tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66190922497808545942024-01-02T23:06:34.677-08:00From the Mind of SlimKirbySlimKirbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12122458958209947452noreply@blogger.comBlogger100125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619092249780854594.post-39253821256196033742011-06-07T16:30:00.000-07:002011-06-07T16:30:50.007-07:00E3 2011Hey guys, SlimKirby here, and welcome to my E3 Update! =D<br />
<br />
First off, I do want to quickly apologize for not making my May 2011 post like I said I was going to do, but there were some things that came up, and I just didn't have the time to do it. I was definitely thinking about it though, so I didn't forget entirely, but when it came down to the final few days of May, I just couldn't fit it into my schedule. But now that E3 is over, I am going to make good on this promise and give you my thoughts and impressions, mostly for the Nintendo stuff. =P<br />
<br />
But I did not only watch the Nintendo stuff this time. In past years, I mostly just read up on what Sony and Microsoft did, but this year I actually sat down and watched their conferences as well. I'm obviously not going to go to in-depth with this, because this blog is affiliated with The Blargg Pit, which is Nintendo-based, so my focus will mostly be on the Big N. However, Sony and Microsoft are competitors though, so it may not be a bad thing to take a gander at what the opposition is up to.<br />
<br />
Microsoft: Ok, regardless of what console's side you are on, and whether you are a fan, a fanboy, or just neutral across all levels of gaming; I think the one thing we can all agree on (and if you don't, there is obviously some ignorance, obliviousness, or denial at play) is that Microsoft just didn't cut it this year. To me, it just felt like they had a very narrow-minded focus, and a focus that won't really help them at this point in the console wars. Their main focus was obviously the Kinect, as nearly every single game focused on "Kinectability" as I like to call it, and it just didn't seem like they brought anything that new or exciting to the table. Now, don't get me wrong, I do like the technology behind the Kinect, and I think it's cool how it works, but for gaming, I'm just not that sold on it. <br />
<br />
Now, since I am obviously a big Nintendo fan, some of you might find that a bit hypocritical, especially since Nintendo was obviously the originator of a fully motion controlled home console, but I feel for the most part, Nintendo has limited that use to the point where it hasn't gotten too overused or repetitive, keeping the heavy use for party games like Wii Sports, the dance games, and Mario Party 8. I mean, look at the most popular Wii games....Super Mario Galaxy, Donkey Kong Country Returns, Animal Crossing: City Folk...those games for the most part aren't fully-motioned controlled. You still move with the control stick (or pad), and the motion controls are really only used for spinning to find star bits, hand pounding the ground, or catching fish. Kinect seems to want you to use motion controls for everything, and that just seems like a bit much, especially for some games. In fact, two games that especially come to mind are Kinect Star Wars and Fable: The Journey. Because of the heavy motion control interface, it feels like those games were demoted to on-rail hacking and slashing games, when they could have been so much more than that. I don't know...it just feels like the whole purpose of Kinect is to overload on motion control as much as they can, when that was never really the intention to begin with, with Nintendo, and with Sony now as well.<br />
<br />
And that was pretty much what the entire conference focused on....just that one aspect of the Xbox360. They didn't have a new console or any hardware announcements; just pretty much what they had last year, and that's kind of a shame, especially considering how hard Sony and Nintendo came swinging this year. So yeah, I was just kind of disappointed with Microsoft this year, and that seems to be the general impression of most gamers as well. I will admit that I've never really been that impressed with Microsoft anyway, but right now, this has just given me even more justification to stay that way and has not convinced me to purchase a XBox360 or any games, which is the opposite direction of what I think they should be going for. Who knows, maybe Microsoft will take this year as a lesson and analyze what they need to do to stay in the video game console market and come back next year with a lot more success. But for now, I feel like they just didn't pull off anything that impressive, and I don't think any Halo announcements are ever going to change that.<br />
<br />
Sony: Aside from being a PS2 owner and being satisfied with that purchase, I will admit that I'm not much of a Sony person either. However, unlike Microsoft, I felt like Sony actually had a goal and a focus for this year's E3, and overall, they just had a better idea of what they were doing. Before the conference, I had a feeling that Sony was probably going to do the exact opposite of what Microsoft did and instead of overloading PSMove coverage, they would just drop it and not show anything. However, they actually ended up surprising me a little bit, and not only did they have PSMove coverage, I felt like they had just the right amount of coverage. And not only that, I also got the impression that they are only using it to enhance certain gameplay elements, not to overload the game with nothing but motion controls, which I think is a very good thing.<br />
<br />
But aside from that, obviously the big news was that Sony is releasing the next Playstation handheld, called Playstation Vita. At this time, I'm still kind of unsure what to think of Vita. I mean, it looks like a neat piece of hardware, and unlike handhelds of the past, will actually provide Nintendo with some competition in the handheld market instead of getting stomped on by the iron foot of the Game Boy and DS, but a part of me is still just not that interested. For the time being though, it does look pretty cool and looks like it will have some sweet software to back it up, so it's at least doing its part in improving on the PSP....not that it was a hard challenge to beat. <br />
<br />
Sony did a good job though and I definitely give them major props with what they had to show. I wouldn't say they had anything ground-breaking, but likewise, I can't really say there was anything I didn't like or hated either. Definitely a big improvement from last year, at least in my opinion.<br />
<br />
So yeah, that's really all I am going to say about the Microsoft and Sony conferences. I'm sorry if you were expecting a little more, but I'm going to be saving most of my comments and thoughts for a podcast I will be doing soon with Odinspack33 and ShadowMarioXLI. I'll talk more about that on my channel though when the podcast actually goes up, so stay tuned for that!<br />
<br />
Anyway, let's move on to Nintendo!<br />
<br />
-----------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
Nintendo:<br />
<br />
3 years ago, Nintendo had a pretty bad conference. 2 years ago, they brought it back together. And last year.....last year was just amazing and was a hard year to beat. Did Nintendo beat it this year though? With the announcement of Project Cafe (aka: Wii U) and with more news on the Nintendo 3DS and Zelda: Skyward Sword, Nintendo had good ground to start with. But what is the verdict? Let's start going through the actual conference from the very beginning to the end.<br />
<br />
Zelda: Skyward Sword and Zelda 25th Anniversary - The first part of the show was pretty heavy on Zelda. They talked a little about future releases including Skyward Sword, Ocarina of Time 3D, Link's Awakening for 3DS's eShop, and Four Swords for DSi Ware. They didn't really show much gameplay aside from trailers and the like, but so far, it's a lot of Zelda, which should make a lot of people happy. They also showcased the orchestral music of Skyward Sword and for the 25th Anniversary Celebration, which was pretty cool. However, as I said, it was pretty heavy on Zelda at the beginning there and could have used that time on some of the other games that were shown after the conference.<br />
<br />
3DS Titles:<br />
<br />
Mario Kart - Mario Kart meets Pilotwings.....why are there hang gliders? XD Ok, the hang gliders were kind of odd at first, but I think Nintendo knows what they are doing and I'm sure things will seem a bit more sensible when the game is shown more. I am excited though because I do love Mario Kart.<br />
<br />
Star Fox 64 3D - Not much extra was really shown from last year, but it is interesting to see what they are doing with the multiplayer and how they are using the 3DS camera.<br />
<br />
Super Mario 3D - This game is looking really good so far. The platforming looks as impressive as it is in Galaxy, and that's a really good sign. Also...the return of the Tanooki suit......EPIC! =O<br />
<br />
Kid Icarus: Uprising - As I said at the end of last year's conference, this title is definitely shaping up to look truly amazing, and I feel pretty much the same right now as well. Interested to see how the multiplayer works as well.<br />
<br />
Luigi's Mansion 2 - Biggest software surprise of this year by far. I was definitely not expecting this, but there it was! Interested to see how big this game actually is, since it is apparently not just one mansion, but I am glad to see a new Luigi in production.<br />
<br />
Nintendo Wii U:<br />
<br />
There were a few other things in the conference before the WiiU closer, but they were very brief and pretty much had to do with the new console anyway. That aside, the Wii U is looking great! It's still fairly early, and even I'm still a little unsure of all the features that will be included, but for now....graphics look great, tremendous 3rd party support, and a very interesting premise when it comes to the controller design, which is perhaps the biggest thing about the Wii U. It seems like Nintendo wants to put a little more emphasis on handheld gaming, with the ability to use the controller like a portable version of the system. I'm sure this will definitely bring out a lot of criticisms from gamers, but in a way, I could almost compare this to what Sony is doing with the PSV, as it also had a similar feature as well. Again though, it is still fairly early, and I am really interested to see how this develops. Also, who is to say that this is the end of the features? I'm sure there will be plenty of more things revealed about the WiiU as time goes on.<br />
<br />
2 New Smash Bros. Games - No footage given, but the announcement of 2 new Super Smash Bros. games is something to definitely get excited about! One for the 3DS and one for the WiiU! Perfect! =)<br />
<br />
As for the actual conference, it did end at the WiiU, but there were plenty of other game revelations. I'll go over a few of them right now!<br />
<br />
Mario Party 9 - Yes guys...I am aware of this, and I have to say that it is about time! And not just for the game either......I was getting a little tired of all the "Will you do Mario Party 9 when it comes out?" comments when there was no confirmation of the game whatsoever. But no...the game is coming, and I couldn't be happier! I watched the trailer and it's looking really good! It seems like there will be a lot of different modes though, as a lot of the footage revolved around all of the characters traveling together in a car across the board, while there were also solo movements as well. It'll be interesting to see how this game develops, but I am looking forward to it!<br />
<br />
Kirby Wii and Kirby Mass Attack - Two new kirby games? That's pretty sweet! Especially this soon after Epic Yarn...but I guess that was a different company that worked on it. Anyway, both games look fun, especially the Wii game! There looks to be a lot of very interesting powers, and the ability for 4-player co-op? (that's at least my impression from the trailer) That just makes it sweeter! =P I'm still not sure what to think about the DS game Mass Attack though. I would love to see more, but it looks pretty unique so far. Kinda has an Amazing Mirror type of gameplay, but with more stylus controls....which is definitely interesting.<br />
<br />
Paper Mario 3DS and Animal Crossing 3DS - I grouped these two together because they were technically revealed last year, but with no major developments this year....just that they are still in development and with some new screen shots. Both are still looking good and I am definitely looking forward to both of them. Animal Crossing seems to be adding a few new features, which is cool, and Paper Mario looks to have the same, incredible gameplay of the other Paper Mario games and Mario RPGs, so both should definitely be hits. =)<br />
<br />
So yeah, those are just some of the things Nintendo is working on! There is obviously a lot more going on that I didn't cover, but again, more is going to be discussed during the E3 podcast when we get around to it. I just wanted to cover a few things for this entry. Overall, I thought Nintendo did great! The focus was obviously a little more on hardware this time around, but I don't think that was necessarily a bad thing, because they still had software regardless. In fact, the software coverage was perhaps on the device that needed it the most, the 3DS. So yeah, things are looking pretty good. Next year we should see a treasure trove of stuff for the WiiU and more exciting things on the 3DS, and Nintendo should continue to be in a great position. Good work Ninty! =)<br />
<br />
Things I Think Should Have Been There - Nintendo.....where the hell is Pikmin 3? Are you just teasing us with the game now? =P Haha, the Pikmin 3 info, or rather, lack of info, doesn't really bother me that much, because despite it, they are still giving us some excellent stuff regardless. However, this is the 3rd E3 since they first briefly mentioned it was in production at E3 2008, and besides words, we haven't really seen anything or know anything about it. I know Nintendo probably has their reasons, but I was really looking forward to some answers this year and kind of left a little empty-handed. E3 technically isn't over yet, so something could still come out of left field, but if Nintendo really wanted to make a splash, I think Pikmin 3 could have created waves. Also, it's been awhile since we have heard anything from F-Zero, Star Fox, and Fire Emblem (just to name a few) as well. I mean, Star Fox has the 64 remake, and Fire Emblem is working on a remake of the 3rd Japanese game for America as well, but I'm talking original games here....and there has been a bit of a drought. I'm sure we'll hear something eventually, but still, an announcement of some of these calibers could have taken Nintendo above and beyond! Just my opinion....<br />
<br />
But yeah, that's really all I have to say about E3! Keep in mind, these are just my opinions, and if you guys want to share yours, go ahead! Also, stay tuned to my channel for an update on the podcast I'll be doing for more information!<br />
<br />
Thank you for your time guys, see you later! =)SlimKirbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12122458958209947452noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619092249780854594.post-51008961445541560482011-05-13T11:48:00.000-07:002011-05-13T11:48:43.923-07:005/13/11 - Where the Hell Am I?Hey guys, I have a short, quick update for you in regards to the blog.<br />
<br />
As you guys know, it has been awhile since my last entry. In fact...this may be the longest hiatus I've had in the history of this blog's existence. I do apologize for this absence, but understand that for the most part, it hasn't been been unwarranted.<br />
<br />
I did just finish my Spring semester of college about 2 weeks ago, and I was quite busy because of that semester. Even though this semester was probably my best semester in the four years I've been attending college, it was still quite a lot to take in terms of the class work. A three-month term paper, lots and lots of computer programming assignments (including languages I've never worked with before), busy-work out the whazoo, and an Algorithms class...which alone took up much of my free time as it was.....yeah, it wasn't exactly easy dealing with all of that. But in a way, I'm glad I put so much of my focus into my studies this semester, because I got an amazing GPA out of it. Unfortunately though, it did cause me to hit other things to much lesser extent, including my Youtube projects, as it pretty much forced me to stop doing daily updates (which is in theory, fine, because my videos can be twice as long as they were a year ago anyway, so a 1 day update is about 2 days worth of content back then), and of course this blog, which just seemed pointless to update when I barely had anything interesting to say regardless, and when all of my updates are on my channel and twitter anyway.<br />
<br />
So yeah, that explains about a month and a half of my 2 month absence...but what about these last two weeks? I've gotten time to myself....I don't have a leaving-home job....there is no real excuse for me not to be updating this....right? Well, I actually agree with you guys here, because there is no excuse to why I haven't been updating. I mean, I guess I could say that since I am trying to do daily updates again, that it has taken a lot of my time away, but I reserve 3 days during every week to do recording, one for each of my 3 projects, and even then, that doesn't take a large part of my time, plus I have the other 4 days too. There have been other things as well, taking care of my dog while my parents are still working, spending time with my family in general, helping around the house when needed....but still, that doesn't require around-the-clock attention either. So what exactly could be my reason?<br />
<br />
In all honesty, I just don't really have that much to talk about right now. Point blank, I think that's the only reason. First I give myself deadlines, but the deadlines only make me stressed to come up with anything to talk about. I take away the deadlines, and then I just leave it alone and don't do anything with it for several months. The only thing I can really think of to try is to find a balance of the two. You know, where I give myself a goal or a deadline, and if I somehow don't make it, it won't be a big deal and I can either talk to a very little extent, or just not worry about the entry at all and then just set the next deadline...or something like that. The only problem with that though is I'm still kind of opening myself up to either of the two, earlier mentioned scenarios. After all, I'm still giving myself deadlines on one-hand, and still a lot of flexibility on the other. I guess when it comes down to it, you can't really have a balance for something like a blog....it all kind of depends on the individual effort.<br />
<br />
So I dunno, I guess the main reason why I'm making this update today is that I just wanted to give you guys an update on what's going on in this front, or rather, what isn't going on. I'm still trying to modify my plans for the blog and trying to figure out how I want to go about working on this. Because that's something else.....despite what it seems, I do want to use this blog in some way, and I don't just want to mark it as a failure and move on from it. I would like to use this again....I just need to figure out how I should go about doing that.<br />
<br />
During the summer, I will try to get a few updates out there. E3 is coming up, and since Mario Party 8 is almost over, I'll need a place to discuss the event and all of the stuff Nintendo is coming out with, so you can definitely expect an update on that front. Not only that, but I do have a lot of big projects coming soon as well on my Youtube channel, so you can expect some inside information there as well. But for now, I'll try to aim for an entry before the end of May. I think that sounds like a fair, and make-able deal.<br />
<br />
Otherwise, I think that's all I really wanted to say. Thanks for listening, and I'll see you guys later!<br />
<br />
-SlimKirby.SlimKirbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12122458958209947452noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619092249780854594.post-63606360366087988702011-03-18T06:25:00.000-07:002011-03-18T06:26:18.143-07:003/18/11 - And The Kirbys Go Marching In!GASP!<br />
<br />
And almost two months later, you hear from me again!<br />
<br />
Wow, it's been awhile since I've made an update on here, hasn't it? I honestly didn't even realize how long this wait has been until MadameWario made her most recent blog entry, and that's when I realized, "Hmmmm, that's right, I have a blog too." All in all, it's not a big deal though I guess. After all, in my last entry, I even said that I would only be updating with unscheduled, informal entries from now on, just so whenever I did write, I wouldn't feel pressured to get something up by a deadline and that way I could also talk about other things instead of having nothing to talk about. So instead of spending an entire paragraph apologizing (although I have already spent an entire paragraph justifying my absence X_X), let's get right into it.<br />
<br />
Currently I am in my 8th/9th week of my 8th semester of college, and so far, it's actually been going pretty well. I actually feel like I'm doing well in my classes, and for the first time in the last 4 years, I'm actually happy with how things are going at my university. I still don't want to be here, but at least I'm not depressed while not wanting to be here. =P The way things are going now, I will still have another year to spend here (1/2 the year on campus, the other 1/2 commuting because I'll only have 2 or 3 classes), which does kind of suck because I'll be a 5-year graduate instead of a 4-year, but for a college student, and one that has changed his major twice, that's actually pretty good. Just have to keep my grades up and stay on this high, and I'll have that bachelor's degree in no time! =P<br />
<br />
In the gaming world, I can't really say too much at this point, but the release of the Nintendo 3DS is just around the corner! To be quite honest, I actually didn't pre-order the handheld, and will be testing my stupid luck to see if I can maybe pick it up at launch (or a few weeks after launch). I know I am probably not being smart about this purchase, especially considering how epic the Nintendo Wii launch was, but I don't know......the part of my state where I live (technically both parts...my home and college), just doesn't embrace video games as much as the rest of the world, and generally, I have very little issue getting anything on launch date anyway. Not only that, I'm not really even sure I want the 3DS on launch just because there aren't any big games just yet. The only launch game I'm even remotely excited about is Pilotwings Resort, and even then, I don't expect that game to hold me over for THAT long. I might wait until some other big name games come out first, but I guess even then, it's still too early to tell. I will say though, for once, money is not and will never be an issue for me and games anymore....although that's a story for another day....or never. >=)<br />
<br />
I did pick up Pokemon Black though and have been spending a great deal of time with it. So far, it's actually a pretty sweet game. It's given me frustrations, but it's also given me some good times as well. It definitely has its own charm despite not changing too much in Pokemon formula, which I do give it a lot of credit for. A lot of people I know criticize the game for not being very different from its predecessors, and make it seem like every new game is just a dump of 100+ more Pokemon, but really, you can't blame Pokemon too much for that. It just seems to have a case of the "Simpsons Did It" curse, where eventually it just gets to the point where they are digging way too deep for ideas and usually end either up going in a very weird direction, or just end up slightly re-factoring an idea that's already been done. It doesn't mean it's bad or anything, rather originality is just a little harder to come by, and sometimes when it is, it's a rather strange originality. One thing I can definitely give this generation props for is the story, because the story is rather unique in it's own way, especially when compared to the other generations. But yeah, that's my take so far on Pokemon B/W.<br />
<br />
As for other games, I can honestly say that I haven't really been playing much besides that. If anything, I've been trying to go back through older games, mainly for nostalgia, and also I've been trying to think of some future LP ideas as well. I recently finished completing my Virtual Console copy of Mario Party 2, unlocking every mini-game and beating the dreaded Mini-Game Coaster on all 3 difficulty levels.....which was a challenge, to say the least....mainly due to controls actually. I've also been trying to finish up a Hard Mode playthrough of Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, which I kind of stopped just because it got to the point of somewhat tedium. Not because of it being difficult or anything. It's just that the chapters take a lot longer and they are already pretty long chapters. Also I am a very bad multi-tasker, which is relevant because I for some reason kept trying to do other things whenever I would play the game. X_X<br />
<br />
And I guess with that, I can start getting into Youtube stuff. Well, since I last left you guys, I finished up New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and started a new project, "Mystical Ninja: Starring Goemon," which has generally been getting a really positive reception from people. In fact, at the top of my head, I honestly can't think of any negative feedback on the game thus far, which I guess is a good sign. I should also be starting Mario Party 8 very soon and I have a lot of big ideas for the future (moreso than I did 2 months ago), so yeah, things are going pretty well. I'm also about to hit 40,000 subscribers as well, so thanks to all of you for making that possible! =) I don't have much to report from CrystalStarStudio or The Blargg Pit at this time, but keep your eyes peeled as I'm sure we will have a lot of interesting stuff coming up soon!<br />
<br />
Anyways, I think that's about all I need to report on, so I'll talk to you guys later! Hope you guys had a great Spring Break for those who had it already, and if you haven't, hope you have a good one when it comes up. Not sure how long the wait for the next entry will be, but I'll try to make it sooner than the last one (no promises though).<br />
<br />
Later folks!SlimKirbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12122458958209947452noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619092249780854594.post-46403176644697748482011-01-20T10:24:00.000-08:002011-01-20T10:24:34.971-08:001/20/11 - Let's Just Take it Slow...Hey guys, SlimKirby here!<br />
<br />
