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Lot 1: XVIII/XIX Oil on board Portrait of a young male Indistinct marks lower right 10 3/4 x 8 3/4"
XVIII/XIX Oil on board Portrait of a young male Indistinct marks lower right 10 3/4 x 8 3/4" ...[more]
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XVIII/XIX Oil on board Portrait of a young male Indistinct marks lower right 10 3/4 x 8 3/4" ...[more]
Follower of Joshua Reynolds (XIX) Watercolour-an oval Young boy and his sister 9 1/4" x 6 3/4" ...[more]
Miss E M Barnard 1906 Watercolour tondo Portrait of ` William Tyrwhitt Drake aged 3 years. Son of Arthur Lucy Tyrwhitt Drake. Born July 12 th 1903 ` ( of Holnest Park , Sherborne ) Signed lower right and inscribed title etc. verso 16" dia. ...[more]
British School Mid XX Oil on board The seated ballet dancer 31 3/4" x 20 1/4" ...[more]
Konstantin Razumov (b.1974) Russian School Oil on canvas ` The Green Boa ` Signed lower-right 13 3/4" x 10 5/8" ...[more]
Konstantin Razumov (b.1974), Russian School Oil on canvas " The Pearl Necklace " Signed lower right 8 3/4" x 6 1/4" ...[more]
Konstantin Razumov (b.1974), Russian School Oil on canvas "Young lady on a Parisian terrace" Signed lower right 10 1/2" x 8 3/4" ...[more]
Konstantin Razumov (b.1974), Russian School Oil on canvas "The Red Ribbon" signed lower left 9 1/2" x 7 1/2" ...[more]
Guennadii Bernadsky (b.1956), Russian School Oil on canvas " By the table with apples " Signed lower right 35 1/2" x 27 1/2" ...[more]
Alekscevitch Youri Pankratov (1925-1970), Russian School Oil on cardboard " Portrait of young teacher " 1961 Signed lower left 18 1/8" x 13" ...[more]
Konstantin Razumov (b.1974), Russian School Oil on canvas " Lace stockings " Signed lower right 10 1/2" x 8 3/4" ...[more]
Konstantin Razumov (b.1974), Russian School Oil on canvas ` In the Bedroom ` Signed lower right 10 5/8" x 7 1/2" ...[more]
Konstantin Razumov (b.1974), Russian School Oil on canvas " In the Boudoir " Signed lower left 10 3/4" x 6 1/4" ...[more]
Konstantin Razumov (b.1974), Russian School Oil on canvas " Pleasant Thoughts " Signed lower left 9 1/2" x 13" ...[more]
Wilfred Glyndon May (1922-2007) Coloured pencils Nude with sun hat 11 1/8" x 7" Comes from Artists folio ...[more]
Wilfred Glyndon May (1922-2007) Watercolour ` Miss Mary Poole at Sheplagh Court 1985, nude sat beside swimming pool ` Signed and dated lower right 13" x 10 1/2" ...[more]
Marion L. Broom (1878-1962) Watercolour Still life of Carnations, Delphiniums, etc. in a vase Signed lower right 21 1/2 x 15" ...[more]
Noel Laura Nisbet (1887-1956) Watercolour ` Flower Piece` Still life of flowers in a vase Signed lower right Bears Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour label verso. 18 3/4 x 15 1/2" ...[more]
G Thomasett (early XX) Watercolour Still life of white roses in a blue banded copper lustre jug Signed lower right 10 1/2 x 14 1/2" ...[more]
G Thomasset ( early XX ) Watercolour The fist crocuses of Spring Signed lower right 9 x 13 1/4" ...[more]
Alf S. Watson 1926 Watercolour ` Rose Garden, Kew ` Signed and dated lower left titled under 7 1/3 x 10 1/2" ...[more]
James Skerrett (XX) Pair of gilt framed oils on bone china (2) Still life apples and grapes, and apples and blackberries, Each signed lower right Each 5" x 7" Royal Worcester painter for 20 years. Described by Sir Henry Sandon as one of their finest painters ...[more]
A. von Tinkas 1891 Oil on canvas The lion of Lucerne (After Landseer) Signed and dated lower left 53 1/2" x 43 1/2" In 1820-21 Karl Pfyffer von Attishofen (an Officer of the Guards) commissioned the Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen to design a memorial at a sand stone quarry near Lucerne. It was b ...[more]
Circle of John Frederick Herring Senior (1795-1865) Oil on canvas laid on mahogany panel "` Birmingham ` Winner The St. ledger Stakes 1830 " Titled to mount under 12 x 16 1/2" ...[more]
Frederick Albert Clark (Act. 1821-1910) Oil on canvas Equine Portrait-Horse Ethel ` Ethel ` portrait of a favourite Hunter in a stable Signed and dated 1904 lower right 20 x 24" ...[more]
Francis Cecil Boult (Act. 1877-1895) Oil on Canvas Pony and trap waiting besides an open garden gate Signed and dated `1889` lower left 14 x 24" ...[more]
` G Morland` ( early XIX ) Oil on Canvas Grey Cob sheltering in a Storm Signed lower right 14 x 12" ...[more]
Sergei Nebessikhine (b.1964), Russian School Oil on canvas " Grazing by the pond " Signed lower left 19 3/4" x 13 3/4" ...[more]
W.R.Ward ( possibly William Ward 1829-1908) Pencil and watercolour Cattle in a field Signed lower right 7" x 10 1/4" ...[more]
Patrick Downie (1854-1945) Scottish Oil on board Cattle on ` Moor above Moffat ` Dumfries and Galloway Signed lower right and titled with date ` 19 Sept 1914` verso 6 3/4 x 9 3/4" ...[more]
J. R Kenels ? Oil on canvas Red setter Signed and dated 1902 lower right 15 ½" x 9 ½" ...[more]
Vladimir Goussev (b.1957), Russian School Oil on canvas " By the banks of the river " Signed lower right 19 3/4" x 25 1/2" ...[more]
Konstantin Razumov (b.1974), Russian School Oil on canvas "Young Ballerina and her Friends" Signed lower right 7 3/4" x 9 1/2" ...[more]
Vladimir Belsky (b.1949), Russian School Oil on canvas " The Hens in the Farmyard " Signed lower right 9 1/2" x 13 3/4" ...[more]
Nikolai Feodorovitch Bortnikov (1916-1989), Russian School Oil on canvas ` Little Garden ` dated 1956 Signed lower left 6 1/4" x 4 3/4" ...[more]
(XVII / XVIII) School ? Pen ink sketch Two Cavaliers 7 x 5" ...[more]
A Lester-Carr (1910) Watercolour 16th / 17thC soldier with musket on shoulder Signed and dated lower left 14 1/2" x 9" ...[more]
Four unsigned oils on board in mahogany frames Depicting medieval jousting scenes with Tudor style figures, All approx 8 ½" square (4) ...[more]
( Early XIX ) Maritime Oil on board Moored Schooner boat / ship in Bay In an ornate gilt frame 7 1/2 x 9 1/2" ...[more]
Garman Morris ( pseudonym Avondale, fl.1880-1920) Watercolour " Morning " Sailing boats at anchor Signed lower right 7" x 19 ¾" ...[more]
Percy Wilfred Young (XIX) 3 x unframed watercolours Sail barge passing Paddle Steamer, Barge and sail ship rendezvous and Barges and steam barges, etc.in large river flanked by buildings All signed lower left Each approx. 4 3/4 x 6 15/16" ...[more]
James Hardy (XX) Maritime Oil on board An Elizabethan Man-o-War Ship at sea Signed lower left 9 7/8 x 8" ...[more]
James Hardy (XX) Maritime Oil on board Merchant Barque ship off coast Signed lower right 8 x 10" ...[more]
James Hardy (XX) Maritime Oil on boards, a pair (2) Seascapes with 19thC War ships Both signed lower right Each 5 x 6 7/8" ...[more]
James Hardy (XX) Maritime Oil on boards, a pair (2) Seascapes with warships of the Late 1700s Each signed lower left Both 7 x 4 7/8" ...[more]
English School (XX) Oil on canvas A sailing ship in choppy seas Indistinctly signed lower right 19 3/4" x 39 3/8" ...[more]
WWII Maritime Oil on canvas Ship portrait of the ` AREENDSKERK ` a Dutch motor merchant vessel 18 x 26" The neutral ship was sunk by German Submarine U-44 on 15 Jan 1940 when after having warning shots fired across the bow she was stopped and checked and it became clear she had contraband aboard. ...[more]
G Gregory (XX) Oil on canvas Lifeboat rescue of crew from a stricken ship in heavy seas Signed lower left 16" x 20" ...[more]
WWI Maritime Gouache A Bi-plane Flying Boat over a British R Class (no 12) Submarine leading a convoy of ships Indistinctly signed and with RAF type warrant image lower right 13 1/2 x 21 1/3" ...[more]
Alexandrovitch Yakov Basov (1914-1986), Russian School Oil on canvas " Arrival of the ship " 1962 Signed lower right 23 3/4" x 35 1/2" ...[more]
Italian School (Early XX) Watercolour ` The Appian Way...` Rome , Italy Bears inscription with title verso 3 1/4 x 11" ...[more]
Vladimir Belsky (b.1949), Russian School Oil on canvas ` Across the Bay, Venice ` Signed lower left 6 1/4" x 10 5/8" ...[more]
George Mayer-Marton (1897-1960) Watercolour and gouache highlights ` Ravello Italy 1933 ` with figure on a winding road Titled verso, Has old Christies label verso 19 7 16 x 13 3/4" ...[more]
James Miller (1893-1987) A.R.S.A., R.S.W. Scottish Pencil and Watercolour ` St. Peter`s Rome ` Signed and dated lower left, Bears T& R Annan & Sons Ltd Glasgow label with inscription verso 15 x 22 1/4" ...[more]
Indistinctly signed (XIX-XX) Arab School Watercolour Water carriers by Arab waterway Signed lower right 7 1/2 x 13 7/8" ...[more]
Emilio Marchettini (XIX-XX) Gouache and watercolour Egyptian view, Pyramids and Sphinx at Gisa Signed lower left 5 1/2" x 11 1/2" ...[more]
Manner of William James Muller (XIX) Orientalist School Watercolour An Arab figure at rest by a river 7 3/4 x 11" ...[more]
Indistinctly signed (XIX) Continental / Orientalist School Oil on canvas The Arab Arms Dealer inspecting guns with onlookers Signed lower right 23 1/4" x 29 1/4" In acanthus moulded gilt frame ...[more]
Early-mid XX Turkish School Watercolour Turkish coast with beached fishing boats and figures Signed `N.A.P` lower left 6 1/4 x 9 1/8" ...[more]
A.D.A Russwurm (XX) West Indies Oil on artist`s board Caribbean beach with natives , Palm trees etc. Signed lower right 10 1/4 x 14 1/2" ...[more]
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The blow drier is an essential tool for styling hair and neutralizing a squirt gun attack. Save yourself with this Groupon.
