#i keep designing stuff that will never appear on your dash again<33< /div> Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[xitsensunmoon]

Currently have no energy to edit the second part for the previous comic so have this random Naga Sun

[slade-neko]

Saw this video game tag thing pop up on my dash a few days ago. Wanted to do it.

1. First game you played obsessively? Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, I believe I was 5yo. Still waiting on that FF7 Remake treatment.

2. A game that has influenced you creatively? Writing, drawing, etc. Well if I play a game and like it, then I'll create sims of it. Does that count?

3. Who did you play with as a kid? My brother from the day I was born.

4. Who do you play with now? My brother FROM THE DAY I WAS BORN.

5. Ever use cheat codes? I wasn't lying when I made this post. {link}

6. Ever buy strategy guides? Yes! Mainly to look at the artwork though. (Don't need no guide!)

7. Any games you have multiple copies of? Lots of games, most being Left 4 Dead with 6 copies (3 Xbox 360, 1 PC case, 2 PC digitally.) What can I say, its a GOOD GAME!

8. Rarest/Most expensive game in your collection? Gold cartridge Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time (maybe that's rare?)

9. Most regrettable purchase? I don't regret my purchases, but I have received games I have never played like Cubix (PS2) no clue where that game came from, but I have it somehow. Madagascar (Xbox 360) came with my Xbox 360, never opened it from its case. And Monsters Inc. Scream Arena (Gamecube) or something... it was a gift.

10. Ever go to a midnight game release or stand in line for hours? No, because then I'd have to interact with people.

11. Have you ever made new friends from playing video games? I'm only friends with people BECAUSE of video games, so yes.

12. Ever get picked on for liking games? No, that'd be ridiculous.

13. A game you’ve never played that everyone else has? Probably a lot, I'd say Call of Duty, but I technically played CoD 1, 2, and 4. The campaign mode was alright, but I don't really care for CoD games at ALL.

14. Favorite game music? Koji Kondo and Grant Kirkhope are two BIG ones.

15. If it was a requirement to get a game related tattoo, what would you pick? Triforce is the most basic option, but I'd rather not get a tattoo.

16. Favorite game to play with your friends IRL? Super Smash Bros. Brawl with hacks, but that was over a decade ago.

17. Ever lose a friend over a game? No, that'd be ridiculous.

18. Would you date someone that hates gaming? No, that'd be RIDICULOUS.

19. Favorite handheld console? PSP. 3DS is great, but PSP Monster Hunter has ALL of my portable gaming memories. Like playing in school after End of Grade tests with my friend.

20. Game that you know like the back of your hand? Sims 4 I like to think I know everything about Left 4 Dead. Quite a bit about Monster Hunter, more so of a series though than a specific game.

21. Game that you didn’t like or understand as a kid but love now? I'd say Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic. I loved it as a kid, but had a lot of complex pen & paper RPG mechanics that I never understood. I understand a lot more of it now, but its still complex as all heck. I just know you hit things, they die.

22. Do you wear game related clothing/accessories? That's the only thing I wear.

23. The game that you’ve logged the most hours into? Not sure so I'll list a few. Sims 4, Smash Bros. Brawl, Monster Hunter (its a series though), or Left 4 Dead

24. First Pokemon game? Leaf Green

25. Were you ever an arcade game player? No, don't like paying to play.

26. Ever form any gaming rivalries? No.

27. Game that makes you rage? I don't get mad at games, but I had a custom modded Hard Eight mutation in Left 4 Dead that is absolute bullsh*t!

28. Ever play in a tournament? No, because then I'd have to interact with people.

29. What is your gaming set up? A giant wall of video game consoles spanning from NES to Switch, 4 TVs, but I sit at a desk with a PC.

30. How many consoles do you own? "I own every console that's ever existed." - I Don't Play Games When I Play Games (My STRENTH) original song by Smooth McGroove BUT no seriously I own 32 consoles including handhelds.

31. Does the 3DS and/or Virtual Boy hurt your eyes or give you headaches? Yes. 3DS gave me headaches though I only really played with the 3D feature in Ocarina of Time 3D. I think my eyes broke because I couldn't get my 3D to work very well after.