It's been awhile hasn't it? Almost 3 weeks in fact, but nonetheless, here I am for another blog entry, and for what is technically my 100th entry. Last time, I got a little deep about the future of this blog and if there was any possibility of me continuing it after some pretty major doubts. I have been doing a lot of thinking, like I said I would, and I'm still just honestly not sure about the direction of where to take this. So I decided that for the time being, I just wouldn't worry about it and focus on doing informal, unplanned entries for awhile, because honestly, isn't that what a blog should be about? Well, in my opinion it should be, so that's what I'm going to do. Who knows, this may actually allow me more time to think about where I want to take this and get me excited about updating again! So yeah, basically, just don't expect an entry every week, and I'll do my part in trying to get something out every now and then. Also, don't be surprised if some of my entries end up being progress reports for my channel, because while some of you probably get enough of that on my channel as it is, that's really the biggest thing going on in my life at this point, which will seem kind of sad to some of you, but when you look at my fanbase, and the benefits I'm getting.....it's a lot more important than you would think. But anyway, enough rambling, that is going to be the plan.<br />
<br />
So what has happened since I'm gone? Well....I had a really great Holiday season, as I think I mentioned during my last entry, but I'm going to put emphasis on that again just because it really was a great Holiday, definitely the greatest one I've had for awhile. I got to see a lot of family and friends (mostly family because most of my friends decided to pull a little vanishing act on me...jerks), I got a lot of new gifts and games, and just had a very good time in general. And also (and I'm sure several people are going to freak out about this), I even got to meet MadameWario face-to-face for the first time! And yes, she's just as fierce and pimptastic as she is in real life. =P So yeah, it was a really good break......and it's kind of a shame that it's over already. =(<br />
<br />
But yes, I am once again back in school again for my 8th (and unfortunately, not final) semester of college classes! This semester might actually end up being a little easier than my last two, just because of the nature of some of my professors, which I guess is a good thing, but it still might be a bit too early to tell. All of my classes are pretty much morning classes, which gives me a lot of time to goof off in the afternoon and still get some work done on assignments or video projects if I need to. I have an 8 AM class (which may not seem bad to high school students, but trust me, 8 AM is like the equivalent of 5 AM for college students), followed by a two hour block of two classes from 10 - 12 on 3 of the 5 days of the week....something I'm still trying to get used to, but I'm sure I will in the coming weeks. To me, college has always been pretty formulaic, in that once you get a routine going, as long as you stick to that routine, you are pretty much setting yourself up for success every time. The earlier you learn that, the better off you will be.<br />
<br />
This Christmas, along with my brand new laptop which I bragged about a few entries ago, I did get quite a few different games, consisting of Samurai Warriors 3, Goldeneye 007 (Wii), Epic Mickey, Zelda: Four Swords Adventure, Advance Wars Dual Strike and Days of Ruin, and a few games on Virtual Console (some of which were actually gifts from other Youtube users and LPers! ;)) I really only got the first 3 as gifts, as the other ones were actually GameStop purchases, but I technically used a lot of the money I got for the Holiday on those games regardless. I haven't touched very many of these games yet (just not have had the time, plus when I have, I've been way too obsessed with Samurai Warriors 3 to play anything else), but I'm sure I'll get them played and I'm sure I will talk about them as well.<br />
<br />
I also had my all-day stream of Kirby games about 2 1/2 weeks ago, which for the most part went pretty well, aside from UStream failing on me in a number of different ways (the biggest being destroying most of my recordings of the stream X_X). I guess the biggest thing I can take from the stream event is the realization that I need to plan streams better in the sense of being prepared for the games I'm doing and not biting off more than I can chew, and also that UStream is not an efficient website for streaming. Live and Learn I guess......<br />
<br />
As far as Youtube stuff is concerned, I guess things are going well. I'm still not completely ready to start recording with my new set-up, so I've been spending the last few weeks on recordings I've been able to get done while I was at home. Kirby's Dream Course finished up last week, and thank God am I relieved. Again, it's not that I hated the project..it was just a lot more difficult than I thought it would be (and I already knew it was a pretty difficult game). I probably should have done the playthrough on an emulator, because in the way I handled it, I spent more time overall on failed attempts than I did successful attempts, and that didn't really help me one bit. Mario Party 7 is starting to wrap up, and at this point I have all of the videos recorded, so it's not like there is anything major preventing me from finishing up that project. I just want to drag it on (although that's putting that in such a negative way) for a little bit so I don't finish that too quickly and then as a result, also finish Mario Bros. Wii too quickly. I technically know what my next project is going to be at this point, so it's not like I have no idea of what to do afterwards, or anything like that, but this is definitely the most tapped out I've been on ideas, so I am definitely trying to keep an easy flow going as I try to come up with some other ideas. And lastly, there is New Super Mario Bros. Wii, perhaps the project I am the most satisfied with at this point. I'm actually moving through the game a lot faster than I expected to, even with the larger time limit, and for the most part, I think it has been moving along pretty well, and going along well with my audiences. I think it was definitely a great project to start the year with (even though it did start in the 2nd half of December). That project should finish up sometime in February.<br />
<br />
Also in other Youtube-related news, things have started up again on CrystalStarStudio with 2 new projects, a 3rd on the way, the concluding videos of TTYD, and then some other great stuff to follow suit. The project I am involved in still won't be starting for a few weeks (still trying to work out all of kinks), but it will be here eventually. <br />
<br />
There has been a lot going on recently, and there is so much else I could discuss as well, but I know you guys can only listen to me ramble on for so long, so I think I'm going to try and end it here. So yeah, this is how you can expect the blog to be from now on; all updates will be informal and independent of a common format, and they will all be unscheduled and unplanned (I will try to announce on twitter and/or my channel page when I do have an entry though, so don't worry about checking here all the time). And basically, yeah, that's how you can expect things from now on, or at least for a little while. I may decide to get back on a common format and schedule eventually, but for now, it's not something I will worry about.<br />
<br />
I guess that's about it. I will talk to you guys later and see you around Youtube! Take it easy! Later folks!<br />
<br />
- SlimKirbySlimKirbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12122458958209947452noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619092249780854594.post-78932293207633064062011-01-03T19:10:00.000-08:002011-01-03T19:10:46.336-08:00Where in the World is SlimKirby?Hey guys, SlimKirby here with a short message.<br />
<br />
As you may have noticed, I haven't been doing very much updating as of late. Last you heard from me was the weekend before Christmas, and it's already a few days into the new year, so first off, I hope you guys have had a wonderful holiday season and happy new year celebration like I did! =)<br />
<br />
Now, getting on to the main point of this entry; my lack of updating on this front.<br />
<br />
Some of you have probably already realized the reason for my lack of updating (or for those who don't like this justification, my excuse for not updating) stems from the fact that I have been pretty busy as of late keeping up with family, friends, and all of that other general holiday stuff. And for the most part, that is true, but I can't honestly say that is the only reason.<br />
<br />
I'm not sure how evident it has been in recent entries, but I've just been getting a bit tired of doing a new entry for this blog every week. It's slowly starting to become more of a chore than an activity I like doing (which is how it started), and if it is becoming THAT much of a burden, I really don't think I should do it anymore, or as often. I've always been under the belief that negative feelings of an activity often contribute to poor performance on that particular activity, and I don't really think my blog, or my readers deserve a half-baked entry every week of me saying, "Oh god this week was busy" and "ZOMG! ZOMG! YOUTUBE PROJECTS!" I honestly just don't have that much to talk about, and when I do, I take care of it in my videos or through other media. The only reason I kept with the blog for so long was when I was doing my daily updates back during my Let's Play of The Simpsons: Hit and Run, I legitimately enjoyed doing it, which is why I updated every day. After a few weeks of that, I felt burnt out again, so I switched to weekly updates, and not even 1/2 of a year through that, I was already starting to update late and sometimes just not at all. I'm not sure if this means I should switch to every 2 or 3 weeks, or even monthly updates, but it honestly feels like no matter what, even that would be shortly lived.<br />
<br />
Now, don't get me wrong, I do like keeping the blog and if I can make it work, I will definitely do everything I can to keep it moving, but at this point, it feels like I'm more forced to write it rather than just doing it myself, which is not what a blog should feel like. So yeah, that is the dilemma, and where I go from here....I'm not exactly sure. <br />
<br />
So here's the deal, I'm going to give myself a few more days (or weeks) to think about everything, and I'll see if I can maybe figure something out. If I determine that the blog might be something worth keeping, then I'll try my best to keep it going at my own pace (but it will not be a weekly pace, I assure you (unless that is what will work best, but eh...whatever)). If not, I'll probably wait til the very least, my 100th entry (this is technically entry #99, but I won't count this as part of the count) and then close it up for a little while until I feel like brining it back again.<br />
<br />
Thanks for understanding guys, if you did. If not, oh well, I can't please everyone. Thank you for your time, and I will talk to you guys later.<br />
<br />
Later folks!<br />
-SlimKirbySlimKirbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12122458958209947452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619092249780854594.post-29751047787614963522010-12-20T20:53:00.000-08:002010-12-20T20:53:08.420-08:0012/20/10 - One Break to Rule Them All!Hello everybody, SlimKirby here, and welcome to another blog entry! <br />
<br />
First off, big apologies for not being able to update last week, but I really needed that time to study for finals. And then I also missed my update yesterday just because I had some other things going on. However, I did find some time to update tonight, so I figured I would, even if it will probably end up being a small one.<br />
<br />
So I am finally on my Winter Break, and my god am I thrilled to be. That last semester of mine seriously never wanted to end. But thankfully I can look past it now and try to regroup. As for my grades, I don't expect very much or really any high marks, but I have a pretty solid cumulative GPA right now, and if I just get my act together, the blunders I made this semester shouldn't impact it very much.<br />
<br />
Also some recent things to note, I have officially ordered my new laptop and should be getting it sometime after Christmas. For the time being I can manage recording on my "stay-at-home" desktop, but soon I should be back in action in terms of where I was a month and a half ago. But anyway, I'm going to be getting an HP Core i7 (which was quite pricey...but I didn't have any major requests for Christmas, which kind of justifies it (plus this is something I actually need)), and I am very much looking forward to getting it. =D<br />
<br />
Besides that though, I don't have too much to report. I've basically been trying to take it easy these last few days before things start getting crazy with the activity and family get-togethers. Christmas is that time of year after all! =P<br />
<br />
Anyways, moving on to Youtube stuff.....hooray for being completely back in action! Not only did I resume progress in both Kirby's Dream Course and Mario Party 7, I also added a new project to my list, that game being New Super Mario Bros. Wii, a game that I have actually done an online project for, but just not on Youtube. It feels good to be back in the swing of things, but let's hope that the "3 PROJECTS" don't hold me down too much. =P<br />
<br />
Ok, so first off, for the first time in a month and a half, I can talk about Mario Party! The board I did this weekend was Neon Heights, a board, as I mentioned, that is far from my favorite, just because of the luck-based nature. Yeah, it seems kind of contradictory to hate on a board for something like that because so much of the game is luck-based already, but the board mechanic just adds that much more to it. I mean, from the beginning of the playthrough, I think that was pretty evident by the fact that I had such a hard time getting a star at first despite having quite a bit of coins, and the computer players seemed to get to them no problem. This is especially made true by the fact that the star is technically only worth 10 coins, and even if you get the wrong chest, you still have a 1 in 2 chance of getting those coins back with an additional 10 on top of it, and if not, well, that bob-omb just ends up screwing things up too. =P But nonetheless, I stayed pretty much at the top in terms of coin count, and that ended up working quite well for me. And it also helped that I was a demon when it came to the mini-games. >=D And I know I made such a big deal out of it, but man, I was glad that the bonus stars couldn't decide the outcome, because it was kind of lame how the 3 bonus stars I would have won weren't even up as options and the fact that Daisy got the 3 that were offered. If I didn't have more coins than she, I would have been in trouble. =P But in the end, I got a rightfully deserved victory, and I guess that is all that matters. Oh and lol @ Magmagical Journey happening in the same turn right after one another.<br />
<br />
As for Kirby's Dream Course, things are going ok I guess. At this point I have more than half of the project recorded and I should be done before break...or at least that is the hope. If not, I'll be finishing just as I return back to college. Despite some criticisms on the commentary (or rather the idea that people can't understand that my voice has a natural monotone to it that I can't control), I'd say the project is going along well.<br />
<br />
And yesterday, or technically today because it was updated at midnight..... although yesterday might be more appropriate since this blog probably won't be read til after this coming midnight......bah, technicalities.....the point is, I started New Super Mario Bros. Wii in my last video! I will admit, at first I was kind of unsure about the game as I was filming the episodes, but after I got done and started putting them together.....I dunno, it started to grow on me a little bit, and this should be a pretty fun project. Although the one thing I will say...never announce in a Let's Play how familiar you are with a game...the commenters will go after you on every little thing. I think one of the things I said in the first video was, "I know this game decently well," (which I think is true), but everyone interpreted that as, "I KNOW EVERYTHINGZ, I R MASTER, GIVE ME MONEYZ!" and everytime I said the slightest thing wrong, or missed something, it's almost like I violated one of the 10 Commandments. I mean, the people that do that are stupid, so it shouldn't bother me, and don't get me wrong, the idiotic comments don't bother me at all....but I am seriously concerned with the intelligence of most Youtube users. I really hate saying that, but come on, is it really that hard to use your brain or common sense to such a small degree? Is it? I guess not.....<br />
<br />
Anyways, that is what is new in Youtube for me, so I hope you guys enjoy all the projects I have for you throughout this Winter Break, and hopefully you guys will be able to see nothing but daily updates from me from now on! =) <br />
<br />
Once again, while I have finished Donkey Kong Country Returns at this point, I still don't feel comfortable enough talking about it, so once again I am putting that review on hold. And because of that, I think that about does it for this entry! Thanks for joining me this week and I'll see you next week for more bloggish excitement....unless I decide not to update due to Christmas and my 22nd Birthday! =)<br />
<br />
Later Folks!<br />
-SlimKirbySlimKirbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12122458958209947452noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619092249780854594.post-86640705840636583432010-12-05T17:47:00.000-08:002010-12-05T17:47:06.170-08:0012/5/10 - A Decemberish Update Type of EntryHello everybody, SlimKirby here, and welcome to another weekly blog entry. The month of December has finally began and the first snows of the season have already been upon us, or at least for me anyways. Not only that, but at this point I only have about 10 days left here at my university for my fall semester, so I am really looking forward to being done with the freaking semester that has tried so hard to get the best of me. Oh well, it’s almost over now and I can seriously see the light at the end of the tunnel. I just have to get past this difficult week and then make it through a week of finals, and then I’m done. Anyways, let’s get to talks about stuffs.<br />
<br />
First off, I will say that I do have my laptop back now. Unfortunately, the changes made to it to get it to work got rid of any ability or capability for the machine to record anything, so I can no longer make videos at this time. However, this does not mean I’m necessarily “out of commission” until I get a new one. I still have videos ready for this coming week and then unfortunately I will have to take another small break (for just a week) when I won’t have any videos at all, but after that week I should have the capability to record again before I actually get my new laptop. I’ll basically be recording in the same fashion that I recorded my first Kirby’s Dream Course videos, but this time I’ll actually have a TV screen to look at while I’m playing and not just the stupid Windows Movie Maker window, which I refuse to use to play Mario Party 7 and my next playthrough.<br />
<br />
Speaking of Youtube stuff…..HOORAY FOR UPDATES THIS WEEK! I can’t believe I’m actually saying this, but it actually felt good to make updates again. Of course they weren’t daily updates or anything like that, but still, it felt like that small part of my life that vanished for a few weeks had finally returned to me. I only hope the return was enough of an impact for the viewing public, which from the reception, I’d say it was at least good enough.<br />
<br />
So let’s get started talking about Kirby’s Dream Course. This was a game that I really wanted to do for awhile, and for the longest time I was juggling my thoughts together about whether or not I wanted to do this game or either Super Bomberman 3 or The Adventures of Lolo 3. Of the three games, I knew this game was going to be the biggest challenge because Super Bomberman 3 is actually pretty damn easy, and Lolo 3, despite how challenging the series actually is, I think for a Let’s Play it actually is a pretty sensible choice and a game that’s relatively easy to handle. All you need to do is just record yourself playing through, cut out footage if you really need to, and WHAM, you have yourself a video. Kirby’s Dream Course, while really anti-climatic for a casual Let’s Play, if you want to do an all-gold medal playthrough like I am doing, you’re going to be in for quite a storm if you aren’t an expert player. I am of course not an expert player, but I think I’m good enough to at least handle the expert-leveled challenge that the game offers. I knew from the beginning that I would 1) have to play the courses multiple times, 2) make plenty of footage cuts until I got everything right, and 3) practice and do my research on game mechanics to get the best performance possible. Since I am not working with an emulator on this Let’s Play, save states were out of the question and I’d have to get the gold medals based on personal skill alone. I actually almost considered making the move to an emulator during the final weeks leading up to this Let’s Play, but then my computer went “kah-put” (or however you spell that) and forced me to use my Virtual Console copy instead. In the end though, I don’t think game was a bad choice, I just knew that I was going to be in for a lot.<br />
<br />
The first recordings of this game were actually pretty “interesting,” and I’m not sure if I mean in a good way or a bad way. I wouldn’t say they were “catastrophic,” necessarily, but they were pretty far from easy-going…that’s for sure. The first recording, I really didn’t mind how that turned out just because it was the first video, and no first video is truly that perfect. I just figured I would cover the basics, do what I could to get a good score, and if I didn’t succeed, I could easily just try again and knock it out of the park, which is pretty much how that worked. The 2nd video/course was a little more strenuous, just because of that stupid recording glitch which caused me to redo that entire course. The 3rd was ok, but I had to replay that so many times due to small, stupid mistakes that I really shouldn’t have made. The following 3 videos, which I also recorded at around the same time, and which will also be released on my channel this coming week, were pretty much the same story. I got them done, but they could have been smoother for me. I’m really hoping the recording set-up that I’ll be using when I return home will be so much more beneficial for me, because it seems like my timing is just a bit off when I was playing the game for my finished videos. Oh well, I guess it’s just something we will have to wait and see what happens. For now though, I hope you guys enjoy.<br />
<br />
As for Mario Party 7, I feel so bad that I haven’t been able to update this project, just because the first half of the Party Mode playthrough went pretty well for me. I did have that stupid loss at Pyramid Park, but even that went well considering. It really sucks that I had to put this on such a long hiatus, especially since at this point I actually would have been finished with Party Mode by now. Looks like the extra videos and even Party Mode itself will be going on til the first weeks of 2011.<br />
<br />
As I briefly mentioned earlier in the blog, I actually had another playthrough planned for the month of December. However, due to how cruel nature can be to a Kirby with sunglasses, that project is also going to be significantly delayed quite a bit. At this point I was honestly hoping to have started the project as I finished Mario Party 7 and as I was closing out Dream Course, but now it looks I’ll be smack dab in the middle of both at this project’s beginning. It really, really does suck, I will admit, but that’s the price you pay when you go about 3 weeks of no updating, 2 weeks of light updating, and then another week of no activity. Again, just for emphasis, it sucks, but you really can’t control these things. In a perfect world, my Computer Tech people would be geniuses that could fix any problem simply by touching the screen, instead of taking it apart and having it at the mercy of their cold-hearted souls. In the end though, I still plan to release this project, whatever it is, around the week of Christmas, so I hope you guys enjoy it when that time comes (and yes, once again, keeping the project in the dark. ;)).<br />
<br />
I could talk about a few other things, like CSS or the Kirby’s Stream Land stream I talked about during my 20,000 Subscriber special, but honestly, these are things that I just can’t address at this time because there is honestly just too much going on and the future is just uncertain. I’ll try to keep you guys updated as much as possible.<br />
<br />
Also, this is going to be a short entry just because I’m really, really, really busy at this time. Plus I haven’t exactly made any progress on Donkey Kong Country Returns so I’m not ready to talk more about that yet. So without further adieu, I’m going to close the blog entry up here and talk to you guys next week! See you then!<br />
<br />
Later folks!<br />
-SlimKirbySlimKirbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12122458958209947452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619092249780854594.post-36253136599905285732010-11-28T21:59:00.000-08:002010-11-28T21:59:28.974-08:0011/28/10 - SlimKirby: Returns!Hello everbody, SlimKirby here!<br />
<br />
The title is no lie, SlimKirby has definitely returned, but in more ways than one (and not just because I got Donkey Kong Country: Returns =P). For one, it is time for another exciting blog entry, and two, as of tomorrow, I should be returning to the Youtube scene after 3 long weeks of not updating. Will this return set the wheels back in motion, will my laptop be back in action, will SlimKirby still be able to lead the Germans to victory on that Civilization II file I keep talking about? The answers to these questions will be answered….shortly.<br />
<br />
First up, the laptop situation should finally be done with after tomorrow (the key-word is “should.”). I talked to the computer people on Wednesday and they’ve told me that there is nothing they can do about getting my laptop back up to the way it was before I started having problems, so they are going to do something else. Basically, what they are going to do instead is install a thing called Virtual Box onto my laptop. With this, I will be able to control a Mac OS and Windows OS simultaneously besides just one or the other. Of course I’ll lose some functionality this way, but it’s the only thing they believe they can do about this for now. Installing Windows via Boot Camp is impossible with the way my laptop currently is, which again is very strange because they actually say my computer is mechanically fine. Anyways, in the long run, just having the Windows OS would solve a majority of my problems, so I’m taking this as a victory for the time being. Of course, I’m not really sure what this means for my videos as far as this laptop is concerned. The thing is, my capture card only works on the Windows OS and is completely unrecognized when I plug it in whenever I’m on the Mac side. I’m not sure if Virtual Box will affect the device, but there is always that possibility. I guess the only thing I can really do is test it once I get my computer back, whether it’s tomorrow or Tuesday, or whenever the hell it will be X_X.<br />
