Favorite Videogame Music Ever

This one is my favorite, Bramble Blast, which is a remix made for Super Smash Brawl of Stickerbrush Symphony from Donkey Kong Country 2:

This is the original Stickerbrush Symphony:

How Not To Introduce Casual Audiences To Quantum Mechanics

Like this (start from minute 13): 

So, I was watching the let’s play for the visual novel Remember 11 when something to my interest popped up, which was science. In it, quantum mechanics is used as a sci fi plot device to explain all the mysterious things going on, and it goes in an extremely lengthy exposition in order to explain it. Really lengthy. As you can see, the explanation goes over several videos. While I understand it, how the heck are the general audience supposed to understand that!? Granted, it is in character for the person doing the extremely long exposition, and some of the mysteries do require a lot of explanation. At the same time, they didn’t have add all the jargons in the tips section that explains the explanation because now the explanation that explains the explanation doesn’t explain anything anymore because no one gets it. For example, the mention of quantum bits in the entanglement entry and going off tangent to another tips entry of quantum bits was completely unnecessary, and it was a poor explanation of what entanglement was. Heck, the entanglement entry wasn’t necessary because it was explained in the EPR paradox explanation. And why is there an entry about unitary transformation? Think about the audience! While not all the tips entries are bad, and not everything in quantum mechanics can be explained simply to the lay audience, many of them felt like they were trying to be sophisticated for no reason at all.

By the way, this book is a good example of how you explain quantum mechanics. Although I will admit it kind of is not fair as the book has more than 100 pages to explain everything, the book doesn’t try to bash your head in with the term ‘unitary transformation’.

Alternative Does Not Make It Right

While I was playing the game Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, a very fun, hilarious visual novel/videogame about a rookie defense attorney, I found the following amusing scene:

While fiddling around the “Ace Detective” Luke Atmey’s room (ha! get the name? the series is filled with puns) to gather evidence for a trial, I examined the chemistry set. What follows is the funny dialogue above. She asks, “Did you know?” and say that water is made of carbon and hydrogen. Phoenix responds that it is oxygen and hydrogen. And then, you can see  what happens in the next two dialogues up there, ending with Phoenix’s sarcastic thought:

“If by alternative, you mean the ones you make up inside that head of yours.”

I find this funny and at the same time, I can relate to it. And you probably find it funny too. Now, you might laugh at them, but have you ever considered that they are poking fun at some of us too? After all, real people do come out and tell you things that seems without substance on the premise that it is alternative, and that there are multiple points of views. *cough*alt-med*cough*

I wish I could show that joke to everyone who tells me about alternative whatever. Because really, these people end up looking as silly as Maya does up there when she tells us that water is carbon and oxygen. Those people, then, would kind of understand why I don’t think what they are saying is true. They would know that A: Their claims are unsubstantiated and B: They made it up. Whatever they told people were not based on prior, existing knowledge or, and I know it is redundant, the facts were not substatiated. See, if they would have had the evidence, they wouldn’t look silly.

I tell you, this joke teaches us more lessons than an entire day in high school.

Video Games Live and Tetris

This is just more links I think are interesting.

Firstly, there is the college humor video of the Tetris god:

more about “The Tetris God – CollegeHumor video“, posted with vodpod

 

You know that feeling you get sometimes when you play Tetris that it seems like the line pieces arrive in the most inconvinient moment? The feeling that the game is intentionally trying to get you? The video plays on that, which is why if you have ever played tetris, it is really funny.

Also, I found music from video games live. Video games live is basically an orchestrated concert of video game musics. I really love video game musics. Not only are they catchy, they set up the atmosphere of a game, so I consider it an important part of the experience. One of my favorite is this one, from Wind Waker:

Penn Jillette on Videogaming

I am a fan of Penn and Teller. They do amazing magic trick shows to educate others on our mind and perception, and they generally encourage critical thinking and skepticism. Recently, Penn got in an interview about the episode of Bullshit on videogames. Wow, finally, someone who defends videogame as a legitimate form of entertainment and art! Not that there has never been a defense on electronic gaming and all, but it is usually from the gamers who defend it themselves. Sometimes, I wonder if those people decrying videogames as harmful to society might have some truth to it. Maybe they do, but then, I remind myself that movies have far more violent content, but it has never brought about the downfall of our civilization. Although just like videogames, movies did have its stages in which it was trying to vie for public acceptance, especially those with violent and sexual contents. So did rock and roll, many books, and whatever form of entertainment you can think of. Eventually, movies did become considered legitimate forms of arts. I wonder whether videogames will reach the same status.

