Hot on the heels of the Grasshopper art contest (btw, we’re officially one month minus one day shy of the deadline, so don’t forget) comes my next big push: to help make the 4th installment of the fort90zine as a whole happen…
Everything you’ll need to know can be found on the Kickstarter page proper. I guess it’s a way for me to offer the issue in a vaguely pre-order fashion, along with the chance to pick up some super cool extras. Though any amount you could possibly pass along would be sincerely appreciated.
Oh, and a big hearty thanks to Topher Florence, otherwise known to the world wide web as DocFuture, for the absolutely amazing video. Isn’t it, like, the greatest thing ever? And for those who want to know what the title is all about, it’s a reference to this.
UPDATE:As already pointed out by my good pal Jenn De La Vega, less than 48 hours into the drive and I’ve already met my goal! Thank you to everyone who lent a hand, it’s supremely appreciated. Though I could definitely still use help all the help/as many pre-orders as I can get. Exact reasons are spelled out here.
Time at long last for something I’ve wanted to pull trigger on for a VERY long time.
Unfortunately, things kept getting in the way, and my timing now could not be worse on a number of levels. But because time is running out…. how about another fan art contest everyone?
The last Persona related one was a gigantic hit, and I’ve been aching for the chance to do another. And this time, I’m hoping for even more spectacular results, since the prize package is even more impressive!
RULES & GUIDELINES:
Initially, the theme this time around was originally meant to solely revolve around the lovely ladies of No More Heroes. Anyone from Sylvia Christel to Bad Girl to Margaret Moonlight. And why just one of the females and not the male star? I’ll get to that in a second. But as I began to acquire prizes from a certain party, it began to make sense to open up the criteria as it pertained to subject matter.
So first thing’s first: what I’m looking for is a rendering of a lovely lass from ANY Grasshopper game. This includes No More Heroes, Killer 7, FSR (Flower, Sun, Rain), plus whatever else. Not gonna lie: I’m mostly interested in NMH babes, though I’d like to believe that game provides the greatest variety of potential subjects, so no one feels too constricted.
Next: technical specifications. The final piece needs to be around 11 x 17 inches big, either vertical or horizontally oriented, it’s up to you. And the final resolution also needs to be 300 dpi. Why? Because the winning piece will be featured in my upcoming next edition of the FORT90ZINE! The stand-out Grasshopper hottie shall serve as that issue’s pin-up girl; past editions have featured Claire Redfield, Mona from WarioWare, and Samus Aran, for those who haven’t been keeping track.
Anyone familiar with my zine knows that it’s black & white, so be mindful of how it’ll look like that. Though if you want to submit a colored piece, that would be totally awesome! Just remember how it’ll be printed up (though more importantly, be sure to keep in mind the canvas you have to work with). Along with how she needs to be nice and sexy! Nothing totally rated R or anything like that; I’ve always used PG-13 as the basic guideline in the past.
BUT, given the subject matter I’ve asked everyone to draw from… one of the reasons why Grasshopper games are so kick-ass is how they always push the envelope… what’s most important is if it stays true to its inspiration.
BROUGHT TO YOU BY:
I guess now might be a good time to say a word about this contest’s sponsors! The prizes this time around is courtesy of two fine parties. First off is Jap-Sai!
Long story short; I’ve done business with a number of parties based in Japan that deal with classic games and hardware over the years, and none have been as flat-out excellent as Jap-Sai. The prices are quite reasonable (especially when compared to the scammers on eBay) and the customer service is simply top-notch (sup Gary, hey there Mike). Anyhow, they were able to provide a good portion of the offerings, with the other half is via… wait for it….
Yes, this contest has the official blessing of Grasshopper Manufacture! Most of my thanks on that end is aimed squarely towards John Davis, GhM’s PR guru and Community Manager, who hooked me up to an insanely awesome degree. He’s the reason why the pot has some truly (and ultra rare) items up for grabs, including….
