a quiet dinner with her. I didn't have a house of my own to maintain, and I didn't have a full-time job that allows me to pay for that house.

I may not have as much geek time as I used to, but when I look closely enough, I can see that I've got a lot more of, well, life. And that seems like more than a fair trade-off to me.

UPDATE: I actually managed to watch King Kong last weekend. It was okay. Best part was the gorilla-style kung fu when Kong took on three T-Rexes.

Downloadable movies have arrived!

2006-09-12T17:32:00.000-07:00

(Well, the legal movie downloading services, anyway. The illegal services have been around forever.)

Apple is firing the latest salvo in the digital film service war by announcing that you can buy and download movies from their popular iTunes service. Competing services include Amazon.com's Unbox and AOL Video.

There are many interesting features and limitations to these various movie services, but one thought that struck me was the availability of older, lesser-known movies. It might be difficult to find an old movie on DVD, simply because of the costs involved, when there's a very real chance the movie studio probably won't sell very many of them, because the movie ain't so hot anymore. But with digital distribution, all you would need is a digital copy of the movie. There's very little overhead when you're talking about downloading over the Internet, so why not make those forgotten gems from the past available now?

I certainly hope this is one of the advantages to digital distribution that we'll see soon. I'd definitely be willing to shell out a few bucks for the chance to see my beloved Krull again.

Back to the 80's

2006-08-22T14:24:00.000-07:00

I was born in the early seventies, and I've been a geek all of my life, so that basically means I grew up on cheesy 80s TV shows, especially those awesome cartoons. And thanks to the magic of YouTube, I can relive some of my favourite memories, if only in the form of intros to some of my favourite shows.

The embedded video above is from The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers, certainly one of the more obscure 80s cartoons, but one of my all-time faves. (Galaxy Rangers Wikipedia info here)

Another great show was M.A.S.K. (which stood for Mobile Armored Strike Kommand). Being a huge Transformers fan, just the notion of vehicles that could change into other vehicles or weapons struck my teenage mind as being far too cool. (M.A.S.K. video, Wikipedia entry)

Then there was the show that I, my brother, and 3 of my cousins loved so much, that we used to run around and pretend we were the five young warriors from Battle of the Planets (also known as G-Force or, in Japan, Gatchaman). When Earth is in danger from alien invaders, then of course you turn to five young orphans who dress up like birds...right? (Battle of the Planets video, Wikipedia entry) And just for the record, when we were kids, I got to play Jason.

And of course, what geek kid in the 80s could possibly forget Star Blazers? Based on a series of Japanese animation shows called Space Battleship Yamato, Star Blazers was animated space opera at its finest. I can still remember how to sing the opening theme song even today -- yes, that's how much of a geek I truly am. (Star Blazers video, Wikipedia entry)

R.I.P. PSP?

2006-07-19T18:06:00.000-07:00

Those of you who are familiar with my preference for Nintendo (vs. Sony) products probably know how I feel about the Playstation Portable.

So I was interested to read this article on Gameworld Network about the PSP, which, according to the article, seems to have one foot in the grave already.

Quote: "There comes a time in every system's life when you know there really isn’t any hope left. We take a detailed look at why it’s time to lay the PSP to rest."

I found the article to be informative and interesting, although I think it might be a bit too early to count the PSP out yet. I'm still a die-hard DS fan, but the PSP has a lot of potential that could, with the right imagination and corporate direction, still result in a somewhat successful product.

Oh, who am I kidding -- it's the world's most expensive paperweight. So there.

[via Joystiq]

Greatest video game store ever?!?

2006-07-15T00:16:00.000-07:00

Some day, when I have insane amounts of disposable cash, I will open up a store like this.

Or maybe I'll just buy this store and move it here to Canada. Yeah, that's the ticket.

Click here for more pics.

[Via Joystiq]

50 worst video game names

2006-07-13T16:36:00.000-07:00

Not the worst games, but the worst game names. This list had me snorting and guffawing with barely-restrained laughter.

Click here to read the whole hilarious list.

Pictured on the right is one of my favourites. I love their comment:

Two great tastes that make no sense together. "Hey! You got your nuts in my milk! Hey! You got your milk on my nuts! Mmmmm."

[via Extra Life forums]

Etch-A-Sketch art

2006-07-12T09:10:00.000-07:00

Man, I didn't even think it was possible to create such detailed, creative artwork on an Etch-A Sketch. I was lucky if I could even draw a proper square.

And that Hobbes sure is cute!

Click here for more.

Ah, that satisfied feeling...

2006-07-06T09:06:00.000-07:00

You know the kind I mean: It's the feeling you get after finishing off that dinner at your favourite restaurant, where the food was cooked to perfection and the wine is the perfect choice to compliment your meal. Or it's like the feeling you get when you walk out of the movie theatre, still aglow in the rush of emotions, thinking to yourself, "Okay, that is now one of my favourite movies of all time!"

Yeah, that feeling. I got that kinda feeling after I finished reading the graphic novel Superman: Secret Identity, written by Kurt Busiek and illustrated by Stuart Immonen for DC Comics. It's that good.

The premise has to do with a teenage boy named Clark Kent, who lives in a reality just like ours, where superheroes don't really exist, except in comic books and movies. With his name, he gets teased mercilessly by family and schoolmates, and he hates it...until he mysteriously develops the powers of Superman!

But instead of focusing on the "super" aspects of Superman, the story centres around Clark's human problems and emotions. Should he tell anybody about these powers? Should he help people or just find fame & fortune for himself? How can he get the government to stop trying to capture him? He falls in love with a woman named Lois (she's Indian, so her last name is definitely not "Lane") -- should he share his secret with her, and risk having the government go after her as well? The story follows him throughout his natural human lifetime, all the way up to his old age and grandchildren. (For more on the plot, click here for the Wikipedia entry.)

Out of DC Comics' main heroes, I've always kind of preferred Batman to Superman, but I really enjoyed this comic because it brings a sense of humanity to Superman that I've never seen before. If you can get your hands on this graphic novel, I highly recommend it.

Come join the dark side...

2006-06-29T09:03:00.000-07:00

Anybody who regularly reads this blog (all 3 of you) know that I'm a Nintendo enthusiast, through- and- through. I love the Big N's products, I've always liked their philosophy in regards to gaming, and I'm excited to see what they've got in store for the future.

But recently I stumbled upon an offer I couldn't resist -- on the AirMiles website, the price for the Playstation 2 (the evil black thing pictured on the right) dropped by about 400 AirMiles points, and I had enough points to get it!

So I did.

And it's fun! I've only got two games for it so far, Ratchet & Clank and Jak II, and I'm quite enjoying them. Maybe Sony ain't quite so bad after all, if they can create...something like...

All right, I'll admit it:

I'M A WHORE! I'm nothing but a moral-less, weak-willed, crawl-on-the-ground-for-my-next-hit junkie video game WHORE! I've sold out my standards, I've handed my soul to the devil and said, "Here, take it, just gimme that sinful, black, console of evil that is the Playstation 2!" There's no hope left for me, the next thing I'll probably do is sell my collection of comic books, my house, and my left kidney for an Xbox 360 (how else can you afford one?) ...

Wait, wait. Maybe it's not so bad. Who says that, just because you're a Nintendo fan, that you have to be a mono-gamer? What's wrong in enjoying the entire spectrum of good games, regardless of what system it's on? Games are games, and good games should be enjoyed by all, no matter who created them.

Right?

Okay, I feel better now. Sure, I'm a slut, but I'm an equal-gaming slut, if that makes any sense. And I'm okay with that.

But hey, that Playstation Portable is starting to look mighty sexy...

Casual Gamers Anonymous

2006-06-29T08:57:00.000-07:00

Heh. Yeah, if this really existed, I'd be a card-carrying member.

Click on the image to see a larger version.

[via Real Life]

Fiery rainbow

2006-06-20T10:05:00.000-07:00

Wow, that's cool.

Click here for more info.

[Via Extra Life]

Podcasts rock!

2006-06-07T17:48:00.000-07:00

Especially the ones I'm hooked on right now:
- ExtraLife Radio (the image on the right was drawn by Obsidian, one of the regulars on the show)
- 4colorrebellion
- The SG Show

Podcasts are like little radio shows about your favourite topics, and most of them are completely free. Try one out today!

Video games are just that -- games

2006-06-02T17:33:00.000-07:00

Despite the overwhelmingly negative perception that seems to be surrounding video games lately, I would propose that games are games, and video games are no more harmful to children than playing chess or Monopoly. Hell, you're probably more likely to get hurt playing Monopoly, especially when landing on the four hotels on Boardwalk causes your opponent to flip out and throw the shoe piece at your head.

Brian C. Anderson, writing an opinion piece on a little-known publication called the Wall Street Journal, seems to have a similar opinion. He even has the temerity to suggest that video games can be good for children! His article is called "The Brain Workout," and it's an interesting read.

[Via Joystiq]

I suck at using a yo-yo...

2006-05-31T17:38:00.000-07:00

...but obviously these guys do not. Check out this amazing footage from the World Yo-Yo Contest 2005 in Florida.

