#not that I have access to ultra hardcore stuff

[medicinemane]

Should make a pain killer that actually kills (or even touches) pain

[lipglossanon]

you totally don’t have to respond to this i know you don’t like posting about fandom discourse but i have a rant- a lot of “vanilla” or palatably kinky readers (kinks that don’t outwardly make someone who isn’t hardcore kinky uncomfortable) have the mindset of “i have an understanding of this character and want content that fits this idea of the character i have in my head and i can’t comprehend why people would characterize a fictional character in such a taboo/dark way or a way that’s outside of my realm of acceptable” so they complain in this echo chamber of people who validate what they’re feeling about not wanting dark content and everyone is entitled to an opinion but all it takes is one interaction to start a witch hunt for a specific creator and [un]intentionally create a ton of hate towards accounts and people who are just doing their thing in their corner of the internet and the “vanilla” or palatably kinky readers who choose to attack those creators of darker stuff get so up their own asses about these works getting traction and pushed when they’re the reason for all the engagement because algorithms do not differentiate positive or negative engagement that’s why blocking tags and blocking accounts and not engaging is recommended instead of hate anons and comments and mass reporting, not just that but the inconsideration of the people who don’t consume dark content who vent about it being out there and not putting warnings for the content they’re talking about or even posting screenshots with no warning is so disgusting, i’ve never read a darker work of anything and not been met with tags or warnings. for people to say this content is ooc, i can accept and have agreed with some posts about a characters backstory being ignored or changed to support dark content but it gets bad when people demonize others for taking a darker route with how they view a character because it’s usually this character who has a history of experiencing some type of abuse or some large trauma that took place at a point in their life which is why they chose to do what they do or it’s why they are the way they are but it’s rarely delved into how they coped or how they handled the situation leaving it up to consumers interpretation so it’s immersive for everyone and that’s where these issues arise in the blending of people in a fandom space when “vanilla” or palatably kinky people look at a character with a trauma and see people say they want that character to do something darker to them and it makes them uncomfortable because they can’t comprehend someone having that response to any trauma because they assume everyone responds the same way they do so they seek out emotional validation to feel seen for being made uncomfortable by something they interacted with instead of seeking to make themselves comfortable by blocking and ignoring these works, they seek out this validation even demonization of things outside of their realm of perception based off what they’ve experienced to make themselves feel like they’re right instead of aiming to make themselves comfortable and lastly, people saying dark content should move to ao3 solely is blatantly ignoring tumblr pre the adult content ban because most fic writers started on tumblr and got their following on tumblr and it’s the app/site that’s changed for the worse to appease this ultra purity culture sect of their site to get more ad revenue and its fucked the larger community of people who’ve been here since before the ban because we don’t really have the access to grow our platform or share our work anywhere else and still have the amount of community engagement we can get on tumblr which is why most authors share fics- to engage and be a part of a fandom for a thing they enjoy and in my opinion ao3 is very impersonal in the interactions you can have with people and i think that’s why some people want dark content creators in fandom spaces over there because they can feel distant from a creator on ao3 in a way they can’t on tumblr if that makes sense

- 💀

(i got got by the text allotment it was like 1k words lmao sorry for any typos <3)

💀 anon 😮 i am shook you got by the text allotment 🤭

But exactly; I was around tumblr pre purity clean out 🙄 but I left until 2013 and then left again til 2022. It’s a different world now. Same thing happened with livejournal back in the day too; which they never recovered and eventually fell to the wayside.

It’s really dumbfounding to me; I just don’t know why polite fandom culture has took a nosedive. If you don’t like, don’t interact.

It’s like they’re never interacted with a irl human being or been presented with working with a coworker who you might dislike every single thing about them but you can’t let that affect your job.

Idk at this point people are more online than ever before it’ll probably get worse before it gets better to the detriment of those with cognitive thinking skills.

[year2000electronics]

u keep hitting me with the Interests beam and this time it was pokemon so of The Games which one(s) would u recommend the most

YOU ASKED THE WRONG PERSON BUDDYHDJDJDJSHD

most pokémon fans are like oh the animals. the Animals. and i’m like teehee gay little humans. but i’ll do my best to try n help you pick some pokémon games!

rule of thumb is that pokémon’s story is actually fairly surface level a lot of the time so if you’re going for like. ‘oh which one has the best story!!’ they all do and they all dont ok. worm.

the ds era of games were REALLY good but if i had to pick one it’d probably be black/white or black 2/white 2 for the ds! it’s the most charming the 2d sprites get and it really was the peak of the 2d era (as well as the end. sad face)

if you’re talking solely the 3ds era, both xy and sun/moon have their flaws. xy has a lot of growing pains specifically for that 3d era and i HATE the story, sun/moon/ultra sun/ultra moon are messy bc they lock a lot of out of story stuff (actually getting access to totem pokémon, rainbow rocket postgame, new legendary forms) just to usum, but usum fucked over sun/moon’s story so hard. out of the gen 7 games i’d go for ORIGINAL sun/moon if you can find it. it’s really good if you can get over the handholding at the beginning. i hate to be bias but my pick for the 3ds era is omega ruby/alpha sapphire. the redesigns are a bit too over the top but i love it ok?! (honestly original sun/moon is the best but i have hoenn disease)

if you’re looking specifically for switch era games, LEGENDS ARCEUS IS THE ONLY CHOICE. it has a lot of nods to hardcore fans since it’s literally all a huge gen 4 reference but it can absolutely stand on its own story wise, AND gameplay wise. (if you want to play original gen 4 just get platinum). it’s a lot of innovation and a lot of great great playtime. HOWEVER it deviates from traditional pokémon a lot, so if you want a switch game w the traditional formula, get sword/shield. yes it’s notorious for a bad story and a lot of other complaints but brilliant diamond/shining pearl and lets go pikachu/lets go eevee will just make you sad.

as for the gen 3 and previous games, *maybe* get emerald, do not touch original red/blue or gold/silver. they are old

[mariacallous]

alliluyevas

I think the fact that the questions are about women’s domestic and/or employment roles and not their sexual ones is missing part of the picture

alliluyevas

like would these men be more likely to think women want x hardcore sex act or whatever

showgirls1995main

gotta wonder who is funding and running these studies…cursory look at one of them has articles comparing evangelical christianity to radical feminism

sidneyia

i mean yeah they aren't going to have ultra-trad views about homemaking but that doesn't mean they can't be misogynist in other ways.

strelka

feel like there's a problem with focusing largely on adult men when some of the most concerning acts of sexual violence in recent years have been among teenagers, who have early and largely unregulated access to this stuff and far less impulse control or understanding of potential consequences

showgirls1995main

and now the nyt op ed is putting nixon and dworkin in the same sentence…like ???

strelka

also wonder what these respondents think about revenge porn & the sources of the content they watch. at my most generous i'd guess they just don't even think about it

claudiaiskishi

weird that they expect us to follow their choice to test the thesis "porn fuels misogynistic attitudes and sexual violence" with a measure of "negative attitudes" using 4 milquetoast questions from the general social survey? instead of trying to find out how any of these men treat women in their lives, in the physical material realm and not the abstract?

I love my mutuals.

[thanksjro]

More Than Meets the Eye #22- If You Don’t Love Thunderclash, Get Better Soon I Guess

One last issue before we reach Comic Event Hell.

Time to use a dead man to set up the rest of the nonsense that’s got to happen, because apparently 14 issues of setup, including six issues of literal prelude, wasn’t enough.

The first bit of information we’re presented with is the fact that Chromedome and Swerve are on the opposite sides of the camera-shy scale. I guess that’s bound to happen when your spouse has had his video-cam literally connected to his brain for at least several thousand years.

The art may look really gritty and hardcore here, but this is actually due to a filter Rewind has over all his footage that he’s neglected to take off, because it made all the wartime propaganda he would stuff into people’s heads all the more brutal-looking.

No, this is the style of our artist for this issue, James Raiz, who we’ll be seeing a fair bit of over the next several issues. Raiz has worked on the Transformers franchise over the course of multiple license-holders, as well as contributed to both Marvel and DC comics. He also works in special effects, including matte painting and VFX. That’s just neat.

Anyway, the reason Swerve’s completely frozen in place isn’t because Rewind  switched out his head-mounted camera for a gun that goes off if it hears you make a self-deprecating joke, but rather because he’s conducting interviews with everyone in the main cast. We get all their introductions, Cyclonus makes a statement about his political stances, Drift sounds like he’s high as a kite, First Aid strikes a sassy pose while not being bitter in the slightest, and Ultra Magnus makes a move that would get him murdered on any given film set in the universe.

You do NOT use your bare fucking hand to clean a camera lens, mister. Go get a microfiber cloth and try the fuck again, you complete and utter duffel bag of a creature.

We get a quick cut of the speech Rodimus made back in issue #1, with an angle that implies that Rewind was in the front row of the front row, then cut over to Rodimus asking Rewind to document their Capital-Q Quest. This is where we establish that this film doesn’t only contain footage from Rewind’s personal camera, but also that of the Lost Light’s security system.

Which feels like the sort of access you maybe wouldn’t want to give some nosy little film buff, especially when you have a secret giant serial killing sadist living in your basement like a disappointing adult child.

See? He was given the job to record the adventures of the Lost Light not five minutes ago, and he’s already using his powers for evil. Eavesdropping evil. Absolute power corrupts absolutely, Rodimus, and you just handed it to the guy with a massive Dominus Ambus-shaped chip on his shoulder.

So Rewind’s got permission to film just about whatever he wants, and Rodimus figures it’ll be nonstop action from here to the finish line! Fights! Intrigue! Mild hijinks and peril! Explosions aplomb! Oh man, I can’t wait to see what kinds of crazy shit will happen on this absolute roller coaster of a Quest!

Smashcut to Swerve literally falling asleep in the middle of a conversation. Yeah, as it turns out, no quest, capital Q or not, is nonstop action. Which is good, honestly, because that kind of seems like it would be exhausting after the first week or so.

Swerve, Tailgate, and Rewind are discussing cool alt-modes, which seems like an odd topic, seeing as Tailgate and Swerve have basically the same situation going on there, leaving Rewind alone in the camp of “does not have wheels”.

I worry about you sometimes, Rewind. Internalized Functionism is a very real problem. Uh, well, in your universe anyway. Us humans have to deal with regular ol’ classism and racism.

Rung gets brought up, and it’s revealed that the wheel on his back is almost purely cosmetic; it doesn’t even actually attach to his body. The lads decide that they’ve got nothing better to do, and set up a gentlemen’s wager- first one to figure out Rung’s whole deal gets 100 space-dollars.

Throwing shit at people’s heads will be a major plot point in the climax of this comic series.

Swerve’s go at trying to win the bet involved tossing a grenade at Rung to hit him in the neural cluster, which is rumored to be able to force an involuntary mode change if done correctly. Obviously, it didn’t work this go around. Then our narrative focus switches over to the crew’s hobbies.

You were listening to Prince, weren’t you, Magnus? Not even deep space is safe from the Cease and Desist.

Skids’ hobby is meeting new people, because he suffers from the terrible curse of being so fucking good at everything he tries, he always ends up dropping whatever he picked up, because what’s the point? This acts as a segue into another flashback, to even MORE bullshit that the fellas got roped into on Hedonia.

These are the Stentarians. They’re like the Cybertronians, if they were better in every way.

And by “better”, I, of course, mean “more bloodthirsty, warmongering, and driven enough to make their civil war last about as long as the Jurassic Period”. Also, they’re all combiners by default, and Whirl seems a little TOO into their whole situation. So much so, in fact, that when the Imperial Guard of their race show up to kill them, he decides to do them a solid by single-handedly ending their entire war.

You know, in most cases you’re supposed to show and not tell for visual media. This is way funnier, though, so it can be excused.

We jump back into the interviews, and Rewind’s just asked everyone if they’re happy. This might seem like an odd question, until you remember that everyone on-board this ship has crippling depression and PTSD, and Rewind’s married to one of the saddest motherfuckers to ever exist, so he probably has this question loaded into the proverbial chamber at any given moment. We won’t cover all of the answers here, because they’ll be more poignant to reflect back on later in the comic run, but let’s take a gander at the characters who’ve completed the first leg of their character arcs this season.

Drift, is that perhaps… an honest expression of your inner thought processes happening right there? Has Rewind broken through your carefully crafted persona, if even for just a moment, with his question? Perish the thought!

Because Tailgate outed himself as being baby in issue #21, I have zero doubt he’s not exaggerating here. He was a janitor, then he fell in a hole and became Dirt-Nap Supreme for six million years; even the most boring day on the Lost Light’s got to be better than that.

And it’s nice to see Chromedome on a good day for once. Hopefully he reveled in it while he had the chance, because this interview takes place maybe a couple weeks before he fucks everything up big time and has to blow up his husband with a missile strike.