The Deal
$19 for a Dallas or Irving Elite Pass (a $65 value)
Both Elite Passes include the following:
- Haircut, style, and blowout
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The Irving Elite Pass also includes half off blowouts for 30 days after initial appointment.

The Beauty Box Salon
The Beauty Box Salon's stylists cut hair into springy shapes, but they just as expertly do the opposite. Stylists specialize in hair extensions, lengthening locks with permanent and clip-in strands by brands such as Easihair Pro and Hairdreams. The salon also focuses on wigs and hair replacements. But the team's specialties don't end at faux hair. The Beauty Box Salon is also known for turning clients into natural-looking blondes, without resorting to banana peel extensions. The salon also features a full service blow dry bar, where stylists can turn clients' limp, fizzy hair into smooth, voluminous 'dos in minutes. This diverse range of expertise services earned the salon a recommendation from D Magazine in 2012, as well as features in Allure and Glamour.
90% of 70 customers recommend
"The staff is incredible. You feel relaxed as soon as you walk in the door. They were very attentive. I especially liked the fact that Liz sat down with me for a..."
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4209 Herschel Ave.
Dallas, TX 75219
+12145593572Get Directions
10009 N MacArthur Blvd.
Suite 101
Irving, TX 75063
+19727918083Get Directions

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Whistlers Inn
No prices found through our partners. Please contact the business directly or check some of our recommended alternatives.
How has this hotel rated in the past?
- Restaurant
- Room service
- Free parking
TripAdvisor Reviews Whistlers Inn Jasper
Travel Blogs from Jasper
A really super day!
... is genuine, fairly fresh moose ****. Proof that the moose was there even though Graham didn't get a photo.
After a wander we set off back along the road, had our sandwiches near The Watchtower, only a 13km hike which we chose to forget.
Maligne Canyon has a coffee shop which is open!! Had a good cup of coffee and a cinnamon bun and went to walk the canyon. Whilst we had ...
Arrival in Jasper
... today. The time went very quickly and we actually arrived in Jasper ahead of schedule at 3:45 pm. Sue & John also came off at Jasper as they were not leaving again for Edmonton until 5:15 so we said our second farewell. Its been great sharing this part of our adventure with such great friends, we have many shared memories now that we will treasure for the rest of our lives.
Jasper is a very attractive little town and is the base for ...
Home Sweet Construction
... View in Kananaskis. The East End of Rundle (EEOR) was a horrible hike and not worth the effort (in my opinion). We also did Maligne Canyon again for the millionth time. An easy hike as evident by the number of tourists along the way. I just came to the realization that I have now completed over 3/4 of the hikes in my Hiking Jasper book - so if you ever want advice on a Jasper hike, I would love to share my thoughts.
Volunteering at ...
... in because it was freezing, till eventually nearly all of you was in and then back into the hot one and your toes felt like they were on fire.
Later we went down town and met up with Amanda's mum and auntie who were on holiday in Canada and we caught up on things in a nice restaurant. We got back to our chalet about ten and it was the first time we'd had a really clear sky. Wow, there's a lot more stars here than back home, well maybe it's something ...


text:
Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock (Xbox 360) - Pre-Owned
About this item
About this item
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock raises the bar yet again for the music genre with explosive new content and features including a multiplayer action-inspired battle mode, grueling boss battles, a host of exclusive unlockable content and visually stunning rock venues. Expanded online multiplayer game modes allow fans worldwide to compete head-to-head for true legendary rock status. Fresh downloadable content will also be offered on multiple platforms, and players can now shred to a killer set list from many of the most popular rock songs ever recorded.
- Over 45 of the most legendary rock anthems of all-time.
- Added multiplayer modes arcade inspired battle and the dual shredding co-op career.
- Challenge the legends of rock and roll in boss battles.
- Take those axe shredding skills online and rock live around the world.
- Expand upon your Guitar Hero experience with downloadable songs, themes and picture packs.
- See how you match up against the best in the world on the Leaderboards.
- All-new tricked out venues taking you to hell and back.
- Your favorite characters freshly fitted with a few new faces.
- ESRB Rating: TEEN with Lyrics and Mild Suggestive Themes
|Music & Party
|Xbox 360
|Multi Pack Indicator:
|Battery Type:
|Does Not Contain a Battery
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|Product in Inches (L x W x H):
|7.625 x 0.625 x 5.438
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Reviews - Hedley Villa Guest House3
31, Russell Terrace, Leamington Spa, CV31 1EZ
Price FromView Rooms
Customer Reviews
Our reviews are from genuine LateRooms.com customers. We verify that the customer has stayed before leaving a review.
95% would recommend it to a friend
Customer service
Food quality
Room quality
Great Value
Travelling alone, I was made to feel very welcome (as was my dog!), and there is a small grass area by the church a few minutes walk away for the dog, and a great dog friendly pub, serving excellent food, on the corner.
The accommodation was spotless, my room beautifully decorated, very comfy bed and lovely breakfast in the morning. Genuinely lovely lady running it, now with her daughter. The only slight negative, was the size of the sink in the small ensuite, but appreciate it would have ruined the bedroom proportions if the bathroom was made any bigger. Overall a great stay, and would highly recommend, for the price.
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Headley Villa
A warm welcome awaits you at Headley court, the rooms are a good size and decorated in the theme of a boutique hotel, the breakfast is excellent and there is a relaxed atmosphere to your stay / at £40 per night it was excellent value
Really friendlyand comfortable B&B
A very well-equipped, spotlessly clean and comfortable B&B.
It's situated close to the centre and within walking distance of several restaurants, including an excellent French restaurant. Martha is very friendly and extremely helpful.
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Hedley Villa Review
Friendly & welcoming hosts, comfortable bed, great breakfast, good value - will stay again & recommend to others
Friendly overnight stay
Lovely friendly welcome and although my single room was not ensuite (I knew this when I booked) the shower room was next door and a toilet next to that.
Close to the lower (Pump Room) end of Leamington so very handy for Town but very quiet at night time. Splendid full english breakfast.Would happily stay again.
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Good choice
Was just down for a friend's 30th and needed a bed for the night.
This was incredibly cheap and I would have been happy with pretty much anything. Fortunately the staff were all very friendly, the place was very clean, shower nice and hot and decent breakfast. Would definitely return.
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Excellent Relaxing Stay
Very hospitable owner who made you really welcome.
Excellent breakfast, one of the best I've ever had with excellent service and guest attention. I think this place is an excellent place to stay and is close to Leamington centre. I will definitely be recommending this to others that I know. Excellent - keep up the good service.
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excellent quality of fixtures and fittings
Couldnt recommend highly enough
Good place to stay
Great stay- fantastic guest house!
A really lovely guest house with everything you need.
I had a fantastic room with a really comfy bed and the hosts were so friendly and helpful. Great value for money. Thank you for a great stay.
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"Taken over by Samsung"
Must... resist... obligatory .... joke ....about .... lack of rounded corners.
1193 posts • joined 29 Jul 2007
Must... resist... obligatory .... joke ....about .... lack of rounded corners.
NASA has certainly done a great job of marketing it as such (since everything has to be marketed as entertainment these days) but no, it's not entertainment.
And the hissing. Don't forget the hissing. Death would be sweet release.
I doubt it. As soon as you even start to think about watching video 10GB starts to look pitifully small. For those of us who have switched to watching TV online wireless is simply not an option. I suspect the NBN figures can be explained by the fact that, at the moment, 12Mb/s is good enough for the vast majority of applications. When genuine high definition streaming video becomes available that will change.
for the 500 milliseconds before your eyes fry.
I thought the correct El Reg form was "nuclear-powered, laser-armed, interplanetary death tank".
the sound of WTF in the morning.
This being El Reg I suspect vodka and orange might be more appropriate.
But maybe that only applies to the solicitor type.
I'm sorry sir, you can't have any water for drinking. Yes I know we said unlimited water, you have unlimited water, as long as you want to use it for bathing and washing things? Why? because some people might drink too much.
To be fair, it's more like having unlimited water provided you don't try to fill any swimming pools. That's said the network operators have to get used to the fact that people now have swimming pools and figure the required usage into their network provision and hence into the plans they offer.
Because on one hand I think this sort of crap should be shovelled into a deep dark cesspit and on the other I don't trust any government to do it - even without the possibility of corruption the law is a very blunt instrument. But on the third hand - sexually rating minors? They crossed a line there and they got a slap on the wrist. I won't be shedding any tears for them or for the future of freedom and democracy in Australia.
and Big Dog could have been be knocked up by anyone with enough Lego.
It's science. The product is knowledge not shiny toys (though those do tend to come later on).
he's the result of a misguided experiment to clone Jamie Hyneman.
Fools. There is only one Hyneman.
Lester just forgot whether he was coming or going. Travelling back to the paleolithic and back (forward?) in a tardis made entirely of rolled paper tubes will do that.
This article completely fails to be about robo-sharks (laser-equipped or otherwise).
They were all wasting their time since they couldn't possibly have predicted 4chan.
Reduction, folks. Not a dirty word, just how science works.
