atomicpoet

atomicpoet, 11 days ago to random

There’s certain technology that I earnestly wonder why we abandoned it. For example, digital audio players (DAPs).

These devices provided something smartphones don’t: a distraction-free way of playing music.

And they were way more personal because everything on your DAP was put there by you! They were a collection of your genuine taste!

atomicpoet, 11 days ago to random

10 years ago, I bought this FiiO X1 because someone busted into my car and stole my iPod Classic.

That iPod Classic had a lot of sentimental value to me. For an anniversary gift, my wife etched our names into it. I would have had it replaced with another iPod but the iPod Classic got discontinued.

Therefore I got this FiiO X1 because it looked like an iPod Classic but also could output lossless audio. Plus, I liked the silver look.

I still have my old memory card on there with my old playlists. It’s a snapshot of my life back then.

atomicpoet, 11 days ago to random

Vintage hardware on my wishlist:

• Blueberry G3 clamshell iBook
• Translucent blue Handspring Visor
• IBM ThinkPad T42
• Fossil Abacus smartwatch with Palm OS
• BlackBerry PlayBook

I might regret writing this down because I’m sure someone will start buying this stuff up!

atomicpoet, 11 days ago to random

I admit it. The Blaze Super Pocket is actually pretty neat.

I’ve previously bemoaned the Evercade – which is also made by Blaze.

However, the Super Pocket is the size of a Game Boy, comes with 18 built-in Taito arcade games, takes Evercade cartridges, and is $58.99.

Any way you slice it, that’s a good deal.

atomicpoet, 11 days ago to random

It’s strange when people try to upgrade old video game consoles with custom cards, memory, etc.

Dude, just get a PC. That’s what PCs are for. In fact, the whole thing will generally be easier because there’s slots on the motherboard.

Generally speaking, consoles are much better if they’re stock. But hey, if you need some sort of enhancement, why not just emulate on a PC? Or, if you insist on going the console route, get FPGA hardware like the MiSTer?

atomicpoet, 11 days ago to random

Frederic: Evil Strikes Back is one of my favourite rhythm games.

Actually, the whole Frederic series is my favourite rhythm game franchise of all time – I prefer it over Guitar Hero. To understand why, let me explain just one level in this game:

Frederic Chopin battles Vangelis at the Acropolis!

If you’re already a synth nerd, you know why this is awesome. Just the concept of summoning Chopin from the dead – wielding a keytar! – to duel against one of the synth pioneers of the 20th century, what could be better than that? This isn’t just fun, it’s utterly madcap!

And that’s just one of the levels. Throughout this game, Frederic battles the likes of Falco, Freddy Mercury, Michael Jackson, and more. Each time, we’re treated with a humourous cutscene that’s chock full of musical inside jokes. It’s brilliant stuff.

The gameplay has evolved from the first game. This time, instead of playing quick notes, you have the option for chords and sustained notes. As the game goes on, things get harder and harder. Yet, it all feels so satisfying and rewarding.

I’ll tell you this much. If you can play this game well on a computer keyboard, you could probably play a piano in real life. The keys on a computer keyboard are a lot smaller and packed in. And as I played this, I kept wishing for more real estate, the kind on a real piano.

A few folks aren’t as fond of Frederic: Evil Strikes Back as they are for the original because, apparently, the compositions here are original and not taken from Chopin’s songbook. I sympathize with these folks because after I played the original Frederic, I went on a big Chopin binge and listened to so much Chopin music during an entire month.

However, these original songs by Michał Wasilewski are excellent. He provided plenty of toe tappers for the soundtrack. I found myself wanting to explore his discography too.

The point of this game, though, is to be a keyboard badass. I definitely feel like a true Lord of Synth. Frederic: Evil Strikes Back makes me want to comb through a pawn shop, grab myself a Yamaha DX7, and go to town.

But I’ll never be as badass as an undead Frederic Chopin driving around a flying golden DeLorean with the license plate “Funky”, challenging anyone who comes by his way.

This. my friends, is why I play video games.

atomicpoet, 11 days ago to random

For what Treasure Adventure Game is, I like it quite a lot.

It’s a metroidvania with an 8-bit aesthetic. Back in 2012, when this was released, the indie boom hadn’t yet boomed. Games that use pixel art graphics were still kind of novel.

