Lately things have been picking up, but that's fine. Alot of homework but that's to be expected. Oh, and midterms too. All in one. Yeah, kinda hectic right now.

Anyways, a while back I put together an old computer that I affectionately named "Lopez." Lopez is a bit of a mix-matched computer, and I've put as much time working on his insides as I have his outsides. His stats aren't bad:

Celeron Processor at 533 MHZ, 384 MB ram, a 40 GB hd, a Radeon 9250 graphics card and it's running Ubuntu server linux. Right now it's serving as a, well, a server. At first I installed windows xp home on it,since I already knew a bunch of software that could do the job I wanted. It seemed to work surprisingly well (I didn't know windows xp could run that smoothly on such an old computer.) Until one of my special modifications came back to bite me in the ass: I used some special hacks of mine to disable having to stick in a cd key, or I thought I did anyways. After 30 days it prompted me for a cd key, then stated that it has been registered right after that (no cd key yet!) Then went back to the login screen. Rinse and repeat. Yeah, my fault really. I had the cd keys needed, but I was just too lazy to go find them. Anyways, I just wiped the drive out and installed Ubuntu Linux Server on it instead, and I've just been loving it. If I could I would of preferred Fedora Core instead, but I couldn't get past the installer, so that's no good. Anyways, so now it's functioning as my file server (serves movies, music and pictures to Omalley and my XBox) Web server (theterminal.no-ip.org) and ftp server. He's been incredibly stable and I've come to love him like a brother.

Anyways, lately I picked up another computer: Something that I could use as an upgrade for Lopez. 1 GHZ Celeron, 256 MB ram, 6 GB HD with windows 98. I found out later that it was an old small form factor Compaq desktop that I christened Francisco. It was a bit unfortunate, because that meant 2 things:

1. proprietary micro atx power supply unit (only has 14 pins on the p1 connector instead of 20) and its expandability is extremely limited. (only 1 cd rom, floppy and hd allowed) What I was more interested in though, was the parts: The Celeron processor is almost twice as fast as the old brain in Lopez. They were both Socket 370 (used the same pinouts and had the same electrical specifications) so I thought it would be an easy swap. Oh how I was wrong. After performing an eventless swap, I put one screw in the power supply (it's right over the cpu) to hold it up and powered up the computer. It powered... so far so good. The HD light was constantly on though, and that was my first sign. I went away to let the computer boot. However, while I was gone the screw fell out (wasn't fastened tight enough) and fell on the motherboard, creating a sharp crack sound that told me one of two things happened: either the psu fell on the motherboard (bad), or that was an electrical snap (very bad) I quickly went to power the computer down; while doing so I was smelling what smelt like something burning. Quite bad now. I did some more experimentation, but it seemed like Lopez was now dead. (He's dead Jim.) When Lopez refused to boot, I reversed my changes. I removed the 1 GHZ celeron (He's worse than dead: his brain is gone.) and Lopez's old brain back in. I crossed my fingers and powered him back up. Nothing. I fiddled around with him a bit more though and managed to bring him back to life. Whew!

I did some research and found out that the 1 GHZ processor most likely uses socket 370 a: it looks EXACTLY the same as socket 370, but the electrical specifications are different. (Basically the 1 GHZ Celeron processor requires more power than Lopez can give.) Well, that's great. So While Lopez is fine and happy now, the brain of Francisco may be gone. (I haven't done the experiments to check this out yet.)

Anyways, I also have another old computer that I've been playing with: an old Compaq Evo D510 (or something along those lines). It used to be my primary pc until the fan died on the power supply. It's the same type of compact computer as Francisco, so without that fan it doesn't live long. Anyways I ended up buying a new computer (OMalley, my flagship) to replace this my old compaq. (We'll call him Yorkshire for now.) Nothing was wrong with Yorkshire: just that he needed a new fan. It's damn hard to do though, so I've been putting it off. (It involves opening the psu, removing the circuit board from the machine, unscrewing the fan and replacing with a new fan. Not only is it hard but dangerous: Those capacitors can hold ALOT of electricity. If they were charged there's a good chance I'd take myself out if I accidentally brushed my hand against it.) When I got Francisco I was gonna canibalize the fan from him and put it in Yorkshire. But I won't do that unless Francisco is truly dead. (or rather, his brain.) Soo, i'll probably take a trip out to Princess auto later on today to go see If I can find a proper sized fan. The problem is, The voltage and amperage can't be too far off the original fan's specs. Too low and the fan will burn itself out because the computer provides more power than necessary, while too high and the computer will overheat because the fan can't spin fast enough. Bleh.