Oh yeah, and it is true, Jack Thompson is, I am quoting here, an “a**hole”. Although that particular legal bit of videogaming history is over, as the media is being accepted, and the guy has been disbarred. Of course, you have to be careful of the games you hand out to children, but I tell you, this Jack Thompson guy was going to extremes.

The Spirit of Videogaming

I have two interesting links relating to videogames.

The first one is on the status of videogames in my homeland, Venezuela. It seems like the Venezuelan government, oh so benevolent like always, is banning them as if they were weapons. Frankly, I don’t know how the Venezuelan people think while electing all of these people. Perhaps they are all corrupt. From what I have read on Venezuelan history and politics, the situation has always been precarious. I remember those times, school cancelled due to weeks of strikes and marches, or the coup which attempted to overthrow Chavez. And there was the riot which traumatized the country, El Caracazo, which happened before I was born. 

Oh well, not that it matters. Most games being sold in Venezuela are pirated, which I and my brother had a fare share of. You see, buying legal games in Venezuela is completely impractical for us working middle class family, and for the huge poor population of the country. I remember when a Gamecube used to cost 500,000 Bolivares, which is around 250 bucks. Thanks to that, I skipped a whole generation of gaming (around 6 years). Now, consider the huge number compared to the small dollar, though. It means the money is somewhat worthless and so getting that amount is just very expensive. Plus, all dollar transactions in Venezuela is done in the black market, so technically, the money is even more worthless. Now games cost like what, 500,000 and a console is around 1,000,000? That is madness, who would buy those stuffs except for the filthy rich.

The other interesting link is the interview of mainly Miyamoto (whom I admire, being father of videogaming and all) and Iwata, and other creative minds behind Nintendo’s awesome products and games. It tells you a bit about videogaming philosophy, their ideas, and what their thoughts are of the way things are going. Very interesting stuffs, so read up!

Oh, and before I leave, something funny that “explains” Mario’s crazy adventures:

(hat tip gonintendo)

http://gonintendo.com/viewstory.php?id=103133

Wicked Piano Playing

I love videogame musics, even the old ones. So naturally, I found myself searching for people playing videogame soundtracks in piano, which I have shown in this blog before. Recently, I found another really good one. It is from Star Fox back in the N64/playstation era. It used to be one of my favorite games, and I replayed it a lot. One of the soundtrack I really liked is the Star Fox boss battle theme, which is one of my favorite videogame and boss battle music ever. As you can see, she plays the extremely difficult piece very faithfully:

Comparison:

Now, I really want that sheet music, even if I will suck at it. ^_^

Oh, and if you check out her blog, she plays a whole lot more great videogame music.

Cool Simulation

I am a big fan of simulations, whether they are computer models or videogames. And I found two which I really liked.

The first one is a really complicated simulation of colliding galaxies (hat tip badastronomy):

The second one I am talking about is a video game which I really want. Anyone familiar with the Sim City franchise? I love city simulators and the way it allows me to just build whatever. Unfortunately, there are limitations, but one developer is making a city simulator called Cities XL that is taking away a lot of the limitations that existed. For example, no more grids and blocky roads, you can make them into various degrees of diagonal. There are much more improvements, which you can read in the developer’s blog I linked above. Hopefully, they won’t disappoint and break my heart. (hat tip simtropolis, great sim city fan site, oh and I found this really cool map of Hong Kong in it)

Random Videogame Posts

Yeah, just random post on videogames which is either funny or interesting.

What videogame characters would Twitter.

Firsts in videogame history.

Famous/repeated game quotes.

First Wii Sports Resort injury recorded. (ouch!)

(Hat tip gonintendo)

E3 Game Convention: Lots of New Stuffs!

Wow, lots of gaming news this week! It is E3, which means the game companies will be displaying their next products. A lot of stuffs came out with the conference, including XBox’s interactive new camera, PlayStation’s camera/wand, and a show of Wii’s motion +.  Plus, they announced tons of new games. Too bad my Wii got stolen… Must… Kill… That… Person… *Drool* Anyways,  they showed things like Peter Molyneux’s interactive person using the XBox interactive camera, displayed new games like Mario Galaxy 2 and a new Metroid, and etc etc etc. Also, Miyamoto gives away a lliiiittttllleee sneak peek on the next Zelda, and they also announced Golden Sun, one of my favorite RPGs!

In celebration, here is my favorite Golden Sun soundtrack:

For this week, I am a happy gamer, until reality sets over me that someone stole my Wii and I go sulking again.