Good Madness

Mad Goodness - To Mel and Koert!

2012-01-16T00:24:00.002Z

Eventful weekend. Well, Saturday, mainly. Nice lie-in, a unicycle ride around town searching for Vanilla Tea - not found as yet - and the first climbing trip of the year to Almscliffe Crag. More details on this to follow on the Time Ticks blog, but it was good to see the Bown-Hoyles after what seems to have been a while. Keir seems to be blooming, with deeper voice and bigger frame somewhat evident.

The crag trip wasn't just for climbing, as the Prince clan did a bit of geocaching around the back of the crag, I did some unicycling, and plenty of crisp, frosty photographs were taken. After dropping Bryn and Cosmo back in Huby, I headed straight for home, as my sister was due to come and move my settee to my new place...

What's that smell? Smells like overheating. And the heater hasn't come on. I'll probably need to top the water up before I drive again...

So the gas cut out and I was coasting. I pulled over, wrenched even, as the power steering had cut out as well. I found myself on the Leeds Road, near a milepost, just shy of the junction with Hookstone and Leadhall. The RAC indicated a surprisingly long 2 hour waiting time, so I steeled myself to this. I do try not to do boredom, and this may well have been a test to that resolve, though I had my phone - phone charging seemingly the only thing left in the car's repertoire - and my unicycle to keep me entertained. Before I could remove it from the boot and start riding up and down the road, close to the scene so as not to look like I had abandoned the car, a car pulled into the driveway of the house I was stuck outside. I thought it would be polite to explain what had happened, even though it seemed fairly obvious, so I shouted and waved to the lady as she was about to enter her house. She seemed fairly sympathetic, and after the smallest amount of conversation - which included mention of my unicycle, leading to talk of Butterfingers and their party hosting - she, Mel, invited me in for a cup of tea, not wanting to see me wait in the cold. Inside, I was introduced to Mel's husband, Koert, and their son, James. Well, how kind of them was this?! Koert and James were about to build a Meccano truck (good to see that brand still around, and adapting to the times by the look of the product in question), while Mel - Melanie - was preparing for a party they were due to have that evening. A party! It wouldn't have been unreasonable of them to say "Well, normally we'd invite you in, but we've got a party to get ready for...", but I don't think that crossed their minds, as they made splendid ad hoc hosts. And so it was for the whole 2 hour wait, as tea and biscuits were provided, conversation was had, trucks were built, and James showed me his progress on the Wii (how I spotted the spelling of his dad's name, from a Mii, having misheard it as Kurt on meeting him. It's a Dutch name), until the RAC arrived and pronounced my car, the once-mighty Mondy, mostly dead enough to only get me home. The settee would have to wait until Sunday.

But what kindness! I'm not sure I would invite me in from the street, and I don't think I would mind if they hadn't invited me either. I could have been anyone! I suppose I came across well enough, so didn't seem to be any kind of low-life, but I could have been a smooth trickster. Still, I repaid their kindness by not stealing from them, or harming them in any way, or generally living up to the idea that one shouldn't invite strangers from the street into your home. So, to Mel and Koert, the finest folk that I don't actually know!

I wonder if either of them have a younger sister...

Tools can be the subtlest of traps...

2012-01-08T15:37:00.000Z

So I had a date on Friday, with a girl named Kathryn. It'd been a long time between drinks, so obviously I wanted it to go well. We had a meal, we went for drinks. There were a few niggles along the way - she was a little late, my choice of venue for drinks was not amazing, but I think it was going okay. I forget how I came to it, but I raised the idea of her coming back to my place.

This was the tool and the trap. I had thought that having my own flat would keep me from getting too tied up too quickly with a girl who had her own place, as has happened in the past. But I missed the obvious - that my own flat could perform the same trick.

Anyway, we had a drink, we listened to music - both mine and hers, thanks to her Spotify login - and we played with a contact juggling ball. We talked quite deeply and widely, as we had been doing all night. Kathryn had been feeling a little unwell, and eventually just crashed out on my settee. I put a blanket over her and sat close to her. It got late. She stirred throughout, and we still managed to talk. Some big topics were touched on, topics that may not have been touched on if we had both just gone home after the meal and drinks. And arranging a second date might have been easier as well, as it would have just been something to do, rather than feeling as if we were committing to something greater and scarier. I made it clear that I wanted to see her again, and she said she would think about it. It was difficult not to either plead and beg or to try to convince her logically, but I didn't think either course would really do much good, so I left it at making it clear. Kathryn seemed to keep coming back to thinking about it, or seeing what happened, which could be read as avoiding saying anything more negative, and doesn't leave me massively optimistic, even though I do think she liked me. I think it would be a shame not to see her again. We have some different outlooks, but I'd rather face that, celebrate it even, than run from it. There are things to be afraid of, but I'd rather stare down that which fear might deliver than flee from the mere idea. Perhaps the book that I let her have - having quoted from it in an earlier online conversation and, no, not out of place or creepy - will inspire her to give things a chance. But then, I might only be remembering the parts of that book that I see as working in my favour.

Anyway, for the most part, I'm now left waiting, trying not to let any emotions run away with me - for to do so would not be helpful for anyone. But I will contact her again. I just need to figure out when is the right time, and which is the right medium.

Of the Year - The Big Thing of 2011

2012-01-02T21:31:00.000Z

Not to particularly say that it's better than any other given moment of 2011, but the big thing of the year, the thing that has changed the landscape the most, has been unicycling. Like the general circus skills scene that, for me, it sprang from, unicycling has opened many new opportunities, created friendships, and allowed me to be "Woo!"-ed or similar on the street. A few less positive moments have occurred, such as the previously blogged 'Fall off' incident, strange comments forthcoming from pedestrians such as "Oh, too good for walking are you?", and a bottle being thrown at me from across a street one night (and then there are the people who manage to ignore me entirely - what's that all about?!). But on the whole it is a good thing for me. Much more manageable than bicycling, I am more likely to just strike out on the uni at a moment's notice, I ride it to work, I can take a ride at lunchtime, and it's a real boon for travel across town.

And that, for the most part, has been on the 20" unicycle I purchased a year ago, and only since about April - following much good practice at the British Juggling Convention - have I taken it out in public. I now start a new and full year of unicycling, and with a new companion - a 26" uni, much better suited for longer distance and off-road riding, and the same size as a mountain bike wheel, making for an interesting comparison and easier access to parts (well, tyres, I suppose). My hopping has improved, though mainly for purposes of waiting at roads rather than climbing steps and the like, and though I can't yet idle, ride backwards, perform any number of interesting mounts, wheel-walk, coast etc, etc, I am very happy that I can ride forwards well enough for my own amusement, for significant practical value, and for the ability to turn heads here and there.

Old and new, small and big, Silver and Blackie.

Of the Year - Books

2011-12-29T10:57:00.001Z

Two stand out. Both fiction, both sci-fi, both concerned extensively with worlds real and unreal, an area that is of some interest to me, given my hobbies and my outlook on life.

First was 'Surface Detail', by Iain M. Banks. I hadn't read one of his for a while, but something about this one caught my eye. Certainly the prospect, from the sleeve notes, of the Culture 'going to war with death' was an appealing one. Whilst that and similar concepts played throughout the novel, it was in perhaps less direct terms than the line suggests. Nevertheless, the story contained plenty of interesting ideas on death, hells, personal freedoms, and diplomacy, as well as some delightful fun with a magnificently carefree Culture warship. I was occasionally disappointed in the way the Culture were portrayed, seeming more vulnerable (aforementioned warship notwithstanding) than I might have liked, given the presence of some other big players on the scene - It will be interesting to see how this plays out in future Culture novels.

Next up was 'Ready Player One', by Ernest Cline. Hooked by the 8-bit computer graphics style cover (this would prove to be a correct judgement!) I flicked to page one and found, in a description of a world in which the planet is in less than tip-top shape and most of the living is done in a digital world, a line that seemed familiar: 'mass hysteria, cats and dogs living together'. To my eternal shame, I had to look this up, finding it - unsurprisingly - to be a line from Ghostbusters. Well, an 8-bit cover and a Ghostbusters quote on page 1? Sold! It didn't let up either, as the book referenced TV, a wide range of videogames, movies, and comic books, often placing the settings from these as neighbouring locations in the overriding MMO type space in which humanity now, largely, lived. A joyous celebration of popular culture and exploration of the pros and cons of digital living and real life, I devoured it in around a week, very quick for me given the myriad distractions that, thankfully, surround me.

As I write this, I don't really have a book on the go, certainly not one that I'm devouring. I'd like to read more, but I get a certain sense that I'll just have to take reading as it comes; that I don't choose the books I read, they choose me. And, to be honest, I like it that way.

Of the Year - Games

2011-12-27T21:42:00.000Z

The gaming year had a funny shape. I was very much enjoying the last game purchased in 2010 for some time - Need For Speed Hot Pursuit - but ended up perhaps not putting as much time into it as I would have liked. A poorly reviewed follow-up and a stilted mobile version mean that I could see myself going back to it in time. But then, don't we all think that?, oh so very often...

The first game acquired in 2011 mirrored the first of 2010 by genre - Castlevania: Lords of Shadow to 2010's Bayonetta. A vast and atmospheric adventure, but I had a nagging feeling that I had taken a backward step - and sure enough, once it was completed I gave Bayonetta another shot. Choosing the Angel Slayer arena mode so as to get straight to the thick of the action. I'd known that it would show itself to be superior to Castlevania in the combat stakes (pun intended), but I was shocked at just how far beyond Castlevania it was and at how much of an effect this had on me - I was overwhelmed by Bayonetta's grace. I think I was actually welling up. This led to something of a replay, and so 2010's unquestioned Game of the Year had a fair impact on this year as well.

Castlevania did have a lot going for it though, particularly in terms of a journey and a sense of place. Looking to replicate these, I picked out a title with a different feel but, from what I'd gleaned from reviews, similar scope - Enslaved: Odyssey to the West. A curate's egg - journey and place were indeed delivered thanks to the gorgeous environments and animation, but the combat and platforming never quite excelled, and it was abandoned on encountering a choke point after a few weeks. Not for good though - during a summer barren of gaming, I found myself returning to it, breezing through that which had stalled me previously and finishing the game in the same night. A worthwhile memory, but probably not one to rush back to anytime.

The last game to really hit home before summer drought was, predictably, Portal 2, the highlight being a one-day blast through the co-operative mode with a good friend. And whilst the game as a whole wasn't as lean as the original, it was still a superlative experience with a lot of texture added to its world, though there was still the question of whether you would see it... (I didn't. I mostly read about it afterwards.)

But then, things really did seem to slow down. The summer drought is traditional, but no more welcome for it, even though I was suitably busy elsewhere with climbing and circus matters. The last hurrah of my old iPhone, in the form of The Pickford Brothers' Magnetic Billiards, served to entertain me in quite moments whilst at the European Juggling Convention in August, but what was there after that? All I could think to look forward to was a glut of - admittedly welcome - remakes, such as Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, and Halo. What else was there to relish? What was there that was new? It turned out there was one shining beacon of darkness on the horizon...

Last year saw the purchase of the hardcore Japanese action-RPG Demon's Souls. Reported to be excruciatingly difficult but packed with interesting online features, such as the ability to invade other players' worlds, I followed the words of friends who had already imported the game and set about exploring. And really didn't get on with it. I gave it a go, threw myself at as much of it as I felt I could, but it never clicked. RPGs often have a kind of wall to accessibility, one that you must clamber over or break through by virtue of learning its systems or improving your character enough to cope. I managed neither with Demon's Souls. So why was I so interested in the next game from the same team?, spiritual sequel Dark Souls. Perhaps the lure of another special edition was too much, perhaps the urge to support interesting content instead of contemporary first person shooters or football games. Perhaps the change in the game system, Dark Souls occupying an open-world of sorts, where Demon's Souls operated a hub system. And so I made the purchase, initially alternating play sessions with similarly fantastical titles Ico, Shadow of the Colossus and Xbox Live Arcade bargain Outland. Before too long, however, the time spent on Dark Souls began to last noticeably longer than the other games, and soon to dominate entirely. The wall was still there - it often felt that I had several impossible paths to choose from - but with the help of the good forum members of rllmuk, two wiki pages, and a splendid guide, the wall was dealt with. Still not sure whether I climbed it or broke through it, but I'd done enough, the game and I had clicked. Many smaller walls were thrown up throughout the game - being cursed at the bottom of the world, low on health and far from a cure is one of the most despair filled scenarios in gaming, yet makes for a very tangible and personal piece of narrative, and dispatching an invader for the first time makes for a sensational rush - but all were conquered or avoided. Through a wonderfully rich world filled with interesting and challenging enemies, stunning architecture and a varied selection of characters to align with or set yourself against. More than 100 hours have been spent on this game, with several characters taking their turn at breaking through that wall. Only one has made it as far as completion of the game, with New Game+ offering possibly the biggest wall yet, one that will likely require frequent assistance from the other online players of the game. Along with that prospect, the other characters could return to fulfil their potential, or Demon's Souls could see a renaissance. Or a new game could come along that takes me away from Lordran's grim castles and caverns, such is the cycle of things. I'll not be unhappy if that is the case, as it would surely be a deserving experience, and Dark Souls has anyway done more than enough to secure its place in my esteem. Game of the year.

Dark Souls. The creature on the right was born from a seemingly random item that another player dropped in their world. This one is evil. The game seems fairly Western at first, but its Japanese origins become more apparent the deeper you go.

Honourable mention to the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play, which has brought Android gaming to life in ways that my previous Android phone, an HTC Desire HD, had failed to do. Though there was some irony in my first purchase on the Play - World of Goo, which I already had on Wii, doesn't use the Play's gamepad, and would have looked and played better on the Desire. Perhaps an Android tablet is in order next...

