Detritus of the Mind

I'm on Twitter a lot, so I have a couple of recent tweet storms to share that I archived on Storify. First, thoughts on my idea for a hidden object game that will never exist.  Mostly because that genre is becoming weirdly allergic to humor, showing that there is still little difference between those into AAA games & those into casuals.  Thanks, Blogger, for making these non-embeddable. Real cool. Next, this morning's epic tweet storm detailing my theory/evidence about a Jonny Quest multiverse.  This is what my brain is like, folks.   Again, wanted to embed a slideshow, but Blogger won't play along. Feel free to check out my Twitter if you want complaining about TV, comics, public transit, & who knows.  It's basically a bite-sized version of what I've done here, albeit usually with more swearing.

The Pilot Program is a look at various merchandise-centric cartoons that were released as specials in the 80s & 90s; while they were clearly set up to go to series, they never did.  Every entry will look at a new show, who made it, what it was selling, and whether it would’ve made a good series. BUBSY (1993) SUMMARY: Bubsy is a great hero – just ask him, and he’ll tell you at length.   After inviting his twin niece & nephew over for their birthday gift of tormenting his designated sidekick Arnold the Armadillo, he sees a news story interviewing a scientist who invented a virtual reality helmet that can wish anything its wearer wants into existence.   He wants to test it because the call goes out for someone brave/crazy to try it, but a woman named Allie Cassandra wants the helmet to wish herself up some more swag.   She sends her minions Buzz & Sid to steal the helmet and kidnap the twins as a snack for themselves.   After much wackines...

The Pilot Program is a look at various merchandise-centric cartoons that were released as specials in the 80s & 90s; while they were clearly set up to go to series, they never did.  Every entry will look at a new show, who made it, what it was selling, and whether it would’ve made a good series. BATTLETOADS (1992) SUMMARY: Morgan, Dave, & George are the biggest losers at Oxnard, CA’s Waldo P. Oxnard Junior High; they’re deemed a bad influence on each other, and at the principal’s insistence, they try & fail to find new social circles.  After failing miserably, they retreat to the Stop-N-Scarf to play games; suddenly, the screen glows and out come Princess Angelica & her friend, Professor T-Bird.  Their entire galaxy has been conquered by the vicious Dark Queen, who wants to steal the Galactical Amulet Angelica wears to gain more power.  After asking the boys for help, he sprays them with “the genetic essence of the ancient Battletoads”...

Day off equals time for another list!  I've been enjoying lots of videos about nostalgic gaming lately, and it made me think that there's a bunch of franchises that I'd love to see get a new entry.  I don't mean another brown & grim "reimagining" - I mean a proper revival.  Some are existing series that have strayed far from their old format, and some just sort of vanished.  There's some series that I would welcome another entry in even though I think they've reached a good end point (i.e. the Mother series), and there are some that I haven't played enough to really judge beyond a single game (such as, I've played Chrono Trigger but not Chrono Cross, so I can't weigh in on it at all).  Others I'm not sure I'd want another game but I would like to see the characters again (such as wanting to see Liddell as DLC for a Disgaea game but not necessarily wanting a sequel to A Witch's Tale - although I'd happily play it if it sh...

Yep, it's another response to the latest episode of Major Spoilers' Top Five, this time addressing dated things you can't help but love, even if they don't hold up in the light of the modern day.  I've spoken before about how I find nostalgia to be somewhat poisonous, but that is because I don't look back at things & think "This sucked! Why did I like this?" to "What about this still appeals to me, even though my tastes have changed?"  All of these things are stuff that I loved unironically & without any meta-knowledge as a kid but now have to approach with weird to define mental caveats.  So here are my Top Five Dated Things I Still Love 5. Cadbury Crème Eggs:   Ah, every dentist's favorite Easter treat.  I used to inhale these things as a kid, but some time in the last decade they just became unbearably sweet to me.  The flavored varieties like the chocolate cream & the dearly-missed orange cream weren't as much of an...

The first five hit the internet yesterday to... the usual level of interest, so here's the second half of my 2012 retrospective.  I'll be honest with you - this one skews a bit more negative. Worst Trend, Animation:   The Disappearance of Action Shows from Cartoon Network.  This one is kind of self-explanatory; CN had a reputation as a place for high quality action shows, and they've decided to let it slide, even actively hastening the removal of the genre they used to champion.  I would argue that its two most successful originals, Adventure Time and Regular Show , manage to be "stealth" action shows, but they're also known for their humor.  Out of all the DC Nation shorts to take to series, they choose the fine-in-short-bursts Tiny Titans instead of the series that fans actually demanded (but that's due to CN's well-known sexism as much as anything).  Toonami's return is entirely dependent on internet word of mouth to promote it (Steve Blum b...

