Modal0154: journal 3

*Sigh* trying to do an exhaustive chronology of personal video game history can be exhaustive, eh?..would a listing of endearing childhood favorites suffice?..

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Video game chronology

~'94(?)

Once upon a time, my youngest maternal aunt let me play games on her computer. There is a self-debate in my mind btw whether the first game I ever played was a platformer of some kind w/like a purple airhorn nosed like alien who gathered good items for points or such or a PC porting of ‘Mortal kombat 3. ‘[Captain] Claw, the pirate cat came maybe sometime after.

Certain cousins I still have reservations for, had a Super Nintendo with several games including now famous ‘Mario titles (‘Super mario bros. 3, ‘Super Mario All-stars' and ‘Super Mario World among them). We fussed about taking turns, and once w/Super Marios bros. 3 (I think on the ‘All-stars game) my aunt was baffled by me saying how I would skip on my turns b/c of how ‘amazing it was to watch—my earliest admiration of the mere animation needed for video games. With ‘Super Mario world came my fondess and fixation for Yoshi in the toddler-hood dinosaur loving stage. I like how

When Pokemon came out, I saw and heard things about the games but my main fix for it came from the anime. I think that for my 8th birthday or Christmas an aunt a/o uncle-in-law graciously gifted me a purple GBC . Sometime afterwards, I went to a Walmart w/my mom where I picked out ‘Super Mario bros. Deluxe' in a rather feigned way. I thought, was unsure, was expecting, was hoping that itd be ‘Super Mario World in a GBC port. It wasnt ^1 but I was pleasantly surprised by (i) how my mom remembered playing the version it mainly consisted of when she was younger w/a relative and (ii) all the extra ft.s it provided as a porting of one of the original archetypes of platformers.

A rare moment of bonding w/my sister which I remember was us playing a demo version of ‘Mario tennis on an N64 Wal-mart demo stall. I liked those—I'm not too sure if she remembers. I wonder at one point the game area at a certain MacDonalds was uninstalled?.

At one point my mom recieved a random gift of a ‘Galaga Galaxia cartridge and the original GB by someone while waiting in line at a store.

While living in Leamington I remember a friend/co-worker of my relatives giving us a GBC version of Spider-man (spoilers: the final boss was a Dr.Octopus and Carnage fusion) and GB take on baseball..which in hindsight was quite fun for its slow pace and coordination even while I didnt understand baseball nor am I too sure Id understand if I had it again. Not sure if this was before or after receiving a Pokemon game.

I think it was upon returning to Hamilton, that I grew a fondness for video game magazines which I sought for at the library. ‘Nintendo power was preferable to the less kid-friendly fun vibe which ‘Game Pro lacked at times, but I made do.

I think that for my 9th birthday I was given ‘Pokemon Silver as a gift and spent major chunks of day on it well into almost being 12. Thus I think those three cartridges were my main GBC games of my own.

My exposure to not only the Super Nintendo and different titles like the interesting edutainment ‘Mario is missing one but the N64 would increase again during the year I lived with cousins, a begrudging relationship developed when I hassled a cousin to play on the ‘Legend of Zelda: oracle of seasons file which was ceded to for me, as well as the one for ‘Paper Mario. I think this marked my fascination with fantasy based games and RPGs aside from Pokemon and understanding what RPGs were and meant, after having heard about titles like the ‘Final fantasy games for years. It was at some point that a GBA was gifted to my younger brother for Christmas or a birthday, though I fondly embraced it as well.

I think that my mom not liking how reluctant my cousins were to share video games was a reason she was open to letting me pick out a game from a pawn shop for my birthday. It was ‘TLOZ:Links awakening DX. Tbh, I quickly put off by the look of Link in the opening animation^2 but found it fun enough though not in the same ways like ‘Oracle of seasons^3. Never got to the third dungeon for some reason—going south and presumably having enough jumping power w/a ‘Rocs feather (?) wasnt enough for me, in contrast to the ‘Pegasus seed (?) enhanced boots and cape items from ‘OoS I knew of. Paper Mario fixation was something else my cousins were begrudged or annoyed to share w/me and I can see why now, consider how it took me time to get a grip on w/its RPG nature and might I say a delightfully kid-friendly one at that.

For some reason me, my siblings and even my mom at times found ‘family time in the multiplayer mode of ‘007: goldeneye--that format, the splitting of screens and rooms reminded me of a far less cartoony version of a similar multiplayer form in ‘DK64 and at least one of the ‘Banjo Kazooie games.