However, for me, there’s a bunch of things about this game that make this a rough experience. For one thing, there’s no graphical options – not even the option to go full screen. This means I’m stuck in windowed mode with a whole lot of other distractions going on.

The other thing that’s frustrating is that there’s no tutorial, and the game doesn’t show the button mapping. You just have to guess. Eventually, I figured out that “A” is the dialogue key, “S” is the inventory key, “Z” is action” and “X” is jump. Oh yeah, and movement is from the arrow keys.

And the intro is loooong! It takes quite some time to get into the action. If you lack patience, you may want to skip this one.

What people often forget about PC games is that, over the last decade, their usability has been vastly improved. Nowadays, most games I come across have an option for full screen mode. Most of them have decent onboarding. And when I do a survey of new Steam games, most of them have gamepad support.

This wasn’t the case 10 years ago. PC gaming was a free-for-all. Even great indie games like Treasure Adventure Game were haphazard in their usability. By no means am I saying Treasure Adventure Game is bad, but on that front, it’s definitely showing its age.

However, I love the pixel art style. It is rendered in an 8-bit style, but there’s just enough flourishes to set the graphics apart. For example, I’m a big fan of the lighting. The animation is also fluid, and it’s the nice touches with the fish jumping out of the water and the sea gulls flying off the shore that give me lots of appreciation.

The chiptune soundtrack is also excellent. It’s catchy, and gives a broad sense of whimsy.

Most of this game was made by one fellow, Stephen Orlando. He did get assistance, however. Robert Ellis did the music. And there were a few folks who helped out with graphics and play-testing.

Finally, I should mention that Treasure Adventure Game is free on GOG.com. If this game appeals to you, here’s the link:

https://www.gog.com/en/game/treasure_adventure_game

atomicpoet, 11 days ago to random

I have a strong feeling the stock market is down due to the Tump conviction. 😉

atomicpoet, 11 days ago (edited 11 days ago) to random

Today, 75 games were released on Steam. These are the ones I found most interesting:

Umbraclaw

• a 2D platformer about a dead housecat who awaken in the realm of the dead, and must return home to her owner
• gamepad supported
• demo download available
• price: C$33.99, but has a current discount of -20% selling for C$27.19

Creepy Tale: Some Other Place

• a point-and-click adventure about a man on a fishing trip who winds up in “some other place”
• gamepad supported
• price: C$12.99, but has a current discount of -10% selling for C$11.69

Madzik - Episode 1

• a 3D narrative-driven hack-and-slash set in a world where every creature undergoes formdiable transformations
• gamepad supported
• shared/split screen co-op
• price: C$12.99, but has a current discount of -30% selling for C$9.09

Baisu

• a psychological horror where you play a detective who has arrived at a secluded residence
• price: C$12.99

Fallen Force

• a 2D rogue-like arena shooter with bullet hell elements where you kill monsters by knocking them out of an arena
• demo download available
• price: C$1.49

Vendir: Plague of Lies

• a party-based RPG with a choice-driven narrative
• gamepad supported
• demo download available
• price: C$19.49, but has a current discount of -10% selling for C$17.54

Tiny Terry’s Turbo Trip

• a game about a fellow who wants to launch himself into space using his new car, and will wreak havoc to do it
• gamepad supported
• soundtrack available as DLC
• Steam Deck verified
• price: C$23.49, but has a current discount of -20% selling for C$18.79

Astor: Blade of the Monolith

• an action RPG about a young warrior determined to find out about his creators’ unforeseen demise
• gamepad supported
• price: C$32.50, but has a current discount of -10% selling for C$29.25

FLATHEAD

• a simple game about gambling with your life
• price: C$2.59

Scholar’s Mate

• a first person horror about a young woman who wakes up in a gloomy psychiatric hospital
• gamepad supported
• price: C$16.99, but has a current discount of -25% selling for C$12.74

SKALD: Against the Black Priory

• a party-based RPG set in a grimdark fantasy world with Lovecraftian horror elements, featuring 8-bit style pixel art graphics
• price: C$19.49, but has a current discount of -10% selling for C$17.54

[ECHOSTASIS]