<br />
Now you are probably wondering….with this uncertainty still at play, how exactly will I be making my return tomorrow? Well, let’s just say that during this Thanksgiving Break, I did find a little bit of time to get some recording done on my desktop at home. Of course, my desktop set-up isn’t exactly the best set-up to use for the type of prolific work I do. For one, it’s just a really small space and not a very comfortable place to do recording. And second of all, there is no TV, so I have to use the small Windows Movie Maker preview window…something I haven’t done since Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance back in 2009. It’s not a terrible thing to use, but it sometimes hinders precise gameplay, just because you are playing a console video game through a computer program while it’s trying to record it. However, I think I got it to work fine for what I could do with it, and was able to pump out 6 videos from my recording sessions (even though they took a long time). The way I figure it, I will be uploading these videos every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for the next two weeks. That way, I can figure out what I can (and need to) do when I get my laptop back, if I can do anything, and even if I can’t, I’m at least covered for two weeks.<br />
<br />
So yeah, that is the activity you can expect on my channel for the next two weeks. I know 3/7 (6/14) doesn’t seem like much (it could be more if everything works out ok), but it’s better than the 0/21 record I’ve had for the past 3 weeks. In the meantime, CrystalStarStudio is also back in the swing of things (FINALLY), so you will have something to watch there for the next two weeks as well. Of course we only have TTYD extras for you, but soon we will have a winter line of projects ready for you guys as well. It’s a relief to know that finally CSS is back on the move. I know the wait has been rather long and ridiculous, but it honestly isn’t something we could’ve handled at the time. In fact, I’m actually still a little unsure about a few things, but I’m not going to get into those now.<br />
<br />
As for other Youtube stuff, I really just don’t know right now. As I said before, a lot of it just depends on how the whole laptop situation goes. I hope it goes well enough so I can continue Mario Party 7 this coming weekend, but again, it’s just too early to tell. I also have another big project planned on the horizon as well. I would like to start that one on the 13th of December, but it may not happen until the 20th. School and education has quite a lot to do with things as well, and I am reaching that point where final projects and exams are quickly approaching. I guess the only thing I can really say right now is just stay tuned to my twitter updates and recent activity feeds for information pertaining to Youtube stuff.<br />
<br />
So now that I got that covered, I guess I could talk about a few things that have been going on in my real life. After all, there was an American holiday we just had! =O My Thanksgiving (and TG Break) actually went pretty well. It didn’t last me as long as I would have liked, but then again, all breaks are like that. =P Anyways, I guess I’ll just cover some of the main highlights;<br />
<br />
1). On Tuesday on my way home, I actually got the pleasure of picking up Donkey Kong Country Returns, a game I have been very excited about ever since it was first revealed at E3 2010. It was my “Best in Show” choice for the Wii (even over Epic Yarn), and after playing through most of the game thus far, I have to say that this game could possibly be Game of the Year for Wii as well. So far, the game is just incredible, and I can honestly say there hasn’t been a single part of it that I haven’t enjoyed. There are quite a few bits of frustration though, I will admit, but I’ve always been fond of a little challenge here and there. This game is seriously one of the most difficult games I have ever played, in the entire DKC series, of all Wii games, and may even be a candidate for of all-time. Unlike other games I have played this year, I’m not just breezing through it either. This game actually feels like there is some good length to it. And also like traditional DKC games, there are a lot of collectables and hidden stuff, so even after you finish the game, you’re probably not finished yet. ;) =P Anyways, I didn’t want to get too in depth with this game just yet. I will probably have a Game Discussion/review (whatever you want to call it) of the game soon in the next few weeks, so stay tuned for that. For now though, if you love platformers and if you were in love with the DKC series as much as I was back in the day, definitely give this game your consideration.<br />
<br />
2). Thanksgiving itself was a pretty good day. I got to see some of my family (some of which I hadn’t seen in a few months), so that was nice. I spent most of the day feeling pretty tired (a certain girl wearing yellow and purple was doing her job of trying to keep me up as late as she could again =P), but that didn’t really ruin my day any. After the festivities started to wind down, I got to play some Rock Band with my cousins, aunt, and even my mom (my mom is surprisingly a good singer….by Rock Band standards =P), so that was a lot of fun, and perhaps the highlight of my day. Man though, after almost a year of not playing those games, I still remember when I used to be so addicted to them and Guitar Hero. To think if I never started Let’s Playing, I probably would have ended up being a Guitar Hero/Rock Band guy XD. Oh well, I think I chose the right crowd. =P<br />
<br />
3). The last and final highlight of my break was that I got to see some of my best friends on Friday night. However, this gathering was not just a friendly, “let’s get caught up” type of visit. Since the end of October, me, and 3 of my best friends, have been trying to start a little Pokemon tournament of sorts (between ourselves). Basically, we replay our old R/B/Y games, and using the team we create in our games, we will use those teams and do battle with each other at a future date and time. All 4 of us have been Pokemon-a-holics for as long as we can remember (in fact, we even call ourselves “The Elite Four” =P), and this competition is kind of a way for us to go back to those times and try to relive those moments and memories. Although, I guess “relive” isn’t exactly the way to go about defining it. It’s moreso “re-nostalgializing” (if that’s even a word) with something near and dear to our childhood. Anyways, on Friday we got started with our new games and we’re all en route to our own individual paths of becoming Pokemon Masters! =P So yeah, this should be a lot of fun! And for those of you wondering (since I don’t think those guys keep up with my Twitter…. not like it really matters either), but I chose Charmander, and I currently have my first badge on my game. As for potential team members, I have a few Pokemon in mind, but I’m going to see how my game plays out first before I choose a finalized version. =P<br />
<br />
So yeah, that is what has been going on for me as of late. I’m anxiously awaiting the end of this semester, but to do that I have to get through 3 more weeks of hard work (work I’m honestly not that excited about). However, once that work is finished, HUZZAH! I guess that’s a good word to explain it! =P<br />
<br />
Anyways, since I kind of talked a little about DKCR already, I’m not going to bother with any additional game discussion, so I think that means it’s about time for me to wrap things up for this week. I hope you guys enjoy the line of videos I have planned for the next two weeks, and hopefully I can get back into the full swing of things (Youtube wise) very, very soon. I know that most of you are and will continue to be patient with me, but a part of me really misses making videos and updating. =( I’m not trying to overwork myself or anything, but I do get a lot of enjoyment out of it, just like I hope you guys get a lot of enjoyment out of watching my videos. But alas, kind of blabbering on for longer than I need to. =P<br />
<br />
I’ll talk to you guys next week for another exciting blog entry! Catch you guys then! Later folks!<br />
-SlimKirbySlimKirbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12122458958209947452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619092249780854594.post-35859074206791928782010-11-21T19:46:00.000-08:002010-11-21T19:46:35.236-08:0011/21/10 - I'm Not Thankful for Long Laptop ExaminationsHello everybody, SlimKirby here, ready for another blog entry!<br />
<br />
Last week, things really weren’t going that well for me, and to be perfectly honest, they still really aren’t. Since I’m already talking about it, I guess that will be the first thing I discuss.<br />
<br />
If you couldn’t figure it out yet, that’s right, I still do not have my laptop back. At this time I am actually writing this entry using a loaner laptop from my university’s computer care place. Now, I know what you guys are thinking; “But SlimKirby, I thought you said last week that you should have everything solved by the start or middle of this week?” Well, it turns out that I was dead wrong, because at the end of the week, nothing has really been solved yet. For those of you wondering “How?” or “Why?” or “What in the hell is actually going on?” I’m honestly looking for the answers to those questions as well, because nobody seems to really know what the heck is going on with my laptop.<br />
<br />
I’m not going to talk about the problem again, or rather, how the problem started, so if you are just joining the blog scene this week, I explain the problem to the full extent in the last entry, so you may want to look at that if you have no idea what I’m talking about. Anyway, on Monday morning I took my laptop in for the university computer experts to examine, and right off the bat I got some pretty bad news. The person at the desk said my hard-drive was most definitely failing on the Windows side, but not only that, the failure had already started going towards the Mac side as well. This of course put me in a very uneasy mood from the very beginning, but they did tell me that they were going to do anything they could to make sure that I had the machine back in the evening. So later that day, 30 minutes before the place was supposed to close, I went back and checked in with the computer peeps just to see how things were progressing. They did tell me that they were still running some diagnostic tests, and that they wouldn’t be done until the next day, so I was like, “Ok, but for the meantime, can I at least get a laptop to borrow until this problem is solved?” and they allowed me to use a loaner until Wednesday. This way, I figured I could at least use the computer until Wednesday, so if they didn’t call me on Tuesday, I wouldn’t have to worry about going back to check in again and give them ample time to finish whatever the heck they were doing.<br />
<br />
Fast-forward to Wednesday afternoon! I did end up receiving a phone call that day, but because I had an all-nighter the night before working on a big homework assignment, I was not in a very perceptive mood when I got the call (in fact, at that point I was napping trying to get some energy after that night). The lady could have asked “Will you join me in a hostile takeover of America?” and I would have been like “Yeah…no…whatever, bye,” immediately zonking off back to sleep right after. So I went back later that day and got a pretty good status update, considering. They said they were still running diagnostics, but they at least gave me a little more confidence that the problem would get solved. Not only that, but they also extended my loaner laptop until after Thanksgiving Break, just in case the problem didn’t get solved. They also gave me a number I could call to check in every now and then if I wanted an update on the status. So overall, while they essentially accomplished nothing over the last two days, I was a lot less worried than I was on Monday, and they convinced that they were at least doing something to fix the problem and not just hitting the machine over and over again with a hammer.<br />
<br />
Now we are fast-forwarding to Friday! I didn’t check in on Thursday, because like Tuesday, I wanted to make sure that I gave them a little more time to work on things so I wasn’t just breathing down their necks the whole time. So I called them on Friday at around noon, and sure enough, the same lady who gave me such a worry on Monday picked up and was all like, “You’re laptop is not happy! We tried this and this and this, and it’s failed 3 times! You are a horrible person for even installing Windows on a Macbook because Apple bribes us with money to say these things!” Ok, so she didn’t actually say the last thing, but that’s seriously what I feel like whenever she is the one talking to me. She basically gave me a “We don’t know what’s wrong or what’s going on, so we’re running even more tests, but if you would like a better update, you can call back in an hour when our expert isn’t eating lunch,” type of update. So I called back one hour later, and thankfully I got to talk to someone who wasn’t that peach (I use the word “peach” now, instead of the actual b-word, because Princess Peach is a b-word! =D). They essentially told me the same thing, but they promised me that they were not going to give up on me and asked for my patience over the long weekend. I liked the person who I was talking to, so I decided to comply and be nice about it. They had been working on it for an entire week, among many other laptops as well, so even if they do work for a satanic company like Apple, they had been putting a lot of work specifically into my machine, so I had to give them a little credit.<br />
<br />
So here I am, one week after I originally had the problem, still not really sure what the problem even is. I still can’t record, I still can’t do any of my homework that involves programming unless I go to a computer lab, and I still can’t continue to dominate the randomly-generated world of my most recent Civilization II file. It sucks, but those are the cards I have been dealt with for this week, and unfortunately I might have to hold on to these cards for a few more weeks as well, if the problem continues. I have definitely decided that when I’m home over break, I am going to start talking to my parents about getting another laptop because I’ve had it with the problems of this one. As I said before, it’s a great laptop, but it just has too many problems that I shouldn’t be dealing with, and doesn’t provide me with the necessities that I need for a laptop. Plus, it has the whole hard-drive space issue I think I mentioned in the last entry. It would be so much easier if I had a desktop computer, but I couldn’t exactly make much use of that either, considering I’m still living in dormitory residence halls. Maybe after this year when I start doing commutes….<br />
<br />
So besides that though, things have been going all right I suppose. Last Friday we actually had a LAN Party at my dorm, and at this party they had a Super Smash Bros. Brawl tournament and a Mario Kart 64 tournament (amongst other tournaments as well, but none of which worth mentioning as far as my game library is concerned). I did enter both tournaments and was actually satisfied with my Super Smash Bros. Brawl placement. I got seventh place out of 32, and had every possibility of advancing further than that considering my two losses (double elimination) were extremely close matches that came down to one lucky strike. Oh well, I guess I will just have to own them all next time. ;) For those of you wondering, I used my main man Diddy Kong in the tournament as a tribute to my most recently completed Let’s Play. =P As for the Mario Kart 64 tournament, I don’t even want to talk about that because that was the most disorganized piece of garbage of a tournament I’ve ever seen. I’m not going to go into details, but tell me if this makes sense; 1) All of the matches were 4-Player matches, 2) Each round was just one race, 3) If you aren’t first, you’re eliminated, 4) One elimination, and you’re out (single elimination). Who in their right, non-ignorant mind would make a Mario Kart tournament based on that? That’s so freaking stupid, considering quite a bit of the game is luck-based. In fact, that’s so stupid, I’m not even going to explain what would have been the right thing to do and end the paragraph here.<br />
<br />
Another positive that came out of this party was that I also entered a raffle (I got 3 free submissions into the raffle because I attended and entered two tournaments), and actually won something. I only entered one of the three drawings because they only had a PS3 game, an Xbox360 game, and a Wii game, and since the Wii is the only system I own of those three, that was logically the only one I could get any use out of, so all 3 of my tickets went to that one drawing. And sure enough, the next morning when I woke up, I had an e-mail that said I won. I went downstairs to claim my game, and the game ended up being “No More Heroes.” Besides hearing the name of the game before, I had no idea what the game was actually about or what it consisted of, so last evening I actually sat down to play it for awhile. My first reaction, after playing 2 hours of the game, was pretty much the following: “Holy crap, that’s a lot of blood! O_O” NMH might just be the bloodiest, goriest game I’ve ever played, and I’ve played the Grand Theft Auto games. Safe to say, I was a bit surprised at what I first saw. Not to say I’m completely against blood, gore, and violence in video games, or anything like that, it’s just not what I’m normally used to. I’m more used to seeing goombas getting flattened, and octoroks vanishing after a quick swipe of a sword. Aside from that though, the game doesn’t really seem like a bad video game, but again, I’ve only played a very small portion of it. If I really feel like it, I might cover it in a future “Game Chat” discussion, but a lot of my viewers are pretty young, so in that regard, it’s probably not a good idea unless I “Viewer Discretion” the hell out of that discussion.<br />
<br />
Aside from the LAN Party, not much has really been going on in the world of college. Classes and projects are slowly, but surely winding down. I have a nice 3-day break coming up for Thanksgiving this next week, so I’m looking forward to that, especially since I get to see and spend time with my always wonderful family. And then, before you know it, Christmas time will be upon us once again, so hooray for that! =D<br />
<br />
<br />
Once again, I’m afraid I’m going to be kind of brief with this entry, so no game discussion this week, or Youtube discussion for that matter (not that it would matter, I haven’t exactly posted anything anyways). Hopefully I get some better news this next week with my laptop, and hopefully I can start posting videos again. If not, once again, I am very apologetic with the wait, but there is nothing I can really do about it. I hate not being able to upload just as much as you guys hate not being able to see any my uploads. I might try to figure a few alternatives out as well, but once again, there are no guarantees. I'll also try to have some game discussion up next week as well, considering there are a few games I want to talk about, plus I should have Donkey Kong Country Returns by that point as well. I'll also try to give an update on what will be happening with my Youtube stuff, whether I get my laptop back this next week or not.<br />
<br />
I’ll talk to you guys next week for another exciting (hopefully) entry from the mind of SlimKirby!<br />
<br />
Later folks!<br />
-SlimKirbySlimKirbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12122458958209947452noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619092249780854594.post-67726681831404757942010-11-14T23:14:00.000-08:002010-11-14T23:14:38.136-08:0011/15/10 - I Hate When Things Don't Work =(Hello everybody, SlimKirby here, and welcome to another weekly blog entry!<br />
<br />
I'm not sure if any of you guys have been to my channel in the last 2 days, but if you haven't, I'll go ahead and explain here. My computer started having some issues, and unfortunately, those issues are preventing me from recording any videos, working on any of my programming (and just ordinary) assignments for my school work, and perhaps the most major, preventing me from playing Civilization II! Ok, that last one is not that much of an issue, but I was in the middle of game that I was doing really well on when this happened. =(<br />
<br />
Basically, for those who don't know, I use a Macbook laptop. Now before we start any of the Apple bashing, I want to state for the record that I dislike Apple, Mac, and pretty much anything associated with Steve Jobbs. I'm not saying they should all burn in a fire or anything like that, but as far as their hardware and their software go, I'm just not a fan. So anyways, the reason why I ended up with a Macbook was because my first major was Math Education, and all Education majors were supposed to buy a laptop. I personally never figured out why (I think it's because the portfolio software for that major and the BSU website was specific to Mac, or something like that, but even then I imagine there are ways to get through that), but either way, I was forced into purchasing a Macbook I didn't really want. =\ Like most Americans, I wanted a big computer with a lot of disk space! =3<br />
<br />
Anyways, two years ago, after I dropped out of Math Education, I decided to partition my Macbook so it would allow the use of a Windows Operating System (that way, I could also record my videos much easier). Once I did that, everything was happy again (until I realized that I had barely any space to work with, but even then, I dealt with it), and that same laptop has been the laptop I've used for pretty much everything for these past two years. I had a few problems here and there, but they were fixed in pretty much no time. =P<br />
<br />
Now, fast forward back to the present, last Thursday, when I turned my laptop on in the afternoon (after uploading my 20,000 subscriber special earlier that morning), for some reason, the machine just wouldn't start up. I got a little concerned and a little scared, because at that time I was planning on recording Mario Party 7 and the new project I was going to start this next week, but then I wondered if maybe I just wasn't getting it enough time to start. Before I tested that though, I decided to see if I could at least boot up the Mac operating system, and strangely enough, that started without a hitch. After that I wondered if maybe I had just gotten a random glitch or something, but sure enough, when I tried to start up Windows, it once again gave the black screen of non-loading. So yeah, at this point I was getting pretty ticked off, but figured that I could just take it to the computer repair place the next day and just deal with the Mac OS for the time being, which I did. During this time, I also tried to do some research on the problem, but couldn't really find anything. I figured though that since I was able to access the Mac OS so easily, it might've been a problem simply with the Windows side, in that case, a simple repartition would suffice (even if that meant losing all of my programs and files that I already had installed).<br />
<br />
So the next morning I went to the computer place, but I was unfortunately unable to get my laptop looked at. The guys at the desk said that it would be better if I just came back Monday, because they didn't have any of the experts in the building, and even if I did turn it in, I probably wouldn't get it back until Monday regardless. So I decided to not turn it in yet, just so I could have it for the weekend, and maybe research the problem a little more on my own. I still came up empty-handed on the research, but oh well, at least I had a laptop.<br />
<br />
Of course this meant that I couldn't record anything for my channel, which I was very apologetic for, although there wasn't much I could really do about it. I actually did try to get at least a Mario Party recording done though, using a very unique way of recording (which I will talk about when I play Neon Heights next weekend, or whenever I get the chance to record again). However, since there were no episodes this weekend, you can pretty much gather that the plan didn't exactly pull through the way I was expecting it to.<br />
<br />
So yeah, at this point, I really don't know what's going to happen. I'm writing this entry late Sunday/early Monday, so I've still yet to turn the laptop in. I really hope it's nothing that major, because I honestly feel like a mess sometimes when I don't have my laptop. As pathetic as that might sound....it's the truth. I really do keep a lot of stuff on my laptop, and without it, I feel a bit lost. Not necessarily because I don't know what to do without it, but moreso because it's hard to transition from having everything in front of you, to having nothing in front of you. Oh well....I guess it's just one of those things that you have to deal with sometimes. Computers are definitely not perfect. So yeah...I guess we'll see what happens. Until then, I'll keep updates posted on my twitter account and main channel page, if you are curious on the progression. Hopefully this is something that can be fixed in a timely fashion...hopefully.<br />
<br />
In Youtube news.....well, I don't have anything, mainly because I didn't upload anything but the final DK64 extra video. =P I did post my 20,000 subscriber video though, which went ok for being a small video with me talking a lot about stuff you may or may not care about. =P<br />
<br />
-----------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
So yeah, I think I might actually end the entry there actually. I know it was kind of a short entry, but it pretty much explains this entire week in a nutshell for me. I'll see if I can find something gaming-related to talk about next week (Donkey Kong Country Returns is on its way after all ;) ), but for now, this has been SlimKirby! Hope you guys enjoyed this entry for what it was, and I'll see you next weekend!<br />
<br />
Later folks!<br />
-SlimKirbySlimKirbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12122458958209947452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619092249780854594.post-51878084322758940662010-11-08T01:56:00.000-08:002010-11-08T01:56:42.916-08:0011/7/10 - The Yarn Has Been Spun!Hello everybody, SlimKirby here, and welcome to another week of the blog!<br />
<br />
This entry will probably go up a bit late, but give me break. At least I’m getting it done every week. Besides, it’s not like I get paid for the blog, and it’s not like I’m off my goal of one per week or anything like that. But alas….I’m sure you guys don’t want to read sentence after sentence of me giving excuses or explaining my actions, so I’ll just move on.<br />
<br />
We’re finally down to the last two months of the year. I can’t believe how fast time has flown. It only seems like a few days ago that I was running around a tree in Majora’s Mask and seeing glitched Donkey Kong Country platforms, but the time just seems to fly by anymore. If only the Inverted Song of Time had real life application! But on the other hand….then things would be going too slow.<br />