Journeys not without incident...

2011-12-27T01:10:00.000Z

Fulfilled a portion of the family visits today - went from home to my brother's place, then on from there to my parents' house. A pleasant time was had, with food, gaming and TV, but it was the journeys that were of particular note. In reverse order...

I followed a fire engine for a good few miles after it overtook me, lights blazing and sirens wailing. I held pace with it for so long, I thought I'd be going to the scene of the fire. Which would have been interesting. But no, it turned off eventually, near Newton-le-Willows (I think) and I'm none the wiser.

Earlier in the journey, still high in the Pennines, I misjudged a small bridge when I had to dip my headlights for an oncoming - yet distant - vehicle. Nearly hitting the bridge parapet on my left, I had to take evasive action. I say 'I', but it was more like my brain and hands sorted it out and 'I' arrived on the scene shortly after. I must have swerved right, swerved left - fishtailing a little - and then straightened, but that took some figuring out... Anyway, it seems my driving experience (real and digital?) had trained me well enough to cope, so I was left feeling somewhat exhilarated and pleased with whatever part of myself had pulled me through this.

And lastly for this blog, but first for the day during the journey between Harrogate and Lancaster. Following a frustratingly slow driver down from Jubilee Tower through the Quernmore valley, I was probably keeping a weather eye out for an overtaking opportunity. A bit of a curve in the road made it unlikely, but still worth watching. What made it even less likely was the riderless horse that was all of a sudden... I want to say 'running', but I can't imagine that's the right term, so... galloping or cantering in the opposite direction. The slow driver got slower, and so did I. This scenario is not something you want to have happen, as I can't imagine a collision with a horse would do anyone any favours. Fortunately, despite being a little wild, this horse seemed to know its lane discipline, and sailed on by. The slow driver turned around, but I couldn't resist finding out more, so I made my way as far up the hill as possible, where, although not first on the scene, I found the rider on the ground. Fortunately they were still moving, but one would imagine significantly worse for wear. The first car on the scene was still there, its occupants having called an ambulance, so I turned my car around and found an alternate route to Lancaster. As I've noted on the map I've saved in Google, I'd be very interested to hear what happened to the horse and the rider following this incident.

(Zoom out once or view Wild Horse in a larger map to get the most out of it.)

Missing

2011-12-23T02:15:00.001Z

It is rather strange - in more ways than one - to see one of the girls you tried, not hard enough or too hard, to consider a daughter... Who you saw cry and smile and laugh and play and grow... Who you miss, even if the right and difficult decision that took you away from her hasn't always worked out perfectly... To see her, without her noticing you, go by with her friends, in a pub, at one o'clock in the morning. And you wonder what would have happened - probably nothing - if you hadn't been sitting just where you'd been sitting, if you'd been walking the other way at just that moment. Probably nothing, or nothing more than a tip of your hat that she would fail to acknowledge, because why should she? Still, it is strange.

Of the Year - Music

2011-12-18T21:08:00.000Z

According to Youtube, I favourited Danny MacAskill's 'Way Back Home' video "a year ago". So that, more or less, is when I first came across Australian band The Jezabels. The song featured in that video, 'A Little Piece' is a stirring and emotive tune, ideally matched to the wild Scottish landscape that Danny was riding, and with a feedback-led intro that seems to vibrate the soul. But I didn't buy that song, and the EP it was found on, until April of this year. With four more powerful tracks vying for attention, this helped cement my affection for the band.

I could already tell we were on to something special. And what's this? They're playing live in York? On the fifth of September? I went along, having purchased their two earlier EPs in preparation, with good friend Rob and a few others. The venue was Stereo, an intimate space, allowing The Jezabels' powerful music to sweep through us, their intense set over all too quickly. As if in some post-coital haze, we slumped away from the venue and Rob summed it up best - noting that this was a band on the rise, with their debut album due out and playing bigger venues in their homeland and in London, Rob commented that "we won't see them like that again"...

York

That phrase was like a seed in my mind. It wasn't enough, I wanted more. I checked the band's website, back to the tourdates page. I wanted to see them like that again, up close, within touching distance. Newcastle, the Friday of the week that York had been the Monday. Running this obviously crazy idea - very close to my definition of Good Madness - past Rob during our Wednesday climb, it looked like it might just work. And so it did - despite a sneaking concern that they might somehow not be as good, we made our way to Newcastle and the venue, the Cluny2 (rather easy to find and park at, too!). A newer style venue, and the feeling that we were in a large equipment cupboard below a bigger arena did nothing to take the edge off proceedings. Before the band started, I made up for an oversight from the York gig and bought myself a t-shirt. I chatted a little with the merch merchant, and put my name down on the band's email list. As I looked up, there before me stood a Jezabel - keyboard player Heather Shannon. Struggling to retain my composure, I blurted out that this was the second time in the week we had seen them, and that we had travelled some distance this time around. As I regaled Rob of this encounter, I realised how small that distance must seem to a band that had come from Australia. Well played, Stu. No matter, as before long the band took to the stage again. We probably had a better spot this time, and once more the music overwhelmed us. They did actually slip a couple of times, but to no great consequence. Interestingly, different tunes seemed to have the stronger impact this time around - I remember 'Mace Spray' as the tune of note at York, whereas 'Dark Storm' had the most power over me in Newcastle, as I moved vigorously to it in a way that could loosely be called dancing ('Hurt Me' probably did as well as either of those on both occasions). Devastating stuff. Their music, not my dancing.

Newcastle

And I write this having just learned that they will be back in our fair country in February and March, and they'll be bringing their album with them. Now, just the one gig? Or two? Or four?

Honourable mentions to stalwarts Iron Maiden, whose arena gig in July, with metal expert Steve, made up for my unfamiliarity with their more recent work when I saw them at a festival in 2010. A timeless power to their music.

Eddie

Road to "Of the Year"

2011-12-18T17:06:00.000Z

Rationally, I don't like to be too constrained by artificial boundaries (though I have been at earlier times in the blog). However, certain conditioning is hard to shake, and I find myself with an urge to review 2011, or at least some of the things that happened to occur in 2011. Likely the best of them, as if I were conducting some sort of personal awards ceremony. Whilst I don't think any given year imbues the items with any special quality - "Those 2011 objects, they were really something" - categorising by year does serve as an indicator of sorts, as if sets and subsets become easier to remember and appreciate.

And whilst I think I'm favouring a separate post per item, this one would seem lacking if it were entirely content free. So with items that have been covered in recent posts, the nod for film of the year goes to Hugo - Scorsese's piece of 3D wonder will doubtless become a family classic - and adventure of the year goes to the Lord's Seat bivvy of June - feeling such a part of the natural world as it turned, seeing it as it went to sleep and woke up again, was a thing of magic and wonder.

More to follow. Any suggestions for categories?

Take this for Granted

2011-12-16T21:31:00.000Z

Relationships falter, people suffer tragic injuries, people die before their time.

Some friends of mine, a couple, recently split up. Despite the love between them, it appears that one had taken the other for granted.

Talking juggling with a girl in a pub, I was usurped when the following question was posed: Can you do that with one eye? Yes, by someone with one eye. Turns out I couldn't.

And the author, commentator and polemicist Christopher Hitchens died on Friday after a struggle against oesophageal cancer. He was 62, and had noted how more measured out his life had seemed since being diagnosed.

So, is it me, or does taking things for granted get a bad rap? "Love is never having to say you're sorry", so the quote goes, and whilst I'm not saying that love doesn't take work or effort, surely just being there for each other counts for something? At least some of the time, you should be able to know that your beloved is there for you without condition. As for eyes, I don't think it was really that odd that I hadn't dedicated any time to juggling with one eye closed. This doesn't mean that I haven't been appreciating my complete set of eyes. I've been using them almost all the time, often without giving it any more thought than "Ooh, I wouldn't like to lose any of my eyes!". I still feel that counts as appreciating them. And Christopher Hitchens may have noticed more clearly time creeping up on him, but I'm pretty sure he was already living a fairly full life before he started dying.

Yes, I like to think about life and the activities therein, not to drift along without any sense of how my time is being spent. But I'm also not going to trouble myself by imagining myself into conditions that may not come to pass. I respond to actions, not threats. And if I lose an eye*, I won't start kicking myself that I'd taken it for granted, because in living my life without preoccupying myself about it, that's exactly what I hadn't been doing.

*Yes, this was the one that bothered me most directly, and I felt a little bit bitter about. Guess I shouldn't let myself be out-talked by someone willing to play up their disability and misfortune instead of abilities and endeavour, but if the girl is so easily enchanted by that then I don't think I'll worry too much about missing out. And it should be noted that one of my good friends has only one eye, the difference being he doesn't play it up to score points.

There Hugo Again, Making Me Smile...

2011-12-11T23:47:00.001Z

I didn't get round to reading "The Invention of Hugo Cabret". I may have to rectify that, now that I've seen the movie. Not just to tick a box, but to see how the story compares in a different medium. Particularly given the extent to which the movie celebrated film itself's early days - granted, it took the time to give a substantial nod to books - "Don't you like books?" - but they did feel like a supporting player. Perhaps another story crosses paths with Hugo, one in which Monsieur Labisse takes the larger role.

Anyway, the key word there is story, and 'Hugo' is a delightful patchwork of them, both real and imagined, as characters large and small weave their way through the film. And with such deftness of touch, I couldn't help but smile at all the little adventures that went on, even if it were just the use of a word... Reprobate... Adventure... Clandestine... Panache...

And the 3D. I'd heard that Martin Scorsese believed this film would convert the sceptics of 3D, and for much of the film things were at least making a good attempt at living up to this claim, with the majority of scenes featuring such depth and detail to make the 3D worthwhile. Then he spelled it out for us, as he realised the power of the form to be able to tell stories. That doesn't mean that every story need be told that way, but Hugo will likely serve as a benchmark for some time to come.

The film was one of such beauty and wonder that the moments surrounding it jarred somewhat. Particularly problematic were the trailers beforehand, which were for stock children's films. Somebody clearly doesn't realise that just because a film is suitable for all, that doesn't mean it is only suitable for the youngest. Just because the lead character is a child, doesn't mean it's only for children to view. Not that I'm against more adult content, but, like Big Fish before it, there is something charming about Hugo not needing to resort to anything extreme to tell its story in an entirely fitting way, with everything working and no surplus parts.

We're Wolves

2011-12-04T00:24:00.001Z

Not that this is an actual award, but board(ish) game of the year has to go to Werewolves. The Werewolves of Miller's Hollow, to give the full name.

A decent sized group of players are given cards which mark them out as werewolves, villagers - each group must essentially wipe out the other in order to win, the wolves killing a single player each night, the villagers lynching someone during the day - or one of a selection of special roles. I'm sure you'll be able to find the full rules online somewhere. The game held sway during the late nights in the chillout zone at the European Juggling Convention in Germany this August (with occasional cameos from Psychiatrist) and it made a return this weekend following the Leeds Juggling Convention. Being a one-day convention, there was no chillout zone to host the game, so my friends the Bown-Hoyles provided the venue, with the Randall clan and a variety of young jugglers coming along for the ride, old friends and new. As ever, the game allows players to showboat, sit and coolly observe, manipulate, conspire and much more. Player characteristics are brought to the fore and often distorted somewhat by the largely random nature of the game. During the initial sleep phase of the third game, I actually began to doze off and half-dream of a staff spinner hitting me in the eye and resulting in a myoclonic twich, which was used by the person sitting next to me to great effect in disguising her werewolf status - she asked if I'd fallen asleep because of the twitch, but presumably she would actually have been able to see me anyway. I say she used this well, but perhaps she just blurted it out without thinking of the ramifications. Well, that works too, and is perhaps one of the beauties of the game, which I would strongly recommend to a group of 8 or more.

Falling Behind - Mostly a Good Problem

2011-11-28T22:19:00.001Z

Quickfire catch-up!

Last week sometime: a girl stopped me on the street and asked to take my picture (because of the unicycle). I didn't fancy her though. Wonder where the picture got to?

Friday: Chinese meal at the Bown-Hoyle residence; Bryn's funny but straightforward play, Situation Comedy; back to the Bown-Hoyle's for some Walking Dead viewing. Great to catch up with this fine family. The Bown-Hoyle's, not the zombies.

Saturday: Breakfast with my friend John. Looking like we'll be becoming flatmates soon, so we thrashed a fair bit of that out. Then a cupcake and a catch up with Helen, who I hadn't seen for a while. Onwards from there to Sheffield, for the second forum meet in as many weeks. Faces new and old, food, drink, japes. Darth Maul's head...

Sunday: A relaxed morning - needed after a late drive back from Sheffield - and then a steady shift at work. Then to the shops, and a new phone - Sony Ericsson Xperia Play, down to about £150, though I'm still stuck on my contract from last year. But seriously, how - and why - was I supposed to resist a phone with a PlayStation pad melded to it? Got the GBA running on it, just need to figure out how to get the Amiga running now...

Today: Bought my first game for the Play - World of Goo. I already have it on Wii, it doesn't use the gamepad, and the interface would have suited the Desire HD's larger screen. Good choice, Stu!

Right, just about caught up there, though I'm sure I will have missed something. And whilst part of the reason I fall behind on my blog is that I just don't force myself to crack on with it enough, I'm going to say that being busy enough to not find the time is at least a good problem to have.

Unintentionally Deep Philosophical Comment of the Week - Bury Beerfest, 19-20.11.2011

2011-11-20T18:17:00.001Z

"It's just some triangles."

