#starcraft 64

[n64retro]

Not enough minerals

StarCraft 64 (Mass Media, Blizzard, 2000)

[nintendumpster]

[n64thstreet]

Nintendo Power’s brooding guide to the second half of StarCraft 64.

[oldgamemags]

Magazine advert for 'Starcraft 64’ on the N64.

[p0ochy]

I’m not sure why StarCraft was ever ported to the N64, but here we are

[unityincorporated]

[seat-safety-switch]

Back in high school, we had this shop teacher. We used to call him Captain Bringdown, but his actual name was Mr. Bringdown. It's French or something, please stop interrupting. Anyway, Mr. Bringdown was one thing: a stickler for safety. He was also one other thing, which we'll get to in a second.

I would take his class every Tuesday, Thursday and on alternating Fridays at nine A.M. This is a pretty early hour for high schoolers, so you can understand that many of us were groggy from late-night sessions playing Starcraft 64 or Grain Alcohol. As a result, Mr. Bringdown always had a little safety lecture at the start of class, reminding us to keep our wits about us when we were working with the heavy equipment.

One lecture I remember very well, because it was his last. He came out from his little office onto the shop floor, stood by the master power switch, and said some magical words.

"Kids, when you're working for a living, don't do dangerous things to make the job go faster. The only person who benefits is your boss, and your boss is a shithead." Then he turned the machines on, walked out the rolled-up cargo bay door, and started a second-generation, banana-yellow Pontiac Firebird that had been parked askew on the outdoor basketball court. Its plastic nose was tweaked ever so slightly to the left, and I remember feeling a visceral thrill in my extremities when the small block fired up, shooting unburned fuel out of the side-exit x-pipe exhaust with a sharp little bark. He smoked one of the tires in a pegleg burnout for about fifteen seconds, and then he was gone.

His replacement, Mr. Gregory, the guidance counsellor, was nowhere near as vocally adamant about shop safety, but he also taught us a valuable lesson. If you're watching VHS tapes on the classroom TV instead of working, then you don't have to clean up Michael “Mikey” Kazantzakis's blood from the scroll saw for the third time this week.

[the-alfreton]

Video games in Destiny

A friend of mine on discord talked about Cayde-6 filling his vanguard terminal with old video games from the golden age. And while it was an awesome take it ignited this whole idea of old video games and ROMs and how they fit into the world of destiny.

Like, video games are a huge part of our culture, and (to me at least), are pieces of art, so it makes sense to assume that they would reach even greater heights during the golden age. And it’s not a stretch to believe that, post-collapse, Cryptarchs who specialise in recovering art from the lost ages of humanity would revere video games as well, and have whole troves of old ROMs of great games.

But it gets even better than that when you think about how this interacts with other races. We already know that the Cabal have a battlenet that they play games on to distract themselves before battle. Imagine the Cabal gaining a new respect for humanity as their dataminers find old war games like first person shooters and RTS games - while the legionaries enjoy shoot-em-ups, the Psions deeply enjoy the tactical edge of games like Starcraft, and often play multiple games at once with each other.

And then you have the Eliksni - given that their golden age was said to be even better than humanity’s, it’s not hard to imagine that they would have valued games - play is a universal thing, after all.

And then, post-whirlwind, you have Eliksni coming across old caches of human video games. And, given that we know that the Eliksni have a knack for technology and programming, it’s easy to imagine them figuring out how to make their own ROM hacks of these games which are then passed down from generation to generation.

But can you imagine this all culminating with humanity allying with the Cabal and Eliksni? Caiatl commenting to Zavala on humanity’s history of war games, and concluding that it was only natural that a race with such an affinity for combat that they turned it to sport would prove themselves equal to the Cabal.

House Light sheltering in the Botza district with their meagre possessions, including a few ROM hacks of old earth games. After the Vex attack, the Vanguard makes sure that at least one fireteam is patrolling the Eliksni quarter at all times. Which leads to a Hunter spotting a young Eliksni playing what looks suspiciously like Mario kart.

One thing leads to another and it turns out that the Eliskni have a whole trove of ROM-hacked old earth games that have deviated further and further from their source material until they’re their own thing. The Cryptarchs absolutely wet themselves as they recognise several ROMs previously thought lost to time in House Light’s stash and marvel at the intricacy of Eliksni code, and Mithrax is delighted to learn that Human and Eliskni culture has intertwined in yet another way and they have another connection between them.

