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If We Were Having Coffee: Surviving Sickness

If We Were Having Coffee Image Three

If we were having coffee, I’d once again apologize for my continued lack of recent blog posts. This time though, it really isn’t something within my control. For the past week (since last Thursday, not this one) I’ve been feeling quite under the weather. I’ve been dealing with a lot of neck and head pain that hasn’t completely gone away. I don’t know where this pain stems from and what caused it to occur, but it’s really starting to get old real fast. It’s gotten better since it first started. But it’s still there, hanging on, not wanting to completely disappear. I’ll start feeling better, almost as if it’s going to completely vanish. But then I’ll wake up the next day, my neck sore as ever, my head throbbing as if I got run over by a bus. But then as the day goes on, the pain gets less and less until it’s a dull pain. I’ll be excited, thinking I finally beat this thing only to discover when I’m in bed that the pain is back, stronger than ever. So then when I wake up for the day, I’ll come downstairs and lay on our couch in the hopes of shaking it off. It helps make the pain more bearable for me but once I go to bed—the pain returns.

But the problem is I don’t know what’s causing this pain. My family and I each have conclusions of our own based on what I’ve been experiencing. I really think it could be my bed causing all of these problems since my head and neck pain seems to get worse every time I wake up in the morning. However, I’m not an expert by any means when it comes to head and neck pain. So I won’t know for sure until I go to the doctor to find out what’s going on with me. Hopefully, that’ll happen soon so that I can find out what’s going on and make sure I’m treating this correctly.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that even though I haven’t been feeling well, I’ve been trying the best I can to make the most of it. I’ve been spending most of my time chilling at home. I haven’t really gotten too many job applications or anything done because of how I’ve been feeling. Though I did get an email from one of the companies I applied for a position with. They had some additional questions for me about my experience that they needed me to answer before later on talking about setting up a phone interview. The position is with the company I work for now, but is more of a job in my field and I’d get paid more. I’d also have to move because the position isn’t in the state I live in now. But until I have the phone interview, I can’t get my hopes up yet that I’ll get the position. I also finished reading Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle That Defined a Generation. It was a very satisfying read that reminded me so much of my childhood where I spent a lot of time playing video games on my Sega, Nintendo, SNES, and PlayStation 2, all of which are systems I still have with me. And then started reading Ready Player One, which so far is a pretty enjoyable read too. Even though there are some things with the story I’m still unsure of yet. Just going to wait until I finish reading the book though before I make a judgment call.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you last Saturday, I went on a Cystic Fibrosis walk with my best friend. Even though I wasn’t feeling so hot, I already committed to going on this walk and it was for a good cause. For those unfamiliar with Cystic Fibrosis, it is a genetic born disease that limits a person’s ability to breathe over time. It also causes a thick buildup of mucus in the lungs, pancreas and other organs, which can cause infections, extensive lung damage, respiratory failure, and prevent the release of digestive enzymes, which allows the body to break down food and absorb vital nutrients, according to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is an organization whose mission is to cure cystic fibrosis and to provide people with the disease the opportunity to lead full, productive lives. My best friend has been dealing with this disease her whole life. So even though I wasn’t feeling so great after the walk, I did this for her and to help others who have to deal with this horrible disease. And it was a lot of fun because not only did I get to see my best friend, but I also got to walk, which is a form of exercise I really enjoy. And that’s what really matters, being surrounded by people whose company you enjoy and doing something you love.