Getting back to the Mystery of the Rungian Alt-Mode plotline, we see Rung using his backpack as a wheelbarrow- no idea what he’s actually pushing in the damned thing- and wearing the most disgruntled face I’ve seen him pull in a hot minute. Someone yells for him to come down the eerily unlit and sinister-looking hallway, which he does. Rung would not do well in a horror film.

He winds up at Swerve’s, where Tailgate, Swerve, Brainstorm, and someone who is most likely Trailcutter, given the colors, are hanging out in their alt-modes. Tailgate’s ploy to find out Rung’s deal is to do what he does best- lie! They’re having an alt-mode party, and wouldn’t Rung like to join in? There are, of course, logistical issues with being a car in a bar, especially when your drink is on the table and your head is tucked up somewhere in your torso, but never mind all that! Let’s get crazy!

This doesn’t work either. Maybe we should cut out the middle man here and just get Rung drunk enough to agree to a wet alt-mode contest.

No, I don’t have any idea how that would work.

In our next vignette, Rodimus comes into the comms room, Rewind trailing behind him like a grim shadow of death, to see what the hell Blaster wants, other than just the hugest glass of water.

Raiz’s work is very detailed, and you really feel the weight of these giant metal space robots, but everyone looks like they’ve been put through a food dehydrator.

We get a lot of build up to the character who’s about to be introduced, with a common opinion being shared amongst everyone- even Tailgate, who hates successful people like his life depends on it.

Lovely readers, put your hands together for the ideal male partner for Autobots, Decepticons, and Neutrals alike:

A man with so much charisma and charm that only Rodimus could hate him, Thuderclash brings to IDW what everyone wishes Optimus Prime would, making our disappointing space dad even more mediocre by comparison. He fights for justice, and freedom, and the good of the universe- and he does it all while having a chronic medical condition that forces him to stay within a certain distance of his ship that is also a life-support machine, otherwise he will die. Despite his handicaps, Thunderclash seemingly brings to others what they need most, even if they don’t even realize that they needed it in the first place.

He also, in this one scene, appeals to Drift’s religious sensibilities, does a secret best-friend dance with Ratchet (who he helped to pass his medical exams- yes, Ratchet), and congratulates Rodimus on his questing so far.

Thunderclash is one of those characters that everyone in-universe is supposed to love, and I completely buy it- because he’s completely genuine and humble about all of this the entire time.

Compare this to the last time Roberts wrote Thunderclash, in Eugenesis.

Where he was an ex-Decepticon.

And kind of an abrasive asshole.

And then he died.

Y’know, now that I think of it, Eugenesis Thunderclash and MTMTE Ambulon being basically the same character makes a whole lot of sense, even without the horrors of Roberts’ Twitter getting involved.

Thunderclash reveals that he, too, is on a quest to find the Knights of Cybertron, much to Rodimus’ chagrin. But first he needs the Lost Light to break out the jumper cables, and then for his second in command to stop threatening his life.

Turns out, not everyone is as obvious as the Cybertronians with their naming conventions. Whirl assassinated the wrong folks; I’m sure the Galactic Council is utterly thrilled. Paddox wants to steal the quantum engine technology for the good of his people, so they can kick the ass of the up-and-coming Terradore leader.

Completely unaware of the situation unfolding here in the lab, Swerve is directing Rung towards the warm, loving aura of Thunderclash for another go at winning the gentlemen’s wager- through the power of lying about having friends, Swerve’s “agreed” to get Rung Thunderclash’s autograph, in exchange for getting to check that Rung’s transformation cog is still working. Then they bump into the nightmare currently unfolding. My, whoever will save us from this dreaded menace, who holds a gun to the head of the Autobots’ greatest warrior, confidant, friend, and perhaps even lover?

How about a bartender and a giant vape pen?

Okay, so Rung doesn’t actually turn into a vape. It turns out that the Mystery of the Rungian Alt-Mode is also a mystery to the man himself. Because Rung is old as shit, the Functionists got to see this bullshit for themselves, and ended up testing him over and over and over trying to figure it out, lest he prove to be a flaw in their fascist ideologies. Fun fact: fascists HATE it when people they’re trying to oppress don’t play to their expectations.

The Functionists were the ones who gave Rung his little wheelie backpack, to make him at least appear useful. This sort of treatment tends to warp one’s head a bit, which would explain why he’s bothered to keep it for so long- internalized functionism’s a real bitch.

At least he’s not giving teenagers nicotine addictions under the guise of being somewhat better than cigarettes.

Back with Rodimus and Cybertron’s Autobot of the Year for 40,000 consecutive years, we get the unfortunate news that jump-starting Thunderclash’s ship is going to make the Quest go a bit slower for the Lost Light, much to Rodimus’ horror, though he does his best to put on a brave face; after all, that’s what heroes do, isn’t it?

It’s at this point that it’s revealed that “Little Victories” was being screened to all the Circle of Light members who didn’t get murdered or turned into Legislators on Luna 1, and man are these guys pissy. What was meant to be a recruitment video turned out to do just the opposite, because none of these guys want anything to do with what the Lost Light’s got going on.

Too bad Rewind didn’t have time for a cleaner cut for showing. Maybe they could have at least snagged a couple of these guys to tag along.

As all of the Circle of Light leave the theatre to go call everyone’s favorite Autobot to see if he needs a more crew members, the film plays on behind Skids, back to the interviews, as everyone promises more adventures just waiting on the horizon.

You’re not even on this trip anymore, you dork.

Chromedome gives us the title drop for the movie and issue, and we cut to Rewind organizing a group photo of all the interviewees.

And then Rewind died horribly like a week later. Thus ends season one of More Than Meets the Eye!

While I’m here, I’d like to take the time to cover a little bit of cut content from this issue, a scene between Drift and Ratchet.

Drift, during his interview, recalls the time that Ratchet called him into his office for a very serious discussion about his/Pharma’s hands.

Yeah, turns out they’re haunted.

Well, no, not really, because this is a prank. But Drift doesn’t know that yet.

Ratchet demonstrates this hand-haunting by punching Drift in the face, as he screams damnation at Pharma’s ghost. Drift, because he is a spiritual man, knows exactly what to do to deal with this possession; he draws his sword and chops Ratchet’s hands off, then throws them out the airlock.

This, too, is a prank, not that Ratchet knows it right away, yelling at Drift that he’s crippled him.

Clearly, these two belong together.

This bit of cut script was lucky enough to have gotten drawn by the colorist for MTMTE Season 1, Josh Burcham. Burcham’s line art is iconic- you won’t mistake him for anyone else. It’s rough and angular, and honestly just very charming. I’m a sucker for this sort of style. If you want to see his adaptation of this chunk of script- and trust me, you do- the link’s right here:

https://dcjosh.tumblr.com/post/107665292031/its-done-the-mtmte-22-deleted-scene-in-all-its

[politicalprof]

What Politicalprof listens to -- podcast edition

A recent question about a podcast has led me to offer this “answering a question literally no one has asked” post: what Politicalprof listens to, podcast wise. (Hint: it’s mostly history.)

Recent readers will know I do NOT listen to political podcasts. I get enough politics in my life every day. In the car, on a walk, I want to listen and think.

In no particular order:

Hardcore History: Don Carlin’s deep dive into historical events. Long. Well-told. Sometimes I learn a lot. I’ve bought ones that weren’t available for free. He doesn’t need my endorsement. But he gets it anyway.

The Fall of Rome: Patrick Wyman’s breakthrough podcast. Uses modern research techniques to explore under-publicized dimensions of the long fall -- falls -- of the Roman Empire. Completely worth the investment.

Serial: Another ultra-popular podcast. From the people who do This American Life. Seasons 1 (on Adnan Syed) and 3 (on the criminal justice system in East Cleveland, OH), are staggering. Season 2 is less so but so what? Listen and learn. Season 3 will hurt your soul.

Tides of History: Patrick Wyman’s followup to The Fall of Rome. It’s really about the rise of the West -- very much a western-Europe focused podcast. Enjoyable, if not quite as good as The Fall of Rome. Feels padded at times, particularly with interview shows. But I’ve enjoyed it.

The History of English: A long, deep dive into the history of the English language. Want to know why we say church but chapeau and why Americans say ��erb” while British people say “herb”? You’ll know if you listen to this. Want to trace English from its Indo-European roots? Listen. There’s a LOT here. It’s a weird language. But by god it’s an interesting one.

30 for 30: If you have any interest in sports stories, particularly in their social/political dimensions, 30 for 30 from ESPN is excellent. I don’t care about all of them. Heck, I’ve skipped any number of them. (God I don’t care about MMA.) But they’re well done, and usually worth a listen.

Bundyville: Interested in the patriot/militia movement? The two seasons of Bundyville are a must. I know a LOT about this stuff ... and this is excellent. Revelatory. Listen.

The History of Rome: Mike Duncan was a college student when he started a fairly straightforward, leader by leader (with a little social history thrown in) accounting of the history of the Roman Empire. It’s not super sophisticated, and it is very leader-centric, but it’s interesting.

Revolutions: Duncan’s follow-up to History of Rome. He’d had some professional education when this started -- and a much more sophisticated podcast rig, with some professional support, too. Tracing the great Revolutions of the modern era, starting with the English Revolution of the 1640s through the American and French Revolutions, and beyond. A nice gimmick.

The City: Really good. First season examined the politics, bias and money involved in an illegal landfill in the North Lawndale area of Chicago, a predominantly African-American district. Second is deep diving into politics, strip clubs, and gentrification in Reno, NV. From USA Today. Excellent.

Land of the Giants: A thorough look at the business, politics and consequences of Amazon. Not “the Amazon.” Just “Amazon.” A behemoth in its own right. Fascinating and thought-provoking. It’s made me appreciate Walmart ... which is quite a thing.

History on Fire: A podcast from an Italian writer/academic, Daniele Bolelli. Long dives into various events. Mixed in quality. Some I like a lot, some fairly unengaging. Broad focus. Has shifted to a pay-site; I don’t find it worth it. But I enjoy the ones I access.

The Theory of Everything: Hard to describe. Still early days with this one. Thought/monologues/contemplations on big issues, with a little reportage along the way. May hold up -- I’ve enjoyed it so far. But it isn’t something I’ve yet committed to.

Friendly Fire: Three friends, at least two of whom are film industry professionals, chat about a randomly selected war movie. Some usual suspects; some surprise examples. Usually some interesting insights about films any war buff almost certainly knows. (But not always.)

Martyrmade: Deep -- DEEP -- dives into the way(s) the world has caused suffering for people, and how that suffering has shaped global life. Interesting project about Jim Jones and the Guyana cult got started before moving to its horrific end. Slow sending out new episodes; DEEP dives. You have to want it. Often worth it.

Against the Rules: Michael Lewis (The Blind Side, The Big Short.) has a podcast. (Just don’t ask him to talk at your university -- his fee is staggering.) This one is about referees: the job, the challenges, the complaining. And not just in sports. Interesting and engaging.

Surviving Y2K: Three seasons, the first of which is about the Y2K “bug” and the controversy around it. I skipped “Looking for Richard Simmons,” but enjoyed a deep dive into the American reality show, “Headlong: Running From ‘Cops.’” (All through Dan Taberski.) Light but interesting.

Spectacular Failures: A podcast about how some businesses went belly up despite the fact that they seemed like they were rolling along. (Blockbuster, anyone.) It’s not super deep, but it’s very accessible. If you want to think about failure, this is a good place to listen.

Cautionary Tales: stories of people screwing up. Examining the psychology of compounding errors. Well worth the time.

Catch and Kill: The podcast version of Ronan Farrow’s work exposing Harvey Weinstein and the architectures of power that enabled him. Interesting on both the issue and journalism as well.

History Impossible: long dives into some of the most uncomfortable, brutal but under-recognized hollows of American history. Very early days for me. Interesting so far.

I Spy: brief stories of real spy missions told by the people who did the operations. Not transformative, but interesting.

Reset: explorations of the roles technology plays in our lives, and of the ways the digital world is remaking the “real” world. The last episode I listened to examined Apple’s decision to remove an app that the protestors in Hong Kong were using to avoid police. Digital ethics in the modern age.

I have listened, at times, to This American Life, which I like on the radio but not as a podcast for some reason. I found American History Tellers wildly over-produced. I can’t listen to the endless array of crime podcasts. But I don’t watch crime TV, either.

[cutiesncantrips]

Message to headphone companies:

Please figure out a way to keep headphones on a head without installing the parts on an actual vice grip.

Over-the-god-damned-ear. Not on fucking top. I don't care what kind of ultra premium cushioning you're using on the cups, it's fucking uncomfortable to have them squishing my ears into my head.

Bluetooth absolutely has its place, don't get me wrong. But you will have to rip wires out of my cold, dead hands, and I can't imagine rigor mortis is gonna make that easy.

