#urban landspeeder

[swtechspecs]

SoroSuub Corporation Seraph-Class Urban Landspeeder ("Flash Speeder")

Source: The New Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels (Del Rey, 2003)

[sw5w]

Three Speeders Arrive

STAR WARS EPISODE I: The Phantom Menace 01:42:46

[goldenphoenixa1-001aaa001]

LIST OF STAR WARS VOCABULARY

This is an ongoing archive of terms and expressions to use in your writing. Please let me know if you want something added

Common Materials

Duracrete – The most common alternative to concrete

Durasteel – The most common alternative to steel

Ferrocrete – A mix of concrete and iron, stronger and more widely-used than concrete

Flimsi/flimsiplast – A material used for several things including flattening into sheets to use like paper

Mandalorian iron – An extremely strong metal that can resist lightsaber blades and blaster bolts. Known by its Mando'a name, beskar

Permacrete – A very strong and heat-resistant version of concrete, used in landing pads and spaceports

Plastoid – Used for the armour of the GAR and Imperial troopers and Darth Vader’s suit

Plasteel/plastisteel – A plastic and steel alloy, used for some (not very effective) armour

Quadanium steel – A metallic substance, used to build the hulls of the first and second Death Stars. Often shortened to Quadanium

Transparisteel – The most common alternative to glass

Everyday Terms

Airspeeder – Repulsorlift vehicle used on highly urban planets like Coruscant

Caf – Coffee

Datapad – Like a tablet

Holonet – Internet

Landspeeder – Repulsorlift vehicle that hovers above the ground

Power cell/power pack – Battery

Refectory – The dining halls of communal spaces like the Jedi Temple

Refresher/‘fresher – Bathroom

Sonic shower – An alternative to a water-based shower which uses ultrasonic vibrations

Tapcaf/tapcafe – A cantina, bar or café

Turbolift – Elevator

Medical Terms

Bacta – A chemical substance that regenerates tissue very quickly

Bacta patch – A bandage containing bacta. The equivalent of a Band-Aid

Bacta spray – Bacta in a pressurized container

Bone-knitter/bone stabilizer – An electronic device to heal and set bone fractures

Coagulant – Used to clot blood to stop wounds from bleeding

Coagulin – A brand of coagulant

Hypospray/hypodermic injector/hypo – A device used to inject liquid into a being’s body

Irrigation bulb – A small container holding cleansing liquid, used on wounds

Kolto – The predecessor to bacta

Laser cauterizer – A device that burns shut wounds by emitting a low-frequency laser beam

Laser scalpel – A laser-based surgical scalpel

Medbay/sickbay – An area on a starship for treating sicknesses and injuries

Medcenter – A hospital, sometimes one located in space

Medical capsule – A specialized repulsorlift stretcher, such as the one used to transport Darth Vader off Mustafar

Medical droid/meddroid – Droids specialized in stabilizing and treating patients

Medisensor – A handheld scanner for determining the patient’s condition

Medkit – A package full of tools and equipment to treat injuries, often found on starships

Medlab – A medical laboratory

Medpac – A smaller version of a medkit, meant for first aid and able to be carried onto the battlefield

Quick-seal splint – A fast-setting splint used to immobilize broken limbs

Repulsorlift stretcher/hover-stretcher – A stretcher with a built-in repulsorlift

Sonic scalpel – A scalpel used to cut away dead flesh

Spray-bandage – A liquid bandage containing bacta, meant to seal small wounds

Stim-shot/stimshot – A stimulant administered with a pneumatic syringe

Substance analyzer – A device to scan and analyze substances to detect poisins, toxins or other inconsistencies

Synthflesh – Synthetic mouldable material that mimics skin. Sometimes considered identical to synthskin

Vibroscalpel – A scalpel that uses vibrogenerator technology

Technology

Communication and Data Storage

Comlink – A communications device worn on the wrist or carried in a pocket

Datacard – A device to store and transfer information, like a USB

Datacron – A small, polygonal data storage device, mainly used for encrypted data