32. Did you ever play a game based on your favorite show/cartoon/movie/comic? Sure I play games based on a lot of things. Literally any anime game. If I had to pick Dragon Ball Xenoverse is kinda like a dream Dragon Ball game. Oh, Attack on Titan 2 is pretty neat too!

33. Did you ever have any bootleg games or plug-n-play games? Some SEGA plug-n-play thing once. Played it like once and now its lost to time (or my closet.)

34. Do either of your parents play video games? Yes. Mom and Dad played NES Super Mario Bros. My Dad went HARD at that game until he saved the Princess. Then he quit forever.

35. Ever work in a game store? Or do you have a favorite game shop? "Hi. Welcome to Gamestop!"I never want to hear that again, but it was my main store until I went full digital/ online orders.

36. Have you ever shed actual blood, sweat or tears over a game? No, I don't tend to get upset or emotional, but Bill dying in Left 4 Dead made me pretty pissed.

37. Have you played E.T. for the Atari 2600? Do you think that’s the worst game ever, or do you have another nomination? Never played it. I don't really play "bad" games, but maybe Sims 4.

38. A game you’re ashamed to admit that you like? The Sims 4

39. A sequel that you would die for them to make? Dragon's Dogma 2 WHICH I think is actually in development, so I'd have to say Fallout New Vegas 2. C'mon Bethesda you cowards, hand the keys back over to Obsidian so they can make another good Fallout game!

40. What to you think of virtual reality headsets or motion controls? Two part question, two answers. VR Headset to immerse in world, yes. Motion Controls, no.

41. A genre that you just can’t get into? MOBAs and MMOs. I don't like paying to keep playing.

42. Maybe it wasn’t your first game, but what was the game that started you on your path to nerdiness? Nintendo 64 opened me up to what video games could be as a kid. Sad to say my parents' NES didn't really do that for me. And years later Fallout 3 was a big game changer for me too.

43. Ever play games when you really should have been concentrating on something else? Every day of my LIFE.

44. Arcade machine that has consumed the most of your quarters? None. I'd rather emulate.

45. How are you at Mario Kart? Pretty dang good. 3-STARS MARIO KART WII, BABY!

46. Do you like relaxing games like Animal Crossing or Harvest Moon? Yes, both of those. I preferred when Animal Crossing had more character to it. New Horizons looks so pretty, but feels so bland compared to classic AC.

47. Do you like competitive games? No. Not really. Usually amongst friends or if I can get competitive against AI Bots. I love my machine bot friends cause they don't cry like 10 year olds when they lose.

48. How long does it take your to customize your player character? Too long. I've seriously restarted games because I wasn't happy with my character's appearance.

49. In games where you can pick your class, do you always tend to go for the same type of character? Yes, I am always the magic man, my brother is always brute warrior, and my friend is the ranger.

50. If you were a game designer, what masterpiece would you create? I don't really know. Honestly, I'd rather mod already good games to make them better than create something completely new.

51. Have you ever played a game for so long that you forgot to eat or sleep? No, that'd be ridiculous. But I've had a friend fall asleep playing games at my house 3 different times and currently dozes off during our Minecraft sessions. So, maybe that's not a completely ridiculous thing after all.

52. A game that you begged your parents for as a kid? Kirby 64 apparently. My brother tells me we had to count out pennies to buy it. I must've been too young with no recollection, but I believe it.

53. What’s your opinion on DLC these days? It's good if its not in the game's files from the beginning and is actually developed AFTER launch... and pre-order bonuses should be standard DLC a month or two later. Some games have content lost to time because of that pre-order bullsh*t.

54. Do you give in to Steam sales? Of course. If you want a game and its on sale then why not? I typically wait just for Steam sales to get games.

55. Did you ever make someone you hated in the Sims and did mean stuff to them? No? I typically make people and characters I like in Sims. I've made villains like Dio, but he's an anime villain and I don't really HATE him despite the horrible things he's done.

