Being there, alone

Who lives here?

Who lives here?

Every once in a while Cuchlann mentions that he wants to write more about video games. And he has — over here. (Did you know he set up a new solo blog? Rather than talking about nerd stuff how he’d talk about classic literature, he talks about classic literature how he’d talk about nerd stuff. If even there’s a difference. Which is kind of the point.) But resurrected dinosaur Super Fanicom needs more video game content, I say!

So, Proteus. Is it a game? The IGF seems to think so.

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Back, by Cuchlann’s beard!

And so it was that, following twelve hours of not-quite-but-almost-continuous work, each post’s images were henceforth hosted here, and the survival of Super Fanicom no longer depended entirely upon my income.

Which, incidentally, is a good thing.

Here are some things to expect, to know, and to cherish:

  • Lots of broken links at the moment. I think some of this will go away when the old domain is properly mapped, but I’ll be on the lookout for stragglers. Sorry for the bother in the meantime.
  • Damn near every Super Fanicom tract of yore and quite a few pontif.us screeds can be found here, with a few notable exceptions. Such as all the audio content. And, most unfortunately, the Strike Witches posts — that’ll be a long-term project (had I tried to include them today, I’d be far from done). I actually do still have the raw materials of the eight(?) we never did finish, though…
  • Wonder of wonders, we have post ideas! Or I should say that I have one post “idea” (which…well, you’ll see), and otherwise Cuchlann and I have a few post aspirations. Maybe some video sorts of things. Since the last time we tried audio I’ve procured a better headset and a hard drive that doesn’t lurch violently every three seconds.
  • If your name isn’t on the authors list to the right, rest assured that I’ve credited you for your posts in-text, and probably tried to get you signed up here properly; just shoot me an email with your WordPress.com username if you want that straightened out, and watch for the subsequent invite.

Tired. More anon.

An Open Analysis on Fan Affinities

If we are to notice the amount, the type, and how open we are when it comes to Japanese visual media that we consume, we are to know where we stand. So in an attempt to enlighten readers in a way that encourages them to take a closer look at themselves, me and good friend Pontifus have conducted an excruciating (I mean, really, we had to find a decent amount of time for ourselves just so we can continue this), unadulterated, two-year, tag-team discussion-based analysis based on the defined variables in our otaku fandom equation. All in semi tl;dr glory.

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They should have sent a skald!

Thekittymeister took this.

Thekittymeister took this.

Oh yes, for three years ago the beard was born!

(Three years and one day, actually).

In the time since our last gathering together to celebrate, it has been whispered in certain English departments that this beard contains within it the souls of all people alive on this planet — verily, that shaving even one hair would slay a person; one inch, dozens; a goatee would doubtless depopulate a continent.

Neither do I know where its groping, hirsute rampage will end. But those faithful few of us will know it forever beneficent.

On Cash Points and Video Game Money

I rarely harbor feelings of hate when I play video games. But when I do, I do it with audacity and intensity. So when the concept of incorporating Cash Points in modern gaming came into existence, I was furious. Why, you ask? Because the existence of Cash Points is the most horrific thing to happen in the video game industry.

To know why it’s bad, one must know how it works. Basically, you purchase the points using real world cash, which you can use to unlock rare and powerful items in the game, hence the term. Feeling underpowered with the cheap Longbow you mugged from some random monster? Become a god of archery with this Cash Point-only Super Bow. Fifty inventory slots not enough for you? Purchase fifty more slots using Cash Points. Want to stand out from your guildmates? Get the limited edition Gold Ring.

Now that you know how it works, back to why it’s bad. And it’s bad on a number of reasons:

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A post from a twitter

…which is like a book from a footnote.

So a conversation on Twitter got me to thinking. This is not uncommon. The issue? Notes in translations and other works. The players? Myself, 8C, and LowOnHitPoints.

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