Datapack – A group of datacards

Holobook –  An electronic book, often stored on a datapad or its own device

Holocron – A datacron that can only be accessed by Force-users

Holofile – A data file with a holographic interface

Holopad – A handheld hologram projector

Holoprojector – A device to record, receive, send and/or project holograms

Holorecorder – A device to record holograms

Holotransmitter – Any device that transmits information using holograms

Transmitter – Refers to any device used to relay information

Starships

Aural sensor – A device found on all starships that gives an audio simulation of the pilot’s surroundings in space

B-wing – A Rebel Alliance fighter and bomber, later replaced by the B-wing Mark II

E-2T medical shuttle – A ship used by the Empire to transport injured troops

EF76 Nebulon-B escort frigate – A large capital ship often modified by the Rebllion for use as a hospital ship

Flight computer – A computer system that monitors all systems on a starfighter, such as the engine and power systems, and translates a pilot’s commands into actions

Full-spectrum transceiver – A sensor package equipped on most non-combat starships that is capable of detecting a very wide range of phenomena but tends to have a low sensitivity

Gravity well projector – A device used to pull ships out of hyperspace by creating a strong artificial gravity well (called an interdiction field)

Haven-class medical station – A space station used by the Republic to treat clone troopers

Hyperdrive – The propulsion system that allows equipped ships to travel in hyperspace

Hyperspace – A separate dimension that can only be reached by travelling at or above lightspeed

Inertial compensator – A device used in starships to counteract the affects of large accelerations on the passengers. Many pilots dialed back their compensators to 95-97 percent while engaging in high-g-force maneuvers in order to feel the ship’s performance

Ion engine – The most common type of sublight engine, also called an ion drive or thruster

MedStar-class frigate – A medical supply and transport ship that served during the Clone Wars and later under the Empire

Navicomp/navicomputer – The most common navigational device. Usually found in starships but can also be handheld

Pelta-class frigate – A ship used as both a cargo frigate and a medical transport, often escorting the lighter-armed MedStar-class frigate

Republic Troop Transport (RTT) – The ship commonly used to transport clones and Jedi during the Clone Wars

Sensor window – An opening in the nose of a starfighter through which the sensors “see”

S-foils – Moving wings on a starfighter. Not every fighter has them

Sprint-class rescue craft/med runner – Used to transport dead and wounded troops and respond to deep-space distress signals

Starship sensor array/sensor suite – The system of sensors on a starship that allow it to navigate, detect obstacles, chart interstellar bodies, and more

Sublight engine – An engine that allows ships to travel at speeds below lightspeed, also called a sublight drive or thruster

T-5 Deliverance – A variant of the Lambda-class T-5a shuttle used to deliver medical supplies to the battlefield

Targeting computer – A device used to help pilots target their weapons. Produces a digital view of the battlefield and provides crosshairs to let the pilot know when the target is vulnerable

Viewport – The windows on a ship or starfighter

X-wing – A starfighter used by the Rebel Alliance

Y-wing – A starfighter and bomber with two seats

Other Transportation

Gravsled – A hovering sled used to carry and transport things. Also called a hoversled or repulsor sled

Maglev train – A public transit vehicle on Coruscant

Repulsorlift – An anti-gravity device used in almost every type of vehicle. Often shortened to repulsor

Snowspeeder – A T-47 airspeeder modified by the Alliance for use on Hoth

Speeder bike – An open-air repulsor vehicle, like a motorcycle

Swoop bike – An overpowered speeder bike

Slang and Insults

Astral! – Awesome

Backwater – Adjective used to mean an inferior or out-of-the-way planet or place

Bantha fodder – Either states that something is a lie (used the same as bullshit) or a waste (e.g., I won’t let you become bantha fodder)

Blast! – An interjection

Civvies – Civilians or civilian clothing

Clanker – Battle droid

Darkspace – Yuuzhan Vong for hyperspace

Di'kut – Mandalorian, meaning “idiot”

Dirtball/dustball – A derogatory term for a planet, usually one with a dry or barren surface

Emperor’s Black Bones! – An exclamation

Fierfek – A Huttese expletive

Flyboy – Slang for a starfighter pilot

Force-forsaken – God-forsaken

For Force’s sake – For God’s sake

Gentlebeing – A version of “gentleman” used for all genders and species

Hell – Used the same as in real life

Imps/Impies – Slang for Imperials

Karabast – A Lasat expletive

Kark – Strong expletive

Klick – Kilometer

Kriff – Expletive (e.g., What a kriffing idiot.)

