atomicpoet

atomicpoet, 5 days ago (edited 1 day ago) to random

Got quite the haul at the thrift shop today:

• 3 CDs
• 2 cassettes
• 3 comic books
• 1 sci fi novel
• 1 children’s novel
• 1 thesaurus

Total cost: $14.

atomicpoet, 5 days ago to random

This is a bad idea, IKEA!

atomicpoet, 5 days ago to random

Progress picture. Today I did:

• 20 minutes running
• 20 minutes cycling
• 2:50 minutes planking
• 12 push-ups
• 50 sit ups
• 36 squats with 15lbs kettlebell
• 36 reps with 200lbs leg press
• 36 reps with 35lbs barbell bicep curl
• 36 reps with 75lbs pulldown
• 36 reps with 70lbs shoulder press
• 36 reps with 105lbs reverse chest press

It took me an hour and a half to get through this workout.

atomicpoet, 5 days ago to random

Living in Canada is frustrating.

Despite having the second largest land mass of any country in the world, we have some of the world’s highest real estate prices.

We have a government unwilling to tackle low productivity, lowering standards of living, and lack of investment in job training.

Even worse, we have actual members of Parliament working for Chinese and Indian agents—the government won’t identify them, and is doing little to address election interference from foreign entities.

https://globalnews.ca/news/10548314/rcmp-aware-foreign-interference-parliamentarians/

atomicpoet, 5 days ago to random

Canadian companies have parked $1.7T overseas.

That’s half of Canada’s GDP!

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/canada-s-economy-has-a-big-productivity-problem-here-s-how-to-fix-it-according-to-rbc-1.2081556

atomicpoet, 6 days ago to random

I’m not proud that I own X-Blades.

It doesn’t warm my heart. When I see it in my library, it gives me no joy.

In my defence, the original reason I bought this game is because I had an extremely low end laptop as my primary gaming PC, and this game could run on it. It gave me Xbox 360 quality graphics yet still could run on 1.5Ghz dual core CPU with 1GB of RAM and 256VRAM.

It’s hard to argue against the visuals. Look at those environments. Can you believe that a game like this could run on such minimal specs?

But actually, I can argue against the visuals. I’m not one to argue against scantily clad video game characters, but come on!

The whole bloody time I’m playing this game, all I can think about is Prince. You know, the musician. Remember the 1991 MTV VMAs when Prince bared his ass?

That’s this game. I know the developers that the whole outfit was sexy, but every single time I boot up this game, I think, “Prince did it first!”

Now I would be fine with butt floss if this game had some funky tracks to accompany it. But no, what we got is the most generic post-grunge soundtrack – terrible enough that even Nickelback would be grabbing the pitchforks and torches.

Ugh! I’ve heard royalty-free muzak that sounds better than those guitar riffs.

Perhaps all this would be forgiven if X-Blades was fun to play. Alas, it’s not.

Now I know what the developers were thinking: “Hey, let’s make something similar to Tomb Raider, make the character blonde, put the emphasis on the butt instead of the boobs, and give her two swords.”

You know what? I actually would play Tomb Raider if Lara Croft had two swords. That’s not a bad idea.

But it’s all about the execution. This whole game is a slow, tedious chore where it takes a long, long time of just hacking and shooting these enemies. It’s a rough grind.

When I encounter a boss, I just want it to end my misery.

However, this isn’t the worst game I’ve ever played. There’s a germ of a good idea. The devs certainly thought so which is why they returned with X-Blades’ spiritual successor Blades of Time.

By all accounts, Blades of Time is much better than X-Blades. The reviews are much more positive. Gone is the butt floss. In place, we have a much better character – though still scantily clad.

It surprises me that Gaijin Entertainment made this game. These are the folks who made War Thunder and Star Conflict. That company really has come along way!

Either way, don’t buy X-Blades. Even if you’re thinking, “Hey, butt floss is a selling feature to me!” – you’re not going to like X-Blades. The butt floss isn’t even the offensive part of this game! There’s such terrible Asian stereotypes here that I don’t even want to show this game to my wife.

But even if you self-identify as “edgy” you will hate this game. You’ll be tearing your hair out with how tedious and repetitive this game is.

Avoid this!