Origami: silver dragon

2006-05-24T19:13:00.000-07:00

Folding origami figures used to be one of my favourite hobbies. I still enjoy it, but I don't do it nearly as much as I would like -- there just never seems to be enough time! It's all this working, eating, sleeping ... annoying time-wasters that take away from the hobbies that I love to indulge in.

Anyway. I know I can't spend as much time on origami as I used to, but I do want to keep "in touch with it," so to speak, especially with my favourite models. So last weekend I folded one of my all-time faves: Western Dragon, designed by another one of my faves, John Montroll. Here are some pics on the right -- the bottom one shows the dragon on a book, to give you an idea of the size.

I first got interested in origami in my mid-twenties, back when I was only working part-time at my parents' coffee shop and doing some ESL tutoring on the side. I had finished school, I was living at home with my parents, and I hadn't met my wife yet. In other words, I had a lot more free time back then.

I'm not a very creative person (aside from some creative writing I try to dabble in), so folding origami figures is a kind of "artistic shortcut" -- I can create neat-looking figures, just by following detailed, step-by-step instructions in a book. The creativity comes mostly from the minds of the origami masters who had created these amazing designs, although I do sometimes add a few small touches here and there when I'm folding.

Also, I find it interesting how, when I'm folding a figure that I know well, my fingers sometimes seem to fold the paper all on their own. In fact, when I start thinking too much about what I'm doing, I tend to screw it up. If I just let my thoughts drift and my fingers work on their own, then I usually do okay. Sounds kind of zen-like, eh?

Never too young to start gaming

2006-05-24T16:19:00.000-07:00

Awwwwww....

Apparently she's a two-year-old in Japan. For the full story behind this adorable pic, click here.

[Via 4 Color Rebellion]

Game-playing vs. call of nature

2006-05-19T15:37:00.000-07:00

Check out this video of a little kid who has to go pee, but can't seem to tear himself away from playing a video game.

This is why I wear an adult diaper whenever I go to the mall.

[via Kotaku]

The cutest showdown ever

2006-05-15T09:26:00.000-07:00

Adorable puppies vs. cat -- who will blink first?

Money makes the world go around...or does it?

2006-05-11T16:37:00.000-07:00

I was recently reminded about the fact that Bill Gates, though his charitable foundation, donated $29 billion US between 2000 and 2004, approximately, according to his Wikipedia entry. I'd heard this before, a few years ago, but I never really paid much attention, except for the throw-away thought, "Damn, it'd be nice to have so much money that I could actually donate $29 billion to a charity."

But today, I thought about it. There are lots of major problems in this world, some of which could be eased by money, like poverty and famine. Yes, these are complex issues, and just throwing money at them wouldn't necessary cure them right away, but it would certainly help. So, just how much money would it take, then? How many billions or trillions of dollars would it take to help all those people who really need the help?

Or, another way to look at it: If you took all the money in the entire world and distributed it to everybody equally, would we all be rich, or comfortable, or poor? What if there were no rich people and no poor people, just people living their lives?

No, I'm not championing communism, or socialism, if you prefer. I think basic human nature wouldn't allow us all to just deal with having "only enough" -- we humans always seem to want more, and most of us just are never satisfied.

Money, money, money... Oddly enough, right now I feel both poor and not poor at the same time. Go figure.

Random thoughts about E3 2006

2006-05-10T11:43:00.000-07:00

- So what if the Playstation 3 controller looks exactly the same. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. The tacked-on-at-the-last-minute gyroscopic functionality is pretty lame, though.

- I am so STOKED about the lineup of Nintendo DS games for the rest of the year. I'm excited about each and every game on this list, especially Yoshi's Island 2 (pictured right). Can you feel the DS love?

- The Wii (ugh, still can't say that out loud without grimacing) is looking better and better. I doubt my wife will let me buy it the first day it comes out...so I guess I'll have to wait until the second day. Hopefully it's small enough to smuggle under my jacket...past my wife's watchful eyes, not those of the local Best Buy employees.

- I'm so uninterested in the Xbox 360 that I can't even summon up the energy to finish typing this senten

- $500 US and up for the PS3? For that much money (which probably translates into around $30000 Cdn), I'm sure they include a complimentary 42" HD plasma screen TV. Right?

Great homemade lightsaber duel

2006-05-03T11:28:00.000-07:00

Quite cool and fun to watch.

Journeying Backwards Through Nintendo History

2006-04-19T17:31:00.000-07:00

STEPPING FORWARD, STEPPING BACK

I'm a lot like many of the gamers out there who call themselves Nintendo fans. I own all of the current generation Nintendo systems, and most of my favourite games are ones that star iconic Nintendo characters, like Link, Mario, and Samus. Like so many other Nintendo-philes, I'm counting the days until The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess emerges to take its place as one of the greatest games ever created, and my fingers are just twitching in anticipation of playing games with the new Revolution controller. My cell phone even uses the classic Super Mario theme as the main ringtone.

But there's one way in which I'm quite different from so many other Nintendo enthusiasts -- I never grew up with Nintendo. My childhood gaming hours were spent with the primitive black & white graphics of my Apple IIe, playing games like Lode Runner and Archon. Later I moved on to a PC and immersed myself in the adventures of Leisure Suit Larry, the frantic space combat of Wing Commander, and 10-hour, all-night sessions of Star Control II. Then, in my university years, the arcade was my home of gaming, where I squandered countless hours (and paycheques) on games like Street Fighter II and Virtua Cop.

The first Nintendo product that I ever owned was a Gamecube, purchased in the early part of 2004, when I was 32 years old. The first Gamecube game I ever owned was Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, which I loved so much that I played it all the way through at least five times. From there I moved on to a GBA SP, and then I nabbed a Nintendo DS on the first day it was available in Canada. The GBA Micro was a completely unnecessary, yet irresistible recent purchase.

Lately, I've been noticing a trend in my gaming habits -- I started off playing the more recently released games, and as time progressed I've been discovering the magic of Nintendo's older games. Even though I only own the current generation consoles, I've been lucky enough to get my hands on re-releases, ports, and compilations of classic Nintendo games that span the past 15 years. With each of these classic games that I play, I discover elements of gameplay that are so much fun that they seem almost universal in their appeal, which is what so many Nintendo-philes have already known for years. Effectively, I've been moving backwards through Nintendo history, and the further I go, the more I marvel at what a vibrant, colourful, and overall fun universe of gaming experiences that Nintendo has managed to create.

EVIL HAS NEVER LOOKED SO GOOD
Resident Evil 4 for Gamecube, released Jan 11, 2005

Since Resident Evil 4 came from the twisted geniuses at Capcom, it's not really a part of the standard Nintendo canon, but it was an exclusive on the Gamecube for its first 9 months, so that counts as a "Nintendo game" to me. I I barely had any experience with the Resident Evil universe before this point -- the 20 minutes I managed to spend on the original Resident Evil before throwing my controller to the floor in disgust at the annoying control scheme barely counts. Even without a proper frame of reference, though, this game simply blew me away, similar to the way my maxed-out riot shotgun would blow away mind-controlled ganados in the game.

The visuals in this game are, simply put, stunning. The details are exquisitely fine, the action is intense, and the scares are of the nerve-stripping variety. Resident Evil 4 is one of the most enjoyable action games I've ever played, and even though my experience is relatively limited, from the near-universal acclaim in the gaming community, it seems most game players agree. Video games don't get much more visceral or action-packed than this.

TINY CHARACTERS IN A HUGELY FUN GAME
Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap for GBA, released Jan 10, 2005

This was my first experience with the Legend of Zelda franchise. To be honest, the first time I tried out The Minish Cap, I wasn't all that impressed. The eye-popping visuals of Resident Evil 4 were still very much on my mind, and so watching a tiny Link running around in a simple two-dimensional -- albeit colourful -- environment, I remember thinking, "So what's the big deal with this whole Zelda thing?"

Curiosity made me keep playing. And playing. And playing. And then, I somehow couldn't stop playing, not until I'd finished the game and unlocked almost all of the kinstone secrets. Ah, I realized, so this is why gamers talk about the Zelda franchise with such reverence in their tones. As awesome as Minish Cap was, I was delighted to discover that, among popular opinion, The Minish Cap isn't even considered to be one of the best Zelda titles. I couldn't wait to discover the joys of Link's next adventure...or earlier adventure, depending on how you look at it.

THE NEW 3-D STANDARD
Super Mario 64 DS, released Nov 20, 2004 (Super Mario 64 for N64 released Sept 26, 1996)

By the time the Nintendo DS was released in November 2004, I was already well on my way to being a Nintendo enthusiast. So, when the mighty N launched their latest magical device, I just had to have it. And out of all the games available at launch, I just had to have Super Mario 64 DS. I had read articles online about the revolutionary impact of the original Super Mario 64, how it established the standard for 3-D platforms, and I was curious about how good a "revolutionary" game could be.

Pretty damned good, as I found out. The touch screen control was a bit iffy but responsive, and it was good enough to allow me to gather about 90 stars and beat Bowser at the end. Running around the castle, mastering the different jumps and stomping on enemies while listening to cheery, upbeat music gave me a sense of just how classic this game truly was.