Exactly. He's saying the process is iterative rather than incremental. I know we're all geeks here, and literalism is our weak point, but it's a simple metaphor.
Hollywood won't have to give up its addiction to exploding cars.
You are so needed.
and be damned.
No, it's a property of the model. And the kicker is that in something like a hundred years nobody has been able to demonstrate that there is any more to reality than the model describes. Or to put it another way, the hidden variables that "common sense" demands have become increasing conspicuous by their absence.
I too like the fact that it isn't just a minimalist black slab*. On the other hand I support the right of everyone to manufacture or own black slabs if that's what turns them on.
*Not that there's anything wrong with black slabs per se. They have their place which is in the opening sequence of Kubrick films.
from under Stonehenge?
then went on to determine that men look at porn.
Protip: If you ever find yourself wondering how your opponents can be so stupid it's probably not your opponents who are stupid.
Nah, It's just big Dumb Guy in a tutu.
"You actually believe Apple gave ANYTHING away for free?"
Yeah, and that was Jeff Goldblum's personal Mac in Independence Day.
Well very little. It's the tendency of the less competent to overate their abilities (or conversely the more competent to underrate them) but competency isn't the same thing as skill. A lack of skill can frequently be remedied by training and practice, incompetence almost never.
Dammit, I was looking forward to finding out how the Googleplane did against a salvo of Starstreaks. At this stage it's about the only thing that's likely to make the Olympics interesting to me.
I call them "Robin Hood stars" - robbing from the (mass) rich and giving to the (mass) poor. Well not so much of the latter but anything that strikes a blow against the bloated fat-cats* of the star world is fine by me.
*Can I get one for Tom Cruise, please.
el Reg doesn't allow commentators to change the font size - then you really could have gotten your point across.
That and a script knocked up in about twenty minutes in Mumbai - you don't expect a "social media entrepreneur" to sit front of a PC clicking buttons do you.
that's the pig. (Actually more like a retarded dodo.)
If you're going to have separate ID numbers for multiple devices it probably time to give up the expectation taht they be something that the end users has to deal with more than once. Either move to a DNS like system or issue numbers to persons not devices.
who think wireless can replace fibre have yet to show up here I think your annoyance is a little premature. As for the "mind numbingly obvious "stats"" , well statistics tend to be like that - they tell you what you already know but with numbers.
He writes a competent but unexciting article, some sub drops in a piece of el Reg's trademark sarcasm*, and suddenly he's guilty of sloppy reporting.
*I suspect he Register's in-house style guide is just 20 pages of examples of how to do sarcasm.
Missed it by this much - Don Adams will have to do instead.
so I suspect the relevant units are furlongs per fortnight, Olympic swimming pools, donkeys, and the size of Portugal.
I know I felt like crashing (my head into something hard) after watching Armageddon just once.
She was probably an early Mavica model.
Seriously ! I had the idea that adultery was illegal - when I was all of five. When are you going to grow up?
but didn't the whole affair start with NASA announcing an "important" (as in hint, hint, we've found life on Mars) only to follow it up with this piece of mostly speculation. In the circumstances the media can be forgiven for trying to make the best out of the very little they were given.
with only one nipple piercing.
Pick the odd one out.
Telecommunications - all the others inevitably end up on the nose.
I've never seen an actual little green man in SF. (And I've seen and watched a lot.) Now Rutans on the other hand. (Even if what they did was less floating and more been dragged along by an invisible string.)
Exactly. Point of article:If you're a producer you rely on your suppliers - if the product they supply is not fungible you have a problem. So the Amazon thing is exactly not a relevant example.
According to the episode of QI I watched last night the US has the solid support* of Palau on the Cuba thing so it's not like it's an international pariah or anything. . .
*At least until the aid money runs out and the way things are going it'll probably run out soon. Twenty years ago the US thought it had won the Cold War. Twenty years on it's becoming clear that it was just that the USSR lost it first.
Interred Trove - theres always an IT angle.


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ShadokatRegn's blog
on 10.31.2008
The Fear: Atmosphere.
"You're walking down a dark, quiet hallway, littered with debris of what was once a beautiful hotel. Weapon in hand, poised as an agitated snake, You call out; "hello? Anyone there?" With no response, you continue walking cautiously, when you catch something out of the corner of your eye and stop dead in your tracks. A hanging lamp sways as you blink the dark out of your eyes to focus. "It was just the wind" you reassure yourself, willing your feet to carry you further down your path."
To me, the scariest part of survival horror, or any horror games, is the atmosphere � the general mood set by various aspects of a game. This can be set by music, sound effects, environment, or anything else that makes you feel something specific.
A few specific titles.
Resident Evil
Sounds play a very specific role in Horror games, being part of the ambiance aspect of the atmosphere. Resident Evil was one of the first survival games to implement footstep sounds in large, echoing rooms. You can hear yourself walking, but if you're really quiet, you can hear an approaching zombie, or dog, or other Resident Evil monster.
I find myself holding my breath a lot, in areas that have a very loud echo associated with the footsteps. Combine this ambiance with many dark, empty areas, the zombies just become a bonus. This was such a good tactic, it's been used over, and over again, with a tried and true result � Though I haven't managed to pass out yet.
Speaking of zombies, and other monsters, many of the rooms you go through in the Resident Evil mansion will be vacant, until you return at a later time. This tactic for creating mood, I would call a false sense of security.
For instance; a calm, brightly lit hallway, will have a pair of �Cerberus� zombie dogs burst through the window. The first time through, you'll only hear the window crack � enough to give you a fair jolt, but then you look at the window and go �Oohh, you, I see you.� and promptly think that was it. It's not until you return to that hallway, that the real threat comes barreling into the hallway, and you change your pants, because you had let your guard down.
Silent Hill
Silent Hill makes use of bright, rather than dark, to deliver a very haunting atmosphere. While outdoors, the entire town is covered in floating ash, which is thick enough to look like snow. The visibility in these conditions is very limited, maybe able to see a block ahead at best. When searching for something, clues become more difficult to find. Also, many of the buildings, houses, and streets look identical.
The ash creates a blanket over objects and buildings that appears to be very undisturbed, meaning no one is around. Feeling isolated and alone, in a place cut off from the world by sheer cliffs, is enough to make any normal person go mad, and make me grip the controller tightly and keep going...
Aside from the ashy atmosphere, Silent Hill will attempt to give one the chills by adding a few disturbing images throughout their games. These aren't the same as terrifying monsters, they're a part of the landscape, but they're still there. To me, this is almost scarier than being mauled, because; will it move? Is it alive? Is it dangerous? Can I walk by?
It may not actually harm you, but I'll bet you still wouldn't touch it.
A very good example of atmosphere use is Bioshock, which was a beautiful display of horror. Your character has just been in a plane crash and survived. While floating in the ocean, the only thing you see around you, is a lighthouse. Inside this lighthouse, there is a transport, which descends to the depths of the ocean, over an amazing view of an underwater city.
While on your brief journey, there is a welcome video, introducing you to the underwater utopia of Rapture. However, as the video screen closes, you're trapped in the small transport, looking at the wreckage of what was once a habitable city, poorly lit by sparking wires. While you're waiting, an ominous, cackling voice fills your ears, and you see slight movement. While you can't see exactly what's going on, you know you're in danger.
A few enemies, such as the cackling �splicer� won't be an immediate threat, but their mannerisms and presence are enough to instill the feeling you need to defend yourself � in this first instance, you have no way of fighting back...and as I mentioned, you are trapped.
To add to my fear, many places in Bioshock have small floods � when you're underwater in the ocean, this is a very bad thing. Many times doors will barely hold their hinges, glass will shatter as you walk by, and rooms will be barred by dangerous amounts of water.
The sense of urgency to get out of a situation is caused with a large dose of claustrophobia before the enemies even arrive. You're trapped underwater with lunatics, and do whatever is necessary to survive. Even if there are only 30 enemies through the entire game...tight quarters, and their element of surprise make for quality scares.
Shared scare tactics.
Location, location, location.
The majority of the Silent Hill games will take you on adventures through places that already make people uncomfortable; most notably, a hospital. Not just any hospital, but a Silent Hill hospital - draped in rust, broken plaster, soiled beds, and ominous looking medical supplies. That isn't even counting the enemies, very unfriendly nurses of varying types.
While you, and I, may not be FBI officers � Condemned tends to scare with a level of familiarity, albeit broken and decayed. You'll spend the majority of your time searching areas you might see around town; A hotel, a subway, a department store, someones house...all abandoned and left to rot as the seediest part of society.
The department store was my personal favorite, taking you through strange familiarity, and uncanny valley in one shot. The mannequins that were left behind when the department store closed are in varying states of disarray, with broken parts, missing parts, and strange costumes. Enemies blend in with these mannequins, leaving me wary of every single one I ever passed.
Indoors in many survival games is a very dark story, with zero electricity, your only salvation is a small flashlight delivering a cone of light whichever direction you're facing. In Silent Hill, you also get the added luxury of attracting anything in the area, if you happen to have this light turned on. Attract baddies, or play blind...
Many horror games utilize the single light strategy � and it's a good strategy. I'll sit in my living room squinting at the television as though that will help my character see better...Because really, when terrifying things can hide right out in the open because of a sheet of ash, or simply because it's so dark, where is safe?
With survival horror, everything is usually very dark - so, while sitting in my dark living room, the worlds blend together nicely and I'm captivated, left to the will of the game.
The Writing's on the wall.
While it may not always be scary, it is definitely unnerving to stumble upon an area in a game, where someone else may have been trapped, or gone insane, before you even got there.
Condemned played with this option a lot, generally written in blood; warnings about certain places, clues, hand drawn eyeballs, or just general rantings.
Silent hill 2...well, they've done it as well.
The most famous of these unnerving situations is "The cake is a lie" plastered throughout the end of the game Portal. While not necessarily scary...you were almost killed by a psychotic computer, who has apparently tried this before.
What this means to me.