56. Did you ever play Roller Coaster Tycoon and kill off your guests? No. Never played that game.

57. Did you ever play a game to 100% or get all of the achievements? I try to for all the games I really like.

58. If you can only play 3 games for the rest of your life, which ones do you pick? The Sims 4, Skyrim, & Fallout: New Vegas. Mods make them live forever. Left 4 Dead and Monster Hunter are good choices too.

59. Do you play any cell phone games? Those aren't games.

60. Do you know the Konami Code? No? But I'll take a guess. Is it make an IP and forget it exists?

61. Do you trade in your games or keep them forever? Keep forever... even the bad ones.

62. Ever buy a console specifically to play one game? PS4 Pro for Monster Hunter World. It was basically for early access since the PC version was being developed and releasing after PS4, but I don't like waiting.

63. Ever go to a gaming convention or tournament? Sort of. Been to anime cons and walked into the gaming tournament rooms only to walk out less than 10 minutes later.

64. Ever make a TV or monitor purchase based on what would be best for gaming? No, but I'm going to be doing that soon, hopefully.

65. Ever have a Game Genie, Game Shark or Action Replay? Did it ever mess up your game’s save file? GameShark for N64, PS2, Gameboy, and Action Replay for Gamecube, DS, 3DS. And no not really, I would cheat responsibly... but there was this one time at school my friend and I borrowed another friend's Gameboy game, loaded it up with my Gameshark, tried playing, it crashed, loaded it back up, save file corrupted... we just stared at each other jaws dropped, "Here's your game back, dude. Make sure you don't play it til you get back home!"

66. Did you ever have have an old Nokia with Snake on it? No, but I remember seeing them on billboards in the game DRIV3R on PS2.

67. Do you have a happy gaming-related childhood memory you want to share? Every game I play is filled with happy memories (mostly.)

68. Ever save up a ton of tickets in an arcade to get something cool? These tiger plushes. My brother got white and I got orange. They were the coolest. Got a butt load of tickets from some jackpot spinning light game thing as I was good at the timing with repeated jackpot hits.

69. In your opinion, best game ever made? I've played quite a few masterpiece games, but to pick one, I'd say Fallout: New Vegas

70. Very first game you ever beat? Super Mario 64. I was a mere child on a Sunday morning and ate celebratory pancakes made by my Dad.

Wow, that was long... I get the feeling this was supposed to be a "send me ask with numbers" thing, but answering all at once is more fun.

[milquetoast-on-acid]

33, A Reactionary Post

Battlestar Galactica s.1 e.1, episode review.

Now I know that this episode tops a lot of posts for the best episode of BSG. And while I do think it's a wonderful fantastic and excellent episode. It's not my favorite. It's also such an interesting stark contrast to the miniseries. Where the miniseries really took it's time to introduce it's characters and the world we'd be living in with them. This one jumps us right into the action. There is no room to breathe in this. It's dark, it's gritty and the decisions of the characters are more morally ambiguous. 

side/note: Also I kind of wanted to point out that I don't really do a recap in my reviews as these are really meant for those who have seen the episode. And the show. I don't really care to do a recap (even though I do talk about the episode) - I don't see what the point in that is. If you haven't seen the episode/show then you will be spoiled.

Reality is also settling in for the characters. The realization that this is their life now. They have to deal with missing/dead family members and for the crew of the Galactica they don't have any relief. They are it. Without them humanity would have no protection. 

We also have the start of the other Sharon and Helo's plot line and It's not until they come to Galactica that I start to find an interest in them. So I probably won't be talking about them much through out the first season. 

It's so wonderful to see everyone just beat to hell. Not something we are used to seeing on a show or a film. The ever so pale crew members, hollow eyes, sweat, stubble (lots of hot sexy stubble and yes Jamie Bamber is hot but seriously Olmos should always sport that stubble ;)).  To the point where we feel the exhaustion with them. 

Everyone is exhausted - the crew of Galactica most especially who is forced to stay awake for a week straight without any real rest. Kudos to the makeup department and the commitment of the actors. I read somewhere that  Olmos consulted with a doctor to see how long he could stay awake without medically endangering oneself. It probably wasn't a very fun shoot because I could imagine a lot of cranky people but there really is something to be said for being totally committed to your work.

