video games

Armada by Ernest Cline

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You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) by Felicia Day

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I’ve been a fan of Felicia’s from Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Dr. Horrible’s Sing-a-Long Blog to her YouTube gaming show with Ryon Day, Co-Optitude.  It was inevitable that I would read her memoir, though now that I’ve read it, I regret letting….one whole month pass.  I should have read this the second it was released! Continue reading →

Favorite Final Fantasy Songs

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A couple weeks ago, I wrote a post about my love for movie soundtracks.  In the comments, Joseph Richardson mentioned video game soundtracks, and I realized I had missed an entire genre of awesomeness.  Although other games have wonderful soundtracks (and I will want your comments to inform me of specifics!), for me, it’s always about Final Fantasy.  (And some Kingdom Hearts, because FF characters are included in the gameplay.)  Click on the links to listen to the songs on YouTube.

1.  “Main Theme” – Final Fantasy VII

For me, video games begin and end with Final Fantasy VII.  So does my taste in video game music.  The slightly ominous beginning builds to an epic melody that will, for me, forever be synonymous with exploration and adventure.  Check out an orchestral performance of the song here.  Continue reading →

StumbleUpon Sunday (4)

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StumbleUpon is a giant collection of the best pages on the Internet.

StumbleUpon is a great way to lose hours of your life.  Luckily, I braved the Internet vortex so you don’t have to.  This week I found these especially interesting websites:

  1. Silk
    This is the coolest website that allows you to create fantastic art by messing with rotational symmetry and colors.  It’s intuitive and impossible to make something ugly.
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  2. 49 Locals Tell You What You Absolutely Must Not Do in Their Home Countries
    Some are helpful, some are hilarious.
  3. 5-Year-Old Little Girl with Autism Paints Stunning Masterpieces
    My cynical side often thinks these child geniuses are not all that genius, but this girl’s paintings are genuinely beautiful.
  4. Time Lapse of Snow
    Oh my gosh, as a deeply devoted fan of snow, this massive accumulation of snow is fantastic.  It’s just so much!
  5. These 20 Thoughts are So Deep Your Brain Will Drown
    “If the toys in Toy Story died the kids would keep playing with them like normal but the other toys would be playing with their dead friend.”
  6. 10 Best Places to Live for Escaping World Conflict
    Never hurts to start planning ahead for retirement.
  7. If You Really Want to Connect With Someone Then the First Date Should Cost Zero Dollars
    Compelling idea–if the first date involves no money, the focus is on creativity and getting to know a person rather than going through the motions.
  8. Greek Frappe
    This video teaches you how to make a Greek frappe and is guaranteed to make you thirsty.
  9. 25 Spectacular Movies You (Probably) Haven’t Seen
    Hopefully you’ve seen some of these movies, because based on the ones I’ve seen, I completely agree that they are spectacular recommendations!
  10. 10 Reasons to Avoid Talking on the Phone
    98% of the time, I hate talking on the phone.  For exactly these ten reasons.

Final Fantasy: RANKED

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My gaming life has always revolved around the Final Fantasy games.  I was eight years old when Final Fantasy 7 came out, and my older brother let me watch him play through the whole thing.  Occasionally he would play a few minutes without me present, at which point I would become outraged and demand a full accounting of what had happened.  I was obsessed, and I still am.  I’ve played all the games released since FF7 (except the online player ones–FF11 and FF14), so here is my extremely opinionated ranking of the Final Fantasy games!  Warning:  SPOILERS AHEAD.

1. Final Fantasy 7 final-fantasy-vii-cast
I imprinted on this game like a baby duckling, so there is no way it could stand anywhere but as #1.  I think, however, that even with objective standards, FF7 would top most people’s lists.  The plot is absolutely phenomenal–I gasped when Aeris died, and I freaked out when Cloud flashbacked to Sephiroth’s destruction of Nibelheim.  This game was overloaded with fascinating backstories, believable motivations, and genuinely emotional moments (Dyne and Barrett’s confrontation, OH MY GOSH).  I’ve played this one over and over again, and it still manages to catch me off guard with how intensely I love it.  Continue reading →