THE GRAND PRIZE PACKAGE INCLUDES:
Both Sets Of No More Heroes Erotic Portrait Postcards
Not sure if you folks remember, but when NMH 1 was rereleased for the Xbox 360 and PS3 in Japan, both platforms had pre-order bonuses; two entirely different sets of postcards depicting the women in the game, and done by some of the hottest artists in the motherland. Guess what? I have both sets, still in their original shrink-wrap…
No More Heroes For Xbox 360 & PS3 Guidebook
In addition to giving you a detailed guide to everything there is to see and do in Santa Destroy, this available only in Japan, there’s tons of behind the scenes material and the such…
No More Heroes 2 Erotica Comic
When the NMH2 was finally released in Japan, those who pre-ordered were able to snag an ultra limited edition comic that told various sexy tales featuring assorted characters from the universe, again featuring some of the hottest talents GhM could snag. For those wondering, it’s titillating, but nothing over the line, completely XXX…
Killer 7 Art Book, Autographed By Suda 51 & Various Staff
Here’s where we’re getting serious: in addition to an absolutely stunning tome that chronicles their breakthrough title, which for many is what made the world take notice of Grasshopper, it’s been autographed by the various folks that created the game. Including Goichi Suda himself…
Bizarre Jelly 5 Shirt
This pre-order incentive for NMH2 in Australia (maybe other places in the world as well, not certain) is extremely rare. In fact, according to John, I was given the very last one that they had in their office! The one you’ll be getting is brand new, still in plastic. No real size designation, so it’s meant to be one sized fits all, though it’s from Japan, where stuff tends to be snugger…
No More Heroes: Hellride Shirt
Yet another tee to make you look like Travis Touchdown! Much like the BJ5 shirt, this shirt was never released in America, and was only available via Grasshopper?s online style shop (and was a limited edition deal as well). The size is large, and as you can see from above, it’s actually closer to American large than what you might expect from Japan…
Flower, Sun, Rain Shirt
Easily the most obscure and hardcore item of the entire pot, it’s a shirt based upon my personal top game of the year 2009! Not sure what else to say, other than it too exceptionally rare and is definitely Japanese scaled large in size…
Killer 7 Shirt By Attract Mode & Cory Schmitz
Unfortunately, as most folks know by now, the Attract Mode shop is currently down. But it shall rise soon enough, like a phoenix from the ashes! Till then, here’s a great chance to snag one of the hottest items we’ve had in recent memory! It?s standard American sized extra large…
… I guess that’s it? So now you folks know what’s at stake, along with the requirements (PLEASE follow the directions if you want to make sure that the finished product qualifies for the printed page). BTW, I might have a few runner-up prizes, but that entirely depends on my resources in the coming weeks (perhaps its not such a shock to hear that everything above has pretty much left me totally dry) and various other factors.
One final note: don’t do it just for my goofy little zine, or all the cool stuff that can be nabbed, but do it for John and everyone else over at Grasshopper. Aside from making incredible games, it’s a company that love it’s fans (especially John, being their community manager and all). I’m pretty sure anything that’s produced will brighten up their day, especially at a time when they need it the most, as is the case with lots of folks in Japan unfortunately. Whatever I get, I guarantee that I’ll pass it along to GrH HQ, and I’m confident that everyone on that end will get a good look at everything. Hell, maybe even Suda 51 as well!
Anyhow, all that’s left to say is…
THE DEADLINE IS: MAY 1ST (at the very of the day, 11:59pm to be exact, Pacific Standard Time, which means you east coast folks have an extra three hours)
Apologizes for the very tight timeframe, but that’s when I need the file, which will be immediately rushed to the print shop. Till then, any questions and concerns can be left in the comments section, or simply emailed to me directly at matt at fort90 dot com. Can’t wait to see what shows up in my inbox this time!
UPDATE #1: Was just asked if this contest is only for citizens of the United States or Canada, and no it is not! Whether you’re from NYC or LA, from Tokyo or London, or Melbourne or S?o Paulo, show me your best!
