It's time to let go of Kenpo Karate.
For various reasons, it's time for the much less interesting fitness program, but hey, it´s 5 minutes away from my home, I can decide to visit any time, and it fits with my current life style.
Distance and having less time are probably the most important reasons, but I have also practiced it for a long time, and the motivation has gone away.
My interest in competition was done, personal assistance from my master has been absent for years and I feel as if I have experienced enough of the different seminars.
I also felt that I was missing a sport partner from my own age throughout the years, as other folks were either younger or older.
It has been a good 12 years, but all things will eventually come to an end. Who knows, I might touch martial arts in some form or another in the future again?
Tuesday, January 30, 2018
Monday, January 29, 2018
One Punch Man
Evil monsters and villains terrorize various cities and cause massive destruction and victims. Authorities, vigilantes and even authentic heroes appear to stop these out of nowhere threats.
All of them get thwarted by them, except for Saitama, a guy who plays hero for fun, and achieved this by following a strict excercise and strength routine, making his appearance a rather illusion.
One Punch Man, named after him, is a mocking parody on the super hero genre, where various tropes get joked about, especially the power levels of the antagonists, and their constant rambling.
Being a popular anime in recent memory, I can see the entertainment that fans have captured from this. The fact remains though that the premise of a guy being able to one punch even the biggest of enemies can get boring quickly.
The first episodes are humorous, but it's focus soon turned then towards how the lesser heroes are barely on the same level as the bad guys, until Saitama slowly gets the recognition he deserves.
One Punch Man will most likely get boring in the long run, but for now, it's a funny parody to witness.
Rating: 7.0
Monday, January 22, 2018
Sons of Anarchy
The criminal lives of the motorcycle club Sons of Anarchy are daily depicted in the fictional town of Charming, where SAMCRO is in competition with other gangs and organizations.
Jax
Teller is the heir and local playboy of the group, and he will eventually have to make countless of difficult choices, both for his club and his family.
Sons of Anarchy is a crime drama with obvious American culture being
dominantly present, and it is based on real life clubs such as the Hells Angels. The writing and the acting are top notch with my favorite being Ron Perlman’s Clay character, but special appraise goes to Charlie Hunnam
and Katey Sagal too.
Many characters including the majority of the main cast will find their deaths, and it is often through complex circumstances such as deals and love that people die.
Sons of Anarchy is a binge worthy series full of crime and drama in order to keep you glued to the screen. The less said about it, the better it is.
Rating: 8.0
Monday, January 15, 2018
Gravity Rush
I am pleasantly very surprised by this exclusive PlayStation IP. From a viewer’s point it looked dull, but once I got to have control over gravity, the excitement really kicked
in. Gravity Rush lets you play as Kat, a cute girl with amnesia, who likes to help people and defeat Nevi with her kicks.
As my expectations were low seeming as I felt worried that the transition from Vita to PS4 would stagger,
it really plays precise and it feels great to fly with great soaring speed through the air controlling gravity.
Gravity Rush is a unique game with skydiving controls, very catchy and moody music plus cel shaded graphics. Seeming
as there is a sequel coming this year, I expect the concept to get polished so that it might just become one my favorite games in recent years.
Rating: 8.2
Similar in content and presentation to the original, Gravity Rush 2 brings no true new features to the table, but it's still fun to control gravity at will. Kat and friends will have to go on a longer journey to uncover conspiracies, mysteries and villains.
The size and scale of the world feels much bigger, as you are traveling longer distances horizontally or vertically around the areas. With a pleasant soundtrack and a return to assets from the original, it has enough to please fans and newcomers.
With some new moves and clothes for Kat to wear, Gravity Rush 2 is a solid sequel that unfortunately did not sell well because it most likely got overshadowed by other good video games which got released in early 2017.
Rating: 8.2
Tuesday, January 2, 2018
Switch's Success
The Nintendo Switch is becoming tempting to me.
With recent news that the Switch is now outselling the PlayStation 2's Year One sales in Japan(http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2018/01) and that Kimishima has boldy announced that the console hybrid will sell over 20 million units in the next financial year, it's hard to ignore it.
Rarely, if ever, has a console be so successful in it's first year which is technically still running until March 2018, not only because of it's versitality and portability, but also because two of last year's GOTY contenders happen to be exclusive and they have re-invented the wheel of entertainment.
