welcome. everything I write here is something I felt to be important to some degree; game reviews, life updates/vents, and philosophical musings. I do my best to make my statements truthful. everyone is welcome to post comments, provided they are relevant.

11.20.2003

I miss my computer.
I haven't been able to spend any meaningful ammount of time on my computer, and I forsee that the situation can only get worse as we get closer to the holiday season. I was pretty much Begged to do a 12 hour shift on saturday night, 10 hours after my current string of 8 hour shifts. And, I'm supposed to have a driving lesson on the 27, but I find it unlikely that I can get the practice for then, let alone shake off the fear of driving I seem to have.

If I didn't owe my parents several thousand dollars, I'd take a month-long vacation.

11.16.2003

It's time to waste some time


What is Your Japanese Name? by ciambawildcat
First Name:
Last Name:
Japanese First Name:Ichigo
Japanese Last Name Part One:Fuku
Japanese Last Name Part Two:Iwa
People Call You...Sempai
Created with quill18's MemeGen!

What is Your Japanese Name? by ciambawildcat
First Name:
Last Name:
Japanese First Name:Ichigo
Japanese Last Name Part One:Kuchi
Japanese Last Name Part Two:Hana
People Call You...Chan
Created with quill18's MemeGen!

11.13.2003

you know, if you're going to try to make a scam e-mail, you could at least refrain from doing something as retarded as typing it in ALL CAPS... frickin' retards

11.11.2003

Kingdom Hearts... wow. who would have thought a Disney game could possibly be good? But, it is not JUST a Disney game, it is also a SQUARESOFT game. I'll admit, that while not all 100% of their games are appealing to me, about 80% of their RPG type games do. Also, this game is not JUST an RPG - it is largely action-adventure. Explaining why I like specific games is a pain in the ass, so I'll drop it there. If you have a PS2, and you like action/adventure/rpg games, give it a shot.

I would have you be aware of one thing though - at the beginning of each game, after you chose your strength and weakness, you indirectly choose your method of experience gain. This happens when you first talk to the trio of Final Fantasy characters. I have heard this: at Dawn, you level fast at first, but near the end it goes slower. Dusk gives you a hard time at first, but later it goes faster. Noon is average leveling. All I know is that dusk is a real bitch to get through (expert level,) but if what i hear is true, I'm 25 levels from my life getting a lot easier.

man, I still haven't gotten through .hack/infection or Xenosaga...

10.15.2003

i just got this, or something just like it. be on your guard, the junk e-mail's afoot.

10.14.2003

ah, shit.

so my computer suffered a severe brain hemmorage. a large number of files became damaged, including system backup files and the registry file. after running scandisk to repair the damage, windows boots up with a grey screen and an arrow, like a stroke victim that can only move his eyes. the only solution was a complete frontal lobotomy - format C:, re-install WinME. I'd have done it myself sooner or later, but I would have liked to back-up some files.

luckily, my long-term storage is on the D: drive, which only reported incorrect free space count. However, the kicker is that my in-box and address book is now empty. there were a lot of e-mails I would never have deleted of my own volition, namely from those involved on the Dr. Muto project, and players contributing questions and answers for my walkthrough.

10.03.2003

*sigh*

i didn't make the cut. but I wasn't outright refused. I just need more real game design background.

and on top of that, one of my friends actually suggested I quit my job because HE didn't like it. and he isn't even in the same job. he says the tech support place (read: idiot help line) he works for is still hiring, because of an increase of call volume. I would ask what they would do with a decrease of call volume. That said, i would ask if he thinks he'd still have a job then. Furthermore, I don't see much room for advancement, or flexibility of working environment.

why aren't I saying this to his face? because I just thought of it. And, he'll probably spout some more shit to try to get me to change jobs. I LIKE MY JOB. that said, Shut The Fuck Up.

9.11.2003

here's a summary of my e-mail conversation with Scot Amos, presently senior producer at Maxis division of EA Games, one of the gods of gaming

Scot: Your walkthrough is AWESOME. Say, do you have any interest in game design or game testing?
Me: umm, yeah, very much so
Scot: How would you like to be an intern at our Vancouver office?
Me: lemme think - HELL YES

So, now I'm looking for somewhere to stay there. It's a bit tricky when it's on the west coast and I'm more eastern inland. Hopefully, those who know me and also know Vancouver can help set me up with something at least temporary. Of course, I don't plan on moving there until I Get the job, but we're talking about an Opportunity of a Lifetime. My Dream Job. I'm going to do whatever it takes to get to my goals. Opportunity is knocking - ON MY FOREHEAD.

