My attempt to recreate Samus's iconic Super Metroid pose with the new Figma model.

I am Gundam

Platinum baby!

Spread Awareness!

Google: End Piracy, Not Liberty

Quick thoughts on fitness and gamers article

They've been trained to focus for weeks at a time on a single goal. They know how to clearly identify obstacles and form step-by-step plans to overcome them. 

They're obsessed with improving specific skills but judge success only by overall progress made in the world they've decided to conquer -- as realistic or fantastical as it may be. 

It's precisely these traits that make video-gamers great bodybuilders.

I read an interesting piece on CNN about video game enthusiasts and fitness. It was brought to my attention by a close friend who claimed that article was describing me, and that gave me a laugh. See,  personally I have been attending the gym 3 days a week since last May or so and I am, indeed, a game enthusiast!  I'm not entirely sure what sparked it but my new-found hobby has had a positive impact of my self-image and confidence, and I agree with the article's general sentiment that fans of games can direct that intrinsic competitive drive

If you would like to follow my progress or make friends on Fitocracy, add sixteen-bit

Excellent write-up on Dark Souls

The Great Big Puzzle Box: A Close Look at Dark Souls’ Ingenious Difficulty as Witnessed by One Dead Guy in Sen’s Fortress

2011 Game of the Year Countdown

10. King of Fighters XIII - SNKPlaymore/Atlus, PS3/360; After the King of Fighters XII debacle in 2009, I, like many was skeptical of SNK Playmore delivering the goods. Fears were smashed once this released though. Great game, improved balance over the arcade original. Pure, Honest Fighting.

9. Ghost Trick - Capcom, DS/iOS; I felt the puzzles were a bit trial-and-error heavy, but the concept of manipulating objects to affect character's actions was really inspired. I loved the writing and story too. Another great adventure game by Shu Takumi. 

8. Catherine - Atlus, PS3/360; Though I wish the player was given more control when it came to choices regarding plot elements, Catherine earned its spot through its interesting melding of visual novel and puzzle genres.The nightmare levels are evocative of one of my old favorites, Intelligent Qube for PS1. Also, the game is a surprise multiplayer hit with my friends and I -- Colosseum mode is great!

7. Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition Ver.2012 - Capcom, PS3/360... PC update pending; Lovingly dubbed "Apology Edition", this is a much-needed re-balance to one of my favorite fighting games this gen.

6. Strania - G.rev - XBLA; Easily the best original shooting game on XBLA. Might be my favorite G.rev game period. Feels like a 90s shooter - It's visually evocative of Compile's 16-bit offerings with an Einhander-esque weapon drop system.

5. Gears of War 3 - Epic/Microsoft, 360; Gears of War 3 is a spectacle.  Great looking, and great feeling game. Best multiplayer in the series, both competitively and cooperatively.

4. Streets of Rage Remake - Bombergames, PC; Traditionally, my approach to fan games is to tread carefully. They're usually not very good. Somehow this game changed my stance on that. Several years in the making this fan project actually does the series justice.

3. Portal 2 - Valve, PC/PS3/360; Portal 2 is a game that hits it own.Honestly, Portal 2 is less focused than the original, but it still retains the fun, humorous, and engaging traits that made me fall in love with the first game four years ago. Well written, well designed 

2. Dark Souls - FROM Software/Namco Bandai, PS3/360; Beautiful, oppressive perfection. Dark Souls is a game that isn't afraid to do it's own thing. I really feel that the difficulty is overblown by the press, but it certainly doesn't hold your hand either. Honestly, that's one of the reasons I like the game so much. The combat offers an incredible feel of weight and physicality, and the world consists of wonderful art and fiction. It's my favorite RPG in years. 

1. Gundam Extreme Versus - Namco Bandai, PS3; Sneaking in as a December release, Gundam EXVS sniped the top spot for me. Fun, competitive, and a great use of the license. The game plays similarly to Virtual On Force with two-on-two mecha battles, but unlike Force, the pace is faster and combat just feels more satisfying overall. It's easy to see why Gundam EXVS is the most popular arcade game in Japan. New console-exclusive features like the lengthy mission mode and online play make this an incredible package.

Loveless turns 20

My Bloody Valentine's Loveless turned 20 years old this past Friday. 

This landmark album is still my favorite of all time.