Nerfherder – An Alderaanian job used as an insult

Sitting mynocks – Sitting ducks

Sleemo, slimeball – A jerk

Spice – A type of narcotic

Thank the Maker! – An expression like “thank God!” used by non-organics like C-3PO

Thank the Stars! – Thank God

Thrown under the speeder – Thrown under the bus

Wild bantha chase – Wild goose chase

Youngling – Child of any species

Weapons

Bo-rifle – A weapon used exclusively by the Honor Guard of Lasan

DC-15A blaster rifle – The standard weapon given to clones in the Grand Army of the Republic

Electro-jabber – An older version of a stun baton

Electrostaff – A long staff with electromagnetic generators at each end, used by General Grievous’ droid bodyguards

Force pike – An electric shock weapon with a vibro-edged tip

Lightsaber pike – A saberstaff with short blades and a long hilt, carried by the Jedi Temple Guards

Saberstaff/double-bladed lightsaber – A lightsaber that emitted blades from both ends

Stun baton – A short metal baton that delivers a powerful electric shock

Vibroweapon – A bladed weapon with a vibrogenerator in the hilt to produce high-speed vibrations that allow the blade to cut much more effectively

Vibro-ax – An ax, which could vary greatly in size and shape and was often carried by Gamorrean guards

Vibroblade – A regular blade with a vibrogenerator, usually over a foot in length

Vibroknife – A small vibroblade capable of cutting very deep with little pressure

Vibrostaff – A long staff with a rounded hilt (3 ft) and one or two blades (2.5 ft). The double-bladed versions were carried by the Emperor’s Royal Guard

Vibrosword – A long, heavy version of a vibroblade, can come in a double-bladed version

* * *

Most of these terms are from my own lists, but some definitions are from Wookieepedia. User @pomrania also helped with this compilation.

[oh-no-eu-didnt]

The Seraph-class urban landspeeder, known commonly as a flash speeder, was a line of vehicles developed for local military usage. They were quick and used by law enforcement, like the Royal Naboo Security Force, as a patrol and transport vehicle.

Source: Star Wars Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)

[nvgotd]

Our favourite non-violent games of E3 Week 2021

Back in 2019, we ran a post listing every non-violent game shown during E3. Given this year’s array of E3 and E3-adjacent events produced 115 upcoming non-violent games (as you may have read somewhere), that just wasn’t practical. Instead, Rebekah and I have each picked out five our our faves. Enjoy!

- James

REBEKAH’S TOP 5

Pekoe

There is perhaps nothing cozier than tea and cats. Pekoe puts the player in the shoes of the newest resident and teahouse owner in a town of sentient cats. The cats want your tea, and you can learn to make it for them, learning about different tea varieties and tea making styles as you go while building relationships with the town’s inhabitants. You can upgrade and customize your teahouse, visit other teahouses for inspiration, and learn about different rituals, customs, and preparation styles for tea. Pekoe is developed by (appropriately) Kitten Cup Studio, and is planned for release in 2022.

Bear and Breakfast

Build and run a bed and breakfast in a tranquil wood...but also, you’re a bear! Startout with a rundown old inn, and build it up into splendor again while attracting and awing tourists who come to stay. Bear and Breakfast is a laidback management sim about growing a cozy woodland business, but with the added bonus of a forest mystery that unravels as your bustling breakfast nook grows. Developed by Gummy Cat, and planned for release later this year.