Please understand that I would like access to volume at lower levels. You constantly tell me to be respectful of my hearing and not turn it up too loud, which I 1000% agree with, but I keep having to crank up the volume because shit keeps sounding muffled.

Keep it cheap, I'm begging you. Unless you're like a musician or like a hardcore audiophile or something, anything over $50 max is ridiculous. I'm guessing most of my complaints are coming from having to stick to cheaper stuff, fix it.

No, really, fucking around the ear, I'm sick of your shit. I will cut you.

[aion-rsa]

Tokusatsu Streaming Guide: Where to Watch Kamen Rider, Ultraman, and More

https://ift.tt/2VR6eGr

Ten years ago a fan of Tokusatsu (Japanese special effects shows, mostly superheroes) could have never imagined the access we’d have to these programs today. Back then official releases of anything outside of the American adaptations, particularly Power Rangers, seemed like a far off dream. However in the past few years especially there’s been a slow trickle of Toku shows becoming available to stream in North America. 

In the last few months though that trickle became a waterfall as several new services have quickly become mainstays, finally allowing Toku fandom to finally enjoy their favorite shows legally. This also allows more casual fans a chance to experience these shows for the first time and that’s who this guide is mostly for. If you’re curious about the wider world of Tokusatsu and need a place to start, this guide should cover your bases for the many kinds of Toku series out there.

Just as a note, we are only discussing shows that are legally available. This also isn’t a comprehensive list. Many of the streaming services mentioned below have multiple Toku series available, we’re just picking a small sample. With that in mind, let’s dive into this ocean of Toku, shall we?

Kamen Rider (1971) 

Available on TokuSHOUTsu (Shout Factory TV/tubi/Pluto)

The release that shocked and delighted Toku fans, the original series in the long running Kamen Rider franchise may be old but that doesn’t detract from its enjoyment. This is Toku in its purest form. Incredible fights, trippy special effects, bizarre monsters, and a strikingly bleak backstory for the main character.

Hongo Takeshi is kidnapped by the evil Shocker and transformed against his will into a cyborg. Worrying if his humanity is intact, Hongo still fights for justice as Kamen Rider. It may seem simplistic in our modern age of superheroes but there’s something enduringly appealing about Hongo’s quest to stop evil despite the wrongs that were inflicted on him. 

Plus, come on, you can’t beat those trumpets that come in for damn near every music number. Highly recommend if you’re down for old school heroics or just want to enjoy some trippy 70’s TV.

Zyuranger (1992)

Available on TokuSHOUTsu (Shout Factory TV/tubi/Pluto)

Many people reading this are no doubt aware of Power Rangers, especially the original Mighty Morphin series. If you want to rock your world, you gotta check out the Super Sentai series Zyuranger. It’s as far from MMPR as you can imagine, with a team of dinosaur-evolved humans from 170 million years ago brought into the present day. 

Read more

TV

Power Rangers and How It Adapted From Super Sentai

By Shamus Kelley

TV

TokuSHOUTsu: Kamen Rider, Ultraman, and Super Sentai Coming to Streaming

By Shamus Kelley

The differences between it and MMPR will be the main draw for most and as you watch the series you’ll be impressed just how much the producers of Power Rangers were able to take this footage and remold it for America.

Ultraman Mebius 

Available on TOKU

You can’t do a list about Tokusatsu without giving love to one of the big three, Ultraman. While the franchise’s original series sadly isn’t streaming (but you’ll be able to soon), you can’t go wrong with the 40th anniversary season Ultraman Mebius. Following the adventures of the rookie Mebius, the Ultra comes to Earth and joins up with the attack team (hilariously out of context) named GUYS. Mebius, GUYS, and even a few characters from past Ultraman series, fight off giant monsters attacking Earth.

Read more

TV

The Challenge of Bringing Ultraman to America

By Shamus Kelley

Comics

Marvel Reveals Ultraman Details

By Shamus Kelley

Both a great introduction for new fans and rewarding for long time Ultra fans, Mebius is a fantastic show to jump headfirst into the hero that’s larger than life.

Garo 

Available on HiDive

If you want something off the beaten path of the big three Tokusatsu franchises, Garo might be right up your alley. Feeling a bit darker than other Toku (and not just because much of the action taking place at night or in darker spaces), the series follows Makai Knight Kouga Saezima attempting to protect humanity against the evil “Horrors.” Along the way though he encounters Kaoru, who is set to die in 100 days, and he sets out to try and save her.

Everything from the look of the series to the designs of the Garo suit feel different from Sentai, Kamen Rider, and Ultraman and if you aren’t feeling the more traditional vibe of those series Garo might be right up your alley. It’s also the first in a very long and surprising franchise so if you like it, there’s a lot more to get into.

Space Sheriff Gavan

Available on Toei Tokusatsu World Official

The first of the not as often remembered Metal Heroes franchise (although some of the series in it were adapted into VR Troopers and Beetleborgs), Gavan stands out for just how wild it is from the jump. Sure there’s the story about Don Horror (wonder if he’s a bad guy!) trying to destroy Earth and Retsu Ichijouji (Gavan) being sent out to stop him but that’s all icing on the cake. 

Read more

TV

American Tokusatsu Shows: VR Troopers

By Shamus Kelley

TV

American Tokusatsu Shows: Big Bad Beetleborgs

By Shamus Kelley

Metal Heroes have a reputation for bonkers visuals along with great action and Gavan delivers in spades. From the opening seconds of the first episode we’re greeted with Gavan standing atop a robot dragon standing against a gloriously lush background of outer space. Lead actor Kenji Ohba is also stunning in his action scenes and he puts even the superheroes of today to shame with just how good he is in these hand-to-hand fights.

Love action? Love weirdness? Want to be cool and not go with the obvious choices? Gavan might be for you!

Android Kikaider

Available on Toei Tokusatsu World

An absolute smash hit in Hawaii that’s still talked about to this day, Kikaider is more classic ’70s Toku action if Kamen Rider wasn’t enough for you. Following the heroics of robot Jiro against the (obviously) evil DARK, the main draw of the series is not just the delightfully over the top action but also the compelling conflict between Kikaider and evil robot Hakaider. 

We should also mention that while the first two episodes of all series on Toei Tokusatsu World are subtitled, further episodes that will be uploaded won’t have them and it’s being left up to fans to subtitle the rest. Even without subtitles though, Kikaider’s action should more than keep your attention.

Dynaman (Night Flight Dub)

Available on Night Flight Plus

Easily the strangest entry on this list, Night Flight’s Dynaman isn’t just the seventh entry in the Super Sentai series. Oh no, it’s a little known dub of the show that aired on USA Network’s Night Flight program in the ’80s. It’s a gag dub through and through and mostly relies on pop culture jokes and (and we’re being generous here) outdated humor. 

Still, it’s a peek into one of the earliest examples of Toku being brought to America on a large scale. For that alone it’s worth checking out, especially for those interested in the history of Toku in America and exploring the “what if” of imagining this getting popular instead of Power Rangers.

Gridman The Hyper Agent

Available on TOKU

Bold proclamation to make, but Gridman has the absolute best design of any Tokusatsu hero ever. It takes what worked well enough for Ultraman but added extra detail in all the right places to create a truly iconic look for a hero. 

Gridman follows three hip computer kids (Naoto, Ippei, and Yuka) whose videogame superhero is taken over by the interdimensional Gridman who then combines with Naoto. The computer hero fights against the digital monsters of the evil Kahn Digifer in some of the best looking fights of all the series we’ve mentioned. Some shows might have better action overall but the look of the computerized world of Gridman can’t be beat.

Read more

TV

American Tokusatsu Shows: Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad

By Shamus Kelley

TV

SSSS. GRIDMAN Episode 1 Review: Awakening

By Shamus Kelley

The show may look familiar to some American fans as its footage was used in Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad. Gridaman also experienced a revival in the form of the SSSS.GRIDMAN anime, which redid some of the concepts of the original series with a few easter eggs to Syber-Squad for very hardcore fans.

Special Rescue Exceedraft

Available on Toei Tokusatsu World Official

Look, I’m going to be real with you. I’ve only seen the first two episodes of Exceedraft. I have no idea if the whole series is good. What I can tell you though is that the first episode is straight up the most batshit wild episode of any Toku I’ve ever seen. It’s like if someone took the plot of Speed and said: 

“Aha, let’s do this but condense it down to 20 minutes, add in some shiny superheroes, and make it way more intense.” Also, the title of the episode is “The Kindergarten Bus of Death.” Just watch it. If you watch nothing else on this list, watch this episode. It’s Toku on, well, speed and it’s fantastic.

Jetman

Available on TokuSHOUTsu (Shout Factory TV/tubi/Pluto)

What if Super Sentai, but a soap opera? It’s not that Tokusatsu had never had soap opera elements before or after this series, but Jetman took that idea to a level that’s still being talked about today. When Red Ranger Ryuu’s partner is killed in an attack by the (say it with us now) evil Vyram, the powerful “Birdonic Waves” are unleashed on four unsuspecting civilians. Ryuu recruits them and they become the Jetman team.

With strong characterization from the start, Jetman stands out by jumping into the romance between team members as Ryuu struggles with his growing attraction to White Ranger Kaori. It’s standard soap opera stuff, with a love triangle thrown in for good measure (which would have been better if Kaori was given more agency), but if you love those tropes then Jetman might be the series for you.

As we said earlier, this is only a small sampling of some of the shows available on streaming sites in North America. What are some of your favorite Tokusatsu series that are available to watch and which ones do you hope are picked up in the future?

The post Tokusatsu Streaming Guide: Where to Watch Kamen Rider, Ultraman, and More appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[himitsusentaiblog]

What's your opinion on English dubs and have you heard of a group called the Apollo Dub Archive? They've been releasing a lot of cool stuff, but I know that there's a horrible stigma for live action dubbing.

I have not heard of them!  They sound like they are doing good work!

As for dubs, while I will always prefer subtitles, sometimes a dub is the only way to see a show.  This was especially true in the days before streaming services and DVD when the only way to watch certain programs or movies was to catch them on TV or on VHS where they would inevitably be dubbed.  Heck, if you were REALLY lucky, you might get to see a Godzilla movie in the theater with an English dub.

This is also the era that gave the English dub such a bad reputation.  No attempt was ever made to make the dialogue sound natural or to match the lip movements of the actors so it came off as ridiculous.  Add to that the tendency of American releasing companies to edit films, add scenes with American actors and tone done the overly Japanese parts of the films and you ended up with a very watered down product.

That’s not to say there weren’t bright sides to the early Toho-era dubs.  A lot of Asian American actors were hired to work on them including a young George Takei who can be heard most noticeably in the King Brothers Productions release of Rodan and also in the Godzilla Raids Again adapatation, Gigantis the Fire Monster.

Of course, a bad dub can also be comedy gold which a lot of the early dubs really were.  Heck, one of my favorite dubs of all time is the early 1990s Turner dub of Tsuburaya Productions’ Ultraseven (renamed Ultra 7 for the TNT release). The story I have heard is they were given the series without any translation and handed it off to a Canadian dubbing team (because Canadian voice actors aren’t part of a Union so they work more cheaply) to make sense of. The resulting dub is firmly tongue in cheek.

It features such lines as:

“Careful we don’t get crushed by the weight of that rock.  I always hate being crushed by the weight of that rock!”

“Keep your filthy alien Chromosomes off our women!”

“You’re a spy!”  “I am not I’ve just been brainwashed by aliens!”

It was a hoot and a half to say the very least.

The quality of dubbing in most media improved as anime gained in popularity and brought with it a more respectful approach to English language adaptation. Sure, things started off bad in that department as well but these days you can find really good dubs of most of the popular series being simulcast or streamed thanks to companies like Funimation.  This has even helped with the dubbing on Tokusatsu.

A year or so back, William Winckler Productions released to a limited theatrical run English dubs of two of the recent Ultraman films, The movies for Ultraman GInga S and Ultraman X.

While some of the voice work left a bit to be desired it was a treat to see these films on the big screen where they belonged even with an English dub.  Sadly, it doesn’t appear there are plans to release them in any capacity on home video at this moment.

One of the biggest problems with English dubs for Tokusatsu though is that English versions of these shows already exist, in a way.  I doubt we are ever going to see a dub of any Super Sentai when there is an English language show using the footage for its own purposes already.

There are decent fandubs floating around for some series but as I said, I will always prefer subtitles.  Part of this is because I prefer to keep the shows as close to their original version as possible to maintain the cultural context.  Part of it is because I speak a little Japanese (I am nowhere near fluent) and pick up new words and phrases when watching the undubbed versions of shows.  Heck, when I was formally studying the language back in the 1990s, I used tapes of Sentai rented from a local Japanese grocery store as a way to get a feel for how spoken Japanese is supposed to sound.

