Messages

51

NWR Forums Discord / Re: Why does Garfield suck?

« on: September 13, 2008, 02:25:32 AM »

I personally like the ones that are utterly inexplicable.

http://garfieldminusgarfield.net/post/31710457
and
http://garfieldminusgarfield.net/post/42577436

Or those which convey despair (and hilarity) through the tiniest of Jon's gestures, like the one partybear posted (also one of my favorites).  I love the fact that Jon must be talking to himself all the time, and how two of the three panels often end up being empty.

Pure brilliance.

52

NWR Forums Discord / Re: Why does Garfield suck?

« on: September 12, 2008, 06:45:29 PM »

Garfield minus Garfield is probably the best thing ever conceived by man.

53

NWR Forums Discord / Re: Random poll of the week: fruit snacks

« on: September 12, 2008, 06:42:40 PM »

All of those are sub-par.

My favorite gummies are called sunfruit or something like that.  I think they're made with real fruit juice or something.

Of course, I also agree that real fruit is the best.  So I just didn't vote.

54

NWR Forums Discord / Re: Possibly the funniest statement ever

« on: September 12, 2008, 06:40:38 PM »

I don't see the point of tattoos, and I would generally recommend that people don't get them.  They don't contribute anything to the body, which is remarkable enough unpainted.  Also, people almost always get the worst or most boring tattoos they can imagine.

That said, I don't really mind a girl with tattoos.  If she's attractive and engaging, it's just a bit of color on her skin.  I love the term "Beauty is more than skin-deep" because it's very true; not in the emotional/psychological sense (not saying that's false, it's just not what I'm talking about), but in the sense that the beauty I'm attracted to comes from the bones and muscles and things, the framework of the body.  A girl can be pretty, but if she has a boring face and a static body, I have no interest in her whatsoever.

It's the way she moves.

55

NWR Forums Discord / Re: Possibly the funniest statement ever

« on: September 12, 2008, 02:48:18 PM »

Choking the chicken.

What is everyone's opinion on tattoos?

56

Nintendo Gaming / Re: What is even going on with Disaster: Day of Delay?

« on: September 12, 2008, 09:23:40 AM »

The constant little sign pointing at you in the commercials is hilarious.

I also like to pretend that the premise behind this game is that this guy is just incredibly unlucky and gets caught in these situations, and he's all, "OH NO A TIDAL WAVE!  AHHH! BEARRRSS!  HOLY ****, METEORS?!  WHATS GOING ONNNNNNNN?" Constant terror and confusion, all of these apocalyptic disasters happening at once.

57

NWR Forums Discord / Re: Random poll of the week: Jim Carrey

« on: September 11, 2008, 11:14:04 PM »

YOU HAD YOUR MEMORY ERASED

58

NWR Forums Discord / Re: Random poll of the week: Jim Carrey

« on: September 11, 2008, 11:08:12 PM »

My first pick is Dumb & Dumber, but the close follow-ups are The Truman Show, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Man on the Moon.

59

NWR Forums Discord / Re: i demand your drag pictures!

« on: September 11, 2008, 11:05:52 PM »

There are probably more of these of me than I'd like to admit, but I don't have access to any of them.  Alas.

I could post some of me with long hair.  I was occasionally mistaken for a girl, if people didn't look too close (6'3'', broad-shouldered, what a frightening girl that would be).

I actually had to dress in drag to pass a class in college once.  I still don't understand why.  The entire class was full of girls (and one other guy) and somehow they decided we needed to dress in drag to pass the class.  Baffling.

60

General Chat / Re: Other Languages

« on: September 11, 2008, 10:59:33 PM »

nickmitch, are you from Louisiana or do you just happen to know Creole for some inexplicable other reason?

I am from Louisiana, and decided rather arbitrarily to take French in high school.  Minored in college, have a pretty firm grasp of the language, though I don't get near enough practice.  May go teach in France for a while, to hone up.  My understanding of Cajun/Creole French is limited, but I can generally read it and make sense of it.  Hearing it is another matter.