It goes without saying that Eido has been playing these games since she was a hatchling and wipes the floor with everyone, Guardian or otherwise, foolish enough to challenge her to Ronaldinho Soccer 64.

[dailycharacteroption]

Conversion Corner: Star Fox Starships part 1

The Arwing

 Ever-expanding our horizons when it comes to conversion work, today we’re going to look at converting starships from a beloved video game franchise over to Starfinder, more specifically from the 3D starfighter games with an arcade-style mission layout and usually branching paths: Star Fox.

There’s a lot to love about Star Fox as a franchise, and also a lot to dislike, such as how the latest two major games in the series were one that took the branching paths too far and turned the game into a weird soap opera drama of convoluted relationships, and Star Fox Zero, another retelling of the original Star Fox story with different stages and fights, bogged down by an overly ambitious control and presentation scheme.

But we’re not here to cry about the franchise’s woes, we’re here to look at some of the more iconic starcraft in the franchise and apply them to the rules of Starfinder. No matter who or what anthropomorphic animals step up to the controls of these craft, we’ll see exactly what they have to offer.

First off, we’ll be looking at the most iconic vessel in the franchise: The Arwing.

The Space Dynamics Arwing was developed under exclusive contract with the Star Fox mercenary team, and is the very top-tier of small, single-pilot craft in the Lylat system, able to punch way higher than it’s weight class (especially if we consider that, if it’s length of 5 “space meters” is analogous to actual meters, the craft is actually smaller than the smallest average “tiny” sized Starfinder starships by about a meter and some change). It sports twin laser cannons, a tracking explosive weapon system (and the ability to fire tracking globes of plasma as well, but I think that would be a bit overpowered in Starfinder), as well as a compact but speedy engine, a G-Diffusor system that not only negates the effects of G-forces of flight even in atmosphere, but also helps power the shielding. It also possesses a pair of variable wings that are kept back during space travel, but can be opened fully to help maneuver while in atmosphere.

With the help of the standard Arwing, as well as it’s various upgraded and customized versions over the years, the Star Fox team has been something of a four-fighter armada supporting the Lylat system’s fleets against all manner of foes.

 Space Dynamics Arwing – Tier: 3

Tiny Interceptor Speed 8; Maneuverability Perfect (turn 0); Drift — AC 16; TL 16 HP 30; DT —; CT 6 Shields Basic 30 (front 8, port 7, starboard 7, aft 8) Attack (Forward) Light Plasma Cannon 2d12, High Explosive Missile Launcher 4d8 Power Core Pulse Brown (90 PCU) Drift Engine none Systems data net, horacalchum defensive countermeasures , mk 3 mononode computer, mk 4 armor, mk 4 defenses, siccatite armor, Training interface modules: (Primary fighting style (gunner), Deadly Aim, Mobility) Modifiers +3 to any one check, +2 Piloting, +4 Computers (sensors only); Complement 1

 Total BP: 92

 For this build, I wanted to emulate as much of the Arwing as I could. Sadly, the homing plasma ball of 64 and onward cannot be properly emulated since there are no tracking weapons in the game that are not limited fire. Also, it’s worth noting that I’m flavoring the plasma cannon as the fully upgraded twin lasers, since tiny starfighters can only have two front weapon mounts. Sadly, even in the tightest scale of starship combat, none of the explosive weapons cover a radius, so we have to make do with the high explosive missile launcher.

I chose having a data net based on the assumption that, just like in the games, a more science-oriented squadmate like Slippy Toad providing scanning details on enemy vessels, while the strong mononode computer is there to help shore up the skill checks of the minor crew actions that the pilot may need to take while focusing on shots or advanced piloting. The training interface modules assume that Fox has the ranged soldier build from the Pop Culture Builds I did of him a while back, and are a great way to spend build points to grant additional benefits that perfectly emulate the tendency of Arwings to be used to strike weak points for massive damage and avoid enemy strikes even up close. The horacalchum countermeasures and siccatite armor are meant to help further represent the elusive nature of the Arwing, as well as it’s ability to move freely in atmosphere with ease.

 The Arwing is an impressive beast on its own, easily top of the line for a one-man craft. Individual pilots have been shown to even improve upon the design, crafting a machine that works the best for them.