Anyways, on to my last computer: OMalley. OMalley is my flag computer and is $1200 of computery awesomeness. Running state of the art parts, OMalley is easily my pride and joy. I made him at the beginning of the school year to replace Yorkshire when his fan died on me. I've heard horror stories about people who's computers wouldn't work after building them, but I guess I was lucky. I encountered relatively few problems during the assembly. The only thing I'm not happy about is cable management: I tried, but the psu is in an awkward location (on the bottom of the tower) and as a result the cables have to travel from the bottom to the top of the computer, which is a shame. As a result I have a birds nest in OMalley that I plan on fixing up later. Oh yeah, I haven't gotten the card reader working properly yet. I'll have to fix that later. I guess it gives me an excuse to open him up again and work on the inside; When I get the time of course.

Computer: OMalley
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 (running at 3.0 GHZ)
Ram: 4 GB OCZ Reaper running at 800 MHZ
Graphics card: Radeon 4850
OS: Vista X64

Anyways, I'd have to say while OMalley is awesome, I actually love Lopez more because of the amount of time and effort I've had to put into him. His job is also more important than OMalley's as well. (Lopez is my server. OMalley's for playing games. ) I like the price difference more though: So far I've paid about $1200 for OMalley. Lopez? So far he's racking up to $13. Go figure. (ooh, wait. I got a Radeon 9250 in him that costed about $50... meh, he doesn't use it though and it was originally for Yorkshire. I'll let that price slide.)

After 3 months of working for the local Telco in a nearby city (without my own internet at home!) I'm back home, ready to... *sigh* start classes. That's right, i'm about to start school again for the 2 of you who actually care. Got alot I want to do though. I'm gonna put up a quick web server so I can do some web page development, and I'm turning an xbox I picked up into a media server. (and a gaming console too.) It seems like it's gonna be a busy start of the year.

Anyways, wanna point out a site to check out: abstract productions.

[link]

Run by xmark, abstract productions makes games. On the side xmark writes and performs some kickass songs which he uploads here. Check out a piece of heaven. The song is pretty awesome.

Well, almost three weeks without normal internet usage. Luckily at the University I still have my account, so once a week (or three in this case) I bike in to use the internet.

Anyways, I promised Blackgaze a while ago I'd review his game. About two weeks later, it's time for a review on...

SPIDERHEAD!!! [link]
Created by: ~Blackgaze

The review will be broken up as such:

Intro: Introducing the game to be reviewed.

Story: how strong is the story? Any memorable characters? Was it believeable? Was it enjoyable?

Gameplay: Are the controls solid? What exactly can you do in this game? Are there alot of elements?

Graphics: Do the graphics clash with each other? Do colors clash? Is the "grid" visible? Is there a misuse of gradients? How do the graphics fit in with the mood of the game? Are they pleasant?

Music: Does the music get annoying? Does it fit with the game? How well does it loop? How long is it? Is the music nice to listen to?

Polish: How well are the various parts tweaked? Does it look and play professionally? Are various special effects being overused, abused, and what small things could be added? Here's where I spot small things that I like and don't like, and suggest how to improve them.

Spiderhead. An interesting name for a video game character, Yet with only 8 thick hairs on his head (and only 6 more than Charlie Brown) this name fits him perfectly. In a world where mutations are increasing, Spiderhead is but one of the many people affected by this mysterious change.

With mysterious pipes and creatures springing up over the countryside, Spiderhead is sent to discover the cause of this problem and stop it if possible. With nothing but his twin pistols and his power to turn invincible, Spiderhead forges his way through powerful and relentless enemies to find out what is going on and prevent a possible disaster.

STORY:
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The story is nothing truly unique. Spiderhead is sent out on a mission to find the cause of mysterious pipes and creatures showing up overnight, and later on follows the trail of Lord Snowhead to stop him from taking over the world. Cliche, but it works. There are other characters in the game, but they don't really do anything other than give Spiderhead hints or taunt him before attacking.

Most of the story is played out in a monologue, or "Spiderhead logs," possibly a play on the Captains logs that are played during Star Trek. In these Spiderhead will talk about what happens between levels, his thoughts and feelings on the story. These logs are used to describe what can't really be enacted during the game, and really help flesh out the character and the story. The only other part of the game where the story progresses is during the boss levels. Before a boss fight, the boss usually gives a small speech before engaging Spiderhead, usually something along the lines of, "I'm going to kill you." All in all, they don't really add much to the story. A few times the main character will say something at the beginning of a level, and even breaks the fourth wall once.

As mentioned before, the story is cliche and simple. There are no plot twists, no memorable characters, nothing really but a monologue which does add to the mood and build up the plot. (Plus they look pretty cool.) When it comes to a story, it's almost nonexistant. But then again Spiderhead isn't really about the story: it's about the action, which we'll look at soon.