If we were having coffee, I’d also inform you I have some really good news. My sister has finally gotten a job in her field!  I have one older sister who graduated from college a year before I did with a degree in Bioengineering. She’s been looking for a job in her field for two years now, but has been working for one of our school districts as an assistant secretary for one of the coaches. So I know she’s very happy about it, even though it means she’ll be moving away from Mom and I into another state six hours away.  We celebrated by going out to our favorite Mexican place for dinner once she accepted the position. But next weekend, we shall hopefully be moving her into her new place. She’s been communicating with a friend of her friends about being roommates and it’s been stressing her out because the friend won’t be ready to move from her current place until a month after my sister needs to be there and my sister doesn’t want to spend a month at her friend’s place. So she’s been dealing with a lot of stress from that, but I’m hoping everything will work out okay for her.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that’s really all I have been up to besides lounging at home. I know today will be our last Zumba class with our Sunday instructor. She’s got such a busy schedule and I only go to the gym on Sundays because guests are allowed to go to the gym on the weekends for free. But I probably won’t be going because my neck is still sore and I don’t want to do anything to hurt myself. Also a friend of Mom’s is having a cookout at her place tonight so I’ll be going to that. It’s raining here though so we’ll definitely be cooking everything indoors instead. So I guess it’s time for me to go. I hope you’ve been having a good week and I’ll talk to you later, dear friend.

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Giving Something New a Try: If We Were Having Coffee First Post

If We Were Having Coffee Image One

For the past couple weeks now, I’ve read Zen and Pi’s If We Were Having Coffee posts. I find them to be very interesting, seeing her posts about what she’s been up to during the week that I’ve decided I want to do my own weekly #weekendcoffeeshare posts.

Part of the reason I want to become a part of the #weekendcoffeeshare is because I want to personalize my blog some more. I don’t want my blog to be just about the books I’ve read and video games I’ve played. And I’m trying to do that by including some of my own writing through flash fiction challenges and writing prompts. But I also want it to be somewhere readers can learn a little more about me, including them in my life because my blog is a part of my life.

I believe If We Were Having Coffee will be able to help with that. What I’ll be doing each weekend is writing a post directed at my readers, telling them what all I’ve been up to during the week over a cup of coffee. I’m planning on doing these posts starting today every weekend if I can to give my readers a glimpse into my everyday life. I hope these posts will allow more conversation to happen between me and my readers, but we’ll just have to wait and see.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that I’m sorry but I don’t drink coffee. I’ll be having milk with our weekend coffee sessions instead and hope that’s okay with you. I’d also apologize to you for the lack of posts over the past two weeks. Two coworkers of mine who work nights at my job quit so I’ve been covering their hours with very little free time for myself to spare. These extra hours have caused me so much stress, frustration and exhaustion that I haven’t felt like writing as much until I got through the weeks I’d be working them. They’ve also made me realize how miserable I am with my current job and am ready to get a job in my field sooner rather than later. Right now, I’m working on that with my general manager at work, who’s offered to help me find a position for the company in my field. I’m actually supposed to meet with him tomorrow about this so fingers crossed he has some good news for me. But if not, I’ve been applying for positions while I’ve been home, both for a job during the summer and in my field so I’m not unemployed during the summer and so I have somewhere to work full time so I don’t have to go back. While I enjoyed working for them for a little while, I’ve realized it’s time for me to go because I’m no longer happy working there anymore. I’m ready for a different job and to get my career started.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you I had applied to be a contributor at Book Riot a couple weeks ago. I’d tell you how excited I was about the opportunity, but also inform you that I didn’t get picked. But I’d also let you know how okay I am with that now because the two posts I wrote for the position I can always put on my blog. In fact, I’d say, I’m planning on putting them on my blog. As soon as I get the chance to look over them one last time to make sure there isn’t anything more I want to add. I’d also tell you if you asked that what they are about is a surprise and that you’ll see them on my blog soon enough. I don’t want to spoil them for you my dear reader, I’d tell you.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you I’ve made friends in the most unlikely of places. Yes, I have friends both from high school and college I still talk to. But I also made friends with people I never expected to talk to me. In fact, I’ve been spending time with one of them quite a bit. I went to a couple parks with them last Sunday, some of which I’d never gone to before. It was lots of fun and I hope we go to some more very soon. But for now, this friend of mine is slowly becoming a part of my life in ways I didn’t imagine. We talk to each other every day and with each conversation had, I feel like I’m learning more and more about this person that makes me realize I want them to be in my life and someone I can continue to call a dear friend.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you about my best friend’s Mary Kay consultation party I went to last Saturday. I’d tell you how proud I am of my best friend for starting up her own business and about the good time I had at the consultation. I’d tell you I had such a good time that I even bought stuff, not only to support my friend but because I need it. I have a lot of problems with my skin getting dry and the stuff they have for dry skin I was able to try during the consultation. It seemed to work well so I’m hoping the stuff I’m getting works good for me. I would also mention there’s going to be another consultation next Saturday at 10. I’m going to that one as well so I can continue to support my friend and see what other products Mary Kay has to offer.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you I haven’t read a book since I tried reading Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, even though I’d gotten two other books on my Nook. I’ve been so busy playing Kingdom Hearts Unchained X whenever I’ve had the chance that I haven’t started reading another book. I just couldn’t get into this book right now so I’m hoping whatever book I start next will be better. But I can tell you that Kingdom Hearts Unchained X is pretty good, despite how annoying the battery life on my tablet can be.

