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Finally caught up with The Expanse. Season 5 is the best one yet, IMO. I was pretty disappointed with S4. While it did come together in the end, I felt like there was a lot of filler. But not S5! I loved all of the character arcs, which were quite varied. While not all were at the same depth, the character development was great. I think the writing is sharper than ever. Wasn’t quite ready for the gut punches that showed up. I was brought to tears, which I wasn’t expecting from this show. Very much looking forward to S6. Thank god this show was rescued.

A few episodes into S2 of Ted Lasso…. ”I guess that’s what I get for tinkling next to John Holmes.” The scene with Roy and Keeley and his niece with the breath got me good, too.

Add me to the cool kids club. I started and finished Season 1 of Ted Lasso. Fucking amazing. Someone mentioned earlier that it will make you believe in humanity again - man that’s on point. Onto Season 2.

Knife skills class was really interesting. Lots of vegetable prep, lots of learning, and a good group. Came home with a big bag of prepped veggies for soup tomorrow.

Finished this off today, and I think I want to go back and replay the original to see how it holds up. I was thinking about whether or not the gameplay was more varied back then, and I'm not so sure. The lungfishopolis level changed the scale, but even levels like the milkman conspiracy and black velvet (I think) just changed the look and feel, but you were still collecting figments, baggage etc and getting to the end. Could be misremembering though-it's been years since I played it. Psychonauts 2 is a really incredible achievement though, and I hope more people play it. The scale is incredibly ambitious, there is no way that I expected that many levels and hub areas to explore. Ended up getting 100% on it (although I probably spent as long on the last of the collectibles as I did getting to that point), but it was a world that I absolutely wanted to see more of. Only real complaint on the collectibles is that it might have been nice to have a "figment detector" or something to find the last few, or at least having the later, huge, levels broken down a little more (those fucking bananas in the bob level...). The level with the band is probably my favourite looking back on it, but I also thought that last level was a neat concept. Either way, the way they set up the depictions of the different minds and mental problems is just incredible. The game show level is probably the most unique (and gross...), but I did like the way the food was excited to be cooked.

It’s been too long!

I get hot fast when I run (or should I say "ran." I'm trying to find the motivation to run regularly again but struggling). Camp's right on the money though. Fewer layers than you think you need, and not as thick or heavy as you think you might need. That week where I was running in blizzard conditions back when I was marathon training, unable to see three feet in front of me, was the most fun I have ever had running (it was true Rocky IV training montage conditions). I wish it would snow here more often. My body was a furnace keeping me warm, and the cold conditions were the motivation to just keep moving or else risk my temperature taking a hit. If you are facing the likelihood of running in rain and snow this winter just be sure your running shoes will give you a good grip. I think most of the best shoes by their nature are designed quite well for varying conditions these days.

Where are you and how cold are we talking? Layers are good so you can remove as you warm up. I don't like carrying things when I run so I tend to wear as few layers as possible. I'm a proponent of 1/2 or 3/4 zip pullovers (example) with a standard running short sleeve underneath. These pullovers let you vent in stages as you warm up: unzipping, roll up sleeves, and removing it. For bottoms, I stay in shorts as long as the season allows. The running tights work into the rotation when it's too cold for shorts. And say "no" to men wearing shorts over their running shorts. That's just goofy. Let it all hang out.

In November this package is getting a BIG update/re-release that will see the inclusion of Capcom's SNES Aladdin game, as well as both SNES and Megadrive/Genesis editions of The Jungle Book! I had not got round to buying the previous compilation of Aladdin and Lion King so this is very pleasing as I remember lamenting the absence of Jungle Book the last time, and the Capcom version of Aladdin is terrific. Those who did already purchase the previous release will be able to purchase a DLC upgrade for $10. The full release will retail for $30:

I got the impression that the plan was leave off the last few books for adapting down the road. Not sure where I heard it, though. I'm still pissed that they didn't recast Alex. Nobody was confused by the two Darrens, two "Rhodey" Rhodes, two Aunt Vivs, etc.

Official and released today! $20 is a steal for this much game and M2 handled the emulation.

How did Nintendo not get Wernor Herzog to play Mario? SMH.

$50 to buy a N64 controller. A garbage ass controller design that to this day is nearly unrivaled in its undeterred shittiness. Then the same price for a three button Genesis pad? LMAO. …..and pay a higher price tier to wait for them to drip feed out 5 games a year? Ok, Nintendo. They certainly have balls, I’ll give them that. I canceled my switch online subscription awhile ago and it’s not missed. Sorry, didn’t mean to bring things down.:)

Yeah, this is the first time I can recall that at 2 years of owning an iPhone, I'm not really clamoring for the new one. A big part of that is the battery improvements made in the 11 Pro, unlike previous iPhones at 2 years, the 11 is still holding up admirably in terms of battery life. It's not as good as new, but it's more than good enough. My previous phones were basically limping along at the 24 month mark, so much so that I had replaced the battery in some of my older phones. And the reviews for the 13 pretty much universally emphasize the incremental nature of this upgrade. I'm fine waiting for the 14 at this point.