X-Blades screenshot (RTX 3080 Ti)
X-Blades screenshot (RTX 3080 Ti)
X-Blades screenshot (RTX 3080 Ti)

atomicpoet, 6 days ago (edited 1 day ago) to random

There this myth about PC gaming that it’s about specs: getting the latest hardware, and then buying AAA titles that pushes that hardware to its limits.

I’m not denying that for some people that is the draw of PC gaming. The likes of Nvidia and Dell have made a fortune marketing to such folks. Hell, if that weren’t part of the appeal of PC gaming, then I wouldn’t have bought a discrete GPU.

But PC gaming is also about games like Cosmo’s Cosmic Adventure. Even for 1992, at the time of release, this was a low end game. It only required a 286 with 640KB of RAM. And though VGA monitors were plentiful at the time, this was very much an EGA game.

The framerate was choppy. The pixel art was crude – especially when you compare it to games on the Super Nintendo and SEGA Genesis. The sound design? It wasn’t winning any awards.

Yet, even to this day, I play Cosmo’s Cosmic Adventure. It is a mood. The level design is outstanding. Despite this looking like a simple game, there is just so much to see and do.

The way I like to explain Cosmo’s Cosmic Adventure is it’s a 2D platformer kind of like Conker’s Bad Fur Day before Conker’s Bad Fur Day existed. You’re an alien, and you’re having a very bad day. You’re on your way to Walt Disney World when a comet hits your ship and you wind up on a strange planet where almost everything is trying to kill you.

What I really love about this game, though, is that there’s so much stuff to collect. Each level is massive, and there’s always new stuff to find. There’s fruit, stars, and bombs – and so many crevices and caves to explore to find them. If you’re the kind of person who likes stuff then Cosmo’s Cosmic Adventure is up your alley.

Another thing I really appreciate about this game is the controls. They’re really well done. On a keyboard, platforming feels so natural. Believe me, you can’t say that about several other early DOS games (coughContracough).

Apogee Software developed Cosmo’s Cosmic Adventure. I’ve mentioned them a few times in the past. That’s because they were one of the best PC developers of the 90s. Among the games they made are Crystal Caves, Bio Menace, and Duke Nukem. They also popularized shareware with such games as Commander Keen, Wolfenstein 3-D, and Raptor: Call of Shadows.

This game is cheap. On both Steam and GOG.com, Cosmo’s Cosmic Adventure sells for C$5.49. You get all three episodes. Plus, this game also supports modern gamepads – which means it will work with an Xbox controller.

I highly recommend this game, especially if you love 90s shareware titles.

atomicpoet, 6 days ago to random

So Canada pulled the trigger ahead of the USA.

Canadian interest rates are at 4.75%.

Let’s see how this affects currency.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/bank-of-canada-key-interest-rate-june-5-1.7225076

atomicpoet, 6 days ago to random

The stock market hit an all-time high today. But why?

Because data shows that the American job market is the weakest it’s been since February 2020. Which means there’s likely to be an interest rate cut. And an interest rate cut means cheaper loans for businesses.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/wage-growth-keeps-slowing-for-job-switchers-as-us-labor-market-cools-off-143726183.html

atomicpoet, 6 days ago to random

So far this year, I’ve bought 500 video games. I have a weekly budget of C$10. Occasionally, I’ll pay a little extra for something really desired that’s on sale.

I’ve probably spent C$300 on video games during 2024.

atomicpoet, 6 days ago to random

Today, 52 games were released on Steam. These are the ones I found interesting:

City Legends: The Witness in the Rye Collector’s Edition

• a hidden object adventure game with a creepy autumn theme
• demo download availalable
• price: C$17.99

Fireside

• a 2D adventure game with survival and crafting elements, featuring hand-drawn graphics
• gamepad supported
• demo download availalable
• price: C$19.49, but currently has a -10% discount selling at C$17.54

BossCrafter

• a 2D crafting game wherre you build a video game boss, featuring pixel art graphics
• gamepad supported
• price: C$2.59, but currently has a -10% discount selling at C$2.33

Don’t Forget

• a 3D psychological horror, with exploration elements, about a dementia patient trying to recall their memories
• Mac and Linux ports available
• price: FREE

Starstream

• a 3D third person shooter where you play a young girl trying to reclaim her castle
• gamepad supported
• price: FREE