For the first time, I did not buy a Nintendo console at launch last year, as I decided to wait how it's future would shape up. The Wii U's poor running time and the fact that I got very busy in 2017 means that I made the right choice.
Besides, Sony's PlayStation 4 and Nintendo's SNES Mini gave me enough gaming distractions so that I would still be doing my thing elsewhere. But now that 2018 has started and I have a bit more time on my hands, I'm almost decided.
Yet, the next Nintendo Direct is very likely to broadcast this month, and to be honest, I will simply wait it out a bit more until I know what will be announced during that time. If third party support will continue to surprise us from unlikely companies such as Bethesda then that's great.
And if Nintendo can continue to deliver a constant line up of first party titles for this year too, alongside a surprise or two, then I will most likely rejoin them. If F-Zero, Advance Wars or a proper Paper Mario get announced then I will instantly be on board!
It's amazing how Nintendo has made numerous comebacks over the years and decades. Leave Luck to Heaven indeed.
Sunday, December 31, 2017
Mega Man Data
In my late teens, I would be writing my biggest fan fiction on various forums back then, which is called Mega Man Data. This would turn out to be my first and only fan fiction, as I love the franchise, but sadly I never finished it.
Previous stories and comics created by me would be written in Dutch, but this is aside from the RPG making, my first English story. Originally I wanted it to become a 2D action platformer with a twist, but then I settled with writing about it.
Set between the stories of the X and Zero timelines in their respective series, Mega Man Data follows scientist Dr.Erstrund as he is escorted and assisted by Maverick Hunters and other allies to face a rogue mercenary group, the Replenloids who are the latest generations of Reploids, and 1 individual with megalomaniacal ideals.
Instead of specializing in combat, Erstrund is more about preserving and managing information or data, as he gathers intel and adapts to his environments and situations. At one point he would also discover that a transparent, ethereal inner part would protect him.
The story would not only intertwine with famous characters from the Zero and X series, but also offer plenty of new ones, plus a backstory with the so called Replenloids War and the nefarious Illusional Dergur Company was already set, while the current story would eventually climax and basically create a prologue towards the disastreous Elf Wars.
8 Replenloids would be fighting against X, while Erstrund would be combating with his wits and dialogue towards scientific, political and authoritarian figures, giving a new outlook and perspective at the Mega Man universe.
If this would become a video game, then I could split it up as an X game, and a visual novel game. Anyway, because there was a small fan community for my fan fiction and I got too ambitious with it's plot, I never finished it.
But perhaps it did leave me with two things; the joy of writing, and the experience needed to do so. I'd like to think that Flok Factory is a spiritual successor of some sorts without a central story being present, except if you would count myself as that story, then yes, you would be correct.
Mega Man Data might be in hibernation, but I still have the documents and scripts surrounding it stored around. Perhaps one day, in one form or another, I might finish it. Otherwise, it's a nice reminder of simpler times.
Oh, and Mega Man 11? It's a nice surprise Capcom, but unless the gameplay and music aren't atleast on par with the rest of the Classic Series, then I will just consider it as another Mighty No. 9. And if it's a success, please consider finishing or continueing the sub series Legends, X and ZX, as they need proper sequels.
I wish you all a fantastic 2018, and I myself further happiness, determination, victory and most of all love.
P.S. I guess this wasn't the Year of the RPG after all as I thought back in January. I will get to those RPG games I still want to play, one at a time!
Previous stories and comics created by me would be written in Dutch, but this is aside from the RPG making, my first English story. Originally I wanted it to become a 2D action platformer with a twist, but then I settled with writing about it.
Set between the stories of the X and Zero timelines in their respective series, Mega Man Data follows scientist Dr.Erstrund as he is escorted and assisted by Maverick Hunters and other allies to face a rogue mercenary group, the Replenloids who are the latest generations of Reploids, and 1 individual with megalomaniacal ideals.
Instead of specializing in combat, Erstrund is more about preserving and managing information or data, as he gathers intel and adapts to his environments and situations. At one point he would also discover that a transparent, ethereal inner part would protect him.