To me, there are plenty of games that have a few good scares. But, it's the ones with an atmosphere that captivates me, and includes me in the action that scare me the most. When my own house begins to scare me hours after I've stopped playing, you've done your job.
on 10.26.2008
Fable II: A Critique
Lionhead studios, the studio notorious for its blabbermouth designer, Peter Molyneux, has released a new game backed by enough hype to fill a small moon...or a space station. I personally enjoyed the original Fable well enough, it had many shortcomings, but it was a decent game, so I thought I'd give it a shot.
(I have had the opportunity to test drive the game temporarily, on loan from a friend. I had a bit of a run-in with
which drained me of funds, so this is just a �first impression� for now...About 6 hours of gameplay gave me a taste, anyway, and this is the nit-picky version.)
Times have changed, in the land of Fable. Starting in the town of Bowerstone, which now resembles the era of London that Jack the Ripper might pop-up in, times are tough. You're an orphan child, of the gender of your choice, given the nickname �sparrow� for an unfortunate reason. You wish for life in a castle with your sister, and do some chores around town to make that wish on a �magic box�.
Times aren't all that have changed here...
Revisit Fable...kind of.
As with many sequels, there were a lot of similarities between this installment, and the first. Graphically, the game lives up to the original. Lush landscapes, detailed surroundings and garments, and the same watercolored storytelling cut scenes that I personally adored from the original are fully intact, and even upgraded in parallel with the next generation system.
Interaction with, or really just walking by, game characters in the Fable world has always been entertaining. Word spreads quickly about your deeds, good or bad, and you make a name for yourself among the citizens. You also have some form of title that people will call you, should you pay to have that nickname spread across the land, and characters greet you accordingly; �Oohhh, there goes the gunslinger� or �Chicken Chaser? You mean...you chase chickens?� depending on your title, and there are a lot more options this time.
Unfortunately, the concept of similarity is taken very literally with a sequel. Many of the starting missions have been nearly identical to Fable. There is a Hobbe mission, in a cave, with an abducted little boy. Been there. The opening mission is to complete minor tasks for people around bowerstone, to collect 5 gold coins, to buy something. Done that. Even the source of the tragedy that leads you away from your hometown directly involves your sibling. Originality is a spice of life, unfortunately, it doesn't grow as well as basil.
What the first game was lacking...
Lionhead made an attempt at covering ground that was criticized in the first visit to Fable. First, I'll start off with the primary issue � length and size. As with most men, when they're criticized about such things, they go all-out to try and fix it.
I can't say much for the length of the game, but there did seem to be a lot more quests, which is definitely good in the world of achievements, and enjoyment. Hopefully they're not all bullshit quests, like shamelessly flirting with some guy to get him to fall �madly in love with you�, or vacuuming up Hobbes all day.
Sure, the game boasts ten times the expanse of the original, but they seemed intimidated by their own growth, like you'll get lost and lose interest � so, they gave you a strange solution to the �nav point� or directional help of most games.
A sparkling gold line directs you through most areas, very distracting to those...ooohh, shiny! What was I saying? Unfortunately, the navigation dust doesn't even work properly all of the time...it'll disappear without warning, or lead you into a wall and insist that is the right course. Also, I probably wouldn't have explored any new areas because of this distracting dust trail, if my dog hadn't done it for me.
The Dog
Adventure games can be lonely at times, so giving an adventurer a traveling companion sounds like a good idea, in theory. I loved the idea of having a dog as that companion, take on enemies along side, while earning me charisma points because �Oooh, puppies!�.
But then, every time something interesting to explore came along, I heard an insistent �Bark-Bark� Which, after the tenth time in a row, translates to:
�Hey, LISTEN!�
Wait, I know that voice...Navi the fairy has been resurrected in dog form! They even went so far as to give the dog an icon
with description
above his head, telling you exactly what you're looking for. Where is the challenge, or fun of poking around behind rocks, if they dog's going to tell you exactly what you're looking for?
Also, zero customization options with the dog. Even some of the beautiful art scenes showed a slightly different variation on your dog. In the opening �Oh, your life is laced with tragedy, but you grew up strong� cut scene, the dog appeared to be a golden lab � but, in all of the gameplay, even when you meet the dog as a kid, pre-tragedy, it is a mutt of sorts with the fur pattern in three colors, primarily black.
Gender roles in video games
One of the things that bothered me about the first Fable, was the boasted �fully customizable� character was; A) Male, and B) Caucasian, and C) oh, wait, that's it. Sure, as the game progressed you could change some features such as hair, some physical attributes, and tattoos � but really, you were always a white male. I wonder what demographic was in charge of making this game.
This time, however, you do have the option to start out as a little girl. Unfortunately, Lionhead was misinformed as to what an adult female is, when programming this gender option. As you grow up, you're a very awkward looking woman, that was really lacking any femininity except breasts and long hair. The hair looks stapled on the back of her head, and her body is very oddly proportioned...add layered clothes in the mix, the result isn't remotely flattering.
Sure, you're supposed to be a warrior of sorts � but one of those �sorts� is mage-like. Mages should be refined in their art, with a sense of grace about them...doesn't that sound like it should be easily pulled off by a female character? My �little sparrow� looks like she could take the lead in a biker bar, even wearing nobles clothes! I think they did a better job of making the men-who-are-interested-in-men more feminine in the first Fable.
I'm sure making a female warrior character is a challenge in games...but I'm pretty sure I have seen it accomplished in the past, and the result has been acceptable before. In fact, the majority of the women in this game, if they're not housewives or small children, are terrifying creatures...
Fable had a very strange alignment system for progressing through the game as a good, or evil character. Every time you engaged any enemy of any kind, you earned oodles of good alignment points. Shouldn't that have been a neutral thing, and all of your other actions decide whether or not you were good or evil? This is one of the things they actually �Fixed� this time around.
Options to fight to help villagers, or take an offer behind their backs to do them wrong are a much more realistic way to go about deciding your alignment. You can make your decisions through the game, and your alignment will reflect that - simple, and straight forward.
Of course, you still get the quick-and-easy path toward evil by munching on �crunchy chicks� or beating your significant other into divorce...or punting chickens, and shooting rabbits. Or boost your good points (see, charisma) by being a showoff in towns by yourself, or with your trained canine performer.
The unfortunate side of hype, and wannabe overachievers
There has been a lot of buzz around the internet, and beyond, as to the sheer awesome contained in this game. I've heard a few things about bugs, including one that will have you starting your game over, and a few other things related to the mechanical issues � let me re-emphasize those, now.
The button assignment is an interface of menus, and sub-menus, that would even have a hard time being mapped out with hotkeys on a keyboard � let alone a controller. I had an unfortunate time accidentally bringing up a menu when I bump the shoulder button in a fight, which had me molested in a battle, because I couldn't switch back fast enough.
One of my favorite things about Fable, which had me wanting more for a second run, was the combat. The combat multipliers were fun to crank up, the experience was acquired much easier, and the control was very smooth. This time around, the control doesn't flow as well � for instance, hitting the sword attack button three times, means you might attack once and change your posture?
Trying to adjust your spells, or do just about anything, tends to make accidents happen. I've tried to talk to a villager with the wrong menu open, and attacked everyone with a shock of lightening in the ground. Oops.
This time around, they appeared to have tried to listen to Peter Molyneux and add all, or at least most, of the things his big head wanted in the game. Unfortunately, that makes for a very encumbering game, with a primary focus on things you don't care about (There's a sale at such-n-such market, buy now!), or entirely too many notes popping up, telling you nothing. I bought some fruit at a market, and it popped up with 3 different descriptions of what I'd just done...that was a waste of time, guys, really.
What happens when you don't get paid for your missions by a proper guild? You get a job? I suppose that's a solution, too bad the jobs are boring, pointless, and low-paying � kind of like real life. Looting areas and watching my dog dig for treasure earned more...it's a sad fiscal system, when a hero doesn't get her pay, until she loots some poor dead guy.
There were some good things, afterall!
Instead of just allowing random villagers to fall in love with you, many of them will also offer you gifts, which can be handy, since quests offer no real income. You have a whole slue of additional postures, or interactions with characters, though sometimes cumbersome, it provides a decent amount of entertainment.
There is a "run faster" button in this game; though it's slightly unnecessary, it makes a few things easier until it glitches out. It's handy for swimming, as well. Way to make the tedious tasks feel like participating in the Olympics! I'm pretty sure my Fable II character is capable of out-swimming Michael Phelps.
Fighting animations; specifically with spells, are amazingly awesome. For instance, electrocution gives you an X-ray view of your victims, as their fried in their own skin. I'm hoping for a lot more of that, depending on the spells � I love being a mage, but unfortunately didn't get far enough to unlock many spells...
I'm sure, as the game progresses, I will find a lot more to be excited about. I have enjoyed my time, but found my critique senses tingling all over. Hopefully now that it's out of my system...
Also, it's very, very, pretty.
Final summary
Not a bad game, from what I played, but really � the glitches were enough to steer me away from this one...at least temporarily. There are promises that the game will be fixed, but then, Molyneux promises a lot of things. So far, I've experienced much of the original game, with a bit more umpf this time...I suppose this criticizing was really a reflection of how disappointed I was, in the way the female characters turned out.
I didn't touch much of the main storyline, I focused on side quests � as I do plan on purchasing this game someday. It wasn't an all-bad experience, it just needs a lot of patching...I won't really know, until it drops in price a bit. I will label this one an �Own it, but not before the price drops below $40�.
on 10.24.2008
Adventures in (x)boxing.
This past weekend, I had to put down a good friend. His name was Harold IV, and he was an xbox 360. This past Saturday, Harold IV's processor/video chip gave out � and he stopped producing hours of entertainment and fun. Unfortunately, Harold IV was also 4 months outside of Microsoft's 1 year manufacturers warranty, so no comfort rested with Microsoft to resolve my plight.
To me, it seemed odd that microsoft knew about this defect, and could pinpoint my model, but absolutely refused to do anything about the problem. �Oh well, it's outside of warranty now, sucker!�
I did my best to get around the original warranty, into the 3 year extended warranty reserved for sufferers of the ever feared Red Ring of Death. Unfortunately, the Red Ring extension was for a very specific problem with the Xbox 360, that is difficult to emulate without otherwise voiding that warranty, or taking a lot of time to overheat it repeatedly.
