Well, as far as US colleges are concerned, this is pretty typical for when winter break starts. Christmas here is very popular and is celebrated by most of the nation, so we get about three weeks around this time mainly for that. The high schoolers only get two weeks. Poor, poor little children. ^_~
My exams did go really well. Managed to do spectacularly in a class I was sure I would have to retake due to failing. Yay for rocking it out on the project! ^_^
The amount of exams/make-up of classes is largely dependent on the class/professor for me. I have some classes that have two major exams and around 6 assignments. Then I have other project-based classes with two exams and one or two major projects. I extend my condolences for the amount of exams that you have. They are never fun. =_= Plus, I feel like you never learn the material as well with so many tests as you just cram the knowledge in for one and forget most of that to make space in your noggin for the next test. But, then again, I'm a cram type studier anyway, so maybe that's just me.
I hope your quiz went really well! I hear ya on the memorization. It's pretty tedious. Got to use a lot of flash cards for that. On the upside, you'll know all those drugs' names and you can just start spouting them off during conversation. Great way to make you look brilliant. ^_~ Or, you can use them as "insults" when talking to somewhat slower people. Just call them a random drug name and then laugh as they stare in confusion. =D
Oh! And, of course, best of luck on your big time semester exams! You can do it! Kick those exams in the pants!
Eh, yeah, I really dislike fatty parts of meats. I like my meat tough and more dry...which, my family makes fun of as they say I only like terrible chicken. Eh, what can you do? Juicy meat to me is...bleck. I've had squid before and wasn't a big fan. Sorta rubbery, I thought. The only time I've ever eaten steak that I liked was at a Japanese steakhouse. I have no clue what sauce that man put on it, but it was AMAZING. I've hated every other steak I've ever tried. Beef is okay. Depends on how it's prepared.
Good luck with the exams! Just had my last one today. It went...well, time will tell. Don't think I did as well as I meant to, but I still don't feel terribly about it either. I still have to write a nonfiction piece for my History of Prose class, and then I'm done for the semester. Cry freedom! It got sort of intense the last two weeks. It was one of those semesters where the professors decide to assign major projects all at once. I had Computer Organization programming project (which was beastly, but I think I may have done surprisingly well on), I had to write the first act for a film script (20-30 pages), write a Game Design Document with a group that was...let's just say not very coordinated (that sucker ended up being 59 pages double-spaced, and I got the pleasure of editing it all. The joy), had to write a style/form analysis on a short nonfiction piece and present it, and then there was the joy of studying for exams. Frankly, I'm ready to fall into a coma now. =D
What about you? How many exams do you have/had? And how did they go? Here's hoping they all go well for you!
Well, 7th Guest is, in my humble opinion, awesome! In one of my classes we are reading a book about game design principals and it had the audacity to claim that 7th Guest was a failure. HA! Ignorant fools! Then again, this is also the book that totes Grand Theft Auto 3 as one of the best games of all time, so there you go. I especially hate it because the author defends GTA by claiming that it gives the player free will and some people will choose to do the wrong thing, so its not an issue of tastes but freedoms. Now I'm not against have mindlessly violent/risque games. Having some games purely for an escapist reason is fine and dandy. Not everything needs to be intricate, educational, or deeper meaning. The reason I object so strongly to this author's defense of the game is that it doesn't actually give you free will because you can choose to do the wrong thing, or just not; you cannot choose to do the right thing. For example, you can kill a hooker in the game (wrong thing), but you can't choose to clean her up and take her to a help clinic (right thing). So this whole "OOOh player free will, nya, nya, nya!" is hooha. Anyway....uhhh...my initial point is that while others may disparage 7th Guest, I think it's awesome. Yeeeaaah.
As for Thanksgiving, well there are a few different myths about it. The main thing about its history is that it was originally a religious observance to thank God for his blessing (this is why President Washington proclaimed it a national holiday...kinda weird because I'm pretty sure the founding fathers advocated the removal of religion from government, but it was still based on Christian values, so, eh, go figure). There was a similar observance held in Europe at the time and some pilgrims decided to keep up with the tradition annually. Although, I think it was said that the "original" Thanksgiving wasn't actually an observance of the ritual and was more of a feast for one of two reasons (there are differing myths I've heard here): 1)It was a feast to celebrate a bountiful harvests 2)It was a feast to celebrate making it through a long winter (this is the one I was taught in elementary school). There happened to be a ton of wild turkeys about, and a Native American named Squanto, who aided the colony in translating services, I guess invited some tribesmen to partake in the food. So, initially it wasn't so much a celebration of peace as a "YAY we're all alive!" celebration full of goodwill.
