Video Game Character Spotlight: Kratos

If you're going to be the god of anything, you've at least got to make it cool. You don't want to be the God of Mayonnaise, after all. You want a title that upon hearing, commands respect and awe from your followers. Something not unlike THE GOD OF WAR. Subtle intro checked off, Kratos, of The God of War series, is definitely a god you don't want to disrespect. He is the all-fury, all-rage, all-button-masher Spartan who would no sooner rip off your head with his bare hands than he would look at you. With his signature chain-blades, Kratos is vengeance incarnate as he slays his way through monsters, titans, gods and every other person you read about in high school mythology class. Seriously, his kill list runs longer than the wait for Half-Life 3.

“We haven't forgotten, Gabe...,” Source.

     But the tale of Kratos is one that truly is as epic (and lengthy) as any Greek saga. It is a story woven in revenge, hubris and even tragedy. In the beginning of God of War, we learn that Kratos was originally a commander of Sparta, who was more ruthless than any other mortal. But his luck soured when he faced an inevitable defeat and lost in battle. Rather than admit his failure, Kratos called on Ares, the then god of war, to aid him. Ares granted his wish and gave Kratos his Blades of Chaos, helping achieve victory. But Ares had a hand in betrayal as he soon tricked Kratos to kill his entire family. Horrified by his actions, Kratos vowed vengeance against Ares and all others who stood in his way, forever marking his path in life.

“His skin was also marked by whitening from the ashes of his dead family, but whatever,” Source.

Kratos's ensuing journey for revenge unfolds throughout the God of War series, over the course of six more installments. His story would have many revelations, betrayals and an endless, endless amount of killing (Like, I'm talking buckets here). But despite the numerous character challenges, Kratos has maintained a constant level of badassery over the years. He has held true to his cut throat Spartan nature, immovably driven and fearless against hordes of monsters. He's battered, bludgeoned, sliced, dismembered and slaughtered over and over, all for the relief of his unquenchable thirst for revenge.

“KRATOS THIRSTY!!!” Source.

The legend of Kratos has been such a popular one that Kratos has become a staple of the modern video game industry. The 2011 Guiness World Records Gamer's Edition named him the ninth most popular video game character of all time. This is a testament to Kratos's undeniable awesomeness and his dependability to bring an epic, awe-inspiring adventure. And while the fate of his character is still wrapped in mystery, we can be assured we have not seen the last of Kratos, the one true God of War.

“He always brings the pain, so long as the Quick-Time-Events are hit at the right time,” Source.

-Tom

Header Image Source

Read More

It's a Mario Party!

If you follow the A Bit of Geek Facebook page, then you may remember me posting this at the beginning of October:

Well, the time has come! Here is a full showcase of my nephew’s Mario themed birthday party. My sister took great care to create the full Mario Party experience, complete with ceiling, wall, and food decorations. She even did Mario themed games for the kids, and to great success! I was extremely impressed with the range that she brought to her son’s special day, and it, no joke, made me a little jealous that it wasn’t my birthday!

        

Many of her ideas came from Pinterest. I would never have thought of these ideas. The mural behind the food table was an inexpensive and easy way to make a bold statement and large decoration. She used a blue plastic tablecloth, green streamers, gold paper plates, and giant gold stars (all found at Party City for under a few bucks each), and we quickly cut out the clouds with regular printer paper right before the party started.

         

It’s not easy to come up with decorative food that’s not a sugar or sweet, but she managed to find an awesome vegetable display, and even made themed sandwiches with the simple use of a cookie cutter and chocolate chips!

        

She made the pinata herself out of tissue paper and mod podge. She was also convinced that it was extremely fragile and would break with one hit. This was comedically wrong, and after all of the kids had a go at it around three times, her husband ended up cutting it open with his keys. I’d recommend fewer layers of tissue paper, if you’re going to try this yourself! I also want to comment on the brilliance of those question blocks. They must have been a pain to make, but the kids were so STOKED to be punching blocks just like Mario!

        

According to my sister, it was no easy feat to find Mario items for this party. She made these great piranha plant glasses, and filled them with candies, Mario stickers, and star stamps that were pretty close to looking like invincible stars. I provided additional decorations from my own collection, and her sister-in-law brought some really awesome decorations that she had made for her own daughter’s Mario themed party earlier this summer.

