Pixelated Madness

PICTURE UNRELATED

I'm FINALLY DONE! It's taken a few days, but here it is, I've got all of my art stuff in galleries here. I've posted all of it so you don't have to sift through my galleries on Facebook. I mean, you still can, but whatever. I constantly get messages asking "WHERE CAN I SEE ALL OF THE STUFF YOU'VE MADE?" Well, HERE! THERE! You happy now? Sub and share with friends. I spent a lot of time on this. Thanks. http://melmakessprites.tumblr.com/

And here's the wordpress version; http://melmakessprites.wordpress.com/

 

Is it an upate yet?

Ewww...I'm in front of the camera again...
Check out these games and crafty things or something...
*CLICK HERE*

Keep goin' yeah you don't stop

It's that time again! Portland Retro Gaming Expo is less than 2 weeks away! Last weekend I was at Rose City Comic Con, too busy to make a video though, sorry 'bout that. Probably won't make one for this event either. I will, however, be there with a table and my sick sprites, so come by and check them out. Mention that you follow my blog and I'll give you a free keychain! Also, join the mailing list that I've started for Pixel Art Paradise, to receive notifications on upcoming events, projects, and super pixel deals. There are some exciting things coming up. Some other site wants to re-post some of my articles, but I haven't had time to rewrite my bio yet. Been busy with work stuff. Soon as the convention season is over, I should get back to making some video content. Of course there are tons of food vids you can watch (Mel eats weird stuff), but I'll have some new gaming stuff up soon too. Stay tuned!

Plethora of drank

So I've been spending a lot of time on games, work, and cocktails as of late. I asked if anyone wanted a compilation of my Drunken Moogle cocktails to date and the answer was yes. I don't have much time to post because I have to get up early for work but here are some pics with the links to the recipes. I made it easy too, just click on the pics. Seriously, do it.

The Mudkip

The Bandicoot

The Tanooki Tonic

Not just gaming

So if the last couple months have taught me, it's that no matter what you do, there's no winning the game. What is the game? Is it the game you're playing right now, or is it this game called life? Or is that too dramatic and totally dumb? Who knows, only you can answer that for yourself.

Recently I moved to Portland. It's a really nice city with even nicer people. It's awesome. I'm really enjoying it here so far. My personal life hasn't been too super, but it's all good. I'm dealing with it just fine (I think, anyways). Got a full time job that I enjoy, work on the side, still making and selling my art, broke up with my partner, and still live in a really nice town...But something is missing. That something is, well, I haven't really met that many people that I can communicate with on a level that isn't just passing comments (and friendly ones at that!) or just casual conversation.

You see, the thing about me is that I like to have in-depth conversations. Sure, I love gaming, and yeah, I like the bar scene too, but there's a lot more than that. As far as I'm concerned, that's all pretty superficial. Those are just topics that you bring up in conversation, or that people enjoy together and exclaim, "Oh! We have these things in common!". You know, that's nice, but still, a relationship, friendship or otherwise, shouldn't be based on those things alone. Case and point; Met someone at a con, shared a common interest, that person became interested in me, and then it didn't work out because when it came time to talking about actual life stuff, they couldn't wrap their head around it, or didn't want to hear it. Tough.

I used to think that my own way of thinking was 'off', or that later on I became negative. I wouldn't say that I'm negative so much as I'm a realist. A lot of people, it seems nowadays, can't handle up-front honesty. I am a very straight forward person and I think that intimidates a lot of people (It's also cost me a job or two). I'm not the kind of person that's going to pretend to be this or that just to make someone else happy or to make a dollar. Will I say that I'm sorry? No, because if you can't handle it, then I don't want to be around you. I want to be around people that can challenge me in a way that is ego-free. Someone who can make me think, someone with whom I can share ideas, and make me think about possibilities. Someone to grow with intellectually. This and that will only get you so far. Just talk to me, openly, and see what I mean. I don't care to be in large groups and prefer one-on-ones in terms of conversation because I like to avoid the 'group think' mentality. And sure, all you pseudo intellectuals can say that you're above that, but you're not. Don't even try to kid yourself.

It's not just games, videos, blogs, and all that. I am a person, an approachable one at that, and I like to have conversations about everything. I love to learn and experience and just take it all in. That's what keeps me going. Sure I have short and long term goals, but for me it's always about learning. I love to see how things work and love to learn what it is that makes people tick. It may be my background in psychology, or background in bartending and people watching, or independent studies in philosophy, sociology, and many other topics that has set me out to be this way, but I'm cool with that. Whatever it is that you want to talk to me about, just make sure that it's deep and don't be afraid to ask questions. I'm not offended easily so don't even worry about that. Life's too short to deal with petty bullshit.