So, after arguing with a Microsoft representative, who then informed me it would be approx $100 to be without an xbox for a 2-6 week period, I made a drastic decision. I have upgraded � that is, given Microsoft
money � to bring home a bouncing baby Xbox 360 Elite, with chic black finish, a 120GB hard drive (my old one wore the weakling 20gb hard drive) and High Def cables that don't do much good to me at the moment.
My saved up PS3 monies went toward this replacement...ironic, and somewhat sad, how that worked out.
How do I loathe thee, let me count the ways.
Why is my Xbox named Harold IV? Well, because this xbox was the 4th replacement in my Xbox 360 history of ownership. Don't look at me like that; my cats have not knocked into or slept on any of them, I have not put bologna in the disc drive, I leave plenty of space for ventilation, I don't store them on the carpet, I don't store them upright or where they might be bumped into, and water, beer, or soda has stayed a minimum of 3 ft away at all times�so, what's the problem?
Well, I brought home Harold in November of 2006. We enjoyed a few laughs, playing Oblivion and Hexic, but after 3 days Harold was done. The error message "Please insert this disc into an xbox360" greeted me repeatedly, whenever I attempted to boot up Oblivion and play with Kiren Shade, who was well on her way to becoming an accomplished Mage. Back to the store we went, and thus was born Harold II.
Harold II lasted 17 days, then decided power from my apartment was highly over rated, and even with the security of a brand new surge protector, crashed the power supply, refusing to turn on ever again. Sensing a trend, I decided to purchase the xbox coverage plan for Harold III, which turned out to be good idea. Nine months or so, after Harold III graced my presence, he decided game discs were yummy, and froze with a disc in the drive � refusing to give it back. The clerk at the game store had to pry it open with a screwdriver to get my game back...then replaced Harold III.
This brings us to Harold IV, who outlasted the 1 year warranty with Microsoft, and
started the problems. At the end of this summer, Harold IV decided scratching discs was fun, and should be practiced at least once a week. Unfortunately, this occurred after the warranty had ended, so my only option was to clean everything (discs, and laser lens with a DVD lens cleaner) which seemed to help, somewhat. Coinciding with the disc scratching, the disc drive began to stick shut every time I used it...I should have known.
Until finally, our fiasco this weekend with the resolution being drained to less than a Nintendo64 and the screen no longer showing me pretty xbox things, bringing about the tragic end of Harold IV. After wrapping towels around Harold IV and turning him on, hoping for a RROD (yes, I was actually excited for this) to take advantage of the extended warranty, that would have my xbox fixed for free�I made my choice.
Now, allow me to introduce Lydia,
LydiaII. So much for evoking a sense of reliability by changing the name, and upgrading. Lydia had downloading problems, and loading problems, and extreme gameplay lag. Apparently, one of the few known defects of the Xbox Elite followed me home, and I had to return Lydia first thing this morning.
Not a good track record, Microsoft, seriously.
Why I've stayed by your side, after all the abuse
Also, the rapid price reduction, variety, and selection of their games library. In other words, I don't love Microsoft, I love their cheap games.
is it clear to anyone why I refuse to drop the full $60 on a brand new game, when I can get the game for under $30 used, and deny Xbox any of that profit?
Why, Microsoft? Why?
Dear Bill Gates, you should be ashamed of the product your company sells to normal, everyday, busy people. You're lucky the games library is much more extensive and varied than the other game systems, or I'd have abandoned ship, like so many before me.
Also, your Microsoft Support page is written in
code, it should be translated to something easier to navigate, and read, and send you disgruntled e-mails demanding free stuff.
...Until one day, Bill Gates goes the way of Tony Stark, deciding his company is not in the best interest of the people � what with its greed and lack of any quality,
products - and use his multi-billions of dollars to become a Superhero. First Windows, now Xbox...will the carnage ever end?
Now, imagine me, only setting electronic devices on fire, simply by entering the room.
on 10.14.2008
Retroreview; Silent Hill 4: The Room
Down the Rabbit Hole
For me, October means a number of things; parties, Resident Evil, dressing up,
, and Silent Hill. One of my favorite traditions for the past 4 years, is my annual revival of Silent Hill 4: The Room. Unfortunately for some, Silent Hill 4 has yet to be experienced – I'm hoping this year is different. At a measly (approximate) $12, why not give it a chance this year? Especially useful for those of us unable to drop a full $60 on the newest release of the Silent Hill franchise...
I personally found The Room to be the scariest visit to Silent Hill to date – not including Silent Hill 5, which I haven't played much of yet. The potential that the haunts and monsters of Silent Hill might follow me home, specifically appearing in my bathroom, still gives me the chills.
You may say; "It doesn't even take place
Silent Hill!" which is the most common complaint I've heard opposing this game...though, I promise, as soon as immersion sets in - the dark, eerie, monster-filled atmosphere is fully intact, minus the ashy visibility issues. Plus, many of the locations are adjacent to the cozy, haunted, resort town of Silent Hill anyway, so you'll hear the name often.
Why this couldn't be anything
Silent Hill
Someone recently said to me "a lot of people seem to think it would have stood on its own if they hadn't added 'Silent Hill' to the title." Which, alright – in all fairness, this one strayed just to the left of Silent Hill. But, there are a few reasons "Silent Hill" was attached to the title "The Room", they are as follows.
First and foremost, the Melee combat system that Silent Hill is notorious for, is still intact up to the finishing stomp required to fully silence any baddies. Being up-close-and-personal with a fiend that may very well eat your face, adds a bit of nail biting to all situations. Though minor changes were made to the combat, I only noticed the controls being slightly more fluid.
There are a few links between The Room, and Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams - which seems to be the collective favorite of the series. In Silent Hill 2, while looking for clues to one of the many puzzles, you'll read the name "Walter Sullivan" in a newspaper article, reporting an inmate accused of murder has committed suicide with a spoon. In The Room, Walter Sullivan is the one-and-only antagonist, tormenting all of the stories characters, and the hero; Henry Townshend.
If I say Sunderland, you say (James)? The hero – or anti-hero if you've played the entire game - in Silent Hill 2 is James Sunderland. The surname Sunderland is also present in this installment, as your superintendent who is suspicious of that strange odor – or was it the fact that you've disappeared in your apartment for an extended period of time?
Silent Hill 3 had the creepy bunny, affectionately named Robbie;
Who has also returned for a few random appearances in The Room;
At some point, you'll visit an Orphanage in Silent Hill 4, called Wish House – where Walter Sullivan learned everything he knows. Wish House Orphanage, and the cult associated with it, are a primary focus of Silent Hill 3 – I don't think I can make that connection any clearer.
Of course, as with all Silent Hill titles, these games work well independently, making it simple to jump in and enjoy any number of them, in any order. In my opinion, exploring these out of numerical order makes them more interesting, since you're more likely to catch the small connections, like the ones mentioned.
In each consecutive visit, the storyline that brings you to Silent Hill or some semblance thereof, has deviated more as time goes on;
[i]1. "Ahh shit, my creepy child has run off to play with monsters again..."
2. "So, my wife died, then wrote me this letter..."
3. "Like, one time, there was this cult in the mall..."
4. "Some asshole locked me in my apartment, and tunneled in my bathroom..."[/i]
In the fourth installment of the Silent Hill series, you are Henry Townshend of apartment 302, in the faux-urban town of South Ashfield. Everything in your life was fine and dandy, until one day some strange nightmare creeps into your head and locks all your doors and windows, leaving you trapped in your apartment for 5 days before a video game is born.
The game will begin with Henrys nightmare; walking around your apartment, in first-person view, you'll admire the decor in the infamous Silent Hill rusted walls, and broken electronic devices, with very few clues as to what is going on.
After the nightmare ends with the games opening creidts, you wake up in the same way your nightmare began – only the apartment is a bit less rusted. Now, you'll pick up bits of information about the last five days. You can see the outside, but seem to have lost the ability to communicate with it – shouting and hammering on doors and walls do no good...you're cut off.
Your first adventure into the Silent Hill realm happens when you hear noises in your bathroom, and notice a rather large hole in the wall. Crawl down the creepy hole? I'm so glad you asked, I'd
to! Tap into your gaming claustrophobia for a moment, then emerge in an alternate world full of the strange and unusual.
Here, Henry meets the dazed and confused Cynthia, wandering around on her own. She's convinced this reality is her dream, and behaves as though her dreams are regularly dirty. She'll lead you around briefly, before getting violently ill, and disappearing into a bathroom.
You really don't see much of Cynthia after that – but you follow her voice and helpful hints, to attempt to rescue her from whatever is stalking her beneath the streets. Solving puzzles, hitting baddies, opening creaky doors, and uncovering a murderous plot along the way...Some of my favorite things, in one beautiful package.
Cynthia's eventual demise is broadcast on the radio in Henry's apartment, confirming a parallel from the supernatural subway, to the real world. Down the rabbit hole indeed, as every incident in the world through the portals is reported in the real world under "suspicious circumstances" related to the late murderer, Walter Sullivan, from several years ago.
Each area you visit will have a few things in common; Walter Sullivan, a single victim, cult references, monsters, and riddles. Work your way through each area, attempting to rescue the victims, and stop the immortal Walter Sullivan from completing his cultish task...
A small chunk of time will be spent in your apartment, on the "reality" side of the game, where you uncover clues to various puzzles, unfold the story as it's told through an ominous "red diary" and watch as Silent Hill begins to follow you home like a sad, undead puppy.
The Good
Different enemies make this game look unlike any previous Silent Hill title, but not in a bad way if you think about it. Having a single, primary antagonist is a new approach, so why not give the goons a Walter Sullivan makeover?
According to the all-knowing
, most of the enemies in the game represent a piece of Walter. In Silent Hill 2, the newspaper article that you find on Walter Sullivan tells the brief story of his final murder(s) before being incarcerated; twins. Thus the two-headed monstrosity that chases you down in the Water Prison.