9.09.2003

oookay, I'm fairly certain Stig put his face in Gauntlet: Dark Legacy as well - While playing the carnival level, I noticed the sideshow carts as usual, but the face on each of them looks very similar to Stig's face in Dr. Muto...

9.08.2003

Well, the most recent e-mail has some useful info regarding secret character identities, but it's not so important for me to post a walkthrough update, so here's the e-mail:

"Hey!

"Glad to see someone played the game we worked so hard on… :) I’ve got some info on who some of the secret characters are if you care… MINISCOT is Tim Sanders he was lead programmer on the project for a little while then went to Circus Freak Studios (actually to take over my job and I eventually joined the Dr. Muto team… Amusing, eh? The game industry is small.) We called him Mini-Scot to annoy both him and Scot Amos (the producer on Dr. Muto) because he was a smaller version of Scot… You’ll find that most good teams in this industry really insult each other a lot – it makes it a great place to work (and lends itself to lots of in-jokes in the games).

"Also, STIG is Stig Amussen (I’m sure I’m spelling his last name incorrectly, if you want check the credits). He was an artist on the game, and put himself in as a secret character…"

-Joe Straitiff
former Senior Programmer at Midway on the Dr. Muto team
make that Four people from the Dr. Muto team....

9.07.2003

I like burning money. unfortunately, burning money implies that I have time, and if it's not spent cleaning my room, I get in shit.

I'm starting to feel giddy from the praise I'm receiving from people that were on the Dr. Muto team. well, it's only three people, but when one of them was the PRODUCER, you start feeling important. he's actually going to send me "something", and I'm pretty confident it's neither explosive or infectious.

occasionally I keep track of my game collection using IGN. Xenosaga would be better if there weren't so many pauses between sentences, or if it were a bit quicker overall. you know, make it MORE like an anime. I'm liking .hack//infection too, very mysterious; a game about playing a game with really nasty bugs and lethal consequences. State of Emergency (read: anarchy in the guise of freedom fighting) is fun. Haven is a good game, but then it ends... Enter the Matrix is NOT as good as it should have been graphics-wise, and the story is mildly interesting. save some money and stick to the movies, unless you feel like getting EtM anyway.

8.16.2003

I know a secret~
It regards Dr. Muto. I really should update the walkthrough, but I've been cornered with a daily 12 hour shift and I'm dead tired. I better get my fucking pay soon.

I finished painting my first Warhammer 40k model. It's just an ork slugga boy, but it's pretty damn good for a first. My friend, known as Xeldan online, gave me two razorbacks for my orks! the one he put together was kinda shitty though... I need more ideas on how to make a tank look destroyed and rebuilt, or otherwise commandeered by a race of warmongering berserkers. I should probably get a few mek boyz too.

7.16.2003

Did I mention I'm a security guard now? yeah. I get a lot of reading done now. This past week though I've been away at 2 family functions. First, my mom's mom turns 80. I say she's senile, but she might just be old. Second, a cousin on my dad's side gets married. I don't know her that well, at least no farther than knowing her age... oh wait, I forgot that too. Something like 25. I was an usher, along side her brother. He's okay, especially considering how crazy my dad's side is. He could do with a real job though. and a hair cut.

My room is hot. Not even the brand spankin new air conditioner helps. The only time my room is cool is when either the computer is off, or everything else but the ceiling fan is off. And, it's supposed to be the coldest room in the house. Of course, getting a GeForce4 Ti4600 only made it hotter. I'm going to have to get a new PC just for a better cooling setup. I keep saying i need an air conditioner for my room. mom doesn't bite.

5.31.2003

WORD.

specifically on the Hydro Station. Thank you, Fredric Mora!

"Those missing isotopes you are talking about was a problem that even the testers for this game had a hard time finding. Generally the isotopes the testers had missing were in the underwater cave mazes you had to swim in before you had to do the mission where you destroy the submarines, but here's the even funnier part.....you'll hate the designers for this:

"As hard as it is to navigate within the maze, some isotopes were "accidentally placed" too close to the walls or the floor so that you literally had to scrape along the wall (or the floor) to get it. You had to rotate your camera to a certain view to even begin to see it.

"This problem happened because designers generally placed their isotopes in the world in a haphazard manner, but sometimes artists would change the art of a level and the designers (being the geniuses they are) decided not to make a note of where all of them were placed and could not fix it.