Super Mario 64 was a trailblazer for 3-D platforming -- so what were games like before it came along?

BEST 2-D PLATFORMER EVER
Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi's Island (originally Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island for SNES, released Jan 1, 1996)

Nick has mentioned before on 4colorrebellion that Yoshi's Island is the best 2-D platformer ever. With praise that high, I just had to check this game out, and with perfect timing Nintendo re-released Yoshi's Island on the Player's Choice GBA line, helping to make it more affordable.

This game sucked me in right from the start. The almost hand-drawn art style gave it a fresh, unique look, and the gameplay was just, well, awesome. I loved it all: Swallowing enemies and transforming them into eggs to be thrown as weapons, holding down the jump button to make Yoshi strain and gain just a bit more altitude on his jumps, and the hidden secrets that were challenging, but not too difficult to find. This game marked the beginning of my current "2-D enthusiast" phase, with my growing appreciation of the purity of 2-D platform games.

Yup, Nick, you're right, the best 2-D platformer evar.

FIRST MISSION OF A LEGENDARY FRANCHISE
Metroid Zero Mission, released Feb 9, 2004 (original Metroid for NES released Aug 15, 1986)

Zero Mission is, apparently, a re-make of the original Metroid from the NES. After playing Zero Mission, I have just one question: How the hell did all of you original Nintendo-philes manage to play the original Metroid without a freaking map?!? Oh, I suppose I could have made it through Zero Mission without the map, but there would always be a high risk that I would end up snapping my GBA SP in two from frustration.

But luckily, Zero Mission has a map, and updated graphics, and riveting gameplay, and a great all around experience. Getting Metroid Fusion was the next logical step, and I loved it just as much. Both games felt like instant classics, which was appropriate considering how much they hearken back to the spirit of the classic NES era of gaming. The Metroid Prime games are great, but a part of me still yearns for another 2-D adventure for our favourite interstellar bounty hunter.

REVOLUTION -- THE LATEST OF MANY

So what's next? Obviously, the Revolution will put a whole new spin on video games, and will hopefully usher in a new era of game players, many of whom have never picked up a controller before. The DS is already moving in this direction, with games like Nintendogs and Brain Age creating waves of "disruption," as Satoru Iwata referred to in his GDC 2006 keynote speech. And with the Revolution's Virtual Console, a whole universe of Nintendo's history will soon be opened up for all to enjoy.

For me, the world of Nintendo is a bright and shining new horizon, stretching from a rich past to a nearly unimaginable future. As much as I'm looking forward to see what new experiences Nintendo has lying in wait for us in the years to come, I'm also eager to explore the foundations of what Nintendo has already built -- the classic games that created fond memories for so many young game players will, in turn, provide so much enjoyment for me in the future.

(images from IGN)

Corrupting our kids: Video games...and the waltz?

2006-04-07T12:15:00.000-07:00

"Video games are corrupting the youth of today!"

Sound familiar? These could be the words of many of the older adults of today, people who accuse gaming of turning the brains of their children into teeming morasses of sinful and evil thoughts.

But change the words "video games" to "the waltz", and you can find the same doomsday warning in the pages of The Times of London in 1816. Seems like corrupting influences on our children are everywhere, eh?

Check out this Wired article describing an age-old trend of media and its effects, or more accurately, the fear of its effects on children. I particularly like this quote, because it sounds like one of the most familiar criticisms of video games:

"Does the telephone make men more active or more lazy? Does [it] break up home life and the old practice of visiting friends?" - Survey conducted by the Knights of Columbus Adult Education Committee, San Francisco Bay Area, 1926

Now, I'm not proposing that all video games are completely harmless, and there are definitely some games that should only be played by discerning adults. But overall, I firmly believe that video games are no more harmful than rock 'n roll and movies. New medias develop, and we, as a society, learn to adapt to these new medias. It's an interesting and time-proven concept, otherwise known as "change."

(via Joystiq)

The greatest video game collection EVAR?

2006-03-15T09:01:00.000-08:00

Do you ever have that dream about owning so much cash that you can just throw it onto a bed and roll around in it?

I'm getting a similar feeling about this guy's amazing collection of video games...although I imagine all those game cases would be rather hard and pointy and uncomfortable to roll around in...

All I can do is sigh in frustrated envy and slack-jawed awe.

Click here for more (via Kotaku)

My (first) 15 minutes of fame

2006-02-28T19:45:00.000-08:00

Yup, that's me in the grainy photo on the left, featured in The Vancouver Sun (the largest daily paper in Vancouver) for Feb 27, 2006, page B2. I had accompanied my wife and our friend to the BC Home and Garden Show being held at BC Place.

With my level of interest in home design (which is roughly equal to Dubya's IQ, i.e. zero), I found it best just to sit up in the stands with our various jackets and accoutrements while my wife and our friend had fun browsing the home show exhibits.

Some enterprising newspaper photographer decided to snap a picture of me while I was busy playing Metroid Fusion on my Nintendo DS. Judging from the grimace on my face and the white-knuckled grip I was using to hold the DS, I must have been on my fourth attempt to beat the final boss enemy. It was time well-spent -- my wife enjoyed the various exhibits, and I managed to get the couple of hours I needed to finish a very good game.

Actually, the headline at the top of this blog entry is misleading -- the caption that accompanied this photo was "This man takes a break from viewing the displays," so my fame is, at best, anonymous. (sigh)

Feeling manly...

2006-02-26T18:12:00.000-08:00

...like the sailors depicted on the right, because I just changed the oil on my car solo for the very first time.

I can feel the testosterone just pumping through my body...damn, did my biceps just get bigger...?

Seriously, though, changing the oil on your car yourself is one of those ages-old rites of passages to modern-day manhood, like building your first wooden chair or cooking your first perfectly medium-rare steak on the barbeque.

Or, for geeks like me, manhood is perhaps more accurately determined by being able to hook up your DVD player to your hi-fi digital surround sound system or successfully re-format your hard drive and re-install all of your software. It is the new millennium, after all -- 2006 A.G., the Age of the Geek (according to me).

What a way to start the day...

2006-02-21T13:34:00.000-08:00

I had the scare of my life the other morning.

I rolled out of bed, leaving my wife sleeping blissfully, and followed my usual morning routine: Switch on the computer, turn on the radio (low, so I don't wake my wife), and while I'm waiting for the computer boot up I head upstairs to fetch the newspaper.

My wife and I live on the bottom floor of our house. Her parents and brother used to live on the top floor, but they moved out a couple of weeks ago, so apart from a few pieces of furniture, the upper floor is largely empty. I trooped up the stairs, opened the front door, nabbed the paper, closed and locked the door, then went to go turn down the heating.

I was just about to head back downstairs when I heard a strange, distinctive noise: Krik krik kreeeeak. After a few seconds it repeated, then repeated again. It maybe, just maybe, could have been the sound of someone treading on the laminate flooring in the hallway nearby, or maybe one of the bedrooms. Maybe someone with a weapon, waiting for me to come walking by...

I desperately tried to rub the remaining sleep out of my eyes and my mind raced with options. Ultimately I decided to race back downstairs and grab my large black metal Maglite flashlight (which ought to be good for pounding out a set of brains or two) and my dog repellent pepper spray. I also grabbed my cell phone, in case I needed to make a quick 9-1-1 call.

I went back upstairs and listened with all my might. Nothing. Stepping as quietly as I could, which sounded horribly loud to my ears, I carefully moved to the hallway, then started checking out the empty bedrooms, one by one, my eyes sweeping around me constantly. The first bedroom was empty, as was the second, and I was just passing by the darkened
bathroom --

-- when I heard a loud clatter coming from near the front door, like several hard objects hitting the floor. That's when I really freaked -- my heart raced to a staccato beat, and I could feel adrenaline jumping in my veins. Shit, they were behind me...!

I rushed to the front door, flashlight and pepper spray held ready to wreak havoc...and then I saw what had created the noise: The mail had been slipped through the mail slot, consisting of several letters and a package containing the Gameboy cartridge of The Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past that I had ordered from eBay. (And I thought Resident Evil 4 was the only video game capable of scaring me half to death!)

Relief rushed through my body. Eventually my heartbeat slowed and I managed to relax. I completed my reconnoiter of the top floor, just in case, and found nothing. I guess that initial creaking sound I had heard was just from the wooden structure of the house settling, especially after I had turned the heating down.

It was a pretty damned exciting way to start the day, that's for sure.

Breaking news: UMD movies suck!

2006-02-16T22:14:00.001-08:00

Okay, maybe that's a bit harsh. But the fact remains that the popularity of buying movies on Sony's proprietary UMD format has been, well, less than what Sony hoped for. (via Press The Buttons)

Well, duh! Why the heck would I want to buy a movie on UMD for almost the same price that I could get it for DVD, especially since the UMDs only play on Playstation Portables, and of course I'd rather watch movies on a 4.3 inch screen, rather than my 31 inch TV at home...uh, yeah.

Give it up, Sony. Betamax, Minidiscs, Memory Sticks, and now UMD movies...the parade of proprietary format failures continues. Good luck with the next one. (Yes, that was sarcasm you detected there.)