If we were having coffee, I’d apologize for blabbering for so long and ask you about your week.

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First Impressions: Kingdom Hearts Unchained X

Kingdom Hearts Unchained X

Kingdom Hearts Unchained X is a RPG, action turn based game. Played on Android and mobile devices, Kingdom Hearts Unchained X has just recently been released in the United States.

And it is unlike no other Kingdom Hearts game. For one, you get to create a character uniquely your own. In previous Kingdom Hearts games, you played heroes chosen by the keyblade. But in Kingdom Hearts Unchained X, YOU are the hero. You can customize your avatar’s clothes and hair as well as choose which keyblade you want to use on each quest. It has also been released on Android and mobile, something Square Enix has never done with Kingdom Hearts in the past.

Kingdom Hearts Unchained X Avatars

Kingdom Hearts Unchained X is an enjoyable game for beginners to the series. Those unfamiliar with Kingdom Hearts can play it without playing any of the other games.

I both like this and hate it. I enjoy that this game can be a stand-alone because it has unique features other Kingdom Hearts games don’t have. But at the same time, as a big Kingdom Hearts fan, I’m sad. Kingdom Hearts Unchained X is a good game, but I was hoping this game would move the plot of the series further along. But it doesn’t.

Kingdom Hearts Unchained X Action

However, I also just started playing Kingdom Hearts Unchained X a couple days ago. So while I feel like there’s no real plot to the game, there’s still a lot I haven’t gotten to just yet.

But from what I’ve played so far, Kingdom Hearts Unchained X is a fun addition to the series. I enjoy being able to play a unique character that I’ve created as well as explore familiar worlds seen in the rest of the series and can’t wait to dive further into the game to see what all else it has to offer.

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First Impressions: That Dragon, Cancer

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That Dragon, Cancer is a storytelling, narrative video game that retells the story of Joel Green’s 4 year fight against cancer. Released on Joel’s birthday January 12, 2016, That Dragon, Cancer is two hours of poetic narrative that explores faith, hope and love.

That Dragon, Cancer was developed by Joel’s father and mother Ryan and Amy Green along with Josh Larson and Numinous Games.

Inspired after watching Jacksepticeye play the game, I decided to give it a go. And what a powerful gaming experience.

From the beginning, I was emotionally invested in That Dragon, Cancer. Playing the game through headphones, I felt as if I was going on a magical journey through life.

I was interested in the game because of the characters who brought to life the reality of what facing cancer as a parent is like. They made the game real to those of us who haven’t had to deal with cancer in their lives. I felt as if I were living their lives, feeling all of their emotions as they dealt with cancer hurting their son. Amy was strong, holding on to her faith in God that Joel would be alright while Ryan was scared, not wanting to lose his son and feeling as if he was drowning. These feelings are showcased through Amy’s letters in the water and seeing Ryan drowning when Amy is trying to pull him on their boat.

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In That Dragon, Cancer, this imagery is paramount throughout the game. The player not only experiences Amy and Ryan’s thoughts and feelings throughout the game as their son battles cancer, but also experiences a lot of dream-like imagery and metaphors. The title of the game itself showcases this as you get dived into an arcade game where you play as Joel, a warrior who battles monsters and eventually faces his greatest foe, a dragon who is called cancer.