Behind the Frame: The Finest Scenery

Behind the Frame follows an artist living alone, preparing a masterpiece for a gallery submission. It’s a puzzle game focused on both her day to day activities, her interactions with a fellow painter and neighbor (and his cat!), and painting itself. You’ll use a painting and sketch mechanic to solve puzzles that explore memory and emotion, all of which takes place in a hand-animated world that looks like it was pulled straight out of a Ghibli movie. Developed by Akupara Games.

Bird Problems

There are a lot of unique ideas for non-violent games and mechanics out there, but one I had personally never seen before was modeling a game after a sitcom. Bird Problems follows a young bird named Tweeter Gregory who’s clumsy and awkward, but just wants to make friends and enjoy a nice boba tea. We haven’t seen much of this game from Lithic Entertainment just yet, but its trailer at the Wholesome Direct stood out due to its resemblance to the goofy sitcoms of the 90s. But with birds!

A Little to the Left

Many of the non-violent games shown over the recent E3 weeks were narrative-focused, but sometimes all you want is a pleasant little puzzle game. A Little to the Left is less complicated, and in that way seems straightforward and soothing: it’s about reorganizing, tidying up, and setting things right. You’ll spend it arranging objects into patterns that look pleasant, with occasional “help” from a mischievous interrupting cat. Developed by Max Inferno, it’s planned for launch this October.

JAMES’ TOP 5

Forza Horizon 5

If you know what Forza Horizon is, you’re likely already looking forward to this one and/or have pre-ordered it/subscribed to Xbox Game Pass. For those who don’t, here’s a quick crash course (pun absolutely not intended): Developed by UK studio Playground Games, Horizon is the open-world spin-off series from Microsoft’s acclaimed Forza Motorsport franchise. While Motorsport focuses on simulation racing, Horizon offers a slightly more arcade-like experience, letting players loose behind the wheels of some of the world’s most powerful cars. You explore the landscape (Mexico, this time) to find more race locations or other ways to raise your Influence. Doing so unlocks the Top Gear-esque showstopper challenge. New to the mix are Expeditions, which take you on guided tours of the most beautiful places of the map, and Horizon Arcade, which lets you create your own tracks, stunts and races. Forza Horizon 5 is due for release on November 9th.

Sable

This indie sci-fi exploration game has been in the works for several years, but it’s finally approaching release. Set on a desert planet, you play a young woman from a nomadic tribe sent on a ritualistic quest to explore the world - on a hoverbike. Akin to Luke Skywalker’s landspeeder, or more accurately the giant USB dongle Rey drove in The Force Awakens, your task is to discover more about the world as you learn more about yourself. Investigating the wreckage of old ships will help you find the components you need to upgrade your bike, and as you meet other tribes, you can complete side quests to help them and forge new friendships. Developed by Shedworks, Sable will be available from September 23rd.

Phantom Abyss

This game has a bit of an Indiana Jones meets Mirror's Edge kind of vibe. Players race through ancient temples, leaping chasms and dodging booby traps, in the hopes of being the first to reach the relic at the centre. You don't technically compete with other players in real time; instead, you race their ghosts, following their leads and learning from their mistakes. Each temple is randomly generated, but as soon as someone claims the relic, they are declared champion of that particular temple and the course is removed forever, cementing their victory. And yes, you have an Indy-style whip to swing across gaps. It’s developed by Team WIBY and launched in Early Access last week.

Lake

Most video game stories present the player with world-ending stakes, sending them on an urgent quest where the clock is always ticking. Lake is a much more personal and relaxed affair. Set in 1986, you take on the role of Meredith Weiss, a forty-something career woman taking a break ahead of her software company’s big launch. She heads back to the fictional lakeside town of Providence Oaks, Oregon, her childhood home, to rediscover old friends and see what (if anything) has changed. She also takes on her father’s role as a mail carrier, delivering letters and parcels each day while he is on holiday. During the two weeks, she can forge friendships, find love, or even choose to give up her career and make a new home for herself - the choice is up to you. Lake is developed by Gamious and is due for release by the end of the year.