It seemed to have been a while since the good citizens of rllmuk had met up, and there are few meets to match the glories of the Bury Beerfest. Not that it's really a rllmuk meet any more, as our fine host, Mr John Pickford, doesn't really frequent the 'muk these days. There certainly wasn't a thread in the Meets folder.

Nevertheless, the event was shot through with rllmuk DNA, in the form of the attendees and their outlooks. Having collected Chris in Leeds and ventured our way across the Pennines, we rolled up to the Pickford residence in good time, arriving shortly before the 4 o'clock feeding time - something not to be missed! But before food, an assortment of greetings, trips to the shops - Garry and me looking worryingly heavy for a corner shop visit in our not-quite-matching-but-close-enough long coats and hats - and videogaming. John showed some of his current time-sink - Skyrim. A stunningly luscious open-world RPG, we gaped in horror as John bludgeoned a horse with his fancy looking mace, only for John to tell the tale of a similar incident with a deer instead of a horse and his family instead of us geeks. His rationale: "It's just some triangles." Now, I like gaming to mean something, to consider how we can leave ourselves behind and occupy a role and a place, to escape from reality and allow a game to build in our minds a memory of things that never were. But it's still brilliant to hear an actual game developer shrug off such concerns with a sentiment we may do well to remember more keenly in our real lives. It's just some triangles. Still, I now want Skyrim like I didn't before...

Not long after this revelatory moment, we all settle down to eat, and a fine spread John had put on for us, with curries, pasta, a 'meat salad' - spicy meats and rice - and peshwari naan breads. A delight, and in such splendid company too. And not long after that, we found our way to the town centre, and the Beerfest itself. Having been a little worse for wear from a few Harrogate-based drinks on Friday night, and not relishing choosing from a range of drinks I very likely wouldn't be too keen on, I elected not to drink. But I did eat - a monster black pudding, to attempt to make up for the absence of Aaron's fabled Manchester Eggs - a Scotch Egg, but pickled and wrapped in black pudding instead of just pork. That was probably a mistake, coming too soon after John's meal. Less of a mistake was - and this one was a new one on me - the Butter Pie. This came later, and was actually given out for free by one of the staff - he just appeared with a box of pies, to clear, presumably, and doled them out. A meat pie was an option, but that had the wrong kind of pastry, so butter pie it was - more or less a skinless baked potato in a pie case. Beautiful, and I'll be on the look out for these again.

The rest of the 'fest consisted of music, dancing, Rubik's cube lessons (for Debs) and good banter throughout, followed by takeaway and a return to Pickford Mansions, where matters continued until all sort of unearthly hours. And, indeed, into the next day, as John once again fed us well with a cooked breakfast, and the banter continued, until the time to part crept up on us all.

A splendid time, with such fine people, richly enjoyed, sad that it's over. But there was a great novelty on parting - to be able to say, to some of those present at least, 'See you next week' - roll on Sheffield...

Jam Pies and Damp Rock

2011-11-13T22:43:00.001Z

A few months ago, I was delighted to receive an invitation to the birthday party of a recent friend. I say recent, the first time I met John Hamilton was late last summer at Almscliffe Crag. I don't think we saw John again until this year's outdoor climbing season rolled around, and then not many times, for one reason or another. So his invitation was most welcome.

Tonight was the night, and Cougar Park, of Keighley Cougars RLFC, was the venue. Having been for a wet climb at Shipley Glen with The Prince (Mr Dave Prince, that is), I tagged along with him and his family, having been entertained in the interim. We checked in with John and found a good seat near the stage - the 'Jam' part of the evening was John and a good number of his friends playing something of a gig. It was suitably ramshackle - full of enthusiasm, but not too highly strung as to mind messing up here and there. With some fine pie and peas, and some edifying conversations about music, a great time was had. I was left with a hint of melancholy on my mind, as the sight of John on stage with one of his daughters, the pair of them strumming away in time, was the kind of scenario I find myself longing for - a glimpse of a life that I want. But this didn't undermine the positive vibe of the night, and overall proceedings were an absolute pleasure.

Oh, yes, I suppose the climb from earlier qualifies as a madness as well. Quite easily, given the weather - it was optimistic to schedule a climb for November, but to actually go through with it considering the drizzle (possibly drizzles, plural, so dense it seemed to be) was lunacy. Good lunacy though, as a problem or two was played with, some forearms were pumped, and some rock-rash was earned.

No, you fall off!

2011-11-11T00:16:00.001Z

I suppose that Good Madness would be meaningless without a little bit of Bad Madness to contrast it with, and so to the small events from earlier today.

Unicycling home to fetch my car - to take some colleagues to a training session - I heard some sort of call. Pinpointing it, it seemed to be a cyclist - a bicyclist - on the other side of the road, shouting "Fall off!" continuously. I elected not to, and found myself shouting back "No, you fall off! That's not very nice, is it?" A simple way of putting it, but true enough. Such casual negativity sickens me, and I suppose that I shouldn't have returned the favour. Not that I really meant it.

Interestingly, moments later I did in fact fall off (though I'm drawing no connection between these events). I had been pondering how ice would affect the ride in the winter, but it was some leaves that provided some similar conditions today, as I fell for the first time by skidding as I leaned into a turn. I found myself popping off the unicycle and straight onto my feet, so it wasn't too bad an experience. I think ice could well make it worse, so I'll have to watch out for that before too long.

Anyway, I would expect unicycling to be a frequent source of good madness, and hopefully these tiresome moments of bad madness will not be too frequent or defining.

Playing Catch-up - Lord's Seat Bivvy, June 2011

2011-11-10T01:09:00.000Z

So now that I have the lens of 'Good Madness' to view my life through, I find - of course - that I have fallen behind in my reportings, essentially letting online photo albums, and any comments therein, say my piece for me. But I think for me to explore the concept of Good Madness, I need to dig a bit deeper. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but how many pictures is a thousand words worth? If you catch my meaning.

So, in June of 2011, at Lord's Seat on Barden Fell, I slept outdoors - sans tent - for the first time. Turns out, this is a wonderful thing to do. Granted, good weather helps, but assuming that much being the case, well, you're in for a treat. With a climb or two as warm-up, and some vittles to see us through, we - myself and friends Dave and Rachael Prince; Bryn and his son Cosmo having joined us just for the climb - settled down beneath a decent overhang-cum-rain shelter. The view from the bedroom window was striking, with the lights of Harrogate visible in the distance:

I didn't want to sleep. Watching the world change, right in front of me, was a rare delight. As much as it pleases me to escape to places that don't exist, it pleased me immensely to be out in the world in this way. I become something of a snob when I feel like this, thinking about all the people who don't take a moment to live their lives in anything but mundane ways. To put it more plainly and less politically, this is a worthwhile experience that one could do worse than to try.

A small amount of sleep did overtake me in the end, but I found myself rising earlier than I might have done otherwise. Before too long, and with a little geo-caching en route, we found ourselves heading back down the hill, to more delightful scenes:

Trust me, the shots don't do it justice. When you get the chance, get out there and see it for yourself.

And in all honesty, I can't now remember what happened for the rest of that Sunday. I mean, what could compare?

Renaming Ceremony

2011-11-09T11:31:00.001Z

Given that we're reading this - something, anything - I think we can agree that words have power. I've made posts before about wanting to keep a blog updated, and I can't guarantee that this one will work any better. But I think I've finally found some words - the title of the blog - that will help give me a bit of focus. The title is from Neil Gaiman's evergreen New Year wishes:

May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful, and don't forget to make some art -- write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself.

I've not heard it expressed in a finer way. And, as I hope to indicate in my writings, I get it. I get the idea of 'good madness'. People say to me "You did what?!", and I say, grinning, "I know! Crazy!" I find that it's this good madness that makes life most interesting, and so I think that looking at things in that way will help me to weave this blog most effectively.

The tagline, meanwhile, refers to an episode of Neil Gaiman's Sandman, in which the deluded dreams of one man keep him from delirium - "His madness keeps him sane" - and whilst I don't subscribe to unknowing delusion - that I'm aware of... - I do find that I have several madnesses that keep me sane on a regular basis, punctuated by occasional higher forms of madness. These I hope to document, as much for my own benefit as yours, dear reader...

Oh, another thing I've notices is that Blogger's rather fine Dynamic Views seem to suit having imagery around to mix things up, so it's time for an arbitrary photo:

... Bandicoot

2011-07-10T15:19:00.000+01:00

In a stupid move, taking me to a place I don't want to be in so many ways, I crashed my car into the back of someone else's this morning. It seems that the people in the other car are okay, as was their car, and - although the complications that will arise with repairs to my car, insurance and the like, will be a pain - I think that's the key thing. I mislike the inhuman side of insurance and so forth, so I made sure to contact the person I'd crashed into to follow up on their well being.

And my car seems to be running okay, though you wouldn't miss that I'd had a bump - apparently my bonnet is made of tinfoil, or the Peugeot I hit was made of adamantium. And I'm okay. Mostly. Everybody thinks they're an above average driver, something that I'd been trying to avoid doing (which would, curiously, make me think I was a better driver). This certainly helped! And given life's general anxieties about jobs, money, relationships, it was actually kind of refreshing to be shaken by something so immediate. I'm taking time to reflect on things as a result, and my crumpled car is something of a badge of shame that I'm deservedly carrying - I must be striking fear into the hearts of rear-view mirrors everywhere.

Propped Up

2011-01-09T19:17:00.001Z

With Christmas just behind us, I had a few bob from my parents to spend. Some has gone towards climbing, some towards film, game and book based entertainment, and some has gone towards props. In doing so, I have by extension set myself some goals for the year... Or goals for however long it takes me.

First, I am now in possession of five juggling balls, courtesy of Pandaballs - three at the Leeds Juggling Convention in December, two more from a New Year party with their creator, George. I can juggle three of these balls at one time, so obviously I now need to up that number. I can also do two in my right hand, and two in my left hand is passable, so four can't be far off. I'd really like to get five though. I've picked up the basic tip for this - take three and throw them so that your hands are empty - and will run with it from there.

Next, I picked up a couple more diabolos on the cheap - slightly scuffed apparently, but nothing that I wouldn't reach after a couple of spins anyway. And, much like the numerical matters of the juggling balls, I need to do some work on my 2D. I've been able to get two running for some time now, though not consistently. Need to work on my acceleration pick ups first, then get some tricks going on.

Lastly, a unicycle. Our club recently visited JUST, the unicycle club in Stockton, and it was a fairly successful trip for me, managing to get a few metres under my belt. Enough to drive me on to making a go of it, requiring investment. I shall endeavour to document my progress.

I think I missed some stuff...

2011-01-09T18:52:00.000Z

Someone tweeted earlier that they were listening to Bang Goes the Knighthood by The Divine Comedy. Good for them! They could do a lot worse. It struck me that, while I believe I tweeted about it at the time, I didn't blog it. And blogging must surely hold the edge for looking back on things that have some import in life. Certainly compared to a tweet as an in-the-moment release of a thought. Live in the moment? Sure, but don't forget to live in the past and the future as well - reflection and anticipation are big things that take up a lot of our time, and we should celebrate that. I think I've already been doing that in my blog, for my own sake, but a change in blog title is designed to help crystallise that somewhat, and to make me put some content here that will be worth my going back over. Some of this will be in the moment, or thereabouts, some will - hopefully - be on events long past, perhaps just to bring them back a little and make them more solid.

So, as I mentioned, Bang Goes the Knighthood, purchased in early June of 2010,with bonus French concert CD. I follow The Divine Comedy's releases fairly closely, and I had been keenly relishing this one, as I was in a place where I would be able to pursue the follow up to the album - the tour. And so in November, with my brother and his wife, at Manchester Academy, I saw Neil Hannon take the stage. The album was good, if perhaps not quite up to some of his others, and his show was amazing. Although he brought with him only a piano and a guitar, he proved to be as much of a showman as he is a wordsmith. If you already knew that, genuinely good for you. I was very happy to discover it.

And lo, the spirit of higher education was lost...

2010-12-12T17:45:00.000Z

Someone has just stated to me that students should pay for their education, why should their tax pay for it, and that education (beyond secondary school) is not a right, it is a privilege. Any of us could get further education at any point, but we'd have to pay - why should it be subsidised just because you're 18? It'll get paid back in a more palatable fashion than a bank loan would, potentially not at all(?) if earnings are not high enough, etc.

I felt uneasy about this, but found - to my dismay - I didn't have the information or knowledge to argue the point. As I didn't go to university, and I don't have children who are about to, I hope I can be forgiven for some ignorance on the matter. As a library worker, however, I should surely be able to express why the availability of such knowledge is not subject to difficulties of access. Given that I have seen several of you* speak against this, and that my position was largely based on my respect for your positions, but lacking the details, would anyone care to share their thoughts on this, or at least point me in the direction of a site that has already covered it.

Thanks.

*This post was too long for a status update on Facebook, but will have come through in Notes.

You chased the sun around the Coté d'Azur...

2010-12-06T23:54:00.000Z

Until the light of youth became obscure,
And left you on your own and in the shade,
An English lady of a certain age,
And if a nice young man would buy you a drink,
You'd say with a conspiratorial wink,
"You wouldn't think that I was sixty-three."
And he'd say "No, you couldn't be."

Your son's in stocks and bonds and lives back in Surrey,
Flies down once in a while, leaves in a hurry,
Your daughter never finished her finishing school,
Married a strange young man of whom you don't approve,
Your husband's hollow heart gave out one Christmas day,
He left the villa to his mistress in Marseille,
And so you come here to escape your little flat,
Hoping someone will fill your glass and let you chat,
About how,

You chased the sun around the Coté d'Azur,
Until the light of youth became obscure,
And left you all alone and in the shade,
An English lady of a certain age,
And if a nice young man would buy you a drink,
You'd say with a conspiratorial wink,
"You wouldn't think that I was fifty-three."
And he'd say "No. You couldn't be."