Y'know, as bad as it sounds, part of me was a bit bummed the Mayans got it wrong. Saying this wasn't a great year is like saying Sandy was a light drizzle. But bygones - we've got an end of year list to do! And I have actual Best Ofs to do, too! Best TV Show: The Legend of Korra . Holy shit, what a perfect show. This is the kind of work O can only dream of making. You had a heroine who wasn't drawn to look like a fashion doll, you had a conflict that addressed heavy themes, and you had use of taboo subjects on one of the last networks that I ever expected to even broach them. Couple it with an endearing cast, an already rich mythology, and sumptuous animation, and you have a perfect show. Anyone bitching about the ending (and sadly, they're out there) missed its entire point and really be better sticking to something simpler, like Ninjago . I'm curious where they'll take things next season, as this seemed to be a perfect compact package; and if the...

I bowed out of NaNoWriMo this year.   There’s two reasons – one is the usual “there is no such thing as downtime” problem that my household has had to deal with for the past year (and, sadly, the foreseeable future).   The second is a bit odd, and I don’t know if I can put it into words.   Basically, I find myself writing not so much novel narratives as I do video game narratives.   There’s an intangible element that begs to be put into 16-bit RPG form, and it just doesn’t carry over to the standard prose of a novel in a satisfying manner.   I’ve tried, but the stories I want to tell need audience participation and run on that unique video game logic.   I bring this up because I recently revisited a planned project, and while I can’t really justify it as I had it planned, it did resonate with this problem.   It also is a cautionary tale of what happens when you try to take a video game narrative and apply it to another medium.   I speak, of ...

We finish out Final Fantasy Month with something that's always a bit tricky for me to write - a glowing review.  Like most people on the internet, I find it both easier and more entertaining to be negative.  But this game is one I would recommend to anyone who isn't a hopeless fratboy gamer, and I'm not sure I can find the words to describe how much I enjoyed it. I speak of a game for, of all systems, the PSP called Final Fantasy IV The Complete Collection . If you remember earlier in this month, I stated how much I enjoyed FFIV.  This game includes a version of the original game that combines the different additions from the GBA remake with a new graphics system (fuller, richer pixellated images with some modern effects on spells & summons), a complete collection of the WiiWare series The After Years , and a short Interlude chapter to bridge the two games & foreshadow the new threat.  I won't give a review of the original, and since I'm going to assume...

Ladies & gentlemen, I am about to discuss the most disappointing game I ever played.  When I pre-ordered FF4HL, it came in the last week of October; I asked my family to hide it during November so I could spend my free time doing NaNoWriMo and not being distracted by a new game in one of my favorite franchises.  When I finally did get a chance to play it come December, my disappointment was almost a tangible creature.  I pictured it taking on a physical form, staring at me & my DS as I played, and asking "Why are you still playing a game that seems like it's going out of its way to punish you?" After about a month of trying & failing to enjoy FF4HL, I listened to this little gremlin and gave up.  I don't feel right reviewing a game I haven't finished unless it's to recommend it (which will be coming next week), but I feel the need to warn people away from this game. The plot is fairly straightforward - four heroes are chosen to be the champions...

Last month, The Game Heroes had their countdown of their five favorite Final Fantasy games.   I agreed with all of their choices, but it got me thinking of which five games in the series would be on my list and why.  So using my experience with the franchise, I present my own list of my Top Five Final Fantasy Games.  (Please note that, with all games using Job Systems, if Summoner is available, then it is automatically an honorable favorite job.) 5.) Final Fantasy X-2: Girls’ Night Out Adventuring - Why Others Dismiss It: I’m willing to bet lots of people who’ve never played it hate it just because Spoony hated it (as recent events have proven, Spoony has some serious issues, so I no longer consider his opinion worthwhile).   More fairly, though, I’ve heard complaints about the plot (especially the fairly unlikable Lenne & Shuyin) and the ridiculous amount of fanservice.   Both of those are perfectly valid. - Why I Like It: I’m sorry, haters, I ca...