Schim

This 3D puzzle platformer has a simple but wonderfully creative premise: jumping between shadows. You control a schim: the soul of a living creature or object. This particular schim has become separated from the human being it was attached to, and it’s up to you to reunite them. You can hop between shadows as if they were pools of water, and if a shadow is moving (for example, the shadow of someone walking about or a bird flying) that pool will move and take you with it. Working out the best route between shadows is the only way to navigate each level, set across various urban and rural spaces. Timing is the key, because as soon as you leap out of a shadow and land in the light, it’s game over. As you can see, all of this is presented in a beautifully distinct style. Schim is being developed by Ewould van der Werf, although a release window has yet to be decided.

[mendelpalace]

GamePro’s SNES Criterion Collection

Back in 2011, the now-defunct GamePro published a piece including Criterion Collection-style covers for a handful of SNES titles, along with descriptions of the hypothetical bonus materials that would come with such deluxe rereleases. Though the cover images are still floating around online, a bunch of the descriptions are probably lost, including those for games like Street Fighter II, Donkey Kong Country, U.N. Squadron, Desert Strike, and Chrono Trigger. 

A few can still be accessed via the Wayback Machine though, so I decided to repost the ones I can still get to:

An old enemy brings bounty hunter Samus Aran back to Zebes, where she discovers that the Space Pirate threat is greater than ever -- and thus begins one of the most evocative games ever made. Thanks to its simple but powerful storytelling; outstanding soundtrack; and massive, lonely world, Super Metroid, created by Nintendo's well-known R&D1; team, is a masterpiece of design that has come to represent the Super Nintendo at its pinnacle.

SPECIAL EDITION DOUBLE-DISC SET FEATURES

DISC ONE

All-new 16:9 transfer optimized for high-definition televisions

Video introduction by writer/director Yoshio Sakamoto

Two Interactive Audio Commentaries: one by Yoshio Sakamoto, Satoru Iwata, and Shigeru Miyamoto; and one by producer Makoto Kano

New Leaderboards: Test your sequence-breaking skills against the best speedrunners in the world

DISC TWO

Return to Zebes (2011): A 90-minute feature documentary on the making of the game

From Zebes to the Bottle Ship (2011): A 30 minute documentary about the history of the Metroid franchise

Deep Red: Scenes from the film that helped to inspire Super Metroid

Sequence Breaking: Noted speedrunners offer a guided tour of sequence breaking in Super Metroid

Into Tourian Base: An interactive map of Zebes with developer commentary and notes

Play the complete, original Metroid for the NES

Illustrated production history with rare behind-the-scenes photos, original press kit, and the U.S., European, and Japanese trailers

PLUS: Complete OST featuring original and remastered tracks from Super Metroid

A party of four child prodigies must band together to fend off a mysterious, malevolent alien force in this cult-classic role-playing game, scripted by influential Japanese copywriter and author, Shigesato Itoi. Ness, Paula, Jeff, and Poo embark on a fantastic adventure that spans a quirky, contemporary world, with a charming sense of lighthearted humor that shines through to the engrossing story’s awe-inspiring ending.

SPECIAL EDITION DOUBLE-DISC SET FEATURES

DISC ONE

Fully animated opening and ending cinematics from Studio Ghibli.

In-game commentary from director/producer/writer Shigesato Itoi, designer Akihiko Miura, and composers Keiichi Suzuki and Hirokazu Tanaka.

Live recording of the “Earthbound Orchestral Experience.”

Excerpts from the new translation of Saori Kumi’s Earthbound novelization, read by the author.

DISC TWO

The Man that Fell to Earthbound – Retrospective Q&A; with Shigesato Itoi about Earthbound’s critical and commercial reception.

It Hurts -- documentary feature chronicling the troubled production of Earthbound 64.

Outgrowing Onett - A short film from director Mamoru Hosoda (The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Summer Wars) that bridges the gap between Earthbound and Mother 3.

Brand new trailer of “Mother 3DS,” the highly anticipated, “definitive” edition of Mother 3.