I have no idea when/exactly how the holiday myth changed to say that the point was to make peace between the pilgrims and Native Americans, but evidently that happened at some point. Nowadays its a holiday about seeing family (it can or cannot be religious in tone), eating good food till you pass out, and...as much as it completely disgusts me...football (the American variety with big beefy guys and a pigskin). I am not a football fan. It's so long and boring. Bleck. I don't get why it's so popular. And every time there's a home game here at my college, the traffic is horrible. I made the mistake once of trying to get some food from Chick-fil-a on a game day and was stuck in traffic for an hour and half over the stretch of two miles. I just wanted to get back to my room and eat (a downside of living on campus). Stupid people.At least its better than it was two years ago. Two years ago,if you live on campus, you weren't allowed to leave at all the entire game day. You either left really early in the morning and then were stuck off campus for 12 hours, or were stuck on it for the same amount of time. So at least they're trying to help us out.
Me, I'm a hockey fan. Best sport to go and see. They have light shows, rock music, little kids trying to play for the half-time show (which is so cute), and its fast-paced. Always something to watch with constant action, heck ya! But I digress.
It is really interesting that those two holidays coincide. How is sheep? I'm not a big meat fan myself, but I am curious. I've eaten alligator before and that was like really, really chewy chicken.
Again, sorry for the tardiness of this reply. Haha! A fellow Atari basketball fan, awesome. Unfortunately, the only time I got to play a Sega was when I visited my cousin. I also only got to experience Sonic when I was at said cousin's house, which is a shame because I really did like those games. Any game that emphasizes fast and fluid movement is great in my book. I just love fast/smooth movement mechanics.
Sadly, I don't think I've ever played any of the other games you've listed. I have watched friends play Final Fantasy Games and Resident Evil, but never partook myself. I'm not a big fan of turn-based systems, though.
As for PC games, hmm, the one that my family played a lot and was obsessed with was 7th Guest. I still love that game. Although, sadly, none in my family has ever managed to beat it. I'm currently stuck on the stupid microscope puzzle. If I beat that, I'll be the furthest any of us has gotten. My dad has beaten that puzzle before, but he missed a puzzle in the floor just inside the main entrance (which I found and solved...well, my sister solved it because she really wanted to, for some reason), so that could be why nothing happened after he beat the microscope.
Oh! On the note of Sega, a friend actually had me play a demo for a new Sega game called Bayonetta on his Xbox 360 last night. It was A LOT of fun! And I swear it has Sonic rings in it. So, not sure if it's your cup o' tea, but I recommend checking it out. I was told by this friend that it's kind of similar to how Devil May Cry plays, so if you like that series, you might like this one. (This is assuming you have an Xbox 360, too. I don't, alas! I need to rectify that).
Also on the note of new games, they are making a Dante's Inferno game, which should be interesting just to see how they interpret the story. I'm sort of a literature geek who loves to see reinterpretations of classic tales (one reason why I bought American McGee's Alice game, haven't played it yet, but I'm planning to try it out when I get back home for Christmas), so I think it'll be good fun.
As a completely random segue, what holidays do they have in Egypt? I ask because it's Thanksgiving here, and it just occurred to me that not all nations have the same holidays. It's just sort of weird to think about since they are so ingrained into our culture here. I'm always curious about how different countries approach policies, ideologies, etc... I guess I'm kind of a nerd in that sense. As sad as it is, given how many different cultures are represented in the US, we really don't learn much about the average goings on in other cultures in school.
Let's see, for video games I'd have to say my all time fav. is Star Fox for the N64. I love that game. The mechanics are so much fun, it takes a little over an hour (after you've played it obsessively) to beat, there are tons of things to discover, the story is rich and engaging, and I adore the characters. Just nothing wrong with it, in my opinion. The later Star Fox games though....eh, they're enjoyable, but I hate how they went and mucked up the character personalities. Fox in the the GameCube adventure game Dinosaur Planet is a punk but without the responsibility he expressed in 64. Plus, the new English voice actors for that game are far less superior than the originals. The game itself is still fun. I do dislike how rudimentary and cute-sy the story is, but eh, I was still entertained.