Baltar's Fantasy In Baltar's fantasty land inside of his head. I never noticed that during the sequence at the very beginning of the episode you can hear the ticking of a clock. It's very faint but it's just off in the background that lets you know that even though he's immersed himself in this fantasty world of what his life was like before. The real world is right there just outside. There really is no escaping it. No matter how much he wants to try.

The Reality of those left behind and what is left of humanity

Boomer not dealing with the loss of Helo We get a touch of cranky Boomer as she now has to deal with leaving Helo behind. At the very least the two of them were close friends. And so now she's biting off the heads of everyone around her.

Anastasia tries to find her family

So I really love this scene. It's been about a week since the attacks and people are just now starting to get a system together to find one's family members. We see a hopeful Dee, have her hopes dashed when she's told that they can't send photos as of yet and even further when we see the amount of photos of loved ones missing and possibly dead.

Roslin's white board

Such a small moment but it's really wonderful. We get some fabulous acting from Mary McDonnell and Roslin takes a moment here to feel for the deaths of her people. And the reality that what's left of the human race is not a big number and it's starting to drop. I really love that Laura has a white board designated to keeping track of how many humans are alive. It really brings it to the forefront just how small that number is and how crucial it is to keep that number up. And it's right there for Laura and everyone else to see it. So no one forgets that. 

Madam Whiteboard

It's also an interesting touch here (that we don't see later on in the show) that we see random people hanging out in the office of the president. Really gives you a sense that space is frakking precious.

We return to the white board at the end of the episode. Which serves as a nice bit of contrast from the earlier scene. Laura expecting more deaths is very happy to learn that a baby is born. That even in the darkest bleakest times there is hope.

Kudos to James Callis for looking so awkward and uncomfortable. Can't say I'm the biggest fan of oily Baltar but Callis always knocks that shit out of the park. He is absolutely fabulous in this role. The freakout is real!

Overworked and Underpaid

Lee and Kara and the case of the Stims This is such a wonderfully bizarre scene between them. Kara refuses to take her pills and proceeds to read Lee the riot act for acting like a friend instead of their squad leader. Kara does bring up some excellent points and as we see later on in the season; Lee has a hard time keeping his personal feelings separate from his professional life. Especially when it comes to Kara.

the awesomeness of this dialog... "Cause I'm on drugs." "This patrol is 100% stimulated"

The soothing tones of Bill’s voice put Tigh to sleep.

Excellent choice (which I did not notice the first time watching) the strain in both Roslin and Adama's voices. As if both of them had talked non stop to their staffs until their voices are raw.

Also holy frak you look like death Helo! Nit pick, for as realistic as this episode gets how come no thought to have a beard on Helo? The dude has been on Caprica for a week now with no sign of of stubble

Dee miscalculates and loses the Olympic Carrier This is where the real moral dilemma of the episode starts. With everyone so overworked and exhausted it's was only a matter of time before something happens. This time it's Dee who messes up and accidentally leaves the Olympic Carrier behind. We get two great relationship moments here. 

Dee and Gaeta This is such a subtle relationship that I pretty much missed it the first time I watched the show. And one of the few female/male friendships that didn't have a romantic element to it. It's not really hard to see the two of them bonding as they work quite closely together. Here we have Gaeta standing up for his friend hoping that their commanding officers will give her a break. It doesn't work, unfortunately but it's really nice to see bits of their relationship here and there.

Adama and Tigh Thus our epic bromance begins! I think there is often speculation on just why Bill Adama keeps Saul Tigh around. There has to be a reason other than the friendship to why he keeps him in command with him. And here is a very clear example of just what Bill sees in Saul Tigh. He may appear hard edged, but Bill is really a softy. Even though he is reserved and not one to show his feelings very easily, what really drives him is emotion. Where Bill is soft, Saul is hard and where Saul is soft, Bill is hard. They balance each other out in a way. Much in the way, how Bill and Laura balance each other out.

Also our lovey dovey scene between the two men. I'm not a Adama/Tigh shipper but they do give a lot of material to work with on that front. Of the men patting the other on the back. Bill being happy that Saul is moving on from the pain of his marriage and seems to be done with alcohol. "I've got to make the old man look good." "I always look good." "You should look in a mirror."