UPDATE #2: Just got a question from an artist wondering if it’s okay to include more than one character in the piece. Sure! More the merrier! Though that being said, obviously the chances of winning is greater if one uses their time to make a single piece super strong instead of doing eight or nine quickly produced ones.
UPDATE #3: Another question I keep getting is if it’s cool to pass along more than one submission. Of course it is! After-all, there are a ton of awesome subjects to choose from. BTW, for the record, in addition to the ones I’ve already named from NHM, I’m a huge fan of Holly Summers, Jeane, and Alice Twilight. Just a head’s up!
UPDATE #4: To clarify a few points made above, what I need in the end is an electronic file, either a jpeg, bitmap, or tiff, doesn’t matter. All I do care about is how, again, it’s 11 x 17 inches big when printed out. That’s 3300 x 5100 pixels big as well. Once more, it can be either vertical or horizontal orientation-wise. As I also stated already, needs to at least 300dpi. If it the final product was going to be in color, I’d probably ask for something like 600 (its up to you if you want to go higher, especially if your piece is indeed color after-all, just in case I guess).
Needless to say, the end result is going to be a huge file that might not be easy to send via email. I can help figure something out, though I highly recommend Dropbox! If you’re not using it already this link will help you get started.
UPDATE #5: In response to Eric from Tiny Cartridge’s question (see the comments of this TC post), yes, Grasshopper employees are also suitable subject matter. In particular, Japanese Amy Poehler…
Actually, one last thing, now that I have everyone’s attention. Last time I spoke of various ways to help the crisis in Japan. Well, time to add one additional option onto your list…
For those who haven’t heard, Peter Swimm, the man who runs True Chip Till Death, is putting together a chiptunes compilation to help benefit the cause. In a little under a week, he’s received over 90 tracks 9 (and counting) plus raised over $2,500 (again, and counting)!
Simply go to this page for more information, as well a chance to donate. Those who do will receive access to the every increasing cache of 8-bit music (which I’ve been listening to all morning, and I’ve been enjoying every single beep and boop thus far).
First and foremost, my thoughts are with those in Japan, especially the ones that have been hardest hit by the initial earthquake, the ensuing tsunami, and the aftershocks that continue to rattle the nation. Since I do much of my work very late at night, here on the east coast of the United States, I happened to be awake when it all went down and caught a good deal of the devastation almost immediately afterward, as well as learned of details first hand from friends and colleagues, mostly via Twitter.
Pretty much everyone I knew is in either Tokyo or parts south, so everyone’s relatively safe and sound thank God (though shaken up nonetheless, given how the epicenter was just a little ways north and how aftershocks are still going on). Also thank God for the modern miracles that is Twitter, Facebook, Google Chat, and Skype, which have been the primary modes of touching base for many. Unfortunately, with each passing day, more details are revealed (like this heart-wrenching example) and grim reality has become all the grimmer; everyone in Japan s doing their best to maintain their resolve to a truly awe-inspiring degree, yet help is sorely needed. Hence why if you haven’t done so already, please donate to either the Red Cross (Apple has made it super simple, via the iTunes store) or any of the other charities that are lending assistance (a handy list can be found here). Fellow New Yorkers might want to support several local entities orchestrating aid initiatives, such as the Japan Society.
… There’s actually a bunch of designs to choose from (I’m also a fan of this one as well) and the profits from each goes to the Red Cross towards relief efforts in Japan. Thanks for the head’s up kappuru!
A Line Has Been Drawn
This past weekend was PAX East, and many were perhaps expecting a report from the big show, along with another healthy dose of cosplay pics. Which that was the original plan, till it became clear that Attract Mode would not be making a return appearance after-all. Some might recall that last year’s debut event was also the very first time myself and Adam teamed up, which ended up causing quite the stir. I then totally missed the deadline to submit press credentials, due to being busy as all hell these past couple of months! But even when a last minute window of opportunity opened up, I ended up turning the chance to attend down anyway. Why? Hate to say it, but I’m one of the many who was completely disgusted and turned off by the event… or at least giving the organizers the time of day… by the whole Dickwolves controversy.