[n64retro]

Starcraft 64 (Mass Media, Blizzard, 2000) game review for the N64 in the Big N's official Australian magazine: Nintendo Magazine System, n. 89. August, 2000.

[nintendumpster]

[n64thstreet]

Double teaming the Overmind in StarCraft 64, by Blizzard.

[thegamercollective]

7 Best Star Wars Video Game Ideas

Star Wars! You know it, I know it. It’s pretty great, right? Whether it’s the attacking clones or the returning Jedi there’s something for everyone in the vast Star Wars universe. But when it comes to video games the property seems largely underserved; as we pass the halfway point of EA’s ten year deal with Disney the opportunity for big, exciting AAA Star Wars experiences feels squandered, with only a few mobile titles and two tepidly received Battlefront’s to show for it.

True, before the deal there were a number of excellent games from various developers like Knights Of The Old Republic and The Force Unleashed. But it would be great to see new titles with the same level of creativity with the technology and principles of the industry today. Twitch streaming equipment for beginners.

So without further ado, I present to you7 Best Star Wars Video Game Ideas!

7. Star Wars: Bounty Hunter Extraordinaire BEST STAR WARS GAME IDEAS

This is a bit of a safe one, but for good reason. Borrow the open-space jet-setting elements of No Man’s Sky, Star Citizen and Beyond Good and Evil 2 with an emphasis on tracking down and eliminating bounties like in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt or Assassin’s Creed and you’re in for one hell of a time! The original concept for Prey 2 was similar to this, with the player running around a Blade Runner-esque future city hunting down criminal aliens.

Of course, the concept of a specifically Star Wars Bounty Hunter game has been in development for a long, LONG time, what with the cancelled Star Wars 1313 back in the LucasArts days and what is currently in development at Visceral Games. Even if it isn’t the most original idea it’s still an exciting one with a bantha tank-load of potential. Pink gaming chair under 100.

6. Rome Total Star War BEST STAR WARS GAME IDEAS

The age of Real-Time Strategy games may have past its prime, but a handful of titles carry the torch for this corner of the galaxy. The Starcraft and Halo Wars franchises have elevated the genre from the days of Age Of Empires and – what do you know – past Star Wars RTS titles. Now would be the perfect time to return to that galaxy far, far away with a platoon of clones and a squadron of starfighters at your command.

This game could easily take cues from The Lord Of The Rings: Battle For Middle Earth RTS series, with the huge roster of hero characters swimming around the Star Wars canon. If this game lets me deploy Max Rebo to stun my enemies with the dolcet sounds of his red ball jett organ, it’s got my preorder. Corner gaming desk with lights.

5. Something something womp rats BEST STAR WARS GAME IDEAS

Imagine, if you will, a free roam survival game set on an iconic Star Wars planet, in which you must battle the elements and fierce creatures to provide for your community. That’s right, I’m talking about Meerkat Manor: Tatooine Edition.

Few games throw you in the body of a wild creature to do what wild creatures do. Star Wars is full of weird animals, so what better universe to pick from? I can already picture myself sneaking around profogg burrows as a lone womp rat hunting for unsuspecting prey, or migrating through a sandstorm with a family of babies clinging to my belly.

Not that it couldn’t be any other species; imagine hunting with a pack of ewoks or flying with a flock of porgs. You can’t tell me this isn’t something you’d play.

4. Knights Of The Old Republic, Again BEST STAR WARS GAME IDEAS

Okay, maybe not specifically The Old Republic era but I’d love to see another Force-focused RPG in the Star Wars galaxy. The KOTOR games are some of the best RPGs around offering you the chance to explore your inner Force user, be you a benevolent Jedi Master or a ruthless Sith Lord. This classic formula with updated visuals and mechanics would be a sight to behold, and, if done by OG KOTOR developers and RPG specialists Bioware, it could be a major upswing for the downtrodden studio.

Jedi abilities could also be expanded in a more modern way; instead of jogging down hallways traversal could easily take cues from the likes of Prototype or Infamous. Combat could also take some inspiration from the Batman: Arkham series and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, with combo-based saberplay mixed in with Force abilities and weapon items.

3. Galactic Podracing Championship BEST STAR WARS GAME IDEAS

Now THIS is podracing!

It might sound like a dumb idea, but imagine a deadly, high speed action racing game set on race tracks from all across the galaxy!