"Some people may say they have found them all and it could possibly be true because this is the situation that happened: A couple of versions before the game sent off to be mass produced, no tester could still get every isotope, but I think (and this is a big "I think") that one version was sent out, the isotopes were fixed later, and then another version was sent. It is possible for there to be two versions of muto out because MIDWAY is EXTREMELY NOTORIOUS FOR DOING THIS. They did the same for Gauntlet Dark Legacy and Rush.

"Also, when this design issue of missing isotopes was brought up, the producers told us that "Hey as long as the player gets 80 percent of the total in game isotopes then that's all they really need. There's nothing if you get 100.00% of the isotopes. It's still the same reward as getting 80.00% of the isotopes." I know this sounds lazy, but they were pressed for time and just wanted to ship the product."

so that's the deal.
Fredric Mora was a product analyst on the Dr. Muto team, but has sinced stopped working for Midway. So, don't expect any support from Midway regarding this issue.

4.11.2003

Update, Update, UPDATE

Damn, being the only one to have a walkthrough on Dr. Muto is freaking awesome, but at the same time, I get these THINGS, I think they're called... E-mails? I get about 1 or two per week. I'm happy to help most of the people who come my way, but when it comes to something I haven't completed yet, I feel like such a bastard for slacking off. Truth is I love games Far too much, but I have a habit of taking looong breaks from some of them that get on my nerves. I started the Walkthrough long before I reached that impass, so I had no idea how I'd deal with it if I got, god forbid, BORED with it.

Also, I have the curse of being born WITHIN society, so I have certain obligations relating to earning money and giving it to people who allow me to live. Lucky for me, my parents aren't broke, so I can survive without too much worry, but once I fail to pay the monthly bill, it's Good Bye Entertainment. I'm waiting on a youth-in-residence thing at SAW Video so it'll be a few days before I got NUTS looking for a job.

Of course, I'm still a big fat slacker. I'm SO sorry for those I have yet to give useful information. I recommend hanging around the GameFAQs Message Board so you can get help from more people than just me, although I seem to be the only one answering questions.

Oh Oh! Fredric Mora (Midway Product Analyst) sent me an e-mail:

"Let me be the first person to congratulate you on being the FIRST PERSON EVER to even begin attempting to write a FAQ for DR. Muto.

"I am actually a Midway employee and I must say you are the first person to ever break the perception that no one would ever begin to figure out this game and that's mostly because the game is just awfully designed, has pretty bad controls, (and as you start playing into Flotos) how ambigous some of the mission objectives are. Don't even get me started on the numerous bugs you can use to exploit gameplay in MUTO.

"A lot of the co-workers and I in my department had a running gag that no one would ever bother to begin writing a FAQ for this game since only like 10 people have bought this game so far and that they would likely give up halfway through Aquem.

"But overall I am certainly impressed with your efforts on your FAQ. That is highly ambitious."
And then he gave me his e-mail address so I could ask some questions. But don't expect him to get any tips on beating missions.

2.27.2003

Things are not so good. :(

I was laid off due to lack of income at my location. I'm not bitter, because the sales thing really wasn't for me. I think I'm too honest. ^_^ It was a good three months though, and the manager would be happy to be a referrence for me.

My biggest concern right now is this fucking ear infection. Losing my hearing would be detrimental to my preferred proffession. (too many double letters?) I'm musically inclined, and I'd like to be an audio technician, making music sound better. Though the walk-in doctor says it shouldn't be a problem, it's been 3 days and my ear feels like it has an ear plug in it. At least I can chew without extreme pain now...

My work on helpful video game stuff is picking up. IGN has now caught wind of my FFX sphere grid, and say I could make an HTML intro for it. We shall see how that goes. As for Dr. Muto, it's been a real pain in the ass, because the game was so well made, It took me longer to just get through the game than I expected. Jak and Daxter only took 2 days to get 100%. Maximo took a week. (that's solid game play) Sly Cooper was almost a challenge, but I haven't played it in a while. Dr. Muto is the best platformer I've set my hands on, so expect that to take some time before my next update.

If traffic picks up on this website, I might have to add more stuff. On the other hand, I'm a lazy bastard. Too bad....

2.06.2003

Been a while since I posted anything! Well, I got a job at Radio Shack. It's good, but I've been slacking on the online learning, so i don't get much comission. I've not been playing as many games as I'd like to because I spend more time sleeping now, recovering from the daily crap-fest of dumbass customers. The schedule is not fixed, so it's hard to plan time for any specific activity.

I'm going to see if I can freelance my writing skill by writing walkthroughs for games. I'm working on Dr. Muto, mainly because there were no other FAQs around. It's a wacky fun game, but it's causing me grief from lack of assistance. ah well, c'est la vie.