I don’t think my teacher appreciated me challenging others in the class to a fight or telling them I would completely destroy them though.

Lastly, English dubs are great for people who either can’t read (like children) or have a learning disability that makes following subtitles difficult or impossible.  There need to be more dubs of shows just as an aid to the visually impaired, the young and people with reading problems.  Heck, we should have full on descriptive language versions of shows specifically for the blind so they can enjoy these programs as well!

Dubs will always have a place even if the hardcore fans might prefer subtitles.  They make the genre more accessible and can only help to spread the fandom!

[spacephant0m]

Animal Crossing Pocket Camp Tips: In-Game Currency

I really love animal crossing, it’s easily one of my favorite games. I had been waiting FOR SO LONG for Pocket Camp to come out, and honestly the day it was released, I cried tears of joy. I love my little animal friends. SO I decided since I’ve never had the chance to do this before (or the willpower), I decided to make my own little game guide for all of you lovely camp-goers~

First of all I’d like to say that a lot of these tips are obviously OPTIONAL. Don’t feel pressured into doing these things if you don’t want to. This is just here to help you make the most out of your gameplay!

DISCLAIMER: this is not a full-fledged guide as an absolutely amazing one has already been written here: https://sirtaptap.com/2017/10/animal-crossing-pocket-camp-guide/ . However, I feel that some quick and easy tip-sharing to make things a bit more ~personal~ is always great to have because, everyone plays games differently. There’s no one way to play a game, especially one like animal crossing. Please keep in mind that not everything in the guide is set in stone as mistakes can be made. As time goes on we’ll have more details about how everything works~

App version: 1.0.0 Date: November 24th, 2017

Making Money

Okay so there are tons of ways to make those sweet sweet bells. Obviously just talking to animal campers is a great way. But there are tons of other things you can do!

1.       Tap on campers at your campsite to see if they are available to talk. It won’t tell you above their heads in the map screen if their conversation option has refreshed yet, so you just have to look. This refreshes about every hour. Doing this will help them level up, and sometimes they will give you bells or an item! If their level is maxed out, talk to them anyways just in case they wanna give you something. Approximately every hour, 3 random campers at your site will have new requests, so fulfill those as well just in case they give you some bells/items for it.

2.       Catch ALL BUGS AND FISH YOU SEE. PICK UP ALL FRUIT AND SEASHELLS. You can sell them in the market, but if you wanna “grind for bells” quickly, you can easily just choose “sell” instead of “list for sale.” Regular items go for 10 bells a piece, rare items for 100, and then VERY rare go for 1500, (such as the rainbow trout), ULTRA rare go for 5000, (such as the tuna). I WOULD NOT recommend selling these very rare ones unless you just got lucky and somehow have like 5 tuna fish. Save them for later because with further game patches and updates, they’re likely to be useful. And Idk about you but I feel that putting it in your market box for 30k wont do any good considering -most people- do not have that many bells right now and it will be stuck in your market box for a very long time. I’ve seen way too many people doing this and it’s insane.

3.       The spawning in this game seems to work a bit like acnl, except that they don’t always randomly spawn. Sometimes you have to leave the area and then come back for new fish and bugs to spawn. Seashells take longer to respawn, though I’m not entirely sure how long it takes. But by leaving the area and coming back, you can easily catch lots of bugs and fish to sell if you’re REALLY short on bells (I’m trying so hard to get enough to buy this 5000 bell acid-washed jacket as I’m typing this).

4.       You get 100-200 bells for talking to/assisting campers, and 1000 bells each time you level up.

5.       You can shake trees in ACNL, and you can shake trees in ACPC as well! ALL OF THE TREES. EVEN THE PALM TREES. SHAKE EVERY SINGLE ONE. You can get up to 1000 bells this way. That’s like the equivalent of talking to 10 campers. It’s so easy. Shake the trees. I beg of you.

6.       You can enter shovelstrike quarry once per day, and you have a good chance and making some moolah here, so, make sure you ask those pals of yours to help ya out. You only need 5 so it shouldn’t be too difficult.

BELL SAVING

1.       Some people will say “just build everything.” But that is a no-no if you want to save time and money (and resources o lord). Personally, my main focus is campers. I want certain campers in my campsite, so I prioritized building the furniture that their heart so desires. If your focus is decorating and you don’t care for any of the campers that are available, then knock yourself out crafting those couches. But for me, once I get all of the campers I want, then I will make the furniture I want.

2.       Your items aren’t cataloged like they are in ACNL. So there is really no reason to buy every single thing at the little nookling’s shop. Buy what you WANT, but do your best not to make impulse purchases. I know it’s tempting but once the shop rotates and that rare item comes into view, you’ll be heartbroken at how poor you are and that you can’t afford that fancy jacket you wanted. Of course, if you are one of those upperclass folks who can throw dollar dollar bills at this game, then this certainly does not apply to you. Go nuts.

3.       Try to pay attention to market box prices. You can easily make 100 bells back by talking to a camper, but paying an excessive amount for a few beetles is no good. I tend to buy stuff from market boxes because I’m lazy and I don’t mind helping out my friends. However, you just have to be smart about it because you can easily spend all of your money this way.

 CAMPER CUSTOMIZATION

1.       There are currently 2 models of the camper. Vintage and modern. So you don’t HAVE to change your camper model if you don’t want to. Just pick the one you want. The models are 5000 bells and you get a free paint job if you switch models. Fancy patterns cost leaf tickets so make sure you save those up if you want one. Also, you can switch back to patterns you paid for with leaf tickets, as they are always available for free once you buy them.

2.       Loans: expanding the interior is something that you can pay off in a loan in this game, just like your house in ACNL.

1st expansion: more space in the main floor, 10,000 bells

2nd expansion: second floor, 30,000 bells

3rd expansion: more space in the second floor, 50,000 bells

4th expansion: more space in the main floor, 100,000 bells

5th expansion: more first floor space (maximum? Not sure yet), 150,000 bells

6th expansion: more second floor space (max?), 200,000 bells

NOTE: currently there is a bug with paying off a loan, where it will take out your money you put in and then later say you didn’t actually pay anything, but you will have less bells. It’s best to pay it all off at once and then immediately go to OK MOTORS and upgrade again! I’m sure they will fix this since this is only version 1.0.0.

LEAF TICKETS

Last but not least, the dreaded in-game currency. First of all I’d like to say that you should not complain about this because this is how game devs make money. I believe that all artists deserve payment for their work and, asking that they do this for free is just a no-no, even if it is a “big company.” These people have to pay their bills, man. Besides, a game like this isn’t the same as an actual fully featured video game. It’s great that people have the option to pay for something IF THEY WANT TO. And let me tell you, a copy of animal crossing new leaf is currently 20 USD, and most hardcore animal crossing fans actually purchase multiple copies of the game just so that they can have another custom town and more of the villagers that they want, since you are limited to 10 in that game.

OKAY ENOUGH BABBLING ON, time for the tips

1. Save your leaf tickets. What should you spend them on? 3 things:

Limited special items. I bought Tom Nook and K.K. even tho only one of them will be out at a time, because I love them both so much.

Expanding your crafting capacity. This is so super helpful and actually useful to you, as most things in the game you can pay for with leaf tickets are actually easily attainable. The ONLY way to expand crafting capacity is with leaf tickets, so spend them on this.

Camper paint customization. Make sure you only do this if you really truly want that fancy camper paintjob.

2. If you have a dollar to spare I’d recommend spending it on the 72 hour special offer because you can get double the amount of leaf tickets (40) for the price of 20. Offers like this in mobile games tend to only come around rarely, such as for specific holidays, game anniversaries, etc. And, personally, I like to support things that I love, which brings me to my next point.

3. This may not be a decision that you can make so early in the game’s release, however, if you like this game and you want to see it improve, SUPPORT IT. Buy yourself some leaf tickets. It is sooo important to support games that you love, as that is how they can afford to spend time making new updates and adding new content. A lot of people absolutely DESPISE this sort of thing but, good games come with paying for em. People were totally outraged that you have to pay to play Mario on mobile devices. They are giving us this game for FREE with lots of great content. It’s certainly not a pay-to-play game, which I am so thankful for. And if all else fails and you’d rather not spend money on Pocket Camp, go out and buy yourself a different animal crossing game to show your support for it. And I don’t want to see anyone whining that game devs have to make a living with their work. Creative careers are so incredibly under-appreciated because people think they should have access to LEISURE for free. HEALTH CARE should be free, not leisurely activities that are OPTIONAL. This backwards thinking is incredibly toxic behavior.

If you’re like me, a poor millennial child just trying to get through college, then you shouldn’t mindlessly throw your money away buying fishing nets and honey pots. I’d recommend you save your leaf tickets for more special items that ACPC will have in the future.

Thanks for reading and I hope you found this helpful. This is just something I whipped up to avoid writing my research paper. Please leave more tips and any corrections if you have any!

[blog-usemamesaretricky]

Kirby Review - What Should Your First Kirby Game Be?

It’s no secret that I am a die-hard fan of the Kirby series. One of the items on my bucket list is to play every single Kirby game to its completion. I really wish more people would get into the series, especially those who haven’t played video games before. If someone were to come up to me and say they were interested in Nintendo, I would recommend either Mario or Kirby as their first experience, as they are relatively simple to understand, feature a basic story with basic controls, and are just a bunch of fun.

So, you may be thinking, “Hey, I want to play a Kirby game!” Maybe you’ve seen the hype around Planet Robobot, or you found out about Kirby’s 25th anniversary happening this year. Either way, it may be a bit hard to choose a game to start with. Which one is the best Kirby game to start your journey into Dreamland?

Well, that’s just it. Any Kirby game will make a fine introduction to the series. Kirby games are meant to be introductory and simple, with no major overarching story to find yourself in the middle of or a list of characters you need to learn about. If you told me Kirby Mass Attack was your first Kirby game, I’d say that was fine. If you told me Kirby’s Pinball Land was your first experience with the little puff, that’s fine too. Honestly, you could put every Kirby game on a cork board, throw a dart, and you’d have picked a fine game.

That being said, there are some games that are better to start off with, and games I think are more satisfying to experience after you’ve been introduced to the series. Therefore, I will be making a list of the best Kirby games for you to start your experience, whether you have a Wii/Wii U or 3DS, or both. This is because of the vast virtual library both systems offer. Overall, I think the home console library is slightly better, but you won’t be missing out on the Kirby franchise if you only have the portable unit.

I’m going to try my best and not recommend these games based on my personal preference, but instead their simplicity, controls, music, themes, characters, and other elements that make it the best game to start the series, including how well it meets the standards for what we expect in modern Kirby. Keep in mind that I am counting remakes on my list, but not any games that Kirby is a cameo in (i.e. Super Smash Bros, NES Remix)

To begin, I’m going to list a bunch of Kirby games where I can’t find a reason to recommend them as being your first game. Again, it isn’t bad if this is the only Kirby game you have access to, and these aren’t automatically bad games by any stretch, but these games are either too different from the standard or are otherwise too difficult or near-impossible to obtain:

Kirby Pinball Land - the only pinball game in the series, it won’t give you an idea of how Kirby plays as a platformer.

Kirby Dream Course - unless you want the Grump experience, this game also strays away from the platforming norm, but definitely pick it up if that’s the game you’re specifically looking for, because there isn’t another one like it.

Kirby's Avalanche - a puzzle game, once again straying too far away from the norm. Pick it up if you want to see Kirby throw shade.

Kirby Star Stacker - puzzle game, see above

Kirby's Block Ball - another puzzle game, same reasons as pinball land.

Kirby’s Tilt ‘n’ Tumble - a great game, but the only way to access it is if you own a working Game Boy Colour and the original cartridge in working condition. If you have it, more power to you, but don’t break a sweat trying to find it.

Kirby’s Toy Box - Japan Exclusive

Kirby’s Super Star Stacker - Japan Exclusive

Kirby’s Air Ride - Now, before any hardcore Kirby fans dislike this decision, remember that this video is made for Kirby beginners. And while Air Ride may be a fantastic and addictive game, it doesn’t follow two of my crucial elements: one, it is not a traditional platformer, and two, it is not easily accessible - unless you own a GameCube, there is no easy (and legal) way to get this game. If this does get released on VC, though, I may add it to the list.

ALL Kirby Mini Game Expansions (e.g. Kirby Fighters Deluxe, Team Kirby Clash Deluxe, etc.) - I would only recommend these games AFTER you’ve played the games they come from.

Now if you are looking for a Kirby puzzle game ONLY, then by all means you can stop right here and pick out a game, but I’m assuming you’re here for the really good stuff. The stuff that makes Kirby shine - the copy abilities. I consider any Kirby game to be a great starting game for those interested in the series if it meets this criteria:

A platforming game that showcases Kirby’s ability to transform, either through traditional copy abilities or other means related to his surroundings, situations, or enemies.