White knuckle chicanes through the ice caves of Hoth, glorious drifts along the beaches of Scarif, high octane dragging through the volcanic death traps of Mustafar or death-defying traffic dodging through the busy underworld of Coruscant. Throw in dynamic vehicle combat, environmental hazards and opportunities, forked paths and split-screen multiplayer and Disney would have themselves a grand prix winner.

Think of the possibilities! Be it Mario Kart arcade racing or Forza Horizon realism, this concept is nothing but supercharged, Force-injected, illegally energized podracer fuel ready to be shot straight through your visual sensors and into your brain!

Actually this game was made back in the Nintendo 64 days, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be reconceptualized for the modern gaming scene!

2. Mandalorian Warfighter BEST STAR WARS GAME IDEAS

For those of you who don’t regularly scour Wookieepedia, The Mandalorian Wars took place around 4000 years before A New Hope between the Galactic Republic and the warriors of Mandalor. The conflict had a significant impact upon the galaxy and has been directly referenced in both Star Wars Legends and official canon, so for it to feature in a new piece of Star Wars media isn’t completely out of the question.

Okay, history lesson over.

I would love to see this period tackled in the style of Ryse: Son of Rome, Brothers In Arms or Star Wars: Republic Commando, with a small squad of soldiers (either Mandalorian, Republic or Jedi) at your command. The added need to look after your men, making sure they’re fully stocked on weapons, ammunition and survival supplies, while helping them cope with the mental trauma of war (ala Darkest Dungeon) would add a much needed layer of emotional attachment. With brutal violence and decisions to make similar to those of Spec Ops: The Line I think this could be an extremely exciting title that would shed some canonical light on an era of Star Wars currently left to speculation.

1. For Honor, but Star Wars BEST STAR WARS GAME IDEAS

I think this one speaks for itself, but allow me to elaborate anyway.

The one big problem that I have with lightsaber combat in Star Wars games is that it never feels like you’re in as much control of your blade as a real Jedi. You’re either smashing an attack button to trigger pre-designed strikes and combos or prescribing a series of attacks from a list of abilities, just to watch them execute automatically. There’s so much room to elaborate on the various forms and styles of lightsaber combat with intuitive, malleable controls like those in Ubisoft’s For Honor.

Of course, I don’t just mean battle scenarios. A deep and interesting story about the Jedi and Sith with the significance of the lightsaber itself a thematic focus and some light RPG elements (character customization, a morality system and ability/lightsaber upgrades) would help tie the whole package together.

Imagine charging down a hillside battlefield as a powerful Sith Lord, lightsaber at the ready, when a Jedi Knight appears before you. As the battle rages on around you you analyse and deconstruct the enemy’s stance and form and change yours for to optimize your strategy. You hold your blade out, moving it to block the oncoming attacks waiting for the perfect time to strike. With bursts of lightning and other force abilities you bring your opponent to their knees and execute a brutal, glorious victory. In the words of Anakin Skywalker, “this is where the fun begins.”

[papafria]

Historia

Origen.

La historia de los videojuegos tiene su origen en la década de 1940 cuando, tras el fin de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, las potencias vencedoras construyeron los primeros ordenadores programables como ENIAC, de 1946. Los primeros intentos por implementar programas de carácter lúdico (inicialmente programas de ajedrez) no tardaron en aparecer, y se fueron repitiendo durante las siguientes décadas. Los primeros videojuegos modernos aparecieron en la década de los 60, y desde entonces el mundo de los videojuegos no ha dejado de crecer y desarrollarse con el único límite que le ha impuesto la creatividad de los desarrolladores y la evolución de la tecnología. En los últimos años, se asiste a una era de progreso tecnológico dominada por una industria que promueve un modelo de consumo rápido donde las nuevas superproducciones quedan obsoletas en pocos meses, pero donde a la vez un grupo de personas e instituciones —conscientes del papel que los programas pioneros, las compañías que definieron el mercado y los grandes visionarios tuvieron en el desarrollo de dicha industria— han iniciado el estudio formal de la historia de los videojuegos.

Los inicios.

Durante bastante tiempo ha sido complicado señalar cual fue el primer videojuego, principalmente debido a las múltiples definiciones de este que se han ido estableciendo, pero se puede considerar como primer videojuego el Nought and crosses, también llamado OXO, desarrollado por Alexander S.Douglas en 1952. El juego era una versión computerizada del tres en raya que se ejecutaba sobre la EDSAC y permitía enfrentar a un jugador humano contra la máquina.