<br />
Anyways, this past week has been pretty kind to me I ask. School has been hitting me pretty hard, but that’s the way it goes sometime. In my Advanced Programming class, we are working on a final six-week group project which is coming along great! I don’t feel like talking about what exactly we are doing, but perhaps that is something I can talk about in a future entry, or possibly even show it off. But yeah, I’m working with a pretty solid team. I’m not the main programmer (and I have the least experience with coding), but it’s my job to make sure everyone is on task and organized, and I usually take care of the group homework and busy work that we get on the side of the project. That’s really the only good class for me right now (and ironically the one that should be the hardest class X_X), as all my other classes seem to try and throw something stupid in my direction at random intervals of time. I’m doing everything I can though, and I guess that is what is important. <br />
<br />
In Youtube news this week, I saw the end of a project today (technically tomorrow since I have one extra video to post), but my replay of Donkey Kong 64 is officially over. I clocked in at 55 videos (most of them lengthed at 15 minutes, the later ones at random numbers in between 15 and 20). Overall, it was a great project. I don’t consider it my best, but this has possibly been my best of the year (followed closely behind Majora and Yoshi’s Island (not that any of my other projects were bad…just not as memorable)). Which is weird….. I’ve started to notice that I do a lot of my big, well-known LPs during the Fall. Anyways, thanks for spending another gameplay session with me Donkey Kong 64! You’ve been a great game to have and play, for a Youtube project or not. =P<br />
<br />
Mario Party 7 this week….kind of a different story. Honestly, I thought the board went fine…it was just the nature of the board that made it a mess (in the sense of my personal performance on the board). Pyramid Park was never one of my favorites, mainly because of the star mechanic. I liked the mechanic a bit more in Snowflake Lake (MP6) just because of the chain chomp locations. In Pyramid Park, 75% of them are on one side of the board and aren’t really evenly-spaced at all. My objective was to stay cautious and remain on the left side (the safe side) and only wander over when it was convenient, which was a good plan in retrospect. The only downside was that Boo had a 5 or 6 course meal on stars while I was playing it safe. I think if the computer players played more like they normally did (or should do), I think I would have won that board, no doubts about it. Once again though, it just seemed like they were all naturally working against me in every possible way from every possible angle. You saw the way they dueled everybody except Boo. =P Any way, next week is Neon Heights, a board I like a little bit more, but with a big emphasis on the word “little.”<br />
<br />
As for other Youtube stuff, I need to start getting ready for my November 15th project as well as think of something to do for 20,000 subscribers, because that is still something I haven’t done yet. I really should just not worry about it, but I feel a bit obligated now that I mentioned it in my last update video. Meh…if it gets to be too much of a hassle, I just won’t do it, but thankfully my week shouldn’t be too hectic, so maybe I can sit down and come up with something.<br />
<br />
Anyways, on to the game discussion!<br />
<br />
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
Game Chat:<br />
<br />
Kirby’s Epic Yarn<br />
<img src=http://www.el33tonline.com/images/cache/12269.jpg><br />
<br />
Yes! I promised you guys that I would give this game a final….review of sorts once I got done observing and admiring the cuteness that is this game, and that is a promise I plan to keep.<br />
<br />
I admit, I didn’t know what to think of this game when I first saw the trailer at E3. In fact, if you have been readers and watchers since E3 2010, you would know that I had a really hard time getting past the name at first. Thankfully though, I looked past the name and at the game itself and I liked what I saw, gameplay wise. I knew that we were going to have a pretty solid game on our hands. Plus, it’s the first CONSOLE Kirby ADVENTURE since Kirby 64 (keep in mind, I said CONSOLE and ADVENTURE…not counting GBA and DS games, not counting Air Ride =P), so that alone was something to get excited about. Any way, over time, the name did start to grow on me, and now I can’t picture the game without it. So now, I officially take back everything I said about saying the game name was too weird! It’s official! Put it in writing, inform the mayor, get out all of your “I Told Ya So!” messages….whatever! I apologize for being weird about it before because I love it now (although I never really said it was bad…I just thought it was odd as a name).<br />
<br />
Now for the actual game itself, a lot of the things people were criticizing the game about in its early stages was how drastically the game was changing from past Kirby titles. For one, Kirby no longer has his trademark copy ability or his floating around ability. Another interesting mechanic is that Kirby can’t actually die in this game. Instead of death, whenever you get hit or fall into lava or an endless abyss, you lose beads, in-level collectables used for individual level ranks (gold/silver/bronze) and currency used to purchase things from the main hub store (mostly small little trinkets and souvenirs). You can kind of compare this to some of the Wario Land games where if you got damaged, you would lose coins. Because of this mechanic, the difficulty of the general game is definitely quite easy, but if you are a perfectionist player, and someone who likes to give themselves a challenge, don’t underestimate the difficulty. And although they got rid of the copy abilities, they left in some pretty unique Kirby transformations that are shown throughout specific parts of some levels. These transformations range from a robot, to a U.F.O., to a mole, to a dolphin, and even to a fire truck. Most of these segments can be really fun….just don’t be surprised if they don’t last very long. <br />
<br />
So as you can see, Kirby’s new, yarny form has actually changed things around quite a bit. In a bad way or in a good way….I am honestly neutral in the matter. I will admit that it did feel different at first, just because it is Kirby and I am naturally expecting to see him swallow every enemy in sight or float above them for the entire stage, but that’s not what the game developers were going for here. They were going for a unique gameplay experience and I think they succeeded at that. In fact, I think they succeeded so much that the game almost feels like a different game altogether (again, that can be seen as a positive or a negative). I mean, you still have a lot of the familiar Kirby faces and enemies, but the atmosphere itself is just so different and unique (and I’ll get into that more later). <br />
<br />
The game itself is still a classic Kirby platformer at heart. You make your way through side-scrolling levels, trying to survive the onslaught of enemies and obstacles in your path, sometimes using level-specific gimmicks or transformations to reach the end. And like Kirby Squeak Squad, you will also find treasures scattered across each level, some of them just stranded along the beaten path, others stashed away in hidden areas, and some that may seem right in front of you, but require you to find or do something a bit earlier on it the level. These treasures aren’t necessary for the completion of the game, and really only offer you some small bonus features (sound test selections, and stuff to decorate your apartment with (something else I’ll talk about later), but finding them does definitely add some extra game time and replayability if you get into the “gotta collect them all” mindset, which I am always in whenever I’m gaming! =P<br />
<br />
As for game length, if you just want to play through the game and get it done, the game itself is not very long. However, I don’t necessarily think the game too short either. If anything, I feel like the game has just the right amount of length, for both a normal and 100% playthrough. I have seen quite a few people complain about the length, especially considering how “easy” they think the game is, but honestly, in my mind, those people are not gamers….just complainers. There is no perfect game people…especially in an unbiased sense. The sooner you learn that, the better off you will be. I mean seriously though….what do you want? A game that is 20 worlds long, each world having 10 levels? If that isn’t pushing the envelope, I don’t know what is. But alas, I’m not going to get into a whole rant on that. As for extra stuff you can do in the game, aside from collecting all of the treasures in each level and getting high bead scores on all the stages, there are a few other things you can do and accomplish as well. For one, there are actually quite a few mini-games you can play that actually stack-up with the 100% game completion. These mini-games are just simple “find this,” “collect or destroy this much in the time limit,” and “get to the goal first,” type mini-games that you play over certain segments of each level, but they at least add a bit of variety to the game. My only suggestion to you is that you probably shouldn’t play all of these games at once. They are better left to do in small spurts during the main quest. I actually ended up waiting until the very end of the game and easily spent around two hours just working on that. Some of them can be quite fun and interesting though. Another thing you can do, as I briefly mentioned earlier, is that you can decorate your own apartment, a small living space for Kirby that plays no practical purpose during the course of the game, but something fun you can do (if you find decorating a useless room fun). You can decorate your room with a wide assortment of souvenirs/furniture/figurines and different wallpaper and carpet fabrics you unlock during the course of the game (through treasure chests, mini-games, and the in-game shops). My only gripe about this, aside from the fact that it just seems pointless, is that there is not very much functionality at all. Now, don’t get me wrong here, I’m not saying the idea was bad or stupid, or anything like that. I know there are a few people out there who might find this fun, or at the very least, something interesting to try and do just because it’s there, and in that right, the idea is sensible. But the game doesn’t really encourage you to do any of it. They mention it once during the entire game, and I never really found myself going back there at all after that first time. I just wish they would have tried something else to make that feature just a bit more interactive with the game itself, considering how much time you can potentially spend getting beads to purchase all of the different furniture and fabrics, and just collecting them in general. After all, you do have to collect all the items if you want your file to say “100% Completed.”<br />
<br />
As for the game controls, I think they work pretty well, considering how much of the Kirby formula was changed for this title. Movement and reaction time is usually pretty solid for the most part. Just make sure you don’t forget that you aren’t playing an older Kirby game where he can fly. Try to remember the yarn you are working with. =P<br />
<br />
Now, one thing that really impressed me about this game, which is strange because normally I’m not as affected by this, was the graphics and music. I’ve always been a gameplay > graphics/music type of guy, but if there was one game that got me thinking otherwise (or at least “close to otherwise, because I love the gameplay here too), this game would be first on the list. The environments in this game are just beautiful, and the music fits so well with those environments. You normally wouldn’t think a world made out of yarn and fabric could be so appealing to the eye, but for this game…I just felt the opposite. I got the feeling that I was literally just staring into a work of art the entire time. Everything seemed just so aesthetically pleasing, and I loved just walking around and admiring the all of the environments and really getting into the music. Seriously….whoever created the graphics and the music…..I want to give you either a hand-shake or a hug after the amazing work you put into this game.<br />
<br />
Another thing worth noting is that this game does have a 2-Player option for co-op. I will admit though, I haven’t exactly tested this out yet. I was kind of hoping to find someone to play this game with before I had to write about it, but the jerk never showed up. =\ Bah, he is a loser anyways. =P From what I have seen from videos, basically it’s a way where you can team-up with your partner to make some sections of the game a bit easier (for example, I saw a video where you could use your partner as a projectile against bigger enemies, and another part where you could use him/her as a stepping stone to jump to a higher place). It’s a pretty cool concept.I only wish I could have experienced it a bit before writing this. Oh well, I'm sure there is someone out there in this state who would play co-op with me...maybe even a cute girl wearing Wario clothes. ;) =P<br />
<br />
Well, the only thing I really have to talk about now is replayability. Honestly, I wouldn’t say there is THAT much, in the sense that it’s probably not a game you want to immediately play again right after you finish , but I’m sure it’s definitely a game I will want to revisit to see some of the levels again and get WOWed once more by the amazing atmosphere the game presents many times in the future. <br />
<br />
Overall, Feel Good did an amazing job creating this game and I give them major props for releasing a new, exciting, and eye-appealing chapter to the Kirby series, a very unique chapter at that. The game definitely excelled in its presentation and the execution was pretty damn good as well. It may not feel like a Kirby game, and there may be a few things in the game that kept it from being a perfect title (in my opinion anyway), but as a stand-alone game, it did just that…..it stood out. If I had to give it a score, I would give it a 4 or 4.5 out of 5.<br />
<br />
LP Possibility: Hell Yes! Just stop asking me if it will be soon. I will LP the game when I’m ready to LP it. =P<br />
<br />
------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
Well, I think I’ve rambled on enough about stuffz and epic yarnz for the week….at least for this blog entry anyways…considering I’m up to 5 pages in Microsoft Word now. So I guess I will leave it at that and bid you guys and gals adieu! See you next week!<br />
<br />
Later folks!SlimKirbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12122458958209947452noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619092249780854594.post-44642295146253958822010-10-31T20:55:00.001-07:002010-10-31T20:55:08.708-07:0010/31/10 - A Brief Halloweenish UpdateHello everybody, SlimKi….BOO!<br />
<br />
Did that scare you? Probably not, so let’s try that again and just do it the normal way.<br />
<br />
Hello everybody, SlimKirb...BOO!<br />
<br />
Still no? Bah, fine, I’ll stop trying.<br />
<br />
Hello everybody, SlimKirby here, and welcome to another exciting blog entry! I hope you guys are having (or had) a Happy Halloween. As usual, because on college campuses the mindset of everybody except me is to go out partying and get drunk on Halloween, I of course have stayed in my dorm room chilling and working on homework. I know, it sounds kind of sucky, but I’d rather do something boring than go out and do something stupid. Besides, it’s not all boring. As I write this I am watching MadameWario’s Horror Land stream, which is going pretty fiercely, as she would say. :P<br />
<br />
Anyways, don’t expect this entry to go on for very long. I know I promised to talk about Epic Yarn in this entry, but considering that I just now finished it and I had and still have a lot of work to do, I haven’t been able to collect my final thoughts on the game, but I will definitely do it next week, I promise! Besides that, other news in gaming, not much I really feel like getting into at this time. Donkey Kong Returns should be coming out in the next month, which I will probably be getting. Not sure if it will be on release or not though. I guess we will wait and see.<br />
<br />
In Youtube news, Donkey Kong 64 has been completely filmed at this point, and I will be posting the extra video (the final video of the project) on that Monday, November 8th, so that should be ending really soon. Final project thoughts will of course be posted next weekend, but I’ve pretty much said throughout the project that it went pretty well, especially when you get a longer time limit near the end and get to finish it in less videos =3. For those wondering, in numbered parts, it will end up being 55 videos, the old project being 29 videos longer.<br />
<br />
For Mario Party 7 (once again, spoiler warning for those who haven’t seen the actual playthrough yet, so if you haven’t and don’t want to be spoiled, you will probably want to avoid this paragraph), this week’s board went pretty well for the most part, except for that random span of like 3 or 4 turns at the end where I got jipped by Toadette. Thankfully though, the bonus stars were very kind to me (they could have been the exact opposite). As usual though, I held my ground really well when it came to the mini-games, and usually that is what does it for me, so I stuck to what I know and do best, and that seemed to work. The next board, Pyramid Park, should be interesting just because the game is played a bit differently than the other boards (the whole “everyone starts with 5 and you gain stars by stealing” thing is in effect). It’s definitely not my favorite board in this game, but for what it is, it’s all right I guess. I guess I’ll see you next weekend for that, but for now, I’m going to celebrate my perfect 2-0 record =)….before I get screwed out of it =(.<br />
<br />
The last thing I want to mention, once again, is that I really want to thank all of my wonderful Youtube subscribers for being so awesome with subscribing lately. Barely even halfway into the month I was just approaching 18,000 subscribers, and now I’m halfway to 21,000. I just can’t believe it…I really can’t. <br />
<br />
Anyways, once more, I do apologies for the somewhat short entry this week. I’ll have more to mention next time when I don’t have a million other things going on, and of course I’ll have my Epic Yarn discussion about how awesome and cute the game is. :P<br />
<br />
Later fol….BOO!<br />
<br />
Bah, still can’t get you guys. =(<br />
<br />
=P<br />
<br />
-SlimKirbySlimKirbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12122458958209947452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619092249780854594.post-13496298947978883432010-10-24T16:38:00.000-07:002010-10-24T16:38:53.668-07:0010/24/10 - October Partyin'Hello everybody, SlimKirby here, and welcome to another fantabulous blog entry! Wait....I'm getting a red spell-check line under the word "fantabulous." WHY ISN'T THAT A WORD YET? And better yet, why isn't "SlimKirby" a word yet either? I guess the world will never know.<br />
<br />
Anyways, what a week it has been. I'm reporting to you guys on the last day of my Fall Break. Yes, it has already come and gone, unfortunately, but what can you really expect from a 1-day break? Not much! That's what. For what it was though, it was pretty sweet. I got to hang out with the family, I got to play some sweet new games (which I still won't be talking about on here for a week or two), got to watch old Rugrats episodes at 6 AM.....the perfect 3-day vacation, am I right? =P<br />
<br />
Aside from that though, things are going pretty well. Really starting to get hit hard with work at school though, and one of my class grades isn't exactly in a place where I deem acceptable, so I'll have to start paying attention to that more, but it shouldn't really effect very much if you are a reader or viewer. I still have ample amounts of time to do all of that stuff. It's just when I have a choice to work on class stuff or relax/nap, I sometimes choose the latter when I shouldn't. It's something I will work on though, and I am usually dedicated when it comes to my studies.<br />
<br />
In terms of Youtube, quite a bit went down this weekend. Mario Party 7 has officially started and after the recording of the first board, I've never been as satisfied as I was with the first recording than I have in a long time...which is kind of funny because my first attempt at recording the board was horrendous, and I stopped after 20 minutes. XD I'll get more into that board in a second; first I'll briefly discuss Donkey Kong 64. At this point, I have up to Episode #50 recorded, and assuming all things go well, that project will be ending within the next two 2 weeks (I'll have a better estimation next weekend after I record the final world of the game). What can I say? The game has treated me very well thus far, despite the malfunctioning controllers and the gloomy galleons. For those of you wondering about the bane of my existence in that project, make sure you check out my video on Tuesday for some sweet rabbit race action.<br />
<br />
Getting back to Mario Party 7, as I said before, the recording went well....very well...in both the technical sense and the gameplay sense. I can't believe how much I dominated that game. Sorry for spoilers if any of you haven't watched that board yet. I would say that was my biggest domination of all time, but I'm sure there has been another instance where I was on the ball. My only regret in that game/recording was losing on Funderwall the first time as I could have dominated even further, but the fact that I would have won all of the bonus stars no matter what they were kind of speaks for itself. Because of how well this recording went, I am very much looking forward to Friday when I will record Pagoda Peak, which feels very weird to say, considering how much I have bashed Mario Party 7 in the past. But basically, it went well, I enjoyed the experience, and I hope you guys enjoyed the videos as well.<br />
<br />
With Donkey Kong 64 coming to a close very soon, once again, the thought of what my next project will be continues to jump around in my mind. I have to honestly say that I am still not really sure what to do next, but I'm sure I will figure it out eventually. I just hope this lack of being able to come to a decision doesn't delay the project or any other projects of mine.<br />
<br />
-------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
Game Chat:<br />
<br />
Last week I mentioned that I had purchased both Wii Party and Epic Yarn, and so many of you guys have been asking me to give me thoughts on the game. However, I'm still trying to soak up what I can of these games (or rather, what I have left of these games), before I can give my final thoughts. So in the meantime, I'm going to get a little nostalgic and talk about another game...a very old game that I grew up with which I recently rediscovered and haven't been able to put down very easily.<br />
<br />
Lemmings<br />
<img src=http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:1lrt8Zw0Mv6UYM:http://www.retrojunk.com/img/art-images/lemmings1.jpg&t=1><br />
<br />
After seeing this game, here is how I imagine your reactions. Half of you scratched your heads in confusion, while the other half gasped and immediately got flooded with very fond and nostalgic memories of this game. I don't like to think that I'm THAT old, but Lemmings goes back quite a ways in the world of gaming, back in the olden PC and early SNES days (probably even before that). Back in the day, Lemmings was a legit, hardcore PC game.<br />
<br />
Basically, Lemmings is a puzzle game where you have to navigate these creatures (called Lemmings) to the exit in a very wide assortment of different levels, and puzzles (that obviously get harder and more complex as you continue). The lemmings themselves have a variety of different tasks and jobs they can take on while trying to make it to the exit, such as climbing, digging, building, and blocking, and you have to use these tasks effectively and correctly if you want to get these lemmings to safety before time is up, or before the Lemmings get viciously and utterly destroyed by traps and obstacles, which can range from lava and acid, smashing walls, or to simply just having them all walk off a cliff. At first, the puzzles are really easy and they give you enough tools to work with so you can easily figure out what you need to do in order to succeed. However, in later levels, they limit you on what can do and use, and try to get to you to focus on different strategies, some of which require you to use simple tools in ways you wouldn't imagine. You really have to know this game, inside and out, if you want to complete the entire thing. Speaking of which, if you want to beat this game 100%, expect to devote quite a bit of time to doing so. There are 120 levels (4 different difficulties, 30 levels for each), and while the first half of the game moves pretty quickly, the later levels have the capabilities of stumping you for a good 30 minutes or up to an hour. It's that complex, even when the exit could be right in front of your eyes. Getting there is usually the problem.<br />
<br />
I have very fond memories of me playing this game with my dad when I was very young, and even he had problems with getting past some of the levels in the Level 50 range. But nevertheless, it's an experience I will never forget, and because of those fond memories, I decided to pick the game up once again.....that and a fellow Youtuber I watch (roundthewheelrtw) started a a playthrough (technically a replay, since his channel got deleted) of Lemmings that I've been keeping up with. At this point, even after playing for very long periods of time over the last few days, I'm still have quite a few levels to go (difficult levels at that). Although the words don't say much, that may give you an idea of how complex this game is, if it's giving the great SlimKirby so much trouble. =P<br />
<br />
Anyways, one of the reasons why I started talking about this game today, is that I think I have decided that I am going to do a playthrough of the game on Youtube. It won't be a playthrough I start soon (maybe not even in 2011 either), but after getting so familiar with the game again, accompanied by so much nostalgia and fond memories, it's something I do want to share with you guys at some point. Again, just don't expect it to be soon. =P So in other words.....LP Possibility? Yes!<br />
<br />
--------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
Anyways, that is my entry for this week, join me next week on Halloween (if I decide to update) when I talk about more stuff, and possibly Wii Party or Kirby's Epic Yarn. See you guys then!<br />
<br />
Later folks!<br />
-SlimKirbySlimKirbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12122458958209947452noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619092249780854594.post-65884312214066997592010-10-17T17:04:00.000-07:002010-10-17T17:04:31.780-07:0010/17/10 - Is it Time to Spin Some Epic Yarn?Hello everybody, SlimKirby here, and welcome to another blog update!<br />
<br />
Lot of excitement this week and the coming week(s) with a lot of major stuff happening in the world of games and the world of SlimKirby. So much that I don't even know where to begin....<br />
<br />
First off, if the title isn't any indication, I have purchased Kirby's Epic Yarn at this point, as well as Wii Party. I unfortunately have not played either though, because I just returned from purchasing both games, and I need to get this blog done immediately because I have a group meeting in a few hours. After that, I should get some time to at least play one of the games (probably Epic Yarn), and then the other game tomorrow. I may give some updates about game progress through Twitter, but I probably won't talk about either games on the blog for a few weeks until I'm finished with them and when I can look at them and give my final thoughts. I have finished Metroid: Other M though, and will be talking about that game at the end of this entry.<br />
<br />
Second, as for other things going on, I really don't have much to say. Things are going well, and are kind of calming down for the time being. I expect things to pick up and get more intense really soon, just from the nature of what my life is, but I'll be ready for it when the time comes!<br />
<br />
In Youtube news, by the time the next entry rolls around, I will have started a new project, that project being Mario Party 7. Not going to talk about it much, as I'll wait for the first board to release before I do, but it should definitely be some good times. Whether that is sarcasm or not, I don't know, I guess we'll just wait and see. =P In Donkey Kong 64 news, I'm still chugging along collecting gold bananas, continuing to get closer to the end of the game. By the time the next entry rolls around, I should be about finished (or finished) with the 6th world, ready to start the 7th, and final of the main worlds. That's really all I have to say about that project though, so I guess you pretty much get the standard "Still moving along, still going well" update I usually give for that project. =P Anyways, I also need to make an update video pretty soon. I'm not sure if I'll do it though between this update and the next. It really depends on if I can get motivated to make one. I may just wait until after I'm finished with Donkey Kong 64, because I really don't have much to discuss.<br />
<br />
Also, speaking of Youtube, as of today, I'm sure you guys have a lot of questions and congrats for me and my channel, in regards to its current state. At this time, I am not at liberty to divulge any sort of information now, or possibly ever, so I'm going to have to keep quiet on that front. However, I will say thanks for all the congratulations I have gotten thus far and will continue to get. It means a lot to me. =)<br />
<br />
------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
Game Chat:<br />
<br />
Metroid: Other M<br />
<img src="http://www.nintendoeverything.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/metroid_other_m_boxart-213x300.jpg"><br />
<br />
I still remember my first reactions when this game was first revealed at E3 2009. It was right after being shown Super Mario Galaxy 2, the sequel to perhaps my favorite game of the last decade, and I was just wondering what this next big surprise was that Nintendo was going to reveal. Then entered Other M with its incredible graphics and design, unique looking gameplay and combat system, and the "Mysterious Black Dude" (as he was referred to as for several months) who asked the timeless question that hit the video game world by storm, "Remember Me?" despite him not ever showing up in a game prior to Other M. Safe to say, Other M made quite an impact on the World of Nintendo during that conference and throughout the next year.<br />
<br />
When the next E3 rolled around, and with Other M still not ready to be released quite yet, quite a few other games ended up stealing the show and the spotlight that Other M had been comfortable in for the last several months. However, it was revealed that the game would be coming out very soon, and sure enough, it did within the next two months, so that still kept the excitement going. However, then the game reviews started coming out....<br />
<br />
Now, let me make this straight right off the bat. First, I've NEVER been one to take game reviews with more than a grain of salt. After Nintendo Power's low score for Mario Party 8 (despite them not really saying anything negative about the game in the their review), and various other review sites' idiotic reviews and miscalculated scores for other games, I try not to listen to reviews very much until I have at least some experience with the game myself. Second, I'm not implying that Other M had any bad reviews...if anything, most of the reviews have actually been pretty positive, but with a few noticeable and almost insistent complaints and critiques. It's just that....ugh....the things they complain about sometimes, I just will never understand.<br />
<br />
So, I'm just going to put this simply, and bluntly.....I think the game is awesome. In the long run, I think the game was made very well, the story, although somewhat odd for a Metroid game (especially in the personification of Samus), worked for what the game was, and just playing the game in general was just fun and an overall enjoyable experience. My only real gripe about the game is that it is actually pretty short. In terms of other Metroid games, it was about the same length (for a first, blind playthrough, mind you), probably even longer, but when you play those other, older games, and when you get to the end, it feels like the end. With Other M, it just didn't seem like it. I wasn't quite ready to put the controller down and I wanted more (and yes, this was after the ACTUAL ending, so I did beat the actual final boss and do the escape sequence). I guess it's because the game's story itself didn't really have much of a general direction. It was pretty much "let's sit down and watch the events unfold, and once everything does, we'll call that the end." While I don't think that is necessarily a bad thing, again, it did give me the feeling of wanting more, which you can interpret as a good thing, a bad thing, or both. In my case, it's both.<br />
<br />
The story and the characterization of Samus Aran were the main things I've seen reviewers and game fanboys gripe about the most. As I said earlier, while I do admit that it was strange direction for Metroid and Samus Aran, I honestly think it was more strange because it was different than it was bad. I mean, if we take a look at the past, although Samus has not necessarily been a silent hero (as shown through Super Metroid and Metroid Fusion where she does have some dialogue and the journal entries), she's still a pretty quiet character, and because of this quietness, she kind of gets that "Female Badass - I'm Gonna Blow You Up Because I'm On Important Mission" kind of vibe. Other M ended up downplaying that vibe quite a bit actually, and because of that, I can kind of see why that didn't please the fans very much. On the other hand though, when you look at the facts, Samus's complete personality was still pretty much a stab in the dark, and I thought the attempt made by both Nintendo and Team Ninja ended up being a good one that worked for the game and the storyline. Yeah, Samus has some emotions, and yeah, she talks about her commanding officer and the crush she has on him for a large portion of the game, but no emotions and feelings only would have been worse. In fact, this game's characterization almost seems sensible when looking at Metroid Fusion, another Metroid game I'm really starting to appreciate after Other M, so I really don't see what the issue is. Just be thankful that Samus doesn't say "Ewwww! A Bug!" every single time she enters a room, if you are one of those complainers.<br />
<br />
As for gameplay, obviously one of the main gimmicks is the way that you switch between 3rd-person and 1st-person perspective, and you do this by the position of the Wiimote (controller style for 3rd, remote style for 1st). This "change" is a bit awkward at first, but in the end, it works well and it is implemented pretty well. It's just something you have to get used to at first. A good thing about this feature is whenever you change into 1st-person (since you have to whenever you need to use missiles or your grappling hook), the game actually slows down a little so you can adjust yourself to the new perspective, which I think was a nice feature. You can tell that the game developers really tried to get you accustomed to the game mechanics, which I think is a plus for the gamer, and the developer.<br />
<br />
As for extra features and replayability, since this is a Metroid game, you can expect that the game allows you to finish the game on your own terms with whatever items you have, but as a bonus, also encourages you to explore each area thoroughly to make sure you collect every item in the game. As usual, finding all of the items can be very tricky, and at times, very tedious, but keep in mind, you don't even have to play that way if you want. One of the things I noticed in this game is that whenever you leave a room, sometimes the game will mark the map if you missed something, and by the end of the game, everything is marked for you, so you don't have to worry about spending hours looking for one small indentation in the wall in each room of the game. This way, you can just go to the room where the item is in (or near) and just observe the surroundings. As for bonus features, when you fully complete the game, you get a Hard Mode that you can play, which I assume has areas with more enemies (or if not, tougher enemies that do more damage), and is just in general, harder to complete. I'm not sure if there is a prize for completing this mode (100%) or not, because I haven't attempted a 2nd playthrough yet, but I'll probably give it a try next time I decide to play through the game again. Also for unlockables, you can unlock some gallery art of the game and characters in the game, which is pretty cool, along with a Movie Gallery mode where you can watch every cutscene in the game. A cool thing about the movie gallery is that you can actually watch all of the cutscenes in one giant block, and it actually includes small little gameplay clips in between each cutscene, so it feels like you are actually watching a movie of the entire game, which I thought was a really cool feature.<br />
<br />
Anyways, I think I've said all I needed to say about this game. Overall, it was a very neat experience and I enjoyed every bit of it, even though it was a little on the short side. Despite all of the criticism and negativity the game got (even though the reviews were generally pretty good), I don't think the "negatives" really got in the way of the actual game, if anything, I think they worked with what the game actually was and was intending to be, and that's why I enjoyed the game and could almost look past them. Although it's not a perfect game (not that any game is perfect) it's definitely one I would support, and on a review scale, I would give it a 4/5 (4.5 at most).<br />
<br />
LP Possibility: Ok....so, will I LP this game? Well, in the grand scheme of things, if I ever did do a Metroid LP, first I would probably do Super Metroid, and then Zero Mission before I would even think about doing Other M, just because I've had more nostaglic moments with those games. But in the long run, yes, if I ever felt like doing Other M sometime in the future, I would, because it's a great game. Don't expect this to happen until much later though.....I'm talking months or even years from now.<br />
<br />
---------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
Well, that's about it for this entry! I'll talk to you guys next weekend and I'll see you throughout the week for my normal video updates and random twitter updates. Later folks!<br />
<br />
-SlimKirbySlimKirbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12122458958209947452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619092249780854594.post-74024168054094114452010-10-10T18:31:00.000-07:002010-10-10T18:31:14.088-07:0010/10/10 - That's A Lot of Tens!Hello everybody, SlimKirby here! I hope you guys are having a pleasant 10/10/10! I wish I could say the same, but things have really only been average for the Slimster. Nothing bad, but nothing really that amazing or interesting either. I'm kind of just at that point in my semester where things are just "meh", wishing I could be doing something much more exciting, but unable to do just because I'm so stuck on my normal routine. But alas, I'm sure you guys don't want to hear me talk about that.<br />
<br />
First off, I do have some great news! My Wii was actually returned to me quite a bit earlier than I was expecting! And after running some tests, things seem to be running well. What does this mean for the future? A lot of games I can play over the next few months, and the start (and return (CSS)) of some Youtube projects. I actually got to play some Metroid: Other M this weekend, and I gotta say....it's been a lot of fun and I am enjoying the game a lot. It's not the most perfect game (obviously), but what game is? I'll talk more about the game in the coming weeks when I've completed it (and maybe 100%ed it), but I am definitely glad that I purchased the game, despite all of the so-so reviews. This next weekend I am probably going to get both Wii Party and Kirby: Epic Yarn, so soon I'll probably have a lot to say about those games as well.<br />
<br />
Speaking of games, and since I kind of mentioned "Youtube" in my last paragraph, I promised ShadowMario41 that I would give him a small plug in this entry (although I would have done it anyways). Do you guys remember The Maze Game? If not, the Maze Game was a short Let's Play I did back in 2008, a game that was actually created by ShadowMario41 through Game Maker. Although the game and project has been highly regarded as a joke through my videos and other projects, it was actually a pretty well-created game despite the limitations of what it could be. Anyways, the reason I am bringing this up is because The Maze Game has actually been remade. Teaming up with Blargg Pit graphics designer, MegaFreak400, The Maze Game has been repolished (to the extreme) and looks amazing. Of course, the game itself really isn't a new game, moreso a remake of the original (so you will see a lot of the same levels), however, the work these two put into the game is incredible, and they would both really appreciate it if you would give the game a try. Of course, for those wondering if I am going to replay the maze game (or rather, play the remake) for my channel, it is something that I will probably do eventually, but not this moment. Anyways, you can download the Maze Game from the following link....<br />
<a href="http://sites.google.com/site/blarggpit/community-home/bpthemazegameremastered-nowavailablefordownload">The Maze Game Remastered</a><br />
<br />
Since I'm kind of transitioning into Youtube stuff, I'll go ahead and talk about that next. Still, not much really worth mentioning, as I am still working on (and will probably continue to work on) Donkey Kong 64. At this point, I have fully recorded up to Video #35, and will probably have another session during the week so I can continue right along through that game. I'm still not sure what # I will end up at the end of the project (in terms of video #s), but now I'm at the point where I wouldn't be surprised if I end before Video #60, although that's still kind of unlikely. The recording for the 5th world actually went REALLY well....so well that I was actually shocked by the end of the recording. I swear, the 4th world of the game is just a nightmare....a nightmare I am glad to be finished with. Hopefully the 6th world (my least favorite BEFORE the playthrough) goes at least decently.<br />
<br />
With my Wii back, it's also time to start planning Mario Party 7, and just as a small preview for those who read my blog, I actually plan to start the project in the next 3, or maybe even 2 weeks). There are just a few loose ends I want to take care of before I start the project (one more mini-game to unlock, and one more mode to fully complete). However, even if I don't, it's not going to be a big deal, as I can always do that while I'm in the midst of the Party Mode portion of the game. Still though, I'd at least like to have ONE playthrough of the game where I have everything unlocked before I start recording. Anyways, despite this game being my least favorite of the console games, I'm actually kind of looking forward to it now. Keep in mind, "least favorite" doesn't necessarily mean I hate it....I just like it less than the others. The game is definitely the most long-winded of the Mario Party games, in that it always takes forever to play one game. But yeah, that's about all I need to say about that....look forward to the playthrough VERY soon.<br />
<br />
As for other projects to start after Donkey Kong 64, I have to admit that I am still having some issues trying to decide. There are a lot of different ideas in the air....but it's just choosing one that I would be set on doing. That is where I'm having my most difficulty. There is one idea I've kind of been throwing around in my head more than the others, so it will probably be that game in the end, but I'm still not ready to tell you guys.<br />
<br />
And finally, for CSS, we are going to get back into discussion about the rest of TTYD and future projects within the next week, do not worry. We should finally be back on track soon. It's just that the Wii's repair (of mine) and a few other things kind of just got in the way of things and prevented us from really making any progress on that front.<br />
<br />
---------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
Game Talk:<br />
<br />
Although not really a "game," last week I promised you guys that I would take a little bit of time during this entry to talk about the 3DS, the next handheld from Nintendo, which recently got quite a bit of information revealed. Don't expect this to be complete coverage or anything, just a few things I've heard about and will spend a little bit of time discussing from an opinionated standpoint...that's really about it. This really won't be that in-depth at all.<br />
<br />
First up, the new system is rumored to be released in North America around March 2011. Although I am relieved that it isn't releasing this year (since I barely have any currency), it still seems like the release is just around the corner in only 6 months time (at least), and I'm not really ready for it. Don't get me wrong, the system itself looks amazing and I am definitely going to get one, no question about it, but still...it seems like we only just now got info on it. I was personally hoping for a release sometime at the end of 2011, at the very earliest. So yeah, I guess I got to start saving for that (after all the awesome Wii games coming out of course =D). Another thing I am kind of disappointed about was that I only got a Nintendo DSi last Christmas, and I was kind of hoping that would be around for a little while before the 3DS came out. Instead, it feels like I got that system, and then only a little bit later, something new was announced. Felt kind of like a wasted purchase...even though the DSi is awesome too.<br />
<br />
Another thing that has kind of been turning heads (in a good way or bad way, that's up for interpretation) is the price of the system. The launch price for Japan was announced to be set at 25000 yen, which translates to about 298 dollars in American currency (if you are not American, sorry, I don't know all the exchange rates X_X). Now, while this may not be the exact price of the 3DS, I think it is safe to assume that it will still cost a pretty penny....a very pretty penny. Not everybody just has 300 dollars laying around (or even 200). However, when you look at the facts, they are using some high-tech stuff for this system, and it it is implementing a lot of different features, so the price is kind of understandable. If it were Sony releasing the system, you would be broke for even considering to purchase it. The price is indeed hefty, but as I said, it's at least understandable. Besides, as mentioned, the exchanges rates won't necessarily prove anything. The price could always go down for the final release.<br />
<br />
One thing I actually got really excited about learning was that there is going to be a Virtual Console library for Game Boy games, which will definitely be a big hit among Nintendo gamers. Say what you want about the sparse updates for the Wii's Virtual Console, or the "Why pay money when you can emulate it?" excuse, Nintendo is still going to get a lot of money from this implementation, and die-hard Nintendo fans are still going to want to purchase the classic handheld greats. Super Mario Land and Link's Awakening are two of the titles that were announced to be the VC front-runners, but I'm sure there will be many other timeless classics to also grace the presence of the 3DS. Whether this library will include Game Boy Advance games...I don't know (don't remember), so if anyone does, please tell.<br />
<br />
As for games, there is not much I really have to say. A new Kirby game was announced (which kind of reminds me as a cross between Amazing Mirror and Canvas Curse), which looks pretty sweet, but otherwise, there is not much I really have to say (that wasn't already talked about during my E3 discussions).<br />
<br />
So far though, the system is looking to be pretty amazing, despite a things (early release and price), but those "negatives", if you could even call them negatives, are pretty minimal. If I find out some more information that I think is worth mentioning, I will be sure to post it.<br />
<br />
------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
That's about it for this entry guys! I will see you next week for another adventure into The Mind of SlimKirby.<br />
<br />
Later folks!<br />
-SlimKirbySlimKirbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12122458958209947452noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619092249780854594.post-65703497745213297052010-10-03T21:07:00.000-07:002010-10-03T21:07:22.130-07:0010/3/10 - Attack of the Awesome All-Nighters!Hello everybody, Messed-Up-ScheduleKirby here, and welcome to another week From the Slightly UnFocused Mind of SlimKirby! =P<br />
<br />
Ok, not really sure what was up with that intro, but whatever. I'm really not that unfocused, just a little off balance. It's a weird feeling when there are only 7 hours left in the day after waking up, that's for sure. :P<br />
<br />
Anyways, I guess should elaborate on what exactly I am referring to. I'm probably making this a bigger deal than I need to be, because this isn't exactly something that's really that foreign to people, but it's something that I haven't done very much, if not at all, and it happened twice in a period of 2 days. I'm referring to the act of "all-nighting," where you basically stay up all night. All-nighting is actually a pretty activity, especially for a college student like myself. You can really only afford to do it if you are good at planning around your normal schedule, and planning for a way to get back onto the schedule after doing it. I think I'm actually a pretty responsible individual, which is the only reason even thought about doing this. And the best part is, I had a lot of fun with it, because I wasn't alone. :P<br />
<br />
On Friday night I was in a Skype call with good friend PowerToMario, and the always lovely and fierce MadameWario. We weren't really doing anything major, just chilling out enjoying our Friday nights to ourselves when we just decided to start a call. We really didn't expect it to last til 9 in the morning when we firs entered the call, but it totally did. We entertained ourselves by watching whatever was on TV at the time and commentating over it, whether it was paid programming commercials, a ridiculous cheerleading movie (PTM dreams of being a Clover), and even an episode of Pokemon Sinnoh. It was crazy, but it was also a lot of fun. And let me tell you, if PTM ever does an episode of one his LPs under the amount of weariness he was in....it would be the funniest, yet most incomprehensible LP episode ever. XD<br />
<br />
Then, the following night, we pretty much did the same thing over again, this time joined by long-time LP video uploader ThePastaKing (try to find the obvious joke in that statement). We didn't just watch stuff this time, we actually got some games out and played (unfortunately no wifi or co-op though). Me and Madame stuck to our common ground, Mario Party (BIG SURPRISE!) and PTM did too at one point, but also played his Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn file while getting information from me and the King. We also watched more Pokemon at one point too. Anyways, this call went on a bit longer, but not too much more, but it was also a lot of fun. Madame and I laughed at and teased each other about our Mario Party 3 experiences we were having, PK went on and on and on and on about his strategy game knowledge, and PTM was.....once again, just all over the place. It was just so awesome and totally worth the weird schedule for this weekend.<br />
<br />
One thing I started thinking about though after these experiences, was the possibility of capitalizing on this for a future event. I'm not saying we'll have just another random all-nighter and then record it for Youtube or a stream or something, but definitely the idea of doing a late night event of some sort, possibly live. I mean, I've done late night streams before, in that my streams usually end up lasting until around midnight or 1 AM my time, but I'm talking later than that. Of course, they'd have to be planned well in advance, and planned around the notion of actually being able to host something like that. Sometimes, especially for me, I just can't randomly decide "Ok, I'm doing this tonight." I'm one who usually likes to stay on a pretty consistent schedule. I'll start workshopping some ideas, and we'll see what happens in the future. In the mean time though....BRING IT ON! >=D And if any of my readers have had some awesome all-nighters before, go ahead and talk about them if you want. Kinda inviting some audience participation here. =P<br />
<br />
Something else I briefly wanted to mention, that I probably should have talked about before, is that I've kind of dropped the whole heavily-structured blog format, and I think I'm going to keep it that way. I have more fun writing these entries when they are done from a free-writing perspective rather than a "I Have to Stick to the Format" type of perspective, and I guess, what's more fun for the blog is probably the better way to go. It makes me feel less stressed about updating, and I have a little more fun with it. Plus, I think these last few entries have actually been pretty good. So yeah, no more formal blog updates from now on.<br />
<br />