This is why I’ve included games that are debatably spin-offs - Kirby’s Epic Yarn doesn’t feature Kirby’s signature inhale move, but it is still a platformer that showcases Kirby’s ability to change and adapt based on his new body. The only slight exception to this rule in Kirby’s Dreamland, but I’m giving it a pass since it is the first in the series, long before anything had been established. Instead of listing off the pros and cons to each Kirby game, I’m going to instead give a list of which games you should play based on your needs or desires, for each type of console. After that, I may give explanations as to why I couldn’t recommend a few of the games (but for the most part it’ll just come down to one being better than another). Finally, I’ll state what is the overall best Kirby game to play. Just to make sure we’re on the same page, here is the list of Kirby games that I will be referencing, giving us a grand total of 18 games to choose from:

Kirby's Dream Land (3DS OR WII U)

Kirby's Adventure (3DS OR WII U)

Kirby's Dream Land 2 (WII U)

Kirby Super Star (WII U)

Kirby's Dream Land 3 (WII U)

Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (WII U)

Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land (WII U)

Kirby & the Amazing Mirror (WII U)

Kirby Canvas Curse (3DS)

Kirby Squeak Squad (3DS)

Kirby Super Star Ultra (3DS)

Kirby's Epic Yarn (WII U)

Kirby Mass Attack (3DS)

Kirby's Return to Dream Land (WII U)

Kirby's Dream Collection (WII U)

Kirby Triple Deluxe (3DS)

Kirby and the Rainbow Curse (WII U)

Kirby Planet Robobot (WII U)

Number One - “I need a cheap Kirby game!”

Wii U: Kirby’s Nightmare in Dreamland VC

3DS: Kirby’s Dreamland VC

These two games are an excellent start into the series for a very low cost. Kirby’s Dreamland is 3.99US, and Kirby’s NiD is $6.99. While I wouldn’t consider these the best of the series, they are a good, cheap way to begin your adventure through Kirby’s history. Just keep in mind that if the controls are your only concern, in my opinion, they become MUCH better in the later games.

Number Two - “I want to learn about the history behind Kirby. Give me the full immersive experience!”

Wii U: Kirby’s Dream Collection

3DS: Kirby Super Star Ultra

No questions asked, The Dream Collection is the best way to get Kirby’s history. Featuring Kirby’s first six “main titles”, a history timeline, extra challenge minigames, and episodes from the anime, this is the game with the most immersive Kirby experience out there. 

But, if you don’t have a Wii, then Super Star Ultra is a good way to go. It features a remake of the first Kirby game in the form of “Spring Breeze”, has more than 8 games to choose from, shows off a huge array of Kirby characters over the years, and is just plain fun.

Number Three - “I’ve played a few games in the series, now I’m looking for something a little different.”

Wii U: Kirby and the Amazing Mirror VC

3DS: Kirby Canvas Curse AND/OR Kirby Mass Attack

Kirby and the Amazing Mirror is a much more open map system, but still has Kirby keep his traditional abilities (i.e. the layout is different, but the controls and principles are the same). While it’s not world-changing, it is something different if you’re getting tired of the standard formula.

Kirby and the Rainbow Curse and Kirby Canvas Curse fall in the same boat. Both focus on line-travelling platforming, maintain (to some extent) Kirby’s ability to transform, and are a lot of fun. In terms of aesthetics, I prefer Rainbow Curse, but in terms of gameplay/control, Canvas Curse wins for me. Both, however, are a lot of fun and a bit different from the norm.

Kirby Mass Attack, I’ll be perfectly honest, is one of the few Kirby games I couldn’t really get into. The controls were just a bit too different from me. However, on its own merits, it is a fine Kirby game that tries out a new formula of gameplay, and succeeds. Some like it, others don’t, but there is nothing broken/technically wrong with the game and is a worthy candidate for this category.

(Side note: The puzzle games would also be good candidates for this section.)

Number Four - “I have literally never played a video game in my entire life dear God help me”

Wii U: Kirby’s Epic Yarn

3DS: Kirby’s Squeak Squad

Both of the games I have listed are fairly easy, have simple story lines, and fun but doable platforming. Kirby’s Squeak Squad is just plain easy, whereas in Kirby’s Epic Yarn, it  presents more of a challenge in terms of platforming, but you can’t die. Both are also fairly easy to get 100% in, and don’t have too many extra modes to overwhelm you.

Number Five - “I want to play Kirby Planet Robobot!”

Wii U: Kirby’s Return to Dream Land

3DS: Kirby Super Star Ultra AND/OR Kirby’s Triple Deluxe

Odd suggestion - maybe don’t?

 Now if all you want to do is play with Kirby in a mech, then, well, only Planet Robobot is going to do that for you. However, if you are interested in Kirby as a whole and are just super interested in Planet Robobot, I would recommend playing either Kirby’s Return to Dreamland for Wii OR Kirby Super Star Ultra and Kirby Triple Deluxe for 3DS. Trust me, it will make you appreciate the grandeur that is Planet Robobot. When the series was essentially rebooted in Kirby’s Return to Dreamland, there was a lot of experimentation with Kirby’s abilities and what he was capable of. Errors that were made in Triple Deluxe are solved perfectly in Planet Robobot (one being the collectable system), and Kirby Super Star Ultra contains some elements that are found in Planet Robobot. Again, if you want to start with Planet Robobot, by all means do so, it’s a fantastic game! But if you want to love it even more, consider playing the other titles I’ve suggested.

Number Six - “What’s the overall best Kirby game?”

This is debatable - most Kirby games are considered at least “Good” by most fans, but choosing the best is a completely different ball game. Personally though, (barring the Dream Collection due to its unfair advantage) I’d say Kirby Planet Robobot for 3DS and Kirby’s Return to Dreamland for Wii are the best the series has to offer - Return to Dreamland because of Kirby’s long awaited return to his roots after over 10 years without a traditional platformer on a home console, and Planet Robobot because it finally perfected the system that Return to Dreamland sought to create.

So, there you have it. Depending on your needs, these are the best Kirby games to start your adventure into the series. Have fun exploring the series - there’s a lot to enjoy! :) Now get out there and have fun!

[marymperezga]

My Backpacking Gear Checklist (How To Pack For A Trek)

My Lightweight Backpacking Gear Setup

Outdoor Gear Guide

Learn how to pack for a successful overnight backpacking or trekking adventure with lightweight gear essentials like a tent, stove, clothing, and more. My ultimate backpacking checklist!

As you’re about to see with my ultimate backpacking checklist here — I’m a total gear nerd!

From backpacking in Greenland, trekking in Afghanistan, or hill-walking in Ireland, I’m always searching for the lightest and most comfortable hiking & camping equipment. Updating my gear guides on a regular basis.

Fortunately, you get to benefit from my expensive hobby of collecting and testing outdoor backpacking gear by learning from my experiences using it during adventures around the world.

At the end of this guide, you’ll find a FREE printable backpacking checklist that you can download and use for your next trip!

Favorite Backpacking Gear For 2019

Backpacking VS Trekking

Lightweight Backpacking Checklist

Choosing A Backpack

Color-Coded Stuff Sacks

Tents & Overnight Shelters

Warm Sleeping Bag

Comfortable Sleeping Pad

Backpacker Kitchen

Hiking & Trekking Clothing

Backpacking Outerwear

Hiking Shoes Or Boots

Backpacking Food

Personal Hygiene Items

The Backpacking Essentials

My Favorite Luxury Items

Backpacking With Camera Gear

Why Listen To Me?

Experience! I’ve been backpacking & trekking around the world for the past 9 years through mountains, deserts, forests, jungles and National Parks in multiple countries. This guide is also completely independent.

Backpacking VS Trekking

First off, I want to define the difference between backpacking, trekking, and hiking. These words are sometimes used interchangeably — but they can also have different meanings depending on who you ask.

Backpacking is a hiking trip that includes overnight camping. Packing everything you need to be self-sufficient in the wilderness on your back. Like my 10-day solo backpacking trip on Greenland’s Arctic Circle Trail.

Trekking is hiking long-distance, for days or weeks at a time. You might pack everything in yourself, but more likely you’ll have a guide and pack animal or human porter to help you. You may or may not need to bring your own shelter. Like my trek in the mountains of Afghanistan with a local guide & pack horse.

Hiking is just walking on a wilderness trail through the mountains, forest, desert, or even the countryside. Generally, this is used to define day hikes that don’t require an overnight stay. Like my day hike up Ireland’s highest mountain.

I’m going to focus on a typical 2-5 day backpacking trip, packing in your own food, water, and camping gear. But much of this will also work as a trekking packing list.

Lightweight Backpacking Checklist

The Gear I Pack for Overnight Trekking

Backpacking checklists & packing lists can be a controversial subject. Everyone has an opinion about what’s the best hiking and camping gear to bring on a trip!

You have your traditional backpackers, lightweight backpackers, and even ultra light thru-hikers who all do things differently.

For this backpacking gear checklist, I’m sharing my personal setup, which is considered “lightweight” with a 20 lbs (9 kg) base-weight.

Backpack base-weight is the weight of all your gear except for food, water, and fuel — which varies depending on the length & location of your trip.

Choosing A Hiking Backpack

Great Backpacks for Hiking & Camping

Overnight Backpacks

For multi-day hiking & backpacking, where you’ll need to carry everything in on your back, I recommend choosing a 40-65 liter backpack that will hold your tent, sleeping bag, food, water, and other backpacking essentials.

Gregory Mountain Zulu 55 – This is the backpack I take with me on most 2-3 day trips. It’s super lightweight (3.5 lbs), comfortable, and well designed. The front-loading pannel makes it a great travel backpack too.

Arcteryx Bora 50 – For long-distance treks with the potential for more extreme weather, or more weight (like winter camping), I prefer this for superior weather resistance and a more comfortable hip-belt.

Day Hiking Backpacks

You may or may not want a day pack — it depends on the type of trip. Other than a traditional day-hike that doesn’t require camping, you might also want a day pack to wear during a guided trek, for easy access to certain items while the rest of your gear is with a porter or pack animal.

I do not bring a day pack on independent overnight hiking & camping trips.

Osprey Stratos 24

Arcteryx Alpha AR 35

Waterproofing Your Pack

What if it rains during your backpacking trip? Most hikers bring a waterproof rain cover for their backpack, and I used to as well. Until I discovered the magic of using a trash compactor bag (or two) to line the INSIDE of my pack.

Why? First of all, they are much cheaper. Second, they are multi-use items. Finally, they are much more effective. Sure, the outside of your backpack will still get wet, but everything inside will be bone-dry. Even if you fall into a river.

Color-Coded Stuff Sacks

To keep your backpack organized during your hiking adventure, I recommend using a few lightweight stuff sacks and/or packing cubes, in different colors, so it’s easy to grab important gear quickly.

Sea To Summit Ultra-Sil Stuff Sack – I use a few of these in different sizes & colors for my spare clothing, cold weather gear, and more.

Eagle Creek Specter Sacks – I also have a few of these for smaller items, like my repair kit and to store my (occasionally damp) microfiber towel.

Tents & Overnight Shelters

My Nemo Hornet 2 Person Tent

If you plan to sleep outside in the wilderness, you’re going to need a quality shelter to pack with you. Traditionally this would mean using a tent, but a camping hammock or bivy bag are other possible options. While I own and use all three types of shelters, generally I think most people should start with a tent.

Lightweight Tents

This is one of your most important pieces of backpacking gear. You want to find a tent that is a good combination of lightweight, spacious, waterproof, and easy to set up. It’s basically where you’ll be living during your trip!

Nemo Equipment Hornet 2P – My current favorite lightweight backpacking tent if I’m on my own. Perfect for one person plus some gear, but a bit tight with two people. I use this 75% of the time.

Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2 – Another great tent I own. Slightly more room if I’m going to be sharing it with someone else.

BUDGET OPTION: REI Quarter Dome 2 Tent

Camping Hammocks

If you’re going to be camping in a forest or jungle, it might make sense to hang a hammock for your backpacking shelter. A camping hammock keeps you off the ground, away from bugs & wet conditions, but is also easy to pack with no aluminum poles. Some people prefer sleeping in them to tents also.

Hennessy Hammock Jungle Explorer – I’ve used this camping hammock on many adventures. From hitchhiking America, canoeing the BWCA, and even exploring the jungle in Panama’s Darien Gap.

Bivy Sacks

Bivy sacks are not for everyone. Basically, it’s like sleeping in a waterproof bag. The reason some experienced backpackers prefer them is due to their extreme light weight. It’s for minimalists & ultra-light hikers.

Outdoor Research Helium Bivy – Weighing less than a pound, this is an ultra-lightweight shelter for hardcore minimalist hikers.

Warm Sleeping Bag

Good Morning!