"OMG Mel, what about gaming?!" Well, when it comes to gaming, I have no problem playing games. I love games, they're a great pastime. Let's play some multiplayer games. Just so you know, I'm not too good at FPS or Fighting Games (with the exception of Guilty Gear), and I'm really good at puzzle, shmups, and racing games. I rather enjoy co-ops, especially retro games. Mario Bros (proper) and Bubble Bobble, well, those are the ones I've been playing at the arcade recently, are a lot of fun in co-op mode. It's a great way to get a conversation going. Galaga? Not so much. It's one of my favorite games, but too many people get butt-hurt when they play against me. Shouldn't it just be fun? Not just the games, but being in the company of other people and having it not just be about that. Or is that too much to ask for?

-Mel   

Objectiveness Without Objectification

Fuck yeah, EQUALITY!

Can't we all just get along?

I received quite the amount of positive feedback regarding my article on girl gamers and discussion on gender related issues. I'd like to think that it's due to my skill in being able to write in a way that people can sort of understand, but I think it's probably more likely that it's because I try to remain as unbiased as possible when approaching such topics. I try to think and write, objectively rather than subjectively, and only add personal experience where and when necessary to the information being provided. Unfortunately some so-called main stream video game and entertainment sites do just the opposite of that. They insert their opinions and tried to pass them off as facts. I don't much care for this as I can sense bullshit from a mile away. I also don't appreciate people's agendas driving their information when it should be the other way around. You should write around facts, not try to make the information suit your needs. In most instances, and with what I'm getting at here, that need is to write a sensationalist article to stir up people's emotions for monetary gain while at the same time reinforcing unhealthy stereotypes with no intent to be helpful whatsoever.

Case and point; Someone pointed out this article to me earlier today. Oh look, it's the same issues as before, not a big surprise. I won't deny that sexism exists, as it does and has for thousands of years, but it doesn't mean that you have to take it lying down (heheh, see what I did there?). It works both ways. Everyone hates everyone for something, we know that. It's not limited to just gender, but also social status, culture, location, species, etc. The list goes on and on. I've already discussed the issues regarding gender and stuff, so go read my other article if that's what you're looking for. I'll address this particular article later. The rest of this is going to be to discuss the integrity of articles like this and how they effect the masses who don't know that they're being driven by their emotions brought on by toxic, biased as hell, stories from less than trustworthy sources.

Hello, I am a human. I listen to all of the things.

How much of what you read on the internet do you believe to be true? Really think about that for a minute. There are obvious fake stories that float around that are there for the sake of entertainment, and those are easily passed off as false information. Now what about "legit" sources? How do YOU define legit? Is something more believable because someone else said it? Is it more believable because you respect or trust someone? Does that mean that it MUST be true? How often do you think critically as opposed to letting something seem true enough because it just happens to match your opinion on a particular topic? Are you afraid to question logic? Where do you get your news? Do you think that since the majority goes there, that they're that much more credible? They aren't. No one is. It's an elaborate illusion carefully constructed by their marketing department. Influence is a hell of a drug, and the media is your dealer.

Let me break it down for those who don't know. Websites, particularly big media sites, exist not only to share information (true or not) but also to rake in mad ad revenue. Dolla dolla bill y'all. They do this with clicks, page views, online shops, and more. They all do it for the money, it's a job, it's how they make their living. Sometimes big names get paid off to endorse a product, service, or agenda, whether it's right or not is subjective. That's why it's up to you, dear consumer, to go into reading all articles with a sceptic yet open mind. Some articles are very informative and helpful, while others might just be disguising themselves for another purpose. It's up to you to decide that what you're reading is or is not true. It's not about the source of the information, who says what and all that, it's about how you perceive that information and what you do with that information. So how do we go about reading or seeing things more objectively?

Uh, wrong brain...

Well, let's start with the source of what makes us feel that we should justify falsehoods as truth in the media. For one, there's cognitive dissonance. It's a psychological term referring to this thing that happens on a subconscious level where you have two thoughts or beliefs happening at the same time and your brain doesn't know how to deal with it. On the conscious thinking level, it manifests itself as fear, anxiety, irritability, etc, all of which we try to rid ourselves of as soon as possible. For most people, it's the easy route, which is just sticking to what they know. If another thought or fact comes into play, many people have a hard time accepting the truth for what it is. This is where we get the term 'ignorance is bliss'. Sometimes the truth is hard to handle, but isn't learning and growing what life is all about? What we really ought to do is understand underlying factors and look at each piece of information objectively. Take your thoughts, see them as they are (only thoughts) and pick at them until you find the right answer. It won't hurt to try it some time.