In other news, still no information on the Wii, although I didn't really expect to get any information on it yet. I'd expect maybe getting it back this week and then picking it up when I'm briefly home for the weekend, but I can't make any guarantees. I wish I could get it back soon though so I can start playing some Wii Party and Metroid: Other M. I also need to buy Samurai Warriors 3, and Kirby: Epic Yarn when it comes out. When I get it back, there will be a big wiiaction (reaction) from me. :P<br />
<br />
Besides that though, things are going well, I guess. I'm about at the half-way point for the semester and things are looking ok, I suppose. Nothing really terrible anyways, which I guess is a good thing. My classes are definitely a lot more difficult than I originally expected, but that's sometimes the case for people.<br />
<br />
In Youtube news, Donkey Kong 64 is still chugging along. I had a very brutal recording session with the 4th world of the game (not the most exciting world, that's for sure, and it's actually quite tedious as well). I would explain what happens/happened, but I'm sure you will see this week when I release the videos. Water worlds have never really been that fun! :P<br />
<br />
For those wondering about CrystalStarStudio, other members of the Blargg Pit who haven't been updating as much, and any announcements regarding future projects, I only ask you guys, once again, to remain patient. There really is a lot going on for me and ALL of us, and for some it's been difficult to keep up with everything due to other priorities. However, we're all doing our best for you guys, and we're doing all that we can. One of the main things holding this back, specifically on the announcements and CSS, is my Wii being gone, so those things should be addressed before too long. For anything else, just be patient, please! :P<br />
<br />
Ok, well, I think that about does it for this entry. As I hinted in a prior entry, Game of the Weeks are now no longer going to be done weekly (so I guess I'll come up with a new name for that section). I apologize if you really loved that section, but just keep in mind that it isn't going away forever....just not going to happen every week.<br />
<br />
And kind of as a preview for next week, I'll try to talk about the 3DS next time because there was some information revealed to the public this past week. I would talk about it tonight, but I'm running out of time! So yeah, have that to look forward to!<br />
<br />
Anyways, see you guys next week! Later folks!<br />
-SlimKirbySlimKirbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12122458958209947452noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619092249780854594.post-70211578093831885062010-09-26T18:08:00.000-07:002010-09-26T18:12:42.080-07:009/26/10 - So Many Games...So Little Time and MoolahHello everybody, SlimKirby here!<br />
<br />
That's right! I'm actually hoping to get the blog out on time this week....mostly because I actually had time to work on it today. Anyways, another week has come and gone, and my fall semester is already 1/3 over. For those wondering about my classes and how I'm doing; let's just say I'm hanging in there. It's a lot of hard work, but I'm getting it done.<br />
<br />
I don't really have anything to talk about or complain about this week, so I will save you guys from having to hear about it. Besides, things have been going pretty well for me regardless. My sleep schedule has been kind of messed up *glares and smiles at someone*, but it's cool. I'm still getting things done, and getting them done right.<br />
<br />
In other news, the release of Wii Party is coming very, very soon. Unfortunately I don't currently have a Wii I could use, which I finally did get sent in for repairs (or at least tomorrow when I go by the post office), so hopefully I get that back before too long. Besides, I still have to play Metroid: Other M, purchase Samurai Warriors 3, and hell, even Epic Yarn might be out by the time I get it back. There are really a lot of games coming out in this one month period. Money for them isn't really a concern or anything, but still, it's a lot of games. <br />
<br />
Anyways, I did want to talk about Wii Party specifically, because I've been looking at a lot of information about it, and being the Mario Party guy of Youtube, people have been interested in what I think about the game so far (from previews obviously), and the possibility of whether not I'll have a Wii Party video series on my channel. So far from what I have seen about the game, I can say for certain that it is definitely not going to be like Mario Party (besides the obvious similarities). However, I wouldn't say that is necessarily a bad thing. The game seems to be more oriented to the board game aspect, which I think is cool. I like board games after all. From what I've been hearing from reviews, it hasn't been scoring very highly, but neither have the other Mario Party games, and I've enjoyed them. Sometimes I think people put too much emphasis on the review scores rather than what is actually said in the reviews themselves. After all, there was that one case of a Twilight Princess review where the Gamecube version scored higher than the Wii version, despite the review telling everyone to get the Wii version because it was better. Anyways, I am very much looking forward to Wii Party despite all the criticism it has been getting. Not to mention I still don't see why Nintendo completely refuses to put online in these mainstream titles. It's really gotten to the point where it's not that Nintendo Wifi is bad...it's just that they refuse to use it, which kinda makes me mad. I don't think online play makes a game, but I do think that it enhances it for more playability, and it just doesn't make sense to why they refuse to put it in. As for a possible Wii Party project in the future, I'm definitely not going to count that out. Just let me finish the Mario Parties first! :P<br />
<br />
Moving on Youtube, things are still going smoothly with Donkey Kong 64. At the time of this blog, I'm up to Episode #15 being uploaded, and in recordings I'm up to #23. In comparison with my old project, I'm about 7 videos ahead, which isn't that surprisingly given the time limit and such, but still, I'm glad that I'm making a pretty smooth progression through the game. I'm also having a lot of fun with it.<br />
<br />
For future projects, these are still things I am thinking about. I have a few ideas at this time, but again, the big thing is figuring out when I want to bring them out. Right now, the only thing known for sure is Mario Party 7 which can be expected by the end of the month (assuming I get my Wii back ok). The same could pretty much be said for CSS as well. Don't expect anything right now, but once we get things figured out, we'll be sure to get moving on that as well.<br />
<br />
I think that will about do it for this week's entry, but since I promised you guys a Game of the Week, I'll do that now.<br />
<br />
----------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
Game of the Week:<br />
<br />
This game of the week has been something I've been meaning to do for awhile now, but I was unsure of whether or not it would be a project I would do in the future, since one of the things I try to do in these sections is talk about future project possibilities. However, a good friend of mine has recently started a project of a game that fits the same bill, so I figured that it might be a good time to talk about. So...in other words.....WELCOME TO MARIO GOLF!<br />
<br />
Mario Golf (N64)<br />
<img src=http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSbar82HhzaYzX5IX_0jUSmzW1bMT4rJJkggpN6kNeBxTMMBf4&t=1&usg=__2zhGprfyK88aJOcvCaoWPZ6ISL8=><br />
<br />
Next to the Mario Parties, and maybe Mario Kart, Mario Golf is probably my favorite sub-franchise, and I'm ticked they haven't brought it to the Wii yet. Either way, that's not the point, the point is I love Mario Golf. A lot of people wonder how Mario Golf could possibly be that much fun, just because it's Golf, but for some reason, it works....and it works well. Obviously, being Mario, you can't really expect a lot of realism, but when it comes to the gameplay, it feels authentic, which I think is a big charm of the game. Even though the sequel, Toadstool Tour (which is what ShadowMarioXLI is currently playing on his channel), improves on the formula of the series, I wouldn't say it really does that much extra to take away from the original. The original is definitely more challenging as your shots have to be precise, and you don't have the advantage of seeing your shot in action all the way. Plus you don't have the rather cheap "super topspin" or "super backspin either. Anyways, for awhile, this turned me off from the original since i got really into Toadstool Tour for a period of time, but recently in the last few years, I gave the original another try, and I got instantly hooked and had a really good time with it. Now I ironically think I'm better at the original than Toadstool Tour. XD<br />
<br />
Now for those who haven't played Mario Golf, there really isn't that much to discuss. It's Golf with Mario characters and that is basically it. However, if you are only expecting just normal golf, that's not completely true. There are a variety of different modes you can play in addition. There is Speed Golf, where you are timed on how fast you can finish the courses, Ring Attack, where you have to hit your ball through rings scattered across specific holes and then score the par, Club Slots, where your club set is limited to just 3 clubs before you tee off (chosen via a slot machine), and even a fun little mini-golf mode (which I found kind of disappointing when they didn't bring it back for Toadstool Tour). So yeah, the fun doesn't have to stop at just the tournaments.<br />
<br />
One of the biggest challenges of the game is unlocking all the characters. To unlock the characters, you have to play against computer-controlled versions of those characters and beat them in Match Play. From the get-go, you can probably expect how difficult these can be, especially since the characters are generally expected to hit the fall further than you and are programmed to at least play competently. You won't see them hit it out of bounds or in the water very often. They also have the ability to randomly get super long putts and ridiculous chip-ins that you normally wouldn't expect them to get so easily, but that's the downfall of playing against a random AI. Unlocking all the characters, I think, is one of the most rewarding challenges of the entire N64 library of games (not because of the characters, just the feeling of getting everything). Obviously it's not THE most rewarding, but still, when I did it for the very first time, I was very happy because of how difficult it was. Because of this, if I ever do a playthrough of the game, I won't be stupid enough to delete all the data (on my N64 cartridge or Virtual Console copy), so I will not unlock them all again....let's make that straight right away. =P<br />
<br />
Overall though, for what the game is, it's really fun, and despite what it may seem, I think it has quite a bit of replay value. I often find myself playing a round or two just out of boredom. Of course though, if you aren't into golfing games, you might have trouble getting into the game, but you don't have to exactly be a golf enthusiast to enjoy it either. That's what I love about Mario games. They can make anything a lot more fun. =P If I had to give it a score, I would probably give it a 4/5.<br />
<br />
Future Project Possibility: I will say right now that I am very interested in doing a Mario Golf project in the future (possibly this one), but it definitely won't be for awhile. I'm thinking that after I finish Mario Party (and Wii Party -_-), I might try to advance to some of the other Mario subfranchises, and Mario Golf will probably be one of the first ones I do.<br />
<br />
-------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
Ok, that's about it for this entry! See you guys next week! Later folks!<br />
- SlimKirbySlimKirbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12122458958209947452noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619092249780854594.post-52649464030250627732010-09-20T18:25:00.000-07:002010-09-20T18:25:21.383-07:009/20/10 - A Somewhat Philosophical (But Still Quite Late) EntryHello everybody, SlimKirby here!<br />
<br />
Hooray for another blog entry, and “Double Hooray!” for it being late! I know it really feels like I’m not taking this blog seriously, but I assure you that it is nothing like that. Things have truly been a lot more hectic than I’ve given them credit for, and I was working until like 1 AM last night before MegaFreak400 reminded me, “Hey! You have a blog to do, don’t you?” At that point, I was ready to move away from the keyboard and not even think about writing anything at that point. I do apologize if some of you guys truly look forward to my blog entries, but I really have to prioritize the way I do things, and unfortunately my blog is at the bottom of that list when it comes to things I have to do on Sunday. Trust me though, it would be a lot higher if I didn’t have any classes the next day…but unfortunately I can’t get that lucky.<br />
<br />
So yeah, if you couldn’t tell, things have been really busy for the Slimster once again. I’m not sure what is up with my professors this semester, but they are seriously out to get me. One of them is set on assigning really difficult programming assignments and is a real hardass when it comes to things he doesn’t care for, and two others teach a class filled with very difficult mathematical content….content I define as “Who Cares Mathematics.” Generally, I’m actually somewhat of a math enthusiast, but when it comes to this kind of math, I just stare at the problem and say to myself, “does the fate of the world really depend on knowing how to use Taylor’s Theorem and MacLaurin Series?” I swear, after midway through Calculus I, math was just ruined for me. It really sucks that my major pretty much requires these types of classes, and I’ll do what I can to pass them and come out of them with good grades, but I really hope I don’t lose my sanity over it, because that would just not be worth it.<br />
<br />
Besides that though, the week really wasn’t that terrible. There were some downs, but there were also some ups too. Things often alternate in the world of SlimKirby, I’ve started to notice. One minute I could be getting excellent news about an opportunity that could further my life and help me obtain an exciting future career, and the next minute I could be feuding with a close friend. It’s a shame life can’t be all gumdrops and lollipops, but the world doesn’t really work that way, now does it? You can try to change it, but it probably ain’t gonna happen…..life just sucks in general. I know that’s a rather negative view to have on things, but the way I see it, it’s only a general outlook, not a feeling. Even the most unfortunate person is bound to have a stroke of luck and goodness every now and then, and when they do, they should enjoy it…..they should feel warmly about it….they should EMBRACE IT…THEY SHOULD LOVE IT! THEY SHOULD….ok, getting a little carried away there. Anyways, yeah, I’m not saying that you should just dread life in general, I’m just saying you shouldn’t go into it expecting only good things, because most of the time, you will be easily disappointed, and that’s not that much better than feeling miserable all the time. So my motto is, be prepared for the ugly, so you can deal with the bad stuff as soon as possible and then enjoy the things that make you happy. I know it’s a rather weird, maybe even a blasphemous, viewpoint, but it’s worked for me at least, and I’m a happy-go-lucky, all-around, nice guy……..right?......RIGHT? You better have answered yes to that. >=( =P<br />
<br />
And that actually brings up another point….why are people so obsessed with gumdrops being used as a metaphor for happiness? I’ve never found gumdrops to be that exciting. In fact, I’ve always found them to have a rather bland taste, plus the fact that small pieces can get stuck to your teeth….very annoying. =\<br />
<br />
In Youtube news (yes, that’s right, screw the dotted-line format I’ve been using), Donkey Kong 64 has been moving pretty smoothly so far. I’m already on the road to finishing the project in a lot less videos, and at this point I already have the first 3 worlds recorded (not completely though (I still have World 3’s boss fight to record and I have to go back and collect a few things in World 1 and 2, but I don’t imagine that taking me very long to do)). Not sure when I’ll get the chance to record more, but hopefully Thursday, or even tomorrow, opens up a window of opportunity. I’m actually really enjoying the project thus far. It’s given me a lot of time to think about the old days when I was playing through the game during my first few playthroughs of the game. I won’t get into it now, because I will in a future video, but I actually have a lot of history with this game, complete with many fond memories.<br />
<br />
For those wondering about any future projects on the horizon, I honestly wouldn’t expect any at this time. Right now it looks to just be Donkey Kong 64 for the next few weeks, mainly because at this time I don’t even have my Wii, and some of the projects I’ve been thinking about are only playable on my Wii system (keep in mind, this means Wii, Gamecube, and Virtual Console games, not just Wii games). Before anyone brings up the possibility of me bringing another system with me, let me quickly say that I already have my N64 up here, my second system is always reserved to be my Playstation 2, and there is no way I’m bringing up more than 2 systems for my temporary home…..no, just not going to happen.<br />
<br />
For anyone wondering about my Wii, as I’ve explained in past entries, my Wii is currently being sent in for repairs to have the lens reader fixed (or readjusted). I’ve been having problems with my system reading certain games, specifically my Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Mario Kart Wii discs. I haven’t physically sent in the system yet, but I will this weekend when I go home. All I’ve done at this point is call customer support so I know at least what to do, but it will be under way soon.<br />
<br />
For those who continue to wonder about CrystalStarStudio and the future of the co-op channel, the only thing I’m going to ask you guys is to continue to remain patient with me (and us) as we try to figure out a few things. Believe it or not, we have actually run into some difficulty at this point, a difficulty that will probably delay things even more (if me not having my Wii wasn’t enough). However, I promise that we will try to figure things out as soon as possible so we can go back to creating videos for you wonderful people.<br />
<br />
I think that’s all I’m going to talk about for this entry. I know I promised a GotW this week, but the lateness behind this entry kind of prevented that from being made. I do have a candidate in mind though for next week, so hopefully next weekend’s entry doesn’t get delayed. -_- <br />
<br />
Anyways, I’ll see you guys later, whether it’s in my next video upload, or my next entry! Later folks!<br />
<br />
- SlimKirbySlimKirbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12122458958209947452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619092249780854594.post-81207605258020264492010-09-12T19:17:00.000-07:002010-09-12T19:17:11.697-07:009/12/10 - September BlandnessHello everybody, SlimKirby here, and welcome to another exciting blog entry! Let’s see if I can actually get this entry up before the clock strikes midnight (my time). Anyways, not much to really report on this week from the life of SlimKirby….nothing that would be worth mentioning. Although I guess I should mention that I did sign up for a twitter account, for those who would be THAT interested in following what I’m doing during the course of the week. Don’t expect there to be any extra or important information exclusively on the twitter account though. It’s really just something new I feel like experimenting with. Anyways, the link is as follows:<br />
<br />
http://www.twitter.com/slimkirby<br />
<br />
Besides that though, as I said previously, there is not much really to report on.<br />
<br />
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
Youtube:<br />
<br />
Let’s Play Donkey Kong 64<br />
<br />
Although the project starts tomorrow, I don’t think there is really any harm in talking about it. I recorded the first 5 (or 4 1/2 if I decide to add more to the somewhat short 5th video) episodes at this point, and at this point, I think they came out ok. The only way I could really describe them is that, if you like the majority of my videos, or rather, the style I do my videos in, you should feel right at home. Definitely expect the first batch of videos to be a bit informative though, just because the nature of them. <br />
<br />
I have to say though, doing these episodes of Donkey Kong 64 has gotten me thinking about a few things, a few things that I’m sure some of you (although, maybe not) would be surprised by. For one, I’m really not as confident with my ability to do commentary as many people would probably think. I mean, I can sit down and do it no problem, but watching it back, I always seem to get the feeling that I could do so much more with it. Maybe it’s just because it’s hard for anybody to listen or watch themselves, but still, I’ve never really been able to move past that confidence barrier, even after almost 2 ½ years of doing commentary. Maybe it’s just something you never really get over? Meh, I dunno, but I do know for sure that I’ll never let that discourage me from continuing what I do, so don’t worry about that if you think I’m getting tired of doing LPs, because I’m definitely not. It’s just more of a mental thing.<br />
<br />
Anyways, getting back to the actual project, this should definitely be a lot of fun. I’m very much looking forward to kicking this game’s butt and having fun with it too. I’ve already started to plan my routes throughout each level, which I know probably seems a bit unnecessary, but I’m actually challenging myself to get this done in as few videos as possible without making any extravagant cuts. At this point, I see less than 70 videos as a very distinct possibility. My original project was about 84 videos, and that was with the old time limit. Adding 4 to each video will definitely make this project go a lot faster considering that the equivalent of 3 videos now is 4 with the old time limit. Maybe I should have project video # ending predictions? :O<br />
<br />
Anyways, as usual, I hope you guys enjoy the project. I’m not sure when or if I will have a secondary project right away or not, but it’s something I may consider. It would be nice if I actually got my Wii back first though, because there is something I have on my Wii that I have considered LPing……what that game is? You will have to find out later. ;)<br />
<br />
CrystalStarStudio:<br />
<br />
Well, I have some good news….me and the guys at CSS have finally discussed some future plans. Not in very great detail, but enough to know what we might be doing next besides TTYD extras. As usual though, can’t really give you any information besides that….sorry. =(<br />
<br />
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
I’m actually going to end the entry here actually. I know this is kind of a short entry and there is no Game of the Week, but I did say a few weeks back that I am going to try and make the GotWs less frequent because I won’t have as much time during the week to play games anymore now that I am back in school (besides my Youtube projects of course), and sure enough, I didn’t really play any new games (that haven’t already been GotWs) this week, so that is pretty much an excuse in itself not to update.<br />
<br />
I’ll try to have a much larger entry next week and hopefully I can have an exciting week for a change so I can actually have things to talk about. =P<br />
<br />
Later folks!<br />
-SlimKirbySlimKirbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12122458958209947452noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619092249780854594.post-15085016077536430262010-09-06T01:03:00.000-07:002010-09-06T01:03:37.947-07:009/6/10 - Happy Labor Day! =)Hello everybody, SlimKirby here!<br />
<br />
I hope you guys have a great Labor Day! I'm not sure how it works for every person in the world, but in the case of me and the majority of the people I know, there are no classes today, so I had a nice little small vacation this weekend. Given, it was only 3 days, but still, some times even one extra day can be a lot.<br />
<br />
Anyways, first off I once again apologize for the lateness of this entry. I didn't really have a very productive Sunday and didn't really get anything done. I guess I've truly underestimated how much my new schedule has been wearing me out that I just crashed at a very inopportune time. Oh well, it's something to get used to, I guess. Basically with the way I have things going on now, I can stay up as late as I want most days, however, some days I have classes at 9 in the morning (which is early for most college students), and staying up late doesn't usually help me for those. However, since I'm so used to my late schedule, I end up staying late anyways which means I usually don't get much sleep for those early class days, and as far as naps go, you can only take a nap in the middle of the day for so long before you just can't stand to lie down anymore. So basically, I have definitely lost some sleep over the last few days...thankfully though, not too much sleep. I'm still getting things done and not falling behind on really anything, so I guess that's the important thing.<br />
<br />
Speaking of classes, things actually went a bit better this week than last. I might actually enjoy this semester a lot more than my past semesters, believe it or not. I guess I was just too focused on the work load that I forgot that the work really wasn't that bad. Plus, I have plenty of outside time to do it in as well, so I really had nothing to complain about. It's also kind of cool because one of my professors is actually a gamer and I'm thinking about telling him about what I do on Youtube. I'm not sure if there are any other Computer Science majors out there (besides those who I already know), but if you are, he's the kind of teacher who is really into technology and really enthusiastic about his work, so I think that class will have a lot of fun times this semester.<br />
<br />
In other news, I got The Simpsons Season 13 on DVD and Metroid: Other M on Friday (although the latter I haven't touched, nor will I probably touch for a few weeks (since I am sending my Wii in for repairs). So far, I'm actually enjoying season 13 quite a bit. There have been a lot of my favorite episodes, and I think it's probably the season right before the series started to go downhill a bit (granted, I've never really thought the series got that much worse, but I think it can be argued that the older episodes are definitely better than the newer ones). But besides that, not much new going on the real life world of SlimKirby.<br />
<br />
-------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
Youtube:<br />
<br />