Roslin and Adama We don't get much in the way of their complicated (to say the least) relationship at this point but we do get the first of many phone call scenes between the two.

the first time they had phone sex...it didn’t go so well.

The Music of Bear McCreary Something that I wanted to include in my reviews some of the music by Bear McCreary. His music (tone starting by Richard Gibbs) is so very different than what we are used to hearing from a sci-fi show. Or really a show period. It just fits the show so well. And it's something that we are not used to hearing on a series. To have themes for the characters and relationships. Most of music on television shows take a backseat to the action and most of it's rather generic stuff used over and over again. Not the music of BSG. It's important and it's made to fit the characters and what is happening in the story at the moment. 

For this episode I'm choosing...

Olympic Carrier

I think the emotional moment of this piece really starts at the 4:42 mark (on the soundtrack) and I will add a link to a you tube upload of the piece. The moment where Lee has to decided to follow orders or follow his heart. Which I really think is the best part of the piece. It really depicts the struggle and overwhelming sadness felt not only by him but everyone else as well. 

Also Mongolian throat singing during "Helo's chase"!!!! 100% awesome call.

Both of the pieces can be found on BSG’s season 1 soundtrack.

What I love about this episode The whole damn thing! It's attention to detail and how much it strives to show what life would really be like for these people out here. A realistic look at exhaustion, misery and the consequences of your actions. Whether you think they are right or not. Or whether you can live with yourself afterwards. This show does what great sci-fi is supposed to do which to is examine the human race and to talk about issues that we would normally be uncomfortable to talk about in a normal every day drama. 

The episode is does not focus on anyone character but all of the major characters. We get a good look at how decisions can affect everyone from the very top to those carrying the decisions out. Some really stellar acting from our cast, they really ran with this episode. Starting out very very strong out of the gate. We get some nice character moments through out the episode mostly Kara and Lee, Bill and Saul.

What I didn't like about this episode There really isn't anything that I did not like about the episode. I really like some of the quieter episodes which explains my comment about it not being my favorite. It's an excellent episode with stellar acting.

[adrenalineguide]

Palisade and Venue: Hyundai’s got you covered no matter what size you need

Text and Photos By Michael Hozjan

You’ve got to hand it to Hyundai, just months after launching their largest SUV to date, the three–row Palisade, they bring us their smallest, the Venue. Both of which I’m sure will be a hit with many a household. 

Hyundai Palisade: Getting it right the first time

The Palisade shares the same platform with its corporate cousin, Kia’s Telluride. With giddy up coming from the same transversely mounted 3.8L, 291-hp V6 producing 262 lb-ft of torque mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission riding on the same suspension and brakes. See Kia Telluride: More Bang for the Buck further down this page.

Prices for the Palisade start at $38,826.20 for the front-wheel-drive Essential trim and climb to just over 51 grand for the top of the line Ultimate trim. In between you’ve got the $45,699 all-wheel-drive Preferred (Hyundai needs to get more creative with their trim names) and the $50,399 Luxury, which as the name implies gets leather seating, a 10.25” touch screen and surround view and blind spot monitor.

Even the base Palisade gets you heated seats, heated steering wheel and reclining second row seats – competition take note. As well you get trailer sway control, vehicle stability management. Hyundai’s HTRAC all-wheel-drive system, along with multi terrain control modes is a $2,000 option on the Essential if you don’t want or need to step up to the Preferred which adds 20” wheels, auto-leveling rear suspension, three-zone climate control and the usual safety features; blind spot collision avoidance, rear cross traffic collision avoidance and safe exit assist. As mentioned earlier the Luxury will get you into cowhide seating, a 10.25” touch screen and surround view monitor.

My tester, the top tier Ultimate trim featured Nappa leather, heads-up display, a good looking 12.3”digital cluster (not available on the Kia) that spanned half the dash and didn’t look like an after thought add on, a chrome grill and fancier 20” wheels set the Ultimate apart from the lesser models.