For a good night’s sleep, you need a warm sleeping bag. They key is to pick a bag rated warm enough for the weather you’ll encounter on your backpacking trip. I own two sleeping bags (30F & 0F), but if you can only get one, I’d probably recommend something around 15F degrees.

Down sleeping bags are warmer with less weight, but also more expensive. Synthetic bags weigh a bit more, but are more affordable.

Nemo Riff Down 15F/-1C – An amazing 3-season down fill bag that packs up super small, with zipper air vents for those warmer nights. Spoon shape for comfortable side sleeping. I own the 30F version of this.

Nemo Sonic Down 0F/-18C – A fantastic winter mummy sleeping bag for staying warm in very cold conditions. They also make a -20F version.

BUDGET OPTION: Marmot Trestles 15F Synthetic

Comfortable Sleeping Pad

Sleeping pads have come a long way over the years. From bulky rolled pieces of foam, to lightweight inflatable versions with high-tech baffles that take up far less room in your pack. A good sleeping pad can make a huge difference in how much you enjoy camping outside.

Sea to Summit Ether Light XT – I’ve tried countless sleeping pads over the years, and this is my favorite by far. Weights only 15 ounces, but is insulated and inflates to a thick 4-inches. I’ve never slept better in the backcountry!

Backpacker Kitchen

Cooking Gear for Backpacking

You don’t need to lug a ton of pots & pans into the wilderness anymore. A lightweight backpacker kitchen allows you to boil water for cooking simple dehydrated meals on the go.

Camp Stove & Fuel

MSR WindBurner Backpacking Stove – After years of using a JetBoil, I made the switch to MSR’s new system due to better cooking in windy conditions and faster boil times.

Mug/Bowl/Spoon

GSI Infinity Mug – While I could technically use the thin “cup” included with my MSR Windburner stove, I prefer a proper insulated mug that keeps coffee warm longer, with a spill-proof cap.

GSI Essential Spoon – Awesome long-handled camping spoon that can reach deep into a dehydrated food bag.

Hiking & Trekking Clothing

Base Layers

Arcteryx Ether Crew – Lightweight, breathable, synthetic t-shirt. I wear one, and pack a spare. They weigh nothing.

Smartwool Merino 150 Top & Smartwool Merino 150 Pants – I always bring one pair of thermals to sleep in, or wear under my clothes in cold weather.

Mid-Layers

Arcteryx Konseal Hoody – Lightweight fleece pullover for when the temperature starts to drop.

Down/Synthetic Puffy

Arcteryx Cerium LT Hoody – Lightweight, packable down jacket with a hood. For extra cold conditions, or under a waterproof shell jacket.

BUDGET OPTION: Mountain Hardwear Ghost Jacket

Socks & Underwear

I generally pack 3 pairs of socks on my backpacking trips. Two pairs to alternate for hiking (so my feet are always dry) and some thick wool socks for sleeping. One spare set of underwear.

Darn Tough Socks – My favorite brand of hiking socks. As the name implies, they last a long time!

SAXX Boxer Briefs – Expensive, but sooooo comfortable. Quick drying very breathable. I also use them for travel.

Backpacking Outerwear

These are the outer layers that protect you from nature’s wrath — the wind, rain, and snow. You should always pack some sort of rain gear on any backpacking adventure.

Waterproof Shell Jacket

Arc’teryx Zeta SL Jacket – Super lightweight waterproof and packable rain shell for hiking.

BUDGET OPTION: Mountain Hardwear Ozonic Jacket

Waterproof Shell Pants

Arc’teryx Zeta SL Pant – Super lightweight waterproof and packable rain pants for hiking.

BUDGET OPTION: Mountain Hardwear Ozonic Pants

Warm Gloves & Hat

Obviously this is going to depend on the season, but I usually bring something to keep my head and hands warm just in case the weather turns bad, or it’s colder than expected at night.

Smartwool Sport 150 Hat – Lightweight merino-wool hat to help keep my ears and head warm when it gets cold or windy.

Arc’teryx Rivet Gloves – Thin but wind-resistant gloves that are comfortable for accessing the controls on my camera.

Hiking Shoes Or Boots

There is an ongoing discussion in the backpacking world about the benefits of using hiking shoes over heavy hiking boots. I own a pair of each, and use them for different situations.

La Sportiva Akyra – Lightweight mountain running shoes that I use for most day hikes and shorter backpacking trips.

Scarpa SL Active Boot – My heavy-duty backpacking boots, that I break out for long-distance trekking in more extreme environments.

Scarpa Mont Blanc Pro – Insulated winter mountaineering boots for hiking on snow & ice with crampons.

Backpacking Food

Here’s the deal. I’m not a backpacker gormet cook like some people are. Food is just fuel to me. So I keep my diet simple and fast to prepare.

Trail Mix & Snacks

Usually bags of trail mix (nutes, dired fruit, etc) and some energy bars. I prefer Lara Bars and Clif Protein Bars. These act as both snacks and my lunch. Maybe some Sour Patch Kids or chocolate as an extra treat.

Dinner: Dehydrated Food

Good-To-Go Backpacker Meals – Tasty dehydrated bags of food that just need some hot water to prepare. You can eat right out of the bag too!

Breakfast: Instant Oatmeal

Quaker Protein Oatmeal – Instant oatmeal packets with some extra protein in different flavors. I usually add some dried berries too.

Coffee!

Starbucks Via Instant Coffee – I’ll be the first to tell you I’m not a big Starbucks fan in person. But their instant coffee packets are pretty damn good.

Bear Proof Container

Ursack Major Bear Bag – Easier to pack than a hard-sided container, this Kevlar bag keeps bears and rodents out of your food.

Personal Hygiene Items

Wilderness Wash – Biodegradable soap that’s safe for the environment.

Quick-Dry Towel –

Bamboo Toothbrush – Cut it in half for a travel-sized (and environmentally friendly) version.

Shaving Kit!

Ok, this isn’t a backpacking essential. But a simple shaving kit is part of my own personal hygiene routine. So I thought I’d include it for entertainment value!

I pack a razor, small tube of environmentally friendly shaving cream, and a camp mirror. Generally shaving my head and face every 2-3 days during a trip.

Pooping Kit

Everybody poops. But there’s a particular way to poop in the backcountry that minimizes your impact on nature in the spirit of Leave No Trace principles.

The Deuce Potty Trowel – Lightweight aluminum backpacking trowel for digging a “cat hole” to do your business.

Toilet Paper – Self-explanatory. You probably don’t need a full roll. Take out the cardboard center core to minimize weight and make it easier to pack.

Biodegradable Wet Wipes – For a fresh & clean finish!

Hand Sanitizer – To get rid of any left-over germs.

ZipLock Freezer Bag – To safely store & pack out all your used paper products…

The 10 Backpacking Essentials

These are the 10 most essential items to take with you on any backpacking adventure. From long-distance trekking to simple day hikes. They will help you survive in the wilderness during normal conditions or in an emergency situation.

1. Navigation

Getting lost in the wilderness can turn dangerous quickly. Knowing where you are, and where you need to go, is an essential part of safe backpacking.

Paper Map & Compass – Old school, but the most reliable (as long as you know how to use them).

Gaia GPS App – Amazing iPhone and Android GPS hiking trail app that works offline, even if you don’t have cell service.

Garmin InReach Mini – Personal locator beacon (PLB) and/or satellite communicator device. Alert authorities in an emergency, plus send & receive text messages via satellite.

2. Headlamp

Always pack a light to find your way back down the trail after an epic summit sunset! Or overnight camping trips. Plus a set of spare batteries.

Black Diamond Storm – Powerful, lightweight, and waterproof headlamp that has a great locking feature so it won’t turn on inside your bag.

3. Sun Protection

Many people underestimate the power of the sun, and a bad sunburn or sun-blindness can quickly ruin a great trip. I always pack a combination of wilderness-friendly sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, and a lightweight Buff.

4. First Aid Kit

Some kind of first aid kit is a must on any outdoor adventure. You can buy a pre-made one like the one below, or create your own custom kit, which is what I do.

Adventure Medical Kits 7 – Covers all the basics. Bandages, pills, tweezers, blister care, etc.

5. Water & Filtration System

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Always research how much water you need to bring on a hike to stay properly hydrated, and bring a water purification system too. There are many ways to do this, my setup for long-distance hiking is:

Nalgene 32oz Bottle – I still prefer a wide-mouth Nalgene bottle so I can add re-hydration salt packets to it.

Sawyer Mini Water Filter – Tiny water filter. With the included straw, I can drink dirty water out of my Nalgene, or attach directly to a water bag (below).

Evernew Hydration Bags – Lightweight and fold-able water bladders that screw into the Sawyer Mini, plus they can stand on their own.

Aquatabs – Emergency backup water purification system.

6. Sharp Knife

A key piece of survival equipment for hiking & backpacking trips. My favorite wilderness knife is the Enzo Trapper, but you’ll also get along fine with something less fancy like a Swiss Army pocket knife.

7. Fire Kit

To help you cook food, boil water, and stay warm in an emergency situation. You don’t need to go crazy. I usually bring a pair of Bic Lighters, some cottonballs in a tiny ziplock bag for tinder, and a few water/wind-proof matches.

8. Emergency Shelter

If you’re on an overnight backpacking trip, you’ll already have a tent as I mentioned earlier. But I also recommend bringing an emergency shelter (tent blows away, burns down, etc). It’s also wise to pack a shelter on long day hikes, in case you get injured or lost and need to spend the night.

SOL Emergency Bivy Bag – This heat reflective and breathable bivy bag will keep you warm in an emergency.

9. Extra Food

Always bring at least an extra half-day’s worth of food with you on day hikes, and a full extra day’s worth of food on longer multi-day backpacking trips for unexpected situations.

10. Extra Clothing

Pack a few warm layers (thermal underwear, extra socks, hat, gloves, etc.) to help you stay warm & dry if the weather turns bad, you fall into a river, or have to spend an unexpected night in the wilderness.

My Favorite Luxury Items

While you could pack ultra-light and reduce all unnecessary luxuries from your backpacking gear checklist, sometimes a little extra weight is worth the comfort. Here are my personal favorite hiking & camping extras!

Trekology Inflatable Pillow – I’ve tried many backpacking pillows over the years, this has the best combination of comfort mixed with lightweight pack-ability. It really improved my sleep quality!

Black Diamond Trekking Poles – Trust me on this one. Your knees will thank you. Especially on steep descents — and if you’re over 30 years old…

Anker Portable Battery – For recharging my iPhone, GoPro, or satelite beacon. Small but powerful. Recharges a phone up to 3 times.

LuminAide Packlite – Lightweight inflatable solar lantern for lighting up your tent or campsite area. Nice backup light to a headlamp.

Earplugs – They weigh nothing, and are very helpful if you want to sleep through thunderstorms, owls, insects, bears walking around your tent, snoring friends, and other nature sounds that are louder than expected.

Repair Kit – Miscellaneous repair gear with 50 feet of paracord, sleeping pad puncture kit, Tenacious Tape, safety pins, zip-ties, sewing kit, etc.

OR Hiking Gaiters – For those especially wet, muddy, snowy, or rough backpacking trips. Helps keep your feet and pants dry and protected.

Camp Shoes/Sandals – Something lightweight and comfortable to wear when you’re done hiking for the day. Can also be used for river crossings.

Backpacking With Camera Gear

How to Pack Camera Gear

Ok, what about hiking with camera gear? I could probably write a whole article about this subject too. For a photography-heavy day hike, I usually bring my LowePro Whistler 350 Camera Backpack.

On longer multi-day backpacking or trekking adventures, I tend to bring much less gear, and attach a simple LowePro Toploader Pro Bag to the front of my shoulder straps.

I might also use a Peak Design Camera Clip and a Peak Design Rain Cover, if I want to travel super light in regards to camera equipment.

You can check out all my photography equipment here.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Backpacking Checklist

If you’d like a simple, one-page backpacking checklist that you can print out to help plan future trips, you can download it for free below. Enjoy!

DOWNLOAD YOUR CHECKLIST NOW →

Enjoy This Post? Pin It!

READ MORE BACKPACKING STORIES

I hope you enjoyed my backpacking checklist & gear guide! Hopefully you found it useful. Here are a few more wanderlust-inducing articles that I recommend you read next:

Hiking Italy’s Tre Cime di Lavaredo

Climbing Ireland’s Highest Mountain

Kerlingarfjöll Geothermal Area In Iceland

Backpacking Through Afghanistan

Trekking Greenland’s Arctic Circle Trail

Have any questions about backpacking gear or packing for a trek? Any other suggestions? Let me know in the comments below!