I really don't have much to say either just because I said pretty much all I wanted to say last weekend, and I won't have any videos this next week, nor will CSS. I am very much looking forward to starting Donkey Kong 64 though. I haven't been this excited about starting a project since Kirby Super Star. Not that I haven't been excited about anything else I've done since then, I just really want to do this particular project so I can make it better than the first one I did and do the game justice. The first video of that will be going up on next Monday, so look forward to that on the 13th of September.<br />
<br />
I've been wondering though if I should start doing...not really shout-outs, but basic run-downs what others have been doing and what I think of their projects, but the problem there is that it would be too restricted. I have a lot of LPers I try to keep up with, and I'm sure there are plenty out there who will want me to add them and....yeah, probably not a good idea in the long run. Maybe if I keep it restricted to community members of the Blargg Pit and CrystalStarStudio (since this blog is directly related to the site and CSS), but I dunno, that almost seems too selective to me. I guess it's something I could consider though.<br />
<br />
--------------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
Game Discusssion:<br />
<br />
There will be no Game of the Week this week because MadameWario stole all of my attention away, so this section will not added.<br />
<br />
Ok, not really! =P<br />
<br />
Madame herself actually suggested I put that since I couldn't really think about anything to talk about and I'm really trying to get this done. Although, the statement is kind of true though as she does distract me quite a bit already......but in a good way. =P<br />
<br />
Anyways, today I was actually considering talking about my first thoughts and impressions on Metroid: Other M (as I mentioned earlier, I did buy it this weekend), but because I didn't play it and because I won't be playing it for awhile due to my Wii not being available, I can't really do that anymore. I guess I could talk about it for a little bit though, based on what I expect from the game based on what I have seen thus far and from what I have heard from other people.<br />
<br />
Basically, some of the things I've heard and predicted are that the game is 1) kind of a combination of Super Metroid and Metroid Prime, specifically with the 1st person and 3rd person switches, and 2) is really centered on the storyline and character development. Basically, consider those two the main topics from my brief discussion.<br />
<br />
First off, I will say that I'm one of those individuals who really fell in love with Super Metroid for the SNES, but never really got into the Prime series. While I think Metroid Prime is a very well-made game/series, I myself couldn't really get into the gameplay as much. I still acknowledge it though as one of the best Gamecube games, even though it's not up there on my personal preferences list. I do think the change from 2D side-scroller to 1st person shooter was needed, or rather, bound to happen, and I think Prime succeeded with that. As for Other M, where you pretty much switch between those perspectives, I'm not really sure.....although I do see how it could work and work well, but with that, I could also sense some faults as well purely from the game's controls and how they are set up. Keep in mind, I haven't played the game yet, so I really don't know how things actually are, and am purely basing this on assumption. Either way though, from what I have seen the gameplay looks pretty sweet and I am really looking forward to giving it a spin.<br />
<br />
Another thing that I have heard a lot about, mostly from my friends though who only go by specific reviews and always assume things rather than experience them for themselves, is that Other M has quite a bit of focus on story and character development, something that hasn't really been shown very much in the series (at least on this level). Now, if you are my friends, you'd be saying that this is an awful thing and that it ruins the character of Samus because she is normally portrayed as a silent badass bounty hunter who goes out and kicks ass. I for one am a little more open than that. I do think it's a bit out of character for Samus, but does that mean it's going to be a bad game because of that? I don't think so. Besides, game developers can't exactly win with mass crowds anyways. There will always be a lot of people who complain about a game changing too much, or a lot of people who complain about the game not being unique or different enough. Those are just the facts of video games....there is no arguing side that is right, and the sooner people learn that the better. Unfortunately we live in a world where people don't like to compromise their opinions to be opinions...they see their opinions as facts and won't stand for anything else. Anyways, I kind of went on a little tangent right there, so allow me to go back to the main point. I'm actually quite interested to see how the story actually stacks up for me. Story has never really been a determining factor for me, especially considering my favorite video games are games where the storyline is basically "princess gets captured, hero saves princess." I am and have always been a gameplay guy, and right now I think that's where Other M is going to be judged on most. As long as they don't screw it up so much that it makes the game unplayable, I don't think story is going to be that big of an issue, even if it ends up being odd. Still though, it's interesting to think about. I'm hoping that The MBD ends up taking control of the universe. =P<br />
<br />
My prospects are high, but how will they be at the end? I guess we will have to wait until I actually play the game (which again, won't be for awhile). The only thing I ask is that you don't give me any spoilers because I want to experience the game for myself. I also apologize for no Game of the Week this week either, but I didn't really play anything besides what I played already for Youtube. There will be one next week though, I promise!<br />
<br />
-----------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
Anyways, that's about it for this entry. Sorry if it was kind of on the short side, but I'm on 3-day vacation, give me a break! :P<br />
<br />
Later folks!<br />
<br />
- SlimKirbySlimKirbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12122458958209947452noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619092249780854594.post-7903867480766946092010-08-29T20:21:00.000-07:002010-08-29T20:21:35.668-07:008/29/10 - Back to Work....UnfortunatelyHello everybody, SlimKirby here, welcome to another week of….blogginess? Anyways, lots of things happening this week in the world of SlimKirby, so I’m going to make this entry kind of expeditious. This past week I started my Fall semester of classes, so as you can probably tell, I’ve been pretty busy with that. I swear, for a beginning week of classes, I’ve gotten a lot more work than I should have, but I guess that’s to be expected with the higher level classes. Overall though, I guess it is just something I will have to work with. I’ve done pretty well with my classes through the last 3 years. I’ll just have to step it up a notch. As for my classes interfering with any of my recording time, it really shouldn’t be that bad. I actually have quite a bit of free time considering the difficulty of my classes. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I have nothing until 3 PM and I’m done at 6:15, and because of that late start, on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, I can stay up quite late. I wouldn’t say it was the best result in the world in terms of how my schedule could have gone, but it could’ve been worse.<br />
<br />
Besides that, there is not much to report on…just hard work in general.<br />
<br />
----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
Youtube<br />
<br />
Majora’s Mask – Well, the main part of the project is over, and dammit, I can’t believe it. It seems like I just started, yet it’s been almost 3 months and now it’s finishing. On the whole though, it was a great project and I’m glad I decided to embark on it. Would I say it’s been my best project? Well, I think it would definitely be a candidate, although I still have a lot of pride in my Hit and Run Let’s Play. Either way, it was a lot of fun, I’m glad I decided to work on it. Extras videos will start coming out in the middle of this week, and will probably be over by the weekend.<br />
<br />
PilotWings 64 – Like Majora’s Mask, I also finished the main part of this project as well. Like Majora’s Mask, I also had a lot of fun with this project, despite the limited amount of entertainment a game like would normally get, and I thought it turned out pretty well. I think one of the greatest feelings I get from doing the work I do on Youtube is getting people interested in games that normally may have not been heard of before. That is definitely one of the goals I try to make with my Youtube, especially the more unnoticed games I play. Anyways, enough about that…..I’ve already uploaded some of the extra videos today, and the rest will be up tomorrow, so no more PilotWings after tomorrow.<br />
<br />
Donkey Kong 64 – Yesterday I announced in an update video that a replay of Donkey Kong 64 would be my next project. I’m really getting pumped for this replay just because Donkey Kong 64 has always been a personal favorite of mine, and I actually have a lot of history with the game, some of which I’ll definitely reveal during my playthrough. I’m hoping this project will be a lot shorter than the original (especially with the new Youtube time limit), and I can already guarantee better video quality and commentary. Anyways, look forward to this project in September.<br />
<br />
CrystalStarStudio – Still not setting anything in stone just yet, but I’ll (or rather, we’ll) probably have some information soon.<br />
<br />
----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
Game of the Week:<br />
<br />
Note: There is one thing I would like to keep in mind in regards to this edition of GotW and all future editions. This is not necessarily a review here, despite me writing it like one. When doing these issues, I try to focus on personal experience rather than nitpicking all of the different aspects of each game. If I wanted to write reviews like that, I would write them for a website or something. The only thing “reviewish” I would like to keep consistent is the scoring thing, besides that though, don’t be surprised if I don’t talk about every little thing.<br />
<br />
Pokemon (1st Generation)<br />
<img src=http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:dgvxmhwYbzX1vM:http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p150/XJGunz/Pokemon_red_box.jpg&t=1><br />
<br />
During this past week, I very randomly decided to pick up my old Pokemon Red Version game pack, and since it’s the only game I’ve played this week that hasn’t been one of the projects I’m currently doing, I suppose that it makes this game a candidate.<br />
<br />
What can I say about the 1st generation of Pokemon? Like for many, this game took me on a very unforgettable adventure throughout the world of Kanto, capturing Pokemon and gaining gym badges to become best Pokemon trainer in the land. It was all the rage back in the late 90s, and has kept pretty consistent in the recent years as well. The success of this craze is no-doubt attributed to the first games, which are perhaps my all-time favorites.<br />
<br />
Sure, when looking back at the first gen games, they seem inferior to the later games, and my favoritism could be merely for nostalgic reasons, but is there really anything wrong with that? Even if you do go back to these games, after spending years upon years with the new additions and changes to the series, going back to the old games can still be a lot of fun. In fact, a few years ago, my friends and I actually came up with a Pokemon tournament idea where we would revisit our old games with new files and a new adventure, and after a few months had passed, we’d have our own competitions with our Pokemon. We had so much fun with that, even though we never really finished (some of us got way too far ahead with our Pokemon levels, the level cap we set was too high, and many of the people actually dropped out after awhile). This shows that the old games still have quite a bit of charm left in them, even if you had to deal with a lot of the outdatedness of some of the game concepts.<br />
<br />
As for my current file, I really just started out of current boredom. I’m not really sure if it’s something I’ll try to completely finish or not, as I have gotten all 150 on the first gen before. And as rewarding as that was back in the day….now it just doesn’t seem like it’s something I’m 100% set on. It will definitely be something that I might go to though whenever I get bored.<br />
<br />
Giving this game a review score is actually pretty difficult, for a variety of different reasons. I would like to give it a score based on how it was back in the day, because of how easy it is to stack the game in comparison with the newer generations, yet on the other hand, you really don’t want to blind it by nostalgia either. For it’s time though, and for its enjoyment in recent years, I think I can feel pretty confident with a 4.5/5.<br />
<br />
LP Possibility: SlimKirby! Would you ever Let’s Play a Pokemon game? I will admit, I have thought about it, and I have determined that sometime in the future, I would like to do one, but now is just not the time. The problem with Pokemon is that there are already so many different Pokemon LPs and LPers already, and all of the major games and different versions have already been hit multiple times. Not that I am completely against doing games that have been done before, but still, I think it would be kind of difficult to keep the playthrough unique and interesting……in my opinion at least. With an overdone game like Majora’s Mask, I thought I could at least keep it interesting from my knowledge of playing the game multiple times when I was younger, and not really getting that feeling from other LPs of the game. Oh well, I suppose Pokemon is always a possibility for the future….just not now.<br />
<br />
----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
Well, that is about it for this entry this week…and how appropriate, just when “Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder” ended. I guess that means that it is about time to go to bed! Later folks!<br />
<br />
- SlimKirbySlimKirbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12122458958209947452noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619092249780854594.post-80012470323199918672010-08-23T14:06:00.000-07:002010-08-23T14:06:25.966-07:008/23/10 - Back to an Old, But Still Somewhat New RoutineHello everybody, SlimKirby here, reporting from Muncie, Indiana, my 2nd home. Yes that is correct, as mentioned last week, I am back at my college university for another exciting year of advanced education classes and all the drama that is college dorm life. I got back to my dorm last night in the early evening, and as far as I know, everything seems to have made it up here all right, so I was able to settle in pretty quickly. And with my first classes not starting until 3 PM today, I was actually able to stay up pretty late without the worry of missing any of my classes. Missing classes is not something I normally do (unless I know I don't need to be there and if I can get away with not going), but it has happened once thanks to my ability to randomly zone out my alarm clock (was able to sleep through 40 minutes of loud alarm beeping once). Either way, I got up at around 10 AM this morning, after staying up til about 3:30 last night. I know it's probably not very smart to get such little sleep on an important day like today, or stay up so late the night before, but I have my reasons (;]), and I feel pretty awake right now regardless. Besides, it's difficult to get sleep on that first night, just because of how different it is. You've pretty much spent the last 3 or 4 months sleeping in the same bed and in the same environment, and then you randomly switch to a small room in a big building with hundreds of other people living around you, only separated by walls that don't always minimize noises. It's a pretty unique experience. :P<br />
<br />
With that aside though, I'm not really sure what to make of this semester or this school year. I think I will really need to start focusing on what I'm doing (not that I don't focus, but I mean "REALLY FOCUS") and not try not to get lost in the drama that is my life and everything else around me. I will still try my best to stay active on Youtube, but try to understand that I can't really guarantee what my updating will be like. I actually got kind of lucky last year with so many open windows of opportunity to do recording, editing, and that kind of stuff. This year, I'm honestly not that sure. I'm hoping the 22-hour downtime between my last classes on on Tuesday and Thursday, and my first classes on Wednesday and Friday (plus the weekend of course) will give me plenty of opportunities, but who knows? I may actually need that time. I guess we will just have to wait and see what happens, yes?<br />
<br />
Also, I do apologize for the lateness of this entry. I actually meant to do this pretty early on Sunday, but I felt dead tired and kind of sick to my stomach, so I wanted to use that time to take a nap and get well rested before I had to make the nerve-wracking trip back to my university. And then, by the time I got back, I was really in no mood to work on it, so I put it off until Monday afternoon. I will try to keep these Sunday - Monday postponements to a minimum from now on, but I never really know what to expect with my schedule.<br />
<br />
Anyways, let's talk about other stuff! =D<br />
<br />
--------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
Youtube:<br />
<br />
Majora's Mask: I can't believe we are near the end of this project. At the time of writing this entry, the rest of the game has been recorded, and the rest of the videos will be uploaded periodically throughout this week. In the end, the project ended up being 74 videos (again, this is not counting the extras). That number is pretty much what I expected in the beginning and I have no regrets with it taking this long. I mean, to be fair, Majora is a pretty long damn game, and there is so much more you have to do if you want a 100% playthrough. I honestly don't think you would see very many people do that much better with less (in terms of video #s) than what I did (although with the 15 minute time limit, that's not necessarily true now). I actually had a lot of stuff planned out before I recorded so I knew what exactly I would be doing, step by step. There was rarely a time where I was literally doing nothing, and whenever I did have a time like that, I usually spent it on rupee grinding or getting situated for the next thing I had to do. I think in efficiency, I did a really good job. The only thing I will admit is that my organization was probably a little weird, however, that is what I chose to do in my Let's Play, so it was really my call in the end.<br />
<br />
I still need to film the extra videos at this time, not mention, figure out what I am even going to put in the extra videos. I have lots of things written down though, and I'm sure my viewers will probably have quite a bit to remind me of when it comes to the final video, with their "Will you show this?" and "Please show this!" comments. Plus, I also have the entire Let's Play to look through and see if there would be anything worth showing based on similar comments I've gotten throughout. It'll more than likely be an annoying process to plan out, but that's kind of what I signed up for.....<br />
<br />
PilotWings 64: The main part of Pilot Wings 64 should actually be finishing up pretty soon as well. Today I will be posting Part 7, and on one of the days for this week, I will post Part 8 as well, which will include the final main mission and the credits. Overall, it's been a nice project to work on, and I've gotten a lot of positive feedback from the LP as well, so I'm glad there are people who are actively enjoying the game for what it is. I actually got a comment on yesterday's video, which actually made me smile a bit; "I don't like this game, but you are really doing a great job with the project." Now, I guess that doesn't really do the game any justice, but one of the goals I kinda had for this Let's Play was that I wanted to show that even the most dull-sounding and dull-looking of games can be enjoyable to watch and/or play, or at least that was bet with ShadowMario41 (since one of the reasons why I LPed this game was because he said it was a terrible game and I wanted to prove him wrong =)). Although, when looking back at the comment, I guess it's moreso favoring the commentary and the project itself rather than the actual game (which I guess is good thing in its own right, considering how little faith I have in my audio commentaries). Either way, I think the project has been going pretty well regardless and I'm happy to see there are some people out there who are enjoying it for what it is.<br />
<br />
Like Majora, I also have extras for this project as well. I'd say there will be about 3 videos worth of extras (since I have to cover all of the side games and all of their levels. I still have to film them as well, but they will also be posted throughout the coming week (not this week, since I still have to finish the main part of the project).<br />
<br />
CyrstalStarStudio: Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is finished....sans extras. It was a long road of 92 videos, me being responsible for the majority of the last 18 or so, but we have most certainly finished. Now, the other members of CSS and I are looking to have a nice break from the action and drama, but I assure you guys that we will be back again soon (once we figure out what we are going to do next).<br />
<br />
New Project in September: I will be revealing my project in an update video I have planned for this coming Saturday, but just be aware of the fact, for the current time, that my next LP is decided. =)<br />
<br />
-----------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
Game of the Week:<br />
<br />
This week's GOTW is going to be treated a little bit differently from all the others. Usually when I do GOTWs, they are games that I haven't LPed on my channel before. However, I'm going to bend the rules a little bit and talk about a game I have LPed before...twice actually. The only difference between this entry, in contrast with others, is that instead of talking about the possibility of LPing it (since I have already LPed it), is that I will give my thoughts on that project, looking back on it, and comparing it with my current projects.<br />
<br />
Mario Party<br />
<img src=http://www.digitallard.com/images/game%20editorial/content117/mario%20party%203%20(u).jpg><br />
<br />
I can't stress how important Mario Party has been to my channel over these last few years. It has easily become perhaps the series I am most known for doing and has been the source of many of my best moments throughout my entire Youtube longevity. For those who don't know what Mario Party is, it's basically a mash-up of a classic board game, lots and lots of mini-games, and the whackiness that is the Mario universe. Since the release of the first game back in 1999, Hudsonsoft, the developer of the series, has released 9 other games (7 console, 2 handheld) into the series, but many argue the first is where most of the magic happens and where the magic has remained for the last 11 years.<br />
<br />
I'm not going to talk about the gameplay mechanics or any of that stuff as I've been through that a number of times in my many Mario Party projects. Besides, I'm willing to bet the majority of my readers come from my channel and are already aware of the Mario Party madness that ensues there, so I probably don't need to go into very much detail. One thing you can say about this Mario Party game though, in comparison with the rest, is because this is the first game in the series, you can generally expect it to be a bit more tame when looking at the rest. And for the most part, that is true. A lot of the mini-games are pretty easy to follow and have very simple premises, and this was also before the series got crazy with the item system. You can almost look at the straight-forwardness of this game to be a very distinct advantage. Most of the complaints that are given in future titles are that the games end up being way too random and luck-based, and having the right item could potentially bring the game in your favor. In this game, pretty much what you see, is what you get, and your plan of attack is going to be pretty obvious; win as many mini-games as you can, and get as many coins as possible so you can buy stars and afford board events. However, that doesn't necessarily mean, that luck will always be on your side, quite the contrary. You will still have to be prepared for anything, whether it's an annoying happening space event or if your opponents plan to gang up on you and steal your stuff. However, besides that though, it's pretty straightforward and I think that's why people tend to prefer that game to others. I personally think Mario Party 2 is the best, just because the item system in that game was fair and not off-the-hook, plus it had some of the best mini-games. Mario Party 1 still pretty much set the standard though.<br />
<br />
The reason why this game was chosen as Game of the Week is that I actually went back through the game recently just for old times sake and did another playthrough of all 8 boards. In my recorded project, I had a Win-Loss record of 6-2 (losing at DK's Jungle Adventure and Mario's Rainbow Castle, both ironically 1 star difficulty boards X_X), but in this playthrough, I actually managed to pull of a perfect 8-0 record! You see, I told you guys that I don't suck as much when I'm not recording. I guess when the camera turns on, the atmosphere changes. :P A lot of the boards in this playthrough pretty much went down in the same exact way; 1) I get a bunch of coins from mini-games and from not stupidly spending them and 2) Later use those coins to pretty much dominate the rest of the game. I also managed to get quite lucky with the chance times (something that doesn't happen very often for me), which actually helped me pull out a very late victory after getting screwed so hard by the stupid luck factor of Yoshi's Tropical Island. Another close call was Bowser's Magma Mountain, a board that literally decided to give me warp blocks at the worst possible times, whenever I was right next to the star. However, once I finally made it to Boo on the second to last turn, I had way more than enough coins to steal what I needed to gain victory. I also had perhaps the least efficient playthrough of Eternal Star ever, with one of the stars on the first set of 7 not being gotten throughout the entire 35 turn game (since you are originally given 7 star spaces at the beginning, and once you get all 7, they will create 7 more). It was a pretty interesting ride with a pretty nice result, and I'm glad I decided to play through this classic gem of a game again.<br />
<br />