En 1958 William Higginbotham creó, sirviéndose de un programa para el cálculo de trayectorias y un osciloscopio, Tennis for Two (tenis para dos): un simulador de tenis de mesa para entretenimiento de los visitantes de la exposición Brookhaven National Laboratory. Este videojuego fue el primero en permitir el juego entre dos jugadores humanos. Cuatro años más tarde Steve Russell, un estudiante del Instituto de Tecnología de Massachussets, dedicó seis meses a crear un juego para computadora usando gráficos vectoriales: Spacewar. En este juego, dos jugadores controlaban la dirección y la velocidad de dos naves espaciales que luchaban entre ellas. El videojuego funcionaba sobre un PDP-1 y fue el primero en tener un cierto éxito, aunque apenas fue conocido fuera del ámbito universitario.

En 1966 Ralph Baer empezó a desarrollar junto a Albert Maricon y Ted Dabney, un proyecto de videojuego llamado Fox and Hounds dando inicio al videojuego doméstico. Este proyecto evolucionaría hasta convertirse en la Magnavox Odyssey, el primer sistema doméstico de videojuegos lanzado en 1972 que se conectaba a la televisión y que permitía jugar a varios juegos pregrabados.

1970-1979: La eclosión de los videojuegos 📷Un hito importante en el inicio de los videojuegos tuvo lugar en 1971 cuando Nolan Bushnell comenzó a comercializar Computer Space, una versión de Space War, aunque otra versión recreativa de Space War como fue Galaxy War puede que se le adelantara a principios de los 70 en el campus de la universidad de Standford. La ascensión de los videojuegos llegó con la máquina recreativa Pong que es considerada la versión comercial del juego Tennis for Two de Higginbotham. El sistema fue diseñado por Al Alcom para Nolan Bushnell en la recién fundada Atari. El juego se presentó en 1972 y fue la piedra angular del videojuego como industria. Durante los años siguientes se implantaron numerosos avances técnicos en los videojuegos (destacando los microprocesadores y los chips de memoria). Aparecieron en los salones recreativos juegos como Space Invaders (Taito) o Asteroids (Atari).

1980-1989: La década de los 8 bits.

Los años 80 comenzaron con un fuerte crecimiento en el sector de los videojuegos alentado por la popularidad de los salones de máquinas recreativas y de las primeras videoconsolas aparecidas durante la década de los 70. Durante estos años destacan sistemas como Oddyssey 2 (Phillips), Intellivision (Mattel), Colecovision (Coleco), Atari 5200, Commodore 64, Turbografx (NEC). Por otro lado en las máquinas recreativas triunfaron juegos como el famoso Pacman (Namco), Battle Zone (Atari), Pole Position (Namco), Tron (Midway) o Zaxxon (Sega).

En 1985 apareció Super Mario Bros, que supuso un punto de inflexión en el desarrollo de los juegos electrónicos, ya que la mayoría de los juegos anteriores sólo contenían unas pocas pantallas que se repetían en un bucle y el objetivo simplemente era hacer una alta puntuación. El juego desarrollado por Nintendo supuso un estallido de creatividad. Por primera vez teníamos un objetivo y un final en un videojuego. En los años posteriores otras compañías emularon su estilo de juego.

1990-1999: La revolución de las 3D.

A principios de los años 90 las videoconsolas dieron un importante salto técnico gracias a la competición de la llamada "generación de 16 bits" compuesta por la Mega Drive, la Super Nintendo Entertainmet de Nintendo, la PC Engine de NEC, conocida como Turbografx en occidente y la CPS Changer de (Capcom). Junto a ellas también apareció la Neo Geo (SNK) una consola que igualaba las prestaciones técnicas de un arcade pero demasiado cara para llegar de forma masiva a los hogares.