This is hilarious.

Colossal difference in quality between the Unbreakable UHD and Blu-ray: https://caps-a-holic.com/c.php?d1=16495&d2=16315&c=6170 There are so many Touchstone/Hollywood titles from Disney that similarly hit Blu-ray with dated source masters which could be enormously improved with a UHD release. I'll cheer anything we get but it remains deeply frustrating that they're so slow in showing interest in getting more titles out (and showing zero interest licensing to smaller labels).

Standard editions of Arrow's Dune and True Romance will release on 18th October in the UK.

I finished the Iki expansion storyline the other day and I really liked it. You probably already know but, I think Iki was around 8hrs or so of story content if that helps. Also.. it’s you - and you seem to platinum 3 games a day so I think you’ll still have free time for Kena 😊 On Ghost, I know this was a PS4 game and the PS5 version is only minor upgrades overall but man I really felt like this was a killer platform seller myself 😊 I still have some side missions in the main game I want to do and other stuff but, this was a really satisfying 40hrs or so and I guess it says a lot that I’m not tired of it yet.

#44 is the beautiful but surprisingly hard as fuck, Kena Bridge of Spirits. Very happy to have this one finally released and it turned out very well!

For sure. The show has done a really good job of moving past superficial drama quickly. I trust it to continue.

Let me translate this for those of you with Normal gaming skills: "Regular enemies are super tough, and the boss encounters will have you crying to your mommies!" Seriously though, combat is indeed tough, even on Normal difficulty. I just did the first major boss last night and it took me a while to finally best him. I think I made the right move by buying the ability to slow down time when drawing the bow. It made things a little bit easier, but he was still no pushover. My biggest issue with the combat seems to be getting the timing down for parrying and evading attacks. I'm successful at parrying some of the time, but by no means is it consistent. Enemy attacks come at you fast (albeit after a moment of winding up, of course), and the window in which you can successfully parry (or evade for that matter) is very narrow — at least it seems that way for me. Everyone has (rightfully) talked about the gorgeous visuals, but I wanted to give a shout out to the sound design. I'm playing this on my 5.1 home theater system (B&W speakers and sub with an Onkyo THX receiver) and this game brings it to life in a way few others do. It's a game with some decent dynamic range. There's plenty of quiet moments during normal traversal and exploration. But when something big happens — particularly during a battle sequence — you really feel it. In that way, it actually feels more like you're watching/playing a movie. I love it. Overall, I'm very much enjoying this. As Romier said, it's nothing new or groundbreaking, but I don't expect it to be either. This is a solid amalgamation of different games mixed together into something both familiar and new. I can't wait to play more of Kena this weekend.

I went through a massive change in my life the last three months. It knocked me off of my routine. But I've finally stabilized, and I've gotten back on the workout train. But now I face the prospect of working out and running in the cold. Anybody have good up-to-date advice on how to handle these things? I did join a gym, but I feel like my next steps is to learn to adapt to the cold while I run outdoors.

Luigi > Mario

I've seen it so many times now, but it always makes me laugh. That's honestly such a good looking game too. Great lighting and animation work. I wish MK8 wasn't Nintendo's sales equivalent to GTAV so we could actually have a sequel though.

I hope the spindle breaks in shipping and the disc is shaking around loose in it.

https://www.amazon.com/8Bitdo-Bluetooth-Gamepad-Nintendo-Android-Genesis/dp/B07MSN1NPC/ref=sr_1_10?dchild=1&keywords=8bitdo+genesis&qid=1632441986&sr=8-10 $20 cheaper and feels as good if not better than the original 6-button. It will work just fine on the Switch. Or if you're just married to the original design? https://www.amazon.com/Retro-Bit-Wireless-Controller-8-Button-Original/dp/B07WP2ZYNR/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=retrobit+genesis+wireless&qid=1632442041&sr=8-1 It's officially licensed by Sega and uses the same plastics used in the original controller. Oh and it will work on your PC/Mac/Switch and the original Genesis since its includes both receivers. Still $15 cheaper. N64 you ask? https://www.amazon.com/Retro-Bit-Wireless-Controller-Nintendo-Raspberry/dp/B091QVBN73/ref=sr_1_5?crid=NKAFNKYXLYBK&dchild=1&keywords=n64+wireless+controller&qid=1632442241&sprefix=N64+wireles%2Caps%2C174&sr=8-5 Based on the excellent and well regarded Hori mini-pad that was released during the N64 era, the Tribute shifts the D-Pad over for better placement and loses the shit-tier boomerang design for actual comfort. It's still $10 cheaper and it has the same flexibility to work on other platforms other than the Switch. We live in a golden age of choice when it comes to retro controller access and the ability to play these older games without much fuss. Fuck this price gouging bullshit. EDIT: For posterity, this is what I used on my original N64: https://www.amazon.com/Retro-Fighters-Brawler64-Next-Controller-Game/dp/B078KHKHPX/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2BYWPID91CKKA&dchild=1&keywords=n64+retro+fighters&qid=1632442536&sprefix=n64+retro+fighter%2Caps%2C176&sr=8-1 It's god tier and I haven't touched an original N64 controller since I bought one. If only they did a wireless version compatible with the Switch!