The other GameCube release, ug, well, that one was better in that they went back to the mechanics of the original game but the voice acting was still weak in comparison to 64. Not to mention they made Fox responsible again...way too responsible. He lost all his smart-aleck, think-on-your-feet wit. Plus, they BUTCHERED Star Wolf. And it bothers me to no end that that version of Wolf is the one they put in Smash Brothers (another fun series of games, by the way). The original Wolf is small, crafty, sneaky, and cut-throat. He couldn't care less who kills Fox so long as Fox suffers. He'd just laugh and mock him in the background. The new Wolf...he's beefy, not as smart, not very cunning, not manipulative, and he's all obsessed with "I'm the only one who gets to kill you, rival! Nyaaaaa." Yeah, no. Wolf was one of my fav. characters and not enough people realize that the Smash Brothers version is NOT who he's supposed to be. Aaaaaannnnd there's another long rant you didn't need. Heh. ^_0 What can I say? I'm an passionate person.
As for other games, I'm partial to Gears of War and Gears of War II. I enjoy playing Halo with other people through Xbox Live with a friend, although, I suck at it. Seriously, it's pretty pathetic. But still fun...for me. I assume my friend gets sick of having a worthless teammate, but eh, it's his fault for letting me choose what we play.
I ADORE Basketball for the Atari. Yes, you heard me correctly. My sister and I once played that for near to two hours. All you do is run back and forth, bounce a square pixel, and shoot it. You don't even have to push a button to steal the "ball," you just touch the player who has it. Sounds simple to the point of stupidity, but we had a good time.
I'm also a fan of Mario Brothers 3 for the NES, although I still have yet to beat the thing. I really like Yoshi Story for N64, although it is stupidly cute and the story is ridiculous. The mechanics and level layouts are just so much fun though. I love playing this one boss made of cotton-candy. You literally have to lick him to death.
One of my sisters and I like to play X-Men Legends and Marvel Ultimate Alliance together. Legends is a lot of fun, so it was a let down when Rise of Apocalypse was so awful. But then we found Marvel Ultimate Alliance and all was well. Haven't played Ultimate Alliance 2 yet, but it looks sweet.
Killer Instinct for N64 is a close second to all time fav. Love the characters, artwork, and mechanics. I'd love to see them update this game and add more story to it. I used to be a fighting game fan almost exclusively. Mortal Kombat was what initially made me think I might want to work with video games. I also like the Soul Caliber series. Taki is the bomb!
I guess those are all the ones that really stick out to me. Sadly, I have yet to get myself an Xbox 360, so I'm not as up to date on current games as I should be. I only get to play games on one of those with either the friend I mentioned or one of my two sisters (they both have 'em, the punks!). I have another friend who owns a PlayStation 3, and she's invited me over to play some games with her, so I may have a few more new favs. after doing that.
Ahhh, I have yet to see Lain, although I would like to. I am told that it is a big-time mind trip. But I like those kinds of things, after all. ^_0
Eh, don't worry about sounding nerdy. Nerdy folks are the fun ones! It's those "normal" people who are boring. ^_~ Sorry about pharmacy not working out for you. I have a friend who's in pharmacy because it's the only thing she does like. I guess the really lucky people are those who a) figure out what they like (this is my main problem >.<) and b) are in a position to pursue whatever they determine in option a. Is there any hope of you maybe switching to something that you would enjoy more? Oh, and so long as you have the artistic ability, I think you could make it into the game industry at any point in your future so long as you look for opportunities. If you put together an online portfolio of your artwork (get a site domain and display those pieces that you think characterize your strengths) and put a link to it on a resume, that would really help if you do decide to try and go that route. You don't even really have to pursue that as your main career. There are tons of small business and groups who need artists to help them on projects. Maybe try seeing if you can nab an internship with such a group to see if you really do like character/art design. I'm not sure how your college works, but ours has a group on campus that helps students of all majors find internships. If you have such a thing, maybe go in and ask them if they know of any small group doing a project that needs an artists. Than again, you may be way too busy with the pharmacy work/study to do this, but I guess what I'm saying is, if you really think that the character design is what you want to do, I think you still have a shot at it without abandoning the pharmacy track. At the risk of sounding horrifically optimistic and somewhat naive, don't give up on your dreams! The notion that once you pick a route, you're stuck is silly to me. My mom went back to college about four years ago and is working on her dissertation for her PhD in a field completely unrelated to her original career that she had 15 years ago. She's also pursuing a job with the state school board, which again had nothing to do with what she first went to college for. She's currently in her 50s, so yeah, never too late.