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In this part of the game, you play as Joel and Amy is telling you a bedtime story about a warrior who has a hard battle with a dragon to face. As you play this arcade game, Joel’s brother asks questions about the warrior the further you progress until you battle the dragon. The game itself is an interesting experience that also helps you understand the title of the game and puts meaning behind it to symbolize that Joel is in a battle against a dragon for his life.

Besides the imagery and characters, I also enjoyed playing That Dragon, Cancer because of the storytelling. I love how Amy and Ryan tell Joel’s story of battling cancer in an imaginative way. It allows the player the experience of seeing cancer in a new light, bringing understanding to a subject people avoid discussing.

I also enjoyed the story in That Dragon, Cancer because it is real. Joel Green is a real child who went through cancer and lost his battle. And experiencing that battle in a video game really brings to light how cancer can impact a family.

The only drawback I experienced playing That Dragon, Cancer is lagging. Whenever I was playing the game, there were a lot of moments where the game would shutter and repeat words a character said. This made moments whenever dialogue was really heavy and emotions were high difficult to immerse myself into the game because I had to keep pausing the game to stop the lagging. This made enjoying the emotional impact That Dragon, Cancer had difficult because I felt I couldn’t connect to the game as much because of the issues I was having.

However, That Dragon, Cancer is still an amazingly powerful emotional rollercoaster I enjoyed getting to experience. It not only made me emotional but also brought awareness to cancer in a fashion I hope we can use for other health illnesses.

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First Impressions: Okamiden

Okamiden 2

Okamiden is an action-adventure video game published by Capcom. Released in 2011, Okamiden is the sequel to Okami and takes place nine months after Amaterasu’s defeat of the Dark Lord Yami.

After Amaterasu defeats Yami, she goes to the heavens and Issun becomes a Celestial Envoy. Nine months later, after defeating Yami and all of the demons in Nippon, they return. The Konohana Sprite Sakuya senses the danger and tries to summon Amaterasu but summons her son Chibiterasu instead. Since Issun is a Celestial Envoy, he is unable to go on this journey with Chibiterasu and so Chibiterasu is tasked to help find other partners to help him rid the world of this evil.

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Just like Okami, you play as a wolf with the Celestial Brush techniques. And being able to use these brush techniques is one of my favorite things about playing Okamiden. I like using them even better in Okamiden than I do Okami because the brush techniques seem more interactive to me. Part of that is due to Okamiden being released on Nintendo DS, which allows the player to have more interaction in the game.

And like in its predecessor, Okamiden has beautiful graphics that amaze the gamer just as much as in Okami. The village where you start off in the game looks amazing and seeing all of the familiar places that can also be found in Okami brings back a lot of fond memories I have of the game.

A feature of Okamiden I enjoy that can’t be found in Okami is the ability to use your partner to help find hidden objects and progress through the game. One of the Celestial Brushes you obtain in Okamiden allows you to direct your partner to hidden objects and switches so that you can get things that are far away from you. This adds a unique feature to the game that still makes playing it a challenge and allows your partner to be a more active participant in combating evil.

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Watching as your partner crosses over to collect an object or step on a hidden switch is a challenge I never get tired of. Image can be found on Hooked Gamers.

Another feature in Okamiden I enjoy is that even though nine months have passed since the events that’ve occurred in Okami, a lot has changed for the Gods who you get the Celestial Brush techniques from. In Okamiden when you get the brush techniques, the children of the Gods in Okami are the ones who give you the brush techniques. I find this to be really cool because it shows that time has passed in the game.

However, there is one thing in Okamiden I don’t like as much as I did in Okami. Personally, I don’t like the controls when playing Okamiden in that walking around in the game doesn’t feel the same because it’s a lot harder to look around as you walk.

But like Okami, Okamiden is such an amazing game to play. I love playing it just as much as I did Okami that I can’t wait to see what more of the story I have yet to unlock.