What is the best 80's-early 90's action film one-liner ever?

2010-11-28T15:50:00.001Z

I like the visual one-liner in The Running Man, where Arnie gives the slimy lawyer, or whoever he is, his pen back...

Ask me anything

In your opinion, what is the best game released this year?

2010-11-28T15:16:00.001Z

Hmm, this one sounds a bit more on topic, softening me up with an abstract question earlier, eh?

For my money, if I had to pick one, the game I wouldn't be without this year is Bayonetta. My interest in games is to do with escapism and empowerment, and Bayonetta has these in spades. Whilst the setting and environments can feel schizophrenic over the length of the game, just about any single given moment places you in an exotic and wondrous environment. And to inhabit the gun-heeled shoes of the title character is to know empowerment of the highest order. Primed by the ludicrous cut-scenes, terrific bravado spills into the gameplay, as you embark upon a perfectly pitched learning curve from novice through to all-conquering legendary witch.

Not that I'm actually a big fan of setting one game(/film/book, etc) above all others, as titles such as Crackdown 2, Demon's Souls, Halo Reach and Super Meat Boy have contributed to what I'd call a very fine year.

Ask me anything

Remember Sully when I promised to kill you last?

2010-11-28T10:17:00.001Z

I do, and I remember the warm glow that came over, knowing that - although meeting my end was inevitable - there is still some decency in the world. As we both know, you'll get me one day, but I'd say we'll share many exciting dances and escapades before then, and you certainly won't, say, have been lying and, purely hypothetically, actually kill me earlier than that.

Ask me anything

If you could ask God one question what would it be?

2010-09-28T18:26:00.001+01:00

"Why can I only ask you one question?"

Ask me anything

Dead Cat Bouncer

2010-09-25T09:51:00.000+01:00

A "Dead Cat Bounce" is, more or less, when a seemingly hopeless situation redeems itself. This has nothing to do with that, I just like the phrase. No, what this refers to is the doorman who wouldn't let me into Revolution in Leeds last night because of the shoes I was wearing (walking boots (leather) with no laces and the tongues outside of my jeans). More pointedly, he didn't want to seem to say "You're not allowed in", only "You won't get in", as if I was about to try to get in, as opposed to the actual situation of me already having tried to get in. I questioned whether I should try and get in or whether he was not letting me in, and pointed out that he wasn't actually telling me that I wasn't allowed in (obviously he was, functionally, were that enough) only that I wouldn't be able to if I tried. Now, perhaps getting into a semantic argument with a bouncer isn't the greatest of ideas, but it annoyed me more that he couldn't just say it right than it did that he wouldn't let me in.

A concession: I may be rationalising my anger into a new shape that allows me to place more blame on him than myself. Still, he either didn't know what he was saying, or had been so well trained to use the language in a particular way - but to what benefit? What is the advantage to deliberately avoiding using the language that actually states the message in the clearest way? Is it somehow less confrontational to all but pedants like me?

To be fair, I could do better in the shoe department.

Cape Wrath...

2010-09-05T21:53:00.000+01:00

The most North-Westerly point on the British mainland. Right. But neither the most Northly (?) point or the most Westerly. Soooo, unless I'm directly South East of Cape Wrath, couldn't somewhere else be more North-Westerly? Or at least as North-Westerly?

My head hurts.

You can get married at Monkey World!

2010-09-05T19:49:00.001+01:00

My Mum: You can get married at Monkey World!
Me: Every day that goes by I feel that becomes more likely.

When you think about it, it actually makes perfect sense! Better than getting married in a poxy church (obv.) - because of evolution! You're celebrating your pair-bond by worshipping at the altar of natural selection! (Not that we evolved from monkeys, again obv.)

And here's a link for anyone I've convinced: http://www.monkeyworld.org/weddings-at-monkey-world

Next Block - What's this February?

2010-02-28T13:41:00.000Z

Some stuff that happened while the calendar had February on show.

Peep Show - The suggestion that my quest for love was and/or should be aimed at a Dobby filled me with intrigue. Not a pantomime horse, not a house elf, but an IT support expert type person (sketchy on details, haven't got that far yet). I have seen a clip of her introduction, but other than that I decided it would be as well to earn the Dobby experience, and so an exhaustive campaign of viewing was launched. And very funny it is too.

Violence - I saw some violence near to my home, and I disappointed myself by not doing anything about it. I rationalised a number of reasons as to why I shouldn't get involved - that I didn't want to get hurt, that I didn't want to give the perpetrators a chance to see where I lived - but I was still disappointed in myself, despite the assurance from friends that I hadn't done wrong.

Dave Gorman - Had resigned myself to missing his SIT DOWN, PEDAL, PEDAL, STOP AND STAND UP (ONLY WITHOUT THE PEDAL, PEDAL BIT) tour, after York tickets seemed expensive and then sold out. Last minute realisation that Bradford was not sold out and very accessible, combined with a Facebook plea for a fellow attendee, meant that I would put aside my concerns that a less story-led show might not work so well. Good thing too, as the show was still distinctly Dave Gorman, exploring concepts with his unique eye, and taking the audience on some interesting journeys. And I met him too, getting a signed Dave Gorman collection.

Everybody's birthday meal - Harrogate Library's traditional Chinese buffet meal. Disappointed with myself that I didn't get through my second - admittedly massive - plate, which has left me with a longing to go back and try again. Did well with gifts - reference to last month's gentlemanly activities led to a bit of a theme. Got a pen with a changeable design, a money box to save for evenings out, some playing cards featuring colourful imagery. And a whip.

Babylon 5 - Spent some more of my Christmas money on what looks to be a comprehensive DVD boxset of this show and its spin-offs. Despite many Spaced-addled individuals considering it to be a big pile of shit, I'm enjoying watching it. Early days yet, and while it is occasionally clunky, it has some powerful things to say, and the seeds planted in season 1 are more evident this second time around.

Climbing - Some good climbs this month, at The Depot in Pudsey and City Bloc. And as the early nights are on the wane, the crag beckons...

Handy Divisions - What was January all about then?

2010-02-03T19:54:00.000Z

This is just a vibe, a sense of what a month was about. It's not a comprehensive list, just a little bit of preservation for the month.

Harrogate Library. I'm back full-time, and I'm glad to be back. The previous set-up was a bad idea, though I dare-say we've more of those in our future...

Snow. Lovely to look at, a pain to negotiate. Didn't fall over at all though. Not in town at least.

Bayonetta. One of the finest games in some time, and the realisation of Devil May Cry's dream of flowing combat. This was played all month, and this looks set to continue for some time, even though I have the full set of achievements.

Snowboarding. A friend went on holiday to do this, but first the pair of us went down to Xscape at Castleford for lessons. It was a good time, and I'd hope to do it again, but I'm not sure when.

New baby. Born to a colleague of mine, I've seen the new arrival a few times and held her twice. Now, to just wait until she starts to do something interesting...

The return of the Toy Fair. An absence of a few years was ended with a triumphant fair in mid-January. Hopefully it's here to stay this time.

Wildcats. My first time at a gentleman's club, though it doesn't necessarily make you feel very gentlemanly. Very enjoyable, at a price, but an enigma in terms of whether such a thing should exist. Guess I'll have to go back to do further research...

Roll on (the rest of) February.

2009 in Games - Minesweeper Flags

2009-02-11T23:32:00.018Z

Minesweeper Flags, 360, 11/02/2009

Well, this was a surprise. First, that I didn't know it was even coming to Live Arcade until yesterday. And second, that I should be prepared to actually spend money on it (400msp/£3.40ish) given how free it is with Windows. I think somehow it gives it a greater sense of ownership this way, and I suppose it's no more strange (a slightly different kind of strange...) than buying Rez or Castlevania on Live Arcade when I already own the disc versions on PlayStation.

As it turns out, I don't even like the Flags mode that much, prefering the classic game. And although initially odd, the controls seem to work well on the 360's pad - it creates a nice feeling of precision when you get a good run of clearances.

2009 in Games - R-Type Dimensions

2009-02-07T20:50:00.009Z

R-Type Dimensions, 360, 07/02/2009

My doomed affair with the shoot 'em up continues. Through from Armalyte to R-Type Final and Gradius V, I have loved the shoot 'em up for some time, yet continue to be very bad at them - even just to play, never mind for high scores.

But the lure of two R-Type games with a plethora of new features and upgraded graphics on-hand on the 360 was too much to resist. And it has been inspiring - it's inspired me to find videos of decent players on Youtube! And it's inspired me to go back to the much more accessible Omega Five. So I may not be good at it, but at least it's there.

2009 in Games - Fable II: Knothole Island

2009-01-13T14:19:00.000Z

Fable II: Knothole Island add-on, 360, 13/01/2009

I wasn't sure whether to include add-ons in the games of the year and such, but I decided that they would go unnoticed and unloved without a mention. Having said that, the fact that I'm spending money on Knothole Island could also be a factor - would I feel as keen to include free downloadable content? Would DLC of this scale ever be free?

We'll deal with that when we come to it, but for now I am Fable II's bitch, and not without good cause. My only problem in deciding how to approach Knothole is that my primary character isn't fully fleshed out yet, and I've no intention of taking the character I first used to complete the game, for reasons you will be able to deduce if you've played the game to completion. Either way, I'm not put off by the thought of playing more of the main game again, and I certainly relish the wintry island that awaits me.

2009 in Games - Trials 2: Second Edition

2009-01-02T19:37:00.004Z

Trials 2: Second Edition, PC, 02/01/2009

A new PC, a new era of PC gaming ushered in. Erm, no. But some more flexibility to dabble? Sure, and at bargain price of £1.49 (now back up to the still-rather-bargainous £5.99), as part of the terrific content delivery system Steam, and evoking more 8-bit memories (the Commodore 64's Kickstart), this should indeed be worth that dabble.

The trial version has so far delivered extreme frustration, tempered by much amusement, followed be immense satisfaction. I look forward to this continuing, with a hint of a worry that there will be a greater amount more frustration than either of the other elements...

2009 in Games - World of Goo

2009-01-02T17:17:00.004Z

World of Goo, Wii, 02/01/2009

A circuitous route to this game.

Awareness came from positive forum rantings and end of year summaries. Accessibility came from a router firmware upgrade following the purchase of a new laptop. Affordability came from the surprising presence of a teasing 1400 Wii points still on the console... and from registering The Legend of Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass (a gift from Christmas 2007!) on Nintendo's website, snagging me enough Stars to get the 100 Wii points needed to get things going.

Or, more pointedly, gooing.

2009 in Games - Index

2009-01-02T15:22:00.019Z

World of Goo, Wii, 02/01/2009
Trials 2: Second Edition, PC, 02/01/2009
Fable II: Knothole Island, 360, 13/01/2009
R-Type Dimensions, 360, 07/02/2009
Minesweeper Flags, 360, 11/02/2009
Noby Noby Boy, PS3, 19/02/2009
Linger in Shadows, PS3, 19/02/2009
Platypus, iPhone, 12/03/2009
Dr. Awesome, iPhone, 13/03/2009
No More Heroes, Wii, 26/03/2009
Skate 2, 360, 03/04/2009
The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai, 360, 03/04/2009
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, Wii, 11/04/2009
Brick Breaker Revolution 3D, iPhone, 13/04/2009
OutRun Online Arcade, 360, 17/04/2009
Reflexion, iPhone, 23/04/2009
Space Ninja, iPhone, 23/04/2009
Abigale, iPhone, 23/04/2009
Flashback, iPhone, 07/05/2009
Fable II: See the Future, 360, 12/05/2009
NanoFighter, iPhone, 15/05/2009
Ragdoll Kung-Fu, PS3, 17/05/2009
Guitar Hero III, 360, 10/06/2009
Peggle, iPhone, 13/06/2009
GoGoRescue, iPhone, 13/06/2009
Guitar Hero: Metallica, 360, 13/06/2009
Toki Tori, iPhone, 02/07/2009
Rock Band 2, 360, 04/07/2009
Space Invaders Infinity Gene, iPhone, 30/07/2009
Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor, iPhone, 12/08/2009
Trials HD, 360, 13/08/2009
Melon Golf, iPhone, 31/08/2009
Castlevania Order of Ecclesia, DS, 08/09/2009
The Beatles Rock Band, 360, 09/09/2009
Halo 3: ODST, 360, 22/09/2009
iBlast Moki, iPhone, 03/10/2009
SkySmash, iPhone, 03/10/2009
Meteor Blitz, iPhone, 11/10/2009
Soosiz, iPhone, 11/10/2009
Hookchamp, iPhone, 18/10/2009
Dark Nebula, iPhone, 18/10/2009
Beneath a Steel Sky, iPhone, 20/11/2009
Gyromancer, 360, 23/11/2009
Mini Squadron, iPhone, 27/11/2009
Canabalt, iPhone, 14/12/2009
Trials HD Big Pack, 360, 23/12/2009
Shadow Complex, 360, 26/12/2009
Guitar Hero World Tour, 360, 31/12/2009

2008 in Games - LittleBigPlanet

2008-12-29T16:56:00.003Z

LittleBigPlanet, PS3, 29/12/2008

Could this be the last game of the year? Or will I succumb and purchase Dreamfall on 360? (Probably not - bought it for my Mum today, so will see what she thinks first.) Is there anything on Live Arcade this week?