Anywho, that's enough of a sappy soap box speech out of me. Especially considering that I still don't even know what the heck I'm going to try to go to graduate school for. As for bad teachers, it's a global problem, it seems. There just aren't enough who are properly trained and motivated. If I could stomach children, I'd consider becoming one. Alas, I am one of those rare females who lacks even one single maternal bone in my body. Children just make me nervous. *Shudder*
You know I've known about the Tim Burton version of Alice in Wonderland for a while, but hadn't actually seen a trailer for it yet, so thanks muchly for posting the link. It looks like it will be lots of fun, not to mention visually stunning. I'm also really excited just because the Cheshire Cat looks awesome. That cat is probably my favorite literary/cinematic character of all time. He's just so mysterious, smug, clever, bizarre, and entertaining.
I'm currently trying to get my undergrad degree in Digital Media: Interactive Systems, which is an odd hodge podge of web design, game design, audio design, and just, well, random design in general with some business aspects thrown in. Why? I have no idea. I initially got in the program because I thought that I might like to become a video game designer, but, eh, now I'm not so sure. I do know that I want to go to grad school, although to get a degree in what, only Lord knows. I really need to get on that. I am also trying to get two minors: one in Computer Science and the other in Creative Writing. They've been pretty fun so far, barring my Computer Science II class which was a waste of time and terrible. It was taught by the single worst teacher I've ever had, and let me tell you, I've had some doozies. This woman's problem was that she explained things poorly, didn't really work with you, got frustrated easily, and on top of all that, had absolutely astoundingly ridiculous expectations. We had to code Java applets, yet she never taught them nor gave us any helpful code. Plus her tests were impossible to complete in 45 minutes (the allotted class time) as they had too many questions. She was unsympathetic and...and....ugh! In any event, that was probably one rant you care nothing about, so moving on.
Interesting note about the surreal nature of children's stories. That's very true. I guess those of us who still love surrealism are closer to our inner child, huh? ^_~ Oh, and I had no idea that the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' vocalist was involved. Pretty interesting tidbit. My mom did already see Where the Wild Things Are and didn't like it because she thought all the characters were just mean to one another. She has a strong sensibility about those types of things. I'm still going to see the film and see what I think. Hopefully, it isn't as mean as my mom felt it was.
Oh, and I was wondering, what's your new profile pic. from?
Heh. Well, I must apologize as well for the tardy response. College eats into my time as well. ^_0
And yep, the U.S. is pretty huge. You can get whatever weather you want if you drive far enough. I always thought that was cool. You can drive for hours and still be at home. No need to present a passport or speak a new language. Makes me wonder what life is like in Europe with all those smaller countries. Being able to drive for a bit and be in a new country, that's pretty interesting and neat as well.
I hope that you enjoy Planetes. It's one of my favorites now. I admit that the first five episodes are a bit slow. They are more about character development than plot, but it picks up from there. One reason I am fond of that one is because it explores matters in a realistic way. Tons of animes take the "Oh! If you're just blindly optimistic, love will prevail" route, and they also send the message "ambition is evil!" which is bogus. This anime doesn't solve everything with love and bunnies and shows that blind optimism comes at a price. It also makes some interesting points about ambition being necessary, but also explores the sacrifices associated with following your ambitions no matter the cost. So, I enjoy it just because it's more down to earth (ironic, as it's in space, heh ^_0) and deals with matters at a more mature level. Although, it definitely has a ton of fun doing so.
I'm a fan of Depp as well. Man, he can act! And he actually bothers to change his voice, inflection, and movements based on the role. That's high-caliber. I also really want to see Where the Wild Things Are. I enjoyed the book as a kid, and it seems like the film adaptation will do the book justice. The music chosen for it, at least those songs used in the trailer, I adore, so it should be enjoyable. Hmmm, as for other good surrealistic films, The Lovely Bones looks very intriguing. It's based on a novel, I hear; although, I've never read it. The Box, though not strictly surreal, has a bit of a surrealistic bent and looks like it could be entertaining. I don't think that one will be spectacular, but fun. Well, for a thriller, that is.
Gah, my leg has fallen asleep. So, I'm going to try to limp around and wake it back up. Talk to you later!
Whew, I hear you on it being hot. It's horrid here in Florida. I imagine it's not near as bad as Egypt though, so you have my sympathies. My dad called me the other day from Colorado and told me about how one of our cats came in covered in snow. I am very jealous of our cat now. I miss the snow.