         

The afternoon was a raging success, and my nephew walked away with a lot of awesome gifts, one of them being a copy of Mario Party 9! Fun fact, when he was only two years old, my sister and I played a round of Mario Party 8 with him. He was actually controlling his own Wiimote, and he somehow managed to beat us. I legitimately don’t understand how this happened.



Have you ever thrown a Mario birthday party? What would you have done differently, and did we miss any awesome ideas? I may or may not be fishing for more ideas for my own birthday party next year ;)



-MJ



*all images are property of Miranda/A Bit of Geek

Read More

Happy Holidays from A Bit of Geek

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Joyous Wednesday! We hope that today brings love and happiness to everyone, everywhere.

Love,

A Bit of Geek



*spider-man, garrus, megaman, link, santa hat sources

Read More

Final Fantasy 8 Diary - Entry 2

Dear Diary,



Today I went to the Fire Cavern to meet Ifrit. Well, I say “meet”, but really it was, “battle until he relented and then became one of my GFs.” Oh, and I got his card, too, so now I can finally win against that punk who won’t stop running around in the school. It's driving me crazy to not be able to get his Mini Mog.



On the way to the Fire Cavern I got side tracked with splashing in the surf! There is a serious Fastitocalon problem around here. I was just trying to build some sand castles and they wouldn’t leave me alone. Why shouldn't a budding SeeD have a little beach fun? Quistis reminded me that we did have somewhere important to be though, so I set off again. I ended up in Balamb and found my way into a hotel where some guy was going off about his wife. It was really uncomfortable... and then Quistis decided to tell me that I was going in the wrong direction. So that was embarrassing!



When we finally got to the Fire Cavern I nearly fell asleep during her way-too-long ramblings on Junctioning Elementals. Don’t get me wrong, it’s good information, but it’s a real snooze fest to learn about. Side information: did you know that there’s a Draw Point in there that gives 14 Fire? Jackpot!



Still waiting on the results from my time in the cave. Wish me luck!



xoxo

Squall



[This is part of a series of diary entries chronicling my first play through of Final Fantasy 8. I write from the perspective of Squall, but with the twist of a person putting thoughts rambling and unedited into a diary. Join me on my journey of love, loss, and intense angst.]

*header image source

Read More

Boldly Going

Star Trek is something that I’ve always been curious about. It has been there, persistent in my periphery, seeming both appealing and dull at the same time. I’ve had friends who were big fans, and my Grandma always spoke highly of it. I recall watching Fox 13 as a kid, and as soon as the cartoons were finished for the night I would see the ad for Coming Up Next: Star Trek (I think it was Deep Space 9), and I would think, “That looks so boring,” and I would go do something else. I didn’t grow up with my Grandma in the house, and my mom has never been a big fan of TV. There simply wasn’t someone of influence around to say, “Hey, give it a try!”

I wasn't fortunate like Wesley here, with his sweaters and excitability. source.

There is now,  his name is Morgan, and man does he love Star Trek: The Next Generation. My own, true interest in Star Trek happened with the 2009 reboot movie. I quite liked both Chris Pine and Zachary Quintos, so I went to see it. And I was totally blown away! I absolutely loved it! Of course I knew that the Original Series was not comparable in terms of production value, but the characters on screen were the same, or at least similar, so I figured I’d enjoy watching TOS. It had been my plan since then to start from there and work my way up. That plan got derailed with Morgan though (he doesn't want to watch TOS).



He’s been watching TNG since he was a kid, and I just started my journey a few months ago (if that). We began on season one, episode one, and I am very much enjoying myself! I’m beginning to feel sad that I didn’t have someone around to encourage me to start watching the show sooner. And it’s sort of like  Doctor Who, how it’s awesome to start to understand and be a part of this enormous fandom, this movement in television and entertainment history.



Some of the campier storylines and dialogue are rough to watch, but still enjoyable in their own way. I really can't help shouting out at the TV when I think something is ridiculous, and more than once I’ve had to pause the show because I was laughing too hard at dialogue. I really wanted to start tweeting my thoughts while I watched, and I finally did beginning with season two. You can follow me on Twitter to catch all of my amazing episode recaps.

The kind of quality entertainment you can expect from me.