• a psychedelic cyberpunk FPS about a world created by algorithms
• demo download available
• price: C$25.99, but has a current discount of -10% selling for C$23.39

Overbowed

• a metroidvania about a kingdom overrun by evil magic, and you fight foes with a magical bow
• gamepad supported
• demo download available
• price: C$11.79

Epic Quest

• a JRPG where you explore a mysterious world, recruit mercenaries into your party, and fight monsters, featuring 8-bit pixel art graphics
• gamepad supported
• price: C$7.79

Basket Brawl DX

• a 2D platformer about a ninja goblin girl trying to save her city from a robot invasion, inspired by 8-bit pixel art graphics inspired by 90s handhelds
• gamepad supported
• price: C$13.99

atomicpoet, 11 days ago to random

Sometimes I have terrible ideas. Just now, for example, I was tempted to get a Palm device just to play its version of Serious Sam.

Thankfully, I have not bought an electronic device at all this year.

atomicpoet, 11 days ago to random

I should create a grading service for WATA graded game cases.

atomicpoet, 11 days ago to random

Today, I did not intend on playing Shadow of the Tomb Raider.

But here I am, sitting with a big Alienware desktop, with an RTX 3090, connected to my 60-inch 4K TV. And I’ve said to myself for ages that I want that console experience in my living room.

Though it came out in 2018, Shadow of the Tomb Raider fits the bill. It does 4K easily, offers Vsync for a steady 30fps (which is all my TV can do at 4K), and has ray tracing to boot. I’m glad I went through with this because, as much as I usually prefer gaming on my desktop monitor, there’s just something about being on the couch with a gamepad and taking it all in.

It is magical.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider actually surprised me because I truly wasn’t prepared for this to be my favourite Tomb Raider game. I have a soft spot for Tomb Raider, the version released in 2013. And I also love Tomb Raider: Legend. As for the original trilogy, it’s all right for the time it was made, but it’s really rough around the edges as far as controls are concerned.

You know how bloody amazing it feels to have Tomb Raider focus on puzzles again? As much as I love the 2013 version of Tomb Raider, it felt at times like it was more Uncharted than Tomb Raider. And while there were aspects of combat every now and then, Lara Croft is doing what she does best: explore exotic environments, climb ledges, and solve mysteries.

Now I realize that certain “real fans” don’t like this game. Anything that isn’t exactly like the original trilogy is “wrong” to them. They complain about Lara Croft going “woke”.

But it’s not as though Lara Croft isn’t still the privileged Englishwoman that she is, and this game actually addresses this. In this game, Lara Croft summons the apocalypse. She knew the risks, but she still did what she did because she figured the bad guys would do worse.

Her sidekick, Jonah, even questions her actions. However, maybe the “real fans” don’t like it when people get uppity with Lara Croft. To me, though, this actually gives Lara something that wasn’t available in the original trilogy: depth.

Let’s be honest, the original Lara Croft was kind of a blank slate. She didn’t have much of a personality. The big appeal was that she was “hot” – ha! at least as hot as any low poly girl could be! – and that was enough for teenage boys to try Tomb Raider.

Well, with the entire Survivor Trilogy – which includes Tomb Raider (2013), Rise of the Tomb Raider, and Shadow of the Tomb Raider – Lara Croft is now a fully fleshed out character. And Shadow of the Tomb Raider really makes her compelling.

I already spoke about the visuals, which are amazing even now, but the art work really stands out. The temptation with so many Western developers is to go “gritty” and “real”. But when you enter those environments, you really fall in love with each destination. When I’m in Mexico, I’m just riveted by the sights. And when I’m hanging around Croft Manor, it feels glorious.

How about the sound. After finally getting my surround sound system sorted out, this was excellent. It felt cinematic. The voice actors did a great job.

Tomb Raider has always been one of my favourite video game series. I originally played it on my Bondi blue iMac, back when I was 17-years-old. Walking through those corridors, jumping from ledge to ledge, shooting wild bears who are attacking me – that was incredible.

Then 10 years ago, as I was returning to PC gaming again, I played Tomb Raider (2013) on my old 1080p TV. My wife and I both tag-teamed through that game during a weekend, eventually beating it. That was a great moment.

Today, all those moments came back. This time, my daughter watched me. It was special.

