Long Time Rundown!

Busy Busy, aren't I?

So, its been about three weeks, and I've learned lessons involving women, booze, friendship, several foreign languages, and that I may talk to myself more than I should.

Also that I never want to talk an Otaku girl again.

A growing time for all! Okay, the down and dirty:


8. Create a definitive bible for all of my works, in both book and wiki formats.

Construction goes well, thanks to wiki magic. Nowhere near done, of course.


9. Complete my Suite101 contract. [6/10] FAILED

For the best. I'll detail it later, but I don't plan on trying to rectify this one, simply because I have no time nor interest in grinding on that site.

14. Invent a complete conlang.

Construction goes good.  I have an alphabet and grammar structure. I just need to start making words, or something.

15. ‘Win’ NaNoWriMo.

November is a bad time for NaNoWriMo. I have next year to try again though. I'll detail this one later too.

19/20. Complete and Review 101 Games.

Just finished Star Fox 64, a game that has been out since 1996, but I have never finished. Expect the review to follow this.

21/22. Watch/Review 101 Movies.

Up to two here, Zombieland and Monty Python and the Holy Grail (which, I know you won't believe me, I honestly hadn't seen up until yesterday).

23. Learn to play Dungeons and Dragons

Done and done. I might as well make a post to commemorate something that I finished about a month ago...

December is upon us, and I plan to take another chunk out of this thing once finals end in a fortnight. Until then, nonreaders.

#20, Review 101 Games

Star Fox 64

Released originally on the Nintendo 64, in 1996. Rereleased on the Virtual Console.

This is the game that added "DO A BARREL ROLL" to the internet. And is the second most cited source of vidya furries turning to the fetish after Sonic the Hedgehog.

My brother was a gamer, I was the person that read the faqs to him so that he'd shut up and I could watch the game without having to play. Except water levels, I was always too afraid to watch those. Star Fox 64 is a classic now, which makes me feel very old. Two years ago, Zack, the part time shopkeep at the comic store was playing the VC for the first time ever. It was boggling to think that he didn't know how to unlock the secret paths, hard mode, and medals and stuff.

The game itself is a rail-shooter. You play as Fox, the head of a mercenary group, the titular Star Fox, to strike at the Tyrant Andross, whom is currently winning the war against Corneria. Somehow, four mercs are all that stands between Lylatt's survival and a giant monkey head. Well, there are dumber premises. WAY dumber. This one just skirts the line of plausibility. One of the hardest stages  (the hardest one) has the crew deciding that its a perfectly viable strategy for four men and a big honking mothership to punch through the most fortified area of the enemy's starfleet, thinking it the utmost stealth, seemingly forgetting that the last level was an ambush, and the level before that was a stealth mission that ended with them destroying a naval base. I dunno.

The mechanics are solid, as expected of something Miyamoto slapped his name on. There are moments that are difficult, the bosses can catch you off guard the first few times, but after a few tries, and some dexterity building, you learn to master a sort of button-mashing-riff.

The music is good, epic. Note that the first game had "The Saints Go Marching In" on the soundtrack, so there's a major improvement. Some characters (Slippy) could do with a mute. Its a shame his function is so useful, otherwise I'd kill him each mission just to cram a sock in it.

Multiplayer isn't half bad either, save the pain in the ass that is unlocking all the vehicles.

This is a must-play game. Its a staple of modern gaming, internet lore, and has held up decently enough after nearly 14 years. Trust me, like Sonic, nothing this series has done since this game is worth playing. This is as good as Star Fox gets before you start talking about Smash Bros.


RATING: 9/10

Zombieland Review

Zombieland

"Now don't you feel bad for not paying to see it?"

Nope!

The first movie I've seen since starting this list is Zombieland. Out last in October of 09, its the story of four survivors of the zombie apocalypse. Much like Left4Dead, the plot is pretty much set aside in favor of killing things and humor. Its a refreshing change from more hopeless zombie films, though there is a shallow hoplessness in the story, as we get to know the four heroes.

'The Rules' of Zombieland were probably my favorite part.

Good movie. Hopefully it doesn't get mired in a bunch of sequels though. I think this movie more or less did what it has to do. In an age of Sparkly Vampires and Torture porn, it shines through, and laughs at Scary Movie and other pieces of piss like that.

So, see it. If you haven't.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Its true, I hadn't seen it until yesterday. Like Seinfield, its so steeped into culture, that its not even so funny so much as required viewing to understand why 40% of jokes are funny. A similar phenomenon occurs with H.P. Lovecraft. The influence is all around you, and you don't notice it until you've seen the source.

Uhm, not much else to say.

I could nearly always predict when one of the memetic lines would burst forth. There were still moments that genuinely made me laugh from not having heard them before. The ending though, was like being trolled. Good job, 1975.