Throw away the ego too, it's unnecessary, and only adds to the problem. Some people might jump on the bandwagon because of social influence, that's fine too, just know that no one really cares about your opinion. That might be hard for some people to grasp, but read the above paragraphs again if you missed it the first time. It's all in your head, only you can decide what true and what's not, based on your evidence and facts. Fear, anxiety, oh! And hopelessness! That's the one I was forgetting. You see, you might know what the truth is but then turn away because it puts you in a situation that feels hopeless, or bad, or whatever. The truth is never a bad thing and you should always think for yourself, regardless of how it makes you feel. You are the master of your own emotions, don't let them veer you off the path of seeking the truth. To take on a critical mind, you must not only question your sources of information, but also yourself. Only good things can come of it. 

Your article; Cute, but still a pile of shit

So I suppose you want my opinion now on that article that got me going today. Well, the way I see it, it's an issue that's already been addressed. Many times, from many sources, from many angles. Who was in the wrong there? The men because they were invading the space of the women and being rude? Or the women for bitching about it and not defending themselves when they had every right to do so? Or maybe it's the website who is at fault for putting the blame more towards one gender than the other to perpetuate gender-biased hatred, and then offering no solutions. It's a sensationalist pile of garbage. Was anyone killed, raped, or otherwise irreparably injured? No? So no real harm done then, other than on an emotional bitch-bitch-cry-cry level. Oh, it happened in the gaming industry, what makes that special again?  Oh, it doesn't? I see. So what was the point of this? I'm guessing to get people riled up so they'd share the article via social outlets. Well, it worked. Hope you're happy, you pitiful excuse for a game site. Hope you do something real special for the community with that extra money lining your pocket.

SNK's tough love

It's beautiful, isn't it?

Recently I came into possession of a Neo Geo X Gold. It was a late birthday present from a friend, and I was more than excited to finally catch up on some arcade classics. As far as I knew, SNK is mostly known for their fighting games, most of which I'm terrible at. I'm not very good at fighting games. I played that Ninja Master's game, and I guess I was alright at that one, but this isn't really what this article is about.

SNK games are terribly difficult. But not to the point where you want to rage quit after each gaming session. No, there's a fine balance to it. They games are hard, yes, but you want to keep playing them because the games are such that when you make just a little bit of progress from where you last failed in a given game, you want to keep playing. Like, genuinely keep playing. The games are like crack for the senses. There's the wonderful arcade-y graphics, wonderful soundtracks, and heart-pumping action that just does not let up. You have to focus all of your gamer know-how to get a grasp of some of these games. It's really intense. SNK games, from what I can tell, are not for the casual gamer.

One of the games that I've taken a particular liking to is Alpha Mission 2. It's a shmup! I LOVE shmups! What's more fun than hopping into a space ship and shooting maniacally while dodging a barrage of bullets? Not much, I can tell you that. This game, when you first start off, seems like your typical shoot-em-up thing where you gather power ups, shoot the things shooting at you, and it doesn't SEEM to difficult at first. There aren't that many bullets flying around the screen, and you would think that would make for an easier shmup. NOPE. You need to figure out what's more important, gathering power ups? Dodging bullets? Which enemies should I take out first? And this is all happening at once, in a fairly short period of time, this is also just the first level. Trying to get a handle on things is the midst of the action. Tough love, but you take it and push forward. Just when you think you have the enemies patterns down or maybe if you're doing to well, the game will throw a curve ball at you. Alright! I got passed this part! Crap, where did that stray drone and lone bullet come from?! GAH! And you start over. You WANT to see what comes next.

 

 

That's just the first level boss, it's the other guy I'm worried about.

So far I've been able to make it to the end of the second level. Not bad, I think, for a game that's only 8 levels long. This is one of those games that you'll have to master before actually making any progress. While this might sound frustrating, I think it's a great exercise in patience and reflexes. You have to think fast if want to best some of these baddies. There's more to this game too, than just shooting at drones and other ships. The entire first half of the second level has you taking out pieces of this giant ship, one at a time, by taking out turrets that are shooting at you then shooting the ship's weak point. It's completely obvious too where the weak points are. It you're paying attention to the details you'll see, though as small as they are, the little weak points open up, and then you just fire away (While avoiding other enemies, a constantly moving screen, and stray bullets from who knows where). Also, you'll need to be sure that when your ship is powered up, to not pick up any more power ups from the carriers as they'll actually take power away. (Jerks.) These are the power ups that look like upside down purple letter versions of the regular power ups you get.

I must have played the first two levels of this game a couple dozen times over by now, and I still want to continue to play it. Level two's boss is a bitch though, with circling drones with spreadshots protecting it, having to avoid the wall lasers, and those goddamn homing missiles! The missiles are the worst! There's no avoiding them unless you shoot them, which is hard to do while you're shooting at other stuff and trying to not get hit by them. But I want more! I want to beat it and make my way to level 3! Why is this game so hard?! Why do I love it so much?!