Mientras tanto diversas compañías habían comenzado a trabajar en videojuegos con entornos tridimensionales, principalmente en el campo de los PC, obteniendo diferentes resultados desde las “2D y media” de Doom, 3D completas de 4D Boxing a las 3D sobre entornos pre-renderizados de Alone in Dark. Referente a las ya antiguas consolas de 16 bits, su mayor y último logro se produciría por el SNES mediante la tecnología 3-D de pre-renderizados de SGI, siendo su máxima expresión juegos como Donkey Kong Country y Killer Instinct. También surgió el primero juego poligonal en consola, la competencia de la SNES, Mega-Drive, lanzó el Virtual Racing, que tuvo un gran éxito ya que marcó un antes y un después en los juegos 3D en consola. Rápidamente los videojuegos en 3D fueron ocupando un importante lugar en el mercado, principalmente gracias a la llamada "generación de 32 bits" en las videoconsolas: Sony PlayStation y Sega Saturn (principalmente en Japón); y la “generación de 64 bits” en las videoconsolas: Nintendo 64 y Atari jaguar. En cuanto a los ordenadores, se crearon las aceleradoras 3D.

En PC eran muy populares los FPS  (juegos de acción en primera persona) como Quake (id Softare), Unreal (Epic Megagames) o Half-Life (Valve), y los RTS (juegos de estrategia en tiempo real) como Command & Conquer (Westwood) o Starcraft (Blizzard). Además, conexiones entre ordenadores mediante internet facilitaron el juego multijugador, convirtiéndolo en la opción predilecta de muchos jugadores, y fueron las responsables del nacimiento de los MMORPG (juegos de rol multijugador online) como Ultima Online (Origin). Finalmente en 1998 apareció en Japón la Dreamcast (Sega) y daría comienzo a la “generación de los 128 bits”.

Desde el 2000: El comienzo del nuevo siglo.

En el 2000 Sony lanzó la anticipada PlayStation 2 y Sega lanzó otra consola con las mismas características técnicas de la Dreamcast, nada más que venia con un monitor de 14 pulgadas, un teclado, altavoces y los mismos mandos llamados Dreamcast Drivers 2000 Series CX-1. Microsoft entra en la industria de las consolas creando la Xbox en 2001. Nintendo lanzó el sucesor de la Nintendo 64, la Gamecube, y la primera Game Boy completamente nueva desde la creación de la compañía, la Game Boy Advance. Sega viendo que no podría competir, especialmente con una nueva máquina como la de Sony, anunció que ya no produciría hardware, convirtiéndose sólo en desarrolladora de software en 2002. El ordenador personal PC es la plataforma más cara de juegos pero también la que permite mayor flexibilidad. Esta flexibilidad proviene del hecho de poder añadir al ordenador componentes que se pueden mejorar constantemente, como son tarjetas gráficas o de sonido y accesorios como volantes, pedales y mandos, etc. Además es posible actualizar los juegos con parches oficiales o con nuevos añadidos realizados por la compañía que creó el juego o por otros usuarios.

[breadknight-likes-things]

Game Journal 03/30/2020: The Chevy Nova (Prospekt)

Nova Prospekt is a ridiculously grim place, yet somehow it’s probably the most pure fun to be had in Half Life 2.  From the start of the game you hear rumblings of the horrible prison people are sent to and never return from.  It’s even originally where you yourself are scheduled to be shipped out to, before Barney intervenes, and it’s not until you make your way there, just about halfway through the game, that you understand why.  It’s an awful place, half old soviet prison, half oppressive Combine monolith (That somehow seems to almost be actively moving and overtaking the old prison sections?), and all bad news.  You can see all the awful things that come out Nova Prospekt as you make your way through, mutilated Combine soldiers, dead bodies strapped to interrogation chairs and disused rows of cells, because it’s clear nobody here is actually being held in prison for long, and when people do come out....well, to call them human would be generous. All that awful information being said, what makes this section of the game so incredible, is that you’re tearing it all down!  Not alone either, right before you make it to the prison complex you’re given Antlion “Pheropods” that cause any nearby Antlions (the bug like creatures who live in the sand) to both follow you, and defend you as if you were their king (Their actual king, you have to fight to get said Pheropods lol).  You can use these pods to set up incredible feeling battles between you and the Combine, that leave their formidable defenses quickly overwhelmed by the swarm of creatures that never stop coming until all the enemies before you are routed.  The encounter design inside Nova Prospekt loves to encourage this, with ambushes around most corners and the vast majority of the enemies dug into spots that would give them an infallible position against one person, but not dozens of angry bug creatures.  It reminds me a lot of the way you would play as the Zerg in Starcraft, hanging back and using your cheap and fast units to whittle down your enemies through sheer attrition. It quickly becomes an absurd, almost lighthearted, section when  the immense advantage you hold becomes clear, and in the end it winds up being one of the strongest moments in a game made up entirely of strong moments.