This is a post from The Expert Vagabond adventure blog.

from Tips For Traveling https://expertvagabond.com/backpacking-gear-checklist/

[cellerityweb]

“Escape from Tarkov – Live, Loot, Die, Repeat”

“Escape from Tarkov” is a dream come true for hardcore gamers, gun fanatics and fans of ultra-realistic survival shooters. The title, developed by Battlestate Games, entered Closed Beta not too long ago – the perfect occasion to talk to Battlestate’s Project Lead and COO Nikita Buyanov about the game, its monetization models, future content plans and balancing.

Hi Nikita, thanks s o much for joining us. “Escape from Tarkov” made it into Open Beta, it’s constantly growing and it looks better every day. How is the overall resonance so far?

The game really is on the rise, and somehow it gets discovered – and appreciated – by large groups of players, streamers and their followers, sometimes even new countries. Escape from Tarkov tends to create some sort local “popularity explosions”, despite the fact that there is still much to do and the game is not yet in Open Beta.

To my understanding, during Alpha people had to buy the “Edge of Darkness” edition for $110 edition to get an invite. As for Beta, the size doesn’t matter in terms of getting access, meaning all players, even those deciding to only buy the starter edition, get in. So far, which of the four different packages sold best?

  “Edge of Darkness” still sells the best. We have a great community and we believe that since we’re in the Early Access stage, people really want to support us in the best way possible – in this case by getting the topmost set. Needless to say, that all the content that is offered in it, also facilitates a deeper and quicker dive into the game through trying out all the things that are available from the start.

Will these different editions also be available after release?

The “Edge of Darkness” edition is, most likely, to be removed on release, or replaced by another set, but we still haven’t reached any ultimate decision on this.

Looking at the these packages, the content clearly differs a lot and keeping in mind that you lose your loot after dying, having an arsenal of different guns and fully loaded clips seems (!) like a clear advantage. I have to ask, because to gamers this is or at least will obviously be an issue: Aren’t you afraid that these packages feel like they’re “Pay 2 Win”?

Hah, no way. Everything that these packages include, can be quite easily lost – and looted by some other player. And what can’t be lost – like stash size, for instance – will also be attainable in the game by any other player. It may seem like Pay2Win, but only until you go into the raid. There you feel absolutely vulnerable, no matter how well equipped you are, sometimes even more so, as you’ve actually got way more to lose.

How did you decide what to put into each of these editions?

In most cases, we just put in content that we already had in the game. As soon as new items appeared – should we have considered them useful – we put them in as well. Also, we always took our players’ reasonable requests into consideration.

There’s always two sides of gamers: those who condemn these different editions and those who defend them, saying it might seem like an advantage, but in the end you can lose all the high-class stuff just as easy as everything else and once it’s gone, it’s gone. Which of these two sides is currently trending?

There was a number of such concerns early in the development, but, as more players joined and played the game, the opinion I see in chats and on forums became almost unanimous. Whatever player has at start, can be lost in just a few raids, depending on skill and luck, giving no advantage at all.

“Escape from Tarkov” is super-detailed and highly focusses on realism – gameplay- and visuals-wise.

Way more players actually seemed to complain about the differing stash sizes that come with these editions, or perks like reputation for certain merchants and them being way more of an advantage. Are there any plans to adjust these editions’ contents in the long run?

No, there are no such plans. After all, sets have to be different and provide certain advantage – not an unbeatable pay2win advantage, but still, more versatile options for novices. Otherwise, we would have only created one package. Everything – including stash size – can be achieved by playing. Reputation can already be earned by performing quests. Everything that packages contain is within grasp – literally, without many hours of grind – if there is enough skill to grasp it.

What sort of a challenge is balancing a game like Escape from Tarkov, which obviously puts a lot of focus on player skill? And how does offering these editions with their differing contents make this process more difficult (or maybe easier)?

There are many things that can be balanced about Escape from Tarkov, but they all depend on one cornerstone aspect: the balance between realism and playability, which is indeed a challenge to maintain. At first, we aim to make every feature of the game as realistic as possible, but if we understand, that in its realistic form it’s unplayable, we take the necessary steps to make it easier. This approach has, so far, paid off – we have next to nothing to balance in terms of combat. Players adjust their own skills, equipment, weapons and tactics for themselves. We just try to give them as many opportunities as possible and let them adapt and balance themselves, that’s our concept.

“No plan B, no microtransactions, only good old buy to play!”

What’s your plan on financing the game in the long run? Considering that the “Edge of Darkness” edition offers a season pass, will there be regular DLC? What exactly can people expect from a DLC and how much will it cost? Also: how about microtransactions and if so, in what shape? Weapon skins, uniforms, avatars maybe – the usual cosmetic stuff?

Yes, there will be several DLCs per year, and, of course, they will cost significantly less than the original game. As for what they will include… the current plan is not yet final, so I won’t make any promises. But one thing is certain – there will be no microtransactions whatsoever, not even cosmetic ones

Is “Free 2 Play” completely off the table or may it be a viable plan B, should your initial marketing plans fail?

Completely. No plan B, no microtransactions, only good old buy to play. Failure is not an option. Moreover, there are no conditions to indicate it – the current trend says we’re going in the right direction, so we’ll just stick to the plan.

They game feels great and already did so quite a lot of months ago. The attention to detail you guys put in the game is enormous, especially when it comes to the guns as well as gun handling. However, what – in your opinion – is Escape from Tarkov’s biggest edge towards competitors like “Player Unknown’s Battlegorunds”, “H1Z1” or “DayZ”?

It may come as a surprise, but we don’t view these projects as our competitors. PUBG is totally different in gameplay and concept, and, at the moment, very simplistic, with very little to boast in terms of hardcore realism. The same can be said about H1Z1, which is, however, even more simplified and less realistic. DayZ is the closest, but not close enough, it just feels completely different. Right now I can’t think of something to compare EfT to – and that’s fine with us. We’ll stay true to our concept of hardcore realism in everything, and we see no point in trying to tag along some other projects’ success. We like what we’re doing now, we’re good at it, and, most importantly, our players like it too.

“Going it alone without a Safety VALVE”: Why did you decide to do all the pre-orders via your own web site, and what sort of e-commerce tools did you use to put it all together.

Well, that way we’re not giving a cut to Valve, that’s probably the main reason. Moreover, from the start we had an idea of creating our own distribution platform that would fit our own needs and make us independent from any other third-party requirements. Essentially, we managed to do it – we are using a well-known payment system, but everything else was written from the scratch, and we see it as a big advantage that gives us independence.

Thank you very much for the insights, we wish you all the best for Escape from Tarkov!

The post “Escape from Tarkov – Live, Loot, Die, Repeat” appeared first on Making Games.

“Escape from Tarkov – Live, Loot, Die, Repeat” published first on http://ift.tt/2uBXet3

[robertkstone]

Business and Pleasure for Our Four Seasons 2017 BMW M2

GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan — It wasn’t quite the way I expected to take delivery of the Automobile Four Seasons 2017 BMW M2. As Road Test Editor Eric Wiener noted in the last update, the German two-door made the trip to me from Gingerman Raceway via BMW roadside assistance and a flatbed. All’s well that ends well, though, and the Long Beach Blue Metallic coupe is now happily running on a fresh Michelin Pilot Super Sport rear tire. Well, that rubber isn’t exactly fresh now, as I’ve been having far too much fun with BMW’s cheapest M car.

Not that cheapest should remotely be considering a negative. The M2 continues to be my favorite current M model. It’s also an Automobile Magazine 2017 All Star. I’ve spent significant time behind the wheel of a manual M2, but this is my first stint with the dual-clutch (DCT) version. Being a hardcore fan of three pedals, I assumed I wouldn’t jive with the high-tech setup. Well, you know what they say about assumptions.

The DCT works brilliantly with the torque-rich engine, swapping ratios quickly and adding even more pace to the evocative package. I love that BMW gives you the choice to shift via paddles or the gearbox selector in the center console. I’d still buy the six-speed manual because that’s who I am, but I honestly feel the M2 is a better car with the seven-speed DCT. The M2’s inline 6 makes gobs of power but it’s not the most exciting engine around. It’s more of a tool to get the job done than an emotional, visceral powerplant—focused on the destination rather than the journey. Luckily, the destination is impressive performance.

Speaking of journeys, I pressed the M2 into family adventure duties and it worked surprisingly well. You’d think a smallish coupe wouldn’t be practical but that’s certainly not the case. The seats are mega-comfortable with plenty of adjustment, only let down by a flawed, crooked driving position. My 10- and 12-year old children had plenty of room in back and the trunk fit all our stuff. Access to those rear seats is quick and easy, helped by handy auxiliary power seat switches on the top of the front seats. And the back seats fold, helping with Saturday errands to Home Depot and Bed, Bath & Beyond for flooring and the like. Blue, you’re my boy!

Ride quality is quite good considering the short wheelbase and overall performance on offer, and body control is exemplary. Yes, the M2 is stiff at low speeds, a substantial amount of road noise from the wide tires permeates into the cabin, and the suspension gets crashy on Michigan’s horrible roads, but it’s by no means horrible. The BMW is far more compliant and refined than my old Ford Focus RS.

The iDrive infotainment system adds to the M2’s trusty-companion status on road trips. Efficient arrival at your destination is sorted by the clear, concise satellite navigation and excellent 4G cellular-based traffic data—free for four years. The large dash-mounted screen advises on the amount of time any traffic snarls will delay your journey and then makes recommendations to either stay on the current road or change your route. Very slick.

Additionally, there’s wireless smartphone app integration for music options such as Pandora and Amazon Music. Our early-build 2017 M2 isn’t compatible with BMW’s impressive wireless Apple CarPlay integration, but cars built from August 2017 can be factory equipped (or upgraded by owners over-the-air).

I do wish the M2 carried a larger fuel tank as 13.7 gallons simply isn’t enough. An 80-mph highway cruise results in around a 26-mpg average, allowing you to travel around 325 miles before stopping, but it’s around town where the thirst of the powerful turbocharged engine finds you visiting the fuel station far too often. This isn’t helped by the fact that the M2 is so much fun to thrash.

But any adolescent thrashing must wait until you get your head around the confusing drive modes. BMW’s M3/M4 carry dedicated buttons for adjusting the steering, throttle, DCT shift speed, etc. You’re then able to easily store your preferred setup in one of two preset buttons on the steering wheel. Not so with the M2. Its setup is adapted from the 230i/M240i and is not as intuitive.

If you turn off stability control (DSC), you’re forced into an ultra-aggressive DCT shift setup and, far worse, the electric power steering switches to an artificially heavy configuration. It’s a similar situation with the more laidback—but not nearly relaxed enough—MDM (M Dynamic Mode) setting for the DSC. Come on, BMW. You’ve given us one of your best M cars in years yet we can’t properly configure the settings to enjoy the car to the full potential.

The lack of configurability was particularly frustrating when I visited Grattan Raceway. My focus for the day was to test and work on the chassis setup for two dedicated race cars and an M4 GTS, but I had to at least try the M2 around the 2.0-mile track. Wouldn’t you? The BMW was great fun, but the overly-nanny MDM continued to frustrate and I quickly fully disengaged the DSC. Unfortunately, that brought along the diluted, hefty steering.

At least the general balance of the M2 was impressive and it’s huge fun to smoke the rear tires. You just must mind the way the twin-scroll turbo hits in the low-speed corners as throttle modulation while trying to maximize lap times—versus drifting fun—isn’t particularly easy. Again, the engine is more about making power than being a crescendoing sweetheart. The weight of the M2 also reared its ugly head Grattan. A car this small simply shouldn’t weigh over 3,500 pounds.

My drive home from the track reminded me why the M2 is still a hugely entertaining car. Once you get past the niggling details and understand that the entry-level M is all about hooligan fun, you fully appreciate it once again. It’s wicked fast, comfortable, decent on fuel when respected, and surprisingly practical. The rear-drive coupe is something of a nearly half price Porsche 911. It can play the role of a selfish, fun toy but also easily serves as both a trusty day-to-day companion and a 2nd family vehicle. And the BMW trumps the rear-engined 2+2 by having more room for bigger kids—and even adults—in the back seat.

The next stop for our Four Seasons M2 is California, where it will live out its days until BMW steals it back. I picture the west coast crew of Automobile Magazine kicking and screaming as the keys are pried from their hands at the end of the one-year stay. I’m sure sad to see the M2 leave Michigan.

Our 2017 BMW M2

MILES TO DATE TK PRICE $57,545 ENGINE 3.0L DOHC turbocharged 24-valve I-6/365 hp @ 6,500 rpm, 343 lb-ft @ 1,400-5,560 rpm TRANSMISSION 7-speed dual-clutch automatic LAYOUT 2-door, 4-passenger, front-engine, RWD coupe EPA MILEAGE 20/26 mpg (city/hwy) L x W x H 176.2 x 73.0 x 55.5 in WHEELBASE 106.0 in WEIGHT 3,505 lb 0-60 MPH 4.2 sec TOP SPEED 155 mph

The post Business and Pleasure for Our Four Seasons 2017 BMW M2 appeared first on Automobile Magazine.