On The Road

I can’t really pin point what it was but my ride in the Palisade was a lot more enjoyable than in the Kia. The Hyundai is a lot easier to toss into a corner, the electrically assisted steering feels precise and light, but dial in Sport mode, and it becomes better weighted, making twisties that much more fun. For a bulky vehicle, body roll is well controlled and in par or superior to others in the segment. Yet for all the sportiness that the large Palisade offers it still provided a comfortable ride when the local dirt roads turned into washboards.

The V6 is vibration free delivering smooth power throughout the rev range and though I did find it a tad louder than the Kia when I shut off the sat radio, the greenhouse is still very quite when compared to lesser seven and eight seaters. Push the go pedal up past the five grand mark and the V6 becomes a different animal growling through the gears as the torque kicks in and revs grow.

Towing capacity is 5000 pounds when properly equipped.

The Greenhouse

All too many SUVs are plagued with bland, hard plastic interiors. Happily the Palisade is not one of them. The airy cabin is comes dressed in a faux-suede headliner and premium leather with quilted door panels that give it a touch of luxury.

Seven USB ports should keep everyone happy.

 My seven passenger Ultimate came with ventilated second row seats, in car intercom so you can talk to third row occupants without raising your voice.

There’s 86 cu.ft. of cargo room behind the front seats. With four passengers and the third row folded you still get 46 cubes. Add more passengers into the third row and the volume shrinks to a modest 18 cubic feet, three less than the Kia because the Hyundai has power folding seats. There’s an additional cubbyhole underneath the load floor. I liked the floating center console that offered additional stowage underneath. Perfect for keeping your camera nearby when the seats are full.

Cargo volume behind the front seats is 86 cubic feet, which fit 33 carry-on suitcases in our testing. With the second row in the upright position and the third row folded, there is 46 cubic feet. Store the third row and the volume shrinks to a modest 18 cubes. Underneath the load floor, there is plenty of room to store muddy or wet items. The cubbies in the doors are tight, but there is reasonable storage within and below the floating-bridge center console.

Conclusion

You can’t review the Palisade without comparing it to the Telluride and the two are so closely matched that the final choice will more often than not be down to personal tastes on styling.  The Kia has a classic front end that would be right at home when stepping out to the opera, but the Hyundai’s shark mouthed front end gives the truck a more aggressive appearance. The rear end however is a different story, at least in my eyes.  I found the Kia’s butt busy and the Palisade cleanly executed. Both incidentally have real twin exhaust tips unlike some fakes you’ll find elsewhere.

At test’s end I found the Palisade hard to surrender. It was there in an impromptu stop to pick up an end table and coffee table for a project, and during a particularly foggy day I appreciated the seating height and large glass to see out.  Oh and for those who think that seven and eight seat SUVs suck a lot of gas, think again. During my weeklong test it only drank 9.5L/100kms of the good stuff.

Price as tested: $56,923*

*Includes Delivery and Destination Fees

Hyundai Venue: GREAT things come in small packages 

There’s been a slew of cutesy subcompact crossovers flooding the market and going after consumer dollars over the last couple of years.  Thankfully Hyundai’s latest creation, the Venue, breaks tradition. Yes it’s targeted at Millennials – what vehicle isn’t these days?  But unlike other crossovers the Venue is more butch looking than cutesy and it’s also only available in front wheel drive.

I got lucky and procured mine during a snowstorm, as evidenced by the opening photo, and it never stopped snowing during the entire week.  The Venue proved, or rather reminded me of several things, you don’t need all-wheel or four-wheel-drive to get around in the snow and you don’t need gobs of horsepower.  How did we all survive back in the day when 4x4s were for the military and your local service station plow? What the Venue did have was a set if fabulous winter tires to help it, but more on that later.

The Venue represents Hyundai’s fifth vehicle in the lucrative SUV/crossover market. It joins the Kona, Tucson, Santa Fe and Palisade making the Hyundai showroom a one stop shopping experience for all your crossover needs. At 4,040mm (159 inches) long, the Venue is shorter than its closest competitors, by 255mm (10 inches) against the pricier Nissan Kicks and 125 mm (4.95 inches) shorter than corporate sibling the Kona.