Anyway, I've had my eye on LBP for a while, what with the small matter of an Edge 10. It remains to be seen whether I'll agree with that 10 - I'm particularly worried that I won't be any good at creating - but it's always enough to grab the attention. Also attention grabbing is to actually try the game, as I did yesterday in PCWorld. What struck me was how delightfully videogamey it was, (Hang on, 'videogamey' give Firefox's spellchecker no grief?! What is the language coming to?!) and rather charming with it. Not unlike N+ it seems to take classic videogaming conventions - platforms, collectibles, exits - and drench them in more modern elements, like physics and - of course - online sharing. Not to mention a fair bit of charm. Did I mention the charm? It definitely had charm.

And now that I've got this blog out of the way, I'm off to give it a try!

2008 in Games - Tomb Raider Underworld

2008-12-29T16:37:00.002Z

Tomb Raider Underworld, 360, 19/12/2008

One to pick up when it's cheaper, I thought. Good reviews, some good comments on the forums, but for some reason I didn't want to pay full price. (Do I ever want to pay full price?)

Little did I realise that it would be cheaper so quickly - the princely sum of £18 on Play.com, as part of their pre-Christmas promotions, the game now seems to be back at £40. Still, there are games that I, and my friends, have purchased on launch day only to find them significantly cheaper a gallingly short amount of time later. Something is wrong with the industry pricing model/release schedules that it should be this way. On the other hand, should I feel bad that the developers don't get as much money from me as had been bargained for?

Anyway, Lara looks to be in sparkling form. Not finished yet, but it really feels like a Tomb Raider game, and it looks like nothing before it - a sumptuous experience. Now, if I could only get out of this pit I seem to be trapped in...

2008 in Games - Doritos Dash of Destruction

2008-12-18T08:25:00.000Z

Doritos Dash of Destruction, 360, 17/12/2008

And amazingly, I was eating a bag of Chilli Heatwave Doritos at the very moment I went to download this. Which is probably the most remarkable thing to be said about it.

2008 in Games - Prince of Persia

2008-12-18T08:18:00.001Z

Prince of Persia, 360 12/12/2008

So, let's see... He's not a Prince, and it doesn't particularly make any great efforts to look like it's set in anything other than a fantastical version of Persia. Hmm.

Minor quibbles though! The main quibble must surely be how little chance it has of matching up to Sands of Time, and in this it does not disappoint - it doesn't match up to Sands of Time. So at least we can put that aside and enjoy it for what it is - a relaxing jaunt through a delightful fantasy world.

Oh, and... ceiling runs? *sigh* I suppose it was only natural, once wallruns became de rigeur...

Clay Bank to Urra Moor, Saturday the 6th of December 2008

2008-12-18T08:16:00.003Z

Snow! Lots of snow!

But not on this day - a few days earlier, and all gone from Harrogate. So we had to find some nice hills somewhere that would have retained some. Urra Moor is in the north west of the North Yorkshire Moors, and a fair journey from home. For a while it looked as if we had left snow territory, but of course this was only in the lowlands, and the hills above Stokesley were still laden with plenty of white stuff.

We parked up in Clay Bank car park, where Tina overheard someone a few cars along suggest that it was too dangerous to set out across the moors. Pah! Lightweight! (Or perhaps heavyweight - maybe he meant all of the moors?) We would tackle it head on! And so we set off over some vaguely familiar ground - I had taken part in a mountain bike race in this area many years ago - spurred on by the crisp winter air.

We started upwards and through the Ingleby woods, eventually - later than planned, but probably for the best - breaking through up onto the moor. We took lunch on a big patch of heather that was free of snow, then headed onto open ground. Deciding we didn't want to be caught on an extended walk in snowy conditions and darkness, we elected to take the direct route along the moortop back to the car park. This was eventful enough, with plenty of snow to tromp through, and some fine views on the final descent.

A short walk of roughly three miles, but an area with much potential.

2008 in Games - Mirror's Edge

2008-11-20T08:18:00.003Z

Mirror's Edge, 360, 14/11/2008

In a curiours twist, I bought this game at lunchtime, and that evening arrived home to find Edge magazine waiting for me. Edge this, Edge that. More than that, the game was reviewed in the magazine.

5 out of 10.

Ouch. Suffice to say, that put me off peeling the cellophane from the game for a little while, and I went back to Fable II. When I did though, it was... okay. Not amazing, not awful, but pretty good. Glad I played it, glad I completed it, might go back to it someday.

Leeds to Thruscross, Saturday the 8th of November

2008-11-10T07:54:00.003Z

Leeds? To Thruscross? Leeds to Thruscross? How does that even work? Even if you take the outermost point of Leeds and measure an unlikely as-the-crow-flies route to Thruscross reservoir, you're looking at about 12 miles - and we were in the centre of Leeds!

Ah, but there's a twist in this tale! This was not one event, but two. Leeds was some important Christmas shopping, which had the look of something that might take up the whole day, but in fact was over about as swiftly as it could have been. And thus, or Thrus, we decided to fit a fairly local walk in afterwards.

It's easy to get a bit of a downer on local walks - if you choose to go on one and it disappoints, you can't help think that going further afield would have proven more adventurous. And although Thruscross Reservoir does start out fairly sedately - it does branch off from a car park at the reservoir, so it needs to be fairly accessible - the core part of the walk is excellent. Six and two threes as to which direction you take around the reservoir, this time we went anti-clockwise. A pleasant waterside stroll leads to a mild moorland climb before dropping off into the woods on the water's edge. A fairly steep descent through densely packed trees, the forest floor was covered with old pine needles - like a giant sponge cake sprawling off down the path, and like golden vermicelli up close. It gave a pleasantly different look to the forest setting, in the same way that snow would change a landscape. And once we'd reached the end of the woods we crossed the river and dived straight back in (to the woods, not the river) for some intrepid climbs in muddy, yet still gorgeous, conditions.

Although the walk was fairly short - probably about 4.5 miles - it felt fairly substantial, and the light started to fade towards the end. Not oppresively so, just enough to make some interesting shadows and colours. And overall there was a sense that this walk could so easily not have happened, making it all the more pleasing that it did.

Bolton Priory to Barden Moor, Saturday the 25th of October 2008

2008-10-26T18:05:00.003Z

Woods. That's what was needed for this walk, woods. Autumn has arrived, and a carpet of leaves was what I had in mind. Choosing a walk is often difficult, what with distance, weather, scenery, repetition and so on being factors. Given the relative paucity of quality forestry in the dales, this one both needed and would depend on something reliable, so to speak. So a Bolton Abbey/Priory (whatever) route, incorporating the well trodden section of the Strid, a less often section right past the Abbey/Priory (whatever), and new sections up to and across Barden Moor.

The Strid nowadays is the Strid. It's just a case of deciding which side of the river to walk in which direction. A usual visit to the conveniences also leaves us prey to the nearby shop - not that I'm complaining about the lovely large Eccles Cake I indulged in at that point.

The new section of the walk took us up from Bolton Abbey/Priory (whatever), through a small wood (Yay! New trees!) and up on the moor to Lower Barden Reservoir. It was a nice little wood, and I liked the moor up to the reservoir - despite a severe muddying at one point, with Tina falling after boldly tackling the mud head-on (and fair play to her!) and me sinking to my calves. Nice views of the road to Skipton and the nearby (it would turn out on the drive back) quarries. All wrapped up with a steady stroll around the reservoir and descent to Barden Bridge.

2008 in Games - Fable II

2008-10-26T17:54:00.001Z

Fable II, 360, 24/10/2008

I'll make no bones about the fact I'm writing this almost a week after purchase. What would I have had to say on launch day? "I bought Fable II, it's pretty"? While that's true, it's also not fair. For whilst the surface of the game is pretty, scratch through that and what you find is rather beautiful.

Lush vistas, invigorating combat, property to own, jobs to be done, games to be played, amusing characters, knowing references, demon doors to open, gargoyles to shoot, statues to get expressive with, people to marry, children to bear, books to read, old haunts to visit... And that's without even taking the story too far.

And it's a game that really opens up for you. You could play through it without pushing too hard, and you'd probably enjoy it as an action RPG. But give it a little nudge and it rewards you in spades. Take the economy of the gameworld. It's possible to buy just about any building in the game, and it will take you a little while to get started - first you will likely have to take a job as a blacksmith, woodcutter or bar-person. And you have to work for it. Never has such a slog felt so fitting, because once that graft has earned you some gold, you can start investing. And with each investment, a return every five minutes. Couple this with some astute trading and the banks of Albion are at your mercy, allowing you to be a suitably equipped adventurer for the vast and gorgeous world that surrounds you.

All that, and I still get the feeling that there is so much more ahead of me.

Appletreewick to Troller's Gill, Saturday the 11th of October 2008

2008-10-14T08:21:00.001+01:00

I don't know why we hadn't done this one before. It's just about on Harrogate's doorstep, it starts on the River Wharfe, which has seen action on many other walks, and it had the promise of some interesting landscapes. I just really don't know.

But in a way, I'm glad it took us this long to get around to exploring Troller's Gill. It's encouraging to know that the landscape still holds features that can surprise and enchant, and the Gill certainly did that. Feeling like a mini version of Gordale Scar - longer and flatter (so completely different really) - the Gill was a fine feature, with a lovely valley preceding it - nice pacing! Once the Gill was out of the way, the walk slowed down somewhat, being comprised entirely of moorland and a farm track back down to Appletreewick. Fortunately this was saved from complete mundaneness by a showdown with a very large cow.

That isn't the cow, that's a bull, and fortunately he just kept on doing what he was doing the whole time, the big bastard.

Overall a lovely walk, but probably one that would be better served by looping back on one's self after the top of Troller's Gill had been reached. At least with that it still offers opportunities for the future.

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2008 in Games - Wipeout HD

2008-10-08T08:09:00.001+01:00

Wipeout HD, PS3, 07/10/2008

Yes, at last, the plunge has been taken, and this game was the prime motivator. Combine that with wanting to take further advantage of my 1080p TV via Blu-Ray, and particularly happening across a pre-owned PS2 capable PS3 in Game, and I was sold. Spontaneously, and with a taste of 'will I survive the rest of the month?' in the background. But if you can't occasionally make a crazy purchase or similar, well, that'd be rubbish. So I tell myself.

I expect to continue buying multiformat titles on Xbox 360 - for the pad, for achievements, so as to avoid mandatory installs. So it's all about the PS3 exclusives then (and Blu-Rays of course). Probably some downloads (GTi Club brings back interesting arcade memories), LittleBigPlanet will, as an Edge 10, probably get a look (eventually...), Infamous could interest a Crackdown fan, and obviously I'm keen to hear more news from Fumito Ueda and co.

Speaking of which - Shadow of the Colossus, upscaled... Oh my.

Oh, yes, and Wipeout HD is a bit lovely. My last Wipeout was Pure, and I actually preferred the tournament structure in that game - though HD probably does encourage greater use of different game modes. And I've got to say, I'm very much looking forward to some downloadable track packs, though I can't imagine that they'll be quite as eclectic as Pure's equivalents.

2008 in Games - Impossible Mission

2008-10-08T08:08:00.001+01:00

Impossible Mission, PS2, 07/10/2008

Another PS2 game... Play a while. Play forever!

Hey, it was only a quid, and I was making another purchase at the time...

Grassington to Conistone Pie, Saturday the 27th of September 2008

2008-10-07T07:47:00.001+01:00

Another instinctive choice of walk for today (well, I say 'today', but you know what I mean), and overall another success. I had fancied tackling Conistone Dib and Pie again for a while, but on their own they make for a rather insubstantial walk. Grassington is always a good starting point, so it wasn't too much of a leap to combine the two, although it did mean that we didn't really know how many miles we would be tackling.

It did lead to some interesting discoveries though. Skirting around the top of Grass wood was interesting enough, with a smattering of limestone to negotiate, but the subsequent descent to Conistone was of particular interest, commencing with a gradual slope along the side of a rather dramatic gulley.

Bizarrely, what came next was a survey. If I had been walking through the shopping district of a large town, a clipboarder would have received short shrift. But out in the wild, in such a different context, I was caught off guard and found myself answering. From a small group of walkers, one man peeled off and starting questioning about countryside access and the like. Turns out it was for his Duke of Edinburgh award, which is a decent enough reason to be disturbed in the middle of the countryside. Got to say, I thought some of his questions were oddly worded.

Lunch on Conistone Pie was a very windy experience, followed by some, how can I put this, messing around on the nearby limestone pavement. I like to treat it like a videogame, jumping between one limestone platform and the next. This nearly became a problem, as I tried to make larger leaps and keep my momentum up, I almost stood/fell/crashed on to a couple who were lying amongst the rocks. I faltered slightly, but kept moving, and just gave them a cheery "Excuse me!"

Click, Clunk, Crack, Rustle, Rattle, Tap

2008-10-01T08:10:00.000+01:00

For as long as I can remember, my hearing has been a bit shoddy. A school age hearing test is remembered as indicating a mid-frequency deficiency. However, a recent test shows frequency dropping off higher into the range, meaning it's harder to hear girls talk. This meant action!

So yesterday I picked up my hearing aids. The keyboard I'm typing this on sounds great! And I do seem to be handle volume levels better - I don't need to turn the car stereo up any more, but on the other hand road noise is quite prominent. The crucial element - voices - haven't come much into play yet, as I've only seen a few people so far. The day at work that is about to start should say much about how I'll cope.

The biggest difference however has been with things that make the sounds of the post title. Keys, locks, bones, switches, crisp packets, keyboards. And the kettle... The kettle. I thought there was a bloody earthquake happening! How do you people cope with kettles on a day-to-day basis?!