All-new localization effort overseen by acclaimed director and screenwriter Brad Bird (The Incredibles, The Iron Giant).

Complete HD reimagining of the original Mother.

PLUS: Concept art gallery, and interviews with the game’s development staff.

In a galaxy far, far away, join Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, and even Wicket the Ewok as they wage intergalactic war against the evil Empire and the sinister Sith lord, Darth Vader. In this ultimate HD edition of Super Star Wars trilogy, you’ll experience the entire saga, including racing a landspeeder through Tatooine’s wastelands in A New Hope, battling colossal AT-ATs storming Hoth’s rebel base in The Empire Strikes Back, flying the Millennium Falcon through the Death Star’s core in Return of the Jedi, and many more memorable adventures from the classic sci-fi trilogy.

SPECIAL EDITION DOUBLE-DISC SET FEATURES DISC ONE

All three Super Nintendo classics in their original form: Super Star Wars, Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, and Super Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.

Remastered 16-bit visuals and crystal clear audio optimized for high-definition televisions.

New inventory management menu allows you to hang on to your weapons and powerups through all three games.

Save system lets you save your progress at any time.

New beginner-friendly “Apprentice Mode” eases newcomers into some of the most challenging Super NES games ever mad

DISC TWO

Deleted Levels: Two new playable missions previously cut from the games including R2-D2’s battle through Jabba’s palace.

A History of Sculpted Software: A 15-minute documentary chronicling the developer’s daunting task of reenvisioning George Lucas’ epic science-fiction series for the Super Nintendo.

From Giant Scorpions to Frog Dogs: An all-new 10 minute documentary examining the genesis of Super Star Wars trilogy’s most bizarre enemies.

Digital Strategy Guides: Digital versions of the original strategy guides to help you master what are considered some of the toughest video games on the Super NES.

Ladies and gentlemen: Start your engines, and prepare to challenge some of Nintendo’s most famous gaming characters in a high-speed battle of skill, wits...and luck! A huge critical and commercial success, Super Mario Kart is a seminal race-combat game from the 16-bit heyday of the early 90s that is so well loved, it continues to rank highly on “Best Game Ever” lists almost 20 years since its first release. Its key to success is its finely tuned, beautifully balanced multiplayer battle system that feels as fresh and fun as it did nearly two decades ago. Now’s your chance to rediscover the multiplayer magic of one of the best Super Nintendo games in three different forms, including an all-new Director's Cut!

SPECIAL EDITION DOUBLE-DISC SET FEATURES

DISC ONE

Director’s Cut: Featuring all-new polygonal graphics, the characters and courses are completely reimagined for a stunning, cutting-edge visual experience.

Enhanced Edition: A digitally remastered 16-bit version, with 1080p sprite-graphics taken from the original release, and authentic original gameplay

The First Cut: The completely untouched original version of the 1992 Super Nintendo release

Battle On!: Watch as the game’s original creators challenge one another in multiplayer combat and talk about their favorite weapons and characters

The Kart Legacy: A documentary on the legacy of Super Mario Kart, its numerous sequels and ports through the generations, and how it spawned an entirely new genre of racing games.

DISC TWO

Beyond F-Zero. The Making of a Two-player Racer: An in-depth interview with creator Shigeru Miyamoto about Super Mario Kart’s multiplayer design philosophies.

Unlocking Mode 7: Tadashi Sugiyama and Hideki Konno talk about the technical aspects of using Super Nintendo’s Mode 7 to deliver a great gaming experience.

Digitally remastered music by composer Soyo Oka

Bios and gameography of each Super Mario Kart character: Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Yoshi, Bowser, Donkey Kong Jr., Koopa Troopa, and Toad.

Cities are living, breathing things -- just as much as the inhabitants that walk their streets -- and nowhere is this more apparent than in Will Wright's masterpiece. Providing one of the earliest examples of free-form emergent gameplay, Sim City for the Super Nintendo is a seminal work, grounded in reality but limited only by the player's imagination.