Wow. Well, way to be one of the ten anime fans over there. Way to represent! ^_~ It's weird. When I was living in Colorado, the anime fans were a select group. If you liked anime, you were a certain type of person. Yet, here in Florida, near everyone I've encountered has seen at least one. Even the preppy and jock types know of and talk about an anime or two. Just very interesting to see that anime has pervaded the culture here much more so than in Colorado. Guess it's because Florida's closer to the coast and is more exposed to imports than Colorado since it's in the middle of the country.
You know, the multiple interpretations thing is probably why I enjoy surrealism as well. I do like things that give you something to ponder. I also like the surrealistic style because it is usually much more artistic and visual than other types of stories. I guess that's one reason I'm looking forward to the movie "Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus." I think if nothing else, it's going to be a fun movie to just look at. Evidently, it's also Heath Ledger's last film he shot before he died. So yeah. Speaking of live-action movies and surrealism, is it just me or do there seem to be an awful lot of movies with a surrealistic bent coming out this year?
Welp, I wish you a wonderful day and will catch you later!
As for recommendations, I would have to go with Legend of the Galactic Heroes. One hundred and ten episodes investigating whether the best autocracy or the worst democracy is the best kind of government. Incredibly unbiased, incredible characters and wonderful plot. Slow and old, but that only helps the mood.
But of course! I'm always up for being friends with people with similar tastes. Heck, I'm even for those with radically different tastes as long as they are interesting individuals. I like the Cat Soup pic you chose for your profile. That was a very intriguing "story," I suppose I should call it. I'm still puzzling out some of the stuff in that and what the intention was. Although, the more I think about Cat Soup, the more I start to decided that maybe some of the stuff in there has no deeper meaning. Some of it's just weird! ^_~
I also notice that it says you are in Egypt. That's pretty awesome. I've never been there personally, and I don't think I've ever met someone who has lived there for an extended time before. What's the weather like this time of year?
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^_^
My exams did go really well. Managed to do spectacularly in a class I was sure I would have to retake due to failing. Yay for rocking it out on the project! ^_^
The amount of exams/make-up of classes is largely dependent on the class/professor for me. I have some classes that have two major exams and around 6 assignments. Then I have other project-based classes with two exams and one or two major projects. I extend my condolences for the amount of exams that you have. They are never fun. =_= Plus, I feel like you never learn the material as well with so many tests as you just cram the knowledge in for one and forget most of that to make space in your noggin for the next test. But, then again, I'm a cram type studier anyway, so maybe that's just me.
I hope your quiz went really well! I hear ya on the memorization. It's pretty tedious. Got to use a lot of flash cards for that. On the upside, you'll know all those drugs' names and you can just start spouting them off during conversation. Great way to make you look brilliant. ^_~ Or, you can use them as "insults" when talking to somewhat slower people. Just call them a random drug name and then laugh as they stare in confusion. =D
Oh! And, of course, best of luck on your big time semester exams! You can do it! Kick those exams in the pants!
Good luck with the exams! Just had my last one today. It went...well, time will tell. Don't think I did as well as I meant to, but I still don't feel terribly about it either. I still have to write a nonfiction piece for my History of Prose class, and then I'm done for the semester. Cry freedom! It got sort of intense the last two weeks. It was one of those semesters where the professors decide to assign major projects all at once. I had Computer Organization programming project (which was beastly, but I think I may have done surprisingly well on), I had to write the first act for a film script (20-30 pages), write a Game Design Document with a group that was...let's just say not very coordinated (that sucker ended up being 59 pages double-spaced, and I got the pleasure of editing it all. The joy), had to write a style/form analysis on a short nonfiction piece and present it, and then there was the joy of studying for exams. Frankly, I'm ready to fall into a coma now. =D
What about you? How many exams do you have/had? And how did they go? Here's hoping they all go well for you!
As for Thanksgiving, well there are a few different myths about it. The main thing about its history is that it was originally a religious observance to thank God for his blessing (this is why President Washington proclaimed it a national holiday...kinda weird because I'm pretty sure the founding fathers advocated the removal of religion from government, but it was still based on Christian values, so, eh, go figure). There was a similar observance held in Europe at the time and some pilgrims decided to keep up with the tradition annually. Although, I think it was said that the "original" Thanksgiving wasn't actually an observance of the ritual and was more of a feast for one of two reasons (there are differing myths I've heard here): 1)It was a feast to celebrate a bountiful harvests 2)It was a feast to celebrate making it through a long winter (this is the one I was taught in elementary school). There happened to be a ton of wild turkeys about, and a Native American named Squanto, who aided the colony in translating services, I guess invited some tribesmen to partake in the food. So, initially it wasn't so much a celebration of peace as a "YAY we're all alive!" celebration full of goodwill.