For those who still haven’t heard, VERY long story short: Penny Arcade did a strip in which rape was part of the punch line, a feminist blogger immediately protested, and then Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins, aka the two guys behind the comic, reacted to said negative criticism in perhaps the worst way possible. If Merriam-Webster ever decided to define the term “internet train-wreck”, the Dickwolves debacles would certainly qualify. What followed would include a bunch of ill conceived t-shirts, a Twitter collective that called themselves “Team Rape” and which went after anyone that objected to the strip and those behind it (including myself, albeit very briefly), completely f*cktarded accusations that one outspoken critic had lied about being a survivor to simply stir trouble (oy vey to say the least), along with the other side classifying anyone who enjoyed PA as being insensitive brutes (which isn’t exactly the case either), and a response from the Penny Arcade dudes to those who no longer wanted to attend PAX and requested refunds (that being “okay, you can have your money, but you’re banned for life from all future PAX events”, real classy given how so many victims of sexual abuse are afraid to speak up in the first place).
All of which, including my theory as to why all mainstream news outlets avoided the story, along with possible ramifications the aforementioned drama might have on the one truly good thing Krahulik & Holkins have done, aka Child’s Play (for the record, have never been a fan of the comic, which basically popularized the notion that if you can’t get the idea across in four panels, you can at least explain yourself in an accompanying blog post), was included in an essay for a brand new outlet that had just hired me! But because my first day has been pushed forward, till next week, I doubt they’ll be publishing such old news by then. Though I certainly don’t begrudge anyone that spent the weekend there, and will admit that at the very last minute, I thought about making my way there anyway, if only to get my mind off the situation in Japan. That and the chance to finally give Fez a test drive. Till it downed on me that I was in absolutely no state of mind to encounter some goober with a Team Rape shirt on. I guess what bums me out the most is that I do have warm and fuzzy memories of PAX East, since it was where I bonded with Adam (though I’m fairly certain that Disney Channel played a bigger role in the long run). Ultimately, the entire situation is proof positive of something I’ve been in denial of, that being how no two gamers are exactly alike; I’ve long felt that I could identify with any gamer, regardless of their choice of genre and the like, but I flat out refuse to be included with, nor identify myself with, any group that could be stupid enough to wear Dickwolves attire.
Yet I still made it to PAX East, not physically, but in spirit. Well, via quote/sound-byte form to be exact. Was delighted to discover via numerous peeps’ text messages and the like that the American Classic Arcade Museum was still using a quote from me like last year. Here we have Chris Burke, aka Glomag, posing alongside!
Well, as some of you might know already, like those of you who read the New York Times, Chinatown Fair is back! Somewhat. And those familiar with the article might have also noticed that I was mentioned! Well aside from being quoted, I lent assistance to the NYT reporter, Ariel Kaminer, by getting her up to speed as it pertains to the local scene and the wild word of gaming as a while. So how did that all come about? Last Tuesday, Ariel contacted Stephen over at Kotaku, in hopes of gaining some insight for an upcoming article about the just closed Chinatown institution, to learn more about its historical and cultural significance to be precise. When he confessed to not being an expert on the subject, Steve instead referred her to me, and I got a phone call almost immediately afterward. The first thing I blurted out to Ariel was “You know it’s coming back, right?” And to that, she responded with a very confused “Ummm… excuse me?!”
Which wasn’t such a shock; hardly anyone knew at the time, and the absolute only reason I had any said info was thanks to Jenn. News of Next Level Arcade, the brainchild of former manager of Chinatown Fair Henry Cen, was broken by a food blog of all places, one of the 10,000 sites that she visits on a daily basis, or so I imagine. Reminder to self: I really need to check out her mystery sandwich delivery service! Back to my initial conversation with Ariel; given her complete unfamiliarity with the world of gaming, especially on a local level, and considering how much research I had done on the subject over the years, I inundated with tons of historical facts and personal anecdotes. Problem was, the one thing she needed the most, I didn’t have, that being solid information pertaining to the Chinatown arcade. So when Ariel asked if I was interested in helping her find out more, and perhaps be part of the story (at one point there was going to be a video component and I would have been the official tour guide as it pertains to the NYC game scene, which obviously never came to be), I jumped at the chance. Why? Because it was my chance to set the record straight.