Ghosts; Well, I actually use the word "ghosts" lightly – I believe that's what they are, since they float, slip through walls, and make a moaning noise when they're around. Otherwise, this breed is not quite Casper-esque. They ooze through walls leaving an inky trail, and take minor physical damage when you swing a pipe at them. It is possible to knock them on the ground, but they'll be up quickly unless specific precautions are taken – with a magical cult-sword.
Proximity is as much an issue for with these guys as being swiped at by one of the other enemies – Ghosts will drain your health and slow you down drastically if you stay too close for too long. To me, this added something to the game to creep me out more than cannibal-hyena-dogs, who eventually stop coming for you if you hit them hard enough.
In every installment of the Silent Hill series, the Dark Nurses have changed ever-so-slightly. This time around, we get a full overhaul, where the enemies in the hospital are actually Patients. Creepy, oversize, patients with fluid-blob movements and armed with a sharp knife.
By having two completely separate worlds to visit, solving puzzles requires you to go back and forth to get all the pieces to fit. Revisiting your apartment, you'll be looking for clues, they may lie in the hallway, or out a window. I wasn't nearly as annoyed by this tactic of gameplay-extension as getting lost in the elementary school exactly forty-three times in the first game.
Color-changing blood; because red is just
1990. My first play-through, my enemies bled green, which is oddly satisfying when you're supposed to be in an alternate reality. Every time I play through, I mix it up a bit by simply changing the color of enemy blood – it's a hobby, shush you.
The Bad
There is a tag-along you pick up from the Hospital - sufficiently injured and confused, you have the task of escorting her safely back home...somehow. Escort missions tend to be frustrating in any video game, and this goes double for injured escorts. It is possible to give mystery-escort a weapon, but with her slow movement, I laughed at that option.
Similar to Ashley in the fourth Resident Evil game, only you can't suggest to this escort that it might be a good idea to hide in a dumpster when things get dicey, or hungry. Though, as much as I may or may not have tried – it seems impossible to actually let her die...which is nice, I suppose. Also, I realize I left a name omitted, as I'm a big fan of limiting spoilers.
One of the creepiest things from the original Playstation game was the radio static every time an enemy approached. Now, every time white noise interrupts my television, or cell phone, I'm on my feet and ready to bust some Silent Heads. This is lost in The Room, replaced by ghost moans, or a strange throbbing feedback noise – which I can only imagine is something in Henry's head.
Degrading weapons are a growing epidemic in video games. While not all weapons in this game are effected – good old pipe, nothing beats pipe – having a powerful weapon break in the middle of a major scuffle was an issue that left me pretty dead on a few occasions.
The Ugly
Backward compatibility is excellent, in theory. In practice, I haven't seen anything but the Gameboy show anything decent in the world of backward compatibility. In other words, this game played on an Xbox360, is ugly.
Be prepared to take a nice brisk run down uncanny valley as you're interacting with characters, when their face cracks in three-to-five-pieces when they move their head, talk, or look around.
Load times seemed to increase, but that may be my memory serving me poorly – I don't specifically remember if that was just Xbox load times, and I'm currently used to Xbox live Arcade load times, or if it really is slower on the 360.
Don't worry, though, the gameplay is still good! I didn't have any problem with things lining up properly, or loading accurately, outside of a few cutscenes. The face-splitting was actually mildly humorous, or creepy – depending on your point of view.
(For the record, I haven't played or seen the PS2 version of this game...there may be changes, and the price may be different. As I understand, there is a PC version as well, so the possibilities are pseudo-endless!)
Is it okay to deviate from the city limits of Silent Hill?
In the past, Silent Hill has taken place
the ash-covered Silent Hill. The city limits, marked by sheer cliffs where roads should be, aren't terribly extensive. In the past, we've visited most major buildings, a theme park, and even a few residential areas while completing our tasks.
Because of this, I personally didn't see a problem with extending Silent Hill into Ashfield. (See what they did there?) This also gives Silent Hill the ability to cross its own boarders, potentially into my apartment – adding a new level of fear to the game. I still check to be sure there aren't any new holes in any of my rooms before getting on with my day...
Now, imagine me, only swinging a crowbar into unsuspecting lawn gnomes that may, or may not be dangerous.
on 09.26.2008
Feel the Hatred: Self-proclaimed Hardcore Gamers
Just over a week ago, I decided to drop in to a local game store to take a look at the games that have been released before the big holiday rush, one of which was Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise. I picked up the box, and was reading the information for educational purposes.
I was probably grinning to myself while reading the silly storyline inside the booklet when an employee approached me, and asked if I had any questions. Unsure of the exact style of the game, I asked if it was another party game, a sequel to the original, or an expansion. The guy looked at me as though I just spoke Swahili, and replied "I don't really know anything about Viva pinata, I'm a hardcore gamer - I got spore and stuff. Viva Pinata is for kids."
After which, he went into a very long monologue about how he's in college for game design, but will only design hardcore games, and I should only get spore.
Self-proclaimed "hardcore" gamers - we've all seen them. In our game stores, or in our forums - almost a generic fanboy/fangirl, but with a double dose of elitist pride.
These specific gamers will scoff at you when you ask questions about Crash of the Titans, or show an interest in the latest Kirby game. These gamers will tell me, on a regular basis, that I am not a true gamer, because I prefer Marvel Ultimate Alliance to Gears of War - without even being avidly against Gears of War!
Define a Term...
If everyone would please take a moment to define the term "Hardcore Gamer" in the fewest words possible. Go ahead, I'll wait. This definition for each person should be individually tailored, but have basically the same theme; Someone who thoroughly enjoys games, or video games are a large part of that persons life. Simple, yes?
Unfortunately, with the way gamers behave toward one another, no. For the most part, the most specific definition goes down to individual games, or even one game system from another, rather than the actual gamer.
When any one of us engages our consoles, or computers for a bout of gaming, how do we express that verbally? I can't think of any other way, than "I'm going to
some games", in slight variations to fit a specific situation.
For instance;
"Want to play some Halo?"
"I've been playing Assassins Creed for hours now!"
"I'm going to play Starcraft."
By using the word
in every gaming scenario to express our gaming interest, we imply we are going to have
with whatever game we decide to boot up.
I am now, more than ever, having a hard time finding the specific fun in gaming. These hardcore gamers, the ones that will come up with some interesting names for me for not playing World of Warcraft, are taking a lot of the entertainment value out of gaming.
We, as consumers, require our
, so we know the flaws we're getting into when spending hard earned money on a new game, from the most stripped down, nitpicked standpoint. Knowing these things, we know where our hopes stand so we're not crushed somewhere down the line, and so we might enjoy the game for other aspects.
However, if the entirety of the gaming community, both on and off the Internet, are critics – who is left to just have fun? Also, "You're retarded", or "This game sucked", are not valid criticisms, for the record.
What can be done about it?
Lighten up!
That doesn't mean stop defending your favorites, hardcore or otherwise! Just be more productive about it, try listening, as well as talking.
The hardcore status doesn't change if you tell a fellow gamer about the great time you had playing Jet Set Radio Future, or about how much fun it is to catch Elebits for a few hours. Discuss the "Guilty pleasure" games, the ones with very little content, but hours of entertainment.
You can still be hardcore, after you write a review about something relatively low key, raving about how great Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee was. Or, if you pick up a controller with the kid down the street, and enjoy an afternoon of Lego Starwars. Be just as serious about your time spent on Nintendogs as Resident Evil.
Hardcore gaming doesn't
to be a status war, trying to size each other up based on gamer score, or how many times we've beaten Ninja Gaiden Black – those are boasting rights, but shouldn't dictate what gamers are "supposed" to play. Let a conversation cover all plains of gaming, from Smash Bros. To Silent Hill.
I would like to be allowed to store Kameo on the same bookshelf as Bioshock, and still be accepted in this hardcore community, if that's all the same to you guys. If that means calling myself a casual gamer, so be it! I'd rather have fun, then
to sound cool by taping the hardcore label to my forehead. Play the hardcore stuff, but give yourself a treat once in a while with something more laid back.
Also, Pokemon.
I suppose that wasn't so much "hatred" as "ongoing irritation."
Now, imagine me, only being a video game equal rights activist - playing Oblivion in one hand, and Mario Superstar Baseball in the other.
on 09.25.2008
Thanks, Destructoid
During my time here at Destructoid, between random hiatuses, I have come to know some of the community members for certain attributes. I look forward to hearing from most of them (even the asinine ones, believe it or not) and have assembled a little "thank you" post to Destructoid.
The Specifics
First off, to
, for the many times I've been welcomed back into the community, after vanishing for a month or two at a time. The encouragement to continue writing – here and on my own
. And for the inspiration to thank everyone - the swanky banner he made for me, somewhat randomly, which I will cherish as long as I can.
Then the obligatory "I was introduced to this site by...." which goes to
. I've known Spykron for years in the world beyond the internet – its a mystical place, where friends are always appreciated, and he's stuck around for a good deal of "real life" stuff.
, my favorite stalk-ee in the whole wide world! Thanks for letting me properly stalk you on various websites and XBL. Castle Crashing again someday, hopefully soon!
, for being supportive on my website writing as well. Also, for confirming that it was, indeed, rats that I heard under the street in NYC.
Ron Workman
, the wierdo who stalked me once – making me feel included in other destructoid traditions, extended through the world of networking.
A somewhat belated thanks out to
, who was abducted by Spykron and I for a day in January – Thanks for wandering around with us, and hitting a bar in a relatively unknown part of town. Also, for being smarter than everyone else. Cheers!
A strange thank you should go to
– for potentially having a sexier gaming chair than mine, though this hasn't been confirmed photographically, it has been implied greatly. Thanks for putting the gold crushed velvet in its place. Especially if it's a leopard driving a chariot, or whatever it was we decided on.