SPECIAL EDITION DOUBLE-DISC SET FEATURES

DISC ONE

Two editions of the game: The original Super NES classic and SimCity+, a specially optimized widescreen edition for modern high-definition televisions.

Social Play: Connect your cities to those of your friends around the world.

Video introduction by Will Wright and Jeff Braun.

Fully voiced tutorial and advice featuring Nolan North as the voice of Dr. Wright.

DISC TWO

Af Wubbas Do (2011): A 60-minute feature documentary chronicling the history of the entire Sim series, from City through Copter to The Sims.

Urban Canvas (2011): A 30-minute exposé of the radical computer artists who use the SimCity series' landscaping and planning tools to produce works of visual art.

The Full, Uncut Raid on Bungeling Bay for Commodore 64: The game that inspired SimCity's creation.

Interactive gallery of real-life cities modeled in the game.

Original press materials and trailers.

Digital copy of "Street Music," an album featuring music from and inspired by the series.

Years ahead of its time, Actraiser was one of the most loved games released on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Genre-bending civilization-building simulation with side-scrolling action, the game didn’t continue as a decades-long franchise like some of its other contemporaries, but it was never forgotten. Stepping into the omnipotent shoes of “The Master” to save the land and its people from the evil Tanzra and his six lieutenants is not only many gamers’ first memory of playing a “god game,” for some it is also their fondest memory from the entire 16-bit era.

SPECIAL EDITION DOUBLE-DISC SET FEATURES

DISC ONE

All-new 16:9 remastered transfer optimized for high-definition televisions

Switch between the original 2D art assets and the all-new polygonal art with the push of a button.

Video introduction by director Masaya Hashimoto and writer Tomoyoshi Miyazaki.

Audio commentary track with the game’s designers.

DISC TWO

“The Creation Story” (2011), a forty-minute short documentary on the development of the game.

“Lightning in a Bottle” (2011), a roundtable discussion with Masaya Hashimoto, Tomoyoshi Miyazaki and Peter Molyneux about ActRaiser’s influence on game development and the “god games” genre.

The complete Yuzo Koshiro soundtrack performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra.

An interactive gallery of over 100 never before seen sketches, concept art, and other design documents.

All that stands between a world’s freedom and its conquest by a ruthless tyrant is the intrepid pilot Fox McCloud and his dauntless friends of the Star Fox Team. Featuring the groundbreaking technology of the Super FX chip, Star Fox brought Nintendo into the world of 3D computer graphics. And flying through the sky and in space in the Arwing starship is perhaps the best way for Nintendo to bring polygons to its consoles.

SPECIAL EDITION DOUBLE-DISC SET FEATURES DISC ONE

Remastered audio and visuals, featuring Dolby Digital EX surround sound and a 16:7, HD presentation. Game’s original 1992 audio and visuals are also on the disc.

Two audio commentaries: One from the game’s executive producer, Hiroshi Yamauchi, and producer, Shigeru Miyamoto, and another with commentary from the point of view of Andross, the game’s villain.

Updated motion-comic version of the original Star Fox comic that ran in Nintendo Power from February 1993 to December 1993.

DISC TWO

“Defenders of Corneria”: a 90-minute documentary on the making of the original Star Fox.

“Fox Through the Ages”: A look at how Fox McCloud and the series has changed since their 1992 inception.

“Arwing Declassified”: A collection of other designs considered and rejected for the iconic Arwing starship.

“The Art of Star Fox”: Images of Fox McCloud, the Star Fox Team, and the memorable worlds from the franchise.

Original promotional ads from Japan, Europe, and North America.

PLUS: The Complete Original soundtrack.

[corelliansendoff]

Ask a twelve year old Corellian child about Viridian Justice, and ask a career criminal in Coronet City about Viridian Justice, and you're likely to get two very different answers. 