There’s a bit of give and take here, what you gain in parking space and around town maneuverability you loose in trunk space. If there is a downside to the Venue, it’s just that, the lack of cargo room behind the rears seats, a mere 18.7 cubic feet. Good news is that with the rear bench folded almost flat, it expands to 31.9 cubic feet is nearly the same as the Nissan. Unlike the Kicks, the design does allow for taller items, so again some give and take.

Egress and ingress are excellent. At six feet, I never felt crammed, even with my winter layers on. The front buckets are soft and comfortable but the rear bench is on the tight side for someone with my stature. Still I’ve seen worse. 

Unlike its swooped back competition, the boxy design gives great forward, lateral and rear visibility. Though the thick C-pillars do slightly hamper parallel parking. Yes I still look out the back and don’t use the cameras most of the time.

Four trim levels make up the Venue line up with prices staring at $17,099 for the six-speed manual tranny equipped Essential. The CVT automatic is a $1,300 option.  Entry level once meant you got a steering wheel, seats and an engine. Not any more, even the Essential comes with Bluetooth connectivity, 8” touch screen, HD/AM/FM/MP3 audio system, remote keyless entry, heated front seats, heated power side mirrors and front and rear skid plates.

The grab handle in the rear hatch ( above) may not seem like a big deal but when pricier trucks have you grasping at the outside of salt laden hatches it makes all the difference.

The Preferred adds blind spot collision and rears cross traffic warning along with lane change warning. The Trend includes a power sunroof, 17” alloys and cloth seating, drive mode selector, rear view camera, downhill brake control, remote start, heated steering wheel, LED headlights with cornering lighting My tester, the Ultimate added more driving aides, nav with MapCare support, 4-wheel disc brakes and a chrome grille.

SE Manual: $17,099

Preferred:   $21,499

Trend:         $22,599

Ultimate:     $24,899

I’m going to use the Venue’s formula and make my assessment this short and sweet and in plain simple terms. I love this thing. It does everything it’s supposed to do, take you from point A to point B comfortably, with as little effort as possible without emptying your wallet. Critics will balk at the plastic interior trim. What do you expect for under twenty grand? Hell there’s acres of plastic trim on vehicles costing two and three times as much.

 There’s a good balance between ride and handling and driving on country roads with multiple successive bumps, it feels planted and not at all jittery and for a vehicle with its dimensions, it doesn’t exhibit an overabundance of body roll either.

 The normally aspirated double overhead cam 1.6L inline four pumps out 121 horses and 113 lb.-ft. of torque. Simply put that is all you will need. Whether passing semis on the highway, plowing through half a foot of snow while climbing several grades I never felt under powered.  

Oh and did I say how easy the controls are to use! Thank you Hyundai.

I could easily see the Venue in my driveway if it had just a tad more cargo room for my business and farm needs. Sadly you can’t mix and match options these days the way you used to. My perfect Venue would have the 6-speed manual transmission with the heated steering wheel from the Trend and the Ultimate’s four-wheel disc brakes.

I suspect for most buyers there’s more than enough room behind the second row for your groceries and I know that the Venue will appeal not only to Millennial hipsters but also to older drivers who want a no nonsense vehicle that’s easy to drive, get in and out of and easy on the pocket book.

Winter tires:

As mentioned earlier, my snowy week with the Venue’s couldn’t have been as enjoyable were it not for the Pirelli Cinturato Winter tires. As you can imagine I come across a multitude of tire brands and models on all types of vehicles and with prices to match. Having a pricey tire no matter what the brand doesn’t assure you great performance. A tire that is good in the snow might fail miserably on ice and the other way around. Likewise in slushy conditions, dry roads and mix and match. Tire size is also a big factor with most cars/trucks wearing the wrong size winter boots.

 One of the most difficult areas to get even braking is on hard packed snow, you know the kind that’s still snow before it turns to ice. The Pirelli proved itself in uphill acceleration and downhill braking. I also had the chance to do a panic stop with my passenger tire on ice and the driver’s side on dry pavement, again, flawless. Climbing my driveway with six inches of snow, no sweat. The Cinturato proved itself time and time again to be worthy winter ally. You will want to equip your Venue with these tires.