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Reliving Memories: Crash Team Racing

CrashTeamRacingNACover

In 1999, one of my all-time favorite kart racing video games came out. Developed by Naughty Dog, Crash Team Racing quickly stole my heart the first time I played it.

I remember this video game very well because it was one of the first kart racing games I had ever played. As a child, it introduced me into the world of Crash Bandicoot, a world I hadn’t been a part of before.

Crash Team Racing Bear Racing

I remember the times I played it, racing as Crash and some of the other characters in the game with the goal of making it to first place across the finish line. I remember enjoying it because the controls were so simple.

But I also enjoy playing it for other reasons too. I enjoy hearing the different character’s voices as you race to get into first place. Some of the characters say some of the funniest things and they make me laugh every time I hear them.

Another aspect of Crash Team Racing that I enjoyed as a child and still do now is the power up items you can use. As you race each of the uniquely built tracks, there are these boxes with question marks on them. When you race into one of them, the player is given a random item to use as you race. The item can be anything that will help you against your opponents, such as a speed boost to allow you to go faster, bombs that you can launch at your enemies to knock them down, and even a bubble that protects you from damage. I enjoy that Crash Team Racing has these items because it makes racing much more of a challenge and makes your gaming experience that much more enjoyable.

I also enjoy playing this game because of the different tracks you get to race on. Each track presents a challenge for the player that they have to overcome. These challenges are roadblocks that make the track harder to race on and finish in first place. But they allow the player the chance to figure out what to do to stay on the track and get to the finish line before everyone else. I enjoy racing on these tracks because each track has unique elements that can slow down the player from progress and cause them to lag behind. They make Crash Team Racing a challenging game to play, which makes my whole gaming experience when I complete them even more enjoyable.

Crash Team Racing Tiger

As a child, Crash Team Racing was ultimately one of my favorite kart racing video games. And even now as a 22 year-old college graduate, that still remains true for me. Crash Team Racing is a video game I can never get tired of and holds a special place in my heart as one of the first kart racing video games I’ve ever played.

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First Impressions: Undertale

Undertale Title Screen

Released in September, Undertale is a role playing video game created by Toby Fox.

Taking place in 201X, Undertale tells the tale of a human child who falls into the Underground, a world where monsters live. After a war between monsters and humans broke out, the monsters were banished to the Underground to live out the rest of their days. The only way monsters can get out to the surface is through taking seven human souls.

Undertale is a game I became interested in playing after watching GameGrumps play through it.

By watching them play Undertale, I was able to learn the mechanics of the game and understand the different ways the game can be played.

Upon playing Undertale, one of the things I enjoy about playing this game is that there are two ways the player can enjoy their experience. When fighting monsters, the player has two options. The player can either attack the monster and cause direct damage, or they can spare the monster through the act of mercy. Mercy allows the player the ability to not attack monsters and cause them damage. While not killing monsters doesn’t give the player any experience points, it allows the player to play the game in a different way than most role playing games typically allow.

One of the many boss fights the player experiences in Undertale.
One of the many boss fights the player experiences in Undertale.

But in Undertale, your choices affect your future gameplay. So if you choose to kill all of the monsters that appear before you, that will impact your gameplay the next time you play. This is one of the many aspects of this game that I really enjoy. I like that the choices you make in this game can impact you whenever you decide to play this game again. It adds something different to this game that you don’t often see in role playing video games.

Another aspect of Undertale I enjoy is the storyline. You get to play as a child who enters a world full of monsters. A world where most of the monsters you face are friendly but seriously misunderstood. Monsters that seem more human than deadly. But the enjoyable thing is that you don’t have to kill them. You get the choice whether you want to kill a monster that doesn’t want to fight, which is something I really appreciate. Not only that, but your character is able to connect with these monsters and become friends with them when you spare them. I enjoy the storyline for this reason because I feel like Undertale teaches the player important life lessons that you normally don’t get from role playing video games.

Image can be found on Kotaku.
Image can be found on Kotaku.