The truth of the matter is, most gaming news outlets have never done all that great of a job covering Chinatown Fair. Again, a food blog had broken the story of it’s supposed rebirth. Though in the defense of my colleagues, it’s not like those connected with CTF have made reporters’ jobs any easier, with one person saying one thing, and another not just saying the first voice was wrong, but also calling him an idiot. And those who frequented the place were equally clandestine. When I began working on an article for EGM in which CTF featured prominently, interviewing the locals at a fighting game tournament in progress was like pulling teeth. So I figured, with the big name rub of the New York Times, this was my chance at least. Though on a more practical level, I just wanted to make sure that when we went to our destination later in the week, that being what sounded like Chinatown Fair 2.0 in Sunset Park, there’s actually be something waiting for Ariel, myself, and the video crew.
Examined numerous articles and blog posts, and as noted, due to the quality of reporting in many instances, not much was hardly useful. But the comments was where real gold could be found, mostly folks correcting the author’s mistakes. It was only via Gothamist’s post on the subject, via someone wanting to set the record straight, that Ariel and I discovered: “Next Level is not the new Chinatown Fair. Henry is branching out and opening his own store. CTF itself is still working out its current legal issues their new location is not finalized yet. “ Curious. A point that was also reinforced on Facebook later on, though more on that in a bit. Eventually I was able to isolated the name of employees at the place down to three: Valentino Ventura (an employee that was often mistaken as the manager in various reports), Benny last name unknown (who appeared to be just another regular employee), Samuel Palmer (a kindly looking older gentleman that was the actual owner, or at least one of who knows how many that was positively identified as such), and Henry Cen (the manager, as well as one who was basically the public voice for CTF).
A Google search produced this video, which I found curious for a number of reasons. For starters, Cen was super young, still in his 20s it would seem. Further investigation revealed that he was a professional gamer, in the realm of Street Fighter of course, with some signs pointing towards him being active still. My initial hunch was that he was a Chinatown Fair regular who basically began working there. It certainly would help to explain how, an establishment that was seemingly run by older, not seemingly wanting to be involved gentlemen, could keep the place up to date with offerings like Arcana Heart. Looking further still showed a person whose personality was quite polarizing, which was somewhat evident in the aforementioned video. Not a big surprise, since a major part of that world of pro Street Fighting involves having a strong ego. When I came across Henry’s Facebook page, I came across the following wall posts by the man: “I’ll be opening the store this friday and saturday from 4pm-whenever people feel like going home. Remember, if I don’t know you, don’t bother to come. We’ll be open to the public when the store is officially open.” & “The place is not open yet, it’s still under construction. I’ll just be opening on the weekends for private gatherings.”
To be honest, my initial impression was an attitude that was somewhat indicative of the rather territorial and non-inclusive nature of many hardcore fighting fanatics that I’ve experienced in the past. Though the video shot during it’s first day of operation was indicative of a place that was not ready to be open, plus besides, it’s Cen’s baby and he can do whatever the hell he wanted. Though I had hoped that me might be interested in opening the place for Ariel and I, as well as answer some questions. Sent a Facebook friend request (which at this point has yet to be approved) and also began asking people I knew, mostly game journalist buddies, what their interactions with him, along with the rest of Chinatown Fair management was like. The basic sentiment was how everyone (Cen in particular) were not the friendliest of people to deal with, let alone pin down.