Feeling sluggish

2006-02-14T23:22:00.000-08:00

Four straight hours of TV will do that to you. Well, not four full hours -- during hour 3, I started getting antsy and whipped out my Nintendo DS to play some Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow. I even managed to beat a boss (Zephyr) and unlock a new area of the castle (yay me!).

I can't remember the last time I sat on the couch in front of the tube for four hours straight. Even after watching a long DVD movie, like one of the Lord of the Rings Extended Versions, I usually get up and do something else...usually something almost as equally as slothful, like vegging out in front of the computer, but still, at least it's different.

Tonight's couch potato marathon consisted of The Notebook (the ending made my wife cry, and even I teared up just a smidgen), a re-run of CSI, and the latest episode of The Gilmore Girls. When I finally got up, I swear my ass felt just a bit fatter than it had 4 hours before. Just a bit.

On a different note, my wife and I celebrated Valentine's Day today in our own special way: She gifted me with a lovely e-card, and I left a few love notes written on pink sticky notes scattered throughout the house for her to find. Happy Valentine's Day my sweet baboo -- may we keep celebrating for a lifetime more.

Slice of Life: Feb 9, 2006

2006-02-09T10:34:00.000-08:00

My iPod shuffle is set on random play. Sometimes the songs it spits out fit my mood, and at other times the songs it chooses are so against my mood that I have to skip through them until I can find something that's more suitable. Today the iPod's selections were appropriate: "Time to Say Goodbye" by Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli, "Don't Answer Me" by the Alan Parson's Project, "Mandolin Rain" by Bruce Hornsby and the Range, "Tenderness" by General Public.

If you can figure out what my mood was from those songs, then you're smarter than I am.

It was a crisp but clear morning, about 2 degrees Celsius or so. Frost was still on the ground and your breath fogged when you exhaled. The SkyTrain arrived just as I got to the platform, and I managed to snag a seat all to myself.

The sun was glaring brightly through my window, which gave me an excuse to put on my sunglasses and surreptitiously stare at the other passengers unnoticed. Like the guy dressed in a T-shirt and baggy shorts, as opposed to my sweater, jacket, jeans, and scarf. A young Korean man with a full backpack, likely a university student, was talking loudly on a cell phone in Korean, despite having music headphones on. He got off at the next stop, thankfully. Another man, sitting across from me, was reading I, Robot by Isaac Asimov -- the movie version, with Will Smith on the cover.

My thoughts, tumbling randomly like socks in the dryer, tossed up memories of my wife: Bringing me dinner on a snowy night when I was working late; snapping a photo of me reading the paper while we were on the beach and later propping that picture up near our bed; curled up in bed this morning under the blankets when I came to wake her up with kisses and hugs. It's both strange and wonderful how memories can evoke such feelings of tenderness.

The sun beaming on me had little to do with the warmth I felt inside me as I walked off the SkyTrain towards my office.

(Photo "Frozen Warmth" obtained from here.)

Nintendo handheld pron

2006-02-08T16:04:00.000-08:00

*droooooooooool*

Click here and here for more pictures (via Joystiq).

The Nintendo DS Lite can't possibly reach North America fast enough, in my opinion. I hope they come out with a pink version...for my wife, silly, not me! (*ahem*)

By the way, "pron" is slang for porn.

"Are you all right?"

2006-02-01T16:24:00.000-08:00

That's what I heard a woman's voice say, while I was riding the SkyTrain to work yesterday morning. I looked over to my right to see the woman, in her thirties with a full backpack, addressing an older woman who was sitting nearby. The older woman was gasping for breath and her face was flushed.

The woman in distress indicated that she was all right, and she thanked the younger woman for her concern. They spoke for a few minutes, and the older woman reassured the other that she was fine, and indeed she was looking better. The younger woman gave the other woman a concerned glance just before she got off the train.

This whole scene stirred a few different feelings inside me: Gratitude that there are such nice, caring people in this world who are willing to help out their fellow citizens, and curiosity about what I would've done if the older woman had truly been in trouble. I'm pretty sure I would've done something -- I've been in situations before where someone honestly needed assistance and I didn't do anything to help and I just felt like a shit. (I won't provide details, because then you'll think of me as a shit as well.)

Because that's the most important thing of all -- when someone needs a helping hand and you can provide it, then do it. Not just because you might need someone to help you in the future, or that you felt guilted into doing it, but because it's the right thing to do.

Finally it's useful!

2006-01-19T08:17:00.000-08:00

You can watch videos and listen to music on the video iPod, the games are better on the Nintendo DS...the Playstation Portable has got to be good for something, right? (Aside from being the most expensive paperweight you'll ever buy.)

Check out today's Real Life comic for the answer to that question. (Click on the image to see a larger version.)

I recommend reading the daily Real Life comic strip -- find it here.

Mario Kart DS blues

2006-01-10T17:50:00.000-08:00

Boy, if I had a nickel for every time this happened to me...

Click here to read the original comic, from Press Start To Play.

My Favourite Games of 2005

2006-01-04T16:29:00.000-08:00

2005 has just ended, 2006 is a few days old, and it's the perfect time to post this "My Favourite Games of 2005" list. These are not necessarily the best games of the past year, nor are they all games that came out in the calendar year of 2005. This list represents a more personal perspective, of what games I happened to enjoy playing the most this past year.

In no particular order:

Resident Evil 4 (Gamecube): I normally don't play survival/horror games. This is mainly because that type of game tends to make me tremble and cry like a little schoolgirl (no offense intended to little schoolgirls, who are probably generally braver than I am anyway). But I couldn't ignore the almost universal praise this game was getting in the gaming press, so I tried it out. And damn, it rocks. It's violent, it's packed chock full o' gun-fighting, knife-slashing action, it's got enemies that spurt blood and take a few steps towards you even after you've blown their heads off, it has huge boss monsters that are hugely freaky and enormously fun to destroy, and it's totally fun. Considered by some influential gaming media outlets as the best game of the year, and judging from the fact that I've finished it five times and I still play it periodically, I have to agree.

Metroid: Fusion (Gameboy Advance): I was not fortunate enough to grow up with the Nintendo Entertainment System and its various successors, like most of the hardcore gamers of my generation, so I never had a chance to sample the original Metroid games. And as impressive as Metroid Primes 1 & 2 are for the Gamecube, I couldn't play them for long because first person shooter games give me a headache. (Ah, Half-Life 2, I hardly knew ye, and unfortunately never will...) So Metroid Fusion was my introduction to the whole Metroid series, and it was an absolute blast. Smooth, intuitive controls, compelling storyline, and addictive gameplay combined into a fantastic game. My only complaint that it was too short, and so I was grateful to stumble upon a cheap copy of its "sequel," Metroid: Zero Mission in the Wal-Mart bargain bin near my house. Mother Brain, here I come...!

Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time (Nintendo DS): A lot of people slag sequels, whether it's in terms of movies or video games. Lack of imagination, exploiting established franchises, easy money for little effort, yadda yadda yadda. I say: Who cares, as long as the sequels give you more of what you liked in the first place! Such is the case with this game. The first Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga is one of my favourite GBA games of all time, and the Nintendo DS sequel admirably upholds this great standard. I hope they make another sequel with similar quality -- I'd love to play another game that makes me laugh so much.

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (Gameboy Advance): The Zelda franchise is another classic series that I was unable to experience in my formative young video gaming years (damn my parents for not buying me that NES, SNES, Gameboy, and Ferrari Testarossa!). So I missed out on all the Zelda wonderfulness, until I got my hands on The Minish Cap. This is one of the rare games that both my wife and I enjoyed playing, and it's so full of puzzles, action, quests, secrets, and surprises that you wonder how a small GBA cartridge can possibly hold it all. As much as I'm looking forward to The Twilight Princess on Gamecube later this year, I still hope that Capcom will create another awesome portable Zelda game for the GBA or Nintendo DS.

Mario Kart DS (Nintendo DS): It's fun. The controls are tight and responsive. It's fun. It's packed full of different tracks and games and modes of play. It's fun. It's got online play that works perfectly. And did I mention it's fun? This is definitely one of the most-own games for the Nintendo DS. I just wish I had friends whom I could play this game with...just so I could grind them into the dust and laugh at the pathetic expressions on their faces as they realize just how much of a Mario Kart DS master I truly am.

Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door (GC): I love RPGs, and I can say without reservation that this game is definitely the most humorous, entertaining, and all around fun RPGs I've ever played. It's one of the few games that actually made me laugh out loud, and do it quite often throughout the game. The jokes were clever and hilariously written -- the translation team did a marvelous job. My wife even enjoyed watching me play through some of it, pointing out how cute and funny some of the characters are. I ended up playing it for around 43 hours in total, and the final bosss battle was challenging, but not too insanely hard, and very satisfying to beat. Like the best books or movies, I was sorry to see it end.

Mario Vs. Donkey Kong (Gameboy Advance): This platformer-action-puzzler (is that even an accepted genre?) is yet another example of Nintendo's innate ability to put a fresh, interesting spin on their decades-old franchise characters. The big ape Donkey Kong and the fat little plumber known as Mario (although he was originally called Jumpman in the first Donkey Kong game) have helped to establish Nintendo as the video game giant they are now with the landmark original Donkey Kong game, as well as the Super Mario games. Mario Vs Donkey Kong brings elements of both franchises together with an added element of puzzle-solving and damned cute character animations. It's one of those "just gotta play one more level" type of games that are so hard to put down.

Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones (Gamecube): Do you remember the last time you were reading a book that was so fast-paced, so enjoyable, so damned addictive that you just couldn't put it down? I get that same sensation from this game. I absolutely loved Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, and after sidestepping the somewhat annoying and tedious sequel Warrior Within, I was happy to find out that the third game in the series to be just as fun and gripping as the first. I haven't finished it yet -- I'm guessing that I'm about halfway through, maybe a bit more -- but it's been a great ride so far, and I can't wait to see how it ends.

PC Gaming in Korea

2006-01-04T15:22:00.000-08:00

Here's a great article about the phenomenon of PC gaming in South Korea, written by Jim Rossignol, from UK magazine PC Gamer. It's a great insight into the high-tech Korean gaming culture, which is so different from just about any other country in the world. Due to a combination of different factors, including extensive access to high-speed internet and decades of trade restrictions on Japanese games (thus very little Nintendo or Playstation influence), PC gaming seems to have taken on the same cultural impact as professional sports.

What I find amazing, though, isn't necessarily the deep saturation of gaming in Korean culture, but the fact that most of it is inherently social. That is, the vast majority of games seems to entail playing against other people, whether it's against opponents sitting a few metres away within the same "PC baang" or someone on the Internet who could be on the other side of the country.

The common perception of games among most non-gamers (and even some rabid gamers) in North America is that video games are a very solitary, even anti-social activity. The typical video game player is usually visualized as huddling in the corner by himself with his controller, lost in an electronic game world for hours at a time. But the Koreans are turning that perception on its ear. It seems that for them, gaming is something you do with others, even extending itself to matchmaking and possibly romance.

To quote from the article: "These people want to be sociable, to have things to see and do, but many of them have turned to games, rather than bars and clubbing, to find that solace."

It's really quite fascinating. As a Canadian who was born in Korea but grew up in the west, I find it endlessly interesting to see how the country of my birth and my heritage has grown in the past 20 years, re-inventing itself into one of Asia's most-high tech economic powers. South Korea has come a long way from the country my parents would describe in their stories, about a people living mostly in poverty but always with a strong sense of pride and ambition.

Video games are one of my favourite hobbies, but the dozen-or-so hours I spend on them per week seems to be nothing compared to what many Koreans do on a regular basis. And none of my close friends are into gaming as much as I am, whereas in Korea being a hardcore gamer seems to be the norm.

From the article: "In Sook was the embodiment of what I’d come to expect from Korean gamers: someone deeply enamoured with online gaming to the point where it defined her worldview and provided for her social life. ... Her opinions are echoed throughout Korean culture: games are the best of pastimes, and if you can make friends while playing them, well so much the better. "

Read (via Joystiq)

RTS on DS, dammit!

2005-12-31T11:37:00.000-08:00

Okay, you've got to be a hardcore gamer in order to understand the title above. For you people out there who aren't gamers (i.e. you actually have a life), it's a plea for real-time strategy (RTS) games on the Nintendo DS. Pleeeeeeease!

It certainly should be possible. The picture on the right depicts a screenshot of an RTS game that was made for the Palm and Pocket PC platforms. It's called Warfare Incorporated, and I own a copy for my Sony Clie NR70V Palm PDA. I really enjoyed it -- it's got most of the classic RTS components, like the ability to create different units, collect resources, and order your units around in single or multiples.

Warfare Inc. is controlled using the stylus, so it should be able to work similarly on the Nintendo DS. And in terms of processor horsepower, I'm pretty sure the DS is comparable to my Clie, if not superior, since the DS is about 4 years more advanced.

So this is my heartfelt request to Nintendo: RTS on DS! I'm pretty sure a good RTS strategy game is definitely feasible on the DS, so please try to find a developer to create one for the DS. Maybe Spiffcode, the company that created Warfare Inc?

(Some of you more informed gamers may feel like saying: "Well, there is an RTS on the DS, it's called Real Time Conflict: Shogun Empires." Yeah, but I hear that it sucks. Call me picky, but I'm asking for a good RTS game. )

Christmas is all about...

2005-12-27T11:52:00.000-08:00

...the swag!

Well, no, of course that's not true. It's about family and friends, good times spent with people you love.

But dammit, it certainly is nice to have stuff given to you for free, especially stuff you like!

For me, that "stuff" included -- what else -- video games! I didn't actually receive any games as gifts directly, but I did get a lot of gift cards to Best Buy & Future Shop, which is better because I was able to choose the games I wanted, like:

Sonic Rush (DS)
Viewtiful Joe: Double Trouble! (DS)
Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction (GC)
Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones (GC)

One final gift I'd like to receive: Loads of time so I can play these games! And please don't suggest the obvious solution -- if I quit my job, then eventually I'll lose my house, and it's no fun trying to play games out in the rain, with no electricity for my TV and Gamecube. See, I'm not that dumb.

Other gifts that I was grateful to receive: A warm scarf from my mother-in-law (thanks Mom!), a large pack of Ferrero Rocher chocolates (mmmmm!) and a cool ergonomic gel pen from my cousin (thanks Ed!), and a couple of neat Transformer toys, chocolates, and manga books from my wife (thanks dear!). Fun all around!

The greatest gift of all, it goes without saying, is the loving company of my wonderful wife. No material gift could possibly give me as much happiness and contentment as she does, every single day.

I love you, sweetie. Merry Christmas!

Xbox 360? Enh.

2005-12-05T21:44:00.000-08:00

Most people who know me also know that I'm an avid gamer. So lately, when I'm chatting with friends, co-workers, or the crazy hermit lady up the street, one of the most common questions I'll hear is: "So, what do you think of that new Xbox 360 thing?"

My response: "Enh, whatever."

I'm honestly not all that excited about it. Sure, I understand that the 360 represents the first salvo in the next generation of the game console wars, with an appropriately souped-up engine under the hood and lots of fancy-sounding numbers in the technical specs. And yes, I'll admit that the games I've seen so far, in the local Electronics Boutiques stores, do look pretty. (Although I'm sure it helps that they're being displayed on expensive-looking high definition TVs.)

But prettiness does not a great game make...or, at least, it's not the only thing that can create a pleasurable gaming experience. Aside from the more powerful hardware and sharper graphics ("Oooh, look at those individual blades of grass waving in the wind!"), nothing about the 360 games that I've heard about so far really do anything to excite me.

A few of the big-name launch games are first-person shooters (FPS), like Perfect Dark Zero and Call of Duty 2 (see screenshot above, via Gamespot), and I can't play them. Something about FPS games gives me a headache. It must be the forced perspective, with no peripheral vision, where all that you can see in the game is encapsulated in a small box on a screen. When I used to play Doom or Quake years ago, I'd reflexively keep jerking my head to the side, in an effort to see what's going on to my left or right, but then my neck muscles would lock my head into a straight-ahead position, since, of course, there's nothing to see that's not on the screen in front of me. (No wonder I was getting headaches...) Maybe if I had a large, wide-screen TV, and if the game was designed to show more of a peripheral visual scene, then I could actually play the damn things.

Another 360 game, called Kameo, sounds like it could be fun. I saw a young girl, maybe 5 years old, playing it at an EB store. She didn't know how to play, but she was steering the main character, a young elfin-looking woman named Kameo, around the screen, occasionally triggering transformations by stabbing some of the buttons. Once she threw Kameo off a cliff, and when Kameo sprouted wings, the girl excitedly exclaimed to her father, "Look, she can fly...!"

Then Kameo dropped like a stone and re-spawned back where she started. No, little girl, I guess Kameo can't fly yet, although why she sprouted wings, I don't know.

So where am I going with this? I guess my main point is: Throw all the pretty graphics and impressive numbers at me that you want, if I'm going to enjoy a game, then it just has to be fun. Right now I'm intensely involved with Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time (pictured at right, courtesy of Gamespot). This game is for the Nintendo DS, and the graphics aren't much of a step up from the original Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga for the Gameboy Advance. It's a mostly 2-D game, and the visuals are simple, if cute. But most of all, it's witty, enjoyable, and yes, it's fun.

And that's what gaming is all about.

Ah, the wonder of it all...

2005-12-05T21:25:00.000-08:00

Can there ever be too much gaming? A difficult question, that philosophers and poets have debated from time immemorial...

Yeah, whatever. The pic to the right illustrates the number of game consoles in my house right now. Woo-hoo!

Well, actually, they're not all mine. At least, not for long. I bought the PS2 for a friend of mine, and I'm going to be selling the blue Nintendo DS, and probably the silver one as well.

But for now, I'll just sit back and bask in the beauty of it all.

(Yes, I do need a life.)

"Hi, do you have a lot of games?"

2005-11-24T20:45:00.000-08:00

...or something like that. That's what I heard a complete stranger say to me last weekend, while I was in an Electronics Boutique store with my wife, checking out the selection of Gamecube games.