So far my favorite character has to be Data! He’s so funny, and the actor has amazing facial control. In recent episodes I’ve come to really appreciate Captain Picard and his ability to stay calm when shit hits the fan. I guess that’s why he’s captain! And, I don’t know what’s wrong with the Internet world, because I really like Wesley! Based on Tumblr and Twitter, I expected him to be… incredibly annoying? But he’s just an excited teen, anxious to be a part of something as wonderful as the Enterprise bridge. Suck it, haters!



We are currently on season three, and I am so glad that Dr. Crusher is back! Dr. Pulaski was not my jam. I am also delighted to see Whoopi Goldberg is in the series, as that was certainly news to me. I’m just loving the diversity of issues the crew runs into, and how they end up handling everything. Although, I have to say that, hands down, my favorite aspect of the show is watching Riker smile at EVERYTHING. It’s even funnier than the fact that he clamors over the backs of chairs.

How could someone dislike that smile? source.

Lastly, I want to let everyone know that I officially have a new OTP, and it is Picard and Dr. Crusher. I can’t be the only one!

Oh, Doctor. Oh, Captain! Swoon. source.

Let me hear it Star Trek fans! Talk to me about this amazing show!



-MJ



*header and preview image source 

Read More

An Open Letter to the Developers of "Maximum Carnage":

Dear Software Creations,



Firstly, I want to congratulate you. I always like to start my letters with some regard of positivity as it helps get us off on the right foot.

So congrats, on making “Maximum Carnage” for the SNES. I know how difficult it is to actually make a video game, so you deserve some credit to your name for accomplishing such a feat. It must have been incredibly difficult to design such a broken game that tried so hard to emulate the other, more popular side-scrollers of the 90's. You must have slaved and truly broken your backs to make a game with opponents who mercilessly fail to telegraph their attacks or provide any insight on how you're expected to beat them, no matter how many times you play the game. I know I broke my back trying to figure that one out, so kudos there.



While we're on the subject of game design, I would like to talk to whomever was in charge of programming the End Game/Continue system. As I don't have your response yet and don't know this person's name, I will go ahead and call them Darin for now.



Darin, I wanted to talk to you specifically because I think that have a promising future ahead of you. Truly, as a longtime gamer, those words are heartfelt and sincere. Your stunning foresight into ensuring that as soon as a player lost all their lives and all their continues, that they would be forced to restart the game from the very beginning was nothing short of genius. That idea must have been a pitch of marketing gold. Using this system, those dumb kids would have to shell out quarter after quarter into that SNES, earning you and your company even greater riches! It's not like you were selling the game on a platform that didn't require you to continually put money into it to keep playing or anything. Keep striving for that master excellence, Darin, and don't you ever let anyone tell you about those mean old things called “save points,” or “stage select.”



But, I digress, Software Creations. I'm sure you have heard all this praise before. The popularity of Maximum Carnage speaks for itself. I mean, how can it not when you use such an iconic hero as Spider-man? Everybody loves Spider-man! So making a game about Spider-man will only reap in the big bucks as kid after kid will throws their hard earned money for the chance to play as their friendly-neighborhood Spider-man. Who wouldn't take that opportunity to exploit their superhero fascination to feed them a game so unforgivably cheap that their very souls might get crushed in the process? KIDS LOVE SPIDER-MAN, AFTER ALL! You also know what kids love? Your kid-friendly cover art:

 

Source.

Really, this game must have sold itself. It must have truly been flying off the shelves and filled your pockets deep. After all, the success of Software Creations is widely known with such greats as “Kid Klown in Crazy Chase” or “Carmageddon.” Your legacy is now solidified for eternity, even after your company's sell-out and subsequent dismantling. That probably had nothing to do with your production of such quality games as Maximum Carnage. Probably.



So in summary, Software Creations, I just want to thank you. Thank you ever so much for creating Maximum Carnage. Thank you for designing the game that I have tirelessly tried to beat since childhood and have yet to beat to this very day. Thank you for making a broken, repetitive fighting system that only stands to frustrate and infuriate its players. Without such an innovative game, we might not be where we are now in the video game industry. You are a beacon, Software Creations. May your genius in video gaming never end. Except for that time it did.