I have no idea when/exactly how the holiday myth changed to say that the point was to make peace between the pilgrims and Native Americans, but evidently that happened at some point. Nowadays its a holiday about seeing family (it can or cannot be religious in tone), eating good food till you pass out, and...as much as it completely disgusts me...football (the American variety with big beefy guys and a pigskin). I am not a football fan. It's so long and boring. Bleck. I don't get why it's so popular. And every time there's a home game here at my college, the traffic is horrible. I made the mistake once of trying to get some food from Chick-fil-a on a game day and was stuck in traffic for an hour and half over the stretch of two miles. I just wanted to get back to my room and eat (a downside of living on campus). Stupid people.At least its better than it was two years ago. Two years ago,if you live on campus, you weren't allowed to leave at all the entire game day. You either left really early in the morning and then were stuck off campus for 12 hours, or were stuck on it for the same amount of time. So at least they're trying to help us out.
Me, I'm a hockey fan. Best sport to go and see. They have light shows, rock music, little kids trying to play for the half-time show (which is so cute), and its fast-paced. Always something to watch with constant action, heck ya! But I digress.
It is really interesting that those two holidays coincide. How is sheep? I'm not a big meat fan myself, but I am curious. I've eaten alligator before and that was like really, really chewy chicken.
Sadly, I don't think I've ever played any of the other games you've listed. I have watched friends play Final Fantasy Games and Resident Evil, but never partook myself. I'm not a big fan of turn-based systems, though.
As for PC games, hmm, the one that my family played a lot and was obsessed with was 7th Guest. I still love that game. Although, sadly, none in my family has ever managed to beat it. I'm currently stuck on the stupid microscope puzzle. If I beat that, I'll be the furthest any of us has gotten. My dad has beaten that puzzle before, but he missed a puzzle in the floor just inside the main entrance (which I found and solved...well, my sister solved it because she really wanted to, for some reason), so that could be why nothing happened after he beat the microscope.
Oh! On the note of Sega, a friend actually had me play a demo for a new Sega game called Bayonetta on his Xbox 360 last night. It was A LOT of fun! And I swear it has Sonic rings in it. So, not sure if it's your cup o' tea, but I recommend checking it out. I was told by this friend that it's kind of similar to how Devil May Cry plays, so if you like that series, you might like this one. (This is assuming you have an Xbox 360, too. I don't, alas! I need to rectify that).
Also on the note of new games, they are making a Dante's Inferno game, which should be interesting just to see how they interpret the story. I'm sort of a literature geek who loves to see reinterpretations of classic tales (one reason why I bought American McGee's Alice game, haven't played it yet, but I'm planning to try it out when I get back home for Christmas), so I think it'll be good fun.
As a completely random segue, what holidays do they have in Egypt? I ask because it's Thanksgiving here, and it just occurred to me that not all nations have the same holidays. It's just sort of weird to think about since they are so ingrained into our culture here. I'm always curious about how different countries approach policies, ideologies, etc... I guess I'm kind of a nerd in that sense. As sad as it is, given how many different cultures are represented in the US, we really don't learn much about the average goings on in other cultures in school.
Let's see, for video games I'd have to say my all time fav. is Star Fox for the N64. I love that game. The mechanics are so much fun, it takes a little over an hour (after you've played it obsessively) to beat, there are tons of things to discover, the story is rich and engaging, and I adore the characters. Just nothing wrong with it, in my opinion. The later Star Fox games though....eh, they're enjoyable, but I hate how they went and mucked up the character personalities. Fox in the the GameCube adventure game Dinosaur Planet is a punk but without the responsibility he expressed in 64. Plus, the new English voice actors for that game are far less superior than the originals. The game itself is still fun. I do dislike how rudimentary and cute-sy the story is, but eh, I was still entertained.
The other GameCube release, ug, well, that one was better in that they went back to the mechanics of the original game but the voice acting was still weak in comparison to 64. Not to mention they made Fox responsible again...way too responsible. He lost all his smart-aleck, think-on-your-feet wit. Plus, they BUTCHERED Star Wolf. And it bothers me to no end that that version of Wolf is the one they put in Smash Brothers (another fun series of games, by the way). The original Wolf is small, crafty, sneaky, and cut-throat. He couldn't care less who kills Fox so long as Fox suffers. He'd just laugh and mock him in the background. The new Wolf...he's beefy, not as smart, not very cunning, not manipulative, and he's all obsessed with "I'm the only one who gets to kill you, rival! Nyaaaaa." Yeah, no. Wolf was one of my fav. characters and not enough people realize that the Smash Brothers version is NOT who he's supposed to be. Aaaaaannnnd there's another long rant you didn't need. Heh. ^_0 What can I say? I'm an passionate person.