The story would not only intertwine with famous characters from the Zero and X series, but also offer plenty of new ones, plus a backstory with the so called Replenloids War and the nefarious Illusional Dergur Company was already set, while the current story would eventually climax and basically create a prologue towards the disastreous Elf Wars.
8 Replenloids would be fighting against X, while Erstrund would be combating with his wits and dialogue towards scientific, political and authoritarian figures, giving a new outlook and perspective at the Mega Man universe.
If this would become a video game, then I could split it up as an X game, and a visual novel game. Anyway, because there was a small fan community for my fan fiction and I got too ambitious with it's plot, I never finished it.
But perhaps it did leave me with two things; the joy of writing, and the experience needed to do so. I'd like to think that Flok Factory is a spiritual successor of some sorts without a central story being present, except if you would count myself as that story, then yes, you would be correct.
Mega Man Data might be in hibernation, but I still have the documents and scripts surrounding it stored around. Perhaps one day, in one form or another, I might finish it. Otherwise, it's a nice reminder of simpler times.
Oh, and Mega Man 11? It's a nice surprise Capcom, but unless the gameplay and music aren't atleast on par with the rest of the Classic Series, then I will just consider it as another Mighty No. 9. And if it's a success, please consider finishing or continueing the sub series Legends, X and ZX, as they need proper sequels.
I wish you all a fantastic 2018, and I myself further happiness, determination, victory and most of all love.
P.S. I guess this wasn't the Year of the RPG after all as I thought back in January. I will get to those RPG games I still want to play, one at a time!
Friday, December 29, 2017
My Ear Hummering Story, Part 3
Sadly, my ear hummering, and my inferior hearing continue to stalk and handicap me, with no recovery in sight.
The former mostly happens when I get sick or I train intensely, while the latter plagues me 24/7. A few weeks ago, my titanium prosthesis device that was making things more stable inside spontaneously fell off from my right ear.
Combine that issue with the fact that I cannot hear my colleagues at my new job at all when they whisper or speak in low tones, and then I decided that it's time to get hearing aids.
Because I no longer want to pretend on a daily basis that I thought that I heard particular words, or that I keep guessing what the current topic is about if I happen to be unable to hear the decibel levels of audio.
After 6 operations on my ears and waiting years for natural recovery, my patience is done. After visiting my personal and original hospital doctor and the audiologist, they agree with my decision.
It's hard to accept as this strikes at my pride and finance, but in return another world will open to me, just like when I got my first glasses and eye pieces as a teenager.
Nowadays, there are invisible(expensive) devices available, and even glasses/hearing hybrids combining the two. For now, I will start with regular small ones, which I expect to get around February.
I also know for sure that the reason why my ears are lesser than others happened naturally and biologically, as I never went out to parties, festivals etc. back then, I was aware of protecting myself from loud noises, and there is no other known reason.
I'm sure that my overall condition will improve and that I will get used to the devices, but I will always keep my eyes out for a breakthrough in the world of medical science. Perhaps nanotechnology might be the answer one day.
The former mostly happens when I get sick or I train intensely, while the latter plagues me 24/7. A few weeks ago, my titanium prosthesis device that was making things more stable inside spontaneously fell off from my right ear.
Combine that issue with the fact that I cannot hear my colleagues at my new job at all when they whisper or speak in low tones, and then I decided that it's time to get hearing aids.
Because I no longer want to pretend on a daily basis that I thought that I heard particular words, or that I keep guessing what the current topic is about if I happen to be unable to hear the decibel levels of audio.
After 6 operations on my ears and waiting years for natural recovery, my patience is done. After visiting my personal and original hospital doctor and the audiologist, they agree with my decision.
It's hard to accept as this strikes at my pride and finance, but in return another world will open to me, just like when I got my first glasses and eye pieces as a teenager.
Nowadays, there are invisible(expensive) devices available, and even glasses/hearing hybrids combining the two. For now, I will start with regular small ones, which I expect to get around February.
I also know for sure that the reason why my ears are lesser than others happened naturally and biologically, as I never went out to parties, festivals etc. back then, I was aware of protecting myself from loud noises, and there is no other known reason.
I'm sure that my overall condition will improve and that I will get used to the devices, but I will always keep my eyes out for a breakthrough in the world of medical science. Perhaps nanotechnology might be the answer one day.
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