To Hamza CTZ, I don't know if I even need to explain this one – but I will. Aside from babysitting this somewhat troubled community, thanks for humoring me as a newb. All is right with the world, thanks to your difficult lifestyle, drinking on yachts.
Mr Sadistic
; It's good to have you back, after your 2 months of no blogs. Though, thanks for lurking around during that time. So basically, thanks for being an entertaining, creepy fucker, it just wouldn't be the same without you.
Of course, Jim Sterling gets one for wearing a monocle and looking good doing it. It's very important, these days.
Finally; Brilliam – thank you so much for writing
. Someday, it will make a difference - the stereotypes will wander into Wal-mart, and never be heard from again.
The remainders
Though there isn't enough space on the internet to thank everyone specifically – or maybe I just suddenly got lazy, I do appreciate everyone. Even those that dislike me for whatever reason, or that I dislike for various reasons. It wouldn't be the internet without every personality type around.
This community has been lot of fun, and hopefully will continue to be. The good, the bad, and the un-punctuated have kept me up-to-date in the gaming world and otherwise. Here, I've bettered myself, and built up an immunity to the trolls; Thanks everyone!
on 09.14.2008
Mushroom Men
In life, I try to be a level headed, rational human being. Rarely will I jump ahead of myself, and get excited about something I haven't tried, which goes double for the video gaming world.
In recent months I've followed a few titles, not yet released, that had me excited beyond my usual reasoning. I've already mentioned Spider-man: Web of Shadows, and there are many more in the direct spotlight – but, one I haven't seen advertised much, relatively ignored, and out of Nintendo's shallow pool of available titles; Mushroom Men.
Mushroom Men, from my general impressions, seems like an amazing platforming game. The art, and suggested humor of everything reminds me vividly of Oddworld. The Oddworld series is among my favorites, brilliant in story, art, and game design. I would like to see other things like this, and it looks like Mushroom Men may fit the bill.
Mushroom Men is a story that takes place in the microscopic world of mushrooms, where the mushrooms and other small creatures were effected by space dust; Basically, I see a lot of silly brilliant humor and (hopefully) hours of fun on the horizon.
Don't believe me, watch the trailer. Even the theme music suggests it's brilliantly silly.
I'm excited for the Wii picking up a few longer titles – party games are great, but only satisfy for a brief time. Another suggested Wii title has been "De Blob" which does look awesome, so maybe my Wii will get some exercise after this Holiday season.
on 09.08.2008
Reviewers have called Overlord the sleeper hit of 2007, sadly overlooked by gamers of every kind. I have heard rave reviews on the title, generally placing it on the top of the scale compared to many other choice games. I have also thoroughly enjoyed this game, plugging away many hours listening to hilarious dialog, while destroying and ruling everything in my path.
I was, however, mildly suspicious to begin with – if every reviewer gave it thumbs up, why did it disappear out of the mainstream so quickly with an insulting price drop? So, having the personal flaw of curiosity, I ventured out and picked up this game...almost 6 months ago. I played it briefly, then it sat on my shelf. Now, I share my thoughts, and the one major detail that really made me put it down.
You're the "Overlord," kicking ass in some snazzy armor, commanding entertaining, color-coded minions. You travel around generic-fantasy-land, defeating bosses that represent the seven deadly sins in order to rebuild your tower, and establish some sort of reputation.
These gremlin clones have a snarky attitude, and a taste for destruction...and beer.
Your minions are your power, and you'll find colored "souls" out of the creatures or players you kill. Souls represent how many minions of whatever color you have available to summon. Minions will attack whoever you tell them to, move objects, fetch items, and progress you through the game based on their color-skill.
Interaction with NPC's is minimal, primarily passing commentary a-la-Fable, and verbal requests to find, fix, or destroy things. You're given moral-alignment options in each quest, though they're not always made crystal clear - once you accidentally sic minions on a towns person because you wanted to talk to them, you'll understand.
My Experience
Upon first picking up the controller for this game, I thought: "This is
How could anyone have missed this?" I explored quite a bit, I kicked some minions around, tormented some villagers, and massacred some sheep – what's not to love? Then, I spent about 3 hours wandering around in a relatively small fort, looking for the red colored minions, which should not have taken nearly that long.
Generally with action-adventure-esque games, you a expect a few standard flaws; camera angles, depth perception, and abnormal controls. Overall, these particular flaws are very minimal in overlord. The thing that hits you right between the eyes is very simple, very important, but I didn't worry about until I walked in circles approximately one-hundred-forty-seven times.
There is no map. There is nothing resembling a map, or nav point, or compass, or any general directional help as to where you are maybe, kind of, supposed to be headed. There is a journal that tells you what you've already done, which I found by accident and didn't care about. There are warp points, most of which only exist while you're doing a specific mission – accidentally tag a new warp point, and your key warp disappears.
I'd have taken this. Set this on fire, and I'd still have taken this, over nothing.
It doesn't sound like much, but trust me, it's a bitch. A few places will have changing terrain, which makes it easier to tell which direction you are supposed to be going – and then, you have places like the Dwarven mines, or Elven forest, or human town/fields, where everything looks
the same around every corner.
The Rest of it
A few of the features seem somewhat useless, unless you're so lost you'd rather shave a cat than continue playing. For instance, you can sacrifice minions to build new armor in your forge – which doesn't sound that bad, except acquiring enough minion souls to make it worth while takes a lot of patience, and doesn't seem to effect the armor all that much.
You can also spend a bit of time decorating your tower, where your mistress will make commentary based on what you buy. There are a few design choices in things like tapestries, but basically everything is just on an advancement system. After one boss, a certain statue will be available. Defeat another boss and come back, you can buy an upgrade for that same statue.
Or, you can change mistresses, and take a good or evil approach to decoration. Yes, I am indeed female.
I've only ever heard one other major complaint from the general populace, and that was the hands-off approach. The Overlord will sit back and let the minions do all the work. I personally didn't mind, it was nice to take a break after things like Devil May Cry 4, and you still get plenty of spells to try on enemies and minions alike.
This game has been picked up again, and thoroughly enjoyed despite the serious map issue. At the greatly reduced price of this game, it is definitely a good experience – just know what you're in for. It really is a shame such a game was left feeling somewhat unfinished, but then, what isn't anymore?
Now, imagine me, only commanding all the dogs of the world to do my bidding.
on 08.21.2008
Force Unleashed First Impressions; Demo
Star Wars has been a big deal in a lot of geeks lives for the better part of 30 years; crossing media streams from Movies to cartoons to video games and beyond. Some of these installments haven't been so pretty – or were pretty with absolutely no substance.
The last 3 official movies have made the majority of us think; Why do you hate us so? Even the latest cartoon release in theaters made me cringe...So its nice to finally see a break from that trend. The video games of the same name have been back and forth from great, to terrible and back again. Which brings us to the long anticipated Force Unleashed.
I am personally wary of alternate story lines that take place during the movie time lines - anything involving Luke, or Vader, or any of the other big movie names tend to bother me. So, when I'd heard this was following Darth Vaders secret apprentice, I was a bit worried.
My fears, however, were (so far) unwarranted. The way the story seems to play out so far is very good, Vader has only been seen as a mission director and leaves you to do your slaughtering, and you're ordered to kill
, confirming that you are, indeed, a secret.
As for the gameplay, it's been a while since I've seen a good action/adventure Star Wars game – and this one makes the wait well worth it. The controls are very fluid, and the attacks are interesting and there is some variety in killing enemies; playing with your food, as it were. For instance; it is possible to hang an enemy in the air and decide whether or not you want to A)Throw your lightsaber at them, B)Force lightening them, or C) throw them into a wall (which leaves a nice dent I might add.)
Running, jumping, and exploring your own wreckage is something that always makes a game interesting to me. Destroying environments, breaking droids, and running around like a moron is a lot of fun this time around – I'm wondering what the full version will let me find when I break stuff, or how many achievements I get for denting the walls.
With the destructible environments, there are plenty of things to force grab and throw around. Bowling for soldiers has been entertaining me for the last 20 minutes, and I can see myself doing it for hours on end. You can even bowl for soldiers with other soldiers, doubling your pleasure – or something like that.
Many other attacks have been implemented in the game, ground slams from mid-air, force push to break open enemy lines and doors alike, and lightsaber deflection brings me closer to the Star Wars realm that I'd almost left behind because of this guy;
He really, truely doesn't light up my life...
As for the opening sequence; doesn't it seem like a really bad idea to knight someone using a lightsaber – I mean, aren't they supposed to be pretty toasty and burny?
on 08.16.2008
Wii; Hardcore Accessories
If this guy isn't hardcore, I don't know what that word means.
Nintendo has picked up a bad rep in the past few years for it's apparent lack of 'Hardcore' games. Presumably meaning games like; Grand Theft Auto, where you clearly learn to shoot hookers and run over cops with a controller. Or something like Metal Gear Solid, where you'll infiltrate some government organization with the intention of exposing a top secret agenda. However, the one thing Nintendo has, that no other system has done right, is the realistic accessories.
Using a controller to aim a gun isn't nearly the same thing as learning to use a toy gun to aim at a screen and execute head shots. Or drive over hookers with a realistic steering wheel rather than tilting a joystick. Wii has more hardcore capabilities than any other game system, and here's why;
The newest installment of the Mario Kart games features just the realistic looking steering wheel I mentioned. What is to keep kids from learning getaway driving using the motions of this controller accessory - learning to stay clear of every animated cow that will inevitably be in your path while fleeing the authorities?
Which is more likely to mimic the real motions of driving?
The Nintendo Light gun was an invention released on the NES system in 1984 to be used primarily with the game "Duck Hunt" where the goal was to aim a realistic looking gun at your TV screen to hit these helpless ducks.
This game misleads our youth into thinking your reputation is ruined if you're laughed at by a some jerks smartass dog, if you don't successfully aim at, and shoot a poor unsuspecting duck.
The Wii has a few variations of this light gun, giving you the gangster style Perfect Shot, or the rifle style Wii Zapper. The Wii Zapper comes with Links Crossbow training, where I've become addicted to shooting goblins, winged creatures and perfecting my target shooting. I blame the original Nintendo for my desire to point a gun...I can now take on hordes of ducks and goblins alike without breaking a sweat.