As for other games, I'm partial to Gears of War and Gears of War II. I enjoy playing Halo with other people through Xbox Live with a friend, although, I suck at it. Seriously, it's pretty pathetic. But still fun...for me. I assume my friend gets sick of having a worthless teammate, but eh, it's his fault for letting me choose what we play.
I ADORE Basketball for the Atari. Yes, you heard me correctly. My sister and I once played that for near to two hours. All you do is run back and forth, bounce a square pixel, and shoot it. You don't even have to push a button to steal the "ball," you just touch the player who has it. Sounds simple to the point of stupidity, but we had a good time.
I'm also a fan of Mario Brothers 3 for the NES, although I still have yet to beat the thing. I really like Yoshi Story for N64, although it is stupidly cute and the story is ridiculous. The mechanics and level layouts are just so much fun though. I love playing this one boss made of cotton-candy. You literally have to lick him to death.
One of my sisters and I like to play X-Men Legends and Marvel Ultimate Alliance together. Legends is a lot of fun, so it was a let down when Rise of Apocalypse was so awful. But then we found Marvel Ultimate Alliance and all was well. Haven't played Ultimate Alliance 2 yet, but it looks sweet.
Killer Instinct for N64 is a close second to all time fav. Love the characters, artwork, and mechanics. I'd love to see them update this game and add more story to it. I used to be a fighting game fan almost exclusively. Mortal Kombat was what initially made me think I might want to work with video games. I also like the Soul Caliber series. Taki is the bomb!
I guess those are all the ones that really stick out to me. Sadly, I have yet to get myself an Xbox 360, so I'm not as up to date on current games as I should be. I only get to play games on one of those with either the friend I mentioned or one of my two sisters (they both have 'em, the punks!). I have another friend who owns a PlayStation 3, and she's invited me over to play some games with her, so I may have a few more new favs. after doing that.
What about you? What games are you a fan of?
Eh, don't worry about sounding nerdy. Nerdy folks are the fun ones! It's those "normal" people who are boring. ^_~ Sorry about pharmacy not working out for you. I have a friend who's in pharmacy because it's the only thing she does like. I guess the really lucky people are those who a) figure out what they like (this is my main problem >.<) and b) are in a position to pursue whatever they determine in option a. Is there any hope of you maybe switching to something that you would enjoy more? Oh, and so long as you have the artistic ability, I think you could make it into the game industry at any point in your future so long as you look for opportunities. If you put together an online portfolio of your artwork (get a site domain and display those pieces that you think characterize your strengths) and put a link to it on a resume, that would really help if you do decide to try and go that route. You don't even really have to pursue that as your main career. There are tons of small business and groups who need artists to help them on projects. Maybe try seeing if you can nab an internship with such a group to see if you really do like character/art design. I'm not sure how your college works, but ours has a group on campus that helps students of all majors find internships. If you have such a thing, maybe go in and ask them if they know of any small group doing a project that needs an artists. Than again, you may be way too busy with the pharmacy work/study to do this, but I guess what I'm saying is, if you really think that the character design is what you want to do, I think you still have a shot at it without abandoning the pharmacy track. At the risk of sounding horrifically optimistic and somewhat naive, don't give up on your dreams! The notion that once you pick a route, you're stuck is silly to me. My mom went back to college about four years ago and is working on her dissertation for her PhD in a field completely unrelated to her original career that she had 15 years ago. She's also pursuing a job with the state school board, which again had nothing to do with what she first went to college for. She's currently in her 50s, so yeah, never too late.