GO MY ZERGL-I mean uh, Antlions?  Look Valve was thinking of Zerglings when they made this, prove me wrong.

Believe it or not, the combat scenarios somehow actually get more intense in the next section of the game, the revolution in City 17.  You may not get your bug friends to help you out then, but it’s a lot of fun nonetheless.  I’ll expand on that section tomorrow, but just know: The Combine’s prospekts on earth are starting to look more and more grim from this point of the game on.

Random Screenshot Of The Day:

The way Combine architecture seems to sort of creep along, as if it’s crushing and replacing the existing buildings currently in use, is really interesting in a way I wish the game maybe explored a little bit more!

Stray Game Notes:

- Y’all see that crazy ass “Mario All Stars 2″ rumor? Mario 64, Mario Sunshine and both Galaxy games?  Just take my $60 already Nintendo, damn.

- Resident Evil 3′s reviews hit today!  Reaction seems to be a bit all over the place but I’m still gonna get it.  Helps that one of the major flaws people keep citing is the fact it’s more action based?  Which is sort of what I wanted after RE2make?  Plus if I didn’t get it, how am I gonna rant at all y’all about it?

- Not game related, but my infinite cycle of re-watching “Are You Afraid Of The Dark” and “Goosebumps” over and over again has hit that beautifully corny ass Goosebumps again.  This show really never gets old, it’s just....so bizarre.  - Also I’m watching Galavant again, I absolutely beg you to watch that show if you never have, it’s only like 19 episodes even!  It’s a breezy watch a an absurd amount of musical fun!

[nanashiecks]

A gamer's dilemma (pt.1)

Ever since I've encountered Tetris ("brick game" as it's locally known), I've been enamoured with video games. It started with our FamiComs (we had two back in Novaliches), the NES, and a couple of years later, the Nintendo 64 from my cousin in the US.

But, of course, we were kids. Young, clumsy, and sometimes irresponsible. Both FamiComs, the NES, and the N64 broke, either by old age or actual damage. The latter after being plugged into the 220 outlet without the transformer.

At that same time was the golden age of the PlayStation (oh how I miss my Memory Card). I discovered Megaman X, Castlevania, and a couple of RPG titles that I played and replayed again and again. Gaming was the only comfort I have during the rough high school period I had. And I even had 800 pesos worth of gaming books and walkthroughs from my classmate (one that I never got to pay for). I even went to school late intentionally just to have 30 minutes of gameplay at the local game rental shops.

Then came college. It was then when I shifted from consoles to PC gaming. MMORPGs were on the rise. I still have the original game time cards for playing Ragnarok Online. I learned to play DoTA. MU Online, Grand Chase, GunBound, heck, even PangYa. I discovered gaming sites like MiniClip and Newgrounds. I discovered Diablo 2, re-discovered StarCraft and Red Alert 2. I learned about Fallout.

Then I graduated. The local internet cafes started having pirated copies of the newest games, and I tried them all. Sniper Elite, Civilization, Devil May Cry, Hitman. I craved for more titles, and I was willing to spend time and money just to play them.

I had no computer of my own. I had to get one. And I did; I got a 2nd-hand laptop that was able to run Devil May Cry 4, Assassin's Creed, and Prototype. It was not on-par with the standards of that time, but at least I have something to play on.

During my time working in Makati, I discovered Mineski, and the glorious realm of Steam and Battle.Net. It was there where I spent my spare time playing StarCraft 2, Diablo 3, and Fallout 4. Then one day, out of boredom, I decided to randomly play one of the games in Mineski's gallery. An innocent-looking icon of a lotus flower, accompanied by a totally unrelated game title, caught my eye.

"Warframe"

I. Was. Hooked.

Since then, Warframe has become my main gaming title. I was willing to abandon my D3 Wizard and my settlement in Fallout 4, just to shoot, slash, bullet jump, craft, and grind my way through the Origin System.

Thanks to the ongoing pandemic, I missed roughly two months worth of my paycheck. Despite of that, receiving all that money in one go enabled me to unlock a glorious achievement: acquiring a brand-new laptop. And not just any laptop...

IT CAN RUN WARFRAME!

Goodbye Mineski and TNC!

<- Intermission ->