Hamstörm

• a turn-based puzzle game where you play a dwarf hamster who must warn his people of an imminent invastion
• price: FREE

Field of Glory: Kingdoms

• a turn-based tactical game set in 1054, just after the Great Schism, encompassing two centuries of European, African, and Middle Eastern history
• online and LAN PvP
• price: C$51.99

Hotel Business Simulator

• a hotel simulator, with RPG elements, where you upgrade rooms, cater to guests, set rates, and maintain spotless standards
• price: C$16.99, but currently has a -25% discount selling at C$12.74

Aidan in Danger

• a 2D platformer in which you play the guarian of the last dragon, featurring pixel art graphics
• gamepad supported
• price: C$6.49, but currently has a -15% discount selling at C$5.51

Mr. Mueller’s Grand Experiment

• an interactive novel about George Mueller, a man who ran an orphanage in 1930s England
• Mac and Linux ports available
• price: C$16.99, but currently has a -15% discount selling at C$14.44

Rolling Hills: Make Sushi, Make Friends

• a cooking simulator where you play rrobot chef running a sushi restaurant
• gamepad supported
• playable on Steam Deck
• price: $18.99

Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game

• a survival horror, based on the 80s cult classic movie, where you plan an alient invasion and harvest humans
• gamepad supported
• online PvP and co-op
• lots of DLC available
• price: C$51.99

Spice Trade

• a 2D point-and-click adventure game about a young Arab man who enters the spice trade to thwart the European monopoly
• price: FREE!

Splodey

• a 2D platformer without a jump button where you use a potion to propel yourself
• gamepad supported
• price: C$16.99, but currently has a -25% discount selling at C$12.74

atomicpoet, 6 days ago to random

You should play My Memory of Us.

For one simple reason: Patrick Stewart narrates a Polish-made puzzle platformer about a boy and girl surviving World War II.

But this version of World War II is set in an alternative steampunk world. The Fascists are robots. And despite the darkness of the circumstances, there’s friendship and hope.

It’s important to know this game is made by Polish developers. You can see echoes of Poland in this game. That country was really devastated by the War – even afterwards too.

In terms of controls, this game is a lot like Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. You can control both the boy and girl independently, or you can control them both simultaneously. They each have their own abilities that complement each other. This creates ample storytelling opportunities as you get to explore the relationship between these two children.

The whole aesthetic of this game is magical. Most of the game is in black and white with some red accents. I love the animation with the environments and character models so well done.

Even more amazing is the sound design. Come on, we got Patrick Stewart as a voice actor! Can you get a voice actor than that? And the soundtrack is full of jazz that has a whole lot of soul.

By the way, the soundtrack is available as DLC. I might just go ahead and buy it because the jazz in this game is impeccable.

I laughed at the whimsy. Sometimes I got outraged by the puzzles that really made me think long and hard. This game had a whole lot of depth.

Juggler Games was the developer behind My Memory Of Us, and it was their first game. For a first game, I don’t think they could have done better. I’m glad they’re still making games, and I look forward to their next title, Tarnished Blood.

I’ve often said that Polish people make great video games. I don’t know how they have so many talented, creative people there, but they must be doing something right. Polish games aren’t just fun to play, they have a lot of soul.

For good reason, this game has a 92% positive rating on Steam. Few people know about My Memory Of Us – but more should. Not many games explore the horrors of war from a child’s perspective and offer a little bit of sunshine through all those dark clouds.

This, my friends, is why video games is an artform.

My Memory Of Us screenshot (Steam Deck)
My Memory Of Us screenshot (Steam Deck)
My Memory Of Us screenshot (Steam Deck)

atomicpoet, 6 days ago to random

Today, I discovered Visitors, a Swedish synthpop duo.

My gateway is their song “This Time The Good Guys Gonna Win”.

Imagine if ABBA and Pet Shop Boys had a baby! It would be Visitors!

And even though this song came out in 1990, it sound incredibly 80s. At one time, I thought this particular sound was cheesy. But as we get further and further from the 80s, I find myself realizing that nobody makes this kind of music anymore—there’s only so many songs that sound like this.

Believe me, this is an earworm.

https://youtu.be/FK-SXcQWTME