Bolton Abbey and the Valley of Desolation, Saturday the 13th of September 2008

2008-09-16T07:42:00.000+01:00

To decide where to walk is often a difficult thing. Unless a momentous walk is in the offing - the Lakes, Gordale Scar, Roseberry Topping - it can sometimes take a hefty chunk out of your morning figuring out where you're headed. Something about wanting to keep the jouney time down made Bolton Abbey (well, Bolton Abbey estate, Strid Wood) a natural choice. And, in the event of moderately bad weather, we would be kept relatively well sheltered in the woods by the river.

The place wasn't too busy early on, and a chill in the air - combined with scenery such as that shown above - gave the place a kind of lost island feel, as if some strange creature were around the next corner, being worshipped by a band of tribespeople.

There wasn't though.

After a short browse around the gift shop near the abbey, the route took a turn for the improvised, as an estate map board revealed a route that the OS map had not. And so instead of either simply going up and down the Valley of Desolation, or trying to sneak through private woodland, we looped up the Valley of Desolation and around the peak we had just been walking under, leading us to a fantastic view on our descent back to the abbey. A second visit to the gift shop brought ice creams, drinks and fudge! By this point the weather had long since turned from gloomy and overcast to glorious sunshine. And as we returned to the car, we were surprised to see how much of the day had passed - the walk had taken around six hours, though it didn't seem anywhere near as arduous or as long as some other walks of similar times. Curious.

2008 in Games - Braid

2008-09-01T21:55:00.001+01:00

Braid, 360, 01/09/2008

And for my next trick, Braid.

My word. This is just lovely. From the sumptuous art style, to the utterly charming music, to the wonderfully mind-melting puzzles, this is absolutely a game to make you smile. And to make you think - these elements are set against a melancholy back-story, one which really makes you consider what the time-bending puzzle elements stand for.

Simply divine.

2008 in Games - Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2

2008-09-01T21:53:00.001+01:00

Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2, 360, 01/09/2008

Back online, back in the game...

First up, the Geometry Wars, which I had already had a chance to dabble with in trial mode, racking up some... unimpressive-but-higher-that-my-friends scores. A no-brainer of a purchase once I was hooked up again.

Such a dazzling game, for such simplicity. Six available modes, of which King is my least favourite, and Pacifism probably the best - considering you can't shoot and there is essentially only one enemy type it's amazingly compelling. Some smart achievements available, ones that reward a change in playing style. I've already got a decent haul, but I'm not sure I see me taking it much further. Still, the basic gameplay remains ludicrously addictive.

Pateley Bridge Nidd Valley, Sunday the 24th of August 2008

2008-08-27T08:14:00.002+01:00

As has been noted before, you can't really go wrong with Pateley Bridge. Well, not through any fault of Pateley Bridge's anyway. Human error can lead you wildly wrong...

We decided to make this a greatly extended version of the usual walk - rather than simply walking along the river, we took the Panorama Walk along to Smelthouses. Unfortunately, our jaunt through Smelthouses Wood was cut short by our straying onto private property - and, more crucially, being caught doing so. And so the delightful country lady that we encountered ushered us back on to the wrong part of the Nidderdale Way, and we picked up our intended route at the main road.

I say 'intended route', but exactly what that might have been was never quite clear. And so a bad choice of path just after the above photo meant we were stuck by the river for longer than intended, and our route up to Guisecliffe was an arduous and uninteresting one.

Once we got there however, the walk sorted itself out. Back on the beaten track, we had a fine lunch and then made our way along the valley top. Another slight variation just before the return to Pateley Bridge was more successful, if rather muddy, taking in a small pond and grand ruined old tree.

Note to self: less can be more! (Though I'm probably being a little harsh on this walk - there were actually some stunning views, some lovely woodland, and a very pleasant stretch of riverside.)

Bonus picture, from the good part of the walk:

Ingleton Waterfalls Walk, Sunday the 17th of August 2008

2008-08-27T08:13:00.003+01:00

A guest walker! Along with Tina and myself, Tina's daughter Jo joined us for this walk.

Ingleton would definitely be a favourite walk if it was closer, and didn't have a fee attached. For a day here and there, it is well worth both the trip and the admission. You just couldn't do it every week.

It was a different experience on this day though. Probably the most changeable weather this walk has had, though we were never drenched, and in fact still managed to get the enthusiasm up for ice creams at the end of the walk! (Not as good as Suggitts though!) And the mood of the weather on the day was nothing compared to what must have gone before, as the waterfalls were churning with a great weight of furious water. The pools below the falls bubbled violently, and the water was dark and yellow, presumably from picking up more rock and sand on its way downstream.

Another difference was to dip our toes very briefly into a longer route. At the furthest point of the tourist trail, it is possible to ascend to the limestone pavement above and take a very long loop on its top. Nothing quite so grand, we merely climbed to the pavement and sat on it for our lunch, enjoying the magnificent view.

And all the while, the dark mountain of Ingleborough loomed over us, beckoning, taunting...

Roseberry Topping and Captain Cook's Monument, Thursday the 7th of August 2008

2008-08-27T08:11:00.002+01:00

Along with Ingleton, Roseberry Topping was a walk that had been attempted prior to the true age of walking. As both locations were fairly obvious tourist destinations, they made for splendid precursors to the walking age.

The previous trip up Roseberry was closer to a 'real' walk in structure than Ingleton had been, as we had brought our lunch along with us, and we had brought a flask (which I broke), but the length of the walk was not so ambitious. Well, we made up for that today (well, not today, but you know what I mean). First of all, a longer route up Roseberry was selected - from Great Ayton, which had other benefits as we shall see later... Secondly, rather than simply bouncing up Roseberry and back down, we headed across to Captain Cook's Monument, via a luncheon on the hanging rock overlooking Guisborough.

A very fine walk. And the benefits of basing the walk in Great Ayton - bonus pie for lunch, and the gorgeous Suggitt's ice cream to round it all off! Gorgeous!

Grizedale Forest Silurian Way, Saturday the 2nd of August 2008

2008-08-15T07:45:00.003+01:00

The walk that comes after this one is the one that was originally planned for this day. But as good as that one would turn out to be, for this day it was thinking small. We needed to up the ante, make for a notable summer walk, and so we looked beyond Yorkshire's borders.

And you can't go wrong with the Lake District. It's not too far away, it's got all sorts of scenery, and it is a little familiar to me, meaning that planning a route was less nerve-wracking than it might have been - not that we executed the walk perfectly, with some confusion over waymarkers leading us to make minor missteps at about half-way around.

Much of the walk was, it has to be said, fairly standard forest roads, but it was punctuated by the glorious views above Coniston (the perfect spot for lunch), a delightful descent back into Grizedale Valley (actually, a couple of delightful descents - but some gruelling climbs), and the lovely Grizedale Tarn. At about 10-12 miles overall, I'd wager the walk could be edited down to our usual 5-6 and still include all the really good stuff, but I think it would have been somewhat less rewarding. For a big day out, this was just the ticket.

Grassington to Burnsall, Tuesday the 29th of July 2008

2008-08-11T07:43:00.001+01:00

We'd taken walks out of both Grassington and Burnsall before, and a route combining the two looked very palatable.

I have to admit, beforehand we were a little concerned about the second half of the route - it looked a little open, and potentially uninteresting - so we turned it around and made it the first half. And it was lovely. Rolling hills and great views. The supposedly more interesting second half - back along the river to Grassington - was in fact spoiled by a burst of allergy on my part - my eyes were swollen and red, and I felt compelled to rush back to the car, rather souring the end of the day. Ouch! But overall a lovely walk, and one that will certainly stand repetition - probably the 'right' way round next time!

Scar Dam to Middlesmoor, Saturday the 19th of July

2008-08-04T18:47:00.000+01:00

Scar Dam had thrown up some bad experiences in the past - an almost-fall from Tina, a walk along the rather dreary access road - but we felt it was ripe for re-exploration, considering that we'd only seen some quite lovely sections of this area on one other occasion.

The route chosen took us down How Stean Gorge, where we had lunch, and up to Middlesmoor, cutting out the small road where Tina nearly fell over. However, I then proceeded to take a wrong turn out of the tiny village, which meant that we had to trek up the valley side where we should have skirted along the top of it. Once we reached the valley floor (when we were supposed to) the walk became very heavy going. Not really sure why to be honest, but Scar Dam is always hard work. There was kind of an oppressive atmosphere in the air at the valley floor, and having to climb the other side of the valley (when I had thought that we could avoid doing so) didn't help either. An attractive walk, but a mysteriously difficult one.

2008 in Games - Song Summoner

2008-07-19T10:35:00.003+01:00

Song Summoner, iPod, 13/07/2008

A strange compulsion to find out what kind of teeny-tiny soldiers my songs would be turned into is what led to this purchase. I haven't played it much yet, and really I shouldn't be giving competition to all the books I've got to read at the moment. But at £4 it's not a bad thing to have in reserve on the device that gets carried everywhere.

Prediction: it won't be as good as Disgaea. It might even make me want to play Disgaea again.

Edit: I accidentally deleted this from my iPod without ever really playing it. Such much for that one then!

Richmond to Applegarth, Saturday the 5th of July 2008

2008-07-19T09:59:00.001+01:00

Quite a struggle to find where to go this week (read: two weeks ago). I don't think this walk was quite the Richmond I was expecting, but it still had some lovely sections. Unfortunately, many of these sections were blighted by more seriously heavy rain - we're not having much luck with the weather lately. Not that I really mind a bit of rain, but prolonged walking in it does result in being somewhat soaked, which isn't very comfortable. Would like nice weather just for a change!

At least there was no falling this time - a particularly good thing, as what looked like the most likely place to fall was a very rocky riverside path. Uneven and greasey thanks to the rain. But we made it through. We just didn't get any photos of that bit.

Oh, and you can't have a map, as I'm on dial-up at the minute. You can find it if you want. Clue: it's Richmond, North Yorkshire.

Buckden to Yockenthwaite, Saturday the 21st of June 2008

2008-07-01T07:54:00.000+01:00

Although we didn't have much luck with the weather - save for a just about decent spell to take in lunch and a great view along the valley back to Buckden - this was a lovely walk.

An extension of a previous Buckden walk, the extra mileage made all the difference. Hubberholme to Yockenthwaite was easily the best part of the walk, despite being menaced by some pretty mean looking cows at one point. That and Tina falling over - she had been concerned about a fall on the first rocky descent above Cray, but I lent her a walking pole and we managed okay. Not so after Yockenthwaite - a small and simple looking drop down to the riverside proved deceptive, and being coated in thick wet grass was no help. Splat! Still, at least the ground fallen on wasn't rocky - and the camera seems to be okay despite cushioning the fall.

Photo courtesy of Tina's photo album.

Not sure what's happening with this map...

View Larger Map

Do you know?

2008-06-17T22:07:00.001+01:00

I've just watched Juno. And I wanted to mention that here. Somewhere. Don't know why. I mean, it was good, but I don't know why it needed logging. Perhaps it feels like the most substantial film I've seen in a while. That could be it.

Pateley Bridge Panorama Walk, Thursday the 12th of June 2008

2008-06-17T07:54:00.003+01:00

Well, sort of. Tina had prepared a route for this one, a change from our usual Pateley jaunts, but it didn't quite take in some of the sights/sites I had thought it would. And so I insisted on going a certain way, to reach a certain height and see some old quarries. My route wasn't bad, but it made it so that we couldn't really take a big circular route anywhere, so the walk ended up being pretty short.

So on the whole not bad, just underdeveloped. We know what to aim for next time.

Foo Fighters, Wembley Stadium, Saturday 07/06/2008

2008-06-08T23:27:00.002+01:00

Last minute availability of tickets (due to the original user going instead to a wedding in the USA - priorities people!) meant that a gap in my schedule would need to be found. Well, more 'made' than 'found' actually. Although I hadn't been the biggest Foo Fighters fan up to this point - only owning one of their CDs - I didn't intend to miss an opportunity like this.

I had originally been due to go for a countryside walk with Tina. Shame to miss out on that, but the countryside will still be here over the coming weeks! Anyway, Tina was still up for a day out, so I took her along. Good thing too, as she handled preparations for the day masterfully, informing me about the parking charges (£25 to park at the stadium... I feel sick.) and taking charge of the day's food, both for the journey and inside the stadium. I think she had a good time too! She'd never been to anything like this before, so it was good to have her along to bring a fresh perspective to things - why don't support bands have warm-up acts?

Not that I'd ever been to a stadium gig before either. I've been to several stadiums, including the old Wembley, and I've been to arena concerts and festivals, but this was a little different. Support acts the Futureheads and Supergrass trotted out some tunes, before the place truly came alive for the Foos, who benefited from a spectacular stage set and lighting. As I say, I hadn't been the biggest fan, and neither had Tina, but we couldn't help but be swept away by a fantastic show. Notable features included Dave Grohl having some great banter with the crowd and his bandmates, an epic triangle solo, and Led Zeppelin members Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones joining Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins for the encore. In the presence of big events!

Getting out was a bit more complicated - I had to keep careful track of Tina through the massed hordes pouring out of the stadium, and car park exit wasn't much fun either. Only once on the North Circular and then M1 did things start to flow. Risk of dozing was fought off by lively conversation, singalongs and tea break stops. Got back about 0330 on Sunday morning. Am still tired now! Well worth it though. A great day.

Ingleton Waterfalls Walk, Saturday the 24th of May, 2008

2008-06-08T23:01:00.006+01:00

Playing catch-up again here. I'm going to blame the lack of regular broadband access, as it makes uploading pictures problematic. And then I'm going to not post a picture! Not that there weren't plenty of good picture taken, it's just I'd only get put off doing it at all if I wait any longer, and besides, the commercial nature of this walk means that you can find all the details you might need about it here and here.