Through the decades, I’ve grown as a person. So has Lara. In a sense, we’ve grown together.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider screenshot - downscaled (RTX 3080 Ti)
Shadow of the Tomb Raider screenshot - downscaled (RTX 3080 Ti)
Shadow of the Tomb Raider screenshot - downscaled (RTX 3080 Ti)

atomicpoet, 12 days ago to random

Four years ago, I bought an Alienware with an RTX 3090 and I’ve regretted it ever since.

First off, it’s loud. Even when I’m doing stuff that should not require much resources, it whines.

But also, for whatever reason, I have to turn the damn machine on after I turn on a TV or monitor—otherwise nothing displays.

It refuses to acknowledge my surround sound system—despite everything else detecting it fine.

And games that work fine on my desktop PC crash on my Alienware for no good reason.

What I have here is a lemon of a PC.

atomicpoet, 12 days ago to random

Before you all get too excited about Donald Trump going to prison, here’s a sobering article.

It is more likely he’ll receive probation or be under house arrest.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-convicted-prison-sentence-new-york-criminal-trial/

atomicpoet, 12 days ago to random

I’ll be honest. I didn’t expect Trump to be found guilty.

I’m still skeptical, though, that he’ll see prison.

atomicpoet, 12 days ago (edited 12 days ago) to random

On the surface, Snuggle Truck seems like a simple game. You drive your truck through obstacles with the goal of keeping your cargo in your trunk.

But that cargo happens to be a bunch of cute plushies. Believe it or not, I feel terrible when one of my plushies falls out of my truck. I feel like I let them down.

It doesn’t help that when my final plushie falls out, it screams “Noooo!” – and then the camera zooms in on its sad face. Actually, it’s heart-breaking! The next time I drive this truck, it motivates me to keep them intact.

What makes this all work is the physics. Your truck will be bumping around, which tosses the plushies about. If you’re a good driver, though, you can keep your truck bed just so to rescue them as they toss about. It’s not easy, but it’s doable.

Oh, and by the way, you’re on a timer. Don’t be slow. You got to hussle.

So-called “real gamers” aren’t a fan of this kind of game because it doesn’t have felt-macing 3D polygons with ample textures and ray-tracing. I’ve always felt that those folks aren’t so much into gaming as they are into getting a something – anything – that justifies their hardware expense. I’m not bashing good hardware because I pay for good hardware but I’m not going to let good hardware keep me from enjoying a “simple” 2D game.

This game is pretty accessible. It runs on any mainstream operating system, and only requires a single core 1Ghz CPU and 512MB of RAM. If your PC is a potato, you can run this.

Now while this game is meant to be accessible, most versions of Snuggle Truck have disappeared forever. You can no longer get Snuggle Truck for iPhone or Android – at least legally. And since Blackberry and Windows Phone are dead platforms, good luck getting Snuggle Truck to work on there too.

This pretty much leaves the PC version intact. Mostly. I doubt the Mac version works on modern Macs. However, you can run it on Windows and Android.

I talk a lot about which games are worth remembering, and my standpoint is anything is worth remembering if someone out there wants to remember it. It’s not up to you, Mr. Gatekeeper, to decide.

At the time of release, Snuggle Truck was well-loved. It won many awards, and was well-reviewed. Hell, it has an 89% positive rating on Steam.

But this game had a lot of controversy. Originally, it was called Smuggle Truck, and it was about smuggling immigrants across the US border. For good reason, Apple rejected the game.

When I bought this game back in 2016, I didn’t know all this – perhaps I wouldn’t have bought it had I known. In fact, I didn’t even realize this game’s back story until today when I researched it.

Does this change how I view Snuggle Truck? Of course. I hate that I probably paid money to a bunch of racists for a game that was originally racist in its intent.

The other side of the coin, though, is that software doesn’t know who makes it. And once scrubbed of the racism, at the end of the day, this game is about plushies. I like plushies.

And driving a car full of plushies is fun.

I don’t recommend buying this game. Yet, to me, this game is worth remembering.

neirda, 14 days ago to random

Hi @atomicpoet , on a post i've found you said "While running it with 2GB was doable, ever since migrating my account from Firefish to Akkoma + Mangane, my server was struggling with the load." does that mean that akkoma is more consumming than firefish ?