The Wii Balance Board is a new accessory released with the very popular Wii Fit.
This poor cat had no idea what it was getting into when Halo3 was released. It wasn't until the Wii Fit balance board called this cat morbidly obese that things were set in motion. During his Halo days, this cat didn't think about anything but food and shooting noobs in the face. Now that Nintendo is involved, this cat is learning new tricks.
Because of the Wii Fit Balance Board, this cat can now run, jump, and move like a normal cat. Making it much easier to flee from authorities on foot, and the bitterness from being called fat...well, this cats life took a turn for crime. Now hired as an assassin at 1/3 his original size, he gets his revenge using the skills he learned from the Wii Zapper combined with his new Wii Fit body...things will get ugly.
Video games are supposed to be rated according to how dangerous they are. Mature ratings are stamped on games that have gore you create by using the controller. Yet games that teach you real, dangerous skills go completely unchecked.
See, Jack Thompson, this is how ridiculous you sound. As for anyone who took this seriously I have a 3 step program for you;
1.Go to the bathroom and locate your toothbrush, it doubles the effect if there is toothpaste on the brush.
2.grip said toothbrush firmly in your right hand.
3.now stab yourself in the left eye once for every time you honestly agreed with me.
Now imagine me, only robbing a bank with the original wii zapper all whack on the Scooby snacks.
on 08.09.2008
Dos and Don'ts for Soul Calibur 5
Seeing as sequels don't seem to be going away anytime soon - while at the same time reviewing Soul Calibur 4,I have a few suggestions for its inevitable sequel.
use Star Wars characters. This was, by far, the worst overshadowing of guest artists I've ever seen in a game. As characters were announced pre-release, it seemed like every headline included; "AND YODA!" or "AND VADER!" instead of the proper recognition of artists who contributed their own unique characters to the game.
keep the shield break gauge. Useful against those individuals (that use Maxi) who will guard until your fingers cramp up, so they can then retaliate when you're good and crippled.
bother with storyline. Seriously, the story is about as interesting and profound as that of a Cinimax porno. I don't particularly care why we're here, fighting each other - Just get on with the abuse already!
continue to animate terrible grab moves. In Soul Calibur 2 (Gamecube version,) Link had a fun grab where he'd mount an enemies shoulders, then swing his sword like he's riding them. This time you get Yoda doing a front flip on an enemies chest, where it appears he lands - well, something like this:
Most insulting smash ever...
allow online players to use the same character consecutively - lock each character after it's used. This way, those that perfect one character and all their special moves are forced to change it up a bit. Once they've perfected them all, hopefully they've moved on, or at least taken a shower.
keep split screen. Elbowing a button mashing friend in the back of the head is the best way to sleep at night after getting frustrated enough to throw a $50 controller. So much of that friendly contact is lost in online gameplay.
include characters from games that haven't been released yet. I feel having "The Apprentice" from Force Unleashed as a (cheap) Playable character will change that experience, and he hasn't even hit his own spotlight yet.
keep the character creation mode. So far, this is the part of the game I have invested the most time in. I've created my own fencing character, a few failed creations using Ivy's sword-whip, and other hideous random things at 5am or later. There are some interesting options, and I use the word "interesting" lightly.
Though, as you can see, costume options are a bit limited, leaving my Wicked Witch feeling somewhat incomplete. So add a few costume options, and we're good to go.
Customized weapons would be cool, too.
skimp on the alternate play modes. Beating the crap out of things is fine, but wouldn't some Tekken Bowling spice things up? Or how about some Stadium action from Smash Bros.? They really couldn't come up with anything but variations on ladder modes?
Bring back
weapon test videos. I almost felt like I could learn the art of fencing by watching Raphael show off his sweet moves - though it turned out I needed classes anyway, it was still cool to watch. Or maybe, I'm the only one that watched them. Either way, I'd like to see my custom characters showing off whatever weapon they happen to be wielding.
Now, imagine me, only wielding an axe at least four times my size and swinging it with ease.
on 08.07.2008
Xbox and Screenshots
Close, but you're way off.
In the past I haven't made much of an attempt at timely reviews, as I don't generally purchase games still encased in any sort of shrink wrap. Instead, I'm generally one to sit around twiddling my thumbs for 6 months or longer until the game costs less than my groceries for an entire month.
This time, however, I found a video game supplier with expendable cash and who likes my writing. This is how I got my hands on a copy of Soul Calibur 4 a day after release. I have had my article, or blog, or whatever you want to call it, sitting in a folder on my desktop for almost week since then, unfinished for one reason.
Microsoft has gloated for years that they are "The personal computer" and even created a console to feed off of another audience. What do PC's do?
PC's create a network of friends. Buddy lists, e-mails, communications tools that keep people connected. Xbox does this, too, with voice, video chat, and messages.
PC's are glitchy, which Xbox seems to have down pat. Occasionally crashing, freezing, and giving us a red ring of death equivalent to the Windows blue screen of doom.
PC's have the ability to download upgrades, patches, and goodies from the innernets. Also, bash your friends in the face with various video game weaponry; swords, guns, whatever. I pistol whip my friends online, how bout you? Xbox has this pretty close, too.
PC's have the ability to take simple
with one button! Why - with USB capabilities, and a hard drive, is the Xbox360 completely incapable of taking screenshots? Sure, some games have the ability built-in, but why isn't it a standard feature?
Copyright issues maybe – but what 15 year old boy is going to make any kind of profit on a picture of CG boobies from a fighting/any Anime game? Or how would an otherwise employed adult (me) make any money off a picture of a custom character?
I will hopefully find some way to get this screenshot within the next few days. If it's not beautiful by Sunday, you get the "good enough" version with my camera and television. Otherwise, what good is customized characters if you can't share them?
Technology and I are not currently speaking to each other, so if you see that jerk around anyplace, tell them I said 'Hi'
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since 11:16 PM on 12.06.2007
A 27 year old student, Katrina enjoys her writing, yet acknowledges it could be better. She spends most of her time looking for something to write about. She misses the Destructoid crew, but admits her other writing obligations keep her quite occupied. She'll keep an eye on the Monthly Musings, since those are always worth her time.
For those who enjoy her
, it's now archived under that hypertext. Catch her
in the third person on a somewhat regular basis.
Aww...you made spidey face palm.
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text: Situated very close to the Eiffel tower and to a metro station, this hotel offers the basics necessary for a short stay, i.e. long weekend - clean enough, reasonable price (even cheap for Paris and this location), great location. Don't expect anything posh. Small rooms, small bathrooms, but relatively clean. Book well in advance.


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Travel Blogs from Wells
Rainy start
... Barnacle Billy's was the choice for lunch, our last Rum Punch and last order of onion rings for this trip. Good thing as I am sure our waists are expanding! We think the chicken salad was the start of a diet.
Sign of a cute shop.
Our walk back to the Inn was a zigzag route as we wanted to get in as many miles as we could. ...
Great Day in Ogunquit
... needs no explanation.
Another beach sign. Then the Welcome to Ogunquit Town Line and we then entered Wells, Maine!
We walked from Ogunquit to Wells! Now we had to walk all the way back. Easy feat after walking all these miles this week.
For lunch we decided to try the Village Grocery Store. They have a cool deli and some ready ...
Walking around
... or whatever you want. It was very good.
We watched the sky, looking for the thunderheads that were suppose to be coming. We continued our walk back to the Inn and still no rain.
This evening we thought we would trek over to Jonathan's, a restaurant within feet of Meadowmere. We normally sit at the bar (long story on this one, ...
On the move
... are a few small beaches along Marginal Way, some with lifeguards even.
One of our favorite places for lunch is Barnacle Billy's Etc. This place is noted for its Rum Punch and onion rings. We have had rum punches in many, many places and no establishment makes it like Billy's. The onion rings are the best in the world as well.
Even ...
Last day in Kennebunkport
... we walked into town to Allison's Restaurant. Had a delicious Bluetini made from Maine blueberry vodka. It was so good. Our dinner was an Island Chicken Salad which was just as good.
On the way back, we took this picture of the back of some shops.
Tomorrow we will be going to Ogunquit for a few nights.
Until next time...


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BOMA Boston is committed to giving back to the community. In addition to community service activities and holiday toy drives – the BOMA Benefit is the annual fundraiser that raises money on behalf of local charities. Since 1989, BOMA Boston has raised over $1 Million for local charitable causes, including City Year Boston, Habitat for Humanity, My Brother's Keeper, Home Start, Rosie's Place and many more.
The BOMA Benefit is an annual fundraising event which is committed to raising funds on behalf of charities whose missions are aligned with providing affordable housing, housing solutions and education to those in need. In 2014 we opened this up to include organizations whose work benefits the community or individuals of Greater Boston as a whole.
The 2015 BOMA Benefit was held on Saturday, March 14, 2015 at the Seaport Hotel from 7 – 11 p.m. Over 200 members and guests joined to support the Benefit. Click here to view photos from the evening!
The RFP process for the 2016 BOMA Benefit will begin this fall. If you are interested in being added to the list to receive an RFP, contact Amy Gleason.
In an ongoing effort to help support the community, BOMA Boston would like to recognize the 2015 BOMA Benefit Beneficiaries as part of a year-long partnership.
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News Pictures of The Week - August 25
A member of the Church of Aladura prays on the beach on August 20,... News PhotoAccidents and Disasters,Beach,Bestof,Bestpix,Healthcare And Medicine,Horizontal,Illness,Liberia,Monrovia - Liberia,Organized Group,Praying,Topics,TopixPhotographer John MooreCollection: Getty Images News 2014 Getty ImagesMONROVIA, LIBERIA - AUGUST 20: A member of the Church of Aladura prays on the beach on August 20, 2014 in Monrovia, Liberia. He and other church members were praying for God to rescue Liberia from its current crisis. The Ebola virus has killed more than 1,200 people in four African nations, with more in Liberia than any other country. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)