Story: 5/10

Gameplay:
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The gameplay is simple and it works, which is what any action game aficionado could hope for. The arrows move the character around, up arrow talks to NPC's, ctrl to shoot, number keys to change weapon, shift to jump and Space bar to toggle your special power. Controls are sharp and responsive, which is great. Jumping is just about perfect: you move at about the right speed, you can control your direction in midair which i've always enjoyed. (despite it being a bit unrealistic) Shooting is a great joy in this game. The pistols make a very satisfying sound, and it's quite nice to rapidly fire them. The guns also push you back when you fire them, which can be a bit odd when your firing the flamethrower, but whatever. Super Mario fans may rejoice, as you can jump on enemies as well. This stuns them for merely a second, which is only barely enough time to pump him full of lead, and not enough time later on in the last stage. I'm not quite sure what this was put in for: yeah, you can stun enemies, but it doesn't really give you an advantage, or not much of one.

You'll also find some odd platform mechanics thrown in. Some levels require you to jump on the head of enemies to receive bonuses, while other levels have rotating platforms that, if you don't time your jumps right, will let you fall through them, dying instantly. There will be more on that later... ALOT more. There is alot more variety as well, such as a shoot-em-up type level, run-ahead-of-the-spiked-moving-wall level, find the right transporter level and alot more. There's alot here to keep you on your toes, and it's just too bad that some of these elements don't see more than a level or two of game time. Some other elements could be completely removed. I don't see the point of bottomless pits, especially when you put them together with rotating platforms. I actually quit playing this game for a week because I kept on dying over and over by those damn rotating platforms. There were also springs and some clever level design that made it easier to get back in the game after you backtrack to flip certain switches.

Overall the game controls quite well, and is a joy to play... most of the time. Some parts feel out of place and like they were thrown in on the creators whim, (I still don't get the point of the exploding rock) which can be a bit frustrating.

Gameplay: 8/10



Graphics:
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The game looks great. Sprites animate beautifully, backgrounds are lush and vibrant, and I can't see any bad pixeling habits. (The grid, overuse of gradients, contrasting colors, etc.) When your in caves, you look like you're in caves. Some of the backgrounds are reused, but at least Blackgaze doesn't palette cycle monsters and stick a new name on them. This section is short, but that's because I can't find anything wrong here. Oh, maybe one thing. There is a horrible misuse of flashing, one that can make the game unplayable in a few stages, but that will be discussed later. Levels were designed well for the most part. Overall, two thumbs up.

Graphics: 9/10

Music:
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Is this music original? Great stuff! Not only does it sound good, but it also loops well and doesn't get annoying. It's the stuff that can easily get you pumped up to take on a herd of eyeheads. Some parts don't quite fit in with the level, but that's pretty hard to accomplish. Overall great music that I can't argue with.

The sounds also work well. They were obviously pulled from various games and resources, but they still work well together. Some sound effects you'll hear over and over again (the "near death" sound plays over and over until you heal or die, and sound like the star trek "opening shuttlebay doors" sound) but work well. I can't complain.

Music: 8/10

Polish: (aka rant section)
-------------

WARNING: ALOT OF CRITICISM GOING ON HERE!!!

I'll start this section by saying this: DO NOT PLAY THIS GAME IF YOU ARE EPILEPTIC! This game abuses flashes to a premium. Are you near death? The game will get harder, as the game likes to flash the entire screen to let you know you are near death. One boss fight will cause the screen to flash when the boss drops bombs... about half a second apart from each other. Not only did it hurt the eyes, but it made me want to stop playing too. Flashes are abused everywhere, and I would recommend that they be completely removed next time. In moderation they work well, but are terrible when used like this.

Enemies flash an ! over their heads when they see you. An nice touch... but they also shoot as soon as they see you, which makes it almost impossible to come out of a gunfight unharmed unless you ambush enemies. Even then it's hard to come out unharmed. Rockets also travel incredibly fast, making it almost impossible to dodge an incoming rocket from enemies. In the future I would recommend slowing down rockets and perhaps making a small delay between when enemies see you and when they shoot... perhaps when the arrow comes down. Also, make the stun period longer. It doesn't really add to the game when it's as short as it is.

Another part I really, REALLY didn't like in this game were the bomb packed zombies, that moved faster than anything else (Have you ever heard of a fast zombie?) and instantly killed you when it touched you. It can get very frustrating when you jump down from a platform only to have a zombie run into you and kill you. All in all the game features alot of cheap, cheap instant death scenarios. Touch a missle? Instant death! Touch a bomb zombie? Instant death! Fall into a bottomless pit? Instant death! Touch that spiked wall? Instant death! You get the picture. I hate instant deaths, as they are cheap and do nothing but make the gamer frustrated. I would like to see these kept to a minimal next time.