Tina and I had done this walk before, but only in our pre-walking days. A proto-walk if you like. We didn't even have a flask with us back then! No such worries this time - a flask, some lovely crisps, and some gorgeous sausage rolls. A bit of a shame that there is a charge attached to this walk, but worth it due to the truly gorgeous and varied scenery. Highly recommended.

2008 in Games - Super Mario Galaxy

2008-05-07T21:58:00.003+01:00

Super Mario Galaxy, Wii, 03/05/2008

GTAIV is working out as predicted. And on top of me liking it, Edge have seen fit to award it a coveted 10. That's four 10s in the last year - Halo 3, The Orange Box, Super Mario Galaxy, and GTAIV. I had three of them, it was time to pick up the fourth.

Killing time in Sainsbury's before a monster GTA session, Galaxy jumped off the shelf at me, priced £30 - very reasonable I thought. (And I can only say this because I'm blogging later than I should - it's good. Games with screwy gravity always have a bit of a head start.)

Grassington, Saturday the 3rd of May, 2008

2008-05-07T21:44:00.003+01:00

Another repeated walk, but the change in weather since the 5th of January meant that the walk was one of a completely different tone. Went a lot faster, though whether that was because of the weather or just the increased familiarity of the route isn't clear.

Tina had bought some weird crisps made out of all sorts of different vegetables - beetroot, parsnip and such. Quite nice. But weird. I couldn't help thinking as I ate "Why aren't they potatoes?!"

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2008 in Games - Grand Theft Auto IV

2008-05-07T21:37:00.002+01:00

Grand Theft Auto IV, 360, 29/04/2008

This one is going to work, I can just tell. I hope. GTA has never stuck before, but this next-gen one is going to pull together well enough to work for me.

Bit of a slow burner to start, but I've already been on a date with Michelle, and that at least is going to keep me coming back for more...

Guisecliffe, Pateley Bridge, Saturday the 26th of April 2008

2008-05-07T21:22:00.003+01:00

You just cannot go wrong with Guisecliffe. It's got everything. Went anti-clockwise today (well, that day, as I'm a bit behind on blogging) so the photo is from quite early on. Quite good to get most of the uphill out of the way, and it's a more easy going and attractive ascent.

Great weather, but the wind made lunch a difficult prospect. We went for Crocodile Rock, which allowed us to dispense with the blanket by sitting on the rock's surface, in its mouth in fact, sheltered from the wind.

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John O'Gaunt's Castle and Stainburn Forest, Saturday the 29th of March

2008-04-02T17:06:00.004+01:00

A very local walk, only a stone's throw from town, a chance to uncover some local landmarks that we had previously only driven around.

Unfortunately, the weather took a turn for the worse at about 3/4 of the way around, meaning that (1) the delightful photo shows the best of it, and (2) we didn't get our lunch until we were back at the car! Nothing wrong with that though!

And in case you're wondering, I'm picking up a rock that looks like the end of someone's thumb. Peerless photography as ever, always ready to capture the moment.

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2008 in Games - Super Turrican

2008-03-04T01:10:00.003Z

Super Turrican, Wii, 03/03/2008

After a bit of a runaround trying to get some Wii points sorted, Super Turrican was downloaded tonight.

Seems to be part Turrican, part Turrican 2. Somehow, despite all the ingredients, it manages to fall short of those titles' charm (Amiga versions). Hopefully we'll see them resurface on Live Arcade. In the meantime, I'll keep slogging away at this - haven't progressed too far yet - and make sure it gets a fair chance. Either way, good to have a Turrican game that doesn't need the Amiga unpacking and TV modulators worrying about.

Simon's Seat, Saturday the 1st of March

2008-03-04T00:58:00.003Z

Wanted a big walk this weekend, and this was that and fairly local too. Bit of everything - riverside meadow, forest, moorland. Incredibly windy on the rocks of Simon's Seat as well, probably the windiest I've known.

Closing section was through the Strid wood, which is attached to Bolton Abbey, and thus full of casual visitors. Walking the gentle footpaths in the wood, geared out with backpack and walking poles, you wanted to tell everyone walking the other way that, actually, you'd done a good 8 miles already!

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Four Day Hombre, Thursday 28/02/2008

2008-03-03T23:13:00.003Z

Went along to a gig with a friend. Didn't know who the band were.

But it was a gig, and that's good enough. Music has power in spades as it is, but when it's live... When it takes the shape of all the space around you, brooking no argument with the voices of those nearby... When it doesn't stop there, and reaches inside of you and makes your bones shake in tune with whatever it is... Fantastic.

And the band was good. Will be following them up.

2008 in Games - N+

2008-02-20T19:28:00.003Z

N+, 360, 20/02/2008

It's going to take a back seat as I continue to batter Devil May Cry's Dante Must Die mode - I want those supers! - but N+ was instantly appealing, shattering any idea I may have had about sitting on the trial the way I am with Poker Smash.

It's like an 8-bit game, only now.

Edit: 01/09/2008 - Purchased N+ add-on pack. Supposedly some easier levels. Not easy, easier. And still a great big jumpy rush.

Hampsthwaite and Birstwith, Saturday the 16th of February 2008

2008-02-18T12:24:00.004Z

Circumstances dictated a very local walk, and on a recent recommendation from a colleague we set out with only an Explorer map to go by.

A pleasant walk, nothing too spectacular, but at least we got the miles in. I did manage to break my bag, but I fashioned a repair from all the other straps going unused on it.

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Crummockdale, Saturday the 9th of February 2008

2008-02-10T23:38:00.000Z

Some interesting rocky areas at the beginning and end of this walk were worthwhile, but the middle section was rather lacklustre. Enjoyable enough, but not one to do again any time soon. Glorious day though. Bright and hazy. A stunning change from last week.

Good phone signal up there too.

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2008 in Games - Devil May Cry 4

2008-02-10T23:13:00.000Z

Devil May Cry 4, 360, 07/02/2008

This game has kept me so occupied, it's taken me this long to get around to blogging it. And the game is still sitting on in the background waiting for me to come back. I've finished the harder of the two difficulty levels initially available and just working my way through the easier for character development, before moving on to the harder levels. I really hope I am able to unlock Super Nero/Dante. There are still a few things I miss from the original Devil May Cry. I'd love a remake, as playing it bordered on the PS2 is untenable.

It's interesting (to me at least) that this year follows a similar pattern to 2007 - a number of downloadable games, with the first retail game being purchased in February. More downloads and an earlier retail release this year, for what it's worth.

Guisecliffe, Pateley Bridge, Saturday the 2nd of February 2008

2008-02-04T12:26:00.000Z

We had planned a walk in a more distant location, but the snow obviously changed the landscape. Guisecliffe is one of our stalwarts, having tackled it several times, but snow would bring a new dimension.

Although at first it appeared that the snow would melt by the time we got to Pateley Bridge, there was in fact still plenty lying around. Shortly after the photo, there was a heck of a lot more snow, as we walked alongside an exposed moor. This meant we had our lunch rather late, sitting on the strange lying down tree in Skrikes Wood. Overall a marvellous experience, and a delightful contrast to the gloriously sunny days we've had there previously.

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Dad time 2

2008-02-04T12:18:00.000Z

Another visit to Mum and Dad's, another adventure with my Dad.

He volunteers at a local railway restoration type thing, and we needed to go and sort out a couple of things on the site which had been left from earlier in the day. In the dark again, windy once more. Walking around this site between and in the carriages, it felt like flippin' Resident Evil! No ganados or other monsters though thankfully.

2008 in Games, Honourary Edition - Rez HD

2008-01-31T00:08:00.000Z

Rez HD, 360, 30/01/2008

I haven't actually bought this today, but I can assure you the intent was there, so I'm counting it. The reason I haven't bought it is that my Xbox 360 is in its death throes. Twice in the last two days it has RROD'd. Those dreaded three red lights that signify a serious hardware failure. Both times it has come back to life, after a couple of hours powered down (solder setting again?), but there's no way I'm tying Rez to this console when I might have to change it within days.

But I would have bought it. And I have it on PS2 anyway. So it's almost like I bought it.

Oh, and it is soooo beautiful. Thank goodness for XBLA bringing it to a wider audience. That shouldn't be right, considering that there are 120 million PS2s out there, but it's the digital availability that should make sure it's a longer term seller that does it.

Anyway, I'm going to play the Rez trial all night now, to see if it kills my 360. I'd rather it died in action than just refusing to switch on.

2008 in Games - Undertow

2008-01-23T15:52:00.000Z

Undertow, 360, 23/01/2008

Well, it's free, so I might as well. I've had a quick dabble, and marked it as prime "I'll probably delete it when space is getting really tight" material.

2008 in Games - Peggle

2008-01-22T00:21:00.000Z

Peggle, iPod, 21/01/2008

So let's find out what all the fuss is about then!

Weird interface in iTunes though. Why do I have to sync? Why can't I just drag and drop? Why won't my iPod display games in iTunes? I feel like I won't know for sure it's on the pod until I disconnect.

Swinsty, Saturday the 19th of January 2008

2008-01-20T22:48:00.000Z

A fairly local walk, but one exploring some unfamiliar paths. Though with some relatively familiar views. Got lucky with another good day - a lot of rain aftermath to deal with, but the light was once again gorgeous. More good photos abound. But I'll use the one of me tackling a heck of a lot of mud.

Google Maps

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2008 in Games - Vortex

2008-01-20T22:40:00.000Z

Vortex, iPod, 18/01/2007

Hey, I figure I've got the thing with me all the time, I might as well take advantage with some games.

And it's interesting for a couple of reasons. First, the iPod lends itself to an interesting control method, obviously for this rendition of Breakout, and potentially for a number of titles. And second, it makes the game feel platform agnostic - the iPod isn't a games format like the 360 or the DS is, it's just a piece of technology that happens to have reached the level where it can run games. For general technology around us to be this way is no bad thing.

I shan't count the fairly rudimentary quiz or the card game, as they don't feel like real videogames. Vortex can hold its own though. I have my eye on Phase and Peggle next, though I'll probably look for a PC version of Peggle to sample.

Another interesting (well, I think so) thought - if I can buy a CD and listen to it however and whenever I want, how come I have to buy 'Zuma' twice if I want to play it on 360 and iPod?

Pod Filling

2008-01-20T22:32:00.000Z

So I spent some of my Christmas money on an 80gb iPod Classic. Quite a leap from my 2gb Nano, and a leap from moderating what gets transferred to accumulating all the music I've ever heard into one place - that's the revolution.

But of course my PC died recently taking the iTunes library with it (the 'back-up your stuff' lesson is now complete), so I'm currently engaged in a surprisingly - I didn't realise how many CDs I had - epic rip and transfer session. It's a laborious task, but very satisfying - coming across CDs and songs you'd forgotten you had, seeing the iPod gradually fill up, yet seeing that you still have (vast amounts of) plenty of space yet to play with. Even after some videos and games have found their way on there.

Which leads to my next post.

Dad time

2008-01-20T22:18:00.000Z

Was at my Mum and Dad's on Friday. Surprised them with my visit, which is always cool.

Had a nice Father and Son moment with (obviously) my Dad. The driveway gate was broken, so we fixed it in the dark and howling wind. Then we pumped the tyres up on his car using my pump, at one point bumping our heads together as we leaned to look at the air gauge in limited space. No injuries, just a good laugh.

2008 in Games - A list is needed

2008-01-16T23:35:00.010Z

I'm going to stick with the posts per game, but I need to list them as well, in one post, for surveys, forum topics and the like.

Metal Slug 3, 360, 03/01/2008
Mutant Storm Empire, 360, 06/01/2008
Omega Five, 360, 09/01/2008
Vortex, iPod, 18/01/2008
Peggle, iPod, 21/01/2008
Undertow, 360, 23/01/2008
Rez HD, 360, 30/01/2008
Devil May Cry 4, 360, 07/02/2008
N+, 360, 20/02/2008
Super Turrican, Wii, 03/03/2008
Grand Theft Auto IV, 360, 29/04/2008
Super Mario Galaxy, Wii, 03/05/2008
Song Summoner, iPod, 13/07/2008
Geometry Wars 2, 360, 01/09/2008
Braid, 360, 01/09/2008
Impossible Mission, PS2, 07/10/2008
Wipeout HD, PS3, 07/10/2008
Fable II, 360, 24/10/2008
Mirror's Edge, 360, 14/11/2008
Prince of Persia, 360, 12/12/2008
Tomb Raider Underworld, 360, 19/12/2008
LittleBigPlanet, PS3, 29/12/2008

2008 in Games - Omega Five

2008-01-09T22:33:00.000Z

Omega Five, 360, 09/01/2008

Despite a trial mode that allowed play of only about a third of the first level, I could tell straight away that this would do well. It feels most like Gradius V from my experience, but with an added twin-stick mechanic. The twin-stick move and shoot controls are prevalent on Live Arcade (and, so I hear, PSN), but to criticise this game for its inclusion is to miss the point. Omega Five integrates this control method into an old style of game, rather than creating a new game around the control method, a la Geometry Wars or Mutant Storm. That may sound like the less noble option, but it's remarkably refreshing, as well as being implemented in a slightly different fashion - Geometry Wars' fire instantly changes direction, while Omega Five's rotates, leading to some interesting little dances.

Update, 10/01/2008. Some further thoughts on this title. It's a little short, but there are some modes that I haven't explored yet. I've been through the whole game a few times now, and so Omega Five earns the first use of the 'Completed' tag. In truth, the game is far from exhausted. I had some trouble getting a score onto the Live Leaderboards last night, but have sorted that today, and have spent some time in the top 100 for arcade mode. And I'm doing better with the achievements than I thought I would - twice I've completed the game without continuing, as Sensei and Ruby. This has led to frustration, as I persistently fail with R.A.D. where I sailed through with Ruby - despite the difference between the characters being largely cosmetic! I should manage it though, leaving Tempest to focus on later.