Sincerely Yours and 100%-Not-Banging-My-Head-Against-The-Wall-Trying-To-Beat-Carnage-On-The-"Manhattan-Street-2-Stage,"

Tom Gimlin

Read More

Video Game Character Spotlight: Banjo-Kazooie

In the grand scheme of adventure, it's good to have a partner. Someone to look out for you in the dire situations and always watch your back. Or if it makes it easier, to not just watch your back but live in your back....pack. That's the kind of close-knit partnership that exists between the lovable platforming duo, Banjo and Kazooie of Rare's classic series, Banjo-Kazooie. Quite possibly the oddest pairing in the history of heroics, Banjo is the good natured bear to Kazooie's foul-mouthed, sassy bird. But the time old saying of opposites holds true as this team stick fiercely together as they brave the dangers that come with the thrill of adventure. Banjo and Kazooie fight bravely against the challenges of the world, all the while Kazooie does so from the comfort of Banjo's backpack.

“The backpack is actually a ruse; they're a product of a teleporter malfunction a la Jeff Goldblum,” Source.

When we first meet Banjo and Kazooie, it's in their debut hit, Banjo-Kazooie for the Nintendo 64. Having already brought us such gems as Goldeneye 007 and Diddy Kong Racing, the smart cookies at Rare then added a new hit to their already impressive record. In walks Banjo-Kazooie, the 3D platformer about the lovable adventures of a bear and a bird whom set out to thwart the plan of the evil witch Gruntilda. The game became an instant-classic, selling over 1.8 million copies in an industry then-dominated by a certain turtle-stomping plumber. And how could it not do so well? It's a heart-warming, exciting story about two friends out on a daring adventure.

 

“And also this thing,” Source.

At the start of the series, Banjo and Kazooie are living in their quaint home next to Spiral Mountain, doing you know, bear and bird stuff. When all of a sudden, Banjo's little sister Tooty (pause for immature laughter) is captured by the evil witch Gruntilda! Gruntilda heard word that Tooty (pause) was actually the prettiest in the land, and made a sinister plot to use a machine to rob her of her prettiness. So it comes down to Banjo and Kazooie, with the help of their mole-friend Bottles and their resident shaman Mumbo Jumbo, to save the day!

 

“While ensuring they don't miss band practice,” Source.

But the inevitable defeat of Gruntilda was not the end of Banjo and Kazooie's adventures, as their series would go on to produce more and more installments. Following the success of their first game, the animal duo went on to have such releases as Banjo-Twooie, Banjo-Pilot, Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge and Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts. The series was in fact so popular that Banjo-Kazooie was re-released onto Xbox Live Arcade in 2008, met with critical acclaim. There was no stopping the bear and bird!

 

“That's the most banjo we've seen since Deliverance,” Source.

The popularity of Banjo and Kazooie only stand as a testament to our love for the great adventure. The thrilling and wondrous journey that keeps us coming back again and again, enriching our hearts and our minds. For in the end, it's a story of friendship; that special bond between two friends whom only have each other against a sea of troubles. And when the troubles are evil witches with a nasty habit of rhyming, it's good to have your best pal watching your back.....pack.

-Tom



Header Image Source

Read More

Gotta Sculpt Them All - Pokemon in Paper Form

A few months ago I came across a paper artist on Tumblr named PlaidCushion, or Sarah, if you know her in person. She lives in New Zealand (I'm pretty sure!) and makes some damn awesome paper art.

From Sarah's Twitter @PlaidCushion.

My first experience with her work was through her (what I assume to be) university project called Wintergreen. I was absolutely blown away at the idea of a comic told entirely in paper sculpt format. She has great angle and perspective, I think, and I'm very much enjoying the whimsy of the story. You should definitely check it out.



From there I have watched her do a lot of Pokemon projects, one of Neil Gaiman, and even Rei from Evangelion! Most recently she finished an incredible Adventure Time piece, which I excitedly shared on the A Bit of Geek Facebook page. I was absolutely blown away by the detail! How could a human cut such tiny pieces? I think I kept the pictures open on my computer for days, because I could not stop looking at them.

   

Both images are from Sarah's Adventure Time post on Tumblr.