Indeed. The higher priced "expansion pack" (*sigh*) for Nintendo Switch Online will be a new tier offering N64 and MegaDrive/Genesis titles for the system: N64 launch titles (supporting 4-player online play where applicable): Super Mario 64 Mario Kart 64 Star Fox 64/Lylat Wars Yoshi's Story Mario Tennis Ocarina of Time Dr. Mario 64 WinBack: Covert Operations (.........) Sin and Punishment Additional N64 titles teased but with no date given: Banjo Kazooie (!) F-Zero X Kirby: The Crystal Shards Majora's Mask Mario Golf Paper Mario Pokemon Snap MegaDrive launch titles: Castlevania: Bloodlines Contra: Hard Corps Dr Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine Ecco the Dolphin Golden Axe Gunstar Heroes Musha Phantasy Star IV Ristar Shining Force Shinobi III Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Streets of Rage 2 Strider $50 wireless N64 and (three button 😩) Megadrive controllers also coming. Pricing for the Online Expansion Pass was not revealed in the stream, though it was noted that existing subs will be able to upgrade.

Asmodee is up for sale for 2 billion Euros. Anyone want to chip in? 😂

I agree. This restaurant would have fit in perfectly beside Horizons and the rest of pre-Test Track Future World. It almost feels like a relic of the past that is ready to be replaced with a Guardians or Star Wars IP. The sunset effect is cool. The more of the video screen I see, the more impressed I am. The first video I watched was more concerned with the signs on the bathroom than the main attraction of the restaurant. It is certainly more than just a screen behind some windows. This video gives a pretty good breakdown of the tech being used, and how the earth projection probably works. It also contradicts what I said above about the elevators just being a room. It claims that it is either an elevator, or moves in some way since you enter and exit through the same door. This isn’t true. There are two doors that are beside each other, offset a bit, but they aren’t directly opposite of each other like you would expect. It’s possible that these are actually elevators to take you up to a 2nd level, as I can’t figure how the doors you do exit would not be in the same space as the lobby. Also the actual restaurant entrance couldn’t really be at ground level as it has “stadium” seating and would need room below the windows of the screen. So it would make sense that you need to be taken up a bit.

Is Apple deliberately trying to build a digital camera aesthetic? Seeing it in that b&W teaser seems to be yet another example. It's an overly clean, too smooth, almost unprocessed look to things. It often makes for a jarring separation between foreground and background -especially if the effect is greater in one plane than another.

$89.99, or £89.99 in the UK. No thanks.

It felt like the game threw cars at you in FH4.

I did a little soundtrack mop-up shopping.

Finally installed the Director's Cut on the PS5 and loaded my save. It looks like I didn't upload the most recent save from the PS4 into cloud storage since it loaded me prior to taking on the Khan. I booted up the PS4 and uploaded the most recent save file and then did the transfer again and the platinum popped correctly this time (my 30th!). After I personalized a shot in the picture mode which was the last remaining trophy. I'm debating whether to start the Iki expansion with Kena on the horizon tomorrow. I may wait.:D

Photo mode trailer:

US physical version officially announced:

I’m in the same boat: your company also gave me $100 in recognition of your work. No, but this was one of my most eagerly anticipated games of the year, yet for whatever reason, my enthusiasm has cooled off. It’s not that I’ve seen or read anything that turned me off so much as the absence of really enthused reactions that I’d have expected to hear by now. I know there was that post on the PS blog, but otherwise, everything seems to have gotten awfully quiet leading up to launch, as if they unplugged the hype machine on Labor Day and forgot to plug it back in. If Kena gets really spectacular reviews or terrific word of mouth, I’m sure I’ll have it ordered before the week’s out, but I lost my itch to preorder. And I’ll admit to being a little annoyed at the lack of a physical release (at least for now) too. I’m hoping everything shakes out okay because it’s visually to die for, and its reported length of 8-10 hours is exactly what I’m in the mood for right now.

I finished 12 Minutes a few weeks ago and Psychonauts 2 a few days ago.

Football is life. Glad you liked it. It's fantastic tv that hit home really hard with the divorce plot.

Agree 100% with everything you said so.. bring on the UHD release. LOL

It's a complete homage (ripoff?) of that, yes. Again, if you accept that the movie isn't made with any level of seriousness, then its wonderful cheese/junk integrated into a 70's/early 80's Italian horror movie. The problem is (and this something I agree with the RLM guys on), Wan is too slick a filmmaker for it and tonally it never quite feels right. It starts with a totally tongue in cheek intro ("It's like he's broadcasting his THOUGHTS!") and then switches to being a Conjuring movie and then back, etc. It's just fucking weird lol. By the end, I was legit cackling at some of it ("Next time....I'll be ready!" *super serious look on her face*....I nearly spit my drink out LMAO). Again, I don't know how to feel about it other than its certainly a laughably bad movie but fuck its entertaining.

Well, hello there....

Cool!