I also enjoy playing Undertale because I enjoy the graphics of the game and music. All of the little towns and places you go to throughout the game are really cute. I also enjoy seeing the layout for the monster battles too. How your health when you fight is determined on whether the heart you have control of gets out of the way of an attack in time. But I also like the music in Undertale. It’s pretty funky and different from the type of music I’m used to seeing in the games I play. I especially love the music when you’re fighting bosses. Each song picked for the boss battles uniquely stands out from the rest of the soundtrack and gives the player a better understanding of the character they are encountering.

Undertale Game2

Aspects of Undertale I don’t particularly like are the pace of the game and the controls. I feel as if the pace of the game ranges from being really slow to super fast. There are times when you are exploring the Underground where the overall plot of the game drops and random things begin happening, such as the date with Papyrus. While I did find all of these incidents to be rather entertaining, I also felt like it was all filter to try and make Undertale a lengthier game. I also don’t like the controls in the game. Whenever I’m playing games on my computer, I’m so used to using the X button as the button to select and use items and do everything. But whenever I play Undertale, X is the button used to deselect and exit out of things while Z is what’s used for items and everything else. For me it’s a little bit harder because I’m not used to the controls and have to get reacquainted with them every time I play.

However, Undertale is overall a pretty good game. I enjoyed watching GameGrumps play it on their channel and am enjoying my experience with the game too.

 

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First Impressions: Life is Strange Episode 5: Polarized

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Warning: Do not read this review if you have yet to play the previous episodes in Life is Strange or have an interest in playing this game. This review has spoilers for the game so viewer discretion is advised.

Two days after playing the fifth episode in Life is Strange, I am still recovering.

I previously wrote a post on Life is Strange, which can be viewed here. However, after the fifth episode came out on October 20th, I decided I wanted to write another post about the game. I want to focus not only my thoughts on this episode but on the game overall now that the final episode for this season is out.

But first, let’s talk about Episode 5: Polarized. This episode comes right after Max Caulfield gets drugged by Mr. Jefferson in the junkyard and watches her best friend Chloe get shot. The player wakes up in the dark room, where Jefferson with the help of Nathan has been luring his victims to take photographs. You then go through a series of timelines where you go back to try and stop Jefferson from drugging you and shooting Chloe. However, you soon realize that you haven’t fixed everything yet. The tornado is still going to hit Arcadia Bay so Max tries to figure out a way to stop Jefferson and the tornado. However, she quickly realizes that she can’t stop the tornado without sacrificing Chloe’s life.

In this episode, the gameplay is pretty amazing. Most of the decisions you have to make are big ones that impact what other characters do. Some of these choices you can’t undo. Whenever you make the final decision at the end of the game whether to go back in time and let Chloe get shot, the fate of Arcadia Bay is placed in your hands. You can choose to let Chloe live if you wish, but Arcadia Bay will remain destroyed.

Making the decision to sacrifice Arcadia Bay means Chloe lives but the town still gets hit by the tornado, resulting in everyone else dying.
Making the decision to sacrifice Arcadia Bay means Chloe lives but the town still gets hit by the tornado, resulting in everyone else dying.
Or you could let Chloe die and the town will be alright. You’ll even get to see the blue butterfly one last time.
Or you could let Chloe die and the town will be alright. You’ll even get to see the blue butterfly one last time.

But that is one of the many aspects of the gameplay in this episode the player gets to enjoy. At one point in this episode, Max passes out and has a terrible nightmare. This nightmare reflects on a lot of the choices you have made up to this point. What I love about this part of Life is Strange is how this shows Max’s inner turmoil on the decisions she’s had to make with her rewind power. She knows she hasn’t made the best decisions and this nightmare reflects on that. However, I also see the nightmare as a foreshadowing for the end of the game. Whenever Max goes into the diner where everyone in Arcadia Bay is and faces herself saying mean things, this is a hint that she should choose to sacrifice Chloe and let everyone else live. This part of the episode can be contrasted with Max walking through her special moments with Chloe since returning to Arcadia Bay. That part of the nightmare is where Max’s subconscious is telling her to let Chloe live, even if it means everyone else in Arcadia Bay is gone. I enjoyed the nightmare scenes because of how they allow the player into her subconscious and found them to be very submersive.