Mario Party definitely set the standard for all future Mario Party and board games to come. I think it's far from a perfect game, but it excels in perhaps the most important department, pure fun and entertainment. I think because of that, it's appropriate to give this game a 4.5/5 on the SlimKirby scale. :P<br />
<br />
Original Playthrough: And by original playthrough, I mean the playthrough that is CURRENTLY on my channel, not the bad camcordered version I did back in 2007 that doesn't even exist anymore. All in all, I think it was a good project, despite its problems. The main issue with the recorded project is that I brilliantly (sarcasm) decided to not fix the audio desync issue I had until near the end of the project, making some of the playthroughs kind of awkward. I mean, when you hear my reaction to something before it actually happens, that kind of takes away from the experience a little bit, and because of that, I do kind of apologize to my viewers if that annoyed anyone. However, this was still a fairly early project of mine, and I was still learning. :P I think just because it is Mario Party 1, I probably won't need to redo it (especially since I've technically already redone it already), just because it is technically the first of the series, and it's understandable that there would be some problems. If anything, the only MP projects I should even consider redoing are 3 and 4, and even that is a stretch. Overall though, it was a great project and experience, and I'm glad the success of it has carried throughout my channel.<br />
<br />
---------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
That's about it for this entry! I'll see you guys next week for some more fun and excitement. Later folks!<br />
<br />
- SlimKirbySlimKirbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12122458958209947452noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619092249780854594.post-85894191799821832492010-08-15T11:58:00.000-07:002010-08-15T11:58:20.125-07:008/15/10 - Things Will Soon Be Going Down!Hello everybody, SlimKirby here!<br />
<br />
Once again, another week has passed, which means I will once again deliver a giant pile of text to you guys. You know, it seems like just a few weeks ago I was excited to be out of classes for the summer. Little do I realize now that it has actually been 3 ½ months now, which means that I only have one week before I go back to the old grind. It’s kind of disappointing, to say the least, but at least the ride has been a bit more enjoyable this time around. I’ve seen old friends, gone on trips, spent quite a bit of time with family, embarked on some interesting experiences, and have met some new people and friends. Basically…..it’s been the best summer vacation since I’ve been at college. =P<br />
<br />
Anyways, this past week has brought something “interesting events” to say the least. I actually got the pleasure to meet fellow Youtube user and CSS partner PowerToMario in person last Tuesday for breakfast. He was in the area this past week during a little family expedition of his, and we arranged a little meeting as he was en route back to his home base in Floridaland. The meeting itself was kind of awkward at first (keep in mind, this was our first face-to-face meeting, and regardless of the 3 thousand times we’ve talked before online, it’s a lot different in person), but in the end, it went well and was pretty cool. PTM is a really genuine person and a really nice guy. He can be a bit of a jokester at times (and sometimes, not in a good way =P), but in the end, aren’t we all? Either way, if you are reading this, it was great meeting you buddy, and take care! And also, good luck in your first year of college! Make all of CSS proud! <br />
<br />
Besides that though, it was actually a pretty boring week. It was the kind of week where it really starts to hit you that something big is coming up (for me, moving back into dorm life again and starting classes), and you aren’t really motivated to do anything but just focus on that upcoming event. I really hate when I let that happen because I always feel like I have something else to do, and I just shouldn’t have the time to stare at my Simpsons character poster and name as many characters as I can. I feel I must at least give thanks though to the Blargg Pit chatroom for at least making things interesting in those late after-hours that take place in my daily life after I spend most of my day doing work around the house, recording and editing videos, or even both. Not only do they give me a great deal of support for what I do, but they are a lot fun to chat and hang out with. We’ve seriously got some great people in that community, and if any of you guys or gals are reading, just letting you know how fantastic you have been.<br />
<br />
But, enough ranting about that…let’s move on to something else!<br />
<br />
---------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
Youtube:<br />
<br />
Majora’s Mask – The other day, (Friday to be exact) I finished recording another set of videos which consisted of the entirety of Stone Tower Temple, and pretty much all of the extra stuff outside of Clock Town. The end of this project is so freaking close, I can almost taste it. All I have to do right now is finish finalizing those videos and I could pretty much just film the rest of the game. However, I would like to do something special with the big thing I will be covering the following cycle, so I might devote a little time to that. Either way though, predict Majora to end somewhere around the Video #80 mark.<br />
<br />
PilotWings 64 – The reception of this project has been nothing outstanding, but the response has been incredible for what it is, and definitely not what I expected. I knew walking into this game that I was taking a big risk with the interest of my fans, but that risk has actually been paying off so far. It will definitely be a short project, but maybe the best mini-project I have done thus far.<br />
<br />
CrystalStarStudio – Paper: Mario The Thousand-Year Door is almost complete and will actually be completely finished by the next blog entry. Only 4 videos remain of the project, and I will be uploading twice on Friday, so the project will officially end on August 20th. It’s been a fun ride with this game, but the rest of CSS and I are ready to put this project to rest, or at least the main part of the project.<br />
<br />
New Projects: People have already started to wonder what exactly I will have planned for the months following Majora’s Mask, and I will tell you guys that I have given it a lot of thought. I wouldn’t say I have a full grasp on what I’m going to do or when, but I have a plethora of ideas in mind, and it will basically come down to what I feel like doing when the time approaches. I will say that I do have my next Let’s Play decided at this point (after Majora and Pilotwings) and I will be announcing it very soon.<br />
<br />
15,000 Subscribers: Wow, when summer vacation started for me, I didn’t even have 10,000 yet, and I managed to pick up 5,000 more in only a period of 3 months. I really have to give you guys a lot of thanks for that. I’m glad you are enjoying my videos and I’ve glad you have been very supportive of me and my work for so long. Since 1,000 milestones don’t seem as big anymore, I probably won’t be planning a special for this particular milestone, but I did want to take note of it just because of how swiftly I obtained it. Thanks again guys!<br />
<br />
---------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
There will not be a Game of the Week this week mostly because….I haven’t played any games….. seriously. Normally when I do a GotW, I choose a game that I had been playing recently or randomly decided to pick up and play again just for the hell of it, but no major candidates come to mind. I’ll definitely have a GotW planned for the next entry, but for this one, I’m afraid I’m going to run empty on you guys. Although, with classes quickly approaching again, my time for gaming will continue to diminish, so maybe GotW will have to turn into Game of the Month, or something…<br />
<br />
Well, since there is no Game of the Week, I guess that means I’m going to call it quits for this entry. I’ll see guys next time. I’m not sure if “next time” will be next weekend though, just because I will have a lot going on next Sunday, but surely I’ll be able to find some time to write something. I guess we’ll just wait and see…<br />
<br />
Later folks!<br />
-SlimKirbySlimKirbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12122458958209947452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619092249780854594.post-4551400939306070802010-08-09T09:57:00.000-07:002010-08-09T09:59:22.685-07:008/9/10 - I Hate Being LateHello everybody, SlimKirby here, and welcome to my Sunday blog update! *looks at calendar and sees that it is Monday* oh crap….<br />
<br />
Yes, once again I had a bit of an issue with timing for this blog, but this time, I literally forgot about it. Usually when my updates are late, I at least have them somewhat written already, or have the blog in the back of my mind throughout the entire day. This time, I was literally in bed trying to get to sleep when I realized that I forgot. Oh well, it’s something I can get done while I’m waiting for my videos to upload today.<br />
<br />
So, there is not much to really catch you guys up on in my real life. I can’t believe in only just two weeks I’ll be back in school for my 4th year of college classes. I’m honestly not completely sure how to feel about that, but it needs to be done, I guess. <br />
<br />
One thing that might be worth mentioning is that I may actually be meeting up with Youtube user and fellow CSS member PowerToMario tomorrow, which will be the first time I’ve seen a fellow CSS member face-to-face. Tonight we still need to discuss some details (like, where we will be meeting, and so on), but it’s completely plausible. I guess we’ll see how that goes (if it does) and then I might have to talk about it next week. There is also the possibility of meeting up with MadameWario as well (since she also lives in the area), but I’m not sure how much information she has gotten about this. Again, I guess we will see what happens.<br />
<br />
------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
Youtube Stuff:<br />
<br />
Majora’s Mask seems to keep on going, and going, and going, and going, and going (not that I expected anything else). Although, it is comforting to know that I am approaching the end of the wire. In terms of video numbers, I’d still expect around 75 or 80 overall (for the main project anyways), but I think the only thing I can say for certain right now is that it will definitely not go over 100. Maybe if my time limit was still 11 minutes, it might be, but even then I have my doubts. The new 15-minute time limit has done wonders for this project, it really has.<br />
<br />
Also, for anybody still in the dark, I actually started a new project yesterday, Let’s Play PilotWings 64. And the reception I got from the first video was actually kind of surprising. I got a few “What the F is this?” comments like I expected, but the feedback was mostly positive and there seems to be a lot of interest despite the type of game it is, which is what I was hoping for. It’s good to know that people are willing to give the project and the game a chance, because you never know what you are going to like. I for one, never would expect, as a child, that I would end up enjoying a game where you fly around with different air vehicles and try to do simple tasks like fly through rings and pop balloons, but then Pilotwings 64 showed up. As mentioned before, this project will only be updated on a “When I want to” basis, so I can’t really say when certain updates will occur. I am going to try and record the entire project before I go back to college though.<br />
<br />
For CrystalStarStudio, we are currently in the process of uploading Chapter 8 videos. Because there have been so many trips and wisdom teeth removals as of late, getting together for commentary has been hard, but that’s why we recorded 6 videos last weekend (even though it was a pain getting everyone together, but I won’t get into that now). We just have to record 4 more videos, and the project should actually be finished by the end of next week, surprisingly. Then we have to decide what else we are going to do. =P<br />
<br />
Also, as some of you might be wondering (I have gotten a few PMs about it already), I was actually a director of the new cooperative NinBuzz channel for a short period of 12 hours. For those who are unaware, Ninbuzz is basically a cooperative channel that is hoping to get an elite group of Youtube gamers together in order to create a haven of Nintendo goodness on one Youtube channel, and I actually got an invitation to be a part of it. Originally, I accepted the invitation, but decided against it after thinking about it for a little while. A reason for this is just because I have so much on my plate already, and adding a 3rd channel to which I submit stuff would not help those matters in the slightest. Another reason is that I would be working with complete strangers and people who I don’t know very well. With CrystalStarStudio, it’s different because I’ve known these guys for 2-4 years now and I actually trust them. NintendoCapriSun, who is one of the channel directors for Ninbuzz, while he seems like a nice, down-to-earth guy, doesn’t change the fact that I really have no idea who he even is as a person (besides the personality he shows in his videos). There are also a few other reasons to why I declined, but they are more personal and are reasons I don’t really feel comfortable with bringing up in a public blog. In the end though, if this channel is for real and if it’s legit (NO CHEATS), I wish the directors of NinBuzz good luck in their endeavors.<br />
<br />
That’s really all I have to say about Youtube stuff for now. Next week, as we get closer and closer to the end of Majora’s Mask, I might start bringing up some possibilities of future projects and things I might start doing for the fall season. I’m not going to make any major promises or guarantees that I will reveal a whole lot, but I will try to spend some time talking about it.<br />
<br />
Also, I’m not going to be posting the video schedule for the following week like I have done in past entries. The way I see it, I only have two projects, one of which is updated daily and the other of which is updated whenever I want it to be updated, so there really doesn’t seem to be a purpose to post the schedule when half of it is pretty much something you can expect on a daily basis, and the other half is random.<br />
<br />
-------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
Game of the Week<br />
<br />
I actually haven’t done a GotW for awhile, but now it is time. This time I will be talking about a game I’ve gotten and completed recently.<br />
<br />
Kirby: Squeak Squad (Mouse Attack)<br />
<img src=http://masem.files.wordpress.com/2006/12/sqeuak_squad_cover.jpg?w=284&h=284><br />
<br />
Oh Kirby, Kirby, Kirby…..you are such a pimp (pimp? Oh dear, I guess I have been spending too much time chatting with MadameWario that I’m using her words now XD). Anyways, it’s actually been quite awhile since Kirby’s last ORIGINAL (so Super Star Ultra doesn’t count) platforming adventure, and with the announcement of Epic Yarn during the last E3, I felt it was time to go back and actually give Squeak Squad a try, since I actually haven’t played it before. I got the game from a local gamestop a few weeks back and I’ve been casually playing through it these past few weeks, completing it just a few days ago.<br />
<br />
The game itself is quite like any Kirby game you’ve already seen before numerous times. In this game, a group of intergalactic mice steal Kirby’s prized Strawberry shortcake (wait, what?), and Kirby’s goal is to re-obtain it along with collecting any other treasures he can find. Yeah, the story is kind of lame, but you can’t and really shouldn’t expect a “Final Fantasy-esque” storyline from a Kirby game. After all, it’s the gameplay that matters, right?<br />
<br />
Right off the bat, when playing this game, I actually notice quite a few similarities to the Great Cave Offensive from Kirby Super Star. You can play the game straight through if you want, but you are going to be tempted to collect all of the different treasures you can find and that Kirby can get his cute, little, greedy hand-stubs on. As you would expect, getting all the treasures is an intuitive process, as they are not all in plain sight right in front of you. Sometimes you will have to hit switches or have a specific copy ability to obtain the treasure. However, if you thought Great Cave Offensive or getting all the crystal shards in Kirby 64 was challenging, it’s pretty much the exact opposite experience for this game. You really don’t have to do that much thinking in order to obtain any treasure. Usually if you need a power-up to get through an obstacle or hit a far-away switch, the power-up is 98% of the time in the same room you are in. And for other treasures, usually if you just explore every crevice, and every nook and cranny (nook’s tranny cranny….again, too much time with MadameWario XD), you’ll find the treasures pretty easily. I honestly did not really get that much of a challenge from this game, not that I was really expecting a Kaizo Mario World or anything, but it almost seemed like just a baby version of the Kirby games. It was still a lot of fun, just really easy.<br />
<br />
Some of the new power-ups you can get in the game are actually pretty cool. In fact, I think one of my new favorite Kirby power-ups is Magic Kirby, a form where Kirby wears an awesome magician top-hat, and can send playing cards or magic white doves as projectiles. A lot of the old, classic Kirby power-ups are also in the game as well, including Beam, Fire, Ice, Sword, Wheel, and two of my Kirby Superstar favorites, Hammer and BOMB! I also thought the concept behind Metal Kirby was kind of cool, although I hated using it.<br />
<br />
And as usual, after you beat the game, you can expect a lot of different features and extra games, which does give the game some extra replay value. I wouldn’t say it’s a lot of replay value, but if boss endurances or level times trials are your thing, it’s delivers in that area.<br />
<br />
Overall, as I mentioned earlier, it’s a decent game and worth checking out if you are into the Kirby genre, but if you are looking for a DS Kirby game, Kirby Superstar Ultra is obviously the better deal in the long run. This game just felt a little too easy, and I thought it could have given just a bit more replay value. Overall, I would give it a 3 out of 5. It’s nothing terrible, but nothing extraordinary, just averagely good.<br />
<br />
LP Possibility: If I could play DS games on a console, hell yes. But for now, hell no!<br />
<br />
---------------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
And that’s about it for this blog entry! Again, I do apologize for the lateness, but I think this entry actually came out pretty well besides that, so hopefully that makes up for it. Before I go, there is one more thing I want to mention.<br />
<br />
PowerToMario has also started a blog of his own, and is the 2nd CrystalStarStudio member to have one. I felt that since he is a part of the CSS gang, and is now the world of blogging, that I would give him and his blog a little plug, so here is a link to his blog if you want to check it out.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://ptm444.blogspot.com">A Day in the Life</a><br />
<br />
I think MegaFreak400 is also considering starting a blog of his own, so once he gets his first post up, I’ll probably give a plug to him as well.<br />
<br />
Anyways, that’s about it for this week’s entry. See you guys next week where again, I will probably be late at updating. However, I have an excuse this time because I’ll be going on a small weekend trip to a place that has no Internet connection. I still should be able to get a post up on Sunday night though, but don’t be surprised if it’s late.<br />
<br />
Later folks!SlimKirbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12122458958209947452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619092249780854594.post-81915966173018891032010-08-02T09:26:00.000-07:002010-08-02T09:26:23.918-07:008/2/10 - Cutting it Short...Hello everybody, SlimKirby here!<br />
<br />
I would say "Welcome back to another exciting entry," but this isn't exactly going to be my usual type of entry. For one, if you couldn't tell, this is being updated on Monday, so I'm already a bit late to the game, and unlike last time where I was working on it periodically through the course of the day, I didn't get anytime to work on it whatsoever (although I did try to, I just couldn't get any alone time with the laptop). Secondly, as much as I hate complaining about everything else I have to do along with this blog, this time it's just too much. Since my stream last Wednesday, let's just say I haven't had a day where I could just sit back and not worry about what I need to get done until today, and even then I'm not as ahead as I could be with Majora videos and I need to start filming my new project as well. When you put my Youtube stuff together with CrystalStarStudio, general updates on the Blargg Pit, Blargg Pit chat moderation, this blog, trivia contests and gaming night events (to attend, not control) and stuff I am expected to take care of in the real world....it's a lot of stuff. I'm surprised how much free time I normally get (which is normally not a lot).<br />
<br />
However, with that being said, and with the blog probably being the least relevant of those things, it's still not something I want to give up. Deep down, I am actually a writer at heart, if my long history of being a, as I like to call myself, "message board junkie" doesn't show otherwise. For those not really understanding what I'm referring to, before I started doing Youtube videos, I was a very common visitor and sometimes poster of major video game message boards. The most prominent one was the Nintendo NSider Forums where I had over 75,000 posted messages, various Post of the Week awards, and hosted a variety of different contests and wrote a variety of different reviews as well. Anyways, my point is that during those days, I had an outlet where I could vent my ideas and post what I had on my mind. Now, I could technically still do that, but with the way I do my Let's Plays, the way that works for me is the informative game approach, where I put a lot of attention into the game I'm playing, because I feel that is the reason why people are watching the videos in the first place, not to find out how sad I am for the most recent celebrity death or for my opinion on who is going to win the next season of Hell's Kitchen. Now, every now and then, especially when it comes to the Mario Party projects, I try to put a little discussion out there just because it can help clear out some of the "uhhh.....uhhh....yeah, so uhh..." moments of my videos where I may not be saying anything relevant in the slightest, but even then, some of that can easily clash with my video standards, leading to such disasters as my E3 2010 rant (which I'm still probably being too hard on myself for, but leaving out details and certain explanations can really lead people into making swift judgments about another person, judgments that may be incorrect, but understandable as well based on the way I presented my discussion). So in a way, I try to use this blog as a way to talk about those things that I normally wouldn't be able to touch on as much or as well in my videos. The only problem is now the blog is slightly becoming a chore to do and I don't seem to have as many things to talk about as I normally would. It's a shame that this blog has to suffer because of that, but I'm doing my best to make sure I have something to share with you every week. It's just a shame I have to balance it along with everything else I'm doing...<br />
<br />
Anyways, this entry is not going to be a very long entry, nor am I going to be using the format I've been using in my last few entries (so there will be no "Game of the Week" for this week). I'm just going to touch up on a few things, mostly involving Youtube stuff, and then call it an entry.<br />
<br />
First off, as I'm sure many of you are wondering; I am going to be pushing my new project back a bit, because I just haven't really had anytime to film it. I'm going to try and get some episodes recorded this week, and hopefully I can get it out there by next Sunday, but we'll see what happens. Until then, just expect normal Majora's Mask updates.<br />
<br />
CrystalStarStudio has started Chapter 8, and we are very thrilled to bring you guys the final chapter of the game. Expect the main part of the project to come to a close on August 20th. As for other parts of the game, we are still trying to decide what to do, so please keep questions about that to a minimum.<br />
<br />
For the big Youtube issue that is currently going on (the false-flagging/suspension thing), as I said during my stream and past entries, don't let that bother you guys in the slightest. Users like chuggaaconroy have already started to return from their suspension (not sure what is taking NCS so long though), and things seem to have definitely slowed down if not stopped completely. It was all honestly just a matter of time before this lost steam, and as I said a few weeks ago, Youtube could only ignore the issue for so long. The only advice I have for you guys still worried about the situation, just try not to think about it so much, and keep in mind that if it does happen again (and happens to me for that matter) it will not be a permanent thing.<br />
<br />
Finally, as for my stream last week, since I always tend to share my thoughts on the blog following the stream....I have to say I was kind of disappointed. However, this disappointment is not directed at just one source.....really all sources that played a factor including myself. I made some really bad decisions during the stream, and I really lacked direction with what I was doing, so in some parts, things got really hectic and probably a bit boring in other parts. I really want to thank my moderation staff though during this particular stream because they were on the ball in so many ways. Problems were taken care of, posts were being removed when they should have been, and they just did a great job overall, so thanks to MegaFreak400, GaiaCrusher9, K-Man, ShadowMario41, PowerToMario, darkmindedsith, Odinspack33, ShotzRox, RockedSolid, and the always lovely, and always fierce MadameWario. I'm glad you guys (and gal) were there to have my back. Anyways, with that being said, I don't think there are going to be that many more stream events for the rest of this summer. I originally had plans to host two more streams, and an all-day stream (like I do every summer), but I'm hesitant to do so. I would like to give it one more shot to see if maybe things will go a little smoother, but another issue is finding the time to host one. There will definitely be at least one more stream in the next month, but at this time, I can't tell you when.<br />
<br />
That's about all I wanted to discuss for this entry. Next week I will try to return to my blog format. Later folks!SlimKirbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12122458958209947452noreply@blogger.com0