The original ‘Mario party could count for that as well but I am more serious/obsessed than my cousins to playng it until its story end. I remember how two games I was particularly found of was a ~bumper ball one where characters rolled on top of balls big and heavy enough to push each other off of moving platforms and another one where you were on this grassy platform trying to avoid the cannon blasts from a pirate ship. ^_^ Soo much innuendo and borderline locker room like talk about the inappropriate and risque like photos taken in ‘Pokemon snap. I remember how when it came to playing the PS2, I appreciated playing or at least watching a cousin play through a ‘Crash bandicoot game...I remember some unflattering pranks being done on me by cousins while we tried playing ‘GTA: vice city like being transformed to a woman in swimwear or eventually being chased by the army and crashing in a helicopter. =_= The memories of my cousins crudeness and posturing while playing video games is something Im not fond of. My obsession (something which last well into elementarys end) w/the ‘Smash bros franchise during the rare instances when I played ‘Melee and apparently screamed a lot—obsessiveness and autism underlying.

It was my obsession to expect ‘Super Mario World level thrill which I think compelled me to convince my brother or mom to purchase ‘Super Mario Advance. I didnt enjoy it as much as I thought I would and realize how its historically quirky in its departure from then Mario norms like w/the health bar and the element of throwing items or characters around—now that Im older understanding it as something of a make over on ‘Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic helps; I have the hindsight to appreciate it. Whence ‘Super Mario Advance 2: Super Mario World and that hilarious ‘KCL productions commercial came out, I was greatly sated^3. I got a bit of exposure on a computer to games like ‘Free ski^5 and old Atari era games like ‘Battlezone (w/vector graphics, something I still find neat) and ‘Missile command.

~03+

I dont think too much changed w/me when it came to video games..I think that either early on after moving out from being w/cousins or during our final months w/them that old (glitch(?)) of a file going awry after 1000 hrs on Pokemon Silver happened.

When we moved to an apartment compartmentalized house and had the first seemingly permanent desktop computer, I remember..looking through the discount CD section of a ‘Radio shack and ‘Giant Tigers . At radio shack we bought some sort of ~100 games in one CD which mainly consisted of a large number of board games and a few arcade style games, ^6. From Giant tigers we had ‘hit or miss experiences. I remember, I think maybe buying a ‘The hobbit PC game which was more based on the novel, years before Peter Jacksons movies and my brother picked a game take on ‘The thing which my mom didnt appreciate. In contrast, there was like a bundle of edutainment games, like one where I learned about physics and simple machines having to go through rooms, one about animals with songs throughout and even a Carmen Sandiego one. I loved the time when within a cereal box was an Atari game CD filled w/dozens of games plus extra fts like production history notes, comics and stylized images and formatting for computer icons—a few of the games Id already known from the time with my cousins PC.

~+08

I think that either during my final months of high school or gap year before Mohawk college, due to my younger brothers kijiji related negotiations we had a PS1 and Xbox which provided experiences. There was also my awe at the world of moded handhelds w/dozens of games. There were a bunch of burned games for the PS1. I remember being so hooked/spending so much time on ‘Digimon world 2 that for sometime I actually had issues talking, speaking slurred and having a dazed mind.. '~' weird..I didnt like Halo too much but even my sister occasionaly joined in on multiplayer mode. PSP aside, I think it was around this time that my brothers leaning towards multiplayer shooters and the eventual online social component that developed w/them came from, if I dont count whatever time he might have spent on ‘Goldeneye. At some pt. we got a plug-in console w/the original 'Mortal kombat'.

I really only kept up an understanding of video games from after late high school, I really only keep up an understanding of video games b/c of reviewer culture like the pre 3-2k18 scandal ‘Channel Awesome hosts^7. A cousin who I used to not be fond of..she nows says how she became less afraid of me after a rekindled interest with Pokemon via the ‘Gen.4 games ..and maybe GBA remakes of the Gen.I games before that ‘~ ?, I forget?..I liked Jamin Warren having hosted the ‘PBS Game/show channel and even Anita Sarkeesian, even w/all the toxic reception she received at times. At some point early on, in that fruitless 'software support' spent community college time, to learn programming we did stuff w/game sprites and my anime fix had taken me to looking into 'Street fighter' and finding out how (in least one of the games(?)) Chun-Li's style is based on tai-chi and not only Chinese Kenpo..one element of an interest in fitness was spurred within me before my sister and friends bringing in the world of camera based danced games happened, some months after I think.

Never have been too fond of app style games but recognized the validity of their presence. Plus...somehow with all my changes in attitudes and the intimately intrapersonal or transpersonal..was a preference for non-violence which made me sympathize w/this video ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvSd_opycoI) ..oh, how this is something which bites me with guilt particularly when it comes to Pokemon.

