READS: When A Closed Book Is The Best Thing In The World

Posted on April 7, 2015 by geelw

I’d been meaning to visit the sometimes appointment-only Huntington Free Library and Reading Room about a half-hour walk my place for some time, but I’d always found myself a bit too busy to get over that way. That is, until I found out there was a new library that was going to replace the older building next door that was formerly home to a rather large Native American artifact collection. That new building won’t be built for a while, but getting the chance to see and pore over a bit of area history was something I’ve been wanting to do for quite a while. Thanks to TLH setting up an appointment on Monday via email, we popped in today at 10 sharp and stayed about two hours chatting with caretaker/tour guide/author Tom Casey, a man with a encyclopedic knowledge of the history of the area and a ton of other things.

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More Monday Bundles to Mix Things Up

Posted on April 6, 2015 by geelw

I must be psychic or something. I was recently telling a fellow horror game fan how I wished one of the indie bundle sites would do an all-horror game deal and *BOOM!* IndieGala Every Monday Bundle, anyone? $1.89 for seven Steam horror games today – the price jets up a bit on Tuesday. Well, that was fast and yeah, I’m looking over my shoulder for a sack of money to fly into my hands from somewhere. Okay, nope on that loot-fest? Damn. Hard work over get rich quick daydreaming it is!

Meanwhile, over at the Humble Bundle site, this week’s deal is Humble Mobile Bundle 11, featuring seven games for an average of $4.29 with MORE titles to be added next week. These time-locked game deals are wonderful because while you don’t know what’s coming, they’re worth the money because the added free games are usually something cool you’ve never played previously. Here’s what in the deal so far:

Nice, huh? Anyway, go get yours out of the two deals or get both because you’re spending a little and getting quite a lot as usual. Now, all one (or all) of these bundle bargain sites need to do is add “create your own bundle” deals where buyers can choose from a long list of indies for a low price point and my psychic powers will be fully revealed (cue ominous music)…

Project Root: OPQAM’s Retro Inspired Shmup Reverbs The Nostalgia Meter

Posted on April 6, 2015 by geelw

Coming up on the radar from publisher Reverb Triple XP is Project Root, an arcade-style space shooter with a nicely retro vibe and shiny modern visuals. Headed to PS4, Vita and Xbox One on April 28 after landing on Steam last year, the game packs in a few fixes over the original version as well as Cross-Buy for PS4 and Vita owners.

Developer OPQAM has added a great little twist to the usual side or vertical scrolling shmup by giving players a full 360 degrees of movement, allowing them to play levels as they see fit. If you know your game history fairly well, you’ll see that this free roaming style of shooter isn’t *new* by any means if you’re old enough to remember Thunder Force II on the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive (or Sharp X68000 PC if you’re REALLY old school*). The chance to preview the game via a work-in progress build popped up recently and yes, when opportunity knocks, an return call must be made… Continue reading →

Ask Your Doctor: Time Also Reads Doubly If Stupid

Posted on April 5, 2015 by geelw

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Okay, okay. I was two weeks too early in that post above. Heh, sorry about that! But I think I have to blame my Doctor for that timely error. We went on a little adventure recently and when I got back, I thought it was two weeks later. In fact, I got back just in time for once. Oops. “In time for what?” Well, I guess in time to make a mistake that I’ll probably have to go on another little trip to fix so that post is a lot more accurate.

Then again, I hear you’re not supposed to muck with time or bad things will occur. Hmmm, what to do, what to do? I dunno about you, but I’m going to go back to sleep now. Zzzzzzzz…

Oh, That’s Right: Orphan Black Season 3

Posted on April 4, 2015 by geelw

Aha! I knew I was forgetting something important I had to do tonight. Well, that’s it above. Between this and Game of Thrones kicking off next Sunday, my weekends are officially booked. I wasn’t sure about those new male clones introduced last season, but I’ll give the show the benefit of the doubt until it trips over something and goes BOOM. Well, even if that happens, Tatiana Maslany will always get her part(s) right.

Some Late Bundles For Your Sleepy Saturday

Posted on April 4, 2015 by geelw

Yeah, yeah… it’s Saturday and I’m posting this IndieGala Friday Special Bundle now. I had a little computer hiccup yesterday before I could get to this deal, so it’s a bit late. Anyway, get three games for a buck or a dozen for $2.99 this time. Flip a coin and choose the latter if you need a hint. There’s a nice set of stuff here from a Match-3 puzzle game, a few adventure games and even a couple of retro platformers with some shooters tossed in for good measure.

Also, if you poke around the IndieGala Store and actually buy something there, you get a free gift just in time for Easter:

Yup, it’s a real game! You can also get another freebie just for stopping by in the form of Space Hack, a single player action/RPG set aboard a spaceship besieged by tons of bug-like aliens. It’s old, but quite addictive once you get into it.