That's the only language aside from English that I know really well, but I can pick up on Spanish and Italian thanks to my knowledge of French and linguistics in general (my friend is studying as a linguist, so one picks things up).  That friend and I may actually be learning Finnish for the hell of it soon, but I don't know how serious that will get.

If I had to choose another language to learn, it would probably be Russian, Japanese, or one of the Chinese dialects.  I've also seriously considered learning Greek, since my family (mother's side) is from Greece.

61

NWR Forums Discord / Re: Possibly the funniest statement ever

« on: September 11, 2008, 10:47:15 PM »

"but about the fact that you could get off on a face alone."

Seriously?  Faces totally do it for me more than anything.  Tits and ass never change, they're just there.  Faces MOVE and CHANGE and DO THINGS.  A face can communicate, can tell you without even saying anything: "I like that" or "oh hell yes do that again" or "things are about to get nasty".  I can't imagine liking tits and ass more than a face; they just sit there, and if they have enough lard in them, bounce around a bit.  I think most people take faces for granted because we see them so often, but think about it: could you sleep with someone who didn't have a face?  That'd be creepy as hell.

Don't get me wrong.  I love booties and I love boobies.  But they don't compare to a good, expressive face. (Although I do not, for the record, just jerk off to faces.)

And stuff like hair doesn't matter to me, it can be any length: short, long, fro, even bald (I can't think of any examples, aside from Natalie Portman, when I found a bald girl attractive, but I don't think it would stop me).  In fact, I can never point out features I like in a girl, features I find universally attractive.  I'm inconsistent, my taste seems to be completely random.  Really, it weirds me out that people can find one "type" attractive (like my ex-roommate, who liked brunettes with pointy noses, dark eyebrows, a fine tooshies).

The Russian was cute, but I can't judge a girl based on a picture.  I have to meet her, or at least see her in motion. (I'm not saying you should post a video of the girl, just generally speaking )

62

NWR Forums Discord / Re: Possibly the funniest statement ever

« on: September 09, 2008, 09:01:10 AM »

This reminded me a bit of something a friend of mine said.
Some guys were talking about dick size, and it got rather heated (in a joking way) until two of them were in each other's faces, going, "You wanna go at it?  Huh?  Huh, man?!"

And then my friends goes and says, "Do you want to see it all, or just enough to win?"

63

Nintendo Gaming / Re: De Blob

« on: September 06, 2008, 07:24:04 PM »

http://www.famitsu.com/game/news/__icsFiles/artimage/2008/08/21/pc_fc_n_gn/4802.jpg

Is this the guy who made the game?  Because if so, I AM BUYING THIS GAME IT WILL BE THE BEST GAME EVER.

Does look cool.  Shall look into this.

64

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Nintendo Ads are so...

« on: September 02, 2008, 02:39:26 AM »

Metroid Prime commercial is still the coolest thing ever made.

65

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Soul Bubbles

« on: August 20, 2008, 03:58:05 PM »

I'll pick this up if I run across it, based on the fact that Mario and Ferny like it.  Our interests generally seem to align.

66

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Zelda DS: Phantom Hourglass

« on: August 13, 2008, 08:40:46 PM »

Okay, so I finally bought this game earlier this summer, and I've been playing for a few weeks off and on, and I beat it today.
I could say a whole lot about it.  Like I love the bombchu/boomerang/note taking abilities provided by the touchscreen.  Riding on this ocean is wonderful, although I run into whats-her-name way too often.  Many of the puzzles are brilliantly inventive (the closing the DS thing made me laugh aloud when I figured it out; I've played Trace Memory but it's been ages).  The minigames are lots of fun, the ability to sell treasures and things is a nice idea, boat customization is fun.  I loved finding new islands.  And this is a loaded statement, but this game probably has the best bosses of any Zelda game I've played (consistently good, inventive, fun, surprising, engaging); considering the quality of Zelda bosses, this means that these are possibly some of the best bosses in gaming, period.