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However, there are also aspects of Life is Strange episode 5 that I didn’t enjoy.

One of the things I didn’t like was how they structured the plot. I found that there were too many cut scenes then needed. Whenever Max ends up going to San Francisco because she won the Everyday Heroes contest, I felt as if that wasn’t needed. While it’s nice knowing that one day she could end up an artist, I felt that they could’ve taken that out and fleshed out the game more.

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This episode also didn’t flow as smoothly as the others. It felt very choppy to me as if they were adding scenes into the game because they didn’t know what direction they wanted it to go. And while I did enjoy playing in Max’s nightmare, I don’t think that was needed as well. I felt like it was placed in the game as filter so that we could get a better understanding of Max’s character and so we could get a hint of the two possible ways the game was going to end.

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Overall, while this episode in Life is Strange wasn’t my favorite, the game as a whole I really enjoyed. I felt as if the creators of this game did a really good job of creating a story with a diverse cast of characters. The game also goes into heavy discussion about topics most people shy away from, which allowed me to enjoy it on a more personal level. I quickly became attached to the characters and felt as if I were walking in Max’s shoes.

While I enjoyed my gaming experience with Life is Strange, there is talk that there will be a second season. Even though I can’t deny or confirm this information, if a second season does come out, I will definitely be playing it and write another post about Life is Strange in the near future.

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Reliving Memories: Kirby’s Dreamland 2

Game Boy Kirby's Dream Land 2 Front Cover

Every video gamer remembers the first video game they beat. Whether you started playing video games in your youth or just recently started playing them, this one facet of your gaming life is something you don’t forget. For me, the first video game I beat was Kirby’s Dreamland 2.

Released in 1995 on Game Boy and developed by HAL Laboratory, Kirby’s Dreamland 2 is a platform game. It centers on a pink ball of fluff named Kirby who has the ability to swallow his enemies and imitate their abilities. The player travels on seven islands in this world each with their own boss that you have to fight and defeat before going to the next.

As a child, Kirby’s Dreamland 2 was a video game I had a lot of fun playing. I spent hours playing it and was able to beat it in no time. You add the cute animals that help Kirby through each of the levels and I was hooked.

Kirby fighting one of the bosses with the help of Coo the Owl. Found this image on Arcade Bros. website.
Kirby fighting one of the bosses with the help of Coo the Owl. Found this image on Arcade Bros. website.

For me, when I say I beat a video game, I mean that I got through the whole game. I made it through all the tough boss battles, dialogue (if there is any), and saw the credits roll. Even if I don’t collect all of the items to get a one hundred percent on the game, I still consider the game beaten if I’ve gotten through every other aspect of the game. I play video games for fun and getting all of the items in one game doesn’t give me any sort of pride or sense of accomplishment. Instead, I start getting bored playing video games if I have to go back and get every single item in order to get a one hundred percent in the game.

And as a child, I was proud of beating Kirby’s Dreamland 2. I enjoyed playing the levels because they weren’t too difficult and it was a good game for me on family road trips. As a child, I played this game many times on road trips when going to visit my grandmother in Pennsylvania. The drive to her place was twelve hours and playing Kirby’s Dreamland 2 made the trip go by faster.

I also enjoyed playing this game because of the music. The music entertained me and made game play light and fun. Seeing Kirby absorbing enemies and using their abilities was also an added bonus.

Rick the hamster and Kirby using the umbrella to kill an enemy. http://linkrandom.blogspot.com/2012/10/a-look-into-video-games-rick-kirby.html
Rick the hamster and Kirby using the umbrella to kill an enemy. http://linkrandom.blogspot.com/2012/10/a-look-into-video-games-rick-kirby.html

Playing Kirby’s Dreamland 2 now, I feel a sense of nostalgia remembering the many times I was able to beat this game. Kirby’s Dreamland 2 holds a special place in my heart. I recommend it to anyone looking for a quick and easy game to play on any occasion.

 

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