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Business and Pleasure for Our Four Seasons 2017 BMW M2

GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan — It wasn’t quite the way I expected to take delivery of the Automobile Four Seasons 2017 BMW M2. As Road Test Editor Eric Wiener noted in the last update, the German two-door made the trip to me from Gingerman Raceway via BMW roadside assistance and a flatbed. All’s well that ends well, though, and the Long Beach Blue Metallic coupe is now happily running on a fresh Michelin Pilot Super Sport rear tire. Well, that rubber isn’t exactly fresh now, as I’ve been having far too much fun with BMW’s cheapest M car.

Not that cheapest should remotely be considering a negative. The M2 continues to be my favorite current M model. It’s also an Automobile Magazine 2017 All Star. I’ve spent significant time behind the wheel of a manual M2, but this is my first stint with the dual-clutch (DCT) version. Being a hardcore fan of three pedals, I assumed I wouldn’t jive with the high-tech setup. Well, you know what they say about assumptions.

The DCT works brilliantly with the torque-rich engine, swapping ratios quickly and adding even more pace to the evocative package. I love that BMW gives you the choice to shift via paddles or the gearbox selector in the center console. I’d still buy the six-speed manual because that’s who I am, but I honestly feel the M2 is a better car with the seven-speed DCT. The M2’s inline 6 makes gobs of power but it’s not the most exciting engine around. It’s more of a tool to get the job done than an emotional, visceral powerplant—focused on the destination rather than the journey. Luckily, the destination is impressive performance.

Speaking of journeys, I pressed the M2 into family adventure duties and it worked surprisingly well. You’d think a smallish coupe wouldn’t be practical but that’s certainly not the case. The seats are mega-comfortable with plenty of adjustment, only let down by a flawed, crooked driving position. My 10- and 12-year old children had plenty of room in back and the trunk fit all our stuff. Access to those rear seats is quick and easy, helped by handy auxiliary power seat switches on the top of the front seats. And the back seats fold, helping with Saturday errands to Home Depot and Bed, Bath & Beyond for flooring and the like. Blue, you’re my boy!

Ride quality is quite good considering the short wheelbase and overall performance on offer, and body control is exemplary. Yes, the M2 is stiff at low speeds, a substantial amount of road noise from the wide tires permeates into the cabin, and the suspension gets crashy on Michigan’s horrible roads, but it’s by no means horrible. The BMW is far more compliant and refined than my old Ford Focus RS.

The iDrive infotainment system adds to the M2’s trusty-companion status on road trips. Efficient arrival at your destination is sorted by the clear, concise satellite navigation and excellent 4G cellular-based traffic data—free for four years. The large dash-mounted screen advises on the amount of time any traffic snarls will delay your journey and then makes recommendations to either stay on the current road or change your route. Very slick.

Additionally, there’s wireless smartphone app integration for music options such as Pandora and Amazon Music. Our early-build 2017 M2 isn’t compatible with BMW’s impressive wireless Apple CarPlay integration, but cars built from August 2017 can be factory equipped (or upgraded by owners over-the-air).

I do wish the M2 carried a larger fuel tank as 13.7 gallons simply isn’t enough. An 80-mph highway cruise results in around a 26-mpg average, allowing you to travel around 325 miles before stopping, but it’s around town where the thirst of the powerful turbocharged engine finds you visiting the fuel station far too often. This isn’t helped by the fact that the M2 is so much fun to thrash.

But any adolescent thrashing must wait until you get your head around the confusing drive modes. BMW’s M3/M4 carry dedicated buttons for adjusting the steering, throttle, DCT shift speed, etc. You’re then able to easily store your preferred setup in one of two preset buttons on the steering wheel. Not so with the M2. Its setup is adapted from the 230i/M240i and is not as intuitive.

If you turn off stability control (DSC), you’re forced into an ultra-aggressive DCT shift setup and, far worse, the electric power steering switches to an artificially heavy configuration. It’s a similar situation with the more laidback—but not nearly relaxed enough—MDM (M Dynamic Mode) setting for the DSC. Come on, BMW. You’ve given us one of your best M cars in years yet we can’t properly configure the settings to enjoy the car to the full potential.

The lack of configurability was particularly frustrating when I visited Grattan Raceway. My focus for the day was to test and work on the chassis setup for two dedicated race cars and an M4 GTS, but I had to at least try the M2 around the 2.0-mile track. Wouldn’t you? The BMW was great fun, but the overly-nanny MDM continued to frustrate and I quickly fully disengaged the DSC. Unfortunately, that brought along the diluted, hefty steering.

At least the general balance of the M2 was impressive and it’s huge fun to smoke the rear tires. You just must mind the way the twin-scroll turbo hits in the low-speed corners as throttle modulation while trying to maximize lap times—versus drifting fun—isn’t particularly easy. Again, the engine is more about making power than being a crescendoing sweetheart. The weight of the M2 also reared its ugly head Grattan. A car this small simply shouldn’t weigh over 3,500 pounds.

My drive home from the track reminded me why the M2 is still a hugely entertaining car. Once you get past the niggling details and understand that the entry-level M is all about hooligan fun, you fully appreciate it once again. It’s wicked fast, comfortable, decent on fuel when respected, and surprisingly practical. The rear-drive coupe is something of a nearly half price Porsche 911. It can play the role of a selfish, fun toy but also easily serves as both a trusty day-to-day companion and a 2nd family vehicle. And the BMW trumps the rear-engined 2+2 by having more room for bigger kids—and even adults—in the back seat.

The next stop for our Four Seasons M2 is California, where it will live out its days until BMW steals it back. I picture the west coast crew of Automobile Magazine kicking and screaming as the keys are pried from their hands at the end of the one-year stay. I’m sure sad to see the M2 leave Michigan.

Our 2017 BMW M2

MILES TO DATE TK PRICE $57,545 ENGINE 3.0L DOHC turbocharged 24-valve I-6/365 hp @ 6,500 rpm, 343 lb-ft @ 1,400-5,560 rpm TRANSMISSION 7-speed dual-clutch automatic LAYOUT 2-door, 4-passenger, front-engine, RWD coupe EPA MILEAGE 20/26 mpg (city/hwy) L x W x H 176.2 x 73.0 x 55.5 in WHEELBASE 106.0 in WEIGHT 3,505 lb 0-60 MPH 4.2 sec TOP SPEED 155 mph

The post Business and Pleasure for Our Four Seasons 2017 BMW M2 appeared first on Automobile Magazine.

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Business and Pleasure for Our Four Seasons 2017 BMW M2

GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan — It wasn’t quite the way I expected to take delivery of the Automobile Four Seasons 2017 BMW M2. As Road Test Editor Eric Wiener noted in the last update, the German two-door made the trip to me from Gingerman Raceway via BMW roadside assistance and a flatbed. All’s well that ends well, though, and the Long Beach Blue Metallic coupe is now happily running on a fresh Michelin Pilot Super Sport rear tire. Well, that rubber isn’t exactly fresh now, as I’ve been having far too much fun with BMW’s cheapest M car.

Not that cheapest should remotely be considering a negative. The M2 continues to be my favorite current M model. It’s also an Automobile Magazine 2017 All Star. I’ve spent significant time behind the wheel of a manual M2, but this is my first stint with the dual-clutch (DCT) version. Being a hardcore fan of three pedals, I assumed I wouldn’t jive with the high-tech setup. Well, you know what they say about assumptions.

The DCT works brilliantly with the torque-rich engine, swapping ratios quickly and adding even more pace to the evocative package. I love that BMW gives you the choice to shift via paddles or the gearbox selector in the center console. I’d still buy the six-speed manual because that’s who I am, but I honestly feel the M2 is a better car with the seven-speed DCT. The M2’s inline 6 makes gobs of power but it’s not the most exciting engine around. It’s more of a tool to get the job done than an emotional, visceral powerplant—focused on the destination rather than the journey. Luckily, the destination is impressive performance.

Speaking of journeys, I pressed the M2 into family adventure duties and it worked surprisingly well. You’d think a smallish coupe wouldn’t be practical but that’s certainly not the case. The seats are mega-comfortable with plenty of adjustment, only let down by a flawed, crooked driving position. My 10- and 12-year old children had plenty of room in back and the trunk fit all our stuff. Access to those rear seats is quick and easy, helped by handy auxiliary power seat switches on the top of the front seats. And the back seats fold, helping with Saturday errands to Home Depot and Bed, Bath & Beyond for flooring and the like. Blue, you’re my boy!

Ride quality is quite good considering the short wheelbase and overall performance on offer, and body control is exemplary. Yes, the M2 is stiff at low speeds, a substantial amount of road noise from the wide tires permeates into the cabin, and the suspension gets crashy on Michigan’s horrible roads, but it’s by no means horrible. The BMW is far more compliant and refined than my old Ford Focus RS.

The iDrive infotainment system adds to the M2’s trusty-companion status on road trips. Efficient arrival at your destination is sorted by the clear, concise satellite navigation and excellent 4G cellular-based traffic data—free for four years. The large dash-mounted screen advises on the amount of time any traffic snarls will delay your journey and then makes recommendations to either stay on the current road or change your route. Very slick.

Additionally, there’s wireless smartphone app integration for music options such as Pandora and Amazon Music. Our early-build 2017 M2 isn’t compatible with BMW’s impressive wireless Apple CarPlay integration, but cars built from August 2017 can be factory equipped (or upgraded by owners over-the-air).

I do wish the M2 carried a larger fuel tank as 13.7 gallons simply isn’t enough. An 80-mph highway cruise results in around a 26-mpg average, allowing you to travel around 325 miles before stopping, but it’s around town where the thirst of the powerful turbocharged engine finds you visiting the fuel station far too often. This isn’t helped by the fact that the M2 is so much fun to thrash.

But any adolescent thrashing must wait until you get your head around the confusing drive modes. BMW’s M3/M4 carry dedicated buttons for adjusting the steering, throttle, DCT shift speed, etc. You’re then able to easily store your preferred setup in one of two preset buttons on the steering wheel. Not so with the M2. Its setup is adapted from the 230i/M240i and is not as intuitive.

If you turn off stability control (DSC), you’re forced into an ultra-aggressive DCT shift setup and, far worse, the electric power steering switches to an artificially heavy configuration. It’s a similar situation with the more laidback—but not nearly relaxed enough—MDM (M Dynamic Mode) setting for the DSC. Come on, BMW. You’ve given us one of your best M cars in years yet we can’t properly configure the settings to enjoy the car to the full potential.

The lack of configurability was particularly frustrating when I visited Grattan Raceway. My focus for the day was to test and work on the chassis setup for two dedicated race cars and an M4 GTS, but I had to at least try the M2 around the 2.0-mile track. Wouldn’t you? The BMW was great fun, but the overly-nanny MDM continued to frustrate and I quickly fully disengaged the DSC. Unfortunately, that brought along the diluted, hefty steering.

At least the general balance of the M2 was impressive and it’s huge fun to smoke the rear tires. You just must mind the way the twin-scroll turbo hits in the low-speed corners as throttle modulation while trying to maximize lap times—versus drifting fun—isn’t particularly easy. Again, the engine is more about making power than being a crescendoing sweetheart. The weight of the M2 also reared its ugly head Grattan. A car this small simply shouldn’t weigh over 3,500 pounds.

My drive home from the track reminded me why the M2 is still a hugely entertaining car. Once you get past the niggling details and understand that the entry-level M is all about hooligan fun, you fully appreciate it once again. It’s wicked fast, comfortable, decent on fuel when respected, and surprisingly practical. The rear-drive coupe is something of a nearly half price Porsche 911. It can play the role of a selfish, fun toy but also easily serves as both a trusty day-to-day companion and a 2nd family vehicle. And the BMW trumps the rear-engined 2+2 by having more room for bigger kids—and even adults—in the back seat.

The next stop for our Four Seasons M2 is California, where it will live out its days until BMW steals it back. I picture the west coast crew of Automobile Magazine kicking and screaming as the keys are pried from their hands at the end of the one-year stay. I’m sure sad to see the M2 leave Michigan.

Our 2017 BMW M2

MILES TO DATETKPRICE$57,545ENGINE3.0L DOHC turbocharged 24-valve I-6/365 hp @ 6,500 rpm, 343 lb-ft @ 1,400-5,560 rpmTRANSMISSION7-speed dual-clutch automaticLAYOUT2-door, 4-passenger, front-engine, RWD coupeEPA MILEAGE20/26 mpg (city/hwy)L x W x H176.2 x 73.0 x 55.5 inWHEELBASE106.0 inWEIGHT3,505 lb0-60 MPH4.2 secTOP SPEED155 mph

The post Business and Pleasure for Our Four Seasons 2017 BMW M2 appeared first on Automobile Magazine.

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