He was a young man, about my age, and he struck up a conversation with me about the games in our respective collections. He told me about some of the games he was looking for, and other games he would be willing to trade. A few minutes later he gave me his business card with his e-mail address, and I promised to e-mail him.

I did so, later that night, giving him a list of games I would be willing to part with, and another list of games I wanted. He responded with a lists of his own, and after a bit of bartering back and forth we agreed to exchange: I would give him Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door and Alien Hominid, and he'd give me Super Smash Bros Melee, 007: Everything or Nothing, and The Legend of Zelda: Master Quest edition. I loved playing Paper Mario, and I was a bit sorry to see it go, but I had finished the game, and as fun as it was, I don't know if it would be as much fun to play the second time around.

We met a few days later at a SkyTrain station, exchanged the games and a few friendly words, and then parted ways.

It was an interesting experience for me. I've never really been all that comfortable striking up conversations with strangers, aside from friendly platitudes like a "good morning" to the neighbour I see when I'm walking to the SkyTrain on my way to work. When the guy started talking with me in the EB, I was a bit wary, wondering if he wanted to take advantage of me somehow. (No, not that way!) But it all turned out all right, and now I'm eagerly looking forward to checking out my new games.

Speaking of which, I think I've got too many new games to play -- a sentiment my wife would wholeheartedly agree with, I'm sure. Here's a list of the games I've managed to get my hands on recently, and haven't finished yet:

- Nintendogs
- Asphalt Urban GT
- Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrows
- Nanostray
- Star Wars Episode III (for DS)
- Advance Wars: Dual Strike
- Mario Kart DS
- Mario Kart: Double Dash!
- Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
- Super Smash Bros Melee
- 007: Everything or Nothing
- Super Mario Sunshine

Whew! Just typing this list makes me tired. And I've got a few other games which are older, but are still unconquered by me.

I posted before about not having enough time to play games -- man, am I in trouble now! If this keeps up, my wife is going to have to find a video games anonymous support group or something...

Mario Kart online, baby!

2005-11-24T20:07:00.000-08:00

I bought Mario Kart DS on the second day it was available, which was about a week and a half ago, but only today was I able to try out the online play. The wireless router I'm using at home isn't compatible with the Nintendo Wifi service, and I tried connecting at a few other places, like Kwantlen University College in Richmond, with no success. Each time I tried it was different -- at home, I got a message almost immediately that things weren't working. But when I tried it at Kwantlen, it took a good 5 minutes of "Testing connection" before I was finally informed that I was out of luck. (5 minutes doesn't sound like very long? Go ahead and try it, stare at something that's unchanging for 300 seconds, and you'll see why it feels like a small eternity.) I had similar experiences at a friend's house and at a restaurant in Richmond that was supposed to have a compatible hotspot.

These experiences made me wonder if perhaps online play wasn't such a cool thing, despite all the rave reviews I've been reading on the Net. Or maybe it was just sour grapes -- since I can't have it, how good can it be, anyway...?

Then I discovered that a Mac's convenience store not far from my house, and on my SkyTrain route home from work, is hosting a hotspot that's supposed to be compatible with Nintendo Wifi, so I tried it out today after work. And it worked, hallelujah!

My DS detected the "Fatport" hotspot almost immediately, and when I clicked "Test connection" it took only a few seconds to confirm that the connection was okay. (I felt a little jolt of excitement. Just a little one.)

Then I activated an online match. It took about a minute or so to find 3 other players, but finally we were all ready to play...and then I lost the connection.

After taking out my frustrations on an unfortunate passerby by repeatedly slamming his head into a metal pole, I calmed down and tried again. (And apologized to the now-dazed man who was stumbling away.) This time it worked perfectly, although I only managed to find one other person to race against. His record showed 55 wins and 22 losses, up against me, with my little 0-0 record. Yup, you know it, a major butt-kicking was about to commence, and I'm sure you can guess who was going to be kicking who...er, whom.

I picked my favourite character, Yoshi with the standard kart, and I was interested to see that my opponent was using R.O.B. If his 55-22 record hadn't already keyed me in that he was a Mario Kart pro, the fact that he'd managed to unlock the secret R.O.B. character made that rather clear.

One thing I'd always wondered about MK DS online was: How do you choose what track to race on? Is it determined randomly, or do the players choose, and if so, how can you agree on one track? Turns out it's a bit of both: You pick your track, your opponent picks their track, then one of them is randomly chosen by the computer.

I picked the "random" option for my choice, which ended up being the Luigi Circuit course, originally from Mario Kart: Double Dash for Gamecube. He selected Mario Circuit from the original SNES game, and my course ultimately prevailed. This course, for you non-Mario Kart players, is mostly smooth, with no sharp corners or difficult gimmicks. It was just the two of us racing, no computer players.

And it was great fun! We were pretty much neck-and-neck through most of the race, with him jumping ahead sometimes, and me pulling into the lead at others. We exchanged volleys of red shells, dodged green shell bullets, and threw various other weapons at each other as we darted through the course. Ultimately he pulled ahead just before the end, and I was unable to catch him. I didn't mind losing, I was "just happy to be there," so to speak.

For the next race his choice of course won, and he'd picked the Mario Circuit again. And this is where his superior experience and skill really shone through. I have no experience with the R.O.B. character, so I don't know its strengths and weaknesses. But it must've had a top speed similar to my Yoshi, since we were pretty close throughout most of the first race. So it must have been his superior knowledge of the game that allowed him to pull waaaaay ahead of me in the second race, so much so that I think I was only halfway through the course on the last lap when he won. Yep, I got whupped real bad.

Unfortunately, I had to head on home to have dinner with my wife, so I had to cut the racing session short. I hope my opponent didn't think I was being a sore loser -- I'd love to have raced (and probably lost) some more, but I just didn't have time.

So, it was a brief, but very enjoyable first experience with the Nintendo Wifi system, and I have nothing but praise for it. Nintendo, I'm an even bigger fan than ever, and I can't wait to see what delightful surprises you've got up your sleeve next.

Easier than a real dog, but still...

2005-11-19T11:58:00.000-08:00

Aren't my Nintendogs cute? Sorry about the poor quality of the photos, but it's the best I could do -- darn puppies won't stay still! (Yeah, that's my excuse, not my poor photography skills.) That's Sunny, the lab with the green Luigi hat, and Foxey, the shiba inu with the red beret.

Playing with the Nintendogs is still fun, but it's also starting to feel like a chore. They need to be fed or walked every day, otherwise their condition deteriorates, and if you keep neglecting them consistently, then apparently they run away from home (or so I hear).

And taking care of them is more than just a few seconds' worth of work. Feeding and watering them is a quick procedure, but then you have to take them for a walk, and that can take about 10 minutes for each puppy. You have to pay attention during the walk, so you can pick up the puppy poops -- or else suffer the wrath of your fellow dog-walkers, if you don't. Well, "wrath" is an exaggeration, they just chide you for leaving poopy gifts around. I'm tempted to let my dog crap his way around the entire neighborhood, just to see what happens.

You also need to pet and play with your dogs on a regular basis, to make sure they...well, that they still love you, basically. Just like the rest of us, Nintendogs need lovin' all the time.

So, if you feel obligated to keep your dogs healthy and happy, you need to adopt a regular daily routine. And my main problem -- okay, maybe "inconvenience" is a more appropriate word -- is that I've got so many games to play right now, I don't always have the time to spare for my little puppies.

But then...look at how cute they are! C'mere, you adorable little things, so I can pet and feed and play with you and walk you...

Hey, where'd the last 30 minutes go?

Best games of all time

2005-11-18T10:01:00.000-08:00

Filibuster Cartoons has posted a compilation of the "Top 10 Games of All Time" lists from a variety of well-known video game publications.

It turns out that Link, from the Legend of Zelda games, is the most popular character. That's a great testament to the quality of the Zelda games throughout the years.

Most of the lists consider Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the Nintendo 64 (pictured here) to be the best of all the Zelda games. I'm so glad I have this game. Now, if I could just find time to play it...

(via Joystiq)

The hardest riddle on the Internet?

2005-11-07T16:49:00.000-08:00

Well, it certainly is challenging! Not Pron advertises itself as "The hardest riddle available on the Internet," and so far I wouldn't be able to repute that claim.

My wife recently clued me in on this site. I'm only on level 6 so far, but in my defense I've only been at it for about 10 minutes, and most of that time was spent figuring out the "rules" of the puzzle.

Give it a shot -- you've got nothing to lose...unless you're an obssessive-compulsive geek like me who can't stop thinking about stupid things like this...

[Update: Nov 12/05, 3 pm] My wife and I made it up to level 10 and stopped. We were starting to see puzzles where you have to download software and use it to do stuff like convert files. My computer is, unfortunately, too old and decrepit to keep loading new software onto, so I had to throw in the towel. Besides, I was starting to feel lazy.

Nintencats + rumble pack = purring?

2005-11-06T11:39:00.000-08:00

We don't even know for sure if there is going to be a "Nintencats" game, but if they do create it, wouldn't it be great if you could slap the rumble pack into the bottom of the DS and actually feel your kitten purr when you pet it?

You heard it here first, folks! (I think so, anyway.)

Nintendo, I don't require any royalties for this awesome idea -- a free advance copy of Nintencats would be fine, thank you.

