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Mental Preparations
May 1, 2007
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It should be noted that whilst I am not doing something like the comic externally, internally my mental Glee-o-meter is ticking near critical mass. Friday should be a day of much joy and happiness, my friends, for all nerdkind. And thus we should be forgiven if we, say, scream like little girls with excitement about it. It's on the list of Acts for Geek Forgiveness. Thou Shalt Let This Shit Slide IF: is how it starts - FYI. See how carefully I word things so this doesn't give anything away about the comic if you haven't read it yet? So very carefully I craft my words.
Also, I give renewed apologies for being virtually disconnected this week. I cannot give details n' shit about what is keeping me out so long, but when I say "work" you should expect something properly RADSOME, for the delightful place at which I am so fortunate to work is a workshop for the amazing. A veritable Factory of Awesomeness, should you allow me to turn that phrase. You know we be working on some highly delicious things. It be so. Trust me on that, and I continue to beg your forgiveness at my tardiness in responses and replies. It is not because I don't love you guys - because I do. You should be aware of this. Annie C. LOVE you, baby - I might even be so bold as to call you my "boo." Or maybe not, because that phrase frightens me. Even still: let my dedication not be questioned, I pray - I'ma try to make you somethin' pretty to make up for it. Also, um... you have beautiful eyes?
Away from that subject: I humbly suggest you try out The Red Star: imagine an old-school brawler paired with a similarly old-school shoot-em-up (or "shmup," my favored portmanteau-ish term) set in an alternate universe of Soviet Russia involving magic and gigantic battle tanks. Trying to describe it kind of pales next to the trickiness of getting a masterful hang of the controls - and the glee of dashing towards an enemy, breaking through his shields, pummeling him into the air with a juggle attack, backflipping to get away, and - the second he is able to stand again - pumping his ass full of bullets. All while enemies are darting at you with melee attacks, you're dodging around swarms of bullets, and bombs are falling at your head. And just after that you fight a giant goddammed flying ship boss with crisscrossing laser attacks and homing missles. It's paired down, sure: it's $20, and was budget when it was going to be released originally, but... man, it's fun. You go in there with that yearning for something both refreshing and old-school, you won't be disappointed.
Actually, it's funny: the history of me and this game actually stretches back quite a ways, and through an odd series of coincidences. At my first E3 in 2004, while walking between the South and West Halls (where the last remainders of Acclaim lingered), I saw a poster with a girl wearing a Russian hat and wielding a sickle. Something was badass about that, so I tugged the arms of my cohorts and bugged them to check out this "Red Star" business. Played the demo, had a blast, was eager to see it released... and then the last gasp of its dying publisher very nearly took the game with it in its death throes. Over a year later, I discover on an industry forum that the game was pretty much DONE, and someone there asks me if they should pick it up to publish it (and I say of course yes, of course, holy shit, it was something neat). Shortly thereafter in August 2005, on the last day of Web Guy Josiah & my honeymoon, I pick up a Red Star book (the novelization of the first two graphic novels, actually) in a bargain bin in a Barnes & Noble in Kona, Hawaii... and Web Guy Josiah reads it, and gets hooked. We're able to pick up the first two graphic novels of The Red Star (I wonder if we'll ever actually be able to track down the third one...), and lo and behold - when looking for a Christmas present for Josiah, I find that The Red Star game is actually going to be released on January 1, 2007. ...And then after several months of delays, finally we've gotten it - and Josiah played it ALL WEEKEND. I think it's been a good investment - and a nice long weird ride. Yay, happy coincidences. ::grin::
Well, kids, I think I've yammered at you enough for now - enjoy the week and the gloriousness of what Friday will bring. GLEE!
Thwip,
Annie "Blue" C
Spat what he knew, energy for true
- Danger Doom
"Sofa King"
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