Children are likely familiar with the varied pieces of media based on the adventures of the actress-by-day, vigilante-by-night named Kella Kando. Smart, rich, and occasionally seductive, the masked heroine is a constant force battling petty criminals and scheming villains across a fictionalized Corellia. Kids grow up loving the action on the page and on the holos. Adult fans may point out, in quiet tones, the subversive nature of the graphic serials and novels. They reason that since that material grabs less galactic attention than the animated series, it's free to depict more controversial subjects: corrupt Imperials, lack of faith in authority, and depictions of art so potentially subversive that fans still argue if the splash page of issue #104 was intentionally a negative-space Rebel Alliance starbird.

Ask a criminal in Coronet City about Viridian Justice, and they'll laugh at you. They'll laugh until you insist you're serious, and then they’ll add in a more serious voice that the notion this comic person is based on a real crime fighter is ridiculous, right? It has to be.

The real Viridian Justice doesn't have much more than a basic premise in common with the fictional one, but Mora Delsin can't exactly safely sue for defamation. She did drop in the window of a lead writer’s house for a brief chat one night when her fictional counterpart seemed to be taking a turn toward immorality, but other than vetoing that storyline, she's had no contact with the publishers of her fictional self. The real Viridian Justice is no actress trained in stage combat, but a civil lawyer that trained with a Selonian guerilla, a character trope sadly reduced to a sidekick role by the human authors of the fictional character. She also doesn't own a forest green starfighter, submarine, landspeeder, or any other vehicle easily marketed as a toy, but sticks to tamer equipment: a collapsible energy shield inspired by those of Gungan make and some of the finest non-lethal rifles money can buy. Like her comic counterpart, however, her main weapons are her hands, her feet, her unwavering devotion to law and order, and the sense of dread she can inspire in disloyal goons.

Like her fictional self, Viridian exclusively uses non-lethal methods to incapacitate her foes. Unlike her fictional counterpart, Mora understands the value of armor over skintight nylon, and typically wears snug leathers lined with ceramic and metallic weaves to deflect blaster fire and physical impacts, as well as delay incoming vibroblades.

Viridian Justice is provided as a resource to be dropped in during any kind of gang or street fight on Corellia, or reflavored to appear in any urban area, whether it be Coruscant, Nar Shaddaa, or anywhere else. Her morality is straightforward: non-lethal takedowns if at all possible, and a belief in the rule of law. She’s designed to be a complicating factor, a third faction that might appear when a party is dealing with criminals, a resource to be sought out by a party looking for help against any corrupt element, or a gut check for immoral PCs - what do you think of yourself if even Batman’s not on your side? 

(Hat tip to exvind for the splendid name!)

[olivereliott]

On Sale Now: The 2018 Motorcycle Calendar

The world’s most prestigious motorcycle calendar is back. The 2018 edition of the famous Bike EXIF wall calendar showcases 13 incredible new customs, including the BMW Alpha landspeeder, Classified Moto’s wild Honda XR650L and Krugger’s supercharged Yamaha SR400.

The cover star is the PRAËM x BMW S1000RR, one of the most popular motorcycles ever featured on Bike EXIF. We’ve also got Jamesville’s shovelhead Harley cafe racer, Roland Snel’s Tangerine Dream Yamaha TR1, and Urban Motor’s radical Jawa sprint bike. Adding a touch of vintage style is Justin Webster’s exquisite Honda CB750K cafe racer.

You can never have too much of a good thing, so this 13-month motorcycle calendar is sized at a mighty 17 x 11 inches. It’s printed on 128gsm art paper with a 260gsm laminated art card cover, discreetly hole-punched. And there’s a little space for writing notes between the dates.

Each calendar is delivered shrinkwrapped with a board stiffener for protection, and is remarkable value at just $15.99/£13.00. That’s the same price as the last five years, despite increased production costs.

Here’s how to get yours:

US, Canada and Rest of World: Order direct from the publisher Octane Press. UK and Europe: Order from the Bike EXIF Equipment store. Your local bike shop: Many leading custom shops will have stock, including Revival Cycles. Trade enquiries Call Octane Press at 512.761.4555 or email sales@octanepress.com for details.