Now playing (Nov 4, 2005)

2005-11-04T15:11:00.000-08:00

It's all DS games this time around.

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (DS) - Yes, I know I've posted about this game before, back when I rented it, but now I actually own it. And despite the fact that I've finished it at least 3 times, I still like playing it. It's hard to pin down exactly why: The side-scrolling hack 'n slash action is fun, although nothing to rave about. I do like the flying combat missions (pictured on the left) -- there's nothing like it on any of the games I've seen for the DS so far.

And probably the main reason why I'm so into this game -- I'm in a major Star Wars groove right now, having purchased the Episode III DVD (in spite of Hayden Christiansen), reading some great Star Wars novels (the ones by Timothy Zahn are particularly good), and itchin' to get my hands on Lego Star Wars for the Gamecube. Can't wait to do that 14-hour Star Wars movie marathon, baby!

Nintendogs (DS) - Okay, I'm hooked on it now. I rented this game when it first came out months ago, but since it was just a rental, I couldn't afford to have any emotional attachment to the adorable little golden retriever puppy, with those big, shining dark eyes, that smooth, golden coat, those oh-so-cute little puppy paws...

No, no emotional attachment there. But recently I picked up a copy of the game for a great price ($14.97 Cdn at a Toys R Us sale, which translates to about 50 cents US, I think), and I've been busy petting, feeding, and training my little Lab puppy Sunny ever since. I built up enough cash to get a second dog, a black Shiba Inu named Foxey, and so far it's been great fun. There are tedious points, though -- you have to feed the dogs every single day, since the game runs on the real-time clock in the DS, and when you're not in the mood, it can feel like a chore. But at least you don't have to deal with all the aspects of raising a real dog, like the fun of cleaning up doo-doo or having dog hair everywhere.

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (DS) - It's like the old 2-D Metroid games, but in a fantasy setting, but still tons of all-around fun. Maybe it's due to the fact that I've only recently become obssessed with gaming (over the past year or so), but I'm not one of those "3-D or bust, baby" gamers, who sniffs disdainfully at anything 2-D. Most of the fun handheld games I've played lately are 2-D, and Castlevania DS is continuing that trend. Great graphics, lots of action, a huge variety of weapons and magical abilities, and some pretty cool bosses add up to an all-around fun game.

A glimpse of comic genius

2005-11-03T08:11:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, while I was taking the SkyTrain home from work, I noticed a man reading a Calvin & Hobbes collection. He had a silly grin on his face as he put the book away and prepared to depart the train.

The comic strip ended years ago, but it's still putting smiles on people's faces. If that's not a testament to Bill Watterson's genius, then I don't know what is.

Christmas?! It's OCTOBER!!

2005-10-29T08:16:00.000-07:00

I was walking through the Bay in the local mall on my way home yesterday, and I saw that they had put up Christmas decorations, including small Christmas trees at various locations.

Yesterday was October 28th. Let me repeat that: OCTOBER TWENTY-EIGHTH. It's not even November yet, for pete's sake!

The Bay isn't the only one. For the past few days I've been hearing radio ads from Canadian Tire, promoting some "Can't wait until Christmas?" theme. (Oh, I can wait, Canadian Tire, I can most certainly wait.)

It's starting to get just a little bit ridiculous. I know many retailers rely on the holiday season to bolster their annual sales, but come on, can't we maintain a certain level of perspective here?

Last year, in November, I wrote an entry about when I heard my first Christmas carol of the season. I commented that it seems like Christmas seems to be hitting us earlier (and harder) every year. It's coming to the point where it's difficult to be properly sarcastic about the whole thing. I try to make jokes about things like, "Hey, it's July, did you know there's only 150 shopping days left until Christmas?", but with the "season" coming earlier and earlier, soon it's not going to be a joke anymore.

Dinner by me, and I'm so proud

2005-10-28T09:39:00.000-07:00

I don't cook. Like many men, I just don't seem to have the aptitude or patience for it.

That's why I'm so proud of the dinner I created a few nights ago, when my wife was working late. Yes, that's an actual photo to the right.

What you're looking at is:
- rice
- lettuce with Japanese salad dressing
- kimchi (spicy pickled Korean cabbage)
- a bowl of bean curd stew
- a small blue bowl of dipping sauce
- extra rice
- a tupperware of dried kelp at the top
- the bottom right hand corner of the Star Wars novel I'm currently reading
- a glass of water
- and the crowning achievement, pan-friend dumplings!

I'm most proud of the dumplings. Everything else was just stuff I re-heated in the microwave or just threw into a bowl. But I cooked those dumplings myself, and fried them up to perfection, if I do say so myself. Here's a close-up pic:

Hardly a culinary masterpiece, but dammit, I was proud, if for nothing else than I was able to prove that I won't starve if my wife isn't around for dinner.

An achievement to be proud of, for any married man.

Korean family duties

2005-10-28T08:46:00.000-07:00

My wife and I aren't hard-core TV fanatics, but we do have two sessions each week of "must watch TV": Gilmore Girls on Tuesdays (it's funny!), and CSI and Without A Trace on Thursday nights.

Last night's episode of Without A Trace struck a nerve with me: The episode dealt with a Korean family running a deli in New York, and the disappearance of the grown-up daughter of the family. (I won't spoil the plot for you, if you're interested in finding out what happened stay tuned for re-runs.) A large part of the plot deals with the daughter and her brother, both grown-up, and both dealing with the demands of responsibility, having to work at the deli in order to support the family. Their father was in ill-health due to a recent stroke, but even without that complication the two children had been working at the deli for years, probably since they were young teenagers.

I am Korean, my parents have owned businesses in the past (they're retired now), and yes, I worked at these businesses since my teen years. It was something most of my friends, who were all non-Korean, could never really understand. They would ask questions like: Why couldn't I hang out with them after school, or at certain times during the weekends? Why did I have to work at this store, especially since I wasn't even being paid minimum wage?

For me, it was just part of the way life was. The store was our only source of income, and there was no way my parents would be able to handle those long hours, 7 days a week, on their own. For me, it wasn't a choice of vocation or a desire to get some extra spending money -- it was our family's survival. All of our businesses were profitable, but never successful enough to hire outside help, so there we were.

And if I ever felt like complaining, I would reflect on the fact that no matter how hard I worked at the store, my parents always worked much harder, and who did they have to complain to?

It was an interesting episode of Without A Trace, and it definitely struck a chord within me...although I would have enjoyed it more if the actors portraying the Korean family actually were Korean. I don't think I've ever heard a more atrocious accent speaking Korean words...could they not find actual Korean actors to play those parts?

Blog spam - "blam"?

2005-10-23T10:47:00.000-07:00

One of my recent posts, I received nine comments. Nine! Unprecedented, for my small, humble, mostly-unread blog. I was overjoyed.

Then I read the comments and realized that all of them were spam. Spam comments on my blog! Is nothing free of the insiduous plague of spam anymore?!?

"Blam" indeed -- it also the sound that accompanies what I'd like to do to all those evil spammers out there: Get a gun and... "blam!"

Not enough time

2005-10-23T10:31:00.000-07:00

According to a statistic quoted in the video game column in today's Province, 20% of gamers play every day.

Every day? My first reaction to this statement is: How do they find the time? Between a job, errands, spending time with my wife (definitely the highest priority, right, dear?), and assorted other necessities that seem to pop up all the time, I never seem to have enough time for games.

Perhaps the statistic refers mainly to younger gamers, teens and pre-teens who aren't saddled with so many of life's responsibilities and have more free time. After all, another statistic quoted in the Province article is that 34% of all gamers are under 18. (As for the rest, 46% are between the ages of 18-50, and 17% are 50-plus. Games are just for kids? Not anymore!)

But the "playing games every day" statement itself is pretty broad. Catching ten minutes of Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrows on the SkyTrain on the way to work counts as playing. So does the few minutes I spend every night taking care of my Nintendog puppy, making sure he's fed, watered, and clean. If I look at it that way, then maybe I am one of those 20% of game players who manages to get a daily fix.

So does that mean I'm addicted, or that I just don't have a life? (Um, please don't answer that, dear.)

The ultimate gamer's room?

2005-10-16T12:27:00.000-07:00

Ho-lee crap. Check out the multitude of photos detailing one of the most amazing gaming rooms I've ever seen.

The next time my wife bugs me about having too many games, I'm going to bring her over to the computer, bring up this site, and watch her mouth drop open in stupified awe.

After all, that's how I reacted when I first saw this. Man, my entire piddly little collection wouldn't fill even one of those shelves. I feel so...inadequate, somehow. Must buy more games!

A great response

2005-10-12T13:04:00.000-07:00

Jack Thompson is at it again. He's offering $10,000 to charity on behalf of anybody who creates a video game he has proposed. Read more about it via Joystiq.

A great response comes from Tim Buckley at the online comic CTRL+ALT+DEL. Read the full comic here . (Profanity warning - get the little kids and prudish grandparents out of the room first.)

Is the PSP useless?

2005-10-12T13:02:00.000-07:00

Joystiq reports that Apple has just revealed the long-anticipated video iPod.