Over at the Humble Bundle, you can scoop up six really hard games in the Humble Weekly Bundle: ARGGGHHH!! These games are hard! Bundle. I’ve only played three of them, but can confirm that you will indeed want to toss a controller or keyboard at something if you’re the impatient sort. The Humble Store has a crazy sale on Deep Silver titles all weekend, so check out that link for a nice assortment of titles from a few genres.

Finally, Bundle Stars has the awesome Vortex Bundle, a total STEAL at $2.99 just for the Alien Breed Trilogy. If you’re not into shooting xenomorphs while being scared half to death, there are a bunch of other titles in that bundle bound to please. And don’t forget to check out the Bundle Stars Store for MORE great deals on single games. Hmmmm. I think that’s it, but I’ll let you know. Oh, right – check out Indie Royale, Desuragog.com, and of course, gog.com for even MORE deals!

Better Call Saul Digital Comic: Read The Fine Print, Please

Posted on April 4, 2015 by geelw

Okay, I had no idea there was a digital comic book based on AMC’s hit show Better Call Saul, but that’s because I waste less time online these days and spend more time trying to do stuff. That said, it’s actually a pretty good read if you’re into the show and the bonus “Super Saul” stories are hilarious send-ups of assorted superhero comic conventions with more of a legal bent.

If you’ve yet to see the show and wonder if it’s good (or as good as Breaking Bad was), fear not. Vince Gilligan and company are doing some excellent work and if you’re needing to catch up, AMC has a few suggestions. For starters, there’s a marathon of the first season running this Monday, April 6 at 12:15PM (11:15 Central) that leads directly into the premiere of the Season 1 Finale at 10/9c.

Yes, you should take Monday off and spend it in front of the TV because I said so. Hey, my lawyer said I can do this and not face any sort of legal retribution if you decide to do so and lose your job or whatever. Who’s my legal eagle of choice? Well, he’s got a very successful TV show that’s ending its first season on Monday night if you need a clue…

GTA V PC: Beyond The Almost Uncanny Valley of the Dolls

Posted on April 3, 2015 by geelw

Oh the places you’ll go next week when Grand Theft Auto V finally hits PC. Well, those of you who have systems capable of running the game, that is. The two high-end system trailers that show off the main game and Online Heists multiplayer mode look spectacular enough to almost fool the eye. This should be the definitive version of the game, which means those who can play it will have some fine bragging rights and fun videos to post as they play through the game they’ve been waiting for for quite some time. As long as there are no crippling launch issues and day one patching woes, I’d gather there are going to be a great deal of happy campers spending all their free time with this one.

“Book ’em, Danno!”: Wednesday’s Read’s A Memory Maker

Posted on April 1, 2015 by geelw

Hey, if you invite me to an event and I just so happen to like what you do, I tend to show up. Which was a good thing for me as I found a nice new book shop to poke my head and feet into and got to meet the world famous maybe should be in some sorta documentary about her long walk author Andra Watkins who talked about her new book Not Without My Father: One Woman’s 444-Mile Walk of the Natchez Trace, which you should go out and buy and READ. Well, after you read her other novel, To Live Forever: An Afterlife Journey of Meriwether Lewis.

That first book was inspired by this one, which I haven’t yet read, but realized I’d heard of and know someone who has a copy and has yet to read it. A borrower I shall be, it would seem. Anyway, the main purpose of her book tour is to get readers to make a memory with someone they know and soon. We all tend to get busy-busy and otherwise occupied with life and too often, overlook making real connections with those we know (or should know better). For all the “social” aspects of modern internet use, you really aren’t making a human connection if you live out your entire existence online. Continue reading →

DomiNations: Big Huge Games, Back With A Big Huge Game You Need To Play

Posted on March 31, 2015 by geelw

If you do this writing about games stuff long enough, you tend to go into media events with low to no expectations. Not because you’re jaded, mind you. It’s more because going in blind works better at getting one’s surprise meter better tuned when something actually does blow one’s mind. That said, I knew as soon as I heard the names Big Huge Games and Tim Train, I knew I had to prepare to be surprised and thrilled at what they were going to show. DomiNations (published by Nexon) is the name of the company’s new game and it’s a free to play mobile game that just so happens to be a real-time strategy game with a light world history theme. Sure, there are plenty of mobile RTS titles out there from Clash of Clans to Game of War and so forth and so on with fantasy themes. DomiNations adds some familiar bits of PC classics Train and Brian Reynolds have worked on such as Civilization II and Rise of Nations while making sure to be entertaining enough that anyone can hop in and play within a few seconds. Continue reading →