Now, Sarah has moved onto a different type of challenge, by way of creating a Pokemon for every day of December! And they're each about the size of a standard x-acto blade. After the challenge though, she plans on doing every. single. Pokemon. And she hopes to have Gen 1 finished by the end of January! My mind reeled when I first saw the picture she posted of the Dratini she had made. It's a damn good thing she juxtaposes them with an image of her knife, because otherwise I don't think I would believe that they were really so tiny.

   

Both images from Sarah's Tumblr account.

 

 From Sarah's Twitter @PlaidCushion.

Personally speaking, I can't wait to see her make Oddish! He is my favorite, after all. And Lapras! Oh gosh, I honestly can't wait to see them all! I'm so in awe of her dedication and talent, and I truly hope that everyone will go and check out the rest of her work. She deserves it! Oh, she also does commissions, if you were hoping to get a little something unique for yourself or a friend!



Are you looking forward to any specific Pokemon being made into paper form?



-MJ



*header image source

Read More

Diablo: The Series (Part One)

Outside of a very small exposure to Warcraft, my first experience with the gaming company Blizzard Entertainment was watching a friend of mine play the original Diablo on his computer in a dimly-lit basement. After being enthralled with the game, even just observing, he installed Diablo Spawn on my PC. For the unaware, Spawn was a sort of ingenious demo that you could install on any number of computers. The program allowed a person to experience a two-level playthrough, either single or multiplayer, to give non-owners a taste of the game. It was a fantastic method employed by the creators, and I was hooked.

 

Multiple character types? Yes please!

I later purchased the original title when I was with my friend and his dad, who masqueraded as my parent at the register since I was not yet old enough to purchase it myself. Sporting the dreaded "Mature" rating, good ol' Diablo was one of the few games that my then-computer could handle, and boy did I play that game to hell and back. Heh. It was an experience that captivated me through story, graphics, music, and overall atmosphere. There were times in the game that were genuinely frightening to me as a young boy, but it was always rewarding to soldier on and conquer the next big beast.

 

Even the town of Tristram seemed dark and foreboding.

The story revolved around a hero (or heroes if you played with friends) trudging through the infested cathedral in the town of Tristram.  The task at hand was to cleanse it of the evil an Archbishop, by the name of Lazarus, brought forth. Each new level of the cathedral in which the game took place brought new challenges as you crawled deeper through catacombs and caves, and closer to the inevitable hell below.

 

In times like these, you would definitely want backup.

There were an insane amount of enemies, both in variety and the quantity in which you encountered them. I can't remember any other game where I would be swarmed by 20 or 30 enemies at once, forcing me to hack with my weapon, cast my spells, maintain defensive ground, and also pay attention to the levels of my health and mana to make sure I didn't fall at the hands of demons.

 

My vote for the most frustrating area would be the caves.

Every few levels, you would come across terrifying beasts who served as "bosses" for certain areas. Most notably to the game is The Butcher, a hulking demon who hefts a gigantic cleaver. The Butcher resides in a room covered wall-to-wall with the mutilated corpses of the soldiers who were led to their end by Lazarus. As a kid, the room alone was terrifying. If the sight weren't enough, as soon as you entered the room, your adversary would boom over the speakers in a deep, gravelly, evil voice: "Ah! Fresh meat!" Ol' Butch was a huge hassle for many players. He was insanely powerful and came relatively early in the game, proving to be a difficult obstacle for many to overcome. Once you finally bested him you could wield his cleaver, which, in terms of rewards, gave you a great preview of things to come. It was also a good indicator that you would encounter many different, unique weapons throughout the game, each with special bonuses, and some with hindrances.  It was unlike any other system I had ever played.

 

Obviously not an individual with any sense of interior decoration.

It wasn't until somewhat recently that I actually killed Diablo for the first time. You know how it is with games, you stop playing for awhile, come back to it, and you have no idea what you're doing. "Might as well start over," I'd say, only for the cycle to repeat. Completing the game came with me discovering the Hellfire expansion, which added a surprising amount of content, including a new playable character, special dungeons, and more items. The only thing that really improved the game (since it was so well done that it didn't need much else) was that you could have your character move at a quicker speed, which made some of the tedious walking areas less... tedious.

"Whoa! You are not gonna see shit like that at a Modest Mouse concert!" -Aziz Ansari

As a whole, the first entry in the Diablo series was done very, very right.

Share your thoughts!  What did you like or dislike about the first Diablo?  Also, keep your eyes open for the next entry in this series, "Diablo: The Series (Part Two-and-One-Half: Diab Harder)" and we'll see you then!