~+19

Last year my interest in Pokemon reached a new level of 'vocality'..^_^ and for that Im thankful for a ‘Moon edition among other games w/a ‘2DS gifted for my 28th birthday. I ‘barreled through the League before exploring the nature of the online component and trading. There is a potential for much time to spent obsessing on it and the nature of online culture w/reviewers, forums and strategy or playthrough related sites enhances that---interestingly, it contribute (at least Pokemon specifically) as one of the only interests which can ‘hold to par or substitute for pornography fixation. Though its the hindsight and understanding of the franchise being undeniably based on a fantastical take of ‘superpowered animal bloodsport which gnaws at me, with my years of experience with a dog and cat now; one reason I was so skeptical about the ‘Detective Pikachu movie.

Eventually I traded that game and a few others for ‘Art academy. Ive uninstalled a few games the ‘2DS came w/ and Ive downloaded a few. Yet..I like the fact that I can now understand how to make ‘my own personal arcade in a sense yet am not keen on embracing it.

^1 That came and was purchased later for a GBA

^2 in contrast to the lush anime cutscenes of the recent ‘Switch remake porting

^3 The ‘Loz games gave me new reason for reading

^4 it's probably the only game where every score related endeveour and the playing of every level was done

^5 ^_^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ji6IFDJFr8k

^6 Not related to video games but purchased b/c of my fascination was a ‘3D architect--I dont think it was a bone fide ‘CAD program but it fascinated me, as did a ‘Photoimpressions CD which came w/an early digital camera of sorts I bought.

^7 Thankful for Bennet ‘the Sage Whites review on ‘Chrono cross which eventually directed me towards the gorgeous soundtrack

McMaster U exams cancelled as w/invilgation prospects

Mohawk college at least is switching it courses to online for a while after the March break

Mohawk's gym/fitness center is closed ~'at least' until early-ish May as I found out via phone call.

Can still travel w/bus pass even in amount is at odds w/what it says on an app.

I last long but I don't do much. I live long but I don't do much. Surviving in such a way, living in such a way is not appreciated.

The part of me which feels like ridiculing Hamiltonian boomers and the quasi-denied classism w/a slightly lyric modified version of 'Old man river' swapping 'river' for 'Barton street' and a few other things, imagining it as 'the swan song' to the ppl I resent for their apparent stubborness, apathy and toxicity etc, etc rant potential pending.

..that self-debate if I 'work to live or live to work'...I realize how if it's the latter, when it comes to the latter..

(library page focus) as 'banal' as my job might seem, I might quite content w/it and my ability to hold it..until I ponder about whether I can improve speed-wise. I was actually meaning to do fitness trainer^1 sessions at the gym of the community college I'm an alumni of, before the call about it's closure.

I actually called a certain other gym at a mall today and they are still open as long as they don't recieve different news in their area.I could work out their..but a part of me could imagine the reprimands from parents about doing, the guilt of not practising 'social distance' when it comes to that, when it comes to such an instant as this out of all things/times when self-isolation is somewhat more justified on a societal level, the risks for the fitness trainer and other gym-goers etc

When my drag of a usual 'higher up' returns say late or mid April, it will s--k if they still think I'm 'too slow'.

The strategic placement of taking a vacation/work break during early May, might work to my benefit.

^1 =_= *sigh* ..working out upper body is such a drag >_< in contrast to biking.

Worrying is wondering if your dad will arrive back home, sober..worrying is wondering if you could make it through 'time to yourself at home'/quality solitude w/'exploiting' it or 'taking advantage of it' to go on pornography even if you know about the basically inevitable hang-ups which follow.

A lousy time is wondering if whether a likeable past-time (doing art) is draining you enough that it qualifies as work.

Libraries are closed to the public but staff still need to go..work is going to be weird '~'

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I think that one reason for not liking 'SmileBASIC' and 'Art academy being tedious is b/c doing such complicated things like programming or digital art on a 2DS screen can be straining in it's own way.

Production of 'Grace and Frankie' 's last season is stalled?.

Fo'shizzle Ms.Frizzle

Even if it wasn't from Snoop directly, I wonder if Lily Tomlin's ever heard that line before?.

Photo editing time.

No matter how slow, your sense of control is valid.

'Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero' still sticks in mind as this unique transition btw the grisly Ray Harryhausen looks of the original three games and the 5th generation of video games/PS1 era, where they tried to do something a bit different w/the series making it side-scrolling adventure game w/hokey live-action cutscenes I can personally appreciate and not just b/c it's from a notoriously lurid franchise.

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Work shall be interesting