Halloween - Apt Decorating Debacle

Decided to decorate my windows for the holiday spooky spirits. Looks like the only other people who bothered is my neighbor across the hall and the managers.

Here's what it looked like after printing and posting them up

Then I decided to get yellow duct tape, write "caution" on it and string it along the window. Of course, it sticks really well to itself and not the window.

After nearly getting hit by a car on my bike, riding all over the place looking at halloween shops, dollar stores and osh, I get so frustrated that I end up going back to a halloween shop...which didn't think the coupon I had qualified as a party decoration... I guess it doesn't? Bleh. Oh well.

Here's the end product. Tied the "tape" to the curtain frame instead of tape. It wasn't until I opened the packaging that I realized it said "caution, do not enter" instead of just "cauation." .......................Eh, it still works. Also put up a Midnight Riders print out on my bedroom window.

Zuko - update

Overdue update for the prince of the Fire Nation

WIP: Moth Queen 2.5/3

Moved some things around and tried fixing anatomy issues. Thought I'd post what I had so far, more updates soon.

WIP: Moth Queen 2

Hardened the edges more, though some parts of it may be too soft still. Threw in some blood to make it creepier.

No blood:

With blood:

WIP: Moth Queen

Couldn't sleep. Ended up working on an old idea and made this b&w as a test run. I must have been watching one of the Mothman movies when I thought of this. I'd say she looks queen-like, but her majesty needs more work.

Adventure: Redondo Beach Pier

Rode my bike to the beach. It's just under 3 miles one way

Stuff

Went to the optometrist and they took a photograph of the inside of my eyes! It was so cool looking that I asked them to email me the pics

An idea I'm messing around with. More later!

Champions Online - Demo

My two characters so far. The male models are kind fugly, though. I'm having more fun with the character creation than the actual game :/

Unamed dude

Meet "Freezerburn"

I dubbed her "Bombshell"

CONTEST: Sketchoholic - Collage of Girls #1

WIP. Going for a Pinup-esque collage. Tore up pieces of paper, taped them together, and scanned. Just figuring out the poses and placement, but I want it to look like the pictures are interacting with each other. Hmm....

PC Games - The Adventures of Willy Beamish

Every now and then I'll remember something I played from childhood and get this urge to look it up again. I played the DOS version and got stuck on the part where you have to rescue your pet frog. It was a relatively short game that had its good and bad points, but I enjoyed it in all its quirkiness...



Game: The Adventures of Willy Beamish
Platform: PC/Sega CD
Developer: Dynamix
Genre: Adventure
Release Date: 1991/1993

Released in the early 90’s for DOS, this point-and-click game puts the player in control of a bratty nine year old boy obsessed with his Nintari game console and its upcoming competition. Determined to win, he won’t let anything get in his way.



The whacky adventures begins on the last day of school before summer vacation, stuck in detention because of a disruption caused by his pet frog, Horny, during the school assembly. It takes some creative combinations of items in your desk and good timing in order to sneak out early, which is critical for your plans for the summer. Why? Because you got a C in Music Appreciation and you need to get to your report card before your parents get to you!

It doesn’t take long to realize that your grades aren’t the only thing threatening your vacation: your dad comes home with news of his recent lay off, meaning there’s no money for your trip to the Nintari championship! What’s a boy to do?



Over the course of four days, Willy will find himself getting into all sorts of mischief in the little town of Frumpton, as well as increasing amounts of danger. Confrontations with various NPC characters can spell a game over, depending on how well you deal with them… or escape. Threats range from ridiculous to life threatening and if you get into too much trouble with your parents they’ll ship you off to military school. Serving as conscious to keep our prankster out of trouble is his ghostly grandpa, who will occasionally appear to either serve as a voice of reason or to warn him of impending doom. There’s also the “Trouble Meter” to show where you are on the discipline scale, which appears when you do good or bad things.

Like any kid, Willy has chores and responsibilities he must fulfill in order to get an allowance. This means mowing the lawn, washing the car, taking care of your dog and whatever else your parents ask of you, including helping your two sisters, Brianna and Tiffany. Neglect your duties too often and it’s the doghouse for you!

The first antagonist you really meet is Spider, a delinquent student who’s in and out of juvenile hall. Willy never fights his opponents directly since he’s weaker and smaller than everyone else. He must use his wits to outsmart them in order to get out of trouble with a peace offering, trickery or manipulating what’s around him.



The puzzles tend to take a lot of trial and error, with the solutions sometimes obscure. Items that can be interacted with or picked up have a habit of blending in well with the environment on top of that, so you’ll have to mouse over everything to check. Poor decisions made during the course of the game can also spell unfavorable outcomes because of missed opportunities and, as a result, missed items. It’s advisable to save often, since you can do so anywhere at almost anytime. Also, keep in mind that there’s a hidden timer, so don’t take too long in deciding what to do.

Overall, it was a good game at the time that could please all ages. A lighthearted look, relatable characters and some hidden adult humor made for a memorable ride that is still a pleasure to come back to after all these years, despite its shortcomings and frustrations. Sure, it’s no grand 40 hour RPG or an epic Prince of Persia, but back then this farfetched story of a typical little boy captured my attention and still manages to hold a place in my gamer heart.

PROS
• Characters were easy to relate to and generally likeable
• A classic, cartoon-like appeal
• Dialogue is well written
• A ridiculous plot, whacky humor and hidden adult jokes
• Decisions you make during the course of the game can affect opportunities later

CONS
• The intractable objects are usually pretty obscure, making it difficult to solve puzzles
• Actions or interactions you’d expect to be able to make are sometimes unavailable for no given reason, such as speaking to your family at the dinner table.
• Multiple solutions to each situation lessens as the game progress, making it feel increasingly linear
• Sometimes the plot gets TOO ridiculous

Flash games - Host Master & the Conquest of Humor

Oh yeah. Finally beat Double Fine's Host Master and the Conquest of Humor. I think I only got up to about 6 jokes the first time, back when it game out. After looking around company sites for work I suddenly remembered this game and tried my hand at it again.

The whole style of the gameplay, SCUMM (Script Creation Utility for Maniac Mansion), is very simplistic, yet it still manages to provide a challenge and entertainment to those who are patient. My initial impression upon clicking start was that this game would be easy, but after I was a few jokes in I found it to be increasingly difficult. It definitely pushes the players to get creative with the actions they can use from the menu and the interactive items in the room. However, most of the fun is seeing what you CAN do with the actions and items. Performing an action that is obviously implausible yielded amusing results that encouraged me to try it with every object I found while looking for more jokes.

There's definitely enough wit and humor to keep game enthusiasts, or even the casual gamer, engaged while trying to solve the various puzzles. It even has a small replay value for the different endings. All in all, it's a good metagame with a nod to the old days of the game industry.