So, you've got the iPod to play your music and videos, and the Nintendo DS to play cool, fun, and unique games. Um, remind me, why do you need a PSP...?

Halo Kitty

2005-10-05T13:08:00.000-07:00

Bwha-ha-ha-ha! Pure freakin' genius.

If you want one of these T-shirts, you can get it here: Threadless

(via Joystiq)

Gotta love Foxtrot

2005-09-05T13:26:00.000-07:00

Hee hee!

Today's Foxtrot cartoon features the Nintendo DS and a certain, very popular "game" that's come out for it recently. Click here to read the entire strip.

I love Foxtrot, it's one of my favourite newspaper cartoons, along with Mutts and Calvin & Hobbes. Good stuff all around.

Ahhh, that was nice.

2005-09-05T13:15:00.000-07:00

Do you remember the last time you watched a really good movie, or finished reading an excellent novel? Remember that feeling of satisfaction and contentment after you walked out of the theatre or put the book down? I've been getting the same feeling from finishing some great games recently.

Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door (GC) - I love RPGs, and I can say without reservation that this game is definitely the most humorous, entertaining, and all around fun RPG I've ever played. It's one of the few games that actually made me laugh out loud, and do it quite often throughout the game. The jokes were clever and hilariously written -- the translation team did a marvelous job. My wife even enjoyed watching me play through some of it, pointing out how cute and funny some of the characters are. I ended up playing it for around 43 hours in total, and the final bosss battle was challenging, but not too insanely hard, and very satisfying to beat. Like the best books or movies, I was sorry to see it end.

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (GBA) - Similar comments for this wonderful game. It's more of an adventure game than RPG, and there was a lot of back-and-forth running around, unlocking the tons of secret features available throughout the game, but I didn't mind too much. I love puzzles that make you think but aren't so difficult that you want to throw the game against a wall -- those types of puzzles make me feel like I'm smarter than I probably am. Long gameplay, challenging boss battles, and all around great design combine to make this one of the best games I've ever played on the GBA.

Nintendo gets a rap -- unfairly, I say -- that their games, especially the ones designed in-company, are too "kiddish" for today's mostly-adult game audience. I think that's harshly inaccurate: Just because a game is fun to play and does not contain any realistic violence, sex, or bad language, does that make it appropriate only for children? Like all of the Pixar movies, they are products that can be enjoyed by all ages, and that alone testifies to how well they're created, because making a movie or a game that both kids and adults can enjoy can't be easy to do. (Can you imagine Quentin Tarantino making a kids movie, or the Teletubbies putting on a show for adults?)

Fun is fun, dammit, and has no age restriction. Just enjoy!

Damn you, Kotaku-man!

2005-08-26T18:14:00.000-07:00

The lucky bastard at Kotaku has posted a review and a bunch of photos of the Game Boy Micro. I call him a bastard not because he got an advance version of the GBM (which is reason enough), but because of the photo above, where he shows off his two bitchin' limited edition Nintendo DS's, a WarioWare-branded GBA SP, a Sony PSP, and a GBM. Handheld heaven!

Don't mistake my bitterness for criticism, Kotaku is an awesome site. I'm just jealous.

Grown up entertainment #1: Video games

2005-08-24T18:15:00.000-07:00

Yes, you read that correctly. Video games are not just for kids anymore, if they ever were. Remember Space Invaders? Did you know that soon after that game was introduced into arcades in Japan, it became so popular that there was a nation-wide shortage of coins, because so many people -- adults, mostly -- were playing the game? Street Fighter II inspired similar levels of fanaticism in America, almost single-handedly reviving the flagging arcade industry in the early 1990s. And don't forget Halo 2, one of the best examples of recent games that have created revenues far greater than most Hollywood blockbusters.

There was a time when most people considered video games to be for children, and only for children. The golden age of Nintendo, when the house that Mario built dominated home video gaming with the Nintendo Entertainment System and it's followup, the Super NES, went a long way to creating this "kiddie" concept of gaming. After all, it was usually children who were clamoring for the latest Nintendo game system and games, even though their parents were the ones who forked over the hard-earned cash to satisfy their children's demands.

These were the children of the 80s who have since grown up into their thirties or forties. Just like the "Baby Boomers" represent a bulge in the population that are currently moving close to retirement age, the Gamers Generation have helped to expand the gaming industry into a multi-billion dollar juggernaut. When it comes to entertainment, people vote with their wallets, and the adult gamers have money to spend on the games they love to play. Game makers know this -- many high-profile games for the latest systems routinely cost millions of dollars to create, with the expectations of making many more millions of dollars in revenue. This is big bucks, people.

But the monetary aspect isn't the most crucial one when it comes to defining video games as a legitimate, adult form of education. Simply put, video games have the power to entertain on the same scale as books, movies, and music. Just as you can have a wide range of literature, from the cheesiest pulp fiction to the most revered classic literature, you can also find a wide range of video games -- basic schlock like the latest movie-tie game (Polar Express -- now there was 3 minutes of my life I'll never get back) to masterpieces like The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

Games even have a dimension that is almost completely unique in terms of popular entertainment -- interactivity, or the ability to make decisions and have those decisions impact the rest of the game. Movies can be undeniably powerful and majestic when done right, but they're passive -- you just sit there and absorb the sight and sound of the film. Music is similar, you just sit there and listen -- or you get up and dance, but that doesn't affect the music, it just makes you all sweaty and puts a grin on your face. TV? The less said about that the better, especially the horrid, mind-numbingly stupid trend of "reality television." But video games require you to actively take action and make decisions: Make Mario jump up and hit the block, or decide which street to drive down while playing Grand Theft Auto.

In my opinion, books have a level of interactivity that is more involving than movies or music, although not quite as interactive as video games. I used to love the series of "Choose Your Own Adventure" novels when I was younger, where you would be confronted with choices at points during the book and you'd flip over to a different page depending on your decision. Plus, reading itself is an exercise in imagination and interpretation -- you take the words on the page, digest them in your mind, and use your imagination to paint a picture of what the author is trying to say.

Books are not just for kids. Movies aren't seen as a childish activity. Music is universal, enjoyed by all ages. So why are video games still pegged as something mainly for children? Ignorance, probably -- the recent surge in popularity of video games is just that, recent. It's still pretty new -- video games have only been around for about 40 years, and the next youngest form of popular entertainment, movies, is at least 100 years old. So maybe once video games have existed for at least a century, then people will be accepting it as a regular form of entertainment.

And then it's the next form of popular entertainment that gets the "kiddy" label: "Oh, that hamster racing, that's only for kids."

Now reading: Aug 16, 2005

2005-08-16T18:24:00.000-07:00

A Short History of Nearly Everything (by Bill Bryson): Did you know that Yellowstone National Park is actually sitting on top of an active supervolcano? Yup, all 2.2 million square acres of the park are poised precariously on top of a volcano that explodes about every 600,000 years or so...and the last time it blew was 630,000 years ago, so it's about due! I learned this, and many other interesting facts, from this wonderful book. I've always enjoyed "science books written for the layman," and this is one of the best I've read so far. It's fun and easy to read, and Bryson brings a lot of humanity and character to the endless quest for scientific knowledge. I've never been very interested in reading travel writing, but after enjoying this book I'm looking into his other travel writing books.

Deception Point (by Dan Brown): Everybody knows about The DaVinci Code, but as fun to read as that novel was, some of Dan Brown's other books have been even better. The best, by far, was Angels & Demons, a prequel to The DaVinci Code, and so far Deception Point has been quite promising. The premise: NASA make an incredible, world-changing discovery in the Arctic, but of course things are not what they seem, and some secrets are worth killing for.

Leggo my Legos!

2005-08-16T18:23:00.000-07:00

Can you believe this model of the Taj Mahal was created from Lego bricks? Wired has an article about Brickfest 2005, for adult enthusiasts of Lego. Absolutely amazing stuff.

The most I was ever able to create from Lego was a bare bones, lame-ass rendition of the Phoenix from the anime series Battle of the Planets. And no, even if I did have a photo of it, I wouldn't show it to you. It's far too embarrassing.

Music piracy may not be the end

2005-08-16T18:22:00.000-07:00

Is music piracy going to lead to the death of the industry...or is it just the inevitable future?

Read this very interesting article on USAToday.com and form your own opinion.

Freakiest game ever, man!

2005-08-16T18:19:00.000-07:00

I just finished playing Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem a few days ago, and man, was it freaky! I'm not normally a fan of the horror genre of video games (Resident Evil, Silent Hill, etc.), but I kept reading such great reviews for this game that I just had to check it out.

The story is well-written, rooted in Lovecraft-style, Cthulhu-like mythos. Even though it's a few years old (it was released in 2002), the graphics are still quite impressive. And one of the coolest gimmicks is the insanity effects: If your character's sanity level drops too far, very strange things start happening, like blood drips down walls, your character explodes into bloody chunks (only to snap back to normal just a few seconds later), or the TV goes black and tells you that your game machine has turned off. It just plays with your mind, man!

It's the kind of game that can just sear images into your brain, making it hard to sleep at night. And that's how you know it's good.

(Hey! Who smeared ketchup on my wall? Hold on a sec, that's not ketchup...!)