August 23, 2009 by traveler.

Wow- that was a long drought. Sorry for the delay. I am back and better than ever (perhaps) and ready to bring you more. Keep an eye out for my latest Photologue. But first…

Do you like Legos? 80s Videogames? 8-bit Music? No? Well, if you did, you would totally dig this Youtube masterpiece. And it was so easy to make- only 1500 hours of work! What could be easier?

There is so much to love in this video, but I particularly enjoyed the Karate Champ references. If you liked this post, you may enjoy my Lego Mario post. And the 8-bit trip video even included a hint to my next Photologue post. Here’s a clue- it is the scene with the pyramid. Oh wait- that’s a terrible clue. Yes, my Photologue features my trip to the Great Pyramids of Giza. Stay tuned.

Posted in Video, Art, Weird, Toys, Nintendo, Style, Retro, Design, Games | No Comments »

June 7, 2009 by traveler.

Like many Americans, I grew up playing soccer. Like many more Americans, I have no interest in watching professional soccer. Why the disconnect?

Soccer’s got to be great, right? I mean, the rest of the world adores their ‘football’. So why have Americans so thoroughly rejected this sport? Perhaps Jim Rome can shed some light.

Sorry, world- we’ve seen what ‘football’ has to offer. We’re not interested. Please take it off our hands (not like we’re very good at it anyway). And while you’re at it, take cricket along also. Thanks. We’ll just stick with our own football…the good stuff.

Posted in Gripes, Video, Sports, Funny, Games | No Comments »

December 8, 2008 by traveler.

Mirror’s Edge. If you haven’t played it yet, do yourself a favor. Seriously. The game is great- more of a first-person platformer than a standard FPS. When you play this game, you will find yourself saying these phrases over and over:

1. Holy crap this game looks incredible. Now THAT is art direction.

2. I fell off the @&#%ing roof again?!?! How is it possible to plunge to my death this many times in a row?!

3. I’m getting shot and I have no idea where I’m supposed to go. GO GO GADGET RUNNERS VISION!!!

Mirror’s Edge, is totally worth the purchase, but it does have some minor issues. The physics are tuned fairly realistically, with momentum playing an important role. Momentum is only useful, however, when you have a clear path ahead. In the game, you rarely have a clear path. Once you get past the first chapter, levels are complicated enough that you will probably have to stop and look for the next move. This can be particularly frustrating when you are getting shot at. Since you have no default weapon and trying to disarm enemies can lead to a quick death, running is usually your best option. For first-person shooter fans, this is NOT your general instinct. It took me awhile to stop trying to attack enemies and instead outmaneuver them. Once I started to do this, though, I ran into more problems.

You will get gunned down while trying to find an exit many times. Then you respawn and work your way back to the spot only to get shot up again trying to move forward. So I replayed the same stretch over and over, dying just a little further than the last time. Eventually you will find the path and move on. But for a game based around the concept of flow, some levels severely block your flow.

Aside from these gripes, the game is totally fun. The ‘free running’ gameplay combined with first-person perspective and terrific visuals make for an excellent game. Just know that you will set a world record for falling to your death the thousandth time.

Posted in Video, Design, Games | No Comments »

November 15, 2008 by traveler.

Well, my recent trip to India is official- I saw a sacred cow wandering through traffic. Kinda like an invincible frogger.

What a fascinating country- I hope I can go back again. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to take as many pictures as I wanted to. I did snag a decent picture of the Taj, though…

Posted in Travel, Games, Pics | No Comments »

October 16, 2008 by traveler.

What a debate. Not since the days of Super Mario Bros has so much national attention been fixated on a plumber. Joe better enjoy his 15 minutes, and hopefully he can parlay the attention into purchasing the Plumbing company he works for- Newell Plumbing and Heating. If he does, then he will finally have to get his plumbing license.

Apparently he is enjoying his 15 minutes, because he is keeping silent on who he will vote for. Why does this sound familiar? Ohh….This is turning into the movie “Swing Vote“. Sigh. One more month, one more month. Keep telling yourself that, and maybe the election hoopla will just pass by quietly. Fingers crossed!!

Posted in Movies, Games, TV | No Comments »

June 25, 2008 by traveler.

By now you’ve heard- Maricopa Sherriff’s office yanked Shaquille O’Neal’s special deputy’s badge. Can they also yank Kazaam?

I’d even settle for Shaq Fu.

Posted in Video, Sports, Movies, Games | No Comments »

June 24, 2008 by traveler.

The Electronic Software Association issued a press release highlighting the results of their recent study. They studied whether employers used training that includes game-like simulations. Check out the chart below for a run-down.

93% of companies surveyed either offer interactive training currently or plan to in the next 5 years? That’s pretty good. I’m guessing that the other 7% of companies are represented by Jack Thompson.

Posted in Business, Tech, Games | No Comments »

May 28, 2008 by traveler.

First we learned about the space gap.  Now we find out that the international space station’s sole toilet is on the fritz? Aw jeez.

Sounds like they need a plumber in space asap. But where would you find one? Hmm…

Posted in Tech, Nintendo, Games, Wii, Pics | No Comments »

May 4, 2008 by traveler.

I love this Lego Mario- what a great way to show your nerd cred. I learned how to make this through the Youtube video below:

Personally I think that Mario looks better with black hair than blue (Mario with a blue moustache?!) If you have the legos, give it a try. If you don’t have a pile of legos lying around, you can find most of the necessary pieces in a Lego Large Brick Box.

There are tons of other Youtube lego creations online. Some ambitious youtubers even posted videos of some more complicated Nintendo designs. Check out these Super Nintendo creations:

If I can find the time, I should really use some extra lego pieces to create another “statue”.

Posted in Nintendo, Toys, Video, Design, Retro, Wii, Games, Pics | No Comments »

April 29, 2008 by traveler.

Can’t talk…gotta help Niko make his way through Liberty City. Actually, why are you reading this post? Shouldn’t you be playing GTA IV too? On a related note, this blog will be on a one-month hiatus. =P

Posted in Games | No Comments »