If I had complaints, it's that the encounters with other races (Gorons, the ice folk) were too brief and isolated, when they could have been fleshed out more (like in Wind Waker, OoT, etc).  While the final boss itself was fantastic, I didn't feel much of a connection to the boss (hearing about a boss or seeing him a lot earlier in the game make you want to beat him more; you're aware that you must beat him.  The game preceding Bellum didn't feel like it was leading up to him.
Also, the game felt rather short (maybe because Twilight Princess was so long).  Too much fun to give up yet.  But I still have orbs and ship parts to collect, so that'll keep me busy a bit longer.

I may say more later.  But I'll join the chorus of voices that liked the game and thought it did something new or interesting, and did it effectively.  It's not my favorite 2D Zelda (still Link's Awakening), but it's still a great game and ranks with the best of Zelda.

67

Nintendo Gaming / Re: I've been playing a lot of Gamecube lately

« on: August 12, 2008, 02:44:27 AM »

Gamecube is still one of my favorite consoles ever.  I'm pretty sure I beat all of the 20 some-odd games I own, and a few I don't, many of them 100% (I can be a bit of a completionist).  I'm terribly far behind on games for the Wii right now (and will continue to be, since I'm lending my Wii to someone; shall be catching up on DS though), having gone on a year long film binge, but I've enjoyed its offerings as well.  Probably not as much yet, but I've got a lot to catch up on and a lot more still yet to come.

I do miss Gamecube though.  I fear it'll remain my favorite console, if only because it's the one I played in high school, while all my best friends were still around and we had plenty of time to dedicate to just hanging out and having fun.  We don't seem to find time for games anymore, those of us who still see each other regularly.

68

TalkBack / Re: FEATURES: Whither Now, Samus Aran?

« on: July 16, 2008, 04:48:06 PM »

:O IT DOES

Certain events led me away from games and this site for a while (including the new forum design, but I've gotten over that), but only temporarily.  I imagine you'll be seeing me around more often now.

69

TalkBack / Re: FEATURES: Whither Now, Samus Aran?

« on: July 16, 2008, 04:40:36 PM »

I read the article.  I enjoyed reading it but I always wonder about the usefulness of proposing or speculating about future game ideas.  Although I do really like the notion of a seamless world.

I don't know that the style of the game should change (I refer to the dynamic between upgrades and level design), because that's as inherent to the franchise as the empowerment and exploration themes.  Maybe even more so; that's what the exploration theme is built upon.  Taking Metroid into a world of squad combat takes it away from what Metroid is; make another game for squad combat, or use it effectively, somehow, within the conventions of the game.

I think stealth could work within the game's design, but I wonder whether it's really worthwhile.  The solitude and puzzle-solving aspects of the game feel enough like stealth already.  It may be worth trying, but I can't say for sure.  I think it's worked in Zelda games (which work on a very similar dynamic), but whether it could be a significant portion of the game (like half), I don't know.

Story elements I rarely even consider.  They're a MacGuffin, essentially, except instead of being an element that propels the story forward, they're a story that propels the game mechanic forward.  Now Metroid has a more coherent through-line than most Nintendo franchises (in contrast to Zelda), so it may be worth maintaining some kind of unity or consistency, but I don't think the game should be approached from a story perspective.  If a story element inspires a game design, fine (the Chozo training idea is interesting, if unlikely and impractical).  But the creation of a game should be "What game design do we want?", then, "What's the best story we can make to fit within that design," and only then, "How can we fit this story into the broader, franchise story?"  It may connect only loosely, but you'll ultimately have a better game.

I'm not saying the game designers shouldn't consider potentially enriching elements from previous games, but they should not take priority.

70

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Okami (Capcom to send out replacement box art!)

« on: June 23, 2008, 01:31:07 PM »

So hey does this place still exist?  Do I still exist?!

What's up.  Yeah, I totally need to get this game.  And Mario Kart.  And Brawl, and Phantom Hourglass, and maybe Fire Emblem, and probably some others.  I'm way behind.  It's kind of pitiful actually.  It'll probably be about two months before I start catching up though.  I may be around more often then.  Hopefully.