Anywho, that's enough of a sappy soap box speech out of me. Especially considering that I still don't even know what the heck I'm going to try to go to graduate school for. As for bad teachers, it's a global problem, it seems. There just aren't enough who are properly trained and motivated. If I could stomach children, I'd consider becoming one. Alas, I am one of those rare females who lacks even one single maternal bone in my body. Children just make me nervous. *Shudder*
I'm currently trying to get my undergrad degree in Digital Media: Interactive Systems, which is an odd hodge podge of web design, game design, audio design, and just, well, random design in general with some business aspects thrown in. Why? I have no idea. I initially got in the program because I thought that I might like to become a video game designer, but, eh, now I'm not so sure. I do know that I want to go to grad school, although to get a degree in what, only Lord knows. I really need to get on that. I am also trying to get two minors: one in Computer Science and the other in Creative Writing. They've been pretty fun so far, barring my Computer Science II class which was a waste of time and terrible. It was taught by the single worst teacher I've ever had, and let me tell you, I've had some doozies. This woman's problem was that she explained things poorly, didn't really work with you, got frustrated easily, and on top of all that, had absolutely astoundingly ridiculous expectations. We had to code Java applets, yet she never taught them nor gave us any helpful code. Plus her tests were impossible to complete in 45 minutes (the allotted class time) as they had too many questions. She was unsympathetic and...and....ugh! In any event, that was probably one rant you care nothing about, so moving on.
Interesting note about the surreal nature of children's stories. That's very true. I guess those of us who still love surrealism are closer to our inner child, huh? ^_~ Oh, and I had no idea that the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' vocalist was involved. Pretty interesting tidbit. My mom did already see Where the Wild Things Are and didn't like it because she thought all the characters were just mean to one another. She has a strong sensibility about those types of things. I'm still going to see the film and see what I think. Hopefully, it isn't as mean as my mom felt it was.
Oh, and I was wondering, what's your new profile pic. from?
And yep, the U.S. is pretty huge. You can get whatever weather you want if you drive far enough. I always thought that was cool. You can drive for hours and still be at home. No need to present a passport or speak a new language. Makes me wonder what life is like in Europe with all those smaller countries. Being able to drive for a bit and be in a new country, that's pretty interesting and neat as well.
I hope that you enjoy Planetes. It's one of my favorites now. I admit that the first five episodes are a bit slow. They are more about character development than plot, but it picks up from there. One reason I am fond of that one is because it explores matters in a realistic way. Tons of animes take the "Oh! If you're just blindly optimistic, love will prevail" route, and they also send the message "ambition is evil!" which is bogus. This anime doesn't solve everything with love and bunnies and shows that blind optimism comes at a price. It also makes some interesting points about ambition being necessary, but also explores the sacrifices associated with following your ambitions no matter the cost. So, I enjoy it just because it's more down to earth (ironic, as it's in space, heh ^_0) and deals with matters at a more mature level. Although, it definitely has a ton of fun doing so.
I'm a fan of Depp as well. Man, he can act! And he actually bothers to change his voice, inflection, and movements based on the role. That's high-caliber. I also really want to see Where the Wild Things Are. I enjoyed the book as a kid, and it seems like the film adaptation will do the book justice. The music chosen for it, at least those songs used in the trailer, I adore, so it should be enjoyable. Hmmm, as for other good surrealistic films, The Lovely Bones looks very intriguing. It's based on a novel, I hear; although, I've never read it. The Box, though not strictly surreal, has a bit of a surrealistic bent and looks like it could be entertaining. I don't think that one will be spectacular, but fun. Well, for a thriller, that is.
Gah, my leg has fallen asleep. So, I'm going to try to limp around and wake it back up. Talk to you later!
Wow. Well, way to be one of the ten anime fans over there. Way to represent! ^_~ It's weird. When I was living in Colorado, the anime fans were a select group. If you liked anime, you were a certain type of person. Yet, here in Florida, near everyone I've encountered has seen at least one. Even the preppy and jock types know of and talk about an anime or two. Just very interesting to see that anime has pervaded the culture here much more so than in Colorado. Guess it's because Florida's closer to the coast and is more exposed to imports than Colorado since it's in the middle of the country.
You know, the multiple interpretations thing is probably why I enjoy surrealism as well. I do like things that give you something to ponder. I also like the surrealistic style because it is usually much more artistic and visual than other types of stories. I guess that's one reason I'm looking forward to the movie "Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus." I think if nothing else, it's going to be a fun movie to just look at. Evidently, it's also Heath Ledger's last film he shot before he died. So yeah. Speaking of live-action movies and surrealism, is it just me or do there seem to be an awful lot of movies with a surrealistic bent coming out this year?
Welp, I wish you a wonderful day and will catch you later!
As for recommendations, I would have to go with Legend of the Galactic Heroes. One hundred and ten episodes investigating whether the best autocracy or the worst democracy is the best kind of government. Incredibly unbiased, incredible characters and wonderful plot. Slow and old, but that only helps the mood.
I also notice that it says you are in Egypt. That's pretty awesome. I've never been there personally, and I don't think I've ever met someone who has lived there for an extended time before. What's the weather like this time of year?