It was then when I remembered a random tweet made by my buddy Dan, back when everyone was going crazy over Fuck Yeah Nouns (including myself… be sure to check out the two posts immediately afterward for even more yucks). Since Dan knew the name Henry Cen, I wagered that he might know a few things, and that definitely turned out the case. It was from him that I learned that those fancy Street Fighter 4 arcade cabs and other Japanese offerings were courtesy of Cen himself. The specifics were not clear, but Cen due to his resources (perhaps from some help of his pro SF buddies and related connections) was able to supply Chinatown Fair with said goods, which in turn transformed the place into a place where serious competition could flourish. I had also reasoned that at a certain point, there had been a following out between Cen and the rest of the CTF management, as evidenced by mid-February in which one person (Henry) would go on record by stating that the place was indeed closing, and another (Valentino if I recall correctly) would claim the other person is an idiot, they’re not going anywhere.
A notion that was further reinforced by that video, in which only the fancy Japanese hardware was present; up until that moment, I somewhat assumed that the rest of on its way, but couple with the brand new information, the comment on Gothamist, plus connecting the dots, it was clear that there might be two brand new arcades in the wake of Chinatown Fair’s closing. Originally there was reports of it moving to Williamsburg, so when word came of Next Level being in Sunset Park instead, I basically gave a sign of relief (though to be honest, I would have chosen Flushing, aka Chinatown Queens as the ideal location, though Sunset Park is certainly a nice alternative, due to its being right next to Brooklyn Chinatown, albeit somewhat tricky to get to). Sorry, but Billyburg is SO not the right place for CTF’s offerings, especially its people; once again, I cannot possibly imagine CTF’s regulars rubbing elbows with Barcade’s Friday night crowd. Sure it would be hilarious, but ultimately a disaster of epic proportions. Yet all of a sudden, the possibility was alive again.
I passed along my findings and updated theories to Ariel, and we decided to check out the place anyway. Ariel also tried reaching out Henry via Facebook, and surprise, she got a response! I tried explaining that he probably held much disdain for anyone with a traditional/mainstream game journalism background, which I honestly still can’t fault him for. Unfortunately, by this time, the clock was clicking, so instead of waiting for Henry’s okay to open the doors for us we decided to head directly to Next Level, with hopes that he’d be around and let us in. Unfortunately, the place was shuttered as feared and no one was clearly around…
While standing on the windy street, as Ariel called the video crew to let them know that there really wasn’t much to see, I spotted a dude who appeared to be a Chinatown Fair regular. I actually had assumed that we’d run into at least one or two, making the pilgrimage to see if the games their new hallowed ground was possibly open. The dude was exceptionally shy, but eventually Naquan Holland opened up to Ariel and myself….
It was then when I came to a realization; arcades in NYC are going to be all right. Many had wondered if this new place would be able to attract Chinatown Fair’s regulars, and the answer is a resounding “absolutely.” Given how many of the faithful travel from all corners of the tristate area to begin with, an extra couple of minutes into Brooklyn is not going to matter. Besides, the neighborhood is quite chill, with plenty of excellent food options nearby (and not all that different from Mott Street when you get down to it).
Later that evening, Ariel was able to finally speak with Cen, as illustrated in her article, which confirmed a number of suspicions that I had. Easily the most curious revelation was how Babycastles was set to acquire the other parts of Chinatown Fair. All of a sudden, rumors of the move to Williamsburg made more sense, though I have no idea if those plans to open up a space on Kent Street, which I first heard of months ago, back when I was still in regular contact with Kunal & Syed, included Chinatown Fair elements to begin with. Or, if it was some new possibility that opened up once news of CTF’s potential closing began to circulate in February. At the very least it explained what “Secret Trustafarian Plan of 2011″ meant, which was posted on my Facebook wall, along with a series of curious exchanges (like this most recent example).