Anyways, the only thing I didn't really like other than those above was the teleportation level. (Being sent back to the beginning of a level with every wrong choice is not fun!) It felt like all the work was being put into making the main character play well. While having a good character was nice, having some unpolished levels was not.

Polish: 3/10

Conclusion:
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While playing this game, I came to call it by a new name: The F game, because it made me say the F word more times in one day than I've ever said it. (Even when playing mario kart and getting blue shelled all the time!) The game can get unbelievably nasty, unforgiving and really, really cheap. The flashes hurt the head, enemies that kill you on contact are impossible to kill or to avoid, and rotating panels combined with bottomless pits are incredibly frustrating. Regardless, if you look past these unfortunate quirks, you'll find a lengthy, vibrant and fun (when your not being killed) game that is actually alot of fun. If Blackgaze fixes these problems for Spiderhead 2 and improves on already great elements, we should have on helluva game to play in the future.

Final Score: 7/10 (not an average)

Spiderhead can get unbelievable cheap and frustrating at times, and may make you throw your monitor. But if you can get past the problems, there is a solid action game to bite into.

You've been out riding fences, for so long now. Great song!

I'm bored, so I thought I would put in a quick update here. I really should be going to bed... I just finished a game of hockey, which was after gym class today. I am completely worn out, but feel great. It's been a while since I had a good workout.

And yeah, I am still alive and feel great. In fact, i'd like to say how alive I am with this excerpt from the ending song from portal:

and believe me I am still alive
I'm doing science and I'm still alive
i feel fantastic and I'm still alive,
while your dying ill be still alive
and when your dead i will be still alive
still alive
still alive

Portal. Great game. Play it! I've never played a game with such... interesting gameplay. Ugh. So tired... can't form. Coherent sentences. Nap time.

Anyways, for the one person who cares, i thought i'd post a random rant. Look out for a picture I might put up. I've had people bug me for pictures of myself, so I'll probably take one and put it up here as well. Just for laughs.

But what kind of a picture? Hmm. Well, that's a problem I'll have to figure out. By myself. Because you'll be DEAD. (another portal quote, kind of. Wonderful humor, in the same style as the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy. Is there any other reason for me to like it so much?)

So, did I ever tell anyone about my friends who bought swords? Lucas bought a gladius and Phil bought a bastard sword. Did they hang them up on the wall? Use them for displays? No! They fought with them! As they fought, they put dents in their swords, burrs, etc. etc. until finally Lucas's gladius broke. The blade snapped right off of the guard. A few days ago, I heard Lucas bought a new sword... Gandalf the grey's sword, Glamdring. It cost him $400. Then he broke it chopping wood. WHY someone would use a sword for chopping wood, I don't know! Maybe Lucas was bored? Maybe he didn't have an axe? I won't know for a while, as he's now in the military. Next semester he's going to the U of S too.

Yesterday my mom phoned me, and told me she ordered two palm tx's: one for her, one for me. She then told me to pay for them. (how nice. buy something without telling me then asking me to pay for it all. ) She deposited the money for her palm in my account though, so at least I knew I had enough money to pay for them. She bought them refurbished, $280 apiece. Then she put a 3 year warranty on them for $60. Once again, without asking me. I shouldn't complain though... The palm tx is one of the better palm pilots out there, between the lifedrive and the e2. It also has Wi-Fi, so I can leave my laptop home now. (unless I want to play some games during classes. As if I can afford that!) So, what's going to happen to my old tungsten e? Apparently mum sold it to one of my brothers. (without asking me... again!)

There are alot of nice mods for the tx, alot of things I couldn't do with my tungsten E before. First of all, there is the microphone mod. [link] It turns out that the TX is ready for a microphone, and all it needs is the mic. (note: some people say a resistor and a capacitor are also needed, some say they aren't. I don't know.) Just open up the case, connect the mic, drill a hole if you need (i wouldn't.) and close it back up. Oh yeah, and download software to use it. However, such a mod would surely void the 3 year warranty. I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place! This mod apparently also works with tungsten t3, zire 31 and tungsten e2.

However, what i'm most interested in is this. [link] Linux for palm. Apparently someone's figured out a way to load linux from an sd card. You start it from palm os, it unloads palmos and loads linux. It looks quite interesting... and perhaps worth trying out when I get my palm tx. The power... the power! Only thing that turns me off right now is that wireless doesn't work in linux.