-Zach

Read More

Final Fantasy 8 Diary - Entry 1

Dear Diary,



I woke up in the infirmary because Seifer cut me in the face during training. What a dick. What's his problem? See if I ever train with him again! They made me go to class anyway, though. I guess the test is important. I think one of the girls in my class has a thing for the teacher, which is fine, I mean, she just she got really, really jealous when Quistis asked me to see her later. Meanwhile, the tall guy who dresses just like me did a vulgar victory dance over it. Do you have any idea of the rampant sexual promiscuity in this school?! Maybe if they let us go out at night for something other than training, the students wouldn’t feel so pent up.



Oh, the message boards say that we’re still running out of hot dogs too quickly, too! I had to explain this sad problem to some girl that ran into me as I was leaving the classroom. I hope I didn’t hurt her since I’m so big and tall. Now I really want a hot dog, but since they were out, I spent the next hour chasing this kid around trying to win his Mini Mog card before I finally gave up and took a nap.



Write more later!



xoxo

Squall



[This is part of a series of diary entries chronicling my first play through of Final Fantasy 8. I write from the perspective of Squall, but with the twist of a person putting thoughts rambling and unedited into a diary. Join me on my journey of love, loss, and intense angst.]

*header image source

Read More

It's Dangerous to Go Alone, Take These!

If you’re a long time reader you might recall that October of last year A Bit of Geek and Earthtastic! (a natural body care company) teamed up to bring you some fabulously designed Doctor Who lip balms. Well, we’re at it again, and this time it’s something different and very exciting!

    

Introducing: Ocarina of Time Temple Candles! That’s right, this set of five carefully crafted, wonderfully smelling candles are now available for purchase and your olfactory enjoyment. You can grab them as a complete set for $28, or individually for $6 a piece.



These were designed and inspired after the five temples in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. We have Forest, Fire, Water, Spirit, and Shadow. I realize that in the strategy guide the player is supposed to go to the Shadow temple, and then the Spirit temple, but… I never played it that way. So, in my mind, it goes Spirit and then Shadow. Hah! ALSO, there’s no need to get technical about how there are actually kind of eight temples in Ocarina of Time. The first three are dungeons, so they don't "count", and my goal was to make this paragraph as succinct as possible. That plan obviously has been ruined.



Anywho, allow me to attempt to break down the miraculous and painstakingly selected scents for you. Do you have any idea how many times I sniffed myself into light-headedness while choosing these aromas? At least five, probably more like seven. We even created new scents for you! Yes, we spent a lot of time pouring over vials of scented oil, mixing them together, and cackling wickedly as we found the perfect ratios and aromas.

  

Forest Temple - A sweet, green scent, mixed with wisps of light gold, sure to ensnare and encapsulate, transporting the sniffer into the Sacred Meadow, where the sun shines down on distant memories.

    

Fire Temple - A smooth, smoky scent, complete with a sharp and fruity side. Allow it to fill your mind with images of bubbling lava, flaming torches, and Gorons who desperately want to go home.

    

Water Temple - A light and, well, watery smell, rounded off with a cool finish. The combination transports the mind to visions of Lake Hylia, with reeds lazily waving back and forth as you don your iron boots.

    

Spirit Temple - A potent, golden and warm scent, reminiscent of ancient and sandy structures. You’re sure to hear the distinctive music of the Desert Colossus, and suddenly wonder where all of this sand came from.

    

Shadow Temple - A heady aroma, with flowery and distinctively purple tones. This scent is bold, sure to fill your home with intoxicating thoughts of adventure, danger, and possibly the horrifying Bongo Bongo.



Each candle was hand crafted by Cassidy in a smoke-free and carefully maintained work space. She puts great care and love into her work, and these fun team-up items are no exception. The labels were made by me, and it was quite the undertaking :D



Together or apart, they make for beautiful and geeky decoration pieces in your home! We tested them in our homes, and found that their scent “throw” was strong and satisfactory. Once the candle has burned out, you’re even left with an awesome storage tin. Perhaps a good place to put your extra rupees?



Be sure to check out the etsy listings if you want to grab a set for yourself. We hope you love the candles as much as we do!



-MJ

Read More