In the end, it’s perhaps the best for Babycastles. I have no idea what their exact plans were, but I cannot possibly imagine a DIY arcade housing running Canabalt right next to a DDR machine making any of sense. Also, hate to say it, but as much of a undeserved wrap that the outfit gets for the “hipsterfication” of gaming (an attitude that even I had to fight against when curating shows late last year), incorporating pieces from an arcade that had so much reverence amongst a specific (i.e. hardcore) audience into a completely different environment, one that is in many ways the polar opposite, is akin to tattooing a big bulls eye onto one’s chest. It simply would not go over well, no matter how well meaning the intent might be, and given what a weird place and time we’re at as it relates to game culture across the board… I haven’t even made mention of how, on the same weekend that CTF closed in NYC, an equally revered establishment shut its doors in LA… and especially when one remembers that the core idea behind an arcade in the first place is a gathering spot for like-minded individuals, care and consideration must be applied at all costs and at every turn. Ultimately, it would only work if they had gotten the total package, but the heart and soul of what Chinatown Fair had become is now elsewhere, along with the mindshare of its core audience.
Still, there’s a chance that King of Fighters 98 might end up in some other Billyburg space, only to be tagged from top to bottom and drenched in Four Loko shortly afterward. Ariel found my negative attitude towards the Williamsburg connection exiting after-all rather curious, and asked “Would you rather those machines then simply vanish? Is it not better that they exist somewhere, for those to get to it, regardless of the cultural aspects of the new environment?” A certainly valid observation. And my response was… which I’m sure will get the ire of many… that it’s sometimes better to have the memories of something great, something pure, then let them be tarnished by ill-conceived attempts at keeping things going. Sorta like how the new Star Wars movies have affectively ruined the originals. Or something like that. Because when you really get down to it, it’s not the games that make an arcade, but the people that frequent it.
At this moment, even with the fate of “Chinatown Fair” in question, its spiritual successor is about to take foot. Despite it not being the place for me, that’s perfectly fine. In the same way as PAX has also illustrated, there’s all kinds of gamers out there and they all deserve their own space. As far as arcades go, we’ll soon have a new home for the hardcore, the hipsters (and yuppies) still have Barcade, tourists have their Dave & Busters, and we still have our curious mish-mash of indie arcade/music venue/artsy-fartsy gallery that is Babycastles. At the end of the day, options exist in New York City, and that’s good in my book. Oh, and my fave comment on the matter, via Kotaku’s write-up on the NYT article, regarding Cen’s vaguely mob-like sentiments as it pertains to Next Level being founded on the principles of respect: “Honestly, if they have both SSFIV AE *and* bubble tea, I don’t care if the place is owned by mecha-hitler, I’m still there.”
Meanwhile, in San Francisco…
Stuff On The Wall
As also noted in my last update, a little thing called Game Over 4 went down at Giant Robot SF Gallery recently. And from all accounts, the opening shindig was a rager! Many have already seen Meat Bun’s account of the evening, highlighted with an awesome shot of Nathan from Capybara, Dan from before, plus Attract Mode’s official representative. Though I have a few additional pics of my own, courtesy of Nicolas Magnier, who maintains the very awesome game image blog GameOvr…
Unfortunately, with so many bodies in the rather tight gallery/store space, getting detailed shots of all the wonderful stuff on the wall was a challenge to many, Hence why I asked my good bud Slonie to swing by afterwards, and here’s what he got…
Check out these awesome old-school Sega piece by Lamar!
God, I am SO in love with this slime girl piece by Mariel…
UPDATE: Damn… this particular piece here is blowin’ up over at the photo dump!
And to score Cory‘s, this URL will make it happen.
Long Story Short: Trading Places (Yes, The Eddie Murphy & Dan Aykroyd Movie, That Trading Places) Predicted 9/11
One last thing, something I simply have to pass along, aka my latest obsession over the past few days. There’s enough material here to warrant an entire post, which might still happen! Till then, please check out the most insane YouTube video ever (yes, it’s so amazing that I’m actually embedding it, something I almost NEVER do):
Basically, it hails from the most insane website ever, one that attempts to “connect the dots” between various matters that are not within the grasp of our consciousness and other hooey like that. Though as you might have noticed from the clip above (please do yourself a favor and watch the entire ten minutes, its SO worth it), the key to their madness is where they find their evidence; when you have the time, please also check out this other informative video, which draws from Hellboy, Hook, Harry Potter, Ducktales, Sobe the energy drink… Oh my God, IT ALL CONNECTS!!!