The 300 experience

2008-01-06T22:54:00.000Z

So, the movie '300' then, the bombastic and homo-erotic (not to me, but it has been said) epic of The Battle of Thermopylae. Quite a journey I've been through with this film.

First, I missed it at the cinema. I can't even remember why.

Second, a forum friend sent me some games and included - unasked for I stress - a pirated copy of 300. I watched it and, as you'll see, it doesn't seem to have done any harm in this case. I have no idea where the pirate disc is now. I had intended to smash it, but it lost itself.

Next, Xbox Live Marketplace offered the title in HD for 100 Microsoft points on the 28th of December. I had to delete some demos from my hard drive to make room, and there was a bit of a mix up with the pricing - only the SD version was reduced in price at first - but I got it in the end, and watched it twice while Tina was away.

And lastly, today, a pricing error of sorts at Asda allowed me to pick up the two-disc DVD for £7. Glad to get both discs, as some of the extras looking at the historical aspects of the story are quite interesting. And a quick viewing of the feature itself suggest that upscaled DVD will suffice for the time being, at least until 1080p TVs are affordable.

And as a coda, I have the book 'Gates of Fire', by Steven Pressfield, from the library. A more historically minded friend recommended this title, being somewhat disappointed with the fantastical nature of 300, both book and film. As a lover of story, I'm perfectly happy to see 300 as a storyteller's exaggeration. I shall have to wait and see how I feel if I do get around to reading Gates of Fire - I've a lot to read right now.

2008 in Games - Mutant Storm Empire

2008-01-06T19:46:00.000Z

Mutant Storm Empire, Xbox 360, 06/01/2008

Given that Wednesday's release on Live Arcade looks to be a near-certain purchase, I have to ask if I'll be able to keep up purchasing a title every three days this year.

MSE had been sitting on the hard drive in trial form for a good while. I was fancying playing Halo 3 this afternoon, but somehow that translated into spontaneously purchasing this. And when I died, I played some Halo 3 anyway.

2008-01-05T17:40:00.001Z

Grassington, Saturday the 5th of January, 2008

Started off by buying some gloves from one of Grassington's outdoor stores. Headed north-west to Grass Woods, then south-west to the River Wharfe, and finally south along the river back to the village. About 5 miles overall. Tina took a lot of good pictures, but she only let me have the one ;)

This Google Maps information should give a general idea of what was what. It's a little of centre, and I don't know how to mark the route on it (if you can) but it's in the general vicinity. Start point was in Grassington.

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2008 in Games - Metal Slug 3

2008-01-03T23:06:00.000Z

The new year brings a new way of logging purchased games. A post each containing relevant details and occasional summaries/musings.

Metal Slug 3, Xbox 360, 03/01/2008

I've only played a little Metal Slug before, but this seemed like the kind of game I would want on the hard drive. Wariness of difficulty level and structure translated to wariness of a purchase overall, but I was encouraged by a cry for help (read: a co-op partner) from qazimod of rllmuk. We've played a bit of co-op, and I've said I'll hone my skills for next time. That's going to need a lot of honing...

Amplification of Input

2008-01-01T10:29:00.001Z

A conversation with Steven Poole, author of Trigger Happy and proponent of the amplification of input concept. Conducted on rllmuk's gaming forum, April 19th 2007. Special guest scottcr.

-

Stu: While you're here Mr Poole, and while we're on Edge 175, what did you think of their article on gaming's future? Specifically Red Herring Number 4, Motion Sensing:

"A controversial choice, given the success of Wii and recent arrival of Sixaxis, but the former is proving most use as a pointer, and the latter as a conventional joypad. Is motion sensing here to stay? Definitely. Will it shape the overall future of games? Not likely. Abstract control schemes will always be more flexible."

Because it seems to me that this ties in with one of your concepts from Trigger Happy - Amplification of input. The Wii by its very nature has less, and, given that this equates to working harder to get the same results, I don't consider this a good thing.

Any thoughts?

SP: I hadn't thought of that, but it might be a good point. I do luurve the tennis and the air hockey, when I play them on a friend's (I don't actually have a Wii). In a way your input is still getting amplified on the tennis (especially when you realize you can play better with smaller flicks of the wrist, and you don't have to run all over the court), and it is too with the wiimote-as-sword in Zelda, given that the wiimote isn't a bloody great big sword. But I think the problem there is that the system isn't actually accurate enough sensor-wise to make it work really well. So, erm.. dunno. It would be good to see something really amazing on it that isn't just a party game (brilliant though the party games are).

scottcr: the wii has less buttons - sure... but has much more inputs in other areas.

although the question isn't addressed to me - I thought it was the daftest thing I've read in Edge for yonks and it felt as though it was there purely to cause controversy. Saying that the Wiimote is mostly a pointer suggests that they haven't actually played any bloody games on the thing. Of course, they thought ExciteTruck was rubbish - so they're clueless.

... and to think, I used to defend Edge to the hilt.

scottcr: play excitetruck and kororinpa - excellent demonstrations of the accuracy of the remote.

SP: I meant it was of limited accuracy when you're wielding it around in three dimensions (or even two, really, in a vertical plane). The tilt and swivel is indeed nice, as for cow-racing.

Stu: The reason I think Wii Sports works is that your movements are reflected (most of the time) in what happens on screen. My problem with Zelda is that your movements merely trigger an animation - something that can be done just as well or better with a button on a joypad, and in a way that doesn't separate you from the gameworld in the way that waving your arms around does.

So I agree, what's needed is something amazing that isn't a party game, something just for the Wii's controls. But I also agree with Edge about motion sensing being a red herring - because there won't be as many opportunities for you to forget the controller is there, the way you can with a joypad.

scottcr: it's easy to forget a controller is there when you're simply pressing one button to perform an action - but it becomes much more difficult when you're pulling of a move that needs multiple buttons to be pressed.

Also, yes - in Zelda you could swing a sword using a button - but a wave of the wiimote *feels* much more satisfying. I remember really getting right into it during the penultimate boss fight - almost standing up and swinging like there was no tomorrow. It didn't make a slight bit of a difference to the actual outcome of the battle - but did I enjoy it? Yes. I sat down, heart racing, when I finally disposed of the bast.

If the animation triggers quickly then it makes a huge difference to the gameplay. Although I'm probably wasting my time - The Godfather on the Wii 'melee' controls are brilliantly realised. Punching, strangling, headbutting, throwing, slamming - all feel genuinely satisfying and involving to pull off. Particularly the throw - it works very well. It's just an animation that's triggered by a gestures, but - at least to me, it makes a huge difference.

but then again, what do I know.

SP: Yep, I see your point. I often used to rant about how standard joypads are such a big barrier to entry, especially when they are mapped differently for each game. But it's true that once you have learned the system you can forget it's there. (I played a bit of Perfect Dark Zero for the first time the other day and my hands just reverted to thinking they were playing GoldenEye automatically.) OTOH the wiimote is wonderfully immediate - but I'm not sure I would ever feel like I could rely on it unthinkingly. In a sense its versatility means it's caught in a weird grey area between the joypad and the lightgun - which you certainly don't forget you are holding (so that's not quite a necessary criterion, I think), but which is superb at the one thing it does.

scottcr: however, if the control is intuitive enough, you don't even think about what button you need to press. In TG, I jab the nunchuck to jab with left hand, I swing it to swing... I jab the wiimote to jab right and I swing it to swing. I didn't even have to be told how to do that - it was intuitive and it works.

Joypads, other than maybe using the shoulder buttons (but they tend to be 'modifiers') can't do that.

Kororinpa is immediately obvious to control - much more so than using a stick to manipulate the platform.

Stu: It's not really about the number of buttons, rather what the simple press of any given button can unleash - a jump, the swing of a sword, a powerslide. If the Wii's controls (or the Sixaxis, or even the EyeToy) have made it so that you have to do all of the work yourself, then that amplification is removed or lessened, and a remarkable quality of gaming is taken away.

Of course, the problem could arise because, as has been noted, the Wii doesn't have a big game (other than obvious tilters like Monkey Ball and Kororinpa) all to itself. Perhaps the arrival of Mario Galaxy or Metroid: Corruption will render my worries largely redundant. I hope they do, but it's worth challenging - especially as I read that comment in Edge and found myself reading what could have been my own thoughts.

Thanks for your comments, didn't mean to exclude anyone by aiming this specifically at Mr Poole (Steven? Stevie? SP?), I just thought it was a good opportunity to get his thoughts on one of the ideas from his - rather good - book, given that the gaming landscape has changed somewhat since he wrote it.

Stu: Hopefully the games will be designed around the controls from here on out, not the other way around. Crackdown is very well suited to the 360 for instance, and I would have trouble fitting that around the Wii remote/nunchuk. Hopefully I'll feel the same way about Mario Galaxy - "I couldn't imagine playing this on a regular joypad".

I do mean to try Kororinpa one day, especially given your last comment on it there. I take it that Kororinpa doesn't tilt in the same way as Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz? I always thought that the analogue stick of the the GC pad was more suited to Super Monkey Ball than a pointed remote, so I would be interested in putting that to the test with Kororinpa (or perhaps Mercury Meltdown when it comes along).

SP: I'm not sure I would insist on such a strict definition of AoI. AoI is also present in the action of the lightgun (and, in fact, in the action of firing a real gun), and still to some extent in the various uses of the wiimote. If a given game lessens the extent to which input is amplified by requiring the initial input to be larger, but in return offers different pleasures, then that's an interaction tradeoff that ought to be judged on a case-by-case basis. Obviously the overarching point of my AoI discussion - that it would be rubbish actually to have to climb walls and somersault in order to play Tomb Raider - still stands, but I wouldn't necessarily insist that we have to stick to buttons and small rubber sticks until the end of time.

Stu: Fair enough - it's your concept! I just don't think we've (Read: I've. The Godfather sounds effective from scottcr's comments, but I haven't played it) seen that tradeoff executed well enough yet.

SP: Me neither, but we live in hope.

Stu: We do indeed. Thanks for indulging me on that one.

-

For one thing, it makes more sense to read it as it was posted, thanks to quote boxes making sense of the otherwise curious chronological order.

For another, I haven't yet played any of the Wii games that may alleviate my concerns! Mario Galaxy and Metroid Corruption are certain purchases... eventually! Hopefully I'll have cause to report back.

Legendary

2007-12-26T21:48:00.000Z

Saw 'I am Legend' today. Very atmospheric, though it went somewhat downhill after about an hour, lacking a satisfying conclusion.

And as a study of science gone wrong, the reactions of those affected, and the reasons behind why these things went wrong, I preferred Serenity.

The 2007 Christmas Presents Post

2007-12-25T08:04:00.000Z

Not that I expect to be receiving that many presents...

From Mum and Dad:
A TVR Tuscan... Mouse
Cash

From my RF Secret Santa:
A Newton's Cradle
The Darwin Awards 2

From Tina:
Thor: Blood Oath graphic novel
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
Editors, An End has a Start
Linkin Park, Minutes to Midnight
Grosse Pointe Blank DVD
Down in the Valley DVD
A fleece
Chocolate Popcorn
A neck muff-thing
Transformers DVD with transforming Optimus Prime box
A wallet
Zoom Binoculars
Heroes Season 1 DVD
Heroes Godsend Logo T-Shirt

From Joanna and Lynsey:
Walks Calendar
Socks
Multi-Tool
Lindt Peanut Butter Truffles

From Sarah:
Cash

From David and Sue:
iTunes Voucher
Microsoft Points
Spiderman Mug with hot chocolate and mini-mallows

Has the next-gen of console gaming arrived?

2007-08-27T19:00:00.000+01:00

I shall consider as next-gen arrival that which could not be achieved last-gen, by whatever means - control system, processing power, connectivity.

Controls first. Only the Wii really qualifies in this respect. And Wii Sports is the standard bearer, particularly - in my opinion - Wii Bowling, which rather than simply representing the activity in question, offers a genuine alternative to it. Spend an arm and a leg on a night's bowling? No thanks, I'll just go bowling here at home! Moving on to more traditional games, I have no experience of Metroid Prime 3, but I'm prepared to believe that the controls might significantly transform the experience. I'll wait and see on that one. I'll have to use Resident Evil 4 as my example. The new controls made it a different game, and I was a different player, so I'd call that next-gen job done. Hopefully there are a lot of next gen control options still to come from the Wii.

Power. And the Wii cannot compete in this regard. So what have we had that the PS2, Xbox, and GameCube simply don't have the grunt for? And how has that grunt helped the gaming experience to transcend its former restraints? For me, the next-gen experience is defined by Dead Rising and Crackdown. Certainly we've had Zombie and Superhero games before (have we had a Zombie and Superhero game?), but next-gen horsepower renders these games with such an intricate level of texture and substance that they go beyond simply putting more polygons on screen. The ideas may have been tried before, but never all together (to my knowledge...), and with such scope - next-gen power makes such complete execution possible.

Lastly, and I believe most significantly, connectivity. Most significant not least because the big three are largely in agreement on this one. Sony and Nintendo enter the fray with a vengeance, and even Microsoft are leagues beyond where they were with Xbox. Games, trailers, demos, extra-game rewards, photo and video uploads. Next-gen, on 360, PS3 and Wii.

So, damn straight next-gen has begun. And it's the best next-gen yet.

Movie Poster Quiz 1

2007-08-19T15:21:00.001+01:00

For guessing a previous poster over on RF, I have the dubious honour of setting the next challenge. This is my pitiful effort. I don't expect it to last very long.