71

Nintendo Gaming / RE: Super Mario Galaxy

« on: December 24, 2007, 01:18:30 PM »

Okay, so I got 120 stars the other day.  I think the game will be just as much fun the second time around, but I've got some other stuff to play before I go back and play it again.  I may play Twilight Princess again, I was playing around in my finished game last night and became achingly nostalgic for Zelda.  Then again, I have yet to play Phantom Hourglass.

Oy.

Anyway, it's a fantastic game and I've had much fun playing it.  Just a few things to mention:

-The two player mode, though simple, is quite fun.  I mean, generally we'd play something like Mario Kart or Super Smash Bros, but my friends seem to really enjoy doing the extra cursor thing.  So it has all the perks of a great single player game, with the additional fun of a friend nearby (and one who isn't bored).  They actually played some of the main game, too, without me, so there are three stars I haven't actually done yet.  I'll get them the second time around, if I don't go at them beforehand.

-Although some levels toward the end are quite challenging and intense, I think the hardest level by far is the flipside of the Mario platform in the Toy Galaxy, collecting purple coins on Luigi.  Holy crap.

-I love the storybook style they use for the back-story.  Reminds one even more of Le Petit Prince, if tiny planets weren't enough.

-I love the atmosphere and environments of the game, and find myself wishing at times that it were more like Zelda and Metroid, slower paced, so I'd have more time to appreciate the sheer beauty of it.

-Long jumping around tiny planets is just about the coolest thing ever.

Favorite planet?  I have lots, but among them would be the deflating mini-Gateway planet and moving between apples.

72

Nintendo Gaming / RE: Super Mario Galaxy

« on: December 05, 2007, 06:48:30 PM »

Rome wasn't built by whiners.  I fell into quicksand once and had no problems thereafter.  Surely my depth perception is no worse than anyone else's.  I don't even have perfect eyesight and my updated glasses prescription hasn't come in yet, so things are blurry around the edges.

That said, the camera did have its quirks, but never to the degree that it was ever detrimental.

I love the mix of linear and exploratory in this game (it is generally linear, but even so, it often manages the illusion of exploration or free-roaming).  The worlds in this game are so beautifully developed, not only visually, but in the way you move through them.  My sense of satisfaction playing within this linear realm of jumping from world to world is immense, and a great deal of that is indebted to the design of the levels.  They've managed to work lots of secrets and pockets of exploration into a largely linear game.

73

Nintendo Gaming / RE:Super Mario Galaxy

« on: December 05, 2007, 06:00:37 AM »

Quote
However, I do have a problem with the fact that you can't escape from quicksand, yet you still have a chance to escape if Mario touches lava or when he is swimming in frozen water. It just doesn't make any sense to me, and that's probably my only qualm with this game.

It was the exact same way in Mario 64.  Anyway, there's a simple solution: don't fall into the quicksand.

Is anyone else reminded of Pikmin 2 when they play this game?  That was one of my favorite Gamecube games, and the atmosphere/style of Super Mario Galaxy often seems eerily similar.  I think it has something to do with those purely creative environments (entire galaxies that can be based around ideas like toys or a garden, akin to the caves in Pikmin 2).

Can't wait to go home this weekend and play some more of this game.

74

General Chat / RE:No Country for Old Men

« on: December 05, 2007, 05:58:22 AM »

No Country for Old Men is fantastic.  Everyone should see it.  Based on my initial impressions, it's right up there with Fargo and maybe even Miller's Crossing.

75

Nintendo Gaming / RE: Super Mario Galaxy

« on: November 25, 2007, 03:11:57 PM »

I'm at ninety stars right now.  I won't be playing it for the next few weeks, cuz of school, but man. . . this game is incredible.  And even more incredible, I can tell it's going to be a game I play again and again and again, it's so diverse and enthralling.  I'll talk more about it later sometime, but for now, it's fantastic.
And I love the purple coin levels, although they're painfully intense sometimes.  Like the Luigi level in the Toy World.  Ho.  Ly.  Crap.